Thus Youth-through Maturity-contributes to Age, which, in turn, contributes to all subsequent periods of life. In those cases where early death interrupts this order, the great result is the same. It is immaterial when death comes, since it has no power over our spirits, or over the glorious treasures they may have garnered, since it cannot break our spiritual identity, but only crumble its earthly environments-those husks of our real self, which are all the dim eye of flesh can discern, but which are of little account in the piercing Eye of Mind. Death, I say, may come when it will, this is of trifling importance;-Duty, the honoring and enriching of our souls, should be our great interest and our leading care. Death is transient-an incident of Time; but Duty is eternal-a requirement of Immortality.

XIV

PAGAN AND CHRISTIAN MODELS.

MAN is an eternal copyist,-ever striving to conform himself to examples. Though gifted with a personality which separates him, in a measure, from the universe of being, his imitation is active, gathering impressions from a thousand individuals and objects. This tendency forms one of his earliest peculiarities. Even Infancy is imitative. Youth has its clearly-defined models, to which its plastic nature shapes itself, with a wondrous and fearful facility. The boy has his model hero, in some strong, bold, enterprising son of Achilles. How he admires and envies the young Titan! He would abridge the term of his existence to be like him! The girl is not

without her model of womanhood.

That in

imitable splendor of costume, that air of stately composure in her superior,-that involuntary homage, cast around her like the light, and as little regarded-how they dazzle the weak sight, little exercised in the pomps of Life! Poor children of Simplicity! you should have worthier models than these; but they alone fill your fancies, and you are pledged to make the most of them.

Men, in all stages and positions in life, have their models of character and action. Many of these are false and pernicious,-most of them are partial and temporary-the worst being, indubitably, models of money-making and of man-ruling. Society has her models of Respectability, of Honor, and of Greatness; and Religion, those of Piety, of Zeal, and of Excellence. Consider what a gigantic model is Public Opinion. Consider how potent it is! All classes and characters pay it homage. It shapes the career of generations. It establishes the huge pillars of Legislation. It governs the temper of Literature. It modifies the forms and institutions of Religion. Opi

nion is despotic. It tolerates no joint-sovereignty. It frowns upon unsanctioned freedom. It punishes resistance without mercyalmost without limit. Inasmuch, therefore, as mankind are the subjects of perpetual modelling, it is manifestly important that righteous models be given them,—that they conform themselves to images of eternal rectitude and eternal beauty.

There are, existing in the world to-day, conflicting models of action and characterestablished by the two great religious dominions, which share the allegiance of mankind. Paganism displays her venerable and metallic examples of individual and national honor and greatness, with an attractiveness which the mind can scarcely resist, and which the principles of Christianity have but imperfectly counteracted. The models of Paganism have reference to Man mainly as a physical being, and to Nations as material and hostile combinations of life. They regard immediate, tangible, and outward interests, the dominion of muscular force, and