imperfect standard of judgment. Those offences of which civil laws take cognizance, form not an hundredth part of the wickedness of the world. What multitudes are there of bad men who never yet were amenable to the laws! How extensive may be the additional purity without any diminution of legal crimes! And assuredly there is a perceptible advance in the sentiments of good men towards a higher standard of morality. The lawfulness is frequently questioned now of actions of which, a few ages ago, few or none doubted the rectitude. Nor is to be disputed, that these questions are resulting more and more in the conviction, that this higher standard is proposed and enforced by the moral law of God. Who that considers these things will hastily affirm, that doctrines in morality which refer to a standard that to him is new, are unfounded in this moral law? Who will think it sufficient, to say that strange things are brought to his ears? Who will satisfy himself with the exclamation, these are hard sayings, who can hear them? Strange things must be brought to the ears of those who have not been accustomed to hear the truth. Hard sayings must be heard by those who have not hitherto practised the purity of morality. Such considerations, I say, have afforded encouragement in the attempt to uphold a standard which the majority of mankind have been little accustomed to contemplate; and now and in time to come, they will suffice to encourage, although that standard should be, as by many it undoubtedly will be, rejected and contemned. I am conscious of inadequacy-what if I speak the truth and say, I am conscious of unworthiness-thus to attempt to advocate the law of God. Let no man identify the advocate with the cause, nor imagine, when he detects the errors and the weaknesses of the one, that the other is therefore erroneous or weak. I apologize for myself: especially I apologize for those instances in which the character of the Christian may have been merged in that of the exposer of the evils of the world. There is a Christian love which is paramount to all ;—a love which he only is likely sufficiently to maintain, who remembers that he who exposes an evil and he who partakes in it, will soon stand together as suppliants for the mercy of God. And finally, having written a book which is devoted almost exclusively to disquisitions on morality, I am solicitous lest the reader should imagine that I regard the practice of morality as all that God requires of man. I believe far other, and am desirous of here expressing the conviction, that although it becomes not us to limit the mercy of God, or curiously to define the conditions on which he will extend that mercy-yet that the true and safe foundation of our hope is in "the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." INDEX. Affirmations instead of oaths, The advantages of, considered.. -Popular, not necessary to the happiness of life... PAGE. 216 283 291 Ancient classics, The tendency of the study of, adverse to Christianity 267 Benevolence as it is proposed in the Christian Scriptures.... ............... 167 49 97 -No circumstances in life, in which the exercise of, is suspended... 299 ties.. -Sets limits to patriotism. -The exercise of, incompatible with war... ..315, 346 387 425 Books, he who writes or sells, which will in all probability injure the 238 -The great responsibility of those who derange the moral judg- 258 -Great increase in the number of, calculated to benefit the young.. 264 Bravery apart from courage not endued with moral qualities. 267 .241, 4II 93 Ceremonial institutions and devotional formularies, On....... 123 473 Christianity with its present principles and obligations to produce uni- 444 -The obligations of, binding upon nations as well as individ- Christians, Testimony of the early, against war 445 Civil liberty enjoyed where the principles of political truth and recti- 324 -A relative and not a positive enjoyment.... 324 -Does not necessarily depend upon forms of government.. ... 325 Civil obedience, The obligations of, considered. 327 Complimentary untruths, On 199 Conscience, The nature and authority of... -Is not an enlightening principle, but a principle which is enlight- -The dictates of, to be obeyed........ Crime, The punishment of, considered.. PAGE. 53 62 271 .243. 304, 335 346 -The repetition of, prevented if the offender is reformed............... 347 351 Days, The observance of particular, as of special sanctity, not counte- 117 -A legal discharge of, by creditors not necessarily a moral dis- 135 -Until fully paid, the property of a debtor cannot in equity be con- 138 143 -Incurred by minors...... -Of unprincipled extravagance incurred by wives. 144 -A man is unjust who will not pay his, unless compelled to do so... 146 123 -When true, is duly maintained, forms of prayer are not needed... 129 275 Divine attributes, On endeavoring to deduce rules of conduct from 25 Duelling, The obligations of morality disregarded in................. -The, of the people effects the political welfare... .279 345 281 induced.. 290 Example, The necessity of virtuous as an agency in moral reform, in- -The powerful influence of, particularly of parents.............. 223 263 Expediency not the standard of right and wrong... 4 Expediency, The principles of, fluctuating and inconsistent.. Fame, Enduring, to be accorded to him who is good as well as great.... 254 254 |