esting and unspeakably important one to them-of their being Christians-or, as the Apostle elsewhere says, "partakers of the benefit”—the benefit of the Gospel; a benefit, or rather an assemblage and accumulation of benefits, of incalculable preciousness, and of everlasting duration. To be in such a

list as this, is to be in the roll of true honour and lasting fame. It may be little thought of in this world; but it will be envied in eternity. The humblest name in this list will stand higher in the world to come than that of the mightiest monarch that ever swayed a sceptre who lived and died without the grace of God. These names have come down to us in this imperishable memorial; and they shall go down to the close of time. That is little. Those who owned the names have enjoyed centuries of heavenly felicity and glory, if we may apply to the eternity on which they have entered the terms of the arithmetic of time. How many of the men who panted while they lived for a posthumous immortality of fame on earth, and whose names are emblazoned in the page of their country's history, and graven with a "pen of iron" on the sepulchral monument, now feel all the worthlessness of the meed of human honour and sigh in unavailing anguish over the infatuation that bartered the substantial realities of eternity for the cheap and perishable baubles of time. O my brethren, seek to have your names associated with those of the saints of God here enumerated, -among those whom an Apostle would have acknowledged as Christ's, and whom Christ will acknowledge as His own. These are the names of sterling worth. Men may despise them: God honours them. And whether is it better to be despised of men and honoured of God, or to have all the honour that men can bestow, and by God to be lightly esteemed? I know on which side your judgments answer this question, to whichsoever your hearts may be inclined. But I would entreat every hearer, with all earnestness to make his choice-to cast in his lot with the people of God. "Come with us, and we will do you good: for the Lord hath spoken good concerning Israel."

LECTURE LXX.

ROMANS XVI. 16-20.

"Salute one another with an holy kiss. The churches of Christ salute you. Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil. And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen."

HAVING enjoined his affectionate salutations to various individuals and Christian families in Rome, with whom he had more intimate acquaintance than with the rest of the believers there, the Apostle follows them with a command to the church generally respecting their intercourse with one another-" Salute one another with an holy kiss." On this and similar expressions in other Epistles has been founded by some what they have been pleased to dignify with the designation of "the ordinance of salutation,"—" the ordinance of the holy kiss." I feel it very unnecessary to dwell on such a subject. One would have thought that the very connexion in which the words occur should have been enough to preclude the possibility of so groundless a conclusion. They stand in the midst of a number of salutations from the

Apostle to different individuals. Did he mean by these, that they were to continue, statedly and permanently saluting Aquilas and Priscilla, and Epenetus and Mary, and An

dronicus and Junias, and Tryphena and Tryphosa, and all the rest of them? I need not answer the question. Every one, in an instant, sees and feels the absurdity of the supposition. And yet there is just the same reason for assigning permanence to these and exalting them into stated observances, so long as the individuals lived, as for doing this in regard to the mutual salutation in the verse before us. Were I to allege, that what Paul means is, that on their receiving his letter, they should in the way mentioned express their mutual affection to each other and their common attachment to himself, the injunction would be of a piece with the rest. To suppose more-anything like a stated public practice —is the extravagance of inferential interpretation; supposing the institution of an ordinance, without the slightest intimation, either in the form of precept or example, as to when or how it should be observed! There is no evidence even of publicity: and granting this Epistle to have been addressed to one church in its collective capacity, the inference drawn from this, that whatever is enjoined in these circumstances must be regarded as obligatory upon them as a corporate body when assembled together, is utterly unreasonable, and might be demonstrated to be so by other cases in which the absurdity is apparent. But I will not spend your time with such a subject-a subject which, according to the disposition of the speaker, might be placed in lights either ludicrous or seriously offensive.

A kiss on the cheek was then the prevailing mode of friendly salutation. This is one of the customs which vary in various countries; and in all cases in which there is nothing that is inconsistent with propriety or of evil tendency, it is custom that should, among Christians as well as others, regulate practice.

The Apostle admonishes them that in their salutations of each other they should bear in mind their Christian character and profession. Their salutation is called "a holy kiss,” and " a kiss of love:"—that is, it should be the expression not of mere common courtesy or even ordinary friendship; but they should salute each other as saints, with a pure fervent

affection, for the truth's sake:-they should cherish the sentiments of mutual esteem and love; and in all their intercourse maintain, with propriety and dignity, the fondness which the common faith and hope of the Gospel engender. I have said with propriety and dignity; for there is a kind of intercourse sometimes to be found, in certain classes of professors, which may be styled the sentimentalism of Christian love; which exhausts the vocabulary of a simpering and fondling endearment, and whines itself away in languishing tones and looks and caresses, which is as disgusting as it is weak, and in danger of proving as pernicious as it is either weak or disgusting,

'And

He sends them the salutations of the "churches of Christ." In going from place to place, Paul had received in charge the expression of the affectionate interest of the different Christian societies in the welfare of the rest-to be communicated as he had opportunity.* Here he discharges a part of this commission. Although "the churches of Christ" were all independent one of another in their government and discipline, they were not unconnected and insulated. In those happy days of simplicity and love, to be a member of one. church was to be a member of all. They were all united by a bond of common faith-all “ one in Christ Jesus. here we have one of the ways in which they recognized and expressed this unity. Such mutual remembrances were encouraging and animating. Paul understood human nature. He was well aware how ill we like to be forgotten; and how disheartening it is, both to individuals and to churches, to have the impression that there are none who take any interest in them. He knew what a thrill of social pleasure and excitement would be produced by the simple mention of other churches as having them in mind, and desiring their love to them. There ought to be more of this mutual remembrance among the churches still. When pastors go

*So Bengel "quibuscam fui c. xv. 26." Alford says, "The assurance is stated evidently on the Apostle's authority; speaking for the churches." Why evidently? The other seems quite as probable.—

ED.

from one place to another, why should they not carry the brotherly salutations of their respective churches with them? -and why should there not, on special occasions, either of remarkable prosperity or of peculiar trial, be direct and special communications from church to church, both of congratulation and of condolence? The Congregational Union has had a happy influence in these respects upon the churches in our own fellowship: but there is still wanting some plan by which they may obtain a more intimate knowledge from time to time of each other's condition.

The Apostle had breathed the desire of his heart for their social peace and edification.* The counsel which here follows, in verse seventeenth, was necessary to their union and spiritual prosperity: "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrines which ye have learned; and avoid them." Who are spoken of?—and what is the treatment of them enjoined? Divisions" are factions or parties in the church. "Offences" are properly stumbling-blocks or causes of sin; and they mean especially here that description of offences which occasioned the alienation of mutual love, and the consequent breaking down of the church into factions and par

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By the expression-" contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned," the Apostle shows to what descriptions of persons he refers; even such as introduced, or endeavoured to introduce, doctrines or practices at variance with what had been taught by the commissioned ambassadors of Christ. They had learned the Gospel, and the constitution, ordinances, and laws of the church from inspired authority. What they had before received had now been confirmed by himself in this Epistle. It was their duty to try whatever others taught by what had been attested to be from God by "signs and wonders, and mighty deeds."+ And respecting THE GOSPEL, which it was of chief importance for them to hold fast in its simplicity and purity, he writes to the Galatians-"I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into

*Chap. xv. 5, 6.

† 1 John iv. 1-6.