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,,philosophy                ,,of ,,the  
,,plan ,,of ,,salvation4           ,a   
,book for the ,times4            ,,by   
,,an ,,american ,,citizen4           ,a 
,,new ,,edition ,,revised4         ,,the
 ,,religious ,,tract ,,society1         
#ef1 ,paternoster ,row2    #fe1 ,st4    
,paul's ,churchyard1 and           #afd1
 ,piccadilly4          ,,preface4       
,i4 ,,occasion ,,of ,,the ,,work4       
,during some of the first years of the  
writer's active life he was a  sceptic2 
he had a friend who has since become    
well known as a lawyer  and legislator1 
who was also sceptical in his opinions4 
,we were both  conversant with the      
common evidences of ,christianity4 ,none
 of them  convinced our minds of the    
,divine origin of the ,christian        

religion1  although we both thought     
ourselves willing to be convinced by    
sufficient evidence4 ,circumstances1    
which need not be named1 led the  writer
 to examine the ,bible1 and to search   
for other evidence than  that which had 
been commended to his attention by a    
much-esteemed  clerical friend1 who     
presided in one of our colleges4 ,the   
result of  the examination was a        
thorough conviction in the author's mind
 of the  truth and ,divine authority of 
,christianity4 ,he supposed at that time
  that1 in his inquiries1 he had adopted
 the only true method to settle  the    
question1 in the minds of all           
intelligent inquirers1 in relation  to  
the ,divine origin of the ,christian    
religion4 ,subsequent reflection  has   
confirmed this opinion4    ,convinced   
himself of the ,divine origin of the    
religion of the ,bible1  the author     
commenced a series of letters to convey 
to his friend the  evidence which had   
satisfied his own mind beyond the       

possibility of  doubt4 ,the             
correspondence was1 by the pressure of  
business  engagements1 interrupted4 ,the
 investigation was continued1 however1  
when leisure would permit1 for a number 
of years4 ,the results of this          
investigation are contained in the      
following chapters4 ,the epistolary     
form in which a portion of the book was 
first written will account for  some    
repetitions1 and some varieties in the  
style1 which otherwise  might not have  
been introduced4      ,,ii4 ,,reasons   
,,for ,,presenting ,,the ,,work ,,to    
,,the ,,public4    ,book-making is not  
the author's profession4 ,but after     
examining his  own private library1 and 
one of the best public libraries in the 
country1 he could find no treatise in   
which the course of reasoning  was      
pursued which will be found in the      
following pages4 ,dr4 ,chalmers1  in    
closing his ,bridgewater ,treatise1     
seems to have had an apprehension  of   
the plan and importance of such an      

argument2 and had he devoted  himself to
 the development of the argument        
suggested1 the effort would  have been  
worth more to the world than all the    
,bridgewater ,treatises  put together1  
including his own work4    ,coleridge   
has somewhere said that the ,levitical  
economy is an enigma  yet to be solved4 
,to thousands of intelligent minds it is
 not only an  enigma1 but it is an      
absolute barrier to their belief in the 
,divine  origin of the ,bible4 ,the     
solution of the enigma was the clue     
which  aided the writer to escape from  
the labyrinth of doubt2 and now1        
standing upon the rock of unshaken      
faith1 he offers the clue that  guided  
him to others4    ,a work of this kind  
is called for by the spirit of the age4 
,although  the signs of the times are   
said to be propitious1 yet there are    
constant developments of undisciplined  
and unsanctified mind both in  ,europe  
and ,america1 which furnishes matter of 
regret to the  philanthropist and the   

,christian4 ,a struggle has             
commenced--is going  on at present2 and 
the heat of the contest is constantly   
increasing1  in which the vital         
interests of man1 temporal and          
spiritual1 are  involved4 ,in relation  
to man's spiritual interests1 the       
central point  of controversy is the    
'cross of ,christ4' ,in ,new ,england1  
some of those  who have diverged from   
the doctrine of the fathers have        
wandered into  a wilderness of          
speculation which1 were it not for the  
evil  experienced by themselves and     
others1 ought1 perhaps1 to be pitied as 
the erratic aberrations of an unsettled 
reason1 rather than blamed as  the      
manifestations of minds determinately   
wicked4 ,the most painful  indication   
connected with this subject is1 that    
these guilty dreamers  are not waked    
from their reveries by the rebuke of men
 whose position  and relations in       
society demand it at their hands4       
,the west1 likewise1 is overrun by sects

 whose teachers1 under the  name of     
,reformers1 or some other inviting      
appellation1 are using every  effort to 
seduce men from the spiritual doctrines 
and duties of the  gospel1 or to        
organize them into absolute hostility   
against ,christ4  ,these men are not    
wanting in intellect1 or in acquired    
knowledge1 and  their labours have      
prejudiced the minds of great numbers   
against the  spiritual truths of the    
gospel1 and rendered their hearts       
callous to  religious influence4 ,these 
facts1 in the author's opinion1 render  
such  a volume as he has endeavoured to 
write necessary1 in order to meet  the  
exigencies of the times4           99   
99       99       99       99    999999 
,the present edition has been carefully 
revised2 and has been  slightly modified
 on one or two minor points1 to which   
exception had  been taken1 or which     
appeared obscure in expression4--#ahha4 
,,contents4        ,,chapter            
,,page        ,i4 ,man will worship--he 

will become assimilated to              
the character of the object that he     
worships--            ,character of     
heathen deities defective and           
unholy--,from this corrupting worship   
man has            no power to extricate
 himself                          #i    
,,ii4 ,the design and necessity of the  
bondage in ,egypt       #ba             
,,iii4 ,miracles--particularly the      
miracles which            accompanied   
the deliverance of the ,israelites      
from bondage in ,egypt                  
#be         ,,iv4 ,what was necessary as
 the first step in the                  
process of revelation                   
#cd          ,v4 ,the necessity of      
affectionate obedience to ,god2         
and the manner of producing that        
obedience in            the hearts of   
the ,israelites                         
#cf         ,,vi4 ,the design and       
necessity of the ,moral ,law            
#da        ,,vii4 ,the development of   
the idea of holiness1 and its           

transfer to ,jehovah as an attribute    
#de       ,,viii4 ,the origin of the    
ideas of justice and mercy1 and         
their transfer to the character of      
,jehovah            #ec         ,,ix4   
,the transition from the material       
system1 by which            religious   
ideas were conveyed through the senses1 
to the spiritual system1 in which       
abstract ideas            were conveyed 
by words and parables                   
#fa          ,x4 ,the medium of         
conveying to men perfect instruction    
in doctrine and duty                    
#ff         ,,xi4 ,some of the peculiar 
proofs of the ,messiahship of           
,christ                                 
#gj        ,,xii4 ,the condition in life
 which it was necessary the             
,messiah should assume in order to      
benefit the            human family in  
the greatest degree1 by his             
example and instructions                
#ge       ,,xiii4 ,the essential        
principles which must1 according to     

the nature of things1 lie at the        
foundation of            the instruction
 of ,christ                             
#ha        ,,xiv4 ,faith1 the exercise  
through which truth reaches             
and affects the soul                    
#hb         ,,xv4 ,the manifestations of
 ,god which would be necessary1         
under the new and spiritual             
dispensation1 to            produce in  
the soul of man affectionate obedience  
#hi        ,,xvi4 ,the influence of     
faith in ,christ upon the moral         
disposition and moral powers of the soul
             #aag       ,,xvii4 ,the    
design and the importance of the means  
of                                      
grace--prayer--praise--preaching        
#acc      ,,xviii4 ,the agency of ,god  
in carrying on the work of              
redemption1 and the manner in which that
 agency            is exerted           
#adf        ,,xix4 ,the practical       
effects of the system as exemplified    
in individual cases                     

#aej          ,,philosophy ,,of ,,the   
,,plan ,,of ,,salvation4                
,,chapter ,i4    ,,introductory4        
,,man ,,will ,,worship--,,he ,,will     
,,become ,,assimilated ,,to ,,the       
,,character ,,of ,,the  ,,object ,,that 
,,he ,,worships--,,character ,,of       
,,heathen ,,deities ,,defective ,,and   
,,unholy--,,from ,,this ,,corrupting    
,,worship ,,man ,,has ,,no ,,power ,,to 
,,extricate  ,,himself4    ,there are   
three facts1 each of them fully         
developed in the experience  of the     
human family1 a consideration of which  
will prepare the mind  for the          
investigation which follows4 ,when      
considered in their relation  to each   
other1 and in their bearing upon the    
moral interests of  mankind1 they will  
be seen to be of exceeding importance4  
,we will  adduce these facts1 in        
connection with the statements and      
principles  upon which they rest1 and   
show how vital are the interests which  
depend upon them4      ,,the ,,first    

,,fact ,,stated4    ,there is in the    
nature of man1 or in the circumstances  
in which he is  conditioned1 something  
which leads him to recognise and worship
 a  superior being4 ,what that something
 is1 is not important in our  present   
inquiry3--whether it be a constitutional
 instinct inwrought by  the             
,maker--whether it be a deduction of    
universal reason1 inferring a  first    
cause from the things that are          
made--whether it be the effect of       
tradition1 descending from the first    
worshippers1 through all the  tribes of 
the human family--whether any or all of 
these be the cause1  the fact is the    
same--,man is a religious being3 ,,he   
,,will ,,worship4    ,in view of this   
propension of human nature1             
philosophers1 in seeking a  generic     
appellation for man1 have denominated   
him a religious  animal4 ,the           
characteristic is true of him in        
whatever part of the  world he may be   
found1 and in whatever condition2 and it

 has been true  of him in all ages of   
which we have any record1 either        
fabulous or  authentic4    ,navigators  
have1 in a few instances1 reported that 
isolated tribes of  men1 whom they      
visited1 recognised the existence of no 
superior being3  subsequent researches1 
however1 have generally corrected the   
error2  and1 in all cases1 when it has  
been supposed that a tribe of men was   
found believing in no god1 the fact has 
been stated as an evidence of  their    
degradation below the mass of their     
species1 and of their  approximation to 
the confines of brute nature4 ,of the   
whole family of  man1 existing in all   
ages1 and scattered over the four       
quarters of the  globe1 and in the isles
 of the sea1 there is scarcely one      
well-authenticated exception to the     
fact1 that1 moved by an impulse of      
nature1 or the force of circumstances1  
man worships something which he         
believes to be endowed with the         
attributes of a superior being4         

,,the ,,second ,,fact ,,stated4    ,the 
second fact1 connected as it is1 by the 
nature of things1 with the  preceding1  
assumes the highest degree of           
importance4 ,it may be stated  in the   
following terms3--,man1 by worshipping1 
becomes assimilated  to the moral       
character of the object which he        
worships4 ,this is an  invariable       
principle1 operating with the certainty 
of cause and  effect4 ,the worshipper   
looks upon the character of the object  
which he  worships as the standard of   
perfection4 ,he therefore condemns      
everything in himself which is unlike1  
and approves of everything  which is    
like that character4 ,the tendency of   
this is to lead him to  abandon         
everything in himself1 and in his course
 of life1 which is  condemned by the    
character and precepts of his god1 and  
to conform  himself to that standard    
which is approved by the same criterion4
 ,the  worshipper desires the favour of 
the object worshipped1 and this1  reason

 dictates1 can be obtained only by      
conformity to the will and  the         
character of that object4 ,to become    
assimilated to the image of  the object 
worshipped must be the end of desire    
with the worshipper4  ,his aspirations1 
therefore1 every time he worships1 do1  
from the  nature of the case1 assimilate
 his character more and more to the     
model of the object that receives his   
homage4    ,to this fact the whole      
history of the idolatrous world bears   
testimony4 ,without an exception1 the   
character of every nation and  tribe of 
the human family has been formed and    
modified1 in a great  degree1 by the    
character attributed to their gods4     
,from the history of idolatrous nations 
we will cite a number of  familiar      
cases1 confirmatory of the foregoing    
statement1 that man  becomes like the   
object of his worship4    ,a most       
striking instance is that of the        
,scythians1 and other tribes of  the    
,northmen1 who subdued and finally      

annihilated the ,roman power4  ,odin1   
,thor1 and others of their supposed     
deities1 were ideas of  hero-kings1     
bloodthirsty and cruel1 clothed with the
 attributes of  deity1 and worshipped4  
,their worship turned the milk of human 
kindness  into gall in the bosoms of    
their votaries1 and they seemed1 like   
bloodhounds1 to be possessed of a horrid
 delight when they were  revelling in   
scenes of blood and slaughter4 ,it being
 believed that one  of their hero-gods1 
after destroying great numbers of the   
human race1  destroyed himself1 it hence
 became disreputable to die in bed1 and 
those who did not meet death in battle  
frequently committed suicide1  supposing
 that to die a natural death might      
exclude them from favour  in the hall of
 ,valhalla4    ,among the gods of the   
,greeks and ,romans there were some     
names1 in the  early ages of their      
history1 to which some virtuous         
attributes were  attached2 but the      
conduct and character generally         

attributed to their  gods were marked   
deeply with such traits as heroism1     
vengeance1  caprice1 and lust4 ,in the  
later history of these nations1 their   
idolatry degenerated in character1 and  
became a system of most  debasing       
tendency4    ,the heroism fostered by   
idolatry was its least injurious        
influence4  ,pope's couplet1 had he     
thrown a ray or two of light across the 
background of the dark picture1 would   
have been a correct delineation  of the 
character of pagan idols--        ',gods
 partial1 changeful1 passionate1 unjust2
      ,whose attributes were rage1      
revenge1 and lust4'    ,in some cases   
the most corrupt attributes of human    
nature1 and even of  brute nature1 were 
attributed to objects of worship1 and   
while men  bowed down to them1 they sank
 themselves to the lowest depths of     
vice4  ,the ,egyptians might be named as
 an instance4 ,the first patrons of the 
arts and sciences were                  
brute-worshippers2 and it is testified  

of them  that bestiality1 the lowest    
vice to which human nature can descend1 
was common amongst them4 ,the paintings 
and sculpture of their  divinities1 in  
the mummy catacombs1 are for the most   
part clusters of  beasts1 birds1        
reptiles1 and flies1 grouped together in
 the most  disgusting and unnatural     
relations2 a true indication that the   
minds  of the worshippers were filled   
with ideas the most vile and unnatural4 
,the ancient ,venus1 as worshipped by   
almost all the elder nations of         
antiquity1 was a personification of     
lust4 ,the deeds required to be  done at
 her polluting fane1 as acts of homage1 
ought not to be named4    ,in the best  
days of ,corinth--',corinth1 the eye of 
,greece'--the most  sacred persons in   
the city were prostitutes1 consecrated  
to the  worship of ,venus4 ,from this   
source she derived a large portion of   
her  revenues4 ,the consequence was1    
that her inhabitants became proverbial  
for dissoluteness and treachery4    ,to 

the heathen divinities1 especially those
 placed at the head of the  catalogue as
 the superior gods1 what theologians    
have called the  physical attributes of 
deity--omnipotent and omnipresent       
power--were  generally ascribed2 but    
their moral character was always        
defective1  and generally criminal4 ,as 
one of the best instances in the whole  
mythology of the ancients1 the ,roman   
,jupiter might be cited4 ,had a  medal  
been struck delineating the character of
 this best of the gods1  on one side    
might have been engraved ,almightiness1 
,omnipresence1  ,justice2 and on the    
reverse1 ,caprice1 ,vengeance1 ,lust4   
,thus  men clothed depraved or bestial  
deities with almighty power1 and they   
became cruel1 or corrupt1 or bestial in 
their affections1 by the  reaction of   
the character worshipped upon the       
character of the  worshipper4 ,in the   
strong language of a recent writer1     
',they clothed  beasts and depraved     
beings with the attribute of            

almightiness1 and in  effect they       
worshipped almighty beasts and devils4' 
,and the more they  worshipped1 the more
 they resembled them4    ,these         
testimonies concerning the influence of 
idolatrous worship1 and  the character  
of the idols worshipped1 are maintained 
by authorities  which render doubt in   
relation to their credibility           
impossible4 ,upon  this subject the     
wiser men among the ,greeks and ,romans 
have borne  unequivocal testimony4      
,plato1 in the second book of the       
,republic1  speaks of the pernicious    
influence of the conduct attributed to  
the  gods1 and suggests that such       
histories should not be rehearsed in    
public1 lest they should influence the  
youth to the commission of  crimes4     
,aristotle advises that statues and     
paintings of the gods  should exhibit no
 indecent scenes1 except in the temples 
of such  divinities as1 according to    
common opinion1 preside over            
sensuality4#a ,what an affecting        

testimony of the most discriminating    
mind among the heathen1 asserting not   
only the turpitude of the  prevailing   
idolatry1 but sanctioning the sensuality
 of their debauched  worship6        #a 
,aristot4 ,politica1 vii4 #ah1 ed4      
,schneider4    ,as ,rome and ,greece    
grew older1 the infection of idolatry   
festered1  until the body politic became
 one mass of moral disease4 ,the state  
of  things1 in the later ages of these  
nations1 is well stated by a late       
writer of the first authority4#b ',we   
should naturally suppose1' says  this   
writer1 'that among so great a variety  
of gods1 of religious  actions1 of      
sacred vows1 at least some better       
feeling of the heart  must have been    
excited2 that at least some truly pious 
sentiment would  have been awakened4    
,but when we consider the character of  
this  superstition1 and the testimony of
 contemporaneous writers1 such does  not
 appear to have been the fact4          
,petronius' history of that period      

furnishes evidence that temples were    
frequented1 altars crowned1 and  prayers
 offered to the gods1 in order that they
 might render nights of  unnatural lust 
agreeable2 that they might favour acts  
of poisoning2  that they might cause    
robberies and other crimes to prosper4' 
,in view  of the abominations prevailing
 at this period1 the moral ,seneca      
exclaimed--',how great now is the       
madness of men6 they lisp the most      
abominable prayers2 and if a man is     
found listening they are silent4  ,what 
a man ought not to hear1 they do not    
blush to relate to the  gods4' ,again1  
says he1 ',if any one considers what    
things they do1 and  to what things they
 subject themselves1 instead of decency 
he will  find indecency2 instead of the 
honourable1 the unworthy2 instead of    
the rational1 the insane4' ,such was    
heathenism and its influence in  the    
most enlightened ages1 according to the 
testimony of the best men  of those     
times4        #b ,tholuck on the        

,influence of ,heathenism4    ,in       
relation to modern idolatry1 the world  
is full of living witnesses  of its     
corrupting tendency4 ,we will cite1 in  
illustration1 a single  case or two4    
,the following is extracted from a      
public document1 laid  before           
,parliament by ,h4 ,oakley1 ,esq41 a    
magistrate in ,lower ,bengal4  ,speaking
 of the influence of idolatry in ,india1
 he says of the worship  of ,kal1 one of
 the most popular idols1 ',the murderer1
 the robber1 and  the prostitute1 all   
aim to propitiate a being whose worship 
is  obscenity1 and who delights in the  
blood of man and beast2 and without     
imploring whose aid no act of wickedness
 is committed4 ,the worship of  ,kal    
must harden the hearts of her followers2
 and to them scenes of  blood and crime 
must become familiar4'    ,in ,china1   
according to ,medhurst1 the priests of  
,buddha understand and  teach the       
doctrine of the assimilation of the     
worshipper to the object  worshipped4   

,they say--',think of ,buddha and you   
will be transformed  into ,buddha4 ,if  
men pray to ,buddha and do not become   
,buddha1 it is  because the mouth prays1
 and not the mind4'#c        #c ,for a  
succinct statement of the universal     
prevalence of false      religions1 and 
their corrupting influence1 see ,ryan on
 the ,effect      of ,religion upon     
,mankind1 passim4    ,two facts1 then1  
are philosophically and historically    
true3 ,first--,man  is a religious      
animal1 and will worship something as a 
superior being4  ,second--,by           
worshipping he becomes assimilated to   
the moral character  of the object which
 he worships4 ,and 7the ,god of the     
,bible out of view  for the present7    
those objects have always had a         
defective and unholy  character4        
,here1 then1 is one great source which  
has developed the corruption of  the    
family of man4 ,we inquire not in this  
place concerning the origin  of         
idolatry2 whatever or wherever was its  

origin1 its influence has  been         
uniformly the same4 ,as no object of    
idolatrous worship was ever  conceived  
to be perfectly just and benevolent1 but
 most of them no  better than the       
apotheosis of heroes1 or the deification
 of the  imperfect faculties and impure 
passions of human or brute nature1 the  
result followed1 with a certainty as    
unerring as cause and effect1  that man1
 by following his instinct to worship1  
would becloud his  intellect and corrupt
 his heart4 ,notice how inevitable1 from
 the  circumstances of the case1 was the
 corruption of man's powers3--,he was   
led to worship by an instinct over which
 he had no control3--,the  objects of   
his worship were1 whether he originated 
them or not1 all  of them of a character
 that corrupted his heart2 thus the     
gratification of his instinctive        
propensities inevitably strengthened    
the corruption of his nature4    ,now it
 is not our design to inquire whether1  
or how far1 man was  guilty in producing

 this evil condition of things4 ,in     
considering the  facts in the case1 the 
inquiry which forces itself upon the    
mind  is--,were there any resources in  
human nature1 or any means of any  kind1
 of which man could avail himself1 by   
which he might save himself  from the   
debasing influence of idolatrous        
worship8 ,in reply1      ,,the ,,third  
,,fact ,,is ,,stated4    ,there were no 
means within the reach of human power or
 wisdom1 by  which man could extricate  
himself from the evil of idolatry1      
either by  an immediate or by a         
progressive series of efforts4    ,this 
fact is maintained from the history of  
idolatry1 the testimony of  the heathen 
philosophers1 and the nature of man4    
#a4 ,instead of man acquiring the power 
or the disposition1 as the race  became 
older1 to destroy idolatry--idolatry1   
from its first entrance  into the world1
 gained power to destroy him4 ,amid all 
the mutations of  society1 from         
barbarous to civilised1 and amid all the

 conflicts of  nations1 and the changes 
of dynasties and forms of government1   
from  the first historic notices which  
we have of the human family down to  the
 era of ,christ1 idolatry constantly    
became more evil in its  character and  
more extended in its influence4 ,it is  
well ascertained  that the first objects
 of idolatrous homage were few and      
simple1 and  the worship of the earliest
 ages comparatively pure4 ,man fell into
  this moral debasement but one step at 
a time4 ,the sun1 moon1 stars1  and     
other conspicuous objects of creative   
power and wisdom received  the first    
idolatrous homage4 ,afterwards a        
divinity was supposed to  reside in     
other objects1 especially in those men1 
and beasts1 and  things which were      
instrumental in conferring particular   
benefits on  tribes or nations of men4  
,and finally1 images of those objects   
were  formed and worshipped4 ,images1   
which subsequently became innumerable1  
were not so in the earliest historic    

ages4 ,in some nations1 they were  not  
allowed until after the era of the      
foundation of ,rome4#d ,as the  nations 
grew older1 images1 which were at the   
first but few and  clothed with drapery1
 became more numerous1 and were         
presented before  the worshippers in a  
state of nudity1 and in most obscene    
attitudes4  ,and1 as has been before    
stated1 their character1 from being     
comparatively innoxious1 became1 without
 exception1 demoralising in  the        
extreme4        #d ,plutarch says that  
,numa forbade the ,romans to make       
statues of      their gods4    #b4      
,during the ,augustan age of ,rome1 and 
the age of ,pericles and  ,alcibiades in
 ,greece--those periods when the mind   
had attained the  highest elevation ever
 known among heathen nations--the mass  
of the  people were more idolatrous in  
their habits1 and consequently more     
corrupt in their hearts1 than ever      
before4 ,the abominations of            
idol-worship1 of the mysteries1 and of  

lewdness1 in forms too vile to  name1   
were rife throughout the country and the
 villages1 and had their  foci in the   
capitals of ,greece and ,rome4 ,jahn    
says1 in relation to  this period1      
',deities increased in number1 and the  
apotheosis of  vicious emperors was not 
unfrequent4 ,their philosophers1 indeed1
  disputed with much subtlety respecting
 the architect of the universe1  but    
they knew nothing about the ,creator1   
the holy and almighty ,judge  of men4'  
,some of the more intelligent of the    
philosophers1 perceiving the evil  of   
the prevailing idolatry1 desired to     
refine the grossness of the  popular    
faith4 ,they taught that the facts      
believed concerning the gods  were      
allegories4 ,some endeavoured to        
identify the character of some of  their
 deities with the natural virtues2 while
 many of them became  sceptical         
concerning the existence of the gods and
 of a future state4  ,those were1       
however1 but isolated exceptions to the 

mass of mankind2  and had their views   
been adopted by others1 they would only 
have  modified1 not remedied the evil4  
,but a contemporary writer shows how    
entirely unavailing1 even to modify the 
evil1 was the teaching of the           
philosophers4 ,dionysius of             
,halicarnassus says1 ',there are only a 
few  who have become masters of this    
philosophy4 ,on the other hand1 the     
great and unphilosophic mass are        
accustomed to receive these  narratives 
rather in their worst sense1 and to     
learn one of these two  things1 either  
to despise the gods as beings who wallow
 in the  grossest licentiousness1 or not
 to restrain themselves even from what  
is most abominable and abandoned1 when  
they see that the gods do the  same4'   
,cicero1 in one sentence1 as given by   
,tholuck1 notices both the  evil and its
 cause2 confirming1 in direct language1 
the preceding  views4 ',instead1' says  
he1 'of the transfer to man of that     
which is  divine1 they transferred human

 sins to the gods1 and then experienced 
again the necessary reaction4' ,such1   
then1 is the testimony of the           
philosophers in relation to the idolatry
 of their times4 ,a few gifted          
individuals obtained sufficient light to
 see the moral evil in which  men were  
involved1 but they had neither wisdom to
 devise a remedy1 nor  power to arrest  
the progress of the moral pestilence    
that was  corrupting the noble faculties
 of the human soul4    #c4 ,it was      
impossible1 from the nature of man1 that
 he should extricate  himself from the  
corrupting influence of idolatry4 ,in   
this place we  wish to state a principle
 which should be kept in view throughout
 the  following discussion3 ,if man were
 ever redeemed from idolatrous  worship1
 his redemption would have to be        
accomplished by means and               
instrumentalities adapted to his nature 
and the circumstances in which  he      
existed4 ,if the faculties of his nature
 were changed1 he would not  be man4 ,if

 his temporal condition were changed1   
different means would  be necessary2 if1
 therefore1 man1 as man1 in his present 
condition1  were to be recovered1 the   
means of recovery1 whether instituted by
 ,god  or man1 must be adapted to his   
nature and his circumstances4    ,the   
only way1 then1 in which relief was     
possible for man was1 that an  object of
 worship should be placed before the    
mind directly opposite  in moral        
character to those he had before adored4
 ,if his heart was  ever purified1 it   
must be by tearing his affections from  
his gods1 and  fixing them upon a       
righteous and holy being as the proper  
object of  his homage4 ,but for man to  
form such an object was plainly         
impossible4  ,he could not transfer a   
better character to his gods than he    
himself  possessed4 ,man could not      
'bring a pure thing out of an impure4'  
,the  effect could not rise higher in   
moral purity than the cause4 ,human     
nature1 in the maturity of its          

faculties1 all agree1 is imperfect and  
selfish2 and1 for an imperfect and      
selfish being to originate a  perfect   
and holy character1 deify it1 and       
worship it1 is to suppose  what is      
contrary to the nature of things4 ,the  
thought of the eloquent  and philosophic
 ,cicero expresses all that man could   
do4 ,he could  transfer his own         
imperfect attributes to the gods1 and1  
by worshipping  a being characterized by
 these imperfections1 he would receive  
in  himself the reaction of his own     
depravity4    ,but if some men had had  
the power and the disposition to form   
for the  world a perfectly holy object  
of worship1 still the great difficulty1 
as we have seen in the case of the      
philosophers1 would have remained1  that
 is1 a want of the necessary power to   
arrest the progress of  idolatry and    
substitute the better worship4 ,to doubt
 the truth of the  prevailing idolatry  
was all that men1 at the highest        
intellectual  attainment ever acquired  

in heathen countries1 could do4 ,and if 
they  had had power to convey their     
doubts to all minds in all the world1 it
  would only have been to place mankind 
in the chaotic darkness of  atheism1 and
 leave them to be led again by their    
instincts into the  abominations of     
imperfect and impure worship4    ,the   
testimony1 then1 is conclusive1 from the
 history of idolatry1 that  the evil    
became greater every age--from the      
statement of the wisest of  the heathen1
 that they had no power to arrest its   
progress--and from  the nature of man1  
that it was not possible for him to     
relieve  himself from the corrupting    
influence of idolatry1 in which he had  
become involved4    ,from the foregoing 
facts and reasonings it is plain that   
the high-born  faculties of the human   
soul must have been blighted for ever1  
by a  corrupting worship1 unless two    
things were accomplished1 neither of    
which it was in the power of human      
nature to effect2 and yet both of  which

 were essentially necessary to          
accomplish the elevation of man  from   
the pit into which he had fallen4       
,the first thing necessary to be        
accomplished was1 that a pure object  of
 worship should be placed before the eye
 of the soul4 ,purity of  heart and     
conscience would be necessary in the    
object of worship1  otherwise the heart 
and conscience of the worshipper would  
not be  purified4 ,but if an object were
 presented1 whose nature was infinitely 
opposed to sin--to all defilement1 both 
physical and spiritual--and  who        
revealed1 in his example1 and by his    
precepts1 a perfect standard  to govern 
the life of man under the circumstances 
in which he was  placed1 then man's mind
 would be enlightened1 his conscience   
rectified1 and the hard and corrupt     
feelings of his heart softened and      
purified1 by assimilation to the object 
of his worship4--,as1 according  to the 
nature of things1 an unholy object of   
worship would necessarily  degrade and  

corrupt the human soul2 so1 on the      
contrary1 a holy object  worshipped     
would necessarily elevate and purify the
 nature of man4    ,the second necessary
 thing in order to man's redemption was1
 that  when a holy object of worship was
 revealed1 the revelation should be     
accompanied with sufficient power to    
influence men to forsake their  former  
worship1 and to worship the holy object 
made known to them4  ,the presentation  
of a new and pure object would not cause
 men to turn  from their former opinions
 and practices1 and become directly     
opposed  in heart to what they had      
formerly loved4 ,a display of power     
would be  necessary1 sufficient to      
overcome their former faith and their   
present  fears1 and to detach their     
affections from idols1 and fix them upon
  the proper object of human homage4    
,it follows1 then1 that man must remain 
a corrupt idolater for ever1  unless    
,god interpose in his behalf4 ,the      
question whether he would thus          

interpose1 in the only way possible1 to 
save the race from moral  death1 depends
 entirely upon the benevolence of his   
nature4 ,the  question whether he has   
done so may be answered by inquiring    
whether  any system of means has been   
instituted in this world1 characterized 
by sufficient power to destroy          
idolatry--revealing at the same time a  
holy object of worship--and this        
revelation being accompanied by means   
and influences so adapted to man's      
nature as to secure the result4    ,to  
this inquiry the future pages of this   
volume will be devoted4 ,the  inquiry is
 not primarily concerning the truth of  
the ,bible2 but  concerning the only    
religion possible for mankind1 and the  
only means  by which such religion could
 be given consistently with man's nature
  and circumstances4          ,,chapter 
,,ii4    ,,the ,,design ,,and           
,,necessity ,,of ,,the ,,bondage ,,in   
,,egypt4      ,there are certain bonds  
of union1 and sources of sympathy1 by   

which  the minds of a whole people may  
be united into one common mind3 so  much
 so1 that all hearts in the nation will 
be affected by the same  subjects1 and  
all minds moved by the same motives4    
,any cause which  creates a common      
interest and a common feeling1 common   
biases and  common hopes1 in the        
individual minds which compose a nation1
 has a  tendency to unite them in this  
manner4    ,some of the causes which    
have more power than any others to bind 
men1  as it were1 into a common being1  
are the following3--,the natural tie  of
 consanguinity1 or a common parentage1  
is a strong bond of  affiliation among  
men4 ,and there are others1 which1 in   
some cases1  seem to be even stronger   
than this2 among these may be named a   
common  interest2 a common religion2 and
 a common fellowship in suffering and   
deliverance4 ,any circumstance which    
educes the susceptibilities of the  mind
 and twines them together1 or around a  
common object--any event in  which the  

interest1 the feelings1 the safety1 or  
the reputation of any  people is        
involved1 causes them to be more closely
 allied to each  other in social and    
civil compact4    ,the more firmly a    
people are bound together by these ties 
of union1  the more strength they will  
possess to resist opposing interests and
  opinions from without2 while1 at the  
same time1 everything national1  or     
peculiar to them as a people1 will be   
cherished with warmer and  more         
tenacious attachment4    ,from the      
operation of this principle originates  
the maxim ',union is  strength2' and    
whether the conflict be mental or       
physical1 the people  who are united    
together by the most numerous and       
powerful sympathies  will oppose the    
strongest and the longest resistance to 
the  innovations of external forces4 ,on
 the contrary1 if the bonds of moral    
union are few1 and easily sundered1 the 
strength of the nation is soon  broken1 
and the fragments easily repelled from  

each other4    ,according to this       
principle1 in all cases in which a whole
 nation is  to be instructed1 or        
prepared for offence and defence1 or in 
any wise  fitted to be acted upon1 or to
 act as a nation1 it would be necessary 
that the bonds of national union should 
be numerous and strong2 and  that1 as   
far as possible1 a perfect oneness of   
interest and feeling  should pervade the
 nation4    ,so long as the human mind  
and human circumstances continue what   
they  are1 no power in heaven or on     
earth could unite a people together1    
except by the same or similar means as  
have been stated4 ,if1  therefore1 ,god 
designed to form a nation1 either to be 
acted upon or  to act as a nation1 he   
would put in operation those agencies   
which  would bind them firmly and       
permanently into one mass4    ,now1 mark
 the application of these deductions to 
the case of the  ,israelites4 ,about the
 period when the corruptions of idolatry
 were  becoming generally prevalent1    

