ward peace are very proper companions for inward friendship and unity. Only let us be careful to distinguish between the politeness which results from this peaceful relation and any that may spring from an opposite quarter; such as the turbulent man, for example, will often employ to cover his hostile intentions, like one of whom the Psalmist says, "He laid his hands upon such as be at peace with him; and he brake his covenant. The words of his mouth were smoother than oil, and yet be they very swords" (Ps. lv. 21, 22). If this be politeness, it is not equity which in the sense here supposed is equality in a consideration free or independent of circumstances. By nature all men are equal as brethren; and treating men accordingly, or the observation of such equality in all our intercourse with others is the good characteristic here understood by Politeness and Equity.

But if equality be natural and common to all men, its observance is supernatural, and peculiarly Christian. Christianity is a levelling system, which makes no distinction. between orders and degrees in its consideration or intention; but among those who have put on Christ "there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free" (Gal. iii. 28): or rather, WE ARE ALL BOUND IN CHRIST TO EACH OTHER, or should be; as St. Peter exhorts us, "Yea all of you be subject one to another" (Pet. I. v. 5). Whether this doctrine be equally followed or not in the practice of politeness among Christians may be found by reversing the position of parties in almost every predicament. If, for example, a rich man should be walking by a poor man's cottage and overtaken by the rain, he would not think much of knocking at the poor man's door and asking a free entrance, or claiming it almost as a matter of right, if he did not rather mention it as a mark of his favour and condescension, and as if in taking shelter under the poor man's roof, he was really conferring an obligation upon him. But should the poor man when walking by the rich man's house be overtaken by rain with hail and thunder and

starvation besides, he would be thought more than rude, if he ventured to ask either for bread or shelter except in a suppliant tone, and for Christ's sake in the way of charity, and with a very good chance of being denied." It is the same too even with a place in church; where one should expect to find a degree of equity, if any where: "For (as St. James remarks) if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment, and ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say, Sit thou here in a good place, and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool, are ye not then partial in yourselves?" (Jam. ii. 2, 3, 4.) Is this Christian politeness and equity? This is not the way to "be the children of your Father which is in Heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil, and on the good; and sendeth rain on the just, and on the unjust" (Matt. v. 45). "Therefore, all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do yé even so to them; for this is the law and the prophets" (Ib. vii. 12). This is true Christian equity, and the effect EQUALITY; when you do in every case as you would be done by. This is the levelling system of a Christian: so far his levelling goes, and no farther: it levels neither property nor capacity, but UN

NATURAL DISTINCTIONS.

There is somewhat of a superior air in the good appetitives, politeness, equity, and the like; but as this relation may be mutual between parties on most occasions, the said appetitives cannot be ascribed to the superior class so properly as to this of equality, which we are considering.

-4, If, for example, not only politeness and equity, but Gentleness, Pliability, and other such characteristics have an air of superiority, especially as implying option on the one hand and expectation on the other, they will nevertheless, on examination, appear to be characterized by the same reciprocity; so as to be, if not equal appetitives, yet more equal than either superior or inferior.

3

But to whatever class these good appetitive objectives are assigned, the class will be enriched by their presence, v. g. by the presence of such good appetitive objective characteristics as gentleness, which is another word for gentility, and pliability signifying a deference for the wishes and opinions of others as far as it may consist with rectitude and discretion. And there may be as much of these in a pliant manner, as in a rigid and unbending, with more security of which we have an acknowledged emblem in the reed, bowing before the wind, without going before it ; still yielding, and still keeping its position. So it may appear at first as if these graces were rather external than internal, material rather than spiritual, in manner rather than in or upon sentiment; consequently, not such exalted graces of the kingdom as they are here represented: but this is a mistake, as it were easy to shew; and we have also a good authority for the rank assigned them in what is suggested of their heavenly origin or affinity by an apostle who says, "The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, GENTLE AND EASY TO BE ENTREATED, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy" (Jam. iii. 17). That there may be a material objective or outward manner corresponding with these inward and spiritual graces, is not denied: but such manner, if separated from the properties it is meant to denote, will be no part of heavenly wisdom; but all farce, merest hypocrisy, and insipid grimace.

