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clean thing shall enter into his kingdom. Did they, like the noble 

 Bereans, search the scriptures, and humbly meditate on the Word 

 of God, they would find all the divine attributes to be in perfect 

 harmony; they would know, by happy experience, that under the 

 gospel dispensation, " Mercy and Truth are met together, Righte- 

 ousnes and Peace have kissed each other." They would see that 

 Christianity does not extinguish the love of fame, the noblest sub- 

 lunary reward for patriotic virtue; but that it enables its votaries 

 to soar beyond worldly honours, to transcendent glory, to a crown 

 of glory, unfading, eternal, in the heavens ! Here, the laurels of 

 the victor, and the wreath of the patriot, often droop from the 

 breath of slander, and wither by the blast of envy: nor, in their 

 best estate, can they long encircle an earthly brow; but the crown 

 which awaits the Christian hero, is celestial and everlasting! 



Neither does the Christian religion abolish the natural desires 

 and propensities of the human heart, it only purifies the principle 

 and defines their limits. It is no enemy to pleasure, but chastens 

 and moderates its alluring tendencies. If an earthly parent delights 

 to see his children happy, surely our heavenly Father is pleased to 

 see that heart cheerful which he accepts as his sacrifice. " My 

 son, give me thy heart," is the divine request. The Israelitish mo- 

 narch, in a state of penitence and humiliation, says, " the sacrifice 

 of God is a broken heart, and a contrite spirit ;" such must be the 

 language of every sincere penitent, when he knows the conse- 

 quence of sin, and beholds the loving-mercy of his offended 

 Maker. But the Word of Truth, which cannot be divided, (nor 

 like the Hindoo Sastras be mutilated for various purposes, suited 

 to different castes) proves that God has given us all things richly 



