the New Testament, and they will be informed, that true religion consists in doing good. Hear the New Testament definition of religion. "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father, is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep one's self unspotted from the world." This is plain. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." This is also plain. And yet what a mysteriousness has been thrown around the subject of religion by multitudes of the great and the good in the Christian church! Animal excitement, nervous affection, dreaming, vision, rapture, protestation of implicit faith in creeds, forms, and ceremonies; all these, and many other things, have been taken for religion. Sermon after sermon has been preached, exhortation after exhortation given, volume after volume written; all tending to show in what true religion consists; and how it is to be sought, obtained, and practised. While some have been the wiser and better for instructions thus received, others have been confused and lost in error, unbelief, and sin; all in consequence of not being guided by the true, simple instruction of the Gospel. They have been led to consider religion as something foreign from strict morality or practical righteousness; a kind of spiritual abstraction, better fitted for the cell of the monk, than for the every-day business and bustle of life. Christian truth, however, teaches a different lesson.

Let it not be said, that our definition of religion causes it to appear cold. We do not say, that every one whose

general moral deportment is unexceptionable, is a religious man, in the full meaning of the term. Such an one may be greatly lacking in theoretical faith, and deficient in fervor of spirit. Yet this we say, that he has the best part of the religion of Christ. If he have wrong faith, and comparatively little feeling, and yet performs good deeds, he would be more acceptable to God, than if he had "faith so that he could remove mountains," and rapture accordingly; and yet lacked that love which prompts to righteous, holy action. A certain lawyer once came to Jesus with this question: "What shall I do to obtain eternal life? And he said unto him, what is written in the law? How readest thou?" He repeated to Jesus the substance of the law, which was, love to God and his neighbor. "Thou hast answered right," said the divine instructer, "this do, and thou shalt live." So with a certain ruler, who asked him the same question. "Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" "Thou knowest the commandments, Do not kill, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honor thy father and thy mother." To this was added another condition, which was, to "sell all that he had and give to the poor." But as this drew largely upon his benevolence, (the very thing intended by Jesus,) he could not comply with it. "He went away sorrowing, for he was very rich." Had Jesus only required the adoption of a certain form of faith, or prayers, or customary sacrifices in this latter instance, he might have secured a disciple at once. But no such proposal was made, because this would have been contrary to the spirit of his religion. This spirit is clearly set forth in the parable of the good Samaritan. The Jews considered the Samaritans desti

tute of religion, and had no dealings with them. But mark! while the religion of the Priest and the Levite caused them to pass by the suffering man without offering him relief, the outcast Samaritan condescended, to pity and relieve even his enemy the Jew. The truth is here plainly set forth, that even an unbeliever, who performs a good action, is worthy of greater praise than a delinquent believer, who only thinks righteousness, but refuses to make it manifest in his deeds. "God is no respecter of persons, but in every nation, he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted of him.”

Religion, then, as it was taught by our Lord and his apostles, consists in love to God, and benevolence and charity to our fellow-men ; and these both united will keep us unspotted from the world; will carry us clear from its corruption and sin, and cause us to live "quiet and peaceable lives, in all godliness and honesty." And this is just what we need in our world everywhere among human society; a religion of the heart and life, that will think good thoughts, and perform good actions. The sectarian may tell of the excellency of his church and creed; the bigot may rail against a doctrine which he cannot, because he will not, understand, and wonder why everybody will not follow his example, in reasoning only on one side; the man of much profession may tell of the coldness of morality, and of the great mystery of the newbirth, and of its necessity before one step can be taken in the Christian pilgrimage. But all this is not visiting the widows and fatherless in their afflictions; neither is it keeping unspotted from the world. It amounts, in many instances, to a mere contention for shadows, while the substance is overlooked or forgotten. "We know that we

have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren." "Whoso loveth, is born of God, and knoweth God;" and "Love worketh no ill (but good) to his neighbour." Professions and outward forms, holy raptures, prayers, and praises, are all parts of Christianity; they become attached to it from its very nature, and from the nature of those who embrace it. They are all aids to the true believer, kindly assisting him onward in his spiritual journey below; and he who would lightly esteem them, has learned but little of himself, his connexion with his fellow-men, or his relation to God. Yet these are not to be taken for pure religion, unless the active principle of benevolence is at work in the soul. "I will have mercy and not sacrifice," is but another form of expressing the definition we would here give of practical Christianity. God is not mocked with pretension, nor pleased with mere acclamations of honor. The gospel kingdom, as Jesus declared, "cometh not with observation;" it is not a dispensation of pompous rites or ceremonies. Its work is with the heart. Beautifully has a gifted mind thus set forth its true spirit. "The branches and boughs which were strewed in the way, while Jesus rode into Jerusalem, together with the general burst of vocal hosannas, that welcomed him to the city of David, were but lightly esteemed, compared with the tears of contrition with which his feet were washed by her to whom much was forgiven, and who loved much.”*

As pure, practical religion consists in doing good, we are naturally led to seek its origin. We trace it up to the Giver of "every good and perfect gift, who is without

*Rev. H. Ballou.

variableness or shadow of turning." In doing good, we imitate him; and when we do this, so far we become followers of God, as dear children." God is wise; as the Scriptures declare. "O, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! -O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all.To God only wise be glory." Rom. xi. 33; Ps. civ. 24; Rom. xvi. 27. We are taught to be wise also. "Wisdom is the principal thing, therefore get wisdom. The merchandise thereof is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies, and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. Length of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace." Prov. iv. 7; iii. 14-17.

God is just. "Righteous art thou, O Lord, and upright are thy judgments. Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne. Just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints." Ps. cxix. 137; lxxxix. 14; Prov. xv. 3. Men are commanded to be just, also. "Deal justly. As ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so unto them. - Render, therefore, unto all their dues. A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is his delight. Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness." Micah vi. 8; Matt. vii. 12; Rom. xiii. 7; Prov. xi. 1; Jer. xxii. 13.

God is merciful. "The Lord passed by and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth. His tender mercies are over all his works." Ex. xxxiv. 6, 7; Ps. lxxxvi. 15; cxlv. 9. In accordance with this