man supremely loves, that stamps the real character of his life, since our life will always correspond to the nature and quality of the object which we love supremely. If this object is unworthy of our supreme affection, our life and character will consequently fall short of that excellence and happiness for which we are mercifully designed. There are in general two kinds of objects-heavenly and earthly. Heavenly objects are all those which are revealed in the Word of God and are properly called spiritual and divine. These objects are intended by creation, and by the constitution of the human mind to engage, interest, and engross the supreme and superior affections and thoughts of our life, in order that our character may ultimately harmonize with those objects, and that we may consequently be admitted into heaven after death. Earthly and natural objects are all those which are visible to our senses in nature, to love which the affections of our natural minds are most vehemently prone. Here, then, is the great point of decision, whether heaven or hell is within us. Do we love earthly and natural objects supremely, as the ends of our life? if so, our life must necessarily be earthly and natural, since the life, as we have seen, cannot possibly assume a higher quality or character than the nature of the objects which we love supremely as ends, and if these are earthly our life must necessarily be earthly too, or carnal, which is spiritual death, since, as the apostle says, "to be carnally-minded is death.” But if the objects which we love supremely as ends,—are spiritual and heavenly, then our life will assume a corresponding character, and the order, life, and happiness of heaven will be implanted in the soul.

We have seen that love, either good or evil, is the life of man, and the surest indications of the real nature of our ruling love or life are OUR DELIGHTS. Those delights which have the greatest charms, and which cause our life to glow with the greatest degree of zeal and rapture, indicate our ruling love, which constitutes our real life, whether it be good or evil. To study, explore, and examine our delights, and especially those which are attended with the greatest charms, and which, as it were, spontaneously soothe and blandish the mind when engaged in its ordinary avocations, is one of the greatest, most practical, and most edifying duties of the Christian life, and the only way by which man's regeneration can be securely and regularly advanced.

Now our delights, like the objects with which we are delighted, may be either natural, or spiritual, or both. But one kind of delights must have the pre-eminence; in this respect "we cannot serve two masters;" either what is spiritual, or what is natural, must occupy

and engage the supreme affection of the mind. If we feel no interest or delight in what is spiritual and heavenly, through cultivating a genuine sense and spirit of religion in our hearts and minds, our character cannot, of course, become spiritual and heavenly. And if we are so infatuated as to act contrary to all the laws of divine order, by the observance of which, as we have seen, our happiness can alone be secured, and to place all our affections upon earthly things, and to allow them to engross every consideration of the mind, "by what shall we be profited if we gain the whole world and lose our own souls?" By what rule, however, shall we test and prove the nature and quality of our delights? This rule is most simple. Do we delight in the laws and precepts of our Saviour God, as mercifully revealed to us in his holy Word? Do we adopt them as the supreme principles of our life and conduct, to guide us in all our ways, to govern and control all our affections, thoughts, and actions? Do we, from the delight we experience in contemplating the purity, holiness, justice, and truth of God's Word, enter boldly into the combat against the impure suggestions of our carnal nature, excited and influenced by evil spirits? Do we, from the delight we feel in considering that pure and happy state of human society, which would certainly arise, were mankind to be actuated by the principles of spiritual life revealed in the Scriptures, strive to subdue in ourselves every malignant feeling, and to drive the ploughshare through every unhallowed affection? Do we, further, take a delight in the private and public worship of the Lord? and are we eager to embrace every opportunity of enriching our minds with more ample and luminous ideas of Him and of his kingdom? In short, do we feel a delight in shunning evil as sin against the Lord? and does evil, in consequence, became daily more odious and loathsome to our thoughts, so soon as it is presented by the excitement of some evil affection? The man who truly experiences these spiritual delights has every reason to hope, yea, he feels a blessed assurance, that the order of heaven is established in his soul. Whereas, if these spiritual delights do not exist, and if the affections are wholly absorbed by external and earthly things, there is reason to conclude that the opposite kingdom has established its throne in the mind. It is thus by exploring and examining our delights, that we can ascertain whether heaven or hell is within us. They who receive the doctrines of the New Dispensation, enjoy the peculiar privilege of being able, in a manner never before enjoyed since the primeval ages, to elevate their minds to a consideration of spiritual things, and by a wonderful illustration of the rational faculty,

to experience an inmost heartfelt delight in the contemplation of the amazing realities of heaven. Heaven and hell are to them no longer mere names, to which the most general and indefinite ideas are attached; they are realities, eternal realities, disclosed to the rational discernment and consideration of mankind. We are amazed at the wonderful improvement in science, manufactures, and arts, and are astonished at the extraordinary effects which are exhibited, and which are calculated to promote the comfort and well-being of man in this world. But of what real benefit would it be to man to be improved merely as to his worldly life, and not, at the same time, as to his spiritual life? and yet, O that the Christian world would attend to the fact there is a greater improvement in the science of theology, and in genuine intellectual and moral philosophy, than there is in any other art or science whatsoever. Let the doctrines and writings of the New Jerusalem be candidly examined, and this fact will abundantly appear. "Delight thyself in the Lord, and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart" (Psalm xxxvii. 4).

APEX.

