"You know him," remarks Robertson of Brighton, in one of his sermons, "in a picture at once, by the halo round His brow. There was no glory in His real life to mark Him." "He was in the world, and the world knew him not." But there was under that countenance, which was more marred than any man's, a sinless soul which beamed forth in every deed of benevolence, and was exemplified in every gracious word He uttered. Such a perfect example of spiritual excellence man needed, and the far-seeing wisdom of God is manifested in sending His beloved Son into the world to satisfy the longing mind;-for man is never satisfied with that which is imperfect. The human united with the Divine, in the person of Jesus Christ, is the perfect pattern for man to follow. It is the glory of Christianity and one of the most satisfying arguments of its Divine origin. But until this great truth is laid hold of in its comprehensive significance, there can be no vital progress God-ward. Hugh Miller tells us in "the Story of his Education," that when wavering for years in a sort of uneasy see-saw condition between a believer and a sceptic, he found that his theologic system had wanted a central object, to which the heart as certainly as the intellect could attach itself; and that the true centre of an efficient Christianity is, as the name ought of itself to indicate"The word made flesh." Around the central sun of the Christian system,-appreciated, however, not as a doctrine, which is a mere abstraction, but as a Divine person; so truly man, that the affections of the human heart can lay hold upon Him, and so truly God, that the mind, through faith, can at all times and in all places be brought into direct contact with Him,-all that is really religious takes its place in a subsidiary and subordinate relation. The Divine Man is the great attractive centre, the sole gravitating point, of a system which owes to Him all its coherency, and which would be but a chaos were He away. It seems to be the existence of the human nature in this central and paramount object that imparts to Christianity, in its subjective character, its peculiar power of influencing and con

trolling the human mind. See then in the God-Man the satisfying answer to the question which arises from the depths of every thoughtful soul, "Who will show us any good?"

This moral perfection, then, of Jesus Christ, meets the deep-rooted want in the soul of man; and the more the soul becomes assimilated to the Holy One, the more does He become to him the "altogether lovely." And as the image of God is being renewed in his soul, he has a keener desire for spiritual truth, and a more intense love for communion with his Maker. And it is only as man holds communion with his God that his sympathies become more expansive, his soul more enlarged, and his delight in truth becomes an everincreasing joy.

But in what does this moral perfection of Jesus Christ consist? In doing the will of His Father in heaven. He obeyed His law, He had that implicit confidence in His love, and adoring reverence of His greatness which enabled Him to accomplish with success His great mission of love. The Divine united with the human; God dwelling amongst men; banqueting with sinners and rejoicing with the righteous; reviled by hypocrites but loved by the pure in heart; hated by the great and spurned by the ignorant; vexed by His enemies, yet continually doing good; and at last, the holy, harmless, and undefiled, crucified betwixt two thieves !---Is it not a marvel, a wondrous manifestation of perfect love?

Having thus briefly adverted, but oh, how imperfectly to several characteristic aspects of Christ, as the present living life, as the Divine love, and as perfect in His moral nature, it is evident that acceptance of Christ as Love, will be the commencement of spiritual life in the soul; and as it expands under appropriate influences, the perfection will become more manifest as the soul becomes more assimilated to the character. And besides, too, the knowledge of this life is a great help in enabling us to understand many of the human departments of knowledge. The history of the great nations of the earth, for instance, can only be rightly understood by tracing

the influence of the life of Christ on their laws, governments, and institutions. And we know, too, that the power of this life was so great that Gibbon, the historian of the Rise and Fall of Rome, devoted the 15th and 16th chapters of his history to a consideration of the secondary causes of the progress of Christianity. The impulse which it then gave to civilization, still continues, and is destined to do so, till the whole world is embraced and governed by its power. ("Christ, in History," is the attractive title of several works of merit.) The lives of the moral heroes of the past, and the source of their strength, can only be comprehended by a recognition of the power of Jesus. And the authors of the Christian hymns, sacred odes and lofty epics, which have delighted, comforted, and instructed, the thoughtful of every age, have traced back their inspiration to Him, whose advent on earth was ushered in with celestial song. And while the speculations of the philosophers on mind and morals have more or less been impregnated by His truth, our conviction is that the philosophy which is yet destined to reign supreme in the world of mind, shall derive its foundation-principles from Him who "knew what was in man." And science, which is so rapidly discovering the secrets of the Universe, shall yet cast its crowns of triumph at the feet of the Redeemer and ascribe all wisdom to Him.

