While our intercourse with society. is bounded within the precincts of friendship and affection, we are perhaps more likely to be led from the path of duty by our partialities than our resentments. There are who have passed on to a late stage of life, unconscious of having ever received a wilful injury from any human being; and who, from having their hearts. perpetually exercised by the delightful emotions of gratitude and cordial regard, contract habits of universal goodwill and implicit confidence. Under such circumstances, what room is there for the operation of the vindictive passions? But even under such circumstances it is necessary to "keep the heart with all diligence," since this very unsuspecting confidence, should it ever be by treachery abused, will give to the crime of the offender so deep a colouring, as to enhance N 2 enhance the difficulty of forgiveness. In such seasons of trial, he who knows the heart, and witnesses all its struggles, will doubtless take pity on our weakness. Nor are we, either by our Saviour's precepts or example, taught an utter insensibility to the treatment. we receive from others. How pathetically did he lament over the obstinate infatuation of his deluded countrymen! "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem! thou "that killest the prophets, and stonest "them who are sent unto thee, how "often would I have gathered thy "children together, as a hen doth "gather her brood under her wings, "and ye would not! Behold, your "house is left unto you desolate !" It is not, therefore, sufficient that we do not feel ourselves under the immediate influence of malice or revenge. We must cultivate and cherish dispositions with which they are incompatible. incompatible. We must take care that the spirit which is in us be the spirit of love, of charity, and peace! Such affections will be accompanied by humility; and humility, conscious of the weakness and frailty of human nature, will earnestly implore not to be led into temptation. To beseech our heavenly Father to exert his almighty power to preserve us from temptation, while we resolve on our parts to run into every temptation that offers, and not only so, but to solicit temptations from which we might have been by our situation. exempted, is such palpable absurdity, as, did we reflect upon it, would render us contemptible in our own eyes. Can it then escape condemnation from God? Let us not flatter ourselves by such delusive hopes. If we entreat God to preserve us from temptation, we must evince our sincerity by by carefully shunning all that leads to it. It is only as far as we are conscious of the integrity of our motives, that we can presume to expect the assistance of divine grace, either to direct or to restrain us. While we determine to cherish the tempter in our hearts, in vain do we bend the knee to God, and with our lips invoke his holy name, saying, "lead us not "into temptation!" In beseeching God to deliver us from evil, we again recognize him as the sovereign disposer of events; we again profess our belief in the perpetual exertion of that ever-active wisdom, power, and beneficence, to which, when spoken of collectively, we give the name of providence; attributes which, in the concluding sentence, we again acknowledge and adore. Such is the serious and solemn pur port port of that address to the Deity, which is so often repeated by rote, as if it were a mere string of words, without either sense or meaning. It may be thus repeated through life without producing any effect upon the conduct. But let the heart and understanding be both engaged in it, and it will be found impossible regularly to offer up this prayer to the Almighty, without experiencing the influence of that Holy Spirit which breathes in every line. The heart that is thus turned to God will require no excitement to make frequent use of the glorious privilege of addressing itself in prayer to Him who is able to grant to the uttermost every request. Let us, however, be careful that the requests we make are such as we can hope to be presented by our Mediator and Intercessor at the throne of grace. Let us likewise be careful |