YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY THREE LECTURES ON ROMANS IV. 9—25.' DESIGNED CHIEFLY TO ILLUSTRATE THE NATURE OF THE SCfcrafmmic Cofommt, AND ITS CONNECTION WITH I'JV F *4JV T- B *4 FT TSMt WITH AN APPENDIX ON THE MODE OF BAPTISM. By RALPH WARDLAW, GLASGOW. rRINTBD BT JT. LANG, FOR M. OGLE, WILSON-STREET, AND SOLD BY J. & A. DUNCAN, J. STEVEN & CO. AND R. WILLIAMSON; OGLE" & AIRMAN, AND GUTHRIE & TAIT, EDINBURGH; R. OGLE, AND WILLIAMS & SMITH, LONDON. 1S07. MAiciS TO THE CHURCH OF CHRIST, ASSEMBLING IN ALBION-STREET CHAPEL, GLASGOW, Clje following lectures; ARE INSCRIBED BY THEIR AFFECTIONATE PASTOR. PR MFA. € E. JL HE following Lectures formed part of a course on the Epistle to the Romans. — From a glance at their comparative length, however, it will be perceived, that they are not printed as they were delivered. The first was originally the shortest, and has since been less enlarged fot the press, than either of the other two. A dis proportion rather awkward has thus been pro duced; but thjs was deemed of little moment, compared with the illustration ofthe subjecT:, The nature of the covenant made with Abra-' ham, is a subject which derives importance from . its connection, not merely with infknt-baptism, but with the right understanding of a large propor tion of the Old Testament Scriptures, and with [ ii 3 just views of the Divine procedure towards his , church, from the beginning until now; although especially previous to the coming of Christ. My- object, in the following discourses, has been, and I hope I have, in some measure, succeeded in it, to bring into a perspicuous and concentrated light, what the word of God seems plainly to teach us on this important point. The controversy respecting infant-baptism, so intimately connected with this subject, has of late, excited more than ordinary attention, and is certainly not of triflirig importance.— To call any institution an ordinance of God, and persist in adherence to it, without knowing either its import, or the reason for observing it, is un worthy of a professor of that religion, which en joins nothing but what is " reasonable service." — That indiscriminate admission to the ordinances of Christ, which is involved in the very idea of a na tional religion,has produced,or at least maintained, a very general ignorance, or gross misunderstand ing of their true nature. The remark is apph\ cable to the Lord's Supper, as well as to Baptism. And I would intreat any whose minds may have been startled on the subject of infant-baptism, by the grievous abuse of it, and the various ab surd notions entertained respecting it, to con sider, that the other ordinance has been equal ly perverted and abused; and thai; to suffer this, in either case, to shake their convictions, is the C iii ] mark of a weak mind, in which feeling has the ascendency over judgment, or which is incap able of distinguishing between the precepts of God, and the corruptions of them by men. There are prejudices on all sides. — There are born-and-bred Baptists, as well as born-and-bred Psedobaptists. It is the duty of all, as much as possible, to lay aside these prejudices, and to ex amine the word of God with an unbiassed mind. The deCeitfulness of our hearts ought to put us on our guard, on the one hand, against adhering to any practice from the mere force of custom ; and on the other, against relinquishing it with too much readiness/ either from fondness of change, or for the sake of obtaining the reputa tion of uncommon candour. It is of importance, likewise, to observe, that if the general views contained in the following Lectures be just, it is foolish to allow our minds to be greatly startled by particular difficulties, Which may be suggested, as to what would be right practice in supposed cases. Nothing is ea sier than thus to perplex and puzzle the mind: and were it a becoming mode of arguing, there are puzzles to be found for Baptists, as well as for Psedobaptists ; although it may be admitted, without the smallest disparagement to the cause of the latter, that the mournfully general abuse a 2 [ iv 3 of the ordinance, as practised by them, gives their brethren who oppose them an advantage, for the invention of such casuistical questions. — When any such case is suggested, our serious inquiry ought to be — " What practice will, in this case, be most consistent with those funda mental principles, on which our conviftion of the general duty rests?" — There are few doc trines in the word of God, to which perplexing objections have not been made: but are we at once to renounce the faith, because a puzzling question may be put to us, by a subtle adversa ry? It has been said to Psedobaptists — " You can not be right; you differ so much among your selves, in your views of the subject." — It is too feeble an expression, to say of such a remark, that it is inconclusive. Nothing can be more unlike the charafter of a rational and candid oppo nent, than to search, as with a microscope, through the works of different writers, with a view to det'eft little discrepancies in their reasonings, and to hold them up to the world as evidence of the falsehood of their common principles. — Some of our Baptist brethren are of opinion, that the atonement of Christ was made solely by the shedding of his tilood upon the cross; others of them connect with this his sufferings in Gethse- mane; and others include the whole of his hu miliation and sufferings on earth : — are we, from C v 2 the existence of such differences, to conclude, that the doftrine of the atonement itself,, which they profess to hold in common, has no founda tion in the word of God? — Such an inference, we know, would be perilous — would be damn ing. Yet it is equally rash, though not thus de structive, to conclude against infant-baptism, because some of its advocates, while they hold the same general grounds, differ from one an^ other in some of the branches of their illustra tion.- — It would not be difficult to deteft our opponents in similar differences, on the same. subject; but it is a mode of reasoning, to which every man of common sense and candour should be ashamed to have recourse. Baptists and Psedobaptists ought, surely, to allow each other the claim of mutual sincerity. The contrary, while it springs from that self- sufficient confidence in our own judgment, which questions the possibility of others not seeing as we see, is, at the same time, highly inconsistent with the charity which " thinketh no evil." — And while the suspicion itself in the mind, unless it is founded on strong outward evidence^ is a vio lation of the Saviour's law of love; the expres sion of such suspicion, whether in words or in conduct, tends to provoke a temper equally op posite to the spirit of that law, the passion of proud resentment, and contemptuous disdain. — Surely fellow-Christians know, how little need [ *i ] there is to stir one another's corruption. They sin deeply against Christ when they do so. — All expressions of contempt and bitterness have this effect as well as the suspicion of insincerity. And the whole of such treatment has, besides, the ten dency to frustrate the very end, which, in all our discussions, ought to be kept in view: for its effect is to shut the eyes agkinst the light of truth, and to summon ,up into action every principle that can resist conviction; " No doubt ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you: but I have understanding as Well as you; I am not inferior to you," — is the language which all such treatment, and especially the display of self-suf ficiency and contempt, naturally prompts us, with a return of similar feelings, to employ. And no state of mind can be more unfavourable than this to the discovery and reception of truth. Not less culpable, however, and equally in auspicious in the search for truth, is the spirit, by which a man, resolved at all events to stand his ground, determines and projects a reply" to argu ments, before he has seen them; and peruses rea sonings, professedly drawn from the word of God, with the question for ever in his mind, " What can be said against this?" The difference in question, respecting baptism, I have already said, is not of trifling magnitude. And he who " esteems all the commandments [ vii ] of the Lord, concerning all things, to be right," will be desirous in this to know and to obey his will. Thinking ourselves right, and thinking those who differ from us wrong, are expressions of the same import: And if we feel in the, spirit of genuine brotherly love, we must fervently de sire and pray, that our fellow- Christians may be brought to see and to relinquish what are, in our apprehension, their errors. — But let us put no thing in the room of Christ. Let us beware of refusing to acknowledge in the charafter of " brethren beloved," any as to whom we have reason to believe that " Christ has received them." — There is something inexpressibly awful to a believer's mind, in the idea that his Christian affections should be confined within narrower limits than the love of Jesus! — that he should harbour in his heart any feeling inconsistent with love, towards one whom Christ died to redeem ! — - that any should be excluded from his prayer- for the household of faith, that have a part in the Savi our's intercession! Pitiably dreary must be the mind of that1 man, who can look around on the wide world, and count his dozen or his score, whom alone he can salute as brethren, or expect to accompany to heaven! — Far from me, and from my Christian friends, be that self-sufficient bigotry, which freezes the fountain of love, and keeps the heart cold under the melting beams of the " Sun of C viii ] Righteousness!" — While we seek firmly and in variably to adhere to what we deem the will of Christ, revealed in his word; let us, upon the point before us, and other similar particulars, bear with diversity of judgment, in those who " hold the Head," and do not appear to resist or to trifle with the authority of the same Lord — both theirs and ours! " Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity!" — whose love to Him is not the faithless profession of lying lips, nor the lukewarm fickleness of a heart divided between Him and the world; but unfeigned, supreme, and constant :— regarding its Objeft in his true charafter, as the divine and only Saviour: — and evincing its reality by a life of holy obedience and unreserved submission to his will — by adesire to know and to follow, in every thing,- the light of his word. ROMANS IV. 9 25. 9 Cometh this' blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? For we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. 10 How was it then reckoned ? when he-was in circum cision, or in uncircumcision? not in circumcision, but in un circumcision: 11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith, which he had, yet being uncir- cumcised: that he- might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised, that righteousness might be imputed unto them also; 12 And the father of circumcision, to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had, being yet un- circumcised. 13 For the promise, that lie should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if they who are of the law he heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of no effect; IS Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression. 16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might he by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed, not to that ojily which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, 17 ( As it is written-, ' I have made thee a father of ma ny-nations,') before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be riot as though they were; [ 2 ] 1 8 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations ; according to that which was spoken, ' So shall thy seed be.' 19 And, being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness' of Sara's womb : 20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God ; 21 And being fully persuaded, that what he had promis ed he was able also to perform. 22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteous ness. 23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him ; 24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; 25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. LECTURE I. VERSES 9' — 12. X HE great design of the Apostle, in the pre ceding part of this Epistle, is to establish, on the ground of universal depravity and guilt, the uni versal necessity of the salvation provided by the gospel. He proves both Jews and Gentiles to be all under sin, according to what is written^ r 3 ] " There is none righteous, no, not one." chap., iii. 9, 10. He draws from this the obvious and important inference, that "by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in God's sight;" " all having sinned, and come short of the glory of God," ver. 20, 23. The conse quence is, that there is an absolute necessity for some other ground of acceptance with God. This ground he declares to be, " the righteous* ness of God by faith, of Jesus Christ, whom God hath set forth as a propitiatory, through faith in his blood; that he might be just, and the justifier of him who believeth in Jesus," ver... 22, 25, 26. And, as his proof of guilt extend ed to both Jews and Gentiles, his conclusion, " that a man is justified by faith, without the deeds of the law," has the same extent of ap plication: — " Is he the God of the Jews only? Is he not also of the Gentiles? Yesj.- ofthe Gen tiles also. Seeing it is one God, who shall jus tify the circumcision by faith, and the uncircuvu cision through faith," ver. 28-—30.. In the beginning of this ivth. chapter, the Apostle goes on to shew,, for the conviction especially of his countrymen the Jews, that this was no new doctrine, but accorded with the testimony of the Old Testament scriptures.. He takes the most effectual way to establish this, by referring at once to the case of Abra ham, in whom they gloried. If Abraham had been justified by works, he would have had A 2 t 4 ] wherein to glory; in his, case, boasting would not have been excluded: he would have been an exception to the statement which the Apostle had made, as the very foundation of his doftrine, that there is no difference; and to the doftrine itself, that a man is justified by faith, without the deeds of the law. And one such exception, would have been a fair ground of encouragement to others, to look for salvation in the same way. Butj so far was this from having been the case; so far was Abraham from deriving any advantage from the flesh, as to the ground of his justifica tion, that the Old Testament scriptures express ly declare respecting him, that he was justified in the very way the Apostle had been describ ing; not by works, but by faith. " What saith the scripture? Abraham believed God ; and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh, the reward is not reckoned of grace, but of debt; but to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness," ver. 3 — 5. The Apostle farther shews this to have been the ancient doctrine, by quoting a passage from Da vid, in which " he describes the blessedness of the man,' to whom God imputeth righteousness, without works, saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are cover ed; blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin," ver. 6 — 8. In the beginning of the passage, which forms r * i the subjeft of these Lectures, the Apostle pro ceeds to shew, that the case of Abraham, so far from being in opposition to the justification of the uncireumcised Gentile, was direftly in favour of it. This he shews, from the circumstance that Abraham's justification took place long be fore his circumcision. " Cometh this blessed ness, then, upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? For we say, that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. How was it then reckoned? When he was in circum cision, or in -uncircumcision? Not in cirumci- sion, but in uncircumcision," ver. 9, 10. " We say, that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness." — " Be it so; might a Jew say; what is this to yqur purpose? Abraham was of the circumcision ; the father of the circumcision, — of us Jews: whatever this may prove, there fore, as to the circumcision, it certainly estab lishes nothing as to the uncircumcision." — " In this, replies the Apostle, you err, not knowing the scriptures. It is true, Abraham was circumcis ed; but at what time? Was it before his justifi cation, or after? Not before, but long after." Abraham had faith counted to him for right eousness, fourteen years, at least, before he was circumcised, even reckoning from the time to which the passage, quoted in verse 3d refers. He was a believer, some considerable time be fore that period ; for the Apostle in Heb. xi. S. mentions, as the effect and evidence of his [ 6 ] faith, his leaving his native land, and going out, on the footing of the Divine promise, into the place which he should after receive for an inhe ritance, not knowing whither he went. But even the time referred to in the third verse, (Gen. xv. 6.) which the Apostle seems to have seleft- ed, because then the first express declaration is made, of Abraham's faith being imputed to him for righteousness, was fourteen years pre- < vious to his circumcision; for it preceded Sarah's giving him Hagar, and could not, therefore, be much less than a year before the birth of IshmaeJ ; while, for aught that appears to the contrary,. it might be much more: Gen. xvi. 4. And we know, that Ishmael was thirteen years old, at the time when circumcision was instituted, and first practised, Gen. xvii. 25. Circumcision, therefore, seeing it took place so long after his justification, could. have nothing to do with the ground of it, since a cause cannot follow its effeft. From Abraham's being justi fied when in uncircumcision, two things follow. 1st. As circumcision was not, in whole or in part, the ground of his acceptance with God, it cannot be a solid foundation of hope to any other. All dependence upon it, in this view, must be vain, springing, from ignorance and misconception. 2d. Uncircumcision is no hindrance to the jus tification of any. As Abraham was justified when in uncircumcision, an uncircumcised Gen tile may now be justified, in the same way with C v ] him; his justification being the pattern of the way in which God justifies the ungodly, in every age. " They who are of faith, whether Jews or Gentiles, are blessed with believing Abra ham." " What then, it may be asked, did Abraham de rive from circumcision? — What was the mean ing and design of the rite? This inquiry the A- postle answers, in the 11th and 12th verses. " And he received the sign of circumcision, a . seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had, yet being uncircumcised : that be might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised, that righteousness might be imputed unto them also; and the father of cir cumcision to them who are not of the circum cision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had, being yet uncircumcised." To say all that might be said on this subjeft, by stating various views, with the arguments and objections for and against each, would require much more time, than you would have patience to hear, or I to speak; and perhaps, in the end, might serve only to involve us in dust, so as to blind, instead of enlightening our eyes. I mean, therefore, simply to state the ideas which the passage, compared with others, has suggested to my own mind, avoiding controversy, as much as I can, consistently with the proper elucidation of the subject. t « 3 Circumcision is here represented— first, as a sign, and secondly, as a seal. A sigp is that which represents; a seal that which confirms, as sures, or pledges. Of what, then, in the first place, was circum cision a sign? 1 . It was a sign of the blessings bestowed in justification. It represented the taking away of sin ; both in its guilt and in its pollution: that is, it represented the two great blessings of justifica tion and sanctification; which may both, indeed, be comprehended in one, under the idea of that, separation to God, which takes place when a sin- ' ner is justified, by his faith being imputed to him for righteousness. Circumcision signified, " the putting off the body of the sins of the flesh." Hence, the' unholy are represented, as *' uncircumcised in heart;" and are called upon to " circumcise the foreskin of their hearts." Circumcision in the flesh, represented that of the heart; the literal denoted the spiritual. Hence the terms of the promise, Deut. xxx. 6. " The Lord thy God will circumcise thy heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul. that thou mayest live." To this circumcision Paul refers, as being only signified by that of the flesh, when he says — " He is not a Jew who is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the Jlesh; but he is a Jew C 9 j who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God," Rom. ii. 28, 29. That circumcision was a sign, or re presentation, of the blessings specified, is indeed generally admitted *. 2. Circumcision was probably intended, as a sign that the Seed, in whom all nations were to be blessed , should come from the loins of Abraham- Of this it was an expressive emblem, and remembran cer. This promise was restricted to the line of Isaac. In this line of descent, therefore, it was a significant memorial of the promise, that the Mes siah should be made flesh amongst them. And I doubt not, that, in other lines also of descent from Abraham, this rite, originally administered, by the command of God, to all his family, had its influence, in a general way, in preserving the idea and expectation of the promised seed. If this idea be well-founded, we at once per ceive a good reason, why circumcision should be abolished, when this seed came; and why another- rite should be substituted in its place, which as * A Baptist writer, in the Edinburgh Evangelical Mag azine, | says of circumcision, as well as baptism, that it de noted, " cleansing from sin " — " not only the purity of mo ral holiness, but also the cleansing from the guilt of sin, in justification " — " baptism (says he)*as well as cirpumcision, denotes justification and sanctification." — Ed. Ev. Mag. No, 15, /. 103. , B expressively signified, " the putting off the body of the sins of the flesh," while it was not signifi cant of that part of the meaning of the former emblem, which was now fulfilled. Circumcision " was not of Moses, but of the fathers." It was not then, strictly speaking, as a part of the Mo saic ritual that it was done away. It has often been asked, Why, if baptism came in the room of circumcision, the Jewish converts to, the faith of Jesus continued to practise the latter ordi nance, for some time after his appearing, of whose coming in the flesh it was a sign? — Of the faft that baptism succeeded circumcision, I may speak more fully afterwards. Meantime, I only wish it to be remarked, in this connec tion, that there is surely no more difficulty, . in accounting for this circumstance, than in shewing the consistency of these Jewish converts continuing to offer the sacrifices of the law, with their faith in Him, who by his one sacrifice fulfilled all the types, " finished transgression, and made an end of offering for sin." It is not my business to enter, at present, into any in quiry as to the reason, why this seemingly strange contradiction was, for a time, permitted to exist; I only observe, that the true reason for the lat ter faft, whatever it was, will account equally well for the former. Let us now consider, of what circumcision is here said to have been a seal. " He received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness [ 11 ] of the faith which he had, yet being uncircum cised." By some this is understood to signify, that it was to Abraham, the seal of his own personal justification. I am inclined to think, diat this is an unscriptural idea. It is not the manner of God, to seal thus, to any, their personal acceptance. I do not see wherein, on this supposition, consist ed the propriety of all the future trials of his faith ; , for a direct and positive assurance, given by the God of truth to any one, of his personal justification, or, which is the same thing, of his being a believer, and accepted as such, seems to my mind quite incompatible with the idea of such trial. It appears to convert it into mock ery. Abraham was one of those mentioned in Heb. vi. 1 2. who " through faith and patience came to inherit the promises." — The trial of his faith, like the trial of the faith of his fellow-be lievers, " wrought patience, and patience expe rience, and experience hope." An express Di vine declaration to any one, of his justification, seems to be hardly consistent with the exhorta tion, to " give diligence to make his calling and election sure;" inasmuch as it is impossible to arrive at greater certainty, than that which is given by the testimony of God. This, therefore, could scarcely, I apprehend, on the supposition before us, be a part of Abraham's duty. Yet, in what way is it, that we are to be followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the pro- B 2 [ 12 ] mises? It is by " giviafg diligence, to the full as surance of hope unto the end," Heb. vi. 11, 12. The meaning, therefore, seems rather to be, that circumcision' was a seal, or pledge, of righ teousness, or justification, being by the faith which he had in uncircumcision. The faith which Abraham then had, was, no doubt, the faith of the gospel — faith in the promised Messiah. Cir cumcision, then, was a seal or pledge to him, of the faithfulness of God to the promises, contain ed in the covenant which he was graciously pleas ed to make with him; which being the same, in the substance of its meaning, with the New, or Gospel Covenant, revealed " the righteousness of faith," though in terms comparatively obscure, suited to the period. It was not properly a seal of Abraham's personal faith and acceptance, but of justification being by " the faith of Abra ham." I may here, by the way, remark, that there seems to me to be a beautiful harmony and con neftion, between circumcision being a sign of the coming of the Messiah, and a seal of the righ teousness of faith; inasmuch as, this justifying faith had always a reference to the promise of the seed, in whom all nations were to be bless ed. A question now occurs of considerable mo ment on this subjeft : " What was circumckion [ is 3 to those who followed Abraham in the observ ance of it? What was it to his seed ?" To this inquiry I reply, in the first place, that, as a sign, it could never change its meaning, while it continued in praftice. What a sign is fitted to represent at first, it is fitted, from its nature, always to represent. I conclude, there fore, that this ordinance continued, after its in stitution, to have, all along, as a sign, the same meaning; denoting " the putting off the body of the sins of the flesh," — the circumcision of the heart, — or that separation to God, which takes place when faith is counted to the sinner for righteousness: and, at the same time, in conneftion with this, denoting the coming of Messiah from the loins of Abraham. The rite, therefore, though by the multitude of the Jews misunderstood and perverted, was, in its nature and design, calculated to keep them in mind, of the necessity of spiritual life, through faith • in the promised seed. And, in this view, its im port was similar to that of many of the ordi nances in die law. Butj in the second place, circumcision retained the nature of a " seal ofthe righteousness of faith," to all, " who were, not of the circumci sion only, but also walked in the steps of Abra ham's faith." Let us take, as instances, Isaac and Jacob, Abraham's immediate successors in the faith, in the line from which Messiah was to spring. [ 14 J What, let us consider, was circumcision to them? They are denominated by the Apostle Paul, " Heirs with Abraham of the same promise:" Heb. xi. 9. where the reference is to the heaven ly, or eternal inheritance, as is manifest from the context. The promises made to Abraham, in deed, were expressly repeated by God to Isaac and Jacob: to the former, Gen. xxvi. 1 — 5. and to the latter, Gen. xxviii. 10 — 15. Now I hardly think any one will say, that while circum cision was to Abraham a seal of the righteousness of faith, it was to Isaac and Jacob, these heirs with him of the same promise, a mere mark of their carnal descent from Abraham, and of their heirship of temporal blessings. Was it not to them a seal, or pledge, of the faithfulness of God, to that promise, of which they were fel low-heirs with their father? that is, a seal of spi ritual blessings, which is the same thing in effeft, as a seal of the righteousness of faith. — I can not think it was less. Yet if it was so, we have here a seal of spiritual blessings administered, by Divine command, to infants of eight days old. And this certainly shews, that there is no absur dity in the thing itself; and no absurdity in the idea of circumcision being a seal, to all who should afterwards believe, of the righteousness of faith, or of the same blessings which it sealed originally: for what may be in one case, may be in ten thousand. It ought, in this place, to be remembered, t 15 3 that whether circumcision be viewed as a seal of temporal blessings, or of spiritual, or, as I understand the case to be, of both; on every supposition, the import of it must have been a matter of after instruction, to those who receiv ed it in infancy; just as the import of the passo- ver was. So that there is nothing in its nature, in this view, that unfits it for being a seal of the righteousness of faith, which would not equally unfit it for being a seal of the title to temporal blessings, supposed by many to be connefted with fleshly descent; an idea which, I trust, will shortly be made to appear unfounded in the word of God. But that circumcision, both as a sign and as a seal, continued, after Abraham's time, to retain its original meaning in its full extent, is to me very evident from the words which follow.: " that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised, that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: and the father of circumcision, to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had, being yet uncircumcised." For illustration of these Words observe — I. Abraham, on his being justified by faith, was constituted the father, in a spiritual sense, of all among mankind, both of his natural descend- ents, and of the Gentiles, who, to the end of I 16 3 time, should be justified in the same way. Not that he was the first who was so justified. We know the contrary. Abel, Enoch, Noah and others before him, were heirs of the righteous ness which is by faith. But when, after the flood, the knowledge of God was, a second time, in a great measure lost, it pleased God to adopt a rrew method of procedure. He called A- braham out from amongst idolaters, to make of his family a nation, or church; among whom he placed his name, in order to keep alive, by a pe culiar system of religious institutions, established amongst them, the knowledge and worship of himself; and to prepare for still greater mani festations, to be afterwards made: so that from Abraham downwards, he might never want a " seed to serve him." Of this spiritual family" Abraham was honoured to be the Founder or Fa ther. " They who are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham." Gal. iii. 7. II. Abraham's being justified when in uncircum cision, denoted that he should have part of his' spiritual family from among the uncircumcised Gentiles: that he was to be "the father of all them that believe, though not circumcised" III. When Abraham received the sign and seal of circumcision, he then became, according to the appellation here given him, " the Father of circumcision." Now observe particularly, to what description of persons he is represented as holding this relation — " to them who are not of- t 17 3 the circumcision only, bat who also walk in the steps of his faith." I do not suppose it will be ques tioned, that Abraham was " the father of circum cision," to those in whom the meaning of th& rile was fulfilled. If, then, circumcision was nothing but a mark of carnal descent from Abraham, and of a title to temporal blessings, in virtue of that descent, as some are of opinion ; Abraham was the father of circumcision, in the only true and proper sense of the appellation, to all his fleshly seed: i. e. to all who are supposed to have had a title to those blessings, of which circumci- «ion was, according to this view, the seal. Yet he is here declared to have been the " father of circumcision " to those only, who were not mere* . ly circumcised in the flesh, but who also walked in the steps of his faith. Words could hardly, in my opinion., intimate more plainly, that circum cision was a seal of this covenant, not merely as to the temporal part of it, but also as to the spi, ritual. For surely it must have been of the same import to the children of circumcision, as it was to the father of circumcision. The same thing may be farther illustrated^ and established, from Phil. iii. 3. " For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the spirit,. and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confi* dence in the flesh-"— It will, I dare say, be ad mitted, that they only can, with any propriety, be denominated " the circumcision" in whom the import of the rite is fulfilled. But if, with C . t 18 ] respect to Abraham's posterity, it was intended merely as a mark of fleshly descent, and of a claim, in virtue of that descent, to temporal bless ings; then his whole posterity after the flesh, in the line of Isaac at least, or all who, in virtue of their fleshly relation to Abraham, possessed the temporal inheritance, were the circumcision, in the only proper sense of the appellation. The A- postle here, however, applies the expression in a very different way. They who, though de scended from Abraham, wanted his faith, are not allowed the honourable appellation of the cir cumcision, but degraded and proscribed under that ofthe concision, verse 2d. The faft appears to be, that the true circumcision, or the true Israel, have, in eVery age, been the same. Of this the reader may be convinced, by attentively consider ing and comparing the following passages of scripture: Deut. vi. 4 — 7. x» 12—16. xxx. 6. Jer. iv. 4. John i. 47. Psalm lxxiii. 1. Rom. ii. 28, 29. &c. — And to this true Israel, the or dinance of circumcision signified the same things, which it signified to their great progeni- tor. The whole of this view ofthe passage is strong ly supported by what follows. The important contents of these verses, however, must be left for consideration in another Lecture. In illustrat ing them, I shall endeavour to shew, that cir cumcision belonged to the Abrahamic covenant, I 19 3 as a whole, including both temporal and spiritual promises; that both these were made an the same feoting, to the same seed. Meantime let us reflect— 1 . On tlie Divine purposes of grace to the Gentiles, and their fulfilment. It is evident, that, from the beginning, it was the design of God, to have a people who- should shew forth his praise, out of all the nations in this apostate world. The calling of Abraham,, and the pe-, culiar separation of his posterity from the rest of the nations, was not against this purpose,' but was introduftory and subservient to its accom plishment. This was intiniated, by Abraham's! being justified when in uncircumcision; and like-. wise, by the circumcision of so many who were not his seed, but strangers belonging to his family, at the time of the institution of this ordinance. It was likewise signified, and anticipated, by the subsequent admission of Gentile proselytes into the Israelitish church; by the temple being call-, ed " the house of prayer for all nations:" &c. And these circumstances," it may be observed by the way, serve farther to shew, that circum* cision was not a mere mark of fleshly descent from Abraham, but belonged to those who pro fessed Abraham's faith; otherwise it should ne ver, on any account, have been administered to such as were not of his posterity according to the flesh. These things seem to have been de signed, as dark intimations of the universality C 2 r 20 ] of God's purpose of favour and salvation, as being intended to embrace, in the extent of its mani festation, the whole world. Such intimations be came increasingly clear, in the progress of prophe tic revelation, in which the promised seed is de scribed, as designed to be " God's salvation to the ends of the earth," — " a light to lighten the Gentiles," as well as " the glory of God's peo ple Israel." The language in which the birth of this promised seed is, at length, announced, corresponds with what had been intimated, and predicted concerning him: " Fear not, for be hold I bring you glad tidings of great joy, which Shall be to all people; for unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord," Luke ii. 10, 11. And this Divine Saviour's concluding commission to his Apostles, before he left the world, is of the same universal extent — " Thus it is written, and thus it behoved the Christ to Suffer., and to rise from the dead the third day; and that repentance, and remission of sins, should "be preached in his name, among all nations, beginning at Jerusa lem. And ye are witnesses of these things," Luke xxiv. 46 — 48. " Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature : he that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved; he that believeth not shall be condemned," Mark 'xvi. 15, 16. Yet, plain as many of the intimations in pro phecy, connected with our Lord's direftions, t 2i 3 seem to be, the calling of the Gentiles remained a mystery, not fully understood, till the time of Peter's mission to Cornelius. The idea seems to have been entertained, that when the Gentiles were brought in, it should be through circumci sion, and submission to the law of Moses; not as they were, uncircumcised, and aliens from that law. But what was originally notified, however obscurely, by Abraham's being justified in uncir- tumcision, was, on that occasion, fully confirmed and realized by the gift of the Holy Spirit to the uncircumcised. Peter, in giving an account of the matter to his offended " brethren ofthe circum cision," concludes with these words: " As I be gan to speak, the Holy Ghost, fell on them, as on us at the beginning. Then remembered I the word ofthe Lord, how that he said, ' John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be bap tized with the Holy Ghost.' Forasmuch, then, as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, what was I that I could withstand God ?" And the account which he had given being perfectly sa tisfactory ¦ to the minds of the brethren — it is added; " When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, ' Then hath God also, to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life '." What cause have we, sinners of the Gentiles, to join, with. one heart and one mouth, in this ascription of praise to , the God of salvation! [ 22 J II. Let us be still more particularly thankful to God, if he has made us, individually, partak ers of " like precious faith " with Abraham. That is truly precious faith, which introduces to such blessedness, as is, in this passage, referred to by the Apostle, even that described, in the lan guage of Da vid , in the preceding verses : " Bless ed is the man whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will nbt impute sin." This faith was to Abraham, and is to us, the gift of God. To be children of Abraham, in this true spiritual sense, is the highest honour and the truest happiness; for it is to be children of God,, and heirs of glory. ik Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus." w And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise," Gal. iii. 26, 29. This is a conneftion infinitely more inter esting and intimate, than the mere fleshly rela tion. Those who possessed that only, were not allowed, by our Lord, the honourable appellation of the children of Abraham. " If ye were A- braham's children, ye would do the works of A* braham. Ye are of your father the devil," John viii. 39, 44. And to this agree the words of Paul — " They are not all Israel, who are of Is rael; neither because they are the seed of Abra ham, are they all children," Rom. ix. 6, 7. From our Lord's language to the Jews, just referred to, let us learn, how we ought to mani- r 23 ] fest our gratitude to God, as children of Abra ham. It is by " doing the works of Abraham." He shewed his faith by his works. And if we do not, in this, resemble him, we resemble him in nothing; but may be assured., whatever pro fession we make, that we are utterly destitute of that faith, which constitutes sinners his child* ren. We> my beloved brethren, are in one respect, blessed above Abraham ; inasmuch as we now have a full and clear revelation, of what was de clared to him in language comparatively obscure; of things which he saw only afar off. He who is least in the kingdom of heaven is, inthisrespecL, superior to him: for, while our, Lord says of John the Baptist, that among those who are born of women there had not, before Jhis time, arisen a greater, he at the same time declares — '* the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he," Matth. xi. 11. If our father Abraham re/Wmi to see the day of Christ at such a distance, should not our joy be full?— If his faith " wrought by love," how much more should ours! In propor tion to the superior fulness and purity of the re velation which we enjoy, ought not our " obe- i dience of faith " to exceed his, in fulness and puri ty? — It is thus we are to shew ourselves Abra ham's children; even by " walking in the steps of his faith:" /. e. at once believing as he be lieved, and following him diligently in that path of obedience, in which his faith led him te walk. C 24 3 III. Learn the folly of trusting, in any measure, for salvation, to any outward observance. A- braham's circumcision, you perceive, had no thing to do with his justification — in point of cau sal influence, was totally unconnefted with it. The Jews, therefore, who trusted and gloried in their circumcision, mistook and perverted its design, to the dishonour of Abraham, and of the God of Abraham, and to their own everlast ing perdition. You have been baptized. As to this view ofthe matter, it is of no consequence whether by sprinkling or immersion, whether in infancy or in adult years: if you fancy yourselves Christ ians because you have been baptized, you are in the same fatal error, in which the Jews were, when they imagined themselves the children of Abraham, and of God, because they were cir cumcised. Be not deceived. Those Jews pe rished without remedy, notwithstanding their circumcision, who refused to submit themselves to the " righteousness of God," of which, when rightly understood, it was the sign and the seal. So shall all, without remedy, perish, not withstanding their baptism, and their other out ward privileges, who are not born again, by be ing made partakers of like precious faith with A- braham. " For in Christ Jesus, neither circum cision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature," Gal. vi, 15. t 25 ] LECTURE IL VERSES 13 17. XTLAVINGjin the preceding verses, spoken of Abraham, as the father of all believers, in every age and nation,— of all who are justified, after the pattern of his justification; the Apostle pro ceeds, farther to illustrate and confirm this im portant view, by shewing that to such, and not to those who were connected with Abraham by flesh ly descent merely, the promises, originally made to that patriarch, were to be fulfilled; that the ground of them was not law, or legal obedience, but grace, or faith. Verse ] 3. " For the promise that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith." Three things here claim our notice:— The promise,—- the seed to whom it was made,— and the ground on which it rests. With regard to the promise, " that he should be heir df the world," observe, in the first place, that it must be understood, in a sense not entirely D t 26 ] peculiar -to Abraham. This is manifest from the very expression in this verse,, which repre sents it, as made to Abraham and his seed. And it is farther evident, from what follows: — " If they who are of the law be heirs:" — Heirs of what? Surely of the promise here specified. The same promise also is certainly spoken of in verse 16th. as being " sure to all the seed." In the second place; I agree with those, who consider this promise as of very extensive import; as including the possession of Canaan, — the possession of the whole earth, — and the final pos session of the heavenly country itself. We know that the earthly Canaan was, in ex press terms, promised to Abraham and his seed* And, that the promise of the heavenly Canaan was couched under this, is scarcely less plain,1 from the two following simple considerations. — 1st. Abraham himself, and the other believing patriarchs, so understood k: for, on the footing of this promise, they looked for the heavenly country. This appears from Heb. xi. 8 — 10, 1 3—1 6. " By faith Abraham, when he was call ed to go out into the place which he should af ter receive for aninheritance$ obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him. of the same promise: for he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." C. 27 ] " These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pil grims on the earth. They that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country whence they came out, they might have had op portunity to have returned. But now they de sire a better country, that is, a heavenly : where fore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he hath prepared for them a city." This ci ty — this country, was the object of their hope, as being the subjeft of Divine promise. But no promise of it is to be found, unless it was couched under that of the earthly Canaan, as a type; con- . nefted with the declaration, ' I will be thy God, and the God of thy seed;' which also, as we shall afterwards see, includes the promise of eternal inheritance. Indeed/- the whole of the gospel revelation was then, and for many ages after wards, under the vail of figurative language, and of typical rites, objefts, and events. To have given, in clear and explicit terms, the full promise of the eternal inheritance, would not have been consistent with the Divine scheme of gradual developement, nor with the faft of " life and immortality being brought to light by Jesus Christ." But that the promise was given, is ma nifest from the Apostle's manner of expressing himself, in the passages above quoted; and from D 2 X 28 ] his saying of the patriarchs, who had gone to, the better country, that " through faith and patience they inherited the promises," Heb. vi. 12. 2dly, This is still farther evident, from believ ers in all ages and countries being called heirs-, according to the promise of inheritance, given to Abraham. So they are spoken of in Gal. iii. 18, 29. " If ye be Christ's," says the Apostle in verse 29th. " then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the premise .-" i. e. the promise of' the inheritance, mentioned in verse 18,th,; " If the inheritance be of the law., it is no more o£ promise ;- but God- gave it to Abraham by promise." So also, in Heb. vi. 1 7 — 20. the heirs of promise, who derive strong consolation from the word and oath of God to Abraham, are those who have fled for refuge, to lay hold on the hope set before them — which hope entereth within the vail, whi ther the forerunner, Jesus, is entered. But as the word here render world, is one wbich usually, if not uniformly, when it occurs out of conneftion with any restrictive noun, is used to denote the whole inhabited earth ; I can not help thinking that there is here a reference to the whole earth becoming the possession of Abraham's seed ; of which the possession of Ca naan was but a small prelude. There is an obvious difference between a right. and actual possession. The whole earth may be, by the gift or promise of God, the property of this seed? although they are not yet, and may I - 29 ] »ot be for a good while to come, invested with the actual possession of it. When promises are made to a seed, that is to come into existence in the successive generations of men, and ages of the world, it is not necessary to their fulfilment, that they should be enjoyed in the same manner, and in the same degree, by all, from the first pe riod to the last ; for with this, in the present in stance, facts do not accord. We certainly pos sess the blessings contained in the Divine promi ses, in a more eminent degree than the saints of old ; " God having provided better things for us, that they, without us, should not be made perfeft," Both temporal and spiritual blessings will be possessed, in a much , higher degree qf perfection than now, during the period of the millennial glory of the church. And as to those who shall be alive on the earth, at the coming of Christ, they shall escape the sentence of morta lity. But such differences in the enjoyment of the promises, at different periods, do not render them void of effect to any. All the seed have " the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come." All being finally put in possession of the heavenly country, may be said then to inherit the promises, in their full extent, this being their grand sum, their glorious com pletion. Moses and Aaron inherited the promis es, although, as a judgment for failing to sanc tify the name of the Lord, at the waters of Meri bah, they were sentenced to finish their course, short of the earthly Canaan. [ 30 3 This view of " the promise, that he should be heir of the world," as referring to the possession of the whole earth, must be understood of the seed, collectively considered. David says, Psai. lxvi. 6. " He turned the sea into dry land; they went through the flood on foot; there did we rejoice in him:" And Paul, 1 Thess. iv. 15. " We who are alive and remain unto the coming ofthe Lord, shall not anticipate them who are a- sleep:"— and 1 Cor. xv. 51. " We shall not all die, but we shall all be changed," &c. — This mode of expression arises, from the conneftion, which the writers conceived themselves to have, with'the colletlive bodies to which they, respective ly, belonged. We are quite accustomed to this mode of speech. Were we speaking of the wars in Queen Ann's time, or in any former period, we would say, without hesitation — " We Were successful in such a battle "—-meaning by we; not the race presently existing, nor the individuals, who then actually fought, but the nation to which we belong, and which we, the existing race, now constitute, as gaining the battle by means of its armies. S© we may, with perfect propriety, say, that the promise spoken of, in the view I am now taking of it, is to us, because it shall be verified to the seed of which we are a part. The following scriptures, among others, seem to countenance this view ofthe promise. Psai. ii. 8. " Ask of me, and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the t 31 ] earth for thy possession." This is spoken by the Father to Jesus; and it appears, as if the gradual, and, at last, full possession of the promised land, in the days. of Solomon, prefigured the gradual possession of the earth, by Messiah, of whom Solomon was a type, till it shall be completely oc cupied by his people. Hence it is said, in Psai. lxxii. 8. " He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth." Similar is the import of the words ad dressed to Daniel, chap. vii. 27. " The kingdom . and dominion,, and the greatness ofthe kingdom, under the whole heaven, shall be given to the peo ple of the saints of the Most High, whose king- . dom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him." In the prophecies of Isaiah, the wilderness signifies the countries of the Gentiles. These are represented as belonging to the church of God, by the charter, as it were, of his promise, although the possession of them was yet' distant. They were given to the Re deemer for a possession, but they were then, and a large proportion of them are still, " desolate heritages," Isa. xlix. 8. Thus, too, the Lord pro mises to " comfort Zion, to comfort all her waste places ; to make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden ofthe Lord," Isa. li. 3. And the encouraging promise is given to Zion, that " her seed should inherit the Gentiles, and cause the desolate cities to be inhabited." Isa. liv. 3. C 32 3 When " the knowledge ofthe Lord shall cover the earth, as the waters cover the sea," and thus the declaration be fulfilled, " in thy seed shall- all the families ofthe earth be blessed;" then, the promise, that Abraham should be " the heir ofthe World," shall be fully verified, the whole earth becoming the possession of his . seed, the people of God. In considering the extent of the promise, I have necessarily- led you to anticipate my view of the seed here spoken of. " The promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was to Abra ham and his seed." Now of this, let me direct your attention to a plain, infallible interpretation. Look to Gal. iii. 16. " Now to Abraham, and his seed, were the promises made: he saith not, and to seeds, as of many ;< but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ." — That the name " Christ " is sometimes used as inclusive of his people, the Head being intended to express the whole body connected with it, is evident from 1 Cor. xii. 1 2. " For as the body is one, and hath many mem bers, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ." That it is so used in this passage of the Epistle to the Galatians, can hardly, I think, be doubted, by any one who attends to the connection. For while Christ is here said to be the seed, to whom the promises were made, it is said of believers, in the end of the chapter, " If ye be Christ's, then dxeye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the C ss 3 promise" And the reason oftheir being so called is, their being " all one in Christ Jesus ," Gal. iii. 28, 29. The passage before us, likewise, in the Epistle to the Romans, makes the same thing evident. The seed, in this 13th verse, is that of which Abraham is the father, in the spiritual sense, even the seed spoken of in verses 11th. and 12th. consisting of " all them that be lieve." From these passages I now state it, as my firm conviftion, that the promises contained in the Abrahamic covenant, both the temporal promise, and the- spiritual, were made to the same seed, on the same footing. That they were both made to the same seed, seems to be as plain, as a positive declaration, from an inspired Apostle, can make it: "To Abraham, and his seed, were the promises made." What promises? Surely the promises, whatever they were, contained in the covenant referred to. These are here expressly said to have been made to the same seed. There is not the smallest hint given of the distinction, so often contended for, that the temporal promise was made to the fleshly seed as such, and the spiritual promise to the 'spi ritual seed as such. No such distinftion is to be found in Paul's reasoning. But the promises of that covenant,, without difference, are declar ed to have -been made* " not to seeds, as of ma ny, but as of one, " and to thy seed,' which*' is Christ." [ 34 3 The covenant with Abraham is not represent ed, as containing in it two distinct covenants, the one temporal, and the other spiritual; but as being one, although including different promises, and referring, as a whole, to one seed. And if this be a just view of. the matter, it follows, of course, that these promises were made, on the same footing. None of them were given on the ground of law, or on account of personal obedi ence, but all by grace; — " not through the law, but through the righteousness of faith." Let us examine this a little. It is abundantly plain, that the inheritance, spok en of in the covenant, was promised to Abraham, and his spiritual seed. In Gal. iii. the Apostle, having said, that to Abraham, and to his seed, which is Christ, the promises were made, adds, verse 16. " For if the inheritance be ofthe law, it is no more of promise, but God gave it to Abraham by promise." Exaftly parallel fo this is the lan guage in verse 14th of the chapter before us; " If they who are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of no effect." The inheritance must certainly mean, in the first instance, the earthly inheritance ; that which is literally specified in the promise. To say that the earthly, or typical inheritance, was promised to the fleshly seed, and the heavenly, or antitype,' to the spiritual, is taking for granted a distinc tion, which I do not find the scriptures any where recognising; and of which, if it had any [35 3 foundation, it is surely somewhat singular, that the Apostle, in all his reasonings on the subject, has never once given the slightest intimation. The inheritance of Canaan was originally mat ter of promise. And it must have continued to be held not by law, but on the footing of the ori ginal grant, made to Abraham, and to the one seed here mentioned. For the Apostle, in his reason ing, obviously proceeds on the principle, that what Was originally matter of promise, could ne ver afterwards become- matter of legal right or claim. This he plainly and strongly intimates, both in verse 14th of this chapter of the epistle to the Romans, and in Gal. iii. 17, 18. His lan guage, in these passages, has no meaning, if it does not imply, that if ever the inheritance re ferred to came to be held by law, that instant the promise became null and void — " of no ef feft." The heavenly inheritance is admitted to be en tirely a matter of free promise, and never can become, as to us, a matter of right, on the ground of personal obedience, or of law. Now, if it was otherwise with the earthly inheritance; if it was held by law, /'. e. as a matter of right, on the footing of obedience, the type fails in one of the most important and striking points of resem blance. I am fully persuaded, that none of the promis es, either the temporal or the spiritual, were made to the fleshly seed of Abraham, merely on E 2 C 36 3 the footings of carnal descent. This appears to be most explicitly stated in the passage be fore us, when compared with Gal. iii.; and it seems, likewise, to accord with the wbole history of the Jews. We have saen, that the inheritance was, originally, matter of promise ; and that it must have continued to be held on the same footing ; for if ever it came to be possessed by law, the promise was made of no effect. But we are not left, on this subject, to inference, however obvious and strong. Recorded fafts appear in perfect harmony with the Apostle's statement. I. What was the reason, why the Israelites wandered forty years in the wilderness, till the re bellious generation was consumed, to whom God had sworn in his wrath, that they should not en ter into his rest? It was unbelief: unbelief of the promises of God to their fathers, which contain ed the gospel. This is plainly declared by Paul, in Heb: iii. 18, 19. iv. 2. It was not unbelief ofthe matters of faft, reported by those who had searched" the land. For if there was any ma terial difference, in the representation of these, between Caleb and Joshua, on the one hand, and the remaining ten, on the other, certainly, so far as respected human testimony, 'the Israelites could have been little to blame, for receiving the declaration of ten, in preference to that of two. But it was unbelief of the promises and declara tions of God, madg to their fathers, respecting E s? 3 that land; and consequent distrust of his veraci ty and his power, accompanied with rebellious complaints' and murmurings. If it be said, still this was only unbelief of the promise of God re specting the land of Canaan: I answer, that un belief of this promise, implied ignorance and un belief of its spiritual import, and included also ignorance and unbelief of the other gospel pro mises, made in connection with ,it, in the same covenant. It amounted to a rejection ofthe word of God, a rejeftion of God himself, as the God of their fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It was a denial of his faithfulness and truth', not only in this, but in all the promises, respefting the seed of Abraham, the future accomplishment of which depended upon the fulfilment of this. Those M sinners against their own souls," who said, M would God we had died in the land of Egypt, or would God we had died in this wik derness! let us make a captain and return into Egypt ;" were certainly unbelievers, and proud despisers, of all that the God of their fathers had promised, of the fulfilment of which, their own deliverance from the house of bondage, with a high hand and an outstretched arm, was a pre lude and a pledge. They were unbelievers of the gospel, which was then revealed in the promis es of the covenant made with Abraham. II. The Israelites are, indeed, spoken of, as continuing to hold the land of Canaan in posses- [ 38 J sion through obedience: but by this obedience, we must understand the obedience of faith, i. e. obe dience springing from, and evidencing faith. I say, we must so understand it, if the principle laid down by the Apostle be a just one, that " if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise;" that " if they who are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of no effect." These expressions, I have en deavoured to shew, stand in perfect Opposition to the idea, of the land of Canaan being ever held, as the reward, strictly' speaking, of legal obedi ence; held on the footing of obedience to the law, as the meritorious ground of possession. Many passages, accordingly, describe the obedience re quired of Israel, as being much more than mere outward subjeftion, as being nothing ' less than inward spiritual subjeftion, manifested by out ward. And such subjection is the fruit and evidence of faith. I refer you to the following passages, among many that might be quoted; Deut. x. 12 — 22. vi. 1 — 19; and, as illustrative ofthe reasons of judgment and restoration, Deut. xxx. If any choose to say, that their obedience was the condition of their continuing to enjoy the pro mised blessings, my approving or disapproving of the expression, which is ambiguous, and there fore improper, depends entirely on the meaning which it is intended to bear. If by condition is meant, meritorious ground, or procuring cause, I C 39 3 decidedly object to the idea which it conveys. But if by obedience being the condition of en joying the blessing, nothing more is intended, than its being essentially requisite; then the ex pression conveys a very important truth; a truth equally applicable to us as to them; for there is no enjoying the blessings, of any kind, which God hath promised, but in the way of obedience to his commandments, under the influence of faith working by love. III. The reason why the Jews were, with such awful judgments, at length cast out from the land of promise, and now continue a proverb, and a bye-word, and a hissing, among all na tions, corresponds with these ideas. It was un belief — rejection of the gospel of Jesus Christ. See Rom. xi. 20, &c. Luke xix. 41— -44. Mat. xxiii. 34 — 39. 1 Thess. ii. 15, 16. Acts iii. 23. &c. The curses which Moses, so many hundred years before, had denounced against, them, if they should be disobedient, were verified on account of their Unbelief; which shews us, what kind of disobe dience was the ground of his denunciations, de livered in the name of God, who cannot lie. Thus it appears, that the promise was ori ginally through faith; — that it was as profes sors of Abraham's faith, that the Israelites enter ed on the possession of Canaan; — that the pos session was continued, through the obedience of faith ;— and that, on account of the opposite dis- C 40 3 obedience, judgments were threatened and in- flifted.-5-By faith the inheritance was obtained, by faith it was held, and by unbelief it was lost. " Wherefdre, then," it will now naturally be asked, " serveth the law?" — To this inquiry, the Apostle leaves us at no loss for an answer. " It was added, says he, because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made," Gal. iii. 19. It was introduced, in the course of the Divine scheme, for a particular pur pose. This purpose is expressed in the words " be* cause of transgressions:" i. e. " that the offence might abound," Rom. v. 20. or, that the extent, and aggravation of transgressions might, by it, be made manifest; that by this " fiery law," the conneftion of transgression with wrath might be kept in remembrance. Hence the Apostle says,' in verse 1 5th of the passage before us, " the law worketh wrath, for where no law is, there is no transgression." While the moral law gave no hope, but, by exhibiting the extent and evil of sin, wrought a sense of transgression, and of guilt, the ceremonial could not, in itself, remove the charge of guilt, and subdue the fear of wrath; for "it was impossible, that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sin," or " make him that did the service perfeft, as pertaining to the con science." It could afford no peace or comfort, except when viewed in conneftion with the pro mises of a- covenant made centuries before, and C « 3 as prefiguring the accomplishment of these proi mises" in the fulness of time. The law was thus added, for a particular end; ** not against the promises of God ; God forbid ;'' but subservient to them. The Sinai covenant is represented, in the Apostle's reasoning, as quite distinft from the covenant made with Abraham,, four hundred and thirty years before; and there fore, in forming our ideas ofthe latter, the form er should be left out of view. This observation is the more necessary, because a great deal of inconclusive reasoning has been the result of con founding the two together, by which the minds of many have been much blinded and perplex*. ed. The law, may be compared, in this view, to a parenthesis, in writing. A parenthesis, is some partial explanation thrown in by the way, the omission of Which does not break the sen tence, but leaves a complete meaning. So the scheme of God, revealed in the Abrahamic co venant, might have gone on to its fulfilment, ini- dependent of the law: but the law was introduc ed, or " added," to throw light upon it in its progress. — " Though it be but a man's cove nant, yet, if it be confirmed, no man disannulled, or addeth thereto." " And this I say, that tbe covenant which was confirmed before of God, in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should t 42 3 make the promise of no effect," Gal. iii. 15, 17*. The expression employed in this quotation, to describe the covenant made with Abraham, that *In considering the unity ofthe Abrahamic covenant, and its complete distinctness from the law, a remark has Forqibly struck my mind, which I deem worthy of some attention. Whatever view tends to destroy, or even to im pair, the obvious conclusiveness of an inspired writer's rea soning, cannot surely be readily admitted as just» Now, the leading design of the Apostle, in thi3 part of his epistle to the Romans, and in the part referred to of that to the Ga- latians, is to prove to his countrymen, in opposition to jus tification by the law, the doctrine of justification by grace, as being the doctrine of their own scriptures. He selects the case of Abraham, as an instance to his purpose. He shews that this patriarch, in whom they gloried, was justi fied, not by the law, but on the footing of a covenant, which was made four hundred . and thirty years before. Now, considering this covenant as completely distinct from the law, renders this argument perspicuous and decisive. But it requires little reflection to perceive, how much its force and conclusiveness is diminished, by the view which I am opposing; according to which, the law, instead of being four hundred and- thirty years after this covenant, and quite distinct from it, was coeval with it, and formed one of its branches. I refer to any candid mind, if this does not tend to introduce confusion and feebleness into the Apostle's reasoning. Surely, without some farther explanations and ¦ distinctions, which the Apostle has not thought it necessary to make, it cannot be deemed a very strikingly appropri ate, or convineing inference, that Abraham was not justi fied by the law, because he was justified on the footing of a covenant, of -which the law was a part. C 43 3 it was " confirmed before of God, in Christ,'* seems, most decisively, to establish the view which has been given of it. The promises of. this covenant were made, with, a prospective regard to Christ, as their foundation. It will surely be admitted, that there is. but one covenant, the promises, of which are made either to Christ, or in Christ; but the promises ofthe Abrahamic. covenant are expressly declared to have been so made; whence it appears to follow, that this co venant was nothing less than "• the glorious gos pel of the blessed God;" his everlasting cove nant of grace, ordered in all things and sure; and of which it is the peculiar glory, that " all its promises are yea, and amen, in Christ Jesus" 2 Cor. i. 20. Before leaving this part of the subjeft, let us, for a little, attend to the import of that interest ing and blessed declaration, which appears as the glorious sum of the promises, made in the Abra hamic covenant^—" I will establish, my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee, in their generations, for an everlasting covenant,, to be a God to thee, and to thy seed- after thee" Gen xvii. 7. In whatever sense we consider God as promis ing to be ,the God of Abraham, in the same. sense we must consider him as promising to be the God of his. seed. The promise is one.. No hint is ever given, of his being the God of Abraham in one sense, and die God of his seed F 2 [ 44 3 in another. Nor does any ground appeaf for the distinction made, in the meaning of the terrn toedi asif he were to be the God of his fleshly seed in one sense, and the God of his spiritual seed in andther. The promise, as it stands, ife plain ly one in its import, and to one seed in its extent; even the seed mentioned Gal. iii. 16. and con sidered above. As the covenant We are speaking of Was con firmed in Christ, so it is in virtue of Abraham's conneftion, and that of his seed, with Christ, that Jehovah is Abraham's God, and theirs. Jehovah has been the God of his people, in every age, upon the same ground: and that ground is intimated by our Lord, in what he says to Mary Magdalene, after his resurfeftion; — " Go, tell my disciples, I ascend unto my Fa ther, and your father, to my God, and your God," John xx. 17. The sense in which He was the God of Abra ham, Isaac^ and Jacob, and in which He conti nues to be the God of his people, will appear from two or three passages of scripture. 1. In Matth. xxii. 31, 32. Jesus concludes his reply to the Sadducees, respefting the resurrec tion and a future state, with these words in evi dence of his doftrine: — " But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye hot read that winch was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, fhe God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the t 45 3 dead, but of the living." It is evident from this passage, without entering into any discussion of the nature and full import of the argument, that,' as their God, he had received their spirits to felesse'dness with himself, and was also to raise their bodies from the grave; to " shew them the path of life," and to put them in possession, with and through his Son, of those " pleasures which are at his right hand for evermore;'* thus to fulfil to them the promise of " everlasting inheritance." He will do no less for any whose God he is. 2. Compare with this passage, Heb. xi. 1 3— v 16. The faith, and hope, and desire of the pa triarchs, are here represented, as having for their Objeft, the heavenly country. This they expect ed to receive from God, as their Ggd, according to the promise of his covenant; and we are assured that, as their God, He would not disappoint their most exalted hopes, founded, as they were, on his Own word. " God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he hath prepared for them a city." From this passage, no inference appears more obvious, than that God would have been ashamed to be called their God, if he had not provided for .them such a city as is here referred to: that He would have been ashamed to repre sent Himself in so endearing a relation to them, had the title been accompanied with the bestow- ment of a mere earthly inheritance, — a temporal blessing only; if he had prepared for them any C 46 3 thing, that would have fallen short of their hopes, and failed to satisfy the utmost extent oftheir de sires. The title and the gift would have been incongruous. It would have been, as when a man raises our expeftations by high professions of friendship, and then puts us off wdth a trifle.. His gifts are more worthy of himself, and of the relations which He has graciously revealed him-- self as bearing to his people, 3. This li exceeding great and precious pro-. mise " is often expressed as a principal one in the new covenant; and is, indeed, " the fulnessi of the blessing of the gospel of Christ." See, in evidence of this, Jer. xxxi. 33. xxxii. 38 — 40. Ezek. xxxiv. 23, 24, SO, 81. xxxvi,. 25 — 28* xxxvii. 27- Heb. viii, 10. 2 Cor, yi. 16 — 18., besides which, a multitude of other passages,, of similar import, might be referred to... If these things are so, an inquiry immediate ly occurs, — " In what sense is it, that God calls. himself the God of the nation of Israel; and in assuming this relation to them, as a nation, de clares, that He remembers the covenant made with their fathers — -as He does in Exod, vi. 4—8, Lev. xxvi. 12. and in other places?" In answer to this question, I observe—* 1. It seems to me a fair general principle, that when we find a particular view of any subject, expressly and simply stated by an inspired writ er; we should so far admit this view to be a rule, for the explanation of other passages of t 47 3 scripture, as that, when there are two possible interpretations of any circumstance connected with it, that should be held the right one, which harmonises with, and illustrates it. It appears to me, that nothing can be more express and simple, than what the Apostle says in Gal. iii. in conneftion with the passage before us, that this covenant made with Abraham, " was con firmed of God in Christ," and that its " pro mises were made to one seed, which is Christ." If the view given of these expressions, with their conneftion, is admitted, and I conceive it to be founded on the plain and obvious meaning ofthe words, it follows, that when God is any where said to " remember his covenant," the expres sion ought to be understood, in a sense con sistent with it. I therefore observe — ,2dly, When he is called their God, we are to view them not as a nation, or civil community, but as his church, his professing people. When God made his covenant with Abraham, his family became " the household of faith;" for I cannot readily conceive, that the adults in his house would have submitted to the painful rite of circumcision, without being instrufted respect ing it, and professing to understand and believe its import; /'. e. professing the faith of Abraham. Out of the household of faith, Ishmael, " he who was born after the flesh," was cast, when he mocked, or, as the Apostle expresses it, perse- I 4« ] cuied " him who was horn after the Spirit," or " by promise," GaL iv. 29, 30. Esau forfeited his privileges, by despising his birth-right; on account of which he is called a " profane person," Heb. xii. 16. His profaneness, or impiety, con sisted in his setting at nought the blessing of God through the promised seed The nation of Israel, springing from Abra ham, in the line of Isaac and Jacob, became the church of God. — When Moses was commission ed to deliver them from Egypt, he was command ed to say to them ; " The Lord God of your fa thers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you;" and God gave him signs, which he was to shew them, in evidence ofthe truth of what he was en joined to declare; and as a pledge of the fulfil ment of God's promise, which he made to them in remembrance of his covenant. And when Moses and Aaron came to them, and Aaron spake all the words which the Lord had spoken lo Moses, and did the signs in their sight, it is said, " The people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their afflic tion, then they bowed their heads and worship ped;" professing subjection to the God of their fathers, faith in his word of promise, and thank fulness for his merciful kindness. Exod. chapters iii. and iv. — " By faith, it is said, Moses kept the passover, and .the sprinkling of blood," Heb. Z 49 3 xi. 28. All the children of Israel observed this Ordinance, on the eve of their departure from Egypt; and their doing so, we must consider as a profession of the same faith. — The reason, why the race who came out of Egypt fell in the wil derness, as before noticed, was unbelief; for they gave abundant evidence, that the professions of faith which they had made were hypocritical^- " coming out of feigned lips," " their hearts ne ver being right with God, nor stedfast in his co venant." And the same was the reason, why the Jews were rejefted, after Messiah's coming. •"¦On entering into Canaan, the generation then existing, " avouched the Lord to be their God," *. e. they professed the faith of their fathers, A- braham, Isaac, and Jacob. And it seems to have been on the footing of this profession, that they, with their little ones, were circumcised by Joshua, Deut. xxvi. 17, &c. Josh. v. 2—9. It is true, the church was, for many ages, in a state of great corruption. But we should re member, that the pure spirituality of the gos pel was not fully apparent, till the coming of Christ; and we should not look for the corres ponding purity of his church, till the same pe riod. Yet, after all, was not the state of Israel of old, very similar tq the state of the church of Christ, in many periods after his coming? And to the state of many individual churches of the saints? Take, as an example, the case of seve ral of the Asiatic churches, to whom the epistles G [ so J in Rev. ii. and iii. are addressed by the Lord. Several of these churches are severely reproved for their corruption; they are called upon to re pent; they are threatened with judgments, and with destruction, if they did not. Can any thing, on a small scale, be more exaftly parallel to the state and treatment of the ancient church ? God called them to repentance, often and earnestly; he threatened them with judgments, and he brought upon them one after another, for this end. And when " the wrath came upon them to the uttermost," what was the cause of.it in them, and what the purpose of God? The cause in them, we have seen, was their unbelief. And the design of God was, the purging of his church, by " shaking the wicked out of it." This is intimated by the prophet Zechariah, chap. xiii. 8, 9. " It shall come to pass, saith the Lord, that, in all the land, two parts' shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and try them, as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people; and they shall say, The Lord is my God." The former of these verses refers to the destruction ofthe unbe lieving Jews, by Divine judgments, and the se- paration of " the remnant according to the elec tion of grace." The latter, to the fire of perse cution and trial, by which God should continue, even after this separation of the precious from C 51 1 the vile, to purify his church, "" purging away their dross, and taking away all their tin," mak ing them a holy people unto himself. The lan guage of Malachi is similar, chap., iii. 2, 3. Speaking ofthe coming'of the Messiah, " the Mes senger of the Covenant," he says:—" But who may abide the day of his coming, and who shall stand when He appeareth? for He is like a refin er's fire, and like fuller's soap ; And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify, the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. Then shall the of fering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in former years." This purification of his church was effected, as above observed, at once by casting out the wicked in wrath, and by bringing the, remnant through the fire, in mercy. The language of John the Baptist affords a ' striking commentary on these and other prophe cies — " Now also, the axe is laid unto the root ofthe trees: every tree, therefore, which bring eth not forth good fruit, is hewn down, and cast Jnto the fire. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance; but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire: Whose fan is in- his. hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner: but -he will burn up G2 C 52 ] the chaff with unquenchable fire!" Matth. iii. 8-^-12. These, and many other passages, strongly in-' timate the superior spirituality of the new dis pensation, and the more complete discrimination of charafter, which was to take place under it. As Ishmael was cast out, when he mocked Isaac the child of promise; so the unbelieving Jews, who despised and rejefted the true child of pro mise, were cast out ofthe church of God, Gal. iv. 28 — 31. It was his own floor that Jesus thus fanned and purged — it was his own church to which he thus proved a refiner's fire and fuller's soap — it was in his own vineyard that He thus cut down, with the axe of his judgments, those rotten trees which cumbered the ground. It is not for us to ask, why the church was suf fered to remain so long in this corrupt state. This was God's time. And we might as reason ably inquire, why " the fulness of time" was not -fixed at an earlier period. That the people of Israel constituted the visi ble church of God, is farther manifest from the almost universal language of the prophets, Who, in speaking of gospel times, do riot represent the ancient church as annihilated, but as purified by diminution, and afterwards enlarged by an abun dant increase. Zion, or the Church, is represent ed as complaining of the loss of her children, in . prospeft of the casting out of such a multitude of the ancient people of God; and she is com- I ss 3 forted and cheered, with the assurance of increase from another quarter— --" The children which thou shalt 'have, after thou hast lost the other, shall say in thine ears, The place is too s,trait for me; give place to me, that I may dwell. Then shalt thou say in thy heart, who hath be gotten me these, seeing I have lost my children, and am desolate, and a captive, and removing to and fro? And who hath brought up these? Behold I was left alone; these, where had they been? Thus saith the Lord God, behold I wili lift up my hand to the Gentiles, and set up my, standard to the people, and they shall bring thy sons in their ar-ms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders," &c. Isa. xlix. 20 — 22. It is, indeed j the uniform manner of the pro-. phets, so far as I at present recollect, to speak of the iGentiles, as being, at a future period, to be added, or brought in to the church of God which existed at the time they wrote; and of that church, not as annihilated, but as visited, — com forted, — purified, — raised up, — and gloriously restored. — <" Blessed be -the Lord God oflsrael, for be hath visited and redeemed his people." " The Lord shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her wasteplac.es; and he will make her wil derness like Eden, and her desert like the garden ofthe Lord; joy and gladness shall -be heard in her,- thanksgiving, and the voice of melody." — " I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely C 54 3 purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin." — -" I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me."—" It is a light thing that thou shouldst be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved, of Israel, I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles,, that thou mayest be my sal vation to the ends of the earth." — " In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David, that is fal len down, and close up the breaches thereof, and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old ; that they may possess the rem nant of Edom, and of all the heathen, who are called by my name, saith the Lord that doth this*," Thus the ancient church is represented, in pro phecy, as gloriously restored, at the coming of Messiah, and as receiving the accession of the Gentiles. If, in some passages, the idea of com* plete renovation seems to be suggested, we are not to be surprised, that such language should be applied to a change, in the .state ofthe church, so very remarkable;— a revival, so eminently glorious. The glory of the church, in the latter days, is represented by the " creation of- new heavens, and a new earth, so that the former should not be remembered nor come into mind." If such language is used, to elevate our ideas of * Luke i. 68. Isa. li. S. Isa. i. 25. Ezek. xx. 3& Isa. xlix. 6. Amos ix. 11, 12. with Acts xv. 15 — 17, t 55 3 that blessed aera, we might surely expect terms somewhat similar to be employed, in reference to the time when " God was to be manifested in the flesh," " a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of his people Israel." To all this I shall only add, that when the con version ofthe Jews, in the latter days, is spoken of, it is under the i^ea of returning or restoration; which could never have been the case, if the Old Testament church had been entirely different from the New ; inasmuch as, there would be no proprie ty in speaking oftheir returning, or being restored, to a church, to which they had never belonged. " The children of Israel," says the prophet Hosea, "shall abide many days, without a king, and with out a prince, and without a sacrifice, and with* out an image, and without an ephod, and with out teraphim. Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God, and David their king; and shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days," Hos. iv. 4, 5. Still more apposite and remarkable, is the lan guage of Paul, in the ¦ eleventh chapter of this Epistle to the Romans, verses 23, 24. " And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in; for God is able to graff them in again. For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree, which is wild by nature, and wert graffed, con trary to nature, into a good olive tree; how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree?" Were the t 56 3 Old and New. Testament churches entirely dif ferent, it is not easy to see with What propriety the Jews, in being brought into the latter, can be said to be grafted into their own olive tree- grafted in again, i. e. into the same tree from which they had been cut off. I proceed now to observe, that while the pro mises of the covenant made with Abraham were made to " one seed, which is Christ" — i. e. to the spiritual seed, consisting of believers, of all ages and nations of the world ; yet there was in them a primary respecl to the natural offspring of Abraham. This observation is of consider able moment, on the subject under considera tion. It has been said, that " if spiritual blessings were promised, in that covenant, to the fleshly seed as such, then it behoved all the fleshly seed to possess them, and to be saved ; which is con trary to fact, and therefore inconsistent with the faithfulness of God." Those who make this ob jeftion, conceive the temporal promise to have been made to the fleshly seed, and the spiritual promise to the spiritual seed. It ought to be re membered, however, that, the reasoning which holds good as to the spiritual promise, is, in point of faft, equally conclusive as to the temporal. " If the land of Canaan, and its temporal bless ings, were promised by God to the fleshly seed of Abraham as such, then it behoved all the flesh ly seed to inherit and enjoy them, which is con- t 5-7 3 trary to fact, and therefore inconsistent with the faithfulness of God." The truth is, as I have attempted to shew, that neither the one promise nor the other was made to the fleshly seed, merely as such; and that the principle, " they are not all Israel who are of Israel," is the only prin ciple, on Which the Divine faithfulness can be, in either case, vindicated and maintained. " What if some did not believe? Shall their unbelief make the faithfulness of God of no effect? God forbid'." This: view is by no means at variance with the idea of that primary respecl, which I now speak of, as' being' had, in the promise, to the natural offspring'; a respect, not merely primary accord ing to the order of time, but according to a pecu liarity df rigsfrd, and according to what may be termed the nntmral course of things. That any peculiar reg'ard, or favour, is shewed to children On account of their parents, is by many strongly denied, as, being inconsistent with the freedom of Divine grace. But that God does shew such regard to children, for the sake of their parents, we find both intimated and exemplified, in many parts ofthe scripture history. God represents himself, Exod. xx. 5, 6. as, " visiting the ini- quify' of the fathers upon the children, uiito the tnird'and fourth generation of them that hate him, and shewing mercynrito thousands (of generations) of them that love him and keep his command- itignts." Now, without entering into any discus- H C 58 3 sion of the precise or full meaning of these expres sions, I would merely remark, that the latter can not surely be considered, as less consistent with the freedom of mercy, than the former with the striftness of justice. There is an expression al so used by Paul, respefting the Jews in their pre sent state of unbelief, which appears to me inexpli cable, except on some such principle: — " As touching the eleftion, says he, they are belov ed for the fathers' sakes," Rom. xi. 28. If a peculiarity of regard is not, in these words, expressed towards the natural " seed of Abra ham, God's friend," for the sake of him, and their other godly fathers, with whom Jehovah established his covenant, I am at a loss to ima gine, what meaning the expression can have. Besides, in the idea suggested there is nothing inconsistent with the free operation of Divine grace; because, this grace, in its various blessings, being conveyed to sinners by means, it is quite ac cording to the natural order of things, that it should accompany those means, and flow with them, as itjjjwere, in the same channel. If, there fore, the knowledge of God, the means by which the blessings of salvation come to be enjoyed, was appointed to be conveyed from generation to ge- nerationi we must suppose the blessings to be conveyed along with it, and the conveyance of the blessings to be the grand design of the con veyance of the knowledge. There is no other design, which we can imagine God to have had. C 59 3 And therefore, although the grace of God is not imparted by fleshly birth, all being "conceived in sin, and brought forth in iniquity;" yet, that when God's people are attentive to the means appointed, this grace should appear descending through their generations, cannot at all be mat ter of wonder. If God has been pleased to make the promises of his covenant, with \primary re ference to the generations of his people, as the line in which, by the communication of the know ledge of : his Name, the blessings of his grace should flow, (though not to the exclusion of others from being, in his sovereign pleasure, brought within the bond of his covenant;) and if, in the token of his covenant, he has given his people encouragement, to indulge the believ ing expectation, of his mercy being imparted, -through the use of appointed means, to their off spring, as well as to themselves ; it becomes a very serious matter, to treat this encouragement, which regards the dearest and most interesting of all concerns to a believing parent's heart, with in difference or neglect. That the promise had a primary respect to the fleshly seed of believing. Abraham, implying as its first import, not indeed that all his fleshly seed should be saved, but that amongst them there should be a seed to serve the Lord, may, I think, be established from the following passages ©f the word of God. I. Gen. xviii. 17 — 19. " And the Lord said, H 2 [ *> 3 shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him ? For I know him, that he will command his children, and hip household after him, and they shall keep the way ofthe Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him." vThe most inattentive reader will perceive, that, in this passage, the charafter given of Abraham is connected with the fulfilment of God's promise to him. It is equally obvious, that the authorita tive instruction of his family, could have no influ ence in accomplishing the promise of a carnal, but of a spiritual seed. His acting in the manner de scribed was the means, by which God verified his Word; giving him sueh a seed, from among his natural offspring, by the communication of the Jcnowledge of God to his family, and from theja downwards, through successive generations. By this means, God " brought upon Abraham that which he had spoken of him;" proving " a God to him, and to his seed after him, in their gyra tions.-' And in the same manner, " the generation of the upright " continued to be " blessed "-— f God's righteousness being to children's child- ren, to such as kept his covenant, and* remem bered his commandments to do them." II. Rom. xi. 1. " I say then, hath God cast away his people? God forbid! For I also am t «i 3 an Israelite, ofthe seed of Abraham, of the tribe- of Benjamin." — The Apostle here begins to prove, that God had not cast off his people. And what is the first consideration, which he suggests? That he himself, whom ' God had blessed wkh salvation, was a descendant of Abra>- ham, after the flesh. For, that he speaks, of flesh ly descent, is plain, from his mentioning *< the tribe of Benjamin," along with « the seed of A- hraham." Two things may be observed from this passage. let. If there had not been such a primary respect to the fleshly seed, as I am endeavouring to es* |abfeh ; the salvation of one belonging to the flesh* lyseed, could never, with propriety, have beea adduced, as any peculiar, or appropriate evidence, that " God had not cast away his people." The salivation of a Gentile would have been quite as much to the purpose; the " election " among the Gentiles being the people ofGod, as well as among the Jews. And the Apostle might have quoted the case of Cornelius, or of the Philippian jailor, with as much conclusive effect, as his own. 2dly. Ji seems equally evident, that, while there was a primary respect to the natural seed of those t$ whom the promises were made, these promises never implied, that all who should descend from them, by fleshly birth, should partake ofthe bias* rings. For of this, the salvation of an individual, er of " a remnant according to the election of [ 62 3 grace," however numerous, would have been a proof totally inconclusive. III. Jer. xxxi. 31 — 33. Heb. viii. 8 — 10. " Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, ¦and with the house of Judah; not according to •the covenant that I made with their fathers, &c. For this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel," kt. — When we consider what is so often repeated in the New Testament, re specting the gospel, or new covenant, as being- " to the Jew first," the meaning of these pas sages appears sufficiently obvious. They repre sent the new covenant as made with the same people, with whom the old was made, — " the house of Israel," — the natural seed of Abraham,; •Isaac, and Jacob. And this was fulfilled, when " to them first, God, having raised up his Son Je- •sus, sent him to bless them, in turning away every one of them from their iniquities," Afts iii. 26. These words immediately follow an address ofthe Apostle Peter, to the unbelieving Jews, which appears to put this matter beyond a doubt: .*' Te are the children ' of the prophets, says he, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, ' And in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed '." From this arises the encouraging declaration im mediately added, " Unto you first" , &c. If there had been, in the promises, no such primary refer ence, of peculiar regard, to the fleshly seed, I am [ 63- 3 at a loss to conceive, in what sense the Jews here addressed, who had no relation to Abraham but that of carnal descent, could be denominated the children of the covenant made with the fathers,- not as containing the promise of temporal bless ings only, but the promise of the glorious gos pel of the blessed God. — " To them (says the Apostle, in the ninth chapter of this epistle, speak ing of his "kinsmen according to the flesh,") " to them pertained the adoption, and the glo* ry, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises." If this primary respecl to the fleshly seed is admitted, it is all that I desire to establish in be half of the carnal relation. The application of the principle will come into view after wards. Having dwelt, at so much length, on the nature and ground of the promise, as stated in the 13th verse; the verses which follow, having been occa sionally adverted to, in the course of illustration, do not seem to require much additional remark. Verse 14. " If they who are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of no effect." This has been already explained as pa rallel to Gal. iii. 10. If the Jews who are ofthe- law, be, on that account, heirs, then the ground of the original grant is changed: it is no more matter pf promise, enjoyed through faith, but mat- [ 64 3 ter of right, possessed by law,- which would make the law against the promises' of God. Besides, it cannot be of the law; " Because the law worketh wrath; for Where no law is, there" is no transgression,'* verse 15. The law, in itself, gives no hope: it gives " the knowledge of sin," chap. iii. 20. — it condemns— -it " worketh wrath;" inspiring a sense of guilt, and fear of judgment:-*— And- from wrath, or from the dread of it, the ceremonial; part of the law has no efficacy to deliver; and when trusted in for ac ceptance, it, as well as the moral, is perverted to the sinner's destruftion. , Verses 16, 17. " Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, (as it is written, I have made thee a father of ma ny nations) before Him Whom he believed, even' God, who quickeneth the dead, and' calleth those things" which be not, as though they were," &c. The antecedent to " it " is the promise spe cified in verse 13th. It's being of faith shews it to be by gfdce; faith being' uniformly, in this Apos tle's reasoning, opposed' to works. See verses 2 — 5 of this chapter. Had it been by the law, then they only who were of the' la%u could' have been heirs. But " it is of faith, that the promise might be sure," in its fulfilment, " tp all the C 65 3 seed : not to that only which is ofthe law," /. e. not to the Jews only; — " but to that also which is ofthe faith of Abraham," although without the law; /. e. to the Gentiles also. The seed, of which Abraham was constituted the father, could not have been so extensive as the promise required, had the inheritance been by law: for the promise to Abraham intimated his having a seed among all nations — -or manj nations. Thus the Apostle interprets the language of the promise, Gen. xvii. 4. " a father of many nations have I made thee." I formerly noticed an objeftion to the idea, that the promises of a spiritual nature were made, originally and primarily, to Abraham's natural seed, viz. that if this had been the Case, it behoved all that riation to have been saved. A confirmation of the reply given to this objeftion, seems to be furnished by the expression before us. If the promises being originally made to Abraham's fleshly seed, necessarily implies that all his fleshly seed should enjoy them, then, surely, Abraham's being constituted the father of many nations, in a spiritual sense, as the Apostle interprets the promise, must imply, that these nations should, universally, be his spiritual seed. , But if this pro mise of his being a father of nations, .in a spiri tual sense, was fulfilled by his having a spiritual $eed from among these nations, it seems a fair ipference, that the promises, considered as origi nally made to his natural posterity, were faith- [ 66 3 fully verified, by his having, in the successive ge nerations of that posterity, " a remnant accord ing to the eleftion of grace." Abraham was thus the " father of us all" Jews and Gentiles, " before Him whom he be lieved." The Jews gloried in him, as their fa ther according to the flesh. But "before God," he held a much higher charafter); as the father, in a more important and interesting sense, of a " multitude which no man can number, to be collected out of all peoples, and kindreds, and na tions, and tongues." The remaining expressions in this 17th verse, will be explained by the following context; which, after applying what has been said to our praftice in baptizing the offspring of believing parents, I shall endeavour shortly to illustrate in my next Lefture; to which also I shall sub join some practical improvement of the whole subject. C 67 3 LECTURE III. VERSES 18 25, X T is a favourite maxim with many, and it has been, of late, very strongly insisted upon, that, in considering the observances to which we are bound as Christians, we have nothing to do with the Old Testament scriptures. These must be completely laid aside. We have no title to in terpret them, or to act on such interpretation. In so far only as they are explained to us by the inspired writers of the New Testament, can we have any certainty that we understand them, or right to prove any thing from them. So that the plainest type, or prophecy, whose meaning is not explicitly declared in the New Testament, we must not presume to, explain, without the inspiration of the Holy Ghost. This affords very little encouragement to the study of the Old Testament; sealing up a large proportion of it from any praftical use: and I am persuaded, that many of those who advance the sentiment, are not sufficiently aware how far it will carry them, if they fairly follow it out. The. principle 12 C.68 3 is very often brought forward, to preclude all ar guing, as to our praftice in baptizing children, from the nature of the Abrahamic covenant. While I think it might be fairly and successfully combated, as a general principle, upon general ,grounds, yet I am very well pleased that such proof is, in the present instance, quite unneces sary: for it happens, most fortunately, that the covenant made with Abraham is a portion of the Old Testament scriptures, as fully and sim ply explained in the New, as any other to which reference is made. This I have attempted to shew, from the preceding verses, taken in con neftion with the third chapter of the epistle to to the Galatians: — So that, even upon this limit ing principle, supposing it admitted to its full extent, we have an unquestioned title to under stand it, and to found arguments upon it. It has been attempted, likewise, to throw ridi cule on the idea of viewing the scriptures as a whole, and founding any reasoning on the gene ral harmony of the Divine dispensations. It is very true, indeed, that1 " what finds no support from any one part of the Bible, cannot have the countenance of the Bible as a whole:" and if there are any, who hold the idea of taking the Bible as a whole, in the sense in which a late writ er has deemed it necessary thus gravely to ex pose it, they are certainly very foolish. There is a sentiment, however, which will not, I ima gine, be so easily overturned, and which I presume Z 69 3 to be the one referred to, erroneously stated; I mean, that whatever is proved from any one part ofthe Bible, is as effeft ually established* In point of authority, as if it had been proved from any other part. On the supposition, that the truth $f any doftrine, or the propriety of any praftice, could be established from the book of Genesis, it would be as firmly established, as if the proof had been taken from the epistle to the Romans; inasmuch as, the book pf Gene sis is the word of God, as well as the epistle' to the Romans. I would also remark, that there is, without doubt, a harmony, a glorious and beautiful har mony, in the Divine dispensations. If my argu ment from Moses is opposite to the doftrine of Paul, I must be in the wrong. But if another's reasoning from Paul makes him inconsistent with Moses, he must be equally in the wrong. That system is, certainly, the right one, which mani fests the harmony of the Divine dispensations, and makes scripture consistent with itself. On the supposition, that the Apostle's descrip tion of the nature of the Abrahamic covenant, has been fairly interpreted; the application of what has been said, to our practice of baptiz ing the children of believing parents, appears to be easy and natural. 1 . If it has been proved, that the covenant made with Abraham, was the same, in the sub stance of its import, with the new covenant, " be- Z ?° 3 ing confirmed of God in Christ;" then that co venant still exists. It could not be disannull ed by the law, which was four hundred and thir ty years after it. It can never be disannulled. It is God's " everlasting covenant." Gentiles are incorporated with Jews, in the enjoylhent of its blessings, and as fellow-heirs according to the promise of inheritance contained in it. We are now under this covenant, being Abraham's seed, through the faith of the gospel. 2. I have endeavoured to prove, from a va riety of passages in the word of God, that the promises, made to the Jewish fathers, had a pri- mary respecl to their natural offspring ; that the first and special import of them was, that they should have, amongst their fleshly descendants, a seed to serve the Lord, " a remnant accord ing to the eleftion of grace." While this was their primary import, it was, at the same time, intimated, that this spiritual seed should not be confined to their fleshly offspring, but should, in due time, be likewise taken from all other nations. — The same thing, in my judgment, still continues. The same primary respecl is still had, in the promise, to the seed of believing pa rents. It was by Abraham's commanding his child ren and his household after him to keep the way ofthe Lord, that the Lord, brought upon Abra ham that which he had spoken of him; verifi ed the promise of a spiritual seed among his Z 71 J fleshly offspring, and thus proved a God to him and to his seed after him. It was by the believ ing Israelites, in after times, teaching the things of God, diligently, to their children, in succes sive generations, that " they were led to set their hope in God." The command of God,, injoin- ing such instruction, was express; and I doubt not, that those Israelites, who diligently obeyed it, were encouraged to do so, by faith in the same promise which animated Abraham; for every command given by God to his people, implies a promise of blessing to believing obedience. " He established a testimony in Jacob, and ap pointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers that they should make them known to their children; that the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise, and declare them to their children; that they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of the Lord, but keep his commandments," Psai. lxxviii. 5 — 7. So it is even now. It is by believers " bringing up their children in the nurture and admonition of" the Lord," according to the Divine injunftion, that the same promise is yet to be verified to them. — I have observed, that while the promise had a primary respecl to the fleshly seed of Abra ham, Isaac, and Jacob; yet intimation was given, that the Gentiles were afterwards to be added: so now, the promise continues to have a prima ry reference, a peculiar respect, to the seed of [ 72 3 God's people; while, at the same time, in his rich and sovereign mercy, he progressively en larges his family, by bringing in sinners from the world. - 3. I have endeavoured to prove, that the co venant made with Abraham is one, containing the promises of temporal, spiritual, and eternal blessings to one seed, viz. the spiritual. I have endeavoured to prove, that circumcision was connected with this covenant, in this view of it, as a whole; — that this ordinance was the sign and seal of the promises of this covenant, to Abra ham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to all their believing seed; — signifying, or representing, to them all, the same things, even the spiritual blessings of justification and sanftification, in conneftion with the coming of Messiah from the loins of A- braham; and sealing or pledging, to all such, the faithfulness of God to his promise of accept ance, through faith in this promised seed, — of counting such faith for righteousness. If these things be so, remark— 1. There is no absurdity in the thing itself, — the administering an ordinance, of spiritual import to children. They who objeft to this, on the ground that children are incapable of understand ing its import, should consider What took place of old in the case of circumcision: and that, whether that rite was connefted with the pro mise of temporal or of spiritual blessings, it was to those in infancy, when administered, alikg unintelligible; and must, in either case, equally, have been a matter of subsequent explanation. This also does away what has been much insisted on, as a point of distinction between circumci sion and baptism, that the former leaves a mark. For, the meaning of this mark, in whatever view understood, it could never have entered into the mind of any one to conceive: the understanding of it must, necessarily, have rested on testimo ny; This leads to observe— 2. Circumcision and baptism signify, or repre sent, the same things;' with this difference, that the former seems to have contained in its import, a notification of Messiah as to. come, which of course, at his coming, ceased, to be necessary. And this, as I formerly observed, furnishes a good reason for the substitution of another rite in its place. What circumcision denoted by the cutting off of the flesh, baptism represents by the cleansing virtue of water, — the taking away of sin, in its guilt, and in its pollution, by the blood and Spirit of Christ *. 3. If the Abrahamic covenant was " confirm ed before of God in Christ," and is the everlasting covenant, under which we at present are;— if * As to the supposed emblematic import of the mode of baptism by immersion, which is by some carried so far as to leave no meaning in the ordinauce unless it be admitted — See Appendix. K [ 74 3 circumcision, the sign and seal of this covenant of old, was administered, by God's command, to the children of those who professed the faith of this covenant, and became to them, in their turn, when its import was understood and believed-, a seal of the righteousness of faith; — ¦-I ask,where is any change in its constitution, in this respeft, pointed out? — -When were children excluded, and by what law?— While there is abundant evidence of a change as to the sign, there seems to be none of a change, either in the thing signified by it, with the exception above noticed, or in the extent of its ap plication. This, I freely confess, is an old way of reasoning ; and as such, may draw from some only the sneer of, "nothingnew!" Asneer, however, is no reply : and there is no term of prescription, that converts truth into falsehood, or in the course of which an argument becomes weak, which once had strength. The alteration of an old constitu tion, or the setting aside of an old law, requires express precept, as much as the appointment of a constitution, or law, entirely new. Let such authority, then, on this subject, be pointed out. This appears to be one of those cases, in which all depends on the truth or falsehood of the pre mises: if these be admitted, as above explained, I see not how the inference can be evaded. The only ground, therefore, so far as I perceive, on which this reasoning can be overturned, is the establishment of some different view of the an cient covenant with Abraham, from that -which Z 75 3' has been given: and this I have never yet seen attempted, without what has seemed, to my mind, a direct contradiction of the simple interpreta tion of it, given by the Apostle. As to saying — " the Abrahamic covenant is just as God made it; and we neither wish it more nor less spiritual' than it is: but what has this to do with infant baptism?" — language which has been literally used, aiid the sentiment conveyed by which is, I believe, not uncommon; it sounds so like trif ling with the word of God, that it seems to me rit no notice, but for reprehension and serious admonition. Carrying these views along with you then, I now proceed to call your attention, a little,- to po sitive proof. I have said, that there does not _• seem to be any express , evidence of a change, as to the extent of the application of the sign of the covenant; let us now consider, whether there is not to be fpund, both in the prophecies which refer to New Testament times, and in the New Testament itself, direft evidence of the contrary; that matters remain, -in this respect, on their an cient footing, Jeremiah, speaking of the blessedpess of the house of Israel, when they shall turn to the Lord in the latter days,, says, in the name of Jehovah: — " I will gather them out of all countries, whi ther I have driven them., in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again to this place, and I will cause them K 2 [ - 7« 3 to dwell safely: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. And I Will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and oftheir child ren after them; and I will make an everlasting Covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them to do them good," &c.' — Jer. xxxii. 37—40. I cannot readily imagine any consistent In terpretation of this passage, if it does not contain a promise of spiritual blessings to the natural offspring of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, now in a state of dispersion, and likewise to their child ren after them, in their generations; or, as the prophet Ezekiel expresses it, " to their children, and to their children's children for ever," Ezek, xxxvii. 25. And, as this' language is used re- spefting the Jews, in the prospect of their restor ation, as the people of God, by their being brought into the New Testament church, in u- nion with the Gentiles, when they shall acknow ledge Jesus to be the Christ; it follows, that the terms used concerning them, are descriptive of the state and privileges of all the subjects of the new covenant, Gentiles as well 'as Jews. The passage, then, as referring to gospel times; seems to contain an intimation, that the same conneftion should then, continue, between the people of God, and their offspring, which had existed from the days of Abraham. — Similar to this is the promise, Deut. xxx. 6. " The Lord, thy Z 77 3 God, will circumcise thy heart, and the heart of ihy seed," &c. The prophet Isaiah, predicting the glory of the church in the latter days, says, among other declarations ofthe blessedness of God's people; — " They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; fpr they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them," Isa. lxv. 23. " They are the seed ofthe blessed of the Lord;" i. e. the spiritual seed of the fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who were peculiarly the blessed of the Lord:— " And their offspring with them;" i. e. connect ed with them in the promise of God's covenant, and partaking with them of his blessing. This geems to be assigned, as the reason of their " not bringing forth for trouble;"— the blessing of the Lord resting on the offspring, in connec- tibn with their parents. — It may be said, this refers to the millennial glory ofthe church: but, as the primary reference of the promise to the fleshly seed of, believers, never implied the cer tain salvation of all their children; there is no inconsistency in considering the promise, in its reference to the seed of God's people, as being more largely and extensively verified, than it has been hitherto, in that glorious time, when there shall be such copious " showers of blessing." Nay, wherein shall the glory of the latter days consist, but in the enlarged fulfilment of Divine promises, both in bringing, in the spiri- Z 7s 3 tual seed out of all nations, and in pouring1 qui his blessing upon them, and upon their off spring. It appears to be of the last importance, in in- N terpreting the New Testament, that we should understand, and attend carefully to the state of things previous to it. The reason is obvious. The language of the New Testament, we should naturally expeft to be, in some measure, modified by these existing circumstances; and the import of a variety of the expressions employed, We shall be unable rightly to appreciate, without - taking into view a reference to what already ex isted, and was known; and the existence and knowledge of which rendered greater enlarge ment and minuteness unnecessary. Bearing this remark in mind, along with the preceding passages frpm the Old Testament, which relate to gospel times, let us consider a little the evidence that appears in the New. Precisely corresponding to the language of the prophets, above quoted, is that of Peter to the Jews, on the day of Pentecost. Afts ii. 38, 39. " Repent, and be baptized every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is to you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as ma ny as the, Lord our God shall call." According to our Baptist brethren, the meaning of these last words is — "the promise is to as Z 79 3 many as the Lord our God shall call, of you and of your children, and of all that are afar off." — - Now, I do not say that the verse, standing by it self, cannot be thus interpreted: but I say, that, taking it in connection with the circumstances of the case, in which the address was made, and in connection with the scope of other scriptures, such as those already referred to, it does not ap-i pear to be, by any means, the most natural inter pretation. 1 . Does not this explanation take away, from the encouragement which the Words are intend ed to hold out, almost every portion of its ener1 gy? " Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is to as many of you aiid of your adult descendants as the Lord our God shall call." — The following is surely more consistent with the Apostle's design, and with the view he had of the persons whom he was addressing: — " Repent, and be baptized, every one of y6u, &c; for the promise is to you, and to your children,-— the seed of Abraham, — the people of God:" for " ye are the children of the covenant, which God made with our fathers, say ing unto Abraham, ' And in thy seed shall all the families ofthe earth be blessed:' and unto you first, God having raised up his Son Jesus, has sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities." SeeAftsiii.22 — 26. xiii. 26. While [ so 3 the promise is thus declared to be to them and their offspring, in the first instance, as being now the people of God ; an intimation is at the same time given, that it was not to be confined to them, but to extend to the Gentiles, who were then afar off, but who were, in sovereign mercy, to he called into the church, and to partake of the blessings in the Divine promise, on the same footing with them. And this agrees with all that has already been observed, respefting the pro mise of the new covenant being made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It was to them first. 2. It seems to me very unnatural, to under stand the expression, " the promise is to you and to your children," as conveying no idea whatever of connection between the one and the other, with regard to the promise. For, on the principle in question, which completely disunites parents and children in this matter, the one had no more relation to the other than they had to the inhabitants of China. According to this i- dea, the promise was to them, and to their child ren; but to the latter,not, in any sense whatever, as bearing this relation to them, but as completely unconnefted with them, as the remotest Gentiles. This seems to me far from being natural : — For, 3. It should be particularly considered, in what light the words of Peter would certainly appear to his audience. Peter addressed Jews, c si : Their minds were habituated to the idea of- the connection of their children with themselves, in the promise ofthe covenant. It was an idea deep ly rooted in their hearts. How, then, would they understand the Apostle's words? Certainly in a sense consistent with their previous views; as intimating the continuance of the same conneftion. Now,surelywecannotsuppose,thatPeter, speaking by the Holy Spirit, would employ expressions, cal culated to convey to the minds of his countrymen, at the very outset, a false view of the nature of Messiah's kingdom. With regard to thepromise which is here meant, I think it makes little difference, as to the argu ment, whether it be understood of the promise of the covenant with Abraham, in a more general view; or of the particular promise of the Spirit, which the context seems most naturally to sug gest. "Understanding it of this; it is evident, from the declaration of its being to all the people of God, in every age and nation, that it is not to be interpreted, exclusively, of the miraculous gifts ofthe Spirit; and it ought, I think, to be ta ken, in connection with verse 21st, " as many as shall call on the name ofthe Lord shall be sav ed;" and in this view, to be considered as includ ing the whole of salvation ; of which it is, indeed, at once, a part, and a pledge. The promise pf the Spirit, is a leading part of the promise of the new covenant, and is therein also connected with the remission of sins, which is redemption or sal- L [ ,82 3 vation, Ezek. xxxvi. 25, — 28. Jer. xxxi. 33, 34. Heb. viii. 10—12. It is also a leading part of the " blessing of Abraham," which is come upon the Gentiles through Jesus Christ," Gal. iii. 13, 14. It may be proper, in this place, to remark, " that, unless we consider the passag'e just notic ed, connected with the prophecies before quot ed, in the sense which has been given, it appears to be a circumstance altogether unaccountable, according to any of fhe ordinary principles of pro-' bability, that an alteration of so great magnitude, (for such the Jews would unquestionably think it,) as the total disannulling of that conneftion which had formerly subsisted between parents and child ren, sanctioned, in their eyes, by the terms of the Divine covenant, and confirmed in their prac tice, not only by, the circumcision of their own offspring, but by the admission of Gentiles also, by housholds, into the church of God; — that such an alteration should have taken place, without a hint being given^ of the smallest opposition, or demurring against it. Nay, so far is this from having been the case, that, when the Judaiz- ing professors of Christianity would have had the Gentile converts circumcised, doubtless in conneclion with their children, upon their admis sion into the church, no notice whatever is ta ken, by the Apostles and elders at Jerusalem, of their error in viewing children, and desiring to treat them, as if they continued to have, under t 83 3 the new dispensation, any connection with their parents; but only of their seeking to put a yoke of bondage on the neck of the disciples, by im posing on them the Mosaic law, in conneftion with circumcision. And yet, certainly, if such a conneftion. of parents and children was incon sistent with the spiritual nature of the dispen sation of the gospel, it must have appeared an error, by no means of small importance. The above views appear '.also to be strongly confirmed, by the praftice of the Apostles, in the baptism, of households. The strength of the ar gument from this circumstance, seems to me to lie here: — -When I find the conneftion between parents and children existing, and appearing so prominent, in the church of God formerly; — when I find, that Gentile proselytes were receiv ed into the Jewish church, by families or house holds : — -and when, on coming forward to a new period, a new state ofthe church, I find language used, in such exact correspondence with that state of things; — ¦" This day is salvation come to this house; forasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham:" — " Believe in the Lord Jesus, Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house:" — " he was baptized, he, and all his, straightway:"— " when she was baptized, and her household: — " I baptized also the household of Stephanas:" — I do feel myself, irresistibly, led to conclude, that matters continue, with respeft to this connection of believing parents with their families, in the L 2 [ 84 ] same state now, as before. And, perhaps, such intimations as these, are as strong evidence as the case warrants us to expeft: for we ought to conneft them with previous circumstances, and prevalent ideas. No one ever thinks it needful to be very minute in specifying particulars, in cases that are previously understood, and fami liar to his own mind, and the minds of his read- • In this view of the argument, I do not feel myself at all concerned about proving, to a certainty, that there were infant children in any of the families referred to. It is the continuation ofthe same general strain of expression, that constitutes, in my mind, the fprce'of the argument; shewing the continuance ofthe same state of things, that had existed before. I would, however, remark, that some of the ar guments, (I am not sure but I might «ay all) by which it has been attempted to be proved, that there were none, ap pear to me futile, and very unworthy of the good sense and acute judgment, of some who have adduced them. For instance : it has been said, there could be no children in the household of Lydia (Acts xvi. 14, 15.) for the members of her household are the brethren mentioned in the last verse of the chapter; whom Paul and Silas comforted, at their depart ure from Philippi. Now, the whole ground for this sup position is ; « They saw these brethren in the house of Lydia, therefore they must have been Lydia's household:" as if it were inconceivable, that any others should have come to her house to take farewell of the Apostle and his compa nion Silas. The supposition, besides, rests on the heart less and improbable idea, that Lydia's household were the only converts, except the jailor and his, made during Paul's stay in Philippi. The history is often very brief; and it by [ S3 3 After all the attention I have been able to give to the passage, it still sppears to me, that baptism no means follows, because one or two particular instances of conversion are recorded, as happening in any place, that there were no others. In Acts xviii. 23. it is said, that t( Paul went over the countries of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples:" — yet all that is said pf these countries before, is, — " When they had gone throughout Phrygia, and the region of Galatia," — Acts xvi. 6. — Were Lydia and the jailor, with their respective households, the only persons whom the Apostle commends, Phil. iv. 16, for sending, once and again; to relieve his ne cessities in Thessalpnica, whither he went, almost immedi ately on his leaving Philippi ? Again: As ta the household of the jailor. It has been said, there could ba no children there, because Paul spoke the word pf the Lord to all that were in his house; which suppqses them all, it is observed, capable of understanding and receiving what he said. But such general expressions are perfectly common, both in writing, and in conversation. And I would reckon the man foolish, who should conclude, from my saying, " I spoke to the whole family,-r-to. all in "the house," that I spoke of a family, in which there cer tainly were no infant children. No man would ever deem jt necessary, formally to except them.— But this admits of still more decisive proof. If the reader will look to Deut. xxxi. 9 1 3. he will find, that children were to form part of the assembly, to which the law of the Lord was to be read. If they had not been expressly mentioned, we must have concluded, upon the principle under consideration, that they could not be there, because they could not under stand the law. But if infants might form part of an assem bly to which the law ofthe Lord was read, they might, surely, form part of a household, to which the word ofthe Lord was spoken. See also Josh. ix. 35. [ 86 3 is denominated by the Apostle in Col. ii. 11, 12, the circumcision of Christ. " In whom also ye are But it is added, " he rejoiced believing in God with all his bouse." I have np wish tp get quit of this argument, by any such ridicukras criticism as, I know, has by spme been made. " Believing in Gad, he rejpiced in all the hpuse — or all the hpuse pver," is a translation which npthing but the obstinacy pf prejudice, cpnnected with a, tptal absence of any sense ef the ludicrous, could have led any man to conceive in his mind: As if the jailpr, in the extacy of his joy, had skipped; and danced through the rooms and passages, and up and down Stairs, like a madman. And as to another arrangement pf the wprds, " Believing in Gpd, he rejoiced with all his house," although I think it is a rendering as natural as the other, yet I do not feel disposed to insist upon it.' Retain. ing the wprds as they stand in our translation, they do not at all necessarily imply, that there were no infant children in the family. We never scruple, nor hesitate, about such expressions; " The whole family are serious," or " all the family were converted to God at pne time," &c. are phrases which we would use, withput the smallest hesitatipn, respect ing families in which there were infants. We shpuld never, once think pf formally making an exception pf such. When Joshua said, " a3 for me and my house, we will serve tht Lord" he used an expression, from which no one ever thinks of inferring, that there certainly were np young chil dren in his family, because such were incapable of serving the Lord: nor, pn the supposition that there, had beet? such children, would any pne ever have thpughtpf cavilling at Jcshua, fpr not formally excepting them. General ex.i pressions of this nature we never think of subjecting to such split-hair criticism. When the children of Israel .were com manded, in preparing the passover, to " take a lamb for « house, according to the number of the souls;" are we to in- L 87 v 3 circumcised, with the circumcisipn made without hands, in putting off the- body ofthe sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ; buried-with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead." — > The inquiry ought not to be, " Is it possible to explain the words otherwise?" But rather, " Is this their most natural interpretation?" I think it is; because, otherwise, there is an awkward, unmeaning tautology; the " circumcision made without hands," and the " circumcision of fer, because these are universal expressipns, that they num bered the mpuths of sucking infants? If we make this infer ence, we must also infer, that these children ate the passo- ver, " with their loins girt, and their shpes on their feet, and their staff in their hand." But because these things are^ palpably absurd, it would npt be le,ss so, to conclude that there were no such children in the families ,pf Israel at the time when they left Egypt. The same remark is applicable to the household of Stepha nas, of whom it is said, that " they addicted themselves to the ministry ofthe saints," 1 Cor. xvi. 15. Of a family in which there are infant children, we cannot, it seems, with any propriety, say — " They are a very benevolent family ; they lay themselves out for doing gppd;" without fprmally subjoining, tp prevent mistakes, — " except the infants!" Whp ever thinks pf dping so? — These remarks, it should be pbserved, are npt brought forward, in evidence that there certainly" were such children in, these households; but merely to shew the futility of the reasonings, which have been em ployed to prove that there were none. [ 88 3 Christ " being made of the same import ; as if he had said — " ye are circumcised with the circumcision of the heart, in putting off the bo dy of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of the heart," &c.;f and likewise, because the t A Baptist writer, in the Edin. Evan. Mag. No. 35, page 4-97, avails himself pf the same mpde pf ' reasoning, in the interpretation pf another passage, — Gal. iii. 27. " Fpr as many of you asdiave been baptized into Jesus Christ, have. put on Christ." Philalethes, a writer on the side of psedo-- baptism, had alledged that " being baptized into Jesus Christ," here referred to the baptism of the Spirit. Crito, in reply, amongst other arguments* says — " Indeed his ex planation would be quite incongruous. The words " as many of you as have been baptized into Jesus Christ, have put on Christ," he would interpret, " as many of you as have put on Christ, have put on Christ." — This reasoning is, in my apprehension, more strongly applicable to the pas sage under consideration. As to the view given by Phila lethes, pf Gal. iii. 2. 