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wealth; a man considers, how many comforts this convertible thing can procure him; and, loving himself above all things, he sets about acquiring wealth as fast as possible, and by all the means imaginable: this is self-love. But by degrees the man forgets his own comfort, his duty, honour, and every other consideration that ought to weigh with him, postponing every thing that is essentially hisbody, soul, and all their constituents separately, to this engrossing object: he values its integrity more than his own, and would as soon part with an eye or an hand, as with a bond or acceptance, or aught that may be severed from the bulk of his property: and now SELF-LOVE IS LOST

IN THE LOVE OF WEALTH.

Whereas taking another object, but similarly for his own sake first, and for the good that he expects with better reason from that quarter-a man may be as much attached and devoted to God; until from looking upon Him continually as the source of every blessing, he forgets by degrees all the good expected, or every good expectation for himself, in its heavenly source and medium; and forgetting himself in another, his first object in his second, comes to love God only, as the miser loves his gold: and this is the love of God.

-2, The progress of genuine disinterested Friendship is also in the way of revolution, like the love of God and of gold we begin with loving a friend for ourselves or for the pleasure that we feel in his society; and, from loving him for ourselves, may come by degrees to love him like ourselves; as if he and we were one, and in fact our regard had only one object: which is so far Unity.

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We often mention unity and friendship together as if they were the same property, or near correlatives at any rate and so David likewise seems to consider them where he says, Behold, how good and joyful a thing it is, brethren, to dwell together in unity!" (Ps. cxxxiii. 1.) But unity will signify more than friendship in one sense: for it is both easy and obvious to distinguish two casts or

species of this property by the matter, whether incidental or constituent on which it subsists; as an unity between two or more persons may be or subsist in respect of some transient feeling, as joy or grief; or in respect of some transient, because incidental, property or purpose; as name, family, or habitation, a trade, office, embassy, or the like: or an unity between two or more may be in respect of some one or more constituents; as a common nature, common spirit or disposition, common genius, or sentiments; and also enjoyed by multitudes who have not an incidental in common.

According to St. Paul one of these two species of unity, the incidental and constituent, may be made instrumental to the other; as where he exhorts the Ephesians to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith they were called; "endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace: (because, as he says) there is one body and one Spirit; even as ye are called in one hope of your calling: one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all; Who is above all, and through all, and in you all" (Eph. iv. 3, &c.). And it were well for us if our unity in such incidentals as calling, formal faith, and baptism were oftener followed by an unity of the Spirit cemented in peace.

The means and motives for drawing men together in society and the various bonds of union among them are wisely ordained by Providence; and it is the part of wisdom in men to use them accordingly. If, however, in the way of habit, or interest, or any other ordinary way our friends should happen to disappoint us, that should not be suffered to take such an effect on our hearts, as to render them either callous or distrustful; but only make us a little more careful in the choice of our acquaintance. It is almost proverbial with us, that a man may be known by the company that he keeps, agreeing with Solomon's remark, “As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man" (Prov. xxvii. 19): and therefore it may be no wonder, if "evil communications corrupt good manners"

(Cor. I. xv. 33). Society of that kind, instead of edifying or exalting a man, will be more likely to stupify or degrade him; letting him down, as it is said, and very justly. For then a man will fall in his own estimation, as well as in other people's: and it is only by retiring within himself or to better company, that he can hope to regain his former pitch of character or credit.

So by commercial friendship, or traffic, as it is properly called, if fair and liberal, considerable benefit may accrue in this preparatory state, not only to the parties engaged therein, but to society at large. The material powers or properties of the species are recruited and improved by transportation from one house and one climate to another; the spiritual, by new infusions of health and vigour; the intellectual, by an exchange of knowledge, discoveries and inventions. Even the natural productions of the earth are beholden to commerce for an assimilation to the living system, and greatly improved by the circulation and commixture of their specific principles within the sphere that nature assigns them. So that in short every kind of friendship, society, and intercourse is naturally good in itself: the evil that results from any being less an effect of the property, than of its abuse, and of the indesert of its subjects, or supporters.

What men call their most valued friendships are often mere matter of habit: in fact the noblest or most generous that have been known among them, and celebrated accordingly in heathen records ought not perhaps to rank much higher. For heathen friendships are not much like friendship in themselves: and what is worse, will consort very well with some of the worst ingredients that could ever be heaped together in a human composition and some of the most abominable works that could ever be expected from such ingredients. "Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness their feet are swift to shed blood: destruction and misery are in their ways: and the way of peace have they not known." But the first principle of Christian

friendship is a Christianlike disposition consisting in good will towards all men; without which no principle can be Christian. The rule of Christian friendship seems to be this, "As we have therefore opportunity let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith" (Gal. vi. 10); including two species of personal regard; one general, which is charity, seeking the good of all by all means independent of faith or perfection, and oftener mixed with pity than with esteem; the other particular, which is properly friendship, enjoying the good of others, and more especially in a blessing of faith and perfection; of faith not merely evinced by an unity of worship, nor yet of outward communion, but of mind and: spirit, and of that sort of perfection which the apostle also intimates when he talks of "perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (Cor. II. vii. 1).

It was reserved for that system, by which the heavenly kingdom is so truly developed in every respect, to produce and bring to light a friendship of the highest class in that sacred Philadelphia or brotherly love which, like its proper subjects, is "born, not of flesh and blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man; but of God”. (John i. 13). This is a friendship founded on principle; and not on principle only, but on right principle, on the only true and infallible basis, the Spirit and the Word of God. Happy were it for the church, if its members generally had a finer sense of the charms of unity in this relation, and could learn to prize as they ought the communion which they are here allowed with the Highest and his angels, as well as with each other; if they could feel in this respect as a town curate might feel, to judge from these expressions; "One thing have I desired of the Lord, which I will require; even that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the fair beauty of the Lord, and to visit his temple" (Ps. xxvii. 4): and "O how amiable are thy dwellings, thou Lord of hosts! My soul hath a desire and a longing to enter into the courts of the

Lord; my heart and my flesh rejoice in the living God" (Ib. lxxxiv. 1, 2).

The first thing to be desired in Heaven and in earth is the Presence, Communion, or Fellowship of God, which is the Head; and next, or rather with that, the communion of saints, which is the body-of this blessed communion; making together one object of the highest enjoyment, such as "the great congregation" (Ps. xxii. 25) or "the congregation of the saints" (Ib. lxxxix. 5); as it is said, and as St. John proposes to the brethren in his epistles, "That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, (says he) that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ" (John I. i. 3). As members of Christ we are individually no more than the fibres in a tree, or stones in a building; though collectively, his body, temple, flock: and considering this solid unity, or unity on constituents, or still on the Word and Spirit of God, which are no constituents of mankind, as we ought, will have some excellent consequences likewise, besides those already noticed. It will, e. g., prevent a man from setting up too much for himself, when he considers that he is but a branch of the vine, and preserved therein by the same nourishment as pervades its other parts, having no advantage or benefit of his station but what is common to all the branches, and derived from the root to the farthest extremity or improvement. "For by one Spirit are we all baptized (says St. Paul) into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit" (Cor. I. xii. 13). By this "one body" is to be understood God's peculiar kingdom, the church; and, besides its enjoyment, the advantage of its one Spirit will appear decidedly in the extension and prosperity of an establishment for which the greatest cooperation is required.

-3, The good equal appetitive characteristics Politeness, Equity, and other shows or demonstrations of out

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