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THE
THEOLOGICAL
WORKS
WILLIAM TAN MILDERT, D. D.
LATE LORD BISHOP OF DURHAM.
IN SIX VOLUMES.
VOL. V.
SERMONS AT LINCOLN'S INN.
OXFORD,
PRINTED BY S. COLI.INGWOOD, PllINTEU TO THE UNIVEUSITY,
FOR JOHN HENRY PARKER;
AND J. G. AND F. RIVINGTON, ST. PAUL's CHURCHYARD,
AND WATERLOO PLACE, PALL MALL, LONDON.
MDCCCXXXVIII.
SERMONS
PREACHED BEFORE
THE HONOURABLE SOCIETY OF
LINCOLN'S INN,
FROM THE YEAR 1812 TO THE YEAR 1819,
BY
WILLIAM VAN MILDERT, D. D.
PREACHER OF LINCOLN'S INN,
NOW BISHOP OF DURHAM.
1832.
SECOND EDITION.
OXFORD,
PRINTED BY S. COLLINGWOOD, PRINTER TO THE UNIVERSITY,
FOR MESSRS. RIVINGTON, ST. PAUl's CHURCHYAUD, AND
WATERLOO PLACE, LONDOX.
SOLD ALSO BY J. HATCHARD, PICCADILLY; AND C. F. COCK, FLEET
STREET, LONDON : UY J. H. PARKER, OXFORD : AND BY
MESSRS. DEIGHTON, CASIBRIDGE.
MDCCCXXXII.
TO
THE MASTERS OF THE BENCH
OF THE HONOURABLE vSOCIETY OF
LINCOLN'S INN,
THE FOLLOWING SERMONS
ARE INSCRIBED.
WITH SINCERE REGARD AND RESPECT,
BY THEIR OBLIGED
AND FAITHFUL SERVANT,
W. DUNELM.
The Author has, for some years past, in-
tended, in compliance with the wishes of se-
veral friends, to commit to the press a selec-
tion of the Discourses he had preached at
Lincoln's Inn ; but has, till lately, been pre-
vented by an almost constant pressure of pub-
lic duties. A protracted indisposition, by af-
fording an interval of comparative leisure,
has enabled him at length to carry his inten-
tion into effect.
January 1831.
CONTENTS
VOL. I.
SERMON I.
Inquiry after truth.
John xviii. 38.
Pilate saith unto him. What is truth ?
SERMON II.
Inquiry how far the success of religion is a
proof that it comes from God.
Acts v. 38, 39.
If this counsel or this work he of men, it will come
to nought : hut if it he of God, ye cannot over-
throw it.
SERMON III.
Continuation of the same subject.
Acts v. 38, 39-
If this counsel or this work he of men, it will come
to nought : hut if it he of God, ye cannot over-
throw it.
SERMON IV.
Cautions respecting subjects of theological
discussion.
2 Tim. ii. 23.
But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing
that they do gender strifes.
Vlll
CONTENTS.
SERMON V.
Continuation of the same subject.
2 Tim. ii. 23.
Sut foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing
that they do gender strifes.
SERMON VI.
Continuation of the same subject.
2 Tim. ii. 23.
ISut foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing
that they do gender strifos.
SERMON VII.
Man's primeval state.
Genesis i. 27.
So God created man in his own image: in the
image of God created he him.
SERMON VIII.
Man's fallen state.
PSAI-M li. 5.
Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did
my mother conceive me.
SERMON IX.
Man's regenerated state.
CoLoss. iii. 9, 10.
Ye have put off the old man with his deeds, and
have put on the new man, which is renewed in
knowledge after the image of him that created
CONTENTS. xi
SERMON X.
Design of the Jewish Law.
Galatians iii. 19-
Wherefore then serveth the Law f It was added,
because of transgressions, till the seed should
come, to whom the promise was made.
SERMON XI.
Fulfilment of the Jewish Law.
Matthew v. 17.
Think not that I am come to destroy the Law or
the Prophets : I am not come to destroy, hiit to
fulfil
SERMON XII.
Cessation of the Jewish Law.
Acts xv. 5, 6.
But there rose up certain of the sect of the Phari-
sees which believed, saying. That it was needful
to circumcise them, and to command them to keep
the Law of Moses. And the apostles and elders
came together for to consider of this matter.
SERMON XIII.
Our Lord's character as a Teacher.
John vii. 46.
Never man spake like this man.
SERMON XIV.
Our Lord's character as a pattern of innocence.
1 Peter ii. 22.
Who did 710 sin, neither wa^ guile found in his mouth.
VOL. I.
b
X
CONTENTS.
SERMON XV.
Our Lord's character as a pattern of good
works.
Acts x. 38.
Who went about doing good.
SERMON XVI.
Christ our Righteousness.
Jeremiah xxiii. 6.
7%u is the name whereby he shall he called. The
Lord our Righteousness.
SERMON XVII.
Our Lord's Incarnation.
John i. 14.
The W ird was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and
we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only be-
gotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
SERMON XVIII.
Our Lord's Divinity proved from his own
declarations.
John xvi. 15.
All things that the Father hath are mine : there-
fore said I, that he shall take of mine and shew
it unto you.
SERMON XIX.
Our Lord's title, the Son of man, and his au-
thority to judge the world.
John v. 27.
A7id hath giveii him authority to execute judgment
also, because he is the Son of man.
CONTENTS. xi
SERMON XX.
Christ our Intercessor.
Hebrews vii. 25.
Wherefore he is able also to save them to the utter-
most that come unto God by him, seeing he ever
liveth to make intercession for them.
SERMON XXI.
Coming of the Holy Ghost.
Acts ii. 4.
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and
began to speah with other tongues, as the Spirit
gave them utterance.
SERMON XXII.
Our Sanctification progressive.
2 Peter iii. 18.
Grow in grace.
SERMON XXIII.
Worship of the Holy Trinity.
Revelation iv. 8.
And they rest not day and night, saying. Holy,
Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, which was,
and is, and is to come.
SERMON XXIV.
Enjoyments of a future state.
1 Corinthians ii. 9.
It is written. Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard,
neither have entered into the heart of man, the
things which God hath prepared for them that
love him.
xii
CONTENTS.
SERMON XXV.
Punishments of a future state.
2 Corinthians v. 11.
Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we per-
suade men.
.or/
SERMON I.''^^^
John xviii. 38.
Pilate saith unto him. What is truth ?
Whether this question was put with
any serious impression of its importance, or
with careless and even contemptuous indif-
ference as to its result, does not distinctly
appear.
That the Roman governor was much per-
plexed by the demeanour of Jesus before his
tribunal, is evident. But it is also evident
that he regarded the whole investigation as
of political rather than of religious concern.
When , therefore, our Lord, in answer to the
question, " Art thou a king ?" replied in the
affirmative, but declared that his kingdom
was " not of this world," and added empha-
tically, " for this purpose came I into the
" world, that I should bear witness to the
" truth," Pilate appears to have been struck
with a conviction of his innocence, and to
VOL. I. B
2
SERMON I.
have been moved to some degree of admira-
tion at the extraordinary pretensions he as-
sumed. For immediately " he went out again
" unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find
" in him no fault at all." And the sequel of
the narrative shews his solicitude to release
him.
This, however, is no direct proof that Pi-
late took any real concern in our Lord's spi-
ritual character and office. Satisfied, from
the answers of Jesus, that his doctrines were
wholly unconnected with secular views, and
relieved from all apprehensions that he was
a turbulent member of the community, the
heathen governor probably felt himself exo-
nerated from any further responsibility. His
question, " What is truth ?" might import no
more, than " What is it to me, whether this
" doctrine of yours be the truth, or not ? I sit
" not here to decide such matters, but to
" judge of your conduct as a member of the
" state." In like manner, Gallio, the deputy
of Achaia, when Paul was brought before him,
accused by the Jews of worshipping contrary
to their Law, would take no cognizance of
the matter, because he "cared for none of
" those things^" which were alleged against
the Apostle.
» Acts xviii. 17.
SERMON I.
3
But should we incline to suppose Pilate
not altogether unwilling to inquire into " the
" truth," of which Jesus spake, yet must we
regard him as proposing the question with
the views aud sentiments of a person con-
versant only with heathen philosophy. Re-
specting truth, moral, political, and metaphy-
sical, various were the disputations in the
schools of philosophers, and various the te-
nets maintained by their respective teachers.
Among these, no more authority, properly so
called, belonged to one, than to another ; nor
was it deemed of much importance what par-
ticular sect bore sway over the public mind.
Pilate, therefore, might be inclined to gratify
a momentary curiosity respecting any new
system which this extraordinary Teacher had
to propose ; imagining, that, lil^e many other
systems, it would prove to be matter of merely
speculative inquiry, such as might with im-
punity be rejected or received.
But whatever we may conceive to have
been Pilate's views and motives, (an inquiry
comparatively of little moment,) there can be
no doubt of the importance of the question
itself, when considered, as we are bound to
consider it, with reference to revealed reli-
gion. The dissimilarity, in this respect, be-
tween the impression it must make on the
B 2
4
SERMON I.
mind of a heathen, and on that of a Christian,
is manifest. Where no divine revelation was
concerned, as in the case of theh eathen, the
question, " What is truth ?" could create but
little solicitude. It was limited to human
opinion, and not referable to any authority
binding upon the inquirer. Whatever influ-
ence the result might have upon the under-
standing, it would have little power to con-
trol the will. The will is, for the most part,
but feebly actuated by the simple percep-
tion of truth ; its chief impulse arises from
the apprehended consequences of the truth.
Respecting these consequences, the heathen
inquirer was involved in darkness and un-
certainty. His moral and religious specu-
lations were scarcely more interesting than
disquisitions on physical subjects. His in-
tellectual faculties might be awakened and
gratified by the research ; but his heart and
affections would remain untouched. He
might become a more enlightened sophist,
or a more expert disputer ; but would make
slow and doubtful advances to perfection as
a moral agent. It is not until the ques-
tion bears reference to something more than
human speculation, that it creates a deep
and permanent interest. With records be-
fore him, professing to be of divine com-
SERMON I.
5
munication, the inquirer who asks, " What is
" truth ?" asks, in effect, What doth God re-
quire me to believe and to do ? For the an-
swer to this question, he has recourse, not to
fallacious or fallible oracles, but to such as
can neither deceive nor err. He places him-
self under the guidance of an authority pa-
ramount even to his own judgment ; — an au-
thority which calls upon him to submit his
finite and often erroneous conceptions to
those of Wisdom infinite and infallible ;
which claims the entire control over his most
unruly affections ; and obedience to which is
no less his interest than his duty, no less his
profitable than his reasonable service.
This view of the subject involves, however,
consequences of greater moment than may at
first be apprehended, with reference to the
rules and principles whereby we are circum-
scribed, not only in our inquiries after reli-
gious truth, but also in our conduct towards
those who either set it at nought, or substan-
tially differ in their views of it from our-
selves. To ascertain the proper boundaries
of our liberty in this respect, is a matter of
no light concern ; if we would escape the
evils of a dangerous latitudinarianism on the
one hand, or on the other, of an uncharitable
and presumptuous spirit.
B 3
6
SERMON I.
There are those who seem to imagine that
they are free to speculate as unreservedly
upon religious opinions, even though declared
in holy writ, as on any other subjects of in-
vestigation ; and that they may regard with
equal tokens of satisfaction persons of every
religious persuasion, whether embracing tenets
entirely accordant with their own, or tenets
which they themselves could not embrace
without self-conviction and self-reproach.
A latitude like this might well consist with
the notions of a heathen philosopher, bound
by no other obligation than the deference
due to the superior talents of others, or the
confidence he might repose in his own ima-
ginary superiority ; and who, whatever were
the opinions to be adopted, knew that he was
following a fallible guide. But the believer in
revealed religion cannot take to himself this
liberty, without an implied denial of the per-
fection of that word which he professes to
acknowledge as divine. If there be any such
thing as religious truth affecting our eternal
interests, and authenticated as proceeding
from Infinite Wisdom itself, this can never
be a fit object for human caprice to sport
with, or respecting which errors of careless-
ness or of indifference can be regarded as
free from blame.
SERMON I.
7
It has been a favourite sentiment, however,
with infidel writers, and even with some who
would not willingly be included in that class,
that we may conceive the "Father of all" to
be pleased with diversities of faith and wor-
ship, just as an earthly parent may accept
with complacency different tokens of affection
from his offspring, and reward them with
equal favour. But religion, revealed religion,
knows no such puerile fancies ; nor will the
parallel itself hold good, if the fact be ad-
mitted that a divine revelation has been
made of the Arm:/ of faith and worship re-
quired of us. For, in that case, (which is the
case as it actually stands,) our heavenly Fa-
ther hath not left it to our option what kind
of offering we are to bring, but hath prescribed
what that offering shall be ; and if, notwith-
standing this, we presume to choose for our-
selves, instead of complying with His injunc-
tions, shall we not rather be regarded as chil-
dren of disobedience, than as children of His
love and favour ? In short, the sacred ora-
cles being put into our hands for the express
purpose of making known God's will, it is at
our peril that we presume to swerve from that
will. Truth is, in its very nature, exclusive of
error. It admits not of contrarieties. Whether
it affirms or denies, whether it })rohibits or
B 4
8
SERMON I.
commands, it speaks decisively, and makes no
compromise.
But almost self-evident as this principle
appears to be, it is not without its difficulties,
when we come to apply it to particular cases.
Is religious truth (it may be said) so clearly
revealed, even in the sacred oracles, as to ad-
mit of no difference of opinion, without in-
curring the charge of contumacious opposi-
tion to the Divine will ? Are we warranted
in peremptorily dogmatizing on the various
subjects it involves? Does error necessarily
imply heretical pravity ? Or may we (like
that Church against whose presumptuous
claim to infallibility we have long since pro-
tested) deny the hope of salvation to all who
are not within the pale of our own commu-
nion ?
In answer to these questions, let it be ob-
served, that when we speak of truth as ex-
cluding error, we speak of it as it exists in
the written word itself, not as delivered in
the words of man's interpretation. The lat-
ter must ever be fallible; the former never
can. No harsh judgment is passed on invo-
luntary mistake or ignorance, no positive
guilt is attached even to tenets irreconcile-
able with God's word, unless the error be the
result either of some habitual unwillingness
SERMON I.
9
to search the Scriptures honestly, according
to our means and abihty, or of some sinister
and corrupt bias of the mind, which might and
ought to have been corrected. This it must
be left to the Great Searcher of hearts to de-
termine. To his own Master every one must
stand or fall. It were presumptuous to deny
the hope of salvation to those whose con-
sciences accuse them not of error, even though
we may justly think our own salvation would
be endangered by following in their steps.
But why, then, not enlarge the pale of our
communion, and give the right hand of fel-
lowship to those of whom we entertain this
charitable persuasion ? — The answer is sim-
ply this : — Though we may admit the inno-
cency of error, under the supposed circum-
stances, we cannot honestly put it on a level
with truth. This would be practically deny-
ing the truth, and convicting ourselves of
falsehood. Nor would it even be consistent
with the duty we owe to those who hold the
error. " Brethren," says St. James, " if any
" of you do err from the truth, and one con-
" vert him ; let him know, that he which con-
" verteth the sinner from the error of his
" way shall save a soul from death, and hide
" a multitude of sins''." But how shall this
b James v. 19, 20.
10
SERMON I.
be done, if we admit such persons into our
communion whilst they maintain opinions,
even on important points, which we deem it
our bounden duty to reject?
Another question, however, here occurs : —
Who shall decide upon controverted opin-
ions? Who shall determine "what is truth"
between disputants disposed on neither side
to yield ? This question directly involves
the right of private judgment ; a right that
every man may reasonably claim in a matter
pertaining to his own personal well-being ; —
a right, moreover, which ultimately every
man not only may, but will exercise, secretly
or openly, notwithstanding all attempts to
fetter his moral or his intellectual powers.
Nevertheless, since we presume that truth
does actually exist in holy writ ; since
every profession of the Christian faith is sup-
posed to be thence deduced ; and since our
own profession of it, whatever it may be, is
by us presumed to exhibit that faith entire
and pure ; can we be blameless or excus-
able in acting as if we thought otherwise?
How can we evidence our sincerity and
integrity, but by maintaining our own per-
suasion, to the exclusion of contrary per-
suasions ? How, in any proper acceptation
of the phrase, can we be said to "hold fast
SERMON I.
11
" the profession of our faith if we swerve
from this simple rule of conduct? — Even
upon the broadest principle of private judg-
ment, no latitude is allowable for indifference
to the truth, when once our judgment is deli-
berately formed, and grounded upon convic-
tion. And what is the proper ground of such
conviction ? Undoubtedly, to entitle it to any
weight, it implies the careful exercise of rea-
son, both in weighing the evidences of revela-
tion and in ascertaining its import ; that the
inquirer may frame his creed, and regulate
his conduct, by w^hat he deems to be the sole
criterion of unerring truth. On subjects so
momentous, what ingenuous mind can con-
sent to form a hollow and delusive union
with sentiments repugnant to his own ?
In applying these observations to our-
selves, as members of a Church, whose pre-
tensions have long been recognized, both at
home and abroad, as classing it among the
purest of the reformed churches in Christen-
dom, matter of serious reflection presents it-
self to our minds. When it is considered,
that the truth set forth in the Church of
England is that which was generally received
in the primitive ages of Christianity ; that,
which after having been obscured and defaced
Hebr. x. 25.
12
SERMON I.
by a long series of corruptions, was restored
to its original purity and lustre, through the
labours of men " mighty in the Scriptures,"
and devoted to the cause of truth ; thaty
moreover, which was then sealed by the blood
of martyrs, and has since been stedfastly up-
holden by the learned, wise, and good ; shall
we be charged with " the foolishness of boast-
" ing," if we say, that the question, " What is
" truth ?" admits now of a satisfactory answer,
by a reference to the system of faith and
worship adopted in the confessions and ritu-
als of our venerable establishment ?
Too true it is, that the Scriptures, though
the only infallible standard of religious truth,
are continually alleged in support of opinions
the most opposite to each other. Yet this
does not derogate from the perfection of Scrip-
ture itself ; nor ought it to shake our confi-
dence in its truth. The sources of many of
these variations it is not difficult to trace.
Doctrines there are, in revealed religion, in
themselves mysterious and profound ; above
the reach of our limited faculties clearly to
apprehend ; or, for wise reasons of the Al-
mighty, not entirely unfolded to our view.
Upon these, ardent, inquisitive, and incau-
tious minds will ever be in danger of " mak-
" ing shipwreck of their faith." Doctrines
SERMON I.
13
may also be perverted, or rendered ob-
scure, by the arts of controversialists to
uphold a favourite hypothesis, or by am-
biguity in the use of terms of definition, or
by inadvertency of whatever kind. — Again,
there are questions, arising out of matters
of unnecessary and unprofitable speculation,
which men are wont to engraft upon the
more essential truths of revelation, and to
argue them with even more warmth and ve-
hemence than matters of greater moment.
There may also be positions in Scripture not
so distinctly propounded as to preclude dif-
ferent deductions from them, even among
persons well qualified to decide, and on which
it were therefore wise to forbear too magis-
terial a decision. In all these cases, it. may
truly be said, that the differences originate
not with Scriptu7'e, but with the Interpreters
of Scripture. Truths, however, there un-
doubtedly are, and those of the highest order,
which, being fundamental and necessary to
the whole system of our faith, are also, for the
most part, so clearly revealed, that they can
hardly be either rejected or vitiated, but by
those who "handle the word of God deceit-
" fully." When, therefore, it is said, and
truly said, that "the Bible, and the Bible
" only, is the religion of Protestants," it by no
14
SERMON I.
means follows, that every reader or interpreter
of the Bible is equally able to extract from it
the pure and entire system of truth which it
contains. There unquestionably the truth
exists ; there, and there ojily, it is to be found
perfect. But, without the ordinary attain-
ments of human learning, or the extraordi-
nary gifts of the Holy Spirit, (now no longer
to be expected,) no one will be fully qualified
to digest and interpret its contents : and he
who though destitute of these pretensions,
will not consent to be guided by others, in-
curs a hazard fearful in proportion to the
value of the blessing that is at stake.
If this be so, and if we ourselves are tho-
roughly satisfied as to the soundness of faith
and purity of worship maintained in the
Church with which we hold communion, the
question, "What is truth?" will no longer in-
volve us in perplexity. We shall deem it
an invaluable privilege that we are not among
the number of those who are " ever learning,
" and never able to come to the knowledge of
" the truth nor of those who refuse to "stand
" in the old paths, and walk therein, that they
" may find rest unto their souls ^" Possessed
of such spiritual advantages, the fault will be
'1 2 Tim. iii. 7.
Jerem. vi. 16.
SERMON I.
15
our own, if we turn aside to vain and unpro-
fitable disputes. "Buy the truth," saith the
Wise Man, " and sell it not It is " the pearl
" of great price," for which he who knows its
value will " sell all that he hath to purchase
" it^." He will obtain it at any cost ; he will
part with it for none. He will not barter it
away for sordid interest. He will not yield it
to corrupt pleasure. He will not sacrifice it
to mistaken views of candour and forbearance.
But he will retain it stedfastly as his own
best treasure ; and gladly dispense its benefits
to others.
Thus have I endeavoured to set before you,
not the particular doctrines and propositions
comprised in a full answer to the question,
" What is truth ?" but the magnitude and
importance of the question itself ; the mode
by which the proper answer to it may be ob-
tained ; and the conduct by which our re-
gard to it should be manifested ; to shew,
that, though when proposed by an unenlight-
ened heathen it might excite little interest,
it presents to a believer in God's word conse-
quences which cannot be contemplated with-
out the greatest solicitude ; to shew also,
that when the truth is found, it is an impe-
f Prov. xxiii, 25.
s Matth. xiii. 46.
16
SERMON I.
rative duty to uphold it, and to preserve it
inviolate ; and, lastly, to suggest the special
advantages, in this respect, that we ourselves
enjoy, and the weight of that responsibility
which such advantages impose upon us.
Both to those who preach the word, and to
those who hear it, a word or two of admo-
nition may hence be not unseasonably ad-
dressed.
The question, " What is truth ?" is that
which every minister of Christ's Church is
more especially bound to consider, and, ac-
cording to the ability that God hath given
him, to propound the answer to it, for the
edification of his hearers. Our Church, more-
over, hath given ample security to her mem-
bers, that this answer shall not be left to the
precarious judgment of those who are ap-
pointed to the ministry. Her Liturgy and
Articles are intended to be a standard of
Scripture-doctrine ; a test, to try the sound-
ness of our preaching, and its correspondence
with holy writ. These, while they give se-
curity that the word of God shall not be " de-
" ceitfuUy handled''," serve also as guides to
ourselves in the discharge of this part of our
duty. They suggest the most important to-
pics of discourse ; they assist in framing clear
h 2 Cor. iv. 2.
SERMON 1.
17
and consistent expositions of Scripture; and
they connect a reverence for those sacred
oracles with an affectionate attachment to
our Church. From this model of doctrine
and discipline, he who has formed correct no-
tions of the evangelical office will never in-
tentionally depart. His aim will be, to "preach
" the truth as it is in Jesus ' ;" and to main-
tain and enforce it in unison with the pattern
these rituals set before him ; not wandering,
on the one hand, into enthusiastic or mysti-
cal extravagancies ; nor, on the other hand,
degenerating into cold, metaphysical disqui-
sitions ; but " reasoning out of the Scrip-
" tures ;" inculcating faith as the basis of
practice, and practice as the evidence of faith ;
endeavouring, throughout, both to convince
the judgment and to gain the heart.
To the hearers of the word also, these are
subjects of equally momentous consideration.
To know Him who is "the way, the truth,
" and the life'," is the sum and substance of
Christian faith. To be like unto Him who
left us an "ensample that we should follow
" His steps is the perfection of Christian
practice. In this Christian country (blessed
' Ephes. iv. 21. Acts xvii. 2. ' John xiv. 6.
m 1 Pet. ii. 21.
VOL. I. C
18
SERMON I.
be God !) the lay-members of our Church
have full opportunity of " kiwwing these
" things ;" and " happy are they, if they do
" them In every part of this kingdom,
" high and low, rich and poor, one with an-
" other," have the Gospel preached to them.
It is preached to them in the Scriptures ; it
is preached to them in all the forms and
offices of our incomparable Liturgy ; and we
will venture yet further to say, it is preached
to them in the discourses of the great mass
of our parochial clergy. Countless multi-
tudes have gone before us, we trust, in this
" straight path" to Heaven ; and what should
hinder those who follow in the same path
from obtaining the same blessed recom-
pense ?
Well indeed would it be for us, both indi-
vidually and collectively, if these benefits w^ere
always justly prized. But since " the prepa-
" rations of the heart," as well as the illumi-
nation of the understanding, are " from the
" Lord";" and since, though " one may plant,
" and another may water, it is God that
" givetli the increase P;" let our humble sup-
plications be unceasingly offered up to the
throne of grace, that He, from whom cometh
n John xiii. 17. ° Prov. xvi. 1. Pi Cor. iii. 7.
SERMON I. 19
"every good and every perfect giff," may
bless us with " a right judgment in all
" things ;" " granting us in this world know-
" ledge of his truth, and in the world to come
" life everlasting." Now, &c.
1 James i. 17.
c 2
SERMON II.
Acts v. 38, 39.
If this counsel or this work he of men, it will
come to nought: but if it he of God, ye cannot
overthrow it.
The maxim here laid down as a test of
religious truth derives an extraordinary por-
tion of interest from the circumstance of its
being delivered by one of the most distin-
guished members of the Jewish sanhedrim,
in the hope of prevailing with that powerful
body to relax in their persecution of the
Christian faith. Gamaliel, who proposed this
argument to their consideration, stands re-
corded in history as a man of preeminent re-
putation among the Jews, for learning, and
sanctity, and devotion to the Jewish Law.
Under his instructions St. Paul had imbibed
that zeal for the Law, so strongly manifested
in his vehement opposition to the disciples of
Christ. The Jewish talmudists relate, that
he was president of the council, and had at
c 3
22
SERMON II.
tained to the highest title of distinction ever
conferred upon the doctors of their Law. It
is also recorded, that, upon his death, extra-
ordinary marks of respect and veneration were
paid to his memory : and even his posterity
appear to have been zealous and successful
in maintaining a similar reputation. These
honours sufficiently attest his stedfast adher-
ence to the religion of his forefathers.
The words of the text, however, seem to in-
dicate something like a surmise on the part
of this celebrated teacher, that the Christian
religion might possibly be true. They mani-
fest, at least, a more candid and dispassionate
inclination than that of his brethren in the
council, not hastily to pronounce it to be false.
And the argument by which he endeavoured
to restrain their vehement proceedings has
long since passed into a standard rule, or
maxim, by which all similar questions may
ultimately be decided. Had the Jews in ge-
neral, and Gamaliel in particular, acted fully
up to the spirit of this maxim, it might have
wrought their conversion to Christianity. But,
unhappily, the advice seems to have been re-
garded rather as a matter of prudential for-
bearance, than of sincere desire to weigh the
pretensions of the Gospel by this standard ;
and the growing success of the Gospel, under
SERMON II.
23
its manifold discouragements, even sharpen-
ed their resentment against it, and rendered
it so much more odious in their estimation.
But, whatever might be the inconsistency
of the Jews in this respect, the argument it-
self is of too much value to be relinquished
by an advocate for the Christian faith ; nor
can we have any hesitation, when the ques-
tion is rightly understood, to put the truth
of Christianity upon the proposed issue : " If
" this work be of men, it will come to nought ;
" but if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow
« it."
The maxim here proposed evidently rests
upon this principle ; — that the Almighty will
never give to any system of error or falsehood,
published in His name, the sanction of His
support ; nor, on the other hand, will He ever
withhold such support from any system of
t?'uth, which He sees fit to promulgate : it be-
ing repugnant to the moral perfections of the
Deity, that he should regard the former with
a favourable eye, or suffer the latter to fail in
its result.
This appears to be almost an indisputable
proposition. It is subject, however, to some
obvious limitations. First, it can only be
properly applied to cases in which the mani-
fest interposition of the Almighty appears to
c 4
24
SERMON II.
be necessary, in order to prevent either the
delusion of His creatures, or a misconception
of the Divine purposes. To expect extraor-
dinary interpositions of Providence, where no
such necessity exists, where the case may
safely be left to the unperverted judgment
of mankind, and where the due exercise of
their own faculties may sufficiently guard
them against error, is manifestly unreason-
able.
Again ; the measures of God's providence,
whether ordinary or extraordinary, are al-
ways addressed to human beings as free and
rational agejits. But, however manifest such
measures may be, to those who are willing to
observe them ; they may be overlooked or
lightly regarded by perverse or unthinking
men. Unless the Almighty were, in every
case, absolutely to overrule this free agency,
there must always be a possibility, on the one
hand, of temporary and partial failures ; and,
on the other hand, that even falsehood and
iniquity may for a while prevail against the
truth. According to the present constitution
of human nature, nothing less than a conti-
nual series of miraculous interposition could
entirely prevent the occasional preponderance
of evil over good : and such a compulsory
mode of proceeding would produce, not the
SERMON II.
25
deliberate and solid conviction of a well-re-
gulated mind, but a blind and abject submis-
sion to irresistible power.
However irrefragable, therefore, may be the
general truth of the maxim itself, cautions
are evidently necessary in applying it to par-
ticular cases. Regard must be had to times,
and persons, and other special circumstances,
in judging either of the first introduction, or
of the subsequent continuance and extension
of any religious system. And since, even in
the clearest manifestations of His will, the
Almighty usually acts through the instru-
mentality of human means, and operates, with-
out compulsion, on the freedom of human ac-
tions ; we may reasonably expect a diversity
of results corresponding with the diversities
of human character : we may expect an alter-
nation of success and failure, arising from such
combinations of occurrences as the Supreme
Disposer may suffer to take place, without
any impediment to the final accomplishment
of His inscrutable purposes.
These few observations may suffice to shew,
that Gamaliel's position, however wise and
just, is capable of misapplication. It is mis-
applied, whenever it is urged without refer-
ence to some other criterion of truth ; when
it is brought forward with an intent to super-
26
SERMON II.
sede the rational investigation of those evi-
dences which are the direct and proper proofs
of a Divine Revelation ; when it is prema-
turely relied upon, in consequence of some
local, temporary, sudden, or partial success;
or, when it presumptuously magnifies the re-
sult of the busy and persevering efforts of
human agents into a proof of more than hu-
man energy.
These remarks I now proceed to illustrate,
by reference to some striking instances in
which the use or abuse of the principle in the
text has been exemplified.
First, let us briefly consider it as it was ap-
plied by Gamaliel himself, to the subject of
Christianity.
The mere success of the Gospel, without a
due examination of its still higher preten-
sions to a Divine origin, will hardly be ac-
cepted by cautious inquirers as an absolute
demonstration of its truth. It is a collateral,
rather than a direct testimony in its favour.
When produced in evidence to that effect,
it is produced, not as an insulated, inde-
pendent kind of proof ; but as connected
with the peculiar and extraordinary circum-
stances to which that success was owing. We
state it to be inconceivable, that a religion so
circumstanced as Christianity was, at the time
SERMON II.
