due regard to the inalienable rights of aggressors-not by throwing off the evils from ourselves upon the evil dcers, but by removing the causes of them, which inflict injury upon us, and themselves also. As their rights, interests and wellbeing are our rights, interests and well-being; as we are bound together by indissoluble ties, one in nature, our rights and happiness one, hence whatever affects the well-being of one affects the well-being of all. If we seek to support our own character, our being, our intelligence or happiness, at the expense of another, we injure them ourselves in all these respects.

"PRINCIPLE XII. As the body is powerless without the mind, and as the motions of the body are wholly dependent upon, and under the absolute control of the mind, it is only by operating upon the minds of others, that we can excite, or influence, or paralyze (i. e. without destroying) their physical powers. No mind, when perpetrating a mean or vicious action, can have all its attributes united, and the strength of each combined in that action; because reason, self-respect, a sense of wrong in itself, and a consciousness of right in the other, must revolt, and thus subtract from such mind a large amount of its moral force. But in honorable and virtuous action, all the attributes of mind may and do unite in their performance; and therefore in doing right, or in opposing moral wrong with moral right, we shall, in the nature of the case, always, (the capacity of opposing minds being equal,) possess double the force in doing right, that we can possibly have in doing wrong and opposing right.

"PRINCIPLE XIII. As the mind governs the body, and, as already stated, perverted minds are to be cured by unperverted ones, and moral evils are to be corrected by moral virtues, it follows, that the only legitimate and appropriate way by which we can and may arrest these physical evils, which are inflicted by vicious minds, is, by the direct action of mind upon mind, the virtuous upon the vicious-thus seizing the power behind the throne, (which instigates and wields the physical arm of evil,) and arresting by moral influence its vicious operations.

"Innocence, self-possession, and that deep and broad foundation of moral strength, which thorough discipline in virtue gives, will enable us to look any human tiger out of countenance, and paralyze the mightiest corporeal arm that can ever be uplifted against us.

Numerous facts have occurred which go to demonstrate

this truth. Let us henceforth cease to be brutes, and see and know, each for ourselves, what virtue, and power, and dignity, there is in being men-men in our full dimensions, and in the legitimate sense.

WHAT IS MAN?

PSALMS VIII: 4.

How different are the answers which this question receives from different lips! The sceptic replies, "He is a mass of clay, a material form, made of the clod, and to return to it again, and there sleep forever." The enthusiastic youth replies, " He is a creature of noble capacities, who, though long trampled on by despots, can, in the light of freedom, be elevated and improved without limit." The man of worldly wisdom and experience replies, "He is a creature of selfishness, whose only motive is interest. One philosopher says, "He is like a lump of dough, moulded by external circumstances into any shape." Another says, "He is made up of feelings and dispositions which remain the same under all circumstances:" and to sum up the incongruous catalogue of opinions, the Theologian declares that he is wholly corrupt, utterly depraved, filled with sin and iniquity, and incapable of willing or doing any good thing. Let us ask what observation, reason, and the Bible teach us of human nature, its character and condition. For the idea we have of man at the outset will bias very much the judgment we form of Christianity. If we consider man a mere clod, he is incapable of religion; he has no need of revelation. If we judge him to be the mere slave of interest and selfishness, we shall have no confidence that the pure and high truths of Christianity can ever be understood or felt by him. If we think all his faults proceed from ignorance, that all he wants is to be properly instructed, we shall not find any thing in religion but mere instruction, nor recognize any character in Christ but that of a teacher. If, on the contrary, we consider him wholly corrupt, we shall conclude that teaching can do little good, that an irresistible influence must come to lift him miraculously out of the deep pit into which the fall has placed him. Accordingly we find that those who disbelieve man's spiritual nature, seldom believe in revelation:

that those who believe in man's power to become every thing by being enlightened, seldom feel the need of revelation; that those who believe him a mass of selfishness, put no confidence in the power of revelation; and those who think him utterly corrupt, consider revelation the miraculous instrument of a miraculous change. We see then the importance of having correct views of human nature at the outset.

It is often thought that the only danger is of thinking too highly of our nature, and so not feeling the need of revelation. There is equal danger in thinking too meanly of it. He who habitually thinks of himself and all other men as filled with meanest wickedness, can hardly have any respect for himself or for others. And who does not know that self-respect is the source of much virtue, and respect for others is an important breach of Christian goodness? "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God? Whoever defileth the temple of God, him will God destroy." "Honor all men." Thus an apostle appeals to the motive of self-respect and enjoins to respect others. I believe man is really and truly a sinner. I believe there are none who do good-no, not one; for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. I believe there is an amount of evil about us, a strong tendency to evil within us, which we are hardly aware of, which ought to terrify us, which, if we saw it clearly, with all its baleful consequences, would startle and alarm us. And yet I believe that we are no clods of the earth, no slaves to a merely mercenary selfishness, not totally depraved, but that in every human heart there lies either dormant or active, a mighty moral power, a capacity of wonderful affection, a noble tendency toward all that is true, beautiful, holy and solemn. I believe man is a mixed creature, in whose heart strength and weakness, light and darkness, truth and error, are strangely mixed, and that his duty is, to be very humble, yet very hopeful; to watch and pray against temptation, yet never be discouraged; to still suspect and still revere himself. This is my creed about man and his nature. I cannot take one side, and look exclusively to one part of his character. All is not dark with him, yet his light is like that of a stormy day, where the sun breaks fitfully through rolling vapors, but where the very fury of the storm is often a token that it will pass by, and leave a calm sunset and the hope of a clear dawn.

