an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie ; though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come---it will not tarry." Hab. ii. 3.

That the kingdoms of this world may become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ, is the desire of

Your sincere friend,

Wooler, July 24, 1795.

GEORGE BELL

A

BROTHERLY LOVE.

No. II.

Ta season when Christian affection seems to be so much on the revival, and the sweet influence of holy zeal is extending itself among professors of different names, a reflection or two on the nature and properties of brotherly love will not, it is presumed, be unacceptable. Happy will it be, if any observations on this pleasing subject should prove the means of its becoming better understood, and more generally and diligently cultivated. Certain it is that

our blessed Lord declared it an important branch of his religion, and proposed it as the discriminating mark whereby his disciples should be known in the world. "Hereby shall

all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." John, xiii. 35. And, indeed, this spirit is not only represented as a criterion whereby others would judge us, but whereby we ought to judge ourselves; for "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar : for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? He that loveth not, knoweth not God; for God is love." 1 John, iv. 7. 20. The want of this Christian charity is an essential defect in a Christian character; but, on the other hand, "every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God; ver. 8. and we know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren."

A benevolent mind enjoys an inexpressible satisfaction in contemplating the whole race of man as the offspring of God; and though varied in their complexions, their manners, and their speech, yet as all members of the same family, whilst the great FATHER OF ALL dispenses each necessary good to his numerous household. In this sense we are all brethren; and there are corresponding duties incumbent on each member of this large fraternity. These duties the religion of

Jesua

Jesus strongly enforces; and active charity, proportioned both to our ability, and the claims of the necessitous, is an essential evidence of our genuine discipleship.

Happy would it be if the disciples of Jesus could recog nise, in every individual of their species, a Christian brother : But, alas the path to heaven has to the present hour "but here and there a traveller" and Christian love too often seeks in vain for bosoms where it may take up its habitation. Yet the number of true Christians is not so reduced but that brotherly love has some room for exercise, and so to give the world an opportunity of discovering its distinguishing properties. What those properties are, let us now examine :

First. True Christian love regards a man's character more than his creed. Humility and Christianity are inseparable; and a humble man is too sensible of his own frailty in judgmenty to expect that every man, to be a Christian, must make his opinion the uniform standard of religious sentiment. Rome may pretend to infallibility; but we have learnt, that whilst here we see but through a glass darkly ;" and perhaps another day it will appear that our brother's mirror reflected a truer image than our own. So ready is human nature to follow the stream of popularity, to be governed by the prejudices of education, and to be inadvertently seduced by self-interest, that a wise Christian will judge of others with as much candour, as he does of himself with caution. He knows that in lesser matters he often hesitates himself; and perhaps may have passed through various sentimental revolu tions before he fixed at the point where he now abides. He cannot therefore limit his affection to a perfect uniform< ity either in thought or profession; but amidst the variety of different names and opinions, he seeks for that one infallible mark of true Christianity---THE MIND THAT WAS IN CHRIST. This is the discriminating object of Christian love; and find where we may the man of a broken, lowly, humble heart---a des votional and spiritual frame---a savory conversation---a close walk with God---and a warm zeal for the Redeemer's glory, we may as soon cease to love ourselves, as cease, if we are Christians, from loving that man: Be he as poor as Lazarus, as afflicted as Job,--doth a swarthy skin cover his body, or be his mind unillumined with the light of science, it matters not---that man is my friend, my brother! As such I will ewn him now, and my Lord will own him as his beloved follower another day.

Secondly. From hence it follows, that true Christian love bears proportion to the degree of piety manifested by

Its object. As it is what the Scriptures call the new man, ok the image of Christ, which, in any professor, attracts Christian love, it is evident that the more of Christ appears to be in any man, the more our affection is attracted to him. On this account it is possible that our regard may be disproportioned to the real piety of its object; for as the schoolboy judges of the real, by the apparent, dimensions of the heavenly bodies, and therefore concludes the moon to be much larger than a fixed star; so we, incapable of penetrating the heart, can only form our opinion of the real by the apparent character, and hence are liable to frequent deception. Many who have little or no real piety, may put on the mask of religion, and so unworthily possess a large share of our regard: Whilst others, who maintain the closest walk with God, and hourly experience the powerful effects of divine truth on their hearts, may, like a deep river, glide silently along, and hide the best half of their virtues from their fellow-Christian's eye.

Painful as such reflections are, it argues nothing against the purity of our Christian affection. If we possess attachment in proportion to the apparent picty of professing Christians, our regards are certainly pure, and the hope they evidence will not make us ashamed.

Thirdly. True Christian love doth not interfere so as to diminish our natural affection for relatives or friends.

