proceedings by the rule which it fets before us. Whenever we feel reluctance in our mind unequivocally to acknowledge a particular person as a brother, and cordially to treat him in all refpects as a brother; we may be affured that our actual difpofition is more or less to do wrong to him. We are under the influence of injuftice towards him; or of unkindness; or, as is most frequently the cafe, of pride.

Finally, the unity of Chriftian brotherhood does not deftroy those earthly distinctions between man and man, which God has appointed for the good of the whole family of Chrift. On the contrary, it fupplies a new motive for the confcientious discharge of all the relative duties belonging to our station. Thus St. Paul, speaking of servants says; They that have believing mafters, let them not defpife them because they are brethren; let them not imagine that, because as Christians they are brethren to their mafters, and on a level with them in the fight of God, they may on that account be the lefs attentive to their commands: but rather let them do them fervice because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit (u). Let the very circumftance of the mafter being a Christian brother, incline and animate his Christian bro(u) 1 Tim. vi. 2.

ther,

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 univerfal application? Who would not feel the more defirous to render fervice, to manifeft 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 stedfaftly; for he is

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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 a lower station, whether we rule or ferve; can we be infenfible to the force of fuch an argument? Sirs, ye all are brethren. In this 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 impreffes with new energy all thofe 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 distinction between different

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ferent claffes or between different perfons; throws a veil over every smaller discrimination; causes us to feel, and to act as men that feel, that all worldly diftinctions are but for a day; and teaches us to lofe fight of them all in viewing our comprehenfive union of brotherhood in that Redeemer, in whom there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcifion nor uncircumcifion, barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free z 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 Scrip

ture, and especially when especially when 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 parti culars 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 corpse; 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 sun, (a) 1. John iii. ig.

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or

or kneeling to the image of a faint: and remember not that the glutton practically worships 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 miser 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 ftate of mankind, which we fpeak is likely to be. has juftly been faid, is power. worldly objects are concerned,

(6) Philipp, iii. 19.

common, in that fin of

Money, it

So far as and fo far as

the