this
country, which dictates those personalities, which prevents
controversialists from seeing what is good in their opponents, which
attributes low motives to account for excellent lives, and teaches
men whom to suspect, and shun, rather than point out where it is
possible to admire and love--is a spirit "set on fire of hell."

Before we conclude, let us get at the root of the matter. "Man," says
the Apostle James, "was made in the image of God:" to slander man is
to slander God: to love what is good in man is to love it in God. Love
is the only remedy for slander: no set of rules or restrictions can
stop it; we may denounce, but we shall denounce in vain. The radical
cure of it is Charity--"out of a pure heart and faith unfeigned," to
feel what is great in the human character; to recognise with delight
all high, and generous, and beautiful actions; to find a joy even in
seeing the good qualities of your bitterest opponents, and to admire
those qualities even in those with whom you have least sympathy--be it
either the Romanist or the Unitarian--this is the only spirit which
can heal the love of slander and of calumny. If we would bless God, we
must _first_ learn to bless man, who is made in the image of God.

II.

_Preached May 5, 1850._

THE VICTORY OF FAITH.

"For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is
the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he
that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the
Son of God?"--1 John v. 4-5.

There are two words in the system of Christianity which have received
a meaning so new, and so emphatic, as to be in a way peculiar to it,
and to distinguish it from all other systems of morality and religion;
these two words are--the World, and Faith. We find it written in
Scripture that to have the friendship of the world is to be the enemy
of God--- whereupon the question arises--The world?--did not God make
the world? Did He not place us in the world? Are we not to love what
God has made? And yet meeting this distinctly we have the inspired
record, "Love not the World."

The object of the Statesman is, or ought to be, to produce as much
worldly prosperity as possible--but Christianity, that is Christ,
speaks little of this world's prosperity, underrates it--nay, speaks
of it at times as infinitely dangerous.

The legislator prohibits crime--the moralist transgression