Kindness not only abstains from actual injury, he is adorned in no common degree with the beau but it is active in conferring benefits-watches for an ties of holiness. He carries about with him the opportunity to please is ever ready to afford its as- majesty of goodness, if not the dominion of greatsistance when appealed to,-and is not satisfied un- ness. The light of his countenance is the warm less it can do something to increase the general sunshine, to which the spirits of grief repair from stock of comfort. It accommodates itself to their their dark retreats, to bask in its glow; and his genhabits, partialities, or prejudices; adapts itself, in tle words are like soft melody to chase away the things indifferent and lawful, to their modes of act- evil thoughts from the bosom of melancholy, and to ing, and does not wantonly oppose their predilec-hush to peace the troubled reflections of the distem tions, when such resistance would occasion them pered mind. As he moves along his career, distri distress. A stiff, uncomplying behavior, which con- buting the unexpensive but efficient expressions of sults nothing but its own humor, and which will his regards, it is amidst the blessings of those that not sacrifice the least punctilio of its own habits, to are ready to perish, and the notes of the widow's give pleasure, has not a particle of beneficence about heart, which he has turned to joy. When he comes it. Such an individual is like a person in a crowd, unexpectedly into the company of his friends, every who will walk with his arms stretched out, or with countenance puts on the appearance of complacency, annoying weapons in his hand. and it appears as if a good genius had come among them to bless the party; as he looks round on the circle, with a smile of beneficence that has found an abiding place upon his brow, he presents the brightest resemblance to be found in our selfish world, of the entrance of the Saviour among his disciples, when he said, "Peace be unto you!" and breathed upon them the Holy Ghost. Although he neither seeks nor wishes an equivalent, in return for his many acts of benevolence, his gentle spirit receives back, in a full tide, the streams of consolation which have ebbed from his own heart to fill the empty channels of his neighbor's happiness, Who can be unkind to him, who is kind to all? What heart is so hard, what mind is so cruel, what spirit is so diabolical, as to wound him, who never appears among his race but as a ministering angel? There is a magic in his tears, to melt to sympathy the stubborn soul of cruelty itself, which has a tear for no one else; and no less a magic in his smiles, so far to relax and soften the hard features of envy, as to reflect for a moment the sunshine of his joy.While he lives, every man is his admirer; and when he dies, every man is his mourner: while he is on earth, his name has a home in every heart; and when he is gone, he has a monument in every memory :-and this is the description of his charac ter-the record of his praise: LOVE IS KIND!

It extends, of course, to little things, as well as to great ones. The happiness or misery of life does hot consist so much in the transport of joy, or the anguish of affliction, as in feelings of an inferior kiad-which, though less violent, are more frequent than those strong emotions. Hence it is in our power to make others miserable in life; not, perhaps, by deeds of cruelty or injustice, which we dare not, or cannot commit, as by indulging in unaccommodating dispositions towards them-by vexing them with acts of unkindness, which will neither blast our reputation, nor put in peril our property, liberty or life: and it is also in our power to make them happy, not so much by signal and material services, which are seldoin called for at our hands, as by the inferior offices of benevolence. The daily, and almost hourly reciprocity of little acts of good or ill will, which we have an opportunity of performing, go a great way to the making up of good or bad neighborhood. There are those who, in the greater expressions of Christian mercy, are really humane; whose benevolence at the same time has not learned to stoop to little things: they are compassionate, but they want kindness: they would relieve a starving beggar, but they would not put themselves in ever so small a degree out of their way, to accommodate, in trivial matters, a near neighbor.

Kindness is universal in its objects. We have known individuals who could never do enough for some objects of their regard, but who are by no means persons of diffusive kindness; and, perhaps, if we examine, we shall find that their benevolence has a great mixture of selfishness in it, for it is exercised only towards those from whom they expect an ample return. It is the kindness of barter, not of charity; it is so much of their comfort put out at interest, not given away to the needy; they either have had, or expect to have, value received for all they do. But love is universal in its aspect; it is ever ready to do a kind office for any one that either solicits or needs its assistance. Its language is, "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters." It has a kind look, word, and act, for every body. Nor are its enemies denied the assistance of its efforts. Such is the generous spirit of the Christian religion, as appears from the passages quoted in a preceding chapter. Such is the refined, the sublime morality of the New Testament, Yes, these are the principles on which kindness acts: it extends its beneficence to the very man that has treated it with contumely and scorn-with cruelty, insult, and oppression. This is its duty and its inclination, In imitation of the dying Saviour, who gave his last prayer to his murderers, it says, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!" What a fascinating character is the man of distinguished kindness! he is invested with indescribable loveliness: he may not have the glory in which the patriot, the hero, or the martyr is enshrined; but

CHAPTER VIII,

THE CONTENTMENT OF LOVE,

"Charity envieth not."

