and they humbled themselves, and God repented of the evil, that he had said he would do unto them, and did it not. But did the Jews repent, when our Saviour came? No: they did not, they refused to receive him, and have suffered such sorrows for it, that I am sure you would shed tears for them, were I to tell you all that they have suffered, and in some countries are suffering now. May we know, in time, what is for our good? May we turn to God, believe in Jesus Christ, and shew that we believe in him, by keeping all his commandments, by being holy, just, and good.

While our Saviour yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brother stood without, desiring to speak with him. Some one came and told him of it. And then he said, stretching forth his hand towards his disciples, Behold my mother and my brethren. For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in Heaven, the

same is my brother, and sister, and mother. Our blessed Lord was the Son of God: he was, we are told, equal to God: but for our sakes, and to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself, he submitted to be made flesh, to be born of a virgin, called Mary, and to live, like a man, upon earth. To this mother he was a dutiful son: to these relations he was ever kind and affectionate. Those whom he once loved, he loved unto the end. And by doing so, he has set us all an example of the manner in which we should act towards our parents, and towards all others to whom we are related. For one reason, why he who was in the beginning with God, and was God, took human flesh upon... him, and lived as a man among men, was, that he might be a pattern for Christians to follow, that he might not only teach us our duty, but shew us in his own conduct how we ought to behave on all occasions, and under all circumstances. And happy is he, and eternally blessed will he be, who follows his

Saviour's steps through life, and walks even as He, the blessed Jesus, walked. For you find, he tells us, that if we do his will, we shall be loved by him, as if we were his relations. Whosoever doeth the will of my Father which is in Heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother. He has said in another place, Ye are my friends, if you do what I command you. You see then, in what manner ye may be as brothers, and sisters, and friends to your Saviour. Do as he bids you in that Holy Bible, which is read for your instruction, your comfort, and your direction. Study to shew yourselves faithful servants to the Lord Jesus. Cease to do evil, learn to do well. Let it be your meat and your drink to do his will. Count all things but loss, till you have known Jesus Christ, and loved him as you ought. Let it be your morning and your nightly prayer, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith in him, that his religion may be so worked up into your

souls, that it may shew itself in all your conduct, at Church, at home, when you are doing your business, and when you are resting from your labours. Let it make you honest, industrious, and contented: let it give ease to your thoughts, by holding out to them the prospect of happiness beyond the grave: let it raise your hopes and your hearts to Heaven: let it fix all your thoughts, when you are at your prayers, on God, on Christ, on the Holy Spirit, on pardon for your sins, on eternal life. And may you all be grounded in these principles, that ye may pass through the things of this world in such a manner, as finally to lose not the things eternal.

And now to God, &c.

LECTURE XXXI.

ST. MATTHEW xiii. 1, 2, 3.

The same day went Jesus out of the house and sat by the sea-side. And great multitudes were gathered unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat, and the whole multitude stood on the shore. And he spoke many things to them in parables.

OUR blessed Lord now began to make use of a new method of teaching the people. He had formerly instructed them by short, but most excellent pieces of advice, given to them at different times, as I have already shewn to you. He now takes a different way, and begins to teach them by what the Bible called parables. A parable is an account of something, which

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