that the impression
of absolute perfection, free from all limitations of race or country or
epoch or individual character--and yet not a vague abstraction but a
true living Person--has been printed upon the minds and hearts of the
world by these four little pamphlets which we call gospels! I do not
think that there is anything in the whole history of literature to
compare with the impression of veracity and historical reality and
individual personality which is made by these fragmentary narratives.
And although it has nothing to do with my present subject, I may just
say in a sentence that it seems to me that the character of Jesus Christ
as painted in the Gospels, in its incomparable vividness and vitality,
is one of the strongest evidences for the simple faithfulness as
biographies, of these books. Nothing else but the Man seen could have
resulted in such compositions.

But apart altogether from that, how blessed it is that we have not to
enter upon any lengthened investigations, far beyond the power of
average minds, in order to get hold of the fundamental laws of moral
conduct! How blessed it is that all the harshness of 'Obey this law or
die' is by His life changed into 'Look at Me, and, for My love's sake,
study Me and be like Me!' This is the blessed peculiarity which gives
all its power and distinctive characteristic to the morality of the
Gospel, that law is changed from a statuesque white ideal, pure as
marble and cold and lifeless as it, into a living Person with a
throbbing heart of love, and an outstretched hand of help, whose word
is, 'If ye love Me, keep My commandments, and be like Me.'

Christian men and women! study Jesus Christ. That is the Alpha and Omega
of all right knowledge of duty and of all right practice of it. Learn
Him, His self-suppression, His self-command, His untroubled calmness,
His immovable patience, His continual gentleness, His constant reference
of all things to the Father's will. Study these. To imitate Him is
blessedness; to resemble Him is perfection. 'Ye have learned Christ' if
you are Christians at all. You have at least begun the alphabet, but oh!
in Him 'are hid all the treasures,' not only 'of wisdom and knowledge,'
but of 'whatsoever things are lovely and of good report'; and 'if there
is any virtue, and if there is any praise,' we shall find them in Him
who is our Lesson, our perfect Lesson.

But that is not all. Lessons are very well, but--dear me!--the world
wants so