All is in Him, and He gives
it freely to all, said the apostles; we know that He speaks truth, we
have seen Him; our eyes saw Him, our hands touched Him, and there was a
glory about Him such as there never could be about any other person. A
glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. A
person whom we could not help loving; could not help admiring; could not
help trusting; could not help giving ourselves up to--to live for Him,
and if need be, die for Him.
And, said the apostles, there was a grace of truth in another of your
heathen fancies. You thought that these goddesses, because they were
amiable and innocent themselves, liked to make every one amiable,
innocent, and happy also. Your conscience, your reason were right there.
That is the very nature of grace, not to keep itself to itself, but to
spend itself on every one round it, and try to make every one like
itself. If a man be good, he will long to make others good; if tender,
he will long to make others tender; if gentle, he will long to make
others gentle; if cheerful, he will long to make others cheerful; if
forgiving, he will long to make others forgiving; if happy, he will long
to make others happy.
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