against, striven against, prayed against, and confessed before God in penitence and supplications for forgiveness.

Other effects of ill-regulated temper are sins of impatience and fretfulness: and these as exhibited either against God or against man. In the former case it may, perhaps, be considered the greater sin; for even human reason admits the propriety of a created being submitting without murmuring to the will of his Creator: and the Gospel. places patience and cheerful resignation among the very first requisites of the Christian character. Yet even here let us ask ourselves, whether we have never repined at the lot assigned us, murmured at the dispensations of God's providence, or, at the best, submitted with a sullen, ungracious acquiescence, to what we found we had not the power to escape? How unlike is this to what should be the conduct of those who believe that their merciful God will make everything work together for good to

them who love Him, and who feel that, by a double title, by creation and by the purchase of Christ's blood, they are altogether, soul and body, His !

But men are generally somewhat more on their guard against fretfulness and impatience towards God, than against giving way to these feelings towards their fellowcreatures. Of this, indeed, they think little, and scarcely consider it a sin. They suffer themselves to be vexed and ruffled by trifling occurrences and trivial mistakes. They feel peevish and discontented, and indulge the feeling, instead of resolutely shaking it off. In this mood they perversely oppose the wishes and hurt the feelings of others, for the most trifling causes, or for no cause at all. They are vexed and unhappy themselves, and do their utmost to make those about them so too. My brethren, this is not to be "gentle, showing all meekness to all men." This is not "charity" which "suffereth long and is kind." This is not to

walk in the steps of our meek and merciful Redeemer, or even to "do unto others as we would they should do unto us." Believe it, these little trials of temper (unimportant as many think them) are part of our daily probation. Their effects may last throughout eternity. In overcoming them by watchfulness and the grace of God lies our duty, our safety, and our happiness. To yield to them is to strengthen the power of sin, to recede further from the example of Him, to be like whom will be heaven, and to increase our guilt and condemnation.

And here we may observe, that harshness, moroseness, and incivility, are inconsistent with our duty and profession, even when they proceed not from ill-will, but from habit. Such ought never to be the habit of a Christian. Courtesy is the outward expression of charity; and though courtesy may exist where charity is not, yet charity should ever show itself in kindness, meekness, and gentleness to all men. We are

to “let our light so shine before men that they may see our good works and glorify our Father which is in heaven:"1 but who will believe that the tree is planted in love, when harshness, moroseness, and incivility, are the visible and forbidden fruits?

Forgiveness of injuries we have already seen to be so necessary a Christian duty, that it is even made a condition, without which we may not hope that our sins will be forgiven. Indeed, Scripture is so explicit on this point, that all who have any real sense of religion must forgive, or conscience will destroy their peace. But it is to be feared, that in practice we often put a fallacy on ourselves, and require to be reminded that the warning runs thus: "So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses." Obliged to confess the necessity of forgiveness, we pass in our minds a kind of sentence of absolu2 Matt. xviii. 35.

1 Matt. v. 16.

But

tion on our offending brother; we profess to others to have forgiven him; we, perhaps, even go so far as to pray for him. how do we behave to him? Do we really reinstate him in the place he held, and treat him as before the offence was given? Or do we, either because enmity is still really lurking in our bosoms, or (what is nearly as bad) because we are ashamed to make advances of reconciliation, remain as estranged from him as ever? My brethren, this is to trifle with God's commands, and to still our consciences with a practical falsehood. As we must love, so must we forgive, "not in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth."1 We should be as ready (perhaps even more ready) to serve those we profess to have forgiven, as those with whom we have never been offended. We should carefully mortify all disposition to be pleased at their misfortunes, or uneasy at their success. We should dwell on all the good points of 1 1 John, iii. 18.