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DURRETT COLLECTION
A COLLECTION
ORIGIIAt SIMONS,
; J * * J * \ J * .- * - :
-" ' ~* \ _ ^ * *
MINISTERS OF DIFFERENT DENOMINATIONS,
TO RAISE MEANS FOR THE ERECTION
OF A
PROTESTANT FEMALE COLLEGE,
IK
*v_
GREENSBUKG, KENTUCKY.
REV, THOMAS P, AKERS
EDITOR, AND PUBLISHER.
LOUISVILLE:
MORTON & GR-ISWOLD, PRINTERS.
1851.
BY
ENTERED, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1851,
By THOMAS P. AKERS.
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States, for the
District of Kentucky.
.
CONTENTS
Page
SERMON I CHRIST THE AUTHOR OF SALVATION, i
By Rev. Joshua Soule, D.D.
SERMON H THE NATURE OF SAVING FAITH, - - 28
By Rev Edward P. Humphrey, D.D.
SERMON m. THE CONVERSION OF YOUTH, THE
HOPE OF THE WORLD, - - - - 44
By Rev. Samuel W. Lynd, D.D.
SERMON IV. THE NATURE OF CHRIST'S KINGDOM, 57
By Rev. F. G. Black.
SERMON V. THE LOVE OF GOD, - 78
By Rev. H. H. Kavanaugh. -
SERMON VL CONFIDENCE IN GOD EXPLAINED, - 94
By Rev. R. C. Grundy, D.D.
SERMON VIL DEATH A BLESSED EVENT TO'THE
CHRISTIAN, - - - 107
By Rev. Sidney Dyer.
SERMON VHL THE CROSS OF CHRIST AN OBJECT
OF GLORYING, - - 124
By Rev, R. Baird, D.D. ......
SERMON IX. THE SINFULNESS, FOLLY, AND
DANGER OF DELAY, 137
: By Rev. John C. Young. ....... .
SERMON X. THE INTERCESSION OF THE HOLT
SPIRIT, - - - -161
By Rev. George W. Smiley.
IV . CONTENTS.
Pag*
SERMON XI. WONDERFUL: THE NAME OF CHRIST, 177
By Rev. Nathan L. Rice, DD.
SERMON XH. THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST, - 194
By Rev. H. S. Porter.
SERMON Xm. ELEMENTS OF A CHURCH'S PROS-
PERITY, 213
By Rev. F. G. Keen.
SERMON XIV. THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST, 239
By Rev. Milton Bird.
SERMON XV. CHRISTIANITY A SYSTEM OF LOVE, 272
By Rev. J. A. James.
SERMON XVI. THE INFLUENCE ON THE HUMAN
M3ND OF THE MANIFESTATION
OF GOD'S GLORY, 295
By Rev. Matthew Simpson, DJD.
SERMON XVH. THE DEAD SPEAK, - - - - . - - 322
By Rev John L. Waller.
SERMON XVin. REDEMPTION OF HUMAN CHAR-
ACTER, ..--- -348
By Rev. Thomas H. Stockton.
SERMON XIX. VISION OF THE BLACK HORSE, - - 377
By Rev. John W. Hanner, A.M.
SERMON XX. ON THE JUSTDHCATION AND CORO-
NATION OF THE MESSIAH, - - - 417
By Rev. A, Campbell.
SERMON XXI. THE THEORY OF RELIGION, - - - 444
By Rev. George Croley, D J).
SERMON XXn. A NEW YEAR'S ADMONITION, - - 458
By Rev. David S. Doggett, DD.
SERMON XX III. THE RECAPITULATION OF ALL
THINGS IN CHRIST, 472
By Rev. R. L Breckinridge, DD., LL.D.
SUPPLEMENTARY ESSAY-RELIGIOUS CORRUPTION
A PRELUDE TO NATIONAL RUIN, 487
By Rev. T. P. Akers.
PREFACE.
THE circumstances that led to the publication of this
volume of Sermons, are briefly and definitely stated in
the subjoined preamble and resolution, which was
passed by the members of the Methodist, Baptist,
Presbyterian, and Cumberland Presbyterian Churches,
assembled in Greensburg, Ky., on the 25th of July,
1850.
Whereas Preliminary steps are being taken, by members of the
Roman Church, to establish in our village a seminary for the
education of Protestant females; and whereas, we believe, that
the minds of young ladies, who attend Catholic schools, are likely
to be biased by the Roman religion; therefore,
Resolved That we, the citizens of Greensburg, do feel it our
imperative duty, to make a united effort, and, if possible, preoccupy
the position, by building thereon a Protestant Female College.
In order to bring about a union of effort, the
following suggestion was made, and unanimously
approved, viz. : " That the churches before mentioned,
be, and are hereby requested, to call each a meeting
of their official membership, instructing them to appoint
four corresponding committees, whose duiy it shall be
VI PREFACE.
to address letters to six distinguished ministers
of their respective denominations, requesting them
to contribute, severally, a manuscript sermon to a book,
which we will publish and sell, with a view to raise
funds, to aid in carrying out the proposed enterprise."
In compliance with the above request, meetings
were called, committees appointed, and letters
addressed to the requisite number of ministers,
who promised, with but one exception, to furnish
the desired manuscripts.
On the strength of their promises, we commenced,
immediately, the publication of the work. And,
though most of the matter was received, according
to promise, still, a variety of circumstances has
retarded our progress in taking the first edition
through the press. Some of those who furnished
sermons were unavoidably delayed by other and
J more imperious duties ; and some who had promised
a contribution failed,* in the end, to furnish it. To
surmount all these difficulties, and to fit the whole
work for the press, required more time and labor, than
*On account of these failures, we have prepared (amid numerous
interruptions) a brief essay, which is added in the form of a
supplement. As the completion of the work was a matter of
importance, the supplementary essay waa written hastily, and, claims
on that account, but little'for its originality of matter, or its purity
of strle.
PREFACE. VU
we had, at first, expected. We hope, however, that
its tardy appearance will be attributed wholly to a
desire, on our part, to make the book all that we have
promised it should be. In the belief that it will even
surpass those promises, and more than meet the
public expectation, we now offer it as a contribution
to the cause of Protestantism.
S E R M I S
SERMON I.
CHRIST THE AUTHOR OF SALVATION.
BY REV. JOSHUA SOTJLE, D.D,
Senior Bishop of fh& Methodist Episcopal Churcli, South.
"And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal. salvation
unto all them that obey him. Called of God an high priest after the
order of Melchisedec." Heb. v. 9, 10.
IN the Epistle to the Hebrews, the Apostle points out
the difference between the Law and the G-ospel, the
dispensation of Moses and jthe dispensation of Jesus
Christ ; and shows wherein the latter is superior to the
former. He first asserts the superior dignity and authority
of Christ by virtue of his Sonship. As Son, he was heir
of all things; all worlds were created by him and for him.
And to the Son he saith, " Thy throne, O God, is for ever
and ever : a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy
kingdom." Moses, as a servant, was faithful in all his
house; but Christ, as a Son, over his own house. Hence,
as the Son, of God, he has a glory infinitely superior to
Moses and to all angels ; having obtained, by virtue of
his relation to the Father, a more excellent name than
* 2
2 CHRIST THE AUTHOR OF SALVATION.
they. Having drawn the comparison between Moses and
Christ, the Apostle proceeds to notice the difference
between the priesthood under the law, and the priesthood
of Christ. In regard to the former, it was imperfect.
The priests themselves were peccable, arid needed to
offer sacrifices for their own sins, as well as for the sins
of the people. They were not suffered to continue, by
reason of death, and therefore that order of priesthood
required a continual succession of priests. The sacrifices
offered under the law were weak and inefficient, and
could never make the comers thereunto perfect; for it
was not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should
put away sin, or purify the conscience from dead works,
to serve the living God. And finally, that the various
offerings under the Levitical priesthood had no virtue in
themselves, but were only types and figures of the great
and perfect sacrifice of Christ, and that the whole
economy of that dispensation, whether legal or ceremonial,
was designed to " vanish away," when Christ assumed his
offices of law-giver and priest over his own house.
To point out more clearly the nature and perfection of
Christ's priesthood, the Apostle refers to the history of his
illustrious type, Melchisedec, according to whose order
Christ was constituted a priest for ever.
In introducing Melchisedec as a priest of the Most High
God, living in the days of Abraham, and consequently
anterior to the constitution of the priesthood under the
law, and after whose order Christ was made a priest, the
Apostle designs to show that Christ, as a priest, was
greater than Aaron, and that his priesthood was entirely
distinct and separate from the Levitical. To the first
point he says, that Melchisedec was greater than Abraham,
for he blessed Abraham, and without contradiction, the
less is blessed of the better. Now consider how
CHRIST THE AUTHOR OP SALVATION. 3
this man was, to whom even the Patriarch Abraham gave
the tenth of the spoils, and to whom Levi also, who was
the father of the priestly tribe, paid tythe; for he was
in the loins of his father Abraham when Melchisedec
met him.
In order more clearly to establish the entire distinction
of Christ's priesthood from the order of Aaron's, and to
show that, according to divine appointment, or, the oath
by which Christ was made a priest, there, was to be no
connection between the house of Levi, or the line of his
priesthood and the priestly office of Christ, the Apostle
says of Melchisedec, who was the special type of Christ,
as a priest, that " he was without father, without mother,
without descent, having neither beginning of days nor end
of life ;" " but " (in this respect) " made like unto the Son
of G-od," abideth a priest continually having neither
lineal predecessor nor successor in office.
The ordinary interpretation of this passage is far from
being satisfactory. It can hardly be supposed, that such
a writer as St. Paul would employ such strength and
sublimity of language merely to inform his readers of a
simple fact, with which they must have been previously
acquainted, and of which no one could be ignorant who
had read the Book of Genesis, viz : that Moses, in the
sacred histoiy, had furnished no account of the genealogy
or pedigree of Melchisedec, having made no mention of
his parents or his children. Nor is it easy to perceive
how the Apostle could employ the silence of the sacred
historian, either in illustration or confirmation of his
premises. Again ; if this be the sense of the Apostle in
this remarkable passage, it requires that the comparison
between Melchisedec and Christ, so far as it is embraced in
this text, should consist in the silence of the sacred record?
relative tc their genealogy; but here the comparison cannot
4 *CHRIST THE AUTHOR OF SALVATION.
^
hold,- for, however silent the author of the Pentateuch
may be, relative to the generation of Melchisedec, the
evangelical historians have given us a minute and very
circumstantial account of the lineage of Christ, even from
Adam, together with his birth, life, and death. To
suppose that the comparison of the Apostle lies between
the silence of history with regard to Melchisedec and the
real character of Christ, as being without father as to his
human nature, and without mother as to his divine, savors
more of curious and foreign speculation, than of that
strength, fitness, and force of sentiment with which the
writings of our Apostle abound. In view of the Apostle's
premises, and the necessary agreement of his positions
with those premises, it may be justly doubted whether the
silence of Moses with regard to the pedigree of Melchisedec,
or the circumstance of Christ being without father in
relation to his humanity, and without mother as to his
divinity, ever occupied his thoughts. To say the least
neither appears to have any connection with his subject,
or to afford any illustration of it. The Apostle's ground
is Christ is not a priest in the Levitical lineage, or after
the order of Aaron ; if he were so, it would establish and
perpetuate that order of priesthood, and, consequently,
the law under which the priesthood existed. But the
priesthood is changed, and, consequently, there is made a
change also of the law. Both being parts of the same
economy, they were designed to run parallel with each
other, and "vanish away" together. To establish this
ground, the Apostle refers to the 110th Psalm, in which
it is said, " The Lord hath sworn and will not repent,
thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchisedec."
How Melchisedec, after whose order Christ was made
priest, was without father, without mother, in the tribe of
Leyi, to which tribe the priesthood appertained j without
CHRIST THE AUTHOR OF SALVATION. 5
descent from the loins of Levi, who was the father of the
priestly order, for even Levi was in the loins of his father
Abraham when Melchisedec met him; consequently, he
could have no lineal connection with the order of the
Levitical priesthood, for he exercised" the office of priest
by the immediate appointment of God, long before that
order existed. "Without beginning of days or end of
life;" he neither began nor ended his life or office in the
order of the Levitical priesthood, but in all these respects
was made like unto the Son of God. For it is evident
that our Lord sprang out of Judah, of which tribe Moses
spake nothing concerning priesthood. And it is yet far
more evident; for that, after the similitude of Melchisedec,
there ariseth another priest. And he of whom these
things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which
no man gave attendance at the altar. And being thua
constituted/ he abideth a priest for every having no lineal
successor. Thisy we conceive, to be the true sense of the
passage. The conclusion is, that the priesthood being
changed from the tribe of Levi to the tribe of Judah, from
Aaron to Christ, the whole dispensation of Moses is
antiquated, and Christ is both law-giver and priest. His-
priesthood is perfect and unchangeable,, and his throne is
established for ever. He is a perfect and eternal Saviour.
Through him alone we have access to God. The
redemption of the world is by the blood of his sacrifice,
and eternal life is his purchase and his gift. And as
there is no office which Christ sustains in the grand
economy of redemption, which is not replete with
interests of the most momentous concern to fallen and
guilty man, let us enter upon the subject before us with
fervent prayer, that the Holy Spirit may enlighten our
understanding and lead us to Jesus, our perfect and
eternal Saviour.
b CHKIST THE AUTHOR OP SALVATION.
The text presents us with three important points for
consideration :
I. In what sense Jesus Christ was made perfect, and in
what this perfection consists.
II. The salvation of which, being made perfect, he is
the author.
III. The terms or conditions on which we are made
partakers of this salvation.
I. In what sense Jesus Christ was made perfect, and in
what this perfection consists.
1. It could not be said that Christ was made perfect in
regard to his Divine nature. He possessed the perfection
of Deity from everlasting, even the fulness of the Godhead.
He was in the form of God, and thought it no robbery to
be equal with God being the brightness of the Father's
glory, and the express image of his person. Hence, every
attribute of the Divine nature was perfect in him and
could admit of no additional perfection or glory.
2. Neither could it be said of his moral righteousness,
while he continued upon earth. His whole life exhibited
the most perfect conformity to the will of God, as the rule
of right; for he did no sin, neither was guile found in his
mouth. From the cradle to the tomb, he was holy,
harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners. Such was the
purity, extent, and sublimity of the morality taught and
practised by our blessed Saviour, that, in comparison, the
decalogue itself had no glory, by reason of the glory that
excelleth. In him there was never the slightest deviation
from the immutable laws of righteousness, justice, and
truth. The perfection, therefore, of which the Apostle
speaks, is an official perfection, peculiar to his mediatorial
character, and which he could not have possessed from
eternity. Hence, Jesus is said to have been made a priest,
and, as the captain of our salvation, to have been made
CHJUST THE AUTHOR. OF SALVATION. '
perfect; and in no other sense can the words apply to the
Son of God.
To perfect Christ's official character, as mediator
between God and men, it was necessary :
First. That he should become incarnate, take upon him
our nature, and appear in the likeness of sinful flesh. It was
this assumption of humanity which qualified him for the
great work of redeeming and saving a ruined world. The
most ancient intimations of the divine counsel concerning
man clearly embrace this doctrine. The seed of the woman
shall bruise the serpent's head. And, through a long
succession of prophecies, the same promise was repeated
under various forms. In the faith of these promises,
patriarchs, prophets, and holy men waited for the advent of
the Messiah; and when the period fixed in the counsel of
Heaven was fulfilled, the eyes of thousands were directed
to Bethlehem, where they saw the accomplishment of
ancient predictions, the fulfilment of promises, and the
infallible pledge of the love of God to a ruined world.
Here God was manifested in the flesh; for verily he took
not on him the nature of angels, but the seed of Abraham,
and was found in fashion as a man. Angels were not the
objects of his mission, although they were the heralds of
his manifestation. He came not to mediate between God
and angels; had he done so, he would have taken their
nature. Man was the object of his mediatorial work, and
therefore he became man. But he assumed our nature,
not as it was in its pristine state; but with its weakness and
sorrows, -the effects of the fall; for he was a man of
sorrows, and acquainted with grief. He was subject to
hunger and thirst, to pain of body and of mind: he
groaned in his spirit, and his soul was exceeding sorrowful.
But why was Jesus Christ thus subject to the infirmities
of our nature ? Why was he tempted in all points like as
8 CHRIST THE AUTHOK OF SALVATION.
we are? The answer is, that he might be a merciful and
faithful high priest a perfect mediator. In one word, he
took upon him our entire nature, a real body and a rational
soul, that he might be perfectly qualified to accomplish the
mighty work of our salvation.
Second. To perfect the character of Christ as our
mediator, it was needful that he should suffer. Being
himself without sin, and perfectly innocent, his sufferings
were not on his own account; for the law, which was holy,
and just, and good, could never require a sinless creature
to suffer for himself. Hence, as Christ had never sinned,
whatever he suffered was on the account of man. Our sins
were the true cause of his sufferings.
Of the nature of Christ's sufferings it becomes us to
enquire with great caution, because it is evident that the
inspired writings represent those sufferings as the ground
of our salvation. If the death of Jesus is to be considered
only as evidence of the truth of his doctrine, and an
example of patience and fortitude, it is difficult to perceive
why the sacred scriptures should set forth the death of
Christ as having a special influence on human salvation;
since many eminently holy men have suffered martyrdom in
defence of the truth, and exhibited equal, yea, superior
patience and fortitude. Jesus, in the garden, in anticipation
of his approaching death, was in an agony, and three times
prayed, "Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from
me;" but many of the martyrs gloried in prospect of then*
suffering, and rejoiced as the hour approached. Jesus on
the cross said, " I thirst," and with a loud voice cried*
" My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" But
which of the martyrs betrayed such weakness, even under
the most, excruciating tortures ? They were either firmly
and patiently silent, or triumphantly exulted in the midst
of flames. The example of fortitude in extreme suffering,
CHRIST THE AUTHOR OP SALVATION. 9
is therefore rather in favor of the disciples than their
master. The evidence of the truth of a cause, so far as
martyrdom attests it, is increased by the firmness with
which the martyr seals his testimony. Consequently, many
of the apostles and confessors of Jesus have furnished
stronger evidence in favor of Christianity, so far as their
martyrdom for its sake is concerned, than was furnished
by the death of its author. But there was verily a mystery
in the cross of Christ. His sufferings were peculiar to
himself, and such as no man ever did or ever can endure.
The holy and innocent Jesus suffers and expires for a
sinful and guilty world. His death is the redemption of
ruined man. And it was the union of the divine nature
with ours, which gave adequate value to the price. It was
the altar of his divinity which sanctified the gift of his
humanity. He was a child born, and a son given, yet was
he the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the prince of
peace. The sacrifice of Christ offered on the cross, was a
true and proper atonement for sin, and it is on this account,
and this only, that the sacred scriptures attach such
importance to his death. View the death of the cross in
any other light, and you involve prophets and apostles in
the most palpable inconsistency, not to say absurdity. You
strip Christianity of its essential character, and reduce it to
a mere system of ethics. The doctrine of justification by
faith in the blood of Jesus is nullified, and the washing of
regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost are
fabulous. The testimony of the prophets in regard to the
nature of Christ's sufferings is clear and unequivocal.
Although he was perfectly innocent, it pleased the Lord to
bruise him to make his soul an offering for sin to put
him to grief. He hath borne our griefs and carried our
sorrows. He was wounded for our transgressions; he was
bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace
. *! * .'.-"' -
' .
P \. 'Iv., VT !"--'-j- ''. -* ' .-', " l ~^
10 CHRIST THE AUTHOR OF SALVATION.
was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. The
Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. For
the transgression of my people was he stricken. He
poured out his soul unto death was numbered with the
transgressors, and bore the sin of many. The sacrifices
offered under the law, as they were figures of the sacrifice
of Christ, establish the same thing. The offering of those
sacrifices was an acknowledgement of the guilt and
pollution of sin, and a legal atonement for it; for, without
the shedding of blood there is no remission. But these
sacrifices were shadows of good things to come, and
pointed to the blood of Jesus, who, through the Eternal
Spirit, offered himself without spot to God, to put away sin
by the sacrifice of himself. Hence, the offering of Christ's
body on the cross was a sin offering, and a sacrifice of
atonement for the remission of transgression; and without
such a sacrifice he could never have been our perfect high
priest, or the captain of our salvation.
Let us examine, with particular care, the testimony of
our Apostle on this very important subject. "He died for
us he gave himself a ransom for all he died, the just for
the unjust, that he might bring us to God he bore our
sins in his own body on the tree he purchased us with
his own blood we are bought with a price he was
crucified for our offences we are pardoned, justified, and .
saved by his blood he has redeemed us from the curse of
the law, being made a curse for us." To these quotations
we might add many more of the same character, if it were
necessary; but we pause to enquire, if any sober man can
suppose that these passages mean no more than that Christ
suffered for an example, and died as a martyr? The true
doctrine of the Apostle is, that the death of Christ was the
price paid for our redemption from under the curse of the
law; and this redemption is the ground, and the only
CHRIST THE AUTHOR OP SALVATION. 11
ground of our salvation. The demands of the first
covenant under which man was held were satisfied with
this redemption price, and man released from its claims ;
and becoming the purchased inheritance, he was transferred
to a gracious covenant. His original relations to the law
were consequently disannulled, and he became obligated to
Christ as his redeemer, lawgiver, and judge. From this
view it will clearly appear, that the sufferings of Christ
were essential to his mediatorial character, and that, as the
captain of our salvation, he was made perfect by them.
This was the ground of the Apostle's glorying, and the
cause of his renouncing every other. " God forbid that I
should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ."
This was the grand subject of his ministry. " I determined
not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ and
him crucified." Here is the only foundation of every
sinner's hope. The blood and righteousness of Jesus is his
only successful plea. If the atoning sacrifice of his gracious
Redeemer does not avail for him, he is lost, for ever lost !
Third. The character of Christ, as mediator between
Grod and man, would have been imperfect, notwithstanding
his sacrifice, had he been held captive by death, or seen
corruption in the grave. To complete his mediatorial
reign, death must be swallowed up in victory, and the
grave spoiled of its dominion. A glorious and triumphant
resurrection was, therefore, necessary to the perfection of
his character. It was the demonstration of the truth of
his doctrine, and the equity and validity of his claims ;
without which the whole system of Christianity had been
imperfect. On this single point the Apostles and first
ministers of Christ, with great fitness, chiefly rested their
defence of the truth of their cause; and it would be well
for jdLwho are doubtful of the truth of Christianity, as
well as professed Christians, frequently and carefully to
12 CHRIST THE AUTHOR OF SALVATION.
examine the evidences of the resurrection of the crucified
.Redeemer.
But this grand event in the history of Jesus, is not to Le
considered merely as demonstrative of the truth of his
religion. It is more immediately and intimately connected
with the condition and the destiny of man ; for, he who
died for our sius, rose again for our justification. That
faith which is unto justification must not only embrace
Christ crucified for us, but also Christ raised up from the
dead. His resurrection, therefore, is the procuring cause
of our being raised from the death of sin, to the life of
righteousness. And, finally, the resurrection of Christ is
the cause of the resurrection of the human body. Being
risen from the dead, he has become the first fruits of them
that slept.
Fourth. Even after his resurrection, had he remained on
earth, he would not have been a priest, seeing there are
priests who offer gifts according to the law. But our
high priest must officiate in the true tabernacle^ of which
even the second tabernacle, under the law, was but the
figure. Christ has ascended up on high, having led
captivity captive, and received gifts for men. He has
gone into heaven- itself, there to appear in the presence of
God for us. And being set on the right hand of the
throne of the Majesty in the heavens, he has become a
minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which
the Lord pitched and not man. And being for ever set
down on the right hand of God, as an advocate and
intercessor, he ever liveth to make intercession for us. In
his ascension he carried our nature, in mysterious union
with his divinity, triumphantly to heaven, where, in this
union of nature, he fills the office of Mediator, the right
and authority of government being committed to him. In
this mediatorial kingdom he will reign, till he shall have
CHRIST THE AUTHOR OF SALVATION. 13
put down all rule, and all authority, and power, adverse to
his government j for he must reign, as Mediator, till he
hath put all enemies under his feet. And when all things
shall be subdued unto him, and the ends of his mediatorial
.reign folly accomplished, he shall deliver up the kingdom
to God, even the Father, and be subject to him who put
all things under him, that God may be all in all. Thus,
by his incarnation, sufferings, resurrection, and ascension,
was Jesus Christ constituted a perfect high priest and
mediator.
II. Let us inquire, secondly, What is the salvation
of which Christ, being made perfect, is the author?
The mediation of the Son of God is designed to' affect
materially both the natural and the moral world ; even the
entire constitution of the universe. For he, by whom the
worlds were created, and all the hosts of them, saith, " Behold
I create all things new," even the earth and the heavens.
The elements themselves shall own him God, by the mighty
change which he shall effect in them, at the restitution of
all things. Nor are the grand revolutions designed to be
produced in the material universe, by the reign of the
Messiah, unconnected with the eternal felicity of the
subjects of his moral government. But it concerns ns
more particularly, on the present occasion, to speak of the
salvation of Christ with direct regard to man to fallen,
guilty, and corruptible man. And first, by the death of
Christ, man is delivered from the penalty of the law, and
entirely released from its obligations as a condition of life,
a ground of condemnation, and a standard of judgment.
Being bought off from the law, his relations and obligations
are transferred to the gracious law of the Redeemer,
which law only he is bound to obey ; by which only he is
either justified or condemned ; and by which alone he will
be judged at the last day. If man, being redeemed by
14 CHRIST THE AUTHOR OP SALVATION.
Christ, is not released from his obligations to the law ; if
the law has not relinquished its claims upon him by virtue
of the death of his surety, it is difficult not to say
impossible, to conceive how his condition in regard to
justification and eternal life is made better by the mediation
of Christ. If the law has not released the transgressor, in
consideration of tine price of redemption ; if he is still held
under its penalties, and, consequently, under its obligations,
it follows, of inevitable consequence, that the obligations
must be fulfilled, or the penalties suffered. But the truth
is, that the state of all men, being redeemed from the curse
of the law, is a state of salvation that the covenant under
which all men are placed, is a gracious covenant that
the terms of life proposed to all men are such as are
suitable to their condition as sinners; terms, which
embrace man with all his impotency, his pollution, and his
guilt ; terms, which bring eternal life to his lowest state
of weakness and helplessness. And in this consists the
peculiar glory and perfection of the economy of human
salvation. In the origin and establishment of this system
of gracious economy, human agency had no participation.
The grand plan of salvation was exclusively the " purpose
of God " the counsel of his will his immutable counsel,
according to which " he worketb all things ;" from which
he never departs, in the justification or glorification either
of Jews or Gentiles. But, although the origin and
establishment of this economy were independent of the
agency of man, yet, in its operations and final results,
human agency is deeply involved. On the great question,
whether man should hold his relations, his obligations, and
his responsibility, under the Adamic covenant, or under
the covenant of grace, he was never consulted. His
transfer from the first to the second, was exclusively the
act of his gracious Redeemer. But whether he be a
CHRIST THE AUTHOR OF SALVATION. 15
partaker of the grace and glory which the Gospel covenant
has provided, is a question clearly submitted to his own
choice, and depending on his own will. But this will
more fully appear in our subsequent remarks. Whatever
this plan of the divine economy is designed to effect in
regard to fallen man, either in his moral or physical
nature either with respect to his spiritual or material
being, is involved in that salvation of which Christ is the
author.
First. Salvation from sin; its guilty its power, its
pollution, its effects.
Man is a sinner ; he is guilty before God ; sin exerts a
powerful dominion over him ; he is led captive by it ; the
whole empire of the heart is polluted by it. These are
positions so plain, and so fully attested by the oracles of
God, that it is unnecessary to adduce proof. The Gospel
provides a remedy for this ruined condition, first, in the
removal of guilt. The remission of sin is one of the
peculiar and distinguishing provisions of Christ's gracious
government. It is an act in which the most important
change is effected in the relation of a sinner to God.
Previous to this great relative change, man is under
condemnation, and the wrath of God abideth on him. He
is continually exposed to all the fearful curses which. God
has threatened against the workers of iniquity. He is
every moment liable to that dreadful punishment which
awaits those who disobey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus
Christ, " everlasting destruction, from the presence of the
Lord and from the glory of his power." But pardoning
grace introduces him into the favor of God. All his past
sins, however numerous or aggravated, are blotted out,
and, in the estimation of the righteous Judge of all the
earth, he stands acquitted and fully justified. What an
amazing act of divine mercy is the forgiveness of our sins !
1G CHRIST THE AUTHOR OF SALVATION.
Bins, which, uuforgiven, must sink our wretched souls to
the deepest hell, and involve us in all the fearful horrors
of the worm that never dies, and of the fire which shall
never be quenched ! Blessed, indeed, is the man, whose
transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed
is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity.
Second. But if the grace of God in Christ Jesus, has made
provision for the forgiveness of sin, it is equally efficacious
in the destruction of its power. Sin is represented as a
powerful tyrant, holding his subjects in captivity and
chains. Under the control of the carnal mind, which is
enmity to God, man is the servant the slave of sin ; sin
has dominion over him; his whole nature is subject to
its rule; his understanding is darkened; his conscience
is seared ; his passions and affections are disordered, and
hostile to the divine government; his will is perverse;
and even the members of his body are instruments of
unrighteousness, and become efficient auxiliaries in the
empire of sin and death. Let the soul be awakened to a
consciousness of this mighty power of sin, and no marvel
if it cry out, "'Oh! wretched man that I am, who shall
deliver me?" The answer must be, "Jesus Christ my
Almighty Savionr."
Christ has spoiled principalities and powers, and made
a show of them openly, triumphing over them by the
death of the Cross. He has ascended to the right hand of
the Majesty on high, and led captive that which captivated
the world before. In the establishment of his gracious
kingdom in the hearts of men, he frees them from the law
of sin and death delivers them from the bondage in
which they were held under the reign of their spiritual
corruptions, and brings them into the liberty of the
children of God. Sin shall have no more dominion over
them. Its power is broken, and the captive is free.
CHRIST THE AUTHOIl OF SALVATION 17
What a mighty change in the condition of man ! Where
sin reigned unto death, grace now reigns through
righteousness unto life spiritual and eternal life. The
mind which had been shut up in darkness and ignorance
of God and itself, now bursts forth in the light of heavenly
day, and exults in beholding the glory of G-od in the face
of Jesus Christ, The heart, once the fountain of iniquity,
and the abode of every earthly and sensual desire, now
becomes the habitation of G-od, through the Spirit, and
triumphs in the glorious liberty of the Gospel.
Third. But this is not the height of the salvation of Christ.
He who of God is made to us wisdom and righteousness,
is also made our sanctification and redemption. Sin has
defiled our whole nature : it is a fountain of corruption :
its stains are deep : it is like the Ethiopian's skin, or the
leopard's spots: it is fixed deep in the soul. But the
blood of Jesus cleanseth from all sin. He who, through
the eternal Spirit offered himself, without spot, to God,
Ibi the redemption of the human soul, is able to purify
the conscience from dead works to serve the living God.
His blood is the fountain of purification, as well as the
price of atonement ; nor is it less efficacious in sanctifying
than in justifying the soul. Every professed believer in
Christ should be deeply sensible, that the mediation of the
Son of God has made as ample provision for the entire
sanctification of a fallen and polluted soul, as for the
pardon of a guilty one. And that sanctification is as real
and perfect, in regard to the pollution of sin, yea, to its
very being, as justification is with respect to its guilt. So
certain as the one restores us to the favor of God, the
other conforms us to his image, even righteousness and
true holiness. Well, therefore, may the whole household
of faith fervently pray : " Cleanse thou the thoughts of
our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, that we
3
18 CHIUST THE AUTHOR OF SALVATION.
may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy
name, through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Fourth. Salvation from death, and all the effects of sin.
The doctrines of Christ afford a firm foundation for faith
and hope, in the midst of the physical disorders which we
discover in the material world, and especially in our own
bodies. That these disorders are the effects of sin that
death, in all its forms, has entered into the world in
consequence of the transgression of the law of God, is so
obvious as to require no proof in a Christian assembly.
That the mediatorial government of Jesus Christ has
provided a remedy for these disorders, is equally true.
If " the creation " itself is made subject to vanity, that
subjection is not without hope. While we groan,
being burdened with the " house of clay " in its present
condition, we wait for " mortality to be swallowed up of
life," in the redemption of our bodies. The resurrection
of the dead, even all who sleep in the dust of the earth, is
infallibly secured by the resurrection of Christ. In this
great event, death shall be swallowed up in victory, and
the triumph of God's Messiah over his empire be
completed.
But how different will be the constitution and
circumstances of the bodies of the children of the first
resurrection, from their condition in the present mode of
existence! Now, weakness, corruption, and dishonor,
closely adhere to these earthly tabernacles ; then, power,
immortality, and glory, shall be their attributes. Now,
they are the seats of pain, of sickness, and of sorrow;
then, they shall suffer no more be weary, sick, or faint,
no more. Then the fountains of grief, of lamentation, and
woe, shall be for ever dried up. Oh ! amazing deliverance !
even into the glorious liberty of the sons of God. Oh!
most merciful Father and Almighty Redeemer, may
CHRIST THE AUTHOR OF SALVATION. 19
the speaker and his hearers have a part in die first
resurrection ; for, over such the second death shall have
no power.
Finally. The salvation of which Christ is the author, is,
emphatically, eternal. It embraces the state of endless
happiness, to which the saints shall be restored in the
" restitution of all things." Of this state we can form but
very imperfect ideas, while we continue in this earthly
house of our tabernacle. "What a grand revolution will
take place in the empire of intellect. Here, we know but
little of Grod, or the constitution of spiritual beings;
there, shall we know even as we are known. Here, we
see imperfectly- as in a mirror.; there, with open face.
The deep things of G-od, in the economy of redemption
and the mysteries of Providence, concerning which, in our
present state, we are constrained to exclaim, " How
unsearchable are his counsels, and his ways past finding
out!" will then be clearly developed. What are now
matters of faith, will then be subjects of knowledge. Nor
will the improvement of the intellectual powers be greater
than that of the organs of sense and of motion. What an
amazing and delightful thought, that in the heavenly state,
when the Almighty energy shall have "made all things
new," the bodies of the saints bodies now vile and
corruptible shall be like the glorious body of our Lord
Jesus Christ. What clearness, what strength, what
extent of vision! what power, what activity of motion!
will that "glorious body" possess. The supreme felicity
of this state will consist in the perfect adaptation of
whatever appertains to the " new heaven and new earth,"
to the constitution and powers of the children of the
resurrection. No disordered, or conflicting elements; no
alternation of burning heat and chilling cold ; no weariness,
sickness, pain, or death, is felt or feared in heaven. No
20 CHRIST THE AUTHOR OF SALVATION.
hunger nor thirst is there ; for, the Lamb who is in the midst
of the throne shall feed them, and lead them to living
fountains of water. In a word, the fullness of God and
of the Lamb shall be the measure, and eternity the
duration of the happiness of the saints. To him that
loved us, and washed us from our sins, in his own blood,
and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his
Father ; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever.
Amen.
III. It remains for us to consider, lastly, the terms, or
conditions, on which we are made partakers of this
salvation.
It is ardently desired that this inquiry may be a matter
of individual interest, as concerns of the utmost importance
to every human soul are incorporated in it. Whether our
present and eternal salvation depend entirely on an agency
independent of ourselves independent of any voluntary
actions; or, whether something is required of us as
indispensably necessary to salvation, is a subject which
addresses itself so clearly and directly to our understanding
and our consciences, and, at the same time, embraces such
momentous personal interests, as to render it difficult to
conceive how we can consider it merely as a point of
theory, or as an abstract question. Every view which we
are able to take of it, demand that we examine it with
direct reference to the state of our hearts, and the character
of our actions. We had occasion to observe, in treating
a different point in our subject, that the relations,
obligations, and responsibilities of man, were transferred
from the covenant of works the legal economy, to the
covenant of grace the economy of the Gospel ; and that
this transfer was by virtue of the redemption of Christ.
This is the ground work of salvation. For, if the claims
and obligations of the first covenant are still in force, and
CHRIST THE AUTHOR OF SALVATION. 21
man is held under them, the conditions of life are
impracticable, and, consequently, the end impossible to a
sinner. It is equally certain, that if there are any of our
sinful race who are not redeemed by Christ, that salvation
is impossible to them ; and for this plain reason that not
being redeemed, or bought off from the law, they remain,
under a covenant, the conditions of which they are totally
unable to fulfil. But, thanks be to God, that he who
tasted death for every man, and gave himself a ransom for
all, has brought in a better covenant, under which God has
promised to be merciful to our unrighteousness, and to
remember our sins and iniquities no more. It is into this
covenant we must look for the terms of our salvation.
The law and the gospel agree in this that they both
require obedience as the condition of life, and annex the
penalty of death to disobedience. But they differ widely in
regard to the character of the obedience they require. The
obedience required by the law was suitable to the condition
of an innocent and holy creature, and such as a sinner
could never perform. But the obedience required by the
gospel is suited to the condition of a guilty and polluted
creature, and such as can never apply to any but girmers.
This obedience is summed up, and comprehensively
expressed by " the righteousness of faith," as distinguished
from the " righteousness of the law." And it is the
distinguishing character of the gospel, that it provides for,
and accepts such a righteousness, as the condition of
salvation. Hence, according to our Apostle, under the
gospel economy, the righteousness of faith is reckoned or
counted lo. man in the place of the righteousness of law,
which he had lost by transgression. And this is the sum of
the Apostle's doctrine of " imputed righteousness." Having
thus far considered what we conceive to be fundamental
principles in the system of human salvation principles
22 CHRIST THE AUTHOR OF SALVATION.
which constitute the excellency and perfection of the gospel,
it remains for us more particularly to inquire into "the
nature of that obedience on which, as a condition, salvation
is suspended. Repentance of sin, is expressly declared
by Jesus Christ to be indispensably necessary to salvation.
The laws of his kingdom enjoin it on every sinner. He
Las established it, as an immutable rule of his government,
that "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."
Repentance of a sinner, which is unto life, and to which
promise of pardon is made, implies a conviction of sin a
consciousness of pollution and guilt. It implies confession
of sin. The prodigal appears in character as a repenting
sinner, in his confession, " Father, I have sinned against
heaven and before thee." It implies a deep sense of
un worthiness. The language of penitence is, "I am no
more worthy to be called thy son." It implies a penitential
sorrow on the account of sin. The repenting sinner
bewails his transgressions, and weeps bitterly for his
sins. And, finally, it implies the forsaking of sin,
breaking off from iniquity, turning away from transgression,
putting away the evil of our doings. This repentance,
too, must be sincere, not feigned; must be deep, not
superficial; must extend to all our sins, not some
particular offences only. It is one of the most consoling
truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ, that the high and
lofty one who inhabits eternity, and whose name- is Holy,
looks down from heaven, and approves this exercise of
repentance in the heart of the sinner ; that the bowels of
infinite mercy move toward him; that the attributes of
God are pledged in the very constitution of his gracious
khjgclom even his 'truth and justice to pardon such a
confessing sinner. What fulness of mercy is here ! What
grace ! What abounding grace is here ! The very chief
of sinners is not excluded from these gracious terms of life.
CHRIST TUB AUTJUOH OF SALVATION. 23
Faith in Chiist is a condition of salvation, and an
essential part of evangelical obedience. Except ye believe
that 1 am he, said Jesus Christ, ye shall die in your sins.
"He that believeth, shall be saved; but he that beiieveth
not, shall be damned." And in answer to the great
question, "What must I do to be saved?" the important,
but simple direction is, " Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and thou shalt be saved." But faith, as it is the exercise
of obedience to Christ, and a condition of salvation, is a
clear and firm persuasion of the divinity of Christ's person;
of the truth of his doctrines, and the validity of his claims.
It is a steadfast reliance on the efficacy of his atoning
sacrifice for the remission of sin, and acceptance with
God; and, consequently, implies the renouncing all other
grounds of justification. It is a cordial and voluntary
submission of ourselves to Christ in all the oflices he
sustains; receiving him as our prophet, priest, and king;
taking his yoke upon us, and submitting to his government.
In this view, the " righteousness of faith" implies all that
Christ has included in the terms of discipleship. "If any
man will be my disciple, let him deny himself, and take up
his cross and follow me." Short of this no man has the
faith which is unto salvation. Dost thou believe that
Jesus is the Son of God ? Thou doest well, for without
this thou canst not be saved. But devils believe this also,
and believing they tremble : yet are they not saved. Thy
faith must be unto obedience, or it will profit thee nothing.
Thy whole heart must be given to Christ in faith. If
thou believest with thy heart unto righteousness, thou
shalt be saved. If thou dost not thus believe, the wrath
of God abideth on thee.
" Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all tliy heart,
and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength, and thy
neighbor as thyself," is the sum of Christian obedience,
24 CHRIST THE AUTHOR OF SALVATION.
and the fulfilment of the law of Christ. "If ye love me,"
said Jesus Christ, "keep my commandments;" and if ye
keep my commandments, "ye shall abide in my love." On
this obedience of Christ's law, our eternal salvation is
suspended. "Without it, no man can be saved. With it,
no man can fail of salvation.
It remains only to answer an objection to the doctrine
proposed, and close with a few practical observations.
The objection to be answered, lies against the view we
have taken of the economy of the gospel or new covenant, as
embracing conditions of salvation, and requiring obedience,
on the part of man, as necessary to justification and eternal
life. It is urged by the objector, that " this doctrine excludes
grace, and makes salvation a matter of debt; because,
where conditions are imposed as requisite to the attainment
of some promised good, the fulfilment of the conditions
obliges the other party to make good the promise. It
follows, that if obedience is required as a condition of
justification, and eternal life, under the gospel, then God
is obliged, on the performance of this obedience by a
sinner, to justify and save him. Is not this making the
reward to be, not of grace, but of debt ? Is it not, to all
intents and purposes, "salvation by works?" We have
not proposed this objection, on account of any formidable
difficulties it contains ; for, it is weak exceedingly weak.
But we state and examine it, because of its popular
influence, and, we fear, dangerous tendency. Our Lord,
and his inspired Apostles, must have understood perfectly
the economy of the salvation of sinners contained in the
gospel covenant. This objection, then, will be fully
answered, if it clearly appear from the authority of the
New Testament Scriptures, first that the salvation of
sinners is by grace ; and, secondly that . something is
required on the part of sinners, in order to salvation;
CHRIST THK AUTHOR OF SALTATION. 2/>
something without which salvation cannot be obtained,
and with which salvation is certain. Now, that these two
grand points are clearly laid down in the oracles of God,
admits of such proof, yea, of such demonstration, as to
render it difficult to conceive how either of them should
ever have been doubted by any man professing to believe
in the truth of Divine revelation. On the first point, that
the salvation of sinners is by grace, it is necessary to say
but little, because it is not in dispute. Two passages shall
suffice. "By grace are ye saved." This applies with
equal fitness to every part of the system of salvation. It is
of grace, that man fallen man, was bought off from the law.
It is of grace, that he is placed under a law suited to his
condition as a sinner. It is of grace, that he is pardoned,
regenerated, sanctified, and finally glorified j all of which
were impossible to him on the ground of the Adamic law.
We, therefore, cordially agree to inscribe on every stone
in the perfect fabric of our salvation, " By grace are
ye saved."
" Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned
of grace but of debtj but to him that worketh not, but
believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is
counted for righteousness." A stronger passage is not to be
found in all the book of Grod, in confirmation of the blessed
doctrine of salvation by grace. If man obtain the
reward of the inheritance of the kingdom of Grod, he must
either obtain it on the ground of the first covenant the
law of works; or on the ground of the second covenant
the law of the Mediator. He cannot obtain it on the first
ground, because the title is forfeited in the violation of the
bond ; and, consequently, the claim cannot be sustained on tho
immutable principle of law "Pay me what thou owest."
He must therefore obtain it on the second ground, " the
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ." But, does this doctrine
4
26 CHRIST THE AUTHOR OF SALVATION.
of salvation by grace, exclude human agency ? Has the
counsel of redeeming mercy made man a machine, that it
may make him a saint ? In no part of the scheme of
salvation does the grace of God more clearly appear, than
in restoring man to a state of trial, under a dispensation
the terms of which are conformable to his condition, and
completely within his power. But the Gospel of Jesus
Christ requires something of man as a condition of his
salvation; something without which he cannot be saved,
and which being performed secures that end.
The general tenor of the New Testament Scriptures
sustains this position. It is every where apparent in
the teaching of the Author of the Gospel. It is one of
the most prominent features of his parables. It was
incorporated, in the most explicit form, in the grand
commission which he gave to his disciples after his
triumphant resurrection, and just before his ascension into
heaven, to perpetuate and perfect the designs of his
mediatorial government. What a solemn, and deeply
interesting truth deeply interesting to every fallen child
of Adam did this commission contain ! " He that believeth
and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not
shall be damned." How clearly does it appear, from this
passage, as well as from many others, that the " obedience
of faith," as a condition, is required by the gospel covenant,
as necessary to the inheritance of that "eternal salvation,"
of which C7i?ist is the Aiiilior.
In conclusion What a deep and eternal interest has
every child of man, in the " great salvation " provided by
the mediation of the Son of God, and secured, by immutable
promises, to all those who obey Him. It is only in the
light of eternity, that the value of the gain or loss of the
gospel salvation will fully appear. If we gain it, we gain
a " far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." " If
CHRIST THE AUTHOR OP SALVATION. 27
we lose it, we lose all that can render immortality a
blessing, and involve ourselves in the fearful punishment
of those " who obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus
Christ." " How shall we escape, (these punishments) if we
neglect so great salvation ?" Who will presume to answer
this important question 1 ? Who will show us any other
medium of access to God, but the sacrifice of the cross
any other availing intercessor, or advocate, but our " great
High Priest, who has passed into the heavens, where He
ever liveth to make intercession for us ?" His blood and
righteousness we make our only plea. We look to Jesus,
and to him alone, .as the autJior, and finisher of our
faith.
But to none will His sacrifice or intercession be availing
in their " eternal salvation," but to those who receive Him
in all His mediatorial offices ; and, obeying from the heart
that form of doctrine which He has delivered to them,
" work out their salvation with fear and trembling." Let
us, then, be up and doing working while the day lasts ;
knowing that the night cometh, in which no man can work.
"Behold, now is the accepted time: behold, now is the
day of salvation." Amen.
SERMON II.
THE NATURE OF SAVING FAITH.
BY REV. EDWARD P. HUMPHREY, D.D.
Pastor of the Second Presbyterian Church, Louisville, Ky
"For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision, availeth any thing, nor
ancircnmcision ; but faith which worketh by love." Gal. v. 6.
"Purifying their hearts by faith." Acts xv. 9.
Two methods of salvation have, at different times, been
proposed to mankind. One of these is by the law, and
the other is by the gospel. The ultimate principles on
which these two plans proceed, are essentially the same ;
the gospel, no less than the law, being founded in truth
and righteousness. But the terms which they propound
to mankind, are essentially different. The law demands
obedience as the condition on which it will administer its
rewards, and threatens disobedience with its penalties. Its
language is, " The man that doeth these things, shall live
by them." Its further language is, " Cursed is every one
that continueth not in all things which are written in the
book of the law, to do them." This, then, is, in four
words, the idea of the law obedience rewarded,
disobedience punished.
Now the gospel comes to those who have sinned, and
have, for sin, been condemned ; and proposes to save them
in another method, and on peculiar terms. It introduces
a new idea, the principle of faith. Its language is,
?' Whosoever believeth shall be saved." Its further
THE NATURE OF SAVING FAITH. 29
language is, " Whosoever believeth not shall be damned."
This, then, is, in a few words, the proposition of the
gospel the believer saved, the unbeliever destroyed.
Belief, therefore, or faith, occupies, under the gospel, the
place which obedience holds under the law. If you would
be saved by the law, you must 'obey it : if you would be
saved by the gospel, you must believe it.
Now, WHAT is FAITH ? I enter into no argument to
show the importance of this question. Our salvation
depends upon the possession of this grace, and a mistake
in respect to it may be fatal. I propose, in this discourse,
to institute an inquiry into the nature of the faith which
saves the soul. I shall conduct the investigation by stating
its most important elements, as they are disclosed in the
Word of God.
First. I will speak of its foundation. It rests on the
testimony of God.
Our whole knowledge is derived from three sources.
One of these is our personal experience. We gain an
acquaintance with the external world by the use of the
senses. We see the forms of tilings, we hear the voices
they utter, we feel their pressure, we taste the delicious
fruit, we smell the fragrant flower. Consciousness
reveals to us the world within the intellect, the passions,
the conscience, and the free and noble will. We repose
the fullest confidence on the testimony of our senses
respecting outer life, and on the testimony of consciousness
respecting the inner life. This confidence is faith in our
personal experience.
The circle of our information is greatly widened by
what we learn from other men. We see through their
eyes, and hear through their ears, and reach conclusions
through the processes of their understandings. We have
not seen Calcutta, or Jerusalem; we have not stood on
30 THE NATURE OP SAVING FAITH.
the banks of the Euphrates, or the Jordan ; no living man
has seen the temple of Solomon; yet, none doubt that
these cities and rivers are, and that this temple once was.
We have not searched into the grounds and principles of
the sciences, yet we admit their facts and conclusions on
the authority of the learned. This is faith in human
testimony. On it rests our knowledge of whatever lies
beyond the narrow limits of our own personal observation,
and within the sphere of human sense and reason. The
man is insane, or idiotic, who refuses to credit human
testimony. He can know nothing of history, and
comparatively nothing of passing events. He who loves
any truth well enough to die for it, would as readily stake
his life on facts ascertained by the testimony of others, as
on those of which he is himself the witness.
But the domains of human knowledge enlarge
immeasurably, when we receive as true the testimony of
God. Now, we hear of past events, which were otherwise
unknown. "We learn that the world was made by the
word of God's power, not from the testimony of our own
experience, nor from the testimony of other men, but from
that of the Creator himself. " By faith, we understand
that the worlds were framed by the word of God." The
creation of angels, their original brightness, their apostacy,
and their ruin being thrust down to hell; the creation of
man, his uprightness, paradise, the tree of life, the fruit
of the forbidden tree, the mortal taste, his expulsion from
Eden, his first experience of an earth cursed, of a body
dying, and a soul debased and lost ; all these things are
known to us by the testimony of God only.
That testimony reveals to us, also, coming events. " We
shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed." This we
believe by faith alone, for the human reason can detect no
germ of life in the dissolving dust ; nor can it discover a
THE NATURE OF SAVING FAITH. 31
ray of light in the dark precincts of the grave ; nor are
we endowed with the prophetic vision which, outrunning
the deductions of reason, forsees the resurrection of the
dead. We know, also, that God hath appointed a day in
which he will judge the world j that the heavens and earth
will flee away before the terrors of that scene; that the
righteous and the wicked will stand before the bar of
Christ, he sitting as God, because he is God; that the
wicked shall depart from him into hell, and the righteous
ascend with him into heaven. We know that these things
will" come, and will not tarry. We look, we hasten unto
their approach, believing in the testimony of God.
In like manner we realize the existence of an unseen
world. It is not the object of sense, nor is it discoverable by
reason, but it is made known by the word of God. The
Almighty now reigns in light inapproachable, yet we see
no shining token of his glory. Christ, also, sits at the right
hand of God, but we cannot gaze in upon his royal robe,
nor upon bis brow, on which are many crowns. " Whom,
not Jiaving seen, we love." Heaven, while I speak these
words, opens its gates of pearl upon streets of gold and
waters of life, but we cannot catch a glimpse of its unfading
splendor. Hell, also, rears its gloomy walls, and shoots
up its lurid flames, yet we see not even the smoke of its
torment. No vision of either world shines upon the mortal
eye ; no echo from either, the world of song or die world
of wailing, breaks upon the ear. These are objects not
of sense, nor reason, but of faith in the testimony of
God. .
