dant vices. Self-love originates almost all the actions which men have agreed to denominate crimes. Self-love, fixing chiefly on the world as the grand instrument of personal gratification, offers all the worship that is paid to the world's trinity, riches, honour, and pleasure. How great a proportion of the sin of man is comprehended in this operation of selfishness, may be estimated from the fact that a single branch of this idolatry, viz. "the love of money,") has been pronounced by an apostle "the root of all evil."* Self-love, while it often acts towards God in gratitude and desires after future happiness, is almost the exclusive source, as will presently appear, of all the enmity that is exercised against him. That this principle in its inordinate degrees is the exact opposite of holy love or charity, will be evident from almost any selection you can make from the precepts, prohibitions, or didactic parts of ScripThe following texts, selected almost at random, will be sufficient for the purpose.† ture. Some of the texts in the left column are quoted only to show how constantly the divine Spirit espouses the part of others against self, by appealing to what we ourselves have done against others, or what mercy we ourselves need from others, or by insisting that our regard for others should be measured by the claims which we make on them. In the right column several texts are inserted merely to show how many different sorts of sin may at first sight, or by a moment's reflection, be traced to this source. own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure,---then---I will -feed thee." "Whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it." "Let no man seek his own but every man another's wealth." "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others." "As ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise." "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." "We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification; for even Christ pleased not himself." "If a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens and so fulfil the law of Christ." "Take no heed unto all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee: for oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed oth ers," "Avenge not yourselves "Whosoever will save his life shall lose it." "All seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's." "They-serve not our Lord Jesus Christ but their own belly." "If ye were of the world the world would love his own; but because ye are not of the world, therefore the world hateth you." "Why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, and considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?" "Wherein thou judgest another thou condemnest thyself. Thou-art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind,-an instructer of the foolish.-Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? Thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?" "From whence come wars but rather give place unto and fightings among you? wrath." "Recompense no man evil for evil." "Forgive and ye shall be forgiven.' "Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, bless them that curse you, and pray for them that despitefully use you. And unto him that smiteth thee on the cheek offer also the other. For if we love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.' وو "If there be--any comfort of love,--let nothing be done through strife or vain glory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.' "" "Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love, in honour preferring one another.""Seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not.' "Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits." "For I say -to every man-not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think." "We had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God." "Trust in the Lord with all thy heart and lean Come they not hence, even of your lusts? [selfish covetings, according to that explanation, "I had not known lust except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet."]-Ye lust and have not; ye kill, and desire to have, ånd cannot obtain; ye fight and war, and yet ye have not." stirreth up strife.' "Only by pride cometh contention." [The selfishness of pride is apparent to all.] "He that is of a proud heart "Desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another." "Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities." "Ye are they which justify yourselves before men. have spread out my bands all day unto a rebellious people, -which say, stand by thyself, come not near to me, for I am holier than thou." "Thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself." "Be not righteous overmuch, neither make thyself overwise." not unto thine own understanding.-Be not wise in thine own eyes.' "" "Charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up." "We preach not ourselves but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus sake." "Being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the Gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us." "Who shall dwell in thy holy hill? he that sweareth to his own hurt and changeth not." "Render--to all their dues; tribute to whom tribute is due, custom to whom custom.Owe no man any thing but to love one another.' "2 "Him that taketh away thy cloak, forbid not to take thy coat also. Give to every one that asketh of thee, and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. If you lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners to receive as much again. But-do good and lend, hoping for nothing again." "Use hospitality one to another without grudging." "Sell that ye have and give alms." "Rememberthem which suffer adversity as being yourselves also in the body." the good man of the house, "They murmured against saying, These have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us which have borne the burden and heat of the day." "Hear this word, ye kine of Bashan-which oppress the poor.' ""* These passages, and numberless others which might be selected, manifestly take it for granted that the controversy lies between a man's own self and all beings beyond him, and to an eye that closely inspects them render it sufficiently evident that self-denial lies at the foundation of all holiness, and that the great root of sin is inordinate self-love. II. Every man who is not supremely attached to God is supremely attached to himself. Every man has some one object of supreme regard. This will probably not be denied. It will hardly be pretended that among the objects in highest esteem there are several which hold exactly an equal rank. Every man has his ruling passion; every man has his god; every man has his "master." But "no man can serve two masters.' I assume then that every man has some one object of supreme regard. But in the universe there are but two that can possibly rise to * Ps. xii. 4. and xv. 1, 4. Prov. iii. 5,7. and xiii. 10. and xxviii. 25. and xxx. 32. Eccl. vii. 16, 21, 22. Isai. lviii. 13, 14. and lxv. 2, 5. Jer. ix. 4. 5. and xlv. 5. Ezek. xxix. 3. Hos. xii. 7. Amos iv. 1. Mat. vii. 3. and xvi. 24, 25. and xx. 11, 12. Luke vi. 27-37. and xii. 33. and xvi. 15. John x. 12. and xv. 19. Rom. ii. 1, 17-23. and vii. 7. and xii. 3, 10, 16, 19. and xiii. 7, 8. and xv. 1—3. and xvi. 18. 1 Cor. vi. 7, 8. and x. 24. and xiii. 4. 5. 2 Cor. i. 9. and iv. 5. Gal. v. 14, 26. and vi. 1, 2. Phil. i. 15— 17. and ii. 1, 3, 4, 21. 1 Thes. ii. 8. 2 Tim. iii. 2. Heb. xiii. 3. James iv. 1, 2. 1 Pet. iv. 9. 2 Pet. ii. 10. |