The living pulpit, or, Eighteen sermons by eminent living divines of the Presbyterian Church : with a biographical sketch of the editor, by Geo. W. Bethune

^Mi 1 My

■111:'

)/r:

^■VIM'

^fc.:i

2.. i«r,/ I

^{ i\i.t '^htotagieitf ^

'^

.^^^^%' ^%/:

PRINCETON, N. J.

*A

%

Presented by A . G • Ca-rneTo-n ^ P^.Xi,

Division
Section

'wrm'caf l/y Sa?'lai/2.

O'^Lio^j ur

* FEB 271911

A

S'

^LF/CALSc^^^^'

THE LIVING PULPIT,

EIGHTEEN SERMONS

BY EMINENT LIVING DIVINES

THE PRESBYTEEIAN CHUKCIl

A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF THE EDITOR,

BY GEO. W. BETHUNE, D.D.
EDITED AKD PUBLISHED

BY REV. E L I J A H"W I LSO N.

ELEVENTH EDITION,

PHILADELPHIA :
C. SHERMAN & SON, PRINTERS,

S. W. CORNER OF SEVENTH AND CHERRY STS.

1861.

CONTENTS.

PAOB

The Polly of Doubting the Execution op God's
Threatenings, 1

By ReT. E. Wilson, Editor.

Worth of the Soul, 21

By J. T. Smith, D.D.

The Faithful Sating, . , 44

By WiUia Lord, D. D.

The Ruling Passion, 63

By W. B. Sprague, D.D.

Supremacy of the Moral Law, 93

By J. W. Yeomaas, D.D.

Distrust of the Word, 109

By J. W. Alexander, D.D.

Consistency op the Divine Government. . . . 129

By Geo. Junkin, D.D.

Efficiency of Christian Principle, .... 157

By Tlios. Smyth, D.D.

The Good Man, I74

By John M'Dowell, D. D.

The House op God, 188

By W. A. Scott, D. D.

IV CONTENTS.

Flos

Perpetuity of the Church, 225

By J. C. Lord, D.D.

Seeing Things Invisible, 249

By J. H. Jones, D.D.

Christ the Life of his People, 263

By Robert J. Breckinridge, D. D., L. L. D.

Faith and Sight Contrasted, 299

By A. T. M'Gill, D. D.

Catholicity of the Gospel, 319

By Chas. Hodge, D. D.

Christian Submission, 337

By H. A. Boardman, D. D.

The Prodigal, 353

By John Leybum, D. D.

The Tree Known by its Fruits, . . , .374

By E. P. Humphrey, D. D.

PREFACE.

In presenting the Liying Pulpit to the Public, the Editor feeb
that no apology is needed. The book presents a collection of Ser-
mons by some of the most eminent living divines of the Presby-
terian Church, whose names are a sufficient guaranty that the
matter is essential truth, presented in the most attractive form.

The Sermons were furnished at the request- of the Editor ex-
pressly for this volume, and are practical and didactic.

The design of the publication will be fully seen by a reference
to the biographical sketch of the Editor, prepared by George W.
Bethune, D. D.

Whilst the Editor, in common with others engaged in the dis-
semination of divine truth by the agency of the press, expects a
pecuniary compensation for his labours, yet he trusts that his
efforts in this department will meet with the approbation of Zion's
King, and be abundantly blessed by Him to the promotion of his
own glory, in the salvation of souls.

(V)

Vi PREFACE.

Should this volume meet with public favour, it may be fol-
lowed by similar productions from eminent divines of other
denominations.

The Editor would here most gratefully acknowledge his indebted-
ness to his brethren, for their kindness and courtesy in furnishing
their valuable contributions for the work : and hopes that in the
developments of eternity multitudes will be found before the
throne of God, who were encouraged in their Christian course,
or first directed to the Saviour, by these Sermons, and who will
there rejoice with the authors over the hallowed influence of the

Living Pulpit.

E. W-

Philadelphia, Oct. 1st, 1862.

BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCH

Of

THE EDITOR.

BY GEO. W. BETnUNE, D. D,

The severe trials of the Rev. Elijah Wilson, and the
Christian patience with which he has struggled through
them to usefulness, have won for him the sympathy and
aflFectionate respect of many friends. As another method
of doing good, and at the same time of honourably meeting
unavoidable claims on his exertions, he has been led to
publish this volume. The names of the good and able men
who have cheerfully assisted his design, by contributing
Discourses, give the best proof of the estimation in which
he is held, and of the profit to be expected, under the Divine
blessing, from the reading of the book. A slight sketch
of his history may not be an uninteresting preface.

He was born in Philadelphia, the only child of James and
Mary Wilson. His paternal grand parents were of Scotch-
Irish blood, and came to this country a short time before
the American Revolution, settling first in Haddonfield, New
Jersey, but soon removing to Philadelphia, where James, the
father of Elijah, was born in 1774.

His grand parents on the other side, whose name was
Thomas, came from Wales after the close of the war, and
settled on a farm in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania,
where Mary, their only child, was born about 1788, and, at
the age of 22, married to Mr. Wilson, who carried her to
Philadelphia, in which city they spent their subsequent days.

Mr. Wilson's family were Episcopalians, but, for the

(Tii)

Vlll BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF THE EDITOR.

greater part of his life, he preferred worshipping with Pres-
byterians, though he never became a communicant. Mrs.
Wilson continued in the principles of her parents, who be-
longed to the society of Friends ; but her views of Christian
doctrine were highly evangelical, and she strongly inculcated
the truths of the Gospel on the growing mind of her son,
whose delicate health during boyhood brought him more
closely under her happy care and pious teachings.

From his early years Elijah was noted for an active,
inquiring mind. To a great fondness for books, he added
not a little mechanical genius, and a taste for art. This last
tendency was more or less cultivated at diflFerent times, and
he attained sufficient skill, especially in landscape painting,
to defray the expense of his living and education for some
time after death had deprived him (in his fifteenth year) of
his father. Previously to this his studies had been inter-
rupted by a severe dropsical affection, from which, after a
twelvemonth's suffering, he was providentially restored by
the sldll of his physician. Dr. Hays, of Philadelphia.

Undiscouraged by such various hindrances and difficulties,
he was determined to have a thoroughly classical education ;
and, when about eighteen, he entered the Academy at Kin-
derhook. New York, then under the able superintendence
of Mr. Silas Metcalf. At Kinderhook it was his privilege
to sit under the faithful, energetic ministry of the late Rev. Dr.
Sickles, minister of the Reformed Dutch Church there ; and,
in the summer of 1831, he received, through the distin-
guishing grace of God his Saviour, the baptism of the Holy
Ghost. He united with the Church in the following autumn.
His earnest piety, ready talents, and thirst after knowledge,
attracted the approving regard of Dr. Sickles, and other
pious friends, who advised him to study for the sacred min-
istry ; which counsel, after much anxious, prayerful delib-
eration, he followed, and diligently prepared himself for
College. In the autumn of 1835 he was matriculated as a
member of the Sophomore Class, in Rutgers' College, New
Brunswick, New Jersey, and prosecuted his studies with
credit and success for the next twelvemonth, supporting
himself by his own industry, yet fully keeping up with his
more favoured classmates. But the double tax upon his
energies, physical and mental, was too great for a constitu-
tion never strong, and shaken by former disease. His
nervous system being much impaired, he sought medical aid
without success ; yet continued, though feebly and at inter-

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF THE EDITOR. ix

vals, to pursue the course of the College, until towards the
Christmas holidays. Already, however, he had had what
he afterwards knew, though not then, to be the forebodings
of the darkness which has since enveloped his life. About
a year before this he lost his sense of smell, which he has
never regained ; and in November, 1836, when returning
alone from evening prayers in the College Chapel to his
lodgings, he was suddenly struck with total blindness.

For a little while he paused, wondering and alarmed in
the darkness; then attempted to grope his way homeward,
but could not. He opened his eyes wide, but they had no
sight ; after some moments he turned his face up to heaven
and saw the blue sky, though the earth was veiled from him —
then the heavy curtain slowly fell, and the world again was
revealed to his view. The sense, so strangely suspended, had
returned. He reached home, but greatly enfeebled by the
stroke to body and mind. The next week, while at his stu-
dies, he again, and as suddenly, lost his sight ; but after a
few minutes it came back to him as before. Anxious as he
was in consequence of these two attacks, he did not antici-
pate so terrible a calamity as utter, unrelieved blindness;
but, though he relaxed his pursuits, the paroxysms became
more and more frequent, until his retirement from College
became necessary. His kind mother had been removed
from earth a few years before this trial, which was severely
aggravated by the loss of her affectionate care, and he
sought at his second home, in Kinderhook, for rest and me-
dical assistance. The physicians whom he consulted on his
way in New York, encouraged him to hope for a cure when
his general health should be recruited ; and at Kinderhook
he had the advantage of being under the able treatment of
Dr. Dorr ; but his seasons of darkness continued to return,
his strength rapidly failed, and, though in the March follow-
ing he was somewhat stronger, all objects Avere seen by him
through a haze, which became more and more dim, until he
could not distinguish one thing from another. One night,
about the close of April, he went to bed and slept soundly ;
but on awaking in the morning he saw no light. He heard
the inmates moving about the house — he approached the
window of his chamber — the warm rays of the sun fell upon
his hands and his face, but the brightness of its beams were
not for him. He was entirdij blind. He hoped, at the
first, that the darkness would be only temporary and partial
as before ; but never since has he known the pleasantnesa

X BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF THE EDITOR.

of looking upon the face of nature or the smiles of friends.
At the high noon of that sad day he felt that the eclipse wag
total. His spirit sank within him. He refused to eat bread,
and would fain have died. He tried to look up and "see
Him who is invisible." He shut himself apart from his
sympathising friends, and bemoaned himself in solitude.
He knelt to pray, but his very soul was in darkness, and he
was constrained to cry, " My God ! my God ! why hast thou
forsaken me ?" The only scripture which spake to him,
was the melancholy cry of the anguished prophet, " Is thy
mercy clean gone for ever ?" His agony of heart and mind
continued for many days. He wrestled in prayer day and
night. His little strength entirely failed. A pain on the
top of his head, which he had felt from the beginning of his
illness, became more and more acute ; he lost for some time
the sense of taste — so that those of touch and hearing only
remained to him — his whole system was racked by frequent
convulsions — his life was despaired of for more than a fort-
night— and, though after that time his spiritual and physi-
cal energies were partially restored during a few succeeding
months, he fell back into the same bodily distresses — but,
through the blessing of God, not into the same mental dis-
tress, during the summer.

The faithful skill of Dr. Van Dyke was, however, re-
warded by a kind Providence with the entire restoration of
his general health, but with no hope that he would ever
again receive his sight.

It is most pleasing to know that his spiritual faintness
was the consequence not of unbelief, but bodily infirmity ;
for when his flesh rose from its weakness, and his brain re-
covered soundness, his heart again delighted itself in God.
" The celestial light shone inward ;" and his buoyant tem-
per, animated by divine joy, showed itself superior to hia
trials. This happy Christian courage has ever since ac-
companied him, blessing his own life with a radiance from
on high, and shedding from his cheerful, thankful example,
an edifying pleasure upon all who have had the satisfaction
of his society.

He still fondly clung to the hope of prosecuting his stu-
dies, but his friends persuaded him from attempting it ;
and abandoning his collegiate course, he, by their advice,
entered the Institution for the Blind at Philadelphia, with a
view of preparing himself to be a teacher of his brethren
in affliction. But with limited means of improvement,

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF THE EDITOR. XI

through the slow process of reading by " raised letters,"
his ardent mind could not be content ; and he remained at
the Institution only from December, 1837, until the follow-
ing spring. At that time a severe erysipelas in his head
and eyes excited some hope that a favourable change had
occurred, and that by skilful treatment his sight might yet
be recovered ; but, though he put himself into the experi-
enced hands of Drs. Hays and Fox, of Philadelphia, hia
expectations were baffled.

Some kind friends (especially one Mr. W., of New York,
for whose warm and active regard he has great reason to be
grateful) thought that, with the aid of a partner, he might
succeed in some branch of business, and had begun to make
arrangements to that end. But the good Providence, which
had chastened his spirit, intended better things ; for, while
on his way up the Hudson to visit Kinderhook, he fell in
with the Rev. Sylvester Woodbridge, then the agent of the
Auburn Theological Seminary, who advised him to go on
with his studies for the ministry ; and, to encourage him,
cited the case of his cousin, the Rev. Timothy Woodbridge,
who had become blind during his collegiate course, yet had
continued his preparation, and was preaching with success
as the pastor of a church.

Mr. Woodbridge suggested that an arrangement might be
effected with some theological students to read the lessons
in which they were engaged to him by turns. Mr. Wilson
was favourably impressed with the plan, which Mr. W^ood-
bridge promised his assistance to cairy out. While await-
ing Mr. Woodbridge's further communication, he was in-
vited to visit the home of a college classmate, whose father,
Captain John Steele, resided at Paradise, Pennsylvania.
There, unwilling to be idle, he occupied and amused by
teaching occasionally the two younger sons of his hospitable
entertainer. Capt. Steele was so much pleased with the
rapid improvement of his boys under Mr. Wilson's teaching,
that he requested him to act as the private tutor of his chil-
dren, which he did, and taught the two daughters, as well as
the two sons of his host, with great success, until the March
following, when Mr. Woodbridge wrote to him that he had
made the arrangement, which he had promised, for Mr.
Wilson's theological studies, at the seminary in Auburn, New
York ; and, not without many spoken blessings, accompa-
nied by substantial evidence of esteem, from Capt. Steele,
he left the home of that generous gentleman, to enter on his

Xll BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF THE EDITOR.

course at Auburn, in April 1839, and there continued his
studies most profitably until the spring of 1841, practising
his gifts as a public speaker by occasional exhortations in
the religious meetings around, which were well received. In
March of that year, after a close examination, he was regu-
larly licensed as a candidate for the ministry, by the Pres-
bytery of Cayuga, on which occasion he received from the
members of that revered body many proofs of approbation
and encouraging counsel.

Desirous of yet further improvement before entering upon
the full labours of the sacred office, he, by the advice of a
friend who was studying in the Theological Seminary at
Princeton, and who engaged to make for him there an ar-
rangement like that by which he had profited so much at
Auburn, he determined to spend a year in the school of the
prophets, under the wise superintendence of the Rev. Doc-
tors Alexander, Miller and Hodge. In the meantime, he
ventured to travel alone to visit his hospitable friend Capt.
Steele, and preached frequently on the way ; every where
on the road and in the house meeting with attentive kind-
ness. In September (having been detained by an illness of
several weeks) he entered the Seminary at Princeton, and
enjoyed regularly the opportunities of his class until May,
1842, when he was transferred from the Presbytery of New
Brunswick (to which he had been dismissed from the Pres-
bytery of Cayuga) to the Presbytery of New Castle, Dela-
ware, by whom he was sent, in June, 1842, as a stated sup-
ply for the churches of Newark and Christiana. His ser-
vices were so well received, that those churches, in the
August following, united in giving him an unanimous call,
and he was installed as their pastor on the 12th of the next
October. Here he was blessed in winning the afi'ections of
a most estimable and intelligent young lady, Miss Ann Gray,
daughter of Mr. Andrew Gray, of Chestnut Hill, Newark,
whom he married on the 29th of November of the same
year. Their union was eminently happy. Mr. Wilson con-
tinued in the charge of these churches, preaching regularly
and doing the full duty of a pastor for four years. It is
but just to say, that his labours were owned of God and the
Church. They were richly blessed ; scarcely a sacramental
communion passed without the evidence of fruit, and, at
one time, a considerable revival crowned his preaching of
the Word. So much was he strengthened, notwithstanding
his infirmity, that, in the spring of 1844, being invited to

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF THE EDITOR. Xlll

assist the pastor of the church at Wilmington, he preached
for fourteen successive evenings, labouring the while through-
out the day in visits of exhortation. This Mr. Wilson
gratefully remembers as a most precious season of in-
gathering, when "many souls were added unto the Church."

For several reasons, which he considered sufficient, and
his known "aptness to teach," Mr. Wilson was persuaded,
in the spring of 1845, to take the superintendence of a
"Female Seminary," at Newark, still retaining his pastoral
care of the two churches which have been named. In this
important school, about forty young ladies pursued a wide
range of studies, and Mr. Wilson received high testimonials
from most competent judges, to his fidelity as a preceptor,
which was shown, at the examinations, by the scholars
themselves. The written certificates given to Mr. Wilson
speak of this sufficiently. His multiplied labours as a pas-
tor of two churches and active principal of such a seminary
were, however, too much for his strength.

In the spring of 1846 he w^as compelled to resign his
pulpits ; and in a year or two afterwards he gave up the
charge of the school, which in the spring of 1847 had been
moved to Wilmington. About this period of his life the
Lord was pleased again to "bruise our brother, and put him
to grief," visiting him with yet more and yet more bitter
sorrows. His pecuniary fortunes sufiered from some ill-ad-
vised changes in his school. Mrs. Wilson's health was shaken,
and various circumstances led them to a more private life in
the bosom of her father's family, whose residence was now
at Wilmington. He was not, however, idle, but assisted
Mr. Gayley of the Wilmington Academy, and preached to
a feeble Church which had been begun in the outskirts of
the city.

Now, July 1848, came upon him the saddest calamity of his
life. His charming and devoted wife had been to him in every
respect a helpmeet, enlivening darkness, cheering his labours,
solacing his disappointments. God had given them two fair
sons, Andrew Gray, (born December, 1844,) Chalmers, (Au-
gust, 1847.) Their domestic content was full of sweetness — its
chief charm the pious, cultivated, afi'ectionate, clear minded,
and strong hearted woman, who in every relation as a daugh-
ter, wife, mother, friend and member of Christ's Church, had
won love from all who knew her, but especially from her blind,
thankful husband. Yet she heard the voice of her Master
calling her away, and died of the typhoid fever on the eve-

XIV BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF THE EDITOR.

ning of the lOth of the month. " She was not, for God
took her." Mr. Wilson sustained, as he could not but be,
by the assurance of her sleep in Jesus, suffered far more
from the absence of his bosom's comforter, than he had done
from the loss of his sight. With her life, his second, better
light went out. It was the deepest gloom of midnight to
his heart ; an irresistible melancholy came over his soul,
which the sympathy of affectionate friends sought to alle-
viate, but could not chase away. He had to go on his way
blind, without the gentle hand to lead him, which, by the
gift of God, had been his ever careful, gentle guide.

But the children she had bequeathed him demanded his
exertions, and the work of his Lord his zeal. His long
tried, steadfast friend, the Rev. S. M. Gayley, was mindful
of him, and, by generous influence, obtained for him the
useful post of assistant chaplain to the Eastburn Mariners'
Church of Philadelphia, the Rev. 0. Douglass, the pastor
(since gone to rest), having been compelled, by declining
health, to leave the main duties in Mr. Wilson's hands.
The labours of Mr. Wilson in this pleasing scene of mission-
ary work were highly acceptable to the mariners, and those
who had the superintendence of the church.

There he continued to serve, blessing and blest, until
early in the spring of 1849, when he received a unanimous
call from the Presbyterian Church at Wrightsville, York
County, Pennsylvania, to become their pastor, which he
accepted.

His entrance upon this new sphere of exertion was
signalised by a copious rain of the Spirit, reviving the
church, and causing many plants of righteousness to spring
up within the garden of the Lord from the good seed of his
word. The ministry of Mr. Wilson continued to be highly
appreciated by the congregation of Wrightsville, and he
exercised it, notwithstanding his physical disabilities, with
ease and comfort. Several of his friends, however, with
whose judgment his own agreed, adopted the opinion that
his usefulness might be enhanced by his giving himself to
the spread of the truth through the press ; and, in order to
the making of a full experiment, he resigned the pastoral
charge of the Wrightsville Church in December, 1851,
though, at the earnest request of the elders and congregiv-
tion, he still continued to occupy their pulpit as the stated
preacher until June 1852.

It was Mr. Wilson's first intention to publish some of his

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF THE EDITOR. 3CV

own religious writings ; but shrinking from what he modestly
feared might be thought undue presumption, he has deter-
mined that his opening venture should be with the writings
of others, who are widely known and approved throughout
the Evangelical Church of this country. How well he has
been assisted by his fathers and brethren, the contents of
the present volume show. He sends it forth, hopeful of the
divine blessing.

Such is the simple story of his afflicted yet favoured life.
The general facts have been taken down from his own lips,
as he told what the Lord had done for his soul, and " men-
tioned the loving kindness and great goodness" of the angel
of the covenant, in leading him " by ways which he knew
not, and paths he had not known." If some words of affec-
tionate praise are found threaded throughout this narrative,
it is because the writer of these pages could not deny him-
self the expression of his feelings. They have been written
under the bias of a warm friendship ; but that warmth of
friendship has been the consequence of his acquaintance with
Mr. Wilson's character and course, which have won for him
a like esteem from all who knew him.

No doubt the trials of his experience induced a tender-
ness of judgment ; but it is not less certain that his pa-
tience, and cheerfulness, and courageous perseverance compel
towards him a rare respect and heartfelt good wishes. Nor
must it be thought that this opinion of him as a Christian
man and an Evangelical minister, has been formed only
when considering his difficulties. Were he not blind, he
would be entitled to an equal estimation. Pursuing his
studies continuously and earnestly, by the help of readers,
his memory and his power of attention have been strength-
ened by ^practice. His range of investigation has been
wide; his acquaintance with standard authors in vari-
ous departments of theological and general literature is
familiar ; his judgment, from the intensity of his thought,
while listening to the friend at his side, has become unu-
sually quick and sound, so that it may be said with truth,
few of our working clergy are better stored with material
for the pulpit than he. He thoroughly understands and
faithfully expounds the system of truth set forth in the
standards of the church to which he is loyally attached.
His discourses are notable for their analytical arrangement;
his definitions are apt ; his illustrations happy ; his mode
of thought oftentimes fresh; his language easy and not de-

m BIOGKAPHICAL SKETCH OF THE EDITOR.

void of unction; "which, united to a demonstrative force,
distinct enunciation, and a natural earnestness mingled
with pathos, render him, through divine blessing, a forcible,
pleasing preacher. The absence of sight interests his hear-
ers for him, but occasions no awkwardness of manner, or
unpleasant feelings ; and he is listened to with emotions of
thankfulness that it pleases God to bring such joyful light
out of such darkness.

His story is instructive, confirming the evangelical doc-
trine, that we may, through grace, "glory in tiibulation,"
be made strong by weakness, and "count it all joy when
we fall into manifold temptations ;'' nay, that there are no
impediments or obstacles insuperable to one who, trusting
his Master's promise, is determined upon doing what his
*' hands find to do, with all his might."

THE FOLLY OF DOUBTING THE EXECUTION
OF GOD'S THREATENINGS.

BT

THE KEV. E. WILSON, EDITOR.

Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers,
walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of
his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as
they were from the beginning of the creation. — 2 Peter iii. 3, 4.

This is a prophetic declaration of an apostle, rela-
tive to the character and conduct of a class of men
who would arise in the last days, that is, at the
termination of the Jewish polity, and, affecting to
discredit the promises and threatenings of God, by
scoffing at religion, would walk after their own lusts.

The history of every age, since the days of the
apostles, has furnished lamentable proof of the trutli
of this declaration. Even in this age, under the in-
creasing light of the gospel, scoffers are increasing
in number and daring profaneness. So true is the
affirmation of Scripture, that "cA'il men and seducers
shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being
deceived." " For, as in water face answereth to
face, so the heart of man to man." In every age
unbelief marks his character, and evinces the truth
of Scripture, that " the heart is deceitful above all
2 (1)

J FOLLY OF DOUBTING GODS THREATENINGS.

things, and desperately wicked." With affections
thus averse to hoHness, he refuses obedience to the
divine commands, and yields to his wayward pro-
pensities. When urged to the duty of repentanc^e
and faith, he flies to some refuge of lies j and to still
the voice of conscience, affects to doubt the truth of
divine threatenings.

My object is to show the folly of those who doubt
the execution of God's threatenings.

Their folly will appear evident from the following
reasons :

1st. Because they demand an immediate fulfil-
ment, saying, " Where is the promise of his coming?"
The scoffer must see an immediate exhibition of
retributive justice, or else he utterly refuses to
believe the evidence which God has been pleased
to give.

It needs no very extensive survey of the divine
government, to discover that an immediate execu-
tion of threatenings is not a principle of its adminis-
tration. For an apt illustration of this principle,
refer to the history of Manasseh. The character
of this prince was of the most detestable kind. He
not only filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, but
also caused Judah and Jerusalem to sin more griev-
ously than any of the surrounding nations. Idolatry,
through his influence, became the prevailing religion
from the royal court to the meanest subject. In
addition to these enormities, the warnings and admo-
nitions by the prophets to this proud and idolatrous
prince, were rejected by both prince and people with
disdain.
Thus provoked by contempt, and by the violation of

E. WILSON. 6

every law of humanity, justice, and mercy, Jehovah
threatens Manasseh and his people with a sweeping
destruction, saying, " Because Manasseh, king of
Judah, hath done these abominations, and hath done
wickedly above all that the Amorites did which
were before him, and hath made Judah also to sin
with his idols ; therefore, thus saith the Lord God
of Israel, Behold, I am bringing such evil upon Jeru-
salem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it both
his ears shall tingle. And I will stretch over Jeru-
salem the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the
house of Ahab ; and I will wipe Jerusalem, as a
man wipeth a dish, wiping it, and turning it upside
down. And I will forsake the remnant of mine
inheritance, and deliver them into the hand of their
enemies, and they shall become a prey and a spoil
to all their enemies ; because they have done thai
which was evil in my sight, and have provoked me
to anger since the day their fathers came forth out
of Egypt, even unto this day." But did God, in
this instance, immediately execute his threatenings ?
No, for the subsequent history shows that Manasseh
himself died in peace, and the execution of it on his
people was deferred to the reign of Zedekiah, about
one hundred years.

Again, this principle of the divine government
is more strikingly illustrated in the history of
Amalek. This idolatrous nation made an attack
on . Israel when weary and enfeebled from their
wanderings in the desert; but Jehovah wrought a
complete victory for his chosen people.

This unprovoked attack brought on Amalek the
displeasure of Jehovah. And as an expression of his

I

4 FOLLY OF DOUBTING GODS THREATEN INGS.

righteous indignation, "the Lord said unto Moses,
Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it
in the ears of Joshua ; for I will utterly put out the
remembrance of Amalek from under heaven." Here,
again, is sentence against the transgressor immedi-
ately executed ? By no means ; for, notwithstanding
this threatening, Amalek is, through the divine for-
bearance, preserved from immediate destruction.
Still, lest it should be inferred from this delay that
God had forgotten their sins, or indeed never in-
tended to execute his sentence, he, after the lapse
of nearly half a century, renews, with additional
reasons, his command to the Israelites, the chosen
instruments to inflict his wrath, saying, " Remember
what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye
were come forth out of Egypt, how he met thee by
the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, even all
that were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint
and weary ; and he feared not God. Therefore it
shall be, when the Lord thy God hath given thee
rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land
which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inherit-
ance to possess it, that thou shalt blot out the re-
membrance of Amalek from under heaven ; thou
shalt not forget it."

The subsequent history of this people shows
that tlicy continued, from age to age, to cherish
towards Israel a hostile disposition, and like modern
scoffers, perfectly secure in their sins, they hastened
to fill up the measure of their iniquity.

The long-suffering of God having at length be-
come exhausted, he delivers, after the lapse of f tee
hundred and forty-eight yearsy his final command,

E. WILSON. 0

through his prophet Samuel, saying to king Saul,
"Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy
all that they have, and spare them not; but slay
both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and
sheep, camel and ass." This threatening was now
fully accomphshed, and the remembrance of Amalek
blotted out from under heaven.

It is true, that the history of Manasseh and
Amalek gives but an imperfect view of the testi-
mony which might be gathered, to prove that an
IMMEDIATE execution of threatenings is not a princi-
ple of the divine admmistration. But if the testi-
mony of Moses and the Prophets fails to convince
the scoffer, that God will finally fulfil his word, then
would he not be persuaded though one rose from
the dead.

The reason of this long delay of judgment given
by the apostle in the chapter whence our text is
taken, is, that God is ''long suffering to us ward,
not willing that any should perish, but that all
should come to repentance." And we would natu
rally infer, that such an exhibition of forbearance in
the midst of deserved wrath, would induce the sin
uer to embrace this favourable moment to "seek
the Lord while he may be found," and thus escape
liis judgment. But such is the madness of his heart,
and the folly of his course, that in bold defiance of
every threatening of the Almighty, he, sheltering
himself beneath his unreasonable doubts, still per-
sists in his rebellion, and asks, amidst the clearest
evidence, " Where is the promise of his coming ?"
'' Where is the God of judgment T

II. But, again, their folly is more strikingly mani-
fest, hecaiise they utterly disregard tlw teachings of
Prooidence.

6 FOLLY OF DOUBTING GOD's THREATENINGS.

Every impenitent heart is prone to imagine that
God is a being simply benevolent, overlooking his
justice and holiness. This vain notion the sinner
continues to cherish, though God, through the abun-
dance of his mercy, has, in his providence, added
instruction to instruction. But the greater the light —
in which God exhibits his determined purpose in-
violably to unite in his moral government, justice,
mercy and holiness — the more obstinately blind does
the sinner remain. And if nothing but an over-
whelming exhibition of power, in executing the
fierceness of his wrath, could arouse the scoffer from
his willing stupidity, God has, even of this, conde-
scended to give him abundant examples.

A moral lesson, irresistible in its impression on
the reflecting mind, we have given us in the terrific
destruction of the antediluvian world. One hun-
dred and twenty years did divine justice, through
the intercession of mercy in behalf of its guilty
inhabitants, forbear to execute its denunciations of
wrath. But like sinners of the present age, those
incorrigible and stupid sons of violence suffered the
time given them for repentance to pass unimproved.
Divine justice, though forbearing, slumbered not.
The unexpected, the fatal hour arrived. Mercy re-
tired. The door of hope was closed, and justice,
with the besom of destruction, swept a guilty race
from the face of the earth. God, as if determined
that this lesson of instruction should not be lost to
any succeeding age, not only recorded it upon the
sacred page, but also chronicled it upon the corner-
stones of the world, inscribed it on every moun
tain top, left its impress on the surface of every

E. WILSON. i

valley, and transmitted it throiigh the traditions of
all nations.

But has the hand of divine justice been less truly
manifested in the moral government of the world
in any succeeding age ? By no means. For where
is Nineveh, that once humbled yet impenitent city ?
Where are the cities of the plain? We have the
answer of the apostle, that " God, turning the cities
of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them
with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto
those that after should live ungodly." The same
inquiry and answer may be made in reference to
Babylon, Tyre and Sidon, Carthage and Rome.
These were among the most renowned cities of the
world ; long the subject of prophecy ; distinguished
alike for their extent and influence ; the enormity
and number of their crimes, and, finally, not less
distinguished for the display of divine justice in
their destruction.

But the moral lessons to be derived from the
volume of providence, whether the instructive
events be remote or near, appear alike inefiicient in
teaching the scoffer his true character, and in con-
vincing him that the most high God ruleth in the
kingdoms of men, and that he appointeth over them
whomsoever he will.

Nebuchadnezzar, a proud and idolatrous monarch
of Babylon, while walking in the palace of his king-
dom, and being elated with the greatness of his
capital, and the glory of his dominion, " spake, and
said. Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for
the house of the kingdom, by the might of my
power, and foi the honour of my majesty?" But

8 FOLLY OF DOUBTING GOd's THREATENINGS.

how suddenly was he arrested in his career ! " While
the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice
from heaven, saying, 0 king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee
it is spoken, the kingdom is departed from thee ;
and they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwell-
ing shall be with the beasts of the field ! they shall
make thee to eat grass as oxen ; and seven times
shall pass over thee, until thou know that the Most
High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it
to whomsoever he will. The same hour was the
thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar."

Now Belshazzar, his grandson and possessor of
his throne, though acquainted with this history of
Nebuchadnezzar, yet rejecting all its evidence of the
sovereignty of God, pursued a course still more
aggravating in the sight of heaven ; the more aggra-
vating, because he had the greater means of in-
struction. But in the midst of his idolatrous feast
" came forth fingers of a man's hand, writing on the
wall of his palace — Mene, mene, tekel, upharsin,"
the sentence of his condemnation and execution.

Alarmed at this vision, the king finally brings in
the servant of the true God, because he alone was
found able to interpret the writing. So true is it
that Jehovah will always put honour on his children
in humbling his enemies.

Daniel, when admitted into the royal presence,
briefly states the history of Nebuchadnezzar, his
crimes, condemnation, humility, and restoration, and
declares to the king, '" Thou, his son, 0 Belshazzar,
hast not humbled thy heart, though thou knewest
all this."

It is true, that time has removed to a great dis-

E. WILSON.

tance all the events above specified, but the case of
the Jewish nation is a standing miracle ; evidencing,
beyond reasonable doubt, that Jehovah is still the
governor of the nations, the King of kings, and Lord
of lords. For who can be ignorant of the fact, that
the house of Israel, though long the flivourite of
heaven, yet has been for ages scattered among every
nation of the earth. Cruelly oppressed in every way
which human ingenuity could devise, and still pre-
served a distinct people ; reserved, both as objects
of wrath and mercy, to furnish some forthcoming
age a signal exhibition of the divine glory.

But we need not depend for evidence exclusively
on the history of nations, for we have ample proof
in the life of each individual, that God, from the
volume of providence, is giving every man impres-
sive lessons for his immediate improvement.

What though some regard not the work of Jeho-
vah, neither consider the operation of his hands, yet
to every willing mind he is constantly exhibiting
himself rich in mercy, glorious in holiness, wisdom,
and power.

The harmony of our moral and physical consti-
tution, with the laws of nature, proves beyond con-
tradiction, that the Author of our being not only
designs our happiness, but also that we should con-
stantly associate in our minds obedience and happi-
ness, disobedience and misery. For every man finds,
from daily experience, that an infringement of these
laws is followed, sooner or later, and generally in-
stantly, by pain, disease, misery, and death. And
equally indubitable is the testimony of individual
experience, that a strict observance of these laws is

10 FOLLr OF DOUBTING GOD'S THREATENINGS.

followed by health and happiness. The full flow
of animal spirits consequent on partaking of a cheer-
ful meal, in strict accordance with the laws of health,
as truly inculcates the doctrine as does the Bible
itself, that God purposes in his dealings with us to
unite inseparably in our minds obedience and happi-
ness. But is the testimony of our experience, as to
the effect of regarding or violating the moral law
of our being, less certain than that of the physical?
or is it consonant to reason to suppose that less har-
mony and order of sequence would exist in the moral
world than in the physical ?

The experience of every man fully accords with
the doctrine of the Bible, that the work of right-
eousness shall be peace, and the effect of righteous-
ness quietness and assurance for ever. Surely these
instances are enough to convince every rational per-
son that God, in his supervision of the world, is con-
stantly furnishing lessons of moral instruction, and
that he has not at any time left himself without ;i
witness. What, then, must be the folly of those
who utterly disregard the teachings of divine
providence !

III. Those therefore, who, under such circum-
stances still continue to cherish their unbelief, must
evidently make ihei?' doubting the truth of God an
excuse for their sin. This conduct of the sinner is
e^'idently nothing less than to offer one sin as a pre-
text for committing many more. But how absurd
and vain is such a refuge !

Such, however, are the extremes of absurdity to
which the sinner is driven by a love of sin; but let

E. WILSON. 11

conscience awake, and remorse will arise in his mind,
from a consciousness of personal guilt, and fear of
condign punishment.

Hence, when the transgressor becomes truly con-
scious of personal guilt, he cannot but be tormented
with that fearful looking for of judgment and fiery
indignation which shall devour the adversaries. So
long, therefore, as he continues under the dominion
of Satan, and wedded to his lusts, the unequivocal
sentence, that "the wicked shall be turned into
hell," must pierce him with horror. Here we would
infer, that the sinner, from a sense of his guilt and
danger, would ground the weapons of his rebellion,
and plead for pardon. But no— lest he should be
compelled to close with the voice of God and of con-
science, he makes lies his refuge, and under false-
hood he hides himself.

Thus, when the conscience has been overpowered
by continually resisting all its admonitions, then
their wayward passions constitute their only guide,
the gratification of their carnal desires the object
and end of their being.

Are not the laws of God, and his plan of salvation
by a Mediator, of such a character as to commend
themselves to the judgment and conscience even of
the impenitent ? If not, why does sudden calamity
and fear compel even the vilest of the wicked to
implore divine assistance, and earnestly beseech our
Lord and Saviour for mercy to avert His impending
wrath, which in the day of prosperity they so affect'',
edly disregard or despise? But let the long-suffer-
mg mercy of heaven withdraw His avenging hand,
sheathe the sword of justice, and restore prosperity'

12 FOLLY OF DOUBTING GOD'S THREATENINGS.

how soon do their vain hopes revive, and they again
resort to the same subterfuge of lies ! Despising the
riches of God's goodness, and forbearance, and long-
suffering, they renew boldly and confidently their
feeble strength to contend with Omnipotence ; they
stretch out their hand against God, and strengthen
themselves against the Almighty ; they run upon
him, even on his neck, upon the thick bosses of
his bucklers.

It is an old adage, and as true as it is old, " that
experience keeps a dear school, but fools will learn
in no other." Now, how wise these men become
from experience, for though they have had repeated
warnings, yet they seek peace and safety by again
opposing their moral nature.

But does not this conduct evidently show that
these men only pretend to disbelieve what they
know is true, that they may furnish by doubting
an excuse for sin ? On what other conceivable prin-
ciple can the fact be explained, that adversity does
so effectually destroy their hopes, and compel them
to close with the voice of God and of conscience ?
It is, therefore, evident that the scoffer's love of sin
is so inveterate, that whenever urged to repentance
and faith, he is necessitated, though he thus does
violence to his moral nature, to shelter himself
under the vain refuge of doubting the truth of God,
that he may thereby have an excuse for continuing
in sin.

Though the truth is attested by an overwhelming
amount of evidence, when duly weighed, yet because
this evidence is not given in such form as the sin-
ner himself may capriciously choose, therefore be
utterly refuses all evidence. So incredulous is he,

E. WILSON. 13

as to reject the truth, though proved by the strongest
evidence, and to embrace error though supported by
the weakest. In this, his incredulity, he glories,
because, in his opinion, it elevates him above the
common herd of mankind, and evinces greatness
and freedom of intellect. Women, children, and
feeble-minded men may believe the word of God on
the evidence which he has been pleased to give, but
such credulity is beneath the dignity of great intel-
lects and capacious minds. No, no. These persons
cannot believe the truth when evinced to a cer-
tainty, but to show their incredulity must receive
error, though disproved by all the evidence that
boasted reason itself can adduce. To manifest their
incredulity fully, it is necessary to take only one step
more, and that is, to exhibit their principles in prac-
tice, which they do by " walking continually after
their own lusts."

Thus their very practice furnishes no weak evi-
dence of the truth which they affect to disbelieve.
Having nothing but the subterfuge of a doubt to
offer as an excuse for thus rebelling against God, yet
they confidently demand, " Where is the promise of
his coming?" "Where is the God of judgment?"
But divine justice will not always slumber, and
suffer these men to manifest this vain confidence;
" for the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the
night." " For when they shall say peace and safety-,
then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail
upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape."

IV. Again, their folly will the more evidently
appear, because they suspend their highest interests
on an unreasmiable doubt.

14 FOLLY OF DOUBTING GOd's THREATENINGS.

Since "there is no work, nor device, nor know-
ledge, nor wisdom, in the grave," reason, as well
as revelation, would teach us that every one should
strive to make his calling and election sure, "while
it is the accepted time and the day of salva-
tion." But in opposition to the voice of God, of
conscience, and of nature through all her works, the
impenitent blindly, but wilfully, pursue their way
of rebellion and death. " For if we sin wilfully
after that we have received the knowledge of the
truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but
a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery
indignation, which shall devour the adversaries."

Man was created in knowledge, righteousness and
holiness, and was endowed with these intellectual
and moral powers, that he might, in all the works
of creation and providence, behold and reflect the
glory of his Creator, and find happiness in obeying
his commands.

But the crown has fiillen from his head, and all
glory has departed from him. In consequence of
the innate depravity of his heart, he now rejects the
knowledge of the Most High, disregards the glory
of his character, yields himself to the service of Sa-
tan and the dominion of sin, despises the Son of
God and his salvation, and thus effectually destroys,
not only his present, but eternal happiness.

While absorbed in the gratification of his passions,
he esteems his own permanent well-being, the hap-
piness of the universe, and the glory of the great
Jehovah, as objects unworthy of rational pursuit —
unworthy of the least regard. And when the
gorpel urges its claims on his attention, with all its

E. WILSON. 15

power of appeal to the heart, he awakes from his
lethargy only to doubt, and vainly wish for happi-
ness in a course of disobedience and death. For
if the gospel, with its promises and threatenings, is
true, then the scoffer must perish ; there is no alter-
native. But that it may eventually prove true is
at least possible, and its bare possibility involves
interests too important to be banished from the
human mind, or for a moment to be neglected.

How great, then, must be the folly of those who
doubt the execution of God's threatenings, and still
more absurd does it appear, since on their very
doubt the question turns of their eternal happiness.

But why is it, that the impenitent take so little
interest in their permanent well-being, while they
so zealously expend all their powers to lay up
treasures on earth, " where moth and rust doth cor-
rupt, and where thieves break through and steal."
They never suffer a doubt to prevent their most
strenuous efforts, while there is the least j^rospect
of obtaining the objects of their carnal desires. A
possibility of extending an empire will so arouse
all the energies and ambitious hopes of an Alex-
ander, or a Bonapart, that they will call into requi-
sition all the resources of a nation, and jeopard the
life of millions, merely to j)romote their own
aggrandizement. Is there a possibility of the mer-
chant increasing his means of earthly enjoyment
by foreign commerce ? Without reluctance he will
expose all his property, though the product of his
toil and exhausting labour for years, to the mercy
of the raging storm and treacherous ocean. The
same hope, excited by the success of others, inspires

16 FOLLY OF DOUBTING GOd's THREATENINGS.

tlie heart of the poor and the oppressed, and calls
into vigorous activity all their powers, to increase
merely their present happiness.

What expense will the wicked, when assailed by
disease, spare to secure their recovery, and prolong
their life for self-indulgence ? Such is their love
of the world and fear of judgment, that a mere pes
sibility of recovery elates them with hope, and
makes them cling even to the last moment of life,
as the wrecked mariner clings to a fragment of his
shattered bark.

Now, can men of sane minds deem themselves
wise, in sanctioning such conduct in respect to their
temporal interests, and the preservation of their
bodies, while they suffer an unreasonable doubt to
blast the highest interests of their souls ? Would
not consistency of conduct absolutely demand, even
on the mere possibility of the reality of religion,
and of the truth of its promises and threatenings,
that they should put forth vigorously their best di-
rected efforts, to secure also their permanent well-
being ? But Christianity rests not on a bare possi-
bility ; its reality is attested b}^ all the evidence
which reason can ask for or desire. What, then,
must be the inconsistency — nay, consummate folly, of
those who not only suspend their own everlasting
happiness on an unreasonable doubt, but also utterly
disregard the well-being of the universe, and con-
temn the glory of the eternal God ? " He that sit-
teth in the heavens shall laugh ; the Lord shall have
them in derision."

V. But this leads us to observe, finally, that tJie
doubting of the scoffer mill not prevent the execution
of God's threatenings.

E. WILSON. 17

The punishment of the lawless and disobedient
may be regarded as essential to the well-being of
human government; and no principle of the divine
government is more fully established than this, viz.
that God will by no means clear the guilty. Both
the law and the gospel declare that " the wicked
shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that
forget God." "According to their deeds accordingly
he will repay fury to his adversaries, recompense to his
enemies." "Though hand join in hand, the wicked
shall not be unpunished. For he that believeth not
the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God
abideth on him. He shall break them with a rod
of iron ; he shall dash them in pieces like a potter's
vessel."

What, then, is the scoifer's strength, which he can
exert in opposing himself to the truth and power of
God? His feeble arm can oppose only a doubt and
ridicule. With these he encourages himself to wage,
as he fondly hopes, successful war against Jehovah,
and the highest interests of his illimitable empire,
as if Omnipotence was inadequate to crush every
opposing power which the sinner can raise.

Oh what madness ! what extreme folly ! " He that
planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed
the eye, shall he not see? he that chastiseth the
heathen, shall not he correct ?"

But if the truth of revelation 'fails to enlighten
and restrain the impenitent, they are nevertheless
without excuse ; for much of the nature of God,
and of their duty, is revealed to them by the light
of creation and providence. " Because that which
may be known of God is manifest in them, for God
3

..jiLkT*.*

18 FOLLY OF DOUBTING GOD's THREATENINGS.

hath showed it unto them." For the invisible
things of Him, from the creation of the world, are
clearly seen, being understood by the things that are
made, even his eternal power and Godhead ; so that
they are without excuse. And if they regard neither
the light of revelation nor providence, yet have they
not the law of conscience, which is sufficient to es-
tablish the justice of their eternal condemnation?
for all men do naturally the things that the law
requires, which proves that they have a law in them-
selves, since they frequently act according to its
rule. The work of the divine law is written in their
hearts, by which the}^ discern the difference between
right and wrong — what is just and what is unjust.

If evidence can attest the truth, and facts evince
the certainty, of the purpose of God to punish the
disobedient, then the actual execution of all his de-
nunciations could not furnish stronger ground of cer-
tainty than that which God has already given. Un-
less, therefore, one of two things can be proved, either
that God does not intend to execute his threatenings,
ix that his power is inadequate, the destruction of
the scoffer is inevitable. For if Jehovah has pur-
posed by his only begotten Son to introduce and
maintain his kingdom in the world, will he not, as
all powers and agencies are under his control, roll
onward unchecked the mighty wheels of his eternal
government, though beneath them lie crushed his
guilty feeble foes ?

God's immutable justice, holiness, and truth de-
mand the immediate and eternal punishment of the
wicked, but through his abundant grace and mercy
he condescends to expostulate with them, saying,

E. "WILSON. 19

" As I live I have no pleasure in the death of the
wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and
live ; turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways, for why
will ye die ?" How strongly marked, therefore, is
the folly of those who not only doubt the execution
of God's threatenings, but also despise the riches of
his goodness, and forbearance, and long-suffering,
and dare to mock at every thing sacred.

God has predicted their fearful and eternal destiny,
saving, " I also will laugh at your calamity ; I will
mock when your fear cometli ; when your fear com-
eth as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a
whirlwind ; when distress and anguish cometh upon
you." " Then shall ye return and discern between
the righteous and the wicked, between him that
serveth God, and him that serveth him not. For
behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven ;
and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly
shall be stubble, and the day that cometh shall burn
them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave
them neither root nor branch. But unto you that
fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise
with healing in his wings."

Take heed, brethren, the professed disciples of
the Lord Jesus, " lest there be in any of you an evil
heart of unbelief in departing from the living God."
" Stand, therefore, having your loins girt about with
truth, and having on the breastplate of righteous-
ness, and your feet shod with the preparation of the
gospel of peace; alx)ve all taking the shield of faith,
wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery
darts of the wicked." "Let 3'our light so shine
before men, that they may see your good works, and

20 FOLLY OF DOUBTING GOD's THREATENINGS.

glorify your father which is in heaven." And in
due time ye shall receive the fulfilment of the
promise, that " they that be wise shall shine as the
brightness of the firmament, and they that turn
many to righteousness as the stars for ever and
ever."

But, dear reader, are you still walking after your
own lusts, and saying, in the language of the scoffer,
" Where is the promise of his coming ? Where is
the God of judgment?" The riches of God's good-
ness and forbearance may be despised, his warnings
and threatenings may be contemned, " but know
thou that for all these things God will bring thee
into judgment." Does not j^our own experience
confirm the truth of God, that the way of transgres-
sors is hard ? If, therefore, your way is dark and
portentous, what shall the end be ?

Thus saith the Lord, "If I whet my glittering
sword, and my hand take hold on judgment, I will
render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward
them that hate me." Despise not thou the gracious
invitations of redeeming love and mercy. Cease to
incur the displeasure of Jehovah by doubting the
execution of his threatenings. While it is the
accepted time, fly to the Lord Jesus Christ, and
secure, by repentance and faith, a refuge in him.
For " he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting
life, and he that believeth not the Son shall not see
life, but the wrath of God abideth on him." If thou
be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself, but if thou
scorneetj thou alone shalt bear it.

THE WORTH OF THE SOUL.

BT

J. T. SMITH, D. D.

PASTOR OP THE SECOND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, BALTIMORE, MB.

For -what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world and
lose his own soul ? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his
soul ? — Mark viii. 36, 37.

These questions are not of precisely the same
import. They are addressed, indeed, to the same
individuals, and relate to the same subject; but
the individuals addressed are supposed to be placed
in different circumstances, and the form of the ques
tion is modified accordingly. The first contemplates
the condition of a man who has his chosen portion
in this life, and demands of him the profit " if he
should gain the whole world and lose his own
soul." The second contemplates the condition of a
man in the world of despair, whose soul is already
lost, and demands what he would be willing to o-ive
" in exchange for his soul." Both questions relate
to the comparative worth of the soul. They affirm,
in the most emphatic manner, that it is of matx
value than the whole world ; and, upon the ground
of its surpassing worth, they press the great duty
of labouring first and chiefiy after its welfare. I

(21)

22 THE WORTH OF THE SOUL.

propose to detach the prominent idea of the text
from the specific relations and connections in which it
there stands, and to make the worth of the soul,
abstractly and absolutely considered, the subject of
my discourse.

Need I here say one word to secure attention to
this subject ? You are proud of your extensive pos-
sessions, and you do not soon grow weary in telling
over the sum of your riches. You have one trea-
sure of great price, however, which you may never
yet have rated at its full value. I propose, in this
discourse, to estimate the worth of this treasure, and
thus to show how rich you are. When such is my
purpose, may I not hope for an earnest and inter-
ested attention ?

Two distinct and independent tracks of illustra-
tion open up before us. We may enter upon a
direct inspection of the soul itself, and from a sur-
vey of its nature, its capacities, its powers, and its
destination, infer its value ; and then we may take
a wider range, and gather illustrations from without,
and from the deep interest which higher orders of
being take in its welfare ; and from the high esti-
mate which God places upon it ; and from the history
of its creation ; and from the still more marvellous
history of its redemption, demonstrate still further
its value.

I. We are to sit in direct inspection upon the soul
itself, to see if there be any thing in its nature, or its
endowments, or its destination, which may serve our
purpose. And

1. As to its Nature. Exhaustless variety is a
striking characteristic of the works of God. It was

J. T. SMITH, D. D. 23

long ago remarked, that in tbe whole universe no
two things can be found exactly alike. Resem-
blances we find every where, perfect similitude no
where. And the remark holds good, not only of
the external apj)earances of objects, but of their
intrinsic worth. From the tiniest insect, one rank
of being rises above another in excellence, till the
whole terminates in that great sum of all excellence,
that grand climax of all being — God. High up in
this scale of value is found the human soul, standing
at the head of all earthly existences, and ranking
just a little lower than the angels.

The human body, delicately, curiously, and beau-
tifully framed, is accounted the perfection of mate-
rial nature — the very master -piece of the great
Architect. But the body feels not, thinks not,
wills not, acts not. It is but the blind tool of the
agent within. Emotion, thought, hope, happiness,
have their seat in the soul. The soul is yourself,
the body is a mere appendage which you carry about
with you, as you do your clothes. Your high pre-
rogatives, as man, are all conferred upon you by the
soul, and it alone elevates you above the dust. The
body is built of the clay you tread beneath your feet
The eye, wonderful as is its mechanism, multiplied
and spirit-like as are its uses, is nothing but painted
dust ; and the whole fabric is built of what you may
see in the " deep damp grave." The confession so
often on our lips, " we are but worms of the dust,"
is not the language of excessive humility. It is the
plain, unvarnished truth. Whether we look to the
origin or the end of these, our tabernacles of clay,
we must own their fellowship with the worm.

24 THE WORTH OF THE SOUL.

What material object, then, can be compared, as to
its value, with the soul ? What utter insignificance
does the apostle stamp on the whole material uni-
verse, when he tells us, " All these things shall be
dissolved !"

Next above material organism comes animal
instinct. And what are the instincts of animals
but the reason of God ? What teaches the bee to
construct its cell, and the spider to weave its web,
and the stork to build its nest on high ? ► Who
warns the birds of the approach of winter, and
guides them, unerringly, in their long flights over
trackless deserts and wide seas, without map or
compass? The instinct of animals is the reason of
God, prompting them to provide for their present
and sensual wants. But the soul is endowed with
an independent reason. Her instincts rise out of
her own being, up towards God, and onward to-
wards immortality — and over all, conscience, God's
vicegerent, keeps watch and ward.

The soul introduces us into the higher walks of
existence, giving us fellowship in the world of
spirits, and companionship with God, and angels,
and "just men made perfect," and partnership in
their pleasures — the pleasures of intelligence and of
virtue. If by the body we are linked to dust, by
the soul we are allied to God. If by the body we
say to the worm, " Thou art my sister," by the soul
we are made the fellows of seraphim ! What
strange extremes unite in our being! The con-
necting link between God and the inferior creation.
Our foundation in the dust, we aspire towards
Divinity ! The soul is of the JiifjJtest order of exis1>

L

4

J. T. SMITH, D. D. 25

ence — for God and angels are spirit. Immeasurably
inferior to these, indeed, in the appendages and ex-
pansion of its being; in nature it is precisely the
same. And across the wide chasm which now sep-
arates it from God, his voice is distinctly heard, and
hopefully responded to — " Be ye perfect, even as
your Father which is in heaven is perfect." What
means the strange language — " Transformed from
glory to glory into the image of the Lord" — " made
partaker of the divine nature T We can pardon
the sublime dream of Plato, that the human soul is
a portion of the divine essence — a fragment of Deity
imprisoned in dust. It is of most excellent nature.
Nothing on earth equals it — nothing in heaven sur-
passes it. Consider,

2. Its endowments. Activity, power, intelligence,
moral agency, infinite progression, are among its
higher attributes. Passing these, however, we W' ould
remark specially upon the capacity of happiness,
perhaps the highest prerogative of spirit — "Man's
chief end is to glorify God, and enjoy him for ever."
If these ends of our being are not identical, they are
at least inseparable ; and the last grand purpose of
our being is "to enjoy."

Happiness is a thing of which the visible w^orld
can furnish no emblem to those who have never ex-
perienced it. To be understood it must be felt.
The gold which kindles such joy in the miser's
heart, feels not the emotion it imparts. The hea-
vens, which awaken the poet's fancy, and expand,
to something of their own dimensions, the astrono-
mer's intellect ; which point the devotee upw^ard to
God, and scatter gladness, beauty, and life so lav-

26 THE WORTH OF THE SOUL.

islily over the earth, feel in themselves nothing of
the glory or the gladness they impart. The sun is
cold amidst his own beams — the stars are dark
amidst their own radiance. Though so glorious to
us, they are nothing to themselves. The earth is
joyless, amidst all the pulses of joy which beat upon
her surface. When the great Creator had made
all — air, land, and sea, and filled them with exhaust-
less sources of happiness, he brings man, places him
in the new made world, and says. The power to
enjoy is yours; look around, above, beneath, all is
exquisitely fitted to minister to your pleasure.

Every fountain of happiness in the outward world
has some channel opened up, through which it emp-
ties itself into the soul. Has nature her harmo-
nies ? — the ear conveys them to the soul. The eye
ranges over all that is beautiful and sublime in the
universe of God, and carries back its discoveries to
the soul. And thus, by her organs of sense, the
soul ranges at will over the universe, and lays all
nature under contribution to her happiness. But
she has sources of joy, aye and of sorrow too, within
herself; and it is when she shuts up the inlets of the
external world, and retires within herself, that she
finds the highest rapture or the profoundest despair.
Uncover the soul of a saint, see his perfect peace,
his high communings, his glorious hopes — there is a
heaven there, were there none without ! Uncover
the soul of a sinner, see his remorse, his despair, his
malignant passions, his fearful apprehensions of
" wrath to come," there is a hell there, were there
none without !

The soul's capacity to sufier and to enjoy we

J. T. SMITH, D. D. 27

cannot fathom. Do you ask, How much can I enjoy ?
We can but point you to those exhaustless materials
of enjoyment provided ; to your memories of all you.
have enjoyed ; to your imagination, and your hopes ;
the many forms of happiness of which you can con-
ceive, for which you hope, and of which you feel
yourself capable. Nor can we tell how much you
could suffer. Remember your head aches and
heart aches; your pains and your sicknesses. Re-
member your disappointments, your fears, your de-
spair. Have you ever felt remorse ? But were the
capacity of suffering filled to its full measure, we
cannot tell, an angefs tongue cannot tell, how much
you could suffer. And the capacity to enjoy and
to suffer, stamps the soul with a value passing all
calculation.

This is but our embryo state, and we cannot, even
in imagination, fix any limit to the soul's progres-
sion. Give it a more delicately constructed — a
spiritual body ; give it senses more perfect in them-
selves, and in their adjustment to the objects of the
outward world ; let its eye have a wider range, a
more piercing scrutiny; let its ear be more finely
attuned, and its nerves increased in sensibility;
give it new senses to discern those hidden elements
of nature which now escape its closest scrutiny ;
remove its pride, its passions, its carnality; and
then, when fitted for heaven, place it there. Afar
from these earthly sources of pain and sorrow, sur-
rounded with all heaven contains to happify, and
who can tell what it shall become where its pro-
gress is ever accelerating, where every experience
acquired enlarges the basis for future acquisitions,

28 THE WORTH OF THE SOUL.

where every exertion put forth strengthens for a
bolder and loftier attainment. Follow its ascend-
ing waj on, and on, till imagmation tires, and then
think of it stretching on, and on, beyond that point
out through the untold ages of eternity ! Consider,

3. Its Destination. And here we might construct
an impregnable argument for the immortality of the
soul, out of the materials already collected in this
discourse. The surpassing excellence of its nature,
and its high endowments bespeak its immortality.
For it consorts not with the wisdom or the known
ways of God, to suppose him to endow it thus highly,
and yet give it neither time nor facilities to develope
and exercise its powers. Why give it capacities
which are never unfolded ? capabilities which are
never called forth ? powers which can go out into no
adequate exercise ? Its imperfect and undeveloped
condition here is irrefragable evidence of its exist
ence hereafter. Here it is the chrysalis — there the
winged angel of light. This is its childhood — that
its manhood. Did this life bound its being, it were
but a gorgeous mockery, a solemn cheat.

The idea of eternity baffles and confounds concep-
tion. You are foiled in every attempt to compass
it, because you have no nleasures by which to effect
the computation. Take your own life as a measure ;
lay it along side of eternity, and it dwindles away to
utter nothingness in the comparison. Take the six
thousand years which have elapsed since the crea-
tion of the world ; multiply them till numbers fail ;
still you have not reached a starting point in the
computation. Conception is still at fault. Years,
ages, cycles of ages, will not serve for measures of

J. T. SMITH, D. D.

29

eternity. It absorbs all duration, and then stretches
on, undiminished and unimpaired, to infinity beyond.
No addition can increase it; no subtraction can
lessen it. It has no measure, and it defies all con-
ception.

It seems a long time to the prattling child to look
forward to the gray hairs of eighty years. It seemed
a long time to the spirits who first entered the land
of darkness and despair, to look forward through the
many ages of pain, and woe, and wailing which
must elapse before the judgment of the great day.
It seemed a long time to Abel, when he saw his
name written first in heaven's register, to look for-
ward through unnumbered ages till the last name
should be written there. But these long periods of
time all pass, and when looked back upon, seem but
an hand-breadth. But there is no past in eternity;
no future, no starting point, no goal, no beginning,
no end. Now the existence of the soul merges into
eternity ; and here our conception of it is lost. It
claims half the eternity of God. If not without be-
ginning of days, it is without end of years. If not
from everlasting, it is to everlasting.

How terrible the thought of an eternity of pain,
an immortality in hell ! The sting of the worm is,
that it never dies ! The fierceness of the fire is,
that it is not quenched ! How long eternity must
seem when its every moment is lengthened out by
misery ! Imagine a lost soul ages hence, seated in
its dungeon, or rolling in the fiery lake, and this
may be its sad soliloquy :

" These limbs are not yet consumed. I feel no
symptoms of death. I am stronger to suffer to-day

30 THE WORTH OF THE SOUL.

tlian when I first felt these flames. And ever, as
they burn higher and hotter, I feel my strength to
endure, enlarging with them. I have tried to count
the long years as they rolled by, but in vain. I
cannot tell how many ages are gone -, but eternity
is still to come. I have wished, I have prayed, 0 !
how earnestly, for death — but it mocks my prayer,

'I feel my immortality o'ersweep
All pains, all fears, all time, all years ;
And, like th' eternal thunders of the deep.
Proclaim this truth — Thou livest for ever.' "

Brethren, who among us shall dwell with the
devouring fire ? Who among us shall dwell with
everlasting burnings ? Shall it be yourself, or the
neighbour, the friend, the child sitting by your side.
Who shall it be among us ?

How transjDorting the thought of an immortality
in heaven! Imagine yourself for a moment there.
With many of you it will be but anticipating what
a few more days shall reveal. Sit down amidst the
general assembly and church of the first born
above — amidst patriarchs, and prophets, and apos-
tles, and martyrs, the greatly good of every age
and of every land, who are all contemporaries there.
Go with Paul to his glorious mansion — standina:
near, perhaps next, to the throne ; and look on the
many mansions in your Father's house, stretching
off on every hand in long perspective ! Wander
with Baxter along the banks of the river of life, as
it comes gushing from the throne of God, and rolls
its glad waters afar over the plains of heaven ! Sit
down with Payson under the shade of that tree,
which bears twelve manner of fruits, and gives from

J. T. SMITH, D. D. 31

its leaves healing and immortality to the nations !
Rejoin the company of those who have gone up from
your own fireside, and taken their crown ! Amons
them all " there is no more death, neither sorrow,
nor crying, nor pain." God himself has wiped
away tears from off all faces. In the midst of the
innumerable multitude, there is one " as it had been
a Lamb slain." To him every eye is turned ; before
him every knee is bowed ; at his feet every crown is
cast ; and from unnumbered harps, and from unnum-
bered voices, blended in heaven's loudest, sweetest
song, swells high the anthem, '' Worthy is the Lamb
that was slain" — "unto him that loved us, and
washed us from our sins in his own blood." To be
ever " with the Lord"— this is the very heaven of
heaven.

IL In passing to our second general topic, we notice,
1. The interest manifested for the soul by the
higher orders of beings. We are not isolated or
companionless in the universe. We are not alone,
with God, even in the world. " Millions of spiritual
beings walk the earth, both when we wake and when
we sleep." Invisible to us, we are well known to
them; and sharing a common spirituality, sub-
jected to the same high authority, children of the
same great Parent, they can have fellowship and
family sympathy with us. The powers of darkness,
with all their might and mahgnity, are leagued
against us. Why did Satan tempt our first parents to
their flill? Why does he so impiously usurp, and,
a.s a strong man armed, so desperately defend, the
empire of the soul ? All along the way to heaven,
is not every step contested ? Are not all who travel

32 THE WORTH OF THE SOUL.

there called to the wrestling " with principalities,
and powers, and spiritual wickednesses in high
places?" Have ^^ou ever thought that the spirits of
darkness hold a sleepless watch over you, and
brave afresh the threatening thunders of Omnipo-
tence, to maintain their mastery over you ? When
some subtle suggestion of evil has glided into your
mind, or some sudden and lion-like temptation has
fiercely sprung upon you, have you ever thought it
came from hell — the result of counsel and delibera-
tion there held ?

And the holy angels — what wakeful sympathy
and intense solicitude do they feel for us ! Minis-
tering spirits as they are, they leave heaven on no
errand so gladly, as to minister to the heirs of sal-
vation. " There is joy in heaven, among the angels
of God, over one sinner that repenteth." The very
first movement of repentance in the sinner's bosom,
sends a wave of joy over all their bright and bliss-
ful abodes. " This our brother that was dead is
alive again, the lost is found."

Were you, reader, while your eye is upon this
page, to repent, we can tell you what would take
place in heaven. The angels, who are watching
around you, would send up some messenger with
the glad tidings. As he sped upward with joyful
haste, the band who stand at heaven's gate, or bend
over its battlements, to receive messengers from dis-
tant worlds, would descry his approach, and come
forth to meet him ; and, as they learned the joy-
ful tidings he bore, they would gather eagerly around
him, and conduct him through the gates into the
city, and over its golden streets, and amidst its tro-

J. T. SMITH, D. D. 33

phied palaces, to the eternal throne. And all the
inhabitants of heaven would be gathered, by procla-
mation, about him there ; and jour name and your
repentance would be proclaimed aloud ; for you are
well known — known by name, in heaven; and
they would call for the Book of life, and write, or
rather read, there yuur name, and they would call
for the book of God's remembrance, and blot out
the record of your sins ; and they would publish and
proclaim your right to share with them, thenceforth,
in the tree of life and in the holy city. And God,
the eternal Father, would be well pleased that an.
other rebel was subdued, another soul saved; and
Jesus, the blessed Saviour, would see of the travail
of his soul, and be satisfied; and the Holy Spirit
would rejoice over his new and glorious creation;
and angels would rejoice, that their brother, their
younger brother, whom they had long mourned for
as dead, was alive again; and the saints would
raise high, and still higher, their anthem, " Worthy
the Lamb that was slain." And perchance the
mother who watched over your infancy, or the
fiither who counselled your manhood, or the beloved
friends who have gone before you to the spirit-
world, would press through the throng, and Oh what
speechless joy would thrill through their bosoms!
And there would be joy in heaven, more joy in
heaven over you, than over all those myriad hosts
of bright and unransomed spirits who have kept
their first estate. " There is joy in heaven over one
sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and
nine just persons that need no repentance."

2. Let us take our stand upon another theatre

4

34 THE WORTH OF THE SOUL.

amidst the opening scenes of creation. For long
unchronicled ages, God dwelt alone, the sole inhabi-
tant of space. From his solitary throne he beheld
not an atom, nor a living thing; all was a mighty
blank, a vast and empty void. God spake — and,
responsive to his voice, planets, and suns, and sys-
tems sprang forth out of nothing. He poised the
sun on its axis, balanced the planets in his
hand, and marked out every star its pathway in
the heavens ; and the vast solitude of space, which
but yesterday was empty, was filled with a uni-
verse of mighty, and moving, and peopled worlds.
He spake, and the earth came forth out of nothing.
It appeared in a hitherto empty place, without
foundation, without support; suspended upon no-
thing— a huge, and formless, and floating chaos; and
a thick darkness, a moonless, and rayless, and star-
less night, brooded over it. God spake — and there
was light. And the wild waters flowed together
into one place, and the dry land appeared, clothed
with greenness and fertility, and order and beauty
sprang forth from the very bosom of chaos ; and
the earth was fitted up as a well appointed man-
sion for living things ; and exhaustless supplies were
provided and garnered up for the provision of all their
wants. But as yet there were no living things to
partake or enjoy. God spake — and air, and land,
and sea, were filled with a crowded population ; the
waters were stored with fishes, the fowls ascended
on outspread wings towards heaven, and the dry
land was covered with mjTiads upon myriads of
living things, from the little insect which sports in
a drop, or peoples a leaf, to the giant Behemoth

J. T. SMITH, D. D. 35

which shakes the solid world with his tread. All
these fed upon the bounty, and shared in the good-
ness, of ihe great Creator ; and the hum of activity,
and the voice of joy were heard over all the peo-
pled earth. And the great Creator looked down
upon the world which he had made, and filled with
life, and sensation, and happiness, and said, " It is
good !"

And shall the work of creation terminate here ?
Shall nature be furnished with no anointed priest ?
Shall God have no worshippers ? Among all the
myriad tribes of his creatures, shall there be none
like himself? none to love, to reverence, and to
adore him for all his goodness and his wonderful
works ? And was it for soulless creatures of dust, who
are incapable of progression here, and whose existence
must terminate for ever at death, that God reared
up the mighty fabric of the universe ? No. The
work is not yet complete; the last and crowning
product of creative power is yet to appear. " And
God said, Let us make man." There was no consul-
tation when the sun was made — none when the
heavens were spread abroad as a curtain, and em-
broidered with stars. He just spake, and it was
done ; he commanded, and it stood fast. But now,
when the lord and governor of earth is to be created,
there is a pause, a preparation, a consultation.
Let us make man. /So, as the result of this counsel,
so God created man. A simple word sufficed for
the creation of all things else. A word called the
earth out of nothing, and evoked order out of chaos,
and the body of man out of dust. But a far higher
instrumentality is employed in the creation of the

36 THE WORTH OF THE SOUL.

soul. " God breathed into his nostrils the breath
of life, and man became a living soul." A word is
a thino: foreio;n and external to the individual utter-
ins; it; a breath is an emanation of himself. And if
all that God created by a word was alien from him-
self, the soul is the very *' inspiration of the Al-
mighty." And it is like God, modelled after him j
a miniature likeness of him, as finite may be of in-
finite. " Let us make man in our image, after our
likeness." If God had minded his power, his wis-
dom, and his goodness, in the other works of his
hand, he would mirror himself entire in the human
soul. For nothing but a spiritual and immortal
nature could bear the full image and superscription
of the Most High. His own image and representa-
tive, the soul, was invested with God's prerogatives
— knowledge and dominion. Every where else the
dominion of blind physical force was established,
but the power of knowledge was conferred upon
man. By this he was to disarm physical force -, curb
and direct the fury of the mightiest elements ; sub-
ject the lower tribes of creation to his bidding ; and
have the dominion, not of the strong arm, but of
the intelligent will over all the earth. Let them,
(thus runs the great charter,) " let them have do-
minion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl
of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the
earth." And when God had thus made man he
said, " It is very good." And he blessed them, and
" the morning stars sang together, and all the sons
of God shouted for joy." With such high endow-
ments, and in the midst of such august preparations,
was man ushered into being, and proclaimed the

J. T. SMITH, D. D. 37

lord and governor of earth — " a king and a priest
unto God for ever and ever." Every circumstance
connected with his creation, from the pause and the
consultation which preceded, to the emphatic "very
good" which crowned it, shows the high estimate
which God placed upon the spiritual and immortal
nature of man.

3. Let us take our stand upon another and a
higher theatre ; amidst the surpassing wonders of
redemption. In creation the goodness of God ope-
rated freely without restraint or hindrance. No
attribute of his own nature, and nothing without
himself, interposed the slightest obstacle in the way
of his breaking up the eternal silence and solitude
of space, and peopling it wdth worlds. A simple
volition, a naked putting forth of Omnipotence, was
all it required to create. He spake to dust, and
there rose up a human body. He breathed into that
body, and man became a living soul; that is all
man's creation cost him. But in redemption there
were hindrances in the way; hindrances which
Omnipotence alone could not remove. There Avas
a compensation to be made, a satisfaction to be ren-
dered, a harmony to be adjusted among the divine
attributes, and a security to be obtained for the
highest interests of all God's intelligent creation,
before Omnipotence could stretch forth its arm to
redeem. The very term redemption has a relation
to price ; and from the cost of the soul we may deter-
mine its real value. For it is a known law of divine
action, that means are always accurately adjusted
to ends — that more, or more costly means, are never
employed than those which are necessary to effect

38 THE WORTH OF THE SOUL.

the end ; and the price paid for the soul is thus a
fair and an infallible index to its value.

Now, we know the cost of the soul's redemption.
'' Thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood," is
the song of the redeemed in heaven. " Ye were not
redeemed with corruptible things, such as silver and
gold, but with the precious blood of Christ." Where
shall we find terms or illustrations wherewith to set
forth the greatness of this price ? Does not the apos-
tle plainly intimate that we have no ideas at all ade-
quate to this subject, when he tells us that we were
not redeemed with corruptible things, such as silver
and gold. It is b}' these " corruptible things" our
ideas of value are represented. But " they that
trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the
multitude of their riches" — the Barings and the
Rostchilds of the earth — " none of them can by any
means redeem his brother, or give to God a ransom
for him." Let the princes of the earth heap their
gold, and their silver, and their precious stones
together; let the earth disembowel herself of her
treasures, and the ocean give up her gems — and they
cannot redeem a soul, for " the redemption of the
soul is precious," too costly to be bought at such a
price. It was himself the great Redeemer gave for
us ! Not a single act of obedience, or of suffering ;
not a treasure from his coffers, or a limb from his
body, or a single pang of his Immanuel-mind — but
Idmself. " He loved us, and gave himself ior us."

