we are Christians, while we are destitute of those things which the word of God declares to be essential to genuine piety. We must have love, therefore, or all else is insufficient. according to their own idea, they are journeying to the celestial Canaan. Oh fearful mistake! Oh fatal imposture! What terrible disappointment awaits them! What horror, and anguish, and despair, will take eternal possession of their souls, 1. Some conclude, that because they are regular in that moment of revelation, when, instead of in their attendance upon the services of religion, awaking from the sleep of death amidst the glories they are true Christians: they go punctually to of the heavenly city, they shall lift up their eyes, church or to meeting-they receive the Lord's Sup"being in torment.' No pen can describe the over-per-they frequent the meetings for social prayerwhelming anguish of such a disappointment, and the imagination shrinks with amazement and torture from the contemplation of her own faint sketch of the insupportable scene. they, perhaps, repeat prayers in secret, and read the Scriptures. All this is well, if it be done with right views, and in connection with right dispositions: but it is the whole of their religion; a mere abstraction of devotional exercise; a thing separate and apart from the heart, and temper, and conduct; a business of the closet, and of the sanctuary; a sort of composition paid to the Almighty, to be released from all the other demands of Scripture and obligations of piety; an expression of their willingness to be devout in the church, and on the Sabbath, provided they may be as earthly-minded, as selfish, as malicious, and as unkind, as they please, in all places and all times besides. This is not religion. To be led on by the power of delusion, so far as to commit an error of consequence to our temporal interests: to have impaired our health, our reputation, or our property; is sufficiently painful, especially where there is no prospect, or but a faint one, of repairing the mischief: yet, in this case, religion opens a balm for the wounded spirit, and eternity presents a prospect, where the sorrows of time will be forgotten. But, oh! to be in error on the nature of religion itself, and to build our hopes of immortality on the sand instead of the rock; to see the 2. Others are depending upon the clearness of their lamp of our deceitful profession which has served views, and their attainments in evangelical knowto amuse us in life, and even to guide us in false ledge. They pretend to a singular zeal for the peace through the dark valley of the shadow of truth, and are great sticklers for the doctrines of death, suddenly extinguished as we cross the grace, of which they profess to have an acquaintthreshold of eternity, and leaving us amidst the ance little short of inspiration. They look upon darkness of rayless, endless night, instead of quietly all, besides a few of their own class, as mere babes expiring amidst the blaze of everlasting day! Is in knowledge, or as individuals who, like the man such a delusion possible? Has it ever happened in in the gospel, have their eyes only half opened, and one solitary instance? Do the annals of the unseen who see men as trees walking." They are the world record one such case, and the prison of lost eagles who soar to the sun, and bask in his beams; souls contain one miserable spirit that perished by while the rest of mankind are the moles that burdelusion? Then what deep solicitude ought the row, and the bats that flutter in the dark. Doctrine possibility of such an event to circulate through the is every thing; clear views of the gospel are the hearts of all, to avoid the error of a self-deceived great desideratum; and in their zea for these mind? Is it possible to be mistaken in our judg- things they suppose they can never say things exment of our state?-then how deeply anxious ought travagant enough, nor absurd enough, nor angry we all to feel, not to be misled by false criteria in enough, against good works, practical religion, or forming our decision. But what if, instead of one Christian temper. Puffed up with pride, selfish, case, millions should have occurred, of souls irre- unkind, irritable, censorious, malicious--they manicoverably lost by self-deception? What if delusion fest a total want of that humility and kindness should be the most crowded avenue to the bottom- which are the prominent features of true Chrisless pit? What if it should be the common infatu- tianity. Clear views, even where they have no reation, the epidemic blindness, which has fallen upon semblance to the monstrous caricatures and frightthe multitudes of the inhabitants of Christendom? ful deformities of modern antinomianism, are of What if this moral insanity should have infected themselves no evidence of religion, any more than and destroyed very many who have made even a right theoretical notions of the constitution are the stricter profession of religion than others? How proofs of loyalty; and as a man, with these notions shall we explain, much more justify, that want of in his mind, may be a traitor in his heart, so may a anxiety about their everlasting welfare-that desti- professor of religion be an enemy to God in his tution of care to examine into the nature and evi- soul, with an evangelical creed upon his tongue. dences of true piety-that