AND DISCUSSIONS.

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What is here said of prayer and almsgiving, must, by parityof reasoning, be applied to all other duties and virtues. “ Thisexclusion of regard to human opinion,” says Dr. Paley, “ is adifference, not so much in the duties to which the teachers ofvirtue would persuade mankind, as in the manner and topics ofpersuasion. And in this view the difference is great. Whenwe set about to give advice, our lectures are full of the advan-tages of character, of the regard that is due to appearances, andto opinion ; of what the world, especially of what the good orgreat, will think or say ; of the value of public esteem, and of thequalities by which men acquire it. Widely different from thiswas our Saviour’s instruction ; and the difference was foundedupon the best reasons. For, however the care of reputation,the authority of public opinion, or even of the opinion of goodmen, the satisfaction of being well received and well thought of,the benefit of being known and distinguished, are topics to whichwe are fain to have recourse in our exhortations ; the true virtueis that which discards these considerations absolutely, and whichretires from them all, to the single internal purpose of pleasingGod. This, at least, was the virtue which our Saviour taught.And in teaching this, he not only confined the views of his fol-lowers to the proper measure and principle of human duty, butacted in consistency with his office as a monitor from Heaven.” *Furthermore, with Christianity, the mild, gentle, and peacefulvirtues take precedence of all others. “As we have manymembers in one body, and all members have not the sameoffice; so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and everyone members one of another.” That is, Christians, in respectto harmony, are to resemble the limbs of the human body intheir intimate union. “Let love be without dissimulation.Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love ; inhonor preferring one another; patient in tribulation, continuinginstant in prayer ; distributing to the necessity of saints ; givento hospitality. Bless them which persecute you ; bless, andcurse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep withthem that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another.

Evidences of Christianity, p. 238.