Come, then, and view this " unspeakable gift."
Come with angels, and see the great Eedeemer
stooping down from the throne of Godhead, laying
aside his kingly crown, emptying himself of the

J. T. SMITH, D. D. 39

worship and the blessedness of heaven. We know
something of what he stooped to, but how little we
know of what he stooped from; how Httle we know
of what he forsook ! Come with the shepherds to
the manger of Bethlehem. And has the Lord of
life and glory stooped so low ? If an angel should
voluntarily become a man, or a man a worm, it were
for a wonder. But for Christ to descend so low —
to cross the infinite chasm which separates him
from the loftiest angel — to pass below angels — to de-
scend the chain of being so far — to stoop from the
majesty and blessedness of Deity down to the
weakness and the infirmities of humanity — this
passes wonder! God became man — a stable, a
manger — not even a palace or a tapestried chamber.
No wonder the shepherds said one to another, " Let
us now go even to Bethlehem, and see this thino-
which has there come to pass." Come with the
chosen disciples to Gethsemane. See the God-man
stretched all night long in agony upon the ground !
See the sweat, as it were great drops of blood
gushing forth and bathing his body. Listen to his
cries of anguish, '^ My soul is exceeding sorrowful,
even unto death." " 0 ! my Father, if it be possible,
let this cup pass from me !" " Was ever sorrow like
unto his sorrow ?" Come with the disciples to Cal-
vary. See the victim, whom they have scourged
and condemned to death, approach. A crown of
thorns is pressed upon his bleeding brow — a heavy
cross is laid upon his lacerated shoulders — and the
rabble of Jerusalem are following him, with cruel
mockings, as he is dragged along through the streets.
" It is their hour, and the power of darkness !" They

40 THE WORTH OF THE SOUL.

drive the nails into his hands, and feet, and then
thrust the spear into his side. For six hours he
hangs upon the accursed tree — bleeding, dying.
There was not a friend to be near, or to comfort him
then. Pharisees, and Sadducees, and Jewish priests,
and Roman soldiers gathered, in stern array, around
his cross, and wagged their heads upon him. He
complains not of the friends who had forsaken him,
nor of the enemies who so cruelly entreat him ; nor
of the nails or the spear, the vinegar or the gall.
But one cry of anguish escapes him, " My God ! my
God ! why hast thou forsaken me !" To be forsaken
of God — that was the cup he trembled to drink —
yet he did drink it to its very dregs.

But why all this ? " God so loved the world as
to give his only begotten Son" for its redemption.
Not that he needed the world, for the word which
created could destroy. His breath could have
blotted it out of the universe, and called into being
ten thousand other worlds, unblighted by the curse,
and peopled by beings higher and holier than we.
What was that world which God so loved ? No.t
this material world, for it is but dust, and soon will
be burned with fire. Not these bodies, for they too
are dust, and soon will be nothing but food for grave-
worms. What was that world which God so loved?
That miniature world in your own bosom. In his
estimation it was too precious to be lost — too pre-
cious to be annihilated; and he gave the most
hoarded and priceless treasure in his whole empire
to purchase it ; and Christ from the throne of hea-
ven stooped down to the pain and the ignominy of
the cross to redeem your soul.

J. T. SMITH, D. D. 41

But the payment of the purchase-price alone can-
not redeem the captive. It is the office of the Holy
Spirit to embellish and beautify. He is at once the
beautifying spirit of the material, and the sanctify-
ing spirit of the moral, universe. Where he comes
not, all is darkness and chaos; where he comes, all
is light, and order, and beauty. In the first creation
the earth "was without form and void," and "dark-
ness was upon the face of the deep," until the Spirit
came and brooded over the chaotic waters. In the
new creation, he fits up a world of moral light and
beauty out of darkness and chaos. The soul is in
ruins ; her jarring and discordant powers at war
with each other, and with Gfod; and the darkness of
ignorance, of error, and of sin, broods gloomily over
her. The Spirit descends, and moves upon this spi-
ritual chaos; rebuilds and embellishes; and, though
active voluntary resistance is put forth against him,
though often grieved, and often quenched, never
tires in his work, until the soul is crowned with
more than its pristine honour and glory, and fitted
for the " inheritance of the saints in hght." Even
in her deepest degradation the whole Godhead
gather around the soul, to raise it up again to hea-
venly places ; and in the mystery of its redemp-
tion we find the grand crowning evidence of the
worth of the soul.

Allow me, in conclusion, to gather up this whole
subject, and throw its entire weight, as an emphasis
upon the question of our text — " What shall it
profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and
lose his own soul T It is but a small portion of the
world any one individual can hope to possess. You.

42 THE WORTH OF THE SOUL.

however, are supposed to obtain the whole. The
dream of universal dominion is reaUzed by you.
You are crowned a monarch ; the broad earth is
your empire, and you reign without a rival or a foe.
Every land pours its treasures into your coffers.
Gold and silver and precious stones glitter around
you. The luxuries of every climate are spread
profusely upon your table. Crowds of obsequious
servants anticipate your slightest wish. When you
appear, in your gilded equipage, among the multi-
tude, they say, "It is a God." And to the remotest
corner of your empire — in the snow huts of the pole,
and under the spreading palms of the south — your
praises are sung, and all delight to " do you reverence."
They watch your slightest look, and chronicle your
every word, and obey your every nod. Pleasure waits
evermore in your train, and holds her enchanted cup
continually to your lips; and you have no wish un-
gratified, no hope unfulfilled — for you have gained
the whole world. And what will all this profit you,
if you lose your own soul ? Will it fill the aching
void within ? Will it ease you of a single pang ?
Will it rob death of his sting? Will it pour the
light of life and immortality into the darkness of
the grave ? Will it buy you a single drop of water,
when you are tormented i-n the quenchless flames?
Will it bribe you an entrance, through the gates, into
the city ? And where will be your empire, when
the world and all things therein shall be burned with
fire? You may now feel but little solicitude about
your salvation. Amidst the pressure of your busi-
ness, and the hurry of your pursuits, and the tu-
mult of your passions, heaven and hell may seem

J. T. SMITH, D. D. 43

too for off to demand much attention. Amidst the
clamourings of the appetites, and the distractions of
the outward world, the soul may seem too impal-
pable— its wants and its aspirations too ethereal —
its rewards and its punishments too spiritual, to share
largely in your thoughts. There is a strange mad-
ness in the human heart. While all heaven and all
hell are bending over you with unutterable solici-
tude, and enlisting their sympathies and their mighty
activities in your cause, shall you alone be thought-
less and indifferent amidst all the movements which
are circling around you? Have you alone no in-
terest at stake ? Why stand you here all the day
idle ? Just starving for the bread of life, wherefore
"spend your money for that which is not bread?"
Your eternal salvation to work out, wherefore "spend
your labour for that which satisfieth not?" Can you
sleep under the uplifted thunderbolts of angry Om-
nipotence ? Can you go smiling and sportive onward
when " your way is dark and leads to hell ?" " Awake,
thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ
shall give thee light."

THE FAITHFUL SAYING.

BT

WILLIS LORD, D. D.

PROFESSOR IN THE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, CINCINNATI, OHIO.

This Is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Chrisi
Jesus came into the world to save sinners. — 1 Tim. i. 15.

Let us analyze this saying. Let us separate its
ideas, that we may give to each a distinct, though
brief, consideration. Let us seriously mark their
aspect and bearing with reference to our own char
racter, course and destiny.

1. " Christ Jesus came." We bid you notice this
fact as essential to the power and glory of the evan-
gelic doctrine. The grandeur of the person gives
grandeur to the truth affirmed concerning him.

For whom do the words " Christ Jesus" desig-
nate? Beyond question, the Son of God. They
do indeed express only the name he bore after the
incarnation ; but by constant usage of the scriptures,
they then denote the person who became incarnate.
Diflferino; modes of existence and manifestation did
not destroy the divine and eternal personality.
The Word was made flesh, but in the flesh thus
made he was still the word.

The affirmation, then, is of a divine person — the
Son of God — second in the mysterious subsistence

WILLIS LORD, D. D. 45

of the infinite three. He came. Not an angel of
light; not a saint in glory; not Gabriel, who
ministered peradventure nearest the burning throne ;
not Moses or Isaiah, most exalted perhaps among
the redeemed. No — not they; but He came by
whose power Gabriel and his angelic associates were
created, and by whose blood the lawgiver and the
prophet alike were saved. At that sublime moment,
when the eternal counsels were about to be express-
ed in the great acts of redemption, and because
the exisrencies of lost men transcended the wisdom
and power of all creatures, it was the voice of Christ
Jesus which broke upon the silence of heaven —
" Lo, I come to do thy will, 0 God !"

The fact is incontestable — its importance and
grandeur infinite. For how can the purpose and
endeavours of such an one fail ? What possible
contingencies can arise, not foreseen by his omnis-
cience ? What combination of difficulties so great,
that they must not vanish before his wisdom and
power ? If God undertake for the lost, no matter
how extreme and appalling their state, they will
be rescued.

This truth, we repeat, is essential. It is the foun-
dation of the Christian system. If the victim on
Calvary was not the incarnate Word — God though
man, and man though God — the hope of salvation,
by his obedience and death, is a dream. It may be
thought by some consoling, inspiring, joyous, but
it is a dream, to be dissipated for ever when we
enter the grave. There never was a more absurd
notion, than that salvation can be achieved for sin-
ners by a creature. Show me that Christ Jesus

m

46 THE FAITHFUL SAYING.

was not truly divine, and, by the same argument, I
will show you that he cannot be a Saviour. And
if he be not, who is ? What shall dying men do,
if they may not rest their souls on Christ, as the
Son of God — the brightness of the divine glory, and
the express image of the divine person ? What can
they do, but die without hope — ^yea, die for ever !

II. This divine Being came, continues the text,
info the tcorld ; i. e. into this world.

Very many worlds God has made, of still greater
extent and magnificence than this, to circle with it,
in its majestic course around the centre of the sys-
tem ; but in no other have been enacted the scenes
of redemption. It is an exclusive distinction of this
world, that by the Church redeemed and existing on
its bosom, is made known unto principalities and
powers in heavenly places, the manifold wisdom of
God, according to the eternal purpose, which he
purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Bethlehem and
Calvary are here. The garden of that untold agony
— the sepulchre, hewn out in the rock, where the
Prince of life lay in the embrace of death — the
Mount of Olives, whence he ascended, leading cap-
tivity captive — all these are here.

The influences of the cross doubtless, indeed, reach
to the outmost limits of God's vast creation, making
manifest, as could have been done by nothing else,
the wisdom, love, power and glory of Jehovah. But
here the cross was reared. Its base was imbedded
in the soil of earth ; its top was fanned by the air
and bathed in the light which fall upon us. Christ
Jesus came into this world !
How did he come ?

"^VILLIS L(3RD, D. D. 47

Not merely, does the apostle mean to say, in his
essential and universal presence, as God. In this
sense our world has been his dwelling-place from
the morning of creation. His arm has upheld the
stupendous structure. His power has constantly
renewed the face of the earth, and carried forward
all the processes and operations of nature. For as
he created, so does he sustain all things by the
word of his power; by him all things consist.

Nor did he come, does the apostle mean to say,
in the form and presence, which anciently he so
often assumed, as the angel of the covenant. It
was thus he appeared to the patriarchs and saints
of former dispensations. It was thus he was present
with Abraham at that strange sacrifice on Moriah,
and the day before the fiery overthrow of Sodom
and Qomorrah. It was thus he revealed himself to
Jacob at Peniel, in that wondrous conflict wherein
the patriarch prevailed with God. It was thus he
went before his people in the wilderness, when he
said, Surely they are my people, they will not lie ;
so he was their Saviour. In all their affliction he
was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved
them, and he bore them, and carried them all the
days of old.

It was another and more marvellous presence of
the Son of God the apostle contemplates — his pres-
ence by incarnation in the son of Mary, in reference
to which the angel said to the shepherds, " Unto you
is born this day a Saviour, which is Christ the
Lord." '-'Who being in the form of God, and
thought it not robbery to be equal with God, made
himself of no reputation, and took upon him the

48 THE FAITHFUL SAYING.

form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of
men." For "forasmuch as the children are par-
takers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took
part of the same." And so " the Word which was in
the beginning with God, the Word which was God, by
whom all things were made, and without whom was
nothing made which was made ; the Word became
flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw his glory,
the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full
of grace and truth."

In this manner "Christ Jesus came into the
world." It is a stupendous truth. It would exceed
belief, as it does comprehension, did it not rest on
the testimony of God ; and if, furthermore, immeas-
urably vast and mysterious as it is, we could not see
its divine adaptation and imperative necessity in re-
ference to us as sinners. We have been stq,rtled,
my brethren, at recent and passing political events.
They seem to us great — momentous. To see kings
abdicating; thrones and princedoms falling; the
masses, so long trampled beneath the hoofs of power,
rising ; and then the re-action, the crushing again of
hope, the re-ascendance of despotism, and the sup-
pressed heavings of outraged humanity, while the
whole aspect of human things becomes dark and
perilous — oh, how all this engrosses the minds of
thoughtful men ! And yet inexpressibly tame,
trivial, empty, are these things, in comparison with
the unique, unparalleled, infinite truth, that " Christ
Jesus came into the world ;" that being God, he was
found in fashion as a man; that occupying the
throne, and receiving the adorations of the universe,
he came down to the dependance of a creature and

WILLIS LORD, D. D. 49

the reproach of worms ; that the source of all au-
thority, he made himself subject to law; and the
fountain of all life, he came under the power of
death ; that, compelled by no perils that were invad-
ing his presence, but moved by the miseries which
were overwhelming us, he came ; that, the King of
kings, and the Lord of lords, he came to raise us to
his own blessedness, to invest us with his own glory,
to make us kings and priests unto God for ever !

For mark, now, the complete statement of the
text, that,

III. " Christ Jesus came into the world to save
sinners /" We must form our estimate of Christian-
ity from its real nature and design. If we conceive
of it wrongly, we shall judge of it unfairly. In its
influence indeed on all the faculties, and all the in
terests of inen, it bears the proof of its divine
source, and of its power for good. It has amelior-
ated the physical condition of the race ; it has given
impulse and expansion to the mental powers; it
has imparted tenderness and purity to the social and
domestic affections. Civilization has followed in its
progress. Commerce and the arts have flourished
in its presence. Literature and science have felt no
other influence so genial and enriching. Where it
has reigned, law has become the expression of justice,
and government the safeguard of liberty. It is im-
possible to over-estimate the legitimate and benign
efiects of the gospel of Christ, on the entire condi-
tion of men, as the denizens of this world, as well
as the heirs of immortality.

But, then, these effects have all been indirect and
secondary, as compared with the main purpose for

which " Christ Jesus came into this world." That
5

50 THE FAITHFUL SATING.

purpose was " to save sinners" If you contemplate
his mission and work apart from the light of this
vast central truth, you may yet see much in them to
admire, but you will fail to comprehend their real
grandeur and glory. Jesus Christ, my brethren, was
far more than a social or civil reformer, attempting
to dry up the streams of human degradation and
misery, while he left untouched their prolific and
inexhaustible fountain. He was far more than a
master in philosophy, who came to solve the problems
of science, and elaborate systems of morals and meta-
physics, after the manner of Plato or Aristotle. He
was far more than a jurisconsult or statesman, whose
mission it was to announce legal and political max-
ims, and propose models of constitutions and govern-
ments. He was a Saviour ! The objects of his grace
were sinners. They had broken the law of God.
They had incurred his holy displeasure. They had
yielded themselves as the bond-slaves of Satan. They
were therefore sinking, helpless and hopeless, to eter-
nal ruin. Christ Jesus came to save them.

How save them ? In the evangelic sense, what
is salvation? The inquiry is important. In the
scriptures themselves the term is relative. It is
sometimes used without any reference to that great
spiritual and eternal deliverance contemplated here.
A man may be saved from sickness, danger, fear ;
from a great variety of evils, merely temporal. The
term, therefore, must have its meaning in each sev-
eral instance, from that of which it is the contrast.
Christ Jesus came to save sinners. Salvation, then,
in this case, must be understood by the present charac-
ter and condition of those who are to be its subjects.

WILLIS LORD, D. D. 51

Who, then, and what are sinners ? In what condi-
tion are they? They are those who have apostatized
from God, and broken his law. That law is perfect,
eternal, unchanging. Its demands can never be miti-
gated— its sanctions must be enforced. It is prepos-
terous to think of any other alternative. The earth
and the heavens may pass away, but the law of God,
in its undiminished authority and extent, and its re-
tributive power, must remain for ever. It cannot
pass away.

The effect of this violation of the law is twofold.

In the first place, it changes the relations df men
to the divine government. They are thenceforth
condemned. The fearful penalty of sin is denounced
against them. Its execution may be delayed, but
at length it must come. From the absolute perfec-
tion of the law, there is no possibility, for one who
has sinned, of regaining his position and immunities
as an innocent man. Guilty he must remain. The
penalty, therefore, must be exacted. It is eternal
death.

In the second place, it changes the affections of
men towards God. The very nature of the soul is
vitiated by sin. What was pure and perfect becomes
defaced and polluted. Love to God gives place to
aversion and hate. All the moral faculties are per-
verted and defiled. Selfishness becomes the master
principle or affection. Self, the reigning God. If the
divine law, therefore, did not forever bar sinners from
heaven, and subject them to woe, their own depraved
nature and sinful passions would.

The salvation of sinners, consequently, has respect to
their legal condemnation, and their moral depravity.

62 THE FAITHFUL SAYING.

To be effectual, it must remove the curse of the law
which is upon them, and it must form them anew in
the likeness of God. Under this conception of it,
" Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners."
Immense, we repeat, and never enough valued, are
the benign influences of his coming and work on the
social, intellectual, and political condition and pros-
pects of men. He gave the most salutary precepts.
He enjoined and exemplified the most pure and hea-
venly affections. He announced the essential princi-
ples of truth and righteousness, and demanded of all
men, through all time, affectionate and holy submis-
sion. His words have been light to the mind, and
life to the soul. Wherever they have been permitted
to go forth in their fulness and purity, they have
regenerated society, and remodelled governments.
They are achieving social and civil results now, in
view of which hoary oppression trembles. 0 ! if
while they are giving to the masses the knowledge
of their rights, they shall also be received far enough
to awaken within them the sense of their responsi-
bilities— to lead them to identify rational and endur-
ing liberty with the spirit and principles of the gov
ernment of God — who can express what scenes of
prosperity and happiness may yet appear ! If men
will obey the gospel — Europe, yes, the world shall
be gloriously free. If they will not do this, agita-
tion and revolution are in vain. Despotism may in-
deed give place, at every now and then, but only to
a more desolating anarchy. And anarchy, after a
little, will lash itself into exhaustion, and subside in
the embrace of a still more absolute despotism. The
essential elements and means of social well-being,

WILLIS LORD. D. D. 53

mental elevation, and political freedom, are in the in-
structions and institutions of Jesus Christ.

The mission, however, of the divine Redeemer re-
lated directly and chiefly to the souls of men. He
came to save sinners. Is it inquired again, How save
them ? The answer is, by dehvering them from the
condemnation of the broken law, and by renewing
them after the image of God, in righteousness and
true holiness. This is salvation. Less than this
is not salvation.

But this question, thus answered, throws us back
on a greater question. How can sinful men be de-
livered from the curse of the law ? Helpless they
are. They cannot meet its demands. They cannot
satisfy, except by enduring its terrific penalty. While
they are condemned by it, and utterly without
strength, it must remain, in its precepts and its sanc-
tions, unchanging and eternal. How, then, can sin-
ners be saved ?

In the verdict of enlightened reason, two condi
tions must concur in order to this result.

The principle of substitution must have a place in
the government of God. As by no possibihty those
who are condemned by the law, can deliver them-
selves from its curse, it results, that if they are saved
at all, it must be by the interposition of some one
not thus condemned, in their behalf, who can and
will meet for them its claims and its penalties. If
in their case there can be no substitution, there can
be no salvation.

This substitution, moreover, must be made by one
whose personal character is not only holy, as for in-
stance, an uufallen angel, but who also is not orio-in-

54 THE FAITHFUL SATING.

ally subject to the law. It would be manifestly im
possible for any one, whose own obedience was de-
manded, and to the extent (as from the essential per-
fection of the law it must be) of all his affections and
faculties, to render an obedience in behalf of others.
This condition, therefore, excludes every creature,
whether man or angel, from the work of saving sin-
ners ; for every creature is under law — under law
which exacts and exhausts his whole powers in
obedience for himself. To find that a qualified sub-
stitute for the guilty, we must go beyond the sphere
where the law of God has jurisdiction ! And where
is that ? Oh ! where is that ? No where, except
within the splendors of the uncreated glory ! No
where, except with reference to Him who sits upon
Godhead's throne ! The result is clear and irresista-
ble. There must be a divine Saviour, or there can
be no Saviour !

The inquiry was one of infinite moment; will
God interpose? Will He, whom we have sinned
against, and by whom we are so righteously con-
demned, will he, can he, interpose ? Thanks unto
his name, grateful as we can render and eternal as
our being, God has interposed ! " Christ Jesus came
into the world to save sinners !" The simple, yet
wonderful announcement, involves all that we have
thus represented as indispensable to salvation. For
gather up now into one view what it does involve.

The Word was God. He was God before he came
in the flesh. He remained God after he thus came.
The two natures, in mysterious union, constituted
one divine person, Jesus Christ. He owed no obe-
dience to the law, therefore, on his own account.

WILLIS LORD, D. D. 55

He was the supreme Lawgiver. His subjection to
it was voluntary, even when he became incarnate.
He was made under the law, not as the inseparable
result of his being born of a woman, but according
to his own will, that he might redeem them which
were under the law. His whole obedience, therefore,
and his whole endurance, were available for those for
whom he obeyed and suffered.

For this interposition of the divine Redeemer was
not for himself. It was vicarious. It was made on
the declared princii^le of substitution — the just for the
unjust. Indeed, as it could not be on his own ac-
count, who had never sinned, and needed no salva-
tion, it must have been for the sake of others. And
so the constant testimony is, " he bore our griefs and
carried our sorrows. The chastisement of our peace
was upon him." " He bare our sins in his own body
on the tree."

Substitution involves imputation. The two are
inseparable. They are essential parts of one whole.
If Christ obeyed the divine law, and endured its
penalty in my stead, and for my benefit, that obedi-
ence and endurance are mine, by being set to my ac-
count ; or what is precisely the same thing, by being
imputed to me. And this truth is perfectly intelli-
gible. Men recognise it, and act in accordance with
it, in the most common, as well as the most weighty,
affairs of life. The principle on which it rests is in-
corporated in all law, and exemplified in all govern-
ment. It is worse than folly to attempt to expel it
from the word and government of God. Despite all
human opinions and reasonings it will remain eter-
nally true, that " as by one man's disobedience many
were made sinners, so by the obedience of one many

56 THE FAITHFUL SATING.

shall be made righteous;" that God "hath made Him
who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might be
made the righteousness of God in him !"

The result now of these truths is indeed glorious
Tn his incarnation, in his obedience, in his unexam-
pled suiferings and death, Jesus Christ was the substi-
tute for sinners. Who can express then the hope that
thus comes to the lost ? For though he became man,
that he might obey and might die, Jesus Christ was
yet God. The worth, therefore, and the sufficiency
of his atonement are immeasurable ; as much so as
is his divinity. Contemplated in its essential nature
and intrinsic efficacy, it is absolutely without limit.
You may compare it to the horizon, which, as you
approach it, ever recedes and widens. Or you may
compare it to an ocean, whose depths reach no bot-
tom, and whose waves break on no shore. But all
comparisons fail, all language, and all thought, are
beggared in the attempt to express or conceive the
illimitable fulness and sufficiency of the atonement.

But there arises a difficulty here — a difficulty which
at times presses on serious and thoughtful minds.
The penalty of the law is death. To meet and en-
dure that was requisite in order to atonement. How
could Christ Jesus endure this penalty?

It is a difficulty, and perhaps it were both more
wise and reverent to recognise the impracticableness
of its full solution now, and silently wait for the
light of eternity. Thus much, however, is obvious,
that a penalty must adapt itself in its actual inflic-
tion to the nature, and be affected by the dignity, of
the being on whom it may fall. So the penalty of
the divine law, while remaining the same in its own
nature, must manifestly become different in some re-

WILLIS LORD, D. D. 57

spects when inflicted on different orders of creatures,
as on angels, and on men. Hence this point has
sometimes been represented thus: "All creatures
must endure the penalty of the law, if it fall on
them, for ever, because they are finite. The eter-
nity of their woe is thus incidental; i. e., it results,
not of necessity from the law, but from their nature.
The duration of suffering, therefore, is not absolutely
necessary to the proper infliction of the penalty by
ichomsoever endured, but it is thus necessary when
endured by those who are finite ; i. e., by creatures.
The Son of God, however, was not a creature. By
virtue of his divine, and, therefore, infinite nature, or
being, he could exhaust in a limited period that
penalty which a creature could never exhaust. It
indeed assailed him. It beat upon his humanity.
It bore him to the very gates of hell, but his divinity
broke the fierceness of its power. It cried out for
blood. Its cry was inexorable— unceasing. Along
the flight of weary centuries, it had made even the
altar and the temple of Jehovah's worship the place
of slaughter. Nor could it be satisfied with the life
of beasts. It kindled on the souls of men. It drank
up their spirits. It burned on from generation to
generation. But when it reached the sacrifice on
Calvary, the son of man, yet also the Son of God,
its rage was spent, its power destroyed. It could
not long grapple for the mastery with an uncreated
arm. It kindled fiercely on his humanity, and wasted
it. It burned towards his divinity, and expired I"
" He hath redeemed us from the curse of the law,
being made a curse for its!"

It is thus, brethren, that Christ Jesus saved sin-
ners from the condemnation of the law. The re-

68 THE FAITHFUL SAYING.

maining exigency of their condition he meets by
sending into their souls the Holy Spirit. By his
presence and power they are made alive from the
dead ; they exercise new and sacred affections ; they
become partakers of vast and immortal hopes ; in
every taste and susceptibility of their moral being ;
they are formed and fitted for the glorious and eter-
nal kingdom of God. So great, so entire, so endur-
ing is the salvation by Jesus Christ.

IV. In reference to all this we now add, "^^ is a
faithful sayingT It is no more immense and won-
derful than it is true. It is to be believed, there-
fore, without fear and without hesitation. Every sin-
ner this side of death may rest his soul on it securely.

The testimony of God denionstrates its truth. Over
and over again the Scriptures present us with the
doctrine of atonement by Jesus Christ. Every where
they reveal him as a divine person ; though now, for
the purposes of redemption, in mysterious but real
association with humanity. Every where they re-
present his obedience even unto death, and in death
as vicarious, as in the place and for the benefit of
sinners. With the clearness and vividness of a sun-
beam they trace these words, and such as these

"He was wounded for our transgressions, he was
bruised for our iniquities ; on him was laid the ini-
quity of us all." In the view of his cross, and as
the divine solution of the appalling sacrifice there,
the}' exclaim, *' Herein is love, not that we loved
God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be
the propitiation for our sins !" Yea, that ^' God so
loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish,
but have everlasting life !"

WILLIS LORD, D. D. 59

The influence, moreover, of this blessed doctrine,
when it is really received, demonstrates its truth.
All those effects which it is designed to produce are
realized. The sinner is forgiven. He has peace with
God. He has the witness of the Spirit. His affec-
tions are changed. The objects of his supreme de-
sire and pursuit are new and sacred. He takes pleiv
sure in spiritual things. He becomes increasingly
like Christ. His life is a service to God. His death
even is a victory over death, and his eternity is hea-
ven.

Yes, beloved brethren, it is a faithful saying. Pa-
triarchs believed it, though to them the great sacri-
fice was still in the distant future. Prophets fore-
told it in their most glowing and majestic strains,
and they trusted in what they thus foretold. Apos-
tles proclaimed it, and rejoiced that they might seal
their testimony with their blood. Martyrs confessed
it, and its celestial power was that which took their
terror from the fiercest flames. Multitudes in every
age have borne witness by lives of holiness and deaths
of triumph, that " Christ Jesus came into the world
to save sinners !" Oh ! men and brethren, must the
sacred succession stop? Shall this faithful saying
have no more witnesses here ? Is it possible that you
should feel you do not need the blood of atonement ?
Or can you suppose for a moment, that in the flow
of ages its fulness is exhausted ? You do not need
it if you have never sinned. It is exhausted, if that
which is infinite can fail. But neither the one nor

the other of these things is true. You have sinned

often, long, fearfully. The atonement of Christ re-
mains, and will remain, in its undiminished fulness
and glory ; and, therefore, worthy,

60 THE FAITHFUL SAYING.

V. As the apostle finally adds, " wortliy of all ao
cejptaiion." The meaning is, it is worthy of a prompt,
cordial, grateful, whole-souled reception by sinners,
and by all sinners.

Shall we stop to say, that all sinners need this sal-
vation ? They do need it. No necessity can be
more obvious or more imperative. Under the divine
government, where there is sin, there must be atone-
ment, or there must be death. This necessity
grounds itself in the divine nature. Justice is an
essential, and therefore immutable attribute of God.
It is inseparable from his being, as much so as his
spirituality — his infinity — his almighty power.
Should he therefore cease to be just, he would cease
to be God. For him, therefore, to pass by or forgive
sin, on the ground of mere sovereignty, or expedi-
ency, or general benevolence, irrespective of the
great principles and claims of justice, we hold to be
impossible ; as clearly and inexorably so, as it would
be for him to be unjust. The necessity of atone-
ment, therefore, in the case of sin, and if it be par-
doned, is absolute. Where it is not found, the sin-
ner must die. Are you sinners ? You need then
an atonement. You all need it. There are no
creatures in the wide universe who have a more per-
sonal or a deeper interest in the saying — that
" Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners."
In the truth of his atoning sacrifice is your only
hope for eternity. In your acceptance of and reli-
ance on that sacrifice, by faith, is all your salva-
tion !

Or shall we detain you to repeat that this salva-
tion is sufficient for all sinners ? It certainly is thus

WILXIS LORD, D. D. 61

sufficient. We speak, of course, of its essential na-
ture and fulness. Viewed in itself, the sacrifice on
the cross has a worth and adequacy absolutely un-
limited. They are restricted only by the revealed
purpose of God to apply the atonement to those
alone who believe. This purpose does indeed exist;
and, like God himself, it is immutable. How
could it be otherwise ? No remedy can be effective,
unless it be applied. It may possess the most un-
questionable and powerful healing properties — but
what will these avail, if the diseased and the sick
will not use it? God gave his Son, that whosoever
helieveih in him may have everlasting life. But,
wonderful as was this gift, illimitable as were the
virtue and merit of the sacrifice so made, he that
believeth not must perish. It is God's own aver-
ment. The atonement itself, with all its fulness of
grace, power and glory, cannot save those, who by
unbelief persist in rejecting it as the ground and
means of salvation. That there are such persons
and will continue to be, the history of men and the
word of God render certain. But the limitation of
the atonement so resulting, is from causes external
to itself. It remains still in its own glorious all-
sufficiency. If sinful men will receive it and rely
.on it, no matter who they are, nor how many, nor
how multiplied or grievous their sins, it will be
effectual ; it will s^ve them. If they will not receive
it, the die is cast ; there is no atonement for them ;
they must perish in their iniquities. It is a result
certain as the being of God. It is a result demanded
and secured by every principle of fitness and right
by the perfection of the divine character, and the
inviolability of the divine government.

62 THE FAITHFUL SAYING.

Do you, then, believe in Christ ? Will you believe
in Christ ? In this case the atonement is divinely
sufficient. There is not a sin against you, in the
book of God, which, in view of it, will not be for-
given. There is not a stain of guilt upon your soul,
which, through its efficacy, will not be washed out.
There is not a want of your immortal being, which,
for the Redeemer's sake, will not be freely and for
ever supplied. Oh, it is indeed " a faithful saying,
and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus
came into the world to save sinners !"

My brethren, worldly themes occupy you. Truths
like these seem to you perhaps foreign, unattrac-
tive, spiritless. The scenes of time, which ever flit
by you, like shadows, are in your view real and im-
portant. Well, they are so. They have a signifi-
cance deeper than you are aware. They have a rela-
tion to eternity, solemn and fearful. They have an im-
perishable record before God ; a record to be read in
the judgment. But forgetful of this significance and
this relation, you contemplate these scenes in only
their present aspect. Such is their power over you,
that we fear you will still turn away from the cross,
but if you do, remember, " Christ dieth no more !"
We fear you will still close your hearts to the glori-
ous truth, that " Christ Jesus came into the worl(i
to save sinners ;" but if you do, remember " there
remaineth no more sacrifice for sins !" The great
work of expiation is finished. It stands before you
God's amazing provision for the wants of men ;
unexampled — sufficient — alone. In view of it, he
demands now your decision. It is for you to receive
Jesus Christ and live — or to reject Jesus Christ and
die.

THE RULING PASSION.

A SERMON TO YOUNG MBH.

BY

W. B. SPRAGUE, D.D.

PASTOR OF THE SECOND PRESBYTEBIAN CH1TRCH, ALBAITT, V. T.

The heart of ihe sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. — Eccu

viii. 11.

In connection with
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy

soul, and with all thy mind. — Matt. xxii. 37.

There is scarcely any thing in relation to which
men are so jealous as their own rights ; and scarcely
any question, which they scan with such severe
scrutiny, as who shall be their rulers. Let some
important post of civil authority be about to be
filled, and you will hardly find a man in the com-
munity who is indifferent to the pending question ;
and not improbably there may be a tempest raised,
that will make the very foundations of society rock.
And so, too, men are eagle-eyed to discern the first
symptoms of oppression. If rulers are disposed to be
tyrants, their subjects quickly find it out; and even
if they have not the courage to resist, or complain,
they are still galled by the yoke, and would make
an effort to throw it ofl^, if they could. Liberty
every man regards as his dearest possession; and

(M)

64 THE RULING PASSION.

whoever discovers a disposition to trifle with it, need
not marvel, if he is met with the spirit of resist-
ance.

But it happens, a little strangely, that those who
are so jealous of any external encroachment upon
their rights, too often manifest little or no concern
in respect to the more important dominion in their
own bosoms. They will spare no pains to investi-
gate the character of the candidate for some paltry
office, the influence of which may only slightly
aflect them, while yet the world within may be com-
pletely subject to one tyrant or . another, without
their ever taking note of the fact that they are op-
pressed. In the hope of disturbing carelessness, and
enlightening ignorance, on this subject, I design to
address you on the ruling passion — its nature — its
oriijin and growth — its influence.

The general topic upon which I am to dwell ob-
viously connects itself with each of the passages
which I have cited. The first — '^ the heart of the
sons of men is fully set in them to do evil" — is a
declaration that mankind not only, on the whole,
prefer the wrong, but that they choose it, and pursue
it, with the utmost intensity of purpose. The latter
— " Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy
heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind"
— is God's requisition upon the children of men, to
give Him their supreme and perpetual homage. I
have brought together the two passages, because one
exhibits the ruling passion for evil — the other, the
ruling passion for good ; and both will necessarily be
brought into view, in the contemplation of the gen-
eral subject.

W. B. SPRAGUE, D. D. 65

I. Our first inquiry respects the nature of the
ruling passion. What is it that we designate by
this appellation?

The ruling passion, in the most general sense, may
be defined — the concentrated energy of the soul. I am
aware that this is a legitimate subject fi^r philosophi-
cal disquisition; and that, viewed in this hght,
much might be said upon it, that would be both
true and useful ; w^hile yet the well-defined boun-
daries of human knowledge should not be passed.
But the time, the place, every thing connected with
the occasion, limits me to the more practical view.
The definition that I have given, is perhaps as plain
as the nature of the subject will admit; but be that
as it may, every individual may know infallibly
what it is, if he will make suitable observation upon
his own experience.

The ruling passion may be considered in a more
general, or a more restricted sense.

In the more general sense, it consists in the preva-
lence of a sinful or a holy temper ; in other words,
in that state of the soul which constitutes man either
the enemy or the friend of God.

It is obvious, alike from Scripture and from experi-
ence, that man, in an unrenewed state, lives chiefly
for his own gratification ; that his chosen element is
amidst the things that are seen and are temporal.
This the Saviour expresses, by "loving darkness
rather than light ;" and the Apostle, by " minding
earthly things ;"' and the wise man in our text, by
" the hearts of the sons of men being fully set in
them to do evil." And who need be told that all
experience coincides with this record ? While there
6

66 THE RULING PASSION.

are many professing to be Christians, who belie their
profession by an apparently supreme devotedness to
the world, how manifest is it that the multitude who
make no profession, are actual idolaters of the world
in some form or other ! Their thoughts, their affec-
tions, the combined energies of their souls, are em-
ployed upon, actually fastened to, the things that
must perish with the using. It is by no means ne-
cessarily implied that they are profane, or dishonest,
or immoral in any sense ; or that they are destitute
of naturally amiable and benevolent dispositions;
or that they may not perform many acts that shall
have an auspicious bearing upon the welfare of soci-
ety, and even upon the interests of the church ; but
after all, they are lovers of the world more than lov-
ers of God. Their ruling passion is towards the
earth. They have no heart to relish, nor even an
eye to discern, the things that are spiritual. Such is
the condition of man — of every man in his unre-
newed state.

But when the renovating act has once passed upon
him, new objects of affection and pursuit rise before
his mind, and its energies receive a new and corres-
pondingly noble direction. From having had a heart
fully set in him to do evil, his ruling desire now is
to love the Lord his God with all his heart, and all
his soul, and all his mind. True, he is yet a miser-
ably imperfect being, and he often has occasion to
lament that when he would do good evil is present
with him ; and sometimes, perhaps, he is in doubt
whetlier he is not still in unbroken bondage to his
lusts. But whatever may be his imperfections, or his
apprehensions, or his conflicts, the current of his soul

W. B. SPRAGUE, D. D. 67

is really moving towards God ; his strongest desire
is, that God may be glorified in him and by him.
And this desire discovers itself in a new course of
action. It may not, indeed, be new in every sense ;
it may not be new to the undiscerning eye of
man ; for it is quite possible that the external de-
portment of an unrenewed person, under the more
general influences of Christianity, may be scarcely
distinguishable from that of the true Christian ; but
it ^<? new to the heart-searching eye of God, because it
is prompted by a new principle, and directed to a
new end.

I have said that the ruling passion, considered in
a more general sense, is that sinful or holy temper
which constitutes the moral state of man as the
friend or enemy of God — in a more restricted sense,
it is the particular form which that temper assumes —
the channel through which the energies of the mind,
whether working for good or evil, chiefly operate.

On this point I may be contented to refer you to
the results of your own observation. Whether you
look into the world, or into the church, or, I may add,
into your own hearts, provided you will compare
your experience with that of others, you will find a
diversity in the ruling passion corresponding to the
variety of human pursuits. All bad men are alike
in general — that is, in being supremely devoted to
their own selfish gratification ; but they differ end-
lessly in respect to the form in which the evil ten-
dency develops itself In one, the ruling passion is
the love of wealth — in another, the love of praise —
m another, the love of pleasure — in all, the love of
the world. And the same remark applies to good

68 THE RULING PASSION.

men — while love to God and man is the great princi
pie that presides over all their actions, and gives the
general complexion to their character, even this
principle discovers itself in a variety of forms — one
may be more serious and devout, another more ac-
tive and philanthropic ; one may become absorbed
in one field of benevolent operation, another in an-
other ; and the energies of each may be directed,
possibly too exclusively, in his own particular chan-
nel ; while yet the actions of all, when they come
to be referred to the remoter cause, are found to be
dictated by the same spirit. So much for the nature
of the ruling passion.

11. Our second inquiry relates to its origin and
growth. We shall still keep in view the distinction
already recognised, considering it in a more general
and a more restricted sense.

If we consider the ruling passion as consisting in
the general temper of the soul, constituting the in-
dividual a sinner or a saint, we shall find, of course,
that it has a different origin, as it partakes of a sin-
ful or a holy character.

In the former case, it is evidently to be referred
to man's original apostacy. That mankind are born
with a propensity to evil, is proved by the same kind
of evidence that proves their original propensity to
eat and drink ; for if the latter is developed a little
earlier, the former discovers itself as soon as the na-
ture of the case will admit — namely, with the first
indications of moral agency. If there are any who
choose to deny this fact, our appeal is to universal
experience — even to those very cases which are
brought to prove the opposite doctrine ; for amidst

"W. B. SPRAGUE, D. D. 6ft

the utmost sweetness and loveliness that early child-
hood ever exhibits, if you watch narrowly, you will
find the workings of an evil propensity — evidence
that the spoiler has been there, sowing the seeds of
moral death. For the reason of this state of things,
we can go no farther back than Paul carries us, when
he says, "As by one man sin entered into the world,
and death by sin, so death hath passed upon all men,
for that all have sinned." Any other theory of the
origin and transmission of human depravity than
this declaration clearly implies, is unphilosophical,
and inconsistent with palpable facts. I say then,
man derives his sinful nature, his ruling passion for
evil, directly from the great ancestor of the race.
In the shock of the apostacy the gold became dim,
and the fine gold was changed.

And whence does the Christian derive his ruling
passion for good ? I have, in a measure, anticipated
the answer under the preceding head — from the re-
novating, life-giving agency of the Holy Spirit. The
Bible every where attributes this work to the Spirit,
without, however, explaining minutely the manner
in which it is performed. It is this to which the
Prophet refers, when he says, " Not by might, nor
by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord." And
again, " A new heart will I give you, and a new
spirit will I put within you ; and I will take away the
stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an
heart of flesh." To this also the Saviour refers, when
he says, " Except a man be born of the Spirit, he
cannot see the kingdom of God ;" and the Apostle
also, when he speaks of being saved, " by the wash-
ing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy

70 THE RULING PASSION.

Ghost." The amount of all that we know on this
subject is, that the Spirit of God operates in some
mysterious way, by means of the truth, and in ac-
cordance with the laws of our moral nature, to the
production of a new moral state of the soul, a new
ruling passion, a strong relish for those spiritual ob-
jects which the individual once regarded with indif-
ference or disgust. He is himself conscious of the
change, from an inspection of his own inward exer-
cises; and others take knowledge of him that he
has been the subject of the change, as both his words
and actions breathe a new and heavenly spirit. You
may impute the change to something else than a di-
vine agency ; you may say that there is some mys-
terious power that resides in man's own will,by which
spiritual life rises out of spiritual death ; but the
subject of the change repudiates such an intimation.
He will tell you that he is a monument of divine
grace, a living witness to God's mercy and power
in the transforming work ; and that hut for this gra-
cious interposition, his heart would still have been
fully set in him to do evil.

But if such be the origin of the prevailing temper
or habit of the soul, both for good and evil, whence
originates the particular form which the good or evil
temper assumes? In other words, whence origi-
nates the ruling passion, considered in a restricted
sense ?

Doubtless it is to be traced in most instances, pri-
marily, to the original constitution of the mind —
to the elements of the intellectual and moral nature,
as they are supplied by the Creator Himself. No
doubt there is a diversity in the original character

W. B. SPRAGUE, D. D. 71

of men's minds, corresponding to the variety which
we see in their external appearance ; and hence we
find that children of the same parents, educated by
the same teachers, and subjected, so far as possible,
to precisely the same training, not unfrequently be-
come widely different in their characters ; and that,
irrespective of that radical change which may, or
may not, have been wrought in them by the Spirit
of God. Here, no doubt, in all ordinary cases, is
the seed of the ruling passion ; and the mother, if
she is watchful, may not unfrequently detect its in-
cipient growth, while the child is yet in the nursery.
If you will write the history of the man, who, in a
fit of revengeful passion, shed his brother's blood,
and has had his own blood poured out as an offering
to public justice — his mother, if she still survives
to tell the story of his childhood, and if she could
bring herself to speak out all that is lodged in her
memory, would not improbably tell you that she saw
that terrible passion in her son, while it was yet in
embryo ; and that nothing has happened to him that
was not shadowed forth to her anxious spirit almost
before he left the cradle. And so, on the other hand,
if you will trace the history of some individual
whose life has been but an unbroken succession of
deeds of mercy, and whose name quickens the pul-
sations, and draws forth the tears, of the inmate of
many a hovel, you will not improbably learn, that
those who watched over his earliest years had often
admired the beamings of a kindly and generous
spirit in his infantile smiles. Not that there is any
thing here to excuse vice ; for these evil propensi-
ties belong to a moral agent, and he is bound to see

72 THE RULING PASSION.

that they. are eradicated, instead of being indulged
Nor is there any thing, on the other hand, of which
the good man has occasion to glory ; for the graces
of nature, not less than the Christian virtues, are
from above — the former are the production of a
creating, the latter, of a new creating agency.

I have spoken of the origin of the ruling passion
— let us now, for a moment, contemplate its growth.
This is to be referred to the influence of habit and
to the power of circumstances.

It is a law of our nature that the repetition of any
act increases the facility with which it is performed;
and hence, we find that that which is originally diffi-
cult soon becomes easy, and that which is, at first,
indifferent, becomes, at no distant period, like a second
nature. Notice the operations of this principle
wherever you will, and you will always arrive at the
same conclusion. I point you to the poor drunkard,
who stands before you completely brutalized, though
immortal ; whose nearest friends cannot bear to look
upon him, because he is the very personification of
idiocy or loathsomeness. There was a time when he
was first conscious of the existence of that deadly
appetite, and when he began to indulge it, he
dreamed not how fearfully strong it was destined to
become; but each successive act of indulgence
strengthened the propensity, till now, as you see, it
holds him with a giant's grasp. Look, too, at the
miser! The passion for accumulating and hoarding
up may have originally had a prominence in his
moral constitution ; but it was not so prominent, but
that, in the earlier part of his career, he could some-
times show himself public-spirited, and perhaps even

W. B. SPRAGUE, D. D. 7^

devise liberal things. By long continued indulgence,
however, this sordid passion has gained the com-
plete mastery over him, so that he is as deaf as an
adder to the claims of charity, and even to the cries
of absolute distress. And the same principle is
illustrated in the growth of a habit of philanthropy.
Wilberforce was originally possessed of warm and
generous sensibilities ; but it was the fact of those
sensibilities being always kept awake — the fact of
his devoting his life to the cause of the negro's free-
dom— that made him tower into such a glorious ex-
ample of benevolence as the world has rarely seen.
And if we consider the ruling passion in the more
general sense, as denoting the sinful or holy nature,
it is by this same influence — the influence of repeti-
tion, that the sinner becomes more and more a sin-
ner, the saint more and more a saint. Possibly, to
the eye of man, there may be no very perceptible
change, either in the one case or the other; b'ut to
the Omniscient eye the moral state of the soul is
changing continually; not an action is performed,
not a volition exerted, not a thought cherished, for
good or evil, but it has some bearing upon the per-
manent state of the soul — that which emphatically
constitutes its character.

The other influence, to which is to be referred the
growth of the ruling passion, is that of circumstances.
It is a familiar but true remark, that men's charac-
ters are formed, in a great degree, hy circumstances ;
and this eflect is produced chiefly through the devel-
opment of the ruling passion. True, as we have
already seen, this passion grows immediately by sue
cessive acts of indulgence, but then there is the

74 THE RULING PASSION.

remoter influence of circumstances, in which these
acts of indulgence usually have their origin ; and
where the favourable circumstances do not exist of
themselves, the ruling passion not unfrequently
creates them, and then acts itself out by means of
facilities of its own devising ; and, on the other
hand, circumstances not unfrequently exert an influ-
ence to neutralize, even to change, the ruling pas-
sion. Let a child, in the first developments of its
moral nature, betray a prevailing inclination to some
particular form of vice, and then let it be placed in
a condition which furnishes little or no temptation
to that species of indulgence, and it is quite likely
that some other propensity, originally of less strength
than that, may gain the controlling power of the
soul, and may keep it till the end of life. There is
a tradition that Robespierre was originally of a gentle
and sympathetic turn ; and that it was owing to his
infidel and bloody training that those horrible pas-
sions, which finally made him the terror of all his-
tory, gained such a malignant ascendancy in his
bosom. But whether this tradition be correct or
not, it admits of no question that circumstances often
decide what passion is to be in the ascendant; and
that they sometimes decide in favour of one which,
in its earhest actings, had betrayed no indications of
uncommon strength.

III. I pass now to the third and last general
topic, viz : the influence of the ruling passion.

And my first remark, in illustration of this, is,
that this passion has the mastery of the whole in-
tellectual, moral and physical man.

It has the intellectual faculties completely under

W. B. SPRAGUE, D. D. 75

its dominion. It has its own ends to accomplish, and
it employs these faculties as servants to aid in their
accomplishment. See how this remark is illustra-
ted in particular cases. Mark that individual, whose
heart is sujDremely set upon the honour that cometh
from men, and observe how his intellectual powers
are all laid under contribution for the attainment of
it. His perception and judgment are always in a
wakeful state, that he may be able to avoid every
thing that is adverse, to avail himself of every thing
that is favourable, to his particular object. His
memory is continually tasked, that he may take
advantage of the lessons that are furnished by the
23ast — perhaps by his own past experience, whether
for good or evil. His reasoning faculty, his power
of invention, is put into vigorous exercise, that he
may, if possible, devise some new facihties for secur-
ing to himself the plaudits of his fellow men. And
when you have noticed how completely the whole
intellectual man is brought into subjection, where the
ruhng passion is for the honour that cometh from
man, look at another mdividual, and see how the
same thing is accompUshed, where the ruhng pas-
sion is for the honour that cometh from God only.
What that devoted Christian is striving after, is a
crown of immortal glory ; and which of his intellec-
tual faculties, think you, finds a dispensation from
the glorious work on which his heart is supremely
set ? Is it the perceptive faculty ? But the eye of
his mind is continually open to behold the truth,
not only in its reality, but in its excellence and glory.
Is it the judgment? But without this in constant
exercise, how is he to ascertain what is true and

76 THE RULING PASSION.

fight; in other words, what he is to beheve, and
what he is to do ? Is it the memory ? But it is
the memory that supphes him with his materials for
gratitude and humihation, for meditation and devo-
tion. Is it the reasoning faculty ? But it is by
means of this that he is constantly growing in spi-
ritual knowledge, and without it he could never be
more than a babe in Christ. Believe me, the ruling
passion for the heavenly crown allows no one of the
faculties of the mind to remain unoccupied. I dt
not mean that they are occupied to the extent tha
they might be or ought to be, for that would be to
make no allowance for an only partially sanctified
state ; but I mean that they all act prevailingly
under the influence of the controlling desire of the
renovated heart — the desire to glorify God in the
attainment of immortal glory.

But the ruling passion extends its dominion to the
moral man, as truly as to the intellectual ; in other
words, it controls all the subordinate jDassions, includ-
ing also the animal appetites, together with the higher
principle of conscience.

Observe, first, the influence which it exerts in
neutralizing, or keeping in check, those passions or
appetites which, if their operation were not re-
strained, would be found to conflict with it. If you
were to judge of the miser by the coarse fare upon
which he subsists, and the miserable tattered gar-
ments in which he clothes himself, you would say
that he had no taste to distinguish between the
coarsest and most deUcious food ; and that, as for his
clothing, he would as soon appear in rags as in
robes. But the truth is, he has, just hke other men,

W. B. SPRAGUE, D. D. 77

his o^Yii natural preference for at least decent food
and clothing, and possibly he may have had origi-
nally strong sensual or ostentatious tendencies ; but
the ruling passion for hoarding up is keeping these
other tendencies in check, so that you would scarcely
know that they belonged to his original constitution.
And you might arrive at a similar conclusion in re-
spect to the devoted Christian. K you were to judge
of him by the moderation which he discovers in re-
spect to all worldly enjoyments, you might conclude
that he had naturally little or no rehsh for them;
whereas. he may naturally possess a very strong rel-
ish for them ; but his ruUng passion for spiritual and
heavenly enjo}Tnents has so far prevailed, that it has
brought him to look upon them with comparative
indifference. No matter what form this passion
may take, it will always show itself mighty to keep
the other passions in subjection.

Nay, it does more than this; it exerts an influ-
ence of a yet more positive kind, in rendering the
other passions and appetites even subservient to its
o^vn ends. Let the love of fame, for instance, be
supreme in the bosom, and see how it will employ
the love of money in aid of its own gratification ;
for great wealth confers a kind of distinction that
ambition often greatly covets. Or let the love of
God be supreme, and see how the naturally benevo-
lent dispositions and sympathies, even the admira-
tion of whatever is graceful, or beautiful, or subhme
in nature, are all brought into exercise in aid of the
homage that is due to the Almighty Parent. In
every case, indeed, in which there is not an absolute
contrariety between the ruling passion and the sub-

78 THE RULING PASSION.

ordinate principles of our moral nature, the former
bends the latter to its purposes, constituting them,
according to its own character, a good or evil minis-
tration.

Moreover, the ruling passion acts with mighty
power upon the conscience — that principle of man's
aature which confers upon him his highest dignity.
And it does this in two ways — as it gives complexion
to the testimony which the conscience renders, and
ds it affects the character of the conscience itself.

I may appeal to the experience of every one for
the fact, that conscience has a mighty influence in
rendering man happy or miserable ; and whether the
one effect or the other is to be produced, depends
upon its decisions in regard, either to particular ac-
tions, or the general moral state of the soul. As the
ruling passion is, indeed, nothing less than the moral
state of the soul, from which also the particular ac-
tions of the life take their complexion, it is obvious
that this must supply the materials from which the
decisions of conscience are formed ; and that, as this
has a good or evil direction, supposing conscience to
perform its legitimate office, the soul is the seat of
peace and joy on the one hand, or of tumult and
terror on the other. AVho is that wretched being,
who is holding a communion of agony with himself,
in some solitude which man's eye does not pierce ?
Ah ! it is a man, who, in obedience to the strongest
impulse of his nature, has murdered his fellow, or
done some other desperate deed, which at present is
known only to himself; and there is not a single
circumstance that would seem to indicate the least
danger of exposure; and yet conscience mocks all

W. B. SPRAGUE, D. D.

79

his eflforts to be at rest, by filling his ear with sounds
concerning the terrible future. And who is he that
feels and evinces such a heavenly tranquillity, amidst
the vicissitudes of life — that is not only patient, but
even joyful in tribulation ? Why, it is a man who
knows no desire so strong as that of glorifying God,
and benefiting his fellow creatures ; and as he tra-
vels on from day to day, in his beneficent and upward
course, he is cheered continually by the whisper of
an approving conscience, and tormenting fears find
no lodgment in his bosom. In each case, this mighty
inward agent has been moved to diffuse terror or
peace through the soul, by the ruling passion.

But this is not all; for the ruhng passion affects
the character of the consciejice itself. What if the
heart of an individual be fully set in him to do evil —
do you believe that the conscience will be in no
danger of sustaining an injury from such an influ-
ence ? When the ruling passion first begins to ope-
rate in a course of sinful indulgence, conscience of
course remonstrates ; and as these remonstrances give
pain, the mind is put upon devising some means of
relief, without yielding up the favourite indulgence.
And, generally, it does this by at first paUiating,
and afterwards excusing altogether the course upon
which it is bent, calling evil good and good evil,
putting bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. And
this process, especially when long continued, is found
to act upon the terrors of remorse like a charm, and
conscience at length becomes so torpid, that the rul-
ing passion can act with the fury of a whirlwind,
and not awaken it. The conscience is not dead,
after all, but it has become diseased, lethargic, insen-

80 THE RULING PASSION.

sible. And, then, on the other hand, what if the
individual be under the controUmg influence of a
principle of love to God and man — do you imagine
that there will be no effect exerted upon the con-
science by the operation of this principle? I tell
you there will be a mighty effect. While the con-
science will bear testimony in favour of the ruling
passion, and of the course of action to which it
prompts, the ruling passion will, in turn, enlighten,
and quicken, and purify the conscience. So we find
it in actual experience. The farther the Christian
advances in the spiritual life, the longer he has
yielded obedience to the impulses of his regenerate
nature, the keener his discernment becomes for the
nicest shades of both good and evil. He walks in a
region of spiritual light, and he is in little danger
of mistaking the character of the objects which ap-
pear in it. He is in intimate communion with the
Lord of the conscience, and by such intercourse
surely the conscience must be elevated and im-
proved.

I only add, under this article, that the power of
the ruling passion extends to the physical nature. I
have already intimated that it extends to all the
animal appetites, unless indeed it may chance itself
to be identified with one of them ; and then it will
in some way exercise control over the rest, either
by keeping them in check, so that they shall not
interfere with itself, or else by making them minis-
1 ter to its own gratification. It extends also to the

whole body — the hands, the feet, the lips, move in
obedience to its dictates. It extends not unfre-
quently even to the bodily health, for where it hap-

W. B. SPRAGUE, D. D. 81

pens to be identified with any one of the animal
propensities, it takes but little time for it to make
perfect shipwreck of the body. And even where it
is seated more directly in the mind — where, for in-
stance, it is ambition, or covetousness, or revenge, it
not unfrequently acts with a consuming energy
upon the bodily constitution; while, on the other
hand, where it takes a virtuous and benevolent
character, operating in kindly affections and philan-
thropic deeds, it ministers to the general health of
the body, and even verifies the declaration of the
wise man concerning Wisdom, that " length of days
is in her right hand."

A second general thought, illustrative of the influ-
ence of the ruling passion, is, that it decides both
the character and the destiny.

It decides the character, inasmuch as it makes the
man what he is ; for though the origuial materials,
of which the character is formed, are supplied by the
Creator, yet they are w^orked into one form or an-
other, according to the direction which the ruling
passion may happen to take. It is the ruling passion
for evil that constitutes the sinner — it is the ruling
passion for good that constitutes the saint ; and con-
version is nothing else than a change of the ruling
passion from evil to good. If we consider virtue and
vice as operating through particular channels, then
we may say that it is the ruling passion that consti-
tutes the traitor and the tyrant on the one hand, the
patriot and the philanthropist on the other. That
this must decide the character in view of God, who
searches the heart, is self-evident ; for as it consti-
tutes man what he really is, so Omniscience cannot
7

82 THE RULING PASSION.

but see things just as they are. And it decides the
character also in the view of men. In all ordinary
cases, it is so manifest as to preclude all just reason
for doubt; and even where there is a studied and
constant effort to conceal it, it will be almost sure
to work itself out through innumerable channels.
Those even who attempt to practise the greatest
duplicity — such are the arrangements of Providence
— generally pass on the whole for nothing more than
they are worth ; for though it may never have oc-
curred to you to inquire what the ruling passion is,
it is from your observation of the operation of that
passion, in their daily conduct, that you form your
estimate of their character.

And if it decides the character, it decides the des-
tiny, of course ; for man's destiny is nothing more
than the condition in which his character places him.
In the present life, it must be acknowledged, that
a man's external circumstances are, to some extent,
independent of his character ; and he who lives only
to curse society, and treasure up wrath against the
day of wrath, may be surrounded by the splendours
and luxuries of life ; may have every thing at his
command to minister to a sensual or ambitious spirit.
But the truth is, there is an illusion about this ; there
is not the happiness here that there would seem to
be ; and perhaps there are as many in these circum-
stances who find thorns in their pillows, as there are
in the humbler walks of life. But if a man's earthly
condition is to be estimated by the amount of happi-
ness which he finds in it, then, as a general rule, the
character decides the destiny even here ; for there
is that in virtue that will find sources of enjoyment

W. B. SPRAGUE, D. D. 83

in adversity ; there is that in vice that will trans-
mute the richest temporal blessings into a curse.
And if this connection between character and destiny-
is manifest even in this life, much more will it be
so in the future. Nothing less than this, surely, can
be conveyed by the language of the apostle — " They
that sow to the flesh, shall of the flesh reap corrup-
tion ; and they that sow to the Spirit, shall of the
Spirit reap life everlasting ;" and by that declaration
of the Saviour, which He makes as Judge of the
world, " These," i. e. the Avicked, " shall go away
into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into
life eternal." The ruling passion then constitutes
the character ; the character decides the destiny ;
the destiny beyond the grave never changes. Who
can estimate the influence of the ruling passion,
when it is to decide the condition of both soul and
body for ever ?

The power of the ruling passion may further be
seen in the influence which it exerts upon other
minds — upon a community — upon the world.

There are various channels through which men
exert an influence upon each other, and upon society
at large. There is persuasion, here addressed to the
private ear of a friend, and there, moving and melt-
ing an immense assembly. There is example, which,
though it operates silently as the dew, and by an
influence not unfrequently unperceived by the indi-
vidual who is the subject of it, yet often accomplishes
its ends, where all other influences would fail. There
is pecuniary contribution, which can assist largely in
causing order and beauty to come forth where there
was desolation, or in causing desolation to take the

84 THE RULING PASSION.

place of order and beauty. There is c.vil polity and
military prowess, by which the destinies of states
and nations are often settled. There is the press,
all powerful to bless, all powerful to curse. There
is prayer, that takes hold even of the Almighty arm.
Now all these are but the instruments by which the
ruling passion operates for the accomplishment of its
purposes. It does not, indeed, always work directly;
and it may sometimes seem to be operating in one
direction, when it is really operating in another j
as, for instance, the love of fame may possibly make
a man appear exceedingly humble, or self-denied, or
benevolent, when in his heart he is an utter stranger
to all these qualities. But, either directly or indi-
rectly, the ruling passion exerts an influence upon
the whole tenor of the life ; and when an individual
finishes his earthly course, if you could get at the
complete history of his ruling passion, you would
have the record of whatever he had done for the
benefit or the injury of his race.

Would you see what the ruling passion has been
able to accomplish in some memorable instances ?
Look, then, at Napoleon. His ruling passion was
the lust of dominion. And it nerved his arm till his
arm became a rod of iron. It hardened his heart till
his heart became a rock of adamant. It constructed
yokes for the nations, as if they had been but cattle.
He moved his hand, and a mighty city was swept
off as with the besom of destruction ; he moved it
again, and an immense army was struggling in
smoke and blood ; and again, and the great ones of
the earth came bending to him to take the chain.
His career marked a new epoch in history. His influ-

W. B. SPRAGUE, D. D. 85

ence was like the whirhvind, except that the whirl-
wind is the thing of a moment, but his influence will
last for ever. Look at Washington. His ruling pas-
sion was that of a patriot — it was the desire to see
his country free, and good, and great ; and under its
influence, he became the very personification of wis-
dom, and valour, and magnanimity ; and while he
broke the chain that bound us, bequeathing to us
our inheritance in these glorious institutions, he set
an example to the world, which has done more than
any thmg else to render the throne of the tj^rant, at
this hour, an insecure and uncertain thing, and
which is destined to tell with mighty power on the
ultimate civil regeneration of the world. And,
finally, look at Paul, whose ruhng passion was pre-
eminently a desire to glorify his Master, and save the
soulfj of his fellow men. How intrepid it rendered
him in danger, how patient in suffering, how untir-
ing in labour, how glorious in death ! And who
shall tell how much he achieved for the benefit of
the church and the world ? It was through his in-
fluence especially that Christianity darted abroad
among the nations like the beams of the morning ;
that hght came out of darkness, and life out of death,
where darkness and death had for ages held their
undisputed empire. And wherever, to this hour^
Christianity has set up her dominion, it is not too
much to say that the hand of Paul has in some sense
been in it ; for it is only the carrying forward of the
work which he had the honour so gloriously to
begin. Had he been constituted with the same
powers that he actually possessed, and had his rul-
ing passion been for blood and conquest — instead of

86 THE RULING PASSION.

being remembered in the thanksgivings of earth, and
the yet higher thanksgivings of Heaven, his name
might have appeared only on some dark page of
history, as the name of a scourge and a destroyer.

I only add, in illustration of this point, that the
ruling passion is for ever growing stronger. It may
indeed be changed from one direction to another —
considered in the more extended sense, it always is
changed in every case of genuine conversion ; and
considered in the more particular sense, it is some-
times changed, independently of conversion ; but it
still remains true that, so long as it holds the as-
cendancy in the soul, it is, on the whole, always
increasing in strength — the only even seeming ex-
ception to this remark arising from the decay of the
faculties in which it may happen to be seated. Its
operation in certain forms may indeed be temporarily
suspended, through the influence of circumstances;
but let the circumstances change, and if the ruling
passion be not changed, it will be found to have
gathered fresh strength from the check that has, for
a time, been imposed upon it. I have marvelled
sometimes to see how strong it has been in adversity,
and even in death. I have seen the drunkard turn-
ing himself into a beast, when his own wife lay in
her dying agony. I have known the gambler turn
away from his mother's new made grave, to his
accustomed haunts of delirious revelry. I have
known the miser's very death dream to be about
gold ; and he has seemed to dread death chiefly be-
cause it must separate him from his earthly treasures.
And even where the terrors of adversity, or the
glooms of the last hour, may, for a moment, silence

W. B. SPRAGUE, D. D. 87

the sinner's ruling passion, unless God's Spirit inter-
pose to change it, it will certainly re-appear, and act
with more than its former energy.

And this leads me to say that the ruling passion
will grow stronger in the next world. Admit, if you
will, that it may be modified in respect to its parti-
cular character; modified by the new circumstances
and objects by which it is surrounded. Be it so,
that the miser may no longer care for his gold, nor
the sensualist for his cups, nor the ambitious man
for his laurels ; and, on the other hand, we kmm
there will be no objects in the abodes of the blessed
to awaken or to demand the exercise of a spirit of
compassion ; nevertheless, the concentrated energy
of the soul, for good or evil, will remain unchanged —
the sinner will be reaching a more dreadful stature
in sin, the saint a more glorious stature in holi-
xiess, through all the ages of an eternal existence.

But who, after all, can say that the ruling passion
of the sinner may not exist in the next world, in
precisely the same form that it does in this, with
this terrible difference, however, that there shall be
no object to minister to it ? Suppose the craving
appetite for sensual indulgence, the burning thirst
for power, the sordid desire for wealth, to have gath-
ered a thousand fold deeper intensity than the vo-
luptuary, the ambitious man, the miser, ever felt on
earth ; and suppose each to be shut out from all the
means of gratification ; and suppose the ungratified
passion to be for ever growing stronger as the ages
of eternity roll away — Oh! tell me, ye who have
known something here of the bitterness of cherish-
ing desires that could not be met, tell me whether

88 THE RULING PASSION.

any thing beyond this is necessary to complete the
idea of hell.

Oh how terribly, how gloriously, this thought, that
the ruling passion is to grow stronger for ever, bears
upon the future ! How it magnifies, beyond any
measure that our conceptions can reach, the misery
of the lost — the happiness of the saved !

Fix your eye upon a man whose outward demon-
strations are such, that you cannot even doubt that
his ruling passion is for evil. Possibly, he may ap-
pear decent enough in his ordinary intercourse ; but
whoever knows him well, knows that he is revenge-
ful— that it is in his heart to pursue the man who he
imagines has injured him, even to the death ; knows
that he is profane — that he will, even in cool blood,
insult the majesty, and defy the vengeance, of Hea-
ven. If you could see him at certain times, when
his passions are wrought up into a tempest, the
mixture of rage and blasphemy that you would wit-
ness, would make you turn from him with shud-
dering, as from an incarnate fiend. All this, while
he is yet in the body, and subject to the numerous
restraints incident to the present state of existence.
Keep your eye upon him a little while, and you
shall find him a lost spirit; and now mark how
that ruling passion for evil, which before seemed
so strong, has gathered a degree of strength that
mocks at the imbecility of all its previous opera-
tions. Mark off a million of ages from his exist-
ence, and see how you find the ruling passion then.
You may talk of a giant's power, but that conveys
no idea of the actual reality. You may collect every
image of overpowering strength, and of unqualified

L

W. B. SPRAGUE, D. D. 89

horror ; you may combine the darkness of midnight
with the fury of the storm, and let the flashing of
tlie Hghtning, and the rolHng of the thunder, be the
terrible accompaniment, and still you will have
nothing that will more than faintly shadow forth
the might and the misery seated in that sinner's bo-
som, "^nd who has thoughts far reaching enough to
overtake eternity? And yet eternity, eternity is
the field on which the ruling passion is to have its
perpetual development ! I know not all the ingre-
dients in the cup of trembling, which is put into the
hands of the wicked in the next world ; but it is
enough for me to know, that the ruling passion for
evil, whose operations sometimes terrify me here on
earth, will not only be an everlasting inmate of the
bosom, but will wax more fierce, and strong, and
terrible, for ever.

Now, look at the man whose ruling passion is for
good, and take the measure, if you can, of the hap-
piness which he enjoys, of the good which he ac-
complishes, in its progressive and eternal develop-
ment. As you see him here, bearing afflictions with
undisturbed tranquillity, encountering difficulties
with an overcoming faith, traversing the dark val-
ley with an unfxltering step, you feel that the up-
ward tendencies of his spirit are strong; and you
are not afraid to see him die, because you are satis-
fied that his is the good man's death. But, even in
all this, you have seen the ruling passion of only an
imperfect Christian. Wait a little, till he has passed
the heavenly portals, and you may contemplate that
of a glorified saint. Lay every thing else, that may
enter into the idea of future bliss, entirely out of view —

90 THE RULING PASSION.

I am sure you will not doubt that here, in the saint's
own bosom, and at the first moment after he has
entered Heaven, is enough to constitute the eternal
weight of glory. But, here again, look ye down
through the vista of future centuries, fasten upon
the remotest point to which even your imagination
can reach, and the ruling passion for doing gSod and
glorifying God, shall be acting with an energy that
is the result of the steady growth of all the millions
of ages that have intervened. And that shall be
the starting point for a new course of development
that shall make all that has preceded appear feeble
and infantile. Saint in heaven, I lose myself in the
contemplation of thy destiny ! Be thou where thou
wilt in God's dominions, that ruling passion of thy
soul, ever active and ever growing, will keep thee
entranced with the glories of Heaven.

Oh that I could write, as with the point of a
diamond, on the memories and hearts of all our
young men, the great practical lessons which this
subject suggests to tliem ; that I cDuld show them
how intimately it connects itself with all their
responsibihties and prospects. Many of you, I
doubt not, have already set your aflfections on the
things that are above, and are running for the
heavenly prize; but others of you, I have reason
to fear, are making haste for the accomplishment
of your own ruin. You are dreaming that the pres-
ent is the time for indulgence, and that the future
will be the time for repentance ; that it matters
little what you do now, in the days of your youth,
as there will be time enough to retrieve your er-
rors in the graver period of your maturity. As to

W. B. SPRAGTJE, D. D. 91

the probability of your ever seeing that period, I
leave it to your own reflection, after you have
walked through any burying ground you please, and
noticed how large a proportion of the grave stones
mark the departure of the young; but the point
which I wish to urge upon you is, that you are, im-
perceptibly to yourselves, forming a habit of indif-
ference to religion ; that each successive act of
indulgence, or even procrastination, lessens Ajour
power to resist temptation, and increases the proba-
bility that you will never repent; and that, when
the anticipated period for giving your hearts to God
shall come, you may find yourselves so entirely
under the dominion of your own lusts, as to be dis-
couraged even from any attempt to escape. I say,
then, your own dignity, your own safety, your own
immortality, protests against this habit of delay;
and if you open your eyes you will see "Danger,"
"Danger," written in letters of fire upon every un-
hallowed object to which your affections incline.
But you are not merely to be happy or miserable
yourselves — you are to exert a mighty influence in
rendering others so ; and that influence will operate
in the one direction or the other, according to the
character of your own ruling passion. Particularly
your country's interests are, to a great extent,
bound up in you ; and the wise and far-seeing, at
this moment, have their eyes upon you, as they
would discern what are the signs of the times.
Nay, there is an imploring voice that comes up from
the depths of the future — the voice of unborn gene-
rations, reminding you that you are the depositories
of tJieir interests, and that the period is rapidly

92 THE RULING PASSION.

passing away in which you can earn, their grateful
benedictions.

What, then, is to be done ? I answer, see to it,
first, that your own ruhng passion be right — that it
be for truth and goodness, for conscience and for
God. If the great work of making it right is yet
to be performed, come penitently, and confidingly,
and obediently, and bow down to the Holy Ghost,
and you shall receive the clean heart at his hands.
And then go abroad and try to change the ruhng
passion of the world. Labour, with all your might,
in dependance on God's grace, to give to men's
thoughts and affections an upward direction. Thus
you will not only save yourselves, but be your
country's benefactors through all successive genera-
tions ; and when the ransomed shall all be gathered
home, and shall be joining, under the influence of
the ruling passion of Heaven, in a common song to
Him who hath redeemed them, how ecstatic will be
your joy to recognise among them, not one, but
many, whose ruling passion, through your instru-
mentality, has been changed from sin to holiness,
and whose eternal destiny has undergone a corres-
ponding change from wo to bliss — from hell to
Heaven !

i

SUPREMACY OF THE MORAL LAW.

J, W. YEOMANS, D. D.

PASTOR OP THE PRESBYTERIAN CHCRCH, DAKTllLB, PA.

It is easier for heaven and earth to pass than one tittle of -he law to
fail. — Luke xvi. 17.