willingness to be imposed Many profess to be very fond of the lamp of truth, upon, in reference to eternity-which many ex- grasp it firmly in their hands, admit its flame, pity hibit? Jesus Christ does tell us that MANY, in that or blame those who are following the delusive and day, shall say, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy meteoric fires of error; but, after all, make no in thy name?" to whom he will say, "Depart from other use of it, than to illuminate the path that me, I never knew you, ye workers of iniquity." leads them to perdition: their religion begins and He says, that "MANY are called, but few chosen." ends in adopting a form of sourd words for their He says, that of the four classes of those who hear creed, approving an evangelical ministry, admiring the word, only one hears it to advantage. He says, the popular champions of the truth, and joining in that of the ten virgins, to whom he likens the king- the reprobation of fundamental error. As to any dom of heaven, five only were wise, while the other spirituality of mind, any heavenliness of affection, five were deceiving themselves with the unfed lamp any Christian love-in short, as to any of the natuof a deceitful profession. He intimates most plainly, ral tendency, the appropriate energy, the vital elethat self-deception in religion is fearfully common-vating influence, of those very doctrines to which and common amongst those who make a more serious profession than others. It is he that has sounded the alarm to awaken slumbering professors of religion from their carnal security. It is he that hath said, "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."-"I know thy works, how that thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead." How careful, then, ought we to be, not to be imposed upon by false evidences of religion, and not to conclude that they profess to be attached-they are as destitute as the veriest worldling; and, like him, are perhaps selfish, revengeful, implacable, and unkind. This is a religion but too common in the present day, when evangelical sentiments are becoming increasingly popular; a religion but too common in our churches; a religion, cold, heartless, and uninfluential; a sort of lunar light which reflects the beams of the sun, but not his warmth. 3. On the other hand, some are satisfied with the us, should fill us with benevolence towards others. vividness and the violence of their feelings. Pos- In order to bring the heart to feel its obligations, he sessed of much excitability and want of tempera- gives a vivid description of God's love to man; and ment, they are, of course, susceptible of deep and then, while his hearers are affected with God's 'merpowerful impression from the ordinances of reli- cy he calls upon them, in imitation of Jehovah, to gion. They are not without their religious joy, for relieve those who are in want; to bear with those even the stony ground hearers rejoiced for a while; | who are vexatious; to forgive those who have inand they are not without their religious sorrows.jured them; to lay aside their wrath, and abound Their tears are plentiful, and their smiles in pro- in all the expressions of genuine affection to their portion. See them in the house of God, and none appear to feel more under the word than they. The sermon exerts a plastic power over their affections, and the preacher seems to have their hearts at command. They talk loudly of "happy frames," "precious seasons," "comfortable opportunities." But follow them from the house of God to their own habitation, and, oh, how changed the scene! the least offence, perhaps an unintentional one, raises a storm of passion, and the man that looked like a seraph in the sanctuary, seems more like a fury at home: follow them from the Sabbath into the days of the week; and you will see the man who appeared all for heaven on the Sunday, all for earth on the Monday: follow them from the assem-lieve one child of want, nor does he attempt to exbly of the saints to the chief places of concourse, where they buy, and sell, and get gain; and you will see the man who looked so devout, irritated and litigious, selfish and overreaching, rude and insulting, envious and malicious, suspicious and defamatory. Yes; and perhaps in the evening of the same day, you will see him at a prayer meeting, enjoying, as he supposes, the holy season, Such is the delusion under which many are living. Their religion is in great part, a mere susceptibility of impression from religious subjects; it is a selfish, religious voluptuousness. fellow-christians. One of the individuals is deeply interested and affected by the first part of the discourse, sheds many tears, and is wrought up to a high pitch of feeling, while the preacher paints in glowing colors the love of God: the other hears with fixed attention, with genuine faith, the whole sermon, but his emotions are not powerful; he feels it is true, but it is tranquil feeling, unattended by either smiles or tears. They go home; the latter perhaps in silence, the former exclaiming to his friends, "Oh, what a delightful sermon! what a precious season! did you ever hear the love of God so impressively, so beautifully described ?" With all his feeling, however, he does not go forth to retinguish one angry or implacable feeling towards an individual who had offended him. He