170 ILL EFFECTS OF debate and controversy, by no means friendly to the cause of genuine Christi- anity. We shall notice these effects in their order. There is scarcely a greater mistake in morals, than is committed by those who habitually speak of vanity as a trifling fault, as a small pass not worth guard- ing. There is perhaps scarcely an error which is so generally adopted, and so carelessly overlooked. It finds its way into characters of every species, and al- most into every individual of the species. There is not only the vanity of beauty, ofrank, of riches, of learning, of talents, but, as we have already observed, vanity intrudes itself into religion itself. A bold familiarity with Scripture, an unhallowed touching of the sacred ark, not as formerly by sceptics and scoffers only, but by persons professing, and we believe intending to be religious, are, it is to be feared, becoming too common,. This, like many other of our offences, has its foundation in vanity. It is ob-
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