When the Saviour was derided by covetous
Pharisees, for teaching that men could not serve
God and mammon, he reminds them of an univer-
sal and unchangeable law, by which the actions and
characters of all moral creatures were to be tried.
He warns them that, easily as they might justify
themselves before men, there was yet a tribunal
where not actions only, but hearts would be judged ;
and the verdict of the degenerate sentiment around
them could be no safe criterion to prove their man-
ners blameless, and their prospects fair. Many
things highly esteemed among men are abomination
in the sight of God ; and the judgment of God is
the decision of a last appeal. It decides by a rule
which is, by eminence, " the law." And, however
men may evade an honest and fair conformity, by
glossing or wresting the letter, they cannot change
or annul the law itself That law underlies the
scheme of the universe. It came out into clear

(93)

94 SUPREMACY OF THE MORAL LAW.

view in the decalogue. It inspirited the ceremonials
of the ancient church. It breathed in all the
prophets until John. And now that the kingdom
of God is preached, and every man rusheth into it^
that same immutable law remains and pervades the
whole system. " It is easier for heaven and earth
to pass than one tittle of the law to fail."

The rank thus given to " the law," above other
laws of the universe, may be traced by infallible
signs in the course of divine dispensations. Indeed,
it is the fair presumption, that if the principle of
this supremacy of the law belongs to the system
of created things, it will reveal itself in the opera-
tion of the system, and, most of all, at those points
where the finger of God most immediately appears.

It is common to speak of moral law as most
properly the law of God, in distinction from the
laws of nature. But all the laws of the creation
are both laws of God and laws of nature — laws of
God, because God is their author — laws of nature,
because conceived to reside in the nature of created
things. By law, in the widest sense, we mean the
principle conceived as determining the states and
actions of persons and things. In this broad use it
is applied alike to matter and spirit, even to God
himself; in matter, regulating force and motion ; in
spirit, controlling thought and feelings reason and
conscience. It is in connection with reason and
conscience that this princij)le takes the name of
moral law. Expressed in words, it becomes, as in
the Scriptures, a body of precepts, defining and en-
ioining what is right, and forbidding what is wrong ;
and is received as the written will of God, to be tiie

J. W. TEOMANS, D. D. 95

guide of our life. This moral law is the kind of
law which can never fail ; and the signs which God
has given of his supreme regard for moral law, are
to be the subject of our consideration in this dis-
course. '^ It is easier for heaven and earth to pass,
than one tittle of the law to fail."

1. Of all possible signs of the supremacy of moral
law, one of the most comprehensive and impressive,
is the dominion given to man over the rest of the
earthly creation. God said, Let us make man in
our own image, after our likeness, and let him have
dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl
of the air, and over all the earth, and over every
creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. Thus
to man, a moral creature, and the only moral in-
habitant of the earth, is given dominion over all the
earth. And this donation is made to his rational
and moral nature ; to the image and likeness of God
in him. All things else on the earth are put under
him. He may use them all for his benefit. What-
ever has the capacity of serving him he may employ
in his service. He is not required to prefer the life
or the enjoyment of any other earthly creatures to
his own; but when their labour or suffering may
be useful to him, he may exact it. When their
death will promote his well being, he is at liberty to
take their life.

This gift of dominion over all the earth shows the
high esteem of the Creator for the moral principle
in the creation, and the rank he has given to moral
law. A creature who, without these divine endow
ments of reason and conscience, would be no way
superior to the other living creatures of the earth,

96 SUPREMACY OF THE MORAL LAW.

is invested with an authority claimed solely for hi.s
jnoral nature. The living tribes present themselves
before him to receive their names, as if to offer their
obeisance and their service. All take their places
at his feet. And while he keeps his purity, which
is really the condition of his power, he holds an easy
and honourable sway. This exaltation over other
creatures comes not from an arbitrary decree, to be
enforced by outward power, against the nature of
things. It rises from the nature of man ; from the
moral image of God within him ; from the essential
supremacy of the moral principle in the universe.
It signifies, that in the realm of God morality is not
to be subservient, but supreme; that the natural
must serve the moral ; that no power can arrest or
change the course of moral law ; that every valley
shall be raised, and every mountain and hill shall
be brought low, and that the way shall be every
where prepared for fulfilling the moral purposes of
God.

2. It is another impressive proof of the supremacy
of moral law, that the other laws of earth and hea-
ven are so evidently used for moral ends.

In that portion of the history of the world which
is contained in the Holy Scriptures, we find the
pleasure and displeasure of God with the righteous-
ness and unrighteousness of men very commonly
expressed through the changes in the material world.
Sunshine and rain, cold and heat, all the various
properties and motions of the elements, are so freely
used to convey the blessing or the curse of God to
men, as to suggest the thought that they were made
for nothing else. Hence that natural expectation

J. W. YEOMAN S, D. D. 97

which SO widely prevails among men, that a people
with whom God is well pleased will have fruitful
seasons, health, success in their labours, and order
and peace in their society ; and that a people with
whom God is displeased will suffer from famine, or
pestilence, or the failure of their favourite enter-
prises, or the distraction and ruin of their social
state. And as of communities, so of individuals.
However the course of providence may seem, at
times, to depart from this rule, we still find that this
subserviency of physical laws to moral ends is one
of the most common matters of national expectation
among men.

We cannot know how far these laws are thus ap-
plied in fact, except by intelhgent and constant
observation, with the eye of religious faith. Do you
believe in a particular providence ? Do you see the
hand of a moral ruler at all in the changes of nature
around you ? Then do you hear the earth, with
her fields of barrenness and fertihty; the ocean, with
its calms and its storms; the seasons, with their
riches and their poverty; the Hving tribes, with their
services and their depredations; the very hearts of
men, with their friendships and their enmities, all
uttering, with a majestic and overwhelming elocu-
tion, the moral sentiments of God. The moral
events of the kingdom of God are brought to their
issue by the natural operation of physical laws. Is
there a famine in Egypt and Canaan ? It occasions
the promotion of Joseph in the government of Egypt,
the preservation of his father's family, their removal
into Egypt, the long and grievous bondage of the
Hebrews there, their deliverance by a mighty hand,
8

9S SUPREMACY OF THE MORAL LAW.

their wonderful pilgrimage through the wilderness,
their establishment in the land of promise ; together
with all the moral effects which followed those
events, and which will follow them to the end of
time. When we consider the event, which issued
in all these consequences, as a result of the natural
operation of the laws of matter, we can hardly resist
the conviction that those laws had these effects for
their object, and were an important link in the chain
of causes for filling the earth with the moral glory
of the Lord.

This instance of natural laws resulting in moral
effects, is rendered unquestionable and illustrious by
having been recorded and explained in the book of
mspiration. The history of the events is written
by the infallible pen, and the events are placed in
their true relation to each other. But suppose all
history to be written by inspiration of God ; what
but that same infallible discernment would be needed
to trace all physical changes to moral effects ? Would
not all nature then seem instinct with the moral de-
signs of her Maker ? Who could then doubt that the un-
conscious, as well as the conscious, being of the world,
is geared into the spiritual kingdom, and forms one
system with it, and is moving always, under the
guidance of God, towards his moral ends? Thus
all the changes of the world become illustrations
and supports of moral character and moral law.
Each contributes to its appropriate moral effect, as
each ray of converging light contributes to form the
bright and burning focus. Not that each separate
event must have, by itself, a moral significancy, any
more than each letter in a volume of history must

J. W. TEOMANS, D. D. 99

Iiave a distinct historical signification ; but the
series, as a whole, is an inscription of the moral law,
and the moral character of God on the material
tables of the universe.

Now it is not at all essential to the authority and
power of moral law, that it should always have this
form of expression. It may, for the present, be con-
venient; it may suit the circumstances of the sub-
jects who dwell on the earth, and who, like ourselves,
are interwoven with a material and temporary sys-
tem; but for subjects under other circumstances,
these same spiritual laws may be better expressed
in other characters. It is convenient for English
people that their laws should be written in the
English tongue ; but for people of other languages,
the English law books would be useless, an incum-
brance, fit only for burning, while the laws them-
selves, in their spirit, might suit other people, and
remain to be expressed in other forms. Thus will
the time come when the heavens and the earth, as
books of moral law, will have no further use ; when
these forms of moral expression will become obso-
lete, superfluous, fit only for the fire; when the
heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll, and,
being on fire, shall be dissolved, and the elements
shall melt with fervent heat ; the earth also, and all
the works that are therein shall be burned up ; while
the laws of truth and righteousness, which the hea-
vens and the earth have so long been used to explain
and enforce, shall remain in their authority and
glory for ever. " It is easier for heaven and earth to
pass than one tittle of the law to fail."

3. Yet more shall we feel the force of this truth

100 SUPREMACY OF THE MORAL LAW.

when we observe, how often and signally God has,
for moral purposes, actually interrupted the order
of nature.

Aiming at a moral impression on the world, he
does mighty works in Egypt j and, beginning with
Moses, he shows a bush burning with fire, but not
consumed; he changes a rod into a serpent, and
the serpent again into a rod; he makes the hand
of Moses, at one moment, leprous — at another,
whole; then, turning upon Egypt, he changes the
waters into blood, covers the land with darkness,
with flies, and with frogs — afflicts the people with a
storm of hail, with murrain upon their cattle, with
boils and blains upon themselves, and, finally, with
the death of the first born of every family ; and all
this by a professed departure from the ordinary
course of nature. Thus awfully were earth and
heaven confounded, to give Egypt and the vforld an
impression of the true God; and, as the Hebrews
went forth from bondage, they also must be con-
firmed in the knowledge and fear of the Lord ; and,
for this purpose, a path for them is made through
the sea, and their pursuers are destroyed in the re-
turning waters. Forty years long was nature
turned out of her ordinary course, six days of every
seven, to supply that people with their daily bread ;
and every day of the seven to form a cloud for
their guidance by day and their defence by night.
Water flows from the rock for their thirst; quails
flock to their camp as a supply of meat ; the Jor-
dan parts its overflowing waters, as of its own
accord, to give them a dry passage. At their en-
trance )n the land of promise the walls of Jericho,

J. W. TEOMANS, D. D. 101

as of themselves, fall down to give them possession.
The Lord thus led that people through a wilder-
ness of miracle, to teach them and the world his
name and "will ; to establish with them the practical
supremacy of moral law ; to show that people that
the natural is made for the spiritual ; that the
world, in all its other departments of law and of
life, must yield to disruption, dislocation, nay, to
utter confusion and destruction, to exalt the laws of
the Spirit. Behold how the Creator will prepare the
way of his moral authority and power, through the
solid mountains of his physical dominions, wherever
they cross his path, and may help forward his moral
work. The sun and moon stop in their courses, at
the word of one of his servants ; those great lights
leave their apparent place in the firmament to con-
vince men that the God of Israel is Jehovah. The
heavens might be deranged, but the world must not
be without the knowledge of the living and true
God. It was easier for the heavens to be thrown
into disorder, than for an impression in favour of
moral law to be lost. It was '' easier for heaven and
earth to pass than one tittle of the law to fail."

But, of all the illustrations of this branch of our
subject, the most commanding is given in the incar-
nation of the Son of God. In the person of the
Mediator between God and man, there was an amaz-
ing departure from the established course of nature.
And what lifts this case immeasurably above all
others, which either have been or can be, is the fact,
that it involves, not only deviation from the estab-
lished laws of human nature, but also a mysterious
and astonishing departure from the mode of the

102 SUPREMACY OF THE MORAL LAW.

divine existence itself, as previously known. In
other cases, God has taken creatures out of the
course which he had established for them ; in this
case, he himself steps out of the previous mode of
his existence and action. He gives what may be
called, in a pecuUar sense, a miraculous manifesta-
tion of himself, and takes a relation to humanity
altogether extraordinary — the only case of the kind
in the history of his self-revelations. He takes hu-
manity to himself as a personal constituent, with
even an earthly body. The nature of God becomes
joined to the nature of man, not as God is joined to
other beings, who live, and move, and have their
being in him, but as a constitutional part of a per-
son, as the body is the part of the man.

Although man had fallen from the law of the
Spirit of life, 3'et must he not be allowed wholly to
fail of this glorious property and end of his being.
It must be restored to him ; and, to accomphsh this,
the Creator produces a new creation, and sets him-
self before the world in a person and a relation
which we know not how to describe. The very
sight of this wonder, wdth the eye of an enlightened
faith, is overwhelming. Man had the laws of his
formation established from the first, and uniformly
observed, by the Author of human generations, till
the appearance of the Son of God in the flesh. God
had his modes of existence and of revelation, which
had appeared to be established from the time that
man existed to behold them, and which had never
before, in the Avliole course of divine manifestations,
presented such a form as this. But an interest of
the spiritual kingdom is to be secured. Now the

J, W. TEOMANS, D. D.

103

way of God in saving men is no longer to be pur-
sued invisibly, but is to be fully declared, that its
impression may be fixed in the hearts of angels and
of men, and that it may bear its part in the consti-
tution and advancement of the church. And what
were the laws of the human nature now? What
were now the laws (for so we may here call them)
which had controlled before the modes of the Divine
existence, and determined the previous relations of
God to created thmgs ? To make men believe his
word, and accept his favour, he takes away both the
human nature and the divine from the course of
their previous and accustomed manifestations, and
presents them in an extraordinary, a miraculous, re-
lation to each other. It was easier for the estab-
lished law of human generations to be given up,
than for the violated law of spiritual hfe in man to
be suffered utterly to fail ; it was easier for a man
to be conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost,
and to be born of a virgin, than for one tittle of that
law of spiritual life to fail ; it was easier for God to
be born of a woman, to be made imder the law of
humanity, to become properly and truly a man, to
grow up in body and in mind like a human child, to
think, feel, and act as a man, to labor, suffer, and
die as a man, than for one tittle of that law to fail.
When we behold God clothed in the form, and sub-
ject to the conditions, of humanity, and a man per-
vaded by the nature of God ; when W' e see the hand
of that mysterious person parting the net work of
nature wherever he would have a passage through
it to his moral ends ; when we see him walking on
the sea, stilling the tempest, causing the bhnd to

104 SUPREMACY OF THE MORAL LAW.

see, the deaf to hear, the dumb to speak, and the
dead to Hve ; when we see Him, who only hath ini-
mortahty, sinking under mortal pains, and giving
up the ghost like a dying man, and continuing under
the power of death for a time, while the sun is dark-
ened, the rocks are rent, graves are opened, and the
earth quakes to its centre ; we then behold what
confusion may come to the material laws of earth
and heaven, rather than that one tittle of the spi-
ritual law should fail.

This wonder, wrought for the introduction of the
gospel, is but the beginning of wonders. The whole
work of redemption, as carried on in the church,
and in the souls of individual believers, is, as it
were, a propagation of this miracle. The natural
powers of heaven and earth are wrought into the
system, and made subservient to redemption at the
pleasure of the Redeemer ; while the efficient power
which works through them, to the perfection of the
new creation, is the Holy Ghost. Thus the law of
hfe is restored. God may condescend, in all the
forms of his manifestation, as Father, Son, and Holy
Ghost, to dwell in his people. The entire fashion
of the old creation may pass away. God, the Eter-
nal, the Infinite, may bring earth and heaven to-
gether to form for himself an abode among men, but
not a tittle of the law can fail.

4. We may finally observe, how this supremacy
of moral law in the universe finds acceptance with
the reason and conscience of man. We feel a natu-
ral agreement with it, and act in conformity with it,
when we follow the higher dictates of our nature.

If the moral sentiments of men "vary wdth their

J. W, YEOMANS, D. D. 105

different degrees of cultivation, this fact is strongly
to our point ; for it shows that the more a man is
cultivated, according to the laws of his nature, the
more does he exalt the moral above the physical.
Among savnges, where physical power is law, the
strongest man is the greatest man. The progress
of culture elevates reason and intelligence, in the
estimation of men, and assigns to mere bodily
strength a lower place. And when the moral senti-
ments of a community begin to share in the judg-
ments of reason, the moral qualities rise, at once,
above all others ; and the maxim is established,
that the good alone are truly great. Hence every
man, of the true moral culture, makes no account
of bodily comfort, of property, or of intellectual
reputation and influence, when his moral character
is at stake. Hence all people, sufficiently enlight-
ened to distinguish the physical, the intellectual,
and the moral in man, instinctively regard the
moral as the crown of human nature ; the part of
man for which the other parts were made ; the
foundation of all the real improvement and happi-
ness of the race. This preference for moral excel-
lence rises from the constitution of man. It ap-
pears wherever man has any just development; and
wherever it thus appears, it exemplifies and illus-
trates the supremacy of moral law in the universe.
Suppose, now, this order of things in the world
reversed. Let the moral kingdom be made for the
physical ; let it be once proclaimed that man was
made for the horse, the sparrow the worm ; for the
cedar, the thorn and the thistle ; that men are to be
reared as food for the lion, or as nourishment for the

106 SUPREMACY OF THE MORAL LAW.

oak; that their reason must be tramed to secure
that end; that the conscience must be employed
only to prevent, or to detect and punish all devia-
tions from that course ; let it once be enjoined on
men to obey their bodily appetites alone, subjecting
reason and conscience wholly to their sway, and
holding the spirit in bondage to the flesh in all
things ; could such an order of things be received
by man ? What a war would it raise between the
world without and the world within ! Without, the
natural claiming supremacy — within, the moral ;
the facts of observation without at constant strife
with reason and conscience within. To make such
a world, and put such a creature as man upon it,
would show such want of natural adaptation in the
parts of the creation, it would be so unlike God as
we now know him, that we could not believe its
possibility. To us it must ever' seem a thing im-
possible with God, so imperiously does the moral
sense of mankind demand the supremacy of moral
law. And such a decision is worthy of our moral
nature. Those high powers which make us the
kindred of angels and of God, however we degrade
them in practice, we cannot disparage in theory.
Men challenge honour for reason and conscience,
though they may not follow their counsel. We are
the natural and necessary advocates of the su-
premacy of moral law, and whenever the principle
is asserted in the hearing of our higher nature, we
say. Amen ; let it be " easier for heaven and earth to
pass than one tittle of the law to fail."

Of the practical suggestions which arise from this
view of the sui)remacy of moral law, I mention,

J. W. YEOMANS, D. D. 107

1. The natural necessity of ruin as a consequence
of sin. We are familiar with the consequences of
breaking the physical laws of our being. If a man
will not sow, he cannot reap ; if a man will not con-
sider, he must fall into trouble ; if he walks among
pits, with his eyes shut, he must fall ; the sluggard
must see his poverty come as one that travelleth,
and his wants as an armed man ; the drunkard
must abide his poverty, his broken health, his shat-
tered intellect, his premature death. From such
penalties of physical transgression how shall he es-
cape ; but sooner, far sooner, may the sluggard
grow rich, the careless and imprudent prosper, the
drunkard drink health, wealth, long life, and mental
power and splendor from his cups, than the breaker
of the least commandment of the moral law escape
the threatened punishment. Not a tittle of the law
can fail.

2. In the light of this inviolable law, how pre-
cious is the gospel. Jesus Christ came to seek and
to save them that are lost ; but how hopelessly lost
are the transgressors of such a law. Think of those
bonds of nature which hold the rivers in their course
to the ocean; which hold the ocean in its bed, and
the mountain on its base, and preserve the harmony
of the celestial world. The planet, faUing by an in-
ward infirmity from its orbit, what power of nature
can restore it? What can save it from being a wan-
dering star, to which is reserved the blackness of
darkness for ever? But all the stars of heaven, once
fallen, might easier rise again, by a self-restoring
power, than a man, fallen from the guidance of his
moral nature, by an inward infirmity, restore him-

108 SUPREMACY OF THE MORAL LAW,

self to righteousness and happiness. How mighty
and merciful the hand which redeems from such a
fall ! Let every sinner lay hold upon it ; for how
shall he escape if he neglect so great salvation ?

3. In the light of this subject, the value of our
spiritual interests appears altogether inestimable.
What is the brief welfare of the present life in the
comparison ? Even the lawful pursuits of this life,
and those most important to our earthly happiness,
have only a superficial and transient worth. The
true basis of our prosperity, for time and eternity, is
the law of our moral nature. Seek first the king-
dom of God. Lay up your treasures in heaven.
Build on the rock which forms the basis of the uni-
verse. The loose and dissoluble masses which have
been collected on that rock, and which the weight
of temporal interests seems almost to have petrified
upon it, will not continue. A catastrophe is coming.
The imperishable foundations of the moral world
will rise, heaving from their surface the dissolving
rubbish of a temporal economy, and thenceforth
remaining only the glorious support of perfect righte-
ousness for ever.

DISTRUST OF THE WORD.

J. "W. ALEXANDER, D. D.

PASTOR OP THE DUANE STREET CHORCH, NEW YORK.

The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned
back in the day of battle. — Psalm Lxviii. 9.

This ill conduct of the Ephraimites, in turning
their backs upon the enemy, is referred by expositors
to various events. It is by no means unnatural to
consider the Psalmist as alluding to the surrender of
the ark to the Philistines ; for Shiloh, then the seat
of the tabernacle, was within the tribe of Ephraim.
1 Sam. iv. 4. Whenever and wherever it occurred,
it presented. the mortifying spectacle of a host in re-
treat, and this when amply furnished with weapons
of war. Ephraim, being armed, and carryuig bows,
turned back in the day of battle. The passage
stands in the midst of rehearsals of victories and de-
liverances, and of rebukes for unbehef and doubt.
It was "written for our learning," and we cannot
meditate on it, without a sad reflection that we, as
a part of God's Israel, are engaged in a warfare, and
summoned to " fight the good fight of faith ;" that ive
are armed with the grand weapon of faith — the Word
OF God ; that we too have sometimes turned to flight,
or proved cowards in Christ's cause ; and that the

(109)

110 DISTRUST OF THE WORD.

shame of our sin is the greater, inasmuch as the
weapon which we have distrusted is of divine power.
Beheving Israel to be a type of the church, and the
words of the text to be for all ages of Christianity, I
do not consider it in the least opposed to the analogy
of New Testament precedent, to give this general
principle of the Hebrew psalm a particular applicar
tion. Dismissing the figure, therefore, let us seriously
meditate on what it represents.

It is true of multitudes who are engaged in the
Christian warfare, that they are distrustful of their
own weapons. For a soldier, there could hardly be
a more unfortunate prepossession. His blows must
be half-delivered, and his disposition to parley or to
flee, exceedingly subversive of bold fighting. The
grand weapon of the Christian soldier is thus ex-
pressed, in the most general terms, and in a meta-
phor— ^Hhe sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of
God." This is the great instrument of assault against
the world and against himself; for it is a peculi-
arity of our warfare, that some of our most obstinate
battles take place within the walls. The truth of
God, however largely understood, is the name of
our whole offensive armour. This truth in general,
and certain prominent truths in particular, are pre-
cisely what the Captain of Salvation has put into our
hands, to be used against the adversary. It is a firm
confidence in the temper, strength, and edge of these
weapons, which makes the brave combatant. And
it is the distrust of our unbelieving minds in these
qualities of the Word of God, which I would endea-
vour to stigmatise and remove. The fault here pointed
out is not the fault of one and another merely, but

J. W. ALEXANDER, D. D. Ill

in some degree of us all ; of ministers as well as peo-
ple; of societies and churches, as well as of humble
individuals.

I shall endeavour to show how this distrust of
divine truth is exhibited; how it operates against
the success of Christian effort, and how it may be
removed.

I. Distrust of divine truth, as the main offen-
sive WEAPON OF THE CHRISTIAN WAR, IS EVINCED IN A
variety OF WAYS.

1. B?/ the disposition common to us all, to resort
to other instruments than those which God has ap-
pointed. Not error merely, in opposition to truth ;
but sundry agencies, of a purely secular kind, are
employed by Christians to accomplish those very ends
for which the Scriptures are put mto their hands.
If the world is to be reformed, we fly to arrange-
ments and causes which are external, economical,
patriotic, literary, or simply moral, rather than to
that which is spiritual. Things good in themselves,
and pre-eminently good when subordinated to the
gospel, become usurpations, malign and dangerous,
when they supplant God's ordinance. The world is
to be reformed, and, under God, we are to reform it ;
but in God's way, and by his methods. The cor-
rupt mass of mankind, tending, by virtue of internal
maladies, to a catastrophe of disorder, vice and woe,
is to be regulated, purified and blessed by a certain
prescribed agency, set forth in all its details in this
book. In the midst of the great self-destroying mas&
is placed a small but mighty engine, to accompHsh
an end for which philanthropists and politicians are
sighing and labouring in vain. This energy within,

112 DISTRUST OF THE WORD.

which is to change the face of human society, and
insure universal brotherhood, is the Church: the
Church, my brethren; not of Rome, of England, or
of Geneva, but the Church of the first-born of God j
namely, the family of true believers, sanctified by the
truth called out of all nations, washed in the blood
of the Lamb, and enclosing an infant generation
baptized into the Lord's name. The means by which
this community is to effect so gigantic a result is
one and simple ; it is the truth revealed in the Scrip-
ture. To substitute for this any other agency, for
the same ends, and not in subordination to this di-
vine principle, is to change the whole method of war-
fare, and to forsake our own professions and stand-
ards. If the Church could be proved insufficient
for what it proposes, this would afford a just reason
for trying other means ; but it would, at the same
time, prove the claims of Christianity to be groundless.
If other ends, not contemplated by the gospel methods,
are proposed, they may indeed be sought by other
means; but such ends are, by the very supposition,
temporal, and therefore inferior. The great moral
changes which would make our world a happy world,
are exactly what the Church is ordained to effect, by
means of the truth ; and for all these ends the Church
is sufficient. When wisdom has fully considered the
line between these two classes of results, and allotted
to Christianity those which are her part, it is a sort
of disrespect to the system we profess, to use for the
same purpose other machinery than that which God
has prescribed ; and to do so is to manifest distrust
of God's way.

2. The same distrust is evinced hy a jproneness in

J. W. ALEXANDER, D. D. 113

many of us to modify or conceal tJie statements of re-
vealed truth'. All truths are not alike fundamental,
nor applicable alike to all cases and at all times;
but every truth of this record has its place and sea-
son of application, and is then and there to be ap-
plied without reserve or tampering — for this plain
reason, that it is the God of truth who utters it.
But how often does it happen, that in addresses to
the body of behevers, in exhortations to the una-
wakened, in counsel to the inquiring, or appeals to
our o^vn hearts, we falter in delivering the pure, un-
adulterated word, and feel half afraid that it may do
more harm than good ! How often does worldly
fear seal up the hps which were ready to pronounce
the doctrine of God's sovereign election ; or worldly
policy drive back the free current of gracious invita-
tion ! More watchful against momentary offence, and
occasional abuse, than against the permanent and
destructive influence of ignorance and all error, we
seal up the very fountains which God has caused to
flow from the smitten rock. Hence we shudder
when the preacher declares the statements of Jeho-
vah himself, respecting his own awful decrees, or the
irrevocable damnation of the dying hypocrite ; and,
on the other hand, stand ready, when he publishes
the grace of Calvary, to hang chains and weights on
the freedom of an offer which flies far and high above
all legal preparations and conditions. Thus have a
thousand errors and heresies arisen. Men have
thought themselves more prudent than the All-^\dse.
The Law has been lowered lest sinners should call it
hard ; the way has been hedged up, lest the blind,
and the halt, and the lame, should find it too easy ;
9

114 DISTRUST OF THE WORD.

the Church has been barricaded with walls of cere-
mony, and garrisoned with ranks of officials, lest some
of its riches should be pilfered by dissent ; and the
blessed Gospel, free as the air of Paradise, has been
laden with conditions and restrictions, lest faith
should be too simple. In every one of these, and in
a thousand like ways, men show their distrust of
divine revelation.

3. Another proof of distrust in regard to the truth
of God, is the small measure and luTcewarm temper in
which we actually use it. If it is what we profess
to believe, it is an instrument suited to an infinite
diversity of objects, all included in the one result of
making men better and happier. With this persua-
sion deeply fixed in our minds, we should be per-
petually employing it for these ends; we should
bring it forth, and apply it to the daily emergencies
of labour, study, trade, and domestic life ; we should
use it for a standard, as we use the famihar stand-
ards of our common business, when we measure,
weigh, or calculate. We should bring to this test
the morality and expediency of many an act, and
the purity of many a motive. That we do not, is
only a proof how little we are Christians. It shows
at how low a rate we estimate the cogency of scrip-
tural principle; that there are so many things in
commerce, in study, in politics, in education, and in
social reform, (all involving moral relations,) which
we never bring into the light of God's word. We
carry on our affairs, and dispose of our property, and
plan our amusements, and execute great changes in
life, and bring up our children, and make our wills,
without once turnuig to God's book to find how these

J. W. ALEXANDER, D. D. 115

several steps, which really make up the aggregate
of our lives, are regarded in heaven.

He who trusts in God's word as an infallible di-
rectory, will never find a day in which he can live
without its guidance. He cannot rise from sleep,
without a query how the day's plan may be laid so
as to find him, like Enoch, walking with God ; or
take his early meal, without a purpose that it be
sanctified by the word of God and prayer. He can-
not receive his dues, without considering how much
he oweth unto his Lord, and how much he is in dan-
ger from the mammon of unrighteousness. He can-
not meet a friend, without casting about for a scrip-
ture maxim which may sanctify their union ; or an
enemy, without guarding his temper by the precept
of forgiveness. Nor can he close his doors, and " go
up to the habitation of his bed," until he has looked
back over the journey of the day, and applied to it
the lesson of God's statutes. And the fact that all
this is unknown in the days of any professing Chris-
tians, is too conclusive an argument of their habitual
distrust of heavenly truth as the instrument of their
sanctification.

4, One evidence more will suffice to show our dis-
trust of divine truth. It is our neglect of this vol-
ume. The soldier who has a favourite weapon is
apt to be very much engaged in exercising it, and
preparing to wield it. We have read of the knights
in the days of chivalry, and of their trusty swords,
many of which had inscriptions of honour and names
of endearment. Many were the hours spent in
sharpening and polishing these blades ; many more
in brandishing them by way of preparation, so as to

116 DISTRUST OF THE WORD.

learn their qualities, and how to make them effect-
ual. All this proved how truly they valued their
arms, and it tended towards valorous conflict and
easy victory. But we have a sword which we treat
after a different fashion. It lies on our pulpits, per-
haps on our tables. We bring it forth on special oc-
casions, and never mention it but with devotion.
We enshrine it, and praise it — would fight for it, but
not with it. It lies, like the sword of Gohatli the
Philistine, at the dwelling of the priest Abimelech,
"wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod." 1 Sam.
xxi. 9. Whereas we should say of it, as did David:
" Tliere is none like that : give it me." The sword of
the Spirit, which is the Word of God, requires to be
taken up in the way of daily exercise. It will be so
handled by those who rely on it. The Scriptures,
as the great magazine of truth, available for all the
demands of life, will be resorted to in serious medi-
tation by every man who is convinced that his own
life and salvation, and the hfe and salvation of mil-
lions, depend on it; and he who is little engaged
in close examination of the Bible, gives the best evi-
dence possible that he has little practical belief in its
amazing power. It is vain, and all but ludicrous, for
any one to avow his supreme reverence for the Scrip-
tures as the means of regenerating society and open-
ing heaven, when he spends hours over the daily
journal, or the book of gaiety, for minutes bestowed
on prophets and apostles, and the words of Jesus, the
Son of God. Let us change our practice or abate
our professions ; let us cease to applaud Moses, Isa-
iah and Paul, unless we mean to read them; for
while we neglect our chief weapon, we plainly tell

J. W. ALEXANDER, D. D. 117

the world that we have no confidence in its virtues.
If these marks are of any value, they show, my
brethren, that in a greater or a less degree we are
all guilty of ascribing less than is just to the chosen
instrument of the Holy Ghost, the truth of revela-
tion; and if we are conscious of the fault, we are
in a good condition to deepen our sense of its folly,
by contemplating, in the second place,

II. The operation of this distrust, in regard to
Christian activity. The activity here meant is
that which concerns our enemies, and the enemies
of the Church, who are more numerous, and more ma-
lignant, and more formidable, than all human foes ;
and though fellow mortals may be sometimes " God's
sword," and are often the devil's hirelings, you will
behold, if your eyes are opened, an array yet more
fearful, and a battle yet more bloody ; for we wres-
tle not as with flesh and blood, but against princes,
against powers, and the rulers of the darkness of
this world, and against spiritual mckedness in high
places. The odds would be fearful were not He that
is for us greater than they that are against us.
But divine aid in this contest, Hke all divine aid, is
ordered and prescribed. God has provided armour,
both on the right hand and on the left ; that is to
say, both sword and shield — both offensive and de-
fensive. Every piece is named ; the inventory is
here — helmet, breastplate, girdle, buckler, and shoes ;
but all in vain, unless the warrior endue himself with
the harness, and utterly ineffectual without the
weapon of attack — the sword of the Spirit. This
we have found reason to believe has been, with
some, rusting in the scabbard ; its heavenly temper

118 DISTRUST OF THE WORD.

is disallowed ; and of this distrust the effect is mani
fold disability, weakness, fear and defeat. Let us
more closely examine these effects.

1. Distrust of the Word of God, as an instrument,
indisjposes the soul for spiritual warfare. He who
doubts his bow will avoid the conflict. Let me not
be misunderstood, as if what I meant was religious
controversy, in its common acceptation. Controversy
there is indeed ; but not the war of words, or simple
battling for opinions. The war which rages under
our banners is a war for life or death ; it began when
sin entered ; it will end when sin is eternally ex-
pelled. In the individual soul, it begins when grace
enters ; it ends when glory is made sure. It is the
flesh lusting against the Spirit, and the Spirit against
the flesh. The new nature, Hke God its author, is
essentially the antagonist of sin, in its principle and
its acts. From the soul, that is, from the centre out-
wards, it urges an influence of opposition which is
penetrating, expulsive, and destroying. It struggles
to bring all things to its own likeness, and therefore
to annul all that is unlike it ; this is the law of the
kingdom of heaven, which is leaven, and salt, and
light. While this process goes on in the individual
soul, it goes on also in communities. That which
the seed of grace does in one, the piety of God's peo-
ple does in many in the world at large ; and both
in one case and in the other, it is truth which is the
instrument. To make it accomplish this, its office,
there is need of constant, restless activity. Let this
cease in the soul, and sin gains ground ; let it cease
in the Church, and Christianity makes no progress
— ^which will account for a number of painful phe-

J. W. ALEXANDER, D. D.

119

nomena, such as backsliding, the loss of comfort,
the decline of revivals, the decay of missionary
spirit, the arrest of reformation work, in a word, the
*• turning back in the day of battle." But you per-
ceive at once, that a cause could scarcely be named
more certain to produce this result, than distrust of
the truth. Undervalue the power of this means,
and you will be indisposed to war ; you will love
the shades of carnal peace ; you will have a Chris-
tianity which is tamed down to servile acquiescence
in all that sin proposes, and all that the world al-
lows. Distrust of the armour of truth must needs
indispose for the spiritual warfare.

2. Distrust of the Word of God, as an instrument,
7nahes ilie soul weak when forced into the struggle.
He who doubts his bow will fight feebly. This ap-
plies to those who actually contend against sin in
some degree ; but they contend at a disadvantage.

It was not the least of the causes of primitive
success, that the apostles and martyrs confided in
the Gospel as an instrument of irresistible force.
They were not ashamed of it. It had transformed
them ; it could transform others. It was the power
of God unto salvation, whether wielded against Jew-
ish prejudice or Greek philosophy. In their hands
it destroyed the wisdom of the wise, and brought to
nothing the understanding of the prudent. They
spoke in words which the Holy Ghost teacheth.
This was their confidence ; this made them strong
in the battle — good soldiers of Jesus Christ. They
dealt no doubtful blows ; they ran not as micer-
tainly ; they fought not as one that beateth the air.
Even Paul, who, in presence among the Corinthians,

120 DISTRUST OF THE WORD.

could say that he was " base" among them, could
also say of his Christian valour, " We do not war
after the flesh, casting down imaginations and every
high thing that exalteth itself against the know-
ledge of God." Nay, such was his estimate of this
w^eapon, that he cries, " I count all things but loss
for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ."
And, my brethren, if you will turn over all the
books of church history, and all your recollections
of good men, you will not find an individual, an-
cient or modern, in the pulpit or out of it, remarka-
ble for great success in promoting religion, who had
not, at the same time, a high confidence in the
truth of the Gospel to produce this very result.

How different the spectacle in our day ! There
are enemies enough to fight, but we sit still; or
when we contend, how feebly is it ! Vice triumphs
around us — error stalks abroad ; but our blows are
scarcely felt, because we ourselves think them im-
potent. The remedy would be for us to acquire
such a holy admiration for the Bible, as the instru-
ment of invasion and victory, as should lead the
feeblest woman, and the youngest Sabbath school
teacher, to shout, " The sword of the Lord and of
Gideon .'" Then should our success be such, that the
church would renew the exclamation of Ilabakkuk,
" Thy bow was made quite naked, according to the
oaths of the tribes — even thy word!'" Hab. iii. 9.
How can we shame and intimidate our foe when we
doubt our very arms ?

3. Distrust of the Word of God, as an instrument,
tends to make the soul retreat before its enemies. He
who distrusts his bow will flee.

J. W. ALEXANDER, D. D. 121

Grant that you do not avoid conflict ; grant that
you ply your adversary, the devil, with some show-
ers of arrows; yet any diffidence, in regard to the
instrument 3'ou employ, will suggest cessation and
flight. To begin a battle is not to conquer. In the
evil day you are to stand, to war courageously,
" and, having done all, to standT Cowardice is
certain, if you feel no strength ; to doubt your
armour is to be unarmed. David went out between
two Unes of fierce array, holding up his ruddy coun-
tenance with elation, though he carried only a
shepherd's staff, a sling, and five smooth stones out
of the brook ; but he was strong in the Lord, and in
the power of his might. " Thou comest to me wdth
a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield ; but I
am come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts,
whom thou hast defied."

Our grand business is to carry on a warfare which
our predecessors began. The world is to be subdued,
and every Christian is in the ranks. You know
your weapon of attack ; you ought to know its
power. But if, when assaulted, }ou have misgiv-
mgs about this, and if these misgivings continue,
you will faint, you will fly. Hence, when error has
come into the church, and ministers and people
have used the truth, as men use a bow which they
expect to break, or a piece of ordnance which they
fear will burst, the result has been according to that
threatening against Israel : " The Lord shall cause
thee to be smitten before thine enemies ; thou shalt
go out one way against them, and flee seven ways
before them." Deut. xxviii. 25. In every engage-
ment, in the heart or in the world, doubt as to the

122 DISTRUSr OF THE WORD.

eflScacy of tlie means will produce fearfulness and
retreat.

4. Distrust, in regard to God's truth, will he likely
to cause defeat. He who doubts his bow will gene-
rally be conquered. I admit that, in the great con-
cern, namely, personal salvation, every regenerate
man is safe ; he cannot be defeated ; his redemption
is sure; but it is because he is in Christ's hands;
because no one can pluck him thence ; because the
believer abides in him, John xv. 6, and Christ's
words abide in the behever. It is by the truth that
even saints persevere ; but even saints may be re-
pulsed in those lesser engagements which precede
their final conquest. Israel may be chased by the
Amorites, and destroyed by them in Seir, Deut.
1. 44, though they are eventually to cross Jordan ;
they may be smitten before Ai, so that Joshua may
say, " 0 Lord, what shall I say when Israel turneth
their backs before their enemies?" Josh. vii. 8,
though they are eventually to possess the land.
Private Christians may lose the field, and, for a
time, be subject to the world ; congregations may
lose the savour of divine things, and cease to influ-
ence the mass around them ; public enterprises may
fail, by reason of declining faith, in such as should
support them ; branches of the visible church may
fall back before their adversaries, dwindle, and even
disappear. All these are temporary conquests by
the enemy. Thus. Shiloh, once the seat of the ark,
became a proverb of desertion. Jer, vii. 12, 14;
1 Sam. iv. 11; Psa. Lxxviii. 60. Wittenberg, the
cradle of the Reformation, is profaned by rational-
:sm; Geneva, where Calvin taught, is held by bap-

J. W. ALEXANDER, D. D. 123

Used infidels ; and Cambridge, where the Puritan
fathers rejoiced in a divine Saviour, is the citadel
of Socinianism. Distrust of the truth, failure to em-
ploy it, substitution of something in its place — these
are the causes of the dire reverse. And it may be
that Protestant America, unless she take a manlier
hold on the Scriptures, may become the western
ally of the Beast, and shine with the splendid jew-
els, and crosses, and mitres of subjugation. In a
word, if we would have the blessings of religion we
must jjrize its means; and if we would be victo-
rious against sin, Satan, worldly fashion, error, infi-
delity. Popery, idolatry, and vice, we must feel that
the Bible is an instrument, which, in God's hand,
shall bring them all to destruction. It is the la-
mentable want of this persuasion Avhich makes us,
though armed, to turn back in the day of battle;
and it is tJie remedy for this disease of tJie sold, to
which I call your attention ; it is the third and last
head of my discourse.

III. Before stating the means of recovery, let us
look once again at the evil, and its opposite good.
The evil is distrust of God's word ; the opposite good
is a high estimate of divine truth as the weapon of
our warfare. The question is. How shall this just
valuation of the truth be increased in us ? And the
answer to this may be comprised in a few simple,
but I trust important particulars.

1. It will be our duty to consider ivhat this wea'
pon has already achieved. This was the method
taken by the Psalmist in the context. He recounts
the victories of Israel. It had been their sin that
"they forgat God's works, and his wonders that he

124 DISTRUST OF THE WORD.

showed them." v. 11. He rehearses these works
and wonders — " They believed not in God, and
trusted not in his salvation." v. 22. The Psalm-
ist goes over the pilgrimage in the desert — " They
remembered not his hand, nor the day when he de-
livered them from the enemy." v. 42. The sacred
poet accumulates the trophies of God's host ; in
like manner, my brethren, let us look back at the
conquests of truth. Whatever Christianity^ has done,
has been done by the Word. This is the weapon
which, in God's hand, routed the hosts of heathen-
ism, razed the ancient temples, struck the oracles
dumb, quenched the fire of altars, staunched the
flow of human blood, broke the chains of slavery,
raised the feebler sex to membership with Christ,
and fortified ten thousand citadels with virtuous
bulwarks; and when Christianity had grown cor-
rupt, and superstition and idolatry threatened once
more to come in like a flood, under a Christian name,
the Lord lifted up a standard against them. It was
this divine truth which efiected the Reformation ; it
was this book which, found in the convent at Er-
furt, became in the hands of Luther a sword to
pierce the vitals of the Beast; it is this instru-
ment which forced a way for our fathers into this
western continent, and which their sons are carrying
to the uttermost parts of the earth ; it is a consid-
eration which may be administered as a cordial to
the fainting Ephraimite.

2. Nor is it in the past only that we find such en-

• couragement. Consider, I pray you, loliat this loea-

'pon is accomplisliing this day. From a thousand

high places in Zion, in this Sabbath hour, the bow

J. W. ALEXANDER, D. D. 125

is drawn at a venture, and the arrows of Messiah
are sharp in the hearts of the king's enemies,
whereby the people fall under him. God's people
are still like Joseph — " the archers have sorely
grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him ; but
his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his
hands are still made strong by the hands of the
mighty God of Jacob." Gen. xlix. 24. The Word,
read and heard, is awakening sinners, comforting
sufferers, supporting the weak, confirming the strong,
and sanctifying the imperfect. While I speak, it is
urging on to victory part of the host, who are this
moment struggling on the verge of the river; and
from whose lips I hear the voice of the last battle-
cry — " 0 death, where is thy sting ? 0 grave, where
is thy victory ?" Beloved, let us not distrust our
weapons, until they shall cease to do such things as
these.

3. But this is not all; the half has not been told
you ; for consider wJiat this instrument is yet to achieve.
It is the triumphal song of all the prophecies. They
so illuminate the future, as that it becomes to the
past and present what the noonday is to the morning-
watch. Let me reserve for other Sabbaths the fuller
recital of what holy seers have told us of that latter
glory; enough for us to-day, that all these glories
are the effects of truth. In other words, the triumph
of Christianity is the triumph of faith. Our Captain
of Salvation is leading us on to a victory, of which
the philosophers of this world have not dreamt. He
addresses us, in view of the coming onset, as he ad-
dressed Joshua thirty-two centuries ago ; he so ad-
dresses us, as if he solemnly put our hands upon the

126 DISTRUST OF THE WORD.

sword and on the bow — " This hook of the laio shall
not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt medi-
tate therein day and night ; for then thou shalt make
thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good
success ; have not I commanded thee ? Be strong,
and of a good courage ; be not afraid, neither be thou
dismayed, for the Lord thy God is with thee, whi-
thersoever thou goest." Josh. i. 8, &.

We learn, then, to confide in our weapons, by con-
sidering what they have done, what they are doing,
and what they are yet to do.

4. Is it not then a plain duty, for the very end
proposed, to make ourselves familiar with this blessed
volume, in a degree which we have never yet known?
Surely the Mohammedan will rise in judgment agninst
us; for he cleaves to his Koran, he studies it, he
passes days over it, he commits it to his memory.
If our Christianity is destined, as I hope it is, greatly
to revive in this age ; if the Lord's battle is to be
fought with unexampled vigour, it will not be until
we give new attention to the scriptures of truth.
Then, when this Bible takes its due place in colleges,
in schools, in social circles, in families, in counting
rooms, in ships upon the sea ; when it is craved and
called for by thousands, as in the days of the reform-
ers, we shall behold a reformation of which that from
Popery was but the type. Then shall heathen sages,
if such remain, exclaim of the Church, as did Balaam
concerning Israel, " The Lord his God is with him, and
the shout of a king is among them !" Num. xxiii. 21.
Then shall heathenism, and rationalism, and com-
munism, and Romanism, and all the battalions of
erronsm, leave the field. " One shall chase a thousand,

J. W. ALEXANDER, D. D. 127

and two put ten thousand to flight!" Deut. xxxii. 30.
What, 0, brethren, is the instrument in these certain
changes ? It is truth, before which all that is corrupt
shall burn, and all that is stubborn shall be broken.
" Is not my ivoi'd like as a fire, saith the Lord, and
like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces ?"
Jer, xxiii. 29.

5. Once more ; as a remedy for distrust, place
ymirselves in circumstances in icliich you loill have to
observe the energy of this loeapon. This truth, whether
you are aware of it or not, is even now working won-
ders. It is healing hard hearts ; it is transfonning
lions to lambs ; it is pulling down strong holds. To
behold all this, be persuaded. Christian professors, to
enter the ranks yourselves. Draw forth the bow ;
put the arrow upon your string; engage in actual
service ; leave the world for a little to whirl without
you, and venture out of winter quarters to do some-
thing for God. Even if your own array be asleep,
steal forth and survey the enemy's camp, as did
Gideon and his servant Phurah, and perhaps you
will have cause to say with him, " Arise, for the Lord
hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian !"
Judg. vii. 15. Attain the mastery of your bow by
practice, and you shall no longer turn your backs in
the day of battle.

6. There is one further suggestion, and the series
will have an end. Of all means of gaining confi-
dence in the truth, none can be compared to this :
to become personally experienced in its power. It can
wound, and it can heal. Open your bosom to its ef-
ficacy. Ye who have meditated in the word, day
and night, have no distrust of its power. It has

128 DISTRUST OF THE WORD.

made you what 3^ou are; it is yet to make you
wiser, purer, stronger, and happier. Pray, without
ceasing, that God would fulfil in you " all the good
pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with
power." 2 Thess. i. 11. All the conquests of reli-
gion are so many new steps of Christian experi-
ence; new exercises or new subjects; and all ex-
perience is by faith. Say continually, '^^ Lord increase
our faith !" This is the victory that overcome th the
world, even our faith. 1 John v. 4. Thus exer-
cised, you will rise above all doubt as to the armour
and the bow ; believing, you will wonder at your
foregoing timidity; and when all the church shall
thus deeply feel the energy of the "Word, the closing
words of this passage shall come true : " Then Je-
hovah awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty
man that shbuteth by reason of wine. And he
smote his enemies in their retreat ; he put them tc
a perpetual reproach."

■■ ^. , -_„-—..—■■■, .^-.j-. ,^n>.. ,.rt.ii,.in c rri."iHT rnjjt

CONSISTENCY OF THE DIVINE GOVERNMENT.

BT

GEO. JUNKIN, D. D.

PRESIDENT OF WASHINGTON COLLEGE, VIRGINIA.

For it became Him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all
things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the Captain of
their salvation perfect through suflferings. — Heb. ii. 10.

Man is a creature of sensation before he is capa-
ble of reasoning and moralizing. His first pains and
pleasures are those resulting from the exercise of his
merely animal senses. His ear, his eye, his taste,
his touch, his smell, first awake his soul to con-
sciousness, and let in the light of joy upon the
hitherto darkened mind. After these he is compe-
tent to reason, and then capable of moral sensibili-
ties. What period of time, and what amount of
enjoyment, are written out in the records of his
conscious fehcities, before he experiences the higher
happiness of his rational and moral nature, it is im-
practicable to determine. They wdll vary according
to the infinitely varying characteristics of the physi-
cal organization and of the mental and moral struc-
ture. It is obvious, however, that in all cases they are
very considerable. Infant humanity reaps a large
harvest of harmless joys from the wide fields of na-

10 ( 129 )

130 CONSISTENCY OF THE DIVINE GOVERNMENT.

ture, and habits of reliance upon these, as its chief
good, become strongly fixed at an early period.
These habits are often encountered in subsequent
efforts to develope the higher faculties of the soul.
We find it extremely difficult to give a reflective
turn to the current of thought ; to lead the mind
away from the external to the internal ; to divert
the affections from the pleasures of mere sense, to
the deeper flow, and more enduring satisfaction, of
S]3iritual contemplations.

Here lies the philosophy of the general fact, that
within the sphere of religion, the externals, the mere
outward drapery, dazzles the eye and arrests the at>-
tention, whilst the inner, spiritual substance, passes
unnoticed. Children in years and knowledge see
with the eye and hear with the ear, while with the
heart they understand not. Let religion put on an
outward gorgeous ceremonial ; let her appear ar-
rayed in purple and scarlet ; let her head wear the
jewelled coronet ; let her majestic service be accom-
panied with all the enchantments of choral and in-
strumental harmonies, and the undeveloped mind
will hail her with exquisite delight ; but let her ap-
pear meek and lowly, humble and unadorned, and
there is no beauty seen in her ; she is as a root out
of a dry ground, despised and rejected of men.

Thus the Church, in the period of her nonage, was
attracted by the splendid and imposing ritual of the
Levitical dispensation. The visible symbols, the
gorgeous embellishments, the outward solemn pomp
and parade, filled the eye and the ear, and capti-
vated the imagination of a people not yet grown to
maturity in the things of the Spirit. From this

GEO. JUNKIN, D. D. 131

state of necessary pupilage, under tutors and gov-
ernors, the Church must, however, pass ; but the
transition will, of course, be accompanied with
strong emotions and a violent struggle. Like the
incipient efforts of the youthful mind to take in an
abstract thought, and to reflect upon its o^\m actions,
the Israelite turns away with difficulty from the ven-
erable and long venerated rites prescribed by Moses,
to the unostentatious simplicity of Gospel institu-
tions. David's Lord, in becoming David's Son, has
laid aside the external appliances and trappings of
worldly grandeur ; and, therefore, to the carnal Jew,
he is what he seems to be, and consequently is
treated with contempt. " Can any good thing come
out of Nazareth ?" This is the stumbling stone, this
the rock of offence over which the great body of the
Israelites, fell and were broken. We have Abraham
to our father, we had Moses as our leader, and
David as our king : the brazen altar, the golden can-
dlestick, the gilded tabernacle, the glorious ark of
the testimony, the gorgeous temple, the outstretched
wings of the golden cherubun, the solemn choirs,
and all the majesty of that magnificent service —
oh, how shall we abandon this, all this, for Him
who was born in a stable, cradled in a manger,
crucified at Golgotha !

Entrenched behind these prejudices lie the great
body of the Hebrew people, Paul's brethren accord-
ing to the flesh. Behind these fearful barriers had
the apostle himself lain, in all the confident security of
individual and national self-righteousness. There
fore did he feel and . fear for them ; and, therefore,
against these apparently impregnable bulwarks did

132 CONSISTENCY OF THE DIVINE GOYERNMENT.

he direct the first discharge of his heavenly artil-
lery. "Well aware that, whilst these prejudices re-
mained, no arrow could penetrate the breast, he
opens up to them at once the true dignity of the
king Messiah, as found in his personal character,
not in his external decorations. By presenting the
pre-eminent grandeur and glory of the Son of God
he aims to remove the offence of the cross. This
he does in the first chapter, where he introduces
him as Prophet, Creator, and King, and demon-
strates, by abundant testimonies of Scripture, his
lordship over the universe.

Now, if the Son holds pre-eminence over all in
telligent nature, and if all the angels of God wor-
ship him, how much more should we reverence his
teachings, and bow to his supreme authority ! And
if we should neglect either, how can we escape the
fearful consequences ?

From this practical inference, the apostle passes
over to the objection so naturally recurring to the
Hebrew mind : If the Messiah stands thus pre-emi-
nent above all created intelligence, how came he to
the degradation of the manger, the cross, and the
tomb ? How is it possible to reconcile such contra-
dictory states ? If he be the Son of God, and Lord
of the universe, why hangs he on a tree? If God
were his Father, wherefore did he permit the pain-
ful, humiliating, and contemptuous treatment of his
only begotten and well beloved ? Physical evils
have their root in moral causes ; could such sorrow
and anguish, as he endured, be without a cause ? How
can such extremes be brought together without im-
peaching the love, the wisdom, and the justice of God?

L_

GEO. JUNKIN, D. D. 133

To this the apostle presents the testimony of ac-
knowledged Scripture. The eighth Psalm is uni-
versally allowed to refer to the Messiah. This the
Hebrews maintained, and here is proof that the Son
must be, for a little time, lessened in compaHson of
tlie angels, in order that he may suffer death for every
child of God. The humiliation of Christ is not a
bald fact, detached from his moral and legal rela-
tions ; not a mere arbitrary freak in the Divine gov-
ernment; not an outburst of popular phrenzy out-
side of the Divine economy; not a spontaneity,
having neither antecedent nor consequent. On the
contrary, it is a part of the Divine plan of universal
government; which plan embraces eternity and all
its contents, minute and magnificent. It is a link
in the endless chain of causes and effects, by which
Jehovah

" Hangs creation like a precious gem,
Though little, on the footstool of his throne."

The mystery of the Word made flesh loses its para-
doxical character the moment its legal relations are
understood. Should it appear that, for an adequate
reason, the Lord of glory bowed the heavens, and
came down, and veiled his divinity in human flesh;
should ends be answered, by this amazing transac-
tion, in the moral government of the universe, meet
and worthy of the Governor, then our amazement
must cease, all that is paradoxical must pass away,
the harmony of the divine attributes be displayed,
and God stand justified, in all his acts, before the
intelligent universe. And this is our position, " For
it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom

134 CX)NSISTENCY OF THE DIVINE GOVERNMENT.

are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to
make the Captain of their salvation perfect through
sufferings."

An act, or work, is said to become a person, when
it is such as people of good taste would generally
expect from his known character and condition. It
implies suitableness, propriety, and consistency; and
pre-supposes a usual order of things. A dress is
hecoming when its texture, material, colour, and
form, are such as is ordinarily found on persons of
the same rank, in such circumstances. Gorgeous
attire were unbecoming at a funeral ; good works,
Paul tells us, are the modest apparel "which he-
cometJi women professing godliness."

" For whom are all things," marks the final cause
— ^on account of whom — for the manifestation of
whose glory. " By whom are all things ;" this covers
the work of creation and government — by whom the
•universe was made, and by whom it is sustained, di-
rected, and controlled. The phrase, " bringing many
sons unto glory," has reference to the Captain of
Salvation, as the object of the action described in the
expression, "to make perfect through sufferings;"
this last means, to complete, to finish up — as on the
cross He said, "it is finishecV — completed, brought
to a close — all the bitter ingredients of the cup are
exhausted.

"Bringing many sons unto glory," is delivering
men from degradation, shame, and sin, and conduct-
ing them to holiness, and happiness, and heaven.
The term " Captain" is descriptive, also, of the work;
it means a leader in the way — one who goes before,
and directs, guides, and draws others onward in the

GEO. JUNKIN, D. D. 135

same way. " These follow the Lamb whithersoever
he goeth."

The doctrine of our text then is, that the great
work of mans salvation, hy the sufferings of Clirist, is
consistent icith the character of God, as tlie Creator^
Governor, and Proprietor of the universe.

In the discussion of this subject we must con-
sider,

I. The wcn-h to he performed — bringing many sons
unto glory.

II. The means of accomplishing this work — the
sufferings of Christ.

III. The consiste?icy of these two combined, with
God's character as Creator, Governor, and Proprietor
of the universe.

I. The work — bringing many sons unto glory.

They are at a distance from glory. All mankind
are by nature in a degraded and ruined condition —
those who are to be brought unto glory equally with
others ; and a rescue from this is implied.

This degraded state involves condemnation under
the law ; and of course the first movement towards
leading them to heavenly glory, is their deliverance
from condemnation. Until such deliverance is ef-
fected, they cannot take the first step in the way to
glory. How this can be effected we shall see in its
proper place.

But again, the state of heavenly glory is unattain^
able except as the reward of holy obedience. Life
and eternal joy are positive blessings, and can be
conferred only in consequence of positive compliance
of the divine law — " if thou wilt have life, keep the
commandments." These two pre-requisites regard

136 CONSISTENCY OF THE DIVINE GOVEENMENT.

the legal relations of those who shall be brought
unto glorj; other parts of the work regard their
moral qualities.

The spiritually dead man cannot walk in the way
of life. These sons must be made alive before they
can follow the Captain of their salvation. " Ye must
be born again." Renovation to spiritual life must take
place.

No unbelieving and impenitent man can see God's
face in peace. " He that believeth not the Son shall
not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him."
" Except ye reijent, ye shall all likewise perish."
True faith and sincere repentance belong to this
work.

The state of glory is a state of purity ; into it
nothing unclean can enter. Be ye holy, for I am
holy. Without holiness no man shall see the Lord.
These sons must be sanctified before they can enter
the gates of glory.

Heaven is the home of active benevolence. "God
is love, and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in
God, and God in him." But the heart of man is
naturally at enmity against God ; it is not subject to
the law of God, neither indeed can be. This work
involves, therefore, the slaying of the enmity, and
the shedding abroad, in the heart, of this heavenly
love.

The entire persons of these sons are to be brought
unto glory ; not the souls only, but also the bodies.
This work, then, includes the resurrection of the bo-
dies, and their entire transformation into the like-
ness of his glorious body. " Beloved, now are we
the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we

GEO. JUNKIN, D. D. 137

fcthall be, but we know that when he shall appear
we shall be like him, for we shall see him as
he is."

II. The means of accompUshing this worh — the
sufi'erings of the Captain of their salvation.

When the law has jDronounced its sentence there is
no evasion ; it must be executed. Justice is an es-
sential attribute of God ; his law can pronounce none
but a just sentence, and all the holiness of his cha-
racter is pledged to its execution. " Though hand
join in hand, the wicked shall not go unpunished."
If Jesus has pledged himself to bring many sons unto
glory, he has therein pledged tlie removal from them
of the sentence of condemnation, which can be ef
fected only by enduring it. " Die, he or justice
must." There is no other method of breaking the
yoke of bondage, and letting the captives sold under
sin go free. That this method is practicable, the
Scriptures abundantly testify. In verse 14, it is
very explicitly stated, as the object of the incarna-
tion, " that through death he might destroy him
that had the power of death, that is, the devil ; and
deliver them who, through fear of death, w^ere all
their lifetime subject to bondage." So in chapter
ix. 15 — " That by means of death, they which are
called might receive the promise of eternal inherit-
ance." " Who his own self bare our sins in his own
body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should
live unto righteousness ; by whose stripes ye were
healed." 1 Peter ii. 24. " All we, like sheep, have
gone astray ; we have turned every one to his own
way ; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity
of us all." Isa. liii. 6. So throughout the typical sa-

138 CONSISTENCY OF THE DIVINE GOVERNMENT.

crifices of the old law, this is the leading thought — ■
the death of Christ, our passover, procures exemp-
tion to us from death. No language of man, no
symbol, no figure of speech, can ever be devised to
express this master idea more clearly, fully, or for-
cibly. The sons who are to be brought into glory
are condemned and ruined; their leader in the way
of life must and does place himself under their sen-
tence, and meet the penal claims of God's justice.
For this reason he must become incarnate. " Foras-
much as the children are partakers of flesh and
blood" (of humanity) "he also himself likewise
took part of the same."

This doctrine is not incidentally taught, not occa-
sionally to be met with in the Bible, but it is pre-
eminently the doctrine of the book. It is all pervad-
ing ; it is the alpha and the omega. Take it out of
the Bible, and it is no longer the book of God ; strike
it out of the system, and the sun is gone — darkness
reigns. Annihilate the law of gravitation, and the
material universe is a chaos ; annihilate the doctrine
of atonement, and the moral universe is a chaos.
" Other foundation can no man lay."

But we have seen many other items in the work ;
many other stones are necessary to the building be-
sides the foundation ; therefore, the relative position
of this doctrine of atonement has much to do in en-
hancing its importance. The foundation stone in an
edifice may be rough, unsightly, and buried beneath
the earth ; it may have less labour bestowed upon it
than others, but in importance it is inferior to none.
This, however, may not be owing to its intrinsic pro-
perties, but to its relative position. Without it the

GEO. JUNKIN, D. D. 139

house cannot stand ; all the other stones must fall ;
or rather, could not rise into an edifice at all. So
the atonement is indispensable as a pre-requisite to
all the other doctrines of salvation. But for this,
the doctrine of justification through the righteous-
ness, that is, the active obedience, of Christ imputed
to the sinner, and received by faith alone, must re-
main a cold and dead abstraction. No man can be
justified by the perfect righteousness of the Son of
God, and by consequence receive life eternal, whilst
he abides under condemnation, and so in death. He
cannot be both condemned and justified, dead and
alive, at the same time. Eternal life can be given
as the reward of obedience only ; the obedience of
Christ in our nature. This, and this alone, entitles
the believer to life ; but before he can possibly receive
and enjoy it, he must be delivered from condemna-
tion imposing death. He must be pardoned ; and par-
don, that is, the lifting up and removing of his sen-
tence of death from him, can be effected only by
Christ's suffering under the law for him. When
Christ takes away sin by th^ sacrifice of himself;
when he unites the sinner to himself by faith, and
applies to him the blood bought pardon, then the
merit of his positive righteousness becomes actually
available ; the sinner puts on the spotless wedding
garment, and stands justified and complete in him.
This relative position of the two doctrines of atone-
ment, and of justification proper, is referred to by
our apostle, in Rom. iii. 24 : "Being justified freely
by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ
Jesus" — the redemption, the releasing, by paying
the proper price. Death is the medium through which

140 CONSISTENCY OF THE DIYINE GOVERNMENT.

his righteousness becomes actually efficient to oui
justification.

Now, as with this, so it is with all other parts of
the work under consideration. Still, it will be kept
in mind, that these two, atonement by Christ's death,
and righteousness by his obedience, regard man's legal
relations; the other parts enumerated regard his
moral character ; and yet they stand in the same
order of subsequence to the former. Of course, I
speak not of order as to time, but as to nature. Could
we, however, mark time here, it would most probably
be found, that what I have called the natural, and
might perhaps more correctly call the logical order,
was also the order of actual succession as to time.
But as this is only partly practicable, it is not neces-
sary to affirm it here.

Thus regeneration is dependent on the atonement
of Christ, because the mission of the Holy Spirit,
who alone can change the heart and new create the
soul, is dependent upon the Saviour's intercession;
and all his power, as our advocate with the Father,
springs from the perfection of his work whilst on
earth. Had not he finished this work ; had not he
been made perfect through sufferings, he could not
have risen from the dead, nor ascended to glory, nor
appeared as our advocate, nor sent the Spirit into
the soul for regeneration and conversion. This chain
of relations Peter uses in his pentecostal address, and
with it he binds the yoke of Christ upon the necks
of three thousand of the former servants of Satan.
This same chain the Saviour throws around his
hearers at the first sacramental supper, where his
longest recorded address was delivered. " It is expe-

GEO. JUNKIN, D. D.

141

dient for you that I go away; for if I go not away,
the Comforter will not come unto you ; but if I de-
part, I will send him unto you." John xvi. 7. The
entire work of the Holy Ghost, then, in the regene-
ration, conversion, faith, repentance, holy living, love,
joy, peace, of the sons of God, unto their entire sanc-
tification and glorification, is dependent upon the
finished atonement of the gracious Mediator. So,
also, is the final and grand act of raising them from
the dead, and presenting them before the presence of
the Father's glory. " If Christ be not risen, then is
our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain;"
but " if we believe that Jesus died and rose again,
even so them also which sleep in Jesus shall God
bring with him." But for the perfection of his suf-
ferings, he could not rise from the dead and ascend to
his glory, much less lead his many sons thither. How
inconceivably important is this finishing operation !
How transcendently glorious are the issues from death !
What hopes cluster around the cross of Calvary!
These, all these, must pass away, and black de-
spair for ever brood upon the human spirit, unless he
drink the bitter cup, and cry " it is finished !"

III. We proceed now to the main topic of our text —
The consistency of accomplishiiig this work hy these
means, ivith Jehovalis character as Creatoi', Governor,
and Proprietor of the universe.

The salvation of lost man is a display of divine
love under a peculiar form — that called mercy; the
extension of the highest favours to persons the most
undeserving. It is the outgoing of goodness, and,
if viewed alone, must command universal admiration,
and call forth praise from all, and gratitude un-

142 CONSISTENCY OF THE DIVINE GOVERNMENT.

bounded from the favoured race. As to its consist-
ency with God's benevolent character, there can be
no question. If Jehovah were all love, all goodness,.
all benevolence, we have in this work its counter-
part. But he hath not so revealed himself to us,
either in his works or in his word. Other attributes
belong to his nature. Justice and judgment are the
habitation of his throne, whilst mercy and truth gc
before him. His providence teaches the same lesson.
Evils innumerable are visited upon men in this world,
and a dread surmise springs up in the mind, unaided
even by a revelation, that the present are not all the
evils man may possibly endure at the hand of his
offended and insulted Creator. But this idea is no
longer vague and undetermined when we open the
sacred volume. Here it shines forth with terrible
clearness ; all doubt passes away ; God is holy, just,
and true ; he will punish crime ; he will vindicate
the claims of justice.

Two views divide mankind on this subject. One
theory assumes as its basis, the principle of infinite
benevolence : God is good, benevolent, and merciful.
This is the controlling attribute of his nature ; in-
deed, they virtually deny him any other, and say
there is no such attribute as justice essential to his
nature ; it is a contingency in the Creator. He may
exercise justice, or he may omit its exercise ; he may
punish crime, or he may omit its punishment. Vin-
dictive justice belongs not to God. It is blasphemy,
in the opinion of these men, to represent God as
angry ; as a vindictive Being, marking sins as they
occur, and pouring his wrath sooner or later upon
the culprit. This, in their estimation, makes him

GEO. JUNKIN, D. D. 143

malevolent and revengeful. But such philosophers
have closed the Bible, and shut one of reason's eyes.
They forget that it is written, "Though hand join in
hand, the wicked shall not go unpunished." " The
wages of sin is death." " God is angry with the
wicked every day." " The Lord will not hold him
guiltless who taketh his name in vain." To this class
of men, more benevolent than God, he addresses a
severe rebuke — "Thou thoughtest that I was alto-
gether such an one as thyself; but I will reprove
thee, and set them in order before thine eyes. Now
consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in
pieces, and there be none to dehver."

They also close the eye of reason, and therefore
see not that justice is as necessary an attribute in the
government of God as in that of man. As man cannot
exist without justice, as society would instantly run
into utter chaos and ruin, so is this glorious attribute
indispensable in the Divine government; and God has
exhausted human language in order to enforce a due
apprehension of this idea upon the human under-
standing. But still there are multitudes who will
not believe it, even upon the innumerable testimonies
written in God's holy Word. But their unbelief does
not make the testimonies void ; nor shall their un-
belief last for ever, for " the Lord trieth the righteous,
but the wicked, and him that loveth violence, his
soul hateth. Upon the wicked he shall rain snares,
fire, and brimstone, and an horrible tempest; this
shall be the portion of their cup." Psa.xi. 5, 6. "And
these shall go away into everlasting punishment, pre-
pared for the devil and his angels." Matt. xxv. 46. 41,
God is a just God, and a Saviour, Justice is an at*

144 CONSISTENCY OF THE DIVINE GOVERNMENT.

tribute essential to his being ; love or goodness is so
also ; but mercy, which is the flowing forth of love
toward transgressors, is a contingency. It is not
necessary to the being of God, that he extend his
boundless goodness to any particular class of sinful
beings, or to all sinners. But if he in sovereignty do
so extend it, his justice must be satisfied; its claims
must be met. The question before us is not, whether
the salvation of men is consistent with the Divine
character ; on this there is no dispute ; but whether
the accomplishment of this work, by the sufferings
of Christ, be consistent. Does the exposure of the
only Beloved to shame, and ignominy, and death,
comport with the dignity of the supreme Governor ?
Assuming the scriptural facts, that God did send his
Son into the world, expressly that he might obey and
die under the curse of the law for lost men ; that God
did put into the hands of the Captam of Salvation
the bitter cup of Divine wrath, and when he cried
and prayed that it might pass, if possible, the Father
did not remove it ; that it pleased the Lord to bruise
him ; to make his soul an offering for sin — this un-
deniable scripture doctrine, this suflering of Jesus,
by express appointment of God the Father, is this
consistent ? Can it be reconciled with his character
as Creator, Governor, Proprietor of all things ? The
affirmation is Paul's assertion, and the proof now de-
mands our attention.

1. It became him as Creator. The character of
the maker is seen in the thing made. As long as
men reason from cause to effect; as long as like
causes produce like effects, will they judge of the
tree by its fruits. It is on this principle that history

GEO. JUNKIN, D. D. 145

teaches. From a man's actions we infer his cha-
racter. This, too, is the productive principle of all
the inductive sciences. We note things as they ap-
pear, classify them, and infer the laws of nature
from her works. This standard of judgment is safe;
and, therefore, it is universally relied on. Our busi-
ness, then, is to view the work of salvation in the
method here contemplated, and then to inquire
whether the attributes, or powers, or qualities dis-
played therein, are such as become the Creator, God.
And we see, first, the highest manifestation of jus-
tice : he would not spare even his own Son.

Again, truth shines forth in connection with
justice, as it is a fulfilment of the Divine declara-
tion, that sin should be punished.

And, again, love is conspicuous : God so loved
the world that he gave his only begotten Son to die
for the lost.

Again, mercy to rebels, a modification of love, is
pre-eminent. Here we have such an exhibition of
Divine perfections as cannot be found in any other
work of the Creator. We merely name them now,
as in a moment they will come up in another
relation.

2dly. Under the administration of a perfect govern-
ment, suffering bespeaks previous wrong-doing.
Painful endurance .must have its origin in trans-
gression of law. No moral being can be made to
endure physical calamity, but in consequence of
moral evil. This truth is assumed as an element in
morals. All men acknowledge it — feel it, as it were,
and instantly, upon seeing a person sufier peculiar
calamity, begin to seek for its moral cause. " Who
11

r

146 CONSISTENCY OF THE DIVINE GOVERNMENT.

did sin, this man or his parents ?" " No doubt this
man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped
the sea, yet vengeance (justice) suffereth not to live."
The only error, in reasoning here, is the not keeping
in mind the sin of nature ; original sin, as the gene-
ral cause of all calamity, and in supposing that God's
government, like man's, was always specific, and
every particular calamity was a precise infliction for
some particular sin. But the general idea is the
same, which lies at the foundation of all moral gov-
ernment. " The soul that sinneth, it shall die ;"
" the wages of sin is death f " sin shall not go
unpunished."

Sufferings do fall sometimes upon persons who
have not themselves, individually, transgressed the
law. God, in his providence, does visit the iniqui-
ties of fathers upon their children. Did not Israel
groan under calamities unutterable, for the sin of
David in numbering the tribes ? Is it any thing
new for the fearful scourge of war to fall upon a
whole people for the sins of their rulers ? Have
not thousands of millions of widowed mothers and
fatherless children, been crushed under calamities
too dreadful to endure, to gratify the pride of kings,
and maintain the figment of their blood-stained
honour ?

But all these cases involve the fact of some pre-
existent relation ; some connection between the par-
ties affected, in consequence of which the calamities
were brought about. In many cases we are unable
to understand the reasons of the connection, and
perceive how the results necessarily follow. But
this, by no means, disproves such connection as jus-

GEO. JUNKIN, D. D. 147

tifies the Divine government. Human ignorance is
not an adequate condemnation of Divine justice. It
may be right that the children suffer in consequence
of the father's crimes, though we may not be able to
explain it. Yea, we must admit it, or charge God
foolishly, which is to turn atheist. When the
Psalmist saw the wicked prospering, he could not
reason out the case, and was tempted to deny God's
just administration, until he went to the sanctuary,
and learned from revelation the doctrine of a future
judgment. So must we admit the facts of provi-
dence, and fall back upon the revealed explanation,
that he does visit the iniquities of the fathers upon
the children, of the rulers upon the people.