1 am inclined to think that he is wrong; and that Crito is in the right with regard tp the baptism spoken of. That the expression " as many of you as have been baptized," &cl does not necessarily express a doubt respecting some, appears from the occurrence of the very same phrase in Rom. vi. 3. " Know ye not, that so ma- ofus as were baptized into Jesus Christ, were baptized in to his death," &c. Here the expression does not signify, that some of the believers referred to were unbaptized. The phrase might, if I mistake not, be rendered — uWt, tvhoso- ever have been baptized into Jesus Christ," &c. : — for it is not, in the Greek, trot h/xm l^a<rri(rStifxtv, &c. but simply i<roi i/WWupw, &c. And so, in the other instance; it is not •<r« Ixtm «/wV<Ws, &c; but simply i,„ i/wV*>i]«, &C; " Te, whosoever have been baptized, &c. Z 89 3 conneftion between the two - verses appears so close; — " having been buried with him in bap tism," &c. is added, as if in explanation of the meaning of " putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ:" and this idea is farther confirmed, by the considera- Let it be granted, that the Apostle here addresses adult believers, who had been baptized on a profession of the faith : it does not at all follow, that the children of such as had children had not been baptized along with them. The Apostle, in Gal. v. 2, 3. &c. says—" Behold, I Paul say unto you, that, if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is cir cumcised that he is a debtor to do the whole law: Christ is become of np effect, untp you — ye are fallen from grace," &c. — There can be no doubt, that any ofthe Gentiles, who were circumcised themselves, had their children also cir cumcised. Yet the Apostle here addresses adults, without adverting to their children at all. Now as, in this case, it dpes not fpllpw from his telling thpse adult prpfessprs what was implied in their submitting to circumcision, that their children were not circumcised along with them; nei ther does it follow from his putting the adult professors in mind of what was implied in their having submitted to bap tism, that their children had not been baptized along with them. If, from the expressions used in the latter case being inapplicable to children, we infer that they certainly were not baptized ; then, as the expressions used in the former are equally inapplicable to children, we ought from this to conclude that they were not circumcised. But if, on the one hand, their circumcisipn is admitted, as, indeed, it must be; it is unfair, pn the Pther, to interpret similar expressions sp rigidly as tP put a negative pn their baptism. M [ 90 3 tion that baptism, like circumcision, denotes " the putting -off the body ofthe sins ofthe flesh." It has been asked; with what propriety can it be said that baptism succeeded, or came in the place of circumcision, when it appears that, for a while, after the death of Christ, both were practised together? And the supposed contra diction of contemporary succession has given oc casion to a good deal of ridicule. The wit, how ever, is surely hasty and misplaced. In reply to it, as I have before hinted, it may simply be ask ed : — " With what propriety can the sacrifice of Christ be said to have superseded, or done away, the sacrifices of the law, when it appears that, for a considerable time after his ascension, some of these at least continued to be offered, even by believers in his name?" I am not going to enter into any discussion of the different ac counts that have been given of this faft; I only repeat what was observed in the former Lecture, that whatever reason is assigned for it, will ap ply equally well to the other case. To this connefted chain of particulars, I now add, as being, to my own mind, an invincible confirmation of the matter of faft, that infant-bap tism was practised in the time of the ApostleS; the account we have in the history ofthe church, of the prevalence of this praftice in the times immediately following. I do not bring this for ward as authority: but it is of great importance for the confirmation offacls, in all cases, in which it does not contradift the New Testament. It [ 91 3 ought to be observed, that the matter now in question, is a matter of fail. The early preva lence of absurd ideas, with respect to the nature and ground of baptism, does not affeft the evi dence of the simple fact, that baptism was, from the earliest times of the Christian aera, admini stered to infants. It is alluded to, and direftly spoken of, by the- earliest writers, never as a thing that was, or had^been questioned ; but uni formly as a matter, the existence of which from the beginning was undisputed. It seems to me impossible, indeed, that such a change could have " crept in unawares:" — yet the early his tory of the church gives no intimation of the o- rigin of the praftice of baptizing infants, as hav ing been subsequent to the time of the Apostles. " We have decisive historical proof, (says a very acute and intelligent writer,) that little more than a hundred years after the death of the Apostles, paedobaptism, or the baptism of the children of believing proselytes, was of general praftice in all the churches, wherever baptism was prac tised at all: and that they were, at that time, wholly strangers to the idea of its not having been practised by the Apostles. Now I do not argue at all from the praftice of the early churches, as if it had the least authority to de cide what is right. But I take that historical faft, and I say, that it is scarcely to be ac counted for, on the supposition that the Baptist principles are scriptural. For, on this supposi- M 2 [ 92 3 • tion, there was going on in each of the Aposto lic churches a thing of constant praftice, which would have kept up a continued testimony a- gainst the introduftion of psedobaptism. Not only were the offspring of the disciples not bap tized in early childhood; but they were baptiz ed as they grew up; — as many of them as made a credible profession of believing in Christ. I say that, supposing this to have been the ease in the first churches, I cannot conceive how the practice of psedobaptism should have first been introduced; — and not only so, but the very tra dition forgotten, that the contrary praftice had prevailed a hundred years before. Whatever church we may suppose it first to have been in troduced in, there must have been, in that church, and in all other churches, a known praftice, contrary to its introduftion; — a praftice of that nature, that it could not have been lost sight of at the time that it was laid aside. And am I to suppose, that any church, of a sudden, laid aside this practice altogether, and adopted the contrary one, of baptizing all the children, even the young est infants, of their proselytes; and that all the other churches followed their example; and that, before the generation could be extinct, in which this great innovation was introduced, it was forgotten that it was an innovation? It seems to me a very improbable supposition: and I think I can shew that any corruption of doctrine or praftice, which did creep into the churches, i 93 3 was of a nature not at all parallel to this, but es sentially different * J ." * Thoughts on Baptism by Mr. Walker of Dublin, pages 21 and 22. % Mr. M'Leam, (for whom, as a Christian of advanced age, acute talents, and extensive scriptural knowledge, I en tertain a very high regard) gives an account ofthe origin of infant-baptism, which seems to me an unfounded assumj^ tion, a mere theory : an ingenious one, no doubt, for his pur pose ; but that does npt give it validity. An ppinion, ac cording tp him, began tp prevail about the end of the se cond century, pf the necessity pf baptism tp salvation: pa rents t6ok the alarm fpr the safety pf their children : and hence arose infant -baptism. — Npw it is true, that such aa opinion did begin tp prevail at that time; but the concla- sipn drawn from it, and asserted as a fact, is a mere gratui tous assumpipn. For, 1st, There are allusions to in fant-baptism previous to that time. And, 2dly, If it were my business, which it is not, to assign an prigin to the abpve-mentipned opinion, I should certainly trace it to the very practice pf infant-baptism itself. Fpr this, of all other things, might mpst plausibly lead into the idea «f the necessity of baptism to salvation. I would here also remark, that, although the practice of giving the Lord's Supper to children .was early in troduced, it was, in comparison, but very partially; nor is it at all spoken of in the same manner as the bap tism of infants is, as a thing that had always been done: and besides, the' previous existence of infant-baptism af fords a very natural cause for the introduction of this o- ther practice; the one might very readily be grafted upon the other, while it is utterly unaccountable that both should have taken place, so early,, and the former so univer sally, without opposition or noise. Z 9* 3 Having thus endeavoured to establish the scrip tural propriety of our praftice, in baptizing the children of believers, from the nature and con tinuance of the Abrahamic covenant, and given a general view of the collateral arguments on the subject; t it is full time for me to proceed to the consideration of the objecl and strength of Abra ham's faith, set before us in the following vers es. The promise of God which his faith primarily respected, was his having an heir of his own bo dy, and from him a seed, as the stars of heaven for number. See Gen.xv. 1 — 6. The Apostle puts a spiritual interpretation on the promise, " So shall thy seed be," as referring to his be ing the spiritual father of a spiritual progeny, among many nations : verse 1 8th — " He believ ed — that he might become (J. e. he believed, and, in consequence of his believing, he became) the father of many nations; according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed he." Now the ¦J- I have left unnoticed a number of the smaller branches of this argument. Tp have entered with minuteness into these, wpuld have been incpnsistent with the design of the preceding part of this Lecture, which was tp shew the scrip tural propriety and pbligation pf infant-baptism, as an in ference from the views ofthe Abrahamic covenant exhibited in the former; and in connection with this, tp nptice, in a general way, 6uch other cpnsideratipns only, as appeared most directly tp establish the justice pf this inference. Z 9* 3 prom/se of the birth of Isaac, was intimately con nected with the fulfilment of this declaration, in its spiritual import, as here interpreted. For, in the first place: The word of God being hand ed down, by parental instruftion and otherwise, through successive generations, the knowledge of God, and of the promised Saviour, was kept up in this line of descent from Abraham: and, by this means, he had a spiritual seed among his own fleshly descendants, according to the prima ry import of the promises made to him. 2dly: In this line of descent, sprang from him that seed, in whom all nations were to be blessed.- — In these ways, " salvation was of the Jews." And hence, when the Gentiles received it, they are re presented as becoming debtors to the Jews, being partakers of their spiritual things, Rom. xv. 27. The fulfilment of the promise, " so shall thy seed be," as it is here explained by the Apos tle, depended on his having fleshly seed, from which the spiritual was to spring; from which Christ was to come, in whom believers of all na tions were to find a place in God's house, be coming, by faith, the children of believing Abra ham. * The strength of Abraham's faith is particularly dwelt upon by the Apostle: — " Being not weak in faith;" ver. 19. " But was strong in faith;" ver. 20. The strength of his faith is illustrated, from the object of it being a thing, in its nature, so un- t 96 3 likely. " Against hope, he believed in hope"— verse 18th: That is, he believed, and hoped, in opposition to every ordinary ground of expecta tion. While Nature said, " It is impossible;" Faith firmly replied; " It is certain." His faith was undoubting: — " He staggered not at the promise of God, through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and- being fully persuaded that what he had promised, he was able also to perform." Verses 20, 21. , The ground of his faith and hope was the faithfulness and power of God ; — " who quick- eneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were," Verse 17. — His own body was now dead, and Sarah's womb was dead: — But he "considered not" these grounds of improbability, knowing that God was able to impart life to the dead. With this per suasion, that " to God all things are possible," was connefteu in his mind, the full confidence, that He who " knoweth the end -from the be ginning," could not be mistaken; that He who " is not a man that he should lie," could not deceive him; that He who " calleth those things which are not,- as though they were," declaring the future, with as much certainty as the present or the past, would, therefore, infallibly accom plish his declaration, although every circumstance in nature seemed to pronounce the expeftation vain: his assurance of faith, and confidence of hope, did not merely respect the promise of the [-97 3 birth of Isaac, but embraced the full extent of the Divine promises, connected with this as their commencement. From the view which the Apostle gives of the Strength, the unsuspefting assurance, of Abra ham's faith, we learn, that when, upon God's making the promise to him of a son by Sarah, " he fell on his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born to him that is a hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear ?" — -his laughing, and the thoughts which accompanied it in his heart, were not the expression of suspicion and unbe lief, but of admiration and joy. The posture a- scribed to him is that of holy reverence; — he gives his wife her new name, according to the change just intimated by^God himself, in con nection with the promise; — and he is not re proved, as Sarah was on another occasion, whose laughter proceeded from unbelief, and was re buked by the question, " Is any thing too hard for the Lord?" — His intreaty, also, in behalf of the son of his bondwoman, Hagar, " Oh, that Ishmael might live before thee!" we are not to consider, as springing from distrust of his hav ing another heir, but as expressing the natural desire of a father's heart, that, while he ac quiesced, with joy and gratitude, in the supe riority of the child of promise, there might yet be a blessing also for Ishmael; that he too might be remembered of God, and be the object of his N [ 98 3 favourable regard. His request was graciously an* swered. " As for Ishmael, I have heard thee: be hold I have blessed him, and will make him fruit ful; and will multiply him exceedingly: twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him- a great nation. But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear unto thee, at this set time in the next year." See Gen. xvii. 15— 2L xviii. 9—15. By his faith Abraham " gave glory to God:" verse 20th. — We glorify God, when we extol his perfections: and we never do this more effeftual- ly, than by displaying dispositions of mind towards him, corresponding to the nature and influence of these perfections. Distrust of the word of God, is highly dishonouring to him ; because it implies a secret, if not an avowed impeachment, both of his truth and his power. We glorify Him by impli cit confidence in his word; inasmuch as such con fidence manifests the sense we entertain of both these perfeftipns, of the immaculate purity of the one, and the boundless extent of the other, as pre cluding every possibility of failure. The same remark might be extended, in its application, to all the various attributes ofthe Divine charafter'. For as our dispositions and behaviour toward a fellow-man shew what we think of him; so is it with respeft to God. By the depth of our hu mility before Him, we declare our impressions of his infinite majesty and unspotted holiness. By an unshaken dependance on his providence, C 99 3 we shew the sense we entertain of his faithful love, and ¦ unceasing care. In thanksgiving, we, proclaim our sense of obligation for his goodness ; — in supplication, our conviftion, at once of his willingness, and his ability to fulfil our desires; — and in unreserved persevering obedience to his commandments, our feeling of what we owe to his Supreme authority, and in return for his rich unmerited mercy. And it becomes us to re member, that however loudly, with whatever seeming fervour, we may sing with our lips, "glory to God in the highest;" if we do not practically honour him, by cultivating and dis playing dispositions and conduft corresponding to the proper influence of the various parts of his charafter, we are but as "- sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal." Having described the objeft and strength of Abraham's faith, the Apostle adds^ver. 2 2d " Therefore it was imputed to him for righteous ness." When illustrating the ground of Abra ham's justification, as explained in the beginning of this chapter, I endeavoured to shew, that when it is said — r." Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness," the meaning is not that what he believed, but that his believing Was so counted or imputed to him; that this is the natural import ofthe words; and that while .believing is opposed, as it is by the Apostle, to working, of every description, this view does not in the least affeft, but rather strong* C io© ] ly confirms, that doftrine which constitutes the glory of the gospel, that sinners are " justified freely, by the grace of God, through the redemp-. tion that is in Christ Jesus. The expression which is now before us, ap pears to call for a few remarks on the nature of that faith which is counted for righteousness, as exemplified in the case of Abraham. 1. There can be no doubt that Abraham's faith looked farther than the promise, literally taken, of the birth of Isaac ; even to that seed who was to spring from himself in the line of Isaac; in whom all nations were to be blessed; and of whose coming the supernatural birth of Isaac must have been to him an assurance and pledge. " Your father Abraham, (said Jesus to. the Jews,) rejoiced to see. my day; and he saw it, and was glad," John viii. 56. It was in connec tion with this, as the ground of. his hope, that he " looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God," for, " the better country, even the heavenly." 2.' Abraham's faith, was the belief of the tes timony of God concerning Christ. — That tes timony, before the fulness of time, ran in the ¦ form of promise; and, as such, was believed by the people of God. It was then " a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation," that the " seed of the woman was to bruise the head of the serpent;" " that in Abraham's seed all the na tions of the earth should be blessed." Now the faithful and acceptable saying is, that " Jesus [ ioi 3 Christ hath come into the world to save sinners;" that, " the promise made of God unto -the fa thers he hath fulfilled, in that he hath raised up Jesus again." We believe this, as matter offacl, already past; while we believe also, as matter of promise, that "whosoever believeth -in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life." It is %he word of God, something declared by Him, that is the objeft of saving faith; and not any in vention of the wisdom or pride of man. 3, Abraham's faith rested solely on the vera city and power of the testifier. It was simply this on which he relied; for there was nothing in the case but what spoke an opposite language, and was calculated to engender despair. He had no reason to believe what was the subject of his faith, but that God, the faithful, and the almigh ty, had said it. This shews the simplicity of his beliefs Saving faith is the belief of the gospel, the saving truth, simply on the authority of Him whose testimony it is. " If we receive the wit ness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is. the witness of God, which he hath testi fied of his Son. He that believeth on the Son of God, hath the witness in himself: he that be lieveth not God, hath made him a liar, because - he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record that God hath giv en to us eternal life; and this life is in his Son," 1 John v. 9— 11. 4. Abraham's faith regarded the promise as [ 102 3 matter of grace; the result of the free favour of God. This is evident from the nature of the case. There was nothing in Abraham's condi tion, on which he could have founded any rea sonable expeftation of it; and it appears, as if God had delayed the promise of this seed, till such time as all natural causes, according to their ordinary course of operation, were out of the ques tion; that the freedom of his grace might be the more impressively manifested. Abraham felt his own deadness, and could impute his having seed by Sarah, to nothing but the favour of God. And how captivating must ¦ the riches of that favour have appeared to his mind, when viewed in the full extent of the promise, as referring to that seed, in whom all the nations of the earth should be blessed! As there was nothing in his condition as a man, on which he could have built the slenderest hope of the birth of Isaac; so there was nothing in his charafter as a sinner^ that could warrant the expeftation of a Saviour. The one of these circumstances seems strikingly to represent the other; and God's afting in op position to both, must be traced, alike, to his grace or favour. Thus we, in believing, acknow ledge Jesus to be God's " unspeakable gift." Every thing in us forbade the expectation of such a gift. The reason of its bestowment we can not discover in ourselves ; it is to be found only in the free uncontrouled exercise of Divine mer cy. God graciously promised, and hath faith- C 103 J A fully fulfilled : and his rich mercy merits all the praise. 5. It is such faith that " gives glory to God;" the belief of the Divine word, as the. word of truth and of grace. And it is this faith, there fore, that is counted for righteousness: not that faith, falsely so called, which rests on the wisdom and authority of man; or which, assuming the name and charafters of a work, destroys the grace of God, by making itself, in whole or in part, the ground of our salvation. Saving faith is " the belief of the truth," 2 Thess. ii. 13. with which compare John xx* 31. The ground, or reason of our salvation, lies not in our faith, but in that which we believe. And the simpler our ideas are of the nature of believing, the more conspicuous do we make the honour of grace, as that to which alone we owe our salvation. All rivalship with it is thus excluded, both in. the statement of Divine truth, and in the feelings of the believer. And when, in this view, we ascribe nothing to faith, we " give glory to God," by ascribing all to grace : " It is of faith, that it might be by grace." — Abraham took no share of the glory to himself; and he who does, fol lows not the footsteps of the patriarch's faith. " Now, says the Apostle, it was not written for his sake alone that.it was imputed to him" — ver. 23. That is— r-It was not written merely to re cord the honour conferred upon him, in his be ing constituted, through the imputation of his |_ 104 3 faith to him for righteousness, the father of the' faithful. " But for us also" — ver. 24. for the encouragement of sinners, in every age, to be lieve in God, for justification of life *. That this is the" chief import of its being written " for us also," is plain from the words which follow : " To whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead." " To whom it shall be imputed."— that is; to whom faith shall be counted, as it was to A- braham, for righteousness; sinners being, in the design of God, to be justified in- every age after the pattern of his acceptance. " If We believe on him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead." — This makes it mani fest, that Abraham's faith respefted Christ, as the promised seed; else the parallel between his faith, and that by which we are justified, would fail in a most essentially important particular, namely, its objcdz; from which it is that faith derives its efficacy to salvation. — " We declare unto you glad tidings,"^ — said Paul to the Jews, in the synagogue of Antioch in Pisidia, — " that the promise which was made unto the fathers, , 'God hath fulfilled the same unto us, their children, in that he hatli raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second Psalm, Thou art my *Cpmpare Eph. ii. 7. 1 Tim; i. 15, 16, Rom. xv. 4-. t l05 ] Son, this day have I begotten thee." Afts xiii. 32, 33. In raising lesus from the dead, God act ed according to the faithfulness of his charafter, as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. For, as in the promised seed, " all nations were to be blessed; it was necessary, in order to the fulfilment of this, that he should- not be holden of death, but should rise to the throne of medi atorial dominion; having "power given him over all flesh, that he might give eternal life to as many as the Father had given him;" being " exalted at God's right hand, a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance unto Israel, and the forgiveness of sins." John xvii. 2. Afts v. SI. To " believe on him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead," is to believe in God, as ful filling the promise made unto the fathers, by the faith- of which they, of old, were justified. It is to believe in Him, as the God of peace and salvation; — as well pleased in his beloved Son, and in the work of redemption which he finished. " Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation, received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ,- as of a Lamb with out blemish and without spot; who, verily, was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you; who by him do believe in God that raised him up . O £ 106 3 from the dead and gave him glory, that your faith and hope might be in God," 1 Pet. i, 18 — 21. Hence the Apostle adds, concerning Jesus: — " Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification? ver. 25. Justifying faith has been represented by some, in their laudable zeal for the simplicity of the gospel, carried to excess, as consisting in the belief of the facts, recorded by the evange lists, concerning Jesus. This statement, when taken thus insulated, is very incomplete, and calculated to mislead. Saving faith is not, cer tainly, the mere belief of the fafts, that Jesus died and rose again, but also, and chiefly, of the meaning and design of these fafts. A Socinian believes the fafts; but he does not admit their scriptural import. He denies the death of Christ, in that view of it, which alone gives it value and interest to the 'guilty, as an atonement for sin; arid, consequently, disbelieves also the glorious import of his resurreftion^ as the evidence that the atonement made by his death was all-suffici ent, and accepted of God. The gospel not only declares that Jesus died and rose again, but that " He died for our sins, according* to the scrip tures, and was buried, and rose again the third day, according to the scriptures," 1 Cor. xv. 3, 4. that He was, as the Apostle here expresses it, fl delivered for our offences, and raised again for our justification." Christ is here represented, as sustaining the Z io? 3 character of a surety, both In bis death and re- surreclion. He was " delivered for. our offen ces," given up by the Father, to sufferings and death, as an atoning sacrifice, a substitute for sin ners. " God spared not his own Son, but deliver ed him up for us all:"—" It pleased Jehovah to bruise him:" — " Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellowj said the Lord of Hosts, smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered, and I will turn- my hand upon the little ones:" — "Messiah, God's Anointed, was cut off, but not for himself:"— " He who knew no sin, was made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him:" " He himself bore our sins, in his own body, on the tree:" — " he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our ini quities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed. All we, like sheep, have gone astray, we have turned e- very one to his own way; and Jehovah hath laid upon him the iniquity of us alh" — " he suf fered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us unto God:" — " he gave his life a ransom for many:" — " his blood was shed for many, for the remission of sins:" — " he appear- - ed once, in the end of the world, to put away sin, by the sacrifice of himself:" — " in him we have redemption through his blood, even the 0 2 [ 108 3 forgiveness of sins:" — " the blood of Jesus"Christ, God's Son, cleanseth us from all sin *." Such expressions as these, which occur so fre quently in scripture, most decidedly hold forth the death of Christ, as an atonement for sin. On the particular nature of this atonement, I do not at present enter, having considered this deep ly interesting subjeft, at some length^ when on a former part ofthe epistle f. Jesus having, as the surety and substitute of sinners, " become obedient unto death, even the death of the cross," — was justified by his resurreftion. He was declared to have fully borne the curse. The sentence of discharge, or of full acquittal, was thus, publicly and solemnly, pronounced upon him, by the Supreme Judge ; and in Him, therefore, upon all his people, — all who were given to him ofthe Father. It is in this sense, chiefly, that I understand his being " raised again/cr our justification" The resur reftion of Jesus was a repetition, by significant action, of the " voice from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleas ed." The death and resurreftion of Christ thus form, together, the one objeft of faith, and ground of joyful hope; the latter being the Divine decla- * Rpm viii. 32. Isa. liii. 10. Zech. xiii. 7. Dan. ix. 26. 2 Cor. v. 21. IPet. ii. 24. Isa. liii. &, 6. I Pet, iii. 18. Matth. xx. 28. Matth. xxvi, 28. Heb, jx.' 26. Eph. i. 7- 1 John i. 7. f Chap, iii, 21—26; C 109 3 ration ofthe completeness, and infinite efficacy, of the atonement made by the former. Jesus, when he died, said, "It is finished;" referring to the work which had been given him to do. God, by raising from the dead, pronounced his perfect approbation, declaring this to be truth. " Our Surety freed, declares us free, Fpr whose pffences he was seiz'd; In his release pur own we se«, And jpy to view Jehovah pleas'd." , " Fear not; I am the first, and the last, and the living One: and, I was dead; and behold I am alive for evermore ; Amen : and have the keys of the invisible world, and of death," Rev. i. 17, 18. Much practical instruction might be deduced from the subjeft of this, and the preceding Lec ture. I shall dwell a little only on' three parti culars. I. Let Christian parents be attentive to the .duty of " bringing up their children, in the nur ture and admonition of the Lord." The charge entrusted to you, who bear the charafter of parents, is the most solemnly im portant, and tenderly interesting, that can be imagined by the human mind. It is the charge of immortal souls. .Every child that is born in to the world, enters upon an existence that is I no 3 never to terminate; upon a short life on the earth, which must be succeeded" by eternal bles sedness, or eternal woe. How affecting th$ con sideration I— And with regard to your own chil dren, to you is committed the sacred trust, of imparting to them that knowledge, which shall make them wise unto salvation. These lights, lighted for eternity, it is yours to feed with holy oil from the sanftuary of God, that they may shine for ever in his presence, and to his glory. The language of God to every Christian parent, is that of Pharaoh*s daughter to the mother of Moses— *¦" Take this child, and nurse it for me!" Forget not, then, the sacred obligation. Let it be engraven on your hearts, as with a pen of iron, and the point of a diamond. You love your children: — they are dear to you as the ap ple of your eye — as your own souls ;— you would part with any thing, to secure their welfare. And are not their eternal interests first in your thoughts, and first in your desires? If you feel as Christians, they are — ;they must be. Let them, then, be first in your prayers, and first in your exertions. — Seek to impress early on their hearts, a sense of the unspeakable importance of eternal things. Teach them the knowledge of the Lord, ' when you sit in the house, and when you walk by the way : never with the repulsive austerity of a master, but with all the engaging tender ness of parental love.— Let no.probability of tem poral advantage induce you, to expose their souls c i" y to peculiar hazards, from the temptations of thig- ensnaring world.-— Let no accomplishments of body, or of mind, however gratifying and endear ing they may lawfully be, engross that peculiar joy, which, in the hearts of Christian parents, will ever be reserved for ". seeing their children walking in the truth." Remembering that God alone can give your desires their gratification, and your labours their increase; pray without ceasing, that He may " pour out his Spirit upon your seed, and his blessing upon your offspring; that they may spring up as among the grass, and as willows by the water-courses; and be a part ofthe planting of the Lord, in which he is glorified."— Present them, for a blessing, to that gracious Saviour, who said, in the days of his flesh; " Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of heaven." As Christians, it is a part df your experience, that the promises of God do not operate as en couragements to indolence, but as incentives to activity. — You are stimulated to " work out your salvation with fear and trembling," by consider ing, tbat " it is God who worketh in you, both to will and fo do, of his good pleasure." His declaration, that " his people shall never perish," instead of lulling you in careless security,1 ani mates you, by banishing despair, to " gird up the loins of your minds," and to " run with pa tience the race that is set before you." — So ki t "2 2 the peculiar regard which God, in the promise of his covenant, has been shewn to have to the offspring of his people, encourage you in dis charging the duty of " bringing up your children, in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." Let it inspire your prayers for them wih the animating confidence of expeftation, and enliven your exertions with the hope of success. The conneftion is indissolubly established, be tween the fulfilment of his promises on God's part, and attention to duty in the use of appoint ed means, on the part of his people. To expect the one without the other, is not trust in God, but unwarrantable presumption. — Setyour hearts, with intense desire, on the salvation of your child- % ren: — Ask it of God, with the fervour andper- severing importunity of faith: — shew the sinceri ty of your desires and prayers, by unwearied attention to the use of necessary means: — and, I doubt not, you will have the blessedness of see ing, amongst your offspring, a seed arise, to serve the Lord. Let the apparent failure of the blessing, in your own families, or in those of other professing Christians, lead you rather to suspect yourselves, than to question the faithfulness of God. Such cases, indeed, call to much searching of heart.- — Has the salvation of your children engaged your desires, with a fervour and constancy propor tioned to its infinite importance ?— ¦ -Have you pur sued this object with sufficient seriousness as the £ us 3 '* one thing needful " to your happiness as pa rents?— While you have been teaching the truths of God, have you been careful to walk before your house in a perfeft way, exemplifying, in your personal behaviour, their holy, heavenly in fluence? — Have you, in no measure, been guilty of sacrificing the souls of your children to tem poral interest? — 'Has the obj eft I speak of occu pied that place in your prayers and exertions, to which its ' inconceivable magnitude gives it so striking a claim ? — Have your prayers been the prayers of faith? — Your exertions believing ex ertions?— Or has there not been, in both,, a la mentable want of faith in God? — May " the God of the families of Israel " lead all believing parents to lay to heart, more deeply than ever, the duty enjoined upon them! And, by bestowing an abundant blessing on pa rental education, " instead of the fathers, take the children," that race unto race may praise him! — II. Let us imitate the strength of Abraham's faith; his undoubting confidence in the faithful ness and power of God. Let us beware of staggering, through unbe lief, at any ofthe promises of the God of truth, by contemplating difficulties, and forgetting that " with Him all things are possible;" — that " He quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were." Let L n* 3 i us rather be " strong in faith, giving glory to God; against hope believing in hope; being fully persuaded, that what He hath promised He is able also to perform." Let your prayer, beloved brethren, be that of the Apostles to the Lord:—'" Increase our faith!" Earnestly desire an increasingly clear and full perception, and feeling, of the evidence of the truth. To this, the strength of your faith and confidence in God must ever bear proportion. And the stronger your faith is, the more vigor ous and flourishing will all the other graces of the Spirit be, in your souls; and the more glo rifying to God the manifestation of them in your lives: as the deeper and wider the roots strike, to gather the nourishing juices of the soil, the greater is the expansion of boughs, the luxuri ance of foliage, and the abundance of fruit. Be strong in faith, and active in duty, and you will abound in enjoyment. " Hold fast the con fidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end *." — Fear not that, while you are zealous in his service, in the exercise of faith and love, God will ever hide from you his countenance, by shutting the eyes of your spiritual discern ment against the light of his favour; and then leave you, " against hope to believe in hope." So these words have sometimes been perverted. But the Lord has never thus -forsaken them that * Heb. iii. 6.* C n5 J seek him.^— When the body and mind are in health, there are no clouds but such as arise from the immediate prevalence of unbelief, or of indulged sin, either outward or inward, that canin- tercept, from the heart of a child of God, the light of his Father's love. The cause of the deficien cy, or the absence, of spiritual joy, must.be sought in ourselves; not in that God and Saviour, who " rests in his love." It is not God that with draws from us, but we that withdraw from. God. " Let no man say when he is thus tempted,-! am tempted pf God; for God can not be tempted of evil, neither tempteth he any mant." Is the aspect of providence, in your personal or family situation, gloomy and perplexing; — , so that your eye cannot find an opening, through " the clouds and darkness that surround you? — Hear the voice of God to his people, in such circumstances; " Who is among you, that fear, eth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his ser, vant; that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? Let him trust in the name ofthe Lord, and stay himself upon his God *." — Say notin. anxious despondency, " all these things are against me^"- but " against hope believe in hope." WfiiJte your ignorance and short-sightedness keep you humble ; let firm reliance on the unerring wis-* dom of Him, who " knoweth the end from the be- f Jam. i. 13. * Isa. 1. 10, P2 C 116 3 ginning,"-— ron his inviolable faithfulness, who hath said, " I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee," — and on his immutable love, " who hath not spared his own Son," but has " delivered him up for our offences, and raised him again for our justification," — preserve your mind meekly submissive, and serenely cheerful. Thus " when you sit in darkness let the Lord be your light." Thus, like Abraham, be " strong in faith, giving glory to God:" and let the hope which is set before you be " the anchor of your soul.'* How comfortable, also, are the views " here exhibited, ofthe knowledge, and wisdom, and power of God, when considered as the grounds of our confidence, as to the procedure of provi dence on a larger scale; in regulating the affairs ofthe empires and kingdoms of the earth. — And especially, at such a time as the present; so dark — so perplexing; when events run so coun-: ter to every calculation of probability, and to every fond expeftation; when the mind, harras- sed by disappointment, and fatigued with won dering, grows weary of conjefture, and is ready to sink under the pressure of discouragement: — how consoling, to raise our thoughts to Him who dwelleth in the heavens, and in the strength of faith to sing — " Halleluiah! for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth?" — " He calleth those things which be not as though they were." To Him {here is no confusion, no uncertainty— darkness Z i" ] is light before Him, and crooked things straight. " He makes the wrath of man to praise him, and the remainder of wrath he restrains."— -All shall be well! There is one object, in the accomplishment of which all these events shall issue:— an object which must deeply engage the heart of every one$ Who feels the warm impulse of gratitude for redeeming mercy, prompting him to desire and to pursue, as his highest aim, the glory of his God and Saviour: and whose heart expands, with that enlarged benevolence, which the faith of the gospel inspires, and which embraces, in the extent of its wishes and its prayers, the tem poral and eternal , interests of all his kind— his felIow-men,-rJiis fellow-sinners. That object is, the universal spread of the gospel— -the exten sion and establishment, over the whole earth, of the spiritual kingdom of Christ. — > This is a legitimate objeft not only of Christ ian desire, but of confident expeftation. — The glory of the Lord was revealed at the coming of Christ, and " all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it f." He has confirmed his word by an oath, saying, " As truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory ofthe Lord * !" — The grain of wheatfell into the earth, and died. Its immediate produce was a handful of corn, on the top of the moun- -j- Isa. xl. 5. * Num. xiy. 21, [ 118 3 . tains of Judea: that handful shook with prosper ous fruit, like Lebanon: and the time is fast ap proaching, when every region of the earth shall be filled with its abundant increase. Let no seeming obstacles repress the ardour of our hope, or of our ?eal. Let us not, " through unbelief, stagger at the promise of Him who quick- eneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were; but be fully persuaded, that what he hath promised, he is able also to perform." — The giving of a seed to Abraham and Sarah, when every circumstance in nature opposed the fulfilment of the promise, is refer red to by the Lord himself, as an encouragement to the faith of his people, respecting what He farther, engaged to do for his church :- — " Heark-> en to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged. Look unto Abraham your fa-* ther, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I call-> ed him alone,^and blessed him, and increased him. For the Lord shall comfort Zion; he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord : joy and gladness shall be heard in her, thanksgiving and the voice of melody *." There are no obstacles now to be encoun* * ' > ' — - ¦ * Isa. li. 1—3. C 119 3 tered, more formidable than those which have already been surmounted. Combine the wis dom and power of the - providence of God, with the subduing efficacy of his Spirit and gracej and to the mind of the believer every difficuky disappears; — " every valley is exalted, every mountain and hill is made low ; the crooked be comes straight, and the rough places plain." — The providence of God can turn every event in to this direction, even while the agents in these events " mean not so, nor do their hearts think so;" and his grace can readily subdue, as we know it has done heretofore, and is daily do ing before our eyes, the most malignant enmi ty of the heart, armed with all the passions, and prejudices, and interests of men. When we look forward to our " sleeping the sleep of death," let us trust in that God who ** quickeneth the dead," that " our flesh shall rest in hope." — It is true, the resurrection of the dead is an event so amazing, as quite to over whelm our minds. But it is not more confound ing than creation. It is not more confounding than many of the works of God, which, from our daily familiarity with them, have ceased to impress us with wonder. And all the difficul ties which can be mustered by the most scepti cal mind, vanish at once before the question: " Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you that God should raise the dead j?"— - % Acts xxvi. 8. t 120 3 *' if the'Spirit of Him who raised up Jesus ff oni the dead, dwell in you; He who raised up Christ from the dead, shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you *." — ¦ "VJThis corruptible must put on incorruption j and this mortal must put on immortality, So when this corruptible shall have put on incor* ruptionj and this mortal shall have put oh im mortality, then shall be brought to pass the say ing that is written, * Death is swallowed up in victory J !' " " The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout; with the Voice ofthe archangel, and the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall first rise; and then, we who are alive and remain shall be caught up* together with them, in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lordj!" III. This subjeft holds out to sinners the full est encouragement, to receive eternal life, as " the gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord." The testimony of God concerning his Son, as the only Saviour, has been set before you: and the simple language of the gospel is, Believe, and live: — " Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved!"— You are sinners, — guilty before God. This is the verdift of the * Rom. viii. 11. J 1 Corxv. S3, 54. f 1 Thess. iv. 16, 17. Z 121 ] Divine word concerning you; and your con science, corrupt and partial as its judgments are, pronounces a similar sentence. Tha gospel ad dresses you in this charafter. It reveals salvation for the guilty. No conditions, on your part, are prescribed; — no hard labour to be performed;— no previous qualifications needed, to recom mend you. Jesus is a Saviour for the worthless, "r-the helpless,— the hopeless. " He came to seek and to save that which was lost *." " He was delivered for the offences of sinners, and rais ed again for their justification!." — In his perfect work of obedience and atonement Jehovah is well-pleased; and freely offers to the chief of sinners, for his sake, all the blessings of eternal salvation, " without money and without price f. —As a gift these blessings must be received, else they can never be yours. If you seek them otherwise, they are lost to you for ever. " It is not by Works of righteousness which you have done, but according to his mer'cy that you must be saved \." Mercy, — free mercy, is what a sinner needs: such mercy is here set before you; free in its exercise, boundless in its extent. — If a sinner is saved, a condemned criminal pardoned, it must be by the exercise of mere mercy. E- very claim qf right is inconsistent with the idea of mercy: " If it be of grace, then it is no more of works, otherwise grace is no more grace Jj:" * Luke xix. 10. f Isa. lv. 1. % Tit/ iii. 6. |] Rpm xi. 6. Q C 122 3 " If righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain *."- If you are accepted of God, it must be " in the Beloved t." Salvation is of fered by the gospel, in the only way in which it can be offered to the guilty, — upon their renoun cing all their supposed claims, in every degree, and submitting to be the undeserving debtors of sovereign mercy. God appears in the charafter of the God of mercy, the God of peace, in " raising up Jesus our Lord from the dead. " It is in this charafter that you are called to believe in him. And be lieving in Him in this charafter, is the same with believing in Jesus Christ, as thus attested by Him to be the only Saviour. — You are assured, on the part of God, that, believing in him, you shall be justified from all things, from which you can not be justified by the law of Moses: that on account of his perfeft righteousness, and atoning sacrifice^ you shall be freed from the curse, e- scape the second death, and have your end ever lasting life. — The instances of Abraham's, justi fication by faith, and that of many others, some of them the most hardened and flagitious characters, are recorded, ," to shew the exceeding riches of his grace, in hiskindness towards them,through Christ Jesus|:" — not, therefore, " for their sakes alone," but to be a ground of encouragement to sinners in * Gal. ii. 21. f Eph. i. 6. % Eph. ii. ^. Z J23 3 every age: — to shew the worst, that they are wel come to the Saviour, as the refuge from despair; and to teach those who may think themselves tbe best, that by the law of faith boasting is excluded; that there is no salvation for them, more than for others, but on the footing of abounding mer cy. " As many as are of the works of the law, (depending upon it for justification) are under, the curse: for it is written, * Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things, which are writ ten in the book of the law, to do them * '." " To him that worketh the reward is not reck oned of grace, but of debt: but to him that work eth not, but believeth on him that justifieth the un godly, his faith is counted for righteousness f." " He that believeth on the Son of God hath e- verlasting life ; he that believeth not shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him J." ' " There is no salvation in any other; for there is no other name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved |{." While I thus set before you the free salvation of the gospel, as the gift of sovereign mercy to the guiltiest of men, I feel no apprehension about the consequences: being fully persuaded, that whenever you receive this truth, you will begin to " live unto God," — " to walk in newness of life:"— that " the grace of God, when it brings salvation to you, will at the same time teach you, * Gal. iii. 10. f Rpm. iv. 4, 5. \ Jphn iii. 36. || Acts ivt \%K Q2 [ 124 3 denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, to live soberly, righteously, and godlily, in this present world * :" that " faith, working by love," will call into new and vigorous exercise all your powers, for the glory of God—the God of your salvation; exciting you by a sweet, yet powerful influence, as being " not your own, but bought with a price, to glorify Him in your bodies and in your spirits, which are his f." * Tit.ii. 11, 12. f 1 Oor. vi. 20. Z 12-5 3 ^PPENJDIX, CONTAINING A FEW REMARKS ON THE MODE OF BAPTISM, X Have sometimes been surprised, that a con viftion of the impropriety of infant-baptism, and a conviftion of the exclusive propriety of bap tism by immersion, should so generally accom pany each other. For the two points certainly rest on perfeftly distinft evidence; and the proof of the one does not seem, unless in a very remote and circuitous way, to affeft the other. The question respecting the mode of this or dinance, I do not, by any means, consider as of equal importance with that concerning its pro per subjefts. Yet if we are, as we ought to be, desirous in every thing to know and to follow the will of Christ, we will not treat it with light ness and indifference. As our Baptist brethren, however, carry so far their attachment to the mode of baptism by im- Z 126 J mersion, as to deny that it is the ordinance of Christ at all, when it is administered in any other way; a few remarks on this point may not be improper, to shew that our practice has' the coun tenance of scripture; although little can be said that has not often been said before. I mean not to enter with much minuteness into the discussion; but simply to mention two or three ofthe parti culars, which satisfy my own mind. It appears to me, that the special emblematic import of baptism lies in the cleansing virtue of water. This seems evident, from almost every instance in which baptism is spoken of, or allude ed to, with any intimation of its meaning. As, for example, in the following passages: — Afts, xxii. 16. " And now, why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord."— Eph. v. 25, 26. *' Christ loved the church, and gave himself for it, that he might sanffify and cleanse it by the washing of water through the word; 'that he might present it to himself a glorious church,, not having spot or wrinkle or any such things but that it should be holy, and without blemish." In this passage, spiritual purification is, no doubt, intended: but it contains such an allusion to the ordinance of baptism with water, as leads us to conclude, that this spiritual purification is what it is designed principally to represent. — A similar allusion there seems to be in Tit. iii. 5. " Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but ¦ Z w 3 according to his mercy he saved us, by the Tjoash* ing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost," &c. From these passages it appears, that bap tism, by the emblem of the cleansing virtue of wa ter, denotes the taking away of sin, in its guilt and in its pollution. Of such allusions the scriptures are full. And that view which is most frequent ly exhibited to pur attention, and which, indeed, both on the subjeft of justification, and of sancti- fication, gives a peculiar figurative complexion, if I may speak so, to the current language of scrip ture, I reckon myself warranted to consider, as at least the principal, if not the only import of the institution. According to the views of our Baptist brethren, however, washing or cleansing is but a secondary meaning of this ordinance. — While the general tenor of the language of scripture, as well as a number of particular passages, seem to place its import, in the nature ofthe element employed; it is by them placed principally, and by some of them, indeed, as would seem from their manner of expressing themselves, almost exclusively, in the mode in which the element is used. Two passages are referred to by them, in proof of this idea; Rom. vi. 3, 4. " Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ, were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death; that like as Christ was raised up from the dead, by the glory of Z 12a 3 the Father, even so we also should walk hi new ness of life."— Col. ii. 12. " Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him, through the faith of the operation of God who hath raised him from the dead." — In these pas sages, it is observed, there is an obvious re ference to the mode of baptism by immersion. The Apostle represents this ordinance, as " ex hibiting the death, burial, and resurreclion of Christ, together with the Christian's communion with, and conformity to him therein f." The bap tized person's communion with Christ in his death and burial, is represented, by his being laid under the water; and his Communion with him in his resurreftion, by his being raised out of it. The spiritual meaning of the passages them selves is well explained by a Baptist writer, to be, — " That, by a gracious Divine ccnstitution, Christ sustained the persons of all his elect, in his dying and rising again; that they were so comprehended in, and accounted one with him, as to have died in his death, been buried in his burial, and raised again in his resurreftion *." This I take to be the true principle of inter pretation, for the whole context of the passage in Rom. yi. But that this blessed truth, with which* as the same writer justly observes, the scriptures' abound, is " signified to believers in their bap- f M'Leap's Commission, page 137. * lb. 140. C 129 3 tism, wherein the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ are reacted, in a figure, upon their own persons;" the language employed does not seem either necessarily, or naturally to im- ply. To be " baptized into Christ," is to be bap tized into the faith of him, as the Messiah; — into the faith of his divine mission, charafter, ,and work. To be " baptized into his death," is to be baptized into the faith of it, in the view which the gospel gives of it, as the death of a Surety, making atonement for sin. By being thus baptized into his death,- we are " buried with him." — The simple meaning of this expression seems to be; that, by being bap tized into the faith of his death, in the view giv en of it, we become partakers with him in it. — To " be buried with him," is to be partakers with him, or to have communion with him, in his death: and this was the case with these con verts, when they believed in his death, as the death of an atoning Surety; and acknowledged him in this charafter by submitting to baptism in his name. — The expression seems to be paral lel to that in Gal. ii. 20. " I am crucified with Christ;" which, I imagine, may be explained by connecting with it the words in the end of the verse, " who gave himself for me." " For if one died for all, then all died:" 2 Cor. v. 14. i. e. all for whom he died, died in him as their Surety. R t isd 3 " Buried with Christ," then, and " dead with Christ," seem to be synonymous phrases. The former is here used, perhaps, for two reasons: — * 1. As the burial of the Surety evidenced ihe cer tainty of his death, our being buried with him, rMy intimate the certainty of- the truth, that we are dead with him. 2. It was requisite to com plete the Apostle's figure. As it Was necessary that Christ should be laid in the grave, in order to his rising; so, it is necessary, in the figure, that we should be viewed as buried with him, in or der to our rising with him. " Ours the crpss,'the grave, the skies!" When the Apostle says, " Therefore we are bu* ried with him by baptism into his death," he is not assigning a reason, but drawing an inference: XuKra^/M. om «uTB &c. " We are, then, buried With him," &CiC i. e. Since, in our being baptized into Jesus Christ, we are baptized into his death, into the faith of his death as the death of a Surety, we may be considered as being buried with him, partaking with him in his death, as our representative, and that with the special end, of our rising with him to newness of life. NoW it is quite obvious, that the argument of the Apostle, or the justness of his reasoning, has not the remotest connection with the mode of baptism. There is not the smallest necessity for supposing any allusion to a particular mode, in order to render the passage intelligible; nqr does such a supposed allusion appear to give it C 131 3 any additional force of meaning. For the argu ment is perfeftly the same, whatever mode of bap tism was practised, provided it was baptism into Christ's death. The same remarks apply, with at least equal force, to the parallel passage — Col. ii. 12. Be lievers are there said to be " risen, as well as buried with Christ in baptism." — They were not baptized into the faith of Christ's death alone, as the death of their Surety; but also into the faith of his resurrection, as the resurrection of their Surety. And as, in the former view, they became partakers with him in hjs death, in the latter they became partakers in his resurrection. Being baptized into the faith of both, they had fellowship, or union with him in both. Accord ingly, they are said to be " risen with him, through. the faith of the operation of God who raised him from the dead:" i. e. through the faith of his ret surreftion, effected by the operation, or power of God. This renders it obvious, that their be ing " risen with him in baptism " does not refer to any emblematic resurreftion in the manner of the ordinance; for this could never be said to take place, through the faith of the operation of God in raising him from the dead: but to their being one with him in his resurreftion, through faith in him as the Surety of sinners. And in this view they might, with perfeft propriety, be said to be risen with him in baptism, whatever Was the mode of its administration, provided it R 2 [ 132 3 was baptism into the faith of Christ's resurrec tion. It has been observed that, in whatever sense believers are buried and risen with Christ, it 6auld not be said to be in baptism, unless there were in that ordinance some representation of this bu rial and resurrection. On this I remark — 1. Although the expression in Col. ii. 12. is " buried with him in baptism," (E„ ™> /Wn^ar,) yet in Rom. vi. 4. it is different — " buried with him by baptism into his death ;" 0,« « /so.-*™^*™* f>f my 8av«r»» «u«u). which by no means implies any such similitude in the ordinance, but directs our attention immediately to th,at into which they were baptized, which is the point, indeed, on which the! whole reasoning turns. — 2. Although it was, properly, in believing, that these converts became partakers with Christ in his death and resurrection, as their Surety; yet it might be said to be in baptism, as being the first public de claration of their faith, and 'of their belonging to the body of Christ; with the same propriety, and upon the same principle, on which they are said in baptism to have " put on Christ " — -or to have " washed away their sins." f ¦j- Such addresses to adult believers do not exclude child ren : unless every address to a community necessarily exeludes the. children from being part pf that community. Many addresses are made to, the congregation of Israel, which could not be understood by the children amongst them; t 133 3 It appears, then, that the supposed allusion to the mode of baptism is not necessary to the right understanding of these passages. And it ought to be farther observed, that the language of the whole passage, in the 6th chapter of the epistle to the Romans, is figurative. The same prin ciple of interpretation according to which the ex pression, " buried with Christ" is explained, as referring to the representation of interment, by the immersion ofthe body under water, should lead us also to understand the phrase which im mediately follows, "planted together in the likeness while yet these children fprmed a part pf the cpngregation addressed. In all addresses tp communities this is necessarily the case. Supppse, fpr the sake pf illustratipn, that Jpshua, after the circumcision of the cpngregatipn pf Israel, upon their entrance into Canaan, had addressed them respecting the meaning pf the ordinance, telling them that in submit-, ting tp it they " avouched the Lprd tp be their God, and professed their faith in Him as the Gpd pf their Fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacpb;" his address wpuld necessarily have been tp the adult part pf the community : yet we know from the fact that their children were circumcised with them; ( See Npte, page 89. ) The remark alsp shpuld be kept in remembrance, as not the less true for its being common, that if the connection, so generally spoken of, between believing and baptism, necessarily excludes children from this prdinance, because incapable of believing, the connection stated as so insepara ble, between believing and salvation, will necessarily exclude- children from saving mercy. The argument, taken by it self, concludes, with at least equal strength on both sides. [ 134 3 ef his death" as referring to an emblematic re presentation of planting; or the phrase " crucified withhim," tosome similar exhibition of crucifixion. If the view, however, given of these passages by our Baptistbrethren, were supported by other parts of scripture, it would, no doubt, give weight and authority to their interpretation. But this does not seem to be the case. It has been often said, that the word itself (b««- T.fc) settles the point— its proper and exclusive import being to dip, plunge, or immerse. Now, without entering into any etymological discussions, it should be remembered, that, whatever the derivation, or primary signification of the term may have been, we have at present to do with its acceptation in scripture. A few instances will serve to shew, with what proprie ty it is so confidently asserted to mean, exclu-. sively, immersion. In Mark vii. 4. it is rendered " washing;" and is applied not only to cups and pots, and brazen vessels, but also to tables, or rather couch es, on which they reclined at their meals.— The word seems here to have the general sense, of washing, in whatever way performed. The cups, and pots, and brazen vessels, might probably e- nough be washed by being put amongst the wa ter; but it requires, the prejudice of system, to suppose this of the couches or beds. In Heb. ix. 10, the Apostle says of the Jewish dispensation, that " it stood only in meats, and Z ls* 3 drinks, and diverse washings, and carnal ordi nances," &c. The word rendered washings is i**™^* (bap tisms): under which the Apostle certainly in* eludes all the various' modes of ceremonial puri*- fication, or cleansing, that were enjoined and praftised under the law. Now, the princi pal and most frequent of these was sprinkling- The cases in which the law prescribed the bath ing ofthe body, are, no doubt, likewise intended; but it is sufficient for my purpose, if the expres sion is admitted to include other modes of cere monial cleansing. In 1 Cor. x. 1,2. it is said of the Jewish fa>- thers, that " they were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptiz-- ed into Moses, in the doud, and in the sea." That the allusion, in these words, is to the drop ping of water from the cloud, and the sprinkling of the sea-spray, I have no doubt: the attempt to make out baptism by immersion from their having the cloud over them, and " the waters as. a wall on this side and on that," having al- , ways appeared to my mind far-fetched and fanci ful. — Our Baptist brethren would not, I suppose, consider a person as duly baptized, by his being placed between two large cisterns of water, with a third over his head. In Matth. iii. ]'l. John the Baptist says to the Jews, " I indeed baptize you with water unto re pentance; but He that cometh after me shall bap- Z 136 3 ize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire." This was fulfilled by the pouring out of the Holy Spirit. And the frequent occurrence of this expres sion, especially in connection with baptism, is a very strong confirmation of the propriety of pour- ing or sprinkling, in the administration of the ordi nance. Ontheday of Pentecost "there appeared to the disciples cloven tongues as of fire, and it sat upon ea,ch of them." They were thus baptized with fire. Afts ii. 3. — In the account we have of the conver sion of Cornelius and his friends, we are informed, that, " As Peter began to speak, the Holy "Ghost fell on all them who heard the word. And they of the circumcision who believed were astonish ed, as many as came with Peter, because that oh the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost." Afts x. 44, 45. And when Peter relates this circumstance to his brethren at Jeru salem, he says, " As I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning. Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with, water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost." Afts xi. 15, 16. Here it is as evident as words can make it, that the pouring out of the Spirit upon these converts was their baptism with the Spirit. And it is surely not unreasonable to conclude, that their baptism with water, which represents the baptism of the Spirit, would bear an analogy or resemblance to it, in this particular. Accord ingly, the language employed, in the account of r> is1? 3 their baptism, seems naturally to intimate, not that they were conducted to a river, or else where, that they might be conveniently immers ed; but that water was brought, and that they were baptized immediately, upon the spot. Peter said, " Who can forbid water, that these should not be baptized ?" an expression which the ear itself of every candid reader at once interprets to his mind, as intimating the Apostle's desire, that water should be brought. Accordingly, all cor dially assenting, " he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus;" which having been, as it should seem, immediately done, " they prayed him to tarry with them certain days," — verses 47, 48. The propriety of this correspondence between the pouring out of the Spirit, and the pouring out of water, the emblem ofthe Spirit, is farther in timated, by the conneftion of these so frequent ly occurring in the language of scripture — " I will pour water on him that is thirsty, and floods on the dry ground : I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring, Isa. xliv. 3.—" Not by works of righteousness: which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on, us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour," Tit. iii, 5, 6. Let it not be said, that washing, ox cleansing, h not properly effected by pouring, or sprinkling: S L iss 3 for, in the language of scripture on this subject, the latter is unquestionably considered as suffici ently expressive of the former. A striking ex ample of this occurs in Ezek. xxxvi. 25. " Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean; from all your filthinesses, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you." — Sprinkling is here considered as cleansing. And we are, there fore, warranted to say, that when used in the ordinance of baptism, it is sufficiently expressive of what is chiefly represented in it, the washing aWay of sin, in its guilt and pollution. This may be confirmed fronr the expression used, Isa Iii. 15. " So shall he sprinkle many na tions;" i. e. " with his atoning blood, and by the pouring out of his Spirit as purifying water, of which baptism should be the outward and vi sible sign." — The prediction, I apprehend, was verified, when- the Apostles fulfilled their com mission — " Go," teach all nations, baptizing them, in the1 name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost," Matth. xxviii; 19. Under the law, almost all things were purged^ cleansed, or purified, by sprinkling. See Heb. ix. 19 — 22. — In this view, the blood of Christ is called " the blood of sprinkling," and is, at the same time; represented as " cleansing from all sin," Heb. xii. 24. '1 Pet. i. 2. with 1 John h 7. The Apostle unites these two ideas, of sprink ling and' cleansing, or purging; in one passage— Heb. ix. 13, 14. " For if "the blood of bulls and Z 239 3 of goats, and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanftifieth to the purifying of the flesh; how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit, offered himself with out spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works, to serve the living God!" These passages are quoted to shew, that either pouring or sprinkling is sufficiently expressive of what baptism signifies, — the washing away of sin, in its guilt and pollution, by the blood and Spirit pf Christ ; and also, that the general tenor ofthe language of scripture, on this subject, seems to recommend this, as the true emblem, and therefore the proper mode of administering the ordinance. I shall mention a few other particulars, not for any novelty in them, but for the sake of .such as may not have read much on the subjeft; and to refresh the recollection of others. It is argued, that immersion must have been the mode of baptism, from the verb being con nected, in most of its occurrences, with the pre position en; u Hxti — s» miu^ali nyia— &c. in wa ter-— in the Holy Ghost,- &c. — -as our Baptist friends would translate. — It is surprising that so much stress should be laid on the frequently vague import of a Greek preposition. This preposition (i») is necessarily rendered with, in many of its oc currences. And in the very instance before us, in order to perceive the fallacy ofthe criticism, we have only to advert to the circumstance noticed S.2- I 140 3 a little ago, viz. that the promise, " Ye shall be baptized •» *-«»,k*i. «yi»" — was verified by the pouring out of this Spirit on the disciples. — To be immersed in the Holy Ghost—and in fire, are expressions which are not only harsh and grating to the ear, but which direftly oppose, as we have seen, the current language of scripture, respecting the gift of the Spirit. But " John, it is said, baptized in Jordan — in the river of Jordan " — Matth. iii. 6. Mark. i. 5. — r-It is true. But this does not prove that he immersed his disciples in the water. For, make the supposition that John stood but ancle deep in the bed of the river, and poured the water on those who came to him for baptism, the histori an not only might have used the same expression with propriety, but could hardly have used ano ther. Nay, the same expression might have been used, had he only stood in the bed of the river, at the water's edge; as the blind man is said to have washed his eyes " in the pool of Siloam." In one or other of these ways, I believe John to have afted; not only from its being natural* as above observed, to suppose a resemblance be tween the mode of baptism, and the pouring out ofthe Spirit, but also from considering, that John must have had an uncommon constitution in deed, to have stood so deep in the water, and for such a great, length of time, day after day, as would he absolutely necessary for bap tizing, by individual immersion, the multi- Z 14i 3 tudes who are said to have come to him, Matth. iii. 5. Mark. i. 5. In Mark i. 9. we are informed, that " Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee* and was bap tized of John ur m u$*w." — This is, by some Baptist translators, rendered into Jordan: and is considered as fixing the point, because " bap tized to or towards Jordan," is nonsense. But to or towards is not the only signification of e«ybesides into. Those who make this criticism surely know that us, in such a connection, not unusually signifies at. — So it is rendered in Acts viii. 40. — " Philip was found at Azotus;" — and in chap. xxv. 15. — " About whom when I was at Jerusalem," &c; — and in other places. — Thb, very occurrence of it, in Mark i. 9. is adduced in dictionaries, to prove its having this signification* Baptized, or immersed into Jordan, is besides*, but an uncouth kind of phraseology. Afts viii. 38, 39. " They went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. And when they were come Up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip," &c. — This passage informs us, that Philip and the eunuch went down together from the chariot, to, or, if you will, into the. water, and that Philip then baptized him ; but in what way not a hint is given. Soth of them came up out of, or from, the water. In this passage it is tx ™«iw, but in Matth. iii. 16, where the bap tism, of Jesus isjrecorded, it is said that, hav- [ 142 3 ing been baptized, he went up «*¦« «« «j«i«, from the water; which simply signifies, that he. went up the bank from the bed of the river. — In short, there is not, in these passages, one word respecting the mode of baptism, on either side; arid to deduce from them the certainty and ne cessity of immersion, is a stretch of inference utterly unwarrantable. Travellers inform us, that in the desart where the eunuch was baptized there is no stream that would admit of the im mersion of the body in it. We read, John iii. 23, that " John baptized in Enon, near to Salim, because there was much water there." Upon this passage I have only to observe; that it is a matter of complete un certainty where this Enon was, and what was the nature of the roxu vf<n* (many waters) which are said to have been there. It could only be ascertained' by a knowledge of the situation of the place, which we do not possess, whether the water was in one or more large collections, or in many streams, or in fountains and springs. The last supposition is fully the most probable, the word Enon signifying a fountain or a place of springs. — On a matter so doubtful it is rash to build with much confidence. Without having recourse to the need of much water, for supplying drink, &c. to the multitudes who came to John,— a consideration which I do not, however, think destitute of weight; — I apprehend the simple truth to be this: the mul- [ 143 3 titudes who came to John were baptized without: it was necessary that he should choose a place where there was water for the purpose: Enon was a most suitable place, for there water was abundant.— The language affords no certain con clusion as to the manner of administering the ordinance. I think I have noticed the principal arguments urged in favour of the exclusive propriety of im mersion. They do not appear, even when taken together, to be conclusive; but rather to oppose the current language of scripture, especially re specting the analogy, so frequently alluded to, between the pouring out of the Spirit, and the pouring out of water, its significant emblem. Their weakness will farther appear, when oppos ed to the following considerations. It is' in the highest degree improbable, that the multitudes who came to John for baptism, had all of them; in the desart,, changes of apparel, and other accommodations proper for immersion; and to suppose these awanting, in such a numer ous and mixed assembly, is to outrage the feel ings1 of decency.- — It Is improbable, that the three thousand, oh the day of Pentecost, werg all immersed in only part of a day: — that Philip and the Eunuch 'put off and on their clothts upon the road :— that the jailor and his family went out of the city to the river, to be baptized, during the night,; when it was his duty to be near his charge, as -keeper of the prison, and when the Z 14* 3 backs of his two prisoners were still smarting with fresh wounds: and to suppose convenience for immersion, all ready, in the prison, or in his house, which seems to have communicated with the prison, is to argue on supposition, of which our brethren have warmly disavowed the propriety ; on a supposition, too, as improbable as the other side of the alternative. Indeed it is a circum stance worthy of particular notice, that we never find any hint given, as if it had, in any of the cases of baptism recorded, been necessary for the parties to leave the spot where they were brought to the knowledge of Christ, and professed faith in his name, in order to have it administered. It seems to havebeen a matter attended with no dif ficulty or inconvenience. In some places, It may be impraclicable, with out great delay, to procure a supply of water suf ficient for immersion; and in many places, attend-! ed with considerable inconvenience and trouble. — To some timid, weakly people, it is known to have been the objeft of such apprehension and anxiety, as it has required argument and persua sion, of different kinds, to overcome. — In some places, at some seasons, and to some constitutions and conditions of body, it must unquestion ably be attended with risk to the health. — For these reasons, I cannot deem it a part of that *' yoke which is easy." I conclude by observing, that the practice of immersion, in many of its occurrences, cannot [ 145 3 but be inconsistent with a due regard to the feel ings of delicacy and decorum. In this light, in deed, I look upon the baptism of females, in al most every instance, in the manner in which it is practised, by persons of the other sex, in pre sence of a mixed company of spectators. But there are particular cases, not merely supposable, but actually and necessarily occurring, in which these feelings must be severely wounded indeed, unless they are suspended in their operation by some other principle. That principle I shall ad mit to be, regard to the will of Christ; but I question much if that can be the will of Christ, regard to which has such a tendency. I have dwelt longer "on this point, than I in tended, — too long, it may be thought by some, on a subject so hackneyed. My only apology is, that there are times when it is needful to repeat what has been said before, however frequently, and even however much better than it is said now. •W. LANG, HUNTER, 62, BELt-STS MT. AN ESSAY ON Mr JOSEPH LANCASTER'S 3mpvtfotmmt8 in education: INCLUDING AN ABRIDGED VIEW OP HIS PLAN OF TEACHING; With a Few Remarks ON SOME OF ITS PECULIAR ADVANTAGES. BY RALPH WARDLAW, GLASGOW. GLASGOW: Printed by R. Chapman, Trongate. TOLD BY"}. & A. DUNCAN, BRASH & REID, M. OGLE, J. SMITH & SON, G. LUMSDEN, R. DALLAS & CO. AND W. TURNBULL, GLASGOW: GUTHRIE &«TAIT, AND BROWN & CROMBIE, EDINBURGH. 1810. AN ESSAY,. &c. -A.S long ago as the year 1801, Mr Lancaster first began to bring forward into public view his Improve ments in. Education, recommending their adoption by arguments founded both in theory and in experi ence, and. bearing a peculiar force of application to the case of the labouring poor, or the industrious classes of the community ; a regard to whose improvement first suggested the idea to his mind, and afterwards continued to animate him, in bringing it forward, through many difficulties, to desired maturity. I shall enter into no discussion, with a view to settle- the precise degree of merit belonging, respectively, to Mr Lancaster, or to Dr Bell, or to any other per son, who may have claimed a share of the credit, either as an inventor, or as an improver of the new system of tuition. Although it is very desirable, that every man should receive the measure of honour to which he is justly entitled, yet to see the minute proportions weighed out to the different claimants, with punctili ous exactness, is to the public, in a case such as the present, of comparatively small importance. » The im provements in education are laid before them, that they may be candidly examined, and in as far as they A 2 4 are approved, reduced to practice. And at the same time, in applying them to use, they are not tied down to the precise scheme, in all its minutiae, of any origi nal Inventor ; but while they adopt general principles, are left at perfect liberty to introduce such alterations, in the way of further improvement, as their judgment and increasing experience may suggest. I mention this, lest any one should imagine, when schools are spoken of on the plan of Mr Lancaster, that this ne cessarily implies a rigid and implicit adherence to every ¦particular of his arrangement and discipline. This is not, by any means, the case ; the adoption of the leading features of his system being obviously quite compatible with many variations in the minuter de tails. There are few subjects which will bear to be com pared, in point of importance, with the education of youth : and therefore the merits of every professed improvement in the general method of conducting it, having in view to facilitate and secure the attainment of its inestimably valuable ends, certainly deserve a most attentive and candid examination. Yet the im provements introduced by Mr Lancaster, (for such their inventor seems entitled to call them,) have by no means, at least in Scotland, excited so great a mea sure of attention, or been adopted so extensively into practice, as the benevolence which originally suggested them must have wished, and their real and important advantages would have justified. To detail the history of Mr Lancaster's school, and all the minute particulars of his order and discipline, would require me to transcribe a large proportion of his book. — My present object is, rather to illustrate the plan or teaching, and to point out a few of its intrinsic excellences and peculiar advantages, than to describe the extraneous means employed to give that plan spi rit and efficacy. The racers, in the Olympic games, ran in a prescribed course, from the starting-post to the goal. In the race they were roused to ardent emulation, at once by the love of honour, and its counterpart, the fear of shame: the acclamations of their countrymen sounded in their ears, and to the eager eye of hope were exhibited the garlands of vic tory. The line of action, however, and the excite ments to exertion in that line, are obviously distinct things. It is my purpose, in this Essay, rather to point out the course, than to explain the operation of the stimuli. — So much stress, at the same time, is laid on the latter subject by Mr Lancaster, who avowedly makes emulation the basis of his system, that I cannot, with propriety, pass it entirely over. It is obvious, that wherever a number of young per sons are educated together, emulation must have place ; and as the attempt to prevent its operation entirely would be both vain and injurious, the difficulty (and it is not by any means a trifling one) lies in the proper regulation of its influence. It has become, through the corruption of our nature, so closely allied to envy, one of the most malignant and unhappy principles that can exert its influence over the human heart, that there is imminent hazard attending its injudicious en- couragement. Between envy and virtuous emula tion there subsists, no doubt, an essential difference. The latter is satisfied that others should keep, in the scale, the point of eminence to which they have at tained. It strives to reach an equal or a higher point ; but if this be beyond its efforts, it does not indulge the mean desire of procuring equality by the degrada tion of its rival. It seeks its own elevation, by vigo rous and persevering exertions ; but never, by low and insidious arts, the other's depression. — Envy, on the contrary, is a stranger to this generosity of feeling. Let but the hated distinction be removed, it matters not to Envy in which way this be effected, whether by its own rise, or by its rival's fall. Nay, it sighs for the latter even more fervently than it desires the former. It " consults to cast down the object of it from his excellency," and will condescend to the most despica ble devices, for accomplishing its unworthy end. Emulation purely virtuous, perfectly free from every taint of envy, there is reason to fear, is not very often to be found ; and at any rate, the good princi ple is in such continual danger of degenerating into the evil, that its operation requires to be watched with attentive care ; so that whenever any indications appear of the spirit of malice, or any of the mean arts of envy are detected, they may be checked with firm and ju dicious severity : else we shall more than run the risk of purchasing intellectual improvement, at the serious expense of the most valuable dispositions of the heart. Rare, however, as emulation may be, perfectly pure from the taint of envy, it accords with my own observation on this subject, and I imagine it will be found agreeable to general experience, that, among the young who are educated together at public schools, the malignant spirit of envy does not operate very ge nerally or very powerfully, when all are left to their own exertions, and when the conduct of the master is free from partiality and favouritism. * Let any one re collect for a little, who were the boys among his class mates, when he was at school or college, if there were any, who were " eyed with jealous leer malign,"\ who were the objects of envious dislike, and of malicious sarcasm and detraction. Were they not either the fa vourites of the teacher, towards, whom he manifested unjust partiality, and on whom he conferred unmer ited honours ? — or boys who were known to have pri vate tutors, and who were suspected of making an un fair and. dishonourable use of their peculiar advanta ges ? — I do not, for my own part, recollect any in stance, of a boy being the object of envy, at least of general envy, who obtained the reward of real merit, having " striven lawfully," with his own weapons and his own powers. I speak generally. Instances, no doubt, there always will be, of individuals scorning, the judgment which has withheld the prize from them, and bestowed it on others. But upon the whole, al though, amidst the great variety of characters" which a public seminary must necessarily bring together, ma lice and envy may be the odious distinction of some ; and although none may be entirely free from their oc casional influence, yet they do not appear to be the generally predominant principles in the bosom of child- 8 hood and early youth. These are rather the seasons of open ingenuous frankness, and unsuspicious can dour ? It appears to be on this ground, that an in spired writer exhorts christians to be " children in malice :" — and the same inspired writer, it may be ob served, gives his sanction to emulation as a principle of action, (in a department of conduct, too, where of all others the Operation of disinterested principle seems to be desirable,) when he strongly commends the ge nerous liberality of certain christian churches, as an excitement to the benevolent exertions of others. In the application of this important stimulus, it may likewise be noticed, a great deal must depend on the character of the tutor. The same excitements, under the judicious direction of the good sense and discern ing prudence of Mr Lancaster, may be found highly beneficial, and their corruption and abuse may, in a considerable degree, be prevented ; while, in the hands of a teacher of a different description, of one who, per haps, has hardly " an ounce of mother wit," although he may have " pounds of clergy," they might be emi nently injurious, from the want of prudence and deli cacy in their application, and of sufficient discernment to distinguish readily between the virtuous principle, and its base and mischievous counterfeit. This general observation may be applied to other analogous parts of Mr Lancaster's system.— -As, in his rewards and orders of merit, his object is to excite emulation, by an appeal to the love of honour ; -pro ceeding on the same principle, he addresses, in his va- 9 rious modes of punishment, the fear of disgrace and shame, in preference to the dread of bodily pain. Now it must be evident, that in the application both of rewards and punishments, a great deal must depend, in order to their proper efficacy, on the prudence and sagacity of the teacher. Mr Lancaster, for example, says, he has found- it the most effectual way to cure a clever boy of his propensity to mischief, to make him a monitor. This may do very well with a discerning and prudent tutor : but a senseless imitator would in fallibly hold out a bribe to mischief, by making it the path to preferment. — Of the use of rewards in general, however, I shall say nothing, because it is not at all peculiar to Mr Lancaster's School, but common to him with others, although every teacher does Hot use precisely the same assortment with Mr Lancaster, of medals and badges of merit, books, bats, kites^ balls, pictures, and rural parties of pleasure. i In the subjoined account of the Free School in Li verpool, it will be observed, that a class of honour has been introduced.' This appeafs^to be an admira ble contrivance, so long as, admission into it continues to be of sufficiently difficult attainment, and to be re gulated with rigid impartiality. It is giving " honour to whom honour is due," making respectability to de pend on the very circumstances from which it ought always to originate, industrious and persevering appli cation to business, becoming subjection to authority, and a regular, virtuous, and in other respects exem plary deportment. In admitting into such a class of honour, and in the conferring of rewards in general, B 10 there is a consideration which, although not over looked, is perhaps, hardly attended to so much as it ought to be. From analogy we should naturally expect, (and experience decidedly justifies the expec tation) an original difference among men, in the con stitution and powers of the mind, as well as in those of the body. Now from this cause it inevitably, follows, that the same degree of exertion, applied to the same object, will not in every case he attended with the same measure of success : and yet, notwithstanding this difference in the result, the portion of real merit may be equal ; nay, the balance may even be in favour of what appears the inferior degree of attainment. While therefore, in order to stimulate the natural powers in to exercise, and to discover the true extent of their di versity, it may be found indispensibly necessary, to connect certain rewards with certain degrees of profi ciency, or with the best performance of particular tasks ; yet, to make abilities derived from nature the exclusive standard of recompence and honour, leaving unrewarded the assiduous and persevering exertion of inferior talents, is to be guilty of the most flagrant in justice, calculated at once to mortify and dishearten the boy whom nature has not so liberally endowed, and to inflate the Genius, as he is made to esteem him self, with unreasonable and supercilious vanity. While a strict -adherence to all Mr Lancaster's modes of reward is by no means essentially necessary, neither is the indiscriminate adoption of all his methods . of punishment.— When a boy comes to School with a dirty face, Mr Lancaster sets a little girl to wash it, 11 n presence of all the classes, with permission, while performing the ablution, to inflict a little salutary dis cipline on his ears : — when another boy gets into a singing tone in reading, he decorates him with dying speeches, ballads, or matches, and sends him round the room, with some other boys before him, crying these articles in the dismal tones of the London hawk ers : — he puts a wooden log, by way of pillory, on ¦ the necks of some offenders, and at times yokes, in this way, a number of delinquents together, and makes them walk through the school backward : — he fastens a great wooden log to one leg, or shackles both legs together, and makes the culprit parade the room, till he is tired out, and sues - for liberty, with promise of amendment : — he suspends boys occasionally from the roof, in sacks or baskets, as a spectacle in terrorem. — • He chuses thus to vary his punishments, because the constant recurrence - of one, by producing familiarity, deprives it of its effect ; and his appeal is, in all of them, chiefly made to the dread of shame, and. ridi cule. In all this, it must still- be evident, there is need for much judgment on the part of the tutor. — The sense of shame is a principle which requires much more de licate management than the fear of bodily pain. It must not be treated with roughness, nor brought too often into action. To appeal to it with injudi cious frequency will deaden its susceptibility of impres sion, as the shrinking delicacy of the sensitive plant is benumbed by rude and repeated handling. — By fre quent exposure to ridicule, a boy will learn to bear it B 2 12 with gradually lessening emotion. The tide of blood, which, on the first and some subsequent trials of his sensibility, rushed impetuously to his conscious cheek, will learn, by degrees, to keep its ordinary sober course^ without disturbance : and by this means, an injudi cious tutor may not only soon render inefficient a par ticular punishment, but give rise to a melancholy de fect of character. When punishments are laughable, there is a haz ard of their ceasing to operate in terrorem, and of their proving a temptation, to boys of a merry tem perament, to misbehave, purely for the fun of the thing : and when boys and girls are made the instru ments of one another's correction, in a way that is lu dicrous, there is a risk of punishment either becoming too much a matter of sport, or of its exciting among them, towards one another, feelings, which it might be as desirable to repress. — ."• If a master," say the Edin burgh reviewers, in their animadversions on Mrs Trim mer, " can turn this principle" (the fear of being laughed at) " to his own use, and get boys to laugh at vice, instead of the old plan of laughing at virtue, is he not' doing a very new, a very difficult, and a very laudable thing ?"¦ I am not sure if this remark does Mr Lancaster justice : and am inclined to think, that correctness- of sentiment has been, in some measure, sacrificed* by the reviewer to happy antithesis. For certainly, although laughter may, with propriety, be used as one of die modes of punishment, it ought never to be applied to what is decidedly vicious ; nor do I be lieve it is so applied by Mr Lancaster. To laugh at 13 virtue is, without doubt, the height of depravity ; but at the same time, the counterpart of this, laughing at vice, expresses a feeling by no means appropriate to an object so serious. Let laughter be reserved for ec centricity and folly, and for the various species of petty delinquency*. * In looking again into Mr Lancaster's book, under the head " offences and punishments," I observe the following sen tences : — " When a boy is disobedient to his parents, profane in his language, or has committed any offence against morality, or is remarkable for slovenliness, it is usual for him to be dres-- sed up with labels, describing his offence, and a tin or paper crown on his head. In that manner he walks round the school, two boys preceding him, and proclaiming his fault ; varying the proclamation according to the different offences." — To sin gle out an offender against morality — tq exhibit him as such to the view of the school — to mark, in terms of serious and emphatic reprobation, the fault of which he has been guilty, in order to impress on his own mind a sense of guilt and shame, and, on the minds of his schoolfellows, an abhorrence of the evil which has been Committed — is to treat such offences in the way in which they ought to be treated ; a way very well calculated to prevent their repetition, not merely by fear, but by conviction and principle. — But, upon the grounds which' have been stated, I cannot think the tin or paper crown a very hap py addition to the punishment, in such cases : because it is too much calculated to make, moral turpitude the object of deri sion, rather than of serious disapprobation and aversion. — For such offences as slovenliness, which is last mentioned in the above quotation, it may do very well : but for disobedience to parents, profanity of language, or other serious immoralities, it does not appear to be at all appropriate ; nor is it quite con sistent with the general conviction I have expressed, of laughter or derision not being used by Mr Lancaster as a punishment for vice. 14 Objections have been made to Mr Lancaster's practice, of encouraging boys to act as informers against one another. So far as I can judge from his book, however, he seems to confine such encourage ment to cases of trespass that are truly serious ; and while it is so confined, there is not, I should appre hend, much evil to be dreaded from it. Although the odious and despicable spirit of espionage ought to be sternly repressed ; yet a spirit of practical opposition to vice, which it is Mr Lancaste'r's object by this means to cherish, is certainly, in an eminent degree, advantageous. In this case, at the same time, as in others before mentioned, there is requisite, in the teach er who would imitate, a measure of that discriminat ing sagacity, which appears to characterize the man from whom he adopts the practice : a remark which, I have already repeatedly said, is applicable, in a certain ex tent, to his whole system of rewards and punishments, orders of merit, badges of eminence, and other excite ments to emulation. — A skilful and enlightened sur geon may introduce, and practise, with success, a new, and in some respects, delicate and hazardous opera tion : he is not, in justice, answerable for all the mis chief, which may possibly result from the bungling imitation of an ignorant and unskilful practitioner.— -I am far from intending, by this observation, to insinu ate, that we have not, in this country, many teachers, every whit as capable as Mr Lancaster (possibly much more so) of judiciously regulating the principle of emu lation; as a motive to improvement : nor is it at all necessary, that the precise means adopted by him, for sharpening and directing the influence of this stimu- 15 lus, should, in every particular, be uniformly employ ed by others. The diversity necessarily existing, in , the character and cifcumstances both of- masters and scholars, will suggest to judicious teachers various me thods ; each of which, from its happy correspondence to that diversity, may, in theory, be equally well adapt ed to produce the desired effects, and in practice equal ly efficacious. The order which prevails in Mr Lancaster's school, is said, by persons who have visited it, to be truly sur prising : — " every boy," say the Edinburgh reviewers, " resembling the cog of a wheel ; the whole school a perfect machine." It is not merely the systematic influence of reward and punishment, that produces this pleasing, and, in every point of view, important effect. The various rules by which this order is regulated are sagaciously contrived, so as to make it a pleasure to the boys to preserve it. — I dare not call it military arrangement * : for the conscientious Friend, who, in order to avoid, as he himself expresses it, " raising the love of war and false glory in the youthful mind," substitutes, among his words of command, ' stop' for ' halt,' ' go on' for ' march,' and a sign with the hand for ' to the right' or ' to the left,' would reprobate the phrase with * " This is so far from being a burden or constraint to the boys, that Mr Lancaster has made it quite pleasant and inter esting to them, by giving to it the air oimilitary arrangement ;" &c. Edinburgh Review, Vol. 9th. page 182. Article, Mrs Trimmer on Lancaster's plan of Education. 16 detestation. Yet, let him call it by what name he will, a system of tactics it certainly is, of its kind : and its various evolutions, performed by the pupils according to appropriate words of command, (in taking and leaving their seats, for instance, — taking up, laying down, and showing their slates, — slinging and unsling- ing their hats, when they come into and retire from school, — assembling in a particular order to muster— and a variety of others, of a similar nature, minutely de scribed by Mr Lancaster), are fitted to give a kind of lively spirit and interest to the preservation of regulari ty ; and thus to effect, with ease, an object essentially connected with the improvement of the school, but. which, -otherwise, in an assembly of seven hundred or a thousand boys, it would be a task of superlative dif ficulty to accomplish. — To every new comer the plan is recommended by the charm of surprise and novelty ; and, ere this charm has had time to lose its power, sub mission to the prescribed order has grown into a suf ficiently agreeable habit. But even this is not all that contributes to the ef fect. Mr Lancaster appears to possess a peculiarly happy art, of captivating and fixing the affections of his pupils. More depends upon this, than upon al most any other circumstance. He who acts upon the principle " let them hate, provided they fear," will find the attempt to preserve permanent subordination and regularity, among a thousand boys, naturally prone to disorder, and impatient of restraint, not only inces santly irksome, but miserably unsuccessful. — It is not the surly frown, nor the brawny arm, Of the self-con- 3 17 ceited pedagogue that is to accomplish this wonder ; but the chearful countenance, the affectionate gentle ness, the ingenuous affability, the temperate firmness of a master, who wishes to rule by love, and who has the good sense to make his pupils perceive, that he has their improvement and happiness at heart. — Attach ment thus won, and thus maintained, is the oil, that keeps in 'regular and easy motion, every part of the machine. Having extended these desultory remarks to a much greater length than was my original intention, I shall now, proceed, as briefly as possible, to sketch an outline of the plan of tuition. The whole school is arranged in distinct classes, ac cording to the different degrees of proficiency to which the pupils have attained. Over each of these classes a monitor is appointed by the master, who is responsi ble for the cleanliness, order, and improvement, of every boy in his class. And as the number of boys whose proficiency is nearly on a par, and who are therefore reckoned as one class, is frequently too great for the proper superintendarice of a single monitor, in such cases the class is subdivided under, assistant mo nitors, the proportion of these to the taught being, in general, about one to ten. Besides these monitors of classes, consisting of the boys of greatest talents and proficiency in their respec tive studies, there are others, who have fixed charges committed to them, over different departments of the G 18 order of the school ; such as the monitor of absentees, the monitor of slates, the monitor of ruling, the inspect ing monitors, and the monitor general ; — whose names will sufficiently indicate, without a particular description, the nature of their respective offices. In the reading and spelling department, there are eight classes, rising gradually from the " A, B, C," to " a selection of the best readers;" from the first class to the fifth, inclusive, comprehending those pupils who, strictly speaking, are learning to read ; and the sixth, seventh, and eighth, those who have already learned, arid to whom their reading is not merely a study, but at the same time, a medium of religious and moral improvement. The alphabet class, superintended by monitors, in the proportion of one to ten, fifteen, or twenty, as ne cessity or convenience may dictate, are taught the let ters by two different methods. — The first is, printing them with the finger in dry whitish sand, strewed and smoothed over in a narrow space along the desk ; of which the ground is black, for the sake of distinctness. — " The monitor first makes a letter in the sand, be- " fore any boy who knows nothing about it : the boy " is then required to retrace over the same letter, which " the monitor has made for him, with his fingers '; and " thus he is to continue employed till" (from having it, I suppose, by this means, fixed in his recollection) " he " can make the letter himself, without tha monitor's " assistance. He may then go on to learn another " letter." — The letters are arranged in three courses, ac- 19 cording to the comparative difficulty in forming them ; the Rectilinear first, the Angular next, and the Cur vilinear last. — When all the boys haye filled up their respective spaces, in printing each his particular letter, the monitor applies his smoothing iron, obliterates the former course, and commences another. The principal advantages of this method of teaching the letters, are ; — its tendency to fix < each letter firm ly in the memory, by engaging not only the eye to look at it, but the finger in tracing and forming it : -H:he employment of all the pupils at the same instant, and with very little interruption, a circumstance of pe culiar importance, and belonging to every- department of tuition, as well as this, throughout the whole plan : — and economy in the article of books and paper, a consideration of more or less value, according to the Station of those who are taught, but of special moment in free schools, on a large scale, for the education of the children ofthe poor. This mode of teaching by sand is ascrihed by Mr Lancaster to Dr Bell, late of Madras, now Rector of Swansea. The other method of teaching the alphabet is a very simple one, and is used every day, alternately with that which has been described, both as a check, and as a relief. — A large sheet of pasteboard, with the letters printed upon it, is suspended on the wall : round it are ranged the boys of the sand class, by tens or doz ens, each boy with the number of his place in the class C 2 20 hanging from his button, or round his neck ; — the monitor points to the letters in succession, examining the pupils in their order ; and the boy who corrects another takes precedence of him, as in most other schools. — Besides his ordinary class number, the Dux, as we are accustomed to call him, wears a leather tick et, lettered Merit, as a badge of honour. The second class use sand, in the same way as the first ; only that, instead of single letters, they write syl lables, and words, of two letters : — the series of which is so arranged, as to contain all the letters of the alpha bet, some of which might otherwise be soon forgotten. -t-They are likewise taught by the pasteboard card, in the same way as the first class, with a corresponding difference, 'of syllables in place of single letters. — This class also learn to make the figures in the sand ; — and are provided with slates, on which they learn the ixrritten alphabet. " The succeeding classes have no sand allowed " them ; they write on a slate. They are taught to " read and spell on the same plan :-!— the class which " reads and spells in three letters, spelling, by writing " on the slate, words of three letters : — the fourth, or *' four-letter class, words of four letters : — the fifth, or " five-letter class, words of five letters : — and the supe- " rior classes, words of three or four syllables, and " words with their meanings annexed. — Each class " has cards, in the same manner as the first and se- " cond, which are all made use of in a similar way, 21 " only varying as to the length of the words and syl- " lables which each class may be learning." Of his method of teaching to spell by writing, Mr Lancaster speaks in terms of somewhat partial eulogy : yet not without considerable reason for his praise. — Each boy is provided with his slate and pencil. The monitor pronounces distinctly a particular word, and all the boys immediately write it on their slates ; another word is then pronounced,- and written in the same man ner ; and so on to any number. The slates are then all inspected, both as to the orthography and the writing ; and while the slate of one boy is under examination, (in which process, the boy himself is required to read over what he has written, to the teacher,) the rest may still be kept employed* According to this method, all are kept attentive and on the alert : — all busy :— inattention and careless ness are unavoidably detected : — writing and spelling are combined ; by which means not only are facility and improvement afforded in the former, but the ortho graphy of every word is more firmly rivetted in the memory : — reading is likewise associated with writing and spelling : — a great many_boys' may be taught in this manner at once : — quietness is preserved, by com manding attention : — the use of books in tuition is in a great measure superseded, and a heavy expense thus avoided. Mr Lancaster, however, appears rather to over rate the value pf this plan, in as far as it respects 22 improvement in 'writing. For, although it may be as he says, that boys taught in the new way haye six times the usual practice in writing ; and, on the sup position of boys taught in the old way having equal practice, it may possibly be made put, that the saving of expense, upon sixty boys, will be ^£96 out of s§99 per annum ; yet I cannot be persuaded, that the same degree of improvement is, by any means, to be derived from writing with a pencil on a slate, as from the me thod of learning by the gen. This latter method, in deed, Mr Lancaster does not leave unemployed, but uses it along with the other, of which he says, that it is " an excellent introduction and auxiliary to writing." In this light let it be considered, and employed accord ingly: — but let it not, in the calculation of expense, be placed on a footing with the other, and evidently superior method. Let not value be estimated by quan tity, without a due regard to quality. Mr Lancaster entitles one of his sections — ^a method ^ of teaching to spell and read, whereby one book will serve instead of six hundred books." — The principle of this notably economical method, is the use of the card on the wall, as before described. The thirty or forty lessons contained in one spelling book, are printed on as many separate sheets, on a type three or four times larger than the usual size, which makes one book, apart from the pasteboard on which its dif ferent parts are pasted, equal, in bulk and in cost, to five or six common books ; and from these cards, containing a complete spelling book, in successive les sons, from the alphabet to the lessons in reading, the 23 boys are taught, -in small classes, in the manner for merly detailed. — The chief advantage that can be call ed peculiar to this plan, as indeed the title of it inti mates, is the saving of expense in paper and books. From such cards the pupils are taught extempore spelling, much in the same way as in other schools, the monitor holding the card in his hand, and exam ining from it. But in most cases-, preparatory to this exercise, they go over the same set of words on the card, under the direction of the monitor, while it hangs on the wall ; which is called, from Dr Bell, studying the spelling. When books are spoken of as, by this plan of teach ing, superseded, the expression, it ought to be observed, should be understood as referring to the early steps of tuition, those lessons which are usually learned < from Primers and Spelling-books ; an immense number of which, as is well known to parents, teachers, and book sellers, are wasted to very little purpose ; twenty pages being generally thumbed away, or otherwise destroyed, before one or two have been thoroughly mastered. — In the later stages of instruction, books must be used in every school ; at least the invention which would displace them would be the result of a most mischiev ous ingenuity. And while books of harmless amuse ment, and useful information, find their place in the course, every christian's mind must assign the highest place, in point of importance, to that blessed Book^ of which it is the exclusive glory and excellence, that it " maketh wise unto, salvation." — It were passing 24 strange, indeed, if from any English school in this country, the children were to be finally dismissed, with out' having beert introduced to acquaintance with the venerable volume of inspired truth. — Yet, as every thing ought to be carefully avoided, that may have the slightest tendency, to associate with the use of this vo lume impressions that are at all unpleasant, I should deem it desirable not to introduce the scriptures too early ; but to make, them a book for receiving instruc tion by reading, rather than for learning to read ; — not to use them, therefore, while children are engaged in the technical drudgery, of learning to put together letters, syllables, and words ; but to reserve them till they are able to read with some tolerable degree of fa cility, and are, in some measure, capable of apprehend ing and following the sentiment. Besides the possi bility of. associating unpleasant feelings and recollec tions with the scriptures, in the minds of children, no thing can be more grating and painful, to the ear both of taste and of piety, than to hear, what. is sometimes to be heard in schools, a boy who has made hardly any progress in the practice of connecting syllables into words, and words into sentences, hammering and bung ling the most interesting and impressive portions of Holy Writ. The reading of the scriptures, therefore, properly belongs to the sixth, seventh, and eighth classes, in Mr Lancaster's arrangement. * His method of teaching Arithmetic Mr Lancaster 25 illustrates with a minuteness of detail, which endangers perspicuity in the attempt to abridge it. There wee twelve arithtnetical classes; commenc ing with combination qf figures, and ascending, through the ordinary simple and compound rules-, up to prac tice. All the boys in the school who can read, and who can write text hand in four letters, are put into the first cyphering class : of which the chief objects are, readi ness in forming the figures, and a familiar acquaint ance with their different combinations, in the addition and multiplication tables, and the inverse of these, sub traction and division. In teaching arithmetic, two methods are judiciously combined, much as in the instance of spelling, which, as was noticed a little ago, is first studied, and thert practised memoriter.-r-ln the first method, the monitor dictates, and all the boys write, on their slates, the va rious combinations of figures, with their respective amounts, which he successively enunciates ; — begin ners receiving assistance from the monitor and senior pupils.-"-*" In this case they are told what to do ; but " in doing what they are bidden, they acquire a ready " knowledge of the figures ; whilst they are insensibly " led into the habit of giving attention to all they do, " and of taking pains in doing it." — But this method would obviously be defective, if used by itself: it has, accordingly, a counterpart. An arithmetical table, ap plied to the first four rules, but without the amounts D 26 of the various combinations, is suspended on the wall ; and from this the class is examined daily, in detach ments of ten or twelve boys, according to the lesson which they have the same day previously performed on the slate ; which is, by this means, fixed in their recollection. — In such examinations, the, boys stand in their order, with their numbers and badges of merit, correct one another, and take precedence, as in the classes for reading. The combination of these two methods seems emi nently adapted to the proposed end, possessing the en livening charm of variety, and fitted to call fOrth into eager and profitable exercise, attention, discrimination, memory, and emulation. The same general method is followed, with appropriate variations, in the practice of all the classes. If the prin ciple of the plan has been made intelligible, the ne cessary varieties, in its application to the different rules, will immediately suggest themselves. — I shall only fur ther notice, therefore, that, by means of a key to the book of sums, the monitors, in questioning and direct ing the classes, are themselves preserved from error ; so that every boy who can read is thus capable of teaching. Without something of this kind, it would' not be easy always to find monitors, in this department, of such superior proficiency, as to prevent confusion and error. i The particular advantages of this method 'of teach ing arithmetic, over that in orumary use, are, in many 27 respects, similar to those already mentioned, as attend ing the mode of tuition in reading. — Besides its leading excellence, which consists in its uniting the full influ ence of mechanical practice and mental exertion, — it saves both the teacher and the. scholar, an immensity of irksome labour ;•— it animates the spirit of attention, by the pleasant zest of variety ; — it prevents idleness, or infallibly secures its detection, nothing being left to the mere discretion of the pupils' ; — it keeps all alike em ployed, none sitting idle while others are receiving the master's necessarily partial instructions ; — so that I am persuaded Mr Lancaster does not far exceed the truth, when he says, that " three times the usual quota of sums are done and repeated by every boy." I shall conclude this, imperfect sketch, (which, however tiresome it may have been to some of my readers, I am afraid' the Inventdr might be disposed to pronounce a mutilated one,) with noticing what Mr Lancaster denominates Inspection, an important pro cess in the order of his school. It is conducted by a monitor called "Inspector general of reading," whose chief business is to keep a list of the whole school, and, by occasional examinations, under the direction of the master, to ascertain the progressive proficiency of the scholars, and determine their advancement to superior classes. — When a boy is removed from one class to another, he has permission to chuse a prize of a stat ed value, as a reward for his diligence ; and the mo nitor of the class he leaves is entitled to one of the same value, for his care in improving his scholars. — " It is no unusual thing with me, says Mr Lancaster, to D 2 28 " dehver one or two hundred prizes at the same time : " and at such times, the countenances of the whole school " exhibit a most pleasing scene of delight ; as the boys " who obtain prizes commonly walk round the school in " procession, holding their prizes in their hands, and a " herald proclaiming before them, " These good boys " have obtained prizes for going into another class." " The honour of this has an effect as powerful, if not " more so, than the prizes themselves." Or the comparative merits of different plans of tui tion, it is sometimes not very easy to form a correct estimate. To appreciate the value of the peculiarities of each, and the different degrees in which each pos sesses the' excellences that are common to all, requires an unusual measure both of discernment, and of im partiality. It is not my intention, therefore, to enter, with any minuteness, into such a comparison ; but merely to notice two or three prominent considerations, which seem strongly to recommend to adoption the plan, of which I have been attempting to exhibit a ge neral outline. Economy of time is one of these obvious advan tages. — More instruction may be imparted, in a given time, by this mode of tuition, than by any other prac tised in this country, with which I happen to be at all acquainted. — Various causes contribute to the pro duction of this effect : — two especially, which can hard ly fail to have appeared as leading features of excel- 29 lence throughout the whole plan. The first is, that all the scholars are, while in school, kept so regularly busy :-— and the second, that their attention is, by the means formerly noticed, preserved so uniformly alert and steady. In ordinary schools there is, generally, (from the nature of the case, indeed, almost unavoidably) a de plorable loss of time. When the number of scholars is considerable, each pupil, I imagine, is hardly under the immediate tuition of the master, more, on an aver age, than a sixth part of the hours of attendance : and during the remainder, he is left very much to his own discretion. — In Mr Lancaster's school, on the contrary, there is not only the constant appearance, but the con stant reality of business. No time is lost. A thousand boys may all be kept equally busy, in the different branches of learning, at the same instant. Fixed and cheerful attention is indispensibly neces sary to rapid improvement. Whenever a pupil's atten tion-flags, he is good for nothing ; and time is utterly lost, in endeavouring to force learning into a listless and inattentive mind. We might -as reasonably think of carrying on.a manufacture, by means of the slow and languid movements ' of a machine, whose connection with the great wheel has been suspended. — Now few things can have a more, powerfully soporific influ ence, than the quantity of time which, in ordinary schools, is unoccupied : so that even that portion of It which is employed by each scholar with the 30 master, must frequently be employed to great disad vantage, with the spirits drooping, and the powers of the mind comparatively listless and drowsy. But that pupil must have a singularly constituted mind, whose jaws are ever in danger of dislocation from ennui, in the school of Mr Lancaster ; the whole scheme being so admirably adapted to engage and interest the, natu rally active spirit of childhood, and, by the fascinating charm of well-ordered variety, besides the excitements to emulous exertion, to prevent the attention from be coming languid and inefficient. By this means, much is done in little time ; and what is done is done effectu ally, and in a manner likely to be permanent. Economy of time is an important virtue, even to those whose station in life may be considered as allowing them more than Others to spare. The early formation of this virtue into a habit may, even to such, be an incalculable benefit ; saving them, perhaps, from the horrors of Ennui, the pis inertias of the mind ; — from a life irksome and burdensome to themselves, and unprofitable, if not worse, to society.— But while the preciousness of time ought to be felt by men in every condition of life, there are some who, by their situation, are necessitated to feel it more strongly than others ; those, I mean, who earn their daily bread, with various degrees of difficulty, by the sweat of their brow ; to whom, therefore, time is precious, as ^ their food and raiment. For the education of the children of this class ofthe community, whose assistant labours, for the maintenance of the family, are often required 31 by their parents, as soon as they are able to use their hands in any kind of manual employment, the scheme of tuition in question is, from its economy of time, pe culiarly well adapted ; because, by this means, such children may have it in their power to combine learn ing with their work, a comparatively small portion of the day being found, upon the new plan, sufficient for the former. — For the same reason, it is eminently fitted for the instruction of those multitudes of children that are employed in extensive manufactories ; institutions which have multiplied, and continue to multiply, to such a degree, in this country, as in some measure to endanger that high and gratifying pre-eminence which Scotland has so long maintained^ as a well-edu cated community. I had, some time ago, the pleasure of seeing this plan, in its leading features, reduced to practice, at the Cotton Mill belonging to Mr Monteith, at Pollock- shaws. The children, then 250 in number, (since, I believe, considerably augmented by an addition of chil dren from the Village) are little more than half an hour at school every evening : but this short time is so regularly and fully occupied, and the boys and girls enter into their business with so much emulous life and spirit, that their progress is at once gratifying and encouraging. Economy of money combines with economy of time, in recommending this plan to adoption, in such cases especially as those which have now been men tioned ; — the education of those poor children who 32 pay for their tuition ; — of those employed in manufac tories, where avarice is under temptation to forget that they are rational beings, and to use them too much in the way of mere tools of gain ; — -and in the case of free and charity schools, supported by public or private be nevolence. The consideration of pecuniary economy applies., likewise, with great force, to many in the mid dle classes of society, who, having large families, can not but feel the expense of education, according to its usual rates, a heavy burden on their limited incomes.-— The cheapness of the plan, indeed, if carried to the full extent of its economical principles, is quite astonishing. The education of a thousand children, in reading, writ ing, and arithmetic, for ^300 a year, which Mr Lan caster pronounces perfectly practicable, finding them in books, slates, pens, and other necessary implements, is an idea to which hardly any thing short of experi ence could have given credibility. It is, at the same time, obvious, that although, in, certain cases, even this degree of economy may be desirable,, there is no neces sity' for its being carried, in every instance, to such a length. The practice, in this respect, may be, in some measure, accommodated to the circumstances of the school. Paper may sometimes be used for sand ; — pasteboard cards may, at least at an earlier stage of the progress, give place to books ;— -and slates may be furnished, somewhat superior in quality to those which ¦ are procured by Mr Lancaster for twenty shillings the threescore. It is not merely the low rate of necessary school ex penses, that produces the peculiar cheapness of this me- 33 thod of instruction. Another important circumstance contributes to it. One master can, with considerable facility and effect, superintend, according to the plan in question, the education of a thousand pupils ; who could not, on the ordinary method, be taught to such purpose, by fewer than ten .- — and thus, according to- the increased number of scholars, the wages of the teacher may be proportionally moderate. But the mere communication of knowledge, in however short a time, and at however cheap a rate, ought not to be considered as the sole end in the edu cation of youth. When we impart knowledge, if we proceed upon rational principles, we impart it for use ; not for its own sake alone, but to fit its possessor for some occupation, that may be profitable to himself, and advantageous to the community.— In education, there fore, the formation of particular dispositions and Habits becomes a matter of inexpressible impor-. tance ; since, without these, the instruction which we communicate, having nO practical application, or a very partial, unsteady,. and ill-directed one, will be found of comparatively little value ; sometimes, in consequence of its perversion, eminently prejudicial. — It were cer tainly a waste of time, to illustrate, at any length, the importance, in relation to the subsequent businesses of life, of the early formation of such habits as those ot prompt and vigorous attention, — regularity, method^ and order, — steady and diligent application. The value of such habits as these is universally felt and ac knowledged. Without a measure of all of them, little good is to be done in future life. — The man of absent, E 34 wandering, unsettled mind, destitute of the power to fix itself, with promptitude and steadiness, on any ob ject, can make no more progress in the voyage of life, than the vessel that is whirled in an eddy : — the want, of method and order, has, by the waste of time which , it occasions, and the incessant jostling and confusion of duties and engagements, been the ruin of many a man, whose qualifications for business have been, in other respects^ fair and promising : — and as for the indolent and slothful, when, or where, was he ever known to prosper ? To produce the habit of diligent application, the ex ertion from which it is to spring must be, in a certain degree at least, voluntary. Employment which is engaged in, and continued, by compulsion, and with consequent reluctance and sullenness, will be una vailing towards the formation of it, in exact pro portion as the force and constraint are felt ; and will rather serve to produce languor and disgust. In proportion, therefore, as any mode of tuition enga ges the affections, and fixes the inclinations of children, will it be effectual in producing and cherishing this va luable habit. — Now I know of no plan of education better adapted to answer this end, than the one which I have been describing. And with regard to the other habits mentioned, those of attention and order, no one to whom that description has been intelligible, will re quire me to evince by reasoning, how eminently fitted it is likewise to promote the acquisition of these. " There is no Royal road to science". — We are in 35 no danger, in the case of children, of making the way to its attainment too easy. Follow what direction we please, the acquisition of knowledge will be accompa nied with quite sufficient difficulties. There is no pro priety, therefore, in purposely increasing these difficul ties, with the view of inuring to habits of hard appli- cation. It is more needful to use every means to al lure to learning, by rendering it agreeable ; — to deceive the road, by the application of pleasing excitements and enlivening society. The plan of education which I have been consider-. ing, being so eminently adapted to the condition of the poor and labouring classes of society, ought to be viewed in connection with all the important advantages of a well educated community. For, notwithstanding all that has been said to the contrary, I must assume it as a maxim, founded both in reason, and in experi ence, that an enlightened community is, more than any other, likely to be flourishing, virtuous, and happy. Every rational being, in possessing knowledge, pos sesses at once a source of personal enjoyment, and an instrument of doing good. And therefore it will al ways hold good, as a general truth, whatever particular exceptions may be found to it, that, in proportion as knowledge is diffused, the sum of human happiness is augmented. — AmOng the lower orders of society, edu cation is desirable, on account of its tendency to soften and to civilize their manners ; to accustom them to. habits of subordination and controul ; and to furnish them with the means of providing honourably for them* E2 36 selves, and of contributing, according tp their station, to the public prosperity. The objection which has been made against know ledge being generally diffused, drawn from its ten dency to disincline from labour those who possess it, is evidently founded in mistake. The partial commu nication of the blessing may, by giving rise to invidious distinctions, occasionally produce this effect : but the more general its diffusion becomes, the less, in exact proportion, will any such consequence appear. " Dress one man in scarlet and gold," said the celebrated Dr Johnson on this very Subject, when he was questioned respecting the probable effects of a proposed school for labourers in one of the counties of England, frPm which some persons had apprehended the very consequence of which I now speak — " Dress one man in scarlet and gold, and he will probably disdain to handle the spade and the mattock, among his dirty and ragged compani ons ; but make them all like him, and he will work as before," — Ihe justice of this remark might be evinced, from the operation of some of the most obvious prin ciples of human nature : and it might also be confirm ed from experience ; — by a reference, for example, to the state of Scotland in general, where the peasant ry, and other labouring classes, taking them . in the mass, are perhaps the most industrious and sober in Europe, while they are at the same time the best in formed. But the truth of the remark is too obvious, to require any detailed proof. It is true, that, among those to whom education is imparted, some may be stimulated, by the impulse 37 pf native genius, to make the knowledge which they acquire at school a step to a higher sphere of life than that in which they received it : — and why should they npt ? Instead of this forming any valid objection, is it not rather an additional advantage, arising from the general education of the lower Orders, that it serves to discover these " gems of purest ray serene," which might otherwise have lain incrusted in ignorance, their brilliance unseen, their value unappreciated, and their profit lost ? , Universal experience warrants the general asser tion, that the gross vices flourish with the rankest lux uriance in the soil of ignorance ; and that knowledge. is favourable to individual and national virtue. — A large proportion of the criminals who croud the jails, and suffer on the gibbets of England, is said to consist of men uneducated, and brutally ignorant. It is so very natural to expect this to be the case, that we may, with perfect safety, conclude the fact to be the same in other countries. Whence but from ignorance, hardening, degrading ignorance, the mother of superstition, and the nurse of vice, has sprung, and continues to spring that state of moral corruption, which characterizes, to such a melancholy degree, the lower orders in the neighbouring Island ; the prevalence of which we can not too deeply deplore, and which every feeling of hu manity, patriotism, and piety, should inspire the wish to ameliorate, by the generous and zealous employ ment of all practicable means, for diffusing the light of religious truth, and of general knowledge. 