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-in affections so limited as to set up the interest or gratification of an individual, a family, a country, or a world, in opposition to the interest of God and the universe. Now it is a law of these limited affections that their strength increases as their circles contract. No man loves the world at large as well as he loves his own country, nor his country as well as his family, nor his family as well as himself. Self-love of course becomes the ruling passion, and by far the most productive source of sin. It is obviously this which produces pride; and "only by pride cometh contention."* Only by pride come therefore the causes of contention, viz. anger, malice, envy, self-will, ambition, and I may add, the whole family of dependent vices. Self-love originates almost all the actions which men have agreed to denominate crimes. Self-love, fixing chiefly on the world as the grand instrument of personal gratification, offers all the worship that is paid to the world's trinity, riches, honour and pleasure. How great a proportion of the sin of man is comprehended in this operation of selfishness, may be estimated from the fact that a single branch of this idolatry, (viz. "the love of money,") has been by an apostle pronounced "the root of all evil." Self-love, while it often acts towards God in gratitude and desires after future happiness, is almost the exclusive source, as will presently appear, of all the enmity that is exercised against Him.

*Prov. xiii. 10.

1 Tim. vi. 10.

That this principle in its inordinate degrees is the exact opposite of holy love or charity, will be evident from almost any selection you can make from the precepts, prohibitions, or didactick parts of Scripture. The following texts, selected almost at random, are sufficient to show the disinterestedness and self-denial of holy love, and the bias of sin towards one's self.

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"As ye would that men should do to you do ye also to them likewise." "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."

"We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification; for even Christ pleased not Himself." "If a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ." "Take no heed unto all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee: for oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast. cursed others."

"Avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath." "Recompense no man evil for evil." "Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven." "Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, bless them that curse you, and pray for them that despitefully use

"If ye were of the world the world would love his own; but because ye are not of the world, therefore the world hateth you."

"Why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, and considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye ?" "Wherein thou judgest another thou condemnest thyself. Thou--art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind-an instructer of the foolish.-Thou therefore which teachest another,teachest thou not thyself? Thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal ?"

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you. And unto him that smiteth thee on the cheek, of fer also the other. For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same."

"If there be any comfort of love, let nothing be done through strife or vain glory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves." "Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love, in honour preferring one another." "Seekest thou great things for thyself? Seek them not." "Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits." "For I say to every man--not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think." "We had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God." "Trust in the Lord with all thy heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding.--Be not wise in thine own eyes.” "Charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up."

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and desire to have, and cannot obtain; ye fight, and war, and yet ye have not."

"Ye

Only by pride cometh contention." "He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife." "Desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another." "Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.” are they which justify yourselves before men.” "I have spread out my hands all day unto a rebellious people,-which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me, for I am holier than thou." "Thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself." "Be not righteous overmuch, neither make thyself overwise." "He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool."

"We preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake." 66 Being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the Gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us."

"Who shall dwell in thy holy hill he that sweareth to his own hurt and changeth not."

"Render-to all their dues; tribute to whom tribute is due, custom to whom custom.Owe no man any thing, but to love one another."

"Him that taketh away thy cloak, forbid not to take thy coat also. Give to every one that asketh of thee, and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. lf you lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what

thank have ye? for sinners

also lend to sinners to receive as much again. Butdo good and lend, hoping for nothing again."

"Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife.-The one preach Christ of contention,—-the other of love." "He that is a hireling,-whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep and fleeth."

"Take ye heed every one of his neighbour, and trust ye not in any brother; for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbour will walk with slanders. And they will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth."

"The balances of deceit are in his hand, he loveth oppression."

"There is utterly a fault among you because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? Why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? Nay, you do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren."

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