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the true, from all the universe around, seeing God in every thing, and blessing the creatures of God every where, that in this perpetual devotion to the highest aims, and approximation to the functions of Divinity itself, he may, in the noblest sense, become divine. All who have really partaken of this spirit of Christ's truth, and are truly his soldiers, demonstrate the truthfulness and grandeur of their calling by being always found on the outward frontiers of civilization, carrying light to the benighted, strength to the feeble, salvation to the lost. They are the beloved offspring of that Christianity which was fiercely persecuted when most weak, which sympathizes with the suffering when most wronged, and forever fortifies the confiding with invincible strength.

"For souls

Re-made of God, and moulded over again

Into his sunlike emblems, multiply

His might and love: the saved are suns, not earths,
And with original glory shine of God."

CHAPTER IV.

CHRISTIANITY THE DELIVERER OF THE

OPPRESSED.

THE subject for our present consideration is of the greatest interest and importance. With the wisest possible blending of firmness and magnanimity, that just discrimination and equitable judgment which are obtained only in answer to humble prayer, let us proceed at once to the discussion. The following are our general points: Christianity was given to subdue the most ungenerous foes, is most merciful towards those who suffer the greatest abuse, and inspires ceaseless rebellion against every species of ungodly bonds.

In the first place, to subdue foes at once the most ungenerous and unyielding was the primary task of Christianity, and, to the end of spiritual warfare, will ever constitute its highest mission. The substance of Christ's doctrine and the grand aim of his life was in the highest degree emancipative, and most happily adapted to the diversified wants of mankind. He labored to abolish every pernicious superstition, destroy all forms of degrading unbelief, break every oppressive bond, and eradicate the skepticism of the leading men of his age, which openly denied, or industriously subverted, the foundation of morality itself. He represented God under the true light, that of a purely moral character, and portrayed him palpably to the common heart and eye as the supreme Father, loving and educating all the rational creatures he has formed. "The consequences that flow from this fundamental view are also moral. A man cannot honor this supreme Father by ceremonies and external exercises, but only by doing his will and endeavoring to become like him. With a religious truth that represents God as the supreme Father, no moral truths can be connected but such as reduce every thing back to love. The practical part of what Jesus taught, therefore, had the great excellency of containing principles not only benevolent, but pure, noble, and exalted, every where applicable, and adapted to human nature. He who loves God and man according to the precepts of Jesus, is a most willing, punctual, and disinterested performer of all his duties; a most active promoter of all that is true, beautiful, and good; a most faithful and useful citizen of the state to which he belongs; a most sympathizing and benevolent friend of man; and, in all the relations which he sustains, whatever they are called, the author of innumerable blessings. Nor did the external part of the religion which Jesus intended to bring into vogue, have any other object in view than strengthening its moral power and sustaining its activity. In order to preserve a lasting consciousness of their high calling and their destination in respect to moral attainments, and to be perfect as their Father in heaven is perfect, his followers were to meet

together and unite as a body in pious exercises; the object of these meetings was to be their advancement in virtue and religious improvement. And for what other purpose, than as the means of moral improvement, did Jesus institute his two sacred rites? The one was to make it evident, that as soon as a man becomes a Christian, he takes upon himself an obligation to practise the purest and most immaculate virtue; the other was to admonish him of this with reference to his approximating nearer to the pattern of all human virtue in the performance of his duties. The religion, therefore, which Jesus destined to become that of the human race, was, in all its parts, a moral religion."