Having thus discovered the foundation on which saving
faith rests, we now mention,
Secondly, its object. The characteristic, controlling
object which is apprehended by saving faith, is the Lord
Jesus Christ. You believe that God made the worlds.
32 THE NATURE OP SAVING FAITH.
You do well : this is an historical faith. You believe that
God will raise the dead, and judge them by that man
whom he hath ordained. This is well * it is a faith in the
vision of prophecy. You believe in the reality of an
eternal state. This, too, is well : it is a faith in the Unseen.
But there is a faith, higher, holier, more influential still a
faith in Christ. Il is a grace, by which you " receive and
rest upon him alone for salvation." If you have this grace
you are convinced, first, that you are sinners, justly
condemned and lost; next, that you cannot recover
yourselves, nor can all other creatures recover you out of
your lost condition, nor will even God himself, out of
Christ, save you : then you are persuaded that Christ is
able and willing to save ; further, you do rest upon him,
and cleave to him for salvation, rejoicing to be saved by his
grace, and to be governed by his commands; and
further still, you embrace the promises and tremble at the
threatenings of God, for this life and for that which is
to come; "accepting, receiving, and resting upon Christ
alone, for justification, sanctification, and eternal life, by
virtue of the covenant of grace." Such is the faith which
saves. By that you recognize your sin, and your Saviour;
you confess your guilt, and cleave to him who died to
atone for it; you apprehend Christ, and apprehending,
trust him, and trusting, love him, and loving, rejoice in him.
That is the principle which, implanted and sustained in the
heart, by the Spirit of God, renders your salvation, I do
not say possible, but certain; nay, inevitable; nay, more, it
renders the contrary eternally impossible, just as it is
impossible for God to lie.
Thirdly. TMs faitJi is an active principle. Our text
uses a strong term to express this sentiment : " Faith that
worJieth." Now men believe many truths, .and believe
them firmly, which exert over them no controlling power.
T1IE NATURE OP SAVING FAITH. 33
The sublime truths, for example, taught by the astronomer,
are believed by every man who has investigated the
science, and by multitudes who take them on trust. It is
unquestionably true, that the planets are at given distances
from the sun ; that they revolve in their orbits, and around
their centres in certain fixed periods ; that the earth is one
of these planets, and turns daily on its axis, and moves,
yearly, through its pathway in the sky ; that the fixed stars
are suns, and are at immeasurable distances from us, and
from each other; These truths are generally received, yet
they do not " work " in your bosoms. You do not love
or hate either God or man, nor do you choose or refuse
the good or the evil in consequence of believing them.
They make you no better and no worse, indeed, in no
respect, morally, different from him who rejects these facts
and theories, and holds by the old system of astronomy.
In the same spirit many men receive the truths of religion.
They believe that God made the worlds; that God will
even judge the world ; that there is a heaven and a hell ;
that Christ lived ; that he died ; yea, rather, that he is risen
aguiin ; that he is even at the right hand of God, and
maketh intercession for the saints. Yet their belief in these
tilings is a dormant, or even a dead faith; it works not.
Here, then, we discover one of the essential elements
of saving faith. It is a living, active principle. It is like
leaven, hidden in the meal, but working therein, until it
leavens the whole lump. Although faith be lodged in the
heart, it does not sleep there. It is full of energy and
outbursting strength. It is, in this respect, like the
principle of the natural life, a secret, subtle substance,
we know not what, hidden we know not where, coming
and going we know not how, yet working in every joint
mid member of the human body. It glistens in the eye, it
glows in the cheek, it whispers or thunders in the voice, it
34 THE NATURE OF SAVING FAITH.
swells in the bosom, it leaps in the pulse, it gives to the
hand its cunning, and to the foot its swiftness ; it rages in
the tumult of human passion, and smiles on the peaceful
scene when the storm is over. Now, you must not think it
strange, that a religious faith is also a life, a vital principle.
You should not deem this one of the incomprehensibles of
Christianity. Patriotism works in the bosom where its
sacred fire is kindled. Parental love is something more
than a fond idea ; it works where it abides. Your love
of the world is no inert, dormant abstraction, slumbering
in your bosoms. It is alert, and enterprising, and
energetic, working ever, we fear, to your undoing. If
you hate your enemies, that is a wild and furious passion,
and not a mere conception resting on the heart, like che
shadow on a rock. It is full of vitality. It plagues your
enemies and torments yourself.
We do not speak mysteries, therefore, when we say
that faith, like other principles in the soul, good and bad,
is clothed with activity and power, and that it discovers its
earnest nature by appropriate manifestations. From the
fact of its activity, we turn to consider,
Fourthly, tlie metJiod by wMdi it works. " It worketh
by love" There are several emotions through which the
human will is swayed. The most influential are these
three: Hope, Fear, and Love. Hope has vast power
over man. In the ordinary affairs of life, it enables him to
overcome difficulties, which were otherwise insurmountable.
In the religious experience, a good hope is declared in
Scripture to be "the anchor of the soul, sure and
steadfast." And, "we are saved by hope." A being
without hope, is a being without G-od in the world. Yet
this is said of die Christian hope only, as it is associated
with other graces. "We need other bonds to hold us to
our allegiance, besides the single bond of hope. This
THE NATURE OF SAVING FAITH. 35
principle contemplates objects that are afar off in a
distant world and in a future state. We are, by reason
of sin, at so great a distance from G-od, that we feel but
feebly the drawings of the heavenly world; like stars,
shooting so far away from their spheres, as to lose, almost,
the attractions of the central body. We need, therefore, a
faith which, associated with hope, works by another and
more controlling principle of grace.
Fear has wonderful power over the soul. The law
addresses our fears, and God has given us fears to be
addressed. It is but an empty boast of the wicked man,
that he is not afraid of hell. Let him but realize the
truth let hell be uncovered before him, and it is not in
human nature, it is not in any created nature, though of
higher and firmer structure than -that of man, to feel no
fear. Sinners are not afraid, because they do not believe.
The devils believe, and they tremble. These have the
faith of an appalling experience, by which they know that
there is a hell ; and the faith of appalling guilt, by which
they know that they cannot escape from its torments ; a
faith that works . by fear, a terrible and excruciating faith.
This is just the faith of the wicked. So far as they
believe, they are miserable. They see nothing in religion
but gloom, nothing in Christ but a final judge, nothing in
God but a consuming fire. They choose not to believe ;
or if the truth force itself on their consciences, they try to
drown its voice in care, or pleasure, or wickedness.
Far different in its nature and effects is the principle
of love. It is not like fear, filling the mind with terror ;
nor is it like hope, fastening itself on some far-away good,
which it must wait for, long and patiently. It realizes
vividly the excellencies of its object. It discovers things
invisible, and brings distant objects near. The Apostle
expressly states, that love is bettor than hope, and better
36 THE NATURE OP SAVING FAITH.
than faith, in itself considered. " Now abideth faith, hope,
love, these three, but the greatest of these is love."
Faith, working by hope, is often enfeebled by the
remoteness and dimness of the things hoped for. Faith,
working by fear, brings eternity near to the soul; it
summons forth, from the dark bosom of die future, all
frightful forms and visions, all dreadful wailings and cries.
Faith, working by love, does what hope cannot do; it
makes the world to come a present and vivid reality ;
"Far into distant worlds she pries
And brings eternal glories near."
And further, unlike fear, which terrifies the soul, love
wins its affections ; it teaches the heart to shoot forth its
tendrils and to bind up itself with holy objects. God is
love. He that loveth is born of God. A faith that works
by love, assimilates the heart to God. This remark,
however, introduces another topic.
Fifthly. The effect of saving faitli on its subject. The
Scripture which we have adopted into our text from the
Acts of the Apostles, teaches us that, by this grace, God
" purifies the heart." This is a capital point in the case.
It tests both the genuineness of faith and the power with
which it worketh.
Let us analyse the process. First, faith brings near to the
believer spiritual objects. It brings Christ near with his
atoning blood. It brings heaven near with its purity and
its joy. Next, it enables the mind to discern these. The
natural man cannot comprehend them, they being spiritually
discerned. Further, this faith makes the Saviour the
object of devout contemplation. And further yet, working
by love, it fastens the affections supremely upon the Saviour.
Finally, this blessed object, thus loved and adored, reacts
upon the heart with an elevating and purifying power. It
is a law of human nature, that the character of man
THE NATURE OF SAVING FAITH. 37
conforms itself to that which gains his highest affections.
He who loves money supremely, becomes sordid ; he who
loves pleasure, becomes sensual. He, whose heart is
fixed on base objects, is gradually but inevitably debased ;
and his spirit gravitates towards their low mean level.
But if his thoughts and affections be occupied with things
pure and lovely, his whole being is lifted up into their
clear sweet atmosphere. He is purified, too, by what
attracts him. This principle has a thousand illustrations
in the works of God. The insect takes its hue from the
leaf on which it rests. The bird and the rose borrow
their tints from the sunlight which bathes both plumage
and flower. When God brings the winds out of his
treasuries, they are all pure and fresh alike. But how are
these changed by what they gather up in every land and
every sea. They blow from the north, giving snow like
wool, and scattering the hoar frost like ashes. They
return from the weary journey of Sahara, breathing forth,
like a furnace, their scorching and suffocating heat. Laden
with infection from inhospitable shores, or with fragrance
from spicy groves, the pestilential or the aromatic gale
visits the voyager when far out upon the sea. The great
globe itself is lighted up and warmed by the orb around
which it moves. If the light of the sun were quenched,
the earth, chained to a dark and frozen 'centre, would
wheel along its pathway in eternal night, and ice, and
death.
No principles are better established than those which
are involved in these illustrations. Now when you read
in Scripture, the caution, " Love not the world, nor the
things of the world," and when you read, again, that " The
friendship of the world is enmity with God," do not think
these to be arbitrary or unreasonable decrees. They are
founded in the truest philosophy touching man, as well as
38 THE NATURE OP SAVING FAITH.
in the purest piety towards God. He that loves the
world, becomes, by the very force of that affection, earthly
and grovelling. He who bows his face into the dust,
gathers defilement upon his brow. Nor does the command
to love God rest upon other than the highest reason. Love
to a being so holy and glorious, lays upon the soul the
grasp of an upward attraction and of a transforming
energy. He who communes with God, brings forth from
the presence chamber a shining face.
These remarks unfold the principle contained in the
text, that, through the faith which works by love, God
purifies the heart. He who truly loves the Lord Jesus,
opens his heart to influences which will discharge his
corrupt affections, and assimilate him to Christ. This,
indeed, is precisely the explanation which the Apostle
gives of the matter. He speaks of Christ under the
figure of a mirror, in which is reflected the whole glory
of God. Then he adds these remarkable words : " We
all beholding, as in a glass, the glory of the Lord, are
changed into the same image, from glory to glory, as by
the Spirit of the Lord." How impressive the statement !
" We beJwlding are cJianged /"
I have now mentioned five elements of saving faith. It
rests on the testimony of God ; its object is the Lord
Jesus ; its nature is vital and active; it works by love; it
purifies the heart.
I will add two or three practical remarks, suggested by
what has been now advanced, and close this discourse.
First. Our subject indicates t7ie difference between
the religion of form, and tJie religion of a saving
faith. " Neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor
uncircumcision, but faith that worketh by love." There
is, here, a broad distinction taken between the rite of
circumcision and true piety, and with this distinction is
THE NATURE OF SAVING FAITH. 39
associated the statement, that it is the faith, and not the
form, that saves the soul. This principle has an instructive
application to one of the most serious of modern errors in
religion.
It is our persuasion, that baptism holds to Christianity
the relation in which circumcision stood to Judaism.
Now these two ordinances show their affinity to each
other, in nothing more remarkable than in the circumstance,
that the doctrine of baptism is now perverted precisely aa
was that of circumcision. In the age of Christ and the
Apostles, it was the belief of many, that circumcision was,
in some sense, a saving ordinance. It is now the conviction
of many, that baptism is of saving efficacy. The baptismal
regeneration of our time, may find its exact counterpart in
the circumcisional regeneration of the former time ; and
what we now have to meet is, identically, the same error,
under another aspect, which Paul confuted. And we
preserve absolutely, die sentiment of the Apostle when we
tell you, that, as the ground of salvation, in Christ Jesus,
neither baptism, nor the want of it, availeth any thing, but
faith that worketh by love.
Your attention must have been arrested by the remark
of Paul to the Corinthians, as bearing on this error. In
his first Epistle to those brethren, he remonstrates with
them in respect of the divisions which prevailed among
them. These dissensions appear to have arisen, in some
measure, from the partiality which the people severally
entertained for those ministers and apostles who had
baptized them. One was of Paul, another of Apollos, and
another of Cephas. In the course of his remonstrance,
the Apostle exclaims, " I thank God, that I baptized none
of you, but Crispus and Gaius; lest any should say, that
I had baptized in mine own name. And I baptized, also,
the household of Stephanas ; besides, I know not whether
40 THE NATURE OP SAVING FAITH.
I baptized any other." Now if baptism be a saving
ordinance, or even, if it be, in some mystical way, essential
to a true regeneration, is it not exceedingly strange, that
Paul should deliberately thank God that he "had baptized,
in the whole city of Corinth, two persons only, and the
household of another ? He then adds : " Christ sent me
not to baptize, but to preach the gospel." Upon the
supposition, that baptism hath an inherent power to save
the soul, how shall we understand the fact, that Christ sent
him not to baptize? And how shall we explain the
circumstance, that Jesus Christ baptized not at all, if
so be that ordinance introduces sinners into the kingdom
of God?
Nay, nay, brethren; baptism is not the renewal of the
Holy Spirit. Water is the emblem of His cleansing power,
but is not the hiding place of that power. Simon Magus
was baptized by an Apostle, yet that Apostle afterwards
perceived, that the sorcerer was still a sorcerer; "in
the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity."
Regeneration is something more than an outward washing.
It is a baptism, not of water only, but of blood and of fire ;
nay, it is the work of the fire and the hammer ; nay, more, it
is the sword, piercing to die dividing asunder of the soul
and the spirit ; it is even a new creation, and a resurrection
of the dead.
Secondly. Our doctrine of justification by faith, supplies
a. poicerful motive to Jioliness. There are those, I know,
v/ho think otherwise. They pretend, indeed, that this
doctrine leads to impiety and vice. If, say they,' a man
believe that he is to be saved by what he does, he will do
his best; if works save, he will see well to it that his works
are good, that his heart is pure, and his life holy. But
if he believe that he is to be saved by his faith alone, he
will conclude that good works are unnecessary ; he will
THE NATURE OF SAVING FAITH. 41
rely on his faith, and be careless as to his life. This is the
argument of the objector.
But the objection overlooks, wholly, the nature of the
faith by which we are saved. It is a peculiar and powerful
principle of goodness, implanted and sustained by the
Holy Spirit. First, it worketh it is a living, energetic
principle. Secondly, it works by love ; it is indissolubly
associated with love to God and man. Thirdly, by it,
God purifies the heart, discharging its corrupt propensities,
and pervading it with the spirit of holiness. This is the
nature of the faith by which we are justified. A living
principle, working by love, bringing man's character into
harmony with the Divine nature, it vindicates itself
against all the cavils of the disputer. The objection we
have in hand was once well stated, thus : " If I believed
that I am to be saved by my faith, and not by my works,
I would take my fill of sin." The reply was admirable :
" How much sin, think you, would it take to fill a Christian ?"
If the faith by which we are saved, be only another name
for holiness, or, at the very least, if it involve, by absolute
necessity, the possession of practical godliness where now
is the force of the objection ? It works by love to God,
and, therefore, by hatred to sin ; it works, also, by love to
man, and, therefore, teaches the faithful to love their fellow
men ; it lifts up the soul into communion with God, and
thereby, transforms the man after the image of God.
Does such a grace lead to sin 1 Does justification, by such
a faith, encourage disobedience to the law, and contempt
for its author ? Indeed, we may boldly say, that this faith
is not more remarkable in saving the soul from hell, than
in delivering it from sin. Nay, its transforming power is
identical and co-extensive with its saving efficacy.
It were easy to show that this faith is the only true
spring of all holy endeavors. It is the power of God unto
5
SERMON III.
THE CONVERSION OF YOUTH, THE HOPE
OF THE WORLD.
BY REV. SAMUEL W. LYND, D'.D.,
President of iJia Western Baptist Theological In -4'dute.
" Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed
thereto, according to thy word." Psahn cxix. 9.
have fallen upon eventful times. We are rapidly
approximating the golden age, more glorious than ever
fable conceived. Our minds should not misgive us, on this
point, for God hath spoken it. We grant that there is
much darkness in the moral aspect of the world. The
facility of communication which we possess, pours upon us
daily, reports of wrong and outrage, which, in former
times, would have been confined to a limited circle. But
even if crime, in certain classes. of the community, were
actually on the increase, it might be expected. The.
powers of darkness rage, because they know that their
time is short. This may be permitted, in order to give the
kingdom of Christ- a more glorious victory. Not more
certainly is the sun steadily ascending to the horizon, while
darkness envelopes the natural world, than is the sun of
righteousness arising upon the moral world. Vainly
should we strive to keep him back ; vainly, as the proud
monarch on the shore of ocean bade its swelling tide
advance no further.
TUB CONVERSION OF YOUTH. 45
The human mind, in all places, is breaking off the
shackles of ignorance and oppression. It is no longer the
array of physical power, the swaying of the masses by
authority. It is mind to mind, reason to reason. The
battle field of the age is the soul of man, its weapons are
moral ; and can any doubt the result, who believe in the
power of truth 1 Yet we anticipate no miracle. We look
to the operation of active and rational instrumentality, and
especially to the operation of moral influence upon the
minds of the young. The rising generation constitutes the
character of society. What that is, the world will be.
David saw its importance, and hence the propriety of the
language : " Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his
way ? By taking heed thereto, according to thy word."
We have here presented to us an important inquiry, and
a satisfactory reply. To these two points we invite the
candid attention of the reader.
First. The important inquiry, "Wherewithal shall a
young man cleanse his way 1"
This question, though applicable to a particular case,
yet embraces the general question, By what means shall
tlic. next generation l>e made better ilian the present ? Dr.
Clarke observes, that " a young sinner has no broad, beaten
path : he has his private ways of offence, his secret
pollutions; and how shall he be cleansed from these?
How can he be saved from what will destroy mind, body,
and soul ?"
. Cleansing implies pollution, and pollution is inherent in
human nature, in its present fallen condition. It exhibits
itself at a very early period of life. Sinful curiosity is as
natural to us as our desire for food. The restraints which
are put upon us from early life, only give a keener edge
to our inclinations. We incline to the instruction that
causcth to err. We have more care for the body than for
SERMON III.
THE CONVERSION OF YOUTH, THE HOPE
OF THE WORLD.
BY KEV. SAMUEL W. LYND, D'.D.,
President of tJte Western Baptist Theological In ditute.
" Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed
thereto, according to thy word." Psalm cxix. 9.
liave fallen upon eventful times. "We are rapidly
approximating the golden age, more glorious than ever
fable conceived. Our mincls should not misgive us, on this
point, for God hath spoken it. We grant that there is
much darkness in the moral aspect of the world. The
facility of communication which we possess, pours upon us
daily, reports of wrong and outrage, which, in fbnner
times, would have been confined to a limited circle. But
even if crime, in certain classes. of the community, were
actually on the increase, it might be expected. The
powers of darkness rage, because they know that their
time is short. This may be permitted, in order to give the
kingdom of Christ, a more glorious victory. Not more
certainly is the sun steadily ascending to the horizon, while
darkness envelopes the natural world, than is the sun of
righteousness arising upon the moral world. Vainly
should we strive to keep him back ; vainly, as the proud
monarch on the shore of ocean bade its swelling tide
advance no further.
TUB CONVERSION OF YOUTH. 45
The human mind, in all places, is breaking off the
shackles of ignorance and oppression. It is no longer the
array of physical power, the swaying of the masses by
authority. It is mind to mind, reason to reason. The
battle field of the age is the soul of man, its weapons are
moral ; and can any doubt the result, who believe in the
power of truth ? Yet we anticipate no miracle. We look
to the operation of active and rational instrumentality, and
especially to the operation of moral influence upon the
minds of the young. The rising generation constitutes the
character of society. "What that is, the world will be.
David saw its importance, and hence the propriety of the
language : " Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his
way 1 By taking heed thereto, according to thy word."
We have here presented to us an important inquiry, and
a satisfactory reply. To these two points we invite the
candid attention of the reader.
First. The important inquiry, "Wherewithal shall a
young man cleanse his way 1"
This question, though applicable to a particular case,
yet embraces the general question, By wJiat means shall
the next generation be made letter tJian tlie present ? Dr.
Clarke observes, that " a young sinner has no broad, beaten
path : he has his private ways of offence, his secret
pollutions; and how shall he be cleansed from these?
How can he be saved from what will destroy mind, body,
and soul ?"
Cleansing implies pollution, and pollution is inherent in
human nature, in its present fallen condition. It exhibits
itself at a very early period of life. Sinful curiosity is as
natural to us as our desire for food. The restraints which
are put upon us from early life, only give a keener edge
to our inclinations. We incline to the instruction that
causeth to err. We have more care for the body than for
46 THE CONVERSION OP YOUTH,
the soul. If it were not so, the exhortation would be
needless, to seek first the kingdom of God, and his
righteousness. We are prone to depart from God, and
seek unlawful pleasures. We regard religion, or obedience
to God, as a hinderance to our pleasures, and especially
in the season of youth. To follow good example, in
preference to lad, always requires effort and self-denial.
Children, unrestrained, will run into vice. They need no
teaching to be wicked : but to have them go in the way
they should go, they must be trained to it by early
discipline.
The character of youth is the character of mature age,
and, consequently, the character of the young is the
character of their generation. The history of the world
fully proves the truth of this position. It commends itself
to every man's observation. Those habits which are
acquired in early life, generally run through the whole
earthly existence of an individual. Habits of dissipation
in youth, form dissipated and lawless men, unless reformed
by the grace of God. Conversion often occurs in later
years, but still the cases are comparatively so few, that
they exert but a general and indirect influence upon the
masses. We have a striking exhibition of this fact in the
case of the Jewish people. When our Lord appeared
among them, the nation had greatly degenerated in its
moral and religious aspect. He came, and they received
him not. The priests and rulers, confirmed in their
character and their religious prejudices, met him at every
point with unceasing hostility. Upon the people his
heavenly instruction made but a transient impression. At
one time, die excited multitude shouted, "Hosanna,
blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord :" at
another, " Away with him, away with him, crucify him."
Though many thousands acknowledged him after his
THE HOPE OP THE WORLD. 47
ascension, yet the great body of them retained their views
and habits. Under this influence, the rising generation
filled up the measure of their iniquity, and fell under the
curse of God.
The Christian religion is one of moral influence. It
has to operate upon mind, heart, and conscience. Give it
a fair field, and it will triumph over the world. In its
whole history, such a field has never been granted. The
mind, the heart, the conscience, have always been intrenched
within barriers, which years of toil had erected. AH the
conquests of the gospel have been against such 'fearful
odds ; and yet, by the grace of God, it has often triumphed.
There are no barriers so strong as an early perverted
mind, a heart filled with the world, a conscience rendered
callous to the voice of truth^ and habits of rebellion
against God. This difficulty must be met, in individual
cases, and in the masses, by cleansing the ways of the
young.
Youth is the season when are treasured up permanently
all those facts, and circumstances, and thoughts, which, in
after life, control the judgment, give direction to the
passions, and form the moral character. Impressions are
then more easily made, and the passions are strong to give
permanency to the corruptions of nature, and to stamp
error and vice, as indelibly upon the heart, as facts are
indelibly impressed upon the memory. To this truth, the
Sacred Scriptures bear ample testimony. The Lord, by
the prophet Jeremiah, says : " Can the Ethiopian change
his skin, or the leopard his spots ? then may ye, also, do
good, th&t are accustomed to do evil. Therefore, will I
scatter them as the stubble that passeth away by the wind
of the wilderness. This is thy lot, the portion of thy
measures from me, saith the Lord, because thou hast
forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood."
48 THE CONVERSION OF VOUTH,
The character of the young, is the character of the
generation which they constitute ; and by the moral and
religious improvement of each successive race of youth,
we are to realize the golden age of the world, foretold
by inspired bards, when the earth shall be full of the
knowledge of the glory of the Lord. The character of the
youth is, with few exceptions, the character of the man ;
and by the religious character of youth, we are authorized
to expect a life of piety and salvation at its close.
, Pollution is inherent in our nature. It exhibits itself as
soon as moral action commences ; and the lives of youth
are stained with many sins sins which seem to find their
justification in the circumstance of youth itself. The
Apostle Paul exhorts Timothy to flee youthful lusts, which
would render his way offensive to God, and injurious to
himself. Young men especially, are exposed to many
temptations, and are exceedingly susceptible to their
influence. The imagination and the passions are like
combustible materials, dangerous in the vicinity of fire.
Impatient of admonition, and destitute of that wisdom and
experience which age usually brings with it, their thoughts
and desires rarely extend beyond the present. Opposition
to God and holy things, almost imperceptibly grow with
their growth, and strengthen with their strength, until" their
habits become fixed, their associations confirmed, and
their moral power prostrated. To establish a holy and
useful character, the way of the young must be cleansed ;
their hearts must be renewed in the image of God ; their
principles of action must be such as will prove a firm
foundation in the hour of trial j and their growing
corruptions must be curbed. Few young people make the
inquiry for themselves, how this is to be accomplished,
and hence David makes it for them : " WJiercwithal slmll
a young man cleanse Ids way ?
THE HOPE Or THE tTORLD. 49
II. The question is satisfactorily answered in the
words, " By taking faed tltereio, according to tlty word"
Two things are here stated: first, that youths adopt for
their government, a right rule of action; and^ secondly,
that they take heed to this rule. No man can work well
who does not work by rule. In the formation of character
there must be some proposed standard of right and
wrong, some settled principles upon which human conduct
must be based; This standard 1 or rule, is the word of God,
This is of Divine origin^ 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." It contains the principles upon
which the Divine government is administered, in reference
to rebellious subjects, and the laws by which they are to
be governed. In this standard there is power to cleanse
the way of the young. The gospel is the power of God
unto salvation, to every one that believeth.
Independently of this standard, society cannot be
reformed. The experiment has been made upon a large
scale, for nearly six thousand years; and wherever the
people have been deprived of it, idolatry, superstition,
and moral darkness have prevailed. Witness the condition
of the entire heathen world. Literature, science, the aits,
and civilization have, indeed, existed j as in ancient Egypt,
Greece, and Rome; but moral darkness brooded over all
this fair scene. Each successive generation improved
upon the vice* of the former^ until aH, at length, sunk
under the weight of crime. Arid what are they now?
But while the heathen were destitute of the Bible,
they had a religion, idolatrous^ it is true, but still a
religion; and for a long time it tended to sustain national
existence, and to aid t7tc influence oftlie law. There was an
acknowledgement of higher powers interested in the affairs
50' THE CO-NVERSIOJV OF YOUTH,.
of men ; but there is no instance of the existence of organized
society, without such acknowledgement. France tried the
experiment. By her leading men, the Bible was proscribed,
the Sabbath blotted out, and the existence of Deity denied.
Who does not know the result? Who does not know,
that men became incarnate demons, and destroyed each
other as wild beasts of the forests ? With a false standard
of religion, community can never be purified; and with
no religion, organized society cannot long exist. Without
the Divine word for a moral standard, society cannot be
reformed, and sinners cannot be saved. The word of God,
therefore, must be adopted, as the true moral standard,
This is the first step. This is the basis of holy character.
God's word must be the rule of our faith, and our
practice.
. " But the reply in the text embraces another idea, and
that is, that we must bring our heart and life to the test of
this rule, or, in other words, must take heed to our way,
according to this rule. . It is obvious, therefore, that the
rule must be understood, and, in order to be understood,
must be studied. We mean that the Bible itself must be
studied. Many persons fix upon the views and practices
of a particular denomination, as they may be swayed by
education and association ; and having settled In their
minds that this denomination is right, they go to the
Scriptures through life, to prove that their views and
practices are right. We do not proceed thus in ascertaining
what is taught in the C onstitution of the United States. We
study the document itself, to know what its principles are :
and if any difficulty arises, and we can ascertain what
construction the authors of the instrument put upon it, or,
what practice they founded upon it, we cheerfully avail
ourselves of their aid. Beyond this, all is mere opinipn,
to which we assign no authority. This is the way to
THE HOPE OP THE WORLD. 51
understand the Bible. Go to the booJc itself. The meaning
of the book, is the meaning of its words, according to the
laws of language. Here we exercise our reason, because
this is its legitimate province. If any doctrine presents a
difficulty, inquire how the writers of the New Testament
understood it, when, in their letters, they made it the subject
of discussion against false views. To understand the
Bible we must study it.
But more than study is embraced in the direction to
take heed to our way, according to the word of God.
It must be investigated with prayer. The Bible is
exceedingly plain to a mind under the influence of right
affections, in all that pertain to salvation. The gospel is
hid to them that are lost, because of then" pride. The
Jewish rulers were so blinded by pride, prejudice, and
hostility to Christ, that they could not comprehend his
plainest parables. But, with prayer to God, the youngest,
and the most illiterate, may be trained in the way to
heaven.
When an understanding of the Divine standard is thus
secured, it must be obeyed. The word of God is the
great spiritual regulator, and we must bring our way to it,
and set it right. It is the chart by which we^ are to be
guided through the ocean of life, and we must take heed
to it. The ruin of young persons is caused by cJtoosing
false rules of action, or by having no rules at all. Let the
word of God be your standard, and you are safe. Seek
God as your oracle with your whole heart, that you may
not wander from rectitude. Do as David did. He says,
" Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin
against thee." . , . .
But we must be more explicit. To take heed to our
way, according to the word of God, is, to regulate, by his
word, the way of our salvation, and tlie way of our life.
52 THE CONVERSION OF YOUTH,
The administration of the Divine government is remedial.
All men are condemned by the law of God, which they
have violated; but the sentence is not immediately
executed, because it is stayed for the purpose of showing
mercy to the guilty. God gave his only begotten Son to
die for sinners; He is the mediator between God : and
man. In consequence of his atonement, Jehovah can be
just, and yet the justifier of him that believes in Jesus.
He has exalted his Son to the throne, given him power, as
mediator, over all things, and committed all judgment to
his hands. The Divine administration is changed, from
that of mere law to a : remedial, for the violation of the
law. And now, Jesus Christ, in his; mediatorial capacity,
proposes salvation to men, on the ground of his own
merits, through the exercise of faith. The government of
Jehovah, considered in itself, is a government of mere law;
tliat of Jesus Christ is a government of grace. Under
one of these two, all men must be ranged, and abide the
issue. If they claim the favor of God on the ground of
their obedience to the law, they must be utterly and for ever
ruined; for this law requires perfect obedience in every
moment of existence. If they claim his favor purely for
Christ's sake, they will enjoy it, and be saved; for this
substitutes the law of faith, in place of the law of obedience
the righteousness wliich God lias provided through faith,
in place of the righteousness of man by obedience; on the
ground of what Christ has accomplished as our mediator.
So the word of God teaches, and our salvation must be
regulated by it. "We must be justified before God,
according to his word; or justified by faith in Christ,
without deeds of law. We must, like the apostle Paul, be
found in' Christ, not having on our own righteousness, but
the righteousness of God by faith in Jesus Christ. Until
we receive the Son of God as our Saviour by faith, and
THE HOPE OF THE WORLD. 53
through him be restored to the favor of God, we reject
the only Divire government instituted ;among fallen men,
and render : Ottrselyes for ever incapable of any moral act,
which can be regarded by our Maker as an act of
obedience.
We must take heed, also, to our way of sanctificatiwi,
according to the word of God. This is by the influence of
the Spirit of God, renewing our nature in righteousness^
and true holiness, and perfecting in us -the image of God,
during our residence on earth. In a word, to take heed
to our way of salvation, .is to understand and embrace the
doctrines of the gospel. It is a mistake, that a man may
hold any views, provided his conduct be right. His views
must accord with the Scriptures, or his life can never be
conformed to the will of God. Not to embrace the
teaching of -God's word, and submit to it, is rebellion
against the government of Divine mercy.
>But while the administration of Jesus Christ is remedial,
it has its laws for the government of all his- subjects. And
hence, it is required that we love God supremely; love the
Saviour with all our hearts; love his followers, because
they bear his image ; consecrate ourselves to his service ;
deny ungodliness and worldly lusts; and live soberly,
righteously, and godly, in this present evil world. This is
true conversion.^ And if we would cleanse our way; if
we would be saved from sin and pollution in this world,
and be happy in the world to come, we must take heed to
our ways, according to the word of God. And this must
be done .in the season of youth, or there can be but little
hope for the future. We do not limit the power of God,
but the fact is fearfully arrayed before all eyes, that but
few, comparatively, are brought to the knowledge of
salvation, after their habits in rebellion have become
confirmed by years. The same is true of the question, in
54 THE CONVERSION OF YOUTH,
a more general sense. By what means shall the next
generation be made better than the present ? The answer
is, By the religious training, and the conversion of the
youth.
Here is our principal hope for the ultimate renovation
of the world, as foretold in the sacred Scriptures. Nor is
it a vain hope. The attention of Christians has, for many
years past, turned upon the young. A religious' literature
has been created for their benefit. Sabbath schools have
multiplied, not only in our cities and villages, but in
sparse settlements, throughout our land ; and God has
sanctioned these efforts, by the conversion of vast numbers
of young people. "Where there were ten young men
training for the ministry, thirty years ago, there are now a
hundred. These instrumentalities are increasing every
year ; and every year is hastening on the glorious jubilee
of our world. The millenial morning dawns, for the
young are cleansing their ways, by taking heed thereto,
according to God's word.
We desire the salvation of all. We would invite and
welcome to Christ, the weary aged, whose limbs are
trembling at the threshold of the gloomy vault. For the
little evil they may yet be able to avert, the little good
which they may yet be able to do, but especially for their
own sakes, would we invite them to the fold of Christ :
but we desire the young to enlist, oecav-se they are
young.
The largest amount of the ordinary life of man, which
it may be yours to enjoyi is now nearly all before you.
We wish to see that time consecrated to the service of the
Saviour. You are vigorous. We want that vigor in the
most holy cause in which men can embark. You are now
capable of being trained in the armies of the faithful. We
want your trained services in many future conflicts.
'THE HOPE OF THE WORLD. 55
Think what you are capable of becoming, and of doing.
Think of the years of holy triumph and usefulness, that, in
all probability, await you, if you are now consecrated to
the service of the Redeemer. Think of the gracious
reward of a life spent in the cause of fie Lord Jesus
Christ, the King of kings, and the Lord of lords. Many
of us, more advanced in life, must soon pass away. You
will then be the righteous, or the wicked age. Your
course will characterize the generation that succeeds
you. Carry the thought of your influence, for good or
evil, down through successive generations ; bring it all
congregated before the bar of judgment. Oh ! what a
scene of anguish will spread itself out before you, if your
influence has held back millions from the path of life. But
what holy joy will fill your hearts, if you see millions,
directly or indirectly, brought to the right hand of Christ,
through your instrumentality. What must have been the
feelings of Job, when he could say, " When the ear heard
me, then it blessed me ; and when the eye saw me, it gave
witness to me : because I delivered the poor that cried,
and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him.
The blessing of him that was ready to perish, came upon
ane : and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy." But
how far short must even these feelings fall, when compared
with those who witness, in the day of judgment, the
influence of a life consecrated from youth to the service of
the Saviour? "We entreat you, by your youth, to enlist
under the banners of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the
critical period of your life. You are adopting your
principles of action. Let them be such as are found in the
Word of God. You are now forming your society. Let
it be the society of the well-informed, the refined, the
virtuous, and, above all, the religious. You are forming
the habits of future life. Let holiness and usefulness
56 THE CONVERSION OF YOUTH.
characterize them. You are preparing a morality, not
merely for the world, but for the scrutiny of a judgment
bar, before him who searches the heart, and where every
one will receive according to his true character in the sight
of God. You are preparing for eternity^ an eternity of
unmingled woe or blessedness. Prepare for it, by taking
heed to your way, according to the Word of God. .God
says to you, " My son, give me thy heart." Do it without
delay, for now is the accepted time, now is the day of
salvation. God loves them that love him, and they that
seek him early shall find him.
SERMON IV.
THE NATURE OF CHRIST'S KINGDOM.
BY REV. P. G. BLACK.
Pastor of (he First Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Cincinnati.
"And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a
kingdom, which shall never he destroyed : and the kingdom shall not he
left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these
kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever." Daniel ii. 44.
LET ITS, for a little season, contemplate this dream, and
the interpretation thereof. Nebuchadnezzar saw the
image of a man standing before him ; it was as the image
of a living man, the appearance thereof was to him both
terrible and formidable. But that which was the most
remarkable in its appearance, was the different metals of
which it was composed. The head of gold ; the breast
and arms of silver; the belly and sides, or thighs, of brass;
the legs of iron; and the feet part of iron and part of clay.
This was a wonderful representation of the different
monarchies of this world.
But let us see the interpretation thereof. This dream
represented .the different kingdoms of this world, which
should successively bear rule amongst the nations, and have
influence upon the character and history of the Jewish
Church. The four monarchies were not represented by
four distinct s.tatues, but by one image, for the reason that
they were all of the same spirit, and all, more or less,
58 THE NATURE OF CHRIST'S KINGDOM.
opposed to the Church of God. It was the same power,
only it was possessed by different nations.
The head of gold signified the Chaldean monarchy, of
which this man was himself the king.
The breast and arms signified the monarchy of the
Medes and Persians. This kingdom was formed by Darius,
the Mede, and Cyrus, the Persian, in alliance ; and hence,
it is represented by two arms meeting in the breast.
The belly and thighs of brass signified the Grecian
monarchy, founded by Alexander, who conquered the last
of the Persian emperors, Darius Codomannus.
The legs and feet of iron signified the Roman monarchy.
Some suppose that this signified the latter part of the
Grecian monarchy, the two empires of Syria and Egypt ;
the former governed by the family of the Seleucidse, and
the latter by that of Lagidse. Thus, they make these two
families the two legs and feet of this great image. But
my opinion, in common with many others, is, that the
Roman monarchy is here signified; for it was in the
time of that monarchy, and that, too, when it was in its
glory, that the kingdom of Christ was set up by the
preaching of the gospel. " And it came to pass in those
days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus,
that all the world should be taxed. And this taxing was
first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria. And
all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of
Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is
called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage
of David, to be taxed with Mary, his espoused wife, being
great with child. And so it was, while they were there,
the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
And she brought forth her first born son, and wrapped
him in Swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger,
THE NATURE OP CHRIST'S KINGDOM. 59
because there was no room for them in the inn."
Luke ii. 1 7.
The fullness of the time was no$v come, when
God would send forth his Son, made of a woman,
made under the law. It was foretold that the great
Redeemer should be born in Bethlehem. In the passage
-quoted, we have a history of the fulfilment of the predictions
concerning the time, place, and manner, of the birth of
this illustrious personage.
He was born at the time when the fourth monarchy was
in its full strength and glory ; when it had become, more
than either of the former ones, a universal monarchy. He
was born in the days of Augustus Caesar, when the Roman
empire extended itself further than ever before, or since,
including Parthia one way, and Britain another ; so that,
in the passage quoted, it was called " the whole world."
At this time, there was scarcely any part of the civilized
world, but what was, in some way, dependent upon it.
Now, according to Daniel's prophecy, this was to be the
time of the Messiah's birth. " In the days of these kings,"
the kings of the fourth monarchy, " shall the God of heaven
set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed."
About sixty years before this, Jerusalem was taken by
Pompey, the Roman General, and, in its state policy,
became tributary to the Roman empire, as is manifest by
this taxing; for, when all the Roman empire was taxed,
the Jews were taxed amongst the rest. This shows their
connection with, and dependence upon, that empire.
There, is another circumstance, as to the time of the
Messiah's birth, signified in this general enrollment of the
subjects of the empire, which should be mentioned.
There was, at this time, universal peace in the empire ;
it was, hence, meet, that He, who is the Prince of Peace,
should be born, under whose divine reign swords should
60 THE NATURE QF CHRIST'S KINGDOM.
be beaten into ploughshares, and the nations should learn
war no more.
Upon the place and manner of his birth, I will not stop
to remark, as neither of these enters so immediately into
my present purpose.
According to the prophecy of Daniel, in the days of the
kings of the fourth monarchy, the God of heaven was to
set up a kingdom which should never be Destroyed. This
kingdom was typified by the Jewish Theocracy, and
declared to be at hand by John the Baptist, and by Christ
and his apostles in the days of his flesh. But it did not
come with power, until Jesus arose from the dead, and
ascended to the right hand of God. Then, amidst myriads
of attendant and adoring angels, and the spirits of just
men made perfect, he was solemnly inaugurated, and
publicly proclaimed King universal, especially of the New
Testament Church. Thus were fulfilled the words of
Jehovah, by his servant David, " I have set my King upon
my holy hill of Zion."
This is that spiritual, evangelical, and eternal kingdom,
to which Christ referred when interrogated before Pontius
Pilate, and in reference to which he said, " My kingdom
is not of this world." His empire, indeed, extends to
every creature; for all authority is committed into his
hands, both in heaven and on earth, and he is head over
all things to the Church: but his kingdom primarily
imports the Gospel Church, which is the subject of his
laws, the seat of his government, and the object of
his care. He is likewise said to rule in the midst of his
enemies, by reason of the opposing powers to his gracious
administration.
This kingdom is not of a worldly nature, or origin, nor
has it this world for its .object. It can neither be promoted
nor defended by worldly power, influence, or carnal
THE NATURE OF CHRIST'S KINGDOM^ Gl
weapons, but by bearing testimony to the truth, or the
preaching of the gospel, with the Holy Ghost sent
down from, heaven. Its establishment amongst men is
progressive'; being destined, ultimately, to fill the whole
earth. Its real subjects are' only those who are of the
truth, and hear and obey the voice of Christ; for none
can enter it, but such as are born from above; nor can
any be visible subjects of it, but such as appear to be
regenerated,' arid' maintain a creditable profession of faith
and obedience. Its privileges and immunities are all
spiritual arid : heavenly. Over this glorious kingdom
death has no power; it extends as well to the future
as the present world; arid' though entered here by
renewing grace; it is inherited in its perfection in
the world of glory. This is the kingdom which the
God of heaven was to set up, in the days of the kings of
the fourth monarchy, arid which, in the days of Christ
and his apOstles; he did set up; to bless all the nations
of the earth.
The Founder of our holy Christianity chose to make
his advent among the lowly and despised. This was
agreeable to the spirit of that holy religion which
he came to establish. There was a time, when a
multitude of his followers; astonished and convinced by
the l omnipotence : displayed- in : his ; miracles, were disposed
to take him by force,- arid make him king; but so far'
from favoring their design, the historian tells us, he
departed- again into a mountain himself alone. And
in 1 reply tb : the' Roman Governor; he uttered those
memorable words, "My kingdoiri is not of this world."
His whole conduct* front 1 the manger to the cross,
and from the cross to the' mount of ascension, was
in strict accordance with tibia characteristic maxim of
genuine Christianity,
62 THE NATURE OF CHRIST'S KINGDOM.
In selecting those whom he would send forth as the
apostles of his doctrines, he went, not to the palaces of the
great, but to the humble walks of life, and chose from
amongst the poor of this world, those who, in prosecuting
their mission, were destined, like their divine Master, to
be despised and rejected of men. In performing the work
which their Lord had assigned them, the lowly but zealous
fishermen of Galilee, and the courageous tent-maker of
Tarsus, with their faithful fellow-laborers, despising every
worldly honor, were content to lay their laurels at the
feet of Christ, and ascribe their success to the efficacy of
the cross ; and thus, they counted all things but loss, for
the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus their
Lord, for whom they willingly suffered the loss of all
things.
In the early establishment of Christ's kingdom, his
religion was embellished with simplicity a simplicity
which is peculiar to a religion coming from such a divine
source. Its simplicity, beauty, and power, consisted in its
simple institutions and ordinances, its inward and moral
purification and embellishment of the soul, and the divine
power accompanying its institutions, ordinances, and
purifications. Its simple and divine tendency was to call
the affections from earth, and fix them upon heaven ; and,
by a steady radiance of divine glory, to conform the soul to
the image of God, its great original. But, at a very early
period, this simple institution began to be corrupted, by
intermingling the traditions of men, and teaching them, for
the commandments of God. But a few centuries after
the establishment of this spiritual kingdom, we find the
professed successor of Peter, the fisherman, dwelling in a
magnificent palace, attended by troops of soldiers, ready
to avenge the slightest insult offered to his -dignity;
surrounded by all the ensigns of worldly greatness, with
THE NATURE OF CHRIST'S KINGDOM. 63
more than regal splendor, proudly claiming to be the
sovereign ruler of the universal Church, vicegerent of God
upon earth, whose decision is infallible, and whose will is
law. The contrast between these two pictures of primitive
Christianity in the first century, and Papal in the seventh
or eighth, is so amazing, that we are irresistibly led to
inquire. Are they the same 1 If the one is a faithful
picture of Christianity, can it be possible that the other is
worthy the name ?
We .cannot .suppose that this transformation obtained
at once. This change, from the lowliness of the one, to
the lordliness of the other, required ages for its completion,
and it was not till the lapse of more than five centuries
from the death of the last Apostle, that it was fully effected.
It commenced in the days of the apostles, and with it the
mystery of iniquity commenced its wild persecutions. Had
it not been for these purifying influences of the fire of
persecution, kindled by the emperors of Pagan Rome, the
advance of ecclesiastical corruption and spiritual despotism,
would, without doubt, have been much more rapid than it
was, and at a much earlier period the man of sin had been
revealed even that son of perdition, who opposeth and
exalteth himself above all that is called God, or worshipped,
and showing himself that he is God. For three centuries
after the ascension of Christ, his disciples were exposed,
with few and brief intermissions, to a succession of cruel
and bitter persecutions and sufferings. The pampered wild
beasts, kept for the amusement of the Roman populace,
fattened upon the bodies of the martyrs of Jesus, in the
amphitheatres of Rome, or, of other cities of the empire ;
and hundreds of fires were fed by the living frames of those
who loved not their lives to the death. " They were stoned,
they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the
sword ; they wandered about in sheep skins and goat skins,
64 THE NATURE OP CHRIST'S KINGDOM.
being destitute, afflicted, tormented, (of whom the world
was not worthy;) they wandered in deserts and mountains,
and in dens and caves of the earth." Under such a state
of things, there was, of course, but little inducement to the
worldly minded and ambitious to seek admission to the
Church; and if, during a season of relaxation, some such
might creep into its pale, it required only the mandate of
some other emperor to kindle anew the fires of persecution,
to separate the dross from the gold. This opposition of
the powers of earth constituted the most effe'ctual barriers
against the speedier progress of corruption in the Church,
arid, according to the prediction of Paul, before the man
of sin was revealed, it was necessary, that this let or
hinderance should be removed: One can scarcely doubt,
that the Apostle had reference to the persecution of
pagan Home, when he said, "And now ye know what
withholdeth, that he might be revealed in his time, for the
mystery of iniquity doth already work, only he who now
letteth will let, until he be taken but of the way ; and then
shall that wicked be revealed."
No one who reads the New Testament Scriptures, and
understands the character of Popery, and then compares
them, can doubt that Popery is a subject of prophecy.
To prove this statement, I shall cite the full length
portrait given by the Apostle : "Let no man deceive you
by any means; for that day shall not come, except there
come a falling away first, and that man of sin be
revealed, the son of perdition ; who opposeth arid exalteth
himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped ;
so that he, as God, sitteth in" the temple of God, shewing
himself that he is God. Remember ye riot, that when I was
yet with you, I told you these things ? Arid now ye know
what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
For the mystery of iniquity doth already work : Only ho
TUG NATURE OF CHRIST'S KINGDOM. 65
who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
And then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord
shall consume with the Spirit of his mouth, and shall
destroy with the brightness of his coming: even him,
whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all power,
and signs, and lying wonders, and with all deceivablenesa
of unrighteousness in them that perish : because they
received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion,
that they should believe a lie: that they all might be
damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in
unrighteousness," 2 Thess. ii. 3 12.
" Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter
times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to
seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils ; speaking lies in
hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron ;
forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats,
which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving
of them which believe and know the truth. For every
creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it
be received with thanksgiving : for it is sanctified by the
word of God, and prayer." 1 Tim. iv. 1 5.
It is obvious> that the wicked power which in the former
of these passages is the subject of the Apostle's discourse,
and denominated the Man* of Sin, had not then been folly
displayed, and that there existed some obvious obstacle to a
complete revelation of the mystery of .iniquity. It can
scarcely be doubted that the Apostle's hinderance of which
he speaks, referred to persecuting pagan Rome, which acted
as a restraint upon the pride and domination of the elergy,
through whom the man of sin ultimately arrived at his power
and authority. In this language of the Apostle,, there is,
to say the least, a remote prophecy of the termination of
the Roman empire.
7
66 THE NATURE OF CHRIST'S KINGDOM.
Many of the errors, during several of the passing
centuries, the fruit of vain philosophy, paved the way for
the events which followed; but the hinderance was not
effectually removed until the time of Constantino, who,
professing himself a Christian, undertook to convert the
kingdom of Christ into a kingdom of this world, by exalting
the teachers of Christianity to the same state of affluence
in the empire, as had been enjoyed by pagan priests and
secular officers in the State. The professed ministers of
Christ, having a wide field now open to them for gratifying
their lust for power, wealth, and dignity, the connection
between the Christian faith and the cross was at an end.
What followed this state of things was, the kingdom of the
clergy supplanted the kingdom of Jesus Christ.
Many things, however, in the Christian profession, before
the reign of Constantino, made way for the kingdom of
the clergy, and slowly, but insidiously, was the purity,
simplicity, and glory of the Church wrested from her ; so
neither, after the clergy were raised to stations of temporal
dignity and power did they at one stride arrive at the
climax here depicted by unerring pencil of inspiration.
Neither the corruption nor the Reformation of Christianity,
was effected in a day or a year. " Evil men and seducers
waxed worse and worse." When the Bishops were once
exalted to wealth, power, and authority, learning,
eloquence, and influence were exerted to maintain their
own personal dominion and popularity, and this exaltation
was the prolific source of every corrupt fruit to the
Church; and thus being shorn of the purity and simplicity
of her institutions, she was like Samson when shorn of
bis locks. In all the transactions of the Church, human for
Divine authority was substituted; and, instead of the
simplicity of self denial, bearing the cross, love to the
brethren, and all the train of heavenly graces taught by
NATITRE OF "CHRIST'S KINGDOM. 67
Jesus Christ and the primitive Church, they substituted
pomp, worldly dignity, and power, and contended for
human authority. This change tended to darken the
human mind as to the real nature of revealed Christianity.
Compare this state of things with the language of Christ,
when he said, "My kingdom is not of this world." This,
is a maxim of unspeakable importance in the religion
of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of vast consequence to every
true hearted Christian. By departing in some sort
from this essential element of Christ's kingdom, almost
every corruption which has ever found way into the
Church, has been introduced, and thus this heavenly
institution has been debased. In all the efforts of Christians
to spread the knowledge of the cross, they should keep
their eye upon this fundamental principles u My kingdom
is not of this world." It will not be expected, that I can,
in one discourse, set forth all the attendant circumstances
which led to the utter subversion -of the original designs of
Christ's kingdom. But I may be permitted merely to
allude to some of them. And,
First. Its unholy alHance with the state under
Constantine, in the year 312, from which time the progress
of priestly domination was far more rapid than in any
other age. This opened the way for designing and
ambitions men to seek and obtain connection with the
Church.