ENVY is that passion, which causes us to feel un easiness at the sight of another's possessions or hap. piness, and which makes us dislike him on that ac count. Of all the base passions, this is the basest, It is unmingled malignity, the very worst and bitterest dregs of human depravity; the most direct contrariety of love. Envy is either general or special in its objects. It often exists in the mind to such an extent, that its subjects seem almost instinctively opposed to excellence and to happiness, wherever they see them, or whenever they hear of them. They may not regard the individuals on whom their envious glance is fixed in the light of competitors or rivals; they may have nothing to hope from their depression-nothing to fear from their elevation; but it is enough to awaken their uneasiness and dislike, to know that they are in some respects superior. They cannot bear to see excellence or happiness in any one, or ever to hear the language of commendation or praise. They would beggar the universe to enrich themselves, and monopolize all possessions, and all admiration; they would be alone in the world, as the sole occupants of every thing valuable, and can endure neither a superior nor an equal. This, it must be allowed, is a maturity to which envy rarely attains,

compared with its more special and limited operation.

-no dissection, to expose its corruption; it presents at once, to the most superficial observer, a frightful The OBJECTS of envy are commonly such as these. and disgusting appearance-a kind of leprous sur1. Persons who are nearly on our own level. In- face. It stands directly opposed to the nature of dividuals who are either much above us in station, God, whose love delights in excellence and in hapor much below us, are not so likely to excite un-piness, and whose grace produces both; and by easiness and dislike, as those who are of our own standing, or proaching to it. The tradesman envies not the nobleman, but some fellow-tradesman: the laurels and fame of the hero are not envied by the common soldier, but by some officer of his own rank.

2. Those who though much above us, occupy a station from which we have been cast down, are likely to be regarded by us with an evil eye, and to draw forth our dislike.

3. Competitors, but especially some single rival for wealth, or fame, or any valuable possession, is a powerful temptation to this sin. It is extremely difficult to witness their success and superiority, and feel nothing of envy towards them.

whom this sin must be regarded with infinite loath-
ing and abhorrence.

It is a secret murmuring against the appointments of heaven-an incessant quarrel with Providence-an accusation preferred against the wisdom, equity, and goodness of the divine administration. As it is unlike God, so it is the image of Satanbeing the disposition, united with pride, which cast down the apostate angels from their seats in heaven, and which fills and fires their bosoms in the bottomless pit; it is perfectly the state of hell, and unceasingly the passion of devils, who despair for themselves, and envy the happiness of men and angels, yet cannot rejoice either in the good or the evil they witness, although they endeavor to hinder the It is evident, that persons descending in life are good, and promote the evil, with all the restlessness much exposed to this vice: and, perhaps, those of malice, and the devices of a mighty understandstill more so, who are candidates for popular ap-ing. It is a parent crime, and its progeny are as plause, whether they be literary, scientific, military, mischievous and as deformed as itself: for malice, or professional men. "Vanity, or a thirst after ap- hatred, falsehood, slander, are its ordinary brood; plause, is the most unsocial and envious of the pas- and not unfrequently murder: for when carried to sions, avarice itself not excepted. The reason is excess, there is scarcely an injury within its reach plain. Property is a kind of good, which may be which it would not inflict upon its object. It canmore easily attained, and is capable of more minute not even offer the excuses for itself which many subdivision, than fame. In the pursuit of wealth, vices sometimes bring forward: anger pleads the men are led, by an attention to their own interest, provocation it has received; but envy has received to promote the welfare of each other: their advan- no offence, except the well-being of another be an tages are reciprocal; the benefits which each is insult; lust and intemperance plead the gratificaanxious to acquire for himself, he reaps in the tion which their objects yield, and robbery holds up greatest abundance from the union of society. The its gain; but envy gains nothing but misery, and pursuits of vanity are quite contrary. The portion converts the happiness, of which it is the witness, of time and attention mankind are willing to spare into wormwood and gall for its own cup, and from their avocations and pleasures, to devote to transvenoms the honey of another man's comfort the admiration of each other, is so small, that every into the poison of asps for its own bosom: it is a successful adventurer is felt to have impaired the source of eternal vexation-an instrument of selfcommon stock. The success of one, is the disap- torment-a rottenness in the bones-a burning ulpointment of multitudes: for though there be many ceration of the soul-a crime, which, partaking of rich, many virtuous, many wise men, fame must the guilt, partakes as largely of the misery of hell. necessarily be the portion of but few. Hence every vain man regarding his competitor as his rival, is strongly tempted to rejoice in his miscarriage, and to repine at his success.