38 With respect to the apprehension which some have professed to entertain, of danger to the state, from im parting to the lower orders the means of acquiring po litical knowledge, I would simply remark, that the government which rests on the pillars of ignorance hardly deserves stability. — It has been said, that if, when we impart the means of thinking, we could, at the same time, teach men to think well, the advantage would be evident ; but that, when we educate the lower orders of society, we only enable those to think, who are incapable of thinking well *. — Upon the ground of this hint, the House of Commons ought immediately to have gone into a committee of ways and means, for more effectually preventing the exercise of the dan gerous and unconstitutional faculty of thinking, among these classes of the community. — " If you would keep these people quiet, keep them ignorant ; for, the instant they learn to think, they will rebel". — Most generous, noble, and enlightened policy ! — It is said, I believe, that * The sentiments here referred to, were delivered in the House of Commons in the debate on Mr Whitbread's Bill for the education of the poor. Had the author considered this subject as involving, in any degree, a question of party politics, he would have had nothing to do with it : for he is no politi cian, and feels no desire for the character; he is decidedly hos tile to all party, and considers the prevalence of party spirit as one of the most lamentable evils, both in the country, and its councils. The question as to the education, of the lower orders, is a highly important question (if indeed a question, it should be called,) of general jurisprudence, connected with the inter ests of morals and of happiness ; one on which, it is' his opinion, that all parties, whatever may be their views respecting particu-. lar politics, ought cordially to agree. 39 when the dead were embalmed, among the ancient Egyptians, the' brain was, somehow or other, dextrous- ly extracted from the cranium, and the empty cavity filled with materials suitable to the purpose of the em- balmers. Could the ingenious author of the above hint, in some felicitous moment of inventive sagacity, devise a method of thus eliciting the brain from the liv ing subject, and either leaving the head empty, or filling it with materials to his mind, what a scene of happy and enviable tranquillity would the British Nation pre sent ! But the very idea is founded in inconsideration and error. The problem of putting a stop to thought is, alas ! impracticable. In a country such as this, where the intercourse of society is so fi-ee, and the use of speech so unrestrained, ignorance cannot be pre vented from thinking. And it ought never to be for gotten, that, while knowledge at times may think wrong, ignorance can "hardly ever think ¦ right. — At any rate, there is no dependence to be placed on ignorance. It is just as. ready to be the mother of devotion to a se ditious and aspiring demagogue, as to the legitimate government of the country. It was a crouching slave yesterday— it is a furious rebel to-day. In Scotland, besides, the objection may be met on a different ground from theory. The effects of the diffusion of knowledge among the lower orders have, with us, by means of our parochial schools, been put to the test of experiment : and no one, surely, will venture to say, that the result has been unfavourable to steady subordination, and patriotic loyalty. 40 We cannot be very greatly surprised, however, (for it is admirably consistent) that the patriot who trembled lest British courage should expire with the noble chiv alry of bull-baiting, should be alarmed by the appre hension of the diffusion of knowledge sapping the foun dations of British loyalty ! It has been objected by some to the proposed esta blishment of Lancasterian schools, in this city, and its • immediate vicinity, — and the objection has been gener alized, and applied to Scotland at large, — that they are not at all, or to any considerable degree, necessary ; sufficient, or nearly sufficient provision, it is alleged, al ready existing, for the education of the children of all the different ranks in society. — Now it \s at once admit ted, that the necessity for such institutions is, beyond all comparison, greater, in England, than it is in Scotland ; the education of the lower orders being, in the South, most shamefully and unaccountably neglected.— There, are three specific reasons, however, which may be Urged, in vindication of the zeal of those gentlemen, who have taken an active part in promoting the esta blishment of such schools, in this city and neighbour hood *. The first is a conviction, that the plan itself, apart from all considerations of economy, possesses such in trinsic advantages, for the purposes of education, as * If in any of the remarks which follow, I go too far for any of the gentlemen here alluded to, I wish them to consider me as speaking my own sentiments in their behalf. 41 should entitle it to preference, and to general adoption, in tfie instruction of children, not of one particular class only of society, but of every class. This con viction is founded on an examination of the leading principles on which the plan is framed; its happy adap tation to the taste and fancy of the young ; its conse quent tendency, by engaging spirited attention, to give new and efficient energy to their education ; and, by combining the agreeable with the useful, and making- pleasure the handmaid to instruction, to convert into a season even of present enjoyment, what is felt by the great majority of children as a period of irksome bond age. 2dly. Although there may be abundance of edu cation, it should be considered, that it is of very diffe rent qualities, and- that the good is by no means easily attainable, by those in the inferior, and even by many who rank in the middle classes of society. There are few of the more respectable schools, in which reading alone is taught for less than 7s. 6d. per quarter. Now I am far from saying, or from thinking, that, according to the present mode of tuition, this is at all an exorbi tant remuneration to the teacher. Quite the contrary. Yet it must be evident, to every one who reflects for a moment on the subject, that by labouring men, and others, with small incomes, who have large families, it must be felt as a burden heavier than they are able, with ease, to bear ; the above expense being exclusive of books, and, in general, neither comprehending writ ing ^nor arithmetic : for where these two additional branches are taught, along with reading, at so low a F 42 rate as that mentioned, it may be presumed that, in most cases at least, all the three are taught in an infe rior style. — Now, in the first place, although we justly admire the noblemindedness, which induces a poor man to pinch himself in the necessaries, and deny him self the comforts of life, that he may be able to give his family useful instruction ; yet, in proportion as this praise-worthy spirit appears, do not we feel grieved, that the necessity which obliges, him to do, so should, to such a degree, exist ? — and is it not also extremely desirable, that a temptation should be removed out of the way of many, who, not possessing so large a por tion of the spirit referred to, neglect, or greatly stint, the education of their children, under the more than plausible pretext of inability to afford it ? — In the se cond place, is it not hard, that the poor labourer should be under the necessity, or even the temptation, to send his children to an inferior school, to be taught by a master comparatively ill qualified for his work, because he is unable to afford the higher wages of a superior teacher? Is it not an object of some consequence, both for the sake of the individuals concerned, and of society, that the education even of the poorest should, if possible, as far as it extends, be of the best kind ? It is not intended to pamper their minds, any more than their bodies, with the delicacies of luxurious re finement. But can any good reason be assigned; why, if the contrary is attainable, the teachers of the poor and labouring classes should be inferior in ability, in their particular departments, to the teachers of the su perior orders ? — Why should it be deemed sufficient, that the children of the lower ranks should be taught 43 to read, write, and cypher, however clumsily and im perfectly, if we can, with equal or greater ease, have them taught to read, write, and cypher, in the best pos sible way ? There are few situations in which a greater variety of peculiar qualities, both intellectual and moral, are necessary, or at least desirable, than in/that of a school master ; and when the situation is ably and conscien tiously filled, few to which, it should yield in respecta bility. The teacher of children ought not only to pos sess the requisite degree of proficiency in the branches of learning, in which he is to instruct them : he should be a man of undoubted religious and moral principle ; so that in his character he may exhibit a becoming exr ample before his pupils, and, by his selectipn of books, and otherwise, inspire their minds with an early regard to piety and virtue ; — he should be animated by a warm affection to the rising generation ; and that affec tion should be accompanied with such a spirit of acti vity and love of order, as will impart both energy and: method to all its operations :; — he should unite, in his, character, affable mildness with steady decision, mild ness without excess of pliability, and decision without obstinacy ;• such as, by at once commanding the respect, and engaging the affections of children, will ensure their cheerful and prompt obedience to authority, and inspire them with alacrity and pleasure in the, pursuit of knowledge. — In speaking thus, I " magnify the of fice" of a teacher ; considering it as one which,- in ge neral, does not, by any means, meet with that high de-: gree of respect and encouragement, to which it is en^ F 2 44 titled. Is it not Chen, melancholy, to reflect, with what slight pretensions, of any kind, men sometimes, imagine themselves qualified to undertake the tuition of chil dren ? Respectably as this profession is occupied by many, it will not, I presume, be denied, that, among those particularly who are employed as teachers by the lower orders of society, there are numbers, who, either in point of ability or of character, are very ill qualified for the situation. It sometimes, I believe, happens, that, when a man has tried a variety of oc cupations, and, through defect either of character or of ability, has failed in them all, having some trifling ac quaintance, derived from a common education, with reading, writing, and accounts, it occurs to himself, or is suggested to him by others, that some good might possibly be done, in a small way, in this line ; and he commences teacher, wherever he thinks he is likely (by the temptation, perhaps, of low wages) to get a few children put under his care ; — being still, it should seem, good enough for this, after he has proved him self good for nothing. — Who is not desirous, that chil dren should be delivered from such incapable hands ? We would not, from cfioice, put their bodies under the regimen of untutored quacks and empiricks ; for their own sakes, then, and for the benefit of society, let us, if we can, free their minds from the direction of ignorance and incapacity, and bring them under more skilful and enlightened management. 3dly. But there is still a third consideration, of no less importance than either ofthe preceding. — It is mat- ter of fact, that there is a large proportion of children, 45 belonging to the lower ranks of life, in the city and suburbs of Glasgow, (and the fact may reasonably be supposed the same, in similar situations,' elsewhere,) who. receive no education whatever. — In the formation of some Sabbath evening schools* in the city, about ten years ago, chiefly by the zeal and liberality of pri vate benevolence, such a number of children were found, ignorant of the letters, and without any pros pect of being taught, many of them considerably be yond the period at which children have usually learn ed, that it was found necessary, to open several week day schools, for teaching such to rea'.', as a preparation for their subsequent religious instruction on the Lord's day. Upwards of seven years ago, four such schools, two for boys, and two for girls, were accordingly open ed, on week-day evenings, from 7 to 10 o'clock, chil dren being then disengaged, in general, from their em ployments during the day. These schools still conti nue ; from 1 30 to 200 children receiving instruction in them, many of whom, on their admission, do not know a letter. The children receive books gratis, and are furnished with copies of the scriptures, when it is found that there are none in the families to which they belong. — I have been informed also, by a gentleman in this city, from his own personal knowledge, that, in two Sunday schools, established not long ago, one in Anderston, and the other in Bridgeton, out of three thousand children, who have been successively admitted into them, there have been one thousand at least, chief ly above eleven years of age, who, at the time of their admission, were unable to read, -and who have received, 46 in these schools, the first rudiments of their education. — Now, if there is even any thing like this proportion, in general, of uneducated children, among the lower or ders, (to whatever cause the melancholy fact is to be attributed) and if this proportion, instead of diminish ing, be upon the increase, it is devoutly to be wished, not only that no obstacles may be thrown in the way, but that every encouragement may be given^ to a pro ject, the obvious tendency of which, besides its other ad vantages, is to the timely correction of this alarming evil. While the general education of the children in a community is an object of incalculable importance, it is, at the same time, highly desirable, that this object should, as far as possible, be accomplished, without tempting any to the sacrifice of independence of mind. There are many men, who would be sincerely thank- . ful for a reduction in the price of provisions, whom, if their dearth were ever so great, no persuasion could induce to beg their bread. The case is similar with respect to education. It is desirable, that a charity school should be the resort only of real necessity : and that honourable independence of spirit should, by all means, be cherished ; the decay of it being a most omi nous symptom of general degradation of character. This independence, it is true, is carried to a criminal and pernicious excess, when, assuming the form of in consistent and misjudging pride, it tempts a parent, rather than be indebted to charity, to neglect the edu cation of his children altogether : but this only sug- 47 gests an additional argument in favour of a plan, which, by offering, not gratuitous, but cheap instruction, is calculated to remove such a temptation entirely out of the way. — It is on the principle of preserving and en couraging honest independence of mind, that from this plan the idea of charity has been intentionally, and even carefully, excluded. I shall conclude this Essay, with a few observa tions respecting another objection, which has sometimes been made, against the general adoption of Mr Lan caster's scheme of tuition ; an objection, in the princi ple of it, precisely similar to that which has invariably been opposed to the introduction of every new inven tion in machinery, by which increased facility and dis patch have been promised to human labour : — What is to become, it is asked, of that numerous and valua ble class of the community, the teachers of youth upon the old system, if that system is to be at once abolish ed, and a new one adopted, which will furnish em ployment for so small a proportion of their num ber? Were we to reason according to the best establish ed principles of political economy ; this kind of argu ment might be fairly left to its own weight. The grand question for our consideration ought undoubted ly to be — " Is this an improvement ? — Is it really ac companied with such advantages as have been describ ed ?" — If it be, we surely are not to forego the import ant and extensive benefits likely to accrue, from its 48 adoption ^ to the community at large, from an apprehen sion of partial and temporary evil, to a particular de scription of individuals.— Still, however, when any public improvement is adopted, it is pleasant to see its adoption accompanied with as small a portion as .possi ble of individual suffering ; and I cannot, on this ac count, treat the objection, by any means, with lightness, or scorn. For although one's mind is unshaken, with regard to the propriety of introducing the improvement, one cannot but feel concerned, that even a possibility should exist, of the temporal interests of any, and es pecially of men belonging to a profession eminent for respectability and usefulness, being, in any measure, injuriously affected by its introduction. The following considerations tend greatly to di minish, in my mind, the apprehension of such in- jury *. * As it is proper that objections should be viewed in their strongest light, the following observations proceed upon the supposition of the new plan of teaching coming immediately into general use.- — Of this, however, I readily admit, there is, at least in my own opinion, no great probability. Thepower of custom and prejudice with some, and, with others, a differ ence of judgment respecting the merits of the new plan of tui tion, (for it is not to be expected, on any subject, that all should immediately see and think alike,) will, at least for a time, and perhaps always, continue to attach many to the old Regime : — while in the minds of the weak and the proud, (for such, alas ! there are) among the higher circles, a measure of disdain will, in all probability, be felt towards the new system, from their associating with it the remembrance of its original invention and- 49 1st. Although, according to the new. method, one teacher may superintend a greater number of scholars, yet, in consequence of the cheapness, and other bene-. fits, of the new plan, the aggregate number of children, sent to school will, it may be expected, be considera bly increased : — although, it must be admitted, this will not probably take place in the same proportion, in which the requisite number of teachers may be di minished. — Yet it should be observed 2dly. It is a plan which is capable of being reduc ed to practice, in a great, variety of degrees of extent, according to the judgment, or the fancy, of parents and teachers : some approving and adopting it as a whole, while others like only particular parts. — What ever might be the principle, or object, which first sug gested the idea of the plan to its inventor, it is a great mistake to consider it as adapted solely for the poor and middle classes of society. The economy, indeed, of which it is susceptible, renders it highly valuable on design, as having had principally in view the cheap education of the poor. — These and similar causes may be expected to re tard, and, it is possible, may even prevent, the general introduc tion of the new plan of teaching, I hope none of the observations which follow, after what I have said, and said most sincerely, of the high estimation in which I hold their profession, will be felt by any ofthe respecta ble teachers of youth, as in the slightest degree offensive. I have sought, with anxiety, to avoid every expression that could, in any measure, have such a tendency. G 50 their account : but it possesses^ at. the same time, apart from every consideration of this kind, intrinsic advan tages, which should recommend it to universal adop tion. Yet, as, on various accounts, it is not desirable, that the children of high and . low, rich and . poor, should, in public schools, be brought into indiscrimi nate intercourse, it ought not to be overlooked, that the principles of the plan can be reduced to practice, on various scales of expense and gentility. A smaller number of children may be admitted ; proportionally higher wages may be paid to the teacher ; and a supe rior apparatus of books, and other necessary instru ments of learning, may be employed. — In this way, it will be in the option of parents, to have schools as se lect upon the new plan, as they are at present, or even more so; and on this principle, the number of teachers requisite, even on the supposition of its general adop tion, may be considerably greater than, at first view, we are ready to conceive ; for when we hear of schools of a thousand or twelve hundred boys, we are apt to imagine such numbers to be an indispensible particu lar of the new plan. ' 3dly. Of. those whose labours, in the department of education, may be rendered unnecessary, some ha^e been, in their earlier, years, trained to other branches of business ; and many possess qualifications, fitting them for other occupations in life, in which they might, without much difficulty, find advantageous and honour able employment : — not a few, I am persuaded, being by no means disinclined to exchange the profession of 51 a school-master for another, after having tried it, and found, it accompanied with a greater measure of teas ing and irksome labour, unsuited to their temper and turn of mind, than they had at all anticipated. 4thly. It is, likewise, not unworthy of considera-. tion, that, if the necessary number of teachers should be diminished, the situation of those who still find em ployment will be improved. It is a fact too, notorious to be denied, that, in consequence of the low rate of wages, paid by the children of the inferior orders, many of the teachers of such children are with diffi culty able to earn even a bare livelihood. This is. certainly much to be regretted, both on account of their personal comfort, and as being very unsuitable to the highly respectable nature of their profession. By the combination of half a dozen schools into one,, the wages might be reduced more than a half, and yet the teacher be much more comfortably provided for, and- enabled to maintain an appearance in society, cor-,. responding to the real respectability and importance of his employment. "5thly. With regard to those who are engaged in teaching, not properly as their- fixed profession, but as an intermediate occupation, while they are looking. forward to stated employment, in a profession of a still higher description — the students of divinity, and pro bationary preachers, for example, in the church of Scot land, many of whom are employed in this way, whose interests are very naturally, and very properly, in the G 2 52 view of some, who have urged the above-mentioned objection ; — with regard to these, what shall we say ? The best thing, perhaps, that can be said is, that there is a sufficiency of wisdom in the General Assembly, and of wealth in the Established Church of Scotland, to furnish a satisfactory answer to this branch of the objection : — and further, that if the partial inconveni ence and injury which may possibly be produced, shall be the means of exciting the ecclesiastical courts, to take into mature and serious consideration the situation of their probationary preachers ; — this " partial evil" may to them, in the end, turn out " universal good." Lastly. If there shall be found any, who are ve terans in the service, having grown grey in the honour able, but in general not very lucrative profession of a teacher of youth ; and whose situation may be affected by the introduction of the new system, when, by their time of life, and long confirmed habits, they are pre cluded, from betaking themselves to any other employ ment : — there is a sufficiency of money in the purses, and of generosity in the hearts, of the inhabitants of this city, and of this country, to supply to such the deficiency, or even to compensate their past labours, by enabling them to retire, and to enjoy, in the evening of their days, some comfortable measure of otium cum dignitate. Upon the whole — Whatever may be the extent in which the new system may meet with encouragement from those who pay, and can afford to pay, for the. 53 tuition of their children, it certainly merits, in behalf of those who cannot, the serious attention of every be nevolent mind ; — and especially of any to whom has been imparted, along with the ability, the generous in clination, to aspire to the sublime and lovely character, high in honour and in blessedness, of a " Father to the Poor." APPENDIX. IN the latest account, published by Mr Lancaster, of the " progress of his plan for the education of poor children, and the training of masters for country schools," it is stated, that " schools have been formed by him, (i. e. I presume, under his direction) in the following places : Swansea, Canterbury, Lynn, Liver pool, Hull, Clewer (near Windsor,) Birmingham, Sheffield, Bristol, Etruria, Oswestry, Rochester, Do ver, Lewes, Cambridge, Deptford, Woburn, Uxbridge, Manchester, Wakefield, Chester, Whittington :" — that " committees have been formed, in Portsmouth, Ply mouth, Southampton, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Dublin, Leicester, York, Maidstone, Exeter, Worcester, Edin burgh, Leeds, Derby, and a great number of other places :" — and that, " in the schools formed by him self and his young assistants, full 30,000 poor children are receiving daily instruction in various parts of the British Empire." — To this statement we should add, I imagine, a number of schools which have been form ed;, in different places, on the plan of Mr Lancaster, but in the formation of which he has had, himself, no immediate personal concern. The following particulars relative to the free school 55 in Circus-street, Liverpool, are extracted from a- letter to a gentleman of this city, dated, Liverpool, 1st March, 1810. — They are introduced here, not as presenting a model, according to which the proposed schoolsin this city and its vicinity ought to be conducted ; for the man agement of a free school must necessarily differ, in va rious particulars, from that of schools which do not ad mit the idea of charity : — but as a kind of specimen of the practical application of the plan ; and with a view to furnish useful hints, on which subsequent improve ments may be grafted, for the regulation of Lancasterian .-schools in general, and especially of free schools on this plan, for the education of the children of the poor. Some particulars are omitted, respecting the origin of the school, and the manner in which the funds, for its erection and maintenance, were at" first raised. * * * " The admission of sub scribers, and of children, of every religious persuasion, indiscriminately, and the requiring of the ' latter to at tend both the school, and our place of worship, regu larly every Sabbath, were the leading principles on which the establishment was founded, and on which it has ever since been, and continues to be, conducted. " The funds have always been managed by a com mittee of twelve gentlemen, a treasurer, and two in spectors. The latter have superintended, alternately, month for month, or conjointly, every thing relating to the interior arrangement and conduct of the school ; 56 and have examined the accounts, passing them to the treasurer for payment. (. " The children pay nothing ; except that, if they lose their Catechism, or Hymn-book, they replace it, and they find their own Copy-books. If, however, I could spare time, to attend to the establishment of another similar institution, in another part of our town, I am satisfied I could? were it desirable, make it support it self entirely, by the children paying at the rate of two pence per week, which the parents would most cheer fully consent to. — * * » * * " I omitted to mention, that an annual charity Ser mon, (at the time of which the children have given specimens of their attainments, and sung hymns select ed for the occasion,) has excited a lively interest in fa vour of the charity, and contributed much to its sup port. " No further qualifications than what I have men tioned, and the production of the register of birth, if necessary, are required. — The form of recommenda tion I enclose. [A.] " The age of admission is now limited to 8 for the day school, and 7 for the Sunday school.- — We have no limitation upwards ; for when the children have been in the school some time, or when they are older 57 orradmission, they soon render themselves valuable as monitors. " The leading principles, in the internal arrangement ofthe school, are ; 1st. That every boy and girl shall be invariably and actively employed. 2d. That, by classing the children, and dividing the classes again in to divisions of six each, under the care of a monitor to each division ; — of a deputy inspecting monitor, to sur perintend the arrangements and conduct of the moni tors ; — and of an inspecting monitor, to give the move ments to the whole, and to be the medium of commu nication from the master to the children ;¦ — the whole shall be regulated with the precision of a piece of me chanism; and an unlimited number, however great, be managed, and instructed, with the same facility, as a school of ten or twelve children. 3d. That, instead of each boy having a book in his hand, and conning or tearing it at his leisure, two books (in some cases one) shall supply the whole school, and last some years *.— I might have added, that the second principle may be carried still further : for, in our school, such has been the order introduced by the plan, that a short time since, Mr Baldwin f having obtained leave of ab sence for a week, the school was conducted, dur ing that time, with the same regularity as during his pre sence ; and several strangers having, at different times, called, to see the plan of the school, the boys, under * I have already observed, in the preceding Essay, page 23, that I entirely disapprove of this superseding of books, unless it be in the earliest steps of tuition. f The Teacher. H 58 the direction of the inspecting monitor, about 11 or 12 years of age, went through all the movements; and he detailed, with precision, every part of the sys tem. " Each monitor is responsible for the conduct of eve ry boy in his division. If any of them talk, play, or in any other respect infringe ou the rules, the monitor, in the first instance, for a trifling offence, admonishes him ; — for a repetition of the offence, enters him a forfeit on his (the monitor's) slate ; and for a third commission of the same offence, a double forfeit : — ¦ if the boy errs beyond this number of times, or com mits a fault of greater magnitude, he reports him, through the deputy inspecting monitor, to the desk. — The deputy inspecting monitor is responsible for the conduct of all the monitors ; — and the inspecting mo nitor, who is elevated on the platform, is responsible for the conduct of the whole. Thus, if any boy is talking, or playing, if the monitor of his division has not observed it, the master fines the boy a single for feit, and the monitor a double one : if the deputy in specting monitor has not observed it, he is fined a tri ple forfeit ; — and so on. " In reading, a copy of the reading lesson is placed by the monitor before every three boys, or two copies to each division ; and, the lesson being in the form of question and answer, the monitor, who places himself in the centre of the division, standing while the boys sit, sees that each boy looks on : he then asks the question, and the boys, in succession, read the answer. 59 If any boy is at a loss to go on, he loses his place. In this way, if the monitor is attentive, each boy. in his division must be so : if the monitor is inattentive, the division will rest quiet, and the deputy inspecting mo nitor will perceive it. — The same principle applies to spelling, arithmetic, and every branch of their instruc tion. — None except the monitors are ever allowed to touch the lessons. " All acts of merit and demerit are rewarded and punished by means of tickets, to which we affix the va lue of Id per 100. Thus, for instance, for every 12 questions ofthe catechism learned out of schopl, the boy receives 5 tickets ; for being advanced to a higher class, 25 tickets ; the monitor advancing him, 25 tickets : — for talking, &c. a forfeit is incurred, of 5 tickets, and so on. For greater offences, the boy is punished by being detained after the rest, by solitary confine ment, &c. at the discretion of the master ; but, since the enlargement of the school, we have in no instance had occasion to resort to corporal punishment, and we in general prefer encouragement to severity. " For the greater excitement of emulation, we have established a class of honour, formed of those chil dren, who have uniformly recommended themselves, by their attention to the discharge of every duty. No one can be admitted as a candidate, without the full approbation of the class, of the master, and of the in spectors. On his being proposed, the most minute enquiries are made, at each member of the class, re specting his conduct and character ; if he is unani- H2 60 mously approved, he is admitted as a candidate, and remains three months on trial ; the enquiries are then renewed, and, if he passes the ordeal successfully, he is admitted a member. The candidates and members are distinguished by their honorary badges ; their pun ishments are confined to a suspension from wearing the medal, or badge, for a limited time ; and for faults of the highest classes, suspension, or exclusion from the class. They are exclusively entrusted with every com mission of confidence, such as enquiries into the causes of the children's absence, and, collectively, enquiries into any misdemeanour of the other scholars, in or out of school. — On their admission into the class, they re ceive a card of admission £B], which they carry home, and which is always carefully preserved by their pa rents. — On leaving school, they receive a certificate of merit, [C] ; and if, at the expiration of ] 2 months^ they can bring the counter- certificate [DJ, signed, they are entitled to receive, at the next anniversary Sermon, a handsome Bible, and Hymn-book, inside of which is pasted the certificate ,[£"]. The members are required, whenever they leave a situation, to inform Mr Baldwin, and an entryis made in the register. An enquiry [F~], is then made at their late employers, as to the conduct of the members while in their employ, and the char acters are 'invariably registered. — In any event, a char acter is required annually, of every member ; when the member lives at-home, in the form of the enquiry [G]. " This plan comprises two leading objects : the assis tance given by the committee in the obtaining of , eligi- 61 ble situations for the members, so long aS their con duct entitles them to continue such ; and having a tie upon the conduct of the children, after they leave the school, which continues, not only till their characters become fixed, but through the remainder of their lives. — This plan being publicly known, we have a great many applications for members, as servants ; and are thus enabled, equally, to serve the friends of the insti tution, and the members of the olass. — The attachment to the school, existing amongst the members, has in variably increased, in proportion to the time they have been such. One member of the class expects to be married in about a week ; and her attachment will, most probably, continue, till her children shall have the same advantages from1 the schoolj that she has received from it herself. " The instruction of the boys is confined to reading, spelling, writing, and the leading rules of arithmetic : — the girls are taught the same, with the addition of plain needle-work, and knitting. — It may be properly called an elementary school, as our instruction is con fined to what is expressed above. " A sharp, intelligent boy, of 9 years of age, would, on our plan, in twelve months, acquire a complete knowledge of all the above, even if he could not tell a letter on his admission : — in two years, the dul lest boy would acquire the same. — Every branch of instruction is taught at the same time. ' " It is difficult to form any accurate estimate of the 62 expense of an establishment like ours ; as the slates, lessons, &c. form a stock for several years ; and the number of our children has been always varying, and our school been frequently enlarged ; which renders it in our case the more difficult. Our two school rooms will accommodate about 600 in the daily school, and about 800 on the Sabbath. — After rather a hasty cal culation, I should estimate the present annual expen diture of our establishment, exclusive of interest, or rent of building, teachers' salaries, and cost of desks, at £90 to .§£100. — Any increase, of number would be attended with but a trifling additibn to the expense. " On the Sabbath, the children read the scripture instructions, (of which I send you a miniature copy,) and spell as on other days ; whilst they read in their divi sions to the monitor, another monitor, or, if there be a sufficient number of them, a lady or gentleman, (Sun day teachers,) hears each boy or girl in the class, separ ately, what they have learned of their Catechism dur ing the week, explains it to them, and rewards them with tickets, according to their proficiency. — The chil dren assemble at 9 ; go to public service at half past 10 : — assemble again at half past 1 ; go to service at half past 2 : — and after service, are addressed on the duties of Religion, either immediately, or at a later hour, as the weather, and the time ofthe year, may ad mit. "Our reading lessons are printed on a large sheet, on a type about three times the size of the copy, that accompanies this ; and are pasted on a light frame, so 63 that, when the copy lies on the desk, three children may, without touching it, read with perfect ease. " Every movement in the school is made with pre cision, which very forcibly engages the attention of the children, and tends very much to fix jhem in habits of order and regularity ; and has a pleasing effect to strangers who visit the school. " I have thus endeavoured to reply to each of your enquiries, and have added every thing that occured to me as material for your purpose. — Should the plan meet your approbation, and be considered as deserving the support of your populous and opulent city, it will afford me great pleasure to enter more into the detail. — It has recently been adopted in several of the neigh bouring schools. — In the Isle of Man, a building has been lately erected on a large scale, for the purpose of introducing it. The master was under Mr Baldwin's tuition, for about six weeks, and we have to-day re ceived a very flattering account of their success ; which has so far exceeded the expectations of its friends, that, in addition to the school for 500 boys, it is in contem plation to open one, for 300 girls. — A Mr L, of Pe terhead, who some time ago visited our school, is, I believe, at present engaged, in applying our plan to the Sunday schools in that neighbourhood, and in introduc ing it into that part of Scotland. " Having, I fear, exhausted your patience, I must conclude with a renewed tender of my best servi ces." 64 The following additional particular is extracted from a subsequent letter of the same gentleman ; and, like a variety of those stated in the one preceding, ,is ob viously applicable only to a free or charity school : " An important part of the plan of our girls' school, which I omitted in my last/ is, that the girls are re quired, on pain of forfeiting 20 tickets, to bring, on the Wednesday afternoons, all their clothes that want repair ; and they are then mended in school, under the direction of two ladies, who attend, successively, for this purpose. This plan has had a very great ef fect, in forming the habits of the girls, as to neatness, order, and cleanliness." [A.] No. Liverpool, 18 I recommend aged years * of living in No. Street, as a Pupil in the Daily School, if on enquiry shall be found a proper Object for Admission ac cording to the Rules of the Institution. To the Inspector of Circus- 1 Street School. j Annual Subscriber. * Son, or Daughter. 65 CLASS OF HONOUR. This is to certify, that enjoyed the Peculiar Distinction of being elected a MEMBER ef the MOST NOBLE CLASS OF HONOUR. hy the unanimous voice ofthe Class, sanctioned by my Approbation, this day of 18 , in consequence of which he is entitled to all the Rights and Privileges of the Class, as the Reward of Industry and General Good Conduct. Entered No. Secretary. Circus-Street School. Master, [C] CIRCUS-STREET SCHOOL. — »#« — CERTIFICATE OF MERIT. — »•©« — This is to certify, That the Committee of Circus-Street School have approved the conduct of during the time she has been under their care, and they trust that she will persevere in her endeavours to establish that char acter, to which her uniform propriety of conduct has hitherto entitled her. By the direction of the Committee, Liverpool, 1 8 Entered 66 [D] This is to certify, that has been in my Employ for twelve months, and that during that time her conduct has met my approbation. [E] having, in consideration of her uniformly commendable behaviour, whilst in Circus- street School, been elected a member of the CLASS of HONOUR, and having produced a certificate from of her having conducted herself for more than year - whilst in employ, with uniform cre dit to herself and satisfaction to her employer, the Committee have adopted the resolution of presenting her with a Bible and Hymn Book, or other books of equal value, and they trust that this distinguishing mark oftheir approbation will encourage her to persevere in that line of conduct, which cannot fail to secure the esteem of all with whom she may be connected. By Order ofthe Committee, R. BALDWIN, Master. Circus-street School, Liverpool. 18 [FI Understanding, that who has been for some time past a member of CIRCUS-STREET SCHOOL CLASS OF HONOUR, is now in your employ, I take the liberty of requesting to be informed, how far his be haviour has met your approbation during the last twelve months, or during such part of that time as it may have been subject to your immediate inspection. — I shall feel myself obliged by your 61 rendering your reply as full and explicit as possible, arid par ticularly by your noticing whether yotl have discovered any de fect in his conduct, with respect to integrity, diligence, modesty of deportment, general attention to the interests of his employer , or any other qualification essential to the character of a faithful servant, and virtuous upright young man. Requesting the favour of a reply, on or before the I remain, with great respect, Your obedient Servant, Master. Circus-street School, Liverpool, 181 N B It may be necessary to remark, that should no reply to the above enquiries respecting be received, this circumstance will necessarily be construed to his disadvantage. [G] Understanding who has been for some time past a member of CIRCUS-STREET SCHOOL CLASS OF HONOUR, is retained at home in your own employ, I shall be glad to receive from you a faithful aeeount of conduct during the last twelve months, or during so much of it as may have been at home, particularly no ticing whether any defect has been observed in character, with respect to integrity, diligence, modesty of behaviour, ge neral attention to the interests and wishes of parents, or any other qualification essential to the character of a dutiful and virtuous upright young You will pie ase accompany I 2 68 your report with a reference to some person of respectability, who has had the opportunity of particularly noticing the conduct of your Should you feel any difficulty in Writing the reply to these inquiries, on your calling upon me at the School, I shall, with pleasure, render you any assistance in my power, but should no reply be received on or before the this circumstance will be necessarily construed to the disadvan tage of your character. Master. Circus-street School, 181 Whatever clear profits may arise from the sale qf this Pamphlet, will be applied to the establishment qf Lancasterian Schools, in the City and Suburbs of Glasgow. GLASGOW : Printed by R. Chapman, Trongate. 1810. The Doctrine of a Particular Providence : A SERMON, PREACHED IN On Lord's Day, August 23d, 1812; ON OCCASION OF The Death of the Author's Brother, Capt. JOHN WARDLAW, WHO FELL IN THE BATTLE OF SALAMANCA, On the 22d of the preceding Month. By RALPH WARDLAW, GLASGOW. " O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thy high places:— I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan. — 9 Sam. i. 25, 26. PUBLISHED BY REQUEST. THIRD EDITION. GLASGOW, Printed by James Hedderwick, FOR JOHN SMITH & SON, GLASGOW; WILLIAM WHTTE AKD CO. EDINBURGH; AND LONGMAN, HURST, KEES, OEMS, AND BROWN, LONDON. 1819. PREFACE. Such ofthe hearers ofthe following Discourse, as may peruse it in its printed form, will recognise in it all the sentiments which were uttered from the pulpit: and the Author trusts, that no apology will be considered necessary, for his having altered the language of delivery, which, in many parts, was almost entirely extemporaneous, or for his having interwoven such additional reflections, as occurred to his mind in the course of transcribing ; the Discourse having been hurriedly prepared, under considerable agitation of mind, on the day before it was preached. The additional matter he had at first thrown into notes, with a view to present the Sermon itself to the public, as nearly as possible in the form in which it was delivered; but upon reflecting, how apt such notes are to be overlooked, and how much they interrupt the course of reasoning and Illustration, he was led to alter his plan, arid to adopt that which he has followed. The Author is sufficiently aware, how much the interest of such discourses as this arises from the peculiar impressions under which they are heard at the time. There are two considerations, however, by which he has been induced to comply with the request to publish. — In the first place, he is pleased with the idea, that the public may receive the Discourse, whatever may be their judgment of its contents, as a small testimony of affectionate regard to the memory of a beloved and lamented brother; and, in the second place, there is a possibility of its falling into the hands of some, who either now are, or may soon be placed in similar cir cumstances of distress with himself and his afflicted relatives. From the number of individuals who are feelingly interested about this one life, he has been forming some estimate in his mind, of the vast accumulation of private affliction, which is the result, amongst countrymen, allies, and enemies, of a single engagement. While, as far as the natural regrets of wounded affection will allow him, he desires to participate in the public triumph, he recollects, that every " soldiers sepulchre" in that field of blood, has its circle of bereaved relatives and friends weeping around it. And if to any of these, the sentiments contained in the following Discourse, shall impart the same " strong consolation," in the hour of woe, which they have communicated to his own mind, he will consider himself richly rewarded indeed. . aabertfeemtnt to the Cfctrtf CtUttum. The following Sermon has been for several years out of print; and, in consequence of the demand for it during that time, the Third Edition is now offered to the public. It is not to be supposed, that any particular interest which might be excited at the time, by the occasion on which the Discourse was delivered, can now remain in the public mind ; when even the bitter anguish of surviving relatives has settled into a tender and mournful remembrance. The subject of it, however, is one of which the importance can never diminish; and there are thousands of distressing events occurring every day, to which the general principles discussed in it may be applied, for the purposes of support and comfort, and spirit ual profit, as well as to the fall of a friend in the field of battle. What event is there, indeed, which is not affected by " the doctrine of a particular providence?" THE DOCTRINE ^PARTICULAR PROVIDENCE. Matthew x. 29. " Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father." The doctrine of a Superintending Providence cannot consistently be questioned by any one, who is convinced that there is a God, and that the Universe owes its existence to his creative power. That this providence (to use the ordinary phraseology on the subject) is not general only, but particular, comprehending under its direction all events, of every kind, of every degree of importance, and in all their endless variety of circum stances: — is not only occasionally asserted, but every where assumed as a fixed principle, in the Holy Scrip tures. And this view of the matter perfectly accords with the dictates of enlightened reason. That this is the doctrine of the Bible, the text itself, if there were not another passage on the subject, affords sufficient proof. It contains the words of the faithful Witness; and no language can be more explicit, — more completely beyond the reach of the most subtle and ingenious sophistry. — But the current phraseology of the Bible is in exact harmony with this express de claration. " O Lord, thou preservest man and beast:" 6 " The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest thy hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing:" " O Lord, how manifold are thy works ! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches. So is this great and spacious sea, wherein are things creeping innumer able, both small and great beasts. These wait all upon thee, that thou mayest give them their meat in due season. That thou givest them they gather: thou openest thy hand, they are filled with good. ' Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled; thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust. Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created; and thou renewest the face of the earth. The glory of the Lord shall endure for ever: the Lord shall rejoice in his works*." The whole of the 107th Psalm might be quoted on this subject, as the meditation of a devout mind, contemplating the gracious care of Divine Provi dence over the sons of men, in various situations, and especially amidst trying occurrences; together with the obligations of gratitude thence arising to that God, " in whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind."— To multiply passages, however, were endless; and it must be very unnecessary to any, whose minds are at all familiar with the Sacred Volume. To the reader both of the historical and prophetical records of the Old Testament Scriptures, the doctrine of a particular providence, cannot fail to appear as strikingly pervading and characterising the whole. — This, indeed, is one of the great distinguishing pecu liarities of Scripture history; — the constant reference of all things to a superintending providence. Jehovah is - Fs. xxxvi. 6.: cxlv. 15, 16.: civ. 24—31. kept continually in our view, as " Governor among the nations*;" "ruling in the kingdoms of men, and giving then} to whomsoever he will f ;" " putting down one, and setting up another J;" determining victories and defeats, with all the circumstances, common or extraordinary, that lead to the one and to the -other; making men the instruments of accomplishing his will, while they " mean not so, neither do their hearts think so;" and main taining a supreme and unceasing control over all events, great and small, whether relative to nations, to families, or to individuals. The invariable maxim of these in spired writers, appears to be — '^All things ark of God||." Of this we are never allowed to lose sight. In the form of direct declaration, or of indirect allusion, it meets us at every step of our progress. They " set the Lord continually before us." The leading princi ples, according to which the procedure of Providence is conducted, are here developed; and the application of them is exhibited in a great variety of instances. The counsels of the Divine mind, the secret reasons of the Divine conduct, are laid open, frequently in cases where we could only have conjectured, and sometimes where conjecture itself would have been at a standi — It must be obvious, that, although it is the duty of every man to observe the ways of God, and to acknowledge, in all events, his wise and holy providence, yet no un inspired wyiter can, without presumption, fully imitate, in this respect, the style of the prophets and historians of the Bible. For " who hath known the mind of the Lord, or, being his counsellor, hath taught him§?" Although we have in the Scriptures a highly interesting specimen of the Divine administration, yet, even when * Ps. xxii. 28. •(• Dan. iv. 25, 52. \ Ps. Ixxv. 7. || 2 Cor. v. 18. § Isa. xl. 13. Rom. xi. 34. 8 we have satisfactorily ascertained the general principles' by which that administration is conducted, we must be liable, without the immediate guidance of God's Spirit, to incessant danger of mistake, in their application to particular events. The bearings and connections of these are so inconceivably complicated; there are so many " wheels within wheels *," whose relation to each other, mediate and immediate, we cannot, with any distinctness, perceive; that we are constrained to own, " Such knowledge is too wonderful for us; it is high, we cannot attain unto it f." Yet notwithstanding this, and although our application of general principles to particular cases, ought always to be made with reverence and caution, especially in what regards the immediate causes of evil,, both to nations and to individuals, re specting which we are in imminent danger of presump tion and of partial judgment: — still it is highly satisfying to the mind, to contemplate, in the Scripture history, a true specimen of the operation of these principles, in the Divine government of our world; and to be con vinced, that, whether we be able to trace them or not, they continue invariably to regulate the whole of the arrangements of providence. I entertain no doubt, that we want only an inspired history of the last twenty years |, to show us these same principles in uniform and uninterrupted exercise; to keep before our view a constantly presiding Deity, by whom every thing is adjusted, and directed to its 'end; " of whom, and through whom,- and to whom, are all things ||." How wonderfully different from an ordinary narrative, would * Ezek. i. 16.: i. 10. f Ps. cxxxix. 6. } It should be recollected, that nearly six years and a half have elapsed •ince this Sermon was preached. || Rom. xi. 36. 9 be an account of these times " given by inspiration of God*!" I observed that this doctrine, of a particular providence, is consistent with the dictates of enlightened reason. Whatever it was worthy of God's power to create, it cannot surely be unworthy of that power to preserve and to superintend. He has been pleased, by an exer tion of omnipotence, to people the universe with an immense profusion of life. Ought it to be considered as, in any respect, beneath his infinite Majesty, to attend, in every instance, to the life which he has given? Does it not, on the contrary, present before the mind, the most interesting and overwhelming view, not only ofthe omnipresence and omniscience, but of the unbounded * There is one of those general principles of the Divine administration, to which I have alluded, as characterising the Scripture history, which, to the mind of every true Christian, must be peculiarly interesting. I mean the connection which the whole series of events has, either more or less remotely, with the state and interests of the Church of God. Almost every thing that is recorded of other nations, bears some relation to Israel; and the interest of what is thus recorded, arises, in a great measure, from the manner and the degree, in which the condition of that people is affected by it. — And what Christian can doubt, that the Kingdom which the Ged of Heaven has set up, is still the special object of his care? The whole government of this lower world is conducted by the exalted Redeemer, God in our nature, in subserviency to the interests of this kingdom. In some cases we can clearly perceive the connection; in others we are unable to trace it; but in every one ofthe complicated events which now agitate and astonish the world, there is a connection, whether we see it or not, with the progress of the kingdom of Christ. We are not left, indeed, on this subject, to inference, however plain, from the Old Testament History. The book of the Revelation, which is a prophetical history, mysterious as some parts of it are, sets this principle at least, in the clearest light. The events that befal the kingdoms of this world, are all connected with the interests of Zion; all preparatory to their " becom ing the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ." What else than this, indeed, could we expect, in the administration of that God, whose most glorious character, in reference to this world, is that of " the God of SALVATION?" 10 goodness of the Parent of all, to conceive of him, as re garding the life and condition of every living creature which his power has framed? •« While in such a supposition there is nothing degrad ing, we should beware of associating with it, in the remotest degree, any idea of difficulty or trouble. Noth ing in the world is easier, than for a man who is so inclined to burlesque any truth, however solemn and important *. It is easy, for example, to represent the infinite God as carefully concerning himself about the life, condition, and death, of the meanest insect. Let any who may feel disposed thus foolishly to amuse them selves and others, by ludicrous exhibitions of a particular providence, recollect, that creation also may be bur lesqued, with the same ease, and with the same success. The " Maker Omnipotent" may be described, as busying himself about the leg of an ant, or the feelers of a fly. But no man, surely, whose mind is not lamenta bly destitute of religious principle, will venture to indulge himself, in associating any conceptions that even border on the ludicrous, with the " glorious and fearful namef" of the eternal God. * Perhaps the more solemn and momentous the subject, the easier is the wit; as, in this case, the effect of contrast with ideas and associations that are mean and frivolous, may be the more readily and forcibly pro duced. May not this be one reason of the proyerbial facility of wit and humour, when the Bible is the text-book, or sacred things in general the theme? I am aware, indeed, that there is another reason; a reason less creditable to the human heart : I mean the disposition which exists in the unsanctified mind, to relish such profane jesting. I believe it to be, in many instances, when the propensity to it is indulged, only a cover to a spirit that is ill at ease; a method (alas! how foolish!) of reducing the force of a painful impression, of banishing care, and of suspending, at least for the moment, a secret dread of God, and of judgment. — I leave every reader of this note to consult his own feelings. f Deut. xxviii. 58. 11 We are always in imminent danger of imagining the Almighty to be such an one as ourselves; — of forgetting that infinite power, infinite presence, and infinite know ledge, are not to be measured by the low standard of our conceptions. Because we (poor weak creatures!) can do, or can attend to, only one thing effectually at a time, we are apt to conceive, that such an endless mul tiplicity and variety of objects must distract and trouble the infinite Jehovah. But far from our minds be such thoughts as these! To infinite power it must be infi nitely easy, to bring into being whatever infinite wisdom may will to create; and to omnipresence and infinite knowledge, it must be equally easy, to superintend, with the minutest universality, all that infinite power has brought, or can bring into being. With regard to Mankind, the necessity of a particular providence will appear, whether we view God in the character of a Ruler, or in that of a Judge. Consider him, in the first place, as the Ruler of the World. Many who admit the general, deny, or at least ques tion, the particular providence of God. That events of signal importance in their nature and results, such, for instance, as affect the destinies of nations, are ap pointed of God, and directed by his immediate super intendence, they readily allow; but in the more minute and trivial incidents of ordinary life, they seem averse, whatever may be the reason, to admit any necessity for Divine interference '*. * " It is the practice, we believe, with the orthodox, both in the Scotch and English Churches, to insist very rarely, and very discreetly, upon the particular instances of the interference of Divine providence. They do not contend that the world is governed only by general laws; — that a Super- 12 But no sentiment can be more inconsistent with itself than this. The most superficial observer of human affairs must have remarked, to what a degree great and small events, public and private occurrences, are in volved in one another. They are, indeed, in an infinite diversity of ways, so linked together, as reciprocal causes and effects, that we cannot possibly conceive how the one can be regulated without the other. Events, in their own nature of vast magnitude, as well as pregnant with the most extensive and interesting results, frequently owe their origin to such circumstances as we jshould pronounce in themselves unworthy of notice. In such cases, it is obvious, the intended production of the greater events, necessarily includes the appointment and regulation of the smaller. The providence that purposes and brings about the one, must, for this very end, ordain and direct the other. In Scripture history, we are furnished with a variety of striking illustrations of this remark. Mordecai refused to bow to Haman. — From this in significant circumstance, of one man's withholding from another the customary expressions of homage, arose a decree for the massacre and extermination of a whole people, scattered throughout all the hundred and twenty- seven provinces of the Persian empire f . A short while after, king Ahasuerus loses a night's rest: — " On that night could not the King sleep." A mighty matter, truly, that a king, on a particular night, should chance to be intending Mind never interferes for particular purposes; but such pur poses are represented to be of a nature very awful and sublime, — when a guilty people are to be destroyed, — when an oppressed nation is to be lifted up, and some remarkable change introduced into the order and arrangement of the world. With this kind of theology, we can have no quarrel; we bow to its truth, &c." — Edin. Review, vol. xi. p. 342, 343. f Esther, chap. iii. 13 wakeful ! Yet this night's restlessness was the first link in a chain of important results. It gave rise to the downfall of the haughty courtier, to the elevation of Mordecai, and, although not to a reversal of the bloody decree, (for it was like the laws of the Medes and Per sians, which could not be altered,) yet to a permission to the devoted people to defend themselves, and to a consequent complete and happy change in the whole face of their affairs *. ¦ '•- Little did Jesse the Bethlehemite imagine, when he called David, his youngest son, from the sheep-fold, and sent him to the camp, with an inquiry after the welfare of his elder brothers, a supply of provisions, and a present to the captain oftheir thousand, that this errand was, by a singular concurrence of circumstances, to effect the deliverance of " the armies of the living God" from the infatuating dread of the Champion of Gath, to pro cure a signal victory over the host of the Philistines, and to prove an important step towards the elevation of this Shepherd-boy to the throne of Israel f. The dreams of Joseph present another remarkable illustration of the same truth. From these dreams, through their influence in fostering the envy and dislike of his brothers, arose the most important consequences, both to the land of Egypt, and to the posterity of Israel. — Joseph's personal exaltation — the effects, im mediate and permanent, arising from his administration during the seven years of famine — the subsequent descent of Jacob and his family into the land of Ham — their wonderful increase — their reduction to a state of servi tude — the mission of Moses — the display of God's power and righteous judgment in the plagues of Egypt— the * Esther, chap. vi. &c. t * Sam. chap. vii. 14. deliverance of his people with a high hand and an out stretched arm — the overthrow of Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea — the glory redounding to the name of Jehovah, both in Egypt itself, and, by report, in other countries — together with the impressions left, by their mutual intercourse, on the character both of the Egyp tians and of the Israelites, by which the whole of the future history of the latter was, in some degree, affectedi— all this, and much more, may be traced to the circumstance, simple and natural as it is, of a young man's dreaming of his own advancement *. Striking instances to the same purpose, might be selected from the history of every nation on earth, and from the life of almost every individual. During a long period, Heathen Rome had the ascend ency among the nations. — Few things can be conceived of less consequence than the quarter of the heavens in which a clap of thunder happens to be heard; the flight of birds to the right or to the left hand; the appearances and movements of the smoking vitals of slaughtered animals: — yet on these, and an endless variety of other omens, as they were termed, equally trifling, the fates of armies and of empires frequently depended. — And the observation may be applied not to the Roman Auguries * Although all may be ultimately traced to this circumstance; yet, as a further illustration of the same remark, it may be noticed, that, while this was not entirely the origo maii, the first thing that excited malicious jealousy in the breasts of his brethren, (for this jealousy appears to have previously arisen from their father's partiality to the son of his old age)— so neither would it, of itself, have led to the descent of Joseph into Egypt: for, had they put him to death, according to their first resolution, or had Reuben's purpose succeeded, in advising to cast him into the pit — in either case, this would have been prevented. But the circumstance of the Midianitish merchants passing by at the critical moment, in the absence of Reuben, suggested the counsel of Judah, and determined all that followed. 15 only, but to those of every Heathen nation, in ancient and in modern times. But an observation, of which the truth can hardly be questioned, it is unnecessary more largely to illustrate. Let us now view Jehovah in the character of a Judge. That he sustains this character, and will act according to it, with perfect righteousness, and unerring discern ment, I must be allowed, for the present, to take for granted. But to fit him for discriminative judgment, it is manifest that all the affairs of mankind must be under his constant notice and superintendence. — Characters can not be judged, apart from the circumstances by which they have been formed and modified: and these are beyond con ception diversified and minute. — " God," we are assured, "will bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil *." This comprehends the thoughts, and words, and actions, of every individual of the human race. Now these also, it is obvious, must be judged in connection with all their attendant circumstances. If circumstances are left out of account, no enlightened sentence can be pronounced. They are weights which are indispensably necessary, for ascertaining, in the balance of justice, the exact propor tions of good and of evil, in whatever is the subject of trial. Let us take an instance, such as, in present circum stances, most readily suggests itself to the speaker's mind. — If God is to be judge of our behaviour under trials; of the temper of mind with which we bear, and of the manner and degree in which we improve them; he must certainly be acquainted, and that most intimately, with all the circumstances that enter into, or accompany * Eccles. xii. 14. 16 them;, their nature and their degree alike depending upon these. Nothing relating to them must take place by chance, but all under his unceasing superintendence. — It is one of the designs of God, by the dispensations of his providence, to prove the characters of men, and to make them manifest in their secret principles, that he himself may appear just in the judgment which he executes. To this end the minutest knowledge and direction are essentially necessary; because the developement of human character very often depends on the smallest and most trivial occurrences. The scene of human life, indeed, as has often been remarked, is, in general, made up of little things. The characters of by far the larger proportion of mankind, are both formed and exhibited amidst comparative trifles. And no being can be qualified to occupy the throne, as universal Judge, who has not been a constant spectator of every individual, marking the slightest variations, and the most unimportant incidents of his daily life. It is perfectly true, and these remarks are not at all inconsistent with the admission, that there is a danger of introducing the idea of Divine interposition, with an excess of frequency and familiarity, in ordinary conver sation, and ' on insignificant occasions. That which, contemplated in the whole, presents a most impressive and sublime view of the Divine Being, may be divested of its dignity, and rendered mean and ludicrous, by being broken down into too minute detail, and by being often brought before the mind in low and ' degrading connections. The too familiar mention of the providence of God, has very much of the same tendency, as the irreverent use of his thrice-holy Name. Every thing that relates to God should, in the minds of his creatures, be surrounded with a glory, and should partake of the 17 " reverence and godly fear" which are due to his name and character. There is one description of events, by which very little interest is excited in the minds ofthe bulk of mankind, but which are, in the sight of God, of eminent importance; and which, if the Scriptures be true, we must believe to be under the special notice and direction of his omniscient providence: — I mean those events which relate to the Kingdom of Christ, and particularly to the increase of the number of his spiritual subjects. The Saviour him self assures us, that there is "joy in Heaven over one sinner that repenteth * : " — over one sinner that repenteth ! Each particular instance, then, of conversion to God, is an object of Divine observation. The condition of the convert may be mean and obscure; and what relates to him may be unnoticed and unknown by the great majority of his fellow-men around him. Yet the spiritual state of such an obscure individual, when he turns 'f from ¦ darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto Godf," excites a Divine interest, and is the cause of joy in heaven. Now, if the event itself, however trifling in the eyes of men, is of such magnitude in the estima tion of God, all its previous and attendant circum stances, — all that leads to it, — all that contributes, di rectly or indirectly, to its production, must be considered as under his immediate control. Yet these circumstances are often extremely minute; and they vary, besides, in almost every instance. Whatever incident awakens, in the breast of a careless sinner, any portion of spiritual concern; whatever tends to fix and deepen that concern, and to prompt him to inquiry; whatever first suggests to him the thought of looking into his Bible, and of bowing his knee to God; whatever conducts him to the * Luke xv. 7, 10. f Acts xxvi. 18. C 18 book, to the company, or to the sermon, that is the means of making him acquainted with the truth as it is in Jesus — (and who can imagine how slight, and how diversified such circumstances may be!) — all must, in every case, be ordered by that God of all grace, who purposes the salvation of the sinner. There is one general difficulty which has often been started, as attending the doctrine of a particular provi dence, in reference to the affairs of mankind; namely, the control which this doctrine supposes the Deity to exercise over the volitions of free agents. — To say that there is no difficulty here, would be foolish and pre sumptuous; and, at the same time, a full consideration of the argument connected with it, would lead into such discussion, as is hardly consistent with the simplicity be coming the Pulpit. But, though hostile, in general, to the introduction here of any thing that wears the aspect of abstruse metaphysics, I cannot, with propriety, pass over the difficulty in question, without one or two remarks. There are some truths, which, in spite of the ridicule of the sceptic, we ought, in all our reasonings on such subjects, to take for granted, and to consider as fixed principles. — The two following propositions, however much we may be at a loss to reconcile them, must both be true. Each of them, when taken apart from the other, carries within itself its own evidence, to every serious and rightly constituted mind. In the first place, Men must be free; that is, without restraint on the one hand, or compulsion on the other: — for this kind of liberty is essentially necessary to the very idea of their being accountable creatures. And if human accountability is once set aside, our reasonings respecting the existence, and perfections, and providence of God, 19 are deprived, with regard to us, of all their interest. They lose their most important application. In the second place, The Divine Being must have some kind qf control over the will qf these free agents: otherwise it will follow, that the volitions of finite creatures may counteract, and frustrate, the purposes of infinite wisdom, and the operations of almighty power: — than which, no supposition can be conceived more self-evidently impious. These things, therefore, must be so, whether we are able to show their consistency or not. Let us never forget, in our speculations on such subjects, that we are finite creatures, and that God is an infinite Being. To such creatures it surely ought not to be very surprising, if, in the ways, as well as in the nature of such a Being, they find many things that puzzle their limited capacities. That we cannot discover a reconciling principle between the two propositions which have just been stated, can never be a sufficient reason for questioning the truth either of the one or of the other. To a certain extent, however, we are by no means incapable of conceiving, how the volitions of free agents may, in perfect consistency with every just notion of their liberty, be directed and over-ruled by Him " whose coun sel stands, and who doeth all his pleasure*." Supposing the will of man to be uniformly subject to the influence of motives, (and the notion of a self-determining power of the will, abstracted from all such influence, is demonstrably contradictory to reason and to fact) — we can readily imagine how God can direct its determina tions, by placing individuals, in the administration of his providence, in such circumstances and situations as, he previously knows, shall determine their volitions to a certain point. — There can hardly be any hesitation in * Isa. xlvi. 10. 20 admitting this as a general principle; nor can there be any great difficulty in understanding the consistency be tween such superintendence and the freedom of human agency. And if the general principle be admitted, the endless variety, and unceasing constancy, of its applica tion, can form no solid objection, when our reasonings respect an infinite Being. We can even extend this idea beyond the mere. disposal of external circumstances. We can conceive of God as causing to occur to the minds of men, directly or in directly, in an infinite multiplicity of secret ways, such conceptions and views of things, as shall, in every case, fix and modify their volitions, and their consequent con duct. By such a supposition, the will is no more deprived of its freedom, than when a man is determined, in the choice of his procedure, by the counsel of a friend, or by the directions and arguments of a book, either intentionally put into his hand, or accidentally falling in his way. The Divine Being must be intimately acquainted with the constitution of every mind: — he must possess an infallible previous knowledge of the effects, which the occurrence of particular circumstances, or the suggestion of particular views, will produce on the will of every individual. It is the sovereign and universal command of whatever can contribute to affect the volitions of his intelligent creatures, — a command exercised in such a way, as not, in the slightest degree, to impair the conscious liberty of the agent, — that alone enables him to conduct the government of a world like ours, so as uniformly to accomplish his own designs, without destroy ing human accountability. The multitude of mankind is so great; — the variety of character amongst them so endless; — their connections and interests so prodigiously diversified ;— their desires 21 and volitions so incessantly crossing and interfering with one another; — that, to our minds, such a universal control is utterly inconceivable; and we are therefore in danger of questioning its possibility* But when, in such a case, we feel our powers of comprehension baffled, instead of inspiring doubts of the Divine supremacy, the feeling should only remind us of our own weakness, and cherish a becoming humility. The existence of such a control is necessary to the regulation of the greatest events, as well as of the least. To deny it, is at once to involve our selves, with regard to the concerns of the whole rational creation, in the dreary darkness of Epicurean atheism. That men are by nature depraved: — that, while unrenewed by Divine grace, their will is under the do minion of lusts and passions, which determine it to evil, and not to good: — and that the circumstances, in which wicked men are placed, do often give occasion to the perpetration of the most flagrant enormities: — are melan choly truths. — That " the righteous God, who loveth righteousness *," approves these enormities, or the principles from which they spring, it were the height of impiety, for a single moment, under any qualification, to suppose. Yet it would hardly be less impious, to question whether these circumstances, in which wicked men seek and find occasion to indulge their malignant and unhallowed passions, are under the direction of his overruling providence. From the denial of this, conse quences would follow, from which every serious mind will shrink, with instinctive abhorrence. — Whenever a creature becomes depraved, he, on this supposition, places himself beyond the reach of Divine government; — his proud and impious wish for independence is gratified;— 'dependence ceases at the very moment when * Ps. xi. 7. control becomes most necessary; — the creature, in effect, becomes the Creator's superior^ the purposes of the latter are subjected to the will of the former; they are stripped of all that certainty which constitutes their peculiar glory; and are exposed to that incessant risk of failure, and even of reversal, which has rendered proverbial the " vanity of human wishes." — These con sequences are fearful; but they are legitimate. I con clude, therefore, that what the inspired Psalmist says of the wrath of man, must be applicable, in the full spirit of it, to all the wicked lusts and passions of the human heart: " Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee; and the remainder of wrath thou wilt restrain *." Even to the wildest tempest of conflicting passions He must be able to say, with unfailing authority — " Hither to shalt thou come, and no further." — When men in dulge their vicious inclinations, they contract guilt, and expose themselves to punishment. The inclinations themselves, and the actions to which they give rise, lose nothing of their evil nature, from the circumstance,- that God does not allow them to frustrate his own purposes, but makes them subservient to their accomplishment. To subserve the designs of Providence, forms no part of wicked men's intentions; neither are they conscious of any restraining or impelling influence, abridging their liberty of action. The king of Assyria gratified, by his - conquests, the pride of his ambitious and haughty mind: " God was not in all his thoughts." Yet, while " he meant not so, neither did his heart think so," he was only the " rod of Jehovah's anger," executing a charge against "the people of his wrath:" and when his work was done, he was himself to receive the punishment of his proud impiety, and overbearing insolence f. The ¦ * Ps. lxxvi. 10. f See Isa. x. 5—19. 23 murderers of the Lord of glory effected, by his cruci fixion, a Divine purpose; for he was delivered to death, " by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God." But their deed — of nameless deeds the chief — was not, on this account, the less criminal. — "By wicked hands he was crucified and slain *." When they shouted, " His blood be on us, and on our children!" they gave utter ance to passions of the deepest malignity; and on all of them who had not recourse to that very blood for pardon, the wrath of God came to the uttermost. — The superintendence of the Almighty is silent and secret; his voice unheard — his arm unseen. He infuses no evil principles; and while he controls the operations of such as already exist, it is in a way (let us be firmly assured, whatever difficulties the subject may present,) which nei ther palliates the guilt of his creatures, nor implies, on his part, — (I shudder at the very thought !) any approba tion of human folly, any participation in human crime. Some have thought, that the necessity of a particular providence may be superseded, by supposing a perfect original arrangement of the universal system, in all its complicated variety; and such an adjustment of all its parts, in their mutual relation, as causes and effects, that, after a primary impulse, to give a commencing motion, the whole might be left to itself, without any subsequent intervention of Divine power. — To every reflecting mind, however, this theory, which is borrowed from the science of mechanics, must appear in its nature quite too me chanical for such a subject. We can, indeed, without much feeling of incongruity, apply the idea of such a machine to the mere movements of the material universe. But to the incessant variations even of natural appear- » Acts ii. 22, 23. 24 ances, and much more to the actions of living beings, to the numberless, shifting, and capricious volitions of free agents, mutually independent, and of characters inconceivably diversified, the notion of a machine, with wheels and pinions, set a-going by a primary impulse, and then left to itself, seems utterly incapable of any consistent application. — That the infinitely wise God did form an original arrangement, embracing the whole extent of time, with all its history, even to the minutest circumstance, is readily admitted. To suppose the con trary, is to degrade him beneath his creatures, making him act without a plan. But this is perfectly consistent with the idea of his incessantly superintending the exe cution of this plan, and conducting it, in all its parts, to its final completion. The idea, indeed, of a present Deity, pervading the universe, sustaining the whole system by an unintermitting energy, guiding the movements of every part, according to regular, although not inviolable laws; and exercising a constant, although secret and imperceptible control, over the circumstances and actions of all creatures in which is the breath of life, rational and irrational;— seems, on the whole, to be by far more consonant than any other, to the dictates of sound philosophy, as well as to the general tenor, and express declarations, of the Holy Scriptures.— We sometimes hear men speak of the laws of nature, as if these laws were, in some mysterious sense, powers, and powers operating of themselves. It is obvious, however, that a law, properly speaking, is not a power, but only a rule according to which any power operates. In talking of nature, and the laws of nature, men are in danger of forgetting the God of nature. These laws depend upon his will. They are the rules, or methods, according to which his power is 25 exerted. That power is " ever present, ever felt," and is the real efficient cause, throughout the universe, of all existence, and motion, and life, and activity. — It seems to be capable of demonstration, that every creature must depend, in every successive moment, for its existence and its activity, upon successive volitions of that God from whom it originally derived its beings If we can suppose a creature to exist, and to act, independently of the immediate exercise Qf the Divine will, for one moment, we can extend the supposition to a second moment, and to a third; and we are thus led by it into the contradictory absurdity, of a self-existent and independent creature; of a creature possessing the incommunicable attributes of its Creator. As every creature must, from its very nature, be dependent, that dependence cannot, without a contra diction, be supposed to suffer interruption, even for an instant of time. Every throb of every pulse that beats, every motion, and every action, of every created being, must depend on an immediate volition of Deity. The words of the text, you will observe, were origi nally used by our Lord, when presenting encouragement to the minds of his Apostles, in the prospect of that difficult and perilous work in which they were about to be engaged. — " Fear not them who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him, who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear^ye not, therefore, ye are of more value than many spar rows.* " Did these words imply, that they were never to suffer? or, if they did suffer, that they should, at least, be so protected by Divine providence, as never to * Verses 28 — 31. D 26 die in the cause of their master? Subsequent facts show, that no such assurance was intended. They were as sured only, or rather strongly reminded, that men " could have no power at all, except it were given them from above.* And this was enough. The conviction of it affords " strong consolation" to every serious mind. To render this truth a ground of firm support and tranquil confidence, in every situation, we have only to generalize it, applying it not to men only, as instruments of evil in God's hand, but to every thing in existence, known or unknown to us, that possesses any conceiv able power of doing us harm. The Divine purpose, we ought to remember, (for if we forget this, many things will be excluded from the consolation just alluded to,) comprehends, not only particular events themselves, but likewise all their rela~ tive bearings, however diversified. It has been made an objection to the doctrine of a particular providence, that the same incident is frequently the occasion of good to one, and of evil to another: — that the same wind, as it has been expressed, which brings one vessel safe into port, drives another out to sea. — But what then? Is it at all inconceivable, that both these oppo site effects should be at once in the Divine intention? — that the infinitely wise God should accomplish two or more purposes by one instrument? Can any good reason be assigned, why every individual, when he per ceives the effect which any occurrence produces to him self, should not consider that effect (whatever may have been the consequences to others) as having been, with regard to himself, in the design of the omniscient Being, by whom the occurrence itself was ordered? It is only, indeed, on such a principle as this, that we can rightly improve, each of us for himself, the various dispensations * John xix. 11. 27 of God's hand; — amongst which, we can scarcely con ceive an instance, in which the result, to all who are affected by it, can be, in every respect, precisely the same. " Even the hairs of your head," said Jesus to his dis ciples (and it is to such characters that the words are still particularly addressed) — " Even the hairs of your head are all numbered." This expression is very strong, and must bear a very extensive application. If, for instance, the very hairs of our head are numbered, surely our relatives and friends are numbered; and numbered, not solely on their own account, but as re lated to us. If " a sparrow falls not on the ground without our Father in heaven," surely the fall of one of these cannot escape his notice, — cannot happen without his permission. What! shall we believe, as the text warrants us to believe, that the shot which is discharged at a fowl of the air, is secretly directed, whether it shall only wing the bird, or bring it dead to the ground, or allow it still to soar in life and liberty: — and yet for a moment entertain a doubt, whether the same direction guides those instruments of death, that fly in the midst of the battle, and on which depend the lives of rational and immortal beings? — Away with the inconsistent and comfortless thought ! — Speak not of the fate qf war, of the chance qf battle. It is the language of heathenism — it is the language of atheism. The sword of Gideon is the sword of the Lord. " A certain man drew a bow at a venture." — At a venture! Ah! but that arrow, while it sung through the air, had its commission. It was winged with death to the King of Israel; and, with unerring speed, it found its way to the only exposed part of his person, and " pierced him between the joints ofthe harness.*" — All — all is ordered: — ,; All chance, direction which we cannot see." * 1 Kings xxii. 34. 28 As certainly as the disease is sent by providence, which brings a friend to death, either suddenly or by wasting decay, in the midst of his kindred at home, so certainly is the ball that pierces the heart of a son, or a brother, and lays him low in the land of strangers, guided to its fatal destination, amidst the din, and smoke, and con fusion of the battle, by the eye of the omniscient God. — Take away the firm conviction of this blessed truth, and you take away the most soothing balsam of a bleeding heart. — Shake the conviction of this truth, and you unfix the " anchor of the soul," and leave the poor frail vessel the sport of contending elements ! O how sweet, how passing sweet, the repose which the heart enjoys, when it is enabled to " rest in the Lord! * " Some may be disposed to think, that tracing all our trials to the providence of God must have a tendency to alienate our affections from him: — and all who know " the plague of their own hearts," will be ready to allow, that their natural pride is in danger of taking offence, and of tempting them to say, in their hearts at least, if not with their lips — " I do well to be angry.f" This, however, is not a temper of mind, to which a child of God can give indulgence. It springs from a faithless and partial view of the perfections of his character, and of his relation, as a Father, to his chosen people. A full and believing view of these perfections, and of this relation, as revealed in Christ Jesus, never fails to impart to the soul, a delightful satisfaction, and a peace, which indeed " passeth all understanding.^" " One of them shall not fall on the ground, without your Father." — The providence of which I have been speaking, is the providence of our Father — of our Father, not in virtue of creation only; (for although in this sense "all are his offspring," yet alas! there are multitudes, * Ps. xxxvii. 7. f Jonah iv. 9. t Phil. iv. 7. 29 who, continuing " children of disobedience," are the objects of his holy displeasure;) but in virtue of our in terest, by faith, in the Lord Jesus, in whom God is well pleased, and who said to his disciples, before he left the world, " I ascend to my Father and your Father, to my God, and your God.* " — " Ye are all the children of God," says Paul, " by faith, in Christ Jesus.f Let us briefly notice, for our consolation and support, under the pressure, or in the prospect, of trouble, some of those views which the Scriptures present to us, of the character of that Divine Father, who is the author of all our trials. He is Sovereign. — " He doeth according to his will, in the armies of heaven, and amongst the inhabitants of the earth; J" possessing a right, which must not be ques tioned, to dispose of us and ours, as well as of all his creatures, as may seem good in his sight. And to his sovereign appointments it surely becomes us, under a deep sense of our infinite inferiority, our unceasing dependence, and our total unworthiness, humbly and silently to bow. — But, that our contemplation of his sovereignty may produce in us this lowly and submissive temper of mind, it is necessary that our ideas of it be correct. We must beware of confounding it with what, in man, is denominated caprice; which acts according to momentary impulse, without a reason, and without a steady purpose. The thought of such sovereignty could yield no comfort, could inspire no resignation. But the sovereignty we ascribe to God, is not of this nature; not the inconsistent and ever-fluctuating conduct of an arbitrary tyrant, but the enlightened and steady procedure of an infinitely wise and gracious Governor. His sovereignty is directed in all its operations by — Infinite Wisdom — wisdom which cannot err. — We * John xx. 17. f Gal> "'• 26< i Dan- iv> 33, so may be assured, with absolute certainty, that there exists in the mind of God, a reason for every part of his con duct. The reason is frequently a secret, known only to himself: and when we resolve into the sovereignty of God, events for which we feel ourselves unable to ac count, we use a term which is simply expressive of our own ignorance. But, although the reason be concealed, the certainty of its existence, as a reason that has satis fied the infinitely Wise, ought surely to produce in our minds the confidence that all is well. O let us never be so proudly presumptuous, as to set up our own wisdom, as a standard by which to measure the wisdom of God ! In every thing we are short-sighted, and liable to innu merable mistakes; and in matters that regard ourselves, we are, moreover, self-interested and partial. If every thing, in the Divine administration, were as clear to us as it is to Him who " knoweth the end from the begin ning," where would be the room for the exercise of trust? As there could be no patience without trouble, no resignation without sensibility, so there can be little room for confidence in God, without some measure of felt darkness. It is to the procedure of Divine provi dence that the prophet especially refers, when he thus exhorts the people of God : " Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness and hath no light? let him trust in the Name of the Lord, and stay himself upon his God.* " — There are, it is true, peculiar occasions of trial, in which affection pleads so powerfully against faith; — in which the heart is so eloquent against the judgment; the feelings of Nature against the dictates of Grace; — that compliance with this admonition becomes a duty of no common difficulty. When an affectionate father has interceded, with a melting heart, for the life * Isa. f. 10. 31 of his son; how shall we convince him, when his son is taken away, that he has pleaded for an injury to himself? When a fond wife feels the dreary blank of an absent husband — absent, to return no more — and gazes, with a full eye, and a burdened heart, upon her fatherless children; O! how can she ever bring herself to think, that his continued presence could possibly have done her harm? — On the death of a faithful friend; — on the fall of a beloved brother; — the imagination of his prolonged life still haunts us when he is gone; and how can we ever associate with the sadly pleasing delusion, any ideas but those of good? — Yet even in such circum stances, humble submission, and unshaken confidence in the unerring wisdom of God, are our incumbent duty: for indeed there are no circumstances in which we are more in danger of being deceived. It is impos sible for us, short-sighted creatures as we are, to tell, with regard to any of the Divine dispensations, what consequences would have followed, had they been, in any respect, otherwise than they are. This ignorance ought surely to keep us humble, and to lead us, under the most deeply afflictive bereavements, to say, with the Psalmist, " I was dumb, I opened not my mouth; be cause thou didst it.*" The confidence which we repose in the infinite wisdom of Him, without whom a sparrow faileth not to the ground, ought to be extended also to his — Inviolable Faithfulness. — Faithfulness refers to an engagement: — the faithfulness of God, to all his " exceeding great and precious promises.!" These respect both " the life that now is, and that which is to come4" All that we can possibly need to make us happy, — security from every real evil, and the possession of every necessary good, may be considered as included * Ps. xxxix. 9. f 2 Pet. i. 4. i 1 Tim. iv. 8. 32 in the Divine declaration, "I will never leave thee; will never, never forsake thee.* " He who thus engages to be with his people in every situation — pledging every perfection of his nature to do them good — " is not a man that he should lie, nor the son of man that he should repent. Hath he said, and will he not do? hath he spoken, and will he not make it good?f " We may be sure we are in the wrong, when, at any time, we are tempted to doubt the veracity of the God of truth. He has not engaged that every thing shall be according to our wishes: for our wishes are often formed in ignorance and in haste, and, if gratified, would do us essential harm. But he has assured us, that " all things," — without a single exception of aught that is done by him — ".work together for good "—for real present and eternal advantage — ;"to those who love. God, to those who are the called according to his purpose.^" Even our severest trials are fulfilments of his engagement, to act towards us the part of a Father; not leaving us " wholly un punished :" " for what son is he, whom the Father "chasteneth not?||" So that, under all of themj we have reason to say with the Psalmist, " I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are right, and that in faithfulness thou hast afflicted me.§" — In proportion to the preciousness of the Divine promises, is the comfort arising from the assu rance that they are all " yea and amen, in Christ Jesus.^f " In inseparable union with the wisdom and faithful ness of our Father who is in heaven, let us view, in the exercise of faith, his — Immutable Love, as dictating, and characterising, all the dispensations of his adorable providence. — His general goodness is manifest in all the works of his hands: but he " commends his love toward us, in that, while we * Heb. xiii. 5. f Num. xxiii. 19. \ Rom. viii. 28. || Heb. xii. 7. § Ps. cxix. 75. U 2 Cor. i. 20. 33 were yet sinners, Christ died for us.* " This is God's " unspeakable gift" and surely the love that has bestowed it, will never do its objects harm. How irresistibly con clusive the apostolic inference — " He who spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not, with him, also freely give us all things! f" The love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord, is " without variableness, or shadow of turning." " Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate f " from it, those who are its happy objects. " In joy and sorrow, life and death, " His love is still the same." In the midst of our heaviest trials, then, let us never " forget the exhortation that speaketh unto us, as unto children: My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, neither be thou weary of his correction; for whom the Lord loveth he correcteth, even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.|| " Thus doth the blessed God, in infinite condescension, make his appeal, when assuring us of his love, to the tenderest feelings of our nature. How does the heart of an affectionate father melt over the sufferings of a beloved child! How does it shrink, with hesitating reluctance, from the infliction even of salutary pain ! Let those who know by experience, (and none can know otherwise,) what this feeling is, remember the Divine declaration; "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him:§" and, whether they are trembling between hope and fear beside the sick-bed of their son, or weeping over his near or his distant grave, let their hearts be filled with comfort. * Rom. v. 8. f Rom. viii, 32. f Rom. viii. 38, 59. || Prov. iii. 11,12. Heb. xii. 5—11. § Ps. ciii. 1 3. E 34 Still further: " Trust ye in the Lord for ever; for in the Lord Jehovah is — Everlasting Strength. * " — View his almighty power, in connection with his faithfulness and love. The might of Him who created the heavens and the earth is engaged to fulfil his promises, and to execute all the purposes of his grace and mercy. The thought of this may well banish despondency from our hearts, and fill them with " perfect peace." " If God be for us, who can he against us?f " " Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number; he calleth them all by names, by the greatness of his might; for that he is strong in power, not one faileth. Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the Lord; and my judg ment is passed over from my God? Hast thou not known, hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fajnteth not, neither is weary? There is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint, and to. them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall : but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. %" Such is the character of that Divine Father, whose universal providence is so emphatically affirmed in the text. It is his providence connected with his character, that imparts confidence and comfort to the minds of his children, amidst all the changes of life. — Providence, unconnected with character, could give the mind no satis faction. But when we contemplate the sovereignty, the wisdom, the fait) fulness, the love, and the power of God, * Isa. xxvi. 4. f Rom. viii. 31. { Isa. xl. 26 — 31. 35 the providence of such a Being, considered as ordering every event, yields the most rational and solid delight. On the reality of such a providence, are founded the propriety and the duty of prayer and of thanksgiving; the reasonableness of both being as effectually set aside, by the denial of the providence of God, as by the denial of his existence. If he does not exist, prayer and thanks giving have no object: and if he exercises no immediate superintendence over the affairs of his creatures, our praises and our prayers are the vain offerings of ignorance and folly. , Why should we petition for any blessing, — for preservation from danger, or deliverance out of it; for the bestowment of desired good, or the prevention of dreaded evil; — unless we are satisfied, that the Being whom we address listens to our supplications, and takes an interest in our concerns? And to whom shall our songs of gratitude ascend, for blessings enjoyed, if we cannot tell, in every instance, whence these blessings come? — whether from the kindness of an omniscient Being, watching over us every moment, and appointing all the circumstances of our lot; or from the mere for tuitous intervention of second causes, operating without his knowledge, and without his direction? If we do not admit," as a universal truth, that " all things are of God," who shall draw the line amongst the blessings we enjoy, and direct us when to be grateful to Him, as our boun tiful benefactor, and when to withhold our praise? How much more becoming is it, in sinful creatures, who are unworthy of the smallest good, to acknowledge all their enjoyments, the least as well as the greatest, as proceed ing from " the Father of lights, with whom there is no variableness, nor shadow of turning ! * " The denial of the universality of divine providence, indeed, tends to annihilate those feelings which constitute the very spirit * James i. 17. 36 of prayer and of thanksgiving; — a sense of dependence, and a sense of obligation — feelings which cannot, surely, be too easily excited, or too constantly experienced. It disconnects devotional sentiment from all the ordinary occurrences of life; instead of counteracting, it aids a propensity, which, alas ! needs no such assistance, — the propensity which is in human nature, to forget God; and, so far from cherishing humble piety, it leads directly to practical atheism. The nature, duty, and efficacy of prayer, however, form a subject of so much importance, as well to deserve a separate discussion. I shall not, therefore, enlarge upon it at present, but shall direct your attention to it at some early opportunity. Meantime, in concluding this Discourse, let me remind every one now present, that, while the providence of God extends to all his creatures, — yet amongst mankind he makes a difference: — a difference between "those who serve the Lord, and those who serve him not."—" The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, > and his ears are open to their cry: the face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth." — " Evil shall slay the wicked; and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate. The Lord re deemed! the soul of his servants; and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.* " — In the circumstances of their temporal situation, either in life or in death, this distinction may not appear. There may seem to be no marked discrimination. The wicked may often prosper, while the righteous is in adversity; so that no man may be able to " know good or evil, love or hatred, by all that is before him;f " and the faith of God's people may at times be in danger of being shaken, and their hearts tempted to question whether there be " knowledge in the * Ps. xxxiv. 15, 16. 21. 22. f Eccles. ix. 1. 37 Most High,*"— But "verily there is a God that judgeth in the earth. + " The prosperity of the wicked is no evidence that they are the objects of Divine complacency and approbation: — nor are the afflictions of the children of God any indication that their Father in heaven has forgotten to be gracious. — God, by one of his prophets, said to the rebellious Jews of old, " / will curse your blessings.%" Such is the melancholy condition of every man who prospers in his wickedness; — whom " the good ness of God leadeth not to repentance." The secret curse of the Most High mingles with his very blessings. Even in the cup of his worldly pleasure, he drinks the indignation of heaven. — And when his end comes — what a fearful end ! " When the wicked spring as the grass, and all the workers of iniquity do flourish;' it is that they shall be destroyed for- ever ! \\" — How different the con dition of the children of God, as before described, when we spoke of the wisdom, faithfulness, and love, of their heavenly Father! While the blessings of the wicked are cursed, the afflictions of the righteous are blessed ; all contributing, as salutary discipline, to promote their holiness; " working for them a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. §" — Let us not be startled into impious and discouraging doubts of the reality of Divine superintendence, b}' those inequalities, in the allotment of temporal good and of temporal evil, which have just been alluded to :— but recollecting, that it is not accord ing to their external situations,, but according to their characters in these situations, that men shall be finally judged; let us adopt the language of Asaph, after his unhappy scepticism had been removed, and his mind restored to pious and joyful confidence: — " I went (says he) into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their ¦* Ps. lxxiii. 11. Jer. xii. I, 2. f Ps. lviii. 11. f Mai. ii. 2. |( Ps. xcii. 7. § 2 Cor. iv. 17. 38 end. Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction. How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors! — Nevertheless I am con tinually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee. My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.* " We are all, by creation, the offspring of the same Divine Parent; and all under the eye of his omniscient providence. — But I must remind you again, that there is a closer, and more important filial relation to God, than this. Unless you are "children of God by faith in Christ Jesus,\" your being his creatures will not protect you from his threatened displeasure. Many who are his creatures shall " perish at the rebuke of his countenance." "Children qf disobedience," must be "children qf wrath.% " — And who are the children of disobedience? The fol lowing solemn words answer the question: "The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven, with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel qf our Lord Jesus Christ. || " — To " obey the gospel," is to yield to it the assent of the mind, as welcome and well-established truth — the truth of God; and to conform our lives to its sanctifying power, "in all holy conversation and godli ness." The gospel is most aptly characterised as " the grace of God, bringing salvation. §" Any other view of it than this, destroys its very essence. It is not obeyed, unless it is received as a message of pure grace, to the utterly unworthy. — Neither, on the other hand, is it * Ps. lxxiii. 17—26. •)• Gal. iii. 26. } Eph. ii. 3. iv. 6. || 2 Thess. i. 7, 8. § Titus ii. 11. 39 obeyed, unless those who profess to have received it, are " taught by it, to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.*" But all who, in the two senses mentioned, " obey the truth," are " in Christ Jesus," and interested in God's paternal love. They walk in the light of his countenance. The providence of their Father, by which the hairs of their head are numbered, and without which a sparrow faileth not to the ground, is engaged to do them good while they are here; and his grace has promised to make them infinitely and eternally happy hereafter. There is one thing, my dear friends, which, with regard to every one of us, we may be assured, is determined by the particular providence of God. From the mournful event that has suggested to me the subject of discourse, you will at once anticipate, that I mean, the time, the place, the manner, and the circumstances, of our death. By that Supreme Disposer of all events, " without whom a sparrow faileth not to the ground," " our days are determined: the number of our months is with Him: He hath appointed our bounds that we cannot pass.f " The moment that shall terminate for ever our connection with this world, was fixed, in the purpose of God, before that connection began: — and that fixed moment may, to some of us, for aught we can tell, be very near at hand. " The number'd hour is on the wing, " That lays thee with the dead." — Every death of a fellow-creature, in whatever way it happens, and whether near or at a distance, sounds in your ears a solemn and impressive warning. True, indeed, you are not exposed to the hazards of battle — in no danger of being numbered among the slain in the field of blood: — but are there not ten thousand arrows besides, in the quiver of the " king of terrors?" Can you reckon 1 Titus ii. 11, 12. f Job xiv. 5. 40 up the number, or describe the variety, of his instruments of destruction? Can you pronounce yourselves, for a single moment, secure? Have you made a covenant with death? Have you formed an agreement with the grave? — Ah! my friends, even now Death may be " fitting his arrow upon the string," for some in this assembly ! You feel yourselves well; you perceive no danger. Many a one was as well, and as free of apprehension yesterday, who is to-day stretched on the bed of sickness, or wrapped in a shroud for the narrow house; — the house appointed for all living. — " Be ye, therefore, ready also; for in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of man cometh.* " The words of the text were spoken, as I before re marked, to encourage the disciples of Jesus to an open and undaunted profession of his Name. — Let all who bear that sacred Name, seriously weigh the import of the solemn and pointed declaration, which immediately fol lows: — " Whosoever, therefore, shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father who is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father who is in heaven, f" — Let the gracious promise inspire with hope and fortitude: let the faithful warning be an effectual and permanent motive to watchfulness, and to prayer. — You are under the providence of God. — Trust in that providence, and keep the path of duty. Let no allurements seduce; let no terrors intimidate you. Re member Him who hath said: " Be thou faithful unto death; and I will give thee a crown of life!^: " May God accompany his word with his effectual blessing, for his own Name's sake! Amen! * Mat. xxiv. 34. f Mat. *. 32, 53. f Rev- "¦ 10- James Hedderisich. Printer, 16, Belt-Sirrpt. Glasgow. QUALIFICATIONS FOR TEACHING, ESSENTIAL TO THE CHARACTER OF A CHRISTIAN BISHOP: 3C Sermon, PREACHED IN NILE-STREET MEETING-HOUSE, GLASGOW, ON WEDNESDAY, 13th MARCH, 1811. By RALPH WARDLAW, , GLASGOW. PUBLISHED BY REQUEST: AND WHATEVER PROFITS MAY ARISE PROM THE SALE, TO BE DEVOTED TO THE OBJECT STATED IN THE SUBJOINED APPENDIX. GLASGOW: PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR, By A. Duncan, Morison's Court, Argyle-street, AND SOLD BY J. & A. DUNCAN, M. OGLE, R. DALLAS & CO. GLASGOW ; GUTHRIE & TAIT, J. OGLE, AND W. WHITE, EDINBURGH ; R. OGLE, AND T. HAMILTON ; LONDON. ABILITY TGQ TEACH, A SERMON. 1 Tim. iii. 2 — « A Bishop must be- ¦ While Christians are commanded to be- separate from the world, it is not the will of Christ that they should be insulated from one another. Their association in church fellowship has been enjoined "ttpon them by his supreme authority, for promoting their happiness and spiritual improvement, and for the brighter manifestation of his own glory. — -Union, accordingly, is at once their joy and their strength. . It is a blgssed thing to be a Christian : but it is still more blessed to be one of an assembly of Christians, whose hearts are " knit together in love," for Christ's and for the truth's sake.-^How different is the impression made upon om* minds, when we think of a solitary voice celebrating the praises of re deeming mercy ; and when we think of " a multitude which no man can number," shouting, -with one heart and one soul, " Salvation to God, and to the Lamb !" How inspiring, how ravishing the. tEought ! In propor tion as we stretch our imaginations to- a larger and a larger number, in attempting to comprehend the innu- merable assembly, our joys seem to multiply '. we almost forget our own happiness, inf surveying the happiness of millions. — This social felicity shall be enjoyed in full perfection, when the whole church of the, redeemed shall be gathered into one, at *1— right hand ofthe Judge of all. But a portion of this pure and exalted joy is felt even here below, when the believer in Christ contemplates his union with " the spirits of just men made perfect," and with " the general assembly and church of the first born, whose names are written in heaven*." A portion of it is also experienced, (and when a church is in a right state the portion is not small,) in going to the house of God in company, and meeting with that society of the saints, " the excellent ofthe earth, in whom is all his delight," in which Divine Providence has appointed his lot. While " the voice of joy and salvation is heard in the assemblies ofthe righteous," their union is, in other res pects, eminently profitable, when, as ought ever to be the case, " all the'members have the same care one of another," when they " edify one another in love," when they " consider one another, to provoke unto love and unto good works." — When love, pure and undefiled, the life-blood of Christ's mystical body, springing, in a warm and full tide, from the heart of thff Redeemer, circulates, in a stream of vital influence, through all the -members, then it is, that the body " increases with the increase of God." But in order to the proper attainment of the ends of christian association, the principles of government and subordination, which Christ has approved and sanctioned, must be duly observed. To enter into any particular '* Heb. xii. 23. These two clauses of the, verse, as distinguished from each other, are evidently intended to include all the saints of God in heave « and on earth. illustration of these, or into any detail oftheir practical application, is quite foreign to my present purpose;-—! only observe, that, among the appointments of the great Head of the church, are two descriptions of Office-bearers, whose duties correspond to the two branches into which the needs of churches, like those of individuals, are na turally divided ; the peculiar care of the spiritualinterests of the churches being entrusted to the Bishops, while that of their temporal concerns devolves upon the Dea cons. Of these two descriptions of office-bearers, the respec tive .qualifications are enumerated, by apostolic authority, in this chapter :-^-and I have selected one feature of the bishop's character, for present illustration, as being appro priate to the object for which we are now assembled. Respecting this object, it is my most earnest desire to unite the sentiments and the wishes of all my brethren. With this end in my view, I shall endeavour, as far as is consistent with faithfulness to the interests of truth, to shun such, views of my subject as might occasion unpro fitable disputes; and stir up the warm embers of contro versy; — which, when it is rashly excited, operates on the principles of vital godliness, rather as a consuming flame, than as a genial and cherishing heat. With one general* remark I must begin ; which is not indeed new, but which has a claim on attention from its importance, and on universal admission from its.obvious plainness: — it is,- that every bishop must possess aU the qualifications specified in this passage. — " If a man de sire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work." Now every one who is appointed to this good work, must be qualified for the discharge of it, according to the descrip tion of character which follows. This admits of no exception. We are not at liberty to. enquire, who pos sesses most, or who wants fewest, of the qualities here enumerated ; but the question must be absolute — " Does 6 this man's, or that man's character, . accord with the des cription drawn ?" Unless some tolerable measure of al the specified properties is possessed, he is ineligible to the office : and no number of pastors, in any church, can be admitted as a compensation, fbr the want, in one or more, of any of those qualities, which Christ, by his apostle, has pronounced indisjpensibly requisite in each. — The question, therefore, in the choice of a (bishop, is not a mere question of comparison among the members of any one church. " A bishop must be blameless," and so on, as here describee!. No alternative is allowed. If no one is found in a church possessing this character, no one in that church can be appointed to the office, with out a violation of the will of Christ. And if no qualified individuals are found in a church, surely there can be no harm in seeking for such elsewhere: nay, whenever it can be done,, this becomes, an indispensible duty. — It is worthy of notice, that most, if not all, ofthe labourers employed in the church at Antioch, appear to have been strangers from other places. Barnabas was sent from Jerusalem : — upon his wopk increasing, he went to Tar sus, to seek Saul : — and the prophets and teachers men tioned in Acts xiii. 1. viz. Barnabas, Simeon, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen, and SauL seem aH to have been, not originally of Antioch, but. from a distance. Another general observation respects the nature ofthe teaching required of a bishop in the words of the text. It is obvious, that whatever qualifications a man may possess for communicating instruction in private, this will never warrant a church to elect him as a bishop. I do not affirm, that, in the text, public teaching is exclusively meant ; but certainly, to say the least of it, it must be considered as necessarily included. Fitness for private teaching cannot be looked upon as sufficient. The pub lic edification of the church, is the peculiar official duty ©f the bishop ; and he who is not fit for a public teacher, is not fit for the bishop's office. It may be remarked, in connection with this observa tion, that the edification of a -church is two-fold. It is edified when the existing members grow in grace : and it is edified, when sflch as are saved are, from time to time, added to their number. — A bishop, I apprehend, ought to be qualified to edify the church in both these ways: and, indeed, what qualifies him for being a public instructor of the brethren, will fit him, in general, for declaring the word of life to the World. It may further be noticed in this place, that there is a very wide distinction, sometimes too little attended to, between the occasional declaration of the gospel, and the stated teaching of the word of God. The latter obvious ly requires qualifications, by no means necessary for the former. A Christian may have a good understanding ofthe doctrines of salvation, and may even be ablg to state them, both with accuracy and energy, at an oc casional time, and to changing audiences; whose stock of knowledge would very soon be foundry much too scanty, to supply that variety of instruction, which a constant auditory imperiously requires of a stated teacher, This remark leads me on at once to the first, the most obvious, and the most important ingredient in fitness to teach, as a qualification of a Christian bishop, — a right UNDERSTANDING OF THE SCRIPTURES, AND A READY AC QUAINTANCE WITH THEIR VARIOUS CONTENTS. The scriptures are the treasure, whence the Christian teacher is jto enrich the minds of his brethren. They are the sun, in which the glory of Divine truth is em bodied, and from which he. must derive all his light. — . The Apostle Paul, in writing to Timothy, states the different departments of a Christian minister's duty, and points out the way in which he is to be furnished for their proper and successful fiilfilment ; " AU scripture 8 is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works *." By the " man of God" in this passage, is to be understood- the minister of Christ ;*the title having been familiar in its application to the Old Testament prophets. Instruc tion in the truth, Conviction of error, reformation of evil, and education in the ways of righteousness f , are the dif ferent branches of his duty ; and the holy scriptures are the source of his official qualifications J. — A scribe, in Order to his resembling the householder, who brings forth out of his treasure things new and old, must himself be well instructed into the kingdom of heaven ||. It certainly is hot enough, that a stated teacher of a Christian church know the truth-; that is, understand and believe the glorious and blessed doctrine, by the faith ©f which the guilty are saved. This doctrine, it is true, must never be forgotten, or overlooked. Rather than it should be lost sight of, it had better be first, and last, and midst, in all our ministrations. Yet stilly the con- * 2 Tim. iii. 16, 17. ' $ Although this passage appears to be immediately applicable to the servant of God, in the ministry of the word ; yet tbe application qf it, may with the greatest propriety be extended to all private Christians. ,, For if the holy scriptures are fitted to qualify a man for teaching, convincing, reforming, and educating others, theymMsrbe equally well adapted for self-instruction, self-correction, and self-education in righteousness j for promoting personal as well as official excellence and perfection. And, indeed, he who has not reaped from them the personal benefit, ( which they are fitted to afford, must be very ill qualified for applying them to the pro fit of others. || Matth. xiii. 52.- 9 stant repetition of fhe same thing, however excellent and salutary in itself, deserves not to be denominated feeding the flock. They cannot, by such means, grow in know* ledge. The lesson is good ; but there is no progress. If the teacher is always dwelling on." first principles," neither he himself, nor those whom he teaches, can " go on unto perfection." All the scriptures are profitable; and their contents, are very various : — historical, typical* prophetical, doc trinal, preceptive, promissory, devotional. — An acquaints ance with all these important divisions of :the sacred word, is, without question, highly desirable in a Christian teacher : and the more comprehensive ¦ and clear tins acquaintance is, and the greater the ability of communi cation that is possessed, for rendering it available to the instruction of others, certainly so much the better. — No doubt, in such a teacher, clear and simple views of the gospel, and a power of illustrating and enforcing its sav-, ing truths, is the first and most; essential of all requisites. Yet it is not less evident, that, if no part of God's word has been given us in vain, this cannot be, of itself, enough : —it can only be reckoned so, in consequence of thought lessness and inconsideration. The .field which the scriptures present is a very exteiW sive one ; and in some parts it is difficult to explore. A complete acquaintance with it, in all its parts, however desirable an attainment for a Christian teacher, is not, by any means, to be expected ; and far less to be considered necessary, as a qualification for that office.' — But in order to the acquisition of such an understanding of the sacred volume, as will render a mimft to teach, there are certain requisites, which must strike every one,1 on a moment's, reflection, as in some measure indispensible. The first of these which X shaU mention, is — natural, CAPACITY. In the degrees of this among mankind, there subsists a great and obvious diversity : and the diversity is not removed by the operation of divine grace. Grace, in deed, works miracles, in diffusing blessed light in the Understanding, light which cheers and purifies the heart ; ~— the light of knowledge, producing the light of joy, and the light Of holiness : — but it does not bring the minds OH which it operates to the same standard, either of acuteness, or of enlargement, — Blessed be God, who, While he hides '» the things of the Spirit" from the wise and prudent, reveals them to babes*." It is im possible for us to say, how weak a man may be, in natural powers of mind, and yet be a Christian, " Worshipping God in the Spirit, rejoicing in Christ Jesus, and having no confidence in the flesh." But to be a Christian, and to be a teacher of Christianity, are two very different things. — On such a subject as this, every person will at once perceive, it is impossible to fix any precise limits, as to the measure of mental capacity, that should be deemed necessary. There is danger of harm, in fixing it either too high Or too low. In the latter case, we might advance incapacity to a situation which it could not fill; in the former, we should run the risk of keeping back from exertion, talents which might be really useful to the church and cause of God. On this point, therefore, we can speak only in general terms. There are many who have not, from nature, such abilities as can ever qualify them to be teachers of others : and, as there are few things in which men are more apt to be deceived/than in estimat ing the extent of their own powers, some tribunal of judgment ought to be connected with every institution, of which the object is education for the ministry i' to de termine in every case, upon a fair and sufficient trial, whether the applicant for tuition possesses talents, ©. Which the cultivation is likely to yield any profitable re* * Matth. xi. 25, 11 suit. For, to retain obvious incapacity, and to bring it forward to a station, Which it cannot nil, either with re putation to itself, or with advantage to others, is at once pernicious and cruel. The second ofthe requisites alluded to, of which I shall take notice, is — tiMe for study. This, one should imagine, can hardly be seriously questioned. The possession of ability, Without oppor tunity to use it to advantage, will be comparatively of httle avail. The man who is engaged in teaching others must be always advancing himself; and advancing so as' to keep, in general, in point of knowledge of his subject^ befote those whom he is appointed to teach. rthis ap pears self-evident. If the teacher and his disciple are ori a level, both with respect to ability, and with respect to' opportunity to employ it, how can the one be supposed capable of bringing forward the other ? The disciple, in1 such a case, might, with exactly the same pro]priety7 teach his teacher, as be taught by him. The very idea of a number of men solemnly set apart to be teachers in the churches pf Christ, seems of necessity to imply, their hav ing more time for the study Of the word of God, than their brethren. ' To set men apart as teachers* who have no more opportunity to learn, than those whom they are ttf instruct, is, in a great degree, to have the form of the' office without its use, the shadow Without the substance. — Apart from the authority of Christ, therefore, which " hath ordained, that they who preach the gospel should live ofthe gospel *," the very circumstances ofthe case strongly suggest the desirableness of teachers of the Word giving themselves wholly to this work. — The Want of needful time, both for^gerieral study, and for the due consideration of particular subjects, for every return ing Lord's day, has been a theme of complaint and regret* to many of those pastors of churches, who are occupied * Cdr.'ix. 14. B 12 with the cares and bustle of worldly business during the* week. And such complaint, let it be particularly observ ed, is no disparagement even to the brightest abilities. For no man, unless possessed of powers of a gigantic magnitude^ can reasonably ; be supposed capable, after" toiling at his ordinary business for six days in the week-, of producing, from the _ short reflections of a Saturday evening, or a Sabbath morning, either such diversity of instructions, corresponding to the rich variety of the word of God, or such full, connected,, and digested views of those topics which are handled, as it .is desirable that every Christian teacher should be able to produce j and as may, hi general, at least with greater reason, be expected from those, who apply their minds to study, with out hurry and precipitation, and unagitated by the har- rassing cares of worldly business*. — I am very, very far from saying, that such of us as possess this, eminent advantage, make all the improvement of it which we ought to make. Alas ! no. Were I to say so, my own heart and my own lips would condemn me. I reason on general principles, and on general experience. I am equally fiir from affirming, that in every case it is absolutely indispensable, that a bishop*give himself en tirely to the duties of .his Office. There are cases, it is frankly admitted, in which this is hardly— -let me even say, not at all, attainable. But let not the exception be * It should be noticed, that the argument for having pastors devoted to- the work, is here considered only in reference to the particular branch of their duty, which it is the object of this' sermon to discuss. It receives ten-fold additioriar' force, when the othef dutie9, implied in the pastoral care ofthe flock, are connected with this; and when to these are joined, if the bishop of a church is at the^ame time the father of a family, the attention which is "due to the religious instruction, and general mental, improvement of His'chil&ren; for which the time that a Christian parent ean spare from the necessary avocations of business, is, in many cases, barely sufficient ; especiaUy as there are various personal and family cir cumstances, by which it must occasionally be broken. IS made the general rule, and the general rule the exception. In every case in which it can possibly be attained, it is pre-eminently desirable. In every case wherein it can possibly be attained, it is the will of Christ that it should be so. — No man can be considered as^ to teftch, who has not sufficient time for study, and self-improvement : -and ho one who thinks for a moment, what an 'inexhaustible mine the scriptures of truth contain, will-reckon even all tbe time Which the pastor of a church can spare from the care of his flock in other respects, too much to be devoted to the working of it.— And besides the consideration of time, it is likewise greatly to be wished, in order to a man's being ft to teach,, that bis mind should be, as mUch as possible, free from the carefulness necessa rily produced by the distractions and uncertainties of business. — The advantages of such an order of things in fhe churches are obvious, and incalculably great. And am I not justified in -affirming, that if a due impression of their importance were universally and deeply felt, zeal for the glory of Christ, and for the prosperity of Zion, by producing among Christians, both for themselves, and for one another, such liberal exertion, as is the uniform effect of ardent feeling, might render the inestimable benefit more generally attainable, than to an indifferent and unimpressed mind appears at all conceivable ? Indispensable necessity is a strong expression ; and, Eke every other strong expression, ought to be used with caution. — It means, wben interpreted strictly, that there is no conceivable case, in which tbe thing spoken of, whatever it may be, oan possibly be dispensed with : and when we happen, without any limitation, to employ sucb expressions, an adversary is ready to take advantage of us, and to set about adducing, or supposing, extreme cases, in which our plea of necessity must be relinquished, as untenable. And when he has done this, he imagines te has done enough/ and has gained a triumphant vie- u tory. — But after all, he has d°#e very little indeed. "Whatever can be proved useful, it is our duty to desjre and to seek; and hi proportion to the degree of utility, is the binding obligation ©f the duty. If the desirable object is within pur reach, the duty to exert ourselves for its attainment becomes absolutely indispensable ; and the neglect of it is unfaithfulness to the cause in which we are embarked. You will readily anticipate the application °f these re marks, to the question respecting learning, or education, as a quafification of a Christian teache£. — Suppose it should be freely admitted, that we cannot fix with preci sion any certain measure pf learning, respecting which we cau affirm, with confidence, — this is in every case indispensably necessary : — yet, if it be granted, on the other hahd, (and I do not think it has ever been distinct ly denied,) that a good education is a desirable and use ful thing, in a injnister of the. gospel, it will as conclusive ly follow, ti^at it is our duty to procure it, a.s if we were to affirm its necessity.