HOSPITALITY, HUMANITY, HUMILITY. 434. HOSPITALITY. 249 Lavater. As you receive the stranger, so you receive your God. Ed. Hospitality, the index to the book. Ib. Hospitality entertains the body, and captivates the mind. 435. HUMANITY. Terrence. I am a man, - nothing human is uninteresting to me. Ed. The most exalted humanity, is the humanity of Christ. Ib. It will be a surprising honor to be a man and have Christ for an elder brother, which those who are disinherited, cannot claim. 436. HUMILITY. Hearts most crushed on earth, will most exult in heaven. Humility is the foundation of every Christian virtue. Edwards. Nothing sets a person so much out of the devil's reach, as humility. Dr. Good. The richest pearl in the Christian's crown of graces is humility. Lavater. Humility and love constitute the essence of true religion. The way to dignity and honor is humility. The humble is prepared to adore; the loving to associate with eternal love. Humility is the safeguard of docility. Colton. The greatest friend of truth is time; her greatest enemy, prejudice; and her constant companion is humility. Em. Humility is the most amiable and shining exercise of a holy heart. The truly humble person, of his own accord, lies as low as he deserves to lie, and takes his proper place as a sinner. This is exercising a more amiable and self-denying spirit than any holy angel ever exercised. The humility of saints, in heaven, will be the most beautiful trait in their character. Secker. A true believer is like a ship in the sea; the more it is filled, the more it sinks. Ed. Those who will not abase themselves before God as low as their sins deserve in time, will be abased as low as they de serve during eternity. Solomon. Before honor is humility. Montgomery. The bird that soars on highest wing Builds on the ground her lowly nest; What honor hath humility. The saint that wears heaven's brightest crown. The weight of glory bows him down The most, when most his soul ascends ; Nearest the throne itself must be The footstool of humility. 437. HUMOR. Good humor is the clear blue sky of the soul, highly favora ble to the discoveries and progress of genius. Nothing blunts the edge of ridicule like good humor. Ed. Good humor, under unrighteous and angry insinu tions, implications, accusations, and treatment, is half the batt in disarming and annihilating them. 438. HYPOCRITES, HYPOCRISY. Hypocrisy is double iniquity. Ed. Hence, Christ's indi nation. The hypocrite pays tribute to God, that he may impose man. The good man's heart speaks without his tongue; the hyp crite's tongue, without his heart. Hypocrites cheat others during time, themselves duri eternity. Ed. A hypocrite-one who professes every species of d interested benevolence he can, with any hope of being believe and who practises every kind of selfishness agreeable to his i terests, ruling passions, habits and inclinations, that he hopes conceal. IDLENESS, INDOLENCE. 251 Ib. Hypocrisy, the rule of the world; honesty, the exception. Ib. Religious Hypocrites-persons who have too much religion for their moral and Christian character. [See 146, 208.] 439. IDLENESS, INDOLENCE. N. Howe. The way to be nothing, is to do nothing. Ed. While sloth is sleeping, rust is eating. Baxter. Idleness is the devil's hour for temptation. He is idle who might be better employed. Spanish Pr. Men are usually tempted by the devil: but an idle man tempts the devil. Ib. A busy man is troubled with but one devil, but the idle man with a thousand. The pains we take in books, or arts, which treat of things remote from the use and end of life, is a busy idleness. Idleness and troubles make men weary of life. Of all the enemies of idleness, in the life that now is, want is the most feared, and the most felt. A young man, idle; an old man, needy and miserable. Blair. It is hard to determine, whether sloth is a greater foe to virtue, or to health and happiness. Fly, therefore, from idleness, as the parent of guilt and ruin. And under idleness I include, not mere inaction only, but all trifling occupations, and vain amusements. Franklin. Sloth makes all things difficult, but industry all easy; and he that riseth late must trot all day, and shall scarce overtake his business at night; while laziness travels so slowly, that poverty soon overtakes him. Ib. It would be thought a hard government, that should tax its people one tenth part of their time, to be employed in its service; but idleness taxes many of us much more, if we reckon all that is spent in absolute sloth, or doing nothing, with that which is spent in idle employments, or amusements that amount to nothing. Sloth, by bringing on diseases, absolutely shortens life. Sloth, like rust, consumes faster than labor wears, while the key often used is always bright. The rust of indolence is far more destructive to soul and body, than the friction of even intense activity. Every idle thought, to judgment must be brought. Never be idle. If your hands cannot be usefully employed, attend to the cultivation of your mind. Ed. It is idleness in God's account, to do nothing with a single eye to his glory. 440. IDOLS, IDOLATRY. Em. All the idols of sinners may be comprised in these three classes, pleasure, profit, and promotion. One or the other, or all of these, every sinner pursues as his idol. These idols sinners set up in their hearts, and always wish to conceal them there. He who makes an idol of his interest, makes a martyr of his integrity. We hate nothing so much as renounced idols. Ed. This will show what idols are truly renounced. Ed. This world is so full of idols and of idolatry, that though Christians renounce and denounce idols, these never renounce them in this life. 441. IGNORANCE. Plato. Better to be unborn, than untaught; for ignorance is the root of misfortune. Ed. The man of voluntary ignorance robs himself, and defrauds his children and associates of their due. Ib. Many not only "destroy themselves, for lack of knowledge," but lead others to destruction by this means. This is positive unrighteousness, and will stamp chosen ignorance with eternal infamy. Spring. Ignorance' rivets the chains of both civil and ecclesiastical power. Bp. Taylor. To be proud of learning, is the greatest igno rance. Greek Pr. Thou may'st of double ignorance boast, Who know'st not that thou nothing know'st. The most ignorant are the most impudent. Sh. Em. There is no darkness like ignorance. Voluntary ignorance is always a chosen sin. ль. It is astonishing how much ignorance of the Gospel prevails, even in the best part of the Christian world; and it is still more melancholy to reflect upon the self-deception which flows from it. Ib. Gross ignorance of the essential doctrines of the Gospel is totally incompatible with vital piety. The Apostle believed this to be true, and acted accordingly. Though his Jewish brethren professed to be religious, though they externally obeyed the Divine commands, and though they were very zealous in their religious devotions and exertions, yet he could not believe they were pious, so long as they were grossly ignorant of the fundamental doctrines of the Gospel. They were grossly ignorant of the true character of God; they were grossly ignorant of the nature and extent of both the precept and penalty of the Divine law; they were grossly ignorant of the entire depravity and sinfulness of their own hearts; they were grossly ignorant of the Divinity and mediatorial character and conduct of Christ; and of course they were totally ignorant of the doctrine of justification by faith alone, in the sufferings and death of the Divine Redeemer. These were all essential doctrines of the Gospel, and of these, the Scribes, and Pharisees, and Jews in general, were grossly ignorant. This ignorance, the apostle supposed, was entirely incompatible with their having any holy, or gracious affection. 442. IMAGINATION, IMAGINARY. Facts are often converted into fictions, by passing through the medium of a disordered imagination. |