one, surely they have no right whatever to despise the other so very much.

Some do not deny their need of warning, only "they could not endure this or that warning; it was so rudely, so unseasonably delivered." But they should remember the end and purpose which the adviser had in his mind, in delivering what they call "a prophecy of evil" concerning them. Perhaps he saw them so dull and dead in their sins, that he thought it needful to be somewhat rude and vehement in his manner, the better to awaken them, and make them more attentive. As our Lord himself, the meekest and most charitable of all teachers, feared not to tell his disciples, that "if they would come after him, they must hate father and mother, brethren and sisters, wife and children, and their own soul also." "Hate them," that is, be ready to forsake them which our Lord expressed by this startling word hate, in order that their attention may be thoroughly roused; that they might be set upon inquiring, What can he mean? And having inquired, might not soon forget it. It may be, that what seems to you rudeness, is mere friendly vehemence, intended, like this word of our divine Master, to put you more thoroughly on your guard. And, as to a warning being unseasonable or indiscreet, it is in every one's power at any time, as far as he is himself concerned, to prevent its doing harm in that way, by merely taking it as it was meant, and not being offended at it.

Finally, to take the worst case of all; advice, be it ever so unkindly delivered-the very taunts of reproachful enemies-may do a man the greatest good, if he will consider them in this true light, namely, as being permitted by God to humble him the more for his great sins. David, the man after God's own heart, though long before Christian times, made this truly Christian use of the curses uttered against him by Shimei, when he called him a bloody man. It brought his sin to his remembrance; for in the matter of Uriah, once in his life, he had acted like a bloody man; and he acknowl edged, "the Lord hath said unto him, Curse David."

!

Abusive words, and even malicious calumnies, thus taken in the spirit of David, as hints to a man what he would deserve, if God should deal strictly with him according to his secret sins, might help him greatly in the work of repentance, instead of souring his temper, as they too often do, and causing anger, malice, and revenge. To say no more of Christian humility: common sense to be sure would teach one to remember, both in the last-mentioned case of advice unkindly given, and also in the former cases, which supposed it well-meaning, but mistaken in the manner, that any error of that kind in your admonisher may put him in the wrong, but cannot put you in the right. If Micaiah had been malicious toward Ahab, still the prophecy of God was true. We have our separate accounts to give; and no error, no vice even, in a minister of Christ, or in any one else, can excuse you for hating those warnings, which are delivered to you out of Christ's own mouth.

Least of all will any such excuse be allowed, as your not being able to endure an admonition, because it seems to prophesy evil concerning you, and would make you uneasy, and put you out of spirits. You know well enough that there is nothing in the Bible to make you uneasy or put you out of spirits, if you will in earnest part with your sins. Do this with purpose of heart, relying on your good God and Savior, and you will no more hate that voice which prophesies evil, not to you, but to your sins. You will then be really glad and thankful when any one tells you quietly of your faults; and not spiteful, nor at all unforgiving, though you be told of them somewhat roughly. Think for a moment, what peace and comfort, even in this present life, would ensue upon warnings being kindly and seriously taken; what sweetness and good temper such a rule would spread over our daily conversation with each other; how certain we should be to go on from day to day improving in our duties both to God and our neighbor.

The matter may be brought into a short compass. Will any Christian repent him at the hour of death, as having borne warnings too patiently? Or will he think, when the day of judgment comes, that it was best to turn away from serious advice, as not prophesying good of him, but evil?

SERMON XXIV.

THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT.

EPH. iv. 3.

"Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."

ONE part of St. Paul's meaning, in this part of the divine epistle to the Ephesians, is quite plain to every reader; the earnestness, namely, with which he enforces mutual love, forbearance, and forgiveness. "I, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation with which ye are called: with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love." So far, even the ordinary sort of persons, the world as it is called, would agree with the judgment of the apostle, however unwilling many may be to practise it. But in the next words, the words of the text, quite a new thought is introduced, a thought into which the world cannot enter. We are directed seriously to endeavor to keep, not simply the bond of peace-so far the world agrees with the gospel, and is forward to proclaim her agreement-but we are to keep the unity of the Spirit by means of this bond of peace. The great end of good-natured well-meaning men of the world, is simply to keep the peace among their neighbors, as being one of the greatest of earthly blessings. True evangelical Christian charity seeks peace also, and that most earnestly; but she seeks it with a view to a greater blessing; hoping by its means to preserve the unity of the Spirit; that is, to keep people close to that body, of which Jesus Christ is the head, and to which they are united by his Spirit. The union and charity which the world admires is too often a false kind of truce; persons agreeing, for a quiet life, to let

one another go on without warning or contradiction, in the worst religious errors, and in neglect of the most sacred and divine duties. But the union and charity for which the church instructs us every day to pray, is something which goes far deeper: binding men together, not for the present only, by their agreeing to say nothing about their differences, but for all time, nay for eternity, by actually rendering them of one mind in regard of the highest and holiest truths. For this real and solid union, the church instructs us to pray daily. I mean in the collect for all conditions of men, wherein every evening of his life the considerate worshipper beseeches Almighty God, that "all who profess and call themselves Christians may be led into the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of spirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life." Not only in the bond of peace and in righteousness of life, but also in unity of spirit, and this, in maintenance of the true faith. There are some who think this impossible; considering the various opinions and tempers of mankind on all subjects, they say it is out of the question, ever prevailing on them to serve God in Christ with one consent. But the church evidently does not think it impossible, otherwise she would not have taught us to beg it as a blessing of God every day of our lives. Neither did St. Paul think it impossible: else he would not have besought the Corinthians, "in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that there might be no division among them; but, that they should all not only speak the same thing, but also be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment." An admonition as strange and unreasonable on the notions of those who think religious differences impossible to be avoided, and therefore not so very blameable-as if the apostle had directed us all to think the same colors beautiful, the same tastes pleasant, the same sounds harmonious. There must of course be some great mistake in the way of judging so inconsistent with the language and meaning of the Holy Spirit. Nor is the mistake hard to be pointed out. is just this: that people judge of things by the rules

It