27
of its first promulgation, and for three cen-
turies afterwards, should have spread and pre-
vailed to such a prodigious extent, by human
agency alone. We refer to the records of its
history, for proof that w^orks far above the
reach of such agency were actually wrought
for its support. We refer to the same re-
cords, for proof that all that human opposi-
tion could devise for its overthrow was car-
ried into execution ; and that the proportion
of mere human energy called into its service
was comparatively as nothing. This is the
ground on which the advocate for the Chris-
tian faith raises an argument in its support,
from the marvellous success which attended
it. But in this is comprised, or rather is pre-
supposed, the certainty of those extraordi-
nary facts, which render its rapid and exten-
sive propagation worthy of being thus ad-
duced in confirmation of its Divine preten-
sions ; and which were matters of universal
notoriety to the Christian world.
The argument, then, is, in itself, of a se-
condary, not of a primary kind. It springs out
of another, which lies deeper, as the root, or
foundation, to which it owes its main sup-
port. We may therefore feel the less surprise,
when it proves unavailing with those who
reject the other evidences on which it virtu-
28
SERMON II.
ally depends. To contend for the astonish-
ing success of Christianity as a demonstration
of its truth, with persons who will discern in
it neither the completion of prophecies nor
the performance of miracles ; or who ascribe
to its first preachers and disciples views and
motives, means and qualifications, altogether
at variance with that which history records
of them, can be but a waste of labour. Such
persons will readily imagine to themselves
(or some philosophical unbeliever will readily
imagine for them) other causes for its growth
and progress ; nor can we expect them to feel
the full force of this consideration, so long as
they resist the stronger and more certain
proofs of the facts previously to be ascer-
tained.
Gamaliel indeed, and the rest of the Jewish
council, might, without incurring the impu-
tation of credulous weakness, have ventured
to anticipate the result of the issue on which
he proposed to try this momentous question.
He might safely have inferred, from what
daily passed before him at that time, that
such men as the Apostles could not have
even begun thus successfully the work they
had taken in hand, had not the powers which
they claimed and asserted, been too clearly
verified to admit of doubt. Here lay the
SERMON II.
29
main point they were bound to consider ; and
not simply whether the success of this new
doctrine was sufficient to warrant their ac-
ceptance of it.
Christianity, however, is well able to abide
the test proposed by this learned Pharisee,
because it is well able to abide the scrutiny
which must first be undergone, in order to
render that test efficient. Its continuance,
moreover, down to the present day, affords
evidence in its favour, similar, in some re-
spects, to that of its first propagation. It has
stood many a fiery ordeal since its first strug-
gles with Jewish and heathen persecutors. It
has emerged from ignorance and barbarism ;
it has overcome wit, learning, and malice ; it
has broken the bands of all these, as well as
the utmost force of secular power, confeder-
ated against it. This we hold to be indeed
a token, that it is of God, and cannot be
overthrown. But wherefore do we deem it
such? Because it tends to prove that the
great leading facts upon which the credibili-
ty of Christianity depends were substantially
true ; since upon the certainty of those facts
only could it possibly have obtained any ac-
ceptance whatever : and these being such as
clearly manifest a divine interposition, the
success of the religion grounded upon them
30
SERMON II.
may thenceforth legitimately be urged in cor-
♦ roboration of its ti'uth.
Let us take now a well-known instance of
an opposite kind, and try it by the same rule.
Mahometanism has had wonderful success :
and no one knew better than Mahomet him-
self how to impress upon the minds of his
followers a belief that this was an indisput-
able proof that it came from God. His re-
ligion spread far and wide, like flame before
the wind, and in its progress swept away
Christian, together with Heathen, states and
empires. It continues also to this day ; shorn,
indeed, of much of its splendour and renown,
but still upholding the authority of the Ko-
ran over an incalculable extent of territory.
This is a proud theme for the infidel histo-
rian. "If," says he, "you allege the suc-
" cess of the Gospel as a testimony to the
" truth of Jesus, how refuse the same testi-
" mony in honour of the prophet of Mecca ?"
We answer. Bring your Prophet to the same
test that we apply to Jesus and his Apostles,
and instantly the parallelism vanishes. If
success be only then a certain evidence of Di-
vine favour when it is accompanied with some
othei' criterion of its truth, when it does not
supersede the investigation of other proofs, or
when it is such as cannot rationally be ac-
SERMON II.
31
counted for as the work of mere human
agents, — then we affirm, that, in all these
respects, instead of parallelism between the
two cases, it is impossible to produce a
stronger contrast than the respective parties
exhibit the one to the other. The Arabian
produced no voucher but the sword : — and is
it a "strange thing" that the sword should
make proselytes ? Or did this resemble the
policy of Him who warned his followers, that
" they who took the sword should perish by the
" sword ^?" Mahomet interdicted ^V^|/M^r?/ into
the truths of the Koran, and demanded im-
plicit credence in its manifold inconsistencies
and contradictions. Did this, again, resemble
the Teacher who said, " Be ready always to
" give a reason of the hope that is in you ^?"
Mahomet ministered to the most corrupt pro-
pensities of his countrymen, by allowing every
voluptuous indulgence they could crave. Shall
this too be brought into parallel with the
apostolical maxim, "Every one that hath this
" hope in him purifieth himself, even as He
" is pure"?" — But why pursue the compari-
son?— Upon the principles by which every
such question must be tried, if success be
deemed a token, in the one case, of Divine
a Matt. xxvi. 52. ^ 1 Pet. iii. 15. 1 John iii. 3.
32
SERMON II.
support, because that success was obtained in
opposition to human power and human cor-
ruption, and because it was accompanied with
the highest supernatural testimonies that
could be borne to it ; — does it not, in the
other case, shew itself to have been the entire
work of man's device, because effected by the
aid of every weapon of carnal warfare, and
sanctioned by no one unequivocal testimony
of higher authority ?
But let us now descend from these more
conspicuous subjects of contrast, to others not
unconnected with them, though of inferior
magnitude — the progress of Pope?-!/ and of
the Protestant Refor?7iation.
If the Almighty hath manifestly interposed
to prosper such a work as the Christian Re-
velation, against the combined efforts of J ews,
Turks, Heathens, and Infidels, it may with-
out presumption be expected, that his pro-
vidence will still farther be watchful over it,
to uphold it against such corruption or pei'-
versiofi as might otherwise frustrate the pur-
pose for which it was bestowed. But if the
external circumstances of religion be permit-
ted to form the sole criterion of our judg-
ment on this point, how shall we gainsay the
triumphs of the Romish Church in the ascen-
dency she so long enjoyed throughout almost
SERMON II.
33
the whole western empire, and which she
still enjoys to such an extent, as not to hesi-
tate in appropriating to herself the title of
the Catholic or Universal Church ?
Well aware of the specious and imposing
nature of this argument, Bellarmine and
other distinguished champions of the see of
Rome enumerate, among the essential cha-
racters of the true Church, its amplitude, its
duration, and its temporal prosperity ; tokens,
it must be confessed, sufficiently discernible
in the history of the papal power. But if all
or either of these be necessary to certify us
of the Divine favour, what shall we say of
the condition of the whole Christian Church
in its primitive state, before it obtained any
countenance from the secular powers, and
whilst it laboured under almost continual per-
secution ? And, on the other hand, if these,
when they do concur, are sure and certain
tokens of the true Church, without any ap-
peal to other evidence ; may not the disciples
of Mahomet lay claim to the same distinc-
tion ? For whatever of amplitude, duration,
or temporal prosperity, even in her proudest
days, papal Rome might boast, will, per-
haps, without difficulty, be paralleled in more
than one epoch of Saracen or of Ottoman
power.
VOL. I. D
34
SERMON II.
What other tokens, then, has the Church
of Rome to produce, as concurrent evidence of
her exclusive possession of the Divine favour ;
more especially when brought into compari-
son with those Protestant communities which
have renounced her usurpation ? We know,
indeed, her claim to supremacy, by virtue of
her descent from St. Peter ; her assumption
also of the power of miracles ; and her boast
of retaining many articles of Christian faith
and worship which the rest of the Christian
world disclaim. But these pretensions have
been too often canvassed and refuted, to be
admitted as grounds of that preeminence in
the Divine favour, of which she deems her
external greatness to be so indubitable a
proof. Nor are we at any loss to account
for the utmost extent of that greatness,
or the influence it has had upon so vast a
portion of Christendom, when we contem-
plate the means and resources which were for
ages employed in maturing its designs. In
these we discover such abundance of human
policy, of subtilty, ingenuity, fraud, and force,
as will sufficiently solve the problem, with-
out having recourse to higher agency : and
until the historical evidence on which this
solution of it rests can be set aside, few im-
partial observers will incline to think the
SERMON II.
35
mere success of popery a proof that it is the
work of God.
But, it will be asked, on what better grounds
do we assert such a claim in favour of the
Protestant Reformation ? — On grounds, we
apprehend, too strong to be removed by any
such objections as lie against the pretensions
just examined.
We allege, in the first place, the success of
Protestantism against that prodigious weight
of human machinery by which the papal
power had been maintained ; and which was
employed to the very utmost for the over-
throw of this extraordinary enterprise. We
see the leaders of this enterprise struggling
continually under the greatest difficulties and
discouragements, exposed to the rage of ma-
lice and the storm of persecution. In their
labours and distresses we discover much that
reminds us of what the primitive Christians
underwent in their struggle with Jewish bi-
gotry and heathen violence. Under such cir-
cumstances, success in the attempt carries
with it, we conceive, something strongly in-
dicating the aid of an invisible and all-power-
ful hand. The external means appear so in-
adequate to the exigencies of the case, the in-
struments so incompetent to effect the pur-
pose, without the interposition of an over-
D 2
36
SERMON II.
ruling Providence, that we feel almost con-
strained to say, more than mortal strength
must have been engaged in the transaction.
But we should deem even this argument
insufficient to. establish the point in question,
were it not corroborated by more decisive evi-
dence. That the Protestant reformation pros-
pered through the Divine blessing, we infer
from the character of the work itself, as well
as from its result. Its features are those of
truth and purity ; of truth, recovered, after
the lapse of ages, from the genuine stores of
Scripture and primitive antiquity ; of purity,
not rejecting the comely and venerable ex-
ternals of religion, but retaining such only as
befit its holy character, and are in no wise
repugnant to scriptural or apostolical au-
thority. Contrasted, in these respects, with
the Church which it renounced, it bears the
character of an undaunted champion of the
genuine, simple "faith, once delivered to the
" saints''," against the corrupt abettors of idol-
atrous superstitions. It stands forth, the ad-
vocate of the written word, against those who
would have made it almost of none effect by
their unwritten and unauthorized traditions.
It comes forward, in the panoply of apostoli-
cal truth, to vindicate that main foundation
f Jude 3.
SERMON II.
37
of the Christian's hope, salvation by Christ
alone, against those who had taught men to
build their hopes upon other mediators and
intercessors, or upon the fallacious ground of
human merit. In these respects it exhibits
credentials of its Divine original, totally dif-
ferent from the pretensions of that power to
which it stands opposed.
Should it, however, be objected, that the
Reformation was, in some countries, and espe-
cially in our own, considerably aided and
promoted by the interested views of secular
potentates, jealous of pontifical authority, and
desirous to throw off' its yoke ; it may be an-
swered, that these had, at most, but a partial
and temporary operation, with reference to
the general result, and bore but little propor-
tion to the prodigious extent and magnitude
of the undertaking, and the obstacles to be
surmounted. Let it also be observed, that
in the commencemetit, at least, of the work,
little or no aid of this kind can be traced.
Yet the Divine blessing was manifest in the
antecedent circumstances of its birth and
origin, no less than in its ulterior progress.
Long before Popery had attained its zenith,
faithful witnesses in various parts of Chris-
tendom bore testimony against its encroach-
ments and its corruptions. Remnants of the
D 3
38
SERMON II.
purest primitive Churches stedfastly resisted
its persuasions and its threats. Individuals
occasionally dared to appeal against it, even
in the plenitude of its power. Whole com-
munities from time to time endured its most
sanguinary hostility, rather than embrace its
terms of communion. So frequent were these
efforts in the cause of truth, as to warrant us
in affirming, that God "never left Himself
" without witness," in this respect as in
others, of His superintending watchfulness
over the work of His own hands. So that,
however unblessed by temporal prosperity, if
amplitude and duration are indications of the
Divine favour, the Protestant faith needs not
shrink from the test, when applied with due
regard to its comparative means and circum-
stances.
Here, then, we might terminate the in-
quiry, were nothing further intended than
simply to illustrate the maxim of the text,
and to shew by what rules, and under what
necessary restrictions and limitations, it is to
be applied to specific cases. But the subject
is of too great interest, and too fertile of ob-
servations which may be found to have some
bearing upon the present state of religion
among us, to be thus cursorily dismissed.
History, indeed, furnishes so many instances
SERMON II.
39
of the proneness of men, of every time and
country, to mistake the nature of the maxim,
or to misapply it ; and the consequences hence
resulting have been oftentimes so injurious,
that we can hardly exercise too great caution,
lest it be made an encouragement to hazard-
ous or doubtful speculations. I shall there-
fore postpone to the next opportunity some
additional elucidations of the subject, toge-
ther with a summary application of the whole
to the existing circumstances in which we
ourselves are placed.
One observation, however, may here be
subjoined, affecting the main principle of the
whole inquiry. The maxim, " If this work be
" of men, it will come to nought ; but if it be
" of God, ye cannot overthrow it," may seem,
when applied to the case of revealed religion,
to appeal to an issue which cannot be abso-
lutely decided till time shall be no more. For
if the period could ever arrive when Chris-
tianity should be universally rejected, and
some other system of religion universally
established in its place, the obvious inference
would be, according to the implied tenor of
this rule, that it was " not of God." This, how-
ever, only serves to shew still more clearly,
(what it has been the object of this present
discourse to establish,) that some other rule
D 4
40
SERMON II.
must be brought to cooperate with this for
the determination of the main question. It
is, indeed, as clear and certain a maxim of
sound reason, that God cannot contradict
himself, as it is that He cannot support
falsehood, or forsake truth. If, therefore, a
religion professing to come from God has all
those marks and tokens about it which may
reasonably satisfy us that it is His work ;
and if it has, moreover, hitherto maintained
its ground under the most adverse circum-
stances, and against the most formidable op-
position of human power ; then (as was be-
fore suggested) its perpetuity and final success
may be safely anticipated ; since this expec-
tation rests, not only upon the same assur-
ance as its first general reception and propa-
gation, but also on the credit of the Divine
promise vouchsafed to that effect, and guaran-
teed by what has already been accomplished
of its declared purpose. And here it is, that
so broad a line of distinction may be observed
between Christianity and every system opposed
to it, in the one case ; and between pure Chris-
tianity and every corrupt system of it, in the
other. We do not assume the truth of Chris-
tianity, solely because it has maintained its
ground for more than 1800 years; nor do we
assume the purity of any Protestant pro-
SERMON II.
41
fession of it, solely because it has supplanted
Popery and established itself in its stead.
But we conclude both Christianity and Pro-
testantism to have been largely favoured with
the Divine blessing and protection, because
they have both thriven under the greatest pos-
sible difficulties and dangers ; and because
they can both produce testimonies of their
truth and Divine authority, which would
sufficiently demonstrate their origin, even if
they had never emerged from their pristine
state of adversity and depression.
Thus far, then, we have proceeded in en-
deavouring to rest upon its proper founda-
tion one very important support of religious
truth. The more effectually this is establish-
ed upon solid grounds, the more confidently
may we build our hopes of the good ulti-
mately to result from it : and the more pa-
tiently may we await that final triumph of
faith and holiness, when " every plant which
" our heavenly Father hath not planted, shall
" be rooted up V and "every tree which bring-
" eth not forth good fruit, shall be hewn down
" and cast into the fire^." Now, &c.
f Matt. XV. 13.
R Matt. vii. 19.
SERMON III.
Acts v. 38, 39-
If this counsel or this work he of men, it ivill come
to nonght : hnt if it he of God, ye cannot over-
throw it.
Confidence in the Divine support gives
to truth one of its best encouragements.
It supplies strength under adverse circum-
stances, and it contributes to the purest en-
joyment of prosperity. When heightened
also by the perceptible progress and advance-
ment of the work that is undertaken, it
operates as the most powerful of all incite-
ments to exertion and perseverance ; fortify-
ing the mind with a full persuasion, that the
cause is acceptable both to God and man.
But how is this confidence to be attained ?
How shall a just and rational assurance of the
Divine blessing be distinguished from vain
pretensions to it, the offspring of delusion or
deceit? How shall we effectually check the san-
guine expectations and the arrogant boast-
ings of weak, or sometimes of wicked men, who
44
SERMON III.
make success the criterion of their deserts ?
Or how, on the other hand, shall we " comfort
" the feeble-minded"," when even that which
they may reasonably believe to be the work
of God refuses to prosper in their hands ?
In a former discourse on the words of the
text, an attempt has been made to remove
this difficulty, by shewing on what founda-
tion the maxim it contains must be supposed
to rest, and under what limitations it is ne-
cessarily to be understood, when applied as a
test of religious truth. Instances were alleged,
to prove that success affords a collateral ra-
ther than a direct argument of the truth of
any religious system ; and that it presupposes
some other evidences, sufficient to warrant us
in ascribing that success to Divine agency.
The rule, therefore, was shewn to be mis-
applied, when it is made to supersede the
investigation of other concurrent proofs ;
when it is urged upon slight or insufficient
grounds ; and when sufficient discrimination
is not made between what is within the ordi-
nary reach of human ability, and what is ma-
nifestly beyond its reach. These observations
were illustrated by reference to the contrast
betwixt Christianity and Mahometanism, and
to a similar contrast betwixt Popery and the
Thess. V.14.
SERMON III.
45
Protestant Reformation. In each case it was
shewn that the success of truth on the one
side, and the success of falsehood and of cor-
ruption on the other, could not easily be
confounded by discriminating and impartial
observers : — that, on the side of truth the in-
dications of Divine interposition, indepen-
dently of the prosperous result, were too con-
spicuous to be overlooked ; while the circum-
stances which led to the successful issue were,
in many respects, at war with human strength
and policy : — that, on the side of falsehood
and corruption, not only were these concur-
rent testimonies of Divine favour wanting,
but so manifest and so potent were the en-
gines of human warfare employed in uphold-
ing them, that we need seek no higher causes
to account for the result.
Some additional elucidations of the subject,
together with a summary application of the
whole to the present state of religion among
us, remain now to be brought forward.
And first it may be worthy of observation,
that the argument from the success of the
Gospel seems not to have been much insisted
upon by the sacred writers themselves, except
as connected with the evidence of mh-acles
and of prophecy. It is never obtruded upon
their opponents as the result of Divine inter-
46
SERMON III.
position, unless with reference to tokens of a
different kind, which could not be ascribed to
any other cause.
Thus when Peter and John, and the rest
of the disciples, astonished at the great acces-
sion of converts which flowed in at the very
beginning of their ministry, applied to the
event the Psalmist's prophetic declaration
concerning the Messiah's kingdom, " Why do
" the heathen rage, and the people imagine a
" vain thing — this triumphant expression
of exultation was uttered in consequence of a
signal miracle just wrought by these two Apo-
stles ; to which miracle they had appealed, in
proof that God was with them : and their ex-
ultation was accompanied with fervent prayer
for further manifestations of the same kind.
Again ; when St. Luke observes, " So mightily
" grew the word of God, and prevailed*'," it is
immediately after relating the " special mira-
" cles which had been done by Paul*"." St.
Paul himself also states the real cause of this
success, and goes to the root of the question
before us, when he says, that "God hath chosen
" the foolish things of the world to confound
" the wise, and the weak things of the world
" to confound the things which are mighty^;*"
b Psalm ii. 1. c Acts xix. ^0. Acts xix. 11.
e 1 Cor. i. 27.
SERMON III.
47
and again, in that very remarkable expression,
" the weakness of God is stronger than menV
He ascribes it to miraculous power, when he
elsewhere speaks of God as " bearing witness"
to the Apostles " with signs and wonders, and
" with divers miracles and gifts of the Holy
" Ghosts." He points it out also as the ful-
filment of prophecy, by referring to the pre-
dictions of David and of Isaiah, that " their
" sound went into all the earth, and their
" words unto the end of the world''."
This, indeed, is a most prominent and
striking feature in the case of Christianity,
that its success, however unlikely to be ef-
fected by human means, was expressly ^/b;"etoM
by the ancient Jewish prophets, as well as by
our Lord himself. It was foretold, that " a
" little one should become a thousand, and a
" small one a strong nation';" that it should
" be exalted above the hills, and all nations
" should flow unto it*" ;" and that " all the
" ends of the earth should see the salvation
" of God Very numerous are the pre-
dictions to this effect in the Old Testa-
ment, and very explicit are the declara-
tions that this should be the result, in oppo-
sition to the most formidable adversaries.
f 1 Cor. i. 25. s Heb. ii. 4. h Rom.x. 18.
' Isaiah Ix. 22. k Isaiah ii. 2. ' Isaiah lii. 10.
48
SERMON III.
Our Lord himself no less distinctly announced
its rapid and extensive propagation, in the
parable of the "grain of mustard seed, which
" is the least of all seeds ; but when it is
" grown is the greatest among herbs, and be-
" Cometh a tree, so that the birds of the air
" come and lodge in the branches thereof'"."
Its rising also out of obscurity, and by means
inexplicable to human sagacity, he illustrates
by saying, it is "as if a man should cast seed
" into the ground, and should sleep, and the
" seed should spring and grow up he knoweth
" not how"." Yet he distinctly forewarns his
disciples that such should be the strife and
persecution it would occasion, as to make it
appear that he had " come, not to send peace
" on the earth, but a sword" :" that his disci-
ples should be "hated of all men for his
" name's sake'';" that " many should be of-
" fended, and betray one another, and hate
" one another'';" and yet, notwithstanding
this, that it was " built upon a rock," and the
" gates of hell should not prevail against it'."
It is impossible not to perceive in these re-
presentations a most lively picture of what
afterwards came to pass, in the peculiar cir-
cumstances attending the first promulgation
Matt. xiii. 32. " Mark iv. 26, 27. ° Matt. x. 34.
P Matt. X. 22. q Matt. xxiv. 10. f Matt. xvi. 18
SERMON III.
49
of the Gospel. Christianity is the only reli-
gion which has ever thus thriven under long-
continued and almost unintermitting perse-
cution. It is also the only religion of which
such success, under such circumstances, had
ever been distinctly foretold. Here lies the
main force of the argument. On this the sa-
cred writers ground their appeal to its suc-
cess in proof of its Divine authority. Their
successors did the same. The primitive apo-
logists for Christianity, during the three first
centuries, make no vain boastings upon this
evidence in its behalf ; but simply state it as
the necessary result of those supernatural oc-
currences, which sufficiently spake for them-
selves to the common understandings of man-
kind, and which would have entitled it to ac-
ceptance, however obstinately it might be re-
sisted by any combination of human exertions.
Not such was the case with its heathen op-
ponents. When persecution triumphed for a
while over the banner of the cross, Pagan
rulers were ever forward to assert the pre-
eminence of their gods, and to rely upon this
evidence, that their cause was the cause of
Heaven. But no sooner did a reverse take
place, than their confidence in these ima-
ginary divinities was lost ; and Christians
were reproached with being the cause that
VOL. I. E
50
SERMON III.
the gods deserted their temples, and inflicted
calamities on their devoted worshippers. Such
was the contrast betwixt truth and falsehood !
In the one case, success was a mere bubble,
visionary and unsubstantial, which at the first
adverse blast burst and vanished ; in the
other, being founded on a basis firm and sure,
it defied the storm and tempest, and with-
stood the shock of whatever force could be
brought against it.
Similar boasting, when favoured by tem-
poral prosperity, we have already observed to
be characteristic of the false religion of Ma-
homet, and of the corrupt system of Chris-
tianity forced upon the acceptance of man-
kind by the Church of Rome. We have also
observed with how little justice either of these
can assert it as a proof of the Divine favour.
Other systems, however, far less extensive
and permanent in their effects than Maho-
metanism or Popery, have laid claim to
this supposed demonstration of their truth.
Whenever a heresy or a schism spread its
baleful influence over any considerable por-
tion of the Christian Church, it was seldom
that it did not arrogate to itself preemi-
nence in this respect. Thus, when Ay-ianism
(through the encouragement it derived from
the emperor Constantine) extended far and
SERMON III.
51
wide, in almost every part of the Roman em-
pire ; the circumstance was instantly applied
by its advocates as an indication that it was
the work of God. Constantius himself as-
cribed his success in war to his having em-
braced the Arian cause ; and was so intoxi-
cated with this persuasion, as to suffer the
Arians to address him in terms of impious
flattery ; whilst they, on the other hand, rea-
dily availed themselves of his vain imagina-
tions, the better to forward their views. But
what was the issue ? The very next emperor
that succeeded uprooted all these goodly
hopes, and annihilated this vain boasting, by
his maintenance of the Catholic Faith against
these innovators ; and within no very distant
period the heresy itself dwindled into insig-
nificance, and was little known but as a tale
of other times.
Nor have succeeding ages wanted examples
of a similar propensity to ill-founded confi-
dence. Many an ephemeral error has built
the loftiest expectations of success upon the
sudden popularity it had acquired ; and has
hence been led to arrogate to itself the as-
sured support of Heaven upon very slender
evidence. That this should be the case with
the abettors of opinions in themselves origin-
ating in fanatical delusions, or upborne by
E 2
52
SERMON III.
strong enthusiastic feelings, cannot be matter
of astonishment. That the first promoters,
for example, of the Crusades, or holy wars,
should have eagerly interpreted the vast ac-
cession of numbers to their standard, and
every casual advantage that subsequently oc-
curred, to be clear and certain tokens of
the Divine blessing upon their design, may
be regarded as the natural result of the
spirit and disposition which dictated the en-
terprise itself : an enterprise which excites
pity, nay almost respect, for the deluded
parties, notwithstanding the unjustifiable
means by which .it was to have been accom-
plished. For a similar reason, we scarcely
wonder at the strange instances which eccle-
siastical history presents to our observation,
of the confidence with which some of the
most corrupt and contemptible sects from
time to time obtruded their reveries, and
from their momentary effect upon credulous
minds augured certain success. Witness the
innumerable pretenders to preternatural in-
spiration and the gift of prophecy, both in
earlier and later ages of the Church ; such as
the Montamsts of old, and the many lesser
sects which afterwards branched out from
them ; the German Anabaptists also, towards
the middle of the sixteenth century, and the
SERMON III.
53
multitude of fanatical parties which in the
following century overthrew the government,
civil and ecclesiastical, of our oivn country.
In all these, no feature is more striking, none
seems to have excited more implicit venera-
tion in their followers, than that arrogance
which led them first gratuitously to assume a
Divine impulse as the incitement to their
proceedings, and then to ground upon the
too ready admission of that pretence among
their followers, a further assumption of the
Divine blessing upon their labours. This is
almost the invariable course pursued by mere
enthusiasts ; and we perceive in it nothing
but what is congenial to the very nature of
enthusiasm, whatever may be the particular
cast of opinions which it is disposed to adopt.
But it is somewhat more remarkable, and
affords a still stronger proof of the extensive
prevalence of self-deception, that religionists
of a description the most opposite to these
have been betrayed into similar mispersua-
sions. Even the cold and sceptical character
of Socinianism has not secured its votaries
against this temptation to vulgar credulity.
Its early progress in Poland, Transylvania,
and other neighbouring countries, under con-
siderable disadvantages and discouragements,
might, perhaps, be expected to elate the minds
E 3
54
SERMON III.
of its first abettors. But we may well wonder
that some of its more recent advocates, even in
our own times, viewing the actual state of reli-
gion in this and other countries, should have
permitted the very limited success of their
own labours to fill them with sanguine expec-
tations of its almost universal acceptance,
at no very distant period. Yet such is the
power of self-complacency upon men other-
wise the most inaccessible (in their own esti-
mation at least) to the prejudices which beset
ordinary minds.
A stranger phenomenon, however, than
even this, must not pass unobserved. Infi-
delity itself can take up this parable against
religion when it may serve its purpose. Re-
bels can foretell the downfall of the State,
and Atheists the ruin of the Church, with all
the confidence of a prophetical impulse : and
when the work of disorder and mischief seems
to prosper in their hands, who more ready
than they to appeal, with unblushing effron-
tery, to this token of the will of Heaven ?
Need we search the records of ancient times
in proof of this ? Need we go further back
than within the period of our own recollec-
tion, or even than the present moment, for ex-
amples which too plainly attest it ? How did
the French revolutionists triumph in this pre-
SERMON III.
55
tended manifestation of the goodness of their
cause ! and how loudly did the usurper who
snatched the reins of empire from their hands
assert this as his warrant from the throne of
Heaven ! And are there not, even now, among
ourselves, those who shew their readiness to
urge the same pretensions, whenever they
for a moment obtain an imaginary triumph
over the laws and sacred institutions of their
country ?
What has been said in this and the preced-
ing Discourse tends to confirm a just and
wise observation of an eminent Divine of our
Church', that "success is one of those com-
" mon-place arguments which is made much
" too free with by every party, and for every
" cause : — and no one," he adds, " need be
" told how frequently it hath been abused,
" with a design to create in men a belief, that
" God approves those actions and designs
" which he is sometimes pleased to permit
" and prosper."
There is, indeed, scarcely any species of
proof brought forward in support of truth, of
which falsehood has not some counterfeit pre-
pared, to deceive the unwary. Whether it be
miracles, prophecy, inspiration, or any other
indication of Divine agency, the adversary
1 Dr. South.
E 4 ■
56
SERMON III.
seldom fails to set up some plausible tokens
of a similar kind. Among these, none, per-
haps, has been so frequently resorted to, as an
appeal to the success of any religious persua-
sion in attestation of its truth. The complex
nature of the argument, to render it a test of
truth, is seldom sufficiently considered ; and
hence it seems to have arisen, that the real
value of this kind of proof has been either un-
duly depreciated by sceptics and unbelievers,
or rashly and unwarrantably magnified, in
order to subserve the purposes of enthusiasm
and imposture.
As a satisfactory evidence of the Divine
support given to Chinstianity against every
system hitherto opposed to it, it may (as has
already been shewn) be urged with unhesi-
tating confidence, because it stands connected
with such direct and unequivocal tokens of
supernatural interposition, as cannot be set
aside without detracting from the attributes
and perfections of God himself As an evi-
dence also in support of the pure faith of
Protestant Churches, contrasted with the cor-
ruptions of the see of Rome, or with any other
departure from primitive Christianity ; al-
though it assumes a somewhat different aspect,
it is still substantially the same. Protestant-
ism, indeed, pretends not to actually miracu-
SERMON III.
57
lous interposition in its behalf, but it makes a
direct appeal to that primitive standard of
faith and worship which was itself miracu-
lously sanctioned ; and it builds its claim to
acceptance, not solely on the apparent inade-
quacy of human means to effect the result
produced, but still more on its entire concur-
rence with that which had already, in times
past, given manifold proofs of its Divine
origin. This appears to have been the view
generally taken by the reformers themselves.
