that far exceeded any thing that can be found in the writings of Socrates, and it can scarcely be said that Christianity has improved it. When Moses spake, he could say: "thus saith the Lord." This appears to be the great point of difference between the great Jewish and Athenian teachers. Moses was a lawgiver, Socrates was an adviser.

II. Jesus Christ possessed entirely new characteristics as a teacher, which had never been possessed by any one before him.

1. The most obvious and distinctive feature of our Saviour as a teacher, was his Divine character. He was (C teacher sent from God." Yea, God himself "manifest in the flesh," and "dwelling with us. This idea stands out prominently in every part of his history.

In opposition to the high assumptions of the Ionic and Pythagoran schools, who professed to know and to be able to teach every thing, Socrates, with characteristic irony, professed to know nothing, and presenting himself to these masters as an humble scholar, he would, by a few simple interrogations, soon bring them upon a level with himself. It became him as a man, feeling his way along by the light of nature, to be modest. Noble was the progress that he made; but having nothing but his deductions from nature to serve as a check upon any errors committed in similar deductions previously made, his doubtfulness was quite natural and commendable. But Jesus Christ, knowing himself to be possessed of infinite knowledge, could not, in truth, profess ignorance. He knew the thoughts of men. "In him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily."

He had no scruples in ranking himself higher than Abraham, Moses, Solomon, or any of the ancients, and it was befitting, that he, who was heaven's own representative, and who could confirm his mission with signs and wonders, such as the world had never before known, should apprise the world that one of unearthly dignity was standing amongst them.

There was a marked difference between his manner of address, and that of Moses. Moses spake in the name of the Lord, but Jesus spake as God himself. Moses could call upon the people to listen to the communications he had received from Jehovah, but Jesus with God-like authority, could say: "I say unto you." His voice was the voice of God. "He taught as one having authority, and not as the scribes," and he confirmed the Divine authority of his instructions, by working miracles in his own name. It was but for him to say: "I will; be thou clean," and the leper was healed; at his rebuke of the wind and the sea, a great calm ensued; the devil, at his command must hold his peace, and come out of the possessed; and he calls to a dead Lazaras, and he comes forth from his grave. Such were the resistless proofs he gave, that he was the great Divine Instructor, the world had been taught to expect, that, many people said: "When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done?"

2. Jesus Christ differed from all other teachers in that he was able to inspire his disciples. Socrates never professed to be able to do any thing more than assist in developing what was already in the mind; Moses never attempted to impart spiritual gifts; but Jesus Christ, on

the contrary, could open the understandings of his disciples and cause them to understand the Scriptures. He promised to send the spirit that should lead his disciples into all truth. and bring all things to their remembrance; he could breathe on them, and say, "Receive ye the holy ghost;" and Paul testified that he received the gospel through the revelation of Jesus Christ. This power of inspiring their disciples, was never professed by any of the Jewish teachers, nor by any of the great teachers of nature.

3. Jesus Christ differs from all other teachers, in that he was not the embodiment or developement of his age. It is a favorite theory with the philosophers of our day, that great men are made by circumstances. They have sagacity to know what the people require, and also to carry their will into execution; and thus they act as a kind of moral brain for the mass. The history of all the great men of a nation, according to this theory, is the history of that nation, and the history of all great men of the world, forms the history of the world. The great man is born and dies just at the right time, and with the same characteristics, in any other age than his own, he would not have been great. The invariable sign of the great man, is success. Says Cousin, in his history of modern philosophy: "Whoever does not succeed, is of no use in the world, leaves no great results, and passes away as if he had never been." The great man, is, of course, the idol of the people, because he is like them, and they love to adore them

*A History of Modern Philosophy, Vol. I, page 199. See also the whole lecture.

selves.

It is not great thoughts, plans and motives, but great and successful acts, which, according to this theory, make the great man, for says the same author, to which we have referred: "Intentions, good-will, the most beautiful plans, which could not have failed to result in good, had it not been for this or that reason, all that does not resolve itself into fact, is counted as nothing by humanity." The theory admits that the great man, in his private character, may be a very little and mean man, nevertheless, he is right, as the conquerer is always on the side of civilization, while the conquered is on the side of barbarism. Thus, kings, presidents, generals, statesmen, orators, poets and ministers, are great, if they have ability to know and to perform what the people desire.

Now, we acknowledge that such is the great man according to one standard, but it is the standard of the world. But there have been those of whom the world was not worthy, who were persecuted and slain, and according to this standard Jesus Christ was not a great man, for he was not a developement of his age, and it was no part of the design of his mission to carry into execution the will of his contemporaries, but rather to make all things new. No age or ages made him, but He came to be himself the "Father of the everlasting age." Judging from the result of his teaching during his life-time, we must pronounce it ■ most signal failure. He came to his own people, but they would not receive him. He would have gathered Israel together, but they would not be gathered. He came to teach the doctrines of God's spiritual kingdom, but the people would not know the things that concerned their peace, till they were hidden from their eyes. He came,

professing to teach the way of life, but his own life was taken away from the earth. Surely, in the estimation of the world, that must have been a dark day for Christ when he was cut off from the land of the living, and no one was left to declare his generation. But it must be remembered, that, as a teacher of religion, Jesus Christ acted on a broader scale than do the great men of the world, "I will make him my first born, higher than the kings of the earth, says the Almighty.

Yes, infinitely higher was he, than the earth's political, philosophical, scientific or literary kings. He came not as the puny representative of a single generation, but he came as the model for all future ages, and in heaven, and throughout eternity, will he lead his disciples to living fountains of water.

Socrates made all Athens his school, and all its people his scholars; but the school of Jesus Christ, extends over earth and heaven, and his disciples are all human beings, and all angels in glory.

Both

4. Jesus Christ differed from all other teachers, in that he ever faithfully practiced what he taught. That neither Socrates, nor Moses did this, but that they sometimes erred, we have abundant proof. No one would wish to detain us a moment, to present the evidence that to err is human. But who will impeach the character of the Saviour? good and bad men, angels and devils, bear witness to the purity of his character. Even the leaders in the ranks of infidelity, have subscribed to his moral excellency, and many think it altogether too exalted to be true. The infidel Rosseau, on one occasion at least, quite forgeting himself,