riches and righteousness." Proverbs viii. 12-18. Thus honour, the very object of ambition, is placed at the goal of the pursuit of wisdom: but it is an honour which satisfies, and which stands in antithetical apposition with righteousness. But "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; and before honour is humility:" Proverbs xv. 33. So that to live, and act, and think, and feel, as in the fear of the Lord, results from that wisdom whose capital leads to the truest honour, but whose base rests on humility, that last acquisition of true knowledge, and wanting which, nothing has yet been learned as it ought to be learned: yea, "blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." Matthew v. 5.

Such then are the objects of moral education; humility, wisdom, righteousness, honour; these are the several links in the chain of association, which will detach the mind from the sordid pursuits of a vain and fleeting passion, and employ it on substantial good. We have heard of a noble ambition, and there does exist such a thing, although not in its usual acceptation. Naturally, there is no nobleness or generosity, in the manifestations of this passion: on the contrary, it is essentially and radically mean and selfish; but that ambition is noble, which consists in the subjection of sin, and in the removal of its influence from the heart and life; in the cultivation of faith, hope, and charity, and in the practice of their associated virtues." It is an honour for a man "It to cease from strife." Proverbs xx. 3. And "he

that is slow to anger, is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit, than he that taketh a city." Prov. xvi. 32. Prov. xvi. 32. Here indeed is an object worthy of ambition's highest reach; one which may be pursued without injury to others, without compromising one principle, with an approving, instead of an upbraiding conscience, with a certainty of success if persevered in with sincerity, and with the equally certain escape from disappointment here; and the reward of humble, consistent, though frail, feeble, and frequently erring exertion in the cause of God. It will be also found, that the higher the attainments in virtue, the greater will be the desire after its pursuit, the more ample the means of attaining it; so that in contradistinction to the usual course of ambition, here, the higher it reaches, the greater is its capacity for exertion; the more does it enjoy of conformity to the will of God, and the more earnestly does it aim to be made like him, and to be transformed into his image.

SECTION IV. Of Emulation-of Envy.

a. Emulation.

THE immediate and legitimate influence of this passion is, that it leads to imitation, in order to equal or surpass the good actions of those who are pursuing the same career with ourselves, in so far as those actions are good and praise-worthy,

as they originate in unquestioned motives, as they are based upon good principle, and as they are supported by purity of thought, and virtuous design. Or farther, it will induce us to copy the example of some high and holy being, set forth as a pattern of good works, to whom as "wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working," though we cannot hope to resemble fully, yet we will humbly approach, emulating his untainted life, and desiring, seeking, striving, contending, and struggling after conformity to his will. Or in a much lower sense, it may stimulate the man to act up to himself, to his advantages, to his situation, to his former self; to remember whence he has fallen, to repent, and do the first works; that he may finally overcome, and eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. Even when the views have not been sanctified, and purified, and ennobled by religion, emulation may still act as a beneficial stimulus, in preserving man from sinking lower in the scale of society; in teaching him to act up to his talents and acquirements, to the respect which he has inspired, the consideration with which he is invested, the opinion of his prudence and wisdom, his character for uprightness, and fidelity to his promises, and unshaken probity, and other social virtues; in fact, to the imitation of himself in his best moments, or even to the estimate which may have been formed of him, however erroneously, by others.

In all these respects, emulation is in simple

VOL. II.

N

truth, the faculty of imitation roused to action; it raises and multiplies the powers of the soul by increasing its resources, and by proposing for its pursuit a higher standard than its present level; by setting before it examples worthy of resemblance; by elevating the man to his model; inducing him to forego all that is low, and selfish, and grovelling, and sordid; and placing him under the influence of noble, and generous, and pure, and holy motives. Thus then emulation is a grand principle of improvement, and of continued progress towards that perfection after which we should aim, although we know that our highest efforts will fall infinitely short of what we ought to be; and that it is only in the strength of the Most High, that we can maintain our present standing, much less advance in the way of holiness, and the path to heaven. Nevertheless, it is ours so to act, to think, to speak, to strive with our utmost effort, as if success depended upon that effort alone, although we fully know that exertion will be unavailing, unless blessed by divine grace. But that power has been promised to those who seek, and earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints; who do sincerely desire to resemble Christ, and to be transformed into his image. All that is great, and good, and beautiful, and holy, owes its origin to this principle, is kept alive by it, and advances to maturity through its influence; the principle of divine grace is excited nto action, yea, blossoms into fruit.

Under a variety of circumstances, the

power of

emulation is seen to exert its agency over the conduct of animals: and since here it is not possible that envy can exist, we may be allowed to conclude that the two are not coincident principles; that originally they possessed nothing in common; and consequently that emulation is not a diminutive of envy. It is readily granted, that the former passion unguardedly employed, may, in the present depraved state of the human mind, readily develop envy, but we argue not against its use from its abuse. Emulation is noble and delicate in its influence upon the mind, while envy degrades: the one aims at a high standard of good, the other only envies the prosperity and reputation attendant upon such aim, while its very existence proves a decided aversion from all that is good emulation is a stimulus to the indolent, and proves a bonus upon industry, while envy confirms the slothful in his habits, and withers the active principle of good: emulation is never satisfied with the attainment of to-day, but seeks a still higher reach to-morrow; while envy has not even a languid wish, much less a fervent desire for improvement, but is only anxious to obtain the praise, for what it does not possess, or even wish for: emulation is the lot of great, while the cherished abode of envy will be found in weak minds: emulation is a passion which exists in the bosom of the good man, while envy lurks in the heart of the wicked, and prompts to evil: emulation is a desire to exert or to imitate excellence,