,abraham1 the ,bible record states1 was 
extricated by ,divine interposition4 ,he
 was assured that his  descendants      
should suffer a long bondage1 and       
afterwards become a  numerous nation4   
,abraham was their common ancestor1 one 
whom they  remembered with reverence and
 pride2 and each individual felt himself
  honoured by the fact that the blood of
 the father of the faithful  circled in 
his veins4 ,the tie of consanguinity in 
their case was bound  in the strongest  
manner1 and encircled the whole nation4 
,in ,egypt  their circumstances and     
employments were the same2 and1 in the  
endurance of a protracted and most      
galling bondage1 they had a common  lot4
 ,their liberation was likewise a       
national deliverance1 which  affected   
alike the whole people1 the anniversary 
of which was  celebrated by distant     
posterity with strong and peculiar      
national  enthusiasm4    ,now1 it has   
been said that the events of our        
colonial servitude1 and  the achievement

 of ,american independence1 are points  
in our history  which will ever operate 
upon our national character1 impressing 
clear  views of the great principles of 
republicanism1 and uniting all hearts   
in support of those principles3 how much
 more affecting and indelible1  then1   
was the impress made upon the national  
heart of the ,israelites  by their      
bondage and deliverance6 ,they were     
bound by blood1 by  interest1 feeling1  
hopes1 fears1 by bondage1 and by faith4 
,and how firmly did these providences   
weave into one web the sympathies  and  
views of the ,jewish people6 ,it is a   
fact which is the miracle of  history1  
and the wonder of the world1 that the   
ties which unite this  people seem to be
 indissoluble4 ,while other nations have
 risen and  reigned and fallen2 while   
the ties which united them have been    
sundered1 and their fragments lost amid 
earth's teeming population1  the stock  
of ,abraham endures1 like an            
incorruptible monument of gold1         

undestroyed by the attrition of the     
waves of time1 which have dashed  in    
pieces and washed away other nations1   
whose origin was but  yesterday1        
compared with this ancient and wonderful
 people4    ,in this manner was this    
nation prepared for peculiar duties1 and
 to  discharge those duties under       
peculiar circumstances4 ,many of the    
nations by which they were surrounded   
were more powerful than  themselves2 all
 were warlike1 and each had its peculiar
 system of  idolatry1 which corrupted   
all hearts that came within its         
influence4  ,hence the necessity that   
this people should be so united as to   
resist  the power and contagious example
 of surrounding nations1 while they     
were fitted to receive and preserve a   
peculiar national character1  civil     
polity1 and religious doctrines2 of all 
which they were to be  the conservators1
 amid surrounding and opposing          
heathenism1 for many  ages4    ,other   
facts might be added to the induction1  

which would make the  design1 if        
possible1 more apparent4 ,if the ,jews  
were to be the  recipients of new       
instruction--to obey new laws1 and to   
sustain new  institutions1 it would be  
desirable that their minds1 so far as   
possible1 should be in the condition of 
new material1 occupied by  little       
previous knowledge1 and by no national  
prejudices against or in  favour of     
governmental forms and systems4 ,now1 in
 the case of the  ,jews1 the habit of   
obedience had been acquired4 ,they had  
no national  predilections or prejudices
 arising from past experience4 ,in      
relation  to knowledge of any kind1     
their mind was almost a tabula rasa4    
,they  were as new material prepared to 
receive the moulding of a master  hand1 
and the impress of a governing mind4    
,now1 as this discipline of the         
descendants of ,abraham was the result  
of a long concatenation of events1 and  
could not have been designed by         
themselves to accomplish the necessary  

end2 and as the whole chain of  events  
was connected together and perfectly    
adapted1 in accordance  with the nature 
of things1 to produce the specific      
purpose which was  accomplished by them1
 it follows1 as the only rational       
conclusion1  first that the overruling  
intelligence of ,god was employed in    
thus  preparing material for a purer    
religious worship than the world then   
enjoyed2 and1 second1 that a nation     
could have been so prepared by no  other
 agent1 and in no other way4            
,,chapter ,,iii4    ,,concerning        
,,miracles--,,particularly ,,the        
,,miracles ,,which ,,accompanied ,,the  
,,deliverance ,,of ,,the ,,israelites   
,,from ,,bondage ,,in ,,egypt4          
,there has been so much false philosophy
 written concerning the subject  of     
miracles1 that it is difficult for those
 conversant with the  speculations of   
writers upon this subject1 to divest    
their minds  sufficiently of preformed  
biases1 to examine candidly the simple  

and  natural principles upon which are  
based the evidence and necessity of     
miraculous interposition4    ,the       
following statement is true beyond      
controversy3 ,man cannot1 in  the       
present constitution of his mind1 have  
sufficient reason for  believing that   
religion has a ,divine origin1 unless it
 be accompanied  with miracles4 ,the    
natural inference of the mind is that1  
if an  ,infinite ,being act1 his acts   
will be superhuman in their character2  
because the effect1 reason dictates1    
will be characterized by the  nature of 
its cause4 ,man has the same reason to  
expect that ,god will  perform acts     
above human power and knowledge1 that he
 has to suppose  the inferior orders of 
animals will1 in their actions1 sink    
below the  power and wisdom which       
characterize human nature4 ,for1 as it  
is  natural for man to perform acts     
superior to the power and knowledge of  
the animals beneath him1 so reason      
affirms that it is natural for ,god  to 

develop his power by means1 and in ways1
 above the skill and  ability of        
mortals4 ,hence1 if ,god manifest       
himself at all--unless1 in              
accommodation to the capacities of men1 
he should constrain his  manifestations 
within the compass of human             
ability--every act of ,god's  immediate 
power would1 to human capacity1 be a    
miracle4 ,but1 if ,god  were to         
constrain all his acts within the limits
 of human means and  agencies1 it would 
be impossible for man to discriminate   
between the  acts of the ,godhead and   
the acts of the manhood4 ,and man1 if he
  considered acts to be of a ,divine    
origin1 which were plainly within  the  
compass of human ability1 would violate 
his own reason4    ,suppose1 for        
illustration1 that ,god desired to      
reveal a religion to  men1 and wished   
them to recognise his character and his 
benevolence in  giving that revelation4 
,suppose1 further1 that ,god should give
 such a  revelation1 and that every     

appearance and every act connected with 
its  introduction were characterized by 
nothing superior to human power2  could 
any rational mind on earth believe that 
such a system of  religion came from    
,god8 ,impossible6 ,a man could as      
easily be made to  believe that his own 
child1 who possessed his own lineaments1
 and his  own nature1 belonged to some  
other world1 and some other order of the
  creation4 ,it would not be possible   
for ,god to convince men that a         
religion was from heaven unless it was  
accompanied with the marks of  ,divine  
,power4    ,suppose1 again1 that some   
individual were to appear either in the 
heathen or ,christian world--he claimed 
to be a teacher sent from ,god1  yet    
aspired to the performance of no        
miracles4 ,he assumed to do  nothing    
superior to the wisdom and ability of   
other men4 ,such an  individual1        
although he might in gaining proselytes 
to some particular  view of a religion  
already believed1 yet could never make  

men believe  that he had a special      
commission from ,god to establish a new 
religion1  for the simple reason that he
 had no grounds more than his fellows to
  support his claims as an agent of the 
,almighty4 ,but if he could  convince a 
single individual that he had wrought a 
miracle1 or that he  had power to do so1
 that moment his claims would be        
established1 in  that mind1 as a        
commissioned agent from heaven3 so      
certainly1 and so  intuitively1 do the  
minds of men revere and expect miracles 
as the  credentials of the ,divine      
presence4    ,this demand of the mind   
for miracles1 as testimony of the       
,divine  presence and power1 is         
intuitive with all men2 and those very  
individuals who have doubted the        
existence or necessity of miracles1     
should they examine their own           
convictions on this subject1 would see  
that1 by an absolute necessity1 if they 
desired to give the world a  system of  
religion1 whether truth or imposture1 in

 order to make men  receive it as of    
,divine authority1 they must work       
miracles to attest  its truth1 or make  
men believe that they did so4 ,men can  
produce doubt  of a revelation in no way
 until they have destroyed the evidence 
of  its miracles2 nor can faith be      
produced in the ,divine origin of a     
religion until the evidence of miracles 
is supplied4    ,the conviction that    
miracles are the true attestation of    
immediate  ,divine agency1 is so        
constitutional 7allow the expression7   
with the  reason1 that so soon as men   
persuade themselves they are the special
  agents of ,god1 in propagating some   
particular truth in the world1 they     
adopt likewise the belief that they have
 ability to work miracles4  ,there have 
been many sincere enthusiasts1 who      
believed that they were  special agents 
of ,heaven1 and1 in such cases1 the     
conviction of their  own miraculous     
powers arises as a necessary concomitant
 of the other  opinion4 ,among such1 in 

modern times1 may be instanced ,emanuel 
,swedenborg4 ,impostors also1 perceiving
 that miracles were necessary in  order 
that the human mind should receive a    
religion as ,divine1 have  invariably   
claimed miraculous powers4 ,such        
instances recur constantly1  from the   
days of ,elymas down to the ,mormon1    
,joseph ,smith4    ,all the multitude of
 false religions that have been believed
 since the  world began have been       
introduced by the power of this         
principle4  ,miracles believed1 lie at  
the foundation of all religions which   
men  have ever received as of ,divine   
origin4 ,no matter how degrading or     
repulsive to reason in other respects1  
the fact of its establishment  and      
propagation grows out of the belief of  
men that supernatural  agency lies at   
the bottom4#e ,this belief will give    
currency to any  system1 however absurd3
 and without it1 no system can be       
established  in the minds of men1       
however high and holy may be its origin 

and its  design4        #e              
,mohammedanism is no exception3 as the  
wonders reported by the      false      
prophet1 though unseen1 were believed4  
',the ,koran1' he      said1 'is itself 
a miracle6'    ,such1 then1 is the      
constitution which the ,maker has given 
to the  mind4 ,whether the conviction be
 an intuition or an induction of the    
reason1 ,god is the primary cause of its
 existence2 and its existence  puts it  
out of the power of man to accept a     
revelation from ,god  himself1 unless   
accompanied by miracle4 ,if1 therefore1 
,god ever gave a  revelation to man1 it 
was necessarily accompanied with        
miracles1 and  with miracles of such a  
nature as would clearly distinguish the 
,divine  character and the ,divine      
authority of the dispensation4    ,the  
whole fulness and force of these        
deductions apply to the case of  the    
,israelites4 ,the laws of their mind not
 only demanded miracles as  an          
attestation of ,divine interposition2   

but at that time1 the belief  existed in
 their minds that miracles were         
constantly performed4  ,although they   
remembered the ,god of ,abraham1 ,isaac1
 and ,jacob1 yet  they likewise1 as     
subsequent facts clearly attested1      
believed that the  idols of ,egypt      
possessed the attributes of ,divinity4  
,the belief in a  plurality of gods was 
then common to all nations4 ,and        
although this  error was corrected1 and 
perhaps entirely removed1 by succeeding 
providences and instructions1 from the  
minds of the ,jews2 yet1 before  the    
miracles in ,egypt1 while the ,god of   
,abraham was1 perhaps1 in most  cases   
acknowledged as their ,god1 the idols of
 ,egypt were acknowledged  as the gods  
of the ,egyptians1 and probably         
worshipped as the  divinities who had   
power to dispense good and evil to all  
the  inhabitants of that land4 ,and in  
common with all ,egypt1 they1 no  doubt1
 believed that the acts of jugglery1 in 
which the magicians1 or  priests of     

,egypt1 had made astonishing            
proficiency1 were actual  miracles1     
exhibiting the power of their idols1 and
 the authority of  the priests to act in
 their name4    ,in view1 therefore1 of 
existing circumstances1 two things were 
necessary1 on the part of ,god1#f in    
order to establish belief in any        
revelation to the ,israelites3--,first1 
that he should manifest himself  by     
miracles2 and1 ,secondly1 that those    
miracles should be of such a  character1
 as evidently to distinguish them from  
the jugglery of the  magicians1 and to  
convince all observers of the existence 
and  omnipotence of the true ,god1 in   
contradistinction from the objects of   
idolatrous worship4 ,unless these two   
things were done1 it would have  been   
impossible for the ,israelites to have  
recognised ,,jehovah as the  only living
 and true ,,god4        #f ,when we     
speak of a thing as necessary on the    
part of ,god1 it      is said1 not in   
reference to ,god's attributes1 but to  

man's nature      and circumstances4    
,it follows1 then1 that by the miracles 
which ,god wrought by the hand  of      
,moses1 he pursued the only way that was
 possible to authenticate a  revelation 
in which his presence and power would be
 recognised4 ,the  only point of inquiry
 remaining is1 ,were the miracles of    
such a  character1 and performed in such
 a manner1 as to remove false views     
from the minds of the ,israelites1 and  
introduce right views concerning  the   
true ,god1 and the non-existence of     
factitious objects of worship8    ,with 
this point in view1 the design in the   
management and character of  the        
miracles in ,egypt is interesting and   
obvious4 ,notice1 first1 the  whole     
strength of the magicians' skill was    
brought out and measured  with that of  
the miraculous power exerted through    
,moses4 ,if this had  not been done1 the
 idea would have remained in the minds  
of the people  that1 although ,moses    
wielded a mighty miraculous power1 it   

might be  derived from the ,egyptian    
gods1 or if it were not thus derived1   
they  might have supposed that if the   
priests of those idols were summoned1   
they would contravene or arrest the     
power vested in ,moses by ,jehovah4     
,but now1 the magicians appearing in the
 name of their gods1 the power  of      
,moses was seen to be not only superior 
to their sorceries1 but  hostile to them
 and their idolatrous worship4          
,notice1 secondly1 the design and       
adaptedness of the miracles1 not only   
to distinguish the power of the true    
,god1 but to destroy the  confidence    
placed in the protection and power of   
the idols4    ,the first miracle1 while 
it authenticated the mission of ,moses1 
destroyed the serpents which1 among the 
,egyptians1 were objects of  worship2   
thus evincing1 in the outset1 that their
 gods could neither  help the people nor
 save themselves4    ,the second miracle
 was directed against the river ,nile1  
another object  which they regarded with

 religious reverence4 ,this river they  
held  sacred1 as the ,hindoos do the    
,ganges2 and even the fish in its waters
  they revered as objects of worship4   
,they drank the water with  reverence   
and delight2 and supposed that a ,divine
 efficacy dwelt in  its waves to heal   
diseases of the body4 ,the water of     
this1 their  cherished object of        
idolatrous homage1 was transmuted to    
blood2 and  its finny idols became a    
mass of putridity4    ,the third miracle
 was directed to the accomplishment of  
the same  end--the destruction of faith 
in the river as an object of worship4   
,the waters of the ,nile were caused to 
send forth legions of frogs1  which     
infested the whole land1 and became a   
nuisance and a torment to  the people4  
,thus their idol1 by the power of the   
true ,god1 was  polluted1 and turned    
into a source of pollution to its       
worshippers4    ,by the fourth miracle  
of a series constantly increasing in    
power and  severity1 lice came upon man 

and beast throughout the land4 ',now1 if
  it be remembered1' says ,gleig1 'that 
no one could approach the altars  of    
,egypt upon whom so impure an insect    
harboured1 and that the  priests1 to    
guard against the slightest risk of     
contamination1 wore  only linen         
garments1 and shaved their heads and    
bodies every day1#g  the severity of    
this miracle as a judgment upon         
,egyptian idolatry may  be imagined4    
,whilst it lasted no act of worship     
could be performed2  and so keenly was  
this felt1 that the very magicians      
exclaimed--,this  is the finger of      
,god6'        #g ,every third day1      
according to ,herodotus4    ,the fifth  
miracle was designed to destroy the     
trust of the people in  ,beelzebub1 or  
the ,fly-god1 who was reverenced as     
their protector from  visitations of    
swarms of ravenous flies which infested 
the land1  generally about the time of  
the dog-days1 and removed only1 as they 
supposed1 at the will of this idol4 ,the

 miracle now wrought by ,moses  evinced 
the impotence of ,beelzebub1 and caused 
the people to look  elsewhere for relief
 from the fearful visitation under which
 they were  suffering4    ,the sixth    
miracle1 which destroyed the cattle1    
excepting those of the  ,israelites1 was
 aimed at the destruction of the entire 
system of brute  worship4 ,this system1 
degrading and bestial as it was1 had    
become a  monster of many heads in      
,egypt4 ,they had their sacred bull1 and
 ram1  and heifer1 and goat1 and many   
others1 all of which were destroyed by  
the agency of the ,god of ,moses4 ,thus 
by one act of power ,jehovah  manifested
 his own supremacy1 and destroyed the   
very existence of  their brute idols4   
,of the peculiar fitness of the sixth   
plague 7the seventh miracle71  says the 
writer before quoted1 the reader will   
receive a better  impression1 when he is
 reminded that in ,egypt there were     
several  altars upon which human        
sacrifices were occasionally offered    

when they  desired to propitiate        
,typhon1 or the ,evil ,principle4 ,these
 victims  being burned alive1 their     
ashes were gathered together by the     
officiating priests1 and thrown up into 
the air1 in order that evil  might be   
averted from every place to which an    
atom of the ashes was  wafted4 ,by the  
direction of ,jehovah1 ,moses took a    
handful of ashes  from the furnace      
7which1 very probably1 the ,egyptians at
 this time had  frequently used to turn 
aside the plagues with which they were  
smitten71 and he cast it into the air1  
as they were accustomed to do2  and     
instead of averting evil1 boils and     
blains fell upon all the  people of the 
land4 ,neither king1 nor priest1 nor    
people escaped4 ,thus  the bloody rites 
of ,typhon became a curse to the        
idolaters2 the  supremacy of ,jehovah   
was affirmed1 and the deliverance of the
  ,israelites insisted upon4    ,the    
ninth miracle was directed against the  
worship of ,serapis1 whose  peculiar    

office was supposed to be to protect the
 country from  locusts4 ,at periods     
these destructive insects came in clouds
 upon the  land1 and1 like an           
overshadowing curse1 they blighted the  
fruits of  the field and the verdure of 
the forest4 ,at the command of ,moses   
these terrible insects came--and they   
retired only at his bidding4  ,thus was 
the impotence of ,serapis made manifest1
 and the idolaters  taught the folly of 
trusting in any other protection than   
that of  ,jehovah the ,god of ,israel4  
,the eighth and tenth miracles were     
directed against the worship of  ,isis  
and ,osiris1 to whom and the river ,nile
 they awarded the first  place#h in the 
long catalogue of their idolatry4 ,these
 idols were  originally the             
representatives of the sun and moon2    
they were believed  to control the light
 and the elements1 and their worship    
prevailed in  some form among all the   
early nations4 ,the miracles directed   
against  the worship of ,isis and       

,osiris must have made a deep impression
 on the  minds both of the ,israelites  
and the ,egyptians4 ,in a country where 
rain seldom falls--where the atmosphere 
is always calm1 and the light  of the   
heavenly bodies always continued1 what  
was the horror pervading  all minds     
during the elemental war described in   
the ,hebrew  record--during the long    
period of three days and three nights1  
while  the gloom of thick darkness      
settled1 like the out-spread pall of    
death1 over the whole land6 ,jehovah of 
hosts summoned ,nature to  proclaim him 
the true ,god--the ,god of ,israel      
asserted his supremacy1  and exerted his
 power to degrade the idols1 destroy    
idolatry1 and  liberate the descendants 
of ,abraham from the land of their      
bondage4        #h ,against the worship 
of the ,nile1 two miracles were         
directed1      and two likewise against 
,isis and ,osiris1 because they were    
supposed to be the supreme gods4 ,many  
placed the ,nile first1 as      they    

said it had power to water ,egypt       
independently of the action      of the 
elements4    ,the ,almighty having thus 
revealed himself as the true ,god1 by   
miraculous agency1 and pursued those    
measures1 in the exercise of his  power1
 which were directly adapted to destroy 
the various forms of  idolatry which    
existed in ,egypt1 the eleventh and last
 miracle was a  judgment1 in order to   
manifest to all minds that ,jehovah was 
the ,god  who executed judgment in the  
earth4    ,the ,egyptians had1 for a    
long time1 cruelly oppressed the        
,israelites1  and to put the finishing  
horror to their atrocities1 they had    
finally  slain1 at their birth1 the     
offspring of their victims2 and now     
,god1 in  the exercise of infinite      
justice1 visited them with righteous    
retribution4 ,in the mid-watches of the 
night1 the 'angel of the  pestilence'   
was sent to the dwellings of ,egypt1 and
 he 'breathed in  the face' of all the  
first-born in the land4 ,in the morning1

 the hope  of every family1 from the    
palace to the cottage1 was a corpse4    
,what  mind can imagine the awful       
consternation of that scene1 when an    
agonizing wail rose from the stricken   
hearts of all the parents in the        
nation8 ,the cruel task-masters were    
taught1 by means which entered  their   
souls1 that the true ,god was a ,god not
 only of power but of  judgment1 and as 
such1 to be feared by evil-doers1 and   
reverenced by  those that do well4      
,the demonstration1 therefore1 is       
conclusive1 that in view of the         
idolatrous state of the world1 and      
especially of the character and         
circumstances of the ,israelites1 the   
true ,god could have made a  revelation 
of himself in no other way than by the  
means1 and in the  manner1 of the       
miracles of ,egypt2 and none but the    
true ,god could have  revealed himself  
in this way4#i        #i ,in accordance 
with the foregoing are the intimations  
given in      the ,bible of the design  

of the miracles of ,egypt4 ,by these    
exhibitions of ,divine power ,god       
said--',ye1' the ,israelites1 'and      
,pharaoh shall know that ,i am          
,jehovah4'        ,miracles1 moreover1  
were the evidence that ,pharaoh         
required4--,ex4      vii4 #i1 ,god said 
to ,moses1 that when he should present  
himself as      the ,divine legate1 and 
,pharaoh should require a miracle1 he   
should      perform it accordingly4     
,in relation to the destruction of      
idolatry1 the design of ,jehovah      is
 expressly announced 7,ex4 xii4 #ab71   
',against all the ,gods of      ,egypt  
,i will execute judgment3 ,i am         
,jehovah4'        ,see also ,ex4 xviii4 
#aa4          ,,chapter ,,iv4    ,,what 
,,was ,,necessary ,,as ,,the ,,first    
,,step ,,in ,,the ,,process ,,of        
,,revelation4      ,by the miracles of  
,egypt1 the false views and corrupt     
habits of the  ,israelites were1 for the
 time being1 in a great measure removed4
  ,previously they had believed in a    

plurality of gods2 and although they    
remembered the ,god of ,abraham1 yet    
they had1 as is evident from  notices in
 the ,bible1 associated with his        
attribute of almighty power  7the only  
attribute well understood by the        
patriarchs7 many of the  corrupt        
attributes of the ,egyptian idols4 ,thus
 the idea of ,god was  debased by having
 grovelling and corrupt attributes      
superinduced upon  it4 ,by miraculous   
agency these dishonourable views of the 
,divine  character were removed2 their  
minds were emptied of false impressions 
in order that they might be furnished   
with the true idea and the true         
attributes of the ,supreme ,being4      
,but how1 to minds in the infancy of    
knowledge respecting ,god and human     
duty--having all they had previously    
learned removed1 and being now  about to
 take the first step in their           
progress--how could the first           
principles of ,divine knowledge be      
conveyed to such minds8    ,one thing1  

in the outset1 would evidently be       
necessary4 ,knowledge1 as  the mind is  
constituted1 can be communicated in no  
other way than  progressively2 it would 
be necessary1 therefore1 that they      
should  begin with the elementary       
principles1 and proceed through all the 
stages of their education4 ,the mind    
cannot receive at once all the  parts of
 a system in religion1 science1 or any  
other department of  human knowledge4   
,one fact or idea must be predicated    
upon another1  just as one stone rests  
upon another1 from the foundation to the
 top  of the building4 ,there are       
successive steps in the acquisition of  
knowledge1 and every step in the mind's 
progress must be taken from  advances   
already made4 ,god has inwrought the law
 of progression into  the nature of     
things1 and observes it in his own      
works4 ,from the  springing of a blade  
to the formation of the mind1 or of a   
world1  every thing goes forward by     
consecutive steps4    ,it was necessary1

 therefore1 in view of the established  
laws of the  mind1 that the knowledge of
 ,god and human duty should be imparted 
to  the ,israelites by successive       
communications--necessary that there    
should be a first step1 or primary      
principle1 for a starting point1  and   
then a progression onward and upward to 
perfection4    ,in accordance with these
 principles1 ,god1 in the introduction  
of the  ,mosaic dispensation1 revealed  
only his essential existence to the     
,israelites4 ,in ,exodus iii4 #ac1 #ad1 
it is stated that ,moses inquired of    
,god1 ',behold1 when ,i come unto the   
children of ,israel1 and shall say  unto
 them1 ,the ,god of your fathers hath   
sent me unto you2 and they  shall say to
 me1 ,what is his name8 what shall ,i   
say unto them8 ,and ,god  said1 ,i ,,am 
,,that ,i ,,am3 and he said1 ,thus shalt
 thou say unto the  children of ,israel1
 ,i ,,am hath sent me unto you4' ,in the
 ,hebrew text1  the simple form of the  
verb is used1 corresponding with the    

first  person present1 indicative1 of   
the ,english verb to be4 ,simply1 ',i   
am1' conveying no idea but that of      
personality and existence4 ,,what ,,he  
was1 besides his existence thus         
revealed1 was afterwards to be  learned4
 ,this was a revelation of ,divine      
,,being--a nucleus of essential  ,deity1
 as a foundation fact of the then new   
dispensation1 upon which  ,god1 by      
future manifestations1 might engraft the
 attributes of his  nature4    ,thus1 at
 the outset of the dispensation1 there  
was thrown into their  minds a first    
truth4 ,god revealed his ,divine        
existence2 and the idea  of ,god1 thus  
revealed1 was in their minds1 without   
any other attribute  being connected    
with it than that of infinite power--an 
attribute of  the ,godhead which all men
 derive from the works of nature--which 
was  known to the patriarchs as         
belonging to the true ,god1 and which   
was  now1 by the miracles manifesting   
supreme power1 appropriated to ,i       

,,am--,jehovah--the ,god of the         
,israelites4    ,thus were this peculiar
 people carried back to the first       
principles of  natural religion--their  
mind disembarrassed from false notions  
previously entertained1 and the true    
idea of the supreme ,god and ,judge  of 
men revealed4 ,by these providences1    
they were prepared1 in a manner         
consistent with the nature of things and
 the nature of mind1 to  receive a      
further revelation of the moral         
attributes of ,jehovah1 whom  they now  
recognised as the ,supreme ,god4        
,,chapter ,v4    ,,the ,,necessity ,,of 
,,affectionate ,,obedience ,,to ,,god2  
,,and ,,the ,,manner ,,of  ,,producing  
,,that ,,obedience ,,in ,,the ,,hearts  
,,of ,,the ,,israelites4      ,the      
following principles in relation to the 
affections will be  recognised by       
consciousness as true in the experience 
of every man4 ,as  they lie at the      
foundation of the moral exercises of the
 soul1 and as  they relate to the       

sources and central principles of all   
true  religion1 it will be necessary for
 the reader to notice them1 in order    
that he may see their application in    
subsequent pages4    #a4 ,the affections
 of the soul move in view of certain    
objects1 or in  view of certain         
qualities believed to exist in those    
objects4 ,the  affections never move--in
 familiar words1 the heart never loves1 
unless love be produced by seeing1 or by
 believing that we see1 some  lovely and
 excellent qualities in the object4     
,when the soul believes  those good     
qualities to be possessed by another1   
and especially when  they are exercised 
towards us1 the affections1 like a      
magnetised  needle1 tremble with life1  
and turn towards their object4    #b4   
,the affections are not subject to the  
will2#aj neither our own  will nor any  
other will can directly control them4 ,i
 cannot will to  love a being who does  
not appear to me lovely1 and who does   
not  exhibit the qualities adapted to   

move the affections2 nor can ,i1 by     
command1 or by any other effort of will1
 cause another being to love  me4 ,the  
affections are not subject to command4  
,you cannot force  another to love1 or  
respect1 or even1 from the heart1 to    
obey4 ,such an  attitude assumed to     
produce love would invariably produce   
disaffection  rather than affection4 ,no
 one 7as a matter of fact7 thinks the   
affections subject to the will1 and1    
therefore1 men never endeavour to       
obtain the affections of others solely  
by command1 but by exhibiting  such a   
character and conferring such favours as
 they know are adapted  to move the     
heart4 ,an effect could as easily exist 
without a cause as  affection in the    
bosom of any human being which was not  
produced by  goodness or excellencies   
seen1 or believed to exist1 in some     
other  being4        #aj ,we state the  
facts in the case1 of which every man is
      conscious in his own experience1  
without regard to the theories of       

sects in religion or philosophy4    #c4 
,the affections1 although not governed  
by the will1 do themselves  greatly     
influence the will4 ,all acts of will   
produced entirely by pure  affection for
 another are disinterested4 ,cases of   
the affections  influencing the will are
 common in the experience of every one4 
,there  is probably no one living who   
has not1 at some period of his life1 had
  affection for another1 so that it gave
 more pleasure to please the  object of 
his love than to please himself4 ,love  
for another always  influences the will 
to act in such a way as will please the 
object  loved4 ,the individual loving   
acts in view of the desires of the loved
  object1 and such acts are             
disinterested1 not being done with any  
selfish end in view1 but for the sake of
 another4 ,so soon as the  affections   
move towards an object1 the will is     
proportionably  influenced to please and
 benefit that object2 or1 if a superior 
being1  to obey his will and secure his 

favour4    #d4 ,all happy obedience must
 arise from affection4 ,affectionate    
obedience blesses the spirit which      
yields it1 if the conscience  approve   
the object loved and obeyed1 while1 on  
the contrary1 no  happiness can be      
experienced from obedience to any being 
that we do  not love4 ,to obey          
externally either ,god or a parent1 from
 no other  than interested motives1     
would be sin4 ,the devil might be obeyed
 for  the same reasons4 ,love must1     
therefore1 constitute an essential      
element in all proper obedience to ,god4
    #e4 ,when the affections of two are 
reciprocally fixed upon each other1     
they constitute a bond of union and     
sympathy peculiarly strong and          
tender3--those things that affect the   
one affecting the other1 in  proportion 
to the strength of affection existing   
between them4 ,one  conforms to the will
 of the other1 not from a sense of      
obligation  merely1 but from choice2 and
 the constitution of the soul is such   

that  the sweetest enjoyment of which it
 is capable arises from the exercise  of
 reciprocal affection4    #f4 ,when the 
circumstances of an individual are such 
that he is exposed  to constant         
suffering and great danger1 the more    
afflictive his  situation the more      
grateful love will he feel for affection
 and  benefits received under such      
circumstances4 ,if his circumstances    
were  such that he could not relieve    
himself1 and such that he must suffer   
greatly or perish2 and1 while1 in this  
condition1 if another1 moved by         
benevolent regard for him1 should come  
to aid and save him1 his  affection for 
his deliverer would be increased by a   
sense of the  danger from which he was  
rescued4    #g4 ,it is an admitted      
principle that protracted and close     
attention  always fixes the fact        
attended to deeply in the memory2 and   
the longer  and more intensely the mind 
attends to any subject1 other subjects  
proportionably lose their power to      

interest4 ,the same is true in  relation
 to the affections4 ,the longer and more
 intensely we  contemplate an object in 
that relation which is adapted to draw  
out  the affections1 the more deeply    
will the impression be made upon the    
heart1 as well as upon the memory4 ,the 
most favourable circumstances  possible 
to fix an impression deeply upon the    
heart and memory  are--,first1 that     
there should be protracted and earnest  
attention2  and--,second1 that at the   
same time that the impression is made1  
the  emotions of the soul should be     
alive with excitement4 ,without these1  
an impression made upon the heart and   
the memory would be slight and  easily  
effaced2 while1 on the contrary1 an     
impression made during  intense         
attention and excited feeling will be   
engraved1 as with a pen  of steel1 upon 
the tablets of the soul4    ,now1 with  
these principles in mind1 mark the means
 used to fix the  attention and to      
excite the susceptibilities of the      

,israelites1 and1  while in that state  
of attention and excitement1 to draw    
their  affections to ,god4    ,the      
children of ,israel were suffering the  
most grievous bondage1 which  had       
arrived at almost an intolerable degree 
of cruelty and injustice4  ,just at this
 crisis the ,god of their fathers       
appears as their  ,deliverer1 and ,moses
 is commissioned as his prophet4 ,when  
the people  are convened and their minds
 aroused by the hopes of deliverance1   
their attention is turned to two        
parties3 one1 ,pharaoh1 their  oppressor
 and the slayer of their first-born2 and
 the other the ,god of  ,abraham1 who   
now appeared as their ,deliverer1       
espousing their cause  and condescending
 personally to oppose ,himself to their 
oppressor4  ,then a scene ensues adapted
 in all its circumstances to make a deep
  and enduring impression upon their    
memory and their hearts4--,the ,god  of 
,abraham seems1 by his judgments1 to    
have forced the oppressor to  relent1   

and to let the people go4 ,at this point
 hope and encouragement  predominate in 
their minds4 ,now their oppressor's     
heart is hardened1  and he renews his   
cruelty2 but while their hopes are      
sinking1 they are  again revived and    
strengthened1 by finding that ,god      
continues to use  means to induce       
,pharaoh to release the captives4 ,thus1
 for a  considerable length of time1 all
 the powers of excitability in their    
nature are aroused to activity4 ,towards
 that being who had so  graciously      
interposed in their behalf they felt    
emotions of hope1  gratitude1 love1 and 
admiration4 ,towards their oppressor    
feelings of  an opposite character must 
have been engendered2 and this state of 
exciting suspense--the emotions         
vacillating between love and hatred1    
hope and fear--was continued until the  
impression became fixed deep in  their  
souls4    ,keeping in mind the fact1    
that the more we need a benefactor and  
feel  that need1 the stronger will be   

our feelings of gratitude and love for  
the being who interposes in our         
behalf--notice further3 ,when1 through  
the interposition of the ,almighty1 the 
,israelites were delivered1 and  had    
advanced as far as the ,red ,sea1       
another appeal was made to their        
affections which was most thrilling1 and
 adapted to call by one grand           
interposition all their powers of       
gratitude and love into immediate  and  
full exercise4    ,the army of the      
,israelites lay encamped on the margin  
of the ,red ,sea1  when1 suddenly1 they 
were surprised by the approaching host  
of  ,pharaoh2--before them was the sea1 
and behind them an advancing  hostile   
army4 ,if they went forward1 they would 
find death in the  waves2 if they       
returned backward1 it would be to meet  
the swords of  their pursuers4 ,a       
rescue1 by earthly means1 from death or 
bondage more  severe than they had ever 
borne1 was impossible4 ,just at this    
crisis  of extremity1 ,jehovah appears  

as their ,deliverer4 ,the bosom of the  
pathless sea is cleft by the power of   
,god4 ,the stricken waters recoil  upon 
themselves on either side4 ,the         
,israelites pass over in safety4  ,the  
,egyptian host enter1 and are           
overwhelmed in the waters4    ,now1 it  
may be affirmed1 without qualification1 
that1 in view of the  nature and        
circumstances of the ,israelites1 no    
combination of means1  not including the
 self-sacrifice of the benefactor       
himself1 could be  so well adapted to   
elicit and absorb all the affections of 
the soul1  as this wonderful series of  
events4 ,that this result was           
accomplished  by these means1 is        
authenticated by the history given in   
the ,bible4  ,when the people were thus 
delivered1 they stood upon the other    
side of  the sea1 and their affections1 
in answer to the call which ,god had    
made upon them1 gushed forth in         
thanksgiving and praise4 ,hear the      
response of their hearts1 and their     

allusion to the cause which  produced   
that response3    ',i will sing unto the
 ,lord1 for he hath triumphed           
gloriously3 the  horse and his rider    
hath he thrown into the sea4 ,the ,lord 
is my  strength and song1 and he is     
become my ,,salvation4 ,he is my ,god1  
and ,i  will prepare him an habitation2 
my father's ,god1 and ,i will exalt     
him4'--,ex4 xv4 #a1 #b1 etc4    ,thus   
was the attention of the whole nation   
turned to the true ,god4 ,an  impression
 of his goodness was fixed deeply in    
their memory1 and their  affections     
drawn out and fastened upon the true    
object of worship4 ,now  this1 as was   
shown in the commencement of the        
chapter1 was necessary1  before they    
could offer worship either honourable or
 acceptable to  ,god4 ,the end was      
accomplished by means adapted to the    
nature of the  human soul and to the    
circumstances of the ,israelites2 and by
 means  which no being in the universe  
but the ,maker of the soul could use4   

,the demonstration is therefore perfect1
 that the ,scripture narrative  is true1
 and that no other narrative1 differing 
materially from this  in its principles1
 could be true4          ,,chapter ,,vi4
    ,,the ,,design ,,and ,,necessity    
,,of ,,the ,,moral ,,law4      ,at this 
stage of our progress it will be useful 
to recapitulate the  conclusions at     
which we have arrived1 and thus make a  
point of rest  from which to extend our 
observations further into the plan of   
,god for  redeeming the world4 ,this    
review is the more appropriate as we    
have  arrived at a period in the history
 of ,god's providence with ,israel1     
which presents them as a people prepared
 7so far as imperfect material  could be
 prepared7 to receive that model which  
,god might desire to  impress upon the  
nation4    #a4 ,they were bound to each 
other by all the ties of which human    
nature  is susceptible1 and thus        
rendered compact and united1 so that    
everything national1 whether in         

sentiment or practice1 would be         
received and cherished with unanimous1  
and fervent1 and lasting  attachment3   
and1 furthermore1 by a long and rigorous
 bondage1 they had  been rendered1 for  
the time being at least1 humble and     
dependent4  ,thus1 they were disciplined
 by a course of providences1 adapted to 
fit  them to receive instruction from   
their ,benefactor with a teachable and  
grateful spirit4    #b4 ,their minds    
were shaken off from idols2 and         
,jehovah1 by a  revelation made to them1
 setting forth his name and nature1 had 
revealed himself as a ,,divine ,,being1 
and by his works had manifested  his    
almighty power3 so that when their minds
 were disabused of wrong  views of the  
,godhead1 an idea of the first1 true1   
and essential nature  of ,god was       
revealed to them2 and they were thus    
prepared to receive a  knowledge of the 
attributes of that ,divine essence4     
#c4 ,they had been brought to           
contemplate ,god as their ,protector and

  ,saviour4 ,appeals the most affecting 
and thrilling had been addressed  to    
their affections2 and they were thus    
attached to ,god as their  almighty     
temporal ,saviour1 by the ties of       
gratitude and love for the  favour which
 he had manifested to them4    #d4 ,when
 they had arrived on the further shore  
of the ,red ,sea1 thus  prepared to obey
 ,god and worship him with the heart1   
they were without  laws either civil or 
moral4 ,as yet1 they had never possessed
 any  national or social organization4  
,they were therefore prepared to        
receive1 without predilection or        
prejudice1 that system of moral         
instruction and civil polity which ,god 
might reveal1 as best adapted  to       
promote the moral interests of the      
nation4    ,from these conclusions we   
may extend our vision forward into the  
system of revelation4 ,this series of   
preparations would certainly lead  the  
mind to the expectation that what was   
still wanting1 and what they  had been  

thus miraculously prepared to receive1  
would be  granted--which was a knowledge
 of the moral character of ,god1 and a  
moral law prescribing their duty to ,god
 and to men4 ,without this1 the  plan   
that had been maturing for generations1 
and had been carried  forward thus far  
by wonderful exhibitions of ,divine     
wisdom and power1  would be left        
unfinished1 just at the point where the 
finishing  process was necessary4       
,but besides the strong probability     
which the previous preparation  would   
produce1 that there would be a          
revelation of moral law1 there  are     
distinct and conclusive reasons1        
evincing its necessity4    ,the whole   
experience of the world has confirmed   
the fact1 beyond the  possibility of    
scepticism1 that man cannot discover and
 establish a  perfect rule of human     
duty4 ,whatever may be said of the many 
excellent  maxims expressed by different
 individuals in different ages and      
nations1 yet it is true that no system  

of duty to ,god and man1 in  anywise    
consistent with enlightened reason1 has 
ever been established  by human wisdom1 
and sustained by human sanctions2 and   
for reasons  already stated1#aa such a  
fact never can occur4        #aa ,see   
chap4 i4 p4 #i1 et seq4    ,but1 it may 
be supposed that each man has1 within   
himself1 sufficient  light from reason1 
and sufficient admonition from          
conscience1 to guide  himself1 as an    
individual1 in the path of truth and    
happiness4 ,a  single fact will correct 
such a supposition4 ,conscience1 the    
great  arbiter of the merit and demerit 
of human conduct1 has little  intuitive 
sense of right1 and is not guided       
entirely by reason1 but is  governed in 
a great measure by what men believe4    
,indeed1 faith is the  legitimate       
regulator of the conscience4 ,if a man  
has correct views of  duty to ,god and  
men1 he will have a correct conscience2 
but if he can1  by a wrong view of      
morals and of the character of ,god1 be 

induced to  believe that theft1 or      
murder1 or any vice1 is right1 his      
conscience  will be corrupted by his    
faith4 ,when men are brought to         
believe--as  they frequently do believe 
in heathen countries--that it is right  
to  commit suicide1 or infanticide1 as a
 religious duty1 their conscience       
condemns them if they do not perform the
 act4 ,thus1 that power in the  soul    
which pronounces upon the moral         
character of human conduct1 is  itself  
dependent upon and regulated by the     
faith of the individual4  ,it is        
apparent1 therefore1 that the reception 
and belief of a true  rule of duty1     
accompanied with proper sanctions1 will 
alone form in  man a proper conscience4 
,god has so constituted the soul that it
 is  necessary1 in order to the         
regulation of its moral powers1 that it 
should have a rule of duty1 revealed    
under the sanction of its ,maker's      
authority2 otherwise its high moral     
powers would lie in dark and  perpetual 

disorder4    ,further1 unless the human 
soul be an exception1 ,god governs all  
things  by laws adapted to their proper 
nature4 ,the laws which govern the      
material world are sketched in the books
 on natural science2 such are           
gravitation1 affinity1 mathematical     
motion4 ,those laws by which the        
irrational animal creation is controlled
 are usually called instincts4  ,their  
operation and design are sketched1 to   
some extent1 in treatises  upon the     
instincts of animals4 ,such is the law  
which leads the beaver  to build its    
dam1 and all other animals to pursue    
some particular  habits instead of      
others4 ,all beavers1 from the first one
 created to  the present time1 have been
 instinctively led to build a dam in the
  same manner1 and so their instinct    
will lead them to build till the  end of
 time4 ,the law which drives them to the
 act is as necessitating  as the law    
which causes the smoke to rise upwards4 
,nothing in the  universe of ,god1      

animate or inanimate1 is left without   
the government  of appropriate law1     
unless that thing be the noblest        
creature of  ,god--the human spirit4 ,to
 suppose1 therefore1 that the human soul
 is  thus left unguided by a revealed   
rule of conduct1 is to suppose that     
,god cares for the less and not for the 
greater--to suppose that he  would      
constitute the moral powers of the soul 
so that a law was  necessary for their  
guidance1 and then reveal none--to      
suppose1  especially in the case of the 
,israelites1 that he would prepare a    
people to receive1 and obey with a      
proper spirit1 this necessary rule  of  
duty1 and yet give no rule4 ,but to     
suppose these things would be  absurd2  
it follows1 therefore1 that ,god would  
reveal to the ,israelites  a law for the
 regulation of their conduct in morals  
and religion4    ,but physical law or   
necessitating instinct would not be     
adapted in  its nature to the government
 of a rational and moral being4 ,the    

application of either to the soul would 
destroy its free agency4 ,god  has made 
man intelligent1 and thereby adapted his
 nature to a rule  which he understands4
 ,man has a will and a conscience3 but  
he must  understand the rule in order to
 will obedience1 and he must believe    
the sanction by which the law is        
maintained before he can feel the       
obligation upon his conscience4 ,a law1 
therefore1 adapted to man's  nature1    
must be addressed to the understanding1 
sanctioned by suitable  authority and   
enforced by adequate penalties4    ,in  
accordance with these legitimate        
deductions1 ,god gave the  ,israelites a
 rule of life--the ,moral               
,law--succinctly comprehended in  the   
,ten ,commandments4 ,and as affectionate
 obedience is the only proper           
obedience1 he coupled the facts which   
were fitted to produce affection  with  
the command to obey2 saying1 ',i am the 
,lord thy ,god1 which  brought thee out 
of the land of ,egypt1 and from the     

house of  bondage'--therefore1 love me  
and keep my commandments4#ab        #ab 
,deut4 v4 #f1 passim4          ,,chapter
 ,,vii4    ,,the ,,development ,,of     
,,the ,,idea ,,of ,,holiness ,,and ,,its
 ,,transfer ,,to ,,jehovah ,,as  ,,an   
,,attribute4      ,as yet the           
,israelites were little acquainted with 
any attribute of the  ,i                
,,am--,jehovah--except his infinite     
power and goodness2 and his  goodness   
was known to them only as manifested in 
kindness and mercy  towards themselves1 
as a peculiar people1 distinguished from
 other  nations1 as the special objects 
of the ,divine favour4 ,they had a      
disposition to worship ,jehovah1 and to 
regard the rights of each other         
according to his commandments2 but they 
knew as yet little of his  moral        
attributes4 ,of the attribute of        
holiness--purity from sin1 and          
opposition of nature to all moral and   
physical defilement--they knew          
comparatively nothing4 ,after the law   

had been given1 they knew that  ,god    
required worship and obedience for      
himself and just conduct  towards       
others1 but they did not know that his  
nature was hostile to  all moral        
defilement of heart and life4 ,and to   
this knowledge1 as we  have seen in the 
introduction1 they could not of         
themselves attain4    ,at the period of 
the deliverance from ,egypt1 every      
nation by which  they were surrounded   
worshipped unholy beings4 ,now1 how were
 the ,jews  to be extricated from this  
difficulty1 and made to understand and  
feel  the influence of the holy         
character of ,god8 ,the ,egyptian       
idolatry in  which they had mingled was 
beastly and lustful2 and one of their   
first  acts of disobedience after their 
deliverance showed that their minds     
were still dark1 and their propensities 
corrupt4 ,the golden calf which  they   
desired should be erected for them1 was 
not designed as an act of  apostasy from
 ,jehovah1 who had delivered them from  