There is not any kind of superiority, however low in its nature, or obscure in situation, which is not found to be sufficient to call forth the ill-will and hatred of some inferior or disappointed spectator. Children and rustics, as well as philosophers, warriors, and princes, are subject to its influence. Like the venomous spider, it weaves its web, and directs its deadly glance, in the cottages of poverty, the mansions of affluence, and the halls of science. It is the epidemic of the human race, the most common operation of human depravity. The apostle seems to give it as a general description of human nature, while unrenewed by divine grace. "Living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another." The whole Gentile world, before the coming of Christ, is described as having been "full of envy." "Envyings" bear a high place among the works of the flesh; and on the converts from paganism, the churches of believers, there was no one evil of which the prohibition was more frequently, or more earnestly enjoined, than this: and the apostle James tells us, that it is still partially inherent in every man-"the spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy."

But let us now contemplate its HATEFUL NATURE. It is a vice of the utmost deformity and heinousTo feel uneasiness at another's happiness, or excellence, and to dislike him on that account, is a sin that needs no analysis to prove its deadly nature

ness.

Such is envy; but who can describe it accurately, or do it justice? If we look for it as embodied in living characters, we shall find it in Cain, the protomurderer, who slew his brother at the instigation of this vice. We shall find it in the dark, and gloomy, and revengeful spirit of Saul, who, under the influence of envy, plotted for years the slaughter of David. We shall find it in the king of Israel, when he pined for the vineyard of Naboth, and shed his blood to gain it. Yea, it was envy that perpetrated that most atrocious crime, ever planned in hell or executed on earth, on which the sun refused to look, and at which nature gave signs of abhorrence by the rending of the rocks; I mean the crucifixion of Christ: for the evangelist tells us, that for envy, the Jews delivered our Lord.

Bishop Hall has given us a very striking portraiture of the envious man, which I shall here introduce:-" He feeds on other's evils; and hath no disease but his neighbor's welfare: whatsoever God does for him, he cannot be happy with company; and if he were put to choose whether he would rather have equals in a common felicity, or supe riors in misery, he would demur upon the election His eye casts out too much, and never return: home, but to make comparisons with another's good. He is an ill prizer of foreign commodityworse of his own; for that he rates too high-this undervalues. You shall have him ever inquiring into the estates of his equals and betters, wherein he is not more desirous to hear all, than loath to hear any thing over good; and if just report relate aught better than he would, he redoubles the ques