Secondly. The law enacted, in the year 372, by die
Emperor Valentinian, which favored extremely the rise
and ambition of the bishops of Rome, by -empowering
them to examine and judge other bishops, together with
other circumstances growing out of this law, was another
step towards papal supremacy.
Thirdly. The custom which obtained somewhat
extensively before the close of the fourth century, of
OS THE NATURE OF CHRIST'S KINGDOM.
referring to the decisions of the bishops of Rome, on
account of their claim to apostolical descent, all questions
of apostolical doctrines and customs, was another step
towards the rapidly increasing tendency of papal
domination.
Fourthly. The regard almost universally paid to the
bishops of Rome, by the fierce and barbarous tribes of
Goths, who poured in from the North, and conquered and
ravaged Italy, and die capital of the ancient empire, in
the years 408, 409, and 410, together with the following
circumstances, contributed in no small degree to the power
and influence of the bishops of Rome. In the year 452
Attila, king of the Huns, invaded the North of Italy, laid
waste some of its provinces, and was only prevented from
marching to Rome, and renewing the horrid cruelties of
Alaric, by an immense ransom, and the powerful influence
of the Roman Pontiff, Leo the Great. In the year 454,
Rome was again taken and pillaged by Genseric, king of
the Vandals. And in the year 476, the western empire
was finally subverted, and Italy, with its renowned and
time honored capital, reduced under the dominion of the
Gothic barbarians, by the conquests of Odoacer, king of
the Heruli, a tribe of Goths, and the deposition and
banishment of Agustulus the last of the western emperors.
These barbarous tribes, when converted to Christianity,
looked upon the ministers of Christ as invested with the
same rights and privileges which distinguished the priests
of their fictitious deities. Nor, is it to be wondered at,
that these superstitious barbarians, accustomed as they
were to regard with a feeling almost amounting to adoration
the high priest of their own heathen gods, should manifest
a readiness to transfer that veneration to the high priest of
Rome, especially, when they saw the multitude of heathen
rites which were already introduced into Christian worship,
THE NATURE OF CHRIST'S KINGDOM. 69
and the willingness of the Roman Pontiffs, by still further
increasing the number of these pagan ceremonies,
to accommodate their religion to the prejudices and
inclinations of all. Thus, by the corruption of the
clergy, and the ignorance and superstition of the masses,
was the way marked out for the former, to claim supremacy
over the latter, by a Divine right, which, was the
subversion of the kingdom of Christ, and the establishment
of the kingdom of the clergy. Yet, Christ then did,
does now, and ever will claim, that his kingdom is not of
this world. His, as I have before said, is a spiritual,
evangelical, and eternal kingdom. Such a kingdom as
the latter, was the God of heaven to set up in the days
of the kings of the fourth monarchy ; and such he did set
up ; but, through the ambition, treachery, corruption, and
superstition of men, the designs of this kingdom have been
subverted, and, instead of exhibiting the native simplicity
of the Gospel institutions, it has been overspread with the
dazzling rites of human invention and superstition.
As we have before seen, the corruptions of the Church
commenced at a very early period, and progressed slowly
through succeeding centuries, until the clergy were rife
with an unhallowed thirst for power. Every circumstance
conspired to foster the growing ambition. In the year 605,
Boniface III. succeeded to the Roman See, and in 606,
applied to Phocas, who then held the throne, to confer upon
him the title of universal bishop, with the privilege of
transmitting it to his successors, which the Emperor
accordingly did in the same year. In doing this, the
Emperor declared the Church of Rome to be head over
all other Churches. The divine rite, therefore, claimed
by the Pope, instead of coming from God, came from
Phocas j and instead of the Popes of Rome being the
successors of Peter, they are the successors of Boniface III.
70 THE NATURE OF CHRIST'S KINGDOM.
who lived in the beginning of the seventh century. This
state of things being established, Paul's prediction was
accomplished, the man of sin revealed, and that corrupt
system of Christianity and spiritual tyranny, which is
property called Popery, was fully developed. This, we
contend, is the kingdom of the clergy, and is opposed
to the kingdom of Christ. Comparing the state of things
existing, from the fourth century up to the time when
Phocas declared Boniface universal bishop, with the
simplicity of gospel institutions in the days of Christ,
and during the first century, when the gospel was
" propagated by the apostles and then? immediate successors,
we are constrained to ask, Are these the same? If
the one is a faithful picture of the spiritual, evangelical,
and eternal kingdom of Jesus Christ, has the other any
claim to it ?
I shall now proceed to speak more particularly of the
nature and design of Christ's kingdom. The stone cut
out of the mountain without hands, represents the kingdom
of Jesus Christ ; and this kingdom was to be set up, in the
days of the kings of the fourth monarchy, by the God of
heaven, and should hence be a spiritual one, established
by divine authority. This kingdom, as you discover, was
neither to be established nor supported by human policy ;
but by such means as the God of heaven should appoint.
To this effect Jesus said to his apostles, " Go ye into all
the world and preach the gospel to every creature."
" And we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that
the excellency of the power may be of God, and not
of us."
First. The gospel Church is a kingdom, of which
Christ is universal king. Over this kingdom he rules by
his word and Spirit, unto which he gives law and protection,
and from which he receives homage and tribute. Christ
THE NATURE OF CHRIST'S KINGDOM. 71
said of this kingdom, " It is not of this world." It is the
kingdom of God amongst men. This kingdom is from
above, and its tendency is thither-
Secondly. Christ was born, when, by the decree of the
Emperor of Rome, all the world was* taxed. This is a
plain indication, that the Roman empire had become as
universal as any which had ever obtained amongst men,
and goes far to show that the time had now fully come,
for the incarnation of the Son of God, and the setting up
of this glorious kingdom. The God of heaven is now
about to do bis own work, and fulfil his own counsels, in
setting up a kingdom whose dominion and glory is to fill
the whole world, and whose benign influence is to bless all
the families of the earth.
Thirdly. The kingdom of Christ knows no decay.
There is no danger of its destruction, as it is a spiritual,
evangelical, and an eternal kingdom. It does not admit
of either revolutions or successions. It shall never be
destroyed by the invasions of a foreign foe, neither can
fire or sword waste it. The combined powers of earth
and hell cannot wrest the Prince of his subjects, nor the
subjects of -their Prince ; for the gates of hell shall not
prevail against it it is founded upon a rock. The promise
is, " The kingdom shall not be left to other people." It
is true, this kingdom was taken from the Jews and given
to the Gentiles ; but still Christianity ruled the Messiah's
kingdom. The Christian Church is hence the same, and
will continue so, world without end.
Fourthly. Christ's kingdom shall be victorious. It
shall break in pieces and consume all others, shall outlive
them, and flourish with undiminished splendor, when all
others shall have faded, and been crushed with their own
massive corruptions. Every kingdom which appears
against the kingdom of Christ, shall be broken with a rod
72 THE NATURE OF CHRIST'S KINGDOM.
of iron, as a potter's vessel. In .the kingdoms which
submit to the spiritual, evangelical, and eternal kingdom
of Christ, tyranny, idolatry, and every thing which is now
their disgrace, shall, by the power of the gospel, be
thoroughly broken "up, and their embellishment shall be
the inward, embellishment of the spiritual, evangelical, and
saving graces of the Holy Spirit. The day is coming,
when Jesus Christ shall have put down all rule, and all
authority, and shall have made his enemies his footstool.
Then shall we see this, and many similar prophecies, in all
the majesty of fulfilment. To the final triumphs of this
kingdom, Christ seems to refer, when he says, "On
whomsoever this stone shall fall, it shall grind him to
powder."
Fifthly. It shall be an everlasting kingdom. Though
the foundation of the earth be removed ; and though the
beauty of the heavens be defaced ; and though all things
else be changed : yet, the throne of the Son of G-od is
for ever and ever, a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre
of his kingdom, and of the days of the years of his kingdom
there shall be no end. It is the divine nature of Jesus
Christ which gives stability and immutability to his throne
and dominion. " But, unto the Son, he saith, " Thy throne,
O God, is for ever and ever." " Therefore G-od, even thy
God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy
fellows." The kingdoms of earth which had broken in pieces
those around them, have in their turn been demolished. This
is true of the Chaldean, Medeopersian, Grecian, and Roman.
But the kingdom of Christ, while it breaks in pieces all
others, shall stand itself, invincible and eternal. The throne
of Christ is as the days of heaven, and his seed as the stars
of heaven, which shall shine for ever and ever. Of the
increase of his government and peace there shall be no
end. The Lord shall reign for ever and ever, even thy
THE NATURE OF CHRIST'S KINGDOM. 73
God, O Zion. The kingdoms of this world must and shall
range themselves under the ample folds of the blood
bespangled banner of Prince Messiah, while, in the majesty
of Godhead, he shall move onward the unconquered, and
the unconquerable King of kings, and Lord of lords.
When, therefore, the inhabitants of earth, heaven, and
hell, shall assemble over nature's funeral, Christ shall reign
in all his undiminished glory, the universal, the eternal
King.
- We have now seen something of the nature of Christ's
kingdom. Its design is to prepare the inhabitants of this
world for a future buss. This it does by an inward purifying
of the soul, called the new birth, a new creature, and
regeneration, with many other names by which the same
thing is set forth. None shall ever obtain this blissful state
of immortality, but such as are sanctified by the truth ;
hence the Saviour prays, " Sanctify them through thy word,
thy word is truth." In the days of Christ and his apostles,
and during a few of the first centuries, Christ's kingdom
presented such a state of things ; but, after the unholy
attempt to make his a kingdom of this world, as we
have before seen, designing and corrupt men sought and
obtained connection with the Church, and soon the fine
gold became dim, and the body of the Church lost her
inward embellishment ; pride, ambition, and a thirst for
power swelled her soul, until, with the weight of
her own massive corruptions, she exploded in the sixteenth
century, and the kingdom of Jesus Christ came forth, and
once more was the world blessed with the privilege of
looking upon the kingdom of Christ in all its native
simplicity and spirituality, which, with its goings forth, was
to bless all the families of the earth. The light which
Luther, as God's servant, had kindled, daily brightened,
until it shone with unclouded lustre through many of the
8
74 THE NATURE OF CHRIST'S KINGDOM.
most powerful nations of Europe. The friends of tire
kingdom of Jesus Christ seized upon every means which
the progress of society had placed within their power j
they studied, argued, preached, wrote, translated, printed,
and distributed truth in every direction, accompanying all
such with the spirit of devout prayer to the King immortal,
invisible, and eternal. Thus the kingdom of God came
forth, disburdened of the massive corruptions which had so
long obscured her glory.
Now, we ask, by what means shall this kingdom be
propagated and defended ?
First. By men possessing largely the spirit of Christ j
men whom God sends into the world to gather to
the fold of Christ ; men whose hearts glow with love to
Christ, and love for souls j men who will sacrifice themselves
upon the altar of Christ and his kingdom ; men who will
place their lives in the hands of Christ, and their time,
talents, and all they have and are at his command ; men
who, when he says, Go, will leave all and go, taking with
them the promise of God only, " I am with you alway ;"
men who will not secularize themselves for the sake of
gain, to the neglect of souls and the cause of Christ ; men
with pure hearts, clean hands, and clear heads. By bearing
testimony to the truth, the preaching of the everlasting
gospel of Christ, this kingdom, which the God of heaven
set up, is to be spread through all the earth, until the
knowledge of the glory of God shall fill the world. In
this great work, there is ample scope for the most gigantic
intellect ; its doctrines are the doctrines of God, time, and
eternity ; these are the doctrines which are to redeem the
world from ignorance, superstition, and sin, to a pure
knowledge, morality, and religion, with which God himself
shall be well pleased, and which shall restore the world to
holiness, peace, and happiness; then shall the kingdoms
THE NATURE OP CHRIST'S KINGDOM. 75
of this world be the kingdoms of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the principles of his spiritual, evangelical, and eternal
kingdom over which he" reigns, be universally diffused.
This is all to be done by spreading truth broad cast over
the world. In our day, when the progress of society affords
so many facilities for spreading the gospel, the friends of
the Redeemer's kingdom should embrace every opportunity
to send the truth with electric speed to the ends of the
earth.
Secondly. The Church, too, must drink largely of the
same spirit, which is a spirit of enlarged benevolence.
This is the principle which led the Son of God to come
down from heaven, to labor, to suffer, to bleed, and die for
the glory of God, and the salvation of sinners. The
Church, we say, must possess the same spirit. " Now if
any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his."
A religion that suffers selfishness to -reign supremely, is
not of God ; but is a branch of Anti-Christ. When the
Church of Christ is under the influence of the proper
spirit, whatever is necessary to advance the interests of
Christ's kingdom can be had. Is it men ? they can be
had. Is it money ? it can be had. The Church is, no
doubt, greatly at fault upon this subject. She does not
possess enough of the Spirit of Christ, as is evident from
the fact, that when the Church needs money to sustain any
of her benevolent enterprises, she must be stirred up to
the work by some thrilling appeal to her sympathies.
This shows that she-is not as full of the Spirit of Christ,
as she should be. Each member of the Church should
consecrate a part of his property to the service of God, if
he would see the kingdom of Christ spread with power
and great glory.
When the Church embodies hi her ministry and
membership the true principles of the kingdom of Christ;
76 THE NATURE OF CHRIST'S KINGDOM.
when clad in her " beautiful garments," she comes forth
clear as die sun, fair as the moon, then indeed, will she be
terrible, as an army in, banners, and her goings forth shall
be as the morning.
In the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set
up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the
kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break
in pieces, and consume all these other kingdoms, and it
shall stand for ever.
This, then, is the kingdom which shall swallow up all
others, and itself stand for ever. And notwithstanding
these ten kings shall oppose the Son of Godwin his grand
designs ; yet, he shall overcome them all by the word of
his power, and they, too, shall range themselves under the
ample folds of his banner, as it waves in triumph over the
nations of the earth. The motto inscribed upon it is, " THE
WORLD REDEEMED, BY THE BLOOD OP CHRIST!" Then
shall it be true, that the kingdoms of this world have
become the kingdoms of Christ, and one universal shout
shall proclaim, "Babylon the great is fallen, is FALLEN."
Then Jerusalem shall be rebuilt, and shall be holy. The
Jews shall be gathered out of all countries, whithersoever
they have been scattered, and dwell in a peaceful habitation ;
and all nations shall assemble to see the king in his
majesty and glory. Nation shall no longer lift up sword
against nation j but,
" Peace on earth will hold her easy sway
And man forget his brother man to slay."
Who that looks abroad upon the world, and surveys
the number of brilliant discoveries, lately pressed into the
service of the Church, can doubt that he is standing in the
very twilight of that glorious day. Bible, missionary, and
tract societies, are sending their holy issues to the top of
every high mountain* and over the face of every alluvial
THE NATURE OF CHRIST'S KINGDOM. 77
plain, literally covering the earth with the glory of God
as the waters cover the channels of the great deep. The
whole world begins at last to feel the impulse. The isles
of the sea are responding, like faithful echo, to the deep
thunders of the continent, while nation after nation catches
the flying theme, and rolls the rapturous "hosannah
round."
Utter discomfiture, sooner or later, will "break in
pieces and consume the kingdoms of the earth." The
crowned heads of Europe have watched the enlargement
of Iminanuers kingdom, and trembled with fearful
forebodings. Nor are their apprehensions unfounded.
An unseen hand is feeling for the pillars of their thrones*
and soon a voice will be heard proclaiming through heaven,
earth, and hell, Jerusalem triumphs, Messiah reigns, his
dominion is an everlasting dominion! "Praise ye the
Lord ! w Amen.
SERMON V.
THE LOVE OF GOD-
BY KEY. H. H. KAVANAUGH,
Of the Kentucky Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South,
"God is love." 1 John iv. 16.
THE Apostle John, who is usually styled the beloved
disciple, was so filled and fired by the divine principle of
love, that his whole character was sweetly softened and
sublimated by its natural effects. In this way he was a
partaker of the divine nature, and sustained the most
honorable and gratifying fellowship with his Maker ; as in
his own language he has expressed it, " God is love : and
he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in
him." And hence his exhortation to his brethren in his
affectionate style : " Beloved, let us love one another : for
love is of God ; and every one that loveth is born of God,
and knoweth God. He that loveth not, knoweth not God ;
for God is love." Elevated by this experience and this
knowledge, we are prepared to suppose that this Apostle
would be very contemplative of the divine character ; and
seize upon the most lovely and encouraging feature in it,
and by the authority of inspiration reveal it to the world.
Is it, then, marvellous, that John should be spoken of as
" the disciple whom Jesus loved ?"
But to claim your attention more immediately to the
text in hand, that " God is love" we would remark, that
THE LtSVE OF GOB. 79
objections may arise in the minds of many, based on
the abounding natural and moral EVIL in our world;
such as "the pestilence that walketh in darkness,
and the destruction that wasteth' at noonday;" the
famines, earthquakes, volcanoes ; the desolating tornadoes
that " sweep the trembling land/' and peril the lives and
substance of those whose commercial enterprise leads
them to dare the dangers of the deep, and to contend with
the climates, rocks, sands, and billows of the ocean : and
such moral evils as hatred, variance, slander^robbery,
murderj injustice, outrage, and wrong, that are so
extensively practiced among men.
We shall attempt to sustain the declaration of our
text :
I. By meeting and obviating these objections.
First. The first objection we shall notice is, How is it,
that God, who is represented in his word to be too wise to
err, or to be deceived ; too good to design any thing
contrary to tie happiness of his people ; and too powerful
to fail in the accomplishment of his designs, should permit
the- introduction of evil in his dominions 2
Two kinds of evil the moral and the natural, exist in
our world.. Moral evil is sin the transgression of God's
law ; and natural evil is the punishment of sin, in such,
afflictions as God has entailed upon our race. Fallen men
and angels are the authors of moral evil ; and God is the
author of natural evil, which is the punishment of the
moral.
But the main question we have to meet, is, how this
misfortune of sin and misery came into the world ?
The 1 Scriptural account of it is the only rational
explanation given to the world. The Bible informs us of
two orders of intelligences that were endowed with free
moral agency j and placed under the restraining principle.*?
80 THE LOVE OF GOD.
of a wholesome morality, defined and enforced by the
moral LAW of God. They had the power, as their
agency implied, of obeying the requisitions of the law
given them, or of' violating its requirements. If they
had not this power, they were not agents at all. It is
indispensable to the existence of a free agent, that he have
power to do wrong that he have power to resist even the
stronger motive ; and, by the force of will, to be considerate
and prudent, or to be reckless and sinful. It is true, this
power iwraalined, in some degree, by a conviction of what
is right, and by the force of conscience j these, however,
can only check, but cannot absolutely control, the will.
It is the existence of this agency, that constitutes
the propriety of placing God's rational creatures in a
probationary relation to himself. And it is during this
state of trial, that the loyalty or disloyalty of the subjects
of moral government is tested by obedience to the law, or
by a violation of its requirements.
The angels showed themselves to be such moral agents
as are here contemplated. They had the power to stand
or to fall. How long they stood, we know not ; but the
presumption is, for a great while. The leading spirit in
the fall, must have had time to acquire eminence and
influence, before he could draw the third part of the stars
of heaven after him. He fell, and thereby discovered his
power to do so. Other angels kept their first estate, and
thereby showed what the fallen might have done.
Such, too, were the agencies of Adam and Eve ; and
their history sustains the power ascribed to them. They
stood and fell ; and thereby settled the question, as to their
power to do the one or the other.
The explanation, then, as to the introduction of evil into
the dominions of Almighty God, is to be found simply in
the ABUSE OF THE POWERS of these secondary agents* in
THE LOVE OF GOD. 81
transgressing the law of God. Against this abuse
of power, God did all that he could have done, without
destroying the agency of the intelligent beings whom
he created in his own likeness and image. He had
legislated upon the deepest feelings of- our nature the love
of LIFE and HAPPINESS the fear of DEATH and CURSING.
These motives were as strong as the constitution of human
nature could bear ; and yet there was strength enough in
the agency of these creatures, to break these mighty
barriers, sin against a gracious heaven, break up the
harmony of a well-balanced universe, and thus originate
the moral evil that has polluted our nature, disgraced
our world, provoked the maledictions of God's violated
law, and "brought death into the world and all our
woe."
It is thus the Scriptures enable us to account for the
origin of the evils that curse our race, and our world ; and
to vindicate the character of the God of love.
Secondly. It may be objected again, If these evils
result from the abuse of free moral agency, why did God
make such moral agents ?
This question may lead us to points of consideration
too deep for us to fathom ; but while we concede this, we
think that there is enough which we do know, or may
know, approximating such a solution of the subject, as to
reconcile us to what God has done in this matter.
Not to create an intellectual race, or races, would be to
do away the necessity and propriety of any species of
creation whatever. The power to contemplate, kno-w, love,
and enjoy GOD and his creation, by some portion of his
creatures, is what gives meaning, and worth, to all that
God has made. Our Maker and his works are intended
as the sublime source of the entertainment and happiness
of his thinking creatures. Take away the intellectual
82 THE LOVE OF GOD.
creatures of God, and where is the necessity of the suns
that in such glorious magnificence wheel in the centre of
the wide-spread radiance which they emit; while the
darkness and the light are both alike to God? And why
the planets, which, in their huge bulk, are speeding oa
their way in such immense rapidity, under the control of
the powers that balance them so exactly in the orbits in
which they move ? Is it to be presumed, that God would
make them merely for his own entertainment? At least,
does not the addition of a thinking race give a finish, a
meaning, and a glory to the whole, which nothing else can
give?
Is there anything for which we more ardently sigh than,
for immortality ? Is there a hope that we cherish, more
glorious than the hope of eternal life? In the view, then,
of all that God has made us, and of all for which he has
made us, let us take the universe for the field of our
observation the inheritance of our spiritual being, and
eternity as the leizure hour of an interminable exploration;
and thank God, that even amid the dangers incident to a
probationary life, he has given us our existence.
But let us appeal to our consciousness as to whether we
approve the act. of God in our creation. What is it we
love more than life? Who wants to travel back into
nonentity ? Then, by all our love of life, and the happiness
provided for us, I vindicate the act of God in our
creation.
Since it has pleased God, in his wisdom, to give us
intellectual faculties, capable of understanding our relations
and our obligations, the fitness of things requires that we
should be placed under law to God; and not that we
should be governed by the power of God, as though we
were not in possession of the elements to make us properly
the subjects of a moral government. In the judgment of
THE I.OVS OF GOD. 83
our heavenly Father, we have the capacity to exercise the
functions pertaining to moral agents ; he therefore considers
us in this character, and treats us accordingly. Hence, he
gives us his law as a rule of life ; enforces it by appropriate
penalties j and ensures the happiness of those who keep
his commandments : and, under the gospel, provides for the
transgressor of his law for the forgiveness of our sins,
upon our penitence, prayers, and faith in the merits of his
Son, and in the promises of his grace.
Thirdly. If the first parents of our race revolted
against the government of God, before they had propagated
their species, why did not God send them to their merited
destiny ; and create another pair, that a more fortunate
destiny might ensue to the human family 1
In answer to this question, we would say, in the first
place, that it presumes that G-od would, or could, do better
on a second trial, than he did at the first ; but the infinite
wisdom of God does not allow us "so to suppose. He is
too perfect in his wisdom to amend the first conception of
his mind. He never attains to perfection by progressive
improvements on past experiments. What he makes is at
first good very good.
In the second place, we would remark, that Adam and
Eve were made free moral agents; and, if our heavenly
Father would have a moral government at all, it is
indispensable that he should have moral agents ; and if he
have moral agents, they must have power to do wrong, as
well as right. Anything short of this, would not be free
moral agency. This power, therefore, is essential to the
very existence of such an agent. A second Adam and
Eve must then have the powers of the first, and he
as liable to the abuse of them, as their predecessors.
What, then, could be gamed by a second creation of this
kind?
84 THE LOVE OF GOD.
Again, in the third place, it appears to us to have been
more suitable, that the gracious ^ provisions of the gospel
should have been made for the fallen Adam and his
children, so as to cover the case of every one that might,
by transgression, become a sinner. The remedial scheme
of salvation by grace, having been introduced at this time,
provides for the entire progeny of our federative head ;
the moral condition of all of them being the same. The
expedient that would provide for ,-the salvation of one,
would, in the nature of the case, make that of another as
possible. And such we would expect of Him who is no
respecter of persons.
Under the provisions of grace, the condition of the
progeny of the fallen pair, in one respect, at least, is better
than that of Adam, in his primeval state. By one
transgression, he was doomed to death, without any
provision of pardon or mercy. But if we sin, " we have
an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous ;"
and though sinners, through him we may be saved.
Fourthly. If God is love, why did he not act upon
the right of his sovereignty, remit the penalty of his
violated law, and save the rebel without the sacrifice
of his Son?
One of the most glorious traits of character, that belongs
to the Divine Being, is his HOLINESS. And what is
holiness, but a full and uniform conformity of conduct to
principles of moral rectitude? God is not above those
principles ; but is so strictly subject to them, by the force
of his holiness, that he cannot violate them. The Apostle
Paul asserts, it " Is impossible for God to lie;" and,
by a parity of reasoning, we may add, he cannot
violate any of the moral attributes of bis nature. It
is his undeviating adherence to these principles of
moral rectitude, that constitutes his IMMUTABILITY, and
THE LOVE OF GOD. 85
establishes his claims to the confidence and adoration
of his intelligent creatures the subjects of his moral
government. Abraham asked the angels whom it was his
honor to entertain, " Shall not the Judge of all the earth
do right V Gen. xviii. 25. A prophet says, " The ways
of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them."
Hosea xiv. 9. Jeremiah says, " The Lord is righteous."
Lam. i. 18. " The Lord our God is righteous in all his
works which he doeth." Dan. is. 14. "While the
Psalmist declares that " clouds and darkness are round
about him," he adds, that " RIGHTEOUSNESS and JUDGMENT
are the habitation of his throne." Ps. xcvii. 2. " Just
and true are thy ways, thou King of saints." Rev. xv. 3.
But we will not further abuse your good sense, by quoting
Scripture evidence to prove that God is a holy and righteous
being. We presume you entertain no other sentiment.
Our object is, to show that God repels any ascription of
sovereignty to him, that infringes the principles of rectitude;
and which makes him as unprincipled as arbitrary. When
God can swerve from those principles that give stability
and glory to his government, he will shake the confidence
of the universe of his intelligent creatures, and cease
to be the object of their trust and reliance. Because
God is too righteous and holy to do this, he sacrifices
his Son to bear the penalty of the law we had violated
meet the demands of justice uphold the principles
of a righteous government; and, by a voluntary dying
"the just for the unjust," to remove all legal barriers
out of the way of forgiveness; so that God can be
just, and the justifier of every one that believeth in
Jesus Christ. The atonement made by our Saviour
answers these ends ; and justifies the goodness and mercy
of God to man. On this subject we might enlarge, but
our limits will not allow.
86 THE LOVE OF GOD.
II. "We shall, under the second general head, attend.to
the direct evidence that God is love.
The Scriptures have emphatically declared, that " GOD
is LOVE." They have said, also, that " GOD is LIGHT, and
in him is no darkness at all." He is light, then, to the
exclusion of all darkness: and so we understand, our
text He is love, to the exclusion of the principle of
malevolence.
The text under consideration, gives a pre-eminence to
the attribute of LOVE in the Divine character. We have
felt a resentment to the thought of ascribing any presiding
superiority of one attribute over another, in the perfections
of God. "We have been fond to conceive of the Divine
Being, as harmoniously balanced in the fall round of all
his attributes. We do not now give up the idea of the
harmony of all his attributes, in all the will and purposes
of God. But, bowing to the authority of that revelation
that comes from the unerring fountain, one sentence of
which so often dispels the long continued gloom of error,
and leaves the truth in its own proportions, well defined,
and in bold relief, before the grateful mind of the humble
inquirer after the truth as it is in Jesus bowing,
we say, to this authority, we must concede the truth
so emphatically revealed, that the principle of LOVE
has such a sway and dominion over the nature of the
Divine Being, as to modify and soften the operation of
all that characterizes him, " who is over all, God blessed
for ever more."
What was it but LOVE in the bosom of the Eternal One,
that prompted the idea of giving creation birth; and of
presenting it in all its engaging variety, from the minute
to the magnificent; from the unorganized, and lifeless,
to the exquisitely beautiful organizations found in the
ever-varying kinds, that characterize the vegetable kingdom
THE LOVE OP GOD. 87
in its more than fifty thousand species, with which the earth
is enriched and adorned 1
What was it but the same great principle, that called
the animal kingdom into being; graded it from the
lowest link that touches upon the upper one of the
vegetable, to the highest state of animal organization ;
perfected the instincts of some of the tribes, so as to
pervade, in a measure, the borders of the neighboring
territories of intellect; and crowned the whole by
making and moulding man after the likeness and image
of God the glorious author of the universe ?
Thus made, man was intended, in the infinite love of
God, to be his child and heir; and, as such, to be the
happy recipient of the good of earth and heaven. His
Maker gave him dominion over all that the air, sea,
and earth contained ; and, beside this, had prepared
for him a kingdom from the foundation of the world,
which- will yet be awarded to all the pious and the
good. i
But the great event which gave occasion for an
unexampled development of the love of God, was the
PALI, op MAN. This was an event, if we may so' speak, that
aroused the moral powers of the Deity to an extent that
baffled angelic comprehension, excited their wonder,
and discovered to them that unfathomed depth of divine
love, in which " all their thoughts were drowned."
God, as the 'Creator, could not but feel that his rights
were outraged. As lawgiver and governor, that his authority
was insulted. As the Father of our spirits, he was grieved
at the condition of his children. As the God of justice, he
must vindicate the rectitude and authority of his law. As
the God of holiness, he must maintain those principles of his
nature and government, which constitute his holiness. As
the God of truth, he must inflict the punishment thie to
88 THE LOVE OP GOD.
transgressors. As the God of goodness, he must desire
all possible measures that could safely relieve the
condemned and miserable culprits, who had sinned so
grievously against him. As a God of love of the intense
love of an infinite being, he would be willing to measure
a sacrifice, (if it could avail to the relief of his creatures
his children,) commensurate with the infinite depth of
his commiseration and mercy. He, therefore, exerts his
infinite wisdom for a plan that will meet all the demands
of his holy, righteous, and gracious nature ; uphold the
authority of his law ; and adequately sustain all the great
ends of his government.
The wisdom of God made this discovery ! But it was
a plan that could only be accomplished by a sacrifice, the
possibility of which no created mind could entertain. It
was .at no less a sacrifice than the incarnation, humiliation,
nay, the very sufferings and death of one of the Divine
persons in the Godhead. It was discovered, if the Word
the Son of God, for instance, would assume human nature
be born of a woman be made under the law take the
form of a servant and though without sin himself, become
a sacrifice for the sins of the world ; that, if the Father
would lay upon him the iniquity of us all, and if he would
voluntarily bear the punishment due to our offences,
justice would be satisfied with the sacrifice j the law would
be sustained in its authority; the ends of government
would be met ; the displeasure of God against sin would
be manifested; and his love to his intelligent and immortal
creatures would be most impressively and sublimely
disclosed. By this means, the holiness of God would be
maintained ; his truth sustained ; and his goodness and
mercy richly illustrated. And, by this personage, "the
Lord strong and mighty," the powers of darkness would
be overcome; death demolished; and immortality and
THE LOVE OF GOD. 89
eternal life brought to light, by his resurrection from the
dead, in which he would lead captivity captive, and
purchase gifts for men.
This was the plan so perfect, gracious, and kind,
conceived by the wisdom of God. We may suppose the
plan to be suggested as a possible one, by which all the
ends enumerated might be accomplished, and immortal
sinners be saved and blessed with eternal life and
glory.
The celestial host might be enraptured at this
consummate display of wisdom, and feel adoring fire burn
through their devoted spirits, at the infinitude of Divine
perfections, thus illustrated to their view. But, that fallen
spirits, rife with enmity to God, and impatient at the
restraints of his holy law, should be redeemed by such an
august, divine, and unspeakable sacrifice as the Son of
God, was a thought too deep for finite minds. Angelic
faith could not but stagger at the thought. What!
sacrifice him who is the fountain of all life the maker of
all things in heaven and in earth ! Sacrifice him who is
the brightness of the Father's glory, the express image of
his person ! who is in the form of God, and deems it no
robbery to be equal with God, who is over all God blessed
for ever more ! It was a thought too bold for angelic
minds to ponder. The awe struck spirits of. the blest,
secretly wishing pardon for glancing at the thought, would
conclude its impossibility. Retiring from the adventurous
thought, we fancy they are reasoning thus : " That God is
good, that he is love, we have always known ; creation, in
its endless adaptation of means to good and kind designs,
most amply proves. Our own full bosoms of eternal bliss
are adoring witnesses. Heaven's beauty, glory, life, and
joy, are monuments eternal of God's goodness and love.
But sin can provoke his ire ; as once on these heavenly
9 "
90 THE LOVE OF GOD.
plains, rebellion, high and daring, conducted by Lucifer,
and the mighty spirits seduced by him, who refused
submission to the equal laws of heaven, and assailed the
thrones and monarchy of God ;
' Them the Almighty hurled headlong
Flaming from the ethereal skies,
"With hideous ruin and combustion, down
To bottomless perdition; there to dwell
In adamantine chains, and penal fire,
Who dare the Omnipotent to arms.'
To man in paradise, God had given a law; which
offered for obedience, its rewards, and threatened for
disobedience its penalties. The veracity of God is pledged,
his holiness is involved; and from these principles the
Immutable cannot turn. Man must be lost ! The
doom of fallen angels is the precedent ; the righteousness
of the law, and the varacity of God are the security for
this fatal issue. But one way remains to save him,
conceived by infinite wisdom, but at too high a price. He
is lost !"
While die angelic host are thus contemplating the
catastrophe that has doomed man to death and misery,
and fail to find the ground on which to hope in his behalf,
the mind and heart of God are pouring thought and feeling
in the infinite sweeps of the Divine capacity, until the love,
mercy, and sympathy of God, becomes so intense, that he
" spares not his own Son, but delivers him up freely for us
all;" "God so loves the world, that he gives his only
begotten Son, that whosoever shall believe in him, will not
perish but have everlasting life."
Love was the great principle in the divine nature, that
prompted inquiry into the possibility of redemption. This
leading principle put into requisition all the perfections of
Deity, to achieve the godlike design ; and his love, ever
THE LOVE OF GOD. 91
ready to match the vast conceptions of his mind, offered all
that his justice demanded, and made a new disclosure of
himself to heaven and earth. That he was good, every
intelligent creature knew; but in his love, never before
revealed, was a breadth, length, depth, and height, that
passeth understanding. Were not the angels astounded in
amazement, at God's disclosure of his purpose 2 Was
not this the time, when there was silence in heaven for the
space of half an hour ; when mute astonishment reigned
over the seraphs, whose wings hung unconsciously by their
sides, while thoughts ineffable played upon their spirits I
The theme was all-absorbing. It was aews the most glorious
that had ever pervaded the supernal courts. The grand
central point of interest, where angel minds were pleased
to pause and ponder, was the throne of God. From the
hidden recesses of God's infinitude, a new disclosure was
made. Goodness and mercy ^so rich, so rare, so new, so
exceeding all that had come before it now rolled in
godlike magnificence upon the thoughts and feelings of
the lofty, loyal, loving spirits of the angels that had kept
their first estate; that they knew it come from depths too
profound for the most extended line of angelic reason to
fathom. It Was then that those mighty sentiments were
felt and sung, to which, in after days, the shepherds
listened at the birth of the Saviour, ** Glory to God in the
highest! on earth, peace $ and good will, to men!" It
was thus
" In heaven the rapturous sons, begara,
And sweet seraphic fire
Through all the shining legions rail,
And strong and tuned the lyre.
Swift through the vast expanse ft flew,
And loud the echo rolled;
The theme, the song, the joy was new,
'Twas more than heaven could hold.
92 THE LOVE OP GOD.
JJown through the portals of the sky,
The impetuous torrent ran;
And angels flew with eager joy,
To bear the news to man."
This great provision of grace was but to clear the way
for an ample display of God's goodness and mercy, which
were to follow us all the days of our life ; to bring upon
tis a tide of heavenly good ; to overflow the whole field of
our wants; to quench every thirst of our spirits; to pardon
our guilt; wash away our pollution; help our infirmities;
inspire us with peace and joy ; give us a victory over our
enemies; raise us from the dead; and crown us with
eternal life in heaven ! Such are the benefits flowing to
us through the merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour.
We see this master feeling of love, ever displaying itself
in the long suffering and forbearance of God; in the
gracious terms of pardon ; in the strivings of the Spirit; and
in that fatherly and ever active providence, that works
with such manifest and deep solicitude for the well-being
and salvation of us all.
We can trace the same great principle in the Lord our
God, even in the doom that awaits the finally impenitent.
It is but a wise and wholesome measure of government
First, To show the great evil of sin, and to warn the
intelligent universe of its dreadful consequences. Secondly,
To separate the vicious disturbers of the quietude and
happiness of the good and loyal subjects of our great
sovereign. It is an essential element to a consummate
state of bliss, that we should not have the presence of those
who would oflend the feelings of holiness by crime, injure
our reputation by falsehood, rob us of our property by
theft, or assail our persons in enmity. The Apostle John,
iu his description of the heavenly Jerusalem, says, " And
there shall in .no wise enter into it any thing that defileth,
THE LOVE OF GOD. 93
neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie ;
but they which are written in the Lamb's Book of Life."
And, now, my hearers, since you are blessed with such
engaging and heart subduing revelations of God such
revelations, as heaven and earth had not known before,
may your contemplation of it be such as is expressed in
the language of Dr. Watts,
" Our thoughts are lost in reverent awe ;
We love and we adore;
The first archangel never saw
So much of God before. "
This revelation has set new fire to the devotions of
heaven, and kindled into rapture the adoration of earth.
Rebels against God and goodness ! Can you persist iu
your opposition against sucJi a father and G-od ? Will not
the love that moved heaven and hell to amazement, and
gave eternity its richest theme of song, subdue your
rebellion ]
" let bis love your heart constrain,
Nor suffer him to die in vain!"
And now, my dear friends, would you avail yourselves of
the unequalled fulness of grace and blessedness, bequeathed
to you in the infinite love of God ? Would you rise to the
highest dignity of your nature "? Would you attend to the
highest interest of your being, an interest that rises as high
as heaven, as glorious as the presence of God, as rich as
eternal life, with boundless and undying joy 1 . Would you
be God's children, and heirs, and inherit all things ; and in
the opulence of a universe, feel the fortune of immortality
provided for you by him who is said to be LOVE ? Then
seek this universe of .good in the kingdom of God, which
has the promise of the addition of ALL things. And may
this all-sufficient, and only sufficient, inheritance, be the
fortune of our every immortal spirit, is my prayer for
Christ's sake. Amen.
SERMON VI.
CONFIDENCE IN GOD EXPLAINED.
BY REV. a. C. GRUNDY, D.D.
Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, Maysvillc, Ky.
" Casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you." 1 Peter v. 7.
IN the verse preceding the text, the Apostle exhorts the
Christian to humble himself under the migJtty hand of
God, that he may in due time be exalted. By the mighty
hand of God is hei*e meant, his sore judgments and afflictive
providences. When God sorely afflicts us, he lays, so to
speak, his hand upon us; and to be humble and resigned
under his disciplinary hand, is our highest wisdom.
Profound humility and submission are the way of God's
appointment to exaltation and glory; and, to this end,
afflictions in the economy of grace, have been ordained for
the Christian. Subdued and humbled by sore affliction, the
Christian is in the proper state of mind to feel his weakness
and his need of God, and to cast all his care upon him.
This he is encouraged to do, from the precious assurance
that the Lord careth for him. " Casting all your care upon
him, for he careth for you." "We are here taught, fast, that
the Lord cares for us ; and secondly, the duty consequent
that we cast all our care upon him. These are the two
great points of the text a fact, and a consequent duty.
I. TJie Lord caretJi for us. This important fact
is asserted in the text, as an all-sufficient reason why
CONFIDENCE IN GOD EXPLAINED. 95
we should, at all times, and under all circumstances,
cast all our care upon the Lord. "For he careth for
you."
How precious the thought, how encouraging and full
of blessing the fact. Various and numerous are the ways
in which the Lord indicates his care for us; Some of
these we will now notice, by way of illustrating the general
statement of the text.
First. The Lord has manifested his care for us in the
work of the external creation. The heavens have been
spread over us by the creative power of God, for the
special purpose of furnishing us a reflection of the Divine
glory. In the language of inspiration, the heavens
declare to us the glory of God. This is the great end for
which they were made. They are a reflector, which God
himself has made for our special benefit; in the light of
which we may form some faint conceptions of the glory of
the great Creator. But, in addition to furnishing us a
reflection of his glory, God created the heavens to exhibit
to us his benevolence. Without the light, and the geniai
warmth of the sun, the earth would be a dreary and
barren waste. And without the light of the moon and
stars, in the absence of the sun, we should be subjected to
much inconvenience, and deprived of much of the comfort
we now enjoy. We not only, therefore, behold in the
heavens the reflected glory of God, but we see bis goodness
to us displayed, in ordaining, for our special comfort, the
sun, moon, and stars, to give us light by day and by night.
Thus did God care for us, when he fitted up, at the
beginning, the stupendous fabric of the external creation
for our habitation.
Second. We have the evidence of God's care for us in
the susceptibilities of our nature, and the provision which
God has made for our wants.
96 CONFIDENCE IN GOD EXPLAINED.
Had God no care for us, he could have easily created
us with no susceptibilities but those of pain. He could
have made the eye to behold nothing but misery ; the ear to
hear nothing but discord ; to the taste he could have made
eveiy thing bitter; to the smell every thing offensive ; and
to the toucli every thing painful. But, instead of this, he
has adorned the creation around, about, and beneath us,
with a beauty upon which we can gaze and never tire.
Every breeze is freighted with music and fragrance, and
all nature, in a word, proclaims, that her great Creator
careth for us. But these remarks contemplate man, only,
as a high order of the animal creation. As intellectual and
moral beings, we are endowed with susceptibilities and
capacities for happiness like God himself. God has given
us a mind capable of infinite development, and endowed
us with a corresponding thirst for knowledge. He has
given us a moral sense, by which we enjoy pleasure in
doing right, and suffer pain in doing wrong; and, in
accordance with these susceptibilities, he has ordained the
retributions of eternity, by which we are rewarded with
the joys of heaven, or the agonies of hell, according to our
conduct. Thus has God cared for us in the constitution
of our nature, and the provision which he has made for all
our wants.
Third. God has cared for us in his providence.
From the earliest dawn of our being, he has watched
over us with the tender care of a parent, and blessed us
with the hand of a benefactor. In the language of an
inspired writer, it is in God we live, move, and have our
being. It is by his power, and his will, that we live every
moment. Nothing could depend more absolutely upon
God, than does our life in this world. The metes and
bounds of our earthly pilgrimage he has fixed, and all our
footsteps are ordered by him. We cannot live a moment
CONFIDENCE IN GOD EXPLAINED. 97
longer, nor die a moment sooner, than accords with the
propose and pleasure of God. -"God hath made. of one
blood," says an inspired writer, " all nations of men, for to
dwell on all die face of the earth ; and hath determined the
times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation."
By another inspired writer we are told, that God careth
for the sparrow, and that we are, in his estimation, of marc
value than many sparrows. We are also assured, that such
is the care that God has for us, that even the very hairs of
our head are all numbered. In a word, God governs this
world with a special eye to our good, and so as to make
all things, in the end, result in blessing to the Chiistian.
" All things," we are told, " work together for good to them
that love God."
Even our afflictions, by the Divine appointment, work
for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.
For this end, God has constituted his Son head over all
things to, or for, the Church, so that every thing is made
to work for its ultimate triumph, and the good of every
Christian. Such is, in brief, the doctrine of God's
providence over the world. It is, from beginning to end, a
gracious and practical display of the fact, that he careth
for us. He controls all circumstances, governs all events,
and overrules even the wickedness of the wicked for our
good. He careth for us.
Fourthly, The care of God for us, is shown in the gift
of his Son for our redemption.
All that is necessary to be said on this point, is the
simple fact, " God so loved the world that he gave his
only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him might
not perish, but have everlasting life." Again, says an
inspired writer, " Scarcely for a righteous man will one
die ; yet, peradventure, for a good man, some would even
dare to die ; but God commendeth his love toward us, in
10
98 CONFIDENCE IN GOD EXPLAINED:
that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for vs."
Could we, in every other respect, doubt whether God
cared for us, here is evidence which excludes all doubt.
" God commendetJi his love toward us, hi that while we
were yet sinners," &c. God not only cares for us, but he
loves us. "He so loved" us. Who can doubt the
sincerity and love of that friend who will sacrifice his
property, and even life itself, for our good? But God
commendetk his love toward us, in that while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us. When we had nothing in or
about us to commend us to God, but were his enemies,
and the just objects of his wrath, then it was that, from
the promptings of the love of his heart, he gave his Son,
the greatest object in the gift of his boundless love, a
sacrifice for us !
Fifthly. God's care for us is seen in the fact, that
every Christian is constituted his child by adoption, and
made a joint heir with his Son Jesus Christ.
It is a distinguishing feature of the gospel, that all
redeemed by the blood of Christ are made, by adoption,
the sons of Godi The whole Church, redeemed by the
blood of Christ, is God's adopted family, of which Jesus
Christ himself is the elder brother. By virtue of the
adoption of the gospel, the Christian stands related to
God differently from any other created being. He is, by
gospel adoption, "a joint heir" with the Lord Jesus
Christ. He stands thus peculiarly related to, and
invested with, the glory of the divine nature. His relation
to the divine throne is peculiar, from the fact, that he is a
joint heir with Christ ; and he is peculiarly identified with
the divine nature, from the fact, that Christ is his elder
brother. He is, in these respects, above the angels
themselves, in dignity and . glory. Never did Christ
assume the nature of angels, and exalt and glorify it as his
CONFIDENCE IN GOD EXPLAINED. 99
own, but ours he did. In consequence of our adoption,
we are permitted to call God our Father, and to share
his paternal affection. In consequence of this, we are
permitted to approach him, not as the objects of his wrath,
or the subjects of servile fear, but as the children of his
love, with the assurance, to encourage us, that he is more
ready to enrich and bless us with the Holy Spirit, than
even are earthly parents to give good gifts to their
children. Such, in brief, are some of the proofs that God
careth for us :
1. He has shown his care for us in the heavens above,
and in the earth beneath.
2. He has manifested it, in giving us a nature endowed
with great susceptibilities for happiness, and in making
corresponding provision for our wants.
3. He has shown his care for us, in the protection and
blessings of his providence.
4. He has manifested the same, in the gift of his Son
to redeem us. And
5. He has shown it, in that he has adopted us as his
children, and made us joint heirs with his Son Jesus
Christ.
We come, now, to consider the duty growing out of the
fact, that God careth for us. " Casting all your care,
upon 7iim, for he careth for you" In consequence of the
fact, that God cares for us, it is our privilege and duty to
cast all our care upon him. This is the doctrine of the
text, and the duty which it enjoins. This is the specific
duty growing out of the important and interesting fact,
that God careth for us. It has been well remarked, that
it is not a providential and prudential care, but an anxious
and vexatious care that the Scripture forbids. Having
used the means, and exercised due care, in subserviency
to the providence of God, we are not to be over-soh'citoua
100 CONFIDENCE IN GOD EXPLAINED.
as to the issue. Having, to the extent of our ability, used
the means, in accordance with the divine plan, and with a
due regard to the providence of God, we are to confide in
the divine wisdom and the divine goodness as to the result.
And this we are to do, with a determination -to be satisfied
with the result, whatever it may be, knowing that God
does all for the best. This is what we understand to be
implied in casting all our care upon God. In the position
here defined, we exclude alike the doctrine of fatalism, or
disregard of means upon the one hand, and all superstition
upon the other. The doctrine inculcated, is nothing more
nor less than an intelligent looking to God, in the 'use of
means, for special results, and a consequent acquiescence
in his will as to the issue, whatever it may be. It is a
willingness to take our place at God's feet, as the
instrument and agent, praying that his will, and not ours,
be done. Such a position, you perceive at once, relieves
the mind of all undue solicitude, and gives calmness and
quietude, and presence of mind, in times of sore calamity
and of greatest danger. And here observe, that such a
position is not that of the fatalist. It is far from it. The
fatalist casts off all responsibility to act in the use of means,
and, with a blind submission to his fate, consoles himself
with the thought, that whatever is to be, will be, regardless
of any agency of his. Such an one, in the occupancy of
such a position, casts not all his care upon God, but upon
a mistaken and perverted view of God's purpose and plan.
Not so the man who has an intelligent and Scriptural
view of the use of means, as ordained of God for the
accomplishment of his purposes. True it is, that, in
common with the fatalist, he believes in the doctrine of the
divine purposes and decrees as all eternal, definite, and
fixed. But he diners wholly from the fatalist, in making
the means for the accomplishment of a given end, a
CONFIDENCE IN GOD EXPLAINED. 101
necessary part of the divine decree. The fatalist divorces
the means from the end, and rejects them as any part of
the divine decree, and thus makes God a tyrant, and man
a machine ! The true believer regards the two as divinely
joined together, and holds, as an essential item of faith,
that God has decreed the means with the end. And it is
worthy of remark, that he who holds that God has decreed
the means with the end, can never be, in practice, a
fatalist, or make man a machine in the great matters of
faith and salvation. And this, allow me to say, is the
cardinal and distinguishing point in that view of
Christian faith called Calvinistic. It is, simply, that means,
in all matters pertaining to Christian duty and human
salvation, are an inseparable and necessary part of the
divine decree, and are to be used as such. For instance,
God has decreed faith as necessary to salvation ; but he has
also decreed, as means to obtain it, the preaching and the
hearing of his word. The word and the agency of the
living teacher, are the medium and the agency of divine
appointment, and must be regarded and used as the means
divinely appointed, and inseparably connected with the
decree of God to save the believer. And it is only in die
relation which the preached gospel sustains as means to an
end, in the divine purpose and plan, that we have any
encouragement whatever to preach the gospel for man's
salvation and the world's conversion. God has all wisdom
to adapt means to ends, and all power to clothe them with
efficiency. The means, therefore, of God's appointment
for the accomplishment of a given end, are but the mediums
of his wisdom and power, pledged for the accomplishment
of that end. The relation, therefore, which the means, as
a part of the divine decree, sustain to the end, carries with
it a pledge of the fact, that God will clothe them with all
necessary power to effect the end decreed. And here is
102 CONFIDENCE IN GOD EXPLAINED.
the true doctrine of the efficacy of means, and the
encouragement to use them. It lies in the divinely
appointed relation between the means and the end, in
the divine decree. G-od appoints the means for the
accomplishment of his own purposes, and clothes them,
for this end, with all necessary power. In and of
themselves, means have no power to effect the great ends
of faith and salvation. Their full power to accomplish the
great end contemplated, lies in the fact, that they are
ordained of God for the specific purpose. The simple
fact, that the means of the gospel are ordained of God for
man's salvation, carries upon its face the pledge of the
exertion of all necessary divine power, to make them
efficacious to the end ordained. Hence, Paul exclaims,
" I am not ashamed of the gospel of; Christ ; for it is
the yower of God unto salvation" Here was Paul's
encouragement to preach the gospel amid the greatest
danger, and in the face of death. It was the single fact,
that, being God's means for the great end of man's
salvation, it was God's power. The relation of the means
to the decreed end, in the divine purpose, clothed, as such,
the gospel, in the Apostle's estimation, with ample power
to secure the great result ; so that, on this account, he
gloried in the gospel, and was ready, with all boldness, to
proclaim it upon the heights of Roman glory, and in the
face of Roman philosophy ! Such is the position of every
Christian, in regard to the decrees of God and the use of
means. Instead of sitting inactive with the fatalist, and
consoling himself, " that what is to be, will be," he. regards
the means as a necessary part of the decree ; and, in the
use of the means, to the extent of his ability, he casts all
his care upon God, in regard to the accomplishment of the
end. Instead of torturing and distorting the divine purpose
and decree of God to save sinners, and ultimately to
CONFIDENCE IN GOD EXPLAINED. 103
convert the world, with the false creed and assurance of
the fatalist, tliat if we are to be saved, we shall be saved, do
what we will ; and if we are to be damned, we shall be
damned, do what we van : the true minister and disciple
of Christ regards the gospel as God's means for the
accomplishment of the great end; and hence he labors
every where, even unto death, to make it known to the
ends of the earth. " So, as much as in me is, I arn ready
to preach the gospel to you that are at Home also for I
am not ashamed of the gospel of 'Christ; for it is the power
of God unto salvation to every one that believeth." The
glorious efficacy of the gospel, therefore, for the salvation
of the sinner and the salvation of the world, lies in the
relation which it sustains, as the divinely decreed means, to
the divinely decreed end. The means are decreed -with
the end; and hence the Christian's encouragement to labor
even to the death, for the world's conversion.
