complacency of the worldly mind. The account given of many a one is, "He is a worthy creature as ever lived, kind hearted, and will do any one a good turn; to be sure, now and then, when he is in a passion, he swears; but he would not hurt a worm." The oaths, and the passion from which they proceed, are thought to weigh but little against the sterling value of honesty and good fellowship. He who shall scrupulously keep himself clear from the illicit fascinations of female beauty, prides himself on his freedom from gross contamination; while he, by choice or carelessly, mingles in the company of scorners, can join in ‘a sneer against the precisely godly, or even enjoy some infidel position, some maxim established expressly as an attack upon the Scriptures of divine truth, and the peculiar doctrines of the gospel.

The true statement in this case does not argue much in favour of the judgment thus given. It goes on this principle, that sins against men are very vile, but sins against God are but trifling and venial. When men venture to pick and choose among sins, it is ever found that they pass over the first table and fasten upon the second. Their self-love

makes them think filial disobedience a great crime; robbery, adultery, theft, and murder, offences of a deep dye. And so they are. Yet if self love did not hold the scales, would not sins against our heavenly Father be accounted most atrocious; would taking his name in vain, which he will not hold guiltless, be esteemed so mere a trifle as it is? "If I am a Father," says he, "where is my honour? if I am a Master, where is my fear?" He appeals herein to our own feelings; but is not the appeal made in vain?

Surely it is fair at least, to say, "These things ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone." By the highest authority it is settled, that the first commandment and the greatest, is, "to love the Lord our God with all our heart, and mind, and soul, and strength.” That which requires us to love our neighbour as ourselves, how like to it soever it may be in importance, holds but the second place.

A worthy creature blaspheming his Maker! Surely common sense revolts from such a junction. Yet it is seen every day, and to question its propriety would subject one to all the hard names of bigotry and puritanical preciseness, which the bigotry of latitudinarian pre

ciseness has ever invented. There is a day coming when the scales will be poised in a more equitable manner; when its not being done to ME, will condemn the best services, and doubly condemn all those forgetfulnesses of God which men would fain hold as a trifle.

Even those who make profession of religion are apt to be influenced in a similar manner, The close cultivation of religious duties is supposed to be religion. Yet it is often connected with, nay, it springs from, a denial of the grand doctrine of scriptural religion, the atonement. Such persons are shocked at open vice, but drink in insinuations against the Redeemer's specific character without hesitation. They reprobate the swearer, and would not dare profane their Maker's name, and derogate from his honour by oaths and blasphemy; yet they can explain away all that belongs to the statement of his being the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world: a process which veils his honours much more, and aims to put behind from the penitent's contemplation, him whom God hath set forth as a propitiation for

sin.

To steal from a fellow creature would be esteemed a great crime; but to rob the Mediator of his crown passes for a trifle. Should it be said, they do not regard it as a robbery, the case is but little altered, as the fact remains the same, they do rob him. All the work of redemption is reduced by them to his giving us some excellent moral precepts: all the humiliation of it is sunk to the level of a common martyr ; and all the exaltation consequent upon its successful perpetration, is greatly reduced by those who would share it with him, by their own uprightness, or claim the better half by works of benevolence, usefulness, and high esteem among their fellow mortals. Self-righte ousness and Christ's righteousness cannot assimilate in the work of justification. Such as will advance their own pretences will find their claims resented with those of the pharisee; while many a more grossly guilty publican shall seek, and find, mercy.

Socinians are especially forward in these proceedings. They undermine the Saviour's throne, and even openly cast contumely on his royal pretensions. Can this be borne with by him who will not give his glory to another?

These let their minds completely loose in their speculations on the most sacred subjects. They reason with most unreasonable familiarity and flippancy concerning those things which angels, as unable to comprehend, humbly desire to look into. Angelic spirits veil their faces in their wings, and dare not contemplate some subjects, and some personages, esteemed by them divine. High are they able to soar, like the eagle towards heaven, and gaze at meridian splendours which are too bright for mortal eyes. The bats, indeed, who only can bear twilight, sneer at the sun; hating those beams which they are unable to bear, avoiding and contemning a brilliancy which offends their weak organs. Shall we take the judgment of these purblind reasoners concerning the nature of light, or the magnitude of the solar orb? Even this would be prudence compared with the conduct reprobated. We would rather wonder at the hardihood of ignorance, or stand aghast at the temerity of determined spleen. We know what would be the consequence, should the whole race of bats venture at noonday to attack the sun, or even resolve with their filmy wings to hide his brilliancy from the world which he so gloriously illuminates.