,egyptian servitude4  ,when the image   
was made1 it was proclaimed to be that  
,god which  brought them up out of the  
land of ,egypt3 and when the            
proclamation of  a feast1 or idolatrous 
debauch1 was issued by ,aaron1 it was   
denominated a feast1 not to ,isis or    
,osiris1 but a feast to ,jehovah2  and  
as such they held it4#ac ,but they      
offered to the holy ,jehovah the  unholy
 worship of the idols of ,egypt4 ,thus  
they manifested their  ignorance of the 
holiness of his nature1 as well as the  
corruption of  their own hearts4        
#ac ,ex4 xxxii4 #d1 #e4    ,it was      
necessary1 therefore1 in order to       
promote right exercises of  heart in    
religious worship1 that the ,israelites 
should be made  acquainted with the     
holiness of ,god4 ,the precise question1
 then1 for  solution is1 ,how could the 
idea of ,god's holiness be conveyed to  
the  minds of the ,israelites8 ,if it   
should be found that there is but one   
way in which it could be originated1    

according to the nature of mind1  then  
it would follow1 necessarily1 that ,god 
would pursue that way1 or  he would have
 to alter the human constitution1 in    
order to communicate  a knowledge of his
 attribute of holiness4 ,but1 as it is  
matter of  fact that the constitution of
 the mind has not been altered1 it      
follows that that method would be       
pursued which is in accordance with  the
 nature of mind1 to convey the necessary
 knowledge4 ,now all  practical         
knowledge is conveyed to the            
understanding through the  medium of the
 senses4 ,whatever may be said about    
innate ideas by  speculative            
philosophers1 still all agree that all  
acquired knowledge  must reach the mind 
through the medium of one of the five   
senses1 or  upon the occasion of their  
exercise4 ,through the senses the       
knowledge  of external objects is       
conveyed to the mind1 and these simple  
ideas  serve as a material for          
reflection1 comparison1 and abstraction4

    ,the etymology of the ,hebrew       
language1 as written by ,moses1 and     
spoken  by the ,israelites1 furnishes an
 interesting illustration of the origin 
of the few abstract terms with which    
their minds were familiar4 ,the         
abstract ideas of the ,hebrew tongue may
 even now1 in most instances1  be traced
 to the object or circumstance whence   
they originated4 ,thus  the idea of     
power1 among the ,hebrews1 was derived  
from the horn of an  animal2 and the    
same word1 in ,hebrew1 which signifies  
horn1 likewise  signifies power1 and may
 be translated in either way to suit the
  sense4 ,the idea was originally       
conveyed through the eye1 by noticing   
that the strength of the animal was     
exerted through its horn4 ,the  force   
thus exerted1 especially when the animal
 was enraged1 was the  greatest which   
fell under their observation2 and       
sometimes1 in its  effects1 it was      
disastrous and overwhelming4 ,hence1 the
 horn soon  became a figure to denote   

power1 and when the idea was once       
originated  and defined in their minds1 
they could apply it to any object which 
produced a strong effect either upon the
 bodies or the minds of men4  ,an idea  
of power likewise originated from the   
human hand1 because  through it man     
exerted his strength4 ,the same word in 
,hebrew still  expresses both the object
 and the idea derived from it--',life   
and  death are in the power of the      
tongue1' reads literally--',life and    
death are in the hand of the tongue4'   
,sunshine1 in ,hebrew1 is  synonymous   
with happiness1 the idea being          
originated by experiencing  the pleasant
 feelings produced by the effects of a  
sunny day2 and when  thus originated1 it
 was applied to the same and similar    
feelings  produced by other causes4 ,the
 abstract idea of judgment or justice is
  derived from a word which signifies to
 cut or divide2 it being  originated by 
the circumstance that when the primitive
 hunters had  killed a stag1 or other   

prey1 one divided the flesh with a      
knife1  among those who assisted in the 
pursuit1 distributing a just portion  to
 each4 ,thus1 the act of cutting and    
dividing their prey1 which was  the     
first circumstance that called into     
exercise and placed before  their senses
 the principle of justice1 was the      
circumstance from which  they derived   
this most important abstract idea4      
,other instances might be mentioned4    
,these are sufficient to show the       
manner in which the abstract ideas of   
the ,hebrews were originated4 ,and  so1 
every new idea which found a place in   
their understanding had to  be          
originated1 primarily1 by an impression 
made by external objects  upon the      
senses4    ,further1 all ideas which    
admit of the signification of more or   
most  perfect1 can be originated only by
 a comparison of one object with        
another4 ,more lovely1 or more pure1 can
 only be predicated of one  thing by    
comparison with another which it excels 

in one of these  respects4 ,by a series 
of comparisons1 each one exceeding the  
last in  beauty or purity1 an idea of   
the highest degree of perfection may be 
produced4 ,thus one flower may be called
 lovely1 another more lovely1  and the  
rose the most lovely2 and the idea of   
the superior beauty of  the rose would  
be originated by the comparison or      
contrast between it  and other flowers  
of less beauty4 ,it is not said that the
 rose would  not appear lovely without  
comparison1 but the idea of its superior
  loveliness is originated by           
comparison1 and it could be derived in  
no  other way4    ,with these principles
 in mind1 we return to the inquiry1 ,how
 could  the idea of ,god's holiness1 or 
moral purity1 be conveyed to the minds  
of the ,jews8    ,first1 mark the       
principles--7#a47 ,there was not an     
object in the  material world which     
would convey to the mind the idea of    
,god's  holiness4--7#b74 ,the idea1     
therefore1 would have to be originated1 

and  thrown into their mind1 through the
 senses1 by a process instituted  for   
that express purpose4--7#c47 ,the plan  
to originate the idea1 in  order to meet
 the constitution of the mind1 must     
consist of a series  of comparisons4    
,now mark the correspondency between    
these principles1 founded upon the  laws
 of the mind1 and that system devised to
 instruct the ,israelites  in the       
knowledge of ,god4    ,in the outset1   
the animals common to ,palestine were   
divided1 by  command of ,jehovah1 into  
clean and unclean2 in this way a        
distinction  was made1 and the one class
 in comparison with the other was deemed
 to  be of a purer and better kind4     
,from the class thus distinguished1 as  
more pure than the other1 one was       
selected to offer as a sacrifice4 ,it   
was not only to be chosen from the clean
 beasts1 but1 as an  individual1 it was 
to be without spot or blemish4 ,thus it 
was1 in  their eyes1 purer than the     
other class1 and purer than other       

individuals of its own class4 ,this     
sacrifice the people were not  deemed   
worthy1 in their own persons1 to offer  
unto ,jehovah2 but it was  to be offered
 by a class of men who were             
distinguished from their  brethren1     
purified1 and set apart for the service 
of the priest's  office4 ,thus the idea 
of purity originated from two sources2  
the  purified priest and the pure animal
 purified1 were united in the  offering 
of the sacrifice4 ,but before the       
sacrifice could be offered  it was      
washed with clean water--and the priest 
had1 in some cases1 to  wash himself1   
and officiate without his sandals4      
,thus1 when one  process of comparison  
after another had attached the idea of  
superlative purity to the sacrifice--in 
offering it to ,jehovah in  order that  
the contrast between the purity of ,god 
and the highest  degrees of earthly     
purity might be seen1 neither priest1   
people1 nor  sacrifice was deemed       
sufficiently pure to come into his      

presence2 but  the offering was made in 
the court without the holy of holies4   
,in  this manner1 by a process of       
comparison1 the character of ,god1 in   
point of purity1 was placed indefinitely
 above themselves and their             
sacrifices4#ad        #ad ,it is not    
argued that no other end was designed   
and      accomplished by the arbitrary  
separation of animals into classes      
of clean and unclean4 ,by this means the
 ,jews were undoubtedly      excluded   
from partaking in the feasts of the     
heathen around1 who      ate those      
animals which were forbidden to them4   
,an excellent      writer observes that 
it is characteristic of the wisdom of   
,god to      accomplish many ends by a  
single act of providence4    ,and not   
only in the sacrifices1 but throughout  
the whole ,levitical  economy1 the idea 
of purity pervaded all its ceremonies   
and observances4  ,the camp was         
purified--the people were               
purified--everything was purified  and  

re-purified2 and each process of the    
ordinances was designed to  reflect     
purity upon the others2 until finally   
that idea of purity formed  in the mind 
and rendered intense by the convergence 
of so many rays1  was1 by comparison1   
referred to the idea of ,god2 and the   
idea of ,god in  their minds being that 
of an infinitely powerful and good      
,spirit1 hence  purity1 as a            
characteristic or attribute of such a   
nature1 would  necessarily assume a     
moral aspect1 because it appertained to 
a moral  being--it would become moral   
purity1 or holiness4 ,thus they learned1
  in the sentiment of ,scripture1 that  
,god was of too pure eyes to look  upon 
iniquity4    ,that the idea of moral    
purity in the minds of the ,israelites  
was thus  originated by the machinery of
 the ,levitical dispensation1 is        
supported1 not only by the philosophy of
 the thing1 but by many  allusions in   
the ,scriptures4 ,such allusions are    
frequent1 both in the  writers of the   

old and of the new dispensations2       
evidencing that1 in  their minds1 the   
idea of moral purity was still          
symbolized by physical  purity4 ,the    
rite of baptism is founded upon this    
symbolical analogy3  the external       
washing with water being significant of 
the purifying  influence of the ,holy   
,spirit4 ,st4 ,john saw in vision the   
undefiled in  heart clothed with linen  
pure and white2 evincing that1 to the   
mind of  the ,jew1 such vestments as the
 high priest wore when he entered the   
holy of holies1 were still emblematical 
of moral purity4 ,in the  ,epistle to   
the ,hebrews1 which is an apostolic     
exposition of the  spiritual import of  
the ,levitical institution1 so far as   
that  institution particularly concerns 
believers under the ,new ,testament     
dispensation1 we have the foregoing view
 of the design of ceremonial            
purification expressly confirmed4 ',it  
was1 therefore1 necessary1' says  ,paul 
to the ,hebrews1 'that the patterns of  

things in the heavens  should be        
purified with these 7that is1 with these
 purifying processes  addressed to the  
senses71 but the heavenly things        
themselves with  better sacrifices than 
these4' ,the plain instruction of which 
is1 that  the parts and processes of the
 ,levitical economy were patterns       
addressed to the senses of unseen things
 in heaven1 and that the  purifying of  
those patterns indicated the spiritual  
purity of the  spiritual things which   
they represented4    ,there is1 finally1
 demonstrative evidence of the fact that
 the idea of  perfect moral purity1 as  
connected with the idea of ,god1 is now1
 and  always has been1 the same which   
was originated and conveyed to the      
minds of the ,jews by the machinery of  
the ,levitical dispensation4 ,the       
,hebrew word  quadhosh1 was used to     
express the idea of purity as           
originated by the tabernacle service4   
,the literal definition is1  pure1 to be
 pure1 to be purified for sacred uses4  

,the word thus  originated1 and         
conveying this meaning1 is employed in  
the ,scriptures  to express the moral   
purity or holiness of ,god4#ae ,in the  
,new  ,testament this word is translated
 by the ,greek term 1 hagios1  but the  
,hebrew idea is connected with the      
,greek word4 ,in ,king ,james's  version
 this ,greek word is rendered by the    
,saxon term holy--the  ,saxon word      
losing its original import 7whole1      
wholly71 and taking  that of the ,hebrew
 derived through the ,greek4 ,so that   
our idea of the  holiness of ,god is the
 same which was originated by the       
,levitical  ceremonies2 and there is no 
other word1 so far as ,i have been able 
to  examine1 in any language which      
conveys this idea4 ,nor is there any    
idea among any people that approximates 
closely to the ,scripture idea  of      
holiness1 unless the word received some 
shades of its signification  from the   
,bible4#af        #ae   'my holy        
name4'--,lev4 xx4 #c4        #af ,one of

 the principal difficulties which the   
missionary meets      with1 according to
 letters in the missionary reports1 is1 
that of      conveying to the mind of   
the heathen the idea of the holiness of 
,god4 ,they find no such idea in their  
minds1 and they can use no      words in
 their language by which to convey the  
full and true force      of the thought4
 ,the true idea1 therefore1 if          
communicated at all1      must be       
conveyed by a periphrasis1 and by       
laboured illustration4      ,this       
obstacle will be one of the most        
difficult to surmount in all            
languages2 and it cannot be perfectly   
overcome1 till the ,christian           
teacher becomes perfectly familiar with 
the language of those whom      he      
wishes to instruct4    ,here1 then1 the 
idea of ,god's moral purity was conveyed
 by the ,mosaic  economy in a manner in 
accordance with the constitution and the
  condition of the ,jewish mind4 ,this  
same idea has descended from the        

,hebrew1 through the ,greek1 to our own 
language2 and there is1 so far  as      
known1 no other word in the world which 
conveys to the mind the  true idea of   
,god's moral purity1 but that originated
 by the  institution which ,god         
prescribed to ,moses upon the ,mount4#ag
        #ag ,ex4 xxv4 #i4    ,the       
demonstration1 then1 is conclusive1 both
 from philosophy and fact1  that the    
true and necessary idea of ,god's       
attribute of holiness was  originated by
 the 'patterns' of the ,levitical       
economy1 and that it  could have been   
communicated to mankind1 at the first1  
in no other  way4#ah        #ah ,the    
foundation principle of that school of  
scepticism1 at the      head of which   
are the atheistical materialists1 is1   
that all      knowledge is derived      
through the medium of the senses1 and   
that as      ,god is not an object of   
sense1 men can have no knowledge of his 
being or attributes4 ,now these         
deductions show that the truth of       

revealed religion may be firmly         
established upon their own              
proposition4          ,,chapter ,,viii4 
,,the ,,origin ,,of ,,the ,,ideas ,,of  
,,justice ,,and ,,mercy1 ,,and ,,their  
,,transfer ,,to  ,,the ,,character ,,of 
,,jehovah4      ,although holiness and  
justice convey to the mind ideas        
somewhat  distinct from each other1 yet 
the import of the one is shaded into    
that of the other4 ,holiness signifies  
the purity of the ,divine nature  from  
moral defilement2 while justice         
signifies the relation which  holiness  
causes ,god to sustain to men1 as the   
subjects of the ,divine  government4 ,in
 relation to ,god1 one is subjective1   
declaring his  freedom from sin2 the    
other objective1 declaring his          
opposition to  sin1 as the transgression
 of the ,divine law4 ,the ,israelites   
might know  that ,god was holy1 and that
 he required of them clean hands and a  
clean heart in worship1 and yet not     
understand the full demerit of          

transgressing the will of ,god1 or the  
intensity of the ,divine  opposition to 
sin4 ,god had given them the moral law1 
and they knew  that he required them to 
obey it2 but what1 in the mind of ,god1 
was  the proper desert of disobeying it1
 they did not know4 ,they had been      
accustomed1 like all idolaters1 to      
consider the desert of moral            
transgression uncertain and unequal4    
,now they had to learn the  immutable   
justice of the ,supreme ,being--that his
 holiness was not a  passive quality1   
but an active attribute of his nature1  
and not only  the opposite1 but the     
antagonist principle to sin4    ,in what
 manner1 then1 could a knowledge of the 
,divine justice1 or of  the demerit of  
sin in the sight of ,god1 be conveyed to
 the minds of  the ,jews8    ,there is  
but one way in which any being can      
manifest to other minds  the opposition 
of his nature to sin4 ,a lawgiver can   
manifest his views  of the demerit of   
transgression in no other way than by   

the penalty  which he inflicts upon the 
transgressor4 ,in all beings who have   
authority to make law for the obedience 
of others1 the conscience is  the       
standard which regulates the amount of  
punishment that should be  inflicted    
upon the disobedient2 and the measure of
 punishment which  conscience dictates1 
is just in proportion to the opposition 
which the  lawgiver feels to the        
transgression of his law2 that is1 the  
amount of  regard which he has for his  
own law1 will graduate the amount of    
opposition which he will feel to its    
transgression4 ,the amount of           
opposition which any being feels to sin 
is in proportion to the  holiness of    
that being1 and conscience will sanction
 penalty up to the  amount of opposition
 which he feels to crime4    ,if the    
father of a family felt no regard for   
the law of the sabbath1  his conscience 
would not allow him to punish his       
children for  violating1 by folly or    
labour1 a law which he did not himself  

respect4  ,but a father who felt a      
sacred regard for the ,divine law1 would
 be  required by his conscience to cause
 his children to respect the  sabbath1  
and to punish them if they disobeyed4   
,the penalty which one  felt to be      
wrong1 the other would feel to be right1
 because the  disposition of the one    
towards the law was different from that 
of the  other4    ,the principle1 then1 
is manifest1 that the more holy and just
 any  being is1 the more opposed he is  
to sin1 and the higher penalty will  his
 conscience sanction as the desert of   
transgressing the ,divine law4  ,now    
,god being infinitely holy1 he is1      
therefore1 infinitely opposed to  sin2  
and the ,divine conscience will enforce 
penalty accordingly4    ,this is the    
foundation of penalty in the ,divine    
mind4 ,the particular  point of inquiry 
is1 ,how could the desert of sin1 as it 
existed in  the mind of ,god1 be        
revealed to the ,israelites8    ,if the 
penalty inflicted is sanctioned by the  

conscience of the  lawgiver1 it follows1
 as has been shown1 that the opposition 
of his  nature to the crime is in exact 
proportion to the penalty which he      
inflicts upon the criminal4 ,penalty1   
therefore1 inflicted upon the           
transgressor1 is the only way by which  
the standard of justice1 as it  exists  
in the mind of ,god1 could be revealed  
to men4    ,the truth of this principle 
may be made apparent by illustration4   
,suppose a father were to express his   
will in relation to the  government of  
his family1 and the regulations were no 
sooner made than  some of his children  
should resist his authority and disobey 
his  commands4 ,now1 suppose the father 
should not punish the offenders1 but    
treat them as he did his obedient       
children4 ,by so doing he would         
encourage the disobedient1 discourage   
the obedient1 destroy his own           
authority1 and make the impression upon 
the minds of all his children  that he  
had no regard for the regulations which 

he had himself made4  ,and further1 if  
these regulations were for the general  
good of the  family1 by not maintaining 
them he would convince the obedient that
 he  did not regard their best          
interests1 but was the friend of the    
rebellious4 ,and if he were to punish   
for the transgression but  lightly1 they
 would suppose that he estimated but    
lightly a breach of  his commands1 and  
they could not1 from the constitution of
 their  minds1 suppose otherwise4 ,but  
if the father1 when one of the children 
transgressed1 should punish him and     
exclude him from favour till he         
submitted to his authority1 and         
acknowledged with a penitent spirit  his
 offence1 then the household would be   
convinced that the father's  will was   
imperative1 and that the only           
alternative presented to them  was      
affectionate submission1 or exclusion   
from the society of their  father and   
his obedient children4 ,thus the amount 
of the father's  regard for the law1 his

 interest in the well-being of his      
obedient  children1 and the opposition  
of his nature to disobedience1 would be 
graduated in every child's mind by the  
penalty which he inflicted for  the     
transgression of his commands4    ,so in
 the case of an absolute lawgiver3 his  
hostility to crime could  be known only 
by the penalty which he inflicted upon  
the criminal4 ,if1  for the crime of    
theft1 he were to punish the offender   
only by the  imposition of a trifling   
fine1 the impression would be made upon 
every  mind that he did not1 at heart1  
feel much hostility to the crime of     
larceny4 ,if he had the power1 and did  
not punish crime at all1 he  would thus 
reveal to the whole nation that he was  
in league with  criminals1 and himself a
 criminal at heart4    ,so in relation  
to murder1 if he were to let the culprit
 go free1 or  inflict upon him but a    
slight penalty1 he would thus show that 
his  heart was tainted with guilt1 and  
that there was no safety for good  men  

under his government4 ,but should he fix
 a penalty to  transgression1 declare it
 to all his subjects1 and visit every   
criminal with punishment in proportion  
to his guilt1 he would show to  the     
world that he regarded the law1 and was 
opposed directly and for  ever to its   
transgression4    ,in like manner1 and  
in no other way1 could ,god manifest to 
men his  infinite justice and his regard
 for the laws of his kingdom4 ,did he   
punish for sin with but a slight        
penalty1 the whole universe of mind     
would have good reason to believe that  
the ,god of heaven was but  little      
opposed to sin4 ,did he punish it with  
the highest degree of  penalty1 it would
 be evidence to the universe that his   
nature was in  the highest degree       
opposed to sin and attached to holiness4
    ,now1 whatever may be said in       
relation to the application of these    
principles to future rewards and        
punishments1 one thing will be  apparent
 to all1 which is all that the present  

argument requires to be  admitted1 that 
is--the mind of man would receive an    
idea of the amount  of ,god's opposition
 to sin1 only by the amount of penalty  
which he  inflicted upon the sinner4    
,having ascertained these premises1 we  
return to the inquiry1 ,how  could the  
demerit of sin in the sight of ,god1 or 
the idea of ,god's  attribute of        
justice1 be conveyed to the minds of the
 ,jews8    ,the people had now1 in a    
good degree1 a knowledge of what sin is4
 ,in  addition to the light of natural  
conscience1 which might guide them to   
some extent in relation to their duties 
to each other1 they had the  moral law1 
with the commentary of ,moses1 defining 
its precepts1 and  applying them to the 
conduct of life4 ,their minds were thus 
enlightened in relation to sin in the   
following particulars4 ,first1  those   
acts which were a transgression of the  
positive precepts of the  law2 ,second1 
omissions of duties enjoined in the law2
 and1 ,third1 many  acts which the      

spirit of the law would condemn1 but    
which might not  be defined in any      
particular precept1 would now be noticed
 by  enlightened conscience1 as sin     
against ,jehovah1 their holy benefactor1
  and the giver of the law4    ,having  
thus been taught what was sin of        
commission and omission1 one  obvious   
design of the institution of            
sacrifices1#ai and one which has  been  
perceived and understood1 both by the   
,jews and ,gentiles1 was to  convey to  
the mind the just demerit and proper    
penalty of sin4        #ai ,the question
 whether the sacrifices1 and the        
particular      regulations concerning  
them1 were of ,divine origin1 does not  
affect the argument4 ,whether they were 
originally instituted by      ,divine   
command1 or whether ,moses1 acting under
 ,divine guidance1      modified an     
existing institution and adapted it to  
the ,divine      purposes1 both the     
design1 and the end accomplished1 would 
be the      same4 ,there are good       

reasons1 however1 for the opinion1 that 
sacrifices for sin were of ,divine      
appointment4    ,there were three       
classes of sacrifices in the old        
dispensation in  which death was        
inflicted4 ,the first1 which ,gentiles  
as well as ,jews  were permitted to     
offer1 was the holocaust1 or whole      
burnt-offering1  which was entirely     
consumed by fire4 ,sacrifices of this   
description  seem to have been offered  
from the earliest ages4 ,they were      
offered1  as the best informed think1 as
 an acknowledgment of1 and atonement    
for1 general sinfulness of life4 ,they  
seem to have had reference to  the fact 
that men constantly violate known duty1 
and do many things  which the light of  
nature and conscience teaches them not  
to do4    ,after the whole              
burnt-offering1 was the sin-offering1   
sacrificed for  an atonement1 when the  
individual had transgressed any specific
  precept of the moral law4    ,the     
trespass-offering differed only from the

 sin-offering1 as the  learned suppose1 
in this1 that it was a sacrifice for    
sins of  omission1 or for the           
non-performance of duty1 while the      
sin-offering  was made for a violation  
of the specific precepts of the moral   
law4  ,whether the design of the        
different classes of sacrifices was as  
above  specified or not1 is not         
material1 further than it shows how     
nicely  the forms of the ,levitical     
economy were adjusted to meet that      
varied  consciousness of sin which the  
precepts of the law and an enlightened  
conscience would produce in the human   
soul4 ,the material point to  which     
attention is necessary1 with reference  
to the present  discussion1 is that by  
which the death and destruction of the  
animal  offered in sacrifice were made  
to represent the desert of the sinner4  
,when an individual brought a sacrifice1
 he delivered it to the priest  to be   
slain4 ,he then laid his hands upon its 
head1 thereby1 in a form  well          

understood among the ,jews1 transferring
 to it his sins2 and then  the life of  
the sacrifice was taken as a substitute 
for his own life4  ,he was thus taught  
that the transgression of the law1 or   
any act of  sin against ,god1 was worthy
 of death2 and that the sacrifice       
suffered  that penalty in his stead4    
,further3 the ,jews had been taught that
 the blood of the sacrifice was  its    
life2 or rather the principle upon which
 the life of the body  depended4 ,upon  
this subject they had the following     
express  instruction--',for the life of 
the flesh is the blood3 and ,i have     
given  it to you upon the altar to make 
an atonement for your souls2 for it  is 
the blood that maketh an atonement for  
the soul4'#bj ,now1 this  blood1 which  
the ,jews were thus taught to believe   
was the life of the  sacrifice1 was     
repeatedly sprinkled by the priest upon 
the mercy-seat  and towards the holy    
place2 thus presenting the life of the  
sacrifice  immediately in the presence  

of ,god 7the ineffable light1 or symbol 
of  ,god's presence1 rested over the    
mercy-seat between the cherubim72       
signifying--as plainly as forms1 and    
shadows1 and external types could       
signify1 that life had been rendered up 
to ,god to make atonement for  their    
souls4        #bj ,lev4 xvii4 #aa4      
,thus the idea was conveyed to their    
minds through the senses1 that the      
desert of sin in the sight of ,god was  
the death of the soul4 ,and while  they 
stood praying in the outer court of the 
tabernacle1 and beheld  the dark volume 
of smoke ascending from the fire that   
consumed the  sacrifice which was       
burning in their stead1 how awful must  
have been  the impression of the desert 
of sin1 made by that dark volume of     
ascending smoke6 ,the idea was distinct 
and deeply impressed1 that  ,god's      
justice was a consuming fire to sinners1
 and that their souls  escaped only     
through a vicarious atonement4    ,as a 
picture in a child's primer will convey 

an idea to the infant  mind1 long before
 it can be taught by abstract signs1 so 
the ,jews1 in  the infancy of their     
knowledge of ,god1 and before there were
 any  abstract signs to convey that     
knowledge1 had thrown into their minds1 
through the senses1 the two essential   
ideas of ,god's justice and  mercy3 ,his
 justice1 in that the wages of sin is   
the death of the soul2  and ,his mercy1 
in that ,god would pardon the sinner1 if
 he confessed  his sin1 acknowledged the
 life of his soul forfeited1 and offered
 the  life of the sacrifice as his      
substitute4    ,in this manner an idea  
of the desert of sin was conveyed to the
 minds  of the ,jews2 ,god's law        
honoured1 and the utter hostility of the
  ,lawgiver to sin clearly manifested2  
and ,god's mercy was likewise  revealed 
as stated in the preceding paragraph4   
,thus1 in a manner  accordant with the  
circumstances of the ,jews1 and by means
 adapted in  their operation to the     
constitution of nature1 was the         

knowledge of  ,god's attribute of       
justice1 and the relation which mercy   
sustains to  that attribute1 fully      
revealed in the world2 and in view of   
the nature  of things1 it could have    
been revealed in no other way4#ba       
#ba ,inquiring readers of the ,old      
,testament often find many things       
announced in the name of ,god1 which    
must seem to them inconsistent      with
 the majesty of the ,divine nature1     
unless they view those      requirements
 in the light of the inquiry1 ',what    
impressions were      they adapted to   
make upon the ,jewish mind8' ,there are 
but few      readers of the ,old        
,testament who read on this subject     
intelligently4 ,in this remark we do not
 refer to the historical or             
preceptive portions of these writings1  
but to the elements of the      ,mosaic 
institution4 ,in order to see the design
 of many items of      the system1 we   
must consider those items as exhibitions
 to the      senses1 designed chiefly1  

perhaps only1 to produce right ideas1 or
      to correct erroneous ones then    
existing1 in the minds of the ,jews4    
,the inquiry ought not to be1 ,what     
impressions are they adapted to         
produce upon our minds concerning ,god8 
but1 ,what impression would      the    
particular revelation make upon their   
minds8 ,an instance or      two will    
illustrate these remarks4        ,the   
adaptation to accomplish a necessary end
 is apparent in the      scene at       
,sinai4 ,the ,israelites had been       
accustomed to an idolatry      where the
 most common familiarities were         
practised with the idol      gods4 ,the 
idea of reverence and majesty which     
belongs to the      character of ,god   
had been lost1 by attaching the idea of 
divinity      to the objects of sense4  
,it was necessary1 therefore1 that the  
idea of ,god should now be clothed1 in  
their minds1 with that      reverence   
and majesty which properly belong to it4
 ,the scene at      ,sinai was adapted  

to produce1 and did produce for the time
 being1      the right impression4 ,the 
mountain was made to tremble to its     
base4 ,a cloud of darkness covered its  
summit1 from which the      lightnings  
leaped out and thunders uttered their   
voices4 ,in the      words of a ,new    
,testament writer1 there was 'blackness1
 and      darkness1 and tempest4' ,it   
was ordered that neither man nor beast  
should touch the mountain1 lest they    
should be visited with death4      ,the 
exhibition in all its forms was adapted 
to produce that sense      of majesty   
and awe in view of the ,divine character
 which the      ,israelites needed to   
feel4 ,to minds subjected to the        
influence of      other circumstances   
than those which affected the character 
of the      ,israelites in ,egypt1 such 
manifestations might not be necessary2  
but in the case of the ,jews1 accustomed
 as they had been to      witness a     
besotting familiarity with idols1 these 
manifestations      were directly       

adapted to counteract low views of the  
,divine      character1 and to inspire  
the soul with suitable reverence in view
      of the infinite majesty and       
eternal power of the ,being with whom   
they had to do4        ,the testimony of
 the ,bible in relation to the design of
 the      exhibition at ,sinai          
corroborates the views that have been   
given4      ',when the people saw it1   
they removed and stood afar off4 ,and   
they      said unto ,moses1 ,speak thou 
with us1 and we will hear3 but let not  
,god speak with us1 lest we die4 ,and   
,moses said unto the people1      ,fear 
not3 for ,god is come to prove you1 and 
that his fear may be      before your   
faces1 that ye sin not4'--,ex4 xx4      
#ah-bj4        ,the scene which occurred
 afterwards1 evinced the necessity of   
this      exhibition1 and developed the 
result of the proof trial that was      
made of their character4 ,in the absence
 of ,moses1 they required an      image 
of ,jehovah to be made1 and they feasted

 and 'played' 7this      last word      
having a licentious import7 in its      
presence4 ,thus1 after      trial of the
 strongest exhibitions upon their mind1 
some of them      proved themselves so  
incorrigibly attached to licentious     
idolatry1      that they desired to     
worship ,jehovah under the character of 
the      ,egyptian calf4 ,they thus     
proved themselves unfit material1 too   
corrupt for the end in view2 and they   
were1 in accordance with the      reason
 of the case1 destroyed4        ,another
 conviction necessary to be lodged in   
the minds of the      ,israelites1 and  
impressed deeply and frequently upon    
their hearts1      was faith in the     
present and overruling ,god4 ,this was  
the more      necessary1 as no visible  
image of ,jehovah was allowed in the    
camp4      ,there were but two methods  
possible by which their minds could be  
convinced of the immediate presence and 
power of ,god controlling      all the  
events of their history4 ,either such   

exhibitions must be      made that they 
would see certain ends accomplished     
without human      instrumentality2 or  
they must see human instrumentality     
clothed      with a power which it is   
not possible in the nature of things it 
should in itself possess4 ,the          
circumstances connected with the        
fall of ,jericho will illustrate the    
case4 ,the people were required      to 
surround the city1 by a silent          
procession during seven days1           
bearing the sacred ark1 and blowing with
 rude instruments which      they used  
for trumpets4 ,on the seventh day1 the  
people were to      shout after they had
 compassed the city seven times2 and    
when they      shouted1 according to a  
,divine promise1 the walls of the city  
fell      to the ground4 ,now1 here was 
a process of means in which there was   
no adaptation to produce the external   
effect1 in order that the               
,,internal effect1 the great end of all 
revelation1 might be      produced--that

 they might be taught to recognise      
,jehovah as the      present ,god of    
nature and providence1 and rest their   
faith on him4        ,if the ,israelites
 had1 in this case1 used the common     
instrumentalities to secure success--if 
they had destroyed the      wall with   
instruments of war1 or scaled its height
 with ladders1      and thus overcome by
 the strength of their own arm1 or the  
aid of      their own devices1 instead  
of being led to humble reliance upon    
,god1 and to recognise his agency in    
their behalf1 they would have      seen 
in the means which they had used a cause
 adequate to produce      the effect1   
and they would have forgotten the ,first
 ,cause1 upon      whose power they were
 dependent4 ,second causes were avoided 
in      order that they might see the   
connection between the ,first ,cause    
and the effect produced--human          
instrumentality stood in abeyance1      
in order that the ,divine agency might  
be recognised4 ,thus they      were     

taught to have faith in ,god1 and to    
rely upon the presence      and the     
power of the ,invisible ,jehovah4       
,,chapter ,,ix4    ,,the ,,transition   
,,from ,,the ,,material ,,system1 ,,by  
,,which ,,religious ,,ideas ,,were      
,,conveyed ,,through ,,the ,,senses1    
,,to ,,the ,,spiritual ,,system1 ,,in   
,,which  ,,abstract ,,ideas ,,were      
,,conveyed ,,by ,,words ,,and           
,,parables4      ,human language has    
always advanced from its first stage1 in
 which  ideas are acquired directly     
through the medium of the senses1 to the
  higher state1 in which abstract ideas 
are conveyed by appropriate  words and  
signs4 ,when an idea is once formed by  
outward objects1 and a  word formed     
representing that idea1 it is then no   
longer necessary or  desirable that the 
object which first originated the idea  
should  longer be associated in the mind
 with the idea itself4 ,it is even  true
 that the import of abstract ideas      
suffers from a co-existence1 in  the    

mind1 of the abstract thought with the  
idea of the object which  originated it4
 ,thus the word spirit now conveys a    
distinct idea to the  mind of pure      
spiritual existence2 but the            
distinctness and power of  the idea are 
impaired1 by remembering that the word  
from which it was  derived originally   
signified wind1 and that the word itself
 was  originated in the first place by  
the wind4 ,so in other cases1 although  
the ideas of abstract and spiritual     
things can be originated1  primarily1   
only from outward objects1 yet when they
 have been  originated1 and the         
spiritual idea has been connected with  
the sign or  word conveying its proper  
sense1 it is desirable1 in order to     
their  greater force and perspicuity1   
that their connection with materiality  
should be broken off in the mind4    ,in
 all written languages this advancement 
from one stage of perfection  to        
another1 by the addition of abstract    
ideas1 can be traced2 and  experience   

teaches1 incontrovertibly1 that the     
advancement of human  language1 as above
 described1 and the advancement of human
 society1  are dependent upon each      
other4    ,the preceding principles     
being applied to the subject under      
consideration1 it would follow that the 
,mosaic machinery1 which formed  the    
abstract ideas1 conveying the knowledge 
of ,god's true character1  would no     
longer be useful after those ideas were 
originated1 defined1  and connected with
 the words which expressed their        
abstract or  spiritual import4 ,it would
 follow1 therefore1 that the machinery  
would  be entirely dispensed with       
whenever it had answered the entire     
design  for which it was put into       
operation4 ,whenever the ,jews were     
cured of  idolatry1 and had obtained    
true ideas of the attributes of the true
  ,god1 then the dispensation of shadows
 and ceremonies1 which 'could not  make 
the comers thereunto perfect1' would1   
according to the reason of  things1 pass

 away1 and give place to a more perfect 
and more spiritual  dispensation4    ,we
 find1 accordingly1 that the machinery  
of the tabernacle was  gradually        
removed1 it never having existed in     
perfection after the  location of the   
tribes in ,palestine4 ,they sojourned in
 the wilderness  until those who had    
come out of ,egypt died4 ,the generation
 who  succeeded them had the advantage  
of having received their entire         
education through the medium of the     
,mosaic institution1 and thus of  being 
freed from vicious habits and           
remembrances contracted in  idolatrous  
society4    ,afterwards the ,prophets   
held an intermediate place between the  
material dispensation of ,moses and the 
pure spirituality of that of  ,christ4  
,in the prophetic books1 especially the 
later ones1 there is an  evident        
departure from a reliance upon the      
external forms1 and an  application of  
the ideas connected with those forms to 
internal states  of mind4 ,their views  

of the old dispensation were more       
spiritual than  the views of those who  
lived near the origin of the            
institution4 ,and  in the dispensation  
of the ,messiah1 the ,prophets evidently
 expected  clearer light and purer      
spirituality4    ,the state of the case1
 then1 is this3 ,the old dispensation   
was  necessary and indispensable in     
itself1 and in its place2 but it was    
neither designed nor adapted to         
continue4 ,the knowledge of ,divine     
things which it generated was necessary 
for all men1 but as yet it was          
circumscribed to a small portion of the 
human family4 ,the point of  inquiry now
 presents itself3 ,how could this       
essential knowledge  concerning the     
,divine ,nature and attributes be       
extended throughout the  world8         
,there would be but two methods         
possible--either the same processes1    
and the same cumbrous machinery 7which  
were a 'burden' that an apostle         
affirmed neither he nor his fathers were

 able to bear7 must be  established in  
every nation1 and kindred1 and tribe of 
the human  family1 and thus each nation 
be disciplined and educated by itself1  
or  one nation must be prepared and     
disciplined1 their propensity to        
idolatry destroyed1 the ideas coined in 
the die prepared by ,jehovah  thrown    
into their minds1 and then1 being thus  
prepared1 they might be  made the       
instruments of transferring those ideas 
into the languages of  other nations4#bb
 ,if the ,almighty were to adopt the    
first method1 it  would exclude men from
 benevolent labour for the spiritual    
good of  each other2 and besides1 the   
history of the process with the ,jews1  
as  well as the reason of the thing1    
would indicate that the latter method   
would be the one which the ,maker would 
adopt4        #bb ,there is a common1   
and to some minds1 a weighty objection  
against the truth of revealed religion1 
stated as follows3--,if ,god      ever  
gave a religion to the world1 why did he

