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SELFISHNESS is the universal form of human depravity, every sin that can be named is only a modification of it. What is avarice but selfishness, grasping, and hoarding? What is prodigality, but selfishness decorating and indulging itself—a man sacrificing to himself as his own god? What is sloth, but that god asleep and refusing to attend to the loud calls of duty? And what is idolatry, but that god enshrined-man worshipping the reflection of his own image? Sensuality, and indeed all the sins of the flesh, are only selfishness setting itself above law, and gratifying itself at the expense of all restraint. And all the sins of the spirit are only the same principle, impatient of contradiction, and refusing to acknowledge superiority, or bend to any will but its own. What is egotism but selfishness speaking? Or crime, but selfishness without its mask, in earnest and acting? Or offensive war, but selfishness confederate, armed, and bent on aggrandizing itself by violence and blood? An offensive army is the selfishness of a nation, embodied, and moving to the attainment of its object over the wrecks of human happiness and life. "From whence come wars and fightings among you?" says St. James, "Come they not even of your lusts?" And what are all those irregular and passionate desires, but that inordinate self-love which acknowledges no law, and will be confined by no rules that selfishness which is the heart of depravity? And what but this has set the world at variance and filled it with strife? REV. JOHN HARRIS-Mammon.

It is a great folly to run away from other people's faults and not part with your own. This is going quite the wrong way to work, grasping at a work impracticable, and losing an advantage which is in your power.

MARCUS ANTONIUS.

Self-love but serves the virtuous mind to wake, As the small pebble stirs the peaceful lake; The centre moved, a circle straight succeeds, Another still, and still another spreads; Friend, parent, neighbour, first it will embrace, His country next, and next all human race. Wide and more wide, the o'erflowings of the mind Take every creature in of every kind. IMMODERATE SELF-LOVE.-There is a love of ourselves which is founded on nature and reason, and is made the measure of our love to our neighbour; for

POPE.

we are to love our neighbour as ourselves; and if there were no due love of ourselves, there would be none of our neighbour. But this love of ourselves, which is so consistent with the love of our neighbour, can be no enemy to our peace; for none can love more quietly and peaceably than those who love their neighbour as themselves. But there is a self-love which the scripture condemns, because it makes men peevish and froward, uneasy to themselves and to their neighbours, filling them with jealousies and suspicions of others with respect to themselves, making them apt to mistrust the intentions and designs of others towards them, and so producing ill-will towards them; and where that hath once got into men's hearts, there can be no long peace with those they bear a secret grudge and ill-will to. The bottom of all this is, they have a wonderful value for themselves, and those opinions, and notions, and parties, and factions they happen to be engaged in, and these they make the measure of their esteem and love of others. As far as they comply and suit with them, so far they love them, and no farther. If we ask, cannot good men differ about some things, and be good still? Yes. Cannot such love one another, notwithstanding such difference? No doubt they ought. Whence comes it then, that a small difference in opinion is so apt to make a breach in affection? The plain truth of it is, every one would be thought to be infallible, if for shame they durst to pretend to it; and they have so good an opinion of themselves that they cannot bear such as do not submit to them. From hence arise quarrellings and disputings, and ill-language, not becoming men or Christians. But all this comes from their setting up themselves and their own notions and practices, which they would make a rule to the rest of the world; and if others have the same opinion of themselves, it is impossible but there must be everlasting clashings and disputings, and from thence falling into different parties and factions, which can never be prevented, till they come to more reasonable opinions of themselves, and more charitable and kind towards others.

EDWARD STILLINGFLEET.

The following story, which exemplifies the spirit of selfishness, and the means by which it may be cured, is told by H. C. WRIGHT:-A party of merry children