— My own opinion is, in general terms — that to a certain extent, education, or, which amounts to the same thing, the possession, in whatever way acquired, of that which education is designed to, im part, is absolutely necessary, in order to a man's being fit to teach : — that tt> a certain extent further, the utility of it approaches so very near to necessity, as almost to justify the use qf the term^ which is very often applied, in a somewhat vague sense, to, .denote a high degree of advan-r. tage: — and further still, that. the greater the measure which can be obtained of such, education as , I now refer to, always so much the better, , I gladly adinit, m its full extent, that the holy scrip tures ai;e the Christian teacher's only authoritative book of instructions. *.', If he speak not according to this word, there, is^no fight in him." , And in general, philor sophical and political discussions are entirely out of place, 15 when they find their way to the pulpit. — 'But it certainly will never be denied, (and if it is not, the object of this day's meeting will meet with universal arid cordial sup port,) that whatever knowledge may serve to throw LIGHT ON THE SCRIPTURES, ENABLING A TEACHER MORE CLEARLY TO ASCERTAIN, AND MORE FULLY TO EXPOUND, THEIR GENUINE MEANING, SUCH KNOWLEDGE IT IS SU PREMELY DESIRABLE THAT THE TEACHER SHOULD POSSESS. For the more of this knowledge he possesses, he must be the more tlft to teach :" and as this qualification is it self indispensable, being here required by apostolic authority, and demanded, indeed, by the nature of the thing, tbe duty is also indispensable, of. earnestly seeking whatever may be conducive tp its attainment or its in crease. Let me illustrate this general observation by a few sim ple examples. Tbe original scriptures are written in dead languages* It is surely, then, a highly desirable thing, that an inter preter of the scriptures should understand those languages. Our enquiry, in searching the scriptures, whether for ourselves^ along, or for the instruction of others, ought uniformly to be — " What is the ideji which the Holy Spirit, by this passage, or by this expression, intended to convey ?" — A person may often give a good sense, which is not the right sense; making the passage speak truth, and perhaps important truth, but not the truth which the divine author of the book designed to teach us.— The latter, however, is obviously what we should, on all occa sions, seek to discover: and in this respect, he who' is acquainted with the original languages of the scriptures, possesses a very eminent advantage. He may be able to throw new light on passages which are obscure and dif-, ficiflt; and he can judge ofthe lights which Others have attempted to throw, so as, to ascertain whether they are true or false. — And in connection with this manifest and 16 signal benefit, it is likewise not merely agreeable, but in many instances highly useful, to be capable of appreciat ing the precise force, and emphasis, and point, of various expressions and turns of thought, which if is frequent!^ difficult, or impossible, to transfuse into a mere transla tion. The want of this knowledge has been felt, and deeply regretted, by many ; some of whom have, in other res pects, fulfilled the duties of the pastoral charge in the churches, with eminent reputation. Such have been known to express, when too late, an earnest wish to have this deficiency supplied : and surely their unavailing re gret should be a powerfid stimulus to us, to prevent, as far as it is in our power, future occasion for it in others. Those too, it may be observed, who seem most to under-- value such; learning, bewray themselves at timesi and make it manifest, that in their hearts they really feel it a -desirable thingi for to the aid and authority of those who possess it they have inunediate recourse, on every disputed point, of which the decision, either entirely, or ki part, depends on the meaning of original terms. It is readily admitted, that there is a possibility of dealing too freely in criticism, in addressing a promiscu ous audience ; where no motive but a sincere and power ful conviction of truth should induee a teacher to bring it forward. Wanton and useless alterations, such as serve rather to display a marfs learning, than to answer any valuable purpose, ought to be carefully shunned; 'for whatever of this kind is needless, is in some degree per nicious. — But, at the same time, it should be remarked, that sound and enlightened criticism, unfolding the genuine meaning of any' part of scripture, cannot be kept back, Without incurring a well-founded charge of unfaith fulness. Again : — a large portion of the boOks of scripture con tains History. — Now scripture history is, in many parts 17 of it, intimately connected with general history: — the history ofthe Jews, for example," with that of other na tions* And, although the historical parts Of the bible may yield much edification, to a reader who knows very httle about their connection with other histories ; yet to possess a general, and, as much as possible, even a minute acquaintance with contemporaneous narratives, must give a man a vast advantage, in point of freedom, of accuracy, and, of amplification, preventing the inces sant hazard of mistake and confusion,, both in the regular illustration of scripture history, and in occasional references to the events which it records. — This observation applies, with equal fbfce* to the historical parts both of the Old Testament, and ofthe New. Besides : — history has been justly styled the Interpre ter of Prophecy ; and no man can be considered as qualified to illustrate the prophecies, or tp enforce, with clearness and effect, the evidence of Christianity arising from their fulfilment, who is. unacquainted with ancient and modern history. History is also, in some respects, the interpreter of Providence, as well as of prophecy. — Church-history is, in this yiew, eminently useful; as, it unfolds, to the pious and attentive reader, the course of divine proce dure towards Zion, and towards the natipns of the world, in connection with her interests and prosperity; — as it records the progress of truth; its alternate rises and falls, with the various circumstances and causes which haye contributed to its success, or to its depression ; — as it dis plays the character of human nature, the universal same ness of its radical principles, and the various aspects and modifications which these assume, in the view which it presents, of the errors by which the truth has been cor rupted and set aside, and of the different means which have been employed, for its suppression on the one hand, and for its propagation on the other, by its numerous 18 adversaries, and by its real or pretended friends :— and while such a review is, in these respects, at once interest ing and instructivej it also affords, from past events, lessons for the direction of present duty, in avoiding pernicious, and in- imitating .wise and successful measures. The connection of history With Geography and Chronology, is too obvious to require a single remark *. Once more: — It may be a very good general maxim," that the best way to suppress error is to declare truth. Yet it may frequently be necessary to defend the truth by reasoning, and to support it, and the faith of its be lievers, by refuting the errors which corrupt and subvert it. Some acquaintance, then, with such errors, with the arguments used in their, defence, and with the principles and rules of legitimate reasoning in general, appears to be more than desirable, to be even essential, in one, whose duty is to confute gainsayers, as well as to edify the saints. We ought to argue for nothing as right, which we cannot wish to have been universal. — 'Let me, then, make the supposition, that Christianity had never been esta blished by civil authority ; that after the cessation of miraculous gifts, the churches of Christ had paid no sort of attention to the education and learning of their teach ers, arid had persisted in this line of conduct, amidst all fhe changing circumstances of human society ; that all learning had, inconsequence, become theexclusive mono poly of irifidelity and error; — what. an. incalculable ad- ' vantage would this have given to the adversary !— The * The advantage, too, might here have been noticed, of'ah accurate ac quaintance with the manners and customs, both of the Jews, and of other ancient-nations, in that quarter of the world. For there occur, asjnight be expected, both in the Old and in' the New Testament, especially in the former, very frequent allusions to these, and many modes of expression Borrowed from them, which, without such a key to their interpretation, it is often difficult clearly to understand. 19 question, then, still is — should the adversary be allowed to possess it? If we grant an advantage to error, which we wilfully deny to truth, we are unfaithful to our cause,- and unfaithful to our master. — If Christianity, in so far1 as human agency is concerned, had not been defended by its teachers, who else could have been expected to plead its cause ? And what wOuld have been the conse* quence, if no one could have been found, in the Christian host, capable of entering the lists, on equal terms, with the infidel and the sceptic ?— no one able, through igno rance of the sources of argument, and of the rules of reasoning, either to refute falsehood and error, of to maintain the cause of truth ? — We may indeed sajiythaf God will take care of his own cause. But we. ought to remember, that he who looks for the effect, while he is himself neglecting the means, manifests not rational and commanded confidence, but foolish arid unwarranted presumption. The infinite importance of the truth imparts value to every thing, which can possibly Contribute to its develope- ment, its confirmation, or its defence. With respect to the degree of education: we should seek to impart, I have no hesitation in saying, that there seems, on this point, to be but one proper enquiry : and it is — not, " with hem little can we do ?" — but " how watch" can we obtain ?" — In this, no doubt, we must be regulat ed by the extent of our means.- But I trust in him who hath said, " The silver is mine, and the gold is mine," that these, ere long, shall not be less than our desires- " But knowledge," some may say, " puffeth up." It is readily admitted that it may. But surely it will never be said, that knowledge is necessarily disjoined from that " love" which " edifieth:" that there is any irreconcil able divorce between them. — There is nothing which can be applied to profitable use, which is not, at the same time, capable of being abused. It will not be denied, c 20 for instance, that the more extensive a teacher's acquaint ance is with the scriptures, he is the better qualified for his office : — yet a man may- bevain of this kind of know ledge, as wel as of any other. — But after all, is vanity confined to men of education ? Are not conceit and self- sufficiency more frequently the attendants of ignorance ; or of such a smattering of knowledge, as is but one re move from ignorance ? — Is it not consistent with univer sal experience, that the more a man comes to know, the more he discovers his deficiency, and finds the greater reason for self-diffidence, and humble-mindedness ? There is hardly any description of men, towards whom I feel it more difficult to exercise becoming charity, than those who, blessed with education and learning them selves, are yet disposed to, depreciate their value Such men ought surely to remember, that it is their education; which enables them both to write and to argue as they do: so that the very blessing which they have obtained, arid: for which they have cause to be thankful, is made the instrument of detracting from its own importance. — Some of this description have reasoned, at times $ againsfc the indispensable necessity of education, till, in the fervour of zeal, and the warmth of argument* they have almost forgotten to admit that it is desirable s an admission, which, when once made, establishes the duty of endea vouring to obtain it, as effectually asif its necessity were proved and granted *- * This admission, however strongly some may have been tempted to speak, in the eagerness of controversy, it is hardly conceiveable, that any should seriously withhold. Even in those churches of Christ, where the principle of having Elders entirely devoted to the duties of their office, is not acted upon^ the advantages of education are tacitly admitted, evert time these office-bearers come-to be chosen. For to whom, on such occa sions, are the eyes of the brethren directed ? If there is one amongst them, who has enjoyed the benefit of a superior education, and who is not, at the same time, otherwise disqualified, is it not to him that the preference i5 uniformly given J It is so -.-and it is natural and right that it should be so- 21 The light ofthe sun is common to all : but the philo-: sopher,-who understands its nature and properties, can mpplyit to uses, and produce effects by means of it, of which an uninstracted man could have ^formed no con ception. Similar to this is the advantage j which a Chrisy tian teacher derives from a thorough education, in ." handling the wosd -of -God-;" — in applying to its varir ous purposes the fight of divine truth.-:— Or, to use a scripture metaphor : the bishops of the churches, of Christ are compared to stars. They shine with a borrowed light: but if their fight be the hght of purity and truth, from the sun of righteousness ; the more fully they catch the splendour of his rays, with the greater steadiness and effulgence will they reflect it on others, for their direction, animation and joy. Although no (particular method was formally announ ced in the 'Outset of this discourse, the attentive hearer will have perceived, that the observations hitherto made have chiefly respected the matter of a bishop's instapc- tions. — I must now go on to make two or three remarks, as to the manner of teaching, and what is necessary to constitute a man ft to teach, in this respect : — and on this, and a still subsequent part of my subject, I shall en deavour to be as brief as possible. It is plain, that a man may possess much knowledge; and yet be very deficient in the qualifications necessary for communicating it to others.— A man .cannot be ft to tjiach, unless he is ft -to speah -¦ and in order to his teaching well, he must be able to speak well. — Let no one be startled at this, till he understands what I mean by speaking well. — To speak well is not to dress out truth in the disgusting trappings of affected fineryj the tinsel and foppery of language : — nor is it to bad her with such an excess of ornament, even although of a more dignified description, that her simple and lovely form can hardly be recognised under the splendid robe with which 22 she is invested. Tlie former of these can only be deem ed fine, by a weak judgment, or a vitiated taste ; for, if there be one way of speaking worse than all others, that is a it : — and the latter, however really fine in itself, a sound and enlightened judgment will perceive to be out of place, when employed in imparting instruction to a mingled audience, and in declaring the simple and humr bling doctrines ©f the cross. Neither does speaking well consist in " attitude, and stare, and start theatric," the fulsome affectation of ora tory : for this is even more offensive than " slovenly ne glect, and rustic coarseness." The wisdom qf words, which Paul disdained to einploy in preaching " Christ crucified," appears to mean a strict conformity to the artificial rules, and studied graces, ©f Grecian rhetoric ; attention to which would have been inconsistent bpth with the humbje simpjicity, and the authoritative dignity, of his apostofic message ; and might, besides, have made the effects of his preach jng, in pro-? curing followers, be ascribed, not to his doctrine itself, the important truth which he proclaimed, but to his elo quence in composition and delivery, amongst a people peculiarly fond .of such exhibitions. It was his desire, " that the excellency ofthe power," in the effects attend ing his ministry, should be evidently "of God;" that the faith of his converts should stand " in the power of jQod, and not in the wisdom of man." Such also, should be our desire. Like Paul, we should Use " great plainness qf speech." And since I have ad verted to this expression, J would remark that, in the .connection in which it occurs, it expresses, not plainness as opposed to ornament, but plainness as opposed to all darkness, obscurity, and difficulty of interpretation — > fi $pt as Moses, who put » wfl or\ Ms face, *"-— Now i * 8 Cor; iij. 12, 13, 23 tfiis kind of plainness, so far from being inconsistent with ftie speaking, is, in truth, its first and most essential ex cellence. — For, to speak well is to speak, in the first place, perspicuously, so as to be clearly and fully understood:— in the second place, engagingly, so as to command and fix the attention, without which no good can ever be done : — in the third place, qffecfingly, so as to interest and touch the heart; to move the passions; to alarm by the terrors ofthe Lord, and to win and persuade by his tender mercies ; to " save by fear," and to " draw with the cords of love."-r^With these qualities there must, for the same ends, be united, such correctness, and such a measure of dignity, as will prevent disgust in well educat ed and polished minds. All these things obviously imply the necessity, in a teacher, of a full and accurate acquaintance with the language in which he is to speak. — To speak perspicu ously, a man imjst select appropriate terms, such phrase ology as-is suited to convey the precise idea whichlhe wishes to express ; because a single word misapplied may occasion not merely obscurity, and consequent doubt^ but total misapprehension, and even serious error. To speak engagingly and affectingly, he should be familiar at once with all the delicacies, and with all the energies of his language. Whilst truth, and especially divine truth, disdains finery, surely there is an opposite extreme. It should npt be presented in vulgar and repulsive attire. — It is easy, indeed, to, say, that truth is truth, and equally im portant in whatever dress it is exhibited. This is readily granted. But surely it ought, with equal readiness, to be granted, that such repulsive vulgarity of style and manner as I now allude to, is far from being consistent with the heavenly dignity of the truth; and also, that real or affected contempt of propriety and correctness, is equally inconsistent with a due regard to the best interests of that 24 description of hearers, who, being accustomed to them, are necessarily disgusted and repelled by the contArjfk It is calculated to expose the truth to needless derision : and whenever this is the case, we are acting a criminal part; for, instead of trying to " cut off occasion" from the "adversary, who " desires occasion" to speak re proachfully, we are, of our own accord, presenting it be fore him. — Truth in a coarse dress" is, no doubt, preferable to error in a fine one : — to say otherwise, would be to prefer the shadow to the substance; to prefer poi son from a golden cup, to a wholesome draught from a vessel of clay. But it should be recollected, that disdain of finery does by no means imply disdain of correctness and propriety ; for, indeed, finery here is not propriety, but its precise opposite. And as there is much vanity displayed in studied finery, so there may be much pride, in the affectation of vulgarity in ourselves, or of a liking to it in, others, . To enter, however, more at length into the nature and uses of eloquence, would lead me to anticipate some of the remarks which fall more properly under the re maining branch of my subject ; — to which I now proceed, and which, although highly important and interesting, I must endeavour to dispatch with brevity ; — the quali ties and dispositions of mind necessary to render a bishop ft to teach. It has often been remarked, .and not without some measure of truth, that while, in the choice of pastors, great attention is paid to preaching talents, due regard is not always shewn to those qualities, by which they are fitted for the equally necessary duty of ruling in the church of God. — On this point, however, I woidd re mark ; in the first place, that the fault does not consist in the former class of qualifications being rated too high, but in the latter being rated too low ; and secondly, that after all, such qualities of mind seem to be requisite to 25 constitute a good teacher, as, if they are possessed, can hardly fail to make him, at the same time, a good ruler. On this part of my subject, then, I observe, in the first place, the obvious necessity of real piety. — Religion cannot be effectually taught but by a, truly religious man., A firm conviction ofthe truthte of " the things of the Spirit ;" a clear discernment of their glory and ex cellence ; a deep feeling of their infinite importance; a happy experience of their joyful, comforting, strengthen ing and purifying influence; spirituality; of mind and affections ; — seem to be all indispensably necessary, to en able a man to enter into the spirit of teaching, in illus trating ehher the doctrinal, the practical, the experimental or the devotional, parts of the holy scriptures. — Without these, he may, indeed, give his. audience a dull, formal, systematic, and frigidly correct detail, of doctrines and duties:— but what is this, without the life of preaching — without a heart in unison with his subject ? He may, at times, feel a momentary impulse, and start into unwonted- warmth -f but it is only a transient feverish fit, to which a shivering coldness again succeeds. — The steady glow of enlightened and heart-felt piety,- can alone qualify . a teacher for applying the Word of life ;-¦— it must be the constant animating principle of all his labours* You will immediately perceive, as an inference from this particular, that I consider it as indispensable, in aH to whom the benefits of education for the ministry are afforded, that they should be persons who give decisive evidence of real vital godliness. — This, at the same time, does not, by any means, preclude the practice, (which, indeed, I am inclined to pronounce a duty in believing parents,) of Jjifing to sons of promising parts such an education in their early years, as may afterwards fit them for usefulness in the church of God, if they should be found partakers of hjs grace, and desirous of devoting themselves to his service, in the gospel. 2£ Another essential disposition of mind, in a good Christ tian teacher, is candour. The requisites of a good teacher, in this respect, are those of a sworn witness; that he speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. He must not shun to declare any part of the counsel of God.-^-Bishops are denominated stewards qf God * .•" and " it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful f." But want of candour in the interpretation of the divine word, is evidently want of faithfulness. A teacher, therefore, should, as much as possible, be free from the influence of prejudice : — of prejudice for what is old ,•— "-of preju dice (for there is such a thing, and it is sometimes even more pernicious than the other,) for what is new •, of pre-" judice, also, for what is, or seems to be, original, singu lar, and out of the common way. — No man is properly fit to teach, who is, in any great degree, sWayedby such prejudices, — such prepossessions or predilections of mind in favour of particular views ; which tend fo warp his judgment in the investigation of truth, turning it aside from what ought to be his sole enquiry — ¦" what is the mind of the Spirit ?" — This every teacher should seek to know ; and this he ought, without addition, omission, or deviation, plainly and unequivocally to state. This candour is closely allied to that description of faithfulness, which is riot swayed, either by the fear of men, on the one hand, or by the love of men, on the" other, — by the dread of offending, or the wish to please. A faithful teacher — (and if he is not thus faithful, is he ft to teach ?)—xxx\v=i be ready, With Micaiah, the son of Imlah, ( faithful found, Among the 'faithless ; faithful only he,) *Tit. i. 7. fl Cor. iv. 2. m to say, and to fulfil the sayings even in the season of threatening and peril, — " As the Lord liveth, what the Lord saith rirttrifne1, that will I speak *:""-and with the great apostle ofthe Geritiles— " As We Were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so1 we speak, not as pleasing men, but God" Who trieth our* h&irts f ." Affectionate fE'NB"M*TEss- is another1- important- in gredient in the character Of Lhlfii who is ft Hi tMeh^^-iir qualification this, irideed, of which nothing eari e'orrrpterisate* the warit.-^A teacher of the" gOspel of gface Md salvation ofthe message of divine love1 arid mercy $& a^osH world, destitute Of nielting afrectioa^or' the setife ofrneft ?—what ai stfacrig'e anomaly k this- i-Jestis wiepf -over -JefuSaaem \%< Paul Wartied sinners night and day with tear¥ §>- Among- his fellow^believelfs, he was gentle, as a ntirste cfeerishetfe her children. He wife af^etioflateJy ©fesirOtis1 c$ themy arid willing to have! imparted to them net the gospel- of God; only, but 6veh his own sOUl, because thtey Were de&P to him. He exhorted,- and comforted, and Charged: every one of them, ste a- father doth his children*- that they should walk worthy of God* who had caHed them unto big kingdom arid glory |f. — Iii d-frtte irrritator of Jesus, arid of Paul, there wilt be ft© frigid apathy* rio fistfe's^ mdiffererice ;-"but whether1 the immediate object of his- preaching be the conversion of sinners, or tlie establish ment of sairits, fie wiB- speak from the fulness of a heart melting with cOmpassiori, arid glowing with love; de claring rhomentous truth, in the language of fervent feeling; uttering " flioughfe thai breathe," in " word* that burn.'' Whoever tnisteridei'riiess of affection operates, hvwiH be found in unioil with another temper of mind, not less rieeessatfy in him who rilUst Heft to teach ,*. I mean, meek ness. * 1 Kings xxii. 14. f 1 Thess. ii. 4. J iuka xix. 41, 42. § Acts xx.'31. (| 1 Thess. ii. 7, 8, 11, 12. P 28 When our blessed Lord invited the labouring and heavy-laden to come unto him, he encouraged them by the assurance, that he was meek and lowly in heart * j — a meek and lowly teacher ; one wh© could have compas sion on the ignorant, and on those who were out of the way ; who would graciously condescend to their infirmi ties ; who would give them wisdom, without upbraiding. —And observe, how Paul, in conformity to the charac ter ofthe master, draws that ofthe servant:- " The ser vant of the Lord must not strive ;. but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient; in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves, if God peradyeriture will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth j and that they may recover themselves out of tire snare ofthe devil, who are taken captive by him at his will f ." In this description, the connection is particularly worthy of notice, in which ft to teach is introduced, marking the necessity of the meekness and gentleness- of Christ, as a constituent part of this fitness. — The beautiful figure with which the song of Moses commences, seems to con vey the idea, not only of gcniaLand refreshing influence,. but of mild and placid gentleness :. " My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew ; as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers; upon the grass f." lit the man wh© is apt to teach,, these qualities must be accompanied with discernment and zeal. With discernment. Paul speaks of " a workman that needeth not to be ashamed^ rightly, dividing the word of life§." — A Christian teacher has various descrip tions of hearers : — -babes, young men, and fathers, both in age, and in the Christian life ; — the weak and the strong, in judgment, and in faith; — the rich and the * Matth. xi. 28—30. f 2 Tim. ii. 24 — 26. f Deut xxxii. 2. § 2 Tim. ii. IS. 29 poor ; — the prosperous, and the afflicted ;— the tempted, to error in sentiment, or to sin in practice ; to self-righte^ ous pride, or antinomian presumption ; to unwarrantable confidence, or to groundless despondency; — the stedfast, the lukewarm, and the backsliding. To all these he must be qualified to give a portion in due season : — and for this end, discrimination of character, and corresponding discrimination of address, are essentially requisite. With zeal: — zeal for the glory of Christ, for the spiri tual improvement of his people, and for the building up of the church, by the conversion of sinners. Listen to the terms in which Paul' -the aged charges his son Timo thy : — " I charge thee, therefore, before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; preach the word, — be instant in season, out of season; reprove, re buke, exhort, with all long suffering and doctrine *." " Be instant in season, out qf season :" that is, as I under stand the words, do not consult your own personal con venience; let no considerations of this kind interfere with the important duties of your ministry ; make willing sacrifices of convenience and ease to the interests of your master, and of his glorious cause. — Observe here, also* the arguments by which the apostle enforces his admoni tion, and stirs up this "' man of God," to the exertions of renewed zeal: — " For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their Own lusts shall they- heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears ; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good' fight, I have finished my course, ' . / * 2 Tim, iy. 1 , .2. m I have kept the faith : henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give to me at that day ; and riot to me only, but to all them also who love hie appearing t-" May not the last of these motives, my brethren, be applied-, without impropriety, to the. object pf '-our present meetr ing ? May we not entreat you, seriously tp consider the necessity, the peremptory duty, ©f fitting, out men for the work of the ministry, wh© may he{ useful in the churches,, when those who now jlabour in -.them shall be n© more?— How soon ©ur heads may be teM iu the grave, is known only to him, by;wh©m our-days are der iermined* and with whom is, the number of our months* May the exalted Head of the church provide* in his in finite goodness, a succession of future labourers.* more wise, more able, more devoted to God, and more extent siyely successful in their wprk, than any of their prede cessors ! May he light up, iri (he firmament ©f his church, stars of superior pur jty and splendoTO, 'to cheer the hearts pf his people, and to guide the feet of deluded and wan dering sinners into the way of peace !. , ., , My dear brethren, in the ministry of the gospel ; let these sayings, I trust the sayings pf God* sink deep into your ears. O study, in all things* tp sshowv, yourselves, approvep unto God 1 — And may he, pouring out his Spirit in rich profusion* make us all-" able ministers of the new covenant,", for the i sake , of his own glory, the profit of many that they may be- saved, and our own igverlasting joy ! . ,;-, , .,..,- And let= roe remind all my Christian brethren, that while it is the duty of their pastors to teach, it is their dftty.to seek to profit by their teaching; — it is their duty to fearnir-eand that the various dispositions which have been enumerated,^pieiy, candour, affectipri, meekness, «2T>m,iv.3, 2, 31 discernment, and Seal, are necessary in the learner, as well as in the teacher. Teachers, are amongst the gifts bestowed by the Lord Jesus on his ;<ehur.ch, when he ascended up on high* leading captivity captive. Hence Paul, who, like his blessed master, sought npt his "own glory, but the glory of him who sent him, says to the church at Corinth— " We preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourse|ves your servants for Jesus' sake *." We de sire to say i so with him. And we trust we can also say, although not with the same purity arid ardour of affection, the same huirning zeal, the same exulting delight* .which animated the apostle's breast, — yet not without some small portion pf his feelings, 'fNow'we live, if ye^tand fast in the- Lord f!" Remember jte, my brethren, the reciprocal duties, which you owe to those whom you have chosen, and whom the Lord, in his :providenee, has appointed, to he over you in holy things.—" iQhey therii - that have the rule over you, aad submit yourselves; for they watch for your sOuls, as they that must give account; that they mayiio it with joy, and not With grief: for that is un profitable for you, j." ft Let him that is taught in the word commuraioate unto him that teacheth, in all good things §." '« Know them who labour among ydu, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you ; and esteem them very highly iirlove, for their work's sake : and be at peace among yourselves |[." In proportion as you feel your obligations to the Sa viour,— to him who loved you, and gave himself for you, that he might redeem you' from all iniquity, — you must feel interested in the prosperity of his cause. You ap prove of the principles of church order denominated In- * 2 Cor. iv. 5. f 1 Thess. iii. 8. $ Heb. xiii. 17 § Gal. vi. 6. J| X Thess. v. 1-2, 13.. 32 dependent, because you are convinced, that they are the principles ofthe word of God. You therefore, of neces sity, desire their prevalence, and general adoption. But you wish this, I trust, riot from feelings of party-spirit ; not for the mere ascendancy of the sect to which you be long ; — not as an end in itself, but as a means toward the attainment of an end ; — even the blessed end of the edi fication ofthe body of Christ, in grace and in numbers : an end, which must always be most effectually promoted, by those means which the Head ofthe church has himself ordained ; and an end, of which the unspeakable import ance stamps on all such means of its attainment a pro portionate value If such be your wish, we are confident, that you will cordially approve of some attempt being made, to pro vide for the churches a succession of well educated and able pastors, — -of bishops, fit to teach ; — and that, an ticipating, with a provident eye, and a generous heart, the exigencies of future times, you will give your prayers, your countenance, and your contributions, to this pur pose of zeal and of love. I have avoided all extravagance of statement-) — and have, at the same time, laid before you, without disguise, the sentiments and feelings of my mind, on this interest ing and important subject. — I have said nothing, to which I am not, in conscience, convinced, that the great Head of the church would affix the seal of heaven ;— and I trust that " all the people will say, Amen 1" . *' Finally, brethren, farewell: be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace ; and the God of iove and peace shall be with you." APPENDIX. In the month of January last, the following Circular Letter was sent to the Pastors of the different Congre gational Churches in Scotland, understood to be in fellowship with those by whom it is signed. Dear Sir, In consequence of a Letter lately received from Mr. Orme, in Perth, expressing the desire prevalent among the Brethren in the North, that some decisive steps were taken, towards providing means of suitable Education for Young Men, who may wish to devote them selves to " the ministry of the word;" we have agreed, fully satisfied as we are" of the growing importance of this object, to invite to a general conference on the subject, all those Pastors of churches, in our connection, whose desires respecting it, are, like ours, favourable to its ac complishment. ^ We, therefore, hereby request the aid of your coun sel, as to this interesting and important matter, at Glasgow, on Wednesday the 13th day of March next; either by your personal presence,, or if, on account of distance, or any other cause, that may be found impracticable, by letter, stating your mind as to the desireableness of the object in general, with the likelihood there may be of its meeting with support and encouragement from the Bre thren, or other Christians, in your part of the country j and imparting your best advice, as to the means of carry ing it into effect. We intend mentioning, immediately, this proposed 34 meeting, to our respective churches; and intimating, that whatever plan may then be thought most eligible will be laid before them, for their approbation and coun tenance. — We wish you, in this, if you shall think it proper, to follow our example ; and, at the same time, to delay any solicitation for pecuniary aid, till such time as some approved scheme, likely to answer the end, can be presented, for support and encouragement. It is proposed, that, on the appointed day ©f confer ence, Mr. Wardlaw preach, in Nile-street Meeting- House, at eleven o'clock forenoon ; and Mr. Orme, in Albion-street Chapel, at seven o'clock evening. And to the object of the Meeting, which has in view his own glory, and the good of his cause and people, ipiay the Great Head of the Church " serid prosperity 1" We are, Dear Sir, Yours, in the best of Bonds, GREVILLE EWING. RALPH WARDLAW. GEORGE ROBERTSON. Glasgow, 22d January, l&ll. AGREEABLif to the request contained in the above Letter, a numerous, arid very interesting meeting' was held at Glasgow, on the day specified. Mr. Wardlaw preached at eleven o'clock forenoon, in Nile-street meeting-house, frojaa 1 Tim. iii.- 2. " A Bi shop, therefore, must be ' apt to teach."— and after sermon, the Pastors who Were present, along with such ofthe members of the churches, as were disposed to ac company therti, adjourned, for conference, fo a hall in Irigrarn'-street. Mr; Aikrnah, of Edinburgh* Was called fo preside j Mr. Robertson, of Paisley, opened the meeting with prayer ; and Mr. Wardlaw was appointed secretary. Previously to entering on ihe business ©f the day, MpotS the motion of Mr. Ewing, the thanks of the meeting were unanimously given to Mr. Wardlaw, for hfe sermon preached Ori this occasion', and he Was requested to furnish the manuscript, in order to its being printed. 35 s Upon the list being read over, of those to whom letters of invitation had been sent, the following brethren were present, — Messrs. Aikman, Edinburgh— Watson, Mus selburgh — Arthur, Dalkeith — Aikenhead, Kirkcaldy— • Knowles* Linlithgow — Caldwell, Falkirk- — Watson,. Grangemouth — Henry, Stirling — M'Laren, Calander — Dun* Dumfries— M'Lean, Ayr— M'Kay* Arran— MfGill* Easdale — Campbell, Oban— Low, Auldkirk — Hercus, Greenock — Edwards, Helensburgh — Kerr, Cambuslang — Wilson, Hamilton — Alexander, Larkhall-i— Orme* Perth— Russel, Dundee — -Philp, Aberdeen— 'Dewar, Nairn — Monro, Kriockando — Ewing and Wardlaw*-' Glasgow— Robertson, Paisley — and Mr. Glover, a deptity from the church in Thistkvstreefc,' Edinburgh, at present without a pastor. '¦¦•-• -¦ *t Letters were also announced, and partly read, from the following brethren: the church in Thistle-street, Edinburgh — Messrs. Puller & Christie, Leith— Elder, Leven Grant, Blairgowrie M'Killiken & Dewar,' Acharn & Aberfeldie — Fraser, Broughty Ferry — Thorn-. son* Lochie — Black, Montrose— Penman, Arbroath — -' Lindsay, Lethem — Collins,* Kirriemuir — M'Neil, Elgin — Dewar, Avoch — 'Martin, Forres — Gibb* Banff- Clark, Thurso — Cleghorn, Wick — Millar, Gatehouse of Fleet — M'Callum, Kintyre- — Paton,' St. Andrews — » Brown, Belfast — Smith, Garlieston. All these Letters expressed warm approbation of the object of the meeting, arid an earnest desire, that the Divine blessing might direct its deliberations, and crown them with a favourable issue. Verbal messages, to the same effect* were likewise delivered from others. It was suggested by Mr. Ewing, tot preserve propei* order in discussion, that the mind of the brethreri present should be requested, on the four following points: 1. The desirableness of the general object. 2. To whom the tuition of the students should be committed. 3. The plan of education which should be followed. And 4. The propriety of connecting with the proposed scheme of education, a scheme of itineraincy for the preaching of the gospel throughout the country. Upon the first of these points, it was expressed, as the unanimous sentiment of all present, that the object was^ 36 in a high degree, desirable* as likely to prove eminently conducive to the prosperity of the cause of Christ. Upon the secOnd, it was proposed, and unanimously agreed, that the education ofthe students should be en trusted to Messrs. Ewing and Wardlaw, Glasgow, should they be willing to undertake the important duty :— upon which, in compliance with this unanimous desire oftheir brethren, they both signified their willingness to accept the charge, and, in the strength arid guidance ofthe grace ©f God, to fulfil it to the best oftheir ability. On proceeding to the third particular, an outline of a plan of education was read to the meeting, by Mr. Robertson of Paisley, and submitted to their considera tion. — This plan was read a second time, in distinct paragraphs ; when various suggestions were thrown out, an the way of amendment or of addition, relative to different parts of its provisions. When each of these had been the subject of free but very harmonious confer ence, they were all, along with the plan itself, referred to a committee, consisting of the following brethren, whose business should be to digest and arrange the whole, and to present their report, at an adjourned meeting, to be held next day at eleven o'clock : Messrs. Ewing, Aikman* Philp, Watson of Musselburgh, Henry, Robertson, Her~ cus, Orme, and Wardlaw. Mr. Russsel of Dundee concluded with prayer. Mr. Orme preached in Albion-street chapel^ in the evening, from John iv. 35, 36. Thursday, March \4tth. At eleven o'clock the brethren convened, agreeably to the adjournment of yesterday. Mr. Monro, of Knockando, opened the meeting with prayer. Two or three additional letters were read, which had been omitted the preceding day ; and Mr,. Watson, of Musselburgh, again engaged in prayer, for the divine direction and countenance. Upon the motion of Mr. Ewing, the thanks of the meeting were given to Mr. Orme, for his sermon preach? ed the preceding evening. The committee appointed to digest the plan, presented the following Report; which was read, and approved. 37 Thursday Morning, Seven o'clock. "Your committee met, agreeably to appointment ; and After prayer and mutual conference, drew up the follow ing digested plan, which they submit for the approbation oftheir brethren* as according with the various sugges tions which were stated and approved at their meetingi yesterday. PLAN Of EDUCATION FOR THE MINISTRY". The object of the institution shall be* to afford proper means of communicating, to brethren pf approved cha racter and talents, a suitable measure of knowledge in the following branches of education* irt order to enable them, with the greater advantage* to fulfil their desire of devOt-' ing themselves to the ministry of the word: — viz. the En&lish, Latin, Greek and Hebrew languages j that they may be able to study the scriptures of the Old and New Testament, in the tongues in which they were originally written, and, in interpreting these scriptures to others, to speak with propriety in their own : — Logic, or the principles and rules of legitimate reasonings of which the knowledge is eminently advantageous* both for the defence of truth, and the refutation of error : — Na tural Philosophy, the interesting study ofthe glory of God in the works of creations— Mathematics, as sub servient to this and other branches of useful science, and as itself excellently adapted for sharpening the powers of the mind, and promoting habits of close and accurate thinking: — General History, including Geography and Chronology, to be studied with special reference to the History, Geography, and Chronology of the Bible : — and Theology, embracing the study of Divine Truth as revealed in the scriptures, along with a Compara tive View of Philosophical and Christian Mo rality. The care of the education of the students shall be com mitted to Messrs. Ewing and Wardlaw, Glasgow; who shall instruct them in Theology; direct their general reading, and their exercises hi the composition and delivery 6f discourses ; and shall superintend their pro gress in classical learning ; the elements of which they shall receive, either from the tutors themselves, or, un- 38 der their direction, from private teachers; while the more advanced parts shall be obtained, along with other branches of education, by attending the ordinary classes in Glasgow College. The course shall be one c-f four years : — it being, at the same time, understood, that such as display superior ta lents, or have enjoyed superior previous advantages, may be sent out sooner ; — and that, in case of necessity, a fifth year may be prescribed, for the rudiments of educa tion, as a necessary introduction to the course. A Library of theological and classical works shall be formed, at the expense of the funds, and by donations of books from individuals friendly to the institution : — whilst, for the advantages of general reading, the stu dents shall have access to the most eligible public library in Glasgow. In order to enable suitable characters to avail themselves of these means of education, all those students whose cir cumstances may render it necessary, shall have their class fees pa.d out ofthe funds, and shall receive a reasonable allowance for temporal maintenance ; the amount of which shall bi regulated by the committee of management after- mentioned, Persons proposed for receiving education, must be re commended by their pastors, with the consent of their respective churches, as known to possess good natural talents, and decided piety, along with those qualities of christian temper, which the scriptures require in those who devote themselves to the ministry of the word. In order to discover these qualifications, it shall be re commended to the pastors of the churches, to make trial of the talents of such as apply for education, by teaching them the principles of English Grammar, or by employ ing them in any other useful exercises, which are fitted fo try and to develope the powers of the mind. The number of the students received, shall be regulated by the state of the funds, and the qualifications of the applicants ; among whom the committee of management shall have power to make the necessary selection, when a greater number apply than can be admitted. It shall be in the power ofthe tutors, with the concur rence pf the conunittee of . management* fo dismiss from 39 the seminary, after a trial of three months, such students as do not, in that time, give evidence of their posses sing talents of which the further cultivation is likely to fit them for real usefulness. The institution shall be supported by the donations and annual subscriptions of individuals, and by the con tributions of churches. Thus far the Report of the committee. — On the plan being approved, Mr. Ewing was called to engage in prayer for the divine blessing upon it. — The clause res pecting the constitution of the committee of manage ment, not having been finally adjusted yesterday, the con sideration of it was resumed ; and it was resolved, that the following brethren, residing in different parts of the country, together with three frprii each of the churches in Glasgow, to be afterwards nominated by the Pastors, with their own consent, and the approbation of their brethren, shall for the present constitute this committee; — Messrs. Ewing and Wardlaw, Glasgow, (ex officio) Aikman, Edinburgh — Philp, Aberdeen — Robertson, Paisley — Hercus, Greenock — Orme, Perth — Watson, Musselburgh — Monro, Knockando — Cleghorn, Wick — Kerr, Cambuslang — Henry, Stirling— Dun, Dumfries — Brown Belfast — Of this committee, seven to be a quorum. A proposal was made by Mr. Orme, and unanimously approved, that provision should be made, from the funds of the institution, for students who have completed their education, and having left the academy, have commenced their labours in preaching the gospel, under the direction of the committee of management, for one year at feast, if within that time they have not obtained a fixed station; and for a longer period, if the committee judge it proper ; it being left to their discretion to decide in this, accord ing to circumstances. It was also resolved, that the minutes of the proceed ings of yesterday and to-day be printed, and a copy sent to each of the pastors of the churches throughout the Country; accompanied with a short address, commend ing the object to the attention, approbation, countenance, and support, of the brethren ; and that this report, and address, be also freely circulated among Christians in 40 general. — M/. Ewing was appointed to draw up Hie prb- posed address. A short conversation took place respecting the last of the four points, suggested for consideration yesterday ; when it seemed to be the unanimous sentiment of the brethren, that however desirable aq, extensive scheme of itinerancy might be, it was much better, in the mean time, to keep but one object in view, and thus to avoid both confusion and objection ; and that no plan of itinerancy, therefore, should be at all connected with the proposed institution* further than what was implied in the preach ing of the more advanced students during the vacations, and of those who had finished their studies, from the time oftheir leaving the academy, till they should be settled in a fixed station. The thanks of the meeting were unanimously given to Messrs. Ewirig and Wardlaw, for the manner in which they had signified their willingness to accept the charge devolved upon them* and to undertake the great addition al labour necessarily arising from it. Thanks were also given to Mr. Aikman, for his con duct as president of the meetings. Mr. Aikman concluded with prayer. Beloved Brethren, we lay before you, a plan for affording the advantages of an appropriate education to those of your riUmber, who may desire the good work of the ministry of the gospel, and who may be judged eligible to engage in that work. You believe in the only living and true God, the Fa ther, Son, and Holy Spirit. You hope for everlasting life from the love of him, who sent his Son into the world to save his people from their sins, by redeeming them with his own precious blood. You rejoice in Christ Jesus the Lord, as your righteousness and strength, the propitiation for your sins, your advocate with the Father, the con queror of Satan and of death, your forerunner within the yail, the glorified King and Head ©f his church, who shall judge the world, and receive his people to himself at $he last day. You are living by faith in the Son of God, jthrOugh the sovereign grace of the Holy Spirit, who is 41 sent by the Father in the name of his Son, t© carry con viction, by means of the truth, to the consciences and hearts of sinners. By his inward operation, you have been born again, are walking in newness of life, are join ed in fellowship with one another, with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity throughout the world, and with angels and spirits of the just made perfect in heaven, into which you are yourselves to be soon ad mitted ; nay, your fellowship is truly with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. When you meet together in the name of Christ, he is in the midst of you. Salvation is also come to your houses, through the merits of him, in whose name both you and your households are baptiz ed;, and whatever be your lot in regard to this world, you are encouraged to commit yourselves and yours, to the Lord, and to the word of his grace, knowing whom you have believed, and being persuaded, that he is able to keep that which you have committed to him against that day. All these blessings you owe, under God, to that divine institution, the preaching ©f the everlasting gospel. A source of so great happiness to yourselves, must be the most precious inheritance which you can leave to your children ; the best gift which you can offer, either to the present, or to future generations. Your pastors have felt it a duty peculiarly connected with their oversight of churches, to provide suitable labourers to help them in the ministry of the gospel. A cordial acquiescence in the plan, which they have propos ed for this important purpose, will encourage them to greater efforts, while they remain in the vineyard them selves, and make their minds more cheerful, when called to resign their place to others, who shajl succeed them. That the Lord will at all events send labourers into his harvest, we cannot doubt ; but that we should be guiltless, if we neglected to seek them, and to furnish them with every possible' advantage, we dare not believe. The approbation of the object, which most of you have already expressed ; the harmony which appeared among all who met fpr conference, or corresponded respecting it; and the divine countenance which has attended former attempts of a similar nature; unite in persuading us* that we are not mistaken, when we anticipate, your 42 zealous arid • effectual co-operation. Brethren', pray fof us, that the word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified. We are far from limiting the hope of a supply of preachers and pastors, to any institution con ducted by man. We shall rejoice to see many brought forward to labour successfully in the gospel* by other* means, than those which We think it our duty to recom mend. Let us only be permitted to provide for such of our brethren as may desire it, those means of improve ment, which are .- calculated, by the blessing of God, to make them more able ministers of his holy word. We are extremely sorry to add to the burdens which already lie on you. Placed in trying times, you have many difficulties to contend with of a peculiar nature. Our churches have all been lately formed, and all nearly at the same period; some, have been involved in debt by the building of places of worship, and by other circumstances which we trust will be only of temporary duration. These embarrassments, which we feel with you in common, pre vent us from expecting to be able ourselves, or to be en abled by you, to do all that we would. But let us do what we can. If there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and nbt according fo that he hath not. Give us your best wishes, and whatever assistance the Lord may enable you really to' spare; and we shall cheerfully engage in the arduous undertaking, although in the commencement at least, it may require to be conducted on the smallest scale. Agreeably to the request of their brethren, stated in the preceding minutes, Messrs. Ewing and Wardlaw have, with the' consent pf their respective churches, no minated the following brethren, as additional members of the committee of management. Messrs. William1 Penman, William Harley, Wil liam M'GaviN, ofthe church in Nile-street; Messrs. William Wardlaw, Gilbert Wardlaw, John Smith, of the church in Albion-street. The above named gentlemen, along with Messrs. Ewing and Wardlaw, met on the 2d of April, and nominated Mr. William Wardlaw, president of the committee, and Mr. M'Gavin, treasurer to the institution. 43 The Committee, therefore, now stands as follows : Mr. WILLIAM WARDLAW, President. Mr. RALPH WARDLAW, Secretary. Mr. WILLIAM M'GAVIN, Treasurer. Messrs. Ewing, Glasgow, Aikman, Edinburgh, Philp, Aberdeen, Robertson, Paisley, Hercus, Greenock, Orme, Perth, Watson, Musselburgh, Monro, Knockando, Cleghorn, Wick, Kerr* Cambuslang, Henry, Stirling, Dun, Dmnfries, Brown, Belfast, Penman, Harley, G. Wardlaw, J. Smith, GlasgoWi Donations and Annual Subscriptions will be received by the treasurer, who resides in George's Square, Glasgow, or by any of the gentlemen pi" the committee. Christian 4g)ercp: <A. SERMON, preached at the request or the GLASGOW FEMALE SOCIETY, On the Evening of Thursday, MARCH 15/, 1810. By RALPH WARDLAW, MINISTER OF TBE GOSPEL, GLASGOW. GLASGOW: Printed by Jama Hedderimuk tS* Co. SOLD BT M. OGLE, J. AND A. DUNCAN, AND R. DALLAS AND C.O. GLASGOW; J. OGLE, AND BROWN AND CROMBIE, EDINBURGH; R. OGLE, AND T. HAMILTON, LONDON. 1810. CHRISTIAN MERCYs A SERMON. Mat. v. 7. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. vv hen our Saviour began his public ministry, he proclaimed, as John the Baptist had done before him, the approaching establishment of the pre dicted kingdom of heaven; warning the Jews to renounce their prejudices and errors, and to em brace the truth, — to forsake their sins, and to follow righteousness. " Repent," said he, " for the kingdom of heaven is at hand *." He con firmed his declaration, and enforced his admoni tion, by the performance of miracles, such as at once attested his divine mission, and declared him a messenger of grace; the power necessary to their accomplishment, " bearing, witness of him that the Father had sent him," and their kind and merciful nature, that he had sent him on an errand of love. Of his preaching, and his miracles, with their effects in spreading abroad his fame, and drawing the multitudes £fter him, we have * Mat. iv. 17. a succinct account in the end of the preceding chapter: " And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness, and all manner of disease, among the people. And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him aU sick people, that were taken with diverse diseases and torments, and those who were possessed with devils, and those who were lunatic, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them. And there followed him great multitudes of people, from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judea, and from beyond Jordan *." This favourable opportunity the Saviour em braced, of delivering the well known, and highly interesting and important discourse, of which the text forms a part. He commences this discourse, by drawing a bold and beautiful outline of those features of character, which should distinguish, from the rest of the world, the subjects Of his spiritual kingdom; and, with the dignity of " one who had authority," pronouncing upon each of them the blessing of heaven. From amongst these features of character, the excellence and blessedness of which are thus em phatically declared, I have selected for considera tion, this evening, the attribute of Mercy: — " Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." — and I shall endeavour to recommend it to the approbation of your minds, and to excite you to the practical exhibition of it in your lives, by directing your attention, In the first place, to its general nature: — In the second place, to its objects: — And, * Mat. iv. 2S, 24, 25. In the third place, to the consideration by WHICH, IN THE TEXT, THE CULTIVATION AND EXERCISE OF IT ARE ENFORCED. I shall, in the first place, make some observa tions on the general nature of Christian mercy.. Mercy may be viewed in reference either to guilt, or to misery. In the former light, it is a disposition to lenity and forgiveness towards an offender, and stands opposed to severity and re taliation : in the latter, it is an inclination to re lieve the wretchedness of its objects, whether that wretchedness be at the time felt, or be perceived to exist in their state and prospects; it is a com passionate tenderness of heart, which " weeps with those who weep," and for those who have cause to weep, of which they are ignorant or insensible. These two dispositions are nearly allied to each other. The heart that is untouched with any generous emotion by the confessions of a penitent offender, and will be satisfied with nothing less than the most rigorous penalty which inflexible justice can demand, we do not expect to find feelingly alive to the claims of distress in general. As a gentle and forgiving temper of mind, however, might, with at least equal propriety, be considered as a feature of meekness, mentioned in one of the preceding verses, I shall, in this discourse, treat of mercy, chiefly in the more enlarged and general view of it, as meaning compassionate kindness toward every form of misery, the opposite of insensibility, or hardness of heart. Respecting Christian mercy, so understood, I observe : — In the first place. — It regards both the bodies and the souls of men; both their temporal and their eternal interests. I mention this first, as the grand characteristic of Christian mercy; distinguishing it from com mon humanity, that kind of benevolence which is not seldom to be found in the characters of men, who, by their conduct in other respects, show themselves to be destitute of the grace of God. Of such men, the compassions are limited to the temporal wants and miseries of their fellow creatures : they think not of their spiritual state, or their everlasting prospects : they feel no pang of pity for perishing souls. How should they? they do not, in these respects, feel for themselves! Yet what, let me ask, is that benevolence, which confines its feelings and attentions to the transient concerns of this vain and uncertain life? — relieving distresses, which may last but for a day or an hour, and forgetting that the object of pity is an immortal and accountable being! Is this rational? Does it deserve to. be dignified with the name of true benevolence; overlooking, as it does, that view of human existence and of human happiness, which is infinitely the most important and in teresting? What should we think of that man's consistency, who should manifest the utmost anxiety to prevent, or to alleviate, a slight and momentary pain, and at the same time contem plate, with calm indifference, circumstances ne cessarily involving the object of his solicitude in a long lifetime of accumulated wretchedness? The inconsistency of such conduct would be strikingly great; but infinitely less than his, whose feelings of compassion are awakened by fhe afflictions of mankind, considered as " crea tures of yesterday," attached to life by a thread, which the wing of every passing moment may break; while he never concerns himself with the reflection, that these creatures are formed fbr eternal existence; or with the solemn question, whether that existence shall be passed in happiness or in woe ! The mercy of the true Christian, is not thus inconsistent. It views mankind both as mortal and as immortal; and it is, as it ought to be, most powerfully affected by their spiritual state, and their prospects for eternity. It beholds them in the light in which the word of God represents them, as a race of fallen and guilty creatures, estranged from God, and children of wrath ; " poor, and miserable, and wretched, and blind, and naked *." If they are insensible to their real condition, and, through insensibility, thoughtless, unconcerned, and apparently happy, his heart only bleeds for them the more tenderly. Jf they enjoy abun'dance of earthly good, while they are destitute of the true riches, he views .them, not with the eye of envy; but, while he is happy to see them prosper, he cannot but be strongly affected by the contrast which their situation presents, between the Ught of worldly prosperity, and the darkness of spiritual death. He remembers the words of the Lord Jesus, — " What is a man profited, if he should gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or, what shall a man give in exchange for his soulf?" and, with a full heart, and a melting eye, " he beholds transgressors, and is grieved J." It is as immortal and guilty creatures, that Divine mercy has viewed and visited mankind. As it is the folly of men to bound their considera tion by the limits of their present Ufe, the wisdom of God embraces, in its estimate of human happi ness, and of human misery, the whole extent of human existence. It is not merely the temporal effects of sin, but its eternal consequences, that * Rev. iii. 17. f Mat. xvi. 26. \ Psai. cxix. 158. 8 have drawn forth towards man the compassions of Jehovah ; — " who hath remembered us in our low estate, because his mercy endureth for ever *." But, while Christian mercy is principally af fected by the condition of men, as sinners ready to perish, it is not affected by this alone. It is far from being insensible to their temporal sufferings and wants. Its sympathies, on the contrary, are tender and lively. It has a tear of heart -felt commiseration for aU the calamities and evils to which men are exposed, in their bodies, in their minds, in their connections with one another, and in their external circumstances; from what ever source these evils may have sprung, whether from the immediate visitatioh of God, from the injustice and. cruelty of feUow men, or even from the sin and foUy of the sufferers themselves. There is no description of unhappiness, which Christian mercy can contemplate without emo tion; although it is, of course, more deeply affected by some kinds of evil than by others; and various feelings will necessarily mingle them selves with its exercise, according to the circum stances from which the distress has arisen, or with which it is associated. But I now proceed to observe, In the second place,— That the merciful man, whom the text pronounces blessed, is not a mere man of feeling : his mercy is a powerful principle of conduct; a fountain which overflows in streams of blessing, to the afflicted and the destitute. His mercy does notr evaporate in unprofitable words. It is not satisfied with saying to him who is " naked and destitute of daily food, depart in peace, be warmed and filled f;" but, along with * Psai. cxxxvi. 23. f James ii. 15. 9 the expressions of sympathy, it imparts, to the utmost of its power, " those things which are needful for the bbdy." It is not contented with deploring, in however strong language, the ignor ance, the wickedness, and the misery, of men who are perishing in their sins; it exerts itself for the instruction of the ignorant, the conversion of the sinner, the peace and joy of the miserable, — the salvation of the perishing. Of this operative nature, has been the mercy of God to a fallen world. " God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him might not perish, but have everlasting life *." He not only " remem bered us in our low estate," " but laid our help on one mighty to save:" to rescue us from merited perdition, he **. spared not his own Son." — And in the character of him who is " the Image of the invisible God," active beneficent mercy holds a distinguished place. The tender compassions of his heart prompted him to unceasing exertion. " He went about doing goodf." — It was for the salvation of guilty sinners, that "• He who was in the form of God,- and thought it not robbery to be equal with God, made himself of no reputa tion, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men ; and, being found in fashion as a man, humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross \." During the period of his ministry on earth, with what indefatigable activity, what disinterested self-denial, what patient and cheer ful endurance of suffering, did he seek the good of mankind ! It was his meat and his drink to execute the gracious purposes of his mission; " preaching good tidings to the poor, liberty to * John iii. 16. + Acts x. 38. J Phil. ii. 6, 7, 8. B 10 the captives, and the opening of the prison t(t them who were bound ; binding up the broken hearted, comforting the mourners, appointing to them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourn ing, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness ; proclaiming the acceptable year of the Lord *." At his merciful and omnipotent word, " the eyes of the blind were opened, the ears of the deaf were unstopped, the lame man leaped as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb sangf." His whole character was marked by a melting, yet subfime and dignified tenderness. With what commanding majesty, yet with what endearing kindness, does he appear, when soothing the over whelmed spirit of the weeping widow of Nain, and restoring her' only son to her fond embrace! — - when mingling his tears with those of the afflicted sisters of Lazsarus, and, with a loud and effec tual voice, summoning the dead from his grave! — On these and other occasions, we behold power exerted to accomplish the purposes of mercy, in such a way, that we are at once melted into love, and awed into silent and humble reverence. On many occasions, the Saviour waited not for an application, either from the distressed them selves, or from others in their behalf; but, in the fulness of his benevolent compassion, imparted unasked relief. — In the highest expression of his mercy, indeed, had he waited for an application, the objects of it must have perished for ever. The pride of our rebellious hearts, averse as they are, by nature, to receive even the offers of his mercy, would never have prompted us to seek it: — and the idea, besides, of a Divine Being assuming the nature of our fallen race, in order to accomplish their recovery, was one which no » Isa. lxi. 1, 2, S. with Luke iv. 16—21. f Isa. xxxV. 5, S. II conceivable measure of presumption could ever have suggested to the mind of any creature. — When he came, in the name of Jehovah, to save us, he came, sent of God, and delighting to do his will; but uninvited by the perishing objects of his grace. Thus must our mercy operate, as an efficient principle of action. Benevolence must excite to" beneficence, else the profession of it is as vain and worthless, as the profession of faith, when it does not " work by love." It is on such active, bene ficent mercy, that the blessing of God is pro nounced: — " Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out; to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? Then shaU thy light break forth as the morning, and thy health shall spring forth speed ily; and thy righteousness shall go before thee: the glory of the Lord shaU be thy rereward. — If thou draw out thy soul to the hungay, and satisfy the afflicted soul, then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon-day: and the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones; and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not *." Of this description was the mercy of the patriarch Job: " when the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me: because 1 delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none » Isa. lviii. 6, 7, 8, 10, II. 12 to help him. The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me; and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy. I put on righteousness, and it clothed me : my judgment was as a robe and a diadem. I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame. I was a father to the poor; and the cause which I knew not I searched out: and I broke the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth *." It is only, however, with the genuine disposition of the heart, that the God who " weighed! the spirits" can be pleased. Some ofthe external in dications of benevolence may appear, while they proceed from principles essentially different. Our Lord supposes, for example, that men may give alms from the principle of ostentatious vanity; and he declares, respecting such, that " they have their reward f:" — and one of his apostles makes the supposition, (which we are by no means to consider as a supposition beyond the bounds of possibility,) of a man's bestowing all his goods to feed the poor, and yet wanting genuine charity J. It may sometimes be difficult lor us to detect the operation of unhallowed motives ; but wherever they do operate, that which proceeds from them, however like it may be, in our view, to the fruits of genuine mercy, cannot be acceptable to God. It is a forgery; base and counterfeit in the eye of Him, who " seeth not as man seeth." But while the fruits of ostentation, or of self- righteousness, may bear a deceitful resemblance to those of true benevolence, it ought, at the same time, never to be forgotten, that where fruit is not produced, — where there exists abiUty to do good, that is not put into exercise, the professions of sympathy, however fervent, as they spring from * Job xxix. 11 — 17. f Mat. Ti- ' — 4- t 1 Cor. xiii. S. 13 hypocrisy, are equally odious in the sight of that Godj who " desireth truth in the inward parts." It should also be remembered, for the en couragement of those, whose ability to do good may not, in Divine providence, be adequate to the gratification of their benevolent desires, that, where the merciful disposition exists, the fruits of it are accepted, " according to what a man hath; and not according to what he hath not *." When Jesus, on one occasion, sat over against the trea sury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury, " many that were rich cast in much: and there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and said unto them, Verily, I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast more in than all they who have cast into the treasury: for all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even aU her living f." I proceed now to notice, In the second place, — The objects of Christian mercy. It is most wisely ordered, by the author of our mental constitution, that our benevolent affections should be strongest, where they have most occa sion to operate. It is an attempt pregnant with unnatural absurdity, and, were it within the bounds of possibility, fraught with mischief, to obliterate the peculiarities of affection, and to re solve all its varieties into the general principle of the love of mankind. There is no precept nor principle of Christianity, that violates the sanc tuary of private friendship, and consanguineal tenderness. By the irresistible impulse of nature, * 2 Cor. viii. 12. t Mark xii. 41 — 44. 14 we .feel, and cannot but feel, more acute and. lively concern, for the miseries, whether temporal or spiritual, of those who are " bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh," than for the woes of men with whom our sole bond of connection is the possession of a common nature. — " I say the truth in Christ, and lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart, for ' my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh." " Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved *." The pecuUar love which these declarations express, is the offspring of nature ; the prayer, for the most important and comprehensive of all blessings, is the dictate of genuine piety. Though the souls of all may be, in themselves, equally precious, yet it is utterly impossible they should all be equally precious to us. Neither is it possible, that the temporal distresses and wants of all, should be to us equally affecting, exciting the same degree of compassionate emotion, or producing the same measure of beneficent exertion. Among peculiar attachments, must likewise be reckoned the mutual love of those who are " the children of God, by faith in Jesus," brethren in Christ, and fellow-heirs of the heavenly inheri tance : — " whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God ; and every one that loveth Him that begat, loveth him also that is begotten of Him f." This pure and fervent love to that holy family, which, in Scripture, is denominated " the household of faith," is a distinguishing principle of the new nature, imparted to every one who is a member of it, by the regenerating Spirit of God. In the heart of a sinner, thus * Rom. ix, 1, 2. and x. I. •)• 1 John v. 1. 15 again," this love is felt as the natural affection- of the new and spiritual relation on which he enters. He feels it immediately, uniting him, by a tender and delightful sympathy, unfelt before, with " all who love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity." Believers in Jesus love one another, as joint objects of the love of Christ, and of God; — as redeemed by the same precious blood ; — par doned by the same sovereign mercy; — sanctified by the same spirit; — children of the same Father; — brethren of the same glorious Redeemer ;— fellow-pilgrims on earth, looking for a better country, even a heavenly, where they expect to spend an eternity of blessedness together, in the presence of God, and of the Lamb. The love which arises from such peculiar bonds of attachment, must necessarily inspire feelings of compassion and mercy, peculiarly tender, for the distresses of those who are its objects: They are, accordingly, described as members of the same body, which "should all have the same care one for another, so that whether one member suffer, all the mem bers should suffer with it, Or one member be honoured, all the members should rejoice with it*:" — and as members of one family, who are entitled, from each other, to a preference above the rest of mankind, in the exercise of their benevolent affections; " as we have, therefore, opportunity, let us do good to all men, especially to those who are of the household of faith f." While, however, a superiority of claim is ad mitted, as arising from these circumstances of natural and spiritual relationship, our merciful regards must by no means be thus confined ; they must extend to the whole human race; and our benevolent exertions, according to the measure of * 1 Cor. xii. 25, 25. + Gal. vi. 10. 16 our abiUty, to all who come within the sphere of our influence. No diversity of nation or religion, of character, of colour, or of form, is to be, on any account, considered, as involving a forfeiture of the natural and unalienable claim, which every man possesses on every fellow-man, for compas sionate sympathy, and help in time of need. Although God is not the father of aU; in the same sense in which he bears this endearing rela tion to those who believe in his Son, who are his children as being renewed in the spirit of their minds, partaking of his holy likeness, and objects of his complacent delight ; yet still he is represented as, by their creation, the common Parent of mankind. The sentiment of the heathen poet is sanctioned and haUowed by the voice of inspiration, " For we are also his offspring *." " God hath made of one blood all nations of men, to dweU on all the face of the earth f." " Have we not all one Fa ther? hath not one God created usj<?" — Ahd as God is the father of all men, as their creator, he extends over all the unceasing care of his providen tial administration; and, according to his declared purpose, has destined the good tidings of his mercy, revealed in the Gospel, to be proclaimed io every people, and kindred, and tongue, and nation ; all being involved in the same guilt, and aU needing the same salvation. But that which exalts Christian mercy to a sublime pre-eminence above the ordinary com passions of mankind, is, that, in the command of God, enemies, — not merely national, but even personal enemies, — are included among the num ber of its objects. Whatever just claims patriotism may advance for a preference, in the exercise of benevolence, to a countryman above an alien; no ¦* Acts xvii. 28. + Acts xvii. 26. J Mai. ii. 10. 17 feeling of national animosity must be suffered to close the ear, and to harden the heart, when the voice of a stranger, even of a hostile stranger, pleads for mercy.— Between the Jews and the Samaritans there existed an antipathy, so malig nant and scornful, that, among the former, the appeUation a Samaritan was one which expressed the strongest feeUngs of disdain and hatred: " Say we not weU, that thou art a Samar itan, and hast a devil*?" Yet it was by the beautiful parable of the good Samaritan, by whom mercy was shown to the Jew, who had fallen among thieves, between Jerusalem and Jericho, that our Lord answered the question, " who. is my neighbour ?" and, by enjoining him who asked it to " go and do likewise," impressively taught the comprehensive extent of the precept, "thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself:" a precept which, as we learn from the end of the chapter where our text lies, had been grievously perverted from its original meaning, to suit the depraved propensities of human pride; and which is there restored to its genuine sense and dignity. " Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy: But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them who despitefully use you and persecute you: that ye may be the chil dren of your Father who is in heaven; for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust f." To the same purpose- is the command of God, given by the apostle Paul, in the twelfth chapter of his Epistle to the Romans \. — " Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath ; for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will * John viii. 48. + Mat v. 43, 44, 45. % Ver. 19, 20,21. 18 repay, saith the Lord. Therefore, if thine enemy hunger, feed him ; if he thirst, give him drink ; for, in so doing, thou shalt heap coals of fire>on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." I proposed, in the third place, to direct your attention to the consideration by which the TEXT ENFORCES THE CULTIVATION AND EXERCISE OF MERCV. " Blessed are the merciful." — I might here enlarge on the inward satisfaction, inseparable from the exercise of this amiable disposition of mind; — the indescribable luxury of doing good; — the enviable delight of the benevolent man, when he witnesses the fruits of his compassion, — surveys the happiness diffused around him by the exercise of his mercy; when " the ear hears him, and blesses him; when the eye sees him, and bears witness to him ; when the blessing of him who was ready to perish, comes upon him, and the widow's heart is made to sing for joy " — It is emphaticaUy said of the blessed God himself, that he " delighteth in mercy *." And the Lord Jesus, whose character is our perfect pattern of pure and disinterested benevolence, as it is of every thing else that is exceUent and lovely, is recorded to have declared, " It is more blessed to give than to receive f." But, although this idea need not be entirely excluded, it is not the kind of blessedness par ticularly referred to in the text. The blessing which is here pronounced on the merciful, is, an interest in the mercy of God: — " Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy." On this part of the subject, let us attend, — 1st, To the nature of the blessing itself; and, * Mic. vii. 18. f Acts xx. 35. 19 2dly, To the connection between the exercise of mercy on our part, and our obtaining mercy from God. In the first place, let us shortly notice what is implied in obtaining mercy. The expression is never applied to a creature that is innocent and happy; but supposes, in the object of mercy, the existence of guilt and misery. When God is merciful, he pardons the guilty, and blesses the miserable. When Paul prays for Onesiphorus, — " The Lord grant unto him, that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day!" — he presents, in his behalf, a petition of unutterable importance; but the very terms of it imply, that it is a petition for a creature, who has incurred^, by guilt, the desert of misery. The angels who have " kept their first estate," although they owe aU their blessedness to sovereign favour, are not objects of mercy; the very idea of which is un avoidably associated in the mind with the idea of misery, either suffered or deserved. The language, then, which our Lord here uses, per fectly accords with all the representations given in the Scriptures, of the state of man, as a fallen, gmlty, and miserable creature, lying at the mercy of his offended God. To a creature in this condition, the blessing is one whose value it is impossible to estimate. If our depravity permitted us rightly to conceive the real demerit of sin, even in the degree to which our limited faculties, if free from the bias of corruption, might be able to comprehend it :— ¦ if our imaginations could form an adequate con ception, on the one hand, of the sentence of eter nal death, which the God of holiness and truth has pronounced against it; or, on the other, of the fulness of joy which is at his right hand for evermore; — the latter, the blessed consequence of 20 obtaining mercy, — the former, the awful alterna tive; — then might we, in some measure, appretiate the value of the blessing here pronounced on the merciful : — " they shall obtain mercy :" — they shall find favour with that God, who, while he " delighteth in mercy," is also, in justice, and in jealousy, a consuming fire; who has power to save, and power to destroy ; to bless, and to curse ; to bless, beyond the most enlarged desires, and to curse, beyond the most fearful forebodings of men. " Whom he blesses, they are blessed; and whom he curses, thev are cursed." — To obtain mercy, then, is to be blessed with the pardon of sin; and, being delivered from its condemning sentence, to inherit everlasting life. Let us now, in the second place, attend to the connection between the exercise of mercy on our part, and our obtaining mercy from God. And here, in order to prevent those destructive delusions, which the hearts of men, deceitful as they are above all things, are ever ready to practise on themselves, by eagerly catching at every expres sion which seems to favour the proud pretensions of self-righteousness, so inexpressibly inconsistent with the state and character of a fallen creature ; or to countenance the too common, but blind and inconsiderate expectation, of purchasing heaven by deeds of charity; let me request your serious attention to the following observations : In the first place. — We have seen, that the, very idea of mercy, on the part of God, implies guilt and misery on the part of the creature. Now, nothing is more plainly revealed in the word of God, than the ground on which he is merciful to guilty and miserable sinners. To make this known, indeed, is the grand leading purpose of Divine revelation. The Bible is, accordingly, full of it: and the exhibition of it is so clear and 21 plain, that " he who runs may read it." " Who is a God like unto thee," says the prophet Micah, " that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delight- eth in mercy. He will turn -again, he wiU have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniqui ties; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers, from the days of old *." God performed the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, when the Seed of Abraham appeared, in whom, it was declared, that aU na tions should be blessed f: — and in the passage just quoted from the prophet, the connection is inti mated, between the fulfilment of this great Old Testament promise, and the exercise of Divine compassion to the guilty, in the forgiveness of iniquity. It is through the promised mediator, "JEHOVAH OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS," that God is propitious to sinners ; that all the mercy, which pardons the guilty, and blesses the miserable, is bestowed. It is through faith in the atonement made by his blood, that an interest is obtained in the favour of our justly offended Sovereign. " In Christ Jesus, we, who were afar off, are made nigh, by the blood of Christ J;" who " bare our sins, in his own body on the tree II;" who " suffer ed for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us unto God §." — It is in the name of our great High Priest, who is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, that we must, while on earth, come to the throne of grace, to obtain mercy ^[: and it is such as have washed their * Mic. vii. 18, 19, 20. f See Luke i. 67 — 75. Acts xiii. 32—39. i Eph. ii. 13. || 1 Pet. ii. 24.. § 1 Pet. iv. 18. \ Hefc. iv. 14, 15, IS. 22 robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb, that stand with acceptance before the throne of God in heaven *. Let us recollect,: my dear friends, that he who in the text assures us, that the merciful shaU find mercy, says also — •* the Son of man came, not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for Hianyf:"-;— " This is my blood of the new covenant which is shed for many, for the remission of sins J:" — " As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; that whosoever believeth in him might not perish, but have everlasting life § :" — "If ye believe not that I am he, ye shaU die in your sins." — Now such as die in their sins, die without an interest in the mercy of God; and are placed for ever beyond its reach. — Whatever, then, be the meaning of the words of the text, they cannot mean, that the gift of God is to be purchased with money, or obtained as a recompence for deeds of charity. — Speak not of obtaining mercy on any such ground as this. Your language is self-contradictory. Mercy, when shown by God to his creatures, must, from its very nature, be free; entirely without claim on the part of him who receives it. It is the pardon of a criminal, who has been justly sentenced to pun ishment; the gift of happiness to one whose pro per desert is misery; of life, where death is due. — Merited mercy is mercy no longer. Admit the idea of title, and you exclude that of grace. And in excluding grace, you destroy the very essence of mercy. Do not, then, by a miserable perversion of the word of God, talk of " Charity covering the multitude of sins." Never were words more » Rev. vii. 14, 15. tMat.xx.,28. f Mat. xxvi. 28, § John iii. 14, 1£. 23 thoughtlessly misappUed, or more unreasonably abused. — Strange! that an apostle who speaks of Christ " bearing our sins in his own body on the tree;" of his suffering for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us unto God;" and of sinners being " redeemed, not with corruptible things, such as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb, without blemish and without spot;" should, at the same time, be quoted as authority for the foolish and impious sentiment, that liberality to the poor may bribe off the justice, and buy the mercy of the Judge of all! — The truth is, that, in the words aUuded to, there is no reference to almsgiving. Charity is Christian love. Peter quotes the words of Solomon, — " Hatred stirreth up strifes ; but love covereth all sins:" where a simple con trast is stated, between the opposite influence, in a particular respect, of hatred and of love, by which the apostle's real meaning is at once ex plained, more effectually than by a volume of reasoning. Do not, in order to persuade yourselves that the purchase may be easily effected, hide from your own minds the real enormity, the exceeding sin fulness of sin, under the palliative terms of imper fections, faults, and failings; and thus cherish the delusive hope, that charity may cover your sins, though it may be ineffectual to screen from pun ishment the crimes of more flagrant offenders. — In this way, among many others, do men fre quently blindfold their judgments, lull and delude their consciences, and practise a ruinous deceit upon their immortal souls. If the Scriptures are allowed to speak with authority, they pronounce against sin a decisive verdict of eternal death; a verdict which includes, without exception, the whole race of mankind, all having sinned, and 24 eome short of the glory of God ; — and when it is said, respecting any, " they shall obtain mercy," nothing less is meant, than the free and irre- pealable remission of this awful, but righteous, sentence; a remission which, every page of the Divine word testifies, is only to be obtained through faith in the atonement made by the Son of God. But, in the second place: — although, as has now been stated, the ground on which mercy shall be obtained, is, according to the uniform testimony of the Scriptures, the atonement made by the sufferings and death of the Son of God; it is, at the same time, to be observed, that aU who betake themselves to this ground of confidence, who trust for mercy in thisatonement,are described as distinguished by the possession of a certain character, the result of faith, and of the holy in. fluences of the spirit of grace: so that no one, whatever may be his professions, who does not possess this character, has any interest, or shall be found, at the great day, to have any interest, in the saving virtue of the atoning sacrifice of Christ, and, by necessary consequence, in the mercy of God. For example : — It is declared, on the one hand, in the most explicit and unequivocal terms, " By grace ye are saved;" " not pf works, lest any man should boast * : — on the other, in terms no less plain and decisive, — " without holiness no man shaU see the Lord f." These declarations are both true, and they are perfectly consistent. The ground of our salvation is grace ; free favour ; sovereign mercy. But, if we believe the message of grace, the truth as it is in Jesus, the faith of it wiU " purify our hearts J," and " work by love §." * Eph. ii. 5, 8, 9. f Heb. xii 14. J Acts xv. 9. § Gal. v. 6. 25 If it does not, no man is bound— <-nay, no man is warranted, to credit our professions ; every mart is bound to disbelieve and reject them, as spring ing either from miserable self-deception j or detest able hypocrisy. — It was necessary that both these declarations, the one respecting the ground, or procuring cause, of mercy, the other respecting the test of our interest in it, should be made with equal plainness ; to prevent, on the one hand, de lusive confidence in a false foundation, and, on the other, unwarrantable and presumptuous de- pendance on the true ; a dependence arising'from the separation of what God hath joined together. In such passages as the foUowing, grace, as the source of salvation, and holiness, as the effect of faith, appear in beautiful union : — " The grace of God, that bringeth salvation, hath appeared unto all men.; teaching us, that* denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righte ously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himelf a pecu liar people, zealous of good works*." " After that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward- man appeared; not by works of right eousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regen eration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;, that, being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs, according to the hope of- eternal life. This is a faithful saying, and these things 1 wiU that thou affirm constantly, that they who have believed in God might be careful to maintain good worksf." » Titus ii. 11—14. t TitU8 "'• 4_ ft D 26 In consistency with these observations, we find, in Scrjpture,sometimes the ground of mercy stated, and sometimes the character described of those who shaU obtain it: the possession of this character being essential, though not as a meritorious cause, (for this, as has been remarked, involves a contra diction,) yet as the only decisive evidence of their faith in Christ, and consequent interest in his propitiatory sacrifice. In the whole of the passage where our text lies, it is evidently our Lord's design, not to point out the foundation on which the hope of mercy should rest, but to delineate the character of his genuine disciples. — Of this character 3/ mercy is one of the prominent features : and the correctness of the views which have just been given, may be con firmed by a very convincing instance, which re spects one of the modes of the exercise of mercy, as it is enjoined on the followers of Jesus. — In the form of prayer which Christ taught his disciples, we are instructed to pray, " Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors*;" and our Lord en forces the use of this' petition, by adding, " For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you : but if ye forgive not men their trespasses^ neither will your Father for give your trespasses +." Is our forgiving one another, then, the meritorious cause of our being forgiven by God? We should, at first view, per haps, be apt to think so. It happens, however, that our being forgiven of God is, in other places, held forth, both by Christ and his apostles, as the motive to our forgiveness of one another: — " I forgave thee aU that debt, because thou desiredst me ; shouldst not thou also have had compassion on thy feUow-servant, even as I had pity on thee J?" * Mat. vL 12. f Ver. 13, 14. \ Chap, xviii. 32, SS. 27 — " Be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you*:" — Forbearing, one a- nother, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any; even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye f."1 — Now, that which is the effect cannot be, at the same time, the cause of what produces it. But our not forgiving one another is a decisive evidence, that we are not now forgiven of God, and that our hope is vain, of finding forgiveness from him at last. " He shall have judgment without mercy, who hath showed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judg ment J." Blessed, then, are the merciful; for, in exercising the disposition of mercy, from regard to Divine authority, and under a grateful sense of ; Divine forgiveness, they possess a valuable evidence of the reality of their interest in the mercy of their heavenly Father. — " The righteous God, who loveth righteousness," will manifest his love to it, not only by bestowing eternal life in reward of the perfect righteousness of his Son ; but, at the same time, by sanctifying from poUution all those whom he justifies from guilt, and conferring on such alone, the " pleasures which are at his right hand for evermore." — The merciful God wiU, in Uke manner, testify his delight in mercy, by bestowing it, for the sake of his Son, on those only who have been, in this respect, conformed to his image. In the third place. — It is necessary to remark, that this particular feature of character ought not to be insulated from the rest, as if it could exist alone, or be blessed by itself— It should not be considered here,, as a distinct character, but as » Epli; iv. 32. + Col. iii. 13. \ James ii. 13, 28 part of a whole; one among a variety of features, which, when combined, form the K beauty of hoHness." It is very common for men, to separate what God has joined together. Thus, in the practice of the world, and in their estimate of characters, moraUty is generaUy disjoined from religion, as if it were possible for it to possess a separate existence. Whereas, in truth, the two can never be separated. MoraUty can no more exist without religion, than an action truly good can be performed without a good principle. No action can be really good, that does not proceed from a heart in which God is sanctified, as the object of religious veneration, and devout affection. Morality, without religion as its inspiring principle, is but the external sem blance, the lifeless image of virtue: it no more deserves the appellation, when unanimated by this " vital spark of heavenly flame," than the cold statue of marble to be dignified with the name of man, — into whose nostrils the Almighty hath breathed the breath of life, and made him a living soul.— In the Scriptures, accordingly, the two are invariably united: " He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what, doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God*?"— ^-"The grace of God, which bringeth salvation, hath appeared unto all men, teaching us, that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world f." And as morality is, with a fatal self-deception, disjoined, by the world, from religion ; so are the different virtues separated from one another. While one man, for example, who has not a spark •Mic. vi. 8, +Tit. ii. II, I?, 29 of benevolence, plumes himself on his scrupulous integrity, another glories in his benevolence (falsely so caUed) while he violates the laws of temperance, and is, in his general conduct, an impure and unprincipled libertine. But when the word of God commends charity and mercy, it is in union with universal purity and rectitude: — " Pure re ligion, and undefiled, before God and the Father, is this; to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the World *." Upon this principle of union, ought the passage where our text occurs to be interpreted. The various parts of the character drawn in it, must be possessed and exhibited together. The merci ful man, on whom the Saviour'^ blessing is pro nounced, must be, at the same time, " poor in spirit;" — " mourning" for sin and corruption; — " meek" in disposition and conduct; — " hunger ing and thirsting after righteousness;" — " pure in heart;" — -a peace-maker;"— and willing to endure " persecution for righteousness' sake +•" Let no one, then, flatter himself with the idea of obtaining the blessing of the merciful, whose character accords not with the other parts of the description. — Let me iUustrate my meaning, by a single instance. The first of the qualities here enu merated is poverty of spirit. Who, then, is the poor in spirit? — God himself has answered the question : — " Thus saith the High and lofty One, who inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dweU in the high and holy place ; with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones J." — " To this man wiU I look, even to him that is poor, and of a "• James i. 27. t Ver. 3, 9, 10. t ^ lv»- '& 30 contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word *.'¦' The poor in spirit, then, is not the self-complacent pharisee, who stood and prayed thus with' himself, " God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers; or even as this publican; I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of aU that I possess:" but the despised, self- condemned, heart-broken publican, who, " stand ing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes to heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, " God be merciful to me a sinner!" " I teU you," said the Saviour, pronouncing his verdict on these two characters, " this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other;: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted f." The poor in spirit is humbly sensible of the absolute need in which he stands, both of mercy to pardon, and of grace to help him ; and from his heart the proud presumption is excluded, of re commending himself, in any way,, as a deserving object, to the favour of Jehovah. His works of mercy are performed from no such motive; — not with any view to substantiate a claim upon God ; but from humble and ardent gratitude, for mercy received, and mercy promised. This lowly feel ing of obligation to the sovereign mercy of Jeho vah, is one of the most powerful incentives to the cultivation and exercise of mercy in our own characters. The persuasion of our own need of such unconditional mercy, as sinners, destitute of aU claim, softens, subdues, and melts the heart: and, as pride is a deadly foe to real tenderness, this humUity is the parent of compassion. It' impresses the mind with a new and a most inter esting and affecting view of our fellow-men; as • Isa. lxvi. 3. f Luke xviii. 10 — 14. 31 our equals, in the common possession of a fallen nature, to whom, without difference, the offer of sovereign mercy is presented. This obliterates every proud feeling of distinction : and, while it is the .spring of melting pity- for the souls of men, it, at the same time, inspires a liveUer and more ten der sympathy with all their concerns, as brethren in one great and common calamity, whence aU their other troubles arise. Gratitude for the* mercy of God, naturally leads him whose heart is under its influence, to obey the wiU, and to imitate the example, of his divine Benefactor. To " put on bowels of mercies," is the command of Him, who is, himself, " the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort *." " The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy f." " The Lord is gra cious, and full of. compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. The Lord is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works J." Let the children of God resemble their divine Parent: " Be ye, therefore, merciful, even as your Father who is in heaven is merciful II." — And let the contemplation of the mercies of God excite you, among other ways of testifying your gratitude, to " honour the Lord with your substance, and with the first fruits of aU your increase §." Remember, " He that oppresseth the poor, reproacheth his Maker ; but he' that honoureth Him, hath mercy on the poor ^"." In the name of Him who is the friend and patron of every benevolent institution, raised by Christian mercy, for the help of the indigent, and the comfort of the afflicted, let me now recommend to your regard, an institution, eminent in excel- * 2 Cor. i. 3. -f- Psai. ciii. 8. f Psai. cxlv. 8, 9. | Luke vi. 36. § Prov. iii. 9. 1 Prov. xiv. 31. 32 lence, whether viewed in the principles which gave it origin, in the laborious and disinterested self- denial of its management, or in its tried and in creasing usefulness. The Glasgow Female Society has now existed for a number of years, deservedly rising, every successive season, in the pubhc favour. To commend, where commenda tion is due, is an act of justice. But to commend, where excellence is universaUy acknowledged, is unnecessary ; and, in the present instance, before a public assembly, might violate the feelings of that modesty, which is the best ornament of the female character. It is not their own cause, but the cause of the poor, which the members of this Society wish us to plead. During the past year, they have expended nearly four hundred pounds; by which, relief, principally stated, although partly occasional, has been imparted to upwards of one hundred and ninety poor females, in various degrees of affliction and indigence. — This expenditure has exceeded the proper income of the last year, in consequence of an extraordinary donation having been received towards the close of the year preceding: so that, if the amount of this donation is not otherwise made up to them, they must be under the painful necessity of abridging, to that extent at least, their charitable suppUes. And shaU they be allowed to do so? Shall they be aUowed, this year, to pass, with a pang of regret, the door of the widow and the fatherless, where their visits, during the last, imparted consolation and joy? Shall they be aUowed, at their next monthly meeting, to sit down, with the list of their needy pensioners spread before them, and" to calculate, with a per plexed and heavy heart, what names they must strike from their roU, and how far they must retrench the scanty pittance of others? Nay, 33 shaU they even be aUowed to witness new cases of penury- and trouble presenting themselves, — to hear new voices imploring, in accents of melan choly supplication, a portion of their friendly aid, while they have nothing to bestow, but the sigh and the tear of unavailing sorrow? It can never be. " The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts." The claim is God's: " He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth to the Lord; and that which he hath. given will He pay him again *." Let me now conclude, by addressing myself to aU in this assembly, without distinction of rank or condition,- — " high and low, rich and poor together." " The rich and the poor," says Solomon, " meet' together; the Lord is the Maker of them aUf." However wide may be the distance between them, in worldly circumstances, and in worldly honour, there are many important and affecting points in which they aU meet. They stand on a level, as creatures of God, deriving from him their being, and alike dependent on his will, " for life, and breath, and all things:" — as objects of the same providential care, without which a sparrow faUeth not to the ground: — as subjects of his impartial government, with whom there is no respect of per sons; who " regardeth not the rich more than the poor J :"— as common possessors of the sad inheri tance of a depraved and guilty nature : — standing in equal need of mercy, and invited, on the same footing, and with the same freedom, to receive it : — when they have received it, " aU one in Christ Jesus," the rich humbled to poverty of spirit, and the poor exalted to spiritual and heavenly riches : * Prov. xix. 17. f Prov- xx"- 2- t JoD xxxiv- 19» E 34 — aU subject, equaUy, to the sentence of mortaUty, "Dust, thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return;" the fulfilment of which sentence pro duces tbe humbling and affecting equality of the grave; " the small and great are there *:"— all destined to hear " the voice of the Archangel, and the trump of God;" to stand together at the tri bunal of the most High ; and, upon the award of an impartial judgment, to share together the joys of heaven, or the woes of hell! — " The Lord grant unto all of us, that we may find mercy of the Lord in that day!" But if you would find mercy then, the appli cation for it must be made now. It will be too late to plead for mercy at the judgment-seat. " Now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation * !" The whole fund of divine mercy, whence pardon and blessing are dispensed tp the guilty and the miserable, is treasured up in Christ Jesus. This mercy all are invited, high and low, rich and poor, together, freely and hum bly to accept, as the-gift of God, thrqugh his be loved Son. The richest cannot purchase it ; no, not with an, oblation of" thousands of rams, and ten thousands of rivers of oil f." " It is not to be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof." But the poorest , may ob tain it ; for it is bestowed, without money, and without price. " Ho! every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money: come ye, buy and eat; yea, come, buy wjneand milk, without money and without priofr. Where fore do ye spend your money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satis- fieth not? Hearken diligently unto me, andeat ye *. Job iii. IS. + & Cor. vi. 2. \ Mic vi. 7. 35 that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David *." May God accompany his word with his blessing, for Jesus Christ'? sake! Amen! * Isa. lv, 1, 2, 3, .1. HEDOERWICK & CO. PRINTEBS, GLASGOW. THE SCRIPTURAL UNITY OF THE CHURCHES OF CHRIST ILLUSTRATED AND RECOMMENDED: a ^mmwmm, PREACHED IN COLLEGE STREET CHAPEL, EDINBURGH, ON THE EVENING OF THURSDAY, the 8th of May, 1817; ON OCCASION OF THE FIFTH ANNUAL MEETING Congregational Union fbr fecotfenfc* By RALPH WARDLAW. " ENDEAVOURING TO KEEP THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT, IN THE BOND OF PEACE." PAUL. If any profits arise from tlie sale of this Sermon, they -will be devoted to the funds ofthe Congregational Union; at the request of whose Committee it is published. GLASGOW: Printed at the University Press, AND SOLD BY A. AND J. M. DUNCAN, GLASGOW, AND A. BLACK, EDINBURGH. 1817. PREFACE. The Author of the following Discourse requests liherty to offer a single word of explanation, both to his Presby terian and his Independent brethren. — Immediately after it had been delivered, he learned, from various quarters, that in the minds of some of the former it had excited feelings of umbrage and dissatisfaction; — and rumour seemed to repre sent the Preacher as having seized the opportunity of de claiming, with no httle violence, against Presbytery and the Established Church. — He was not then sensible, he must honestly say, nor is he now, that there existed the slightest ground for reasonable offence. It was surely nothing strange and unprecedented, but perfectly natural, and consistent with ordinary practice, that, when invited to preach for the Congregational Union, he should select a subject ap propriate to the occasion :— and, as to the Sermon itself, although many of the sentiments which it contains could not of course be acceptable, yet he is not aware that there is any thing, either in its spirit or language, that is at all in temperate, or inconsistent with Christian respect; and still less, that there is any thing in its principles that savours of narrow-mindedness or bigotry. If the views held forth in it with respect to Christian fellowship be contracted or illiberal, he certainly has failed in conveying to others the true state of his own mind. There were several of the Author's own brethren, who were disposed to regret that he had not chosen a more general subject — one from which he might have preached, more directly and more fully, to so large and mingled an auditory, " the words of eternal life." This regret seemed to be associated with a degree of timidity, and an anxious appre hension of giving offence, which, however amiable in itself, he could not but consider as excessive. He reveres, how ever, the principle of the objection; and would by no means be peremptory in affirming, that the regret, on the account first mentioned, was entirely without foundation. — Yet he is still of opinion, that the opportunity then offered was a fair and desirable one, for drawing the attention of the Congregational Churches to a subject which he had long conceived to be too much overlooked by them; and, at the same time, for informing others of those scriptural principles by which such Churches are connected with one another, and thus wiping away a reproach frequently thrown upon them, and for which their conduct has too often afforded oc casion; — I mean, the reproach of disunion, — of the want of any bond of visible association and brotherhood. — The subject also presented room, which was not entirely, ne glected, for a more general practical application at the elose. A SERMON, Gal. iii. 28. — " Ye are all one in Christ Jesus." Amongst the circumstances of diversity which present themselves to our view, in contemplating and comparing the state of the churches of Christ in the time of the apos tles and in the present day, not the least affecting to a se rious and liberal mind, is the separation of believers into so great a number of distinct classes, or, as they are usually termed denominations; arising from differences of senti ment respecting points of doctrine or of practice, such as do not immediately affect that " one faith," which is the sure foundation oftheir common hopes, and the blessed bond of Christian unity. The order and government of those Christian societies which were formed during the lives, and under the perso nal direction and superintendence, of the apostles, were uni versally the same. We learn this from many incidental hints, and from various express declarations, in the apostolic epistles to the churches; and we might, indeed, have inferred it with confidence from the nature of the thing. The ne cessity, which some have fancied, of a shifting accommoda tion of the forms of ecclesiastical government to the varie ties of national character and of civil polity, had no exist ence then: and, when we consider the vast extent of coun try throughout which organized societies of the faithful had been instituted, and the great diversity of external situation which this wide territory embraced, it is by this very cir- cumstance satisfactorily shown to have no existence now. — The kingdom of Christ " is not of this world." It is spi ritual and heavenly; and its peculiar nature remains the same, in all ages, in all countries, and under every form of national government. Its subjects are those who have been " born again;" — " chosen out of the world," " through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth." Their spiritual character, and their spiritual relations, are entirely unaffected, in their great substantial features, by variations, however wide, in situation and climate, in national manners, and in the institutions and forms of civil society. The same statutes and observances, therefore, which are suitable for a part of the subjects of this kingdom, will be found equally ¦ suitable for the whole, in all places and in all times. The same laws will answer the same descriptions of character; — the. same ordinances will cherish the same spiritual principles; — the same moving and regulating powers will impel and direct the same machinery; — the same cement will hold together the same materials. When the church, indeed, is made to. embrace entire civil communities, composed of characters, the most heterogeneous, under the indiscriminate designa tion of Christians, the necessity of change and modification cannot fail to be felt : — but if a church of Christ in the days of the apostles was a society of believers in Jesus, and a church of Christ in our own days is a society of believers in Jesus, the same constitution of government which was adapted by inspired wisdom for such associations then, will be practicable and salutary still* To enter into any discussion of the causes which have produced, and which still maintain amongst Christians, so great a diversity of judgment respecting the scriptural or der of a church of Christ, would, I am fully sensible, (with whatever confidence some may be pleased to express them selves on the subject) be to tread on very delicate and. very difficult ground: — nor is such discussion at all necessary to the chief purpose of this Discourse. It is matter of fact that * See Note A. this diversity does exist. In some cases, it is of such a kind as to render stated union in the nature of the thing imprac ticable: — in others, it seems to pronounce it obviously inex pedient, -f But, in both cases, fellow Christians, while con-" strained by the variety of views subsisting amongst them to associate in separate bodies, may yet feel themselves " all one in Christ Jesus," — may "love one another with a pure heart fervently," — and may gladly and cordially combine, in every object in which combination is possible without a sacrifice of principle or of conscience: — not accounting the differen ces between them as of no moment, (for if this were the case, why should they be separate at all?) but the members of each society, while humbly following their own convictions of duty, extending to others the same charitable judgment to which they lay claim for themselves, in the ready admis sion of their conscientiousness and sincerity. - There is an intimate spiritual union among " all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours." These constitute " the general assembly and church of the first-born, who are written in heaven," and who are also one with " the spirits of just men made perfect." All that are " born again," — " re newed in the spirit oftheir minds" — " washed, and sancti fied, and justified,'' are accessions to this " church of the living God," with whatever denomination of professing Christians they may feel it their duty, while on earth, to connect themselves: — and to such universally, the words of the text may be truly addressed, ">Ye are all one in ¦ Christ Jesus." — But it is not so much of the: union of indi viduals that I intend at present to speak, as of the union of societies-, and not of societies constituted on different prin ciples of order, and forming distinct communities, but of those only, which, from' similarity of views with regard to the doctrine of Christ, and the government instituted by him for his subjects, acknowledge one another (to use the customary and not unappropriate phraseology on the subject t See Note B. in the relation of Sister Churches. — What is the nature of this relation? — What does it imply between the kindred societies? What is the reciprocal conduct to which it ought to lead? In answer to such inquiries, it may first of all be observ ed, as a general principle on this important subject, that there appears to be no propriety, nor any consistent mean ing, in the acknowledgment of such a relation, or in the particular appellation by which we are accustomed to ex press it, unless we consider ourselves as standing on the same footing in regard to our mutual connexion, and con sequently, as maintaining the same freedom and intimacy of fellowship, with the primitive churches in the time ofthe apostles. We surely do not intend to assume to ourselves, or to bestow on one another, a designation that is merely nominal, and destitute of any specific import; — a mere title of empty and unprofitable compliment. If we use the name, and do not, at the same time, act agreeably to its proper and legitimate meaning, we had as well, or better, drop the use of it altogether, and renounce both the name and the thing. Yet to do this, would, in my judgment, be to overlook a highly important and interesting part of apostolic example. I say no more, I presume, than is consistent with truth, in affirming, that the ideas suggested to the minds of very many amongst us by the appellation " sister churches," are extremely vague and undefined. — When I salute any individual as a brother in Christ, I acknowledge him in a character and relation by which I feel myself warranted to associate with him, provided he be willing to associate with me, in all the ordinances of Christian communion. When two societies of Christians avow their connexion with each other, as sister churches, should they not be un derstood to mean, as corporate bodies, much the same thing with what is meant in the other case in reference to individuals? * But the most satisfactory way of ascertaining the nature * See Note C. of this relation, will be, to bring together into one view such particulars respecting it, in the practice of the apos tolic churches, as are to be found in the New Testament re cords. That a church of Christ, according to the sense of the designation in these records, means, a number of believers in Jesus, associated according to the directions of his word, for the purpose of observing the ordinances which he has instituted for them in their collective capacity, with a view to his glory, and their own spiritual benefit ; — and that the churches so constituted were originally independent — that is, distinct societies, each possessing within itself the full power of applying the laws of Christ to its own mem bers, and subject to no jurisdiction under heaven but that of the inspired apostles, which identified with the authority of the Lord himself: — these are principles, the soundness of which I must at present be permitted to assume, as they are the avowed and distinguishing sentiments of those brethren, whom, on the present occasion, I am chiefly called to address. But to every attentive reader of the New Testament, there must forcibly present itself the idea of a union more exten sive than that subsisting amongst the members of each Christian society; — even a union among all the churches: — such a union, as rendered a member of one virtually a member of all ; the whole of them, in Judea and Samaria, in Asia, and in Europe, — " from Jerusalem round about unto Illyricum," — being linked together in one extensive and har monious brotherhood; — independent societies, yet acknow ledging one another as " all one in Christ Jesus;" — separate flocks, each with its own appropriate pastors, but all the joint property, and the constant and equal care, of the " good Shepherd who gave his life for the sheep." The heart that is not charmed with such a view cannot surely be in harmony With the spirit ofthe New Testament. To every mind that has been framed, under divine influ ence, upon the principles of the gospel of peace, and that is not warped and narrowed by unhappy prejudices, it can- 6 not fail to appear unspeakably delightful, and supremely desirable : — every departure from it must be deeply lament ed, and every approach to it must be hailed with more than satisfaction, and promoted with all the ardour of affectionate zeal. — While, therefore, we plead, distinctly and decidedly, for the independence of the churches, as a fundamental principle in their primitive constitution, let us beware of running to an unscriptural extreme ; — of so completely dis uniting and insulating them from one another, as to present to view a number of Christian societies, each in itself thoroughly organized, but without any bond, or feelings or act, of mutual connexion: — so that* instead ofthe lovely harmony of reciprocal confidence and friendly * inter course, we should behold each church, like a separate for tress, surrounded with its walls and ramparts, with spies on the battlements, and sentinels at the gates, watching, with anxious jealousy, to prevent the entrance of intruders from the rest. — If it be at all possible, that any disciple of the Lord Jesus should relish such a state of things, or entertain a single wish for any thing resembling it, let him never mention his desire to see Christians returning to primitive simplicity and apostolic order: — for, in truth, that to which his wishes are directed, is as unlike the condition of the churches in the times of the apostles, as division is to unity, or hatred and hostility to affection and peace. His desire, were it gratified, would realize a scene which we cannot too devoutly deprecate; and to which it would not be our duty to submit,—" no, not for an hour." Of the unity, of the apOstolic churches, our text itself af fords an illustration and a proof. The epistle in which it occurs is addressed, notto a single church, with its " bishops and deacons," but to the Christian societies throughout an extensive district, — to " the churches qf Galatia:" — so that it is not to the members of any one of them separately, but to the whole of them together, that the inspired writer of it says , " Ye are all one in Christ Jesus." — The same thing appears in the general tenor and aspect of the sacred records, both historical and epistolary; and it is practically manifested in a variety of incidents and transactions. I. The first thing which I shall notice, as illustrative of this subject, is, the circumstance of churches sending to one another their salutations, or. wishes of prosperity. . ' Instances of this occur in Rom. xvi. 16. "The churches of Christ salute you;" — 1 Cor. xvi. 19. "The churches of Asia salute you;" — and in other places, under different forms. There can be no doubt, that Paul sent these salutations by the special desire of those churches in whose name they are expressed; — and they were not mere forms of empty compliment, — mere words of course, — but tokens of brother ly affection and Christian unity. — When he and Barnabas, with certain others, went up from Antioch to Jerusalem on the important mission, , of which the particulars and result are related in the fifteenth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, the history informs us, that, in passing through Pheniceand Samaria, they "declared the conversion ofthe Gentiles," and " caused great joy to all the brethren." * — It appears, indeed, to have been the general practice of Paul to impart to the churches, wherever he went, tidings of the success of the gospel, and of the condition, both temporal and spiritual, ofthe disciples in other quarters; — at once expressing the fulness of his own affectionate heart, and exciting in the churches a generous and lively interest in one another's concerns, as well as in the general state and progress of the cause of Christ. — Agreeably to this laudable custom, he had, in the course of his journey through the lesser Asia, informed the brethren, amongst other particulars of religious intelligence, of the interesting effects which, through the divine blessing, had attended his ministry at Corinth: — how the Lord " had much people in that city,", whom, by his instrumentality, he had graciously " turned from their idols, to serve the living and true God." The churches of Asia, rejoicing in the intelligence, which * Acts xv. 5, 8 was alike gratifying to their piety and to their Christian benevolence, expressed the happiness they felt, by requesting the apostle to convey to the church at Corinth their affec tionate wishes for its growing prosperity. And whilst he communicated intelligence, he also receiv ed it. He had heard, for example, in every place, in the course of his apostolic journeyings, a high character of the believers at Rome, whose " faith was spoken of throughout the whole world," and whose " obedience had come abroad unto all men:" f — and the brethren who imparted the in formation, as well as others, probably, to whom he might himself repeat what he had heard, having understood from him his intention of writing to the Roman Christians, sent by him, in the same manner, their expressions of congratu lation and regard. How brotherly, how christian-like is this! — how lovely, how becoming! — how well deserving the imitation of the Churches of Christ in our own times ! — The assurances of an absent friend's remembrance of us, and of his unabating interest in our well-being, have a wonderfully soothing and animating influence on our spirits. Similar will be the influ ence on the feelings and the prosperity of a Christian Church, arising from the affectionate good wishes, communicated on suitable occasions, of their brethren at a distance. Such communications will cheer and support in trial ; they will en courage in difficulty; they will strengthen in temptation; they will quicken in spiritual declension; they will stimulate to the active and self-denied discharge of every duty. II. The churches of the apostolic age did more than merely send to each other their mutual greetings and as surances of good-will.. The interest felt by them in the success of the gospel was so deep, that they appear to have sent messengers occasionally, even to considerable distances, for the express purpose of encouraging and establishing recent converts to the faith of Christ, and newly formed Christian Societies. — Of this, we have at least one instance, 9 — a very interesting and edifying one, in the account given us by Luke of the first preaching of the gospel, and of the remarkable success which attended it, in the Syrian Antioch. — " Now they who were scattered abroad, upon the per secution that arose about Stephen, travelled as far as Phe- nice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only. — And some of them were men of Cyprus, and Cyrene, who, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus. — And the hand of the Lord was with them : and a* great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.— Thett tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem; and they sent forth Barnabas, that* he should go as far as Antioch : Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them alb, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. For he was a good man, and full ofthe Holy Ghost* and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord." * Can there be assigned any valid reason, why the churches of Christ now should not express a similar interest in & similar manner? — why they should not show the* same cheering countenance to infant societies of the saints, and animate, in its incipient stages, the blessed cause of the Re deemer, by the same display of cordial satisfaction in its prosperity? — How natural, and therefore how striking, is the historian's brief description of the effect produced ort tbe mind of the great apostle of the Gentiles* when, On his arrival at Appii Forum, he found the deputation of bre thren, sent thither to meet him by the chuTch of Rome, as a mark of their affection and esteem—" whom when Paul saw, he thanked God, and took courage." f A society is a collection of individuals* and contains an aggregate of in dividual feeling ; — and the same kind of impulse which was given to the spirit of the apostle on the occasion referred to, might also be imparted to the affections and active energies of a church, by a similair expression^ seasonably timed, of Christian sympathy and regard. * Acts xi. 19—24. f Acts xxvi' "• 1S- B 10 III. The next circumstance particularly worthy of our attention, as indicative of the unity and harmony of the first churches, is, their communion in the way of pecuniary " giving and receiving." Two instances of this are particularly recorded. The first you will find in Acts xi. 27— 30. " And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch. And there stood up one of them, named Agabus, and sig nified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar. Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren who dwelt in Judea: Which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul." We here find the church of Christ in Antioch contribut ing for the relief of the brethren who dwelt in Judea. The church at Jerusalem had manifested, as we have already seen, an affectionate interest in the converts at Antioch; and a suitable occasion now presented itself, and was eagerly embraced, of testifying their gratitude by a sub stantial requital of the kindness. — There were, as we learn from such passages as Gal. i. 22. and 1 Thess. ii. 14. a num ber of churches in Judea; and to the elders of these, re spectively, certain proportions of the sum collected appear to have been sent, that, in the predicted season of scarcity, " distribution might be made to all, as every man had need." — The contribution was made by one church, and was sent to other churches, as a token of unity, and of brotherly love. The other instance referred to is of a more extensive na ture : — it was the contribution which was collected by the apostle Paul from the Gentile churches, " for the poor saints who were at Jerusalem." — " Now," says he to the Romans, * " I go unto Jerusalem, to minister unto the saints. For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints who are at Je rusalem. It hath pleased them verily ; and their debtors * Rom. xv. 35— 27. 11 they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things."-—" Now concerning the collection for the saints," he says to the Corinthians, * " as 1 have given orders to the churches of Galatia, f even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week, let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gather ings when I come. And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem. And if it be meet that I go also, they shall go with me." — The whole of the eighth and ninth chapters of the first epistle to the Corinthians relates to the same collection. The great design of this eminent servant of Jesus, " on whom came daily the care of all the churches," in desir ing this expression of affection from the Gentile believers to their Jewish brethren, was, " not only to supply the wants ofthe saints," but to promote unity; to root out any remaining prejudice from the minds of the latter towards the' former; to do away every feeling, secret or avowed, of coolness and distance; to enliven the cordiality of both to each other; and to quicken, throughout all the churches, the circulation of that love, which is the life-blood of the body of Christ, — supplying at once its genial warmth, and its rich and healthful nutriment. The Gentile churches, it appears, appointed messengers to accompany the apostle, with the fruit of their bounty, to Jerusalem. — While this, agreeably to his own prudent suggestion, was designed to prevent every possible ground of malicious charge against his integrity, every pretext of which his numerous and inveterate enemies might avail themselves to calumniate his character; — it was intended also, to render the expression of regard from the Gentile to the Jewish brethren, the more marked and impressive.— * 1 Cor. xvi. 1—4. f By comparing this passage with Rom. xv, 26. we learn, that the collection was not confined to one district, but was general at least, if not universal, among the " churches ofthe Gentiles." 