el's emancipation from Egyptian bondage.

Nor less

holy would have been her task, nor less divine her mission, had the child's destiny been only to feed the flocks of Jethro upon the pastures of Midian. From those to whom the physical safety of the infant human being in its fragility, or the soothing of age in its infirmity, is a care, to those who fill man's little separate world, with order, harmony, and gladness; to those who are as the fire from heaven that was said, in times of old, to descend and consume the sacrifice on the altar, and who kindle and inspire all that is high and holy in human intellect or energy; through all these, woman has her mission too, equal with, though varied from that of man, and often full alike of peril and of glory; as was theirs who stood by the cross when the disciples fled, and came to the sepulchre before the disciples stirred.

The great difficulty of the preacher and the moralist, a difficulty only to be overcome by the cooperation of those to whom his exhortations are addressed, is, that men so often either mistake their vocation, or deny that they have one at all. This last is the negation of the religious principle, whatever be the professed faith and practised forms of the individual; a worse negation of it than any form of speculative unbelief. There is no religion in him who considers not himself as part of a whole, and bound to act in relation to that whole. It is not religion, without regard of others to think of working out, or believing out, our own salvation; that salvation being a future life of selfish gratification to follow a life of useless mortification or useless performances here. Religion

is the link which binds all beings together; the visible and the invisible, the rich and the poor, the soundhearted and the broken-hearted, the prisoner and the free. If Christ knew his own mission, this is Christianity. Why should I not eat, drink, sleep and live, solely for myself? Why?-because you were sent into the world for other and better things. Because this is not really living for yourself: nor is any thing, but the fulfilment of the purposes for which God created man upon the earth. Obligation is interest the interest, i. e., that looks high enough, and far enough, to see the truth of things. There is no divine reward, i. e., there is no real and lasting happiness, but in the fulfilment of our appointed work, and that eventually is its own exceeding great reward. And how shall we discover what that is? Search your own hearts; know yourselves, your capabilities and tendencies; study your relations to society, and the view will soon open upon your soul, and your path be as the light. Oh! the vanity of spending life in wishing for that which cannot be realized, and battling with that which cannot be vanquished. How many are ever aiming at that which they cannot be, and neglecting that which they might be! What would not

and the poor if

the slave do, if he were but master: he had but wealth; and the circumscribed if they had but extended influence? As if slavery, and poverty, and circumscription and obscurity, had not their mission for scattering most precious blessings among those about them, to be measured back into their own boNot but there are discrepancies, numerous and galling, in the artificial frame-work of society, by

soms.

which powers of usefulness are restrained, and tendencies to mischief are cherished; by which the poor are pressed lower down in poverty, and the natural fruits of industry and ability are checked in their growth, and withered before they ripen; which make many feel, that so far as externals are concerned, they are not placed according to their capacity, nor rewarded according to their works; but these are amongst the evils, and foremost amongst them, which should excite the spirit of reformation. Meanwhile, whatever each one's sphere of good, let him fill it; whatever each one's race of righteousness, let him run it; whatever opportunity each coming hour may afford for strenthening the mind or elevating the heart, for acquiring or imparting knowledge, for correcting error or revealing truth, for lightening affliction, or increasing enjoyment, for smoothing life's asperities, or surmounting its difficulties; or for incidental or general benevolence, or for that particular good which each may be best qualified to promote; whatever of this thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might. Herein,' said Christ, 'is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so are ye my disciples.'

Thus was it, that he fulfilled his mission; by what deeds and sufferings the evangelical records tell, and you well know. How he realized it by his teachings it will be the object of these lectures to evince.* I have selected their topics for that purpose. These are the means as to doctrine, by which he showed

*This was the first sermon of a course on the subjects afterwards mentioned.

the Spirit of the Lord was upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, of council and of might. They will all be further illustrations of his mission. The next subject will be the character of God; and never more than in exhibiting the divine loveliness did Christ preach glad tidings to the poor, give sight to the blind, freedom to the captive, and healing to the broken-hearted. His proclamation of the universal paternity of God was full of blessing for mankind. It made devotion a filial homage, and morality a brotherly affection. Never in creation, miracle, or prophecy, was God so glorified, as in the revelation that he is our Father. That description of him is a standard by which to try the purity of a religion to the end of the world. It is the criterion, it is the source and inspiration of our faith and worship. Well did Christ fulfil his mission of moral renovation, and of consolation and hope, when he enabled us to say, 'Now are we the sons of God.' The third subject is the principle of morality. And in this too, shall we have to show, how Christ fulfilled his mission. The principle of Christian morality is that of utility in its best and purest, its broadest and its highest sense. Christ first inculcated this, distinctly and consistently, with all the comprehensiveness of a principle, the precision of a law, the pithiness of a proverb, the inducement of an interest, and the power of the most touching persuasion. Who could mitigate the world's sorrows, and abate its vanities and animosities, and auginent its blessings, like Him who gave religious sanction to the precepts, 'Love one another; do unto all men, as ye would that they

should do unto you.' The next topic is the education of the human race; of whom Christ was the most efficient instructer, not only in his personal teachings, but by the light he threw upon that whole plan of Providence, to which we owe all real wisdom; by which mankind has been conducted thus far on the great and gradual ascent of intelligence and goodness; and which, beginning with the earthly elements amongst which primeval ignorance must grovel, rises to the very heaven of heavens. And thus shall we come to that universal and deeply interesting topic with which the course will terminate, futurity;-futurity, with its promise of earth's improvement, to which Christ pointed for man's encouragement; futurity, with its individual revival, which Christ exhibited for man's faith; and futurity, with its grand final consummation of universal restoration, towards which Christ showed Providence and grace advancing for man's perfect blessedness.

By attention to such topics shall we approximate towards just and adequate conceptions of Christ's mission, enter into that enlargement of spirit which becomes his disciples, and uphold that pure faith and worship to which this place is consecrated.