It is true, that God has purposed and decreed to
convert the world to himself, and hence the glorious
result is as certain and fixed as is his throne. But it is
equally true, that God has decreed to do this through
an agency, and in the use of the means of his own
appointment; and hence the Christian, instead of doing
nothing, and saying, " "Whatever is to be, will be," labors
and prays, Thy kingdom come! and having done his
duty in the use of means, he casts all his care upon
God as to the results. And, although all may be dark
and desolate although iniquity may abound and triumph,
and religion be scouted, here is the end decreed, with
the means for its accomplishment; and, in the faithful use
of these means, the Christian can cast all his care upon
God as to results. Here is our encouragement, both -to
preach and pray. God cares for the Christian, and never
forgets the Church. Nor has any man a right to cast his
204 CONFIDENCE TN GOD EXPLAINED,
cure upon God, and expect his blessing, until lie has first
used the means, and acted in accordance with the Divine
command. This is as true, in all the common and practical
matters of life, as it is in religion. No man has a right to
cast his care upon God, and expect the blessing of. his
daily bread, and the support of his family, until he has first
used the appropriate means, and duly regarded the. Divine
arrangement, that in the sweat of our face we shall eat
our bread. It is true, God has power to rain down bread
from heaven, and to feed us by miracle, but such is not his
purpose, or plan ; and, consequently, he who casts his care
upon God to do this, and neglects the means, as the condition
and medium of the. blessing, must perish. But having
used the means, with a due regard to God's purpose, in
ploughing the ground and sowing the seed, we are then
authorized, to cast all our care upon .him as to the result,
and expect with confidence, the blessing. And here let
me remark, that whenever we go beyond cur province, as
agents in the hands of God, using the means of his own
purpose and plan, for a given blessing, we become solicitous
for nought. For instance, when we have done all in our
power, in cultivating the soil, and planting the seed, what
Joes it avail us to be over anxious, as to whether God will
t;ead the early and the latter rain 1 Our undue solicitude
will not bring the cloud, or cause the rain, and is all for
nought. Having done our duty, in the use of the means,
we may now cast all our care upon God, and rest perfectly
easy as to the result. And so in all our afflictions ; solicitude
or care, beyond the use of the means, is all of no avail, and
should not be indulged. Here, for instance,, is a mother, at
the bedside of a sick and dying child. With all the fidelity
of maternal afiection, she is carefully engaged in using
every appliance and remedy to save the life of her child,
and restore it to health. Her care and solicitude is, that
CONFIDENCE IN GOD EXPLAINED. 105
every remedy in the scope of human power and skill, may
be used to save life and restore to health her child ; but,
beyond this, she has no care. Having used the means to
the extent of her ability, she can confidently commit her
care to G-od, and, casting all her care upon him, can expect
the blessing, and await with resignation the result. Now,
what avails any solicitude, beyond the use of the means ?
Will it give the medicine any more efficacy, or cause life to
be spared, with any more certainty ] Why should we be
over solicitous, beyond the careful use of the means ? We
cannot, thereby, cause the object of our solicitude to live a
moment longer, and we only torture, unnecessarily, and to
no effect, our own minds. Our duty lies in the faithful
use of the means, and, consequent upon this, is our privilege
and duty to look to God for the blessing, and to acquiesce
in the result. Such is the position of the Christian man.
Here is the true recipe for the troubled spirit, and the true
secret of a contented mind. Such a casting of all our
care upon God, in the use of means, ensures presence of
mind and fortitude, in, time of greatest danger and darkest
perplexity. See it illustrated in the case of Paul, when
suffering shipwreck, and threatened with death. In the
darkness of the tempest, when all hope had forsaken the
crew, and they were in the act of deserting the ship as lost,
Paul arose, and exhorted them to remain in the vessel, in
order that they might be saved from destruction. God had
assured him that he must go to Rome, and, in this assurance,
he was certain of the result; but, so far was he from
pleading this as a reason why they should give up the
ship and do nothing, that it furnished him all the
encouragement he had to labor for the result of a safe
arrival at port. So is the Christain, in regard to the ship
of Zion. As it sails over the great ocean of time, it is
subject to many storms, and is often threatened to be
JOG CONFIDENCE IN GOD EXPLAINED.
engulpbed in the violence and darkness of the tempest; but,
with the assurance of God, who can still the waves and
calm the tempest that she shall ultimately reach the
destined port, freighted with a world redeemed, the
Christian, in the light and faith of such assurance, never
abandons the ship, but, casting all his care upon God,
labors against wind and tide, confident that, in the end, he
shall reach the port of his heavenly rest, and enjoy the
promise of his reward.
May God teach us the true philosophy of casting all ou
care upon Him. And to his name be all the praise. Amc*i
SERMON VII.
DEATH A BLESSED EVENT TO THE
CHRISTIAN.
BY REV. SIDNEY DYER,
Corresponding Secretary of the American Indian Mission Association.
" And I heard a voice from heaven, saying onto me, Write, Blessed are
the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth : Yea, saith the Spirit,
that they may rest from their labours ; and their works do follow them."
Revelation xiv. 13.
WHO does not remember the unutterable and thrilling
sensation which rushed, like an overwhelming flood, over
the soul, when the mind first fully comprehended the
import of that Divine law : " It is appointed unto all men
once to die/" How swiftly the glorious dreamings of
dawning youth, and the illusive brightness of terrestrial
things fled before the gathering clouds, which swept up
from the verge of the horizon of the "region and
shadow of death." The mind, for a moment, sought
for some avenue of escape some resting place,
which might afford the soul a ray of hope, that a respite
could be gained; but the law reiterates, " The soul that
sinneth, it shall die ! " Conscience pleads guilty, and
justice repeats the sentence : " So death Jietk passed
upon all men, for that all have sinned f" When thus the
mind is thrown back to grapple with a stern, impending
reality, the first pressure of the .chain is felt, by which
death holds his captives in bondage to fear, and he
108 DKATH A BLESSED EVENT
begins to exercise over the soul the iron rule of the King
of Terrors. Now, to the groaning, desponding captive,
galled and burdened by fruitless service chilled and
repulsed by a hopeless future, with what tones of gladness
must the text come, throwing the radiance of eternal life,
where all before was darkness and death ! It is the voice
of Him who hath the power of life and of death. It is
written down as the eternal promise of Him whose word
is ever fulfilled. It blunts the sting of death, and plucks
the trophies of victory from the exulting grave ; and that
becomes a subject of delightful longing after, which, before,
was an object of disgust and loathing.
The revulsion of feeling which takes place, when this
glorious promise of the Spirit is relied upon, is so great, as
to fill the soul with "joy unspeakable and full of glory."
Oh ! wonderful, mysterious words ! Pronounce him blessed
upon whom, in the universal opinion of mankind, the
greatest possible calamity has fallen ? Who has passed to
that bourne from whence no traveller returns,
"When thoughts
Of the last bitter hour come like a blight
Over the spirit, and sad images
Of the stern agony, and shroud, and pall,
And breathless darkness, and the narrow house
Make all to shudder, and grow sick at heart ?
Yea, saith the Spirit; from henceforth, "Blessed are tfie
dead wldcli die in tlie Lord!"
This is, indeed, wonderful ! A blessing for him whose
eyes are for ever closed upon the " all-beholding sun," the
starry heavens, and the green fields ; ay, in whose
"Lack-lustre, eyeless holes,"
The worms have held then- banqueting ; who has been
forced away from the warm embraces of fond affection
TO THE CHRISTIAN. 109
the halls of comfort and affluence, to lie in the cold
chambers of the grave, and become
"A brother to the insensible rocfe,
And to the sluggish clod, which the rude swain
Turns with bis share and treads upon "
Whose ear will never more listen to the
" Breezy call of incense breathing morn,
The swallow twittering from the straw built shed ;"
Whose bosom is insensible alike to the endearing emotions
of consanguinity and friendship a blessing for such an
one? Yea, saith the Spirit, from henceforth; "Blessed
are the dead which die in the Lord!"
However wonderful this may appear to our weak
understandings, or contrary to the palpable evidence of
our senses, it must, nevertheless, remain a glorious,
death-disarming truth, since God, who hath commanded it
to be written down for the consolation of his saints,
cannot lie.
As we live in a world, over which the shadow of death
darkly impends, where his power is constantly felt, and
his advent beheld with fear, let us try and understand the
import of this bright emanation of Divine goodness, that
we may realize all the blessedness which it was designed
to afford. And, as the blessing to be enjoyed is made
contingent on a certain state of being, we will endeavor to
determine what is implied by the phrase, " In the Lord"
as the blessing is dependent on the existence of this
relation.
The words establish the fact, that a most intimate
relationship is enjoyed. To be in a thing, is to be most
closely brought into connection with it. We say of an
individual, that he is in the Baptist Church meaning
thereby, that he sustains the relation of a member to this
branch of the Church ; of some other person, that he is in
110 DEATH A BLESSED EVENT
a certain family setting forth his individual identity with
that particular family, as a whole. Thus, to be "in the
Lord," implies the existence of a vital union between
G<xl and the souls of the redeemed an identity of character
and interests ; God dwells in them, and they in him.
In every relationship there is a well established principle,
or law, by which it is brought into existence and justified.
With men, the relation of parent and child, for instance, is
the result of natural generation, or by virtue of adoption.
But as man, in a state of nature, is an alien from God, the
offspring of sin, and a citizen of the commonwealth of
Satan, it can only be by adoption that he can be thus
intimately associated with the Great Parent of life ; and
the manner of the Divine procedure, in forming this blessed
intimacy with erring humanity, is plainly set forth in his
holy word, that all may learn its provisions, and avail
themselves of its benefits. " As many as received Mm, to
them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to tJiem
that believed on 7(,is name." " For as many as are led by
the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." " As thou,
Father, art in me, and I in tliee, that they also may be one
in its" " Our life is hid with Christ in God" From
these, and a multitude of parallel passages, we are certified,
that whoever heartily receives the Lord Jesus, as his
Saviour and Redeemer, by a living faith, is legally adopted
into the household of God, becomes a joint heir with
Christ in the kingdom and possessions of our Heavenly
Father, and is held to be "In the Lord," according to the
import of the text.
"With this brief setting forth of the nature of the
relationship, requisite to secure the blessing, we proceed
to illustrate the reasons for, and manner of, its enjoyment.
The first impressions which we have of death, is the fear
which its contemplation excites in the mind, and which,
TO THE CHRISTIAN. Ill
generally, is of so painful a character, as to embitter all the
sweetest scenes of subsequent life. Through this distressing
fear, the unbeliever is all his life-time subject to bondage;
a cringing, trembling slave j bound by a tyrant whose
fetters he has not the power to sunder ; whose dominion
he can in nowise escape. And, while he-remains in a state
of unbelief, he must ever stand a heartless coward ; for,
although he may make vigorous attempts to shake off his
supineness, and meet the grim monster with composure
and defiance, yet he finds, alas! that he only has been
forging heavier chains for his own binding, and eclipsing,
with thicker darkness, the gloom of his prison house ; for
the sting of death is sin, and while man continues in the
ways of transgression, he is but adding to the power which
death possesses, to hold him in the grasp of his iron
bondage.
Now, the individual who has been adopted into the
family of heaven, is blessed in death, because he is entirely
delivered from this distressing condition. "Forasmuch,
then, as the children are partakers of flesh and Hood, Jie
also himself likewise took part of the same; that through
death Tie might destroy Mm that had the power of death,
that is, the devil; and deliver them who, through the
fear of death, were att their life-time subject to bondage."
" And if Christ shall set them free, they shall be free
indeed."
There is no time when death so comes upon an
individual "like an armed man," as when he is seen
near at hand, and a conflict is momentarily apprehended
with him. He is then no longer viewed as a being of
undefined and visionary existence a theme for idle
speculations ; but becomes a dreadful, stern reality. He
is no longer looked upon as one whose advent will seal up
for the judgment the eternal interests of others, but as
112 DEATH A BLESSED EVENT
bringing us individually into this solemn relation to the
searcher of hearts. It is under such circumstances that
the scoffer and the unbeliever become confounded at his
dread approach, and the frantic soul
" Runs to each avenue, and shrieks for help ;
But shrieks in vain! How wishfully she looks
On all she's leaving, now no longer hers!
A little longer, yet a little longer,
O might she stay, to wash away her crimes,
And fit her for her passage ! Mournful sight !
Her very eyes weep blood ; and every groan
She heaves is big with horror ; but the foe,
Like a staunch murderer, steady to his purpose,
Pursues her close through every lane of life,
Nor misses once the track; but passes on,
'Till forced at last to the tremendous verge,
At once she sinks!"
A helpless, hopeless, pityless thing !
Not so with those who are " in tlie Lord" When
death comes to try his shaft on them, he finds that his
sting is powerless. Christ has conquered this last enemy,
and given to his followers an eternal victory. Sin, which
gives point to the sting of death, he has cleansed away
with his own blood; and the law, which gave power to
sin to aim the blow, has been abolished, Christ having
become the end of the law to those who believe. The
Christian, thus armed with a divine panoply, not only
meets the dread sovereign of the valley and shadow of
death with firmness and composure, but with a certain
confidence of final victory, which the, for a time, seeming
triumph of death does not lessen. Indeed, so unshaken
is this confidence, that they often long to engage in the
fierce conflict, as death can only be successfully overcome
by a seeming triumph. They shrink not from the
encounter the victory is certain.
Those who " die in tJie Lord," are " blessed" because
they are delivered from the power and dominion of death :
TO THE CHRISTIAN. 113
" On such ilie second death hath no power" " For, good
men only gee death, the wicked taste it !"
The fears of death to the wicked might be tolerable*
terrible as they are, were.it not for the fearful looking for
of a fiery indignation, after the dying pang is past. Having
made no efforts to. propitiate the favor of heaven, by
seeking shelter and protection under the cross of Christ,
they are left to realize, in its fearful import, that " God, out
of Christ, is a consuming fire !" Hence, there is nothing
which they will so much dread as the hour of dissolution,
as they well know that it will bring them into the
immediate dominion of him who hath the power of death,
to endure the infliction of that torment, the smoke of which
will- ascend up for ever and ever, which is the second
death, from whose dominion there is no escape;
But the believer apprehends no such result. Death
has no claims upon him, and, in all his dark abode, there
is no prison that can hold the " ransomed of the Lord."
Christ has said, "He that believeth in me, hath everlasting
life" " They shall never die" " Because I live, they shall
live also" "I give unto them, eternal life, and they shall
never perisli? And these precious promises fill the soul
with "joy unspeakable and full of glory." The dominion
of death is broken, and his galling manacles thrown off,
and the exultant Christian freeman exclaims, in the
glowing language of the, victorious Apostle, "Oh! death,
where is thy sting ? Oh ! grave, where is thy victory 1"
" Thanks be to Grod, who giveth us the victory, through
our Lord Jesus Christ." "To live, is Christ; to &*, \B
gam !
"Death wounds to cure; we fall, we rise, we reign!
Spring from our fetters ; fasten in the skies ;
Where blooming Eden withers in our sight;
Death gives .us more than Eden lost."
11
114 DEATH A BLESSED EVENT
The Christian life is secure, for it is " Hid with, Christ
in God f and when Christ, who is our life, shall appear,
then shall we also appear with him in glory"
Are we, then, immortal ? Oh ! then, we are " blessed "
indeed ! Death is not the frightful monster which he is so
constantly represented to be j he is an angel of light and
mercy, veiling his resplendent glories under the shadowy
drapery of the tomb, lest the saints should become so
much enamoured with his loveliness, as to hasten at once
to leave, this erring, darkened world, to dwell in his
radiant dominion, and thus deprive the earth of the salt
which has so long preserved it from destruction. His exit,
through the frowning portals of the grave, is but to prevent
those who are " in the Lord," from crowding, with hasty,
willing steps, the pathway to his mysterious dwelling
place, so delightful and glorious, as soon as the gloomy
exterior is passed. Can it be, that this body, soon to
become inanimate, and waste to dust, can, and will, revive
and live ? that the eye, though dimmed with the film of
death, will re-brighten, and sparkle with looks of recognition
and love? That this lifeless body, once so loved, and
embraced with the fondest affection and delight, but now
so loathsome that it is looked upon with horror, and we
bear it from our sight, and conceal it from view in the
dark earth, will come forth more perfect and glorious than
ever ? Yea, saith the Spirit ; from henceforth, " Blessed
are the* dead which die in the Lord;" for " It is sown in
dishonor, it is raised in glory : it is sown in weakness, it is
raiseS, in power. For this corruptible must put on
incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality"
Then shall death be swallowed up in victory. Oh! are
they not " blessed" who die only to live for ever, in a state
so infinitely above the most perfect condition of humanity,
that it is "not worthy to be compared with the glory
TO THE CHRISTIAN.
which shall be revealed in us." "We know in whom we
have believed ; and the realization which we have already
xperienced, of the ability of Christ in delivering us from
bondage to the fear of death, removes every doubt
respecting the full accomplishment of his promises, that
death shall have no dominion over those who have fled to
him as the rock of their refuge ; and, therefore, we know
that, when he shall appear, we shall be with him, and like
lam, fashioned after the pattern of his " glorified body,"
and immortalized in love and holiness.
"Oh! happy hoar, Oh 1 blessed abode!
I shall be near and like my God !"
The Christian is " blessed" in "death," as it is to him a
sweet release from the toils and weariness of human life :
"* They rest from their labors"
Rest, in this life, is an object of universal desire and
pursuit; and we esteem that man comparatively happy,
who, by any proper means, succeeds in escaping, in any
great degree, from the measure of weariness generally
meted out to mankind. All men, like the homeless spirit,
are seeking for rest; and although they may have even
four score years allotted to them, in which to prosecute the
search, yet all meet at the grave's brink at last, without
having gained the object of their longing ; they -all alike
find, that they are made to "possess months of vanity, and
wearisome nights are appointed unto them ;" and they are
led, at last, to choose death rather than life. The wicked,
in a spirit of hopeless despair; and the righteous, that they
may go to that land, "where the wicked cease from
troubling, and the weary are at rest."
It is passing strange that men will toil life long to
obtain the mere shadow of what they desire to possess ;
and, while laboring to grasp the semblance of happiness,
let the reality pass beyond their attainment, There
116 DEATH A BLESSED EVENT
remains a rest;" but few will enjoy it, because they are
unwilling to "labor" that they may enter into it. The
term "labor" bzings the idea of exercise and eflbrt,
of weariness and fatigue, all of which man desires to
shun; but whoever hopes to obtain rest, by avoiding the
endurance of these, will find that a false rest is accompanied
by far more pain and disquietude, than a life of the severest
toil and deprivation. in the service of God. All relaxation
in this life, only lessens the probabilities of repose in that
which is to come. Let all fear, therefore, lest, while there
are such full and gracious promises of a release from
the toils and anxieties of life, we should at last come short
of its complete realization.
We are well assured, that the theatre in which we
now act, is one of unceasing exertion and of bitter
disappointment. It is a state in which we must wage an
unremitted warfare and 'opposition to the world in which
we live ; to the flesh, whose depraved motions must be
kept in check, and subdued; to the Devil, the great
adversary, who is constantly seeking to destroy our soiils,
and who must be resisted with the whole armour of God,
and with an unflinching steadfastness, or he will be
triumphant. These things will keep the Christian in a
constant state of activity ; and yet, if he is truly seeking
for an everlasting rest, he will not seek to shun the cross ;
but be happy in being permitted to approve himself unto
God, "in much patience, in affliction, in necessities, in
distresses, in stripes, in labors, in watchings;" yea,
in "always abounding in the work of the Lord" Paul
desired, with the most intense emotion, to be freed from
the dominion of sin : " Oh ! wretched man that I am ;
who shall deliver me from the body of this death !" But
he never once asked to be delivered from his .arduous
employment, as the servant of Jesus Christ, but rather
TO THE CHRISTIAN. 117
sought to multiply his labors; and when about to close
his earthly career, his theme of exultation was, that
he had " fought a good fight," and had "kept the faith;"
and having done this, he could, with just propriety,
appropriate to himself the glorious promises of future
rest; and a " crown of glory."
Toil, then, is the highway to the celestial resting place;
we must come up to its inheritance "through much
tribulation." No respite is promised- none can be enjoyed
this side of the tomb; and be who seeks to obtain it. does
it by becoming recreant to his master, and at the expense
of his own happiness. When we became fellow heirs
with the saints, we pledged ourselves to be henceforth
"fellow helpers to the- truth" and "laborers together with
God;" and this pledge will not be redeemed, until death
adds our names to the long list of those who have gone to
people his mysterious dominions.
If the port is an object of desire to the half wrecked,
tempest-tossed mariner; home, to the weary traveller;
health, to the suffering invalid ; and night, to the toil-worn
laborer; then is death a "blessed" consummation to the
fainting pilgrim of the cross. Then the toil is over, the
rest begins; the conflict is past, the crown is won; the
pain has been felt, the joy commences. And although
labor, or rather "activity, is not passed, since all are the
messengers of God ; yet, it. is labor which brings no fatigue,
nor aching limbs. We, doubtless, feel something like it,
when we are engaged in the performance of that in
which we experience great delight, and which it would
be painful for us to discontinue: we shall then realize,
in its fullest sense, what it is to " serve tJte Lord with
gladness"
Is, then, the toiling, fainting follower of the Lamb, who,
overcome by the burden and heat of the way, drops
118 DEATH A BLESSED EVENT
exhausted on the burning sands of the East, amid the
snows of the North, the jungles of the South, or the plains
of the West; or, who is equally worthy, he who fells
amid the conflict on the "Home field" are all these
finally and completely blessed with rest and hapinessl
" Yea, saith the Spirit, from henceforth, ; for they rest from
their labors /"
"There is an hoar of peaceful rest,
To mourning wanderers given;
There is a joy for souls distressed,
A balm for every wounded breast ;
'Tis found alone in heaven!"
There will be no more conflicts then with unsubdued
lusts ; all will be peace within, for all' there will be pure.
No more contests with foes without j for all will either be
in glorious harmony with the whole family in heaven, or
completely conquered. No more supplying the hungry
with bread ; for all will be fed from the bountiful table of
Infinite Goodness. No more giving of a cup of cold water ;
for each can drink his fill of the river of salvation, whose
waters will for ever quench the ragings of desire. No more
wiping away the tear from the cheek of sorrow ; for God
will wipe away all tears, and assuage the very fountains
of grief. No father watching with painful anxiety around
the dying couch ; for there is "no death there" this last
enemy having been slain. No more labor, no more
watching, no more weariness, no more fears, no more
death! Oh! indeed, this "rest shall be glorious!" for
Jesus, standing in the midst of his " BLESSED DEAD," will
say to each warring, toil-exacting spirit, " Depart hence !
These are they who have come up through great
tribulation, laboring hard to enter in to my promised
rest, and now, henceforth, they shall rest from their
labors: "
TO THE CHRISTIAN. 119
"They who die in Christ are blest*
Oars be, then, no thought of grieving:
Sweetly with their God they rest,
All their toils and troubles leaving!"
Lastly. They who "die in the Lord" are "blessed,"
because they receive the reward of their doings : " Their
works do follow them"
They do not expect any reward on the plea of debt, or
merit; for none are more emphatic in disclaiming any such
pretensions, than those who really could present the best
claims for so high a distinction. " Not unto us, not unto
us, O Lord, but unto thy name be all the glory," is their
uniform exclamation. But although they disclaim any
right or title to a reward, God in nowise intends that they
shall go without a proper recompense for every labor of
love. Although the Christian is blessed in a peculiar
manner in this life, yet he is never fully rewarded for his
labors and sacrifices while on earth. The body is not
capacious and strong enough to contain the "weight of
glory" which forms the measure of the reward which God
has in store for those who love him ; it must, therefore, die,
that it may be raised embued with power sufficient for
its endurance ; and the sufferings of this life are designed
to fit the soul for a more complete enjoyment of the
future glory. Christians sow in tears, that they may
reap in joy. God is grieving them on earth, that they
may enjoy the peaceful fruits of righteousness in heaven ;
laying upon them light afflictions, that they may receive
hereafter a " far more exceeding, and eternal weight of
glory!"
We have no standard by which we can approximate
towards a just estimation of the value of those rewards
which God will finally mete out to those who are found
"in the Lord." The vocabulary of objects which meu
120 DEAT1I A BLESSED EVENT
esteem most valuable, is exhausted to furnish figures by
which to give us any conception of then: worth. Gold is
only fit for paving the streets where they walk, and pearls
and precious stones for adorning the entering gates to their
glorious city of habitation. We are assured, however,
that "GLORY, IMMORTALITY, AND ETERNAL LIFE," are
conspicuous among the elements which go to make up the
fullness of joy which will complete the blessedness of the
righteous. But, with this dazzling array which confounds
the imagination, we are informed, that " eye hath not
seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart
of man, the things which God hath prepared for them
that love him !" What a glorious prospect ! Its very
contemplation is a "weight of glory ;" what, then, must be
the complete reality ?
In this blessed hope, how do earthly possessions become
debased and valueless. Death is the entrance to this
glorious land. The. way is short, and easy of travel. It
only looks dark on the near side; once in, all becomes
light. When we approach, it appears like the pillar of
fire to the Egyptians, the blackness of darkness; but
when its portals are safely passed, it becomes like the
same pillar to the Israelites, radiant with the ineffable love
of God. If men can brave the perils of the long and
tedious route to California, for the possession of a few
ounces of gold, shall the Christian shrink back from the
way which leads to the dominions of death, when such
peerless rewards await his arrival there ?
What does death deprive us of, which it does not
restore in an hundred fold? It takes life, but it gives
back immortality. It removes from the world, but it
ushers into heaven. It separates us from a circle of dear
relatives and friends, but it introduces us into one infinitely
larger^ and far more worthy of our love and esteem ; and
TO THE CHRISTIA.N. 121
Jesus stands pledged to restore to our embraces those
from whom death, for a time, separates us. It compels
the believer to leave houses and lands, but gives, in return,
a "house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens;"
and a "possession which is incorruptible, undefiled, and
that fadeth not away."
Shall, then, those who labor and toil for the happiness
and good of mankind, and the glory of God, and yet are
rewarded by those for whom they labor and sacrifice,
with injustice, scorn, and neglect ; who finally die hi rags,
lying at some rich man's gate, desiring to feed on the
crumbs which fall from his table, and no man gives unto
them shall all these, finally, receive a just recompense of
reward ? " Yea, saitfi the Spirit /" "for ilieir works do
follow tliem"
What, then, does it matter with the Christian, though
he be poor and despised of men, and cast out as the
offscouring of the earth, " and put to death as unfit to
live; he shall not go unrewarded, nor be condemned
when he stands at the judgment, where God will reward
every man according to his works, whether they are good
or bad.
From this investigation of the subject before us, we
learn, that the startling annunciation it contains, isjully
sustained; that, however opposed to the evidences of our
senses, or abhorrent to our feelings, as we view death as
it appears in the pallid and decaying corpse, the gloom of
the grave, and the apparent loss of all sensation and
emotion, it is, nevertheless, a blessed event to those who
are in the Lord. So truly does this hold good, that it may
emphatically be said of all so dying, that the " day of their
death is better than the day of their birth," inasmuch, as it
introduces them into a higher and more perfect state of
being and enjoyment,
12
122 DEATH A BLESSED EVENT
"Death robs us of all things," exclaims the sordid
worldling. " To die is gain 1" responds 1 the expectant
believer. " Death is an eternal sleep," affirms the boasting
atheist. "The dead in Christ shall awake, and come
forth, incorruptible, immortal, and glorified," replies the
confiding Christian. "Death is the King of Terrors,"
tremblingly exclaims the unprepared traveller to the grave.
"Oh! death, where is thy sting? Oh! grave, where is
thy victory ?" Shouts the trusting disciple of the cross.
" All that I have will I give for my life !" groans the
dying lover of this world. " I would not live always,"
responds the emancipated follower of the Prince of Life.
-^ " Away with death, away
"With all his sluggish sleep and chilling damp,
Imperious to the day,
Where nature sinks into inanity;
How can the soul- desire
Such hateful nothingness to crave,
And yield with joy the "vital fire,
To moulder in the grave !"
Thus shrieks the shrinking voluptuary.
" Who, who would live alway away from his God,
Away from yon heaven, that blissful abode,
Where rivers of pleasure flow o'er the bright plains,
And the noontide of glory eternally reigns 7"
Thus sings the enraptured saint.
Why this difference, when death, in its physical and
apparent effects, is precisely alike in all cases ? It destroys
in all, or rather effects in all an entire change in the
material of which our bodies are composed. It at once
annihilates the existence of the natural senses; and the
changes which it produces in the relations which mankind
sustain to one another, and the busy scenes of life, it is
one and the same to all, irrespective of character or
condition, This difference is plainly dependent upon the
TO THE CHRISTIAN. 123
relationship which we sustain to Christ, as we have shown
in this discourse. If we are connected to him by a living
faith, death is disarmed and powerless ; and he comes, not
as the King of Terrors, but as a welcome messenger, to
inform the weary pilgrim that the hour of rest has fully
come he touches the tired wayfarer with his potent
wand, and he " sleeps in Jesus," and passes to his reward
in heaven.
But if strangers to God, and to the commonwealth of
Israel, then death comes as the stern executioner of endless
retribution; he strikes, and all the hopes of the wicked
perish, and they sink into the abode of darkness and
despair, to realize that
" There is a death, whose pang
Outlasts the fleeting breath;
Oh! what eternal horrors hang
Around the second death!'
And now, fellow shiner, let me exhort you, as you
value the eternal interests of your deathless soul, that you
at once make haste to secure an interest in the Redeemer's
love; that when you die, you may " die in tJie Lord," and
find a home and rest in heaven.
SERMON VIII.
THE CROSS OF CHRIST AN OBJECT OF
GLORYING.
BY REV. R. BAIRD, D.D.
President of Cumberland College.
" But God forbid that I should glory, gave in the cross of our Lord
Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the
world." Galatians vi. 14.
THE agencies, and the means employed in securing and
promoting the salvation of men, have always created
surprise in the minds of unbelievers. . Our Saviour, when
011 earth, did not fulfil the expectations of the Jews. " Is
not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called
Mary ? And his brethren James, and Joses, and Simon,
and Judas ? And his sisters, are they not all with us ?
Whence, then, hath this man all these things ?" His death
upon the cross, as a common malefactor, would seem to
settle the question, that nothing good could proceed
from such a source. In the progress of time, however,
the Cross, which it was supposed would be the end of
his pretensions, and of the hopes of his followers, became
the foundation of his fame, and the watch-word of the
whole Christian host. How different is the judgment of
God, from the judgment of man ! " Whosoever exalteth
himself, shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself,
shall be exalted."
THE CROSS OF CHRIST. 125
It will be the purpose of this discourse to show, that the
Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ is a proper object of
glorying. In illustrating this proposition, it may be^proper
to consider :
First. The Cross.
Secondly. The reasqn why we should glory in the
Cross.
The Cross, in the New Testament, signifies :
First. The wood oh which our Saviour suffered. The
cross was an ancient instrument of capital punishment. It
was the punishment inflicted by the Romans on servants
who had committed crimes, on robbers, assassins, and
rebels. It was inflicted on our Saviour, on the ground of
his making Mmselfa king. Although all his doctrines were
in opposition to rebellion, he was treated as a rebel.
Secondly. The Cross is used as an emblem of the
difficulties, labors, and dangers of a Christian life. This is
a life of self-denial, suffering, and danger. "If any man
will come after me, let him "deny himself, and take up his
cross, and follow me." " And whosoever doth not bear
his cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
Thirdly. The Cross is used as a symbol of the doctrines
of salvation, revealed through the death of Christ. " For
Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel ;
not with wisdom of words, lest the Cross of Christ should
be made of none effect. For the preaching of the Cross
is, to them that perish, foolishness, but unto us which are
saved, it is the power of Grbd." Furthermore, this is
certainly the import of the Cross in this textj "God
forbid that I should glory, save in the Cross of our Lord
Jesus Christ." Through the death of our Lord Jesus
Christ upon the Cross, is revealed that merciiul and
gracious system of redemption which furnishes the ground
of all our hopes. The Cross is, therefore, a central point,
126 TUB CROSS OP CHRIST
around which is collected every interesting event connected
with the developments of this system. It is the consecrated
medium through which are transmitted to us the rays of
light which proceed from the Sun of Righteousness. This
is tbe sense in which the Apostle would glory in the
Cross.
The Cross is, therefore, an object of glorying :
First. Because it displays the infinite evil of sin.
When we consider the character of him who suffered, and
the nature of the suffering, we must be deeply impressed
with a sense of the demerit of sin. Sin is odious and
destructive in its nature. It is the abominable thing
which God hates the source of all the wretchedness in
the universe. It is the fearful malady which has brought
death into our world. For its punishment, eternal fires
have been kindled up in hell. Certainly, it is a direful
evil. Yet our Saviour bore our sins in his own body upon
the tree. The intensity of his suffering indicates the
magnitude of his burden. -When in the garden, he sweat,
as it were, great drops of blood, " being in an agony ;" he
taught us what we must have suffered, had the whole
crushing weight of that burden fallen on us. Had the
gospel palliated the original offence, or compromised, in
any degree, the great principles of truth and holiness, then
we might blush to be considered its ministers, or its
subjects. But when it displays, in all its features, the
burning indignation of God against sin ; an indignation so
great, that it could be appeased only by the sacrifice of his
own Son upon the Cross, we may be allowed to exult in
the integrity of those principles which it embodies.
" What shall we say, then 1 Shall we continue in sin, that
grace may abound ? God forbid." By the Cross we are
crucified to the world, and the world to us. "How, then,
shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein V
AN OBJECT OP GLORYING. 127.
1
There Is no compromise with sin, either in principle or
practice. "Is Christ, therefore, the minister of sin? God
forbid." Rather in the Cross are displayed sin's most
offensive and odious features, and that tremendous curse
which it so justly merits.
Secondly, Because it illustrates the infinite wisdom of
God. The whole theory of redemption is a farce, or it is
the most striking display of Divine wisdom which can be
conceived by the human mind. Consider the authority of
the Law-giver, the justice and necessity of the law, the
fitness of the penalty, and the folly of the offence.
Consider the highest power in the universe, pledged for
the punishment of the offence. How can this punishment
be escaped? It cannot be escaped. It cannot be
mitigated. The majesty of the law prescribed for all
worlds, where intelligence exists, must be sustained. How
can it be sustained, and die guilty saved ? This question
is answered in that system of i-edemption alone, which
is symbolized by the Cross. Infinite wisdom provided
one, who possessed all the requisite characteristics for the
accomplishment of such a work. It found a surety who
.had the ability to pay the debt, and to sustain no loss
thereby, and who had the right to direct his ability as he
chose. On the Cross was the debt paid, the law magnified
and made honorable. Here was the sacrifice .offered,
which satisfied Divine justice, and made provision for the
wants and the guilt of our degraded race. This is ike
mystery of godliness; these are the things into which the
angels desired to look.
Thirdly. Because it displays the infinite benevolence
of God. This consideration is presented, in all its
fullness, by our Saviour : " For God so loved the world,
that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever
belie veth in him, should not perish, but have everlastinp-
128 THE CKOSS OF CHRIST
life." Shall we contemplate the benevolence of the
Father, in giving his Son his only-begotten Son his
well-beloved Son ? Shall we consider him giving up a
Son so dear, to ignominy, to reproach, and to death?
And will we not be able, in some degree, to appreciate
the greatness of " tliat love wherewith lie loved us" Shall
we consider the voluntary humiliation of the Son ; his
pilgrimage, his self-denial, his agony in the garden, and
his unspeakable sufferings upon the Cross; and have we
not here such an expression of love, as has never been
made to man 1 " Greater love hath no man than this, that
a man lay down his life for his friends." But it is true,
that our Saviour offered his life for his enemies. What
love is this ! But again : Shall we consider the office
of the Holy Spirit 1 He dwells with men. In our
wretchedness and degradation, in our moral pollution and
loathsomeness, he still continues with us, for 7ie is to abide
with us for ever. He dwells with us, for the purpose of
purifying and elevating our natures of qualifying us for
the most exalted society the society of angels and blessed
spirits in heaven. And is there not in this, an expression
of unmeasured benevolence from God to man? Well
might the Apostle make supplication, that his brethren
" might be able to comprehend, with all saints, what is the
breadth, and length, and depth, and height ; and to know
the love of Christ which passeth knowledge." And yet,
who can comprehend what is incomprehensible 1 or who
can understand that wTilch passetJi knowledge?
Fourthly. Because it reveals to us a system of salvation
through our Lord Jesus Christ. It has already been
suggested, that the sin of man brought death into the
world : it exposed to hell. In man himself, there was
neither help nor hope. Nor had he a right to expect help
from any other quarter. His offence was great ; it was
AN OBJECT OF GLORYING.
aggravated. He was in Jtis blood and in his gore, and
there was none to pity. Yet did God pity, and bring
deliverance. The central point in that circle of means
which brought deliverance, was the sacrifice of the Cross.
It was from hence flowed the blood
" Which sprinkled o'er the burning throne,
And turned the wrath to grace."
Through the sacrifice of the Cross, salvation is offered
to the most degraded and miserable of our fallen race.
Said the Apostle, " This is a faithful saying, and worthy
of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world
to save sinners, of whom I am chief." Shall he who has
been in captivity, rejoice in his ransom? Shall the
emancipated servant rejoice in his freedom ? Shall the
guilty culprit, who, under the gallows, awaits the fearful
retributions of a violated law, rejoice in the intelligence of
a reprieve, and restoration to the privileges of citizenship ;
and shall not we glory in the Cross, which symbolizes our
deliverance from the curse of that la^ which threatened
eternal death 1 " Without the shedding of blood there is
no remission." But upon the Cross was shed' the blood of
our Lord Jesus Christ, for the remission of sin. Here
was the "fountain opened to the house of David, and to
the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness."
Here was sacrificed " the Lamb of God which taketh
away the sin of the world."
Fifthly. Because, as far as we can conceive, this is
the only system of salvation which could have been
devised for man. It is not proper, certainly, that we
should limit the Almighty. His wisdom is infinite, and
his resources are beyond our comprehension. Oriaanally,
we could not have conceived of any method orTnercy.
The circumstances of the transgression, and the character
of the government of God, would have seemed to forbid
130 THE CROSS OP CHRIST
the hope. A system of mercy, however, was devised and
brought into execution. But the means were peculiar.
Certainly we can have no idea of any others, which would
have been likely to accomplish the end. What greater
effort of benevolence could have been made, than was
made in the gift of an only and well-beloved Son ? What
more costly sacrifice could have been offered, than the
sacrifice of him who " thought it.not robbery to be equal
with God ?" Under what other conceivable circumstances
could there have been such an union of the Godhead with
the manhood, as we find in the person of the Mediator,
who suffered upon the Cross ? And yet, this union was
necessary, in order to our redemption. Indeed, this
thought is clearly intimated in the Scriptures : " For other
foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus
Christ." " Neither is there salvation in any other, for
there is no other name under heaven, given among men,
whereby we must be saved." " And now, O inhabitants of
Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt
me and my vinerard. What could have been done more
to my vineyard, that I have not done in it?" I will
suggest, furthermore, that the passing by of the angels
which kept not their first estate, is an indication that there
is but one method of mercy for sinners. This method
was perfected upon the Cross.
Sixthly. Because this system of salvation brings honor
to God. Every thing which degrades the authority of the
law-giver, degrades the authority of the law. Nothing
which degrades the authority of the law, can be good, or
useful. The system of salvation exhibited through the
Cross, sustains, in the highest possible degree, the majesty
of the law, and thus the authority of the law-giver. The
gov^pment of God is good, and righteous, and it ought
to be sustained. God himself is good, and just, and his
AN OBJECT OP GLORYING. 131
authority ought to be respected ; his honor ought to be
promoted. So far as we can judge, his own glory is the
first motive by which he can be actuated. He, originally,
existed alone, and his motives to action must have been
derived from himself. His own glory may, therefore, with
reverence, be considered a paramount consideration in all
his works. But does not the redemption of man bring
honor glory to God ? Is not the exercise of clemency
the highest attribute of authority, when that clemency does
not take the place of justice? It was a great work to
create. At this development of Divine power and
wisdom, "the morning stars sang together, and all the
sons of God shouted for joy." But still, " there is more
joy in Jieaven over one sinner tliat repentetk, than over
ninety and, nine just persons that need no repentance"
Every Scriptural intimation which we have on the subject
leads to the conclusion, that the greatest efforts of the
wisdom and benevolence of God have been made
in the redemption of man. And certainly, his highest
glory consists in the exercise of these. What are the
employments of redeemed sinners, and other blessed spirits
in heaven ? " And I beheld, and heard the voice of
many angels round about the throne, and the beasts, and
the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand
times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; laying,
with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to
receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and
honor, and glory, and blessing." And again, " Saying,
Amen ; blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving,
and honor, and power, and might, be unto our God,
for ever and ever."
Seventhly. Because this system of salvation brings honor
to man. Originally, man was in honor, but did not thus
abide. He has degraded himself by grovelling superstition,
4
132 THE CROSS OF CHRIST
and beastly sensuality. He is ignorant, selfish, and
helpless. But the gospel possesses a sanctifying power.
Says the Psalmist, " He brought me up also out of an
horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a
rock, and established my goings." By the Cross, we are
" crucified to the world." Our pride is abased, but our
nature is exalted. Is it an honor to a man to be freed
from the dominion of lust, and avarice, and every
degrading and besetting passion of the human heart ? Is
it an honor to him, to be elevated above the influence of
those sordid and selfish considerations which control the
most vulgar, and the most grovelling 1 Is it nothing to
renounce our alliance with the worm of the earth with
the insect of an hour, and claim our kindredsbip to "the
morning stars to the sons of God?" Yet, this is the
tendency of the Cross. It elevates us intellectually. Is
not Christianity the foster-mother of science and letters ?
Is it not the harbinger of civilization and refinement 1 Is
it not, at this moment, carrying the blessings of these to
the ends of the earth ? Is it not contributing, in every
possible way, to the highest degree of intelligence
throughout Protestant Christendom? It improves us
socially, morally, and physically. Consider its influence
in the promotion of civil freedom, and social order. Was
it not the substitution of the peculiar doctrines of the
Cross, for the traditions and sanctified follies of Popery,
which gave the Reformers such power over the hearts of
their fellow men? And this power is still felt. The
chains which bound the minds and the hands of men have
fallen off. "Will it be denied, that the social state of man
is infinitely better now, than it was when the gospel was
first published ? Certainly, it will not. But its primary
object was to effect his moral condition. His holiness is
nis crowning excellence his highest glory. And is there
AN OBJECT OP GLORYING. 133
more truth and goodness, justice and fidelity, where the
gospel does not prevail, than where it does ? Who will
commit himself so far as to say so 1 But when this body
is freed from the dominion of death, when the power of
the grave is broken, when this corruptible puts on
incorruption, and this mortal, immortality, then shall man
be crowned, with, glory , and honor, and peace. If it is an
honor to a man to fill up the measure of his being, to
govern himself by that high and holy standard of
intelligence and holiness which God has prescribed for his
government, to depise the wasting and perishing interests
of this world, and to seek an imperishable treasure in
heaven " an inheritance incorruptible, and undented, and
that fadeth not away," then does the Cross bring honor to
man. It is the symbol of every sanctifying influence which
is exerted upon him ; it is the foundation of his hope of
" honor, glory, immortality, and eternal life."
Eighthly. Because the doctrines, of which it is the
symbol, have made so deep and decided an impression
upon the world.
The influence of these doctrines is to be considered,
first, in its kind, which has been salutary, and salutary
only. This thought has been anticipated, to some extent ;
but it presents a subject which is not easily exhausted.
Has the influence of die gospel been good, or evil 1 The
question can be readily answered. Facts w,ill answer it.
Should we consider its principles alone, we must be led
to a favorable conclusion. These are perfect; I repeat,
they are absolutely perfect. Were they practiced, a perfect
morality would be the result. "The fruit of the Spirit
is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness,
faith, meekness, temperance. Arid they that are Christ's
have crucified the flesh with its affections and lusts. For
the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to
134 THE CROSS OF CHRIST
all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly
lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this
present world." Again, " Put them in mind to be subject
to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be
ready to every good work, to speak evil of no man, to be
no brawlers, but gentle, showing all meekness unto all
men." Our Saviour and his Apostles inculcated, on all
occasions, the necessity of civil obedience, and the practice
of the social and moral virtues. Certainly, it would be
difficult to conceive of a corrupt stream from such a
fountain. They not only inculcated such principles, but
practiced them. Could they, then, be tlie ministers of sin ?
But we have before us the practical illustration of these
principles. The effects are salutary, and salutary only.
The proof would fill a volume. Pure ^Christianity is like
the "river of water of life." Let us carry out the
comparison : On each side of the river is there the tree of
life, which bears twelve manner of fruits, and yields its fruit
every month; and the leaves of t7ie tree are for the healing
of tlie nations. I forbear extending the thought. No
man can understand the influence of the principles of
Christianity, without acknowledging the aptness of the
illustration.
But the influence of these doctrines may be considered,
secondly, in its extent. Says the Apostle, " The preaching
of the Cross is to them that perish, foolishness; but unto us
which are saved, it is the power of God." This statement
is strikingly illustrated in the effects of the gospel, as
preached by its primitive ministry. Consider who they
were ; the disadvantages under which they were placed ;
the fearful odds with which they had to contend; the
persecutions which they suffered ; the prejudices, deeply
rooted and inveterate, which they had to overcome ; and,
notwithstanding all, the success which attended their
AN OBJECT OF GLORYING. 135
labors. The sermon on the day of Pentecost was
followed by the conversion of three thousand. This
sermon was delivered in Jerusalem, within sight of the
Cross, still stained with the blood of its hallowed victim.
In a few days the number was increased to five thousand.
In a few years there were a great number of disciples in
every city and province of the Roman Empire. In the
commencement of the fourth century the power of
Paganism was broken, and the Cross was inscribed upon
the banners of the conquering legions of Constantine.
Shall I allude to the introduction and progress of
Mohammedisml In the promotion of Christianity no
weapons were used but those of truth, addressed to the
understanding and the heart. The false prophet carried
the Koran in one hand, and the sword in tie other. The
nations might choose between conversion, slavery, and
death. But to one of the three they were compelled to
submit, or to oppose face to face. The fairest portions of
the earth were desolated, and millions of human beings
fell beneath the sword and the battle-axe. Mohammedism
was successful, but Christianity was more so, in a tenfold
degree. Contemplate the crescent and the Cross, after a
rivalry of a thousand years. The one is feeble, spiritless,
sinking under its own weight j the other is full of life and
energy, enlarging its borders, strengthening its posts, and
looking confidently to the conversion of the world. Is
there not, then, a power in the Cross, to awaken to
attention and subdue the hearts of the most rebellious
men 1 The truth is, it possesses a virtue, as a religious
symbol, of which human reason can render no account.
The effects of that virtue are visible to our eyes ; we feel
them in our hearts; but when we attempt to explain them,
we find ourselves unable. Its power is mysterious, but
invincible.
136 THE CROSS OF CHRIST.
In conclusion, let me remark, that if we find in the
Cross an illustration of the demerit and punishment of
sin, of the wisdom and benevolence of God: if we find it
a source of honor to God, and honor to man : if we find
in it an illustration of the power of truth, in awakening,
expanding, and exalting the human mind: if we find it
elevating our affections, and desires, and hopes, and,
finally, ourselves, from earth to heaven, certainly the
Cross is an object of glorying. At its foot, it becomes us
to fall ; behind it, to hide ourselves ; to acknowledge its
virtue and efficacy; and to devote ourselves to the
promotion of the knowledge of that system of salvation of
which it is the symbol.
SERMON IX.
THE SINFULNESS, FOLLY, AND DANGER
OF DELAY.
BY REV. JOHN C. YOUNG.
President of Centre College, Danville, Ky.
"Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I
bave a convenient season, I will call for thee." Acts xxiv. 25.
" TO-MORROW shall be as this day, and much more
abundant," was a saying of the drunkards of Israel,
in the days of Isaiah. But the expectation, expressed
in this language, has not been confined to the tunes of
the prophet, nor was it peculiar to the sinners of the
holy land. Such has always been the fond calculation
of every sinful, foolish, and self-deluding man. Each
morning that he awakes, he sees the same sun, which
he yesterday beheld rising to gild the heavens ; he sees
the same world around him; the same sky above him;
and, as day passes after day, the continued recurrence
of the same scenes deludes his practical judgment,
making him feel as though these familiar objects were
to remain for ever as though his lot were fixed and
changeless upon the earth. It is in vain, that reason
remonstrates and protests against this delusion; in vain
she whispers to him, that myriads, before him, have
passed through these same scenes, and are now gone
from them for ever that soon a morrow will come, which
13
138 TIIE SINFULNESS, FOLLY,
his eye shall not behold that soon the worm of the
earth must prey upon his body, while his soul must
depart to a region far distant, and far different from this.
In vain, too, the warning voice of the Most High speaks
to him through his inspired word, admonishing him to
" work while it is called to-day," and assuring him, that
soon "the night cometh, when no man can work." He
still lives on, the victim of voluntary delusion, and is often
found expecting long years of earthly enjoyment, even
when treading on the verge of eternity. Nor does he
expect the morrow to be merely "as this day," it is to be
much "more abundant." The future is expected to be
far better than the past. In the dimness of futurity he
discovers nothing but the objects of : his hopes ; he sees
not the hindrances to their attainment; he sees not the
new difficulties, perplexities, and disappointments that
await him. He surrenders himself to the pleasing dream,
that, at some coming period, all his projects will be
accomplished, and all his desires gratified.