 not reveal it to all      men1 and     
reveal it at once and perfectly1 so that
 no one could      doubt8 ,if this had  
been possible1 it might not have been   
expedient2 but the nature of things1 as 
we have seen1 rendered it               
impossible to give man a revelation in  
such a manner4    ,but1 in order to the 
diffusion of the knowledge of ,god by   
the latter  method1 some things would be
 necessary as pre-requisites1 among     
which  are the following3    #a4 ,that  
the ,jews1 who possessed these ideas1   
should be scattered  throughout the     
world1 and that they should be thus     
scattered long  enough before the time  
of the general diffusion of ,divine     
knowledge to  have become familiar with 
the languages of the different nations  
where  they sojourned4 ,this would be   
necessary1 in order that1 by speaking in
  other tongues1 they might transfer    
into them their own ideas of ,divine    
things1 by attaching those ideas to     
words in the respective languages  which

 they spoke1 or by introducing into     
those languages words and  phrases of   
,hebrew origin conveying the revealed   
ideas4 ,whether the  different languages
 were acquired by miraculous or by human
  instrumentality1 there would be no    
other way possible of transferring      
ideas from one language to another1 but 
by the methods above  mentioned4    #b4 
,it would be necessary1 before the ,jews
 were thus scattered1 that  their       
propensity to idolatry should be        
entirely subdued1 otherwise  they would1
 as they had frequently done before1    
fall into the  abominable habits of the 
nations among whom they were            
dispersed4#bc        #bc ,idolatry is   
one of the most unconquerable of all the
 corrupt      propensities of the human 
soul4 ,miracles under the new           
dispensation had scarcely ceased--the   
apostolic fathers were      scarcely    
cold in their graves1 before idolatrous 
forms were again      superinduced upon 
the pure spirituality of the holy       

gospel2 and in      the papal church the
 curse continues till this hour4    #c4 
,the new and spiritual system should be 
first propagated among  those who       
understood both the spiritual import of 
the ,hebrew language1  and likewise the 
language of the other nations to whom   
the gospel was  to be preached4 ,it was 
necessary that the new dispensation     
should be  committed1 first to the      
,jews1 who were scattered in the        
surrounding  nations1 because1 as we    
have seen1 they were the only           
individuals  immediately prepared to    
communicate it to others4    ,now the   
following facts are matters of authentic
 history4    #a4 ,by instruction and    
discipline the ,jews were entirely cured
 of the  propensity to idolatry--so much
 so that their souls abhorred idols4    
#b4 ,they were1 and had been for many   
generations1 dispersed among all        
nations of the ,roman world2 but still1 
in their dispersion they  retained their
 peculiar ideas1 and multitudes of this 

peculiar people  assembled out of all   
countries1 at least once a year1 at the 
city of  ,jerusalem1 to worship         
,jehovah2 and it was while the          
multitudes were  thus assembled that the
 gospel was first preached to them2 and 
preached1 as was proper it should be1 by
 power and miracle1 in order  that those
 present might know assuredly that the  
dispensation was from  heaven4    #c4   
,the new dispensation was likewise      
introduced1 in the first place1  among  
the ,jews who continued to reside in    
,palestine1 and when a  sufficient      
number of them were fully initiated     
persecutions were  caused to arise which
 scattered them abroad among the        
nations2 and the  ,gentile languages not
 being known to them1 they were         
miraculously  endowed with the gift of  
tongues1 that they might communicate to 
others the treasures of ,divine         
knowledge committed to them4    ,thus1  
when the old dispensation had fulfilled 
its design in  disciplining the ,jews1  

in imparting first ideas1 and thus1 as a
  'schoolmaster1' preparing the people  
for the higher instruction of  ,christ2 
and when the fulness of the times had   
come that the means and  the material   
were prepared to propagate the spiritual
 truth of the new  dispensation1 then   
the ,mosaic cycle would appropriately   
close--it  would not be consistent that 
it should remain longer1 for the plain  
reason given by ,jesus himself1 that new
 wine should not be put into  old       
bottles1 nor the old and imperfect forms
 be incorporated with the  new and      
spiritual system4    ,therefore it was  
that so soon as the new dispensation had
 been  introduced1 and its foundations  
firmly laid1 ,jerusalem1 the centre of  
the old economy1 with the temple1 and   
all things pertaining to the  ritual    
service1 was at once and completely     
destroyed1 and the old  system vanished 
away for ever4 ,it would not have been  
expedient for  ,god to destroy the old  
system sooner1 because it was necessary 

to  engraft the new system upon the old2
 and it ought not to have remained      
longer1 for the reasons above stated4#bd
        #bd ,it was necessary that the  
old system should be destroyed at       
this time in order to throw the ,jews   
upon ,christ as the sacrifice      for  
their sins4 ,under the old dispensation 
the sacrifices for sin      were allowed
 to continue to the end4 ,from this     
sacrifice they were      taught to hope 
for pardon4 ,an idea had been1 by the   
process which      ,god himself         
instituted1 originated in their mind1   
that death must      ensue for sin2 but 
by transferring their sins to the head  
of the      sacrifice1 it died as a     
vicarious expiation1 and they lived4 ,it
      had become a part almost of the   
,jewish mind1 that they could not       
hope for pardon1 unless the sacrifice   
was offered4 ,they felt that      their 
life was forfeited by sin1 and they were
 unpardoned until      the sacrifice was
 made1 and it could be made nowhere else

 but at      ,jerusalem4 ,now ,god      
destroyed ,jerusalem1 and caused the    
offering      for sin to cease1 and     
entirely annihilated the possibility of 
their ever again expiating their sins by
 the bloody sacrifices2      they were  
therefore shut up to the doctrine of    
,christ's sacrifice      for sin4 ,by   
the destruction of ,jerusalem the       
alternative was      presented to the   
,jews--,accept of ,christ's sacrifice1  
or you have      no propitiation for    
your sins4          ,,chapter ,x4       
,,the ,,medium ,,of ,,conveying ,,to    
,,men ,,perfect ,,instruction ,,in      
,,doctrine ,,and  ,,duty4      ,the     
knowledge which the old dispensation was
 designed to generate had  been         
transmitted into the minds of the ,jews2
 and the ,jews had been  prepared to    
transmit the abstract import of those   
spiritual ideas into  other languages4  
,the ,mosaic institution1 having        
accomplished its  design1 was about to  
'vanish away1' and give place to the new

  dispensation1 which would end the     
series of ,god's revealed  instructions1
 by giving men a perfect system of      
religion1 accompanied  by those aids and
 influences which would be adapted to   
develop and  perfect man's moral powers1
 and render him1 in his present         
condition1  as perfect as his nature and
 his circumstances would allow4    ,at  
this point of our progress the inquiry  
presents itself--,what can  we learn1   
from the present constitution of things1
 concerning the  medium or              
instrumentality that ,god would adopt in
 giving mankind a  perfect system of    
religion8    ,when the ideas that       
conveyed the knowledge of ,god were     
understood by  the people1 human        
language would then become the proper   
medium of  communication4 ,the very fact
 that the ideas were generated and      
thrown  into language1 evinces that     
language was designed eventually to be  
the  medium through which they should be
 transmitted to the world4 ,when the    

ideas were prepared1 as has been stated1
 then all that would be  necessary1 in  
order to the further and more perfect   
communication of  knowledge1 would be1  
that men should have a teacher to use   
this  language--to expand1 illustrate1  
and apply these ideas2 and by these1    
give definitions1 and illustrate and    
spiritualize other ideas when           
necessary4    ,further3 man's senses are
 constituted with an adaptation to the  
external world2 and his intellectual    
constitution is adapted to  intercourse 
with his fellow man4 ,the delicate bony 
structure of the  ear1 which conveys    
sounds from the tympanum to the         
sensorium1 is  nicely adjusted by the   
,maker to appreciate and convey the     
tones and  modulations of the human     
voice4 ,human gesture1 likewise1 and the
  expression of the countenance and the 
eye1 are auxiliary to human  language in
 conveying instruction4 ,the nature of  
man1 therefore1 is  adapted1 both       
physically and intellectually1 to       

receive knowledge by  communications    
from one of his own species4 ,if ,god   
designed that an  angel should instruct 
the human family1 one of two things     
would have  to be done--either the human
 constitution would have to be elevated 
and adapted to intercourse with a being 
of a higher order in the scale  of      
creation1 or that being would have to   
let down his nature to human  capacity1 
and thus adapt himself to intercourse   
with human natures4  ,and it would even 
be requisite that the teacher should not
 assume the  highest condition of       
humanity in order that his instructions 
should  accomplish the greatest general 
good2 nor should his communications be  
made in the most cultivated and elevated
 style of language4 ,if he  would       
instruct the common mind in the best    
manner1 he must use common  language and
 common illustrations2 and if ,god      
7blessed be his name7  were himself to  
instruct human nature1 as it is1 the    
same means  would be necessary4         

,another step--,man is so constituted   
that he learns by example better  than  
precept4 ,theory without practice1 or   
precept without example1  does not      
constitute a perfect system of          
instruction4 ,the theory of  surveying1 
however perfect it may be taught in     
college1 never makes a  practical       
surveyor4 ,an artist may give a most    
perfect theory of his  art to his       
apprentices or those whom he wishes to  
instruct in a  knowledge of his         
business2 but if he would have them     
become practical  artists themselves1 he
 must1 with tools in hand1 practise his 
own  instructions before the eyes of the
 learner4 ,in the language of the       
trades1 he must 'show how it's done4'   
,such1 then1 is the nature of  man1 that
 in order to a perfect system of        
instruction there must be  both precept 
and example4    ,now there can be but   
one perfect model of human nature4 ,and 
man could  not be removed to some other 
planet1 nor out of his present          

circumstances1 to be instructed4 ,if the
 ,almighty1 therefore1 designed  ever to
 give a perfect and final system of     
instruction to mankind1 it  could be    
done only by placing in this world a    
perfect human nature--a  being who would
 not only give perfect precepts1 but who
 would practise  those precepts before  
the eyes of men4 ,if such a being were  
placed  among men1 who1 amid all the    
perplexities1 difficulties1 and trials  
which affect men in their present       
condition1 would exhibit perfect  action
 of body1 heart1 and mind in all his    
relations of life1 and in  all his      
duties to ,god and man--that would be a 
model character1  practising the        
precepts of the ,divine law in man's    
present  circumstances4 ,the example of 
an angel1 or of any being of a different
  order from man1 would be of no benefit
 to the human family4 ,man must  see his
 duties1 as man exemplified in his own  
nature4 ,human nature  could be         
perfected only by following a perfect   

model of human nature4  ,but1 with the  
rule of duty in his hand1 and a model   
character before  him1 man would have a 
system of instruction perfectly adapted 
to his  nature1 and adapted to perfect  
his nature4 ,if ,god1 therefore1        
designed  to give man a final and       
perfect system of instruction1 he would 
adopt  the method thus adapted to the   
constitution which he has given his     
creatures4--,now1 ,jesus ,christ is that
 model character4 ,he assumed  human    
nature--came to the earth1 man's        
residence--expounded and  illustrated   
the law in human language2 gave it its  
spiritual import1  and applied it to the
 different circumstances and conditions 
of human  life4 ,he removed the false   
glosses which the ignorance and the     
prejudices of men had attached to it2 he
 modified or rescinded those            
permissions or clauses which were       
accommodated to the darkness of  former 
times1 and the imperfections of the     
,jewish system3 and then1 by            

applications the most striking and      
definite1 he showed the bearing of  the 
rule of duty upon all varieties of human
 action4    ,and further3 the law being 
thus defined and applied1 in order that 
the  world might have a model character1
 he conformed himself to all its        
requirements4 ,and in order that that   
model might be a guide in all the       
varied circumstances in which some of   
the family of man might be  placed1     
,jesus placed himself in all those      
circumstances1 and acted  in them4 ,is  
man surrounded by a sinful and suffering
 world8 ,so was  ,jesus4 ,does he desire
 to know how to act in such             
circumstances8 ,jesus  ministered       
occasionally to the temporal wants of   
men1 and laboured  continually to       
promote their spiritual good4 ,is man   
popular8 ,so was  ,jesus2 and he used   
his influence to purify his ,father's   
house4 ,is man  forsaken by his last    
friend8 ,so was ,jesus2 and he upbraided
 and  murmured not1 but sought          

consolation in communion with the       
,father4  ,does man visit and dine with 
the learned and the religious formalists
  of the age8 ,so did ,jesus2 and in his
 conversation he maintained the  claims 
of spiritual religion1 and reproved     
man's hypocrisy and  formality4 ,does   
man sit down in the cottage of the poor8
 ,so did ,jesus2  and he encouraged and 
comforted the inmates with spiritual    
instruction4 ,is man present when a     
group of friends are assembled on  an   
occasion which warrants innocent        
enjoyment8 ,so was ,jesus2 and he       
approved their social pleasures4 ,is man
 called to sympathize with  those in    
affliction8 ,so was ,jesus2 and ',jesus 
wept4' ,thus by land  and by sea1 in all
 places and under all circumstances1    
wherever any of  earth's children are   
called to act1 ,jesus--the model        
,man--is seen  living and moving before 
them3 and his voice falls upon their ear
 with  the mingled cadence of authority 
and encouragement1 ',,follow ,,me4'     

,the demonstration1 then1 is manifest1  
that1 through the medium of  ,jesus     
,christ1 man has received a perfect     
system of instruction2 and a  final and 
perfect revelation of duty to ,god and  
man could be given in  no other way4    
,,chapter ,,xi4    ,,some ,,of ,,the    
,,peculiar ,,proofs ,,of ,,the          
,,messiahship ,,of ,,christ4      ,we   
have now arrived at a point in our      
subject where the light of  history will
 aid in our investigations4 ,the facts  
which history  furnishes1 and which will
 elucidate the present point of inquiry1
 are  the following3 ,first1 the ,jewish
 prophets lived and wrote centuries     
before the period in which ,jesus       
appeared in ,juda4 ,this fact is as     
certain as any other item of human      
knowledge4    ,a second fact is--,the   
,jews1 about the time of ,christ's      
appearance1  expected with more         
earnestness and desire than usual the   
appearance of  their ,messiah1 who1 they
 supposed1 would deliver them from      

subjection  to ,gentile nations1 and    
place the ,jewish power in the ascendant
 among  the nations of the earth4 ,they 
generally supposed that as a king he    
would reign with great dignity and      
power1 and1 as a priest1 preside  over1 
not abrogate1 the ceremonial law4       
,although some of the common  people may
 have had some understanding of the true
 nature of the  ,messiah's kingdom1 yet 
the prominent men of the nation1 and the
 great  body of the people of all       
classes1 were not expecting that the    
kingdom  of ,christ would be purely     
spiritual1 but that it would be mainly  
temporal4 ,and1 indeed1 it was necessary
 that they should not have a  clear     
conception of the worth and spirituality
 of the ,messiah's  dispensation        
previously to his coming2 because if    
they had had such a  conception1 the    
imperfections and darkness of their own 
dispensation  would not have been borne4
 ,it is contrary to the nature of mind  
when  it is enlightened1 to delight in1 

and employ itself longer about1 the     
preparatory steps that lead it to the   
light4    ,the facts in the case1 then1 
were1 first1 ,the prophets lived and    
wrote  centuries before the era of      
,christ2 and1 second1 ,on account of    
intimations1 or supposed intimations1 in
 their prophecies1 the ,jews  were      
expecting the ,messiah about the time   
that ,jesus appeared in  ,juda4 ,with   
the question concerning the inspiration 
of the prophets1  we have just now      
nothing to do4 ,whether they were       
inspired or not1  their books contained 
the matter upon which the ,jews founded 
their  expectations of the appearance of
 the ,messiah4 ,with the question how   
the ,jews could mistake the character of
 the ,messiah1 we have also now  nothing
 to do2 although the solution of the    
question would not be  difficult4 ,the  
simple facts which require attention    
are--,the  prophecies existed2 and in   
those prophecies a ,ruler was spoken of1
 of  most exalted character1 whose      

dominion would be triumphant1 universal1
  and endless--whose doctrines would be 
pure and spiritual2 and whose           
administration would be a blessing1 not 
only to the ,jews1 but also to  the     
,gentiles--and yet1 his life would be   
humble and not suited to the  feeling of
 the ,jews--his sufferings extreme2 and 
that he would  terminate the old        
dispensation1 and die for the sins of   
the  people4#be        #be ,isaiah liii4
 ,dan4 ix4 #bd-bg4 ,micah v4 #a1 #b4    
,mal4 iii4 #a-c4      ,zech4 ix4 #i1    
#aj4 ,isa4 ix4 #a-g4    ,now1 in view of
 these facts1 ,in what character would  
the true ,messiah  appear1 when he      
assumed his duties as the ,instructor of
 mankind8    ,if he had appeared and    
conformed to the views which the ,jews  
entertained of a temporal ,messiah1 it  
would have been direct evidence  that he
 was an impostor2 because the ,jewish   
views of his character and  reign1 as   
all can now see1 were selfish1          
ambitious1 imperfect1 and  partial4     

,now1 a teacher sent from ,god to give  
the world a perfect  religion could not 
conform to such views2 but an impostor1 
from the  nature of the case1 could have
 conformed to no other standard than the
  views of the people4 ,if an impostor  
wished to pass himself upon the  ,jews  
as their ,messiah1 he must assume that  
character and conform to  that conduct  
which he knew they expected in their    
,messiah4 ,for an  impostor to assume a 
different character from that which he  
knew the  nation expected their ,messiah
 would bear1 would have been to use     
means  to frustrate his own plans1 which
 would be impossible2 because man       
cannot have a governing desire for      
attainment of an end1 and at the  same  
time use means which he knows will      
frustrate the accomplishment  of his own
 object4 ,an impostor1 therefore1 in the
 state of expectancy  which existed at  
that time in ,juda1 could not do        
otherwise than  conform himself to the  
character which the nation were         

expecting  their ,messiah would possess4
    ,mark the two points4 ,the prophets 
gave a delineation of the character1    
life1 and death of the ,messiah4 ,this  
delineation the ,jews  misinterpreted1  
or applied to several individuals2 so   
that they were  expecting in their      
,messiah a character entirely different 
from that  described by the prophets4   
,now mark the application of these      
points4 ,if ,christ had conformed to    
the views of the ,jews there would have 
been three direct testimonies  that he  
was not from ,god4 7#a47 ,because their 
views were partial1  prejudiced1 wicked4
 7#b47 ,he could not have conformed to  
their views1  and sustained at the same 
time the character of a perfect         
instructor4#bf 7#c47 ,he would not have 
fulfilled the predictions of  the       
prophets concerning him4 ,but1 on the   
other hand1 if he conformed  to the     
prophets1 and assumed the character of a
 perfect teacher1 his  rejection by the 
,jews was absolutely certain4#bg ,it    

follows1  therefore1 legitimately and   
conclusively1 that ,jesus ,christ was   
the  ,messiah of ,god1 because he       
pursued that course which would1 from   
the  nature of the case1 result in his  
rejection by the nation2 which  conduct1
 in an impostor1 would be               
impossible--but in the true ,messiah  it
 was the necessary course4        #bf   
,see chap4 x4        #bg ,the fact that 
,jesus conformed to the prophets1       
established      the truth of the       
prophecies2 because1 by conforming to   
them1 he      suffered death2 while by  
his death1 in accordance with the       
prophets1 the world gained the evidence 
that he was the true      ,messiah4 ,to 
give life as a testimony to falsehood1  
is impossible1      either in a good or 
in an evil being4    ,but further3 it   
was necessary that ,jesus should        
establish his claim as  the ,messiah by 
miraculous agency4#bh ,but owing to the 
peculiar state  of the ,jewish nation at
 that time1 there would be great        

difficulty in  doing this1 for the      
following reasons4--,if he1 as ,moses   
did1 had come  publicly before the      
nation at ,jerusalem1 and by miracles of
 great  power1 frequently repeated1 and 
extending their influence throughout    
all the land1 had forced conviction upon
 the minds of all the ,jews  that he was
 the true ,messiah1 the immediate and   
inevitable result  would have been1 that
 they would have raised one universal   
revolt  against the ,roman power1 and   
would have hurried the ,saviour of      
sinners  into the office of the ,king of
 the ,jews2 and then bowed down to him  
as  the temporal sovereign of the       
,jewish nation4 ,but1 notwithstanding   
this  error of the ,jews1 and the       
results to which it would directly tend1
  still it would be necessary in order  
to meet the constitution of  things1    
that ,christ should manifest1 by        
exhibitions of miraculous  power1 the   
credentials attesting the ,divinity of  
his mission4 ,the  inquiry then arises1 

,how could ,jesus perform miracles1 and 
at the  same time prevent revolt in the 
nation8        #bh ,see chap4 iii4 ,on  
,miracles4    ,the circumstances of the 
case would render it necessary that his 
miracles should not be attended by that 
publicity and power which  would lead   
those who had the influence of the      
nation in their hands1  and who were    
blind to the true design of his mission1
 into revolt and  destruction4 ,it was  
likewise necessary1 on the other hand1  
that they  should be sufficiently       
frequent1 and of sufficient power1 to   
convince  the candid who witnessed them 
that they were the seal of heaven to the
  mission of ,jesus4 ,when ,christ      
wrought miracles1 therefore1 he would   
have to aim at one end1 and endeavour to
 prevent another--the end  aimed at1    
that the impression might be made on    
honest minds1 that he  was the true     
,messiah2 the end avoided1 that the     
rulers of the nation  might not1 on     
account of his mighty miracles1 rally   

round him as their  temporal king1 and  
thus hurry themselves and their nation  
to premature  destruction4    ,now1 the 
character and conduct of ,jesus accord  
entirely with the  foregoing deductions1
 made out from undoubted historical     
facts4 ,that  he performed many         
miracles1 and yet suppressed their      
extensive  publicity1 is frequently     
noticed in the ,new ,testament4 ,jesus1 
therefore1 had the peculiar marks of the
 true ,messiah2 and1 in view of  the    
peculiar condition of the ,jewish nation
 at that time1 the true  ,messiah could 
have assumed no other character1 and    
pursued no other  course of conduct1    
than that exhibited in the life of      
,christ4#bi        #bi ,another item    
might be added to this demonstration1   
showing      that in order to the       
ultimation of the plan of salvation1 it 
was      necessary that ,jesus should so
 manifest himself and manage his        
ministry1 that a part of the ,jews      
should receive him as the      ,messiah1

 and a part reject him4                 
,,chapter ,,xii4    ,,the ,,condition   
,,in ,,life ,,which ,,it ,,was          
,,necessary ,,the ,,messiah ,,should    
,,assume  ,,in ,,order ,,to ,,benefit   
,,the ,,human ,,family ,,in ,,the       
,,greatest ,,degree1 ,,by ,,his         
,,example ,,and ,,instructions4         
,selfishness is a fundamental evil of   
human nature1 the existence of  which is
 acknowledged by all men4 ,it is not an 
evil which belongs to  any one class of 
human society4 ,it is generic2 and moves
 all ranks2  each individual looks upon 
those who stand next or near him in     
society1 and desires equality with1 or  
superiority over them in  wealth1 or    
popularity1 or power4 ,the law of reason
 and of ,god requires  that men should  
endeavour to elevate those below them up
 to their own  condition2 selfishness is
 the opposite principle1 which urges men
 to  elevate themselves over others4 ,if
 the militia captain could follow  the  
desires of his nature1 and ascend from  

one condition to another  until he stood
 upon the floor of the senate chamber1  
he would find  that the desire which led
 him to take the first step1 had only   
increased its power by gratification1   
and was still goading him on to  rise   
higher2 and he would stop nowhere while 
life lasted1 until he  perceived further
 efforts useless or dangerous4 ,this    
selfish pride and  desire for           
self-aggrandizement is detrimental both 
to the individual  and to the social    
interests of men4 ,wherever selfish     
ambition exists  in any degree of       
strength1 it generates misery to the    
individual and  to others about him4    
,there are not1 perhaps1 more miserable 
men in the  world than are some of those
 who have gained to some extent the     
object of their ambition1 and are seated
 in the halls of legislation4  ,their   
minds are constantly anxious in making  
some effort1 or devising  some plan1 by 
which they may promote the schemes in   
which they are  engaged4 ,and every time

 the hopes of one are realised1 the     
stings of  envy1 and jealousy1 and      
concealed hate1 rankle in the bosoms of 
some  others4 ,in the humbler walks of  
life1 the evil exists1 perhaps in a     
less degree1 but still it exists2 and   
its existence is the bane of  human     
happiness1 and the cause of human guilt4
    ,now1 this wicked desire of human   
nature to aspire after elevated  worldly
 condition1 rather than after usefulness
 of life and goodness  of heart1 would  
be either fostered or checked by the    
condition in life  which the ,messiah   
assumed among men4 ,in proportion as his
 condition  was elevated1 pride and the 
desire of elevation would be fostered in
  the hearts of his followers4 ,in      
proportion as his condition was humble  
and depressed1 pride of heart would be  
checked in all those who  received and  
honoured him as their ,master and       
,teacher4#cj        #cj ,see chap4 v4   
,suppose that the ,messiah had presented
 himself in the condition  anticipated  

by the ,jews2 surrounded by the pomp and
 parade of a  powerful temporal prince2 
sustaining the earthly dignity and      
splendour  of the ancient monarchs of   
the dynasty of ,david4 ,now1 had such a 
,messiah appeared in ,juda1 it is       
perfectly certain1 from the character   
of human nature1 that his earthly       
circumstances would have a tendency  to 
cherish in the people1 as a nation1 and 
as individuals1 the bad  principles of  
pride and ambition4 ,worldly pomp and   
circumstances would  have had the       
sanction of the highest authority in the
 person of their  ,messiah2 and it would
 have induced the desire in all hearts  
to elevate  themselves as nearly as     
possible to his temporal condition4 ,the
 pride  of the human heart would have   
been fostered and not humbled4 ,instead 
of causing the middle walks of life to  
be grateful and contented in  their     
condition1 it would have produced in    
them an anxiety to stretch  themselves  
upwards4 ,and instead of causing those  

already elevated to  benefit the worthy 
poor1 it would have caused them to have 
no sympathy  for any of the human family
 in low estate2 because theirs was a    
condition the opposite of that assumed  
by the great model which they  loved and
 admired4 ,and instead of causing the   
poor to feel a greater  degree of       
contentment1 and to avoid repining at   
their lot1 the  circumstances of the    
,messiah would have deepened their      
dejection1 and  rendered them less happy
 in their depressed condition2 because  
their  condition would hinder them from 
approach to1 or fellowship with1 the    
,heaven-sent ,instructor4 ,a teacher1   
therefore1 believed to be from  heaven1 
who should assume an elevated condition 
in the world1 instead  of being a       
spiritual blessing to the whole family  
of man1 by promoting  in their bosoms   
humility and sympathy for each other1   
would have been  a spiritual curse1 by  
producing haughtiness and hardness of   
heart in  the rich1 ambition in the     

middle classes1 and hopeless dejection  
in  the poor4    ,suppose the ,messiah  
had come in the character which the     
,greeks  admired2 that1 assuming the    
seat of the philosophers1 he had        
startled  the learned world by          
disclosing to them new and sublime      
truths4  ,suppose he had1 by the power  
of far-reaching intellect1 answered all 
the questions and solved all the        
difficulties which perplexed the  minds 
of the disciples of the ,porch and the  
,academy4 ,in such a case  his          
instructions would have been adapted to 
satisfy the minds of a few  gifted      
individuals1 but they would not have    
been adapted to benefit  the minds of   
many1 nor the heart of any of the great 
mass of mankind4  ,vain of their wisdom 
already1 the character of the ,messiah  
would have  been adapted to make the    
philosophers more so2 and instead of    
blessing  them1 by humbling their pride1
 and giving them a sympathy with their  
fellow men1 it would have led them and  

their admirers to look upon  those who  
were not endowed with superior mental   
qualities1 as an  inferior class of men4
    ,but1 if the ,messiah could not have
 appeared in the condition desired  by  
the ,jews1 nor in that admired by the   
,gentiles1 the inquiry  arises--,what   
condition in life would it be necessary 
that the ,messiah  should assume1 in    
order to benefit the human family in the
 highest  degree by the influence of    
that condition8 ,in view of the         
foregoing  deductions1 the solution is  
obvious3 ,in that condition which would 
have the most direct influence to       
destroy selfishness and pride in the    
human heart1 and to foster1 in their    
stead1 humility1 contentment1 and       
benevolence4    ,now1 in view of this   
result1 deduced directly from the       
acknowledged  character of human nature1
 turn your attention to the earthly     
circumstances of ,jesus1 and see how he 
brought the whole weight of his         
condition in life to bear against       

selfishness and pride of heart4--,he    
was born in the lowest possible         
circumstances4 ,his life was the        
constant rebuke to every ambitious and  
proud feeling of the human  heart2 and  
his death was one esteemed by men the   
most ignominious4 ,no  one who openly   
acknowledged and had fellowship with    
,jesus of ,nazareth1  as his ,teacher   
and ,master1 could do so until the      
natural pride of his  nature was        
subdued4 ,it was impossible for a man to
 find fellowship  with ,jesus unless he 
humbled himself1 because in no other    
state could  his feelings meet those of 
,christ4 ',take my yoke upon you1' said 
,jesus1 'and learn of me2 for ,i am meek
 and lowly in heart3 and ye  shall find 
rest unto your souls4'    ,thus did     
,jesus place himself in a condition     
which rendered humility  absolutely     
necessary in order to sympathy with     
him--in the condition  directly opposed 
to pride of heart1 one of the most      
insidious enemies  of man's happiness   

and usefulness4 ,and as it is an        
acknowledged and  experimental fact that
 the soul finds rest only in meekness1  
and never  in selfishness and pride of  
mind1 therefore1 the demonstration is   
perfect1 that ,christ assumed the only  
condition which it was possible  for him
 to assume1 and thereby destroy pride   
and misery1 and produce  humility and   
peace1 in human bosoms4    ,profane     
history and the ,new ,testament         
,scriptures confirm the foregoing       
views4 ,tacitus1 speaking of the        
primitive ,christians1 alludes to them  
with marked contempt1 as the followers  
of one who had been crucified4  ,his    
manner evinces clearly not only his own 
feelings1 but it is a good  index to the
 feelings of a majority of the people of
 that proud and  idolatrous age2 and it 
establishes1 beyond all controversy1 the
 fact1  that no one could declare       
himself a follower of ,christ until1 for
  truth and for ,christ's sake1 he was  
willing to be considered base in  the   

estimation of the world4 ,the elegant   
,pliny likewise bears direct  testimony 
to the humility and integrity of life   
which characterized  the early disciples
 of ,christ4    ,a great number of      
passages in the ,new ,testament confirm 
the preceding  views4 ,it is only       
necessary to say that the apostles      
understood not  only the effect of their
 ,lord's circumstances1 in life and     
death1 upon  the minds of men1 but they 
understood likewise the philosophy and  
the  necessity of the case4 ,says       
,paul--',it became 7or was expedient    
for7  ,him1 from whom are all things1   
and by whom are all things1 in bringing 
many sons unto glory1 to make the       
,captain of their salvation perfect     
through sufferings4 ,for both he that   
sanctifieth and they who are  sanctified
 are all of one3 for which cause he is  
not ashamed to call  them               
brethren4'--,that is1 the humble and    
self-denying life and death  of ,jesus  
was necessary1 because it would have a  

sanctifying effect in  counteracting the
 evils in the hearts of men4 ,it was    
necessary for him  to become their      
brother man1 and assume a certain       
character and  condition1 in order that1
 by their becoming one with him1 they   
might  be sanctified and made happy and 
useful4    ,thus1 while the ,jews       
required a sign1 and the ,greeks sought 
after  wisdom1 the apostles preached    
,christ crucified2 understanding the    
philosophy1 the efficiency1 and the     
necessity of their doctrine4 ,and  so   
long as the world lasts1 every man who  
reads the ,new ,testament1  whether     
saint or sinner1 will be penetrated with
 the conviction that a  vain1 aspiring1 
selfish spirit is incompatible with the 
religion of  ,jesus4          ,,chapter 
,,xiii4    ,,the ,,essential            
,,principles ,,which ,,must1 ,,according
 ,,to ,,the ,,nature ,,of  ,,things1    
,,lie ,,at ,,the ,,foundation ,,of ,,the
 ,,instruction ,,of ,,christ4      ,the 
,messiah having come in the proper      

character1 displayed the proper         
credentials1 and assumed the necessary  
condition1 the question arises1  ,what  
may we learn from the character of ,god 
and the nature of man  concerning the   
fundamental principles which would      
govern the teaching  of ,jesus8    ,god 
is righteous and benevolent2 it         
therefore follows that he would  connect
 happiness with righteousness and       
goodness in his creatures4  ,were he to 
do otherwise1 it would be causing the   
happiness of man to  arise from a       
character different from its own1 which1
 as ,god is good1  would be impossible1 
because it would be wicked4    ,further1
 man is so constituted that1 as a matter
 of fact1 his true  happiness depends   
upon righteousness of life and          
benevolence of heart4  ,when his will   
accords with his knowledge of duty1 or  
when he acts as  he knows is right      
towards ,god and his fellow men1 there  
is peace and  even complacency of       
conscience4 ,peace and complacency of   

conscience is  the happiness which1     
according to man's moral constitution1  
arises  from righteousness1 or right    
acting1 in life4 ,and when man exercises
  benevolent feeling--has love in his   
heart to ,god and men1 this  exercise of
 benevolent affection produces          
happiness4 ,now there can be  no such   
thing as happiness of spirit except it  
arise from these  sources4 ,and when    
these sources are full and flowing1 and 
thus unite  together--when there is     
perfect love and a perfect life1 the    
soul is  rendered happy4 ,a single      
unrighteous act of will or malevolent   
feeling  of heart will destroy this     
happiness2 a single emotion of hatred or
  ill-will1 or a single evil act1 known 
to be such1 towards any of ,god's       
creatures1 will destroy the peace of the
 soul4 ,even hatred to an  enemy1 or the
 desire of revenge1 or any emotion but  
good-will1 injures  the soul's          
happiness4    ,thus1 in constituting the
 human soul1 ,god1 in accordance with   

his own  character1 has caused its      
happiness to depend upon righteousness  
and  goodness4    ,now1 then1 a teacher 
sent from ,god must recognise these     
fundamental  principles1 and give him   
instruction in view of them4 ,the       
happiness of  the human soul1 which is  
its life--its first1 and best1 and only 
good1 could be produced in no other way4
 ,the whole force1 therefore1  of       
,divine instruction would be designed   
and adapted to accomplish this          
necessary end4 ,the legitimate          
development of ,god's nature1 exercised 
towards man1 would produce such         
instructions and such an example2 and   
the best good of the human soul rendered
 it necessary that they should  be      
given4    ,it is not said that1 as in   
the schools of philosophy1 the constant 
inquiry and search should be for the    
'greatest good4' ,the very effort  to   
obtain happiness in this way would      
destroy its existence4 ,happiness  is   
not objective but subjective2 no direct 

effort could gain it2 it is  the result 
of the right action of the moral powers4
 ,it would not be  necessary1 therefore1
 that those instructed should even      
understand the  principles which        
governed their instructor4 ,it would be 
sufficient if  the instruction were     
designed and adapted to promote         
righteousness and  goodness3 the        
happiness of the soul would follow as a 
result1 whether  or not the recipient of
 the instruction understood the         
principles  which governed his teacher4 
,now the whole power of ,christ's       
instruction was directed to this  point4
 ,it was distinguished in this respect  
from all other instruction  ever given  
to mankind4 ,i say unto you1 ,love your 
enemies4 ,do good to  them that         
despitefully use you4 ,be anxious about 
no worldly good4 ,the  weightier matters
 of the law are righteousness and the   
love of ,god4  ,love and obey ,god1 and 
love and do good to your neighbour3 this
 is the  law and the prophets4 ,seek    

first the kingdom of heaven and its     
righteousness1 and all other things will
 be added to you4 ,that is1  seek first 
righteousness and the love of ,god1 and 
the necessary result  will grow out of  
these exercises--happiness1 or life1    
will be added as  a consequence4        
,thus was the whole force of the        
,saviour's teaching and example         
designed and adapted to produce         
righteousness and benevolence2 and as   
these are the only exercises from which 
man's true happiness can  arise1 it     
follows that the principles involved in 
the instruction of  ,christ1 connecting 
happiness with holiness1 are the only   
principles  which can1 in accordance    
with the character of ,god and the      
constitution of man1 produce the        
greatest good of the human soul4        
,jesus1 therefore1 was the ,christ of   
,god2 because the ,christ of ,god  could
 found his instructions on no other     
principles1--the principles  which are  
fundamental in his teaching being those 

which alone can  produce the happiness  
of the soul in accordance with its own  
moral  nature1 and in accordance with   
the moral character of ,god4            
,,chapter ,,xiv4    ,,faith1 ,,the      
,,exercise ,,through ,,which ,,truth    
,,reaches ,,and ,,affects ,,the ,,soul4 
,when ,christ1 man's perfect and        
spiritual ,instructor1 had come1 and    
introduced the great doctrines of the   
spiritual dispensation1 the next        
necessary step in the process was1 that 
those truths should be brought  to      
impress the soul1 and influence the     
life1 and so produce their  proper      
effects upon human nature4 ,the inquiry 
then presents itself3  ,in what way     
could the truths of the gospel be       
brought into efficient  contact with the
 soul of man8    ,there are but two ways
 in which truth can be brought into     
contact with  the mind4 ,the one is     
sometimes called knowledge2 the other1  
faith1 or  belief of testimony4 ,in the 
earlier and ruder ages1 men were        

necessarily moved more by knowledge1    
derived from their own  observation and 
experience1 through the medium of their 
senses2 but  as mankind increased in    
number1 important truth was conveyed by 
one  man or one generation communicating
 their experience1 and another man  or  
another generation receiving it by      
belief in their testimony4  ,perception 
and faith are the only modes by which   
truth can be brought  into contact with 
the soul2 and their effects are nearly  
the same upon  man's conduct and        
feelings1 with the following remarkable 
exception3  ,of facts which are the     
subjects of personal observation1 every 
time  they are experienced1 the effect  
upon the soul grows less2 while1 on  the
 contrary1 those facts which are        
received by faith1 produce1 every  time 
they are realised1 a greater effect upon
 the soul4 ,by constant  sight1 the     
effect of objects seen grows less2 by   
constant faith1 the  effect of objects  
believed in grows greater4 ,the probable

 reason of  this is1 that personal      
observation does not admit of the       
influence of  the imagination in        
impressing the fact2 while unseen       
objects1 realised  by faith1 have the   
auxiliary aid of the imagination1 not to
 exaggerate  them1 but to clothe them   
with living colours1 and impress them   
upon  the heart4 ,whether this be the   
reason or not1 the fact is true1 that   
the more frequently we see1 the less we 
feel the power of an object2  while the 
more frequently we dwell upon an object 
by faith1 the more  we feel its power4  
,this being true1 it follows that faith 
would be the  method best adapted to    
bring the sublime truths of the new     
dispensation to bear upon the souls of  
men4 ,and further1 as the  dispensation 
is spiritual1 and has relation to unseen
 and eternal  things1 faith becomes the 
only medium through which they can be   
conveyed to the soul4    ,furthermore1  
man is so constituted that his faith1 or
 belief1 has an  influence not only over

 his conduct in life1 but1 likewise1    
over the  character and action of the   
moral powers of the soul4    ,faith     
governs the conscience4    ,we have     
said1 in another place1 that a true     
conscience depends upon a  true faith4  
,no proposition in morals is more plain4
 ,it is not our  design to inquire what 
leads1 or has led1 men to a wrong faith4
  ,whatever may be the cause of any     
particular belief1 it is                
incontrovertible that1 if a man believes
 a thing to be right1  conscience cannot
 condemn an act performed in view of    
that belief4  ,conscience is so modified
 and guided by a man's faith1 that it   
will  sanction and command an act in one
 man which it will forbid and  condemn  
in another4 ,a ,roman ,catholic believes
 that he ought to pray to  the ,virgin  
,mary to intercede for him with ,god2   
and if a good ,roman  ,catholic were to 
neglect his worship to the saints1 his  
conscience  would smite him1 until1 in  
some instances1 he confessed his sin    

with  tears4 ,now1 if a good ,protestant
 were to pray to saints1 or to any      
other being but ,god1 his conscience    
would smite him for doing that  which   
the conscience of the ,roman ,catholic  
smote him for not doing4 ,so  the       
heathen mother will conscientiously     
throw her infant into the  ,ganges1 or  
under the wheels of ,juggernaut1 while  
the conscience of a  ,christian mother  
would convict her of murder were she to 
do the same  act4 ,conscience seldom    
convicts those whom ,christians call    
impenitent  persons for neglecting to   
pray1 while the moment a man becomes a  
true  believer1 he will be convicted of 
guilt if he neglects the duty4 ,so      
certainly and so clearly is it true1    
that a man's conscience is  governed by 
his faith4    ,faith governs the        
affections4    ,as man is constituted1  
no power in the universe can move his   
affections to an object until he        
believes that the object possesses  some
 loveliness or excellency of character4 

