St. Paul, writing under the influence of the Holy Ghost, teaches us no less forcibly that the desire of riches is avarice. "Let your conversation be without covetousness, and be content with such things as ye have; for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee," Heb. xiii.

On the contrary, he declares defilement of mind and eternal ruin are the certain consequences of lov ing money. 'They that will [i. e. have a will] to be rich, fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil, which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows," 1 Tim. vi.

Now, though it may be deemed no arduous task to keep free from sordid avarice, and accumulation of wealth by scandalous methods, yet, to vanquish the love of money, and deny every propensity to it, must be confessed a heroic instance of self-denial. For when men engage in business, or enter on a profession, how strong are their fears of failing, and their desire of success! What is the constant language of the world? They call riches a blessing, a reward. They pay respect to men nearly in exact proportion to the abundance they possess. In these circumstances, nothing can be more difficult than to resist and conquer the love of money. the love of money. After using diligently, as we are commanded, industry and skill in our station, cheerfully to leave it in the hands of God to what degree we shall grow rich, and whether ever at all; resting assured, that if we dwell in the land, and do good by a Christian life, our condition upon the whole shall certainly be the very best for us: this is self denial in a high degree.

Nothing can be more contrary to our nature than to act from such noble sentiments as these, whilst

we live in the temple of Mammon, as the world may justly be called, where scholars and philosophers, priests and people, high and low, all pay their adoration to this idol. To live in such a world, free from the love of money, is a deliverance and victory peculiar to the real members of Christ's church. "Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Christ?"

If it should be said, this way of thinking and acting seems to imply that it is wrong far a Christian to gain wealth, I answer, the word of God only condemns the desire of riches as defiling and sinful. But if, whilst your heart is whole with him, he is pleased to make prosper whatever you do, your wealth is plainly his gift, as much as if it came to you by legacy or inheritance. It is the act of God to call you up to a higher station, who was content in your own, and to intrust you with more talents to improve for his glory. The difference between gaining wealth put in this manner into your hands, and desiring to grow rich, is the same as between a worthless, ambitious intruder into a public post, seeking nothing but his own base interest, and a man sought out from knowledge of his excellency, and invested with the same office, to preserve the common-weal. Those who see no material, no necessary distinction in the two cases, are already blinded by the love of money.

Nor let any deem it useless or severe so strictly to deny every propensity in the heart to this sin. Useless it is not, because we are never secure from the dominion of our passions, but by guarding against the first plausible pleas for their gaining an ascendency over us. Were we to allow the desire of being richer than the providence of God, unsolicited, sees fit to make us, what a suspicion must we have of his love for us! How soon be insensibly led into

stronger desires to be rich, till every scheme to gratify that desire, not infamous, would be greedily embraced, and the love of the world enthroned in our hearts!

Whereas our heavenly Father, by commanding us to rest with full affiance on his providential goodness, in the diligent discharge of our business, shuts up every pass by which covetousness would ap proach to enslave us; and, by a resolute refusal of all correspondence with the enemy, we are guarded against his treachery, no less than his violence. Neither is the self-denial, which extends to suppress even a single wish of having more than is sufficient for the present, irksome; because our corrupt nature works most to our trouble and vexation, when we are but just within the limits of what is lawful. The liberty and pleasure of the soul enlarge in proportion as it moves out of the neighbourhood of sin, when, instead of regarding its paths as paths of pleasantness, could they be reconciled with duty, we fly from them as pestilent, and are weary even of the faintest suggestions of evil.

Add to this, so far is desire of riches from giving enjoyment of them, that it very soon fills the mind with anxiety. So far from augmenting their comfort who cherish such a desire, that it turns every loss into a grievance, and creates vexation on a thousand occasions, without cause or end; whilst all the diseases of trade, false weights and measures, extortion and roguery, so loudly complained of and so heavily felt, arise only from hatching this cockatrice egg, love of money; and, till that is crushed, men will defraud, and injure, and oppress, and devour one another.

SUNDAY XLIII.

CHAP. XLIII.

On Love of Praise.

CORRUPT self must be denied in seeking the praise of men. Unless something nobler than earth can give be the grand object of pursuit, praise delights the mind, as sounds exquisitely melodious do a musical ear. The Heathens, with one consent avowed this was the spring of all that gives lustre to their names; and the Pharisees did all their works to be seen of men. Our nature, the very same as theirs, pains us whenever we meet with disrespect. How kneely do expressions of reproach pierce, and how much provoke us! The visible pleasure also with which we listen to our own praise, is most evident, inciting flatterers to practice upon us by their designing arts. This strong innate love of praise and honour from men a Christian must deny. It must be the motives of his conduct, or the end at which he aims, because, whilst this principle sways his mind, the judgment of the world, not the infallible decisions of scripture, will be the rule of his life. In every case he will consider, not what duty or the plain command of God requires, but what will be for his reputation. What will the world think of me? will prove an alarm to his fear, fatal to every intention of living as a Christian must ; the fear of appearing an enthusiast by abstaining from fashionable vices, from criminal waste of time, and from profaneness. This will reconcile him in time to things most opposite to his duty. Such a one

may indeed have some knowledge of the truth, but self-love will compel him to hold it in unrighteousness and he will be more guilty than those who are utterly ignorant of their duty, by stifling his convictions, in order to enjoy the favour of men.

Further, this love of praise will not only lead you inevitably into evil compliances, but utterly taint all in you which has the appearance of being good. As base designing courtiers know no other standard to measure their conduct but their prince's pleasure, so will you refuse to avow the belief of any doctrine, or the necessity of any practice, which are not in good repute with the world, even though you know both to be strongly enforced in God's word, as the truth, and only way of salvation.

The love of praise from men, thus opposing our obedience to the will of our Maker, we must deny its pleasing, but treacherous insinuations. For as that word teaches nothing but what is necessary and infinitely beneficial too, we must in all things conform to it. Our single aim and constant ambition must be, to walk before God to all well-pleasing, regardless, whilst we act thus, conscientiously, whether men approve or condemn our principles or conduct. If, in the discharge of our duty, and bold confession of the faith of Christ, we meet with praise, as certainly we shall from all who love God, we may take encouragement from thence, and be thankful to him for his grace. If, on the contrary, abuse and contempt are poured on us, we must, unmoved, persevere to offend those whose distempered minds cannot bear fidelity to God. Whatever reluctance we may feel within, we must be proof against all the severe methods used to make love of character work upon us to suppress or damp our zeal for the truth, and the manner of life it obliges us to lead. A noble species of self-denial, in which Chris