holy than his persecutors, but because he knows he can endure no persecution so great as that which a far holier person than himself, his Master and his Redeemer, suffered for his sake. Thus, in the severest trials he gains that ascendency over his own passions which secures him a victory over all his sufferings; and though he feels his sorrows like a man, yet, by bearing them like a Christian, he is sure to rise from the conflict more than conqueror. A very little consideration will indeed soon convince us that no virtues, except those of resignation and humility, are able to maintain the soul in a state of peace and satisfaction when the enemy oppresses him, and when malignity and injustice on all hands assail him. Was he to endeavour to surmount the injury by despising it, he must feel his bosom tormented with the uneasy sensations of disdain and contempt. Was he to strive to return the injury by revenging it, he would then become a prey to the turbulent passions of anger, hatred, and revenge; but by humility and patience he prevents the bad effects of them all, and preserves a tranquillity of soul that exalts him far above all his enemies. What an innocent, what a happy artifice is this, (says an eloquent writer *) which the Gospel grace teaches us? without prompting us to assume an ill-placed arrogance, or to affect a false insensibility; it bids us only humble ourselves before our * See M. Fontenelle's Discours sur la Patience, from which, also, some sentiments in the preceding paragraph are taken. Creator to become superior to our fellow-creatures; bids us only reverence him in the instruments that he employs, to be proof against the rudest and severest strokes with which those instruments can assail us. As this is undoubtedly true, with what zeal ought we to endeavour after these virtues, from which, and which alone, we see all true internal satisfaction and contentment arise? How constantly ought we to shew that dutiful submission to the divine will; that patient forbearance of one another; that humble distrust of our own merits, which only will make us acceptable to God, useful to society, and happy in ourselves? These are duties peculiarly Christian, and duties also which peculiarly promote that self-satisfaction which the text teaches us results from the practice of virtue. Do we want any motives stronger than this inward happiness to induce us to the practice of these duties? strong as that motive is, we do; daily experience proves that we do; and therefore our holy religion is ready to afford them. Its benign Author, solicitous every way to draw us to himself, though chiefly by cords of love, has not left other methods unemployed. To humane and benevolent dispositions, naturally inclined to practise virtue for its own intrinsic excellence, he has only to describe that excellence, and to shew its concomitant satisfactions. To minds that sympathize less with this moral pleasure, he holds forth the palm of a future reward, in order to encourage them boldly to run the race that is set before them. And, lastly, to others of a more obdurate cast, who neither perceive the beauty of her pro of Virtue, nor feel respect to the recompence of her mised rewards, he lifts up the rod of divine vengeance, and thunders forth the denunciation of future punishments: thus, giving a triple sanction to his doctrine, he means, that by it the whole race of mankind should become virtuous here, and, in proportion as they become virtuous, become happy, both here and hereafter. That those to whom Virtue seems not its own reward at present, the hopes of a future reward may inlist under her banners; and that those whom neither present nor future rewards can influence, the dread of punishment may force into felicity. But as this last is, of all others, the meanest motive to obedience that a man, much more a Christian, can act upon, it is to be hoped that the love of virtue, joined to the love of the Author of virtue, will afford us a far nobler principle of action: thus shall we live as men, convinced of the truth of that elevated sentiment of St. John, with which I conclude this discourse: "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear, because fear hath torment: he that feareth is not made perfect in love."* To this perfection of love, grant, O blessed Lord, that * 1 John iv. 18. |