is as passionate and unforgiving, as unkind and selfish, after the sermon, as he was before he heard it. The other retires with more of calm reflection than of strong emotion. Hearken to his soliloquy:-" The preacher has given us a most astonishing idea of the love of God to us, and most clearly and affectingly deduced from it our obligations to love one another. Am I interested in this love? What! has this ineffable grace lavished all its benefits on me, a rebel against God, upon me a sinner? And shall I not feel this love constraining me to relieve the wants, to heal the sorrows, to forgive the offences, of my fellow-creatures? I will bear ill-will no longer; I will put out the kindling spark of revenge; I will go in a spirit of meekness and of love, and forgive the offender, and be reconciled to my brother." By that grace on which he depended, he is enabled to act up to his resolution. He becomes, upon principle, upon conviction, more merciful, more meek, more affectionate. Which has most feeling? The former. Which has most religion? The latter. It is certain, that more importance is often times attached to "sensible enjoyment," as it is called-to lively frames and feelings-than belongs to them. There is a great variety in the constitution of the human mind, not only as it respects the power of thinking, but also of feeling: some feel far more acutely than others; this is observable separate and apart from godliness. The grace of God in conversion, operates a moral, not a physical change; it gives a new direction to the faculties, but leaves the faculties themselves as they were; consequently, with equal depth of conviction, and equal strength of principle, there will be various degrees of feeling, Any emotion, however pleasurable or intense, in different persons: the susceptibility of the mind that does not lead to action, is mere natural, not to impression, and its liability to vivid feeling, were holy, feeling: while that, however feeble it may there before conversion, and they remain after it; seem, which leads us to do the will of God, is unand citen times the lively emotion produced by af- feigned piety. In order to ascertain our degree of fecting scenes, or seasons, or sermons, is partly an religion, we must not merely ask, how we feel unoperation of nature, and partly of grace. A man der sermons, but how this feeling leads us to act afmay feel but little, and yet, if that little lead him to terwards. The operative strength of our princido much, it is great piety notwithstanding. Of two ples, and not the contemplative strength of our feelpersons who listen to an affecting tale, one is seenings, is the test of godliness. All that imaginative to weep profusely, and is overwhelmed by the sto-emotion, produced by a sense of God's love to us, ry; the other is attentive and thoughtful, but nei- which does not lead to a cultivation of the virtue ther weeps nor sobs. They retire: the former, per- considered in this treatise, is one of the delusive haps, to wipe her tears, and to forget the misery, fires, which, instead of guiding aright, misleads which caused them; the latter to seek out the suf- the souls of men. ferer and relieve him. Which had most feeling? The former. Which most benevolence? The latter. The conduct of one was the result of nature, that of the other the effect of principle. Take another illustration, still more in point. Conceive of two real Christians listening to a sermon in which the preacher is discoursing from such a text as this Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another;" or this—“ Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor, that ye, through his poverty might become rich." His object, as that of every man should be, who preaches from such a text, is to show that a sense of divine love to " 4. It is to be feared that many, in the present day, satisfy themselves that they are Christians, because of their zeal in the cause of religion. Happily, for the church of God, happily for the world at large, there is now a great and general eagerness for the diffusion of knowledge and piety. Throwing off the torpor of ages, the friends of Christ are laboring to extend his kingdom in every direction. Almost every possible object of Christian philanthropy is seized upon; societies are organized; means, adapted to every kind of instruments, are employed; the whole levy en masse of the religious world is called out; and Christendom presents an interesting scene of benevolent energy. Such a state of things, 5. May it not be said, that in many cases, a PROFESSION of religion seems to release individuals from all obligation to cultivate the dispositions which it necessarily implies; who, instead of deriving from this circumstance a stimulus to seek after the Christian temper, find in it a reason for general negligence? They have been admitted as members of a church, and have thus received, as it were, a certificate of personal religion; and, instead of being anxious from that moment to excel in every virtue that can adorn the doctrine of God their Saviour, they sink into carelessness and lukewarmness. A profession of religion, unsupported by Christian love, will only increase our guilt here, and sink us immeasurably lower in the bottomless pit hereafter. Woe, eternal woe, will be upon that man who bears the name of our Lord Jesus without his