endeavoring, by fair and
candid arguments, to convince them of what we suppose to be their
errors. But then we must never forget that they are our equals,
possessing the same right to judge of the truth with ourselves, and
accountable for their errors to the same tribunal. This will leave no
ground for the exercise of a dogmatical or a dictatorial spirit.

3. It is unseemly for young persons to be foremost in speaking, in
company, or to give advice with confidence in regard to anything which
is to influence the conduct of their superiors in age, wisdom, or
experience. Elihu, although a man of superior knowledge and abilities,
did not presume to speak to Job till his aged friends had ceased; for he
said, "Days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom."
Young persons sometimes render themselves ridiculous by such unseemly
conduct. The prophet Isaiah gives this as one of the marks of a
degenerate age, that "the child shall behave himself proudly against the
ancient, and the base against the honorable."

4. Fierce contention about personal rights, is unseemly. It begets a
selfish, jealous spirit. You never hear this where love reigns; for love
is a yielding spirit. The spirit that can never brook the least
encroachment upon his rights, is an unseemly spirit, which will always
be embroiled in some difficulty or other.

5. All coarseness, grossness, or rudeness of character, is unseemly.
This negative description of one of the characteristics of charity is
sufficiently comprehensive, if exhibited in all its details, to fill a
volume. It conveys the idea of an exquisite propriety of deportment,
free from everything indelicate, obtrusive, repulsive, or unamiable.

VI. Charity _seeketh not her own_. It is not selfish. The temper here
described is inculcated in a beautiful manner in Paul's epistle to the
Philippians. He exhorts them, in lowliness of mind, each to esteem other
better than themselves; and not to look exclusively on their own things,
but also on the things of others; and then commends to them the example
of our Lord, who, though King of kings, humbled himself to the condition
of a servant, enduring hardship, contumely, and an ignominious death,
for our sakes. This does not mean that we are not to love ourselves at
all, nor be entirely regardless of our own interests; for the rule which
requires us to love our neighbor _as ourselves_, recognizes the right of
self-love; and the command, "Thou shalt