12 And although, in the first of the passages above cited, the apostle beautifully, and as justly as beautifully, represents tbe former as debtors to the latter, because it was through the instrumentality of the Jewish Christians that the Gen tiles had received their " spiritual blessings," — blessings which, from their nature and their inestimable value, could never be repaid in money: — he, at the same time, affirms the obligation of Christian affection and cheerful liberality to lie equally upon both: — " For I mean not that other men be eased, and you burdened: but by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want, that there may be equality: As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over, and he that had ga thered little had no lack." * This, then, is another way in which the churches of Christ should still express their unity; — attending to, and mutually supplying, one another's temporal necessities. These necessities may be of various kinds, produced by a va riety of peculiar pircumstances, into any enumeration of which it is needless at present to enter.— Churches, as well as individual fellow-Christians, ought thus to " consider one another, to provoke unto love and unto good works ;"f manifesting the grace of God bestowed upon themselves, J and causing thanksgivings to abound unto God from the grateful recipients of their bounty, § as well as love to one another, |] and mutual prosperity. It was chiefly for purposes of this description that the Congregational Union was originally instituted. The necessity of some such measure had longbeen fel(t. Previously to its institution, cases of pecuniary need, exist ing amongst the churches, were either entirely unknown to those who possessed the will and the ability to relieve them, or were relieved in a desultory and random manner, with out any kind of regulated proportion to the extent of their respective claims. — The burden, besides, of supplying the * 2 Cor. viii. 13—13. f Heb- *• **• t 2 Cor- ««• 1. § 2 Cor.ix. 12. || 2 Cor. ix. 13, 14. 13 relief, usually fell on a few individuals, in two or three places, whose ability and benevolent disposition happened tp be known: — and, while a most unequal pressure was in this way produced, what was actually contributed failed of a highly desirable effect on the minds of those who received it; inasmuch as it could not be received as coming from the churches; nor were the churches, consequently, the objects of those grateful feelings which the gift excited.— Since the establishment of the Union, the state of things has been materially and happily altered. The churches are now, according to their ability, the contributors: — arid their liberality flows into a common treasury, from which a regular distribution is made to every needy case, accord ing to its peculiar exigency. While aU have thus an oppor tunity of contributing, all enjoy the satisfactory assurance that their bounty reaches its destination in the most equita ble and efficient manner. And besides1 the regularity and the efficiency of the aid imparted, two other ends are answered, not inferior in importance to these. In tlie first place, the churches are made to feel the truth of the text, — to feel their unity. By the practical interchange of good offices, the ties of mutual affection are drawn the closer. The churches are the givers; the churches are the receivers. The act of giving keeps alive and invigorates the sentiment of love in tbe bosoms of the givers; and the expressions of pious and affectionate gratitude, with which the bounty is every year acknowledged, show, in the most pleasing and edifying manner, the influence of it, as a token of brotherly love, on the hearts of the receivers.*^— In the second place ; pastors of churches, especially in districts of the country that are scantily, or not at all, supplied with evangelical preaching, are enabled, by the bounty of the Union, not only to give themselves more entirely to the work of the ministry, for the edification of their own people, but also to extend their itinerant labours in the neighbourhoods surrounding their respective places of residence, and to proclaim the salvation of God to multitudes who were per- ¦ See Note D. 14 ishing for lack of knowledge; — by which means, through the accompanying blessing of Heaven, very considerable good, there is reason to believe, has, in various instances, been effected. — On this ground I may make my appeal, in behalf of the Congregational Union, to behevers of every name. For surely, the conversion of sinners to God, by whose instrumentality soever it may be brought about, while it causes joy amongst the angels of God, will gladden the hearts, not of Christians of the one denomination only whose agency happens to have been employed, but of " all who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity," — of all who , partake of the spirit of Heaven. * The Congregational Union has not the remotest con nexion with government or discipline. Its committee are merely the "Paul and Barnabas," through whose hands' the liberality of the brethren is transmitted to the elders of those churches that are in need: — or, if you will, they are the " messengers of the churches," confidentially in-> trusted with their bounty; only with this necessary addition, that they adjust the proportions of it required by different- cases, as well as take the charge of its safe conveyance. — The annual meetings of the Union are held publicly, before mul titudes of assembled brethren. Nothing relative to the in- < ternal management of the churches is ever mentioned, or alluded to. Were the slightest approach, indeed, ever to be made to any thing of this kind, all consistent Indepen-; dents should combine to put it down. I should be amongst the first, in these circumstances, to vote for its abolition. • And, indeed, nothing could be more easily effected. The churches have only to withold their contributions, — and- the Congregational Union is no more. IV. The unity of the primitive churches was such, that a member of any one of them, when known to be so, by direct recommendation, or otherwise, was freely admitted to the fellowship of the saints in other places, wherever he went. * See "Kate TC. 15 There are various examples of this on record: — Acts xviii. 27. " When he (Apollos namely,) was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the dis ciples to receive him:" — and upon the recommendation of the brethren at Ephesus, we can have no reason to doubt, the disciples in Achaia received him with open arms, with unhesitating confidence, and heartfelt satisfaction. The same thing, I think, is exemplified, (although, in deed, one instance so explicit ought to be sufficient to con vince and to bind us) in 3 John, verses 9, 10. "I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the pre-eminence among them, receiveth us not. Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prat ing against us with malicious words: and not content there with, neither doth be himself receive the brethren, and for- biddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church." — The " brethren" here spoken of, had gone out from the church where John then was. This is evident from* the 6th verse, where they are represented as report ing to the church, on their return, the particular incidents of their journey, just as Paul and Barnabas did, on a simi lar occasion, at Antioch.* The fault found with Diotre phes, for " not receiving the brethren," makes it evident, that, in the judgment of the apostle, the reception of them was an incumbent duty. Again: — We find Paul recommending to the brethren at Corinth, those who were to accompany him to Jerusalem with the bounty of the Gentile Christians, under the deno mination of " the messengers of the churches:" and Phebe to the Romans, as a " servant ofthe church at Cenchrea;" 2 Cor. viii. 23. Rom. xvi. 1. Now, whatever may be said, and said truly, of the full sufficiency by itself of the recom mendation of an apostle, yet surely no apostle would ever have thought of noticing in his recommendation, a circum stance which he did not intend should have any weight in the minds of those to whom the recommendation was addressed — a circumstance respecting which, they not only might but * Acts xvi. 26. 27. le ought to have said, " What signifies to us the connexion of any person with another church. Let us examine and inquire for ourselves, and act upon our own judgment?' If such procedure as this shall by any be considered to be proper and prudent in the churches of Christ now, I have only to say, that it is a refinement of prudence which was unknown to the churches of the apostolic age. Their practice evi dently was, to receive one another's members, with cordial ity and confidence, on one another's recommendation: — and if we profess to be imitators of these early churches, it must be our duty to " do likewise." From the examples recorded on this branch of my sub ject, the following general principles of procedure may be considered, I should think, as having the sanction of Scrip tural authority. In the first place : — It is proper, and orderly, and for edi fication, that when members leave one church, to join the stated fellowship of another, they should be recommended by the church which they leave, to the church which they are intending to join. I say, by the church: — not only because this direct mutual recognition of each other in their collec tive capacity serves to maintain and to strengthen the feel ing of union among the churches; but also, because, al though a pastor may be fairly warranted, when nO evil has been reported of the character of a member, to take it for granted that there is nothing wrong; yet there may cases occur, in which particular circumstances have but recently happened, and, although known to some of the brethren, have not yet reached his ears, which, instead of an affection ate and unqualified recommendation, might call for the immediate application of the laws of discipline. Secondly. Every church ought to be very cautious in receiving any who come to them without such recommen dation. In neglecting this needful caution, they may be receiving unawares, persons whom another church has, on just grounds, disapproved, and censured, and dismissed; — or persons who have come away from under merited disci pline, in the course of its progress; or who, seeing it before them, have separated themselves with a view to avoid it; — 17 or persons who have been actuated in their removal, by motives that are trifling, capricious, unreasonable, or, in some respect or other, unwarrantable. It ought to be deep ly impressed on the minds of all, that withdrawing from a church connexion is, like joining it, an important step, — a step by no means to be taken with thoughtless levity and precipitation; and to which no encouragement ought, on any account, to be held out, by making one church the ready receptacle for the dissatisfied of another. Still, no doubt, it is possible for a society, as well as for an individual, to err. There may certainly be cases, in which sentence of exclusion has been hastily and harshly pronounced; and in which one church may be more than justified in affectionately remonstrating with another. These cases, however, ought to be very strong ones, — singular ex ceptions to the general rule. And even in them, reason, and justice, and brotherly confidence, all require, that the first step taken should be a modest request for information from the church that has passed the sentence. The pro priety of such precaution is sufficiently obvious. It very generally happens, that such cases come abroad in a misre presented or mutilated, and consequently misleading form; and it would be equally foolish and criminal, to lend a fa vourable ear, in the first instance, to the partial and var nished tale of the excommunicated party and his friends. It is surely an unexceptionable general rule, that the church, and not the individual, should be presumed to be in the right. Perhaps, I do not go too far when I say, that this presumption should be acted upon in every instance in which the contrary is not so palpable, and the wrong com mitted so flagrant, as to preclude the necessity of particular investigation; for, as every offender is naturally inclined to be dissatisfied with his own sentence of condemnation, were we to show any general disposition to listen to the com plaints of such, we should immediately have churches, es pecially those in the same place or neighbourhood, erected into a kind of courts of appeal from one another's decisions; and should betray such a want of confidence as would be c 18 utterly incompatible with " maintaining the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Thirdly: — Every church ought immediately to receive such as come to them recommended from another, unless they themselves know of any thing against them, on the ground qf which they have reason to question their Christian profes sion. It must be obvious, that to receive any applicant when this exception has place, would be to make a sacrifice of substance to form, and to act in direct opposition to the very purpose for which the recommendation itself is given and required. The exception proceeds on the supposition, that circumstances may be known in the church to which application is made for admission into fellowship, which were unknown to the church by which the attestation of Christian character, and of freedom from scandal, was given. Let it ever be remembered, however, that those brethren who may have been previously acquainted with the exists ence of the supposed objection, must bear the charge (and it is by no means a light one,) of an unchristian want of faithfulness, for not having divulged it sooner ;— for having thus " suffered sin upon a brother," and allowed a church of Christ to retain " without rebuke" in their communion, one whom it would have been their duty, had proper inti? mation been given them, to deal with as an offender, and, possibly, to have " put away from among them." We cannot suppose, for example, that one of the seven Asiatic churches would have been justifiable in receiving from another, however recommended, one who "held the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes," knowing him to be such, in the face of the Redeemer's solemn and alarming declara tion, — " which thing I hate." This would surely have ' been to make themselves " partakers of other men's sins." Yet they might be highly censurable, guilty at once of unfaithfulness to Christ, and to their brethren, and to the souls of those who were departing from the faith, if* when they were aware of the existence and the sufferance of such abominations, they did not remonstrate, in the spirit of 19 Christian love, with the churches by whom they were tole rated. There are very few duties which the Christian has to per form, more difficult and trying, than either to administer advice and admonition on the one hand, or to receive them on the other, in a truly Christian temper of mind. The difficulty applies to the conduct of churches, as well as to that of individuals. But the difficulty, however great, does not, in either case, annul the duty. It only admonishes both individuals and churches* to be jealous of themselves, and frequently to implore that "grace" which is " sufficient for them," that. they may be enabled, in all their communi cations with one another, to maintain the genuine spirit of the gospel, mingling the exercise of brotherly fidelity with all the delicacies of love* — with all "the meekness and gen tleness of Christ."— Our hearts are " deceitful above all things;" and we ought never to forget, that the external part of a duty may be performed, with the most exact and scru pulous attention to the letter of the precept; not a single punctilio may be overlooked; and yet, while we are " flat tering ourselves in our own eyes," pluming ourselves- upon our being the very pink of Christian faithfulness, a perfect pattern to our brethren and to the churches, — our spirit, our secret motives, may have been such, as to render all sin, all abomination, in the sight of Him who" searcheth. the reins and the hearts." I have already taken notice of the pleasantness of such a union of churches as has been described and recommend ed. This pleasantness must be strongly -felt, I should think, by every heart that has any experience at all of the enlarg ed operation of Christian love : — and to such a heart, the more extensive and cordial the union is, the more exquisite will be the satisfaction which it imparts. I have also hinted at some ofthe advantages, which might be expected to' result from such a union. — On this head, a vast deal more might be said. I might enlarge on the be nefit of mutual temporal support, and of reciprocal anima tion and encouragement in spiritual concerns. I might also 20 The statement is firstv made universally,^-" there is no power but of God :" — and it is then applied to the govern ment existing at the time, — " the powers that be are ordained of God." When it is affirmed, without qualification, that " there is no power but of God ;" it cannot be meant, that particular rulers are, in every instance, immediately nominated and ap pointed of God. This was never the case except in Israel ; and even there, only on particular occasions, But, it is the divine pleasure, manifested by the obvious, manifold, and valuable advantages resulting from it, as well as by the course of his providence, and the express intimations of his Spirit in his holy word, that government should exist in human so ciety j^-and at the same time, his providence exercises a con stant superintendence over the nations ; " ruling in the king- dpm of men, and giving it to whomsoever he will." The Scriptures pronounce no decisions on the comparative merits of different forms of civil polity, Few things are more dangerous, or involve a greater perversion of the Bible from its proper and legitimate purpose, than to introduce it, as an authoritative umpire, to decide between the contending claims of the various descriptions of government to human adoption, and especially to settle any one of them, to the ex clusion of the rest, on the basis of a divine sanction, Our subjection is not made to depend on any such decisions ; nor is the duty at all affected by the particular theoretical views which we may respectively entertain upon the subject. — It is to the existing government, whatever it may be, of the coun try in which we live, that our submission is required :— " There is no power but of God :" — " Submit yourselves to every ordinance qf man, for the Lord's sake." — Neither is it the Christian's business to trouble himself with what may often 21 be matter of difficult discovery and of doubtful disputation, — the legitimacy of the titles of existing princes, and reigning dynasties. He has simply to do with " the powers that be." Under this designation, it is very evident, the Apostle re fers to the then existing government of Rome ; — and in our text the duty is extended to the subordinate provincial juris dictions : — " whether it be to the king as supreme, or unto go vernors* as unto those that are sent by him, for the punish ment of evil-doers, and for the praise of them that do well." — Where there is any thing that is not to our mind, that thwarts inclination, that prevents the heart from going imme diately and fully along with the precept, we are prone to seek, and ingenious to devise, excuses and palliations. The believ ers at Rome and in its provinces, might be disposed to say, Does the motive you suggest, apply to our case? Are we to consider the present Roman government as included in the affirmation that " there is no power but of God ?" — Yes, say both the Apostles, our exhortation is to you .- — " the powers that be," the existing powers, under whom you now live, " are ordained of God ?" — " Submit yourselves" both to the imperial and the provincial authorities, "for the Lord's sake." — This prevented, or silenced, all evasive objections, and set tled their minds on the authority of God. From the doctrine, that " there is no power but of God," and that " the existing powers were ordained of God," the Apostle Paul immediately deduces the obvious but alarming conclusion, " Whosoever, therefore, resisteth the power, re- sisteth the ordinance of God ; and they that resist shall re ceive to themselves condemnation."-— The meaning of this cannot be, that every act of every government, however ini quitous and oppressive, derives, from the mere circumstance of its being an act of government, the sanction of divine au- 22 «c hold the Head ;' we ' love as brethren ;' « Christ is all, " and in all.' " — If all the friends of Jesus Were to feel and to act thus, the world would say* as of old* " Behold, how these Christians love one another!" — and, seeing " the love oi the truth," as a principle of union, overcoming, with ten der and holy energy, the separating influence of inferior discrepancies, would exhibit an interesting and delightful fulfilment of the Saviour's prayer, — " that they all may be one, even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee; that they also may be one in us; that the world may be lieve that thou hast sent me." Allow me now, in the second place, to remind all present* with affectionate faithfulness, that to be united in external fellowship with the church of Christ is one thing,— and to be united in spirit with the Lord, and with his people, is quite another thing* You may be the former, even all your lives* without being the latter. You may be members of the purest church on earth, and yet never join the church in heaven. You may impose upon fellow-men :> — you may deceive yourselves : — but " God is not mocked." It is not as a member of a Christian society* that you must stand before his tribunal, but as an individual professor of his religion. If your profession is empty and hypocritical* its hypocrisy and emptiness will not be covered, in the day of judgment, by the aggregate godliness of the body to which you belonged. The " faith" of the church with which you were connected may have been " spoken of through out the whole world," their " obedience may have come abroad unto all men;" but that will avail you nothing. There are no works of supererogation admitted at the bar of heaven. Among men, you may establish your re ligious character by your religious connexion. You may attach to yourself a share of the general credit of your party, and live upon the reputation of others. But at last every one must stand for himself. Those who were your associates in church-fellowship here, may all on that day be " accepted in the Beloved," and " enter into the joy of their Lord," while you are eternally separated from their pure and blessed communion. Unless you are " in 23 Christ Jesus" by the regenerating power of the Spirit and truth of God, you are not one with those who are " one in ton :"^ and, when that union shall be completed; when the " multitude which no one can number," redeemed out of " every kindred, and people, and tongue, and nation," shall " stand before the throne and before the Lamb;"-r- when holy love, — love, refined from every unhallowed and debasing alloy, shall knit the hearts of all together in un interrupted and everlasting harmony, you shall be cast out, banished by an irrevocable sentence, from the happy so ciety of heaven, to have your part with those, who, in the midst of all the anguish of their penal sufferings, continue still to live in mutual mafice* "hateful, and hating one another," the victims of every wretched passion, recipro cal tormentors, and united in nothing but in hardened despair, and rebellious hatred of God. — Let professing Christians, then, warned by such considerations, serious ly hsten to the apostolical admonition, " Examine your selves, whether you be in the faith; prove your own selves: know ye not your own selves, how that Christ Jesus is in you, except ye be reprobates." And, O ! let all be entreated to look forward, — and to consider Well, how important an interest in Jesus will appear in the great day; — when the omniscient and al mighty Saviour shall " come in his glory," to raise the dead, and to judge the world ; — when he shall •« sit on the throne of his glory, and before him shall be gather ed all nations, and he shall separate them one from ano ther, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats; — and when he shall W say to those on his right hand, " Come ye blessed," and to those on his left, " Depart ye cursed:'' — O how enviable will be their lot, who shall then be found " one in Christ Jesus!" — who shall " enter in through the gates into the heavenly city," and shall spend with him and with one another, a joyful eternity ! There is even now a union between earth and heaven. The " general assembly and church of the first-born, whose names are written in heaven," are of one family 24 with " the spirits of just men made perfect." "The whole family in heaven and earth" * will ere long become " the whole family in heaven;" — all the members of it shall be gathered home to that " place" which Jesus has " pre pared" for them, — his " Father's house, where there are many mansions." f " One family, we dwell in him, " One church, above, beneath, " Though now divided by the stream; " The narrow stream, — of death.'' In the name, not of the particular body of Christians to which I have the honour and the happiness to belong, but of all the members of this family of God, of whom 1 trust there is no small number present, I would now say to every individual, — and many hearts go along with me in the in vitation, — " Come with us, and we will do you good, for the Lord hath spoken good concerning Israel." There is a union, my friends, between earth and hell, as well as between earth and heaven. The " children of the wicked one" on earth, are ofthe same family with " the spirits in prison." They are all " of their father the devil;" — one in origin, one in character, one in end. All those belong to this family, who are living " without God, and without Christ,"— who are " walking according to the course of this world," — who have not been " born again'' of the " incorruptible seed" of God's word. O break off, break off, from this unholy and unhappy fellowship; — a fel lowship of which the dreadful bond is the participation of a common curse,— -the curse of the living God; — a fellowship in sin, that shall terminate in a fellowship in suffering. " He that believeth on the Son of God hath everlasting life; but he that believeth not shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him." J * Eph. iii. 15. -f John xiv. 1—3. J John iii. 63. NOTES. Note A. Page 2. Reasonable as the general principle of this passage appears to be, it has been questioned, and its opposite maintained, by names of high respectability. Thus, the late Dr. Campbell, of Aberdeen : " Though, in our pre- " sent situation, clothes and dwelling are requisite, for protecting us " against the inclemencies of the weather, and other external accidents, " we may, nevertheless, have both clothes and dwelling in different " forms, and yet equally commodious. Nay, one form may be more " convenient in certain climates and certain situations, which is less " convenient in other climates and other situations. The same thing " may, with equal truth, be affirmed concerning the form of church- " government. This is evidently true also of civil government. Of " whatever mode it may be, absolute or limited, monarchical or republi- " can, unless it degenerate into tyranny, it is entitled to the obedience " ofthe subjects. ' For the powers that be' («' c!nrm sgoiwuui,) ' are or- " dained of God.' No criterion is mentioned but established posses- " sion. Now, I can see no reason why a church may not subsist un- " der different forms as well as a state ; and though it must be owned, " that one form may be more favourable than another to the spirit and " design of the constitution, we cannot always judge with safety from " the first of these how much it has retained of the last. Nay, I must " acknowledge, that for any thing I could ever discover in the sacred " oracles to the contrary, the external order may properly undergo *' such alterations as the ends of edification in different exigencies " may require, and prudence may direct. The only thing of real im- " portance is, that nothing be admitted which can, in any way, subvert " the fundamental maxims, or infringe the spiritual nature, ofthe go- " vernment." Lectures on Eccl. Hist. vol. i. pages 92, 93. edit. 1800. Again : " What can we conclude, but that it was intended by the Holy " Spirit thus to teach us to distinguish between what is essential to " the Christian religion, the principles to be believed, and the duties " to be practised, and which are therefore perpetual and unchangeable; D 26 " and what is comparatively circumstantial, regarding external order " and discipline, which, as matters of expedience, alter with circum- " stances, and are therefore left to the adjustment of human pru- " dence." Ibid. p. 99. Once more: " For my own part, I acknow- " ledge it to be my opinion, that there is not a church now in the " world, which is on the model of that formed by the apostles. The " circumstances of men and things are perpetually varying in respect " of laws, civil polity, customs, manners: these, in every society, give " rise to new regulations, arrangements, ceremonies: these again in- " sensibly introduce changes in the relations of different classes and " ranks of men to one another, exalting some, and depressing others. " Sometimes alterations arise from a sort of necessity. A particular " measure may be expedient at one time, and in certain circumstances, " which is inexpedient at another time, and in different circumstances. " But it is equally certain, on the other hand, that changes do not " always spring from prudential considerations of fitness. As little " can we say, that they are always for the better. They more fre- " quently result from the unbridled passions of men, favoured by cir- " cumstances and opportunity. — From what hath been said above, " therefore, let it not be imagined that I consider the outward form of " church polity, because not of the essentials of religion, as a matter " absolutely indifferent. That, I imagine, would be an error in the " other extreme." " Under whatever form of ecclesiastical polity a " man lives, it will still hold an infallible truth, that if he believe and " obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, he shall be saved. But " certain it is, that one model of church government may be much " better calculated for promoting that belief and obedience than ano- " ther. Nay, it is not impossible that such changes may be introduced, " as are much more fitted for obstructing the influence of true religion, " than for advancing it; nay, for inspiring a contrary temper, and nou- " rishing the most dangerous vices. How far this proved the case with " the Christian community, is submitted to every judicious student of " ecclesiastical history." Ibid, pages 248 — 250. <• My only remark on these extracts shall be, that the reference made in the last sentence to the records of ecclesiastical history, and espe cially to his own ingenious and acute development of the successive steps by which the government of the church was corrupted from its original simplicity and purity, till it ended in the spiritual despotism, and splendid abominations of the papal hierarchy, — might well, one should think, have startled the Doctor's mind at the obvious and im minent danger of leaving so much, as he insists may be left, and ought to be left, to " the adjustment of human prudence." Alas ! for the pru dence of man, when applied to alter and amend a constitution of Di vine original! — I am aware, that the government of the church is not 3 27 itself an end, but a means, deriving its importance from the importance ofthe end for which it is instituted. But, if it be true, as Dr. C. af firms (and no one surely will question it), that " one model of church " government may be much better calculated than another for promoting " the belief and obedience" ofthe gospel; — then, surely, the one which is best of all calculated for this end, must be that which the Doctor him self, with so much candour and so much ability, shows to have been of apostolic, and consequently of Divine, authority. The late Dr. Williams, of Rotherham, uses language on this subject very similar in its spirit and tendency to that of Dr. Campbell. In the second edition of his work on " the Equity ofthe Divine Government, " and the Sovereignty of Divine Grace," he introduces, in the practical improvement of his subject, a class of professors of Christianity, whom, for the sake of distinction, he denominates Contractionists ; " because "they contract and limit the apostolic precepts and examples, by re- " during them unjustifiably to positive laws." I perfectly concur with the Doctor in thinking,1 that the persons whose views and practices he proceeds to describe, run to a ridiculous extreme; — yet I cannot but regret that, in condemning this extreme, he should appear to have fallen into its opposite; or at least, that he should have used expressions, which every reader will interpret as meaning, that there is nothing whatever fixed, by Divine prescription, with regard to the government ofthe church, but that all is left to the prudential regulation of men. — " The apostles," says he, " and the Spirit of Christ in them, took " men, customs, and circumstances, as they found them, as is manifest " from their epistles, directing their efforts to the advancement of " spiritual' Christianity. Whatever was calculated, though in different " modes, most effectually to promote the glory of God, the triumphs " ofthe Saviour's grace, the extension of his cause, and the power of " religion in the souls of men, they recommended and urged, and ap- " proved of in others. This, indeed, is implied in their having a fixed " ultimate end in view, to which every thing was made subservient. " If this design was not likely to be answered, however literal the imi- " tation, and however conscientious the parties, there was a defect; " and any variation from what they had sanctioned in other circum- " stances, provided that variation tended more effectually to secure " the proposed higher end, must consistently have been approved of by "them. They did not, under Divine inspiration, however infallible, " prescribe positive laws, or usages, in the churches, as if the obser- " vance of them were a test of faithfulness in. addition to their moral " aptitude; but as helps to promote the highest effects of Christianity, " according to the circumstances of time, place and previous customs," « &c. « It may be asked,", he immediately afterwards adds, " Will " not this leave men too much at liberty to form unscriptural rules? I 28 " reply, Nothing can be unscriptural, which, in the most direct and " effectual manner, promotes the end for which Christian churches " were instituted. The first inquiry of a congregated religious body " should be, How may this end be best attained, under the corrective " rules of the New Testament ? Against those who succeed, ' there is " no law.' " — Essay on Equity and Sovereignty, pages 456 — 458. Surely, if there be any extremes on this subject, this is one of them. According to the above statement (and all that follows is in the same strain), there was nothing authoritative, nothing intended by the apos tles to be understood as permanently binding, even upon the churches which they themselves constituted, in their directions, respecting the government and order of the house of God. But even those church es, had they conceived, from their more thorough knowledge of local circumstances, or in the event of these circumstances undergoing any alteration, that " variation would tend more effectually to secure the "proposed higher end," would have been warranted, nay, it would even have become their duty, to change and modify their social constitution accordingly. Sentiments such as these, which throw every thing re specting the external order of the churches entirely loose, and subject it, upon principle, to the endlessly varying suggestions of human pru dence, I cannot but consider as untenable and pernicious; — highly as I revere the character, and respect the talents, and honour the pious intentions, oftheir Author, and of others who agree with him. Satisfied as I am, that we are bound to observe all things, in behalf of which, as stated church ordinances, either apostolic precept, or (which is the same thing, as implying and originating in such pre cept,) the example of the apostolic churches, can be fairly and distinctly established ; — I yet cannot but consider as quite extravagant, and con trary to obvious fact, the assertions of some, that every thing relative to the order both of government and worship in the churches of Christ, is laid down, in the New Testament, with equal precision of statement, and minuteness of specification, as the observances of the ancient Jewish church are in the Old. Some of those who make such assertions appear as if they felt themselves bound to maintain that this is the case, in order to vindicate the character of " the Apostle and High Priest ofthe Christian profession;'' because it is affirmed of him that he " was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house." Heb. iii. 2. But they forget the simple principle, that faithfulness bears relation to a commission received: — and that if the Lord Jesus was " faithful to him that appointed him," to the fall extent qf his commission, he was as faithful as Moses; — that he would have been unfaithful had he gone beyond, as well as had he kept within it: — and that the question therefore is, What was the extent of his com mission, in regard to Divine communications, and Divine injunctions, 29 - to the churches? — That he was faithful, we are certain. The extent of this commission, therefore, must be ascertained from the actual re cord of inspiration; — and ofthe contents of that record, we must form our judgment by candid investigation, with humble dependence on the guidance of his holy Spirit. Were I required to show in the Scriptures the pattern of the Con. gregational Union, I should simply reply, that we have very abun dant evidence of its being the duty of the churches of Christ to assist one another in temporal things; from which it follows, that it is also their duty to use such means as may be found expedient for convey ing their bounty to one another, so as that it may most effectually an swer the ends for which it is bestowed. These means are not at all a matter of established order, but of merely discretionary arrangement. Note B. Page 3. As an example of cases in which union in the same church is from the nature ofthe thing impossible, I might mention that of a conscientious Presbyterian, and a conscientious Independent. There is nothing tp pre vent their occasional fellowship in social prayer and praise, and even in the ordinance of the Supper. But it is abundantly manifest, that they cannot possibly go on together in the government and discipline of the church. In speaking of cases in which such union is inexpedient, although not impossible, I freely confess I had in my mind the connexion of Baptists and P<edobaptists. — I do not mean their occasional fellowship with one another in all the ordinances ofthe house of God about which they are agreed: God forbid !— I do not even mean, the admission, to stated fellowship, of a Baptist brother by a Paedobaptist church, or of a Paedobaptist brother by a Baptist church, on the principle that he is admitted, at his own desire, to the enjoyment of a privilege, through the church's forbearance with him, and that every thing continues to go on, just as it would have done had he not been there. — Where this is found to be practicable, without its producing any indications of that " schism in the body," of that coolness, and dryness, and distance, and inward alienation of heart, which are so very apt to arise from the pre sence of one, who, by bodily posture or otherwise, testifies his dissent, every time the church observe what they conceive to be a divine insti tute; — I should be the last to object to the practice. — The case, how ever, appears to me to be very different, when a church consists, one half of Baptists, and the other of Psedobaptists, and when their union is maintained by the studied exclusion of an ordinance of Christ from public observance:— when, if the pastor be a Paedobaptist, he must baptise the children of those members who agree with him, all in private; — 30 if he be a Baptist, the Paedobaptist brethren must forego the pleasure of having this ordinance administered to their offspring by their own pastor, and must look about them, and get it done by another, as they best can; — and if there be two pastors of opposite sentiments, they must either give the subject the slip when it comes in their way in their pub lic ministrations, or if they would avoid the guilt of " shunning to declare the whole counsel of God," they must contradict, and argue against, each other; which, even although done in the spirit of candour and love, to the utmost degree that remaining corruption will admit, must necessarily be felt as a rather ungracious employment. — It is not enough to say that publicity is not essentially necessary to the ordi nance. If it were, the case would belong to the former class: union would be almost at least, if not altogether, impracticable. But I speak of it as a case in which it is only inexpedient. — If it be desirable, as it surely is, that all the members of a church should receive all the ordinances of Christ from the hands of their own pastor; — if the social " prayers and supplications" of their brethren should be high ly valued by Christian parents, on an occasion so deeply and tenderly interesting to them, as the addition to the number of immortal souls committed to their charge, and the encouraging recognition of, those promises of God to them and to their seed, which they cannot but es teem " exceeding great and precious;" — and if the public administra tion of the ordinance is found, when attended to with becoming so lemnity, to be fitted for general impression and edification; — I cannot but think that kind of union inexpedient, which necessitates the sacri fice of such conveniences and advantages. — Yet I esteem and love my brethren who hold other views; — and, for myself, rejoice in every op portunity of testifying this esteem and love, by occasional fellowship in the social exercises of worship, and in the " communion ofthe body and blood" of our common Redeemer and Lord- Note C. Page 4. Two rich and powerful minds have recently laid before the public their views respecting the terms of Christian communion ; — Mr. Hall, of Lei cester, and Dr. Mason, of New York. The immediate object ofthe for mer writer, in the practical application of his principles, is more confin ed than that ofthe latter; — Dr. Mason expatiating on the wide field of " Catholic communion," in the most enlarged acceptation ofthe phrase, unfolding its history as well as settling its grounds, — while Mr. Hall restricts himself to the more limited discussion of the points of differ ence betwixt Baptists and Paedobaptists, and of the propriety and ob ligation of their maintaining free communion with one another on the ground of the " one faith, " notwithstanding the opposition of their 31 sentiments and practice with regard to baptism. But the great general principles held, and avowed, and advocated, by both writers, with great force, and great eloquence, although, perhaps, in some instances, with an almost unnecessary prolixity of argumentation, are entirely the same. " There is no position, " says Mr. Hall, " in the whole compass of " theology, ofthe truth of which he (the author) feels a stronger persua- " sion, than that no man, or set of men, are entitled to prescribe, as an " indispensable condition of communion, what the New Testament has " not enjoined as a condition of salvation. To establish this position " is the principal object of the following work ; and though it is more " immediately occupied in the discussion of a case which respects the " Baptists and Paedobaptists, that case is attempted to be decided en- " tirely upon the principle now mentioned, and is no more than the ap- " plication of it to a particular instance." Preface, p. iv, — " If it be " once admitted that a body of men associating for Christian worship " have a right to enact as terms of communion, something more than " is included in the terms of salvation, the question suggested by St. " Paul, " Is Christ divided?" is uterly futile : what he considered as a " solecism is reduced to practice, and established by law." Essay, p. 125. — " He who admits his fellow Christian to share in every other " spiritual privilege, while- he prohibits his approach to the Lord's " table, entertains a view of that institution diametrically opposite to " what has usually prevailed: he must consider it not so much in the "light of a commemoration of his Saviour's death and passion, as a re- " ligious test, designed to ascertain and establish an agreement in points " not fundamental. According to this notion of it, it is no longer a " symbol of our common Christianity ; it is the badge and criterion of a " party, a mark of discrimination applied to distinguish the nicer shades " of difference among Christians. How far either Scripture or reason " can be adduced in support of such a view ofthe subject, it will be the " business of the following pages to inquire." Ibid, pages 7, 8. " Let us gather up," says Dr. Mason, after illustating the comparison in 1 Cor. xii. of the church of God to the human body — " Let us gather " up its results, and see how they bear upon the subject of sacramental "communion. — 1. The body of Christ is one. — 2. Every member of this " body has, by a Divine constitution, utterly independent on his own " will, both union and communion with every other member, as infal- " libly as hands, and feet, eyes, ears and nose, are, by the very con- " stitution ofthe physical body, united together as parts of a whole, and " sympathize with each other accordingly. — S. The members of this "body of Christ have a common and unalienable interest in all the " provision which God has made for its nutriment, growth and conso- " lation; and that, simply and absolutely, because they are members of 32 " that body : Therefore, 4. the members of the church of Christ, indi- " vidually and collectively, are under a moral necessity, i. e. under the " obligation of God's authority, to recognise each other's character and " privileges, and consequently, not to deny the tokens of such recog- " nition. Sacramental communion is one of these tokens : therefore the "members ofthe church of Christ, as such, are under the obligation of " God's authority to recognise their relation to Christ and to each other, " by joining together in sacramental communion. Nor has any church " on earth the power to refuse a seat at the table of the Lord to one " whose ' conversation is as becometh the gospel.' If she has, she has " derived it from some other quarter than her Master's grant ; and " founds the privilege of communion with her in something else than a " person's having ' received Christ Jesus the Lord, and walking in him.* " Let her look to herself, and see what account she shall be able to ren der of her usurpation." Plea for Cath. Comm. pages 7, 8. — "The " sacramental table is spread ; I approach, and ask for a seat. You say, '' ' No.' ' Do you dispute my Christian character and standing? ' ' Not " in the least.' ' Why, then, am I refused? ' ' You do not belong to our " church.' ' Your church ! what do you mean by your church ? Is it any " thing more than a branch of Christ? s church ? Whose table is this ? " Is it the Lord's table, or yours? If yours and not his, I have done. " But if it is the Lord's, where did you acquire the power of shutting " out from its mercies any of his people? I claim my seat under my " Master's grant. Show me your warrant for interfering with it.' — " Methinks it would require a stout heart to encounter such a chal- " lenge," &c. — Ibid, pages 10, 11. — " It results — 1. That they who have " a right to sacramental communion any where, have a right to it every " where; and, conversely, that they who have not a right to it every " where, have a right to it no where. — 2. That no qualification for such " communion may, by the law of Christ, be exacted from any indivi dual, other than visible Christianity; i.e.aprofessionand practice be- " coming the gospel, without regard to those sectarian differences, which "consist with the substance of evangelical truth.'' Ibid, pages 15, 16, Considering these sentiments as referring to the fellowship of mem bers of the spiritual body of Christ, who give evidence of conscientious sincerity in seeking to know and to do their Master's will, I most cor dially concur in them, and rejoice to contribute, in any measure, to their circulation. Surely it is a position which must " produce, on a " mind freefromprejudiee,instantaneousconviction," that "those whom " God forms and actuates by his Spirit, and admits to communion with " himself, are sufficiently qualified for the communion of mortals." Hall, page 126. To justify our communion with any individual, however, it should 33 not be forgotten, we ought to have evidence that this is his character. — " A general profession of Christianity, as is shown by daily experi- " ence, may be, and often is, compatible with the want of every " Christian influence, and even with hostility to almost every Christian " doctrine. To let it serve as an apology for error and vice; and, " under its broad protection, to admit to communion men who evince " neither repentance toward God, nor faith toward our Lord Jesus " Christ, would be indeed to confound the holy with the profane ; to " turn the temple of God into a den of thieves ; and to destroy the " very end and essence of sacramental fellowship. The objectors " themselves cannot have a more firm and founded abhorrence of such " infidel charity, such latitude of ruin, than has the writer of these re- " marks." Mason, pages 314, 315. '' These observations are introduced, not merely as important in themselves, but as bearing an immediate relation to the subject of the foregoing Discourse, — the communion of churches. — Why is it that one church should receive into its fellowship a person who comes with a recommendation from another? Not merely because this recommen dation shows him to have been a member there;—but because, from the confidence of the one church in the other, his membership there is held as sufficiently satisfactory evidence of his genuine Christianity. It is obvious, therefore, that recommendations can be justifiable grounds of admission, only in so far as they afford such evidence ; that is, in so far as the recommending church is known to be attentive to purity of fellowship, and the exercise of discipline. Where laxity and corrup tion extensively prevail, a recommendation ceases to be of any value- Without the mutual confidence referred to, there can be no proper communion of churches; such communion as subsisted in the first age; such communion as renders a member of one virtually a member of all. — On this ground, I should be disposed to hesitate in going all the length of that charity with regard to churches, which seems, if I have rightly understood him, to pervade the whole of Dr. Mason's discussion. In one place, the Doctor indulges himself in a strain of severe and pointed ridicule against those whom he describes as " set at work," by various principles, "to find or to erect an immaculate church;"* such as, I should apprehend, may be very liable to misconstruction, and to be laid hold of, with triumph, by many persons, who are sensible that even a very remote approach to such a state of things, would not at all be suitable for them; and may thus, by a kind of reaction, tend to encourage a degree of laxity, to which, in the passage last quoted from him above, he so strqngly declares himself an enemy. I confess I feel the more jealous of every thing that may either * Plea, &c. pages 55, 56. E 34 directly or indirectly tend to the production of such an effect, because I am persuaded, that here lies one of the principal sources of delusion to the souls of men, in countries where Christianity is the general pro fession of the community. Were I called upon to name the circum stance from which, in such a country, the largest measure of spiritual injury, or, to use Dr. Mason's own energetic phrase, the most exten sive " latitude of ruin" arises, I think I should mention — not the writ ings of infidelity and profanity; not the progress of luxury, and the deceitfulness of riches; not the infectious corruption of public manufac tories; not the theatres, and the gaming tables, and the haunts of dis sipation and profligacy; — not any one of these, or of other similar fountains of bitterness and pollution ; — but, the indiscriminate admission of professors to the ordinances of Gotfs house. By means of this,' thou sands, and tens of thousands, are flattered and deceived by a fair but false opinion of their state, and are led on in peace to the grave, "with a lie in their right hand." — They are satisfied with their admission to privileges ! — they seek it, and count it a favour : and yet, if they are not partakers of the saving grace of God in the heart, it is not within the compass of a fellow creature's power to do them a greater injury. On such a subject, therefore, ridicule ought surely to be cautiously and sparingly used. — If by a perfect or " immaculate church," be meant a church of which all the members axe free from sin, nothing certainly can be more foolish, or more indicative of self-righteous presumption, than to look for such a state of Christian society short of heaven. But if a perfect church means no more than a church of which all the members give sufficient evidence of their being the children of God, and the subjects of his grace, — this, unquestionably, is what we ought sedulously to aim at. The church in heaven, and the church on earth, are one; and the nearer the latter can be brought in resemblance to the former, surely so much the better. That we are not to expect perfec tion, is no good reason why we should not seek after it, and make as near an approach to it as we can. That hypocrites may find admis sion, is no reason why we should either knowingly receive or retain them when they have clearly discovered themselves. — AU this Dr. Mason plainly admits, when he speaks of the obligation upon the office-bearers in every church, " in the wise performance oftheir duty, " to do the best which their circumstances permit." — Yet the parable of the tares and the wheat, as he applies it, and as it is usually applied, would necessarily lead, if it leads to any thing, to the practice of receiv ing all, and excluding none. For the tares in the parable cannot mean hypocrites. They were not concealed- The diflerence between them and the wheat was not at all difficult to be perceived; it was marked and visible. " The tares appeared:" the servants saw them; and their seeing them was the ground of their representation and 35 proposal. The danger in executing the proposed extirpation, did not, therefore, consist in any risk of mistaking the one for the other, or of pulling up the one instead of the other. This was a danger which the servants never dreamed of, and which their master never suggested. Yet it is only when so understood that the parable can, with any plausibility, be applied to church communion. Even then, indeed, the plausibility is small. Observe the two sides ofthe alterna tive. If the tares mean hypocritical professors, they mean characters which no church society can either refuse or exclude; for, on this supposition, they are unknown: — if, on the other hand, as the terms of the parable plainly imply, they represent persons easily distinguishable from the true children of God, possessing not " visible Christianity," but the visible want of it, then the application ofthe case to church fellow ship will necessarily lead to the above mentioned conclusion, that known unbelievers should be admitted and retained; that none, in short, should be refused, and none excluded; — a conclusion, which, although the only legitimate one, no person has ever professed to draw : — and this, of itself, is evidence sufficient, that the parable is mis-applied al together, when it is interpreted in reference to the fellowship ofthe church. — But, I have said more than I intended; and I am getting into a dissertation instead of a Note. Note D. Page 2. The following brief extracts from the Annual Reports, of which five have now been published, may suffice as a specimen of those expres sions of gratitude and brotherly love which are here referred to, and of which the Reports themselves contain only a small selection : — From the second Annual Report for 1814: — " One of our brethren, " after mentioning the comforts, we might have said, the necessaries, " of which the donation sent him put him in possession, adds ; ' I know " by experience, that it is more blessed to give than to receive; at the " same time, I have experienced such happiness in receiving, and using " the above proof of the affection and liberality of my dear brethren, " as (were it possible to communicate a portion of it to them) would " encourage them to persevere in the good work they have begun-* " ' And I doubt not,' he further adds, ' but this is the case with most, " if not with all, who have shared their bounty. At any rate, the need " of many has been supplied, and this has called forth many thanksgiv- " ings to God.' Another of our brethren writes thus: ' I trust I have " felt sincere gratitude to the Lord for his goodness, and to you, and " the other brethren, as the instruments of it. Offer my warmest " thanks to the Committee, for this striking evidence of their brotherly " love.'— The members of another church noticing the benefit received 36 " in what was sent them, say: 'With gratitude to the Lord, and your " Committee, we would ever acknowledge the readiness you manifest- " ed to sympathise with us in our afflicted and embarrassed circumstan- " ces. I trust we have perceived the hand of God, in directing his "servants to devise those means, of which we and others stood in so " much need.' " From the third Report for 1815: — "From the necessary brevity of " this Report, your Committee cannot give you any adequate idea of " the gratitude which has resulted from your bounty; the praises which " have ascended to the God of all grace by your means; the prayers " which have been raised to Heaven for blessings on you in return ; " and the good which has been effected, both in the churches and in " the world." " The following extracts will give some faint view ofthe general feel- "ing which has been excited by the operations ofthe Union. 'I te- " ceived,' says a much esteemed and self-denied labourer in the vine- " yard, ' £ — as the allowance ofthe Committee of the Union. This " sum has afforded me very seasonable and effectual relief; and my " most sincere gratitude and thanks are due to you, to the Committee, " and to all the dear brethren ofthe Union — butabove all, to Him, who " has put it into the hearts of his children to make such liberal and sea- " sonable provision for their poor brethren who are employed in the " work of the Lord. The consideration of the channel through which " this relief is obtained, gives peculiar satisfaction to the mind. Bre- " thren in Christ afford itj because they love us, and sympathize with us, " and thus We are blessed by their means. May they enjoy, in all its " extent, the superior, blessing of Him who said, ' It is more blessed to " give than to receive!' What thanks are due unto the Lord for such " an Institution ! " From the same : — " No words " says another brother, " can express " the good effects which I have seen produced in the churches by means " of the Union. The pastors are better and more cheerfully supported ; " the interest on chapel debts is punctually paid; and in some places " chapel debts have been considerably reduced, since the Union com- " menced. After what has been done, we shall not despise the day of " small things. — It must be also remembered/' he says farther, " that " our congregations are reaping the fruits of the Union. About two " years ago, our temple- building was like to standi We had reason to " fear, that God was dividing us in Jacob, and scattering us in Israel. " The godly were apprehending, and the ungodly were believing, that " our end was come. Some said, ' So would we have it !' others Said, " We shall be sorry for it!' But the Lord has spared the vine; per- " haps there is a blessing in it. Those who hear the gospel with us, " have been our companions in the storm. ¦ They appear happy to see 37 " us connected with brethren and churches who love us, and help us. " And as they have now the prospect of the gospel's being continued " with us, they attend regularly, and hear attentively ; and as ' faith " cometh by hearing,' who can say but many of them may be sav- " ed ? Let us not cease to pray for this." From the fourth Report for 1816 :— " To advert to the expressions of " gratitude which have been received from those churches to which " your bounty was imparted, would only be to mention in effefct what " has again and again been laid before you, in preceding Reports. " The happy results of our operations continue to be great and nu- " merous. The churches are inspired with more gratitude to the Lord, " who has been thus affording, in a manner suited to the most tender " Christian feelings, a supply of the wants of those who depend upon " him. A far greater flow of brotherly love and affection has been ex- " cited in the churches to one another. They feel that they stand con- " nected with brethren who care for them — with brethren who know " what it is to ' weep with those who weep, and rejoice with those who " rejoice.' A kind of heavenly compact is experienced. Every church " finds itself a branch united to and supported by the body at large, " many of which are wise, and able, and liberal; and thus the whole " body, from its one exalted Head, through the joints and ligaments, " being joined and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God." From the fifth Report, for 1817. — " A sister church who have, in a " very peculiar manner, exerted themselves in " holding forth the word " of life," in acknowledging a small part of your bounty of last year, " say: — ' We enjoy many unmerited mercies, for which we return many " thanks to our heavenly Father, and to you. What reason have we to " bless God, that brethren whom we have not seen in the flesh, have " been raised up by divine providence, and have communicated with us " in our affliction, having sent once and again to our necessity. " When your care of us hath flourished again, may fruit abound to your " account ! It affords us pleasure to think, that God is not Unrighteous " to forget your work of faith and labour of love, which ye have show- " ed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do " minister." " A brother, whose labours have been of ho ordinary kind, and of " whom mention is made in your last Report, as having in the preced- " ing summer, Visited not less than seventeen villages, at the greater " part of which he preached once a month, having received from your " Treasurer lately a few pounds, the vote of your Committee, in his " letter of acknowledgment, dated Feb. 26. thus writes: — ' I duly re- ** ceived your favbur df the 22d instant, and trust it will be accepted of " God as an offering of a sweet-slilelling savour, as it has been season- " able and refreshing to me. A life of dependence,' he adds, Mshum- 38 " bling to the pride of human nature, but it affords many opportunities " of witnessing the gracious interpositions of our heavenly Father. Did " those of our brethren, who have this world's goods, know the sensa- " tions of gratitude which their communications excite in the bosoms " ofthe poor labourers in the vineyard of the Lord, they would make " every sacrifice in their power to promote such affections. Paul " coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel ; but never did the miser " receive the thousands of gold, with feelings such as those with which " he received the gifts of his Philippian brethren. When we receive " favours for the sake of Christ, He is endeared, as we owe them to " him, and partake of them as fruit dropping from the cross; we are- " constrained to pour out our souls in thankfulness, and in prayer for " those who bestow their bounty for his name; and feel renewed obli- " gations to devote the gift for the advancement of his glory, whose " truth and love thus bind us together. If there be any thing which pro- " duces pain in the reception of this bounty, it is the reflection that " these exertions are followed with so little of that fruit for which we " all long. But though I waste my strength, and you your property, all is " nothing to what Jesus endured that sinners might be drawn to him.' " Would not the inspired writer of the eighth and ninth chapters of the second Epistle to the Corinthians, have been pleased with these spiritual fruits of Christian liberality? Note E.Page 3. The following passages may serve to illustrate the benefit arising from the liberality of the churches, transmitted through the medium of the Committee of the Union, in enabling zealous and devoted brethren, pastors and preachers, to extend their labours in the proclamation ofthe gospel through extensive districts of the surrounding country, where, in many instances, but for such exertions, its saving truths would remain unheard; — a benefit which, I trust, will be duly appreciated by all who feel the value of immortal souls.- From the second Report: — "From the Journal of another brother re- " siding in Mearns-shire, we shall give one, and but one extract. ' June " 13th, Lord's day; after preaching twice at home, I walked six miles to " a place in the parish of Kinnel, and preached to a large congregation " in the fields, although there were heavy showers of rain, no house " being large enough to contain the people; after which, I walked to " Brechin, six miles farther. After enjoying a comfortable rest, I set " out at an early hour, June 14th, for Aberdeenshire, to visit some " places at which our beloved brother, Mr. Brown, has preached, in the " course of his itinerant labours; and which he had marked out for " me. I went over the Cairny Mount, and preached that same even- " ing in Strathaven parish. Preached once every day, and twice on 39 " Friday 18th, and returned home on the 19th, having preached nine " times, and travelled nearly 120 miles. I had excellent congregations, " excepting on the 15th, and this was owing to a fair at Banchory on " that day. I hope the labours of Mr. B. have been much blessed. I " find he is universally esteemed, as one who has the salvation of men " much at heart. I was particularly happy at a place called Cushnie, " where I preached to a numerous and most attentive auditory. Up- " wards of 40 remained at family worship ; at which I read Eph. ii. " with observations thereon. On my apologizing for the late hour to " which they had been detained, one ofthe company said; ' O Sir, had " you continued till midnight, we certainly should have continued to "4iear with pleasure.' " " It may be noticed, that our brother visited these places, and some " others at a still greater distance, twice more in the course ofthe sum- " mer. Neither did the cold of winter, nor the depth of snow, damp " his zeal, or entirely prevent his extensive labours." From the third Report:—" It is a fact, brethren, which no longer ad- " mits of any doubt, that the Congregational Union has been the happy " means of maintaining the light of divine truth in many dark parts of " our native land; as well as of enabling many churches to make the " gospel sound out extensively from them. An extract of another let- " ter from a correspondent, dated March 23d this'year, will serve as a " specimen to confirm and illustrate the, above remark. ' With regard " to ,' he says, ' it may be observed, that the aid your Committee " has afforded that church has been of great advantage to them. By " your seasonable assistance they have not only enjoyed the ordinances " of Christ for their edification, but they have been enabled to dissemi- " nate the word of God in their vicinity. It may be said with proprie- " ty, that you have been in a good degree supporting a pastor for the " benefit of a poor church ; and also an itinerant for the benefit of poor " sinners, perishing for lack of knowledge. Our brother's labours there " are abundant; and some of his preaching tours long and very expen sive. He has. often gone during the week forty miles, and made " known the way of salvation in many most destitute parts where the " people were truly anxious to hear. In the summer he goes frequent- " ly on the Sabbath evenings to a place about eight miles from home, " where the congregations are always large. — Another church in ex- " press terms, say, ' Were it not for the seasonable and beneficial assist- " ance afforded by the Congregational Union, it is not likely that the - " preaching of the gospel could be continued in this place.' " Your Committee would deem it ungrateful and unjust, not to advert " a little more to the very extensive labours of some others of the pas- " tors of those churches to which your bounty has been extended. " Pretty large journals from four of these brethren have been received, 40 " and more brief accounts from others; by which their labours appear " to have been truly abundant, — in general peculiarly acceptable, — and " as far as can be judged, in many instances useful. These itinerant " excursions have been almost without exception, in places where the " gospel is little known. One of our brethren, after noticing a long " tour on the borders ofthe Highlands, says, " In the course of the " season, I travelled, with a view of preaching the word, about 600 " miles, for the most part on foot. And had strength, and leisure from " labours at home permitted, much more was necessary.' " From the fourth Report: — ' In a letter from another place, the " following statement is given to your Committee: — ' The popu- " lation around this is great; and, in general, the encouragement " to diffuse the truth has been equal to it. During the summer " months, seventeen villages were occasionally visited, the greater " part once in the month. In these places not less than 3000 have " heard the word of life. Where houses could be obtained, most of " them have had sermon during the winter : and we are glad to find " that the people appear to feel an increasing interest in these labours. " When circumstances permitted us to give them sermon on the Lord's " day evening, from 400 to 700 would attend. This must surely gra- " tify the contributors to your funds, as it did the preacher and his " friends, when you are informed that it is by no means probable that " the one half of these would otherwise hear the gospel. In one vil- " lage, where at first the people were most backward to attend, they " now feel a pleasure in coming out, and that in numbers; and a Sab- " bath School has lately been established among them, which is well " attended, and promises to be of much use.' " From the fifth Report. — " Another church, occupying a sphere of pe- " culiar importance in one of the Western Isles, and the labours of " whose pastor were quite circumscribed, in consequence of his avoca- " tions in a small school through the week, till the operations of the "Union commenced, express themselves in the following manner: — " ' The word of life has been blessed to a number of precious souls.' " And, after noticing their own inability wholly to support their pastor, " and yet the peculiar importance of his time being entirely devoted to " the work ofthe ministry, they add, ' If this is desirable in any situa- " tion, it is certainly so in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, " where every Christian pastor and preacher ought to be in the truest " sense of the word a missionaey, devoting a considerable part of his " time to itinerant labours.' And further, they add, ' We consider " this island a very important missionary station: among a population " of 6500, there is only one assistant minister besides our pastor, who " preaches the gospel.' Nor are the labours of their pastor confined " to that island; for they mention, that every year he spends some 41 " considerable part of his time in some of the neighbouring Islands, " preaching the word and distributing religious tracts." " But your Committee must remark here, that it is not merely by ex- *' tensive labours in sowing the seed of eternal life, in hope that God " will give the increase, that your reward appears: There is also the " most satisfactory evidence that many, by the divine blessing, have " been savingly benefited by means of these labours. It must have " been observed, that to one church the small sum of £5 only was " given last year ; a short extract of a letter from the pastor of that " church, will best show the use made of that donation. In adverting " to his itinerant excursions, both near and at a distance, he says : " — 'the doors of usefulness still continue open; and the calls to visit " the more distant places, are more than can be attended to. There " is evidence that these occasional visits have proved a blessing in dif- " ferent instances. Last summer, I had a tour of itinerating to a dis- " tance of about seventy miles from this, where I met with a few who " knew the voice of Christ; but of the people in general it may be " truly said, that ' they sit in darkness, and in the region ofthe shadow " of death.' Many of the people expressed a wish to have such visits "repeated. I may add, that your bounty of last year was what enabled " me to accomplish this tour.' In a letter subsequent to the preceding, " from a neighbouring pastor, it is said of this church; — " There is a " considerable number at A under serious impressions: about ele- " ven since the beginning of this year. And in another place in B " which we occasionally visit, there are a few seeking the Lord, with " their faces toward Zion.' " " In another district of the Highlands, which has been repeatedly " visited by the pastor of one ofthe churches, there has of late been a " very remarkable revival of religion. And while we rejoice and bless " the Lord on account of the effect given to the labours of other min- " isters, we must view those of our respected brother, as having, by " the Divine blessing, tended greatly to the furtherance of this most " important work. By a letter dated the 2d of April, we find that our " brother paid a visit to Glenlyon, the scene of this remarkable out- " pouring of the Holy Spirit, on the 20th of November last, intending " to stop only three days and return home by the Sabbath. But such " was the attention excited to the word, and the very extraordinary " effects produced by it, that he felt constrained to remain three weeks ; " preaching, with two exception's, once every day, frequently twice, " and three times on Sabbaths, till his bodily strength was quite ex- " hausted. Since that time he has frequently visited the same spot, " where the work continues to go on. ' What numbers,' he remarks, " ' are brought to a knowledge of the truth, no one, I believe, can at " present say with certainty; but there are above two hundred known F ¦ 42 B to be in a hopeful way since this revival commenced; one hundred " of these are rejoicing in the truth, (among whom there are some as " young as from nine to fourteen years of age,) and the rest are under " deep convictions.' Nor will the people in that district now hear any " thing but the Gospel. With this they are favoured in a Chapel of " Ease at some distance, by a minister of the Church of Scotland: and " many of them go to hear our brother. He says in his letter, ' Two " Sabbaths ago there were about sixty of them here, a distance of from " seventeen to eighteen miles, among whom was one woman between " sixty and seventy years of age, who walked all that distance in the " morning to hear the word, and after the services of the day returned "a great part of. the way home.' This remarkable revival began in " last harvest, by means of the preaching of a very worthy mi- " nister of the Church of Scotland, who paid an occasional visit to " that neighbourhood, and who was heard by many of the people in " Glenlyon. Since then the labours of the minister in the Chapel of " Ease, just adverted to, have been rendered useful to many. But the " Gentleman, to whose usefulness this part of the Report particularly " alludes, enjoys the peculiar advantage of free access to the people, " and of preaching among them in their own glen; and to this advan- " tage, no doubt, may be traced, under God, the great success of his " ministry there. Since the 20th of November last, * he has preached " about sixty times in that quarter — sometimes in a house, and some- " times in the open air — sometimes in a wood in the dark evenings, " with lamps hung upon the trees; and in general all the inhabitants, " in whose power it was to attend, old and young, within the space of " fourteen miles, were present. Surely that must be an unfeeling " mind indeed which does not find an abundant reward to the Congre- " gational Union, in having been any way instrumental in aiding such " a work." An " abundant reward?' indeed! — And if any members of the Churches have hitherto been conscientiously withholding their contri butions from the funds of the Union, the Extracts in this and the pre ceding Note should, I think, induce them with serious attention to re-consider their ground, and to be very, very sure of its scriptural authority, before they continue to deny themselves the pleasure of contributing to effects so incalculably precious. * The Meeting at which this Report was read, was held on the 8th day of May, 1817. 43' Note F. Page 20. An Institution for this purpose, in connexion with the churches embraced by the Congregational Union, was established at Glasgow in the year 1811. — The following is an outline of its plan: The object ofthe Institution shall be, to afford proper means of communicating, to brethren of approved character and talents, a suita ble measure of knowledge in the following branches of education, in order to enable them, with the greater advantage, to fulfil their desire of devoting themselves to the ministry of the word: — viz. the English, Latin, Greek and Hebrew languages; that they may be able to study the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, in the tongues in which they were originally ' written, and, in interpreting these Scrip tures to others, to speak with propriety in their own : — Logic, or the principles and rules of legitimate reasoning, of which the knowledge is eminently advantageous, both for the defence of truth, and the refu tation of error: — Natural Philosophy, the interesting study of the glory of God in the works of creation — Mathematics, as subservient to this and other branches of useful science, and as itself excellently adapted for sharpening the powers of the mind, and promoting habits of close and accurate thinking: — General History, including Geogra phy and Chronology, to be studied with special reference to the His tory, Geography and Chronology of the Bible :— and Theology, em bracing the study of Divine Truth as revealed in the Scriptures, along with a Comparative view of Philosophical and Christian Morality. The care of the education of the Students shall be committed to Messrs. Ewing and Wardlaw, Glasgow; who shall instruct them in Theology; direct their general reading, and their exercises in the com position and delivery of discourses ; and shall superintend their pro gress in classical learning; the elements of which they shall receive, either from the tutors themselves, or, under their direction, from pri vate teachers ; while the more advanced part shall be obtained, along with other branches of education, by attending the ordinary classes in Glasgow College. The course shall be one of four years: — it being, at the same time, understood, that such as display superior talents, or have enjoyed su perior previous advantages, may be sent out sooner; — and that, in case of necessity, a fifth year may be prescribed, for the rudiments of edu cation, as a necessary introduction to the course. A Library of theological and classical works shall be formed, at the expense of the funds, and by donations of books from individuals friendly to the Institution : whilst, for the advantages of general read- 44 ing, the Students shall have access to the most eligible public library in Glasgow. In order to enable suitable characters to avail themselves of these means of education, all those Students whose circumstances may render it necessary, shall have their class fees paid out ofthe funds, and shall receive a reasonable allowance for their temporal support; the amount of which shall be regulated by the Committee of Management before mentioned. Persons proposed for receiving education, must be recommended by their pastors, with the consent of their respective churches, as known to possess good natural talents, and decided piety, along with those qualities of Christian temper, which the Scriptures require in those who devote themselves to the ministry of the word. In order to discover these qualifications, it shall be recommended to the pastors of the churches, to make trial of the talents of such as ap ply for education, by teaching them the principles of English Grammar, or by employing them in any other useful exercises, which are fitted to try and to develop the powers of the mind. The number ofthe Students received, shall be regulated by the state ofthe funds, and the qualifications ofthe applicants; among whom the Committee of Management shall have power to make the necessary se lection, when a greater number apply than can be admitted. It shall be in the power of the tutors, with the concurrence of the Committee of Management, to dismiss from the Seminary, after a trial of three months, such Students as do not, in that time, give evidence of their possessing talents, of which the further cultivation is likely to fit them for real usefulness. Provision shall be made, from the funds ofthe Institution, for Stu dents who have completed their education, and, having left the Aca demy, have commenced their labours in preaching the gospel, under the direction of the Committee of Management, for one year at least, if within that time they have not obtained a fixed station; and for a longer period, if the Committee judge it proper: it being left to their discretion to decide in this, according to circumstances. To think ourselves right, and to think those who differ from us wrong, are one and the same thing: — and he must be under the in fluence either of indifference, or of some secret suspicions of his ground, whose professed conviction of any truth, is not accompanied with a desire that others may receive it. As an independent, fully sa tisfied ofthe scriptural authority of this particular system of church order, it would be either criminal apathy, or pitiful affectation, for me to say, that I had no wish for its general adoption. Could I separate,,. 45 indeed, between the spread of independent principles, and the ad vancement of the cause of Christ, by the spiritual edification of belie vers, and the conversion of sinners ; — could I suppose the prosperity of independency to occasion the declension, instead of the promotion, of these important objects, I should not dare to wish it well, or to say, " God-speed" to it in its progress. That would be to wish well to means, at the expense of the very end from which they derive their im portance. It is not for the sake of independency that independents desire, (or at least ought to desire) the adoption of their peculiar prin ciples. It is because these principles, when reduced to legitimate practice, contain the most efficient, because the divinely instituted means, of building up, and enlarging, the church of God. — Believing, therefore, that the advancement of independency is intimately con nected with the advancement of the interests of Divine truth, of the glory of God, and the salvation of men, I cannot but rejoice, when its principles have justice done them in their operation. This, I am more and more convinced, they are far from having when they are viewed, and acted upon, in a state of divorce from all effectual provision for educat ing, for the ministry ofthe gospel, those brethren who, besides the grace of God, appear to be endowed with promising natural talents, and are desirous of devoting their lives to the service of Christ and the church. Independents who neglect such provision are guilty,Iapprehend, of with holding from their principles an advantage, which, when it is at all with in their reach, it is their incumbent duty to afford them, for the sake of the stability and the progress of the Redeemer's Kingdom.— I am not going to enter into any discussion of this subject. That I have endea voured to do elsewhere *. I have already said more indeed, in this place than I intended : — my sole object at present being to call to this infant In stitution the renewed attention of the Churches with which it is imme diately connected, and to inform others, who may have been una ware of its existence. — In urging the recommendation of it to con tinued patronage, I feel encouraged by the very promising appearance of future usefulness which it just now presents, as well as by the good * See a Sermon, entitled " Qualifications for Teaching, essential to the Character of a Christian Bishop," preached at the opening ofthe above Acade mical Institution, in Nile Street Meeting House, Glasgow, on Wednesday March 13th, 1811. — I embrace this opportunity also of earnestly recommend ing to the attention of my Christian brethren, the scriptural principles, and im portant practical directions, respecting " the encouragement due from Christians to preachers ofthe gospel," contained in a Sermon preached by Mr. Ewing, at the fourth Anniversary, being the conclusion of the first course of the same Institution. 46 which it has already done. None, I trust, will suppose that there is any personal end to be answered by such recommendation; the labours of my able and respected colleague and myself, in this service, being en tirely gratuitous. To the small, but increasing Library connected with the Institu tion, donations of Books, in Theology, and in general literature, will be peculiary acceptable. A. $¦ J. Duncan, Printers, Glasgow. AN BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATIONS FOR tbe Belief of the poor: OP WHICH THE SUBSTANCE WAS READ TO THE Literary and Commercial Society of Glasgow, April, 1817. By RALPH WARDLAW. The rich and the poor meet together : JEHOVAH is the maker of them all. He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth hia Maker : but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor. , Solomon, GLASGOW: Printed by Young, Gallic. % Company, SOLD BT IX. & J, M. DUNCAN ; M. OGLE; J. BRASH & CO.; 1. SMITH & SON; W. TDRNBULL; AND T. OGILVIE : A. BLACK; OLIFHANT, WAUGH, & INNKS; AND OGLE & CO. EDINBURGH; LONGMAN & CO.; AND OGLES, DUNCAN, & COCHRAN, LONDON. 1818. PREFACE. Considerable additions have been made to the fol lowing Essay, since it was read to the Sopiety mentioned in die Title Page; of which the greater part were suggested by the pbservations and objections of different gentlemen, in the conversation to which it gave rise. — In venturing to present it to the public, (which he does with sincere diffidence) the Author has been influenced by recent circumstances, affepting the interests of the charitable Associations of this city ; especially by the general circulation of certain principles of Political Economy, which, however substantially just in them selves, he cannot but consider as driven to a pernicious extreme in their practical application. — His principal object js, as far as it may lie in his power, to redeem such Institutions from a neglect "and discountenance, which this amongst other causes has produced, and which appears to him to be equally unmerited on their part, and unfortunate for the interests of genuine char ity. — If the sentiments and reasonings in the latter part of the Essay, shall, in any degree, contribute to the accpmplishment of this end, he will feel himself satisfied, IV whatever variety of judgment may exist, respecting those general views of the principles of Mr. Malthus, and of the poor laws, which are contained in the former. He deprecates the character of a would-be political economist, — an impertinent intermeddle^ an intrusive pretender, in a science, with whose manifold and Com plicated details he has so very slight and superficial an acquaintance. — He trusts he shall find credit at least for the rectitude of his intentions : — and, having simply stated the views of a highly interesting subject which have occurred to his mind, it is not his design, if they shall be thought at all deserving of notice, to enter into any controversy whatever for their support. He has only further to intimate, that whatever CLEAR PROFITS MAY ARISE FROM THE SALE OF THIS PAMPHLET, SHALL BE GIVEN TO ONE OR MORE OF THE BENEVOLENT ASSPCIATIONS IN THIS CITY. Glasgow, ¦* December 1st, 1817. 5 K=" Id page 32, line 11, the word " being" has, by mistake, been printed in Italic ON BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATIONS, Sfc When I formed the purpose. Gentlemen, of writing an Essay on this subject, I Was hardly, I confess, aware of the number, variety, and intricacy of its bearings; else, it is nbt improbable, I might have shrunk from the attempt. — If the views which I am now about to present, shall appeiar crude and hasty, (as, from the very limited extent of my reading, on a subject about which so much has been written, is more than likely to be the case;) while I shall fail in benefiting or gratify ing others, I may at least reap the advantage myself, of having these views enlarged where they are deficient, and corrected where they are erroneous. From the endless diversity of talent, and taste, and disposition, amongst mankind, as well as of unavoidable controlling circumstances in the providence of God, it B 6 is reasonable to expect, what in fact has uniformly occurred, a corresponding diversity in the pursuits and occupations of social life, and in the measure of success attending the prosecution of each. — Society cannot advance a single step, without presenting " the rich and the poor meeting together;" and every attempt to prevent this variety, and to accomplish and maintain a system of equality in station and property, is an attempt to counteract the tendencies of nature; an attempt which experience has pronounced impracticable and visionary; and which, were it possible to give it success,. would effectually frustrate the purposes of mutual bene fit for which men associate together. In the animal frame, the nutritious fluid, propelled from the central organ of circulation, is diffused, by vessels branching off in innumerable subdivisions and gradually decreasing in size, to the remotest extremities : and the more minute the ramification, the more com plete is the supply of nourishment and life to every part; and the greater is the healthiness and vigour of the whole. So is it with the Body Politic. The more minute the subdivision of labour; — the more regular and complete the gradation of rank, from the highest to the lowest; — the more entire will be the supply of all its wants, the more constant and efficient the discharge of all its functions, and the more sound and firmly- graced its general constitution.— As the animal body suffers, to a certain degree, by the want of even the smallest part, — of a finger, for instance, or a nail, — so does the political body by the loss of any member that has served a useful purpose in it, however humble and subordinate. — We might even stretch the analogy a little further: for, as the human frame is injured not by defect only, but also by redundancy, — a§ an unnatural excrescence not merely mars its beauty and uniformity, but draws off from the nourishment of its proper limbs and organs a proportion of the pabulum vitae; — so may the frame of society be injured by re dundancy, as well as by defect. Those idle members, which discharge no active function, and which yield no return for the nourishment that flows out of its regular and proper course to sustain them, are unnatural ex crescences which at once disfigure its fair proportions, and debilitate its healthful energies. When, in the animal frame, such an excrescence has, through neglect or injudicious treatment, in creased tp an alarming size, a skilful and considerate surgeon, I should presume, would feel it his duty to deliberate, whether it would be advisable, at the risk pf consequences more serious than even the existing evil, tp extirpate it at once by a bold and hazardous operation, — or whether it would not be preferable, to 8 attempt, by gentler means, its gradual reduction, and, by some alterative regimen, to prevent, if possible, its recurrence. It will, I trust, be sufficiently understood, that those members of the political body are by no means to be considered as included in this comparison, who are willing and desirous to fulfil their respective functions; but, by particular unavoidable circumstances, are in capacitated for accomplishing their wishes. — These we should rather liken to proper members of the natural body in a state of derangement and disease. They are members which have a claim to sympathy; to which may justly be applied the words of inspiration — " whe ther one member suffer, all the members suffer with it." Such members it is an incumbent duty, and, under the proper influence of such sympathy, it will be felt an act of self-gratification, to relieve and cherish, and, if possible, to recover to soundness and activity. — But I cannot pursue the application of this figure, without anticipating a future part of my subject. ""Whatever judgment we may form, respecting the soundness of some of the practical inferences deduced by Mr. Malthus from the great general principles of his work on population, or even with regard to the relevancy of some of his proofs and illustrations ; the principles themselves appear to be successfully estab lished on the solid foundation, not of mere abstract theoretical reasoning, but of general experience and fact. — When we have framed to ourselves a theory, and have satisfactorily evinced the truth of its element ary principles, we are in imminent danger, for the sake of consistency, of pushing the application of it to an extreme. Attachment to our theory, especially if it be one that is in any degree original, and the investigation and establishment of which have cost us unusual pains, becomes a powerful counter-agent to higher and purer motives. Even the man of genuine philanthropy may, by such attachment, be tempted to repress those feelings which he would otherwise delight in indulging; — to force himself to a kind of sternness that is not at all natural to him; — and to harden himself to the admission, and even to the sturdy defence, of conclusions, from which his heart inwardly revolts, but which his theory may seem to necessitate. — On different occasions, Mr. Malthus expresses his consciousness of this danger, and his desire to guard himself against it. " I would never "wish," says he, "to push general principles too far, al- f( though I think they should always be kept in view."* * Essay on the principle of population, Vol. II. pages 111, & 397: Fourth Edition. 10 Yet that Mr. Maltlius, especially in his first Essay, (of which, in the preface to his mor,e enlarged treatise, he acknowledges having softened some of the harsher conclusions) exposed his principles to dislike and to obloquy, by the repulsive severity of some of his state ments and illustrations, reasonings, and inferences, no attentive reader of his work will deny. So much, indeed, was this the case, that some persons, who felt themselves constrained, by the imperative force of evi-» dence, to grant the justness of his leading principles, were ready to sigh over the conclusion to which they had been brought, as one that had interfered with the peace and . comfort of their minds, by darkening their views of Divine providence, and their prospects of human improvement.* Of some of his figurative illus trations particularly, which are conceived and expressed in a tone of forbidding austerity, undue advantage has sometimes been taken, to fasten a stigma upon his principles, if not even upon the character of his mind. His own unlucky allegory of " Nature's Mighty Feast" has, I am persuaded, operated more against him than many an ingenious argument. Times without number has it been quoted, with ridicule and with disgust, as * See the Review of Weyland on Population, in the Christian Ob- servw for Nov. & Dec. 1816; to which the author acknowledges himself indebted for the suggestion of some of the general views here exhibited. 11 of itself quite sufficient to be the millstone about the neck of his whole system. Those persons especially have been indebted to it, who are incapable of separat ing between the great fundamental principles of a theory^ and the particular illustrations of its expounder: — it has happily enabled them to explode by a flippant witticism, what they could not assail by serious argu ment; and to prevent all candid appeal to the reason ings of the work which contains it, by producing a pre vious horror of a system, which must be (as their hearers Conclude) so inhuman and unnatural. Such passages of the work as this have been too unmercifully fastened upon, and reviled, whilst those parts of it have been too much overlooked, which show the heart of its au thor to be by no means a stranger to the dictates and emotions of genuine benevolence. vIt is not my present object, even if I felt myself qualified for the task, to enter into any extended and controversial discussion respecting the principles of population. I shall only say, that the great principle which forms the basis of the Malthean system, appears to be settled by an induction of facts too numerous and too decisive to be resisted:'— namely, That there is, in human society, a constant tendency to a redundance, or excess, of population ; that is, that the progressive increase of the species, when unrestrained by any checks 12 of a preventive^ and unreduced by any of a positive nature, will rapidly outrun the productive powers of the earth to supply the growing numbers with fpod: — that, in newly discovered countries, for instance, where there is unlimited territory, abundance of provisions, and no prudential considerations relative to the future support of families to restrain from their immediate formation, the inhabitants will go on, notwithstanding the ordinary reductions occasioned amongst them by the execution of the universal sentence of mortality, doubling their numbers in successive periods of twenty- five years, or even fewer : — whereas it is utterly incon ceivable (unless on the supposition of a constant and growing miracle) that the prolific powers of the soil could ever be made to keep pace with this perpetually diverging ratio of increase. It is not at all requisite, however, at present, that I should attempt to settle the disputed question as to the precise relative propor tion between the rate of progress of unchecked popula tion, and the rate of possible augmentation of the pro duce ofthe earth; — to determine, whether Mr, Malthus be right or wrong, in fixing this proportion to be as that of a geometrical to an arithmetical ratio. It is quite 'enough, if the one is ascertained, in any very considerable degree, to exceed the other: — and this, it seems impossible, on any reasonable grounds, to con* trovert. 13 v But is not emigration a constant and ready outlet to a redundant population? This is an inquiry which, on a first and hasty view of this subject, very naturally suggests itself. But a moment's reflection is sufficient to show, that it affords' no satisfactory solution of the difficulty. Did the problem respect one family, or one nation only, and that at a time when " the world was all before them," unoccupiedj and open for their re ception, the remedy would be complete, and of imme diate and easy application. But this, it is very obvious, is a view of the case quite too partial and limited. The problem relates not to a family, or tribe, or nation, but to the entire race; not to a particular spot or district of the earth, as the habitation of a certain de finite proportion of mankind, but to the whole of its habitable surface, as the residence of the species. The same general laws and tendencies must be considered as prevailing universally, and as having prevailed from the beginning. And, taking the problem on this com prehensive scale— (and it is the only just and legitimate way of taking it;) — supposing the principle of popula tion maintained in its full pristine vigour, — unrestrained in its operation by any positive or preventive checks; all the colonies of mankind which, commencing from the original family, branch off in rapid succession!,. continuing to double their numbers in the short period 14 of twenty-five years; — it must at once be manifest, that in these circumstances, the relief afforded by emigra tion cannot, from the nature of the case, be more than temporary. And the mere matter of fact, that the earth, after the lapse of so many ages, is not yet over-peopled, is nothing at all to the purpose; because "the question still remains, whether this has not been owing to the operation of those checks, which hold sp prominent a place in the disquisitions of Malthus. A discerning reader, indeed, will perceive, in examining the works of his opponents, that, in a considerable portion of their reasonings ;against the tendency of population to exceed the means of subsistence, the authors, possi bly without being themselves aware of it, are speaking, not of the principle of population as ^completely unre strained, but as actually under the repressing influence, in a greater or smaller degree, of those very checks. v These checks, as has been already hinted, are of two descriptions. The first, denominated by Mr. Malthus positive, consists of vice and misery, in all the endless variety ^of 'forms in which they serve to thin the ranks of n crowded population. It "includes," says this writer himself, "every cause, whether arising from vice "or misery, which in any degree contributes to shorten " the natural duration of human life. Under this head, " therefore, may be enumerated all unwholesome oc- 15 " cupations, severe labour, and exposure to tho seasons, " extreme poverty, bad nursing of children, great towns, "excesses of all kinds, the whole train of common " diseases and epidemics, wars, plague, and famine." * — The second, which he styles preventive, consists simply in the restraint of natural inclinations, by a prudential abstinence from marriage, when there does not exist a reasonable prospect of means to support a rising family. With regard to the first class of checks, Mr. Mal thus ought not to be considered as either approving, recommending, or rejoicing in them. There cannot be a more unfounded libel, than to represent him, as " regarding the vices and follies of human nature* " and their various products of famine, disease and war, " as benevolent remedies, by which nature has enabled " human beings to correct the disorders, that would arise "from that redundance of population which the unre- " strained operation of her laws would create." f He simply affirms and establishes the indisputable facts, that there is a tendency in population, when free from check, to press upon, and even to go far beyond, the productive powers of the soil; — and that, on the other hand, vice and misery do actually, and powerfully, counterwork this tendency, by taking * Essay, &c. vol. I. page 19. 4th edition. f Grahame's Inquiry into the principle of population, pages 101, 102. 16 off the redundance which it occasions. These are simple matters qf fact, independent of all theory and of all argumentation. To represent him as maintaining even the necessity of vice as a check to the progress of population, is to charge him with what he has nowhere done. And with regard to the tendency itself now in question, considered simply as a matter of fact, there appears to be no difficulty either different in kind or greater in degree, in reconciling the fact with the wis dom and goodness of an all-wise and all-gracious Provi dence, than there is in reconciling with the same views of Providence the unquestioned and unquestionable existence of various other evils, inherent bpth in human v nature and in human society. — It appears to me, indeed, that the radical error of philosophy, on this, and on some other similar topics, — an error which branches off into a great variety of collateral mistakes, and one to which Mr. Malthus himself has not paid sufficient attention, — lies in its entirely overlooking the real state and charac ter of mankind, as a race of apostate and guilty creatures; and the impossibility of our ever being able decidedly to ascertain, what the consequences, as to this world, would have been, if the allegiance of our species to Heaven had never been broken: — whether successive generations would have been transplanted to a state of higher and purer enjoyment, or what other provision would have 17 been made for the accommodation of a perpetually progressive population, in a state of entire and unin terrupted happiness. These are speculations, I may be told, which belong not to philosophy, but to theology; and the philosopher may dismiss them with a disdainful smile. But such a smile will not set aside the multifa rious and cogent evidence of the Divine authority of the Bible. If Theology says one thing, and Philosophy another, and truth is on the side of the former, the former alone is genuine philosophy; unless we choose to dignify falsehood with this honourable appellation. Nothing is philosophical that is not true; and surely truth does not cease to be philosophy, because it hap pens to be contained in the Bible. The first inquiry of every ethical Philosopher ought certainly to be, Is this Book a revelation from God? And, if the question be decided in the affirmative, all must yield to its author itative dictation, and every doctrine must be ranked under " science falsely so called," that does not accord with its explicit declarations. Mr. Malthus, so far from feeling any complacency in the operation of vice and misery, is desirous, as every true philanthropist must be, that these positive checks should, as far as possible, be superseded by the preventive, — that is, by moral restraint. And to mitigate the neces sity even for the application of it, all accessible means are 18 to be strenuously employed for the extension and improve ment of agriculture, and the stimulation ofthe ppwers pf the soil to their utmost degree of productiveness. And, still further,— in order that, in all cases in which the ap plication of it does continue necessary, it may be in reality what he denominates it, " moral restraint," — unaccom panied with licentiousness and its attendant evils, insti tutions for the general diffusion of knowledge, of moral and religious principle, and of consequent virtuous habits, amongst the inferior orders of the community, form an es sential part of his practical system.-=— Is it quite fair, then, to brarid this philosopher and his disciples with hard- heartedness and inhumanity; — when, in truth, all that can justly be laid to their charge is, an earnest desire, as far as it is practicable, (that is, as far as the tendencies of human nature and of human society will permit,) to put an end to vice and misery, the deplorable drains of a teeming population, by the superior influence of knowledge, and principle, and prudential consideration, and moral restraint, and agricultural improvement? Notwithstanding all the harshness of some of Mr. Malthus's deductions, let it not be supposed that he is less feelingly alive than his opponents, either to the in trinsic evil, or to the mischievous consequences, of pre vailing vice, even when it arises, as he admits it may, from his own preventive check, applied without the 19 control of virtuous principle. " If this restraint," says he, "do not produce vice, it is undoubtedly .the least ''evil that can arise from the principle of population. " Considered as a restraint on a strong natural inciina- " tion, it must be allowed to produce a certain degree "of temporary unhappiness; but evidently slight, when " compared with the evils which arise from any of the "other checks to population; and merely of the same (i nature as many other sacrifices of tena.por,ary to per- " manent gratification, .which it is >the business of a .moral " agent continually to make. " When this restraint produces vice, the .evils which "follow are butitoo conspicuous." A prevailing depar ture from <the law that " every man should have his own wife, and every woman her own husband," he then re presents as " lowering, in -the most marked manner, the " dignity of human nature. It cannot be without its " effect on men; and nothing can be more obvious -than " its tendency to degrade >the female character, and to "destroy all its most amiable -and distinguishing char- " acteristics. Add -to which, that among those unfor- "tunate females with which all great towns abound, "more real -distress and aggravated misery are to -be " found, than in any other department of human life. " When a general corruption of morals of this de- " scription pervades all the classes of society, its effects 20 " must necessarily be, to poison the springs of domestic " happiness, to weaken conjugal and parental affection, " and to lessen the united exertions and ardour of pa* " rents in the care and education of their children ; " effects which cannot take place, without a decided " diminution of the general happiness and virtue of the " Society." * It will not surely be considered as a sufficient ground, or as any ground whatever, for an imputation so serious and weighty as the want of humanity and compassion, that Mr. Malthus reprobates, and that strongly, the system of the English poor laws; or even that he dis approves of the principle of legal assessments altogether. A man may do both, and, instead of being destitute of charity, charitable views may be the principal grounds of his disapprobation. He may be mistaken; — he may push his principles to an extravagant length; — but he need not be hard-hearted. That the poor-rates in England have, either through flagrant mismanagement and abuse, or from some natural and inherent tendency in the system, become an oppressive evil, of enormous magnitude, " a heavy burden and grievous to be borne," there are few surely who will venture to deny. — Before the year 1801, ac- * Essay, Vol. I. pages 17, 18, 21 cording to the statements of Mr. Malthus, they a- mounted to j£3,000,000 sterling ; — certainly no incon siderable sum. During the scarcity which followed in that year, they mounted to the almost incredible height of ^10,000,000 ! — Last year, (1816) the amount, I be lieve, was ,s£l, 000,000 less. Here then we have the sum of Nine Millions Sterling, raised in England alone, by a legal assessment, which, in some instances, is stated to exceed considerably even the rack-rent of the land. He must be well habituated to bear burdens, who is not disposed to reckon this amongst them. Yet I am persuaded, that there is enough of philanthropy in the breast of John Bull to bear even more than this, were he fully satisfied that the purposes of benevolence really require it, and that they are effectually answered by it. But here lies the rub. There are many inquiries relative to this subject, of which, however interesting, I must waive the discus sion; — into which, indeed, as I am no adept in the science of pohtical economy, it might be deemed, and justly deemed, presumption in me to enter ; — and the due consideration of which, besides, would require a volume, rather than an evening's Essay. Does the evil ofthe poor laws, for example, lie in their principle, or in their abuse? — I am not, for my own part, convinced, that legal assessment is wrong in its abstract D 22 principle. If the protecting and fostering care of every government should extend to all classes of the commu nity of which it is entrusted with the charge, I confess myself at a loss to perceive any abstract ground, on which it can be at once pronounced improper for such government to make the concerns of the poor one of the objects of its benignant regard ; or that should ren der the relief of the distressed and the destitute a more objectionable purpose of taxation, than many others that might be named. — But how is the distribution of this tax* to be confined to such as need and deserve its* provisions? — to the really destitute and distressed'; — to those who are willing but unable to labour, or, it may be, to find occupation for their industry; — to those whom the late Mr. Whitbread appropriately denomi nated the " innocently necessitous"? — Does not the known existence of a legal fund of charity, on which the poor may confidently depend, operate as a bounty on pauperism, and augment the evil which it is intended to alleviate and diminish? — From its being established by legislative enactment, and on this account apt to be regarded not so much as charity, but rather as a kind of allotted and rightful patrimony,— as well as from the number of known applicants, by whom a man is effec tually kept in countenance, — does it not tend to break- the spirit of honourable independence, and to tempt 23 many, -instead of struggling manfully through their hardships, and putting forth all their energies, of mind and body, for the support of themselves and their fami lies, to cower under their difficulties, and. to prefer the easier method of applying for, and claiming, the pro vided relief? It has been alleged by a recent writer in defence of the poor laws, that their opponents are guilty Of incon sistency, in ascribing to them the opposite effects, as he conceives them to be, of a spirit of insolence, and a spirit of servility :— and from this hedraws the conclu sion, that they have predetermined to find these . laws mischievous, and then, setting their wits to work to shew how they are so, have imputed to them, conse quences which are quite incompatible with each other. But the conclusion seems to be as hasty as it is severe. Js it inconceivable, that the operation of this system should be different on minds of different temperaments and characters? — inspiring some with insolence, and some with servility? — Nay, more: I am inclined to think that, both the feelings, although apparently oppo site, are perfectly capable of co-existence, even in the same bosom. There may be pert and forward insolence displayed in the act of claiming charity, and yet a mean and pitiful spirit of dependence and servility may b.e generated or fostered by tlie act of receiving it. 24 The tendencies to abuse, besides, are so many, and so various; — arising from the very extent of the con- pern,— from the self-interest of its numerous adminis trators, — and from the irresistible temptation which it holds out to the indolent and the profligate, to the practice of the multifarious arts of imposture; — that, supposing the principle to be correct, such abuse appears to be hardly, if at all, avoidable. — It is a maxim proverbially current,— that the abuse of any thing is no valid argument against the use of it. The general justness of the saying I mean not to ques tion. But there is one obvious case of exception to its truth. If the tendency of any existing system to abuse be particularly strong, and if from the abuse of it evils are found to arise of greater magnitude than from the want of it altogether; — in such circumstances, the abuse becomes a forcible and conclusive argument for its abolition. According to Mr. Malthus, the poor laws tend to foster the evil of a redundant population, and thus tp augment the sum of starvation and wretchedness, be cause, by holding out to a man the prospect of getting his family off his hands if he himself should be unable to maintain it, they lessen the inducements to that prudential restraint from marriage, which constitutes his preventive check. And it is curious to remark. 25 - how some of his opponents, while they exclaim against the harshness and the licentious tendency of this prin ciple of prudential restraint, are at times, perhaps inadvertently, constrained to affirm its propriety. Thus, for instance, Mr. Weyland; — "I venture to assert, " as a general proposition, that, in a well-constituted " and industrious community, every man who chuses *' it may marry, without prejudice to the state, as soon ?' as he can procure a decent habitation, and perceives f a fair probability that the regular fruits of his exer- ?' tions will enable him to maintain a wife and two " children at the least." — Thus, too, a more recent author : — " It is not by mere animal propagation that " the law of increase is obeyed. To have voluntarily " become to any being the occasion of its existence, " produces an obligation to render that existence hap- " py. Only the letter of the law is observed, and the " spirit of it is disregarded, by him who does not pro- " portion his exertions to cherish and support, to the " increase of the members whom he renders dependent " on his virtues. Whosoever shall refuse to support " his own family, is pronounced to be " worse than an " infidel." He, of course, is very little better, who " rears a family which he knows with certainty that he " cannot support, or which he intends to desert. He " has no right, voluntarily to render his marriage a 26 .<" tax upon others, — to encumber other men with his ¦" children, — and so far to disable them from maintain- <" ing their own." * Now, what is all this, but the very principle of moral restraint, inculcated by Mr. Malthus? — And if the poor laws operate in preventing the practice of this salutary restraint, they tend, according to the admissions thus distinctly made, to promote an evil,-r-the evil of a de pendent population, a population that is a tax upon others, and a burden to the community. Laboured eulogies of the marriage state, and con temptuous revilings of celibacy, are therefore, on this subject, entirely gratuitous and irrelevant. Mr. Malthus, no doubt, from that propensity to exaggerate on the sjde of his system, which is common to him with all sup porters of a favourite hypothesis, does allow himself at times to run tp a somewhat ludicrous extreme, in con testing, in certain circumstances, the palm of advantage to society, between the respectable matron and the ne glected old maid ; yet he is no more to be considered as an enemy to matrimony and a friend to celibacy, than those opponents who make the above admissions. Let such admissions be acted upon in general practice, and all that he requires will be done. His object is, to * Grahame, pages 86, 87. 27 redeem a single life from undiscriminating obloquy and derision, and to impress the public mind with the salu tary conviction, that there is more respectability and honour in a state of virtuous celibacy, than in a state of starving and dependent matrimony. Surely the prevalence of such a conviction is infinitely better calcu lated to promote the comfort and happiness both of individuals and of the community, than the universal adoption of the following principle, advanced by the same writer, from whom I have just quoted a paragraph so much in unison with Mr. Malthus's moral restraint: " The well-being of Society," says Mr. Grahame^ " plainly requires, that the degree of forethought and " caution, which every one should exercise before in- " troducing a family, into the commonwealth, should " decrease in proportion to the lowness of his class in " society; that is, that the caution which begets reluc- " tance to produce a family should be strongest where " there is most ability to rear a family, and should de- " crease in proportion as this ability becomes narrower."* — I am almost afraid, that I may be misapprehending the author's meaning; because I feel at a loss to per ceive the consistency between this sentiment and that contained in the other passage referred to. * Inquiry into the principle of population, page 92. 28 Nothing can show more strikingly the inefficiency ofthe poor laws, and the justness ofthe sentiment, that it is not the expenditure of sums of money, however large, that will remedy pauperism and its attendant evils, than the simple fact, that, in addition to the enor mous product of the legal assessment, a sum, larger, one should think, than might suffice for all the purposes of charity together, is raised in England, for work-houses, Hospitals, Asylums of various descriptions, and the distributions of personal benevolence; a sum not less, according to some calculations, than five or six millions sterling; — making a prodigious total of fourteen or fif teen millions, expended on charitable objects. This, in the mind of a stranger, when he thought only of such a sum being oestowed, might well stamp the char acter of the English, as surely the most benevolent and liberal people on earth; — but it would fearfully sink his estimate both of the condition and the character of the population, if peradventure he should draw the very natural conclusion, that a sum so immense was actually needed. But the experience of England seems fully to war rant the observation so frequently made, that, by the encouragement which they present to reliance on pa rochial aid, and, as the native consequences of such reliance, to inconsideration, imprudence, and waste, to 29 indolence and the debasing spirit of dependence, such laws tend, instead pf remedying or alleviating the evil, to increase it a hundred fold. — According to the state ments which have passed without contradiction in the House of Commons, the number of individuals receiving relief, in a greater or smaller degree, from the poor's funds, is not less than two millions and a half! And, as the whole population of England and Wales does not exceed ten millions, we have thus the melancholy and revolting spectacle, of every fourth Englishman subsisting, in whole or in part, upon alms! — Surely we cannot be too vigilantly jealous of the encroachments of a system, which has thus, before our eyes, developed its deplor able tendencies. Surely our safest course, (to adopt the homely phrase, so amusingly amplified by an able and eloquent member of this Society, in an Essay we had some time ago the pleasure of hearing on the same subject,*) will be, to keep, if possible, out ofthe scrape. It is certainly much easier to keep out, than to get out;-^ much easier to prevent, than to remedy. When the evil has grown to so portentous a magnitude as in Eng land, it must at once be obvious, that the instantaneous abolition of it is out of the question. The withdraw- ment all at once of a sum so immense from the multi- * The Bev. Dr. Chalmers. E 80 tude of individuals and families that have depended upon it for their partial or entire support, would pro duce an amount of immediate and unavoidable mis ery, from the very fancy of which the heart shrinks back with dread and horror : and it would be equally unjust, unmerciful, and impolitic, to think for an instant of attempting such a measure- The schemes, accord ingly, which even the most determined opposers of the English poor laws have proposed for their abolition, have been constructed on the principle, of working out their effect by a gradual, and, as far as attainable, an unfelt operation. — These schemes I cannot now discuss. * * It will readily be imagined, that amongst two millions and a half of recipients of public charity, there must be many cases that are far from being really necessitous. I was informed lately, on the authority of a gentleman from Manchester, that in that town, and in Preston,, an expedient had'been adopted, which had had the immediate effect of reducing the poor's rate to an almost incredible degree. The expedient was, publishing in a list the names of the receivers. Conscience, it should seem, was not quite seared, nor the " blushes of ingenuous shame" entirely " quenched," amongst the crowd of unworthy applicants; so that, immediately on their names being given to the public, a prodi gious number shrunk from a renewal of their application. Perhaps this- simple practical hint, which appeals to the principles of honour, and shame, and justice, if prudently applied, (for there is a possibility, as I shall notice in a subsequent part of this Essay, of pressing such an appeal to a harsh extreme,) might operate more extensively and effec tually, than the most laboured and nicely calculated schemes of re duction. 31 If we are desirous, instead of deteriorating and de basing, to ameliorate and exalt, the character of a com munity, and thus to enhance the sum enjoyed by it of personal and social happiness, our first aim, and our unceasing exertion, beyond all question, ought to be, to promote, by every practicable means, the universal diffusion of education amongst the inferior orders; to infuse into all their breasts the high-toned principles of honourable independence; to inculcate and encourage the habits of industry, providence, and economy; and to teach and impress the great general lessons of re ligion and christian morality. We should seek to spread the practical conviction among the common people, that, while it is every man's duty, every man will find it to be also his interest, to bring into exercise all his capabilities, tp preserve himself and his family from a state either of entire or of partial dependence; — that this should be, with them all, the point qf honour; — that, in a country where the profession of Christianity is almost universal, the apostolic admonitions, so strongly and pointedly expressed, should be seriously pondered; — " This we commanded you, that, if any would not " work, neither should he eat." * — " If any man pro- * I am perfectly satisfied, that Mr. Grahame and others are entirely wrong, in interpreting this text as if it exclusively referred to the case of public teachers of Christianity. It is true that the Apostle adduces his own 32 " vide not for his own, and especially for those of his " own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse " than an infidel." f In the history of our own part of the Island, ac-r cording to Fletcher of Saltoun, not much more than a century has elapsed, since it abounded in mendicity and its attendant disorders and miseries, to a degree hardly credible : — and the happy change which has since taken place, and which has raised Scotland to the distinguish ed honour, (would to God that it were even much more merited than it is !) of being pointed to by all our Southern orators and authors on this department of political economy, as an example of sobriety, industry, intelligence, and general morality, among the peasantry and artisans, has been imputed, and, although other causes may have co-operated, in a very considerable degree justly imputed, to the national system of par ochial education, instituted about the very time refer- ed to, when the better instruction -of the youth was pronounced by Fletcher to be peculiarly neces sary. example, as an example of disinterested and laborious industry. But the example was not intended merely for ministers, but to shame certain idly inclined members ofthe Thessalonian church; respecting their conduct to whom, for the purpose of reclaiming them from their evil habits, he gives their christian brethren his inspired directions; of which the mai(- im here quoted forms apart. See the whole Context, 2 Thess. iii. 6— -\5. f 1 Tim. v. 8. According to the accounts of Lord Castlereagh and Others, the condition of the Irish peasantry is far from being so very wretched as, in this country, we have been accustomed to suppose. It is sometimes represented as even considerably superior to that of the same descrip tion of persons in the richest counties of England. — " When Mr. Curwen first visited Ireland, and saw the " wretched Irish Cabins, with the smoke issuing " through the door, he turned away with feelings of " disgust: but when he did enter, he found a surprising " revolution, and the least looked for . that could be " imagined. . He saw, within the place, the exercise of " all the affections of the heart, while potatoes were the " only food, and butter-milk the only luxury. He " thought the Irish peasant decidely happier than the " English pauper. The poor Irishman did not appear " broken in spirit, or degraded. He had travelled a " thousand miles in that country, making observations, " wherever he went, on the condition of the poorer " classes;, and he was convinced, that nothing was so " dangerous to the poor as pauperism." * " Their food," says Lord Castlereagh, " may be of a " coarser kind, and they may have less the appearance of " ease and art; but they enjoy health, and acquire » British Critic ; Account of Mr. Curwen's speech on the poor laws. 34, " strength, from the food on which they live, and the " exertions to which they are inured. You trace in (i them a thankfulness of temper, and a dignity of char-. " acter, which cannot exist in a country, where the " qualities of the people are destroyed, or broken down, " by dependence, and the degradation of applying for " individual relief. There, where there is no legal " provision for the support of indigence, every one de* " pends on himself, or on the kindness of his friends " and neighbours. Their independence constitutes "their enjoyment; a general aspect of happiness and " good humour is observable; individual charity is " awakened to relieve individual distress; and general ** benevolence and self-esteem, render their character *' respectable."* Making every reasonable allowance for the colour ing of such statements, arising from natural partiality both to country and to argument, as well as from fond* ness for a pretty picture, we must, I should presume, admit them to be substantially true. And although to a stranger there appears, in the towns and villages, and on the public roads, of Ireland, an unusual profu sion of wretched mendicants ; all that can legitimately be inferred from this is, that the mere absence of a * Quoted in the British Critic for March, 1817. system of poor laws will not, of itself, destroy pauper ism. Who is so foolish as to expect that it should? — that the mere want of a legal assessment should entirely counteract the influence of other sources of the evil, — such, for example, as degrading ignorance, and ifee most abject and enthralling superstition? No one is so senseless as to affirm, that pauperism is the product of poor laws alone, or, consequently, that the abolition of poor laws alone will effect, in despite of all its other causes, the entire destruction of pauperism. I ani well persuaded, however, that the introduction of a legal assessment into Ireland, similar to that of England, would, in a very short period, instead of alleviating, add a hundred fold to the sufferings of thai long-neglected and ill-fated country. — A system is -now in active and extending operation there, — a system of general education, and of religious and moral instruction, by the establishment of schools for both the English and Irish languages, by the circulation of the Bible, by the preaching of the Gospel, and by the distribution of Tracts;* — which, under the smile and blessing of heaven, promises to be productive of most essential and permanent benefit. The short trial that has been made of it, confirms and * See the Reports of the Hibernian School Society, the Hibernian, Bible Society, the Irish Evangelical Society, and the Religious Tract Society. 36 enlarges all the previous calculations of theory, and deductions from more general experience. Those fine materials, which have so long lain rude and uncultivated)) will by and by, we may confidently expect, be worked up into a charming national character; and " many a " gem of purest ray serene" will be brought forth, in all its native brilliancy, to admiration and to use, that has hitherto been buried in " the dark unfathomed caves" of ignorance and superstition. Few things can be more delightful, than to witness^ amongst the labouring classes of society, the principles of industry, frugality, and independence, in full active operation. The sight of so much snug and tidy comfort as is frequently enjoyed, under the auspicious influence of these principles, even on means comparatively slender and inadequate, at once exhilarates the heart, and effec tually commands respect and admiration. — Let it be ad mitted, then, as beyond all dispute, that the most efficient^ and, in every point of view, the most desirable way of lessening and preventing the evils of pauperism, is,, the general infusion into the minds of the people, of cor rect principles of conduct, as well as of just, and manly,- and christian views of their own true interest and hap piness. Let every thing be done that possibly can be done ; — let every practicable method be adopted, and vigorously and perseveringly prosecuted, to accomplish 37 this first and highest qf objects: — and let every thing /he .sedulously avoided, that would, in any way, tend to impede tne progress pf good principles, or tp engender ^nd to cherish such as are ;bad. But, when we have done the utmost that lies in our power, for the diffusion of knowledge and of principle; however successful the efforts may be in reducing the evil, we must not indulge the extravagant and Utopian expectation pf entirely doing it away. We may ex pect the .wQ^ds pf Moses to the Jews to be, in a greater or less degree, verified in every community:—" The "poor .shaU never cease put of the land." There will atill present themselves, to engage the exercise of a benevolent ,and liberal sympathy, ,the sick, the aged, the infirm, the blind, the disabled by the numberless casualties pf human life, — with other objects of a similar description. The claims of such, indeed, it is not ne cessary -to defend; for they are not disputed. The point chiefly to be considered is, whether, amongst the proper objects pf, charity we should mc\\xo\e. the poor ; — who are neither sick, nor old, nor infirm, nor blind, nor maimedj but who, from other peculiar circumstanc- ;es, are unable to earn a livelihood for themselves and their families.. T&ey are more properly denominated fhe indigent; for poverty, being a relative term, maybe predicated of many who are npt in indigence; — which F 38 always implies such a deficiency of the necessary means of healthful subsistence, as requires, although in various degrees, to be supplied by the bounty of others. Of those who are relieved by benevolent- Associations^ there is comparatively a small proportion that are sim ply of this description; whose indigence is not associat ed with one Or more of those other claims on our sympathy which have been enumerated, and which are admitted to be legitimate. It is important to notice this, because it ascertains the limits of our argument; and serves to show, that the extent of the difference between those who object to such associations, and those who approve of them, is far from being so wide, as many, on a superficial view of the subject, are'ready to apprehend. The discussion, then, regards the relief of those who are simply indigent. And the first question respecting them obviously ought to be, whether they are proper objects of relief at all. Till this point has been decide ed; nothing could be' more preposterous than a contros- versy about the most eligible method of relieving them. If they are not legitimate objects of liberality at all, it is worse than idle to speak of leaving them to the exercise of private charity; for, on this supposition, private charity could not with propriety be bestowed^ any more than public. Charity of every description ought to be withheld. 