as worn in life, seated themselves by the rostra, in the curule-chairs, while the nearest descendant recounted the deeds of the departed warrior or statesman. Was it not some word of God in the hearts of those old Romans which taught them thus to make life triumphant over death, and to carry the body to the tomb, not talking of what was lost, but of what was won and saved? God sends his consolations and his intuitions of truth into every race; and the human hearts of his children cry aloud to him, for comfort in their sorrow, from all countries and lands, and are fed.

The rules of Christian bounty are therefore simple. First, it should be generous. Jesus says, "Give, hoping for nothing again." Secondly, it should be modest. Jesus says, "When thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth." Thirdly, it should be spontaneous, not waiting to be sought for, or following routine. Many persons give only where they are expected to give; not taking the initiative, but always waiting till they are asked. But true bounty is like the man in the Gospel who went out into the highway, and called those in to his feast who expected no such invitation, and were no doubt much surprised at it. And, fourthly, all true bounty proceeds from love to God and man. For "though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and have not love, it profiteth me nothing." Such are the rules of Christian bounty. And all such bounty resembles the divine bounty; for God gives cheerfully

God gives The gifts of

and generously. He gives, hoping for nothing again; for he gives to the bad man, who makes no return, as well as to the good. His sun shines on the unthankful as well as upon the grateful. cheerfully. All nature is full of cheer. God fall freely and willingly from the skies. He also gives a thousand things secretly, as well as openly, not letting his left hand know what his right hand doeth. He hides his mercies, so that we do not know them till long after. He conceals his blessings under the form of evils. Again: the gifts of God are spontaneous. He gives without waiting to be asked. He not only answers our prayer, but teaches us how to pray. And, finally, he gives all from love: for love is his essence; and the explanation of all existence, of all history, of all life, is to be found in the necessary activity of infinite love. If we would be the children of our Father in heaven, let us give as he does. Let us give like him in these particulars, and we shall give well, whether we give our means, ourselves, or that which is most dear to us. Give cheerfully, not grudgingly; give modestly, not ostentatiously; give generously, not selfishly; give spontaneously, and not as of necessity; and, in all these, give lovingly.

Jesus was a man of sorrows. But the greatest artists, in painting his features, have recognized that beneath all sorrow was a perfect peace. The mediaval and monkish artists gave him an expression of dejection, and of passive submission to inevitable ill ; but the greater painters who succeeded joined in

the Master's face the perfect harmony of sorrow and joy, blended and made at one in a divine peace. Sorrow is there: for he had always before him human woe and sin; the imperfect present; the degraded and unworthy condition of man; the soul enchained, and held down from its great ideal. But a deeper joy is also there, joy in the sense that God was with and in every struggling soul, every aspiration for good, every hunger and thirst after righteousness. These artists are right; for Jesus began his first sermon, not by saying, "Cursed are the heretics," but by saying, "Blessed are the pure in spirit; " not by saying, "Cursed are the sinners," but "Blessed are those who mourn over their sin." They are blessed while they Like their Master, they are happier in their grief than others in their gladness.

mourn.

"God loves a cheerful giver." Jesus was his wellbeloved Son, giving himself cheerfully for man, giving his life a ransom for many. God loves us when we follow Jesus, when we are cheerful in our submission; cheerful in our sacrifice; cheerful in our trial; cheerful in our loneliness, our bereavement, our sorrow; cheerful even in our struggle with sin, — knowing that we shall come off conquerors, and more than conquerors, through him who loved us; and that nothing can separate us from the love of God.

XVII.

THE GRACE OF GOD.

Eph. ii. 8: "BY GRACE YE ARE SAVED, THROUGH FAITH; AND THAT NOT OF YOURSELVES: IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD."

EVERY THING which we have in this world

-all our joy, our culture, our powers of body and mind, our outward and inward wealth comes to us in one of two ways: it comes with or without our own efforts; it comes as a consequence of what we do, or without any reference to what we do; it comes as retribution, in the form of reward and punishment; or it comes as free gift or grace. When good comes to us in consequence of what we have done, we call it reward; when evil comes in consequence of what we have done, we call it punishment; when good comes, not in consequence of any thing we have done, we call it grace, a free gift, or mercy; when evil comes, not in consequence of what we have done, we do not call it punishment, but trial, discipline, education.

These are the two sides of life; these are the two laws which govern us all. Gift and payment, — these are the positive and negative poles of human life.

Now, moralists lay the greatest stress on the law of retribution, while religious people lay the greatest stress on the law of grace. When the question is. raised, "How is one to be saved?" moralists reply, "By works, by doing one's duty, by trying to obey God, by being faithful in all relations of life." Religious people, on the contrary, -all Orthodox theologians especially, - say, "Not at all. We are not saved by works, but by grace, through faith. It is the pure work of God, no work of ours, which saves us, if we are saved.”

Now, I shall try to show that the theologians are nearer right than the moralists on this point. Herein I shall, no doubt, depart from the traditions of the Unitarians; for Unitarians have, on this subject, usually sided with the moralists, and not with the theologians. I shall, however, also depart in this discussion somewhat from the theologians, because I shall translate the whole matter out of the language of theology into that of common life and daily experience. Instead of saying, "By grace we are saved, through faith; and that not of ourselves: it is the gift of God," I would put it in this form, as being more intelligible :

"Every one, in his heart, desires to be better than he is. Every one would like to be, not a bad, but a good man. No one desires to be mean, false, cowardly; but each wishes to be noble, generous, pure, true, loving, and beloved. We all would like to lead a higher, nobler, better life than we do. Now,