e divine origin of certain institutions and
injunctions. For instance, the Chinese hold, as one of their
religious beliefs, that parents have a paramount claim to the
affections of their sons and daughters, long after they have been
married and settled in the world; whereas our Saviour teaches
that a man should leave father and mother and cleave to his
wife, and the wife leave father and mother and cleave to her
husband. And as, in the case of the dead and living child,
Solomon sought his evidence in the feelings of the women that
came before him, and determined _her_ to be the true mother in
whom he found the true mother's love and regard, I would seek my
evidence, in this other case, in the affections of human
nature; and ask them whether they declared for the law of the
Chinese Baal, or for that of Him who implanted them in the
heart. And how prompt and satisfactory the reply! The love
which of twain makes one flesh approves itself, in all
experience, to be greatly stronger and more engrossing than that
which attaches the child to the parent; and while we see the
unnatural Chinese law making the weaker traverse and overrule
the stronger affection, and thus demonstrating its own
falsity, we find the law of Christ exquisitely concerting with
the nature which Christ gave, and thus establishing its own
truth. Now, regarding the commission of the minister of the
gospel,' he continued, 'I put a similar question to the
affections, and receive from them a not less satisfactory reply.
The God who gave the commission does inspire a love for him
who truly bears it; ay, a love but even too engrossing at times,
and that, by running to excess, defeats its proper end, by making
the servant eclipse in the congregational mind the Master whose
message he bears. But I do believe that the sentiment, like the
order to which it attaches, is, in its own proper place, of
divine appointment. It is a preparation for the reception in
love of the gospel message. God does not will that His
message should be injured by any prejudice against the bearer
of it; and that His will in this matter might be adequately
carried out, was one of the grand objects of our contendings
in the Church controversy. But we are not to calculate on the
existence of any such strong feeli