arren sensibilities, and transitory sympathies, and
indolent wishes, and unproductive declarations: they possess not that
strength and energy of character, which, in contempt of difficulties and
dangers, produce alacrity in service, vigour and perseverance in action.
Destitute of proper firmness, they often encourage that vice and folly
which it is their especial duty to repress; and it is well if, from
their soft complying humour, they are not often drawn in to participate
in what is wrong, as well as to connive at it. Thus their possessors
are frequently, in the eye of truth and reason, bad magistrates, bad
parents, bad friends; defective in those very qualities, which give to
each of those several relations its chief and appropriate value. And
this, let it be also observed, is a defect which might well bring into
question that freedom from selfishness, which is so often claimed for
them; inasmuch as there is too great reason to fear, that it often
arises in us chiefly from indisposition to submit to a painful effort,
though real good-will commands the sacrifice, or from the fear of
lessening the regard in which we are held, and the good opinion which is
entertained of us.

It should farther also be observed concerning these qualities, when they
are not grounded and rooted in religion, that they are of a sickly and
short-lived nature, and want that hardy and vigorous temperament, which
is requisite for enabling them to bear without injury, or even to
survive, the rude shocks and the variable and churlish seasons, to which
in such a world as this they must ever be exposed. It is only a
_Christian_ love of which it is the character, that "it suffereth long,
and yet is kind;" "that it is not easily provoked, that it beareth all
things, and endureth all things." In the spring of youth indeed, the
blood flows freely through the veins; we are flushed with health and
confidence; hope is young and ardent, our desires are unsated, and
whatever we see has the grace of novelty; we are the more disposed to be
good-natured because we are pleased; pleased, because universally well
received. Wherever we cast our eyes, we see some face of friendship, and
love, and gratulation: All nature smiles around us. Now the amiable
tempers of which we have been speaking naturally spring up. The soil
suits, the climate favours them. They appear to shoot forth vigorously
and blossom in gay luxuriance. To the superficial eye, all is fair and
flour