duty; and adds the celebrated resolution, "I will obey the Divinity rather than you." He declares, that he has been given to his country by the special favor of the Divinity, and says, that, mindful of his high commission, he has, during many years, to the total neglect of his private interest, devoted himself to the welfare of his countrymen, and, addressing the citizens individually as opportunity offered, with all the interest and affection of a father or an elder brother, has exhorted them to the love and practice of virtue.

But, noble and disinterested as were the views of this greatest of all the ancient philosophers, what comparison can be instituted between him and the Author of Christianity, in regard to their respective designs, and the spirit manifested in them? Socrates labors to instruct and reform the Athenians; Jesus designs to instruct and renovate the human race, spread over the face of the earth; and not only so, but his design embraces the renovation and salvation of all the future generations of mankind. Socrates, although he sees how vain and impious the sentiments of his countrymen are, concerning the nature of the Divinity, not only does not dare to overthrow the idolatry of Athens, but thinks that some allowance should be made for their prejudices, and even participates in their superstition. The Gospel of Jesus, on the other hand, was designed (and much of this design has been accomplished) to overthrow and exterminate all false divinities throughout the earth, and to bring all men to unite in the worship of the supreme and true God. Socrates is not deterred from his design by the menaces of his ungrateful countrymen, and at length perishes by a mild and honorable kind of death. The design unfolded in the Gospel of Jesus excites against him, both the utmost virulence of the Jews, and the scorn and contempt of the Gentiles; and at length he dies the death of the cross, a punishment, of all the most painful and ignominious. Finally, although we may rightfully view Socrates as the first of all the philosophers of antiquity, still, when we consider the plan which he devised, the labors he performed, or the knowledge he imparted, we must be convinced that he was far, very far,

surpassed, even by the apostles of our Saviour; and that, in respect to the Saviour himself, when we regard the design, the spirit, and the power of his Gospel, NEVER MAN SPAKE LIKE

(3.) Christianity is the only religion which has undertaken to control and regulate the prime sources of human action, by putting a moral restraint on the thoughts. The feelings and propensities of mankind, which require to be specially curbed in their ultimate sources, are of two kinds, the malicious, and the voluptuous passions. "From within," says our Saviour, “out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness; all these evil things come from within, and defile the man." He denounces the Scribes and Pharisees in the most severe terms, because, while they made clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, they were within full of extortion and excess. He says, they appeared outwardly righteous unto men, but within were full of hypocrisy and iniquity. And he compares them to whited sepulchres, which appear outwardly beautiful, but within are full of dead men's bones and of all uncleanness. And, above all, the searching and decisive declaration designed to curb the first risings of unlawful desire; "Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." §

No one can doubt, that the control and regulation of the passions and propensities of our nature is indispensable, and that the placing the check on the thoughts, instead of the actions, is one important point of difference between religion and law. While Christianity manifests the utmost solicitude to regulate the affections, appetites, and desires, the law is contented with bringing the actions of delinquents to its tribunal, and does not take notice of their thoughts, or even their intentions, except so far as these give a character to their actions. From the nature of the case, the law must be satisfied with regulating the actions of men; but Christianity, addressing itself immediately to the conscience,

* John vii. 46. —See Reinhard's Opuscula Academica, Vol. I. p. 240, &c. ↑ Mark vii. 21 - 23. Mat. xxiii. 25 - 28. § Mat. v. 28.

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has the power to penetrate the inmost recesses of the human breast, and to curb the inmost thoughts. Christianity makes the control of the thoughts essential. External appearance is no recommendation, internal purity is every thing. And every reflecting man must be convinced, that this is the only discipline which can succeed. The law of the land is extremely defective, as a moral system, because, among other reasons, while it prohibits certain actions, it can impose no restraint on the thoughts. Wise legislators, in all ages, have been sensible of this deficiency in the reach of the law.* Without restraint, all the passions soon become ungovernable, and their effects disastrous. "Every moment of time," says Haller, "that is spent in meditations upon sin, increases the power of the dangerous object which has possessed our imagination."† This may suffice to illustrate the great moral feature of Christianity, which goes up to the sources of human conduct, and imposes a curb, where it will be most effectual, on the thoughts, affections, passions, appetites, desires, and intentions.

(4.) In Christianity, mere profession is unvalued and disregarded, unless accompanied by practical morals and active, virtue. "Not every one (no one) that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven." "I will have mercy and not (rather than) sacrifice." § "Not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified." || "Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own. selves. Whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the word, this man shall be blessed in his deed." Again, "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”¶

Any profession of Christianity which does not produce good works, as its natural fruit, is pronounced vain and hypocritical. In this way, Christian morals are inseparably incorporated with

* See above, pp. 30-32.

+ Quoted by Dr. Paley, Evidences of Christianity, p. 232. Mat. vii. 21. § Mat. ix. 13. || Rom. ii. 13.

James i. 22-27.

a profession of the Christian religion. "Bring forth, therefore, fruits meet for repentance." * Again, "Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so, every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." Again, comparing faith and works, St. James says, "What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. By works a man is justified, and not by faith only. For, as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." And the same sacred writer declares, that mere belief in one God without a corresponding moral effect, is no better than the belief of devils, who, while they believe, tremble at the vengeance of the Most High. +

We have seen that mere profession, and even zeal, however impassioned, without corresponding practical virtue, will not be acceptable; and it may be added, that neither are actions, done from motives of ostentation and desire of fame, virtuous in the eye of Christianity. Still it is the selfish desire of fame, to be used for purposes of self-gratification only, or chiefly, and not to be turned to the benefit of mankind, on which Christianity frowns. We may aim, and ought to aim, to acquire reputation, which we propose to ourselves to use rightfully and beneficially. "Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them, otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. When thou prayest, enter into thy closet; and, when thou hast shut the door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." §

Mat. iii. 8. Mat. vii. 16 - 20.

James ii. 14 - 26. § Mat. vi. 1-6.

What is here said of prayer and almsgiving, must, by parity of reasoning, be applied to all other duties and virtues. "This exclusion of regard to human opinion," says Dr. Paley, "is a difference, not so much in the duties to which the teachers of virtue would persuade mankind, as in the manner and topics of persuasion. And in this view the difference is great. When we set about to give advice, our lectures are full of the advantages of character, of the regard that is due to appearances, and to opinion; of what the world, especially of what the good or great, will think or say; of the value of public esteem, and of the qualities by which men acquire it. Widely different from this was our Saviour's instruction; and the difference was founded upon the best reasons. For, however the care of reputation, the authority of public opinion, or even of the opinion of good men, the satisfaction of being well received and well thought of, the benefit of being known and distinguished, are topics to which we are fain to have recourse in our exhortations; the true virtue is that which discards these considerations absolutely, and which retires from them all, to the single internal purpose of pleasing God. This, at least, was the virtue which our Saviour taught. And in teaching this, he not only confined the views of his followers to the proper measure and principle of human duty, but acted in consistency with his office as a monitor from Heaven."*

Furthermore, with Christianity, the mild, gentle, and peaceful virtues take precedence of all others. "As we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office; so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another." That is, Christians, in respect

to harmony, are to resemble the limbs of the human body in their intimate union. "Let love be without dissimulation. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another; patient in tribulation, continuing instant in prayer; distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. Bless them which persecute you; bless, and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another.

* Evidences of Christianity, p. 238.