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all their efforts seems to be in the exercise of a certain class of feelings, as if this were the great and ultimate aim of christian endeavour. But the Apostle has thus defined the love which the divine law demands, "this is the love of God, that ye keep his commandments."

It is true that right views of the character of God, and those delightful emotions awakened by contemplating his purity, benevolence, and condescending mercy, are the means of giving strength and aid in performing duty. But they are to be sought with this object, and not as the final end. A person finds only selfish enjoyment in indulging in pleasing emotions in such contemplations, unless the appropriate results follow in a christian example, and in self-denying activity for the good of others. Such are deceiving themselves by supposing that the love of God consists in simple emotions, and forget the admonition, "this is the love of God, that we walk after his commandments."

These are what are declared to be the fruits of love to God: "Joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance." And of this blessed principle elsewhere it is said, that it "suffereth long and is kind, envieth not, vaunteth not itself, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not its own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth." Mankind are not to cultivate religious emotions as the end, but as the means of calling into exercise all that is good, gentle, and holy, in conversation, feeling and action.

There are others who profess to be among those that are appointed for "lights to the world," that seem to act on general principles of benevolence solely, and too much overlook the minutiae of every day life. Such labour diligently for the general interests of man, and forget their own vineyard, in the heart, and in the family circle, where rank weeds are speedily discovered. A man who does not exhibit the true benevolence and disinterestedness of religion in his intercourse

with his family, his neighbours, and in his business, cannot cause his light to shine elsewhere. He only awakens the suspicion that all his efforts for public good, are the offspring of a desire for notoriety, and the praise of men. The true christian is best known as such, by those who draw the nearest to his cheering and vivifying light.

In considering the fact, that there are only two classes of minds which are the results of the final separation of our race, the mind is liable to perplexity from the observation of the small marks of distinction existing in this life. There seems to be a gradual gradation of character, from the most abandoned and debased member of society, to the venerable and heavenly minded saint, who is "ready to be offered up.” Men cannot discern how, or where such a dividing line can be drawn, to separate the whole human race. They can acquiesce in the lot of the two extremes; they find no difficulty in believing that the humble, faithful, and devout christian will go to eternal rest, nor that all liars, thieves, and murderers, will sink to utter ruin. But when the lines are drawn among the amiable, the refined, the elevated, and intelligent, many a heart will demur, and question the sufficiency of the ground for such distinctions.

If the line was to be drawn as men now appear, it might indeed be difficult for any being to perceive and realize the rectititude of such results. But it must be recollected that man passes into the invisible world, as a disembodied spirit, a stranger in a strange land; with new senses, new modes of communication, new relations, duties, and pursuits. What effect these changes may have on the disposition and feelings, none can predict. It may be that disembodied spirits communicate by thought, and that every feeling and thought of every mind is "open and naked" before God, and before both holy and selfish minds, so that the thoughts and feelings of all other minds can be discovered by the glance of intuition.

Did such a revelation of thoughts and feelings take place

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in this world, it would instantly be transformed into a hell. In a world of perfectly benevolent and lovely beings, it can be seen that such a transformation of modes of communion, would add to the happiness of all, for every mind would thus, at a glance, learn how warmly it was loved by all around, and understand that all its own tenderness and truth, was fully appreciated. In the same degree, among selfish beings, this unveiling of the mind, would disclose all the unmixed malignity, spite, hatred, and enmity of lost and ruined spirits.

But what would be the effect on minds of such mixed characters as those of our race. Let us suppose its effect on a mind that has given its affections to God, and is daily striving to conform itself to his blessed image. In this life, there is a perpetual struggle of the will, with long formed habits of worldliness and selfishness. Thus the Apostle describes this contest between the will and those habits formed in the course of selfish indulgence, before the affections are rectified: "To will, is present with me, but how to perform that which is good, I find not. For the good I would, I do not, but the evil which I would not, that I do. I find a law that when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God, after the inward man, but I see another law, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin."

This is a description of the experience of every mind, that under the reforming influence of love to God, is rectifying its habits of self-indulgence and selfishness. The desire and the will of the mind, is in all things to obey God; but so strong is the force of habit, and of outward temptations to which such habits subject the mind, that there is the need of constant watchfulness and effort, and then, there is no entire freedom from this bondage in this life. Yet it is a matter of grief and sorrow, whenever selfish habits are allowed, and nothing is so ardently desired as deliverance from such evils.

Let a mind thus ardently longing for purity, and complete

conformity to the Divine image, be ushered into a scene, where the full glory and loveliness of the Being most adored is fully realized, where ten thousand benevolent spirits who have been watching as ministering angels through the perils of life, are now around to sympathize, where all appreciate the painful struggle against unholy wishes, and desires, and are ready to cast the veil of love and sympathy over every frailty, how speedily would such â mind attain strength, and become the lord of its own powers. Delivered from the body, freed from the temptations of earth, beholding the full glory of Him in whom every hope has centered, and who through this vale of tears was its Strength and Redeemer; surely such a spirit would triumphantly come forth into "the glorious light and liberty of the children of God.”

Suppose the same change takes place with a mind that is living to gain its own selfish enjoyments; whose hopes, plans, and wishes, centre on earth; who is not engaged in such a mental conflict, and knows nothing of such efforts, hopes, and fears. Such a mind would appear unveiled before a God of perfect benevolence and purity, and before pure spirits, who are all living to serve others, and know nothing of selfishness, but to hate and despise it. Such, would appear before God, and holy beings, and understand and feel, that its selfishness is offensive, and detested, and despised; that it has no claim for sympathy; for all its plans have been for self, and those bound to self, and for such contracted littleness heavenly beings have no sympathy. No being can bear to be despised and disliked, and how soon would anger, pride, envy, and hatred, steal into such a selfish bosom. And when these feelings were displayed, what renewed cause of aversion to holy beings, and of reaction on the guilty visitor. Speedily it would be felt that there was no communion for such a mind, but with spirits like itself, and adjudged by its own guilty consciousness, it would fly from purity, benevolence, and heaven!

CHAPTER XXX.

ON RIGHT AND WRONG, VIRTUE AND VICE.

Right, in its most extended sense, signifies, "fitness for promoting the object of a design." Thus in mechanics, a machine is right, when it accomplishes the purpose for which it is contrived; and a watch is right when it fulfils its design in determining the time. If then, mind was designed for happiness, it is acting right when it is producing happiness, and wrong when it is destroying it.

But minds are so constituted, that they cannot act independently, in securing the object of their formation. They are indissolubly linked together, in all their interests and relations, so that each one cannot secure even its own best interest, but in joining all others, in acting for the common good. Whatever mind begins to seek, selfish, disconnected happiness, instantly begins to lessen its own enjoyment, and to destroy the happiness of other minds.

No finite mind can so understand the interests of the whole vast system, as always to be able to determine what is for the general good. Many things, which a finite mind would judge to be best for general happiness, the Infinite Ruler would discern in very different relations. And yet mind is so constituted, that it can never act but to secure some good, either to itself, or to others.

Of course, as the universe consists of finite minds, there is a necessity, in the nature of things, for devising some mode of inducing minds to act for the general happiness, even in cases when they cannot discern the designed good, that will result from such a course of conduct. The way devised to secure this object, is for one All Perfect and Infinite Mind to be the object of universal affection, so that activity in promo

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