Such is the delusion, under whose influences all of us
are naturally disposed to put off, to some future day, the
work of securing our eternal salvation. This was the
feeling under which Felix acted, when he said to the
Apostle, "Go thy way, for this timej when I have a
convenient season, I will call for thee." He had listened to
the ambassador of God as he "reasoned of righteousness,
temperance, and judgment to come," until he was made to
tremble, in view of his own condition. His judgment was
convinced, his conscience aroused, and his soul alarmed.
He felt that the concerns of eternity were too important
and awful to be despised, or neglected ; and he resolved
that Tie would give tJiem 7iis attention. But his occupations
were then numerous, and his temptations to go astray were
btrong ; all things combined to make that season appear
AND DANGER OF DELAY. 139
to him peculiarly unsuitable for the commencement of a
religious life. He hoped that soma future season would
be more convenient ; and that more convenient season he
determined he would embrace. Thus he quieted the
remonstrances of his conscience, by a promise of future
amendment; but this promise he never jvljillefL He often
again sent for Paul; but never to hear him "reason about
righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come." His
impressions speedily wore away; for we find him
endeavoring to extort money, for his release, from a
prisoner .whom he -knew .to be innocent one .whom his
own conscience had .compelled .him to recognize as one
clothed with the authority of heaven. And when .he
departed from the land, he left this prisoner .still in bonds,
merely to gratify the vindictive feelings of .the Jews.
Such was the course of Felix. Instead of finding a
more convenient season, each successive season became
less convenient; instead of becoming better, he .became
worse ; instead of repentance becoming easier to him, it
continually became harder. He learned, by his own
experience, (what thousands, since him, have learned by
theirs,) that, to ensure our destruction, Kotfiing more is needed
than to defer our repentance.
Felix, ;too, my friends, had, in all probability, more and
stronger reasons for his procrastination, than any of you
can alledge, to justify a similar course, which you may be
pursuing. He had a grf&ter pressure of business ; for he
was the governor of a large province, and accountable for
its administration to a most strict and cruel master. He
had stronger temptations to pleasure, for .his great wealth
and power furnished him with ampler means of gratifying
his appetites and passions. If, : then, the disastrous
consequences of disobedience to the commands of Jehovah
were ,not averted, ,or mitigated, in the case of Felix, by
140 THE SIXFULNESS, FOLLY,
any of those circumstances which 7te might have pleaded
in extenuation of 7tis guilt; how can we imagine that
similar, but weaker excuses, will avail any one of its, when
guilty of the same offence ?
The service of God is every man's highest employment,
his paramount duty, his only source of permanent
profit and honor, his sole preservative from everlasting
destruction. This work ought, then, to he commenced at
the very earliest opportunity. The moment we first learn,
that God permits and commands us to serve Him, we
ought to accept this service with alacrity, and enter upon it
with energy. Fully assured that the least delay in its
commencement may be ruinous, and must be criminal, we
wish to press, seriously and earnestly upon your attention,
some considerations which exhibit the sinfulness, folly, and
danger of all such delay.
First. It 'is a folly and a sin, for any one to resolve
to do, at some future time, that which is his duty now
as much as it can be then. The service of your Creator
youjfeeZ to be a duty; and you acknowledge that you feel
it to be such, by determining that hereafter you will
undertake its discliarge. But all the reasons which prove
it to be a duty, prove that it is a duty now, and that there
is as much obligation to perform it now, as there will be to
perform it ten, twenty, or thirty years hence. " Now is the
accepted time, now is the day of salvation," is the
language in which God addresses us. A.nd again,
"To-day, if ye will hear my voice, harden not your
hearts." "He now commandeth all men everywhere to
repent." It is asserted, or implied, in every argument,
and every appeal which God addresses to men, that the
moment they hear his voice, they are bound to obey it.
Our reason and conscience, too, bear witness to the same
truth. On what principle, then, can we justify our conduct
ANJ> DANGER OF DELAY. 141
in withholding from God what is now his due ? For a
rational creature, guarded by his care, sustained by his
hand, and enriched by his bounties, to withhold from Him
his affection and services, is robbery of God. And how
can such a course be palliated, or defended? Does it
not proceed on the idea that our Maker exacts too much
of us, and that we hope to evade the rigor of his demands ?
Is there not a wish, and an attempt to compound the
matter with God, and put him off with less than his due 1
The debtor, who, when able to pay his creditors, should
insist on their compounding, and receiving but a small
portion of their just dues, would be considered as
shamefully dishonest, and guilty. Is not the dishonesty
greater, and the guilt more flagrant, when we wish to
defraud our Maker of his lordship over us when we wish
him to be satisfied with but a portion of those services of
our bodies and our souls, all of which he has a right to
demand, and all of which he does demand ] >
Look at it further, and you will see that this conduct is
as deeply marked with ingratitude as it is with dishonesty.
God appeals to us as our Friend and our Father as the
Author and Sustainer of our lives as the Giver of all our
mercies, and asks us for our love- and service now. But
his appeals and remonstrances are , alike in vain ; we
acknowledge the obligations, but refuse to make any
returns.
When, therefore, a man determines to postpone the
service of God to some future period^ let him remember
that it is a refusal, before the Searcher of hearts, to be
governed, in his conduct towards Him, by those common
principles of justice and gratitude which regulate his
intercourse, even with his fellow men a refusal to regard,
in his conduct towards Him, those ordinary principles of
morality, the disregard of which, in his actions toward his
142 THE SINt'ULNESS, FOLLY,
fellow men, would, not only bring down upon him the
indignation and scorn of the virtuous, but would immure
him within the walls of a prison, or drive him as an
outcast from civil society. I leave it to your own
consciences to estimate what must be the shamefulness and
sinfulness of such a course, in the eye of Him who seeth
all things in their true colors, and judgeth of all things
aright. I leave it to your own consciences to conceive the
feelings with which he must regard such a course, and the
ymnislvment with which he will visit it.
Secondly. The postponement of God's service is the
postponement of your own enjoyment. If you will permit
yourself to reflect calmly and seriously, you cannot fail to
perceive, that a life of faith and dependence upon Christ,
a life of obedience and devotedness to God, must yield, even
iu this present woiid, far more happiness than a life of
worldliness and irreligion. A religious life is one that is
accordant with the higher principles of our nature, and
promotive of its perfection. Our Almighty Creator has, as
a wise and kind father, framed all his laws with a view to
the welfare of his children. He has not debarred us from a
single pleasure, which could be enjoyed without injury ; nor
has he imposed upon us a single hardship, which is not, in
some way or other, the means of increasing our felicity.
That holiness from which men often shrink, as something
irksome, unnatural, and unendurable, consists only in an
entire abstinence from what is degrading and noxious,
and the steady pursuit of what is ennobling and delightful.
That God, from whose presence men would often hide
themselves, and the very thoughts of whom fill them with
apprehension, is the Being who is the light and the joy of
the universe ; is the One, of whom we are assured, " his
love is life, and his loving kindness is far better than life.'"'
Look at the pleasures which religion offers to you even
AND DANGER OF DELAY. 143
here, and mark how every moment you remain away
from her paths, you are depriving yourselves of the best
enjoyments of which your nature is capable. Reflect
upon the pleasure that might be received from communioii
with the Father of our spirits. " I will dwell with you,
and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people : ye
shall be my sons and my daughters, saith the Lord
Almighty." Need we speak of the high delight which
such intercourse with the highland lofty One^ must impart
to a child of dust? Observe, too, the permanent pleasure
that springs from confidence in God, and a sense of
security amid all the changing scenes and threatening
evils of life. To feel that "die arrow that flieth by day,
and the pestilence .that walketh in darkness," are alike
contr )lled by one who delights in protecting us, and will
permit no real ill to befall us ; to feel " persuaded that
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
us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our
Lord;" to feel, that, under all circumstances, "God is
our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Therefore, will not we fear, though the earth be removed,
and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the
sea." To feel thus, must certainly insure a degree and
kind of enjoyment for the absence of which, no amount
of worldly good can ever furnish an equivalent. The
pleasures of an approving conscience, too, are found in the
paths of obedience. Our sins do not rise before us, like
ghastly apparitions, to terrify us, and threaten us with the
vengeance of an offended God. "We can look back, with
tran.quil satisfaction, on days spent in the service of God,
and the nights in which our meditation on Him was sweet.
"We can realize the "blessedness of that man whose sin is
144 THE SINFULNESS, FOLLY,
pardoned, and whose iniquity is covered." The hope of
" an inheritance, that is incorruptible, undefiled, and that
fadeth not away," is a source of additional blessedness to
those who are walking in the paths of obedience. Most
gloiious things are spoken of the city of our God. To
this, as their final dwelling place, the thoughts of such as
ti'ust that they are redeemed by the blood of Christ, are
often naturally and necessarily turned. No clouds of
adversity can ever shut out from their souls the light of
an anticipated heaven ; its brightness can illuminate the
darkest dungeon, and its glories are most clearly seen,
when the eye is dimmed by tears.
Even from this transient glance at the blessings which
religion furnishes to us here, do we not discern sufficient
evidence to satisfy us of the literal truth of the inspired
declaration, that " her ways are ways of pleasantness, and
all her paths are peace ?" Is it, then, wise to defer, to a
future season, the enjoyment of all these blessings? Is it
wise to postpone the commencement of a course of life,
which God recommends as a course of happiness, and
which the concurrent testimony of the good and wise of
all ages, declares to be pleasant in its .progress, and
glorious in its termination ] You are now living on, from
clay to day, sensible of your inability to guard against the
ten thousand accidents, any one of which may be fatal to
you, yet without any higher -being to confide in as your
protector and friend conscious of the guilt of many sins,
yet with no security against the dread retribution which
an awakened conscience may exact assured that you
are to exist for ever, yet with no hope beyond the grave
aware that you are a pensioner ion God's bounty, yet a
rebel against his government, and that, while living in his
world, you are living under his frown. Is it not folly and
madness to continue, even foi* a day, in such a condition?
AND BANGER OP DELAY. 145
Thirdly. Another clear proof of the weakness and evil
of delay, is found in the fact, that, as long as you decline to
break off your sins by immediate repentance, and commence
the. service of God, you, are busy in. laying np materials for
your own wretcliedness-r-ryou are providing a store of pain?
and penalties, that must be endured in the subsequent part
of tJtis present life. Many of the evil consequences of our
sins remain even after their pardon has been obtained.
God may, and does, pardon, upon repentance, and remit
the punishment annexed, by his moral law, to OUT sins.
Sins repented of, will not meet us in the future judgment;
but the punishment that follows them from his natural
laws those painful consequences of our sins, that, from
our constitutions and circumstances, we are made to
suffer -^tliese he usually permits to remain. Thus, a
broken constitution is not repaired by a tardy repentance.
God will not give back your property squandered in
sin, your opportunities of usefulness and improvement
neglected, and now passed away. Your evil habits and
depraved tastes, formed by indulgences which his law
forbids, will not be eradicated by a sudden resolution.
Your depraved appetites and passions those internal
foes which you are nourishing to your own destruction,
will cost you many a sigh, many a groan, and many a
tear, hi the struggle to overcome them; and their
complete conquest, if ever effected, will, perhaps, only be
effected by the dissolution of the body. How many dark
hours are often spent, by one who has trifled and sinned
away the better years of life, in looking back upon the
past. How often does he see deeds done, which he feels
that he could freely give a world, if he could only undo.
He sees, perhaps, around him the ruin which he has
wrought, but which he strives in vain to repair. He sees,
fast drifting toward the cataract of destruction, those
14
146 THE SINFULNESS, FOLLY,
whom his example had drawn, or his hand impelled
into the stream. Escaped himself from the danger, his
warnings and entreaties are addressed to them in vain
regardless of his cries, they hurry on to their doom and
he feels, that though he was once mighty to do evil, he is
now powerless to do good. As he looks back upon the
sins of by-gone years, he feels the bitter emphasis of the
question, addressed by the Apostle to others in a similar
condition, " What fruit had ye in those things of which ye
are now ashamed ?" He finds, by his own sad experience,
the truth of the divine declaration, that "their iniquities,
though pardoned, are visited with the rod, and their
transgressions with stripes." Thus we see Job and
David, in advanced life, earnestly praying for the removal
of the consequences of the sins of their youth. Thus we
see Eli, in his old age, suffering the severest affliction,
brought upon him by his sins of former years, in the
training of his children. He was pardoned by God, but
his criminal neglect caused his family to be dispossessed
for ever, of their honorable station as chief priests of the
tabernacle of Jehovah ; while the misdeeds of his sons,
Pbinehas and Hophni- misdeeds, the result of his own
weak and sinful indulgence bowed the old man's head
with sorrow, and abruptly and violently precipitated him
into the grave.
Why, then, should any one delay drawing nigh unto
God, while, each moment of his delay, he is sowing the path
of life with briers and thorns, which will pierce his soul in
the days that are to come? Even a wordly poet, who
marked the events of life with an eye unequalled for the
comprehensiveness and accuracy of its observations, has
told us, that
" God makes scourges of men's pleasant sina
To whip them with."
AND DANGER OF DELAY. 147
You are now platting those scorpion lashes by which your
hearts must hereafter be lacerated. Will you delay tho
glorious and happy service of the Almighty, to continue in
this work ?
Fpurthly.. There is another loss of immense magnitude
incurred by your postponement of the service to which you
are urged. You are losing fa opportunity of treasuring
vp for ymnelf eternal rewards and enjoyment*. We are
brought into the kingdom which God has prepared for his
people, solely by the merits of Jesus Christ, received
through faith. But our comparative standing in that
kingdom depends on our improvement of God's grace
and the opportunity he gives us of honoring him! and
purifying our own souls. As "one star differed from
another star in glory," so there are different degrees of
glory among tie ransomed inhabitants of heaven The
servant who had gained for Ms master ten pounds,
received authority over te* dt ies; while he who had gained
Jive pounds, was set over Jive cities. Thus our Saviour
himself has taught us, that he who has done little for Him,
will receive comparatively little in the kingdom above'
while nearness to the throne of the Most High, and large
honors, will be awarded to him who/while on earth has
acquired much of his Master's likeness, and labored much
for His glory. And think not that it is a matter of small
consequence, provided we can only enter heaven what
may be our particular condition there. It will be, indeed
an unmerited mercy, for any of us to enjoy even the
lowest condition in the abodes of bliss. But surely it is a
noble and holy object of desire and effort, to attain the
highest glory and blessedness which our Heavenly Father
offers to us in his own courts above. This is no object of
unholy ambition, and the pursuit of it can never lead as
astray. Pause, then, before determining that you will
148 THE SINFULNESS POLLY,
postpone, for the present, the work to which God invites
you; and reflect that, by dallying for a time in the sinful
pleasures of earth, even if you should ever gain admission
to the realms of the blest, you may lose a station so
superior to the one which will be attained, that the loss of
its higher enjoyments, for even a single day, would be
worth more than all the worldly pleasures combined, which
have ever thrilled through the soul of man from creation's
dawn down to the present hour. For it is certain, that the
longer you delay the work of purifying your souls, and
glorifying your Redeemer, the less of this work can be
accomplished, and the less of your oflered reward can be
secured. Then, by all the heights of, glory which may be
reached, by all the nearness to God's throne which may
be attained, by all the unspeakable joys that may be wpn,
we would urge you to an immediate commencement of the
service of Jehovah.
Fifthly. The danger and evil of your delay, is further
exhibited by the fact,t7iat many, while thus acting, are led,
to adopt errors which for ever shut them out from salvation.
Why is it, that any man adopts the resolution, so seldom
executed, that he will, .by a future repentance, secure his
salvation ? It is because .conscience, and a dread of
punishment, haunt him with dismal forebodings, which he
tries to dispel by promising to himself, that, at some future
time, he will propitiate God, and escape his threatened
wrath. But if any better -means of satisfying his
conscience, and conjuring down his fears presents itself,
he will eagerly avail himself of it. The state of mind,
then, which leads a man lo determine upon a future
repentance, predisposes him to the belief of some one or
other of the various plausible and destructive opinions,
which, if adopted, will stupify the conscience, hush the
whisperings of fear, and lull the soul into false security.
AND DANGER OF DELAY. I 149
Such errors present to a man, in this condition, a far more
effectual remedy for the ills with which his soul is troubled,
than the one he is using ; for they not only ofter him an
exemption from the present trouble and annoyance of an
immediate reformation, but they entirely deliver hum even
from the distant apprehension of a future irksome task.
Each one. of you, who is now living in expectation of a
future repentance, feels as if he can be in no danger of
such an issue bf his determinations : but so thought all the
multitudes who, while waiting, like you, have been beguiled
by deceitful errors into irretrievable woe. The Scriptures
most clearly teach us, that God gives men up, while in this
state, to believe a lie; so that their destruction is made
certain, as a just punishment of their unjustifiable and
criminal hesitation in hearkening to his calls. They perish,
" because they receive not the love of the truth, that they
might be saved." " For this cause," we are told, " God
shall send upon them strong delusion, that they should
believe a lie ; that they all might be damned who believed
not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Sixthly. It is folly to defer the service of God, when
we know, that the requisitions of his law are never relaxed.
His laws are unchangeable; for they are founded on our
nature and our obligations ; and these continue to be the
same in old age as in youth. In our youth, God calls upon
us for faith and love, repentance and obedience; and in our
old age, he calls upon us for the same. But there is one
important difference. To the young, who obey his call,
God promises many advantages, which are not promised
to those who are late in hearkening to his voice. When
religion calls upon you in old age, her demands are the
same, but her offers we less. In this respect, she reminds
us of the Sybil of ancient story, who, though she destroyed
a third part of her books of sacred lore, at each successive
150 THE SINFULNESS, FOLLY,
refusal of the Roman king to purchase, persisted in
demanding, for the diminished number, the same price at
which the whole might have once been purchased. Defer
till old age a closure with the offers of God, and you will
find that he requires of you the same determined struggle
against a corrupt nature, the same resolute denial of self,
the same entire devotedness to him, which we're required
of you when first he invited you to enjoy his blessings.
You must "take up the cross, and deny yourself." You
must " crucify the flesh with its affections and lusts." You
must " die daily unto sin, and live unto Christ."
"We have said, that the requisitions of God's law are
ever the same. They are so, in one sense for God
changes them not. But, if we postpone compliance
with them, their requisitions will increase fearfully in
magnitude and difficulty. In themselves, they remain
as they were ; but the change in our cliaracters
and circumstances will alter them greatly to us. When
a spendthrift has wasted bis resources in revel and
debauchery, his debt may be the same which formerly
pressed upon him, when his estate was unimpaired ; but
it now presents to him a very different appearance, and
requires of him a very different degree of exertion to meet
its demands. Thus, the neglected requirements of the
Almighty, as our powers become impaired by continuance
in sin, assume to us a veiy different appearance, and
demand of us a very different degree of exertion, to
enable us to fulfil them. This, however, naturally leads
us to another very important consideration.
Seventhly. The service of God is rendered more difficult
and hopeless, by every day's continuance in sin, from, flit
Jact, that our sinful habits gain fixedness and strength by
time. Between the natural and the moral world there is
here a most striking analogy. An oak, while it is a twig,
AND DANGER OF DELAY, 151
or a sapling, may be bent by a single hand, and trained
to grow in any direction. But afterwards, when length
of years has taken from it its pliability, and imparted to
it firmness, the strength of an hundred men cannot
straighten it It will continue to grow on, as it has
grown, spreading wide its branches in the air, and striking
deep its roots in the ground, until the lightning shall blast
it, or the tempest shall tear it from the earth. A spark
of fire, too, which might be extinguished by a single drop
of water, if permitted to kindle, may soon spread a
conflagration which will wrap a whole city in flames.
Look, now, at any sinful habit, and see if it does not thus
accumulate strength by continuance, until it increases
beyond alt our power of control. la the case of the
drunkard, the covetous, the ambitious, or the debauchee,
we can mark the progress and the power of these habits
most distinctly ; and in the soul of every unconverted
man, there is a similar process. He lives in the indulgence
of many sinful habits of thought, of feeling, and of action.
Each one of these must oe broken, if he ever turns to God ;
yet the strength of each one of these he is now foolishly
permitting to increase. You cannot, perhaps, see the
growth of these habits in your own case ; but mark them
in the cases of others, and remember that your nature is
the same with theirs. You see these evil habits gradually,
but rapidly, acquiring strength, until they gain a complete
mastery over the soul. It is in vain, then, that their
victim groans under the oppressive tyranny which they
exercise over him in vain he struggles to throw off their
intolei'able yoke. Sometimes the slave of an evil habit is
deprived of the power of gratifying his habitually-indulged
appetite or passion ; but this change does not deliver him
from his servitude; it only increases the deplorableness
of bis condition. This appetite, or the passion, remains in.
152 THE SINFULNESS, FOLLY,
all the terrible strength which habit has given to it j and,
deprived of its means of gratification, it gnaws the soul
like a viper of the pit. The wretched condition of such a
victim of folly and sin, furnishes us with some similitude
and type of the agonies of the damned, when their evil
pi'opensities will be developed hi fearful energy, and all
power of gratification be for ever taken away.
Now, will any of you delay turning unto God, until
sinful habits shall become incorporated with your very
existence until every fibre of your soul shall be converted
into a cord, to bind you down in slavery to sin? Every
moment you hesitate the evil becomes worse. You ate
like a man who shrinks from the pain of amputating a
diseased limb. He cannot muster the resolution to endure
a momentary pang, until the disease extends beyond the
reach of the knife until the limb mortifies, and his life is
the forfeit of his cowardice and irresolution. Thus may
your soul be the victim of hesitation and delay, until you
are consigned to eternal death, by the fast-spreading
disease of sin. Now is the time if you intend ever to
turn unto God now is the time to execute your intention.
Your evil habits now cling around you, and hold you
back ; but now they are like striplings in the power with
which they embrace you. Will you, then, wait until their
strength and size be ripened by years, and until each one
of them shall lay upon you the grasp of a giant ? Will
you postpone this work, because it is now difficult, when
you cannot fail to see, that it will become immeasurably
more difficult fiercafter? Surely the folly of such delay
can be surpassed by nothing but its criminality.
Eighthly. The danger of deferring the service of God
is further evinced by the fact, that, the impressions
produced upon you, by Jiis truths, 7iave a natural tendency
to become weaker. They become weaker, in accordance
AND DANGER OF DELAY. 153
with the general laws of our nature. Thus we find, that
impunity, in any course, produces in us insensibility to its
danger. The young soldier, when, for the first time, he
enters the field of battle, is almost always agitated and
alarmed j when he first hears the shock, the shout, the
groans of war, his heart sinks within him. But each
successive conflict, from which he escapes, unharmed,
hardens his heart against fear ; and when he has become
a veteran when he has been long accustomed to such
sights and sounds, the roar of artillery, the flash of sabres,
and the clash of bayonets, cease to produce their former
impressions upon his mind. Even so it is with the soul, in
view of those truths which God presents before us in his
word, to alarm us, and urge us to repentance. Their
tendency to impress us and awe us from ways of sin,
is diminished by each successive presentation, when that
presentation fails to produce in us any amendment.
Even in diseases of the body, we usually find, that
the more frequently a remedy is applied to a disorder,
without effecting a decided and favourable change, the
less prospect there is of its ultimate success. The remedy
seems to become weaker on each successive application.
The system appears to gain, from every failure, a greater
capacity of resisting its effects. Thus we find it to be
with the soul, in its resistance to these truths, which are
furnished to us, by God, as the remedies for the disease
of sin. When they are often presented without producing
a change of life, they become familiar, and cease to excite
any emotion. Are they denunciations of the wrath of
God against sin, or descriptions of the woes to be endured
in the dungeons of despair? They are heard, as we hear
the bowlings of a stormy blast, from which we apprehend
no personal danger. Are they proclamations of mercy
invitations from our heavenly Father,, to us wandering
154 THE S1NFULNESS, FOLLY,
and needy prodigals, to return and enjoy the rich
blessings he is ever ready to bestow; or are they
descriptions of the love, the sufferings, and the glory of
our divine, yet condescending Redeemer? They are
listened to, as we " listen to the song of one that hath a
pleasant voice, and playeth well upon an instrument ;"
or perhaps the tale has been so often heard, that all its
novelty and interest are gone, and it fells upon dull and
listless ears.
Those very convictions of sin, which, for a time, soften
the heart, and give us a dawn of hope for him who is their
subject, unless they soon issue in conversion, become the
means of hardening the heart, and consigning it to a
gloomier, and more hopeless condition. The truths of
God often fall upon the heart, like the droppings of
water on the cold rock of the cavern. Instead of wearing
it away, as we might expect, they petrify, as they fall
upon it; thus increasing its hardness and its bulk, and
covering it with an icy and impenetrable shield. So, too,
the soul is encrusted by the droppings of truth, until it can
be penetrated by nothing, save the fires of the pit.
In view, then, of these principles of .our nature, and
these facts, which all have observed, is it not, beyond
measure, unwise and hazardous, to postpone, to a future
period, all determination and effort to discharge the
imperative duties which God has enjoined upon you?
The discharge of these duties is necessary to your escape
from hell, and admission into heaven ; and the impressions
received from God's word, are needed, to give you
the ability to discharge these duties. "Will you, then,
postpone your determination to discharge them, till the
impressibility of your nature shall have worn away, and
the truths of God shall have lost all power over your
soul? Cases may, and do, indeed, occur, in which,
AND DANGER OF DELAY. 155
sensibility to the truth does not thus wear away; but
those cases are exceptions they are cases in which the
providence and grace of God resist and counteract the
natural course and tendency of human events and human
feelings j and such special interpositions of divine favor no
man has a right to expect.
Ninthly. Another solemn consideration, which should
urge you to an immediate compliance with the invitations
and commands of the Almighty, is the danger to which,
your refusal subjects you, of his immediately and for ever
with draining from you. God does often leave men to their
own blindness of mind, and hardness of heart, and then
their doom is sealed. " Seek ye the Lord, while he may
be found ; call ye upon him while he is near." Here it is
intimated, that there is a time when he may oe sought, yet
not found ; when, though catted on, he will be afar off, and
will not hear. The Scriptures teach us most clearly, that
there is allotted to each of us a period or time for
repentance. It is sometimes called, by the inspired
writers, " a day of salvation," to denote, that if we neglect
to secure salvation, then, it is gone from us for ever.
Sometimes it is spoken of as " a season of visitation," to
teach us that God then visits us, and if we do not receive
him during that season, he departs from us for ever.
Sometimes it is termed " an acceptable time," to warn us
that we may then be accepted, and that if we do not then
press for acceptance, we shall be rejected for ever. This
day, or season, or time, is not always co-extensive with a
man's life upon the earth. For we are told of some, that
God "deliverelh them over to a reprobate mind" he
" gives them up to their own heart's lusts, and to walk in
their own counsels" his " Spirit ceases to strive with
them." Then " they grope for the wall like the blind ;
they stumble at noon-day as in the night." " Because,"
156 THE SINFULNESS, FOLLY,
saith the Lord, " I have called, and ye refused ; because I
have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded : but
ye set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my
reproof; I also will laugh at your calamity, and will mock
when your fear cometh. When your fear cometh as
desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind ;
when distress and anguish come upon you. Then shall
they call upon me, but I will not answer ; they shall seek
me early, but they shall not find me ; for that they hated
knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord."
How awful is the condition of the man whom God has
thus abandoned. He may be ignorant of it, but a sentence
more fearful than that of Cain has been passed upon his
soul. He may live in festivity and security for a few days
upon the earth ; but while sporting and rioting on earth,
he is still the doomed inheritor of hell, and none of you
can tell how long you may live in rebellion, before this
sentence is past upon you. Perhaps your "season of
visitation " may, if you repent not, close to-day this veiy
hour may seal your destiny. Will you, then, continue
insensible to the calls of God ? Is there a moment's time
for delay] Delay not, unless you can ascertain the
counsels of Jehovah, and know that your day of acceptance
will be prolonged. If you reject God's invitation to-day,
to-morrow he may disregard your cry.
Tenthly. The last consideration to which we ask your
attention, as showing the folly and danger of procrastination,
is your constant danger of death. To almost all, death comes
" as a thief in the night." Very few, when their last
disease attacks them, are aware that it is mortal; and
myriads upon myriads are hurried into the eternal world
without even a moment's warning. What, then, can give
security to you for a single hour beyond the present]
Can you arrest the hand of death, and stay it until you
AND DANGER OF DELAY. 157
accomplish your purpose of a future amendment ? This
very hour there are hundreds of human beings, like
yourselves, who have passed from earth to stand before the
dread tribunal ; and perhaps the next hour you may join
their throng. Amid all this uncertainty and frailty of life,
are you still hesitating about commencing your duty to God,
and complying with his imperative demands-' demands on
obedience to which your soul's happiness depends ? You
are jeoparding your eternal destinies for the toys of an
hour ; you are sporting and dallying, as though you had
length of days secured to you in your own right hand.
If God would cut you down, as he has done thousands,
while you are putting far from you the day that you are
to choose Him :for your master, who can depict the
consequences to your soul ? What > must be the agony
of him who, like the rich fool, mentioned in the gospel,
is rejoicing in his prospects of earthly enjoyment, when he
feels that the hour is come that his "soul shall be required
of him."
"How shocking most thy summons be, O Death!
To him that is at ease in his possessions ;
Who, counting on long years of pleasure here,
Is qnite unpunished for the world to come !
In that dread moment, how the frantic soul
Raves round the walls of her clay tenement,
Runs to each avenue, and shrieks for help,
But shrieks in vain ! How wishfully she looks
On all she's leaving, now no longer hers !
A little longer, yet a little longer,
Oh ! might she stay to wash away her stains,
And fit her for her passage ! Mournful sight!
Her very eyes weep hlood ; and every groan
She heaves, is hig with horror; but the foe,
Like a staunch murderer, steady to his purpose ;
Pursues her close through every lane of life,
Nor misses once the track ; hut presses on ;
Till forc'd at last to the tremendous verge,
At once aha sinks to everlasting ruin."
158 THE SINFULNESS, FOLLY,
But the fatal consequences of your delay will have only
begun with this mournful scene. The agonies of that
parting soul are as the joys of paradise, compared with
the woes that are to commence beyond the grave. That
death-bed of horror is a couch of repose, compared with
the burning lake, on whose fiery billows the lost soul
must toss, and toss for ever. " The smoke of their
torment ascendeth up for ever ard ever," is the language
in which the voice of the Eternal pronounces the doom of
the lost.
And now, my friends, calmly and' rationally ', but at once,
settle you determination upon this subject. Will you
determine still to put off, to some future day, the choice of
God for your master ? In serving him, there is a great
reward. Will you still decline that service ? Ask those
who, like yourselves, have delayed, for a season, yet
escaped the dangers to which they were exposed, whether
they do not regret the folly of their delay whether .they
do not still feel its evil consequences ; and whether it does
not seem like a miracle, that they were saved from
destruction ? And will you still venture on in this
dangerous and thorny road, when the way to heaven is
opened wide before you, and you are pressed to enter
in-? At what future day, or hour, will it be easier to
repent and turn to God? When will it ever be so easy?
Look back upon your past life, and past feelings. Do
you find yourselves growing better? Do you find the
work, which you feel that you must undertake, becoming
less difficult? If it be not, as you know it is not, then
remember that, " the thing that hath been is that which
shall be." Instead of becoming easier, this work will
daily become harder.
Consider, too, the impiety of the feelings wJiicTi induce
you to procrastinate; and the impiety of your determination.
AND DANGER OF DELAY. 159
The feelings are feelings of dislike to God and his service;
the determination is a determination to rob him, as far as
you can do it safely, of those services which you know to
be his due. For the accomplishment of your purpose of
a future repentance, you are dependent on God. Can
you ask him to bless you in ilie formation of tJtis 'purpose,
and aid you to fulfil it? Can you go and utter to him,
in prayer, the language that would truly express your
feelings and determination? Can you say, " I do not love
thee, O God ! I do not love thy character. I do not love
thy ways. I do not wish thee to govern' me. But if thou
wilt, permit me to break thy holy laws, and to serve the
world and my own perverse inclinations, and wilt spare my
life, and continue my powers, I will try, at some future
time, to render thee a little service, in the hope that I may
escape the punishment that I know must otherwise follow
my sins. I pray thee, to keep me in the enjoyment of
health and strength, and happiness and life, while I am
daily refusing thy mercy, and trampling upon thine
authority ; and, finally, when I am satisfied with sinning,
aid me by thy Spirit to repent, and bring me to heaven."
You would shrink with horror from uttering such a
prayer. You would tremble at the thought of offering
such an insult to the Almighty. But the words are
not what God abhors, and the thoughts and feelings
expressed in those words he reads in your heart, and
in your actions. Pause, we entreat you, and reflect,
whether this is not the language addressed to your Maker
in your daily conduct. And if it is, what must be the
guilt and the odiousness of that conduct in his sight?
Nothing but the astonishing and unparalleled mercy
of God induces him to spare any of us, even for a
single day, while we are thus insulting and braving
him. But even his patience does not endure for ever;
ICO SINFULNESS, FOLLY, AND DANGER OF DELAY.
and your only security is in immediate submission to his
will, in an immediate adoption of the resolution that
the Lord shall be your Grod.
"Hasten, sinner, to be wise ;
Stay not for the morrow's sun:
Wisdom, if thou still despise,
Harder is she to be won.
Hasten, mercy to implore;
Stay not for the morrow's sun;
Lest thy season should be o'er,
Ere this evening's stage be run."
SERMON X.
THE INTERCESSION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
BY REV. GEORGE W. SMILEY,
A Member of the Kentucky Conference of tlte Methodist Episcopal
Church, South, and Principal of the Frankfort Female College.
" Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities : for we know not
what we should pray for as we ought : but the Spirit itself maketh
intercession for us, with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that
Bearcheth the hearts, knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because
he naketli intercession for the saints, according to the will of God."
Houiaus viii. 26, 27
WHEN the redeeming God was about to finish his
career of suffering on earth, and close his eventful life by
the bloody baptism of the cross; to his sorrowing
disciples, who were much cast down at the prospect of a
separation from their beloved Master, he said, (while his
heart yearned towards them with infinite tenderness,)
" Let not your hearts be troubled ; ye believe in God,
believe also in me. It is expedient for you that I go
away ; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come
unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you: and
when he is come, he will guide you into all truth ; for he
shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear,
that shall he speak ; and Tie will sliow you things to come
for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you."
15
162 THE INTERCESSION
Now, we conceive that every one who carefully peruses
these precious promises of the Saviour, and compares
them with the inspired account of their fulfilment on the
day of Pentecost, and through the subsequent eras of the
Christian Church, must come to the conclusion, that the
Holy Spirit had a two-fold office to execute in his mission
to earth ; the one extraordinary, the other ordinary. His
extraordinary operations were confined to a few, and
shined forth for a few fleeting years, clothing the
first ambassadors of the cross in the vestments of a
heaven-accredited mission illuminating the pathway of
the apostles by the grandeur of miraculous endowments :
every step they took, disclosing the solemn truth to
all around, that the highest heavens had stamped them
as HER envoys; and, careless of the applause of an
approving, or fearless of the frowns of an opposing world,
they marched forward, unfolding their high commission,
as apostles of the Lamb. Holding in their hands a torch,
newly lighted by the Holy Spirit, they explored the
misty fields of the Old Testament revelation, and removing
its hieroglyphic mantle, bade it stand out in its full
enlargement and spirituality ; while at the same time they
lifted up the curtain of futurity, and showed things to
come ; bidding the world acknowledge their doctrines and
teachings, by the sanctions of an unveiled eternity.
But, then, these extraordinary operations of the Spirit,
ceased with the ministry of the apostles; and when St.
John, that heaven-favored prisoner of Jesus Christ, passed
from earth, to recline in the bosom of his Master in
heaven, we are inclined to the opinion, that the Holy
Spirit ceased his extraordinary operations, and that from
that hour down to the present, not a single additional
lamp has been hung down from heaven, to guide man's
erring footsteps in the way of life. Nor do we believe,
OP THE uoi.y spiKiT, 1(53
that, during the whole corning period of man's probationary
existence, will another item of doctrine be added to the
charter of man's salvation.
But though His miraculous and extraordinary operations
ceased more than seventeen centuries ago, his ordinary
operations, as Convincer of sin, Quickener, Regenerator,
Comforter, and Intercessor, have continued to bless the
Church and the world down to the present hour ; and, at
this day, are in as full and efficient exercise, convincing of
sin, of righteousness, and of judgment testifying of Christ,
helping our infirmities, and making intercession for us,
with groanings which cannot be utteredas they were,
when, fresh-edged by the blood of the Lamb, the Spirit's
sword, in the holy city, swept thousands down before it.
To one point alone, in the ordinary operations of the
Holy Spirit, we purpose to ask your attention in this
discourse ; and that is, to his office as a Helper of our
infirmities., by inaking intercession, for -us with unutterable
groanings.
In the cbntext, the Apostle had been reviewing the
sources of the Christian's aid of the Holy Spirit, but it
conveys the idea of a conjoint effort ; that is, the Christian
essays to pray, but, on account of infirmity, or weakness,
is not able to pray aright; and, therefore, the Holy Spirit
comes to his aid, and makes up the deficiency. He does
not mark take his place, and pray in his stead, but he
" HELPETH," assisteth ; so that, when the Christian's efforts
are put forth, the Holy Spirit assists, and directs them
into the right ' channel, and toward the proper objects;
hence, the Bible directs man to keep his heart in the love
of God, by "praying in tJte Holy Ghost" And, for the
purpose of enabling him to accomplish this great object,
the Spirit of God takes up his abode, as ail intercessor, in.
the heart of every follower of the Lamb. " Likewise the
164 -, THE INTERCESSION
Spirit also helpeth our infirmities, for we know not what
we should pray for, as we ought; but the Spirit itself
maketh intercession for us, with groanings which cannot
be uttered."
Now, of all the offices performed by the Holy Spirit, in
the great remedial scheme, there is not one more important
than that which he fills as intercessor for the saints.
First. It is important, BECAUSE IT is THE ONLY
MEDIUM WHEREBY WE CAN HAVE ACCESS TO THE EAR OF
OUR HEAVENLY FATHER.
Let us look, for one moment, at the relationship which
man sustains to the personalities of the Holy Trinity.
God the Father, in his own word, is represented as
being the Sovereign of the universe; hence, says the
Psalmist, " The Lord is a great God, and a great King
above all gods." The transgression of his holy law,
by man, caused him to retire into the pavilion of his
holiness, and to expel man from the presence of his
Sovereign; and but for the remedial arrangements,
devised by infinite wisdom to meet the exigencies of the
case, the first transgressor would have been executed, as
a rebel against the government of heaven, and all the race
would have perished in their federal head. To save our
race from this sweeping, all-embracing destruction, the
Son of God undertook our case, and, by an amazing stoop
of condescending mercy, became the peculiar victim; and,
by his sufferings and death, succeeded in placing God
upon a throne of grace, approachable by every sinner;
so that all the descendents of Adam are included in the
overture of the Gospel, when it invites them to come
" boldly to a throne of grace, that they may obtain mercy,
and find grace to help in time of need." Now, the
question arises, and it is one of thrilling moment to every
accountable being, " How may I approach that iJtrom of
OF THE HOLT SPIRIT. 165
grace ?" Our answer is, THROUGH THE INTERCESSION OP
THE HOLY SPIRIT. Let us not, however, be misunderstood
on this subject. We are calling attention to but one, out
of many important points involved in the scheme of man's
gracious recovery; and, therefore, it is not our object to
dwell at large upon the merits of the blood of Christ. It
is true, most true, that his blood is all-essential to man's
recovery ; for if Christ had not shed his precious blood,
the offer of pardon would not have been extended to man
the gates of Paradise would not stand open, nor angels
be found at the portals, inviting him in to banquet upon
the Tree of Life in the Heavenly City : nor, but for the
shedding of Ids blood, would the Spirit ever have acted
the part of an intercessor for man.
But, then, on the other hand, it is likewise true, that the
work of the Holy Spirit is as essential, to restore man to
the image of God, as is the blood of Christ to restore him
to the favor of God. " The blood of Christ stoops to the
judicial destitution of man, and, relieving him from the
penalty of sin, restores bun to the favor of God; while
the Holy Spirit stoops to the moral destitution of man, and,
relieving him from the disease of sin, restores him to the
image of God." The WORK of the Holy Spirit is as
essential to the salvation of the soul, as the SUFFERINGS of
Christ; and, therefore, in calling your attention, in this
discourse, mainly to the Spirit's agency, we would not be
understood, by any one, as disparaging, in the least, or as
throwing into the slightest shade, the blood of the Lamb.
With reverential gratitude, we would write on every
blessing, THE PRECIOUS GIFT OF JESUS' LOVE.
What we wish to fasten upon your minds, is, the
intercessory work of the Holy Spirit. And, therefore, we
re-affirm, that the Holy Spirit, in his office of intercessor,
- is one great and essential agent in our approach to the
166 TUB INTERCESSION
throne of grace. This is the view given of this matter by
the great Apostle, when he says, " Through him we both
have access, by one Spirit, unto the Father."
In this passage, God the Father is represented as a
king, seated upon his throne, and the Spirit and the Son
as agents, by means of which, the children of men are
introduced into his august presence.
The sphere of the Son's intercession is in heaven, before
the throne ; hence, says the Apostle, " It is Christ that
died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the
right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us."
The sphere of the Spirit's intercession is in the hearts of
the saints, inditing, and presenting the petition into the
hands of the great High Priest, who ever lives in heaven
to make intercession. And tliere is no oilier medium of
access, but through these two intercessors. No petition
from earth is ever presented to the Father's ears, who is
seated upon the throne of pardon, but those- that are
presented from the golden censor of the mediating Lamb ;
and no petition ever reaches that golden censor, but those
that are indited and originated by the Holy Spirit oh
earth. Hence, the only medium of access, is, as the
Apostle declares, through Jesus Christ, by ONE SPIRIT.
" Through him we both have access, by one Spirit, unto
the Father." The intercession of the Holy Spirit, then,
- in the hearts of the children of men, is, in the first place,
essentially important; as, without his aid, no voice of
prayer would ever pierce the ear of heaven no cry for
pardon would ever bring the blessing down. Man,
expelled for transgression from the court of his sovereign;
would have to wander on for ever, in hopeless and unpiried
banishment, from the presence of God and from the
glory of his power. But the Holy Spirit (all glory
be to his holy name,) stoops to his rescue, arid affords
OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 167
liim the means of speaking' ; so that his voice may
be hoard in heaven, even by the ear of his offended
Maker.
Secondly. It is important, BECAUSE THE SPIRIT
KEVEALS TO THE SOUL ITS TRUE WANTS j hence, says the
text, " We know not what to pray for, but the Spirit
itself makeih intercession for .**
This intercession is not made by the Spirit in direct
supplication, such as Christ makes by his blood, or voice,
in heaven. The Holy Spirit carries on his intercession
through the agency of the individual supplicating, and his
first step towards accomplishing the work of intercession,
is, to make the soul feel its needy situation. This he does
in the heart of the sinner by convincing him of sin, of
righteousness, and of a judgment to come; by pointing him
to the dark lowering storm that is gathering on Sinai's
brow, to the wrath of God that is burning in its folds, and
to the unshielded position his soul occupies at its trembling
base.
He accomplishes his work in the heart of the saint, by
revealing to him his poverty in the things of the Spirit
his ignorance of the knowledge of Christ ; by pouring his
shafts of heavenly light into the deeper recesses of the soul,
showing to him the festering roots of bitterness that still
remain there, enfeebling the strength of his graces, and
poisoning the springs of his enjoyment. And all this is done
to put the soul in that frame, in which, fully submitting
itself to the Spirit's guidance arid :: -control, it allows him
to work with his energies, unhampered by the unyielding
stubbornness of man's rebellious will; for, until man feels
his wants, he will not -be likely to put forth efforts to satisfy
them. So long as the sinner does riot feel the need of a
Saviour, he will not be likely to seek after the strength of
his redeeming arm. Solong as the Cliristian does not feel
168 THE INTERCESSION
the plague of a corrupt heart, he will not be likely to seek,
with deep complaint, with unutterable groaning, after a
clean one. There must first be a thirsting of soul, before
it pants to drink of the living well of salvation. There
must be a hungering, before it seeks to feed, with avidity,
upon the bread of heaven. And hence, the first step in
the Spirit's process of intercession, is, to make the soul feel
its helpless and almost hopeless condition ; to pour upon it
such a startling sense of its own barrenness, and to excite
such a vehement and earnest hungering and thirsting after
righteousness, that the soul feels it must have help out of
Zion, or perish. And when the heart feels these deep
abasings of spiiitual poverty these intense desires for
spiritual emancipation when the burden becomes too
heavy to be borne, the Spirit then changes his mode of
operation. Suspending his work, as an dbaser, he comes
to man's aid as a blessed HELPER of his infirmity, and
enables him to roll all his guilt, and care, and burden,
along the blood-reared pathway of Christ's atonement,
into the presence of the pardoning succouring G-od, at the
foot of the mercy throne. Hence, says our text, not only
that we know not what to pray for, but that we are as
ignorant of the manner as of the matter. " We know not
what to pray for as we ought : but the Spirit itself helpeth
our infirmities."
x -
Thirdly. The intercession of the Holy Spirit is
important, BECAUSE IT TEACHES THE SOUL TO PRESENT
ITS WANTS IN A PROPER MANNER.
This he does, by leading the soul to plead the atoning
blood of Jesus Christ. Now, as it regards the mere mode
of presenting our petitions to God, it is of but little
importance. The man may stand erect, and address the
throne of grace. He may bow the knee of suppliance, or,
in reverential awe, fall prostrate to the earth. He may
OP THE HOLY SPIRIT. .169
present his petition arrayed in all the elegancies of human
diction, or he may present it in broken thought, with
language lame, yet none of these circumstances either add
merit to, or detract from his supplications. His petition,
to be recognized in heaven, must be perfumed with the
blood of the Lamb; and, to have it thus ascend before the
Lord, as a sweet smelling sacrifice, it must be inspired by
the Holy Spirit. And this brings us back again, to an
indwelling, interceding Spirit in the heart. All true prayer
must be the offspring of the. Holy Spirit. And, blessed be
God, the Bible teaches the gracious doctrine, that, in every
child of God, the Holy Spirit takes up his abode as an
intercessor. " For he dwelleth with you, (said Christ) and
shall be in you."
Now when the soul is made acquainted with its true
wants, the Spirit then unfolds Jesus as the medium of
prayer, and teaches it to plead, at the mercy seat, the
all-prevailing merits of his blood. And when guilt
has been weighing down, as with a mountain load ; when
unbelief, as a strong man armed, has been pressing sore
the citadel of faith ; and when the blows of the assailant
have been so vigorous, that the outworks have begun to
totter before them ; how sweetly has the spirit pointed the
downcast eye of him that was standing afar off, to the
precious promise written on the arms of the cross, " Ask
what ye will, in my name, and it shall be done for you, of
my Father which is in heaven." And, as his humble faith
grasped hold, and began to rest upon those words of hope,
what wrestling for deliverance what groanings for
the mastery arose in his soul. And when doubt, and guilt,
and unbelief surrendered, and the soul was exulting in the
enlargement of a triumphant deliverance, whence came
those desires for the mind that was in Jesus for that
singleness of eye, that makes the body full of lightfor the
16
170 THE INTERCESSION
meekness and lowliness that was in the Lamb.? It was the
Spirit that resided within you, stirring up the slumbering
spirit of prayer breathing afresh upon the smouldering
affections of the heart, and drawing you away, and out
from yourself, to God, in mighty prayer. While you
were wrestling, he was inditing, helping, sealing, carrying
it on his wings to Jesus. Now, drawing back the curtain
a little way, that the eye of faith might catch a glimpse of
THE KING in his beauty, stretching out, in peerless
loveliness, his golden sceptre, to his advancing Bride ; and
then stirring you up to yet mightier efforts, by a fresh
baptism of blessings, obtained for you by his intercession,
and poured in all the richness of heaven upon the soul,
what refreshing vigor you then felt; every nerve of
the moral man was strung, and in active operation,
pressing onward in the race, for holiness, for happiness,
FOR HEAVEN. And yet there was no weariness, no lassitude :
your soul had a firmer tread; your faith had a stronger
wing; and you realized, by blessed experience, the
meaning of that rich promise in the Old Testament
Scriptures, " They that wait upon the Lord shall renew
their strength."
The Spirit was then in full play, as an intercessor, in
your heart ; and every event, every circumstance in your
history, became an occasion for prayer; every blessing
poured into your lap of rejoicing, sent an ejaculation to
heaven ; every cross in your journey, took you on a visit
to the throne. No matter whether it was. a temptation of
the spirit, or an affliction of the flesh ; a dark providence,
or a bright one; you breathed it into the ear of your
Father in heaven.
You felt, too, the connections binding you to others, and
you took their wants, and their blessings, theii joys, and
their sorrows, along with you to . the throne of Grace.
OP THE HOLY SPIRIT. 171
And thus, in the heavenly temple, before God and the
Lamb, in the presence of all his holy angels, you presented
the sublime spectacle of a spirit feeling its common
brotherhood with the species; rejoicing with those that
did rejoice, and weeping with those that wept. And,
while you were thus sharing, by your sympathies, the
sorrows and rejoicings of others, and besieging the throne
of grace on then: behalf, God drew nigh to your own soul,
and your prayers for others returned into your own
bosoms, freighted with rich covenant blessings. And thus,
by all these delightful exercises, you were girded for the
conflict, strengthened for the hour of trial, and made meet
for the joys of heaven. But we must not overlook, in this
connection, the understanding subsisting between God the
Father, and the Holy Spirit. " And he that searcheth tlie
hearts, knoweth what is the mind of tlie Spirit, because
7ie maketh intercession for tlie saints, according to the wiU
of God."
In this great work of intercession, there is a perfect
understanding between the Father and the interceding
Spirit. "The Father," the Searcher of hearts, "knoweth
what is the mind of the Spirit;" and, in consequence of that
knowledge, he fully understands the nature and worth of
every prayer that is presented before the throne.
The Spirit operates, in his interceding work, in the
hearts of men, and makes man the channel through which
his intercessions ascend to the throne ; and, therefore, they
may be more or less attempered with the dross and
darkness of the interceding medium, of the darkness and
carnality through which the Spirit has had to struggle in
causing his intercessions to be heard in heaven. Yet, no
matter how clouded or confused, how much so ever
admixed with the base elements of a tainted materialism,
God fully understands the desire and meaning of the
172 . THE INTERCESSION
Spirit. No matter in what form the prayer vents itself
in what habiliment it conies up before the throne whether
presented in a definite form and outline, or in a confused
and tumultuous breathing forth of desire God, who knows
the mind of the Spirit, knows from what quarter they
arise, whether they originate from the breathings of her
own pure spirit, residing in the heart, or whether they
issue from a soul pouring forth a stream of its own
corrupt desires. He readily distinguishes the counterfeit
from the genuine ; and to every prayer, bearing the tinge
and stamp of the Spirit's exciting, His ear is open, His
hand is ready to pour forth a tide of blessings, the richest
that can emanate from a THRONE ON WHICH is SEATED A
GOD OP LOVE.
Oh, how inconceivably precious, to have a God all
merciful, a God all gracious to go to in prayer. And then
think of your privileges and aids in every approach to His
mercy throne. There is your blessed Advocate in heaven,
Jesus Christ the righteous, diffusing, all around, the sweet
smelling savor of his own most precious sacrifice. Then,
there is that blessed helper of man's infirmity, the Holy
Spirit, ever dwelling in the heart, stimulating the soul,
arousing its dormant activities, and taking its first feeble
aspirations, in a heaven-ward flight, towards the throne of
" the high and lofty One, who inhabiteth eternity." And
then, over and above all, is a God of truth delighting in
mercy delighting to pour down blessings around the
pathway of the needy a God searching the heart a God
reading the mind of the Spirit a God fully understanding
the character of every prayer. The burdened sigh, that
heaves from the troubled breast, goes up before Him; the
shining tear, that trembles upon the cheek of penitence, or
leaps from the heart surcharged and bursting with
gratitude, for , sustaining, succoring, conquering grace,
OP THE HOLY SPIRIT. 173
falls warm upon the heart of God, and moves the active
sympathies of the Deity on man's behalf.