tion, as being hard to believe what he likes not; | per as this to be the inmate of a Christian's bosom: and hopes yet, if that be averred again to his grief, it is like a fiend inhabiting the temple of the Lord. that there is somewhat concealed in the relation, We must next form a deliberate resolution for its which, if it were known, would argue the com- mortification: we must stand prepared to take the mended party miserable, and blemish him with se- greatest pains, to maintain the most determined efcret shame. He is ready to quarrel with God, be- forts, for the riddance of our hearts from so hateful cause the next field is fairer grown; and angrily a disposition. Let us next consider, that the circalculates his cost, and time, and tillage. Whom cumstances which excite our envy are among the he dares not openly backbite, nor wound with a arrangements of a wise Providence; and that to disdirect censure, he strikes smoothly with an over like another on account of his excellence, or happicold praise; and when he sees that he must either ness, is a crime of no less magnitude than a wish to maliciously oppugn the just praise of another, oppose and subvert the dispensations of heaven.— (which were unsafe,) or approve it by assent, he Let us remember, that if others have more than ouryieldeth; but shows, withal, that his means were selves, we have infinitely more than we deserve; a such, both by nature and education, that he could deliberate and frequent consideration of our numernot, without much neglect, be less commendable: ous and aggravated sins, with our deliverance from so his happiness shall be made the color of detrac- their consequences, together with a survey of our tion. When a wholesome law is propounded, he mercies, and hopes, as Christians, would very powcrosseth it either by open or close opposition-not erfully help us in the great business of mortifying for any incommodity or inexpedience, but because envy; for the chief difference between man and it proceedeth from any mouth but his own; and it man, as to real happiness, lies in spiritual distincmust be a case rarely plausible that will not admit tions; and if we have these, the absence of any some probable contradiction. When his equal thing else is matter of little consequence. It may should rise to honor, he striveth against it unseen, not be amiss, also, to consider, how comparatively and rather with much cost suborneth great adver- small is the amount of happiness derived by the obsaries; and when he sees his resistance vain, he ject of our envy, from those possessions on the can give a hollow gratulation in pretence; but in ground of which we dislike him; and how soon, secret disparageth that advancement: either the could we transfer them to ourselves, they would man is unfit for the place, or the place for the man; cease to impart any strong gratification to us. We or, if fit, yet less gainful, or more common than always act under a delusion, when we indulge this opinion: whereto he adds, that himself might have hateful passion: its objects are seen through a maghad the same dignity upon better terms, and refused nifying medium of very high power. The circumit. He is witty in devising suggestions to bring his stances which excite our envy, have their attendant rival out of love into suspicion; if he be courteous, evils; evils which, though concealed from general he is seditiously popular; if bountiful, he binds observation, are well known to the possessor of over his clients to faction; if successful in war, he them. We should labor to be content with such is dangerous in peace; if wealthy, he lays up for a things as we have: contentment is the secret of day; if powerful, nothing wants but opportunity happiness, whether we have much or little. The for rebellion; his submission is ambitious hypo- man who makes up his mind to enjoy what he crisy; his religion, politic insinuation; no action has, is quite as happy as he who possesses twice as is safe from an envious construction. When he re- much. ceives a good report of him whom he emulates, he saith, Fame is partial, and covers mischiefs; and pleaseth himself with hope to find it false: and if ill will hath dispersed a more spiteful narration, he lays hold on that against all witnesses, and broacheth that rumor for truth, because worst; and when he sees him perfectly miserable, he can at once pity him and rejoice. What himself cannot do, others shall not: he hath gained well, if he have hindered the success of what he would have done and could not. He conceals his best skill, not so as it may not be known that he knows it, but so as it may not be learned, because he would have the world miss him. He attained to a sovereign medicine by the secret legacy of a dying empiric, whereof he will leave no heir, lest the praise should be divided. Finally, he is an enemy to God's favors, if they fall beside himself; the best nurse of ill fame; a man of the worst diet, for he consumes himself, and delights in pining; a thornhedge covered with nettles; a peevish interpreter of good things; and no other than a lean and pale carcass quickened with a fiend."

But still the great thing is, to endeavor, by God's gracious help, to increase in LOVE. Our envy will then as certainly diminish, as darkness retires before the entrance of light, or cold before the power of heat. Love and envy are the very antipodes of each other; the former delights in the happiness of others, the latter is made miserable by it. Let us endeavor to cultivate this disposition, and to delight in witnessing and diffusing blessedness. This is what the apostle meant, when he said, "Rejoice with those that do rejoice." What a beautifying, and even sublime, temper is that, which leads its possessor to find consolation, amidst its own straits, privations, and difficulties, in contemplating the possessions and the comforts of those around him! What relief would such elevated virtue bring to the mourner, when he could turn his own darkened orb toward the illumination of his neighbor's prosperity! Happy the man who can thus borrow the joys of others when he has none, or few, of his own; and from the wilderness of his own situation, enjoy the beautiful prospect of his friend's domain. Difficult and rare as such a temper is, it is that which is the subject of the apostle's description, in the chapter we are considering, and which it is the duty of every Christian to cultivate. Hard, indeed, is the saying, and few there are who can bear it, but it is assuredly the lesson which Christ teaches his disciLet us very seriously meditate on its evil nature. ples, and which those disciples must all endeavor to A steady contemplation of its deformity and demon- learn. Much may be done by effort. Let us deterlike countenance, is calculated to excite disgust, and mine, by God's help, to acquire it; let us make the to produce abhorrence. Many evils, and this among attempt, and let us only persevere, notwithstanding the number, are too much indulged, because they many defeats and many discouragements, and it is are too little contemplated. The more we meditate astonishing what may be done. But this goeth not upon the heinousness of envy, the more we shall be forth but by fasting and prayer. Love cannot be convinced of the utter unsuitableness of such a tem-cultivated, nor envy destroyed, in our hearts, but by