Even Luther, whose temper was sufficiently
ardent, and his confidence of success pro-
portionably sanguine, thus modestly expresses
his sentiments respecting his own new doc-
trines, as they were then deemed to be. " If
" the work," says he, " be not of God, I do
" not pretend that it should be mine ; let
" it come to nothing, and be claimed by no
" one. I ought to seek nothing else than
" that I should not be the occasion of error
"to any one'." This memorable sentiment
' " Idcirco mei non oblitus, his verbis protestor, Me dis-
" putare, non determinare. Disputo, inquam, non assero,
" ac dispute cum timore. Non quod eorum bullas et minas
" timeam, qui, nullo prorsus timore tacti, quicquid vel som-
" niaverint, velut Evangclium credi volunt. Horum enim
" audacia et inscitia simul cocgit, fateor, etiani timori meo
" non credere ; qua; nisi tanta esset, nullus me praeterquam
" angulus mens cognovisset. St opus ipsum non J'uerit
58
SERMON III.
was delivered at a time when almost by his
own single exertions, his opinions had spread
with great rapidity, and were received with
much applause by a large body of his fellow-
countrymen. Yet it clearly shews that he
by no means considered the extraordinary
prevalence or popularity of his opinions suf-
ficient in itself to establish their foundation in
truth. There is, indeed, abundant proof that
he as well as the rest of the reformers, ground-
ed their assurance of the Divine approbation
of the work they had taken in hand, upon far
higher principles. They founded it on their
adherence to Scripture, and to " the faith
" once delivered to the saints ;" and what-
ever confidence they expressed in the issue of
their labours, sprang from that holy and un-
exceptionable source, not from any blind and
presumptuous expectation of the interposition
of Heaven.
It were well if the same temperate and ju-
dicious conduct still characterized all who
profess to follow in their steps. Nor will this
caution be deemed unnecessary by those who
" suum, omnino volo ut nec sit meiim ; sit vero nihil et nid-
" lius. Ego nihil debni quccrere, nisi ut nulli essem erroris
" occasio."" Epistola D. H. Sculteto, Eccl. Brandeburg.
Episc. anno 1518. Oper. edit. Jenae, torn. I. pp. 63, 64. —
See Bower's Life of Luther, 1813. pp. 56—59.
SERMON III.
59
attentively observe some striking features
of the present times. We live in a busy
spirit-stirring age. Great plans of good, as
well as of evil, are on foot. The efforts of the
ill-disposed to bereave us of religion itself,
and, with it, of all that is worth possessing, are
met by no less strenuous efforts, on the part
of the pious and well-intentioned, not only to
resist these aggressions, but to meliorate the
condition of mankind in general, by spreading
wider and wider the blessings of Revelation.
To give unbounded extent to the work of
Christian education ; to promote the univer-
sal knowledge of the word of God ; and to
send the glad tidings of the gospel into the
remotest corners of the earth ; these are the
enlarged designs of Christian benevolence in
which we are now continually called upon to
co-operate.
That such designs are highly worthy of a
Christian country so distinguished as ours, is
unquestionable ; and that the objects to which
they are directed are acceptable in the sight
of God, it is equally impossible to doubt. Yet
even here a word of admonition may not be
unseasonable, to the projectors and promoters
of these great purposes ; lest they should be
overheated by the ebullitions of zeal and ap-
plause which their own active exertions have
60
SERMON III.
excited, and too readily augur, from the popu-
larity and rapid progress of their undertak-
ings, an almost absolute certainty of Divine
co-operation.
Let it be observed, then, that before we
venture to assure ourselves of the Divine
blessing even upon the best undertakings, we
ought to be assured, not only of the good we
intend, but also, that the means to be em-
ployed are unexceptionable. And before we
presume to allege the apparent success of our
labours in proof that such a blessing attends
them, we should be able satisfactorily to shew
that we are not departing from any known
line of duty, in the proceedings by which the
purpose is to be accomplished.
In the great work of spreading the know-
ledge of Christianity among mankind ; — whe-
ther it be by training the infant mind, by ex-
tending the circulation of the Scriptures, or
by preaching the gospel to the unconverted ;
— care is requisite, that we do not, by an in-
discriminate use of the means put into our
hands, endanger that which it is our object
to promote. To inculcate truth, and to
reject error, are in fact correlative duties ;
nor can the one be effectually performed,
without attending to the other. It becomes
therefore a grave and momentous considera-
SERMON III.
61
tion, in all religious designs, that they be
framed and conducted upon such principles
as are best calculated to exclude error, as well
as to disseminate truth. To act solely upon
the impulse of religious zeal, or of an ardent
philanthropy, without due regard to this con-
sideration, is to blind the judgment where its
power of discernment is most wanted, and to
overlook the contingent evils that may arise,
in the contemplation of the good that is pur-
sued. For should it be found, that, by too
largely generalizing some of these plans, and
subjecting them to no restrictions or modifi-
cations, opportunity is afforded to introduce
corrupt and erroneous views of religion ; —
should it be found also, that by relinquish-
ing the salutary restraints of ecclesiastical
order and discipline, occasion is given to
weaken the outworks of Christianity itself,
and an opening made for the inroads of a
factious and disorganizing spirit ; — the inju-
ries thus accruing cannot but be a formidable
counterpoise to the benefits actually produced,
however great and valuable those benefits
would otherwise be. Nor will any prospect of
success, under such circumstances, be sufficient
to assure us that the work is of God, and is
prospered by His blessing.
Happily, however, in every great purpose
62
SERMON III.
of Christian charity and Christian edifica-
tion, it is practicable for members of our
own Church, to pursue these objects with-
out incurring such hazards ; and to cherish a
pious confidence in the Divine blessing, with-
out yielding to presumptuous imaginations.
They who, upon deliberate conviction, are
attached to our communion, can hardly but
deem it desirable, if not indispensable, that
religious instruction should be conveyed to
others through that channel from which they
themselves have imbibed it. They can hardly
doubt, that in conveying it through that
channel, they are doing the work of God in
the most acceptable manner, and with the
fairest prospect of a successful issue. For as
Christianity itself has stood the test which
Gamaliel applied to it, and has come out from
the ordeal with additional lustre ; so it is not,
perhaps, too much to affirm, that the Church
to which we belong may well abide a similar
scrutiny. The faithful page of history bears
witness to its high estimation, in past and
in present times, throughout the Christian
world. Its conflicts and its victories, its pe-
rils and its deliverances, its recovered purity
of faith and worship after the lapse of many
ages, and its subsequent rescue from the
hands of sectarian violence, are well-authen-
SERMON III.
63
ticated evidences that it has had its full share
of that heavenly favour and benediction pro-
mised to the universal Church by its divine
Founder.
Upon this basis, then, it becomes us to
build every pious and charitable design for
the edification of others or of ourselves.
Nor is it a narrow and exclusive spirit of
bigotry which dictates the necessity of thus
regulating our plans and operations. A sense
of that necessity arises naturally from the
true and ardent love of pure Christianity it-
self, which must ever make us desirous of ex-
tending its benefits to mankind in general,
with the least possible risk of its being inter-
mingled with baser matter. Restrained only
by this salutary consideration, let the Chris-
tian philanthropist enlarge his measures and
his means to the utmost possible extent.
Let him not, with a niggard spirit, hoard the
treasure for himself alone, or for those im-
mediately around him, but rejoice when op-
portunity is offered him, with any well-
grounded hope of success, to carry on the
work of his Redeemer, by promoting "glory
" to God in the highest, and on earth peace,
" good- will towards men."
Great is the encouragement, great the con-
fidence which, when thus regulated and con-
64
SERMON III.
trolled, our hope of the Divine support will
unceasingly afford us. The manifest tokens
vouchsafed by the Almighty, in all ages of
the world, that the work which is really His
shall ultimately prosper in His hands, will
lead us, first, carefully to examine whether it
be indeed His work in which we are engaged,
and then resolutely to persevere in it, by
means as pure and righteous as the end to
be attained, in full assurance of the divine
co-operation. This is neither fanaticism nor
presumption. This gives no warrant to error,
however widely propagated, or eagerly re-
ceived, to boast of its achievements ; neither
does it discourage truth, however menaced,
or for a while depressed. The appeal is
made, not to a fallible and often misjudg-
ing world ; not to human policy, strength, or
numbers ; but to a Judge infallible, omni-
scient, and omnipotent ; — to Him who can
bring light out of darkness, and strength out
of weakness ; — to Him who hath given to his
Church the assurance, " Lo ! I am with you
" alway, even unto the end of the world ;"
and the promise, that " the gates of hell shall
" not prevail against it."
SERMON IV.
2 Tim. ii. 23.
Btit foolish and unlearned questions avoid, know-
ing that they do gender strifes.
The caution here given by St. Paul to Ti-
mothy is thrice repeated, with some variety
of phrase, in the course of the two short Epi-
stles addressed to him. In the beginning of
the First Epistle" he exhorts him not to
" give heed to fables and endless genealo-
" gies, which minister questions, rather than
" godly edifying which is in faith." In the
latter end of the same Epistle'' he admo-
nishes him to withdraw from those who are
" proud, knowing nothing, but doting about
" questions and strifes of words and to
avoid " profane and vain babblings, and op-
" positions of science, falsely so called." In
this Second Epistle besides the caution in
a 1 Tim. i. 4. b i Y\m. vi. 4, 20. <■ 2 Tim. ii. 16.
VOL. I. F
66
SERMON IV.
the text, he again enjoins Timothy to " shun
" profane and vain babblings." In his Epi-
stle to Titus also*" we meet with a similar
injunction ; " Avoid foolish questions, and
" genealogies, and contentions, and strivings
" about the Law ; for they are unprofitable
" and vain."
There can be no doubt that St. Paul saw
especial occasion for these reiterated admo-
nitions, at the time when these Epistles were
written : and much labour has been expended
by the learned in ecclesiastical antiquity, in
endeavouring to ascertain what kind of ques-
tions these might be which the Apostle was
so desirous to discountenance. This it has
not been found easy to determine, since the
several epithets by which St. Paul charac-
terises such questions are applicable to very
many subjects of disputation ; and although
Timothy and Titus doubtless well under-
stood to what particular controversies they
had reference, conjecture must now supply
the place of direct proof or evidence, as to
their specific application. The remarkable
expressions used by the Apostle may, how-
ever, serve to throw some light upon this in-
quiry. The " fables and endless genealogies"
refer, perhaps, to the fabulous inventions of
d Titus iii. 9.
SERMON IV.
67
heathen poets and philosophers, respecting
the origin of their deities ; inventions, which
seem to have given rise to many of those ex-
travagant notions concerning the attributes
and the emanations of the Godhead, which
distinguished the Gnostics of that and the
succeeding age, and were afterwards adopted
by Jewish teachers in their systems of cab-
baUstic theology. These, being altogether vi-
sionary speculations, and resting on no cer-
tain data of faith or science, the Apostle
might well denominate airaL^evTovs ^rjT-qa-Hs,
uninstructive or unedifying researches, re-
searches unconnected with sound learning
of any kind, unprofitable, and vain. With
equal truth might they also be called " pro-
" fane and vain babblings, and oppositions of
" science, falsely so called." And whether
the censure was directed against the Gnos-
tics, or against the Judaizing converts of that
day, is now comparatively a matter of little
moment.
But probably we shall not be far from the
truth, if we suppose that St. Paul, in his ge-
neral censure of " foolish and unlearned ques-
" tions," intended to comprehend other pre-
vailing errors, as well as these, both among
the Jewish and the Gentile converts. When
he deprecated " contentions and strivings
F 2
68
SERMON IV
" about the he might have the Jew-
ish controversies more immediately in view.
When he directed his admonitions against
" profane and vain babblings, and oppositions
" of science falsely so called," he might ad-
vert to some frequent topics of disquisition
in the schools of Heathen philosophy. And
vrhen he reprobated, M^ithout any such spe-
cific description, " strifes of words" and " per-
" verse disputings," we may conceive the re-
proof to attach to all, of whatever sect or
denomination, who availed themselves of ver-
bal obscurities or ambiguities, to promote
error and dissension.
Without further inquiry, therefore, into
these local or temporary circumstances, the
Apostle's admonition may be applied to dis-
countenance frivolous and unedifying con-
troversies of whatever kind, and thus to cut
off one of the most fertile sources of heresy
and contention. By controversies of this de-
scription, -Christianity has been too often
unnecessarily exposed to obloquy ; and the
strength of her best advocates has not un-
frequently been wasted in maintaining posi-
tions, which, if not indefensible, were yet
not worth the sacrifices which the defence re-
quired. With these evils, the friends as well
as the adversaries of the truth have perhaps
SERMON IV.
69
been in no small degree chargeable, although
the far greater portion of them has doubtless
originated with those in whom no reverential
regard for the sacred oracles appears to have
operated, to restrain their perverse or exube-
rant imaginations.
I proceed, then, in the more general appli-
cation of this subject, to consider the ques-
tions which we are here instructed to avoid
as reducible to three distinct classes, com-
prising, those which involve points nei-
ther within the reach of our natural faculties,
nor made known to us by Divine revelation ;
secondly, those which, whether or not they
may be capable of satisfactory decision, are
yet in their kind unprofitable and unimport-
ant; thirdly, those which relate to verbal,
not substantial differences, arising from some
misunderstanding or misapplication of the
terms used by the respective parties in their
several topics of contention. The first of
these classes will sufficiently occupy our at-
tention for the present.
Far the greater part of the questions be-
longing to this class may justly be called
"both foolish and unlearned;" foolish, be-
cause they admit not of a definitive answer ;
unlearned, because inquiry into that which no
human learning can fathom, and which reve-
F 3
70
SERMON IV.
lation has not disclosed, can never lead to
the acquisition of real knowledge.
Every one who is well instructed in re-
vealed religion must be aware that there are
certain boundaries of knowledge which God
himself appears to have prescribed to the
human intellect ; that many things are re-
vealed in his word purely as matters of faith,
not of scientific investigation ; and that, with
respect to these, so long as we continue in
our present state, we must be content to
" know in part," and to " see through a glass
" darkly." Upon such subjects it is both our
duty and our wisdom, not to indulge in more
abstruse or sublime contemplations than we
can attempt with safety, and with a reason-
able prospect of success.
The temptation nevertheless is great, to
men of superior mental endowments, to seek
the reputation of being able to penetrate fur-
ther than others into the depths of mystery,
and to evince their acuteness, either by en-
deavouring to explain, or (if that be above
their strength) to perplex and invalidate those
doctrines, which the more modest inquirer
is content to receive by faith, without asking
for demonstrations, of which they are not
susceptible. This spirit being once roused,
and questions being started of a new and
SERMON IV.
71
subtle kind, which give scope to a display of
talents and ingenuity, antagonists will not
long be wanting, of no less ardour and self-
confidence, to enter the lists ; and so long as
vanity is on either side the governing pro-
pensity, the encounter will probably be fierce
and obstinate ; nor will either party be dis-
posed to concede aught, where concession
might be construed into an acknowledgment
of defeat. The utmost exertions will be
made to overpower the rival opponents, what-
ever may be the results with regard to the
interests of truth.
Questions of this description not only thus
operate in " gendering strifes" for the sake of
victory rather than of truth, but are also in
their very nature more fitted to raise disputes,
than those which relate to subjects nearer to
the level of our apprehensions. Darkness,
not light, is favourable to the increase of per-
plexity and confusion. That which admits
of an appeal to the evidence of sense, of ex-
perience, or of any certain principles on
which to ground an opinion, may be brought
to some conclusive issue. But that which
cannot be submitted to any such test may
be again and again debated, without any
nearer approach to decision. Now, of this
kind are some of the most important truths
F 4
72
SERMON IV.
of revealed religion : truths no farther made
known to us, than is necessary to enable us to
become " wise unto salvation ;" beyond which
salutary purpose, we have nothing to guide
our steps but vague conjectures from obscure
and remote analogies, or the still more vague
suggestions of a fruitful imagination. Here
no bounds can be set to a daring and restless
spirit of curiosity. Hypothesis upon hypo-
thesis may be raised ; theory upon theory be
constructed ; and matters undetermined, nay
unmentioned, in holy writ, may be argued
upon the most groundless surmises. Revela-
tion itself will in such cases too often be com-
pelled to submit to the usurped authority of
human conceit. The conflicting parties will
be more and more eagerly engaged, and be-
come more obstinate and untractable, in pro-
portion as they both renounce the authority
of any superior power to arbitrate between
them.
The evidence of ecclesiastical history will
fully bear us out in these assertions.
In the heresies of the apostolic age there
appears to have been much of that dispu-
tatious spirit, and of those false pretensions
to knowledge, which the apostle condemns
in the words of the text. The censures be-
stowed upon them by the inspired teachers
SERMON IV.
73
of the gospel indicate that they originated, for
the most part, in an overweening pride of in-
tellect, and in presumptuous attempts to adapt
the sublimest mysteries of revelation to the
crude conceptions of inflated minds. In this
respect, the heresies the apostles had to con-
tend with were but prototypes of those which
the advocates of unadulterated truth have in
later times had occasion to combat.
What St. Paul says of heathen philosophers
before the coming of Christ, that " professing
" themselves to be wise they became fools',"
is no less applicable to all disputants of this
description. That is false wisdom which dog-
matizes upon things inscrutable by human
faculties ; which frames to itself theories of
spiritual and divine truth, without evidence to
support them ; which sets up some device of
its own to be the criterion of what is proposed
purely as an article of faith. The more such
pretended knowledge is cultivated, the more
manifold will be the errors resulting from it.
The misapplication, indeed, of knowledge of
any kind in things finite and within the reach
of our natural perceptions, to subjects in their
nature infinite and inaccessible to those per-
ceptions, is no better than actual ignorance ;
nay, it is worse than simple ignorance, be-
Rom. i, 22.
74
SERMON IV.
cause it precludes the benefit which might
otherwise be derived from that most valuable
of all instruction, which is grounded exclu-
sively upon Divine authority.
We cannot have stronger proof of this, than
in the many errors which have prevailed re-
specting the Scripture-doctrines of the Trinity
and our Lord's Incarnation. If any truths
may properly be said to transcend the reach
of human faculties, they are these. We can
form no abstract conception of them ; nor
can we by any analogy, any comparison of
them with objects of the visible world, attain
to a more perfect acquaintance w^ith them
than is conveyed in the simple declarations of
holy writ — declarations, which profess not to
give us any insight into the mode of being
essential to the Godhead, or of its union with
human nature in the person of our Lord ; but
require us to receive both doctrines, on the
sole authority of Divine testimony. What-
ever questions, relating to either of them,
have more in view than this, fall under the
description of those which the apostle cen-
sures. They cannot advance real knowledge ;
they can only serve the purpose of conten-
tious disputation.
The doctrine of the Trinity presents, it
must be confessed, insuperable difficulties to
SERMON IV.
75
them who attempt to fathom its mystery.
But they are not, in general, difficulties aris-
ing out of any inherent obscurity or ambi-
guity in the terms by which the doctrine is
propounded in holy writ ; but, difficulties, for
the most part, of a physical or metaphysical
kind, springing from a contemplation of the
subject in some point of view not presented
to us by the scriptures. Similar difficulties to
these (it has often been observed) occur, even
in what relates to our own nature and essence.
Who can explain how the human mind, in
the same instant of time, and apparently by
one and the same act, exercises the distinct
faculties of perception, judgment, and will ?
Yet who will question the fact? And the
same may be said of many other phenomena
of the human mind. If then, in matters of
which we ourselves are personally conscious,
so much mystery be found ; how much rather
may we expect that the infinity of the Divine
nature should baffle our research ? Let reason
first be assured that she can solve the lesser
problem, before she presume to attempt the
greater. Let her prove, that within her own
immediate province she can disperse the
clouds and darkness which surround her,
before she aspire to higher flights, and lose
76
SERMON IV.
herself in those regions where faith alone can
safely direct her course.
The desire however of philosophizing upon
the doctrines of the Trinity and the Incarna-
tion, appears to have been the main source of
some of the earliest heresies. Theodoret sup-
poses that St. Paul had Simon Magus and his
followers specially in view, when he admo-
nished Timothy to "avoid profane and vain
" babblings, and oppositions of science falsely
" so called'." What were the particular te-
nets of Simon Magus, it is somewhat difficult
to trace, through the obscurity in which his
history is involved. It appears to have been
the general persuasion of antiquity, that he
was a chief leader, if not the actual founder,
of the multifarious tribe of Gnostics, after-
wards divided and subdivided into innumer-
able sects. Nor is it improbable, that the
wild and fantastic speculations of these pre-
tenders to science prepared the way for sub-
sequent heresies of a more plausible de-
^ " Qui a Simone orti sunt Gnosticos seipsos appellarunt,
" quasi scientia praeditos. Quse enim divina Scriptura ta-
" cuit, ea Deum sibi aiunt revelasse : sunt autera plena
" omni impietate ac libidine. Hanc jure vocavit Julso no-
" minatam sc'ientiam. Ignorationis habent caliginem, non
" divinae lucem cognitionis." Theodoret. in locum. Oper.
torn. 3. p. 493. Paris. 1642.
SERMON IV.
77
scription, and so much the more dangerous
in their effect upon inquisitive minds. But,
whether or not we can trace the chief anti-
trinitarian sects to this source, we have ample
evidence to prove, that, whatever differences
may have subsisted between them in other
respects, their errors were mostly attribut-
able to one and the same cause, the vanity
of being wise above what is written, and of
endeavouring to explicate what is inexplicable
by human reasoning. Hence the frequent
disregard of scripture among these " perverse
" disputers," when it came into competition
with their own imaginations ; and their rash-
ness in making the crude conceptions of the
human mind the supreme standard even of
Divine truth, and the arbitrary interpreter of
its sacred oracles.
Three heresiarchs of this description, pass-
ing over others of less notoriety, it may suf-
fice to notice.
Sabellius, rather the reviver, perhaps, than
the first assertor of the opinions which pass
under his name, maintained, in opposition to
the catholic faith, that there is no distinction
of persons in the Godhead ; the terms Father,
Son, and Holy Ghost being nothing more
than different names or titles of the Supreme
Being, by which were denoted the several
78
SERMON IV.
manifestations of the Divine Nature in heaven
and in earth ; or, in other words, by which
the Deity was nominally distinguished, ac-
cording to his distinct operations in the
redemption and sanctification of mankind.
Upon this hypothesis, (for Sabellius does not
appear to have denied the doctrine of the In-
carnation,) it would follow, that the Father
himself was united to the man Jesus, and
suffered death upon the cross ; whence the
earlier abettors of the heresy were styled
Theopaschitae, or Patripassians, and obtained
other similar denominations expressive of
that confusion of the persons in the Godhead
which this hypothesis seemed necessarily to
imply.
Arius, seeing how totally irreconcileable
this opinion was with the distinct agency as-
cribed to each person of the Godhead in the
holy scriptures, devised the scheme of attri-
buting to the Son an inferior species of di-
vinity to that of the Father; reducing him
to the rank of a created being, neither co-
eternal, co-essential, nor co-equal with the
Father ; yet antecedent to all other created
beings, and himself invested with the powers
of the Creator. The Holy Ghost he held to
have been produced by the Son, and to have
cooperated with him in the work of creation.
SERMON IV.
79
yet inferior both to him and to the Father.
This theory, while it appeared to remove
some of the difficulties of Sabeliianism, intro-
duced others scarcely less insuperable. It
supposed a twofold, or rather a threefold spe-
cies of divinity, one uncreated, the others
created ; and thus recognised that sort of
polytheistic principle, upon which some of the
more subtle and refined Platonic philoso-
phers attempted to vindicate the wild and
incoherent systems of Pagan theology. A-
part, however, from the unscriptural cha-
racter of this hypothesis, it is encumbered
with metaphysical perplexities and anomalies
which its advocates have never been able to
remove.
Macedonius, blending together some dis^
jointed tenets of the two preceding systems,
formed a scheme of his own, distinct from
both. He agreed with Arius in acknowledg-
ing the personality of the Son, and with Sa-
bellius in denying the personality of the Holy
Ghost. To the Son he ascribed that inferior
kind of divinity which the Arians, or rather
the semi-Arians, maintained : the Holy Ghost
he appears to have regarded only as the di-
vine energy of the Father and the Son, not
personally distinct from either. His system,
therefore, involved most of the difficulties
80
SERMON IV.
peculiar to the others, with still less preten-
sions to coherency and consistency of cha-
racter.
In each of these discordant schemes the
vanity of human reason is more or less con-
spicuous. We discern in the framers of each,
some fear, some reluctance, entirely to dis-
card revelation ; with a determination, at
the same time, to adapt it, if possible, to cer-
tain persuasions already in possession of the
mind. For, what were the questions which
gave rise to these speculations? what were
they, but questions originating in attempts
to discover the essential nature of the God-
head, and the mode of its existence ? — points,
on which, the doctrine revealed in Scripture
was not intended to give explicit information ;
and concerning which no further discoveries
can possibly be made through any other
channel. The main source of each error is,
like that of modern Socinianism, a delusive
opinion, that the most profound mystery,
though propounded on the authority of Di-
vine Revelation, is to be brought down to
the level of every man's apprehension, and
ought either to be rejected as incredible, or
constrained, by whatever artifice of interpre-
tation, to harmonize with the utterly incom-
petent decisions of human judgment.
SERMON IV.
81
Upon the same rock of false philoso])hy did
other sects make shipwreck of their faith, in
their speculations upon the doctrine of our
Lord's Incarnatio7i.
The mysterious union of the Godhead and
the manhood in the person of Christ, however
inexplicable by human philosophy, is per-
haps scarcely more so than the union of soul
and body in man himself. How mind and
matter can be so intimately conjoined in
our own nature, it passeth man's ingenuity
to explain. Had we not the fullest assur-
ance of the fact, we might a priori be led
to imagine, that properties so contrary to
each other as those which inhere in mind
and matter, could not appertain to one and
the same being without destroying its unity
and its identity. The difficulty which ope-
rates to obstruct our belief of the doctrine
of the Incarnation, is not in its kind dis-
similar. It is the difficulty of conceiving a
Being absolutely of a pure spiritual essence,
and endowed with infinite perfections, to be
personally united to an altogether different
being ; — a being compounded of a material
and immaterial principle ; — without any ac-
tual change, either in the one being or the
other. Here human metaphysics are utterly
at a stand ; and if the substantial evidences
VOI-. I. G
82
SERMON IV.
of the fact will not satisfy the incredulous or
the inquisitive, we may augur but ill success
from any attempts that can be made to adapt
it to abstract theories.
Through attempts of this kind, however,
the doctrine has been virtually, if not ac-
tually renounced, in four different ways ; — by
denying our Lord's divinity ; by denying his
human nature ; by confounding their distinct
properties ; or by entirely disuniting them
from each other.
Three of these errors sprang up in the
apostolic age. The Ebioiiites asserted our
Lord to have been a mere man. The Do-
cetcB acknowledged his divinity, but regarded
his human appearance as an illusion of the
senses. Cerintkus and his followers seem to
have felt the impossibility of disproving ei-
ther his human or his divine nature ; whence
they framed the extravagant hypothesis, that
Jesus and Christ were two distinct persons;
the former simply an human being, the lat-
ter a celestial and divine Person, who enter-
ed into him at the period of his baptism,
and departed from him immediately before
his passion. Several passages in St. John's
Epistles, as well as the opening of his Gospel,
appear to have been directed against these
errors ; each of which, however, had some-
SERMON IV.
83
thing too gross in its kind to recommend it-
self to more refined speculators. Further
subtleties, therefore, were soon invented.
The ApoUinarians denied that Christ had
a human soul ; and imagined this to have
been supplied by the Logos, or Divine Word,
at the time of his Incarnation. They held
also that the portion of the Divine Nature
thus united in him underwent a change of
substance from divine to human ; so that the
very Godhead actually suffered and died.
Thus they represented him as neither perfect
God nor perfect Man ; but an imperfect com-
pound of both. They held (if we may so
say) a sort of transubstantiation of a portion
of the Deity into a human substance. This
error was strongly in contrast with that of
Cerinthus ; but, like it, was too gross to ob-
tain acceptance among the higher ranks of
philosophy. Two distinguished leaders in the
succeeding age displayed much superior inge-
nuity in remodelling these opposite schemes.
These were Nestorius and Eutyches.
Nesto7'ius is charged with having denied
the actual union of the divine and human
natures in the person of Christ. He appears
to have considered the Logos as dwelling in
Christ no otherwise than as the Holy Ghost
dwelt in the Prophets and Apostles whom he
G 2
84
SERMON IV.
inspired ; a notion altogether inconsistent
with that of the Incarnation of the Son of
God, in any proper acceptation of the term,
and closely bordering upon the error of Ce-
rinthus, though divested of some of its more
palpable absurdities.
Eutyches, on the other hand, refined upon
the Apollinarian heresy. He is represented
to have taught, that the two natures in our
Lord's person were not merely united toge-
ther, but were blended into one ; the human
nature being entirely absorbed in the divine.
According to this representation, however, he
differed from ApoUinaris in one respect, that
the one taught a conversion of the Godhead
into the manhood, the other of the manhood
into the Godhead.
In each of these heresies, (supposing the
tenets of the respective parties to have been
fairly reported, which nevertheless is some-
what questionable,) one or other of the above-
mentioned truths — the Divinity of our Lord,
or his human nature, or the union of both in
his person, or the proper distinction between
each — is evidently impugned. Here also, as
in the several anti-trinitarian hypotheses, an
arrogant attempt to dogmatize upon points
beyond the reach of human investigation, ap-
pears to have been the first source of error.
SERMON IV.
85
Questions were suggested which never ought
to have been brought into discussion, and
strifes were engendered which nothing could
compose, so long as the parties were thus mu-
tually disinclined to " receive with meekness
" the ingrafted word."
To this wantonness of speculation, and a
consequent departure from the primitive sim-
plicity of the Christian faith, may fairly be
ascribed the introduction of more extended
creeds, or public professions of faith, than
otherwise it might have been expedient to
adopt. It is due to the character of the
Christian Church in general, to state this
without reserve. Until rash questions were
agitated by presumptuous or turbulent spirits,
and were made the occasion, not only of divi-
sions, but of apostasies from the faith ; the
Church shewed no inclination to multiply
articles of belief, or to burthen its members
with enlarged expositions of Christian doc-
trine. The mere baptismal form might have
sufficed as a confession of the doctrine of the
Trinity ; had men been content simply to re-
cognise in that confession the mysterious
union of the three Persons in the Godhead
equal in majesty and honour. The bare ac-
knowledgment that Christ was Son of God
and Son of man, might have superseded any
G 3
86
SERMON IV.
further illustrations of the doctrine of the
Incarnation, if all would have agreed in ac-
cepting those terms in their plain and ob-
vious signification. But when refinements
and subtleties were introduced, which gave a
false colouring to these simple declarations,
the Church would have betrayed the sacred
trust committed to her, had she not fenced
and guarded these doctrines by restrictive
cautions and more explicit enunciations.
Thus far, additions were rendered in some
degree necessary ; and it will not be easy to
shew, that, in any public formulary generally
adopted by the Catholic Church, more was
done in this respect than the exigency of the
case required. The Nicene Creed is in sub-
stance no more than such an expansion of the
Apostles' Creed ; and the Athanasian, of the
Nicene. In neither of these are any new ar-
ticles of faith introduced, nor even any ex-
planation of the doctrines intended. They
contain only more explicit declarations of
" the faith once delivered to the saints," and
a renunciation of certain errors, which, if suf-
fered to prevail, would have rendered the
whole Christian system a confused mass of
discordant propositions. Whatever offence,
therefore, may have been given by these en-
largements of Creeds and Confessions, ought
SERMON IV.