Now, whilst we maintain the personal, spotless
purity of the divine Redeemer, we must find some
way to account for the fact of his sufferings, without
charging the universal Governor foolishly. There
must be a reason for his laying upon him the iniqui-
ties of us all. Such connection between Christ and
his people does exist, as renders it right and proper,
and every way befitting the attributes of the Divine
character, to visit the Captain of Salvation with
the perfection of sufferings. All the difficulties of
the case vanish before the light of the glorious
truth, that God, in eternity, appointed the Son as a
covenant head of his people ; a surety who volunta-
rily guaranteed their deliverance from death and
introduction to eternal glory, hy meeting all the
requirements of law on their account. The Scrip-
tures accordingly assure us, that believers were
chosen in him before the foundation of the world ;
that he became the surety of a better testament;

J

148 CONSISTENCY OF THE DIVINE GOYERNMENT.

that he freely offered himself as the head of his
body, the Church. " Lo, I come to do thy will ; 0
God I take delight." Now it is this covenant rela-
tionship, voluntarily entered into by the glorious
Mediator, which constitutes the just reason why the
Father laid on him the sins of a ruined world, and
why, in the fullness of time, he endured the unut-
terable anguish of the curse for crimes that we had
done. These countless heavy woes fell on him, as
the necessary and legal consequences of his surety-
ship.

Here we have the principle, and the only princi-
ple, by which we can ''justify the ways of God to
men." This covenant of grace, which no created
intellect could have devised, which no human wis-
dom could have discovered, which could originate
only in the bosom of everlasting love, and find its
way to created minds only by supernatural revela-
tion— this everlasting covenant, ordered in all
things and sure — this alone solves the mystery, and
makes known how God can be just, and yet the jus-
tifier of the sinner that believes in Jesus. On the
cross of Calvary justice and mercy meet together,
righteousness and peace, the righteousness of God
and the peace of man, embrace each other. When
Jesus said, " It is finished," the sword of God's jus-
tice was bathed in heaven ; the command, " Awake,
0 sword, against my Shepherd," was fulfilled, and
yet no injustice is done. This blow is no injury to
the Shepherd, although he himself had personally
done no evil, but always felt and acted out the prin-
ciple, " My meat is to do the will of him that sent
me, and to finish his work." Still, " it pleased tho

GEO. JUNKIN, D. D. 149

Lord to bruise him." How can this be ? Because
Jesus, '^ his own self bare our sins in his own body
on the tree." Now the position before us is, that
this smiting and its effects, under these circumstan-
ces, are becoming in God, the universal Governor, for
whom, and on whose account, all things were made.

That its effects are so, is manifest on its face, for
the perfection of government consists in j)romoting
the greatest good, and preventing the greatest evil ;
that is, in the perfect administration of justice. But
this work of sa\dng men secures to them the highest
happiness, and for the longest duration, even for
ever and ever.

Nor let it be objected, that he does not save all ;
some go away into everlasting punishment, for we
have no question as to what he did not do; our
question is whether the thing he did be consistent
with good and wise government. And this we af-
firm with confidence. In saving men by blood no
injustice is done to them, nor even to those whom
he does not bring unto glorj^; they receive nothing at
his hand against which they can complain; but, on
the contrary, infinite blessings which they personally
have not merited. Let it not be objected, again, in
reference to this last, that giving what a man is not
entitled to is not justice, anymore than withholding
what he is entitled to. This is true, but it is not in-
justice. It is not a matter against which complaint
can lie as a wrong thing; no, not even from a third
party, to whom similar benevolence is not extended.
*' Is thine eye evil, because I am good ? may not I
do what I will with mine own ?" is the most rea-
sonable reply of the Master to such objection.

150 CONSISTENCY OF THE DIVINE GOVERNMENT.

Besides, the henevolence displayed in this salvation,
does not, properly speaking, spring from govern-
mental power, but from sovereign love. Pardon is
not an act of governing power, but of sovereignty
and benevolence.

The greatest evils are also prevented. Sons
brought unto glory sin no more. Their deliverance
from physical is not more perfect than from moral
evil, and both are perpetual and eternal.

So the smiting of the Shepherd, under the circum-
stances, is proper; for the Shepherd stands, in the eye
of the law, as the head of his body, the church — the
sons brought into glory. He became their surety,
and, by necessary consequence, their failure devolves
upon him the whole legal responsibilities of their
guarantee. From these he could not shrink. Jus-
tice demanded of him what she had a right to exact
from his people. The law rightly held them respon-
sible to death, and it rightly exacted death from
him ; so, conversely, he having met the rightful re-
quisition, having died the death, has a rightful
claim for their exemption from death.

This transaction is equally consistent and becom-
ing the universal Proprietor, for whom are all
things.

The final cause of the universe, is the glory of its
Creator — " for thy pleasure they are and were cre-
ated." " The chief end of man is to glorify God, and to
enjoy him for ever." This being undeniable, the ma-
nifestation of mercy, heaven's darling attribute, pro-
motes this end in a very high degree ; yea, " glory
to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will
to men." There is no higher attribute of Jehovah

GEO. JUNKIN, D. D. 151

than his love, none holier than his justice ; there are
no two that to created reason seem more at va-
riance. Man sins ; the trembling culprit stands self-
condemned, heaven-condemned, before his Judge ;
the arm of Almighty justice is raised ; the terrible
blow that must smite the wretched sinner down to
an everlasting hell is just ready to descend : when
lo ! Love, divine love springs forward—" Father Al-
mighty, forbear ! On me let the stroke of thy ven-
geance fall : smite the Shepherd !" The fiery blade
is seized, and its burning point turned in upon the
bosom of the innocent victim. Love bleeds — the lan-
guid head droops : " It is finished" — the agony is
over— -the curse exhausted. Mercy rises from the
tomb, a lovely form, a new attribute, heretofore un-
known in the universe of God. AngeUc messengers,
now for the first time beholding in its fulness the glory
of their God, escort the heaven-generated, but earth-
born stranger to the realms of day. The song of sal-
vation swells from myriads of golden harps, and all
heaven is filled with the echo of the beloved name.

In conclusion, let us glance at the bearings of this
stupendous fact in the Divine government upon the
destinies of the moral universe.

It is the act confirmatory. The nail that fastened
Christ to the cross, gave the rivet of uncliangeabihty
to government throughout all its departments, human
and divine.

It is confirmatory, in that it exhibits to all the
intelligent creation, the highest evidence it has ever
had, perhaps the highest it can have, of the immu-
tability of Divine justice, and so of the stability
of the moral system. The government of God is

152 CONSISTENCY OF THE DIVINE GOVERNMENT.

not, as man's too often is, one of mere expediency ;
it is based on fixed and unalterable principles, and
will remain the same for ever. Here and now, if
ever, justice must relax. Had it been possible, this
cup would have passed from the Saviour's lips with-
out his drinking it : for never was such an appeal
made by intelligent nature under suffering — " Oh my
Father ! if it be possible, let this cup pass from me."
It did not pass; thereby giving confirmation, full
and perfect, to the unchangeableness of justice.

We may therefore expect that human govern-
ments will be stable, regular, fixed, and efficient, in
proportion to the people's knowledge and practice
upon the great doctrine of atonement — of salvation
by the sufferings of Christ. To this facts corre-'
spond. In what countries do we find the best govern-
ments, the most justice, the freest, and the purest,
and the happiest people ? What says history ? What
is the testimony of the present ? One voice comes
down to us through the long hne of ages ; one voice
rises up from the world's whole surface — that voice
directs us to Calvary. Where the doctrines of Christ
and him crucified are most known, there are to be
found the freest, and. happiest, and best governed
nations. " These have washed their robes and made
them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore
are they before the throne of God, and serve him
day and night in his temple." How deep then the
debt, and how solemn the obligation, of all free na-
tions, to the true evangelical church of God ! How
liappy the people who wear the yoke of Christ !

This confirmation extends to the lost portion of
our sinful race, who go away into everlasting fire.

GEO. JUNKIN, D. D.

153

That justice unchangeable, which upholds the Di-
vine throne, falls as a crushing weight upon all who
aim at tearing down this throne, and grinds them to
powder. They are sealed up in endless death ; but
the sufferings of Christ do not produce this. Will
the justice, which yielded not even to his strong
crying* and tears, relax, in order to let go the rebel
who, to all the sins of his life and nature, adds the
croAvning one of unbelief? Shall he escape who
tramples under foot the Son of God, and puts him to
an open shame, accounting his precious blood an un-
holy thing ? Shall not double vengeance fall upon
his soul ? He puts away from himself, by a wilful
and deliberate resistance, the only s.alvation which
infinite love ever provided; how then can he be
saved ? He seals his own condemnation, and justice
confirms the deed for ever.

Still more obvious is the confirmation of God's re-
deemed in the joys of eternal salvation. Perish they
cannot, for justice immutable has no claim against
them, and has proclaimed the fact in raising Jesus
from the dead; and trumpet tongues of thousands
of angels have heralded the glad tidings throughout
the universe. His blood has washed away the guilt
of all their sins, and procured a full pardon. His
sufferings procured him admission to his throne of
glory in the heavens, sent the Holy Spirit down,
created their hearts anew, sanctified their entire soul
and body, arrayed them in his own glorious righte-
ousness, and filled all their soul with heavenly
love. Thus redeemed, regenerated, justified, and
sanctified, how can they be kept from glory ? —
Where is the power to reverse the sentence passed

154 CONSISTENCY OF THE DIVINE GOVERNMENT.

upon them, and turn them back to perdition ?
" Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's
elect ? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that con-
demneth ? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that
is risen again." " Who shall separate us from the
love of Christ?"

To fallen angels, the suiferings of Christ in the
room of his people afford fearful evidence of the
hopelessness of their case. If God spared not his
own Son, if justice could not relax to save him,
how shall it abate its demands to save them ? This
may account for the deep interest Satan and his de-
mons felt in Christ's mission and work; their eager-
ness to know whether this Jesus was the Messiah,
and whether he could be diverted from his purpose
to satisfy justice, by his death; and for all their ma-
chinations to thwart his plans for leading his sons to
glory.

Is Jesus a confirming head of moral influences to
the holy angels and the entire universe ? By con-
firming head is, of course, meant, not that he re-
deemed angels, but that his sufferings stood in such
relations to the Divine government, and to them
under it, as to put an end to their probation, and
place them beyond the possibility for ever of fallmg,
as Diabolus and the demons fell. Until the resur-
rection of Christ, the conception is, that the holy
angels were in a probationary or trial state, liable
individually to sin, as Satan did, as Adam did, and
perish under God's wrath. But after he had finished
his work, and ascended to glory, that state ceased,
and the Divine power and protection henceforth
secures them for ever, as it does the saints redeemed;

GEO. JUNKIN, D. D. 155

SO that they can go no more out, and are subject no
more to the dread possibility of sinning, but rest in
the ineffable fehcity of a full assurance of Hfe
eternal.

To the affirmative of this question my mind
strongly preponderates, and for the folUowing rear
sons :

The language of the text seems to imply it. " It
became Him for whom are all things." In this
precise relation, as universal Proprietor and Gover-
nor, there was a suitableness and propriety in put-
ting the cup into his hands. But where is the
ground of tliis propriety, if the other parts of the
universe are uninfluenced by it ? How could they
be uninterested in the glory of their Governor ? But
if they are to be both influenced and interested, it is
difficult to see any other way, than that this glorious
transaction confirms the Divine government and
them m the blessedness of its protection.

Again, this idea corresponds with the interest felt
by the holy angels in the concerns of Christ and his
Church. '^ Are they not all ministering spirits, sent
forth to minister unto them who shall be heirs of
salvation ?" Do not they watch over the camp of
Israel for good, and combat the legions of hell?
Did not they herald the advent of their Lord Crea-
tor as our Lord Redeemer ? Did they not guard his
steps from the manger to the cross ? Did they not
cluster in embattled phalanx there, marking with
intensest interest the agony in which he died ? Did
they not, on wings of light, bear the glad tidings of
his resurrection to the regions of immortal day?
Did they not now, and for the first time, learn from

156 CONSISTENCY OF THE DIVINE GOVERNMENT.

the Church below the manifold wisdom of God, and
understand those things into which they had long
desired to look ? Let it, then, be supposed that
these heavenly hosts were, till this hour, on proba-
tion, and not assured that Satan might not yet pre-
vail, and they fall and perish ; but that now confir-
mation came, and their destiny is for ever safe. Oh !
what a moment of joy to them ! With what glad
emotions they hail the rising of the Sun of Righte-
ousness ! The mystery of redemption is unveiled,
and the mystery of confirmation thrills through the
boundless universe !

My third reason for favouring this idea, is found in
its own magnificence. It seems to me the brightest
ray which shines from this Sun of Righteousness. It
enhances the riches of his mercy, and magnifies the
glory of his cross. " Our earth's aceldama — this
field of blood" — becomes the battle-ground on which
is decided the fate of the universe. The groans of
Gethsemane, and the agonies of the cross, establish
the throne of Jehovah Jesus, and put into his nail-
pierced hand the sceptre of dominion over the entire
realm of nature, and aU the creatures of God wor-
ship him. Surely " it became Him, for whom are
all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing
many sons unto glory, to make the Captain of their
salvation perfect through sufferings."

EFFICIENCY OF CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLE.

BT

THOS. SMYTH, D. D.

PASTOR OP THE SECOND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, CHARLKSTON, 8. 0.

Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousnesB
unto sin : but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive
from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness
unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you : for ye are
not under the law, but under grace. — Romans vi. 13, 14.

The first thing which demands our attention, in
unfolding the meaning of this passage of the Word
of God, (which is so pregnant with meaning that we
must pass by any introductory observations,) is the
duty which is here laid down as binding upon all
men. This duty, to which we are all summoned
by the authority of this inspired and divinely com-
missioned ambassador from the courts of heaven,
is expressed both affirmatively and negatively. We
are admonished what that is which we are required
to do, and also what that is from which we should
abstain.

It is commanded that we shall not yield our mem-
bers as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin.
The word translated " yield," means to give up to
the use and control of another. " Your members, "
include not only the organs of the body, but also the
powers, faculties, and capacities of the mind, and is

(157)

. ■ ■ ^. i

158 EFFICIENCY OF CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLE.

used as a perlj)hrasis for yourselves, that is, the whole
man. as composed of a living body and a reasonable
soul. These members we are not to yield as instru-
ments unto sin. Sin is here personified as a mon-
arch, ruler, or guide, and we are forbidden to allow
to sin, in any of these capacities, the use or control
of our mental or physical powers. When so em-
ployed, they are perverted, abused to a purpose con-
trary to their original design, and alienated from that
service wherein they ought to be employed. If they
are so devoted, voluntarily, and by our own choice,
we are guilty of robbery, treachery, unfaithfulness,
and disobedience, since we are stewards of these
heavenly gifts, and responsible for their proper and
intended use to the righteous Judge of all. Thus
to yield -them, therefore, as servants to sin, is a
crime of inexcusable turpitude, for which we shall
be held justly responsible at the bar of heaven. On
the other hand, does sin lay siege to our hearts, and
by the open assaults and fiery darts of grievous
temptations, or by the secret wiles of more insinu-
ating artifices, seek to gain possession of our cita-
del, and reduce us to a state of subjection and of
vassalage ? then are we to regard him as an usurper
and a rebel, as without any right or title to such
authority, and as one to whom on no conditions, and
under no possible extremity, are we permitted to ren-
der our obeisance. Whatsoever may be the seve-
rity of his threatenings ; whatsoever the strength
and power with which he storms our hearts, and to
whatever straits we may be brought by his long pro-
tracted warfai'e, yet at the peril of our soul's salva-
tion let us not yield unto him. He that so yields

THOS. SinrTH, D. D. 159 .

becomes the servant of sin, the captive of Satan, and
the enemy of God.

It is our duty, therefore, as subjects of the moral
government of God ; as having been created, pre-
served, and redeemed by him, and as being under
his absolute control, to " yield ourselves unto God"
— that is, to give ourselves up to his service and
control. "And yield your members as instruments
of righteousness unto God;" that is, yield yourselves
in all your powers and faculties, whether of mind
or of body, that they may be employed in God's ser-
vice, and to his honour and glory. Now it is here
evidently implied, as it is throughout the whole Word
of God, that men are at present in such a lapsed and
ruined condition as to be alienated from the service
and love of God, and enthralled by the love and do-
minion of sin. Such is the disposition of mankind
universally, that they listen with a ready ear to the
voice of the tempter, and are incredulous to the fore-
warning of Jehovah. They bow willingly to the
yoke of sin and Satan, hard and ignominious though
it be, and they openly and blasphemously declare by
their practical enunciations, which speak louder than
any words, " As for God we will not have him to
reign over us. We love the wages of unrighteous-
ness, and after sin we will go."

It is also here as plainly taught us, that however
this may be the determination of mankind, and how-^
ever unanimous they may be in thus casting off the
yoke and authority of God — that, nevertherless, the>
are still under his government, under untransferrable
obligation to obey him, and amenable to that law
whose wrath is revealed from heaven, not only

160 EFFICIENCY OF CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLE.

against all unrighteousness, of whatever character and
degree, but also against the ungodliness of all men,
of whatever name, rank or station.

It is further and very clearly taught that, how-
ever men may be now guilty, and held justly ac-
countable for the endurance of that penalty in
which, by one man's disobedience, we are all in-
volved; however they may have ratified that sin
by their own voluntary choice of a course of like
disobedience; and however habituated they may have
become to the service of iniquity, they are not one
whit the less under obligation, or less bound to render
unto God a full and perfect obedience. By the very
fact that God has permitted them to live, given to
them the exercise of a free agency, and presented to
them motives for such obedience, they are imperar
tively required, by every consideration of justice, to
render unto God, and to his service, those powers and
faculties with which he has endowed them. These
powers are in no sense theirs, and cannot, therefore,
without robbery, be withdrawn from the superin-
tending care and claims of him by whom they were
originally given, and by whom they are constantly
sustained.

God has placed in the breast of every man a will,
to which is given authority and power to govern and
direct the movements of the mner man. By this
the passions, affections, and desires move and exer-
cise their being, and without its consenting fiat no
rational act can be performed. Now, in the present
corrupt state of human nature, this will has been
seduced into the service of sin, and withdrawn from
all natural allegiance to the dominion of heaven.

THOS. SMYTH, D. D. 161

God, however, does not release from subjection
this will, wliich he alone could either give or main-
tain. He, therefore, enters his demand in the con-
science of every human being; and, calling heaven
and earth to witness, he solemnly forbids that ho-
mage which the sinful heart of man renders to the
god of this world, on the peril of everlasting death j
while he encourages its devotion to himself and his
service by the promise of everlasting Ufe. And it
is of God's infinite mercy that any such demand is
made to that which is in itself of no account to
him, and of which he has been so unworthily de-
spoiled. It is because of God's unspeakable mercy
we are spared at all, borne with in any patience, or
permitted the opportunity of returning to our alle-
giance to him. And that we should be invited thus
to submit our wills to him, and to devote ourselves
to his glorious service, by those motives which are
presented in the gospel of his Son, this truly is a
mystery of love, whose height, and depth, whose
length and breadth, is beyond our comprehension.

You will observe, too, how the exhortation re-
quires not that we should, in this life, be absolutely
free from sin as a law or principle within us, which
would be impossible. The evil tendency, or law of
our members, remains even in regenerated men, and
is still ready to war against their renewed nature.
This tendency we are not required, therefore, utterly
to destroy, which it were impossible, while in this
body of sin and death, that we should ; but volwv-
tarily to submit to this inward proj^ensity, or to
yield ourselves to its suggestions, so as to do its will,
this is forbidden, and this we may not do. On the

12

162 EFFICIENCY OF CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLE.

contrary, to be resolutely determined not to submit
to this law of concupiscence or sin, but, contrariwise,
to follow out, at every cost, the dictates of the law
of holiness ; this is what we are under obligation to
perform at once and without delay, with full know-
ledge of what is required of us ; with serious con-
sideration; with a determinate judgment; with lib-
erty of spirit, having disengaged ourselves from all
other masters ; with a belief in and acceptance of
the Lord Jesus Christ, and of God in him as our
only Lord, Sovereign, and Master ; with all humility,
joy, and gladness ; and with the entire surrender of
all that we are and have to his guidance and direc-
tion. This is that duty to which we are each called
by all that is winning in mercy, and by all that is
fearful in that wrath which burneth even to the
lowest hell

This duty is ours as fully as if we retained all
man's original power and inclination to discharge it.
It is plainly and absolutely commanded. And it is
by simply believing that in doing what God has
thus warranted and required, God will as certainly
" work in us both to will and to do ;" it is by thus
casting ourselves before his footstool, in the entire
surrender of ourselves to him in Christ Jesus, and
trusting to Christ's righteousness and meritorious
intercession, that every sinner has been, or ever will
be, made able and willing to ^' yield himself unto
God, and his members as instruments of righteous-
ness unto him."

But this brings us, in the second place, to the con-
sideration of the principle upon which this duty is
here made to rest. This, also, is expressed both

THOS. SMYTH, D. D. 163

negatively and affirmatively. We are exhorted and
required to devote ourselves to God, and to with-
draw all allegiance from the service of the world, by
the assurance that we are " alive from the dead."
Herein is contained the principle upon which, as the
only true and living root, the apostle would graft
the duty of obedience. "We are called upon to
make this self-dedication unto God, not that we may
thereby obtain life, but as those for whom that life
has already been obtained ; not that we may merit
life, but as those upon whom it has already been
most graciously conferred ; not that, by any sacrifice
on our part, it may be wrought out, but as those for
whom it has been already purchased by the precious
blood of Christ. The principle of the apostle is,
therefore, diametrically opposite to the principle of
legaUsm in all its forms. It is at direct variance
with all the prescriptions by which men, in their
arrogant pretensions to wisdom, would secure this
heavenly blessing. " Yield yourselves unto God,"
they would tell us " that, by such a holy devoted-
ness, ye may commend yourselves to God, and thus
secure the blessings of Ufe and salvation at his
hands. Enter, therefore, upon this way of formal
and ceremonial purification, since, without holiness,
it is impossible that you can ever see God." Such
would be the exhortation of those who build their
hopes upon a righteousness within them, and not
upon a righteousness without and beyond them, and
who thus seek to be justified for their own doings,
and not for the work and merit of " the Lord our
righteousness."

But how widely different is the prescription of this

164 EPFICIENCT OF CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLE.

divine apostle. He inspirits us to this act of a self-
devoting sacrifice, not so much bj the prospect of
what may in future be gained by it, as by the thought
of what has been already achieved on our behalf;
not so much by the hope of conciliating the divine
clemency, as by the glorious assurance that God has
been already reconciled. "As those who are" already
" alive from the dead," and to whom there is held
forth the promise of an ascension to glory, even to
that glory with which Christ has been glorified, are
we here urged to " yield ourselves to God."

There is a peculiar force and expressiveness in this
declaration, which plucks up by the very roots all
dependence, for the production of holiness, upon the
ability or self-righteousness of the creature. "As in
Adam all died, so in Christ shall all" the redeemed
" be made alive ;" " for as by one man's disobedience
many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one
shall many be made righteous." By sinning in the first
Adam, as our public head and representative, we were
all constituted sinners, and are treated by the divine
Lawgiver as guilty in his sight, "and so death hath
passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." Thus
were we, and our entire race, under sentence of death,
and bound over to the endurance of this dread penalty.
And the righteousness of such a sentence we have all
attested by the fact, that out of the universal race
of man, there has not yet been found "one righteous,
no, not one ; all having gone out of the way, each in
his own way" of sin and folly. But by becoming
united to the second Adam, the Lord from heaven,
the head and representative of the whole family of
the redeemed, we are constituted righteous through

v#'

THOS. SMYTH, D. D. 165

the merit of his righteousness, which is imputed to
us, and are treated by God accordingly. " There is,
therefore," we are assured, " now no condemnation
to them that are in Christ Jesus." Death hath no
dominion over them. The law has no demands
against them. For since death has been endured by
their Surety on their behalf, and since the law has
been magnified and satisfied for them, they can walk
forth in all the freedom of deliverance, and rejoice in
" the glorious liberty wherewith Christ hath made
them free."

This, then, is one view of this all powerful mo-
tive, by which the apostle urges us to an entire devo-
tion to God. Inasmuch as all the claims of that
law, which you had broken, have been fully met, and
the uttermost of its denounced penalty has been
borne ; since He who thus suffered for you still
lives to intercede on your behalf; and since this
whole plan of salvation was of God's devising, and
has been completed unto God's well pleasing; as
those, who are thus redeemed from the threatened
penalty of death, and who are thus made legally en-
titled to the sentence of divine approval, "yield
yourselves unto God," " who is now in Christ Jesus
reconciling the world unto himself" Instead, there-
fore, of urging us to holiness, by the motive of thereby
meriting the Divine favour, we are urged to it by the
very fact, that thereby we can merit no favour, that
propitiation having been already secured by the me-
diation of the Son of God; and instead of inviting
to the pursuit of holiness, that we may thus open
up a way of access unto God, it is by the very plea
that such a way has been already made plain and

166 EFFICIENCY OF CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLE.

obvious, that we are encouraged to approach. It is
no longer, therefore, argues the apostle, impossible
for you thus to yield yourselves as sinners unto God,
seemg that every let and hindrance has been removed j
that an "atonement" has been made, and that God is
now "just, and yet the justifier of the ungodly." The
doctrine of salvation is thus adapted by the God of
nature to the mightiest principle of nature — " for we
are saved by hope." We are begotten by the Gospel
to the blessed hope of an immortal life. We are cer-
tified that the battle has been fought and the victory
won, and that now there is announced to us, through
Him who was mighty to save, that Gospel which
bringeth good tidings of great joy, even "peace on
earth, and good will to men."

But, while in this argument of the apostle, there
is an appeal made to the principle of hope, the most
potent affection of our nature, this argument is also
addressed to the principle of gratitude, which is per-
haps one of the most pure, pleasant, and disinter-
ested of those affections by which the heart of man
is actuated. " Yield yourselves unto God as those
that are dead." By the very fact, that you who
were dead; dead in law, dead by the utterance
against you of heaven's righteous sentence of ever-
lasting death ; dead to all hope of any possible de-
liverance; by the thought that you "are now alive;"
and by the infinite mercy of God in Christ delivered
from that condition of despairing wretchedness —
"yield yourselves unto God." Withhold not that
soul from God, which had been brought under the
sentence of eternal death by its apostacy from him,
and which has now been re-purchased from the hands

THOS. SMYTH, D. D.

167

of eternal justice ; "not with corruptible things, such
as silver and gold," but by the endurance, in our
stead, by God's only begotten Son, of all this deserved

misery.

Sin is here, as I said, likened to some cruel and
despotic monarch, who, after he has seduced poor
and deluded souls into his service, by the pleasures
which he affords them for a season, then gluts his
bloody and ferocious spirit, by putting them to fierce
and endless torments. " The wages of sin is death."
We are now in the position of those who, by the
interposition of another, have been rescued from the
grasp of this destroyer ; and we are, therefore, called
upon to yield ourselves henceforth unto His service,
by whom we have been redeemed, and by whom
alone we can be preserved, and not again to yield
ourselves to one from whose determined vengeance
we were so mercifully and so wonderfully preserved.
Let us take the recorded instance of that princely
father, whose own son was found to be the first vio-
lator of a law, the penalty of whose infraction was
the loss of both eyes. In the yearnings of pa.ternal
love, and yet as governed by the mastering principle
of sovereign equity, he desires to maintain justice,
and yet exercise compassion. The prince, therefore,
humbles himself, though innocent of the crime, to a
substituted endurance of one half of the denounced
penalty, and was deprived, on behalf of his guilty
son, of one of his own eyes. Now, were that son
again actuated with a desire, whose indulgence would
incur the vengeance of the law, how ought he to be
dissuaded from such a suicidal act, by the affecting
remembrance, that he was now freed from the full

168 EFFICIENCY OF CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLE.

endurance of that penalt}^, which he had m part
suffered, through the satisfaction rendered to the law
by the suffering and loss of another ? And how would
his heart be made to relent, by the recollection that
he who did so interpose on his behalf, was no other
than his own offended father?

Now just such, though immeasurably stronger,
is the appeal here made to us. We were condemned,
not to the loss of our eyes merely, but to the loss of
life itself; not to the loss of our bodily life merely,
but to the loss of our spiritual and eternal life also,
involving, as this necessarily does, the misery of
eternal death. We ''were dead in trespasses and
sins," and " already condemned." And we may
imagine, that having actually endured the bitter
curse of death, we are again alive, through the mi-
raculous and all merciful agency of the divine Re-
deemer. As those, therefore, who have been thus
restored to life ; as those whose death is not again
required to meet the claims of a violated law ; as
those for whose deliverance salvation has been
wrought out by none other than the very power
against which we had so grievously offended ; we
are persuaded not again to bring ourselves into bon-
dage to sin and Satan, but to throw ourselves upon
the mercy of Him " who hath loved us, and given
himself for us," and who was made a curse for us,
being put to death in the flesh, that we, through his
death, might have everlasting life.

Nor is this all that is contained within the com-
pass of this heavenly principle. It makes its appeal
not only to hope, which is the strongest, and to
gratitude, which is the loveliest principle of our

THOS. SMYTH, D. D. 169

nature, but also to the assured certainty of success,
which must leave us hiexcusable for our disobe-
dience. "As those who are alive from the dead."
Not merely does this teach us, that by the merito-
rious sacrifice and atoning death of the Lord Jesua
Christ are we alive lecjally, the sentence of the law
having been endured by another. Not merely does
it teach us that, being thus alive, we are bound
gratefully to live unto Him who thus died for us,
and by whom, also, we may be completely redeemed j
but it teaches us, also, that if we will only believe
on this Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, as thus able,
and willing, and mighty to save us, yea, "even to
the uttermost," and though we be the " very chief
of sinners," there is in him an omnific virtue by
which we shall as certainly be made alive spiritw-
ally. We shall be made " alive unto God" as we
have hitherto been alive only to sin. We shall be
so wrought upon by the power of that Spirit, whose
divine agency Christ has secured for us, by virtue
of the everlasting covenant, that we shall become,
as it were, " new creatures in Christ Jesus," " being
born again" by a new and celestial birth. If any
man will thus cast himself, in a believing acceptance
of him, upon Christ Jesus, " he is a new creature,"
for " though he were dead he shall be made alive,"
even for evermore. Christ Jesus is thus our head, not
only legally, but also vitally. He is the source, not
only of justification from the guilt of sin, but of
sanctification also from the power of sin. He has
not only wrought out a work of grace for us, he
also accomplishes a w^ork of grace within us. He
opens the heart. He sends into it his quickening

170 EFFICIENCY OF CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLE.

spirit. He imparts to the soul spiritual energy and
Ufe.

He, therefore, in whom we are to believe, has
power also to enable and dispose our hearts to
beheve upon him. He, to whom we are to yield
ourselves, is able also to make us willing for such a
consecration ; and he, to whose service we are to be
given, is also ready to fit and prepare us for all its
requisitions, and to " give us power to become the
sons of God."

Are you, then, now disabled by sin, and far gone
from original righteousness ? Christ, who raised up
the dead by his mighty power, is also able to
quicken your souls, and to make them alive unto
God. Are you under the dominion of sin, and
bound down hand and foot by its iron fetters?
Only yield yourselves to Christ, and those chains
shall burst asunder, and fall from around you as did
the cerements of the grave from around the reno-
vated Lazarus, or as did the fetters from the freed
limbs of the imprisoned apostles. He who speaks
the word gives the power. He who commands also
inspires. He who bids the dead come forth, breathes
into him the breath of life, and empowers him to
walk forth in newness of life. He who requires you
to yield yourselves unto him, is able also to assure
you of your success, for "sin shall not have do-
minion over us."

And are you under a debt of obligation to God's
holy and righteous law, which you are incompetent
to satisfy, and exposed to its vengeance, which you
dare not confront? Nay, but my fellow-sinner,
"you are not under the law, but under grace."

THOS. SMYTH, D. D. 171

Tours is a dispensation of mercy, and not of justice.
Yours is the offer of a free purchase and gratuitous
pardon ; and the Law itself rejoices, since " mercy
and truth have in Christ Jesus met together,
righteousness and peace have embraced each other."

Neither is yours " the spirit of bondage, that you
should again fear," but the spirit of freedom and of
love, that you should draw near in confidence, and
even boldness. The law, as your creditor, has no
demand; for, in the obedience of Christ, the debt
has been more than hquidated.

If, then, there is any power in liope to inspire and
animate the human breast ; if there is any thing in
gratitude to call forth its tenderest sensibihties ; if
there is aught in the assurance of success to inspirit
to noble daring ; if these motives are powerful, and
the objects to which they lead invaluable, then
surely there is in this argument of the apostle the
law of evangelical holiness, and all the strength of
divine principle. And hence may you perceive the
ignorance and fatuity of vain and conceited men,
who charge the doctrine of a free, unlimited, and
gratuitous mercy, with the consequences of licen-
tiousness in practice, and weakness in motive, or
who fear to proclaim to men, in all its fullness, " the
glorious gospel of the blessed God." The spirit of
the Christian is free and not constrained. It is sponta-
neous, and not forced. It is filial, and not slavish.
It is cordial, and not formal. It is liberty, and not
law. It is love, and not fear.

The condemnation wherewith the finally impeni-
tent sinner shall be everlastingly condemned will be,
not that he could not discover the knowbdge of the

172 EFFICIENCY OF CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLE.

Most High, but that he would not come to the light,
lest his deeds should be reproved ; not that he would
not come unto God by his own power, which he
could not do, but that he would not come unto God
hy Christ, who is " the way, the truth, and the life ;"
not that he did not make himself whole when he
was diseased, or alive when he was dead, or righte-
ous when he was sinful, or holy when he was pol-
luted, but that he would not come unto that blessed
Saviour, who^ as a physician, is able to restore him;
who, as almighty to save, can even quicken souls
which are spiritually dead, and who of God is made
unto every one that believeth wisdom, and righte-
ousness, and sanctification, and complete redemp-
tion.

Just, then, as inexcusable is the obstinate and self-
destroyed sinner, as is the man who, when sick, re-
fuses to send for a physician, or to receive his medi-
cine when offered. Yes, just as everlastingly self-
condemned will you be, my impenitent reader, who
now in this, the day of thy merciful visitation, put-
teth away from thee the things that belong to thy
peace. Only continue in thy present course, and
soon it will be said of thee, " but now they are for
ever hidden from thine eyes, for thou hast destroyed
thyself" " Because thou sayest I am rich, and in-
creased with goods, and have need of nothing; and
knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable,
and poor, and blind, and naked : I counsel thee to
buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be
rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed,
and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear ;
and anoint thiae eyes with eye-salve, that thou

THOS. SMYTH, D. D. 173

mayest see." "Behold, I stand at the door, and
knock : if any man hear my voice, and open the
door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him,
and he with me. 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 in his
throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what
the Spirit saith unto the churches."

THE GOOD MAN,

BT

JOHN M'DOWELL, D. D,

PASTOR OF TEB SPRINO GARDEN PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, PmT.ATlltt.Hnt4,

" He was a good man." — Acts xI. 24, first clause.

This was said of Barnabas. He was a Levite, of the
country of Cyprus. Some suppose he was one of the
seventy disciples, whom our Lord sent out to preach
the Gospel ; but of this we have no certain evidence.
He introduced Paul to the apostles and disciples at
Jerusalem, and assured them of his conversion. He
was afterwards, for several years, the companion of
Paul in his travels, and his fellow labourer in the
gospel ministry; and he was with him, as a dele-
gate from the Syrian churches to the famous Coun-
cil at Jerusalem. There was finally a dissension
between him and Paul, about taking Mark with
them on a missionary tour, and they separated, and
Barnabas went to Cyprus, and we hear no more of
him.

At the time, in the history of Barnabas, when
the testimony in the text was given of him, he was
at Antioch, in Syria, whither he had been sent by
the church of Jerusalem, on hearing of a special
work of grace in that city. When Barnabas came

(174)

JOHN M'DOWELL, D. D. 175

to Antioch, " and had seen the grace of God, he was
glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of
heart they would cleave unto the Lord." Our text
is given as a reason why he was glad at the pros-
perity of the religion he witnessed, and why he ex-
horted the new converts as he did ; *' for he was a
good man." The term good here expresses the
whole religious character of the real Christian. In
this sense the term will be understood in the ensuing
discourse, the object of which will be

To give the character of the good man, or real
Christian, and

1. The good man has had his heart changed. No
person, however amiable in the sight of men his
natural temper may be, has naturally a heart that
is good in the sight of God, or in the sense in which
the word is applied to men in the Scriptures. In
his natural state every person is " dead in tres-
passes and sins." Eph. ii. 1. He " receiveth not the
things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness
unto him ; neither can he know them." 1 Cor. ii. 14,
He is carnal, for " that which is born of the flesh is
flesh," or carnal. John iii. 6. And " the carnal
mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to
the law of God, neither indeed can be." Rom. viii. 7.
Such, according to the Word of God, is the native
character of all men, and such was once the cha-
racter of every one who is now a good man.

But, by the special operations of the Holy Spirit,
the naturally corrupt heart of him who is now a
good man has been changed. He has been "re-
newed in knowledge, after the image of Him that
created him." Col. iii. 10. And "after God," or

r

176 THE GOOD MAN.

after his image, he has been " created in righteous-
ness and true holiness." Eph. iv. 24. He has had
imparted to him, by the Holy Spirit, a temper of
conformity to the image and will of God. This
change every good man or true Christian has ex-
perienced; for we read, "Except a man be born
again he cannot see the kingdom of God. Except
a man be born of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot
enter into the kingdom of God. Marvel not that I
said unto thee, Ye must be born again." John iii.
3, 5, 7. "If any man be in Christ, he is a new
creature ; old things have passed away ; behold, all
things are become new." 2 Cor. v. 17. The time
and manner of this change may be different in dif-
ferent persons, and in some it may be more marked
than in others ; but the change itself every good
man, without exception, has experienced; and in
vain do any lay claim to the character of a good
man if they are strangers to regeneration.

2. The good man has come to Christ hy faith, and
has placed his reliance for pardon and acceptance
with God solely on his merits. With Paul, "know-
ing that a man is not justified by the works of the
law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, he has believed
in Jesus Christ, that he might be justified by the
faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law.'*
Gal. ii. 16. Sensible of his sinfulness, guilt, and de-
served condemnation, and that he has no righteous-
ness of his own to merit forgiveness and acceptance
with God, and approving of the way of salvation
through Christ, he has renounced his own righte-
ousness, and cordially accepted Christ as the Lord
his righteousness ; and on his merits alone he rehes

JOHN MCDOWELL, D. D. 177

for justification. Christ is the good man's all in the
article of justification.

He is his all, too, in the article of sanctification.
He feels that he is, of himself, unable to subdue his
corruptions, and do his duty, and lead a life of holi-
ness before God, and tkat Christ alone is the be-
liever's life. He therefore relies on him, by his
Spirit, to mortify sin within him; to impart, pre-
serve, and quicken grace; to strengthen him to
resist temptations, and do his duty; and to keep
him, through faith, unto final salvation. He is
sensible that without Christ he " can do nothinj?,"
and therefore he relies on him for every thing.

3. The good man is a true jpenitent for sin. He
has been convinced of sin, and felt himself to be a
sinner; he has been convinced of the odious and
evil nature of sin, and of his desert of the wrath of
God for his sins, and that God would be just in pun-
ishing him ; he has sorrowed on account of his sins,
been self-abased before God, and, with contrition of
heart, made confession to him; and he has, with
hatred of sin, turned from it unto God. This is
repentance unto life, and every good man has exer-
cised it ; for our Saviour declared, " Except ye re-
pent, ye shall all Hkewise perish." Luke xiii. 3.
And the good man not only repented, when he
first became pious, but he still repents. He is sen-
sible that sin still cleaves to him, and dwells in him,
and that his best services are marked with imper-
fection and sin. Sin is still odious and evil in his
sight; he still feels that he deserves the wrath of
God for his sins ; he still mourns that he ever sinned
against God, and still sins, and comes short of hia

13

178 THE GOOD MAN.

dutv; and he still confesses his sins to God, and
hates them more and more.

4. The good man is, in general, correct in the
articles of his faith. It is an incorrect and danger-
ous sentiment, that it is a matter of indifference
what a man believes if his fife be good, for the Word
of God requires us to believe the truth he has re-
vealed, as well as do what he has commanded ; and
the doctrines of the gospel have such an intimate
influence on the temper and practice, that it is very
doubtful whether a man's life ever be really good,
when his faith, in regard to the great doctrines of
religion, is wrong. There are some doctrines which
are fundamental in the Christian system ! The
belief of such doctrines is essential to the character
of the good man. These doctrines are such as the
following : the depravity and ruined state of man ;
salvation only through Christ; that he is a divine
person, God equal with the Father ; that he made
atonement for sin, which is the only just foundation
of a sinner's reconciliation with God ; justification
only by faith in him ; regeneration and sanctifica-
tion by the Holy Spirit ; also a divine person, and
the necessity of holiness of heart and life. These
doctrines good men of all denominations believe,
though they may differ on some points of less im-
portance.

The good man, whatever name he may bear, takes
the Scriptures implicitly as the rule of his faith. He
does not set up his reason, or inclination, above the
Word of God ; he desires to know what the truth of
God is, and as far as he knows, he believes what
God has revealed ; though he may not be able fully

JOHN MCDOWELL, D. D. 179

to explain or comprehend it, and though it may be
contrary to his preconceived opinions, and humbling
to his pride.

5. The good man leads a holy life. If the heart
be good, the outward conduct will also be good. " A
good man, out of the good treasury of the heart,
bringeth forth good things." Matt. xii. 35. The good
man faithfully endeavours to keep a conscience void
of offence towards God and man ; " he does justly,
loves merc})^, and walks humbly with God." Mic. vi. 8.
And, ^* denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, he
lives soberly, righteously, and godly in this present
world." Titus ii. 12. He takes the Word of God im-
pHcitly as his rule of conduct ; he reads and searches
it, that he may know the will of his heavenly mas-
ter; and he follows its directions, however self-de-
nying and unfashionable they may be ; whatever
sacrifices they may require him to make, and to
whatever opposition and trials they may expose him.
He does not part with some sins while he retains
others, bht renounces all sin. Though a sin may have
been to him as dear as a right hand, he cuts it oflf;
or a right eye, he plucks it out. He does not desire
to reconcile the service of God with that of Mammon,
and endeavour to serve both ; but the Lord is his only
master. He gives him an undivided heart, and he
makes every pursuit, even that of the world, subser-
vient to his service. He faithfully endeavours to
know his duty, and when he knows it, to perform
it, whether it be to God, his fellow men, or himself.

In the performance of the duties which he owes
more immediately to God, he engages habitually, and
with delight in his worship. He reads and searches

180 THE GOOD MAN.

the Scriptures ; he meditates upon them ; *' his delight
is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth he
meditate day and night." Psa. i. 2. With David he
can say, " I have loved the habitation of thy house,
and the place where thine honour dwelleth." Psa.
xxvi. 8. And he is statedly seen at the house of
God, m the seasons of public worship. He is not
wilUngly a half day worshipper on the Sabbath.
The tabernacles of the Lord are amiable to him ; and
when he is necessarily kept from the house of God,
he feels it to be a privation and affliction. He loves
to meet with the people of God, for his worship, on
other days beside the Sabbath ; and when other du-
ties wall permit, he embraces the opportunity. He
delights to renew his covenant with God at his table,
and obey the command of his Saviour, " Do this in
remembrance of me." He is not ashamed to own
before the world, that he is a disciple of Christ ; on
the contrary, he glories in it. He loves the Sabbath ; it
is to him the best day in all the seven. He is not seen
travelling on this sacred day, or riding, or walking
for pleasure, or engaging in secular business, or spend-
ing its hours in idleness. The Sabbath is not a
weariness to him, but he esteems it a "delight, the
holy of the Lord, and honourable," and he remem-
bers it to keep it holy.

He lives a life of prayer; and he prays, not merely
because he feels it to be a duty, to which he is driven
by conscience, but because he loves to pray. His
affections are engaged in praj^er, and he presents to
his Heavenly Father the sincere and earnest desires
of his heart ; and when in prayer his affections are
languid, and he does not meet his God, he is dis-

JOHN MCDOWELL, D. D.

181

satisfied with himself, and mourns. He is daily in
his closet engaged in secret prayer, at least morning
and evening. Is he the head of a family ? He is
the priest in his own house ; and there, with his col-
lected family, he daily offers the morning and the
evening sacrifice. Instead of allowing prayer to give
way to worldly business, when they seem to inter-
fere, he makes worldly business yield to prayer. It
is with him a settled rule, that whatever is neglected,
prayer must not be, in its stated seasons. Follow
the good man to his daily occupations, and could you
witness what passes in his heart, you would find his
thoughts frequently going out after God, and fixing
on divine things, and devout ejaculations ascending
to heaven. In short, the good man engages with
delight in all the ordinances of divine worship.

In the performance of the duties he owes his
felloic men, the good man is equally faithful. In
his conduct towards them he follows the rule laid
down by his divine Master : " All things whatsoever
ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so
to them." Matt. vii. 12. He is strictly honest and
just in all his dealings; and if he has any thing
that belongs to another, when he discovers it he
restores it, or makes restitution.

And he not only does justly, but he also loves
and practices mercy. He has pity on the poor.
According to the Word of God, " a good man showeth
favour, and lendeth; he hath dispersed, he hath
given to the poor." Psa. cxii. 5, 9. He feels also for
the spiritual necessities and miseries of others, at
home and abroad, and is ready, by his prayers,
labours, and contributions, to do them spiritual

182 THE GOOD MAN.

good. He is a kind and obliging neighbour; he
sympathizes with the distressed ; he rejoices in the
prosperity of others, and grieves at their adversity ;
" he rejoices with them that do rejoice, and weeps
with them that weep." Rom. xii. 15.

He is tender of the good name of others; he is
no slanderer nor tale-bearer ; he " rejoiceth not in
iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth ;" he bridles his
tongue, and suffers it not to be used to the injury of
others. When variances arise, between him and
others, he readily becomes reconciled, and forgives
them who have injured him. According to apos-
tolic injunctions, "Laying aside all malice, and
all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil
speakings," 1 Pet. ii. 1, he " puts on, as the elect of
God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness,
humbleness of mind, meekness, long suffering, for-
bearing, and forgiving one another." Col. iii. 12, 13.
The peace of God rules in his heart, and he even
loves his enemies with a love of benevolence, desir-
ing their good, and disposed to assist them when
distressed or in need. According to the command
of his divine Master, he " blesses them that curse
him, does good to them that hate him, and prays for
them which despitefuUy use and persecute him."
Matt. v. 44.

He faithfully performs the duties of his stations
and relations in life. Is he a magistrate, high or
low ? he discharges his official duties in the fear of
God, and with impartiality according to law and
justice. Is he a private citizen ? he respects the laws
of his country, and is subject to every ordinance of
man which does not interfere with the rights of con-

JOHN MCDOWELL, D. D.

183

science for conscience sake. He "renders to all
their dues, tribute to whom tribute is due, custom to
whom custom, fear to whom fear, honour to whom
honour." Rom. xiii. 7. Is he a husband ? he loves
his wife, and is not bitter against her. Col. iii. 19.
Is the Christian a wife ? she reverences her husband,
Eph. V. 33, and submits herself unto him as is fit in
the Lord. Col. iii. 18. Is the good man a parent ? he
loves his children, and trains them up in the way
they should go. Is he a child? he honours and
obeys his parents in the Lord. Is he a pastor ? he
loves the souls of his people, and watches for them
as one who must give account, and labours diligently
for their spiritual good. And is the good man one
of the flock ? he esteems his pastor " very highly in
love for his work's sake."

With respect to himself, the good man denies
himself sinful gratifications. He is sober, temperate,
and chaste. He " keeps under his body, and brings
it into subjection ;" he " mortifies his members,
which are upon the earth," and he " crucifies the
flesh, with the affections and lusts;" he stands
aloof from the fashionable vices of the world. You
will not find the good man at the gaming table, in
the ball room, or at the theatre. The Word of God
directs him, " Whatsoever ye do, in word or deed,
do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks
to God and the Father by him." Col. iii. 17. And,
under the influence of this and similar instructions,
he stands aloof from these places and amusements.
He is " not conformed to this world, but transformed
by the renewing of his mind ;" he comes out from
the people of the world, and is separate ; he con-

184 THE GOOD MAN.

fesses himself a stranger and pilgrim on the earth,
and that he desires a better country, even a heavenly.
His conversation is in heaven, and his affections
are there, set on things above, where Christ sitteth
at the right hand of God. Such are the temper and
conduct of the good man, as described in the Word
of God.

It is true he is not a perfect man ; for in many
things he offends, and comes short of his duty, and
his best services are imperfect. But this grieves
him, and causes him to complain with the apostle
Paul, " The good that I would I do not ; but the
evil which I would not, that I do. I find a law that
when I would do good, evil is present with me. I
see another law in my members, warring against the
law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to
the law of sin, which is in my members. 0 wretched
man that I am ! who shall deliver me from the body
of this death." Rom. vii. 19, &c. Tlie good man is
not satisfied, as some professors appear to be, with
just so much religion as they think will gain them
admission into heaven. He delights in the service
of God, and he desires greater conformity to him,
more zeal in his service, to glorify him more, and to
enjoy more intimate communion with him. And he
cannot rest satisfied with present attainments as
long as he comes short of perfection in holiness,
which will be as long as he continues in the body.
He, therefore, with Paul, " forgetting those things
which are behind, and reaching forth unto those
things which are before, presses toward the mark
for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ
Jesus." Phil. iii. 13, 14.

JOHN MCDOWELL, D. D.

185

Such is the character of the good man, as drawn
by the unerring pen of inspiration.

Who of us possess this character ? Each one ought
to ask himself, is this my character ? Are any ready
to say, the description is too highly wrought ? my
character will not stand the test ? In reply, I ask,
is the description more highly wrought than the
Word of God authorizes and requires ? In most of
the description, the language, and in a considerable
part of it, the very words of Scripture have been
used ; and by the Scriptures we must be tried, and
if our character does not correspond to the character
of the good man as there drawn, in vain do we hope
that we are the people of God.

Some who profess religion will probably, in view
of this discourse, say, either the description which
has been given of the good man is not correct, or we
have deceived ourselves. It would not be strange
if the latter part of this alternative were true, with
respect to some professors ; for, doubtless, many pro-
fess religion who are strangers to its reality. Our
Lord said, " Strait is the gate and narrow is the way
which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find
it." Matt. vii. 14. He called his flock, to whom it
is the " Father's good pleasure to give the kingdom,"
a " little flock." Luke xii. 32. And he declared that
in the day of account, many will say to him, "Lord,
Lord," claiming a relation to him as his people — to
whom he will say, " I never knew you ; depart from
me, ye that work iniquity." Matt. vii. 23.

The Scriptures are complete and fixed. Nothing
can be added to them or taken from them. Many
desire, and endeavour to persuade themselves, that

#:.,

180 THE GOOD MAN.

they are less strict than they appear to be, in their
obvious meaning ; or, at least, that their strict letter
related only to primitive times — but this is a great
and dangerous mistake. The way to heaven is the
same now that it was in the time of the Scripture
saints ; and if we ever get to heaven, we must tread
in the steps of those ancient worthies, who, through
faith and patience, inherited the promises. We must
come up to the scriptural standard of true piety, in
its plain and obvious meaning. The Scriptures can-
not be changed or relaxed, to come down to our de-
sires or practice, as to the way to heaven. Let us
make sure work in the great business of our salva-
tion. The interests of our immortal souls are at
stake, and to make a mistake in regard to such
interests, would be inexpressibly dreadful.

The Word of God declares, that " the righteous
are scarcely," or with difficulty, " saved" — and if this
be so, " where," as the sacred writer adds, " shall the
ungodly and the sinner appear?" If the good man
alone can enter heaven — and it is so difficult, as we
have seen, to be really a good man ; and if many
who profess to have this character, and manifest
something of it, are deceived, and will fail at last —
where shall those appear who have no pretensions
to scriptural piety, manifest nothing of it, and care
for none of these things ? That they are in the way
to perdition is as clear as a sunbeam. Let such be
alarmed at their state, and while they are yet pri-
soners of hope be induced, without delay, to flee from
the wrath to come*; and to flee by faith to Christ,
the only Saviour, and enter into the narrow way of
life, in which the good man walks.

JOHN MCDOWELL, D. D. 187'

And let all who entertain a hope that they possess
true religion, and are in the way to heaven, carefully
and frequently examine themselves, and bring their
character to the test of God's unerring word. And
while they examine themselves, let them offer the
prayer of the Psalmist, '* Let me not be ashamed of
my hope. Lord, search me, and try me, and see if
there be any evil way in me, and lead me in the
way everlasting." Amen.

>f^

#

THE HOUSE OF GOD.

BY

W. A. SCOTT, D. D.

PASTOR OF THE FIRST PRESBTTERIAN CHURCH, NEW ORLEANS,

One tTiing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after ; that I may
dwell in the House of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the
beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple. — Psalm xxvii. 4.

The sentiment of the royal Psalmist in this verse,
is one of devoted attachment to the service of God.
Many are the passages of holy Scripture that ex-
press the great delight which the pious have found
in the ordinances of the sanctuary. Those who
have long been accustomed to the blessings of Chris-
tian worship, and those who, like Gallio, care for none
of these things, may not readily appreciate the value
of the Christian Church, neither in a temporal nor
spiritual point of view. Because the kingdom of God
Cometh not with ohservation, they see it not at all.
Because its heavenly influences are noiseless as the
dew, men acknowledge them not, although every
day enjoying them. It is our purpose to consider
some of the advantages which the House of God

CONFERS UPON SOCIETY.
(IM)

w. a. scott, d. d. 189

The House of God is the forerunner, ally, and

SUPPORTER of the BEST FORMS OF CIVILIZATION.

Civilization, whatever it is, in modern times owes
its best estate to Christianity.'^ It is true that some
ancient nations, as the Phoenicians, Egyptians, Greeks,
Etrurians and Romans, attained to considerable emi-
nence in refinement, in elegance of manners, and to
honourable distinction in arts and arms without the
Gospel. But it is also true that historians are agreed
— first, that much of their knowledge, their philoso-
phy, and of course their refinement, was handed
down to them from their ancestors, that is, by tradi-
tion from the sons of Noah; from whom are de-
scended the whole human race, and who were doubt-
less instructed in the religion of the Bible by their
pious father. This opinion is supported by the an-
alogy that is to be found in their respective systems
of worship, of astronomy and of mythology, and by
their own united testimony dowm to Aristotle — that
all knowledge was derived from tradition. Hence,
to become learned in ancient times, it was necessary
to travel, not only because there were then no printed
books, and but few MSS, and literary institutions
were scarce, but chiefly that the traditions of all
lands might be picked up. Their knowledge, and
even their philosophy, was to be found in the songs
of the Rhapsodists and the proverbs of their wise
men. But, secondly, historians are agreed that even

*'■'■ Iknoxo that the civilization of the aye is derived from Chris-
tianity, that the institutions of this country are instinct with the
same spirit, and that it pervades the laws of the State, as it does
the manners, and, I trust, the hearts of the people." — Gov. Ham-
mond, of South Carolina, in his letter of the Ath Nov. 1844, to
the Israelites of Charleston.

190 THE HOUSE OF GOD.

Phoeiiiciaj Egypt and Greece, as also Persia and Rome>
were not civilized without religion. Lord Wood-
houselee expressly declares that Greece could not be
civilized until the religion of the Titans was incor-
porated with that of the Aborigines.* It was nol
until the Pelasgi and the other tribes of Greece were
taught to be religious, that laws were established
among them. And thirdly, I ask any candid man
whether the highest refinement ever known in Greece
or Rome, even with all the light that glimmered upon
them by tradition from the temple of the true God
at Jerusalem, can be compared with that of the Gos-
pel. I have not the time, nor is it necessary, for it
has often been done by able hands, to draw a con-
trast between the morals of the purest systems of
heathen ethics and the precepts of Christianity. But
I leave it to the honesty and intelhgence of any well
read community to say whether Socrates is to be
compared with Jesus Christ. Nay, Rousseau, Jef-
ferson, and Paine himself, have already acknow-
ledged that Christianity, in the sublimity of its doc-
trines, and the purity of its precepts, is immeasur-
ably superior to any thing known to heathen philos-
ophy. In a barbarous or savage state, passion pre-
dominates over reason, and lust over conscience.
The animal is gratified at the expense of the intel-
lectual nature of man. But when this order is re-
versed, when men are governed by an enHghtened

* " It is universally allowed that from the period of those
strangers settling among them, the Greeks assumed a new cha-
racter, and exhibited in some respects the manners of a civilized
nation. The dawnings of a national religion began to appear, for
the Titans were a religious people." — Tytler's Universal History ;
vol. i. book i. c/tap. vi. p. 52.

W. A. SCOTT, D, D.

isri

conscience, then civilization in its best form exists.
But no such a state as this is found without the Gos-
pel. The missionaries sent to Greenland laboured ten
years without success, in attempting to civilize its in-
habitants without the Gospel. Then they exhibited,
with all the eloquence of fervid feeling, the doctrine
of a Saviour crucified, with an effect that more than
realized their most sanguine expectations. The at-
tention of the people was arrested, they received the
faith that purifies the heart, and works hy love ; and
this laid the foundation for civilization. Schools
among our own Indians have always failed, except
when they have been established under the influ-
ence of the Gospel.

It is the testimony of travellers and of missiona-
ries to foreign lands, that savages cannot be civilized
by systems of mere education. It is true religion,
and true religion only, that changes the heart ; and,
until the heart is changed, there can be no real ele-
vation of character, for out of the heart are the
issues of life ; and, until it is changed by the grace
of God, it is the hole of every foul spirit, and the
caije of every unclean and hateful bird. How can
sweetness of manners mark the intercourse of so-
ciety so long as ferocious passion is permitted to
rage and brutify the human mind, and put out the
light of truth, and hush the voice of conscience?
Why has not infidelity supported missionaries in
heathen lands? Why have infidels not civilized
some island of the sea, or some spot of the globe ?
Why, if the Gospel is not necessary as the fore-
runner and ally of civiHzation ? Let them point to
a single spot of earth in Europe, Asia, Africa, or

192 THE HOUSE OF GOD.

America, or to a single island of sea or ocean that
infidelity lia^ civilized, refined, and blest. Let them
point to a single family, neighbourhood, town or in-
dividual that has been made better, that has been
educated, that has been made more useful aiid
happy by mfidelity. The infidels of England and
the United States waited until Christian missionaries
had partially civilized India, and then they sent
thither their own books. The cross first civifized
the poor Hindoo — taught him to read — then the
infidel goes and endeavours to turn his reading to
wormwood. Christianity opens the fountain of
knowledge, then infidelity attempts to turn it all to
poison. The only way to civilize and to refine, and
to give permanent elevation to any community, is to
give it the Gospel. Erect the pulpit, and around it
schools and benevolent institutions will spring up,
as the thousand lesser stars follow the evening star.
The accompaniments of the sanctuary are the
living ministry, the preached gospel, the Sabbath,
the ordinances of religion, and the blessings of edu-
cation. Schools, acadamies, and colleges owe their
very existence to the House of God. Ministers of
religion are entrusted with the keys of the kingdom
of knowledge, not to exercise despotism over the
minds of men, but to impart truth for their re-
demption from ignorance and vice. As a class, the
clergy have ever been the first great leaders in the
work of education. Harvard University owes its
foundation to the dying munificence of an humble
minister of the Gospel, who landed on the shores of
America, but to lay his bones in its dust.* The

* Everett's Orations.

W. A. SCOTT, D. D.

193

great reform in our prisons, which has accompUshed
wonders of philanthropy and mercy, and made the
penitentiaries of America the model of the penal
institutions of the world, had its origin in the visit
of a minister of the Gospel, with his Bible in his
hand, to the convict's cell. The missionary enter-
prise, the glory of our age, is an offspring of the
house of God. From the sanctuary the champions
of truth have gone forth to the heathen, conquering
and to conquer, beneath

" The great ensign of the Messiah
Aloft by angels borne, their siga
In heaven."

A large portion of the literary institutions of the
world are under the influence of the clergy. This
is not strange.. They are in fact, and by profession,
the friends of knowledge and of intellectual im-
provement. Their religion is a system of light. In
it is no darkness at all. It is their daily office to
pour the light of mind and of the glorious Gospel
upon the chaos of human intellect. Upon them,
therefore, chiefly rests the responsibility of directing
the education of youth. As a class, they create and
circulate a larger portion of our literature than any
other profession.* In judging of the Uterary excel-

* No disparagement of the other learned professions is intended
here. There are learned and good men in all professions and in
all denominations. There are literary men, and friends of general
education, who are not even pious men. But, as a class of men,
clergymen are the educators of our country. In nine cases out
of ten, those that are eminent as teachers and as friends of educa-
tion, who are not in the ministry, are the sons or the pupils of
clergymen. It is too rarely the case that men qualified to be the

14

194 THE HOUSE OF GOD.

lence of the performances of clergymen, it ought to
be remembered that they appear before the public
much oftencr, and with less time to prepare their
discourses, than any other class of public speakers.
Who but clergymen come before an intelligent audi-
ence two or three times a week, from year to year,
with original discourses? and that, too, usually
without any change of circumstances, without any
relief from the arduous duties of pastoral charges,
and without the rivalry of the bar, or the excite-
ment of the halls of legislation. No one perform-
ance of any clergyman should be regarded as a test
of his abilities, or of his literary attainments. It is
a curious, but a truly philosophical fact, that the
more a clergyman feeds his people with knowledge,
the more they require of him. Sometimes, indeed,
the people are like Pharaoh's tash masters ; they rer-
quire the full tale of hriclcs, id Ithout furnishing straw.
They require him to make great intellectual efforts
every Sabbath, without allowing him either books to
read, or time to study. After all due allowance is
made for prosing sermons and quackery in the pul-
pit, the clergy as a profession, are men of mind, of
intelligence, and learning. The ablest constitutional
lawyer of America has recently pronounced their
eulogy in the celebrated Girard case, and professor
Vethak has given them and the learned professions
their proper place in the productive capital of the
nation. Their lips keep knowledge j works of cha-

instructors of youth, are willing to make the sacrifices required
of the successful teacher. Learned men of the secular professions
generally prefer the pleasures of literature, or the pursuits of
wealth or ambition.

W. A. SCOTT, D. D. 195

rit)'- are their robes of state ; mind is their empire ;
the pen is their sceptre ; eternal truth is their throne.

The Gospel is not only the forerunner and ally
of civilization, but its chief supporter.

Without the House of God, we shall go back to
the skins, and acorns, and idols of our ancestors.
Some two thousand years ago our forefathers were
painted savages, wandering on the shores of the Ger-
man ocean, drinking their beer out of human skulls,
and worshipping Wodin and Thor. And what
makes the Anglo Saxon of the nineteenth century
to differ from the ancient Briton ? The same that
makes Christian nations differ from Heathen nations
— that makes Tahiti with the Gospel, to differ from
Tahiti without the Gospel. Christianity poured its
light into the minds of Alfred and Charlemagne, and
thence the civiHzation of Europe. The Bible has
incorporated itself into the laws, languages, institu-
tions, and philosophy of Christendom. Arts and
sciences, jurisprudence, commerce, and national po-
litics, owe their present advanced state to the Bible.
Hume has ascribed the civil liberty of England to
the Puritans. Mcintosh says that the doctrine of
Justification by Faith, the preaching of which by
Luther produced the great reformation from Popery,
lies at the foundation of all civil and religious lib-
erty.* So emphatically is man's existence and hap-
piness summed up in his religion, that the history
of the religions of various nations is the historj'^ of
their manners, literature, government and philoso-

* History of England, Henry VIII. ch. ix. " A principle which
is the basis of all pure ethics, the cement of the eternal allianoa
between morality and religion," &c. p. 218.

196 THE HOUSE OF GOD.

phy. Tlie philosopluj of literature and of history is
nothing more — can be nothing less — than the pJiilo'
sophy of the various systems of religious worship that
have quickened and formed, or degraded and fettered
the inhabitants of the world.

Without the House of God — without the Sabbath
and a regular living ministry of the Word of God, we
shall go back to heathenism. We cannot stand still.
Motion is the law of our nature. The amount of
knowledge does not seem at any time to be greatly
augmented. It changes places, and passes from one
generation to another, but does not seem to be
greatly increased. Its progress is rather that of a
door on hinges, backwards and forwards, now in the
East, now in the West, and anon to the East. Ter-
ritories once republican are now sunk into the most
degraded despotism. Territories once traversed by
the feet of the blessed Saviour and his Apostles, have
run back to heathenism, and why ? Because their
Candlesticks, in the language of Holy Writ, their
Churches, have been removed out of their j^laces.
When the sanctuary declines, all that pertains to the
ennobling of man declines. Pull down all our houses
of worship, and let the church going bell utter no
more hints of salvation through the Cross, and there
will follow a train of litigations, and bankruptcies,
and imprisonments, and frauds, and divorces, and
murders, that no human power can control. A pal-
pable darkness will come over the land, and gross
darkness fall upon the pe^ople. Refinement will be-
(;ome sensuality — low and vulgar vices, clownishness
of manners, coarseness of attire, and depravity of
mind and morals, will complete the history. Sepa*

W. A. SCOTT, D. D. 197

rate civilization from the Gospel, and it will degen-
emte into heathenism. Separate institutions of
learning and benevolence from the higher institutions
of religion, and they will perish, sure as the frosts
of autumn strip the forests of their foliage. Reli-
gion, science, and benevolence, are inseparably con-
nected with the sanctuary.

II. The House of God increases the value of
ALL USEFUL PROPERTY. Tliis may be a novel propo-
sition, but it does not follow that it is either fanciful
or incapable of proof It is a proposition sustained
by the preceding, thus : civilization is necessary to
give property its greatest value : the Gospel is the
forerunner, pre-requisite, ally, and supporter of civil-
ization : ergo, &c. The proposition is not only ca-
pable of demonstration, but is sustained by numerous
facts. Time allows, however, of reference to but a
few. Men are so prone to think of rehgion not at
all, or to think of it as a mere abstraction, a thing
altogether spiritual, and as Inlving to do altogether
with the next world, that they forget its influence
upon the present. They remember not the words
of an Apostle who has told us that godliness with
contentment is great gain, having the promise of the
life that now is, and of that which is to come. Men,
too, are so apt to regard what they give to the sup-
port of religious institutions, as either thrown away
or bestowed in charity, that they do not seem to con-
sider for a moment that for the value of their pro-
perty they are greatly indebted to the Bible. This,
however, is a proposition so clearly established by
facts, that the dullest apprehension must admit it
when it is properly considered. Let any one ao

198 THE HOUSE OF GOD.

quainted with the history of the Jews reflect, and
see if property was not worth more when David and
Solomon reigned in Jerusalem, than during the reign
of the unprincipled Ahab. The reason is obvious
enough. In the reign of David and Solomon, reli-
gious institutions were honoured, and moral influ-
ence restrained the depravity of men, so that their
rights, jDersons, and property were held sacred. —
While in the reign of Ahab, a false religion was sub-
stituted for the true, and thus moral restraint was
generally removed from the public mind. The vine-
yard of Naboth was not worth half so much under
Ahab, as when Solomon was on the throne of Israel.
Ahab was a wicked, avaricious, and cruel prince ;
under his administration every thing was in confu-
sion, uncertainty, and peril. Solomon feared God,
and his reign was just, and good, and prosperous.
What was the value of Lot's house in Sodom, though
it was, perhaps, built of the most costly materials,
decorated with all the art, and furnished with all the
elegancies of his age, yet subject to the invasion of
a most depraved and licentious community, com-
pared with the humble tent of Abraham under the
oak in the plains of Mamre. Lot's neighbours were
not under the influence of religion. Abraham's peo-
ple were. A sense of msecwity depreciates the value
of 'property. Thus in the time of war, when our
coasts are ravaged, our cities plundered, our houses
burned, and our fields laid waste, real estate falls far
below its intrinsic value. During the invasion of
Louisiana in 1814-15, land and houses were worth
scarcely a tithe of what they were after the treaty
of peace. In France, during the Reign of Terror,

W. A. SCOTT, D. D. 199

property sunk far below its ordinary value. And
why was this ? Because during the reign of terror,
there was no security afforded by the government to
life and property. And there was no security to life
and property, because all religious institutions had
been annihilated, and infidelity, cruel and licentious,
had been set up in their stead, and as a necessary
consequence, religious restraints were taken from
the mmds of the people. Men fearincj not God, re-
garded not their fellow men. Not being devout to-
wards God, they were not just and merciful towards
their neighbours, nor did the public mind become
settled, and property and life secure, till the re-estab-
lishment of the forms of religion, and of law. Let a
false religion be substituted among us for the true,
let rampant and licentious infidelity prevail, let all
the hallowed influences of the sanctuary be with-
drawn from off the public mind, and how much
would your houses and lands decline in value ! Take
away all the restraints of our religious institutions,
and what stability would remain ? Who would be
wilUng to risk his life and property in a community
void of all moral restraints?

It is said that the intrinsic value of the soil
of Turkey is greater than that of America; and
yet the poorest acre of these United States is worth
more than five of the richest land m Turkey. And
why ? because here you are protected in your rights
by a vigorous conscience in the body politic ; while
in Turkey, you are constantly exposed to lawless
rapacity, your property liable to be confiscated at
any moment, and you yourself to perish by the hand
of violence. Remove the House of God and its in-

200 THE HOUSE OF GOD.

stitutions from the United States, and we shall be.
come as ferocious as the Turk. It is admitted that
the Mahommedan faith has destroyed the agricul-
ture of Persia ; and Chardin thinks that if the Turks
were to inhabit that country, it would soon be more
impoverished than it is. Persia was once renowned
for its fertility ; but even the temporal prosperity

OF A NATION DEPENDS UPON THE PRINCIPLES OF ITS RE-
LIGION.*

It is a remarkable fact, that no where, except where
Christianity prevails, do we find those partnerships
in trade and commerce, so indispensable to give pro-
perty its greatest value. Travellers and missionaries
inform us, that in pagan countries there are no asso-
ciations for commerce and trade, for exchange, for
banking, and for benevolent purposes. To use the
language of another : " Why cannot heathens, as
well as Christians, combine their wealth, so as to
give it greater value, by giving it greater power of ac-
cumulation ? It is because their religion, or rather the
Avant of true religion, forbids the exercise of mutual
confidence, creating universal distrust, and making
every man an iceberg to his neighbour. Hence the rea-
son why their resources are crippled, and the public
mind is stagnant. But let the Christian Pulpit be
planted there, and the truth, as it is in Jesus, pervade
the hearts and minds of the people, and the now dead
mass would at once exhibit signs of life, and put on
such an aspect of enterprise and prosperity as Heath-
enism never saw, and can never produce," So true is
this connection, that a distinguished instructor was ac-
customed to say to his pupils, " Give me the religion
* Ancient History, Vol. III. p. 32.

W. A. SCOTT, D. D. 201

of a country, and I will tell you all the rest ;" — the
kind of religion chiefly determines the language, litera-
ture and characteristics of the people — whether they
are torpid or active — ignorant or eidightened — bond
or free. An instance is cited in a discourse by the Rev.
Mr. Clarke, of Stockbridge, Mass., which will illus-
trate the point in hand. I give it in his own words :
" In one of the towns in a neighbouring county, the
people voluntarily deprived themselves of a preached
Gospel for several years, till the difference between
them and the adjoining towns, in want of thrift and
prosperity, became proverbial, and till they them-
selves were convinced, that, in forsaking the Pulpit,
they had forsaken their own mercies. At length,
they repaired their weather-beaten and almost ruined
church, and settled a devoted minister of the Gos-
pel, with an effect so marked on the enterprise of
the people, that one of their most inteUigent men
remarked, but a few weeks since, that their farms
had increased fifty per cent, in value, and that an
entirely new aspect had been put on the dwellings,
as well as on the spirit of the people,"*

The proposition is, that the House of God increas-
es THE VALUE OF USEFUL PROPERTY. The prOof is thuS :

First, security of life and property is necessary to give
property its highest value : moral restraints are ne-
cessary to give security to life and property : and
moral restraints are produced and maintained only
by the Gospel, And, secondly, it is in Christendom
alone that trade and commerce are carried on with
the enterprise of combined wealth and mutual confi-
dence. Almost the only government known among

* Clarke, in National Preacher.

