nity, each sympathizing with every other, and loving all around him as himself.--But selfishness is directly the opposite of this holy love. It is a principle of disunion, disorganization, and confusion. It separates every one from his fellow, and influences each to set up for himself, in opposition to all the rest. It creates as many centres of attraction, as many separate interests, as there are individuals under its control; and prompts each to take care of himself, whatever may become of those around him. Now it is easy to see that a principle such as this tends necessarily to division, confusion, and misery. It leads to wars and fightings among nations; and to the indulgence of every vice, and to the perpetration of all manner of crimes, among individuals. It is ambition; it is avarice; it is envy, malice, and revenge. Indeed, there is no sin or vice which does not originate in selfishness, and which does not partake of the nature of this base affection. Surely, then, the least that can be said of selfishness is, that it is always sinful. In every instance-in all its forms and degrees-it is sinful and abominable in the sight of a holy God.

But I have before shown, (what is generally admitted) that men are naturally and universally selfish. How then is the conclusion to be resisted, that they are naturally and universally sinful.

ter.

This, I well know, is a disputed proposition. It presents, also, a humbling and melancholy view of the human characBut it is no more melancholy than true. That we are all naturally selfish beings, no one can deny. And certainly we are as sinful as we are selfish; for all selfishness is sin. Who then can deny that mankind, in a state of nature, are "dead in trespasses and sins?" Who can be ignorant or insensible of this humbling fact, in relation to his own character?

The best and only way to convince persons of their great sinfulness, is to explain the subject, and show them what sin is. We may silence them from the Bible; that is, if they will receive the Bible in its plain and obvious import. But we wish to do something more than silence them. We wish to convince them; to satisfy them; and to leave an impression of their sinfulness on their hearts. And in order to this, we must tell them what sin is, and make it so plain that they cannot mistake it. And this is what I have endeavored, in the previous pages, to do. My readers all know that they are naturally selfish beings. When you look back upon the past current of your affections, you see how they have been perpetually flowing in the channel of selfishness. But every selfish 53

VOL. VI.-NO. XI.

affection that you have ever indulged is wholly sinful. Every such affection is a transgression of God's law, and renders you odious and guilty in his sight. How then can you suffer yourselves to dream of the native innocence and purity of your characters? How can any one say, with the Jews of old, "I have not sinned; and therefore his anger shall turn away from me."

The doctrine of the entire natural depravity of the human heart is one requiring to be much insisted on, and to be firmly established. It is fundamental, among the doctrines of grace; and yet it is so contrary to the common apprehensions of thoughtless, careless sinners, and so revolting to their pride, that they will disbelieve and reject it as long as possible.

The views which persons entertain respecting their natural character and state, will have a controlling influence upon their faith, and upon all their religious course and prospects. Let a person adopt the conclusion, and become settled in it, that he is naturally good-as good almost as he wishes to be; and he feels in no need of a Divine Saviour, and will not long believe that such a Saviour is provided. He feels in no need of an atonement, and will be easily led to deny that an atonement has been made. He feels in no need of a change of heart, and doubts whether such a change is ever experienced. He feels in no need of the sanctifying operations of the Holy Ghost, and does not know that there is any Holy Ghost. He feels in no danger of eternal punishment, and cannot believe that the wicked will be punished, as the Bible represents. He begins with doubting his own depravity, and ends in becoming a thorough going liberalist and sceptic.

The truth is-and I hope it may be impressed on every reader-we are naturally and entirely depraved beings. So God assures us in his word; and the same fact stares upon us, whenever we look out into the world around us, or look inward upon our own hearts. Selfishness stands written in capitals every where; and all selfishness is sin. And it is important that men believe this truth; and not only so, but that they feel it. They must feel that they are sick, before they will apply to the Physician for help. They must feel that they are sinful, self-ruined creatures, before they will go to the Son of God that they may be saved.

THE UNJUST STEWARD.

Luke xvi. 1-8.

The object of our Lord in this parable seems to be principally to inculcate a right use of riches. The parable contains, however, many important suggestions respecting life and duty generally. And the use to be made of it in these remarks, relates wholly to our spiritual condition and the duty which, situated as we are, devolves upon us in relation to our salvation.

The steward is to be regarded as personating man generally. By his lord, may be understood, God our Maker, who is Lord of all. The circumstances of our situation are such as will be named, and the duty devolving on us is such as must unavoidably arise out of the circumstances. The children of this world are all those who are impenitent, particularly the worldly. While by the children of light may be understood all those who are penitent and converted. The steward is called unjust, because, whether we regard the waste he suffered in his master's goods, or the fraud he practised with his lord's creditors, he was evidently in both respects unjust.

