the individuals, neighbourhoods, and nations of men, founded on mutual and universal goodwill.

God is the common father of the universe: the nations of men are his family on earth; and consequently, connected by the relation of brethren. To him, therefore, they can never unite in the devotion of children, while their hearts are alienated from each other by envy, enmity, and strife. Nay, while they are strangers to that mutual good-will, which is the parent of peace among men, they must be incapable of that love of God, which is essential to his worship. This seems to be the meaning of the apostle John: If any man say, I love God, and hate his brother, he is a liar; for he who loveth not his brother, whom he hath seen, how can he love God, whom he hath not seen! He who loveth not, knoweth not God; but he who dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him. On this principle, that love and peace among men are essential to peace and acceptance with God, our Saviour appears to have founded the following precept. "If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there remember that thy brother hath aught against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift." Thus it is, that

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as the seeds of peace are sown in the doctrines of Jesus, the services of his religion are its restoratives and guardians among men.

That this peace is one great object of Messiah's appearance is further evident, not only from the warmth with which that love is inculcated, from which it springs; and the declarations, that "love is the end of the commandment," and "fulfilling of the law; but from the practice and instructions of Christ himself, and the instructions of his apostles to all the churches. "Peace be to this house," was the introductory 'salutation, with which he sent his disciples to all the families of Israel. "Have peace one with another," was his instruction to themselves; and " peace be unto you," the words in which he addressed them after his resurrection. The declarations of the apostle are: "God hath called us to peace. The fruit of the spirit is love and peace: and the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but rightęousness, and peace, and joy in the holy spirit." Hence arise the precepts which they inculcate : "Let the peace of God rule in your hearts: keep the unity of the spirit in the bonds of peace seek peace, and ensue it; and, as much as in you lieth, live peaceably with all men.”

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These, and a thousand other passages, clearly shew, that the spirit of christianity is a spirit of peace.

peace. And the last plainly demonstrates, that "the way of peace," into which its author came to lead us, extends to "the ends of the earth," and that the good-will from which it springs, embraces the whole family of men : that it should not be limited by country, climate, or complexion-by modes of religion, or forms of government: and that the political fiction of a natural enmity between any nations or societies of men, is blasphemy against nature, and nature's king. This is admirably illustrated by the example of the benevolent Jesus. The compassion of his heart, and the bounty of his healing hand, were as ready for a Samaritan, who worshipped the calves of Jeroboam, or a Roman centurion who adored the dæmons of the nations, as the poor and afflicted of the house of Israel. And in his commission to the apostles, he sent to all, with the tidings of salvation, the doctrine of peace.

Nor are we left to suppose, that the blessings of peace, and obligations to pursue it, are confined to men as individuals. Nations are represented in the glowing language of prophecy, as objects of Messiah's peace, and actuated by its spirit. Thus saith Isaiah: "He shall judge among the nations, and rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plough-shares, and their spears into prup

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ing-hooks Nation shall not lift up sword against nation; neither shall they learn war any more."

The effects of this happy revolution, when wars shall cease, and the sword of violence be sheathed for ever-When the savage tyrant shall lay aside his ferocity, the timid slave be raised to the dignity and privileges of man, and the sweets of social intercourse enjoyed by all, in security and repose, are elegantly painted in another passage, by the hand of the same master. The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion, and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters, cover the sea."

What a delightful scene is here exhibited, in the glowing language of prophetic ardor, as characterising Messiah's reign! A scene, where under the bold and expressive figures of the ravening wolf dwelling with the lamb, around

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whose fold he had prowled for prey; and the panther, ferocious tyrant of the mountain, lying down with the kid-the lion, savage monarch of the hill, eating straw with the ox, and herding with the calf and the fatling-and the bear of the rock, forgetting his ferocity, feeding with the cow we are taught to look forward to a period, when rapine shall cease, oppression be no more, violence unheard of, and confidence, harmony, and peace, established among the nations-And when the hand of the assassin, and the envenomed tongue of the secret slanderer, aptly represented by the adder lurking in his den, shall not dare to wound even the sucking child!

Thus have I endeavoured to point out the extent and importance of the peace on eart!i, of which Messiah was the messenger and the fountain. I have shewn, from the indisputable testimony of the bible, that it implies reconciliation to God, as the only object of religious worship; union among men, in the enjoyment of religious rights, equality of religious privilege, and the bonds of love; and the establishment of goodwill, harmony, and peace among all the individuals, families, neighbourhoods, and nations of the world we inhabit.