Come, then, Christian, come to the altar of prayer,
when from out of the abundance of the heart the mouth
speaketh, and pour forth before him the opulence of a heart
swelling with rapturous acclamation; or come when the
soul is barren, when the mouth is dumb through shame or
poverty of language, when there is naught in the soul
but a spirit of prayerfulness, breaking forth in breathings
that are not articulated, or in groanings that cannot be
uttered j and if the Spirit moves thee, you will find that
the eye, the ear, the heart, the hand of God, are all open,
and all engaged on your behalf; for whenever the Spirit
excites the prayer, He makes intercession according to the
will of God, and this is the reason why the feeblest sigh,
and the most enlarged desire, alike unlock the treasures of
His grace. Go to God with a worldly mind, with carnal
desires, with a heart panting after earthly distinction, honor,
or aggrandizement, and no heaven ascending breath from
the Spirit wafts such requests on high; they fall back upon
the unwatered soul of the utterer, leaving all more dry
and barren than before. But when spiritual desires
burden the heart, when the soul thirsts for God, for the
living God, and pants for the sprinkling of atoning blood,
for the water of life, as the " hart panteth for the cooling
water brook," vastly different is the effect of prayer; every
groan, every sigh, every reaching out of the heart after
God, is carried up and whispered by the Spirit in heaven;
and back he comes, in answer, shaking from his wings
the blood of sprinkling, and the dew drops of life over
the soul.
Blessed be God and the Lamb, when the Spirit moves
the heart in prayer, no matter from what heart the groan
ascends, only so it is a broken and contrite one; that prayer
174 THE INTERCESSION
moves the heavens. The human eloquence of a prayer is
nothing before God; it is the Spirit's voice that gives it
eloquence in heaven. No matter from what zone of earth
the prayer ascends, whether it comes from the heart of the
rude Laplander, who drives his rein-deer sledge far down
the frigid north ; from the polished [European, who moves
in all the blandishments of civilized society ; or from the
dark Nubian, who roams amid the torrid sands j God
understands in aD the Spirit's pleading; and no matter
whether the prayer is uttered in the Hebrew, Greek, or
Sanscrit language, it is interpreted, by the Holy Spirit, in
the vocabulary of heaven, and God draws nigh, in answer,
and blesses die waiting heart.
Our subject, thus explained, helps us to understand the
origin of those prayers that are oftentimes mysterious
even to the utterer. The Bible teaches us that, in the
utterance of their prophecies, the holy men of old were
oftentimes ignorant of the force and meaning of their own
predictions, and they are revealed to us in the singular
attitude of first announcing things to come, and then
assuming the character of inquirers, endeavouring to
ascertain the substance of the things predicted, being
found in the language of the Apostle, " Searching what,
or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was
in them did signify, when it testified before hand the
sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow."
And thus it is that, frequently, holy men are at a loss
fully to comprehend their own prayers. Often an
indefinite, undefinable burden and anxiety comes over the
heart, leading forth the soul in intense groanings, felt,
yet not fully understood, conscious of a deep earnestness,
yet the object so clouded as not to be plainly grasped and
apprehended by the mind. This groaning, and breathing
forth of the heart, was caused by the Holy Spirit brooding
OF THE HOLY SI-HUT. 175
upon the soul, and, in its mysterious undulations, drawing
it out to God in prayer.
Again. How often is the soul, when rejoicing in
victory, and walking forth in the ease and strength
of a spiritual enlargement^ led to pray, with intense
earnestness, for strength to be supported in its spiritual
combats ; and how often has a sorely contested battle,
immediately ensuing, taught the soul, that these agonizing
wrestlings for strength were but the fore-shadowings of
the Spirit, announcing a coming conflict with principalities
and powers, and leading it forth, by anticipation, to the
heavenly hills for aid, that it might be enabled to endure
the fiery trial.
Again. How often are good men, not suspecting
danger nigh, led to pray for providential aid in a coming
emergency; and, in answer to those prayers, how often
has the arm of God been visibly made bare on their
behalf, .and rescued them from danger or death, by
evident divine interposition. Again, and again, the
"Ebenezer" has been erected; and, bathed with tears,
the heart has sent up its gratitude to heaven for the
prevalent intercession of the Holy Spirit.
Lastly. The intercession of the Holy Spirit enables us
to understand the mysterious power of prayer. Prayer
is not the simple voice of a mortal pleading with God.
Praying in the Holy Ghost, is the Spirit of God taking
hold, through the Son of God, upon the heart of God t7ie
Father ; it is Divinity in the soul, pleading with Divinity
in heaven, and overcoming through the promises of heaven.
" It is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father
which speaketh in you." And here we are lost amid
ihe grandeurs of our theme.
"Prayer has divided seas; rolled up flowing rivers:
made flinty rocks gush in fountains: quenched flames
I7G THE INTERCESSION O? THE HOLY SPIRIT.
of fire; muzzled lions; disarmed vipers and poisons;
marshalled die stars against the wicked; stopped the
course of the moon; arrested the rapid sun in his great
race; burst open iron gates; recalled souls from eternity;
conquered the strongest devils; commanded legions of
angels down from heaven. Prayer has bridled and
chained the raging passions of men, and routed and
destroyed vast armies of proud, daring, blustering atheists.
Prayer has brought one man from the bottom of the sea,
and carried another in a chariot of fire to heaven. IT
IS THE LITTLE NERVE THAT MOVES THE MUSCLES OF
OMNIPOTENCE.
SERMON XI.
WONDERFUL: THE NAME OF CHRIST.
BY REV. NATHAN L. BICE, D.D.,
Pastor of the Central Presbyterian Church, Cincinnati, Ohio.
"And his name shall be called Wonderful." Isaiah is.. 6.
ISAIAH lived and prophecied in an age when vital piety
had sadly declined amongst the professed people of God ;
and overwhelming calamities were beginning to threaten
them. They were a sinful nation a people laden with
- iniquity, a seed of evil-doers, children that were corrupters.
They had forsaken the Lord, and provoked the Holy One
of Israel to anger. Isaiah was sent to them with " heavy
tidings." Foreign invasion, a desolating war, and long
years of captivity, in a strange land, awaited them. Still,
God would not forget the few, who, in the midst of general
corruption, were faithful in his service, and who wept,
because of the approaching desolations of Zion. For
their encouragement, the vision of the prophet was
extended to a brighter day in the history of the Church
to the advent of Him who was to be " a light to lighten
the Gentiles, and the glory of his people Israel." He saw
him in the manger of Bethlehem, and he exclaimed,
" Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given." He
saw the beginning of his public ministry in the land of
Zebulun and of Naphtali, and he said, " The people that
17S WONDERFUL :
^
walked in darkness, have seen a great light: they that
dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath
the light shined." He traced the progress of his kingdom
on earth, and witnessed its glorious results ; and he said,
" Of the increase of his government and peace, there shall
be no end; upon the throne of David, and upon his
kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and
with justice, from henceforth, even for ever."
The name of this mysterious child, this mighty king, shall
be called WONDERFUL. His name shall be expressive of
his character and of his works. He is a wonderful Being;
and the.work he came to accomplish, is a wonderful work.
The meaning and the appropriateness of this name, will
appear, from the following considerations :
First. In Him are mysteriously united, in one person,
two infinitely different natures. This most important
doctrine is clearly taught in the immediate context. He is
a child born, a son given. We are at no loss to understand
the meaning of the words child and son. They naturally
and obviously signify a human being, possessing a material
body and a natural soul. When the father of John the
Baptist said to him, " And thou, child, shalt be called the
prophet of the Highest," we know he meant, by the
word child, a human being; and we have as good
evidence, that the same is true of him of whom Isaiah
prophecied.
But this child, this son, is called The Mighty God, T/I&
Everlasting Father. Can we be at a loss to understand
what is meant by the Mighty God? Turn to every place
where this language is used in the Bible, and you will
find it, in every instance, used as one of the names of
Divinity. Magistrates and angels are called gods; but no
creature, however exalted, is called the Mighty God.
Shall we, then in order to escape from the doctrine of the
THE NAME OF CHBIST. 179
divinity of Christ, give to the language, in this particular
passage, a meaning infinitely different from that which it
has in every other passage, where it occurs in the Bible ?
To do so. would be to abuse the language of inspiration,
instead of interpreting it.*
But he is also called The Everlasting Father. Why
is he so called? The name, Father, is generally
applied, in the Scriptures, to the first person in the
Trinity. The literal translation of the Hebrew text,
would be, the Father of Eternity. Some, indeed, have
supposed the language to refer to the future, not to
the past ; but there is no good reason for limiting the
word, since it naturally means eternity. The prophet,
therefore, could have used no stronger language to express
the idea, that the Messiah exists from eternity, without
beginning of days. This mysterious Being, then, is a
man ; and yet, he is the Mighty and Eternal God !
The same doctrine is taught, in language equally clear,
by the prophet Micah : " But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah,
though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet
out of thee shall he come forth unto me, that is to be
Ruler in Israel ; whose goings forth have been from old,
from everlasting."! That this is a prediction of the
advent of Christ, there can be no doubt It was so
understood by die Jews themselves. When Herod
inquired of the priests and scribes, where Christ should
be born, they answered by quoting this text : Matthew
ii. 3 6. In this passage, we have distinctly presented
the human and divine natures of Christ. He was to be
born of a virgin, in Bethlehem;: and yet his goings forth
* This language occurs in the following passages of Scripture, viz :
Gen. xlix. 21 ; Deut. vii. 21 ; Neb. ix. 32 , Job xxxvi. 5 ; Ps. L 1 ;
Ps. cxxxii. 2, 5 ; Isaiah x- 21 ; Jer. xxxii. 18 ; Hab, i. 2.
t Micah v. 2.
180 WONDERFUL:
have been from of old, even from everlasting; or, as
literally translated, from the days of eternity. As to his
human nature, it began to exist, when begotten of the
Holy Spirit in the womb of the virgin Mary; but his
divine nature existed from eternity. Therefore, he is
truly .man, and truly God.
This doctrine was taught by our Saviour himself, when
he silenced the Pharisees, by asking, " What think ye of
Christ ? whose son is he V They were, as they thought,
prepared at once to answer : " They say unto him, The
Son of David." But, another question involved them in
inextricable difficulty ; " He saith unto them, How, then,
doth David, in spirit, call him Lord, saying, The Lord said
unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine
enemies thy footstool?"* It was true, that Christ was
David's son; but it was also true, that he was David's
Lord; for David had addressed him as such, long
before his incarnation. How, then, could- he be David's
son, and yet David's Lord ] Believing the Messiah to be
a mere man, the Pharisees could not answer the question;
and the same difficulty presses all who deny his true and
proper divinity. For, if, as the Socinian contends, he was
only a man ; then, he could not have been David's Lord.
If, as the Arian contends, he was a super-angelic being,
but not possessed of real divinity ; he was neither David's
son, nor David's Lord. But. if, as the great body of
professing Christians have always believed, he possesses
both the human and the divine nature; all difficulty
disappears. As to his human nature, he is David's son ;
as to his divine nature, he is David's Creator and Lord.
And this doctrine is distinctly taught by the Apostle
Paul. He speaks of Christ as "made of the seed of
* Matthew xxii. 4144.
THE NAME OF CHRIST. 181
David, according to the flesh ; and declared to be the
Son of God, with power, according to the Spirit of
holiness."* He was the seed of David, according to the
ftesh. The word flesh, as used in the Scriptures,
sometimes has its most literal signification, viz : flesh, as
distinguished from other kinds of matter. Frequently it
is used in a bad sense, meaning depravity. " They that
are in the flesh cannot please God." In other instances,
it means human nature ; as, when it is said, " Oh ! thou
that hearest prayer, to thee shall all flesh come."t In this
sense it is evidently used by the Apostle. He teaches,
then, that Jesus Christ is the seed of David, as to his
human nature; or, as he is a man. Then the phrase,
"spirit of holiness," evidently means his divine nature.
As to one of his natures, he is the son of David, and,
therefore, a man ; as to the other, he is the Son of God,
and, therefore, truly God.
Some imagine, that the phrase Son of God, necessarily
implies inferiority. This, however, is a mistake. With
man, the Son possesses the same nature and attributes
which the Father possesses ; and, consequently, is equal to
his Father. It is true, the Father exists before he has a
Son, and there is a sense in which the Son derives his
life from his father ; but, as we have already shown, the
Scriptures teach, that the Son of God has existed from
eternity; and, therefore, in his case, the ideas of priority
and dependence cannot be admitted. The phrase, " Son
of God," therefore, is used to express that particular and
incomprehensible relation, which, from eternity, exists
between the first and second persons in the adorable
Trinity. The Jews so understood it; and, therefore,
when Jesus called hiinself the Son of God, "they sought
* Romans i. 3, 4. t Psalm Ixv. 2.
182 WONDERFUL :
the more to kill him, oecause he not only had broken the
Sabbath, but said, also, that God was his Father, making
"himself equal with God."*
Accordingly the Scriptures abundantly teach, that Christ
was 4he Son of God before he became incarnate. " God
so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son," &c.
And when Jesus was about to finish his work, and bid
adieu to earth, he prayed, saying, " And now, O Father,
glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory which
I had with thee before the world was."t And as the only
begotten Son, he not only bears the image of the Father,
but "is the brightness of his glory, and the express image
of his person."f Such language would be wholly
inapplicable to the most exalted creature. He who is the
brightness of the Father's glory, must possess^the divine
nature and perfections.
The doctrine of the divine and human natures of Christ,
is beautifully and strikingly taught by our Lord, when he
says, "I am the root and the offspring of David, and the
bright and morning star." How can he be both the root,
and the branch of David ? Just as he can be both the son,
and the Lord of David. As he is God, he is the root of
David ; as he is man, he is his offspring or branch.
Often, during his ministry on earth, did he display these
two natures in intimate and mysterious union. As a child,
he " increased in wisdom and stature." As a man, he oft
sat weary by the way-side, and often needed repose
in sleep. Yet he opened the eyes of the blind, caused the
deaf to hear, and the lame to leap for joy. At the grave
of Lazarus, he wept like a man ; but he called the dead
to life with the voice of God. Like a man, he slept in the
hinder part of the vessel, when the storm raged on the
* John v. 18. t John xvii. 5. { Heb. i. 3.
THE NAME OP CHRIST. 183
lake : like God, he said to the winds and waves, " Peace,
be still." Like man, he fainted under the weight of his
cross, as he ascended to Calvary, and then expired on the
cross in deepest agonies: like God, he rose on the
morning of the third day, conquering death and the grave,
and resumed his place on the throne of God.
And now, having all power hi heaven and in earth, he
reigns, "head over all things to the Church." Being
omnipotent, he *' upholds all things by the word of his
power;" and, in his infinite wisdom, he exercises a
universal and particular providence. And "he must reign,
till he hath put all things under his feet." And then he,
God-man, will sit upon the throne of his glory, and judge
the world in righteousness. "Without controversy, great
is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the
flesh." His name is Wonderful.
Let no one object to this doctrine, because of its
mysteriousness. You have a body, and a mind two
distinct and widely different substances, strangely united in
one person, acting and re-acting upon each other. Matter,
of which the body is composed, is divisible and inert.
Mind is indivisible and essentially active. In every leading
feature, these two substances are unlike, and opposite.
Do you comprehend their union? Can you explain how
the mind looks out through the eye 1 or how, through the
ear, catches sound, and is charmed with music 1 Is not the
mode in which your two natures are united, and in which
they mutually affect each other, a profound mystery to
you ? And if you cannot comprehend the union of your
own two natures; is it wonderful, that the union of the two
natures of Christ, is incomprehensible ? And if you have
evidence of the existence of so great a mystery in your
own person, may there not be abundant evidence of a
greater mystery in the person of Jesus Christ ?
184 WONDERFUL:
Secondly. . Jesus Christ is wonderful in the work Tie
came to perform. He was tlie light of the world, the
great " Teacher come from God." And, in this work, he
was wonderful. " Never man spake like this man." His
all-seeing eye penetrate the hearts of those whom he
instructed, and saw, most clearly, all their secret springs.
" He knew what was in man." With astonishing wisdom,
he adapted his instructions to the people, imparting the
most exalted wisdom to the unlearned. Unlike the
philosophers of Rome and Greece, who confined their
instructions to the educated classes, he descended amongst
the masses of the people, and made them wiser than
pagan philosophers. As an evidence that he was the
promised Messiah, he sent word to John the Baptist, in
prison, saying, " The poor have the Gospel preached to
them." He manifested wonderful skill, in striking the
consciences of wicked men, and arousing them from their
sinful security. Mark his answer to those who, though
themselves most ungodly, brought to him a woman taken
in adultery, and said, " Moses in the law commanded us,
that such should be stoned : but what sayest thou ?" He
saw the vileness of their motives, and he knew perfectly
the vileness of their lives. After they had importuned
him for an answer, he said, " He that is without sin among
you, let him first cast a stone at her. And .they which
heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went
out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto !.he
last." This is one example. The Gospels contain others
equally striking.
His public ministry was characterized by wonderful
tenderness and benevolence. Love brought him from
heaven to earth; and that love was expressed in every
discourse he delivered. It was in Nazareth, where he had
spent the earlier days of his life, that he delivered one of
THE NAME OF CHRIST. 185
his first discourses, after he entered upon his ministry,
founded upon Isaiah Ixi. 1 ; and the inspired historian
says, "All bare him witness, and wondered at the
gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth."
Wonderful, indeed, is that light, which Jesus poured
upon the dark minds of men ;~ a light which, in its first
dawnings, is as the twilight of the -morning, but which
" shineth more and more unto the perfect day." It reveals
to the mind the most glorious being in the universe,
and exhibits, in beautiful and majestic harmony, his
attributes and perfections. It shines upon the narrow
pathway to heaven, and guides the immortal soul in its
journey to its 'glorious home in the heavens. It is a light,
the first rays of which fall upon the mind in this world,
the bright effulgence of which shall be seen in that
world of which the Lord God and the Lamb are the
light. .
It was a wonderful sacrifice which Jesus offered on
Calvary for the sins of men. He saw them slaves to sin,
and under the curse of the broken law. That law
is "holy, just, and good," and> therefore, immutable
immutable in its precepts and its exactions. "All had
sinned, and come short of the glory of God." The fearful
penalty of the law had been denounced against them.
They were condemned already. No man^ no angel, nor
all men and angels could effect the deliverance of one
sinner. All were lost. Then, said he, " Lo I come, (in
the volume of the book, it is written of me,) to do thy
will, O God." He was "made under the law, to
redeem them that are under the law." Standing in
the stead of sinners, having become their surety, he was
treated as a sinner. He was made '* sin for us." " He
bore bur sins in his own body on the tree." He
endured for us the penalty of the broken law ; " and,
17
186 WONDERFUL:
by his stripes, we are healed." Thus the lav? was
honored, and God can "be just, and the justifier of him
that believeth."
Wonderful were the sufferings endured by the Son of
God, in effecting the salvation of his people. " He was a
man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief." Nor shall
we ever comprehend the full import, of his language,
when, as he retired with his disciples to the Garden of
Olives, he said, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even
unto .death ;" nor, the deeper anguish of his soul, when,
on the cross, .he cried, " My God, my God, why hast thou
forsaken me 1"
Wonderful was the. love which induced him to submit
to such humiliation, -and to such suffering. " Ye know the
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was
rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye, through
his poverty, might be rich." His love was the more
wonderful, as it was exercised towards his enemies, whose
moral character he could not hut abhor. It was such
love as was never before manifested. "For scarcely for
a righteous man will one die: yet, peradventure, for a
good man, some would even dare to die. But God
commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet
shiners, Christ died for us."
Wonderful is the glory which Jesus designed, by his
sufferings, to secure to those who trust in him. The
Church, composed of the redeemed, he will present to
himself " a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle,
or any such thing." To each of his disciples he gives
eternal life; "a crown .of glory and honor, that fadeth not
away;" "a far more exceeding and eternal weight of
glory." They shall stand in his ^presence, where "there
is fulness of joy," and for ever behold his glory. Eternity
shall be .the duration of their joys, and the ever increasing
THE NAME OF CHRIST. 137
capacities of their souls the measure of their wisdom and
of their bliss.
He is wonderful in Jbis providential dealings with his
people. Having triumphed over death and the grave, he
ascended to glory, ^far above all principality, and power,
and might, and dominion, and every name that is named,
not only in this world, but also in that which is to come."
Exercising all authority in heaven and in earth, he is
now "the head over all things, to his Church." He has
undertaken to .conduct safely to heaven, all who have
trusted, .or shall trust in him. His unseen arm is their
defence, and his hand supplies their wants. But he leads
them often along a difficult way, and subjects them to
many disappointments and sore troubles. At times, they
are ready, in their distress, to say, " Deep calleth unto
deep, at ; the noise of thy water-spouts : : all .thy waves arid
thy billows are gone over me." His Church, top, is called
to pass through fiery trials. At one time, grievous error
enters it unawares ; and its beauty fades, .and its .strength
is weakened. Age after age has witnessed the triumph
of error, whilst truth was trampled in the dust. At
another time, die .enemies of Christianity rise in their
might, and cause the blood of the most faithful to flow in
torrents. Yet, all the while, Jesus Christ loves his
people and his Church, far more than they who grieve
because of the troubles through which they are called to
pass. His purposes are infinitely benevolent ; and he is
leading, his people in tije right way. For the present,
trusting in his infinite wisdom, goodness, and power, but
unable to understand his ways, we can but exclaim, with
the devout apostle of the Gentiles, "O the depth of the
riches, both of the wisdprn and knowledge of God ! How
unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding
out" We may yet rejoice to know, '' that all things do
188 WONDERFUL :
work together for good to them that love Grod ;" and that,
in a better world, where we shall see as we are seen, and
know as we are known, we shall for ever admire "his
manifold wisdom."
Jesus will appear wonderful, when Tie shall come to judge
the world in righteousness* When he dwelt on earth, he
was seen in his humiliation. The glories of his Divinity
shone but dimly through his humanity ; and his enemies,
mistaking him for a feeble man, treated him with gross
indignity. But, " when the Son of man shall come in his
glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit
upon the throne of his glory." His appearance will be
wonderful ; for he " shall be revealed from heaven, with
his mighty angels, in flaming fire." " Behold, he cometh
with clouds ; and every eye shall see him, and they also
which pierced him : and all kindreds of the earth shall
wail because of him." And, says John the Apostle, " 1
saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from
whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there
was found no place for diem. And I saw the dead, small
and great, stand before God ; and the books were opened :
and another book was opened, which is the book of life ;
and the dead were judged out of those things, which were
written in the books, according to their works." With
infinite wisdom will he then bring into judgment every
secret thing, and, with infinite accuracy, weigh every
character in the balances ; and before the assembled
universe will he vindicate all his dealings with men.
To all eternity his name shall be called Wonderful.
His two natures, mysteriously- united, shall never be
separated. Humanity is for ever enthroned with Divinity.
How often, during the eternal ages, will the story of his
incarnation be told, and the wonderful history of redemption
repeated to admiring intelligences, it may be, from other
THE NAME OF CHRIST. 189
worlds. For ever shall the peculiar song of tne redeemed
be heard and admired in the New Jerusalem ; and for
ever shall the eyes of all holy beings turn, with adoring
delight, to the wonderful God-man !
REFLECTIONS.
First. It is a wonderful salvation of which we are
partakers. It is so great. " How shall we escape, if we
neglect so great salvation." The Apostle attempts not to
tell how great it is. No language could convey an
adequate idea of its greatness; .and no finite mind could
adequately conceive of it. It is deliverance from hell; and
who can comprehend the degradation and misery of a lost
soul ? We have seen men unhappy ; we have seen them
in great sufferings, mental and physical; perhaps, we have
seen them in agony. But we have never seen a human
being perfectly miserable, and in absolute, black despair.
Oh ! the fearful degradation and woe of a lost sinner ; who
can conceive, adequately, of his condition? From all this,
the salvation wrought out by Jesus Christ, delivers us. It
is " so great"
But this salvation not only delivers from hell ; it makes
the penitent believer a child of God, and an heir of heaven.
It raises him from deep degradation, to dwell with angels.
It does more ; it places him on the throne with the Son
of God. For it is written, '** To him that overcometh will
I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also
overcame, and am set down with my Father on his throne."
It gives to him a crown of glory, and honor that fadeth
not away. It is a great salvation !
It is an eternal salvation. All other deliverances are
from temporal evils ; and their benefits are confined to this
short life. But it is the s&ul, the immortal part, that is the
190 WONDERFUL :
special object of the gospel salvation. It saves from
eternal evils; it secures eternal bliss. Compared with its
duration, ages dwindle to a point; cycles of ages are as
nothing. It is a wonderful wonderful salvation !
And what is more wonderful than all, it is FREE. It is
the gift of God. It is more : it is a gracious gift a gift
to those who merited only perdition. Its invitations are to
"the chief of sinners."
See, to .the vilest of the vile
A free acceptance given!
See, rebels, by adopting grace,
Sit with the heirs of heaven."
"Without money and without price" this is lie
proclamation. " And whosoever will, let him take tho
water of life freely." Glad tidings, these, to sinners lost ;
who have no righteousness ; who can bring no price ; who
are debtors, to an incalculable amount, and have nothing
to pay. Come freely ; come, and welcome, .the chief of
sinners. For, saith the Saviour, "Him that cometh to
me, I will in no~wise cast out." This salvation is as
wonderful in its freeness, as in its greatness.
And yet it is a costly salvation. Free, and yet costly ;
and as costly as free ! The price of it, was the bipod of
the only-begotten Son of God ; his sorrows, groans, tears,
and death. He gave his life a ransom for his people.
Justice demanded it, and he honored the demand. Made
under the law, to redeem those that were under the law, he
was made a curse, and thus redeemed diem from its curse.
" There's ne'er a gift his hand bestows,
But cost his heart a groan."
And will ruined men reject such a salvation? Will
they delay, for a moment, to accept it with joy and
gratitude ? What punishment can be too great for those,
who, for the trifles of earth, "neglect so great salvation,"
THE NAME OF CHRIST. 191
and trample under foot the blood of such a Saviour?
Angels desire to look into its glorious mysteries ; and will
infatuated men, for whom such a salvation was provided,
turn from it with cold indifference? How fearful the
depravity, that can so harden the heart against the
tenderest appeals, and so blind the mind to its eternal
interests !
Will not the awakened, trembling sinner, come to
Christ without delay 1 Your sins may be numerous and
'great ; but greater far is the salvation of Jesus Christ.
You may be most unworthy; but he came to save
sinners.
Secondly, Let us, from this subject, learn to take our
proper place, as disciples, to learn and adore. It brings
us to jhe contemplation of that adorable mystery, the
Trinity in Unity. The being of God, is infinitely above
our comprehension., No wonder, then, that the mode of
his existence should be so. And, then, the union of the
human and divine natures; who can comprehend it 1 ?
We cannot comprehend the union between our body and
mind; no wonder, then, that we find a deep mystery in
the God-man, Indeed, the Gospel itself, with all its rich
provisions, is a mystery, in one of the senses of that word.
It presents a plan of salvation, which no human wisdom
could have discovered. It is, therefore, purely a matter
of revelation. And it reveals to us the purposes of the
infinite Jehovah, beginning, if we may so say, in eternity
past, and extending through an eternity to come- Of
such a Being, and such a system of truth, what can we
know ? Limited in our faculties, blinded by sin, we can
do nothing more, even with the aid of Divine grace, than
learn die elementary principles. " We know in part."
Yet, we may know all that is necessary to a pious life,
and to the salvation of the soul.
192 WONDERFUL:
v
But, how does this subject, properly viewed, rebukie
that bold spirit of speculation, which has so often
characterized " philosophy, falsely so called," and which
has driven so many into dangerous error, and even to
infidelity! " For 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
*houghts." Our true position is at the feet of the great'
Teacher, receiving, with the docility of true disciples, his
wise instructions.
Thirdly. Gratitude and praise are eminently becoming,
in those who are partakers of this great salvation. Let
their gratitude be shown, by the unreserved consecration'
of themselves to the service of their Redeemer. " For,"
saith Paul, "ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he
became poor, that ye, through his poverty, might be made
rich." Let us, then, say with this same Apostle, " The
love of Christ constraineth us ; because we thus judge,
that, if one died for all, then were all dead ; and that he
died for all, that they which live, should not henceforth
live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them,
and rose again."
Fourthly. To the disciple of Christ we may reasonably
say, " Rejoice evermore." He has a Saviour who is
ever with him, causing all things to work together for his
good, and who is able to save to the uttermost. Troubles
may come upon his children; but his grace will enable
them to "rejoice in tribulation." Temptations may
assail ; but, says an Apostle, " My brethren, count it all
joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this,
that the trying of your faith worketh patience." The
world may array itself against them; but they hear the
THE NAME OP CHRIST. 193
voice of their Redeemer, saying, " Be of good cheer ; T
have overcome die world." Calmly and joyfully may
they look upon all the temptations, trials, and sufferings
of this life, and exclaim triumphantly, " Nay, in all these
things we are more than conquerors, through him that
loved us."
18
SERMON XII.
THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST.
BY REV. H. S. PORTER,
Pastor of ike First Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia.
"From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how
that he ninst go onto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and
chief priests and scrihes, and he killed, and, le raised again the third
day.'' Matthew xvi. 21.
MAN, in being deprived of foreknowledge, was more
than compensated in the gift of hope. Deprived of this,
no rank, or position, avails us anything. Possessed of it,
we are happy in a dungeon, in affliction, or in the darkest
hour of adversity. As the old man leans on his staif for
support, so does frail humanity, by the aid of hope, pass
through this life. Philosophy, in its sublimest lessons,
teaches us to bear. Religion, teaches us to HOPE. In
time's arid desert, there blooms not a more beautiful, a
more fragrant rose than this. Like the philosopher's
stone, it turns all that it touches to gold. How delightful !
how important its exercise !
The foundation of the Christian's hope is the
resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. If Christ rose
not from the dead, then is our preaching in vain, and your
faith is in vain, and you are yet in your sins. The
resurrection of Christ is the basis of our hope. If he
was not raised, our hope is a splendid hallucination, a
taunting dream, a bitter mockery. The resurrection of
THE RESURRECTION OP CHRIST. 195
the Saviour is the hinge on which the truth of Christianity
turns. This vital doctrine of religion will be the leading
topic of this discourse.
Before proceeding farther, it may not be out of place to
make two or three explanatory observations in connection
with the text. It is said, in one of the Gospels, by Christ
himself, that he would be three days and three nights in
the heart of the earth. . Crucified on Friday, and buried
late on that day, Jesus rose early on the first day of the
week. One day and two nights only was he in the grave.
With the Jews, a part of a day was put for a whole day.
Christ was in the grave a part of Friday, on the Jewish
preparation, the whole of the Jewish Sabbath, and a part
of the first day of the week, or the Christian Sabbath.
This was the sense in which he was three days and three
nights in the grave. In confirmation of this exposition,
it may be stated, that the Jews, who had perfect knowledge
of all these things, never brought a charge of falsehoc u.
against the 1 Apostles, who, in almost every sermon,
preached that Christ rose on the third day. It is. likewise
said, that Christ should be three days and three nights in
the heart of the earth. It is certain he was not deposited,
in burial, in the centre of the planet on which we live ;
nor was it so understood, either by the Jews, or hia
disciples. Language is conventional, and must be taken
in the sense of those who use it. To be in the heart of
the earth, is a Hebraism, and signifies, with us, nothing more
than burial. These must pot be regarded, in themselves,
as matters, of great importance ; but, in connection with
Christ, as subjects of prophecy, they are entitled to the
greatest consideration.
The resurrection of Christ from the dead, is a topic,
in religion, of no ordinary importance. The Apostles
preached it in almost every sermon. It should be a
196 THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST.
prime, a fundamental article of faith "in every creed.
It should be the creed of every creed. It is not
sufficient that we believe it without a vestige of doubt;
but we should be able to give a reason for the hope
that is within us. To believe a fact, or occurrence,
without evidence to support it, is the part of bigotry,
or enthusiasm, and not of enlightened Christianity.
Christ's resurrection is a. fact, supported by evidence of
the most irrefragable character. To believe, it is only
necessary to examine.
The resurrection of Christ, and the raising of our bodies,
are inseparably connected. They are related, as cause
and effect. To treat them, to some extent, together, would
be right and proper. Any arguments used, to prove that
Christ rose from the dead, may be regarded as so many
arguments in favor of the fact, that our bodies will be
raised. Arguments, adduced in support of our resurrection,
may, according to the most rigid rules of logic, be taken
as so many arguments to prove that Christ did arise from
the dead. There is a mystical union and oneness between
Christ and the human family. We are the branches, ho
is the vine.
That these mortal, decaying bodies of ours, will be
raised from the dead, is not only clearly taught in the
sacred scriptures, but numerous analogies, in nature,
strongly corroborate the fact. These analogies, in the light
of revelation, assume a degree of importance .not to be
overlooked or disregarded, by the candid inquirer after
religious truth.
Ancient philosophers complained, that the sun, moon,
and stars went down, and rose again; but that their
friends died, were laid in the grave, and returned no
more. Had they enjoyed the light of revelation, the
pun, moon, and stars, in their appointed courses, would
THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. 197
have preached to them the doctrine of the resurrection.
When Pythagoras saw the loathsome, crawling worm
developed in the butterfly, he espoused the doctrine of
Metempsychosis. He is more to be pitied than blamed.
Had he enjoyed the teaching of the scriptures, phenomena
of this character would have led him, not to preach the
transmigration of souls, but the resurrection of the human
body after death. In all ages, there are circumstances,
connected with the transformations going on in the lower
departments of animated nature, strongly suggestive of
this fact. We behold a small egg, then a loathsome
crawling worm, the caterpillar skin is thrown off) death
ensues, and then it is shut up for months as in a tomb. In
this state the animal is termed a chrysalis. Remaining in
this condition for a time, apparently without life, it bursts
its imprisonment, and comes forth a beautiful butterfly.
If such astonishing and beautiful transformations occur in
the lower departments of animated creation, what may
we not look for in respect to man, "the noblest work
of God."
The farmer sows his grain, which sends up a germ
in the act of decay, producing abundant fruit. The
Apostle alludes to this, as a type of the resurrection.
Wearied and fatigued, we repose hi slumbers, and rise
invigorated from sleep the emblem of death. Behold a
representation of the doctrine in question ! We are now
in the midst of the gloom of winter. Nature seems dead.
The clouds are ready to weave a snowy winding sheet
for its grave. But, to such of us as live to see it, nature,
with new life, new vigor, and new beauty, will emerge
from this wintry death. And thus may we, after the long
winter of death shall have past, come forth, by the power
of the resurrection, into an unfading and unchanging
spring of bliss and immortal glory.
198 THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST*
An objection to this pleasing doctrine, has 1'een urged
with all the virulence and malice of infidelity. The
objector points to the changes, real or imaginary, going
on in the human form, and marshals them forth to affright
the Christian from one of his dearest, most cherished
hopes. The substance of the objection (if substance it
has) is this, that the laws of nature have it in their power
to defeat the declared purposes of Him who made those
laws, and gave them their force. My faith is not so palsied,
not so nervous, as to be terrified at such a spectre. The
individuality, and personality of the body, Results, not
from figure and shape, but from the mind. Take two
children, in extreme infancy, place them in the same room,
let them breathe die same atmosphere, and eat die same
food, and the matter of their bodies is the same, yet they
differ in appearance, one from the other. Why is tfris ?
It doubdess results from intellectual and moral qualities.
It is the mind, that gives identity and individuality to the
one and the other. When the soul returns, at the last day,
and, by appointment of Christ, claims its dust, and unites
with it, then will it stamp its own image and individuality
on it, and this will be its own body.
As it regards the above analogies, it must be borne
in mind, that the God of Revelation is die God of
nature. Revelation and nature, instead of being in
antagonism, mutually shed light on each other. We
should study revelation, to understand nature; and
nature, to understand revelation.. Bodi must be studied,
in order to comprehend, fully, the character of God, and
the Gospel, which he has given.
Turning attention from tiiis part of our subject, let us
contemplate diat which may be regarded as the cause of
the resurrection of our bodies the resurrection of Christ.
Such a, person, as the Lord Jesus -Christ lived and- was
THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. 199
crucified, in the land of Judea. "We may close the Bible
and prove this. The avowed enemies of religion testify
to this. Hear their testimony. Tacitus, the celebrated
Roman historian, who flourished under the emperor
Trajan, says, in his Annals of the Christians, who were so
cruelly persecuted by Nero; that " Christ was their
author, who, in the reign of Tiberius, was punished with
death, as a criminal* by the procurator, Pontius Pilate."
The younger Pliny, Governor of By tbinia, in his celebrated
letter to Trajan, says, "That Jesus was worshipped by
his followers, as G-od. They sing among themselves,
alternately, a hymn to Christ, as Grod." Lampridius,
Celsus, Porphyry, and the emperor Julian, all of them
avowed enemies to Christ and bis religion, bear testimony
to the fact, that such a personage lived, was a great teacher,
performed miracles, and was crucified at Jerusalem.
Pilate, in conformity to a prevailing usage among the
governors of Roman provinces, kept an account of the
remarkable transactions during bis procuratorship. In
one of these memoirs, called " Acta Pflata" transmitted
to Tiberius, was contained an account of the life and death
of Jesus Christ. That Emperor proposed to the Senate
of Rome, that he should be numbered among their gods.
The Senate refused, alleging, that Tiberius had refused
the honor of deification himself.
Josephus says: "There was, about this time, Jesus,
a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man j for he was
a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as
believe the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him
both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He
was (the) Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of
the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the
cross, those that loved him at the first, did not forsake
him ; for he appeared to them alive again the third day.
200 THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST.
as the divine prophets had foretold these, and ten thousand
other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe
of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at
this day."
These authorities, taken from among the enemies of
Christ, prove that he lived during the reign of Tiberius
Caesar; that he was remarkable for the purity of his
life ; that he was a great teacher ; and that he was put to
death under Pontius Pilate, at Jerusalem. Some of these
historians sayhe performed miracles j others speak of his
incarnation ; and one of them says he was seen alive on
the third day after his death.
These historical declarations prepare us for listening to
what the disciples and followers of Christ say of his rising
from the dead on the third day. The wrath of man
praises God.
T/ie observance of tlie GJiristian Sabbath, is evidence of
the resurrection of Christ.
The Jewish Sabbath was a standing memorial, that God
created the world in six days, and rested the seventh.
The observance of the Paschal Feast, among the Jews, was
evidence that God, in Egypt, passed by the blood-marked
houses of the children of Israel, and that he, in the person
of the destroying angel, slew the first born of Egypt.
When the Jews r from age to age, ate the Paschal Lamb,
in memory of their departure from Egypt, there were
many who would have exposed the imposition, had such
an occurrence never taken place. Joshua, passing with
Israel over Jordan, dry-shod, commanded that twelve
stones, from the bottom of that river, should be taken
and reared into a monument, commemorative of the
remarkable miracle. To future ages this monument
stood, as evidence of the passage of Israel over the
sacred river.
THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. 201
The Banker Hill monument, stands a witness of a
great battle, which was fought on that spot during the
revolution. The monument in Baltimore, perpetuates the
fame of Washington. Had such a man as "Washington
never lived, or such a battle as the one at Bunker Hill
never been fought, those monuments would stand a
reproach to those who erected them.
The observance of the Christian Sabbath, from the
time that Christ appeared to the disciples in the room,
with closed doors, in Jerusalem, to the present day, has
constituted a standing memorial of his resurrection. The
Jewish Sabbath was commemorative of the first creation ;
the Christian is of the second creation, or the work of
redemption, which is a great moral creation. The early
Christians observed the first day of the week, in memory
of Christ's resurrection. Had Christ not arisen from the
dead, the observance of this day would have brought
on them ridicule and contempt. The imposture would
have been exposed by Judaizing teachers and disaffected
disciples.
The Sabbath is a divine institution. None can prosper
and oppose it. Like the stone in the Gospel, it crushes,
and grinds to powder, all who treat it with contempt.
Like the Apocalyptic beasts, fire proceeds out of its
nostrils, and devours all its adversaries. They that
attempt to violate it, meet the fate of those who dared to
ofler strange incense on the altar of God ; or a worse fate
than Jeroboam, whose hand withered when stretched out
against the man of God.
Revolutionary France stands forth on the page of
history, a fearful and bloody example of a nation, that
dared to trample under foot that divine institution
which commemorates the resurrection of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ.
202 vTHE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST.
The prophecies uttered by Jesus Christ, properly
considered, furnish additional evidence of the fact, that he.
came forth, on, the third day, from under the dominion of .
the grave. Indeed, the predictions uttered by all the
prophets, concerning Christ's resurrection, should be
regarded in this light ; but especially those spoken by the
Saviour himself. In the text he speaks of his rising on
the third day. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, (says
Christ,) except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and
die, it abideth alone ; but if it die, it bringeth forth much
fruit." When the Son of man uttered, these prophecies,
he either knew that he would arise from the dead, or that
he would not arise. If he knew that he would not arise
from the dead, why did he voluntarily submit to be arrested,
to be condemned, and put to death? He could have
avoided being arrested. He could, by praying to the
Father, have procured more than twelve legions of angels
to deliver him from the hands of his enemies. Bui he did
neither. He knew that he would arise from the dead,
therefore, he voluntarily submitted to be arrested, tried;
condemned, and put to death. These several points,
taken together, produce evidence, which cannot fail to
be felt by every mind. It is in combination that their
force is felt. The stream, issuing from the base of the
mountain, flows on till another empties into it, swelling
its size; another and another flows into it, swelling its
volume; others flow in, until a large, majestic, and
resistless river is seen. So it is with a train of evidence.
One stream flows into another; others, and still others
flow in, until a current of evidence, of force and potency,
is produced, sufficient to sweep before it all doubt and
unbelief This, applied to the evidence in favor of Christ's
resurrection, cannot fail to discover to our minds its force
and power.
THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. 203
The friends and enemies of Jesus Christ both agree, as
to the fact, that about eighteen hundred years ago, such a
person as Christ lived in the land of Judea. They agree
that he was a remarkable teacher, noted for his exemplary
life ; that he was put to death on the cross. They agree
that his friends took his body from the cross, and laid it in
a new sepulchre in a garden near to Calvary. This done,
they rolled a great stone to the mouth of the grave. The
Jews then succeeded in getting the stone sealed. It was
probably fastened with cords ; and these, brought to a
knot, had sealing-wax impressed on it, and on this was
stamped the governor's seal. Then from Pilate they
procured a Roman guard, and placed it over the grave to
watch it. Thus far the friends and enemies of Christ
agree. The friends of Christ say, that, on the third day,
the body was missing. The enemies of Christ say, that
it was stolen.
Let us examine both of these accounts. First, the
assertion of Christ's enemies. They say that, while they
slept, his disciples, by night, stole away his body. This
assertion was neither probable nor possible.
Could a few timid fishermen, without friends, without
arms, come and attack an armed guard of sixty soldiers,
and, by force, take away the body of Jesus? These
dispirited disciples, the most courageous of whom had
trembled at the threatening voice of a servant girl, were
not in any point of view, the men to defy Pilate, the
sanhedrim, and the guard. It was at the full moon, and
Jerusalem was filled to overflowing with the tribes in
attendance at the Feast of the Passover. A theft seems
impossible. Nor was it probable, if the disciples had
made the effort, that they could have succeeded.
The soldiers say, while they were asleep the body was
stolen ! How strange ! It was at the peril of their lives
204 THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST.
for Roman soldiers to sleep on guard. They were relieved
every three hours. Why should they, in so short a time,
become sleepy ? It were not probable that all, if a part,
wei-e asleep. But admit that they were asleep. Take
their own word. Admit they were sound asleep. Who
would believe a witness testifying in court to an event
which occurred whilst he was asleep ? If they were
asleep, how did they know whether the body of Jesus was
stolen, whether he arose, or what became of him 1 But
they were not asleep; they were all awake, and witnessed
the power of the resurrection.
It has been alleged, that Christ, after his resurrection,
was seen by none but his friends. This is not true. The
first appearance of Christ was before his enemies, on
rising. An angel descends from Heaven ; earth trembles
at his foot-tread : in the might of his strength, despite bars,
seals, and locks, he rolls back the stone from the mouth of
the grave. The keepers did quake, and became as dead
men. Their spears, ungrasped, lay useless by their sides.
Jesus arose ! The first rising glories of the resurrection
were seen by Christ's powerless enemies.
Let us now hear what the friends of Christ say,
concerning the disappearance of the body on the third
morning. They affirm, soon after, that he was seen alive.
The testimony of a witness, in court, depends more on his
general character for truth than on the strength of his
affirmations. What is the character of those who testify
that Christ arose from the dead ?
They were not credulous. When news first came that
Christ had been seen by a company of women, they
treated it as an idle tale. Thomas -not being present
when he appeared to the apostles said, he would not
believe unless he could put his hands hi the prints of the
nails. These are not the feelings of over-credulous men.
THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. 205
Moreover, they had all been disappointed in their
expectations concerning the nature of Christ's kingdom ;
they looked for a temporal kingdom. In this they were
sadly disappointed. Under this disappointment, had there
been an attempt to practice a fraud on them, surely it
would have been detected. Men act from motives, in all
things. Where were the motives for these men to
deceive? What did they gain by it] Honor? They
were accounted the offscouring of the earth. The
friendship of the great? They were despised by the
great, the wise, the learned. Did they win ease and
affluence? They were persecuted by Jew, Greek, and
Roman. They "wandered about in sheep skins, and
goat skins, dwelling in dens and caves of the earth."
They were actuated but by one motive, in preaching
Christ and the resurrection the hope of a reward in
Heaven. Had they deceived, that deception, in their
view, would have excluded them from the only reward
which they looked for.
If they were good men, from principle, they would
not deceive. If they were bad men, they had no
motives to deceive. They were not deceived themselves.
They saw Christ, after his resurrection, under different
circumstances, at different times, and at different places.
They ate, walked, and talked with him. He was seen,
sometimes, by one, then by the twelve, and once by
five hundred brethren. They were not deceived. These
are the witnesses which tell us that Jesus arose from
the dead.
We are now prepared to hear from them the different
occasions on which their Divine Master appeared to
them.
As it began to dawn toward the first day of the week,
came Mary Magdalene, and a company of women, to the
206 THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST.
sepulchre. This was without the city, near Calvary, iii a
garden. They had their spices prepared, to annoint the
body : this, though, had been done before, at Bethany, by
Mary. The women, filled with sadness, came to the
sepulchre. They found the stone rolled away, and an
angel, with a countenance like lightning, 'sitting on it.
" Come see the place where Jesus lay; he is not here, but
has arisen," said the angel. Mary Magdalene hastened
and told the eleven. John and Peter ran to the sepulchre,
found it empty, and departed filled with wonder. Mary
Magdalene returned to the sepulchre : there she stood,
weeping bitterly. On turning, she saw one whom she
supposed to be the gardener, and to him she said : " Sir, if
thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid
him." Jesus saith unto Mary, " Touch me not, for I have
not yet ascended to my Father."
The other women who had accompanied Mary, returning
from the sepulchre, and who were not present at this first
appearance, met Jesus. This was the second time he was
seen. They came and held him by the feet, and
worshipped him. The time intervening between these
two instances of Christ's appearing to his disciples could
not be long ; yet we find he tells Mary Magdalene not to
touch him, because he had not ascended to his Father;
but when he appears to the company of women, he suffers
them to touch him. May we, or may we not t infer from
this, that Christ, during this interval, ascended to the
Father, made his appearance there, and then returned to
this world ?
Soon after this, probably whilst he lingered on his way
from the sepulchre to the city, Christ appeared to Peter
No one was present during this interview. Great was
the love of Christ in thus appealing to Peter, who had so
basely denied him ! On the same day, on their way to
THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. 20?
Emmaus, were two disciples. Probably they were
returning to their homes, in Galilee, having forsaken the
cause of Christ. As they were walking in sadness, and
were talking of what had recently occurred, Jesus, in
disguise, comes up with them. He inquires the cause of
their sorrow. They tell him, wondering that he had not
heard of it. Then he expounded to them the scriptures,
showing that Christ must needs suffer and rise again. At
their request, he turns into Emmaus with them, breaks
bread, opens then* eyes and behold, before them is the
object of all their solicitude ! Then he vanished out of
their sight. " Did not our hearts burn within us, while
he talked with us by the way," they exclaimed, and rose
up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem. They had
scarce entered the door where the eleven were, before the
exclamation is heard, " The Lord is risen indeed, and hath
appeared to Simon !" They instantly relate how Jesus had
appeared to them in the way, and in the breaking of
bread. This is scarce uttered, before the whole house is
in consternation; they supposed they had seen a spirit.
" Peace be unto you," was his mild salutation. " Behold my
hands and my feet, that it is I myself; for a spirit hath not
flesh and bones, as ye see me have." It was too much !
They could not believe for joy. He ate, and conversed
with them. Thomas was absent at this interview. When
told of it, he protested that, unless he could put his fingers
in the print of the nails, he would not believe. Eight
days after this, the disciples were assembled in the same
room. Evidence this for the observance of the Christian
Sabbath. Thomas was present. Jesus appears in the
midst. Thomas is not upbraided, but is first addressed by
the Saviour. At the request of Jesus, he put his fingers
on the prints of the nails. It is enough. " My Lord and
my God !" was his exclamation. - 1
208 THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST.
After this, Jesus showed himself to his disciples at the
sea of Tiberius. One is almost ready to fear that they
had turned away from the cause of Christ, and had
returned to their old trade. By a miracle, Christ showed
them, that they would be successful in preaching the
Gospel, and then gave them to understand that preaching,
and not fishing, was to be their future business.
Christ had a special meeting with his disciples, by
appointment, on a mountain in Galilee. Here, doubtless,
he made out to them full instructions relative to the
kingdom of heaven, and the spread of the Gospel. In
such sequestered localities, Christ transacted most of the
important business relative to his great mission. After
that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once ;
the greatest number by whom he was seen at one time.
Then he was seen of James ; probably at some important
period. And lastly, he was seen by the eleven, on
Mount Olivet. Here he took his leave of them, to be
seen no more on earth till he comes to judge the world.
Here are eleven times at which he was seen. Not in a
corner, one by one, or during die darkness of night, was
he seen; but by many, and in the most public manner,
did he appear. In Jerusalem and in Galilee, to one, to
the eleven, and to five hundred ; on the mountain top, and
by the sea shore, by the way, and in the room where the
Apostles assembled, did he appear. There could be no
possibility of deception. The times and places at which
he appeared, and the circumstances connected with these
appearances, make fraud impossible; so that we may
exclaim, in the language of the disciples, " The Lord is
risen indeed !"
