"But Jesus taught us to comment upon these as an illustration of His truth. His poetic mind gave us the conception that the wind bloweth where it chooseth to blow; and we look on, wondering whence it cometh, and whither it goeth, knowing only that it is the breath of the wonderful, the counselor, who arouseth it as He listeth, or saith, Peace, be still. What else, then, do you prefer for your topic of conversation?" "We prefer the laws of nature for our topic." "But in them the Father worketh and Christ worketh equally." "If it be so, we will select the fine and useful arts for our subject." "But all the materials of these arts and all the laws which compact them, and all the ingenuity which arranges them are of His architectonic plan. He is the guide of the sculptor, painter, musician, poet. He is the contriver of all the graces which we in our idolatry ascribe to the human discoverer, as if man had originally invented them. The history of the arts is the history of Christ's government on earth. Will you propose, then, some other theme for your remark?" "Do let us converse on the moral law." "You may; but Christ gave this law and came to magnify it." "Then let us comment on the ceremonial law." "You may; but all its types are prophecies of Jesus." "Then we will expatiate on virtue in the general." "Do so; but Christ is the first exemplar, the brightest representative of all abstract goodness, of all your virtue in the general." "Then we will take up the ethical maxims." "Take them up; but they are embodied in Him who is the way, the truth, the life." "We will resort, then, to human responsibility for our subject of discourse." "But we must all appear before the judgment seat of that fair-minded arbiter who is man as well as God." "May we not speak of eternal blessedness?" "Yes; but it is Christ who welcomes His chosen into life." "Shall we not converse, then, on endless misery?" "Yes; but it is Christ who will proclaim: Depart, ye cursed." "The human body; we would utter some words on that." "But your present body is the image of what your Lord wore once, and the body that you will have, if you die in the faith, is the image of what your Lord wears now; the image of the body slain for our offenses and raised again for our justification. And have you still a favorite theme which you have not suggested?" "The pleasures of life are our favorite theme." "Yes, and Jesus provided them and graced them at Cana." "The duties of the household are our favorite theme." "Yes, and Jesus has prescribed them and disciplines you by them, and will judge you for your manner of regarding them. What would you have, then, what can you think of for your choice topic of discourse?" "We love to talk of our brethren in the faith." "But they are the indices of Christ, and He is represented by them." "We choose to converse on our Redeemer's indigent, imprisoned, diseased, agonized followers."