39 In endeavouring to settle this question, it is readily admitted, that, if relief is at all imparted, it should only be in cases of pressing exigency, and, at the same time, with the utmost delicacy and caution; — that, as there is a danger of breaking the spirit of honourable independence, (the most essential injury that could be done either to the individual or to the community,) every thing ought to be avoided, which it is possible to avoid, in the mode of administering the -bounty, that might tend to lower the tone, and to impair the future energies, of this noble and invaluable principle. Still, however, it is an obvious truth, that these poor labourers cannot control the events of Providence: — they cannot command the rain to fall, or the sun to shine, at their pleasure : — they cannot arrest the arm of Omnipotence, when it is stretched out to afflict the na tions, and say to the Sovereign Ruler, " What doest Thou?" And even supposing, for the sake of argument, that those national distresses, from which, at any time, their personal and family exigencies have arisen, have been owing to the impolitic and ruinous measures ofthe government of their country, still, might we not turn the eye of compassion on the suffering artisans, and say, " As for these sheep, what have they done?" The evil has not been oftheir operation: — they could not prevent it; they cannot remedy it. — When times of general 40 embarrassment and affliction, then, do, in the course of providence, occur ;— when the staff of bread is brok* en; When the outlets of mercantile speculation and in-^ dustry are blocked up ; when glutted markets, and the cessation of demand, produce depreciation in the value of all descriptions of manufacture; when the wages of labour are proportionally reduced, and many hands are deprived of profitable employment ; when a low price of labour unites with a high price of provisions j and when the working classes are necessarily involved in deep and accumulated distress:— in these circumstances, (and experience, alas ! has taught us that they are hot imaginary) what can industry, and economy^ and in dependence do? — -Suppose the virtues of activity and of saving put upon their utmost stretch; —if the com pensation of labour be so depressed, that all the bodily powers must be tasked and strained,- and nature must be exhausted ' by rising early and sitting late, to earn the miserable pittance of a shilling a day, on which a young and numerous family is to be fed, and clothed? and educated: — if corporeal toil is to be most fatiguing^ and mental anxiety most distracting and wearing out, just at the very time when there exists an Unavoidable want of that nourishment which is requisite to' supply" the waste of the animal frame, and to recruit and in* vigorate the enervated mind:— 'what ea» the' poor man 41 then make of his spirit of manly independence, and of active and honourable industry? The spirit of inde pendence will not satisfy the cravings of a hungry fam ily; and of what avail is the spirit of industry, unless it has some field of profitable exertion? These principles, it is true, must always render him respectable ; and in such circumstances, respeet may justly rise even to veneration: — but has riot the poor man, ori this very account, the more imperious claim on oUr compassion and sympathy, that he is reluctant to stoop from his independerice, and anxious to push his way through, and to weather the storm? And shall the very grounds on which our pity is due be made the reasons for with- holdirig our relief? — Is there no possibility of our urg ing this principle of independence to an extreme ?— of making it assume, for example, the form of a stubborn and unsubmissive pride ?— or of allowing a man, through1 the excess of its delicate operation, to do essential in jury to the health arid Well-being pf himself and his family, before he will bring himself to let his riecessities be known, and appear in the mortifying capacity of a receiver of charity? — I paint no merely imaginary pic ture, when I set before you a poor labourer, himself famished to a Walking spectre, gazing, in speechless agony, on the emaciated wife of his bosom, and on his tyretched infant, drawing from the empty breast, with 4S the piteous cries of disappointed eagerness, the red blood, instead of the rich and wholesome nutriment of nature; while the imploring cries of his elder children for bread, when there is none to give, wring his heart with intolerable, anguish. Is there, then, I repeat, no danger of pushing this principle, confessedly good in itself, to an unwarrantable and unmerciful extreme ? Is there no danger of winding up the spring, till it is snapt asunder by a bursting heart ? — Whilst we admire and venerate the principle, that will suffer, and suffer much and long, before it will complain.; yet surely some caution an.d delicacy should be observed, in subjecting it to experiment, — in trying how far it will go, — what degree pf pressure it will bear; — unless we are willing to stand by, and to see fellow-creatures, under its over.. strained exercise, sink into the grave, the victims of starvation and heart-break, rather than utter a com plaint, or present an application for aid; — and to have the pleasing reflection on our consciences, of having been art apd part in this description of honourable suicide. In pleading for the relief of labourers who have been reduced to indigence by circumstances over which they could exercise no preventive control, and who are, on this ground, as fairly entitled to sympathy, as the sick, the old, the blind, or the casually disabled, I am happy 4-3 in being supported by the high authority of Mr. Malthus himself:—" In the great course of human events," says he, " the best-founded expectations will sometimes be "disappointed; and industry, prudence, and virtue not " only fail of their just reward, but be involved in un- " merited calamities. Those who are thus suffering irt " spite of the best directed efforts to avoid it, and from " eauses= which they could not be expected to foresee; " are the genuine objects of charity. In relieving these, " we exercise the appropriate office of benevolencej " that of mitigating the partial evils arising from gen^- " eral laws; and, in this direction of our charity, there- '• fore, we need not apprehend any ill consequences. " Such objects ought to be relieved, according to our "means, liberally and adequately, even though the " Worthless were starving." * o Again: — " I have already observed, however, and I " here repeat it, that the general principles on these " subjects ought not to be pushed too far, though they " should always be kept in view; and that many cases " may occur, in which the good resulting from the re- " fief of the present distress, may more than overbalance " the evil to be apprehended from the remote conse- « quence. All relief in instances of distress, not arising * Essay, Vol. II. page 360. 44 •*' from indolent and improvident habits, clearly comes* •*' undpr this description : and in general it may be u observed, that it is only -that fkind of systematic and "certain relief, on which <the poor can confidently de- *• pend, whatever may ,be their -conduct, that violates " general principles in such a manner, as to make it " clear that the /general consequence is worse than the " particular evil." * In justice to Mr. Malthus -and to my subject, I must add liere his views respecting pur charity to the indolent and improvident themselves: — " When this first claim •" on our benevolence was satisfied, we might then turn " our attention to the ijdle and improvident. 5utihe ¦*' interests of human ihappiness most cleariy require, " that the relief which we afford thetn should be scanty. " We may, perhaps, take upon ourselves, with gueat "caution, to mitigate the punishments which they are *' suffering from the laws. of nature, but on no account -«' to -remove them entirely. They are deservedly at the " bottom in the scale of society; and if we raise .them " from this situation, we not only palpably defeat the " ends of 'benevolence, but commit a most glaring in- -*« justice to those who are above them. They should •** on no account be enabled to command sp much of • Essay, Vol. II. pages 397, 39S. 45 " the necessaries of life as can be obtained by the worst- " paid common labour. The brownest bread, with the " coarsest and scantiest apparel, is the utmost which " they should have the means of purchasing."* The inquiry now remains,-=-ira what way are the in digent to be relieved ? Suppose it admitted, on the ground both of reason and of experience, that legal assessment, or exacted ¦provision for the poor, has an unfavourable tendency; — that, in consequence of the poor looking to it, and. depending upon it, as a matter of right, it operates in the way of a direct bounty on pauperism, and thus augments the mischief which it is intended to remedy : — > suppose this admitted, what will follow? Are the ne cessitous poor to be neglected entirely? — Or are they to be left to the exclusive care and attention of private personal' benevolence ? I dismiss the first supposition, as one from which every mind that is informed by the Bible, and every heart that is influenced by its merciful principles, or that is at all alive to the common sensi bilities of huirianity, must alike revolt: — and request your attention to some of the consequences which ap pear naturally to result from the practical adoption of the second; — that is, from leaving the poor to the operation of personal charity alone. » Essay, Vol. II. pages 61, 62.^ G 46 In the first place: Ninety-nine in the hundred of those who give, either would not have leisure, or would not take it, to examine carefully into the circumstances, and characters, and habits, of those to whom they ad ministered relief. Every day's observation of the ge neral exercise of individual charity may suffice to satisfy us of the truth of this. Secondly: The most truly necessitous and deserving would be most in danger of neglect and oversight, be cause less clamorous and less importunate than others. Thirdly: It would frequently happen, that the same case of distress would be relieved by the bounty of twenty or more individuals; whilst other cases, equally worthy, or even more so, received perhaps from one only, or did not receive at all. There would be rio regularity, no proportion. Fourthly : In this way, idleness and profligacy would very often obtain the relief that is due to industrious and virtuous,, but modest and unassuming indigence;— indigence that shrinks, with delicate reserve, from public observation, and is " ashamed to beg." It is curious to observe, how extremes frequently meet; and how plans, in their nature opposite, termi nate in the same result. Exacted assessment, and a claim on the part of the poor to a fund provided for them by law, are considered, and justly considered, as 47 encouraging idleness, improvidence, and extravagance. The opposite extreme, by rendering the exercise pf charity, in a great proportion of instances, necessarily hasty, indiscriminate, and partial, gives rise, in a differ ent way, to the very same evils. Let me now suppose a benevolent individual, whose feeling heart melts over the sufferings of the poor, and whose hand and purse are as open as his heart, but who is sensible of the great importance of administering his charity with proper discrimination.— Under the strength of this impression, he says to a friend, in whose sagacity and prudence, as well as fidelity and kindly dispositions, he has found reason to place confidence : — f I find, my friend, that I am quite unable to command the leisure necessary for making that inquiry into the circumstances of the poor, which is indispensable to their judicious supply. I feel myself, in multitudes pf cases, in danger of being imposed upon, and conse quently -of doing more harm than good. Y°u have time and opportunity, humanity, prudence, and .zeaL Take this small sum; — be my almoner; — and let me know when it is exhausted." — Would this be wrong? Would it not be only personal benevolence adopting a prudent and effectual method of at once effecting the good which it wishes to do, and shunning the evil which it justly apprehends ? So far from being reprehensible, 48 would not such procedure be rather laudable and de serving of imitation ? Let me, then, extend the same supposition a little further. Suppose not one only, but a number of gen erous givers, influenced by the very same considera tions, should intrust their bounty not to one only, but to a number of faithful distributors, who are disposed to spare the necessary time, and to bestow the necessary labour. Does this at all alter the nature of the thing ? Does that which was right and praise-worthy in the case of the individual, become wrong and blame-worthy in the case of the number of individuals ? Is it not still, neither more nor less than private benevolence pursuing the attainment of its end in a discreet and secure way? Yet this is a Benevolent Society. — And what more, then, are such institutions, than simply channels in which the streams of individual bounty may most effectually, (that is, with the largest measure of real blessing, and the smallest portion of accompanying evil,) arrive at their destination; — to cheer and to fertilize the barren and parched wastes of penury and wretched ness? The principal objection which I have heard offered to this apparently simple and conclusive reasoning, is, that all such institutions are to a certain degree charge-. 49 able with the great evil of legal assessments, or poor's rates ; namely, that they come to be depended Upon by the poor; and that every thing'on which they so depend, and previously calculate, apart from their own industry and "labour, operates as an encouragement to idleness and thriftlessness. In reply to this objection, with which I am far from being disposed to trifle, let the following considerations be weighed: — In the first place : — If we adopt the principle that we are to do no good till we have discovered a way in which it may be accomplished without the possibility of any abuse, or of any measure of accompanying evil, very little, I fear, must be done. — In the present state of human nature and of human society, it is too much to expect any extensive exercise of benevolence, with out some undue advantage being taken of it by the ill- disposed, and the artful. — It is true that such Societies may at times be imposed upon. Under the administra tion of imperfect creatures, every institution must ne cessarily partake of the imperfection of its administra tors. But it ought to be recollected, that, when we urge the extensive practice of private beneficence, we inculcate what must, from the nature of the thing, be liable to much more easy and frequent imposition. 50 Secondly: — The funds of a benevolent Society are supplied by voluntary contribution ; — and the disburse ment of these funds is entirely at the discretion of those fo whose management they are intrusted. — No person, therefore, can come .upon them with any claim, or assert the smallest right to any portion of them ; no more than he can assert such a right to the contents of the private purses of those by whose benevolence they have been furnislied. And, as the poor are previously aware that their characters and situations must, in all respects, be thoroughly investigated, before they can obtain the wanted relief, impostors must, in proportion as this is the case, be the less likely to offer themselves as appli cants. Thirdly: — Besides this check upon application to the funds, there exists in all such institutions an addi tional check upon their management, calculated to prevent both wilful abuse and careless distribution. The funds being exclusively supplied by voluntary charity, whenever the managers of the stock relax the diligence and fidelity of their inquiries, and throw open their treasury to unworthy objects, the confidence of the public will be shaken and withdrawn, and the means will consequently be taken out of their hands.— Such Associations, therefore, are guarded by a double check; — a check to improper application for relief on 51 the one hand, and a check to the unfaithful use of the bounty committed to their trust, on the other. Fourthly: — Objectors to such Institutions may be reminded, that not only is personal charity, the liberal exercise of which they recommend, more liable,- as al ready noticed, to imposition ; but it is also liable to the very same danger of being looked to, and confided in, by the poor. Were this virtue reduced to practice on any thing like a liberal and systematic plan, every be-= nevolent individual would, of course, have his own set of pensioners, his own little circle of charitable distri bution, within which the evil complained of would, to some extent or other, infallibly take place. The char ity of individuals would be trusted to as well as the charity of Associations ; and the degree of evil thence arising would be likely to be the greater, in proportion as the probability of detecting imposture would be less. On the whole; since the present state of human nature and of human society preclude the possibility of effecting any large measure of good without some alloy of evil, — the problem, on this as on other sub jects, comes to be — How may we accomplish the greatest proportion qf the good, with the least proportion qf the accompanying evil? And in seeking the practical solution of this problem, I am strongly inclined to b* 52 of opinion, that Benevolent Associations fonh a highly eligible medium between exacted assessment ori the one hand, and undis criminating and desultory per sonal charity on the other. To illustrate and impress the advantages of such Institutions, I gladly avail myself (although at more than the risk of suffering eclipse) ofthe fervid eloquence of a preacher, whom I need not name, as his peculiar style will at once discover him. In making the follow ing quotation, however, I must premise, that it is solely with the view of illustrating the benefits of association. I am perfectly sensible, and I wish my hearers to be so too, that, as the Discourse from which the Extract is taken was preached for the benefit of a Society for the relief of the destitute sick, the preacher (to whom no one that knows him will impute any deficiency of benevolence) is not at all inconsistent with himself, in withholding his countenance from Institutions of which the avowed design is the relief of the simply destitute, or rather, which include such amongst the objects of their beneficence : " You have all heard of the division of labour ; and " I wish you to understand, that the advantages of this " principle may be felt, as much in the operations of " charity, as in the operations of trade and manufac- " tares. The work of beneficence does not lie in the 53 " orie act of giving money. There iriust be the act oi " attendance; there must be the act of inquiry; there " must be the act of judicious application. But I can " conceive that an individual may be so deficient in the " varied experience and attention, which - a work so " extensive demands, that he may retire in disgust and " discouragement from the practice of charity alto- " gether; The institution of a Society such as this, " saves this individual to the cause. It takes upon it- " self all the subsequent acts of the work and labour of " love* and restricts his part to the mere act of giving " money. It fills the middle space between the dis^- " pensers and the recipients of charity. The habits of " many who now hear me may disqualify them for the " work of examination. They may have no time foi* " it; they may live at a distance from the objects ; they " may neither know how to introduce, nor how to con- " duet themselves in the management of all the details ; " their want of practice and of experience may disable " them from the work of repelling imposition. They " should try to gain the necessary habits; it is right " that every individual among us should, each in his " own sphere, consider the poor, and qualify himself " for a judicious and discriminating charity. But in " the mean time, the Society for the relief of the desti- " tute sick is an instrument ready made to our hands. H 54* " Avail yourselves of this instrument immediately,' atJj " by the easiest part of the exercise of charity, which is* " to give money, you carry home to the poor all the* " benefits of its most difficult exercises. The expe- " rience which you want, the members of this laudable " Society are in possession of. By the work and ob- " servation of years, a stock of practical wisdom is now " accumulated among them. They have been long "inured to all that, is loathsome and discouraging in- " this good work; and they have nerve and hardihood, " and principle, to front it. They are every way "qualified to be the carriers of your bounty, for it is a- " path they have long trodden in. Give the money,- " and these conscientious men will soon bring it into " contact with the right objects. They know the way " through all the obscurities of this metropolis, and " they can bring the offerings of your charity to people " whom you will never see, and into houses which you- " will never enter. It is not easy to conceive, far less. " to compute, the extent of human misery: but these. " men can give you experience for it. They can show " you their registers of the sick and the dying; they. " are familiar with disease, in all its varieties, of faint- " ness, and breathlessness, and pain. — Sad union ! they " are called to witness it in conjunction with poverty ;. " and well do they know, that there is an eloquence in. 55 " the imploring looks of these; helpless poor, which no f« description can set before you.— Oh ! my brethren, (' figure to yourselves the calamity in all its soreness, fl and measure your bounty by the actual greatness of *?' the claims, and not by the. feebleness of their advo- * eate." * The iplan of benevolent, associations, besides being proved, by reason and experience, to possess the pe culiar advantages already enumerated, appears to me to have the decided sanction pf the Scriptures, in the original constitution of the Christian ^Church. — I am aware, indeed, of its being; a prevalent opinion, that, in the first Christian Society at Jerusalem, the property of all the members was thrown into a common stock, and that out of this stock all connected with the So ciety,:— individuals and families, — were regularly -main tained. I more than question, however, if any such thing as thjs common stock ever existed. It is true, the language of the historian appears, in one place, to give it some measure of countenance and plausibility;! but a comparison of a variety of expressions and oc currences in the narrative makes it, I think, sufficiently * Sermon preached before the Destitute Sick Society in Edinburgh, ,1-813, by the Rev. Dr. Chalmers. •)• Acts ii. 44, .45. 56 clear, that, while a great deal of property was sold for charitable uses, and thrown into the treasury of the Church, no one. was under any obligation to do so; and that the historian means no more, than that all the members considered their worldly property as a com mune bonum, holding it as stewards for the general benefit, and freely parting with it, as circumstances required, and as principle and inclination dictated. Indeed it is altogether inconceivable, that by the daily ministration mentioned in the history,* can be in tended the distribution, every successive day, to every individual of the many thousands connected with the Society, (who, upon the supposition of the universal relinquishment of their property, must have been all alike poor,) of his daily pittance of money, or ration of provisions : — the Apostles, who had the superintendence of such distribution w°uld have required to have had nothing else whatever to do: — and to suppose such a state of universal and continued idleness, and abstinence from all worldly business, is to suppose, an example the most pernicious and mischievous, as well as the most opposite to the general spirit and express precepts of the Bible, that can well be imagined. All the subsequent accounts, too, of other Christian Churches referred to in the New Testament, decidedly establish the con- * Acts vi. 1 . . 57 tinuance in them of the same distinction, between rich and poor that subsists in the world at large. But, whatever difference of opinion may subsist upon this point, there can be none respecting the plan a- dopted for the distribution of the funds when col lected f — and this is more directly to my present pur pose. These early Churches were, in- as far as this part of their administration is concerned, neither more nor less than communities of individuals transmitting their liberality to the necessitous through the medium of a Benevolent Society. The Deacons were specially intrusted with the charge of searching out cases of real need, — of inquiring, discriminating, proportioning, — and of thus effectually fulfilling the benevolent intentions of the brethren, and of Him who had enjoined upon them the cultivation of mutual love, and the practice of a cheerful and liberal charity. — I cannot yet discover any valid reason, why the general principle of this plan may not, with propriety and advantage, be extended, in its practical application, to other communities; with this difference only, that an additional degree of jealous caution should be applied in the distribution of the funds, in proportion to the greater corruption of the materials of which the body may be composed, and the consequently increased hazard of imposture and abuse. 58 "But neither in Christian Societies, nor in larger and «more mixed communities, is the distribution of a col lected fund to be at all understood as precluding and superseding the direct exercise of personal charity. The man of sensibility will be induced, by the intens- er feelings of pleasure inspired by witnessing himself the effects of his beneficence, to be, as far as he has opportunity of discovering suitable objects, his own almoner. — And if the principle by which, we are told, Judge Hale regulated his practice, — dealing -his char ities liberally amongst the street beggars, because, though convinced that most of them- were notorious cheats, yet, as some amongst them were great objects of charity, and pressed with grievous necessities, he would rather give his alms to twenty who might per haps be rogues, than that any of this description should perish for want of the small relief which he gave them: — if this be, as surely must be admitted, an extreme on the one hand, it is yet, without question, a much more amiable extreme than that of some persons, who are much fonder of feeling in their minds than of feeling in their pockets* and who, because they have met with a * A member of the Society of Friends, who are so generally and so jostly esteemed as friends to the cause of benevolence, was soliciting from a person of well known ability to afford it, some pecuniary relief for a poor afflicted family. While he was recommending his case, the person pro fessed great concern, and tender sympathy with the sufferers^ and, at every 59 few instances of imposition, dechne, ori professed and" plausibile principle, giving relief to any at all. — Still, however, it is most desirable, as far- as it can possibly be attained, that every case that obtains relief should be a case which previous investigation has ascertained to be really necessitous and deserving. — There is much truth and propriety in the observation of Mr. Grahame, respecting indiscriminate liberality, that, "'in disregard- " ing selection, it is destitute of that feature which is " peculiar to charity, and which distinguishes virtue " ofthe mind from virtue of the nerves. When in- " quiry and visitation,!' says he, " precede relief, only " the really deserving are relieved, and only then is " true charity practised. It is sometimes as proper to " distinguish the virtues from each other, as to dis- " criminate them from vices. A melting eye and a " ready hand are infinitely preferable to an eye incap- " able of melting, and a hand incapable of giving.. " The mischief of the first is, that an impostor may be " encouraged; of the second, that an honest man may " be driven to villany, or forced to beg," * — The more additional circumstance of distress which was related, looked very pitiful, and protested how much he fell in his mind for tlieir wretched conditions " Friend,',' said the honest Quaker, after this phrase had several times recurred, without any symptom of the feeling producing any thing. — " Friend, I should like thou wouldst feel in thy pocket." * Inquiry, pages 268, 267. 60 completely we can avoid both of these evils, certainly so much the nearer do we approach to the perfection of practical charity. Before concluding, I shall offer a few remarks on a sentiment, which I have heard several times repeated, and which appears to be obtaining, some measure of currency; — namely, that it would be advantageous, not merely for the community, but even for the poor themselves, were they left, more than they have been, independendent of the benefactions of their richer brethren, and to cultivate and exercise their benevolent feelings in the supply of the wants of one another. — It would be no loss, it has been alleged, to the inferior class, were a line of demarcation to be drawn between it and the superior, and a stop to be put to all com munication in the way of pecuniary or charitable sup ply, from any whose income is above fifty pounds a- year to any whose income is below it. The poor, it is affirmed, would be at least as effectually supplied by one another as they are at present by their superiors 5 and they would at the same time, be all the better in point of character, by the cultivation, and the practical interchange, of the feelings of mutual benevolence. On this theory, which, in some points of view, is pleasing, whilst in others it is not less revolting, let the following observations be considered : — 61 In the first place : — That many instances even of singular and self-denied charity do occur amongst the comparatively poor, in relieving one another's necessi ties, it would be as unjust to them, as it would be con trary to truth and to right feeling, to deny. Such in stances are highly honourable to their character, and in every heart that is awake to the sensibilities of na ture, must excite the strongest sentiments of approving delight; Far be it, that we should at all interfere with, and counteract, the operation of such principles and of such feelings. Secondly: — Supposing all the strong statements which some have given of the beneficence of the poor to one another, to be true to their full extent; — it does not seem, by any means, a very natural or reason able inference, that the rich should therefore retire, and leave therii altogether; — everyone to shift for himself, and every one to help his neighbour: — that they should stand aloof, and contemplate the scene of universal toil and mutual charity, and when they behold men of generous and tender hearts pinching themselves and their families to assist others whose cases are still harder than their own, should satisfy themselves with shedding over the lovely deed, the tears of a delighted, but un profitable sensibility.— Surely there is something very \ 62 unreasonable and unnatural iri the proposition, that the poor should relieve the poor; — that poverty should be the source to which poverty must look for its sup plies. And there is something, too, not over-gracipus or kindly in the practical conclusion, that because we see a spirit existing, which is ready, nobly and generously ready, to deny itself for the sake of others, we should allow this self-denial to be put to its utmost stretch, while we have nothing to do, but to look on and ad mire. — Is. this, permit me to ask, what Divine Provi dence has intended, in the constitution of human so-> Ciety? Isit not rather the obvious design— and " doth not nature itself teach it"-s-that men should consider themselves " stewards of the manifold bounty of God," and should help one another accordingly ?— the know ing instructing tlie ignorant — the strong assisting the weak — '¦the rich supplying the, poor? And, while this is the unsophisticated dictate of nature, does it not also harmonize with all the representations, and all the precepts, of the Bible ? Thirdly. — The view takeri of the good effects, as to character, ofthe theory I now speak of, appears to be very partial, and consequently unfair. It is limited to the contemplation of the poor in relation to one another. But there are two other relations, not less important tp 63 society, which are entirely overlooked. The theory, before it is adopted into practice, should be well con sidered, in the influence which it is fitted to have, on the character of the poor in relation to the rich, and on the character of the rich in relation to the poor. Supposing it granted, 'that by making the poor to feel their deperidence upon one another, we cause them reciprocally to cherish the kindly feelings of their nature, and to put them forth into practical exercise, in a way that shall command our complacent admira-r tion ; — it remains to be asked, what are the feelings which this state of things is likely to engender in their bosoms towards their superiors, — the rich and pros perous in the same community? These, surely, are not likely to be of a very pleasant or desirable kind. The poor must feel themselves neglected. They can be sensible of no bond of gratitude attaching them to those " rich fellows," who enjoy themselves in their af fluence, while they stand aloof from the toils and troubles of their brethren beneath them ; — leaving them to make a hard shift for themselves and for one another; — putting them off with assurances of their admiration, but never offering a single practical ex pression of generous condolence. This entire separa tion of interests, — this divorce of the poor from the 64 rich in all that regards the practice of charity, is cer tainly not the way to conciliate, but to alienate their affections. — It should be recollected, that, on the sup position of the poor supplying the poor, there is still the class of receivers,- and that the question at present is not about the cultivation of the spirit of independ ence, but merely about the source from which these rece.vers should obtain their supplies; — whether from the overflowing abundance of the wealthy, or from the scanty pittance of those neighbours, who are only a degree or two above themselves, in the scale of com parative poverty: — and, in these circumstances, there are few things which 1 should be more disposed to de precate, as ominous of evil to Society, than such an insulation of the upper and the lower classes of the population from each other, as should give occasion for the latter to say, in enjoying any little comforts they may possess, as the result of their personal toils and their mutual charity, — " No thanks for these to our hard-hearted superiors." — That surely is not a very desirable union among the poor, of which one of the bonds is a disdainful sense of a common neglect. And what is the effect which such a state of things is calculated toproduce on the character ofthe rich, in re lation to the poor? — This, too, ought to be seriously con- 65 sidered. The sentiments of benevolence and charity are not to be cherished and invigorated, by merely looking on, and admiring their exercise amongst others. We must bring them into practice ourselves. While it is a very obvious truth, that he who does not feel will not give; it is no less a truth, founded in human nature, and confirmed by experience, that he who, upon princ iple, ceases to give, will be in great danger of very soon ceasing to feel. Benevolence in the heart is the source of beneficence in the conduct; and every deed of be neficence in the conduct gives new life, and expansion, and energy, to benevolence in the heart. The sentiment produces the act; and the act reciprocally invigorates the sentiment. — The poor are surely amongst the ob jects, on whom reason and revelation have alike ap pointed that the rich should keep in exercise the vir-; tuous feelings of liberality and brotherly kindness. Let us beware, then, in all our schemes, of confined and partial views of effects and consequences. It may be a very lovely and engaging spectacle, to see the charities of life in generous reciprocal exercise among the poor; — to see them "willing of themselves, to their " power and beyond their power," to assist one another. Yet, if the scheme which promises a result so desirable as the uniting of the poor more closely to one another, 66 appears likely to accomplish this end, at the expense of alienating their affections from their rich superiors^ and, while it promotes mutual kindness amongst the former, threatens to dry up the blessed springs of charity in the bosoms of the latter; — there is isunely good reason to " pause, and ponder," before we accept its principle, and attempt its reduction to practice. By leaving the supply of the " innocently necessitous poor," and of other descriptions of sufferers, to the operation of spontaneous liberality, exercised directly, in acts of personal Charity, as far as opportunity admits, and at once stimulated to further exertion, and ren dered advantageously effective, by the well-directed inquiries and efforts of Benevolent Associations; — it is true, that the miser will escape, — that many, who are able but who are not inclined, will be allowed, except for the influence of importunity and of shame, to re tain their money in their coffers. But this disadvantage, supposing it to be one, is not for a moment to be com pared with the possible, and more than possible, effects of a growing legal assessment : — and the truly benevo lent, although the demand becomes the greater on their charity, will, instead of envying, most sincerely pity the wretch, who steels his heart against the meltings of 67 sympathy, who denies himself one of the purest and the sweetest of pleasures, and who has no experience of the truth of that beautiful saying, — a saying of which the meaning was never so fully felt as by Him who uttered it, — " It is moee blessed to give than to receive."* * From the circumstance recorded by the Evangelist John, in the thirteenth chapter of his gospel, that, when their master said to Judas, " That thou doest do quickly," some of the disciples conjectured him to mean that he should "give something to the poor," we learn, incidentally, the interesting fact, that, from the scanty funds of the little company of which He was the Head, it was the custom, by his direction, that the poor should receive a proportion. For had not this been the custom, the conjecture could never have been formed. Does not this, like every other part of the Saviour's perfect example, say, in the most affecting manner, to everyone of his followers, " Go thou, and bo likewise ?" THE END. Young, Gallie,& Co.-i Printers. J THE CONTEMPLATION OF HEATHEN IDOLATRY AN EXCITEMENT TO MISSIONARY ZEAL. SERMON, PREACHED BEFORE ®%c itttesumarg Society AT SURREY CHAPEL, ON WEDNESDAY MORNING, MAY 13, 1818. BY THE REV. RALPH WARDLAW, OF GLASGOW. Iton&ott : PRINTED FOR THE SOCIETY. SOLD BY WILLIAMS AND CO. STATIONERS* COURT, LUDGATE STREET; AND J. NISBET. CASTLE STREET, OXFORD STREET. A SERMON, fyc. fyc. Acts, xvii. 16. Now, while Patti waited for them at Athens, Ms spirit was stirred in him, when the .saw the city wholly gip.en to idolatry. ,On a prqmontory, , formed by ,fhe confluence of two clas sical rivers, stood Athens, the glory of ancient, Greece. High in political eminence, and in military fame, il was still more distinguished for the learning', the eloquence, and ,the polished refinement of its inhabitants; and, for the num ber, variety, and excellence of the works pf art produced or collected within its walls : for those magnificent struc tures of which the very fragments are the admiration of modern nations ; for the most exquisite productions of painting and sculpture ; for its various schools of philo sophy; and, in a word, for all that was elegant and admi rable, in every branch of science, and art, and literature. Such was the place, to which, when driven from Berea, as the preceding context informs us, by the persecuting fury of the Jews of Thessalonica, the Apostle of the Gen tiles was conducted by his Christian friends. — Here was a richly diversified field of observation and inquiry. Here were sources of the highest gratification for the curiosity a 2 CONTEMPLATION OF HEATHEN IDOLATRY of men of every profession, of every character, and of every peculiarity of genius. For the philosopher, there were the schools of learning, the lectures and the conversation of their celebrated masters, and tlieir modes of defending their respective systems of doctrine. For the lover of the fine arts, there was the Acropolis, where he might pass days of delight, in surveying the beauties and elegances, measuring the proportions, and comparing the characteristic pecu liarities, of the productions of the architect, the statuary, and the painter. For the man of pleasure and fashion, there were the haunts of amusement and dissipation ; the old Athenian methods of killing time ; the festivals, the theatres, the public shows. The mercantile man might direct his inquiries to the state of commercial intercourse with other nations, and to the practicable means of its ex tension and improvement : — the politician, to the principles of government; the civil institutes; the courts, supreme and subordinate, for the administration of justice: — the soldier, 40 the army and navy; the means of supply for both; the •customs of the city in war ; its walls, its harbours, its means of defence and of attack : — the historian, to the ar chives of fhe city's early history; its progress and its fluc tuations-; and all the points which are usually embraced by historical records. There is no reason why we should conceive of Paul as utterly regardless of every thing of a secular nature. The particulars specified were matters of interesting curiosity ; and some of them were connected both with the progress of mind, and with the temporal happiness or misery of the Athenian population. But one thing, above all others, en gaged the mind of this ambassador of Christ, this Christian Missionary ; — the moral and religious character of the Athe • mans; their spiritual State, their relation, as accountable and "immortal beings, to God, and to eternity. A Mis sionary now needs not, any more than then, to be a man devoid of all taste for the wonders of nature and of art, and of all curiosity about the secular pursuits and habits of the people amongst whom he settles or sojourns. On the -contrary, it is most desirable, for reasons various and AN EXCITEMENT Tp MISSIONARY ZEAL. 3" j i . > • - , 7 . . - Z sogent, on which time- doe's npt permit me to insist, that he, should be a man of general knowledge, and of a. cultivated mind, capable of observing and reporting on these as well as on more sacred subjects, and of promoting the temporal as well as the spiritual interests of men. But still, every thing secular, every thing temporal, must be secondary and subordinate; one thing must be highest,, one. thing first — first in his observation, first in his desires, first in his prayers, first in his efforts, first in his reports. He must be a man, who, at Athens, would have felt as Paul felt, and acted as Paul acted, when " his Spirit was stirred in him, on seeing the city wholly given to idolatry ." I shall not enlarge on the matter of fact here stated, with regard to Athens. , It was full of gods. Every object of worship in almost every known nation had a niche in its pantheon ; so that in this renowned city there are said to have been more images aud statues than m all the rest of Greece together ; which gave occasion to the humorous saying of one of their satirists, that in Athens a god was more easily found than a man. Brethren, in the revolutions of empires, Athens has long been no more. And, had Athens, as an idolatrous city, stood alone, a solitary instance of defection in the midst of a loyal world, when this ancient seat of polytheism became extinct, no scene would have remained for the exercise of the feelings described in the text. But, oh ! how opposite is the fact ! Athens stood pre-eminent, indeed, for the multitude of its deities; but, alas ! it stood not alone. It was not a city merely that Paul had to contemplate as given to idolatry ; but, with the exception of one little spot favoured of heaven, as " the place which Jehovah had chosen, to put his name there;" it was a whole world. And- now, when eighteen centuries have passed away, does npt the same heart-moving spectacle_ still', to a vast extent, present itself to the view? How very fewj comparatively, of the tribes of our fallen and revolted race, have as yet • " turned from their idols, to serve the living and true God?" How immense the proportion of them that are still "going astray after, their dumb idols, even as they are u 2 4 CONTEMPLATION OF HEATHEN IDOLATRY led !" It is true, and let us record it with the liyelifesl? feelings of delight and adoration, the proportion is lessen ing. The true God is making his name glorious among the heathen. The idols he is abolishing. " The gods that made* not the heavens arid the earth, are perishing from off th<2 earth, and from under these heavens." Arid, ere we advance one step further in our discourse, may we not be perriiitted to pause for a moment, and to sound the notes of triutn- phant gladriess over the ruined morals and the outcast idols of Taheite ? My brethren, give God the glory. This is the Loi'd's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes. If you presume to take the praise to yourselves; if you cherish the presumptuous feelings of self-corhplacericy and s'elf- gratulation ; — your triumphs shall cease. " The Lord your God is a jealous God, he will not give his glory to ano ther ;" not to men, any more than to graven images'. Say, then, with hearts prostrate in humility, yet rising to heaven in exulting praise, " Thanks be unto God, who always causeth us to triumph in Christ, arid maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place !" * The new scene that presents itself in these distant isles of the ocean is delightful to every Christian feeling. Break- irig on the sacred stillness of the sabbath morning, fancy seems now to hear, amidst the groves of Otaheite, " the sound of the church-goirig bell," and to see the brown inhabitants with mild benignity arid serious biit animated joy in their looks, hasting along, not to the temple of ah idol, but to the house df the Lord of Hosts, the God of their salvation ; there to join in his simple but solemn, his pure and peaceful and spiritual worship : " While each full heart with holy wonder glows, And bright from every eye the tear of transport flows I" The ships that approach the island wonder at the unwonted stillness and seeming solitude of tbe scene — no natives ap pearing on the beach, no canoes putting off from the shore —and they feel a rising dread, lest war and famine shpuld have swept the population away. * 2 CoV. ii, l4. AN excitement to missionary zeal. 5 But, oh ! my brethren, how do our spirits sink within us, when we turn our eyes away from this delightful vision, to larger islands and extensive continents, peopled by millions on millions of our fellow-creatures, who are still " given up to idolatry l" To these we wish now to direct your atten tion ; not in the way of describing tp you the varieties- of their polytheistic superstitions, or of the rites of their ia- fatuated worship, — (although, perhaps, as it was the sight that agitated the bpsom of Paul, the hearing of such a detail might have a more powerfully moving and spirit- stirring influence oh nly auditory, than any reasonings or illustrations of mine,) — but with the view of considering, what are tbe sentiments5, arid feelifigs, and desires, which the contemplation of the idolatries of the heathen world is fitted to awaken and to cherish. The object of these' annual meetings is to keep alive the Missionary spirit, and to rOuse it to still warmer and more active energy. It will riot be found, I trust, unsuitable to this design, if we endeavour to show, with humble der petidarice on the divine blessing, bow the survey of these idolatries is calculated to produce indignant grief for the dishonour done by them to God ; amazentent at human {weak ness and folly ; abhorrence of hitman impiety ; and compas- sioHfor human ztfretchedhess. I. The contemplation of heathen idolatries should excite indignant grief for the dishonour dom to God. This, I have, no doubt, was the feeling that first, stirred the spirit of the devout Apostle of the Gentiles, when, looking around him, he contemplated the endless multipli city of false deities, " the gods many and lords many" ofthe Athenians, arid; as he himself afterwards expresses it, beheld their devotions." In the altar inscribed " to the UNkNoWN god," he had seen a melancholy acknowledge ment of their ignorance. The only true God was the only ©dd Unknown^ All the tabled deities were there, of heaven, and earthi and hell ; but the one living God, whose peculiar honours were thus usurped and alienated and abused, was not to fee found 1 Not that Paul cpuld have been 6 CONTEMPLATION OF HEATHEN IDOLATRY gratified by his having a place amidst such a collection of falsehood, impurity, and folly. It would have been a vile affront to his infinite Majesty, to have been so associated ; even if he had been placed at the head of their pantheon, and made their Jupiter Olympicus. For, indeed, this Olympian Jove, the mighty " thunderer," the "father of gods and men," " the best and the greatest," was, in the actions ascribed to him by his deluded worshippers, the foulest and most infamous of the whole fabled fraternity. No: Jehovah must stand alone. He admits of no compeers, ,of no sharers, superior or subordinate, of his divine honours. His essential glory and blessedness are infinite and eternal. Before the commencement of time, before his power was put forth in creation, he existed alone ; and he was then the same infinitely glorious and happy being that he is now, when space is crowded with the manifestations of his goodness, and wisdom, and might. But, while his essential glory is immutably the same, unr susceptible of diminution or of increase, his manifestative glory is necessarily proportioned in its extent to two circum stances: to the number of objects in which his perfections are displayed ; and the number of intelligentjCreatures that exist, to witness, and admire, and adore. And, if we believe the glory of his own name to. haye been the first endt of creation, this presents, ampngst others, a most satisfactory evidence, that the unnumbered suns and systems, with which we are surrounded, do not shine and roll in an un peopled vacancy, but ".declare the glory of God" to count less multitudes of intelligent, and admiring, and adoring spectators. There are two classes of apostate creatures known tp us ; ourselves, and fallen spirits. ; Both have, by their rebellion, dishonoured God ; but in hell and on earth he is dishonoured in different ways. In hell, the knowledge of God has not been lost. Devils know him, and their know ledge is their misery. " Thou believest that there is one God ; thou doest well : the devils also believe, and trem ble !" There he is known, and there he is hated with all the rancour of malignant despair. In no form is he AN EXCITEMENT TO MISSIONARY ZEAL. 7 worshipped in hell: — On earth, the case is widely dif ferent. When wicked men, indeed; dying in their sins, go to join the spirits of darkness in the place pf Woe, a perfect knowledge of the character of God will form, I presume, no small part of their punishment.- A clear and strong conception of that love and mercy which they have irre coverably slighted and lost, and a vivid and ever-present impression of that holy and immutable justice, which main tains its dreadful purity " without variableness or shadow of turning," will be the very life of " the worm that dieth not," the fuel ofthe " fire that never shall be quenched." There is no idolatry in hell. There, indeed, as well as here, they " do not like to retain God in their knowledge;" and to be able to banish him from their minds, would, iu a manner, take the sting out of their torments. But there they cannot forget him ; they cannpt deceive themselves into false conceptions of him. There, there is the clearness of intellectual light, associated with the most hardened moral disaffection ; a perfect conviction of truth in the understand ing, with a proud, unmitigated, furious detestation of it in the heart ; a conflict of indescribable agony, which shall form a large proportion ofthe misery ofthe damned. The dishonour done to God on earth is of a quite dif ferent description. " God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, un changeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth." I take it for granted that man knew this originally. The fancy of sceptical philosophy, that polytheism was the first religion of mankind, is as opposite to reason, and as inconsistent with facts, as it is contrary to the express dictates of the Bible. From this book we learn (what every right conception of the divine goodness should have led us to expect) that in paradise God was known in his true character, and was worshipped " in spirit and in truth." But soon, alas ! the scene was changed. Soon, when our first father had sinned, the sons of men became '* vain in their reasonings; their foolish heart was darkened ; professing themselves to be wise, they became fools ; they changed the glory ofthe incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds and § CONTEMPLATION ,QF HEATHEN 4,DtQLATJRY four-footj&d feasts and creeping things.: They changed thre ,trath of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever."? While drawing in such terms the effecting portraiture of heathen superstitions, Paul appears, as in surveying the idpkuries of Athens, ,to have felt the irrepressible risings of jboly and indignant jzeal for the divine glory. — " The big round tear hung .trembling uiibis, ey.e<Y He could not contemplate the prostrate honours of the infinite God with an unnioved and tranquil heart. He could not behold this world, which ought to have been one great temple to the exclusive worship of Jehovah, " whose he was, and whom he served," crowded with rival deities, the offspring of the depraved fancy of apostate creatures, with which the very thought of bringing '-him, even for an instant, into comparison, makes the heart thrill and shudder with detestation. " They changed the truth of God into A lie." Every view that can be taken of the worship of idols is a lie against the Supreme Majesty. Their number is a lie against his unity ; their corporeal nature is a lie against his pure invisible spirituality; their confined and local residence, a lie against his omnipresence and immensity ; their limited and subdivided departments of operation, a lie against his universal proprietorship and dominion ; their follies and weaknesses, a lie against his infinite wisdom; their defects and vices and crimes, a lie against his unsul lied purity and perfection. In what a strange unhallowed state must that man's heart be, who can contemplate with out emotion this sacrilegious robbery of heaven, — this uni versal slander upon the character of Deity ! Yet there are some (would I could say with truth that they are few in number !) who feel it very lightly. They can contemplate the whole scene with a careless smile ; or, if their spirits are at all stirred in them, if their indignation is at all moved, it is against those officious, intrusive intermeddlers, that would disturb the idolaters by their attempts to enlighten * Rom. i.,21— 23. 2(3. AN EXCITEMENT TO MISSIONARY ZEAL. 9 them ! With an affectation of sentimental feeling, they fancy the universal parent equally pleased with all descrip tions of worship from his erring children. "" Father of all, in every age, In every clime ador'd ; By saint, by savage, and by sage, Jehovah, Jove, or Lord 1" How revolting such a thought to the spirit of true piety and reverence for God! to identify the worship of Baal, and Jupiter, and Jehovah 1 to convert into acceptable ser vice the grossest insults that ever were offered to the cha racter of God ! How ppposite this to the universal lan guage of the Bible ! How opposite to the sentiments and feelings of the devout Apostle of the Gentiles ! Estimating the glory of Gpd aright, as the first and highest end pf all things, the survey pf the world, as wholly given to idplatry, stirred his spirit, and it cannot but stir the spirit of every Christian, with indignant grief. II. The contemplation of heathen idplatry may well fill us with amazement at the weakness and folly qf the human mind. Search the annals of our world, in every age and in every country ; I question if you will find a more affecting and humbling exemplification of human imbecility, than that which is afforded by the history pf idplatry. It is such, indeed, as we hardly knpw how to believe. To be set down amidst the likenesses pf " corruptible men, and of birds and four-footed beasts, and creeping things," which form the immense museum of heathen mythology, one might be tempted to fancy, that some satirical defamer of our nature had been exhausting an inventive imagination, to slander and to vilify it. And it matters but little in this view, whether the images themselves be the objects of direct worship, or whether they be only the representations of such objects ; for what sort of deities must they be, that are conceived t© be " like unto gold, or silver, or stonq, graven by art and man's device 1" and especially, what sort ef deities must they be, of which images sp ridiculously fan- c 10 CONTEMPLATION OF HEATHEN IDOLATRY tastic, so monstrously uncouth, so frightfully distorted, as many of -the heathen idols are, are considered by their wor shippers as the appropriate and worthy representatives? Surely a single look at such objects of worship, should be equivalent to volumes of argumentation in reply to the advocates for the sufficiency of human reason in the things of God. Those who have themselves served such " vanities," a»d have been brought to the knowledge of the true God, are the first to own their former folly. It was to impress on the minds of British Christians the humbling lesson of human weakness and infatuation, that Ppmarre sent to this country the deities of his house and of his kingdom ; " to show tliem," in his own simple phrase, " what fotxlisfi, gods Taheile formerly worshipped." And who,, that looks at such images, or that turns over a pantheon of heathen mythology, does not " blush, and bang his head, to think himself a man ?" But where, on this part of my subjept, can I find lan guage more appropriate and impressive than that of the inspired prophet Isaiah? Turn with me to that cutting and indignant exposure of, the folly and '.brutal stupidity of ido laters, in the forty-fourth chapter of his prophecies, frorii the 10th to the 20tb verse. " Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven im£ge, that is profitable for npthipg ? Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed ; and the workmen, they are of men : let them all be gathered together, let them stand up : yea, they shall fear, and they shall be ashamed together. The smith with the tPDgs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, apd worketh it with the strength of his arms : yea, he is hungry, and his Strength faileth : he drinketh no water, apd is faint, The carpenter stretcheth out his rule ; he marketh it out with a line ; he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh jt out with tbe compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, ac* cording to the beauty of a man ; that it may remain in the house. He hewetb him down cedars, and taketh. the cy press and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest: he planteth an ash, apd the rain doth nourish it. Then shaU it be for a man AN EXCITEMENT TO MISSIONARY ZEAL. 11 to burn : fdr he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread ; yea, he maketh a god j and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and faileth down thereto. He burneth part thereof itt the fire ; with part thereof he eateth flesh ; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied : yea, he warmeth, himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, 1 have seen the fire. And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: he faileth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me ; for thou art my god. They have not known nor understood : for he hath shat their eyes, that they cannot see ; and their hearts, that they can not understand. And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire ; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it : and shall I make the residue thereof an abomi nation ? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree ? He feedeth on ashes ; a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my rig-bt hand?" — -O, my brethren, is it possible for us to conceive of a smaller measure of intellect, than what seems to be requisite for drawitig the inference here stated ?• for discovering the extreme and palpable absurdity of the conduct here exposed ? The failure to discover it is surely with good reason represented as the Very lowest point in the scale of human folly. How just the saying of the Psalmist, " They that make them are like unto them ; so is every one that trusteth in them."* And how true the representation of the Apostle, " Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools." f For it is a fact, on this subject, which has often been remarked, and which Deism has never been able satisfactorily to set aside, that to what ever heights of attainment men have risen in the wisdom Of this world, they have never, of themselves, made a single step of decided progress towards rational and wor thy views Of the nature and character of God. The trial • Psalm cxv. 8. t Rom. i. 22. C 2 12 CONTEMPLATION OF HEATHEN IDOLATRY of many ages warranted the apostolic decision, that " tho world by wisdom knew not God."* The powers of the human mind were vigorously and successfully employed in every, other department of human knowledge. There was no deficiency of intellectual acuteness and energy in other investigaticns. But the masters pf science and philosophy were but dark and feeble and perplexed cenjecturers on the things of God. The contrast in this respect could not fail, in such a place as Athens, to strike mpst forcibly the mind pf the Appstle. When he saw the wonderful results of human wisdom and power and skill, in the arts and sciences, in philosophy and literature, which existed there in such profusion and splendour ; when he beheld a people raised to the very pinnacle of eminence for all that was great and excellent in human attainments ; and then viewed the same people sunk in the abyss of ignorance and stu pidity as to all that related to the higher concerns cf Gpd and of eternity ! — how striking, how affecting the contrast ! Can we wonder that " his spirit was stirred in him V But whence, we are tempted to ask, did this difference arise ? Whence the thick darkness that covered spiritual things, while light was on every thing else ? To find au answer to this inquiry, we must go on to our. next par* ticular : — III. Paul's spirit was stirred in him, and the contempla tion of heathen idolatry should stir ours, with abhorrence qf human impiety. Idolatry, like infidelity, has not been so much an error of the head, as of the heart. Here it had its origin ; here it still has " its power, and its seat, and its great authority." The head has been the dupe of the heart ; the folly has sprung from the corruption ; the infatuation of the judg ment from the depravation of the affections. The veil has not been upon the evidences themselves of the existence and perfections of God, but upon the hearts of his fallen creatures. The wretched votaries of idolatry are described as " walking in the vanity of their minds ; having their AN EXCITEMENT TO MISSIONARY ZEAL. 13 understandings darkened ; being alienated from the life of God, through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness (or rather, because of the hardness or callous ness*) of their hearts." f To this source, even to the " carnal mind," which is " enmity against Gpd," the philo sophy of the Bible teaches us to trace the whole system, in all its varieties, of pagan idolatry ; " They did not like to retain God in their knowledge." % That the loss of the knowledge of God amongst mankind is, in these words of the Apostle, ascribed to the pravity of moral principle, to the alienation of the heart, is sufliciently clear, not merely from the word in the original, which is rendered " they did not like," (a word which has been variously translated, but with much the same effect,) but also from the consequence which is represented as having followed : " Forasmuch as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind." This consequence, whatever difficulty there may be in ascertaining its precise nature, is, without question, something judicial. Now nothing of this kind could have been inflicted on account of mere deficiency of intellect. Such a deficiency as can incur the punitive visitation, or the judicial abandonment of Gpd, must be a deficiency that has its origin in a moral cause. It is the heart, and not the intellect, that is the source of sin, and of all that merits punishment. And in nothing, surely, my breth ren, does the blinding and perverting influence of a vitiated heart more strikingly appear, than in this failure amongst mankind of the knowledge of God. It is a much easier matter to retain a lesson, than to learn one ; to keep what is known, than to search out what is unknown ; to remem ber, than to discover. The latter was not what men had to do. They possessed the knowledge of God originally, imparted directly by their Creator. Nor did God, on their apostacy, remove from before their eyes the traces, or rather the clear and numberless displays of his existence and perfectipns. On the cpntrary, the whple of surround ing nature continued to bear its silent but impressive tes- * autumn. t Ephes. iv. 17, 18, J Rom. i. 28. 14 CONTEMPLATION OF HEATHEN IDOLATRY timony to the " Maker omnipotent." " The' heavens still declared his glory ;"* the earth and the spacious deep were still " full of his riches."f It was but opening the eye and the ear to the sights and sounds of nature, and " all was full of God." Yet the original |esson was actually lost. Soon, alas! did it appear, that " the heart of man was become gross ; that, having eyes, be saw not ; having ears, he heard not; having understanding, he perceived not." Soon he who, in his state of pristine innocence, never looked on nature without discerning and adoring " nature's God," and to whose heart this was the great charm of creation, began to " wander with brute unconscious gaze;" amongst the wonders of the works of God, thoughtless of the wise, and good, and mighty Being to whom they owed their existence, and who had, in letters of light, inscribed his name upon them all ! Philosophers, in accounting upon their principles for the prevalence of idolatry, (principles, evidently different from those pf the Bible, and adopted tp save, as much as pos sible, the credit of their idol — human nature,) have some times attempted to show us, that particular- species of idolatry are such as it was extremely natural for men to fall into. Such, for example, we have been told, is- the wor ship of the sun ; the most glorious object in nature, and tbe immediate and visible source to mankind of the most precious and essential blessings — of light; and heat, and joy, and fruitfulness. But, in opposition to all such qua lifying consideratipns, we must insist upon it, that the nature to which any species of idolatry can be justly deno minated natural, must be a fallen nature. To no other created nature, surely, can it be natural to lose -sight of and forget its Creator, and to substitute the creature in , his place ; to worship the lights of heaven rather than the Father of lights himself, rather than that God, " who is light, and in whom there is no darkness at all!" Is this indeed natural1? Is it natural in the abstract? Is it na tural to rational beings in general? Is it natural to angels.? * Psalm xix. 1. + . Psalm civ. 24. AN EXCITEMENT TO MISSIONARY ZEAL. 1§ Or, is it natural only to men ? To whatever creature in the universe it is natural, the nature of that creature, we may be assured, is not as God made it; for God never formed a creature with a natural inclination to forget and to dishonour himself. And with regard to the particular description of idolatry, that has just been specified as the most natural iuto. which mep could be supposed to fall, it is at least worthy of observation, although I do not wish to be understood as founding much upon the circumstance, that when the Prophet Ezekiel, in the visions of God, was shown the abominations of the house of Israel, this very idolatry is the last in the "melancholy exhibition, and is far from being represented as the least. He had first seen " every form of creeping things, and abomipable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, pourtrayed upon. the wail round about;" and his Conductor had said, " Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these." He had then seen the " women weeping for Tam- muz ;" and the declaration had been repeated, " Thou shalt see greater abominations than these:" and then it was that there were presented to his view, " five-and-twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east, worshipping the sun tpward the east.'?* In no case does the propensity of the human heart to depart from God appear more affectipgly, thap in the case of the Jews. They only of all the nations pf the earth were in possession of the knowledge of the true God ; and yet they only pf all the nations of the earth showed a constant inclination to change, to go astray frgm Jehovah, apd to " serye strange gods, the gods of the heathen among whom they dwelt." Is it not most remarkable, that the only people who were in the right mapifested so constapt apd decided a proueness tp exchange the right for the wrong ; ' whilst those who were in the wrong adhered pertinaciously to their errors, and were so obstinately averse to embrace. what was right? How spirited the expostulation of Jeho- * See Ezekii-1, chap. viii. 16 CONTEMPLATION OF HEATHEN IDOLATRY Vah by the Prophet Jeremiah : " For pass over the isles of Chittim, and see ; and send unto Kedar, and consider dili gently, and see if there be such a thing. Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gpds ? but my pepple have changed their glpry for that which doth not profit. Be astopished, O ye heaveps, at this, apd be horribly afraid, be yc very desolate, saith the Lprd. For my people have committed two evils ; they have forsaken me, the fouu- tain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water."* The origin of idolatry, then, is to be found in the aliena tion of the heart from God ; the unsuitableuess of his cha racter to the depraved propensities of his fallen creatures ; and the consequent desire to have a god " such a one as themselves, who will approve their sins." This view of the matter accords well with the characters of their " gods many and lords many," and with the nature of the worship with which they honoured them. Where shall we find one among all the objects of their worship, whose attributes indicate, on the fancy that has imagined it, the operation of any thing like a principle either of holiness or pf lpve ? Where shall we find one, whom its worshippers have in vested with the qualities either of purity or of mercy ? All their duties appear to be the product of a strange and affecting combination pf depraved passions and guilty fears. The principal gods of the Pantheon are raised,above men solely by the superior enormity of their crimes ; their greater power only enabling them to be the greater adepts and the greater monsters in vice. They are the patrons and the patterns of all that is vile and of all that is cruel; of intemperance, apd lust, and knavery, and jealousy, and revenge. Thus, men love to sin; and they make their gods sinners, because they are desirous tp sin under their patron age : yet are they, at the same time, censcious of guilt; and while they commit sio, and even laugh at sin, they trem ble with superstitious apprehension. The worship oftheir gods is such as might have been ex- * Jer»,™'»',~ ¦'" ' 0—13- AN EXCITEMENT TO MISSIONARY ZEAL* %f pectedfrom their characters. , Well, are their superstitions denominated " abominable idolatries." They consist, not merely of the most senseless fooleries, and the wildest ex travagances, but ,of the most disgusting impurities, the most licentious acts of intemperance, and the most iron- hearted cruelties. And as to the character of the people, who are given up to such idolatries, it is quite what might be supposed either to produce or to arise from such a sys tem — a system, originating iu the wishes of depravity, and framed to give sanction to the indulgence of its lusts and passions. " Even as i they did not like to retain God ia their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient ; beipg filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covet ousness, maliciousness; full of. envy, murder, debate, de ceit, malignity ; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of. evil things, disobe dient to parents, without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful : , who, knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy Of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them." O, what a curse to be left in such a state I To dwell minutely on the different features of this hideous picture, is as unnecessary as it would be painful. It shows the deplorable length to which the " vile affections" of ¦" a reprobate mind" will carry those who are " given up " to their fearful dominion ; for, alas ! tbe portrait, hideous as it is, is not imaginary — it is not a caricature— -it is faithful to reality and to fact. The monster has its prototype ia nature. It is drawn by the pencil, not of a disgusted mi santhrope, determined to find nothing that is good, and to aggravate all that is bad, but of a man whose heart dis solved in pity over tbe guilt and the woes which ,he de scribes, and who, in the warm zeal of enlarged and active bepevolence, would have " compassed sea and land," and cheerfully made a sacrifice of life itself, for their removal 01- mitigation. Thus, in the origin, in the nature, and ia the accompami- D ife CONTEMPLATION OF HEATHEN IDOLATRY ments andtffecis of idolatry, we see a most afflicting, display of human corruption ; enough, surely, to stir up our spkife within us with the most powerfiil emotions of abhorrence ! But, while we abhor the corruption, O, my brethren ! l«t us pity its deluded and miserable victims. This leads me to my last particular: IV. The coptemplation of heathen idolatry ought to in spire compassion for human wretchedness. I speak not at all, at present, 'of the wants and miseries of a savage life, destitute of the arts and sciences, arid of the comforts and refinements of civilized society ; because such miseries and such wants were evils unfelt at Athens. The mere man of the world would have looked on that far- tamed city, as the emporium of all that was fitted to give dignity and happiness to men. But, in the midst of all this, the eye of the Christian philatathropist could not fail to discern a most melancholy warit — a want, sufficient to throw a darkening shade over all the splendours of Athe nian glory. The ibhabitants of Athens, like those of Ephesus, were, in the eye of the " ambassador of ^Christ," " without God, and having no hope, in the World." "¦' i I address myself now, not to those who, even in<;the midst ofthe light of the Bible, are themselves " without flfftod and without hope;" — save only to remind them, t&at thev men of Athens shall " rise .up in the judgment against them ;" — that it shall be more tolerable for the unenlight ened heathen, who have never enjoyed the benefit of divine revelation, than for them. But 1 make my beseeching appeal to those who have known " the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent." I address mv self tp your spiritual feelings, to the feelings of your new nature, O ye who have "tasted that the Lord is gracious." What is there now which you would not willingly part with, rather than renouuce your interest in the knowledge, and love, and blessing of the God of your salvation ? Wiat would .you now be without God?—" Poor, and miserable, • 17.nl, ii IO. AN EXCITEMENT TO MISSIONARY ZEAL. 19 and wretched, and blind, aud naked." What wculd all- things on earth be to you, without God ? — " Wells without water; — trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the ropts;"— " a wilderness and a land pf darkness ;" — " a .dry and thirsty land, where there is no ¦water." Take away from you the smiles of your God, and the sunshine of his favour, and then, indeed, you might " travel from Dan to Beersheba, and say, 'Tis all barren." Is not his favour life, — his loving-kindness better than life ? — rls not his love the relish of your earthly joys? — Is not his love the solace and the sweetener of your earthly woes? — What would become of you, had you npt a Gpd,— a knpwn .God, — a covenant God, — a God of grace,— a " Father of mercies, and a G&d of all comfort,"— had you not such a God to go to, under a sense of guilt, and under the heavy .pressure of calamity and distress !— O, then, do npt you pity those who are " without God in the world ?" Do not your hearts bleed for them? When you think ofthe depth oftheir ignorance, and the enormity of their guilt; oftheir vain sacrifices, and their fruitless ablutions ; their painful penances, their self-inflicted tortures and deaths; — when you behold them, with suppliant earnestness, crying for pro tection and deliverance to " a thing whiqh cannot help," — " falling down to the stock of a tree ;' '— when you see them, with an importunity worthy of a more rational service, re peating their cry from morning till noon, and from noon till evening, and, in the bitterness and phrenzy of disappointed eagerness, " cutting themselves with lancets, till thebloed gushes out upon them," — and "there is no voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regardeth ;"* — when you see them steeling their; hearts against the meltings of nature, stopping their ears to the pleadings of parental love, and "giving their firstrbora for their transgressien, the fruit pf their bodyfor the sin of their soul;"t— when you see them the wretched victims of a delusive hope, the dupes of a merci less" and degrading superstition, devoting themselves to voluntary destruction,— ^crushed beneath the ponderous * 1 KSngs^xviii.,26— 29. t Mjcab, vi. 7. d9 20 CONTEMPLATION OF HEATHEN IDOLATRY wheel, or " sinking in the devouring flood, or more devour ing flame :" — O, does not a pang of pity go through your very souls for them ? Are not your spirits stirred within youf Do not your bowels yearn over your kindred; — over those who are *' bone of your bone, and flesh of your flesh ;" — for " God hath made of one blood all nations of men, to dwell on the face ofthe whole earth ?"* And, finally, without dwelling on the many particulars of •wretchedness that are suggested to our minds by such a description of personal and social character as we have read to you from the beginning of the Epistle to the Bomans,— O, think, my brethren, ofthe prospects of your miserable fellow-men in refererice tol« eternal world! — The enemies of the word of God have*sometimes, ignor- antly or malignantly, ascribed their infidelity to its unmerci ful and unrighteous severity, as they are pleased to repre sent it, in damning tbe heathen. And if, indeed, the Bible condemned men fbr their ignorance of what they never had opportunity to know ; for rejecting a revelation of which they never heard ;' for disobeying a law which was never promul gated to them ; or for failing to receive a message of grace which never saluted their ears; — there would be solid ground for the objection ; and to "Vindicate the ways of God to men," would be not only a difficult, but a vain arid hopeless attempt. But it is not so-. Every supposition of the kind is a foul and false aspersion ; and the Contrary principle is laid down, with the utmost precision, as that which is to regulate the verdicts of the great day : — " For as many as have sinned without law, shall also perish with out law ; and as many as have sinned in the law, shall be judged by the law."+ The condemnation of the heathen shall be grounded in the purest and most unimpeachable equity. They shall be tried by the light and law of nature and of original revelation ; and the ground of their sentence shall be, their wilful forgetfulness and inexcusable ignor ance of God, .and the perverse violation in their conduct, of the suggestions of reason, and the dictates of conscience. * Acts, xvii. 26. AN EXCITEMENT TO MISSIONARY ZEAL. 21 " The Judge of all the earth" is " no respecter of perspns." " A God of truth, and without iniquity, just and right is he." It is sin which he hates and condemns; and he will weigh in an even balance the aggravating and the alleviat ing circumstances in the crimes of all, . and, with pure unbiassed justice, proportion the punishment of every, man to the measure of his guilt. While the heathen, therefore, ¦perish, it is '," without law:" they perish with an incon ceivably less tremendous visitation of wrath, than that which awaits those " sinners against their own souls," who close their eyes against the blessed light of the Bible, who shut their ears to the sounds of gospel grace, and, amidst the terrors and the mercies of Calvary, are neither alarmed by the one, nor melted by the other. But still the heathen have a load of guilt upon them sufficient to sink them to perdition ;— and still they are in a state of entire moral unfit ness for the heaven of the Bible : they are dying by hundreds and by thousands, and passing into eternity the unregene- rate subjects of all their original and contracted pollution, as completely unfit for heaven, and-as incapable of enjoying its society and its pleasures, as darkness is incapable of dwelling with light, Among the gods whom they serve, there is no one. that can pardon tlieir guilt; no one that can renew and purify their corrupt hearts, and fit them for that holy arid happy plaee, into which " npthing shall enter that ¦ defileth, or that worketh abomination, or that maketh a lie ; but they only who are written in the Lamb's book of life." * Fellow Christians ! you feel the unutterable preciousness of the hope inspired by the gospel — " the hope of eternal life." You have most of you experienced, ere you knew "the truth as it is in Jesus," the bitterness of "having no hope ;" and now you taste the inexpressible sweetness of " good hope through grace." O, then, will you not pity those fellpw-creatures who are still " without hope ?" And will ypu npt send to them the knowledge of that God, who is the God of hope, and the rock of your salvation? and * Rev. xxi. 27, 22 CONTEMPLATION OF HEATHEN IDOLATRY the tidings of that gospel, by which " life and incorruption are brought to 'light ;" and of that " name whioh is above every name;" that " only name under heaven given among men, thereby they can be saved ;" that blessed name, which, to all who inow it, is " as ointment poured forth ;" that name which is the bond of union between earth and heaven, and the knowledge and faith of which will at once unite them in "fellowship, with saints belpw and saints above ; — the name «f Jesus — of bim who -came " to seek arid to save that which was lost;" of him "who " died for you, and rose "again;" of that heavenly Saviour, "In whose blest life You see tlie path, and, in his death, the price, And in his great ascent, the proof supreme Of immortality;" I must now hasten to a close, by drawing from the sub ject some further practical improvement. In'the first-place: All the sentiments and feelings which ~kave ?bien illitstrdted ought to be prineiples of active and tedious* exettion. They must neither be confined within the bosom, nor must they be allowed to evaporate in empty 'expressions of grief, and wonder, and abhorrence, and pity ; nor even in the utterance, whether secret or public, of' prayer and supplication, however fervent, andhowever importunate. Pfound tms'firSt observation on the example '•of-flPaul, as exhibited for our imitation in the immediate context. " His spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the ^city wholly! given to idolatry : therefore disputed he in the 'synagogue with the Jews, and with 'the devout persons, and •in the market -daily, with those who-met with him." After the primitive age of Christianity was past, for -mapy a year, and many a generation, the .state of the heathen world w>as tbe deep disgrace of professing Chris tians. It was either entirely uothoHght of, or it was sur veyed^ with' an unaccountable supineness ; or 'if /the survey at all stirred their spirits within ' them, they only wept their unprofitable tears, and sent up to heaven their indo lent prayers. Few efforts 6f ' practical zeal were put forth AN EXCITEMENT TO MISSIONARY ZEAL. 23 to enlighten the darkness, to purify the pollution, to remove or to alleviate the spiritual wretchedness, that so fearfullj prevailed. What was dark remained in obscurity ; what was waste continued, in desplatian ; "what was wretched w(afl left in misery. The reproach of many cea£u#je,s has of late beep upjiip.g away. An unprecedented impulse of benevolent seal. has been given to the whale Christian world. All is life, anil energy, and action. By Bible Societies, an£ Missjojnarj Societies, and Tract and School Societies, efforts, are bow making, the most extensive, the most prosperous, and the mpst promising, for enlightening and evangelizing the entire population of the globe. Let all these Institutions press pn. in their respective " labours of love," with the holy emula tion of piety and .philanthropy* and with none pf the little envyings, and jealousies, and rivajships of party. " Let not Judah vex Ephraim, and letnot Ephraim envy Judah" My fathers and brethren, directors and members of this Missionary Socjety ; — Gpd has honoured you with, a tege measure of the exertion, apd of the success. He has, it is true, tried ypur patience by delays — be has grieved, your. spirits b.y disappointments ; but sjifl he has " fiaussd ypu t? (triumph in Christ," He.has.afc.timesmadeypu.tp ",wm in, tears;" but at length he has; given you to " reap, in joy,'' Gp on, and prosper. Let "'the joy of the Lm-d," spring ing from past success, be " your strength " fbr further exertipo. Ypu have his pwn word fpr it, that "the idols he will utterly abolish." He has ahje^ady been making ypu bis instruments in fulfilling his word ; an.d he will Wess yp.u sfiH. " Trust in him at all times,; pour out your hearts, before him." Temper zeal with prudence, and animate prudence with zeal: let prayer accompany exertion, and exertion testify the sincerity of prayer: and never let it escape your remembrance, that even whep "iPaull planted, and Apollos watered, .it was God that gave the increase." " Save upw, we beseech thee, O Lord ; O Lord, we be seech thee, send now prosperity !" 2dly. Let me, from this subject, endeavour to impress 24 CONTEMPLATION OF HEATHEN IDOLATRY your minds with the necessity and the value of divine revelation. Mr. Hume, the sceptical philosopher alluded tp in a former part of this discourse, in supporting the strange hypothesis, that polytheism was the primitive religion of mankind, seems to fall into great, and yet not wonderful inconsistency. " It seems certain," be says, " that, accord- ipg te'the natural progress of human thought, the ignorant multitude must first entertaip some grovellipg and familiar Potions of superior powers, before they stretch their con ception to that perfect Being,- who bestowed order on the whole frame of nature*." Now, first of all, this is taking for granted, what is not only opposite to the Scripture. history of man, but as opposite to sound reason, and to every rational and honourable couception we can form of the goodness of God: it is taking for granted -that the original condition of mankind was that of an " ignorant multitude." But, passing this; — suppose mankind in this condition— ignorant and barbarous : — was it in fact by the researches of science and philosophy, that the knowledge* of the true God was subsequently attained? Was #Hby " the natural progress of human thought", that the jfcrine unity and spirituality, omnipresence and omniscience,\in- finite power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth, were\ actually discovered ? The whole history of the world at tests the contrary; and we have only to refer to Mr. Hume himself for an answer to this question: "It is a matter of incpntestable fact," says he, "that, about 1700 years ago, all mankindwere polytheists. The doubtful and sceptical principles of a few philosophers, and the theism, and that too not entirely pure, of 'one or two nations, form no ob jection wnrth regarding." I might take notice here, how lightly this philosopher finds it convenient to pass over the remarkable difference in times preceding the commence ment of the career of Christianity, between the Jews and other nations, with respect to the knowledge of God : a dif- * Hume's Essays. AN EXCITEMENT TO MISSIONARY ZEAL. 25 lerence for which he makes no attempt to account. But, without insisting on this, mark the period at which, accord ing to his own statement, the aspect of the world began tp •change. It was "about 1700 years ago;"* that is, when the religion of Christ commenced its progress. Now we know, that, in many Rations, long before that time, the highest attainments had been made in human science, and in the refinement of philosophical speculation. Was it, then, we ask again, philosophy that 1700 years ago effected the sublime discovery of the true nature and character of the only God, and that originated the alteration in the state of the world ? No. Mr. Hume himself will not even allow the " doubtful and speculative principles of the few philoso phers" who entertained them, to be held as any exception to the universal polytheism of the human race. By thus fixing the period when polytheism began to give way to a rational faith and worship, he has (surely without in tending it) taken the credit from philosophy, and assigned it to Christianity. And was it, then, " according to the natural progress of human thought" that the first en lightened conceptions of Deity should have presented themselves to the minds of the rude and unlettered fisher men of Galilee ? that they shpuld have found their rise, nut in the groves or the porticoes of Grecian philosophy, but upon the shpres of the lake of Gennesaret? Yet such, according to Mr. Hume's own admission, was the fact: for he would be a hardy sceptic indeed, who should venture to question whether Christianity, with the views of God which it involves, was originally published by such men ; — men, whom our philosopher thus advances to the very front in the ranks of wisdom, and exalts ' " Above all Greek, above all Roman fame." Let it not be said — these men belonged to a people who had the knowledge of the true Gud previpusly amongst them : for this is merely shifting the difficulty a step further back ; the question still presenting itself— Whence, if not * Speaking in round numbers from the time at which he wrofg. E 26 CONTEMPLATION OF HEATHEN IDOLATRY from God himself, did that knowledge come? When the world by wisdom " knew not God," how did this contemned and unphilosophical people obtain their superior views ? It is to revelation, my friends, that we are indebted for the knowledge of the true God. The intimations of bis character and will imparted to the Jewish church, were the prelude, the appropriate introduction, to the full and clear revelation now given to the world. The inductive, or experimental mode of reasoning; is now admitted by all to be the surest way of arriving at the discovery of truth. Yet, while philosophers admit this, apd apply the principle, with scrupulous jealousy, in their in vestigation of the various branches of human science, they are, on the subject now before us, marvellously inconsistent with themselves. They continue to talk, and to write,, of the sufficiency of the light of pature, to guide men to God and to- virtue, whilst the experience of every age and every nation looks them broadly in the face, and contradicts all their assertions. Never was experiment more completely tried, under every conceivable variety of situation and cir cumstance ; and, on every trial,' the great general result has been uniformly the same. A pumber of concurrent facts warrant, among men of science, the formation of a theory: if opposing facts are afterwards discovered, the theory is invalidated : jf such facts multiply, it is over thrown. But here is a case, in which the facts are without number, and all of them concurrent; — no exceptious — no contradictory results. What, then, are we to think of men, who, professing, on every other subject, their abhor rence of mere hypothesis, can still, in such circumstances as these, prefer theory to fact ? A glance at the heathen world confutes their whole system. The most enlightened nations, in the most enlighteped times, have not excelled others, either in their views of Deity, or in their moral worth. Even the philosophers of antiquity, eminent as they were, were miserably defective, and grossly erroneous in their views of God, and ofthe way pf obtaining his favpur; as well as sadly inconsistent, and mutually contradictory in their theories of morals. All that is good in any pf their AN EXCITEMENT TO MISSIONARY ZEAL. 27 systems is to he found here — in this precious volume; — ¦ along with infinitely more, and infinitely better. And yet the Bible must be discarded, and the crude conjectures of such men, or of their brethren of modern times^-not supe rior in powers, nor superior in candour, although superior in unacknowledged privilege — must be substituted in its place. Because others have had some glimmerings of un certain light, (no matter whether of reason or of tradition) we must shut our eyes in noon-day. Because.they had a feeble taper, we must quench the sun. No! my brethren ; blessed be God for this heavenly light! But for it, we too should have been sitting in the region and shadow of death ; " without God, and having no hope." But for it, we, like pur ancestors, should have been immersed in all the abominations and miseries of superstition; — treading the cheerless journey of life, with " shadows, clouds, and darkness," hanging over its termination. O, with what exulting gratitude should we adopt the language of Zacha^ rias, extolling that God, " through whose tender mercy the day-spring from on high hath visited us ; to give light to them that sat in darkness and. in the shadow of death; to guide our feet into the ways of peace !"| 3dly. The feelings expressed in the text imply the opposite emotions of delight in witnessing foe contrary scene. If the spirit be " stirred " with indignant grief for the affront put upon the true God by the " abominable idola tries" ofthe heathen, it cannot fail, to be stirred with exult ing joy, when his alienated honours are restored, when the apostate sons of men " turn unto God from their idols, to serve the living and true God, aud to wait for his Son from heaven." If we weep tears of sorrow over the ignorance, and depravity, and wretchedness of men, tears of delight will flow, when* by the reception of the truth as it is in Jesus, they rise from their spiritual darkness, to the light of kuowledge and holiness and joy. There is an interest felt in heaven about the progress of the gospel on earth ; an interest, springing at once from piety to God and bene- vclence tp men. " There is jey in the presence of the E 2 28 CONTEMPLATION OF HEATHEN IDOLATRY angels of God over one sinner that repenteth."* "To the principalities and powers in the heavenly places is made known by the church"— by the whole scheme of redemption, from its commencement to its completion-'-" the manifold wisdom of God." f "These things the angels desire to look into." J Heaven takes an interest in earth; for it is from earth that heaven is peopled. There was a time, when there was only one redeemed soul in heaven. Righte ous Abel was there alone — the first fruits unto God and the Lamb. Since then, sinners in every succeeding gene* ration have been passing, first from the world to the church on earth, and then from the church on earth to the church in heaven. In proportion as the church on earth enlarges, the population of heaven increases. And, when the church shall have passed through tbe glory of the latter day** — When " the mystery of God shall be finished " — when " the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorrupt ible, and the living shall be changed; — there shall " stand before the tbroue, and before the Lamb, a multitude which no one can number, of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation, with the -white robes of purity aud gladpess, apd the * palms ' of victory and triumph, and shall sing with a loud voice, Salvation to our God who sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb." Let me ask you then, my hearers, does the prospect of this blessed consummation stir your spirits within you ? Or, can you hear of the progress of the Redeemer's cause, — of the conversion of sinners at home and abroad, — of the over throw of pagan idolatry, — tbe declension of Mahometan delusion, — the slackening of the yoke of an ti -Christian bondage, — and all the indications of a coming millennium, — With an unmoved and stagnant mind ? When you hear of a " sinner that repenteth," does no pulse of pleasure beat? Does no springing tear find its way to your eye ? Is no silent aspiration of praise breathed from your heart to God? If not,— -surely you have not the mind of * Luke, Xv. 7. 10. t Eph- Hi. 10. J 1 Pet. i. 12. AN EXCITEMENT TO MISSIONARY ZEAL. 29 Paul ;— -Surely you are yet a stranger to the spirit of heaven. The interest that is felt and manifested in the spread and success of the gospel, is one of those pulses of the soui by which the state of bis spiritual health may be most surely ascertained. He certainly has no right impressions of his obligations to God, who can view without emotion a re volted world, — a world " given to idolatry ;"— he, surely, has never felt the value of salvation to himself, who feels no anxious desire to impart the knowledge of it to others. Mast not he, think you, be a stranger to the love of Christ, who participates not in his " satisfaction," when he " sees of the travail of bis soul;"* — who feels no sympathy with the gladfaess of" the good Shepherd," when he brings the stray sheep home to bis fold, and says, " Rejoice with me, for I have found my sbeep which was lostf'f Try yourselves by this test. 1 say not that a practical and liberal interest about the cause of missions is, by itself, unattended with ether evidences, a certainly conclusive proof of genuine ChrisManity; — but I am very sure, that the entire want of such an interest is a sadly satisfying proof of the contrary, — ^of the absence ofthe religion of Jesus from tbe heart. Athly. The guilt of idolatry , it is lo be feared, attaches to <mdny who little imagine that they are at all chargeable with any thing ofthe kind. Yes — there are many who may even, in contemplating the idolatries of the heathen, condemn, and wonder, and pity, without at all reflecting on the possibility oftheir being themselves in the same condemnation. You are not wor shipping the host of heaven ; — you are not adoring deified men; — you are not falling down to stocks and stones; — you are not making to yourselves graven images, likenesses of things in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, or in the waters under the earth ; — aud you conclude you are not idolaters. But what is the spirit of idolatry ? Is it not the alieuatibp of the heart from God ? Is it nat the Withholding from him, and the giving to other objects, whatever they may be, that homage and thpse affectiens, • Isaiah, liii. 11. t Luke, xv. 6. 30 CONTEMPLATION OF HEATHEN IDOLATRY to which he alone is entitled ? Every man's idol is that on which his heart is supremely set; and every heart in which Jehovah is not enthroned, is an idol's temple. Is there present in this assembly any man of ambition, who is pur suing, with the full ardour of his miud, " the honour that cometh from man ;" — whose spirit is panting for power, and station, and influence, and present or posthumous fame; — and whose thoughts, and schemes, and anxieties, and efforts are expended for their attainment ? His heart is withheld from God ; — he is " given up to idolatry." — Is there in this assembly a man of this world, whose mind, whose time, whose exertions are devoted to the acquisition of its wealth; — who, for the attainment of this, "rises early, and sits up late, and eats the bread of carefulness, and, immersed in the projection and execution of plans of worldly emolumeut, is thoughtless of his soul, of eteruity, apd of God?: — Whether that map hoards up his stores with the avarice of a miser, or expends them on the gratification ofthe "lust ofthe eye and the pride pf life," — his heart is not God's ; he has in him the, spirit of idplatry. He may not have Deities whom he names Plutus or Mam mon ; but he might have both, and be little more ah idolater than he already is. — Is there in this assembly a- man whom Providence has blessed with a fulness of domestic joys ;— who, in the bosom of a lovely family, finds the ample grati fication of his desire for happiness ; — who smiles through tears of delight on the objects of his fond affectiop, and, because it is right he should love them, fancies that his en joyment is more than innocent, — that it is virtuous and praiseworthy? — I would, in the spirit of kindness, remind such a man, that there is one higher thap father and mother, and wife and children, and that if He has not the first place in our hearts, even the exercise of natural affection be comes idolatry. Let these affections be hallowed by faith and piety ;— let an altar be reared in your household to " the God ofthe families of Israel." Till this is done, your family is your idol; — it estranges your heart from God : — the object of your attachmeut is lawful, but your attachment itself is idolatrous.— Is there in this assembly a man of AN EXCITEMENT TO MISSIONARY ZEAL. 31 science, who employs his time and his powers in the re searches of philosophy, in one or in all of its diversified departments ?— -His employment is rational, manly, honour able. But, oh! let him listen to the voice of friendly warn ing. Science may be the god of his idolatry. He may study nature, without a single thought of " Nature's God." He may explore the wonders of creation, without pne rising sentiment nf devotipn to the " Maker omnipotent." Or, if he pay a passing compliment to his power and his skill, he may view him only as a wonderful Artist; — he may be blind and insensible to the beauties of his moral perfections ;— these may be unheeded, unadmired, unadored., The au thority of God may not be his rule, nor the fear and love of God his springs nf actipn ; npr the glory of God his end. He may trifle with the claims of the Bible. ' He may live in wilful ignorance of the God of salvation. Science is good ; but if it exclude God, it is science falsely so called. The sun, moon, and stars may as effectually take away a man's heart from God, as if he were a professed worshipper of the ''host of heaven;" — and many a one whom " Science never taught to stray, , Far as the solai1 walk, or milky way," shall stand accepted at last as an humble believer, a lover, and a worshipper of " the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ;" whilst the philosopher of this world, who lived and died "without Christ and without God," shall be rejected as an idolater of science and of self, and shall pre sent an affecting illustration of the Saviour's words, " I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise apd prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes !" * — Lastly : Is there in this assembly any one who presumes to offer his worship to God under any other view of his character than that which is presented in the gospel ; or in any other way than that which the gospel prescribes ? Let such recollect, that there is but one Gpd ; that this one God has one immutable cha- * Matt. xi. 23. 82 CONTEMPLATION OF HEATHEN IDOLATRY racter; that this character is essential to his very, being,; that the God of the Bible is this one God ; and that if he is not worshipped as he is there made known, it is not God that is worshipped, but an idol,"— a creature of our own imagination. We may, in our minds, divest God of some of bis essential perfections; and then we may fall down and worship him in our own way. But this is idolatry, both in the spirit and in the letter.— Is there in this assembly any self-ignorant and deluded soul, that will presume to come to God in the relation of a creature, while he refuses that prostration of a "broken and contrite heart," which be comes him as a sinner ;— who will venture before the throne of purity and justice in his own name, and on the ground of his own doings, and not in the name and through the obedience apd sacrifice of the blessed Redeemer ? — Were I to say, that such worship Gould be accepted of God, I should be using my influence to deceive his soul, and to bring his blood upon my own head. The gospel addresses us in the character of sinners. Ip^hiftj character, it invites us to return tpiQffi. And how,,^e^6h#nld sinners return to God,— return to J^ir justly^$n'-4-eqfSo.y£reign ? Surely, with the feelings and the language of humble broken-hearted petitioners for mercy; deeply Jeeljng; and ipeely owning, the righteousness of the sentence that has condemned them ; —sensible of their entire unworthiness of a favourable re ception ; and relying for acceptance on' " grace reigning through righteousness unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord." — It is indispensably necessary to the acceptable approach- of any sinner' to God, that his spirit be brought down to his situation; that be take the low ground, as to himself, wbieh the gospel of Christ assigns him. As a sin ner, he must come to God pleading the blood of tbe Saviour's atonement, and the merits of his perfect righ teousness ;-— -as a sinner, he must continue to worship, pre senting all his services, of every description, ip the name of Jesus; — adopting, as the expression of his faith and his feelings, the lapguage of the dying martyr, " None but Christ, none but Christ;" making Hin/" all his salvation, and all his desire."— "To whom confine-, as unto a livinsr AN EXCITEMENT TO MISSIONARY ZEAL. 33 stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, ye also, as liviug stopes, are built up a spiritual house, (aud are) a holy priesthood, to offer unto God spiritual sacrifices, acceptable thrdugh Jesus Christ."*— " Whatsoever you do, in word or deed, do all in the name ofthe Lord Jesus, giving thanks unto God, even the Father, by him." f " By him, therefore, let us offer unto God the sacrifice of praise continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks unto his name." J And whilst you present the sacrifice of praise, shew your sincerity, by bringing with you a more substantial offering :— " to do good, and to communicate forget not ; for with such sacrifices God is well pleased." § To excite you to fulfil this duty with becoming liberality, I have only to remind you, that you owe to God not only a contribution for the future support pf his cause, but also a debt ef gratitude for the past manifestations of his favour. Recent events warrapt me to say, that- this debt, due to God by the friends ofthe Missionary Society, never was so large as it is at the 'present moment. Think, then, as you leave this place, or^P&heite and Eimeo : — think of their ruined temples ; think' of their outcast idols';- — think of the erection in Taheite atone0 'of fifty places of Christian wor ship: — add to your intended contributions for the future, a thank-offering for the past : — and, as this Society never presented claims so powerfully persuasive on your liberal support, let this be the largest collection ever made in its behalf! * 1 Pet. ii. 3—5. t Col. iii. 17. t Heb. xiii. 15. § Heb. xiii. 16. THE END. THE DUTY OF IMITATING DEPARTED WORTH: SERMON OCCASIONED BY THE LAMENTED DEATH OF THE LATE ROBERT BALFOUR, D. D. PREACHED IN ALBION STREET CHAPEL, GLASGOW, OCTOBER 25th, 1818. By RALPH WARDLAW. Printed at the University Press, FOR JOHN SMITH AND SON, GLASGOW. WILLIAM WHYTE AND CO. J WAUGH AND INNES; AND ADAM BLACK, EDINBURGH. LONGMAN, HURST, REES, ORME, AND BROWN; OGLES AND CO."; AND THOMAS HAMILTON, LONDON. 1818. A. & J. DUNCAN, Printers to the University. TO THE MOURNING FAMILY OF THE VENERATED DEAD, THIS TRIBUTE, TO THE MEMORY OF HIS CHRISTIAN AND MINISTERIAL EXCELLENCIES, IS INSCRIBED, WITH HEART-FELT SYMPATHY. BY THE AUTHOR. PREFACE. The Author of the following Sermon felt some little em barrassment in preparing that part of it for the pulpit, which immediately relates to the excellent Minister by whose death it was occasioned, in consequence of having anticipated himself. Having written the sketch of Dr. Balfour's character, which appeared in the Herald, and other newspapers of the City, he was solicitous to avoid the repetition, in preaching, of what was already before the public, through the medium of the press. To supply, therefore, what may seem a deficiency in that part of the Discourse, he considers it necessary to in sert the sketch alluded to, in this place. " This excellent man, and eminent minister of the Gospel, died hereon Tuesday, the 13th. instant, after an illness which attacked him suddenly in the street, on the preceding day, which did not admit of his reaching home, and which termi nated fatally, in the friend's house to which he had been con ducted, in about thirty-two hours. " Dr. Balfour was born and educated in Edinburgh. Af ter being licensed a preacher of the Gospel, he declined an invitation to the pastoral charge from the Congregation of La dy Glenorchy's Chapel, there ; and, having preferred a pre sentation to the parish of Lecropt*, was ordained Minister, of that parish, where he officiated for about five years. In the beginning of the year 1779, he was removed to the Outer High Church of this City ; and he continued in that charge till the close of his valued life. He died in the 7 1st year of his age, the 45th of his ministry, and the 40th of his pasto ral incumbency in Glasgow. * I have since heard it said, that this is a mistake, and that the Doctor was settled at Lecropt previously to his receiving the invita tion to Lady Glenorchy's Chapel. Fuller biographical details, which will no doubt appear, will put the public in possession of cor rect information. " It is not easy, in a short paragraph or two, to do justice to a character, in which so many excellent qualities were asso ciated : qualities of the mind, and of the heart ; developed in public, as well as in private life ; and securing to their pos sessor an equal measure of admiration, of esteem, and of love. One of the principal charms of this character, which pervaded, and animated, and endeared the whole, was warmth qf heart — a cordial kindness qf disposition. His affections were remarkably strong ; — his temper, naturally somewhat warm, was subdued and chastened by the reigning power of religious principle : — and, with the finest and tenderest sensibilities, he united an uncommon firmness of mind, the product, at once, of natural constitution, and of gracious influence ; which, while it marked his general deportment, was especially con spicuous under the afflictions of life; enabling him, in private, to maintain a dignified Christian composure, and, in some of his public appearances, even when his spirit was burdened with the heaviest griefs, to rise above himself, and to elevate his charmed, and arrested, and melted audience along with him, to the purest and sublimest heights of devotional feeling. " In the intercourse of private life, no man could more em phatically be said to enjoy his friends, than Dr. Balfour. In the social circle, he opened his heart to all the reciproca tions of kindness ; — his countenance beamed with pleasure; — and, even in age, he retained the glow and the vivacity of youth. His familiar conversation was characterized by a cheer ful and facetious pleasantry ; — but he ever turned with delight to sacred subjects; no man could make the transition more rapidly and entirely ; and on these he was always at home, speaking " out of the abundance of his heart.'' — Having him self experienced the bitterness of domestic affliction, and the sweetness of the consolations of religion, he excelled as a comforter of the mourners. He was a wise, affectionate, and faithful counsellor ; and to the young especially, who, on sacramental or other occasions, came to converse with hfon on religious concerns, he displayed a paternal tenderness, and a condescending and; insinuating gentleness, which won his way to their hearts, and drew them to the paths of piety with the cords of love. " The bitter tears of surviving relatives bear testimony to his domestic virtues, and to the delight which his presence dif fused through the family circle ; — the deep-felt sadness of the intimates of his early days, to the sincerity, the cordiality, and the steadiness of his friendships ; — and the acute and pensive sorrow of a mourning people, to the long-tried and sterling worth of his pastoral ministrations. — The distinguishing cha racters of his preaching were, — a clear and comprehensive view of his subject, — textual distinctness of arrangement, — luminous exhibition of truth, — pointed discrimination of character, — a thorough intimacy with the labyrinths of the heart, and with the varieties, genuine and delusive, of Christian experience — warmth of persuasive earnestness, — faithful close ness of practical application, — and an exuberant command of appropriate and powerful expression. He adhered, with ex emplary constancy, to the Apostolic determination, " not to know any thing amongst his hearers, save Jesus Christ and him crucified." All his pulpit addresses, whether doctrinal or hortatory, bore, through their entire texture, the impress of the cross. — The doctrines of salvation by free grace were held forth, in all their scriptural purity and simplicity ; and the necessity of practical godliness, as the result of the faith of these doctrines, was urged with unremitting fidelity. — His was not the icy coldness of speculative orthodoxy. His preaching was truly the utterance qf the heart. Those who have listened to him, in his happy moments of warm and impassion ed elevation, have heard him pour forth the fulness of an af fectionate spirit ; warning, alarming, inviting, persuading, be seeching ; his whole soul thrown into his countenance ; and, in his penetrating eye, the fire of ardent zeal gleaming through the tears of benignity and love. " During the long period of his ministry, he grew every day in the affectionate admiration and esteem of the people of his charge ; to whom no charms of novelty or variety could ever fully compensate for the absence of their own beloved instruc tor ; and amongst whom there were many, who, with the pe culiar tenderness of filial attachment, looked up to him as their spiritual father. — Twelve years ago, he had occasion to give practical evidence of the strength of his reciprocal attachment to his flock, by declining, in opposition to a variety of se- cular inducements, a pressing call to a charge in the metro polis. " Although himself attached to the Established Church of Scotland, he exemplified a generous and cordial liberality to ward those who dissented from her communion. Christians of every persuasion united in esteeming and loving him ; — and, by a uniform consistency of personal and ministerial de portment ; by zealous " readiness to every good work," for advancing the interests, whether temporal or spiritual, of indi viduals, of his City, of his country, or of the great family of mankind, he secured an approving testimony in the consciences of all. Never was reputation, during so long a period of trial, more unblemished. If the breath of slander ever touched him, it was like breaching on a mirror of steel ; — the dimness pass ed away in an instant, leaving the polished surface brighter than before. " The mortal remains of this estimable man and valued Mi nister were, on Tuesday last, 20th October, 1818, attended to the narrow house by a large assembly of sincere mourners, and amidst an unprecedented concourse of spectators, along all the streets through which the funeral procession passed ; affording an impressive testimony of the universality of the public senti ment of regard, and of that deserved popularity, as a Minister, which from the first was uncommonly high, and which con tinued without abatement from the commencement to the close of his career. ' THE MEMORY OF THE JUST IS BLESSED !' " 23d October, 1818. A SERMON. Hebrews xiii. 7. " Whose faith follow, considering the end of their conver sation." These words evidently refer to former teachers of the Church in Jerusalem, of, more generally, ofthe Churches in Judea. The language used respecting them implies, that they had closed their ministerial labours, and their earthly pilgrimage*: but whether they had been martyred by the Hand of persecuting violence, or had fallen asleep in Jesus in the ordinary * The designation " them that have the rule over you," may seem to the English reader an objection to this. It ought to be simply " your guides, or leaders."—" That the apostle speaks here not of their living " but dead guides, will appear, partly from his exhortation to remember " them, the living guides being the objects, not of their memory, but " sense ; partly from the phrase " who have spoken?' which intimates " that they had now left off speaking ; and partly from the close or pe- " riqd of their conversation here on earth, which they are exhorted to " look back unto -. their living Bishops they are commanded to obey, " v. 17- their dead Bishops to remember, verse 7," &c. — Whitby. B 10 course of nature, cannot with certainty be ascertained. The former may be considered as the more probable supposition ; because it renders the example, which is recommended to imitation, the more remarkable, and the more animating. But that the writer had at all in his eye Stephen, the first martyr, and James, who was beheaded by Herod, will not appear likely, when the interval of time is recollected, that had elapsed between their respective martyrdoms, and the date of this epistle; — the former having happened probably thirty, and the latter twenty years before it was writ ten *. The case is one of needless conjecture. The Hebrews themselves, who are addressed, would be at no loss to understand the reference, and to sup ply the appropriate names; and, in as far as we are concerned, knowledge is not, in the remotest degree, necessary to our edification. If, indeed, as is surely most probable, the allusion is to pastors and teachers, who, at the time when the letter was written, had more recently " finished their course," as we are not in possession of any particulars of their history, mere names would not have conveyed to our minds the slightest information. * Assigning the death ef Stephen to the year 34, that of James to the year 44, and the writing of this epistle to the year 64. Some place it two or three years earlier. 11 From the manner in which the eighth verse is ren dered in our translation, without the supplementary verb " is," — " Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever," — mere English readers are apt to run the 7th and 8th verses together, as if it were meant, that Jesus Christ had been the end of their conversation. No one, however, who under stands and has looked at the original, can fancy this for a moment; nor will the English reader find the view suggested by any commentator. The construc tion in the Greek will not at all admit of it; nor does the word translated " end" ever signify final cause, or object, but simply close, termination, or issue. — A man's conversation usually expresses, in the English Bible, his general conduct, or course of life. In the text it seems, along with this, its more ordinary sig nification, to include the period of time during which this course had been pursued; and also, perhaps, the sufferings and the enjoyments of life, as well as its do ings; all that had been experienced, during its con tinuance, of evil or of good, as well as all that had been performed of active service*. u- The end oftheir conversation," then, is the termination of their service on earth, — the issue of their course of life. The * I introduce this last idea in deference to the authority of Schleus- ner; Lexicon, on the word amirr^ipn, Sect. 4. 12 8th verse ought, by the supplement of the substan tive verb, to be converted into a distinct proposition : " Jesus Christ (is) the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever." This general proposition will then be suscep tible of two gelations: either to vvhat precedes, or to what follows. In the former view, as referring to the loss they had been called to sustain, of pastoral in struction and superintendence, it contains a most con solatory and encouraging suggestion. He remains immutably the same; in all his divine perfections, in all his mediatorial relations and excellencies ; in his love, and truth, and power, and care of his Church. Under-shepherds may fall, and we may deeply feel, and bitterly bewail, the loss. But " the Lord liveth:" the " Chief Shepherd," and « Bishop of Souls" sur vives. " Death hath no more dominion over Himj" and he is still '' Head over all things to the Church, which is his body, the fulness of Him who filleth all in all." — In the latter view, it contains an admonition to consistency and stability in their profession of the Christian faith. " Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever." " The Son of God, Jesus Christ," says Paul to the Corinthians, " who was preached among you by us, even by me, and Sylva nus, and Timotheus, was not yea and nay; but in him was yea*." As he is himself unchangeably true, his • 2 Cor. i. 19. 13 doctrine does not shift and fluctuate. It is not " yea and nay;" affirmation to-day, and denial to-morrow: (< but in him is yea," a permanent and unvarying af firmation ofthe same truths. He is immutably the same in his testimony, and in all his personal and offi cial characters, as the great subject of that testimony. " Be not (therefore) carried about" (such is the admonition which follows my text) " with diverse and strange doctrines." Some may prefer the one of these views of the con nexion, and some the other. I see nothing to pro hibit our including both. A sentiment may be na turally introduced in connexion with what we have already written, and then be made the basis of a sub sequent inference. It may be suggested by what pre cedes, and may itself suggest what follows. Whilst the words of the text have an immediate and special reference to departed teachers, they are, in the spirit of them, applicable to all those of our fellow- Christians, who have closed their pilgrimage, and are gone to inherit the promises. We shall endeavour to illustrate a little, I. The Exhortation itself: — and II. The motive by which compliance with it is RECOMMENDED. 14 I. The Exhortation itself 'is contained in the words, " Whose faith follow" To follow, or to imitate the faith of these deceased pastors and teachers, may be considered as including three things: — In the first place : Holding fast, as they had done, to the end of life, the word of the Divine testimony; " the faith once delivered unto the saints :" — holding fast this faith, in all its original apostolic purity and simplicity, free from those errors, so profusely, so as siduously, and so seducingly vended by false teach ers ; by which its real nature, as a scheme of grace, was subverted, and its efficacy for salvation destroyed. It is an admonition, to retain in their minds, and in their hearts, as the subject of a firm belief, and the object of an affectionate adherence, " the faithful word, as it had been taught them," and as it had been attested to them by the God of truth, " in signs, and wonders, and diverse miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost* :" not to be " moved away from him that had called them into the grace of Christ, to another gos pel f: not to suffer themselves, by mistaken Judaism, and false philosophy, to be " corrupted from the simplicity that is in Jesus £:" — but, after the example of those faithful men, who were now no more, to. * Heb. ii. 4. f Giu" »• 6- t 2 Cor- »¦ 3- 15 cleave to the unadulterated word of the testimony, with a growing earnestness, and decidedness, and con stancy of attachment. Secondly: Cleaving, with the same steadfastness of faith, to the Divine promises. The promises are founded upon the testimony: they rest on it, as their basis: — they are " yea and amen, in Christ Jesus" — and they are, indeed, "ex ceeding great and precious." They regard " the life that now is:" securing to us, not only all such tempo ral blessings as are essentially for our good, but all needful supplies of Divine grace, till the close of our pilgrimage: — and they regard " the life that is to come," in all its " fulness of joys, and pleasures for evermore." I mention the faith of the Divine promises dis tinctly from the faith of the Divine testimony, not as being capable of a separate existence in the mind, but because it is as immediately regarding the promis es of God, that faith is " the confidence of things hoped for ;" and, because this confidence must have been the chief sustaining and animating principle of these " holy men of God," under all the trials and persecutions, probably even unto death, to which their ministry had exposed them. — Following them in their faith of these promises, may be considered 16 as including the imitation of those other graces arid virtues, which seem more directly to arise from the exercise of such faith ; such as patience, resignation, contentment, fortitude, arid joy. Iri the preceding context, the promises of God, especially as they re* gard the period of his people's abode on earth, are Summed up in one, which is indeed of inestimable value, and comprehensive of all that a creature can eVer needi or ought ever to desire; and several of the virtues enumerated are inculcated on the ground of it: — " Let your conversation be without covetous ness ; and be content with such things as ye have ; for he hath said, I will never leave thee nor for sake thee : so that we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper ; I will not fear what man shall do unto me *." Thirdly: Following their faith implies, ithitating it in all its practical effects.-rAThis is abundantly clear. Faith is not followed at all, unless it be prac-^ tically followed. The imitation of it cannot be ma nifested in any other way, than the way in which it manifests its own existerice ; that is, by the fruits of a holy life. To follow their faith, is to follow their entire example of believing obedience; the effect of their faith, as " purifying their hearts *," " working * Heb. xiii. 5, 6. * Acts xv. 8. 17 by love *," and " overcoming the world f." It is to follow them in " the work of faith," and " the labour of love ;" in " all holy conversation and godliness ;" in enduring, and in executing, the whole will of God. Paul, without doubt, knew the cha racters of those whom he here recommends to their remembrance and their imitation. The very recom mendation implies, that they had been, during their Christian life and ministry, " examples to the believ ers in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity |." What he elsewhere says, in reference to himself, and to others his fellow labourers, is only an amplification of the more concise admoni tion in our text: — " Brethren^ be followers together of me, and mark them who walk so, as ye have us for an ensample: (fbr many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you, even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ ; whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things:) for our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ; who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue * Gal. v. 6. f ' John v- 4- 1 I T""- iv- 12> c 18 all things unto himself*." " Finally, brethren, what soever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report ; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do; and the God of peace shall be with you f." When he says, in our text, " whose faith follow," he, in effect, says, " Those things which ye have both learned, and re ceived, and heard, and seen" in those faithful pas tors, " who have spoken to you the word of God," " do ; and the God of peace shall be with you." And, my brethren, what he said of old to the He brew believers, he now says to us. His affectionate admonition, in the spirit and in the letter of it, not only may, but ought to be transferred by us, to every eminent example of Christian and minis terial excellence, that appears in the church in our own days. We come now very briefly to illustrate, II. The motive by which compliance with the exhortation is recommended: — " Considering the * Phil. iii. 17, 21. f ?""• iv. 8, 9. 2 19 end qf their conversation " that is, as formerly no ticed, the close or issue of their course of life. This comprehends three particulars : — Their state in dying; — their death itself, as terminating their earth ly service; — and their departure out of this life, as the commencement qf a better. In the first place : To " consider the end of their conversation," is to contemplate their state in dying. It is more than probable, that the faithful servants of Christ, and of the church for his sake, to whom our text refers, whether they closed their lives on their beds, or laid them down at the place of mar tyrdom, had " finished their course" in the full tri umph of faith and hope; that they had been enabled to bear, in death, an honourable testimony to the all-sufficiency of that blessed Saviour, whom it had been the business of their life to publish and to re commend. Such scenes are, in a high degree, edi fying, confirming, animating. They afford a trial of those principles which have been professed through life, eminently fitted to establish the confidence, and to invigorate and elevate the hopes, of all who wit ness them. It is true, indeed, that apparent tran quillity, and even cheerfulness in death, may arise from a variety of causes, the operation of which, 20 however interesting and useful the discussion might be, your time will not permit me at present to ex plain : — from natural fortitude ; from insensibility of conscience ; from pride of spirit, determined to con ceal the real state of the feelings; from erroneous principles, supported by the plausibilities of sophis try, and recommended by a deceitful heart; espe cially, from habitually and systematically low concep tions of the holiness and justice of the Divine charac ter, of the requirements and sanctions of the Divine law, and of the evil and demerit of sin. But when, in opposition to all these, we see a man, who is not constitutionally bold in spirit, whose conscience is tender, and whose heart is humble, and who has on his mind just, and clear, and powerful impressions of the unspotted purity and the unbending righteousness of " the Judge 01 all;" of the extent, the spiritual ity, and the fearful sanctions of his law; of the deadly guilt of transgression, and of the large measure of his own individual sinfulness and evil deservings ; — when we see such a man, amidst views and impres sions which, in themselves, are sufficient to convulse the soul with agony, and to overwhelm it in despair, in the full enjoyment of humble confidence, of peace, and hope, and gladness, and even, perhaps, of the sacred and triumphant elevation of inward victory 2) over the fears of death and of judgment; — we then have before our eyes a lively and impressive evidence of the adaptation of the principles of the gospel to the true state, and character, and relations, and pros pects, of sinful man ; an evidence, that, as they have been suited in life, so are they suited in death, to the secret convictions and anticipations of the conscience, and to the felt necessities of the human soul. It is certainly in itself a desirable thing, that they who have borne a living, should be enabled to bear also a dying testimony, to the truth, and excellence, and suitableness, of the glorious gospel. But, how ever desirable, it is not at all necessary to our confi dence respecting the happiness of our departed Chris tian friends. It is the life, rather than the death, that forms the clearest and most substantial ground of assurance of a man's interest in Christ, and of his blessedness beyond the grave. The cases are not unfreqnent (we have more than one this day before us*,) in which, either the extreme suddenness, or the particular nature, of the mortal distemper, deprives surviving relations and friends of the gratification they so naturally and so earnestly desire, to have some • Two days previous to Dr. Balfour's death, one of the members of the church in Albion Street had died still more suddenly,. having survived under the stroke that carried her off, only from ten to fifteen minutes. 