Let us pause a moment, and contemplate the stupendous
miracle of Christ's resurrection. Having seen the doubts
of the disciples dissipated, we are prepared, with strong
THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. 209
and vigorous faitb, to behold the magnificent sight. The
body of Jesus, lifeless, pale, and cold, was taken down
from the cross, wrapped in the winding sheet, and laid in
the cold rocky sepulchre. A great stone was' rolled to
the mouth of it, to make it sure ; upon this was placed
the governor's seal, and a guard of Roman soldiers over
the grave. Three days and nights did the Son of God lie
under the power of death ; twice did the sun go down on
his grave; twice, at midnight, did the spears of the soldiers
glitter in the moonbeams over his tomb; twice did the
stars, the night sentinels of the sky, look down upon the
holy sepulchre, and Weep tears of essential light; the rude
war songs of the soldiers, all night long, rang in triumph
over the sleeping body of the Saviour I
This was the hour of the triumph of the powers of
darkness. Hell grew darker^ dilating with malicious
triumph. Devils exulted, in prospect of man's ruin.
Pilate, the sanhedrim, and the priests, thought the disturber
was in their own power. Death, rearing his throne of
skulls over the grave of the Son of God, waved his black
sceptre in triumph. He called upon worms and corruption
to come and assist in devouring the mighty captive. They
responded, "We come not; for his soul will not be left
in hell, neither shall his body see corruption."
Deep was the despondency of the disciples; dark and
gloomy their prospects. They suppose that all is lost.
They had forsaken all for Christ. They had trusted, that
he was the one who should redeem Israel ; but he has
been crucified. In the cold grave, watched by soldiers,
he sleeps in death. All, all, they suppose is lost ! Often
when men expect least, they receive most. Go, my soul,
take thy stand over the grave of the crucified Saviour ;
look upon him who lies there in death. Will he live
again ? Will he come forth from the power of the
19
210 THE RESURRECTION OP CHRIST.
grave ? If he rise not, thy hopes are all gone. If he
live not again, thou Oh ! my soul wilt remain in death
for ever. There lie in that grave, thy hopes for life
and immortality.
Scarce had the third morning faintly dawned scarce
had light tinged the portals of the east scarce had the
first melodious strain of the morning bird been warbled
forth, ere the Son of God, a mighty conqueror, arose in
triumph. Bursting the bars of death and the fetters of the
grave, up he rose, a glorious conqueror. He snatched
from death his black sceptre and shivered it in a thousand
pieces over the cross, and then bound the monster death
in chains to his triumphal chariot wheels. Angels sit
around to witness his triumph; the soldiers quake, and
become as dead men; in glory and majesty the mighty
conqueror triumphs, openly, over death, the grave, and
the powers of darkness. He ascends to the right hand of
the Father. " Lift up your heads, O ye gates ; and be ye
lift up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall
come in," he exclaims. Who is the King of glory?
"The Lord, strong and mighty; the Lord, mighty in
battle." I, that have conquered death, and have him
a captive in chains; I, that have redeemed the human
family, I am the Lord of glory. " Lift up your heads, O
ye gates," shout a million of angelic voices, in full chorus ;
" even lift them up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of
glory shall come in!" The risen Saviour enters, while all
heaven is vocal with redemption strains. He proceeds to
the right hand of the Father ; and he that was made a
little lower than the angels is crowned with glory and
honor.
Ours is a living, risen, interceding Saviour. He even
liveth to make intercessions. How encouraging this is to
the Christian. In affliction, in the dark hour of adversity,
THE RESURRECTION OP CHRIST. - 2il
Christ, at the right hand of the Father, lives to make
intercession for his people. In the trying hour of
temptation he remembers, before his Father, all his
followers. With their names engraven on the palms
of his hands those hands pierced by the nails he
presents them to the view of his Father, and entreats
in their behalf. Even the thoughtless, careless sinner,
he remembers. Whilst the unconverted are refusing
submission to him, blaspheming his name, and despising
then- worship r he intercedes for them, saying, " Father,
forgive them, they know not what they do."
Christ arose from the dead. Then will our bodies arise
from the dead. Consoling news ! It falls upon the ear,
like dew upon Mount Hermon; it falls upon the spirit,
like oil on Aaron's head. Now can we lay our friends in
the cold grave, for they shall come forth. Now we can
submit to death. Jesus died, that we might live. We
shall but sleep in death, till Christ comes to take us to
himself.
As Jacob, when he heard that Joseph lived in Egypt,
said that he would go and see him before he died, so may
every Christian, with confidence, say of their Josephs and
Benjamins, that they yet live ; they live in a land of plenty
and abundance, and I will go and see them. To die,
thon, is to live again. It is to live with Jesus, with angels,
and with departed friends and relatives.
The resurrection, applied to those who die in sin, will
be inverted in its power ; instead of the greatest blessing,
it will be the greatest curse. It will be the fitting the soul
and body, in horrid union, for unutterable anguish and
woe. The soul of the impenitent, after death, till the
judgment, will be in a state of suffering. The body wiU
lie in the grave. When the judgment trumpet shall have
sounded, the soul, like a guilty thing started on a fearful
212 . THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST.
summons, will come forth from the prison house of woe.
Convulsed with anguish, swelled with rage, and weeping
tears of blood, it will return to earth, and seek the spot of
earth where the body was interred. Hovering over the
grave, I can, methinks, hear it say, " Come forth, thou
filthy cell of my former iniquity ; come forth, thou hated,
detested companion of my former guilt ; we have sinned
together, we have violated God's commands together
come forth, and partake of my suffering and punishment!"
Lo! the grave rends. Wide open does it cleave. Up
rises the body. It responds to the soul, " Hail, my old
companion ! I know thee well. I hate, I detest, I abhor
thee. Thou horrid, guilty thing, why comest thou hither ?
But I know thy errand. It is but meet. .We sinned
together ; we should be tormented together. Come, let us
unite in perpetual and jarring discord. We lived on
earth in sin and rebellion; it is but proper that we
should together be punished, in that dismal world where
punishment knows no end."
Soul and body unite. Capacitated to the highest
tension of suffering, both are driven away, where hope
never comes. This is the resurrection of the wicked.
" The hour is coming, in the which all that are in the
graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth ; they
that have done good, unto the resurrection of life ; and
they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of
damnation."
SERMON XIII.
ELEMENTS OF~A CHURCH'S PROSPERITY.
BY BET. T. G. KEEN,
Pastor of St. Francis Street Baptist Churclt, Mobile, aiuL Published
at the Request of his Congregation.
" O Lord, I beseech fhee, send now prosperity." Psalm cxviii. 25.
FEW cities present a greater variety of character, than
the one in which we live. Here may be seen, men of
almost every clime of every habit of every religion,
and of no religion all commingled in the various callings
of life. The grand moving power, which appears to
propel all, is the attainment of riches. Every thing is to
be regarded as secondary to this. Even the most pious
have persuaded themselves, that, to aim at worldly
prosperity, is to aspire to greater degrees of holiness.
Such suppose "they are verily doing God's service,"
when all their powers are engrossed in the business of
acquiring wealth. No man, who understands what he is
doing, comes to the great city for ease, or for the sake of
getting rid of care. The object is like that expressed by
James : " I will go into such a city, and buy and sell, and
get gain." There can be no doubt, but the great thing
that brings a city's population together, and that binds
them together, is the hope of amassing riches. Such a
gtate of things affects all classes. Scarcely any stand so
214 ELEMENTS OF A CHURCH'S PROSPERITY.
remote from the scene of busy activity, as not to feel the
impulse, and catch the spirit. All eagerly rush into
the contest all hope to gain a prize of greater or
less value.
There are, however, special periods in the history of
commercial and mechanical pursuits, when the mind,
in spite of itself, throws itself into the future, and
forecasts the probabilities of success. Such a time is
the present. The busy season has opened fully upon
us. It has brought with it, its usual cares, temptations,
and responsibilities. Many of you, after an absence of
several months, have returned to your severaj callings,
and resumed, with your wonted energy, the toils and
hardships of trade. And the question which now presses
itself on the mind, is, "What are my prospects of
success? Shall I gain the end before me] Shall I
prosper V How many, in this assembly, have had, within
the last few weeks, such thoughts as these j and, in regard
to your worldly affairs, have practically said, " O
Lord, I beseech thee, send now prosperity." There is
nothing sinful in such reflections as these, when properly
subordinated to the still higher concerns of eternity. But,
in attempting to calculate the prospects of success in your
worldly interests, have you, at the same time, had a still
greater anxiety for the attainment of spiritual prosperity ?
Insipid, indeed, must be that man's religion, who can be
incessantly directing his energies to the attainment of
the perishable, while comparatively neglectful of the
imperishable.
Dear Brethren, I submit, to-day, a proposition, in
which you all profess a deep concern: Shall the
Church, of which we are members, and to which we
cherish an undying attachment, attain to an increased
prosperity? Are we prepared now, that, after a long
ELEMENTS OF A CUURCu's PROSPERITY. 215
absence, yve have assembled in God's sanctuary, to
press the petition, " O Lord, I beseech thee, send now
prosperity 1"
Many of you have labored, long and faithfully, for
the enlargement of Zion. You have seen this Church
established in troublesome times. From circumstances,
to which it may not be safe for me here to allude, and
over which it would be well to throw the mantle of
forgetfulness, you were essentially excluded from the
sympathy and co-operation of those, who, under other
circumstances, might have afforded you a liberal aid.
Those were days of darkness and despondency in the
history of our denomination in this city. With tearful
solicitude you watched over the movements of Providence,
as you were directed onward in the path of duty. " God
was indeed with you; and you, too, were with him."
From an obscure and unsightly room, did your prayers,
as incense, ascend to the Eternal Throne. Many an hour
of conscious approval of God -many a season of spiritual
rejoicing, was witnessed in that place, whose external
deformity repelled the gaze of the multitude. Your
assemblies were small, but the manifestations of Divine
regard made those assemblies cheerful and joyous.
My "Brethren, although those may have been days of
weakness, they were days of gladness. You would not
have those seasons obliterated from your memory, or
taken from your experience.
But the clouds, which then hung the firmament
with blackness, have been swept away, and the sunshine
of prosperity has, at last, dawned upon us. "With
a comparatively large and vigorous Church, surrounded
by the walls of God's sanctuary with the Bible
unfolded before us with a respectable share of public
sympathy and patronage we would here raise our
216 ELEMENTS OF A CHURCH'S PROSPERITY.
Ebenezer, and say, " Hitherto hath the Lord helped
us." Taking courage from the past, and, with aspirations
for a greater measure of God's goodness we would
renew our petition? " O Lord, I beseech ihee, send
now prosperity" We need still greater efficiency
greater strength a warmer zeal a more vigorous
piety in a word, we still need greater prosperity.
Follow me, then, with your prayers, while I shall attempt
to lay before you, some of the elements of a Church's
prosperity.
First. A pio2ts and enligJitened ministry.
Such is the economy of Christ's kingdom, that
the institution of the Christian ministry is intimately
associated with its prosperity. So closely interwoven
is it, into the very existence of the Church, that,
where the voice of the preacher has long been hushed,
the praises of Zion have died away, and the glory
of the Church has departed. When and where has
religion prospered, in the absence of a faithful ministry ?
On what shore, or in what clime, or in what society,
has the message of Redeeming Love been effectually
published, without its agency? Where have sinners
been reclaimed, and the Church enlarged, independent
of its influence! Where is the promise, that the
Holy Spirit will exercise his life-giving power, separated
from it ? Other means of grace are of vast importance,
and their energy felt in the onward march of God's
spiritual Israel; but the ministry, through the arrangement
of the Great Head of the Church, is the centre,
around which they all revolve* and to which they
are all subordinate. We have only to appeal to the
history of many of our own Churches, for striking
illustrations of this truth. How many congregations,
once flourishing and vigorous, from which the agency of
ELEMENTS OF A CHURCH'S PROSPERITY. 217
a faithful pastor has long since been withdrawn, now
present scarce a trace, to remind a stranger, that
God's praises were once celebrated, his truth fearlessly
proclaimed, and his saints rejoicing in his presence. The
candlestick has either been entirely removed, or its light
so eclipsed, as to emit but a faint and flickering ray.
The prosperity, if not the existence of the Church, has
been totally destroyed !
But the ministry which God approves, and that which
is essential to the prosperity of a Church, is a devoted,
ministry. No greater, curse can befall a Church, than a
prayerless and ungodly ministry. There is nothing which
can atone for deficiency in morals and piety, in the
minister of Christ. How can he successfully inveigh
against sin, when he himself has not seen and felt its evil?
How can he discourse of repentance, when himself a
stranger to contrition? How can he guide the trembling
steps of an inquirer to the hill of Calvary, when he
himself has never sought shelter under its bleeding
victim 1 How can he urge to a thorough consecration of
life, while there is such a wonderful discrepancy in his
own? How can he unfold the map of the celestial
world, and point out the mansions of blessedness, when he
himself has no hope of heaven 1 ? My Brethren, such a
man is as the sign-board, which points the way, but takes
no step itself. By the power of his eloquence, he may
enchain and fascinate the admiring crowd he may talk
loudly of the sparkling gems and golden harps of the
ransomed above ; yet, wanting in piety, all his imposing
gifts and performances become " as sounding brass, or a
tinkling cymbal;" and, with all the finish and elegance,
resemble only the life-like, but lifeless beauty of a corpse,
"laid out in state, and decorated with the pomp of
death."
20
H IS ELEMENTS OF A CHURCH*S PROSPERITY.
The prosperity of the early Churches, was owing much
to the intense piety and glowing zeal of their ministry.
They triumphed in every place. Every false religion fell
lifeless before the power of the doctrines which they
preached. The heathen shrine was demolished the
oracle was abandoned, and the banner of the Cross raised
in triumph on every shore; and cue essential secret of
their might was a holy life. The Apostle might have
inveighed against sin in every city of Greece, for a century
in vain, had not his appeal been accompanied by a vigorous
and manly piety. And the same relation exists now
between the prosperity of a Church and a devoted
ministry, as existed when first the ascending Saviour
delivered his parting precept.
Yet not only a pious, but an intelligent ministry, is an
important element of a Church's prosperity. The next
greatest calamity that can befall a Church to an ungodly,
is an ignorant ministry. Those whom the founder of our
religion selected as its first champions were men of high
attainments. It is a libel upon the Apostolic ministry to
speak of them as ignorant and uneducated. True, when
first they were called from the net, their minds were but
thinly stored with that learning, which was then and ever
has been a high qualification in the Christian minister.
They were, however, at first, even when associated with
the fishermen on the lakes of Galilee, devoting their
energies to a secular calling, men of strong native intellect ;
and all they needed was time for study and development.
Christ made his selection among the illiterate to show, that
he needed not the adornment and artifices of a polished
oratory, to propagate his faith, and push forward the
triumphs of the Gospel. But after he had thus gathered
his disciples from the humble and obscure walks of life,
how did he act ? Were they at once introduced into
ELEMENTS OP A CHURCH'S PROSPERITY. 219
society as his ministers ? Did they at once rush into the
forum, or place of public resort, to discuss the claims of
religion ? No, no ! The Great Teacher kept them close
at his side. They listened to his sublime lectures ; they
witnessed his astonishing miracles ; and they were taught
the true lessons of an heavenly oratory. Three years were
they thus in the school of Christ sometimes on the
mountain height sometimes on the sea shore sometimes
in the thronged city sometimes in the "chamber of the sick
and the dying; were they in the presence of him, who
" spake as never man spake." Their minds were stored
with every necessary truth to illustrate and establish that
system of salvation, which was the theme of their ministry.
No class of ministers have ever entered upon the duties of
active life with better disciplined heads and hearts, than
those who pursued a course of three years study with the
Son of God, and fully graduated on the day of Pentecost.
Let us have such facilities now, and there is not a seminary
in the land that would not at once be deserted, and the
Great Teacher thronged with young aspirants for glory
and immortality.
The ministry of the Reformation too, was a learned
ministry. Those daring spirits that battled with the man
of sin, and brushed away the rubbish which had so long
obscured the purity and lustre of the Christian faith, drank
deep into the fountain of theological learning. No other
men were suited to the emergency. Men of like discipline
are needed now men with their armor fully on, burnished
bright, and flaming in the light of heaven. The day has
gone by, when the great majority of our Churches will be
satisfied with an incompetent ministry. In almost every
State, our communicants are waking up to the importance
of ministerial education, and devising means to afford the
best facilities to those entering upon the responsible calling
220 ELEMENTS OP A CHURCH'S PROSPERITY.
of the Christian ministry ; thus supplying us with a good
illustration of the thoughts we. have been pressing, thai
a pious and enlightened ministry is a prominent element
of a CJmrcJh's prosperity.
Secondly. An enlarged spirit>of benevolence.
I use the term benevolence, here, in its widest and
most unrestricted sense. The system of Christianity
is a system of benevolence ; it emanated from God's
benevolence, and its means and ends are alike benevolent.
As a Church drinks into the same spirit, may she ever
be prosperous and effective. One reason why the
glory of many of our Churches is so often obscured,
is, because of their prevailing selfishness. "They seek
their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's."
They seem to act as if their cause and his were two,
opposite, irreconcilable things ; or, as if they had never
heard of the name, or grace, or claims, of Jesus, they
may be seen pursuing their aims as steadily, and
wasting their substance as selfishly, as the world around
them. No burning desire for the salvation of souls
inflame their breasts. No holy zeal animates them to
deeds of mercy to the perishing. They have no higher
aim than the attainment of worldly ease and prosperity.
Can such a communion be pronounced prosperous? Is
she fulfilling the end of her organization? A true
Church of Christ is pre-eminently a missionary Church.
She is not merely to maintain an existence sustain a
large and fashionable congregation, and liberally support
her ministry; but, to be prosperous, she must be executing
the high commission, with which, in common with the
entire community of believers, she has been entrusted by
the Redeemer of men. The order given to her, and
which she must obey or prove recreant to her Saviour,
is, " Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to
ELEMENTS OF A CHURCH'S PROSPERITY. 221
every creature." To feel an irrepressible anxiety for the
salvation of a lost and ruined world, is her design, her
characteristic vocation.
Now we maintain, that this subject is intimately
connected with the prosperity of our Churches; that
where the doctrine of missions is repudiated, there is a
poor, sickly, and inefficient communion. Look abroad,
and where are those Churches and Associations, once
large and flourishing, but which denounced the work of
sending the Gospel to the destitute, as a work of man's
devising, and withheld their aid where are they? In
many places, so far extinct, that there are not members
sufficient to keep up an anniversary. I tell you, my
brethren, that if a Church would consult her own good,
and look to her own prosperity, she must see to it, that
she is faithfully executing the trust committed to her. The
bread of life, for a famishing world, has been placed
within her hands, and she can but break and dispense
it. She has been appointed a trustee for the world an
executor of a Saviour, who has bequeathed happiness
to men and guardian of the most sacred rights in the
universe.
I learn clearly from the Scriptures, that the spirit of
Christianity is a missionary spirit. I am not to consider
myself as sent into the world merely to get wealth and
enjoy myself. I am the servant of Christ, and must do
my Master's work. I am bought with a price, and am not
my own. I must yield myself up to my Divine proprietor.
I am a soldier, and I am put in requisition by him to
whom I belong. I am called out to service. The trumpet
bids me take my station round the standard, and join my
comrades in arms, to fight the battles of my Lord. The
world is in rebellion and hostility against Christ, and I
must take the field and labor to bring it into subjection to
222 ELEMENTS OF A CHURCH'S PROSPERITY.
him. I am but one; but then, I am one. I cannot do
much, but then I can do something; and all I can do, I
ought, and, by divine grace, will do.
"Christians, view the day
Of retribution! Think how ye; will hear
.; - From your Redeemer's lips, the fearful words,
'Thy brother, perishing in bis own blood,
Thou sawest. Thy brother hungered, was atbirst,
Was naked, and thou sawest it. He was sick,
Thou didst withhold the healing ; was in prison
To vice and ignorance nor did'st thou send
To set him free.' Oh! ere that hour of doom,
"Whence there is no reprieve, brethren, awake
From this dark dream.
"The time of hope
And of probation, speeds on rapid wings,
Swift and returnless. What thou hast to do,
Do with thy might. Haste, lift aloud thy voice,
And publish to the borders of the pit
The Resurrection. Then, when the ransomed come
With gladness unto Zion, thou shalt joy
To hear the valleys and the hills break forth
Before them into singing; thou shalt join
The raptured strain, exulting that the Lord
Jehovah, God omnipotent, doth reign
Over all the earth."
Thirdly. Union among tJie members of the CJmrch.
In his ever-memorable farewell address to his beloved
countrymen, Washington said, " United we stand, divided
we fall." This is equally true in a Church. A greater
than Washington has said, " A house divided against itself
cannot stand." "If ye bite and devour one another,"
says the Apostle Paul, "take heed that ye be not
consumed one of another." Such has been the experience
of Churches in all ages. What an affecting exhibition
of human weakness, has been given to the world, in
those unnecessary and virulent controversies which have
been conducted among the professed followers of
ELEMENTS OF A CHUStUil's PROSPERITY. 223
Christ ! When we see members of the same Church _
arrayed against each other; when we see coldness and
distrust, where there should exist the warmest affection
and Christian confidence, it requires no extraordinary
sagacity to foresee the end. It were just as impossible
for such a Church to prosper, as for our republic, when i
involved in anarchy and civil war. Religion is a unit^aml .
God designs that those who profess it, should show forth
that unity in their respective organizations.
This characteristic of religion is strikingly set forth
under the former economy. When the hosts of Israel,
under the special guidance of Jehovah, were pressing on
toward the land of Canaan, there was but one tabernacle
one pillar of cloud by day, and pillar of fire by night.
And when they had, in triumph, crossed the waters of
Jordan, and were in full possession of the promised
inheritance, there was but one holy city there was but
one temple, in which was deposited the ark of God's
precious covenants ; there was but one altar one shekinaH
one holy, and one most holy place. All was one.
And when Christ came to earth, it was to throw down
" the middle wall of partition," that there might be " one
fold and one shepherd." And the standard around which
the apostles rallied, and which they so successfully
upreared in every land, bore out the inscription, " One
Lord, one faith, one baptism." The early ministers
understood well the lesson, that this oneness of interest
and affection among the members of the Church universal,
in general, and every individual Church, in particular,
was essential to the prosperity of Christ's cause. Hence,
on the first development of a dissension, or controversy,
the strongest measures were used to suppress it.
The Epistles are burdened with exhortations to be
united.
224 ELEMENTS OF A CHURCH'S PROSPERITT,
In the valley of Vision, it was not only necessary, that
life should be infused into each part separately, but aU
must be brought together, with a view to a full and
perfect organization of the whole ; and then, all that was
wanting, was a skilful leader, to conduct them: on to
conquest. So it is not only fit, that ,,the principle of
spiritual life should be implanted in the heart of each one
of us separately, but we must be so harmoniously arranged
and organized, that, under the guidance of the Great
Captain of Salvation, we shall have nothing to do, but to
proceed to victory. When it was demanded of Agesilaus
why Lacedsemon had no walls, it was quickly answered,
" The concord of its citizens is its strength." How true
is this of a Church of Christ. The concord of its members
is its strength. While the Church goes forth in the
strength of the Lord Jehovah, her great reliance is upon
the united action of her members.
"If it be possible, then, my brethren, live peaceably
with all men." "Let the peace of God rule in your
hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body."
" Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory, but, in
lowliness of mind, each esteeming others better than
himself." No sacrifice is too great, that can secure and
promote the Church's harmony. One I>iotrephes may
destroy the peace of a Church. It is a melancholy fact,
that some men must be first, or they will do nothing.
They will rule or rage ; and, the misfortune is, they rage
if they rule. May God ever preserve this Church from
such men!
Fourthly. The enforcement of ajudiciotts and Scriptural
discipline.
When a person leaves the ranks of the wicked, and
unites himself with the people of God, he relinquishes the
gaieties and frivolities of worldly society, and proclaims
ELEMENTS OF A CHURCH'S PROSPERITY. 225
his adherence to the Saviour of sinners. He voluntarily
comes under the restraints of the Church, and professes to
he governed by the laws of Christ. No government will
receive into its' military service, any who will not heartily
abandon the ranks of the enemy, and fully acknowledge
the supremacy of its rightful sovereign. So, when we
enroll ourselves as soldiers of the Cross, we must swear
eternal enmity to every foe, and fearlessly breast the fury
of the enemy. The hosts of God's spiritual Israel, are
still engaged in conflict. The hour of victory has not yet
arrived. The sections of the vast Christian army, true to
then? place, must move steadily on, resolved " to conquer
or to die." To be successful in this contest, the most
accurate and rigid discipline must be maintained. We
have to contend with forces who understand well their
ground, and how to take advantage of their position.
We have to do "with principalities, and powers, and
wickedness, in high places." Every man must be true to
his post. One false recruit may confuse our forces, and,
for a time, retard our progress. See the Israelites on
their way to the promised land. They pass, in triumph,
the waters of the Red Sea. They have escaped the
destructive power of the enemy. Every thing appears
bright and clear before them. They imagine, that soon
they will be in quiet possession of the promised rest.
But suddenly their course is checked. No advance can T>e
made. The camp is filled with despondency and gloom.
What is the cause of the consternation? What enemy
has invaded their ranks? A diligent search is at once
made, and the cause is found to lie within themselves.
One of their number has proved recreant to his trust, and
no advance can be made, till Achan is expelled from the
camp. Here, then, we see, that the sin of one man kept
thousands from marching on to their destined home.
226 ELEMENTS OP A CHURCH'S PROSPERITY.
The prospects of that people were overhung with
blackness, till the offender was removed. So with the
Church of Christ. If the world can but see the Church
sustaining those whose morals are impure, and piety
doubtful, their victory is nearly won. How can that
society be prosperous, which retains within its communion
those whose feelings are at variance with each other;
who are sometimes seen at the theatre, the dance, and
frequently mingling in the various rounds of sinful
pleasure. In vain are appeals made from the pulpit, and
sinners entreated to become reconciled to God. "Give
us," say they, " proof that you yourselves believe, and are
in earnest." But why need I speak of this ? Every true
Church acknowledges the indispensableness of discipline,
as an element of her prosperity. But, my brethren,
while this is admitted in theory, it is wretchedly overlooked
in practice. And when it is observed, it is attended to,
by a greatly disproportioned sensibility. A man, who,
perchance, visits a party of pleasure, is arraigned before
his Church : while another, whose bosom: is rankling with
the passion of avarice, and contributing comparatively
nothing to the cause of Christ, retains a high and
honorable standing. Another, who is found in the dance,
is censured, and may be expelled : while another, who
.fearlessly and shamelessly tramples upon the institution of
the sacred Sabbath, and is found on the steamboat, in the
stage-coach, or in the rail-car, on God's holy day, is,
perhaps, even an officer in the Church. Thus, we see,
there is, oftentimes, the grossest inconsistency in the
very enforcement of discipline. The weightier matters of
the law are totally overlooked ; crimes, which, if generally
practised, would annihilate religion, and destroy even our
civil institutions. Now, what we contend for, as an
element of prosperity, is, a discipline proportioned to
ELEMENTS OF A CHURCIi's PROSPERITY. 227
the magnitude of the offence. Let the dance, fraud,
coyetousness, the violation of the Sabbath, and every
breach of Christian morals, receive its due share
of censure and condemnation. Till this is done, no
permanent prosperity can be enjoyed.
Fifthly. An efficient management of its financial
interests.
Every association formed for good and valuable ends,
requires money. Most organizations require a stipulated
amount to secure admission, and then impose a regular
taxation to meet their current demands. The Church,
however, makes no such absolute call. She exacts no
initiation fee. And, because no such stipulated demand
is made, but little obligation is felt. Now, in worldly
associations, no pretensions of surrender to God are
given : Christianity forms no part or parcel of their
compact; they organize themselves into a body, for
comparatively selfish purposes; they profess to feel no
special concern for any, except members of their own
brotherhood. But, it is far different with the organization
of a Christian Church. The members of such a Church,
profess to .the world an entire consecration of themselves
to the Lord, in an everlasting covenant : like the giving
up of a victim for sacrifice, under the Levitical law
nothing was withheld all was surrendered. So, by
the mercies of God, we profess to have offered ourselves,
as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to him, as our
reasonable service. What, my brethren, does such an
offering include ? In the primitive Church, all felt they
had given tJiemselves to the Lord. It is reasonable to
suppose, that, when a man of such pretensions offers
himself to the Church, that he designs doing all in his
power, with his money, example, and influence, for the
advancement of Zion. He will do this, or falsify his
228 ELEMENTS OF A CHURCH ; S PROSPERITY.
implied promises. And here we have the ground for
Church discipline, in the case of such members as refuse
to sustain their proportionate part of the pecuniary
burden of the Church. A man should be excluded for an
absolute refusal of this sort, with as much unanimity and
promptness, as if he had committed a gross immorality.
Both are a palpable violation of the law of Christ, both
will bring disgrace and ruin upon the Church, and
each should call for immediate excommunication, if
persisted in.
I have only to appeal to your own experience and
observation to attest the truth of what I am saying. How
many shameful Church meetings have you witnessed at
different places, growing out of the finances of the
Church ? How much wrangling and animosity, because
of the refusal of members to pay their proportionate
amount ? In our Churches, perhaps, more strife has been
engendered, because of a slovenly management of their
financial interests, than from any other one cause. Here
is a Church, that through a judicious committee, reckon
their current expenses at a given sum. An effort is at once
made to raise the proposed amount. A few members
appreciate their privileges and obligations, and nobly act
their part. The balance, enjoying just as many privileges,
and under just as many obligations as they, look carelessly
on, and withhold their aid. Here is another Church, that
adopt a different system of meeting their pecuniary
obligations. An assessment is made upon the pews -an
opportunity is extended to families to secure seats, where
they may sit quietly together in the worship of God.
Numbers are taken both by communicants and others
while many look coldly on, and oppose the measure, as
inconsistent with the spirit and genius of the Grospel.
Unfortunately, with few exceptions, such opposition comes
ELEMENTS OF A CHURCH'S PROSPEBITY. 229
from quarters, not remarkable for liberality, according to
any system. Now, how is a Church long to prosper under
circumstances like these? What must be the feelings
engendered ? What confidence can be reasonably reposed
in the moral integrity and piety of such delinquents ?
Are they entitled to Christian sympathy? Do they not
virtually falsify their most sacred vows, and as such forfeit
our esteem ? The fact is, a Church retaining many such
in her communion, has not many years to live, until the
inscription may appropriately be enstamped upon the
walls of her sanctuary, " Her glory is departed" Happy,
indeed, is that Church, whose financial affairs are so
conducted, as to be borne willingly and impartially.
Sixthly. A proper sense of our individual responsibilities.
One serious obstruction, which opposes the onward,
march of the Church, is, that the individual is lost in the
mass. We oftentimes talk about the Church, as. if it were
some ideal organization of which we formed no part.
The coldness of the Church, the remissness of the Church;
are topics of frequent remark, by Church members, when
they do not once think of their being constituent members
of that Church. They would not thus speak slightingly
and. disparagingly of their own families, because they feel
their own individual relationship. Now, what we need is
to realize our individuality. When struggling for salvation,
we understood and felt this. The question we then
pressed, with all the earnestness of a soul conscious of
guilt, was, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?"
" What must J do to be saved ?" " Lord, save, or I
perish !" We then felt our personal danger, and lost sight
of the multitude, in our struggle for salvation. We should
love the Church, and feel for it, by honorably acting our
part. The great inquiry of us all individually should be,
"What is my state?" "What am J doing?" "What
30 ELEMENTS OF A CHURCIl's PROSPERITY.
progress am J making ?" It is an easy thing to talk about
the Church, but altogether a different matter to realize our
individual relation to the Church. Whenever a Church
becomes distracted, die question of each one to himselfj in
the presence of God, should be, " What have I done to
interrupt the harmony of God's people ? If I have had
no agency in it, what can I do to effect a union 1" When
a Church becomes cold, and Zion languishes, the question
of each should be, "Is my heart right in God's sight?"
"Am J living in the honest and conscientious discharge of
private and public duties ?" Do I feel an intense anxiety
for the eternal salvation of souls, now dead in sin ]" " Am
I earnestly and perseveringly praying for God's power
and glory to be displayed in the sanctuary 1"
Now, it is to be known and recollected, that, what is the
business or vocation of the Church, is the business or
vocation of every one of its members. " In the movements
and action of the body, there is the movement and action
of each limb, organ, and sense, and all animated by the
one vitalizing, guiding, and impulsive soul; and each
contributes its measure of service in accomplishing
whatever is achieved." There was no more and no other
obligation, resting on the conscience of the Apostle Paul,
viewed merely as a Christian, than rests now upon the
conscience of each member of the Church. If you ask,
then, by whom the high destiny of the Church is to be
fulfilled 1 the answer comes directly back by you. You
each one of you, constitutes the Church, at least, in
part; and in part, the Church's business lies with you.
Let us, then, never lose sight of our individuality,
remembering, that "every one must give an account of
himself to God."
Seventhly. A practical exemplification of religion in all
tile relations of life.
ELEMENTS OF A CHURCH'S PROSPERITY. 231
This would seem to include all that we have said ; yet
we wish to insist more fully upon this, as a distinct element
of a Church's prosperity. It has been well said, " Eveiy
Church is intended to be a light of the world, not only by
its creed, but by its conduct. Holiness is light, as well as
truth ; creeds, confessions, and articles, except as they are
sustained by their practical influence in the fruits of
righteousness, do little good; they may be as the flame
which is to illumine a dark world, but the misconduct of
those, by whom they are professed, so beclouds the glass
of the lamp, with smoke and impurity, that no light comes
forth, and the lamp itself is unsightly and offensive. T-6
receive or retain unholy persons, as members of our
Churches, is a fearful corruption of the Church of Christ,
which was ever intended to be a congregation of faithful
men -a communion of saints."
Christianity is pre-eminently practical. It is not only to
be seen in the great congregation, but it must go with us,
beyond the enclosure of GJ-od's sanctuary, into all the
departments of active life. It tells us "whatever things are
true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report, think
on these things, and practice them." Travellers tell us,
that, the Chinese set up the object of their worship, not
only in their temples, but in their shops. If, then, the
nations, that have never been enlightened by revealed
religion, acknowledge the presence of their divinities, not
only in their religious, but secular callings; how much
more should we acknowledge the authority of God in all
the circumstances and relations of life. If the Church
would be honored and esteemed, her members must carry
their religion with them into all the transactions of worldly
business. It must control us in all sales, bargains, and
contracts : it must forbid all falsehood, fraud, .and artifice ;
all selfishness and grinding extortion, and thus impress
232 ELEMENTS OF A CHURCH'S PROSPERITY.
those with whom we are associated, with the loftiness of
our principles, and the purity of our intentions. Religion
does not consist merely, of prayers, sermons, and
sentiments ; but of supreme love to God, and subordinate
love to man, running out into all the endless varieties of
application and operation, of which these sacred affections
are susceptible.
Now, unfortunately, for the Church of Christ, many
of its members have no other idea of religion than the
performance of devotional exercises, or the indulgence
of devotional feelings ; forgetting, that a good temper,
the payment of debts, the fulfilment of contracts, the
forgiveness of injuries, the duties of home, are as truly
a part of religion as the observance of the Sabbath, or the
celebration of the Lord's Supper.- Like the blood of our
corporeal system, which does not confine itself to two or
three large arterial ducts, but which diffuses itself through
a thousand different channels warming, vitalizing and
pouring the tide of life into innumerable vessels, many .of
them almost too minute to be seen. My brethren, this is
the religion the world expects of us, and will not be
satisfied with anything short of it. This is the religion
which honors the Church, and secures her full prosperity.
This is an argument in proof of the purifying influence
of the Gospel, which no stratagem or sophistry of infidelity
can overthrow. Now, I repeat, this is what the world
looks for. They demand of us, that we carry our religion
into everything, whether ice meet the demand or not. . Do
they reproach us with inconsistency only when we neglect
private or public prayer ? No. What do they know or
care about such matters? But when professors are
passionate, revengeful, and malicious ; when they are
shuffling, artful, and fraudulent; when they are slippery,
treacherous, and evasive; when they are unkind,
' ELEMENTS OP A CHURCH'S PROSPERITY. 233
unamiable, and oppressive; then it is that they tauntingly
exclaim, "/* this your religion?" The Church of the
Redeemer is dishonored, and the Saviour left bleeding in
the house of his friends, with a fresh crucifixion. O may
we aspire to that perfect symmetry of character, which
carries conviction to all around, that " we are honest in the
sacred cause;" that character in which religion is seen,
giving devotion and zeal to the Christian; affection to the
husband; justice and truth to the tradesman; patriotism
and loyalty to the citizen; fondness to the father;
gentleness to the neighbor ; kindness to the master ; and
charity to all. Such a character will shed a holy radiance
on all around, and constrain the world to acknowledge the
glory and efficacy of religion. O that our Churches
were composed of such members; then speedily would roll
on that happy period, when heaven and earth shall unite in
swelling the triumphant chorus, "Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth !"
Thus have I endeavored, my brethren, to set before you
some of the elements of a Church's prosperity. Other
points, of perhaps equal force with those named, might
have been pressed ; but, it is feared, that your patience may
already be exhausted. I cannot close this subject, however,
without urging on your attention one or two thoughts
which grow out of the subject discussed.
1. We learn, from what has been presented, that
numerous accessions to our Churches do not necessarily
increase their prosperity.
To the sincere and zealous Christian, it is always a
cause of devout rejoicing, to witness the power of divine
grace, in subduing the hearts of the impenitent, and
bringing them into cordial subjectiqn to the Gospel of
C hrist. We delight to see the feast of the Saviour thronged
with willing guests. But such is the deceitfulness of sin
21
234: ELEMENTS OF A CHURCH'S PROSPERITY.
and the treachery of the human heart, that a desire to see
our own particular Church increased, so as to stand forth,
a strong and successful rival with other Churches, is
oftentimes mistaken for a real solicitude for the salvation
of souls. Our sectarian predilections are, at times, so
overpowering, as to create within us a morbid sensibility
and false zeal for the enlargement of our Churches.
Numbers are thus hastily brought in, whose hearts and
heads have never been sufficiently disciplined by the
Spirit and truth of God, to qualify them for the sacred and
responsible duties of Church members. The moral power
of the Church, instead of being increased, is essentially
diminished. My brethren, I have only to refer to the
want of efficiency in many of our Churches, in support
of what I am saying. How vastly disproportionate is
the increase of moral power, in our Churches, to
their numerical increase I How many pious ministers
could be permanently and adequately sustained; how
large would be the monied appropriations to our various
benevolent institutions, were any thing like the effort used
to increase the moral, as the numerical strength of our
Churches.
2. A ChwrcJi, embodying in her communion the elements
of which I have spoken, iciU command the esteem of
community.
My brethren! why is it, that, in so many of our cities
and large towns, our Churches are so depressed, and call
forth so little sympathy and respect of community? I
know it is often attributed to the opposition of other
Churches, and, not unfrequently, of society, to our
denominational peculiarities. This is, certainly, a very
quick and summary method of solving the question. And
then the convenience of this arrangement is, that no
correction is requisite. But is it true.] I answer*
ELEMENTS OF A CHURCH'S PROSPERITY. 235
unhesitatingly, No. Our sentiments, in themselves, are
adapted to call forth the respect of community, as
effectually, as those of any other people. The great
difficulty, in these places, is, that our Churches do not
respect themselves. But let them be supplied with a
competent ministry; let them possess, at all times, an
enlarged spirit of benevolence ; be united ; manage, with
efficiency, their financial interests ; realize their personal
obligations ; and carry their religion into all the various
transactions of life; and our Churches will be as highly
esteemed, and as commanding in their influence on society,
as those of any other order.
tt has been eloquently said, " Let our Churches appear
in that sublime majesty, that heavenly glory, that spotless
purity* and that effective beneficence* which it is her
prerogative to put on. Let them be only seen, as a seraph
from the skies, pure, united, benevolent, consistent, ah
image of God ; and then, though they may be too holy for
the carnal heart to love, they will still command respect
and admiration. Men will not turn from them with
disgust and aversion, as from a spirit of falsehood and
mischief; they will not insult and despise them ; but will
consider it as a species of profanity to treat them with
rudeness and scorn. It is the feeble, distorted, and crippled
form, in which many of our Churches have too generally
appeared; the worldliness of their spirit, so strangely
contrasted with the heavenliness of their profession ; the
loftiness of their pretensions, with the lowliness of their
practice, which has oftentimes brought upon them the scorn
and indignation of community." Let a Church fulfil her
high obligations, and God will compel men to do her
homage. He will bring her foes to her feet, and make
them feel how she is honored of rod> and how " awful
goodness is/' . .
36 ELEMENTS OP A CHURCH'S PROSPERITY.
3. Are we willing to labor and pray for the 'prosperity
of Zion?
Remember, that after aH our efforts, God is our
strength. From him, are we to derive those sacred
influences, without which our Church must languish and
die. This truth is recognized in our text, "O Lord, I
beseech tkee, send now prosperity." Our Zion the
particular Church to which we belong, through our
remissness, may fall under the just indignation of a
righteous God. The candlestick may be removed. Local
Churches, because of their unfaithfulness, have been
displaced. Where now are those Christian societies, to
which the Apostles inscribed their epistles ? "Where is
the Corinthian Church, so affectionately addressed, and yet
so boldly reproved, by the great Apostle of the Gentiles ]
Where is the Philippian Churcn? where the Collossian?
where the Thessalonian ? the letters to which prove how
cordially Christianity had been embraced, and how
vigorously it once flourished, among them ? Where are
the " seven Churches of Asia," respecting which, we are
assured, that they were once strenuous in piety, and gave
promise of permanence in Christian profession and
privilege ? Where now are these Churches 1 How true
it is, that God, in his righteous displeasure, caused the light
of his countenance to be withdrawn countries, where once
the light of Christianity . shone forth, in its richest
effulgence cities, where once, the Gospel exerted its
life-giving power lands on which prophets delivered their
sublime predictions and where priests made atonement
from these, has every vestige of pure religion been
obliterated, and the Cross been supplanted by the
Crescent. My brethren: could we read the history of
these Churches, we should find that they left their first
love, grew lukewarm in religion, became involved in
ELEMENTS OF A CHURCH'S PROSPERITY. 237
angry controversy^ false doctrines superseded the true
the great purposes for which they were organized, lost
sight of, till God, in his wrath, gave forth the sentence,
" Let the candlestick be removed out of his place." God
grant that no such appalling calamity shall ever befal this
Church! O let us, with increased energy, labor for the
permanent prosperity of Christ's cause and the salvation
of souls !
But while the prosperity of a particular Church may
be interrupted, and the Church itself displaced ; yet, the
Church universal shall stand for ever. No influence in
the universe shall overthrow it. Hear, O Zion ! the word
of the Lord, and rejoice in his salvation. " No weapon
that is formed against thee shall prosper, and every tongue
that shall rise against thee, in judgment, sbalt thou
condemn." " The Lord thy God, in the midst of thee, is
mighty. He shall be a wall of fire round about thee, and
the glory in the midst of thee." The Church is safe,
though nothing else may be. Let infidelity utter its
blasphemies, and false philosophy its sophistries, and
popery its anathemas,' yet the Church will remain a
standing proof of the Saviour's declaration, " Upon this
rock will I build my Church, and the gates of hell shall
not prevail against it." Let no man's heart tremble ; let
no man's spirit fail him; let no man's brow gather
despondency. The vessel has indeed been launched ; the
waves dash over her ; the tempest rages high ; the storm
gathers on every side ; but she rides, majestically on
towards the port of her eternal destiny. My brethren,
Christ Jesus is at the helm, and the vessel can never be
lost, unless the pilot perish. " Christ loved the Church,
and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse
it with the washing of water by the word ; that he might
present it to himself, a glorious Church, not having spot or
238 ELEMENTS OF A CHURCH'S PROSPERITY.
wrinkle, or any such thing ; but that it should be holy and
without blemish."
"Clothed with the son and in her train the moon,
And on her head a coronet of stars,
And girding round her waist, with heavenly grace,
The how of mercy bright, and in her hand
Immannera cross, her sceptre and her hope."
SERMON XIV.
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST.
BY BEV. MILTON BIRD
Editor of the Theological Medium, and Watchman and Evangelist.
" For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ : for it is the power of
God unto salvation, to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and
also to the Greek." Rom. i. 16.
WHERE the unseen world was no subject of concernment,
riches, pomp, and glory, the alone object of admiration
the height of genius and learning, united with the
greatest profligacy of conduct ; where such is the temper
and tone of the community, it would not be strange, if a
religion, which demands severe self-denial, teaches that
the world of sense is vanity and vexation of spirit, and
appeals to the fears and hopes of the invisible world, to
stir the fountain of thought, and touch the springs of action
in the soul, should meet with the scowling brow and
curling lip of contempt, instead of the willing mind and
open heart to receive it.
But, be this as it might, Paul says, "I shall not be
ashamed of the gospel of Christ, even at Rome" This
sentiment leads him into the great theme of his preaching
to' the Romans salvation alone to be obtained by faith in
Jesus Christ.
The gospel of Christ claims our attention :
First. It is a revelation from God to man.
240 THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST.
Secondly. As the law was designed to secure the
highest happiness, without sin ; so the gospel is fitted to
accomplish this design, after the introduction of sin.
Thirdly. The sinner is instated in eternal felicity by
faith, which is the alone condition of salvation.
Fourthly. We ought to believe the gospel without
shame, and boldly maintain our profession of it.
First. The gospel is a revelation from God to man.
The idea of God lies at the root of the gospel. The
design of the gospel is, to unfold the true God to man,
acting according to the principles of his nature, and with
the regard due to his character, his law, and government.
The gospel reveals the medium, through which God's real
disposition towards sin is seen in such a way, as to
demonstrate, that the exercise of pardon, and the grant
of forgiveness, are in consistency with the dignity of
government, and the authority of law. The gospel shows
the only way, by which men may escape the curse of the
law. It lays the foundation of hope, for all who have just
views of the divine law, and the moral state of man. Blot
it out, and we are lost for ever. Not a single ray from
any other scheme will dart through the gloom of our
prison-house, to cheer us, to disenthral from our chains,
and enlighten our path to freedom, to holiness, and glory*
To change the imagery, we are left like an unpiloted ship,
driven by the winds over the pathless ocean. Aside from
the gospel, not one star of hope appears. The doctrine of
atonement gives to the gospel scheme its chief superiority,
and distinguishes it from all others. The manner in which
the atonement is explained, or conceived, gives a peculiar
complexion to all the doctrines of the gospel. Christ is
the great Sun of righteousness, in the centre of the system
in which " life and immortality are brought to light," and
the light of the knowledge of the glory of God bursts
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST 211
forili, and shines through the wastes of death, and discovers
man restored from -ruin, rejoicing in life, and dressed in
the robes of immortality.
Unassisted by the gospel, men, from the foundation of
the world, have been stupid idolaters. The light of nature,
or, what is called natural religion, wholly fails in the
knowledge of those things most essential to man. Though
in the stupendous and splendid fabric of the universe, G-od
has hung out the ensigns of his wisdom and power ; yet,
he has not here exhibited those perfections which it is
most essential for fallen man to know. The pale and
feeble rays of nature's light, afford no sufficient knowledge
to guide mankind to happiness. In respect to what is the
nature of sin and holiness? the nature of acceptable
worship ? the certainty of a future state of rewards for the
righteous, and punishments for the wicked ? Is God
merciful, can he consistently pardon sin, will he actually
do it, on any conditions ? The religion of nature cannot
respond. The light of nature is darkness visible. Atheism
is a universal blank. It is a dark sea of oblivion. The
utmost researches of the ancient philosophers, respecting
the Supreme Being, demonstrated that "the world, by
wisdom, knew not God." To their researches, the deists
of modern times have added nothing valuable, except what
they have derived from the gospel, which they profess to
reject. They being ignorant, as all must necessarily be, of
the moral perfections of God, while destitute of revelation,
jthey can ascertain no immutable law of conduct for rational
creatures, nor can they exhibit any definite motives to the
practice of virtue. Hence, pure deism, as to the high end
of man's existence, has very little advantage over atheism ;
perhaps it has none; for, though it admits a God, it
: cannpt tell what he is ; it cannot explain his nature ; of
course, it cannot be much superior to that scheme which
22
242 THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST.
admits no God, and, therefore, cannot explain any thing.
The truth is, none but God could know his own perfections
and designs, and none but he could disclose them. There
is sufficient evidence to evince, to an unprejudiced mind,
the necessity and propriety of a supernatural revelation.
The gospel is such a revelation ; it supplies the deficiency
of the law of nature, and presents knowledge, and a
mode of instruction adapted to the state and capacity of
our race.
Secondly. As the law was designed to secure the
highest happiness, without sin ; so the gospel is. fitted to
accomplish this design, after the introduction of sin.
The objects of our knowledge are God, nature, and man.
We derive our knowledge of God, especially of what are
called his moral perfections, from divine revelation. God
alone can know and comprehend his own determinations ;
and none but he can reveal them. In our knowledge of
nature and man, we must be guided wholly by facts, by
observation, and experience. In nature, we see what
God does ; in revelation, why he does it. Reason is the
proper instrument of truth. Nature is an external display
of God. It is a system of living laws, flowing from God j
and, in their endless variety of combinations and results,
producing all possible effects, except those which are
peculiar to Almighty Power. The whole of visible'nature
is comprised in matter and motion. These have their
origin in one common principle; and that principle is
power. This originates, modifies, preserves, perfects, and
dissolves, every portion of temporary nature. The visible
universe is a theatre of effects, which proceed from
adequate causes. The study of nature is the best
preparation for the reception of revelation.
It is worthy of remark, that designing wisdom is no
where more legible, than in the wonderful adjustment of
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. 243
man's interior construction to his exterior condition. God
exhibits, in his constitution, an epitome of the universe.
He is allied to matter by his corporeal frame; to the
whole vegetable and animal world, by his animated
organization; to God, and all intelligent beings, by his
moral and intellectual powers. On the one hand, he
ranks with the highest angel that burns before the throne
of God ; and, on the other, with the meanest worm that
crawls on the earth. He was placed in the temple of
nature as the priest and the monarch.
God could govern man by force. But he would cease
to be a moral, accountable creature. Law, then, is
essential to moral government. The government which
God exercises over his rational creatures, is not a
government of force, but of law. Nothing, therefore, can
take place under the government, that is contrary to, or
inconsistent with, the real meaning and authority of law.
The obedience required of the subjects, is urged by the
promise of reward to the performer, and the threatening
of punishment to the transgressor.
The law is a delineation of perfect rectitude, and was
designed to govern the whole man, by inspiring right
motives, and producing an entire correspondence between
them and external actions. Love is the fulfilling of the
law. All real and acceptable obedience flows from pure
love to God. Any action, therefore, either mental or
external^ which does not proceed from this fountain,
comes under the denomination of disobedience, or sin.
If man be not a moral agent, if he have not ability to
obey, it does not appear that he can be capable of
disobedience. As the principle of obedience is love to
God, so that of disobedience is alienation from him. Love
is conscious of God as its highest object, and all other
beings in their relation to him ; and it becomes the
244 THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST.
creative principle of a life of piety and virtue. In
alienation, there is consciousness of self-seeking, which
gives self the place of God ; and it becomes the principle
of a life of impiety and vice, in all their modifications.
Sin is atheism. It denies God. It strikes at his law,
government, and character, and, consequently, at all good,
and all happiness. Sin originates not in God's will, not
in any deficiency in his government, but in voluntary
deviation from his law. Sin is a reality. It is a fact
of human experience, fei his consciousness of guilt,
depravity, and misery, man attributes sin to himself as its
cause ; and he is, therefore, conscious of a condemnatory
sentence of the law, asserting the loss of God's favor, and
exposure to punishment. The law is a part of human
consciousness, and is revealed to all men, as a law
proceeding, not from the arbitrary, but the reasonable
will of God, and implying a self-revelation of God to his
moral creatures. " For when the Gentiles, which have
not the law, do, by nature, the things contained in the law,
these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves :
which show the work of the law written in their hearts,
their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts
the meanwhile accusing, or else excusing one another."
