self-seeking motives that sway his own life. The great world itself moreover, he will misinterpret. He will regard it rather as a market, for the obtaining "filthy lucre," than a temple for the worship of the Infinite; or a mere scene for animal gratification and sensual indulgence, than a school for spiritual study and moral training. The character of Christ will, also, be shrouded in impenetrable mystery to him. The selfish eye cannot reach the springs of self-sacrificing love. His judgments too, of the ABSOLUTE ONE will be to the last degree unjust. He will think the Almighty such as himself. He will judge of His procedure, by the miserable principles of policy that rule himself.

On the other hand, benevolence, or the will of the Father, is the true medium of moral vision. Through it things appear as they really are; and nothing seems great but God. The man who looks at truth through a selfish heart, is like the man in some dreary wilderness, with the mists of the mountains hanging over him, whilst looking out upon nature. His horizon is contracted and clouded; the azure roof above, and the meads and the mountains around, are shut out from him by the shadows of the wilderness, and the haze of the atmosphere. And even the few things which fall under his eye are but dimly perceived; they appear not in the just proportions of nature, nor in the blush of beauteous life. On the contrary, the man who looks at truth through the other moral medium,—the will of the Father—is like the man, who on some cloudless day looks forth on nature from some Alpine height. The horizon is vast, and all things stand out in just proportions, and form one magnificent landscape to entrance the soul.

Not only does the will of the Father furnish the only true medium of vision, but-(2) It alone supplies the healthful organ of vision. Selfishness impairs the intellect, dims its eye, enfeebles its muscles, and fetters its operation. It twines around the reflective faculty, as ivy about the oakling, drinking up its vital sap, and tying it down to its own dimensions. Not so with benevolence. Under the influence of godly love, the in

tellect grows in energy, and bounds in freedom. It is to it what the sun is to the eagle, warming its impulses into action, and revealing the bright and the boundless for the play of its pinions.

Secondly: Look at the testimony of scripture. So full is the Oracle of utterances confirmatory of our doctrine that I hesitate which to select as the fairest specimens. Here is one :-"With the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt show thyself upright; with the pure thou wilt show thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt show thyself froward." What mean these words but this?-That the character of man's heart conditions the character of God's revelation to him. Man's heart is the mirror of his Maker. Here is another:-" The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and he will show them his covenant." Does not this mean, that the fear of Godreverential love-is the condition of divine teaching; that where the heart is right, those great ideas of God will come which are secrets ;-hidden mysteries to the world? Here is another :- "If any man do his will, he will know of the doctrine whether it be of God." Our translation I think gives not the idea with its full force. The idea is not that we must actually perform the divine will, before we shall understand the divinity of the doctrine, but that we must will its performance, be in thorough sympathy with it, and heartily resolve to live it out. It means this: If any man wills to do His will, he shall know the doctrine. This rendering gives it

"You are to observe"-says the Rev. Archer Butler, in a magnificent discourse on this text "that an appeal to the original language of this gospel at once determines, that the declaration is not, that if any man will actually perform or continue to perform the will of God he shall know the doctrine; but that if any man sincerely wish to perform that will, he shall discover the divine original and descent of the doctrine. The knowledge in question is not in the first instance suspended upon the cordial voluntary performance of God's will, but purely upon the purpose to perform it when once discovered; a qualifying condition for this great gift of knowledge, much more merciful because much more limited."

even a stronger attestation to the truth of the position we are discussing. Here is another:-" The carnal mind discerneth not the things of the spirit, neither can he know them, for they are spiritually discerned." What is the carnal mind but the selfish mind? and the selfish mind can never discern divine things. Here is another :-"Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things that God hath prepared for them that love him." What are those "things" but divine truths? and what is the idea therefore but this:-That those truths cannot be conveyed to man, through eye, or ear, or mere natural heart, but only through the organ of a loving soul? Here is another :-" Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God." On to another, and another, and yet another, I might proceed for hours; but I select one more to crown the whole; it is this:—“HE THAT LOVETH NOT, KNOWETH NOT GOD; FOR GOD IS LOVE."

