his only-begotten Son, but freely gave him for the sins of all
mankind. This is the spirit of love, by which he is leading mankind
through strange paths, and by ways which their fathers knew not,
toward that eternal city of God which all truly human hearts are
seeking, blindly often and confusedly, and sometimes by utterly
mistaken paths: but seeking her still, if by any means they may
enter into her, and be at peace. This is that spirit of love, by
which, having sent forth all souls out of his everlasting bosom, he
will draw them home again in the fulness of time, as many as have
eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord, into his bosom once more, that
they may rest in peace, and God be all in all.

Take comfort from these words, my friends; for there is deep comfort
to be found in them, if you will look at them aright. When you hear
that the spirit of God is in you, unless you are reprobates; and that
if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his--do not
be afraid, as if that spirit were something quite unlike anything
which you feel, or even think of: as if it was something which must
show itself in strange visions or peculiar experiences, which very
few persons have, and which tempt them to set themselves apart from
their fellow-men, and thank God that they are not as other men are.
Remember that the spirit of God is the spirit of Christ, and that the
spirit of Christ is the spirit by which the good Samaritan helped the
poor wounded man, simply because he was a man. Remember that the
spirit of God, so far from making you unlike a man, comes to make you
more perfect men; so far from parting you from your fellow-men, comes
to knit you more to your fellow-men, by making you understand them,
feel for them, make allowances for them, long to help them, however
different in habits or in opinions they may be from you; that it is,
in one word, the spirit of humanity, which comes down from heaven