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is studded with sparkling gems, and sustained by mountain columns whose capitals are brilliant glaciers of magnificent proportions, and carved with more than Corinthian elegance. To them the sun shines forth through the stained windows of the East, only to sparkle in the dew-drops, or to paint the flowers, or to relieve with

hope, and love; but the greatest of these is love." Among the redeemed there will eternally be something to believe, and something to hope for: the three sisters are all immortal, but love is the fairest and the most exalted. Faith and hope are means to an end. The product, the result is love. God is love; it is his name and his nature: hence all his marvel-light and shade the imagery of earth lous dealings are designed to conform us to his own nature, and transform us into his resemblance. We, as dear children, are to be imitators of God; imitation grows into likeness in the divine household as it does in the human. Victorious overflowing love is the consummation-love stronger than death, and more sacred than life-love continually rising to that supernal source whence issues all things pure and vital. In such love, awakened by him who first loved us, there is strength and joy-deed, to them, is but a magnificent there is life, power, and consecration. Duty loses its stern aspect, and appears bland and beautiful. Pains are ministering angels, and sorrows are sanctified and salutary. Heaven is around the heart, and God dwells there for evermore.

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SANCTUARY.-No. V.

"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty."-Ps. xc. 1.

THERE is a religion of the imagination, as there is a religion of the intellect, or of the heart; for God may be an object of fancy, as well as of reason, or of love. Alas, how many are the gifted souls who dream away the trial-time of life in vain illusions, unawakened to the realities of true devotion! And how earnestly they seek to prolong those visions of ideal beauty, and dwell within those palaces of enchantment which have arisen at their pleasure!

To them this universe is but as a fairy mansion, whose cerulean dome

and heaven; and he sinks into the golden æreal seas of the West, amidst clustered islands, glowing with the tints of the ruby and the amethyst, the fancied residence of perpetual delight. The orbs of the firmament are, to them, the lamps which night suspends to the lofty vault, to cast a silvery radiance over field, and stream, and forest, and increase enjoyment by the charms of variety, and the mysterious wonders of her still and shadowy hours. The whole earth, in

suite of apartments, carpeted with verdure, or paved with marble, and embellished with living pictures. In the vast halls and spacious courts of their abode, the ear is soothed with the melody of birds, and the senses lulled by the murmur of gushing fountains, and the sweet odour of flowers, borne on the wings of gentle zephyrs. In its secret cabinets are treasures inexhaustible of gold, and silver, and precious stones. Its pleasure grounds—its gardens-its groves —its rivers, and lakes, and oceans, filled with the various tribes of animated nature-are created to be admired, and are but varied orders and forms of beauty. In a word, the world, with all that it contains, is, to them, but an exhibition of glory and beauty-an emanation from the Beautiful, which is their Deity and their IDOL. To this alone they offer the incense of their hearts-to this alone they build their altars, not only in the fair fields of Nature, but in the temples of Art. The sculptor, the painter, the musician, the architect, the poet, and the orator, are the true

their only oblation, and pleasure their sole pursuit.

priests of their religion. Praise is | yond earth's limits, in outer darkness and perpetual winter. It is this religion which inspires that spiritual pride which dogmatizes in matters of opinion; and that intolerant bigotry which persecutes in matters of faith. It is this religion which infuses into men the lust of power, and coolly calculates the profits of oppression. Before its tribunal, the rights of conscience are invalid, and the pleadings of the heart are disregarded, for its laws are the speculation of opinionism, and the decisions of its judges are the cold abstractions of a perverted reason. In a word, under its domination, to think right is to do right, and to worship reason is to worship God.

How generally are these the dreams of youth! How often, too, are they the only realities of manhood! How many there are who live merely to cull earth's fading flowers! How many there are who worship at no other shrine than that of an ideal perfection of beauty-a sensual image -a worldly sanctuary-an_earthly Zion, out of which the true Jehovah has never shone ! With them a refined taste is the true standard of piety; and an admiration of the works of the Creator, true devotion. Nor is their discernment of moral beauty less acute or accurate, than their perception of the charms of Nature. They contemplate, with delight, its noble examples-they honor and admire magnanimity and courage, patience and fortitude, benevolence and mercy, and all the moral virtues -but, unfortunately, as they commit the error of thinking piety to consist in a proper reverence for the beautiful in the works of God, so, they imagine that, in morals, to honor virtue is to possess it-and that to admire morality, is to practice it.

