richly all things to enjoy."a Contentment is perfect rest, and perfect peace; it asks for nothing; seeks for nothing; hopes for nothing; wishes nothing but what God gives. It ceases to look about and see how its condition can be bettered: knowing that what God wills, that must be perfection. Contentment does not ask to see the reason why God does this or that, or why He withholds things which look like blessings; with open hands it receives all His good gifts, and thanks Him for His love and care; it does not look onwards, knowing that God will provide; it has no wants, no cares, but to know Him more, and to love Him better. This state is the duty of all, and especially of those who are called by sickness to constant temptations to sins against contentment. God would not make any thing to be our duty, unless it were possible of attainment-unless it would be for our highest good-unless He would give us the strength to perform what He requires of us. Therefore let us never rest until we truly know what contentment means, and are seeking to learn to say, "Lord, I am not high-minded; I have no proud looks; I do not exercise myself in great matters, which are too high for me. But I refrain my soul, and keep it low, like as a child that is weaned from its mother: yea, my soul is even as a weaned child. O Israel, trust 1 Tim. vi. 17.

in the Lord, from this time forth for evermore."a "For with the Lord there is mercy; and with Him there is plenteous redemption. And He shall redeem Israel from all his sins."b

II.

SYMPATHY.

SYMPATHY should especially be wrought out in us by sickness. No sick persons have truly understood the lesson that it was designed to teach them, until they have learned this truth. They may deeply feel their deficiencies, for "we are all by nature hard and unsympathizing." We are very slow to learn true sympathy. It is very easy to sympathize with some persons who suit our tastes; and with such trials as are exactly like our own. But this is but a form of self-love and selfishness. In sympathizing with them, we seem, as it were, to sympathize with ourselves; we never forget their relation to us; thoughts of self run through the whole. Sickness, wrongly received, increases selfishness to the highest degree. Sickness, rightly received, does, by degrees, cast out the "unclean spirit," whose "name is Legion." Sympathy is not natural to us: it can only be given to us

■ Ps. cxxxi.

b Ps. cxxx. 7, 8.

Mark v. 9.

by our sympathizing High Priest; but as He was "perfected through suffering,"a so He perfecteth us. Do not say, with sorrow of heart,— "Alas, I have no sympathy; my besetting sin has been to sympathize only with a few; from the many I have always had a temptation to turn away, which I have but too little resisted; there is something in that person's manner which I cannot draw towards-we seem to have few, if any, points in common. Show sympathy, if you would receive it; create the atmosphere, and you will inhale it also.

Sympathy is not a natural gift; though a few natures may be so endowed with it, as to shadow forth the full reality: which can only be obtained by living with Him who is perfect sympathy, and deeply thinking of that well of life, that flows from His pierced side. It is all in vain to seek for the gift in ourselves, it is not there. We must go out of ourselves for it; and the surest way to get it, is to feel that we are utterly without it; thus we are driven to ask it of Him who "giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not."b

The way to get increase of sympathy is to seek for increase of charity. "The essence of sympathy is charity." No one without true charity can have godly sympathy. He who was perfect love had perfect sympathy. The

a Heb. ii. 10.

b James i. 5.

more we are conformed to the image of perfect love, the more we really understand, and seek to practise, St. Paul's description of charity, the truer, and the more abiding, and the deeper will be our sympathy.

But this is not a gift, which once obtained will never fail, or become less; it is only by dwelling in the God of love and of sympathy, that we can shadow forth His love and His sympathy. It must be daily and hourly renewed, and flow into our hearts straight from Him.

If we are convinced that we do not understand the wants or the trials of another, we shall ask Him to interpret them to us, or else to give us the words to speak, making us merely the channels of His grace.

There is another sense in which it may be cultivated. We may constantly exercise ourselves in it, not refusing it to any one. We may resolve at all times to show interest in other people; they may come and tell us things which seem to us mere trifles. We may be tempted to turn aside at once, or to say that they are trifles; but bear in mind that nothing is a trifle which either tries another person or affects their welfare; and also, that if we treat this thing lightly, they may be thrown back, and not expecting to receive sympathy for some

a 1 Cor. xiii.

greater thing, withhold that also from us, and so, from the want of that little act of self-denial of ours, we may have prevented ourselves from the delight and blessing of helping them, when we gladly would have done so. Sick people should give every one with whom they meet, cause to feel that in any trouble, great or small, they will always find ready sympathy and a kind reception; never be turned away; but meet with the greatest kindness, and consideration, and encouragement.

To do this requires continued self-denial both for the body and the mind. You may be particularly engaged; but try to avoid showing that you have been interrupted, or that it is an inconvenience or annoyance to you. You may be trying to rest, but if a real demand for sympathy or help comes, do not refuse to meet it. You may be feeling peculiarly worn out in body and in spirit, but "consider Him" who said, when He was weary and hungry, "My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me."a Already you may have been feeling worn out, and are vainly seeking after that quietness and calmness of spirit which has been taken from you by the continual strain. You seem to have been attending to the claims of others all the day; you have just laid down to rest, and rejoiced in the comfort. Some new call comes.

. John iv. 34.

If it clearly