avoids the delivery of any pofitive opinion. If present at a difcuffion respecting fome controverted occurrence, and appealed to by both fides: he admires the excellent arguments reciprocally produced; profeffes himself incompetent to decide between them; or holds fuch a middle courfe as may not be altogether unfatisfactory to either disputant. He attaches himself to no party; but endeavours to induce all feverally to regard him as well inclined to their cause. He is thought somewhat referved, and perhaps rather timid and inconfiftent: but, while his conduct is a tiffue of time-serving infincerity, he is generally allowed to be "a very good fort of

Another character in high repute is the eafy good-humoured man. He is fo "plea "fant," as the phrafe is; fo cheerful; fo harmless; fo neighbourly! Every perfon whom he meets he appears delighted to fee. He is always furnished with entertaining converfation; always prepared to join in any feheme of amusement; always difpofed to collect his acquaintance around him; always careful to dif mifs them pleased with his fociety. It is thus that, poffibly without poffeffing a fin

gle

gle estimable quality, unless a gay facility of temper deferves the name; he obtains far and wide the denomination of as excellent a man as ever was born.

The laft character which fhall be mens tioned is one, that heretofore was confined to the upper ranks: but one whose prin ciples, in the defcending contagion of fashion, have reached the middle walks of life. I mean that character whom the world calls a man of honour.' The man of this defcription ftudioufly practices whatever is creditable, and avoids whatever is difcreditable, in the clafs of fociety in which he moves. When the law of God accords with the rules of the world, he follows it: not because it is the law of God, bút because it is the rule of the world. When the laws of God and the rules of the world difagree; he prefers the world to his Maker. His language concerning moral conduct is the language of pride; and fhews that reputation, not God, is the object of his worship. Afk him why he fhuns any particular practice. Does he reply, “Because it is finful?". The expreffion is foreign to his lips. He answers; "Becaufe it is mean: because it is low; because it is degrading; because it is un

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"becoming a gentleman; because it is be"neath me: because it is dishonourable." Why does he purfue a specified line of conduct? Because it is acceptable to God? Because it is conformable to the example of Jefus Chrift? He thinks not of such a standard. He pursues it because it has the ftamp of fashionable estimation. Destitute, it may be, of a grain of true religion, this man is regarded by multitudes as a model of perfection!

With the goodness of these various characters, and of others which might have been described, fome praised by one set of men, fome by another fet, and all of them extolled by themfelves, the world rings. In the midst of thefe univerfal encomiums, the mind naturally obferves to itself; "If "all these different characters are good men, "how cafy muft it be to be good! And "how excellent must the world be, which " contains fo much goodness!" Now, unfortunately for that view of the subject, this representation of the excellence of the world, and of the eafinefs of being good, is not exactly the language of the Scriptures. The Scriptures fpeak of the world as lying in wickedness; as being under the power of Satan. They pronounce its friendship VOL. II.

I

to

to be enmity with God. They affirm that Christians are not to be conformed to this world that we are to be crucified unto the world; that if we love the world, we fhall perifh with the world. Then with refpect to the facility of attaining goodness, the Scriptures aver that the imagination of the heart of every man is evil from his youth that the heart is by nature deceitful above all things, and defperately wicked. Their common reprefentation of a Christian life is that of a state of war; of a struggle for the mastery over fin; of wrestling against principalities and powers of darkness. They call upon us to be good foldiers of Jefus Chrift; to endure hardship for Him; to take unto ourselves the whole armour of God, the shield of faith, the breaft-plate of righteousness, the fword of the Spirit. They command us not to follow the multitude to do evil; but to walk in the narrow way, and ftrive to enter through the ftrait gate, if we feek to inherit falvation. They teach us, with an immediate reference to the prevailing opinions of the world refpecting goodness, how frequently that. which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the fight of God. We may therefore feel well affured, without minute inquiry,

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inquiry, that all these different defcriptions of men cannot be models of goodness. We may perhaps reasonably fufpect that not one of them is good.

While we are thus bewildered in obfcurity and confufion, the word of God holds out a lantern to our paths. The word of God fets a good man before us. Barnabas was a good man.

Here then at length we feel folid ground under our feet. If we can afcertain what was the character of Barnabas, we know what must be the character of a good man. Let us examine therefore the circumstances which the Scriptures difclofe concerning him.

the

Barnabas, when he came, and had feen grace of God, was glad; and exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. For he was a good and full of the Holy Ghoft, and of

man;

faith.

I. Barnabas was full of the Holy Ghost. What is the meaning of this expreffion? Not merely, nor principally, that Barnabas poffeffed the power of working miracles. For though he undoubtedly was favoured, like other eminent Chriftians of his day, with many extraordinary gifts of the Holy I 2 Spirit: