ther? and who are my brethren? replied he, and he stretched forth his hand towards his disciples, and said, 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. This we shall proceed to illustrate in the second part of our discourse.

II. Our Saviour did not, in these words, design to exclude from his spiritual family all those who belonged to his family in the flesh. Who can entertain any doubt but that the holy virgin, who belonged to the latter, did not also belong to the former? Who ever carried to greater perfection than this holy woman, piety, humility, obedience to the divine precepts, and every other virtue which has distinguished saints of the highest order?

The Scriptures afford also various examples of the love of Mary, the wife of Cleophas, to Jesus Christ. She followed him to Jerusalem when he went up to consummate the grand sacrifice, for which he came into the world; she stood at the foot of the cross with the holy virgin, when he actually offered up himself; she went to water his tomb with her tears, when apprized of his resurrection.

As to those whom the evangelist calls the brethren of Christ, I confess, that to him they were not equally devoted. St. John affirms expressly, that his brethren did not believe in him, John vii. 5. But whether we may take this assertion in a more extended sense than in the text: or whether St. John spake of the early period of our Saviour's ministry; certain it is, that among the four persons, here called

the brethren of Christ, all of them had received the seeds of piety, and avowed his cause; as I could prove, if the limits of this discourse would permit.

If, therefore, Jesus Christ designated none as the members of his spiritual family, but those who were then recognised as his disciples, it was not intended to exclude his relatives according to the flesh, but to mark that the former then afforded more distinguished evidences of their faith and devotion to the will of his Father.

Neither was it our Saviour's design,-when he seemed to disown his brethren, and his mother, properly speaking, to detach us from persons to whom we are united by consanguinity, and to supersede the duties required by those endearing connexions. By no means; those affectionate fathers, who have invariably sought the happiness of their children;those children, who, animated with gratitude, after sharing the indulgence of a father during his vigour, become, when age has chilled his blood, and enfeebled his reason, the support of his declining years;— those brothers who afford example of union and concord, are actuated by the religion of Jesus Christ. The laws of nature ought, in this view, to have a preference to the laws of grace. I would say, that, although religion may unite us more closely to a pious stranger, than to an impious father, I think it the duty of a child to bestow more care in cher ishing a wicked father, than a deserving stranger.

What our Saviour would say in the text is, that though he had a family according to the flesh, he had also a preferable family according to the Spirit, and

that the members of his spiritual family are more closely united to him, than the members of his natural househould. Of this spiritual family I proceed to speak. And I have further to say, my dear brethren, that I would associate you in this spiritual family, in the latter period of this discourse. Condescend to follow us in the few remarks we have yet to make. We will shew, 1. The nature, and 2. The strength of this family-connexion. 3. Its effects; or to speak with more propriety, its wonders. 4. Its superior felicity. 5. The persons it includes.

1. The nature of this relation consists in sincere obedience to the will of God. Whosoever shall do the will of my Father, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother. Here we have two extremes to avoid : the one is the forming of too severe an idea, the other of conceiving notions too relaxed, of this disposition of heart.

Do not, therefore, conceive too severe an idea of obedience. I do not mean, that devotion to the will of God can ever be carried too far. No: though you were ready, like Abraham, to immolate an only son; though you had such exalted views of the recompence of the reward, that, like Moses, you would prefer the reproach of Christ to Egypt and its treasures; though you had the fervor of Elijah, the piety of David, the zeal of Josiah, the affection of St. John, and the energy of St. Peter; though you were all ready, like the cloud of witnesses mentioned in the epistle to the Hebrews, to be stoned, to be slain, to endure cruel torments, to be killed with the sword, to wander about in sheep-skins, and in goat-skins, in

deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth, you would not exceed a due devotion to the will of God.

But though it is not possible to carry this disposition too far, it is, nevertheless, possible to exaggerate that degree which constitutes us members of the Saviour's spiritual family. He knows whereof we are made, Religion is not for angels, but for men; and however holy men may be, their virtues always participate of the infirmities inseparable from human nature. Those disciples, towards whom Jesus Christ extended his hand, committed, during the early period of their piety, faults, and great faults too. They sometimes misconceived the object of their mission; sometimes distrusted his promises; they were sometimes slow of heart to believe the facts announced by the prophets; they once slept when they ought to have sustained their Master in his agony; they abandoned him to his executioners; and one denied knowing him, even with an oath, and that he was his disciple. Virtue, even the most sincere and perfect, is liable to wide deviations, to total eclipses, and great faults—hence, on this subject, you should avoid too severe a standard.

But you should equally avoid forming of it notions too relaxed. Do you claim kindred with the spiritual family of Jesus Christ? Do you claim the same intimacy with the Saviour which a man has with his brother, his sister, and his mother? Tremble then, while you hear these words of St. Paul, What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? What communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with belial? 2 Cor. vi. 14, 15,

Tremble while you hear these words of Christ, No man can serve two masters, Matt. vi. 24. Or, to unfold to you a more detailed field of reflection, do you not exceedingly mistake concerning obedience to the will of God?

The will of God not only requires negative virtues, which consist in abstaining from evil; but positive virtues also, which consist not in a mere refraining from slander, but in reprehending the slanderer ;not in a mere refusal to receive your neighbour's goods, but in a communication of your own;-not only in abstaining from blasphemy against God, but also in blessing him at all times, and in having your mouth full of his praise.

The will of God not only requires of you popular virtues, as sincerity, fidelity, courage, and submission to the laws, are generally accounted; it also requires those very virtues which are degraded by the world, and considered as a weakness; such as forgiveness of injuries, and contempt of worldly pomp.

The will of God not only requires virtues correspondent to your temperature, as retirement, if you are naturally sullen and reserved; abstinence from pleasure, if you are naturally pensive and dull; patience, if you are naturally phlegmatic, heavy and indolent: it likewise requires virtues the most opposite to your temperature; as purity, if you are inclined to concupiscence; moderation, if you are of an angry disposition.

The will of God requires, not mutilated virtues, but a constellation of virtues approaching to perfec