87
in fairness to be charged upon those who oc-
casioned the evil, rather than upon those who
appHed the remedy.
But upon other important matters of faith,
as well as those which relate to the Trinity
and the Incarnation, incalculable evils have
arisen, from the introduction of questions
equally incapable of solution by any efforts
of human sagacity.
The origin of evil and the corruption of
human 7iature are among the subjects which
continually baffle the researches of presump-
tuous inquirers. The Scriptures certify us
of the facts relating to them ; of the conse-
quences that flow from them ; and of the
means provided for their ultimate removal.
But they afford no clue to guide us through
the endless labyrinths in which we find the
subjects themselves are involved, when we
begin to explore them for other purposes than
these. If we undertake to reconcile, to the
satisfaction of every sceptical mind, even the
existence of evil with the perfections of an
infinitely powerful, wise, and good Being, we
shall soon find ourselves stretching beyond
the line of the human understanding. For
this, again is not exclusively a scriptural
difficulty; — it is not a difficulty peculiar
to Christianity, or to any part of the system
G 4
88
SERMON IV.
of revealed religion ; — it besets every other
scheme of religion as well as our own ; nay
it lies as a stumbling-block in every path of
philosophy. The attempt to remove it set
the most ancient heathen schools at variance ;
and in later days has multiplied sects among
Jews, Turks, and infidels, no less than among
Christians, and perhaps for the same reason ;
that we can naturally know nothing of either
good or evil, but on the limited scale of our
own perceptions, and in the circumscribed
relations we bear to the things around us;
being wholly incapable of apprehending that
chain of universal being which must be ever
present to the supreme Governor of the
whole, and by reference to which alone the
measures of his government can be duly ap-
preciated.
Yet how many vainly-inquisitive minds
have made " shipwreck of their faith," by em-
barking on this perilous ocean ! Ingrafting
upon Christian truths, or rather substituting
for those truths, the visionary conceits of
oriental philosophy, the followers of Manes,
himself a borrower from the older sects of
Gnostics, spread far and w^de the pestilential
notion that the universe is governed by two
opposite principles, the one good, the other
evil, co-ordinate and co-equal, yet perpetually
SERMON IV.
89
at variance with each other; primary and in-
dependent sources of spirit and of matter, of
light and of darkness, by whose conflicting
operation this world and man himself were
originally framed, in their present state of
manifest imperfection. Upon this monstrous
position were grounded many strange specu-
lations concerning the nature of the Deity,
the nature of man, and the person of our
blessed Saviour, utterly irreconcileable with
the sacred Word. A multiplicity of other
sects issued from this parent source, distin-
guished chiefly by their respective applica-
tion of the principles of their great leader to
certain particular doctrines of holy writ ;
some corrupting the doctrine of the Incarna-
tion, others adopting fanatical persuasions of
the power of attaining to spiritual perfection
by an entire abstraction of the soul from the
body ; others, again, rejecting large portions
of sacred writ ; and others even asserting the
whole of the Old Testament to have been the
work of the evil principle, in opposition to
the New.
Another similar source of error and con-
tention is found in the inexhaustible subject
of the Divine decrees. This involved the
various difficulties of reconciling God's fore-
knowledge with contingent events ; the sove-
90
SERMON IV.
reignty of Divine grace with man's free will ;
the universality of the Christian redemption
with the final perdition of a great portion of
the human race ; and numberless other ques-
tions subordinate to these, on which Scrip-
ture is silent, and unenlightened reason can
tell us nothing. How injurious many of
them have proved to the best interests of
truth and charity, is but too well known.
Thus far may suffice respecting the first
class of questions proposed to be considered,
as properly falling under the apostolical cen-
sure in the text ; questions relating to points
neither within the reach of our natural facul-
ties, nor fully made known to us by revela-
tion. The diversity of " strange doctrines," —
doctrines unknown to the Scriptures, and
even subversive of the Christian faith, which
have been espoused, not only by individuals,
but by entire communities of professed Chris-
tians, respecting the subjects here adverted
to ; — afford very striking proof of the mis-
chiefs arising from neglect of the Apostle's
salutary caution. Further evidence to the
same effect may be produced w^hen we come
to the consideration of the next class of ques-
tions to which that caution is applicable ;
those which, whether or not they be really
capable of satisfactory decision, are yet in
SERMON IV.
91
their kind unprofitable and unimportant. Be-
tween these and such as have been already
noticed, such a line of distinction is requisite
as may determine what greater latitude in the
discussion of them can be safely allowed.
For the present, it remains only to be ob-
served, with reference to the points already
noticed, how necessary it is to bear constantly
in mind that maxim of the Apostle, " We
" walk by faith, not by sight ^" The myste-
ries which even " angels desire to look into ^ ;"
and which are intercepted from our view by
the veil which the Almighty himself hath
cast around them ; it is not for us presump-
tuously to explore. Questions, indeed, will
sometimes occur on matters of this descrip-
tion, which even the most humble and dif-
fident cannot entirely dismiss from their
thoughts. But a reverential sense of the na-
ture of the subjects, and of the immeasurable
distance betwixt things finite and infinite,
betwixt divine and human knowledge, will
hardly fail to repress the too inquisitive spirit,
and impose a salutary restraint upon the ar-
dour of its pursuit. If enough is revealed to
shew us the path of life, and if we have the
full assurance of faith for all that it really
concerns us to know or to believe, wherefore
^ 2 Cor. V. 7. '^1 Peter i. 12.
92
SERMON IV.
should we weary ourselves for what can profit
nothing, or what may even shake our confi-
dence in truths on which our surest hope is
founded ? The time, indeed, is approaching,
when our aspirations after higher things may
more abundantly be gratified. But it is in
vain to anticipate that period. Rather will
it be our wisdom to content ourselves with
the lesser degree of light we already enjoy,
in full assurance that " blessed are they who
" have not seen, and yet have believed''."
c John XX. 29.
SERMON V.
2 Tim. ii. 23.
But foolish and unlearned questions avoid ; hnow-
ing that they do gender strifos.
There is more difficulty than might at
first be apprehended in distinguishing pre-
tended from real knowledge, and false wis-
dom from that which is true. " Cease, my
" son," says Solomon, " to hear the instruction
" that causeth to err from the words of know-
" ledge and a greater than Solomon hath
said, " Take heed that the light that is in thee
" be not darkness''." St. Paul affirms that
" the wisdom of this world is foolishness with
" God'^;" and he speaks, in this Epistle to
Timothy, of some who were " ever learning,
" and never able to come to the knowledge
" of the truth ^" These admonitions imply
that there may be an imposing semblance of
a Prov. xix. n. h Luke xi. 35. 1 Cor. iii. 19.
<> 2 Tim. iii. 7.
94
SERMON V.
knowledge and wisdom, where little is to be
found that has just claims to either.
Ignorance and false wisdom are, indeed, far
from being exclusively characteristic of un-
cultivated minds. The understanding may
be overloaded with more than it can properly
digest ; or it may be supplied with that sort
of instruction which vitiates, instead of im-
proving, the mental faculty. In the former
case, the effect is analogous to that of bodily
repletion ; in the latter, to that of poison in-
troduced into the animal system. In both
cases, the intellectual frame is weakened or
disordered ; and while it is so circumstanced,
every accession to its stores will but add to
its difficulties, or increase its dangers.
The history of the learned world, especially
of that portion of it which has been occupied
in theological controversies, affords but too
many instances in verification of these re-
marks. Learning misapplied, rather than ac-
tual want of learning, has engendered most of
those strifes which the Apostle represents to
be the consequence of " foolish and unlearned
" questions." The questions themselves, how-
ever, do not the less deserve those appella-
tions. When the subject of inquiry is not
within the reach of human investigation, nor
can be productive of any profitable result, it
SERMON V.
95
matters not what degree of learning, of ta-
lents, or of ingenuity, may be bestowed upon
it. It may serve to display the skill of the
polemic, or to inflate his vanity. But no ac-
quisition will accrue from it to the stock of
real knowledge ; no advancement will be
made in true wisdom. Ignorant w^e must
still remain of that which no human sagacity
can discover ; and unwise we shall still be
justly deemed, in expending our labour on
fruitless researches.
This part of our subject has already been
considered in a former Discourse. By refe-
rence to some remarkable divisions and of-
fences in the Christian Church, originating
in questions of theology, neither capable of
determination upon any known principles of
human science, nor fully revealed to us in
holy writ, it was shewn that to questions of
this description the Apostle's caution in the
text may, in the first place, be especially ap-
plied. Another class of questions, to which
the same caution was deemed applicable,
comes now to be examined, comprising such
as relate to points which, whether or not they
may be capable of satisfactory decision, are
yet in their kind unprofitable and unim-
portant.
The distinction between these two classes
96
SERMON V.
of questions will, perhaps, be better under-
stood, by reverting to some of the principal
doctrines already noticed.
Respecting the doctrines of the Trinity
and the Incarnation, nothing can properly be
said to be unimportant or unprofitable, which
really tends to their elucidation, or which
may guard them against interpretations irre-
concileable with the Scriptures. The Sabel-
lian, Arian, and Macedonian hypotheses, far
from elucidating the subject of the Trinity,
did but involve it more and more in inex-
tricable perplexities. Opposition, therefore,
to these heresies became necessary, not only
because the questions agitated were unprofit-
able and vain, but also because they were un-
scriptural. The same observation applies also
to the opinions of the Ebionites, the Docetae,
and others already mentioned, concerning
our Lord's Incarnation. Here was something
worse than mere w aste of talents ; — human
imagination was opposed to Divine authority ;
and the demolition of every such engine,
aimed, as it were, at the overthrow even of
revelation itself, became the bounden duty
of the guardians of the Christian faith.
But although these greater topics of con-
troversy w^ere not matters to be compromised,
or slightly passed over by the advocates of
SERMON V.
97
truth ; yet it cannot be denied, that out of
them arose several minor points of discussion,
which might, without injury to the main ar-
ticles of the faith, have been left to every
man's private judgment, could the contend-
ing parties have been persuaded to exercise
such a mutual forbearance. Even these, how-
ever, too often produced fierce and almost in-
terminable disputes.
1. On the doctrine of the Trinity^ for
example, differences have not unfrequently
arisen, originating, not in doubt or disbelief
of the doctrine itself, but in attempts at its
illustration, or an overweening partiality for
some particular exposition of it, supposed to
be the only solution of its difficulties in which
rational believers could possibly acquiesce.
Several of the obscurer heresies mentioned in
ecclesiastical history appear to have sprung
from this vain desire of their founders to
clear up points which it was of little import-
ance to explain, and which might more wisely
have been suffered to exercise only their own
private speculations. Probably it was owing
to this morbid appetite for discussion, that in
the voluminous catalogue of heresies handed
down to us from the early ages of Christianity,
we find so many charged with Tritheism on
the one hand, or Sabellianism on the other ;
VOL. I. H
98
SERMON V.
errors which the parties themselves, perhaps,
might sincerely have disclaimed, though by
their own injudicious and misplaced disquisi-
tions they had laid themselves open to the
accusation. An instance, indeed, not very
dissimilar to these occurred in the Church of
England scarcely more than a century past ;
when two of our most distinguished divines''
unhappily engaged in this species of warfare ;
each endeavouring to establish his own pecu-
liar exposition as that by which alone the
doctrine could be vindicated against excep-
tions. And had not the prudence of the
higher authorities of our Church interposed
to silence the dispute, the foundation might
possibly have been laid for some new schism in
the body ; and the stigma of heresy might have
been fixed even on both parties, while neither
had the remotest intention of deviating from
the Catholic faith. The same kind of indis-
cretion is also imputable to almost all who
have laboured on what are called Trinitarian
analogies' ; attempts at physical or metaphy-
Sherlock and South.
^ The late Mr. Jones's " Trinitarian Analogy" is an in-
stance of this ; and other Hutchinsonian writers have made
similar attempts. Among those of earlier date, Abelard,
in the twelfth century, appears to have made a conspicuous
figure. See Bernhardus, in Ep. 190. c. 1, as qiroted by
Harenberg, in his Otia Sacra, p. 282.
SERMON V.
99
sical comparisons, intended to elucidate the
mode of union between the Persons in the
Godhead ; a point, not only above human
comprehension, but equally unnecessary and
unimportant for us to know in our present
state.
2. Questions have in like manner been
raised concerning the Incarnation of our
blessed Saviour, incidental, not essential, to
the doctrine itself. The plain doctrine de-
ducible from holy writ, is, that our Lord was
" perfect God and perfect man," or, in other
words, that " God and man was one Christ."
But continually has it been disputed, even by
those who never meant to deny the doctrine
itself, how and in what manner these two na-
tures cooperated, or were conjoined, so as not
to destroy the distinct identity of either.
Hence arose endless controversies respecting
the communication of the Divine attributes
to the human nature ; the participation of
the Godhead in the sufferings of the man-
hood; the propriety of conferring upon the
blessed Virgin the appellation of the " Mother
" of God ;" with other questions of a similar
kind ; all, in a greater or less degree, unneces-
sary and unprofitable subjects of debate. And
were it even admitted that they may be harm-
less in themselves, and not altogether unin-
H 2
100
SERMON V.
structive, when discussed in the spirit of Chris-
tian peace and amity, yet might they, without
any detriment to the truth, have been alto-
gether spared, had the respective parties been
content to acquiesce in a simple acknowledg-
ment of the entire union and perfection of
the two natures in the person of our Lord,
without confusion of both or separation of
either ; this being in substance the whole of
that " great mystery of godliness, God mani-
" fest in the flesh."
3. Closely and inseparably connected with
the doctrine of our Lord's Incarnation, is that
of the Satisfaction, or Atonement, made by
him for the sins of mankind. This also has
been a subject fruitful of speculation to the
disputatious inquirer ; a subject too, on which,
(if we may judge from some differences con-
cerning it, even among divines of high and
deserved reputation) some latitude of inter-
pretation may be allowed, without surrender-
ing or weakening the doctrine itself It is
hardly to be expected, that we should be able
to clear up every difficulty respecting the ne-
cessity or the efficacy of vicarious suffering.
Neither may it be possible for us to affix so
clear and definite a meaning to the word sa-
tisfaction, when applied to the propitiation of
the Father by our Lord's death and sacrifice,
SERMON V. 101
as may preclude cavils and disputes. We
know only that it has produced the effect
which the word satisfaction implies, in that
it has been accepted by the Almighty as a
sufficient expiation for sin. But when ques-
tions are started, why such a sacrifice was ne-
cessary, or how it was rendered efficacious ;
when it is asked, how infinite justice and in-
finite mercy can be brought to concur, with-
out some abatement of the one or the other
in the Being by whom they are exercised; or,
when arguments are required to prove that
the Divine attributes could not possibly in
any other way have met the exigency of the
case ; more seems to be called for than it is
either necessary or becoming to require. So
long as it is maintained, on the authority of
holy writ, that " Christ died, the just for the
" unjust ;" and that, " when we were enemies,
" we were reconciled to God by the death of
" his Son ;" these inquiries concerning the
grounds and reasons of the proceeding may
surely well be spared. Admitting that they
may laudably and beneficially exercise the
faculties of pious and sober-minded men,
with a view either to their own higher vene-
ration for the mystery revealed, or to the re-
moval of sceptical objections in others ; yet
ought they never to be regarded as matters
H 3
102
SERMON V.
upon which our faith in the doctrine itself
depends.
4, Again ; many controversies have been
raised respecting the real presence of Christ
in the holy Eucharist. Between the doc-
trine of Transubstantiation maintained by the
Church of Rome, and that held by Protestant
Churches in general, there is a manifest and
irreconcileable opposition. Between the Lu-
theran tenet of Consubstantiation and the
tenets of other Protestant Churches there is
also a broad line of distinction not easily to
be mistaken. But most of the Reformed
Churches, while they declare the elements of
bread and wine to remain unchanged, and
deny the body and blood of Christ to be cor-
porally present, acknowledge them neverthe-
less to be mystically and sacramentally pre-
sent ; that is, they acknowledge, that, by vir-
tue of the spiritual grace which accompanies
the elements, they convey to the penitent
and faithful communicant the full and actual
benefits of our Lord's death upon the cross.
This, it might be supposed, would suffice to
unite all parties in this great act of faith and
worship. But when subtle disputants began
to dilate upon this general and simple view
of the subject, endeavouring to describe the
mode of our Lord's presence in more specific
SERMON V.
103
terms, embarrassments soon arose, and differ-
ences, sometimes scarcely perceptible, occa-
sioned almost inextinguishable feuds. Divi-
sions, moreover, took place respecting the true
characteristic properties of the sacrament.
Between the Romish doctrine of the mass,
which considers the eucharist as an actual
propitiatory sacrifice, and the Socinian no-
tion, which reduces it to a bare commemora-
tive service, unaccompanied with any spi-
ritual grace, there is a wide field of disquisi-
tion. \7hether it may in any admissible
sense be called a sacrifice, has been keenly
debated, some contending for the application
of that term to it in a qualified acceptation ;
others altogether rejecting it, as giving coun-
tenance to the error of the Romish mass.
Different names and titles have also been given
to this ordinance, according to these respec-
tive views of it ; among which, however, there
is probably much less substantial difference
than the controversialists themselves have
imagined : and however desirable it may be
to form the most clear and distinct notions
upon every point relating to so important a
subject, we cannot but deprecate such a per-
tinacity respecting slight varieties of opinion
as tends to multiply divisions, where agree-
H 4
104
SERMON V.
ment in the essentials of the doctrine might
otherwise easily be preserved.
5. Some of the contentions which have
arisen on the subjects of the Divine decrees,
of grace, of free-will, and other topics con-
nected with them, were glanced at in the
preceding Discourse. And here, again, ques-
tions not only dark, obscure, and inexplicable
by human faculties, have laid the foundation
of disputes, but questions also of little or no
importance. Doubtless it is of importance
that we should admit no hypothesis which
makes God the author of sin ; none that
makes him a " respecter of persons," arbitra-
rily choosing some and rejecting others, with-
out regard to their respective characters ;
none also that makes man a mere passive ma-
chine, acted upon by a resistless energy, or
abandoned to a blind fatality, so as to become
in effect not morally responsible for his con-
duct. Against such errors we cannot too
cautiously guard, because they are errors
which strike at the very root of religion, and
cannot consist with the scriptural representa-
tions of either God or man. But when losing
sight of these main points we fasten our at-
tention upon some minute ramifications of
the subject ; when we cannot rest without
SERMON V.
105
entering, if we may so say, into the whole
detail of the Divine proceedings in the works
of providence and of grace ; what can we ex-
pect, but, as the prophet says, to "sow the
" wind, and reap the whirlwind'?" Yet how
have these subjects divided whole Christian
communities ! The contentions of supra-
lapsarians and sublapsarians among Calvin-
ists ; the disputes between Dominicans and
Jesuits, Jansenists and Molinists, in the Rom-
ish Church ; the metaphysical controversies
at a later period in the Lutheran Church, be-
tween two of its greatest ornaments ^, besides
many others of greater or less notoriety ; —
all these have turned chiefly upon subtleties
scarcely perceptible to human discernment ;
while the little conviction or satisfaction
they appear to have afforded to the Christian
world in general, is but too sure an indica-
tion how much talent, sagacity, and profu-
sion of learning may be wasted in such in-
quiries. To explain, indeed, how the conduct
of every human being can be foreknown to
God, and yet depend on the free agency of
the human will; how the Divine grace can
influence our minds without overpowering
them, and even without any perception or
consciousness on our part of its operation ;
f Hosea viii. 7. s Wolfius and Buddeus.
106
SERMON V.
are matters on which the ablest disputants
may well forbear to hazard peremptory asser-
tions. That God is the righteous Governor
of the universe ; that man is free to do either
good or evil, and is responsible for the choice
he makes ; that the grace of God works suffi-
ciently in all men to save them, if they neg-
lect it not, but works effectually in them only
who faithfully cooperate with it; in short,
that they who are saved, are saved by grace,
and that they who perish, perish through
their own fault; if these great articles of
Christian belief be stedfastly retained, far the
greater number of the subordinate questions
belonging to them may either be entirely dis-
pensed with, or at least discussed with that
mutual spirit of forbearance which should
ever characterize those who profess to " walk
" together as friends in the house of God*"."
6. To these we may add another nu-
merous catalogue of unnecessary and unpro-
fitable inquiries, connected with the doctrines
of a 7'esurrection, an ijitermediate state, and
a future state. The powerful hold which
these subjects cannot but have upon the
mind, may offer some apology for the too in-
quisitive spirit with which they are often in-
vestigated. Yet on no questions is it more
h Psalm Iv. 14.
SERMON V.
107
necessary that some restraint should be im-
posed. The doctrines themselves are written
as with a sun-beam on the sacred page. But
each has its boundaries which we cannot pass ;
and which it is as needless as it is presump-
tuous to attempt to remove. Among the Co-
rinthians, St. Paul had to contend with some
who asked, " How are the dead raised up ?
" and with what body do they come ?" And
what was the Apostle's answer ? Did he solve
the problem ? Did he satisfy the curiosity of
the inquirer ? On the contrary, he replies,
" Thou fool, that which thou so west is not
" quickened except it die. And that which
" thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that
" shall be, but bare grain ; it may chance of
" wheat or some other grain : but God giveth
" it a body, as it hath pleased him, and to
" every seed his own body'." Here the truth
of one mystery is simply corroborated by re-
ference to another. The mystery of vegeta-
tion is, to the human understanding, scarcely
less inexplicable than that of a 7'esurrection.
The former, being established by the evidence
of our senses, serves greatly to strengthen our
faith in the latter ; but to our further know-
ledge of the subject it contributes nothing ; —
and here the inquiry is dismissed. In like
i 1 Cor. XV. 35—38.
108
SERMON V.
manner, when the Sadducees sought to embar-
rass our Lord by perplexing questions respect-
ing conjugal relationships in a future state, he
dismisses them with the reproof, " Ye do err,
" not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power
"of God'';" leaving them as uninformed as
before as to the particular point they had
proposed. Yet how many inquiries equally
unprofitable and vain have not men since en-
grafted upon these doctrines ; questions re-
specting the nature of the identity of the
body to be raised, its consciousness of iden-
tity, its nature and functions in its spiritual-
ized state, the habitation of departed spirits,
the operations of the soul during its separa-
tion from the body, the mansions prepared
hereafter for the righteous and the wicked,
their joys and their miseries. On every one
of these points conjectures may be formed
and disputations raised, admitting of no con-
firmation whatever from holy writ, nor dis-
tinct evidence of any kind. Yet neither do
these doubtful points affect in any degree the
certainty of the great doctrines themselves
with which they are connected ; nor could the
most explicit information concerning them (if
such were attainable) alter in any respect ei-
ther our duty or our interest in the result,
k Matt. xxii. 29.
SERMON V.
109
7. But controversies thus frivolous and re-
prehensible are not always confined to sub-
jects merely doctrinal; they frequently ex-
tend to matters of practical concern, greatly
to the peril and embarrassment of those who
delight in them. The science of casuistry, a
dangerous weapon in the hands of any but
the most skilful combatants, too often, even in
such hands, puts the cause of truth to hazard.
To the perversion of talent of this kind may
be ascribed many maxims of conduct, and
many impracticable schemes of duty, unsanc-
tioned, if not contradicted, by Scripture au-
thority. The morals of the Jesuits have,
through such misapplied ingenuity, become
proverbial as to their laxity and evasive cha-
racter. Their origin, however, may be traced to
the scholastic theology of still earlier times.
With little practical knowledge of mankind,
and oftentimes but little reverence for the
pure word of God, many of the older school-
divines were occupied in the discussion of ab-
stract moral propositions or hypotheses, full as
injurious to practice as their metaphysical re-
veries were to the faith. Hence the admission
of mental reservations, of distinctions between
philosophical and theological sins, of subtleties
respecting attrition and contrition, and of va-
rious other devices, substituted for the simple
110
SERMON V.
word of God. Among these might also, per-
haps, be classed some of the numerous tribe of
pietists, so called, with devotees of still more
fantastic character and denomination, whose
errors, originating at first, perhaps, in no evil
intention, consisted chiefly in laying undue
stress upon matters unessential to the Chris-
tian character ; but which thence degenerated
into eccentricities the most extravagant and
reprehensible. These again paved the way for
Anabaptists, Quakers, and many other sects,
which aimed at a new sort of reformation, not
only subversive of all external order and disci-
pline in the church, but nullifying some of the
most sacred ordinances of the Gospel itself.
8. Mystical theology furnishes us with yet
another class, productive of the same perni-
cious consequences. Wild and visionary at-
tempts to explore the world of spirits, or to
hold personal converse with the Deity, gave
rise, first to the Valentinian heresies ; then,
to the cabbalistical theology; afterwards, to
what was called, by way of eminence, theo-
sophy, or divine wisdom ; to astrology also ;
to sorcery and magic ; and to every species
of fanaticism which the perturbed imagi-
nations of men could invent. Nor let it be
supposed that these were the offspring merely
of vulgar credulity, or of mental imbecility ;
SERMON V.
Ill
they were in many instances evidently the
result of spiritual or of intellectual pride ;
the wanderings of minds above the ordinary
cast, not satisfied with the acquisition of sim-
ple truth, but ever intent upon the recondite
and the marvellous, upon subjects conducive
neither to faith nor practice ; such as can
never promote the real interests of man, tem-
poral or eternal.
9. Not very remote from these are the in-
discriminate and incautious cultivators of what
has been called emblematical theology. The
foundation of this species of mysticism is the
supposed perfect harmony and conformity
that subsists between the works of the natu-
ral and of the spiritual world. By expositors
of this class, the whole visible creation is
regarded as figurative of the invisible ; and
the Old Testament as containing through-
out, under the veil of imagery, the entire
substance of the New. To enucleate these
supposed hidden verities is the aim of this
race of interpreters. Every event antecedent
to the coming of our Lord is supposed to
correspond, as type and antitype, to some
event subsequent to his coming ; and on this
presumed analogy the whole work of scrip-
ture-interpretation is carried on. Disputes,
not inconsiderable, prevailed respecting this
112
SERMON V.
subject in Holland, during the early part of
the seventeenth century, between Cocceius,
the abettor of the system on the one side,
and Voetius his opponent on the other ; each
supported by advocates of high reputation.
In our own country, and by some distin-
guished members of our Church, the same
system has been much discussed, under the
well-known title of Hutchinsonianism. Of
its merits or demerits I forbear to say more,
than that, however blameless, or even edi-
fying it may be, when kept within certain
bounds, it is nevertheless exceedingly liable
to mislead. In its very principle also, it sa-
vours somewhat of a prurient kind of in-
quisitiveness, unbefitting the reverence due
to the sacred oracles. Neither ought it, un-
der any circumstances, to be laid down as a
systematic rule of interpretation, or regarded
as essential to a right understanding of the
holy scriptures. The same may perhaps be
said of a somewhat different study, to which
theologians of considerable reputation have
sometimes been inclined to attach undue im-
portance ; that of the Rabbinical interpreters
of holy writ. Considered merely as evidence
of the early opinions prevalent among the
Jews, some of these expositors, however fanci-
ful or extravagant, may be entitled to regard.
SERMON V.
113
But further than this, it does not appear that
they can materially assist in the elucidation
of Scripture : and when they betray their ad-
mirers into any thing like deference to their
authority, it is seldom that they are found to
be safe or satisfactory guides.
The time would fail me, were 1 to pursue
these subjects further, or to detail other con-
troversies, equally undeserving of the la-
bours bestowed upon them. Such were the
reveries of some earlier as well as later
sects, respecting the Millentiium ; of others,
who maintained the final restoration of the
wicked as well as the good to a state of
eternal felicity, and thence called Uii'wer-
salists. Numberless unprofitable questions
have also been agitated relating to the Mo-
saic accounts of the creation of the world, the
Divine image in man, the situation of para-
dise, the fall, the deluge, the re-peopling of
the world, the origin of nations, and their
dispersion throughout the earth ; — questions,
upon which rash conjectures, or hasty infe-
rences, have too often been drawn, giving oc-
casion to infidel writers to disparage even the
entire authority of the holy scriptures. The
same might be observed of some rash at-
tempts to expound prophecies not yet ful-
filled ; or to deduce from Scripture systems
VOL. I. I
114
SERMON V.
of philosophy, physical or metaphysical, which
it came not within the province of the in-
spired writers to reveal. Nor can we forget
those unworthy subjects of contention and
separation, which, even among protestants,
have too often occurred on matters of disci-
pline, and the ritual of the Christian Church.
To what extent these were carried at an
early period of the reformation in our own
country ; — when almost every decent rule or
ceremony was, by some or other of the mal-
contents, proscribed with no less vehemence
than even the grossest idolatries of the church
of Rome; — is but too well known to every
reader of our ecclesiastical annals.
As an antidote to these and to all other
unimportant or unprofitable speculations in
theology, it were well if those who engage in
controversy of whatever kind, connected with
revealed religion, would duly consider that
Christianity itself deals not in scholastic sub-
tleties and perplexities, neither was it chiefly
intended for the exercise of our intellectual
powers. Its greater truths, however myste-
rious and inscrutable, are for the most part
clearly and intelligibly propounded. In con-
formity with these, every subordinate truth
must, undoubtedly, be interpreted; and the
comparative importance of any minor topic of
SERMON V.
115
discussion is to be estimated, not only by the
authority it appears to derive from Scripture,
but also by the relation it bears to these
main articles of our faith. Regard, therefore,
is principally to be had to the great funda-
mental verities of the Gospel ; and especial
care is to be taken, that every truth, less im-
portant in itself, or less clearly and explicitly
revealed, be made to harmonize w^ith these.
Still more necessary is it to beware that with
any of these truths, whether of greater or
lesser moment, nothing be intermingled of
human conceit or of doubtful authority.
" Other foundation," says the Apostle, " can
" no man lay, than that is laid, which is Je-
" sus Christ. Now, if any man build upon
" this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones,
" wood, hay, stubble ; every man's work shall
" be made manifest'. For the day shall de-
" clare it, because it shall be revealed by fire :
" and the fire shall try every man's work, of
" what sort it is." All Scripture being given
by inspiration of God, is indeed " profitable
" for instruction :" but men may build upon
Scripture what will not abide the test it
must hereafter undergo ; and while Scripture
itself remains firm and unshaken, false expo-
sitions, and false applications of it will, sooner
1 1 Cor. ili. 11, 12, 13.
I 2
116
SERMON V.
or later, fall to the ground, and their memo-
rial perish with them.
The surest safeguard against these errors
will be to cultivate that wisdom from above
which is " first pure, then peaceable, gentle,
" and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and
" good fruits, without partiality, and without
" hypocrisy"." The more this wisdom is cul-
tivated, the less relish will men have for vain
and unprofitable disputes. They will cease
to be "wise in their own conceits"," and deem
it to be their best and noblest distinction,
that they " receive with meekness the en-
" grafted word, which is able to save their
" souls"."
James iii. 17. " Rom. xii. 16. ° James i. 21.
SERMON VI.
2 Tim. ii. 23.
But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, know-
ing that they do gender strifes.