image. Woe, eternal woe, will be upon those members of our churches, who are content to find their way into the fellowship of the faithful, without adding to their character the lustre of this sacred virtue. however, has its dangers in reference to personal | marked with a peculiar tendency, either to some religion, and may become an occasion of delusion prevailing error or defect, the tendency of the preto many. It does not require genuine piety to as- vailing age is to exalt the active virtues of piety, sociate us with these movements: from a natural at the expense of the passive ones; and, while the liberality of disposition, or regard to reputation, or former are forced into an increasing luxuriance, to a desire of influence, or by the compulsion of exam- permit the latter to wither in their shade; or, at ple, we may give our property; for all these motives least, there is a disposition to devote all that time are no doubt in partial operation, when giving is in and attention to the culture of one which ought to fashion. And as to personal exertions, how many be shared between both. It cannot be denied that inducements may lead to this, besides a sincere and our love of activity and of display, will generally an ardent love to Christ; an inherent fondness for incline us to prefer the cultivation of public spirit, activity, a love of display, the spirit of party, the rather than the more private and self-denying tempersuasion of friends-may all operate, and un- pers of meekness, humility, and forbearance; for it questionably do operate, in many cases, to produce is inconceivably more easy, and more pleasant, to astonishing efforts in the cause of religious benevo- float upon the tide of public feeling towards the oblence, where there is a total absence of genuine jects of religious zeal, than to wade against the piety. The mind of man, prone to self-deception stream of our own corrupt tendencies, and to acand anxious to find some reasons to satisfy itself in complish an end which he only who seeth in secret reference to its eternal state, short of the true evi-will duly appreciate. dence of a renewed heart, is too apt to derive a false peace from the contemplation of its zeal. In proportion as the cause of the delusion approximates to the nature of true religion, is its power to blind and to mislead the judgment. If the mind can perceive any thing in itself, or in its operations, which bears the semblance of godliness, it will convert it into a means of lulling the conscience and removing anxiety. This is to many persons the fatal opiate, the soul-destroying imposture-their activity in the cause of Christian zeal: none are more diligent in their devotedness to the duties of committees, none are more constant in their attendance upon public meetings; others, again, weary themselves in their weekly rounds to collect the contributions of the rich or the offerings of the poor. These things, if they do not lead them coolly to reason and to conclude that they are believers, take off their attention from the real condition of their souls, leave them no leisure for reflection, repress the rising fear, and either stifle the voice of conscience, or enable them to drown its remonstrances in the eloquence of the platform, or in the discussions of the Thus have we shown how many things there are, committee-room. We doubt not that some unwor- which, though good in themselves, when performed thy professors of religion, in the present age, resort from right motives and in connection with other to public meetings for the same reason as many a parts of religion, cannot, in the absence of love, be guilty votary of pleasure does to public amusements depended upon as unequivocal evidences of personal -to forget his own condition, and to turn away his piety. Let us beware of self-deception in this awear, for a short season, from the voice that speaks fully important business: for it will be dreadful beto him from within. Individuals are known to us yond the power of imagination to conceive of, to all, who, amidst the greatest zeal for various public find ourselves the next moment after death, amidst institutions, are living in malice and all uncharita- the horrors of the infernal_pit, instead of the felicibleness, in the indulgence of a predominate selfish- ties of the celestial city. Love is required by God, ness, and uncontrolled wrath. But it will not do.- as an essential part of true religion; and the total This is not piety. Could we support the whole ex- absence of it as necessarily prevents a man from penditure of the Missionary Society by our afflu- being a true Christian, as the want of temperance ence, and direct its councils by our wisdom, and or purity. Besides this is the temper of heaven; keep alive its energy by our ardor, and yet at the this is the unvarying state of mind in the innumerasame time were destitute of love,-we should perish ble company of angels, and the spirits of just men eternally, amidst the munificence of our liberality.made perfect; this is the heart of Jesus, the mediaAnd of those who have the grace of love, and tor of the new covenant, and the image of God the who are real believers, some are far more deficient Judge of all. Without this, there would be no in its influence and activity than they should be; meetness for the society of Paradise, no fitness for and endeavor to quiet