,the heart is affected just  as much by 
the goodness of another1 if we believe  
that goodness to  exist1 as it would be 
if we knew that it existed4 ,no matter1 
in the  case of the affections1 whether 
the object in reality possesses the     
good qualities or not1 if they are fully
 believed to exist1 the  affections will
 act just as certainly as though they   
really did exist4  ,the affections are  
constituted to be governed by faith4    
,and they act  most powerfully1 as was  
demonstrated in a previous chapter1 in  
view of  good qualities existing in     
another1 who1 under certain             
circumstances1  exercises those         
qualities towards us4 ,the fact1 then1  
is apparent1  that the conduct of man's 
life is influenced by what he believes2 
and  especially that the character and  
action of the moral powers of his       
nature are governed by the principle of 
faith4    ,another most important fact  
in connection with this subject is1 that
 a  man's interests1 temporal and       

spiritual1 depend upon what he believes4
  ,the nature of man and the nature of  
things are so constituted1 that  the    
belief of falsehood always destroys     
man's interests1 temporal or  spiritual1
 and the belief of truth invariably     
guides man right1 and  secures his best 
and highest good4    ,perhaps the most  
absurd and injurious adage that has ever
 gained  currency among mankind1 is     
'that it is no difference what a man    
believes1 if only he be sincere4' ,now1 
the truth is1 that the more  sincerely a
 man believes falsehood1 the more       
destructive it is to all  his interests1
 for time and eternity4 ,this statement 
can be confirmed  in every mind beyond  
the reach of doubt4    ,first1 ,the     
influence of believing falsehood on     
temporal and social  interests4    ,we  
will state some cases of common and     
constant occurrence1 in order  that the 
principle may be made obvious4    ,a    
gentleman of property and the highest   
respectability1 in the course  of his   

business transactions1 became acquainted
 with an individual1  who1 as the event 
showed1 was a man destitute1 in a great 
degree1 of a  conscientious regard for  
truth4 ,the persuasions and false       
representations of this man led the     
gentleman referred to1 to embark  almost
 his entire fortune with him in         
speculations in which he was at  that   
time engaged4 ,while this matter was in 
progress1 the friends of  the gentleman 
called upon him1 and stated their doubts
 of the  individual's integrity who     
solicited his confidence1 and likewise  
of  the success of the enterprises in   
which he was asked to engage4 ,the      
advice of his friends was rejected--he  
placed confidence in the false          
statements of the individual referred   
to--he acted upon those  statements1 and
 was1 consequently1 involved in         
pecuniary distress4 ,in  this case1 the 
gentleman not only sincerely believed   
the falsehood to  be the truth1 but he  
had good motives in relation to the     

object which  he desired to accomplish4 
,he was a benevolent man4 ,he had       
expended  considerable sums for         
charitable and religious uses1 and his  
desire  was1 by the increase of his     
property1 to be enabled to accomplish   
greater good4 ,in this case he was      
injured likewise by believing what      
others did not believe4 ,the individual 
who seduced him into the  speculation1  
had endeavoured to lead others to take  
the same views and  to act in the same  
way2 they did not believe the falsehood1
 and were1  consequently1 saved2 he     
believed1 and was1 consequently1 ruined4
    ,when the ,english army under       
,harold1 and the ,norman under ,william 
the  ,conqueror1 were set in array for  
that fearful conflict which decided  the
 fate of the two armies1 and the        
political destinies of ,great  ,britain1
 ,william1 perceiving that he could not1
 by a fair attack1 move  the solid      
columns of the ,english ranks1 had      
recourse to a false  movement1 in order 

to gain the victory4 ,he gave orders    
that one flank  of his army should feign
 to be flying from the field in         
disorder4 ,the  officers of the ,english
 army believed the falsehood1 pursued   
them1 and  were cut off4 ,a second time1
 a false movement was made in another   
part  of the field4 ,the ,english again 
believed1 pursued1 and were cut off4    
,by these movements the fortunes of the 
day were determined4 ,although  the     
,english had the evidence of their      
senses1 yet they were led to  believe a 
falsehood--they acted in view of it2 the
 consequence was1  the destruction of a 
great part of their army1 and the       
establishment  of the ,norman power in  
,england4    ,how often does it occur   
that the young female1 possessing warm  
affections and being inexperienced in   
the wiles of villains1 is led to        
believe falsehood which destroys her    
prospects and her happiness while  life 
lasts6 ,under other circumstances she   
might have been virtuous1  useful1      

happy4 ,by false indications of         
affection her heart is won--by  false   
promises of faithfulness and future good
 her assent to marry is  gained2 and    
then1 when too late1 she discovers that 
her husband is a  villain1 and she is   
forsaken1 with a broken heart1 to the   
cold  sympathies of a selfish world4 ,no
 matter how many hearts1 besides her    
own1 are broken by her error2 no matter 
how sincere1 or how guileless1  or how  
young2 she sincerely believed the       
falsehood1 and is thereby  ruined4      
,nothing in heaven or on earth will     
avert the consequences4 ,if  she had    
doubted1 she would have been saved4 ,she
 believed1 and is  consigned to sorrow  
till she sinks into her grave4          
,secondly1 ,the belief of falsehood in  
relation to spiritual things  destroys  
man's spiritual interests4    ,it is an 
incontrovertible fact that the whole    
heathen world1 ancient  and modern1 have
 believed in and worshipped unholy      
beings as gods4  ,now1 from the         

necessities of the case1 as demonstrated
 in the  introductory chapter1 the      
worshipper becomes assimilated to the   
character of the object worshipped4 ,in 
consequence of believing  falsehood     
concerning the character of ,god1 all   
heathendom1 at the  present hour1 is    
filled with ignorance1 impurity1 and    
crime4 ,as a mass  of corruption spreads
 contagion and death among all those who
 approach  it1 so certainly does the    
worship of unholy beings taint the soul1
 and  spread moral corruption through   
the world4 ',can a man take coals into  
his bosom1 and not be burned8'--,neither
 can the soul hold communion  with      
beings believed to be unholy1 and not   
itself become corrupt4 ,the  fact is so 
plain that it is not necessary to detail
 again the  impurities1 the vices1 the  
tortures1 the self-murders1 and the     
unnatural affections of the heathen     
world1 in order to show the deadly      
evils1 both to the body and soul1 which 
arise from the belief of  falsehood in  

relation to spiritual things4 ,it must  
be obvious to  everyone that1 if the    
heathen believed in one holy and        
benevolent ,god1  their abominable and  
cruel rites would cease4 ,it follows1   
therefore1  that it is the belief of    
falsehood that causes their ignorance   
and  corruption4    ,thus it is         
invariably and eternally true that the  
belief of truth will  lead a man right1 
and secure his temporal1 spiritual1 and 
eternal  interests2 and on the contrary1
 the belief of falsehood will lead a    
man wrong1 and destroy his interests in 
relation to whatever the  falsehood     
pertains1 whether it be temporal or     
eternal4    ,the preceding premises     
being established1 the following        
conclusions  result3    #a4 ,the entire 
man1 in his body and soul1 his actions  
and moral  feelings1 is governed by what
 he believes2 and that1 in relation to  
things that should have a constantly    
increasing influence over the  spirit1  
faith is a more powerful actuating cause

 than sight1 because  the one gains     
while the other loses power by          
repetition4    #b4 ,that the belief of  
falsehood1 concerning any human         
interest1 is  fatally injurious2 while  
the belief of truth is eternally        
beneficial4  ,and that the more         
sincerely any one believes error1 the   
more certainly  he destroys his         
interests1 whether temporal or          
spiritual3 while1 on  the contrary1 the 
more sincerely a man believes truth1 the
 more  certainly and powerfully are his 
interests advanced4 ,the living ,god    
has connected evil with the belief of   
falsehood1 and good with the  belief of 
truth2 it is a part of the              
constitutional law of the moral         
universe2 and there is no power in      
existence that will stop the            
consequence from following the          
antecedent4    ,mark it--,that doctrine 
which rectifies the conscience1 purifies
 the  heart1 and produces love to ,god  
and men1 is necessarily true2 because1  

as it has been demonstrated that        
righteousness and benevolence are the   
greatest good of the soul1 and likewise 
that the greatest good must  depend on  
the belief of truth1 therefore the      
conclusion is inevitable  that that     
doctrine which1 being believed1 destroys
 sin in the heart  and life of man1 and 
produces righteousness and benevolence1 
is the  truth of ,god4 ,no matter       
whether men can comprehend all its      
depths and  relations or not1 if it     
destroys sin wherever it takes effect by
  faith1 and makes happiness grow out of
 right living and right loving1  from   
the constitution of things--from the    
character of ,god--from the  nature of  
man--that doctrine is the ,,truth ,,of  
,,god4 ,and that doctrine  which hinders
 this result1 or produces a contrary    
result1 is the  falsehood of the        
devil4#ca        #ca ,john viii4 #dd4   
#d4 ,therefore ,christ laid at the      
foundation of the ,christian system     
this vital and necessary principle1 ',he

 that believeth and is baptized  shall  
be saved1 and he that believeth not     
shall be damned1'--saved in  accordance 
with the moral constitution of the      
universe1 and damned  from the absolute 
necessities existing in the nature of   
things4          ,,chapter ,,xv4        
,,the ,,manifestations ,,of ,,god       
,,which ,,would ,,be ,,necessary1       
,,under ,,the ,,new ,,and  ,,spiritual  
,,dispensation1 ,,to ,,produce ,,in     
,,the ,,soul ,,of ,,man ,,affectionate  
,,obedience4      ,man's mental and     
moral constitution was the same under   
the ,new as  under the ,old ,testament  
dispensation4 ,the same methods1        
therefore1  which were adapted to move  
man's nature under the one1 would be    
adapted to do so under the other4 ,the  
difference between the two              
dispensations was1 the first was a      
preparatory dispensation1 its           
manifestations1 for the most part1 being
 seen and temporal2 the  second1 a      
perfect system of truth1 spiritual in   

its character1 and in  the method of its
 communication4 ,but whether the truths 
were temporal  or spiritual1 and1       
whether they were brought to view by    
faith or  sight1 in order to produce a  
given effect upon the soul1 or any of   
its  powers1 the same methods under all 
dispensations would be necessary1       
varied only to suit the advancement of  
the mind in knowledge1 the  differences 
existing in the habits and circumstances
 of men1 and the  character of the      
dispensation to be introduced4 ,for     
instance3 under  one dispensation--it   
being in a great measure temporal1      
preparatory1  and imperfect--love might 
be produced by making men feel temporal 
want1 and by ,god granting temporal     
benefits3 while under a spiritual  and  
universal system1 men must likewise feel
 the want1 and receive the  benefit1 in 
order to love2 but the want felt and the
 benefit conferred  must be of a        
spiritual character4    ,under all      
dispensations1 an essential requisite1  

after the way for its  introduction was 
prepared1 would be such manifestations  
of ,god to men  as would produce love in
 the human heart for the object of      
worship and  obedience4 ',love the ,lord
 thy ,god with all thy heart1' is the   
first  great law of the universe2 and   
,god cannot be honoured1 nor man made   
happy1 unless his obedience be actuated 
by love to the object of  obedience4#cb 
,now the manifestations of mercy1 under 
the old  dispensation1 were mainly      
temporal in their character1 and limited
 in  their application to the ,jews4    
,but ,god's special goodness to them    
could not produce love in the hearts of 
the ,gentiles4 ,the  manifestations in  
,egypt were1 therefore1 neither adapted 
in their  character1 nor in the extent  
of their design1 to the spiritual and   
universal religion of ,jesus ,christ4   
,but one part of the ,mosaic economy    
was universal and immutable in its      
character4 ,the moral law is the  same  
for ever in its application to all      

intelligent beings in the  universe4 ,it
 is plain to reason that1 whatever means
 may be adopted to  bring men to        
rectitude of conduct or to pardon them  
for offences1 the  rule of right itself1
 founded upon the justice and holiness1 
and  sustained by the conscience1 of the
 ,eternal1 must be immutable and        
eternal as its ,author2 and the means1  
manifestations1 and influences1  under  
the different dispensations1 are        
expedients of mercy1 designed  and      
adapted to bring men to act in          
conformity with its requirements4       
#cb ,see chap4 iv4 on ,affectionate     
,obedience4    ,how1 then1 under the new
 dispensation1 and in conformity with   
its  spiritual and universal character1 
could love for ,god be produced in  the 
human heart8    ,we will here1 again1 as
 the subject in hand is most important1 
notice  some of the conditions upon     
which affection for an object may be    
produced in the heart4    ,the will is  
influenced by motives and by affection2 

and all acts of  will produced entirely 
by pure affection1 are disinterested    
acts4  ,there is1 probably1 no one      
living1 who has attained to maturity of 
years1 but has1 at some period of life1 
felt affection for another1 so  that it 
was more gratifying to please the object
 of his affection than  to please       
himself4 ,love for another always       
influences the will to do  those things 
which please the object loved2 and the  
acts which proceed  from affection are  
disinterested1 not being done with any  
selfish end  in view1 but to conform to 
the will and meet the desires of        
another4  ,the moment the affections are
 fixed upon an object1 the will is drawn
  into union with the will of the object
 loved2 and if that object be  regarded 
as superior1 in proportion as he rises  
above us in the scale  of being1 to obey
 his will and secure his regard becomes 
a spontaneous  volition of the soul2 and
 the pleasure that arises from          
affectionate  compliance with the will  

of a worthy and loved object1 does not  
arise  because it is sought for1 but    
from the constitution the ,maker has    
given to the human soul2 it is the      
result of its activity1 produced in     
accordance with the law of love4    ,all
 happy obedience must arise from        
affection1 exercised towards the  object
 obeyed4 ,obedience which arises from   
affection blesses the  spirit which     
yields it1 if the conscience approve of 
the object  obeyed4 ,while1 on the      
contrary1 no being can be happy in      
obeying one  whom he does not love4 ,to 
obey a parent1 or to obey ,god1 from    
interested motives1 would be sin4 ,the  
devil might be obeyed for the  same     
reasons4 ,all enlightened minds agree to
 what the ,bible confirms1  and what    
reason can clearly perceive1 without    
argument1 that love for  ,god is        
essential to every act of religious     
duty4 ,to tender obedience  or homage to
 ,god1 while we had no love for him in  
our hearts1 would be  dishonourable to  

the ,maker1 and doing violence to our   
own nature4    ,when an object presents 
itself to the attention1 whose character
  engages the heart1 then the affections
 flow out1 and the soul acts  sweetly in
 this new relation4 ,there is a bond of 
sympathy between the  hearts of the two 
beings1 and those things which affect   
the one affect  the other1 in proportion
 to the strength of the cherished       
affection4  ,one meets the desires and  
conforms to the will of the other1 not  
from  a sense of obligation merely1 but 
from choice4 ,and in thus giving and    
receiving affection1 the soul           
experiences its highest enjoyment1 its  
greatest good2 and when the             
understanding perceives1 in the object  
loved1 perfections of the highest       
character1 and affection of the  purest 
kind for those that love him1 the       
conscience sanctions the  action of the 
heart and the obedience of the will1 and
 all the moral  powers of the soul unite
 in happy and harmonious action4    ,we 

return1 now1 to the problem--,under the 
spiritual dispensation of  ,christ1 how 
could the affections of the soul be     
awakened by faith1 and  fixed upon ,god 
their proper object8    ,the principle  
has been stated1 which everyone will    
recognise as true  in his own           
experience1 that the more we feel the   
want of a benefactor1  temporal or      
spiritual1 and the more we feel our     
inability to rescue  ourselves from     
existing difficulties and impending     
dangers1 the more  grateful love will   
the heart feel for the being who1 moved 
by  kindness1 and in despite of personal
 sacrifices1 interposes to assist  and  
save us4    ,under the ,old ,testament  
dispensation the affections of the      
,israelites  were educed and fixed upon 
,god in accordance with this law of the 
soul4 ,they were placed in circumstances
 of abject need2 and from this          
condition of suffering and sorrow1 ,god 
delivered them1 and thus drew  their    
hearts to himself4 ,now the ,jews1 as   

has been noticed1 supposed  that the    
,messiah would appear1 and again confer 
upon them similar  favours1 by          
delivering them from their state of     
dependence and  subjection as a nation4 
,but a temporal deliverance of this     
kind1 as  has been shown1 was not       
consistent with the design of ,christ's 
perfect  and spiritual dispensation1    
which was designed to save men from sin 
and spiritual bondage1 and restore them 
to spiritual happiness by  restoring    
them to affectionate obedience to the   
only living and true  ,god4    ,the     
inquiry1 then1 presents itself1 as a    
feeling of want was  necessary1 in order
 that the soul might love the ,being who
 supplied  that want--and as ,jesus came
 to bestow spiritual mercies upon       
mankind--,how could men be brought to   
feel the want of a spiritual            
,benefactor and ,saviour8    ,allow the 
thought to be repeated again--,according
 to the constitution  which ,god has    
given the soul1 it must feel the want of

 spiritual  mercies before it can feel  
love for the ,giver of those mercies2   
and  just in proportion as the soul     
feels its lost1 guilty1 and dangerous   
condition1 in the same proportion will  
it exercise love to the ,being  who     
grants spiritual favour and salvation4  
,how1 then1 could the  spiritual want be
 produced in the souls of men1 in order 
that they  might love the spiritual     
,benefactor8    ,not by temporal bondage
 and temporal suffering1 because these  
would  lead men to desire a temporal    
deliverance4 ,the only possible way by  
which man could be made to hope for and 
appreciate spiritual mercies1  and to   
love a spiritual deliverer1 would be to 
produce a conviction in  the soul itself
 of its evil condition1 its danger as a 
spiritual  being1 and its inability1    
unaided1 to satisfy the requirements of 
a  spiritual law1 or to escape its just 
and spiritual penalty4 ,if man  could be
 made to perceive that he was guilty and
 needy1 that his soul  was under the    

condemnation of the holy law of a holy  
,god1 he would  then necessarily feel   
the need of a deliverance from sin and  
its  consequences2 and in this way only 
could the soul of man be led to         
appreciate spiritual mercies or love a  
spiritual benefactor4    ,mark another  
fact1 in connection with the foregoing1 
which is to be  especially noticed1 and 
which will be developed fully in        
subsequent  pages--,the greater the     
kindness and self-denial of a benefactor
  manifested in our behalf1 the warmer  
and the stronger will be the  affection 
which his goodness will produce in the  
human heart4    ,here1 then1 are two    
facts growing out of the constitution of
 human  nature--,first1 the soul must   
feel its evil and lost state1 as the    
pre-requisite condition upon which alone
 it can love a deliverer2  ,secondly1   
the degree of kindness and self-denial  
in a benefactor1  temporal or spiritual1
 graduates the degree of affection and  
gratitude  that will be awakened for    

him4    ,now1 in view of these necessary
 conditions1 mark the means which ,god  
has used1 and the manifestations which  
he has made of himself1 in  order to    
secure the supreme love of the human    
soul4    ,in the first place1 ,the soul 
is brought to see and feel its evil and 
lost condition1 and its need of         
deliverance4    ,at the advent of       
,jesus1 the ,roman world was in         
precisely the condition  which was      
necessary to prepare it for his         
doctrines4 ,the ,jews had the  moral law
 written in their ,scriptures1 and      
recognised it as the will  of ,jehovah2 
and the ,gentiles had its requirements1 
concerning their  duty to each other1   
and their duty to worship1 written upon 
their  hearts4 ,both the doctors among  
the ,jews1 and the schools of philosophy
  among the ,gentiles1 especially those 
of the ,stoics1 taught the  obligatory  
nature of many of the important moral   
duties which man owes  to man4 ,no      
period in the history of the heathen    

mind ever existed  before or since1 when
 man's relations to man were so clearly 
perceived4#cc ,the ,jews1 however1 had  
these advantages1 that while the  few   
intelligent ,gentiles received the      
instruction of the philosophers  in     
relation to morals as truth1 it was     
truth without any higher  sanction than 
that of having been spoken by wise men1 
and therefore it  contained in itself no
 authority or weight of obligation to   
bind the  conscience2 while they had the
 ,moral ,law as a rule of duty1         
sanctioned  by the authority and        
infinite justice of ,jehovah4 ,thus the 
moral  virtues assumed the sanction of  
religious duties2 and they had not  only
 the moral precepts thus sanctioned1    
but1 having been taught the  true       
character of ,god1 their religious      
duties were likewise united in  the same
 sacred decalogue4        #cc ,for the  
views of the different schools of       
,grecian and ,roman      philosophy at  
this period1 and the amount of their    

indebtedness to      the ,jewish        
,scriptures1 see ,enfield's ,history of 
,philosophy4    ,there was1 however1 in 
the application of the law1 one most    
important  and vital mistake1 in        
relation to what constituted human      
guilt4 ,the  moral law was generally    
applied as the civil law1 not to the    
acts of  the spirit1 but to the acts of 
the body4 ,it was applied to the        
external conduct of men1 not to the     
internal life4 ,if there was  conformity
 to the letter of the law in external   
manners1 there was a  fulfilment1 in the
 eyes of the ,jew and the ,gentile1 of  
the highest  claims that ,god or man    
held upon the spirit4 ,no matter how    
dark or  damning were the exercises of  
the soul1 if it only kept its sin in its
  own habitation1 and did not develop it
 in action1 the penalty of the  law was 
not laid to its charge4 ,the character  
of the spirit itself  might be criminal1
 and all its exercises of thought and   
feeling  sensual and selfish1 yet if it 

added hypocrisy to its guilt1 and       
maintained an outward conformity to the 
law--a conformity itself  produced by   
selfishness--man judged himself1 and    
others adjudged him1  guiltless4 ,man   
could not1 therefore1 understand his own
 guilt1 as a  spiritual being1 nor feel 
his condemned and lost condition1 until 
the  requirements of the holy law were  
applied to the exercises of his  soul4  
,now1 ,jesus applied the ,divine law    
directly to the soul1 and laid its      
obligation upon the movements of the    
will and the desires4 ,he taught  that  
all wrong thoughts and feelings were    
acts of transgression  against ,god1 and
 as such would be visited with the      
penalty of the  ,divine law4 ,thus he   
made the law spiritual1 and its penalty 
spiritual1  and appealing to the        
authority of the supreme ,god1 he laid  
its claims  upon the naked soul4 ,he    
entered the secret recesses of the      
spirit's  tabernacle2 he flashed the    
light of the ,divine law upon the awful 

secrets known only to the soul itself2  
and with the voice of a ,god1 he  spoke 
to the ',i' of the mind3 ',thou shalt   
not will1 nor desire1 nor  feel         
wickedly4'    ,when he had thus shown   
that all the wrong exercises of the soul
 were  sin against ,god1 and that the   
soul was in a guilty condition1 under   
the condemnation of the ,divine law1 he 
then directs the attention to  the      
spiritual consequences of this guilt4   
,these he declared to be  exclusion from
 the kingdom and presence of ,god1 and  
penalty which  involved either endless  
spiritual suffering1 or destruction of  
the  soul itself4 ,the punishment which 
he declared to be impending over the    
unbelieving and impenitent spirit1 he   
portrayed by using all those  figures   
which would lead men to apprehend the   
most fearful and  unmitigated spiritual 
misery4    ,before the impenitent and   
unpardoned sinner there was the         
destruction  of the soul and body in    
hell--consignment to a state of         

darkness1  where the worm dieth not1 and
 the fire is not quenched--cursed and   
banished from ,god into everlasting     
fire1 prepared for the devil and  his   
angels--agonising in flame1 and refused 
a drop of water to  mitigate the agony4 
,now1 these figures1 to the minds both  
of ,jews and  ,gentiles1 must have      
conveyed a most appalling impression of 
the misery  that was impending over the 
soul1 unless it was relieved from sin1  
and  the consequent curse of the law4   
,jesus knew that the ,jews1 especially1 
would understand these figures as       
implying fearful future punishment3  he 
therefore designed to do1 what was      
undoubtedly accomplished in the  mind of
 everyone that believed his instruction1
 which was1 to produce  a conviction of 
sin in the soul1 by applying to it the  
requirements of  the spiritual law of   
,god1 and by showing that the penalty   
consequent  upon sin was fearful and    
everlasting destruction4 ,we say1 then1 
what  everyone who has followed these   

thoughts must perceive to be true1  that
 the instruction of ,jesus would        
necessarily produce1 in the mind  of    
everyone that believed1 a conviction    
that he was a guilty and  condemned     
creature1 and that an awful doom awaited
 his soul1 unless he  received pardon   
and spiritual deliverance4    ,thus1    
then1 by the instruction of ,jesus      
,christ1 showing the spirituality  and  
holiness of the ,divine law1 and        
applying it1 with its infinite          
sanctions1 to the exercise of the soul1 
that condition of mind was  produced    
which alone could prepare man to love a 
spiritual deliverer2  and there is no   
other way in which the soul could have  
been prepared1 in  accordance with truth
 and the constitution of its own nature1
 to  appreciate the spiritual mercies of
 ,god1 and love him as a spiritual      
,saviour4    ,the law and the truth     
being exhibited by ,christ in the manner
 adapted  to produce the condition of   
soul pre-requisite to the exercise of   

affection for spiritual                 
deliverance--now1 as ,god was the author
 of  the law1 and as he is the only     
proper object both of supreme love and  
obedience2 and1 as man could not be     
happy in obeying the law without  loving
 its author1 it follows1 that the thing 
now necessary1 in order  that man's     
affections might be fixed upon the      
proper object of love  and obedience1   
was1 that the supreme ,god should1 by   
self-denying  kindness1 manifest        
spiritual mercy to those who felt their 
spiritual  wants1 and thus draw to      
himself the love and worship of mankind4
 ,if  any other being should supply the 
need1 that being would receive the      
love2 it was therefore necessary that   
,god himself should do it1 in  order    
that the affection of believers might   
centre upon the proper  object4    ,but1
 notice1 that in order to the           
accomplishment of this end1 without     
violating the moral constitution of the 
universe1 it would be  essentially      

necessary that the holiness of ,god's   
law should be  maintained4 ,this would  
be necessary1 because the law is1 in    
itself1  the will of the ,godhead1 and  
,god himself must be unholy before his  
will can be so4 ,and whatever ,god may  
overlook in those who know not  their   
duty1 yet1 when he reveals his perfect  
law1 that law cannot1  from the nature  
of its ,author1 allow the commission of 
a single sin4  ,but1 besides1 if its    
holiness were not maintained1 man is so 
constituted that he could never become  
holy4 ,every change to a better  course 
in man's life must be preceded by a     
conviction of error2 man  cannot repent 
and turn from sin till he is convicted  
of sin in  himself4 ,now1 if the        
holiness of the law1 as a standard of   
duty1 was  maintained1 man might thus be
 enlightened and convicted of sin1 until
  he had seen and felt the last sin in  
his soul2 and if the law allowed  one   
sin1 there would be no way of convicting
 man of that sin1 or of  converting him 

from it2 he would1 therefore1 remain1 in
 some degree1 a  sinner for ever4 ,but1 
finally and conclusively1 if the        
holiness of the  law was not maintained1
 that sense of guilt and danger could   
not be  produced which is necessary in  
order that man may love a spiritual     
,saviour4 ,jesus produced that condition
 by applying to the soul the  authority1
 the claims1 and the sanctions of the   
holy law4 ,it is  impossible1 therefore1
 in the nature of things1 for a sinful  
being to  appreciate ,god's mercy1      
unless he first feel his justice as     
manifested  in the holy law4 ,love in   
the soul is produced by the joint       
influence  of the justice and mercy of  
,god4 ,the integrity of the eternal law1
  therefore1 must be for ever           
maintained4#cd        #cd ,the preceding
 views are confirmed1 both by the       
character of      the moral law1 and by 
its design and exposition1 as given by  
the      apostles of ,christ4 ,the moral
 law1 or the rule and obligation of     

moral rectitude in the sight of ,god1   
which is revealed in the                
,scriptures1 and interpreted by ,christ 
as obligatory upon the      thoughts and
 feelings of the soul1 is not only in   
its nature of      perpetual and        
universal obligation1 and adapted to    
produce      conviction of sin in every 
soul that is sensible of transgressing  
its requirements2 but the ,scriptures   
expressly declare that it was           
designed to produce conviction of sin in
 the soul1 in order to      prepare it  
to receive the gospel4        ,the moral
 law is set forth in the ,scriptures as 
holy1 just1 and      good in its        
character2 and whatever may be its      
effects upon the      soul itself1 that 
its character is such no intelligent    
being in      the universe can doubt1   
because it requires of every one perfect
      holiness1 justice1 and goodness2  
it requires that the soul should      be
 perfectly free from sin in the sight of
 ,god3 and1 as we have      seen1 ,god  

ought not to allow one sin2 if he did1  
the law would not      be holy1 nor     
adapted to make men holy4 ,but the more 
holy the law1      the more conviction  
it would produce in the mind of sinners4
 ,if      the law extended only to      
external conduct1 men would not feel    
guilty for their wrong thoughts1        
desires1 or designs2 and if it          
extended only to certain classes of     
spiritual exercises1 men would      not 
feel guilty for those which it did not  
condemn2 but if it      required that   
the soul itself--the spiritual          
agent--the ',i' of the      mind--should
 be holy1 and all its thoughts and      
feelings in      accordance with the law
 of love and righteousness1 then the    
soul      would be convicted of guilt   
for a single wrong exercise1 because1   
while it felt that the law was holy1    
just1 and good1 it could not      but   
feel condemned in breaking it4 ,when    
,christ came1 therefore1      every soul
 that was taught its spirituality would 

be convicted of      sin4 ,one of two   
things men had to do1 either shut out   
its light      from their soul1 and     
refuse to believe its spiritual and     
perfect      requirements1 or judge and 
condemn themselves by those             
requirements4 ,and while the law thus   
showed sin to exist in the      soul1   
and condemned the soul as guilty and    
liable to its penalty1      it imparted 
no strength to the sinner to enable him 
to fulfil its      requirements2 it     
merely sets forth the true standard1    
which is      holy in itself1 and which 
,god must maintain2 and1 by its light1  
it      shows sinners their guilt1      
condemns them1 and leaves them under    
its curse4        ,now1 the ,scriptures 
declare that this is the end which1 by  
its      nature1 it is adapted to       
accomplish1 and that it was revealed to 
men with the design to accomplish this  
end1 and thus lead men to      see and  
feel the necessity of justification and 
pardon by ,jesus      ,christ4 ,the     

,scripture says1 ',it is easier for     
heaven and earth to      pass than one  
tittle of the law to fail4' ',the law   
worketh wrath3      for where there is  
no law1 there is no transgression4'     
',moreover      the law entered1 that   
the offence might abound4 ,but where sin
      abounded grace did much more      
abound2 that as sin hath reigned unto   
death1 even so might grace reign through
 righteousness unto      eternal life by
 ,jesus ,christ our ,lord4' ,mark the   
following--',now      we know that what 
things soever the law saith it saith to 
them who      are under the law2 that   
every mouth may be stopped1 and all the 
world may become guilty before ,god4    
,therefore by the deeds of the      law 
there shall no flesh be justified in his
 sight3 for by the law      is the      
knowledge of sin4'        ,the argument 
of the apostle in vindicating the       
holiness of the      law1 while it1 at  
the same time1 produced conviction and  
condemnation1 is conclusive4 ',what     

shall we say then8 ,is the law      sin8
 ,god forbid4 ,nay1 ,i had not known    
sin1 but by the law3 for ,i      had not
 known lust1 except the law had said1   
,thou shalt not covet2      7that is1 ,i
 should not have felt covetousness to be
 sin1 except      the law had condemned 
it as such27 for ,i was alive 7that is1 
not      consciously condemned7 without 
the law once2 but when the              
commandment came1 sin revived1 and ,i   
died2 and the commandment1      which   
was ordained to life1 7that is1 which   
required the soul to      be holy and   
therefore alive to ,god17 ,i found to be
 unto death4 ,for      sin1 taking      
occasion by the commandment1 7or acts   
shown to be sin      by the             
commandment17 deceived me1 and by it    
slew me4 ,wherefore the      law is     
holy1 and the commandment holy1 and     
just1 and good4 ,was      then that     
which is good made death unto me8 ,god  
forbid4 ,but sin1      that it might    
appear sin1 7that is1 sin which did     

exist in the      soul1 was made to     
appear in its true evil character17     
working      death in me by that which  
is good2 7that is1 the holiness of the  
law showed the evil of sin27 that sin by
 the commandment might      become      
exceeding sinful4 ,for we know that the 
law is spiritual3      but ,i am carnal1
 sold under sin4' ,and then1 for        
deliverance from      this bondage1 he  
looks to ,christ--',for the law of the  
,spirit of      life in ,christ ,jesus  
hath made me free from the law of sin   
and      death1' etc4 ,and mark         
again--',is the law then against the    
promises      of ,god8 ,god forbid3 for 
if there had been a law given which     
could      have given life1 verily      
righteousness should have been by the   
law      7that is1 while the law showed 
the soul unholy and condemned to        
spiritual death1 it provided no means   
for the relief of the      sinner--no   
influence by which love and holiness    
could be produced      in the heart74   