Christianity requires no abatement of natural regard---it doth not teach us to love our parents or children, husbands or wives, brothers or sisters, less than others: On the contrary, it strengthens and confirms our obligation to every social affection. True, we are not taught by Christ to love the vices or imperfections of our relatives, but their persons and their virtues. Here indeed natural and Christian affection differ: The former attaches us to the person, and to Iris qualities for the person's sake---the latter is set upon the qualities of the person, and upon him for the sake of his good qualities. Hence, when it so happens that any of our be loved relatives become our fellow-Christians, our regards for them are doubly strong, and our intercourse doubly sweet, since nature produces affection for the person, and grace for the Christian; so that both the man and his qualities become objects of our regard.

Fourthly. Where true Christian love exists, it will manifest itself by all those effects which genuine friendship pro duces in other cases: Such as giving a preference to the society of Christians above all others, Psa, xvi. 3.---sacri

ficing personal gratifications for the comfort of our brother, Rom. xiv. 21. 1 Cor. viii. 13---participating with them in all their sorrows and joys, Rom. xii. 15.--being backward to receive any reports to their prejudice, Pet. iv. 8. Prov. X. 12.---ready to assist them on all occasions, by our counsel, Prov. xxvii. 9, our property, James, ii. 15, 16, or our prayers, James, v. 16; and finally, our love, if genuine, will remain undiminished by any external circumstances whatever, as long as the Saviour's image appears equally possessed.

O Christians! let us cultivate this heavenly temper! let us allow no pre-eminence in our love, but where we discern a pre-eminence of grace: There let our affections be placed, in the assured hope that heaven will both approve and prolong a temper so congenial to its own. So shall we see the golden age of the Christian church again restored, and the ungodly will again exclaim, "See how these Christians love."

ADELPHOS.

ON THE COMFORTS AND SNARES OF SOCIAL AND RELATIVE AFFECTIONS.

ᎪᏞ

LAS! how difficult do we find it to observe a due medium between overvaluing and undervaluing our creature comforts; especially those of social and relative life. The mutual affection which does, or should subsist, between husband and wife, parents and children, and proportionably between other family connections, or our intimate and tried friends, constitute our chief temporal pleasures. These

are almost the only pleasures this earth can afford, which are very interesting to an intelligent and serious mind. For these the voluptuary has little relish; sensuality has blunted his feelings, and his gratifications are scarcely superior to those of the brutes.

Such persons are not at present concerned in the subject of this paper, nor can they well understand it. I write for those who possess and value the comforts of domestic life, acknowledge the goodness of the Lord in bestowing and preserving them, who wish to make them additional motives for gratitude and praise, but are often apprehensive that their attachments to his gifts, withdraw their thoughts from the great Giver, and incroach upon that supreme regard which is only due to himself.

VOL. IV,

R

A dis

A disposition to love the creature more than the Creator is undoubtedly a part and a proof of our natural depravity: This evil principle, described by the apostle under the names of the Flesh, the Old Man, and Indwelling Sin, however weakened and mortified in a true believer, is not extirpated. The opposition between nature and grace, flesh and spirit, renders the Christian life a state of constant warfare. They are opposite, contrary, contradictory one to the other, no peace or truce can subsist between them. The effects of this conflict extend to every faculty: When grace is in exercise, the motions of sin are noticed, checked, and lamented; but they are always sufficiently strong to render our best intentions and best actions defective and polluted; and particularly to depreciate and adulterate the finest feelings of humanity, and to turn our glory into shame. Thus our comforts often become our snares, and that which should be for our health proves an occasion of falling.

We cannot be too watchful against this propensity: It should prompt us to daily humiliation and much prayer. But the Lord is not a hard master; he gives us all things richly to enjoy; not to raise, and then disappoint our expectations, but, within the limits his wisdom prescribes, to gratify them. Ignorance and superstition misrepresent him. Under their influence multitudes think to please him by self-invented austerities and mortifications, and suppose they shall be acceptable to him, in proportion as they make themselves miserable. But, on the contrary, we are assured that he delights in our prosperity, so far as it is consistent with our safety; and that he does not willingly afflict the children of men, and especially his own children, who love and serve him. He has placed us in a world, in which (considered as his world) every thing is beautiful in its season, proper use, and due subordination, to our chief good; though, considered as man's world, our apostacy has filled it with confu sion and misery.

Contemplate his goodness in a rural situation. Light, colours, and prospects are suited to please the eye. The singing of birds, the lowing of the cattle, the bleating of the sheep, and, in general, the inarticulate tones of all the animal tribes, are soothing and grateful to the ear. During. a great part of the year, the scent of blossoms and flowers perfumes the air, and regales the sense of smelling. Food is a necessary mean for the preservation of life, and would be so if it were no less unpalatable than the most nauseous drugs. But we are furnished with a profusion and variety

of