Whatsoever tends, in any respect, to
the real elucidation of Scripture-truth, de-
rives from that circumstance a certain degree
of importance, which entitles it to attentive
consideration. No questions, therefore, can
properly come under the description of those
here censured by the Apostle, vi^hich are con-
ducive to that end. The highest of all
knowledge, the most perfect of all wisdom,
being that which issues from this sacred
source, the utmost efforts of human ability
can never be more beneficially employed,
than in drawing from hence those inexhaus-
tible supplies of instruction, which were in-
tended for the universal good.
This observation may sufficiently obviate
any misapprehension of what has already
been said, in discouragement of those in-
I 3
118
SERMON VI.
quiries in theology, which, though they carry
with them a great show of zeal for the truth,
and may be unexceptionably well-intended,
are yet far from promoting its real advance-
ment. The censure could only be meant to
apply to researches productive of no addi-
tional information, and even tending to ob-
scure that of which we are already in posses-
sion. The sacred volume still lies open to
all ; and its treasures are not to be withholden
from any who will search for them with faith
and patience. No investigation is to be dis-
couraged, which has this for its object ; none,
but such as has other purposes, or other ten-
dencies, at least, than those which Revela-
tion was designed to promote. It is not the
suppression of any one truth, but the preven-
tion of manifold errors, which the Apostle,
and every one who enforces the Apostle's ad-
monition, must be supposed to have in view.
As this has been the sole object of the two
Discourses already delivered on this text of
Scripture, so will it be in what yet remains
to be said upon it. The caution it contains
has hitherto been considered with reference
to such questions as are either too profound
for human investigation, or too unimportant
and unprofitable to be made subjects of con-
tention. The same caution is now to be ap-
SERMON VI.
119
plied to such as are of verbal, rather than
substantial, difference ; in which, whether
from misconception, or some perverseness of
spirit, between the contending parties, either
the terms of Scripture, or the terms used in
the interpretation of Scripture, are made the
occasion of perplexity and discord.
These " strifes of words" may vitiate con-
troversies of every description. They may ob-
trude into discussions on the most important
and essential truths of Christianity, as well
as those which are of lesser moment. They
insinuate themselves also in various ways,
more or less easy of detection ; assuming dif-
ferent aspects under different circumstances.
Sometimes the controversy professedly relates
to a disagreement respecting the signification
of words, but much more frequently it arises
from substituting, whether designedly or un-
designedly, one mode of expression for an-
other, by which the sense is imperceptibly
altered ; or, from using a term capable of a
variety of acceptations, in that which is not
mutually intended or understood between the
disputing parties. From these and other simi-
lar sources of contention, familiar to those
who are versed in polemical writings, many a
bitter warfare in theology has taken its rise.
To what extent such strifes as these were
I 4
120
SERMON VI.
carried on by the perverse disputers whom St.
Paul complains of, we have no direct means
of ascertaining. One striking instance, how-
ever, of that sort of misunderstanding which
ensues from the use of the same terms in dif-
ferent acceptations, occurs in the contests
which appear to have given occasion to St.
James's admonitions respecting faith and
works. St. Paul had used these terms to de-
note the distinct grounds of acceptance un-
der the Law and under the Gospel. In the
term faith he comprehends the whole of the
Christian covenant as contrasted with the
Jewish ; which latter he calls a " law of
" works." The general scope of his reason-
ing on this subject, is to shew that the works
of the Law were insufficient in themselves to
procure salvation ; that they could only be
accepted through faith in the promised Re-
deemer ; and that when that Redeemer was
come, through whom salvation was to be ob-
tained, the service of the Law (those peculiar
works which it required) ceased to be any
longer necessary. Nor does the Apostle stop
here. He further contends, that works in
general, comprising the utmost extent of obe-
dience to the moral law which mankind in
their present fallen state are capable of per-
forming, could not be rendered acceptable to
SERMON VI.
121
God, without reliance upon the merits and
intercession of the Redeemer, to atone for
their imperfections. In this sense St. Paul
preached justification by faith only, as alike
applicable both to Jew and Gentile. But
this doctrine, it appears, was soon perverted
to a very different meaning, by setting faith
in opposition to works, even to those fruits
of righteousness and holiness, without which
no man, under either of these dispensations,
was allowed to hope for acceptance. Thus
St. Paul was represented as preaching faith
without works in the same sense as the Anti-
nomians do of the present day ; and this is
the notion which St. James decidedly repro-
bates.
Here we see the consequence of verbal
misrepresentation. St. Paul and St. James
entirely agreed in their acceptation of the
terms faith and tvorks. St. Paul, when he
spoke of faith, included in it whatever the
Gospel requires as the condition of our salva-
tion ; and the tenor of his reasoning, both
with Jew and Gentile, went to prove, that no
works which man can perform, either of legal
or of moral righteousness, without that faith,
will be available. St. James virtually asserted
the same. He reproved those who attached
to the word faith a narrower signification
122
SERMON VI.
than St. Paul had given to it, by confining it
either to a bare assent to the truth of the
Gospel, or to a presumptuous reliance on sal-
vation through Christ, without regard to the
conditions on v^^hich that salvation depends.
He insists upon the inseparability of faith
from works in order to render it effective ;
and he shews, by the very same instance St.
Paul had referred to, that the faith which
justified Abraham was a faith productive of
works. There is, therefore, no contrariety
between the two Apostles. They take dif-
ferent views of the subject, but coincide in
the principles on which they set out, and in
the meaning of the terms they use. St. Paul
maintains, that works without faith cannot
save ; St. James, that faith without works
cannot save : propositions both equally true,
and perfectly consistent with each other. The
errors which each Apostle had to combat
arose, in the former instance, from an abuse
of the term ivorks, so interpreted as to ex-
clude the necessity of faith ; in the latter in-
stance, from a like abuse of the term faith, so
interpreted as to exclude the necessity of
those works, which faith itself obliges the be-
liever to perform.
It might be expected that such an error as
this would expire almost at the instant of its
SERMON VI.
123
birth ; and that when the joint authority of
these Apostles had so effectually guarded the
doctrine from abuse on either side, all con-
troversy concerning it must have ceased. But,
unhappily, the same perversion of St. Paul's
meaning, the same unwarrantable limitation
of the word faith to a bare reliance upon
Christ as a Saviour, unaccompanied by any
practical conditions, has continued to create
divisions and offences in the Church. And
although the grosser systems of Antinomian-
ism are far from being now generally adopted
by those who thus misapprehend the Apo-
stle's doctrine ; yet such interpretations of
the doctrine are still frequently resorted to,
as tend much more to countenance that per-
nicious error, than to guard against it.
It becomes, then, of importance to inquire
into the most frequent causes of such ques-
tions as these ; an inquiry which I shall en-
deavour to elucidate, as heretofore, by refe-
rence to some past or present disputes on
subjects of theology.
No one who duly appreciates the value of
philological researches will indiscriminately
censure verbal controversies. It is as impos-
sible to understand the holy scriptures, as it
is to understand any other writings, without
a competent knowledge of the language in
124
SERMON VI.
which they were composed ; and where doubts
arise as to the meaning of particular words
or phrases on which the sense of important
passages depends, critical skill, even of a su-
perior cast, may be requisite. That there are
passages of Scripture relating to some of the
essential doctrines of Christianity, in which
such skill is called for, cannot be denied.
And though we may allow that no essential
doctrine depends for its proof upon any one
doubtful or disputable text, yet is it evident
that the errors of those who corrupt the faith
by a misinterpretation of such passages, can-
not be effectually removed but by the aid of
biblical criticism ; and to none of the learned
world is Christianity more indebted, than to
those who successfully cultivate this import-
ant study. In searching, therefore, for the
cause of those " strifes of words" which the
Apostle deprecates, we must trace to its
source the abuse of this valuable talent, not
its legitimate use. We shall find it, not in
philology itself, but in the disposition of the
philologist, either to lay undue stress upon
what is of little moment, or to employ his
talents in distorting and perplexing what
might otherwise be made sufficiently clear
and intelligible.
There can be no doubt that numberless
SERMON VI.
125
controversies have arisen from mere want of
perspicuity on the part of those who handle
theological subjects, and not from the want
of it in the sacred writings, which they un-
dertake to expound. Luther observed that, in
his time, many heresies and errors arose, not
from simplicity of diction, but from want of
simplicity, and from an affectation of obscure
expressions. Several writers on ecclesiastical
history have shewn, that not only individuals,
but entire sects, have been charged with he-
resy, chiefly on the ground of certain inaccu-
rate or ambiguous expressions, which natu-
rally gave occasion to such charges, although
they were probably adopted without an in-
tentional departure from the truth. Of so
much importance is the rule laid down by
Quintilian, that the disputant should be care-
ful, not only that his hearers may understand
him, but that they may not possibly misun-
derstand him : " non ut intelligere possit,
" sed ne omnino possit non intelligere curan-
" dum^"
Nearly allied to that real or affected ob-
scurity, which both occasions and perpetuates
religious feuds, is the practice of unneces-
sarily introducing into theological disquisi-
tions peculiar terms or phrases unsanctioned
^ Inst. Orator, lib. VIII. e. 2. ad finem.
126
SERMON VI.
by the sacred writers. This practice appears
to have been of early date ; and might partly
owe its origin to the intermixture of oriental
philosophy with the study of the Scriptures.
Some have supposed that St. Paul had this
in view, when he exhorted Timothy to " shun
" profane and vain babblings." If such were
its intent, the admonition appears to have
been much disregarded in succeeding ages.
The ostentation of scholastic learning led
very many to abandon the pure and simple
diction of the Scriptures, and to substitute in
its stead a phraseology better suited to the
exercise of disputatious talents. The lan-
guage of Plato or of Aristotle was too often
engrafted on that of the Apostles and Evan-
gelists : and a false philosophy thus imper-
ceptibly gained ground, making fearful in-
roads upon the faith. The world had pro-
bably never heard of one half of the vain dis-
putes which made Christianity a subject of
scoffing and reproach among unthinking men,
but for that pretended science, which elevates
human knowledge above divine, or that de-
praved taste, which despises plain and unso-
phisticated truth.
Here, however, some explanation may be
necessary, lest we should seem incautiously
to condemn, (what to some has appeared
SERMON VI.
127
matter of offence,) the introduction of a phra-
seology not strictly scriptural into certain
creeds and confessions of faith, still in use
among us, and of the highest antiquity and
authority in the Christian Church. Are not,
it may be said, the terms Trinity, Incarna-
tion, Substance, Person, and Essence, of this
description ; and have they not given fre-
quent occasion to strife and contention ?
One apology for these (if apology indeed
be necessary) is similar to that already given
for the enlargement and multiplication of
such public formularies. The perverseness of
heretical teachers, and their wantonness of
speculation on some main articles of the
faith, gave occasion to the use of these terms,
and rendered them almost necessary for the
preservation of sound doctrine. When seve-
ral points connected with those articles came
to be argued with a minuteness of investiga-
tion, called for by the subtleties of the adver-
sary himself, the adoption of this new phra-
seology could hardly be avoided ; nor could
the doctrines themselves, perhaps, under such
circumstances, have been otherwise effectually
guarded against misapprehension. The cen-
sure, therefore, whether just or unjust, falls
upon those whose temerity in diving into
the depths of mystery, either first introduced
128
SERMON VI.
them into theological subjects, or necessarily
led to their introduction by the advocates of
the orthodox faith.
But, it must further be observed, that how-
ever M^e may deprecate the unnecessary use
of terms not purely scriptural, and the con-
tentions which have too often sprung from
them ; we must beware that we do not overlook
the real utility of certain established modes of
expression, which, though not of scriptural
usage, are yet clearly and distinctly sig-
nificant of the truths they denote. Thus,
the terms Trinity and Incarnation so com-
prehensively describe the doctrines they re-
late to, that they serve as an almost decisive
test of men's opinions on those doctrines.
They convey to the intelligent hearer that
definite notion of each doctrine, which it is
hardly possible to misconceive, and which su-
persedes the necessity of more elaborate ex-
planation. He who denies the essential Di-
vinity of either of the Persons in the God-
head, cannot consistently use the former
term ; nor he who denies the union of God
and man in one Christ, the latter. The So-
cinian, for example, who, instead of St. John's
declaration that Christ is come eV aapKi, " in
" the flesh," would rather say that he is
come e/c aapKos " of the flesh,'' (i. e. was born
SERMON VI.
129
of human nature only,) can hardly distort
the term Incarnation to his own view of the
subject. So it was with the word o/xoovo-io?,
coimihstantial, in the Arian controversy: of
which it has been justly observed, that the
Arians objected to it, not because it was ob-
scure, but because it was too plain and signi-
ficant to be misunderstood. When, there-
fore, the Arians endeavoured to set aside this
epithet, which denoted that the three Persons
of the Godhead were of the same substance,
or Divine nature; and would have it changed
for ofioLovaLog, to express that they were only
of like nature ; the dispute, however it might
appear to superficial observers to be a mere
verbal litigation, indicated, in reality, an es-
sential difference between the parties con-
cerning the doctrine itself ; such a difference,
that the one could not concede to the other
the use of the appropriate expression, without
a virtual renunciation of his own belief.
To avoid, however, as much as possible, the
multiform questions, which expressions not
current in Scripture too often occasion, the
expositor's chief care should doubtless be em-
ployed in ascertaining the true signification
of Scripture-words and phrases ; which can
only be done by diligent inquiry into their
general or their particular acceptation, in the
VOL. I. K
130
SERMON VI.
times and places wherein the sacred writers
lived. Recondite meanings and remote ety-
mologies are not to be sought for ; nor have
they any material weight, when there is suffi-
cient evidence how such words or phrases
were commonly understood by those to whom
they were immediately addressed. For this
reason, the illustration of scriptural expres-
sions by reference to the diction even of the
most approved classical authors, requires to
be attempted with caution. To many words
in Scripture there is a peculiar sense attach-
ed, from their connection with the peculiar
truths of revealed religion ; to which we can-
not expect to find an exact parallel in the
usage of them by ordinary writers. Thus,
the terms righteousness and Justification, ^esh
and spirit, old and neiv man, will hardly ad-
mit of illustration from their current accep-
tation in works which have no reference to
the doctrines of Christianity. A determinate
and appropriate meaning belongs to them,
and to other words of similar import, in which
the sacred teachers alone can fully instruct
us. If those who agitate doctrinal questions
be negligent of these circumstances; if, in-
stead of endeavouring to fix the sense of such
expressions by Scripture-analogy, they rely
more upon foreign aid ; if they take the Ian-
SERMON VI.
131
guage of heathen philosophy, or of scholastic
metaphysics, for their authority in interpret-
ing Christian theology ; they will not only
become meagre and spiritless critics in bibli-
cal researches, but will almost unavoidably
be ensnared into false conceptions of the sub-
jects to which they relate.
This has been exemplified in some contro-
versies respecting the denomination. Logos, or
Word, applied to our blessed Saviour. It has
been keenly agitated, whether St. John bor-
rowed this appellative from Philo the J ew, or
from Plato ; and whether his doctrine concern-
ing it ought not to be expounded with reference
to the sense attached to it by those writers ?
This dispute seems to proceed upon a presump-
tion, that the same word used by two writers
of a different age and country, and writing
with very dissimilar views, must necessarily be
taken by both in the same acceptation : a
sort of paralogism, which has caused many a
misinterpretation of the sacred oracles. But,
to say nothing of the defect of that evidence
which tends to prove that either St. John
or any of the other Apostles was conversant
with the writings of Philo or of Plato ; it
is a sufficient refutation of every hypothesis
founded on this conjecture, that between the
Logos of Philo or Plato, and that of St. John,
K 2
132
SERMON VI.
there is so manifest a difference, that the one
can hardly be reconciled with the other ; that
they have little in common with each other
but the name ; and that Philo's notion of it
militates, moreover, in many respects against
the generally received opinions of the Jews,
as well as against the doctrine of the Apostle.
The whole superstructure of argument found-
ed on such a basis, falls therefore to the ground ;
and the Apostle will stand acquitted of being
indebted to any scheme whatever of human
philosophy for his doctrine. His use of the
term Logos evidently originates in a purer
source ; even in the fountain of divine in-
spiration. Taught by the wisdom that is
from above, he ascribes to the Logos a being
co-essential with God, possessing absolute as
well as relative Divinity in Himself. " In the
" beginning was the Word, and the Word
" was with God, and the Word was God."
The Word is here not only distinguished from
all other beings by priority of existence ; but
is declared to be one with God Himself. The
work of creation also is ascribed to Him :
" without Him was not any thing made that
" was made:" — and this Divine, this All-power-
ful and Eternal Being, " was made flesh, and
" dwelt among us." Such representations the
Apostle never could have derived from Gen-
SERMON VI.
133
tile philosophy. In the Jewish Scriptures,
indeed, some traces of them might be disco-
vered ; since the writings of the Old and
the New Testament flowed from one and the
same source of Divine inspiration. But what-
ever there might be in heathen theology bear-
ing a resemblance to this doctrine, carried in
it the marks of a copy, not of an original ;
of a feeble, obscure, debased imitation, not of
that genuine, authoritative, and decided cha-
racter, which belongs to the sacred writings
alone. Yet on the bare presumption that St.
John must have had heathen philosophy in
view, or upon a fond persuasion that heathen
philosophers were the fittest interpreters of
the Evangelist's doctrine, how many have
been led into endless disputes, and into the
most unworthy conceptions both of the Di-
vinity and the Incarnation of the Son of God,
grounded wholly upon their misconceptions
of this peculiar appellation !
Controversies not unlike to these have
arisen out of verbal misconceptions upon
oUier doctrines also. If one definite accepta-
tion were affixed to the terms calling and
election, regeneration and conversion, grace and
faith, justification and sanctificatioti, it would
hardly be possible that men, not diametrically
opposed to each other in the main principles
K 3
134
SERMON VI.
of the Christian faith, should differ so widely
as they seem to do in their exposition of
these doctrines ; contending with much plau-
sibility, without advancing one step towards
mutual conviction.
Take, for instance, the subject of regenera-
tion in its connection with baptism. Some
speak of regeneration as if it denoted the ab-
solute perfection of holiness ; that consum-
mation of the Christian character, when evil
habits and evil propensities have been so en-
tirely subdued, and the love of God and of
Christ so deeply rooted in the heart, that
thenceforth perseverance to the end can be
no longer doubtful. Now they who affix to
it so very enlarged a signification, observing
(what is too evident to be denied) that multi-
tudes who have been baptized into the Chris-
tian faith never attain, or even seem to ap-
proach, to such entire perfection of character,
scruple not to stigmatize all who contend for
the inseparability of baptismal and spiritual
regeneration, as superstitiously ascribing to
the sacrament of baptism an effect to which
it appears to be altogether inadequate. On
the other hand, they who agree with our
Church in maintaining the inseparability of
the one from the other, understand by rege-
neration nothing more than that first prin-
SERMON VI.
135
ciple of holiness, that beginning of the spi-
ritual life, of which baptism is not only the
sign, but also the pledge, assuring us of its
actual conveyance. Thus far, and thus far
only, they extend the meaning of spiritual
regeneration; and this, and this only, they
maintain to be given in baptism. The ulti-
mate efficacy of the gift they acknowledge to
be still dependent upon our subsequent growth
in grace. The great difference, therefore, be-
tween the contending parties originates in
their different acceptation of the word rege-
neration ; and so long as that discordance
continues, it is impossible that their respec-
tive tenets should be made to harmonize.
Yet is it no less evident, that, though this
appears to be merely a verbal strife, it pro-
duces real and irreconcileable opposition, on
a point of doctrine intimately connected with
the grounds of our acceptance under the.
Christian dispensation.
Again, (as has been already suggested,) on
the doctrine of justification by faith alone,
agreement or disagreement will chiefly de-
pend upon the acceptation in which the par-
ties respectively admit the terms of the pro-
position. If one man understands by faith a
reliance upon salvation through Christ, with-
out reference to any conditions necessary to
K 4
136
SERMON VI.
render it available, his notion of justification
by faith only will be very different from that
of him who uses the term faith to denote a
reliance upon that salvation, accompanied with
the performance of such conditions. And here,
again, though the difference may arise out of
verbal misapprehension, the result is a mani-
fest contrariety of sentiment on a point of
vital importance.
Free grace is another phrase liable to similar
misapplication. It is not strictly a scriptural
phrase. But it expresses what St. Paul means
when he says, " We are justified freely by
" God's grace, through the redemption that
" is in Christ Jesus'"." In its most obvious
signification, it denotes that the salvation of
mankind in general is the free gift of God,
unmerited on their part, and effected by the
merits and mediation of Christ. In this sense
it is perfectly consistent with those condi-
tions annexed to the promises of the Gospel,
which are implied in that faith by w^hich we
are justified. But they who deny that our
salvation is dependent upon any such condi-
tions, denote by free grace a special act of
mercy, by which God arbitrarily calls certain
individuals alone to salvation, and works in
them irresistibly by his Holy Spirit. This also
b Rom. iii. 24.
SERMON VI.
137
is a difference vitally affecting the character of
the Christian covenant ; and, therefore, how-
ever capahle the words themselves, abstract-
edly considered, may appear to be of either
of these constructions, the conclusions draw^n
from them cannot possibly harmonize with
each other.
These observations may serve to shew that
verbal disputes are, in their effect, of much
greater importance than many are wont to
suppose ; and that in all discussions on sub-
jects of holy writ, the first care should be
that the parties clearly understand each other
as to the signification of the terms they use,
in maintaining their respective positions. For
this purpose, not only the analogy of ivords
must be attended to, but the analogy of the
faith also. Where either of these is disre-
garded, no satisfactory result can be expected.
Every proposition, and every corollary de-
duced from such proposition, will appear to
the opposite party to be more or less different
from his own, so long as he applies certain
particular expressions in a sense different from
that in which they are applied by others.
It appears to be chiefly owing to misun-
derstandings of this kind, that the great
body of the clergy in our Church are, in the
present day, so frequently and so unjustly
138
SERMON VI.
reproached by a party among their own bre-
thren, for not preaching evangelical doctrine.
They whose minds are prepossessed, whether
in a greater or a less degree, with Calvinistic
views of the Christian faith, attach to most
of the expressions relating to the Christian
covenant a somewhat different meaning from
that in which other members of our Church
interpret them. They apply, for instance,
the words calling, election, and predestination,
to the operation of certain irrespective Divine
decrees in the salvation of particular pjersons,
and not to the general privileges of all who
are admitted into the covenant. Their in-
terpretation of the terms regeneration, justi-
fication, free grace, and the like, is naturally
made to correspond with this peculiar sys-
tem ; and when others question the accuracy
of any such interpretation, a charge is too
frequently retorted of denying the doctrine
itself which those words import. Yet what
is this but assuming the very point in de-
bate ? For if it can be shewn from the ana-
logy of Scripture language, or of Scripture
doctrine, that those expressions will not bear
such meanings, except by a forced adaptation
of them to that particular hypothesis ; the ac-
cusation will then recoil upon those by whom
it is advanced. Disputes so originating, and
SERMON VI.
139
so conducted, tend indeed to little but mutual
recrimination ; and while such misconceptions
prevail, every argument will fail of convic-
tion, because to each party it appears to be
founded on some inadmissible assumption.
A few words only remain now to be added,
in conclusion of the whole subject. It has
been the main object of this and the two
foregoing Discourses, to point out some of
those evils incident to theological controversy
which arise from the agitation of questions
which cannot be determined, of questions un-
necessary to be determined, and of questions
founded upon verbal misapprehension. If
polemical divinity could be divested of these,
what then remained to occupy the thoughts
and the labours of the sincere inquirer into
Christian truth would more amply repay tlie
toil ; and the minds of controversialists would
be so much less frequently soured and irri-
tated as these incitements to animosity were
diminished.
It is in vain, however, to hope for the en-
tire extinction of religious animosity. " There
" must be heresies among you," says St. Paul,
" that they which are approved may be made
" manifest*^ ;" and we are not to pay a compli-
ment, even to well-intentioned errors, at the
^ 1 Cor. xi. 19.
140
SERMON VI.
expense of truth. But though it be an im-
perative duty to " contend earnestly for the
" faith ;" yet is the faith itself weakened ra-
ther than strengthened, when points of de-
bate are unnecessarily multiplied ; when men
" beat the air" in agitating questions unfit
for discussion, or unworthy of it, or which
only betray their ignorance of each other's
meaning, and, perhaps, of their own.
Nothing, indeed, is more to be deprecated
than that pruriency of mind which is perpe-
tually in quest of religious novelties, and per-
petually seeking fresh topics for polemical
display. This disposition not only turns
aside the student in theology from subjects
more worthy his attention, but extends its
pernicious influence even to those classes of
the community which are least capable of im-
proving by it, and most liable to imbibe error.
The unlettered peasant, or artificer, when the
question is put to him, " Understandest thou
" what thou readest ?" disdains to answer,
" How can I, except some man should guide
" me'' ?" He is ready to set at nought the in-
struction of his pastor, and deems himself
qualified to teach the teacher. Who can
wonder, then, if " foolish and unlearned ques-
" tions" are thus multiplied, and continually
'1 Acts viii. 30, 31.
SERMON IV.
141
" engender strifes ?" Who can wonder that
rash speculations on dark and mysterious
points of divinity are preferred to the plain
and practical lessons of the word of truth ? —
that men will rather bewilder themselves in
perplexities they can never unravel, than be
taught to "add to their faith virtue","' and to
live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this
" present world '^?" — that their delight is in
those " secret things which belong unto the
" Lord our God," more than in " the things
" which are revealed, and which belong unto
" them and to their children ^?"'
The main antidote to these evils is to have
a never-failing regard to the substantial edi-
fication of ourselves and others ; discouraging,
as far as may be, needless and vain discussions,
and fixing our thoughts chiefly on those great
leading truths of holy writ, which must, after
all, be made the test of every subordinate
opinion. This, together with a just reverence
for the collective wisdom of the Christian
Church, handed down from age to age, and
exhibited in those comprehensive confessions
of faith which have survived the wreck of
time, and withstood the united attacks of ad-
versaries from generation to generation ; will
be our best safeguard against the wayward-
2 Pet. i. 5. f Titus ii. 12. - Ueut. xxix. 29.
142
SERMON VI.
ness of a disputatious and licentious age. To
this, however, must be added that corrective
of the heart, as well as of the understanding,
which the word of God itself most amply
furnishes, and which must further be sought
for by earnest supplications at the throne of
grace.
It will, indeed, be the wisdom and the hap-
piness of every one of us, while we " prove all
" things," to " hold fast that which is good ;"
not to be " carried about with every wind of
" doctrine';" not to be ambitious of joining
those who " burn incense to vanity, and cause
" men to stumble in their ways from the an-
" cient ways, to walk in paths in a way not
" cast up\" Above all will it be our security
and our confidence to pray with the Apostle,
" that our love may abound yet more and
" more in knowledge and in all judgment ;
" that we may approve things that are excel-
" lent ; that we may be sincere and without
" offence till the day of Christ, being filled
" with the fruits of righteousness, which are
" by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise
« of God'."
h 1 Thess. V. 21. i Eph. iv. 14. ^ jer. xviii. 15.
1 Phil. i. 9, 10, 11.
SERMON VII.
Genesis i. 27.
So God created man in his own image : in the image
of God created he him.
It is one of the most striking proofs of the
hmited extent of our natural faculties, and
the general defect of human acquirements,
that we cannot attain even to a perfect know-
ledge of ourselves without the aid of Reve-
lation. In whatever point of view man is
contemplated, whether with respect to his
origin or his destination ; to his endowments
physical, intellectual, and moral ; to the pur-
poses for which he was brought into exist-
ence, or the means by which those purposes
are to be effected ; doubts and perplexities
arise which no sagacity, no research, con-
ducted by the unassisted powers of the hu-
man understanding, has hitherto been able
entirely to remove.
144
SERMON VII.
The inquiry itself, however, is not merely
a matter of curiosity, but of duty. If it
tended only to enlarge our sphere of intel-
lectual gratification, it might be left to the
pursuit of those few whom leisure or inclina-
tion prompted to the research. But it is of
far more general concern, as connected with
every one's personal well-being. Not only
false philosophy, but false religion also, ori-
ginates, for the most part, in ignorance of
human nature ; in forming theories of its ca-
pacities or incapacities, unwarranted by fact ;
and in adapting to those erroneous apprehen-
sions of man the notions we entertain of his
Creator. To ignorance in this respect much
of heresy, and much of infidelity, may fairly
be imputed. For, whether we overrate the
natural powers of man, or reduce them below
their ])roper standard, we prepare the way
for dangerous errors ; errors of fanaticism on
the one hand, or of scepticism on the other.
So necessary is a correct knowledge of this
subject to a right conception of revealed reli-
gion itself, as well as to that self-guidance
and self-control which are incumbent upon
us as rational agents.
The Scriptures, however, consider this sub-
ject only in connection with the main purpose
of Divine Revelation. To teach us how far
SERMON VII.
145
we are dependent upon our Creator, and how
far we are endovv^ed with powers that make
us answerable for our own conduct ; to shew
us what we are by iiatwe, and what we may
be by grace; to give us right impressions
of the relation we bear, both to this world
and to that which is to come ; this is the
knowledge of ourselves, derived chiefly, if not
wholly, from the sacred oracles. And these,
it must be confessed, are the points which
render it a subject of primary importance.
A physical or metaphysical knowledge of the
human faculties, doubtless, has its use and
its value. Researches into the organic struc-
ture of man, and investigations of those won-
drous mental powers with which he is gifted,
are among the noblest of scientific pursuits.
They are capable also, in many respects, of
such elucidation, as may greatly promote our
general welfare, by shewing how closely that
welfare is connected with a right application
of our faculties, corporeal and intellectual.
They do even more than this. They enlarge
our conceptions of that creative power, that
comprehensive wisdom, and that all-pervad-
ing goodness, which characterise the Author
and Giver of these faculties. Thus they pre-
pare the contemplative mind for such further
knowledge respecting the creature so gifted,
vol.. I. L
146
SERMON VII.
as the Creator himself may vouchsafe to re-
veal. But here is their legitimate boundary.
And here it is that revelation takes up the
theme, to complete that which the utmost
stretch of human speculation is compelled
to leave imperfect.
The first question which we find ourselves
unable otherwise to resolve, and for which we
necessarily turn to the sacred volume, re-
spects the primeval state of man, as he came
out of the hands of his Creator. And to this,
as set forth in the words of the text, the pre-
sent inquiry will be confined.
No other probable reason can be assigned
for the creation of man, (or, indeed, of any
class of intellectual beings,) than the bene-
volent intention of the Creator to communi-
cate to him some portion of that happiness
which emanates from himself as its first and
all-prolific source. Nor does it consist with
the perfections of the supreme Being to sup-
pose that this happiness would be rendered
unattainable, through any inherent defect in
man's nature, any incapability, moral or phy-
sical, to fulfil the purpose of his existence.
The possibility of sinning we can easily con-
ceive to belong to him. It is evident, indeed,
that if his state were intended to be that of
trial and probation, to qualify him for some
SERMON VII.
147
higher sphere of existence by the moral ad-
vancement of his faculties, a liability to for-
feiture or failure must have been attached to
it. But that before any actual debasement of
his nature took place, he should have been
constituted with such a preponderant bias to
evil, or with such a disposition to sin, as his
natural powers were unable to resist, is a
supposition hardly to be entertained, without
casting an imputation upon his Maker, which
reason, no less than revelation, compels us to
reject.