,but the ,scripture 7that is1 the       
revelation of law      in the           
,scriptures7 hath concluded all under   
sin1 that the promise      by faith of  
,jesus ,christ might be given to them   
that believe4 ,but      before faith    
came1 we were kept under the law1 shut  
up unto the      faith which should     
afterwards be revealed2 wherefore the   
law was      our schoolmaster to bring  
us unto ,christ1 that we might be       
justified by faith4'        ,now1 from  
the above ,scriptures it is evident that
 the apostle      understood the law not
 only to be adapted1 but designed by its
      ,author1 to show the soul its     
guilty and lost condition1 its          
inability to free itself from the       
condemnation to which it was            
liable1 and to prepare it1 at the proper
 time1 to love and trust      in ,christ
 for salvation from sin1 and spiritual  
death1 the      consequence of sin4     
,how1 then1 could ,god manifest that    
mercy to sinners by which love to       

himself and to his law would be         
produced1 while his infinite holiness   
and justice would be maintained8    ,we 
answer1 in no way possible1 but by some 
expedient by which his  justice and     
mercy would both be exalted4 ,if1 in the
 wisdom of the  ,godhead1 such a way    
could be devised1 by which ,god himself 
could save  the soul from the           
consequences of its guilt--by which he  
himself could  in some way suffer and   
make self-denials for its good2 and1 by 
his own  interposition1 open a way for  
the soul to recover from its lost and   
condemned condition1 then the result    
would follow inevitably1 that  every one
 of the human family who had been led to
 see and feel his  guilty condition     
before ,god1 and who believed in ,god   
thus manifesting  himself to rescue his 
soul from spiritual death--everyone1    
thus  believing1 would1 from the        
necessities of his nature1 be led to    
love  ,god his ,saviour2 and mark1 the  
greater the self-denial and the         

suffering on the part of the ,saviour1  
in ransoming the soul1 the  stronger    
would be the affection felt for him4    
,this is the central and vital doctrine 
of the plan of salvation4 ,we  will now1
 by throwing light and accumulating     
strength upon this  doctrine from       
different points1 illustrate and        
establish it beyond the  possibility of 
rational doubt4      #a4 ,the testimony 
of ,jesus that it was necessary man     
should feel the  want1 in order to      
exercise the love4    ,jesus uniformly  
speaks of it as being necessary that1   
previously to  accepting him as a       
,saviour1 the soul should feel the need 
of  salvation4 ,he does not even invite 
the thoughtless sinner1 or the  ,godless
 worldling1 who has no sense of the evil
 or the guilt of sin1  to come to him4  
,said ,jesus1 ',i came not to call the  
righteous1 but  sinners to repentance4' 
',they that are whole need not a        
physician1 but  they that are sick4'    
',come unto me1 all ye that labour and  

are heavy  laden1 and ,i will give you  
rest4' ',if any man thirst1 let him come
  unto me and drink4' ',blessed are they
 which do hunger and thirst after       
righteousness for they shall be filled4'
 ,thus1 the points which have  been     
shown to be necessary1 from the         
constitution of things1 in order  to the
 soul's loving ,god1 are presented in   
the same light by ,jesus  himself2 and  
upon the principle which they involve1  
he acted during  his ministry4      #b4 
,the testimony of the ,scriptures that  
,god did thus manifest himself  as      
suffering and making self-denials for   
the spiritual good of men4    ',god was 
in ,christ1' says the apostle1          
'reconciling the world to  himself2'    
that is1 ,god was in ,christ doing those
 things that would  restore to himself  
the obedience and affection of everyone 
that  believed4 ,christ represents      
himself as a ransom for the soul1 as    
laying down his life for sinners4 ,he is
 represented as descending from  a state

 of the highest felicity2 taking upon   
him the nature of man1  and humbling    
himself even to the death of the cross1 
a death of the  most excruciating       
torture2 and thus bearing the sins of   
men in his own  body on the tree1 that  
through his death ,god 'might be just1  
and the  justifier of him which         
believeth in ,jesus4'    ,it was thus1  
by a self-denial surpassing description1
 by a life of  labour for human good1   
accomplished by constant personal       
sacrifices1  and tending at every step  
towards the centre of the vortex1 he    
went on  until1 finally1 life closed to 
a crisis1 by the passion in the garden1 
the rebuke1 and the buffeting1 and the  
cruel mockery of the ,jews and  the     
,romans3 and then1 bearing his cross1   
faint with former agony of  spirit1 and 
his flesh quivering with recent         
scourging1 he goes to  ,calvary1 where  
the agonised ,sufferer for human sin    
cried1 ',,it ,,is  ,,finished2' and gave
 up the ghost4    ,such is the testimony

 of the ,scriptures2 and it may be      
affirmed1  without hesitancy1 that it   
would be impossible for the human soul  
to  exercise full faith in the testimony
 that it was a guilty and needy         
creature1 condemned by the holy law of a
 holy ,god2 and that from this          
condition of spiritual guilt and danger1
 ,jesus ,christ suffered and  died to   
accomplish its ransom--we say a human   
being could not exercise  full faith in 
these truths and not love the ,saviour4 
#c4 ,the atonement of ,christ produces  
the necessary effect upon the  human    
soul1 in restoring it to affectionate   
obedience1 which neither  philosophy1   
law1 nor perceptive truth could         
accomplish4    ,the wisdom of ,divine   
,providence was conspicuous in the fact 
that1  previously to the introduction of
 ,christianity1 all the resources of    
human wisdom had been exhausted in      
efforts to confer upon man true         
knowledge and true happiness4 ,although 
most of the great names of  antiquity   

were conspicuous rather for those       
properties which rendered  them a terror
 and a scourge to mankind2 and although 
society1 among the  ancients1 in its    
best state1 was little better than      
semi-barbarism1 yet  there was a class  
in society1 during the ,augustan and    
,periclean ages1  and even at some      
periods before the last-named1 that was 
cultivated in  mind and manners4        
,from this class1 individuals at times  
arose who were truly great--men         
distinguished alike for the strength1   
compass1 and discrimination of  their   
intellect4 ,in all the efforts of these 
men1 with the exception  of those who   
applied themselves exclusively to the   
study of physical  phenomena1 the great 
end sought was the means or secret of   
human  happiness4 ,all admitted that    
human nature1 as they found it1 was in  
an  imperfect or depraved condition1 and
 not in the enjoyment of its chief      
good2 and the plans they proposed by    
which to obtain that happiness of  which

 they believed the soul susceptible1    
were as various and diverse  from each  
other as can be imagined4 ,no one of    
these plans ever  accomplished1 in any  
degree1 the end desired2 and no one of  
them was  ever adapted to1 or embraced  
by1 the common people4 ,the philosophers
  themselves1 after wrangling for the   
honour of having discovered truth1  and 
making themselves miserable in the      
pursuit of happiness1 died2 and  man was
 left unsatisfied and unhappy1          
philosophy having shed only  sufficient 
light upon his mind to disclose more    
fully the guilty and  wretched state of 
his heart4    ,there are1 perhaps1 two  
exceptions to these remarks as applied  
to the  great minds of antiquity3 those 
are ,socrates and his pupil ,plato4     
,these men1 with a far-penetrating      
insight into the constitutional  wants  
of man1 contemplating the disordered and
 unhappy condition of  human nature1 and
 inquiring for a remedy adequate to     
enlighten the  mind1 and give the heart 

a satisfying good1 perceived that there 
was  not in the resources of philosophy1
 nor within the compass of human  means1
 any power that could reach the source  
of the difficulty1 and  rectify the evil
 of human nature1 which consisted in a  
want of  benevolent affection4#ce       
,inferring from the nature of man what  
would  be necessary1 and trusting in the
 goodness of the ,deity to grant the    
requisite aid1 they expressed their     
belief that a ,divine ,teacher would    
come from heaven1 who would restore     
truth and happiness to the human        
soul4#cf        #ce ,that ,plato had    
some idea of the want1 and none of what 
was      necessary to supply it1 may be 
seen in the fact that in order to       
make men love as brethren1 which he saw 
to be necessary1 he      recommended a  
community of wives to the members of his
 ideal      republic4        #cf ,in    
,plato's dialogue upon the duties of    
religious worship1 a      passage       
occurs1 the design of which appears to  

be1 to show that      man could not1 of 
himself1 learn either the nature of the 
gods1 or      the proper manner of      
worshipping them1 unless an instructor  
should      come from heaven4 ,the      
following remarkable passage occurs     
between      ,socrates and              
,alcibiades3--        ,socrates4--,to me
 it appears best to be patient4 ,it is  
necessary      to wait till you learn   
how you ought to act towards the gods1  
and      towards men4                   
,alcibiades4--,when1 ,o ,socrates1 shall
 that time be8 and who shall            
instruct me8 for most willingly would ,i
 see this person1 who he      is4       
,socrates4--,he is one who cares for    
you2 but1 as ,homer represents          
,minerva as taking away darkness from   
the eyes of ,diomedes1 that he          
might distinguish a god from a man3 so  
it is necessary that he      should     
first take away the darkness from your  
mind1 and then bring      near those    
things by which you shall know good and 

evil4        ,alcibiades4--,let him take
 away the darkness1 or any other thing1 
if he will2 for whoever this man is1 ,i 
am prepared to refuse none      of the  
things which he commands1 if ,i shall be
 made      better4--,platonis ,alcibiad4
 ii4    ,it is strange that among       
philosophers of succeeding ages there   
has  not been wisdom sufficient to      
discover1 from the constitutional       
necessities of the human spirit1 that   
demand for the instruction and  aid of  
the ,messiah which ,socrates and ,plato 
discovered1 even in a  comparatively    
dark age4    ,there are two insuperable 
difficulties which would for ever hinder
 the  restoration of mankind to truth   
and happiness from being accomplished   
by human means4 ,the first1 which has   
been already alluded to1 is that  human 
instruction1 as such1 has no power to   
bind the conscience4 ,even  if man were 
competent to discover all the truth     
necessary for a  perfect rule of        
conduct1 yet that truth would have no   

reformatory  power1 because men could   
never feel that truth was obligatory    
which  proceeded from merely human      
sources4 ,it is an obvious principle of 
our  nature that the conscience will not
 charge guilt on the soul for           
disobedience1 when the command proceeds 
from a fellow man who is not  recognised
 as having the prerogative and the right
 to require  submission4 ,and besides1  
as men's minds are variously            
constituted1 and  of various capacities1
 there could be no agreement in such a  
case  concerning the question1 ',what is
 truth8' ,as well might we expect two   
schoolboys to reform each other's       
manners in school1 without the aid  of  
the teacher's authority1 as that men can
 reform their fellows  without the      
sanction of that authority which will   
quicken and bind the  conscience4 ,the  
human conscience was made to recognise  
and enforce the  authority of ,god2 and 
unless there is belief in the ,divine   
obligation  of truth1 conscience refuses

 to perform its office4    ,but the     
grand difficulty is this3--,truth1      
whether sanctioned by  conscience or    
not1 has no power1 as has been shown1 to
 produce love in  the heart4 ,the law   
may convict and guide the mind1 but it  
has no power  to soften or to change the
 affections4 ,this was the precise thing
  necessary1 and this necessary end the 
wisdom of the world could not           
accomplish4 ,all the wisdom of all the  
philosophers in all ages could  never   
cause the affections of the soul to rise
 to the holy1 blessed ,god4  ,to destroy
 selfish pride1 and produce humility--to
 eradicate the evil  passions1 and      
produce in the soul desires for the     
universal good1 and  love for the       
universal ,parent1 were beyond the reach
 of earthly wisdom  and power4 ,the     
wisdom of the world in their efforts to 
give truth and  happiness to the human  
soul1 was foolishness with ,god2 and the
 wisdom of  ,god--,christ crucified--was
 foolishness with the philosophers1 in  

relation to the same subject2#cg yet it 
was ,divine philosophy3 an  adapted     
means1 and the only adequate means1 to  
accomplish the necessary  end4 ,said an 
apostle1 in speaking upon this subject3 
',the ,jews require a  sign1 and the    
,greeks seek after wisdom2 but we preach
 ,christ crucified1  unto the ,jews a   
stumbling block1 and unto the ,greeks   
foolishness3 but  unto them which are   
called1 both ,jews and ,greeks1 ,christ 
the power of  ,god1 and the wisdom of   
,god4' ,the ,jews1 while they required a
 sign1 did  not perceive that miracles1 
in themselves1 were not adapted to      
produce  affection4 ,and the ,greeks1   
while they sought after wisdom1 did not 
perceive that all the wisdom of the     
,gentiles would never work love in  the 
heart4 ,but the apostle preached        
',christ crucified1' an exhibition of   
self-denial1 of suffering1 and of       
self-sacrificing love and mercy1        
endured in behalf of men2 which1 when   
received by faith1 became 'the  power of

 ,god1 and the wisdom of ,god1' to      
produce love and obedience in  the human
 soul4 ,paul understood the efficacy of 
the cross4 ,he looked to  ,calvary and  
beheld ,christ crucified as the sun of  
the ,gospel system4 ,not  as the moon1  
reflecting cold and borrowed rays2 but  
as the ,sun of  righteousness1 glowing  
with radiant mercy1 and pouring warm    
beams of  life and love into the open   
bosom of the believer4        #cg ,from 
an observation of one of the ,fathers1  
it would seem that      after the       
,gospel had been preached among the     
,greeks1 many of them      perceived its
 adaptedness to accomplish the end for  
which they had      sought in vain4     
',philosophy1' says ,clemens1 of        
,alexandria1 'led      the ,greeks to   
,christ1 as the law did the ,jews4'     
,concluding paragraph of the apology of 
,m4 ,minucius ,felix in      defence of 
,christianity1 ,a4,d4 #bej3        ',to 
conclude3 the sum of our boasting is1   
that we are got into      possession of 

what the philosophers have been always  
in quest of2      and what1 with all    
their application1 they could never     
find4 ,why1      then1 so much ill-will 
stirring against us8 ,if ,divine truth  
is      come to perfection in our time1 
let us make a good use of the           
blessing2 let us govern our knowledge   
with discretion2 let      superstition  
and impiety be no more2 and let true    
religion triumph      in their stead4'  
#d4 ,analogy between the moral and      
physical laws of the universe4    ,the  
laws which govern physical nature are   
analogous to those which the  gospel    
introduces into the spiritual world4    
,the earth is held to the  sun by the   
power of attraction1 and performs       
regularly its circuit  round the central
 sustaining luminary3 maintaining1 at   
the same time1  its equal relations with
 its sister planets4 ,but the moral     
system upon  the earth is a chaos of    
derangement4 ,the attraction of         
affection  which holds the soul to ,god 

has been broken1 and the soul of man1   
actuated by selfishness--revolving upon 
its own centre only--jars in  its course
 with its fellow spirits1 and crosses   
their orbits2 and the  whole system of  
the spiritual world upon earth revolves 
in disorder1  the orbs wandering and    
rolling away from that centre of moral  
life and  power which alone could hold  
them in harmonious and happy motion4    
,into  the midst of this chaos of       
disordered spirits1 ,god1 the ,sun of   
the  spiritual world1 came down4 ,he    
shed light upon the moral darkness1 and 
by coming near1 like the approaches of a
 mighty magnet1 the attraction  of his  
mercy1 as manifested in ,christ         
crucified1 became so powerful1  that    
many spirits1 rolling away into darkness
 and destruction1 felt  the efficacy1   
and were drawn back1 and caused to move 
again1 in their  regular orbits1 around 
the ',light1' and ',life1' and ',love'  
of the  spiritual system4    ,if free   
agency could be predicated of the bodies

 of the solar system1  the great law    
which governs their movements might be  
imposed on  them--of attraction to the  
,sun1 and mutual attraction among       
themselves4 ,similar is the great law of
 the spiritual world3 ',thou  shalt love
 the ,lord thy ,god with all thy soul1  
and thy neighbour as  thyself4' ,now1 if
 a planet had broken away from its      
orbit1 it would  have a tendency to fly 
off for ever1 and it never could be     
restored1  unless the sun1 the great    
centre of attraction1 could1 in some    
way1  follow it in its wanderings1 and  
thus by the increased power of his      
attraction1 as he approached nearer to  
the fallen planet1 attach it to         
himself1 and then draw it back again to 
its original orbit4 ,so with  the human 
spirit2 its affections were alienated   
from ,god1 the centre  of spiritual     
attraction1 and they could never have   
been restored1  unless ,god had         
approached1 and by the increased power  
of his mercy1 as  manifested in the     

self-denial1 sufferings1 and death of   
,christ1 united  man again to himself1  
by the power of affection1 that he might
 thus  draw him up from his misery and  
sin1 to revolve around him1 in harmony  
and love1 for ever4    ,if this earth   
had1 by some means1 broken away from the
 sun1 there  would be no way possible of
 recovering it again to its place in the
  system but that which has been        
mentioned--that the sun should leave    
his central position1 and approach the  
wandering orb1 and thus1 by the         
increased power of his attraction1 draw 
back the earth to its original          
position4 ,but the sun could not thus   
leave the centre of the system  without 
drawing all the other planets from their
 orbits by the  movement to recover the 
lost one4 ,the relations of the system  
would be  broken up1 and the whole solar
 economy sacrificed1 if the universal   
and equal law of gravitation were       
infringed by the sun changing his       
position and his relations in the       

system4    ,further1 the established    
laws of the physical universe would     
render  it impossible that any other    
planet should be the instrument of      
recovering the earth to the sun4 ,if    
another planet should approach the      
earth while thus wandering1 the         
increased power of attraction would     
cause the two globes to revolve round   
each other2 or if the  approaching      
planet was of greater magnitude1 the    
earth would revolve  as a satellite     
round it4 ,but this would not be to     
restore the earth to  its place in the  
system1 nor to its movement round the   
sun1 but to fix  it in a wrong position 
and a wrong movement1 and thus alienate 
it for  ever from the central source of 
light and heat4 ,it follows1 therefore1 
that in accordance with the established 
laws of the solar system1 the  earth    
could never be recovered1 but would fly 
off for ever1 or be  broken into        
asteroids4    ,there would1 therefore1  
be no way possible for the recovery of  

the  earth1 unless ,god should adopt an 
expedient unknown to the physical  laws 
of the universe4 ,this1 all who believe 
that ,god is almighty1 and  himself the 
,author of those laws1 will allow that  
he might do4 ,that  expedient must not  
destroy the great laws of the system1   
upon which  the safety of all its parts 
depends1 but an augmented force of      
attraction must be thrown upon the earth
 from the sun itself1 which  would be   
sufficient to check the force of its    
departing momentum1 and  gradually draw 
it back to its place4 ,if a portion of  
the magnetic  power of the sun could be 
thrown into the earth1 an adhesion would
  take place between it and the earth1  
and then1 after the cord was  fastened1 
if that body of attractive matter could 
ascend again to the  body of the sun1   
the earth would receive the returning   
impulse1 and a  new and peculiar        
influence would be created to draw it   
back to its  allegiance to the sun4 ,if1
 as has been said1 the power came from  

any  other body but the sun itself1 or  
attracted towards any other body1  the  
earth would lose its place in the system
 for ever4#ch        #ch ,these         
illustrations are not to be applied to  
the mode of      existence1 or          
subsistence1 in the ,godhead2 but as    
,god is the      ,author of both the    
physical and moral laws1 and as the     
attraction      of gravitation in       
physics corresponds with the attraction 
of      affection in morals1 an analogy 
of what would be necessary under        
one1 is taken to what was accomplished  
by ,christ under the other4    ,so in   
the moral world3 ,god's relations to the
 moral universe must be  sustained4 ,the
 infinite justice and holiness of the   
,divine law must  not be compromised4   
,the end to be gained is1 to draw man1  
as a  revolted sinner1 back to ,god1    
while the integrity of ,god's moral     
government is maintained4 ,now affection
 is the attraction of the  moral        
universe4 ,and1 in accordance with the  

foregoing deduction1 to  reclaim        
alienated man to ,god would be          
impossible1 unless there should  be a   
manifestation of the ,godhead in the    
world to attract to himself  man's      
estranged affections2 and then1 after   
the affinity was fastened  by faith1 by 
his ascending again to the bosom of the 
,deity1 mankind  would thus be gradually
 drawn back to allegiance to ,jehovah4  
#e4 ,illustrations from nature and the  
,scriptures4    ,the plan of salvation  
is likened to a vine which has fallen   
down from  the boughs of an oak4 ,it    
lies prone upon the ground2 it crawls in
 the  dust1 and all its tendrils and    
claspers1 which were formed to hold it  
in the lofty place from which it has    
fallen1 are twined around the  weed and 
the bramble1 and having no strength to  
raise itself1 it lies  fruitless and    
corrupting1 tied down to the base things
 of the earth4  ,now1 how shall the vine
 arise from its fallen condition8 ,but  
one way  is possible for the vine to    

rise again to the place from whence it  
had  fallen4 ,the bough of the lofty oak
 must be let down1 or some              
communication must be formed connected  
with the top of the oak1 and at  the    
same time with the earth4 ,then1 when   
the bough of the oak was let  down to   
the place where the vine lay1 its tender
 claspers might fasten  upon it1 and1   
thus supported1 it might raise itself   
up1 and bloom and  bear fruit again in  
the lofty place from whence it fell4 ,so
 with  man--his affections had fallen   
from ,god1 and were fastened to the base
  things of the earth4 ,jesus ,christ   
came down1 and by his humanity  stood   
upon the earth1 and by his ,divinity    
raised his hands and united  himself    
with the ,deity of the everlasting      
,father3 thus the fallen  affections of 
man may fasten upon him1 and twine      
around him1 until  they again ascend to 
the bosom of the ,godhead1 from whence  
they fell4    ,it was thus that         
prophets1 evangelists1 apostles1 and the

 ,son of ,god  himself1 presented the   
,divine scheme of human redemption4     
,christ is  the ',branch' by which the  
vine may recover itself from its prone  
and  base condition3 he is the ',arm of 
the ,lord' by which he reaches down  and
 rescues sinful men from the ruins of   
the fall3 'through whom1'  says ,peter1 
'ye believe in ,god' that is1 believe in
 ,god manifested  through ,christ1 'that
 raised him up from the dead1 and gave  
him  glory1 that your faith and hope    
might be in ,god4' ,says ,paul1 ',your  
life is hid with ,christ in ,god4'      
,jesus himself proclaimed that the      
believer should have within him 'a well 
of water1 springing up into  everlasting
 life'--that is1 he that believeth in   
,christ crucified1 the  hard heart      
within him will be struck by the rod of 
faith1 and in his  soul there will be a 
well of pure and living affection       
springing up to  ,god for ever4 ,and    
again3 ',jesus cried and said1 ,he that 
believeth on  me1 believeth not on me1  

but on him that sent me1 and he that    
seeth me  seeth him that sent me'--that 
is1 ,christ was ,god acting1 developing 
the ,divine attributes through human    
nature1 so that men might  apprehend and
 realise them4 ,god might have been as  
merciful as he is  if ,christ had never 
died2 but man could never have known the
 extent1  nor felt the power1 of his    
mercy1 but by the exhibition on the     
cross4  ,his mercy could have been      
manifested to man's heart in no other   
way4  ,and men cannot love ,god for what
 he truly is1 unless they love him as   
manifested in the suffering and death of
 ,christ ,jesus4 ',i am the ,way1  the  
,truth1 and the ,life3 no man cometh    
unto the ,father but by me4' ',if  ye   
had known me1 ye would have known my    
,father also2 and from  henceforth ye   
know him1 and have seen him4'      #f4  
,the preceding views established by     
reductio ad absurdum4    ,it is         
necessary that man should know the      
character of the true ,god1  and feel   

the influence of that character upon his
 mind and heart4 ,but  human nature1 as 
at present constituted1 could not be    
made to feel the  goodness of ,god's    
mercy unless ,god--blessed be his       
name6--should make  self-denials for    
man's benefit2 either by assuming human 
nature1 or in  some other way4 ,and is  
it not true that ,god could make        
self-denials  for men in no other way   
than would be plain to their            
apprehension1  except by embodying his  
,godhead in human nature8 ,mercy can be 
manifested to man1 so as to make an     
impression upon his heart1 in no  other 
way than by labour and self-denial4     
,this principle is obvious4  ,suppose an
 individual is confined1 under          
condemnation of the law1 and  the       
governor1 in the exercise of his powers1
 pardons him3 this act of  clemency     
would produce upon the heart of the     
criminal no particular  effect1 either  
to make him grateful1 or to make him    
better4 ,he might1  perhaps1 be sensible

 of a complacent feeling for the release
 granted2  but so long as he knew that  
his release cost the governor nothing   
but  an act of his will1 there would be 
no basis in the prisoner's mind for     
gratitude and love4 ,the liberated man  
would feel more gratitude to one  of his
 friends1 who had laboured to get       
petitions before the governor  for his  
release1 than to the governor who       
released him4 ,to vary the              
illustration3 ,suppose that two persons1
 who are liable to be destroyed  in the 
flames of a burning dwelling1 are       
rescued by two separate  individuals4   
,the one is enabled to escape by an     
individual who1  perceiving his danger1 
steps up to the door and opens it1      
without any  effort or self-denial on   
his part4 ,the other is rescued in a    
different  manner4 ,an individual1      
perceiving his danger and liability to  
death1  ascends to him1 and by a severe 
effort1 and while he is himself         
suffering from the flames1 holds open   

the door until the inmate  escapes for  
his life4 ,now1 the one who opened the  
door without  self-denial may have been 
merciful1 and the individual relieved   
would  recognise the act as a kindness  
done to one in peril2 but no one would  
feel that that act proved that the man  
who delivered the other  manifested any 
special mercy1 because any man would    
have done the  same act4 ,but the one   
who ascended the ladder and rescued1 by 
peril1  and by personal suffering1 the  
individual liable to death1 would       
manifest special mercy1 and all who     
observed it would acknowledge the       
claim2 and the individual rescued would 
feel the mercy of the act1  melting his 
heart into gratitude to his deliverer   
unless his heart  were a moral          
petrifaction4    ,what are1 in reality1 
the facts by which alone men may know   
that any  being possesses a benevolent  
nature8 ,not1 certainly1 by that being  
conferring benefits upon others1 which  
cost him neither personal labour  nor   

self-denial2 because we could not tell  
but these favours would cease  the      
moment they involved the least degree of
 sacrifice1 or the moment  they         
interfered with his selfish interests4  
,but when it requires a  sacrifice1 on  
the part of a benefactor1 to bestow a   
favour1 and that  sacrifice is made1    
then benevolence of heart is made       
evidently manifest4  ,now mark--any     
being who is prompted1 by benevolence of
 heart1 to make  sacrifices1 may not    
lose happiness1 in the aggregate1 by so 
doing2 for a  benevolent nature finds   
happiness in performing benevolent acts4
  ,self-denials are1 therefore1 not only
 the appropriate method of  manifesting 
benevolence to men1 but they are        
likewise the appropriate  manifestations
 of a benevolent nature4 ,now1 suppose  
,god is perfectly  benevolent2 then1 it 
follows in view of the foregoing        
deductions1 in  order to manifest his   
true nature to men1 self-denials would  
be  necessary1 in order that men might  

see and feel that ',god is love4' ,it   
is clear1 therefore1 that those who     
reject the ,divinity of ,christ1 as     
connected with the atonement1 cannot    
believe in ,god's benevolence2  because 
,god is really as benevolent as the     
self-denials of ,christ  7believed in as
 ,divine7 will lead men to feel that he 
is3 nor can they  believe in the mercy  
of ,god in any way that will produce an 
effect upon  their hearts4 ,to say that 
the human heart can be deeply affected  
by  mercy that is not manifested by     
self-denial1 is to show but little      
knowledge of the springs which move the 
inner life of the human soul4  ,man will
 feel a degree of love and gratitude for
 a benefactor who  manifests an interest
 in his wants1 and labours to supply    
them2 but he  will feel a greater degree
 of grateful love for the benefactor who
  manifests an interest in his wants1   
and makes self-denials to aid him4  ,to 
deny1 therefore1 the ,divine and        
meritorious character of the  atonement1

 is to shut out both the evidence and   
the effect of ,god's  mercy from the    
soul4    ,in accordance with this view  
is the teaching of the ,scriptures4     
,there  is but one thing which is       
charged against men1 in the ,new        
,testament1  as a fundamental and       
soul-destroying heresy1 and that is1 not
  denying the ,lord1 but 'denying the   
,lord that bought them4' ,it is         
rejecting the purchase of ,christ by his
 self-denying atonement which  causes   
the destruction of the soul1 because it 
rejects the truth which  alone can      
produce love to the ,god of love4       
,but further3 the facts have been fully 
proved1 that ,god ,jehovah1 by  taking a
 personal interest in the well-being of 
the ,israelites1 and  labouring to      
secure their redemption1 secured their  
affections to  himself2 and that his    
acts of mercy produced this effect was  
manifested by their song after their    
final deliverance at the ,red ,sea4  ',i
 will sing unto the ,lord1 for he hath  

triumphed gloriously3 the  horse and his
 rider hath he thrown into the sea4 ,the
 ,lord is my  strength and song1 and he 
is become my salvation4' ,in like       
manner1  ,jesus ,christ secured to      
himself1 in a greater degree1 the       
affections  of ,christians1 by his      
self-denying life and death1 to ransom  
them from  spiritual bondage and misery4
 ,the ,israelites in ,egypt were under a
  temporal law so severe1 that while    
they suffered in the greatest  degree1  
they could not fulfil its requirements3 
they therefore loved  ,jehovah for      
temporal deliverance4 ,the believer was 
under a spiritual  law1 the requirements
 of which he could not fulfil1 and      
therefore he  loved ,christ for         
spiritual deliverance4 ,this fact1 that 
the supreme  affection of believers was 
thus fixed upon ,christ1 and fixed upon 
him  in view of his self-sacrificing    
love for them1 is manifest throughout   
the whole ,new ,testament--even more    
manifest than that the ,jews loved      

,jehovah for temporal deliverance4 ',the
 love of ,christ constraineth  us1' says
 one3 thus manifesting that his very    
life was actuated by  affection for     
,jesus4 ,says another--speaking of early
 ,christians  generally--',whom ,christ 
having not seen1 ye love2 in whom1      
though  now ye see him not1 yet         
believing1 ye rejoice with joy          
unspeakable and  full of glory4' ,the   
,bible requires religious men to perform
 religious  duties1 moved by love to    
,christ3 ',and whatsoever ye do1 do it  
heartily1 as to the ,lord and not unto  
men2 knowing that of the ,lord ye  shall
 receive the reward of the inheritance3 
for ye serve the ,lord  ,christ4'       
,mark--these ,christians were moved in  
what they did1 what they  said1 and what
 they felt1 by love to ,christ3 love to 
,jesus actuated  their whole being1 body
 and soul4 ,it governed them4    ,now1  
suppose that ,jesus ,christ was not     
,god1 nor a true manifestation  of the  
,godhead in human nature1 but a man1 or 

angel1 authorised by ,god  to accomplish
 the redemption of the human race from  
sin and misery4 ,in  doing this1 it     
appears1 from the nature of things1 and 
from the  ,scriptures1 that he did what 
was adapted to1 and what does1 draw the 
heart of every true believer--as in the 
case of the apostle and the  early      
,christians--to himself1 as the supreme 
or governing object of  affection4      
,their will is governed by the will of  
,christ2 and love to  him moves their   
heart and hands4 ,now1 if it be true    
that ,jesus ,christ  is not ,god1 then  
he has devised and executed a plan by   
which the  supreme affections of the    
human heart are drawn to himself1 and   
alienated from ,god1 the proper object  
of love and worship3 and1 ,god  having  
authorised this plan1 he has devised    
means to make man love  ,christ1 the    
creature1 more than the ,creator1 who is
 ,god over all1  blessed for evermore4  
,but it is said that1 ,christ having    
taught and suffered by the will and     

authority of ,god1 we are under         
obligation to love ,god for what ,christ
  has done for us4 ,it is answered1 that
 this is impossible4 ,we cannot  love   
one being for what another does or      
suffers on our behalf4 ,we can  love no 
being for labours and self-denials in   
our behalf1 but that  being who         
voluntarily labours and denies himself4 
,it is the kindness  and mercy exhibited
 in the self-denial that moves the      
affections2 and  the affections can move
 to no being but the one that makes the 
self-denials1 because it is the         
self-denials that draw out the love of  
the heart4    ,it is still said1 that   
,christ was sent by ,god to do his will 
and not  his own2 and therefore we ought
 to love ,god1 as the ,being to whom    
gratitude and love are due for what     
,christ said and suffered4 ,then it  is 
answered3 ,if ,god willed that ,christ1 
as a creature of his1 should  come1 and 
by his sufferings and death redeem      
sinners1 we ought not to  love ,christ  

for it1 because he did it as a creature1
 in obedience to  the commands of ,god1 
and was not self-moved nor meritorious  
in the  work2 and we cannot love ,god   
for it1 for the labour and self-denial  
were not borne by him4 ,and further3 ,if
 one being1 by an act of his  authority1
 should cause another innocent being to 
suffer1 in order  that he might be loved
 who had imposed the suffering1 but not 
borne  it1 it would render him unworthy 
of love4 ,if ,god had caused ,jesus     
,christ1 being his creature1 to suffer1 
that he might be loved himself  for     
,christ's sufferings1 while he had no   
connection with them1 instead  of such  
an exhibition1 on the part of ,god1     
producing love to him1 it  would produce
 pity for ,christ1 and aversion towards 
,god4 ,so that1  neither ,god1 nor      
,christ1 nor any other being1 can be    
loved for mercy  extended1 by           
self-denials to the needy1 unless those 
self-denials were  produced by a        
voluntary act of mercy upon the part of 

the being who  suffers them2 and no     
being1 but the one who made the         
sacrifices1 could  be meritorious in the
 case4 ,it follows1 therefore1          
incontrovertibly1  that if ,christ was a
 creature--no matter of how exalted     
worth--and not  ,god2 and if ,god       
approved of his work in saving sinners1 
he approved of  treason against his own 
government2 because1 in that case1 the  
work of  ,christ was adapted to draw1   
and did necessarily draw1 the affections
  of the human soul to himself1 as its  
spiritual ,saviour1 and thus  alienate  
them from ,god1 their rightful object4  
,and ,jesus ,christ  himself had the    
design of drawing men's affections to   
himself in view1  by his crucifixion3   
says he1 ',and ,i1 if ,i be lifted up   
from the earth1  will draw all men unto 
me4' ,this he said1 signifying what     
death he  should die3 thus distinctly   
stating that it was the self-denials and
  mercy exhibited in the crucifixion    
that would draw out the affections  of  

the human soul1 and that those          
affections would be drawn to himself  as
 the suffering ,saviour4 ,but that ,god 
would sanction a scheme which  would    
involve treason against himself1 and    
that ,christ should  participate in it1 
is absurd and impossible1 and therefore 
cannot be  true4    ,but if the ,divine 
nature was united with the human in the 
teaching and  work of ,christ--if ',god 
was in ,christ1' drawing the affections 
of  men1 or 'reconciling the world unto 
himself'--if1 when ,christ was  lifted  
up1 as ,moses lifted up the serpent in  
the wilderness1 he drew1  as he said he 
would1 the affections of all believers  
unto himself2 and  then1 if he ascended1
 as the second person of the ,trinity1  
into the  bosom of the eternal          
,godhead--he thereby1 after he had      
engaged1 by his  work on earth1 the     
affections of the human soul1 bore them 
up to the  bosom of the ,father1 from   
whence they had fallen4 ,thus the ruins 
of  the fall were rebuilt1 and the      

affections of the human soul again      
restored to ,god1 the ,creator1 and     
proper object of supreme love4 ,oh  the 
length1 and the breadth1 and the depth1 
and the height1 of the  ,divine wisdom  
and goodness1 as manifested in the      
wonderful plan of  salvation6 ',great is
 the mystery of godliness3 ,god was     
manifested in  the flesh1 justified in  
the ,spirit1 seen of angels1 preached   
unto the  ,gentiles1 believed on in the 
world1 received up into glory4' ,amen4  
,blessing and honour1 dominion1 and     
power1 be unto ,him that sitteth  upon  
the throne1 and unto the ,lamb1 for ever
 and ever4 ,amen and amen4              
,,chapter ,,xvi4    ,,the ,,influence   
,,of ,,faith ,,in ,,christ ,,upon ,,the 
,,moral ,,disposition ,,and ,,moral     
,,powers ,,of ,,the ,,soul4      ,it has
 been demonstrated that the teaching and
 atonement of ,god the  ,saviour would  
draw to him1 by faith1 the affections of
 the human  heart4 ,we will now inquire 
what particular effect that faith in    

,christ  which works by love has upon   
the moral disposition1 the conscience1  
the imagination1 and the life of        
believers4 ,would faith in ,christ1 as  
a ,divine1 suffering ,saviour1 quicken1 
and regulate1 and harmonize the  moral  
powers of the soul8    #a4 ,the         
influence of faith in ,christ upon the  
moral disposition of  the soul4--,when  
its disposition is affected1 the soul is
 affected  to the centre of its being4  
,by disposition is meant the desires or 
predilections of the heart1 which       
influence the choice of the will  to do 
good or evil4 ,the radical difference of
 character in spirits  depends upon     
their disposition4 ,the spirit that has 
a settled love  for sin and hatred for  
holiness is a devil1 whether it be in   
time or  eternity--embodied or          
disembodied4 ,and that spirit which has 
a  settled love for holiness is a       
benevolent spirit1 in whatever          
condition it exists4 ,a devil or        
malignant spirit is one that seeks  its 

gratification in habitually doing evil4 
,a holy being1 or  benevolent spirit1 is
 one that finds its gratification in    
habitually  doing good4 ,whatever1      
therefore1 affects the moral disposition
 of  the soul1 affects1 radically1 the  
character of the soul4 ,it becomes1     
therefore1 a question of the deepest    
interest--,what effect will  faith in   
,christ have upon man's moral           
disposition8    ,the solution of this   
inquiry is not difficult4 ,is ,jesus    
,christ holy8  ,all                     
,christendom--sceptics and              
believers--answers in the affirmative4  
,now the love of a holy being will1 as a
 necessary result1 counteract           
unholiness in the heart4 ,holiness is   
the antagonistic principle of  sin4 ,the
 soul cannot love a holy being1 and at  
the same time cherish  those principles 
and exercises which it is conscious are 
offensive to  the soul of the beloved   
object4 ,from the nature of the case1   
love to  holiness will produce          

opposition to sin4 ,love is the         
fulfilling of the  law1 and sin is the  
transgression of the law2 so that1 while
 the soul  is entirely actuated in all  
its exercises by pure love to ,christ1  
those exercises of the heart cannot be  
sinful4    ,when the heart is attached  
to any being1 especially when that being
 is  lovely and pure in his character1  
it becomes averse to everything  which1 
from its evil nature1 causes suffering  
to the object of its  affections4 ,there
 are few things which will cause one to 
feel so  sensibly the evil of sin as to 
see that his sins are causing anguish   
to one that he loves4    ,it is said of 
,zeleucus1 a king of the ancient ,locri1
 that he enacted a  law1 the penalty of 
which was that the offender should lose 
both his  eyes4 ,one of his sons became 
a transgressor of that law4 ,the father 
had his attachment to his son1 and      
regard to the law he himself had        
promulgated as righteous in its         
requirements and in its penalty4 ,the   

lawgiver1 it is said1 ordered his son   
into his presence1 and required  that   
one of his eyes should be taken out1 and
 then1 in order to show  mercy to his   
son1 and at the same time maintain the  
penalty of the  law1 he sacrificed one  
of his own eyes as a ransom for the     
remaining  eye of his child4 ,now we do 
not refer to this case as a perfect     
analogy1 but to show the moral effect of
 such an exhibition of justice  and     
self-sacrificing mercy4 ,as man is      
constituted1 it is perfectly  certain   
that this transaction would produce two 
effects2 one upon the  subjects of the  
king1 which would be to impress upon    
every heart that  the law was sacred1   
and that the lawgiver thus regarded it4 
,this  impression would be made much    
more strongly than it would have been if
  the king had ordered that his son     
should lose both his eyes2 because  it  
manifested1 in the strongest manner     
possible1 his love for his son1  and his
 sacred regard for his law4 ,if he had  

allowed his son to  escape1 it would    
have exhibited to his subjects less love
 for his  law2 and if he had executed   
the whole penalty of the law upon the   
son1  instead of bearing a portion of it
 himself1 he would have manifested  less
 love for his son4 ,the king was the    
lawgiver2 he therefore had the  power to
 pardon his son1 without inflicting the 
penalty upon him1 and  without enduring 
any sacrifice himself4 ,every mind1     
therefore1 would  feel that it was a    
voluntary act on the part of the king2  
and such an  exhibition of justice and  
mercy1 maintaining the law and saving   
his  son by his own sacrifice1 would    
impress all minds with the deepest      
reverence for the character of the      
lawgiver1 and for the sacredness of  the
 law4    ,but another effect1 deep and  
lasting in its character1 would be      
produced upon the son who had           
transgressed the law4 ,every time that  
he  looked upon his father1 or          
remembered what he had suffered for his 

transgression1 it would increase his    
love for him1 increase his  reverence   
for the law1 and cause an abhorrence of 
his crime to arise  in his soul4 ,his   
feelings would be more kind towards his 
sire1 more  submissive to the law1 and  
more averse to transgression4    ,now   
this is precisely the effect necessary  
to be produced1 in order  that pardon   
may be extended to transgressors1 and   
yet just and  righteous government be   
maintained4 ,if civil law had some      
expedient  by which1 with the offer of  
pardon1 some influence could be exerted 
upon the heart of the transgressor which
 would entirely change his  character2  
an influence which would make him love  
the law he had  transgressed1 hate the  
crime he had committed1 hate himself for
  committing it1 and implant within him 
the spirit of an obedient and  faithful 
subject--if such an effect could be     
produced by pardon1 then  pardon would  
be safe2 because there would be some    
means1 or some  moral power1 connected  

with it1 that would1 at the same time   
that the  pardon was granted1 change the
 moral disposition of the criminal from 
that of a rebellious to that of a       
faithful and affectionate subject4      
,this expedient the civil law can never 
have4 ,such an expedient was  that of   
,zeleucus1 the self-sacrificed lawgiver 
and father4 ,such an  expedient1 in some
 respects1 in the moral government of   
,god1 is the  atoning sacrifice of      
,jesus ,christ4 ',he1' says the prophet1
 'was  bruised for our iniquities2' says
 the apostle1 ',he bare our sins in  his
 own body on the tree2' says himself1   
',this is my body broken for  you4' ,now
 two effects would follow this          
exhibition of the  self-sacrificing love
 of ,christ4 ,one in the heart of the   
believing  sinner2 every time he        
realized by faith that the ,divine      
,saviour  suffered the rebuke1 the      
scorn1 and the cross1 as a sacrifice for
 his  sins1 he would regard the ,saviour
 with greater love2 and sin1 which      

caused the suffering of his ,divine     
,benefactor1 he would regard in  himself
 and others with greater abhorrence4    
,another effect which  would result     
would be that all the holy beings in the
 universe1 if  they had knowledge of the
 self-sacrifice of ,god the ,saviour1 as
 an  atonement to maintain the law and  
redeem sinners1 would be inspired  with 
greater reverence for the eternal law1  
and greater aversion to  sin4 ,thus     
would the faith of ,christ affect the   
moral disposition of  believers1 and of 
all holy beings throughout the universe2
 drawing  the believer back to holiness 
and obedience1 and adding a new motive  
to confirm holy beings in happy         
allegiance4    ,the language of the     
apostle confirms this view3 ',what the  
law could  not do1 in that it was weak  
through the flesh1 ,god1 sending his own
  ,son in the likeness of sinful flesh1 
and for sin1 condemned sin in the       
flesh'--that is1 the law1 although it   
had power to show to the mind  the evil 

and the guilt of sin1 had no power to   
produce in the heart an  aversion to it2
 but ,christ coming in the body1 and    
dying for sin1 in  that way reaches     
man's moral feelings1 and creates a     
sentiment of  condemnation of1 or       
aversion to1 sin in the heart of every  
believer4    ,a feeling cannot be       
manifested by intellect or will4 ,a     
communication  of knowledge1 or law1    
does not manifest feeling so that it    
produces  feeling in others4 ,the moral 
feelings of ,god were manifested by the 
sacrifice of ,christ2 and that          
manifestation1 through the flesh1       
affects the moral feelings of man1      
assimilates them to ,god1 and  produces 
an aversion to sin--the abominable thing
 which ,god hates4  ,blessed faith6     
which1 while it purifies the heart1     
works by the sweet  influence of love in
 accomplishing the believer's           
sanctification4    #b4 ,the influence of
 faith in ,christ upon the moral sense1 
or  conscience of believers4--,to a mind

