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We read  in  history  of  a proof  of  love  so  prodigious that it  will  be  the  admiration  of  all  ages.

There was  once  a king,  lord  of  many  kingdoms,  who  had one only  son,  so  beautiful,  so  holy,  so  amiable,  that  he  was the delight  of  his  father,  who  loved  him  as  much  as  himself. This young  prince  had  a great  affection  for  one  of  his slaves; so  much  so  that,  the  slave  having  committed  a crime  for  which  he  had  been  condemned  to  death,  the prince offered  himself  to  die  for  the  slave;  the  father,  being jealous of  justice,  was  satisfied  to  condemn  his  beloved  son to death,  in  order  that  the  slave  might  remain  free  from the punishment  that  he  deserved: and  thus  the  son  died  a malefactor’s  death,  and  the  slave  was  freed  from  punishment.

This fact,  the  like  of  which  has  never  happened  in  this world, and  never  will  happen,  is  related  in  the  Gospels, where we  read  that  the  Son  of  God,  the  Lord  of  the universe, seeing  that  man  was  condemned  to  eternal