LETTER IV.

PRIVATE EXHORTATION-THE EXAMPLE

OF CHRIST.

MY DEAR

You will not imagine that, because

our Saviour made the circumstance of his preaching the Gospel to the poor one among the unanswerable evidences that he was the promised Messiah, that his Gospel was intended for the poor alone,-but that, whereas every religion, which had preceded the promulgation of Christianity, had consulted wholly, or chiefly, the interests of the rich and great, the Divine Author of the Gospel preached a doctrine which included all men of every degree in its merciful invitation;

but, at the same time, with an evidently partial feeling for the greater necessities of the poor. His Gospel was therefore especially calculated to assuage the sorrows and cheer the hearts and hopes of the poor.

transi

I propose, in this letter, to bring before you some of the many evidences to be met. with in the sacred Gospel in support of this position, that it was intended chiefly for the poor; it will then be an easy tion, from the practice of the Master, to consider that of his servant,--and thus to furnish you with appropriate matter for private exhortation in your visits to the poor.

In reply to the question of St. John's disciples, whether he were the Messiah or not? Christ sent them away with this convincing evidence;-he "raised the dead," and "he

In

preached the Gospel to the poor." unison with this, we hear, on another occasion, this friend to the poor proclaim, "Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." "The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor."-This day is this Scripture fulfilled. When the young man of great possessions anxiously accosted him, "What shall I do to obtain eternal life?" Christ, in reply, demanded, as the test of his obedience, whether he were willing to sell whatsoever he had, and give to the poor. What was his reproof to the haughty Pharisee? he bade him, when he made a dinner, or a supper, to call not his friends, nor his brethren, nor his rich neighbours, lest they also bid him again, and a recompense be made him, but to call the poor, the maimed,

and the blind, and thus that he should be

blessed and recompensed at the resurrection of the just.

Numberless as were his miracles of mercy, the far greater portion of them was performed for the express relief of the destitute and poor. For these were his many, many acts of charity exercised. Power was held in little estimation with this considerate Teacher when it came in competition with poverty,—and wealth, and authority, and learning, preferred not such claims to his attention as indigence and distress, the companions of a lowlier station. When he entered into the dwelling of the proud and self-important Pharisee, the poor creature who washed his feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head, won more upon the notice of the compassionate Jesus than all the splendour of preparation before him. Whatever might be the importance of its object, the

prayer of poverty ever arrested his journey, and the relief instantly administered to suppliant faith sweetened the toils of a laborious and persecuted life, This was illustrated in his conduct when on the

way to the ruler's house-his purpose was to restore the daughter of Jarius, lying in the cold grasp of death-to shed new life and rejoicing over the domestic circle of a rich and powerful ruler,—but this did not so occupy his thoughts as to exclude those feelings, ever predominant in him, of compassion and love for the poor. On the other hand, he first extended miraculous assistance to the importunate petition of the lowly sufferer who met him on his road, and then raised the ruler's daughter from the bed of death. I might adduce precept upon precept, and example upon example, to prove the assertion with which I commenced this letter, that the Gospel, with all its various consolations, though delivered to all of every age, and