to God, but we cannot possess it, if we delight not in every act and exercise of love^. We may give good words to our indi- gent neighbour ; but, if we do not administer relief at the same time, he will be no better for us : and as our pretences to love will be of no benefit to him, so neither will our pretences to faith be of any benefit to ourselves •>. If we have not learned to " weep with them that weepV' it is to no purpose to call our- selves Christians: we only deceive our own souls ''."
But it may be said, We have not a capacity to instruct our fellow-creatures ; nor have we ability to relieve them : must we therefore be excluded from the number of true Christians ? No : *' If there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not'." But let us be sure that there is in us that willing mind, and that God sees " the yearning of our bowels" in secret prayer for the relief of those, whom, in other respects, we arc unable to assist.]
3. Be on your guard against any declension in the exercise of this duty —
[We are changeable creatures ; and they who " have run well" for a season, are sometimes "hindered" in a more ad- vanced stage of their course"". But let us be on our guard, that we " be not weary in well-doing"." If we have learned how " to walk and to please God, we should then endeavour to abound more and more"." There is no limit at which we should stop. God himself is the pattern we should keep in view ; and we should seek to " be merciful as our Father which is in heaven is merciful p." If we want motives to exertion, let us reflect on the mercy shewn to us by our adorable Lord and Saviour, " who gave his own life a ransom for us :" or let us consider what compassion he yet daily exercises towards us, " being touched with the feeling of our infirmities ^ :" and, as he has so loved us as to die for us, let us remember, that life itself is not too great a sacrifice for us to make, to promote the wel- fare of our fellow-creatures ^]
g 1 John iii. 17. ^ Jam. ii. 15, 16. ' Rom. xii. 13.
^ Jam. ii. 13. i 2 Cor. viii. 12. >" Gal. v. 7.
" Gal. vi. 9. " 1 Thess. iv. 1 . p Luke vi. 36.
q Heb. iv. 15. >■ j jo^n iii. 16.