Romans ii. 14, 15.
As a transgression of law, sin is moral evil ; and, as a
want of conformity of inner principle to law, it is moral
evil. It is to the domain of the will that sin belongs, and
it is existing opposition to moral law. It originates in the
abuse of free-will, and is essentially irrational. Right
choice is subordinated to the law. The omnipotence of
God supplies the conditions of right choice. Moral
agency begins with moral liberty, which includes the
capacity of wrong choice. The power of an accountable
creature, given by God to man, was intended for good,
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. 245
but was capable of being perverted to evil. Thus, in
the limited independent self-organization of the creature,
the possible existence of sin is conceivable. Its actual
existence can only arise out of the abuse of that power.
Sin is neither founded in the dualistic principle, nor in the
will of God. It can exist only on the supposition of good
as primitive. Good is eternal ; evil is not. Right is older
than wrong. Truth is older than error. God is light,
and in him is no darkness. That sin exists, is no
argument either against the goodness, power, or wisdom
of God. His wisdom did not contrive and design it ; his
power did not create it ; because his goodness could not
prompt him to choose it. Nothing stronger can be urged,
than that God permitted it, not that he fore-ordained it, as
some argue.
Sin is not a defect of being, but an alienation of being
from God. This doctrine is consistent with the facts of
moral consciousness. Sin is not a mere privation of good,
resting on the necessary difference between the Creator
and all creatures, as Leibnitz contended. His supposition
issues, in the horrid consequence of making God the
author of sin, and would diffuse it as widely, and continue
it as long as created existence. Spinoza inculcated the
principle, that virtue lies in being, in power, in quality of
existence. This principle, if we mistake not, is echoed in
Goethe and Carlyle. In the metaphysical fog of the
doctrine of philosophical necessity, Augustine, Calvin, and
Edwards, lost the path of sound doctrine, which preserves
the antithesis between sin and holiness. By the Scriptural
part of their creed, and the depth of their piety, they
escaped the evil consequences of the false philosophy
which they advocated. Sin, we repeat, is not a pitiable
ignorance of man's highest good ; it is a wilful choice of
known error. A perversion, not a defect of being.
246 THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST.
Sin is not the offspring of sense. Not a mal-adjustmeut
of the component parts of our nature to each other, but a
perverted relation of our whole nature to God. It lies
not in our lower or animal nature, with its susceptibilities
and desires. The impulses of sense are only the occasion,
not the cause of sin. Why does the will improperly yield
to sense ] Not from the pleasure of the lower impulse ;
for the pleasure of the higher ought to overrule it. If the -
will is not its own law, it must be owing, either to a
chosen perversion, or to an inherent weakness of the will.
If the former, the theory of sense must be abandoned. If
the latter, it runs into fatality, or the iron chain of motive
and action, stretching from the beginning to the end of
our empirical existence. This view cuts up the gospel
doctrine of atonement and salvation, as also the doctrine of
a judgment, by the roots, and gives them a phantom-like
character.
The theory which assumes that sin was needful, and
must exist as a contrast to holiness, that it might . be
known and developed, was admitted by the Pantheism of
the East, and the hyper-predestination of the West. It
represents God as sacrificing one part of his offspring, to
increase the happiness of the rest, and to display his own
glory. It introduces sin into the world, as one of the
infinite series of steps necessary to lead to the glory of
God, and to secure the happiness of a part of his creatures.
In this theory, sin is pre-supposed to account for its, own
existence. It assumes, that sin gives life and energy to
holiness, and sends forth the destroying angel as the
messenger of salvation. That love is soporific and insipid,
without an infusion of the acid of malice to give it
sweetness, is quite a mistake. The influence of holiness
is independent of that of sin. Truth is not dependent on
error for its influence. Deity borrows none of his glory
THE OSPEI. OF CHRIST- 247
from the devil. Contrast, in its purest form, may exist
without sin. The human body is not strengthened by
fever. To diet on poison, does not increase the vital
power of the healthy man. The experience of violent
antagonism, is not needful to produce happiness. The
law of love is utterly inconsistent with the necessity of sin.
It betrays, certainly, a singular poverty of conception, to
picture sin as heedful, where love reigns, and lays open
all hearts to each other. An attempt to measure all
possible systems by one's actual experience, is a great
error. Good can exist without evil, and contrast without
contrariety. In his government of the world, God does
not doom some to sin, that others might reach the climax
of holiness, and that he might glorify himself. The
doctrine which teaches that he does this, ends in Pantheism
and stera necessity, and nullifies the gospel. It is in
conflict with the moral intuition of the human mind, and
the showing of the Bible on the subject. Sin is both a
state and act of insubordination to the law, emanatino-
from the Supreme Will. It has no foundation in that
will ; but is founded on free-will in the creature, and
admits of no theoretical deduction from the sovereign will
of God.
Sin is the state, or act, of a will opposed to the will of
God. He could not choose it, unless he does it without
a will, or act against his will, and actually sin himself.
Such a supposition would un-deify Him: it would land in
atheism.
Being, in its essence, love, the law of the moral world
tends, in its own nature, to secure holiness in all reasonable
or accountable creatures. Sin has no foundation in it.
If all comply with its requirements ; if all love God with
all the heart, and their neighbor as themselves, there is no
place left for sin or misery. These have their origin in a
248 TUB GOSPEL OP CHRIST.
deviation from the divine law. This deviation, and the
law, cannot originate in the same will. Therefore, the
root of sin can neither be traced to the will, above law,
nor to that always conformed to law; but to the will,
transgressing the law. It denies God, strikes at his
government and character, and, consequently, at all
happiness.
We learn what G-od designs and means, by what he
does, as well as by what he says. Anterior to creation-,
nothing exterior to God existed. The reason, then, why
any thing was created, must be sought for in the Creator.
That reason must lie in his own choice and pleasure, and
not to the thing to be created. God was under no
necessity to create ; if he was, that necessity must have
been eternal ; and this would lead to the same reason for
the existence of things, as for the existence of God. God,
as he is eternal involves, in his own nature, the cause of
his existence : " I am that I am." Not so with any thing
created. The highest excellency is God himself. If so,
then, in the highest benevolence, he must have a supreme
regard to himself. It is inconsistent for infinite wisdom
and goodness, to prefer an inferior to a superior object.
In all his works, God acts with a supreme regard to his
own glory. More happiness is secured by a display of
his infinite excellence, than could be by any thing else.
Creation has added nothing to the actual sum of holiness
and happiness; for these, wherever found, are only
streams from the eternal, exhaustless fountain. In creation
and providence, God designed to diffuse and communicate,
in different forms, that infinite fullness which dwelt in
himself. Sin did not, and cannot, dwell there. It is
antagonistic to his purpose. It was not the object of his
choice. God chose to give existence to intelligent
agents, whose capacity to receive holiness and happiness.
THE GOSPEt OP CHRIST. 249
involved the liability of perversion, in the exercise of
free-will. He did not need sin, as a means to execute his
great design in creation. But, foreseeing it would actually
exist, he determined to overrule it, that it should not rob
him of his glory, nor man of happiness, unless he chase
obstinately to continue in sin ; and thus oppose the gospel,
as well as the law, and bring upon himself endless misery.
As before remarked, the law tends to secure the highest
happiness, without sin, and the gospel to secure it after
the introduction of sin.
We have endeavored to arrive at a correct view of sin,
that we may rightly apprehend the propriety, necessity,
and nature of the atonement. If the physician knows the
nature and character of the disease, he can the more
readily make up his judgment of the nature and character
of the remedy.
Sin involves man in guilt, depravity, and -misery. To
save him from misery, his guilt and depravity must be
removed. Righteousness and holiness are necessary to
salvation. The former to legalize it, and the latter to
qualify for its enjoyment.
The Gospel has immediate respect to the law of God,
the moral state of man, the ultimate and chief end of God,
in creation. The transgressor cannot tear himself from
God's government. His guilty conscience links his spirit
to the law, and the Eternal throne. His doom is as
absolute under the government of God, as the original
demand of the law itself. The law condemns, but cannot
save the guilty. Under the law, the condition of
justification is unsinning obedience. As fallen, man
cannot fulfil this condition. By his own exertions merely,
he can neither remove guilt, nor destroy the reigning
power of sin. The tendency of guilt, in itself, is
to increase, not diminish. There is no recuperative
250 THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST.
tendency in moral depravity, in itself it waxes worse and
worse.
Here look at the government which God administers
over his rational creatures. It is such as lias been
brpught into operation by infinite wisdom, which must
discern and choose the best; by infinite goodness, which
must prompt to the best ; and by infinite power, which
can execute the best. It is, unquestionably, the best
possible. It is not a government of force, but of law.
Nothing arbitrary or inconsistent with the real import and
authority of law, can take place under this government.
If God governed by force, creatures would cease to be
moral or accountable. Moral agents are under the
administration of moral law. In a good and well
balanced government, the legislative and executive parts
of it must coincide.
Sinners cannot be forgiven, without something to fulfil
the real meaning of the law, and to support government.
We cannot conceive a greater absurdity, than the.
supposition, that God can govern the moral world by
law, without carrying it into execution. Where guilt is
contracted, there must be punishment, or its substitute; it
cannot be cancelled without a substitute for it. To
pardon guilt without securing the end of punishment, is to
give up government, to repeal and annul law. To say
that God can govern his rational creatures without
punishment, is the same thing as to assert, that he can
govern them without law. But law is essential to
government, and penalty is equally essential to law. A
law which has no penalty, or, which is the same, a law
that is not executed, ceases to be a law. It loses all its
force, and is not even respected as mere advice. Reward
is promised to the performer of the law's requirement;
punishment is threatened to the transgressor. Qn the one
THE GOSPEL .OF CHRIST.
hand, we behold the Great Legislator, promulging his law,
and enforcing it with penal sanction; on the other, the
whole system of rational beings, receiving that law as an
unalterable rule of righteousness. Man commits sin. He
incurs the penalty, for the execution of which God's
justice and truth are pledged. If God, instead of
punishing, pardons and saves from the penalty, where is
his justice? Where is his truth? Where is the regard
due to his law, his character, and government? If he
punish, where is his mercy? Where is his goodness?
These difficulties make a gordian knot in theology. We
would not, by violence, cut it asunder; but let the gospel
fairly untie it.
Man, as fallen, cannot be saved on the ground of his own
perfect obedience. If he undertake to endure the penalty
of the law, then farewell to all hopes of salvation. God
is just and merciful. If he punish, his justice harmonizes
with mercy. If he pardon, his mercy harmonizes with
justice. Justice and mercy harmonize in man's salvation.
They harmonize also, in the sinner's damnation. These
attributes are exercised without infringing on each other.
Our God is " a just God and a Saviour." " If we confess
our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins."
1 John i. 9. He is just to himself, to his law, to the universe.
The justification of the sinner is so far from being contrary
to the law and justice, that it is witnessed by the law and
justice. The atonement is a substitute for the execution
of the law on the transgressor. It not only answers all the
ends of punishment, but many more. As the execution of
the legal penalty was necessary without the atonement, so
atonement without such execution was equally necessary.
The obedience and sufferings of Christ demonstrate, that
God no more gives up the penalty of the law, than if he
should inflict it on the original transgressor. The
252 THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST.
righteousness or justice of God is manifested through
Christ, " that he might be just, and the justifier of him that
believeth in Jesus." Rom. iii. 26. As it is written,
" Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every-
one that believeth." R.om. x. 4. The end of the law is
as fully answered in the salvation of men by Christ, as it
would have been if they had never transgressed, but had
obtained life by perfect obedience. The atonement had
its origin in God's love; it adds nothing to that love to his
creatures; but was necessary to its consistent exercise and
display. Atonement does not imply a purchase of God's
mercy : it is a medium, through which God's real
disposition towards sin should be seen in such a way, that
the exercise of forgiveness should not interfere with the
honor of government and the authority of law. The
gospel teaches the doctrine of full atonement, but holds up
the salvation of the sinner as an act of pure grace.
In the gospel scheme of salvation, justice and grace are
united, but not blended. The provinces of both are
entirely separate. They are opposite in their nature.
Justice demands ; grace gives. If the preceding view of
the necessity and nature of the atonement be correct ; the
atonement and forgiveness of sin have no respect to that
denomination of justice, which " consists in an equal
exchange of benefits."
In regard to that which respects personal character
only, and consists in bestowing just rewards, or inflicting
just punishments ; salvation is an act of perfect grace.
The obedience and sufferings of Christ did not satisfy
this denomination of justice.
With respect to justice, in the sense which comprises
all moral goodness, and properly means the rectitude of
God, by which all his actions are guided, and which
forbids that any thing should take place in his government
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. 253
that would tarnish his glory, or subvert the authority of
his law; salvation is an act of perfect justice; for the
atonement satisfied justice. The obedience and suffei-iuga
of Christ rendered it right and fit, with respect to God's
character, government, and law, and the good of the
universe, to remit sin. The doctrine of full atonement for
sin, and salvation by grace, are perfectly consistent. The
atonement. makes the salvation of sinners consistent, or
possible. It is just as sufficient for the salvation of all
men, as of an individual ; and it is no more sufficient for
one sinner, than for every one. " For God so loved the
world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting
life." John iii. 16. The gospel is the power of God unto
salvation, to every one that believeth. The gospel scheme
originated in God's love ; it was contrived by his wisdom;
and executed by the energy of his Omnipotence : it is his
power to save : it is the mighty plan by which power goes
forth to save, and by which all the obstacles to man's
salvation are taken away.
Thirdly. The sinner is instated in eternal felicity, by
faith, which is the alone condition of salvation.
On this important principle final salvation is suspended.
The gospel provision depended wholly on the sovereign
will and determination of God. Its acceptance depends
upon the will and determination of man. That the
provision of the atonement is broader than its application,
is a fact to be traced to man's will, not God's. He willeth
not the death of any. To such as perish in then:
impenitence, he says : " I would, but ye would not." In
choosing the gospel plan, and laying the foundation of
pardon and justification for all men, God is sovereign. In
the acceptance, or rejection of that pardon and justification,
man is free. And in the fact, that his agency is the turning
254 THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST.
hinge of his destiny, God displays the highest exercise
of sovereignty. In working all things after the counsel
of his own will, it is his pleasure to make faith the
condition of man's deliverance from sin. On this condition
salvation is conferred through the gospel. Every one that
believeth is saved. This is the way in which God exerts
his power in the salvation of men. By faith in the love
of Christ revealed in the gospel, the power of God
becomes ours ; the voice of Christ speaks; it is the voice
of free grace, calling lost sinners to come unto him. " Him
that cometh to- me I will in no wise cast out:" the
condition, under which the promise is given by him, is, that
you believe in him, and believe his word. He assures
you, that if you will do so, you will obey the gospel.
Before Him, who cannot be mocked, every man stands or
falls, is saved or lost. Saved by faith; lost by unbelief.
Under the law, man was invested with the power to
determine whether he would obey or disobey. So he is
under the gospel. He has the power of choosing life or
death, of believing, or not believing. This is as plainly
taught in the Bible as any other doctrine. It lies at the
foundation of morality and accountability. It is a fact of
consciousness. If man has not the power to exercise faith,
in whose choice does that power lie ? God's or the
Devil's ? If the former, then all will be saved ; for God
has no pleasure in the death of any. If the latter, all will
be damned ; because the Devil's pleasure is to destroy.
But some are saved. Others die in their sins. We
therefore conclude, that, under God, man's final destiny
hinges on his own choice. If this is not the case, we can
discern no rational grounds for the feeling of moral
obligation, and the distinction between regret and remorse.
We can discover no essential distinction between matter
and spirit. If the acts of man's will are pre-determined
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. 255
v
by a cause out of his will, according to the law of cause
and effect, which controls the changes in the physical world,
then the notion of a power in the will to act freely would
be the merest figment. But that man is free to believe, or
not believe, is a doctrine solid and true; it is stamped with
the seal of conscience, and countersigned by reason. It is
a cardinal principle of the gospel. We believe in the
possible appropriation of salvation by faith, because the
gospel renders faith itself possible.
It has been shown already, that the obstacles from the
Jaw, the government, the character, and attributes of God,
are taken out of the way, by the life, sufferings, death,
resurrection, and intercession of Christ. Salvation is
provided for our lost race. The impediment from
the corruption of our nature is rendered no longer
insurmountable, by the aid and awakening of the Holy
Spirit?
The atonement was made for every man ; but, without
the Holy Spirit, not one will be saved. The great
provision of the atonement depended wholly upon the
Supreme will of God, and exists in actual fact. Its
acceptance 'is potential, and exists only in possibility, till
it becomes a fact of consciousness or experience to the
sinner, by faith in Christ.
Faith does not destroy the law ; it establishes it. The
gospel reveals a legal plea of right, the meritorious
ground of salvation to every one that believeth : first
declared to the Jew, then to the Gentile.
Each economy requires the making out a condition.
Under the legal, the great aim was, to work up the
requisite condition, so as to obtain the reward on the
principle of the law. Under the gospel economy, the
great aim is, to rise to the necessary condition of faith, so
as to obtain the reward of obedience, on the principle of
:256 THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST.
the gospel. Christ's justifying righteousness becomes ours
upon our believing. The atonement legalizes salvation
to every one that believeth. Faith is the turning point of
destiny. It is the condition of salvation; but not the
meritorious cause, for salvation is an unmerited favor. It
is a highly important principle. He that repudiates it,
either in the kingdom of nature, or that of grace, must
inevitably perish. The child is told that water will drown
it, the fire destroy it, and poison kill it. If it believes
neither parents nor guardians, but makes the experiment,
to know whether these things are so, or not; it must
perish in the very experiment. By faith in its teacher, the
child learns its a, b, c; and the student advances in
literature and science. The patient has faith in his
physician ; and the client in his advocate. In the kingdom
of grace, man must have faith in the Saviour of the world,
or die in his sins. There is no merit in faith, it receives
the merit of another ; but there is demerit in unbelief:
the former is instrumental in salvation, the latter is the
procuring cause of damnation, which lies alone in the
neglect of salvation; not in being passed by, and left out
of its provision ; not in the sin of Adam ; not in being left
under the law, by a preference of Omnipotence* which
placed others under the dispensation of the gospel. This
is a plain doctrine of the gospel. " For it (the gospel) is
the power of God unto salvation, to every one tliat believeth"
The Apostle teaches us to look through the system, and
see in it a mighty plan, which provides for the complete
and everlasting salvation of all men ; which actually saves
all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. In this plan,
Grod's power goes forth to save ; it is his power for the
attainment of salvation. The condition on which salvation
is conferred, through the gospel, is expressed, "To every
one that believeth." All men could be saved, if they
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. 257
would accept salvation on God's terms : but some wUl not
do it ; and, therefore, perish in their sins. The agency of
each produces his own ruin. But, in salvation, there are
two agents and one instrument God and man; the gospel,
or truth.
The provisional work is God's. The receptive act is
man's. Without faith, there is no deliverance from the
guilt and corruption of sin. In providing salvation, God
did what he was under no obligation to do. The provision,
therefore, depends upon the free and sovereign will of God
alone. In that will, the condition of acceptance has its
foundation. Also the right of bestowment. But, under
God, the acceptation depends upon the sinner's will. The
provision of the atonement, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and
the truth, are indispensable to the exercise of man's
agency, in accepting the provision. His ability to accept,
is given by the influence of the Holy Spirit, and the
instrumentality of truth. The basis of the atonement is in
God's will. Its provision is general, and exists in actual
fact. The acceptance of it relates to man's will, and is
potential ; it exists in possibility, and becomes actual " to
every one that believeth." Justification, by faith in Christ,
accomplishes the design of the law. For he " is the end
of the law for righteousness, to every one that believeth."
None are excluded from salvation, who do not exclude
themselves. The reason why the application of the
atonement is not as broad as the provision, is to be found
in the will of man, not in the will of God. His Son came
into the world, that the world, through Him, might be
saved. The Holy Spirit has como to reprove the woz-]d
of sin. The record of truth is given. The Church exists,
the light of the world, and the salt of the earth. God
employs the individual members of his Church, and the
living ministry, to bring truth in contact with the sinner's
23
253 THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST.
understanding and conscience. The Holy Spirit makes it
penetrate his thoughts and feelings, and points him to
Christ, the way of salvation, the truth and the life ; that
he may behold Christ, as set forth in the gospel, and live,
as did the serpent-bitten Israelite, who looked upon the
brazen serpent, lifted up, by Moses, in the wilderness : he
experienced healing virtue in looking; so does the sinner,
in turning his mind's eye to Christ. If the Israelite
perished, he was the cause of his own death. If the
sinner is lost, he destroys himself. Faith is the turning
point. It is die hinge of destiny. All the mighty interests
of eternity hang upon it.
The power which determines the sinner's final destiny,
either lies in the will of God, or the Devil, or the will of
man. If it lies alone in the will of God, then all will be
saved ; for he has no pleasure in the death of any. If in
the choice of Satan, then none will be saved ; for he seeks
to destroy all. But. some are saved, and others lost.
We, therefore, conclude, that the agency of man is the
turning point of his final destiny. To those perishing in
their sins, he says, "Ye will not come .unto me, that ye
might have life." John v. 40. The sinner has both a
conviction and a consciousness of his unwillingness to
believe in Christ. His wrong choice implies the ability
of right choice. The great Teacher does not use mil not
for cannot. He does not proclaim, that "all men have
natural ability to repent and believe the gospel," and then
whisper, " It was never decreed, however, that this ability
should result in repentance and faith, in the case of one
fiinner; none have moral ability, indispensable to faith,
and it is only given to such individuals as God preferred,
or elected, to salvation." If moral ability is indispensable,
and we hold that it is, then, what is termed natural ability,
is insufficient, it is no ability : and, to hold it up as actual
TXIE GOSPEL OF CHKIST. 239
ability, is to use WILL NOT for CANNOT. The doctrine of
Christ does not take the turning point of destiny out of
the sinner's agency. Unwillingness implies the power to
be willing. " Neither unwillingness, nor willingness, is
produced by the action of circumstances, and the necessary
movements of the vast machine, in one of the circulating
chains of which the human win is a petty link." " A
will, the state of which does, in no sense, originate in its
own act, is an absolute contradiction." Freedom and
accountability commence with, and begin in, the actual
distinction between thing and person, or matter and
mind.
In the gospel scheme of salvation, we have seen that
the provisional work is singly, and without any coincident
agency on the part of man ; that it is the first and
indispensable condition ; out of which arises the condition
of acceptance, potential, because of the actual provision,
and of the influence of the Holy Spirit on and in the will
of the sinner, exciting it by the light and vitalizing powev
of truth. Thus, in the gospel system, God is the efficient,
and man the co-efficient. His choice must unite with the
choice of God. The inferior must concur with the
Supi-eme Will. Faith is the turning point of this
concurrence ; it is the condition of salvation. This
condition is not exterior and sacramental, but interior
and moral. They do err, not knowing the scripture,
nor the power of God, who place the condition in the
ordinance of water baptism, or in a particular mode of its
administration. To make the salvation of the soul
dependent on being baptized, either by effusion or
immersion, is travelling as far beyond the Record, as in
suspending the soul's destiny on receiving the water from
the tip of a priest's finger, or the offering up of the mass
by a priest. Other condition can no man make, than that
260 THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST
is made in the gospel, which is faith. No tradition, no
human authority, no commandment of men, may set this
aside. Salvation is of faith, that it might be by grace.
According to the gospel doctrine of grace, it is in our
power, either to believe in the scriptural sense of the
word, or to refuse to avail ourselves of the power of faith.
Believing does not pertain to the intelligence alone,
but likewise to the will or heart. Truth makes its
impression on the soul. The law accuses and condemns :
our guilt and corruption is a fact of consciousness. It is
the gospel which brings home to the mind and heart the
enunciation of the fact, that Christ Jesus came into the
world to save sinners. By faith, in this central fact,
the love of Christ is shed abroad in our hearts by the
Holy Ghost; and the power of God becomes ours.
In the gospel plenitude of grace, he saves us from sin
and hell.
The intelligence and the will are both active in faith.
When the sinner credits the threatenings of God against
transgressors, he is stung with fear; a trembling takes
hold of him, and he begins to inquire, " What must I do to
be saved ?" The gospel responds, " Believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." As he hears or
reads the promises, he credits them, and hope springs up
in his soul. He feels that he is lost is guilty, and justly
condemned. He lingers not in the law-court listening to
his indictment ; he anticipates the verdict ; confesses guilt ;
appeals to the mercy seat ; and hastens to cast himself on
the condition of the King's proclamation for a pardon. In
the name of Christ he files his plea for the remission of
his sins. The moment he relies on Christ, the burden of
his guilt is taken away. All his sins are forgiven. Love,
peace, and joy spring up in his soul, ,as a well of water,
into everlasting life. In the language of his heart, if not
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST* 261
that of his lips, he cries out, " Bless the Lord, O my soul
und all that is within me, bless his holy name." "As far
as the East is from the West, so far hath he removed my
transgressions from me." " My sins, which were many, are
all forgiven. He restoreth my soul for his mercy and his
righteousness' sake." Every one that believeth, is risen
to newness of life in Christ. His heart bears him witness,
in the Holy Ghost, that he is reconciled to God, and has
complied, from the heart, with the gospel condition of
salvation. By faith, the justifying righteousness of Christ
becomes his, and he obtains a legal investiture of a right to
deliverance from all the penalties of sin. He is freed from
the law of sin and death, by the law of life in Christ
Jesus; and has his fruit unto holiness, and the end
everlasting life. As holiness prevails, the joy and
blessedness of salvation go along with it. The gospel is
the power of God for the attainment of salvation. Every
one that becomes a believer, " shall be kept by the power
of God, through faith, unto salvation." The gospel gives
the believer an assurance of salvation in this life. When
he is united to Christ, by faith, in that very moment he
experiences the power of an endless life. In a correct
sense, the believer is now said to be saved. Present
salvation is the earnest of future and final deliverance.
If we would be happy hereafter, we must be happy now.
If we are now freed from the guilt and corruption of sip,
and have the actual joy of salvation, it is our bounden
duty, as well as our high privilege, to live henceforward in
the strict observance of the precepts of the gospel, from
grateful love to God and to Christ. It is obh'gatory upon
us to cultivate a familiar acquaintance with these precepts,
and to regulate our whole conduct according to them.
In the gospel we learn how to do this. The doctrine of
faith as much involves our doing the will of God, as it
262 THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST.
does our knowing it. Would we appropriate the
promise, we must obey the command. Faith works by
love, purifies the heart, and overcomes the world. The
Christian lives by faith. By faith he triumphs in death.
While the gaping grave is before him, and the pale king
of terrors approaches, the dying victor opens his breast
and bids them defiance. "O death! where is thy
sting ? O grave ! where is thy victory ? The sting of
death is sin ; and the strength of sin is the law. But
thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory, through
our Lord Jesus Christ." Life and immortality are
brought to light by the gospel. " When this corruptible
shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have
put on immortality," then the believer's salvation will be
complete ; " then shall be brought to pass the saying that
is written, Death is swallowed up in victory."
Fourthly. We ought to believe the gospel without
shame, and boldly maintain our profession of it. Reason
approves and justifies us in so doing. True reason and
right faith never oppose each other. Faith cannot oblige
us to believe that which is against right reason. Faith is
above reason, and can take into her heart that which
reason can never take into her eye. To be called
irrational, is a trifle ; to be so, and in matters of religion, is
far otherwise. The alternative lies between the gospel of
Christ, and something else, as a resting place for the soul.
Can a wise man be at a loss which of the two to prefer ?
The gospel reveals the most honorable view of God's
character, law, and government, and a plan of the highest
safety to man.
As a theory, the gospel exhibits the greatest possible
perfection of ideality to the intelligence. It has a most
ennobling influence on man's intellectual condition. It
furnishes the conscience with an irresistible and permanent
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. 263
motive for action, which is powerful to reclaim from vice,
and ensure the perseverance of the .reclaimed in well
doing. Where the principles and spirit of the gospel
prevail, they give the greatest elevation, expansion, power,
and accuracy of thought, and produce the greatest purity
of manners. This, alone, accounts for the contrast between
different nations, or different parts of the same nation.
The superiority of the one, over the other, is attributable
to the prevalence of the gospel in its greater simplicity
and purity.
The religion of the gospel is the best ever published to
the world. Search the globe around, from the equator to
the poles, and no religion can be found, so just to God,
and safe to man, none that may be compared to it. The
religious emotions are natural to man. He will have a
religion, true or false. The Mohammedan makes the
Koran the standard of his faith and practice. The pagan
bows down to his idol. The red man of the forest utters
his desires to the unseen Great Spirit. But the Christian
adopts the gospel of Christ as the rule of his faith, and the
directory of his conduct. He worships the living God,
revealed in the gospel. He trusts in the Lord Jehovah, in
whom there is everlasting strength. He knows in whom
he believes, and is persuaded that he shall neither be
confounded, nor disappointed of his hope. The intellectual
and moral excellence of his religion, makes it eminently
superior to all other religions. He can discern nothing in
the contrast to make him blush ; but every thing to make
the deep impression on his mind, that the gospel is God's
greatest and best gift to man. Every other scheme for the
moral reformation and religious improvement of the world,
has proved abortive. If you repudiate it, where will you
go for a better theory, or a belter practical religious
element ? To the blood and sensuality of Mohammed ?
264 THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST.
To heathen philosophy? To the cold hearted speculations
of Hume and Bolingbroke? To the old principles of
French brotherhood, pronouncing death an eternal sleep ?
To Socialism, disrupting all the ties which God and nature
have constituted] Aside from the gospel, we know
nothing in which we may trust. Man's moral nature is
corrupt at the core. His misery proceeds not from natural
causes, in his power to heal ; but from a fountain of
wickedness within, which can be dried up, or purified only
by divine power, even the power of the Cross'. This, alone,
can strike down and root out the evils of human nature.
This, alone, can check and curb the outbreaks of human
passion, and bring the spirit of man under the control of
the Supreme law.
The gospel has the best influence on this life. All
moral and social improvement is derived from it. The
belief, that there is a God, is the only security of virtue,
and the only barrier against vice. For if there is no God,
then there is no standard of morality. Virtue and vice
are equal, or rather there are no such things as virtue and
vice. There being no moral obligation, there is no
restraints on the sinful propensities and passions of man.
If acted out in its effects, atheism would convert the world
into a theatre of confusion, violence, and misery. Its
doctrines are most uncomfortable and gloomy. It subtracts
all value from intellectual and moral acquirements, and
reduces man to the brute creation.
The gospel assures and confirms immortality to man.
The doctrine of a material soul amounts to this man has
no soul. He is simply an animal organization, there
being no higher principle in the universe than matter. If
so, the fate of man and brutes is the same. Both are
matter, and both are destroyed by decomposition. The
tendency of such a belief, is manifestly pernicious. Once
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. 265
udmit the idea, that your existence will terminate with the
present life, your love of virtue and hatred of vice will
bate; and, as a certain consequence, you will resign
yourselves to the blind impulse of passion, and will direct
all your actions by present gratifications. But the gospel
gives a very opposite view of man. It teaches, that there
is a difference between matter and spirit; that the soul
survives the dissolution of the body, and will never
cease to exist. Then hope and fear, the strongest
propensities by which man is actuated, are not useless.
One is directed to the reward of virtue, the other
to the punishment of vice. The gospel assures and
confirms the prospect of immortality; it supplies the
chief principles on which moral motives operate 9 or
at strengthens those principles, to such a degree, as
to render them most valuable elements of character
and masters of action. The happy tendency of the
{gospel in this life, demonstrates that it is founded ia
truth.
The gospel not only teaches the doctrine of immortality,
but that of accountability. Moral obligation arises from
the- nature of God, and, like that, is immutable and eternal,
A reasonable creature cannot exist without being under
moral law, while he continues to exist. What is more
absurd, what is more pernicious in its consequences, than
the sentiment, that men are not amenable at the tribunal
of God? If they are at liberty to act as they please,
without a liability of being called to an account, it
at once becomes indifferent to them what character
their actions assume. In fact, a disbelief in future
accountability, is the genuine offspring of infidelity ; and,
like that, must excite the abhorrence of all the upright
in heart. The gospel cannot be discarded without
enervating every virtuous sentiment, undermining the
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266 TUNE ospcL of
foundations of society, and reducing the human to the
brute creation.
Unless men have faith hi God, and faith in what he
has revealed, as the Law-giver and Judge of the world,
and the alone Saviour of sinners, they will either be
concerned in present gratification, or they will slumber
on in indifference. On the atheistic supposition, that
there is no God, no hereafter, and no responsibility to
a higher power for what we are, and what we do, that
our acts and our character reach not beyond the grave ;
of what consequence is it to us, except so far as our
present gratification is concerned, whether men worship
one thing, or another ; whether they are virtuous or
vicious ; just or unjust ; whether they follow the indulgence
of one passion or another; whether they are sober or
drunken; miserable or happy; saved or lost? Of what
consequence is it to us, to what standard our actions
conform, so long as they gratify our appetites and
passions 1
Though elevated above the beasts of the field, the fish
of the sea, and the fowls of the air, yet, untaught of God,
men never feel for other's woes, and never mourn over
human vices and misery. If pity and compassion form
any part of their constitution, they lie buried under
selfishness and brutality. Hence, the heathen throw their
living, but unneeded offspring, into pits and graves, and
carry out their aged and infirm to the river's brink, to be
devoured by the jackall and the crocodile. In the heathen
world was never known an almshouse, a hospital, or an
asylum for the suffering. The world is more indebted to
the influence of the gospel of Christ, for its order, peace,
happiness, and good government, for its moral and
intellectual improvement, than to all other causes. Such
as never relinquish the maxims of experience, and the
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. 267
plain dictates of common sense, are not ashamed of the
gospel.
It is not only a most excellent rule of life, but it brings
to view the best hope for death and eternity. In the
gospel, the clouds of doubt and uncertainty are dispersed ;
a clear light illumines the way of life ; and the glories of
salvation burst upon us in their full splendor. The
righteous man has hope in his death. The end of the
upright is peace. He binds the gospel to his heart, as the
antidote of death. He is assured, that dying is but going
home. As he sinks, in gentle sleep, he says, " I shall be
satisfied when I awake in the likeness of my Saviour."
The gospel is, to him, an ark of safety. When all things
around him sink in the flood of death, the foundation of
his faith sustains him, his ark rests upon the top of Ararat,
and the dove flies to his window bearing the branch of the
olive.
-" Triumphant smiles the victor's brow,
Fann'd by some guardian angel's wing;
O grave ! where is thy victory now ?
And where, O death ! is now thy sting?"
When brought to the bourne of life, the Christian is
not alone. Though he now leaves all earthly friends, his
Saviour is with him, and, having such a friend and guide,
he fears no danger; and to sorrowing friends and relations
he is leaving behind, he says, Let your sighs cease, and dry
up your tears : so live, as to meet me in heaven. When
creation is fading on his sight, and the awful veil, thrown
over futurity, begins to draw back, his spirit shrinks not;
death has no sting; the grave has no gloom. Thanks
be to God, for the triumphant hope the gospel gives
to every one that believeth. Possessing a hope so
full of immortality, the believer looks at the pale king
of terror, the coffin, the grave, himself a sheeted corpse,
268 TOE GOSPEL OF CHRIST.
and smiles at the dart winged to snatch him from this
beautiful world : he sees that lovely land of rest and pure
delight above the stars. That terrific monarch of the
tomb, whose merciless hand crumbles all into ruin, from
the blooming babe to the man of snowy locks, rushes into
the family circle tears away our parents, brothers, sisters,
children. We are bereft of our dearest friends and the
pledges of our love. They are buried in the dust. The
voice of weeping sighs through our dwelling. Our hearts
swell with softest grief, our eyes float in feeling tears. But
we " sorrow not, even as others which have no hope."
Our sorrow is governed by reason and religion. The
gospel does not leave us in ignorance concerning them
which are asleep. " For if we believe that Jesus died,
^ *
and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus
will God bring with him." The shout of the redeemed
and attending angels, the voice of the arch-angel and the
trump of God will penetrate the leaden ear of death : all
that are in the grave shall awake and come forth, they that
have done good to the resurrection of life, and they that
have done evil to the resurrection of damnation. The
heirs of salvation shall be caught up in the clouds, to
meet the Lord in the air ; and so shall they ever be
with the Lord. The grave is destroyed. Death is
swallowed up in victory. The salvation of the gospel
is complete and eternal ; it brings to view the best and
most glorious hope for death and eternity. Reader, fly to
the hope the gospel gives; make it yours while you may.
Strange that men are ashamed of the gospel of Christ.
It is the only excellent rule of life. The only sure hope
in death. O unbeliever ! O infidel ! why, reject it ? A
sense of sin loads your mind with guilt, and penetrates
your conscience with a fearful sense of a judgment to
come. You shudder at the apprehension ; but time flies,
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. 26$
and death hurries you to the throne of eternity. Now
you make light of the tears, groans, and blood of Calvary;
but you are hurried forward to the bourne of life. You
look back with regret ; you look forward with terror and
amazement. Your tears, and groans, and sighs may plead
but all in vain. Death pities you not. Your soul, with au.
exploring eye, looks all around for assistance, but there is
none. You must leave for ever the sensual objects of your
delight. Go you must, your body lodge in the dark prison
of the grave, and your soul forced to the retributions of
eternity. A near view of death frightens you with terror,
and wrings your heart with agony. As the icy fingers of
death press the lungs, that they cannot rise; unnerve
the arm of strength, and wither the bloom of beauty j
dim the eye, that it cannot see; dull the ear, that it
cannot hear ; and stiffen the senses, that you cannot feel ;
then you cast a last and lingering look at the vanishing
scenes of earth, and seeing the dark and lonely grave
opening at your feet, your blood freezes ; the hair
rises, and stiffens on your head ; keen despair pierces
your heart. O! the sting of death! O! the victory of
the grave !
Say, ye unbelievers; ye sceptics; who are ashamed of
the gospel of Christ; hath not a voice within often warned
you of your danger, and urged you to take hold of the
hope set before you in the gospel? Will you hear us?
when we tell you hi love, that the philosophy of the
death-bed is a different thing from the philosophy of the
study and of the school? Infidels have not been, and
cannot be sustained by then* principles in the trying hour
of death. In general, the "death-bed is the detector of
the heart." There the false theory, imbibed in the study
and in health, is found to be insufficient to support in the
great trial. So weak and false are their own principles
70 THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST.
that they cannot trust them in the dying moment. In
their attempts to destroy the Christian's hope, they destroy
their own happiness, and array the terrors of the
Almighty against themselves.
The talented and accomplished young Altamont, as
described by Dr. Young, cried out, "Nothing but the
Almighty can inflict what I feel. Hell itself were a
refuge, if it hide me from thy frown." When the name
of Christ was mentioned, he vehemently exclaimed,
"Hold! hold! you wound me; that is the rock on
. which I split. I denied his name."
God smote the haughty Herod; and he was eaten
of worms. Voltaire and Rosseau were a terror to
themselves, and all around them. Paine's cries to God
and Christ were most agonizing. Hume's nurse could
tell of his horror-stricken conscience, which so tortured
him that he made his bed tremble under him. Sad is the
end of infidel philosophers and 'scoffers, both ancient
and modern. Their consciences say to them, on their
death-bed, that the false speculations in which they
trusted, are vanity and lies, which will ever peirce them
with keen despair, and clothe them with shame and
endless contempt. O, the strange infatuation and madness
of unbelief !
Infidels have labored in vain to overthrow the gospel.
It is founded on a rock; and the gates of hell cannot
prevail against it. But we beg them to pause ; and tell us
why they would destroy this system of faith, hope, and
comfort, adequate, and evidently adapted to the necessities
of mankind. Can they furnish another system that has
any claims upon the confidence of men? They cannot.
But they would blot out the only light of this dark world,
and destroy tne only hope of man, without giving him any
thing as a compensation. Such is the unnatural and
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. 271
cruel part infidelity would act. It is even more cruel thaa
the grave.
" Should all the forms that men devise,
Assault my faith with treacherous art,
I'll call them vanity and lies,
And bind the gospel to my heart."
*
It is divine in its origin, and eternal in its destiuy.
The gospel enunciates truths that will live when time is
no more, and that are rooted in the attributes of God : it
cannot be extinguished, for God is its light: it cannot die,
for God is its life.
r
SERMON XV!
CHRISTIANITY A SYSTEM OF LOVE,
BY REV. JOHN ANGELL JAMES.
Independent fifinister, of Birmingham t England, and Preached before
the London Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society. "*
"By love serve one another." Galatians v.13.
CHRISTIANITY is a system of love of love, in its purest,
Brightest,, and divinest form. It is an emanation fi-om the
mind and heart of infinite and eternal Benevolence. Its
doctrines are the truths of love ; its principles are the rules
of love; its invitations are the offers of love; its promises
are the assurances of love ; its very threatenings are the
severities of love; and its one great design is, to expel
selfishness from the human bosom, and. to plant, in its
room, a principle of holy and universal philanthropy.
Hence, a man may be so intimately acquainted with all the
evidences of this Divine system, as to be enabled, by the
most powerful and subtle logic, to defend its outworks
against the attacks of infidelity; he may understand, and
be able to arrange, all its doctrines, as articles of faith, in
the most symmetrical order; he may be able, also, to
harmonize seeming discrepancies and contradictions; but,
still, if he know not that the essence of Christianity is
love, he has no sympathy with his inner soul, he has
mistaken its genius and its spirit, and is as blind to its
richest glories, as the individual whose darkened eye-balls
CHRISTIANITY A SYSTEM OF LOVE. 273
nevei look on the glories of the sky, nor the beauties of
the earth.
My subject is in harmony with the feelings of my own
heart, with the movements of the day, and with the design
for which we are assembled this evening. The text is
love ; and I hope the sermon will, in accordance with the
text, be love also.
In the first place, I will endeavor to explain the
nature, and to exhibit the grounds and manifestations of
Christian love ; in the second place, show some of the
reasons why the different denominations of professing
Christians should exercise this love, one to another ;
thirdly, point out the manner in which we may manifest
this disposition ; and then urge a few appropriate and
cogent motives.
I. I am to exhibit, first, the nature, grounds, and
manifestations of Christian love.
The artificer of deification, as it has been called the
corrupt soul of man has never been able^ amidst all
its multiplied devices, to strike out the idea of absolute
goodness. And how should it? All its prototypes for
the formation of its gods, were founded on itself on its
own passions. But, what idolatry could not do, and, what
human reason, in the utmost stretch of its powers, "could
never accomplish, the Apostle has set before us, in one
beautiful expression : " God is love." This truth has
emanated from heaven, and could have come from no
other source. The love of God is not an infinite quietism
of the .Divine mind, retired from all human affairs, and
leaving- the world to take care of itself; it is an active
principle.
Two kinds of love exist in the Divine mind : the love
of complacency, which it bears to all the holy parts of
creation ; and the love of benevolence, which it bears to
274 CHRISTIANITY A SYSTEM OP LOVE.
the whole creation, irrespective of moral character.
Analogous to this, there is, in the mind of every good
man, a two-fold love: the love of complacency, which he
always bears towards the righteous; and the love of
benevolence, which he is to bear to the whole sentient
creation. The Apostle distinguishes between these two,
where he says, "Add to brotherly kindness charity."
Beyond that inner circle, where brotherly kindness " lives,
and moves, and has its being," there is an outer circle, in
which charity, also, must revolve, and perform its part.
And, be it ever remembered, that we are to be no less
assiduous in the duties of the outer circle, than we are in
those of the inner ; and that man, whatever his professions
to brotherly kindness may be, has but the name, who adds
not to it, charity.
Look at the operations of charity, or the love of
benevolence. It was this which existed in the mind of
Deity from eternity, and in the exercise of which, he so
loved our guilty world, as to give bis " only begotten Son,
that whosoever believelh in him, should not perish, but
have everlasting life." It was on the wings of charity,
that the Son of God flew from heaven to earth, on an
errand of mercy, to our lost and ruined world ; it was
charity that moved in the minds and hearts of the apostles,
and urged them, with the glad tidings of salvation, from
country to country. The whole missionary enterprise is
founded, not, of course, on the basis of brotherly kindness,
but on that of charity. All those splendid instances that
have been presented to us, of the exercise of philanthropy,
and with which your memories are familiar, are all the
operations of this Divine charity. See Howard, leaving
the seclusion of his elegant retreat, and all its luxurious
gratifications, moving, with heaven-imparted rapidity,
from one extreme of Europe to the other, plunging into
CHRISTIANITY A SYSTEM OF LOVE. 275
dungeons, battling with pestilence, weighing the fetters of
the prisoner, gauging the diseases, even of the pest-house
all under the influence of heavenly charity. See
Wilberforce, through twenty years of his life, lifting up
his unwearied voice, and .employing his fascinating
eloquence against the most shameful outrage that ever
trampled on the rights of humanity. What formed his
character, sketched his plan, inspired his zeal, but charity?
See that illustrious woman, lately departed, so ripe for
glory, and so richly invested with it, who interested
herself amidst the prisoners of Newgate to chain
their passions, to reclaim their vices, and to render them
more meet for society, which had condemned them as its
outcasts? What was it that gave to Mrs. Fry her
principle of action f what, indeed, was the principle itself,
but charity?
Let us, then, my dear friends, not confine our attention
exclusively to "brotherly kindness;" but, passing this
narrower boundary, go out into the wide world, with a
principle like that which I have just described which
existed in the bosom of Deity was displayed by the Son,
of God upon the cross, and is the basis of that institution
which it is my delight, and my honor, to plead this
evening.
But I am directed, particularly, by the manner in which
I intend to treat this subject, to "brotherly kindness"
to brotherly love, as the word would be more
emphatically rendered. Brotherly love is founded on two
things a common relation, and a common character. It
is the love of all those, who, with us, are disciples of the
Lord Jesus Christ children, by regeneration, of the one
living and true God. This is the basis of brotherly love ;
and if it rests on such ground as this, the man who loves
one brother, bves all; and he who loves not all, loves
276 CHRISTIANITY A SYSTEM OF LOVE.
none. "We must go higher for the motives, and sink
deeper for the grounds, of brotherly love, than the names
most illustrious and venerated by the world. We must
sink deeper, for a sure" foundation, than the name of
Luther, or Calvin, or Whitefield, or Wesley; we must
not stop till we touch the rock of ages, which rock is
Jesus Christ. He that loves others for the sake of man,
loves them with an affection infinitely weaker, than he
who loves them for the sake of Christ and of God.
But there is a common character, which is also a ground
of brotherly love, as well as a common relation. The
objects of this affection bear one common impress the
image of our heavenly Father. In human families it is
sometimes extremely difficult, if not impossible, to trace
the resemblance between children and their parents.
Not so in the divine family. God never begets a child, by
regeneration, but in his own likeness; and where the
image of the Father is not discoverable, the relation .does
not exist. The family likeness, in that circle, where all
are related to God, as children to their father, is holiness ;
holiness is the family feature of the household of faith.
And where we see holiness- the mind of Christ the
image of God whatever be the denomination of the man
who bears it ; there we should recognize an object of
"brotherly love." And the man who sees all this, and
yet waits and wishes for a second reason for his
affections ; who closes his hand, places it in -his bosom,
keeps his feelings in abeyance, and holds back his heart,
until he has found a denominational relationship, has not
a spark of brotherly love in his soul. What ! shall not
the name of Jesus, shall not the character of God, be
enough to enlist our love for one who bears the name
and likeness of our Father, and stands united to our
Saviour by the tie of a common faith, till we have found
CHRISTIANITY A SVSTEM OF LOVE. 277
that he is related to us by a party name 1 We leave you
to answer the question.
And how, my brethren, does brotherly love operate
where it exists ? I shall attempt no description, except a
passing remark, on that which the Apostle has already
given. "Love sufiereth long" is not easily roused into
resentment or malice by injuries great or small; "is kind,"
in words, in actions, and in spirit ; the law of kindness is
upon its lips, and the fruit of kindness drops from its hand.
" Love envieth not." Envy is that misery which we feel,
at^the sight of one, whose superior virtues, or liberal
endowments have attracted more admiration than we can
claim. " Love vaunteth not itself; is not puffed up" does
not boast what it has done, can do, or will do ; what it is,
or what it has been ; but is clothed with the garment of
humility. " Love doth not behave itself unseemly "
keeps its place, like a soldier in the ranks, and steps not
out of the position in which it was placed. "Love
seeketh not her own " abhors selfishness, looks upon the
things of others as well as upon the things of her own ;
"is not easily provoked"- is not passionate, giving way to
ebullitions of rage; "thinketh no evil" is not hasty to
impute a bad motive, as long as a good one can be found,
for the actions of another; "rejoiceth. not in iniquity, but
rejoiceth in the truth" takes no pleasure in the failings and
misconduct of a foe, but delights in the manifestations of
excellence, even when its own cause would seem to be
injured by what it discerns in another; "beareth," or
covereth " all things" has not a microscope in its hand to
magnify small failings, nor a telescope to bring near those
that are remote, but a mantle to cover all that need not be
exposed to public view; "believeth all things," to the
advantage of another; "hopeth all things," when there is
no ground for faith ; " endureth all things " makes any
278 CHRISTIANITV A SYSTEM OP LOVK.
tf-
sacrifice, bears any labor for the benefit of others. Such
are the manifestations of love. Its importance may be
estimated by a brief review of some of them.
It is the outward manifestation of an inward principle
of belief" Faith worketh by love." It is the evidence of
regeneration, by which we mayknow that we are the
children of God, as certainly, as if a seraph were dispatched
from the throne, to tell us that he had seen our names
recorded in the Lamb's book of life. It is the great law of
the Christian dispensation : " This is my commandment, that
ye love one another." It is the badge of discipleship : "By
this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye love
one another." Philosophers and teachers had given to
their disciples some peculiar sentiments or mark. Says
Christ, Love shall be the badge of my disciples, and let that
man be accounted an imposter, a pretender, a hypocrite,
who has not my mark upon him who is not distinguished
by love to his brethren. Love, untainted with selfishness ;
neither darkened by hatred, nor shaded by caprice ; is an
attribute of the Deity, which sums up all the others. Its
fair spirit sits enthroned in the heavens, a principle
Omnipotent, and element Divine; dwelling with God in
the brightness of eternity. Its music is the song of angels ;
the sigh of sympathizing spirits ; the prayer of the humble
and the contrite ; the tribute of gratitude rendered to the
Author of every mercy ; the word of kindness dropped
from the lip of charity. Love, prevailing at the hour of
man's creation, made him only "a little lower than the
angels," and gave him a garden for his residence, possessing
almost every charm which constitutes a heaven. Love
preserves the harmony of the upper sphere, and marks
out the progress of the soul through troubles here, and
immortality hereafter. Its form was seen, its voice was
heard on earth, when the Son of God became incarnate j
CHRISTIANITY A SYSTEM OP LOVE. 279
and he has bequeathed to his Church, as an inestimable
legacy, the power of love, as the essence of his religion.
But, brethren, is there all this beautiful display of love
amongst us that there should be ? If an angel, that
knew nothing of ecclesiastical history,, but was totally
unacquainted with all the details of its darkened page, and
knew nothing of the Church of God, but that ir was a
company of men and women, redeemed by the precious
blood of Him who became incarnate, before whose throne
he bowed, regenerated by the same spirit which had filled
his heavenly mind with holiness, and destined for that
blessed world, from which he had dropped down upon
men ; I say, if such a visi 