an accusing conscience with an association of which the bond of fellowship is the wretched sophistry, "that as a Christian cannot love; without this there can be no grace here, and be supposed to excel in every thing, their forte lies therefore, no glory hereafter. in the active virtues of religion more than in the passive graces; and that, therefore, any little deficiency in the latter is made up by their greater abundance of the former." This reasoning is as false in its principle, as it is frequent, we fear, in its adoption. Where, in all the word of God, is this species of moral composition of duties taught or sanctioned? This is really carrying the popish principle of indulgences into our own private concerns, and creating a surplus stock of one virtue to be available for the deficiencies of another. It is to be apprehended, that as every age is CHAPTER V. ON THE PROPERTIES OF CHRISTIAN LOVE AS STATED BY By a beautiful personification, the apostle has de- notes of discord, driving before her the spirits of | If, therefore, we cannot help indulging revenge, mischief, bringing the graces in her train, and converting earth into a resemblance of heaven. Her charms are sufficient to captivate every heart, if every heart were as it should be; and her influence such as every mind should court. "Love suffereth long, and is kind: love envieth not: love vaunteth not itself; is not puffed up; doth not behave itself unseemly; seeketh not her own; is not easily provoked; thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things." 1. The first remark which I make on these properties, is, that they describe such expressions of our love as have a particular reference to our TEMPER. envy, pride, unkindness, they are no sins: and, in this case would such vices have been condemned, if there were an impossibility in the way of avoiding them? Certainly not. It is no actual sin to have the liability; the guilt consists in indulging it. If the existence of constitutional propensities be an excuse for their indulgence, the licentious man may plead it in justification of his sensuality; for he may have stronger incitements to his besetting sin, than many others who run not to the same excess of riot. But if licentiousness or cruelty cannot be excused on this ground, why should anger, revenge, or envy? Once let it be granted, that phy sical tendency is an excuse for any kind of sinful indulgence, no matter of what kind, and you at once overturn the whole system of Christian morals. By the temper, we mean the prevailing spirit and disposition of the mind, as it respects the irascible Besides, natural propensities, of the most impeor selfish affections. If we examine, we shall find tuous kinds, have been, in innumerable instances, that all the qualities here enumerated, bear on these not only successfully resisted, but almost entirely dispositions. There are other operations and mani- vanquished. We have known persons, who were festations of charity, beside those which are here once addicted to all kinds of impure gratifications, specified-such, for instance, as justice and chastity; but who have become as distinguished for chastity for it is impossible to love mankind, and violate the as they once were for lewdness; drunkards have rules of either of these duties: but the apostle re- become sober; men as furious as enraged tigers, stricts his specification to those properties of it which have become gentleness itself. It is said of that are comprehended in the word temper. Nothing, eminently holy and useful man, Mr. FLETCHER, Of surely, can teach more clearly, or more impressive- MADELEY, that "he was meek, like his Master, as ly, the great truth, that religion must govern the well as lowly in heart. Not that he was so by natemper,-than this chapter. It is strange, but true, ture, but a man of strong passions, and prone to anthat many seem to think that temper is that part of ger in particular; insomuch that he has frequently a man's self and conduct, over which religion has spent the greater part of the night bathed in tears, no legal jurisdiction. They admit their obligations imploring victory over his own spirit. And he did to be holy, and moral, and devout; but they do not not strive in vain. He did obtain the victory in a feel, at least do not acknowledge, that it is their very eminent degree. Yea, so thoroughly had duty to be meek, gentle, and kind. They may not grace subdued nature; so fully was he renewed in affirm so much in words, but it is the secret and the spirit of his mind;-that for many years before tacit system of conduct which they have adopted. his death, I believe he was never observed by any Hence it is, that although they are correct in their one, friend or foe, to be out of temper on any promorals, and regular in their attendance on the vocation whatever. The testimony that Bishop means of grace, they are withal so apt to receive Burnet bears of Archbishop Leighton, might be offence, and so forward to give it; they are either | borne of him with equal propriety. After an intiso passionate, or so sullen; so implacable or re- mate acquaintance with the Archbishop for many vengeful; that the real excellences of their cha- years, and after being with him by night and by racter are lost sight of in the deep shadow of their day, at home and abroad, in public and in private; infirmities and