The works of the Rev. William Thom, late minister ... - waughfamily.ca

SERM0N5. 131great part of a neighbouring kingdom, which, by theefforts or the terror of their armies, they divided a-^mong themfelvcs.—A third lull, from which warsarife, is ambition or pride. This luft is, I believe, inthe eftimation of the world, accounted lefs mean andcontemptible than the bafe purfuit of riches, or thewild defire of fcnfual pleafure, but it is certainly aspernicious. If we attentively examine the hiftory ofpaft times, we will fee that princes have often raifedwar from the luft of worldly glory, from an unbridleddefire to enlarge their dominions, and to fee theneighbouring kings brought into fubje£tion, and bowingdown before them j or, from a luft of glory ascriminal, namely, to enflave their own fubjedls, fothat they ftiallnot dare to think of refifting tiieir arbitrarywill, or even to mutter or complain of thegrievous oppreflion which they fuffer. Thefe lufts,which I have fo briefly mentioned, are the famewhich St. John enumerates, after advifing us not tolove the world. *' Love not," he fays, " the world,neither the things that are in the world ; for all thatis in the world, the luft of the flefh, and the luft ofthe eyes, and the pride of life, which is not of theFather, but is of the world." Luft, in general, is thecaufe of war. To fome one or other of the diforderlyappetites I have named, ihe rife of every warmay be traced. I will however mention, as a particularcaufe of war, the paflion of revenge, u^ich is,you know, the child of pride. This luft, I doubt not,hath fometimes been the caufe of wars and fightings.A nation, from its ill fuccefs in war, or from dreadof being fwallowed up or overwhelmed by fome formidableneighbour, hath been perhaps forced to fubmitto terms which it thinks uffreafonable and unjuft.It keeps itfelf quiet for perhaps a long time : Like abull in the foreft, it colle