Page images
PDF
EPUB

But the religion of Christ is not only concentrative, it is likewise expansive. As surely as the converted sinner feels the effect and power, and rejoices in the glory of the Gospel in his own heart, so surely does it flow forth again in affection and kindness to all. His is not the hoarding of the miser, the sitting down alone to count his gains and gloat over his possessions-no, the riches of divine grace have opened his heart, have made him "the liberal soul, devising liberal things." The blessed freeness of the gift has prepared him to give freely; the water of which he has been permitted to drink, has not only cooled his parched tongue, and refreshed his fainting heart, but it has "become in him a well of water, springing up," and ever issuing forth in streams of goodness, sympathy and love.

The manifestation of these glorious features of the Gospel is to be observed in the Lord of Life. He gives us his Gospel, delivers it to us by his own hands, and in himself he developes, as in a bright pattern, the whole genius and spirit of that Gospel. What was he before he came to visit and redeem his people? He was Love itself. The centre, the perfection of love. In him was concentrated every thing that was holy and beautiful and merciful and pure and good and true; and the very fulness and perfection of this, his own eternal character, led him not to retire into the far-receding depths of Deity, alone to enjoy the fruition of his own infinite and glorious perfections; but on the contrary caused him to leave his glory for a time, that he might shed somewhat of his character on others; caused him to stoop from his Father's throne, and spread his wings of love and mercy over a fallen world, to scatter the blessings of peace amid the dwellings of the wretched, and extend the fulness of a grace without limit and without end, to the helpless and the dying.

Now if we would be the true and genuine followers of our Master, we must resemble him in these respects. We must have our own hearts filled with all the fulness of God, and then from the storehouse of this unfailing treasury, be ever spending ourselves in acts of kindness and benevolence and love to all. And let us observe, that the one feature of Christianity always bears a proportion to the other. The more we concentrate the blessings of the Gospel into our own hearts, the more urgently constrained shall we be to a wide and expansive diffusion of these blessings to others; it is from the fulness of the heart that "the mouth speaketh." The more "Christ is formed in us," his image engraven on our souls, his mind made our mind-the more shall we be prepared to act as he did; and in all our relations with our fellow-creatures to carry out his spirit, and follow his example. The nearer we approach to the character of his Divine and perfect love, the nearer we approach him in single-hearted self-denial-the more shall we resemble him in the simple but touching record of the inspired Apostle, "He went about doing good."

But let us proceed to observe that our blessed Lord personally engaged in this act of kindness. Had he summoned an attendant to the room, and desired him to wash the feet of his disciples, it would still have been a proof of condescension-it would still have been an evidence of his kindness towards them. But the lustre and charm of the act arises from his personally undertaking it; and here is a principle bearing on all Christian acts of kindness, which ought to influence all his followers. When we are engaged in acts of charity and love, do not let us delegate to others what we may accomplish ourselves-do not let the instrumentality of a third party come between us and the objects of our solicitude and regard. If it is only a cup of cold

water that we can give, yet let it be given by our own hands, in every case in which circumstances will permit of it. By this means we shall succeed much better in engaging the sympathies of our poorer and more distressed brethren, and in conveying to their minds a strong conviction of the sentiments of kindness and benevolence with which we are animated.

Much as there is in many respects effected in the present day, for the relief of the suffering and distressed portion of the community in our land, perhaps there never was a period when the sympathies of the poorer classes have been more severed from the wealthier, than the present. And though these facts cannot be accounted for wholly on the ground I am now to state, yet I am convinced, that they have arisen in no small degree from the prevailing habit of entrusting to public bodies the charity which would otherwise be directly applied by individuals. Whatever has given rise to this system, I am persuaded that it has been very injurious in its operation on all classes of the community, as well on those 'whose charitable energies ought to be called forth, as on the objects of their benevolence and love. Societies are in many respects most valuable, and demand all the support we can give; but if we rest upon these as excuses for withholding our personal communications with the poor and the afflicted in the land-if we begin to think that they exonerate us from following the example of the good Samaritan, who went himself and bound up the wounds, and took care of his suffering neighbour,-if this is the effect which charitable societies produce-and that they have done so in many instances is but too true-then I hesitate not to say, that their influence is so far injurious to that union and sympathy which ought to exist between the different

classes in our land, the high and the low, the rich and the poor; because whatever tends to break off personal intercourse, severs personal interest. The proverb in this respect is alas too true, "Out of sight, out of mind." The charity of the one becomes a matter of cold calculation, a question of ways and means, and the feelings of the other are proportionably devoid of everything which ought to characterize them in the way of thankfulness to God, and love and esteem towards the instruments of his goodness and favour. The rich do not see the abject misery of many at their door, and thus they lack the readiness to devise little acts of kindness which might soothe many an aching heart, or comfort many a troubled spirit;—and the saying is but too true, that "one half of the world knows not how the other exists; " while on the other hand, though relief may be conveyed to the poor with the language of kindness, they do not hear the accents of heartfelt pity, accompanied with which it was first bestowed; the beam of tender compassion, though it has sparkled in the eye of the benefactor, has not fallen with its gladsome light on the afflicted and him that was ready to perish; and hence the estrangement of the different members of the same body-the coldness of charity, which has become proverbial-the ingratitude and imposture of the poor, which has been greatly caused by the conduct of those who condemn it; and this state of things will assuredly not be mended until Christians find it in their hearts to go, like our beloved Saviour, personally and actively among those who claim their attention and their sympathy, until they realize more of that spirit of love and charity, that spirit of genuine kindness, which He manifested through the whole of his earthly sojourn, and especially in the incident before us. There can be no doubt that a due and careful

attention to this special grace of the Christian character, would, under God's blessing, be the means of effecting an amelioration and improvement in every rank of society, as great as it would be gratifying and delightful. And did we need any other stimulus than a Divine command accompanied by a Divine example, we might add the blessed reflection, that in exercising ourselves in acts of tender love and kindness towards each other-in "washing the disciples' feet "we are doing that which the Saviour will afterwards recognize in the most gracious manner. "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." The force of example cannot be greater-the language of persuasion cannot be stronger-the appeal to every emotion which ought to influence the believer, in relation to his Divine Master, cannot be more powerful.

But our attention must now be turned to the declaration which our Lord adds to the direct instruction he gave in connection with the act he had just performed. "If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them." Here he exhibited the true and only source of happiness—not knowledge, but action. Our first parents grasped at the tree of knowledge, and they entailed misery on themselves and their offspring: the devils who were cast out by the power of Christ knew him, but they only trembled; and many at the last day shall endeavour to excuse themselves by their knowledge: "Have we not eaten and drunk in thy presence;" of whom Christ shall say, "I never knew you, depart from me." No, beloved, it is only the "doer of the work" that is "blessed in his deed "—it is only the doer of the work who finds the joy and peace, as well as the security, of being built upon the rock, and not on the shifting sand. If we then expect to find happiness, merely

« PreviousContinue »