the ways of godliness are spoken ill I must say, I never heard an idle word drop from of on their account. This arises from their not be- his lips; I never saw him in any temper, in which ing sufficiently convinced of the evil of such infirmi- I myself would not have wished to be found at ties; and this blindness itself is the consequence death." What a character! What a testimony! of a supposition, that the removal of the evil is phy- But it is not the beauty, the inexpressible moral sically impossible. "Our temper," say they, "is loveliness of it alone, which should be remarked, as much a part of ourselves, as the color of our but the convincing proof which it furnishes, that a skins, or the conformation of our body; it is natur-naturally bad temper may be subdued. Many inally inherent in us, and we cannot help it." As stances of this kind have existed, which accumulate long as this is the conviction of the judgment, or accusation and reproach upon the man who inthe admission of a deceitful heart, it is almost vain dulges in a sinful, constitutional tendency of any to hope for a reformation. But let us reason with kind, under the mistaken idea, that it is not only such persons. absolutely invincible, but altogether irresistible. It must be admitted, that there do exist constitu- That every thing which pertains to our physical tional tendencies to the exercise of particular pas-nature will remain after our conversion, is true, sions: without being able to account for these ef- for grace produces no change in the bodily organifects, or whether the cause be wholly in the body or zation; and that occasional ebullitions of inherent partly in the mind, the effects are too obvious to be natural temper will occur in our renewed state, is denied. Nay, these constitutional tendencies are allowed, for very few attain to Mr. Fletcher's emino less hereditary, sometimes, than direct physical nence of piety; but if we are as passionate and redisease. One man is naturally propense to passion; vengeful, as proud and envious, as selfish and unanother to sullenness; a third to envy; a fourth to kind, as we were before our supposed conversion, pride; all this is indisputable. But these tenden- we may be assured that it is but a supposed convercies are not uncontrollable: they are impulses, but sion. It is nothing that we go regularly to worship not constraints; incitements, but not compulsions. it is nothing that we feel under sermons--it is noIt would subvert the whole system of moral obliga- thing that we have holy frames and feelings; for a tion, to suppose that we were under a physical ne- heart under the predominant influence of irascible cessity of sinning, which we certainly should be, if passions, can no more have undergone the change inherent tendencies were beyond the power of moral of the new birth, than one that is filled with a prerestraint. That cannot be duty which a man could vailing lasciviousness: and where the heart is renot do if he would; nor can that be sin, which he newed, and the badness of the temper is not concannot avoid by any exercise of disposition or will. stant, but only occasional-is not regnant, but only prominent, it is, in so far as it prevails, a deduc- we set ourselves to work to abtain more of that love, tion from real piety. which alone can subdue our evil temper. love, and must ALL be sought by every real Chris2. The properties here enumerated are ALL included tian. True it is, that inherent natural tendency will re-in quire more vigorous resistance and unsleeping vigilance, more laborious effort, more painful mortificaThe general disposition includes all these partition, more earnest prayer, on the part of those who are conscious of it, than is necessary on theirs in cular and distinct operations, and opposes all these whom it does not exist. It is not uncommon for separate evils; it is as much opposed to envy as to such persons to be contented with a few feeble revenge, and is as humble as it is kind. Consestruggles, and then to flatter themselves with the quently, we are not to select for ourselves such idea that there is more grace displayed in those modes of its operation as we may think most adaptefforts than in the conduct of others, who, being ed to our taste and to our circumstances-giving to naturally good tempered, are never exposed to their these all our attention, and neglecting the rest. One temptations. To adorn religion, will certainly cost is not to say, "I am most inclined to kindness, and them far more labor than it does those of a better I shall cherish this property, which I find to be more natural temper; just as a man afflicted with a weak- easy and pleasant than to cultivate humility and meekness." Another is not to say, "I find no great ly constitution, or a chronic disease, must take more pains with himself than one who has sound health difficulty in forgiving injuries, and I shall practice --and he will, after all, look more sickly than the this: but as for envy, I am so propense to it, that I other; but as his bodily malady does exist, he must shall give up all attempts to eradicate this weed from give himself this trouble, or he cannot rationally my heart." This parcelling out of the disposition, expect the least share of health: so it is with the and selecting that part which is most congenial to soul, if the disease of an evil temper be