is, that Christ has made the world so well, that sooner
or later every wise and just act rewards itself, every foolish and unjust
act punishes itself, by the very constitution of nature and society,
which again are laid down by Christ. But what of the nobler, the non-
prudential, and non-paying virtues?--call them rather graces.--Them we
shall teach our children--as I believe we can only teach them rationally
and logically, either to children or to grown-up people--by pointing them
to Christ upon His cross, and saying to them, "Behold your God!"

For so we shall be able to train them in the orthodox doctrine of morals,
which is--

That there is nothing good in man which is not first in God.

We shall be able to make them comprehend what we mean when we tell them
that they are members of Christ, and must live the Life of Christ; that
they are children of God, and as such must imitate their Father, and
become perfect, even as their Father in heaven is perfect.

For we shall say--The pure and perfect graces, the disinterested virtues,
the unselfish virtues--obedience, mercy, chivalry, beneficence,
magnanimity, heroism,--in one word, self-sacrifice--beautiful these are:
but are they necessary? are they mere ornaments? or are they sacred
duties? The duty which dares and suffers for the thing it ought to do;
the love which dares and suffers for the thing it loves; the unselfish
spirit which looks for no reward:--why should these dwell in man? To
that we shall answer--Because they dwell for ever in God. If we are
asked--Why are they beautiful in man? we shall answer--Because they are
the very beauty and glory of God; the glory which the Incarnate Word of
God manifested to men, when He hung on the cross of Calvary; and was more
utterly then, if possible, than ever, The Word of God: because He then
declared most utterly to men the character and essence of God. Love
which is not content--as what true love is?--to be a passive sentiment, a
self-contained possibility, but which must go out of itself, pitying,
yearning, agonizing, to seek, to struggle, to suffer, and, if need be, to
die for the creature which it loves, even if that creature love it not
again.

We need not say this to children. We need only point them to Christ upon
His cross, and trust Christ to say it to them, in their heart of hearts,
through instincts too deep for words. All we need say to our children
is--"Behold your God! He it is who inspires you