In reviewing the train of that good and amiable characteristic, yielding or gentleness, we are apt to consider its human bearing only; but the bearing of all the good appetitives of this objective class, and more especially of appetitives of the superior kind before mentioned, upon inferior animals, or brutes as they are oftener called, would deserve to be remembered, if only on account of the example set by brutes in these respects to mankind; were it not for the great length and interest of the argument precluding such an attempt at present, and making it seem more advisable to

expect another opportunity of doing justice to an argument so well worth dilating. For the same good appetitive, however scoffed at by some, is founded on a relation that may be to others of a more exalted understanding as great a source of pleasure and delight as it is to many more equal with its objects, the inferior animals or brutes aforesaid. And persons who cannot fancy brutes as companions of their pleasures and their leaders in the chace, may still find much to enjoy and admire in some of them: though the humane principle is often wounded by the sufferings of their order, and would be oftener if God, whose mercy is over all his works (Ps. cxlv. 9), did not set some limits to the sufferings of many an useful drudge in the ruin or removal of its merciless owner.

3, It is not necessary in considering the moral character only of spiritual constituents to impute to them any higher respect than the human: but it may be observed, that of the inferior appetitive sort; such as 1, Fidelity and obedience; 2, Respect; 3, Hope; 4, Gratitude, and perhaps of some others now to be mentioned, the aspect will be very deficient if it do not regard an Higher Object than human on the principle thrown out by St. Paul in his idea of voluntary subjection; "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers; (says he) for there is no power but of God; the powers that be, are ordained of God" (Rom. xiii. 1). And considering his ordinance, the good inferior appetitive objective, which is love looking upward, must be limited, imperfect, and deficient, if it stop short of the Highest Object to which it can aspire: lower objects than that cannot be wanting in any relation; but true upward love piercing through all the ascending zones of inferior relations by which it is surrounded, without overlooking any, will eventually fix its regard on the zenith, making every other object subservient to that, and that the crown of all: for it is that, which must give effect to all; whether they be reciprocal as those related in fidelity, which implies a mutual subjection, or direct with the

subjection on one side only, as in respect, hope and gratitude. All these derive their effect from one object and one principle, from God and godliness, severally converting them after the relations on which they are founded into honour and honesty; social, conjugal, and every other sort of fidelity; truth, and constancy; obedience, patriotism, loyalty and producing, in short, a good general characteristic on spiritual and intellectual properties in this relation, a characteristic which has not found a name yet; but may be signified by a periphrasis, such as TRUE HEARTEDNESS, OR RADICAL TRUTH, the opposite of falseheartedness, or radical falsehood. And call it what we will, the sort of characteristic intended is both honourable to the owner and pleasing to its original Author and Object: Who according to the Psalmist will not dispense with it: "Lo, Thou requirest truth in the inward parts" (Ps. li. 6.), says he, i. e. constant and constituent truth. Viewing the sort, the efore, severally

-1, It is hard to distinguish the moral characteristic Fidelity from one or two other characteristics with which it has a near affinity; as duty and obedience, especially : between which we find only a partial difference in respect of their calling; the same being, with obedience loud and positive; with duty and fidelity, silent and implied only; but not the less effectual. Obedience is an inferior, uplooking characteristic; and so is fidelity even when it regards an equal, if he have any rights to be respected. Respect unto right is the foundation of both: but with this difference, that obedience pays only on demand, if it pay never so cheerfully; while fidelity will pay on a simple understanding of its debts.

Both fidelity and obedience is a moral tribute; or as the apostle calls it "a reasonable service": it is the custom, or a part of the custom, of righteousness; "holy, acceptable unto God" (Rom. xii. 1); and which He, as Governor of the universe, will require at the hands of his vicegerents who have also two parts to act in relation thereto.