take advantage of the censures which are applied to these, in order to sneer at the devotion to God testified in other points, on their own heads be the blame. It is one thing to have error mix in our service of God; it is another to live in contempt of his word. But to enter into controversy is no part of the intention of this volume. 66 I extend," says Mr. Cecil, "the circle of real religion very widely. Many fear God, and love God, and have a sincere desire to serve Him, whose views of religious truths. are very imperfect, and in some points perhaps utterly false. But I doubt not that many such persons have a state of heart acceptable before God. He "The religious world has many features which are distressing to a holy man. sees in it much proposal and ostentation, covering much surface. But Christianity is deep and substantial. A man is soon enlisted, but he is not soon made a soldier. He is easily put into the ranks to make a show there; but he is not so easily brought to do the duties of the ranks. We are too much like an army of Asiatics-they count well, and cut a good figure; but when they come into action, one has no flint, another has no cartridge; the arms of one are rusty, and another has not learned to handle them. This was not the complaint equally at all times. It belongs too peculiarly to the present day. The fault lies in the muster. We are like Falstaff he took the king's money to press good men and true, but got together such ragamuffins, that he was ashamed to muster them. What is the consequence? People groan under their connexions. High pretensions to spirituality, and warm zeal for certain sentiments! Priding themselves in Mr. such-a-one's ministry! But what becomes of their duties? Oh, these are beggarly elements indeed! Such persons are alive to religious TALK; but if you speak to them on religious TEMPERS, the subject grows irksome." What is conveyed in Mr. Cecil's language will be better received than what is expressed in mine. SOCIAL DUTIES, &c. CHAPTER I. THE heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handy work; but it was man whom Jehovah formed in the image of himself. In the likeness of God made He man. Man is the image of God; the representative of creation's universal Lord. Dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowls of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, was given into his hands. Man is the vicegerent of God over every living thing that creepeth upon the earth. But man has higher destinies still. He is to show, in the ages to come, the exceeding riches of God's grace in his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus. (Eph. ii. 7.) Man B |