the evil that is fpoken of us is fatfely fpoken, that is, give reasonable evidence of it; for to fatisfy the violently prejudiced is impoffible, and not to be expected of any man. It is what our Saviour himself and the apostles were unequal to. But this being done, with respect to those who are at all candid, and who will hear reafon, confcious integrity is abundantly fufficient to fupport a man under any calumny.

Moreover, confcious of our own integrity, we can look down upon our enemies, not with hatred or ill will, but with compaffion, as beings in a depraved and imperfect ftate, neither qualified to be happy themselves, nor to communicate happiness to others.

All perfons under the influence of malignant paffions are neceffarily, and by the invariable law of our natures, in an uneasy state. Their habitual feelings, even when gratified, are unpleasant. But the feelings of those who are merely expofed to the malignity of others, without feeling any thing of the kind themfelves, are ferene, and highly pleasurable; belides being attended

with a consciousness of fuperiority of character, and of greater advances in intellectual improvement.

The man who obeys the firft impulfe of natural appetite, corporeal or mental, gives no proof of his being a rational agent; for brutes are governed by appetite. But the man who refrains from gratifying his appetite, and natural defire, whether that of revenging himself upon his enemy, or any other, must do it by the help of reafon. He must have some degree of comprehension of mind, which takes in distant objects; and this is the thing that manifefts a fuperiority of character.

The man who can even defer his revenge, and merely restrain his paffion, is fuperior to him who gives way to the first impulfe of it. But he who can fo far make allowance for the hatred of his enemies, as to feel compaffion and good will towards them while he knows the ill will they bear him, is infinitely fuperior. We are not moved to anger by the anger of a child. Neither, then, fhould we be by the anger and malignity of those grown perfons,

whom,

whom, with refpect to intellectual and moral improvement, we regard in no higher a light.

On account of the low rank of every fentiment bordering on anger and refentment (requiring only particular impreffions to excite them, and much reflection to fupprefs them) fuch as zeal for any particular caufe, even that of religion, it is eafy to excite it, and lead men to act upon it with the greatest violence, so as to hate and perfecute others who differ from them. Men who have no real religion at all can do this, as is evident in all perfecutions, in the hiftory of the crufades, when hundreds of thousands, moved, as they imagined with holy zeal, went to drive the infidels from the Holy Land, and alfo in the riots in Birmingham. Alfo to fuffer in any cause with the fpirit with which men die in bat-. tle, that is, with obftinacy and hatred, is not very difficult. Mahometans fight for their religion, and the North American Indians die with the greatest heroifin in this refpect. But to fuffer and die with mecknefs, with refignation to God, and

good

good will to men, not excepting our per fecutors; to die praying with our Saviour, Father, forgive them, for they know

not what they do,' is a far more difficult attainment, but by no means uncommon among Chriftians.

Still lefs fhall we be disturbed at the malignity of others, when we confider that our enemies, as well as our friends, are acting the part affigned them by the Supreme Ruler of the Universe, that they are in their proper place as well as we in ours (though, being inftigated by their own bad difpofitions, this is no apology for their conduct) and that the plan of the great drama, in which we are all actors, is fo arranged, that good will finally refult from the evil that we experience ourfelves, or fee in others. The wrath of man,' fays the Pfalmift, fhall praise God.'

All the oppofition we meet with makes part of the useful and neceffary difcipline of life, and no great character could be formed, or any great good be done, without it.' Our Saviour, the apoftles, the reformers from Popery, and the Puritans and Nonconform

ifts, were equally expofed to it. And fhall we complain? We ought rather to think ourselves honoured by it, and, with the apostles, rejoice that we are counted worthy to fuffer for the name of the Lord

Jefus ;' reflecting, that if we suffer with ' him, we shall also reign with him, and be glorified together.' Of our Lord himself it is faid, that for the joy that was fet before him he endured the crois, defpifing the fhame.' Ought we not, then, I will not fay be difpleated, and complain, but ought we not to rejoice, and be thankful, for every part of that difpenfation of Providence, which we cannot doubt is calculated, and intended, to be fo highly beneficial to us?

If we take a calm retrofpect of our own paft experience, we fhall all of us, I am perfuaded, be fatisfied, that many events, feemingly the most difaftrous, were, in fact, the most beneficial to us; that they were really mercies, though in the difguife of judgments. And shall we not then conclude, that every other evil, coming from the fame hand, equally leads to good, though