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placency which you require he should not have in himself? Is he to be content that you should be that which you could not tolerate him to be? We might yet again ask,

"What would you wish your friend to be?"

Answer. "I should wish he were a man that would include me expressly in his petitions to the God of all grace, praying that, among other things, I might be cor rected, improved, and delivered from those evils which he perceives in me, and God far more clearly."

Well now, are these evils too sacred for any finger but that of God to touch? Are you, with your faults, like the holy ark?-if Uzzah apply a hand, he must be smitten! May not the friend venture to say thus to you-“ I have prayed for you against such and such things ?" Would you be displeased that he would thus gently and seriously excite you to make the same requests yourself? Or at least excite you to think, whether they are not such as you would do well to make, and do well to adopt a corresponding selfdiscipline? We will but suppose one more answer to the question,

"What would you wish your friend to be ?”

Answer. "I would wish him to be such that, as the last result of my communications with him, a great deal of whatever may be defective and wrong in me shall have been disciplined away." But by what manner of operation, if he is never to hint at such a thing? Is it to be by some moral magic? Or is he to presume no further than to admonish by example? What! not even if he perceives that that admonition does not take effect? How many pointed suggestions of his mind is he to withhold from putting into words, in waiting to see whether they will arise in your own thoughts? May he not justly despair of accomplishing much beneficial correction, so long as he must not say that he intends or wishes to do it? so long, in short, as he feels

himself in hazard of becoming, in your regard, an "enemy" by telling you the truth ?

Thus men will profess, and perhaps unthinkingly believe, that they derive the most essential benefits derivable from a true friend; but if he shall offer to impart them, he becomes an "enemy!" But consider, what an invitation, the while, this temper of mind gives to real enemies ;—to the flatterer -to the designing hypocrite;-to every imposition the mind can put on itself;—and to the great deceiver of souls;-to any thing but salutary truth!

The great cause of this perversity and repugnance is, that it cannot be but that plain truth (by whatever voice) must say many things that are unpleasing. All censure is so; as it hurts that most quick, and delicate, and constant of all feelings, self-love. And censure! who dares to say in how many points the full unmitigated application of truth to him would not be censure? And who dares to say how many of these points might not be struck upon by a clear-sighted friend, that should unreservedly express "the truth ?" Hence the disposition to regard him as an "enemy."

Another thing greatly contributing to this feeling toward him is, a want of the real earnest desire to be in all things set right; a kind of hollow truce which is kept up with conscience, with great difficulty, easily disturbed, and the disturbance painful; therefore, "do not, do not come to provoke the enemy within!"

And then, again, there is pride, reacting against a fellow mortal and fellow sinner. The man who expresses corrective truth, seems, for the time, to assume a certain kind of superiority. The admonisher, the reprover, seems to assume a capacity partaking of both lawgiver and judge. And this appearance will not be perfectly qualified away by any disavowal of all such assumption; nor even by the man's declaring that he is sensible he is at the same time censur

ing also himself; and is desirous to take to himself the admonition he gives. Still the sentiment of pride is, "What right has a fellow sinner, with his own defects to be corrected, thus to summon and arraign me before him as in judgment ?"

Here how obviously is the consideration suggested, of the importance of a practical self-correction, in order to be able to admonish and correct others with dignity and effect.

Another thing against a man's amicable reception in the character of a corrective instructor is, not seldom, a real difference of judgment on the matters in question. When the "friend" ventures to express some accusatory "truth" (truth, as he deems it), the answer may be, "I do not admit it to be truth," and, of course, it is possible the respondent may be right. But if he only thinks so, he is inclined to take double offence. The corrector both has taken upon him to be a judge and censurer, and has judged and censured wrong. The spirit of defensive hostility rises at once in the accused, and both are prompted to rush into "a just and necessary war!" In this case, if it were possible for them to have friendly and Christian temper enough to argue the matter calmly, they might both receive advantage. The one, or the other, might be convinced of error, and ingenuously acknowledge it, glad to be just so much a gainer. Or, more probably, each might come to see reason to admit the other's representation in part, so that they should nearly coincide. The person reprehended might acknowledge the truth and justice to a certain extent, and at the same time succeed in showing the other that there are circumstances and considerations greatly modifying the attributed fault. Is it not mortifying to think how seldom such amicable discussion is permitted by temper and pride to take place even among good men !

We note only one thing more, as tending to excite in a

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person hearing unpleasant truth a feeling as toward an enemy," and that is, an unfavourable opinion or surmise, as to the motives of the teller of this truth. If it is truth, and useful truth, the motives of him that says it—should make no material difference. Even from an enemy real instruction has an undiminished value. But, as we are constituted, this consideration does make a great difference. But the person reprehended should reflect, how strongly the nature of the case tempts him to think unfavourably of the motives. Let him consider how slowly such surmises are entertained by him when he receives approbation or applause. Such complacent expressions may have been repeatedly received from the person who now, for once, ventures to utter blame. Was he then accounted or suspected for an enemy ?" But is all the assurance and evidence of his being a friend to be annihilated by a few sentences in a different kind of language ?

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Here, however, it is to be acknowledged that truth may sometimes be spoken in the spirit of an enemy, and for an enemy's purpose; far from any intention to do good, or real love of truth. In many an instance it has been spoken and urged home, for the very purpose of mortifying and tormenting. Sometimes it has been spoken in triumphant revenge for admonitions and reproofs formerly received; for the purpose of precluding a repetition of such unwelcome admonitions, and silencing the monitory voice. It has been uttered in the pure delight of being able to fix the reproach of something wrong on even the best men. It has been deliberately considered and kept back in readiness to be uttered when too late to do any good. It has even been digested and reserved in the mind to be uttered with infernal exultation, to inflict a pang on a person sinking in distress or in death. Let no speaker of truth, then, actuated by evil motives, content or acquit himself by being

able to say, expressed."

"It was truth, and nothing but truth, that I

But, setting out of view all such depravity as this, we shall do well, to insist on a circumstance or two of propriety, in respect to the telling of unpleasant truth.

For one thing, it is self-evident that those who have to do this, should well exercise themselves to understand what they speak of. If this be a rule of propriety generally, in the utterance of thoughts and judgments, it is especially so in respect to those which are to be expressed as reprehensions, directly applied to persons and to friends; where some pain and displeasure may be expected to be caused, and opposition provoked. On such occasions how needful a knowledge of the subject, well-considered opinion, clear representation, pertinent sound argument.

It hardly needs be said, that a real and evident friendly intention is of great avail. It may be added, that there should not be the same stress laid on everything, that may not be exactly as the corrective instructor thinks it ought. Indeed, many minor things may wisely be altogether passed

over.

Again, in presenting admonitory or accusatory truth, it should be the instructor's aim that the authority may be conveyed in the truth itself, and not seem to be assumed by him as the speaker of it; that he may be the mere conveyer of the force of the subject. You have seen this difference exemplified no doubt. One man, a discreet and modest one, (and not the less strong for that) shall keep himself as much as he can out of the pleading, and press the essential virtue and argument of the subject. Another makes himself prominent in it, so that yielding to the argument shall seem to be yielding to him. His style, expressly or in effect, is this; "I think MY opinion should have some weight in this "These arguments are what have satisfied me.”

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