22 death-bed sayings, some parting words, some sacred relicks of sentiment and feeling, which they may trea sure up in their memories and hearts, and repeat with tender and mournful delight, in recounting to each other the memorabilia of that loved friend, whose empty chair, in the family circle, reminds them of dear enjoyments that are never to return. But it is not a few words, however excellent and however desirable, uttered from a dying pillow, that can give " the full assurance of hope," respecting a departed friend's felicity. We wish for such words, indeed ; and, if the power of articulate speech be gone, we desire even a silent sign, to intimate to us, whether the Saviour be still dear to him; whether, in the valley of the shadow of death, the Lord be with him ; whether his faith and hope be still in God 5 — and the lifting of the finger, or the inclination of the head, in reply to such inquiries, comes like a soothing charm upon the heart. But, in occasionally denying us such gratifications, by snatching our friends from us in a moment, or by locking up their mental powers in insensibility, may it not be the very purpose of the Divine providence, to impress on our minds the important lesson, that, when the life has been a life of faith upon the Son of God; and, in the case of a minister of Christ, when " his doctrine 23 and his life, coincident, have given lucid proof, that he was honest in the sacred cause,'' and himself a genuine subject of that grace which he proclaimed to others ; — that it is from this we should form our esti mate of the man ; that from this we should derive our hopes, or more than hopes, that he has gone to hea ven ; and that there is a danger of our resting more than enough upon the closing scene ? He who has, whilst in full possession of his mental and corporeal energies, been " living to the Lord," although his life should be closed in the melancholy privation of both, we may be well assured " dies also to the Lord :" — dying, as well as living, " he is the Lord's." The soul of such a man is as safe, when, with its faculties locked up, it struggles from an insensible frame, as when, in the perfect and spirited exercise of all its powers and all its sensibilities, it throws out from it, in its departure, the brilliant corruscations of faith and hope. Secondly : " Considering the end of their conver sation," implies, contemplating their death, as the final close of their earthly service. It was the end of all their labours and of all their usefulness. The Hebrews had seen and heard their teachers; but they saw them and heard them no 24 longer. The place, in the meetings of the saints, that had once known them, knew them now no more. This should have been to the Hebrews, and it ought to be to us, at once an affecting and a rousing thought. " The prophets, do they live for ever?" It is, indeed, an occurrence of no ordinary interest and solemnity, when a faithful and a useful labourer in the church of God finishes his course : — when those lips are closed in perpetual silence, that have long been imparting to listening multitudes the knowledge that maketh wise unto salvation: — when a living agent is removed, whom God has been honouring to turn many to righteousness, and who has been long and effectually contributing to stem the torrent of iniquity in an ungodly world. Such occurrences ought to operate upon us, as powerful incentives to renewed and unwearied dili gence. We should " consider the end of their con versation," that our minds may be more deeply impressed with the remembrance, that " life is the time to serve the Lord ;" that " our days are as the days of a hireling ;" that, in whatever department of service we are employed, our time, too, like theirs, must quickly come to a close. The voice of Pro vidence, in such events, is the same with the voicfe' of the Divine] Word. The former seconds, with 25 impressive eloquence, the salutary admonitions of the latter ; bringing them home to the mind with all the superadded force of fact and experienpe : — "Be not slothful," (such is the, charge of both) ;-. " but followers of those who through faith a.nd pa tience inherit the promises." — " Redeem the time, because the days are evil :" — " Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might ; for there is no wisdom, nor counsel, nor work, nor device in the grave, whither thou goest*." The injunctions and the warnings are addressed to us by that Lord and Master, who has himself set before us the only per fect example: — " My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me, and to finish his work :'V- " I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day ; the night cometh when no man can work :" — " I have glorified thee on the earth ; I have finished the work which thougavest me to dof." He who thus fulfil led his own charge, has given a charge to us, — " Oc cupy till I come :" and it is only by our imitating himself, in active and persevering fidelity of service, that we shall be able, at the close, to say with Paul,—* " The time of my departure is at hand : I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have *"¦- * Heb. vi. 12. Eph. v. 16. Eccl. ix. 10. f John iv. 54. John ix. 4. John xvii. 4. D 26 kept the faith : henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, ' shall give me at that day ; and not to me only, but to all them also that love his appearing*." Thirdly : To " consider the end of their conversa tion," is to contemplate the termination oftheir earth ly life as the commencement qf a better. Surely we do not rightly consider the issue of their course, when we stop at the grave. The blessedness is, beyond a doubt, included, to which the close of their term of service had introduced them. It is the happy result that is meant of all their toils and all their trials,— when they " rested from their labours, and their works followed them." The Apostle, in the preceding chapter, exhorts believers to " run the race set before them* looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of their faith; who," says he, " for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."* Now, this was the end of his con versation ; the blessed and glorious issue of the work which was given him to do- His faithful servants " hear his voice and follow him" in life, and at death * 2 Tim. iv. 6—8. f Heb. xii. 2 27 they go to be with him, to " behold his glory," — to " enter into his joy." " For to me to live is Christ ; and to die is gain. Yet what I shall choose I wot not : for I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better *." "Now he that hath wrought us for the self-same thing is God, who also hath given' unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore, we are always confident, knowing, that whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord ; (for we walk by faith, "not by sight ;) we are confident, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we labour, that whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him f." The " end of their conversation," then, is their having " an entrance ministered to them abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of their Lord and Sa viour, Jesus Christ J." When they finish their ser vice, they receive their reward. The goal of their race is the gate of heaven. When they have passed through " the valley ofthe shadow of death," the light ofthe celestial world bursts upon their view, and " they enter in through the gates into the city." " These are they who came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the Phil. i. 21, 23. f 2 Cor. v. 5,-9. t 2 Peter, i. 11. 28 blood of the Lamb ; Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and lie that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat : For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne, shall, feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters ; and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes*." This is " the end of their conversation :" and sure ly the " consideration" of this was well fitted to ani mate the Hebrews, and it is equally well fitted to ani mate us, to " follow their faith," in defiance of all tri als, temptations, and enemies. — " We have an altar," says the Apostle, in the verses following our text, " whereof they have no right to eat who serve the tabernacle. For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burnt without the camp. Where fore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth, therefore, unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. For here we have no con tinuing city, but we seek one to come." — " Cast not away, therefore, your confidence, which hath great * Rev. vii. 14 — 17. ¦ 29 recompence of reward. For ye have need of pa tience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye- might receive the promise *." " Be thou faithful unto death ; and I will give thee a crown of life +." When I speak of these faithful men obtaining their reward immediately upon the close of their service, I do not mean that their reward is then complete. It shall not be complete till " death, the last enemy, shall be destroyed :" — till " this corruptible shall put on incorruption, and this mortal immortality, and the saying shall be brought to pass that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory :" — till " the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and the trump of God, and, the dead in Christ having first risen, they who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air ; and so shall they all be for ever with the LordJ." It is then, when "the Son of man shall come in his^glory, and all his holy angels with him," — when " the judgment shall be set, and the books shall be opened ;" it is then, that to those who have served him here below, with love, and zeal, and conscientious fidelity, and unshaken perseverance, " the righteous Judge" shall say, before assembled » Rev. x. 35, 36. f Rev. ii. 10. f 1 Thess. iv. 16, 17. so worlds, " Weil done, good and faithful servants; enter ye into the joy of your Lord." Whilst I would apply the words of my text to de parted members of this Church, and admonish sur viving members, and especially surviving relatives, to " follow their faith," with affectionate remembrance, with diligence, and with constancy; — I offer no apolo gy, as if here it were out of place, for making a spe cial and pointed application of them to that eminent servant of our common Lord and Redeemer, who has so recently, and so suddenly, been removed from amongst us. His was a name, the notice and the commendations of which are not to be confined within the walls ofthe Churches and Chapels ofthe Establishment. Nay, I feel as if there lay on us, my brethren, as dissenters, a special obligation to show to the world, that we are not so shackled by the fetters, and blinded by the pre judices of party, as to be incapable of appreciating and admiring, of esteeming, and loving, and celebrating, eminent Christian excellence, wherever it presents it self to our view. We regard the venerable man who is now no more, not in the narrow and contracted light of a Minister of the Church of Scotland mere ly, — (although the Church of Scotland has to deplore, in his death, the loss of one of her brightest orna- 31 ments!) — but in the higher and more general charac ter of a Minister of Christ. And, in this capa city he was indeed " a burning and a shining light." The character which he has left behind him, both in private and in public life, bears upon it the clear and honourable stamp of a forty years' probation in our own City : — and when he came to this place, he brought along with him, from the scene of his former residence and labours, the very same character that has since been more fully developed, and more tho roughly established, amongst ourselves. I cannot enter into minute detail, without, repeat ing, (which I wish to avoid) what is already before the public, in the Newspapers ofthe day. I could say much, and say it all without the risk of contradic tion, of his private Christian virtues ; — of the fervour and elevation of his piety; — ofthe warmth and gene rous kindness of his heart; — of his lively cheerfulness; — of his energy and decision of mind; — of the ten derness of his sensibilities, and especially of his pater nal love; — of his peculiar susceptibility of affliction, and his exemplary resignation under it; — of the cor diality, and the constancy of his friendships ; — of the Christian liberality of his spirit ; — of his readiness to every good work ;• — his lively interest in the designs, the operations, and the success, of Bible and Mission- 3*2 «ry Societies, and in every scheme that promised to ameliorate the temporal or the spiritual condition of mankind. — But I forbear. It was chiefly as a Minis ter of the Gospel that he was known to the generality of my hearers, and to Christians at large, in this and other parts of the country: — and in this capacity, I repeat it with emphasis, he was " a burning and a shining light." Uniting, in an eminent degree, personal religion with official ministration, he might have said with truth, of himself, — " God, whose I am, and whom I serve" — and as to the manner of fulfilling his ministe rial duties, he might, with equal truth, have added, with the same Apostle, " God, whom I serve with my spirit, in the gospel of his Son." He adopted, as the expression of his personal sentiments and feelings, the language of this inspired ambassador, '< God for bid that I should glory, save in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ; by which the world is crucified unto mr, and I unto the world !" — and, as the principle of h;s ministerial functions, the resolution of the same devoted servant of his Lord, — " I determined, not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified I" — And by few, indeed, of that Apos tle's professed followers, has the resolution been more sacredly fulfilled.— Not that he was, with unvarying 33 sameness of repetition, dwelling incessantly on the same truths: but* in all the variety of subjects whidh his ministry embraced, the doctrine Of the cross, the doctrine of salvation by free grace, through the blood «f atonement* was closely and carefully intefwovell with the whole texture of his discourses. All other doctrines were presented in their appropriate relations to it: his admonitions, invitations, and encourage- mcnts, had it for their immediate basis: and from it he derived his motives and incitements to practical godliness. It was the living soul of his whole minis'- try. He did* it is true, proclaim the terrors of the law; and few men could do it with more awfully im pressive effect :— but he delighted to follow the alarms of judgement with the melting invitations of mercy. In the pictures of divine truth which he exhibited1, Sinai never appeared tmassociated with Calvary.— Whilst the mount that " burned with fire," enve loped in " blackness* and darkness* and tempest/' was painted in its appropriate terrors; there' was un* veiled along with it, in all its peaceful serenity, that " mount of the Lord1," on which " the Lamb' was provided for the burnt-Offering ;" and on which there settles eternally, the sunshine of divine love. It is on such preaching that the God of all grace commands his blessing : — and few men have ever been 34 honoured with more abundant success. Many of his spiritual children had gone before him ; by whom he has now been welcomed into the " everlasting habi tations :" and many more he has left behind him, to deplore, in the bitterness of bereaved affection, the loss they have sustained, and to " follow him through faith and patience, to the inheritance of the promises." And, while we unite in blessing God for the good of which he made him the instrument during his life, we trust, my brethren, we confidently trust* that his usefulness is not yet at an end j that more shall yet arise, to own him as their spiritual father, who, " in Christ Jesus, has begotten them by thegospel:" — some, perhaps, whose minds had been awakened and im pressed before his death, but whose impressions, felt in secret, had been confined within their own bosoms, and had not yet ripened into open avowal : — some, whose hearts, through divine influence, may be touch ed by his death, who were little, if at all, affected, during his life : — and some, whose consciences may be startled and alarmed by the recollection of precious privileges, long neglected, and irrecoverably lost. Yes, my friends ; — " he being dead, yet speaketh." He speaks to the memories of all who knew and of all who heard him. ^Remembered privilege may effect, what enjoyed privilege failed to accomplish. Imagi- 35 nation will fill that pulpit as it was wont to be filled, and will hear anew, from the lips of the venerable man of God, his neglected warnings, and his kind, and so lemn, and beseeching appeals ; and, through the blessing of God, they may not be heard in vain. " The Lord God of the holy prophets," distin guished and honoured Elisha, when he shed upon him a double portion of the spirit of his venerable predecessor; when he made him, during his life, the vehicle of divine communications, and the instrument of divine protection, to Israel ; and when he enabled him to confirm the truth of his messages, and of his prophetic claims, by works which " no man could do unless God were with him." — But signal and un wonted honour was put upon that prophet, after his course of living service had come to a close. The wonder-working virtue, that had .emanated from him during his life, descended with him into the grave* and slumbered in his mouldering bones: — " Even in his ashes lived his wonted foes j" and the very touch of that lifeless frame, in which " the Spirit of the living God" had so long and so remark ably dwelt, gave back the parted soul, and quickened the dead. The man of God himself remained under the power of death* unconscious of the virtue that 36 went out of him; but life issued from his grave.— And so may it be now. Better life, — spiritual, immortal, divine life, may spring from the very grave of the faithful minister of Christ. It may have been the very purpose of the sovereign mercy, and the myste rious providence of God, to effect by his death what his life left undone. The silent, but powerful elo quence of the tomb, may be the intended means, under the mighty agency of the Divine Spirit, of reaching some hearts, which all the energy of living utterance left hard as the nether mill-stone. O my friends, what a change* what an affecting change, a single day, a single hour, a single mo ment, may produce in the state of an individual and of a family circle ! How suddenly may « the light be darkened in our tabernacle ;" and " our organ be turned to the voice of them that weep !" Friends, who have assembled in the morning, all animation and social vivacity, ere the day be far advanced, may be gathered around the dying or the dead; " the desire of their eyes taken away with a stroke ;" their " faces foul with weeping, and on their eye-lids the shadow of death." I stood by the bed of the venerable man of God, the moment after the last breath had been drawn. The stillness of death was upon the couch, and the 37 stillness of grief was around it. It was a time of silent, and deep, and pensive sorrow, sweetly mingled with " the full assurance of hope." The close of such a life, and, indeed, the close of the life of any dear and Christian friend, is, of all the scenes of woe that meet us in this valley of tears, the most full of solemn and soul-subduing tenderness. When all are waiting around, in breathless anxiety of expectation ; and the physician, sympathising with the anguish of affec tionate relatives, and reluctant to utter the fatal word* gives the silent signal of death, by gently dropping the arm, of which the pulse has ceased to beat; and still, slow to believe the sign, all remain fixed in mute observation, watching, with eye and ear, the return of the suspended breath :- but in vain; the last has been drawn, and all is over : the living soul is gone. And Oh ! my brethren, when, with the eye of faith and hope, we follow their departed spirits to that heaven, whither they have winged their flight ; when the first pangs of agony leave us sufficient leisure, and collectedness of mind to do so; can we, let me ask you, ye weeping mourners, can we find in our hearts to wish them back ?— back from heaven to earth ! back from the presence of God and of the Lamb, of angels, and spirits of just men made perfect, to our 38 society ! back from the sweets of eternity to the bit ternesses of time ! back from the " pure river of the water of life, clear as crystal," to the mingled and turbid streams of enjoyment in the wilderness of this world ! — No, my friends. With regard to them, let us rather be " filled with joy in all our tribulation." " Rejoice for a brother deceas'd Our loss is his infinite gain." And, as we cannot, and would not, bring back the dead, let us be anxious, by compliance with the ad monition of the text* suitably to improve their de parture. Let us consider the blessed God as having designed good both to the dead and to the living : to the dead, for he has taken them to himself; and to the living, for to them the stroke is from a father's hand, — from his hand, " Who sends no needless pain, Who always smites in love; Who looks in tend'rest pity down, Even when he seems to wear a frown." " Hear ye, then, the rod, and who hath appointed it." There are now amongst my hearers, those, who can look back on more than their " threescore years and ten," and who remember the Christian inter course of " the days* of other years," with a tender 3D and melancholy delight. The friends of their youth, with whom they " took sweet counsel together," have dropt* one after another, in slow but sure succession: — one after another they have carried to the grave ; and they have felt the growing desolation, and sigh ed over the wrecks of their early joys. They tell of the individuals who formed their little Christian fellowships; the incidents of their lives; the features of their characters; and the dates of their successive departures, — till Death has gone round the circle, and has left none but themselves remaining; — and they are now waiting for the stroke that shall join them, — and join them for ever, to their friends above I — " The Lord bless them, and keep them ! — the Lord cause his face to shine upon them, and be gra cious to them ! — the Lord lift up his countenance upon them, and give them peace !" — spare them with us yet a little longer, and then take them home, as a shock of corn fully ripe is brought in in his season! And oh ! let all my hearers, in every period of life, consider well what is before them. " It is appointed unto men once to die; and after death the judge ment." — " There is a time to be born, — and a time to die." He who fixed the one, has fixed also the other. Whether it be near or remote is known to Him, — and to Him alone. He has appointed your 40 bounds, that you cannot pass. And if you are not found ready for death, when your " time to die" shall arrive, it had been good for you that your " time to be born" had never arrived* or that you bad been " carried from the womb to the grave." Sudden deaths are peculiarly instructive; and the lessons which they teach, they, at the same time, forcibly impress. — To those who are ready to die, — » who are in Christ, — to whom there is no condemna tion, — whose life is a life of faith upon the Son of God, — and whose supreme desire it is* " living and dying to be the Lord's," — it is a matter of compara tively trivial moment, when or kow their death may come. The wishes of Christians on this snbj-ect have been various and opposite ; some professing' their preference of a sudden, and others of a more linger ing dissolution j the former captivated with the thought of an instantaneous transition, tire other shrinking from so immediate a call, and desiring ra ther a premonition of their departure* and leisure for reflection and anticipation. — " Our times are in God's hand." Instead of indulging such wishes at all, it is best to be- always ready; " like servants that wait for their Lord, that when he cometh, and Rnocketh* they may open to him immediately;" that* whether our departure shall be sudden or slow, we 41 may thus leave upon the minds of our surviving re latives and friends, a pleasing and settled confidence, that " to us to die has been gain." But sudden deaths sound a solemn alarm to such as are living " without God"; the wicked, the care less, the worldly. Your death, too, may come sudden ly, without allowing you time to think : or the disease that carries you off more slowly, may be such as not to leave you ability to think. And if you would not think during your time of health and vigour; if you then shut your ears to all the affectionate and so lemn warnings addressed to you in the name of the " God with whom you have to do;" if you " would none of his counsel, and despised all his reproof;" would it be unrighteous in God, to deprive you, when you come to die, of the long-abused faculty of thinking, or to give that faculty exercise, only in the bitterness and phrenzy of despair ? O, think, then, let me beseech you, think now. The present is the only moment you can calculate upon, or call your own. Hear the voice of the dead ; hear the voice of the living; hear the voice of God, reminding you, that " now is the accepted time, that now is'the day of salvation. To day* when ye hear his voice* O harden not your hearts !" Your wish is that of Balaam; whose wish is it not? " let me die the death F ofthe righteous, aud let my last end be like his!" It is only by coming to Jesus, that this wish can be realized. He alone can impart to you a righteous ness, in the possession of which, by faith, a sinner can die in peace and acceptance with God: and he alone can renew and sanctify, by his Spirit, your pol luted natures, and " make you meet," as pardoned and purified creatures, " for the inheritance of the saints in light." " O that you were wise, that you understood this, that you would consider your latter end!" How astonishing is the fact, that so much per suasion should be necessary, and that so much should, in thousands, and tens of thousands of instances, be expended in vain, to induce immortal creatures to think of their immortality; creatures, who acknow ledge their accountableness, to think of the account which they have to render; guilty and condemned creatures, to bestow one moment's serious considera tion on their danger, and on the means of escaping it! " Finally, brethren, pray for us ," pray, that we may have grace to be faithful; pray, that the imita tion of departed excellence which we recommend to you, may be exemplified by ourselves; that we may be followersiof departed Servants of Jesus, as they 43 were of their Master and ours; that, through his blessing, our labours, like theirs, may be crowned with desired success; and that to us, as to them, it may at last be said, with the smile of gracious appro val, " well done, good and faithful servants, enter ye into the joy of your Lord." " Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought; but that we receive a full l-eward." " Abide in him, that, when he shall ap pear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming." " Work out your own sal vation with fear and trembling; for it is God that worketh in you, both to will and to do, of his good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings and disputings, that ye may be blameless and harmless, the children of God without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation ; among whom shine ye as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life, that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain." * * 2 John 8. 1 John ii. 28. Phil. ii. 12—16. ANDREW AND JAMES DUNCAN, PRINTERS. <>; ' jju-,: The Truth, Nature, and Universality of the Gospel: A PREACHED AT STIRLING, On Tuesday, June 29th, 1819, AT THE ANNIVERSARY MEETING OF THE J^ocietg tor ^tivlinssfyivt & its Fiamtg, IN AIDOF MISSIONS, AND OTHER RELIGIOUS OBJECTS. By RALPH WARDLAW, D.D. PUBLISHED AT THE REQUEST, AND FOR THE BENEFIT, OF THE SOCIETY. GLASGOW, Printed by James Bedderwick, FOR JOHN SMITH AND SON, GLASGOW; WILLIAM WHYTE AND COMPANY, EDINBURGH; LONGMAN, HVBST, REES, ORME, AND BROWN, OGLES AND CO. AND THOMAS HAMILTON, LONDON. 1819. A SERMON. Luke xx'iv. 45 — 47- " Then opened he "their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures, and said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved the Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: and that repentance and remission'of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, — beginning at Jerusalem." " Blessed are your eyes," said Jesus to his disciples, " for they see;, and your ears, for they hear. For ver- ily I say unto you, that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them *." These are words, which, although in a somewhat inferior sense* we may justly apply to ourselves, in reference to the fulfilment of those " glorious things that are spoken of Zion the city of our God?" — things, which the saints who have finished their course longed to see realized, seeking their accomplishment by fervent prayer, cele- * Mat. xiii. 16, 17. 4 brating its future arrival in prophetic songs of praise, and anticipating it in death with pious and benevolent delight: — " Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, , and the glory of thy people Israel *." The period in which we live is full of interest. Every day is bringing us tidings of the progress of the Redeemer's cause, equally gratifying and won derful; and never did Christians enjoy a sweeter and more exquisite experience of the truth of that beautiful comparison: "As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country f." It is not possible, and, were it possible* it would neither be right nor desirable, to divest our minds of all local associations. And surely, on the face of the whole earth, there is not a spot that possesses stronger and dearer associations in the Christian's bosom, than Jerusalem. The very name has a charm in it: it is surrounded with recollections, that wake to lively, and solemn, and melting exercise, all the sensibilities of his heart; and he is ready to adopt, as the expression of his own feelings, the pathetic language of the captive saints and patriots of Judah, when* by the * Luke ii. 29—32. f Prov. xxv. 25. rivers of Babylon, they hung their harps upon the willows, and wept at the remembrance of Zion: — " If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth*." — " Far from me and from my friends," said an eminent English moralist f, "be such frigid philosophy, as would conduct us, unmoved, over any ground that has been dignified by wisdom, bravery, or virtue!" And if the, man of patriotism, and the man of science, and taste, and literature, glow with emotions of transport amidst the scenes of ancient heroism and freedom, of hoary wisdom, and of classical imagination, and genius, and elegance; is the heart ofthe man of piety to be chained in ice, cold and dead, amidst the sacred ruins of "the city of God, the holy place of the Tabernacles of the Most High;" the chosen spot of Jehovah's resi dence and worship* amidst a surrounding world of idols and idolaters; — for many an age the sole de pository, not of the seeds of mere human science, but of the holy Oracles of Divine truth, the only dictates of the Eternal Spirit; and, at the fulness of time, dig nified by the presence, hallowed by the sufferings, and commended to our tenderest sympathy by the pitying tears, of the Son of God? Recent occurrences have * Ps. cxxxvii. S, 6. , f Johnson. 6 directed our attention anew to this sacred spot: and from the likelihood there now exists, of its becoming again a centre of light to the eastern world, our minds are naturally led back to the time, when " out qf Zion went forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." I have a single remark or two to make on the phraseology of the verses where our text lies. My first remark is, that the entire contents of the 26th and 27th verses, are included in the phrase, " Thus it is written:" namely, " that the Christ should suffer, that he should rise again the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name, among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." All this was written. The passage may, in this view, be compared with the words of Paul to Agrippa, in the 26th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles: " Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come; that the Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should show light unto the people, and to the Gentiles." — Into the illustration and proof of this position, from the recorded predictions of the prophets, your time will not permit me to enter. 7 A second observation is, that the expression " Thus it behoved," ought to be connected with the words " Thus it is written." The necessity of the death and resurrection of Jesus, and of the consequent publica tion of repentance and remission in his name, to the salvation qf sinners, we decidedly hold, as a scriptural truth: but this does not seem to be the necessity meant in this passage. It is simply the necessity of the pre- dictions of the prophets finding their accomplishment in the person of the promised Messiah: — " Thus it is written, and" therefore, "thus it behoved the Christ to suffer," &c. It is the same sentiment that is expressed in other parts of this chapter. Thus, in verses 25—27, " Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures, the things concerning him self." And in verse 44, "And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I, was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled " (here is the necessity) " which are written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets* and in the Psalms, con cerning me." I now wish your attention particularly to the last article in this enumeration — " Beginning at Jerusalem." 8 This was an article of prophecy; and it appears at times, in immediate connection, just as here, with the subsequent spread of the gospel through all nations:— "And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it: and many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let q.s go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." But the words here may be understood, not only as alluding to a prediction to be verified, but also as enjoining a charge to be executed. The order of the Apostles' preaching, was to be in agreement with the prophecy. It will not, I trust, be unsuitable to the design of our present meeting, to consider the words in the three following points of view: — I. As an evidence of the truth of the gospel. II. As an illustration of its nature. III. As expressing the commencement of its universal diffusion. I. Let us consider the words, as an evidence qf the truth of the gospel. 9 The argument is twofold: it may be derived, 1st, from the giving of the charge; and, 2dly, from the execution of it. In the first place, we derive our argument from the giving of the charge. — Nothing could manifest, on the - part of Jesus, greater confidence in the truth, and validity, and unexceptionable evidence, of his claims, than the giving of such a charge, thus open and unqualified; and we affirm it to be a charge such as no impostor, conscious to himself of falsehood, and possessing the smallest portion of discretion and com mon sense, would ever have ventured on giving. This will appear from such considerations as the following: 1st. Jerusalem was a place, where Jesus was publicly and perfectly known. — There he had " taught openly, in the synagogue and in the temple, whither the Jews always resorted, and in secret he had said nothing." There, on occasions of public festivity, he had pro claimed his message, and performed his miracles. There, he had made his triumphal entry, amidst the shouts of " Hosannah to the Son of David ! " — and there, he had been arrested, tried, condemned, and crucified, amidst the taunts and execrations of as sembled multitudes. — The name of Jesus of Nazareth was not, therefore, new and strange to the ears of the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 2dly. In Jerusalem, there existed all possible means 10 of detecting any imposition; and in connection with all the most powerful motives to the immediate and vigorous use of them. — All the methods, fair and unfair, honourable and base, — of persuasion and threatening, of bribery and coercion, were in the power of the priests and rulers of the Jews. And never, surely, had men such inducements to employ them: — mortified pride, disappointed ambition, unconquer able prejudice, — and, above all, the consequence ne cessarily involved in the admission of the claims of Jesus, — namely, that they were a set of blood-stained murderers; — that they had perpetrated a crime of unparalleled and nameless atrocity, the blood in which their hands were imbrued being the blood of " the Prince of Life" — of their own long-promised and long-expected Messiah! — What an incentive, my brethren, was here, to leave no means untried, no quarter of evidence unexplored; and, in failure of the wished-for proof, no promises, no bribes, no intimi dations, no tortures, unemployed, for eliciting or compelling acknowledgement! — What will a. man not do, to clear his character of the imputation of murder ! and what would the people, and especially the rulers of Jerusalem not do, to wipe from their reputation the stain of such fearful blood-guiltiness! — And, that they actually did feel all the keenness and force of this stinging motive, is evident from their own words, on a 11 subsequent occasion, to the Apostles: " Behold ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine* and intend to bring this man's blOod upon us *." 3dly. In Jerusalem, there were also the means of suppressing and crushing by violence, as well as of de tecting by inquisitorial investigation. — The same power ful motives too existed, to the employment of such force; and the character of the Jewish rulers, you are well aware, was far from being distinguished by such tenderness and scrupulosity of conscience, as would have hindered them from exerting the full energy. of the arm of power, wherever they were sensible that facts were against them, or wherever argument and inquiry failed them. — If it was indeed an imposture that was to be attempted by the ambassadors of Jesus* it was one which the author of it knew well to be insufferably offensive to all the feelings of the men in power, as well as of the great body of the people; — one which the chief-priests and rulers, instead of being pre-disposed to believe and to favour, would necessarily set themselves to oppose with the whole weight of their authority and influence. These things were most evident. They could not be absent from the view of the great Author of our faith, when he gave the charge in our text. Yet, in * Acts v. 28, 12 these circumstances, and with these anticipations, he does not give his accredited agents lessons of prudence, and caution, and artful manoeuvring. He does not in struct them, to begin secretly, in some ofthe less public parts of the country, and to work themselves gradually into more general notice: — nor even, in commissioning them to begin at Jerusalem, does he at all instruct them to make their first attempts in a private way, endeavouring, in the outset, to gain over a few indi viduals of reputation and influence, whose countenance would give credit and weight to their cause. His command is, that in the metrqpolis of their country, the seat of its power, and the centre of its population, — that there, openly, and without reserve or precaution, they should publish their commission in the name of their Master; declare at once, in the face of ,all, that " God had made that same Jesus, whom they had crucified, both Lord and Christ;" and " preach (which implies a public proclamation) repentance and remis sion of sins, in his name." — Now, our inquiry is this: does not the very circumstance of Jesus actually giving such a charge in such circumstances, manifest a con fidence in the truth of his pretensions and the justness of his cause, as remote as possible from the slightest indication of conscious imposture? But let us now, in the second place, attend to the fact. The Apostles were not disobedient to the charge; 13 they executed the commission: — and of the manner in which they understood and fulfilled it, read a specimen, from the second chapter of the Acts of the Apostles*: "Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles, and wonders, and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: him, being delivered by the determinate cOunsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain; whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it." — " This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses." Here, my brethren, we have an appeal, which was made in the face of assembled thousands; — an appeal, without a single point of parallelism with the enthu siastic and prophetic ravings of some impostors, who have, at times, to the amazement of all reflecting men, succeeded in "drawing away disciples after them;" an appeal, respecting plain and palpable facts; and these too, not few, not secret, " not done in a corner," but numberless and diversified, and announced as having been seen and heard by multitudes in all parts of the country, as well as in the city. It is unaccount able that such an appeal should ever have been made, * Verses 22—24. 32. 14. unless it had its foundation in truth. The very making of it, if it had no such foundation, implies a degree of effrontery, and of presuming on the credulity and stupidity of the hearers, of which it is hardly possible to form a conception. But, besides this presumptive evidence of truth, we have to ask again — What followed? — What- was the result? The result was, that a great multitude believed the testimony which was founded on this appeal; and this, of course, was a public recognition of the truth of the appeal itself. Thousands after thousands bowed assent* and joined themselves to the Apostles. Now* on what other principle can this be accounted for, but on the supposition of the truth of the appeal in verse 22; "As ye yourselves also know." Recollect again; the appeal is one essentially and entirely different from the frantic ravings of a Buchan or a Southcote. It is an appeal to the senses of multitudes, every individual of whom was, by the very possession of these senses, in the full capacity (I do not say of judging, for the case was not one for the exercise of judgement, but) of knowing for himself its truth or its falsehood. The best way of estimating the strength of this argument* is, to make the supposition of a similar case happening amongst ourselves: — Suppose, then, my brethren,— -in the metropolis of 15 the United Kingdom, on a day of public festivity, when multitudes of people, of all descriptions, are collected together, from every quarter of the land; — a few individuals, of low condition, poor and unbe- friended, and destitute of influence — (or, if you will, of any condition, and any measure of influence what ever; for we should not fear placing the argument even on this ground) — should come forward, in the centre of the city, and, having summoned the attention of the crowd, should begin to tell them, that three years ago, a very remarkable person had appeared amongst them; that he had announced himself as a messenger from God; that he had proclaimed his doctrines in the public assemblies of the metropolis, and in every town and district of the country; that, wherever he had gone, he had been attended by immense concourses of people; that, . throughout all the land, the sick, the blind, the deaf and dumb, the lame, the lunatic, had been brought to him; that he had cured them with a word or a touch; and that* in several instances, he had even raised the dead to life; that he had continued making his circuits through the country for three years; and that, within these two months* he had been betrayed by one of his followers, apprehended, dragged to the bar of the ecclesiastical and civil tribunals, accused, condemned, led out of the city, and, in the presence of an immense multitude 16 of people, put to a cruel and ignominious death. — Think you, my friends, that such a statement could obtain credit? Would not every individual of the collected thousands, in whose ears it was uttered, be ready, with an impatience that could hardly wait for the conclusion of the tale, to pronounce the whole a lie; and, according to their diversified dispositions, to pity the derangement, or to laugh at the folly, or to condemn and punish the impudent effrontery, of its propagators? It is no conclusive objection to this argument, that still greater multitudes rejected the testimony founded on the appeal, than those who received it. We can account for this; account for it, on grounds amply sufficient; on principles of human nature, of the operation of which every man is conscious. You can readily enough conceive what the state of mind must be, when a person is inwardly sensible, respecting any statement laid before him, that it is a statement of facts, which he cannot contradict, whilst yet he continues to hate in his heart the doctrine that is connected with it, and of which it forms the incon trovertible evidence. A man cannot well bear to see proofs produced of what he hates. Increase of evidence produces only increase of rage. The reluctant con victions of the understanding are at war with the wishes and desires of the heart. The evidence forces 17 itself upon the judgement, and puts to silence the opposition of argument; but the very silencing of the opposition of. argument, the very feeling of incompe tency to answer, imparts all the vehemence of mor tified and indignant pride, to the opposition which still remains, — the opposition of enmity: and there is no description, and no accumulation, of mere external evidence, which this enmity is not capable of with standing. So far from this being a valid objection to the argument, it gives it additional force and conclusive ness. For, let us recollect, the same power of prejudice, and pride, and enmity, existed in the hearts of those, who, notwithstanding, received the doctrine, on the ground of the truth of the appeal: — and this very consideration (for we speak not at present of the admitted necessity of divine influence, to the true faith of the gospel, in.any circumstances) shows the strength and validity of the appeal, addressed as it was to their memories, and to their consciences. We might extend and generalize this observation. Had there been an imposture in any of the apostolic statements, then, surely, was the time for its detection;— when there was neither want of means of discovery, nor want of inclination and ability to employ them. — When the resurrection of Jesus was openly proclaimed as a fact, by these poor, and weak, and unbefriended c 18' men, — the enmity, and the power, and the subtlety, in the face of which their assertions were made, could not possibly have failed to discover and expose their falsehood, and to put down at once the authors of a plot so nefarious. It is susceptible, we think, of moral demonstration, on all the admitted principles of evi dence, that if " this counsel" namely, the Christian doctrine, considering its own nature, and the circum stances of its first promulgation, (for the consideration of these is essential to the argument,) that if " this counsel" had been of man, it- must have come to nought: — and the very existence of Christianity at this day, in a state of unprecedented and advancing vigour and prosperity, is itself a convincing proof of its being from God. II. Let us now consider the text, as affording an illustration of the nature of the gospel. The question what is Christianity? is oneof obvious and paramount importance. Yet it is a question, which by many is little thought of. Without dwelling at present on the diametrically opposite systems of doctrine, which are so currently and so thoughtlessly called by the same designation, there are multitudes of people who are satisfied with a general, vague, unexamined conviction (if conviction it deserves to be called) and an accompanying verbal acknowledgement, J9 of the Bible being the word of God; without any serious inquiry at all, what the great lesson is, which it is the design of the Bible to make known. Yet, it is not by the belief that the Bible is the word of God, that sinners are to be saved; it is by the knowledge and belief of the great truths which the Bible teaches. Men may have a speculative educational conviction of what the Bible is, while they have little knowledge, and no faith, of what the Bible testifies. — They may even have studied, with attention and accuracy, the external evidences of Christianity; — the proofs of the genuineness and authenticity of the Sacred Records; — they may understand them well, and be able to state them clearly and powerfully; and yet discover an affecting and melancholy ignorance of the essential nature and attributes of " the glorious gospel of the blessed God." They may expend their pains in the careful examination of the casket, whilst they incon siderately forget to analyse the nature, and appreciate the value, of the inestimable jewel it contains. Our second particular, therefore, is one of no inferior moment; — in as much as a proof of the truth of the gospel, derives all its value from the value of the doctrine which it establishes. Mere evidence, how ever clear and conclusive, is in itself utterly worthless, if that which it goes to prove is of no consequence. The light in which our text presents the gospel to 20 our contemplation, is one in which it appears through out the whole Bible; — namely, as a message of free mercy, through a mediator, to the chief of sinners. This we consider as entering into its very essence; as so essential to it, that, if free mercy he taken out of the gospel, it is deprived of its very nature, and of all its title to the name *. On this part of the subject, I shall illustrate two observations: — 1st, The message extends, in its proclamation and offers, to the chief of sinners: — and, secondly, all, with out exception, who receive the proclaimed and offered blessings, must receive them on the same ground. In the first place: It is a message of grace, to the chief of sinners. Oh ! how striking, in this view, my brethren, is the command given in the text ! — If there was a spot on the face of the earth, of which we might have been disposed to say, or to think, — this is the last place where the offers of mercy can be made, — -it was Jeru salem. Many a time had the crimes of Jerusalem been reckoned up, and set in order before the consciences of its guilty inhabitants, by God's servants, the prophets, who had it in commission, to " show his people their transgressions, and the house of Jacob their sins;" * The gosDel,*— to imyy&m, — the good news. 21 to vindicate the justice of the Host High, in the judge ments which he threatened and executed: — and mm, the cup of their iniquity was full. To the persecution and slaughter of the servants, they have now added the murder of the Son. They had perpetrated the darkest deed of atrocity on which the eye of the Eter nal had looked, since sin entered into his creation. The blood of spotless purity and Divine benevolence stained their " wicked hands:" and might it not have been expected, that that blood should cry against them from the ground; — that, as they had " thirsted for blood, blood should pursue them;" — that, as they had, with infatuated fury, defied the justice and the power of offended heaven, and said, " his blood be on us, and on our children," the imprecated vengeance should have been allowed to fall on them, without remedy, without abatement, and without exception? Might we not have expected the last charge of the injured Redeemer to his commissioned ambassadors^ to have been in such terms as these: — " Go to the de spised and outcast Gentiles; — go to the hated Samari tans; — go to the uttermost ends ofthe earth; — carry the tidings of mercy round the globe; — preach the gospel to every creature: — but, keep away from Jerusalem; pro claim no mercy there; let them have judgement without mercy, who have showed no mercy! — let the curse of God be the merited portion of these sinners against 22 their own souls!" — Ah! my friends, could we have expected such a. charge as this, it must have been in sad ignorance of 'the character of that merciful Re deemer, who, in the full anticipation of all he was about to suffer at the hands of his enemies* " beheld the city and wept over it, saying, ' If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things that belong to thy peace!' " — f O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen gathereth her brood under her wings! and ye would not:" — and who, even while the cruel nails were piercing his hands and his feet, breathed for his murderers the prayer of pity — " Fa ther, forgive them, for they know not what they do !" Well may it be said — " My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. ~ For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts*." Wrath was indeed impending over the inhabitants of Jerusalem. But there was still the remembrance of mercy, and the exercise Of long-suffering. It did not light upon them instantly. Although they had murdered the Son, yet " other servants " are sent, with renewed invitations, • Isa. lv. 8, 9. 23 and affectionate offers of pardoning grace. The charge of the Son himself, is, to " begin at Jerusalem." Make the first offer of mercy through my blood, to those by whom it was shed: — let that blood be pro claimed to them, which alone, by its expiatory virtue, can cleanse away its own stain, — and save them from their dreadful blood-guiltiness. Let us here very briefly notice, what was the preach ing which was to begin at Jerusalem. It was the pi'eaching of " repentance and remission qf sins in the name qf Him who had suffered, and had risen again from the dead." There are two senses in which the word condition may be used, in reference to the enjoyment of the blessings of salvation. — It may signify a meritorious ground, or procuring cause. In this sense, it were an utter subversion of the gospel of the grace of God, to speak of repentance, or faith, or any thing whatever pertaining to the sinner, as either the condition, or, in any degree, a condition at all, of pardon and accep tance. — But it may also mean, something without which' pardon and life cannot be obtained and enjoyed, an essen tial requisite*. In this sense, both faith and repentance are conditions: that is, there is no pardon, and no Ufe, but to those who repent and believe the gospel. — * A Sine-qua-non. 24- The great procuring cause, or meritorious ground, of remission, is the righteousness of Christ; — his sacrifice of atonement; — the work which he finished on the cross: — but in the saving virtue of these, no sinner can participate, without " repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." Repentance, when it is thus mentioned by itself, in connection with the remission of sins, includes the faith qf the gospel. There can be no unbelieving repentance, any more than there can be impenitent faith. Repentance, when it stands thus alone, signifies that change of mind — that new mind of the spirit, which takes place in the sinner, when it is " given to him in the behalf of Christ to believe in his name:" — when, " out of a true sense of his sin, and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, he doth, with grief* and hatred of his sin, turn from it unto GxoA, with full purpose of, and endeavour after, new obedience." This repentance is connected with remission, in the words of God by the prophet: " Seek ye the Lord, while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: let thewicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord* and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon*." And both the * Isa. lv. 6, 7. 25 nature of repentance, and its connection with for" giveness, are, in the most interesting and impressive manner, set before us, in the temper and language of the returning prodigal, and in the reception experienced by him from his father: — " When he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough, and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against Heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants '*." Mark here the features of a truly penitent spirit, —of that broken and contrite heart, which God will not despise. 1st, A thorough change of mind; — " he came to him self" 2dly, A deep conviction of guilt; and that, from right views of sin, as committed not merely against man, but against God; "Father, / have sinned; I have sinned against Heaven, and before thee." Sdly, A consequent feeling of entire personal unworthiness; " / am no. more worthy to be called thy son." 4thly, A full persuasion, that, if he met with a favourable reception, it was what he was, in no respect, entitled to, but owed wholly to the fulness of compassion, and the freedom of forgiving mercy, in the heart of his father. On this mercy he unreservedly casts himself, * Luke xv. 17—19. D 26 deeply feeling, that his own desert was, to be spurned away from his presence. And, 5thly, a heart- felt conviction, founded in bitter experience, that no true happiness was to be found but under his father's roof, and in the restoration of his father's smiles. Such are the sentiments and feelings with which a penitent sinner returns to God. " Repentance " was to be preached " in the name qf Jesus." It is only in this name, that a sinner can thus return; — and, when he does thus return, his reliance is not on his repent ance, or on any thing about himself; but on the mercy which invites him, — on the name which the gospel teaches him to plead, — on "grace reigning through righteousness, unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ, our Lord." — This is the ground of the remission of sins. When it is preached in the name of Jesus, it is preached through his perfect righteousness, his atoning, sacrifice, his finished work. — This had been " written." It was " witnessed by the law and the prophets." — The sum of the import ofthe law, in its various sacrificial rites, was, " that without shedding of blood, there was no remis sion." — The " testimony of Jesus was the spirit of pro phecy." And what was that testimony? " To him give all the prophets witness, that, through his name, whoso ever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins *." * Acts x, 43. 27 That the expression "through his name" has reference to his substitution and atonement, is clear from such language as the following:—" But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him ; and with his stripes we are healed. All we, like sheep, have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. For the transgression of my people was he stricken. He bore the sin of many *." With this too agree — the testimony ofthe Baptist, the predicted fore runner of the Messiah : " Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin ofthe worldf!" — the words of Jesus himself: " The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many:" " This is my blood of the new cov enant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins^::" — and the full and explicit declarations of the inspired Apostles: "But now once, in the end of the world, hath he appeared, to put away sin by the sacri fice of himself §." " Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit H :" "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to * Isa.1iii. S, 6, 8. 12. f John. i. 29. \ Mat. xx. 28. xxvi. 28. § Heb. ix. 26. ' |l 1 Pet. iii. 18. 28 the riches of his grace *:" " Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, (I say,) at this time, his righteousness; that he might be just, and the jus- tifier of him who believeth in Jesusf." It is " in the name " of this atoning Saviour, then, that "the remission of sins" is commanded to be preached: — it is through faith') in this n,ame, through the belief of God's recorded testimony concerning his Son, that this first of blessings is obtained: — and the text most impressively teaches us, that it may be ob tained by the chief of 'sinners-. If the murderers ofthe Prince of Life " obtained mercy," through the blood which they had shed; where is the transgressor, whose sins can be beyond the reach of its expiatory virtue? If to them remission of sins was preached in his name, where is the man, who will circumscribe the field of its proclamation, by narrower limits than those of the world; — or will forbid us to preach it to sinners of any nation, of any age, of any description, or of any degree? Eph. i. 7. f Rom. iii. 24—26. 29 In the second place, I observed, that all who obtain the remission of sins must obtain it on the same ground. This is clear from the words, " among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." The same message, of which the proclamation was to "begin at Jerusalem," was to be carried round the whole world. The same gospel, — the very same, — that was to be preached to the murderous Jews, was to be preached to " every creature " alike. The charge, " Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature," was a charge which obviously implied two things: that every creature, — every human being, — was to be made Welcome to its provisions; and, at the same time, that every creature, — every human being, — stood in need of its provisions, and stood in need of them too, in all their fulness, and in all their freedom, without the slightest variation, either in the way of amplification or restriction, of the original terms. This universal need, proceeds on the assumption of the truth of the apostolic statement in Rom. iii. 22, 23. " There is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." We have no time at present, to enter into any description of the varie ties of human character, or into any estimate of the comparative degrees of human guilt. Let these, my brethren, be what they may, (and we admit them to be many and great,) here is one sweeping sentence, in 30 which all are comprehended, and of which the truth will not bear for a moment to be questioned: — " All have sinned, and come short qf the glory qf God." Away, then, with delusive comparisons of man with man. Let every individual bring himself at once to the standard of the pure and spiritual law of the God " with whom he has to do;" and thus, " let every mouth be stopped, and the whole world become guilty before God." Here is a common ground,' on which all meet; and it is on this ground that the gospel addresses all, and addresses all alike. It speaks one unvarying language. The law having pronounced one sentence of condemnation, the gospel presents one proposal of mercy. — It presents it in the name of the infinite God; and therefore, without respect of persons, it adheres, with unbending decision, in every case, to its plain, and simple, and explicit testimony — " The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord." Instead, therefore, of " comparing yourselves amongst your selves, and measuring yourselves by yourselves," bring home, each of you to his own conscience, the simple truth, — You have sinned. This is enough. If you have sinned, you are guilty; you are condemned; you can niakeno atonement for your guilt; you can do noth ing to effect your own deliverance; you must be debtors to merey; and the grace that saves the very chief of SI sinners, is the grace that must save you. You may not relish being classed with murderers: the pride of nature may spurn at the mortifying and degrading association. Yet, let it not escape your notice, that with regard to the concerns of salvation, and the ground of pardon and acceptance with God, the text classes us all with the most atrocious of murderers, the murderers of the Son of God ! And we who pro fess to preach the gospel, must keep by the record, We dare not, as we value our own souls, go beyond the word of the Lord, to say less or more. We must do as the Bible does; proclaim the same truth to men of all stations and of all characters; to " high and low, rich and poor, together;" to the man of profligacy and to the man of worldly morality. There is no royal road to heaven, any more than to science. Nor is there any other way than one, for the abandoned sin ner, and for the man of comparative decency, who passes well with his fellow-men, but who is, notwith standing, without God, and under condemnation, as a transgressor of that law which enjoins inward god liness, as well as sobriety and righteousness, — " walk ing humbly with God," as well as " doing justly and loving mercy," and which sums up its heart-searching requirements in one, which no man can rightly bring home to himself without exclaiming, " Who shall stand.?"-T-namely, "Thou shalt love the Lord .thy 32 God with all thy heart, and soul, and strength, and mind." Let me plead with you for a moment, ye who may be disposed to startle at these mortifying statements. Do not you need mercy? — and if you need mercy, and that mercy is freely offered to you by your offended God, will you spurn it away from you, because it is so rich as to extend its proposals of forgiveness to others whom you reckon more criminal than your selves? What would you think of a house-breaker or a thief, who, when under sentence of death, should indignantly refuse the offers of royal clemency, because the king chose, in the free exercise of it, to pardon a murderer along with him? III. Let us now, in the last place, (and we must do it with great brevity,) view the words of the text, as expressing the commencement of a' course, to terminate in the universal diffusion of the gospel. The Apostles, agreeably to the charge of their Master, " began at Jerusalem;" and we have formerly noticed the immediate result. For a time, the preach ing of salvation was confined to the Jews. This arose from a misunderstanding of the Divine inten tion relative to the Gentiles, into the explanation of which we have not leisure to enter. The revelation of that intention was made to Peter, in a way with which you are all acquainted. He acted upon the 33 Divine intimation. Offence was taken at his con duct, by the brethren of the circumcision. But they were silenced and satisfied by his rehearsal of the facts of the case, and united in " glorifying God," for hav ing also "granted to the Gentiles repentance unto life." Still, however, the preachers of the circumcision were not free of their trammels. When " they that were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen," " went every where preaching the word," they still preached it to none " but unto the Jews only *." The first remarkable exception to this, took place at Antioch in Syria: — " And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord f." Here was formed the first church of Heathen converts — the mother church of the Gentiles; and here the disciples were first de nominated by the sadly abused designation of Chris tians. Still, in the progress of the truth, there was a preference shown, and a precedency given, which appears to have accorded with theTJivine intention, to the seed of Abraham. When, in consequence of the preaching of Paul and Barnabas, at the other Antioch, » Actsxi. 19. f xi. 20, 21. E ' 34 (in Pisidia,) the unbelieving Jews " contradicted and blasphemed," these holy men " waxed bold, and Said, it was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles; for so hath the Lord com manded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth *. Time will not admit of our tracing the history of the early propagation of the gospel, in Judea, Samaria, Asia, Africa, and Europe: — far less of our entering into any details of its later progress; ofthe hindrances, within and without the church, which it had to over come; ofthe corruptions by which it was encumbered and perverted; of the antichristian means adopted for its advancement; of the dark eclipse in which, for ages, its light was shrouded; and of its emerging glories at the blessed era of the Reformation. Nor can we even attempt any sketch, however rapid, of the wonderful and delightful operations of our own times; — times, in the history of the Redeemer's kingdom, unequalled in interest since the days of apostolic labour, " in the be ginning ofthe gospel." One thing, however, we must observe, — the remarkable manner in which the myste- * Acts xiii. 46, 47. 35 rious agency of a superintending Providence brings goodvfrom evil, and^makes infidelity and impiety sub serve the cause of truth and of godliness. It was the infidelity of revolutionary France, the deeds of demo niacal phrenzy to which it gave birth, and the dread of its extending influence, that operated, by a blessed re action, to rouse the slumbering zeal of the friends of truth, and to infuse that spirit of consultation and effort for its support and advancement, which has issued in the. extended and diversified operations of Missionary, and Bible, and Tract, and Education So cieties, in our own and in other lands, which form one of ,the chief glories of the age in which we live, and which are hastening on the arrival of the predicted period, when the truth of God shall have finished its triumphant career, having established its peaceful and holy dominion in every "kindred, and people, and tongue, and nation:" — when there shall appear, in this apostate world of ours, those " scenes surpassing fable and yet true! — scenes of accomplished bliss! — scenes, such as earth saw never, such as heaven stoops down to see!" — which shall more than realize all the bold and glowing figures of prophetic poetry:— when " all the ends of the earth shall remember, and turn unto the Lord;" when «s there shall be one Lord, and his name one;" when " the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf, 36 and the young lion, and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them: and the cow and the bear- shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox; and the suck ing child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den: they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the know ledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea*." Mark the connection of the blessings, with their cause: — "for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord." — It is not by the boasted influence of infidel philosophy, that these moral wonders are to be wrought; but by the progress and power of that gospel which "began at Jerusalem;" by the universal diffusion* and the spiritual energy of the " knowledge of the Lord." — " Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that* in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolish ness of preaching to save them that believe f." Thus, it was " by the foolishness of preaching," that the re generation of the world commenced; and it is by the foolishness of preaching, that it shall be perfected. * Isa. xi. 6—9. ¦(¦ 1 Cor. i. 20, 21. 37 " For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither* but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may. give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater; so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void; but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing where to I sent it. For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir-tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle-tree: and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign, that shall not be cut off*." That which began at Jerusalem shall return to Jerusalem. — The living stream of mercy, which had its source in the heights of Calvary, has been winding in every direction amongst the " desolate heritages" of the Gentile world, diffusing, in its course, the love liness of spiritual verdure, and the riches of spiritual fruitfulness: and it is destined to revisit the " dry and thirsty land" of Judah; to " comfort all her waste places, to make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord ! " — O my brethren, * Isa. lv. 10—13. 38 let us not, while we admit, and exert ourselves to answer, the claims and calls of the heathen, be insen sible to the still higher claims of the " house of Israel." Remember, that the gospel began at Jerusalem; and that to the seed of Abraham you stand indebted for the knowledge of " the joyful sound,1' and for all that you possess, and all that you hope for, of spiritual and eternal blessings. How are you to compensate for this? how are you to discharge your obligation? — By giving back to them the same precious boon (for a better you cannot give) which you have received at their hands. — Remember, that it is the revealed design of God, whose "judgements are unsearchable, and his ways past finding out," — that " as ye in times, past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief; even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy *." It is delightful to see any symptoms of revival, any stirrings among the dry bones, as if bone would come together to his bone. Let our prayer be, with all the confidence of faith, with all the energy of desire, with all the fervour of grateful sensibility — " Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live ! " * Rom. xi. 30, 31. 39 I have tried your patience: — yet I cannot dismiss you, without one word of affectionate admonition. And it shall be conveyed in the simple, phraseology of the beloved disciple — " look to yourselves." — One of the greatest dangers of Ministers of Christ, is, that of studying and labouring for others, and forgetting the great duty of self-application; the duty of bringing home, to their own souls, every truth, and every promise, and every salutary admonition, which they are drawing officially from their text-book, for public. use. And perhaps there is a similar danger to Christians in general, in these times of universal stir and activity for the illumination of the world: — the danger of looking so constantly abroad, as to forget to look, with sufficient closeness, at home. The benevo lent precept of Christianity, it is true, is " Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus*." But we must beware of so looking on the spiritual concerns of others, as to neglect our own. Far be it from me to damp your zeal for others ! I would rather stir it up to still greater fervour. And I know of no means that will tend more powerfully to this effect, than your feeling more of the preciousness of the truth of God to your own souls; * Phil. ii. 4, 5. 40 your experiencing more of its life-giving and heart- cheering influence. Let your feeling for others have its spring within you in this feeling for yourselves; and the deeper the latter is, the livelier will be the former. " The joy of the Lord will be your strength," in fulfill ing the active duties of benevolence to your fellow-men. With the authority of God in your consciences, and the love of God in your hearts, and the glory of God in your eye, you will be " blessed in your deed." " Save now, we beseech thee, O Lord ! O Lord, we beseech thee, send now prosperity! James Heddermclc, Printer, 26, Bell-Street, Glasgow. THE CHRISTIAN DUTY OF SUBMISSION TO CIVIL GOVERNMENT. A SERMON, PREACHED IN GEORGE STREET CHAPEL, GLASGOW, LORD'S DAY, APRIL 16th, 1820. By RALPH WARDLAW, D.D. '* Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man, for the Lord's sake.' 1 Peter ii. 13. Printed at the University Press, FOR WARDLAW AND CUNNINGHAME, GLASGOW: Successors to Andrew $ John M. Duncan. ADAM BLACK, AND WAUGH AND 1NNES, EDINBURGH ; AND LONGMAN, HURST, KEES, ORME, AND BROWN, LONDON. 1820. TO THE HONOURABLE HENRY MONTEITH, Esq. of Carstairs, M.P. LORD PROVOST, AND TO THE OTHER MAGISTRATES, OF THE CITY OF GLASGOW; THE FOLLOWING DISCOURSE IS RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED, BY THE AUTHOR: IN TESTIMONY OF THE APPROBATION, WHICH, IN COMMON WITH HIS FELLOW-CITIZENS AND THE COUNTRY AT LARGE, HE STRONGLY FEELS, AND WHICH HE SHOULD DEEM IT AN OMISSION OF PRESENT DUTY TO SUPPRESS, OF THAT HAPPY UNION OF PROMPTITUDE AND VIGOUR WITH MILDNESS AND FORBEARANCE, WHICH DISTINGUISHED THEIR OFFICIAL CONDUCT, DURING THE RECENT ALARMS OF THE CITY AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. A SERMON. 1 Peter ii. 13 — IS. " Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man, for the Lord's sake . whether it be to the king as supreme ; or unto gover nors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment cf evil-doers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well-doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men" If any individual now present feels within him arising dislike to the text which I have just announced, — is sensible of an unpleasant emotion towards the requirement which it con-' tains ; — let him examine himself. His heart is not, in this respect, " right with God." He is in an unchristian frame of mind. — " He that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit." And this spiritual union implies, amongst other particulars, con currence with the mind of the Lord in sentiment and feeling, an approving complacency in all his commands, a sincere and simple desire to know his will, and an entire submission of heart and conscience to his authority. If any individual present shall think me to blame in taking up this subject now ; I reply at once, — that the time when men may be most averse to hear their duty, is the very time when it is most needful to remind them of it ; — that there never has been a season, since the commencement of my mi nistry amongst you, when the duty prescribed in the text called more decidedly for prominent notice, and for affection- ate and earnest recommendation ; — and that I should be far from deserving the character of " a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth," — nay, that I should have cause to blush deeply* for unfeeling negligence* for'contemptible pusillanimity, and for unfaithfulness to the trust reposed in me by my Master and by his people, — if I " shunned," on such an occasion, " to declare" this part of " the counsel of God." My brethren, it is not my province to address you as poli ticians, but as Christians; — as persons professing subjection to Jesus, as King in Zion, and Lord of the conscience. — It is not, therefore, to what political speculators, either on the ge neral principles and theory of government, or on the different sides of party politics, may be pleased to represent as your duty, that I desire your attention : — it is to the plain and au thoritative injunctions of your Divine Redeemer and Lord ; even that Lord to whom you are constantly addressing the inquiry—" What wilt thou have me to do ?" I am well aware, how unfond we naturally are of all pre cepts that inculcate subjection. There is in our nature a proud repugnance to every thing of the kind. Yes ; even when the demand is made for the Eternal himself, — " the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and the Lord of lords." Even of " Jehovah and his Anointed," our haughty spirits are ever prone to say, ". Let us break their bands asun der, and cast away their cords from us." — But when the spi rit of the high-minded sinner has been brought down by the gospel, and he has bowed with " a broken and contrite heart" to the sceptre of the Saviour's grace ; — the humble subjection of his conscience, which then takes place, to the authority of God, involves in it " a meek and quiet spirit" of submission to all the authority which that God has vested in any of his creatures. The obedience which he yields, as a child, as a servant, as a subject, being yielded from religious principle, becomes obedience to God ; and " whatsoever he does," he thenceforward *' does it heartily, as to the Lord, and not to men." Allow me, then, my brethren, to request your serious and simple-hearted attention to the directions of your Lord and Master, respecting the duties which, as his followers, you owe to the Government of the Country in which his providence has cast your lot. " In connection with the text, read with me two or three other passages of Scripture, to which reference must be made in the observations we are about to make: — Rom. xiii. 1 — 7. " Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God : the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God ; and they that resist shall receive to them selves condemnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? Do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same : for he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid j for he beareth not the sword in vain : for he is the minister of God, a revenger, to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience' sake. For, for this cause pay ye tribute also : for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to all their dues : tribute to whom tribute is due ; custom to whom custom ; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour." — Titus iii. 1. " Put them in mind to be sub ject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work." — I Tim. ii. 1 — 4. " I exhort, therefore, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men ; for kings, and for all that are in authority ; that we may lead a quiet and peace able life in all godliness and honesty ; for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour ; who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." In interpreting the language in which our duty is enjoined upon us in the word of God, nothing is of greater conse quence, along with a tender susceptibility of conscience, than a disposition to explain particular precepts agreeably to the general principles,-— the spirit, the genius, of the gospel. The language of the Bible is always weighty and decisive ; but it is, at the same time, in many instances, general. With dignified authority of tone, it enjoins duties of very extensive import ; not always descending to minute particularization ; not starting and refuting every captious objection that might be imagined ; but leaving the application of the general in junction, in the infinitely varying circumstances of human life, to be made, with simplicity of heart, according to the evi dent spirit of all its discoveries. Upon this principle, we might connect the precepts in the thirteenth chapter of the Epistle to the Romans, with those which immediately precede them. The whole ofthe twelfth chapter breathes the full spirit of humility and love. The following are its concluding ad monitions:: — " Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly be loved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith. the Lord. Therefore, if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." — Such is the connection in which are introduced the duties to " the powers that be :" — and that these duties are all comprised under the great Christian law of love, appears from its being immediately added to the statement of them, " Owe no man any thing, but to love one another ; for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law." — Surely this ought to lead us, in explaining the terms employed on the subject before us, to stretch their application to the extreme qf peace, if such an extreme there be, rather than to try how far it is possible to extract from them a licence to resist. — And let every Christian mark the pointed manner in which the command is addressed to each individual personally : " Let every soul be subject to the higher powers : — -whosoever resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God." Let me now call your attention, I. To THE DUTIES ENJOINED. II. To THE CONSIDERATIONS ENFORCING THEM. I. Of the duties enjoined, I mention, respect, support, obedience, and prayer. In the first place : we owe to all in authority, supreme and subordinate, civil respect and honour, corresponding to their different stations, both in our speech and our behaviour. I am afraid that Christians in general are far from being sufficiently sensible of the obligation of this duty, or of the sin of its opposite ; especially in regard to their language re specting their rulers. — The Apostles Peter and Jude, in de- scribing the anomalous and fearful character of those false teachers that so early made their appearance in the Christian church, have both noted amongst its hideous features, their "self-willed presumption," their " despising dominion," and " not being afraid to speak evil of dignities."* Ought not this to make believers in Christ afraid of any approach to what is so severely condemned ? There is a respect due to the office of magistracy, apart from the personal character of him by whom the office is filled ; a respect, of which, did your time permit, a variety of examples might be produced for your imitation, from the scripture history; and a respect which must be still more strongly obligatory, when excellence of character is associated with official dignity, — when the man honours the office, and not the office the man. Words, be it remembered, are the signs of thought ; — the expressions of sentiment and feeling. They are, therefore, far from being harmless in themselves ; and they are very far from being harmless in their possible consequences. " Be hold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us ; and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships, which, though they be so great, and are driven by fierce winds, yet are turned about with a very small helm, whilhersoever the governor listeth. Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold what a pile of wood a little fire kindleth ! And the tongue is a fire, — a world of iniquity ; so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire of hell."f — The man who in dulges his tongue in contumelious and reviling language against the authorities of-the land, language fitted to bring * 2 Pet ii. 10. Jude ver. 8. \ James iii. 3 — 6. government itself into contempt and disrepute, is a dangerous enemy of his country's weal, as well as a direct and open vio lator of the express commands of God. His injunctions are, " Render to all their dues,--fear to whom fear, honour to whom honour."—" Fear God, honour the King."—" Curse not the king, no, not in thy thought ; and curse not the rich in thy bed-chamber; for a bird of the air will carry the voice, and that which hath wings will tell the matter."* In the second place : We owe to the government of our country, all requisite support: — " For this cause pay ye tribute also; for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore unto all their dues; tri bute to whom tribute is due, custom to whom custom."— " Render, therefore, unto Caesar, the things which are Cas- sar's; and unto God, the things which are God's." "Of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute ? of their own children, or of strangers? Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free. Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast a hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up ; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money ; that take, and give unto them for me and thee."f It is, without doubt, the duty of rulers, as " ministers of God" to their people " for good," to make the taxes they re quire as light as is consistent with the real exigencies of the state; and to be righteous, disinterested, and economical, in the expenditure of the public money ; especially in times of prevailing difficulty and distress in the community over which * Romr-xiit7. I Pet. ii. 17; -Eeclr x. 20. f Rom. xiii. 6, 7. Matth, xxii. 21. Matth. xvii. 25 — 27. Providence has called them to preside. It is their duty, like wise, to lay on these necessary burdens, with as much equality as possible of proportional pressure, according to the various ranks and conditions of their subjects : — and, with whatever inconsiderate confidence some may speak, this must be a mat ter of no very easy adjustment ; nay, in a country such as ours, where the variety of circumstances is so endless, a matter of superlative difficulty. As to our duty, my brethren, who are the subjects of civil government, one thing must at once be evident to you ; that it cannot be the province of each individual, to judge for him self, what taxes he is to pay, and what to decline. It has been very truly observed, that " the precept to pay taxes should be " considered by Christians as a blessing. Had not the pre- " cept been given expressly, conscientious men might have " thought it necessary to know first how the money was to be " applied, and to refuse, wherever they disapproved of the " expenditure. This would have given occasion to endless " trouble and contention. But now, in consequence of the " express precept, all occasion of scruple or uneasiness is re- " moved : and as, of old, Christians were permitted to buy " whatever was -sold in the shambles, asking no questions for " conscience' sake ; so now, whatever is imposed as a tax, it " is our duty simply to pay, and to owe no man any thing, " but to love one another." * In making such payments for the support, and according to the requisitions of government, a Christian, who is properly influenced by a sense of divine authority, will exercise the very * The Duty of Christians to Civil Government: — A Sermon preached in Lady Glenorchy's Chapel, Edinburgh, on the 29th November, 1798. By Gre ville Ewing. 9 same conscientiousness as in discharging his private debts. He will consider the one to be due, as much as the other, and hold the obligation sacred. Alas !- that this view of the mat ter should be so little prevalent in practice ! How many are there, and professing Christians too, who would be exceedingly shocked by any thing approaching to dishonesty or fraud in their mercantile transactions ; who would spurn from them the slightest imputation against the honour of their dealings, with a frown of indignant scorn,-;— whose consciences are won derfully easy, and unembarrassed with scruples, in all that re lates to the pecuniary claims of government; who, with little if any hesitation, dispense with the fulfilment of these, on grounds, which would not stand for a single instant before any other description of obligation ; — nay, who even study the arts of evasion, give scope to their inventive ingenuity, and smile with conscious self-complacency at the prudence and clever ness of its devices ; and reckon any thing fair, when the ob ject is merely to defraud government, to gull a revenue-officer, or, as it is vulgarly termed, to cheat the king. — I cannot en large on this subject, further than to say, " These things ought not so to be ;" and to add, with the earnestness of en treaty, and with the authority of the divine word on my side, " Let it not be so among you." Consider ye your taxes as debts ,-— and let there be no illegal and underhand arts, and no mean Jesuitical casuistry employed, to evade or to reduce their payment. I may add, on the subject of the support due to govern ment, — although I can do no more than mention it, — that in particular cases of emergency, it may become not only war rantable, but an incumbent duty, either for repelling foreign invasion, or for maintaining internal peace, to take up arms on behalf of lawful authority, and of our national liberties. With- B 10 out this, in such emergencies, the magistrate might " bear the sword in vain." In the third place : we owe to the. government of our coun try, obedience to its requirements ; subjection both to the esta blished laws of the land, and to the occasional mandates of the higher powers. On this part of the subject, there is one obvious restriction, which is applicable to all human requirements whatever. When the authority of men interferes with the authority of God ; when the orders of the one contravene the positive commands of the other; — we cannot, we dare not, hesitate. We must take up the apostolic principle, and firmly abide by it : — " We ought to obey God rather than men :"" — " Whe ther it be right in the sight of God, to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye." — This is so self-evident, that I stop not to illustrate or to establish it. — Even in the refusal, how ever, there may be, and there ought to be, nothing of the spirit of resistance. There may, and there ought to be, the utmost respect and deference displayed towards the consti tuted authorities, in readily obeying every summons, in an swering modestly to their charges and inquiries, in stating our case, and in pleading our cause. But if all will not avail to procure a dispensation for our consciences, we must submit to suffer, were it even unto death, rather than do what our God forbids, or abstain from doing what our God requires to be done. Noble exemplifications of resolute adherence to this principle, will immediately present themselves to every mind familiar with the records of sacred history. With this exception, we are to be " subject to the higher powers" in all things. They are the " ministers of God to us for good ; — a terror not to good works, but to evil :" and the sum of our duty, the means of shunning their vengeance, and obtaining their praise, consists in nvnidinr. tkof «,v.;«i> ¦•,. 11 evil, and "doing that which is good;" — in being "ready unto every good work ;" — in " leading a quiet and peaceable life, in 'all godliness and honesty." " Who is he that will harm you, if you be thus followers of that which is good ?" As individual Christians, living under the government of earthly rulers, I do not think there can be established any other scriptural limitation of the command to " be sub ject," than the one which has now been specified. — The Scrip tures, it ought to be remembered, were not written for the learned alone, but for ordinary men, for multitudes who are not at all versant in the " wisdom of this world," or in the history and the politics of nations. Every view, therefore, by which the right understanding and performance of any duty is made to depend on the possession of knowledge not within the reach of all, must be evidently and strongly objectionable. Now of this nature all limitations appear to be, beside the one I have mentioned of the opposition of human orders to the commands of God. For example: Is it alleged, that we are bound only by' the just and reasonable demands or enactments of our rulers ? — It is perfectly true, that demands and enactments that do not partake of this character are wrong, and ought not to be made. But, who are to be the judges? Who are to draw the lines ? The idea that every individual is to deter mine for himself, what is just and reasonable, and what the contrary, cannot be admitted for a single moment by any man in his sober senses. The supposition puts an end at once to all subordination, and destroys the very possibility of government. Again : — Is it said* we are under obligation to obedience, only as far as the proceedings and requirements of our go vernors are constitutional ? — Here we are immediately met by the same difficulty. The matter is beyond the reach of by far the larger proportion of ordinary Christians. It would be necessary, on this hypothesis, that before a Christian could ascertain his duty as a subject of civil rule, he should be a profound politician ; that he should maturely study the bal ance of power in the British Constitution, and be familiar with the limits of prerogative belonging respectively to King, Lords, and Commons. This surely will never do. States men and politicians are perpetually differing, arid differing widely, about what is constitutional, and what is not ; — what is, and what is not, an encroachment of one branch of the government on the prerogatives of another. — How, then, can we ever think of making this a standard of duty, to men, who, from their situation, must, in most cases, be profoundly ignorant of the whole matter ? Ground so uncertain, on which he must be incessantly halting, and hesitating, and va cillating, and frequently at an entire stand, and much more likely, if he acts at all, to act wrong than right, — will never do to be the rule of a Christian's conduct. Let not these observations be foolishly and falsely interpre ted, as implying that we are bound to approve in our judg ments, of every measure of the existing government. No, my brethren. There is no attempt to impose any such shackles on your understandings. The thing is impracticable; and, were it practicable, would be most pernicious to the interests of British freedom. — Abuses of official trust may occur, which are obvious and flagrant* and which, even on moral grounds, we cannot but in conscience condemn ; and there may be many measures, which, on principles of national ex pediency, apart from considerations of morality, we cannot approve, as politically good. — Pardon me, however, if I offer a hint or two as to the principles by which, on such matters, your judgments ought to be directed. — Considering the im mense difficulty of managing the extensive and complicated 13 affairs of a mighty empire, the Christian who has learned " not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly," will surely feel the propriety of exer cising his judgment with self-diffident caution, and, as far as he possibly can, of applying, both to men and measures, that charity which " thinketh no evil." He will beware of being, on either side, a violent political partizan ; and, as too gene rally happens, both in and out of parliament, of approving without discrimination the proposals and proceedings of one set of men, and condemning as indiscriminately those of ano ther ; — of giving all his charity to the one side, and all his suspicion and antipathy to the opposite. Two things have many a time surprised me not a little, in the conduct and language of Christians on such subjects : — The first is, the easy confidence and decision with which they often speak of the proceedings of the government of the country. They seem as if they felt no sort of difficulty in the matter; as if all, both in principle and in practice, were as simple as a lesson in the alphabet. They decide for and against the measures of their rulers, with the same kind of per fect facility and readiness with which they commend or chide the behaviour of their own children. — Now, surely, tjiere can be nothing more preposterous than this. Have you never, my friends, experienced any difficulties in your own private concerns ? — in the conduct of your little businesses ? — in the management and economy of your families ? — in differences amongst your children, or your neighbours ?— in the affairs of your friendly societies ? — Have you never had to deliber ate yourselves, and to ask the advice of others, and after all, found a good deal of hesitation in making up your minds, in these petty transactions ? — Be reasonable, then, my brethren. Consider for a moment, what the clashing interests must be of sixteen millions of people ; and how vast the difficulty of con- 14 suiting and providing for them all. Think ofthe impossibil ity of adopting and executing almost a single purpose, that will not, in some point or other, be felt as a grievance. Think too of the numerous contending interests of foreign powers, and of the difficulty of adjusting these to mutual and universal satisfaction. Recollect, also, that your rulers are not, any more than yourselves, endowed with prescience. They cannot con trol future events. They cannot ascertain and overrule the providential purposes of Him, who " worketh all things after the counsel of his own will ;" — who saith, " My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure ;" — and under whose mysterious unseen superintendence, events often run counter to the fairest and most apparently reasonable calcula tions. — Are your own little plans and purposes never frus trated by unforeseen occurrences,? And if designs are thus blasted, in the forming of which you had little or nothing to think of beyond yourselves ; is no allowance to be made for the occasional disappointment and failure of schemes, the ma turing of which has required their framers to take into their calculations a large proportion, perhaps, ofthe known world ? — Eager politicians may smile in contempt at all this. I can not help it. I speak to my fellow-christians, from whom 1 expect moderation and candour. A second thing, at which I have often wondered, is, — that Christians, in regard to their rulers, expect from human nature so much more than their knowledge of it, derived from the Bible and from their own experience, can warrant them to look for. — It is no uncommon thing, to hear men tiacing all existing evils in society to human institutions ; — to go vernments, and their administrators. That this should be done by persons whose views of human nature have not been formed from the Divine account of it, and from a spiritual knowledge of themselves, is no matter of wonder. But that 15 Christians should be thus thoughtless, is surprising indeed. Surely they, who know the extent and inveteracy of human corruption, and who feel and mourn over its unholy tenden cies in their own bosoms, should be sufficiently aware, that, whatever mischiefs may arise from defects or abuses in the go vernments of nations, the sad source of evil lies much deeper than iii the influence of any human institutions. And is it not strange too, that, with this knowledge and this experience, Christians should have so little allowance to make for the failures and errors of their rulers ? — as little sometimes, as if it were entirely forgotten that they are partakers of the com mon frailty and the common corruption of mankind. — Is it at all fair, to expect that they should be entirely free of propen sities and passions that are common to the whole race ? "To err, is human," — is a saying of proverbial authority. Are rulers alone, then, to be omniscient and infallible ? — To ac knowledge and correct an error, is one of the highest efforts of human wisdom and of human virtue. Have you never yourselves been sensible of the reluctance of your proud na ture to own a mistake or a fault? — ^and ofthe strength of the propensity to excuse, to palliate, and even to maintain and persist in it? — I do not say that this is right. It is very far wrong. But neither surely is it right, to forget that your rulers are possessors of the same fallen nature with yourselves. Are you entitled, think you, my brethren, with the experience you have of the perverseness of your own hearts, to marvel, that " the higher powers" should at times discover the same slowness to admit an error, or even, as may happen, the same pertinacity in vindicating and persevering in it ? You find it atrial of principle, to confess a fault to an individual, — a friend, — in private. Must it not be a much severer trial, to make the confession in the face of a whole nation, — nay of 16 Europe, and of the world ? I say again, I am far from ex cusing the conduct, or the principle that produces it. All I mean is, that in the verdicts you pronounce on your rulers* you should remember that they are men ; and that you should not therefore marvel so mightily at that occurring in their conduct, which your knowledge of your own hearts makes you sensible, the same circumstances might probably produce in your own. " Judge not, that ye be not judged: for with what judgment ye judge ye shall be judged ; and with what measure ye mete, it, shall be measured to you again."* They are not in general the men whose own principles and conduct will bear the closest scrutiny, who are most inclined to be se vere and censorious in their judgments of others, whether in public or in private life. Further: — whilst the duty of submission does not at all imply our approving of every thing done by the government of the country, nor prohibit our expressing the disapproba tion we may feel, in a dignified and respectful manner, even to the government itself, agreeably to the constitutional privi leges of British subjects ; — neither is it, by any means, incon sistent with our employing all lawful methods of avoiding personal evil, by pleading our just and sacred rights, either as members of the community, or as holding particular situa tions in it. — I might illustrate this remark by a variety of ex amples, especially from the inspired history and writings of the Apostle Paul. I must pass over these, however, and pro ceed to my fourth and last particular on this head of dis course. 4. We owe to " the powers that be," prayer to God for them : — ¦" I exhort, therefore, first of all, that supplications, * Matth. vii. 1, 2. 17 prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men j for kings, and for all that are in authority ; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, in all godliness and ho nesty : for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour ; who will have all men" (men of all ranks and descriptions and characters) " to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth."* Whatever is the duty of one man is the duty of every man. It is the dtlty of all, not merely to be subject, but to be subject on Christian principles ; " not only for wrath, but also for conscience* sake:"' — that is, not merely from fear ofthe wrath and the sword of the civil magistrate, but from higher and purer considerations, — from regard to the authority and the glory of the Supreme Ruler, — or, as Peter expresses it in the text, " for the Lord's sake." — So it is the duty of all to pray; — to pray on the ground which Christianity prescribes ; — to pray in faith, and in the name of Jesus :-"-because it is the duty of all to believe the gospel,-"-the testimony of God con cerning his Son, as the atoning Saviour, and the only medium of acceptable worship. — It is to believers ill Jesus* — -to1 Chris tians,— that both Paul and Peter address' these apostolic ad monitions and commaods.-"Let me, therefore, earnestly en treat such, to think of the importance attached in the Scrip tures to their offering up their prayers to God in a right spi rit. We are taught to pray for the spiritual interests of our rulers, — for their salvation by Jesus Christ; — the highest bles sing we can ever ask even for the most exalted of our race. We ought to implore also the blessing of the universal Sovereign upon them in the discharge of their official duties ; * 1 Tim. ii. 1—4. c 18 that, with divinely bestowed qualifications, they may rule in wisdom, justice, and humanity ; and that, on all occasions, and especially in trying emergencies, they may be " men who have understanding of the times, to know what ought to be done."* But in fulfilling this Christian duty, O remember the apostolic admonition, " I will, therefore, that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting:" and the charge of the Apostle's Master, "When ye stand pray- ^g,forgive, if ye have aught against any ; that your heavenly Father may also forgive you." -J- If there are feelings cherished in the Christian's heart, of ill-will and rancour towards the government of his country, how can he, in such a state of mind, offer up his devotions acceptably to God ? They are not the prayers of love ; and the God of love cannot be pleas ed with them. No, my brethren : be assured, that nothing of the gall and wormwood of human passions, towards whom soever these passions are cherished, can ascend before God with the sweet and fragrant incense of the blessed Redeemer's merits and intercession. Prayer offered in such a temper of mind is closely allied to " blessing with the mouth, and cursing inwardly :" — and the heart of every child of God will tremble at the thought of being* even for a moment* in such a state of unsanctified feeling, as would exclude his petitions from the acceptance of his heavenly Father. II. 1 now proceed to the second head of Discourse : — the CONSIDERATIONS BY WHICH THESE DUTIES ARE ENFORCED. In the first place : Civil government is an ordinance of God : — " Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers ; for there is no power but of God ; the powers that be are or dained of God. Whosoever, therefore, resisteth the power, * 1 Chron. xii. 32. f l Tim- "• 8- Mark "• 25- 19 resisteth the ordinance of God :" — " he is the minister of God to thee for good :" — " they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing." Peter, it is true, speaks in our text, of submission to "every ordinance qf man :" — literally, to every human creation ; * the expression being taken from the phraseology of Greece and Rome, where magistrates were spoken of as created ,• a mode of speech in use also amongst ourselves. But the phrase is in perfect consistency with government being at the same time an " ordinance of God," — a divine institute : — and this con sideration, indeed, is included, along with others, in the parti cular form of admonition, of command, of entreaty, which Peter employs in the text, — "for the Lord's sake." I waive at present any discussion, as to the abstract princi ple on which the right of human governments to exercise ju dicial restraint, and to inflict punishments, should be con sidered as resting : — some conceiving that it has its ground in views of obvious utility ,- and others, in the transference into the hands qf the public of the right qf personal resentment and retaliation. The first I am inclined to believe the true ground. It seems to be recognized by the apostle, in the view which he gives of the ends and the benefits of govern ment Even when he speaks of the magistrate as " a reveng er, to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil ;" it is evidently on behalf qf God that he represents him as sustaining this character : — of God, whom he had just described as reserving the right of vengeance to himself, — " Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord ;"f — and the evil avenged is not merely personal injury between man and man* but misde meanor and crime in general. * Hat y cittpHtny *ntu. \ Rom. xii. 19. 20 The statement is first\ made universally,- — " there is no power but of God :"--and jt is then applied to the govern ment existing at the time, — .«« the powers that be are ordained of God." When it is affirmed* without qualification, thajt " there is no power but of God ;" it cannot he meant, that particular rulers are, in every instance, immediately nominated and ap pointed of God. This was never the case except in Israel ; and even there, only on particular occasions, But, it is the divine pleasure, manifested by the obvious, manifold* and valuable advantages resulting frpm it, as well as by the course of his providence, and the express intimations of his Spirit in his holy word, that government should exist in human so ciety ;— and at the same time* h.is providence exercises a con stant superintendence over the nations ; , " ruling in the king dom of men, and giving it to whomsoever he will." The Scriptures pronounce no decisions on the comparative merits of different forms of civil polity, Few things are more dangerous, or involve a greater perversion of the Bible from its proper and legitimate purpose, than to introduce it, a(& an authoritative umpire* to decide between the contending claims of the various descriptions of government to human adoption, and especially to settle any one of them, to the ex clusion of the rest, on (he basis of a divine sanction, Our subjection is not made to depend on any such decisions ; nor is the duty at all affected, by the particular theoretical views which we may respectively entertain upon the subject. — It is to the existing government, whatever it may be, of the coun try in which we live, that our submission is required : — " There is no power but of God :" — " Submit yourselves to every ordinance qf man, for the Lord's sake." — Neither is it the Christian's business to trouble himself with what may often 21 be matter of difficult discovery and of doubtful disputation, — the legitimacy of the titles of existing princes, and reigning dynasties. He has simply to do with *' the powers that be." Under this designation, it is very evident, the Apostle re fers to the then existing government of Rome ; — and in our text the duty is extended to the subordinate provincial juris dictions : — " whether it be to the king as supreme, or unto go vernors, as unto those that are sent by him, for the punish ment of evil-doers, and for the praise of them that do well." — Where there is any thing that is not to our mind, that thwarts inclination, that prevents the heart from going imme diately and fully along with the precept, we are prone to seek, and ingenious to devise, excuses and palliations. The believ ers at Rome and in its provinces, might be disposed to say, Does the motive you suggest, apply to our case ? Are we to consider the present Roman government as included in the affirmation that " there is no power but of God ?" — Yes, say both the Apostles, our exhortation is to you : — " the powers that be," the existing powers, under whom you now live, " are ordained of God ?" — " Submit yourselves" both to the imperial and the provincial authorities, " for the Lord's sake." — This prevented, or silenced, all evasive objections, and set tled their minds on the authority of God. From the doctrine, that " there is no power but of God," and that " the existing powers were ordained of God," the Apostle Paul immediately deduces the obvious but alarming conclusion, " Whosoever, therefore, resisteth the power, re sisteth the ordinance of God ; and they that resist shall re ceive to themselves condemnation."— -The meaning of this cannot be, that every act of every government, however ini quitous and oppressive, derives, from the mere circumstance of its being an act of government, the sanction of divine au- 22 thority; Far from our minds be a thought so foolish and so impious. The very description given of the design of go vernment, which will be noticed immediately, contains in it a tacit injunction on rulers, as to the principles by which they ought to regulate their official conduct, and the ends at which they should habitually and conscientiously aim. — The conclu sion, therefore, must be understood generally .• — that govern ment being an ordinance of God, and his will that we should be subject, being so plainly and peremptorily declared ; in re sisting, we oppose not merely human authority, but divine. — Servants are commanded, in the verses immediately follow ing the text, to be " subject to their masters, with all fear ; not only to the'good and gentle, but also to the froward ,-" — but this does not imply, that the capricious orders and oppressive rigour and harshness of froward masters, were pleasing to God, whose command to masters is, to " render to their ser vants that which is just and equal, knowing that they also have a Master in heaven, and that there is no respect of per sons with him." " They that resist," it is said, " shall receive to themselves condemnation." — I am satisfied, that this refers, not to the sen tence of the civil magistrate, but to the judgment of God. It is of divine authority, as requiring subjection, and prohibit ing resistance, that the Apostle is speaking. It is that autho rity he is adducing to enforce the duty ; and it is as a viola tion of that authority that the condemnation is incurred. In the second place : The duty of subjection is further en forced, from the beneficial design and tendency qf civil govern ment ; — the important advantages arising from it to mankind. Thus, in the text : " Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man, for the Lord's sake ; whether it be to the king as su preme, or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him, 23 for the punishment of evil doers, and for the praise of them that do well." — Thus also in Romans xiii. "Rulers are not a ter ror to good works, but to the evil ,-" — " he is the minister of God to thee for good:" — " they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing" Magistrates are no where, in the New Testament, directly addressed. In such passages, however, as those before us, their duties, or at least the great general principles by which their conduct should be guided, are most explicitly laid before them. — It seems very evident, at the same time, that it was not the intention of the sacred writers to describe the cha racter of any particular governments, or individual rulers, but to point out the beneficial tendency and effect of govern ment in general : — namely, the protection of the good and peaceable members of society, and the restraint and punish ment of the lawless and disobedient. The description, ac cordingly, is not taken from any abstract theoretical view of what have been termed " the rights of man ;" but from that which constitutes the leading and avowed end of every existing government ; and. which, under ; every government, is, in a greater or less degree, realized. — We have no experience, ei ther suffered or recorded, of the effects that would ensue from the total absence of every kind of government, — from a state of entire lawlessness, insubordination, self-will, and anarchy : but we cannot doubt, that the experience of such a state of things would serve, by the power of contrast, strongly to illustrate and establish the Apostle's argument. Decidedly in confirmation of this view of the case, is the matter of fact, before alluded to, that both Paul and Peter employ the very consideration now under notice, for enforcing the commands of God on the subjects of the Imperial Despot 24 — Nero; — for he it was who then wore the purple at Rome. — This fact effectually prevents us from evading, by our own abridgments and limiting qualifications, the obligation of the general precept. That the sacred writers intended their pre cepts for the present observance of the Christians to whom they wrote, will not surely admit of a moment's question. It were the perfection of absurdity, to suppose, that they deli vered commands, in terms most explicit, unequivocal, and so lemn, which were not applicable to the circumstances of those whom they addressed. And if the commands were intended for their obedience, then it follows, that the various motives by which that obedience is enforced, did, in the judgment of the inspired apostles, exist in their case. Even under that government, accordingly, the protection of laws was experienced by those who " did that which was good." Paul himself, on various occasions, felt the advan tage of being a subject of it. He was secured by it from open and violent assault, and from insidious and malignant trea chery, and plots of way-laying and assassination; as well as enabled, when necessary, to take the high ground of ap peal from inferior and provincial judicatories to the supreme imperial authority. It is worse, indeed, than absurdity, to suppose the Apostle Paul not to speak of the Roman government existing at the time : — it approaches at least to impiety. Paul, let us remem ber, writes under the influence of the Spirit of God. There is therefore, we may be assured, no " fleshly wisdom," no pi tiful, shifting, evasive artifice of argument. We must not suppose him to say, what his words, on the supposition in question, would plainly amount to ; — " It is your duty, my brethren, to be subject to civil government. But it is only 25 to governments, remember, that answer, in the degree in which all governments ought, to the following description. You will at once be sensible, that this is far from being the case with the government under which you are now placed. It is far, therefore, from being my intention to inculcate sub jection to it. It is rather your duty to resist a government, which answers so ill the ends of its institution." — Had Paul meant this, he would have said it in plain terms :— nay, he who can imagine the Spirit of truth, by whose direction he wrote, to have used such duplicity and mental reservation, is much more than unworthy of being reasoned with. It has sometimes been alleged, that this Epistle was writ ten in the early part of Nero's reign, previously to the com mencement of his course of inhuman and oppressive admi nistration : and consequently, as the allegation has been in tended to insinuate, that the submission enjoined to his go vernment then, might not be due to it afterwards. The sup position implied in this is, that Paul would not have written in the same terms, had he happened to write a few years later ; a supposition, which only proves, what appears in many other ways, the strength of the propensity to make the Bible speak our own peculiar and favourite sentiments. — Laying other considerations apart, it is sufficient for its refutation to observe; that the Spirit of God in Peter is the same with the Spirit of God in Paul ,• and yet the language of Peter, at a time eight or nine years at least posterior to the date of the Epistle to the Romans, and when no room for any such evasive pretext could possibly exist, is the very same with that of Paul. I do not feel myself called upon, either by the passages of Scripture on which the preceding observations are founded, or by any existing circumstances, to enter at all into abstract discussion of what have been termed the rights qf nations, in their collective capacity ;— when the sense of an entire people D 26 may be considered as thoroughly ascertained ; — when the principles of justice and humanity are violated ; the constitu tion and laws set aside and trampled upon ; the ends of govern- ,ment perverted and lost ;"and civil and religious liberty extin guished in a course of iniquitous and ruthless oppression. — Civil government is the " ordinance of God ;" and an attempt to live without it would be an attempt to contravene a divine intention, and to subsist and prosper independently of a di vine appointment. — Particular institutions and forms of civil polity, though, like every thing else, under the regulating control of an over-ruling Providence, are the " ordinance of man :" and from this the general inference seems hardly capa ble of a question, that man may alter them. — But not only do discussions of this nature touch on a variety of delicate points, both in our own history, in the abstract principles of govern ment, and in the various modifications of these principles un der different constitutions and forms of social order ; — they are, besides, totally uncalled for. And it is a sad thing when Christians, in the examination of such portions of the divine word, suffer themselves to be led away from the plain and unequivocal intimations of their individual duty, to speculate and debate about points of abstract disquisition, and political metaphysics.-— Taking these passages in their simple and obvi ous meaning, I put it to any Christian, as an individual, sub ject to the dictates of his Master's will, whether he can find any other limit to the obedience which his Master demands of him to his civil rulers, than the one that has been laid down in the preceding part of this discourse. Think not, beloved brethren, that in chusing and discussing this subject at the present time, I have not been feeling for the distresses of my country : — » my own, my native land :" — the 27 " land of my fathers' sepulchres :" — the refuge of the exile ; the favoured asylum of liberty f— the land of gospel light and privilege; and the emporium of spiritual blessings for a sur rounding world ! — > " Breathes there the man with soul so dead, " Who never to himself hath said, " This is my own, my native land ?" It is dear to natural affection, to patriotism, and to piety. — It ought to be in the body politic, as it is in the Christian body : " Whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it ; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it." — It is lamentable, when a disruption in any degree takes place, between the different orders of society ; a jealous interruption of mutual good-will, and confidence, and fellow- feeling : — when ." the eye begins to say to the hand, I have no need of thee ; or the head to the feet, I have no need of you." There are distresses ; — extensive, alas ! and in many instan ces, severe, and accumulated, and growing distresses : — and not to feel for them would argue a heart of stone, — a pitiless spirit, unfit for the society of human beings. — But let my la bouring and suffering brethren bear from me the word of friendly and affectionate exhortation: — I offer it on three points. 1. Be not over-confident in tracing these distresses even to their second causes. — Differences of opinion, you are aware, exist as to these* amongst sensible and intelligent men ; — and all I ask of you is, to be so modest at least, as to admit the possibility of your being in some points mistaken ; and espe cially, when you may be inclined to trace all existing evils to one source, and to flatter yourselves with the fond fancy, that one or two particular measures, on which you may have set 28 your hearts, are to prove a panacea, or universal cure, which would effectually remove them all. — Be assured, that the mo desty recommended, whilst the intricacy of political science de mands it of you, is the almost unfailing mark of good sense, and of a well-furnished and substantial mind. It is amongst the weak and the half-informed, that you will generally find most dogmatism. 2. O beware, amidst your speculations on second causes, of forgetting the first cause ; — the God who " hath prepared his throne in the heavens, and whose kingdom ruleth over all ;" who " doeth according to his will, in the armies of hea ven, and amongst the inhabitants of the earth ;" and whose sovereign will all second causes concur to accomplish. " The blessing comes at his command, At his command the storm :" and Oh ! it is a melancholy and miserably inconsistent thing, when Christians, " spiritual men," are so engrossed by their political lucubrations, as to forget to look upward ,- and when, by such forgetfulness, they not . only lose the benefit which divine visitations are designed to impart to the soul, but set an example of practical atheism to the world around them ! 3. Do not think, and do not say, that your distresses meet with no sympathy ; — that there is no feeling for you. — Recol lect, my dear friends, that although the inferior classes of so ciety are suffering, they are not suffering alone. I am aware, indeed, that in their case distress proceeds to a greater ex tremity : — that their superiors may suffer, and suffer much, without being exposed, with their families, to the distracting anticipations, or the desperate realities, of starvation. Still, however, the distress is general. It pervades, indeed, the whole civilized world. And the privations and sufferings of your superiors in station, your good sense will teach you, 29 ought to be estimated according to the habits of life, and the prospects, to which themselves and families have been accus tomed. You should view them, therefore, as fellow-sufferers. You suffer along with, and through the medium of your suf fering employers. — In such a city as ours, indeed, the la bouring members of the community never can suffer alone. It is not the interest of your employers, that you should be in a depressed and suffering state. It is always ill with them, when it is ill with you. And never surely was there mani fested a stronger disposition to relieve those wants by charity, which they have been unable to supply by employment. Let the sympathy, then, be mutual; and let distrust and jealousy be banished. When, and by what means, effectual and permanent relief is to arrive, I am neither politician nor prophet enough to predict. It rests with the supreme and all-merciful Ruler. May He, in his infinite kindness, and by the hidden proces ses of his providence, " make darkness light before us, and crooked things straight !" May he superintend the councils of our country, and lead to the adoption and prosecution of every practicable measure, that may contribute, under his blessing, to the mitigation and removal of our afflicted state ! — and, in the mean time, may he dispose us all, recollecting the precious fruits of his goodness, which, as a nation, we have experienced, and which are yet in our possession, to say, in the spirit of gratitude and submission, " Shall we receive ' good at the hand of the Lord, and shall we not receive evil also ?" I have sometimes thought of the scenes which have recent ly appeared amongst us, as striking, though painful, manifes tations of the high degree of liberty which this our favoured country has enjoyed. — When any good has been possessed in an eminent degree, and the sweets of it have been long and 30 richly relished, a people naturally become, as the poet ex presses it, f proud and jealous of the blessing." Any thing that wears even the remotest aspect of an encroachment upon it, awakens all their indignant alarm ; and whatever they may fancy to be fitted for advancing it to still higher perfection, they are ready to demand with impetuous eagerness. — Cer tainly the language that has been used, and the deeds that have been done by some amongst us, might have led a stran ger to our country, taking them as the ground of his estimate, to conceive, that our lot had been cast in an ill-fated land, where the very name of freedom was a mockery ; where the word durst not be uttered without peril ; where every lisp of complaint was rewarded and silenced by the bowstring or the solitary dungeon ; where property, and liberty, and friends, and life, were at the arbitrary nod of a capricious and uncon trolled despot; — and that, by some sudden impulse, we had just been awakened to the feeling of our wrongs, and to the assertion of our miserably violated rights. Blessed be the God of nations ! — it is not so with us. — And it is distressing to think, that any should be so infatu ated as, on account of defects and abuses, imaginary or real, to be ready to embroil the nation in all the tremendous evils, and the still more tremendous risks, of a civil war ! — Surely, to say the least of it, men who act such a part, have not se riously thought what they are doing. They cannot have estimated the costs and the hazards, which, history might teach them, are appalling beyond description ; — they cannot have taken a moment's leisure to balance the two sides of the account. Let me say a single word to any who may profess to defer to the sense of the nation, and to be guided and determined by it. — The general mind of a people, unless in very peculiar cases indeed, is far from being very easily ascertained ; — and 31 political partizans are always strongly disposed to fancy it on their own side. One thing, however, may with confidence be affirmed ; that, whatever be at present, in the public mind, the predominant system of politics ; whatever be the preponder ance of feeling in the country, whether for or agaimst the ex isting administrators of the government ; — there never was a case more clear, than that the general sense of the nation, — of Whigs and Tories, and all political persuasions, is decidedly against such movements of rebellion and anarchy as, alas ! we have recently witnessed : — and they who may think of re peating such attempts, should think again, whether they would not, in doing so, be acting in opposition to their own avowed principles. But that Christians, my brethren, that any followers of the Prince of peace, — whatever speculative principles in politics they may hold, — (and with these we pretend not to interfere, unless they are such as show themselves in practical disobe dience to the express commands of God) — that any of them should be found taking part in plots and conspiracies, and measures of insurrection* and treason, and violence, and bloodshed : — away with the lamentable inconsistency ! — " Tell it not in Gath ; publish it not in the streets of Ashke- lon, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph." In stead of fulfilling the design of the text,' — " that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men," — this would be opening the mouths of adversaries to blaspheme ; — giving occasion to those who desire occasion, to traduce your principles, and to revile the " worthy name by which ye are called." — Let Christians, then, — let subjects of that king dom which is "not of this world," shun all such participation. Let them say of such machinations and proceedings, with un qualified reprobation : — " Simeon and Levi are brethren ; in- 32 struments of cruelty are in their habitation : — My soul, come not thou into their secret ; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united." In the third place. — I have only one other view of this sub ject, which I am desirous to urge a little on your attention: — I mean, the tendency of vehement political feeling and discus sion, in reference to your spiritual interests. These, my brethren, are of all your interests incomparably the highest ; — highest in the estimation of God, of angels, of saints in heaven and saints on earth, — and of your own spi ritually enlightened miuds. — These too are the interests over which we who hold the pastoral charge are especially called to watch, " as those that must give account." — These are the interests, which the word and ordinances of God* and all ex ternal religious institutions, are intended to promote, and from the promotion of which they derive all their value. — These are the interests which the Divine Spirit is given to maintain ; the advancement of which forms the regulating principle of the whole procedure of God's providence towards his people ; and in subserviency to which every chastisement is inflicted, and every temporal blessing given or withheld. — To these, there fore, every thing else should be held inferior; and whatever bears towards them an injurious aspect should be deprecated and renounced. — The prejudicial influence of drinking deep ly into the spirit of politics, might be demonstrated from the nature of the thing. But I would rather make my appeal to the abundant experience of past and present times ; — to what some have felt, and what many more have witnessed. — By the eagerness of political controversy, the mind is pre-occupied, and the affections pre-engaged ; and spiritual things are in danger of losing their place and their relish. Party politics become the only agreeable and effectual stimulant to the ap petite for information. The blessed word of God gives place 33 to the keen and high-seasoned productions of political pamphleteers. These become the lively oracles ; — while the former lose their quickening energy ; are read to quiet the con science, rather than for pleasure or for profit j and are either hurried over with impatience, or yawned over with listless, unimpressed vacancy. The time that should be devoted to the Bible, to meditation and prayer, and to family instruction, devotion, and spiritual converse, is given to books, and thoughts, and company, such as too often leave both the soul and the family alike neglected. — You are well aware, how much the spirit of political vehemence has mingled itself, both in former and in present times, with the spirit of irreligion, and of virulent infidelity ; — to what an unhappy degree the two have been blended together : so that it is impossible for any one to take a public and active part in the measures of the former, without awfully exposing himself to the distressing associations, and the perilous contagion ofthe latter. — Passions, too, are frequently engendered by party politics, such as are in themselves opposite to the dictates of the word of God, and at the same time, as might be expected, directly tend to hin der its reception, and counteract its general influence. " Wherefore," says the Apostle Peter, in the beginning of this very chapter, " laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil- speakings; as new-born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby : — if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious." It matters not in what manner such evil tempers and passions are produced and maintained, or against whom and what descriptions of persons they are directed and cher ished ; — their declared tendency, — a tendency confirmed by much woful experience* is to " choke the word, and render it unfruitful." E 34 If, therefore, beloved brethren, you regard the best interests of your own souls, of your families, and of the church of God, you will beware of suffering your minds to be too much en grossed by the speculations, pursuits, and controversies of worldly politics; and if you are conscious of a peculiar pre dilection for them, you will be proportionably jealous of its indulgence. Are the chains that bind your spirits to the earth, — the anxieties and businesses, the hopes and pleasures of a present life, — not sufficiently strong, that you must forge for yourselves new and voluntary fetters ? Is there not enough of unavoidable entanglement to impede you in your Christian course, that, instead of " laying aside every weight," you should load yourselves with additional encumbrances ? Is there not, in the ordinary atmosphere of the world, a suffi ciency of heavy vapours, to damp the wings of faith and love, and repress your heavenwai'd flight, that you must surround yourselves with denser, and fouler, and more oppressive ex halations ? — I do not forget that you are men, and Britons, as well as Christians ; — members of a civil community, as well as of the communion of saints ; and that you have an interest in the affairs of the one, as well as in those of the other. But your having a connection with time, as well as with eternity, will not justify your " looking at the things that are seen and temporal," to the forgetfulness and neglect of " those which are unseen and eternal." Nay, whatever would draw away your minds from the latter, secularize your spirits, and chain your affections to the world, you must, if you feel as Christians, view with suspicion and dread. O be ware, then, of such an eagerness about the politics of the kingdoms of this world, as would prove detrimental to the in terests of that "kingdom of God" which is " within you." I speak not at present of one side of politics more than of ano- 35 ther. Which side soever you espouse,, if you are violent partizans, your souls are in danger ; and it is my duty, with affectionate fidelity, to warn you ; — to point to the many wrecks of Christian profession*— wrecks of " faith and a good conscience," with which the stormy sea of politics is strewed ; and to say, *' Be not high-minded, but fear." " I am persuaded better things of you, my brethren, and things that accompany salvation, though I thus speak." You are alive to the authority of the divine word ; and to the irre sistible claims of " the mercies of God" bestowed upon you by the gospel. It is by these mercies that the Apostle Paul enforces, with affectionate entreaty, the duties I have been endeavour ing to lay before you, as well as all the other duties, personal and social, of the Christian life.