The brief account given by the sacred his-
torian corresponds with this view of the sub-
ject. His description of man's creation forms
a striking contrast with what is stated of the
other creatures of this lower world. " God
" said, Let us make man in our image."
" Here," says a pious father of the Churchy
" learn to know thyself." " This mode of
" speech," he observes, " had not yet been
" used in any other work of creation. Light
" had been made by the simple mandate of
" the Deity, who said. Let there be light, and
" there was light. The firmament, the stars,
" the seas, and whatsoever animals inhabit
" earth, air, or sea, were made, without con-
^ Gregory Nysseiic.
L 2
148
SERMON VII.
" saltation or deliberation, by the word only
" of him who called them into being. But
" it was not so with man. Learn, then, thy
" value and thy dignity. Thy creation was
" not the result of a mere command, but of
" counsel and deliberation, that a being might
" be produced worthy of the infinitely wise
" Artificer." Similar observations occur in
other commentators. It is only, however, in
a figurative sense, and in accommodation to
human conceptions, that counsel or delibera-
tion can be predicated of the Deity. And in
this instance nothing more can properly be
understood by those terms, than that the
preparatory introduction, the peculiar solem-
nity of expression, which ushered in the crea-
tion of man, seems intended to indicate the
production of a being of higher order than
any that had yet issued from the Almighty
Word. The result corresponds with this re-
presentation. " So God created man in his
" own image : in the image of God created
" he him :" the expression being reiterated,
as if to impress upon the mind of the reader
a recollection never to be effaced.
But here the main question presents itself.
In what did this image consist? What may
we infer from the expression, that will convey
to us any clear or adequate conception of the
SERMON VII.
149
primeval excellencies of the Father of the
human race ?
In the Mosaic narrative, man is evidently
included among the works of creation which
his Maker pronounced to be " very good :"
worthy, that is, of their Divine Artificer, and
perfectly adapted to the ends and purposes
for which they were respectively formed :
since in no other sense can the term goodness
be applied to creatures who were but that
instant brought into existence, and who had
undergone no trial of their conduct. To ob-
tain, therefore, a right apprehension of what
constituted the Divine image in man's na-
ture, we must consider what were those ends
and purposes, and what qualifications were
necessary for their attainment.
It is manifest both from the sequel of this
history, and from the references to it in other
parts of Scripture, that man was created for
immortality, and that his title to immortality
was suspended upon the condition of unre-
served obedience to the Divine will. The
penalty of transgression was to be death : and
when that penalty had been incurred, he was
instantly removed from the means previously
afforded him of perpetuating his existence.
St. Paul affirms, that " by one man sin entered
L 3
150
SERMON VII.
" into the world, and death by sin*"." The in-
ference is obvious, that had not man sinned,
death had not ensued. Immortality would
have been the reward of obedience, as the
forfeiture of it was the punishment of dis-
obedience.
Whether this immortality was a special
gift, superadded to man's natural powers, or
was originally essential to his nature ; is a
question of more subtlety than importance ;
it certainly was not so essential to his nature,
but that he might be deprived of it, and yet
retain many other of his original properties.
This the event undeniably proved. And the
conclusion, in either case, is the same. The
gift, natural or supernatural, was at the dis-
posal of Him who gave it ; to be continued,
or withdrawn, as supreme wisdom and good-
ness might direct ; subject to the conditions
on which it was bestowed ; and no otherwise
the prerogative of man, than as held by the
reasonable tenure of that dependence.
As a creature thus designed for immorta-
lity, and bound by corresponding obligations
to an absolute conformity with the will of
his Maker, man stands distinguished from all
the inferior beings. For these great ends
Rom. V. 12.
SERMON VII.
151
were his appropriate faculties given. He was
made " in the image of God," that he might
he able to know God, and to serve Him, and
to enjoy His unceasing favour in whatever
state the Ahnighty should see fit to prepare
for him. What those faculties were, is the
next point for our consideration.
Very fanciful opinions have been enter-
tained upon this subject. But, without giv-
ing countenance to any extravagant imagina-
tions, it cannot but be supposed, that in the
state in which man first came out of the
hands of his Creator, even his bodily powers
were pure and perfect in their kind, with no
tendency to corruption or disease, and not
soliciting to evil by their natural cravings.
With a less degree of perfection than this,
even in his animal frame, we can hardly ima-
gine him to have been numbered amongst
the creatures that were "good" in their kind,
and whom the Creator beheld with compla-
cency as the work of His own hands.
For similar reasons, the intellectual powers
of man, on his first entrance into being, we
must suppose to have been without blemish
or defect ; adequate in all respects to the exi-
gencies of his condition ; and such as might
enable him effectually to exercise that do-
minion which was assigned to him over the
L 4
152
SERMON VII.
inferior creatures. But the notion that our
first parents attained, whether intuitively or
otherwise, to such scientific acquirements as
are now the result only of the most laborious
researches, or of the collective experience of
many successive generations, is neither ca-
pable of proof, nor carries with it any ap-
pearance of probability. The natural perfec-
tion of the faculties themselves, by which
knowledge is obtained ; — of perception, of
judgment, of memory ; would indeed be in-
dispensable to the full enjoyment of their
state of bliss. But to what actual attain-
ments these faculties might conduct them, is
quite a distinct consideration. They who
have contended that Adam must have been
the most learned of mankind ; that he had
such stores of knowledge as no mortal since
has ever possessed ; that he was the most con-
summate master in every branch of science,
physical, moral, or metaphysical ; — opinions
occasionally to be found among fanciful com-
mentators ; — argue without data, at least, if
not in opposition to something like demon-
strative evidence. For, that such knowledge
was innate in man, w^e know not either from
Revelation or from reason. But, if it were
not innate, by what means was it acquired ;
or of what utility can we conceive it to have
SERMON VII.
153
been ? It might, indeed, be the result of in-
spiration ; of immediate revelation from the
source of all knowledge. But where are the
proofs of this ? And why are we to suppose,
without proof, that which can neither be
shewn to be necessary to man's original well-
being, nor proved to be the certain conse-
quence of those perfect faculties wuth which
we believe him to have been gifted ?
With respect to religious knowledge, indeed,
it is more than probable that other means were
vouchsafed to him for the acquisition of it,
than the exercise of his own natural faculties.
The sacred history, brief as it is, represents
to us a certain freedom of communication on
the part of his Maker, which appears to have
been man's inestimable privilege while un-
polluted with guilt. If the Almighty vouch-
safed thus to hold intercourse with him even
in matters pertaining to his bodily support
and welfare ; if he vouchsafed to convey to
him a knowledge of the creatures around him,
to provide for him a partner of his enjoy-
ments befitting his own rank in the scale of
being, to direct him even to the choice of
sustenance suited to his nature, and to be-
stow upon him the gift of language ; can we
doubt, that in matters of still greater moment,
such communications would be even more
154
SERMON VII.
abundantly imparted ? We here reason in-
deed, it must be confessed, rather from pro-
bable analogies than from any positive evi-
dence. But when we find express mention
made of Divine conferences with man on sub-
jects of inferior concern, and when we find
moreover the Almighty directly expostulating
with Adam on his transgression of a com-
mand which had been personally enjoined
him ; we can hardly but infer, that some-
thing more than the mere command must
have been made known to him ; that rewards
attendant on his obedience, as well as penal-
ties on his disobedience, had been held out
to him ; that the attributes and perfections
of the Supreme Being had been so far, at
least, manifested to him, as to make him per-
ceive, not only his dependence upon that
Being for every good he could enjoy, but also
the certainty that no befitting measure of
happiness should be wanting to him, so long
as he conformed himself to the Divine will.
Less than this, it seems impossible to imagine
would have been vouchsafed to a rational and
intelligent creature, created for immortality
and bliss, yet placed in a state of trial and
probation, and liable, upon transgression, to a
forfeiture of all his highest hopes and expec-
tations. Nor would it be unreasonable, per-
SERMON VII.
155
haps, to carry our conjectures even somewhat
beyond this ; to deem it probable, that, in a
state unaccompanied, as yet, with the various
occupations and dehghts of social life, and li-
mited to comparatively few sources of intel-
lectual gratification, the most exquisite, as
well as the most necessary of his primeval at-
tainments were derived immediately from the
fountain of infinite wisdom and knowledge.
With respect, however, to the mode, or the
extent of such communications, the veil that
is cast around them is not to be drawn aside
by mortal hands.
But, whatever may be our conjectures re-
specting the extent of man's primitive intel-
lectual powers, and their indication of the
Divine image impressed upon him ; it is not
to them alone that we are to look for its
noblest manifestation. The moral faculties
of the soul are those which most essentially
characterise him, and elevate him above other
terrestrial beings. His ready perception of
moral good ; his almost instinctive approba-
tion of it, when it is once clearly discerned ;
his consciousness of obligation to conform to
it ; his high sense of dignity and elevation
in so doing ; his aspirations after even unat-
tainable excellence in this respect ; all these
appear so decidedly as emanations from the
156
SERMON VII.
source of supreme good, that in no other
qualities can we conceive the impress of the
Divine image to be so unequivocally marked.
In these, therefore, we may confidently pre-
sume that our first progenitor was created no
less perfect, than in his gifts of reason and
understanding.
Now, to the perfection of moral powers,
not only a rectitude of the mulerstanding is
necessary, but also a rectitude of will. The
one faculty, therefore, must be supposed
equally perfect with the other, (according to
the measure in which both may be consistent
with finite and limited excellence,) in order
to constitute a rational nature intrinsically
and relatively good, though not absolutely
and divinely perfect. The intellect of such
a being is perfect in its kind, when it repre-
sents things to the mind as they really are,
and is thus the vehicle of pure unsophisti-
cated truth. The will is perfect, when it
freely accedes to that which is propounded
by the intellect, thus rightly informed. It is
the province, therefore, of the intellect to
rule, and of the will to obey. The former
prescribes ; the latter executes. Whenever
these are at variance, disorder must ensue :
when they act in unison, the result is moral
good. Obliquity of judgment may mislead
SERMON VII.
157
the will ; perversity of will may darken the
judgment ; but if each perform its functions
as they were ordained to perform them, no-
thing is wanting to a relative perfection of
character in the being to whom they belong.
It is essential, however, to this perfection
of the will, that it should have entire freedom
to give or to withhold its concurrence with
the dictates of the understanding. This is
its distinct and appropriate character ; and
this it is which makes us in reality responsi-
ble agents. Were it otherwise, the will would
invariably follow the suggestions either of
reason or of the passions. But it has the
power of resisting both. It can stubbornly
resist a sense of duty ; it can successfully
withstand the solicitations of the most im-
petuous and domineering appetites of our na-
ture. This inherent power to choose betwixt
good and evil seems necessary to every crea-
ture placed in a state of moral probation.
Nevertheless that will is certainly not perfect
in its kind which has any bias towards evil.
Therefore, in man, as he first came out of the
hands of his Creator, there can be no doubt
that it was wholly without such a bias ; and
though the consciousness must have existed
of being able to act contrary to truth, reason,
and virtue ; yet, until it was by some special
158
SERMON VII.
operative cause perverted from its original
inclination, it seems monstrous to imagine
that such could have been its inborn pro-
pensity.
" The image," then, " of God" in man is
the conformity of the chief perfections of the
human mind with the perfections of the Di-
vine intellect and M^ill. The Divine intellect
has necessarily a perfect knowledge of uni-
versal truth ; and the Divine will is deter-
mined by that knowledge to every thing wise,
and just, and good. The perfection of man
consists in such powers of intellect as enable
him to discern the Divine will, and such rec-
titude of intent as prompts him to make that
will his own. The entire character includes
the purpose of whatever is holy and right, to-
gether with the ability to perform that pur-
pose.
This view of the subject corresponds, not
only with what seems to be necessarily im-
plied in the terms used by Moses to describe
the nature of man, but also with what is said
respecting that renewal of the Divine image
of man, which is one great privilege of the
Christian redemption. The effect of man's
fall is represented to be the darkening of his
understanding, and the perversion of his will.
The effect of his redemption by Christ is to
SERMON VII.
159
remedy those evils. It is, as St. Paul ex-
presses it, " putting on the 7iew man, which,
" after God, is created in righteousness and
" holiness":" holiness implying the firm pur-
pose of conforming to the Divine will ; right-
eousness, the rectitude of the understanding
in regulating that purpose. These joint per-
fections, therefore, must have constituted the
Divine image in which Adam was created.
For in what could that image have consisted,
but in that which he lost by transgression,
and regained by his redemption ? The Apo-
stle's expressions seem purposely chosen, to
carry our thoughts back to the primeval state
of man. " God," says Moses, " created man
" in his own image." " The new man," says
St. Paul, " after God, is created in righteous-
" ness and holiness." No parallel can be
more strongly marked. Conjecture may be
busy in framing various hypotheses upon the
nature and extent of man's other endow-
ments, whether of mind or body ; but respect-
ing these prominent features of the intellec-
tual and moral character we can hardly adopt
errors of any magnitude, without a wilful de-
parture from that word of truth, which here,
as in other cases, was given to be " a lantern
" unto our feet, and a light unto our paths''."
c Ephes. iv. 24. d Ps. cxix. 105. .
160
SERMON VII.
Dismissing, then, all fanciful or doubtful
speculations ; not attempting to be " wise
" above what is written," or to answer every
vain and frivolous question with which even
sciolists may find it easy to embarrass the
subject ; we may content ourselves with what
has been thus briefly, yet comprehensively,
revealed. We know, that man was at first
created good and perfect in his kind. We
know, that that perfection must have extended
to all his faculties, so as to qualify him for
the great purposes of his being. We know,
that he was created to be immortal. We
know that he had duties to discharge, and in-
junctions to obey; and that upon his preserv-
ing that integrity and perfection of nature in
which he was formed, depended the further
extension of his bliss, and his ultimate good.
We know, likewise, that such requisitions
could not have been exacted by a just and
merciful Creator, had there not been given
the ability to perform them ; and hence we
infer those perfections, moral and intellectual,
in the first man, which in an equal degree we
expect not now to meet with in any of his
posterity. Thus far reason, aided by the light
of revelation, may safely conduct us. If we
deviate from this strait and simple path, or if
we desert the light that is held out to us, we
SERMON VII.
161
may gain, perhaps, the admiration of the rash
and thoughtless, but we shall look in vain for
a more substantial recompense of our labours.
To bring, then, these reflections to a close.
" God," says Solomon, " made man upright."
" In the image of God (says Moses) created
" he him ;" and " God saw," that, together
with the other works of creation, he was " very
" good." What becomes, then, of the impious
imaginations of those who would charge the
Creator with being accessory to the faults of
his creatures, and make him primarily the
author of sin ? How will the Calvinist recon-
cile this with his hypothesis, that Adam's
transgression was the result of a divine and
irresistible decree ? How will the Socinian
make it accord with his persuasion, that man
originally possessed no greater perfection of
moral or intellectual faculties, than that which
he still inherits ? To detract from the primi-
tive excellence of him who was made in the
image of God, is virtually to detract from the
perfections of him in whose image he was
made ; and to imagine the fault of the crea-
ture to have originated in the will of the
Creator, is virtually to transfer the guilt to
Him.
How much more justly and satisfactorily
may we apply the subject to ourselves, both
VOL. I. M
162
SERMON VII.
" for reproof and for instruction in righteous-
" ness !" In contemplating man's original na-
ture as the Scriptures represent it to us, we
cannot but acknowledge the goodness, and
admire the excellence, displayed in this no-
blest creature of the lower world. We cannot
also but deplore that deflection from his per-
fect state, which is but too visible in every
descendant of Adam, and of which we our-
selves severely feel the consequences. But
the knowledge of what man once was, and
might have continued to be, teaches us that
our own well-being and perfection depend
upon our continual endeavours to conform
ourselves to that image in which he was
created. It impresses us with just notions of
the dignity of virtue, and the turpitude of
sin. It shews us, that then only we are wor-
thy to be called sons of God, when we testify
our similitude to Him, by willing what He
wills, and renouncing what He forbids. It
turns our thoughts to the contemplation of
those perfections in God himself, which the
more they are considered, and the better they
are understood, the more desirous shall we be
to obtain his favour, and to be made par-
takers of his heavenly benediction. These
are the great practical lessons it holds out to
us. But while it bids us thus aspire to the
SERMON VII. 163
true dignity of our original nature, it morti-
fies us also with the humiliating conscious-
ness of our own present inability to realize
the character at which we aim. Yet even this
mortification leads to the attainment of our
wishes. In our humiliation is our safety.
Conscious infirmity prostrates us at the throne
of grace, where no faithful supplicant sues in
vain.
Thus in every way may the subject be
turned to our profit. While it elevates, it
humbles; while it awakens gratitude, it in-
spires awe ; while it magnifies the Creator, it
exalts no less the Redeemer and the Sancti-
fier, through whom alone the divine image,
once lost, can ever be restored. It begins,
therefore, and it ends in faith : for that which
God hath given, and man hath forfeited, none
but God himself can restore ; and on Him
alone must be our dependence for a blessing
on every exertion that we make to obtain
" the prize of the high calling that is set
" before us."
M 2
SERMON VIII.
Psalm li. 5.
Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did
my mother conceive me.
In the investigation of human nature, diffi-
culties continually multiply around us, when
we attempt to proceed without the light of
revelation. We may discern enough to con-
vince us that man, as he now exists, appears
not to be such a being as we must suppose
him to have been when he first issued from
the source of moral perfection. But how he
came to be thus debased, or by what means
his actual degeneracy may be rectified, we in-
quire in vain. The utmost extent of human
research goes no further than to ascertain the
existence of the evil ; neither the cause nor
the remedy has it ever yet been able satisfac-
torily to explain.
Here, then, as well as in our inquiry into
M 3
166
SERMON VIII.
the primeval state of man, (the subject of a
former Discourse,) revelation must be called
to our aid. Nor will it disappoint our pur-
pose, if we be content to rest in a general
solution of the question, not expecting the
elucidation of every minute point on which
scepticism may raise a doubt. Points there
undoubtedly are in this, as in most other doc-
trines of revealed religion, concerning which
the Scriptures, if not wholly silent, are far
from gratifying our curiosity. These, it may
be presumed, are unnecessary to be deter-
mined, having no tendency to that edification
which it is the main object of the Scriptures
to promote.
The subject itself is, indeed, one which
should awaken sentiments of the deepest hu-
mility. Yet on no question, perhaps, have
men been more inquisitively curious, more
boldly speculative. It were no easy matter
to exhibit all the shades of diversity concern-
ing it, which have generated sects and parties
in the Christian world, and have created divi-
sion even among members professedly of the
same communion in faith and worship.
The zeal, however, with which these dis-
cordant opinions have been maintained may
be considered as one indication of the real
importance of the subject. And, undoubt-
SERMON VIII.
167
edly, the fall of man from his primitive state
of innocence is too prominent a feature in re-
vealed religion to be regarded with indiffer-
ence ; nay, it is so essentially interwoven with
the revelation, as to be justly deemed a funda-
mental article of our faith. The necessity of
man's redemption is grounded upon his fall.
The extent of that redemption corresponds
with the extent of his corruption. In every
part of the Christian dispensation this is
presupposed as an indisputable point. It is
therefore of primary importance to examine
the evidences of the fact, its causes, and its
co7isequences, as they are represented in holy
writ, and confirmed by the general experience
of mankind.
1. The historical evide^ice of the fall of
man stands upon the same ground of credi-
bility with every other portion of the sacred
records relative to times before the flood.
No writings of equal antiquity are in exist-
ence by which it can be contravened. None
of subsequent date cast the slightest suspicion
upon its fidelity. On the contrary, many ap-
pear to concur with it as far as remote tradi-
tion, or confused representations of facts im-
perfectly known or understood, may be said
to correspond with truth. Nothing, therefore,
stands in the way of our admitting this par-
M 4
168
SERMON Viri.
ticular narrative upon the same authority of
divine inspiration as that which gives to the
whole of the books of Moses a sanction purely
sacred.
It is an argument also of no little weight
in favour of these records, that we must
either assent to the statement they give of
this transaction, or abandon the hope of other-
wise accounting for a phenomenon in human
nature which all mankind confess to be un-
questionably true. The general frailty and
faultiness of our species is too palpable a fact
to be denied. It has been from age to age
the theme of heathen, as well as of Christian
writers. It meets the moralist and the legis-
lator at every step. It is the plea of the pro-
fligate, the humiliation of the virtuous, the
acknowledged obstacle to perfection in all
who are destined to pass through this proba-
tionary state. Thus far, revelation accords
with reason and experience, in testifying that
man is no longer that excellent being which
the Author of his nature intended him to be.
What, then, is the scriptural solution of
this phenomenon ?
It is substantially this : — that our first pa-
rents were tempted by a subtle and malignant
being of a superior order, to transgress a posi-
tive command of their Creator ; that a pe-
SERMON VIII.
169
nalty, previously denounced, was in conse-
quence executed upon them ; that the effects
of this penalty have devolved upon their pos-
terity ; and that evil, natural and moral, have
hence been introduced into this part of God's
creation, rendering it that scene of compara-
tive imperfection and disorder, of which our
daily observation furnishes us with but too
convincing evidence.
Respecting the circumstantial parts of this
history, attempts to know more than is re-
corded in the sacred narrative tend rather to
darken than to elucidate the subject. The
natural quality of the forbidden fruit, the
form of the serpent assumed by the tempter,
the perceptible change instantly felt by the
offenders as the consequence of transgression,
are points too briefly mentioned to admit of
full explanation.
It is surely better to rest in this our ac-
knowledged inability to penetrate further
into the circumstances of the transaction,
than to resolve the whole into a mystical alle-
gory, for the purpose of rebutting some futile
objections of the infidel and the scoffer. At-
tempts to explain away the literal meaning
of Scripture, in compliance with the scepti-
cism of the incredulous, are always hazardous,
and seldom produce the intended effect. In
170
SERMON VIII.
this instance, the plain and sober style of his-
torical narrative precludes any fair supposi-
tion of a mystical intent. Nothing seems
more improbable than that a mere fiction or
apologue, however apposite, should be so in-
terwoven with evident matters of fact, as to
alFord not the slightest intimation of the
writer's intention that it should be otherwise
than literally understood. Nor can the alle-
gorical interpretation be here justified on any
plea of necessity. Many probable conjectures
may be formed, sufficient to vindicate the li-
teral interpretation against exception. But
we have also the direct authority of Scripture
itself for adhering to the literal interpreta-
tion. The narrative is referred to in the
New Testament as an authentic and indis-
putable record. In his first Epistle to Ti-
mothy, St. Paul speaks of the serpent's having
"beguiled Eve through his subtlety ^" and
her "being deceived in the transgression'':"
and in the Epistle to the Romans, his whole
argument respecting the universal prevalence
of sin, is founded upon the supposed reaUty
of this history. To discard, therefore, the li-
teral interpretation, is to do away the main
force of the Apostle's reasoning, and to repre-
sent him as laying the foundation of the
a 2 Cor. xi. 3. ^ 1 Tim. ii. 14.
SERMON VIII.
171
Christian redemption upon a mere imaginary
transaction.
2. Admitting, then, this evidence of the
fact, we are at no loss to assign a cause fully
adequate to the effect ; a cause, neither incre-
dible in itself, nor contradicted by any known
testimony historical or physical. History has
no fact to oppose to it : human reason has no
plausible hypothesis to substitute in its stead.
If, indeed, we are asked how the transgres-
sion of Adam could entail upon his posterity
so universal a corruption ; we may readily
confess our ignorance. Here, as in many
other cases, we may be certified of the fact,
without being able to explain the mode.
It is enough that it involves no absurdity or
contradiction ; nay, more, that it is rendered
credible by an analogy of the most obvious
and frequent recurrence. That mortality
and corruption should have been the result
of eating the forbidden fruit ; or that what-
ever is engendered of a mortal and corrupt
stock should partake of those qualities ; is no
more incredible with respect to moral affec-
tions and dispositions, than what we daily
witness in the transmission of hereditary
disease, or of hereditary similitude in feature
and other personal qualities. To press the
inquiry beyond this general analogy is neither
172
SERMON VIII.
requisite nor expedient. We know little of
the history of Adam after his fall and his ex-
pulsion from paradise ; and, consequently,
we know not to what extent his moral or his
natural qualities were impaired by this dis-
astrous act. But there is nothing unrea-
sonable in supposing that the same imperfec-
tion, whatever it might be, would be trans-
mitted to his offspring ; and that, not merely
from imitation of the parent's example, but
from inheriting the same propensities. This,
indeed, might reasonably be presumed, from
the universality of the evil ; since if there
were no original taint of moral pravity de-
rived from the first progenitor of mankind, it
is hardly possible to conceive that some in-
stances would not occasionally have arisen
of persons entirely free from sin. Yet, who
does not bear witness to the truth of the
Apostle's assertion, " All have sinned, and
" come short of the glory of God^?" Who, on
a review of his own natural bias to evil, how-
ever counteracted by the grace of God, and by
the effect of early religious impressions, will
not adopt the Psalmist's confession, " Behold,
" I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did
" my mother conceive me ?" Throughout all
generations, from the first transgression of
c Rom. iii. 23.
SERMON VIII.
173
Adam unto the present hour, this charge
continues in full force. Our blessed Saviour
alone, who was not a mere son of Adam, but
the Son of God ; — He alone was absolutely
free from sin.
The effect, then, of Adam's transgression '
adheres to us all. It is that corruption born
in us, that natural disease of the soul, which
St. Paul by a strong figure of speech de-
nominates the law of sin. This is what is
also usually called orngiiial sin ; a term, which
seems to have a twofold reference ; used in
one respect, to distinguish it from actual sin,
as a propensity to evil differs from the com-
mission of it ; and, in another respect, to con-
trast it with that original righteousness in
which man was at first created. It is called
sin, not in the same sense in which we speak
of actual sin, incurring the guilt of disobe-
dience ; but simply to denote that vitiated
state of the natural affections, which though
it does not constitute positive guilt, yet
cannot but render the object of it unac-
ceptable in the sight of God. In man, as he
was originally created, there was no natural
impediment to a perfect conformity of his
will and affections with the will of God. In
man, since the fall, such an impediment ma-
nifestly exists. His appetencies and affec-
174
SERMON VIII.
tions are now at variance with each other,
and with the Divine will ; so as to realize
that distressing picture which St. Paul deli-
neates, " I know that in me (that is, in my
" flesh) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is
" present with me ; but how to perform that
" which is good, I find not. For the good
" that I would, I do not ; but the evil which
" I would not, that I do''."
3. This leads us to consider, lastly, the
consequences of the fall ; what change it has
actually wrought in our nature, and what
evils, either of guilt or punishment, are thence
incurred.
Here it is, that the greatest contrariety of
opinion prevails. Some deny the transgres-
sion of Adam to have in any way affected his
posterity, either as to the punishment in-
curred by it, or as to any depravation of their
nature. Others maintain that the personal
guilt of Adam is imputed to his posterity, and
that their nature is, in consequence, so en-
tirely depraved, as to be destitute of any
affection towards good, and incapable of will-
ing any thing but evil.
How irreconcileable the former of these
opinions is with Scripture, appears from the
many passages that speak of the state of
'I Rom. vii. 18, 19.
SERMON VIII.
173
servitude and bondage to which mankind in
general are subject, through the dominion of
sin. " Whosoever committeth sin," says our
Lord, "is the servant of sin'." This servi-
tude St. Paul thus forcibly describes : " That
" which I do, I allow not : for what I would,
" that do I not ; but what I hate, that do I.
" If then I do that which 1 would not, I con-
" sent unto the Law that it is good. Now
" then it is no more I that do it, but sin that
" dwelleth in meV What words can more
strongly express such a conflict with our pre-
sent innate corruption, as, without some coun-
tervailing power, must necessarily lead to
sin ?
On the other hand the opinion of those
who hold the sin of Adam to be so penally
imputed to his posterity, that by nature
they are destitute of all desire of good, and
capable of nothing but evil, is no less unte-
nable. It is injurious to the moral attributes
of the Deity ; it strikes at the root of moral
responsibility ; it is incompatible with that
general persuasion of right or wrong, which,
whether in any particular instance errone-
ous or correct, accompanies every action we
perform ; and it sets at nought every injunc-
tion of holy writ addressed to us as beings
<■ John viii. 34. < Rom. vii. 15, 16, 17.
176
SERMON VIII.
accountable for what we do. If the image of
God in man were thus absolutely extinct,
vain would be the requisition to "work out
" his own salvation." Even the grace be-
stowed upon him for that purpose, unless
irresistible, would be unavailing. Were he
thus labouring under burthens not his own ;
endowed with no powers to discern betwixt
good and evil ; actuated by no desire to
avoid the one or to choose the other ; neither
reward nor punishment would be the just re-
tribution of his deeds. An arbitrary, over-
ruling destiny must fix his doom ; and this,
whether it be the decree of unconditional
election, or of irreversible reprobation, seems
to be the only hypothesis adapted to a scheme
so utterly inconsistent with the free agency
of a rational creature.
We may be thankful that we are not re-
quired, by what the Scriptures have revealed,
to adopt either of these extravagant theories.
There is a medium betwixt them, which,
whether w^e can agree or not in adjusting
every lesser point, may be sufficient at least
to secure us against errors so practically
dangerous.
Admit, then, that " the Scripture hath con-
" eluded all under sin^ ;" that " all have
s Gal. hi. 22.
SERMON Vm.
177
" sinned and come short of the glory of God^"
that "by one man sin entered into the world,
" and death by sin'," and that "by the offence
" of one, judgment came upon all men to
" condemnation ;" — yet we are bound so to
interpret these declarations, as to render
them consistent with what the same Scrip-
tures declare of our duties and our obli-
gations. If the sacred writings constantly
address us as responsible agents ; if, while
they reveal to us the means of removing the
corruption that is within us, they require of
us such faith as befits rational beings, and
such practice as constitutes a reasonable ser-
vice; how are we warranted in considering
ourselves by nature incapable of being ac-
tuated by such motives as these?
Admit again, that " it is God that worketh
" in us, both to will and to do of His good
"pleasure';" that without Him we can do
nothing effectual to our salvation ; and
that "His grace is sufficient for us™;" yet,
when we are also admonished to " work out
" our own salvation with fear and trem-
" bling" ;" when we are enjoined to " grow in
" grace"," and to " add to our faith, virtue^;"
h Rom. iii, 23.
1 Phil. ii. 13.
0 2 Pet. iii. 18.
' Rom. V. 12.
m 2 Cor. xii. 9.
P 2 Pet. i. 4.
k Rom. V. 18.
n Phil. ii. 12.
VOL. I.
N
178 SERMON VIII.
when we are exhorted not to " quench the
" Spirit nor to " grieve'" it ; must we not so
interpret these precepts, as to preclude any
presumptuous rehance either on our own
sufficiency or on the irresistible efficacy of
the Divine aid? And shall we not fatally de-
ceive ourselves, if, on either side, we press
the letter of Scripture against the spirit of it,
or render any one portion inconsistent with
the rest ?
In short, the state of man, in consequence of
the fall, has undoubtedly experienced a fear-
ful change. He is, as our Ninth Article ex-
presses it, " very far gone from original right-
" eousness, and is of his own nature inclined
" to evil." He is " very far gone," " quam lon-
" gissime," as the authorized translation of
the Article renders it ; that is, as far, perhaps,
as it was possible that such a change could
be effected, without totally destroying the
original properties of his nature. For he is
still a rational being ; still has moral, as well
as intellectual and sensitive powers ; powers
inherent, as it appears, even in his present
condition. But all these have sustained a
grievous injury ; a taint of corruption has
overspread them; their operations are dis-
turbed; and they are no longer competent
<i 1 Thess. V. 19. ' Ephcs. iv. 30.
