to be observed is, that there is a direct contrariety between the maxims of the world and those of the Gospel. It is impossible for a man to become a true believer in Jesus, without being immediately marked off from the great mass of his fellows. If the whole community went over with him to the discipleship of Christ, he would still have fellowship with all around, though widely different from that which he has heretofore had. But when he goes over alone, or with but few associates out of many, he detaches himself, and that too by a great wrench, from the society to which he has belonged. Between the world which still lieth in wickedness," and that little company who "seek a better country, even a heavenly," the separation is so broad that Scripture exhibits the one as the old creation, and the other as the new. The man who acts on the principle that he is immortal, belongs, we had almost said, to a different race from the man whose conduct seems to proclaim him without belief in the deathlessness of the soul.

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for this is perhaps the only one in which it is at all strange that divisions should be the produce of christianity. There is nothing about which men will not form different opinions: there is scarce an opinion too absurd to find advocates; especially when, if true, it would be advantageous; and philosophy, with its various schools, would be as much a sword as christianity with its various sects, if as much were dependent on its theories. But, waving these and other obvious considerations, let us see how the sword comes, where there is no direct collision between heresy and orthodoxy. We stated, as you will remember, in the introduction of our discourse, that christianity is a system, requiring nothing but cordial reception, in order to its bringing happiness to all the world's families. The truth of such statement will have been evidenced, if proof can be required, by our foregoing examination of the effects of christianity on society. We are warranted, by this examination, in asserting, as we have already in part done, that, if the Gospel were cordially received by every individual in a land, there would be banished from that land-we say not all unhappiness, for a nation of righteous would still be a nation of fallen men, and therefore lie exposed to sorrow and death-but certainly the chief part of that misery which may be traced to the feuds of our race, and which confessedly constitutes a great fraction of human wretchedness. The tendencies of christianity are palpably to the production of thorough unanimity; so that no one who studies the character of this religion, or observes its effects even where partially established, can fail, we think, to entertain the conviction, that a nation of real christians would be virtually a nation of affec. tionate brothers. But if the tendencies of christianity be thus to the producing peace, we must suppose that there are in man certain counter tendencies, and that the sword is forged from the opposition between the two. Neither can we be at a loss to discover those We take the case before referred to, counter tendencies, and thus to ac- that of a family, one of whose memcount for the divisions and persecu-bers is a christian inwardly, whilst the tions to which christianity will be sure others are christians only outwardly. to give rise, even where men seem There may have been perfect harmony agreed on its articles. The great thing in this family up to the time at which vi

And if christianity, when cordially received, thus detach the recipient from all by whom it is only nominally received, you can have no difficulty in understanding how it acts virtually as a sword. The separation would be as nothing, if it were only of that kind which exists between the different ranks and classes of a community. You cannot liken to a sword the causes which separate the higher classes from the lower, because these classes, however distant from each other in external advantages, are linked by many ties; and their relative positions do not necessarily produce hostility of feeling. But the case is widely different when it is vital christianity which breaks into parties any set of men. The separation is a separation on principles; so that the conduct of the one party will unavoidably reprove that of the other, and, therefore, excite an enmity which will be sure to show itself in some open demonstration.

But such rebuke must excite enmity in those who are its subjects. So that the household is necessarily divided; and to christianity must the division be ascribed. "A man is set at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law." The converted member, being secretly disliked, will, under some shape or another, be persecuted by the unconverted; and thus the result is brought round, that the religion which Christ propagated, though in its own nature peace, becomes, through clashing with opposing principles, a sword to the family into which it gains entrance.

tal christianity gained a place within its | And if it be a consequence on the incircle. But, afterwards, there must, we troduction of vital christianity, that one fear, be interruption of this harmony; member of the domestic circle becomes the household can no longer present practically, if not in words, the rethat aspect of unanimity, by which it prover of the rest, it must also follow once won the admiration of every be- that this one will incur the dislike holder. And the reason of this change of the rest, a dislike which will show may be readily defined. Whilst there itself in more or less offensive acts, was nothing but nominal christianity, according to the dispositions and cireach member of the family did his part cumstances of those who entertain it. towards countenancing the rest in at- Thus it is that christianity is turned tachment to the perishable, and forget into a sword. Admitted into the heart fulness of the imperishable, and was of an individual, it discovers itself in upheld in return by the united pro- his life, and so makes that life a calm, ceedings of all those around him. There but unflinching, rebuke of the unconmay have been great diversity of pur-verted, by its contrast with their own. suit; the several individuals may have embraced different professions, and their respective tastes may have led them to seek enjoyment in unconnected channels. But forasmuch as they were all along one in the determination of finding happiness in something short of God, division upon earthly matters might well consist with a most cordial union, the agreement being perfect on the principle that this world is man's rest, and the disagreement being only as to which of its sections should be chosen, for a home. But you will observe that, when vital christianity found its way into the breast of one member of this household, there must have passed a change, such as nothing else could have effected, on the position which he occupied relatively to the others. His acquiring a taste for religion, while the taste of his companions is exclusively for what is worldly, differs widely from his acquiring a taste for music, whilst the taste of his companions is exclusively for painting. The taste for painting is not rebuked, as it were, by the taste for music; they may be called sister tastes, and the votaries of the two may remain in close fellowship. But there is no congeniality, nay, there is the strongest antipathy, between a taste for the things of heaven and a taste for the things of earth. Hence the religious man, unavoidably, though it may be silently, reproaches the irreligious, with whom he is in habits of family intercourse. His deportment, exactly in the degree that it proves his affections set on things above, passes the severest censure on those whose affections are set on things below.

