was the one chosen for a king. The good are truly deserving. Who can read the life of a Howard, or even of an unknown person of piety, without feeling love towards him? Who does not desire to attain something of the characters of the holy men of old? All who are placed in authority are our betters. To all these it is in vain to compare ourselves; we ought ever, as a proof of our own superiority of character, to be willing to pay them the respect due. Pride is always at the root when the word is "I am as good as they are. Let that goodness be shown by exercising every virtue. Pride is, indeed, the root of every evil, but most especially of the universal want of deference to place and desert. We ought to estimate ourselves justly, by acquiring a knowledge of our peculiar duties, and performing them, and then, by ever acting on the principle of doing to others, not as they do to us, but as we would they should do to us; thus we bear a consciousness of being blameless to our neighbour. But it is a different thing in the sight of God, before Him we must be humble, and this humility can only be attained by constant self-examination, whereby we are taught the utter depravity of our heart, which renders us humble indeed.

Thus we must act conscientiously to our neighbour, humbly to our God.

THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT.

Thou shalt do no murder. "Ye have heard it said by them of old, Thou shalt not kill,' but I say unto you, whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment." Matt. v.

Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer. "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God, whom he hath not seen?" 1 John, iv. 20.

"Bear ye one another's burthens, and so fulfil the law of Christ." Gal. vi. 2.

ye

"I say unto you, love your enemies. Be perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." Matt. v.

These passages contain the glory of the Christian's duty, so opposed to the natural man that he cannot understand them; he knows nothing of that exalting purifying flame enkindled from above, which seeks to bless all the race of man, not by bestowing benefits which last only for a time, but by leading, as Philip did Nathanael, to the fount of love and happiness.

This law forbids passion, unkind words, hatred, anger, clamour, envy, jealousy, malice, revenge, in short, all those feelings which work the bane of

man.

Oh, be careful how, by partiality, you excite

envy and jealousy; how, by laughing at a child's temper, you encourage passion; how, by unjust words, you excite revenge. Be sure that these evils are most fostered in infancy and youth by such conduct. They slumber, and perhaps may never be awaked, if by your management they be not excited, by your representations be rendered hateful, until habit has strengthened virtue, and judgment has confirmed it. But if the heart be naturally disposed to any, pluck it out by all the means in your power, by correction, by reproof, by holding up their sad effects, that so a principle may be infixed which will induce an application for strength to combat them.

Behold the picture of Cain, who, in deliberate malice, slew his brother, the first who tasted the draught of death. Imagine his iniquitous joyless existence, without hope in the world. Think of the cruel rage of Joseph's brethren, whose envy prompted them to kill or enslave the amiable youth, and their grief in years to come when their iniquity was visited upon them. Look upon Saul, filled with the demon spirits of passion, jealousy, and hatred, vehemently casting his javelin at the holy David, and think of the terrible agony he endured the night before he was slain.

And see the enraged Pharisees, gnashing upon the meek Saviour by envy prompted to destroy him.

Be convinced these sins are the most destructive of happiness, and most hateful even in the sight of men.

"The more we love the better we are; and the greater our friendships are, the dearer we are to God. Let them be as dear, let them be as perfect, and let them be as many as you can; there is no

danger in it; only where the restraint begins there begins our imperfection. It were well if you could love and if you could benefit all mankind, for I conceive that is the sum of all friendship."Bishop Taylor.

I confess this is not to be expected of us in this world, as all our graces here are imperfect; so this universal friendship must be limited because we are so, but in good wishes and prayers, and a readiness to benefit all mankind, our friendships must not be limited.

Yet friendship admits of variety; to some we extend a special friendship. He only is fit to be chosen for a friend who can do those offices for which friendship is excellent, viz.: who can give you counsel, defend your cause, restrain your wanderings, comfort you in your sorrows, do you good, and pleasure you by his love. But

"Do not think thou didst contract alliance with an angel when thou didst take thy friend into thy bosom; he may be weak as well as thou art, and thou mayest need pardon as well as he; therefore, bear all things. If thou art told thy friend has done thee an injury, or committed some undecent action, question the truth of the report rather than presently believe thy friend unworthy. A friend will be sure to act the part of an advocate before he will assume that of a judge; and when thy friend is laid in the grave mourn for him, perform his will, take care of his relatives, and do for him as if he were yet alive.

"How good and pleasant a thing it is for brethren to live together in unity. How delicious that conversation is which is accompanied with mutual confidence, freedom, courtesy, and complaisance; how calm the mind, how composed the

affections, how serene the countenance, how melodious the voice, how sweet the sleep, how contentful the whole life is of him that neither deviseth mischief against others, nor suspects any to be contrived against himself; and, contrariwise, how ungrateful and loathsome a thing it is to abide in a state of enmity, wrath, and dissension; having the thoughts distracted with solicitous care, anxious suspicion, envious regret; the heart boiling with choler, the face overclouded with discontent, the tongue jarring and out of tune, the ears filled with discordant noises of contradiction, clamour, and reproach; the whole frame of body and soul distempered and disturbed with the worst of passions. Almighty God, the most good and beneficent maker, gracious Lord and merciful preserver of all things, infuse into our hearts those heavenly graces of meekness, patience, and benignity; grant us and Thy whole Church and all creation, to serve Thee quietly here, and a blissful rest to praise and magnify Thee for ever."-Dr. Bar

row.