language, are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and who of course think that others have too much. Their hearts are steeled against the cries of affliction, poverty, and distress; nay, assistance is often refused to their own personal wants; choosing the meanest attire, the coarsest food, and the poorest and meanest lodging, to preserve ov increase their beloved stores. With some defrauding and extortion are virtues of the first class. All goes well or ill, pleasant or unpleasant, hateful or desirable, as it affects this predominant principle. They will sometimes exceed the bounds of temperance and sobriety: but then it must be free cost. Or should an extraordinary occasion call for proofs of their liberality and generosity, their hearts smite them in secret for it; and themselves, together with those who may have the misfortune to be dependant upon them, must pine for it, till they have recovered the loss. They indeed walk in a vain shadow, and disquiet themselves in vain; they heap up riches, but know not who shall gather, or rather, we may say, scatter them, which is most com monly the case. What has such idolatry to do with religion, or such characters with God? Rich in goodness, boundless in mercy, and infinitely free in his favours, he calls us to imitate his excellencies: how then can he have respect to such as are so unlike himself! I am not surprised to hear him declare that such, for their mean and detested practices, are by him abhorred.

Others are of a melancholy disposition.-Being close and reserved, and accustoming themselves to look on the dark side of things, their minds are filled with gloomy and uncomfortable ideas. Evil being looked for more than good, every new occurrence seems calculated to excite alarm, or to distress the mind. The ever blessed God, the friend and father of us all, is regarded as a careless and indolent spectator of human misery, or rather as an unkind“ and vindictive judge, who watches only for the most suitable moment to overwhelm us in misery for ever. Hence arises a distrust of him and his goodness, with murmurings

and complainings at his providence. This disposition also produces a train of bad habits and tempers, evil surmisings and groundless suspicions, heart-tormenting envy, misanthropy, and ingratitude. They are often frightening themselves by indulging their gloomy thoughts in dreams, omens, and prodigies; with superstitious predictions of impending evils, or fanciful conjectures of what perhaps never did nor ever will exist but in their own imaginations. The cheerfulness of others, the gladness which diffuses itself through the creation at large, and all that the most benevo lent can suggest, are not sufficient to raise their dejected minds, or inspire them with the sentiment that God is good to all, and that they also are the objects of his paternal care and love. Viewing all through this dark medium, they are discontented, peevish, and fretful; often quarrelsome, and promoters of discord; sullen and slow to forgive, desponding and miserable; afflicted in their own minds, and afflicting others, they rather dissolve than strengthen the bands of society. Can it be supposed that such a state of mind is pleasing to that beneficent Being who takes pleasure in the prosperity of his servants?

There are those who are of a cruel and ferocious disposition.-Lofty and choleric in their temper, and easily irritated, they are hurried on by their passions to the most unjustifiable words and actions, and were they not restrained by the fear of human laws, the consequences would be dreadful. If these characters were found only among the untaught and uncivilized Indians, it would be matter of joy; but, alas, they abound infinitely too much among those who call themselves christians! Not to speak of the bloody scenes of war, (that dreadful scourge of the human race) which is attended with greater horrors than is generally conceived, but to notice the many scenes of brutality, revenge, and cruelty, which appear among individuals and prejudiced parties: mark the disposition of those who delight in setting the brute animals to bite, tear, and destroy each other, with all the ferociousness of their natures, while

their howling, roaring, screaming, streaming blood, and dying struggles, afford their savage tormentors the greatest joy. Others pine or pamper, crush with excessive toil, or render ungovernable, the most useful creatures; and then, as pride or passion prompts, will act towards them in the most cruel and unfeeling manner. Some, from the love of filthy lucre, are cruel to their own kind, as in that abominable and God-provoking traffic, the slave trade. Rev. xviii. 13. It is true that it has of late been checked; but have all the evils attending it been destroyed? And how often do we hear of those, who, for some injury, affront, neglect, or forgetfulness, real or apparent, set no bounds to their rage! It is still worse, when men can deliberately, for some trifling wager, or some nice point of ridiculous honour, resolve, in meeting their antagonist, to conquer or die; and it is not uncommon for these poor wretches to breathe out their mur derous souls, and stand at his bar, who has said, "Thou shalt not kill," and who has strictly charged us to "love one another." There are others so depraved and enslaved by sensuality as to withhold sustenance from their own families. What astonishing insensibility of mind is this! Even the sea-monsters draw out the breast, to give suck to their young ones; but these are become cruel as the ostrich in the wilderness.' And is it not the same disposition which puts off with good words the poor and distressed, when we have the means of supplying their wants, and refuse them assistance? This is no small offence in the sight of him who has said, "He shall have judgment without mercy, who hath shewed no mercy." From these and other merciless practices, it may well be said, “The dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty." The passionate and revengeful man is therefore displeasing to that God who delights in the exercise of loving-kindness and tender mercy in the earth.

