COMMUNICATIONS.

WICKED MEN UNABLE TO APPRECIATE THE MOTIVES OF GOOD MEN: A SHORT SERMON.

2. Samuel x. 3. "And the princes of the children of Ammon said unto Hanun, their lord, Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? Hath not David rather sent his servants unto thee, to search the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it ?”

THE Connexion of these words will appear from the preceding verses. "And it came to pass after this"-i. e. after David had established himself on the throne of Israel, and subdued his enemies on every side-" that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun, his son, reigned in his stead. Then said David, I will show kindness unto Hanun, the son of Nahash, as his father showed kindness unto me." This Nahash was an old and cruel enemy of the house of Israel; and it is likely that he showed kindness to David, during his exile, out of hatred to Saul and the Israelitish nation. But whatever his motives were, he had been kind to David, and David felt under obligations to requite his kindness. David, therefore, sent his servants to comfort the son of Nahash concerning the death of his father. He probably sent them with some valuable present, and with assurances of his alliance and friendship. "And the servants of David," in executing their commission, "came into the land of the children of Ammon." But "the princes of the children of Ammon said unto Hanun, Thinkest thou that David doth honor thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? Hath not David rather sent his servants unto thee, to search the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it ?" The jealous, selfish, suspicious servants of Hanun had no confidence in the good intentions of David; believed nothing about his pretended gratitude; could not understand or appreciate his benevolent motives, but insisted that, under a show of grateful feeling, he was intent upon searching and spying out their city, that he might destroy it. Accordingly Hanun, in obedience to his unprincipled counsellors, treated the servants of David with great indignity, and sent them back into their own land.—The false interpretation which Hanun and his counsellors put upon the kind and benevolent action of David, suggests for consideration the following truth: The wicked know not how to understand or appreciate the benevolent motives of the righteous.

The Scriptures uniformly recognize a broad distinction between the righteous and the wicked. The ground of this distinction is,

not that the righteous are perfectly holy, and the wicked imperfectly so; but that the righteous are imperfectly holy, while the wicked are entirely sinful. The righteous have some holy, benevolent affections, while the wicked have none at all. Their hearts are "full of evil," and "fully set in them to do evil;" so that in them "there dwelleth no good thing." They may, indeed, from the promptings of selfishness, or from mere natural affection and sympathy, perform actions which render them respectable and useful in the estimation of their fellow-men. But they are destitute of that faith, without which "it is impossible to please God," and of that " holiness, without which no man can see the Lord." Their moral affections are all selfish-the opposite of that holy love. which is the "bond of perfectness," and "the fulfilling of the law."

It is easy to perceive, therefore, why the wicked cannot understand or appreciate the benevolent feelings of the righteous. They have never themselves acted under the influence of benevolence. They have never possessed feelings of this nature. Consequently they know nothing about them. There are many things around us which can be known only by experience. A person could form no idea of colors, who had never seen them; or of sounds, who had never heard them. You might explain ever so learnedly the theory of colors to one born blind, or the science of music to one born deaf, and after all, how little could persons in their situation know relative to these subjects? They would lack experiencethat without which correct and adequate notions could not be obtained. And so it is in regard to the peculiar views and exercises of the Christian. The sinner has never possessed them; has no experience; and without experience, no adequate conceptions of them can be gained.

The Scriptures represent the wicked as in a state of moral blindness, and as, in some sense, incapable of understanding the peculiar nature of spiritual objects. The cause of their blindness is, not that they have no eyes, but that they have not used their eyes in a proper manner; not that they lack faculties, but that they have never exercised their faculties as they ought. They have never put forth holy affections, and hence have no adequate idea of such affections. They have never themselves acted from benevolent motives, and consequently know not how to appreciate such motives in others. The counsellors of Hanun had never felt those grateful emotions which warmed the breast of pious David, when he wished to requite the kindness of Nahash; and consequently they did not believe that David was grateful. They had no confidence in pretensions of this nature. 'He only wishes to spy out our city, that he may come and overthrow it.' Some men seem to think it a mark of wisdom to be suspicious and jealous; to impute sinister motives to seemingly benevolent actions; and to

presume that all around them are as selfish and unprincipled as themselves. Indeed, the wicked generally, who act under the reigning power of selfishness, know not how to understand or appreciate the benevolent motives of the righteous. They know not how to account for the best actions of good men, but constantly attribute them to corrupt motives-such alone as they are conscious would have influence upon themselves.

These remarks, growing out of the text and the subject suggested by it, are strongly illustrated in the language and conduct of sinners in our own times. The motives of good men, and of those who act from religious considerations, are now frequently misunderstood, and grossly misrepresented. A few instances of this kind, out of the many which suggest themselves, may here be mentioned.

When those who have been thoughtless and indifferent on the subject of religion begin to be awakened to a sense of their situation-begin to forsake their former courses and companions, and to seek in earnest the salvation of their souls; how often are their feelings misinterpreted and ridiculed? The most common pretence is, that such persons are frightened. They have been somewhere, and have seen somebody, by whom they have been greatly terrified, and their seriousness is all attributed to their fears.Those who bring this charge, cannot, probably, account for the change in their former associates in any other way. They know of no motive, except that of fear, which should produce this change. At least, they can think of no other, which would have such an influence on themselves. If they were anxious and distressed, it must be because they were frightened; and they believe, and nothing can persuade them to the contrary, that this is the case with the anxious around them.

