vanished away. The fervent children of Erin, and the brave Attacotti of Caledonia, no more banquet on the flesh of man; the fierce Hungarian no more sighs to sup on the heart of his captive; the fiendlike Gelonian walks no more abroad in the pride of murder, attired in the skin of his enemy! The earth is filling with a new race, wholly unlike all that have gone before them; who call themselves children of God, pilgrims to a country beyond the sun. These people all lay claim to supernatural instruction. They boldly despise the wisdom of the world, and designate it "earthy, sensual, devilish." They profess to have attained a higher philosophy than was ever taught in the schools. They affirm that they received it of the missionary, who had it "from above." According to him, it "is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits," and such, without controversy, are its effects. Of this new religion, the worship is elevated, pure, and holy, like the God to whom it is presented. But it is not a system of devotion only; it is also one of instruction. It provides for the enriching culture of the human intellect, and improves the affections through the understanding-an object never contemplated by the priests of idolatry.

On taking another survey of the astonishing spectacle, we behold a new element of moral power operating among the millions who have submitted to the instructions of the missionary. By means of such instructions, a moral sense is awakened in their bosoms. Their minds are moulded according to the mind of God. Their feelings become a visible manifestation of the feelings of the Godhead. Their smile is a reflection of the smile of Deity; their frown, of the frown of Deity. That smile is, therefore, life; that frown, death! This power of which I am speaking, consists of the united judgment of the Christian multitude, and is the sole power that

governs their community. They employ no other; they possess no other. They touch man neither in his person nor in his property; neither in his civil rights nor in his social privileges. The punishments which they inflict consist simply in the several degrees of disapprobation. Their extreme penalty is, exclusion of the offender from their society; a penalty which, although, to the vulgar eye, it may seem a very small evil, is, in reality, an inexpressible, an intolerable calamity. All legislative pains and penalties compared with it are as nothing. Weak although it seems, its power is all but omnipotent. It withers the very soul, it blasts every joy, and it kindles in the bosom of the malefactor the flames of unutterable anguish. The torture of its lash arises from the fact that it is purely spiritual; it therefore acts on the spirit, pierces the soul. It is felt to be the voice of Almighty God, speaking through his people; and hence their unanimous sentence of condemnation smites the heart of the transgressor like the bolt of heaven! This is moral government, the government of opinion, the highest order of government, the destined order of the eternal world. What other interpretation can be put upon the awful intimation of the prophet, that, at the close of all things men shall arise from the dead in two classes, the one to inherit "everlasting life," and the other "shame and everlasting contempt?" ""Life!" This life will consist of the Divine approbation and favour,* which will be attended by mutual esteem and love among the righteous, and by congenial intercourse with all the glorious intelligences of the universe. Thus will the just live on through eternity, approving and approved, loving and beloved, blessing and blessed. "Shame!" an excruciating sense of moral pravity, of wickedness, of worthlessness, of sin! "Shame!" a fire which conscience feeds with the remembrance of guilt, a fire which burns fierce as hell, lasting as eternity! * Psa. xxx. 5; lxiii. 3. Prov. xvi. 15.

Contempt!" Shame is a flame unquenchable, which rages within the sinner's own soul, but contempt is a flame of ungovernable fury, glaring upon him from without in the breasts of others. It is the concentration of the indignant abhorrence of the righteous portion of the universe-their verdict upon the case of the rebellious part of the human race! The united and permanent influence of this shame, and of that contempt, will throw an intolerable bitterness into the cup of trembling."

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The creation of this new element of government among men is one of the most important achievements of the Christian mission. By this single effect, it proves its infinite superiority to all the boasted wisdom of this world. To the extent of its prevalence it wholly supersedes the necessity of the penal provisions of human laws. The true disciples of the missionary become a law to themselves. "Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report,”—these things they habitually endeavour to perform. They therefore present a character immensely superior to that which could be moulded by the exactest obedience to the best code of laws that human wisdom ever framed ; and, to the same extent, they more abundantly provide for the happiness of mankind. The greatest merely philosophic legislator is but a babe in the knowledge of human nature as compared with the missionary, nor is the power of his principles to renovate and to reform it, superior to his knowledge. Human law, in its most improved forms, can do but little as compared with gospel doctrine, to promote the happiness of men. Depraved men, while their depravity remains unsubdued, must be miserable; they cannot be legislated into felicity! Government is simply a system of restraint and of punishment. It knows nothing of the

means of moral cure. This is the exclusive prerogative and glory of Christianity, which, while it heals the moral maladies of man, also corrects his habits and practice. How simple is the experimental process! It just awakens in the soul a new sense, and by that sense it governs. This sense renders the Christian desirous to please his brethren, and averse to offend them; it renders him keenly susceptible of pain from their frown, and of delight from their smile. On this principle, the plan of discipline laid down in the missionary's book, the New Testament, is entirely founded; and on this principle the kingdom of which it speaks is entirely governed. But while this moral power exerts its highest influence among those whom the missionary has persuaded to abandon their idols, and turn to the living God, it extends its control, in a modified form, to multitudes who have not surrendered their hearts to the Saviour of mankind. We see it affecting nations and empires. It is now, however, divested of its principal element, the fear and love of God and its effects are, accordingly, impaired in their magnitude, and marred in their beauty. Thus changed, the name it bears is Public Opinion, which, while its regards rise no higher than man, is yet an organ of power almost unlimited. In this way every individual exerts a control over his fellow; in this way subjects restrain the wickedness of sovereigns, and direct the movements of senates; in this way nation acts upon nation, and the whole family of nations upon each other. Public Opinion is a power which nothing can ultimately resist. Compared with the contempt of mankind, all other external evils are easily supported."

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In the hour when the first missionary entered Europe this power began to be developed, and it has ever since been gathering strength. During the first centuries, every generation added mightily to its conquests. Even *Adam Smith.

during the Middle Ages it sometimes displayed its energy on a scale of stupendous magnitude, however marred by fantastic circumstances. But its empire has been exceedingly enlarged since the Reformation. "It is already able to oppose the most formidable obstruction to the progress of injustice and oppression; and as it grows more intelligent and more intense, it will be more and more formidable. It may be silenced by military power, but it cannot be conquered. It is elastic, irrepressible, and invulnerable to the weapons of ordinary warfare. It is that impassable, unextinguishable enemy of mere violence and arbitrary rule, which, like Milton's angels,

'Vital in every part,

Cannot, but by annihilation, die!'"*

It has already, in the centre of Europe, and in the American Republics, established its supremacy over all other power. The most ruthless and potent despotisms of the Old World tremble before it! Every species of tyranny is perilled by its presence. Hence all arbitrary power labours as for life to prevent its formation, and to stifle its expression. Hence the despot gags every mouth among his subjects, fetters the pens of the literati, and sends forth his myrmidons with vulture eye to watch the working of the Printing Press! In all countries where man has ceased to be a wretched serf, a crouching slave, a debased beast of burden, where both mind and body are stamped with the heavenly impress of freedom, public opinion is irresistible. It is absolute. Governments and parliaments exist only by its permission. It speaks, and they live. It speaks again, and they perish! The arm of power is either nerved or withered by its breath. It extinguishes the claims of prerogative and prescription; laws and customs the most ancient and revered, vanish at its bidding; fleets and armies are subject to its sway.

*Hon. Daniel Webster.