202 THE HOUSE OF GOD.

men without the Gospel is tyranny. The ability of
heathen statesmen consists in knowing how to de-
ceive others by hypocrisy, fraud, perfidy, and per-
jury. Where the House of God is not, there is no
bond of union between man and man. True hon-
our, humanity, justice and commercial enterprise are
promoted by the principles of the Bible. The Eng-
lish government supjDorts missions partly for the
sake of extending her commerce. Even the vicinity
of houses of Christian worship, in several well known
instances in some of our largest cities, has greatly en-
hanced the value of property — first, because of the
convenience of being near the House of the Lord,
and secondly, because a church-going people are good
tenants, and thirdly, because the influence of the
House of God changes the character of the popula-
tion in its neighbourhood. Corrupt, licentious, pro-
fane, Sabbath-breaking communities have become,
through the preaching of the Gospel, decent, sober,
intelligent, industrious, pious , and well-to-do in the
world.

ni. The House of God is not so expensive as
THE SYNAGOGUES OF Satan. This is a plain proposi-
tion, and like the two preceding, it addresses itself
to men's temporal interests. It is simply this : —
That vice costs 7nore than virtue. It costs more to
support a drunkard than a sober man ; more to sus-
tain the licentious than the chaste ; more to secure
and convict a criminal than it would have cost to
have prevented him from becoming a criminal by
2)lacing him under religious influence. Sabbath-
breaking is an expensive vice. One Sabbath spent
in idleness and dissipation — in neglecting the sane-

W. A. SCOTT, D. D. 203

tuary, costs more than five days spent in the dis-
charge of their appropriate duties. Which costs the
most, to lounge at the corner of the streets, bet on
elections, ride to the country, attend the military
parade or the horse race on the Sabbath, drink at
the Exchange, and then to the theatre at night, or
to worship God in his Holy Temple ? Which costs
the most, livery stable bills, Sunday dinners, oyster
suppers, opera tickets, masquerade balls and coffee
house indulgences, or attendance upon the sanctu-
ary ? Which is best, to spend the Sabbath in idle-
ness or in dissipation, and resume business Monday
morning, with an empty purse, and languid spirits,
and a heart aching under the remorse of conscience ?
or to lay aside business affairs at a proper hour Satur-
day evening, close the ledger and lock the desk, and
shut the world up in the counting room, and relax
the energies of the week in the social endearments
of the family —

'• The only bliss that has survived the fall ?"

Rise early Sabbath morn, and begin the day with its
appropriate duties, and then to the Sabbath school,
to swim in the smiles and glad faces of earth's
brightest similitudes of Heaven — little cliildren — and
then mingle with the people of God, who keep holy
time, and send up the voice of supplication and the
shout of praise to the Most High — and then melted,
softened, awed, refined, better fitted for society and
for social and civil duties, return home to the Sab-
bath collation — and Monday, with health repaired,
spirits refreshed, and the bright sunshine of the soul,
a good conscience, which is a "continual feast," be-

204 THE HOUSE OF GOD.

gin the labours of the week ? I speak as unto wise
men, Judge ye.

IV. The House of God wields the only power
TO reform the hearts and lives of men. Christi-
anity is the only preventive of crime. We are aware
that we live in an age of excitement and of bold ex-
periments. The spirit of the day is restless, inno-
vating. We have numberless forced systems of
economy, of politics, of morals and of education.
One cries, lo here ! another, lo there ! Each cries
out, / Jiave found it — / have found it, and a long
line of Esqrs., Genls., D. D's, L, L. D's, and learned
professors echo the lying sound. But, in a few days,
like their predecessors, they in their turn give place
to seven other ill favoured and lean kine, that "eat
up the fat fleshed and well flavoured." And, like the
flies in the fable, each succeeding swarm of quacks,
strolling lecturers and reckless innovators, is more
greedy than the first — more impudent and more ig-
norant. But with all the nostrums which have in
their turn been promulgated as certain sj^ecifics for
all our civil and moral diseases — such as those effi-
cacious Protean balsams, cordials, pills and sudorifics,
which are infallible cures, (or if no cure, no pay,) for
the hepatitis, consumption, fever, and gout, for old
men, young men, maidens, and children — is it not
true of us, as Pope said, turning from his doctor :
"Alas! dear sir, I am dying every day of the most
favourable symptoms."

Our state pharmacopolists, each one like a scribe
well instructed, can tell why the currency was de-
ranged, why commercial credit depreciated, and why
the tinaes are hard, and show the errors of all past

W. A. SCOTT, D. D. 205

administrations, and if the people would only put
him and his party in power, he would turn the very
stones into gold. On the one hand, some savans
have asserted that nature has endowed all the tribes
of the earth with precisely the same dispositions,
and fitted them in their turn for the same sort of
institutions, and that there is no reformation to be
expected — no elevation to be hoped for. That all
our inventions and discoveries in government and in
science, are but the recovery of what we have lost —
and that, in short, we are doomed to float about in
eddies, and fly round in circles — but that there is no
progress, no elevation, no redemption for our race.''""

Others teach that crime is owmg entirely to the
vagueness of accident — that vice and virtue are
essentially nothing but the result of chance — the
"rouge et noir" of life; and consequently, there is
no redemption from the bondage of vice, but to wait
the "fortunate concurrence of fortuitous atoms."

Others say law is the sole cause of crime — that
the veiy fact that there are laws, which are intended
to debar men from crime, begets a disposition to vio-
late them — that hy the laio is tlw hnowlethje of sin ;
that is to say, because there are balustrades around
the pit, to keep men from falling into it, men will
plunge into it for the mere pleasure of getting over
the obstructions put in their way for their good.
"The danger's self is lure alone," and that, conse-
quently, the only way to prevent crime is to annul
all the existing laws of society, remove all restraints,
reduce all to a common chaos, to a community of
rights, and of wives, and of goods. But the history

* M. Fournier de Dejon, author of the Phalansterian sect.

206 THE HOUSE OF GOD.

of mankind abundantly proves that man is the crea-
ture of laws ; that no society can exist without laws,
not even a community of robbers, they must have a
common bond of union — a code of rules. Laws are
essential to our individual and social existence, and
if we have no other, we must submit to the dominion
of passion ; and then we should see again the bloody
days of Caligula, and of Nero, and of Robespierre.

But again, others assert that all crime is the result
of education, that men are vicious because they
have been improperly instructed ; and that, there-
fore, all that we have to do is to reform our system
of education, for that education is competent to heal
all our maladies, and to exhibit man

" Full orb'd in his round of rays complete."

This system is called the Hylopathian, or the
Anaximandrian, from its author, Anaximander, one
of the earliest Greek Atheists. He taught that
education i-s the creator of all things ; that all things,
even life and understanding, are educated out of mat-
ter, and are to be considered as nothing more than
the passions and affections of matter ; that all life
and understanding are the products of these qualified
atoms, hot and cold, moist and dry. Anaxagoras
taught, at a later period, the same system, with this
exception : he held to an uncreated mind.* This
system, in substance, has been frequently advanced,
and has even now its warm advocates. But all
these systems fail to give life to man's moral powers.
They all fall short of reforming his heart and regu-
lating his life. They do not give the true cause of

♦ Cudworth's lut. Sys. Vol. I. p. 41.

W. A. SCOTT, D. D.

207

crime, and consequently they fail to afford any ade-
quate remedy. They undertake to build without a
foundation. They daub icith uniewpercd mortar.
The spring-head of all crime is that black spot which
the Arabs say is in every man's heart by nature,
which is very httle at first, but at last spreads all
over him — original sin — corruption of nature — a
heart deceitful above all things, and desperately
wricked. And as is the heart, so also is the life.
Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, adulteries,
murders and seditions. The heart is the fountain
of influences. Out of it are the issues of life. The
only effectual remedy for the disorders of society is
to change the heart — to make the tree good, and
then the fruit will be good. It can be proved most
conclusively, but for the want of time the proof is
here omitted, from the history of Prussia and France,
that intelligence, mere education, does not prevent
crime ; " that knowledge is power" indeed, but that
it may be power to do evil as well as good. The
more intelligence, the more power to serve the pas-
sions and the appetites. Knowledge awakens new
desires and developes new and strong passions, and
must then of necessity become the instrument of
their gratification.

The history of Italy in the dark ages proves this
fact. Italy was then the centre of civilization, the
only illumined spot on the globe, and Italy was then,
also, the scene of the darkest crimes on the catalogue
of the human race. The same may be truly said of
England at this moment. The most enlightened
and greatest nation under heaven ; yet, considering
her moral and religious institutions, without a ques-

208 THE HOUSE OF GOD.

tion the most haughty, .ainbitious, and wicked nation
on earth. Education, as it is used, is a savour of
hfe unto Hfe, or of death unto death. The sources
of power and pleasure, of dignity and wealth, may
also become the sources of crime and vice, degra-
dation and poverty. We practically acknowledge
this when we make laws to keep our servants in
ignorance, lest they should be wise to do evil. The
stream of civilization too nearly resembles that
mysterious river, whose waves both fold the croco-
dile and carry the fertilizing loam to the same
shore. Let an evangelical pulpit sanctify our lite-
rature, and education will be the handmaid and sup-
porter of morals. An appeal to criminal statistics —
to figures that cannot lie — shows most conclusively,
that while mere science does not prevent crime, but
rather increases misdemeanors and felons ; that, on
the other hand, religious knowledge, education on
Christian principles, literature sanctified by the pul-
pit, does prevent crime. The experiment made by
the Prussian Government — the history of Sabbath
schools — the statistics of the United States and of
Scotland, compared with England and Ireland, all

show that RELIGIOUS KNOWLEDGE IS A PREVENTIVE OF
CRIME.

There is no country on the face of the earth so
much affected by the facts here alluded to as our
own. In our government the people are the sove-
reign. They rule — they make our legislators and
our rulers. Consequently, if we should have wise
and virtuous statesmen, we must have wise and vir-
tuous citizens. Let the Bible, through the pulpit,
and the school-room, and the press, give tone to

W. A. SCOTTj D. D.

209

public sentiment, and we shall not have legislators,
and senators, and public functionaries, that can pro-^
fane the day and the name of God. Let public
sentiment be purified and elevated, and our cities
would be rid of those hundreds of high-ways to hell
that are to be found along our streets, and at almost
every corner. Let the influence of the pulpit be
felt, and our land would have a Sabbath, and vice
would be put to shame and confusion. The fearful
responsibility of our national sins is to be resolved
back upon the sovereign people. Why has not the
United States, why has not England, produced a
Handel, a Haydn, a Weber, or a Beethoven ? Be-
cause the public have little taste for music. Their
ear is only for the sound of the hammer and the
thundering of the steam engine ; while in Germany
every man is a musician, and every family is an or-
chestra. Why did England produce, in the seven-
teenth century, her Walton, Castell, Usher, Selden,
Lightfoot, and Pococke ? Then England was per-
vaded with the spirit of biblical inquiry and theo-
logical investigation. Why has France produced La
Place, La Land, and La Grange ? France honours
and rewards science. Her scholars are her peers.
It is true that ever and anon a mighty spirit arises,
who leads captivity captive — who inspires and leads
the people ; such were Luther, Calvin, Knox, New-
ton and others. They may be said to have created
their own age — to have marked out their own era.
Still, to some extent, even they were the embodyings
forth of the people. The people gave the response
when they called, or they had never been heard.
Columbus, the bold and adventurous, was but the

15

m

210 THE HOUSE OF GOD.

crucible in which the traditions and the floating
knowledge of the public, its hopes and conjectures,
were reduced to a form, and breathed into action.
Very much the same may be said of Dante, Ariosto,
and Milton ; Bacon, Washington, and Napoleon.

To a very great extent, public men are the mir-
rors of the morals and knowledge of the great public,
the omnijic people. Why have we pettifoggers, quack
doctors, and ignorant preachers? because the peo-
ple not only tolerate, but patronize them. Tole-
rated they should be, not patronized. Tolerated, be-
cause we allow liberty of conscience, and declare
life and the pursuit of happiness an inalienable
right; but patronized they should not be, because
thereby an evil is inflicted upon the body politic and
moral, which no man has a right to do, do what he
may with or to himself And least of all, should
an ignorant, unsound preacher, be countenanced.
It is better to have ignorance at the bar, or in the
senate, or in medicine, than in the pulpit. Let me
lose my property through the negligence, or ignorance,
or unsldlfidness of my attorney ; let me he murdered
hy a quach, ratlier than that my soul perish, eternally
perish, through the error, or ignorance, or unfaitli-
fulness of my spiritual guide.

" If the people are industrious and virtuous, their
representatives will be men of like spirit. But if
ignorance, licentiousness, and a disregard of all reli-
gious obligation prevail in the community, then
reckless demagogues, and loud disunionists, and
abandoned profligates, will sit in the sacred halls of
legislation, and ambition, and self-aggrandizement,
and love of power, will take the place of patriotism

W. A. SCOTT, D. D. 211

and public spirit, and an unshaken attachment to
the best interests of the nation. In such a state of
society, the elective franchise, which is the peculiar
glory of America, will become one of its deadUest
scourges."

In many other countries the government, by a
standing army, by racks, dungeons and spies, and
by disarming the people, preserves some kind of
public order ; but here the people govern themselves,
and keep the peace, and go through the most excit-
ing elections Avithout bloodshed and without a po-
lice. And why ? Because the people of this coun-
try are free, and are under the influence of the Bible.
The power of the world to come has always exerted
an extensive influence on the hearts of the people
of this country. They fled from oppression to this
wilderness with the Bible in their hand, for " free-
dom to worship God," and they have made it blos-
som as the garden of the Lord. The Huguenot and
Pilgrim fathers brought the sanctuary to America,
and hence its independence, and its prosperity, and
its illimitable influence on the destinies of mankind.

V. Public sentiment is mainly formed by the
INSTRUCTIONS OF THE HousE OF GrOD. — Howevcr great
the influence of public sentiment may be upon the
institutions of other countries, in our country it is
greater. Ou?' government is the people titemselves.
Every citizen is a part, it may be an humble part,
but still a visible, a living and accountable part of
the sovereignity of the nation. Divine Providence
has bound us together by the ties of family, of coun-
try, and of necessity. We are twined and inter-
woven into the great web of our political institutions,

212 THE HOUSE OF GOD.

like the threads of flax or the locks of wool in a piece
of linen or cloth. The beauty and strength of Ame-
rican institutions is, that the fine and the coarse
threads are so wonderfully interwoven and twisted
together, that it is impossible to part them without
tearing the whole to pieces. One cannot distinguish
between the threads of a piece of cloth, which are
manufactured out of the wool of the lean, from those
which are manufactured from the wool of the fat of
the flock — no more can a distinction be made be-
tween the rich and the poor, learned and ignorant
citizen in the sovereignty of our country. The
great principles of republican representation, and
the pure sovereignty of the people, are the in-
alienable, indivestible inheritance of every American.
And what are the consequences ? The consequences
are fearfully momentous : namely, that our govern-
ment and institutions are what public sentiment is.
The vices and the virtues of every one form an essen-
tial part of our national character. The wickedness of
one, the drunkenness of another; the atheism, infi-
delity, or profligacy of a third; the avarice, cruelty
and deceit of a fourth ; the malice, knavery, and
idleness of a fifth ; the Sabbath breaking, neglect of
family education, worship, and government of a
sixth — all these make up the gross amount of our
national character and guilt, just as a mountain is
made up of sands, or as the great and mighty ocean
is made up of drops of water. The purity of pubHc
sentiment is therefore the pillar of cloud hy day and
the pillar ofjire hy 7iigJif, which alone can preserve the
peace and glory of republican America. By this
ONLY SHALL SHE CGisQUER. TMs is liGT heaven de^

W. A. SCOTT, D. D. 213

scended banner. The ffood order, the intelligence,
and the religious influence of the family is the bul-
wark and strong tower of our defence. Every in-
stance of parental neglect, of ungoverned, disobedient,
and wicked children, tends to draw down the curse
of God upon our country. Every evil word, every
blasphemous oath, every malicious thought, every
violation of the holy Sabbath, every species of con-
tempt to the Lord's house, and the institutions and
ministers of the everlasting Gospel ; every sin, secret
or public, against God, is a sin against our country,
and is lii2;h treason a<xainst the State. And on the
other hand, every virtuous feeling, every victory
over our baser appetites, every benevolent aspiration,
every tear of contrition, every groan of repentance,
every sacrifice of our will and wishes to the supre-
macy of law ; every holy act, every prayer of faith
from the humblest cottage — every such act adds
another stone to the spiritual rampart, which for so
many years has surrounded and defended us. Righte-
ousness exalteth a nation, hut sin is a reproach to any
jpecyple.

The conscience of the body politic, and the main-
tenance of law, are but developments of public sen-
timent. The best laws are perverted, misapplied,
or neglected, when public opinion is against them.
The statutes of departed wisdom, and the legacies
of sainted worth, are no better than dead letters,
when not in favour with the omnific public.

But what law cannot do, public sentiment can.
To the ungodly, public sentiment is law irresistible.
The thief and the robber are bound by it. Sur-
round them with purity of sentiment, and you make

214 THE HOUSE OF GOD.

them honest; first, because no man can habituall}'
do what all about him disapprove. The most de-
praved will be perfectly wretched, embosomed in a
holy community. They would break from it as
from a prison, and seek some mountain glade or
wilderness cave, where they might associate with
men of their own stamp. Man cannot live without
the countenance and sympathy of his fellow man.
And, secondly, because where public sentiment is
correct, human laws will be executed. Let duelling
be regarded by public opinion, as it is in fact, mur-
der, and it will no longer be the mark of a gentle-
man and the badge of honour. Let suicide be
marked with the universal horror and disgrace of
public feeling, and men will no longer take their
own lives. Let Sabbath breaking, and drunkenness,
and vices which are so depraved they may not be
named, receive the detestation, and united and over-
whelming frown of all who love morality and
religion, and they will be abandoned. And for the
formation of a correct public opinion, there is no
means so powerful as the House of God. Its influ-
ence operates not only upon those that attend the
public preaching of the Word, moulding and sanc-
tifying their principles, but it goes out into the
crowd that never attend the sanctuary. For the
men who hear the Gospel, bear out into society,
and act out, in their deportment, its principles ; and
others catch the moralizing influence, and spread it
wider and still wider over the surface of the com-
munity, till the whole mass is in some degree leav-
ened. " Hence, that portion of society which stand
aloof from the House of God, and perhaps gnash

W. A. SCOTT, D. D. 215

their teeth upon its holy solemnities, are blessed
through its influence. .It bears obliquely upon
them ; bat it is mighty, like no other law they
listen to. It gives them indirectly all their civil
privileges, the peaceable possession of their rights,
security of life, and exemption from midnight de-
predations, and from hourly oppressions. It sets a
watch about them and places a guard over their
goods and persons at the expense of others;"* a
watch and guard, which they should be ashamed to
let their fellow citizens sustain alone, but without
which society would be a den of thieves.

VI. The House of God furnishes the only true
STANDARD OF MORALS. — Without a rule it is not known
what is straight or what is crooked. Without some
standard of excellence, from which there can be no
appeal, it is not known what is right or what is
wrong. The Bible is the only rule of life by which
to form our creed, and regulate our private and pub-
lic actions. Conscience, although it is not, as Mcln
tosh asserts, "a human generation," is, neverthe-
less, very much the creature of education. Set up
conscience as the infallible standard, and then it will
be right to worship the Grand Lama — to immolate
widows upon the funeral piles of their husbands,
and to murder our children and our parents. Con-
science may be educated to tolerate any thing. It
may be reared so as to approve of the most monstrous
and cruel rites of Paganism.

Public opinion, though worthy of consideration, is
not a safe standard. It is wayward and blind, fickle
and feeble.

* Tract No. 223 of the American Tract Society, p. 6.

216 THE HOUSE OF GOD.

The laws of the land are also defective. There
are many virtues which they cannot enforce : such
as gratitude, fidelity in friendship, charity, proper
education of children, and the duties of piety, love
to God supremely, and to our neighbour as ourselves.
There are, on the other hand, many vices and crimes
which the laws of the land and the magistrates can-
not prevent; such as luxury, wasting, disrespect to
parents, partiality in voting, betting on elections, se-
cret fraud and peculation, and the such like. And
besides, the laws of the land and the civil magis-
trates never reach the heart. They cannot ferret
out the motives and secret purposes of the soul, nor
can they change and purify the heart. And what
is still more, how often are statutes dead letters?
The laws are perverted, misapplied, or neglected.
Either from ignorance or fear, negligence or parti-
ality, the guilty escape, and the innocent are op-
pressed.

K, then, it is desirable that men should live by
Gospel precepts, that they should love their country
— -fear God and Iionour the magistrate; that they
should be fervent in spirit, diligent in husiness, serv-
ing the Lord — upright in all their dealings with their
fellow men, and faithful in all their duties, let them
be brought under the influence of an able, evangeli-
cal pulpit.

VII. The House of God is the only preventive

FROM A FALSE RELIGION THE BiBLE IS THE ONLY AN-
TIDOTE OF Polytheism. — Whenever the Jews left off
the worship of Jehovah, they bowed down to
idols. Men may and do change their forms of re
ligion, but they cannot abandon all religions. To

W. A. SCOTT, D. D, 217

what extent some individuals may have succeeded
in eradicating religious truth from their minds, it is
not for us to determine; but all history, and our
own observation, teaches that no nation can exist
without some kind of religion. A nation of Athe-
ists is no where to be found ; nor can man exist with-
out some religious sentiments, as long as he is in pos-
session of his present faculties, intellectual and moral.
Some kind of reUgion is as indispensable in order to
meet the demands of his intellectual and moral nar
ture, as food is to satisfy the cravings of his appe-
tite. A man without some religious sentiments is
just as much deformed and mutilated in his moral
nature, as his physical would be without a limb or
an eye, or as his intellect would be without the power
of reason. The question, then, is not whether we
shall have no reHgion at all, but whether we have a true
or a false religion ; whether we will have Mahommc'
danism,ov Judaism, Paganism ov Christianity; Mor-
monism or any other fanaticism, or the religion which
is pure and undefiled in the sight of God the Father.
The religion of the Gospel is not only true and
excellent, but it is recommended by its economy.
Some system of religion we will have. It is infi-
nitely important, then, that we should have the best.
Here we must take it for granted, that you believe
the religion of the Bible, which is the religion of
Protestants, and is the religion of this great nation,
to be the most excellent system known upon earth.
The religion of the Bible is also the cheapest reli-
gion. Every religion has its priests and altars ; Pa-
ganism has its thousands of altars and its array of
priests to attend on every altar, and its thousand,

218 THE HOUSE OF GOD.

thousand victims. The appeal is made to your in
telligence, to your knowledge of false religions from
history and travellers, to show that they are more
expensive than the true. Your reading will also
remind you of the evils and expenses of religious
establishments supported by the State. Time for-
bids to notice the struggles of the people of Europe
under the patronage law and oppressive tithes, col-
lected at the point of the bayonet, to support a do-
tard hierarchy, overgrown, corrupt and tyrannical.
These are things which we know by the hearing of
the ear, and they make our ears to tingle, but they
are not parts or parcels of our own glorious history.
The people of the United States are 7iot, and never can
he, a tax-ridden i^eople, because they are not, and hy
the jjower of truth and the ever-living God, they never
shall he a king or priest-ridden people.

But think you, beloved hearers, if one should
sweep, as with the besom of destruction, all Christian
temples from our land, that we should not have to
erect infidel or heathen ones in their stead ; think
you that if you do not support the American Pro-
testant evangelical pulpit, that you will escape from
all pecuniary contributions to religious institutions ?
By no means.

" Where'er ye shed the honey, the buzzing flies will crowd ;
Where'er ye fling the carrion,, the raven's croak is loud ;
Where'er down Tiber garbage floats, the greedy pike ye see" —

Wheresoever the carcass is, there will the birds of
prey he gathered together.

Silence the Protestant pulpits of America, and the
vultures of a corrupt hierarchy would fatten on the
wealth of the land. Look at Mexico, with all the

W. A. SCOTT, D. D. 219

wealth of nature ; poor and ignorant, torn and dis-
tracted, wretched indeed — because it has long, even
from the beginning, been subject to a wicked, ava*
ricious, blood thirsty priesthood. The same may be
said of South America; blest with every climate and
every product, from tropical fruits and birds " on
starry wings," to the gold and diamonds of Brazil,
and the plumage and furs of colder skies. Let the
Anglo Saxon Protestant go to Mexico and South
America, and introduce his laws, language and reli-
gion, and they will become as the garden of the
Lord.

Look at France sixty years ago. Popery, the
established religion, with 400,000 ecclesiastics to
clothe and feed, who were princes of luxury, rolling
in every species of sumptuous living and high de-
bauchery, consuming the labours of the people — and
at Spain, superstitious, bloody, unhappy Spain, with
180,000 priests, and you may form some idea of
what it would cost to support Popery. The religion
of the Bible is not only the true religion, but it
is the cheapest. It demands fewer ministers, and a
simpler dress ; requiring a far less expensive appa-
ratus for worship ; neither robes, nor sceptres, nor
mitres, nor crucifixes, nor gorgeous altars, nor pomp
and splendid ceremonial ; but a broken heart, a
broken and a contrite spirit ; a simple, pure formula,
the word of God, and a ministry evangelical, of pure
hearts and clean hands. This is the religion of Jesus
Christ.

VI 11. The House of God is the depository of
TRUTH. — The pulpit is the expositor and interpreter
of the Bible, which is truth itself. If the Bible were

220 THE HOUSE OF GOD.

but the ruins of ancient learning ; the fragments of
remote annals, it would be a venerable document :
were it a fiction only, it would be a grand one ; then
how much more interesting and valuable as it is
truth, ancient, eternal truth — truth that is indisso-
lubly connected with our very existence and well-
being here and hereafter.

There is in the human mind a native love for
truth. It is agreeable to our natural constitution,
or, as Lord Shaftsbury has somewhere expressed it,
" Truth is so congenial to our minds that we love
the very shadow of it." Hence, truth is much easier
than falsehood, and hypocrisy itself is but the hom-
age of vice to virtue. And, on the same principle,
Horace, in his rules for the construction of an epic
poem, advises that "fictions in poetry should re-
semble truth." Then, as the Bible is the word of
God, and the pulpit is its authorized interpreter,
how necessary is the pulpit to our present and eter-
nal well-being. As the eye was formed for light,
and the ear for sound, so the mind is constituted for
the recejDtion and enjoyment of truth. As the limbs
of youth resist confinement, so the mind abhors
darkness. The eyes of the soul are formed to gaze
on the light of truth, and to revel in its ever new and
yet unchanging beauties. Must not the heart be
educated as well as the head ? and what but the en-
lightening, saving and purifying truth of the Bible
as the Holy Ghost presents it, can form man's heart
to holiness ? Is it not the pulpit that explains, de-
fends and brings home to the conscience and the
heart, the truths of Revelation ? Is it not from ths
pulpit religious instruction is to be chiefly sought ?

W. A. SCOTT, D. D. 221

Then, if school houses, universities and state houses
are worth the expense of their erection, how much
more ai^e temples to the living God ?

The House of God ever has been, and ever must
be, the grand receptacle of light from heaven,
whence it issues to restrain the passions and mould
the manners of men, and repair the ruins of the
apostacy. Where the House of God is not erected,
false religions eat up the people like a pestilence.
Falsehood, fraud and theft, and rapine and murder
so prevail, that no man sees another in whom he
places confidence. Domestic happiness and conjugal
fidelity, and parental and filial regard, are things
unknown, and for which many heathen languages
have not even a name. And every where, where
the Gospel is not, there prevails a government that
rules with a sceptre of iron. The hardest despotism
is rendered necessary by the absence of moral re-
straint. The Church is both the light and salt of
the earth. It was the blessed Saviour's praj-er for
the heirs of salvation : ^' Sanctify them through thy
truth." It is by the truth we are to be saved. And
it is ordinarily by the truth from the lips of a living
ministry, waiting on the courts of the Lord's House.,
that men are convicted of sin, and converted to God.
"By the foolishness of preaching it pleases God to
save them that believe." The subjects of divine
grace are taken usually from those that are in the
habit of attending Church, and hearing the truth
preached from Sabbath to Sabbath. In revivals of
religion, those families are generally the most blest
who are Church-going families. And far the greatest
proportion of youth who unite with the Church are

222 THE HOUSE OF GOD.

such as have been baptised in infancy. The Lord
is faithful in all his promises. "His mercy is from
everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him,
and his righteousness unto children's children, to
such as keep his covenant, and to those that remem-
ber his commandments to do them." Prostrate the
sanctuary, and we shall have neither creed, nor
covenant, nor communion, nor revival, nor liberty
of conscience, nor toleration of opinion, nor Bible in
our houses nor in our schools, nor the voice of sup-
plication and praise ; and our children would soon
be without God, and without Christ, and without
hope in the world.

Finally. — The. House of God is the fountain
OF light, life, and joy to the world. It is the
altar of praj^er. It is the presence chamber of the
Great King, "whose sceptre pardon gives." It is
there His honour dwells, and there he hath recorded
his name — A God that heareth prayer. Better
give up every other privilege than to have no share
in the prayers of God's people. " I would," says
one, " be without the means of self-defence, without
the protection of law, and without a shelter for my
head at night, but should not dare to cut myself off
from an interest in the prayers of the sanctuary.
Let no shower or dew fall on my field, or breezes fan
my habitation, or genial sun warm me ; but let me
not be excluded from the health beaming influence
of the House of Prayer. I would do without a
roof to cover my head, and have my lodging in the
clefts of the rock ; but I must go to the House of
the Lord, and fix my dying grasp upon the horns
of his altar." It is in the House of God that la-w

W. A. SCOTT; D. D. 223

and conscience speak out ; that a future state of ex-
istence, and a day of judgment and final retribution
are held up before the intellectual vision ; that life
and immortality are brought to light; that the
Gospel of the free grace of the ever blessed God is
preached, glad tidings of great joy to all people,
2)eace on earth, and good will to men. The House
of God instructs our ignorance, enlightens our un-
derstandings, corrects our judgments, renews our
wills, and reforms our lives. It imparts knowledge
to the poor, it gives the orphan a parent, the stran-
ser a friend, the sailor a brother, the prisoner a
aifTipanion, and the young man from Jioine a guide.
The Lord of the Sabbath and the God of the sanc-
tuary hath said : " Come unto me all ye that labour
and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." In
the House of God we learn how to live usefully
and happily, and how to die gloriously. Here,
parents and children, husbands and wives, masters
and servants, magistrates and people, are taught
their duties, and to enjoy their privileges. Here
they are taught how to live so as to gain everlasting
life in glory ; how to live that they may meet again,
after death, in the heavenly world, where there is
no more sorrow, nor crying, nor pain, nor sin, nor
separation, nor death. The House of God enligh1>-
ens, soothes, comforts, cheers, elevates, sanctifies,
and saves. It imparts salvation to the sin sick soul,
and seals it with pardon an heir of grace. It
hushes into a calm the tempest raised in the bosom
by conscious guilt, for it proclaims there is balm in

GiLEAD, THERE IS A PHYSICIAN THERE THERE IS FOR-
GIVENESS WITH God THAT HE MAY BE FEARED. ThE

224: THE HOUSE OF GOD.

BLOOD OF HIS SON CLEANSETII US FROM ALL SIN. It

melts the most obdurate into tenderness and con-
trition. It cheers the broken hearted, and brings
the tear of gladness into eyes swollen with grief.
It maintains serenity under calamities that drive
the worldling mad. It reconciles the sufferer to his
cross, and raises songs of praise from lips quivering
with agony. It teaches the fading eye to brighten
at the sweet promises of Jesus, and brings a fore-
taste of heaven down to the " chamber where the
good man meets his fate."

" Jesus can make a dying bed
Feel soft as downy pillows are."

Blessed is the people that know the joyful
sound : they shall walk, 0 lord, in the light of
thy countenance.

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.
Blessed be the Lord for evermore Amen and
Amen.

[rrwuwii'MLW

PERPETUITY OF THE CHURCH.

J. C. LORD, D. D.

PASTOR OF THE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, BUFFALO, W. T.

Wherefore we receiving a kingdom that cannot be moved, let us have
grace whereby we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and
godly fear. — Heb. xii. 28.

What kingdom is this which cannot be moved ?
What kingdom is that which has not been moved, and
shall not be for ever ? Where is the law of absolute
permanency manifested ? Where are the everlasting
foundations that never shall be shaken ? Shall we
turn to the kingdom of nature for an example, ex-
pecting to find unchangeableness there? Upon a
careful examination, a state of facts will be discerned
at war with the commonly received opinions of the
permanency and fixedness of the course of nature.
If we go back a few centuries in our investi-
gations, we find that extraordinary interruptions
and changes have marked the history of this king-
dom, since God created the heavens and the earth,
the proofs of which are graven in the rocks by the
finger of the great Architect j the memorials of which

16 (236)

_J

226 PERPETUITY OF THE CHURCH.

are as numerous as the heights of the earth, and the
depths of the sea. Our globe has been shaken by
convulsions, which have overwhelmed existing or-
ders of life ; which have thrust the mountains sky-
ward, and hollowed out the profound depths where
are gathered the waters of the ocean. The chaotic
state which preceded the present order of things,
when the earth was without form and void, has left
every where visible and indubitable marks of its
existence. The ancient forms of life have passed
away, and new ones have been created to supply
their places. The economy of existence, in this
world, has been changed more than once ; and the
present order of things reposes on the wrecks of pre-
existent and extinguished forms of life. The ruins
of primitive forests, of a diverse order or species
from those which now exist, constitute the beds of
toal from which we draw inexhaustible supplies
of fuel. The metals we use were melted in furna-
ces in the interior of the earth, and injected in veins
through the masses of igneous rocks, broken by a
power which shattered the crust of the globe, and
upheaved the mountains, whose scattered debris
constitute the soils which now produce the precious
fruits of the earth. The attrition and decompo-
sition of substances forced out of the bosom of the
planet, and distributed by the alternate action of
cold and heat, by the agency of fire, air, and water,
constitutes the basis of all vegetable production, and
the support of the present kingdom of life. The
roots of the present economy draw their sustenance
from the graves of its predecessors. We build not
only upon, but with the tombs of extinct orders of

J. C. LORD, D. D. 227

life ; more than this, the regularity and uniformity
of the present order of things is the result of a pre-
vious designed irregularity and disorder, which pre-
pared the globe for the support of its present inhab-
itants. Mountains and valleys are the ridges of
ancient volcanoes, which drove the plowshare of ap-
parent ruin through the crust of the earth, only to
prepare the way for man, and the orders of life Avith
which it pleased God to surround him. The ancient
vegetable kingdom was buried as a deposit for his
use ; before this, in the era of fire which preceded
all forms of life, the metals were fabricated, and
then deposited, or rather driven, near the surface by
volcanic action, for the same wise and benevolent
purpose. All the primitive systems have passed
away, having performed their office by furnishing
the means of support to that which was to succeed
them.

The scriptural chronology commences with the
creation of man, after a brief intimation of a pre-
existing amorphous condition of the earth ; and it is
conceded that geological phenomena do not indicate
a longer time than six thousand years for the pre-
sent order or kingdom of life. The Bible no where
limits the length of that period during which the
planet was in an imperfect and forming condition ;
nor are we told how long the Spirit of God was mov-
ing upon the face of the waters, preparatory to the
last six day's work of creation. But without dwel-
ling further on this interesting theme, may we not
presume that enough has been said to show that the
kingdom of nature has none of the permanency
spoken of in the text ? It has been revolutionized ;

228 PERPETUITY OF THE CHURCH.

it has been shifted from foundation to foundation ;
it has been moved from its earlier conditions ; it has
been without all life under the dominion of fire ; it
was inhabited for a time only by the inferior forms
of existence, which sport in the waters, or by gigantic
lizards, which haunted the marshes among ferns sixty
feet high ; it has experienced numerous interrup-
tions destructive of the earlier organisms, which have
been succeeded by new acts and new forms of creation.
•The present economy under which we live is con-
tinued now by no necessity of nature, and abides in
an orderly way, only because God " upholdeth all
things" by the same word of power by which he called
order and form, and life and light, out of darkness
and death, out of emptiness and nothingness. It is
the sure word of promise that perpetuates the king-
dom of nature during the appointed time, for God
said to Noah, when he came out of the ark, " While
the earth remaineth summer and winter, seed time
and harvest, cold and heat, and day and night shall
not cease."

But as this kingdom of nature has been moved by
the concurrent testimony of science and religion, so
there is the same evidence that it is destined to new
revolutions and changes. The promise to Noah im-
plies the end of the present economy ; "while the
earth remaineth," that is, during the appointed period
of its present state, "seed time and harvest shall not
fail."

The apostle Peter, in his second epistle, declares
that "the heavens shall pass away with a great
noise, the elements melt with fervent heat; the earth
also, and the works that are therein shall be

J. C. LORD, D. D. 229

burned." He announces that " all these things shall
be dissolved ;" ''nevertheless," continues the apostle,
"we, according to his promise, look for a new heavens
and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness."
It appears to be the meaning of the inspired writer,
that the present economy, its order, its laws, its at-
mosphere, its forms of matter, and life shall be dis-
solved ; not annihilated, but reduced by fire to the
same rudiments out of which God before educed the
first creations. " We look," he says, "for a new hea-
vens and a new earth," implying, we think, a neto
and higher organism, to be fashioned out of the old
materials, because he adds, "wherein dwelleth right-
eousness." How strikingly analagous is this declara-
tion of the final consummation of the divine plan,
in the new heavens and the new earth, with the phy-
sical history of the planet, at first a globe of fire,
upon which was superinduced, at length, an inferior
economy of life, followed by new kingdoms, advanc-
ing in importance, increasing in beauty and glory,
until man appears made in the image of God. But
this condition, impaired by the apostacy and defaced
by sin, must give way at length to a "new heavens
and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness."
That the globe has once been a mass of fire, proves
that it may again become so ; and as God has super-
induced new and more perfect creations upon the
destruction of the older organisms, have we not here
a confirmation of the divine word, which promises
a new heavens and a new earth at last, perfect in
righteousness — an immovable kingdom?

But there is proof in the present arrangement of
our globe, that the kingdom of life that now subsists

230 PERPETUITY OF THE CnURCH.

upon it must be dissolved. Is it not manifest that
our economy is to wax old, and at last vanish away,
or be changed into what the apostle calls a new hear
vens and a new earth? Consider, for a moment, what
renders the world habitable. Are not the moun-
tains and the valleys of our planet, its rivers and
seas, essential to the healthy condition of its atmos-
phere, no less than to the productiveness of its soil,
and its eligibility, in numerous respects, as an abode of
man, and the circle of life of which he is the head'
Now, it is philosophically and strictly true, that a
time must come, however remote the period, when
the earth, by the operation of known laws, will cease
to be a suitable habitation for our race. The newly
cut and sharply defined caverns of the ocean, made
by the convulsions which preceded the existing econ-
omy, are slowly filling up, and must in time cease
to fulfill their office. A single river, like the Gan-
ges or the Mississippi, would, in a period which can
be ascertained and stated in figures, discharge a conti-
nent into the sea. Every mountain on the globe, by
an observable process, must in time be precipitated,
until at last a dreary and stagnant level, exposed ta
the incursions of the sea, would characterise all its
continents and islands. The earth grows old, like
a decaying edifice, and by the operation of known
physical causes must at length become uninhabita-
ble— a worn out and broken dwelling, requiring the
return of another chaos, a new fracture of its flat-
tened crust, new convulsions destructive of all life,
to heave up new mountains and hollow out fresh
cavities, and then a new creation to people the new
world. So then the kingdom of nature is not the

J. C. LORD, D. D. 231

kingdom spoken of in the text, which cannot be
moved, for this kingdom has been moved, and shall
again be; which is taught also by these words of the
apostle in the context, "whose voice then shook the
earth, but now he hath promised, saying, yet once
more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven ;
and the words once more signifieth the removing of
those things that are shaken as of things that are
made, that those things which cannot be shaken may
remain ; wherefore we, receiving a kingdom that
cannot be moved, let us have grace whereby we may
serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear."

The apostle here contrasts the visible things of
the Hebrew economy, and with them all temporal
and material forms which are to be shaken, with a
kingdom which, he informs us, cannot be moved.

Where, then, are we to look for this kingdom ? Is
it among the kingdoms of the world ? Let history
answer ; let us listen to the voices from the sepul-
chres of empires ; let us mark the wrecks of king-
doms that lie scattered on the shores of time. Where
are the first, and perhaps the grandest of monarchies
among men, of the days of the giants of old, men of
renown, who filled the earth with violence ? Where
are the antediluvian kingdoms, to which the first
sixteen centuries gave birth, when men lived a
thousand years, and had time to perfect their know-
ledge, to complete their plans, to make durable their
monuments, and, if it were possible with temporal
things, to lay immovable foundations? They are
utterly finished, their memorials have perished from
among men ; all record of them is lost, save only
the brief narration in Genesis of their "uilt and their

232 PERPETUITY OF THE CHURCH.

doom. The last great catastrophe in nature was
ordained for their judgment, for God saw that the
earth was filled with violence, and that all flesh had
corrupted his way, and opened the windows of hear
ven, and broke up the foundations of the great deep,
and swept away the debased populations who had
filled the earth with blood and the heavens with in-
dignation. The sea roars over the broken monu-
ments of the antediluvian kingdoms which perished
beneath its waves. Over the chasm of forty centu-
ries the wail of the primative generations comes echo-
ing upon our ears like the noise of many waters.
" He uttered his voice, the kingdoms were moved,
the earth trembled; thou coverest with the deep as
with a garment ; the waters rose above the moun-
tains, at thy rebuke they fled, at the voice of thy
thunder they hasted away."

Was there no kingdom that survived that general
doom? Mark you yon vessel upon that wild waste
of waters, that fathomless and shoreless sea, the
sport of storms that sweep from the equator to the
poles ? Keeps she, amid the terrors of the deluge,
such a charge ? Bears she a kingdom there, pre-
served out of the universal destruction, and which
shall never be moved ? If so, no wave shall break
her bulwarks ; no yawning grave of billows shall
enclose her priceless freight. Who sails with her
shall come to land, though naught but a howling
sea, and a leaden sky are now visible ; though every
element of destruction rage around her battered hull,
like roaring lions, greedy for their prey.

Where is that post diluvian kingdom, whose seat of
power was in the plain of Shinar, through which flows

J. C. LORD, D. D. 233

the ancient river Euphrates, once bearing upon its
bosom the commerce of nations, the wealth of the
world? Where is that capitol city that styled her-
self the Lady of Nations, the Queen of Kingdoms,
to whom a hundred and twenty provinces, compre-
hending all languages and tongues, sent tribute, and
before whom, as to a divinity, they rendered homage ?
Where is that gorgeous Babylon, whose golden tow-
ers shone ever in that cloudless climate, reflecting
the sun by day, and the stars by night ? Where is that
glory of the Chaldean's excellency, whose circuit, for
a swift rider, was the journey of a dayj upon whose
walls, higher than the commemoration columns of
modern times, three chariots could drive abreast,
fearless of the dizzy height, and sheer descent on
either hand ? Alas ! there is no response. Babylon
gives no sign, though the neighbouring Nineveh is
rendering up her sculptured forms, her glorious sj)e-
cimens of art, concealed for centuries, to the curious
eyes of a generation, wise in its own conceit, but
who from the Assyrian tombs might learn humility,
if this were possible. But no man knows the pre-
cise site of Babylon ; the Euphrates, which treach-
erously admitted Cyrus within its walls, spreads out
her channel to conceal her crime, enwra2:)ping in one
dark morass the first and most magnificent of all
the Capitols of the world ; and thus the royal word
of prophecy, uttered before the glory of Chaldea had
begun to diminish, is fulfilled; "And Babylon, the
glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldean's ex-
cellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom
and Gomorrah ; it shall never be inhabited, neither
shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation ;

234. PERPETUITY OF THE CHURCH.

neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there ; neither
shall the shepherds make their fold there ; but wild
beasts of the desert shall be there. And their houses
shall be full of doleful creatures, and owls shall dwell
there, and satyrs shall dance there. And the wild
beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses,
and dragons in their pleasant palaces, and her time
is near to come, and her days shall not be prO'
longed." The kingdom was removed from Babylon
with a destruction like that which overtook the
cities of the plain, where the sluggish waters of the
Dead Sea mark the place and the manner of the
divine judgment. The site of the one is a noxious
marsh, of the other a putrid sea, whose barren shores
are watered by no dews from heaven, The wild
Arab, himself the child of prophecy, avoids both as
spots accursed of God, and pitches his tent neither
by the sea of death, nor the marsh of the Euphrates,
filled with doleful creatures.

What kingdoms of this world have not been
moved, what political foundations have not been de-
stroyed ? The fate of Babylon and Rome, the first
arid lad of the universal monarchies is the history
of all the empires and kingdoms of this world. It
is true a shrunken spectre yet haunts the banks of
the Tiber with "the horns of a lamb but the voice
of a dragon," claiming ghostly dominion over men,
pretending to be the head of a kingdom that shall
not be moved, exalting himself to the throne of God,
nay, above all that is called God or worshipped,
wearing upon his triple crown the words of blas-
phemy, changing times and laws, forbidding to
marry, and commanding to abstain from meats ; but

J. C. LORD, D. D. 235

he is a king of death among the dead, a ghoul amid
the tombs, a galvanized corpse mimicking life in a
sepulchre, a starving vampire amid the skeletons of
nations, a throned shadow aping the old despotism
that once set its heel upon kings. The scarlet
mantled harlot of prophecy, drunk with the blood
of saints, sits still upon the seven hills, with the pro-
phetical name upon her forehead, seen in vision by
the apostle John, ''Mystery, Babylon the great;"
but her strength is broken, the shuddering nations
will no more drink from the golden cup of her abo-
minations ; she waits the day of her predicted doom.
Rome is a city of dead men's bones, a tomb of giants
haunted by pigmies. The kingdom spoken of in the
text is not there; the spiritual tyranny that is en-
throned in the place of God in the western church
had its beginning and will have its end ; it is an
antichristian usurpation, whose days are numbered
by the sure word of prophecy; the Pontiffs are des-
tined to the same doom as the Csesars. The fate of
the empire will overtake the remorseless despotism
which has ever imitated the splendour of Pagan
Rome, and fashioned itself after the model of its
government, and baptised its heathenish ritual with
Christian names ; which has travestied the example
of the Lycaonians, who called Paul Jupiter and Bar-
nabas Mercurius, by worshipping Jupiter under the
name of Peter, and the demi-gods under the appel-
lation of saints.

The souls of the martyrs, whose blood the Papacy
has shed for the word of God and the testimony of
Jesus, does still cry out from under the altar, saying,
"How long, 0 Lord, holy and true dost thou not

236 PERPETUITY OF THE CHURCH.

judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell in
the earth ?" and voices in heaven and earth respond,
"Their judgment now of a long time lingereth not."
Where is the kingdom among men that has not
been moved, from the golden head seen in Daniel's
vision of the four great monarchies, to the feet of
iron and clay ? Have they not all been broken with-
out hand and perished for ever? Are not the solemn
words "passing awa}^" engraven on all the monu-
ments of modern civilization, on all the glory of the
existing nations ? What flaming portents of change
and revolution come flashing across the Atlantic,
visible in the new world ; what rumors of oppres-
sion, usurpation and war are wafted on the wands;
what wailing of the down trodden populations of
Europe sweeps sighing over the ocean! Have they
not found, from an exile on our own shores, a voice
of surpassing eloquence, penetrating all hearts, filling
all eyes with tears of compassion and sympathy?
Like the restless waves the kingdoms of our own
day are moved ; they stagger to and fro like drunken
men ; they heave like the earth, which treasures in
its bosom the fires of the volcano ; as Samson, bound
to the pillars of Dagon's house, shook its foundations
in his death agony, so the populations of the world
are writhing in their chains and shaking the eccle-
siastical and political despotisms which crush them.
Those scenes which were witnessed a few years
since in Europe seem about to be repeated ;

When Death was riding grimly forth with Terror by his side,
And blood stained war and pestilence, and famine hollow eyed.

And while the kingdoms of the old world are
moved, is there no danger for us ? Shall we pre-

J. C. LORD, D. D.

237

sume upon our precocious infancy, upon our gigantic
and vigorous youth, in our wide territory and ror
pidly advancing population, in our free institutions
and glorious union of States? Is there not danger
that we may forget our exposedness to this universal
law of change? Have not clouds already arisen
upon our horizon, which, though no bigger than a
man's hand, have threatened the dissolution of the
Republic, and darkened the hopes of political and
religious liberty over the world ? Have we not seen
enough to teach us the mutability of national great-
ness, and to lead us to implore the Founder and
Ruler of nations to preserve that which he has
estabUshed, to save us from evil counsels, from ruin-
ous divisions, that we may not perish as a people in
our childhood, but may at least pass through the
period ordinarily allotted to great empires, and that
we may not madly hasten and anticipate that de-
cline and decay which sooner or later fall upon the
most fortunate kingdoms of this world ?

But you have already anticipated the direct an-
swer to the question, " where is this law of perma-
nence? where is the unchangeable foundation of
which the apostle speaks in the text ? You know
it is the kingdom of God, the church purchased by
the blood of Christ, the people assured to him in the
counsels of the eternal Trinity, and by the covenant
of redemption. But a question still remains. Where
is the attribute of permanency manifested ? In what
does this unchangeableness consist? There are va-
rious aspects under which the kingdom of Christ may
be considered. In which does the declaration of the
apostle find its verification ? Let us briefly reply.

238 PERPETUITY OF THE CHURCH.

In order intelligibly to decide this inquiry, we
must look for those things in the kingdom of Christ
which exhibit the unity of the church ; which have
been the same in all generations, and which must
continue the same to the end.

It will not be denied, by any called Christians,
that this immovable kingdom has existed from the
beginning; that the Church was founded in the
family of Adam, and had its fundamental doctrine
in the word which God uttered in the ears of our
apostate progenitors, as they were driven forth from
Eden, "the seed of the woman shall bruise the
serpent's head ;" that it had its first sacrament in the
lamb offered by Abel as an expiation, symbolising
the lamb of God slain in the divine purpose before
the foundation of the world. What the external
order of worship was in the antediluvian church we
know not, but it is obvious that the apostle, in the
text, has no reference to this, because he is con-
trasting the visibilities of the Hebrew economy,
which were now passing away with that in the
Church, which is ever unchangeable. "And this
word," says the apostle, " signifieth the remaining
of those that are shaken as of things that are made,
that those things which cannot be shaken may
remain, wherefore we, receiving a kingdom that
cannot be moved, let us have grace whereby we
may serve God acceptably, with reverence and with
godly fear." As though he had said that which is
external and visible in the Hebrew economy is
shaken, and will pass away with all temporal things ;
what is immovable and unchangeable in the king-
dom of God and of Christ, we receive in the dispen*

J. C. LORD, D. D. 239

sation of the Gospel, which is committed to us.
The external order of the Church has ever partaken
of the same law of change Avhich we observe in
the kingdoms of this world. There have been va-
rious dispensations, various external successions, and
diverse forms of government in the kingdom of
Christ. The Church has worshipped under different
forms and administrations ; she has had priesthoods
and rituals, and she has been without them ; she
has had sacred localities to which her service has
been confined, and where it has been prescribed.
*' Our fathers," said the woman of Samaria, " wor-
shipped in this mountain, and ye say that in Jeru-
salem is the place where men ought to worship.
Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour
Cometh when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor
yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father." The He-
brew was shut up to the hill of Zion ; the tribes
went up to worship God at the sacred temple ; there
was the holy of holies ; there was the Shekinah, the
visible glory of the invisible king ; there only could
the sacrifice of the law be offered. Of that locality
the Holy Ghost had uttered these words, "His
foundation is the holy mountain ; the Lord loveth
the gates of Zion more than all the dwelling places
of Jacob; glorious things are spoken of thee, 0 city
of God; all my springs are in thee." But the true
succession, the unchangeable priesthood, the one
sacrifice that perfecteth for ever, was not in the tem-
ple service which passed away, because it was but a
shadow of the substantial things in that kingdom
that cannot be moved. The same faith that had
been syrabohsed in the temple for centuries, pre-

240 PERPETUITY OF THE CHURCH.

served, as in a fortified city, by the Hebrew, to whom
was committed the oracles of God, embalmed in his
economy, defended like some forms of life in nature
in the chrysalis state, until the appointed day of
their enlargement, when they can spread their wings
safely in the sun. The ftxith of Abel, and Enoch,
and Noah, and Abraham, was now proclaimed in
every valley and on every mountain. Christ cru-
cified was set forth in every habitation, from the
palace of Nero at Rome, to the hut of the savage
Scythian in the northern wilderness. " The Church
of God, which is in thy house," was the language
of the apostles in their epistles to the brethren ;
the congregation of believers assembled for worship
in dens and caves of the earth ; the sacred symbols,
of the most holy passion of our Lord, were exhibited
in fields and forests, or wherever else the Christian
minister and his flock could escape from the obser-
vation of their persecutors. The ensigns of the
kingdom that cannot be moved went out from the
temple and the ritual of the Hebrews, to be given to
the breeze in every island, and continent, and sea.

Nor is ecclesiastical order in the house of God the
element of permanency spoken of in the text. There
can be no doubt of its value and importance in its
place, but it is very certain that no visible priest-
hood, no one form of church government, no un-
broken succession of ordinations or ordinances have
constituted or manifested the unchangeableness of
that kino'dom that cannot be moved. There are
many administrations, though but one Lord. The
Church is represented by the apostle as having an
unchangeable priesthood only in Christ, who abideth

J. C. LORD, D. D. 241

for ever ; the doctrines of the Cross and not the forms
in wJiicJi tlvey are exhlhlted remain, through succes-
sive dispensations, and survive them all, the same
with the divine Authors "yesterday, to-day and
for ever."

There is an analogy in civil governments which
are ordained of God, in which we perceive a diver-
sity of administrations, or rather a diversity of forms
under which they may be and are administered.
We have a right to our opinion as to which of these
is preferable, but it is no where contended that go-
vernment can have no valid existence except in a
particular mode. We think the Scriptures clearly
make the validity of statutes, and the recognition of
the authority of the magistrate to consist, not in the
form but in the fid of government, and this is
agreeable to the principles of international law.
States do not refuse to recognise each other because
their governments are administered under different
forms; it is only a condition of anarchy which is out
of the pale of all national fellowship. "The powers
that be," says the apostle, "are ordained of God,"
that is, existing powers or administrations, under
whatever diversities they appear; the fact and not
the form of government is that which is divinely
ordained, and hence the former is universal and un-
changeable, according to the purpose and will of the
supreme Governor, while in respect to the latter
there is no law of pennanency, b®ii rather one of
change, accommodated to the wants, the progress
and circumstances of particular nations, ages and
races. Is there any evidence that a different prin-
ciple prevails for the government of the church, or

17

242 PERPETUITY OF THE CHURCH.

that God has prescribed an infallible order of exter-
nal rituals, without which all faith and all penitence
are vain? Has the Most High bound his Church to
any thing more than the fact of government, upon
the general principles found in the New Testament,
since the day that the shadows of the Hebrew eco-
nomy gave place to the light and liberty of the gos-
pel dispensation? While we endeavour to approxi-
mate as nearly as possible to what appears to us to
have been the order of the apostles and the primi-
tive Church, have we a right to refuse to all others
the Christian name; to say with the Jews, "The
temple of the Lord are we," or to exclude from the
pale of the visible kingdom of God and from our
Christian charity, those who cast out devils in the
name of Christ, though they follow not with us?
That charity has its boundaries we freely concede,
but we do not believe that they are to be found in
mere questions of church order, for these are not the
immutable foundations of the kingdom of Christ.
Wherever the fundamental doctrines of the gospel
are denied, there is no basis for fellowship, and to
form one in such a case is betraying the Master into
the hands of his enemies. " If there come any to
you," says the apostle John, "and bring not this doc-
trine, receive him not into your house, neither bid
him God speed ; he that abideth not in the doctrine
of Christ hath not God, and every spirit that con-
fesseth not that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh
is not of God ; he is antichrist that denieth the Fa-
ther and the Son, and whosoever denieth the Son
the same hath not the Father." The doctrines of
the divinity, incarnation and sacrifice of Christ, of

J. C. LORD, D. D. 243

the divinity and office of the Holy Spirit, and his
work of conviction, regeneration and sanctification,
of salvation by grace without the deeds of the law
and of eternal judgment, are fundamental in the
gospel scheme, and if rejected compel us to refuse
fellowship with those who deny them.

That is a true Church which maintains what has
been common in all the dispensations of tl- king-
dom of Christ — the doctrine of redemption by the
sacrifice of the Son of God, and the symbol or sacra-
ment of it as found in all the economies of the
Church. The first revelation of the truth was in the
garden ; its symbol or sacrament, which is the visible
sign and expression of it, w^as in the sacrifices com-
mon to all the dispensations of the Church until the
coming of Christ, when the Lord's supper took its
place, pointing back to the cross, or to a perfected
work, as the former had prefigured it before its con-
summation. Upon this view that congregation of
worshippers who profess the common doctrine, and
exliibit the common sacrament, which has been main-
tained in the kingdom of God in all ages, dispenser
tions and changes, is a true Church of Christ, and to
be recognised as such by all believers, whatever ex-
ternal differences of order, ritual or government may
distinguish them.

But there is another aspect in which this subject
may be presented, another sense in which the im-
mutability, and, consequently, the real visibility and
unity of the church may be apprehended. The king-
dom of grace, as established in the soul of every be-
liever, called according to the purpose of God, is one
that is immamhle; and that this is principally in-

244 PERPETUITY OF THE CHURCH.

tended in the text, may be argued from the form of
the expression, " we receiving a kingdom that can-
not be moved," for we come to what is external and
ritual in the church; ive receive what is rcneicing and
sanctifying ; we come by a pubhc profession to the
city of the living God; rue receive by divine grace
"the kingdom of heaven within us."

The kingdom of grace is that principle of holiness
which is imparted to, and sustained in, the soul by
the Holy Ghost. It is practically manifest and visi-
ble to men in a cordial reception of divine truth, and
in practical obedience to the commandments. It is
known by its unity of faith and character in all
ages and dispensations. Here is the abiding unity
of the Church from the family of Adam to the
present day, and to the existing company of be-
lievers, by whatever name called ; here is the "holy
generation, the royal priesthood, the peculiar peo-
ple," whose succession is visible not merely from the
apostles, and for the last two thousand years, but
for sixty centuries, and from Abel and Enoch, from
Noah and Abraham. As the book of Genesis and
the gospel of Mathew, as the revelation of Job and
that of John, contain the same doctrine, so there is a
succession of men, from the apostacy to the present
time, receiving the same faith, practising the same
godliness, and exhibiting the same sacrament. Here
is the remnant after the election of grace, here the
true Israel, for what is real and fundamental in
Christian experience is real and fundamental in the
visibility of the Church, and constitutes that true
UNITY which binds together all true believers from
the beginning to the end of the world.

J. C. LORD D. D. 246

But, more particularly, let us inquire why this
kingdom of grace cannot be moved.

1. Because it is a spiritual kingdom set up in the
soul itself, which does not partake of the changeable
character of temporal foundations. *• The things
that are seen are temporal," even in the Church of
God; but the things which are unseen are eternal.
The visible and external dispensations of the Church
have each in turn Ijeen shaken and moved, and
shall be ; its rituals and ordinances, its government
and sacraments, have their appointed daj^, and must
at last disappear, when time is swallowed up in
eternity, and death in victory- ; but the kingdom of
grace, set up in the soul, abides for ever. The
heavens shall pass away, the elements shall melt
with fervent heat, all visible things and forms shall
wax old, and, as worn out vestures, shall be folded
up, but this kingdom, like its Author, shall not fail,
and of its years there shall be no end.

This kingdom shall not be moved for another
reason. It originated in the purpose of God, and is
maintained by his power. It can never die out of
the world, because the Father hath given a seed to
the Son in all generations ; because, in the covenant
of redemption, the heathen are promised to him for
his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth
for a possession. The Church for this has survived
all changes, outlived all persecutions, and, with im-
mortal youth, walks among the graves of false phi-
losophies, of decayed superstitions, purifying the
polluted atmosphere, and pointing the heirs of sin
and death to an inheritance incorruptible and unde-
filed, eternal in the heavens. So, in the soul, if the

246 PERPETUITY OF THE CHURCH.

kingdom of grace be set up, it cannot be moved ;
for it is the Spirit that quickeneth, it is Christ that
died, yea rather that is risen again, who ever liveth to
make intercession for us, so that neither death, nor
hfe, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor
things present, nor things to come, nor heighth, nor
depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to sepa-
rate us from the love of God, which is in Christ
Jesus our Lord."

This kingdom cannot be moved because it is that
on account of which all others exist. God perpetu-
ates the race, and ordains governments and exercises
a universal providence over the evil and the good,
for the reason that he has a people which he will
take out of all nations and races. For this the
wicked live, because in their generations are num-
bered the elect ; for this empires are founded, and
flourish and fall ; for this the tares and the wheat
grow together till the harvest; for this "the hea-
then are permitted to rage and the people to ima-
gine a vain thing," until the day when all nations
shall hear the voice of him that sitteth in the hea-
vens, saying, "Yet have I set my king upon my holy
hill of Zion, and I will give him the uttermost parts
of the earth for his possession." All temporal king-
doms are but scaffolding for the building of God; all
revolutions tend to accomplish his designs. Wars
break doAvn the barriers which prevent the progress
of the gospel; migrations for gold are caravans to
carry the Bible and the missionary of the Cross to
the dark places of the earth. God and the Church
are the explanation of history, without which it is a
dark unreadable enigma.

J. C. LORD, D. D.

247

This kingdom of grace is immovable, because its
author and head, its jDrophet, priest and king, is
divine, co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and
the Holy Ghost. The eternity and immutability
of his nature attaches itself to the church purchased
by his blood; because he lives and reigns^ his people
shall live and reign with him. The two natures of
the God-man mediator may be said to symbolise the
two aspects under which his church maybe viewed;
in one we see the w^eakness and changeableness of
finite things, in the external order of his visible king-
dom, in its exposedness to corruptness, declensions
and heresies ; in its various dispensations and chang-
mg rituals; in the other, we see the law of absolute
permanency in the one faith and the one sacrament
preserved in all generations. So in the individual
Christian, the weakness of a finite nature and its
remaining corruptions are ever in noticeable con-
trast with the power of that divine life in the souls
of believers, which is the working of the Holy Spi-
rit, who is able to keep them from falling, as the
Son in his own righteousness is able to present them
faultless and spotless before the presence of the Fa-
ther with exceeding joy.

Finally, do you inquire how can a congregation
of professed worshippers know that they belong to
this immovable kingdom ; how can the individual
satisfy himself whether he be of the household of
faith to whom pertain the promises ? The answer
is easy ; upon the principles we have suggested, the
congregation have only to ascertain whether they
have the faith and the sacrament that has charac-
terised the true Church in all her dispensations ; for

248 PERPETUITY OF THE CHURCH.

this they must search the Scriptures, and seek to
know the voice cf the Holy Spirit speaking in them,
the only infallible guide to truth and judge of con-
troversies.

There is no view of the subject which can furnish
so solid a ground of satisfaction to the individual as
the one we nave suggested. Whether he has re-
ceived this kingdom, is upon the basis presented, a
matter of consciousness; it is not a matter of inves-
tigation, of endless genealogies, full of difficulties
which perplex even the learned, but a question of
fact in the believer's personal experience. Is the
kingdom of God within him ? Is the love of God
shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost ? Are
the fruits of the Spirit manifested in his life ? Are
the truths of the gospel dear to him ? Does he cleave
to Christ and his imputed righteousness as the sole
ground of his justification? Are the doctrines which
exalt God and stain the pride of human glory pre-
cious to his soul ? Has he some foretaste of heaven
in the religious emotions, the gratitude and praise
that are kindred in his bosom? Has he received the
same spiritual baptism with holy men of old, and
does he find the revelation of his own conflict with
the world, the flesh, and the devil, in the inspired
record of their trials and their experience ? Is not
here the only reasonable and satisfactory assurance
of eternal life ? Is not all else of the nature of for-
malism or rationalism vague, uncertain and unsatis-
factory? I speak to wise men, judge yel

SEEING THINGS INVISIBLE.

BT

J. H. JONES, D. D.

PASTOR OP THE SIXTH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, PHILADELPHIA,

We look not at the things which are seen, but at the things •which aia
not seen. — 2 Cor. iv. 18.

And this furnishes a key to the changed conduct
and Ufe of Paul after his conversion. His sundering
of personal, social, and domestic ties ; his voluntary
renunciation of so many things that were gain to
him — wealth, distinction, and honour — for the sake
of Christ. However appalling to others the prospect
before him — disgrace, poverty, extreme bodily peril,
and probable martj^dom — yet none of these things
moved him. There were other things, and greater
far than these, by which he was influenced, and
which had a substantial presence, though invisible
to the eye of sense. Those grand and awful realities
of the unseen world that were hidden from others
were visible to him. Hence the apostle acted as
if the Judge of quick and dead, to whom he was
to give account, was ever present to counsel, direct,
and overawe him. But what is here asserted by the

(249)

250 SEEING THINGS INVISIBLE.

author of our text concerning himself, is verified in
the life of all who are governed by his principles.
While the things that present the predominant mo-
tives of their conduct are not seen, they act as if
they were habitually before them, as really as are
the objects of sense, which so much affect the con-
duct of others. This is the truth on which it is
proposed to enlarge in this discourse, and use for our
practical advantage.

The thought here is complex, and may be ex-
pressed in the two following propositions :

I. That the things which furnish the most cogent
motives to a religious life are invisible, but

II. That the consistent believer lives habitually
as if he saw them.

The former of these propositions, it is wel] known,
has been urged by the sceptical as a serious objec-
tion to our religion, viz : that its motives are, to such
an extent, derived from things unseen, and not from
objects best suited to affect us in our present condi-
tion ; that its rewards and punishments are, in the
main, prospective, and look to a future state, and not
the present. The same has been said of its doctrines
generally, that they are abstruse and incomprehen-
sible. What a dense and impenetrable mist of dark-
ness hangs over the grave ! Death, we are taught,
is but the beginning of an endless life ; that it is not
the end of consciousness, but a physical change
merely — a separation of the mortal from the immor-
tal part of man for a season only, when they are to
be reunited in a state of eternal retribution. But
how little of this is warranted by what we see?
Even the Saviour, who is represented as the only

J. n. JONES, D. D. 251

hope of the guiltj, is also concealed ; and God no
man liaili seen nor can see. He dwelleth in light
which no man can approach unto, and why is this?
Why should that sort of truth, on whose practical
influence depends the eternal welfare of the soul, be
so hidden from our senses ? Why not indulge us
occasionally with the sight of a resurrection — a fa-
vour which it is so easy for God to grant ? Why not
permit the reappearing of a departed acquaintance
or relative, to tell ^s about the invisible world?
Why could not Paul, or Augustine, Luther, Baxter,
Watts, or some other distinguished saint, come back
to the earth for a time, as Moses and Elias did for
the special instruction of Peter and John? What a
confirmation of our faith if we might be permitted
to see them !

The objection implied in these and similar queries
w^ould be reasonable, if the evidence of sense were
the only sort that is satisfactory and conclusive ; or
were the main obstacles to a practical belief of the
truth to be found in the mind, and capable of being
dislodged by argument, and not in the heart beyond
the reach of any appeals merely to the reason ;
or had not the impotency of ocular demonstration
been exposed by repeated cases of restoration to Hfe,
and in none more signal than the example of Laza-
rus. But the influence of vision was tried, and its in-
efliciency shown, under both the Old Testament and
the New. The Saviour tested its power in the case
to which I have just referred, and had he opened the
door of the unseen w^orld a hundred times, and
evoked Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and scores of de-
parted Hebrews from the unseen world, it could have

252 SEEING THINGS INVISIBLE.

proved no more concerning a future state of existence
than was witnessed in thus recalling the spirit of
one of the family at Bethany. The Jews, who saw
this resurrection, were just as sceptical afterwards
as tliej^ had been before. Nor would your heart,
reader, nor mine, be more impressed by the sight of
apparitions from the other world than theirs were.
It is equally true concerning us, that if we hear not
Moses, the prophets and apostles, neither will we be
persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

It is a mistake, therefore, to assert that the mo-
tives of religion are so inoperative, because they are
drawn from things not seen or remote. On the
other hand, it could easily be shown that our know-
ledge, even of sensible objects, is rather presumptive
than real, and that our senses are continually lead-
ing us into error. Indeed, the terms of what we call
science are rather symbols of what we do not know,
than exponents of what w^e do know. There is
much that is m^^sterious and inexplicable in matter,
motion, electricity, life, &c., as well as in original
sin, the Trinity, or regeneration. The technical de-
finitions of philosophy would seem to be invented to
conceal her ignorance ; and we are just as unac-
quainted with the real nature or essence of things
that we see, taste and feel, as we are with the in-
visible things of God. It is well known that Dr.
Berkeley, bishop of Cloyne, disproved the existence
of matter in opposition to the testimony of the
senses, and not by quibble and sophistical reasoning,
but, as Reid says, by taking up the principles laid
down by Descartes, Malebranche, and Locke, and
carrying them out to their legitimate conclusions.

1

J. H. JONES, D. D. 253

It is the boast of those who reject the supernatural
and unseen in religion, that we have a competent
guide and instructor in reason ; but the history of
the inquiries which philosophers have instituted
into the powers and laws of the mind, is suited to
impress us far more deeply with the imperfection of
our faculties than their greatness.

It is now the nineteenth century of progress in
human philosophy since the advent; ample time, we
should say, for arriving at definite conclusions on the
most familiar subjects, as, for example, the problem
of our own nature, the number, the office, and the
laws of our several faculties. We should naturally
suppose it to be easier to gain a knowledge of these
than of the elements and law^s of the material -world.
And yet there is no question, among the metaphy-
sicians of the day, more absolutely unsettled than
this. Some of them tell us that " God is the only
cause in the universe, and that we are but the sub-
jects or organs of effects which he immediately pro-
duces. Others, that w^e are real and responsible
agents. Some teach that creatures are a part of God ;
others, that God is but the aggregate of his creatures ;
and others again, that Ave are wholly material, mind,
soul, and body, and that we perish at death ; most,
however, that we have a spiritual and immaterial,
as well as corporeal nature. Some maintain that
none of our perceptions and thoughts are any thing
more than sensations ; others that we have ideas
of immaterial things, as well as of those that are
discerned by the senses. Some that we indeed have
conceptions of God, but are without any proofs of
their truth ; others that we are cajDable of a real

254 SEEING THINGS INVISIBLE.

knowledge of him. Many contend that we put
forth our choice under the impulse of blind power,
and others that we exert our volitions for reasons
of which we are conscious."

Here then, are no less than twelve proposed so-
lutions of this problem of our nature, which appears
to be just as open to debate now as it ever was.
We might turn, then, upon the boaster of the suffi-
ciency of reason and inquire, Why is this ? Why is
knowledge derived through the senses or by study
so uncertain and unsatisfying? Why are things
tangible and visible so deceptive, that we need only
love and follow them with all our heart to be in-
volved in certain ruin? Though they inspire us
with the highest hopes, they fulfil none of their pro-
mises. They never make us happier in this world,
nor fit us to be happy in the world to come. What
other explanation can be given of this perplexing
fact than that which is furnished by the volume of
Revelation ? Here we learn that the wJiole creation
groans and sympathizes in the lapsed and unhappy
condition of man. That the "things seen" are in
their very nature uncertain, unsatisfying and falla-
cious, and that those which are real and worthy of
our love and confidence are invisible. And while
they who look only at the former will be disap-
pointed and lost, those will be infallibly happy as
well as safe who look at the latter, and who rely on
that higher good which lies beyond and without the
scope of mortal vision. To those who have not
made the trial, this may seem impracticable, but it
is just the reverse with those who have made it, and
who, like the apostle Paul, judge from experiment

J. H. JONES, D. D. 255

Of these there has always been a " little flock" in
the world, from Abel and Enoch downwards, and
the day is fast approaching when their number will
be greatly increased.

Having offered these few hints concerning the
former, and the power of those motives which are
drawn from things invisible, I proceed to notice the
other truth inculcated by the apostle, that

II. The consistent believer lives habitually as if
he saw them. He "looks not at the things that are
seen, but at those which are not seen." That w^on-
derful faculty, by which a man is enabled to realize
the paradox of seeing the things that are invisible,
is called faith. And because both classes to which I
refer, they who look at the visible as well as those
who look at the things not seen, lay claim to this
faith, the Scriptures discriminate. In the nomen-
clature of theology the faith of the one is called spec-
ulative, and the other an evangelical faith ; a differ-
ence founded not on the comparative amount of their
intellect, advantages of education, standing in society,
or extent even of their religious knowledge, but
solely on the different state of their hearts.

The things unseen, though commended to the
mind with the cogency of moral demonstration, are
repelled by the one, because they are distasteful.
The mind assents to the truth of them as things
that are proved, but they are not obeyed because
they are rejected by the heart, just as a patient often
admits the excellency of a medical prescription, which
he will not follow because it is nauseous. This 18
the faith of one class of believers. In the case of
the other, these invisible things receive at once the

256 SEEING THINGS INVISIBLE.

approbation of the mind and the heart. By the in-
fluence of the Spirit their heart has been so pre-
pared, that its aflfections and tastes are brought into
conformity with those invisible realities of the spir-
itual world, which are now made to influence their
conduct. Hence their view of the unseen things,
by faith, is not only more accurate, but it is more
operative than are any discoveries of reason, or even
of sense.