SERMON VIII.
179
to ensure his happiness, or to restrain him
from evil. That image of God in which he
was created, and which, as has already been
shewn, consisted in the perfect adaptation of
all his faculties to their respective purposes,
and more particularly in that perfection of
the intellect and the will, which, until per-
verted by some extraneous cause, would ope-
rate in entire conformity to the Divine will ;
that image is now defaced, and no longer ex-
hibits, as it originally did, the clear impress
of the Creator's hand. The lineaments of
its character are become faint, obscure, con-
fused. It stands in need of the same Divine
hand that framed it, to restore to it the lost
similitude.
But though the Divine image is thus de-
faced, it is not utterly destroyed : though man
be "very far gone from original righteousness,"
he has not so entirely lost sight of it, as to
have no perception of its value, no desire to
attain to it : nor, though he "cannot turn and
" prepare himself by his own natural strength
" and good works to faith and calling upon
" God," is he so bereft of all inclination to
do so, as to be insensible to the necessity of
making the effort. To suppose any greater
change than this, seems to be neither war-
ranted by fact, nor fairly deducible even from
N 2
180
SERMON VIII.
the strongest representations in Scripture of
our actual state. On the contrary, when St.
Paul says of the natural man, " the good that
" I would, I do not, but the evil which I
" would not, that I do' ;" and when again he
says, " If then I do that which I would not,
" I consent unto the Law that it is good';"
he describes a conflict between the propen-
sity to evil and the approbation of good,
which is irreconcilable with the notion that
the Divine image is totally lost. According
to the apostle's representation, so much of
it at least remains, as to excite abhorrence
of sin, and love of goodness ; and although
these may be too feeble, without further aid,
to overcome the influence of vicious affections,
yet that they are not absolutely dormant, much
less extinct, within us, is manifest.
This point may perhaps admit of illustra-
tion by reference to the immediate effect of
their transgression, upon our first parents ;
since we can hardly venture to impute worse
effects of it to their posterity than to them-
selves.
No sooner had our first parents committed
sin, than it is said, " the eyes of them both
" were opened" ;" — they discovered their
wretched state, and were " ashamed ;" — they
* Rom. vii. 19. ' Rom. vii. 16. " Gen. iii. 7.
SERMON VIII. 181
" hid themselves from the presence of God ;"
and Adam confessed, when called to account
for his offence, that he " was afraid" to appear
before God. Now, whence this discernment
of evil, this sense of shame, this dread of
punishment? Do such feelings indicate that
total corruption of nature, that insensibility
to evil, that antipathy to good, that absolute
disinclination to distinguish between right
and wrong, which some appear to consider as
the invariable characteristic of the natural
man ? May we not rather say, that this con-
sciousness of sin, of shame, of sorrow, and of
fear, gave token that the sense of virtue and
of duty was by no means entirely lost. They
saw and dreaded the evil they had brought
upon themselves : they felt and deplored the
loss of the good they had forfeited. Were
these symptoms of the annihilation of every
good feeling? Were they not rather proofs
of that compunction, that self-condemnation,
which is ever most acute, where the conscious-
ness of obligation is most strong and urgent?
Something to the same effect may also be in-
ferred from the very character and appellation
of the forbidden fruit. It was called " the
" tree of knowledge of good and evil :" and
the tempter's prediction, that by partaking of
it they should obtain that knowledge, was but
N 3
182
SERMON VIII.
too fully verified. Heretofore, they had known
good only ; now, to their cost, they became
acquainted with evil also : and the result of
their knowledge was this, that misery was the
consequence of the one, as happiness had been
of the other. Yet neither does this imply an
insensibility to the distinction between them.
Rather it appears to have quickened their ap-
prehensions in this respect, though disabled
from averting the evil brought upon them.
Nevertheless, it by no means follows, that
because we do not acknowledge the total ex-
tinction of the Divine image in man, we
therefore suppose him to be now capable of
attaining the proper end of his being, or of
recovering what he has lost, by his own un-
aided efforts ; or, in other words, that he does
not stand in need both of redemption and of
sanctification. Adam appears instantly to
have felt that he had no power of himself to
remove the evil he had incurred. His very
nature was changed. Evil now formed a
part of it. It was not simply the one trans-
gression that M^as to be expiated, but an in-
calculable train of future transgressions, which
he was no longer able, as before, to escape.
Hence his case was become desperate. The
necessity, therefore, of a remedy, which could
only be provided by the mercy of his Creator,
SERMON VIII.
183
is scarcely less apparent on this view of man's
fallen state, than on that which ascribes to
him nothing but unqualified malignity of
purpose, the disposition of an irreclaimable
fiend, rather than of a being yet reserved for
further probation.
In this general conception of the subject it is
safer to rest, than to attempt to unravel all
the intricacies in which it has been involved.
If we can discern enough to convince us that
God was the Author of whatever was ori-
ginally ^ooc? in our nature, or of whatever yet
remains of good in it ; if we can also discern
that whatever of evil has been introduced, is
the work of man himself opposing the will of
his Maker, or of a tempter instigating him to
his misery and ruin ; then will the divine at-
tributes stand clear of any just suspicion, and
the cavils of the profane and thoughtless be
put to silence. More especially, if that same
infinitely wise and gracious Power, who first
created man for happiness and perfection, has
interposed to rescue him from destruction,
and has afforded him the means of rectifying
the obliquities of his nature, and recovering
his lost privileges ; a theme of admiration is
presented to us, even greater than that which
preceded the evil we deplore. For if it be a
nobler height of power and of goodness to
N 4 •
184
SERMON VIII.
bring good out of evil, and to seek and save
that which is lost, than to preserve or reward
those who need no such extraordinary exer-
cise of benevolence, then is redemption (to us,
at least,) so much more stupendous a proof of
both, than even creation itself.
Under such a representation, the contrast
between man's fallen and his primeval state
loses so much of its harsher features, that we
are enabled to contemplate it without de-
spondency or dejection. The gloom that sur-
rounds it is so irradiated by the beams of
heavenly consolation, as to open to us fresh
sources of gratitude and praise. We see the
hand of infinite power stretched forth to aid
the weak and helpless. We hear the voice
of infinite wisdom calling man from the error
of his ways, and directing him to the path of
life. We trace with wonder that union of
justice with mercy, which, in the very act
of vindicating its injured claims, provides the
means of reconciliation and acceptance. In
a word, we recognise, throughout the whole
of the proceeding, the Apostle's forcible re-
presentation, " where sin abounded, grace did
" much more abound : that as sin hath reign-
" ed unto death, even so might grace reign
" through righteousness unto eternal life, by
" Jesus Christ our Lord
" Rom. V. 20, 21.
SERMON VIII.
185
For this view of the subject, however, let
us never forget that we are indebted wholly
to the light of divine revelation. Cheerless
and hopeless were the prospect which would
otherwise be set before us. But, " through the
" tender mercy of our God, the day-spring
" from on high hath visited us, to give light
" to them that sit in darkness and in the
" shadow of death, and to guide our feet into
" the way of peaces"
y Luke i. 78, 79.
SERMON IX.
CoLOSS. iii. 9, 10.
Ve have put off" the old man with his deeds, and
have put on the new man, which is renewed in
knowledge after the image of him that created
him.
There are three different states in which
the nature and condition of man claim our
special consideration. The first is his p7'i-
meval state, while he retained in full vigour
that image of God in which he was origi-
nally created, and was endowed with all the
perfections suitable to his rank in the scale
of moral being. The second is his fallen
state, when, in consequence of his transgres-
sion, that divine image was defaced and de-
spoiled. The third is his redeemed or rege-
nerated state, in which his nature is so far
rectified and restored, as to obtain for him
new hopes and privileges, and to reinstate
him in the Divine favour.
Respecting his primeval and his fallen
state, observations have been made in two
188
SERMON IX,
preceding Discourses, intended, not only to
explain and vindicate the scriptural repre-
sentation of them against erroneous persua-
sions, but also to direct our thoughts to the
value and the necessity of that redemption,
by which the evils of the fall are removed
or mitigated, and a new covenant proposed,
adapted to man's present exigencies. It re-
mains now to take a view of him in this re-
deemed or regenerated state ; to consider
what are its peculiar privileges and benefits,
what change it is designed to produce in his
nature and condition, and by what means it
operates to render that change effectual.
The w^ords of the text lead us directly to
the contemplation of these points. They
seem intended by the Apostle to suggest a
comparison of man's condition under the
Gospel, both with that of his fallen, and that
of his original state. " Ye have put off the
" old man with his deeds ;" that is, ye have
renounced the evil propensities, the vitiated
affections, natural to you as the posterity of
fallen Adam ; " and ye have put on the new
" man, which is renewed in knowledge, after
" the image of Him who created him ;" in
other vrords, ye are made partakers of that
grace and mercy by which ye may become, as
it were, new men, attaining to some resem-
SERMON IX.
189
blance of that Divine image, in which Adam
was at first created.
It has already been shewn, that man was
originally created for immortality, and made
capable of fulfilling the conditions on which
that gift was suspended, by such perfect en-
dowments, intellectual and moral, as were
sufficient to preserve him in a state of inno-
cence and integrity. It has been shewn also,
that, on the breach of those conditions he
lost his title to immortality, became subject
to death, and received a taint of corruption
and infirmity, which rendered it impossible
for him to resume the pure and spotless cha-
racter he had before sustained.
With reference to these circumstances, the
Gospel is represented as a new creation of
man, conveying to him remission of sins and
the gift of eternal life, and repairing the in-
jury done to his mental and spiritual facul-
ties, so as to render him a fit object of the
Divine acceptance. These benefits are usually
distinguished by the terms regeneration^ jus-
tification, and sanctification, terms authorized
by St. Paul's usage of them, and comprising
all that relates to our present subject.
1. The word regenei'ation occurs but twice
in the New Testament, and once only with
reference to this subject, in that passage of
190
SERMON IX.
St. Paul's Epistle to Titus, in which he speaks
of our being " saved by the washing of rege-
" neration and renewing of the Holy Ghost'."
But expressions equivalent to this are of fre-
quent recurrence. To be " born again ;" to
be "born of God;" to be "born of the Spirit;"
to be a " new creature," and a " new man ;" are
familiar phrases with our Lord and his Apo-
stles, and evidently betoken the same as the
word 7'egeneration in the passage just recited.
These phrases have a perfectly clear and
intelligible meaning, so far as they contrast
the state of a Christian with that of a person
who has no title to the hopes and privileges
of the Gospel ; but it is difficult, without re-
ference to such a contrast, to perceive either
their force or their propriety. If man in his
fallen state differed in no respect from man
in his original state, we might well ask with
Nicodemus, "How can these things be?" How
" can a man be born again ?" What can such
expressions as these signify? But when we
understand that the Christian redemption
delivers us from a state of bondage and cor-
ruption to a state of spiritual freedom and
holiness, there appears nothing forced or ex-
travagant in this figui-ative language. They
who embrace the faith of the Gospel enjoy
a Titus iii. 5.
SERMON IX.
191
hopes and expectations which cannot enter
into the thoughts of those who reject its
truths, or are unacquainted with them. They
have new views of human life and of human
nature, new desires, new principles and mo-
tives of action. So opposite are the characters
of the parties in these respects, that our Sa-
viour contrasts them as light and darkness :
the one he calls " the children of this world,"
the other, " the children of light." " That,"
says he, " which is born of the flesh is flesh ;
" and that which is born of the Spirit is spi-
" rit*" ;" denoting a general change in the dis-
position and faculties of man, on his admis-
sion into the Christian covenant. There is
then bestowed upon him, as is alleged in our
baptismal service, " that thing which by na-
" ture he cannot have." He is made " a mem-
" ber of Christ, a child of God, and an inhe-
" ritor of the kingdom of heaven." The two
last benefits are the consequence of the first.
In his primitive state of innocence he bore a
filial relation to his Creator, and was assured
of a blissful inheritance. Both these privi-
leges he lost by his transgression. Both are
restored to him through faith in the Re-
deemer.
2. The next great change thus wrought in
John iii. 6.
192
SERMON IX.
man is that which is expressed by the term
justification.
This term, as applied to the Christian co-
venant, evidently denotes nothing more than
remitting the sentence of condemnation. It
cannot imply a declaration of the innocence
of the party accused ; for, in that sense, as
the Psalmist declares, " can no man living be
" justified ' ;" and St. Paul affirms, both of
Jews and Gentiles, "that they are all under
" sin," and are " become guilty before God ^"
Nevertheless, with reference to man's original
state of righteousness on the one hand, and
to his fallen state of guilt and unrighteous-
ness on the other, the penalty of the latter is
taken off, and the benefit of the former, upon
certain conditions, restored. The immortality
also which he had forfeited is re-assured to
him, though not without submitting to that
previous but temporary dissolution, which
was irrevocably confirmed by the sentence
passed upon Adam, "Dust thou art, and unto
" dust shalt thou return ^" Thus, though
" the wages of sin is death," yet " the gift
" of God is eternal life V Everlasting bliss,
a state of full and perfect happiness, is pro-
mised as the ultimate consequence of this
Psalm cxliii. 2. d Rom. iii. 9, 19. Gen. iii. 19.
f Rom. vi. 23.
SERMON IX.
193
justification ; although the penal sentence of
the Almighty fails not to be executed, in that
labour and sorrow which, more or less, in this
present life, is the portion of all the sons of
men.
This justification, however, is not absolute,
but conditional. It is bestowed by the free
grace, or mercy, of God ; since of right no
man could demand it : and it is bestowed for
the sole merits of Him "who was delivered
" for our offences, and was raised again for our
"justification^." Still it is conditional. It does
not take effect without faith in the Redeemer,
without repentance of sins past, without obe-
dience for the future. And though it is said
that, by faith only we are justified, this is evi-
dently to be understood either of faith in its
most enlarged acceptation, as inclusive of re-
pentance and obedience, or of faith as the in-
strument of embracing the offer of salvation ;
by the acceptance of which offer we become
pledged to the fulfilment of whatever is re-
quired of us to render it effectual.
In man's state of innocence there was no
room for such a justification as this ; there
was no need of it. Before he had trans-
gressed he needed not repentance nor pardon.
He lay under no condemnation ; no charge
s Rom. iv. 25.
VOL. I. O
194
SERMON IX.
was brought against him ; therefore no ac-
quittal was wanted. The original righteous-
ness which adhered to him superseded the
necessity of imputative righteousness. " This
" do, and thou shalt live," was the simple con-
dition of the first covenant in Paradise ; and so
long as that remained unviolated, there M'ere
no defects to supply, no evils to remove, no
propitiation or intercession called for, to assure
him of uninterrupted and perpetual bliss.
In his fallen state, justification indeed was
wanted, but could not be found. Man con-
fessedly a culprit, and unable to vindicate his
own claims to the Divine acceptance, sought
in vain for the means of escape from merited
condemnation. His "iniquities had separated
" between him and his God*";" he "waited for
" light, but behold obscurity ; for brightness,
" but he walked in darkness'." He "looked
" for judgment, but there was none ; for sal-
" vation, but it was far off from him''." His
faith had no object on which to repose its
confidence ; repentance could not wash away
the stain of guilt; obedience for the future
could not retrieve the error of the past. To
the redemption that is in Christ Jesus he
owes entirely the free gift of this unspeakable
blessing.
h Isa. lix. 2. i Isa. lix. 9. Isa. lix. 11.
SERMON IX.
195
3. The other great privilege of man's re-
deemed state is sanctijication.
The injury sustained by the fall could not
be completely repaired, nor man's restoration
to holiness and righteousness effected, with-
out this additional benefit. In vain v^ould
he be " born again" to new hopes, and privi-
leges, and expectations ; in vain would he be
assured of remission of sins, and an inherit-
ance in life eternal, upon those conditions
which the Gospel holds out ; unless he were
enabled, by other means than those within his
own reach, to avail himself of these privileges.
In his state of innocence, his conscience was
free from the sense of guilt ; his faculties
were unclouded, unimpaired. When these
faculties lost their original energy, and be-
came enfeebled and impaired by the preva-
lence of evil affections, the balance could no
longer be preserved between the understand-
ing and the will. The heathen poet's ''video
" meliora proboque, deteriora sequor,'' corre-
sponding with the Apostle's complaint, " The
" good that I would, I do not ; the evil which
" 1 would not, that I do' ;" was generally cha-
racteristic of fallen man.
Now, although infinite goodness had open-
' Rom. vii. 19.
O 2
196
SERMON IX.
ed a way for " plenteous redemption" from
guilt and misery, yet how could infinite holi-
ness dispense with a conformity to the Di-
vine will ? Is it not written, that " he is of
" purer eyes than to behold iniquity"," and
that " without holiness no man shall see the
" Lord" ?" Will, then, the atonement for sins
repair all the injuries of the fall ? Will the
faith that justifies render the believer fit to
be a partaker of heavenly promises, without
the sanctifying influence that purifies the
heart, enlightens the understanding, and rec-
tifies the will ?
Surely we may almost presume to say, that
the Gospel itself had been incomplete, and
the salvation it olFers doubtful, had not pro-
vision been made for this exigency of our na-
ture. To separate the reward of holiness
from holiness itself, the enjoyment of bliss
from the dispositions requisite to its enjoy-
ment, is a solecism hardly to be affirmed of
infinite purity and truth.
Sanctification, then, as well as justification,
is the privilege of man in his regenerated
state. By the grace imparted to him he is
" strengthened with might in the inner man."
The natural bias to evil is powerfully coun-
m Habak. i. 13. " Hebr. xii. 14.
SERMON IX.
197
teracted by the imperceptible operation of
this heavenly gift. The will, though not ir-
resistibly controlled, is prompted and incited
by the suggestion of the most urgent and
effectual motives. The intellect, cleared of
those mists of prejudice and passion which
intercept its views of truth and rectitude, so
much the more readily discerns and approves
what is good. Restored again to its just as-
cendancy over the inferior faculties, it re-
sumes its sway, and is with less reluctancy
obeyed. Thus is the Divine image so far re-
newed in man, as to enable him to fulfil the
great purpose of his being, and to leave him
without excuse if he fail of attaining it.
Sanctification thus stands opposed to the
corruption of our nature ; as justification
stands opposed to the condemnation incurred
by transgression. The one cancels the guilt
of sin ; the other subdues or restrains the
propensity to it. The dread of punishment
is removed by justification ; by sanctification,
the hope of reward is excited. Both are
inseparable from a state of acceptance with
God. Both imply, that we have "put off the
" old man, with his deeds ; and have put on
" the new man, which is renewed in know-
" ledge, after the image of Him that created
" him."
o 3
198
SERMON IX.
From the foregoing view of the subject, we
may now be better enabled to form a gene-
ral estimate of human nature, and to judge
of the comparative changes it has under-
gone.
The original righteousness of man in his
primeval state was the result of that undis-
turbed and harmonious operation of his fa-
culties, which preserved him in an unde-
viating course of obedience to the Divine
will. What further aids might be vouch-
safed to him, by immediate communication
from his Maker, is no where revealed. Hap-
piness, however, pure and unalloyed happi-
ness, ensued from this state of moral perfec-
tion ; together with a certainty of its perpe-
tual continuance, and probably of its future
enlargement and increase, on condition of
perseverance in the same course.
When this original righteousness was for-
feited by man's disobedience, sin took posses-
sion of those faculties which before had been
swayed by no guidance but that of the Di-
vine will. It took possession of them, and
exercised a dominion over them, which the
victim of its power, though conscious of the
fatal influence and of the consequent misery
it produced, was yet unable to overcome ;
and struggled in vain for emancipation from
SERiMON IX.
199
the thraldom. Thenceforth, human nature
became a compound of jarring and contrary
affections, of innate propensities warring with
each other, of enfeebled love of good, and
strong concupiscence of evil, of domineering
appetite, and reason unable or disinclined to
assert its rightful superiority. By a being so
constituted, neither goodness nor happiness
could be attainable. Not only would the
evil continually overbalance the good within
him ; but even his better actions and his bet-
ter affections would partake so much of his
inherent infirmity, as to fall far short of that
measure of excellence which would satisfy his
own sense of duty, and still further short of
that which could abide the scrutiny of an all-
righteous and omniscient Judge. Thus in
every son of Adam is original righteousness
so obscured, so depressed and debased by ori-
ginal sin, as to be incompetent of itself to
maintain the conflict with its adversary. Tlie
consequences we know full well ; — self-con-
demnation, shame, sorrow, disquietude, fear,
evils temporal and spiritual, in this life ;
death, terminating these evils here, but ac-
companied with a fearful looking-for of judg-
ment in a world unknown.
" WTio," then, says the Apostle, " shall de-
" liver me from the body of this death ?"
o 4
200
SERMON IX.
Let the same Apostle give the answer : " I
" thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord"."
Through the Gospel, "life and immortality
" are brought to light p." The darkness that
overspread them — whether the darkness of
ignorance and incredulity, or the darkness
of uncertainty with respect to the misery or
bliss to be expected — is now dispersed. Un-
der this dispensation, man is as certain now
of life and immortality, as when he was at
first created to inherit both. Together with
this assurance, he is again brought into cove-
nant with his Maker, that he may know on
what grounds this blessing, once forfeited, is
now restored. The covenant itself is pro-
portioned to his wants and his infirmities, to
the change his nature has undergone, and to
the increased difficulties with which he has
to contend. If spotless innocence, if unsin-
ning perfection, were the terms of this cove-
nant, then were it necessary that man should
literally be created anew, to enable him to
fulfil them. But the Gospel contemplates
man as he now really is, not only as liable
to sin, but actually an offender; not only
as accessible to temptation, but as unable,
without superior aid, to resist or to escape
from evil. Its whole system is adapted to
" Rom. vii. 24, 25. P 2 Tim. i. 10.
SERMON IX.
201
this view of his circumstances and condition.
It flatters not his vain philosophy ; it encou-
rages no fallacious notions of his natural per-
fectibility ; it offers no empirical expedients
for his spiritual maladies.
The conditions of this covenant point both ■
to what man was intended to be, and to what
he actually is. In the first covenant made
with him in paradise, ya^VA was an implied, if
not an express condition ; — faith in the pro-
mise of life annexed to obedience, and in the
threatening of death annexed to disobedience.
And this is now the basis of the Gospel dis-
pensation, or rather, of that second covenant
which was made with man immediately after
his fall, and which continues in force from
thence to the end of the world ; having
changed only in its circumstances, with the
varying circumstances of mankind. With the
Patriarchs, it was faith in the general pro-
mise of a future Redeemer. With the Jews,
it was faith in a Redeemer, still future, but
more distinctly revealed and made known by
type and prophecy. With Christians, it is
faith in a Redeemer already come, who hath
personally fulfilled all righteousness, who
hath made one effectual propitiation for the
sins of the whole world ; and who ever liveth
202
SERMON IX.
to make intercession for us at the throne of
grace.
Again, obedience, no less than faith, is at-
tached to both covenants, before and since
the fall. Under every dispensation, this is
still an unceasing obligation. It may vary in
its circumstances, but in principle it is the
same. The creature can never be absolved
from duty to his Creator, can never plead a
will or purpose of his own, at variance with
the will of infinite perfection.
But while faith and obedience both equally
belong to man in his original and in his
fallen state, there is a manifest difference
with respect to his capability of fulfilling these
requisitions in the one state and in the other.
Perfect powers and defective powers, though
subject to one and the same principle of ac-
tion, cannot attain to the same practical per-
fection : nor will the same measure be meted
by an all-merciful and righteous Judge to
corruption and to incorruption, to the weak
and to the strong, to the being of unimpaired
faculties, and to the being labouring under
infirmity and disorder. Repentance, there-
fore, is graciously admitted in the one case,
to supply the want of that unsinning obedi-
ence requisite in the other. But even this re-
SERMON IX.
203
pentance, as well as the faith and ohedience
still exacted from fallen man, becomes meet
for the Divine acceptance, only through that
pervading influence of the Holy Spirit, which
is requisite to render either of them fit offer-
ings at the throne of grace.
The general result is this. Man's condi-
tion now is a mixed condition of hope and
fear, of trial and discipline, of preparation
and of conflict. His redemption does not
exempt him from the evils of mortality : his
regeneration does not remove him from the
assaults of temptation, or the dangers of sin.
The corruption of our nature "doth remain,"
says our ninth Article, "yea, in them that are
" regenerated." The body of sin is never to-
tally destroyed, while we continue in this
mortal state. But its dominion is shaken,
and may be overthrown. " Greater is he
" that is in you," saith St. John, " than he
" that is in the world''." An invisible power
upholds us in danger, consoles us in tribula-
tion, gives us resolution and perseverance.
But the responsibility is with ourselves. To
us, as to the Israelites of old, may be ad-
dressed the awful warning, " I call hea-
" ven and earth to record this day against
" you, that I have set before you life and
'1 1 Jolin iv. 4.
204
SERMON IX.
" death, blessing and cursing : therefore choose
" life^"
This is what Christian philosophy teaches
of man. Here are no dreams of human per-
fectibility, incongruous with nature and with
fact; no dark and mysterious sf)eculations,
injurious to the perfections of the Creator.
Enough is revealed, to prove that man has
never ceased to be the object of God's benig-
nant regard ; that the measure of favour, of
help, of compassion towards him, from his
Maker, has always been in proportion to his
circumstances and his exigencies ; nay, that
even his liability to penal judgments is in-
tended to operate for his good. Under such
rule and guidance, there is no room for pre-
sumption or for distrust. " Our sufficiency is
" of God'." But that sufficiency being vouch-
safed to us, what must be the consequence if
we abuse it to our destruction ? The whole
practical conclusion is summed up in the
Apostle's exhortation : — " Work out your own
" salvation with fear and trembling : for it is
" God that worketh in you, both to will and
" to do, of His good pleasure*."
f Deut. XXX. 19. ' 2 Cor. iii. 5. « Phil. ii. 12.
SERMON X.
Galatians iii. 19-
JVJierefore then serveth the Law ? It was added,
because of transgressions, till the seed should
come, to whom the promise was made.
Large and comprehensive views are ne-
cessary of the work of man's redemption, to
enable us to form just conceptions of its real
character. The want of these has often oc-
casioned great mistakes, and given advantage
to the infidel and the scoffer; whose at-
tempts to bring revealed religion into discre-
dit are usually grounded upon partial or im-
perfect apprehensions of the system it pre-
sents to our contemplation. Such objections
can only be removed by a fuller develope-
ment of its great design, by exhibiting the
several parts of it in connection with each
other, and by elucidating the purpose which
each separate portion appears to have an-
swered in subserviency to the whole.
The course of reasoning pursued by St.
206
SERMON X.
Paul, in combating the prejudices of the Jews
against the Christian dispensation, will con-
firm the truth of this remark. The main ob-
ject of his Epistle to the Galatians is to shew
that the Jews had greatly misconceived the
Divine purpose, in giving them that Law
under which it was their pride and their
boast to have lived. He contends that al-
though the Law was unquestionably of Di-
vine authority, and in itself was " holy, just,
" and good ;" yet, from its very nature, and
from its declared intent, it could neither be
of perpetual nor of universal obligation ; but
was evidently preparatory to some ulterior
dispensation of a more comprehensive nature.
From the Scriptures of the Old Testament he
proves, that the necessity of faith in the pro-
mised Redeemer was announced antecedent-
ly to the Law of Moses ; that Abraham was
justified by faith in the promise which God
had made to him, " in thy seed shall all the
" nations of the earth be blessed'';" a promise
including the Gentiles as well as the Jews ; —
moreover, that the Mosaic Law had no inhe-
rent efficacy to the pardon of sin, but rather
pointed out the necessity of some other pro-
vision for that purpose ; — that it was a Law
of rigid justice, entailing a curse upon the
^ Gen. xxii. 18.
SERMON X.
207
violation of any of its precepts ; — that there
had been no actual redemption from that
curse, until that which was wrought by
Christ ; — and that the redemption wrought
by Him was the fulfilment of the very pro-
mise made to Abraham, four hundred and
thirty years before the giving of the Law ;
which promise could not possibly be dis-
annulled by the Law itself, being, equally
with that Law, of Divine authority.
But lest this view of the subject should
seem to derogate from the worth and excel-
lency of the Jewish dispensation, the Apostle
sets forth, in the words of the text, the real
purpose for which it was ordained ; a pur-
pose, in every respect worthy of its Divine
Author, yet affording a decisive proof that it
was now no longer in force ; — " Wherefore,
" then, serveth the Law ? It was added be-
" cause of transgressions, till the seed should
" come, to whom the promise was made." —
" It was added ;" — the Law was engrafted
upon the promise, not substituted in its
stead. The promise was to " all the nations
" of the earth ;" a reiteration of the still ear-
lier promise made to our first parents, that
" the seed of the woman should bruise the
" serpent's head'' a promise including the
t> Gen. iii. 15.
208
SERMON X.
whole human race. The Law, therefore,
whatever might be its special purpose, could
not supersede that solemn engagement which
the Almighty had previously declared he would
fulfil, for the general benefit of mankind.
In this simple but comprehensive state-
ment the Apostle gives us a key to the whole
Jewish dispensation.
The Law was mainly of a twofold de-
scription, moral and ceremonial. The moral
part of it was, with respect to its general
principles, of far more ancient date than the
time of Moses. It was coeval with man's
creation. It was co-extensive with the whole
race of mankind. It was the law by which
Enoch is said to have " walked with God"^,"
and Noah to have been " a just man, and per-
" feet in his generations'*." The same law St.
Paul states also to have been in a certain
sense known to the Gentile world, being
" written in their hearts," and their con-
sciences "accusing or excusing them*," ac-
cording as they adhered to its dictates or de-
parted from them.
The Ten Commandments, promulgated at
Mount Sinai, can hardly (in substance at
least) be said to form an addition to that Law.
They may rather be regarded as a solemn re-
c Gen. V. 22. d Gen. vi. 9. ^ Rom. ii. 15.
SERMON X.
209
cognition of those first principles on which
every moral obligation was originally founded.
They contain, in a summary the most brief
and comprehensive that can well be con-
ceived, a perfect outline of man's duty in re-
lation to his Maker, and to his fellow crea-
tures. They include, moreover, the prohibition
of evil concupiscence, as well as of evil deeds ;
exercising a dominion over the hearts and
thoughts of men. Hence they are substantially
as binding now as heretofore ; nor has there
ever been a period when mankind were not,
according to their measure of knowledge and
information, responsible for their observance.
There are, however, no existing records of
any such express rule of duty having been
authoritatively delivered, before the giving of
the Law at Horeb. What the Jews affirm
respecting the seven precepts of Noah rests
on no clear historical evidence ; and could at
most have no other than traditional author-
ity, wanting the stability and permanency of
a written law. The prevailing and increas-
ing corruption of mankind, from the deluge
to the time of Moses, affords sufficient proof,
that " because of transgressions," some more
solemn declaration of the Divine will had be-
come necessary. Notwithstanding the tre-
mendous destruction of the antediluvian
vol,. I. p
210
SERMON X.
world, and the renewal of the covenant of
promise to Noah, " the earth was again filled
" with violence Hence arose the restric-
tion of that covenant, for a while, to one par-
ticular people, who, being trained under the
immediate guidance of the Almighty, were to
afford in their history and conduct demon-
strative evidence of His supreme authority as
moral Governor of the world.
