without delay, what is required of every individual and every organized community, to the end, that the world may be redeemed from sin, and raised to the condition of holiness.

Mankind have been slow in learning the lessons of the Saviour. From the first century to the ninteenth, how few have comprehended the old prophecies concerning Christ, or the views of him in the New Testament; how less a number still, have imbibed his spirit, and walked whole and free in the high paths, and in the clear air of his spiritual, boundless and eternal realm.

In this latest day, but a small body of mankind on earth comprehend and follow the Saviour. There are whole nations now calling themselves Christian; many lands upon which the Sun of Christianity shines. Yet, how imperfectly is the Saviour understood and obeyed by the millions of these lands. They believe in Christ, they believe that he is the Son of God, and that he is seated on the right hand of the Majesty on high. They are not looking with the Jews for a different teacher and guide; they are not looking with them for a temporal prince, and for a new earthly empire. Yet, they are too strongly tied to this world and worldly things; they are too much interested in worldly concerns, and too persistently engaged in worldly pursuits. They need to have higher aims and nobler employments. They need fit employment for their immortal faculties. It is necessary that their affections should be fixed on heavenly and eternal things; on those treasures which enrich and adorn

the soul when the wealth and attractions of the world

pass away.

Christians now can learn the meaning of the text by studying the lessons of the life of Christ. These are the commentary explaining all that was foretold of him and his kingdom. His words: "My kingdom is not of this world," cannot be misunderstood. They teach us plainly, that the realm in which he wields. the sceptre of love and peace is not like one of the kingdoms of the earth. They teach us that our Lord and Master would not have his servants fight for earthly dominion and power. His words: "Reform ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand," imply what course we should pursue, what realm we should enter as loving and obedient subjects. His life proclaims how we should live. It teaches that purity, goodness, virtue, holiness, finds everywhere a place in his heavenly kingdom: feels everywhere the control of his mighty and benevolent spirit; and it is conscious everywhere of the blessedness of the divine life which shall never end.

The Christian world is now rapidly attaining the true idea of Christ's character and greatness, the correct conception of his mission and purpose. In all directions, there are men rising to notice, who discern the true spirit of the Saviour; who behold his purpose; who feel the reforming influence of his teachings and his life; and they are leading those who are near them to see him as he is; to perceive his holiness and beauty; and to drink in and enjoy the life he imparts. They contemplate him as great in the high

est and noblest sense; as far above kings and princes, or the mightiest of the earth. They contemplate him as a spiritual and universal Saviour; as the Son of the Highest, who with his fan shall thoroughly purge his floor, and gather the wheat into his garner, and burn the chaff in unquenchable fire; who shall save and purify all that is valuable, and cast off and destroy all that is worthless; who shall redeem the souls of men from sin, and blot out all their transgressions; who shall subdue all things, all intelligent beings, unto himself, and put down all rule, all authority and power, and destroy death, the last enemy of our race: they contemplate him, I say, as such a Saviour of men, and such a destroyer of the sins by which they are degraded, and borne down to the saddest lot. And we therefore believe they are efficient laborers in the field of Reform; that they are training nobly and successfully the minds of men; that, day by day, and year by year, they are drawing hundreds and thousands of God's children into the true and blessed way of life.

DISCOURSE X.

WAR.

JOEL III. 9, 10.

PROCLAIM YE THIS AMONG THE GENTILES: PREPARE WAR, WAKE UP THE MIGHTY MEN; LET ALL THE MEN OF WAR DRAW NEAR; LET THEM COME UP BEAT YOUR PLOUGHSHARES INTO SWORDS. AND YOUR PRUNING HOOKS INTO SPEARS.

In the preceding discourse on the fulfilment of prophecy, I brought before you the old Hebrew Seers, in their periods of high religious thought, proclaiming confidence in the omnipotence of truth, and predicting its final triumph over error and sin, war and disorder; its ultimate universal reign of purity and peace, of harmony and blessedness.

Now, do not imagine that under this text I must present good and satisfactory reasons in favor of war. From such a task I beg to be excused. Indeed, there seems to be no necessity for such a service. Mankind are not so bent on peace that it becomes one of the duties of the Christian minister to blow the blast of war. All over the world, men very readily, and without any assistance from the ministers of Christ, find, or think they find, strong and sufficient reasons for war. It ap

pears to be the mission of the teachers of Christianity to attract men to the love and practice of peace.

There are those connected with the Christian Church who endeavor to show that war may sometimes be carried on in harmony with Christianity. I have no skill in this sort of labor. Wars, I know, have been overruled for good, as other evils have been; and I can believe that future wars will be overruled for good, for God has told us that he will do all his pleasure. But this is not a reason for causing wars to take place. We can point to no authority for doing evil that good may come. We ought not to do wrong because God is good. We can feel some respect and charity for a man, under certain circumstances, if he frankly and earnestly says: "War is inevitable, and I go to battle on worldly policy and with worldly aims;" but we cannot give him credit for common manliness, much less can we honor him for Christian dispositions and efforts, if he profess to be in favor of war on Christian grounds. This "carrying the war into Africa," or Mexico, or India, or China, or Turkey, in order to open a way for the diffusion of Christian doctrines and sentiments, is a mean and miserable subterfuge, which only hypocrites employ, and weak, mammon-worshipping Christians assent to. But "the end justifies the means," says the valiant man, with his armor on. What means? I ask, human or divine? Why should men trumpet forth their own glory, as soon as they see cities rising in splendor, and fields of corn waving in beauty, after the noise of war has ceased, and the smoke of battles has cleared away. And the end-what is the end of war?