able admonition, instead of being arbitrarily rejected by the sentence of human opinion from any participation in the fellowship of Christian hopes and privileges. It becomes us to act to our brethren as wives are instructed to behave to their husbands, that if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by our conversation, coupled with fear? If the Apostle thought it necessary to exhort believers to add to their faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, and to knowledge temperance, and to temperance patience, and to patience godliness, and to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness charity, he must have contemplated the possibility that those who might afterwards become thoroughly furnished unto all good works, had been formerly deficient in some of the Christian graces.

In a word, the whole experience of the nature of the human heart ought to teach us to be moderate and humble in forming our judgments

of others to hope even against hope--and in cases where even charity herself is constrained to admit that appearances are unfavourable, to remember that with God all things are possible, and that he sometimes changes the heart in a manner and at a time the least expected. Nothing is farther removed from the true principle of Christian love, than that Pharisaical spirit which includes in one sweeping sentence of condemnation all whose opinions, even in matters not essential, vary from our own; or all who from a different habit of feeling, or any other cause purely constitutional, display in a less lively and ostentatious manner the strength of their religious affections.

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CHAPTER VI.

Christ's adaptation of incidental Occurrences or Expressions to the Purposes of Instruction.

WHEN St. James wished to deter the Jews from too indiscriminately desiring the distinction of teachers in the Christian church, he dwells particularly on the difficulty of ordering their conversation in such a manner as to reflect no dishonour on so sacred a profession. On their circumspection in the government of the tongue, not only the credit of their office, but the success of their ministerial labours, would greatly depend. And even among the best of men, there was an inconsistency in this respect frequently to be deplored; for the gift of speech became so often an occasion of stumbling, that a Christian might be considered perfect in proportion as he was able to subdue the unruliness of the tongue. 6 If any man offend not in word,

the same is a perfect man

....

Out of the

same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing '.'

With a similar conviction of the difficulty of exercising this branch of practical religion, St. Paul gives a special rule on the subject, to the intent that the language of believers in all the circumstances and relations of life should not only be inoffensive, but of an edifying tendency-' Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man'.' And the Psalmist has made it the distinctive character of the righteous man, that his mouth speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgement 3.'

2

The difficulty of obeying the apostolical injunction in this respect must have been felt by all who have ever accustomed themselves to review their conduct with honest self-examination. They must be conscious of failing often against charity which speaketh no ill of its neighbour2 Col. iv. 6.

I James, iii. 2, 8-10.

3 Ps. xxxvii. 30.

of having often grieved the good by saying what ought not to have been said, or of having encouraged the wicked by omitting to say what ought to have been said-of many an idle word or inconsistent discourse which has gone forth past recal, and has been recorded for judgement against the utterer at the day of general ac

count.

But chiefly must those whose official duty it is to be telling of the Lord's works in the great congregation, have experienced the necessity of praying that grace may be multiplied to them in proportion to their increased need, and of setting always a watch upon themselves, lest, like Moses, they speak unadvisedly with their lips, and bring disrepute and suspicion upon the cause they have undertaken. One light expression inadvertently suffered to escape them, or one opportunity of recommending religion neglected or unimproved, will press heavily on the recollection of those who have a strong sense of the extensive harm which thoughtlessness in these respects often produces. We are verily