Some are of a bigotted and intolerant turn of mind.-One might readily admit the right of attachment to any system of doctrine, or mode of worship, to which persons have been

accustomed from their youth, and which they have been taught to revere as divine; but what has this to do with that intolerant spirit which would dictate the same thing to others, on pain of temporal, or eternal punishment? Has our Great Legislator taught them such lessons in his gospel, or invested them with an authority to censure or oppress those who have equal right with themselves to judge what is right, and to follow their convictions in abiding by the same ? What is all their boasted zeal and faithfulness in the cause they espouse in his sight? Their superstitious prejudices and partialities, which lead them to starve, fine, imprison, or destroy those who conscientiously differ from them, are regarded by him, as 'the poison of dragons and the cruel venom of asps!' How do the myriads of spirits under the altar cry out for vengeance on those who persecuted and tormented them by 'cruel mockings and scourgings, by bonds and imprisonments, and by lingering and varied deaths!'

What is it to any man under heaven what the religious sentiments of another are, while he leads a peaceable life, and conforms to what he believes to be the will of God in the gospel? If I conceive another to be in error, and would draw him from it, let me confute him by rational argumentation if he be convinced, well, I have gained my point; if not, no matter what his opinions are, I must leave him to our common Master. It is possible, indeed, that a man may, under religious pretences, hold principles and practices which are subversive of the peace of society, injurious to individuals, or destructive of the laws and the civil authority. In either case, it is the duty of the magistrate to silence or otherwise restrain the offender for the general good: but this has nothing to do with persecution. A magistrate may and ought to defend others from the rage of such fanatics, with out being a persecutor. The bigotry of which I speak is quite another matter. This is always dangerous when joined with the smallest degree of power, from the narrow-minded landlord, who dismisses an honest tenant for differing from

him in his mode of worship, to the royal murderer, whose word alone causes a servant of God to lose his head. He who would rob men of their christian liberty and privileges, by additional power would probably burn their bodies to ashes, and plunge their souls in perdition. Many fiery persecutors have imagined that they have repeatedly done the latter; and such as begin to tread in their steps may do the same, and, like them, glory in their actions. How widely dif ferent is the spirit of our Redeemer! When his disciples found a man casting out devils, they forbade him, because he did not associate with them, and informed Jesus of what they had done, expecting perhaps to be commended for so doing; but he said, "Forbid him not," as approving and encouraging in all whatever is good or promotive of the good of others. But what numbers believe that no good thing can arise any where but from among themselves! The bare mention of others who differ from them in sentiment, is sufficient to raise their indignation, and call forth their abuse; and this, for fear truth and godliness should be overturned and destroyed. Such, however, would do well to consider that the ark of God needs no Uzzah to support it. Should his altar be cast down, he has knowledge and ability to plead his own cause, without their assistance. He knows what spirit they are of, and he will reprove and set before them the things they have done. This disposition arises from mistaken notions in religion, misguided zeal, ignorance, and enmity against the truth, which is so fully opposed to the spirit of the world, that it has always been hateful to such as have been worldly-minded. True christianity is founded in love; and love, like its author, is pure and peaceable, full of mercy and all good fruits, and leaves vengeance to him who alone has wisdom and equity sufficient to use it aright. But of bigotry it may be said, that its grapes are grapes of gall, that its clusters are bitter, and that all its abettors are far, very far from the spirit of scriptural and rational piety.

Another sinful disposition which discovers itself among