he draws the character of his dear Son Jesus Christ. This is a mode of instruction which the whole world can comprehend. The world understands character; it knows that there is a difference between religion and irreligion, that the character of Jesus Christ differs from that of every other man, and that, consequently, all his followers ought to imitate him. If the world did not know what religion is, they could not hate it. They know what it is, and they expect to find it in Christians. The Bible is God's revelation to Christians, and Christians are God's revelation to the world. The world do not read the Bible: they read the character of Christians, for Christians are the Bibles of the world. It is true, the world may not understand some points of creeds, some distinctions of sects, and some shades of opinions, among Christians: but there is not a rustic or a profligate, in their neighborhood, who does not know whether a religious man be a consistent character or not. God honors the machinery of character with the most extensive and permanent range of usefulness. Impressions of character are fresh, and vigorous with influence, to the most distant generations. It was by the steps of their faith, that the elders obtained a good report. Abel was the first pilgrim, who walked and traced the path from this world to heaven. Though for ages "dead, he yet speaketh." Little, probably, did he imagine, while in his short passage through the wilds of this world, his track there would, thousands of years afterwards, influence the minds of the writer and the reader of this page. To this day, his footsteps yet speak, and to yet distant ages they will speak with power. In the same manner, the characters of Enoch, of Abraham, of Moses, and of Elijah, have not yet spent their influence, nor will their force be ever enfeebled. Let us follow them, and we shall, like them, perpetuate the influence of our character. We sometimes fondly cherish the hope of meeting Brainerd, and Martyn, in the realms of blessedness; and we now greatly admire their character; but why should not we be Brainerds and Martyns ourselves? Why shall not we supply characters to model future generations, as these holy men have supplied them for ours? The influence of character produces impressions in the most remote parts of the earth. The impressions of our spirit, and principles and character, at our prayer meetings, and missionary and Bible anniversaries, may tell on India and China, and all the islands of the seas, till the whole "earth shall roll the rapturous Hosanna round." The force and depth of these impressions are further evident from the fact, that their influence is perpetuated to eternity. In heaven, David remembers his holy impressions "from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, and from the hill Mizar;" and every Christian will perceive the impressions which he made, and remember the impressions which he received, in his "ways in the valley." The trace will never be erased from his mind, of the district where he was first convinced of sin; of the place, where he first retired to pray, and of those spots, which were to him the first scenes of God's gracious interpositions and mercies. Even in hell, impressions of character were vivid and distinct on the mind of Dives, as Abraham pronounced the awakening words, "Son, remember!" and this remembrance, the fires unquenchable shall never destroy. III. It is the duty of every Christian to be ever vigilant and cautious what impressions he produces upon the world. The traces of our character show whither we are going. They who see footsteps directed to the east, never imagine that the person who made them went to the west. The footsteps of the flock of Christ always point to heaven. Christians proceed towards Zion "with their faces thitherward.” All their steps say that they are going from the world, and up out of the wilderness; and "they that say such things plainly declare that they seek a better country, and that a heavenly." They are not sitting still, and at ease in the world, for this is not their rest: much less are they going further into the wilderness, or going deeper into its thorny anxieties. The impressions of their character are designed to convince the world, that they seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and these impressions reach heaven, where they are recognized by the pleadings of Christ, who asserts in consequence of them, that his saints" are not of the world, even as he is not of the world." The Holy Spirit says to the world, "Go thy way forth in the footsteps of the flock, and imitate the holy character of the saints. Go forth from a world that is a dark howling wilderness, a world under a curse, a world defiled with sin, and the very domain of Satan. Go forth, to better joys, to more enduring riches, to more substantial honors, and to peace that shall never be disturbed." Such is the language of the Spirit to the world, and he points the world to the character of Christians, as marking the road that leads to heaven. These impressions of character are useful to the world, as marking the direction and the track and the way, by which men go to heaven. "Mark the perfect man, for the end of that man is peace." In this sense, the word of God is profitable for direction, as a map in which we can trace the footsteps of men on their pilgrimage to eternity. Here is the track of Abel and Enoch and Elijah; there the steps of Cain, Jeroboam, and Judas: here where Paul entered the narrow path; there where Demas left it. Even the wanderings of good men are marked down, to warn us; and so are the religious excursions of hypocrites, to undeceive us. The impressions of the character of Christians convince the world, that the way to heaven lies, not through valleys of worldly riches, or along plains of worldly ease, or by the resplendent rivers of worldly honors; but over the mountains of exposure and difficulty, through the wilds of self-denial and sufferings, down the ravines of obscurity and oppression, and up the crags of hatred and cruelty: the whole region is marked as "the land of great tribulation," through