PART FIRST. L I. LOVE. Love is a celestial harmony Of likely hearts, composed of stars' consent, To work each other's joy and sweet content. Love's heralds should be thoughts, Which ten times faster glide than the sun's beams, Spenser: Shakspeare. OVE and HOME: these seem inseparable ideas. As regards humanity, they began together; nor can we think of one theme without bringing up some smile or sigh of the other to delight or sadden us: thus memory, or consciousness, proves us to be true human beings. It is of love that we will, in this number, chiefly confer together. Let us think, first, of the source of love, the Divine Love, that, on Christmas morning, nearly nineteen hundred years ago, came down from heaven to gladden and revivify suffering and dying humanity. Are you well read in the history of the world before the angels shouted their song of redeeming love, "Glory to God in the highest; on earth, peace, good will toward men"? If so, you will see, in the following rapid sketch, a true outline: Had an angel been gifted with power to look over the whole inhabited globe, on the opening of the eventful year 4004 of the old era, what would have appeared? Everywhere the spectacle of demoralization, despair, and death. Rome, representing the Gentile world, had trodden down, with iron heel, alike the civilized Greek and the barbarian Goth, into a passive state called peace! The temple of Janus was shut, but the flood-gates of sin were opened wide as those of death; and from the corrupt hearts of wicked men such foul streams were poured forth as threatened to overwhelm the race. Patriotism, the holiest emotion of the Pagan mind, the loftest virtue of the Roman people, which had given such wonderful power to the men and women of that regal nation,— patriotism had hardly a votary in the Eternal City. The Jews, the chosen people of God, had touched the lowest point of national degradation, — subjection to a foreign power. Their religion had lost its life-giving faith, and become a matter of dead forms or vain pretences, used by the priests for their own profit, and to foster their own pride. The selfish passions were predominant; the evil, sensual nature triumphed; love had become lust; the true idea of marriage and of homethe hallowed union of one man with one woman, faithful to each other through life was treated as an idle jest, a mockery of words, never intended to be made true. Everywhere, sins, crimes, and woes filled the world. There was no faith in God, no hope in man, no trust in woman. Such was the dark picture of heathenism when the Roman world held its proud day of peace! Our American world has lately had its day of national thanks for the "blessings of peace."— 1865. Six millions of households gathered together on the last Thursday in November, 1865, uniting as one great family Republic, whose States and Territories were all enjoying this American festival of Thanksgiving Day. Is not this a spectacle to move the Old World with admiration and respect for the domestic, social, and religious characteristics of the American nation, as well as to impress the idea of an invincible moral power in our political institutions? Archimedes, with all his mechanical genius and knowledge, was ignorant as a wild Arab of human power in its moral influences. He wanted a place to stand upon, and plant his machine, before he could begin to move the world. But this was more than two hundred years before Christ was born. When "God sent forth His Son, made of a woman," the power of moral ideas was revealed; and American men have learned how to use them. Take a newspaper or book as an engine, place it in the homes of the people; let its weapons be truth, love, goodness, usefulness; and the world will not only move, but go on in the right way. Women, too, have their part in this beneficent sway of moral power. A woman may sit in her own quiet room, and, by her love, that brightens the homes of earth, and her faith, that lifts up human hearts to the hope of their heavenly home, she may send out influences that will not only make the world better and happier, but also help it to rise upward in its onward progress. Yes: we have many sins as a people, and faults enough as individuals; but, while we make humble confession to God of our sins, and extol his goodness as infinite, and pray to Him for the gift of holiness, our civilization is purified by love of the divine, and exalted by faith in the good: thus our country, as compared with old Rome, is a living proof of the truth of God's word, that, “righteousness exalteth a nation; but sin is a reproach to any people." Probably we have all seen some picture or representation that brought before the eye, as well as the mind, that tender scene in Bethlehem, "the babe in the manger," or in the arms of his loving mother; while Joseph, the "just man," kept watch over his "holy family." Can you not recall that lowly scene, and its influence on your heart? But did you think of the wonderful changes which that "babe," by His words and deeds as the Christ, has wrought in the condition of men and women? Did you think, that, to this source we must look for all the blessed privileges we enjoy as a nation? American institutions are founded on Christ's Gospel of "peace on earth, |