bear but little comparison to the love of him who breathed those feelings there. God compares himself to the mother. "Can a woman forget her sucking child?" Woman, being of a more delicate formation than man, possesses a mind susceptible of more fine, deep, and lasting impressions than his. The affections of her soul, when fully roused into action, and fixed upon their object, are deeper than those of man, extend far beyond the compass line of his, and range those sequestered haunts, those delightful fields of mental felicity, where his finest affections never penetrated. Let her heart once become fixed upon its darling object, and it is immaterial. in what situation in life we contemplate her,whether prosperous or adverse, we behold the same unshaken constancy, the same bright and burning flame. Her love to her children is pure as the dew drops of the morning, high as the heavens, and unchanging as the sun. It scorns dictation, bids defiance to oppression, and never for one moment loses sight of its object. No disappointments that cross her path, no scenes of adverse fortune that darken her sky, can wrench it from her grasp, obscure it from her vision, or tear asunder the silken cord, that binds it to her heart.

The truth of these remarks we see verified in that unwearied watchfulness and care, which she

exercises over her children, in supplying their countless and ever varied little wants; in allaying their little griefs, in soothing their tender hearts by the soft whispers of encouragement and love, in hushing them to repose, and in watching over the slumbers of their pillow. Are her children exposed to danger, and full in her view? Then no devouring flame, that wraps her dwelling in destruction, no rolling surges, that lash the foaming main, can, in such a moment of peril, overawe her spirit, or deter her from rushing into the very jaws of death to save them. Are they sick? Sleepless she sits beside their bed, and watches every breath they draw. Are they racked with pain? Her soul inhales the pang; and freely drinks at the same fount of agony, and breathes over them the prayer of mercy. Love is that attribute in her nature to which all the others are subservient. It is the shrine at which they all bow, the centre to which they all gravitate. If her children do wrong, she freely forgives.

Has God given the mother all these noble affections, and does he feel less to his helpless, sinful, and erring children? Let God answer. "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will not I forget thee."

SERMON XVI.

ON FORGIVENESS.

[Concluded.]

In our last, we showed that the compassion, tenderness, and love of our Father in heaven, are the origin of all the sublime affections in the human bosom, and from this acknowledged fact, have shown that he is infinitely more regardful of the welfare of his offspring than the tender mother, with whom he compares himself, is of the welfare of her sucking child. We now resume

the subject.

In our text, we are called upon to forgive one another, as God has forgiven us. In examining this point, we are to be guided by what he has revealed. The question here arises, How many does God command us to forgive? He commands us to forgive all, even our enemies. This then must be forgiving them as he does. He therefore forgives all. He commands us to bless them that curse us, and to pray for them that despitefully use us, and persecute us, that we may be the children of our Father in heaven. Does God command us to do more than he is willing to do himself? No, he lives up to his own command. If God requires us to forgive, even as he

does, and then commands us to love and forgive all, then he loves, and forgives all, otherwise he would violate his own command; and then there would be no resemblance between his forgiveness and ours. Even as God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you, so ought ye also to forgive one another.

Would you forgive all, and bring them home to glory? Yes. Will God? No, says the objector, he will not forgive his enemies, but his friends only. Then you must not forgive all. Do you ask why not? Because you are to forgive, even as God. He is the standard you are to imitate. If you forgive more than God, you are better than he. He cannot command you to do different from himself. If God require you to love and forgive all, while he himself will forgive only a part, then God acts contrary to his own command. We are exhorted in the text to be kind, tender-hearted, and forgiving, even as he is. Does your kindness, tenderness, and forgiveness extend to all, and desire the happiness of the universe? Yes. Then also does that of God, or else you are, in every sense of the word, better than he. You differ from instead of imitating God. If so, you are doing wrong, because you are violating the text. He commands you to be kind, tender, and forgiving only as he is; and you contend that his kindness,

tenderness, and forgiveness, extend to a part only, and that all the rest he will torture, world without end.

But, says the objector, God is now kind, tender, forgiving, and merciful to all; but he will not be so, when they enter eternity, for "the doors of mercy will then be shut."

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change in some future day? If he will not be the same being, he is now. he was the same yesterday, to-day, and forever, without variableness or even the shadow of turning. I thought he was the same Jehovah in all worlds. Do you intend to make him kind, tender, and forgiving here, but unkind, unforgiving, and hard-hearted to a part of his offspring hereafter? If you intend to change both the nature and character of the Almighty in the future world, then you and myself are done arguing. doctrine is, certainly, in a pitiful condition, which drives its advocate to the necessity of changing the Almighty wholly into another being to support itself. "God so loved the world," even when "dead in trespasses and sins," as to deliver up his Son to taste death for every man." And being unchangeable, he could never hate them. In our text, God commands us to forgive as he has forgiven. How many does God forgive? Ans. As many as he commands you to forgive. How