ignorance and wickedness; and it coincides with the last results of the most enlightened philosophy. It was taught eighteen hundred years ago; yet so extensive are its requirements, that they are still but imperfectly comprehended by many of Christ's disciples. I do not say that they are imperfectly obeyed, - this would be universally true,— but that there are many by whom they are but partially understood. This is not because they are expressed obscurely, or because they breathe any spirit of fanaticism, or require any course of conduct opposed to nature and reason. It is because there are many who do not understand their own nature, their true interest, and their relations to their fellow-creatures.

We render to every man his due; we violate no man's rights; there is no one who can complain that we have injured him; we have broken no one of the commandments. All this is very

well; and we fancy, perhaps, that we have fulfilled our obligations. But if this be the whole of our goodness, we are yet very far from the virtue required by Jesus Christ. We do no evil; —we are required to exert ourselves habitually to do good. There is a demand upon us for the most disinterested and the most active benevolence. He who

would be a disciple of Christ must acquire the virtue of Christian charity. He must blend and lose his individual interests in those of his family, his friends, his country, and mankind. It is the business of a Christian to render services to his fellow-men. "Let him who would be great among you minister to you, and let him who would be chief among you be your servant." What ministry and what services are required appears from the example proposed for imitation in the words. which follow: "Even as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life to ransom many." "Do good and lend, hoping for nothing in return." "Do to others whatever you would that they should do to you." "I was hungry, and you gave me food; thirsty, and you gave me drink; a stranger, and you received me into your houses; naked, and you clothed me; sick, and you took care of me; in prison, and you In doing so to one of the hum

came to me.

It

blest of these my brothers, you did so to me." But what are the limits of this charity, as it was inculcated by Jesus Christ? It has none. must form itself upon the model of the infinite goodness of the common Father. It must triumph over inveterate prejudices and bitter hostil

ity; ;- the Samaritan is the neighbor of the Jew. It must forget insult and persecution and cruelty; and when the occasion of rendering good for evil has come, it must regard an enemy merely as an erring and unhappy fellow-creature, for whose benefit and improvement it is our duty to labor. "You have heard that it was said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy. But I say to you, Love your enemies, bless them who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who harass and persecute you; that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he causes his sun to rise on the bad and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous." The production of happiness is the only ultimate end of the operations of God; and if we would secure his favor, and attain the perfection of our nature, we must be fellow-workers with God.

One can scarcely avoid feeling some reluctance to state the extent of these requirements, when he looks around, and sees how imperfectly they have been obeyed; how imperfectly they are obeyed; how many seem scarcely to have a notion of their existence, and how many there are who look with a sort of compassionate or contemptuous superior

ity upon all conduct which cannot be resolved into prudent selfishness, satisfied with their own sagacity, proud of their success, and regarding "the wisdom which is from above" only as the notion of men weak, enthusiastic, and ignorant of the world.

Compare the precepts of Jesus Christ with the moral principles, and, if you are willing to go still further, with the moral practice of the age in which they were delivered; compare his code of duty with the conceptions which men have derived from their natural sentiments operated upon by the circumstances common to us all; and it will be perceived that it is indeed a wonderful system of morals. It coincides, as I have said, with the last results of enlightened philosophy; but it is because philosophy has been enlightened and guided by these very precepts inculcated in the Gospels. How does it happen, - for this, it must be recollected, is the question before us, how does it happen that these precepts are found in the Gospels? How was it that the writers of these books formed a conception of such a teacher as they have described?

CHAPTER III.

THE CHARACTER OF CHRIST AS IT APPEARS IN THE GOSPELS.

(CONTINUED.)

SECTION II.

His Personal Character.

IN the conception of a divine teacher, much more is required than that his doctrines and instructions should be worthy of God; and, conformably to this remark, the personal character which in the Gospels is ascribed to Jesus Christ is most striking and original. At the same time, there is such an air of truth in these writings, that, whatever may be any one's doubts or opinions, he can hardly read them attentively without a strong feeling that he is reading a narrative of real events, and without conceiving of the character of Christ as one which actually existed. He is represented as not only destitute of all advantages of rank or station, but, still more, as placed in circumstances