seem destined to bear blossoms and fruits only for this life, become so many roots to fix the tree of spiritual life more firmly in the eternal ground of his being. For if faith, or the trust of the spirit in its own essence, is the groundwork, and if love, or a vital interest in perfection, in truth, goodness, and beauty, is the soul of religion, then it may well be said of every one who has enjoyed a German education, that his mind has been nurtured in religion, that in it he has lived and moved and had his very being. He feels as if his great parent, even his own father-land, had presented him early, while yet a child, to the God of his fathers, and obtained for him a blessing with promise, that the Great Spirit who made him in his own image, who gave him this hard earth for his cradle, will guide him also through its wilderness, will feed his starving soul with the bread of life and the cup of salvation, and, when made perfect by suffering and endurance to the end, will raise him again in his own likeness.' — pp. 17, 18.

It would be superfluous for us to recommend the Discourse, of which we have given this slight notice, to the attention of our studious men. It has been extensively read, and has received the testimony of public favor to which it is richly entitled. We hope to see other fruits of the Professorship which the author holds, equally valuable with this Discourse.

ART. IX. The Life of John Locke, with Extracts from his Correspondence, Journals, and Common-Place Books. By Lord KING. New Edition. With considerable Additions. In two volumes. 8vo. London. 1830.

IT is remarkable, considering the distinguished rank which Locke has always held among the great names of England, that so little is known of his personal habits and the incidents of his life. It is not, of course, to be supposed that the life of such a man could abound in adventures; but, according to the true understanding of biography, events are of greater or less importance, in proportion as they throw light upon the character and mind of the person described. Thus in the life of Napoleon, some little incident within the

walls of his palace gives us a better idea of the man, than a full description of Austerlitz or Marengo. We want to know the man, before we follow him to the open fields of glory or shame. Lord King has undertaken to supply this defect in the case of Locke; and we are indebted to him for his good intentions, if not for the manner in which he has discharged his trust. With his talents and materials he might have made a more entertaining work; still it is encouraging to our hopes for the human race, to see that a British peer can take an interest in such matters, and knows how to reverence that nobility of mind, which cannot be transmitted by succession, and which derives its patent only from the King of kings.

We consider Locke as one of the best examples of the Christian character; and when we present him as such, we hope we shall not be accused of wandering wide from our subject, if we attempt to correct some wrong impressions concerning that character. The general impression is, that it is meek almost to effeminacy. Men distinguish between the manly and the Christian character; they use the word man, as if it were almost the reverse of Christian; they understand by a good man something less than a good Christian; that is, they regard goodness, not as the improvement made by religion in human nature, they look upon it as something which Christianity puts in place of our nature. Thus they keep themselves in the dark as to what Christianity requires them to do. They aim at something which is impossible; they attempt to root out all the feelings which God has planted in their souls, and to plant the tree of life in their stead. The whole process is a thing only done in imagination; it is as much out of the question in reality, as for the surgeon to tear out a diseased heart, and replace it with a new one. But this is not the way with Christianity. That admirable religion takes the human heart as God made it; it takes man as he is. It does not tell him, that, before he begins its duties, he must be something different from what he is; because its whole object is to make him something different from what he is now; not by a sudden change or substitution, but by the gradual change of improvement, to make him a wiser, happier, and better man. When the first man was told to cultivate the garden, he did not begin by cutting down every other tree

that the tree of life might have room to grow and spread; nor does Christianity make a similar destruction in the heart. So far from destroying the manly character, Christianity aims to give a finish, grace, and perfection to its virtues.

By forgetting or never knowing this truth, that a good Christian is nothing more nor less than a good man, confusion has been brought into morals and reproach cast upon Christianity. Our religion has too often passed for an unmanly faith, — amiable enough, but not strong, a faith of feelings and raptures, a faith, which loves better to sit by the fireside counting up its virtues, than to march out to the open ground of active duty. The result has been, that many firm and sagacious men have taken a prejudice against it. If they went to the Scriptures, they would find that all is not Christianity that bears the name; but they do not go to them; and they look on this faith with a condescension approaching to scorn. For themselves, they want none of it; but as they they think it may comfort some weak and gentle souls, they will not say a word against it; it is harmless, and they let it stand. If they would read to ascertain what the faith really is, they would be astonished to find what energy there is in it, and how gloriously it inspired its disciples, apostles, and martyrs. They had more of the oak about them than of the weeping willow; there were spirits among them as brave and manly as ever led an army's van; so far from being unmanly, our religion affords in its records the most energetic and practical displays of character ever seen in the world.