We have reached, I trust, the meaning of Christ in these words, and feel something of their deep philosophy and spiritual significance. "My judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father." As if He had said, I am influenced by no mere personal considerations, I have no partial system to advocate, no selfish interest to promote, I am wedded to no class interest, nor swayed by any class prejudices or associations; I am ruled by the principles of absolute right, and the spirit of universal benevolence; the will of my Father is everything to me; by this I test every doctrine, measure every institution, and determine the true worth of every man; what accords with this, I love and encourage; what is contrary to this, I loathe and oppose. In conclusion, our subject serves several important purposes :

First To account for the perversion of the Bible by its avowed disciples. There are views enforced and institutions advocated by professed believers in the Bible, and in the Bible's holy name, which I cannot but regard as essentially incompatible with its genius, a libel on its teaching, an insult to its authority. Why do men in the name of the

Bible, preach an avenging Deity, present the Infinite Governor of the universe to men as burning with a wrath which can never be appeased, without the infliction of tremendous suffering either on the sinner himself, or his substitute? The answer is, they see Him through their own revengeful natures. Why do men in the name of the Bible preach a commercial atonement, and represent the All Loving One as consenting to save a certain number of souls, on the condition of a certain amount of suffering being endured on their behalf? The answer is, they see Him through their own sordid feelings, and prudential calculations. Why do men in the name of the Bible, preach the utter impotency of the human will, and represent men as having no more natural power to do the right thing than the corpse itself? The answer is, they look at Him through their own morally forceless natures. They are men of feeble purpose, men whose wills have been all but paralyzed by natural impulses and indolent habits. Ultra-Calvinism is the product of intensified selfishness, an impious arrogance and a powerless will. Why do men in the name of the Bible represent slavery as a divine institution? swer is, they are interested in upholding the accursed system. The fact is, men act from the heart, and then employ the intellect to formulate a theory that shall justify their conduct. This explains all the theological, and ecclesiastical corruptions of the Book of Eternal Love. Our subject : Secondly Serves to indicate the method in which the gospel should be preached. If the condition of the heart is thus so fundamentally important, if it so controls the intellect that men cannot form a "just" judgment, if they are sordid, and self-seeking, then manifestly the grand object of preaching should be to open the heart to right perceptions. But what preaching is suited to this, suited not merely to excite the sensuous sensibilities, but to dispose the moral heart towards truth? Why the philosophy of your nature, as well as experience answers, it must be the preaching not of mere ideas, abstractions, and theories, how

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ever true and sublime, but of the heroic deeds, the lofty character, and the stirring inspirations of a morally grand individual life. Individual life, I say, for the heart is always affected more by particulars than generals, more by one member than the whole species. The personal Christ is the divine power rightly to influence the heart. The true method of gospel preaching is to preach HIM; manifestly set Him forth, as crucified in the midst of sinners. Set Him forth, not as the purchaser of Divine love, but as its sublimest exponent, its highest type and mightiest organ. Set Him forth, not as a model whose features are to be copied, but as an example whose inspiring spirit is to be imbibed and cherished. If you would become a great painter, do not slavishly copy the productions of your master, but seek to catch his genius, and you will produce pictures of your own that may give you imperishable fame, and inaugurate you as the founder of a new school. Thus let us exhibit not merely the productions but mainly the genius of our Heavenly Master ;-bring out that self-sacrificing benevolence which is the very soul of His history, and make it flash as heaven-purifying fire upon the selfish heart, melting it into love. Set Him forth, do not babble about your dogmas, parade not your own abilities, keep far in the back ground your sect; humanity wants Christ, not you or yours; the Christ, not of your dry creed and dead Church, but the Christ of the Evangelic record, the Christ of Bethlehem, Capernaum, and the Cross. Our subject :

Thirdly Supplies a test to determine a man's fitness for the work of the gospel ministry. Heaven knows we do not want less intellect in the modern pulpit, nor less unpedantic learning; but we want more noble-heartedness, We want men of broader sympathies, wealthier natures, and more self-denying impulses. For as self-seeking souls cannot ever form a "just" judgment of the gospel, how can they preach it? For our own part we would not encourage a young man to enter the ministry because he has a clever intellect, a ready tongue, an irreproachable reputation;