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presented in the person of the Saviour; and in him are superadded also the peculiar and pre-eminent characteristics of his system of life and perfection. The old prophets served and honored and worshipped God, and labored for the good of mankind, according to their gifts and lights. It is the Saviour's mission to complete what they began; to fulfil all righteousness; to proclaim the whole truth of Heaven; to carry out the purposes of the Almighty Father to the glorious end which the prophets foresaw, as through golden mist, in their hours of highest inspiration, and which they attempted to describe in their noble and glowing diction. He now is the guide of the world; in him is embodied the highest life and the highest law; and to him must we yield unreluctant, cheerful obedience. And we hear him say, in the uncompromising spirit, and in the anthoritative manner of a messenger from God, greater and more exalted than all the former prophets: Follow me. I am the way, the truth, and the life. Ye have heard that it hath been said in old time, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth; but I say unto you, resist not evil. If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink. Overcome evil with good.

Christ has come to the world with the grand revelation that the highest power of the universe is moral; and that by this power the great objects of God are to be attained. He accepts neither sword nor spear for his cause. Though all the kingdoms of the earth send forth their armed hosts to meet and confront him, he will not ask for the help of the cohorts of war. He is the Prince of Peace, and in the might of truth and

love he will advance, followed by his true disciples, forming an endless procession, marching on, rank after rank, through all the coming ages, till he conquer the world, and bring it to God.

The warfare of this Chieftain is the moral warfare of truth against error, of love against hate, of holiness against sin. How all the high qualities of his soul are revealed to our eyes, while we contemplate him at the head of his spiritual forces! What self-sacrifice, what courage, what nobleness, what purity, what perseverance do we behold! All virtues meet and are perfect in him. Surely such a leader will hold his followers together, and lead them in triumph over the subdued and renovated domain of iniquity. He will convince the world of the omnipotence of truth and love.

Those men are the noblest who enlist to serve in the holy war of this Commander. Theirs is a service that will not augment, but will alleviate, human woe. It is a service, too, that will not soon terminate. All true men in the army of the Son of God will be faithful warriors till the reign of sin shall cease. On the old battle-fields of our country, the strife was short; the roar of cannon soon died away;

Soon rested those who fought; but thou
Who minglest in the harder strife
For truths which men receive not now,
Thy warfare only ends with life.

A friendless warfare! lingering long,
Through weary day and weary year;
A wild and many-weaponed throng
Hang on thy front and flank and rear.

Yet nerve thy spirit to the proof,
And blanch not at thy chosen lot;
The timid good may stand aloof,
The sage may frown-yet faint thou not.

Nor heed the shaft too surely cast,
The hissing, stinging bolt of scorn;
For with thy side shall dwell, at last,
The victory of endurance born.

Truth, crushed to earth shall rise again;
The eternal years of God are hers;
But error wounded writhes in pain,
And dies amid his worshippers.

The Saviour's field of conflict is wide as the world; and it is sufficiently chequered with perils and dangers, sufficiently barricaded with the serried ranks the bristling forces of sin, to call out the highest resolves, to excite the noblest ambition, to bring into play the mightiest energies of men. It comprehends the moral universe. And we become partakers with Christ our Leader in the nobleness and divinity of heaven, when we join with him in overcoming the wrongs, the iniquities of this broad domain. And if we, on this field, succeed in subduing our own passions, in attaining a position far above the plane of sin, and in proving that we love our neighbor as we love ourselves; that we love God with all our heart, and mind, and strength, we become heroes and conquerors in the loftiest and grandest sense.

DISCOURSE XI.

FORMS.

MATTHEW VI. 9.

AFTER THIS MANNER THEREFORE PRAY YE.

The forms of religion are aids to the soul in its endeavor to perceive and to realize the highest good. Had they been unnecessary, they never would have been instituted or employed, except by the slaves of idolatry and superstition. These classes have always looked and labored for salvation as an outward and foreign good, to be attained by outward rites or deeds. Were the forms of religion unnecessary, none but these classes would notice or practice them, for there are men of another order who consider salvation a moral condition which is attained by the soul and heart in their spiritual efforts. These men have no thought of the highest good, but as a moral condition which they may grow to as a form of character which they may take by living a life of wisdom and purity. And so none but such rites as help them to this condition will they respect or value. They know that if they can but attain a form of moral excellence or pu

rity, it will not be asked what their outward circumstances or movements have been; nor will they be concerned about the place they shall occupy within the domain of God.

The great thing to be attained is purity of heart. Of course, the means and efforts to be employed for the attainment of this condition, must be within our inward nature. Nevertheless, there are outward instrumentalities and helps which we may and ought to make use of in our struggle to attain this moral condition. When a man's eyes are dim, he makes use of such aids as will enable him to see. As he cannot look upon God's works around him, the mountains, hills, woods, rivers, lakes and seas, or study the countless stars in the heavens, or read the writings of the wise and good who have filled the world with books, so well without these aids as he does with them. He shows his wisdom in using them. Nor does any sensible man blame him. What are we as religious beings, but dim-sighted children of God? And what are the forms of religion introduced by Christ and the apostles, but aids to our moral vision- but spectacles and telescopes through which we see more clearly than we could without their help, the realities of the spiritual world, and the great and noble end we hope to attain ?

The forms of religion which are proper and appropriate are aids to our moral sight. We look through them, and comprehend more fully the sublime lessons of the Gospel. By means of them we enter into nearer communion with the holiest and loftiest of beings, and learn more and more of their character and pur

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