religion is so much gained against war; quenching still another, and another, spark of an infernal fire;-repressing in some more minds, those evil passions which are the prompters and the essential power of war. It is a most auspicious sign, therefore, that in this very age of hostile commotion, there is arising a new and most extraordinary activity for promoting Christianity. And we think this zeal bears a marked characteristic of being of Divine origination, in the circumstance of its being animated with so much energy and confident hope, in spite of such a world of gloomy facts and omens. Because it holds by the strength of Divine declarations, it dares to be confident against an infinity of what is adverse; herein differing from the mere ordinary spirit of mere human projects. Is not this a presage something like that accompanying the birth of Samson? This newly risen zeal for Christianity is the infant Samson, growing up against a world of the Philistines of war, and not, like him, to perish itself in its victories.

We may sometimes indulge our imagination on the future scene of Universal Peace,-the grand reversal of what the earth has been hitherto. No more the spectacleof tracts devastated with fire and sword,-of besieged towns dilapidated and burning over their famished and dying inhabitants, or stormed, and their streets running with blood; or,-of a vast assemblage of men arrayed and confronted in two hosts; in the morning in health and vigour, in the evening twenty or thirty thousand of them dead and dying, in every frightful form of laceration and mutilation, in all modes and degrees of anguish,- besides all that is in their souls during the day, and at the end,and great ditches and pits for them to be thrown into in the mass. No more, the wealth, or perhaps the poverty, of a nation, and the ingenuity and labours of myriads of its

people, put in requisition in preparing the apparatus for destruction. All that will remain of war will be its monumental relics and its records, the subjects of how many musings, partly mournful, but soon turning to delightful felicitation, and gratitude to the Almighty.

But we are not to regard the scene in a merely negative view, that there will not be war; for, when there is not war, what will there be? what? when the numbers of mankind are greater, and far more cultivated and intelligent, when the resources are more abundant, when the time, and faculties, and labours are no longer so perverted? Think, a moment of but this last part of the account. Think what would be effected by so much wealth, time, labour, art, ingenuity, directed to the noblest purposes of peace. Contemplate, especially, the happiest view of the subject. That there will be no war, will be because the religion of Christ will prevail, in the souls, life, and activities of men,-in the individuals and communities, small and great. And prevailing Christianity, what will that cause men to do, in this universal vacation from war? Besides their ordinary necessary labours (the work of the "ploughshare," and all the implements of peaceful industry), think of the religious employments, the intellectual pursuits, the exercises of charity, which there will be in such a race, in such a time!

But, we can surmise that here some aspiring, ardent spirit might say, doubtingly-"Would there, in such a state of mankind, be excitement enough for a strong and lofty spirit? any scope and occasion for noble enterprise ?" Think of the perversion of human sentiment! that exploits of war should have come to be deemed necessary in order that strong and ardent minds may have an adequate employment! But we have to answer, that there will at all events remain, then, one illustrious line of enterprise.

"And what can that be?" Answer, no less than the enterprise of "taking by violence the Kingdom of Heaven." Will not that be something worthy of the most ardent spirit, something equal to the highest aspiring of ambition? But perhaps our high-spirited questioner pauses at this, and feels something of a damp and a disappointment. And, perhaps, if he spoke, would say-" That does not suit the temper of my ambition." Perhaps not, indeed;-but we have to tell him, that it will suit the ambition of the men of that future period, for, then, the religion of Christ will actuate their passions.

But, subordinately to this as the grand object of zealous ambition, it were easy, if we had time, to represent on that pacific field, many modes of exertion quite adequate to the highest tone of enterprise; always keeping in mind that the very taste and inclination for destructive enterprise will be annihilated.

Will it be impertinent just to name a kind of objection, of a sceptical cast, from the quarter of our Economists,— that under such a system, the inhabitants of the world would be too numerous, after a course of ages, for it to support? There is a most violent and wilful excess in their mode of calculation. But, with this exception, we mention this opinion to admit it. But the matter of exceeding wonder is, that none of these speculators (the able leader of them being himself of the sacred profession) should ever seem to recollect that revelation has spoken of such a thing as the end of the world! Nothing can be more easy to conceive, than that the period of that end of all things may be appointed to coincide with the term when population has reached the utmost limit of the earth's capacity to sustain it.

Lastly, as an admonition to individuals, professing Christianity-let them consider, whether they are now of a

disposition congenial to such a state of peace, that is, is there in them an effectual repression of that which is the spirit of war? the selfishness,-pride, arrogance,-envy, -revenge? If not, they are essentially of the war tribe, however little they have to do with actual war; however much they may condemn and profess to deplore it. It is just from a prevalence of such principles in communities that they go to mortal war. And such individuals are not fit for that future terrestrial " kingdom of heaven."

November 20, 1823.

LECTURE XXXIX.

THE LIFE AND CHARACTER OF DANIEL.

DANIEL Vi. 28.

"So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian."

Ir is probable that few parts of the sacred history and biography have been read with a more pleasing interest than the account of Daniel. It might not, then, be unacceptable to make a brief survey of what is recorded of him, with such reflections as may arise from the facts.

He was one of the young men of the higher rank (himself generally believed to be of the royal kindred) who were carried to Babylon in the great captivity; and there, with three others of them, he was selected, on account of conspicuous personal and mental qualifications, to be, after due training, introduced into the service of the Court; a very hazardous thing for young men; but here, for once, the pestilent influence struck on incorruptible materials. On hearing of any young man (of talents especially) advancing in the world-rising to distinction and station, the first point one would be glad to be assured of is, that he has a conscience, a true and faithful one. For we know full well that, if he have not, every step of his advancement will be but a curse to him. Here, in the instance of Daniel, we have the right man. The first movement for his promotion found his conscience, and found it of a firm and sound consistence. The question was, of his living on the appointed portion of the king's provisions. This might seem no such