Moral power, in its most comprehensive sense, is the influence of mind over mind, or the capability which one possesses for giving direction to the sentiment and conduct of another. And it is good or bad, according as it is used in favor of virtue and truth, or otherwise. It is on the strength of moral power, that the infidel relies for the infusion of his poison, as well as the Christian for the propagation of his faith. Yea, it is this that ensures for the sentiment and practice of one generation, a transmission to its successor on the busy theatre of the world.

As to its existence, there can be no doubt. All our arts and efforts of persuasion, our books, plans of education, judicial and legislative pleadings and impleadings, and various measures for controlling the voluntary decisions of mankind, are based in the assumption that there is this power of mind over mind. Between intellectual and moral natures, it answers to the

reciprocal action and reaction that binds material bodies together. The particles cohering in the same rock or tree, are chained to each other by the most intimate and mysterious affinities. Not an orb of immensity, also, but may claim its share of influence in making our globe what it is, and in describing its track through the etherial expanse. And, as we rise from unorganized nature, to the principle of life existing in vegetables and upwards, we find still more subtle bonds of coherence. The blade of corn, springing up alone, denies its fruit, because no kindred blade is near to supply the fructifying energy. Among fishes, quadrupeds and fowls, also, some element of animal sympathy binds them in schools, droves and flocks, and no one would be complete without his kindred. Similar affinities extend to intellectual natures, and the term moral power may include all the principles of connexion and coherence between them, and especially those by means of which they exercise a mutual control over each other's voluntary determinations.

I apply the term church to all truly converted persons. And when I speak of moral power among them, I refer to the agency which they exert for their own mutual sanctification and in the regeneration of sinners. By analyzing this agency, it will be found to include, in addition to

the ordinary influence of man with man, that of revealed truth and the Holy Spirit. Though nothing may appear in the conversion and sanctification of sinners, but the ordinary means of suasion, yet a close inspection of the facts in the case, will reveal to us these several influences all blended in one.

That the simple influence of mind over mind, unaided by the word of truth, cannot produce those particular effects which are involved in a sinner's conversion to holiness, is proved by the fact that they have never existed where the Bible has not reflected its light. Were the emotions of evangelical repentance, faith, or love, ever kindled by means of the Koran, the philosophy of Plato, or any other system of religious or philosophical belief? No: how can we believe in him of whom we have not heard, or exercise the emotions which depend upon a certain order of facts, when these facts have never been made known to us?

And the word of truth, as contained in the documents which inspired men have left us, without living agents to translate, preach, explain and enforce them, cannot be to any extent efficient in conversions. It is by the foolishness of preaching, an exercise implying the presence of a living agent in enforcing divine truth, that God has determined to save them that believe. And that

the Holy Spirit does supply some element of efficiency, in addition to the foregoing, in order to the conversion of sinners, is clearly taught by our Saviour, when he directs his disciples to tarry at Jerusalem, till they should be endued with power from on high. I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. It is this divine agent, that he promises as the permanent gift of his church, to remain with her for

ever.

Indeed, the concurrence of these several elements of efficiency, in God's plan of reform, is distinctly recognized in such passages as the following: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: Striving according to his working which worketh in us mightily. Here we have, first, the living preacher denoted by the pronouns we and us, employing the ordinary influence of man with man; second, the word of truth included in the "whom," or Christ Jesus, whose character, history and work furnished the theme of his preaching; and third, the Spirit's influence as manifested in the power that wrought in him mightily.

Now, these several elements of power meet in all truly converted persons, for a man cannot be converted short of this result. He has some degree of influence over the voluntary decisions of

his fellow-men, or he would be too low in the scale of being to be capable of such a work; his mind is furnished with some knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus, for faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God; and he has besides a measure of the Spirit to profit withal, for the Spirit divideth to every man severally as he will. That errors in doctrine and practice are intermixed among these converts, affords no reason for excluding them from our consideration; especially as it is the humble endeavor of these pages, to remove from them so serious a clog to their influence both with God and with What can be more desirable, than that they should all be brought to contribute their full share to the whole stock of moral power in the church, and to give up whatever tends to enfeeble their energies for the conversion of the world?

man.

Christian brethren, here is the great concern with you, with me, with us all. Christ did not take us out of the world at our conversion, because our various connexions and affinities with its guilty and suffering inhabitants, peculiarly fitted us to be his agents for reclaiming and relieving them. As brothers, friends, neighbors, fellow-citizens and fellow-travellers to eternity, and even as sharing with them in the same lot of wo, we have peculiar advantages for restoring