There seems to be a mutual misunderstanding between men of the world and Christians. Christians speak of the manly character as if it were something assuming, jealous, and revengeful; they talk as if manly spirit consisted in asserting one's rights, honor, and independence on all occasions, and in making blood atone for every imaginary insult and wrong. This is not, however, a description of a man. The man is collected within himself; he is not easily persuaded that others can injure his feelings or his fame; he is sure that they cannot reach his soul. The man does not put it in the power of others to insult and wound him; he feels like despising insults, where others are furious to revenge them. The manly character, as enlightened men of the world understand it, is calm and forbearing, as well as strong and com

manding. It is, where it is found genuine, it is the very character Christianity desires to enlist in its service; because, furnished with Christian principles and aims, it will move deliberately and surely onward in that improvement which bears the corruptible up to incorruption and the mortal to immortality. Why then do so many preachers misrepresent this character? why speak of it as if it were made up still of the vices of heathenism, and the follies of chivalry, and never had been changed in the least by the influence of our religion. Can they not see that by so doing they embalm the evil? They insist upon it that it is manly to avenge insults. This is not true; but if they insist on saying it, they must not complain if others believe it, and if those who aspire, as the young always do, to be manly, without knowing precisely what it means, should be led by their own teaching to cherish vices for virtues, and shame instead of glory. On the other hand, men of the world mistake the Christian character yet more widely; they say to themselves, 'How timid and abject it is! how entirely it narrows the mind! how it prevents all vigorous action! It would take the man of business, and tell him to spend life in lonely musings; it would call men home from the ground of action, to cherish feelings and note down emotions; it would tell the thoughtful man to refrain from all independent research, and never to look beyond the letter. In a word, Christianity, as men of the world understand it, is not a very forcible nor intellectual thing; but, because it is harmless and well-meaning, they pay respect to its institutions, and to the hearts in which it resides.

We would ask, What is the prevailing idea of Jesus Christ? Do not men conceive him, with a face of delicate and surpassing beauty, with a manner of graceful humility, with an eye that could not kindle, and a brow that could not frown? Such is the form in which fancy has delighted to paint the Son of God; forgetting that he had active virtues also, and that this picture, so unlike the Oriental features, conveys not the least impression of his mind or power. We confess that this would be a trifle, did it not show that the character is misunderstood. For where is the energy that kept him in never-weary action? where is the eye, which never slept till the last duty of the day was done? where the deep thought which gave birth to his matchless

wisdom? where the wondrous might, by which in the presence of death he kept down the mortal agony, and made the storm in his breast be still? Instead of representing one who was born of the Hebrew race, and exposed to a vertical sun, as pale and delicate, we would even prefer to take literally the prophetic description, and believe that he had no form nor comeliness, no beauty that they should desire. him; but his visage was marred more than any of the children of men by his exposure to the elements and his long acquaintance with grief. We cannot conceive him as bent and yielding; we should look for furrows and weather-stains upon the rock of ages; we should expect to find in his countenance the lines of patient thought, of glowing energy, of strong devotion, of courage which no suffering could break, of a heart which a thousand deaths could not bow. There never was a character, which had more force and firmness than that of Jesus Christ, and doubtless it was seen in his manner and form. The Jews said to him, 'Thou art not yet fifty years old'; and from this we may gather that the head which had borne the day's sunshine and the dews of night, bore the marks of manliness, hardship, and exposure. What was it which made the officers sent by the Pharisees, return, without daring to arrest him? What was

it which made the soldiers fall to the ground, when he said to them, I am he'? What was it, but the majesty with which he confronted the Roman governor, and in reply to the question, Art thou a king then?' said, 'Yes, I am a king.'

But we must say what constitutes the manly Christian character. The foremost trait is decision of mind, supported by strength of heart. Religion is an active duty; it is not so contemplative as many suppose; it never retires to meditate, leaving any active duty undone, if it can be done. True, our Saviour retired to meditate and pray; but it was when the night had come, and no man could work, when the streets of Jerusalem were still, when deep sleep was on every eye, when the mourning for a time forgot their sorrows, and the sick were relieved from their pain; then it was, that having worked the works of him that sent him all the day, he felt at liberty to spend the night in prayer to God. He never seems to have given time to sacred thought, so long as any thing remained to do; and we fear that the