dignant vituperation; it contains deep and emphatic meaning.

The apostle means literally what he says slander is diabolical. The first illustration we give of this is contained in the very meaning of the word devil. "Devil," in the original, means traducer, or slanderer. The first introduction of a demon spirit is found connected with a slanderous insinuation against the Almighty, implying that His command had been given in envy of His creature: "for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil."

In the magnificent imagery of the book of Job, the accuser is introduced with a demoniacal and malignant sneer, attributing the excellence of a good man to interested motives: "Doth Job serve God for naught?" There is another mode in which the fearful accuracy of St. James' charge may be demonstrated. There is one state only from which there is said to be no recovery, there is but one sin that is called unpardonable. The Pharisees beheld the works of Jesus. They could not deny that they were good works, they could not deny that they were miracles of beneficence; but, rather than acknowledge that they were done by a good man, through the coöperation of a Divine spirit, they preferred to account for them by the wildest and most incredible hypothesis; they said they were done by the power of Beelzebub, the prince of the devils. It was upon this occasion that our Redeemer said, with solemn meaning, "For every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account in the day of judg ment." It was then that He said, for a word spoken

against the Holy Ghost there is no forgiveness in this world, or in the world to come.

To

Our own hearts respond to the truth of this. call evil good, and good evil, to see the Divinest good, and call it satanic evil, below this lowest deep there is not a lower still. There is no cure for mortification of the flesh; there is no remedy for ossifica tion of the heart. O! that miserable state, when to the jaundiced eye all good transforms itself into evil, and the very instruments of health become the poison of disease! Beware of every approach of this! Beware of that spirit which controversy fosters, of watching only for the evil in the character of an antagonist!

Beware of that habit which becomes the slanderer's life, of magnifying every speck of evil and closing the eye to goodness, till at last men arrive at the state in which generous, universal love (which is heaven) becomes impossible, and a suspicious, universal hate takes possession of the heart,— and that is hell!

There is one peculiar manifestation of this spirit, to which I desire specially to direct your attention.

The politics of the community are guided by the political press. The religious views of a vast number are formed by that portion of the press which is called religious; it becomes, therefore, a matter of deepest interest to inquire what is the spirit of that "religious press." I am not asking you what are the views maintained whether Evangelical, Anglican, or Romish — but what is the spirit of that fountain from which the religious life of so many is nourished?

Let any man cast his eye over the pages of this portion of the press, it matters little to which party the newspaper or the journal may belong, he will

be startled to find the characters of those he has deeply reverenced, whose hearts he knows, and whose integ rity and life are above suspicion, held up to scorn and hatred. The organ of one party is established against the organ of another, and it is the recognized office of each to point out, with microscopic care, the names of those whose views are to be shunned; and in order that these may be the more shrunk from, the characters of those who hold such opinions are traduced and vilified. There is no personality too mean, there is no insinuation too audacious or too false, for the recklessness of those daring slanderers. I do not like to use the expression, lest it should appear to be merely one of theatrical vehemence; but I say it in all seriousness, adopting the inspired language of the Bible, and using it advisedly and with accurate meaning, the spirit which guides the "religious press" of this country, which dictates those personalities, which prevents controversialists from seeing what is good in their opponents, which attributes low motives to account for excellent lives, and teaches men whom to suspect, and shun, rather than points out where it is pos sible to admire and love, is a spirit "set on fire of love,—is hell."

Before we conclude, let us get at the root of the matter. "Man," says the Apostle James, "was made in the image of God;" to slander man is to slander God; to love what is good in man is to love it in God. Love is the only remedy for slander: no set of rules or restrictions can stop it; we may denounce, but we shall denounce in vain. The radical cure of it is Char ity, —“out of a pure heart and faith unfeigned," tc feel what is great in the human character; to recog

nize with delight all high, and generous, and beautiful actions; to find a joy even in seeing the good qualities of your bitterest opponents, and to admire those qualities even in those with whom you have least sympathy. be it either the Romanist or the Unitarianthis is the only spirit which can heal the love of slander and of calumny. If wy would bless God, we must firs learn to bless man, who is made in the image of God.

1 JOHN V. 4, 5.

II.

[Preached May 5, 1850.]

THE VICTORY OF FAITH.

"For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

THERE are two words in the system of Christianity which have received a meaning so new, and so emphatic, as to be in a way peculiar to it, and to distinguish it from all other systems of morality and religion; these two words are the World, and Faith. We find it written in Scripture that to have the friendship of the world is to be the enemy of God; whereupon the question arises - The world, did not God make the world? Did He not place us in the world? Are we not to love what God has made? And yet meeting this distinctly we have the inspired record, "Love not the world."

The object of the Statesman is, or ought to be, to produce as much worldly prosperity as possible; but Christianity, that is, Christ, speaks little of this world's prosperity, underrates it, nay, speaks of it at times as infinitely dangerous.

The legislator prohibits crime, the moralist trans