were enjoying themselves in some woods near a schoolhouse in New Hampshire, (America), in which grew an abundance of whortleberries. After playing about until nearly tired, they stopped awhile and began picking and eating the berries. There were two little girls about eight years old, and one of these, by name Julia, had found a cluster of bushes which were fairly black with the largest and sweetest berries. Instead of telling her companion Sophia, who was searching but a few steps from her, of the treasure she had discovered, she, like a selfish child, sat herself down silently and secretly, and began to pick and eat with great greediness. In a few minutes, Sophia coming to the spot and seeing how fine and plentiful the berries were, began also to pick and eat. Whereupon Julia's selfishness kindled into anger, and she cried out, "Get away, you have no business here." Sophia remonstrated with her, telling her that there was enough for both, but she only grew the more angry, and because her companion did not leave the spot immediately, she flew upon her, pushed her with great violence so that she fell, and her clothes being entangled in the bushes, they were torn; her face was also cut by the fall, so that the blood ran freely. This incident at once put a stop to the merriment of the party, and all the children gathered round to sympathize with Sophia, and reprobate the conduct of her unamiable playmåte. The generous child, instead of joining in these expressions of dissatisfaction against Julia, said all she could, without telling a falsehood, in her defence, and protested that she still loved her. After awhile, the children became quite merry and joyous again; all but one, who sat silent and alone, picking her berries, and pretending to enjoy them, though it was plain from her looks that she was thoroughly wretched and uneasy. It was now suggested to Sophia by the narrator of the tale, that if she really loved Julia, she should go to her, kiss her, and ask her to join in the play again. This was a hard task, for the child doubted how she would be received. However, her generous affection for Julia triumphed. She went straight towards her with her arms out-stretched to embrace her. Julia saw her coming, and instantly turned her back, covered her face with her hands, and began to weep. The next instant, Sophia had her arms round her, weeping too. Julia returned the embrace.

Her heart had been full of grief and ready to burst from the moment she saw the blood running down Sophia's cheek. But her feelings had been pent up. Now they burst forth in a flood of sympathising tears and sisterly embraces. Julia was received back to the love of the whole party, and she tried to make amends for the wrong she had done, by her selfishness and cruelty to Sophia. Thus was evil overcome by good-thus was selfishness made ashamed, and stubbornness rebuked. Had Sophia, when struck, returned the blow, or had she made no advances towards a reconciliation with her disagreeable playmate, those evil qualities of her mind would have been strengthened and confirmed; both the children, indeed, the whole party, would have been morally the worse for the incident. As it was, the best and most generous feelings of human nature were aroused in the bosoms of all, and they had presented to them a striking illustration not only of the hideous aspect of selfishness and its evil results, but also of the beauty and subduing power of love and forgiveness. This story will be found more at large in A Kiss for a Blow.

Of all that have tried the selfish experiment, let one come forth and say he has succeeded. He that has made gold his idol-has it satisfied him? He that has toiled in the fields of ambition-has he been repaid? He that has ransacked every theatre of sensual enjoyment-is he content? Can any answer in the affirmative? Not one. And when his conscience shall ask him—and ask it will, "Where are the hungry whom you gave meat? The thirsty whom you gave drink? The stranger whom you sheltered? The naked whom you clothed? The prisoned whom you visited? The sick whom you ministered unto?" How will he feel when he must answer, "I have done none of these things—I have thought only of myself!" TATLER.

SELF-EXAMINATION.

Let not soft slumbers close my eyes,

Before I've recollected thrice

The train of actions through the day:

Where have my feet marked out their way?
What have I learn't where'er I've been,
From all I've heard-from all I've seen?
What know I more, that's worth the knowing?
What have I done that's worth the doing?

What have I sought, that I should shun?
What duties have I left undone ?
Or into what new follies run?
These self-inquiries are the road
That lead to virtue and to God.

FROM THE GREEK OF PYTHAGORAS.

SELF-KNOWLedge.

If thou be one whose heart the holy forms
Of young imagination have kept pure,

Henceforward be thou warned; and know that pride,
Howe'er disguised in its own majesty,

Is littleness; that he who feels contempt
For any living thing, hath faculties

Which he has never used; that thought with him
Is in its infancy. The man whose eye

Is ever on himself, doth look on one,

The least of nature's works, one who might move
The wise man to that scorn which wisdom' holds
Unlawful ever. O be wiser, thou!

Instructed that true knowledge leads to love;
True dignity abides with him alone,
Who in the silent hour of inward thought
Can still suspect, and still revere himself
In lowliness of heart.

WORDSWORTH.

That man must daily wiser grow,
Whose search is bent himself to know;
Impartially he weighs his scope,
And in firm reason founds his hope;
He tries his strength before the race,
And never seeks his own disgrace;
He knows the compass, sail, and oar,
Or never launches from the shore;
Before he builds computes the cost,
And in no proud pursuit is lost.
He learns the bounds of human sense,
And safely walks within the fence;
Thus conscious of his own defect,
Are pride and self-importance checked.

GAY.

SCANDAL; SLANDER; EVIL-SPEAKING, &c.

To SLANDER; to censure falsely; to belie. SLANDER; false invective; disgrace; reproach.

JOHNSON.

SCANDAL; offence given by the faults of others; re

proachful aspersion; censure; infamy.

JOHNSON.

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