pressions of our Savior in his Sermon on the Mount.-"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the peace-makers, for they shall be called the children of God."-"Have peace one with another," Mark 9: 50. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance." Galat. 5:22, 23. "Follow peace with all men," Heb. 12: 14. "But the wisdom, that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace," James 3:17, 18. “Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you," 2 Cor. 13; 11. -Now let it be considered what course we are to pursue, and what spirit we are required to cherish in these passages. We are to be poor in spirit, to be meek, merciful, peaceable, long-suffering, gentle, and easy to be entreated. And can we seriously and candidly reflect upon the real import of such expressions, without admitting that they are altogether at variance with that temper of mind, which would prompt to acts of violence and hostility even in what we might be disposed to consider a just cause! If we were to hear of some distant individual possessing the traits indicated by these expressions, if he were described to us as a man of great humility and meekness of spirit, as a peace-maker, as merciful, gentle, and long-suffering, we certainly should receive the impression, that he would not be disposed to resort to acts of hostility, even if injurious and uncalled for attacks had been actually made upon him.

It is to be noticed, in the THIRD place, there is anoth

er class of passages, in their import nearly identical, though opposite in expression from those which have just been brought forward, viz. those which reprove and condemn a spirit of contention and strife.-"Who will render to every man according to his deeds; unto them that are contentious, &c. tribulation and anguish," Rom. 2: 6-9. "Let us walk honestly as in the day, not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying," Rom. 13:13. "Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves," Philip, 2:3. "But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and be not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work," James 3: 14, 15, 16.-It may perhaps be said here, that in the act of selfdefence we may attack, smite, and injure another, and at the same time be under the influence of truly pacific and benevolent feelings, rather than those of a different character. We do not absolutely deny the possibility of this; but we assert without hesitation that it is seldom the case. Writers on the philosophy of the mind, (among others Mr. Stewart who is exceedingly cautious in the expression of his opinions,) gives us to understand, that human nature is so constituted as to involve, as one of its fundamental laws, a correspondence between the outward sign and the inward emotion. If there is anger within, there is naturally a correspondent expression in the gesture, voice, eye, countenance. And on the other hand any violent action, or violent and agitated expression of the countenance naturally calls up an unpleas ant and violent feeling within. So that if a perso violence and enters into strife, on any occasi er, he may calculate upon it as someth

of certainty, that he will have the spirit of strife. So that the direction, requiring us not to contend and strive, even when we are injured, is wonderfully adapted to the structure of the human mind, and undoubtedly operates to the good of the individual, on whom it seems at the first sight to impose a disadvantageous restriction.

Under this head it is proper to observe, that in the New Testament we have some practical examples, some instances in real life, illustrating the manner, in which the Savior designed, that the peace-principles should be applied. On a certain time the Savior proposed with his disciples to enter a city of the Samaritans, but they refused to receive him. Luke 9: 54, 55, "And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou, that we command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, even as Elias did? But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.”—————And again we have a practical illustration of the peace principles in Mat. 26: 51, 2. "And behold one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest, and smote off his ear. Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into its place; for all they, that take the sword, shall perish with the sword."

FOURTHLY.-Wars of every description are rebuked, discountenanced, and condemned by that numerous class of passages of Scripture, which enjoin forbearance and patience under the trials and sufferings of life.—If we may meet evil with evil and return blow for blow, where is the propriety or pertinency of such passages as the following; Luke 21: 17-19, "and ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. But there shall not an hair of your head perish. In your patience possess ye your souls." The Apostle Paul prayed to God for the Colossians, that they might be "strengthened with all might,

according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness." What can be more striking or pertinent to the matter in hand than the following explicit passage; 1 Peter 2: 19-23, "For this is thank-worthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if when ye be buffetted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? But if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were you called; because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps; who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth; who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to him, that judgeth righteously." It is not necessary to repeat other passages of the same import, nor do they require any comment. Their spirit is too express and obvious to be mistaken.

FIFTH.-Those passages, which assert a change and renovation of our natures, obviously imply the subjection or eradication of those principles, which are of a hostile and retaliatory tendency.-2 Cor. 5: 17, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." It appears obviously from the following passages, that one of the elements of the new life, one of the characteristics of the new creature just spoken of, is a quiet and pacific disposition. 1 Cor. 3: 3, "For ye are yet carnal : for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and division, are ye not carnal, and walk as men"? Gal. 5: 19-22. "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these, adultery, &c,-hatred, variance, emulation, wrath, strife, sedition, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like, of the which I tell you before, as I have told you in time past, that

they, which do such things, shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith." James IV: 1. "From whence come wars and fightings among you? Come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your own members?" It is obvious from these passages and others like them, that the spirit of violence and strife, (no matter on what occasion it may be called forth,) is an element of the old man, whom we are required to put off with his deeds; and that a truly pacific disposition, is an element of the new man, an indispensable characteristic of a state of regeneracy.

Let us, in the SIXTH place, set before us the example of our blessed Savior, and see what that will teach us.

-We presume it is not necessary to go into details, in order to show what this example is. The Savior came into the world on an errand of mercy; from his early childhood he went about doing good; he every where, at all times and in all places, exhibited the most tender compassion and benevolence; he healed the sick, unstopped the ears of the deaf, restored the sight of the blind, raised the dead; when reviled, he reviled not again; but in every situation, and under the greatest insults and injuries, he exhibited the most wonderful patience, meekness, and love. When hurried by the infuriated multitude to the brow of a precipice, he took no other measures of resistance or of retribution, but simply to escape from them. When the disciples were disposed to employ violent measures in his defence, he disapproved of the course they proposed to take. He told Peter to put up his sword into his sheath; and healed the servant of the High Priest, whom that disciple had wounded. When Pilate reproached Him with being delivered up by the people and priests of his own nation, he answered in these remarkable and decisive words,