think of practising self-denial, but always yield to the promptings of their hereditary inclinations. Do such men live and act like the angels? Do they seek first—that is, as the thing of supreme moment—the kingdom of God and his righteousness? Do they regard their neighbor's good—the good of the community, the state, the church, the Lord's kingdom—as paramount to their own, or as a matter of even equal concern? Do they not, on the contrary, act with sole reference to their own private interests, regardless of the welfare or the rights of their neighbor? Do not the past history and present condition of mankind prove that an absorbing and predominant selfishness is the withering curse of our race? Has it not eaten like a canker into the souls of men, and left its sad and sickening blight on every feature of human society?
And if we look into our own hearts, do we not there learn the same melancholy fact? Do we not find that self-love is naturally our ruling love? Is it not a difficult task—one that requires us to struggle against our natural inclination—to do always the thing which we know to be right in the sight of God?—to obey the revealed laws of neighborly love?—to do to others as we would have them do to us?—to return good for evil, blessing for cursing?—to love, bless, do good to and pray for our enemies? Every one knows that, to do this, often requires much self-denial and self-compulsion, and sometimes a pretty severe internal struggle with "the old man." And this single fact, that the laws of our higher life cannot be obeyed by us without an effort
