of poverty; nor is there any reason why it should not reign there, and interweave itself with all the incidents of life, as well as constitute the bright and lively details in the "short and simple annals of the poor." Conformity to the world may exist no more amidst those who are blessed with wealth, than with those in far obscurer life, and the man possessed of the riches of the Indies may as little think of it, or regard it, as those who live by toil from day to day. That religion has ever yet produced its appropriate influence on all those classes of men, I do not maintain. That the rule in our text may not be applied to all classes, none can affirm.

The conclusion, then, to which we have come is, that in this rule God has furnished a guide to numberless actions, and to the spirit of the life; a rule which no man should apply to his neighbour, but which every man should honestly and perpetually apply to himself; a rule which you can take to all employments, and amidst all the enjoyments of life; a rule which may show its influence in the palace and the cottage—on the throne, and in the obscurest dwelling where resides a ransomed child of God.

SERMON XVII.

THE BLESSINGS OF A BENIGNANT SPIRIT.

Coll. iii. 12. Put on, therefore, as the elect of God-kindness.

WHAT an invaluable blessing is a kind and benignant spirit! How invaluable to an individual, in a family, in a church, in any community! It is a spirit which the gospel is adapted to produce; which serves much to remove the asperities which are met with in life; which contributes to happiness every where. My wish, at this time, is to illustrate its nature and importance; and I shall show,

I. In what it consists; and

II. Its value.

I. Kindness, or a benignant spirit, consists in the following things.

(1.) In a disposition to be pleased-a willingness to be satisfied with the conduct of others towards us. This disposition lies back of all external actions, and refers to the general habit of feeling. It is not that which is created by any sudden impression made on us, or by receiving from others any proofs of favor; it is a previous disposition rather to be satisfied than dissatisfied; rather to look on the favorable than the unfavorable side in the conduct of others; rather to suppose that they are right than to suppose that they are wrong; and rather to attribute to them good motives than bad motives. It is such a disposition that if we ever think unfavorably of others, it is because we are compelled to do it rather than because we wish to do it; such that any moment we would be willing to listen to any explanation in extenuation of their conduct.

This disposition contributes much towards our being actually pleased. It is usually not difficult to find enough in others that we can approve to make life pleasant and harmonious when we are disposed to; and this disposition will do more than all other things to make

social life move on with comfort and with joy. This disposition stands opposed to a spirit of fault-finding and complaining; a temper which nothing satisfies, and which nothing pleases; a propensity to magnify trifles and never to forget them; and a turn of mind that is irritable, and that is constantly chafed and fretted. For this latter state of mind we are now much in the habit of blaming the nervous system, and there can be no doubt that from the intimate connexion between the mind and the body, a disordered nervous system may have much to do with such a temperament. But it may be also true that the body is often blamed when the soul should be, and that the responsibility is often improperly changed from the heart to the nervous system. More frequently this disposition is to be traced to long habits of indulgence; to mortified pride; to an overweening self-valuation; to the fact that the respect is not paid us which we think we deserve; to the fact that the heart is wrong, and the will obstinate and unsubdued. The spirit of the gospel of Christ would do more to eradicate this evil disposition than any physical applications to the nervous system, and it is the heart rather than the bodily health that demands appropriate treatment. A man who is willing to be pleased and gratified will in general pass pleasantly through life. He who is willing to take his proper place in society, content with the small share of public notice which properly belongs to an individual, and believing it to be possible that others may be as likely to be right in their opinions as he is, will usually find the journey of life to be a pleasant way, and will not have much occasion to be dissatisfied with the world at large.

(2.) A spirit of kindness or benignity consists in a disposition to attribute to others the possession of good motives when it can be done. One of the rights of every man in society is, to have it supposed that he acts with good intentions unless he furnishes irrefragable proof to the contrary. This right is quite as valuable as the right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness"—and is essential to them all. He may do me a more palpable and lasting wrong who ascribes to me a bad motive, than he does who takes my purse; and he has no more right to do the one than the other. Now there are many

actions performed which may be either from a good or bad motive. There are many where the action may be attended with injurious consequences when the motive is good. There are many where the motive may be for a long time concealed; where we may not be permitted to understand why it was done; and where it may seem to have been originated from the worst possible intention. In all such cases, it is our duty to suppose that the motive was good until the contrary becomes so clear that it can no longer be doubted. Where an action may be performed from either a good or a bad intention, it is a mere act of justice that we should attribute the correct and noble motive in the case rather than evil one-or at least that we should not assume that the motive was bad-for "love rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things; believeth all things; hopeth all things; endureth all things; AND NEVER FAILETH.' "" 1 Cor. xiii. 6, 7, 8. Yet there are some persons who seem never to have heard of this rule. The worst possible motive is at once suspected. The worst construction is given to an action. In the view of such persons every circumstance combines to lead to the conclusion that the motive was a

bad one. Such persons, too, will have that unhappy species of memory which recollects all the ill of another, and forgets all the good; and when an action is performed of doubtful character, it is surprising what a number of similar deeds will be found to have been treasured up in the memory all going to confirm the suspicion that the motive was a bad one. Now a spirit of benignity and kindness will lead us to pursue directly the contrary course. The first impression on such a mind will be, that the action was performed from a good motive. That impression will be retained until there is positive proof to the contrary; and will be confirmed by the recollections of the former life. The good will have been remembered; the evil will have been forgiven and forgotten. Past deeds of unkindness towards you will be found to have been written in sand which the next wave washed away; deeds of beneficence will be found to have been engraved on marble or steel. A kind memory has treasured up all the favors ever shown you-and now they come flocking to your recollec

tion, and help to throw the mantle of charity over the act now even if it be wrong.

(3.) A spirit of benignity or kindness consists in bearing with the foibles, infirmities, and faults of others. We do not go a great distance with any fellow-traveller on the journey of life, before we find that he is far from our notions of perfection. He has a temperament different from our own. He may be sanguine, or choleric, or melancholy in his temperament, while we are just the reverse. He has peculiarities of taste, and habit, and disposition, which differ much from our own. He has his own plans and purposes in life; and like ourselves he does not like to be crossed or embarrassed. He has his own way and time of doing things; his own manner of expression; his own modes of speech. He has grown up under other influences than those which have affected our minds; and his habits of feeling may be regulated by his education, and by his calling in life. Neighbors have occasion to remark this in their neighbors; friends in their friends; kindred in their kindred. In proportion as the relations of life become more intimate, the more these peculiarities become visible; and hence the more intimate we become, the more necessity there is for bearing patiently with the frailties and foibles of others. In the most tender connections, like that between a husband and wife; a parent and child; a brother and sister, it may require much of a gentle and yielding spirit to adapt ourselves to their peculiarities so that life shall move on smoothly and harmoniously. When there is a disposition to do this, we soon learn to bear and forbear. We understand how to avoid the look, the gesture, the allusion, the remark that would excite improperly the mind of our friend. We dwell on those points where there is sympathy and harmony; and we thus remove the asperities of character, and the feelings and affections meet and mingle together. With any one of our friends there may be enough, if excited, to make life with him uncomfortable. A husband and wife-such is the imperfection of human nature-can find, if they will, enough in each other to embitter life, if they choose to magnify foibles, and to become irritated at imperfections; and there is no friendship which may not be marred in