parently intended to insinuate something against Christianity. If now some one will point out a person who has faithfully followed the instructions of Jesus, and in so doing has led a bad life, we shall have an argument against Christianity worthy of notice.

Whatever other influences may have tended to establish, or may now tend to the perpetuation and spread of the gospel, it is apparent that Jesus expected the convincing power of the Word itself to be re-enforced chiefly by right living on the part of his disciples; more especially right living in our relation to our fellow-men. (Matt. v, 16.) "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matt. xiii, 33) "Another parable spake he unto them: The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened." The influence of one permeated by the spirit of the gospel extends to those near him as the influence of the leaven extends silently from particle to particle till the whole is leavened. (John viii.) "Then said Jesus to those Jews

which believed on him, If ye continue in my words, then are ye my disciples indeed."

In the last discourse of Jesus to his disciples, in which his mind was evidently intently fixed on the perpetuation and spread of the gospel he had established, in which he said, “As the branch can not bear fruit of itself except it abide in the vine, no more can ye except ye abide in me," in this discourse which seems to look into the future, it is with painful solicitude in regard to the lives his disciples would lead that he five times, in slightly-varying words, assures them that their lives-their keeping his wordswould manifest their love to him. Let me quote these words spoken in the shadow of the cross (John xiv, 15, 21, 24): “If ye love me, keep my commandments;" "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him;" "If a man love me, he will keep my words;" "He that loveth me not, keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me;"

xv, 14: "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." In this same discourse the disciples are also assured of the love of Christ on the same conditions, not only in the words quoted before, "And I will love him," but also in these (xv, 10): “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love."

The apostles and New Testament writers take the keynote of their teaching from the teaching of Jesus, and place the same emphasis on morality. I need not tire the reader with many selections from the apostles, who continue the instruction in religion and morality which we have found taking its unvarying way through a period of fifteen hundred years, and through a considerable library of books embodied in the Bible.

James i, 26, 27: "If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, that man's religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from

the world." Having made this selection, I have looked farther in James to see what would best illustrate my subject, but I find I should either desist or quote the whole book, for consistent living is what it is about. The reader will find it in his New Testament (the General Epistle of James). The reader of the epistle will certainly learn that "Faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone."

The apostles were careful to lead the early disciples into good citizenship in the countries where their lot might be cast. I Peter ii, 13, 14: "Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king as supreme; or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evil-doers, and for the praise of them that do well." Romans xiii:

"For rulers are not works, but to the evil.

a terror to good

Wilt thou then not

be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same.” "Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience' sake. For, for this cause pay ye tribute also: for

they are God's ministers attending continually on this very thing."

The disciples are not merely urged in various terms to live amicably with one an other, but to make all possible effort to be at peace with every one. Romans xii, 17, 18: "Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men."

That the teachings of Jesus and the apostles are such as might be expected to develop the finer qualities of human nature. and to repress the baser-to develop Dr. Jekyl and to repress Mr. Hyde—might readily be more fully shown; but I fear the reader would tire with the multitude of quotations. The Bible is certainly emphatic in teaching that the religious man should be moral. It might be shown to be no less emphatic in teaching that the moral man should be religious.

The course of instruction we have been considering is designed not merely to prepare people for heaven. It is also to indicate