fuffer, filent and gentle under rudeness and infult, fuing for reconciliation where others would demand fatisfaction, giving way to the pushes of impudence, conceding and indulgent to the prejudices, the wrong-headedness, the intractability of those with whom it has to deal.

The former of thefe characters is, and ever hath been, the favourite of the world. It is the character of great men. There is a dignity in it which univerfally commands refpect.

The latter is poor-fpirited, tame, and abject. Yet fo it hath happened, that, with the founder of Chriftianity, this latter is the fubject of his commendation, his precepts, his example; and that the former is fo, in no part of its compofition. This, and nothing elfe, is the character designed in the following remarkable paffages: "Resist not evil, but whofoever fhall fmite thee on the right cheek, turn to him the other also ; and if any man will fue thee at the law, and

take

take away thy coat, let him have thy cĺoke alfo; and whofbever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain; love your enemies, blefs them that curfe you, do good

to them that hate you, and pray for them which defpitefully ufe you and perfecute you." This certainly is not common place morality. It is very original. It fhews at leaft (and it is for this purpose we produce it) that no two things can be more different than the Heroic and the Chriftian character.

Now the author, to whom I refer, has not only remarked this difference more ftrongly than any preceding writer, but has proved, in contradiction to firft impreffions, to popular opinion, to the encomiums of orators and poets, and even to the fuffrages of hiftorians and moralifts, that the latter character poffeffes the 'moft of true worth, both as being most difficult either to be acquired or fuftained, and as contributing most to the happiness and tranquillity of focial life. The ftate of his argument is as follows:

I. If this difpofition were univerfal, the cafe is clear the world would be a fociety of friends. Whereas, if the other difpofition were univerfal, it would produce a scene of universal contention. The world could not hold a generation of fuch men.

II. If, what is the fact, the difpofition be partial; if a few be actuated by it, amongst a multitude who are not; in whatever degree it does prevail, in the fame proportion it prevents, allays, and terminates quarrels, great difturbers of human happiness, and

the

the

great fources of human misery, so far as man's happiness and mifery depend upon man. Without this difpofition enmities must not only be frequent, but, once begun, must be eternal; for each retaliation being a fresh injury, and, confequently, requiring a fresh fatisfaction, no period can be affigned to the reciprocation of affronts, and to the progress of hatred, but that which clofes the lives, or at least the intercourfe, of the parties.

I would only add to thefe obfervations,

VOL. II.

D

that,

that, although the former of the two characters above defcribed may be occafionally ufeful; although, perhaps, a great general, or a great statesman, may be formed by it, and these may be inftruments of important benefits to mankind, yet is this nothing more than what is true of many qualities, which are acknowledged to be vicious. Enty is a quality of this fort. I know not a ftronger stimulus to exertion. Many a fcholar, many an artift, many a foldier, has been produced by it. Nevertheless, fince in its general effects it is noxious, it is properly condemned, certainly is not praised, by fober moralifts.

It was a portion of the fame character as that we are defending, or rather of his love of the fame character, which our Saviour displayed, in his repeated correction of the ambition of his difciples; his frequent admonitions, that greatness with them was to confift in humility; his cenfure of that love of distinction, and greediness of fuperiority, which the chief perfons amongft his coun

trymen

trymen were wont, on all occafions, great and little, to betray. They (the fcribes

and pharifees) love the uppermoft rooms at feafts, and the chief feats in the fynagogues, and greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. But be not ye called Rabbi, for one is your master, even Christ, and all ye are brethren; and call no man your father upon the earth, for one is your father, which is in heaven; neither be ye called mafters, for one is your mafter, even Chrift; but he that is greatest among you shall be your fervant, and whofoever fhall exalt himself fhall be abafed, and he that fhall humble himself fhall be exalted*." I make no farther remark upon these paffages, (because they are, in truth, only a repetition of the doctrine, different expreffions of the principle, which we have already stated) except that fome of the paffages, especially our Lord's advice to the guests at an entertainment, (Luke xiv. 7.) feem to extend the rule to what we call

* Matt. xxiii. 6. See alfo Mark xii. 39. Luke xx. 43. xiv. 7.

D 2

manners;