A thousand charms, however, cluster around this religion of the fancy, as compared with the barren and undecorated religion of the intellect. Here calm Philosophy seeks to analyze the organisms of the spiritual system; or, prying curiosity would dissect those outward forms from which all life and beauty have departed. Here minute distinctions, remote discoveries, ingenious speculations, are the grand essentials of both piety and morals. And, while the religion of the fancy would revel in the sun-light which imparts its splendours to earth, and delight to range amidst the charms of a terrestrial home, the religion of the intellect would soar aloft to seek the source of day; and, in the vain attempt to gain superior knowledge, become lost be

But oh that "Lamb as it had been slain !"—that form that was marred !-that loving heart that was pierced!-these sacred memorials of that divine love now spread before us! Surely it is not here that such religions as these can triumph. It is not in the sanctuary of God that we shall either bow in the chambers of imagery, or yield to the idolatry of reason.

"It

How poor, and weak, and valueless do they appear, when the heart feels the love of God, and the soul rejoices in the Beloved! How evanescent now the glories with which Fancy may deck her day - dreams! How visionary and false here are reason's partial revelation of the Infinite! It is Christ that died; yea, rather that hath risen again!" is God that justifieth: who is he that condemneth ?" "It is the Spirit that quickeneth: the flesh profiteth nothing." Before the cross of Jesus the magnificence of the earth is vanity, and the power of intellect but pride, And oh! how much have they to unlearn, who have been taught in these schools of error, before they can realize that God's grace is glory— that His foolishness is wiser than men, and His weakness superior strength !

But, oh my soul, rejoice thou in the Lord, and be joyful in the God of

thy salvation! The Lord God is a
sun and a shield-a strong tower of
defence to them that trust in him. He
crowneth thee with mercy and loving-
kindness, and satisfieth thee with
good things. He leadeth thee by the
still waters in the green pastures
where he feeds his flock. "He
guideth thee in the paths of right-
eousness for his name's sake." How
happy they who are permitted to
dwell in the courts of the Lord, and
to behold his beauty as he appeareth
in the sanctuary! Here shines for
ever the true lamp of wisdom-here
is continually provided the bread of
life—here ascends the most accepta-
ble incense-and, behind the veil of
outward symbols, we are admitted to
bow before the spiritual mercy-seat,
overshadowed by the wings of cheru-
bim and the radiant glory of the di-
vine presence.
For this is the house
of God-the " greater and more per-
fect tabernacle" which the Lord him-
self has erected for his own abode.
It is here he would receive the grate-
ful homage of the heart. It is here
that he will meet with those who love
him, and hope in his mercy.

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IN endeavoring to present the basis upon which, in our judgment, the reformation of the existing religious communities should rest, we have stated, by implication at least, two truths which we wish now to consider in their direct relations to each other. These truths are: 1. That the Christian community should be united by the ties of a common Christianity. That there should be one faith, universally received as evangelical, and one all-pervading family-affection,-a bond of perpetual peace. In other words, that all who profess faith in And it is here that the deceitful Christ should be united together as visions of Fancy must be exchanged one body, having Him alone as their for the sacred promises of Christian | head, and acknowledging a common Hope, and that Reason must be sub-standard of doctrine and of duty. 2. jected to the mysteries of Revelation. That, on the other hand, each indiviAnd oh, how gainful is that exchange! how blissful that subjection! For Christian Hope admits to scenes more glorious than unaided Fancy ever sketched, and the mysteries of Faith are more sublime than those of Rea

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dual member of that body, must for himself, at his own responsibility, and at his own peril, in the exercise of the right of private judgment, determine this faith, ascertain this doctrine, and render this obedience.

When these truths are thus placed side by side, they may appear irreconcilable with each other, at least to a mind disturbed and hesitating, in view of the endless dissensions and bitter controversies of the religious world. This contrariety, however, can only be apparent; for there can be no real inconsistency or incompatibility between any two truths in the universe. And that these are truths, is admitted clearly and definitely, at

least in theory, by the whole Protestant community. The first, indeed, is an express declaration of scripture; and the second is a necessary implication. For no one can act for himself, unless he first think for himself. And Christianity itself is denuded of all its sanctions and obligations, when man, to whom it is individually addressed, is denied permission individually to believe and obey it.

We candidly confess, indeed, that if the history of Protestantism were to be taken as an exemplification of the true nature and tendency of these principles, which, as we then stated, are among the original and essential features of this portion of Christendom, we should be constrained to admit them as fallacious. For how would it be possible to reconcile with these truths the sectarian antipathies, discords, feuds, and animosities that have prevailed among Protestants;-the divisions, heresies, and endless wars and fightings that have characterized every portion of this wide-spread reformation from Popery? It would seem, almost, at first view, as if, in seceding from Rome, and rejecting that unity which the latter boasts under the sovereign Pontiff, Protestants had plunged into a hopeless state of division; and that the very claim of private judgment itself had been the means in practice, of placing unity of faith or any other unity for ever beyond their reach. Could it be shown that such a result was the natural effect of these principles, in their just and legitimate application, there would be no longer any question of their fallacy, or that a blind submission to human dictation in matters of religion and conscience, should be regarded as the only safeguard of Christian faith and Christian unity.

