required it for miracle. The perfect man lived and nourished himself by faith, not by sensible consolations. He lived by "the word of God" as absolutely as Adam was required to do in Eden, and amid far greater difficulties. He met the tempter in stern conflict amid the pain and hunger of forty days, and conquered by the word of God. By simple faith in that word, for he had no accessory aids. Thus we trace the triumph of this principle from the commencement of his mission. Satan never gained an inch of ground from the second Adam through all his mortal life. So far humanity was retrieved and hell discomfited. Solemnly we approach the final conflict. All hell has rallied for the issue, all earth has combined to hate and to destroy. "He trod the wine-press alone, and of the people there was none with him." Alone in the garden of Gethsemane he agonizes and bleeds. Alone, with unclouded intellect, and keenest feeling, his mighty mind surveys the scene. An infuriated, waiting hell, a ruined, unbelieving earth, his Father's throne darkened by the shadow successful sin had cast, eternal justice to be vindicated, eternal truth upheld, the obstructed channel of infinite love to be reopened, and infinite mercy permitted to act without a restraining barrier; he saw (as we cannot see) a fearful expiation to be made, and himself a sin-offering for a guilty world. He saw the glorious results of his successful achievement-earth redeemed, man pardoned and sanctified, heaven opened, his Father glorified, and the triumphant mediatorial crown upon his own weary head. But he saw, too, a defeat, a ruined earth, a victorious devil; consequences which we cannot even imagine. Perfect humanity wrestled with these views, and trembling hung upon the balance. They clothed the body in bloody sweat; they extorted the impassioned cry, "If it be possible, let this cup pass from me;" and "he was heard in that he feared." The Saviour did not shrink from suffering; he would not have put from him the cup of the world's redemption. "An angel came from heaven strengthening him." What did he say to nerve that torn, struggling, bleeding heart? Did he not whisper the Holy Spirit's pledge? Did he not speak of infinite strength and infinite resources? Did not the perfect man rally, and by one mighty act of faith lay hold of the Infinite-thus link the human with the Divine in that tremendous hour, and as the God-man expiate and die? "Who through the eternal Spirit offered himself to God." Was not the bond of union broken by the first Adam in his fall, through unbelief, here again united by the second Adam through faith? Perfect humanity had stood the severest test to which it could be subjected; had met the tempter with all his wisdom and resources and experience of centuries, and had triumphed. The principle of faith was re-established, and through its agency individual man was to be redeemed from sin, and fallen earth restored to more than primeval beauty. We anticipate a query as we pass on. Do we not make the faith of Jesus, rather than his death, the procuring cause of man's salvation? We answer, No. He bore a load, he endured an anguish, he died a death, which we cannot comprehend, on which we dare not speculate. We only know it was not a human offering, and yet we read: "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God," "but being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." Something linked the human with the Divine; unblended they abode together, and, to our mind, it seems so clear that the completest triumph of Christ over Satan would consist in restoring the original bond which he (Satan) had broken, that faith, as the instrumental cause of union at that test-point and forever, looks gloriously grand in its perfect simplicity. Now, in this light, read the letters of the apostles, or rather, begin with the Gospels. The opening announcement of the plan of salvation: "God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish;" "To them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." It is deeply interesting to trace the vigorous actings of the principle of faith, when the Holy Ghost descended in Pentecostal power upon the hitherto feeble Christian Church. The ascension of Jesus into heaven had completed his redeeming work. The mighty chasm which had been created by sin and unbelief between fallen man and his offended God, was bridged over by Almighty love. Beneath the Spirit's influence, the Apostles believed all that Jesus had personally taught them, and with a triumphant bound they leaped to the other side of that bridge, and stood there ever after immovable and "more than conquerors." How full and undoubting their proclamation: "Whosoever will, let him come;" "Whosoever calleth on the name of the Lord shall be saved." How glorious and wonderful the results: "three thousand added to the Church in one day," etc. Trace it through the epistles; justification by faith, sanctification by faith, salvation by faith, how urged, reiterated, enforced! Argued in one letter with logical power; in another, used as a persuasive, gentle lure; in a third, grasping the entire Hebrew economy, and making it pregnant with life and meaning to the believing mind, even while clearly showing it to be but "the shadow of good things to come," of which vigorous Christian faith brought the foretaste here, and the glorious anticipations of unutterable bliss hereafter. "Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory." "Jesus, the great high priest of our profession, who has passed into the heavens." In this light read Heb. xi, 12, and it will be clearly seen that while the other graces follow in its train, faith is the leader through all the sorrows of life, the upholder mid the agonies of martyrdom, the conqueror over death and the grave, the sure bond through all eternity. Turning from the Bible to later ecclesiastical history, even a cursory reader can see that the more unfettered the action of this principle, the more successful was the religion it represented; that as it lost its central position, in the same proportion the Church lost its spiritual power, until the corruption of death was nearly reached by the Roman Church in the period preceding the Reformation. At that time it was buried beneath ceremonies, and superstitions, and popish mummeries, and priestly craft; it was not dead, but the vital power was so nearly