I would say first to the philosopher of sensation, who denies that man has a soul, or spiritual nature, who considers him akin to the crawling worm-I would say, What do you mean by asserting that there is nothing but matter in man? Are

thoughts and feelings, resolves and wishes, hopes and fears, joys and griefs, are these parts of man, or are they not? And are they material? Can you shew me a thought? Can you put your finger on a feeling? Can you tell me the taste, smell, color or shape of an emotion or a determination? A piece of political news reaches a city, and suddenly it is in an uproar. Bells are rung and canons fired, and there are public meetings in halls and crowds in the streets, and every eye is lighted up, and every tongue fluent with joy. Come then, you who say there is nothing but what can be seen and felt, make me a picture of that strange thing which has gone into every man, and caused all this? Let it be painted, weighed in scales, and measured by a rule!

In fact, when men, with an air of great wisdom, tell us that all we know of man is matter, they would come much nearer the truth if they should tell us that all we know is mind. I speak the soberest sense when I say that our knowledge of mind is immediate and primary, that of body only secondary and derived. How do I know that there is such a thing as body? Is it because I see it, feel it, touch it, handle it? Analyze those terms, and you will find that it only amounts to this, that I have in my mind sensations of color, shape, resistance. All that I know is, that I have these feelings-all that I know is, the feeling or sensation which I infer and conclude belongs to some outward substance. By knowledge of my mental sensation is immediate knowledge-that of body, secondary and derived.

And now I turn to the theory of human nature, which tells us that all men's doings may be traced to self-interest. Selfishness, say these philosophers, selfish calculation, is the great moving power in human nature. This theory is so unsound that it would hardly deserve consideration, if it were not so widely spread and much believed. It is a theory, however, formed from observation of man in a high place-namely, his place of business. It is a philosophy of the shop and countingroom-of the court-house and market. It is not strange that interest should be the ruling motive, in those places where interest is the great object of pursuit. But business is not all of life. Go with the man from his place of business to his place of amusement, of repose, of resort. Go with him to his home. Is interest the motive which actuates him when caressing his child-when conversing with a friend-when praying to his God? Is interest the motive which makes the drunkard drain the glass which is eating out his life? Is interest the motive which makes the slave of pleasure throw away VOL. VIII. 45.

time and money on idle amusements-which makes the angry man do a deed in a paroxysm of passion, to be atoned for by the prison or the gallows? Not only all the virtues, but half the vices, have no calculation of interest about them. To study human nature you must not merely go to the shop and exchange: you must stand by the festive board, the domestic fireside, the marriage feast and the house of mourning. Human nature is also there. A thousand feelings are stronger than interest. Passion is stronger, appetite is stronger, enthusiasm, superstition, folly, are stronger. It is not granting much then to allow that reason, justice, truth, piety, sincerity and affection, may also be stronger. The history of the world is full of great actions, which cannot be explained by this motive. Was it interest which carried half Europe in the crusades, to faint and perish among the sands of Palestine, at the holy sepulchre, or which brought the English to the rock of Plymouth-or which carried half a million of Frenchmen to Moscow-or which makes men take their rifle and go to Texas, to Canada, or to the South seas-wherever excitement, romance, or a spirit of adventure or gallantry may dictate?

And now we have come to the Theological view of human nature, which tells us that man is wholly corrupt and abominable through sin. I also believe that man is a sinner, and you will see, by and by, that I do not make light of sin. But I know no advantage in exaggerating any thing; and it is exaggeration to talk of total depravity. What did Paul mean when he spoke of those who, not having the law, did by nature the things contained in the law, and were a law unto themselves? What did Peter intend, when he spoke of those, who, in every nation, feared God and wrought righteousness? What did a greater than Paul or Peter mean by calling Nathaniel an Israelite indeed, in whom there was no guile? and why did he speak of his word falling into the good ground of honest and faithful hearts, who received it with joy, and brought forth fruit? Can an honest and faithful heart be totally depraved? There is such a thing then as an honest and faithful heart, even among those to whom the word of Christ has not yet come. And indeed our daily experience is so averse to this theory, that few persons ever would think of applying it in ordinary affairs. It is taught in set discourses and formal harangues, and asserted by disputants and controvertialists; but who ever heard of any one, in common life, acting on the faith that men were totally depraved? Who ever called the love of a parent for a child, or of a daughter