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 marked with a peculiar tendency, either to some prevailing error or defect, the tendency of the prevailing age is to exalt the active virtues of piety, at the expense of the passive ones; and, while the former are forced into an increasing luxuriance, to permit the latter to wither in their shade; or, at least, there is a disposition to devote all that time and attention to the culture of one which ought to be shared between both. It cannot be denied that our love of activity and of display, will generally. incline us to prefer the cultivation of public spirit, rather than the more private and self-denying tempers of meekness, humility, and forbearance; for it is inconceivably more easy, and more pleasant, to float upon the tide of public feeling towards the objects of religious zeal, than to wade against the stream of our own corrupt tendencies, and to accomplish an end which he only who seeth in secret will duly appreciate.

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 Chaistian 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, un

supported by Christian love, will only increase our guilt here, and sink us immeasurably lower in the bottomless pit hereafter. Wo, eternal wo, will be upon that man who bears the name of our Lord Jesus without his image. Wo, eternal wo, 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.

Thus have we shown how many things there are, which, though good in themselves, when performed from right motives and in connexion with other parts of religion, cannot, in the absence of love, be depended. upon as unequivocal evidences of personal piety. Let us beware of self-deception in this awfully important business; for it will be dreadful beyond the power of imagination to conceive of, to find ourselves the next moment after death, amidst the horrors of the infernal pit, instead of the felicities of the celestial city. Love is required by God, as an essential part of true religion; and the total absence of it as necessarily prevents a man from being a true Christian, as the want of temperance or purity. Besides this is the temper of heaven; this is the unvarying state of mind in the innumerable company of angels, and the spirits of just men made perfect; this is the heart of Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant, and the image of God the Judge of all. Without this, there would be no meetness for the society of Paradise, no fitness for an association of which the bond of fellowship is love; without this there can be no grace here, and therefore, no glory hereafter.

CHAPTER V.

ON THE PROPERTIES OF CHRISTIAN LOVE AS STATED BY THE

APOSTLE..

By a beautiful personification, the Apostle has described this grace under the figure of an interesting female, who, like an angel of light, lifts her cherubic form and smiling countenance amidst the children of men ; shedding, as she passes along, a healing influence on the wounds of society, hushing the notes of discord, driving before her the spirits of 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 proper-ties, is, that they describe such expressions of our love as have a particular reference to our TEMPER.

By the temper, we mean the prevailing spirit and disposition of the mind, as it respects the irascible or selfish affections. If we examine, we shall find that all the qualities here enumerated, bear on these dispositions. There are other operations and manifestations of charity, beside those which are here specified—such, for in

stance, as justice and chastity; for it is impossible to love mankind, and violate the rules of either of these duties: but the apostle restricts his specification to those properties of it which are comprehended in the word temper. Nothing, surely, can teach more clearly, or more impressively, the great truth,—that religion must govern the temper, than this chapter. It is strange, but true, that many seem to think that temper is that part of a man's self and conduct, over which religion has no legal jurisdiction. They admit their obligations to be holy, and moral, and devout; but they do not feel, at least do not acknowledge, that it is their duty to be meek, gentle, and kind. They may not affirm so much in words, but it is the secret and tacit system of conduct which they have adopted. Hence it is, that although they are correct in their morals, and regular in their attendance on the means of grace, they are withal so apt to receive offence, and so forward to give it; they are either so passionate, or so sullen; so implacable or revengeful; that the real excellencies of their character are lost sight of in the deep shadow of their infirmities and the ways of godliness are spoken ill of on their account. This arises from their not being sufficiently convinced of the evil of such infirmities; and this blindness itself is the consequence of a supposition, that the removal of the evil is physically impossible. "Our temper," say they, "is as much a part of ourselves, as the colour of our skins, or the conformation of our body; it is naturally inherent in us, and we cannot help it." As long as this is the conviction of the judgment, or the admission of a deceitful heart, it is almost vain to hope for a reformation. But let us reason with such persons.

It must be admitted, that there do exist constitutional tendencies to the exercise of particular passions: without being able to account for these effects, or whether the cause be wholly in the body or partly in the mind, the effects are too obvious to be denied. Nay, these constitutional tendencies are no less hereditary, sometimes, than direct physical disease. One man is naturally propense to passion; another to sullenness; a

third to envy; a fourth to pride: all this is indisputable. But these tendencies are not uncontrolable: they are impulses, but not constraints; incitements, but not compulsions. It would subvert the whole system of moral obligation, to suppose that we were under a physical necessity of sinning, which we certainly should be, if inherent tendencies were beyond the power of moral restraint. That cannot be duty which a man could not do if he would; nor can that be sin, which he can not avoid by any exercise of disposition or will. If, therefore, we cannot help indulging revenge, 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 iudulging 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 physical 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.

Besides, natural propensities, of the most impetuous kinds, have been, in innumerable instances, not only successfully resisted, but almost entirely vanquished. We have known persons, who were once addicted to all kinds of impure gratifications, but who have become as distinguished for chastity as they once were for lewdness; drunkards have become sober; men as furious as enraged tigers, have become gentleness itself. It is said of that eminently holy and useful man, Mr. FLETCHER, of MADELEY, that "he was meek, like his Master, as well as lowly in heart. Not that he was so by nature, but a man of strong passions, and prone to anger in particular; insomuch that he has frequently