for in vain elsewhere. Confidered merely as a quotation from oriental poetry, the metaphors in the text have uncommon force, and peculiar beauty. They are bold, but chaste; and express the most comprehensive sense with wonderful precision.

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THE holy prophet is painting, in glowing colors, the heavenly mercies of our Redeemer's love; his great good-will to the wretched; or, to make use of more expressive language, his blessing to them that mourn, and his gracious favor to repentant finners.

THE poor wretch, who has been shattered by the storms of fortune, or whose heart " has been pierced through with

many forrows," in yielding to the infirmities of his nature, is presented to the mind, under the frail, but striking emblem of " a bruised reed." And he, who has indulged himself in the lawless excesses of guilty paffions, but in whose bosom the generous spark of virtue is not yet quite extinct; he, who though he has been been deluded, is not yet " hardened

through the deceitfulness of fin;" but fometimes listens to "the still, small "voice" of confcience, is likened to

smoaking flax;" under which the fleeping fire may, with prudent care and timely attention, be yet re-kindled, or fuffered, from negligence, to go out for ever.

SUCH are the peculiar objects of our Saviour's love. Such is the weakness which he never bruised; but, on the contrary, was always ready to comfort and support. Such was the frailty which he would not caft off, or finally condemn; but which he studied, with a divine benevolence, to strengthen and reclaim.

PERMIT me, therefore, on the present occafion, to recommend the conduct and example of our blessed Lord in these particulars, to your serious attention, as a rule of moral and religious duty, which claims, in the most distinguished manner, our love and imitation.

In contemplating the character of our Lord and Redeemer, he never appears in a more pleasing point of view, than as the " healer of the broken-hearted, and the " comforter of those that mourn." When we regard him as the heavenly Meffiah, come from the everlasting Father, to teach us the fublimest truths and most important doctrines, we are awed by reverence and inspired with adoration. When we consider him as the foother of every affliction, and the gracious mediator for human frailty between God and and man, we are smitten with love, and melt into the grateful emotions of exalted piety.

If we compare this part of his character, as a moral teacher, with the practice of those who are ready to profess themselves his disciples, what a melancholy contrast shall we discover! The friendship, the charity and kindness of the world are often confined within the narrow limits of felflove. Men, in all ages, have too much resembled the Scribes and Pharifees of old, who who did good to those only who could do good to them. Few are the benevolent actions that flow from the pure source of christian charity; that have, for their object, the favor of God, and, for their reward, the fecret satisfactions of virtue. Let the voluptuary, however, and he, who carries on a fort of traffic in good works, seeking his reward from man only, liften to the precept of his merciful Redeemer. " When thou makest a feast" or, in a more extensive sense, when thou wishest to shew thy liberality, "call the poor, the " maimed and the blind, and thou shalt

be blessed; for they cannot recompense "thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at "the refurrection of the just." But this is a rule of duty but little confidered, and less practised. The intercourse of focial life is, for the most part, upheld by gratifications that sometimes spring from interest, and oftener, perhaps, from vanity. Hospitality and kind attentions to the happiness and ease of others are generally bestowed on those who are leaft benefited

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nefited by them, while the unfortunate may figh unpitied, or, at least, unrelieved.

How widely different was the conduct of the blessed Jesus! He often visited the chearless hut of poverty, the bed of fickness, and the habitations of the wretched. It was his supreme delight to seek out the fatherless and widow, and bid the afflicted be of comfort, wherever he met them ; to quell the wild disorders of dæmoniac phrenfy, to hush the tumults of contending paffions, and point out the path that leads, through the miseries of life, to the blessedness of heaven! But, alas! we cannot believe that "the house of mourning " is better than the house of feafting;" and shrink from scenes of calamity, as from fomething that would annoy our peace. The forrows of others are often not interesting to the human heart, because they are real; though from some myfterious principle in our nature, we are always ready to fly to the splendid