How hateful, then, is this crime; and although we may not be in danger of carrying it to the excess here stated, yet we should ever strive against its least and lowest degrees. The means of opposing and mortifying it are many.

the power of the Holy Spirit. We may as well try to pull up by the roots the oak of a century's growth, or overturn a mountain, by our own strength, as to eradicate the vice of envy from our hearts, without the aid of God's own Spirit; that aid is promised to fervent and persevering prayer, and if we have it not, the fault is our own.

"

CHAPTER IX.

THE HUMILITY OF LOVE.

of ourselves in matters of religion, and to despise others, whether it be the distinctions of earthly greatness, and practice of religious duties, or the independence of our mode of thinking, is opposed to the spirit of Christian charity.

Superior light on the subject of revealed truth is no unusual occasion of pride. The Arminian Pharisee dwells with fondness on the goodness of his heart; the Antinomian, with equal haughtiness, values himself on the clearness of his head; and the Socinian, as far from humility as either of them, is inflated with a conceit of the strength of his reason, and its elevation above vulgar prejudices: while not a few moderate Calvinists regard with complacency their sagacity in discovering the happy medium.As men are more proud of their understanding than opinions are more frequently the cause of conceit and self-importance, than any thing else which could be mentioned. "It is knowledge," says the apostle," that puffeth up." We are the men, and wisdom will die with us, is the temper of multitudes.

· Charity is not puffed up-vaunteth not itself." THE apostle's meaning, in this part of his description, evidently is, that love has not a high and over-of their disposition, it is very probable that religious weening conceit of its own possessions and acquirements, and does not ostentatiously boast of what it is, has done, can do, or intends to do. It is opposed to pride and vanity, and is connected with irue humility.

Pride signifies such an exalted idea of ourselves, as leads to self-esteem, and to contempt of others. It is self-admiration-self-doating. It differs from vanity thus: pride causes us to value ourselves; vanity makes us anxious for applause. Pride renders a man odious; vanity makes him ridiculous. Love is equally opposed to both.

Religious gifts are sometimes the ground of selfadmiration. Fluency and fervor in extempore prayer, ability to converse on doctrinal subjects, especially if accompanied by a ready utterance in public, have all, through the influence of Satan and the depravity of our nature, led to the disposition we are now condemning. None are in more danger of this than the ministers of religion : it is the besetting sin of their office. There is no one gift which offers so strong a temptation both to vanity and to pride, as that of public speaking. If the orator really excel and is successful, he is the immediate spectator of his success, and has not even to wait till he has finished his discourse; for although the decorum of public worship will not allow of audible tointerest, the tear of penitence, or of sympathy, the smile of joy, the deep impression on the mind, the death-like stillness, cannot be concealed: all seems like a tribute of admiration to the presiding spirit of the scene; and then the applause which is conveyed to his ear, after all the silent plaudits which have reached his eye, is equally calculated to puff him up with pride. No men are more in danger of this sin, than the ministers of the gospel: none should watch more sleeplessly against it.

Pride is the sin which laid the moral universe in ruins. It was this that impelled Satan and his confederates to a mad "defiance of the Omnipotent to arms," for which they were driven from heaven, and taught, by their better experience, that "God resisteth the proud." Banished from the world of celestials, pride alighted on our globe, in its way to hell, and brought destruction in its train. Propagated from our common and fallen parent with our species, it is the original sin—the inherent corrup-kens of applause, it does of visible ones: the look of tion of our nature. It spreads over humanity, with the contagious violence, the loathsome appearance of a moral leprosy, raging alike through the palace and the cottage, and infecting equally the prince and the peasant.