There are some Christians who appear uniformly engaged in the duties of religion. They are instant out of season, as well as in season. They not only attend upon stated religious services, but they are fond of special services. They love the prayer meeting, the conference meeting, and opportunities for private religious conversation. They are known and distinguished among their associates as those who are deeply and habitually interested on the subject of religion.-Yet, strange as it may seem, there is a class of men who give them no credit, after all, for their sincerity. There are those around them, who will have it that they are hypocrites, and that all their pretensions are hollow and worthless. Such accusers of the brethren probably reason after this manner; 'I do not love the prayer meeting, and conference meeting; and I do not believe that my neighbor does. I have no regard for these special services, and I presume that inwardly he has none. If I pursued the course he does, I should be a hypocrite; and I am confident that he is one.' Now this is a very natural way

of reasoning.

What more common mode of judging, than to judge other people by ourselves, and to give them credit for no better feelings than those which we are conscious of possessing?

There are times, when Christians in general seem particularly engaged for the conversion of sinners. They feel deeply sensible of their guilt and danger; and their hearts are stirred within them,' as Paul's was at Athens, when he saw the whole city given to idolatry. They are excited to pray and labor for the conversion of sinners, and to do all in their power that they may be brought to the knowledge of the Saviour.-But there are not a few who, when they witness this zeal, are sure to mistake it and misrepresent it. It is all party spirit-sectarian zeal-a disposition to make proselytes, rather than a benevolent regard for souls. Ye compass sea and land,' it is said, 'to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him two-fold more the child of hell than yourselves.'The most charitable method of disposing of this charge is to impute it to the blindness and ignorance of those who urge it. Their own experience, probably, has taught them no better. They can think of no motive, aside from a proselyting, party spirit, which would induce them to do, as they see Christians do, and consequently they believe, and will believe, that this is the spirit by which the people of God are actuated.

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In the approach of the days of predicted glory to the church, Christians are found engaged, as it might be presumed they would be, in diffusing a knowledge of the Saviour. They are combining their efforts, to circulate the Bible, to give religious instruction to children and youth, to prepare laborers for the great spiritual harvest, and to send them forth to the whitened fields. Some are quitting their homes, and going far hence to the distant heathen and many are running to and fro, that knowledge may be increased. Now there are those, and those who think themselves of more than ordinary sagacity, by whom this multiform charitable labor, in all its branches, is entirely misunderstood, and grossly misrepresented. They seem to have no conception of the peculiar feelings of Christians, and persist in attributing their conduct to motives of selfishness. When they see the different sections of the church uniting, to provide teachers, to circulate the Scriptures and tracts, and to promote the religious instruction of youth; they charge them with ambitious views. 'Our liberties are to be invaded; there is to be a union of church and state; under a pretence of piety and charity, these Christians are aiming at the civil power. The agents who are employed in collecting and disbursing the contributions of their brethren, and directing the charitable efforts of the age, are mercenary men, abusing the confidence of the unsuspecting, and filling their pockets from the earnings of others. The Missionaries, who go to foreign regions, are actuated by various motives ;-some by curiosity, or a thirst of knowledge;

others by a love of fame; and others by a restless, roving disposition.'-Now we are not angry with those who thus egregiously misrepresent the charitable exertions of Christians. We rather pity them, and are disposed to make the best apology for them in our power. The probability is that they know no better. They have never had the peculiar feelings of Christians, and how should they know any thing about them? They are sensible that no motives but those of selfishness would be sufficient to excite them, and they believe that those around them, whom they see so active, are influenced in the same way. 'What but ambition, a love of distinction, a thirst of power, could engage us in enterprises so vast, laborious, and expensive, as those in which we see Christians engaged; and shall we believe that they are less ambitious than we? If we were employed as agents in a work like this, and entrusted with large sums of money, we should take care of our own pockets; and we believe these Christians do the same. No motives but those of curiosity, or novelty, or fame, could induce us to leave our families and homes, and go and reside in heathen lands; and we doubt not that the Missionaries who go are influenced by the same considerations.'

In some instances, the conduct of Christians is so manifestly disinterested, and so incapable of being resolved into any principle of selfishness, as to be entirely beyond the comprehension of mere men of the world. In what manner to account for it, or what to think of it, they cannot tell. As something, however, must be said, it is usual to dispose of such cases as these, by alleging that the persons concerned in them are crazy. They have absolutely lost their reason. Much learning, or enthusiasm, or something else, hath made them mad.' The principle on which this is said, is the same as that on which other reproachful things are thrown out respecting the disinterested exertions of Christians. When ungodly men can think of no selfish motive (and they are conscious of no other) to which to attribute a particular course of action, they at once pronounce it unaccountable, and conclude that those engaged in it have lost their reason.

In conclusion, I have a few words to offer to both those classes of persons to whom reference has been made in the preceding discourse. And, in the first place, to Christians. You see, brethren, how it becomes you to regard those by whom you are reproached, and what should be your feelings and conduct towards them. Never be angry with them; or vindictive; or return railing for railing. They are objects of concern, of pity, and of prayer. They cannot enter into your feelings, and have little more conception of them than a deaf mute has of the pleasures of music. They have always been under the influence of selfishness, and every motive which is not selfish is, in their apprehension, powerless. No wonder, then, that they give you no more credit for dis