In the first place;—an indiscreet language may have sometimes been used by pious men and teachers, not maintaining exactly a due regard to the limitations on the latter part of the precept; a language to the effect, almost, of requiring an absolute entire indifference, or contempt, to all terrestrial things; insomuch, that the considerate reader, or hearer, has been saying within himself, "Now that is strictly impossible," or "absurd." According to this, there is an essential, insuperable inconsistency between our duty and the very condition in which God has placed us. Sometimes this language of excess has been, we may venture to say, a rather unthinking repetition of a kind of commonplace; but often it has had a better origin, such as the retired, contemplative, devout life of some good men. (The language of religion has had a particular advantage in this respect, when it has come from enlightened and pious men, who have had much to do in the world-for example, Sir Matthew Hale.) Or it may have had its origin in short occasional seasons of peculiarly elevated feeling; or in the state of feeling produced in good men by affliction, calamity, and persecution.

But it is disserviceable to religion thus to preach, as it were, an annihilation of our interests in this world. They have claims, and they will make them good in defiance, whether allowed or not. But these claims must be allowed. Think in how many ways we are made susceptible of pleasure and pain from "the things on the earth;" and to what an amount, in passing fifty, sixty, or seventy years upon it. Now we may surely believe that, fallen and guilty as we are, our Creator does not will the pleasure denied, or the pain endured, more than is inevitable to our mortal condition, or disciplinary toward our future life. And therefore we may, in regulated measure, desire the pleasing, and be anxious to avoid the painful.

But think how much interest, and attention, and care, are necessary to avoid the ills of this mortal life! How much concern and study must be applied directly to temporal things, in order that, on the whole, we may have the most benefit of our relations to this terrestrial scene. The particulars that might be specified will occur to every one. Health is deservedly an object of great interest and care. "Affection" is inevitably and justly "set" on it and a person's near relatives in life—and then, as a matter concerning both himself and them, his temporal condition, in the plainest sense of that epithet; no small interest, that is to say," affection" is necessarily "set" on competence (especially in times when this is very difficult and precarious). As we have referred to the "times," we may add, that a man that looks on the conduct of public affairs, by which his own, and his family's, and his fellow citizens' welfare are deeply affected, will necessarily feel very considerable interest in that direction. He must "set" some affection" on what he is convinced would be the best, or at least a better, state of things. Again, if he is a man of cultivated intellect and taste, then he cannot avoid being interested in the beauties and wonders of nature, the great works of human intellect and genius, or the discoveries of science. Now in such points, it is seen how intimate is our relation to this world. And in some proportion to the intimacy and the number of our relations to this world, will it inevitably be that "affection" must be "set on things on the earth."

But, how striking and how sad it is here to consider, that the relations to this present world are the only ones practically recognized by the far greater number of mankind! Think, if any religious instructor were to exhort them to such an utter disregard of their temporal interests as they actually indulge respecting their eternal ones,-what

madness would be charged! A fortiori, then, is not theirs an awful madness?

Let us turn to the other view of the subject; that is, the higher class of our relations. By the nobler part of our nature, we are placed in the most solemn relations to another economy. And not to have a deep sense of this fact implies that something is enormously wrong. This immortal spirit was appointed but for a few years to this earth; but eternally to another state. And it is placed in relations comporting with its eternity of existence ;—to God, the one infinite Being-the one sole perfect and independent Essence ;-to the Redeemer, the Lord, and the life of the new economy;-to an unseen state;-to an order of exalted, holy, and happy beings in that state;—to a pure, exalted, and endless felicity in that state. And do I give, in conformity to one law of my nature, a great measure of my affection to the things to which I have a subordinate temporary relation, and refuse affection towards those to which I have an eternal relation? How marvellous and how lamentable, that the soul can consent to stay in the dust when invited above the stars; having in its own experience the demonstration that this is not its world; knowing that even if it were, the possession will soon cease; and having a glorious revelation and a continual loud call from above!

But it is on the duty as considered not absolutely, but comparatively, of setting the affection "above," that we should insist. What should be the comparative state of the affections, as towards the one and the other? And what can the answer be but, plainly and briefly, that there must be at the lowest account a decided preponderance in favour of spiritual and eternal things? At the lowest state of the case, we repeat, for alas! this is but little to say for the feeling towards things so contrasted, so immensely different

in value! This is the lowest ground on which a man can justly deem himself a Christian. For how is the great object of Christ at all accomplished in a man whose preference is not gained to those things which Christ came to redeem men to? And consider! if no more than barely this is attained, how often this itself is likely to be put in doubt. On all accounts, therefore, how clearly it is a duty and an interest to aspire to every attainable degree beyond a mere positive preponderance. We may even assert that this

aspiration is an indispensable sign or symptom.

And this may lead to the question,-What may be safely taken as indications, or proofs, that there is the required preponderance? Now in most cases of comparison and preference, a man has no need to seek or think about the evidence of his preference; it is a matter of prompt and unequivocal consciousness. And if in any case in the universe, it should be so here! How happy to have it thus! But, even with good men, the case is not always such (far from it!) as to make a reference to tests and proofs unnecessary or useless. There is to be nothing mysterious in the matter and operation of these tests;-nothing like the Urim and Thummim ;-nothing like the ordeals;—it is an affair of plain, serious, faithful thought.

For example, let a man take the occasion to examine, when he is very strongly interested by some one temporal object or concern, whether he can say, more than all this is the interest I feel in "the things that are above." When he is greatly pleased with some temporal possession, or success, or prospect, and his thoughts suddenly turn to the higher objects, is he then decidedly more pleased? or does he feel a deep and earnest solicitude that this temporal good may not injure him in his higher interests? If he suffers or apprehends something very grievous as to his temporal interests, does he deliberately feel that he would far rather

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suffer so than in his spiritual interests? Or again, in such a case, does he feel a strong overbalancing consolation from things above ?" Is he more pleased to give the earnest application of his mind to the higher objects and interests than to any inferior ones? (As a man digging in the confidence he should find gold, would labour with more soul and spirit than one raising stones or planting trees.) Does he feel that, on the whole, he would do more, or sacrifice more, for the one than for the other? While greatly interested in a temporal pursuit, does he habitually charge it upon his soul, and actually endeavour, that he do with still greater intenseness prosecute a higher object? If he perceives that his pursuit of a temporal object is beginning to outrun (if we may so speak) his pursuit of the nobler, does he solemnly intermit, in order that this may not be the case? "How vigorously I am pursuing this-But what is that which I am leaving behind? If I leave that behind, it will stay! It will run no race with a worldly spirit. Let me instantly draw in!" Is he constantly, or very often, impelled to the divine throne to implore grace and strength that there may be a decided preponderance ? the witness for him "above" that there is that proof at least of his affections there? If, by the advance of life, he is sensible that he is fast going out of the "things on the earth," does he rise above all regret at this, in the view of the sublimer objects? "Do you compassionate me because I am growing old-because I cannot stay long here? You mistake! Yonder is the scene to which I am animated in approaching." We will only add,-in his occupation and transactions with the "things on the earth," has he acquired the habit of imparting even to those concerns a principle and a reference still bearing toward the higher objects ?-Such questions as these would be the points for placing and keeping the subject in a state of trial and proof; would be an admonition, too, of the necessity of applying all the force in the higher direction.

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