Moreover, the doctrines and spirit which Christ planted in the world were as heroical as they were moral. Nothing is more erroneous than the supposition that Christianity regards indignant bravery and heroical resistance as vices; that, instead of their exercise on just occasions, it legitimately transforms man into a defenceless and passive creature, which chooses to endure outrageous wrongs rather than defend natural rights. It is true that the religion taught by Jesus was adapted to diminish the causes of war, prevent aggressions upon all sorts of freedom, awaken in every soul the acutest perception of what is right, and thus gradually produce universal peace upon earth. "It is equally certain," says Reinhard, "that the commandment enjoining love, which is the soul of all the precepts of Christianity, forbids no man from bravely opposing unjust oppressors, and maintaining his rights by force, so long as that universal peace does not prevail, and cruel disturbers of public security and repose, and unjust aggressors, are every where to be found. It is not the business even of that love whose efforts are directed entirely to the promotion of the general good magnanimously to offer itself in sacrifice, as soon as this general weal is in danger? Can he whom it animates remain idle when the society of which he is a member is assailed and threatened with danger? Will he not, on the other hand, select, and be obliged to select, the only way left him, in this

case, for exhibiting his love, namely, by laying down his life. for the brethren? 1 John iii. 16. Besides, is there not every thing to be met with in the soul of a genuine Christian, from which real bravery and rational heroism may spring in as good if not a better degree than others? Is bravery grounded upon natural courage, a certain innate intrepidity? Christianity does not suppress this quality, but only hinders it from degenerating into savageness and temerity. Is genuine bravery accompanied with a contempt of all effeminacy, with diligence, and temperance? Christianity inculcates these virtues as indispensable duties. Is bravery, without a desire of honor, impossible? No one can possess a livelier and more tender sense of honor than the Christian. Does bravery draw its nourishment in a particular manner from genuine patriotism? The patriotism produced by Christianity is the noblest and most zealous that can exist. Finally, are confidence in God and a belief in immortality able to contribute any thing toward strengthening courage in danger and rendering men intrepid? Then no one has less to fear than the Christian. A religion which, with the tenderest love, combines such an aversion to all injustice, and so much to encourage in the hour of danger, cannot be prejudicial to genuine bravery, but will merely hinder it from degenerating into savage barbarity and inhuman cruelty. If, therefore, Christianity in any state produces in only a part of the citizens those dispositions and feelings which its Founder intended it should produce, even then the state, whatever be its regulations in other respects, manifestly loses nothing thereby, but, on the other hand, gains infinitely in the improvement of its subjects."

The true nature of Christian morality, and the righteous heroism which moral truth was designed to stimulate, were most clearly unfolded to the world by the teachings and example of Christ. Soon after he entered upon his ministry, he held the remarkable conversation with a Samaritan woman, in which he advanced far beyond all previous instruction, entirely laid aside the Hebrew phrase the kingdom of God, and, instead

of it, spoke of the worship of God in spirit and in truth, as then about to be introduced into all parts of the world, without regard to the distinctions of nation and country. John iv. 23, 24. Continues Reinhard, "The Jews expected of the Messiah the restoration of their freedom. Jesus promised freedom, but a freedom from the tyranny of vice, to be obtained by the power of the truth. John viii. 31-36. Shortly before his death, he conversed with his friends respecting the great work for which he had selected them, and in which they were soon to engage. For their encouragement and support, he promised them nothing but the Spirit of truth. This was not only to guide them, but through them to teach and reform the whole world. John xiv. 17, 26; xv. 26; xvi. 13. Whatever we understand by this Spirit of truth, we must admit it to have been given to the apostles to prepare them for the moral undertaking, the accomplishment of which had been intrusted to their hands. I have already observed that, in the presence of Pilate, Jesus declared his kingdom to be a kingdom of truth, and not of this world, nor intended to injure the power and authority of its rulers in the least degree. That it was his intention to benefit all men by laboring in the cause of morality, is a position fully confirmed by the fact that he speaks in express terms of a new birth, an entire reformation and renovation of the heart, and, in the most direct and definite manner, declares his intention to create mankind anew and make them better. In Matt. xix. 28, he calls the new order of things which he had in contemplation a regeneration; and that this regeneration was not to be a political change nor a resuscitation of the old national constitution, he asserted in a manner worthy of the deepest attention, in the well-known dialogue which he held with Nicodemus. John iii. 1, et seq. He told the astonished scribe, with the dignity of an ambassador of God, who was conscious of being engaged in the most important business, and felt his appropriate sphere of action to be without the bounds of the corporeal world, (verses 11-13,) that a man must be renovated by the influences of a better religion

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