 endowed with the higher qualities  of  
reason1 there can be no more interesting
 thought than that noticed  in a        
previous demonstration2 which was1 that 
a man's conscience is  guided by his    
faith4 ,conscience is the highest moral 
faculty1 or  rather the governing moral 
power of the soul2 and this governing   
faculty is regulated and controlled by  
faith4 ,man's conscience always  follows
 his religious belief1 and changes with 
it1 and grows weak or  strong with it4  
,now1 as ,god has so constituted the    
world that the  affections1 and likewise
 the conscience1 are affected and       
controlled  by faith2 and the purity of 
the one1 and the integrity of the other1
  and the activity of both1 depend upon 
what man believes3 this being  true1 no 
mind can avoid the conviction1 that the 
principle of ,,faith1  which ,christ has
 laid at the foundation of the          
,christian system1 is  from the nature  
of things1 the only principle through   
the operation of  which man's moral     

powers can be brought into happy1       
harmonious1 and  perfect activity4 ,but 
this happy effect1 as has been shown1   
can be  produced only by faith in the   
truth2 and besides1 it is an intuition  
of reason1 that ,god certainly would not
 make the soul so that its  moral powers
 would be controlled by faith1 and then 
cause that faith  in falsehood should   
perfect and make happy those powers4    
,such a  supposition would be a         
violation of reason1 as well as an      
impiety4 ,in  searching1 therefore1 for 
the answer to the inquiry1 ,what is     
truth8 as  it concerns the spiritual    
interests of man1 the direct process of 
solution would be1 to inquire what      
effect certain facts1 or supposed       
facts1 would have upon the moral        
disposition and moral powers of the     
soul2 and that faith which quickens and 
rectifies those powers1 as we  have     
noticed1 is necessarily truth4    ,we   
come now to the inquiry1 ,what effect   
has faith in ,christ--in his  ,divinity1

 in his teaching1 and in his atonement  
for sin--upon the  conscience of        
believers8    ,the answer is plain4 ,in 
those who received ,christ as possessing
  supreme authority as a ,divine        
,teacher1 their faith would so affect   
their conscience1 that it would reprove 
for every neglect of  conformity to the 
example of ,jesus4 ,the moment faith    
recognises ,christ  as a ,divine        
instructor1 that moment conscience      
recognises his  instruction and his     
example as obligatory to be received and
  practised4 ,to the believer1 the      
teachings and example of ,christ have   
not only the force of truth1 recognised 
as such by the understanding1  but they 
have likewise the authority of supreme  
law1 as coming from  that ,divine ,being
 who is the rightful ,lawgiver of the   
soul4 ,now1 then1  if faith in ,christ  
would regulate the conscience according 
to his  example and precepts1 the only  
inquiry which remains is1 ,were the     
example and precepts of ,christ a       

perfect rule of duty towards ,god and   
men8 ,this inquiry has been the subject 
of examination in another  chapter1 in  
which the fact was shown--which has been
 generally  admitted by all men1        
believers and sceptics--that ,christ's  
example of  piety towards ,god1 and     
kindness towards men1 was perfect4 ,when
 this is  admitted1 the consecutive fact
 follows1 whether men perceive it or    
not1 that in the case of all who receive
 him as their ,lord and  ,lawgiver1 the 
conscience would be regulated according 
to a perfect  standard1 and guided by a 
perfect rule4    ,but further--,while it
 is true that a knowledge of duty guides
 the  conscience1 and a knowledge of the
 ,divine authority of the lawgiver      
binds it1 by imposing a sense of        
obligation1 it is likewise true that    
faith in ,christ's atoning sacrifice has
 peculiar efficacy to  strengthen this  
sense of obligation4 ,two men may have  
an equal  knowledge of duty1 and yet one
 feel1 much more than the other1 a sense

  of obligation to perform it3 whatever1
 therefore1 increases the sense  of     
obligation1 increases the power of      
conscience1 and thereby promotes  in a  
greater degree active conformity of the 
life to the rule of duty4    ,the       
atonement of ,christ increases the sense
 of obligation1 by waking  into exercise
 gratitude and hope in the soul of the  
believer4  ,gratitude gives the         
conscience a power in the soul where it 
exists1  which could arise from no other
 source4 ,conscience reproves for the   
neglect of known duty2 but to neglect   
duty1 when it involves the sense  of    
gratitude to the kindest of benefactors1
 is to arm the moral sense  of the soul 
with a two-edged sword4 ,when the       
lawgiver is likewise the  benefactor1   
conscience rebukes1 not only for        
wrongdoing1 but for  ingratitude4 ,one  
step further--    ,when the being who   
claims our obedience is not only our    
benefactor1  but the object of all our  
hopes1 the power of obligation is still 

further increased4 ,to disobey a being  
whom we ought to obey1 would be  wrong2 
to disobey that being1 if he were our   
self-denying benefactor1  would be      
ingratitude added to the wrong2 and to  
disobey that being1 if  from him we     
hoped for all future good1 would be to  
add unworthiness to  wrong and          
ingratitude4 ,thus1 faith in ,christ    
,jesus combines the sense  of wrong1 of 
ingratitude1 and unworthiness1 in the   
rebuke which  conscience gives to the   
delinquent believer2 and obedience to   
the  ,redeemer's example and precepts is
 enforced by the united power of  duty1 
gratitude1 and hope4    ,further1 and   
finally--,conscience recognises the fact
 that our obligation  of gratitude is in
 proportion to the benefit conferred4   
,if a benefactor  has endured great     
sacrifices and self-denials to benefit  
us1 the  obligation of gratitude binds  
us the more strongly to respect the will
  and feelings of that individual4      
,conscience feels the obligation of     

gratitude just in proportion to the     
self-denials and sacrifices made in  our
 behalf4 ,if a friend risks his interest
 to the amount of a dollar1 or  an hour 
of time1 to benefit us1 the obligation  
of gratitude upon the  conscience is    
light1 but still there is a sense of    
obligation2 but if a  friend risks his  
life1 and wades through deep            
afflictions1 to confer  benefits1 the   
universal conscience of man would affirm
 the obligation1  and would reprobate   
the conduct of the individual benefited1
 as base  and unnatural1 if he did not  
ever after manifest an affectionate     
regard  for the interests and the       
desires of his benefactor4    ,thus1 by 
faith in ,jesus ,christ1 the conscience 
is not only guided by a  perfect rule1  
but it is likewise quickened and        
empowered by a perfect  sense of        
obligation4 ,christ is the ,divine      
,lawgiver2 therefore it is  right to    
obey him4 ,he is our ,benefactor2       
gratitude1 therefore1  requires         

obedience4 ,but as our ,benefactor he   
has endured the utmost  self-denial and 
sacrifice for our sake1 therefore we are
 under the  utmost obligation of        
gratitude to return self-denial and     
sacrifice for  his sake2 or1 in the     
words of an apostle1 ',he died for all1 
that they  which live should not        
henceforth live unto themselves1 but    
unto ,him  which died for them1 and rose
 again2' and1 added to this1 our hope of
  all future good rests in the same     
,being that right and gratitude  require
 us to obey and love4 ,thus does a      
perfect faith in ,christ  perfect the   
conscience of believers1 by guiding1    
quickening1 and by  producing a perfect 
sense of obligation4    #c4 ,the        
influence of faith1 in ,christ upon the 
imagination4--,there  are few exercises 
of the mind fraught with so much evil1  
and yet so  little regarded1 as that of 
an evil imagination4 ,many individuals  
spend much of their time in a labour of 
spirit which is vain and  useless1 and  

often very hurtful to the moral         
character of the soul4  ,the spirit is  
borne off upon the wings of an active   
imagination1 and  expatiates among ideal
 conceptions that are improbable1       
absurd1 and  sinful4 ,some people spend 
about as much time in day-dreams as they
 do  in night-dreams4 ,imaginations of  
popularity1 pleasure1 or wealth  employ 
the minds of worldly men1 and perchance 
the ,christian dreams of  wealth1 and of
 magnificent plans of benevolence1 or of
 schemes less  pious in their character4
 ,it is difficult to convey a distinct  
idea of  the evil under consideration1  
without supposing a case like the       
following3    ,one day1 while a young   
man was employed silently about his     
usual  pursuits1 he imagined a train of 
circumstances by which he supposed      
himself to be put in possession of great
 wealth2 and then he imagined  that he  
would be the master of a splendid       
mansion surrounded with  grounds devoted
 to profit and amusement--he would keep 

horses and  conveyances that would be   
perfect in all points1 and servants that
  would want nothing in faithfulness or 
affection--he would be great in  the    
eyes of men1 and associate with the     
great among men1 and render  himself    
admired or honoured by his generation4  
,thus his soul wandered1  for hours1    
amid the ideal creations of his own     
fancy4    ,now1 much of men's time1 when
 their attention might be employed by   
useful topics of thought1 is thus spent 
in building 'castles in the  air4' ,some
 extraordinary circumstance is thought  
of by which they  might be enriched1 and
 then hours are wasted in foolishly     
imagining  the manner in which they     
would expend their imaginary funds4     
,such  excursions of the fancy may be   
said to be comparatively innocent1 and  
they are so1 compared with the more     
guilty exercises of a great  portion of 
mankind4 ,the mind of the politician and
 of the partisan  divine is employed in 
forming schemes of triumph over their   

opponents4  ,the minds of the votaries  
of fashion1 of both sexes1 are employed 
in  imagining displays and triumphs at  
home and abroad2 and those of them  who 
are vicious at heart1 not having their  
attention engaged by any  useful        
occupation1 pollute their souls by      
cherishing imaginary scenes  of folly   
and licentiousness4 ,and not only the   
worthless votaries of  the world1 but   
likewise the followers of the holy      
,jesus1 are sometimes  led captive by an
 unsanctified imagination4 ,not that    
they indulge in  the sinful reveries    
which characterise the unregenerate sons
 and  daughters of time and sense2 but  
their thoughts wander to unprofitable   
topics1 and wander at times when they   
should be fixed on those truths  which  
have a sanctifying efficacy upon the    
heart4 ,in the solemn  assemblies for   
public worship1 many of those whose     
bodies are bowed  and their eyes closed 
in token of reverence for ,god1 are yet 
mocking  their ,maker by assuming the   

external semblance of worshippers1 while
  their souls are away roaming amid a   
labyrinth of irrelevant and sinful      
thought4    ,it is not affirmed that the
 exercises of the imagination are       
necessarily evil4 ,imagination is one of
 the noblest attributes of the  human   
spirit2 and there is something in the   
fact that the soul has  power to create1
 by its own combinations1 scenes of rare
 beauty1 and  of perfect happiness1     
unsullied by the imperfections which    
pertain to  earthly things1 that        
indicates not only its nobility1 but    
perhaps its  future life4 ,when the     
imagination is employed in painting the 
beauties  of nature1 or in collecting   
the beauties of sentiment and devotion1 
and in grouping them together by the    
sweet measures of poetry1 its  exercises
 have a benign influence upon the       
spirit4 ,it is like  presenting 'apples 
of gold in pictures of silver' for the  
survey of  the soul4 ,the imagination   
may degrade and corrupt1 or it may      

elevate  and refine the feelings of the 
heart4 ,the inquiry1 then1 is important4
  ,how may the exercises of the         
imagination be controlled and directed1 
so that their influence upon the soul   
shall not be injurious1 but  ennobling  
and purifying8 ,would faith in ,christ  
turn the sympathies of  the soul away   
from those gifted but guilty minds3     
',whose poisoned song      ,would blend 
the bounds of right and wrong2      ,and
 hold1 with sweet but cursed art1       
,their incantations o'er the heart1     
,till every pulse or pure desire        
,throbs with the glow of passion's fire1
      ,and love1 and reason's mild      
control1      ,yield to the simoom of   
the soul8'    ,when the conscience had  
become purified and quickened1 it would 
be a  check upon the erratic movements  
of the imagination2 and when the        
disposition was corrected1 it would be  
disinclined to every unholy  exercise2  
so that1 in the believer1 the           
disinclination of the will and  the     

disapprobation of the conscience would  
be powerful aids in  bringing into      
subjection the imaginative faculty4     
,but1 more than this1  faith in ,christ 
would have a direct influence in        
correcting the evils  of the            
imagination4 ,it is a law of mind1 that 
the subject which  interests an         
individual most1 subordinates all other 
subjects to  itself1 or removes them    
from the mind and assumes their place4  
,as a  group of persons1 who might be   
socially conversing upon a variety of   
topics1 if some venerable individual    
should enter and introduce an  absorbing
 subject1 in which all felt interested1 
minor topics would be  forgotten in the 
interest created by the master          
subject2--so when  ',christ crucified'  
enters the presence-chamber of the      
believer's ,soul1  the high moral powers
 of the mind bow around in obeisance2   
and even  imagination folds her starry  
wings around her face1 and bends before 
,immanuel4 ,when the cross of ,christ   

becomes the central subject of the      
soul1 it has power to chasten the       
imagination1 and subdue its  waywardness
 by the sublime exhibition of the       
bleeding mercy in the  atonement4 ,the  
apostle perceived the efficacy of the   
cross in subduing  vain reasoning and an
 evil imagination1 and alludes to it in 
language  possessing both strength and  
beauty1 as 'casting down imaginations1  
and every high thing that exalteth      
itself against the knowledge of  ,god1  
and mark bringing into captivity every  
thought to the obedience  of ,christ4'  
,that these views are not idle          
speculations1 but truthful realities1 is
  affirmed by the experience of every   
,christian4 ,when the imagination is    
wandering to unprofitable or forbidden  
subjects1 all that is necessary  in     
order to break the chain of evil        
suggestion1 and introduce into the  mind
 a profitable train of thought1 is to   
turn the eye of the soul  upon the      
',lamb of ,god which taketh away the sin

 of the world4' ,by the  presence of    
this delightful and sacred idea every   
unworthy and hurtful  thought will be   
awed out of the mind4    ,thus does     
faith in the blessed ,jesus control and 
purify the imagination  of believers4   
#d4 ,the influence of faith in ,christ  
upon the life3 leading man to  such     
conduct as would eventually accomplish  
the salvation of the whole  human       
family4    ,it is certain that men have 
all the faculties which1 if rightly     
directed1 would be necessary to enable  
them to benefit and bless each  other4  
,suppose one individual did all in his  
power to do others good  and make them  
happy1 who can limit the amount of      
consolation which  that man might impart
 to the children of want and sorrow2 or 
the  amount of light he might shed upon 
the minds of the ignorant2 or the       
rebukes and warnings he might sound in  
the ears of those who persisted  in sin8
 ,suppose a whole community of such     
individuals1 denying  themselves the    

selfish ease and worldly pleasures which
 the children  of this world seek after1
 and devoting their lives to spread     
around  them the blessings and benefits 
of the gospel--should individuals or    
communities desire thus to devote their 
lives to benevolence instead  of selfish
 effort1 it is certain the ,creator has 
endowed them with  every faculty        
necessary to the accomplishment of such 
a work4 ,they  have hearts to love their
 fellow-men2 they have reason and       
knowledge  to learn themselves1 and then
 to instruct others4 ,they can travel to
  where the ignorant and the needy      
dwell1 either at home or abroad2 or1  if
 they feel disqualified personally to do
 this1 they have hands to  labour for   
the means to send others on errands of  
benevolence  throughout the world4 ,that
 men have been created with the         
faculties1  therefore1 to diffuse the   
blessings which they possess1 throughout
 the  world1 no one can doubt4    ,but1 
secondly--,men are so constituted1 that 

the exercise of those  faculties1 in a  
manner that would bless others1 would   
likewise produce  a blessing in their   
own souls4 ,it is a fact in experience1 
as well as  philosophy1 that the        
exercise of any power of the soul1 gives
  increased strength to that power4 ,by 
exercising their selfish and  malevolent
 feelings1 men become continually more  
selfish and  malevolent2 while1 on the  
contrary1 by exercising self-denial and 
the  benevolent feelings1 men become    
continually more benevolent4            
,selfishness1 all admit1 is an evil in  
the heart4 ,self-denial is its          
antagonist principle2 and it is by      
invigorating the latter by  exercise1   
that the former evil principle is to be 
eradicated4 ,it  would1 therefore1 be   
the greatest benefit to those who       
possessed  blessings1 to induce them to 
exercise benevolence by communicating   
them to others4    ,it follows1         
therefore1 that not only the greatest   
good of the guilty  and the ignorant    

requires self-denying benevolence in    
those who have  the means and the power 
to enlighten and guide them to truth and
  happiness2 but likewise1 that the     
greatest good of those possessing       
blessings is1 to impart them to others4 
',it is more blessed to give  than to   
receive2' because1 by the exercise of   
self-denial to do good1  benevolence is 
strengthened in the soul2 and from      
benevolent exercises  arises the        
blessedness of the spirit4 ,men are     
constantly making  sacrifices to advance
 their own aggrandizement1 and thus1 by 
increasing their own selfishness1 they  
make themselves more miserable3  the    
great end to be gained1 is to lead them 
to make sacrifices for  others1 and     
thus1 with others1 bless themselves4    
,now1 no one doubts that the whole human
 family1 in the days of ,christ1  needed
 the blessing of an enlightening and    
purifying religion4 ,and no  one doubts 
that the ultimate end of a religion from
 heaven would be  the greatest ultimate 

good of the entire race4 ,three things1 
then1 are  obvious3 #a4 ,that a religion
 from heaven would be designed          
ultimately  to bless the whole world4   
#b4 ,that the best good of mankind1 as a
  family1 required that they should be  
the instruments in disseminating  this  
religion among themselves4 #c4 ,that the
 principle of self-denial1  or denying  
ourselves the ease and pleasures of     
selfishness1 in order  to perform acts  
of benevolence1 is the great principle  
by which the  operation of spreading    
this religion would be carried on4      
,now1 ,jesus ,christ professed to give a
 universal spiritual religion2  one     
which encircled in its design1 and was  
to bless by its influence1  the whole   
family of man2 and faith he set forth as
 the great  motive-power of the whole   
plan4 ,the question then is--,would     
faith in  ,christ lead men to that      
method of living and acting1 and to the 
possession of those views and feelings1 
which would make them  instrumental in  

benefiting each other1 and which would  
destroy  selfishness and promote the    
happiness and interest of the whole     
family of man1 in accordance with the   
three principles above  specified8      
#a4 ,it has been shown that the example 
and precepts of ,christ become  the     
guide to conscience1 and the rule of    
faith and practice for all  believers4  
,what1 then1 has ,christ said and done1 
to induce men to do  each other good1   
and to unite the race of man in one     
harmonious and  happy family8    ,the   
gospel of ,christ possesses all the     
characteristics of a universal          
religion4 ,it is adapted to human       
nature3 not to any particular  country  
or class of men2 but1 as has been shown1
 to the ,,nature of the  race4 ,its     
truths are intelligible1 and may be     
understood by all men1  and transferred 
into all languages4 ,it is spiritual in 
its character2  designed to affect the  
mind and heart of man2 so that wherever 
intelligent beings are to be found1     

there it may be introduced into  the    
heart by faith1 to correct the spiritual
 evils of their nature1  and produce    
happiness in the soul4#ci        #ci    
,see ,reinhard's ,plan3 sect4 #ag1 #bb4 
,the precepts and teachings of ,jesus   
are designed and adapted to  harmonize  
the race of man into one happy family4  
,instead of the  abominations and folly 
of polytheism1 he presented before the  
minds of  men one common object of      
worship2 and so exhibited the character 
of  that object1 by presenting before   
the world a grand spectacle of          
self-denying mercy1 that the exhibition 
was adapted to attract the  attention of
 all1 and draw all hearts to one centre 
of affection4    ,in all his            
instructions to regulate the conduct of 
men1 he viewed them  as brethren of the 
same great family1 and taught them to   
consider  themselves as such4 ,no       
retaliation was to be offered for       
injuries  received1 but the injured     
child was to appeal only to the great   

,parent  of the family4 ,no one might   
treat another as his enemy3 and no one  
was  to cease in efforts to do good to  
another1 unless he perceived that  those
 efforts were treated with contempt1 and
 instead of benefiting1  had a hardening
 effect upon the heart4    #b4 ,their   
lives were to be spent in efforts to    
impart those blessings  which they      
possessed1 to their brethren of the     
human family who  possessed them not4   
,instead of the unhallowed and anxious  
struggle  which worldly men manifest to 
raise themselves to power over their    
fellows1 their efforts were to be       
directed to the opposite end--to  raise 
the ignorant and the needy to the       
enjoyment of the blessings and          
privileges which they possessed4        
,this active and constant effort to     
extend the blessings which they         
possessed to others1 and to relieve men 
from their vices and  ignorance1 was not
 to stop with their own kindred1 or     
nation1 or  tongue1 nor to be restricted

 to the grateful1 or the deserving2 in  
this respect1 their philanthropy was to 
be modelled after that of  their        
heavenly ,father1 who causeth his sun to
 shine upon the just and  the unjust4   
,it was to continue during life1 and to 
extend to the ends  of the earth4 ,and  
in proportion as men were found in a    
condition of  ignorance and want1 in the
 same proportion they were to make      
benevolent exertions to elevate and     
bless them4    ,now1 every one can see1 
that if these precepts were obeyed1     
strife  between individuals and nations 
would cease1 and the glorious process   
of benevolent effort would go on1 until 
the last benighted mind was             
enlightened1 and the last corrupted     
heart purified by the power of the      
faith of ,christ4    ,it was necessary1 
in connection with these precepts1 that 
some motive  should be presented to     
cause men to deny themselves1 in order  
to act  in accordance with them4 ,now it
 has been shown that the believer acts  

in view of the character and will of    
,jesus4 ,christ1 therefore1 in  order to
 give these precepts moving power upon  
the souls of men1  identified himself   
with his needy creatures1 and sanctioned
 the duty  which he prescribed to       
others1 by conformity to it himself2 so 
that  these precepts1 given to govern   
men's conduct in this life1 he made  the
 rule of judgment in heaven's court of  
equity1 and by them the  decision will  
be made out1 which will settle1 finally1
 the spiritual  destiny of men4         
',inasmuch as ye did it not to one of   
the least of  these my brethren1 ye did 
it not unto me4' ,thus ,christ          
identifies  himself with the most needy 
of mankind1 and receives an act of      
kindness done to them1 as done to       
himself4 ,when the love of ,christ1     
therefore1 constrains men1 he has so    
exhibited his will1 that it  constrains 
them to act for the good of each other4 
,those that love  ,jesus1 therefore1 and
 expect his favour1 must serve him by   

doing good  to others4    ,moreover1    
,christ has sanctioned these precepts by
 his own example4  ,his life was a life 
of self-denying labour1 for the benefit 
of our  race2 and his command to        
everyone is--',deny thyself1 take up thy
  cross1 and follow me4' ,thus1 by      
,christ's precepts1 by his example1  and
 especially by his identifying himself  
with those in need1 that  method of life
 is sanctioned which alone could make   
man the  benefactor of his              
fellows--unite the human family in one  
happy  brotherhood--and make them       
blessed in doing each other good1 in the
  faith of ,christ4    ,those that love 
,jesus will desire to do his will--will 
find their  happiness in obeying him2   
and that will is1 that they should      
labour to  benefit his creatures4 ,those
 who believe in and love ,jesus will    
have  their conscience regulated by his 
precepts and example4 ,thus1 the        
conscience of believers is set 7if ,i   
may so express it71 so that it  will    

regulate the movement of their life in  
such a manner1 as finally  to work out  
the salvation of a world lying in       
wickedness4    ,it follows1 therefore1  
that faith in ,jesus ,christ is directly
 designed  and adapted to strengthen    
men's benevolent affection1 and to      
produce  in believers that active desire
 and effort for the good of others      
which will necessarily produce the      
dissemination of the light and love  of 
the gospel throughout the whole         
habitable world4          ,,chapter     
,,xvii4    ,,the ,,design ,,and ,,the   
,,importance ,,of ,,the ,,means ,,of    
,,grace4      #a4--,,prayer4    ,it has 
been shown that1 constituted as we are1 
the manifestations made  of the         
character and attributes of ,god in the 
,scriptures are adapted  to produce the 
greatest good in the human spirit2 and  
in order that  that good may be         
effected1 it is necessary that the      
truths of the  ,scripture be brought    
into contact with the soul1 that it may 

be  impressed and influenced by them4   
,the truths and manifestations of       
revelation are the elements of moral    
power1 which1 apprehended by  faith1 are
 effective in purifying the fountain of 
life in the soul1  and in rectifying and
 regulating its exercises2 it follows1  
therefore1  that the requirement to     
bring those truths before the mind in a 
particular manner would be a duty       
necessarily connected with the          
revelation of the doctrines1 as         
directions for taking the medicine are  
connected with the prescription of a    
physician into whose hands a  patient   
has submitted himself4 ,now1 prayer1 or 
worship1 is one method  by which the    
truths and manifestations of revelation 
are directly  brought before the        
contemplation of the soul4 ,prayer      
brings the mind  to the immediate       
contemplation of ,god's character1 and  
holds it there1  till by comparison and 
aspiration the believer's soul is       
properly  impressed1 and his wants      

properly felt4 ,the more subtle physical
  processes and affinities become1 the  
better are the analogies which  they    
furnish of processes in the spiritual   
world4 ,the influence of  believing     
prayer has a good analogy in the        
daguerreotype4 ,by means of  this       
process1 the features of natural objects
 are thrown upon a  sensitive sheet1    
through a lens1 and leave their         
impression upon the  sheet4 ,so when the
 character of ,god is1 by means of      
prayer1 brought to  bear upon the mind  
of the believer--that mind being        
rendered sensitive  by the ,holy        
,spirit--it impresses there the ,divine 
image4 ,in this  manner the image of    
,christ is formed in the soul1 the      
existence of  which the ,scriptures     
represent as inspiring the believer with
 the hope  of glory4    ,in the         
introductory chapter it was shown that  
the impulse which leads  men to worship 
proves a curse to the soul1 where the   
objects worshipped  are unholy1 and that

 the only remedy for the evil was the   
revelation of  a holy object for the    
supreme homage of the human soul4 ,so   
soon as a  righteous and benevolent ,god
 is presented before the mind1 then     
prayer  becomes a blessing instead of a 
curse to the soul4 ,look at the subject 
in the form of a syllogism3    ,man1 by 
worshipping1 becomes assimilated to the 
moral character of the  object that he  
worships3    ,the ,god of the ,bible1 as
 manifest in ,christ ,jesus1 is the only
  perfectly righteous and perfectly     
benevolent ,being ever worshipped by    
man4    ,therefore1 man can become      
righteous and benevolent in no other way
 but  by that worship which will        
assimilate him to the ,god of the       
,bible4    ,and further1 as it has been 
demonstrated that righteousness and     
benevolence produce the rectitude and   
the happiness--the greatest  good--of   
the soul1 man can gain the great end of 
his being only by  that worship which   
assimilates his nature to the moral     

image of ,god4    ,it follows1          
therefore1 that prayer is a necessary   
and most important  means of grace--a   
duty growing out of the nature of the   
case1 and a  duty upon which depends1 in
 a great measure1 the well-being of the 
human spirit4 ,the apostle understood   
the philosophy of this subject  when he 
said3 ',but we all1 with open face1     
beholding as in a glass the  glory of   
the ,lord1 are changed into the same    
image1 from glory to  glory1 even as by 
the ,spirit of the ,lord4' ,therefore it
 is that the  commandment that men      
should pray is presented in the ,bible  
in every  variety of language2 and it is
 constantly repeated by the inspired    
writers and by the ,son of ,god himself1
 who commended1 by his precepts  and    
example1 private1 social1 and public    
prayer2 and who taught by a  parable    
that 'men ought always to pray1 and not 
to faint4'      ,the importance of      
strong desire and importunity in prayer4
    ,it is impossible to produce        

grateful feelings by granting a benefit 
for which the recipient has no desire4  
,if a child asked for bread when  it was
 not hungry1 and if1 while the child had
 no feeling of want1 its  unfelt request
 was answered by its father1 it could   
neither appreciate  the gift nor be     
grateful for it4 ,the soul is so        
constituted1 as has  been fully shown1  
that it must really feel the need of the
 benefit  before it can appreciate its  
importance1 or be grateful for the      
favour  received4 ,so it is in the case 
of the suppliant in prayer3 if he has   
an anxious desire1 a spirit of          
importunate solicitude1 for the         
blessing which he asks1 when he receives
 it1 gratitude and praise  will1 as the 
consequence of gratified desire1 spring 
up in the heart4  ,now1 mark1 if there  
were not a feeling of importunate desire
 in the  mind of the suppliant1 ,god    
could not be glorified1 nor the creature
  benefited1 by an answer to prayer4    
,god could not be glorified1 because    

his goodness would not be felt and      
acknowledged in the answer4 ,and the    
creature could not be benefited1 because
 it is the feeling of  gratitude and    
praise in his own heart which           
constitutes the spiritual  blessing1 so 
far forth as the suppliant himself is   
concerned2 and this  exercise is        
produced only so far as it is preceded  
by dependent and  anxious desire for the
 blessing sought4 ,when the supplication
 is for  spiritual blessing upon another
 individual1 two minds are blessed by   
the answer1 the individual prayed for   
and the individual who prays4  ,and if a
 thousand individuals desired spiritual 
mercies for that soul1  ,god would be   
glorified by a thousand hearts1 and a   
thousand hearts  would be reciprocally  
blessed by the answer4 ,the time may    
come when  all the angels in heaven1 and
 all the saints upon earth1 will be     
blessed by mercy bestowed upon a single 
individual2 when the last  unregenerated
 sinner stands in solitary and awful    

rebellion upon the  earth1 should       
tidings be circulated through earth and 
heaven that he  had submitted himself to
 ,god1 and that his affections began to 
take  hold on ,christ1 every being in   
the universe who had strongly desired   
the conversion of the last sinner would 
feel the thrill of 'glory to  ,god and  
good-will to men' arise in his soul4 ,it
 follows1 therefore1  that a fervent1   
importunate state of mind is1 from the  
nature of the  case1 necessary1 in order
 that ,god may be glorified1 and man    
blessed1  by the duty of prayer4 ,it was
 in view of these constitutional        
principles that ,jesus constantly taught
 the necessity of desire and            
importunity1 in order that mercies might
 be received in answer to the           
supplication of saints4#dj        #dj   
,matt4 vi4 #f2 ,luke xi4 #e-aj1 and     
xviii4 #a-ad4      ,the importance of   
faith and a spirit of dependence upon   
,god1 as  concomitants of acceptable    
prayer4    ,the necessity of faith1 as a

 primary element in all acceptable      
religious exercises1 has already been   
noticed4 ,a feeling of entire           
dependence upon ,god for spiritual      
mercies is the only right feeling1      
because it is the only true feeling4 ,as
 a matter of fact1 the soul is  entirely
 dependent upon ,god for spiritual      
mercies2 truth1 therefore1  requires    
that our dependence should be           
acknowledged and felt4    ,but further1 
without faith in ,god as the immediate  
bestower of mercies  in answer to       
prayer1 he could not be honoured for    
blessings received4  ,suppose two       
individuals desired with equally strong 
feelings the same  blessing1 and that   
both received it3 each would rejoice    
alike in its  reception2 but suppose    
there was this difference in their state
 of  mind--one regarded the blessing as 
coming immediately from ,god in  answer 
to prayer1 the other did not3 the result
 would be that the one  who had faith in
 ,god would be filled with love to his  

,maker for the  mercy1 the other would  
rejoice in himself1 or1 at least1 he    
would not  rejoice in ,god4 ,in the one 
case1 ,god would be honoured and praised
 for  his acts of grace2 in the other1  
he would neither be honoured nor  loved 
for his goodness4 ,we do not present    
this illustration as  applicable in all 
its bearings--because we do not suppose 
that the  unregenerate ever truly desire
 spiritual blessing till they are       
convinced of sin--but it will make the  
point clear to the reason of  everyone1 
that ,god cannot be honoured without    
faith2 and1 therefore1  'without faith  
it is impossible to please him4'    ,it 
is necessary1 according to the foregoing
 view of the subject1 in  order to offer
 acceptable prayer1 that men should     
possess a spirit of  faith and          
dependence upon ,christ4 ,the principle 
upon which ,christ  acted in relation to
 this subject1 as well as his           
instruction  concerning the duty of     
prayer1 fully confirm the preceding     

thoughts4  ,he seldom performed an act  
of mercy1 by miracle or otherwise1      
unless  those who received the mercy    
could see the hand of ,god in the       
blessing3--',if thou canst believe1 thou
 mayest be cleansed1' was his  habitual 
sentiment4 ,as if he had said--,your    
desire for the blessing is  manifest by 
your urgent requests3 now1 if you can   
have faith to see  ,god in the blessing1
 so that he will be honoured and praised
 for  conferring it1 ,i will grant it2  
but if you have no faith1 you can       
receive no favour4    ,and1 again1 in   
order that the believer might be brought
 into a state  of dependence1 and have  
his faith quickened every time that he  
presented his supplications to ,god1    
,jesus said1 looking forward to the     
time when he would have perfected his   
ministry and atonement--',in that  day  
ye shall ask me nothing1--whatsoever ye 
shall ask the ,father in my  name'--that
 is1 depending on me1 the atoning1      
interceding ,saviour--'he  will do it2' 

and in another place he promised1       
',whatsoever ye shall  ask in my name1  
that will ,i do4' ,thus does the        
instruction of the  ,saviour make the   
believer entirely dependent upon ,christ
 himself when  he approaches the        
mercy-seat of the ,most ,high4 ,as the  
,jews were  constantly to call to mind  
the deliverance from ,egypt1 in order   
that  their feelings might be moved to  
love1 dependence1 and faith towards     
their temporal deliverer1 so ,christians
 are to call to mind the  deliverance   
from spiritual bondage by the sacrifice 
of ,christ1 in  order that they may     
realize their dependence1 and be        
inspired with a  spirit of faith and    
love towards their spiritual ,deliverer4
 ,and  because believers can thus depend
 upon ,christ1 and feel the mercy of    
,god as it is manifested in the         
atonement1 they are constituted priests 
'to offer up spiritual sacrifices1      
acceptable to ,god by ,jesus ,christ4'  
#b4--,,praise4    ,the truth which has  

been demonstrated in previous chapters  
is again  assumed1 that the             
manifestations of ,god1 in ,christ      
,jesus1 would1 when  brought into       
efficient contact with the soul1 produce
 that active  holiness in the heart     
which is man's greatest good4 ,and as   
the end to  be accomplished depends1    
under ,god1 on those truths which are   
developed in the great plan of mercy    
being impressed upon the mind and  the  
heart1 it follows that those means would
 be used which1 from their  nature1 are 
best adapted to give influence and      
impressiveness to the  great truths of  
revelation4    ,the influence of music  
upon the emotions of the soul is well   
known to  every one--        ',there is 
in souls a sympathy with sounds2'    the
 soul is awakened1 and invited by the   
spirit of the melody to  receive the    
sentiment uttered in the song4 ,sweet1  
affecting music--not  the tone of the   
piano1 nor the peals of the organ--but a
 melodious  air1 sung by strong and     

well-disciplined voices1 and accompanied
 by  the flute and viol--such music     
reaches the fountains of thought and    
feeling2 and1        ',untwisting all   
the links that tie      ,the hidden soul
 of harmony1'    it tinges the emotions 
with its own hues1 whether plaintive or 
joyous2  and it fosters in the heart the
 sentiment which it conveys1 whether it 
be love of country or of ,god1          
admiration of noble achievement1 or of  
devoted and self-sacrificing affection4 
,the power of music to fix in the memory
 the sentiment with which it is         
connected1 and to foster it in the      
heart1 has been understood in all  ages 
of the world4 ,some of the early        
legislators wrote their laws in  verse1 
and sang them in public places2 and many
 of the earliest  sketches of primitive 
history are in the measures of lyric    
poetry4 ,in  this manner the memory was 
aided in retaining the facts2 the ear   
was  invited to attend to them2         
imagination threw around them the       

drapery  of beauty1 dignity1 or power2  
and then music conveyed the sentiment1  
and mingled it with the emotions of the 
soul4 ,it was in view of the  power of  
music1 when united with sentiment       
adapted to affect the  heart1 that one  
has said3 ',permit me to write the      
ballads of a nation1  and ,i care not   
who makes her laws4'    ,when the       
effects of music and poetry upon the    
soul are considered1 we  can perceive   
their importance as means of fostering  
the ,christian  virtues in the soul of  
the believer4 ,they should be used to   
convey to  the mind sublime and         
elevating conceptions of the attributes 
of  ,jehovah2 to impress the memory with
 the most affecting truths of           
revelation1 and especially to cherish in
 the heart tender and vivid  emotions of
 love to ,christ1 in view of the        
manifestations of ,divine  justice and  
mercy exhibited in his ministry1 his    
passion1 and his  sacrifice4#da         
#da ',the proper drapery for music is   

truth4 ,it is its only      apparel1    
whether as applied to ,god1 or as used  
for the cultivation      of             
man4'--,erasmus4    ,there cannot be    
found1 in all the resources of thought1 
material which  would furnish sentiment 
for music so subduing and overpowering  
as the  history of redemption4 ,there is
 the life of ,jesus--a series of acts   
,godlike in their benevolence1 connected
 at times with exhibitions of  ,divine  
power and of human character1 in their  
most affecting aspects4  ,and as the    
scenes of ,christ's eventful ministry   
converge to the  catastrophe1 there is  
the tenderness of his love for the      
disciples1  the last supper1 the scene  
in ,gethsemane2 the ,mediator in the    
hall of  judgment1 exhibiting the       
dignity of truth and conscious virtue   
amidst  the tempest of human passion by 
which he is surrounded4 ,then the awful 
moral and elemental grandeur of the     
crucifixion2 the ,saviour1 nailed  to   
the cross by his own creatures1 crying1 

',father1 forgive them1 for  they know  
not what they do2' and then1 while      
darkness shrouds the sun1  and 'nature  
through all her works gives signs of    
woe1' he cries1 ',it  is finished1 and  
gave up the ghost4' ,thus did the dark  
stream of human  depravity roll1        
',till a rainbow broke upon its gloom1  
,which spanned the portals of the       
,saviour's tomb4'    ,such exhibitions  
of sublimity and power1 when clothed    
with the  influence of music1 and       
impressed upon a heart rendered         
sensitive by  ,divine influence1 are    
adapted to make the most abiding and    
blessed  impressions4        ',my heart1
 awake6--to feel is to be fired2        
,and to believe1 ,lorenzo1 is to feel4' 
,it follows1 from the preceding views1  
that in selecting the means to  impress 
the mind with religious truth1 and the  
heart with pious  sentiment1 music and  
poetry could not be neglected4 ,there is
 not in  nature another means which     
would compensate for the loss of their  

influence4 ,we do not mean to say that  
their influence is as great as  some    
other means in impressing the truths of 
revelation upon the soul2  but their    
influence is peculiar and delightful1   
and without it the  system of means     
would not be perfect4    ,we see1       
therefore1 the reasons why music and    
poetry were introduced as  a means of   
impressing revealed truth1 both under   
the old and the new  dispensations4     
,moses not only made the laws1 but he   
made1 likewise1  the songs of the       
nation4 ,these songs1 in some instances1
 all the  people were required to learn1
 in order that their memory might       
retain1 and their heart feel1 the       
influence of the events recorded in     
their national anthems4    ,music held a
 conspicuous place in the worship of the
 temple2 and under  the new             
dispensation1 it is sanctioned by the   
express example of  ,jesus1 and         
specifically commanded by the apostles2 
the example is  given in connection with

 the institution of the eucharist1 which
 was  to commemorate the most affecting 
scene in the history of ,god's love2    
and the command is in such words as     
indicate the effects of music upon  the 
heart3 ',speaking to yourselves in      
psalms and hymns and spiritual  songs1  
singing and making melody in your heart 
to the ,lord2 giving  thanks always for 
all things unto ,god and the ,father1 in
 the name of  our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4'
 ,upon this subject1 as upon some       
others1 the  apostolic churches fell    
into some abuses2 yet the high praises  
of ,god  and the ,lamb have always been 
celebrated in poetry and music by the   
church of ,christ4 ,one of the first    
notices of the ,christians by pagan     
writers speaks of them as 'singing a    
hymn to ,christ1 as to a ,god2'  thus   
showing that the principles established 
in the preceding views  were recognised 
by the early disciples1 who used music  
as a means of  fostering in their hearts
 love to the ,saviour4    ,as in the    

case of the primitive ,christians1 so   
every regenerated heart  delights in    
such spiritual songs as speak of ,christ
 as an atoning  ,saviour4 ,and those    
only are qualified to write hymns for   
the church  whose hearts are affected by
 the love of ,jesus4 ,on this account   
some  of the hymns of ,cowper1 ,charles 
,wesley1 ,watts1 and ,newton1 will last 
while the church on earth lasts1 and    
perhaps longer4 ,thousands of           
,christian hearts have glowed with      
emotion1 while they sang1        ',there
 is a fountain fill'd with blood1       
,drawn from ,immanuel's veins2      ,and
 sinners plunged beneath that flood     
,lose all their guilty stains4'    ,or1 
',rock of ages1 cleft for me1      ,let 
me hide myself in thee4'    ,thousands  
have been awakened to duty and to       
prayer1 by that solemn  hymn1           
',lo1 on a narrow neck of land1         
',twixt two unbounded seas ,i stand1    
,yet how insensible6'    ,and it would  
not have been possible for any but a    

