one of the parties become pious, the change will only produce alienation of heart in him whose attachment was founded on natural qualities or attainments : the correspondence of senti- ment which is essential to love will have ceased ; and the most ardent affection will from thenceforth either be changed into hatred, or subside into cold respect.
As the foundation of merely natural attachments is defective, so also is the exercise: for how can our love aim at the spiritual welfare of its object, when we ourselves have no spiritual sensi- bility ? We may do much, and suffer much, for the temporal happiness of those we love ; but we shall retard, rather than advance, whatever could conduce to the good of his soul. How miserably defective then must such attachment be, when, in- stead of promoting, it obstructs the most valuable ends of life !
Nor is it possible, in the very nature of things, for such attachments to continue beyond the present state of existence. The righteous have a prospect beyond the grave. As a river gliding sweetly through its banks is separated at last by an interveiiing pier, and then flows in renewed union to the ocean to part no more, so do the godly pass their days together in sweet communion, till separated for a moment by death, they meet again in the future world, to spend a,n eternity together in unfading bliss. But no such prospect opens to the worldly man : however happy he may be in his love or friendship, his views are bounded by the narrow limits of this present world. We might add too, that even in this world its continuance is most uncertain : for where religion does not reign in the heart, and form the basis of our affection, the attachment is liable to be easily interrupted, and speedily dissolved : and it is but too often found, that when the object ceases, through illness or poverty, to administer the wonted satisfaction, attachment languishes, and gives way to indifference and neglect.]
Intimately connected with this subject is,
II. The hatred of the unjust —
That men should hate those who injure them, will not create in us any surprise ; but that they should hate those xvliom they have hyiired, and because they have injured them, may seem strange indeed : but this is really the common course of human events. The instance recorded in our text is worthy of particular notice. The injury which Amnon had done to Tamar was beyond measure great : and, if his love under- went any change at all, we might well suppose that it would give way to pity and compassion. But behold, instead of harbouring any tender emotions