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on each side so effectual, that they both fell to the ground. much wounded and bruised, and lay there for some time as in a trance.

A good Druid who was travelling that way, found them in this condition. The Druids were the physicians of those times as well as the priests. He had a sovereign balsam about him, which he had composed himself, for he was very skilful in all the plants that grew in the fields or in the forests; he staunched their blood, applied his balsam to their wounds, and brought them, as it were, from death to life again. As soon as they were sufficiently recovered, he began to inquire into the occasion of their quarrel." Why, this man," cried the black knight, "will have it that yonder shield is silver." "And he will have it," repeated the white knight, "that it is gold." And then they told him all the particulars of the affair.

"Ah," said the Druid with a sigh," you are both of you my brethren, in the right, and both of you in the wrong. Had either of you given himself time to look on the opposite side of the shield, as well as that which first presented itself to view, all this passion and bloodshed might have been avoided: however, there is a very good lesson to be learned from the evils that have befallen you on this occasion. Permit me, therefore, to entreat you never to enter into any dispute for the future, till you have fairly considered both sides of the question. BEAUMONT.

The highest of all characters, in my estimation, is his, who is as ready to pardon the errors of mankind, as if he were every day guilty of some himself; and, at the same time, as cautious of committing a fault, as if he never forgave one. It is a rule then, which we should, upon all occasions, both private and public, most religiously observe; to be inexorable to our own failings, while we treat those of the rest of the world with tenderness, not excepting even such as forgive none but themselves. MELMOTH'S PLINY.

It is the glory of a man to pass over a transgression.—

PROVERBS XIV. 11.

Thus wisdom speaks aloud, and yet

Pride hardly will resign;

Though to forgive, and to forget,
Is godlike-is divine.

When injur'd, I can scarce tell how
To pass the injury by;

My angry spirit will not bow,
Nor let resentment die.

The heaving billows swell within,
Till all is tempest grown;
And thus I share another's sin,
And make his guilt my own.

But come my proud, my selfish heart,
One serious thought bestow;
Do I thus act the Christian part?
Has Jesus acted so?

Just the reverse: his generous breast
Did kind compassion move;
When sinners curs'd, the Saviour blest,
And injuries paid with love.
Although by wicked hands he died,
With the last breath he drew,
"Father forgive," he sweetly cried,
Himself forgave them too.

Jesus! I hide my head in shame;
I blush and weep to see

That I, who wear thy sacred name,
No more conform to thee.

O! the sharp pangs He underwent
To clear my guilty score !
And shall I trifling wrongs resent?
No, I'll resent no more!

I'll seize th' offending brother's hand,
And call him still my friend;

My angry passions I'll disband,

And ev'ry quarrel end.

Why should we differ by the way?
Why should dissensions come?
We hope to spend an endless day,
In one eternal home.

While others their punctilios boast;
Lord, bend my stubborn will;
For he that condescends the most,
Remains the victor still.

Fain would I imitate my Lord,
And bear each cross event;

Humility's its own reward,

But pride's a punishment.

Come, blessed Spirit, heavenly dove,
Descend on balmy wings!
Come, tune my passions all to love,
And strike the peaceful strings.

Jesus, my longing soul shall wait,
And near thy feet adore;

Till I shall reach that blissful state,
Where discord is no more.

WAR.

HOSTILITY; state or act of opposition. To WAR, to make war; to be in a state of hostility.

WARFARE, military service; military life,

JOHNSON.

IBID.

The state of Christians, even when they are not actually persecuted, is a perpetual state of warfare and voluntary sufferings. ATTERBURY.

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh; for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God, to the pulling down of strongholds. 2 CORINTHIANS X. 3, 4.

In the old Dutch language WAR is spelt WERRE, and in French it is GUERRE, to which of these derivatives the word may be attributed, is uncertain; perhaps to both. If we turn to the Latin tongue, we find BELLUM is significant of this word of direst import, hence we have BELLIGERENT, waging war; REBEL; REBELLION; REBellious,

&c.

