men whom to suspect, and shun, rather than point out where it is possible to admire and love—­is a spirit “set on fire of hell.”

Before we conclude, let us get at the root of the matter.  “Man,” says the Apostle James, “was made in the image of God:”  to slander man is to slander God:  to love what is good in man is to love it in God.  Love is the only remedy for slander:  no set of rules or restrictions can stop it; we may denounce, but we shall denounce in vain.  The radical cure of it is Charity—­“out of a pure heart and faith unfeigned,” to feel what is great in the human character; to recognise with delight all high, and generous, and beautiful actions; to find a joy even in seeing the good qualities of your bitterest opponents, and to admire those qualities even in those with whom you have least sympathy—­be it either the Romanist or the Unitarian—­this is the only spirit which can heal the love of slander and of calumny.  If we would bless God, we must first learn to bless man, who is made in the image of God.

 II.

 Preached May 5, 1850.

 THE VICTORY OF FAITH.

“For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world:  and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.  Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?”—­1 John v. 4-5.

There are two words in the system of Christianity which have received a meaning so new, and so emphatic, as to be in a way peculiar to it, and to distinguish it from all other systems of morality and religion; these two words are—­the World, and Faith.  We find it written in Scripture that to have the friendship of the world is to be the enemy of God—–­ whereupon the question arises—­The world?—­did not God make the world?  Did He not place us in the world?  Are we not to love what God has made?  And yet meeting this distinctly we have the inspired record, “Love not the World.”

The object of the Statesman is, or ought to be, to produce as much worldly prosperity as possible—­but Christianity, that is Christ, speaks little of this world’s prosperity, underrates it—­nay, speaks of it at times as infinitely dangerous.

The legislator prohibits crime—­the moralist transgression—­the religionist sin.  To these Christianity superadds a new enemy—­the world and the things of the world.  “If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

The other word used in a peculiar sense is Faith.  It is impossible for any one to have read his Bible ever so negligently, and not to be aware that the word Faith, or the grace of Faith, forms a large element in the Christian system.  It is said to work miracles, remove mountains, justify the soul, trample upon impossibilities.  Every apostle, in his way, assigns to faith a primary importance.  Jude tells us to “build up ourselves in our