It has been justly remarked by Dr. Paley, after the celebrated Soame Jennyns, that the spirit of the morality taught by our blessed Saviour is entirely opposed to those splendid and ostentatious qualities which too generally pass in the world for virtues of a superior order, and which history so often ambitiously displays to decorate her style, and to captivate the unthinking admiration of mankind for her principal heroes. The gospel gives no praise to that pride which exalts itself over our fellow men, and is easily provoked at injuries real or imaginary; it has no indulgence for that jealous honour which is ever ready to suspect, and revenge insults, or that lofty ambition of power and command, which the mistake of the world is apt to extol as a proof of elevation and nobleness of mind. On the other hand, next to the love and fear of God, it bestows all its approbation on meekness of spirit, on candor, on humility, on charity and kindness of heart, in a word, on those mild, innocent, unassuming, and benevolent dispositions, which give birth to the sweetest intercouse among mankind, and form the strongest and happiest cement of society. This is a morality entirely different in its genius from that which would be dictated by the spirit of the world. It is peculiar to the gospel. And although, at the first view, it may seem, to those who have received their education in the world, to be tame and pusillanimous, it will be found, on a fair and just examination, to discover a more profound estimate of moral worth than was ever before

made; either in the school of philosophy, or in that of the world.

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It is judiciously observed by both the distinguished writers to whom I have referred, that the heroic virtues, as they are called, are calculated only to disturb the peace and happiness of human society, and have, indeed, been the chief sources of the disorders, the wars, and revolutions which, in every period of time, have afflicted all nations. On the contrary, if all men were governed by the christian virtues of humility, of meekness, of candor, of forgiveness, of charity, the earth, which has, hitherto, been the theatre of violent, conflicting, and cruel passions, would become the residence of tranquillity and peace.

Do you ask if the general prevalence of these meek and pacific principles in a nation would not expose it to insults and injustice from its powerful neighbours, and render it, at length, an easy prey to their ambition? I answer that the maxims of the gospel do not oppose the natural duties which every citizen owes to his country for its defence. It is among the primary obligations which the gospel imposes on its disciples, to honour and obey the magistrate, as well as to fear God. And the supreme magistracy of a state owes duties to the nation under its protection very different from those which subsist between man and man in society. It is the latter, chiefly, which the evangelic rules of meekness,

humility, charity, and forgiveness are intended to regulate. And they promote peace and union by cultivating the spirit of mutual love; they prevent discords, by extinguishing, cr correcting the passions which are the principles of contention and division. The civil laws of most countries aim at the same end; but feebly, because they impose their restraints only on the outward actions; whereas the gospel enters into the heart to correct the evil in its source. It is folly therefore to accuse of tameness and pusillanimity that spirit which, by changing the dispositions of the heart, promotes the peace of society in the most perfect manner; an object which it is the supreme end of a wise legislation even imperfectly to attain, by operating with its compulsory power on the external conduct. It is the error of the world to bestow its admiration on that bold and ardent character of mind which is quick in its sensibilities to injury, violent in its resentments, jealous of its honour, proud of its darings, and ever ready, in order to avenge itself of real or imaginary wrongs, to break through both the prescriptions of law, and the dictates of justice. Such is commonly the heroic character whose achievements blazon the pages of history. Far different are the virtues of the gospel. Silent, yielding, and benevolent, they contribute to promote and secure the hap piness of mankind, which the former tend to destroy.

When we consider, then, the perfect and unmixed purity of the morality of the gospel, and the indications which it

exhibits of a most holy and spotless mind in its author; when we consider with what admirable wisdom he rejects the false and imposing virtues which have chiefly commanded the applause of the world, and even the approbation of the sage, and placed virtue, which is the mean of promoting human happiness, upon its true and only solid basis; when we reflect, further, how peculiar these excellencies are to the gospel of Christ, and how far they are above the wisdom, how contrary to the spirit of the world, we might well be surprised if any of the sages of Greece, rising above the genius and improvements of their age, had been the authors of such a system; but when we take into view the country, the education, and rank in life, of Christ, and his apostles, we must be astonished at the wisdom with which they have spoken. Considering them as mere men, bred up amidst the tools of the mechanic, or the nets of the fishermen, it must be utterly incredible. Surely, exclaims Dr. Paley, Jesus must have been like no other carpenter, the apostles like no other fishermen! Read the discourses, the parables, the history of the transactions of our blessed Saviour; read the moral precepts with which the epistles of the apostles every where abound, and I confess they appear to me to bear the evident and deep inscriptions of divine wisdom. The mission of the Saviour, and the doctrines of the gospel were confirmed by great and numerous miracles; but, in my esteem, the greatest of all miracles would be the gospel itself, if we could suppose such a transcendent system of theology and morals, so sublime,

so pure, so superior to the wisdom of the age, to have been the uninspired work of the unlettered fishermen of Judea.

The excellence of the christian morality may be estimated, in the next place, from its extent. The gospel does not limit its views to regulating the external conduct and intercourse of mankind with one another, to which civil laws are obliged to bound their influence. It goes to rectify the thoughts and desires of the heart, and thereby to purify the fountains of conduct: it places its restraints upon the first movements and springs of action. This is a point of the utmost importance in considering the true value of the morality of the gospel, which sets it far above the influence of civil laws, or the discipline of the schools. For, however regular the exterior deportment may be, if the imaginaton, and the affections remain impure, the soul must be unfit to appear in the immediate presence of God most holy, or to be joined to the society of perfect spirits in heaven; and there is no security for the rectitude of the conduct, whenever temptation invites, and opportunity favours indulgence. Fancy, if it is permitted without restraint to amuse itself with the plans, or to enjoy the pleasures of avarice, revenge, or lust; if it is allowed to present images of impurity to the mind, and range at will through ideal scenes of voluptuous enjoyment, taints the purity, while it inflames the passions, of the heart, and corrupts it no less effectually in its principles of action, than could be done by grosser gratifica