The Principles of Christian Morality. 159 mind of man had retained from the first revelations of God, or acquired by its own intuitive force; but knitting these fragments into one body of truth, and quickening it with heavenly life. Let us briefly recapitulate those great moral principles which distinguish Christian morality, and place an impassable gulf between the ancient Pagan and the modern Christian world. 1. The law of sacrifice, or of spontaneous and self-denying love. 2. The dignity and worth of human nature. 3. The equality of all men, who are children of one Father, and heirs of a common salvation. 4. The chivalrous respect with which woman is honoured; not only because of her equal spiritual prerogative with man, but because of the Christian lesson, that the measure of ampler strength is to be the measure of willing service. 5. The glory of inviolable truth, not only in faith but in confession. 6. The control of principle over not only the outward but the inward ebullitions of passion. 7. The supremacy of devotion to God in Christ. 8. The duty and noble grace of forgiveness. 9. The honour of humility. 10. The certainty of an everlasting judgment. These moral principles may be considered to form the distinctive moral doctrine of Christianity, rooted in and associated with the peculiar religious doctrines which it reveals how they have leavened Christendom, it would take volumes to describe. But let our readers look back and see whether a single one of these Christian principles is deducible from M. Renan's Life of Jesus. Not one. They all spring from that glorious revelation of the mystery of godliness, God manifest in the flesh. A legend it may be; but it is the master-light of all our seeing, the well-head of all Christian thought and life. Christian civilisation is rooted in it. And so that miracle recurs, the only impossible miracle that can be conceived: the truth and beauty of humanity, whatsoever is most pure, and lovely, and honourable, if there be any virtue, and any praise,-these have sprung from 160 The "Vie de Jésus" no Gospel to Sinners. falsehood. In Arnold's words, "Truth and goodness are at variance with each other," and there is no God. In concluding our last section, we marked the fatal defect, that the "Vie de Jésus" took no account of the moral aspects and influence of Christ's life. Now we conclude our review by the equally fatal accusation :— This book takes no account of the religious needs of man, or of the satisfaction which the religion of Jesus yields, or at least professes to yield. The Life of Jesus is written without the morality, the religion of Jesus. Now, we affirm, the power, the triumph, the security of His religion, is its truth; and its truth is manifest, not only by the evidences which authenticate its Divine origin, but by its adaptation to human want. The burden of sin weighs heavily. The stain of sin burns hotly. The sting of death is sin. "Who shall deliver us from this body of death?" This is the uneasy moan of unawakened sinners. This is the shrill anguished cry of the awakened: "Who shall deliver us?" God, who alone can answer, has said, "Thou shalt call His name JESUS; for He shall save His people from their sins." And we "thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord." THE END. Edinburgh: Printed by Ballantyne & Co. WORKS PUBLISHED BY H. J. TRESIDDER, 17 AVE MARIA LANE, PATERNOSTER ROW. TWENTY-SEVENTH THOUSAND, With Engravings, 12mo, cloth, price 4s., post free, Seven Years' Street Preaching in San Francisco. BY REV. W. TAYLOR. "The book itself is so thoroughly good, so deeply interesting, and so replete with wise counsels and examples of what street preaching ought to be, that we cannot but wish it a wide circulation. The writer tells his story with the simplicity and directness of a child; and the incidents related are of the most unusual and romantic kind. Too much cannot be said of the nervous, plain, vigorous style of the author's preaching. For clearness, directness, and force, the specimens given in this book have never been surpassed."London Quarterly Review. BY THE SAME AUTHOR, TWENTY-FOURTH THOUSAND, Illustrated with 16 Engravings, price 4s., post free, Californian Life Illustrated. "Those who desire new aspects of human life and society, will find them in this volume. It is replete with such pictures as the British eye never sees. The book is by far the best on California that has yet appeared. It is better worth hundreds of thousands of editions than the most brilliant novel t at has yet seen the light. We greatly admire the book, and desire for it a very extensive circulation."-British Standard. 17 Ave Maria Lane, Paternoster Row. 2 WORKS PUBLISHED BY H. J. TRESIDDER, Crown Svo, cloth, Second Edition, Third Thousand, price 5s., THE MOTHER OF THE WESLEYS. BY THE REV. JOHN KIRK. "This memoir of the mother of the Wesleys is not merely a book for the season, but a biography for all time. The talented author has entered con amore upon his task, and has wrought out a portraiture of surpassing excellence. Accuracy of statement is combined with aptitude of quotation, and the whole surroundings are filled in with the vigour and precision of an artist's pencil."-Church Standard. "There is one chapter, on Mrs Wesley's 'Modes of Education,' which has so much interested us, that we have inserted nearly the whole of it in another portion of our pages. . • .. We cordially thank Mr Kirk for this valuable addition to our religious biography, which will be acceptable to all Christians."-Sunday-School Teacher's Magazine. 66 We wish the widest possible circulation to this beautiful book."Wesleyan Methodist Magazine. "This instructive, charming, and suggestive volume."-Watchman. "Marked by great good sense and originality."—Methodist Recorder. "Will speedily find its way into every Methodist family."-Irish Evangelist. "The excellent work before us."-Morning Advertiser. "Crowded with incident."-Christian World. "Will produce in the mind of the reader feelings such as far surpass those of the sensational writing, for which, in the present day, there is such a rage."-British Standard. "We would not grudge the price of the book for the last chapter."— Wesleyan Times. "A volume of real interest and usefulness."-Sunday Teacher's Treasury. "A valuable addition not merely to Wesleyan but to general Christian literature."-Baptist Reporter. "This volume of Mr Kirk's will be prized by all to whom the memory of a beautiful Christian wife and mother is a pleasant and delightful subject for review."-Eclectic. "Every mother should read this book."-Mother's Treasury. 17 Ave Maria Lane, Paternoster Row. WORKS PUBLISHED BY H. J. TRESIDDER. 3 Demy Svo, Double Columns, Toned Paper, cloth, price 15s., A CYCLOPÆDIA OF Illustrations of Moral and Religious Truths; CONSISTING OF DEFINITIONS, METAPHORS, SIMILES, EMBLEMS, CONTRASTS, ANALOGIES, STATISTICS, Designed for the Pulpit, the Platform, the School, and the Family; SELECTED FROM AUTHORS, ANCIENT AND MODERN, BY REV. JOHN BATE, DEDICATED BY PERMISSION TO THE REV. T. JACKSON. THE following particulars may be enumerated, in which this work will be found to differ from all others : : I. IN ARRANGEMENT. The subjects are consecutively and analytically placed, so that, without examination of index, the illustrations desired can at once be found by a reference to the letters beginning the proper word of the subject. II. IN COMPREHENSIVENESS. Scarcely any point within the compass of religious knowledge and experience is omitted. The work contains between five and six thousand illustrations, gathered from four or five hundred authors. III. IN NEWNESS OF ILLUSTRATION. The greater proportion of the matter has never before appeared before the public, apart from the respective authors. 17 Ave Maria Lane, Paternoster Row. |