You will easily extend to a neighborhood, or nation, the reasoning thus applied to a family. Those who hold the doctrines of the Gospel in their purity, and whose conduct is regulated by its precepts, will unavoidably form a distinct party, to which Christ's words may be applied, "If ye were of the world, the world would love his own; but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." The principles on which the righteous act are so repugnant to those which the mass of men adopt, that to look for unanimity would be to expect the concord of darkness with light. So long as there is a native enmity in the heart to holiness and God-and this will remain until the nature be renewedthere lies a moral impossibility against the unbroken peace of a community, composed of the righteous and the unrighteous. They are men of different natures, of different worlds: the one party has been transferred to the king

dom of Christ, the other remains in the only, in conclusion, to remark how kingdom of Satan. And since there strictly our statements harmonize with must be war between these kingdoms, prophecies which delineate the final a war which shall only then terminate spread of christianity. We have shown when evil is expelled from this crea- you that it is simply because but partion, and the works of the devil are fi- tially received, that christianity is pracnally destroyed, peace can pervade no tically a sword on the earth. Make the province of christendom, unless that reception universal, and, in place of province contain nothing but nominal, acting as a sword, christianity would or nothing but vital christianity. Whilst bind into one all the households, and there is nothing but nominal christiani- all the hearts of human kind. Thus the ty, there is peace, the peace of death; tendencies of the religion are to the whilst nothing but vital, there is peace, producing, and, when produced, to the the peace of heaven. But whilst there preserving that glorious state of things is a mixture, there will be necessarily which is yet promised in Scripture, collision between the two; and, just when "nation shall not lift up sword according to the character of the times, against nation, neither shall they learn will that collision produce the flames war any more;" when "Ephraim shall of a fierce persecution, or the heart- not envy Judah, and Judah shall not burnings of a silent, but rancorous ha- vex Ephraim." We can prove christitred. Yes, christianity is the olive- anity fitted for the universal religion: branch; but it falls upon waters, which, we can prove also, that, if universalstruck by any thing pure and heavenly, ly received, there would be universal boil instantly up as though stirred by peace and universal joy, the millennial a hurricane. Christianity is the dove; day of a long-troubled creation. It may but it comes down to the forest where then even yet be a sword, but, oh, that the ravenous birds and the unclean every heart were pierced by it, and shelter, and the gentlest waving of its every family penetrated. Christianity wing rouses the brood whose haunts may cause dissensions, and we lament seem invaded. Christianity, in short, them as proofs of the frailty and coris peace; but it is peace proposed ruption of our nature; but we would to rebels with their weapons in their not exchange the dissensions for the hands; and who knows not, that, if undisturbed quiet of spiritual lethargy. one of these rebels accept, whilst the We know them to be tokens of life: others refuse, the proffered boon, those where enmity is excited, godliness is who adhere to their treason will turn making way. And, therefore, we will upon him who takes the oath of alle- not say, in the words of the prophet, giance, and treat him as basely re- "O thou sword of the Lord, how long creant to the cause he has espoused? will it be ere thou be quiet? put up We require, therefore, nothing but the thyself into thy scabbard, rest, and be confession that man, in his natural still." We will rather say with the state, is the enemy of God, and that, Psalmist to Messiah, "Gird thy sword consequently, there must be direct con- upon thy thigh, O most mighty; and trariety between his principles and those in thy majesty ride prosperously." of a religion which makes God the We wish no scabbard for the sword first object of love. This having been but the hearts of the whole human pogranted, you may take the case either pulation. Thus sheathed, the jubilee of a nation or a family, of empires bro-year begins: the one sword, like Aaken into parties and sects, or of house- ron's rod, swallows up every other; holds where the flow of social chari- and the universal wound is the univerties has been suddenly arrested; but sal health. sufficiency of producing cause has been. assigned, to explain, without impeaching the tendencies of christianity, why our Lord's words have all along been verified, "I came not to send peace, but a sword."

Let each of us remember, that, ere christianity can be to him peace, it must be to him a sword. The "broken and contrite heart" precedes the assurance that we are accepted in the beloved." "O Israel, thou hast destroyWe have thus examined our text un-ed thyself." Where are there sharper, der different points of view, and have more cutting words than these, when

SERMON VI.

THE DEATH OF MOSES.

"And the Lord spake unto Moses that selfsame day, saying, Get thee up into this mountain Abarim, unto mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, that is over against Jericho; and behold the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel for a possession; and die in the mount whither thou goest up, and be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother died in mount Hor, and was gathered unto his people."-Deuteronomy, 32: 48, 50.