* — You " confess yourselves strangers and pilgrims on the earth." It is in this character, that Peter, in the immediately preceding context, admonish es you, with the same tender solicitude as his " beloved bro ther Paul," to beware of all those " fleshly lusts," — those de sires and propensities of unrenewed nature, — of the flesh, — of the old man, — which " war against the soul." — " Thou, then, O man of God, flee these things ; and follow after righ teousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness: — fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life :" — " Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil- speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:" — ''Be of the same mind one towards another. Mind not high things ; but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. • Rom. xii. 1 , &c. 36 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men :" — " Fear thou the Lord and the King ; and meddle not with them that are given to change :" — " Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, what soever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good re port; — if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things ; — do these things : and the God of peace shall be with you."* • 1 Tim. vt II, 12. Eph. iv. 30, 31. Rom. xii. 16— 18. Prov. xxiv. 21. Phil. iv. 8, 9, FINIS. Printed by Andrew and John M. Duncan, Glasgow.' THE PURPOSES OF DIVINE MERCY TO THE SEED OF ABRAHAM. A SERMON, PREACHED IN GEORGE STREET CHAPEL, GLASGOW, ON THE 25th APRIL, 1820, FOR THE FOR Promoting Christianity among the Jews. By RALPH WARDLAW, D. D. Published at the Request, and for the Benefit of the Society. GLASGOW : Printed al the University Press, SOLD BY WARDLAW AND CUNNINGHAME, 173, TRONGATE, (Successors to Andrew & John M. Duncan,) AND THE OTHER BOOKSELLERS, GLASGOW ; WAUGH AND INNES, A. BLACK, W. OLIPHANT, W. WHITE & CO. AND GUTHUIE & TAIT, EDINBURGH; THE LONDON SOCIETY'S DEPOSITORY, NO. 10, WARD ROBE PLACE, DOCTORS' COMMONS ; SEELEY, HATCHARD & SON, AND OGLE, DUNCAN, & CO. LONDON. 1820. A SERMON. Romans xi. 30, 31. " For as ye in times past have not believe^ God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief; even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may ob tain mercy." The present state of the Jewish people is without a parallel in the history of the world. Many kingdoms and empires, some of them of vast extent, and of high renown, have been invaded and subdued by others, and have either been entirely annihilated, or have been incorporated with their conquerors, and have lost their name and their separate existence. But here was a comparatively sm^ll people; — assailed by the vic torious arms of imperial Rome; — the miserable victims of unheard of massacre and destruction; of tribulation* " such as had not been from the beginning of the world till that time, nor has been since, nor shall be hereafter;" — driven from the land of their lathers, and dispersed through " every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation." Wherever they have come, they have been an abject, despised, proscribed, and outcast race, — " a proverb, and a by-word, and a hissing among all nations:" — and amidst universal degradation, on the one hand, and some splitary but unsuccessful attempts to na- turalize them, on the other, they have, to this day, scattered as they are, remained a distinct people, objects of marked separation, and, as far as their situation in different countries has admitted, with their own customs, their own synagogues, and the wretched remnants, the corrupted and pitiful mockery, of tlieir own ancient worship. In this unprecedented and ano malous condition, have they continued, for the long period of more than seventeen successive centuries. — The facts of then- history, compared with the predictions of Moses and the pro phets in the Old, and of Christ himself in the New Testa ment, are most eminently fitted to establish our faith. The re mote date ofthe former class of predictions is ascertained by the clearest and most unexceptionable evidence: — the predictions themselves are the more remarkable, from the singularity and unlikelihood ofthe case: — and, in despite of the vain attempts of deistical and political speculators to account for it on ordi nary principles, the condition of this singular people has pre sented a kind of permanent miracle in attestation of the truth of God. It is in a religious point of view, that their situation is especially interesting to the Christian's mind. The context represents them, as in a state of spiritual in fatuation, or judicial blindness. For the " blindness which has happened to Israel," verse 25th, is a fulfilment of the prophetic imprecation in verse 10th, " Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see." And never indeed to any people could the expression with greater truth be applied, that " God had sent them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie." — When Jesus was on earth, he thus warned them: " Yet a little while is the light with you : walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you; for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have light, believe in the liaht. that ve mav hp thp children of light :"* and, condemning their obstinate in credulity as to his claims* and anticipating their credu lous admission of the claims of others, " I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not; if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive :"f — a declaration which was soon after affectingly verified, in the eagerness with which they listened to the pretensions, and embraced the offers, and followed the delusive counsels, of every miserable impostor, who, amidst their threatened and accumulated distresses, gave himself out as the deliverer and restorer of their nation, — the promised Messiah. — And, oh ! how thick the vail of prejudice and enmity which " even unto this day remains upon their minds!" How clear,. how minute, how full, is the accomplishment of the predictions relative to the Messiah, in Jesus of Nazareth j They themselves are per plexed and confounded, — reduced to the most wretched shifts, or put entirely to a stand, in their attempts to explain them otherwise. Yet with the most infatuated pertinacity, they persist in rejecting his claims: and, with the except tion of such as have fallen into total infidelity (of whom the number, it is to be feared, is not small,) both those amongst them who think, and those who do not thuik, are vainly looking for another. When we contemplate this people in their present state, we feel it difficult to persuade ourselves, that they are the same nation, whose wonderful history forms so large a portion of the records of inspiration. We behold them " scattered and peeled ;" — outcasts of earth and heaven ; — treated as the " filth of the world, and the offscouring of all things." And is this the people who, in far remote times, were redeemed from Egyptian bondage, by the signs and wonders of Omni- * John xii. SS, 36. f John v. 45. potence ?-^-before whom " the waters of the great deep were dried up, and the depths of the sea made a way for the ran somed of the Lord to pass over?" — who received their laws by the voice of the living God from the fires of Sinai ?— who were conducted through the wilderness by the symbol of the Divine presence? — whose wants heaven and earth combined miraculously to supply? — " five of whom chased a hundred, and a hundred put ten thousand to flight?" — to whom the God of the wlfole earth, having driven out their enemies be fore them, assigned their promised inheritance ;— separating them from the nations, and choosing them as a special people to himself; dwelling amongst them as their Judge, their Law giver, their King, ana' their God; and maintaining the honour of his name amongst them by a continued course of inspiration, and prophecy, and miracle?. — Are these the de scendants of those venerable patriarchs, on whom God has conferred the highest honour ever bestowed on mortal man— • the honour of having their names associated with his own, in his favourite designation of himself, to the very close of time: " I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations ?" Is this, in a word, the people, •« to whom pertained the adoption, and the glory, and the cove nants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; whose are the fathers, and of whom, as con cerning the flesh, the Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever?"* — Oh, my brethren, can we look even on the scattered remnants of such a people, without the liveliest interest? Can we contemplate their present degradation and wretchedness, without a sigh of deep commiseration, mingling with our assent to the righteous retribution of offended * Rom. ix. 4, 5. Deity? Can we recollect the blessing they have been to the world, and to ourselves* as the chosen depositaries of the oracles of God, and the appointed communicators of his " saving health" to all nations, without shedding over them the tears of grateful sensibility, and sending up to heaven, on their behalf, our united, and fervent* and importunate suppli cations ? And, blessed be God ! our supplications are not those of hopeless despondency. The present state of this interesting people is not their last. A cheering ray darts across the gloom. The blessed light of prophecy, streaming through the opening clouds* settles on the distant prospect, and brings to view a scene, on which the eye of benevolence and piety rests, with delighted anticipation. It is my intention, in this discourse, to consider from the text, in connection with the preceding and subsequent con text: I. The prospects held out to us respecting the seed of Abraham. II. The grounds on which they rest. III. The means by which they are to beaccom pushed. I. In regard to the prospects held out, I may first remark, in general, that we are taught to anticipate their restoration to the church of God, and to all the fulness of its blessings. In their present state, they are represented as fallen, di minished, cast away, broken off, blinded, excluded from mercy, and perishing : and all this on account of their unbelief, their rejection of God and of his Christ. And the general idea of their restoration is set before us, under a variety of phraseo logy, corresponding to these diversified views of the condition from which they are to be restored..— It is their fulness, verse 12th: — their reception, or recovery, verse 15th: — their being grafted in again, verses 23d, 24th: — their obtaining mercy, verse 31st: — their salvation, verse 26th. We must satisfy ourselves with a very brief notice of what is implied in these different expressions. Their "fulness," verse 12th, is opposed to their " diminish ing." The expression cannot surely mean less than a very gene ral and extensive restoration, — approaching at least to univer sality. As the great body of them have been cast off, the great body of them will be restored, — brought back into the church of God, and to the possession of a fulness of privilege, even greater than before, as far as the present New Testament state ofthe church excels in true glory that ofthe church under the ancient economy. The same word is applied to the Gen tiles, in verse 25th, in reference to the coming glory of the latter days. In Eph. i. 23. the Apostle denominates the church " the fulness of him who filleth all in all." When the Jewish people are restored, they shall form a part of this fulness of Christ; and he will be their fulness, by bestowing upon them the abundant blessings of his grace. Their "reception" verse 15th, is opposed to their " casting away." The word signifies accordingly their being resumed, or taken back. It refers to their previous state. They had been the church and people of God, enjoying his presence, and favour, and in the exclusive possession of his word, and of his wor ship. Into this state they shall be taken back; not indeed, as before, to constitute his church alone, and to enjoy exclu sive spiritual immunities, — but to constitute a part of the church, in a much more enlarged, and refined, and blessed state, than when they alone formed it. This idea is still more clearly intimated, by their being "grafted in again," verse 23d. The whole of this figure, on which the Apostle dwells through several verses, evidently teaches us* that the Gentiles, on their receiving the gospel, and being introduced into the Christian church, were grafted into the same stock from whicb the unbelieving Jews were ait off, — and that, when the latter shall be restored, it will be grafting them again into the same stock to which they be fore belonged. There is no interpreting the figure with any consistency, except on the principle, that the Church of God has been all along the same; one church, under various modi fications of external constitution, corresponding to the gradual developement of the purposes of.God, which has been " like the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the per fect day." Their case is like that of a family emigrating from their native country, and, after the lapse of centuries of privation and suffering in foreign lands, returning to the same nation, but in a state of such advanced improvement, as hardly to retain the marks of its identity. The salvation, in verse 26th, evidently means something vastly superior to any mere temporal deliverance. The two verses 26th and 27th, explain its nature as consisting in the two great blessings of justification from the guilt, and sanctification from the pollution of sin. " And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins." They shall thus be " saved in the Lord with an ever lasting salvation." As " the saved" they shall be " added by the Lord to the church;"* and there, in the diligent use of the means of spiritual improvement, they will " work out their own salvation with fear and trembling, God working in them to will and to do of. his good pleasure." * See Acts ii. 47. in tbe Greek. In the text, they are described as obtaining mercy. — The wrath threatened has come upon them to the uttermost : and when the Lord returns to them in mercy, he will blot out their sins, and remove their punishment,. The expression may be illustrated from Psalm lxxxv. 1 — 7. " Lord, thou hast been favourable unto thy land : thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob. Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people; thou hast covered all their sins. Thou hast taken away all thy wrath : thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger. Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease. Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to ajl generations? Wilt thou not revive us again, that thy pepple may rejoice in thee ? Show us thy mercy, O Lord, and grant us thy salvation." But the mercy of the latter days will not be mere restoration to temporal blessings, They are to ob tain the same mercy that has come to the Gentiles. This the text clearly intimates. And it suggests also the observation, that this mercy will consist in its being " given to them on the behalf of Christ to believe in his name."—" You in time past did not believe, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief; even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy." — " Obtaining mercy" is thus contrasted with " unbelief," and must consist, in the first instance, in its removal. It shall be throughfaith that they shall be brought back into the church of God: verses 20th and 23d. " Because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou stand- est by faith. Be not high-minded, but fear." " And they al so, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in : for God is able to graft them in again." — They were cut off for unbelief: the Gentiles stood in their place through faith j and when they are restored to the church, it shall be by their embracing the gospel. This is the bond of union in the church of God. It is by the cross that Jew and Gentile are made one. " For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition be tween us ; having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; to make in himself, of two, one new man, so making peace ; and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby."* — The vail shall be taken from their minds. They shall see the glory of him whom their fathers crucified ; shall " look on him whom they pierced* and mourn for him" with the bitterness of contrition; shall embrace him as " the Christ, the Son of the living Godj" own him, with gladness and gratitude, as all their sal vation; and unite in the song of the millennial church: " Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation ; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests : and we shall reign on the earth."f That this conversion to God will be very general, appears, as I have already hinted, from the scope of the whole pas sage ; — and particularly, as I am disposed to understand it, from verse 26th. " And so all Israel shall be saved : as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob." By many, I am aware, the expression " all Israel" is applied to the spiritual Israel, — the whole elect of God. The following considerations induce me to think it ought to be understood of " Israel after the flesh:" 1. It is of them, — of their restoration, the Apostle is all along speaking. This is his subject; and the salvation of the spiritual Israel, consisting of Jews and Gentiles, would not, • Eph. ii. 14—16. -f Rev. v. ?, 10. B 10 unless in a very indirect manner, be to his purpose. " Israel," in his reasoning, seems to be used in one sense. Compare especially with verse 26th, that which immediately precedes : " For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, (lest ye should be wise in your own conceits,) that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved." Surely the continuity ofthe Apostle's statement requires us to understand the appellation in the latter occurrence in the same sense as in the former. 2. The Apostle speaks of this as a mystery, verse 25th : not merely the casting off of the Jews, but their casting off, connected with their temporary blindness, and future conver sion. The mystery is very much akin in nature to that re specting the Gentiles ; of which the Apostle speaks, in writ ing to tthe Ephesians, as the " mystery of Christ, which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the g spei."* It was a mystery, — that is, a secret not before fully made known, — that the Gentiles, having remained so long in darkness, were to be enlightened and brought directly into the church, without the medium of Judaism. So here is a parallel mystery : " blindness in part," that is, to a part ofthe nation, and for a season, " is happened" in divine judgment, " to Israel," until a certain time : " and so," when that time comes, " Israel," now cast off and blinded, shall obtain mercy, and be restored, and saved. 3. The Apostle speaks of this salvation of Israel, as the fulfil ment of a divine prediction or declaration, which seems evident- * Eph. iii. 4—6. 11 ly to refer to the recalling of the rejected seed of Jacob into the church of God: " So all Israel shall be saved: as it is writ ten, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins." 4. " All Israel," is a general expression, not necessarily in cluding every souk It appears to signify, Israel now cast off and dispersed under Divine rebuke, as well as those of the same people, who had through grace believed. Compare Ezek. xxxvii. 11: "Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel : behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost; we are cut off for our parts." If the passage, which promises the resurrection of these bones, is considered as having a primary reference to the restoration from Babylon, " the whole house of Israel" must be understood as a general expression; because that was far from being a universal return. If it has an ultimate re ference, as seems very clear from the subsequent part of the chapter, to a remoter deliverance, to be effected in the latter days, then it is exactly parallel to the one before us, and on the same subject. On the question respecting the return of the Jews to their own land, your time will by no means permit me to enter ; and I feel it the less necessary, because, whatever may be the view of that question we are disposed to entertain, it is not of a temporal, but of a spiritual restoration that the Apostle treats in the pas sage before us. I must confess myself, however, strongly in clined to think, that, making all allowance for figurative lan guage, by which spiritual blessings are so often represented under allusions to the ancient prosperity of the Israelitish people, — there are some passages which will hardly bear such an explanation; especially when it is considered, that the 12 figurative language, of a similar kind, on the pther side, de rived from the former sufferings of Israel, evidently signifies not merely spiritual desertion, and depression, and curse, but temporal calamity, degradation, and distress ;— and that the language which expresses temporal blessings, but which, some understand spiritually, occurs at times in ponnection with the plainest predictions and promises of spiritual blessings ; by which connection the two seem intended to be distinguished, as being both included in the divine purposesof mercy; — and further, that a good deal of straining seems, in some instan ces, necessary, to make out the application of the language in a spiritual sense. Allow me a single additional remark or two, of a general kind, upon this point; — 1. There can be no valid objection to the event from the numbers of the Jews : for, in the first place, though the cal culations, or rather guesses, of different persons have varied so much as to extend frpm five or six millions, to twenty or even thirty 5 — I am persuaded that the former is much nearer the truth, and that there are not at this moment more Jews in the world, than there were in the days of David or Solomon : — and, 2dly* As a partial return fulfilled the predictions rela tive to the earlier captivity; so may it also in the present case. 2. Nor can there be any just objectioq on the ground of the distinction between Jew and Gentile being done away under the. gospel. The supposed fact is" not at all, as far as I see, incon sistent with this. When the Jews acknowledge Jesus, they shall be one, as a church, with the Gentiles ; and their return to their own land, does not at all imply their becoming, as before, a distinct and exclusive ecclesiastical community ; nor the continuance of the former separation in their intercourse and worship ; nor even, indeed, the nationalizing pf Christi anity at all. 13 3. Nor can any such objection rest on the foundation, that no good end is to be answered by the event. The same end* it may surely be replied, will be served, and that in a very eminent degree, which is served by the fulfilment of prophecy in general. It will, if it take place, be a very striking event ; especially when connected with the fulfilled predictions of their dispersion. Infidels ridicule the idea of such a thing. The event may silence their ridicule, and contribute, under the teaching of the Spirit, to advance the reception ofthe truth. — Predictions of outward events, it may further be no ticed, which are notorious, and strike the senses of men, are those by which God has usually been pleased to confirm his testimony. — With difficulties and improbabilities, whether arising from the inclinations of the Jews themselves, or from any other source, we have nothing to do. The sole question is, " What saith the Scripture?" He who has in his hand the hearts of all men, and all the resources of nature and of na tions, Can never be at a loss for means to accomplish his own purposes. But I must proceed to a very brief statement — II. Of the grounds on which these prospects of re storation REST. I confine myself entirely to those which are suggested by the statements and reasonings of the Apostle in this chapter : and on this principle I notice in the first place: The connection of this dispersed and afflicted peo ple, WITH THEIR HOLY FATHERS, THE OBJECTS OF GoD'S ORI GINAL choice, and peculiar love. — For this I refer you to the 16th verse: " Far if the first fruit be holy, the lump is also holy ; and if the root be holy, so are the branches." The "first-fruits," and the "root," in these two simili tudes, the one of which is taken frotna well-known practice 14 in the Jewish institutes, and the other from the correspond ence in nature between the root and the branches, represent the same thing — the ancient Jewish fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. — The principle of the argument here appears to me to be, the primary respect' which, in the promises of the covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, God had to their natural offspring; — that they should be holy, or se parated unto him as his church; and that there should be amongst them a. seed to serve the Lord. This pri mary respect might be established from such passages as the following; into the illustration of which, however, your time will not allow, me to enter. " And I will establish my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee, in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee."* " For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God : the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people ; (for ye were the fewest of all people;) but because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and re deemed you out of the house of bond-men, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt."f '( Only the Lord had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and he chose their seed after them, even you above all people, as it is this day."f " I say then, Hath God cast away his people ? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin."^ The Apostle, I think, represents this principle as still operating ; and the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, * Gen. xvii. 7. f Deut. vii. 6—8. J Ibid. x. 15. § Rom. xi. 1. 15 and Jacob* as now kept in a state of separation, that the operation of it may yet appear. Their present long dispersion, and subjection to Divine rebuke, are as consistent with this, as their former sufferings in Egypt and in Babylon were. God " remembered his covenant" with their fathers in former deliverances: so will he, in that which still awaits them-. They are still the descendants of the same progenitors, with whom the covenant was made ; and by Divine constitution and appointment, the first-fruits being holy, the lump is also holy* and the root being holy, so are the branches. Still they are in cluded in the promise of the paternal covenant. — The same view of this relation is brought forward. again, in connection with the immutability of the Divine purposes, in verses 28th and 29th : " As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election* they are be loved for the fathers' sakes. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance." " Enemies -4br your sakes :" their ejection having made room, as it were, for the introduction of the Gentiles. — " The election" seems, in this place, to signify, not the chosen rem nant, but God's choice of their fathers, with their seed, to be his peculiar people ; — a choice expressed in former passages, to which many more might be added. Now, " God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? Behold," said Balaam, " I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed: and I cannot reverse it."* — The Jewish people, the seed of Abraham, God's friend, are still " beloved for their fathers' sakes." When God establishes his purpose, it shall stand. The promise of the covenant, in its primary re- * Numb, xxiii. 19, 20. gard td the natural offspring, was without limitation &i to time. This primary regard has not ceased. He has not re pented of his choice ; — of his " gifts" to his people ; — of his " calling" of them. 2dly. The power of God. — This is adduced in verse 23d. *' And they also; if they abide not still in unbelief* shall be grafted in : for God is able to graft them in again." Their state might to us appear desperate : — so scattered and disunited : — so deplorably sunk and degraded : — so full of deep-rooted prejudice against Jesus of Nazareth, and of too well-grounded dislike to those who bear his name. And they have now continued so long, so very long, in this state ; and have become so dead and seared, so callous to every spiritual impression, so entirely almost given up to .worldliness* or to infidelity.-^They are like branches cut off; withered; rotten; twice dead. We are ready to exclaim, in contemplating the prospects exhibited by pro phecy, !' How can these things be?" The satisfactory and silencing answer is, " God is able." — " God is able to graft them in again:" to impart life to these sapless and rotten boughs, and to make them fruitful to his praise. They and we both are taught to derive encouragement from former manifestations of power. Thus the prophet encour ages the church of old, by reminding her of her origin, in circumstances so extremely hopeless. " Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord : look unto the rock whence ye are hewn* and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged. Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you : for I called him alone, and blessed hun, and increased him. For the Lord will comfort Sion : he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden o f the Lord ; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanks- 17 giving, and the voice of melody."* — Their; redemption from Egypt, and all the subsequent wonders of his power on their behalf, are frequently appealed to for the same purpose. — And we, my friends, may bq reminded, for our encourage ment, of the wonders of ' pentecost. Their minds were then as utterly, hostile as they are now : and He who effected the conversion of those " sinners against their own souls," who had just exclaimed, " His blood be on us and on our children," is able, by the energy of the same renewing grace, to turn to himself the hearts of their hardened chil dren. — And the very grafting in of the Gentiles, who were as dead as the Jews are now, forbids all despondency. The question, indeed, addressed by Paul to Agrippa, is one which instantly solves all doubts, and removes all difficulties : " Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead ?"f — The bones in the Valley of Vision were separate, and scattered, and dry, and long bleached by the sun, and the storm. Yet when the question is put, " Can these bones live?" the answer is given by Om nipotence ; — " Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: — /will lay sinews upon you, and cover you with flesh, and put breath in you, and ye shall live." — " With * God all things are possible." v 3dly. The reasonableness of the expectation. — Verses 17th, 18th, 24th. " And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive-tree, were grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive-tree; boast not against the branches: but if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. For if thou wert cut out of the olive-tree, which is wild by nature, and wert grafted, contrary to nature, into a good olive-tree ; how » Isa. li. 1—3. t Acts xxvi. 8. 18 much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own natural olive tree ?" " How much more" — does not imply, that the power neces sary for the one effect, is less than that required for the other: it expresses the idea of reasonableness. — It is as the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that they are called " the natural branches :" which is another distinct evidence of a primary respect in the covenant to the natural offspring. Upon this, indeed, the whole argument appears to me to rest. — Gentiles, as well as Jews, were included in the promise, and partakers of the blessing : — so that unless a reference of primary and special regard to the natural offspring be admitted, I am at a loss to conceive on what principle the question, — the a for tiori question, can be founded, " How much more shall these* which be the natural branches* be grafted into their own olive tree ?" The Gentiles held, as it were, a secondary place in the promise. The Jewish people, even in their present disper sion, are still the natural branches. The Gentiles had no original connection with the stock: yet they were grafted, contrary fo nature, into the good olive-tree : " how much more" then, may we not expect, the " children of the stock of Abraham," connected with the root, first in the promise, and the objects of special and primary regard, to be grafted in again?—" grafted into their own olive-tree*' — that tree with which they have a natural connection. — How insur mountable the objection arising from this, to the idea of the entire distinction of the Old and New Testament churches ! Their grafting into their own tree, is their restoration to their own church. 4thly. Prophecy. This is a wide field ; and I dare not enter upon it. I must confine myself at present to a single remark or two on 19 the prediction which is selected by the Apostle, (verses 26th, 27th.) " And so all Israel, shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins." The quotation is from Isaiah lix. 20, 21; which is given by the Apostle, nearly as in the Septuagint version, and probably according to the original reading of the Hebrew. The general import, how ever, of the Apostle's translation and our own authorized version of the passage in the Prophet, is much the same. Their deliverance was to be connected with their turning from ungodliness ; and both were to be the effect of the power and grace of the same Deliverer. He turns them from their un godliness; and to them thus turningfromungodliness,he comes, with deliverance from its judicial and penal effects ; — comes with returning favour and blessing. — This was uniformly the tenor of God's covenant and dealings with Israel.* And the conditionality of the promise* — the dependence of his turning to them on their turning tp him, is not at all inconsistent with his agency in turning them to himself; Hence the prayer : — " Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger to ward us to cease." " Turn us* again* O God, and cause thy face to shine j and we shall be saved." " Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the Son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself. So will not we go back from thee : quicken us, and we will call upon thy name."f I only adc}? that every great deliverance ofthe church is re presented as coming out of Zion, because it comes from Jeho vah, whose residence was there. " Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion ! When the Lord bringeth back » See Lev. xxvi. 39 — 45. Deut. xxx. 1 — 10, &c. \ Psa. lxxxv. 4. hxx. 3. 8. 17. 19. 20 the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad." " Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power; in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning : thou hast the dew of thy youth."* I stop not to inquire, whence the words, " when I shall take away their sins," should be considered as supplied by the Apostle. They are from some other passage ; prob ably Jer. xxxi. 34. " And they shall teach no more eve ry man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord : for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." III. I now proceed to notice, in the third place, the means by which these prospects are to be realized. Observe the antithesis in the text. " For as ye in times past have not believed* God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief; even so have these alsb now nbt be lieved, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy." There are two things spoken of by the Apostle in the con text, in reference to the Gentiles ;— their riches, and their fulness. The former, (verse 12th) refers to the first calling of the Gentiles into the church, in the room and upon the rejection ofthe Jews, to the participation ofthe unsearchable riches of Christ. — The latter (verse 25th) relates to a re moter period ; — an era of a vastly more extensive evangeliza tion and conversion ofthe world to the faith and obedience of the gospel, than has yet appeared. The fulness is the com pletion ofthe riches. When the Redeemer had finished his work, and was risen * Psa. xiv. 7. ex. 3. 21 from the dead, Jehovah said unto him, " Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession."* The "ful ness of the Gentiles" is the bringing in of all the " desolate heritages"' included in this Divine grant and promise. The predictions respecting that period have been progressively, and are now most rapidly receiving their fulfilment. "The king dom of heaven," said Jesus in his parabolical instructions, (and the parables involved a prophecy) " is like unto a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field: which indeed is the least of all seeds ; but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. — The king dom of heaven -is like unto leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavenedi"f The stone which, in the visions of the Babylonian monarch* was cut out ofthe mountain without hands, and which smote the image, and brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the. clay, the silver and the gold* *f became a great; mountain, and;filled the whole eatth :" intimating, according td the prophetic in terpretation* that the God df heaven was to set up a' kingdom, which should never be destroyed ; which should not be left to other people, but should break in pieces and consume the kingdoms signified in the vision, and itself stand for ever.:f " And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, Thekingdoms of this world are be come the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ ; and he shall reign for ever and everi"§' ¦*« All tibe ends of the world shall remember, and turn unto the Lord; and all the kin dreds ofthe nations shall worship before thee."|| ( " His name shall endure for ever; his name shall be continued ks ioftg as * Psa. ii. 8. f Matth. xiii. 31—33. { Dan. -ii. 35. 44. § Rev. xi. 15. II Psa. xxii. 27. 22 the sun ; and men shall be blessed in him : all nations shall call him blessed." " Blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen, and amen."* The precise extent of the influence of true religion in the glorious and happy period thus predicted, we shall not attempt to ascertain. It is enough that the figures used to describe it, represent the change on the state ofthe world to be so great, as to resemble the creation of " a new heavens and a new earth* so that the former should not be remembered, nor come into mind."f Neither shall I detain you with calculations of the «' times and seasons :" — but satisfy myself with merely observ ing, that our own days are evidently the dawn of that blessed era, on which the prophets lavish all the riches of pPetic diction ; and that, on every principle of computation, the re markable prophetic period of 1290 days, cannot be very far from its termination. Let us now attend a little to the reciprocal connection of the two great events, the fulness of the Gentiles, and the res toration of the Jews, and their influence on each other. The Apostle had spoken of the calling of the Gentiles, as a kind of consequence of the rejection of the Jews. It was the " casting away of them" that was the " reconciling of the world ;" — the " fall of them the riches of the Gentiles ;" and in the text — the Gentiles are said to have " obtained mercy through their unbelief." When, therefore, he speaks of the restoration of the Jews, a startling inquiry might naturally sug gest itself to the minds of the Gentiles. — As our acceptance has been by their rejection, is their recovery to be in like manner by our rejection ? Are we in our turn, to be cast out, in order to their re-admission ? Are we to be cut off, when they are grafted in again ? Their exclusion made room for us : is our * Psa. lxxii. 19. + Isa. lxv. 17. 23 exclusion to make room for them? — No : blessed be God ! the cases in this respect are entirely different. " Ye have obtained mercy through their unbelief;" but it is not through your unbe lief that they are to obtain mercy: — no; but it is "through your mercy /" This is an interesting and delightful difference in deed! In verses 12, 15, the restoration of the Jews is evidently represented as, preceding and bringing about, the fulness ofthe Gentiles. " Now, if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles ; how much more their fulness?" " For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?" The expression in verse 31, connected with verse 25, looks like the reverse of this order. " Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy." " For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, (lest you should be wise in your own conceits,) that blindness in part has happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved." From this cir cumstance it appears reasonable to consider the two events as at once synchronous, (that is, happening together at the same time,') and as having a reciprocal influence in bringing about each other. — The " fulness of the Gentiles," we suppose, ac cording to this view of the matter, begins to come in, and makes rapid and cheering progress toward its consummation : then the Jews, (the time being come for the removal of the vail from their minds) are, by the;blessing of God, " provoked to emulation." — Having Jesus preached to them, and the New Testament scriptures put into their hands by the Gentiles, their attention is awakened; they inquire; they believe; they turn to the Lord : and their " reconciliation" hastens forward to its glorious completion, " the fulness ofthe Gentiles." 24 The Gentile church, possessing the gospel of God, and the divine oracles of new covenant truth, is the depository of fu ture mercy to the Jews ; as the Jewish church of old was the depository of future mercy to the Gentiles.^-The calling of the Gentiles was the divine purpose, to be fulfilled upon the rejection of the Jews ; — the restoration of the Jews is the di vine purpose, to be effected through the mercy bestowed on the Gentiles. The knowledge of the Saviour was formerly im parted by the Jews to the Gentiles ; it shall then be imparted > by the Gentiles to the Jews. In this way, when the period in question arrives, they willfeel reciprocally indebted to each other. " Salvation was of the Jews" to the Gentiles ; it shall then bet of the Gentiles to the Jews : and this will serve the more ef fectually to knit their hearts together in the blessed bonds of amity and love. For whatever may have been the wrongs (and alas ! they have been multiplied and grievous,) which the Jews have suffered at the hands of the Gentiles, and in what ever way, and to whatever extent, it may please God* as of old, to avenge these wrongs ; yet in the enlarged and purified church of the living God, composed of Gentiles and Jews to gether, all wrongs and grudges, and jealousies, shall be buried in everlasting oblivion: — and " the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid ; and the calf, and the young lion, and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed ; their young ones shall lie down together : and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. : They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain ':' for the earth shall be full of the knowledge ofthe Lord, as the waters cover the sea."* * Isa. xi. 6—9. 25 The bringing in of the Jews will contribute to hasten the fulness of the Gentiles, in such ways, it may be presumed* as the following : 1. By the zeal which they themselves will naturally feel, and put forth in effort, for the glory qf the Redeemer. Their recovery will be owned by them as " the doing of the Lord," and it will be "marvellous in their eyes?' The riches of divine mercy and loving-kindness will animate their hearts with glowing gratitude; and will lead them most fervently to de sire, and with all their powers to seek, the glory oftheir Bene factor and Redeemer ; — to seek it, with an interest and a zeal proportioned to the virulence of their former hatred and opposition. Thus it was with Saul of Tarsus, when he be came " a preacher of the faith which before he destroyed :" and if they shall be animated, as we may confidently presume, with a similar spirit, — what noble preachers, and mission aries, and heralds of the cross in all nations, may we not ex pect to arise from amongst them ! — and what extensive good, through the Divine blessing, to follow their labours ! 2. By the mighty revival which this event will produce in the Gentile church. How will it stimulate them to emulation in active zeal ! In this respect, as well as in others, it will be like life from the dead. It will confirm their faith, enliven their joy, animate their gratitude, inflame their love, and inspire new confidence into their prayers and their exertions : and, in answer to these prayers, the Spirit ofthe Lord being copious ly effused, " the word of the Lord shall have free course and be glorified." — "The people shall praise him, all the people shall praise him." 3. By the influence ofthe event itself, as an accompanying evi dence ofthe truth, and means of conviction and conversion to God. 26 — the various miracles wrought of old by prophets and apostles. — When God " granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands," he is said to have " given testimony to the word of his grace •" — to have " confirmed the word by signs follow ing ;" to have " borne witness, by signs and wonders, and divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his will."* The accompanying influence of the Spirit of God rendered these evidences of the truth effectual to the conver sion of many. Similar may we suppose the effect to be, of this striking fulfilment of divine predictions, — arresting the attention, exciting the inquiry, silencing the infidelity, and, by the gracious influence of Heaven* subduing the hearts of mul titudes to the Redeemer, " as the heart of one man." I conclude with two or three short practical reflections : . 1st. In anticipating the prospects which this passage, and the prophetic scriptures in general open to our view, — it is our duty not merely to wait and to pray, but to act and to give. It will not do, to sit down and enjoy our delight in contem plating the lovely visions of future times, and leave the God who has foretold them to accomplish them in his own way. God works by means. He who of old was wont to " give his people favour in the sight of their enemies," and thus to bring about to them the fulfilment of the purposes of his mercy, has long fulfilled his threatenings against them, by leaving them exposed to the operation of all the evil passions of men ; even Christians too often joining in the general neglect, and persecution, and scorn. And he who, at the close of their former captivity, stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia, to proclaim their liberty, and restore them to the land of their fathers, will stir up in the bosoms of his own people the sen timents of compassion, and gratitude, and zeal, and bring about, by their active instrumentality, the accomplishment of * Acts -'- ? . ¦" ' " 27 his promised mercy. They are already, after a long period o guilty supineness, feeling and yielding to the sacred impulse. Let us, my brethren, seek to feel it more deeply ourselves, and to communicate it to the bosoms of others : — that the prayers of the whole Christian church may ascend to God, and the liberality and the exertions of the whole Christian church may be combined, in his name and under his blessing, for the illu mination and conversion to himself of the seed of Abraham, his friend. — It is not for us to be regulated in our conduct by calculations of times and seasons ; though even upon such as may fancy it their duty to suspend their efforts till God's time shall arrive, we might make theintimations of prophecy, and the signs of the present period, to bear with irresistible force : — but it is ours to seize the present moment; not to say " the time is not come, the time that the Lord's house should be built ;" but at once to obey the command of God, " Consider your ways. Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house, and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the Lord."* Were the time ever so far distant, let us not forget that there must be a commencement, — that remote efforts are often preparatory to future results ; — the breaking up of the ground ; — the first streak of the dawn. — And may I not, besides, recommend the example of Paul ? Even at the very time when he is predicting the long rejection of the seed of Israel, he does not on this account suspend his own efforts to save them. No : "I speak to you Gentiles" says he, "inas much as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine of fice ; if by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them." Think, my brethren, of the value of the souls of individual Jews : and even although our efforts were to have no immediate influence in the introduction of the glory of the latter days j shall we 28 not consider them as richly rewarded, if here and there they " save a soul from death, and hide a multitude of sins?" 2dly. Let me remind you of the obligations under which, as Gentiles, believing Gentiles, possessors of the blessings qf salva tion, you lie to the Jewish people. You admit the principle, that, whilst, both for temporal and spiritual blessings, your offerings of praise should ascend to " the Father of lights, from whom cometh down every good and perfect gift," you ought, at the same time to acknowledge and to bless the instrument of his kindness. And, if the feel ing of obligation should bear proportion to the magnitude of the good conferred, O how shall we estimate the amount of your debt of gratitude, when it is a return for " all spiritual blessings in heavenly places, in Christ Jesus !" Yes, my bre thren, you owe all to them. The prophets, and apostles, and evangelists, were Jews ; and to them you are indebted for the living oracles of God, and for all the joys and all the hopes inspired by the knowledge of " the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent." There is not one in the entire catalogue of the blessings that belong to you, as members of the " fellowship of God's dear Son," (who himself also was " made of the seed of David according to the flesh,") which may not be traced to the same source. They were Jews who evangelized the Gentile world of old, by the zealous, and disinterested, and persevering efforts of gospel love. And you are now enjoying the blessed fruits of these efforts. And how has the debt been paid? With a few exceptions, the only answer, alas ! that truth can give to the question, is, — by insults, and proscriptions, and cruelties, — by curses, and bonds, and blood: — by a treatment, in which Mahometans and Pagans have joined with professing Christians, and which has itself eminently contributed to produce, and deepen, and 29 maintain, the very degradation and want of principle, which are universally assigned as its cause. O feel for that people, to whom, though thus so long treated as out-casts from the. family of man, the world, and yourselves, are under such obligations. There is more to be paid them now than a debt of gratitude ; there isa reparation of injury. And you cannot more effectually cancel the claims Which, in both respects, they have upon you, than by giving them back the very blessings which they have been the instruments of be stowing. 3dly. Present appearances are encouraging. It is given as one of the signs when the time to favour Zion is come, that " her saints take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof." There is an interest now excited, and rapidly on the increase, and producing practical efforts, in behalf of the long-neglected subjects of our present plead ing. The attention of Christians, and even of mankuid at large, is drawn powerfully towards them. The persecutions, on the one hand, which in some quarters they have been suf fering; — the regard, on the other hand, shown them by some of the crowned potentates of Europe, — and the Christian exertions made on their behalf in this country ; — are all con tributing to this effect. And there are, besides, pleasing and promising symptoms appearing amongst themselves. A spirit of thoughtfulness, and investigation, and inquisitiveness, has gone forth to a considerable extent amongst them. There is an obvious diminution of the virulence of prejudice, and ani mosity, and scornful aversion.' They receive, in many in stances, the Christian tracts; ^nd, above all, the .Christian' Scriptures, translated for their use into their own ancient and revered tongue. They read, they converse, they discuss ; they hold meetings for conference with Christian ministers ; 30 selves." Multitudes are said to be under powerful convictions of the truth of Christianity, and apparently on the very eve of publicly avowing these convictions, and embracing Jesus as the Christ. — These are all tokens for good. Let them have their full animating effect on our minds. — In some instances, it is true, of apparent conversion, promising ap pearances have been unhappily disappointed. This is surely no more than might have been anticipated. It would have been strange indeed, had it been otherwise. But whilst some have thus apostatized, others there are who stand fast in the faith, and " adorn the doctrine of God their Saviour." — Let Christians be of one heart and one soul, in this great and good cause; and " Jehovah will arise, and build up Zion." tohly. Let all my hearers remember, that salvation, in every instance, both to Jew and Gentile, is the fruit of free and sovereign mercy. " For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief; even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy." In the verse im mediately following, the Apostle seems to speak of both Jews and Gentiles : " For God had concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all." And the sentiment, or general principle, thus expressed, is similar to that in Gal. iii. 22 : " But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe." What marvellous grace is this ! How opposite the design, to what we might have expected, from the conclusion of " all under sin," of " all in unbelief?" — We might have anticipated such a consequence as, — that he might take vengeance upon all ; — " that wrath might come upon them to the uttermost." But " my thoughts are not 31 Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."* The former awfully disobedient, and alienated, and hardened state ofthe Gentiles, made it manifest, that their salvation was of mercy, — free mercy j — the-fulfilment of a sovereign purpose of mercy. — The present no less hardened state of the Jews will, in like manner, make it manifest, that their salvation also is of the same mercy ; — of mercy equally free, and rich, and so vereign. The salvation of every sinner, without a single ex ception, Jew or Gentile, must be " to the praise of the glory of God's grace." I dare not, as I value the approbation of my Master, and the safety of my own soul, flatter any one of my hearers, with the possibility of obtaining salvation in any other way, than as the free " gift of God, through Jesus Christ our Lord :" " in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace." Yes, my friends ; you must, if you are saved, be debtors to mercy : — and all the blessed partakers of this mercy will, with one heart and one soul, unite with the Apostle in the devout and sublime expression of " wonder, love, and praise," with which he closes this interesting chapter : " O the depth of the riches, and of the wisdom and knowledge of God ! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out I For who hath known the mind of the Lord ? or who hath been his counsellor? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things : to whom be glory for ever. Amen." * Isa. lv. 8, 9. V I N I S. WORKS BY THE SAME AUTHOR, SOLD BY TOartrtafo &¦ Cutmfnijljanw, BOOKSELLERS AND STATIONERS, 173, TRONGATE, GLASGOW, {Successors to Andrew fy John M. Duncan. J 1. Discourses on the Principal Points of the Socinian Controversy. Third Edition, 8vo. 12s. bds. 2. Unitarianism Incapable of Vindication ; a Reply to the Rev. James Yates's Vindication of Unitarianisrn . 8vo. 10s. 6d. bds. S. Three Lectures on the Abrahamic Covenant, and its Connec tion with Infant Baptism; with an Appendix on the Mode of Baptism. Svo. 3s. 4. An Essay on Lancaster's Improvements in Education. 8vo. Is. 6d. 5. A Sermon on the Doctrine of a Particular Providence. Third Edition, 8vo. Is. 6d. 6. Qualifications for Teaching, essential to the Character of a Christian Bishop : a Sermon. 8vo. Is. 7. Christian Mercy : a Sermon, preached for the Glasgow Female Society. 8vo. Is. 8. The Scriptural Unity of the Churches of Christ Illustrated and Recommended. 8vo. Is. 6d. 12mo. 9d. 9. An Essay on Benevolent Associations for the Relief of the Poor. Svo. Is. 6d. 10. A Sermon, preached before the London Missionary Society, at Surrey Chapel, 13th May, 1818. 8vo. Is. II. The Duty of Imitating Departed Worth: a Sermon occa sioned by the death of the late Robert Balfour, D. D. 8vo. Is. 6d. 12. The Truth, Nature, and Universality of the Gospel: a Ser mon preached before the Missionary Society, Stirling, 29th June, 1819. 8vo. Is. 6d. 13. The Christian Duty of Submission to Civil Government: a Sermon. 8vo. Is. In Course qf Publication, THE PROTESTANT; IK WHICH ARE DISCUSSED THE PRINCIPAL POINTS OF CONTROVERSY BETWEEN THE CHURCH OF ROME, AND THE REFORMED. Volumes I. & II. are published in 8vo, Price, in Boards, 9s. 6d.- each Volume. Volume III. is publishing in Weekly Numbers, every Saturday Morning ; Price Two-pence each. The object of the Author of this Publication, is to point out the leading errors of Popery, in Doctrine and Worship, and to show the pernicious influence which they have on the practice of those who believe them. He has attempted to demonstrate, that the system of religion main tained by the Church of Rome, is not a modification, or even a mere corruption of Christianity ; but a totally differ ent religion ; and as much opposed to the religion of Jesus Christ, as was the heathenism of ancient Rome. He holds it up to the world as a system of imposition and fraud, invented by the great enemy of mankind, in order to ob struct their salvation, and keep them in bondage to himself. The principal subjects discussed in these two Volumes, are,— INDULGENCES— DISCIPLINE and EXCOM MUNICATION— The LAWFULNESS of BREAKING FAITH with the HERETICS— WITHHOLDING the SCRIPTURES from the PEOPLE— IDOLATROUS WORSHIP of SAINTS, IMAGES, and RELICS— TRANSUBSTANTIATION, and SACRIFICE of the MASS— PURGATORY, and PRAYERS for the DEAD —AURICULAR CONFESSION — SUPREMACY of PETER, and of the POPE, as his PRETENDED SUC CESSOR : — together with a variety of miscellaneous matter, such as, the EXTORTIONS PRACTISED by ROMISH PRIESTS— REMARKS on the POPE'S late BULL against the BIBLE SCHOOLS in IRELAND— RE MARKS on the TITULAR ARCHBISHOP of TUAM'S CHARGE to his CLERGY on the same subject, &c. &c. ADVERTISEMENT. The subjects which remain to be discussed, are,— ^ CRUELTY of the INQUISITION— VILLANY of the JESUITS -JUNDAMEN^ TRINE^— together with such "mgcfellaWeous" mattePfsTfftf occur ; and, finally, REPLIES to the GLASGOW and LONDON OPPONENTS' of T&S-PROTESTANT. The Author is encouraged to persevere in his labours, by the flattering approbation7 of dMnguished individuals in each of the three kingdoms, as well as by the en couragement and support of the Public jn^ generak but that which has beeri rrio'st gratifying to him,- 4s •¦thfr'Tfetefest14" which his Work has been honoured to excite in the public mind, with regard to the < subject/flf Popery itself, which for thirty years past had been almost lost sight of, by his Protestant Ce^Rtiyiiaen, while -fagjsts^wge^dually working their way towards the recovery of that influence, which they possessed for many hundred years over the souls and the property of the people, ff if his Iftrftesf wish that still more interest in this subject may be excited, so as to en courage -.the hope, that,. our highly favoured, country shall never again1 fall under tire dominion of a gloomy- and- a -©rttel superstition. _,;„_,. ,,..,*. , -,-. This Work, with the consent of the Author, is reprinting in Dublin, where it has excited still more interest than in Scotland ; and the profits, like those of the original edition, are devoted to religious purposes, particularly the Educa tion of Youth, -¦«• v-r- ---¦'¦TZ-'J.Z '"¦'• i^ :-x~. By letters received from different parts "6T Ireland, the Author is informed that his Numbers are gradually finding their way into the darkest parts of that kingdom ; and he desires : no greater reward; than that by th#©Miie 'Blessing, they' miy1' be instrumental in fuming,' at least, sotne india viduals, from error to the knowledge of thetrtithr* ' • -' Any of the Volumes or Numbers may be had separately. GLASGOW: Printed at ike University Press ,- SOLD BY WARDLAW ANDjCUNKINGHAME, . 173, TRONGATE^ (SUCCESSORS TO ANDREW AND JOHN M. DCNCAN,) AND THE''OTHER BOOKSELLERS, GLASGOW"; '"wSt!GH"*ANI)i INNES, A. RLACItj W. qLIPHANT, GTJTHRIE.7& TAIT, OLIVER-J}; BOYD, ;AND, OGLE, ALLARDICE. &_ THOMSON, . EDIN BURGH J G^CUTHBEKTSON, PAISLEY; A. WATSON, W. SCOTT, AND J. KERR, ' GR.eJ$Oc'k*':' J.^STEWART, AND H? CRAWFOR^/'kSiSiARNOCK ; 5x fORMAN, AND JSiM^LAKEN, STIRLING; JOHN JQH-MSTON,. DUMFRIES ;W. M'DONALD, CRIEFF ; ED. LESLIE, DUNDEE ; D. PEAT, PERTH ; OGLE, D.UNCAN, & CO. LONGMAN, HURST, AND CO., T. HAMILTON, AND W. BAYNES & SON, 1820. The vmnitif of the earthly hopes of man : A SERMON PREACHED IN GEORGE STREET CHAPEL, GLASGOW, ON LORD'S DAY EVENING, DECEMBER 9th; ON OCCASION OF THE DEATH OP Mr. WILLIAM FRIEND DURANT, OF POOLE, DORSETSHIRE, mtcdest ix the umvEnsiTY or ez-isaovr. By RALPH WARDLAW, D.D. " Adolescentra mori sic mihi videntur, ut cam aquae multitudine vis Mammae opprimitur ; senes autem, sicut sua sponte, nulla adhibita vi, consumptus ignis extinguitnr." Cicero, de Senectvte. Published at the request of Relatives and Fellow-Students. GLASGOW : JJrintrti at tl)c JSitibtrsttn Jitessi, FOR WARDLAW & CUNNINGHAME, TRONGATE; SOLD ALSO VT THE OTHER BOOKSELLERS, GLASGOW; J. LANCASTER, POOLE; WAUGH &-1NNES, AND A. BLACK, EDINBURGH; AND LONGMAN, HURST, REES, ORME A BROWN, LONDON. 1821. GLASGOW : ANDREW & JOHN M. DONCAN, Printers to tlie University. TO THE REVEREND THOMAS DURANT, WITH SENTIMENTS OF HIGH REGARD, AND OF THE DEEPEST CONDOLENCE; AND TO THE PROFESSORS AND STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW, WITH EARNEST WISHES THAT, UNDER THE ENLIGHTENED TUITION OF THE FORMER, THE LATTER MAY BE LED TO EMULATE THE INTELLECTUAL ATTAINMENTS, AND TO IMITATE THE RELIGIOUS AND MORAL EXCELLENCES, OF THEIR LAMENTED FRIEND AND COMPANION ; THE FOLLOWING DISCOURSE IS RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR. ni,'>il,lu M rum .'. «»«"¦ PREFACE. Mr W, F. Durant died on the evening of the 27th of November, of suffusion on the brain, attended by. paralysis of the right side of. the body.— He was constitutionally very robust and healthy. In coming down to Scotland, in the beginning, of the same month, he had travelled two successive nights on the outside of the coach, where also he had occasionally fallen asleep. It is not improbable, though neither is it certain, that this inconsiderate expo sure of himself was the remote means of inducing the dis order, which, secretly and indiscernibly advancing, ap peared at length in its alarming and fatal symptoms* baffled the best and most assiduously exerted medical skill, and terminated so prematurely his precious hfe. He was approaching the close of his nineteenth year, and had recently commenced, in the Natural Philosophy class, his fourth session at college.— He was the only one H7 . VI of a number of children 'that survived beyond the earliest . . , -. ' .->,.-& AA\o ifitancy ; so that he might be looked upon as having been, ,, n f l" - '!'< ' ' '-A--:-: i-<{..ulli Ifirfj ¦almost aH 'along, an only child, on whom, as others suc- ,..-, j. .;- -i \ o" ,¦•¦"•« ¦' ¦li.,"-r!iiiv V'-'A< nco aMrmsq r» eessiVely tailed them, the affections and hopes of his parents T , ,; s '.d jw aid " lo annurm were more and more concentrated. His mother, who ap- 1 . Yi .,.i' , ..... .;j [•,; {.¦¦'¦- jtt marfj oJvbcj pears to have added to a highly cultivated mind, a lovely ex* emplification of all that is amiable in Christian temper and deportment, died between three and fours years ago, after having assisted m training her darling boy to the verge of manhood i and her sister, who took charge of~ the Tiouse after her death, and who had all but a mother's aflection for her nephew, returned on his part by all but a son's for her, wasj after a loftg period of infirm and fluctuating health, removed from the world only a fortnight before him'seYiV— By the tidings of her death he was much affected ; arid 1 ¦ ¦ ¦ • '., vij --¦ r . doubt not that this contributed to hasten to its crisis a dis temper which had previously, though unperceived, com- menced its progress.'1 M°°* A .ooitaJi™' ^ M i bsH -g Under these desolating circumstances, to which might be added an unwonted number! of bereaving dispensations, within a short period, in the other departments of his kin dred, was a journey of five'' hundred miles performed by the afflicted father, more than one half of it in agonizing . Vil suspense, and the remainder in the overwhelming certainty lasiri sa ->i> hnov -7 viv-mc ' ' of his heavy loss : — and he arriyed here in time to loakai^h ...J ;ji!"JtA 8J3 tt <f- •¦ ''¦-•' ¦' r ¦¦¦»!'¦ ¦¦ - >¦ t that inexpressibly tender anguish with which,no heart but -ona z-nzlso 8B ..-:r:"!iiw no , . *¦ » •-. ' -¦'-"- ¦ a parent's can fully sympathise, on the cold and) feelingless :.'ri.ij.cf ;'>:!:•:• 89 ;>"•:' '-"'.8 :"'¦' 7-u'f'> ¦*¦<¦"-'' ¦ "- v " -- remains of '? his son, his, oni, son, whom he? Joyed;" and to -q,C Of|-.T ,;':ii.'jffl8!!:' oj-'"; ¦¦-.¦'" -" ¦ '¦'¦ - -¦---¦- pay to them, the last sad trihute of affection, by attending .xavJavoiB fi)nim?.:--'c-'-:tl.-j-: „ -z^ ' .--¦ ¦-'"'-¦ ->*-'¦ --------- P them to the grave„^nd depositing them, there,, to ^mingle bnB Tjqm&i nSilaiifliJ ni :i>*.i ¦-¦¦* & "¦- -: r : ' '---..m- with the dust— I was going tp say of strangers-rrrhmt, 0$ „ heart refuses the word,— -I will rather say,, QtJki<end$M@i\- to Z'V-:'" -~z'Z7 -:¦¦; vo< '£•>¦ '¦-¦" ¦¦¦• g" ¦ " ",'"" « though , at a distance from " his fathers'. [.se^ijU^ggSfl' .T.hose^ who had been laid in the same hallowed spotibefBre hiin ^ere^ it is true, unacquainted with him, and; he M3th tj|em| b.ut: they were the kindred pfjsnch as knew and kjsjwd hinji wellj and whose ashes will in a short timedbetsuoces- sively jpined to his own. aA Ijte9j) -I9rf 10 ggaibii aiii \& . To the wish expressed by his father that the following discourse should be published, I gave my cheerful consent. Had I felt any hesitation, it would have been removed by an application subsequently presented to me, with the! sig natures pf eighty, pf my dear young friend's fellow-students at the University ; which I value as a testimony of iaffec* tipnate regard to the memorydpf; tlie lamented dead.' — I hope I shall npt be considered as guilty of any impropriety, 3 Vlll in inscribing the Discourse to the Professors and Students of the University. The deep interest shown by the former, especially those under whom he had studied, in the melan choly event of his death,', I cannot but regard, as not less honourable to their own feelings than to the character of their departed pupil. I cannot, in conclusion, refrain from expressing a hope of some more extended Memorial of early departed excel lence. I am confident there are materials sufficient to ren der such a memorial interesting and profitable; and it may, by and by, be a tenderly soothing occupation to a father's spirit, to throw them into such a form as may at once do honour to the dead, and confer the highest benefit on the living. R. W. Glasgow, December 21s/, 1S2I. A-.'SEBEOKi-' " And thou destroyest the hope, of man." — Joe xiv. 19. 3?HE eighteenth and nineteenth verses, with the ?djfiferepfc translations of which I shall -Hot at present „tr;oiibie., you, evidently .contain ¦.& .spn^e, or com parison :: — "Surely, as the mountain falling com eth' to nought, and the rock is removed out of his place; as> the waters wear the stones; AS" thou washest away the things that grow out>of the -Amt of _the_ earth: — SO thou destroyest the hope of man." — Some parts of the comparison may repre sent the sudden overthrow of human hopes, and others their gradual undermining and consumption. The words of our text themselves present Deity to the mind under an aspect that seems far from inviting. What would the life of man be without hope ? Remove it, and you take away at once the relish of prosperity and the support and solace of adversity. — Let the tide of prosperity rise ever so high, and flow, with unebbing fulness, ever so long ; if the hope of its continuance be destroyed, it is instantly deprived of ah1 its power to, satisfy. Let the prosperous man .be certainly assured, fha^his prosperity is to last, but one day longer, — that at the close of so short a time its springs are tp be dried up, and he is "to be left in all the dreariness of universal desolation,* — would that day, think"you, be enjoyed by him? ,No. The extinction of hope would be 'the extinction of joy. — And, Oh! what would adversity be, without hope! This is the last lingering light ofthe human bosom, that continues to shine when every other has been extinguished. ,, Quench it-,44"' and the gloom of affliction becomes fcb#r very "blackfj ness of darkness," — cheerless and hnpenetrab^eu JOI What a view, then, is this of the supreme -.Jiyjejrg -^the- destroyer ofthe hopes of man ! How un^nijia- ble ! how severe! how repulsive !, ?9j.j r,. v. I am aware, that the words were uttered few, a spirit embittered and overwhelmed by varied and. accumulated, by unbefriended and unsoothed, calan, . rnity ; and that our conceptions and pur language are very powerfully influenced by the circumstances • in whicfowe are placed, and the consequent frame of otlri minds : the particular complexion of our feelings at-the tka& imparting a corresponding tinge to e,very object with which we are conversant.— »-To the mem^ of prosperity and cheerfulness, all is light. Hjlsj, spiritfisrfouoyant and sprightly, amidst, the exhila rating ^scenes, of nature, and he loves to dwell ^pn,; the bright side ofthe lot of man, — on the plea§ur0n able ingredients of human life.^I^le^u^ritf^ contrary, tba't is depressed byGikWc{i8H?m$k$lty thing is apfto wear a gloom. ^ilsSlrf^fflsi8^ with his wonted brightness ; qv\ the I<Mg^tries^0is' telt to be incongruous and offensive, ine. loveiy '- v-i - ¦ ¦ • ,. , ... ,• ..blujow-rvnortBloeoD and animating beauties or creation ipse weir ppwer to cheer and to fascinate ; and it is samyfel^ l ¦ij7\-y. .j — ."(o^ to noiJanrtza idgil gn How ill the scene that offers rest, iuodjiw sd _ r _ And heart that cannot rest, agree. . , _ nsdw >• „ / b couidsrijto The deep shades in the picture of human life are then dwelt upon, and its lighter tints are over looked, or are viewed" through a"sombre and ob scuring medium. ^fi lo tit .rod* tw ./ r s. indW Job was quite in a mood for the contemplation of whatever was gloomy. Yet, in this chapter, his gloominess is far from being that of absolutely des pairing melancholy. :) It is finely mingled with the gl earnings of hope, and the aspirations of piety; and the air that pervades this part of his address is that of a sadly pensive yet pleasing solemnity^-^** The representation given in the text of the conduct of God towards men, is in perfect harmony with the brighter and more cheering views that are pre-c sented of his loving-kindness and mercy; and the' destruction of human hopes, as to this world, is as sociated with the communication and fulfilment; of - hopes infinitely higher and better, for the world > to come. Jlcl Sl1* no — «n«ra to jol sifrto sbie, jd-ghd sdl B 2 The context shows us to what period, and con sequently to what descriptions of hope, the words of the text refer : — Verse 20. " Thou prevailest for ever against hiim and he passeth; tlloti- changest his countenance, and sendest him away." The reference here is evidently to the frustra tion and final extinction of all earthly expectations and prospects, in the hour of the' last sickness, and at the approach' of death. When the hand of God comes upon man, in mortal disease, there is no withstanding it. ! He " prevaileth against " the creature of his power, — his dependent and feeble creature, whose breath is in his nostrils. He "changes his countenance," — overspreading it with the pale and livid hue of dissolution, fixing' the glazed eye, hollowing the cheek, sharpening the features, distorting them, it may be, with convul sive spasms, suffusing the countenance with the chilly damps of death, and giving, in various ways, that presage of departure, which is so tenderly af fecting, in the altered looks of beloved 'relatives and friends. And he " sendeth him away ;" away from life,— away from this world, from all its connec tions, occupations,' enjoyments, and cares ; termi nating all his relations to it, all his interests in it; It is then that the text is Verified ; then that the hope of man is destroyed : so' that we are left at no loss to determine what descriptions of hope are in tendeds — First of all, the hope of life itself 'is then for ever extinguished.; . There is in the human bosom a natural clingingito life, so powerful, as seldom to be overcome by even the severest and the most ac- curovjlasted, and protracted calamities. But however strong the desire to live, it becomes, at the destined hour of departure, utterly unavailing. ", There is no man that hath power over the spirit, to retain, the spirit ; neither hath he power in the day of death*." Every things in body, in mind, and in condition, is alike impotent against the stroke of the last enemy : and in i all the successive stages of life, — in infancy atad childhood, in youth, in manhood, and in age,— - the time is always uncertain, and the issue equally sure. . . i . The brevity and evanescent nature of human life are beautifully expressed, in strains of plaintive melancholy, in the beginning of the chapter: — Verses 1, 2. " Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down ; he fleeth also -as a shadow, and continueth not." — How often is jfcjle .life of man, even in its fairest and loveliest, its most splendid, most admired, and most flattering jap- pearances, , suddenly and prematurely cut dp.wji, like the expanding flower ofthe morning, , in all its vigorous freshness, and all. its glittering pride and beauty, falUng before the scythe of , the mower !— And.there is the same possibility pf, fixing, ^giv ing permanence to human hfe, , as, there is of, arrest- B3 6 ing the shadow of the cloud that is hurried .before j the wind. 9 As it flies along the surface of theaarfch, and vanishes, so flies and vanishes the life of Jnan»> leaving hor trace behind it. •' " Man giveth up the ghost, and where is he ?" bruj - bstlgiaii Jbnjj Jliud ?8 But not only is the ; natural desire and hope, of life itself disappointed and " destroyed ;>' by, thfr stroke of death ; all the hopes and expectations also respecting the manner in which life was to be filled, up, — the" schemes and projects framed for it,' its promised occupations, acquirements, successes, coat- nections, and enjoyments, — all of these are not sus pended merely, but terminated, by the moment of dissolution :—all fly for ever awayj like a vision of the night. — "In that very day, his thoughts perish." an mo kjy: rbirlw "y- This is a truth that requires, not evidence, but impression. It is realized in the death of every human being : and to give the impression of itj which our minds are naturally so prone to let slip, depth and constancy, and practical efficiency^ Pro vidence at times presents to our view the most •striking and affecting exemplifications of it, fitted to arrest the attention of the most careless, and to waken the sensibilities of the most callous and un- impressible.— Plans of commercial speculation have been concerted with the profbundest sagacity and the most sanguine anticipations of success, and suc cess has seemed to be sure ; when the hopes ofthe pitgWote'have, in one moment, <b$ffli destroyed, andfehe»whole has been rendered labortive and ruin ous, fby the sadden and unanticipated arrest of the " king of' terrors." — Splendid houses have been built and finished ; and on the very day when thgy havei been ready to receive their elated'proprietors, the intended tenants of 'an earthly palace have been C<ed'down to the <" narrow house," ,^ the house app^nted- for all i llvhig." — Lawns and pleasure- grouhds have been planned with lively interest, and laid out with exquisite taste and beauty, at an im mense expense ; and the eye of the lord, of tjje manor has given them but one survey, has carried to his heart but one thrill of pleasure, and then ha$ closed in death* — Kingdoms have been won, of which the conqueror has never worn the crown*-— Deeds of renown have been performed; and, fere the laurel could be twined to invest the living; fore head, death has woven his cypress wreath for the brows of his unconscious victim. — Many a course of experiments in science, many a profound inves tigation in philosophy, has been begun by one and finished by another : many a train of thought has been Suddenly broken off) which no one else has been able to pursue: and many a lofty conception of genius has perished' in embryo, , then spirit that generated it having fledawaiy ere it was poesibletor it1 to see the light— Many a fine prospect of connu bial enjoyment, many a rising vision of domestic B4 8 delight, has been dissipated as a dream of the morn ing. Even on the joys of the nuptial hour itself has death intruded* and at the very altar has severed the bonds of hallowed love, turning a scene of glad ness and animated' hope to one of anguish and speechless despair .—Many a youthful promise of literary eminence, of official distinction, of' exten sive usefulness, has cheered the spirits of parents, and relatives, andiriends, only to sharpen the pang of disappointment, and to tdeepen the darkness that follows the bright illusion. But to enlarge here were endless. We have an instance of the precarious vanity of human hopes this evening before us ; and one more striking and impressive it is not easy to imagine, were fancy to select and combine from her store of possibilities : an instance, to which the minds of all who knew its circumstances instantly turned, even when the text was first announced in their hearing. The loved and honoured youth, whomi we this evening remember and mourn, mingling our tears with those of an agonized and desolated parent, who is present amongst us, and who has so power ful a claim on the tenderest sympathies of our hearts, — had no doubt his own hopes* his own schemes of future occupation, his own visions of future enjoyment. Of these I shall not speak. They might <well have been- high, without toeing chargeable with extravagance or want' of modesty. -But -his anticipations were far from being all hope, without fear ; all sanguine assurance, and presump tuous confidence. In the profession to which, in purpose, he had devoted his life, he calculated on difficulties, and had made up his mind to :se,lf- denying, and possibly to long-continued and unre- laxing diligence, for meeting, and combating, and overcoming them, t ¦-• , ,, But to the eye of paternal love and. affectionate friendship, there was presented in that youth 0a promise of future eminence of no ordinary kind. *^In the days of his early boyhood, he gave indi cations of an unusual precocity of genius, and ex traordinary powers of mind. But of these this is not the place for presenting specimens. For the first fifteen years of his life, his powers were cul tivated and, developed by the associated aiid( judi cious tuition of parents well qualified for- the inter esting office, — one in heart, in principle,- in judg ment, in effort, in prayer.— -Of his mental ; higtory during that early period, although much, I, am satisfied, might be learned from it, profitable both to children and to parents, I shall say nothing. I wish rather to speak of what I have myself seen and known. He was for three successive winters under my roof, and had commenced his ifpurth ; having been, in his - sixteenth year when be came, and in his nineteenth, when he died.— Seldom, if ever, have I -known, a young man possessed of a 10 richer combination of excellences. His reading had been far beyond his years, in kind, in variety^ and in extent; but it had not been • beyond his understanding. It was well remembered, well- digested, and ready for application to Use. ! He Was distinguished i by a ! general maturity of mind, which evinced itself upon all subjects ; by penetra tion and comprehensiveness of thought, acuteness in reasoning, dexterity in detecting and exposing the fallacies and weak points of ah argument ; by richness of poetic imagination, chastened and regu lated by a correct and classical taste ; and by ah uncommon command of appropriate and elegant language, displayed in his compositions, both in prose and verse, and in the facility and eloquence of oral (communication, — a command which was the result' of the early and well-directed study of the most approved and standard writers. i With these powers and capacities he associated an amusing playfulness of mind, which highly en joyed, a little facetious pleasantry,- and at times sparkled in genuine wit; which occasionally indulged itself in harmless satire, and good-humoured sophis try, and now and then frolicked, with the hap piest effect, in the jeuzv d' esprit of sportive verse. With his high intellectual qualities there' were united an excellent natural temper, and dispositions singularly amiable. Always open and affable, he was equally distant from the extremes of levity 11 and moroseness. All the while he was under my roof, I do not iitememberto have seen him even once out of temper. If he ever, was,, he had the good sense and, self-command to restrain its im proper ., expression. He was the pleasantest of inmates: — 'temperate, regular, chaste, upright and faithful, ever ready 'to oblige, ever fearful of being troublesome, iand thoroughly domestic in all his habits, he was a universal favourite in the family, with parents, -and .children, and servants.-^— He had become, .as it were, one of ourselves; and his absence jis(,fe]t accordingly. ,.As a student, I need not tell either Into teachers or his fellow-pupils, of the manner in which' he brought his admirable powers into exercise ;— -of his ardour, and diligence, and regularity, and per* severance, of his alertness and promptitude^ his candour and fairness, and distinguished success. He, had an eager thirst for knowledge ; and, i what ever subject came under his investigation, was always desirous to examine it thoroughly,-— never satisfied with what was partial and superficial. He read whatever he could find, of any reputa tion, relating to it; and few could* with a quicken perception, catch the scope of an author, ascertain his, leading principles, and appreciate the amount of his arguments ; — but still he thought for him self; and, whilst, he was far above the need, _he shrunk with indignant scorn from the, meanness, 12 of servile plagiarism.-*— Never,/ I I ,am ;boldi to sky* did/a student enter the precincts of thei UtiaiiveBsityi, who fulfilled, its required, and voluntary tasks more entirely by his own unassistedi powers. I never, indeed, witnessed a principle of more pure and in corruptible honour than that by which, Sini this respect, he was uniformly influenced*, , He did every thing himself. In! those exercises which required an accompanying, declaration ,o£n their leaving been executed without assistance, he would not even adopt a suggested improvement ; and, in one instance, when a composition, which had been hurriedly written, was returned; .ito,, the author for transcription, although various amend*- ments occurred to his own mind in re-writing it, he resisted the temptation to what he conceived an unfair advantage, and returned the, original with the copy, to show that he had not availed himself pfithe opportunity of alteration. , 1 But, high as this character is, — excellent and engaging as the portraiture appears,--it is not yet finished. It wants a principal feature. Or rather, Idshould say, it wants that, animating soul, that living and vivifying principle, that " vital spark of heavenly flame," which imparted to the whole at once its energy and its loveliness, its finest expres* sionboth of attractive grace, and of commanding dignity.1 * I need hardly say, that I mean religion. I have no hesitation in adding this to, the intellect- 13 ual and' moral 'qualities that have already been" enumerated. — ^Yes: the splendour of science was, in him, united* with the mild and holy radiance of sincere piety; — not the sentimental piety of poetry and romance, but the intelligent devotion of ex amined and settled principle. He was a firm believer , inb divine revelation: and his was1 not a mind that could ever be satisfied with a belief, resting 'on mere educational prejudice and prepos session. True,-j-he had been "brought up-in the Wurture and admonition of the Lord." He had seen religion under its most inviting aspects ; (and every asrJect in which it is seen ought to be invit ing,. — it is entirely out of character when it is otherwise) — he had seen it at home associated with all the (amiable and engaging virtues of domestic life, with all the loveliness of benevolence and charity, and all? 'the consistency of personal and official character. And why should not this 'have contributed to produce the early impression,' z and to settle the matured and permanent convic tion, of its - reality • and its excellence ? Such manifestations of its influence form a part of the legitimate and conclusive evidences of its truth. — But his convictions did not rest on this ground alone* The truth of the gospel was a question of which he felt 'the infinite importance, and which he was early encouraged to examine. HeigEtye* all his mind, with becoming seriousness, to the 14 inquiry: he ^weighed proofs -j he consideredfiSbj&kf tions; he searched the Scriptures for him§e4tfd His faith was thus founded in etidence,[i&Hd as£3ab- Hshed1 by his own experience of tb& pWei( ofUhto«g[ motives to godliness*1 which the gospel 'JjSresent&titd the mind.' Amidst the; temptations 'gjfigymuiig &M especially the fascinatihg4ed«0tibiiS)io£irf fee iftfliq our that cometh from men/'tlhe— ¦ muilit^m@&>i^x steady and1 dignified Consistency ; be[4ra^^pabigd I' am. Well persuaded, of n<S> Un worthy *@ato|jrdia$§©a, no-timid sacrifice of principle, no mlfittteres&dGoiji unmanly^acquiesence in what1 he i&mmimtibt&fa&l erroneous in sentiment, or vicious, in (CO&Uitefc> fiHel did* hot obtrude his > principles*^ buf he ti&mi* stouiik from ^th%$ avowal. ; Those who < 'knew! MAvtsb'^tin had associates &nd competitors in isfcudysgwalli beaut me witness, that he had n^thiaf abi^itoiM toFgtbel cant of religion.' He made no^laigb'iaiiiiL-foftbH^iri pretensions', no effort to appeaHmon®t^iknhe asiteg ually -was: He was serious' on* sdxtouSiKsabjsdtsto ahd would riot bear to hear1 theasK'tgeaieifl^sli'ithil levity. But he was cheerful* and-ppen bscjjthmjdtiyid He' entered, with a characteri&tiea/iiTvaGh^^uifccfo eveify^hing connected with 4h@ti«Bi^fesrijei|itiaibfafai his '^feirisi or of the ' University;' 'I Whdtevefl ap« • proached to hypocritical affectation or disingejalil uodsnessi-he held in unqualified aMMKience; iaitd on no subject \tfas this abhoBrence aaarei i»dig4^fcftfeb than<! our j the- subject of .^iigibo^ i iof i-vteihiqh ; hun»4;u 1.5 bto, sincerity is the first and most essential attri bute.-,,- „ ,. ., ,;, ,tr<The testimony of a father may be. considered as partial:; yet I do believe it is no more than the truth. " He feared and loved God," says he of him, addressing .himself to those, .who, living in the phtpe of his residence, , had every opportunity of teicfwjfflgjhim, — ",,He feared and loved God' from his eariicst days. Through divine grace he was preserved from moral improprieties in language or in action. He i never, IheUeve, approached a falser hood, even so near as by,a prevarication. >He never, I ittn confident, spent a day, from the age of five, without secret and sincere prayer. He never, once appydached the confines of intemperance. He never, from tHeage of three, did or said a thing,, which he, thcfught would give pain to his mother, his aunty or, , idyseMl— All these virtues were founded in a deep sense of religion, n He^ ever gloried in the, doctrines.,; of the cross. He felt Christ crucified, and, salva tion by. free grace, to be at once the only ground of his hope, and the grand stimulating motive of, his ; obedience. These doctrines afforded him support in death, and gave to his departing hours a calm ness, for which he was eminently distinguished in life." It is not merely for the sake of eulogising the dead, — no, nor even for the sake of soothing the afflicted spirit of the- living, (although this is a pur- 16 pose, wjiich he who commands us to " weep witil them that weep," will not allow m# to overlook or to regard without tender intenest)r— -that I have dwelt so long on the delineation of this character 5 but for the sake of those practical instructions whiok it affords to my hearers in general, and especially to the young, .-,»»¦ And first of all, how striking i&the lesson taitgki by it, of humble dependence, and, entire submission to the will of God! Xhere are some pf the divine dispensations,**-* and this is one of , them, — which, appear as if de signed to contradict all human calculations' of pro bability ; in which the (Sovereign disposer of events seems tp say to the rising doubts and wondering' questions of unbelief, ", Be, still, and know tha* I am God !" " My thoughts are not yourithoughts^ neither are your ways my ways : fear as the heave* i§ Jhigh above the earth, so are my ways higher thaw your ways, and my thoughts than your .thoughtSi.?i' I have seldom, if ever, in my own experience^ m#t with a case, to which I have found it more dif ficult tp bring my mind to a thorough reconciliation. I have been stunned by it ; and filled with a pain- fidjby unsettled, and inquisitive wonder., .<•# To what purpose," I have been tempted to say, " is this wa^%?" Why have these powers and. talents been bestowed, why have they been cultivated, and de veloped, and fitted for use, and never brought to 17 their destined application? — Why has this light been kindled, merely to show with what splendour it could burn, and then been extinguished for ever ? Why have promises so high, so fair, so pleasing, been held out, only to be frustrated, and dashed to the ground ? Why has a youth been so admirably endowed fbr the duties and services of active man hood, and then been cut down on the very confines of that sphere of eminence and usefulness for which these endowments had seemed intended to qualify and prepare him ? — And why, O my God, why hast thou thus prematurely laid in the dust the fondly cherished anticipations of a father's love ? — Why hast thou thus blasted the blossoms of his hopes ? Why hast thou quenched this sole remaining light in his tabernacle ? Why hast thou so severely be reft him of the only surviving pledge of the purest, the fondest, the happiest connubial love? — the darling object of his concentrated affections, — the light of his eyes, the joy of his heart, the hope of his future days ! Why hast thou widowed the hus band, and bereaved the brother, and written the father childless, and left him in the solitude and dreariness of domestic desolation ! O my brethren, it is not for us to criticise the administration of God. " Such knowledge is too wonderful for us : it is high ; we cannot attain unto it." His "judgments are a great deep :" — " his ways past finding out." It is ours, to bow 18 and ' to adore ; resting satisfied* thaty though > the -rcVeals not the secret reasons of his procedure, his sovereignty is- not caprice^ ¦ He has reasons, < he has always reasons, the best, the wisest,1 fthe ! kindest reasons, for every step in his : dealings with rhis children; reasons," in perfect harmony iwithu the assurances of his unchanging Jove, and with -the faithfulness of all his "exceeding great and pre cious promises." — "Who is among you thati fear eth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness- and hath no light,— -4et him trust in the name of the Lord and stay- upon his God." ¦ ¦ - 15}ind unbelief is sure to err, And scan his work in vain : God is his own interpreter, And he will make it plain." By such events as the, one nowybefojeyjus, tiiere are ends, and these far fromf being unjmppr- ^tanfc or unprofitable, which, we, may conceiye( to Hhe answeerd, both tp those, whpna they mos^ near ly concern, and to all who witness, them*— For ex- , ,^mple,— ( ,_ Jn iffe first place. Is it npt eminently salary ,%us., when, by such strange and startling, and con founding dispensations, , our minds are impressed ,,mtK,the, sovereignty ,an.d. , independence of sthe v.Gre^t, Supreme ?— when he makes us^feel ,our 19 distance, our weakness, our utter incapacity to fathom his counsels ? — We thus learn the humility which becomes dependent creatures. We are placed in the attitude of dumb unquestioning sub mission, which, though it cannot understand,. pre sumes not , to dispute, and are admonished; to be '* strong in faith, giving glory to God." Secondly. Is it not a profitable lesson^ one which, rightly received and improved, conducts to the most important practical results, — the lesson, im pressively taught us by such, occurrences, of the transitory vanity of every thing earthly, and the , (in fatuation and folly of seeking our happiness, from what is necessarily so precarious ? — To this folly we are, alas ! incessantly prone : and events which are fitted to force upon our attention a lesson which we are so backward to learn and so ready to let slip ; — which make our minds start from their earthly stupor ; which oblige us to think ; which tear our souls away from the world, and constrain us to feel in our hearts, as well as to own with our lips, the unsatisfying emptiness of all that is bounded 'by the limits of the present life,— -the vanity of human wishes, — the uncertainty even of the highest and noblest, the most rational and honourable, of the plans and pursuits and expectations of men, those that have their source in elevated mental ex cellence ;— such events may be to every one of us of eminent advantage.— Suppose any young man, of C 2 20 bright natural endowments,! andextensiveacqinsk tions in literature and science, shall be • fed -byiJtfyd dispensation of providence : which we this,< evening mourn, ;to lay to heart, the importance of still hlgjhefc knowledge ;— shall listen to the solemn admonition*,, '^Young man, be sober minded ;'Wshall have (M^ heart wakened to the fear pf God, and shall ih&fcmh fppth cpnsecrate to Him thpsepowersipf »$#iB?felhM is tbe Autijipr* and wfecb fit their, ppssesspr .ffinfthejgdw vancement of his glory ^iffthe, voice frpmj;i^e6d#a"d3 shall reach ti>e ear* ,r, and tbe, conscience*, anjd, Jhe^ heart ofrthe living ;— rif the temporal /deaitl&iq&^nja shall. thus, through, the; grace of the^sdiePfyS^MStft tion,fpr,oye the spiritual life of others v-n^fen; j||i% spirit °f a weeping father will be, cheered* fjjlpye&t result, so blessed, and through the, tears ^qtnjq sorrow will he look up to the throne pf . the,jPiKW'?o mercy, s with the. smile of willing and gTatefuiiiSfiW mission* orij «>d vcm yfoyil vb£9ik gaoiffixfginim qT^s4^- T^e afflictions of life ar-e,sfinfc by JJagil Father,- of mercies, for the spiritual good of ithe gfi&b ferers 5*?-iand when they befall a; minister of iQ^sfaj especially, (although the same remark fe applicable, to Christians in general,) they are; intended not for _.-, his 'owniperspnalabeieiit merely, but to qualify him foivthe better fulfilment of his.official trust- , " Blessp ed be God* the Father, of our Lord Jesus Christ ri the Father of mercies,, and the God of al]:CQmfojrt,n who comforteth us in all our ^tribulation, that we 7 '10 21 rmy be able to comfort them who are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comfort ed of God!"* If, then, the surviving parent of this dear departed youth,1 a; servant Of God in the gos pel of his Son, shall have his mind more strongly than ever fastened on eternity, and impressed with the infinite magnitude of its concerns ; shall have his heart more thoroughly than ever devoted to the work of the Lord; and, with increased tenderness of persuasion, and fervency of entreaty, andweighti- ness of expostulation and warning, shall " beseech sinners to be reconciled to God;" as well as " con<-! firm the souls of the disciples, exhorting them," with a -deeper solicitude than ever, " to continue in tfie faith," and to "cleave unto the Lord with purpose of heart ;"— who can estimate the amount of spiritual and eternal benefit which may thus be produced? The death of his son, giving new life to ministrations already lively, may be the means of life everlasting to those who hear him. And the deep and solemn and affectionate interest excited by the event in the scene of his ministerial labours, may, by the blessing of God, effectually contribute to an issue so desirable. Fourthly. May not such an event serve to dis-<! sipate an illusion by which our minds are too often influenced, both in our estimates of happiness and in our judgments of Divine dispensations ;— I mean * 2 Cor. i. 3, 4, C3 22 Ai the illusion produced by the inconsiderate' ' confine ment of our attention to the 'present life ?^Wlieri a course like that of our departed' ydiitig friend' is thus, as we are apt to conceive, prematurelycloSed, we use the language of pittf :—$e cbn^J)asSioriate one who has thus been cut off' from all that he 'an ticipated of future years, his progress1 suddenly^iri. terrupted, and his early' hopes laid low. — In the same way are we ready to speak of' his p bwers1 anti talents "as lost,-^as having been bestowed arid cul tivated to ho purpose, when the life is but short' in which they should have beeri brought ihtb practibal application.— But in both cases, we are 'forgetting the simple arid reasonable principle; of taking into oux calculations, ' respecting the happiness of any creature, and respecting the ends of his being; the entire ' extent of that Creature's existence. — Our friend has riot ceased to be. He still1 'lives. And ought we, as far as he is concerned, to speak of him in tlie terms of comp aSsion and regret, if' we have i reason for believing that he haS only been' removed from a worse state to a better, — from an inferior to . arsupenor, — from deficiency to perfection, — from earth to heaven? And is it right that We should speak of his pbwers as if they were ' lost, and as if 4he design of their bestowment were rendered abor tive, merely because they have nbt 'found their application in this world?— because they have riot been brought into use in those spheres of earthly 23 employment to whicb men had destined them(? Np, my brethren This is a fallacy. His powers are no|t lost. Xhe end oftheir bestowment has not been ahortive. God has only shpwn us, that that' end was not .what we had supposed. They were not conferred merely for ithe few years of the present passing life, but for the , whole duration of his ex istence. They were cpnsecrated, to God in their igajly .development, arid he has required them for ibfe, service in a higher sphere. We thought those powers were preparing their possessor for eminence an^u^efuhiess in, this world. We were mistaken. God meant to employ them elsewhere.5 They are developed to their full expansion, and occupied at their utmost stretch, in the knowledge and the ser vice of the upper sanctuary. — I have no idea, that there the powers of ,al! minds shall be equalized. .f^here-rshall, indeed, be no felt deficiency. All • f "f i shall be.£ujl, to the entire extent of their respective capacities. , But, the diversities of capacity, there is no sufficient reason, I think,, to doubt, will still re main; whilst without pride, or vanity, or mutual jealousy, with u^dissenibled humility and unmingled love, the faculties of all souls shall be incessant ly occupied,; in ways of which here we can form very indistinct, and uncertain conceptions, ways which ''eye hatfc(npt seen nor ear heard," in serv ing and glprifying. God and the. Lamb. .What diversified departments of knowledge shall there C4 24. engage, the nefevsllfed, andoexip^iridbdtipOTfceBsi gfciife hardly for us to conjecture.! One,fwe fato^riheiM is, which will have a decided,; andHlmkexsaljsJatals eternal pi/te-emirience ji i iDiiei which^ocUasiboiiEilpwM sadly little of the regard of thiscwoilfllslphfcisffif&yid -^need I say that 1 mean the iwQnddrsarfiridseniD* ing grace,— s-the jmyatatMstcof rtfaeoierossieJ *(6BiHse tfeisgaoihg angels desire to look; into. Vid Itotfe^Hslfe ftsidTJf their observation, ^hiS is)jtliaipoinft»ormsBbiehS thj^yj, especially delight to idweli;, iand f'the, spifiM of} jSist.meii oaafe' perfect" jtei^dhem in tbehccfeigfri rfesea&df^j their ! delightful- discoveries* their hading cbntemplaticaasji ^itimim , Fifthly, ji Is there not, to the heart of an agonized parent* fefeling the dreary blank made in his JSDofetyd by the absence of such a son,— is there not eohso*' l^iohjsifircnig consolation,, oin the thought that hea has seen the object of his love safe before him? Laadbk may not ibis thought impart peace and jbytoqhfse sp%i&all the while that he travels ioifaliiafadi the re^r raa^SABiioi his- pilgrimage ? — s&uppis& he' had; hiinii self been called first away-^-Conldhelthirikybu, not- witijBfeBHding, the delight infused into<hiis'tdepaKt{iJg spjairfcbylhe conviction of that son's faMi and piety andflstiMlity of principle, — could he have ! left himu befainfl,dn a world abounding with every variety of_ temptation, without a secret phng ofi apprehension* d W*thiou6aft'eeIiing offender solicitude about his highest' interests ?~-But, by the Divine arrangement, every 25 thing of this kihdtisi saved him. He can go through hfe with the delightful impression, 'v the calmlland settled eonvictidn;that the son of his heart's love, his dear dear boy* is safe and happy. And when he himself shall1 be called away#9 instead of having to part from him, in that solemn moment, with emotions of anxious trepidation, it shall be one of the joys of his departure, that he is going to join* his company, and to be with him for ever. Thus he has a new interest in heaven ; and,tin anticipat-1 ing death, a new object of hope before him. £ln-o stead of wailing in the bitterness of unmingled and unmitigated wo, like David over a son that had not only died, — that had been little, — but had died in unnatural and impious rebellion against his father and his God, — " O my son Absalom, my son, my ' son Absalom ! would God I had died for thee ! O Absalom, my son, my son !" — Instead of this, he can I adopt the language ofthe same royal mourner, when t ,his infant child, for whom he had fasted and prayedf-. and wept,; was taken away from him, — " I shall go « to him, but he shall not return to me." to rmdlfea Our dear departed friend and companion was not one for whom we sorrow without hope. He was, a as I have before mentioned, a firm believer of that gospel by which hfe and incorruption have been brought, to light; and he felt and exemplified its i sacred influence. — After. the tidings arrived of the death of that dear i relative, who was removed sod 26 very recently before him, and who hadbeen to him as- a second mother, his mind was evidently drawn, with a peculiar degree of interest and impression* to the contemplation of eternal things* Hel con versed, with- solemn pleasure, about death,, and hekven. His mind was. serious and spiritual. -It seems as if her departure had been purposely timed to prepare him for his own ; and he was'in a -frame of mind for dying, before the symptoms of approach ing death discovered themselves* .I,, ,. i During his short and rapid' illness, the difficulty and indistinctness of articulatiom which was- one, of its most affecting indications, rendered conversation impracticable. The testimony, consequently, of his faith and hope, was, of necessity brief andr limited. The questions which I felt it my « duty to put to . him in reference to his prospects for a future- world, when it became too evident that he* was approach ing' its confines, were unavoidably, for the reason I have mentioned, so framed as to require l no more than a simple negative or affirmative reply. > In such circumstances we must bet satisfied with' what we can obtain ; and all who knew the perfect in genuousness of his character will attach to his an swers' the full credit of sincerity. — Standing by his bedside, I took him affectionately by the hand, andy looking him in the face, repeated these words, " ' This is' a faithful saying, and worthy of all accep tation, that* Christ Jesus came into the world 27 to save isinnersi:' — Younhelieve this saying ?"— - 1 , tft®*fignt, as I began to speak, there was an attempt to restrain the nervous restlessness of the arm, of which1 L held the hand, and that his countenance as7 sumed a gently pleased and interested expression : — " Yow believe this saying ?" " Yes."— ".And it is the ground of your hope before God?" e" Yes." — " You must have perceived, my, very dear young friend,! from the medical advice called in, and from the remedies employed* that your complaints have beenYof an alarming nature ?" t " Yes." — ".Have you any fear of dying ?," " No." — " , f I know whom I have believed,- and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against •tihati day/ You enjoy this persuasion, I trust?" " Yes." v" I You remember,1 David says, ' Yea, though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, 1- will' fear no evil ; for thou art with me.', He could tojt have had a better reason than this for fearing no evil ?" u " No." — " And this is the reason why you fear no evil ?" {/' Yes." — " When God, in the Bible* tells us not to fear, he always gives us a good reason f why we should not. "Fear not: for I - am the first and the last, and the hving one; and ». I was dead, and behold. I am ahve for evermore ; ,t. and have the keys of hell and of death.? 'tFear not, •< for I am with thee : be not dismayed for I am, thy God : I will strengthen thee ; 1 yea, si will help 8 thee ; yea, I < will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.'- -You are ehateleAnMHirie^ to resign yourself to his blessed willa^'n ^'>Yei.Ho — " You like to hear of Jesus Christ and his salva tion?" "Yes.". Such were the pleasing indications 'of the' 'frame of his spirit in dying; and we could only regret that the nature of his disorder prevented the more full expression of it., I ought to add, that no patient could* -be *more thoroughly submissive. lrf From the Commencement to the termination of his distemper, he never gave the slightest indication, byword, or look,, pr,sign, of impatience, or repining, or discomposure, or of even a momentary hesitation or reluctance to dp, to. -take, or to bear, whatever was prescribed for' him. At nb time did this appear to be at all the u 101. u2c. xx x ta - "U result of fear. It arose from that firmness of mind which always distinguished him, accompanied by a sense of propriety' and dutyj and a spirit of pious resignation. "He appears to have t begun, at the time wheii' his ©wn distress was coming on* to compose a hymn on the death of the Christian friend before alluded to. The two following verses were found, in- his writing desk, recently written on a little slip of paper. The encroach menjt of his'own dis-= ease prevented his either retouching them,><Jor adding more. I give them in their first beautrful and, toughing simplicity.,,^, They show the bearings of his mind, and might be appropriately inscribed on his own early tomb : — " Though to-night the seed be sown in gloom, Avnjdj darkness, tears, and sorrow, It shall spring from the tomb, in immortal bloom, On the bright and glorious morrow. The tears that we shed o'er holy dust , , /.Are the tribute of human sadness ; , r,Iiut the grave holds in trust the remains i of ;^he just, Till the day of eternal gladness ! "* * In addition to these pleasing evidences of the state of his mind ; I may insert here an extract from a letter) which he had in part written tq his fatheriO after his disorder had begun, but before its true nature was at all apprehendU _ ed, or any fears entertained ; and which its progress prevented him from finishing. A previous letter, written immediately 'after bearing of his aunt's death, and containing a full expression of his sentiments and feelings , s on the mournful event, I have not in my possession ; but, from the account given of it by his father, it was in a high degree satisfactory. — Tlie unfinished letter, from which, I take the extract waswritten at intervals under oppressive Ian.. guor, which, to all who know the nature of his distemper, even in its incipient stages, will at once account for the absence of that correct and easy elegance by which his compositions were usually characterized. — " My dearest, dearest) J Father, — Every loss I endure seems, by concentrating, to strengthen rthe affections; and, as my circle contracts, I fix myself more and more on you. You have my entire confidence and gratitude. — My dear aunt had myi' warmest affections. She, however, is gone ; and, we may confidently add,, ( | gone to glory. Never-ending felicity will now attend her. Neither days nor nights of sorrow, but an eternal day of felicity and glory. This is; ! indeed, sufficient to dissipate the globm of the separation, and, to obliterated j even from our minds those past sufferings, which have terminated in ap; j exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Oh ! may we be enabled, — especially may / be enabled, — for I know that you are pressing forward , to the heavenly gate, may I be enabled tp walk in the footsteps of the holyr d^ad, and^ ( npt looking at the things of this life, to press towards those that are before, and thus to make my calling arid election sure! What a Messing is it to look '30 Thus that God, who, to use the langtfag'e of bur 'text, destroyed1 his hopes of life and health,osbf 'happiness, and honour, and usefulness, -in "this world, imparted' to him hopes of a higher of der, hopes for eternity. Yes, my friends: He[whb, by the stroke of death, lays in the dust all the flolffffly '. cherished anticipations of time, is not, after all^fhe destroyer, but the giver of hop*e to man;; of blessed, and glorious, and certain hope!— TlnV'hop&!4he patriarch finely expresses in the preceding1 context, where he evidently looks forward to the end ofthe world and the resurrection of .the just: — Verses 7 — 15. "For there is hope of a tree,: if it be' cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease. Though the foot thereof wax old in the earth, . and the ! st$ck thereof die irt the ground *¦ yet through the £ceht of "water it will bud, and bring forth "Kbifgns like a plant. But man dieth, and wasteth away ; rnbucqaa'noD '>,;j,b*9 gun: ,i .iswanfi nc. .']f>i back on a life spent entirely in the'service of God ! . Our.-djear friends, have doubtless had the common failings of humanity, have needed the pardoning blood of Jesus, and have been saved by firm con'ndente in the1' great Media tor. Yet, in the whole course of their lives, they at least sincerely professed the name of Jesus. We do not, I believe, know a single important, ac tion in which they have deviated from the strait and narrow path. 'My dear aunt did not possess the Very brilliant talents: by which my, beloved mother was so highly distinguished. She. had, 'however, sound and roigojous sense, and a heart eminently devoted to her God. My-^nother and .yourself excepted, there never was a human beings for whom' I ielt so 'muen tender affection as for her. She is gone, however, to her rest, and I would not recall her. To weep is inevitable; but we ought pot to weep as fbose who are «jth- out hope. .." 31 yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he ? 4-S the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up ; so man lieth down, and riseth not : till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of.fheir sleep. Oh that thou wouldst hide me , in the grave, that thou wouldst. keep me secret, until thy wrath be past ; that, thou wouldst. appoint me a, set time, and. Remember m,e! If a man die, shall he liye again? AJJL the days of my appointed time will I, wait, till my change come. Thou shalt call, an,d I will answer thee : thou wilt have a desire to the wqrk of thine hands." — The patriarch here, in bitterness of spirit, entreats for a refuge , in the grave from the pitiless storm ; not indeed for L ever, but for "a set time," which he desires that God would " appoint" to him, and at the close of which he prays to be "remembered:" and then to the question, "If a man die, shall he live again ?" he returns an answer, in terms exactly corresponding to those in which he had expressed his desire for a temporary hiding-place in the grave. ,Yes, ,j,he shall live again : — -" all the days of my appointed time" — (the " set time" which he had wished that God would "appoint" him in the grave,) — " will I wait till my change come. Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee : thou wilt have a respect unto the work of thy hands." How beautiful this thought ! " Thou wilt yearn toward 32 the] work of thy hands :"* that is, towards the mouldered bodies of his children," the objects of his love, that have long lain in the dust. His " calling" is the effect of the yearning of his heart toward them ; and their " answering," of their confidence and delight in him : and his desire toward the work of his hands will be manifested in tlie glory with which, in its renovation, it shall be invested. This is the " change" of which Job 'expresses his assurance. It is the same which is so exquisitely described by the apostle Paid, in writing to the Corinthians :— " It is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption ; it is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory ; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power ; it is sown an animal body, it Is raised a spiritual body. — The first man is of the earth, earthy ; the second man is the Lord froin heaven. — -And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heav enly."'* ' In the verses that have been quoted, therefore, the~patriarch expresses the same hope, which he elsewhere utters in terms of so much nervous em phasis, and so full of animated and exulting de light : — " Oh that my words were now written ! oh that they were printed in a book ! that they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever ! For I know that my Redeemer liveth, * Goode. f 1 Cor- xv- 42—44, 47, 49. 33 anji that he shall stand at tbe latter day upon the earth : and though after, my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God."* O that I could infuse this blessed hope into the bosom of every one who now hears me ! — even the hope, pf which Christ, in his obedience, sacri fice, and intercession, is the. ground; and conformity tfi Christ in his holiness, and glory, and blessedness, is ,the object. — " Other foundation can no man lay tj^an that is laid, which is Jesus Christ :" " Christ in you, the hope of glory." — " When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory :"t "It doth not yet appear what we shall be j but we know, that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is, and whosoever hath this hope in him," (that is, in or on Christ) " purifieth himself even as he is pure." — In these last words, the practical inT fluence of hope, is briefly stated ; and without the manifestation of this influence, the hope is not truly and scripturahy enjoyed, but must prove baseless and delusive. — There is no gospel hope, without gos pel holiness. If " the grace of God which bringetii salvation does not teach a man to deny all ungod liness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, and righteously, and godly in this present world," it is in vain he pretends to be a debtor to that grace ' Job xix. 23 — 26. f 1 Cor. iii. 11. Col. i. 27. 1 John iii. 2. Col. iii. 4. D 34 , fog h^, hopes of heaven. He is deceiving hims.elf, or, he is, deceiving pthers. " He, is without Christ, and,,withouf hope." ,j ilVIany, my, young friends, are the warnings addressed, ^p you by Him who is " thc^Godopf your hfe, and tbe, length of your days,'' — "in whose, hand is, the, life, of every living thing, #ad ^e^bfeath of all mankind/' They are the warnings of kindness and lpye ; intended, not to, make ypu melancholy, ibuj; to make you happy. — You readily , admjf-< — wbo, ,indeed can deny it ? — the precarious- ness of life ; its precariousness, even under its.most flattering appearances :— for where amongst you all i,s ^ jffame more robust, a constitution more sound, or a look more full of health, tha?! Mb whom, sudden disease has, in a few days, shaken to the dust ? — You admit, top, the certainty of those prospects which the word and providence of God admonish you to anticipate, and beseech you to provide against. — Follow up,; then, let me entreat you, your conviction. Act upon it. It can serye no ^eno): but that of increasing your guilt and con demnation, .if you hold it in your, minds, and do not obey it, in your lives. Yield ,to it, then. , Sin cerity, ^nd,, consistency require this, of you. Prur denee;, requires , it. , God requires it. And , He requires nothing, .but;; what, is meant J#f your, good. AJj^tbajk h$\cqy(irpaftd?. amounts to aii injunction^© 35 « consult your own happiness,— to securb'ybuf ' own best and highest interests ; and all that he forbids may, in regard to the design of it, be comprised' in the admonition, " Do thyself no harm." 83"©j'iny friends, it is a solemh thing to die:j Had you stood, as I did, by the bed-side bf the ex cellent youth 'whom we this evening deplore,' and ! 'witnessed his parting struggle, you would have deep ly felt it to be So. I shall not attempt to describe the scene! It would pierce with too keen a pang the heart Of a disconsolate father. I shall only say, that the last strife of nature in a friend' we lovb, ' if 'there were not the hope of the gospel giving the" as surance of rest, and peace, and blessedness, beyond it, "would be^a scene of agony altogether insup portable, rrfjffiou to j iu r 'o'toifi aooi £ io ,bnuoa By every one of yon, remember, the closing scerte must sooner oV later be realized. — Your friends shall stand round your dying bed, in the heart-sinking stillness of anxious suspense, gazing, through teats of affectionate anguish, on your changing 'counte nance, and watching for that breath that shall part you from them for ever. O that, whether that breath shall be drawn by you with the softness that leaves attending relatives uncertain whether 'it has passed yOur lips, or shall be heaved aloud with the strong convulsive : gaspings of violent dissolution, you may possess, in your departure, the blessed hope of the gospel; — that when' you lie shrouded 36 for the grave, and when you are laid in the man sions of silence, it may be said over you witaitnuilshs by surviving friends, " sorrowful yet rejoicing1 ?-*» " Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord :-r-that they may rest from their labours ; and their Works do- follow them." oj ,839nte, i&s 9tBnoiJo9fti3 rijiw : " Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, and let1 thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth ;8iahft>I walk in the ways of thy heart, and in the sight of thine eyes : — but know thou, that for all these things Gad will bring thee into judgment. > Wherefore re-»9 move, sorrow from thy, heart* and put away j evils from thy flesh *• for childhood and youth are vanity!. Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them."* msb 9v> ¦ nov rno moil <}D9iloD9i O -There are present, I presume, not a few, who': are pursuing the same course of study which our friend has so suddenly and prematurely closed ; and sdme, it may be, of his intimate associates in that useful and honourable career, — who admired his J talents, who esteemed his virtues, who enjoyed his society, who valued his friendship, — and who now, in- heaviness of spirit, miss him in the class-room, in the private walk, huthe friendly party, and in the social discussions of philosophy and literature : C — " thp<|djig$thift; knew him knowing him no more." tmi<£flQ3 e£ii «VEca«. xi. 9, 10* xii. i.,Kf fIW" ^ moil 37 — +To sodh let me say-*-Emulat© his ardour in the acquisition of knowledge : imitate his constant, at- : tention to his studies, his industry and perseverance* his honour and openness and candour, his goodj humour and kindness. ,cBut above all, allow me, with affectionate earnestness, to beseech you,— r. follow, him in his piety. You admired his talents : let his talents recommend the principles of his char- acterj Let his learning bespeak a favourable re gard to his rehgion. ci Let the sentiments whjehhe entertained hef counted worthy of your serious JeaO aminatiom Treat not with contempt or indiffea-eocer; what he held in high estimation. And let his tes*; timony to the religion of the gospel come toyouiH mindis and hearts, with the solemn interests which ough^-ito accompany the counsel of a dying friend. ?; O recollect, from whom you have derived* ,yjn»rli pawers,v and by whom they are maintained in ex ercise. Remember, that He who gave andiwhaif; continues them, can, in a moment, by a single fparw '< alyzing touch, reduce them to utter impotence, and turn the thrillings of admiration, in the bosoms^of* aU, that know and love you, into the meltings.ofj pity. Forget not, that the possession of superior powers and superior attainments involves in it a cor* responding obligation and responsibility. yiBe not :.< ye guilty of the ingratitude and infatuation of pros-;; t tituting and alienating them from their Author, and from the high purposes, for which-, he has conferred 38 them. Whatever may be the profession you chbbse for the occupation of your future life, whilst you : sedulously apply your faculties to the fulfil ment of its duties, O be not unmindful ofthe claims, the high, the paramount claims of Him who gave you being,-^who constituted your minds what they are, and gave you your opportunities for their improvement. Let all be sanctified by piety ; all consecrated to God at the foot of the cross ; all cordially inscribed with " Holiness unto 'the Lord." — Let God himself be the object that 'sd- premely engages the powers of your urtderstan do ings and' the affections of your hearts. Forgetnbt the Creator, whilst you explore his works. Let the iphilosophy bbth of mind and of matter draw your souls, in devout adoration, to the Fountain of all existence. O beware of that strangest' and falsest of all tm associations of thought that have' ever been form ed in the human mind, — the association of piety with weakness: — Whatever is excellent kridhondufc able you have been accustomed, and not without reason, to connect with eminence in mental qualifi cations, and with high attainments in useful learn ing : — nor would I quench, or everi damp, I would rather stimulate your ardour. But why,'"0 why is it that with piety should so frequently be associat ed the impression of imbecility, and a 'secret' con sciousness of shame and fear of avowal ? There is 39 a higbiiwinded. spirit of independence, that is,f alas ! too captivating to the youthful heart, and tempts it to ,thrpw off, the restraints of religion, to disengage itself frorp, : vulgar shackles,~-the shackles of weak and ordinary minds. But was ever conception more false? Was ever association of ideas more presumptuous ? Was ever independence of spirit niore miserably, imisnamed ? Was ever feeling of shame more misplaced and groundless ? Was ever shrinking timidity more basely dishonourable ?-*<¦*¦ Piety weakness ! O what must the infinite God, the great object of all the sentiments, and affections, and services of piety,— what must He think of such a connection of ideas as this! — Piety weakness! It is, the, purest excellence, and thesublimestielevai- tion, — the felicity alike and the glory of the most exalted of created natures. O, there is no illusion of the youthful mind, no one of the many spells by which it is, fascinated and bewildered, that I should bp more earnestly solicitous to break apd to dissipate than this. Away with it from your minds,! It is unworthy of a place in the bosom of any, rationr al, being. , Let the example that is before you this evening contribute to satisfy you, that true religion, whilst it may, (blessed be God !) be the happy- inr mate of ,lhe weakest mind, does, at the, same time, ennoble the lpf'tiest and most powerful ;— rtiiat though it can dwell in the most limited,, it can fill the amplitude ofthe most capacious. 40 What a lesson does a deathJbed teach, of tlie vanity and unsatisfactoriness of even the best* and highest and most truly honourable of earthly dis tinctions; — of every thing* when depended on for happiness, that is not allied to eternity, ando com mensurate with its duration ! In that solemn hour., the measure of value comes to be simply the capa city there is in whatever objects come before the thoughts, to impart peace and hope to the ankid, in the prospects that are immediately before it, and are absorbing all its regards. The measure ceases to be taken from the world we are leaving : it is taken from that on which we are entering. Every thing -is then felt to be worthless, that does not tell, and tell satisfactorily, of good hope for eternity ; that does not show to the trembling heart a forgiv ing God, and a safe and divinely authorized way to heaven. — When the soul is, lingering on the verge of an everlasting world, and wholly occupied about the views that are before it, it is not earthly science, in the largest measure of it that ever was embraced by any human mind, that can impart satisfaction and confidence. The mightiest mind, the mind of highest literary polish, and most extensive scientific acquire ments, may then, amidst all its multiplied resources, be at a loss for an answer to its anxious inquiries respecting acceptance with God, — at a loss fbr a solid ground on which to fasten the hopes of the parting spirit. O leave not questions on a subject 41 so infinitehjE. momentous* to be investigated and de termined bn a deativbed^ You may then have wither sfckae nor ability granted you for such a pur pose*, There is no folly, and there is no ifrapiety, gi^terthanttbat which is involved in such delay. .fisis leaving the concerns of a never-ending existence to? the mercies of an uncertain moment ; anditisof- feriagctorHka who has an immediate claim, and a claim evtery successive moment of your whole lives, :on all ycai are and: on all you have,— and offering from a mere feeEfog of selfish ^fear, the dregs af your existence, ithe worthless remnant of your days. *'>Mdw i&the accepted time." — And remember,: it is to theBible you must have recourse for an answer to your inquiries. However valuable the instructions you> may -receive in the schools of philosophy, it Is not from them you are to learn the way to eternal life. It is from the word of God, from the philoso- phy of Christianity alone, that this can be learned. There is nothing in the wide circle of science and literature/ that can meet the wishes, and satisfy Itfee wants, and quiet the fears of a dying sinner, ©espisie not, then, the dictates of the Bible. There is but one description of knowledge, and the BibkusfaHie reveals it, with which eternal life is associated. With that knowledge, therefore, there can be no other that will bear a moment's comparison :.-*- " This is life eternal, that they might know THEE, THE ONLY ¦ TRUE GOB, AND JESUS ChHIST 7 42 whom thou hast sent." — Look, then, unto Jesus. " Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world." " All things," says an inspired messenger of Divine truths — "all things are of God, who hath reconciled us. to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of recon ciliation ; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconcil ing the world unto himself, not imputing their tres passes unto them ; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambas sadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us ; we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye recon ciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin *¦ that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."* — " If to you to live be Christ, to you to die will be gain." * 2 Cor. v. 13—21. THE END. Andrew .S. John M. DuDcan, Printers to the University, Glasgow. WORKS BY THE SAME AUTHOR, sold by Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, <$• Brown* LONDON; AND WARDLAW & CUNNINGHAME, -.- f ¦¦ . ¦ GLASGOW. 1. Lectures on the Book op Ecclesiastes. 2 vols. 8vo. Price 18s. hoards,— just published. 2. Discourses on the Principal Points ofthe Socinian Controversy. Third Edition/ 8vo. 12s. .bds. 3; Unitarianism Incapable of Vindication ; a Reply to the Rev. James Yates? Vindication of Unitarianism. 8vo. 10s, 6d, boards. 4. Three Lectures on the Abrahamic Covenant, and its Connection, with Infant Baptism. 8vo. 3s. 5. An Essay on Lancaster's Improvements in Edu cation. 8vo. is. 6d. 6. A Sermon on the Doctrine of a Particular Pro vidence ; preached on account of the Death of the Author's brother, who fell at the battle of Salaman ca. Third Edition, 8vo. Is. 6d. 7. Qualifications for Teaching essential to the Cha racter of a Christian Bishop: A Sermon. 8vo. Is. 8. Christian Mercy : A Sermon, preached for the Glasgow Female Society. 8vo. Is. 9. The Scriptural Unity ofthe Churches of Christ Illustrated and Recommended : A Sermon, preached in College Street Chapel, Edinburgh. 8vo. Is. 6d. 12mo9d. 1 0. An Essay on Benevolent Associations for the Re lief ofthe Poor. 8vo. Is. 6d. 11. The Contemplation of. Heathen Idolatry an Excitement to Missionary Zeal; A Sermon, preached before the London Missionary Society, at Surrey Chapel. 8vo. Is. 1 2. The Duty of Imitating Departed Worth ; A Sermon, occasioned by the Death of the late Robert Balfour, D. D. 8vo. Is. 6d. 13. The Truth, Nature, and Universality of the Gospel ; A Sermon, preached before the Missionary Sorciety, Stirling. 8vo. Is. 6d. 1 4. The Christian Duty of Submission to Civil Government; A Sermon. 8vo. Is. 15. The Purposes of Divine Mercy to the Seed of Abraham ; A Sermon, preached for the Glasgow So ciety for promoting Christianity among the Jews. Pub lished for the benefit ofthe Society. 8vo. Is. 16. The Miscellaneous Discourses and Essays col lected into One Volume, 8vo. price 14s. bds. YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY III llllllllliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiii 'Q ™illlllllllllllllllllllllllll|||||||||||||| ;3 3002 01461 9085 is