ON THE SUBORDINATION OF A NATURAL LOVE OF

PEACE,

TO THE DUTY OF MAINTAINING HEAVENLY ORDER.

Ir is a maxim generally received, that that form of civil government is best, which is best administered. That which is true of bodies of men, is also true of individuals, and therefore we may conclude, that that moral system is best, both for the individual and for society, which is best administered, or carried into operation. A proper distinction, then, appears necessary to be made, between the possession of sound views of moral duty, and the carrying of them into action in a wise and judicious manner. We may succeed in ascertaining, and satisfactorily settling, the proper subordination of duties, and yet be very little benefited by this acquisition of knowledge, owing to the want of a proper medium for bringing it to bear upon our conduct. Thus our form of moral government may be excellent, but our administration of it quite the reverse.

The "medium" alluded to is nothing else but that genuine humility which discovers to us the weak points in our characters, or those which most frequently present impediments to our consistently acting up to our principles. Unless these impediments are discovered, of course they can never be removed.

It is quite certain that some persons are better fitted for a particular

course of action or sphere of usefulness than others; thus some persons are better fitted for maintaining peace, whilst others, possessing qualities which are wanting in the former class, are more capable of exposing and correcting errors and disorders, and thus of maintaining and promoting order. But when both objects can be secured at the same time, the maintenance of peace, and the maintenance of order, a very great point indeed is gained; and this is precisely the object to which the truly Christian moralist should direct his aim and efforts.

If the two descriptions of characters above named become duly sensible of their weak points respectively, there is then hope that they may each attain to a capability of uniting both duties harmoniously.

He who has naturally a strong benevolent tendency, such as distinguishes persons who are called naturally amiable, will find little difficulty in exercising the duty of preserving peace with those around him, or with those who are brought into connexion or intercourse with him. Indeed, his maintenance of peace will be more the spontaneous and agreeable following out of his natural inclination, than the carrying out of a conscientious conviction of moral obligation. Without the least call upon him for the practice of self-renunciation or self-denial, he may thus acquire the high character of "a man of peace." But will he also acquire the equally high character of a man of stern and unflinching integrity, who cannot stoop to countenance evils in others which he knows to be equally baneful to those who indulge them, and injurious to that moral order which he considers to be identical with social happiness? He may indeed attain the latter character, as well as the former; but only by the practice of self-mortification-only by such a conflict, from a sense of duty, with his natural love of peace, for the sake of maintaining order, as shall end in the renovation of that natural love, and in its being made spiritual through a due subordination to the spiritual love of order,-spiritual, because it springs from a conscientious regard to the duty which is owing by a Christian to the Lord and to his neighbour.

Again, we may now reverse our supposed arrangement of natural inclinations. We have first supposed as existing in a certain individual a strong natural love of peace, and no natural love of promoting order; we will now suppose as existing in another individual of a naturally different temper, a naturally strong love of promoting what he deems to be order, and no natural inclination to promote peace, owing to a combative disposition, which moves him immediately to oppose whatever he deems deserving of opposition or exposure. This kind of character seldom gains the appellation of amiable; but, unless

N. S. NO. II.-VOL. I.

I

he gains humility enough to become sensible of his weaker part, he is very likely to be regarded as a well-meaning man, but rude and contentious. In this case, probably, he is not a truly spiritual man, much less a celestial man; probably he is only a spiritual-natural man. His resistance of disorder was merely the following out of his natural inclination and temper, and was not dictated to him by a solemn and pressing sense of duty. It required no self-restraint in order to bring it into activity, and no crucifying of the "old man” with his inclinations and deeds, in order to urge him on to the pursuit of the object which he had in view. The principle from which he opposed disorder required mortifying and purifying, by its activities being made consistent with the duty of preserving peace; it was owing to the want of this purification that he was moved freely to indulge it, regardless whose feelings he wounded, or whether those whom he opposed were benefitted, by his inspiring them with feelings of kindness towards himself as their conscientious opponent, or injured, by his arousing in their bosoms the bitter feelings of animosity and resentment.

And here we may observe, that in the moral scale of duties, the duty of maintaining order certainly stands higher than the duty of maintaining peace, because, if civil, moral, and spiritual order be not regarded in the first place, the peace secured at the expense of the neglect of order is but a false peace; and because also society is more benefitted by the maintenance of order, as the leading principle, than by the maintenance of peace, as the leading principle; but although, for these reasons, the duty of maintaining order ranks the highest in the moral scale, it will not follow, that the man who has a natural inclination which readily coincides with the practice of this duty, is the higher character of the two. If we must state or define the difference between the two, we should be inclined to say, that he who has a natural inclination to peace rather than to order, is of the celestial genius, but he who has a natural inclination to order rather than to peace, is of the spiritual genius; but the degree to which either character attains in the regenerate life will be the first, the second, or the third, according to the degree in which evils are searched out, and shunned as sins against God. The one has no capability, in virtue of his particular natural inclination, of rising higher in the heavenly life than the other.

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Another consideration appears to be expedient to be kept in view. All natural inclinations, whether of the "amiable" or unamiable" class, are not be judged of according to the appearance. They are