The topics which present themselves for particular consideration are, the similarity between the worldly circumstances of the steward and our spiritual circumstances-the commendation passed on him in view of the course he took when he found himself straitened and in difficulty-and the course we must take to have commendation passed on us, and be received to everlasting habitations.

1. The similarity between the worldly circumstances of the steward and our spiritual circumstances.

(1.) The first point of parallelism between us and the steward is, that as he was a steward, so we are stewards.

What is a steward? He is one who manages another's business and is responsible accordingly. Ministers of the Gospel are "stewards of the mysteries of God," because they are "ambassadors for Christ," act under his authority, and conduct the affairs of his church.

Ministers of state are stewards. They are betrusted with the business of government, and have important concerns to transact in which they and others have a deep interest.

In like manner, in the parable of the nobleman who went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, all men are

represented as stewards. "He called his ten servants and delivered unto them ten pounds, and said unto them, 'Occupy till I come." In this parable, the nobleman represents our Lord, and the servants his disciples. The commitment of the ten talents to them signfies our being betrusted with our various powers, faculties, blessings and privileges. The whole teaches our obligations, the certainty of our being called to account, and the impartiality, strictness and equity with which we shall be treated.

We are betrusted with various

`We therefore are stewards. gifts which we hold in trust for our Master's use. We are ourselves these gifts. We are at once the occupiers, and the gifts to be occupied. We have, as we say, immortal minds. That is, we are those minds ourselves. Now, they are the gift of God. He has a perfect right to them. We are his property and not our own. We are instruments-living, animated instruments. Endowed with the power of self-motion, and capable of working ourselves, we are the instruments of his glory.

First, therefore, our existence-our simple being, is a betrustment which makes us stewards. These faculties and powers by which we are constituted what we are, and which are the gift of God, we are to employ for him. We hold them in trust for God. Our intellects and hearts, our understanding, will and affections are betrusted to us to be exercised for God, and consecrated to his service. Every exercise of every power is pledged aforehand to God, from the fact that he gave that power and requires such an exercise of it as shall be for his glory.

Next, besides our existence-our simple being, the means and opportunity of cultivating ourselves in the service of God, are a betrustment which makes us stewards. We are active beings in our very nature. Indeed, to act, belongs to us as a necessary attribute of our existence. Activity is as an essential property of mind, as extension or solidity is of matter. We must think and have our feelings of preference and dislike. To have it otherwise with us would be for us to cease to be what we are-moral agents.-Now in this state God gives us means and opportunities of thinking and feeling, and consequently, of acting as we ought; and this constitutes us stewards in relation to the manner in which we act. As with our faculties so with our means and opportunities of cultivating them, whether they be greater or smaller, we are stewards according to the extent and variety of what is afforded and given us to possess. The whole possession of his bounty, be it more or less, we are to occupy as his stewards; and for every oppor

tunity of employing it to his honor we are accountable to him, the rightful Proprietor and Lord of all. The unjust steward was bound to a faithful occupancy for his lord, of all committed to his care, and so it is with us-only we have the bountiful and only Lord God for our Lord, while his lord was a man like himself. But he was a steward, and we also are stewards.

(2.) The second point of similarity between us and the steward is, that as he wasted his master's goods, so we have wasted our Master's goods. It is to be supposed the steward was competent to his business. The master expected no more than might have been rendered. At least, his interest would have disinclined him to commit more to his steward than he thought might be faithfully superintended and improved. Waste therefore, must have come from neglect or misuse; from want of care and attention. It implies unfaithfulness and criminal disregard to duty.

In this respect the similarity holds between us and the steward. We stand accused with the charge of having wasted our Master's goods. And, whether we regard the employment of our powers and faculties in his service, or that of the bounty he has given us, and the improvement of opportunities afforded us of glorifying his name, we are guilty. Instead of serving God in every exercise as we ought, we have in every exercise come short of his glory and our duty. We have never loved him in a single exercise with "all our heart and mind, and soul and strength, and our neighbor as ourselves." Nor have we employed the means and opportunities of cultivation, whether of ourselves or others, as we ought. We are therefore guilty. Nay, we are not guilty of mere defect and negligence, of carelessness and inattention. These, in relation to God, considering who he is and what he has done for us, would be sufficient. But we have done more. We have not merely neglected to improve as we should what God has given-we have not merely withheld affection and service such as we ought to exercise and render: but we have perverted what he has given, and we have come out in rebellion against him. Every sin is rebellion, and we are sinners. Sin has been justly defined to "be any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God;" and we we have not only never conformed to it, but constantly transgressed it, notwithstanding the benevolent tendency of obedience, and the high and holy authority with which the law is established. We are guilty, "we are verily guilty."

(3.) A third point of parallelisin consists in this, that we are now no longer considered faithful and trust-worthy, but disloyal and faithless. Such was evidently the case with the unjust