It is more accurate. Indeed, as it is the pro-
vince of reason to correct the errors of sense, it
is the prerogative of faith to correct the mistakes
of reason. If we look upwards and survey the hea-
vens, the planet Venus appears to the eye as diminu-
tive as the blaze of a candle. This is an error of
sense, which reason corrects by having discovered
that it is nearly the size of our earth, and the cause
of its seeming so little is its distance. So the re-
jecter of Christianity is equally deceived by his rea-
son in his estimate of Jesus Christ, and the cause is
the same — his immense moral distance. " This mis-
taken man accounts the Saviour and his glory a
smaller matter than his own gain, honour or plea-
sure ; for these are near to him, and he counts them
bigger, yea, and far more valuable than they really
are." But they who, like our apostle, can look at
things that are not seen by others, and by help of
the telescope of faith can see the remote glories of
Christ in their proper dimensions, regard the coveted
pleasures and honours of the world as dross ; they are
but a taper, when compared with the light of the sun.

It is well known, moreover, that constant sight '
produces familiarity, so that the effect of objects

J. n. JONES, D. D. 257

peen grows less. It is not so with faith ; this be-
comes stronger b}^ continuance, and the more fre-
quently we dwell upon any object by faith the more
we feel its power; a familiar fact, which suggests
another answer to the objection against Revelation,
already noticed, founded on the want of sensible
evidence. We see that faith is better adapted to
bring the sublime truths of the gospel home to the
soul, and make them to be felt at once, and more
permanently, tban if they were apprehended by
reason only, or sense.

Reason, says Pascal, acts so tardily, and on the
ground of so many dififerent views and principles,
which she requires to have alwaj's before her, that
she is continually becoming drowsy and inert, or
going actively astray for want of seeing the whole
case at once. It were well, then, after our reason
has ascertained what is truth, to endeavour to feel
it, and to associate our faith with the affections of
the heart. For ic'tth the heart man helieveth unic
righteousness. " The heart has its reasons, of which
reason knows nothing. We find this in a thousand
instances. It is the heart which feels God, and not
the reasoning powers ; and this is faith made per-
fect ; God realized by feeling in the heart."

But this view of invisible things by faith is
MORE operative. — The unseen heaven is constantly
before such a believer as his home, and the place of
his everlasting rest. The unseen hell is before him,
not as a figment of the Christian school, nor a fright-
ful invention of pagan mythology, but a reality, to
be escaped for his life, as Lot fled from the fire and
brimstone that were bursting on Sodom. The law

18

258 SEEING THINGS INVISIBLE.

of God is before him ; it was invisible once, like the
angel with his sword in the path of Balaam, or, like
Saul of Tarsus, he was alive without it; but the
scales have fallen from his eyes also, and he sees it
plainly now. His faith renders the truths of Reve-
lation all palpable and real. As the apostle so em-
phatically defines this grace, it is the substance of things
hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Such, then, is the characteristic difference between
the two classes of believers to which I have referred.
How they are divided, or what the ratio of real to
nominal or speculative believers, who but the
Searcher of hearts can tell ? But if only they be-
long to the former who evince their faith in the
unseen realities of religion by their lives, the num-
ber is very small compared with the multitudes who
are known as religious professors. Where is the
man who lives as if he felt the eye of the invisible
and rein-trying God to be continually upon him ?
Who is he that obeys the precepts of the law as if
the omniscient Author were always present, to be-
stow its gracious rewards or enforce its penalties ?
And if you look abroad, from the Church to the
world, how are we impressed with the abounding
practical atheism?

Who is tlie Almighty, say the multitude by their
conduct, that we shoidd serve him, arid what profit
shoidd we have if ice pray unto him ? To them he
is only a Deity in theory, an article of a creed, a
metaphysical abstraction, a God afar off, and not at
hand. But how soon must this epicurean dreaming
be over, and the curtain fall which separates the
seen from the invisible ? It may seem remote to

J. H. JONES, D. D. 259

many of you at tlie same time that it is fearfully
near. A slip of your foot, a mistake of your
apothecary, a cold, a fever, an attack of epidemic
disease, or some arrow from the ten thousand which
fill the Almighty's quiver, may lay some of us low
even before another week, and reveal the retribu-
tions of eternity. Happy, healthful, and sanguine
as you now are, so short a time as this, may bring
you to the bar of this unseen but disregarded and
dishonoured God. Nor are these things any more
distant and unreal, because so many live as if they
were at an infinite remove ; because they are little
more heeded than if they were the mere epic fictions
of a Virgil or Dante, and not the inspirations of
God. It was amazing effrontery in Jehoikim to
treat the message of Jeremiah with so much con-
tempt, in spite of the expostulations of Elnathan,
Delaiah, and Gemariah. But his despising of the
prophecy did not rescue this infatuated prince from
being made a captive, put to death, and having his
body cast into a common sewer, like the unburied
carcass of an ass. His coolly taking the prophet's
roll, cutting it with a penknife, and casting it into the
fire, did not prevent its fulfilment. And however
the gay and the worldly may disregard the inspired
roll of warnings, expostulations, and promises which
are addressed to them, the time is coming when they
will all be verified. Heaven and earth shall pass
away, but His word shall not pass away. The dis-
tinction between a life of (Christian virtue, and a life
of sin, which so many will not see now, they will be
compelled to see and acknowledge when they begin
to feel its results. And, in view of such humiliating

260 SEEING THINGS INVISIBLE.

facts in human experience and conduct, who, that
reflects and feels their import, can doubt man's need
of supernatural aid ? He is not an alien and a wan-
derer from God, because his true condition has not
been revealed to him. He does not reject the Sa-
viour because he does not hear him preached, and
even listen with assent to the recital of his advent,
life, and death, as the substitute and friend of the
guilty ; but with all this persuasion of the mind and
conscience, like some spectators at the resurrection
of Lazarus, the truth does not reach his heart. The
real beauty and excellency of the Saviour are in-
visible, nor are any teachings of the pulpit and pen
sufficient to make them known. There is an obsta-
cle to knowledge here, which man has neither the
desire nor the power to remove.

Imagine a garden of exquisite beauty, and adorned
with every plant, fruit and flower that money and
taste can collect, with fountains and rivulets to en-
hance its varied attractions. Suppose that you meet
a stranger here, who, with an eye to all appearance
healthful, passes along without bestowing the least
attention upon a single object. In your bursts of
ecstatic delight, as you look at this or that beautiful
parterre, so blooming and fragrant, he is silent, re-
turning only a vacant gaze. Surely, you would say,
this stranger is blind; he cannot see as I see, or
what I see ; and, upon inquiry, you find your con-
jecture to be correct ; this man has eyes that see
not. What you perceive and enjoy is invisible to
him, and something more is needed than you can
impart by your taste and botanical knowledge to
make him share in your enjoyment. The case sup-

J. H. JONES, D. D. 261

posed is easily interpreted : the naiiu-al man re-
celveth not the thlivjs of the Spirit of God, for they
are foolishness unto him ; neither can he know them,
because they are spiritually discerned. Some time
ago, a young man of gay and dissipated habits, on
returning from a meeting of kindred spirits, at a late
hour of the night, discovered on his table a printed
sheet, left there he knew not by whom ; he was a
despiser of tracts, and scarcely less of those who
distributed them ; but, wearied and exhausted, and
yet, unsatisfied as he was with the pleasures of the
evening, he was in a mood for any thing that would
occupy his thoughts. This little sheet proved to be
a messenger of God ; his mind had been well in-
structed in the truths of religion before, but they
had never reached his heart ; the night was spent
in a state of deep and overwhelming conviction, but
morning came at length, and with it the beams of
the sun of righteousness; he left his chamber, he
knew not what, so changed were his feelings and
views of every thing ; he looked upwards, and " the
heavens declared the glory of God." He never saw
it there before ; he looked abroad, and every object,
and every stream, plant, flower, tree, bird and beast,
reflected the same. The Bible was new and full of
God, especially as manifested in Christ.

When God revealed his gracious name,

And changed his mournful state,
The rapture seemed a pleasing dream,

The grace appeared so great.

The whole creation was teeming with beauties,
thrown over them by the hand of God, and, though
hidden before, they were visible now. And can you

262 SEEING THINGS INVISIBLE.

tell me, reader, why? The heavens were not
changed, nor the earth, nor the objects that cover
it ; these were all the same, but the change was in
himself. And does any one inquire in what re-
spect? How were his eyes opened ? He was a tro-
phy of the Spirit ; the man was born again ; old
things had passed away, and all things had become
new. Are there not some among the readers of his
story who need the same change ? Do you know
that this life giving Spirit is promised to all who
seek his influences ? And what is so ineffably im-
portant as that you should know or practically feel
the teaching of the Saviour to the Jewish ruler,
except a man he hojii again he cannot see the kingdom
of God.

CHRIST, THE LIFE OF HIS PEOPLE.

A DISCOURSE

ro ILLUSTRATE THE NATURE OF THE DIVINE LIFE; AND ITS DEVKLOF-
MENT IN OUR SPIRITUAL, OUR MORTAL, AND OUR ETERNAX. BEINa.

ROBERT J. BRECKINRIDGE, D. D., L. L. D.

PASTOR OF THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, LEXINGTON, KY., AND SUPERIN-
tENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION FOB THE COMMONWEALTH OP KENTUCKY.

Christ, who is our life. — Col. iii. 4.

The grand point of view in which we should
habitually contemplate the Scriptures, is as a divine
revelation of the only mode in which lost sinners
can be saved. As a history of much that has hap-
pened in this world of ours, the enduring importance
of its statements results from their setting before us
the method in which this salvation is brought to
light, and applied practically to men. As a spiritual
system, unfolding and enforcing a most peculiar
view of the unseen world, and our relations to it, its
living power is derived from the bearing of its doc-
trines upon our eternal destiny, as depraved crea-
tures to whom divine mercy is offered in a particular
way. As a code of morals suited to direct the con-
science, and to regulate the life of such beings as we

(263)

264 CHRIST THE LIFE OF HIS PEOPLE.

are, it is the connection of its precepts with the doc-
trines Avhich constitute its spiritual system, and the
dependence of both upon its great proposal of salva-
tion for sinners, which invests its rules of duty with
so much majesty, and gives such sublime force to the
idea of duty itself. As a source of support, of con-
solation, of peace, and of joy, in such a world as
this, and in such a course as our pilgrimage through
it must needs be, it can avail us nothing, except as
we receive its precepts, and accept its doctrines, and
believe its statements, as one and the other bear
directly upon the grand conception of the Gospel —
salvation for lost sinners. Every thing short of this
is little better than trifling with our own souls.
Every thing inconsistent with this is little else than
handling the word of God deceitfully.

Whatever men may imagine concerning other
portions of the contents of God's Word, it is past all
doubt that the portion which relates to the person,
the work, and the glory of the Lord Jesus, must be
invested with divine power, or must be absolutely
useless in the matter of our salvation. That part
of the Scriptures is a glorious revelation, or it is a
most empty imposture. Let us proudly conceive
what may suit our vain and foolish hearts, about the
history, the morality, nay, even the religion of the
Bible, using the word religion in its largest sense,
and persuade ourselves, if we will, that all these
things are level to our unaided fticulties, and that no
divine wisdom, nor any divine power, is manifested
in them. The moment we come upon the concep-
tion of the Son of God incarnate to save sinners,
and begin to expatiate amidst any of the multiplied

ROBERT J. BRECKINRIDGE, D. D. 265

and overwhelming exhibitions which are made,
throughout the Scriptures, of this vast conception,
we find ourselves carried at once, into a region
w^here, at every step, we must recognise the guid-
ance and the presence of God, or we must nerve
ourselves before the most daring of all human im-
postures, invested with more than all human force
and grace, and all available to no end. There is not
one solitary point connected with the person, the
work, or the glory of Jesus Ciirist — nothing that
touches his humiliation or exaltation — that is in-
volved in his prophetic, his priestly, or his kingly
office — that concerns his incarnation, his sacrifice,
or his resurrection — that fits him to be the Re-
deemer of God's elect, or exhibits his work of
redemption — that relates to his eternal being or his
eternal reign ; there is absolutely nothing, in the
presence of which human nature can stand and say,
I know this to be true, or, I know this to be effectual
in the manner, and for the end proposed ! God
must utter it, God must propound it, or it must be
uttered and propounded alike in mockery of God
and man — an audacious braving of the majesty of
heaven — a ferocious trifling with the sorrows and the
hopes of earth — a fiendish aggravation of the woes
of hell !

The alternative we take is the one which gives us
peace and reconciles us to God. They Avho like can
take the other, and reap its fruits. Taking that
alternative, we must bear in mind its fundamental
condition as a question to be settled at the bar of
human reason, namely, that this whole doctrine of
Christ, and of the salvation offered to us through

266 CHRIST THE LIFE OF HIS PEOPLE.

him, is a matter of pure and absolute revelation. It
is God who has spoken, it is God who propounds it
to us; we accept, in its simplicity and its fulness,
every word which has proceeded out of the mouth
of God ; and we attest our sincerity herein by sitting
down at the feet of Jesus, to learn of him, and by
resting our souls upon him. We must remember,
also, the second great condition, which in the very
nature of the case controls the whole question,
namely, that all these utterances of God, all that he
propounds concerning his only begotten Son, are
matters connected, more or less, directly with the
salvation of lost sinners, and that herein lies the sum
total of our interest in it all. Thus full of the sense
of God's presence in his Word; thus aUve to the
awful interest with which that Word is invested for
us — there is no part of it in which we may not find
some manifestation of that infinite grace in which
all of it is conceived, and we shall see, with joyful
surprise, how directly and how continually this
recovery of our souls is its burden and its theme.
Amongst ten thousand other passages, my text is all
alive with this precious Saviour, and this great sal-
vation. To him as our life, and to the nature of the
life we enjo}^ in him, in our spiritual, our mortal, and
our eternal being, the apostle, in this passage, directs
our thoughts. Such is, therefore, the subject of our
present meditations.

Amongst the things expressly revealed to us, con-
cerning the origin and destiny of our race, are these
which follow, namel}^, that the Lord Jesus Christ is
the only and the absolute Creator of the entire
physical universe, and every part of it ; that he is

ROBERT J. BRECKINRIDGE, D. D. 267

the author of all that we call life, the bestower of
every thing that we understand by conscious exist-
ence, throughout the universe ; and that every
form, and every grade of what we mean by intelli-
gence, from the lowest manifestation of it, in any
living thing, up to its most exalted exhibition in his
presence around God's throne, is an emanation and
a gift from him. (John i. 1 — 14.) By the entrance
of sin, first into heaven, and then upon the earth,
this universal frame of nature has fallen under
God's curse ; and every creature that possesses con-
scious existence, and every being endowed \^'ith
intelligence — each in proportion to its own degree,
and its own connection and dependence with fallen
angels and fallen men — has lost its primeval estate,
and fallen under the divine wrath. (Gen. iii. 14 — 19 ;
Rom. V. 12—21, and viii. 20—23; Jude 6.)

The wages of sin is death, (Rom. vi. 23.) This is
the comprehensive, the unalterable necessit}^ which
pervades the universe, and which God has an-
nounced to us as the simple and universal result of
the administration of divine justice against sinners.
They Avho sin must die ; transgression leads directly
to death ; in the nature of the case, and without any
exception, and hy the eternal ordination of God,
when lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin, and
sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death, (James
i. 15.) This terrible and universal penalty of sin
is set before us in the Scriptures in a threefold light.

1. In a point of view purely moral; namely, the se-
paration of our whole man, in this life, from the
likeness and favour of God — which is spiritual death.

2. In a point of view purely physical; namely, the

268 CHRIST THE LIFE OF HIS PEOPLE.

separation of our souls and bodies from each other —
which is temporal death. B. In a point of view re-
sulting from a certain combination of both the pre-
ceding; namely, the ruin of our souls and bodies in
hell for ever — which is the second death. (Ephe-
sians ii. 1 — 3 ; Ecclesiastes xii. 7 ; Matt. xxv. 41 ;
Rev. XX. 14.) To each one of these conditions, as
fully comprehended in the penalty of death de-
nounced against sin, every sinner of the human race
is exposed. He is liable to have the sentence of
death executed upon him, in every one of these as-
pects, in exact proportion, as to the measure of its
relative severity, as comparing tlie case of one sin-
ner with another, to the demerit of his oifences.
As a sinner, he already lies under the condemnation,
and only awaits the full execution of the entire sen-
tence, because God does not desire him to perish,
but would rather he should turn and live. Under
each aspect of the penalty denounced against him
for his sins, is involved all the sorrows and all the
anguish which the very vilest can ever incur or en-
dure ; and he may so run to the most terrible excess
of riot, that the depth of his pollution and spiritual
death, the anguish and degradation of his physical
existence, and the temporal death which will close
it, and the eternal agonies of his soul and body in
hell, when the second death shall swallow him up
for ever — may make any sinner, who now least ex-
pects it, a monument of eternal horror. As sinners,
we are actually, to every moral intent, dead in tres-
passes and in sins ; as sinners, we are actually dying
daily, as to every physical intent ; as sinners, we
have not yet incurred the irreversible sentence of

ROBERT J. BRECKINRIDGE, D. D. 269

the second death, simply because our souls and our
bodies are not yet separated by the stroke of tem-
poral death. To add to all the terrors of such a
condition, it is absolutely remediless by all human
means ; nay, even according to any human concep-
tion; and the interposition of God himself is liable
to conditions resulting from his own glorious being,
and from the very nature of his relations to his
fallen creatures, which appal human reason, and
crush the wildest human hopes. We have not only
incurred this death — we have not only deserved it —
but our destiny is cast under a divine administra-
tion, in which there is an absolute necessity for that
which is deserved to be done ; an unalterable deter-
m.ination to inflict that which is incurred.

Thus are we undone ; thus are we sold under sin ;
thus are we shut up under the law. All behind us
is shame ; all within us and around us is darkness ;
all before us is terror. And now it is, through all
this gloom, and above all this despair, that heavenly
accents fall upon our trembling hearts : " Come unto
me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I
will give you rest!" And then the majestic utter-
ance, before which hell and the grave tremble, bursts
over our troubled souls : " He that beHeveth in me,
though he were dead, yet shall he live ; and whoso-
ever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die !"
And then the sublime and consoling appeal, at once
to our reason and our faith: "The first man, Adam,
was made a Uving soul ; he was of the earth, earthy ;
as is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy ;
and 3^e have borne the image of the earthy. But the
last Adam was made a quickening spirit; he is the

^

270 CHRIST THE LIFE OF HIS PEOPLE.

Lord from heaven; as is the heavenly, such are
they also that are heavenly; and ye shall also bear
the image of the heavenly." (Matt. xi. 28 ; John
xi. 25, 26 ; 1 Cor. xv. 45—9). "Behold the new and
living way ! He who knew no sin hath been made
sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness
of God in him. Jesus Christ hath abolished death,
and hath brought life and immortality to light
through the gospel." (2 Cor. v. 21 ; 2 Tim. i. 10.)

Now, then, standing in the very centre of the
plan of salvation, we are prejDared, as we look in all
directions through the unsearchable riches of God's
grace, to appreciate with clearness the sense in
which Christ is our life. And knowing that all that
was lost through the first Adam is more than reco-
vered through the last, and that where sin hath
abounded and reigned unto death, grace shall much
more abound and reign through righteousness unto
eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord, we may,
with a firm hand, take up and unravel the thread of
our sad destiny as sinners ; and, as we retrace the
points of our condemnation unto death, develope
that life of our souls, of our bodies, and of both
united to all eternity, which, though we be dead, is
hid with Christ in God.

And, First, of Christ, as the life of our souls. — If
you would either see or enter into the kingdom of
God — if you would comprehend or possess the divine
life — you must be born again. This is the simplest,
the most elemental principle of spiritual refigion.
Do not marvel at it, said Christ to Nicodemus, for it
is the first and the clearest part of all that portion
of the mystery of Christ which is developed in this

ROBERT J. BRECKINRIDGE, D. D. 271

world ; and the comprehension and reception of this
earthly part lie at the foundation of our ability to
comprehend and to possess all its heavenly parts.
Do you not perceive ? You are dead in sin : but
God so loved the world that he gave his only begot-
ten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not
perish, but have everlasting Me. As Moses lifted
up the serpent in the wilderness, that all who looked
upon it might live, so is the Son of Man lifted up, a
sacrifice for sin, that a divine Saviour, crucified for
us, might become the specific object of that saving
fiiith by which, being united to him, we obtain eter-
nal life. For, by our union with him, he bears our
sins in his own body on the tree, and offers up to
divine justice a full satisfaction for them all. Now,
then, can God be just and justify those who believe
in Jesus Christ. But still further — this offering up
by Christ of himself for the redemption of his people
hath wrought far deeper than any outward work,
even for the pardon of sin. That which is spirit
can be born only of the Spirit; and your spirit is
dead, in the only sense in which a spirit can die ; it
is corrupt, depraved, alienated from God. The life
inherited from the living soul, Adam, is utterly for-
feited and polluted, and is incapable of being healed
again any more for ever — infinitely incapable of re-
creating itself But there is a power adequate to
this new creation ; and there is, as has been already
shown, a ground and a cause adequate to justify it.
The eternal love of God is cause enough, and the
infinite sacrifice of his Son Jesus Christ, is ground
enough; and it is plain enough, that if we could
live at all by reason of our connection with that fiirst

272 CHRIST THE LIFE OF HIS PEOPLE.

Adam, who was only a living soul, we may also live
a new and better life by reason of our connection
with the last Adam, who is a life giving spirit. A
spiritual power, sent down from heaven, is therefore
expressly declared by Christ to be the efficient
agency in our new creation ; and this is true, without
exception, concerning every one that is born again.
Because God has loved us with an unchangeable
love, Christ has redeemed us with his most precious
blood; and the divine Spirit of life covenanted in
that blood, and purchased by it, sets us free from
the power of sin and death, opens our e}- es, and turns
us from darkness to light, and from the power of
Satan unto God, that we may receive forgiveness of
sins and inheritance amongst them which are sanc-
tified by faith that is in Christ. As the wind blow-
eth where it listeth, so this free Spirit, sovereign as
it is divine, cometh and goeth, not by mortal con-
trol ; but so cometh and goeth as for ever to justify
and honour Christ ; for ever to condemn the world
for its darkness and its evil deeds ; for ever to com-
fort and bless all the children of the light and the
truth ; for ever to manifest his special presence
while he abides, and leave ineffaceable proofs of his
work when it is done. (John iii. 1 — 21.)

Verily — verily — is the reiterated assurance of
Christ ; marvel not — marvel not — his earnest com-
mand. Why shculd we doubt — why distrust God ?
This doctrine of a spiritual and supernatural regen-
eration is not only distinctly and continually asserted
throughout the Scriptures, as the very foundation of
the life of God in our souls, but it underlies every
portion of God's dealings with the human race, both

ROBERT J. BRECKINRIDGE, D. D. 273

in time and eternit}^, as those dealings are explained
to us in his holy Word. When we speak of the fall
of man, we utter we know not what, unless we in-
tend to signify that man has lost the image of God
and needs to be restored to it. When we dilate on
the whole work of Christ, in his estate of humilia-
tion, we rob that tremendous dispensation of all its
significance the moment we lose sight of the condi-
tion of man, as helpless and depraved, and the ne-
cessity of a divine intervention to save him from
perdition. When we speak of the entire work of
the Holy Ghost, we utter sheer nonsense, unless we
mean that man needs, and that God has provided, in
the agency of that Spirit, the effectual means of his
moral renovation. When we think of God as the
moral ruler and final judge of a race of sinners, we
have no alternative but to admit the universal de-
struction of the whole race, or to admit the existence
of some divine and efficacious mode of restoring a
sinful soul to God. When we contemplate our race
as rational creatures, having any souls at all, no
matter how sinful those souls may be, it is the
merest absurdity to speak of any regeneration for
them that is not purely spiritual; and when we
survey them as helpless creatures, morally helpless
through their depravity, though still spiritual crea-
tures, every thing short of supernatural aid is a
mere trifling with their despair. Every part of the
plan of salvation revealed in the Scriptures involves
the idea of a supernatural and spiritual regeneration
of the soul of man ; and every fact upon which that
glorious plan rests, and every issue to which it
points, is contradicted and rendered nugatory the

19

r

274 CHRIST THE LIFE OF HIS PEOPLE.

moment we reject the doctrine of the Holy Ghost
in its divine fuhiess. And then, to crown all, and
as if to set in the most awful light God's estimate
of the necessity under which we lie, to perish if we
are not born again, and of the clearness with which
that necessity is revealed to men, he forewarns us
that the sin against the Holy Ghost is one for whose
pardon we need not pray, for it will never be for-
given! Yet, beyond all doubt, a low appreciation
of the work of God's Spirit in the hearts of the chil-
dren of men lies at the root of most of the heresies
that now dishonour and deface the nominal Church
of God, and is the cause of most of the deadness and
mifniitfulness of the true followers of Christ. Be-
lief in the efficacy of forms and ceremonies, confi-
dence in the power of rites and ordinances, bigotted
advocacy of errors and delusions, daring rejection
of saving truths, growing indifference to instructive
and pungent ministrations, aversion to strictness in
doctrine and in life, mournful departures from
simplicity and spirituality, shallow interpretations
of God's word, increase of ostentation and laxity in
all religious things, and wide spread restlessness,
commotion, and love of carnal excitement in spiritual
matters; all these, and how many other sorrowful
proofs rise upon every side, to attest that the work
of the Spirit is not cherished amongst men, and that
Christ is not the life of their souls in that exalted
sense which the Scriptures inculcate, and which
other times have witnessed. It is the Spirit that
quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing. (John vi.
:t3— 65.)

Still, the life of God in the soul remains the fun-

ROBERT J. BRECKINRIDGE, D. D. 275

damental necessity of every renewed heart, as it is
the first and simplest element of practical Christi-
anity ; and in connection with the aspect of it pre-
sented in my text, there are several things fur-
ther which ought to be briefly suggested, before I
pass from this topic. You will note, in the first
place, the peculiar turn of the apostle's thought.
He does not content himself with saying, that we
have a life derived from Christ, nor yet that Christ
has bestowed on us a life essentially like his own ;
but he mounts to the loftiest height, and declares
that Christ is himself our life ! Christ is found in
his people, the hope of glory. In receiving, accept-
ing, and relying upon him, there is a lofty and hal-
lowed sense in which they are nourished by him. I
am, said he, the bread of life ! (John vi. 48.) Be-
side all that Christ has uttered — and he spake as
never man spake ; beside all that he hath done for
us — and he hath done more than it has entered into
our hearts to conceive ; there is Christ himself, the
friend, the teacher, the master, the Saviour, the
very life of our souls ! Again : you are to remem-
ber that this abolishing of our spiritual death by
Christ, and this regeneration of our souls by his
Spirit, is the condition not only of all other and
further mercies to be received through him, but, in
part, constitutes our very capacity to enjoy any of
them aright, and the chief of them at all. The
carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not sub-
ject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
Without form and without comeliness ; or the chief-
est amongst ten thousand, and altogether lovely ;
one or other of these two is the onlv view we can

I

276 CHRIST THE LIFE OF HIS PEOPLE.

take of him. One is the view of a dead soul, hast-
ening to perdition, and fit only for it. The other
is the view of a living soul, renewed in the image
of the invisible God, and meet to partake of the
inheritance of the saints in light. Once more : you
will bear in mind that the Lord has said, this spi-
ritual regeneration is an earthly, in contradistinction
to a heavenly, thing. It must occur, if it occurs at
all, while you are in the flesh. The life of Jesus,
if it is ever manifested in us, " must be made mani-
fest in our body" — " in our mortal flesh." (2 Cor. iy.
10, 11.) Temporal death puts an end for ever, to
every hope of impenitent men. From the instant
that the soul and the body are separated, the expec-
tation of thi- wicked shall perish. Whatsoever thy
hand findeth to do, do with thy might ; for there is
no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in
the grave, whither thou goest. (Eccl. ix. 10.) Still
further : you may rejoice in the divine assurance,
that the gift of this new and imperishable life in
Jesus Christ, draws after it every other blessing, and
every other benefit of the covenant of grace, in so
far as is needful to bring you ofl" more than con-
querors, through him that loved us. Many toils —
many tears — fightings without — fears within — trou-
bles on every hand — fierce temptations — fearful
backslidings — the malice of hell — the plagues of
your heart ! It is no light thing to make such sin-
ners angels of light. Nevertheless it can be done.
It has been done. It will be done again. If when
we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the
death of his Son, much more being reconciled we
shall be saved by his life ! For I am persuaded that

ROBERT J. BRECKINRIDGE, D. D. 277

neither death, nor life, nor angv-i-, wor v.::nc'i[)a]ities.
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. (Rom, v. 10, and viii.
38, 39.) And finally : you may take continual
comfort, and make continual progress in that new
life into which you have been begotten by the Holy
Ghost ; more and more of the knowledge of God ;
a conformity unto him, greater and greater ; an in-
sight into his word, and into divine things, deeper
and deeper ; a love of Christ more and more fervent ;
a more rooted abhorrence of all sin ; increasing joy
in the Holy Ghost ; compassion for sinners, tenderer
every day ; hardness borne as becomes a good soldier
of the cross ; the good fight of faith manfully waged;
the cross borne aloft through our pilgrimage ; Christ,
and him crucified, more and more the life of our
souls ! For the Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the
whole family in heaven and earth is named, doth
grant, according to the riches of his glorj', that you
may be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the
inner man ; that Christ may dwell in your hearts
by faith ; that ye, being rooted and grounded in
love, may 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 pass-
etii knowledge, that ye may be filled with all the ful-
ness of God. Therefore, unto him that is able to do
exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think,
according to the power that worketh in us, unto him
be glory in the Church, by Christ Jesus, throughout
all ages, world without end. (Eph. iii. IG — 21.)

278 CHRIST THE LIFE OF HIS PEOPLE.

Secondly — Of Christ as the hfe of our mortal nar
ture. I remind you that the whole doctrine of
Christ is matter of pure revelation. It is only from
God himself that we can know what Christ is, and
what Christ does. All this is not less true concern-
ing every portion of Christ's work in us, and every
part of our relations to him, than concerning the es-
sential truths which relate to his own being, and to
his relations to the Godhead, and to the whole uni-
verse, of which he is the central object.

Temporal death, as we call the separation of the
human soul and body, is to the human race the di-
rect result of the entrance of sin into the world.
God not only forewarned Adam of a fact infinitely
certain, in the nature of that dependence in which
the whole creation stood, but denounced to him the
ordained penalty of transgression, when he told him
that in the day he should eat of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil, " dying he should die."
From that moment he and all his race should endure
the power, and incur the judgment of death in their
bodies, as well as pollution in their souls ; and start-
ing from that point of deliberate rejection of God,
dying they should die, man after man, and genera-
tion after generation, as long as the curse of a vio*
lated covenant, and the penalty of a broken law,
worked together with the power of sin in the ruins
of their fallen nature. And then, after the work of
ruin was begun, and to prevent the immortal con-
tinuance of death itself upon the earth, " lest he put
forth his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat,
and live for ever," the Lord God drove out the man
from the garden of Eden, and placed a cherubim and a

ROBERT J. BRECKINRIDGE, D. D. 279

flaming sword to keep the way of the tree oi' life.
(Gen. ii. 17, and hi. 22 — 24.) Expounding and en-
forcing these solemn truths, prophets and apostles
have argued the whole matter with unusual fulness,
and made it clear above most of the wonders of our
being. By one man, even Adam, sin entered into
the world, and death by sin ; and so death passed
upon all men, for that all have sinned. That offence
was an act of deliberate disobedience ; and that death
which followed it, was not only a condemnation, but
a judgment. And if we shall say that death reigned
from Adam to Moses, that is, before the giving of the
law, and that sin is not imputed when there is no
law, and, therefore, death cannot be either the fruit
or the penalty of sin ; the divine answer is, that we
have just perverted the facts and drawn an inference
that is precisely opposite to the one which those facts
imply. For as death 'is both the fruit and the pen-
alty of sin, God being the judge, the reign of death,
before the law was given, proves that there is a law
deeper than that given by Moses, even that cove-
nant of works, under Avhose curse we lie, and that
law of our very being, created in the image of God,
and that law of eternal order, and fitness, and truth,
which is involved in the very being of God, and to
which he has made the human conscience respon-
sive ; and that the violation of each one of these
primeval laws is, in a proper sense, sin, and is im-
puted. Again, if we answer further, that death
reigned, even from the beginning, over those who
never sinned after the similitude of Adam's trans-
gression ; that is, over those who never wilfully trans-
gressed the known law of God, and, therefore, this

280 CHRIST THE LIFE OF HIS PEOPLE.

plainly shows that death is neither the fruit nor the
penalty of sin, the divine response is, that herein
we abuse ourselves by a false idea of sin, as before
by a false idea of law; for the fundamental truth
being, that death is the result of sin, simply, abso-
lutely and universally, in the absence of known law
and deliberate transgression, death iDroves the ex-
istence of that which is properly sin, and Avhich God
will impute ; namely, sin in our very being, original
and congenital with us, derived from the first parent
of our race, as its natural and its covenanted head,
in whom we fell. And again, if we now turn to at-
tack the very nature of such an order of things, and
urge that it cannot be after this fashion, because it
involves that the sin of Adam should be imputed to
his race; that through the offence of one man judg-
ment should come upon all men to condemnation ;
that for one offence so terrible and universal ruin
should occur ; and that by the fall and death of one
man death should pass upon all men; the divine an-
swer is, that as before we deceived ourselves as to
the nature of sin, and the nature of law, so here we
delude ourselves about the nature of God's relations
to his creatures, and attack the very foundations of di-
vine grace. For the righteousness of Christ must be
imputed to his people ; the obedience and sacrifice of
Christ must lie at the foundation of that free gift which
came upon all men to justification of life ; and by one
man, even Jesus Christ, and by one sacrifice of him-
self, grace must reign through righteousness unto eter-
nal hfe ; or else, where sin has abounded it must con-
tinue to abound for ever, and where death has reigned
it must continue to reign eternally. Rom. v. 12 — 21.

ROBERT J. BRECKINRIDGE, D. D. 281

Taking their start from this point, the Scriptures
develope the whole dispensation of man. For
awhile he abides here on earth, his ordinary condi-
tion being that of an immortal but sinful soul united
to a mortal and sinful body, and his best estate that
of a partially sanctified soul united to that mortal
and sinfid body. His soul may be regenerated, and
to a certain degree sanctified, while in union with
the body ; and this change, as has been shown, must
occur during that union here below, or never occur
at all. By and by he dies. His soul and his body
are separated; the latter returning to the dust, as it
w\as — the former to God who gave it. In their
separated state, regenerated souls pass at death into
the presence and fruition of God; and impenitent
souls pass to a place of torment. Of the whole
human race two men only, Enoch and Elijah, have
as yet escaped the stroke of death ; and at the se-
cond coming of Christ, his people who are then alive
will also escape that stroke. (1 Cor. xv. 31 ; 1 Thess.
iv. 15 — 17.) But that second coming of Christ will
cut short this dispensation of man upon earth, and
bring death itself to its second great arbitrement.
The dead will arise. A resurrection of life — a re-
surrection of damnation. This is the end of tem-
poral death. The souls and the bodies of men are
united once more, and so united will undergo the
final judgment. (1 Cor. xv.)

It is said of our divine Redeemer, that m order
that he might be a merciful and faithful High
Priest, it behooved him to be made like unto his
brethren in all things. (Ileb. ii. 17.) In every part,
therefore, of this human dispensation, this resem-

282 CHRIST THE LIFE OF HIS PEOPLE.

blance exists to the utmost degree possible. He has
taken a true human soul, and a true human body,
into ineffable and eternal union with his divine
nature. The man Jesus of Nazareth was as really
a man as any man that ever was born of woman,
though supernaturally made in the womb of the
virgin Mary, and so not begotten under the cove-
nant of works, and thus not polluted by original sin.
He tabernacled amongst men — tempted in all points
like as they are, and bearing all those temporal
sorrows which the Scriptures embrace under the
wide appellation of death — so far as that was possi-
ble to one free from sin. Being sinless, he was, so
to speak, naturally free from temporal death, in its
proper sense, whether as the fruit or the penalty of
sin. Though he was crucified, yet it is also true
that he laid down his life, of which there was no
power in tlie universe that was able to rob him.
(John X. 18.) Like his brethren, who are to be
changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,
he was transfigured upon the mount. Like his
brethren, who endure the stroke of death, he also
gave up the ghost. Like his brethren, whose sepa-
rate souls dwell with God, while their bodies sleep
in the grave, his separate human soul was in the
bosom of God, while his human body laid three days
in the sepulchre. Like his brethren, who are to
arise and shine, he first of all arose from the dead.
And so we may not doubt that the parallel will
complete itself utterly; and his brethren like him
will yet walk the earth in their resurrection bodies,
and then ascend like him in glory to the highest
heavens ! (Rev. xx. 4, 6, 15.)

ROBERT J. BRECKINRIDGE, D. D. 283

Now, then, I may group together, as under the
preceding head, several topics too essentially con-
nected with the subject matter of mj text, to be
passed by even in the briefest exposition of the sul>
ject. And, first : you will perceive how absolutely
our life depends on Christ, and how completely the
whole scheme of the resurrection rests upon him
and terminates in him. Since the fall, we are as
essentially mortal as we are depraved. In him we
not only live and move and have our being ; hy him
and for him not only were all things created, and
by him do all things consist ; but, since by man came
death, by man came also the resurrection of the
dead; for as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall
all be made alive. (1 Cor. xv. 21, 22.) Except by
the power of Christ, and for the sake of Christ, there
is no reason why the human race, or any individual
of it, should live for a single moment, or receive a
single mercy wdiile they live ; or why, having died,
they should rise again from the dead ; just as there
is no reason why any human being should be either
regenerated or sanctified, except for the sake and by
the work of Christ ; for to this end Christ both died,
and rose, and revived, that he might be the Lord
both of the dead and living. (Rom. xiv. 9.) Again:
It is very obvious from what has just been said, how
fundamental to the whole theory of Christianity, and
therefore to the wdiole destiny of man, is the fact of
the resurrection of Christ himself. To establish this
fact is one main end of all the Gospels ; to illustrate
its bearing is one capital object in all the discourses
of the apostles and inspired evangelists that have
come down to us j and to settle it in our hearts as

284 CHRIST THE LIFE OF HIS PEOPLE.

a truth, at once infinite!}" certain and infinitely preg-
nant, is the aim of perhaps a hirger portion of the
New Testament Scriptm'es than is devoted to any
other single point; for if Christ did not rise from
the dead, then we shall never rise ; then is our
preaching vain,, and your faith vain ; then are the
apostles false witnesses of God, and we are yet in
our sins, and all they which are fallen asleep in
Christ are perished. But if Christ, who is the image
of the invisible God, and the first born of every crea-
ture, has risen from the dead and become the first
fruits of them that slept, then it is certain that in
him shall all be made alive, every man in his own
order, and next after Christ himself they that are
Christ's at his coming. (1 Cor. xv. 8 — 23.) Still
further : though the union of the divine and hu-
man natures in the person of Christ, and his death
and resurrection, establish the unalterable certainty
of the utter destruction of temporal death and the
resurrection of the whole human race, j^et the resur-
rection of the righteous, and the resurrection of the
wicked, will be infinitely diverse in their manner
and in their results. It is of the bodies of men only
that the Scriptures predicate the idea, and proclaim
the fact, of a resurrection. Death and resurrection
will produce on the bodies of the righteous a change
so far analogous as is possible to the change wrought
upon their souls by regeneration and sanctification ;
and they will in like manner produce upon the bodies
of the wicked a change analogous to that j)rodLiced
in their souls, by the total and final withdrawal of
the Holy Spirit from them, and their own complete
and irreversible rejection of Christ and salvation.

ROBERT J. BRECKINRIDGE, D. D. 285

There will be a resurrection of life and a resurrec-
tion of damnation. In the latter, the wicked will
rise to shame and everlasting contempt ; monuments
of dishonour, of corruption and of the second death.
In the former, the righteous will arise to incorrup-
tion, immortality and eternal glory ; monuments of
the grace of God and of the triumph of Christ over
his last enemy. (Rev. xx. 4 — 15.) Once more: in
the very nature of the whole case, as the Scriptures
open it to us, the necessity of our enduring what we
do, is clearly set forth. God has provided for us an
immortal existence, not here, but in another and
higher estate. For his own glory, and for our
blessedness, the scheme of redemption is so arranged
as to operate upon us partly while our souls and
bodies are united, partly after they are separated,
and partly after they are united again. In the first
period of its operation, it proposes to do nothing di-
rectly for our mortal nature, beyond what is involved
in the bearing of its provisions for our immortal part
upon our mortal during its pilgrimage. Therefore
we suffer, and weep, and die. Jesus himself suf-
fered, and wept, and died. Yet even in these con-
ditions the grace of God presses to the very limit of
the possiljility which his own glorious goodness and
wisdom had established. Our sufierings are made
the means of dravnng us to Christ and perfecting us
in holiness ; our tears are wiped away as they flow,
by the hand of God himself; all the struggles through
which we pass give greater vigour to the Hfe of God
within us ; when we come to die, our very death is
precious in the sight of God, and the grave yields to
us a glorious victory ; and then comes the resurrec-

286 CHRIST THE LIFE OF HIS PEOPLE.

tion, to own and crown us heirs of light! (Psalms
xxxvii ; Rom. viii.) And, finally : from the begin-
ning to the end of all, how completely is Christ our
life; and how wonderfully is the foundation of all
laid, and the surprising result brought about ! In
such a world as this, what would we be without a
throne of grace to which we could flee ? Amidst
the afflictions and temptations of life, what are we
without divine support ? Under the burden of sin,
and the doom of impending death, and the darkness
of a fathomless eternity, whither can we turn with-
out a Saviour ? But who would ever have thought,
with hearts full of enmity to God, of asking him tc
save us, by the sacrifice of his only begotten Son ?
Who would have conceived the idea of the incarna-
tion, or, after it, that of redemption by the blood of
Christ? Who would have imagined the stupendous
concatenation of removing the sting of death by
removing the virulence of sin ; of getting rid of the
guilt of sin by satisfying the law which denounced
it ; of silencing the law itself, by enduring its curse
and penalty ; of conquering death, which the law
denounced, by entering into the consuming and piti-
less grave ? In such a case, such a plan, with such
a result ! Oh ! the depth of the riches both of the
wisdom and knowledge of God ! Oh ! the unsearch-
able riches of Christ! (1 Cor. xv. 54—58; Eph.
iii. 8—21.)

Thirdly, of Christ as the life of our eternal being.
The Scriptures hardly recognize what we ordinarily
call life, as an estate worthy of that name. The
pollution of our moral nature, the darkness of our
rational faculties, and the perishing and suffering

ROBERT J. BRECKINRIDGE, D. D. 287

condition of our physical man, make up an estate
not so much of life as of living death ; the resur-
rection of the wicked is expressly distinguished from
a resurrection of life, by being called a resurrection
of damnation ; and the final estate of the impeni-
tent is denominated their second death — the doom
of Satan, and of all who are deceived by him, of
*' the beast and the false prophet," and of all whose
names are not found written in the Book of Life.
(Rev. XX. 10 — 15.) God alone hath life in himself;
and the Lord Jesus, claiming for himself this divine
prerogative, and the right, at his own good pleasure,
to bestow life upon others, expressly sets it forth as
a proof of his own Godhead. Himself the way, the
truth, and the life, it was his express errand upon
earth to bestow eternal life upon as many as the
Father had given him ; and this, saith he, is life
eternal, that they might know thee, the only true
God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. (John
V. 26, and xvii. 3.) I have already traced the ope
ration of this incorruptible life in man, up to the
period of the resurrection. It remains, under the
present topic, to indicate briefly its after course.

God hath appointed a day, in the which he will
judge the w^orld in righteousness, by that man whom
he hath ordained ; whereof he hath given assurance
unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the
dead. (Acts xvii. 31.) This, you will observe, is the
pith of the crushing argument why men ought to
repent of their sins, addressed by the great apostle
of the Gentiles to the Epicurean and Stoic philoso-
phers in the Areopagus at Athens; the last men to
hear, and the last place in which to utter such an

288 CHRIST THE LIFE OF HIS PEOPLE.

appeal, unless there was that in it to which the hu-
man conscience responds, and on which the human
reason may rest. Somewhat dilated the argument
might run thus : You are sensible of your ill desert,
and that you ought to be held accountable for it; the
proper result of that state of mind is repentance ; but
this is the more urgent when you consider that your
inward sense of ill desert and accountabihty is but
the shadow of your impend hig destiny, for the true
God has in fact appointed not only a time to judge
you, but also the judge, even Jesus Christ, whom I
preach unto you ; and of these truths he has given
you absolute assurance in the resurrection of Jesus,
which resurrection not only I, and hundreds besides,
still live to attest, but which the power of the divine
truths I proclaim, and the power of the eternal
Spirit accompanying those truths in your souls,
which truths and which Spirit aHke proceed from
Christ, enforces with an intimate and divine demon-
stration. Probably not one of these sceptics and fa-
talists had ever, before he saw Paul, had any distinct
idea of any single one of all the great elements of
this universal and overwhelming argument, delivered
that day on Mars' hill. Natural enough, therefore,
was it that some mocked, and that others doubted ;
and most natural of all that the link they struck at
in the argument was the one they knew least about,
and on which all turned — the resurrection of the
dead ; for even they could see, and that on the first
hearing, that if that were true, all the rest must
needs follow. Howbeit, Dionysius the Areopagite,
and certain men beside, and a woman named Dama-
ris, and others with her, clave unto Paul and be-

ROBERT J. BRECKINRIDGE, D. D. 289

lieved ; God thus attesting that his servant had
divine warrant for what he uttered. And therein,
through eighteen centuries, down to this very hour,
the proclamati(jn of this impending judgment — of its
divine demonstration — and of its eternal issues — has
been the burden of the message of Clirist's servants
to a ruined world. To it we are now come.

Let us stand first in the midst of the just, that we
may see how completely Christ, in this tremendous
period of their being, is to every one of them eternal
life. Here are the redeemed of every race — every
age. Patriarchs, prophets, apostles, martyrs — all are
there. They who had seen from afar the promised
Messiah ; they who had followed him as he went in
and out upon earth, despised and rejected of men ;
they who had heard and believed, through all suc-
ceeding ages, the sound of him, as it went out through
the w^iole world, not one of them is missing. The
throng that had fought the good fight ; the hosts
that had passed through great tribulation ; the mul-
titudes who had sung the song of rejoicing, and the
still greater multitudes who had wept all along the
ascent of Zion ; pilgrims who had counted their
years by centuries ; pilgrims whose days had been
few and evil ; pilgrims snatched from the evil to
come, w ho had seen of earth only the valley of
the shadow of death ; multitudes — multitudes — thou-
sand thousands — ten thousand times ten thousand !
Here and there are scattered those who never tasted
death j they had been changed in a moment at the
coming of the Lord. The rest had been with Christ
in glory, and their sleeping dust had heard the
trump of God ; and now they stand arrayed in glo-

20

290 CHRIST THE LIFE OF HIS PEOPLE.

rious, spiritual bodies. Mortal has put on immor-
tality; death is swallowed up in victory ! And yet
it is judgment, eternal judgment, to which they have
come. And there are thrones, and dominions, and
principalities, and powers, and heavenly hierarchies
— all the exalted spirits of the upper world. And in
the midst of all — enthroned in light that is inacces-
sible and fall of glory — one like unto the Son of
man — the Judge of quick and dead ! Think of Pi-
late's bar — where he once stood and was condemned,
and then see him seated on the throne of the uni-
verse, with all that universe contains of pure and
good, waiting with adoring trust to hear his judg-
ments. Think of his crown of thorns, and then
behold the diadems which are cast down before him,
in token of exulting love that will not be repressed !
Think of the cruel mockings, the unpitied agony of
Calvary, and then listen to the triumphant alleluias
that arise around his throne, and, mounting with
eternal melody, strain after strain, from countless
millions, re-echo from the highest spheres, and swell
beyond the farthest star ! Alleluia ! salvation, and
glory, and honour, and power unto the Lord our
God ! Alleluia ! King of Kings, and Lord of Lords '
(Matt. XXV. 31 ; Rev. v. 9—13 ; xv. 3 ; xix. 1—16.)
Yes, it is a judgment, but a judgment of the just
made perfect. Of the countless millions who have
part in that resurrection of life, there is not one who
has not been washed in the blood of the Lamb, and
been made a king and a priest unto God. (Rev. i.
5 — 6.) It is not a judgment to ascertain whether
they will be saved or not — for they are saved al-
ready ; nor to ascertain whether they are worthy of

ROBERT J. BRECKINRIDGE, D. D. 291

eternal life — for every one of them has already re-
ceived it at the hands of Christ. Most of them have
been with him in glory; the rest were changed, and
caught up to him, at his second coming. But still
the Books are opened — that Book which is the rule
of eternal judgment — God's blessed Word, which we
have in our hands to-day ; the Books of convincing
testimony, in which is written the whole record of
our lives ; the Book, also, in which are set down the
names of the redeemed — the Lamb's Book of Life !
One by one the story of every saved sinner is traced.
All the secrets of his heart are revealed — all the ac-
tions of his life are recounted — all the greatness of
his ill desert established and confessed. But along
with all this, the dealings of Christ with his soul —
the commencement, the progress, the consummation,
of the grace of God towards him — the life of God
within him. And then his glorified Saviour, the
God-man, proclaims, as King of Kings, the result he
has reached as eternal Judge, and the precise method
of that result in that individual case. Come, ye
blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared
for you from the foundation of the world ! Here is
the mansion you are to inhabit for evermore ; here
is your seat at the marriage supper of the Lamb ;
here is the light ^vith which you are to shine to all
eternity ; here is the service in which you are to be
glorified for ever and ever ! Enter into the joy of
your Lord ; inherit eternal life ! And then new al-
leluias arise from all tlie armies of Heaven ! And
so another exhibition of God's method of grace and
salvation, and renewed alleluias. And then another,
and another, and another; onward, and onward, as

"^

292 CHRIST THE LIFE OF HIS PEOPLE.

tlie eternal cycles pass over a universe in wliich time
no longer exists to be measured ; until every mani-
festation of God's grace in every redeemed sinner
shall be exhibited to all the angels of God, and to
all the just made perfect; and until the fact and the
method of salvation, in the case of every saved sin-
ner, shall be judicially ascertained, and the position
of each one in the heavenly hosts proclaimed from
the throne of God, in the hearing of all worlds ! Oh !
what majesty to God; what blessedness to the re-
deemed; what glory with Christ their life in this
first period of their eternal being, as they reign with
him in the heavenly Jerusalem, and expatiate
through a univ^erse wherein he has made all things
new ! (Matt. xxv. ; 2 Pet. iii. ; Rev. xx.)

And where are the impenitent ? David has told
us long ago that sinners shall not stand in the con-
gregation, nor the ungodly in the judgment of the
righteous. (Psalm i. 5.) Christ himself has said, that
when he comes in glory he will separate the blessed
from the accursed, as a shepherd separates his sheep
from his goats, and then will judge the righteous
first, and afterwards doom the accursed. (Matt.
xxv. 32.) We are abundantly informed that there
is a first and a second resurrection ; that there is an
eternal order, both in the resurrection and the judg-
ment, by which the triumphant acquittal of the re-
deemed precedes the doom of the wicked ; and by
which the rest of the dead live not again till the
thousand years are fulfilled, during which those who
have part in the first resurrection live and reign with
Christ. (1 Cor. xv. 23. Rom. xx. 3—6.) And now,
when the hour is come for the Lord Jesus to be ve-

ROBERT J. BRECKINRIDGE, D. D. 293

vealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flam-
ing fire, to take vengeance on them that know not
God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus
Christ, they shall be punished Avith everlasting de-
struction from the presence of the Lord, and from
the glory of his power. (2 Thess. i. 7 — 8.) Now is
the hour fully come for fire to come down from God
out of heaven and destroy all the wicked ; for hell
to give up the dead that are in it; for Satan to be
cast into the lake of fire ; for death and hell to per-
ish ; for the enemies of God to be tormented day and
night for ever and ever ; for the second death to be-
gin its interminable reign ! (Rev. xx.) As we con-
template this scene of horror, and bear in mind that
we have deserved to incur its eternal woe, and will
escape it only because Christ is our life, we ought to
have some foretaste of the thrill with which the
hosts of God turn away from the abyss and shout
hosannah to the Lamb !

There is another point. The Scriptures teach us,
with abundant clearness, that although every part
of the dispensation of God's grace ha^irect relation
to the person, the work and the glory of Christ, yet
Christ occupies, in many respects, a different posi-
tion under each successive development of the whole
plan of God's infinite mercy. During his personal
ministry on earth, he occupied a position materially
dissimilar to any he had ever occupied before ; and
so now, seated at the right hand of God, his position
is widely different from what it had ever been before
his infinite exaltation. In like manner, when the
dispensation of grace, strictly so called, is ended by
the second coming of Christ and the resurrection of

294 CHRIST THE LIFE OF HIS PEOPLE.

the righteous, a new aspect of his work and his rela-
tion to his people manifests itself; and again an-
other, in all that constitutes the judgment and ac-
quittal of the righteous, and the doom of the wicked.
After these things, what will follow? Let us hear
what the Holy Ghost saith. In his great discourse
on the day of Pentecost, under which three thousand
souls believed, and in his second mighty exposition
a little after, in the temple, under which five thou-
sand men believed, the apostle Peter carries us far
into these sublime events. The heavens must re-
ceive Jesus Christ, said he, until the times of the
restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by
the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world
began ; and he urged that great testimony of David :
" The Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou on my right
hand iLutil I make thy foes thy footstool." (Acts ii.
34, and iii. 21.) That exaltation and that reign of
Christ was not, therefore, the final dispensation ; it
was a dispensation and a reign until such a time and
such events. 1 suppose the second coming of Christ,
and the resurKction of the righteous dead, will de-
velope what was wrapped up in that until. Again :
in the revelation of Jesus Christ, amongst the infi-
nite blessings and glories promised to those who
shall come off conquerors, the crowning promise is:
" 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 Ids throne." (Rev. iii.
21.) Here is a very broad distinction between the
throne of the Father and that of the glorified God-
man ; and a very clear indication that, as y^t, the
latter had not been ascended; that until before

ROBERT J. BRECKINRIDGE, D. D. 295

spoken of stood between the two thrones ; the whole
period, namely, from the ascension of Jesus Christ
till liis second coming. Now, of those who have
part in the first resurrection is it expressly written,
that they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand
years. (Rev. xx. 4, 5.) The Lord Jesus plainly said
to his apostles, that when the Son of Man shall sit
in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon
twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
(Matt. xix. 28.) And the apostle Paul, in his trea-
tise on the resurrection, declares that the resurrec-
tion of Christ's people, at his second coming, will be
followed by the reign of Christ till he has put all his
enemies under his feet, and that the last enemy that
shall be destroyed is death. (1 Cor. xv. 23, 25, 26.)
Here, then, is another limitation, another ?^?i^z7; and
as we are told that death will be destroyed when
Satan is cast into hell, and the wicked enter upon
the second death, (Rev. xx. 10, 14,) this until is ex-
plained to us, and a new development of the dispen-
sation of Christ intimated to commence after the
doom of the wicked. There remains, therefore,
after that, another development of the eternal life
of the blessed; and the Scriptures briefly, but clearly,
initiate us into the knowledge of it.

In the passage just cited from the first epistle to
the Corinthians, this order is declared touching the
sublime topic of which the apostle is treating.
First, the resurrection of Christ himself; afterward,
who can tell how long afterward ? the second coming
of Christ, and the resurrection of his people at that
coming; then, when he shall have put down all
rule, and all authority, and all power, and shall

296 CHRIST THE LIFE OF HIS PEOPLE.

have destroyed death, then, after that reign of the
saints ^vith Christ, cometli the end! (1 Cor. xv.
23—26.) And then will Christ deliver up the
kingdom to God, even the Father, (verse 24.) He
will deliver up the kingdom to the Father, upon the
Lamb's Book of Life, (Rev. xx. 15, and xxi. 27,) that
glorious record containing a complete list of their
names, and being of itself a perfect evidence of their
redemption, their regeneration, their sanctification,
their glorious resurrection, their acquittal in the day
of judgment, their reign with Christ, and their
right, through him, to inherit the eternal kingdom.
And then shall the Son also himself be subject unto
Him that put all things under him, that God may
be all in all. (1 Cor. xv. 28.) And here made
partakers of the divine nature — admitted to the
immediate presence and full fruition of God — made
perfectly blessed in the enjoyment of him — the
Scriptures launch us upon this eternal and incon-
ceivably glorious and exalted state of existence, and
close the revelations of God ! The dispensation of
Jesus Christ, as the Redeemer of God's elect, has
passed through all its wondrous phases; the king-
dom, the power, and the glory, have all been illus-
trated and established ; nothing remains that is not
subject to him, except only He which did put all
things under him (1 Cor. xv. 27); the end is fully
reached, in that highest conception which mortals
can have of it, that God is all in all ! The human
race, too, has passed through all its revealed phases ;
its existence upon earth ; its existence after death ;
its existence after the resurrection; and its high
service and enjoyment of God in glory to all eter-

ROBERT J. BRECKINRIDGE, D. D. 297

nity, is begun. In the broadest view it is possible
for us to take of all Christ's work, and our own
career and destiny, as well as in the most minute
and circumstantial examination we can make of
every particular part, both of one and the other,
nothing is so clearly and so constantly obvious, as
that Christ is our life in the whole, and in every
part; the life of our spiritual nature, the life of our
mortal being, the Hfe of our immortal existence.
This is the sublime and consoling truth we set out to
elucidate by the testimony of God.

If we desire to live under the impression which
this divine truth ought to create, and which this
glorious destiny requires, we have only to listen to
what the apostle has told us in connection with the
words of my text, to discover what is required of
us in that great endeavour. We ought, says he, to
seek those things which are above, and set our affec-
tions on them, and not on things on the earth ; re-
membering that we are dead, and that our life is hid
with Christ in God. We ought to mortify our mem-
bers which are upon the earth; for the lack of doing
which, we are prone to fall into those sins, for the
sake of which the wrath of God cometh on the chil-
dren of disobedience, and in which we once lived
ourselves. But now, seeing that we have put off the
old man, with his deeds, and have put on the new
man, which is renewed in knowledge, after the im-
age of him that created him ; we ought continually
to shun all evil, and pursue all good ; under the fixed
and felt conviction, that to us Christ is all and in
all. We ought, as the elect of God, who profess
righteousness and who trust that God loves us, to

298 CHRIST THE LIFE OF HIS PEOPLE.

put on bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of
mind, meekness, long-suffering, forbearance, forgive-
ness ; striving to imitate the Lord Christ, and crown-
ing all with that charitj^ which is the bond of per-
fectness. Thus may the peace of God reign in our
grateful hearts ; thus may the Word of Christ dwell
in us richly in all wisdom ; thus the power of the
Lord Jesus may be shown forth in us ; thus in all
the relations which we sustain upon earth, may we
adorn the doctrine we profess, and honour the Lord
whom we adore. So may we be able, by God's
grace, to make our way good out of this, a ruined
world, and get safely, perhaps triumphantly, through
the sin and death that reign in it. And when Christ,
wJio is our life, shall appear, then may we also ap-
pear with him in glory. And wdien all the redeemed
shall be presented faultless before God, and be de-
livered uf» upon the Lamb's Book of Life, then may
we too inherit the kingdom, prepared from the foun-
dation of the world, for all the blessed of the Father!
Glorious hope, which maketh not ashamed !

FAITH AND SIGHT CONTRASTED.

BT

A. T. M'GILL, D. D.

PBOFESSOR nj THE WESTERK THEOLOGICAL SEUINART, ALLEGHANT, PEM5A.

For we walk by faith, not by sight. — 2 Cor. 5 — 7.

It is a singular fact, in the history of redemption,
that the faculty in man, which deceived him to his
ruin at the first, is never restored to perfect confi-
dence this side of heaven. That faculty is sense, in
the widest acceptation of the term, which we here
extend to internal emotion as well as external per-
ception. While, in the direction of ordinary life, the
most simple and unerring of all evidence is that of
the senses, in the great duty of dealing with God,
in reference to the conduct, acceptance, and ever-
lasting welfare of the soul, it is the most imperfect
and fallacious of all reliances. Through this avenue
sin entered, and God seems to have closed it indig-
nantly against all further intercourse with him,
while we continue in this evil tenement. As if it
were some facile door, through which thieves and
robbers once entered, and would still enter, to mar
and spoil the house, the glorious Builder will have it
opened no more, in spiritual communication with
himself, until the whole building shall be taken

(299)

300 FAITH AND SIGHT CONTRASTED.

down, and reconstructed on tlie model oi a glorious
immortality.

Through the senses it was that the tempter first
invaded the soul ; " when the woman saw that the
tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to
the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise,
she took of the fruit thereof and did eat, and gave
also to her husband with her, and he did eat." Now
that eye, that ear, that touch, that taste, that sense
of every kind is all disparaged in the remedial deal-
ing of God ; and faith is the eye, the ear, the touch,
the taste, the one all engrossing faculty by which
grace renovates and rules the soul. Religion and
the senses are divorced. These are degraded to the
rank of handmaiden ; and never will the soul repose
with confidence upon them more, until error and
frailty shall have been for ever removed. The apostle
intimates, in this connection, that we shall hereafter
walk by sight. When appearances will no longer
deceive us ; when the highest good will be for ever
present to the soul ; when the senses will be glori-
ously transformed, and made perfect in heaven, we
shall walk by what we do see and know. But, for
the present, wherever there is spiritual life,

I. We walk by faith, and not by carnal sight.
II. We walk by faith, and not by spiritual sight.

III. We w^alk by faith, and not b}^ glorified sight.

I. "All men have not faith." There is all the
difference between those who have this grace, and
those who have it not, that another sense would
make in the range of man's power and enjoyment.
How immeasurably wider the perceptions of a blind
man, when suddenly admitted or restored to the

A. T. m'gill, d. d. 301

window of the eye. Where he had groped along,
and stumbled with faltering footsteps, a wide, and
distant, and adorned horizon bursts upon his
view. More extended, more enchanting, more im-
portant unspeakably, is the enlargement when God
restores the eye of faith to the soul. It sees a
guide, a chart, a destination, which the spiritually
blind can never perceive. It spreads another hue
on all it scans ; inspires new emotions, new estima-
tions, and animates to incomparably greater speed
the career on which it enters the soul.

1. Sight regards only things which are seen; but
faith, things which are not seen. (2 Cor. iv. 18.) It
could not be otherwise with maimed and defective
nature than to seek those things only which its
powers are fitted to perceive. We may crowd as-
surances of divine realities upon the natural man,
and compel his assent to the evidence that they are
realities of momentous import, and yet he is no more
actuated by them, in his conduct, than is the deaf
man by all the harmonies of music. There may be
a notional apprehension entertained with zeal. Men,
from what they read in the Word of God, and what
they see in the conduct of others, and what they
love by the dint of habit, and what they fear by the
force of conscience and superstition, may seem to
walk at times as though divine realities were be-
lieved, when all the while it is but sight that actu-
ates them. Every thing short of the flxith, which
fixes a clear, and calm, and steadfast, and transform-
ing reliance on the Lord Jesus Christ, "whom, hav-
ing not seen, we love; in whom, though now we see
him not, yet believing, we rejoice with joy unspeak-

302 FAITH AND SIGHT CONTRASTED.

able and full of glory;" every thing slioH of the
faith which "endures as seeing him who is invisi-
ble," is sight ; which gathers all its motives and ac-
tivity from what is visible and palpable.

2. Sight regards what is present, faith what va
future. It is "the substance of things hoped for,"
as well as "the evidence of things not seen." It is
its great peculiarity, not only to displace palpable
things in their power on the heart, by things of
purely fiducial realization, but to grasp these as they
lie in futurity also. It is not only impossible that
the natural man be influenced by what is unseen,
more than what is seen and felt, but still more, that
he be influenced by unseen realities, in anticipation,
more than by what is in present and actual contact
with his feelings and desires. Without true faith,
to fill up the void with animating hopes of the fu-
ture, religion, which sweeps from the soul its tem-
poral gratifications, would be an agonizing empti-
ness— the most intolerable of all conditions. All men
would forsake it, like Demas, through love of this
present world. Sight is always spreading enchant-
ment over the present scene. Fast as experience
detects the mockery of one illusion, she spreads
another and a fresh attraction, persuading the soul,
in spite of its sober convictions, to live as though
its inward thought were, " this house shall continue
for ever, this dwelling place to all generations." But
faith unmasks the charm, and however faintly done,
holds the future with steady and constraining influ-
ence before us; all is disenchanted at her touch;
the world is a wilderness ; the soul is made to come
up from it, leaning on none of its pleasures, repos-

A. T. m'gill, d. d. 303

ing on none of its confidences — leaning on "the be-
loved" alone. " But now they desire a better coun-
try, that is an heavenly ; wherefore God is not
ashamed to be called their God, for he hath pre-
pared for them a city." While the companions of a
believer, like the children of Reuben, are always
choosing their inheritance on this side of Jordan, his
eye is onward and over to Canaan itself While one
takes up with this, and another with that earthly
portion, " God forbid that I should glory, save in the
cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world
is crucified to me, and I unto the world."

3. Sight regards what is pleasant; faith what is
good. It is pleasant to choose a broad and down-
ward way through this rugged and inhospitable
world; and to crowd the way with as large a com-
pany as possible, where we have so many mutual
wants and dependencies — pleasant to incur the re-
proach or disfavour of no one in the journey, but go
hand in hand with the multitude, who "measure
themselves by themselves, and compare themselves
among themselves." It is pleasant to avoid every
high hill and threatening danger on the road ; and
to turn away backward, or wind circuitously onward,
rather than encounter hardships and perils in the
straightest course. But faith gives other counsel.
" Enter in at the straight gate ; for wide is the gate
and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and
many there be that go in rhereat." " Be not con-
formed to this world." " The fear of man brino-eth
a snare ; but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord
shall be safe." " Cursed is the man that trusteth in
man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart

304 FAITH AND SIGHT CONTRASTED.

departeth from the Lord." " Woe to them that call
evil good and good evil, that put darkness for light
and light for darkness, bitter for sweet and sweet
for bitter." Through every gilded pleasure, faith
perceives the poison and the sting ; through every
kiss of kind profession, faith detects a dagger for the
heart; through every green and flowery resting
place, faith discerns bowels of burning lava under-
neath, ready to engulph the soul, and drown it in
destruction and perdition. " Come," says sight, " I
have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with
carved works, with fine linen from Egypt ; I have
perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon ;"
and, " as a bird hasteth to the snare of the fowler,
and knoweth not it is for his life," we would go after
her, but for the guardian counsel of faith ; " the dead
are there, her guests are in the depths of hell."
" Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me
from Lebanon; look from the top of Amena and
Shenir, from the lions' dens, from the mountains of
the leopards."

4. Sight recoils from present evil as eagerly as it
embraces present good ; while faith welcomes pres-
ent evil as cordially as it rejects the present gilded
good. " Therefore I take pleasure," says the apos-
tle, " in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in
persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake; for
when I am weak, then am I strong." Afiliction,
which sight considers heavy, too heavy for us to
bear, faith considers " fight ;" affliction, which sight
will reckon to be long as life, and for ever, faith con-
siders to be but " for a small moment ;" affliction,
which sight and sense regard as deadly, baleful to

A. T. m'gill, d. d. 305

every fond hope of the future, faith discovers to
work " a far more exceeding and eternal weight of
glorj) ." He hates me, says sense, and therefore chas-
tises me ; " whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth,"
says faith, " and scourgeth every son whom he re-
ceiveth." She is never ashamed or confounded,
world without end. The darkest hour of night is to
her the harbinger of brilliant morning. " When
clouds and darkness are round about him," she sees
that " righteousness and judgment are the habitation
of his throne."

II. We walk by faith, and not by spiritual sight.
Besides that carnal sight, which believers retain, to
some extent, in common with other men, and which,
although subdued by grace, and subordinated by the
powder of faith, is ever beclouding and enfeebling the
exercise of this heavenly grace, there is in the re-
newed man a consciousness of spiritual life and
power, which impels him to the duties and enjoy-
ments of religious experience, in a manner that is
clearly distinguishable from the controlling power of
faith. This principle of walking is known by vari-
ous names in theological parlance — the religion of
feeling, sensible assurance, spiritual affection, &c.
But, however delightful and animating this impul-
sion may be to the soul, it is not the great principle
by which we walk ; it is not the means of our daily
strength and comfort in the ser^dce of God. Faith,
as even distinguished from this sensible experience,
constitutes the mainspring of all our present obedi-
ence and enjoyment.

Faith is duty — sight or sense of grace is privilege
Duty is ever incumbent and invariable — privilege is,
21

306 FAITH AND SIGHT CONTRASTED.

for the most part, occasional, and granted or with'
held according to the sovereign pleasure of God.
" Trust in the Lord at all times," says the Psalmist ;
"Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that
obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in
darkness and hath no light, let him trust in the
name of the Lord, and stay upon his God." All be-
lievers have faith in God ; but all have not sensible
joy in the light of his countenance. This, like
every other privilege, is granted only where He sees
it to be for our good. It would be of no benefit to
some believers to enjoy full assurance in themselves,
that they stand firm and safe in the everlasting
covenant. Some servants of the world are such
prodigals in living that their wages must be kept
from them until the season of working is over ; some
children of God have so much pride and self-confi-
dence besetting their spiritual life, that glimpses of
sensible delight are withheld from them for a hfe-
time, in order to develope the most needful graces
and give them appropriate culture. Mortification
and self-abasement peculiarly befit their constitu-
tional weakness, and every disclosure of divine love,
which this weakness might readily pervert, must be
in mercy withheld ; so that the very same love of
God which imparts to humble believers transporting
demonstrations of covenanted favour, denies them to
the proud through a long probation, which may be
lasting as life. You are as safely held in the secu-
rities of the great salvation without one gleam of
absolute assurance, through all the course of your
pilgrimage, if faith be following hard after God, as
if you could see and feel the certainty of this salvar

A. T. m'gill, d. d. 307

tion at every step of your journey; although, indeed,
a sad deprivation of heaven upon earth must be the
loss of such a diversity in your spiritual lot.

Faith is direct — sense is reflex. It is only in the
way of exercising faith — it is only after faith has
journeyed onward for a distance, that we can look
back and see that our pathway is certainlj^ right and
heavenward. They who would walk by a sight of
grace in their hearts, and hesitate in the exercise of
faith upon Christ, because they do not first feel and
know that he is gracious, are about as reasonable as
men who would try to know how far they have tra-
velled towards their destination before they take a
step in the journej^ Faith is the hand which opens
the fountain of every blessing; and long must a
fountain flow into a broken cistern before it is full
enough to reflect the image of Jesus from the calm
surface of a bosom replenished with graces. Faith
is precious seed, which contains the germ of sensible
assurance as one of its fruits or developments ; and
while other fruits must be put forth, more or less,
under all circumstances of the present life, here is
one which we may expect only in soil pecuHarly
cultivated with the graces of humility and meekness.
And for us to falter and hesitate in believing, be-
cause we do not already enjoy this sensible experi-
ence, is about as reasonable as to expect fruit before
we have planted the germ, and to decline all ordi-
nary fruits because we do not first enjoy one of rare
and extraordinary production.

This sensible experience of grace in the heart is
not necessary, even as an evidence that we do be-
lieve ; the fruits exhibited in our life and conduct

308 FAITH AND SIGHT CONTRASTED.

are such evidence. Be this all jour concern^ — to
prove your faith by your works, and be assured that
joy in the Holy Ghost, "joy unspeakable and full
of glory," will be vouchsafed, so far as it is needful,
to help you on the way to heaven.

Faith gives more glory to God than does sensible
delight. Thomas would not believe unless he saw
the object of faith in every particular of sensible de-
monstration ; and it was then said, with an emphasis
for ever memorable: "Blessed are they who have
not seen, and yet have believed." It gives God but
little glory w^hen we can trust him only as we trust
our fellow men, on whom we must lean by the help
of something beyond their simple words — when we
cannot venture -the soul upon a promise without
some feeling that it will be fulfilled. Abraham was
"strong in ftiith, giving glory to God," because,
"against hope he believed in hope;" against all
probabilities for the fulfilment of a promise, and
even mountain impossibilities to the eye of sense, he
reposed, with unshaken trust, upon the truth and
faithfulness of God. This, indeed, is to honour his
word. And until our faith is schooled in the art of
clinging to the naked truth of Jehovah in his pro-
mise, without a ray of visible demonstration, within
us or without us, it is not schooled enough for
heaven.

