who have felt, as they looked upon the Cross of the Son of God, not that
it was derogatory to Christ to believe that He had suffered, but
derogatory to Him to believe that He had not suffered: for only by
suffering, as far as we can conceive, could He perfectly manifest His
glory and His Father's glory; and shew that it was full of grace.

Full of grace. Think, I beg you, over that one word.

We all agree that God is good; all at least do so, who worship Him in
spirit and in truth. We adore His majesty, because it is the moral and
spiritual majesty of perfect goodness. We give thanks to Him for His
great glory, because it is the glory, not merely of perfect power,
wisdom, order, justice; but of perfect love, of perfect magnanimity,
beneficence, activity, condescension, pity--in one word, of perfect
grace.

But how much must that last word comprehend, as long as there is misery
and evil in this world, or in any other corner of the whole universe?
Grace, to be perfect, must shew itself by graciously forgiving penitents.
Pity, to be perfect, must shew itself by helping the miserable.
Beneficence, to be perfect, must shew itself by delivering the oppressed.

The old prophets and psalmists saw as much as this; and preached that
this too was part of the essence and character of God.

They saw that the Lord was gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of
great kindness, and repented Him of the evil. They saw that the Lord
helped them to right who suffered wrong, and fed the hungry; that the
Lord loosed men out of prison, the Lord gave sight to the blind; that the
Lord helped the fallen, and defended the fatherless and widow. They saw