,christian poet to  have written the    
lines1        ',her noblest life my     
spirit draws      ,from his dear wounds 
and bleeding side4'                     
#c4--,,preaching4    ,it has been said  
that the truths and manifestations of   
revelation are  the elements of moral   
power1 which1 being brought into        
efficient contact  with the soul1 are   
effective in rectifying and regulating  
its exercises4  ,a medicine may be      
prepared in which are inherent qualities
 adapted to  remove a particular        
disease2 but in order to the            
accomplishment of its  appropriate      
effect1 it must be brought to act upon  
the body of the  patient4 ,and if the   
disease has rendered the patient not    
only  unconscious of his danger1 but has
 induced upon him a deep lethargy of    
mind1 it would be necessary that the    
physician should arouse his dormant     
faculties1 in order that he might       
receive the medicine which would        
restore him to health4 ,so with the     

moral diseases of the soul2 the         
attention and sensibilities of men must 
be awakened1 in order that the  truth   
may affect their understanding1 their   
conscience1 and their heart4  ,whatever1
 therefore1 is adapted to attract the   
attention and move the  sensibilities1  
at the same time that it conveys truth  
to the mind1 would  be a means          
peculiarly efficient to impress the     
gospel upon the soul4    ,there are but 
two avenues through which moral truth   
reaches the soul4  ,and there are but   
two methods by which it can be conveyed 
through  those avenues4 ,by the living  
voice1 truth is communicated through the
  ear2 and by the signs of language it  
is communicated through the eye4  ,the  
first of these methods--the living      
voice--has many advantages over  all    
other means1 in conveying and impressing
 truth4 ,it is necessary  that an       
individual should read with ease in     
order to be benefited by  what he reads4
 ,the efforts which a bad reader has to 

make1 both  disincline him to the task  
of reading1 and hinder his appreciation 
of  truth4 ,besides1 a large proportion 
of the human family cannot read1  but   
all can understand their own language   
when spoken4 ,in order1  therefore1 that
 the whole human family might be        
instructed1 the living  speaker would be
 the first1 and best1 and natural       
method4    ,the living speaker has power
 to arrest attention1 to adapt his      
language and illustrations to the       
character and occupation of his         
audience1 and to accompany his          
communications with those emotions and  
gestures which are adapted to arouse and
 impress his hearers4    ,it is evident1
 from these considerations1 that among  
the means which  ,god would appoint to  
disseminate his truth through the world1
 the  living teacher would hold a first 
and important place4 ,this result is  in
 conformity with the arrangements of    
,jesus4 ,he appointed a living          
ministry1 endowed them with the ability 

to speak the languages of  other        
nations1 and commissioned them to go    
into all the world1 and  preach the     
gospel to every creature4    ,in        
connection with this subject1 there is  
one other inquiry of  importance4 ,it   
concerns not only the harmony of the    
gospel system with  the nature of       
things1 but likewise the harmony of     
apostolic practice  with what has been  
shown to be necessary in order that the 
truths of  the gospel might produce     
their legitimate effect upon the mind4  
,it has been demonstrated that a sense  
of man's guilt and danger must  exist in
 the mind before there can be gratitude 
and love to the being  who removes the  
guilt and rescues from the danger4 ,it  
has likewise  been noticed1 as a        
self-evident principle1 that before     
repentance  there must be conviction of 
sin4 ,a sense of guilt and error must   
necessarily precede reformation of life4
 ,a man cannot conscientiously  turn    
from a course of life1 and repent of    

past conduct1 unless he sees  and feels 
the error and the evil of that course   
from which he turns4  ,to suppose that a
 man would turn from a course of life   
which he  neither thought nor felt to be
 wrong or dangerous1 is to suppose an   
absurdity2 it follows1 therefore1 that  
the preacher's first duty1 in           
endeavouring to reclaim men to holiness 
and to ,god1 would be1 in all  cases1 to
 present such truths as were adapted to 
convict their hearers  of their         
spiritual guilt and danger4 ,as ,god has
 constituted the mind1  repentance from 
sin and attainment to holiness would for
 ever be  impossible on any other       
conditions4    ,but the same truths     
would not convict all men of sin4 ,in   
order to  convict any particular man1 or
 class of men1 of sin1 those facts must 
be fastened upon with which they have   
associated the idea of moral  good and  
evil1 and concerning which they are     
particularly guilty4  ,thus1 in the days
 of the apostles1 the ,gentiles could   

not be convicted  of sin for rejecting  
and crucifying ,christ2 but1 it being a 
fact in  the case of the ,jews that all 
their ideas of good and evil1 both      
temporal and spiritual1 were associated 
with the ,messiah1 nothing in  all the  
catalogue of guilt would be adapted to  
convict them of sin so  powerfully as   
the thought that they had despised and  
crucified the  ,messiah of ,god4    ,on 
the other hand1 the heathen1 upon whom  
the charge of rejecting  ,christ would  
have no influence1 could be convicted of
 sin only by  showing them the falsehood
 and folly of their idolatry2 the holy  
character of the true ,god1 and the     
righteous and spiritual nature of  the  
law which they were bound to obey1 and  
by which they would finally  be judged4 
,the first preachers of the ,gospel1    
therefore1 in conformity  with these    
principles1 would aim first1 and        
directly1 to convince  their hearers of 
their sins1 and in accomplishing this   
end1 they would  fasten upon those facts

 in which the guilt of their hearers    
more  particularly consisted4 ,and then1
 when men were thus convicted of  their 
guilt1 the salvation through ,christ    
from sin1 and its penalty1  would be    
pressed upon their anxious souls2 and   
they would be taught to  exercise faith 
in ,jesus1 as the meritorious cause of  
life1 pardon1 and  happiness4    ,now1  
the apostolical histories fully confirm 
the fact that this  course--the only one
 consistent with truth1 philosophy1 and 
the nature  of man--was the course      
pursued by the primitive preachers4     
,the first movement1 after they were    
endowed with the gift of tongues  and   
filled with the ,holy ,ghost1 was the   
sermon by ,peter1 on the day of         
,pentecost1 in which he directly charged
 the ,jews with the murder of  the      
,messiah1 and produced in thousands of  
minds convictions of the  most pungent  
and overwhelming description4 ,at       
,athens1 ,paul1 in  preaching to the    
,gentiles1 pursued a different course4  

,he exposed the  folly of their         
idolatry1 by appealing to their reason  
and their own  acknowledged authorities4
 ,he spoke to them of the guilt which   
they  would incur if they refused1 under
 the light of the ,gospel1 to forsake   
the errors which ,god1 on account of    
past ignorance1 had overlooked4 ,he     
then closed by turning their attention  
to the righteous retributions  of the   
eternal world1 and to the appointed day 
when man would be  judged by ,jesus     
,christ1 according to his gospel4       
,the manner in which the apostles       
presented ,christ crucified to the      
penitent and convicted sinner1 as the   
object of faith1 and the means  of      
pardon1 and the hope of glory1 is       
abundantly exhibited in the ,acts  of   
the ,apostles1 and in their several     
epistles to the ,churches4    ,thus did 
,god1 by the appointment of the living  
preacher as a means  of spreading the   
,gospel1 adapt himself to the           
constitution of his  creatures2 and the 

apostles1 moved by ,divine guidance1    
likewise  adapted the truth which they  
preached to the peculiar necessities    
and circumstances of men4               
,,chapter ,,xviii4    ,,the ,,agency    
,,of ,,god ,,in ,,carrying ,,on ,,the   
,,work ,,of ,,redemption1 ,,and ,,the   
,,manner ,,in ,,which ,,that ,,agency   
,,is ,,exerted4      ,god having thus   
devised the plan1 and manifested the    
truth1 and  instituted the means of     
redemption1 the inquiry naturally       
presents  itself3 ,in what way would he 
put the plan into operation1 and give   
efficiency to the means of grace8    ,we
 cannot suppose that ,god would put his 
own institution beyond his  power1 or   
that he would leave it to be managed by 
the imperfect wisdom  and the limited   
power of human instruments4 ,god would  
not prepare the  material1 devise the   
plan1 adapt the parts to each other1    
furnish the  instruments for building1  
and then neglect to supervise and       
complete  the structure4 ,god has put   

none of his works beyond his power2 and 
especially in a plan of which he is the 
,author and ,architect1 reason  suggests
 that he would guide it to its          
accomplishment4 ,the inquiry  is--,by   
what agency1 and in what way1 would the 
power of ,god be exerted  in carrying   
into efficient operation upon the souls 
of men the system  of saving mercy8     
,in relation to the character of the    
agency1 the solution is clear4 ,the     
agency by which the plan of salvation   
would be carried forward to its         
ultimate consummation would be spiritual
 in its nature1 because ,god is a       
,spirit1 and the soul of man is a       
spirit1 and the end to be accomplished  
is to lead men to worship ,god 'in      
spirit and in truth4'    ,in relation to
 the mode of the ,spirit's operation1   
some things belong to  that class of    
inquiries upon which the mind may exert 
its powers in  vain4--,the mode by which
 ,god communicates life to any thing in 
the  vegetable1 animal1 or spiritual    

world lies beyond the reach of the human
  intellect4 ,but although man cannot   
understand the modus operandi of  the   
,divine mind in communicating life1 yet 
the manifestations of life1  and the    
medium through which it operates1 are   
subjects open to human  examination4    
,whether the influence of the ,spirit be
 directly upon the  soul1 or mediately  
by means of truth1 the end accomplished 
would be the  same4 ,the soul might be  
quickened to see and feel the power of  
the  truth2 or1 by the spirit1 truth    
might be rendered powerful to affect the
  soul4 ,the wax might be softened to   
receive the impression1 or the seal     
heated1 or a power exerted upon it1 to  
make the impression on the wax2  or both
 might be done1 and still the result    
would be the same4 ,it is not  only     
necessary that the metal should be      
prepared to receive the  impression of a
 die1 but it is likewise necessary that 
the die should be  prepared and adapted 
to the particular kind of metal--the    

image and the  superscription of the    
king put upon it--the machinery prepared
 and  adapted to hold the die and apply 
it to the metal2 and after all these    
things necessary are done1 the coin can 
never be made unless power is  exerted  
to strike the die into the metal1 or the
 metal into the die4 ,so  it is in the  
processes of the spiritual world2 the   
material mankind  must be prepared4 ,the
 die the truth of the gospel system must
 be  revealed and adapted to the        
material2 and the image to be impressed 
upon  human nature the ,lord ,jesus     
,christ and the superscription glory to 
,god and good-will to men must be cut   
upon the die4 ,then the means of        
bringing the truth into contact with the
 material must be provided2 and  after  
all these preparations and adaptations1 
there must be the power  of the ,holy   
,spirit to guide the whole process1 and 
to form the image of  ,christ in the    
soul4    ,the foregoing is a complicated
 analogy1 but not more complicated than 

are the processes of the animal and     
spiritual world4 ,look at the human     
body1 with its thousands of adaptations1
 all of them necessary to the  system1  
the whole dependent upon the use of     
means for the supply of  animal life1   
and yet deriving from ,god its rational 
life1 which operates  through and       
actuates the whole4 ,in like manner the 
,spirit of ,god  operates through and   
guides the processes of the plan of     
salvation4    ,the ,scriptures reveal   
the truth clearly1 that the ,spirit of  
,god gives  efficiency to the means of  
grace4 ,and not only this1 but he       
operates  in accordance with those      
necessary principles which have been    
developed in the progress of these      
chapters4 ,christ instructed his        
disciples to expect that he would send  
the ,holy ,spirit2 and when he is  come1
 said ,jesus1 ',he will reprove the     
world of sin1 of righteousness1  and of 
judgment2' that is1 the ,holy ,spirit   
will produce conviction of  sin in the  

hearts of the unsanctified and          
impenitent3--the office-work  of the    
,spirit of ,god in relation to the world
 is to convince of sin4  ,in relation to
 the saints he exercises a different    
office4 ,he is their  ,comforter4 ,he   
takes of the things that belong to      
,jesus1 and shows them  to his          
people4#db ,that is1 he causes the      
people of ,god to see more  and more of 
the excellency1 and the glory1 and the  
mercy manifested in  a crucified        
,saviour2 and by this blessed influence 
they 'grow in  grace1 and in the        
knowledge of ,jesus ,christ4' ,christ1  
by his ministry  and death1 furnished   
the facts necessary for human salvation3
 the ,holy  ,spirit uses those facts to 
convict and sanctify the heart4 ,paul1  
in a  passage already noticed1 alludes  
to the influence of the ,spirit         
operating by the appointed means of     
prayer1 or devout meditation4 ',but  we 
all1 with open face beholding as in a   
glass the glory of the ,lord1  are      

changed into the same image from glory  
to glory1 even as by the  ,spirit of the
 ,lord4'        #db ,john xvi4 #g-ad4   
,further3 ,at what juncture1 in the     
progress of the great plan of           
salvation1 would this agency be most    
powerfully exerted8 ,we answer1 at  the 
time when the whole moral machinery of  
the dispensation through  which the     
effect was to be produced was completed4
 ,whatever is  designed and adapted to  
produce a definite result as an         
instrument  must be completed before it 
is put into operation1 otherwise it will
  not produce the definite effect       
required4 ,an imperfect system put into 
operation would produce an imperfect    
result4 ,here a special effect was  to  
be produced2 it was necessary1          
therefore1 that the truth should be     
revealed1 and the manifestations all    
made1 before the power was  imparted to 
give them effect4    ,under the new     
dispensation the greatest and most      
imposing manifestations  were the death1

 resurrection1 and ascension of ,jesus3 
had the system  been put into operation 
before these crowning manifestations    
were made1  the great end of the gospel 
would not have been accomplished4 ,it   
follows1 then1 that the material would  
be first prepared1 the  manifestations  
made and adapted to the material1 the   
appropriate means  ordained1 and then   
the agency of the ,spirit would be      
introduced to guide  the dispensation to
 its ultimate triumphs1 and to give     
efficiency to its  operations4    ,these
 deductions harmonise with the teachings
 of the ,scriptures4    ,first1 they    
expressly teach that without the agency 
of ,god no perfect  result is           
accomplished4    ,secondly1 they        
everywhere represent that the ,divine   
agency is exerted  through the truth    
upon the soul1 or exerted to awaken the 
soul to  apprehend and receive the      
truth4    ,thirdly1 the ,spirit was not 
fully communicated until the whole      
economy  of the gospel dispensation was 

completed4 ,the apostles were instructed
  to assemble at ,jerusalem after the   
ascension1 and wait till they were      
endued with power from on high4 ,on the 
day of ,pentecost the promised  ,spirit 
descended4 ,the apostles at once        
perceived the spiritual nature  of      
,christ's kingdom4 ,they spoke in       
demonstration of the ,spirit1 and  with 
power4 ,men were convicted of sin in    
their hearts4 ,sinners were  converted  
to ,christ by repentance and faith2 and 
under the guidance  of that ,divine     
,spirit1 the plan of salvation moves on 
to its high and  glorious consummation  
when 'the kingdoms of this world shall  
become  the kingdoms of our ,lord1 and  
of his ,christ4' ',amen3 even so1 come  
,lord ,jesus4'          ,,chapter ,,xix4
    ,,concerning ,,the ,,practical      
,,effects ,,of ,,the ,,system4      ,the
 evidence which the ,lord ,jesus ,christ
 proposed as proof of the  ,divinity of 
the gospel system was its practical     
effect upon  individuals who receive and

 obey the truth4 ',if any man will do   
his  will1 he shall know of the         
doctrine1 whether it be of ,god4' ,if a 
sick  man calls a physician1 who        
prescribes a certain medicine1 which1 by
  his receiving it according to the     
directions1 cures him1 he then knows    
both the efficacy of the medicine and   
the skill of the physician4  ,experience
 is evidence to the saints of the       
,divinity of the system2  and its       
effects1 in restoring the soul to moral 
health1 is evidence to  the world of the
 ,divine efficacy and power of its      
doctrines3 ',by their  fruits ye shall  
know them4' ,in closing our volume1     
therefore1 we have  now only briefly to 
inquire what are the ascertained        
practical effects  of faith in ,christ8 
,we shall not refer to the moral        
condition of man in countries under  the
 influence of the gospel1 compared with 
his condition in pagan  lands4 ,we will 
not dwell upon the fact which1 of       
itself1 is sufficient  to establish at  

once and for ever the ,divine origin of 
evangelical  religion1 and the truth of 
the distinctive views developed in the  
preceding chapters--that the most holy  
men and woman that have ever  lived have
 been those who exercised most constant 
and implicit faith  in ,christ4 ,passing
 these facts1 important in themselves1  
we will close  our volume by a statement
 of facts concerning the present        
influence of  faith in ,christ upon     
individuals now living1 and subject to  
the  examination of any one who might be
 sceptical upon the subject4    ,the    
following is a true statement of the    
influence of the religion of  ,jesus    
upon several individual members of a    
village church in one of  the ,united   
,states4 ,it is composed of members of  
common intelligence1  and those in the  
common walks of life4 ,other churches   
might have been  selected in which1     
perhaps1 a greater number of interesting
 cases  might have been found4 ,and     
there are other individuals in this     

church  that would furnish as good an   
illustration of the power of the gospel 
as some of those which are noticed      
below4 ,this church has been  selected1 
because the writer had a better         
opportunity of visiting it  in order to 
obtain the facts than any other in which
 he knew the power  of the religion of  
,christ was experienced4    ,with the   
individuals spoken of ,i am well        
acquainted1 having frequently  conversed
 with them all on the subjects of which 
,i shall speak4 ,their  words in all    
cases may not have been remembered1 but 
the sense is  truly given4    ,,case    
#a4--;,an old man who has been a        
professor of religion from early  life4 
,he was once a deacon1 or elder1 of the 
church4 ,twenty years ago he  was struck
 with paralysis1 by which he has been   
ever since confined  almost entirely to 
his room4 ,his situation is one that1 to
 a mind which  had no inward            
consolation1 would be irksome in the    
extreme4 ,his books  are the ,bible and 

one or two volumes of the old divines4  
,he is patient  and happy2 and speaking 
of the love of ,christ almost invariably
 suffuses  his eyes with tears4 ,he     
delights to dwell on religious subjects2
 and to  talk with a pious friend of the
 topics which his heart loves gives him 
evident delight4 ,recently1 his aged    
wife1 who had trodden the path of  life 
with him1 from youth to old age1 died in
 his presence4 ,she died1  what is      
called by ,christians1 a triumphant     
death2 her last words were  addressed to
 her children who stood around--',i see 
the cross1'--a gleam  of pleasure passed
 over her features1 her eyes lighted up 
with peculiar  brightness2 she said1    
',blessed ,jesus1 the last hour is come3
 ,i am  ready2' and thus she departed4  
,at her death1 the old man wept freely1 
and wept aloud2 but his sorrow1 he said1
 was mingled with a sweet joy4  ,how    
desolate would have been the condition  
of this poor cripple for the  last      
twenty years without the consolations of

 faith in ,christ6 ,and when  his aged  
wife died1 who had for years sat by his 
side1 how appalling  would have been the
 gloom that would have settled upon his 
soul1 had not  his mind been sustained  
by heavenly hope6 ,his case shows that  
the  religion of ,christ will keep the  
affections warm and tender even to the  
latest periods of old age1 and give     
happiness to the soul under             
circumstances of the most severe        
temporal bereavement4    ,,case #b4--;,a
 converted atheist4 ,i knew that there  
were those in the world  who professed  
to doubt the existence of a ,god2 but ,i
 had met with no one  in all my         
intercourse with mankind who seemed so  
sincerely and so  entirely an atheist as
 the individual whose case is now       
introduced4 ,the  first time that ,i met
 him was at the house of his son-in-law1
 a  gentleman of piety and intelligence4
 ,his appearance was that of a          
decrepid1 disconsolate old man4 ,in the 
course of conversation he               

unhesitatingly expressed his unbelief of
 the existence of a ,god1 and his       
suspicion of the motives of most of     
those who professed religion4 ,i        
learned from others that he had ceased  
in some measure to have  intercourse    
with men--had become misanthropic in his
 feelings1 regarding  mankind in the    
light of a family of sharks1 preying    
upon each other2 and  his own duty in   
such a state of things1 he supposed to  
be to make all  honest endeavours to    
wrest from the grasp of others as much  
as he  could4 ,he used profane language1
 opposed the temperance reformation1 and
  looked with the deepest hatred upon   
the ministers of religion4 ,his  social 
affections seemed to be withered1 and   
his body1 sympathizing1 was  distorted  
and diseased by rheumatic pains4    #a4 
,this old man had for years been the    
subject of special prayer on the  part  
of his pious daughter and his           
son-in-law2 and he was finally          
persuaded by them to attend a season of 

religious worship in the church  of     
which they were members4 ,during these  
services1 which lasted several  days1 he
 passed from a state of atheism to a    
state of faith4 ,the change  seemed to  
surprise every one1 and himself as much 
as any other4 ,from  being an atheist1  
he became the most simple and implicit  
believer4 ,he  seemed like a being who  
had waked up in another world1 the      
sensations of  which were all new to    
him2 and although a man of sound sense  
in business  affairs1 when he began to  
express his religious ideas1 his        
language  seemed strange and            
incongruous1 from the fact that1 while  
his soul was  now filled with new       
thoughts and feelings1 he had no        
knowledge of the  language by which such
 thoughts are usually expressed4 ,the   
effects  produced by his conversion were
 as follows--stated at one time to      
myself1 and upon another occasion to one
 of the most eminent medical            
practitioners in this country3--,one of 

the first things which he did  after his
 conversion1 was to love1 in a practical
 manner1 his worst  enemy4 ,there was   
one man in the village who had1 as he   
supposed1 dealt  treacherously with him 
in some money transactions which had    
occurred  between them4 ,on this        
account1 personal enmity had long       
existed between  the two individuals4   
,when converted1 he sought his old      
enemy--asked his  forgiveness--and      
endeavoured to benefit him by bringing  
him under the  influence of the gospel4 
#b4 ,his benevolent feelings were       
awakened and expanded4 ,his first       
benevolent offering was twenty-five     
cents1 in a collection for  charitable  
uses4 ,he now gives very liberally1 in  
proportion to his  means1 to all objects
 which he thinks will advance the       
interests of  the gospel of ,christ4    
,besides supporting his own church and  
her  benevolent institutions1 no        
enterprise of any denomination which he 
really believes will do good fails to   

receive something from him1 if  he has  
the means4 ,during the last year1 he has
 given more with the  design of         
benefiting his fellow-men than he had   
done in his whole  lifetime before4     
#c4 ,his affections have received new   
life4 ,he said to me1 in conversation   
upon the subject3 ',one part of the     
,scriptures ,i feel to be true--that    
which says1 ,i will take away the hard  
and stony heart1 and give you a  heart  
of flesh4 ,once ,i seemed to have no    
feeling2 now1 thank ,god1 ,i can  feel4 
,i have buried two wives and six        
children1 but ,i never shed a  tear--,i 
felt hard and unhappy2 now my tears flow
 at the recollection of  these things4' 
,the tears at that time wet the old     
man's cheeks4 ,it is  not probable that1
 since his conversion1 there has been a 
single week  that he has not shed tears2
 before conversion he had not wept since
 the  age of manhood4 ,an exhibition of 
the love of ,christ will1 at any time1  
move his feelings with gratitude and    

love1 until the tears moisten his  eyes4
    #d4 ,effect upon his life4 ,since   
his conversion he has not ceased to do  
good as he has had opportunity4 ,several
 individuals have been led to  repent   
and believe in ,christ through his      
instrumentality4 ,some of  these were   
individuals whose former habits rendered
 a change of  character very improbable 
in the eyes of most individuals4 ,one of
  them1 who had fallen into the habit of
 intemperance1 is now a  respectable and
 happy father of a respectable          
,christian family4 ,he has  been known  
to go to several families on the same   
day1 pray with them1  and invite them to
 attend religious worship on the        
,sabbath4 ,and when  some difficulty was
 stated as a hindrance to their         
attendance1 he has  assisted them to buy
 shoes1 and granted other little aids of
 the kind1  in order that they might be 
induced to attend divine service4 ,since
  the first edition was issued1 a most  
remarkable fact concerning this  old man

 has come to the knowledge of the       
author4 ,when converted1 one  of his    
first acts1 although he had heard       
nothing of any such act in  others1 was 
to make out a list of all his old       
associates then living  within reach of 
his influence4 ,for the conversion of   
these he  determined to labour as he had
 opportunity1 and pray daily4 ,on his   
list were one hundred and sixteen names1
 among whom were sceptics1  drunkards1  
and other individuals as little likely  
to be reached by  ,christian influence  
as any other men in the region4 ,within 
two years  from the period of the old   
man's conversion1 one hundred of these  
individuals had made a profession of    
religion4 ,we can hardly suppose  that  
the old man was instrumental in the     
conversion of all these  persons1 yet   
the fact is one of the most remarkable  
that has been  developed in the progress
 of ,christianity4    #e4 ,effect upon  
his happiness4 ,in a social meeting of  
the church where  he worships1 ,i heard 

him make such an expression as this3 ',i
 have  rejoiced but once since ,i       
trusted in ,christ--that has been all   
the  time4' ,his state of mind may be   
best described in his own characteristic
  language4 ,one day he was repairing   
his fence4 ,an individual passing       
addressed him3 ',mr4 ----1 you are at   
work all alone4' ',not alone1' said  the
 old man1 ',god is with me4' ,he said   
that his work seemed easy to him1  and  
his peace of mind continued with        
scarcely an interruption4 ,i saw him  at
 a time when he had just received       
intelligence that a son who had gone  to
 the south had been shot in a personal  
altercation in one of the  southern     
cities4 ,the old man's parental feelings
 were moved1 but he  seemed1 even under 
this sudden and most distressing        
affliction1 to  derive strong           
consolation from trust in ,god4    #f4  
,physical effects of the moral change4  
,as soon as his moral nature had        
undergone a change1 his body1 by        

sympathy1 felt the benign influence4    
,his countenance assumed a milder and   
more intelligent aspect4 ,he became     
more tidy in his apparel1 and his       
'thousand pains1' in a good measure1    
left him4 ,in his case1 there seemed to 
be a renovation both of soul and  body4 
,this case is not exaggerated3 the old  
man is living1 and there are  a thousand
 living witnesses to this testimony1    
among whom is an  intelligent physician1
 who1 hearing the old man's history of  
his  feelings1 and having known him     
personally for years1 the obvious       
effects which the faith in ,christ had  
produced in this case1 combined  with   
other influences by which he was        
surrounded1 led him seriously to        
examine the subject of religion1 as it  
concerned his own spiritual  interest4  
,by this examination he was led to      
relinquish the system of  'rational     
religion' 7as the ,socinian system is   
most inappropriately  called by its     
adherents71 and profess his faith in    

orthodox religion4    ,,case #c4--,two  
individuals1 who had always been poor in
 this world's  goods but who are rich in
 faith4 ,many years ago1 they lived in a
 new  settlement where there were no    
religious services4 ,the neighbourhood1 
at the suggestion of one of its members1
 met together on the ,sabbath1  to sing 
sacred music1 and to hear a sermon read4
 ,those sermons were  the means of the  
conversion of the mother of the family4 
,she lived an  exemplary life1 but her  
husband still continued impenitent1 and 
became  somewhat addicted to            
intemperance4 ,some of the children of  
the family1  as they reached mature     
years1 were converted2 the husband1 and 
finally1 after a few years1 all the     
remaining children1 embraced  religion4 
,from the day of the husband's          
conversion he drank no more  liquor1    
and1 he says1 he always afterwards      
thought of the habit with  abhorrence4  
,the old people live alone4 ,the old    
woman's sense of  hearing has so failed 

that she hears but imperfectly4 ,when   
the weather  will allow1 she attends    
church regularly1 but sometimes hears   
but  little of the sermon4 ,she sits on 
the ,sabbath and looks up at the        
minister1 with a countenance glowing    
with an interested and happy            
expression4 ,she has joy to know that   
the minister is preaching about         
,christ4 ,the minister once described   
religion possessed as a spring of       
living water1 flowing from the rock by  
the way-side1 which yields to  the weary
 traveller refreshment and delight2 the 
old lady1 at the  close1 remarked1 with 
meekness1 ',i hope ,i have drunk1 many  
times1 of  those sweet waters4'         
,except what concerns their particular  
domestic duties1 the conversation  of   
this aged pair is almost entirely       
religious4 ,they are devout1 and  very  
happy in each other's society2 and      
sometimes in their family  devotions and
 religious conversations their hearts   
glow with love for  ,god4 ,they look    

forward to death with the consoling hope
 that they will  awake in the likeness  
of the glorious ,saviour1 and so 'be for
 ever with  the ,lord4'    ,,case       
#d4--;,a female was early in life united
 with the church1 and  conscientiously  
performed the external duties of        
,christian life4 ,she  had for many     
years little if any happiness in the    
performance of her  religious duties1   
yet would have been more unhappy if she 
had not  performed them4 ,she married a 
gentleman who1 during the last years of 
his life1 was peculiarly devoted4       
,during this period1 in attending  upon 
the means of grace she experienced an   
entire change in her  religious         
feelings4 ,she felt1 as she says1 that  
'now she gave up all  for ,christ4 ,she 
felt averse to everything which she     
believed to be  contrary to his         
will4--,to the will of ,jesus she could 
now submit for  ever1 with joyful and   
entire confidence4--,she now loved to   
pray1 and  found happiness in obeying   

the ,saviour4' ,she made1 as she        
believes1 at  that time an entire       
surrender of all her interests1 for time
 and  eternity1 to ,christ1 and since   
then her labours in his service have    
been happy labours4 ,before they were   
constrained by conscience1 now  they are
 prompted by the affections4 ,she does  
not think she was not a  ,christian     
before4 ,she had repented in view of the
 law1 but she had  not1 till the time   
mentioned1 exercised affectionate faith 
in  ,christ4#dc ,she now often prays    
most solicitously for the conversion  of
 sinners and the sanctification of the  
church4 ,she loves to meet  weekly in   
the female circle for prayer1 and       
labours to induce others  to attend with
 her4 ,her little son1 nine years of    
age1 is1 as she  hopes1 a ,christian2   
and her daughter1 just approaching the  
years of  womanhood1 has recently united
 with the church4 ,two years since her  
husband died under circumstances        
peculiarly afflicting4 ,she prayed for  

resignation1 and never felt any         
disposition to murmur against the       
providence of ,god4 ,she sometimes      
blamed herself that she had not  thought
 of other expedients to prolong1 if     
possible1 the life of one  that she     
loved so tenderly2 but to ,god she      
looked up with submission1  and said in 
spirit3 ',the cup which my ,father hath 
given me1 shall ,i  not drink it8' ,her 
husband she views as a departed saint1  
whom she  expects to meet in a better   
world4 ,she cherishes his memory with an
  affection that seems peculiarly       
sacred1 and the remembrance of his      
piety is a consoling association        
connected with the recollections of  one
 now in heaven4#dd        #dc ,are there
 not many in all the churches who have  
been      convicted of sin1 and who have
 perhaps repented1 but have not         
exercised full faith in ,christ8        
#dd ,that the marriage bond becomes more
 sacred1 and the      reciprocal duties 
of affection more tender1 between two   

hearts      that both love ,jesus1 ,i   
have no doubt4 ,the feelings of this    
pious      widow favour the supposition2
 and the facts recorded in the          
biographies of ,edwards1 ,fletcher1 and 
,corvosso1 fully confirm it4    ,a      
single incident develops the secret of  
that piety which gives her  peace1 and  
makes her useful4 ,one of the last times
 that ,i saw her she  stated1 in        
conversation upon the subject1 that a   
short time before she  had read a       
,sabbath school book1 which one of her  
children had received1  in which was a  
representation of ,christ bearing his   
cross to ,calvary4  ,while contemplating
 this scene1 love and gratitude sprang  
up in her  heart1 which were subduing1  
sweet1 and peaceful beyond expression4  
,how  is it1 reader1 that the           
contemplation of such a scene of        
suffering  should cause such blessed    
emotions to spread like a rich fragrance
  through the soul1 and rise in sweet   
incense to ,god8 ,it is the holy  secret

 of the cross of ,christ1 which none but
 the saints know1 and  even they cannot 
communicate4#de        #de ,thomas      
,kempis endeavoured to give expression  
to the      consciousness of the ,divine
 life in the soul--',frequens ,christi  
visitatio cum homine interno1 dulcis    
sermocinatio1 grata      consolatio1    
multa pax1' etc4 ',the frequent presence
 of ,christ in      the inner man is    
sweet converse1 grateful consolation1   
much      peace1' etc4                  
,,conclusion4      ,allow the author to 
say1 in closing1 that it is his opinion 
that1 in  view of the reasonings and    
facts presented in the preceding pages1 
every individual who reads the book     
intelligently1 and who is in  possession
 of a sound and unprejudiced reason1    
will come to the  conclusion that the   
religion of the ,bible is from ,god1 and
 ,divinely  adapted to produce the      
greatest present and eternal spiritual  
good  of the human family4 ,and if any  
one should doubt its ,divine origin     

7which1 in view of its adaptations and  
its effects as herein  developed1 would 
involve the absurdity of doubting       
whether an  intelligent design had an   
intelligent designer71 still1 be the    
origin of the gospel where it may1 in   
heaven1 earth1 or hell1 the             
demonstration is conclusive that it is  
the only religion possible  for man1 in 
order to perfect his nature1 and restore
 his lapsed  powers to harmony and      
holiness4      ,,the ,,end4             
,,billing ,,and ,,sons1 ,,printers1     
,,guildford ,,and ,,london4             
,,publications ,,of ,,the ,,religious   
,,tract ,,society4        ,the ,present 
,saviour2 or1 ,great ,truths for        
,earnest ,times4      ,by the ,rev4 ,j4 
,s4 ,nutter4 ,in large type4 #as4 cloth 
boards4      ,saving ,faith3 what is it8
      ,a ,scriptural ,inquiry and       
,appeal4 ,by the ,rev4 ,j4 ,tanner4     
,small #hvo4      #h;d4 cloth boards4   
,salvation ,sought1 ,found1 and         
,enjoyed4      ,fcap4 #hvo1 #as4 cloth  

boards4      ,persuasives to ,early     
,piety4      ,by the ,rev4 ,j4 ,g4      
,pike4 #bdmo4 #as4 cloth boards4        
,an ,alarm to the ,unconverted4      ,by
 ,joseph ,alleine4 ,fcap4 #hvo4 #as4    
cloth boards4      ,the ,anxious        
,inquirer after ,salvation ,directed and
 ,encouraged4 ,by      the ,rev4 ,j4 ,a4
 ,james4 #cbmo4 #f;d4 neat cover2 #h;d4 
cloth boards2      fcap4 #hvo4 #as4     
cloth boards4      ,the ,golden         
,treasury4      ,by ,bogatzky4 #bdmo4   
#as4 cloth boards4      ,the ,bright    
,city and the ,way there4      ,large   
type4 #bdmo4 #h;d4 cloth limp2 #as4     
cloth boards4      ,plain ,paths3       
,onward and ,heavenward4      #ahmo4    
#h;d4 limp2 #as4 cloth boards4          
,what do ,i ,believe8      ,by the ,rev4
 ,s4 ,g4 ,green1 ,d4,d4 ,fcap4 #hvo4    
#as4 cloth boards4      ,why do ,i      
,believe8 or1 ,the ,bible ,historically 
,true and ,divinely      ,inspired4 ,by 
,mrs4 ,j4 ,b4 ,patterson4 ,fcap4 #hvo4  
#as4 cloth boards4      ,a ,call to the 

,unconverted4      ,by ,richard ,baxter4
 #ahmo4 #as4 cloth boards4              
,meditations on the ,miracles of        
,christ4      ,first and ,second        
,series4 ,by the ,rev4 ,j4 ,s4 ,howson1 
,dean of      ,chester4 ,each crown     
#hvo4 #cs4 cloth1 red edges4      ,bible
 ,readings from the ,gospel4      ,for  
,mothers' ,meetings1 etc4 ,by ,mrs4     
,frederick ,lockyer4 ,crown #hvo4       
,in clear type4 #bs4 cloth boards4      
,bible ,readings from the ,acts4        
,for ,mothers' ,meetings1 etc4 ,by ,mrs4
 ,frederick ,lockyer4 ,crown #hvo4      
#bs4 cloth boards4      ,home to ,god3 a
 ,guide on the ,way4      ,by ,samuel   
,pearson1 ,m4,a41 of ,liverpool4 ,fcap4 
#hvo1 #as4 #f;d4 cloth      boards4     
,experiences of the ,inner ,life4       
,lessons from its ,duties1 ,joys1 and   
,conflicts4 ,a ,sequel to ,the          
,soul's ,life4 ,by the ,rev4 ,canon     
,garbett1 ,m4,a4 ,crown #hvo4 #cs4 #f;d4
      cloth boards4      ,the ,soul's   
,life4      ,its ,commencement1         

,progress1 and ,maturity4 ,by the ,rev4 
,canon      ,garbett1 ,m4,a4 ,crown     
#hvo4 #ds4 #f;d4 cloth boards4          
,symbols of ,christ4      ,by the ,rev4 
,charles ,stanford1 ,d4,d4 ,new         
,edition4 ,crown #hvo4 #cs4 #f;d4       
cloth boards4      ,the ,lord is my     
,shepherd4      ,a ,popular ,exposition 
of the ,twenty-third ,psalm4 ,by the    
,rev4 ,j4      ,stuart4 #bs4 #f;d4 cloth
 boards4      ,the ,religious ,tract    
,society1    ,london3 #ef1 ,paternoster 
,row2 #fe1 ,st4 ,paul's ,churchyard2    
,and #afd1  ,piccadilly4                
,transcriber's ,note    ,variations in  
spelling are preserved as printed4      
,minor punctuation and typographic      
errors have been repaired4    ,the      
,hebrew text of the footnote on page #ea
 has an error where it appears  that a  
samech has been used instead of a mem   
7final74 ,on the assumption  that this  
is a printer error1 it has been fixed3  
amended to 4    ,the asterism in the    
preface is represented with 999999 in   

this version of  the e-book4