Now, the knowledge of Jesus Christ will put you in possession of those Christian principles, which, while they guide your judgments, refine your tastes, and enlarge your minds, will thereby enable you to take a right estimate of life in all its aspects, literature in all its departments, science in all its phases, philosophy in all its branches, and the world in all its relations. These results, however, are only attainable by your first being right with your Creator. They can never be attained so long as you are alienated from Him. But once you are brought into right relationship with Him, you are connected with the "Giver of every good and perfect gift"-the Divine source of life and truth, the fountain of all blessedness, and the treasury of all strength. You have

minds; He has created them; mental power can only therefore be rightly attained by possession of the principles of Christian truth. You have affections; these have been given to you for holy purposes, and when these are fixed on God, all other affections are kept in their right place. You have wills; and when these are in harmony with the Divine will, then you obtain moral courage, fixedness of character, and holy aims.

Here, then, is a theme of surpassing interest, and of everlasting importance, to study; which will grow in interest as your minds expand and affections are purified; and which, above all, will enable you to live and act worthily, as those who believe that there is a living God, a loving Saviour, an immortal soul, and an eternal destiny awaiting you. A question here suggests itself,-How are these blessings to be obtained in other words, In what spirit are we to study the Great Biography? Everything depends on this. A few words on this point are necessary :—

Every one of you, I think, will admit that there is a possibility of studying the life of Christ without deriving any spiritual good therefrom. For example, if we regard Jesus, as we do Socrates or Seneca, Horace or Tasso, or any mere man, our intellects will no doubt be charmed by the great thoughts which He utters, and our hearts kindled into a momentary glow of enthusiasm by His deeds of benevolence; but the impressions made on our souls, will, in all probability, be as evanescent as our footprints on the sands of the sea shore, which the flowing tide effaces for ever. But the point of view from which we regard the life of Christ, embraces His divinity as well as His humanity. And this brings us to the first requisite in the study.

First: Moral sympathy with His life. Moral sympathy has its basis in love, and without it there can be no right knowledge obtained of the character of Jesus:it will, in short, never be studied. But having this sympathy, it will lead to devout meditation on His pregnant thoughts, and enable us to come into close com

munion with His world-embracing heart; it will sharpen our intellects, and render them more discriminating; and every new thought which dawns on our souls, and every fresh glimpse we obtain of His tender heart, will quicken our love and intensify our desires, and make us feel the sacredness of life and the solemn responsibility which lies upon us in having such a peerless character to study. But if your interest flags and your enthusiasm grows cool, it is a sure sign that your moral sympathies have not had their origin in Christian love.

Secondly Docility of mind. This is another requisite in this study. The proud intellect will turn aside from the Great Biography with haughty contempt, and prefer the subtle speculations of Plato or Aristotle, Berkeley or Hume. The man who puts his thoughts in action does not occupy so prominent a place in the mind of the learned, as the abstract thinker who reasons on the philosophy of the Infinite or Absolute. Fichte is regarded by them with more reverence than Oberlin. The latter was, however, by far the greater man, although he in all likelihood could not discuss the philosophy of Kant. But do not infer that we regard Christ merely as the Great Philanthropist. We have no hesitation

in saying that even regarding Him as the Unitarians do as a mere man, His thoughts are more original, more spiritual, and more intensely practical than any of the great instructors of the past. "He knew what was in man," and therefore comprehended all philosophy. In studying, therefore the character of Christ, with docility of mind, more knowledge will be acquired than if we entered on it vain of our own acquirements. But it must be with the docility of a child, eager to question, and with no prepossessions, nor want of faith in the instructions of the Great Teacher of all ages. And pursuing the study in this expectant state of mind, wonder on wonder will open on us, and with fresh revelations of our ignorance, there will be originated more decisive motives, which will quicken us to increased activity, and each new acquisition will be a new power