This is not a complaint of mine only, or confined to the prefent occafion. Numbers of the faithful fervants of Chrift have been greatly injured, and have had their usefulness impeded, by the fame ungenerous and unjust treatment. It has been the cafe, more or lefs, in all ages; and I am forry to see such a prospect of the continuance of it in time to come.

How many worthy minifters of the gospel, who have taken great pains to understand chriftianity, and are seriously disposed to promote both the knowledge and the practice of it, to the utmost of their power, have their hands, as it were, tied up, by those who bufy themselves in Spying out their chriftian liberty. Many of them are so circumstanced, that, should they endeavour to serve the interests of christianity, and of mankind, in the way which they fhould think beft adapted to answer the purpose; fuch a clamour, they cannot but foresee, would be raised, and fo furious an oppofition would immediately be made to them, that they are convinced they should do more harm than good by the attempt; and there are but few whofe advantageous fituation, ability, and firmnefs of mind, concur to enable them fuccessfully to encounter the difficulties they would hereby involve themselves in; fo that, being incapacitated for doing all the good they are defirous of dog, they are content to do the little they can do, in as quiet and inoffenfive a manner as

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poffible; following the prudent advice of our Lord, who admonishes us, not to caft our pearls before fwine, left they trample them under their feet, and turn again, and rent us.

That the interefts of practical christianity fhould fuftain fo great a lofs, is a thing truly to be lamented; and though, fuch is the ftate of things in this world, that these offences will come, and we are, therefore, to lay our account with meeting with them; we cannot help faying, with Chrift, who foretold them, Woe unto them by whom they come; that is, to those who are the criminal cause of them.

Far am I from cenfuring those persons who are merely misled, or those who, in confequence of having been misled themselves, endeavour to mislead others. Every allowance fhould be made for all those who offend through ignorance, though they be carried away, even to the most violent acts of perfecution, by a zeal that is merely not according to knowledge. But the woe of Chrift will certainly fall with its whole weight upon those, who make a handle of the prejudices of mankind, to gratify their own pride, or promote their own worldly interefts and ambition; and who labour to inflame those prejudices with a view to making them fubfervient to such base purposes. Nor will thofe escape animadverfion, who are, in part only, actuated by fuch unworthy motives; and who, though they may think the cause they are engaged in is a

juft and good one, yet profecute it with more ardour and vehemence, than a pure regard to the goodness of it would have excited in them.

Very few of the actions of men have, I believe, one fimple cause. We are generally influenced by a variety of motives in whatever we do. It, therefore, behoves us the more carefully to diftinguifh the influences to which we are fubject, and under which we really act. God forbid that I should take upon me to condemn any individual of his creatures. Himfelf only knows our hearts, and he will render unto every man according to his works. But the general nature of our motives, the kind, or class, to which they are reducible, may, in fome meafure, be known by the manner in which they operate. And the moft diftinct of all, in their nature and effects, are those which have the interest of this world, and those which have that of another for their object.

The man whofe fole fpring of action is a concern for loft fouls, and a care to preserve the purity of that gospel, which alone teaches the most effectual method of their recovery from the power of fin and Satan unto God, will feel an ardour of mind, that will prompt him ftrenuously to oppose all thofe, whom he confiders as obftructing his benevolent defigns. An ardour of mind will likewife be felt by the man whofe fole object is the advancement of his reputation, his party, or his fortune; but this ardour cannot

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be supposed to operate in the very fame manner in both cafes; fo as that they cannot be diftinguifhed by an attentive obferver. There will certainly be fome difference in their choice of means to promote their feveral ends. We fhould naturally expect more fairness, more candour, more meekness, and more generofity, from the chriftian, than from the mere man of this world. The paffions of the latter would, also, be apt to run into perfonal animofity, envy, jealoufy, hatred, and malice; whereas the utmoft zeal of the former would not only ever appear to be confiftent with, but would be greatly productive of, the most difinterefted benevolence, and the most affectionate brotherly love. By this rule we may, in fome measure, try the spirits, whether they be of God. But let the utmost diffidence and candour accompany every judgment we form, remembering that we must all Stand before the judgment-feat of Chrift.

When perfons expressly avow the motives of their conduct, not to acquiefce in their declarations has the appearance of queftioning their veracity; because it is taken for granted, that every man must know the principles of his own conduct; but the human mind is fo complex a thing, that there is great room for felf-deception; especially in cafes where the paffions and affections are strong, and when they occafion fimilar emotions, as well as produce fimilar effects. In this cafe a bystander may be a better judge than a

man's felf. A zeal for our opinions, and a zeal for our party, on the advancement of which our own personal reputation and influence depend, are neceffarily connected, and reciprocally promote one another. For the fame reafon, a diflike of opinions has an affinity with the dislike of those who hold them, as men who are embarked in an intereft opposite to ours, and whose credit and authority obftru&t our own. And all the emotions of mind that are excited by the fame objects, how different foever they be originally, by frequent affociation mix together, fo that the parts of that complex feeling which refults from their union, are no longer diftinguishable. When two perfons, who have had frequent intercourfe, have been a long time at variance, and the fubjects of their contention have been numerous; can either of them analize the fudden emotion they will feel upon an unexpected meeting, and by which they may be inftigated to some instant and violent act?

We often begin to act with one motive, but,. as we proceed, we come infenfibly within the influence of others; fo that, in fome cafes, the habit fhall continue, though the orginal motive have no force at all; and yet it may be impoffibe to fay, in what part of this progress the influence of one motive ceafed, and that of another began; the change of character being infenfible, and altogether imperceptible.

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