world, than Jesus Christ was to the Jews: but it is as real and true as Jesus himself was. And to take offence at the requirements of the Gospel, or the descriptions of the Christian, because they may, at first, sound strange, contradictory or harsh in our ears, will as effectually exclude us from being partakers of the kingdom of heaven, as the rejection of the person of Jesus did the Jews.

It is, no doubt, the more difficult "to convince the world of righteousness," because of the many inconsistencies and infirmities, which are so often visible in the lives of the best of men : "but let God be true, and every man a liar." Why shall men be so often anxious to plead in favour of their own imperfect obedience, by referring to the failings of those who are in the main earnestly striving to walk worthy of their vocation in Christ? And yet is it not too true that the world is ever on the watch to mark the lapses or occasional falls of a good man, as if it were an argument against the abstract truth of the Gospel, a sufficient plea on behalf of their own utterly careless, irregular, or ungodly lives? How sad it is that any can be found thus really to "rejoice in iniquity." And this is caused in fact by the uneasiness which careless livers cannot but feel, and a sort of confession which they thus make, that a consistent and holy life is a standing witness against themselves. But is it not an exhibition of the very identical spirit, which characterized the Jews in their treatment of Jesus? They, in their several ways, "love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil." Whereas the sins of the servants of God mentioned in the Bible, and the failings of faithful Christians in all ages, are so many testimonies to the truth of the Scriptures, and examples of the gracious dealings of God. Not that we are to suppose that such sins and failings are not grevious evils in themselves, calling for divine judgments, and to be deeply lamented and resolutely guarded against. For God forbid (as St. Paul prays) that we should "continue in sin, that grace may abound:" but nevertheless, inasmuch as Scripture declares that "in many things we offend all," they prove how true it is that "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" and show how justly St. Paul speaks of even good men, when he describes them, "as

sorrowful" for their own short-comings, yet "always rejoicing" in the boundless mercy of Christ; "as poor" and destitute sinners, yet communicating to others the knowledge and hopes which they themselves cherish, and thus "making many rich;" having nothing" of their own, but in Christ "possessing all things."

as

But if this were not so, if no shades of human imperfection obscured the brightness of Christ's image in the several members of his spiritual body, even then the experience of others (supposing we ourselves were won by it to admire the excellence of the Gospel) the experience of others can never make known to us the workings of the Spirit, and the glories of the kingdom of Christ. Other men may be witnesses to us-witnesses, but not producing upon us any necessary or effectual impression. For there are deeper truths and mightier graces set forth in the Gospel than can be understood by any but those who are privileged, as being themselves. "children of the kingdom." They can neither be adequately imagined or conceived from mere external observation or description. “If any man will do God's will," (says Christ) "he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God." And again, "I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you." And once more. "He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself unto him.”

Let us not treat then "as idle tales" the scriptural descriptions of the Christian, because we ourselves may never yet have been subjected to the same searching influences. Let us beware lest it happen to us as it did to the Jews, when they rejected Jesus, because he came, in outward appearance and in the spirit of his teaching, a different Saviour from the Messiah of their long cherished hopes, and fond anticipations. Let not "any root of bitterness springing up in our hearts trouble us, and thereby we become defiled:" nor too fixed a love of this world, in any of its

K

manifold enticements, keep us back from realizing the fellowship of Christ.

St. Paul himself was a signal instance of a man of a refined mind, and highly educated, giving up all his early prejudices for Christ's sake and his earnestness had such an effect upon King Agrippa, that it "almost persuaded him to be a Christian." But let us not be satisfied with thus merely admiring in others the powerful evidence of the truth of the Gospel.

Christ tells us that He came "not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." And to the Pharisees he says, "If ye were blind, ye should have no sin; but now ye say, we see: therefore your sin remaineth." Let us not be satisfied that we are righteous, or too confident that we see see all things necessary to our salvation, and belonging to our peace: or count ourselves as rich, and wanting nothing. "Blessed are they that mourn (says Christ) for they shall be comforted." And if we sorrow after a godly sort, we may now have sorrow, but our sorrow shall be turned into joy." If we place not our affections on things below, but seek a treasure of enduring substance in heaven, then shall our treasure be indeed most real, and multiplied a thousand fold; and, as God's stewards, having nothing of our own, we shall be possessed of all things; once lost as sinners, we shall be found in Christ; weak in ourselves, we shall be strong in Him; wanting nothing, having all things; "fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God."

SERMON XIV.

ACTIVE RELIGION.

PHILIPPIANS ii. 13.

For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.

In order to avoid falling into any errors or mistakes in interpreting the meaning of the word of God, as contained in the volume of Holy Scripture, it is necessary to use great care and attention; and to bear in mind certain general rules and principles, agreeably to which we must study and explain it. The common practice of fixing upon detached single passages and texts, and, according to our private interpretation of their apparent independent meaning, shaping our views, and framing our opinions of divine truth, is the surest way to lead us astray, and is the fertile source of most of the numberless divisions that harass and distract the Church. To prevent the evils and mistakes which arise from this cause, is one great object and use of the systematic teaching of the Church in her different creeds and formularies. The divines who drew up these different compositions, professedly acted upon no private or peculiar views of their own: but weighing well the whole meaning of Scripture, and the analogy of faith, and the teaching and testimony of the Church in all ages, they provided for our use a system of Catholic doctrine, which, however private individuals may at times err, speaks always to us in the same language, and that the language of truth and sound words.

Many of the Epistles of St. Paul were written by him in relation to the particular circumstances of particular Churches, and cannot therefore be rightly understood without a certain acquaint

ance with the state of the persons whom he addressed, and the reason of his writing to them. Many of his allusions, particularly in his Epistles to the Corinthians, are of a local and temporary character. And almost all his writings exhibit such an elaborate chain of reasoning, that we must be careful not to attach too great a weight to any single passage, without having first carefully observed its connexion with the whole context, in which it occurs. We must, also, in our interpretation of any one passage of Scripture, always bear in mind the general analogy or agreement of faith, or belief in the word of God; that as "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God," and God is one, so it must all, we may rest assured, agree together, and illustrate the same great principles of eternal truth. It is in consequence of a departure from these rules of interpretation, that one party, using, as their watchword, one description of texts, is arrayed in opposition to another party, adopting those of a different tendency; and discord prevails, where all should be unity and peace. And it is the great object of our using the teaching of the Church, of our having the Church in her corporate character, as the appointed interpreter of Holy Writ, and witness for the truth, that we may thus have some settled arbiter, some sufficient guide, some competent authority, amidst the endless oppositions, and crude, and ill-digested, but very confident opinions of private individuals.

The words which I have taken for my text on this occasion will furnish us with a very apposite example of the necessity of that care, which I have said is so requisite in our attempts to interpret the meaning of Scripture; "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure." Taken apart from the context, what do you understand by these words? what is the impression made upon your minds by them? They are words frequently quoted, and, I fear, often with a most perverted meaning. When pressing upon the conscience the danger of sin, and calling upon the sinner, "Awake thou that sleepest;" and exhorting him to "watch and pray, lest he enter into temptation;" how often is the minister answered by an appeal to this very passage. 'What is the use of my making any attempts? I can do nothing; it must be the Lord's doing. You know, St. Paul tells