Faith is uniform — sense is fiuctuating. The Chris-
tian career is called a walk, a race, a fight ; without
discharge for a moment. If we travelled on shoes
which are not "iron and brass" in durability — on
wheels of agitation, which are ever and anon rolling
off from us ; or the ebbing and flowing of a tide,

A. T. m'gill, d. d. 309

which to,«ses us to heaven to-day, and leaves i^s drag-
ging on a rock to-morrow — could we ever make the
destination sure ? Must we not have a principle of
progress that is uniform in acting, and always ready;
that will pierce the heavens for light when they are
embossed in thickest darkness, and make even the
lightning flash of God's anger help along the way of
duty when his face is hidden with impenetrable
gloom ?

Faith is indahitahle — sense may deceive the soul
with innumerable counterfeits. The object of faith
is the Lord Jesus Christ — the warrant of faith is his
true and faithful word ; and while ever it holds this
object, by the strength of this warrant, heaven and
earth may fail, and your very existence prove a de-
lusion before such a faith can fail or deceive the
soul. But we know how miserably fallacious may
be the religion of feeling, and how false a joy may
pervade even the breast of a true believer. " Where
is then the blessedness ye spake of?" may be the
reproachful query, after many a season of mistaken
delight. '^ My mountain stands strong, I shall never
be moved," said the Psalmist, in a season of high
feeling and emotion; but how quickly afterwards
does he exclaim, " Thou didst hide thy face, and I
was troubled."

Faith will triumph in death, ichen the religion of
feeling may he all overwhelmed. When all the pow-
ers of darkness are summoned to their last efforts of
hostility and rage ; when fiery darts of doubt, dis-
quietude, and fear, are hurled by a thousand prac-
tised arms of temptation ; when our natural strength
is all abated and sunk to the feeblest infancy ; when

310 FAITH AND SIGHT CONTRASTED.

memory itself lui.s failed, and not one Bethel of
happy communion, not one anointed pillar in the
way, can be recalled for comfort, what shall be the
refuge of the soul, or what its armour ? What we see
and feel of grace in the heart, or demonstration in
the life which is now passing away ? Ah, here may
be the source of direst terror and dismay in that
critical hour ! What can it be, but that shield of
heavenly temper wnth which alone we can now
"quench the fiery darts of the wicked?" Faith
only can make us fearless then ; faith only can
repulse the enemy and proclaim the victory. The
rod and staff of the promise, grasped by a present
faith in Jesus, can vanquish every evil in the valley
and shadow of death. " My flesh and my heart
faileth, but God is the strength of my heart, and my
portion for ever."

III. But we advance to another contrast, between
faith and sight, essentially different from any that
we have noticed; when the scale is turned, and
faith is dropped in vision; when the home is
reached, and the talisman is laid by as necessary no
more ; when the battle is ended, and the " shield" is
hung high in the temple of God, where we shall
endure as pillars, " to go no more out." Here sight
and sense cannot be trusted. Without faith they
lead us to perdition; and even with faith in the
heart, culturing and refining them with experience
of grace, they cannot be trusted. But the day is
coming when this miserable crazy tenement of folly
and mistake shall stand a glorious and unerring me-
dium, through which the soul will for ever drink
blessedness at the fountain of life. Faith will then

A. T. M^GILL, D. D. 311

be superseded, as a principle of walking, and cease
to shine as the star in heaven ceases when the sun
is risen to meridian splendour ; cease to flow in " the
desire of our soul to his name, and the remembrance
of him," as the majestic river ceases when its waters
mingle with the ocean.

1. The object of fliith is obscure and reflected;
the object of sight will be direct and resplendent.
Now " we see through a glass darkly." We see not
the very person of the Saviour, but, as it were, his
image reflected from a mirror ; and we see not this
image with a direct and simple eye, but, as it were,
through many reflections in a telescope. The Word
of God is not dark in itself; it contains as bright a
manifestation of Jehovah Jesus as the present con-
dition of humanity could bear. Subdued emotions,
and mitigated transports, are all that mercy intends,
for the frailty on which he looks from " behind our
wall," and " through the lattice" of means and ordi-
nances. But in the heavenly vision, " we shall see
him as he is," admitted to his own immediate pre-
sence, for ever " to behold his glory."

Incomparably brighter is the revelation we enjoy
than that of our fathers, under the cloud of Old
Testament figures and shadows. In eager longing
for our time, when " the day would break, and the
shadows flee away," how did they rejoice to catch
even a glimpse of Gospel resplendence. Their time
was that of the shadow — ours is that of the image ;
between the shadow and the image there may be
comparison, but between the image and the substan-
tial and present reality, there can be none.

2. Faith's object is unseen at times ; vision's ob-

312 FAITH AND SIGHT CONTRASTED.

ject will be for ever unclouded before us. Between
the telescope and the mirror, the "star of Bethle-
hem" is often hidden from our sight. " My beloved
had withdrawn himself and was gone." " Behold,
I go forward, but he is not there ; and backward, but
I cannot perceive him; on the left hand where he
doth work, but I cannot behold him ; he hideth him-
self on the right hand, that I cannot see him." But
there " we shall be ever with the Lord." " The Lord
shall be to thee an everlasting light, and thy God
thy glory." No darkness nor desertion can be there
indeed, where there is " no need of the sun, neither
of the moon to shine in it; but God doth lighten it,
and the Lamb is the light thereof"

3. Faith itself is imperfect in its operations ; vision
will be perfect and complete. Li the very nature
of the thing there must be imperfection with the use
of an instrument, whose materials are altogether
imperfect. How much does the exercise of faith
depend on the knowledge of God and of Christ ; how
much on the memory of his promises ; how much
on diligence in spiritual reflection and contempla-
tion ; and how deplorably defective are all these, in
the present life of lapse and corruption ! Add to
these the interruption of the world and Satan.
Even if the object of faith were ever before us, with
steady twinkling, and without a cloud ; if no film
of error shaded the eye, nor tremor of weakness
agitated the arm ; and we could hold the glass of
faith, in all its realizing power, unshaken by any in-
herent debility of our own ; yet would the jostle of
the world and the rage of hell turn, ever and anon,
the telescope aside. But vision on high will be

A. T. m'gill, d. d. 313

sound and energetic in itself, rich and perfect in
every material, and for ever sustained by surround-
ing influences there.

Witness the amazing acuteness and perfection of
Stephen's vision, as he was just advancing to the
portals of "the excellent glory." One beam of it
burst through the canopy of heaven and lighted on
his face, and counsellors of even bloodshot eye " look-
ing steadfastly on him, saw his face as it had been
the face of an angel." And such was the effect on
his own vision, of this initial ray from the paradise
of God, that through all the incalculable distance
between this earth and the home of the blessed in
heaven ; through clouds, through planets, through
suns, through depths of unfathomable ether, his
piercing eye beheld "the glory of God, and Jesus
standing at the right hand of God!" If eyes of
mortal flesh can be empowered so by one beam of
that celestial glory, what will not the effulgence of
noontide produce ? If eyes of mortal flesh, by one
blink of heavenly vision, can descry at a distance
which no tongue can tell and no imagination com-
pute, ineffable and transporting glory, what will not
eyes of glorified humanity discover when admitted
to the very throne of God and centre of its brilliance?

4. Faith is slow, and gradual, and successive, in
making up the image of her contemplation ; sight
will comprehend at once, with glance of intuition.
Here we glean one lineament of Jesus in this chap
ter, and another in that, of his holy Word; some-
times we see him in the vision ; sometimes in the
allegory ; sometimes in the plain description. Some-
times we see him as a prophet, then a priest, then a

314 FAITH AND SIGHT CONTRASTED.

king; and thus, culling a. flower here, and another
there, one grace of his person in the Old Testament
and another in the New, faith makes uj) her aggre-
gate at length, and exclaims with delighted conclu-
sion, "He is altogether lovely!" It could not be
otherwise at present. A sight like that of Isaiah,
in vision, of the Lord, "sitting on his throne, high
and lifted up," would strike us down with terror;
" Woe is me, I am undone !" Even the beloved dis-
ciple, who had reclined on his bosom familiarly in
the days of his flesh, could not enjoy a glimpse of
the glorified Redeemer without falling as dead at
his feet.

If all the luminaries in heaven were converged
into one brilliant centre, it would destroy these eyes
with its flood of burning light ; but distributed along
the firmament, in sun, moon and stars, we drink in
the mild radiance with pleasure wherever we direct
the eye. If all the glories of Jesus Christ were con-
verged into one direct and intense description, even
by words, it would overwhelm and crush these
feeble powers of the soul ; but, diffused over the
whole firmament of Old and New Testament Scrip-
ture, we survey with pleasing contemplation the
truth as it is in Jesus, studded and proportioned, as
one star differeth from another star in glory. But
the heavenly vision will scan, with steady rapture,
all that is bright in Jesus, blended and concentered
in one blazing sea of glory.

5. Faith, in her highest exercise on earth, must
groan, being burdened ; but sight, in her lowest range
of felicity in heaven, will shout with hallelujahs.
"In this tabernacle we groan, being burdened."

A. T. m'gill, d. d. 315

When win2;s of faith and love would rise with for-
vor to the mount of God, a leaden body drags them
down. This frame work is too narrow for the com-
pass of faith when she reaches to Christ and swells
wdth foretaste of his glory. "Ourselves also, which
have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves
groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to
wit, the redemption of our body." As the man
whose soul is fired with enthusiastic zeal to read the
starry heavens must groan impatiently, if some low
vaulted jjrison ever prevents him from lifting his
longest telescope on high ; so, and more, infinitely,
groans the believer, when faith lies checked and dis-
appointed in this environed and contracted taber-
nacle. But the frame work of immortal life will be
spacious and spiritual as its inmate ; the shouts of
glory in the highest mil be loud, as the conceptions
of the soul are grand; pure and unfailing, and inse-
parable, will be the powers of eye, and hand, and
heart, when "we shall see him as he is," and our
vile bodies will be "fashioned like unto his glorious
body."

We learn from this subject how ennobling faith is,
and how much dignity and excellence it stamps on
human nature. Men of the world look on faith as
^veakness, and fancy a disparagement of reason a
debility of intellectual force, an easy, erring cre-
dulity, when w^e speak of living by faith, walking,
and fighting, and dying by faith. But so did not
the Spirit of inspiration estimate the worth of human
character, when beginning the notice of each Old
Testament worthy, with emphatic mention of his
faith. Heb. xi. So does not common sense estimate

316 FAITH AND SIGHT CONTRASTED.

the worth of human character, when we behold a
poor, short sighted, trembUng worm of the dust,
quailing at every change, deceived by every show,
bhnd to the present, bhnd to the future, and a
wretched victim of ignoble sense, suddenly stand
triumphant over weakness, superior to time and
change, able to value present things as they are and
future things as they will be ; able to comprehend
eternity better than he understood one day before.
Such a transformation is vastly more noble and
sublime than any deification of man that heathen
idolatry ever imagined. Superstition never gave to
the gods an attribute so godlike as the faith of an
humble believer. And if we had no other and no-
bler motive, the favour of God, to please whom " with-
out faith it is impossible," peace of conscience, victory
over sin and Satan, over the world and death, and
an everlasting inheritance of glory — all of which are
sealed to the soul the moment faith is in exercise ;
if we had none of these unspeakable benefits, the
very enlargement of soul which it brings, empower-
ing the human mind to see invisible things, and
future things, and things substantially good, and
things in all their eventful consequences, were motive
enough to impel men to plead with God day and
night that he would " give it to them, on the behalf
of Christ, to believe in his name f and that he would
" fulfil in them the good pleasure of his goodness,
and the work of faith with power."

We learn again, from this subject, how to test
religion in ourselves and others, most truly ; where
alone is the lively oracle which gives certain re-
sponses on tliis all important interest. Not our

A. T. M^GILL, D. D. 317

frames and feelings; not our present enjoyments;
not all our experience, past and present ; but the
exercise of faith on Jesus Christ, the reality and
power of which are evinced by holy living. How
many a precious hour of time have we lost ; how
many a pang of unnecessary anguish have we felt
in standing upon bubbles which burst, in attempting
to trace our hope of glory on a surface of excited
feeling, which is fluctuating as the sands of the sea,
shifting as the winds of heaven. It is true, indeed,
that our religion is one of mighty emotion, and no
man ever felt its power without feeling the most
powerful of all excitement; and it is equally true
that our prayers and devout endeavours must always
be exercised to stir emotion and revive the power
of feeling, as well as to learn its precious truths, and
■jnbibe its sanctifying efficacy. But let us never
forget, that all excitement is spurious which is not
the offspring of faith, and that all faith is spurious
which does not vividly apprehend the word of God,
in its supreme authority and power ; that faith may
exist where there is but little outward manifestation
of feeling, and that a conversation becoming the gos-
pel is worth ten thousand gusts of delighted feeling;
and no kind of feeling should ever be cherished for
a moment which will not correspond with the sober-
ness of a life of faith upon the Son of God. Vast
inequality in the tide of religious emotion has done
more to arm the power of infidelity in the world,
than all the logic besides which unbelief could ever
command. " The spirit of power and of love," is
the spirit of " a sound mind."

Finally, we learn from this subject to anticipate

318 FAITH AND SIGHT CONTRASTED.

gladly the joys of that eternal world, where all the
faculties of mortal and immortal man, set free from
frailty and sin, restored from the debasement of the
j)resent life, and the widowed sleep of a long germi-
nation in the grave, shall become not only perfect in
use, to be honoured and trusted always, but immea-
surably enhanced in the original adaptation to min-
ister happiness ; by a new creation in Christ Jesus, a
resurrection through the power of liis life, and
translation to the immediate presence of his Father
and ours. '^ It doth not yet appear what we shall
be." The pleasure of the senses, which divine
goodness spared, in some degree, from the ruins of
the curse, to make the present life a happy one for
temperance and virtue, must rise with this identical
body, which will have " slept in Jesus," not only re-
paired, refined, exalted, indestructible ; not only
re-admitted to communion with God in his direct and
constant manifestation, but also advanced to the
inconceivable felicity which is implied in being
" partakers of the divine nature ;" a destination of
superlative dignity and joy, whose range of perfect
happiness must be all that the glorious Creator
would confer on any creature.

L

CATHOLICITY OF THE GOSPEL.

BT

CHAS. HODGE, D. D.
ntorsssoR n* the theological sehinary, prikceton, new jsrsst*

Is he God of the Jews only, and not of the Gentiles also? Ro-
MANS iii. 29.

We are so familiar with the truth contained in
these words that we do not appreciate its importance.
Accustomed to the varied beauties of the earth, we
behold its manifold wonders without emotion; we
seldom even raise our eyes to look at the gaudeous
canopy of heaven, which every night is spread over
our heads. The blind, however, when suddenly re-
stored to sight, behold with ecstacy what we regard
with indifference. Thus the truth that God is not
a national God, not the God of any one tribe or
people, but the God and Father of all men, and that
the Gospel is designed and adapted to all mankind,
however little it may affect us, filled the apostles
with astonishment and delight. They were slow in
arriving at the knowledge of this truth ; they had
no clear perception of it until after the day of Pen-
tecost ; the effusion of the Spirit which they then
received produced a most remarkable change in
their views and feelings. Before that event, they

(316)

320 CATHOLICITY OF THE GOSPEL.

were Jews; afterwards, they w^ere Christians; be-
fore, they applied all the promises to their own na-
tion; the only Jerusalem of which they had any
idea was the city w^here David dwelt; the only
temple of which they could form a conception was
that in which they were accustomed to worship.
But when they received the anointing of the Holy
Ghost, the scales fell from their eyes ; their nation
sank and the Church rose on their renovated sight ;
the Jerusalem that now is, disappeared when they
beheld the New Jerusalem descending out of heaven ;
the temple on Mount Zion was no longer glorious,
by reason of the excelling glory of that temple
which is the habitation of God by his Spirit; old
things passed away, all things became new; what
they had mistaken for the building proved to be the
scaffolding ; the sacrifices, the incense, the pompous
ritual of the old economy, which they had so long
regarded as the substance and the end, were found
to be but shadows. What was the blood of bulls
and of goats to men who had looked upon the blood
of Him who, with an eternal Spirit, offered himself
unto God ? What were priests and Levites to the
great High Priest, Jesus, the Son of God ? What
was the purifying of the flesh secured by the sprink-
ling the ashes of a heifer, to the eternal redemption
secured by Him who is a priest for ever after the
order of Melchizedec ? What was access to the
outer court of a temple, in which even the symbol
of the divine presence was concealed by a veil, to
access to God himself by the Spirit ? What were
the tribes of Israel coming up to Jerusalem, to the
long procession of nations coming to the New Jeru-

CHAS. HODGE, D. D. 321

salem, and kings to the brightness of her rising ; the
multitudes from Midian and Epha; they too from
Sheba, bringing their gifts -with them ; the flocks of
Kedar and the rams of Nebaioth ; the sons of stran-
gers and the forces of the Gentiles, hastening to that
city whose walls are salvation, and whose gates are
praise ?

This change in the views of the apostles seems to
have been almost instantaneous. While Christ was
upon earth, they were constantly misapprehending
his doctrines; even in the night in which he was
betrayed, there was a contention among them who
should be the greatest in his kingdom. But as soon
as they received the baptism of the Holy Ghost they
ceased to speak and act like Jews, and announced a
religion for the whole world.

I. In the general proposition, that the Gospel is
designed and adapted for all mankind, there are
several important truths involved. The most com-
prehensive is that contained in the text: God is
the God of the Gentiles as well as of the Jews. It
is obvious that the Jews generally, and the apostles,
as Jews, entertained very erroneous views on this
until they were enlightened by the Holy Ghost j
they mistook even the spirit of the old dispensation.
It is true that Jehovah chose their nation for a pe-
culiar people, and that he was their God in a sense
in which he was not the God of the heathen. He
revealed himself to them as he did not unto the
world ; he instituted for them a system of religious
observances ; sent them his prophets to declare his
will ; exercised over them a special providence, and
constituted them, in the strictest sense, a theocracy.

22

322 CATHOLICITY OF THE GOSPEL.

There was nothing, however, in the Old Testament
which justified the proud and self-righteous spirit
which the Jews manifested towards the heathen ;
they were not authorized to look upon them as
reprobates shut out from the hope of salvation, as
unworthy of having even the offer of the true reli-
gion made to them. The surprise expressed by the
apostles that God had granted unto the Gentiles re-
pentance unto life, that the gate of heaven was wide
enough to admit more than the descendants of Abra-
ham, shows how much they had misconceived the
spirit of their own religion.

Their great mistake, however, was in supposing
that the exclusive spirit, as far as it did in fact be-
long to the old economy, was meant to be perpetual.
They mistook a temporary for a permanent arrange-
ment, and supposed that the glory of the theocracy
under the Messiah involved nothing beyond the ex-
altation and extended dominion of their own nation.
They were blind to the plainest declarations of their
own Scriptures, which foretold that God would pour
out his Spirit upon all flesh ; that the Messiah was
to be a light to the Gentiles, to make known the
salvation of God to the ends of the earth; and that
the sons of the stranger were to have in his king-
dom a name and a place, better than those of sons
and daughters. Even the affecting parables of
our Lord, designed to rebuke the narrow spirit of
his disciples, failed to make any adequate impression
on their minds. Though they were told that the
prodigal son was to be restored to his father's house,
clothed with the best robe, and rejoiced over with
peculiar joy, they understood it not.

CHAS. HODGE, D. D. 323

It is not to be supposed that the ancient Jews con-
ceived of Jehovah as a local Deit}-, confined in his
essence to any one place, or restricted in his autho-
rity to any one people. From the beginning they
had been taught that he was the Creator of all things;
that he filled heaven and earth ; that he was al-
mighty, doing his pleasure among the armies of
heaven and the inhabitants of the earth ) but they
believed him to be indifferent to the welfare of
other nations ; they did not know that he had pur-
poses of mercy for the Gentiles, as well as for them-
selves. When they called Jehovah their God, they
meant not only that he was the God whom they ac-
knowledged, but that he belonged exclusively to
them, that they monopolized his favour, and were
the sole heirs of his kingdom. What Christ taught
them by his Word and Spirit was, that God was as
favourably inclined to the Gentiles as to the Jews ;
that the same Lord was rich toward all who called
upon him ; that there existed no reason in the Di-
vine mind, why the heathen should not be fellow
heirs and partakers of the grace of the Gospel, why
they might not be fellow citizens of the saints and
of the household of God. This is what is meant,
when it is said he is the God of the Gentiles as
well as of the Jews ; he stands in the same general
relation to both ; he is as favourable to the one as
to the other; as ready to receive one as the other;
as willing to receive and save the one as the other.
Christ came not as the minister of the circumcision
only, but that the Gentiles might glorify God for his
mercy, as it is written : Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with
his people ; praise the Lord all ye Gentiles, laud

324 CATHOLICITY OF THE GOSPEL.

him all ye people. This is the ground, brethren, on
which we stand. We are in the Church, not by
courtesy of man ; not by toleration or sufferance ;
not as strangers or proselytes, but as fellow citizens
and fellow heirs. We that were not beloved, are
now beloved ; we that were not his people, are now
the people of God, though Abraham be ignorant of
us, and though Israel acknowledge us not. It is
this glorious truth, that God is the God of the Gentiles,
that expands the Gospel and makes it a religion
suited for the whole world. It is no longer the slug-
gish Jordan flowing through its narrow channel, it
■ is a sea of glory which spreads from pole to pole.
The mercy and love of God are commensurate with
his ubiquity ; whenever he looks down on man and
says, My children, they may look up to him and say,
Our Father ! Praise him, therefore, 0 ye Gentiles,
laud him, 0 ye people, for Israel's God is our God
and our Redeemer.

II. Again, the proposition that the Gospel is de-
signed and adapted for all mankind, supposes the
spiritual nature of Christ's kingdom; that is, that
the service which is now required is a spiritual, in
opposition to a ritual and ceremonial service ; that
the government of that kingdom is a spiritual gov-
ernment, and that its blessings are spiritual bless-
ings. The old economy was, from its ritual and
ceremonial character, incapable of including all na-
tions. Without the shedding of blood there was no
remission, but sacrifices could be offered only at Jeru-
salem ; there was the temple, the priest, and the
altar; there was the symbol of the Divine presence;
thither the tribes were required to repair three times

CHAS. HODGE, D. D. 325

every year. Innumerable cases were constantly
occurring, which rendered attendance at the place
where God had recorded his name absolutely neces-
sary. As the Jewish ritual could not be observed
out of Jerusalem, it was impossible that the whole
world should be subjected to that form of worship.
Those who were afar off were without an offering,
without a priest, without access to God. The lamen-
tations of David, when absent from the court of
God, his earnest longings after liberty of access to
the place where God revealed his glory, show how
intimately the happiness of the people of God was
connected with the services of the sanctuary. Our
Lord announced a radical change in the whole econo-
my of religion, and one which disenthralled it from
all these trammels, when he said to the woman of
Samaria, Woman, beheve me, the hour cometh and
now is, when ye neither in this mountain, nor yet at
Jerusalem, shall worship the Father ; the true wor-
shippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in
truth, for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
God is a Spirit, and they that worship him, must
worship in Spirit and in truth. It was here taught,
not only that the worship of God was no longer to
be confined to any one place, but also that it was no
longer to be ceremonial but spiritual. It is no longer
necessary to go up to Jerusalem, in order to
draw near to God, but wherever two or three are
met together in his name, there is he in the midst
of them. The temple, in which his people now
worship, is no longer a temple made with hands,
but that spiritual temple made without hands. Its
pillars rest on the four corners of the earth, and it

5iv

326 CATHOLICITY OF THE GOSPEL.

surmounts the heavens ; the southern African, the
northern Greenlander, the innumerable company of
angels, and the general Assembly and Church of the
first born, are all included in its ample courts. The
sacrifice which is now offered is not the blood of
bulls and of goats, but the precious blood of Christ,
as a lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
The incense which now ascends before the throne of
God, comes not from brazen censers, but from living
hearts.

Again, under the old economy the Church had a
visible head, who dwelt at Jerusalem, by whom the
annual atonement was made for the sins of the peo-
ple. He was their intercessor before God ; the me-
dium of communication between God and his people ;
the arbiter and director of the whole congregation.
Those, therefore, who were at a distance from the
High Priest were necessarily cut off from many of
the most important advantages of the theocracy.
Under the Gospel all this is changed. The head of
the Church, the High Priest of our profession is no
longer a man dwelling in any one city, but Jesus,
the Son of God, who by the one ofiering up of him-
self hath for ever perfected them that are sanctified ;
who is every where accessible, every where present
to guide and comfort his people, and who ever lives
to make intercession for them. The believer cannot
be where Christ is not. At any time and in every
place he may approach his throne, he may embrace
his knees or wash his feet with tears, and hear him
say, Son, or daughter, be of good cheer, thy sins are
forgiven thee.

Once more, as to this point : the blessings which

CHAS. HODGE, D. D.

327

the Gospel offers being spiritual are adapted to all
mankind. The benefits connected with the old econ-
omy were in a great measure external and temporal.
This idea the apostle expresses by saying its rites
could avail only to the purifying of the flesh. Con-
sidered in themselves they could do no more than
secure for those who observed them the benefits
of the external theocracy. Those who were cir-
cumcised became members of the Hebrew com-
monwealth ; those w4io kept the law, had the pro-
mise of fruitful seasons; those who had forfeited
their right of access to the sanctuary, had it restored
by offering a sacrifice ; those who w^ere defiled by
any ceremonial uncleanness, might be purified within
the temple by the officiating priest. Apart, there-
fore, from its reference to the Gospel, the blessings
secured by that dispensation were exclusively of this
external character, for it was impossible that its
rites should take away sin. These benefits were
not only of little value, but they were necessarily
confined to a limited sphere ; they were incapable
of being extended to all mankind. How low must
have been the expectations of those who considered
the Messiah's kingdom as nothing but an enlarge-
ment of this system. How complete a revolution
must it have produced in all their views and feelings
to discover that Christ's kingdom was not of this
world ; that the blessings which it promised were
not worldly prosperity, not a pompous ritual or
splendid temple, not dominion over other nations,
but the forgiveness of sin, the renewal of the heart,
reconciliation with God and eternal life. These are
blessings, not only of infinite value, but such as aro

328 CATHOLICITY OF THE GOSPEL.

confined to no one locality. They are not more
needed by one set of men than another; they are
incapable of being monopolized, for they constitute
an inheritance which is rather increased than les-
sened by the number of the heirs. We say then
that the Gospel dispensation is catholic, or designed
for the whole world, because it is a spiritual dispensa-
tion ; the worship which it requires may be as ac-
ceptably offered in one place as another ; the head of
this new covenant is every wliere present and every
where accessible, and the blessings which he confers
are suited to the necessities of all mankind.

III. Another point of no less importance, is, that
the righteousness of Christ, by which these blessings
of pardon, regeneration and eternal life are secured,
is such as to lay an ample foundation for the offer
of salvation to all men. This is a point with regard
to which the minds of the apostles underwent a
great change. Under the old dispensation, the High
Priest, as the representative of the people, made a
confession of their sins, imposing them on the head
of the victim, and made reconciliation by sprinkling
the blood upon the mercy seat. By that atonement
the sins of the people, considered as committed
against the external theocracy, were forgiven, and
the blessings of that dispensation were actually se-
cured. It is obvious that this was an atonement
limited in design to that people, having no reference
to any other nation. It was limited also in its value,
having no intrinsic worth, but deriving all its effi-
cacy from the sovereign appointment. It was also
limited in its very nature ; being attached to a na-
tiopal covenant, it was in its nature available to

CHAS. HODGE, D. D. 329

none who were not included in that covenant ; it
was a Jewish sacrifice, designed for Jews, belonging
to a covenant made with Jews, and securing blessings
in which other nations had no concern.

In complete contrast with all this, we know, in
the first place, that the work of Christ was not
limited in design to any one nation. Christ himself
said, he laid down his life for his sheep, and other
sheep he had which were not of that fold ; in this
sense it is said he is the propitiation for our sins,
and not for our sins only, but for the sins of the
whole world ; or, as the same apostle expresses the
same truth in another place, Jesus died not for that
nation only, but that he should gather together in
one the children of God that were scattered abroad.

In the second place, there is no limit to be placed
to the value of Christ's righteousness ; its worth is
not to be measured by the duration or intensity of
the Saviour's sufferings, but by the dignity of his
person. In contrasting the sacrifices of the Old Tes-
tament with that of the New, the apostle says the
former were inefficacious because mere animals were
offered ; that of Christ was effectual, once for all,
because he offered up himself. It is the nature of
the offering that determines its value ; and as the
dignity of Christ's person is infinite, so is the value
of his sacrifice ; if it suffices for the salvation of one
man, it is sufficient for the salvation of all ; it is
incapable of increase or diminution. The light of
the sun is not measured by the number of those who
enjoy its brightness ; milHons cjjn see by it as well
as a single individual; it is not the less because
many are affected by it, nor would it be the greater

330 CATHOLICITY OF THE GOSPEL.

though only one enjoyed it. So also the righteous-
ness of Christ is in value infinite and inexhaustible,
because it is the righteousness of God.

In the third place, the righteousness of Christ is
in its nature suited to all men. As the annual pro-
pitiation under the old dispensation belonged to the
covenant formed with the whole people of Israel, and
was in its nature suited to all included within that
covenant; so the righteousness of Christ fulfils the
conditions of that covenant under which all mankind
are placed. He perfectly obeyed the precepts and
endured the penalty of that la^v hy which all man-
kind are bound ; hence his righteousncis.s, being what
was due from every man, is in its nature suited to
each and every man. As the work of Christ, as
connected with the covenant of grace, has special
reference to all included in that covenant, and effec-
tually secures their salvation ; but as in performing
the stipulations of that covenant, he fulfilled the
conditions of the covenant of works which all man-
kind had broken, his work is, in its nature, appli-
cable to all who are under the covenant made with
Adam.

Inasmuch, then, as the righteousness of Christ is
not limited in the design of God to any one nation ;
as it is of infinite value ; and as it is, in its nature,
equally applicable to all men, we are authorized to
go to Jew and Gentile, to barbarians, Scythians,
bond and free, yea, to every creature, with the oifer
of salvation. If any man refuses the offer, his blood
will be upon his own head ; he perishes not for want
of a righteousness, but because he rejects that which
is of infinite value and suited to all his necessities.

CHAS. HODGE, D. D. 331

The gospel, therefore, is not tramelled ; we can go
with it round the world, and announce to every crear
ture that Christ has died the just for the unjust;
that he has wrought out an everlasting righteous-
ness, which any man may accept and plead before
the throne of God.

IV. Again, the catholic character of the gospel is
apparent from its oJBfering salvation on conditions
suited to all men. It does not require us to ascend
into heaven, or to go down to the abyss ; its de-
mands are simple, intelligible and reasonable ; it
requires nothing peculiar to any sex, age, or class
of men ; it is not a religion for the rich in distinc-
tion from the poor, or for the poor in distinction from
the rich ; it is not a system of philosophy intelligible
only to the learned, nor is it a superstition which
none but the ignorant can embrace. It is truth,
simjDle and transcendent ; in all that is essential, in-
telligible to a child, and yet the object of admiration
and wonder to angels. It does not suspend our sal-
vation on any particular ecclesiastical connection ;
it does not require us to decide between conflicting
churches which has the true succession ; nor does it
make grace and salvation to depend on the minis-
tration or will of man ; it is not the reHgion of any
one sect or church, and nothing but the wickedness
can equal the folly of the attempt to confine the
grace of God to the shallow channel of a particular
ecclesiastical organization. What the gospel de-
mands is nigh thee, in thy heart and in thy mouth ;
that is, the word of faith which we preach, that if
thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,
and believe in thy heart that God hath raised him

332 CATHOLICITY OF THE GOSPEL.

from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the
heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with
the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Here,
then, are terms of salvation which are suited equall;^
to all men, the Jew and the Greek, the wise and the
unwise, the bond and the free.

V. Again, the rule of life prescribed by the Gos-
pel is adapted to all men, in every age and in every
part of the world ; it is the great law of love, which
commends itself to every man's conscience, and is
suited to all the relations of domestic, social, and
political life. It is a principle which disturbs nothing
that is good, which can amalgamate with nothing
that is wrong, which admits of being acted out un-
der all circumstances, and of accommodating itself to
all states of society, and to all forms of government.

How free, how catholic, how pure, how elevated
is the spirit of the Gospel, which reveals God as an
universal Father; which makes known a religion
confined to no locality, burdened with no expensive
ritual, conferring on those who embrace it, not
worldly distinctions, but the spiritual blessings of
pardon and holiness ; which reveals a righteousness
sufficient for all, and suited for all ; which offers that
righteousness to all on the simplest of all conditions,
that of sincerely accepting it ; whose moral precepts
and principles of religious duty, and of ecclesiastical
organization admit of being carried out with equal
purity and power, in all ages and in all parts of the
world.

1. The catholic character of the Gospel, which
we have now been considering, affords one of the
strongest arguments for its divine origin. No reli-

CHAS. HODGE, D. D. 333

gion can be true which is not suited to God as its
author, and to man for whom it is intended. The
Gospel is suited to God because it supposes him to
be, as he in fact is, not a national God, but the God
and Father of all men ; and it is suited to men be-
cause it meets not the wants of any one class, nor
any one class of wants, but all the wants of every
class, tribe or nation. But besides this, this catholi-
city is the very characteristic which it would be
most difficult to account for on the supposition of
its human origin. The apostles were Jews, the very
name for all that is narrow, national and exclusive ;
how could the most enlarged and comprehensive
system of religion owe its origin to such men ? We
know that the apostles retained much of the nar-
row and exclusive spirit of their countrymen, as
long as their Master was upon earth. When he died
they were ready to despair, saying, We trusted it
had been He who would have redeemed Israel.
Even after his resurrection their eyes were still but
half opened, for the last question which they put to
hun was, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore the
kingdom unto Israel ? Yet, a few days afterward,
these same men began to preach that the kingdom
of Christ was a spiritual kingdom, not designed
specially for Israel, but for all mankind. This fact
admits of no other solution than that recorded in
the Acts, after the apostles had received the i^romised
effusion of the Spirit; they spake as they were moved
by the Holy Ghost, making it apparent that the Gos-
pel is not the product of Jewish minds, but of men
divinely instructed and inspired.

This argument may be viewed in another light.

334 CATHOLICITY OF THE GOSPEL.

The revelations of God, as contained in the Scrip-
tures, admit of being divided into three portions :
those written before the advent of Christ; those re-
ferring to his personal ministry on earth ; and those
written after the effusion of the Spirit, on the day
of Pentecost. In the first portion, all, at first view,
is national and exclusive; the prosperity of Jerusa-
lem and the exaltation of the Jews would seem to
be the great subject of prophecy and promise ; still
there is a constant gleaming through of the impri-
soned glory ; constantly recurring intimations of a
spiritual Jerusalem and of a spiritual Israel, in whom
the glorious things spoken of Zion were to meet
their accomplishment.

The personal instructions of our Saviour were
conveyed mostly in parables, designed to correct the
misapprehension and to repress the false expecta-
tions of his countrymen, but rather intimating than
fully disclosing the nature of his kingdom and the
design of his mission. The descent of the Holy
Spirit shed a flood of light on the whole series of
divine revelations, back even to the first promise
made to our first parents ; it is the clear exhibition
of the economy of redemption, made in the books
written after the day of Pentecost, that enables us
to read the outlines of the gospel in the law and the
prophets ; the relation of these several portions of
the Scriptures to each other, written at intervals
during the course of fifteen hundred years, shows
that the whole is the work of one omniscient Spirit;
and the fact that the catholic spirit of the gospel, as
unfolded in the later books of the New Testament,
is in apparent contradiction, though real agreement

CHAS. HODGE, D. D. 335

with the earlier portions of the Word of God, is a
decisive proof that the Bible is indeed the word of
God and not the word of man.

2. If the gospel, as has been represented, is de-
signed and suited for all men, it is suited to us. We
need the salvation which it reveals ; we, being des-
titute of any righteousness of our own, must accept
the righteousness which the gospel offers, or perish
in our sins. That righteousness being all that any
sinner needs, and being freely and sincerely offered
to all who hear the Gospel, we are entirely without
excuse if we refuse or neglect the invitations of
mercy.

3. If the gospel is suited to all men, it should be
maintained wherever it is known, and sent wherever
it has not yet been preached. This is the inference
which the apostle draws from this subject. If there
is no difference between the Jew and Greek ; if the
same Lord is rich towards all who call upon him,
then it is the will of God that all should call upon
him. But how shall they call on him on whom
they have not believed ? And how shall they be-
lieve on him of whom they have not heard ? And
how shall they hear without a preacher ? And how
shall they preach except they be sent ? The Gospel
being suited to all men, and being needed by all, not
for their temporal well-being, but for their eternal
salvation, woe is us if we do not make it known ; it
is an inheritance in which we are but joint heirs
with all mankind, and we cannot keep the know-
ledge of this inheiitance to ourselves without mani-
fest injustice and cruelty.

Let us, then, endeavour to enter more fully into

336 CATHOLICITY OF THE GOSPEL.

the catliolic spirit of the gospel ; let us remember
that the unsearchable riches that are in Christ
Jesus are an inheritance for all the poor and per-
ishing ; and while we thankfully apprehend those
riches for ourselves, let us labour that they may be
made accessible to all mankind.

■n'lrrl"'^-^^ — " ■

CHRISTIAN SUBMISSION.

BT

H. A. BOARDMAN, D. D.

PASTOR OP THE TENTH PRESBTTERIAN CHURCH, PHILADELPHIA.

It is the Lord ; let him do what seemeth him good. — 1 Sam. iii. 18.

In this life we are sanctified but in part. The
best of men have their infirmities. Even the most
symmetrical and shining characters disclose, in one
form or another, the imperfection which attaches to
all things human. The case is still stronger than
this. Eminent virtues are often associated with sig-
nal blemishes. Individuals conspicuous for certain
Christian graces, are scarcely less conspicuous for
grievous defects. The venerable Eli was an exam-
ple. He was the High Priest of Israel. From the
brief sketch we have of his history he would seem to
have been a sincere, humble, devout man — attentive
to his official engagements, and truly concerned for
the welfare of the people, and the honour of their
Divine king. But in one department of duty Eli
was culpably remiss — he had no family government.
His two sons, his assistants in the temple-rites, were
profligate young men, whose conduct brought a great
scandal upon reUgion — and yet he tolerated it. He
reproved them, it is true, but in so mild a form that

23 (337)

338 CHRISTIAN SUBMISSION.

it produced no effect upon them — precisely, indeed,
as many parents in our oAvn day deal with the delin-
quencies of children whom they have, by their mis-
placed indulgence, trained to respect their authority
only so far as it may suit their convenience. After
repeated warnings had been given to no purpose, God
at length informs the aged and erring priest that he
had determined to destroy his sons, and to transfer
the priesthood to another ftimily — " I have sworn
unto the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house
shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for
ever." This threatening was first made known to
" the child Samuel," who communicated it to Eli
only after he had been solemnly adjured to do it.
It would be difiicult to conceive of a more appalling
message to the heart of a pious father. To such a
father, the announcement that a child was to be
struck down by a sudden death, must, under any
circumstances, be very afilictive ; but to be told that
two of his sons — sons, not in their infancy or child-
hood, but grown up to manhood — sons who had be-
come notorious for their wickedness, and who neither
had, nor were likely to have, the slightest prepara-
tion for death — that God had resolved, as well for
his sin in not restraining them as for their own
crimes, to cut off these sons by some terrible judg-
ment which should " make the ears of every one
that heard it to tingle" — to be told this must have
been overwhelming. How does the unhappy old
man receive it ? " It is the Lord ; let Jiim do what
seemeth him good !" Such was his answer — his whole
answer ; not another w^ord escaped him. Wonderful
submission ! Wonderful illustration of the efficacy

H. A. BOAKDMAN, D. D. 339

of Divine grace in controlling the strongest affections of
the human heart, and subduing man's rebellious will
into an unrepining acquiescence in the will of God !

It behooves us all to know something of this rare
endowment. We, too, may have occasion to say,
"It is the Lord; let him do what seemeth him
good." My subject, then, is Christian submission.

To discuss it in detail is not my aim. All I pro-
pose is, to specify some of the chief elements which
enter into it.

1. CJiristian submission excludes murmuring.

This proposition is self-evident, but the thought
deserves to be dwelt upon.

It is natural to murmur under afflictions and
losses. The voice of nature — that is, of our fallen
nature — is not the voice of God, but contrary to it.
It is as natural for us to murmur, when deprived of
what we love, or disappointed in our hopes, as for
holy beings to submit promptly and cheerfully to
the Divine will. We are apt to feel that what we
have is our own unconditionally; that when we
have framed and prosecuted our plans with great
prudence and energy, we are entitled to success;
that when we have accumulated a fortune, we have
an implicit right to keep it; that when we have col-
lected the varied means and appliances of an elegant
and graceful life, we ought to be permitted, for a
period at least, to enjoy them ; that when we are
surrounded with a healthful and happj^ famil}^, strong
in each others' affections, and rejoicing in each others'
companionship, no power may lawfully invade the
charmed circle to strike down even the humblest or
the feeblest of its loved ones. And if, in any of

340 CHRISTIAN SUBMISSION.

these cases, disappointment, bankruptcy, death, ac-
tually comes, the perverted instincts of the heart
spring up in rebellion against God. I say " against
God ;" but the quarrel is, for the most part, not with
him directly ; fear prevents this. We dare not "curse
God ;" wo deal with his instruments. Upon these
the lacerated heart pours out its resentments ; these
it charges with injustice or cruelty.

It is not asserted that this is always done ; far
from it. But this is the native tendency of the heart,
a tendency to set up its own will against God's will,
to question his sovereignty, to cavil at his dispensa-
tions, to complain that " his ways are not equal,"
and that ho afflicts us more than we deserve. That
this disposition does not uniformly disclose itself is
easily accounted for. In many it has ceased to exist.
Nature has given, place to a new nature . Grace has
changed the lion into a lamb. Instead of saying,
" Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice ?"
the feeling is, " Not as I will, but as thou wilt !" In
other cases the tendency to murmur is held in check
by prudential considerations, such as the dread of
fresh inflictions, and the like. But in too many in-
stances it breaks forth in impious complaints, or in
impatient struggles to escape from the pressure of
God's chastising hand. Wicked men, by their toss-
ings and murmurings in affliction, often verify that
striking image of the ''troubled sea when it cannot
rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt."

It is too evident to admit of argument, that this
spirit is incompatible with the temper inspired by
the gospel ; in other words, that Christian submi&-
sion excludes muvmiiring.

H. A. BOARDMAN, D. D. 341

2. It excludes rep'ininrj.

Under great trials, it is no less natural to repine
than to murmur. The heart sinks into despondency.
The feeling is, " This affliction must crush me —
God has forgotten to be gracious; He has deter-
mined, as a just punishment for my sins, to destroy
me utterly." Or the feeling is, " Now that this ca-
lamity has befallen me, life is stripped of its sweetest
charm 5 the world is a dreary void ; all that re-
mains to me is valueless ; there is nothing left worth
living for." And thus the oppressed soul gives itself
up to the sway of sorrow, nurses its grief, and re-
fuses to be comforted. So the Israelites, when pent
up between the Egyptians and the sea, giving up all
for lost, cried to Moses and said, "Because there
were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away
to die in the wilderness ?" And the prophet, in be-
wailing his own trials with those of his nation in the
captivity, "He hath led me and brought me into
darkness, but not into light. My flesh and my skin
hath he made old ; he hath broken my bones. He
hath builded against me and compassed me with
gall and travail. He hath set me in dark places, as
they that be dead of old. He hath hedged me about
that I cannot get out; he hath made my chain
heavy. Also, when I cry and shout, he shutteth
out my prayer. He hath enclosed my ways with
hcAvn stone ; he hath made my paths crooked. He
was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion
in secret places. He hath turned aside my ways
and pulled me in pieces ; he hath made me deso-
late. . . He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath
made me drunken with wormwood. . . And I said.

342 CHRISTIAN SUBMISSION.

*My strength and my hope is perished from the
Lord ; remembering mine affliction and my misery,
the wormwood and the gall.'" (Lam. iii. 1 — 19.)
In strains like these, even the believer will some-
times bemoan his miserable condition when under
the rod of chastisement. The prophet, it is true,
did not pause here; hope was blended with his
deepest anguish, and he emerges from this thick
gloom of despondency exclaiming, " The Lord is my
portion, saith my soul, therefore will I hope in him."
It is the surrender of the heart to despondency — a
self-abandonment to repining and hopelessness — of
which I speak in saying that it is excluded from the
elements of Christian submission; for this is to
" faint when we are rebuked" of God ; it is to dis-
trust his faithfulness or his power ; to interpret his
dispensations by "feeble sense;" to assume that he
has "turned against us to be our enemy," simply be-
cause he has visited us with peculiar trials, when
his word every where makes such allotments a
pledge of his love and a signature of discipleship
Christian submission excludes repining.

3. It excludes insensibility.

Here, perhaps, more persons fail than in either of
the particulars already specified. They suppose
themselves to be exercising submission to the Divine
will, when they are simply indiiferent to his chas-
tisements. There can be no genuine submission
where there is no sensibility. It seems but a mockery
of God to exclaim, " Thy will be done !" where the
event which elicits the sentiment involves no trial,
and is felt to be no affliction. We may conceive of
a case in which the conflagration of a man's ware-

n. A. BOARDMAN, D. D. 343

house would augment his property to a degree that
he would sooner it should burn up than not ; or of
a case in which parents were so destitute of natural
affection that, on mere pecuniary grounds, they
would rather a child should die than live ; and in
examples of this sort the parties, unless they were
playing the hypocrite, would manifest no sorrow
under their " losses ;" but who would think of call-
ing this "Christian submission?"

So far, indeed, is this apathy under afflictive dis-
pensations from belonging to the nature of submis-
sion, that the Scriptures hold it up as a grievous sin.
Afflictions have a voice, and we have no right to
shut our ears against it. They are designed to make
us feel, and if we do not feel when we are smitten,
we "despise the chastening of the Lord." It was
one of the characteristic sins of Israel, that they
would not " regard the work§ of the Lord, nor the
operations of his hands," and he threatened, there-
fore, to destroy them. (Psalm xxviii. 5.) " Thou
hast stricken them," says the prophet, "but they
have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but
they have refused to receive correction." (Jer. v. 3.)
A child that remains unconcerned under parental
chastisement, who takes the reproof in a sort of
stoical silence, which, bemg interpreted, means, " I
care nothing about your displeasure, and. you may
punish me or not, as you see fit" — such a child is
already hardened in sin. To characterize his indif-
ference as filial submission, would be a flagrant per-
version of terms, since this pretended " submission"
would really have in it the essence of filial impiety.
What better can be said in behalf of that " resigna-

344 CHRISTIAN SUBMISSION.

tion" to the will of Providence, which resigns nothing,
which parts with nothing it would not sooner part
with than retain, which makes no sacrifice, is con-
scious of no loss, misses none of ifs customary plea-
sures, feels no aching void, and luiks out upon a
world as bright and joyous as ever? Can this be
"submission?" No, my brethren. The heart must
be cleft before this divine virtue can flow out. These
strong affections and gentle sympathies must be
crushed before they can give forth the savour of
true resignation. These stubborn wills must wage a
stern conflict with the hand that is stretched forth
against them, before they can say in the spirit of
the Gospel, "It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth
him good." — Christian submission excludes insensi-
bility.

4. It includes a reverential achiowledgment of
God's hand in the afflictive dispensation.

Nature and unbelief eye second causes; faith
fastens its e3^e upon the great First Cause. It is not
meant by this that it is wrong to contemplate second
causes ; they make up a great part of the book of
Providence, and we not only may but must study
them. But to stop at second causes is to exclude
Providence. Nothing is more certain than that his
agency is concerned, directly or indirectly, in all
events, afllictive or otherwise. " Is there evil in the
city and the Lord hath not done it?" "I kill and I
make alive ; I wound and I heal." When Job's
flocks and children were swept away, he does not
regard the tempest, the Chaldeans, and the Sabeans,
the instruments of his calamities; if he had, he
might have murmured. But he looked beyond

L,

H. A. BOARDMAN, D. D. 345

these, rtnd in the spirit of true submission exclaimed,
" The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away ;
and blessed be the name of the Lord." So, too, with
the venerable Naomi, when she returned to her nar
tive town from her sojourn in Moab, a desolate and
impoverished widow, and the citizens gathered
around her, and said one to another, with mingled
surprise and sympathy, "Is this Naomi?" "Call
me not Naomi," she replied, "call me Mara; for the
Alinightj' hath dealt very bitterly with me. I went
out full, and the Lord liath brought me home again
empty ; why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the
Lord hath testified against me, and the Almighty
hath afflicted me ?" To her view, all her afflictions
spoke of God, and they Avere submissively to be re-
ferred to his providence. There can be no genuine
submission without this feeling. Nor is it enough to
acknowledge his agency in the event simply. He
orders as well the minutest circumstances of our
trials as the trials themselves. In these circum-
stances, there is frequently much to harass the feel-
ings. "We could have borne the stroke, (so we are
apt to ruminate upon it,) had it been ordered thus
and so ; had this thing been done or that left un-
done ; could we only have known beforehand that
the blow was about to fall ; could we have attempted
by such or such expedients to avert it ; or, failing in
this, could we at least have had the melancholy
satisfaction of seeing it fall, it would have been less
insupportable." So we reason ; but how unwisely !
wdth what unbelief! Does God notice the falling
sparrow ; has he numbered the hairs of our heads ;
and does he overlook any, the most trivial incident

346 CHRISTIAN SUBMISSION.

in the afflictions of his creatures, and especially of
his own children ? Let us check these fond sugges-
tions of flesh and blood, and say of every circum-
stance, however slight, in the dispensations of his
hand, " It is the Lord ; let him do what seemeth
him good."

5. It includes a conviction of Ms jperfect right to do
what he has done.

The Christian, under the influence of genuine sub-
mission, contemplates God as the universal Creator
and Proprietor; as having a right, underived and
unconditional, save as the exercise of it may be
limited by his own infinite perfections, to dispose of
any and all creatures, as may seem good in his
sight. Ascribing to him an unrestricted sovereignty
over every department of human affairs, he feels that
he may, without trenching upon any real or imagi-
nary "rights" on the part of his creatures, deal with
them in the manner best adapted to promote his
own glory. If he chooses to send poverty, sickness,
pestilence, domestic troubles, mental disquietude,
bereavements, or trials of other kinds, faith will vin-
dicate the equity of the procedure even while the
heart is bleeding at every pore, and will ask, " Shall
not the Judge of all the earth do right ?" I do not
say that this will in every case be done without a
struggle ; nature is nature still, though sanctified.
And sometimes the freshets of affliction burst so ab-
ruptly upon the soul, and pour themselves over it
with such irresistible fury, that faith is for the time
well-nigh severed from the rock, and hope's anchor
drags from its fastening within the vail, and de-
struction seems inevitable. But presently that voice

n. A. BOARDMAN, D. D. 347

which said to the raging Gennesareth, "Peace, be
still !" goes out over the tempestuous flood, and the
alarmed and desponding soul again lifts up a tearful
but confiding eye to heaven, and cries, " Father, thy
will be done !" Only let the believer realize that it
is God who is dealing with him, and he is satisfied
that all his allotments are ordered in righteousness
and equity. He needs no argument to convince him
that even where "clouds and darkness are round
about Him, righteousness and judgment are the
habitation of His throne." Nor is this all. Submis-
sion not only has respect to God's perfect right to
do what he has done, and to the righteousness of
his dispensations, but,

6. It includes an assurance of His wisdom, faith-
fulness, and love, in the affliction he has sent.

It was a common sentiment among the ancient
heathen, that great trials marked a man as an object
of the Divine displeasure. Job's friends interprettd
his afflictions in the same way. The Christian has
been taught differently. He knows that affliction
has ever been a part of the heritage of the saints.
" In the world ye shall have tribulation." " If ye be
without chastisement, then are ye bastards and not
sons." It is the specific reason assigned for the pun-
ishments inflicted upon Israel, that they were God's
children. " You only have I known of all the fami-
lies of the earth, therefore will I punish you for all
your iniquities." And herein he has reference, not
simply to their aggravated guilt and consequent
desert of punishment, but also to the benefits they
might derive from his inflictions. They were his
own people, and therefore instead of allowing them

348 CHRISTIAN SUBMISSION.

to sin with impunitj' until their cup was full, he
would chastise them and bring them to repentance.
" When w^e are judged we are chastened of the Lord,
that we should not be condemned with the world."

This view of affliction puts another aspect upon
it. To the eye of sense it is frowaiing and terrific ;
it speaks of vengeance ; it forebodes destruction. But
faith takes the soul up to the throne, and unveils the
other phase of the dispensation — that which is averted
from our mortal eyes, and of which flesh and sense
can form no conception. Then it is seen that the
rod is held by a Father's hand ; that it is he who has
cast his child into the furnace, and that his bosom
yearns over him with all the love and tenderness
which a fond father feels towards a son whom he is
constrained to punish for his faults. He may not
be apprised of all the grounds and motives of the
infliction, but he will at least be conscious that he
deserves chastisement. " I know, 0 Lord, that
thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithful-
ness hast afflicted me." Such is the language of true
submission. God has engaged to perfect his work
in the hearts of his people, to withhold no good thing
from them, to do for them whatever may be re-
quisite, not for their present ease, but for their sanc-
tification and meetness for heaven. The rod is too
valuable an implement in carrying forward this
process to be neglected. If he consulted simply the
feelings of his children, he would seldom resort to
chastisement — for what child will ask to be chas-
tised ? Or, if his affection for them partook of the
infirmity which so often attaches to parental afiec-
tion among men, he might suflfer their sins to go un-

H. A. BOARDMAN, D. D. 349

reproved ; but he is a faithful and covenan1>keeping
God. No mistaken tenderness Avill ever lead him
to withhold the chastisement which is essential to
his people's happiness. He loves them too well and
too wisely not to let them drink sometimes of the
cup of sorrow.

The Christian is not often left without adequate
evidence that his afflictions are ordered in wisdom
and faithfulness. One of the first effects of affliction
is to drive him to self-examination. Communing
with his own heart, and reviewing his life, he will
usually find abundant indications of infirmity and
sin. He has, perhaps, been the slave of pride or of
sensuality ; he has cherished an irascible and vin-
dictive temper ; he has pursued his secular business
with an avidity which has left no time for his soul
and for God ; he has floated far away from his true
anchorage, on the current of worldly fashion and
frivolity ; he has grown remiss in watchfulness and
prayer; he has undervalued and neglected the
means of grace ; he has failed to profit by former
chastisements; and by these or other sins and
omissions, he has declined in spirituafity, and lost
much of his enjoyment in religion, and surrendered
his soul to barrenness. With these impressions of
his o^VTi unfaithfulness and criminaUty, he will see
how wisely, as well as how mercifully, his afflictions
are adapted to break up his delusive slumber, recover
him from his declension, and bring him back where
the light of God's countenance will once more shine
upon him.

And even when the affliction may be of such a
nature that the grounds of it are not readily de

350 CHRISTIAN SUBMISSION.

tected, when it consists in one of those awful dis-
plays of his sovereignty with which God sometimes
startles and confounds his creatures, even then the
Christian Avill struggle against the doubts and terrors
with which unbeHef would overwhelm him, and bow
to the rod which smites him, with the feeling —

" God is his own interpreter,
And he will make it plain."

7. Finally, Christian submission properly includes
a desire and determination to profit hy the ajflictlon.

This is an indispensable test of its sincerity.
There can be no genuine submission, without an
earnest desire to have the lessons the affliction is
fitted to suggest, written upon the heart and carried
out into the life. It is not for his own pleasure that
God afflicts his people ; it is from no caprice or cru-
elty; but "for their profit." It is that they may be-
come "partakers of his holiness," and be assimilated
to Christ their Head. When we say, therefore,
" Thy will be done !" it is not a bare acquiescence
in the trial ; it is a 23rayer that the gracious ends he
proposes to effect by the stroke may be accom-
plished ; a prayer that it may be so sanctified as to
yield to us the "peaceable fruit of righteousness."
To secure this result should be the great concern of
the afflicted. The remark is as just as it is com-
mon, that trials do not leave us as they find us;
they either harden our hearts or mollify them ; they
are either a blessing or a curse. The Christian is,
or should be, too well aware of this, not to tremble
at the thought of misimproving his afflictions. God
has come very near to him ; he is waiting to see the

H. A. BOARDMAN, D. D. 351

effect of his dispensations. How solemn, how criti-
cal a season is it in the history of that stricken Chris-
tian ; how closely connected with his peace and use-
fulness; how vital in its bearings upon his whole
future career ! He sees this. He feels it. With a holy
jealousy he watches over himself. He studies the
Scriptures with renewed diligence. He pours out
his soul, day by day, in fervent supplications for
wisdom, strength, deliverance from sin, and in-
creasing holiness. And he addresses himself with
vigour and alacrity to the duties of his station, re-
solved, with the help of God, to live henceforth for
Hun who has loved him and died to redeem him.

Such is an imperfect account of Christian submis-
sion. Imperfect as the delineation is, it will readily
occur to you, that it is a virtue of rare excellence
and of most difficult attainment. That which con-
stitutes its excellence, reveals the reason why it is
so difficult of attainment, viz., its contrariety to our
natural character. " If any man will come after me,
let liim deny himself, and take up his cross and fol-
low me." True religion consists much in self-cruci
fixion, and self-crucifixion belongs to the essence of
Christian submission.

To inculcate this virtue is easy ; to practise it
exceeds our unassisted powers. Blessed be God for
the promise, " My grace is sufficient for thee, for my
strength is made perfect in weakness." " The things
which are impossible with men are possible with
God." But for the "everlasting arms," his people
would faint and die under the calamities of life ; but
he upholds them. " They that wait upon the Lord
shall renew their strength ; they shall mount up on

352 CHRISTIAN" SUBMISSION.

wings as eagles ; they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint."

There are few amongst us who have not tested
the truth of these Divine promises ; who have not
been called, in one way or another, to say, " It is the
Lord, let him do what seemeth him good." He has
stripped you of your property, he has prostrated
you with sickness, he has permitted your children
to plant your path with thorns, he has baffled your
cherished plans of worldly success and honour, he
has sent death to fill your hearts and your homes
with desolation. You know, then, how hard it is
to say, " Not as I will, but as Thou wilt !" But you
also know, I trust, that what you cannot say in your
own strength, he can enable you to say ; and that
however painful the stroke at the time, he can so
sustain and sanctify you, that you shall afterwards
look back upon it with the subdued and grateful
feeling, '* It is good for me that I have been afflicted."

M>Tiaf"gllTI

TIIE PRODIGAL.

BT
JOHN LEYBURN, D. D.

aHITOR OF THE PRESBYTERIAN, FBILAOELPHIA.

I mil arise and go to my Father. — Luke xv. 18.

The parable of the prodigal son is among the most
interesting and affecting portions of the Word of
God. Its strong pictures stand out with great bril-
liancy and force. Its tender associations, drawn from
the family hearth-stone, grouping together a father's
love, the waywardness of intractable boyhood, the
prodigal's aUenation from home, his spendthrift life,
and what it brought him to ; the coming to himself
amidst the wretchedness and want his sins had in-
duced, his return, the old father still, though years
had passed, looking out for his lost one, and recog-
nizing him afar off in his rags, the meeting, the forgive-
ness, the rejoicing — did ever painter have a finer suc-
cession of scenes for pencil and canvass, than inspi-
ration has here written in its simple, telling language ?

This parable, however, has other bearings, far out-
reacliing its mere dramatic interest. Whilst it speaks
of the relation of father and son, of alienation, re-
turn and forgiveness, it shadows forth under beauti-
ful imagery great scriptural truths, which have to do

24 (3&3>

354 THE PRODIGAL.

with the immortal welfare of the soul. Under the
person of the father is represented God, the one
great Father of us all ; the son is the sinner, fallen
and estranged, and loving his wanderings well ; the
far country is the world of sin and misery, in which
he makes his home ; the coming to himself, his con-
viction of sin ; his return, his repentance ; and his
acceptance and the rejoicings over him, liis regenera-
tion and adoption into the household of the righte-
ous. The parable, then, has great practical bear-
ings ; and in order to bring these into such shape as
that they may favourably affect you, my readers,
we shall educe from the passage a few of its plain,
practical teachings.

1. The first thought which the passage suggests
is — that God has given to all men a portion of sub-
stance. Over and above that, which may be re-
garded as in some measure mediately the result of
our own application and industry, we are endowed
by nature with certain important gifts, which may
be regarded as a capital in hand, wherewith to do
our trading for time and for eternity, and of which
all after accumulations are but the workings up.
What greater gift could the Father of us all bestow
upon one of his creatures, than a reasonable soul ?
This he has not given to beasts, birds, creeping things,
or to any other order of creation connected with this
planet where we dwell. A soul, rational and immor-
tal, is man's possession alone. It uplifts him from
the common ground on which stand all other earth-
born creatures, invests him with a lofty superiority,
and makes him to have dominion over them all. A
great gift is this soul of man — more valuable than

JOHN LEYBURN, D. D. 355

gems, than mines of gold, or crowns and kingdoms
— than all the world beside. Especially does this
gift of a soul seem to be a valuable portion when we
look at its varied faculties and capabilities.

It is endowed with an understanding. It has ca-
pacities for high intelligence. It can discern, appro-
priate, digest, ^md powerfully use knowledge. It
can reason, analyze, pursue long and difficult logical
processes, and fairly revel in the great fields of thought
which stretch out over the vast universe of God. It
has imagination, and can create from next to nothing
realms of fancy, peopling them at pleasure from her
vast store-houses.

The soul has a conscience also. It has capacities
not only for intelligence, but is possessed of moral
susceptibilities; it can discern truth and approve it;
it can know evil and condemn it. Rightly edu-
cated and directed, of all the elements of a human
soul, conscience is of most importance. Better could
we do without any thing else than do without that
which God has put within us as a sort of vicegerent
for himself — sent to occupy the inner temple of our-
selves, to make right suggestions, to chide us when
we would go astray, to encourage and cheer us on
in all right-doing. Conscience— the law written on
the heart, excusing and accusing — when properly en-
lightened, is as if we heard the voice of God, speak-
ing in audible terms approbation or displeasure.

And, further, to the soul also belongs a will ; it
has powers of volition; like the pilot of the boat, it
can turn the soul about, bearing it onward or keep-
ing it steadfast, consenting to evil or refusing, ao-
cepting the offered ways of life and walking in them,

356 THE PRODIGAL.

or else choosing the road to death and travelling
there. In this will lies the power of the man ; turn
this and you turn one's whole self; fix this to pur-
poses of good, and you have lashed the bark's helm,
with her bows towards a peaceful haven, from which
no adverse winds or currents can divert her.

The soul has affections too ; it can love and it can
hate. Among the chiefest joys life affords, are the
knitting together of hearts by ties of warm affection,
so that in each other they find something to approve
and delight in, to enlist the sympathies and sensi-
bilities— something to enjoy and almost live for.
Men love their children, wives, neighbours — they
have sympathies warm and tender beating in com-
mon with a circle in whose veins runs their blood,
or in whose minds dwell kindred sentiments and
purposes.

Here, then, in this soul, with its treasure of un-
derstanding, conscience, will and affections, we have
the portion of goods which God our Father from on
high bestows upon us all, at the outset of life. A
rich inheritance truly is ours, worth infinitely more
than houses, lands, ships or- stocks.

2. The impenitent have taken this, their sub-
stance, and gone int-o a far country.

This present evil world, with its pride, covetous-
ness, lust and self-seeking, is a country far from
God. God is, indeed, in his essence and by his ever-
present providence, not far from every one of us.
The sinner, with all his efforts, cannot escape from
the vision of the Omniscient, nor from the immedi-
ate proximity of the Omnipresent, nor from the all-
powerful grasp of the Omnipotent. The wings of

JOHN LETBURN, D. D. 357

the morning cannot bear liim from God's sight, nor
can the da.rknc\^s hide him, nor the uttermost parts
of the earth, nor the depths of hell conceal him.

Still, as to that nearness of the soul to God, which
presumes a resemblance to him in moral nature, a
sj^mpathj in the things hated and delighted in, and
a close and joyful communion of spirit with him,
there is none of it. It is matter of no great diffi-
culty, impenitent reader, to prove from the actings
out of your own life towards all that represents your
God and Saviour here on earth, that you have wan-
dered far from him. Here, for instance, is his Word.
In this blessed book of inspiration is the very lan-
guage of his utterance, placed on record for the in-
struction and admonition of mankind ; historically
it is an interesting Iwok ; poetically, strikingly sub-
lime and beautiful ; as to the times in which it was
produced, it runs through the lapse of ages, and in
the subjects of which it treats, extends through eter-
nity. There is no reason, therefore, in the Bible
itself, Avhy it should not be as attractive as any other
volume. But is it so ? Under the suggestions of
an uneasy conscience, you may at rare intervals, or
perhaps even statedl}^, read over a chapter or two,
but in these glorious themes with which its pages
are enriched, and which are so well adapted to en-
kindle the enthusiasm and affections of the soul,
how far are you from any thing of this ! To the
nnregenerate man, God's word is not so welcome as
an ordinary history, or a poem, a novel, or a news-
paper; its perusal is absolutely uninteresting and
irksome ; if read at all, it is read under the direct
stress of conscience ; you do not love its truths, nor

358 THE PRODIGAL.

do its great principles wake up any congenial chord
in your bosom. You will hence generally neglect it,
treat it with practical contempt, allow it to lie until
the dust accumulates on its unopened covers, ever
trying to get away from what will bring God and
eternity before you.

So also it is with prayer. Prayer is a direct
speaking to God through the intervention of his Son.
It is when the soul is engaged in earnest supplica-
tion that God, by his Spirit, deigns to visit the soul.
The closet is a place of constant, sweet communion
to the true disciple, akin in its pure, heart-cheering
enjoyments to heaven; but the sinner has no appre-
ciation of the privilege ; he does not find comfort in
pouring out his soul to Him whose ear is ever open
to the suppliant's cry ; if he utters what is called
prayer, it is but the idle repetition of words ; no
wrestlings of the soul are there, no taking hold of
the promises, no visions of Christ, no well-springs
of consolation ; all is dull, unattractive, repulsive.
Hence he seldom goes through even the form of pri-
vate prayer to God. He lives day after day without
asking the Divine blessing upon him for this world
and the next — without even thinking of it. In fact,
if by any means he should be reminded that living
prayerless is an offence before God, so that his con-
science begins to rebuke him, he bestirs himself
straightway to silence conscience or drug it to sleep.
He does not wish to pray; he has no desire for com-
munion with heaven ; he has taken his portion of
goods and wandered far away ; he does not wish to
speak with God.

In regard to the public services of God's house,

JOHN LEYBURN, D. D. 359

too, the same spiritual phenomena occur. This is a
place -where God vouchsafes to be present. His
children, who love him, and desire to enjoy his
favour, delight to be there. They can say, like the
Psalmist, " How amiable are thy tabernacles, 0 Lord
of Hosts !" " A day in thy courts is better than a
thousand." " I had rather be a door-keeper in the
house of God, than to dwell in the tents of wicked-
ness." Not so with the sinner. He had rather
dwell in the tents of wickedness. No desire has he
to keep the doors of the sanctuary. Not that we
would intimate that he is not a church-goer. Edu-
cation, a vague sense of religious obligation, a general
impression of the importance of sustaining the ordi-
nances and influences of Christianity for the public
good, and other circumstances, may have rendered
him quite a punctual attendant at church. Nor is he
always an uninterested hearer. When the preacher
delivers his message with fine rhetorical accompani-
ments, it may be in his ears as the melodious sound of
a pleasant instrument. When good hits are made at
the short-comings of religious professors, or at gen-
eral public evils, he can listen Avith real enjoyment,
and say. That was well done. When a doctrinal
point is discussed, he can follow the speaker in his
logical connections, appreciate the argument, confess
that he has made good his points, and give his judg-
ment that he is an able minister of the Word of God.
But let the minister forget his rhetoric, and, leav-
ing generalities, or abstract doctrines and other
people's sins, come directly home to the sinner's own
case, charging his transgressions down upv)n him,
waking up conscience to say, " Thou art the man,"

360 THE PRODIGAL.

and pointing to the terrible retributions thre«atened
against such as he, then what has this hearer to say?
Wearily he sits beneath such messages ; no praises
has he now for the preaching, and but little admira-
tion for the preacher. lie is disposed to be captious,
perhaps wishes for a change of ministers, or a change
of his church for one where he will hear things less
unpleasant, or, it may be he forsakes the sanctuary al-
together. It was not from love of the truth, or love to
God, he ever went there ; but from habit, interest in
good spealving, or of a well-digested argument, and
other extrinsic influences ; and now, when these are
withdrawn, and God, through the instrumentality
of his Word, is revealed, he wishes to flee away and
hide himself. He has left his father's house, and
gone so far astray that he does not wish to have
God even speak to him.

So far has he gone, too, and so fixed is he in
his purpose to stay at a distance, that hitherto all
means have failed to bring him back. Preaching,
persuasions of friends, the example of others re-
turning, solemn and affecting providences, and even
the occasional movings of the Spirit, have all been
unsuccessful. He has taken his goods and gone
into a far country.

3. In the far country, whither the sinner has
gone, like the prodigal, he is squandering his goods.
Understanding, affections, conscience, and will, may
not indeed be buried in a napkin, but they are traded
with for self and this world, instead of for God.
What seekings after divine truth, what flames of
heavenly love, what heart-searching to bring out
hidden sins that they may be slain, what self-morti-

JOHN LETBURN, D. D. ^361

fir:itior., what purposes to lay out the life for Christ
and liis cause, are ever seen in him ! Alas ! to all
these he is as much a stranger, and they as much
stransre to him, as if such thin-is were never set forth
as a part of the obligations incumbent upon him.
According to that high and holy sense in which
God looks upon nothing as rightly done, which has
not as its prime motive a desire for his glory, the
sinner's whole life has been fruitless. From the
dawn of his being, to the present hour, he has not
done one act, nor spoken one word, nor exercised a
single affection nor volition, nor cherished a thought
wdiicli heaven can approve. Neither his own soul,
nor the souls of others are, by any intention upon
his part, the better of his having come into this
world. As to all the rich and glorious revenues,
which God had a right to expect from the priceless
inheritance he has given him, he has been a most
unprofitable servant.

But this neglect, rightly to use his goods, is only
the negative aspect of his sin. He has positively
misused and squandered them ; he has diverted
them to ends absolutely mischievous ; he has lived
for self, for family, and for worldly aggrandize-
ment. If sensual pleasures have been most agree-
able, to these he has devoted himself, and, in
that delusive department of things earthly, has gone
the rounds of gaiety and fashionable dissipation,
laying out himself for sumptuous living, worldly
show, or more vulgar vice, and saying, " Soul, take
thine ease." Or if his tastes have been of an avari-
cious cast, he has gone out into the market place,
and there, with care and toil, has lived but Xx) ac-

362 THE PRODIGAL.

cumulate, and havijig accumulated, still abandoned
himself to the same. Or if ambition has been hia
ruling passion, he has sought, by all devices which
ingenuity could suggest, and all the industry of which
he was capable, for power and place. These have
constituted the one great object for which the por-
tion of life already past has been exhausted — to
which the talents given him have been devoted.
Fruitless as to the chief end for which he was
created, and fruitful in all that is forbidden, in the
far country of this world of sin, he has squandered
his substance on things which have produced no
profit, either for God's glory, for the highest welfare
of his fellow men, or for his own eternal interests.
With such riotous living have his talents been
wasted.

4. Like the prodigal, also, the sinner is in a perish-
ing condition. Restive was the wayward son with the
restraints of his father's house ; puffed up with the
vain conceit that he could do better for himself than
could be done for him at his native home ; imagining
that the indulgences from which parental love with-
held him were things to be desired, and wishing to
be where he could revel amid such pleasures unmo-
lested, he secured his portion of goods, and went away
to lead a life of sensuality. For a season, perhaps,
all went on well. Vice yielded a transient satisfac-
tion. With money at command and none to hinder,
he could betake himself to such pleasures to his
heart's content. He probably wondered that he
could so long have endured the mopish life at home.
The freshness of sinful joys enables him to enter into
them with a full relish. But soon the scene changes.

JOHN LEYBURN, D. D. 363

He finds that sin has a bitter as well as a sweet;
that the chalice, whose delicious draughts have so ex.
hilarated, had wormwood amongst its dregs, Plours
of reveh-j left days of ennui, and an aching, empty,
desolated heart. Soon money was gone — that which
had bought the momentary pleasures — and with that
w^nt friends, and the joys of the sinful, lustful
life. He has tried in vain to find the real good which
he had sought for. With all his gettings, his soul is
emptier than at first; and noAV he has not where-
with to get, at all. He lacks the very necessaries
for existence — he perishes with hunger.

