end? Confidered in these lights, the fruit is cer tainly of most confequence. We suppose works therefore to be the effect, of which faith is the caufe. We fuppofe works to be the end, for which faith is only the mean.

XXXV.

If any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer; he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whofo looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein; he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work; this man shall be blessed in his deed.―James, i. 23, 24, 25.

THE

HE apostle St. James compares looking into the perfect law of liberty, or reading the scriptures, to a man's looking at himself in a glass. Let us examine the apoftle's beautiful allufion, and fee what kind of men are pointed out.

In the first place, men often look into a glass through pride. They admire their own persons: they have over-weening opinions of themselves : they think themselves handfomer than any other perfons.

They who look into a glass with these views, represent those men, who read the scriptures with

high

high notions of their own worth. Instead of a bafing themselves, or humbling themselves for their deficiencies, their attention is laid out only on fuch paffages, as tend to raise them in their own conceit. Such a reader of scripture was the Pharifee of old. He faw in it enough to thank God, that he was not like other men.-By looking into the fcripture, he found that he had no tranfgreffions, as he thought, of any confequence to answer for-that he was ftrict in the performance of the moft punctilious mattersand that, in fact, on comparing himself with others, he found a mighty difference in his own favour.

Others again look into a glafs through vanity. They wish to trick out their perfons by ornaments to fet themselves off to the beft advantage-to gain the admiration of all, who fee them.

These are often men of learning, who read the fcripture to fhew their skill in criticism; and raise their reputation by curious enquiries. They look into the perfect law of liberty, to fhew what acute lawyers they are in expounding its deeper doctrines; or in drawing from it fome refined fyftem which is probably of no value either to themfelves, or others. They are engaged in fome

controverfy-they are eager to lead the way in fome debate and feek for applaufe by their nice interpretations, and happy accommodation of different texts. In the mean time it is probable, that neither religion, nor fcripture, are in the leaft affifted by their learned labours. Like fome necromancer of old, they raise a spectre, that they may have the credit of laying it; though it would otherwife have vanifhed of itfelf, without doing mischief to any one.

Now

But befides thofe who look into a glafs through pride and vanity, there is another fet of men who are chiefly characterized by the apostle's comparison-fuch as look into a glass fo carelessly as to answer no end at all. They ftraightway forget what manner of men they are. these are by far the moft numerous fet of chriftians. They never confider the perfect law of liberty as a law intended for their use. The pleafures of the world fo entirely engage them, that they think not of any higher concern. They feel nothing of their foul about them all relates to their body.

Befides these ill-difpofed, and careless examiners, there are others, whom the apostle's com parifon fuppofes to look into a glass merely to adjuft any impropriety, which they may dif

cover in themselves. These are they who read the fcriptures with two great views.

The firft is, to rectify in themselves what they may observe amifs. If they look attentively into the fcriptures, and compare their own thoughts, words, and actions, with what they find there; they will of course find many things daily getting wrong. We see our own faults with a tender eye. A faithful friend, who will point them out to us, is a kind monitor, Friendship however is delicate. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty, may be sure, if his heart go with his eyes, to fee his faults laid truly before him.

The fecond great point he has in view, after the amendment of his faults, is to adorn himfelf with virtues. Many, as was observed, look into a glass to adorn themselves fantastically; he puts on merely fuch ornaments as are plain, fimple, and becoming, and render him in fact more agreeable to others. He adorns himself with the virtues of a christian.

This is the man, whom the apostle's comparifon points out to us for imitation-this is the man, who, in the language of the text, fhall be bleffed in his deed.