there, im- our constitutional tendency, will not do. Yet is the mense and unwearied pains must be taken to resist attempt made by many, who, to appease, in some and suppress it. This is what is meant by our measure, the clamorous importunity of their conplucking out a right eye, or cutting off a right science, and at the same time to avoid the obligahand;" by "denying ourselves;" by "mortifying tions of benevolence as a whole, thus impose upon the deeds of the body;" by "the spirit struggling tial view of the subject. They carry on a wretched themselves with a supposed attention to some paragainst the flesh;" by casting aside every weight, and the sin which doth most easily beset us." The and useless attempt to balance those points in which subjection of our temper to the control of religion, they succeed against those in which they fail: their is a thing which must be done. It is that to which excellences against their defects. It may be said, we must apply, as to a matter of indispensable ne-in reference to this law of our duty, as well as to cessity; it is an object which we must accomplish the still more comprehensive one, that "He that of by any mortification of feeling, and by any expen- fendeth but in one point is guilty of all;" for that diture of labor. The virtues which we are about authority which saith, "Be ye kind," saith also, "Thou shalt not think evil of thy neighbor." These to consider, will spring up in no soil without culture; but there are some soils peculiarly unfriendly amiable properties must go together; the general to their growth, and in which productions of an op- whole. It is one and indivisible, and as such must principle which comprises them must be taken as a posite kind thrive spontaneously, and grow with be received by us. frightful luxuriance with these greater pains must "Charity is the bond of perfectness." Like the band round the sheaf, it holds all be taken, and greater patience exercised, till at length the beautiful imagery of the prophet shall be the separate ears together. Instead, therefore, of realized-" Instead of the thorn shall come up the allowing ourselves to select, we must open our fir tree, and instead of the briar shall come up the hearts to its whole and undivided influence; and if, myrtle tree; and it shall be to the Lord for a name, indeed, there be any one of its properties in which for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off." we are more than ordinarily deficient, to that one we must direct a still greater portion of our attention. But for effecting such a transformation, there must be a degree of labor and painstaking, which very few are willing to endure: "This kind goeth not forth but by prayer and fasting." To obtain this victory over ourselves, much time must be spent in the closet-much communion with God must be maintained—much strong crying with tears must be poured forth, We must undergo what the apostle calls, by a term very appropriate, as well as strikingly descriptive, a "crucifixion;" They are of the same nature, and are, therefore, 3. These properties are perfectly homogeneous.helpful to each other. In reality, if we cultivate one, we are preparing the way for others. There is no contrariety of influence, no discordant operation, no clashing demands. When we are rooting up one evil by love, we drag up others with it: when we subdue pride, we weaken our susceptibility of offence: when we cherish kindness, we impoverish we must crucify the flesh with the affections and selfishness. This is an immense advantage in the lusts thereof;"- we must keep," or as the word cultivation of the Christian temper; and it shows signifies, "beat under our body;""-we must bring us that if there be one besetting sinful propensity in our mind, from time to time, under the influence of the heart, it draws all the energy of the mind to it redeeming grace; we must ascend the hill of Cal-self, and throws a dark and chilling shadow over vary, and gaze upon that scene of love, till our cold hearts melt, our hard hearts soften, and all the cruel selfishness of our nature relaxes into gentleness; we must make all the doctines of the gospel, with all the motives they contain, bear upon our nature: the example of the meek and lowly Jesus must be contemplated, and admired, and copied; and especialJy, after all, must we breathe forth internal longings for the influence of the Holy Ghost, without whose aid our souls will no more yield to the influence of motives than the polar ice will melt by the feeble beams of the great northern constellation. We must pray for the Spirit, long for the Spirit, expect the Spirit, live, walk, struggle, in the Spirit. Thus must the whole soul. The subjugation of this one bad temper will weaken many others that depend for existence upon its support; and make way for an opposite excellence, which is as extensively beneficial as the other was injurious. This is a powerful incentive to the arduous and necessary duty of selfimprovement: an evil disposition eradicated, is a good one implanted; and one good one implanted, is a way made for others to follow. 4. As these properties, while they are separate as to their nature, all unite in a common and generic disposition, our first and chief attention must be to that which is the common principle. These tempers are so many modes in which love operates, so many |