extinct that it could not act. The work of the reformers was simply to remove the load of rubbish that benumbed it. Aided by the Spirit of God, it first found full development in their own hearts, and then went forth, like a flaming fire, "conquering and to conquer." It was the clear conception of this principle that made Wesley and Whitefield mighty to arrest and save the masses to whom they preached; and ever since, in Christian or in heathen lands, victory has ever been in proportion as salvation by faith has been rightly apprehended and received. In the redemption of individual man, the Holy Spirit continually employs this one great medium. The word of truth falls upon the sinner's ear, the Spirit uncloses the torpid sense, he hears, believes, and starts from sleep. Another message; he believes and trembles in view of sin and danger. Again, it whispers of a Saviour's love; he believes, unutterable peace pervades his soul, and he starts on a Christian's high career. The world presses, Satan tempts, inbred sin obstructs, but the words of promise cluster richly round; he believes and triumphs. Troubles assail, friends depart, earth's fairest props are broken; "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee," is heard amid the universal crash; he believes, and struggles onward still with the triumphant song, "Who shall separate us from the love of God!" The body fails, the chills of death steal over him; "The world recedes, it disappears, Lend, lend your wings, I mount, I fly! O grave, where is thy victory? Ŏ death, where is thy sting?" and through faith he obtains abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom of full fruition. Thus Satan is foiled at every step; thus every point is wrested from him, and now we see why strong faith so glorifies God, and so elevates the human soul. If perfect faith united perfect humanity to Divinity in Eden before the fall, and also in Gethsemane as part of redemption's price, we see the fitness and the power of this instrumentality in restoring man to his forfeited position, and leading him through Satan's kingdom to his home above. And for aught we can see, faith in God must keep all heaven's host revolving around the central throne, and bind each to all in everlasting brotherhood of union. ART. III.-AMERICAN SLAVE CODE IN THEORY AND PRACTICE. American Slave Code in Theory and Practice. Its Distinctive Features shown by its Statutes, Judicial Decisions, and Illustrative Facts. By WILLIAM GOODELL. New-York, 48 Beekman-street. THE fact of the existing relations between master and slave in our Southern states is not to be argued; it is notorious. The nature of those relations is less palpable. They should be accurately defined and unerringly traced. Should they be found, by cautious analysis, to be capable of no modification which did not involve destruction, the discussion of the institution based on them will be without intricacy. For an infallible exponent of these relations we need not go beyond the slave CODE of the South. Should this code be found in vigorous operation in the South, and should its practical application be found indispensable to the very existence of slavery, then will • Most of the authorities cited in this paper are found in the volume named at the head of this article. As the writer of that book aimed merely at collectting and classifying extracts from the slave CODES of the various states in the South, our use of him will be restricted to the appropriation of some of his authorities to the special purposes of this article. That book compresses in a narrow space so numerous authorities, and arranges them with such skill and accuracy, as to richly reward the most attentive reading. the character of the institution be fairly tested by the nature of that code. The aim of this paper will be to exhibit an accurate and comprehensive knowledge of this code, as the basis of a valid judgment of that institution. All foreign tests can be nothing but mere fallacies. They who ransack the archives of departed ages, of buried nations for this purpose, may furnish us amusement, but can never create conviction. What has the patriarchal servitude, or that which belonged to the code of Moses, to do with American slavery? Before the slightest force can attach to the argument from that to our slavery, the identity of the great elements of both must be proved. Till this is done, whatever Divine tolerance or sanction may be shown for the one, it cannot be claimed for the other. We must peremptorily demand, as a test, an unequivocal expression of God's will. This, and not the harmless servitude approved in the infancy of the race, must fix the moral character of slavery. How can the inquirer, guided by these false analogies, make the smallest approach to truth? When slavery has been charged with immorality, what correct thinker has not been surprised at the holder's response, "I am merely copying the patriarchs in their divinely authorized institution." As though there ever had been, or could be, an American on this continent holding slaves under the Mosaic or Patriarchal code. No such code has existed for ages, nor can it exist in this republic. Nor are the virtues which may adorn the few of such as act under a corrupting system, any moral test of the system itself. In spite of the profoundest corruption and intensest despotisms that have buried the virtues and crushed the hopes of man, instances have never been wanting of shining virtue. Should such be found among Southern slaveholders, their character cannot be an exponent of that system in spite of which it has been formed. To the shallow observer it may disguise the tendency of the system, but could never be the fruit of its workings. Nor can we admit for a moment the innocence of this institution on the allegation that "its apparent evils are its ABUSES." We submit to all unbiased men, whether that which includes all possible injustice is capable of abuse. If all wrong be intrinsic to it, is it possible to do wrong out of its sphere? Would not every illegitimate application of such a principle be right? If there be no room in the universe for any principle which is neither right nor wrong, then that which is purely wrong cannot be so in its misapplications. The abuse, therefore, of such a principle is preposterous. It is an impossibility which can never be truthfully alleged. As an apology for |