tute of religion, and had no dealings with them. But mark! while the religion of the Priest and the Levite caused them to pass by the suffering man without offering him relief, the outcast Samaritan condescended to pity and relieve even his enemy the Jew. The truth is here plainly set forth, that even an unbeliever, who performs a good action, is worthy of greater praise than a delinquent believer, who only thinks righteousness, but refuses to make it manifest in his deeds. "God is no respecter of persons, but in every nation, he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted of him."

Religion, then, as it was taught by our Lord and his apostles, consists in love to God, and benevolence and charity to our fellow-men; and these both united will keep us unspotted from the world; will carry us clear from its corruption and sin, and cause us to live "quiet and peaceable lives, in all godliness and honesty." And this is just what we need in our world everywhere among human society; a religion of the heart and life, that will think good thoughts, and perform good actions. The sectarian may tell of the excellency of his church and creed; the bigot may rail against a doctrine which he cannot, because he will not, understand, and wonder why everybody will not follow his example, in reasoning only on one side; the man of much profession may tell of the coldness of morality, and of the great mystery of the newbirth, and of its necessity before one step can be taken in the Christian pilgrimage. But all this is not visiting the widows and fatherless in their afflictions; neither is it keeping unspotted from the world. It amounts, in many instances, to a mere contention for shadows, while the substance is overlooked or forgotten. "We know that we

have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren." "Whoso loveth, is born of God, and knoweth God;" and "Love worketh no ill (but good) to his neighbour." Professions and outward forms, holy raptures, prayers, and praises, are all parts of Christianity; they become attached to it from its very nature, and from the nature of those who embrace it. They are all aids to the true believer, kindly assisting him onward in his spiritual journey below; and he who would lightly esteem them, has learned but little of himself, his connexion with his fellow-men, or his relation to God. Yet these are not to be taken for pure religion, unless the active principle of benevolence is at work in the soul. "I will have mercy and not sacrifice," is but another form of expressing the definition we would here give of practical Christianity. God is not mocked with pretension, nor pleased with mere acclamations of honor. The gospel kingdom, as Jesus declared, "cometh not with observation;" it is not a dispensation of pompous rites or ceremonies. Its work is with the heart. Beautifully has a gifted mind thus set forth its true spirit. "The branches and boughs which were strewed in the way, while Jesus rode into Jerusalem, together with the general burst of vocal hosannas, that welcomed him to the city of David, were but lightly esteemed, compared with the tears of contrition with which his feet were washed by her to whom much was forgiven, and who loved much." *

As pure, practical religion consists in doing good, we are naturally led to seek its origin. We trace it up to the Giver of "every good and perfect gift, who is without variableness or shadow of turning." In doing good, we imitate him; and when we do this, so far we become followers of God, as dear children." God is wise; as the Scriptures declare. "O, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! - O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all. - To God only wise be glory." Rom. xi. 33; Ps. civ. 24; Rom. xvi. 27. We are taught to be wise also. "Wisdom is the principal thing, therefore get wisdom. . - The merchandise thereof is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies, and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. Length of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace." Prov. iv. 7; iii. 14–17.

God is just. "Righteous art thou, O Lord, and upright are thy judgments. Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne. Just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints." Ps. cxix. 137 ; lxxxix. 14; Prov. xv. 3. Men are commanded to be just, also. "Deal justly. - As ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so unto them. - Render, therefore, unto all their dues. A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is his delight. - Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness." Micah vi. 8; Matt. vii. 12; Rom. xiii. 7; Prov. xi. 1; Jer. xxii. 13.

God is merciful. "The Lord passed by and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth. - His tender mercies are over all his works." Ex. xxxiv. 6, 7; Ps. lxxxvi. 15; cxlv. 9. In accordance with this attribute, we are commanded to "be merciful, even as our Father who is in heaven is merciful. - Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." When the question was asked the lawyer, which of the three was neighbour to the suffering traveller in the parable? his answer was, "He that showed mercy on him." Luke vi. 36; Matt. v. 7; Luke x. 27.

God is faithful. "He is not man, that he should lie; nor the son of man, that he should repent. Hath he said, and shall he not do it; or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? - Thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth. - Thy word, O Lord, is forever settled in heaven; thy faithfulness is unto all generations." Numb. xxiii. 19; Isa. xxv. 1; Ps. cxix. 89, 90. The Scriptures direct us to imitate this feature of the divine character.

"Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness; but a faithful man who can find ? - He that heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock : And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. - Trust in the Lord, and do good: so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. - The Lord preserveth the faithful. - He that is faithful in the least, is faithful also in much." Prov. xx. 6; Matt. vii. 24, 25; Ps. xxxvii. 3; xxxi. 23; Luke xvi. 10.

In short, we are informed, that God is love. This comprises his essence and fulness. And as he so loved the world as to send his Son to save it, we are directed to love him, and our fellow-men. "Beloved," says the faithful apostle, "if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another." Love to God will prompt us to seek his face; to strive for new acquisitions in divine knowledge; to be humble before him, and submissive to his holy will and pleasure.

These remarks are intended to show, that to be truly religious is to imitate our heavenly Father. So that here we behold the doctrinal and practical blended. There is not a single moral precept laid down in the New Testament, that is not connected with some important doctrine. Let men practise the true doctrine, and obedience to the best precepts will be manifested in their conduct. There can be no mistake here. If a man has a poor doctrine, he must draw his good precepts and practice from some other. For a corrupt tree will not bear good fruit. Grapes come not of thorns, nor figs of thistles. The character of our heavenly Father here set forth, conveys the true, the safe, and salutary doctrine to mankind. If we follow this, we shall not wander in darkness, but be blessed with the light of divine truth. True doctrine and practice were never more clearly held up to the view of men, than in the language of our Lord to his disciples; "I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven; for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." Matt. v. 44, 45.

We have thus attempted, in general terms, to define the religion of Christianity; presuming thus far on the concurrence of the candid reader in our opinions of its simplicity, utility, and deep importance to mankind. But