Before however we Seek for preventives
or remedies for a disease, it is desirable
that we should thoroughly understand the
nature of it. I propose therefore in the en-
suing lecture to consider the nature and
origin of the excess and, abuse of. party-
feeling, — the combination; of it with other
principles of the human miiid, and the'
effects to which it has led. May He of
whose body we are members, — who has
promised his support to the Church mi-
litant on earth, — ^and through whom we
hope to join the Church triumphant in
heaven, — vouchsafe to aid our exertions^ —
to direct our inquiries, — and to lead us^
b^ his Spirit, into all truth !



LECTURE II.
PARTY-SPIRIT.
James iii. 14 — 17.
Jf ye have hitter envying and strife in your
hearts, glory not, ami lie not against the truth.
This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is
earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envy-
ing and strife is, there is confttsiorf. and every
evil work. But the ijOisdom that i^Jrom above
is first pure, then 'peaceable, gentle, and easy
to be entreated, full of merey and goodfrmtSj,
Vfithaut partiality and teitfiout hypocrisy.
As there is no original principle of our na-
ture that is not d^jsignfed to answer some
good purpbsie, so ther^ is none that is not
liable to become mischievous, when ill-
regiilated, and misdirected, and excessive :
and those which^ under the Control of rnoral
principle and discretion, are the niost bene-
ficial, are commonly the most hurtful also,
when they escape from that control. Suoh

D



34 PARTY-SPIRIT. Lect.II.