The grounds of pride are various: whatever constitutes a distinction between man and man, is the occasion of this hateful disposition. It is a vice that does not dwell exclusively in kings' houses, wear only soft raiment, and feed every day upon titles, fame, or affluence: it accommodates itself to our circumstances, and adapts itself to our distinctions, of whatever kind they be. The usual grounds of pride are the following:

Deep religious experience has often been followed by the same effect, in those cases where it has been remarkably enjoyed. The methods of divine grace, though marked by a uniformity sufficient to preWealth. Some value themselves on account of serve that likeness of character, which is essential their fortune, look down with contempt on those be- to the unity of the spirit and the sympathies of the low them, and exact obsequiousness towards them-church, are still distinguished by a vast variety of selves, and deference for their opinions, according minor peculiarities. to the thousands of money or of acres which they possess. Others are proud of their talents, either natural or acquired. The brilliancy of their genius, the extent of their learning, the splendor of their imagination, the acuteness of their understanding, their power to argue, or declaim, form the object of self-esteem, and the reasons of that disdain which they pour upon all who are inferior to them in mental endowments. But these things are not so common in the church of God, as those which we now mention.

Ecclesiastical connections form, in many cases, the occasion of pride. This was exemplified in the Jews, who boasted that they were the children of Abraham, and worshipped in the temple of the Lord. Their self-admiration, as the members of the only true church, and as the covenant people of God, was insufferably disgusting. In this feature of their character, they are too often imitated in modern times. Whatever leads us to think highly

The convictions of sin in some minds are deeper, the apprehensions of Divine wrath are more appalling, the transition from the poignant compunction of repentance bordering on despair, to joy and peace in believing, more slow and more awful, the subsequent repose more settled, and the joy more unmingled with the gloom of dis tressing fears, than is experienced by the generality of their brethren. Such persons are looked up to as professors of religion, whose religious history has been remarkable, as vessels of mercy on which the hand of the Lord has bestowed peculiar pains, and which are eminently fitted for the master's use. They are regarded as having a peculiar sanctity about them; and hence they are in danger of falling under the temptation to which they are exposed, and of being proud of their experience. look down from what they suppose to be their lofty elevation, if not with disdain yet with suspicion, or with pity upon those whose way has not been in their track. Their seasons of elevated communion

They

with God, of holy enlargement of soul, are sometimes followed with this tendency. Paul was never more in danger of losing his humility, than when he was just returned from gazing upon the celestial throne.

And what a propensity is there in the present age, to display, and parade, and boasting, in reference to religious zeal! This is one of the temptations of the day in which we live, and a compliance with the temptation one of its vices. We have at Zeal, whether it be felt in the cause of humanity length arrived at an era of the Christian church, or of piety, has frequently produced pride. This when all the denominations into which it is divided, was strikingly illustrated in the case of the Phari- and all the congregations into which it is subsee: "God, I thank thee," said this inflated devotee, divided, have their public religious institutions for "that I am not as other men are, extortioners, un- the diffusion of divine truth. These institutions just, adulterers, or even as this publican: I fast cannot be supported without property; and the protwice in the week-I give tithes of all that I pos-perty that is contributed for their support, must be sess!" Where a natural liberality of mind, or re- matter of general notoriety. Like the tributary ligious principle, has led men to lavish their pro- streams flowing into a great river, or like great perty, or their influence, or their time, upon bene- rivers flowing into the sea, the contributions of asvolent institutions, they have too often returned sociated congregations or communities, make up from the scene of public activity, to indulge in pri- the general fund: but, unlike the tributary streams vate and personal admiration. They have read which flow silently to form the mighty mass of wawith peculiar delight the reports in which their ters, without requiring the ocean to publish to the munificence is recorded, and have assigned to them- universe the amount of each separate quota, the selves a high place in the roll of public benefactors. offerings of the different religious bodies, must be On all these grounds does pride exalt itself; but announced, to the uttermost farthing, before the love is no less opposed to vanity than it is to pride-tributors may know that their bounty has not been world. This perhaps, is necessary, that the con"it vaunteth not itself." It does not boast of, or ostentatiously display, its possessions, acquirements, or operations. A disposition to boast, and to attract attention, is a common foible. We see this among the people of the world, in reference to their property, their learning, their connections, their influence. They are afraid the public should underrate them; forgetting that they pay a poor compliment to their importance, when they thus think it necessary to proclaim it in order to its being known. If indeed they are what they wish to make us believe they are, the fact would be obvious without this method of publishing it in every company. Puff ing is always suspicious, or superfluous; for real greatness no more needs a crier than the sun.