which we must pass to enter the kingdom of God. The pilgrimage is thus traced, and sketched, to convince the men of the world, that if they will enter heaven in their broad way of sin, Christ and his people have come short of it, for they went in a narrow path, and few they were that found it. The Holy Spirit intends that the character of Christians should be for the direction of the world. God has made his people to be examples to the world. He has endowed them with great gifts and talents, adorned them with pleasing and beautiful graces and virtues, and exercised them with painful trials and troubles, not for themselves, or for their generation, only; but also for us, that we might be followers of their faith and patience, "God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect." Their cases were so much like ours as to interest us deeply. If we travel through dangerous deserts, we like to know how other pilgrims have proceeded; if we begin a pursuit, we like to know how others have succeeded in it; and if we suffer from a disease, we like to know how others affected with it have been healed; and if we are anxious to reach heaven, it is reasonable and natural for us to inquire how others have gone thither. To what can the world look for directions so evident, and so palpable, as to the character of the people of God? It is by this that the Holy Spirit animates the confidence of the world in his guidance, quickens their desires for heaven, and fires their courage to persevere. The character of Christians should make, upon the world, as distinct and as vivid an impression of the reality of religion, as the print of a man's foot, in the sands of the desolate island, made on Selkirk or Crusoe, of the certainty that a human being had been there. The force of holy example, and the impressions of religious character, supply the world with the strongest inducements to be followers of Christ and of his people. Christians! suffer the word of exhortation. Let your character impress the world. Be the shepherds of the world: go before the strayed sheep, and let them know your voice. Let your character tell them that they have the same natural capacities for religion as you have, and that religion is as practicable to them as it is to you. This only will convince them that they are accountable like you, and that they are candidates for the same honors as you. When they see that you can love God, and leave the world and deny self, they cannot avoid the impression that these duties are as practicable to them as they are to you. Your character will convince them that they have the same God to serve as you have; they will learn that he has the same claims to them as he has to you, and that his laws and demands are as obligatory upon them as upon you: show to them, therefore, that he will be the same God to them that he has been to you, as ready to pardon, and as rich in mercy as he has been to you. It is your character alone that will persuade sinners to value Jesus Christ, so the character of the taught shows the worth of the teacher; and that of the diseased who have been cured, proves the ability of the physician. God calls you out of the world that he may show forth his Son in you. Nothing, but the force of your character, will bring the world to believe that the same motives which have induced you to obey God, oblige them; that they have the same motives to faith, repentance, piety, and usefulness, that you have; that you have no nobler reasons, no greater inducements, to be holy than they have; and that no higher happiness is offered to you than is offered to them, and no sorer punishment threatened to you than, at this moment, hangs over their own heads. Sermons and books may teach them these things, learning and rhetoric may enforce them, but they never will be practically believed, till the character of Christians demonstrates their reality, practicableness, and glory. The world will never do as the church says, but as the church does. When Christians do better, we shall have a better world. § III. The Character of the Church to influence Public Opinion. The faith of Christians is to overcome the world; that is, what Christians believe is to master and control the sentiments of the world; for "whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world, and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even OUR FAITH." The principles which Christians believe, are to become the ruling maxims of the world. Hitherto "to overcome the world" has been interpreted to mean, that the Christian was to maintain a vigorous and deadly struggle with the world; to prevent the world from overcoming him, so that the world should prove to have spent and wasted upon him all its energies and venom, all its frowns and blandishments, in vain - the Christian combatant still remaining unsubdued and uninjured by the attack. Can this be the meaning of overcoming the world? To overcome a country does not mean to prevent that country from overcoming us, but to master and subdue it, to take possession of it in the name of the king, and to employ it for the use of the throne. To overcome the world, then, means not that the church exhibits unflinching fortitude in sustaining the onset of the world, and in letting the world spend its resources upon it in vain; for this would be nothing but the world conquering itself, exhausting and enfeebling itself, by unsuccessful attacks on the principles and habits of Christians. To overcome the world is, to master its principles, subdue its opposing forces, and to claim and use all its resources for the cause of Christ. Public opinion is the aggregate, or the sum, of men's feelings, sentiments, and dispositions; it is the express image of the popular character. The influence of public opinion is powerful and extensive: many cower under it, who would not be afraid of the sword's edge or the cannon's mouth; and its power is felt in recesses and stations which no other influence has ever affected. It is a mighty instrument, whether of good or of evil. It is one of the best engines to move the world, and to work its energies. Whoever has hold of it, and |