This, however, cannot be shown. On the contrary, it is not difficult to perceive that these divisions have originated from unlawful restrictions of the rights of conscience, and from an intolerant bigotry, which sought under

false pretences, to wrest from the people the privileges of which we speak. And it must surely, by this time, be evident to the whole Protestant world, that it is utterly impossible to attain Christian unity by persisting in the course heretofore pursued. This method has produced, indeed, nothing but discord from the time of Carlstadt until now; so that the history of Protestantism is really but the history of partyism; a sad detail of religious strifes; a sickening record of litigation at the bar of undecided opinionism.

But if the Protestant world can be convinced that the course which has been pursued results in religious dissensions, there is also another fact of which the same experience may convince them, viz: that all this sectarian animosity and prejudice has failed to prevent entirely a spiritual unity amongst the truly enlightened, liberal, and pious of opposing parties. This fact, fortunately, stands forth in bold relief, and while it demonstrates that unity is not incompatible with liberty of judgment, it proves, still further, that the real tendencies of heart-felt religion are to produce peace and unity, and that whatever creates or perpetuates division, must be opposed to Christianity. When men, who, in the deliberate exercise of judgment, have attached themselves to different religious bodies, are able by the elevating influences of divine truth and love, to rise above the narrow limits of sectarian prejudice, and to embrace each other as children of a common Father, and heirs of a common inheritance, the power of these divine principles is shown to be such that they require but a fair and open field of action to gain a complete and glorious triumph.

There is, then, through the influence of divine truth, and in direct opposition to the genius of sectarianism, a union of heart between the pious. Amidst the conflict of parties, the shock of contending creeds, the theological thunders of anathemas,

and the fires of persecution, there have been always found some who have alike distinguished with trembling reverence the still small voice of God himself, and have each pondered in doubt and solicitude the inquiry, "What doest thou here?" Amidst the interminable debates of partizans, there have been some who have felt as Christians, and recognized the image of the divine object of their affections, even amongst the opposing hosts, and with the tender cares of charity have sought to heal the wounds which bigotry had inflicted. But

"Neither,"

sider, dispassionately, the express objects and tendencies of Christianity, without perceiving at once that partyism and discussion are as remote and distinct from these designs and tendencies as earth from heaven. It is in direct opposition to such alienations and divisions, that the Apostle has declared there is one body, as there is one Spirit, one Lord, one faith; and that he so earnestly besought Christians to be of one mind, to speak the same things, and to have no divisions among them. It is in reference to the same matter that the this is merely a spiritual union-a Lord prays the Father to keep the secret sympathy. It is an invisible disciples whom he had given him, union, while there is, at the same | that they might be one. moment, a most visible disunion. It | adds he, “ pray I for these alone, but is a star of hope, however, amidst the clouds of the tempest. It is the Spirit of God moving upon the face of chaos. It is Christianity itself, struggling amidst the discordant elements of human passion, to bring order out of confusion, and create anew the heavens and the earth. But is not this mighty spirit to throw off the burden of human crimes and follies? Must it struggle for ever in an un-gion, is not such a religion disemboequal conflict? However unjustly it may have been once shorn of its strength, is not its power increasing in the prison-house of its foes ? And may we not hope to see a visible, as there is an invisible unity in the family of God?

There are many who regard such a unity as impracticable. Discouraged with the prospect, they are disposed to "bear the ills they have," and seek to convince themselves that no visible union was ever contemplated in the Christian system. They even seek to justify the schisms of Christendom, on the ground that they induce greater vigilance, and serve to maintain purity of doctrine and discipline, and greater activity amongst the religious com munity. But evil is never justified, because it may, by an over-ruling hand, be made productive of good. Nor is it possible for any one to con

for them also which shall believe on me through their word, that they all may be one; as thou Father art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that thou hast sent me." It is by a visible union among Christians alone that the world can be convinced of the divine mission of Jesus Christ. Christianity, though a spiritual reli

died. It rules the body, as the soul. It has its externals, as its internalsits form as well as its power. It must be recognized by its results, and among these there are none more characteristic than unity, peace, and good-will among men.

In the present effort at reformation, it is this unity which has been chiefly urged upon the religious community. Christian union and intercommunion were the original and ruling thoughts with those with whom this movement began. To produce another schism -to add a new party to those already existing, was abhorrent to their feelings and their principles. It was, indeed, for the very purpose of avoiding this, that they, in the beginning, united with one of the principal denominations of the day, after a candid statement of their actual position, and of the basis of union which they ap

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