WAR is threatened by God in Scripture as one of the greatest judgments, and may justly be reckoned among the many dreadful miseries which sin has entailed on mankind. CRUDEN.

Scatter thou the people that delight in war.
PSALM LXVIII. 30.

He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth: he breaketh the bow and cutteth the spear in sunder: he burneth the chariot in the fire. PSALM XLVI. 9.

From whence come wars and fightings among you? Come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? JAMES IV. 1.

SPIRITUAL WARFARE.-The common acceptation of

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war in scripture, is a state of hostility between nations, states, provinces, or parties, as in 1 Kings xiv. 30; Luke xiv. 31; and many other places. But it is also taken in a spiritual sense, as in 2 Corinthians x. 3, where the apostle says, "We war not after the flesh,' that is, "We do not use outward force and strength; but as the end of our warfare is spiritual, so are the means; the gospel we preach has its effects on the minds and inward parts of men, and through the power of divine grace is made effectual for the subduing and sanctifying their corrupt and sinful natures." CRUDEN.

The Son of God is gone to war,
A kingly crown to gain;

His blood-red banner streams afar;
Who follows in his train?

Who best can drink his cup of woe,
Triumphant over pain;

Who boldest bears his cross below,
He follows in his train.

The martyr first, whose eagle eye
Could pierce beyond the grave;
Who saw his master in the sky,
And called on him to save:
Like Him, with pardon on his tongue,
In midst of mortal pain,

He pray'd for them that did the wrong :
Who follows in his train?

A glorious band, the chosen few,
Ön whom the Spirit came;

Twelve valiant saints, the truth they knew,
And braved the cross and flame;

They met the tyrant's brandish'd steel,

The lion's gory mane;

They bow'd their necks, the death to feel:
Who follows in their train?

A noble army, men and boys,

The matron and the maid,

Around their Saviour's throne rejoice,

In robes of light array'd;

They climb'd the dizzy steep of heaven,

Through peril, toil, and pain.

Oh God, to us may grace be given

To follow in their train.

HEBER.

WARS OF THE JEWS NO AUTHORITY FOR CHRISTIANS.

-The Hebrews were formerly a very warlike nation.

The books that inform us of their wars are neither flattering nor ignorant authors, but were inspired by the Spirit of truth and wisdom. Their warriors were none of those fabulous heroes, or professed conquerors, whose business it was to ravage cities and provinces, and to reduce foreign nations under their dominion, merely for the sake of governing them and purchasing a name. They were commonly wise and valiant generals, raised up by God to fight his battles, and to exterminate his enemies. They were such as Joshua, Caleb, Gideon, Jephthah, Samson, David, and Josiah, whose names alone are a sufficient encomium. CRUDEN.

It is true that, in the inscrutable wisdom of his providence, the Almighty was at times pleased, under a former dispensation, to permit and to authorize war for the punishment of nations for their wickedness; but this is no warrant for us to fight. We can plead no such authority; we are living under the administration of grace and truth which came by Jesus Christ. His advent upon earth was ushered in by a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men." It is the purpose of our heavenly Father, that mankind should be brought under the power of this grace and truth. As this becomes the case, that love to our native land and that affection to our countrymen which are natural to us, are enlarged, exalted, and purified. Under the sacred and blessed influence of the love of Christ, we not only seek to live in harmony with our own countrymen, and in the performance of acts of brotherly kindness towards them; but under the expansive power of the same heavenly principle, we acknowledge the people of every nation, of every clime, of every colour, as our brethren, the children of one and the same Almighty Parent and Father in heaven. Regarding them in this relation, we desire to serve them, to help them, and to do them good; we feel that to injure or to destroy them, is to violate that brotherhood which God has established between us-is to transgress that holy law of peace and good-will, which is the distinguishing characteristic of the religion of our Lord and Saviour.

AUTHORITIES AGAINST WAR.-ERASMUS was the most

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