of this was only to exhaust the little corporeal power that remained, and accelerate his death.

In the delirium which prevailed during the last few hours, of his temporal existence, the same awful expectations of futurity harassed his disturbed mind, and he alluded with fearful dismay to many circumstances, besides those before referred to, but particularly to the widow and orphans. During one of these, he suddenly raised himself upon his bed, and, uttering a piercing shriek, he fell backward and expired.

ON CANDOUR.

A FRANK, ingenuous, amiable, and benevolent disposition, is the germ out of which many estimable and important virtues grow. Among the rest, candour is one, which is every where commended, though not quite so prevalent in the world as might be expected. Numbers have candour and charity often on their tongues; while prejudice and intolerance are rife in their spirit and conduct. Their estimate of actions, motives, and characters, is the result of passion and precipitance, rather than of calm, deliberate, enlightened judgment. They never calculate the force of wind and tide; they make no fair allowance for unfavourable and peculiar circumstances. "Man," saith Lord Chesterfield, "viewed in different positions, may be compared to silks viewed in different lights, the colours of which assume a different appearance." Prejudice looks through a crevice, and of course catches only a partial view, and bigotry, with a jaundiced eye, sees the object discoloured, by the taint which

has injured the organ of vision. We shall notice the exercise, and benign influence of candour, in three spheres, viz.-religion, civil government, and private life.

Candour should guide and govern our minds, in judging the actions and principles of men, with reference to religion. Those who profess Christianity in our free country, are divided and subdivided into many denominations and sects; and each collective body has its own creed, forms of worship, and rules of discipline. Now, because all have an undoubted right to judge for themselves, and follow the dictates of conscience, shall we affirm that all doctrines are equally safe, and all kinds and varieties of public worship, are equally reasonable, edifying and profitable? This would be a counterfeit candour, and ought rather to be called a cold and careless indifference to the truth. Christianity has certainly its fundamental principles, and he who has discernment enough to see, and honesty enough to acknowledge them, cannot say, because he cannot think, there is any true religion where they are wanting. Candour itself does not require us to mix things incongruous, to merge essential distinctions, and confound truth and error. . In sacred, as in scientific matters, there are landmarks and limits, which must neither be levelled nor involved in studied obscurity. The Ptolemaic and Copernican systems of astronomy cannot both be true; the man that adores our Lord Jesus Christ, and the man who denounces such worship as idolatry, cannot both embrace a sound, safe, and scriptural theology. A candid Christian will, however, distinguish between primary and essential principles, and points of minor consequence: and while he contends earnestly, yet fairly, for the former, he

inculcates and displays a mild forbearance in regard to the latter. He feels the need of guarding the tendency which passion has, to bias and pervert the judgment, and to alienate the heart. He finds more to commend, and less to blame, in many religious people, upon a closer acquaintance with them, than he could have anticipated from books and vague rumours. "Prejudice," said Dr. Price," may be compared to a misty morning in October. A man goes forth to an eminence, and he sees on the summit of a neighbouring hill a figure of gigantic stature, for such the imperfect medium through which he is seen would make him appear; he goes forward a few steps, and the figure advances towards him; his size lessens as they approach; they draw still nearer, and the extraordinary appearance is gradually, but sensibly diminishing; at last they meet, and perhaps the man that I had taken for a monster, proves to be my own brother." Happy would it be for the Christian world, if the following admirable maxim, used by one of the ancient fathers, were universally adopted and acted upon with uniform consistency. In necessary things, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.

Candour should guide and influence our minds, in judging the actions and principles of men employed in the sphere of civil Government. Those who enact or administer the laws of the land, or direct the councils of state, have a much more arduous task to perform than lookers-on generally imagine. Amidst all the complexity and difficulty of their work, justice certainly requires that their measures should be calmly canvassed, and fairly represented. But political faction and violence throw away the scales of justice, and the rules of

equity and moderation. They see nothing but a system of tyranny, supported by a dense and continually-accumulating mass of corruption. On the other hand, there are not a few of the advocates and admirers of the dominant party, who go just as far to the other extreme. These complacent politicians can find nothing wrong, nothing redundant or deficient in the machine of state, nothing irregular and oppressive in its working and movements. Does candour then call us to give full credit to every fine flattering statement which issues from the Cabinet Council? To take apologies, declarations, and promises, without asking or expecting any comment, evidence or pledge? The smooth-tongued placeman will say Aye, and the factious patriot No; but the candid man will say, I like to compare words and deeds, and carefully discriminate, though in so doing I may offend those who are wholesale dealers in panegyric or invective.

Candour should guide and govern our minds, in judging the actions and motives of men engaged in the ordinary affairs of private life. In this sphere, the virtue we are now recommending is in daily and hourly demand, and of high and incalculable value. But here also we must beware of counterfeits. A smooth and specious deportment, a countenance clothed with perpetual smiles, and an address distinguished by gentleness and insinuation, may be assumed for selfish ends. A truly candid man is neither carried away by gloomy ungenerous suspicion, nor by weak yielding credulity; and the materials and whole constitution of his mind must be entirely changed before he could be. come a knave or a dupe.

But the exercise and benign influence of candour

E

in private life, deserve to be more particularly noticed.

A man of an upright, open, ingenuous, and amiable spirit, will not suffer himself to be imposed upon by loose and idle reports, raised by malice or meddling impertinence, and wafted by every wind of accident. Before he forms an unfavourable opinion of any one, he takes care to get authentic information; and when facts are duly sifted, and separated from dark surmises, his decision is according to evidence. He finds and readily acknowledges some good qualities in those, whose general conduct he is obliged to condemn. In construing actions of a doubtful kind, he either suspends his judgment, or leans to the favourable side. Knowing the force and danger of party attachments, and personal resentments, he guards against their insidious influence; and in any matter which affects the interest or character of another, feels anxious that his mind may be determined by the simple facts of the case.

The spirit of candour is mild, conciliatory, and pleasant. It interposes to prevent many revengeful blows, and when too late to effect this purpose, heals the wound which has been given. It breaks the bone of contention, and extinguishes the sparks of animosity ere they burst into a flame. Were candour entirely withdrawn, the social intercourse of life would be soon overflowed with hatred, rancour, and acrimony. Envy and malignity are ever busy to open new sluices, and circulate, in a thousand secret unobserved channels, the waters of bitterness and strife. To the mitigating and salutary influence of a candid spirit, we chiefly owe the satisfaction and enjoyment which the mutual good offices of friendship and society impart. Let us