ther, the fervant to be the more earnest to confult his master's wishes, and to honour him by prompt and faithful obedience. And is not this a juft and a powerful argument? Is it not an argument of universal application? Who would not feel the more defirous to render service, to manifest kindness, to fulfil every act of duty, to another person, in confequence of that perfon's being his brother ? "Protect that man's rights the more watchfully; for he is thy brother. "nour him the more cheerfully; for he is thy brother. Confult his comfort and "his welfare the more ftedfaftly; for he is thy brother. Love him the more fervently with a pure heart; for he is thy bro"ther." Whether we are in a higher or in

Ho

In this

a lower station, whether we rule or ferve; can we be infenfible to the force of fuch an argument? Sirs, ye all are brethren. confideration let the rich and the poor, the great and the humble, rejoice alike: for on its practical influence the happiness of all equally depends. While it impreffés with new energy all those offices and branches of fubordination which are effential to the welfare of individuals, to the conduct of domestic life, to the public order of the world; it softens every strong line of diftinction between different

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ferent claffes or between different perfons; throws a veil over every smaller difcrimination; caufes us to feel, and to act as men that feel, that all worldly distinctions are but for a day; and teaches us to lose fight of them all in viewing our comprehensive union of brotherhood in that Redeemer, in whom there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcifion nor uncircumcifion, barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free ; but Chrift is all, and in all (w).

(w) Col. iii. 11.

SER

SERMON VIII.

On the LOVE of MONEY.

I TIM. vi. 10.

The Love of Money is the Root of all Evil.

IN applying the moral precepts of Scripture, and especially when we we make the application to our own proceedings, we are accustomed not to furvey them with a comprehenfive eye. We look at generals without being aware of the number of particulars which they involve. We vaguely contemplate the outline of the form, when we ought to discriminate the individual features. When we turn our thoughts to the fin of murder, we bring before our imagination the midnight affaffin and the bloody corpfe; and forget that whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer (a). When we reflect on the guilt of idolatry, we picture to ourselves the blind devotee proftrate before the rising fun, (a) I John iii. 15.

or kneeling to the image of a faint and remember not that the glutton practically worfhips his brutish appetite as a god (b).

When

It is thus with the text before us. we read this warning against the love of money, we represent to ourselves the mifer brooding over his hoard. If roufed to extend our views, we think of the rapacious extortioner. There we pause again. It is flowly and with difficulty that we are brought to discern the wide, yet natural and fimple, meaning of the apostle.

What is the love of Money? A ftronger defire of worldly poffeffions than befits a fervant of Christ. Who are the perfons guilty of being actuated by the love of Money? Not the mifer only and the extortioner; but every man, be he rich or poor, who indulges a ftronger inclination to acquire or to retain money than becomes a Chriftian, a stranger and pilgrim upon earth. Obferve, yet without being enfnared into a fuppofition that the frequency of a fin takes away from its inherent finfulness; obferve how the present state of mankind, which we speak is likely to be. has juftly been said, is power. worldly objects are concerned, and fo far as

(b, Philipp, iii. 19.

common, in that fin of Money, it So far as

the

the affertion can be true respecting any fingle inftrument of obtaining them, Money is univerfal power. It is a hand reaching to the horizon, and bringing back every thing which it grafps. Is a man folicitous for a fpacious dwelling, and corresponding accommodations around him? Money purchases them. Is he anxious for fplendour? Money procures it. Is he ambitious of distinction ? Money commands it. Is he eager to run the round of amusements? Money places him in every point of the circle. Is he bent on the gratifications of luxury? Money buys them all. For the furtherance of almost every wish, for the accomplishment of almost every plan, terminating in the prefent life, Money offers helps, facilities, and strength. While it is the inftrument of evil in the hands of the wicked, it is the inftrument of good in the hands of the, righteous; and from that very circumftance is not feldom overvalued by the righteous themselves. In the ordinary profeffions of life, among the higher claffes and among the lower, the acquifition of money is a principal object. That object, which men are constantly exerting themselves to attain, they are under a continual inducement to prize too highly. Num

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