Now to this end has the prodigal sinner already
come. With all his toil he has never been satisfied.
Every acquisition, however eagerly and patiently
sought for, and whatever he may have hoped from
it, has but left the same void within. His plans may
have been well laid, they may have been judiciously
prosecuted, they may have been successful. But
what then ? Success when achieved has been his
bane instead of his lasting joy. The end attained, all
the exhilaration and interest of the pursuit have
vanished, and he finds himself in possession of that
which, if honest, he can only hold up before his
mind's eye, and look at, whilst he exclaims, " How
hast thou cheated me? With hard toil, for long
months, with much care and weariness, I have sought
thee, and now thou art mine, what art thou ? What
joy canst thou give to this empty soul, thou inert
thing? What sorrows canst thou soothe, what cares
drive away ? What am I better than before ?" With
all his getting, he has gotten but the chafi* which
the swine do eat, and is still perishing with hunger.

364 THE PRODIGAL.

Is not such the experience of the ungodly worM ?
Who amongst the throngs that crowd the broad road
to the second death, have ever found that houses and
lands, stocks and moneys at interest, operas, routes
and ga}^ apparel, or crowns, kingdoms, and sceptres,
satisfied the cravings of the soul ? Pythius, who
lived in Asia Minor in the time of Xerxes, and
who was, next to that monarch, the wealthiest
man in the world, but who was still grinding the
fiices of the poor, received a most eloquent rebuke,
as to the folly of so setting his heart on gold, from
his wife, when she had a splendid banquet prepared
with nothing to eat on the table but gold. Saladin,
one of the soA^ereigns of Asia, after all the glories
he had won, when at last his dying hour approached,
could but say to his standard bearer — " Go show this
flag of the dead to the army, and tell them that the
lord of the East could bring nothing but a single gar-
ment to the grave." All the world's promised good,
however fascinating in appearance, like the beauti-
ful apples of Sodom, falls to ashes at the touch. Far,
far have you wandered amidst such vain pursuits ;
long, long, has your aching heart craved for some-
thing to fill its vast desires ; but all earth's resources
exhausted, has there not remained the aching, empty
heart still? Are you not hungering, perishing
still? The priceless treasure, the immortal soul,
which God gave you as your inheritance, is, indeed,
still yours, but in the wanderings and squanderings
it has become stupified with sin, and is of itself in-
capable of yielding any revenue of real good ; and
there, lying in your helplessness, with only the
swine's chaff for your diet, you perish with hunger.

JOHN LEYBURN, D. D. . 365

5. The only remedy in this sad extremity is, first
of all, like the prodigal, to come to yourself.

Amidst the wretchedness and ruin which his reck-
less course had brought upon him, God's mercy still
allowed him to remember that there were good things
in the home he had left. At that father's house
want was never known ; no rags were seen even on
the lowest menial who waited within its portals;
none ever hungered in vain, amid the plenty with
which that board was spread; all were cared for
bountifully, cheerfully, and to their hearts utmost
content. How does he envy the lot of the lowest
who dwell there. Happy are they ; whilst he, who
once as a son shared the bounties of that board, is
here in a far country, in the fields amidst the swine,
striving to keep off famine with the husks on which
the poor brutes he is tending seem to revel, but
which refuse to refresh and nourish him. Why did
he ever leave that home? What compensation has
his riotous living afforded, for the peaceful plenty
and comfort he there relinquished? -How was he
deluded in imagining that a life of folly and sin was
more to be desired, than the gentle and wholesome
restraints which prevailed in the paternal mansion.
The spell which rested on him has been broken, and
he now sees things in their proper light. He has
come to himself; he was beside himself before.

And how truly may it be said of every wanderer
from God, who is seeking his treasures among earthly
things, that he is beside himself. What man in his
sane mmd could choose a portion such as this world
affords, in preference to that offered him from the
Father's house on high; and especially when his oft-

366 THE PRODIGAL.

repeated experience has taught him how vain are
all things here below ? In that house there are in-
deed restraints, but these are only to bar the soul
from what would bring but disappointment, sorrow^
and shame, were they ours. With kind paternal
tenderness and discrimination, and with a full know-
ledge of what is best for his children, our Father in
heaven places his prohibitory mandate only over the
gateways which lead to wretchedness and ruin.
His commandments are not grievous. His ways are
ways of pleasantness, and all his paths are peace.
He spreads rich banquets of heavenly provision ; he
opens up fountains of consolation and enjoyment,
such as know no poisonous intermixture ; his own
Son received by faith is meat indeed for the famish-
ing soul ; his word is spirit and life ; he gives peace
of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, and a hope of
eternal life beyond the grave ; and in the ways of
obedience to him, and the fruition of the promises,
there is a welling up of a fountain from which, if a
man drink, he need never thirst again. With such
provision all his children are supplied bountifully
and freely ; none need ever want ; there is enough
and to spare.

Why should the sinner forsake such a home to
wander in the deserts of this world ; and instead of
this wholesome nutriment, prepared for the soul by
him who made it and knew its wants, endeavour to
satisfy himself with the husks of earthly good ?
Never can he satiate his hungerings until he come
to his right mind, and sees things in their real and
relative value. If this world has yielded no fruits
such as the soul would have, why will he not look

JOHN LEYBURN, D. D. 367

where alone they can be found ? If wandering from
God. has brought only disappointment and sorrow,
why will he not return to God and find real joy ?
Heaven's resources have not been exhausted by the
glorious multitude who feed at its banquet tables.
The portals of that forsaken home are open to re-
ceive him if he will but return; what folly and
madness, then, to stay away ! Let reason resume
her throne. Let him whom God has made capable
of the high dignity of a son appreciate his privilege,
and seek to dwell where he properly belongs. Let
him come to his right mind; let him prefer the real
to the counterfeit, the substance to the shadow, the
solid gold to worthless dust, the banquets of his
Father's house to the poor husks of the swine-
herds.

6. But, unhappily, like the prodigal, the sinner,
finding himself in want, often betakes himself for
aid to some citizen of the country where he dwells.
All his inheritance being gone, the famine pressing
hard upon him, and no other prospect in view but
death by hunger, unless he finds rehef from some
source, the prodigal seeks tlie help nearest at hand
and most congenial. As yet he has hardly thought
of returning to his long forsaken home ; he does not
care to go there ; he fears to meet the piercing, re-
proachful glance of an injured father; his great ob-
ject is to avert the calamity which stares him in the
face ; he hopes to do this by becoming a hireling,
and forthwith joins himself to a citizen of that far
off country, and goes into the fields as a tender of
swine.

A most striking counterpart of the prodigal's

r"

368 THE PRODIGAL.

course is found in the almost uniform conduct of the
sinner awakened to a sense of his perishing condi-
tion. He finds himself in want; hunger is gnawing
at his vitals, the world has never satisfied him, he
sees worse things in store, death is coming on and
he must perish if he remains where he is. Forth-
with, therefore, instead of resorting at once to the
full provisions of the Gospel, he sets himself to
work out some righteousness of his own, by joining
himself to what at best must be regarded as belong-
ing to the country of this present world, and not to
the kingdom which is from above. He betakes him-
self to reformation, breaking off from his more overt
sins ; he abandons Sabbath breaking, profane swear-
ing, licentiousness, attendance on places of worldly
amusement and folly, and is outwardly a very dif-
ferent man. He hopes to be better satisfied under
his new system of living. Finding this, however,
unavailing, he goes further, and now opens his long
neglected Bible, reading portions of it every day;
he bows his knees in secret to pray ; he is regular
in his attendance on the sanctuary, and perhaps be-
gins to frequent the weekly social meetings. In
these he hopes to find relief for his famishing soul.
But, alas ! no relief comes ; the Bible is a sealed
book to him ; his prayers seem idle words ; the mes-
sages of the minister bring no comfort to his bosom.
In fact the longer he continues his toilsome routine
of religious services the more hopeless his prospects
seem to be ; his heart is hard ; he cannot feel, or
think, or act as he would do. He begins to despair
of help from these sources. And well he may. He
has been striving to work out a righteousness of his

JOHN LEYBURN, D. D. 369

own, instead of humbly seeking that which is
Christ Jesus. The means of grace, however im-
portant in their place as means, and an outward
reformation, however indispensable, will not of them-
selves avail ; he has stopped short of the right re-
fuge, and joined himself to what are best but citi-
zens of the country of this present world. If he
goes no further for help, he must still perish with
hunger.

7. And this leads to the remark, that, like the
prodigal, and with the same spirit also, the sinner
must return to his father's house.

Temptations, indeed, there may be to keep him
where he is. Looking at the distance to which he
has gone, and the steps which must be retraced, the
way back seems long and difficult. In his poverty
and rags he may think himself badly prepared for
the journey. Should he reach the gates of the
homestead, how does he know that he will be re-
ceived? He erred in forsaking that home ; and his
career since, together with his present wretched ap-
pearance, have nothing to recommend him. Has
not his father cast him off for ever? With kindred
doubts and fears may the sinner, whom God's Spirit
has convinced of the vanity of the world and the
wretchedness of his condition, be perplexed when
he thinks of returning to God. A long way, indeed,
has he wandered in sin. Difficult does it seem for
him to retrace his steps. With a soul all polluted
find guilty — in spiritual rags and wretchedness, what
has he to recommend him? He has treated with
fix "d and intentional neglect and contempt the calls
to 3 turn which have been long ringing in his ears,

25

370 THE PRODIGAL.

Even should he go begging to be received again, will
the paternal doors be opened to him ?

And yet, what would the prodigal gain by staying
away ? Like the leprous men at the gate of Sama-
ria, if he stays there he will perish, and he can but
perish if he goes. He will relinquish all idea of
Bonship ; he will humble himself, and beg, as matter
of special grace, to be but admitted as a servant.
And so, also, we may ask the prodigal sinner think-
ing of a return, but kept back by doubts and fears,
what will it profit you to stay where you are in your
sins ? You are dying with hunger ; a little longer,
and the famine will have clean overtaken you, and
you will have perished for ever. Death is inevitable
— the undying, everdying second death, should you
remain in your sins ; if you go to your neglected
God and Saviour, seeking for mercy, you can but
perish. In the whole universe there is no hope of
safety but in this one thing of returning. You have
no merit of your own to plead ; but you can confess
your sins, and beg for mercy ; and peradventure par-
don will ensue. So thought the prodigal, and in
that dark and guilty soul the struggle was ended ;
the last resolve was made ; the swine-herds and the
husks were to be forsaken ; and from his trembling
lips fell the words, " I will arise and go to my father,
and say unto him. Father, I have sinned against
heaven and in thy sight." Such a I'esolution, rising
from the heart-depths of a sinner, evinces the very
spirit of evangelical penitence. Here is a sense of
sin; a willingness frankly and fully to confess it;
the conviction that it has all been against the holy
and excellent law of God ; an abandonment of all

JOHN LEYBURN, D. D. 371

pretension to self-righteousness and a willingness to
plead guilty, and acquiesce in the sentence which
would debar him from sonship for ever ; and withal,
a determination to return, casting himself upon the
mercy of God in Christ Jesus as his only hope.
Herein is that mingled despair and rising hope — that
giving up of self, and the going out of faith towards
an all-sufficient Saviour, which marks the transition
of a soul from the kingdom of darkness into that of
God's dear Son. "With such a spirit, no sinner need
fear to seek an injured father's face.

8. And this leads us finally, to say, that returning
with tlie spirit of the prodigal, a favourable and joy-
ful reception is certain. Long though it had been
since that wayward son had fled his home, the kind-
ness of a father's heart had not grown cold. Wicked
as has been his life, and wretched as he is in
his poverty and rags, he will not be spurned from
the homestead doors. His trembling footsteps bring
him near that home; his fainting heart almost dreads
to make the appeal to be received again ; at the last
moment he is almost ready, like Lot's wife, to look
back to Sodom. But just then the Father's eye
discerns him, the long lost son is recognized, the
tender heart of paternal love melts in compassion ;
the prodigal begins his confessions, but ere they have
been ended, he is embraced by a father's arms, for-
given for all his wanderings, and acknowledged as a
son once more. Robes white and clean are put upon
him, he is adorned with gold, the fatted calf is killed,
and the whole household echoes with strains of joy.
He that was as good as dead, is made alive again ;
the lost is found.

372 THE PRODIGAL.

Such a reception, free and joyful, awaits you, my
unconverted reader, if in your wretchedness and
ruin you come pleading for mercy, at the doors of
the kingdom. Through the riches of grace, which
is in Christ Jesus, all your sins can be forgiven ; by
the Spirit which he has purchased a new heart can
be put within you ; and in the pure garments of his
righteousness you can stand accepted. More fa-
voured than the prodigal, you have a divine, all-
powerful friend to plead your cause. God the Father,
and this elder brother Jesus Christ, in the counsels
of eternity, devised a plan for securing the return
for such as you. The Redeemer's incarnation ; his
life of faithful obedience; his agonizing death on
Calvary, and his intercession at the right hand of
the Father in heaven, all were designed to prepare
the new and living way by which the prodigal sin-
ner may come back to God. His own honour and
the compensation for the travail of his soul are in-
volved in the rescue of the lost. Every prodigal
returned is a fresh contribution to the rich revenue
of glory he is to receive as recompense for his shame,
dishonour and death ; every wanderer brought back
from sin and hell, is a new token of his triumph over
his enemies — another star added to the lustre of his
peerless crown. In such conquests all heaven sym-
pathises— for there is joy among the angels even
over one sinner that repenteth. Why then should
you not come ? The way through Christ is an open
way. "Him that cometh to me," says he, "I will
in no wise cast out," and in him your utmost desires
shall be satisfied, for he also says, " I am the bread
of life ; he that cometh to me shall never hunger."

JOHN LETBURN, D. D. 373

More willing is the Father to receive you, than you
are to return. His yearning heart pities you, his kind
voice calls you, and if you but come you shall be a
son and an heir in that glorious household. No
sooner will the broken utterances of your guiltiness
fall from your lips, than they shall be heard, and the
lofty courts of heaven shall reverberate with songs
of joy.

And will you come ? Let me plead with you to
tarry no longer away. Does your proud spirit at
lust relent ? Has the great resolve been made ? From
your troubled heart has the language gone forth,
"I will arise and return?" Then, blessed, thrice
blessed will you be. A Saviour's blood will wash
your sins away, and your rags will be exchanged
for a robe of righteousness. A prodigal returned ;
how great the change ! No more a stranger, but a
son at home ; no longer away in a desert land among
the swine, perishing with hunger, but here at a
father's board, where there is enough and to spare.
The husks all gone ; the empty aching heart at last
filled- — the longing soul satisfied from the rich pro-
visions of a Saviour's love ; and though but yester-
day an outcast beggar, now an heir of God, a joint
heir with Jesus Christ, in full brotherhood with the
saints on earth and in heaven, and but waiting for
the mansions prepared above, for the full fruition of
a kingdom and a crown. Joy, joy for ever ! The
dead is made alive ! The lost is found !

THE TREE KNOWN BY ITS FRUITS.

E. P. HUMPHREY, D. D.

VASTOR OP THE SECOND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

Preached before the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church at the open*
ing of its Sessions in Charleston, S. C, May 20, 18&2.

Even so, every good tree bringeth forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree
bringeth forth evil fruit. — Matt, vii. 17.

These words of our Lord contain a profound and
comprehensive truth. As the nature of the tree,
whether good or corrupt, is made known by its fruit,
even so, the Master observes, felse prophets may be
detected. They come in sheep's clothing, yet being
inwardly ravening wolves, their rapacity invariably
betrays itself. Now we may give to this maxim a
•wider application, and suggest that a religious faith,
as well as a religious teacher, whether true or false,
will develope, by outward and significant marks, all
its vital pecuUarities. The inner life of Judaism, in
its purer days, and then that life in the period of its
degeneracy, clearly revealed its nature by many
striking phenomena. The same remark applies to
Christianity in all the phases which it assumes.
These phases are determined by the peculiar the-
ology which, from time to time, is received into the
fixed and inward convictions of mankind. The

(374)

E. P. HUMPHREY, D. D, 375

true discovers itself as good, and the false as evil, by
inevitable developments. "Even so, every good
tree bringeth forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree
bringeth forth evil fruit." The text, as thus ex-
plained, prescribes to this occasion a discourse of

OUR THEOLOGY IN ITS DEVELOPMENTS.

The purposes of this argument do not require a
discussion of our theology in its sources and eviden-
ces. Nor is it needful, in this presence, to expound
its peculiar doctrines. These have been made widely
known through its living disciples, its written for-
mularies, its celebrated teachers of former genera-
tions, and their powerful adversaries. Few intelli-
gent persons are ignorant of the doctrines which its
faithful disciples deduce from the Scriptures, even
those touching the sovereignty of God and the de-
pendence of the creature; his purpose as foreor-
daining, and his glory as the end of creation, sin,
and redemption; the imputation unto all of the
guilt of the first man, our federal head ; the utter
corruption of human nature ; the election unto sal-
vation of a certain and definite number; their re-
demption by the vicarious obedience and penal suf-
ferings of the Son of God ; the work of the Holy
Spirit persuading and enabling them to accept of
Christ; their justification by faith alone; and their
infalHble perseverance, secured by the immutability
of tlie decree of election.

These doctrines are further verified as of the sub-
stance of our theology, by its celebrated symbols.
Our faith is held wdthin the brief compass of the
Lambeth articles ; it is stated at large in the Latter

376 THE TREE KNOWN BY ITS FRUITS.

Confession of Helvetia; it is delivered systemati-
cally in the judgment of the Synod of Dort; and it
is yet more accurately defined in our own accepted
standards, the Confession and Catechisms of West-
minster.

Our system of doctrine is also identified closely in
some things, and substantially in the most, with the
names of the illustrious men who, since the days of
Paul, and of Him the greater than Paul, have been
masters in this school of divine learning; even
A.ugustine, Calvin, and Edwards. We speak with
reverence too, of Beza, Turretin, Owen, Ridgley,
Witherspoon, Bellamy, and Chalmers ; " howbeit
these attained not unto the first three."

This faith is identified, still further, with the repu-
tation of its great adversaries — Pelagius, Arminius,
the Jesuit antagonists of the Port Royal, the Tri-
dentine Fathers, and Pope Clement XI. in the Bull
Unigenitus.

I may assume, therefore, that our distinctive prin-
ciples are, for the purposes of this argument, suffi-
ciently familiar to every intelligent hearer, and
especially to the members of the venerable court in
whose presence I am required to appear. This
being assumed, I proceed at once to indicate some
of the fruits of our doctrinal system.

In the first place, it developes a peculiar type of
spiritual life. The piety which has been subjected
to the influence of our theologj^, includes a deep
sense of personal unworthiness. The man perceives
that he has violated God's law in instances without
number; so that he is by wicked works a sinner.
Still further, he ascertains that his actual transgres-

E. P. HUMPHREY, D. D. 377

sioris proceed from a disposition to sin inherent in
his moral constitution, and that not only is his
nature the source of sin, but its corruption is itself,
like all the motions thereof, truly and properly sin ;
so that he is, in that double sense, a sinner by
nature. He acknowledges, yet further, that he is
wholl}^ disabled to good, and wholly inclined to evil,
so that he is a sinner only. And finally, he con-
fosses that this death in sin is an hereditary corrup-
tion conveyed to hira from the first man, Adam ; so
that he is a sinner of a sinful race. I spend no
labour in showing that a conviction of sin fastened
on the conscience by a sense of active, innate, total,
and hereditary depravity, must be most thorough
and pungent.

Nor is this all. The kindred feeling of utter help-
lessness rests on his mind. He perceives that every
one of his unnumbered sins deserves the wrath and
curse of God for ever ; and, further, that he can offer
no atonement to a violated law. He is fully con-
scious, also, of his absolute want of power to change
his evil nature, itself being one main ground of his
condemnation. Another step brings him to a know-
ledge of the condemnation that rests upon him with
the imputed sin of Adam, our federal head. Now
some may say, that his understanding is strangely
perverted who accepts all these things as true ; yet
even they must concede that he who does in fact
believe- them, and believing, feels their power, will
realize the ideas both of guilt and of helplessness to
the uttermost. This theology brings the sinner face
to face with his own inexcusable and aggravated
transgressions, and face to face, also, with a condem-

378 THE TREE KNOWN BY ITS FRUITS.

nation, from which, as touching man or angel, every
ray of hope is excluded, and in which is mingled
every element of despair.

But our doctrines do not rest here. They impart
to the piety of the believer the element of an un-
doubting faith. The Word of God, as expounded
by our divines, exhibits the believer as a chosen in
Christ from before the foundation of the world ; so
that his salvation springs from the eternal purpose
of God. It further declares, that the love of God
has abounded towards him in a plan of redemption ;
so that the believer's safety is secured by the mercy
of God. Going still deeper, he learns that an atone-
ment has been made for sin by the vicarious and in-
finite sacrifice of the Lord Christ, and that in this
expiation, he hath fully obeyed the precept of the
law, and exhausted its penalty, and now all law and
all justice demand the pardon of the penitent sin-
ner, so that he is saved from death by the act of God,
not only meditating in merc}^, but judging in righte-
ousness. Still further, this expiation relieves lis
from the condemnation we lie under, by reason of
our actual transgressions, our evil natures and our
relation to the sin of the first man ; so that this is an
abounding salvation. The Holy Spirit, moreover,
regenerates and sanctifies God's chosen ones by his
efficacious grace, and secures also their perseverance
unto the end; so that it is a complete salvation.

Now if the believer comprehend these wondrous
truths ; if he rest his soul on the unchangeable pur-
pose of God, the finished righteousness of Christ, and
the renewing power of the Eternal Spirit ; if he ap-
prehend all this to be true, planting his feet firmly

E. P. HUMPHREY, D. D. 379

here, lie realizes the stupendous idea of salvation by
grace, and may raise the triumphant demands of the
Apostle, " Who is he that condemneth ?" " Who
shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect ?"
" Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?"

It might also be shown, that the spiritual life, de-
veloped by our theology, is the piety of humility ;
that it is, further, the piety of gratitude ; and fur-
ther yet, that it gives to Christ, as of debt, and re-
ceives from him as of grace : " You go to receive
your reward," was said to the dying Hooker; " I go
to receive mercy," was his reply. If all these things
be so, we may well say that our theology developes
a type of spiritual life, which is not only peculiar,
but the highest possible to humanity in its mortal
state.

In the second place, this theology developes the
principles of a /ree ecclesiastical poUty.

It were easy to show that our theology, when
traced to its logical conclusions, wholly divests the
ministry of the sacerdotal character, denies that or-
dination hath any sacramental efficacy whatever,
distinguishes between the right of administering
sealing ordinances and the power of government,
affirms that all believers are, equally, and as such
kings and priests unto God, and declares for the
Lord Jesus Christ as the sole and supreme Head
of the Church. In these conclusions, or rather in
these articles of faith, our doctrinal system developes,
theoretically, the four great principles which enter
into the basis of a free Church government. These
are the parity of the ministry, the authority of the
laity as equal and co-ordinate with that of the clergy

380 THE TREE KNOWN BY ITS FRUITS.

in every ecclesiastical judicatory, the election of all
church officers by the people, and the independence
of the Church in relation to the State * Now,
treating this topic historically, we cannot fail to re-
cognize a thorough alliance between our distinctive
faith and each of these principles. The equality in
office of all men ordained to the work of the ministry
has been from the beginning invariably affirmed,
and the doctrine of the prelacy has been constantly
rejected, by all the churches strictly called reformed
in Europe and America. Such conceptions of the
ministerial office did they obtain from their theology,
that the bishop's lawn or mitre would have been a
spectacle, quite as rare in the French, Belgic, or
Helvetian churches, as it would have been in a Pres-
bytery of the old Scottish Kirk, or in a Puritan con-
venticle, or, as I take leave to add, in a company of
the apostles.

*The doctrine of our ecclesiastical polity involves these two
among other propositions. First, that its principles are laid down
in the Word of God ; secondly, that the same principles are indi-
cated by our theology. The first proposition discovers the au-
thority on which Presbyterianism, as a form of church government,
rests; and the other discloses its logical relations. These two
propositions are distinct, true, and in no degree inconsistent. The
limits of this discourse did not admit the discussion of the higher
topic — the authority on which our polity rests. The author was
obliged to restrict himself to a brief view of the other particular
— the logical relations of our theology and our polity. Not sup-
posing that any hearer or reader of the discourse would regard the
affirming of the second proposition as a denial of the first, the au-
thor is as much surprised as are the Princton Reviewers, " to learn
that some hearers took exception to his discourse, as though he
placed the whole authority of our system on its logical relations."
The same remarks apply to the treatment of the third head of the
discourse.

E. P. HUMPHREY, D. D.

381

The representation of the people in all ecclesias-
tical courts has almost invariably attended our doc-
trinal system. Our congregational brethren affirm
this principle in its broadest sense, by investing the
brotherhood in each congregation with the whole
power of government. In most of the Reformed
Churches, the office of the ruling elder is held to be
of scriptural authority. The incumbents of this
office are usually of the people, elected by the peo-
ple, ordained in the name of Christ, and invested
with a divine right to sit in every church court, and
to share in all its deliberations. Their numbers,
intelligence, and piety, give them a predominant in-
fluence in ecclesiastical affiiirs. Their office, at once
the ornament and bulwark of a free Church, saves
the kingdom of the saints from degenerating into a
kingdom of the clergy.

Not less incontestible is it that our doctrinal sys-
tem carries with it the free election of all church
officers by the people. In the Romish establishment
the sacerdotal order perpetuates itself. The Pope
is the creature, and, in his turn, the creator of the
cardinals. He also appoints the bishops, and they
designate the priests; and this spiritual close corpo-
ration takes its charter from the dogmatic faith of
the Church, as settled at Trent. In the Anglican
establishment, the crown invests the bishops, the
bishops appoint the priests, and the patron— it may
be a profligate peer— endows them with a parish
and a Uving. This hierarchy experiences no dis-
turbing influences from the theology with which it
is associated. But with a partial exception, soon to
be mentioned, the churches which receive our pecu-

n

382 THE TREE KNOWN BY ITS FRUITS.

liar faith affirm that the election of persons to preach
the Word, administer the sacraments, and use autho-
rity is in the people ; and that the act of power, whe-
ther civil or ecclesiastical, which places in the con-
gregation a pastor not of its own free choice, is an
intrusion which is to be for ever denounced as un-
scriptural, and resisted as intolerable.

The fourth principle, the separation of the Church
from the control of the civil power, exhibits, in its
historical development, a remarkable illustration of
the vital forces of our divinity. Calvin, Cranmer,
and the Scottish Reformers committed to the secular
power an injurious control over spiritual affiiirs, be-
cause their intellects, though large and comprehen-
sive, were not large enough to comprehend fully the
immense results of their theology. They did not
perceive that their own principles, when carried to
their legitimate conclusions, would deliver the Church
of Christ from the dominion of both kings and re-
publics, and establish it as a purely spiritual and in-
dependent power on earth. It was their high office
to fix in the convictions of men a religious faith,
M'hich, being itself true, should gradually correct the
errors of its most illustrious teachers; and, being
pure, should purge itself from all human ordinances;
and, being free, should throw off every yoke of spi-
ritual servitude, until it became the inner and po-
tential life of a Church, like our own, which answer-
eth not to the Jerusalem that then was, and was
in bondage with her children, but to the Jerusa-
lem which is above, which is free, and the mother
of us all.

It may be suggested, that the Established Churches

E. P. HUMPHREY, D. D. 383

of England and Scotland exhibit clear instances of
a coalition, rather than a repugnance, between our
theology and the institutions of Prelacy and Eras-
tianism. But as to the Anglican Church, it may
well be said in reply, that although the doctrinal
portions of the thirty-nine articles are orthodox in
terms, yet an Arminian sense has been fastened on
them by the general consent of all concerned. The
form of sound words is but a form ; the Genevan
ingredient, originally cast into the Alembic, has
long since evaporated, leaving undisturbed, hence-
forth, the Prelatical and Erastian elements in the
crucible. As a further reply, it may be stated that
when the Anglican Church was most distinguished
for its orthodoxy, the doctrine of the prelacy sat but
loosely on the convictions of its bishops and doctors.
The theological views of Cranmer, the first Protest-
ant Archbishop of Canterbury, are made known by
the fact, that his advocacy of predestination and
election was as decided as that of Augustine himself;
and his opinions touching the ministry are revealed
in his plain avowal of the con\iction, that in primi-
tive times there was no distinction between bishops
and priests. fSo long as his successors in the pri-
macy perpetuated his theology, they perpetuated
also his gentle views of prelacy ; one of them only,
Bancroft, venturing to assert its divine authority.
It was reserved for Archbishop Laud to inaugurate
the Arminian theology in the Church, and with that
a zeal for diocesan episcopacy, as an ordinance of
God, a passion for ceremonies, and a merciless per-
secution of those who believed, without subscribing
the creed which he subscribed without belioving.

384 THE TREE KNOWN BY ITS FRUITS.

The history of this establishment, therefore, instead
of weakening, confirms our argument.

Not less significant is the history of the Church
of Scotland, where our theology has been perpetuated
for three hundred years. Its developments in the
way of order have been infinitely remarkable. In
the first place, the persuasions of the English court,
and the bayonets of her armies, have not been able
to fasten an Episcopacy on the Kirk. Secondly, a
representation of the people, sitting in all the Church
courts, has ever been of the substance of her polity.
Thirdly, the Kirk, although condescending to be by
law established, has never been Erastian ; and the
moderate party, so called, which verged towards
Erastianism in policy, exhibited at the same time
the most unequivocal tendencies towards Arminian-
ism in doctrine ; while the opposite party contended
both for orthodoxy in faith, and for the rights of
God's people in the free choice of their pastors.
Lastly, the unexhausted forces of our theology, hav-
ing delivered the Kirk from every other element of
bondage, is perpetually struggling through a series
of agitations and disruptions, to purge her from the
remaining iniquity of patronage. These disturb-
ances will be incessantly renewed, from generation
to generation, until the venerable Kirk must take
her choice between disowning her patronage, or losing
all her children, or abandoning that ancient faith,
which teaches them to vindicate their rights, even
unto a separation from her sacraments. Either her
theology, as in England, or her subjection to the
State, as in this country, must disappear from the
crucible, or the crucible itself will be broken by the

E. P. HUMPHREY, D. D.

385

antagonism of its ingredients. So intolerant is this
theology of any other than a polity absolutely free.

In the third place, our theology developes a simple
and spiritual mode of icorsldp. The ritual of a
religion is a most accurate expression of its system
of doctrine. Comparing the Komish Church with
our own, for example, we shall ascertain that their
forms of worship are dissimilar, because their the-
ologies are repugnant. The ceremonials of Rome
are not accidents of the system, nor were they
devised for dramatic effect alone. They embody a
meaning ; they express a doctrine ; they address not
more directly the imagination than the faith of the
worshippers. It is held by that establishment that
the sacrament of the supper, when rightly adminis-
tered, hath an inherent power to save. It derives
this power from the fiict, that the elements are
changed into the body and blood, the soul and
divinity of Jesus Christ, and as such are presented to
God, a true propitiatory sacrifice for the sins of the
living and the dead. It is the function of the officl
ating clergymen to offer up this atoning sacrifice ; he
is, therefore, in fact a priest, and the table on which
he lays the oblation is, in strictness of speech, an
altar. The priest ofiiciates moreover in the person
of Christ. His vestments, the decorations of the
altar, and all the surroundings, represent incidents
in the passion of Christ. The practised eye of the
devotee beholds, in the garments and bands worn
by the priest, symbols of the robe in which Christ
was clothed, and the cords by which he was bound.
The crucifix, embroidered on the back of the robe,
represents the cross which Jesus bore on his shoul-

♦

38G THE TREE KNOWN BY ITS FRUITS.

(lers, and the tonsure of the priest denotes the crowD
oC thorns. The altar is the figure of Calvary, and
its furniture represents the linen clothes in which
the body of Jesus was wrapped, the sepulchre, and
the stone which was rolled against the door. The
crucifix is the image of Christ's passion and death;
the lighted candles are in honour of his triumph ;
and the ascending incense is sjmbolical of prayer.
The circular form of the wafer denotes the perfec-
tions of the Deity. In the wafer Christ is person-
ally present; its elevation is the fearful immolation ;
and the prostration of the worshippers is in adora-
tion of the atoning lamb. Every gesture and pos-
ture of the priest embodies a tlieological significancy.
When he kisses the altar or the book, when he
spreads forth his hands, or bathes the tips of his
finger, or mingles water in the wine, or breaks the
bread, or makes the sign of the cross, or smites upon
his breast, or bows, or kneels, he does not perform one
empty ceremony, but in every, even the minutest,
act of the sacred pantomime, he exhibits some one
element in the single definite idea of the great
apostacy — salvation by the sacraments in the keep-
ing of the priesthood. This central idea, this inte-
rior hfe of the system, not only prescribes its ritual,
but regulates also the form, and size, and adorn-
ments of its sacred buildings. The cathedral is not
designed for the preaching of the Word, nor yet for
prayer and praise, but precisely for the dwelling-
place of the Lord Christ present in the sacrament,
and for the work of sacrifice. It is, therefore, at
once a palace and a temple. As such it must
assume the form of the cross, and must be of splen-

E. P. HUMPHREY, D. D. 387

t

did architecture. Were the conception fully real-
ized, every stone in its walls, though hidden from
mortal sight, would be hewn and polished for the
eye of the Master. Its massive doors would be
curiously wrought in solid brass, so that men might
gaze in wonder on the beautiful gate of the temple.
Within, its pillars would shoot far upwards towards
the heavens ; its marble pavement would resemble
the solid earth, and its swelling dome the bending
skies. Exquisite creations of genius would adorn
its walls ; gold, and silver, and all rubies, the glory of
Lebanon, and the purple of Tyre, would enrich its
shrines ; the incense burned at its altars would
breathe Sabean odours ; and music would invoke its
utmost melody to fill the amjDlitude of the temple
and its mighty dome with the articulate joy of the
Te Deum, or the dolorous wail of the Miserere.

Returning now to our own doctrinal standards, we
are taught that the believer is first chosen according
to the eternal purpose of God, then justified by the
finished righteousness of Christ, and renewed by the
power of the Holy Spirit. The ritual, which ex-
presses these ideas, is too simple to be called a
ritual. When the Westminster doctrine, justifica-
tion by faith, takes the place of the Tridentine dog-
ma, justification by the sacraments, instantly the
priest becomes a minister, and the altar a com-
munion table. The bread and the wine are no
longer the body and blood of Christ, but the memo-
rials of these. The impious immolation of the mass
is turned into a sweet and holy feast, and the nmt-
terings of the priest are exchanged for the pastor's
prayer. The devotee, kneeling to the bread and

388 THE TREE KNOWN BY ITS FRUITS.

robbed of the cup, is regenerated into the communi-
cant, sitting, as the disciples sat, to receive the bro-
ken bread, and to drink from the cup of blessing,
which in the Master's name we bless. The temple
becomes a house of prayer ; the preaching of Christ
supersedes the elevation of the host ; the hearing
ear takes the place of the stupid stare ; the lacera-
tions of penance are exchanged for the sighs of peni-
tence ; the closet banishes the confessional ; and the
believer's act of faith, receiving Christ as the Sa-
viour, supplants for ever the Auto de Fe of the In-
quisitor, committing God's chosen ones to the flames.
How quickly, how utterly does the true doctrine
exterminate the idolatrous ritual of Rome ! Away
go surplice, tonsure, rosary, bowings, kneelings,
mutterings, and antiphonies; away, away go cru-
cifixes, paintings, images, dead men's bones, incense,
lighted candles, the sign of the cross, masses for
the dead, and indulgences for the living. All these
s^'mbols of a baptized idolatry do unquestionably
proceed from the Romish theology ; even so, every
corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. But how
simple and spiritual the worship prescribed by our
theology ; the reading of the Word, the song of
praise, the prayer, the sermon, the baptism, the
supper, and the blessing upon the people ; even so,
every good tree bringeth forth good fruit.

In the fourth place, our theology developes the
intellectual powers. Not only was pure religion re-
vived at the period of Reformation, but the human
mind was inspired with new activity. It were an
easy task to trace this intellectual awakening to the
theology of the Reformers. The doctrine of justifi-

E. P. HUMPHREY, D. D. 389

cation by faith alone was, perhaps, their first gretit
discovery. Then five of the seven sacraments were
discarded as fraudulent, and the two that remained
were wrested from their superstitious uses. Next
the Word of God was rescued both from the hierar-
chy and the unkno^\Ti tongue which concealed its
light. A step further revealed the fundamental
principle that the Bible is the only infallible rule of
faith and practice. A final step brought them to
the knowledge of our theology. Under the increas-
ing light and power of these successive discoveries,
sacerdotalism, ritualism, the sanctity of tradition, the
legends of saints, the dreams of the fathers, the
insolence and fraud of priestcraft, and the credulity
and servility of its subjects, withered away. The
human mind, so long darkened, or intimidated, or
smothered hy the midaeval faith and worship, now
experienced the vitalizing impulse of the apostolical
theology. Other systems have inflamed the ardour
of leading minds, but this communicated an up-
heaving force to the masses. Never since the days
of the Apostles had there been such a wide spread
and wonder working excitement.

It was a spiritual and intellectual resurrection.
The dead were raised ; the soul dead in sin, and the
mtellect dead in imbecility, were made aHve. What
was true then is true to this day. It cannot be de-
nied that our theology, saying nothins^ here of its
saving efficacy, is a mighty intellectual power ou
earth. It is an universal, unfailing educator. It
planted in Scotland the free parochial school, and
used the Shorter Catechism to discipline the mind of
the peasant's child up to the comprehension of all

390 THE TREE KNOT\'i\ BY ITS FRUITS.

liberal learning. A missionary, sent by one of oui
Boards to a community where there is neither
church nor school, will soon establish both, and his
preaching will invigorate the understanding of his
hearers, wdiile it saves their souls. A sermon on the
divine decrees, delivered by a passing stranger, in a
place where that doctrine was never before ex-
pounded, has been known to agitate the minds of
the whole community, planting in the bosoms of
many a strangely quickening power. A doctrinal
book, issued by our Board of PubUcation and car-
ried, we know not how, to a distant frontier settle-
ment, has led the reader not only to pray as he
never prayed before, but to meditate ^vith an inten-
sity he never experienced before. "Thy testimo-
nies," saith the Psalmist, "are wonderful, therefore
doth my soul keep them. The entrance of thy words
givetli light, it giveth understanding unto the simple."

If we would describe the effect of our theology
on the development of individual minds, we should
know not where to begin, and beginning we should
know not where to end our labours. The pages of
history fatigue the eye with the names of illustrious
men, who have arisen in every land penetrated by
this doctrine. The learning of scholars, the elo-
quence of preachers, the irresistible logic of contro-
versialists, the wisdom of statesmen, and the genius
of great commanders have borrowed the highest in-
spiration from their and our accepted faith. Let us
discharge this part of our duty with the mention of
a single name.

John Calvin was twenty years of age before he
was converted from Rome to Christ. When, soon

E. r. HUMPHREY, D. D. 391

afterwards, our theology struck its forces into hia
mind, it roused him to the utmost stretch of thought.
It was Hke a fire in his bones. So vital was the
new life within him, that at the age of twenty-six he
had deduced our entire system of doctrine from the
Word of God, adjusted its elements into a master-
piece of logical coherence, and published it to the
world in his immortal Institutes. The twenty-eight
years of life that remained to him were laden with
affliction both of mind and body. Physical infirmi-
ties multiplied upon him, until no less than seven
distinct maladies laid siege to his attenuated frame.
He sufiered also every private grief, even that do-
mestic bereavement which he styled " au acute and
burning wound."

It is impossible to look, without wonder, at the
labours he prosecuted amidst all this weariness and
painfulness. The products of his pen exist in nine
huge folios of printed matter, besides several hun-
dred letters, and more than two thousand sermons
and theological treatises yet unpublished. He pre-
pared a copious commentary on most of the Scrip-
tures ; he edited a French translation of the word
of God ; he disputed by tongue and pen with Bolzec
on the doctrine of predestination, with Westphal and
Hesshus on the sacraments, with Welsius on the free
will, with Pighius on free grace, and Servetus on
the Trinity. He wrote against relics and astrology,
the Anabaptists, the Libertines, and the Pelagians.
He employed his wit and sarcasm in assailing the
Sorbonne, his powers of argumentaticm in confuting
the Tridentine Decrees, and his noble eloquence in
behalf of the Emperor against the Pope. He cur-

392 THE TREE KNOWN BY ITS FRUITS.

responded incessantly with his contemporaries — Fa-
rel, Viret, Beza, Melancthon, Knox, Cranmer, and
the Kings of Sweden, Poland, and Navarre ; pro-
jecting, by his long and masterly letters, his own
intellectual and spiritual life into the leading minds
of Europe. With an asthmatical cough upon him,
he lectured three days in the week on theology, and
preached daily on every alternate week. lie pre-
sided every Thursday at the Court of Morals, at-
tended the frequent assembly of the clergy, assisted
in settling the civil and ecclesiastical affairs of Ge-
neva ; he founded there a seminary of liberal learning,
and when the city was threatened with siege, laboured
at the fortification. He educated preachers of the
gospel; performed many journeys; was consulted on
all important subjects; occupied the pulpits of his
brethren in their absence ; and did not neglect pas-
toral labour in the congregation. Besides all these
things, he composed the dissensions which perplexed
the Reformers, and the strifes which afflicted the
churches ; and aided in settling the affairs of the
Reformation in Poland, France, Germany, Scotland
and England. At last, being compelled by mortal
disease to relinquish public duties, he received in his
chamber all who sought his advice, and wore out
his amanuenses by dictating to them his works and
letters. When his shortening breath and failing
voice terminated these labours, his kindling eye and
heaving breast indicated that he was in constant
prayer. On a beautiful evening in May, seven days
later in the month than this the day of our solemn
convocation, just as the setting sun was irradiating,
with its purple hght, the waters of Lehman and the

E. P. HUMPHREY, D. D. 393

Rhone, the Jura mountains and the more distant
ghiciers of the Alps, this great man rested from his
labours. He gave directions that his body should
be buried without the slightest pomp, and that his
grave should be marked by neither monument nor
headstone. His commands were obeyed, and " no
man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day."

In the fifth place, our theology develops the prin-
ciples of repnhlican liberty. The full treatment of
this topic falls more naturally into an historical dis-
course, than into one strictly religious. Yet a dis-
tinct mention, with a brief illustration of this part
of the case, is essential to the completeness of our
argument. We use no labour in showing that the
principles inherent in a free commonwealth are iden-
tical with those which have been mentioned in this
discourse, as inherent in a free Church. The theo-
logy, which in its full development, leaves no place
for a bishop in the Church, will also rule the king
out of the State. John WicklifFe understood this
thoroughly when he uttered the memorable words,
"dominion belongs to grace;" and Charles the First
was no mean logician when he declared that " there
was not a wiser man seen since Solomon, than he
who said — no bishop, no king." The doctrinal sys-
tem which conducts to the conclusion that all church
officers should be elected by the people, will push on
to the adjacent conclusion, that hereditary authority
in the State is an intolerable usurpation. The creed
which demonstrates the right of the people to sit by
their representatives in all church courts, and which
vindicates this right as divine, and which further
denies that the assembly excluding the popular

394 THE TREE KNOWN BY ITS FRUITS.

element, is a scriptural assembly, that creed Avill
characterize as unlawful and iniquitous any civil
government whereof the people are not the masters.
Indeed, our system of faith does not more conclu-
sively sweep away the last vestige of sacerdotal usur-
pation from the Church, than it exterminates every
anti-republican institute out of the State. The tem-
poral must follow the spiritual, and whom Christ
makes free, he is free indeed.

Such is the conclusion of logic in the premises,
and such, I now add as briefly as possible, is matter
of f ict. Any profound examination of the history
of the Huguenots, will show that their church, in
its faith and order, was essentially republican, and
as such, was crushed by the monarchy; and that
the political position of modern France, is to be re-
ferred, first, to the life, and then to the destruction
of that old predestinarian church ; its life so far sur-
viving in the heart of the nation, as to render a
fixed monarchy impossiljle, and that life so nearly
extinguished, as to render a stable republic also im-
possible. Even a superficial examination of the his-
tory of England, Scotland, and Ireland, will show
that this divinity, expounded by its divines in the
pulpit, espoused by great statesmen in Parhament,
and defended by illustrious commanders on the field
of battle, infused into the British constitution the
soul of rational liberty, until that constitution is,
with a single exception, the richest repository on
earth of free principles. What that exception is, we
know, and where it received its treasures we know.
This same divinity came with the Puritans to Ply-
mouth, with the Dutch Calvinists and the Scottish

E. P. HUMPHREY, D. D. 395

Presbyterians to New York and New Jersey, and
with the lIua;uenots and Pres])vterians to South
Carolina. Our fatliers did not found monarchical
institutions on the shores of Massachusetts bay, or
on the banks of the Hudson, and the Ashley and
Cooper, for the same reason that they did not set
up the worship of the Virgin. Monarchy and idol-
atry were, both of them, repugnant to their religious
faith, and they repudiated both, and established a
true Avorship, and a free commonwealth on all these
shores. This ancient faith, and the institutions
rising from it, were perpetuated from generation
to generation, until they culminated in the war of
Independence, and in the formation of these separ
rate commonwealths, together with their gTcat con-
federacy. From that faith, as from a living root
planted on our virgin soil, and by our rivers of wa-
ters, have sprung the witness bearing Church, and
the republican State. These, in their turn, seeking
a higher development, have flowered out with all
spiritual joys, and all the fragrant charities of life :

" So from the root
Springs lighter the green stalk, from thence the leaves
More eery, last the bright consummate flower
Spirits odorous breathes."*

In the sixth place, our theology develops its life
in the patience of the confessors and martyrs. The

*The conduct of the ministers, ruling elders, and communi-
cants of the Presbyterian Church in the Revolutionary war, fur-
nishes some remarkable illustrations of this topic. Among the
ministers who were actively engaged in the struggle, were John
Witherspoon, who signed the Declaration of Independence ; James

396 THE TREE KNOWN BY ITS FRUITS.

martyrs of Protestantism have been almost exclu-
sivel}' drawn from the bosom of the Reformed
churches, rarely from tlie Lutheran or Arminian
communions. A century before Luther was born,
John Huss was consigned to the flames by the coun-
cil of Constance, on charge of teaching, among other
heresies, the doctrines of predestination and the per-
severance of the saints. The charge was clearly
sustained, for he had written in his book, that " no
part or member of the church doth finally fall away,
because the charity of predestination, which is the
bond and chain of the same, doth never fall away."
Jerome of Prague having avowed his faith in the
preaching of Huss, was burned on the same spot by
order of the same infamous Council. The works of

Caldwell of New Jersey, who was murdered by a British soldier
for his patriotic exertions ; William Graham of Liberty Hall Aca-
demy, Virginia, who, hearing that Tarlton was advancing on Staun-
ton, raised a company of volunteers and led them in pursuit of
the enemy as far as Laf\iyette's camp, below Charlottsville; Pre-
sident Smith of Hampden Sidney College, who repeatedly marched
at the head of his pupils to repel the enemy ; James Hall of
North Carolina, who assembled his congregation, and besought
them to take up arms for the common defence, and immediately
raised among them a company of cavalry, and took both the com-
mand and the chaplaincy ; Samuel Houston, who used his rifle
with deadly effect at the battle of Guildford Court House ; David
Caldwell, for whose head Lord Cornwallis offered a reward of
£200 ; Thomas McCaule, who led his flock to the camp, and stood
by the side of General Davidson when he fell on the Catawba ;
and Hezekiah Balch, who, with nine ruling elders and other citi-
zens, put forth the celebrated Mecklenburg Declaration. The
military services of the ruling elders and communicants of the
Church were so important and numerous that a few could not be
specified, without seeming invidiousness towards the many that
must necessarily be excluded from a brief note.

E. P. HUMPHREY, D. D. 397

John Wickliffe being found by the council to con-
tain similar doctrines, his body which had l:\in forty-
one years was dug up and burned. As the old his-
torian writes : " They cast his ashes into the Swift,
a neighbouring brook running hard by ; this brook
hath conveyed his ashes into Avon, Avon into Sev-
ern, Severn into the narrow seas, they into the main
ocean. And thus the ashes of Wickhffe are the em-
blem of his doctrine, which now is dispersed all the
world over."

One hundred and forty years later brings us to the
reign of Mary the bloody. On the 4th of February,
1555, John Rogers went to the stake at Smithfield,
having, during his imprisonment, set his hand to a
confession instinct wdth the Genevan doctrines. On
the follow^ing day, Dr. Roland Taylor, three days
later Lawrence Sanders, one day after hiui. Bishop
John Hooper, three weeks yet later Bishop Ferrar,
and in the June following John Bradford, confessors
with Rogers by signing the same memorable docu-
ment, became martyrs likewise with him, giving
their bodies to be burned. In October of the same
year, Ridley and Latimer, both bound to one stake
at Oxford, testified to the truth of our divinity in
their last w^ords to the Church and their dying prayer
to God. In December following, Archdeacon Phil-
pot, and not long after him the illustrious Cranmer,
in the profession of the same faith, and the suffering
of the same death, entered into the joy of the Lord.

Turning now to the sister kingdom, we learn that
nearly thirty years before Rogers w^as burned in
London, Hamilton passed through the fires of St.
Andrews. If the cruelty of the English Bishop

398 THE TREE KNOWN BY ITS FRUITS.

justifies the historian in exdaiming, "that lion,
tiger, wolf, bear, yea, a whole forest of wild beasts
met in Bonner," he was well matched by the Scot-
tish Cardinal Beaton. The priory of St. Andrews
is no less monumental of Wishart's sufferings than
is the gate of Baliol College of Ridley's ; and the
altar on Castle Hill, at Edinburgh, smoked as inces-
santly as that in Smithfield, with the blood of the
saints. It is as certain, moreover, that the Scottish
martyrs were of the faith of Knox, as that the
English martyrs were of the faith of Cranmer.

I may not detain this argument with a detail
of the sufferings endured for Christ, during the
seventeenth century, by the non-conformists of Eng-
land and the Presbyterians of Scotland. The intol-
erance of Archbishop Laud in the one country had
its counterpart in the bigotry of Archbishop Sharpe
in the other; the judicial murders of Jeffries were
equalled in atrocity by the military butcheries of
Claverhouse ; the high commission answered to the
court of justiciary; the " Bloody Assizes" of sixteen
hundred and eighty-five, in England, corresponded
to the "■ Killing Time" of sixteen hundred and
eighty-four, in Scotland ; and the grave yard of Bun-
hill Fields, in London, and that near the Grass-
market, in Edinburgh, gave rest to a multitude
of "them that were beheaded for the witness of
Jesus." Of the peculiar theology, to which all
these gave testimony, there is no need that one
should speak.

The martyrology of the Netherlands is not less
decisive in support of our argument. The theology
which entered these countries at the period of the

E. P. HUMPHREY, D. D. 399

Reformation, was unquestionably the same that was
subsequently affirmed by the judgment of the Synod
of Dort. It is true that Holland was the original
seat of Arminianism, and the birth place of its great
teacher ; yet it is also true that, twenty-four years
before that teacher was born, William Tyndal was
strangled and burned at Antwerp, having translated
the New Testament Scriptures, and deduced from
them the doctrine that, such is his own language,
"in Christ the believer was predestinated and or-
dained unto eternal life before the world began."
Five years before the birth of Arminius, the morose
fanatacism, with which Charles V. had pursued the
saints of the most High God, gave place to the
wilder fury of Philip, the husband of Mary the
bloody. The founder of the new theology was a
lad of only eight years, playing in the streets of
Oudewater, when the Duke of Alva entered the low
countries and established the Council of Blood ; and
he was only fourteen years of age when the Duke
left the Netherlands, boasting that he had, within
five years, delivered eighteen thousand heretics to
the executioners. If it be needful to add another
word, we may observe that the Papal persecution
had nearly, if not quite, spent its rage in Holland
before Arminius became an Arminian.

And now, turning to the martyr Church, what
shall be said of the theology which was received,
and the sufferings that were endured by the Hugue-
nots? Of the former it were enough to say, that
the very germ of the Reformation was planted in
France by Leclerc and Farel ; that Calvin dedicated
his Institutes to Francis I. as containing the precise

400 THE TREE KNOWN BY ITS FRUITS.

doctrines preached by the Reformers in the king-
dom ; that the confession of the French Protestant
Church was drawn up by the hand of the same
master, and was Kttle more than an epitome of his
" Institutes;" and that as late as the year preceding
the massacre of St. Bartholomew, the National
Synod sat under the presidency of Beza, who was
second only to Calvin in ability, and not inferior to
him in attachment to the Augustinian doctrines.
The story of their sufferings should begin with the
punishment, in 1523, of Leclerc, the proto-martyr
of France. It should describe the fete of Paris, in
January, 1535, when Francis I. closed the festivities
of the day by suspending six Protestants from a
beam, which was so nicely balanced that its motion
plunged the sufferers successively and repeatedly
into a blazing furnace, until they were destroyed.
It should relate how Henry II., amidst the tourna-
ments and illuminations which graced his coro-
nation, passed from place to place to regale himself
with the mortal agonies of men dying for the faith.
It should also describe the massacre of St. Bartho-
lomew, turning the Seine into blood, choking the
current of the Rhone with the bodies of the slain,
and awakening Tg Deums and merry cannonades on
the banks of the Tiber. Thousands were buried
alive in dungeons. Some were tortured, and then
delivered, so that women received, as it were, their
dead raised to life again ; others were tortured, not
accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a
better resurrection. They were burned, they were
scourged, were gashed with knives, were branded,
were hanged, were drowned, were slain with the

E. P. HUHPHREY, D. D.

401

sword. But let me not wound your sensibilities
with these details. I willingly turn from them, if
nothing more be needed to identify our theology
with the suJBferings endured in all lands by those of
whom the world was not worthy.

In the seventh place, our theology developes tlie
elements of an expanding and aggressive Christianity.
A doctrinal treatment of this part of the case
would demonstrate that a church, which incorporates
into its inner life an intelligent faith in the fixed
decrees of God, must become, by the necessity of its
nature, a missionary church ; one of these decrees,
as declared by the Son of God, being that the hear
then shall be given to him for his inheritance, and
the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession.
Indeed, our doctrines are, in a twofold sense, divinely
adapted to this work ; as dwelling in the bosom of
the church, they sustain an intense and exalted life,
even the life of God, urging his people to spread the
everlasting gospel throughout the earth; as termi-
nating on the world, they are clothed with a tran-
scendent and mighty power, the power of God unto
salvation.

The actual progress of Christ's kingdom, under
the promulgation of these doctrines, confirms every
word that has now been uttered. This theology
entered Geneva, and in the space of thirty years
caused the wrath of man to praise God, and the re-
mainder it restrained. In France it made such
headway against unrelaxing and unrelenting perse-
cution, that within sixty years from its introduction
into the kingdom, the National Synod had under
its charge more than two thousand churches, the
27

402 THE TREE KNOWN BY ITS FRUITS.

greater part of these being furnished with two min-
isters, and some of them with five or six ; and not
a few of the congregations numbering more than ten
thousand communicants. Entering Holland, Eng-
land, Scotland and Poland, it subdued kingdoms,
*' wrought righteousness and obtained the promises."
Having been planted on this continent, it is the ac-
cepted faith — though in some instances less purely
and rigidly held than we could desire — of deno-
minations numbering, in the aggregate, six thou-
sand ministers, seven thousand five hundred con-
gregations, and eight hundred thousand communi-
cants.

The history of its missionary undertakings is not
less remarkable. Our brethren of the English church
are about to celebrate the jubilee of the Society for
the propagation of the Gospel in foreign parts. Yet
this oldest Protestant Missionary Association on
earth received its charter from William III., who
was orthodox after the Synod of Dort. The enter-
prise of foreign missions, in this country, received
its earliest impulse in a college, the theology of
which is indicated by the fact that soon afterwards,
our own Griffin assumed its Presidency.

The zeal for Domestic Missions originated almost
simulcaneously in our own General Assembly, and in
chu ches of whose faith, at the time, the Saybrook
Pla form and the Shorter Catechism were the expo-
nents. The diffusive tendencies of our theology are
still further indicated by the missionary schemes of
the Scottish churches, established and dissenting;
the Boards of our own church ; and the voluntary
societies sustained by brethren of other names, who

\

E. P. HUMPHREY, D. D. 403

profess our faith in the "substance," if not in the
"system of doctrine."

But it may be thought that the Arminian divinity,
as preached by John Wesley, has developed a type
of Chiistianity no less diffusive than our own. Now,
while we may not conceal the profound conviction
that our own theology, even when it differs from
Wesley's, is the theology of the Bible, yet we would
do" all homage to the vital truths which that great
man adopted into his system of faith, and to the
zeal and success with which he and his disciples
have proclaimed them. But the progress of this
system raises several questions of immense impor-
tance. One of these respects the peculiar type of
piet}^ which it developes. On that question I do
not propose to enter. Another question touches the
elements of its power. It might be clearly shown,
as I humbly conceive, that its past success is to be
referred not to those doctrines which are peculiar to
itself, but to those which are common to both theo-
logies ; not to its denials respecting election, effica-
cious grace, and perseverance, but to its utterance
concerning original sin, justification, and regenera-
tion.

A third inquiry relates to the continued and fu-
ture efficiency of modern Arminianism. Is it a per-
manent, redeeming power on earth ? On this part
of the case I take leave, without intending any thing
disrespectful towards brethren of other persuasions,
to make a few suggestions.

It is now only a few years over a century since
Wesley began his career. A religious system ma-
tures slo^vly. The truths asserted may, for a long

404 THE TREE KNOWN BY ITS FRUITS.

period, hold in check the serious errors with which
they are combined. The errors, if not ehminated,
will at last work out the dissolution of the system.
It may indeed outlast many generations, but what are
even ages to the life of a true, permanent theology ?
It is to be remembered, also, that the Arminian
scheme has yet to be reduced to a systematic ai.d
logical form. Where are its written formularies,
pushing boldly forth, to their final and inevitable
conclusions, all its doctrines touching predestination,
free-will, and efficacious grace ? We have its brief
and informal creed in some five-and-twenty articles;
but where is its complete confession of faith in thirty
or forty chapters ? Where is its larger catechism ?
Nay, where is even its shorter catechism ? Where
is its whole body of divinity, from under the hand
of a master, sharply defining its terms, accurately
stating its belief, laying down the conclusions logi-
cally involved therein, trying these conclusions no
less than their premises by the Word of God, refut-
ing objections, and adjusting all its parts into con-
sistent and systematic whole ?* It has furnished us
indeed with some detached negations and philoso-

* Without disparaging the ability displayed in the " Theological
Institutes" of the eminent Wesleyan divine, Richard Watson, we
may suggest, that the points at issue between the Arminian theo-
logy and our own, are not discussed in that work with the tho-
roughness, the rigid and penetrating analysis, and the scientific
order which are displayed in other parts of the book, and which
are demanded at the present time. Of the Catechisms No. I. and
No. II., "compiled and published by the British Conference,"
we may remark, that these manuals contain few allusions, much
less any explicit and dogmatic propositions, touching debated
points, corresponding to Questions and Answers 20, 30, 36, etc., in
our Shorter Catechism.

E. P. nU^rPHREY, D. D. 405

phical theories. We have, for example, its flat de-
nial of our doctrine of predestination ; but has it to
this day met, for itself, the problem of foreknowledge
infinite hy a more plausible solution than the cele-
brated sophism, that although God has the capacity
of foreknowing all things, he chooses to foreknow
only some things ? We have, also, its notion of the
freedom of the will, wherein there was supposed to
be the germ of a systematic Arminianism ; but this
budding promise was long since nipped by the un-
timely frost of Jonathan Edwards' logic. It is clear
that an exposition of this theology, which shall sat-
isfy the logical consciousness, is indispensable to its
perpetuity; otherwise it cannot take possession of
educated and disciplined minds — educated by the
Word and Spirit of God, and disciplined to exact
analysis and argument; otherwise, again, although
it may exert a temporary influence, it will retire be-
fore advancing spiritual and intellectual culture. It
is also clear that the first century of its existence has
not produced that exposition. Another century may
demonstrate that such a production is impossible, by
showing that the logical and scriptural element is not
in the Arminian system; that the law of affinity and
chrystallization is wanting to its disjointed princi-
ples ; that this theology, combining many precious
truths, and many caj)ital errors, resembles a mingled
mass of diamonds and fragments of broken glass and
broken pottery, which no plastic skill of man or
power of fire can mould into a single transparent,
unclouded, manj^-sided, equal-sided crystal, its angles
all beaming, and its points all burning with light —
a Kohinoor indeed !

406 THE TREE KNOWN BY ITS FRUITS.

Again, it is to be seen whether this divinity has
not, on the one hand, an inherent tendency to pre-
lacy, as in the AngUcan Church, and on the other,
an inherent repugnance to the popular element — the
representation of the people in church assemblies —
as in the Wesleyan societies in England and this
country. If the case be so, we must be permitted
to doubt both its soundness and its permanency.

Still further, it remains to be determined whether
this divinity can abide any great day of trial. Are
its vital energies equal to such a work for God as
was accomplished by another theology between the
birth of John Calvin and that of James Arminius ?
Could it survive such a century of ceaseless strug-
gles as that which culminated in the English revo-
lution? Not only surviving itself, could it uphold
a great nation through every terrible convulsion ;
every exterminating war and treacherous peace ; its
bow abiding in strength ; its quiver ever full ; smel-
ling the battle afar off, with the thunder of the cap-
tains and the shouting ; lifting its brow and its war-
cry undaunted in the dreadful array ; its chariot
plunging into the thickest of the fight, and yet bear-
ing aloft, flaming and unextinguished, its two sacred
torches — even the truth, man's heritage in the
Church, and liberty, his heritage in the State ? And
then is that theology equal to the task of exiling
itself to another and distant continent, planting there
two new commonwealths, the spiritual and the civil,
both free, each separate from the other, and each in-
dependent of every power on earth besides ; pene-
trating the vast interior; founding powerful States
and prosperous churches under every latitude, from

E. P. HUMPHREY, D. D. 407

the frozen to the burning zone, and under every me-
ridian, from our own resounding sea to the golden
shores of the West ? Let the future age solve these
momentous problems, and with them every question,
touching both the Arminian theology and our own,
as permanent or transient, as vital or decaying.

Here we close our inquiries into the developments
of our theology. But before retiring from this vast
and unexhausted theme, we should give attention to
some reflections suggested both by our subject and
the jDresent occasion. The teaching and ruling Pres-
byters, in whose presence I stand, are about to con-
stitute the General Assembly of the Presbyterian
Church. To this judicature belong high spiritual
powers, and its deliberations are of subjects infinitely
momentous. Yet the most of these may be reduced
to three general issues ; and I take leave, in the
close of this discourse, to indicate the bearings of
our subject on each of these.

It belongs to the General Assembly, in the first
place, to conserve the accepted theology of the Church.
The results of the foregoing discussion apply with
irresistible force to this part of our official duty.
What are the fruits of this theology? At least
these seven : an exalted type of spiritual life, a free
church polity, a simple and spiritual method of wor-
ship, high intellectual vigour, civil liberty, the par
tience of martyrs and confessors, and the force of an
expanding and aggressive Christianity. From each
of these particulars springs an argument, pleading
with us, most persuasively, to contend earnestly for
the faith once delivered unto the saints. Each of
these is a blessing and a heritage, and, taken together,

408 THE TREE KNOWN BY ITS FRUITS.

thej compoKse our whole heritage of blessings. Our
love for the fruitage must measure our zeal in be-
half of the parent stock. Let it come into the ears
of all men, every where, that we cannot give up our
theology ; we can spare none of its peculiarities, not
one of its "five points j" no, not one. We are jeal-
ous even for the terms in which its truths are con-
veyed. When the discourse is of our relation to the
sin of Adam, we retain the word imputation, even
with the guilt it implies, lest we lose the word, and,
with the word, the blessing it speaks of when we
describe the righteousness of Christ. We keep our
hold upon the terms guilt, condemnation, and pun-
ishment, lest we lose our hold upon the terms right-
eousness, justification, and propitiation. We adhere
to the expression "original sin," lest men conclude
that the phrase having disappeared from our ser-
mons, the thing has ceased out of their hearts.
These terms may be condemned as antiquated, but
they express ancient truths. An old oaken, iron-
bound casket is quite suitable to the crown jewels
of the oldest kingdom on earth, of truth and right-
eousness.

It belongs, secondly, to this supreme tribunal to
cherish the spiritual life of the Church.

We should ever bear in mind that vital piety is
of the very substance of faith in our theology. The
assent of the understanding to our doctrines, as clear
deductions from the Word, is not necessarily a faith
in the doctrines themselves; it may be no more
than a faith in the processes of an impregnable logic.
We are not saved by receiving our catechisms as
true, nor even by believing in justification by faith,

E. P. HUMPHREr, D D. 409

but by believing in Christ. Ours is the high office
to conserve our theology ; but this we can do in no
other way than by cherisliing in the Church the
spirit of genuine and unaffected piety. We should
give earnest heed that we do not allow other senti-
ments to take the place of that in our hearts. Let
us beware of the Cliurchmanship, which is the token
of bigotry, as distinguished from the charity which
is the bond of perfectness. A selfish love of the
Church, as our Church, is possible ; an unholy pride
in its numbers, and learning, and wealth, and influ-
ence, and moral power, is possible ; liberality to our
Boards, because they enlarge our borders, and so
give greater consequence to ourselves, as Presbyte-
rians, is possible ; a zeal for our polity as merely
republican and free, while it is compact and phalanx-
like, is possible ; nay, these are sins that do easily
beset. Let our theology teach us better things than
these. Let it plant in our hearts that sweet and
blessed m^-stery, the life that is hidden with Christ
in God. Let it move us to cherish, in all our com-
municants, the divine life, which shall lead them to
abhor their sins, to cleave to the Saviour, to frequent
the closet and the family altar, to love the house of
prayer and the communion of the saints — a life
which shall generate in their bosoms an intelligent,
perpetual zeal for the honour of God in the salvation
of souls — a life which shall thii^st after God, even
the living God.

Our subject enforces, not less powerfully, the third
great duty laid on this high judicatorj^, €ve7i the duty
of giving to tlie Gospel the icidest possible extension.
We have seen that our Church derives from its

410 THE TREE KNOWN BY ITS FRUITS.

theology the capacities of a free, rapid, and world
wide expansion. But why does not the Church
experience such an expansion ? It has accomplished
something ; why has it not done immeasurably more
for the cause of the Master? Through its four
Boards, it has given no small extension to the truth
at home and abroad; why has it not planted ten
churches in this country where now there is only
one; and why has it not preached the Grospel in
every land, yea, to every creature under heaven?
Whether we measure the spiritual forces with which
our doctrines are clothed, or trace out their proper
developments, or examine the history of their
achievements, we are conducted to the humiliating,
but certain conclusion, that the energies now^ dor-
mant in our church immensely exceed those that
are in action. We seem to resemble, by a strange
anomaly, both the faithful and the unfaithful ser-
vant in the parable ; the faithful, to whom the Mas-
ter gave the ten pounds, and the unfaithful, who
went and hid his Lord's money.

The question forces itself upon our consciences,
why does not a church, which rests on such a foun-
dation, fulfil more perfectly its office ? Let the
judgment, which this inquiry brings to the house of
God, begin at the pulpit. Does the ministry faith-
fully preach our peculiar doctrines? It has been
thought that such preaching is uninteresting to the
hearers ; or if not wearisome, disbelieved ; or if not
rejected, unpopular ; or if not unpopular, practically
powerless. But what injurious mistakes are these !
Our doctrines uninteresting? When clearly ex-
pounded, they compel the attention of men. In-

E. P. HUxAIPHREY, D. D, 411

credible ? They master the understanding of not a
few by the force of a complete and irresistible dem-
onstration. Unpopular? They are endowed with
a sort of fascination, constraining those who heard
them yesterday with fixed aversion, to hear them
to-day with profound attention. This preaching
powerless ? Let no man say that within the pre-
cincts of a church which has gathered into a smgle
grave yard the ashes of Samuel Davies, Archibald
Alexander, and Jonathan Edwards ; the first mem-
orable for the awakening power of his sermons ; the
second trying the spirits and discerning even the
thoughts of our rising ministry; and the third
preaching a sermon on the doctrine of election,
which was mighty in the conversion of sinners, and
delivering another, so instinct with the terrors of the
Lord as to bring his audience to their feet, and com-
pel the preacher, who sat behind him in the pulpit,
to start up with the exclamation, " Mr. Edwards,
Mr. Edwards, is not God merciful too ?" The sep-
ulchres of these men are with us until this day,
and so is their theology; but where the spirit of
profound meditation and importunate prayer with
which they prepared their sermons? Where is
their vehemency and tenderness of utterance?
Where their annihilating reply to the disputers of
this world, their masterly appeal to the understand-
ing, and their onset on the conscience ?

And then let the judgment pass to our ruUng
elders and deacons, to all our two hundred thousand
communicants, men, women, parents, children, mas-
ters, servants, all. Where are the people who are
mighty in prayer, full of faith and the Holy Ghost ?

412 THE TREE KNOWN BY ITS FRUITS.

Why are revivals of religion rather diminishing,
than multiplying, in frequency and power? Who
among the rich give heed to the apostolical charge
to " do good, to be rich in good works, ready to dis-
tribute, willing to communicate ?" Who among the
poor imitate her example, which is spoken of in all
the world where this gospel is preached ? Why
does our Board of Foreign Missions entreat the
Church in vain to send the bread of life to starving
millions ? Why is our Board of Domestic Missions
fainting under pecuniary embarrassments in the very
heat and stress of its great work ? Why is our
Board of Education suffered to deplore, from year
to year, the want of candidates for the sacred office ?
Why does not our Board of Publication expound
and vindicate our faith in every mansion in the city,
and in every log cabin in the wilderness ? Here is
our theology, not only embalmed in our standards,
but received into our hearts. Here are its forces
and its developments, many and mighty. Here are
ministers and churches, and missions and schools,
and colleges and seminaries of sacred learning. Here
are all the elements of a redeeming power on earth,
a paramount, permanent, expanding power. Why
do we fail to realize its efficacy ?

This venerable court of Jesus Christ is, by divine
appointment, the tribunal to which such inquiries
belong. And not less appropriate to them is the
place of its present deliberations. Nearly one hun-
dred and sixty-seven years ago, the revocation of
the Edict of Nantz drove from the kingdom of France
more than five hundred thousand Huguenots. They
fled to all the Protestant States of Europe, to Eng-

E. P. HUMPHREY, D. D. 413

land, to the Cape of Good Hope, and to the shores
of the Western Continent. Invited by the genial
climate of the South to the infant colony of Caro-
lina, large numbers of these exiled people of God
found rest, some on the borders of the Santee, and
others on the banks of the Cooper river. The latter
company built their house of worship in a little vil-
lage, a few miles distant, called Charleston. Thither,
on the Lord's day, they were borne on the bosom
of the river, by the gentle flow of its waters, or the
motion of the oar, or the ebbing of the tide. In
their forest homes, and in their humble sanctuary,
they wept for joy as the voice of their supplications
and the melody of their songs, rising upon the tran-
quil and fragrant air, stood contrasted wnth the car-
nage and terror from which they had fled. This is
the ancient Carolina. This, too, is Charleston. Near
us is the site of their first house of prayer. Yonder
is the Cooper river. There are the fields in which
they set up their dwellings and domestic altars.
There the rich and odorous vegetation of the early
summer repeats for us the life it lived for them.
Around us lies their dust, awaiting the resurrection
to meet their kindred dust, as that too shall rise
from the graves of murdered saints beyond the seas.
Here, in this presence, are their children. The
blood which moistened the beautiful valleys of Lan-
guedoc and Tours, which stained the waters of every
river, and the pavements of every city, from the
English Channel to the Mediterranean, now runs in
the veins of those with whom we worship God this
morning. With what unanimity these adhere to
that ancient faith, a stranger may not presume to

414 THE TREE KNOWN BY ITS FRUITS.

inquire. But they are our witnesses, this day, that
in faith, order and worship, our Church is identical
with their own ancestral Church in its pure and
heroic day. Not these alone; for here are they
also, whose fathers brought hither, many genera-
tions ago, the living and fruit-bearing stock of Pres-
byterianism. Let these, our own brethren, par-
takers with us of the root and fatness of the olive
tree, and let believers of every name, and them who
believe not, discover in our proceedings, and in us,
no spirit of contention, or uncharitableness, or evil-
speaking. May they see nothing in this august
council but a pious zeal for the theology, the spi-
ritualitj', and the extension of the Church, and for
the glory of its Eternal King.

Now, fathers and brethren, the God of peace that
brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that
great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of
the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every
good work, to do his will, working in you that which
is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ,
to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

TUE END.

^k:

^

i

1

jKVs;/ ;

'it

W k'- \

^^■^s.^

>x../

^m

n|///^^viM