stopped and swallowed up in its course, but has reached its destined receptacle: and such is the imperfections, that this publicity to a certain extent, weakness of our principles, and the strength of our seems necessary to stimulate our languid zeal. But it has given opportunity, and that opportunity has hallowed vanity between the different denominabeen eagerly embraced, to establish a system of untions and the various congregations into which the Christian church is divided. Who can have heard the speeches, read the reports, and witnessed the proceedings of many of our public meetings, convened for the support of missionary societies, without being grieved at the strange fire, and diseased But it is more particularly in reference to reli- the Lord? The object of the meeting was good, offerings, which have been brought to the altar of gious matters that this observation of the apostle for it was the destruction of an idolatry as insultapplies. We should not appear eager to display ing to Jehovah as that which Jehu destroyed; but our gifts, nor should we vaunt of our religious ex- like the king of Israel, hundreds of voices exclaimperience. The manner in which some good but ed in concert, "Come, see our zeal for the Lord!" weak people talk of their pious conflicts, is indeed The image of jealousy was lifted up in the temple intolerably offensive. No matter who is present, of Jehovah; adulatory speakers chaunted its praises, pious or profane, scorner or believer, they parade in compliments upon the liberality of the worshipall their seasons of despondency or of rapture; pers; the multitude responded in shouts of applause they tell you how they struggled with the great ene-to the tribute paid to their zeal; the praise of God my of souls, and overcome him; how they wrestled with God, and had power to prevail; and that you may have as exalted an opinion of their humility, as of their enjoyment, they tell you in the utter violation of all propriety, and almost of decency, what temptations they have encountered-what hairbreadth escapes they have had from the commission of sin. Their motive is obvious; all this vaunting is to impress you with the idea that they are no ordinary Christians. Who can wonder that all religious conversation should have been branded with the epithets of whining cant and disgusting hypocrisy, when the injudicious and nauseating effusions of such talkers are regarded as a fair sample of it? Too common is it to make the externals of religion the subject of vain-glorious boasting. How long can you be in the company of some Christians without hearing of their splendid place of worship, and its vast superiority over all the rest in the town? They establish the most insulting and degrading comparisons between their minister and his brethren in the neighborhood: none so eloquent, none so able, none so successful, as he. Notwithstanding your attachment to the pastor under whose ministry you sit with pleasure and profit, you are conaemned to hear him dishonored and degraded by one of these gasconading professors, who is as destitute of good manners as he is of good feeling.

was drowned amidst the praise of men; and the crowd dispersed, in love with the cause, it is true, but more for their own sakes, than for the sake of God, or of the heathen world.

Difficult indeed it is, with such hearts as ours, to do any thing entirely pure from all admixture of a sinful nature; but when we take pains to make our zeal known; when we employ effort to draw public attention upon us; when we wish and design to make ourselves talked of as a most extraordinary, liberal, and active people; when we listen for praises, and are disappointed if they do not come in the measure we expected, and feast upon them if they are presented; when we look with envy on those who have outstripped us, and find no pleasure in any future efforts, because we cannot be first; when we look with jealousy on those who are ap proaching our level, and feel a new stimulus, not from a fresh perception of the excellence of the object, but from a fear that we shall be eclipsed in public estimation; when we talk of our fellow workers, or to them, with disdain of their efforts, and with arrogant ostentation of our own;-then, indeed, have we employed the cause only as a pedestal on which to exalt ourselves; in pulling down one kind of idolatry, we have set up another, and rendered our contributions nothing better than a costly sacrifice to our own vanity. All this is a