avoids the delivery of any pofitive opinion.. If present at a difcuffion refpecting fome controverted occurrence, and appealed to by both fides; he admires the excellent arguments reciprocally produced; profelles himself incompetent to decide between them; or holds fuch a middle courfe as may not be altogether unfatisfactory' to either difputant. He attaches himself to no party; but, endeavours to induce all feverally to regard him as well inclined to their caufe. He is thought fomewhat reserved, and perhaps rather timid and inconfiftent: but, while his conduct is a tiffue of time-serving infincerity, he is generally allowed to be "a very good fort of man."

Another character in high repute is the eafy good-humoured man. He is fo "plea"fant," as the phrafe is; fo cheerful; fo harmless; so neighbourly! Every person whom he meets he appears delighted to fee. He is always furnished with entertaining converfation; always prepared to join in any fcheme of amusement; always difpofed to collect his acquaintance around him; always careful to difmifs them pleased with his fociety. It is thus that, possibly without poffeffing a fin

gle

gle estimable quality, unless a gay facility of temper deferves the name; he obtains far and wide the denomination of as excellent a man as ever was born.

The laft character which fhall be mentioned is one, that heretofore was confined to the upper ranks: but one whofe principles, in the defcending contagion of fashion, have reached the middle walks of life. I mean that character whom the world calls "a man of honour." The man of this description ftudiously practices whatever is creditable, and avoids whatever is difcreditable, in the class of society in which he moves. When the law of God accords with the rules of the world, he follows it: not because it is the law of God, but because it is the rule of the world. When the laws of God and the rules of the world disagree; he prefers the world to his Maker. His language concerning moral conduct is the language of pride; and fhews that reputation, not God, is the object of his worship. Afk him why he huns any particular practice. Does he reply, "Because it is finful ?" The expreffion is foreign to his lips. He answers; "Becaufe it is mean: becaufe it is low; "because it is degrading; because it is un

"be

"becoming a gentleman; because it is be"neath me because it is dishonourable." Why does he purfue a fpecified line of conduct? Because it is acceptable to God? Because it is conformable to the example of Jefus Chrift? He thinks not of fuch a ftandard. He pursues it because it has the ftamp of fashionable estimation. Destitute, it may be, of a grain of true religion, this man is regarded by multitudes as a model of perfection!

With the goodness of these various characters, and of others which might have been described, fome praised by one fet of men, fome by another fet, and all of them extolled by themselves, the world rings. In the midst of these univerfal encomiums, the mind naturally observes to itself; “ If

all these different characters are good men, "how easy muft it be to be good! And "how excellent muft the world be, which " contains fo much goodness!" Now, unfortunately for that view of the fubject, this representation of the excellence of the world, and of the eafinefs of being good, is not exactly the language of the Scriptures. The Scriptures speak of the world as lying in wickedness; as being under the power of Satan. They pronounce its friendship VOL. II. I

to

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to be enmity with God.

Chriftians are not to be

They affirm that conformed to this

world that we are to be crucified unto the world; that if we love the world, we fhall perish with the world. Then with respect to the facility of attaining goodness, the Scriptures aver that the imagination of the heart of every man is evil from his youth that the heart is by nature deceitful above all things, and defperately wicked. Their common representation of a Christian life is that of a ftate of war; of a struggle for the mastery over fin; of wrestling against principalities and powers of darkness. They call upon us to be good foldiers of Jesus Chrift; to endure hardship for Him; to take unto ourselves the whole armour of God, the fhield of faith, the breaft-plate of righteoufnefs, the fword of the Spirit. They command us not to follow the multitude to do evil; but to walk in the narrow way, and firive to enter through the strait gate, if we feek to inherit falvation. They teach us, with an immediate reference to the prevailing opinions of the world respecting goodness, how frequently that which is highly efteemed among men is abomination in the fight of God. We may

therefore feel well affured, without minute inquiry,

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inquiry, that all thefe different descriptions of men cannot be models of goodness. We may perhaps reafonably fufpect that not one of them is good.

While we are thus bewildered in obfcurity and confufion, the word of Godholds out a lantern to our paths. The word of God fets a good man before us. Barnabas was a good man.

Here then at length we feel folid ground under our feet. If we can ascertain what was the character of Barnabas, we know what must be the character of a good man. Let us examine therefore the circumstances which the Scriptures difclofe concerning him.

the

Barnabas, when he came, and had feen grace of God, was glad; and exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. For he was a good man; and full of the Holy Ghoft, and of faith.

I. Barnabas was full of the Holy Ghost. What is the meaning of this expreffion? Not merely, nor principally, that Barnabas poffeffed the power of working miracles. For though he undoubtedly was favoured, like other eminent Chriftians of his day, with many extraordinary gifts of the Holy I 2 Spirit: