CHRISTIANITY is the perfection of that divine | philanthropy which was gradually developing itself for four thousand years. It is the bright effulgence of every divine attribute, mingling and harmonizing, as the different colors in the rainbow, in the bright shining after rain, into one complete system of perfections-the perfection of GLORY to God in the highest heaven, the perfection of PEACE on earth, and the perfection of GOOD WILL among men.

The eyes of patriarchs and prophets, of saints and martyrs, from Adam to John the Baptist, with longing expectation, were looking forward to some glorious age, indistinctly apprehended, but ardently desired. Every messenger sent from heaven, fraught with the communications of the Divine Spirit, to illuminate, to reprove, and to correct the patriarchs and the house of Israel, was brightening the prospect and chastening the views of the people, concerning the glory of the COMING AGE. The "FOUNDER OF THE FUTURE AGE," as one of Israel's prophets calls the Messiah, was exhibited, in the emblems of the prophetic style, as rising, expanding and brightening to view; from the glistening "Star of Jacob," to the radiating "Sun of Righteousness," with salutiferous and vivifying rays.

The person, character and reign of Messiah the Prince, exhausted all the beauties of language, all the grandeur and resplendencies of creation, to give some faint resemblances of them. In adumbrating Emmanuel and his realm, "Nature mingles colors not her own." She mingles the brighter splendors of things celestial, with things terrestrial, and kindly suits the picture to our impaired faculties. She brings the rose of Sharon and the lily of the vales the mild lustre of the richest gems, and the brightest radiance of the choicest metals. She makes the stars of heaven sparkle in his hand, and the brightness of the sun shine in his face. She causes the mountains to flow down at his presence; his advent to gladden the solitary place; before him the deserts to rejoice and blossom as the rose. To the desert, at his approach, she gives the glory of Lebanon, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon.

Under his peaceful banner and gracious sceptre, the wolf dwells with the lamb; the leopard lies down with the kid; the calf, the young lion, and the fatling in harmony follow the mandates of a child; the cow and bear feed together; their young ones lie down in concord; and the lion eats straw like the ox. The sucking child plays on the hole of the asp; and the weaned child puts its hand on the cockatrice's den. Under his munificent government the wil

Messiah.

derness becomes a fruitful field; and the field once esteemed fruitful is counted for a forest. He makes the eyes of the blind to see; the ears of the deaf to hear; and the tongue of the dumb to speak. The stammerer becomes eloquent, and the wise men of other times become as babes. He brings the captive from the prison, and those that sit in darkness out of the prison house. His people march forth with joy; they are led forth with peace. The mountains and the hills break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field clap their hands.

"He shall judge the poor of the people; he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor. They shall fear him as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations. He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass; as showers that water the earth. In his days shall the righteous flourish, and abundance of peace as long as the moon endureth. He shall have dominion from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him, and his enemies shall lick the dust. The kings of Tarshish and of the Isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him. For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth, the poor also, and him that hath no helper. He shall spare the poor and the needy, and shall save the souls of the needy. He shall redeem their souls from deceit and violence; and precious shall their blood be in his sight. There shall be, in his day, a handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon: and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth. His name shall endure forever; his name shall be continued as long as the sun; and men shall ever be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed." Psalm lxxii. 4-17. Such were the glorious things spoken of Zion and her King, by holy kings and ancient seers, fired with prophetic impulse. These are but a taste of the sweetness which flows in the stream of prophecy, which revived, cheered and animated the drooping, disconsolate and afflicted hearts of the righteous ancients. Such things they uttered who saw his glory and spake of him. These prospective views of Messiah and his institution, prepare us to expect the brightest exhibition of glory in himself, and the highest degree of moral excellence and felicity in the subjects of his reign. The fulness of time is come. Messiah appears. But lo! he has no form nor comeliness. He comes forth as a languishing shoot from a

dry and sterile soil. He comes to his own, and his own receive him not. He comes to the people who had the visions of the Almighty, and who heard the prophecies of the Spirit concerning him; yet they reject him as an impostor. They recognize no charms in his person-no glory in his purposed reign. Their hearts are infatuated with worldly notions, and they view him with a prejudiced eye. They see no diadem upon his head-no sceptre in his hand. They see no gorgeous apparel upon his person-no nobles nor princes in his train. They hear no sound of the trumpet-no confused sound of mighty warriors preparing for battle. They see no garments rolled in blood, nor captives led in chains. They are offended at the meanness of his parentage; at the humble birth and character of his attendants, and at his own insignificant appearance. His glories, and their views of glory, correspond in no one instance. His glory was that of unparalleled condescension, incomparable humility, meekness and love. The most resplendent gems in his crown were his abject poverty, his patient endurance of the grossest indignities, and the unreserved devotion of his whole soul, as the righteous servant of Jehovah. His victories were not those of a mighty chieftain, at the head of many thousands, marching through opposing ranks, demolishing citadels, devastating countries, causing iron gates to open at his approach, and leading bound to his triumphal chariot his captive enemies. No! his victories were the conquest of all temptations, of death, and of him that had the power of death. He triumphed over all principalities and powers of darkness, error and death. In his death and resurrection he gained the greatest conquest ever won: he vanquished death and the grave; he obtained eternal redemption; he opened the gates of Paradise, and procured an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled and unfading, for all them that look for deliverance. Such were the personal achievements of the Captain of our Salvation.

The precepts of his institution correspond with his appearance and deportment among men. He inculcates a morality pure as himself, and such as must render his disciples superior to all the world besides. He gives no scope to any malignant passions, and checks every principle that would lead to war, oppression or cruelty. His precepts respect not merely the overt act, but the principles from which all overt acts of wickedness proceed. Ambition, pride, avarice, lust, malevolence, are denounced as really criminal, as the actions to which they give rise. His precepts are no dry, lifeless system of morality, to be forced upon his disciples, or to be worn as an outside garment; but they are inculcated by arguments and considerations which when apprehended, engrave them upon the heart, and render them of easy practice. The reason, the nature, and the import of his death, afford, to those who understand it, an argument that gives life and vigor to all his precepts, and that makes his yoke easy and his burthen light. When we turn our attention to the character and exploits of his first disciples, his ambassadors to the world, what an illustrious exhibition of the excellency of his doctrine, and of the purity of his morals do they afford! In them how conspicuous faith, hope, and love! What zeal, what patience, what self-denial, what deadness to the world! How gladly they spend and are spent in the good work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope! They glory in reproaches, in privations, in stripes,in imprisonments, in all man

ner of sufferings; yea, in death itself, for the Son of Man's sake. How freely, how cheerfully, how laboriously they performed the ministry which they had received! They look for no applause, for no stipend, no fixed salary, no lucrative office, no honorable title among men. They have continually in their eye the example of their Chief, "looking off from the ancients to JESUS the Captain and Finisher of the Faith, who, for the joy set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down on the right hand of God." Amidst their enemies and false friends, how calm, how meek, how prudent, how resolute, how persevering! They exhibit virtues, in comparison of which, the virtues of all other religionists appear either as splendid sins, or as meagre empty names. Such was the character of the ambassadors and subordinate ministers of the New Institution.

The societies called churches, constituted and set in order by those ministers of the New Testament, were of such as received and acknowledged JESUS as Lord Messiah, the Saviour of the World, and had put themselves under his guidance. The ONLY BOND OF UNION among them was faith in him and submission to his will. No subscription to abstract propositions framed by synods; no decrees of councils sanctioned by kings; no rules of practice commanded by ecclesiastical courts were imposed on them as terms of admission into, or of continuance in this holy brotherhood. In the "apostles' doctrine" and in the "apostles' commandments" they steadfastly continued. Their fraternity wasa fraternity of love, peace, gratitude, cheerfulness, joy, charity, and universal benevolence. Their religion did not manifest itself in public fasts nor carnivals. They had no festivals-no great and solemn meetings. Their meeting on the first day of the week was at all times alike solemn, joyful and interesting. Their religion was not of that elastic and porous kind, which at one time is compressed into some cold formalities, and at another expanded into prodigious zeal and warmth. No-their piety did not at one time rise to paroxysms, and their zeal to effervescence, and, by and by, languish into frigid ceremony and lifeless form. It was the pure, clear, and swelling current of love to God, of love to man, expressed in all the variety of doing good.

The order of their assemblies was uniformly the same. It did not vary with moons and seasons. It did not change as dress nor fluctuate as the manners of the times. Their devotion did not diversify itself into the endless forms of modern times. They had no monthly concerts for prayer; no solemn convocations, no great fasts, nor preparation, nor thanksgiving days. Their churches were not fractured into missionary societies, bible societies, education societies; nor did they dream of organizing such in the world. The head of a believing household was not in those days a president or manager of a board of foreign missions; his wife, the president of some female education society; his eldest son, the recording secretary of some domestic bible society; his eldest daughter, the corresponding secretary of a mite Society; his servant maid, the vice-president of a rag society; and his little daughter, a tutoress of a Sunday school. They knew nothing of the hobbies of modern times. In their church capacity alone they moved. They neither transformed themselves into any other kind of association, nor did they fracture and sever themselves into divers societies. They viewed the church of Jesus Christ as the scheme of Heaven to ameliorate the world; as members of it, they considered themselves bound to do all