with men was the prototype of St. Paul's ideal set forth in to-day's epistle. Christ walked among them, worthy of the vocation in which He was called, with all humility and mildness, with patience, supporting them in charity, careful to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. The multiple meaning of the Saviour's words, the deep significance of His every act, and the marvellous and hitherto unknown harmony between His teaching and His practice — these it was which caused His hearers to say of Him: " Verily, never did man speak as this man speaks."
Brethren, charity is queen among virtues. It is the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end of all godliness, even as is God Himself, " for," says St. John, " God is love." It is the first and the greatest commandment of the law; it is the underlying substance, the soul, the life of every other virtue in the calendar, the litany of holiness. Again it is the last, it is eternal, " for," says St. Paul, " when even faith shall have merged into the beatific vision and hope into possession, then only will charity become in very truth the bond of perfection, to endure forever and ever." Among mortals, however, charity, though ever a lovely queen, is blind unless her handmaid prudence light her way. Now these two virtues, charity and prudence, had practically abandoned earth when Jesus came, and in the main the object of His coming was their restoration. How utterly devoid of charity were the Sadducees and the Pharisees! These two sects were bitterly opposed, the
