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]72 General, Deprav2'ty.
which is our Christmas day, and the time on which the yule. clog l$l)l1l“ll9d.
in England. Some years ago in Ireland we used tornake bonfire: or;
four stated days.in the year; but at present we only retain t,h.e Clf-Viol.“ Ot
making fires on Midsummer's day. Although I do not. know,‘ If “8. 3e
present in any place make .bonfires on May day, .)'Ct .1‘ ‘.1l’l’.S?1.“‘5 tolma
more than probable, that the custom of planting may-bushes, IIf3)f'l’0 9”
and other ceremoniesyonl that day, are some remains of‘ a. ;l)l111d1C81. 51‘;
critice. May-day, in Irish, is called Lab'.Baal tinib :. that is to say, the
day of Baal's fire. This Baal was one of their Gods; but wliethtil‘ 1
same with the eastern Baa] or not, I Shall I10?-pr6tGl1,d,t0 (.10.t.9m.“‘.“" '
General Depravity.
WHEN the first Author and prime Minister of all evil xvisl1.0d.t."5?"
ver the human will from the divine will of Christ, like a'n.e.x' erlCf1C‘
politician, he applied all his alluremcnts to the rhonopol1.z1ng.scl(tl;tl)‘g
the sensuality of appetite, the voracionsness of‘ atnblfl0.D: 3“, ‘Id
exalted pleasure of domineering over a servile and subjected “"-3.“;
But the tempter shrewdly suspecting that Christ might be the foe ‘”
.whum he had been threatened, deemed it incumbent on this oeca5l0“
to bring up his whole artillery, and ‘to exhibit to his view, and .0ff31')3:
desires, the collecteduniverse of all the goods and all the glofleps. .“1
earth. . . , ' ,- 1
I shall make no comment on the consequence of the precedlllg tlga;
I shall only observe, that this arch enemy to’ every Spcf-‘1.95 0l,g"de,‘
ness and happiness, finds his trouble and cost of temptation d3l1Y '
' creasing.
z," V. 7‘
He does not now, indeed, offer a whole world to the selfish c’d‘“mri9sA
of those whom he would seduce. Experience shews him that 3 5"“
modicum, a mere pittance thereof, is sufficient to his pu1‘p0593 3“ re 3
husbanding his treasures with great (economy, he makes them 10 fa
length that it would be shameful to confess. . ,
He studies the characters. and eomplexions of all living, hanf1P“:)f
portions and suits his temptationsthereto. To the imagination
lust he divests and adds attractives to the favourite maid 01' matrolng
and conscience pleads in vain against rape or adultery. H8 Places tll-.
dreaming sensualist at the head of asheriff’s feast, and dissolves ,1‘:
whole soul amidst the soups and sauces. ’ He opens imagiI131'Y coffcrn
t0 the famy of the miser, and rivets his existence to the contemplall?’
of his hoard. He‘ calls forth, and provokes and galls the eye pf elm‘;
by adding imaginary lustre and value to all that it looks “P0” .tto'
exhales the spirit of vanity into outside and ornament," he attaches 1 ‘
the enchanting contemplation of self; and the whole soul of tha CV8‘;
ture is wom on its dress. He holds up, to the desiring eyes Pf ‘ms-
bition, crowns, eoronets, mitres, blazoned-coats, stars, and rlbbo“ ‘A
with all the glories of‘ the toy shop of the children of men- Al‘.
to the self of pride, he exhibits the trunchcons of command; the ‘lull C:
and rods of oflice, with the lawns, furs, and robings, wigs Md 031”