temperance being a correction of the natural appetite in some respect, and the opposite of self-indulgence, which is an unrestrained exercise or allowance of the same. But there are two shades or degrees of correction, as there are of discipline; one for castigation, and one for improvement; which last is also an improvement on temperance, and entitles the property to an higher rank among characteristics of a moral complexion: for having no particular respect to the Supreme Object of righteousness like some of its correlatives, it cannot rank with them in the highest class, or class of the highest respect, among good objective characteristics.

It has been much disputed, whether a man have the necessary means and ability for correcting himself, if he should have the grace to desire it. But there needs not be much disputing on this head; the desire is the only thing wanting: let that be strong, and the ability will not be weak; let that abound, and the means will not be deficient. For the desire of self-improvement, or a general appetite for righteousness, will grow like a young plant, if it may be permitted, and gather strength by indulgence, as the carnal appetite by temperance. If any one chooses to indulge an immoderate appetite for doubting, he may doubt whether an intellectual spirit be capable of acting upon itself any how; and then he may as well doubt too, whether the same spirit have any existence in nature, since every property of which it is composed will have its proper influence in the corps. For if some of the corps have names of a more reflected signification than others, as all for example that are compounded with self, those which have more proper names will still have the same common reflected operation, and one good characteristic on a constituent generally as much of it as another.

To indicate a sample of the endless host of intellectual spirits that might be conceived in the human form or combination only, may be almost enough for a general view of the heavenly kingdom, without a particular exposition on the

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means of propitiating or encouraging every one of them separately; the multitude of excellent characteristics that occur, if they seldom meet, only in this spiritual appetitive department which we are considering, is such as to preclude the opportunity of shewing how this or that especially might be promoted; while the fairest means of doing it belong also to other heads than the present: yet the property or habit of self-correction only on moral principles may be improved to a certain extent. And it is better worth a man's while, or his time and attention, to correct himself than any other person in the world, or to save his own soul than all that he might have besides. "For what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?" (Matt. xvi. 26.) There are those who can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but not the importance of this consideration: there are those who have a remarkable talent for personal criticism, who can appreciate other characters whether public or private to a nicety, and seldom without finding good room for improvement: it were well if they, and others likewise, would consider and learn to appreciate their own too with the same view daily; but not for a day only. "Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?" (Luke xii. 57) says our Saviour. "For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged" (Cor. I. xi. 31).

Self-judgment is the way to escape self-condemnation, and self-correction an easier way of going forward than being whipped to it by ill humours, like a wayward horse by those who are ill humours, or worse, poor beast! to him. And if in general men have not the idea of correcting themselves that might be expected from their superior endowments, if they are less alive to their interest in this than in many lower respects, if the affairs of the spiritual kingdom are less interesting to them than the news of a paltry village; there may still by chance be one here and there who can so far get the better of self-love as to see his own faults in the misconduct of others, as well he

might by bringing that home to himself; and learn to dress his inward man by this sort of reflexion, as others dress the outward by its reflexion in a glass. It is not often, perhaps, that the faults of others are observed by any with this view; v. g. to remind the observers of their own faults, and enable them to feel their deformity; but it seems a very likely way, if higher means be not wanting, both to enable them to correct what may be amiss in themselves and to add at the same time a property of positive excellence to those which they may have corrected; v. g.

-10, Humility, which is a shade beyond modesty in its own line; being also like that, besides its general pertinency, particularly adapted to the decline of life: where it is not only a becoming, but a nearly characteristic grace. Of all the graces that adorn mankind, or may be imputed to higher intelligences, there is not a fairer than this nor a more profitable to its owner as a means of grace. "For God resisteth the proud; but giveth grace to the humble" (Jam. iv. 6), says St. James. And this every one who knows himself must know to be an infallible truth, observing how he falls every day, on some days many times perhaps, by pride, and rises again by humility if he rises again. But the Master's declarations on the quality of this characteristic are clearer than either the apostles' or our own experience: who on a question that arose among certain of his disciples once, a question of precedency, "called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you; let him be your servant" (Matt. xx. 25, &c.). And so on the general question once, when his disciples came to him, saying, "Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven? he called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, and said, Verily, I say unto you, Except ye shall be converted and become as little children,

ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Whosoever, therefore, shall humble himself as this little child, is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven" (Ib. xviii. 1-5). On another occasion he drew the same contrast between his disciples and the ecclesiastical authorities of Jerusalem, who talked much, and did nothing; loved reverence, and took no pains to deserve it (Ib. xxiii. 1, &c.): declaring at the same time a decree as sure as fate, "THAT WHOSOEVER SHALL EXALT HIMSELF SHALL BE ABASED, AND HE THAT SHALL HUMBLE HIMSELF SHALL BE EXALTED” (Ib. 12).

If we may judge from the general infection of pride so evident in the human race, and our Saviour's continual exhortations on the other hand to humility, it will seem probable, that even of his select followers, the twelve apostles, none were quite faultless in this respect before the memorable period of conversion which followed upon the descent of the Holy Ghost: but two especially of the number, James and John the sons of Zebedee, would seem, from repeated traits, to have inherited a larger share of pride than the rest; as it was not only they (or their mother Salome for them) who mooted the question of precedency abovementioned, but who would also have consigned a poor village of Samaria to the fire from Heaven for not receiving Christ; as many a village and many a city has been since consigned to fire and sword and famine on the same pretence by those who never knew him; "Lord, (said they,) wilt thou, that we command fire to come down from Heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them" (Luke ix. 54—56).

According to another evangelist, our Lord's declaration above cited from St. Matthew was delivered by way of epiphonema to a parable, the admired parable of the Pharisee and the Publican, that was made, as it is said, "for certain which trusted in themselves that they were

righteous, and despised others" (Ib. xviii. 9, &c.). This was a striking though simple exemplification of two different characters, which were probably suppositious, i. e. imagined for the occasion: but it is possible to mention two that were real, and at the same time more different as well as more striking examples in point; which followed each other, but with different success; the first falling by pride, and the second rising by humility; Adam, who by exalting himself has degraded himself with all his posterity, and Christ, who by humbling himself has exalted himself and his to something beyond the primitive perfection of mankind.

Therefore humility on principle, or Christian humility, deserves to be ranked among the highest gifts of humanity. It is no let in the way of any inferior being, and has been shown to be no disgrace in the image of the Highest. To forget one's own individual importance, is a sort of civil duty; and to merge it in the honour of God, and the dignity of his kingdom, will be sure to make it rise with its objects. To forget themselves in this manner is most common with the most enlightened members of society, and indeed the very basis of merit and importance in all its parts. See how the orator gets on in speaking, when the thought of self is excluded by his theme; how the girded soldier will "ride on because of the word of truth, of meekness and righteousness" when his sense of danger is lost in these high considerations, and what terrible things his right hand will then teach him (Ps. xlv. 5); how the historian, poet, painter, musician, and every artist will triumph, when the art begins to triumph in each over his own particular image: so will it be with the humble always, and in every pursuit; his own image being with him, always least and undermost, while the image of others, and his duty towards them are held up and magnified. His humility, by making him think more of his defects than of his advantages, at once induces him to amend the former, and prevents him from foolishly swell