Abraham, the progenitor of this chosen
race, was specially called for this purpose ;
that through him and his posterity the wor-
ship of the only true God might be pre-
served, and the promised blessing conveyed
to the rest of mankind. To this peculiar
people the world at large were indebted for
such a knowledge of revealed religion, and
such expectations resulting from it, as could
not otherwise have been attainable. Yet, at
no distant period from the commencement of
this dispensation, the very people thus se-
lected became tainted with the general cor-
ruption. Then it was, that Moses was raised
up to be their ruler and deliverer ; commis-
sioned not only to emancipate them from a
galling yoke of bondage, but also to promul-
gate a Law, accompanied with the most awful
manifestations of the Divine presence, and
f Gen. vi. 11.
SERMON X.
211
administered under such sanctions as nothing
less than Divine power could have carried
into effect.
This Law, however, even as to its moral
purpose, had many provisions specially adapt-
ed to the exigencies of that people to whom
it was more immediately given. It was
framed to correct the evil propensities they
had already imbibed, and to form a barrier
against the mass of impiety and immorality
every where prevalent around them. Hence
the rigorous penalties by which it was en-
forced, and that unmitigated execution of its
penal enactments, which led the Apostle to
call it a " ministration of condemnation
Thus the Ten Commandments became an
authorized standard of duty, which none
could violate without self-conviction. In this
respect, the Law operated as a powerful an-
tidote to transgressions. It shewed to God's
chosen race, and through them to other na-
tions also, the perverseness and iniquity of
their ways. It manifested the Divine dis-
pleasure towards sin of every kind, and espe-
cially the sins of idolatry and apostasy. It
moreover taught those who relied on the an-
cient promise made to the Fathers before the
giving of the Law, that the same God who in
s 2 Cor. iii. 9-
P 2
212
SERMON X.
infinite mercy had made that promise, was
also infinite in justice and in power, terrible
in his judgments, and not to be disobeyed
with impunity.
Let us now consider the application of the
Apostle's declaration in the text to the cere-
monial law ; which also was added " because
" of transgressions."
The ceremonial Law had two chief objects ;
to preserve the Jews from the idolatry and
superstitions of heathen worship ; and to pre-
pare them, by a typical and figurative service,
for the acceptance of that one great atone-
ment for sin to be effected by the promised
seed.
The whole history of the Jewish people
proves them to have been exceedingly prone
to idolatry, and to have had an excessive
fondness for external pomp and ceremony in
matters of religion. Their long abode in
Egypt, and their subsequent intercourse w4th
the Canaanite nations, whom they were sent
forth to exterminate, left impressions of this
kind upon their minds which seem never to
have been entirely effaced. To wean them
from these dangerous propensities, to fix their
religious affections upon the only proper ob-
ject of devotion, to render their attachment
to symbolical rites instrumental to their in-
SERMON X.
213
struction in spiritual truths, and to preclude
them, by imperative restraints and prohibi-
tions, from any intercommunity of worship
with the neighbouring nations, was mani-
festly the purpose of this ritual.
Different opinions have, indeed, been en-
tertained as to the Divine proceedings in this
respect. Some have supposed the ritual it-
self to have been, for the most part, adopted
from Paganism, and transferred to the Jews,
in accommodation to their deep-rooted pre-
possessions ; their heavenly Lawgiver thus
condescending to human infirmity, in the
very measures intended to detach them from
the general corruption that prevailed. This
view of the subject has been taken both by
Jewish and Christian expositors of high emi-
nence. To others, however, of no less esti-
mation, it has seemed to derogate from the
sacred character of this ritual, to ascribe to it
so unseemly an origin ; and it has been with
great strength of reasoning, and great weight
of evidence, contended, that the rites of Pagan
worship ought rather to be regarded as spuri-
ous copies of Judaism, or of some divine ori-
ginals of still earlier date, than as prototypes
of Jewish worship. A discussion of this ques-
tion would carry us too far from our present
purpose. But in whichsoever way it be de-
P 3
214
SERMON X.
cided, the divine authority of the system, as
well as its wisdom and its efficacy, stands
clear of all reasonable exception. Its author-
ity stands unimpeached, resting upon the mi-
raculous agency by which it was introduced
and established. Its wisdom and efficacy are
manifested by its results. That it was not only
admirably adapted to produce the intended
effects, but did actually produce them, is in-
disputable. It not only presented a striking
contrast to the Pagan idolatries, both as to
the objects of their worship, and the detest-
able practices with which they were accom-
panied; but it also rendered a conformity
with those practices utterly impossible, with-
out a certainty of incurring the most tre-
mendous penalties.
The other purpose of the ceremonial Law
relates to its more immediate connection with
the Christian dispensation.
" The Law," says the Apostle, " was our
" schoolmaster, to bring us unto Christ''." It
prescribed a variety of ordinances, which, with
respect to their full significancy and effect,
could only be explained by their reference to
that Saviour, that promised seed, whom they
mystically represented and prefigured. It set
forth in the most striking colours the extent,
h Gal. iii. 24.
SERMON X.
215
the magnitude, the turpitude and guilt of
sin ; and it taught, in the clearest manner,
the momentous truth, that guilt could only
be done away by some vicarious atonement
offered up as a propitiation for sin. To every
lighter trespass, as well as to more aggravated
offences, it applied this leading principle ; af-
fording a perpetual commentary on those aw-
ful truths, that " God is of purer eyes than
" to behold iniquity'," and that "all have sin-
" ned and come short of the glory of God""."
To every contemplative mind there was thus
afforded a most affecting picture of the mi-
sery of man, unless effectual means were pro-
vided of reconciliation with God.
The expressions used by St. Paul in cha-
racterizing this part of the Mosiac Law are
very remarkable. He calls it " the hand-
" writing of ordinances which was against us,
" which was contrary to us," and which our
Lord " blotted out," and " took it away, nail-
" ing it to his cross'." He calls it also " a
" shadow of things to come, of which the
" body is Christ"'." By the former expres-
sions were signified the malignity of sin and
its condemnation ; by the latter, the means
of removing that condemnation. Thus did
i Habak. i. 13. ^ Rom. iii. 23. ' Col. ii. 14.
m Col. ii. 17.
P 4
216
SERMON X.
the consolations of the Law, on the one hand,
mitigate its terrors on the other ; while both
served to point the attention of the faithful
worshipper to that ulterior dispensation of
grace and mercy, in which all these ordi-
nances were to receive their final consumma-
tion. And hence we may further understand
why the Law is sometimes spoken of as a
" curse," and a " ministry of condemnation," to
those who lived under it ; and at other times
is highly magnified as a token of God's mercy
and favour to his chosen people. Both re-
presentations are strictly just. The Law was
a dispensation of judgment and of mercy ; of
judgment for the condemnation of transgres-
sion ; of mercy, for the removal of its penal-
ties. It denounced the wrath of God against
sin. In its sacrifices, as the Apostle observes,
there was "a remembrance again of sins
" every year" ;" and it could " never make the
" comers thereunto perfect"" by virtue of its
own efficacy. Nevertheless, it exhibited the
symbols and the seals of that pardon and
that sanctification, on which the faithful were
to rely as pledges of the redemption to be
wrought for them by the promised seed.
These purposes it is necessary to keep in
view, as inseparably connected, in forming
" Heb. X. 3. ^ Hcb. n. 1.
SERMON X.
217
our judgment of this wonderful institution.
When thus viewed, we immediately perceive
the full force of St. Paul's representation of
the hope and consolation enjoyed by those
who lived under it ; who, as he affirms, " all
" died in faith, not having received the pro-
" mises, but having seen them afar off, and
" were persuaded of them, and embraced
" them P."
When, therefore, we find the same Apostle
speaking of the ordinances of the Law as
" weak and beggarly elements 'i," and declaring
it to be " annulled," " for the weakness and
" unprofitableness thereof','' we must under-
stand the observations as addressed to those
only who insisted upon its inherent efficacy
and perfection, without reference to Christ ;
or who deemed the observance of it necessary
to salvation, even after its purpose had by
Him been accomplished. But the Apostle is
far from depreciating any of its ordinances,
when viewed in connection with the Gospel.
He speaks of circumcision as " the seal of the
" righteousness of faith He represents the
passover to have been a symbol of redemption
through the blood of Christ. He raises the
dignity of the Levitical sacrifices, by asserting
P Heb. xi. 13. q Gal. iv. 9. ' Heb. vii. 18.
" liorn. iv. 11.
218 SERMON X.
them to have been figurative of our Lord's
expiatory sacrifice upon the cross. He exalts
its priesthood, by shewing its analogy to our
great High Priest and Mediator, "who ever
" liveth to make intercession for us In
some even minute particulars, he dwells upon
the correspondence of type and anti-type in
the two dispensations, setting before us the
whole ceremonial Law in its most interesting
point of view, as designed to adumbrate the
blessings of the Gospel, and to prepare the
disciple of Moses for that greater " Prophet
" who should come into the world."
Many of the foregoing observations will be
found applicable, in some measure, to the po-
litical or foi'ensic part of the Law of Moses,
so far as that is separable from its moral or
ceremonial injunctions. The civil polity of
the Hebrews extends to every department of
social life. It defines rights, privileges, cus-
toms, manners. It regulates marriage con-
tracts, parental and filial duties, the relation
of masters and servants, ordinary transactions
between man and man, the administration of
public justice, the rules of civil order and de-
corum, every thing requisite to preserve the
general fabric of society from injury or mo-
lestation. It tended also to infuse into the
' Heb. vii. 25.
SERMON X.
219
minds of the people an habitual reverence for
that pure theocracy under which they lived ;
to keep them, in that respect more especially,
uncontaminated by other nations ; to enforce
a strict adherence to both tables of the Deca-
logue ; and to guard their most venerable in-
stitutions from desecration or neglect. Among
precepts so multifarious and so specifically
detailed, many will undoubtedly be found of
universal concern, applicable to all mankind.
Others will no less evidently appear to have
been of a more restricted character, limited
to that peculiar people, arising out of their
singular circumstances, and the purposes for
which they were thus placed under the im-
mediate superintendence of the Almighty.
The use and design of these can only be dis-
covered by a careful consideration of those
purposes. But the whole of the political
part of the Law, being essentially interwoven
with the moral and ceremonial precepts, may
equally be said to have been " added because
"of transgressions." It was added, both for the
punishment and prevention of offences ; and
it prepared the way for that period, when all
its minor observances should be superseded
by duties and obligations on a far more ex-
tended scale.
We may now, therefore, fully enter into the
220
SERMON X.
Apostle's meaning when he says, " the Law
" was added because of transgressions, until
" the seed should come to whom the promise
" was made." It was an intermediate dispen-
sation between the giving of the promise and
the fulfilment of that promise, shewing most
clearly, by the very nature of its enactments
and provisions, the guilt of sin and the ne-
cessity of a Redeemer. It inculcated these
highly important lessons. It prefigured also
that better dispensation which was to follow
it : and under the direct operation of a
Divine Power visibly carrying on the design
to its ultimate completion, not only the Jews
themselves, but all who attained to any know^-
ledge of their history or of their sacred writ-
ings, might be made sensible, in some degree,
of their own perilous condition, and be led to
inquire after that Deliverer, whom the pro-
phet, in contemplation of such a general ex-
pectation of his coming, emphatically called
" the Desire of all nations
Occasion might hence be taken to dilate
upon many collateral points connected with
the subject ; to notice the many fallacies and
misrepresentations into which infidel writers
are continually betrayed in their attacks upon
the Jewish law and history ; and also the un-
" Haggai ii. 7.
SERMON X.
221
successful and unsatisfactory modes by which
injudicious defenders have sometimes con-
ducted its vindication. Observations might
further be made on the erroneous views which
the Jews themselves entertained of their own
religion, and their consequent rejection of
Him in whom alone its full purpose was ac-
complished. Nor might it be unprofitable
to animadvert upon those among our Chris-
tian brethren, who either unduly depreciate
the value and importance of the Jewish dis-
pensation, or themselves adopt certain narrow
and contracted notions of the extent of the
Christian redemption, savouring more of a
Jewish than a Christian spirit. But it must
suffice barely to have suggested these topics,
and leave them to your own reflections.
To them, however, who duly reverence both
the Law and the Gospel, as proceeding from
one and the same source of infinite Wisdom
and Goodness, no stronger proof will be want-
ed than that which the consideration of this
subject affords, to assure them that " he is
" faithful who hath promised "," and that the
Gospel of Christ is indeed " the power of
" God unto salvation to every one that be-
" lieveth ; to the Jew first, and also to the
" Greek Contemplating each system as
" Heb. X. 23. y Rom. i. 16.
222
SERMON X.
connected with the other, and both as co-
operating for the general benefit of mankind,
they will thankfully acknowledge that " the
" kingdom of heaven is now opened to all be-
" lievers ;" and that the great charter of our
salvation has no exceptions, no reservations,
" no respect of persons," either as to accept-
ance or rejection, but such as necessarily re-
sult from the performance or non-perform-
ance of its covenanted conditions. For, " in
" every nation he that feareth God and work-
" eth righteousness is accepted with Him ^ ;"
— and wheresoever these " glad tidings" are
made known, there is the foundation laid for
promoting " glory to God in the highest, and
" on earth peace, good-will towards men."
z Acts X. 35.
SERMON XI.
Matthew v. 17.
Think not that I am come to destroy the Law or
the Prophets : I am 7iot come to destroy, hut to
fidjil.
The universality of the Christian dispensa-
tion is that great leading feature in its cha-
racter, which distinguishes it, not only from
every false religion, but also from every sub-
ordinate revelation of the Divine will with
which it is itself connected. It is that, by
which we recognize it in every stage of its
existence ; by which we trace it throughout
the earliest as well as the latest communica-
tions of the Almighty with mankind ; and
which so well accords with the Apostle's forc-
ible expression, when he declares the blessed
Author of this gracious system to be "Jesus
" Christ, the same yesterday, to-day, and for
" ever^."
a Heb. xiii. 8.
224
SERMON XI.
A difficulty, however, arises, in reconciling
this its acknowledged characteristic, with
those temporary or local dispensations of re-
vealed religion which lay equal claim to a
Divine original. How will it accord with the
grant of special religious privileges to cer-
tain favoured individuals, families, or nations?
How, in particular, shall we account for the
continuance, through a long series of ages, of
a peculiar system of faith and worship, ex-
clusively appro])riated to one race of people,
chosen to be the depositaries of God's wiW,
and distinguished from the rest of mankind
by manifold tokens of His signal favour and
protection ?
This difficulty is removed, by shewing, (as
has been attempted in a former Discourse,)
that such temporary or partial dispensations
were not detached or entire systems in them-
selves ; but were constituent parts of one
vast and comprehensive design, with which
they were essentially interwoven, and from
which their chief importance was derived.
Considered thus as necessary adjuncts to that
great purpose, far from clashing with its main
object, or derogating from the consistency of
its Divine Author, they exalt both the one
and the other in our estimation, by enlarging
our conceptions of that omniscience and om-
SERMON XI.
225
nipotence so wonderfully manifested through-
out the whole procedure.
But, when the relative use, the compara-
tive value, and the harmony of these several
parts of the system have been thus adjusted;
another difficulty presents itself, which has
sometimes proved a stumblingblock to pre-
judiced or negligent observers. Whatever
has received the sanction of the Divine will,
derives from that single circumstance an au-
thority never to be overthrown. And as
nothing can supersede the Divine will, so can
that will never be at variance with itself.
The Law which it has once promulgated, it
will never disown. That which it has de-
clared to be " holy, just, and good," it will
never suffer to be set at nought. " God is
" not a man, that He should repent. Hath
" He said, and shall He not do it ? Or, hath
" He spoken, and shall He not make it
" good**?" If then, any particular dispensa-
tion of revealed religion be evidently of Di-
vine original, can it be otherwise than of per-
petual obligation ? Can it be annulled or in-
validated by any authority whatsoever, with-
out an impeachment of the Divine perfection
and immutability ? This is the sum of cer-
tain objections urged by unbelievers against
Numbers xxiii. 19-
VOL. I. Q
226
SERMON XI.
the Divine authority either of the Jewish or
of the Christian religion, or of both. The
Jew alleges it against the Christian ; the in-
fidel, against the Christian and the Jew. Nor
would the difficulty be easily surmountable,
if it could be proved that the two religions
were contradictory to each other, or that
there was even any hostile competition be-
tween them.
Our Lord, as if in anticipation of such ob-
jections, declares, in the very first Discourse
delivered to the multitude that surrounded
him, " Think not that I am come to destroy
" the Law or the Prophets : I am not come
" to destroy, but to fulfil." So positive a de-
claration admits not of compromise or eva-
sion. The antithesis is too clear to be mis-
understood, too strong to yield to any subtle-
ties of reasoning. Neither by Himself, nor
by His authority, could that ever have been
brought to pass, which He so unequivocally
disclaims.
How, then, shall this declaration be ren-
dered consistent with that actual cessation of
the Law which subsequently took place ?
that cessation, which not only appeared to
follow as a natural and necessary consequence
of embracing the Christian faith in its full
extent ; but was also declared by his Apostles
SERMON XI.
227
to have been the manifest intention of its Di-
vine Author ?
To explain this matter satisfactorily, we
must first ascertain the full and precise im-
port of our Lord's declaration ; and then
see how it concurred with what eventually
took })lace.
The whole force of our Lord's declaration
evidently turns upon the contrast between
destroying the Law and fulfilling it. If He,
in his own person, accomplished its entire de-
sign ; if He did that, without which the Law
itself could not have effected its intended
purpose ; then he could in no proper sense
be said to destroy it. On the contrary, it
should in that case rather be said that He
brought it to perfection ; that He gave it the
most direct sanction ; confirmed its author-
ity ; raised its character to the highest pos-
sible degree of elevation ; and invested it
even with so much greater dignity and im-
portance than otherwise could have belonged
to it.
Now, this its accomplishment in the per-
son of our blessed Saviour is established by
the clearest evidence.
The records of His life testify His own ob-
servance of the Law, even in the minutest
particulars. His sermon on the Mount ma-
Q 2
228
SERMON XI.
nifested His reverence for its moral precepts,
and conveyed such enlarged expositions of
their real spirit and signification, as put to
shame the pitiful and evasive glosses of those
who nevertheless made an ostentatious dis-
play of their scrupulous adherence to the let-
ter of its enactments. His whole deport-
ment corresponded with His declarations in
this respect ; and the attempts of His adversa-
ries to convict him of any violation of its pre-
cepts constantly recoiled upon themselves.
The same regard for its civil and municipal
regulations invariably marked His conduct.
He neither assumed the privilege, nor inti-
mated a desire, to depart from any of its in-
stitutions : nay, He enjoined His disciples to
pay all due obedience to those who "sat in
" Moses' seat however reprehensible might
be their personal conduct. In the observance
of the ceremonial Law, He exhibited the
same edifying example. We find Him punc-
tual in the prescribed ritual of the temple
and the synagogue ; attendant upon public
solemnities ; careful, even in His miracles, to
require a strict compliance with its requi-
sitions ; thus proving to His followers, that it
was one great purpose of His coming into the
world, to be " made obedient unto the Law
Matth. xxiii. 2.
SERMON XI.
229
" for man," and so to " fulfil all righteous-
" ness," that not " one tittle of the Law should
" fail"."
But this was not the only sense, nor in-
deed the most important, in which His de-
claration was made good. He fulfilled the
Law, not only by conforming to its precepts
and upholding its authority, but by effecting
its purpose in such a manner as could have
been done by none but Himself. " Christ,"
says St. Paul, " was the end of the Law^" It
was ordained to testify of Him ; was intro-
ductory to His coming ; prefigured w^hat was
to be done by him ; derived its chief effi-
cacy from faith in Him, the promised seed ;
and could not attain its main object, until
actually accomplished in his person. The
whole tenor of St. Paul's reasoning with the
Jews, to prove that the Law was no longer in
force, is grounded upon our Lord's having
thus completed its intention, and thereby
brought it to a termination. He shews, that
what the Law could not do by virtue of its
own operation, Christ had done by coming in
the flesh ; and therefore that to Him was the
Law indebted for its full effect. He con-
tends also, that by no other means could the
original promise, upon which the Law was
Luke xvi. 17. Rom. x. 4.
Q 3
230
SERMON XI.
only engrafted for a special purpose, have
been rendered effectual. For the Law, he
observes, was not " against the promises of
" God' ;" but pointed out the necessity of re-
lying on those promises, and was instrumen-
tal to their attainment. Consequently, our
Lord in fulfilling the promises, did that which
the Law itself had chiefly in contemplation :
and had He not done this, the Law (what-
ever other purposes it might have served of a
secondary nature) would as to its chief ob-
ject have been altogether defective.
By this clue, then, we are guided to the
full meaning of our Lord's declaration in the
text : nor shall we find any thing to shake
our conviction of its truth, in the subsequent
events which occurred under the Jewish dis-
pensation. Our Lord fulfilled its precepts,
its ordinances, its types, its prophecies, its
whole design. Thus was the charge brought
against him of destroying it, effectually re-
futed. As a necessary consequence of this
fulfilment, the use of the Law was, indeed,
thenceforth done away. There was now no-
thing further to be accomplished. The pur-
pose of its existence was answered. The pro-
posed term of its continuance was limited to
the period when the promised " seed should
f Gal. iii. 21.
SERMON XI.
231
" come." That term having expired, it gave
way to the more universal dispensation, of
which it had been the forerunner.
But the subject may be further elucidated,
if we consider more distinctly what is to be
understood by the abrogation, or rather the
cessation of the Jewish Law, and to what ex-
tent it has actually taken place.
In this Law, a distinction is always care-
fully to be made between the particular and
the general purposes to which it was adapted.
So much of it as related to the Jews only,
could co-exist only with the continuance of
that people as a distinct nation ; and must
necessarily cease, whenever that distinction
should be done away. So much of it as was
founded on principles common to the rest of
mankind, and in unison with the Gospel-co-
venant, was to be perpetual and unchange-
able. For, in point of date, the Gospel-cove-
nant was as old as Adam, and will continue
to the end of time. It commenced with the
Fall ; it was the basis of the Patriarchal cove-
nants ; it was carried on by the Law and the
Prophets ; it was perfected by our Lord Him-
self ; it will receive its final consummation at
the Resurrection of the just.
In separating what properly belongs to this
enlarged and comprehensive purpose from
Q 4
232
SERMON XI.
that which related exclusively to the Jewish
dispensation ; it will be found that the great-
er part, if not the whole of the moral Law,
appertains to the former, and the greater part
of the ceremonial and political Law to the
latter.
Christian ethics differ in no respect, essen-
tially, from Jewish. A full and ample com-
mentary on the Decalogue is conveyed in the
practical instructions of our Lord and his
Apostles ; and, when divested of the false
glosses of the Scribes and Pharisees, the Mo-
saic precepts harmonize with the purest
maxims of Christian piety and Christian phi-
lanthropy. These, therefore, remain unre-
pealed, and will continue to the end of time
with authority undiminished.
Some parts of the ceremonial and of the
political Law come also under the same de-
scription. Such injunctions, whether of ec-
clesiastical or civil concern, as involve the es-
sentials of piety, of purity, of justice, or of
charity, (and many such there are in the in-
stitutions of Moses,) are, in their principle,
confined to no particular age or nation, but
are entitled to universal observance. These
also our Lord and his Apostles have distinctly
recognized in the New Testament, and have
given them a sanction which transfers them
SERMON XI.
233
from the Jewish to the Christian code. They
are thus rendered of perpetual obligation.
It is not my purpose to specify particulars
in proof of these observations. The general
principles on which they rest hardly need
illustration ; the particular application of
them could only be established by a very
lengthened detail. But admitting the prin-
ciple to be just, we readily perceive in what
sense the Law may be said to have ceased
from its operation, and in what respect it still
continues to be in force.
The Law is no longer either necessary or
availing, as it was under Moses and the Pro-
phets, to justification ; Christ having now ob-
tained for the universal Church terms of par-
don and acceptance not dependent upon any
local or national privileges. The Law can no
longer be necessary or efficacious as a sys-
tem of coercion or restraint; its temporal
sanctions having vanished on the disconti-
nuance of the theocracy which upheld them ;
and its spiritual benefits being more than
supplied by that better dispensation to which
it has given place. Nor is the Law any longer
wanted as a distinct code of religious instruc-
tion. Those momentous truths which relate
to the hope of salvation and eternal life, it
taught chiefly by prefigurative emblems, anti-
234
SERMON XI.
cipating what was afterwards to be realized
in the promised Seed. Accordingly, St. Paul
represents the Jews to have been in a state of
pupilage, placed " under tutors and governors
" until the time appointed of the Father ^ ;"
but " after that faith is come, we are no
" longer under a Schoolmaster''."
In these respects the peculiar properties of
the Jewish Law have ceased. It resembled
a noble stream, which having fertilized and
blessed the country through which the pro-
vidence of God ordained it to pass, has at
length reached that point of destination where
it is lost in confluence with a mightier mass
of waters. The distinctive character of the
Law is gone ; and its previous benefits can
only now be traced in the progress it made
to its junction with Christianity, or in the
supplies it contributed to that larger object
in which it is now completely merged.
But we shall not do full justice to the
value of the Mosaic Law, if we do not ob-
serve, that having thus coalesced with the
Gospel, it becomes, in consequence, a part of
Christianity itself ; nor would Christianity be
what it now is, if unaccompanied with the
evidences of the Jewish dispensation, or dis-
severed from the code of the Hebrew legis-
^ Gal. iv. 2. h Gal. hi. 25.
SERMON XI.
235
lator. In conjunction with Christianity, that
code is still operative and efficient. All its
precepts, all its prohibitions, of a general cha-
racter, now belong to this greater design, and
contribute to form that perfect rule of con-
duct which is no less necessary to the Chris-
tian than to the Jew. We have the assur-
ance of salvation under the Gospel, but it
includes the stipulation of obedience ; and
when God promises to be Our God, we pro-
mise to be His people. Our Lord fulfilled
the Law by performing all righteousness, and
by atoning for sin. Li both characters we
are to receive him ; as our Ransom by his
death ; and in his life, as a Pattern for our
imitation. The Holy Spirit, in like manner,
exercises a twofold office. He is both a Com-
forter and a Sanctifier ; a Comforter, to up-
hold us under the consciousness of transgres-
sion ; a Sanctifier, to shew us the necessity of
renewed obedience. So that, though we are
not under the Law as opposed to the Gospel,
or with reference to any of its peculiar and
temporary purposes ; yet we are under it as
connected with the Gospel, and partaking in
its main design. It is one thing to allege
the perpetuity of the Law itself as a distinct
dispensation ; it is another thing to allege
the perpetuity of those doctrines or precepts
236
SERMON XI.
which it taught in common with the dispen-
sations that preceded and followed it. The
former might cease ; the latter could not.
The dispensation itself might vanish ; but not
so its never-failing testimony to that which
shall endure throughout all generations.
Nor are these observations to be limited to
the moral part of this Divine institution. The
reason of the thing requires that they should
be extended to every part, which brings it in
contact with Christianity. The Jewish ritual
had, indeed, narrower limits, and a more cir-
cumscribed operation, than the moral pre-
cepts. Yet its reference to the Gospel is ex-
ceedingly striking. The doctrine, couched
under its mystical ordinances, of atonement
for sin through the promised Redeemer, is
the same with that which we embrace in the
Christian faith, and is of perpetual concern.
In whatever manner this doctrine may have
been revealed, it can never cease to be a
grateful subject of contemplation to every
true believer. But while this circumstance
greatly enhances the value of the ceremonial
Law, it shews that it is no longer wanted for
its original purpose. It were indeed a solecism
to say that that which was confessedly prefi-
gurative and proleptical in its signification,
could continue beyond the period of its ful-
SERMON XI.
237
filment. The remembrance of it might doubt-
less afford a topic of unceasing admiration to
after ages ; but it would necessarily be as of
an event already past and gone, to be num-
bered among the wonders of old time, wrought
by the Almighty for the furtherance of his
gracious promises.
It is the same also with the political part
of the Jewish Law. Some of its institutions
were founded on maxims of universal obli-
gation ; others were of a limited character,
adapted to that peculiar people, and framed
for temporary purposes. None but Antino-
mians or fanatics will contend that the former
have vanished with the latter ; and thence
infer, that all the rights of magistrates, of
war, and of property, are swept away with
the Jewish economy. None, on the other
hand, but persons of almost equally weak
judgment, will imagine that all the latter are
still in force, and that Christian states ought
now to be regulated by the peculiarities of
the Jewish government. If the former class
of visionaries were right, many of the sound-
est maxims of general jurisprudence might
be set at nought. If the latter, many regu-
lations of merely local or occasional import-
ance, irrelevant to other times and circum-
stances, might be perpetuated to no useful
238
SERMON XI.
end. But the rule of judgment here is not
difficult, if there be no sinister bias to coun-
teract its operation. Compare the Old and
the New Testament together. Whatever pre-
cepts or observances of the Old are recog-
nized as general and permanent, and con-
firmed as such, in the New, belong doubtless
to the Christian as well as to the Jew. What-
ever appertains exclusively to Judaism has
either ceased with that dispensation, or it is
now so identified with Christianity as to be
no longer distinguishable from it. Whatever
was in its own nature changeable, might un-
dergo a change without any imputation on
the unchangeable perfections of Him who or-
dained it : and if God himself had ordained
that it should be temporary, not perpetual,
then the immutability of his own purpose
would require that the change should take
place. Thus the Divine proceedings, both in
the introduction and in the extinction of this
peculiar polity, are reconcileable with every
just conception of an all-perfect Being.
When, therefore, we speak of the abroga-
tion of the Jewish Law, we mean only that
which might be more correctly expressed by
calling it simply its cessatmi or expii-ation.
Certainly we ought to intend nothing to its
real disparagement ; nothing which can imply
SERMON XI.
239
that it had failed of its proper object, or was
thrown aside as worthless and inefficient. On
the contrary, its cessation was purely the re-
sult of its com])letion by the promised Seed ;
and had that not taken place, its main object
must have failed. The devout Jew, there-
fore, who, like aged Simeon, had " waited for
" the consolation of Israel V' might with rea-
son hail in the person of our Lord, Him who
displayed in its fullest lustre the real use and
value of the privileges so long enjoyed by
God's chosen people. The more highly he
had valued these privileges, the more would
he rejoice to find the expectations grounded
on them at length fulfilled. He might even
feel a laudable pride in reflecting, that though
the time was now at hand when these privi-
leges would be no longer necessary to those
who had been distinguished by them ; yet
the dispensation which superseded them re-
dounded so much the more to " the glory of
" God's people Israel ;" since to that people
had " pertained the adoption, and the glory,
" and the covenants, and the giving of the
" Law, and the service of God, and the pro-
" mises ; whose were the Fathers, and of
" whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ
" came, who is over all, God, blessed for
" ever '\"
' Luke ii. 25. ^ Rom. ix. 4, 5.
240
SERMON XI.
There is sufficient evidence, then, of the
Divine intention that the Jewish Law should
be no more than a temporary dispensation ;
its cessation, " when the fuhiess of time should
" come," being anticipated in the very princi-
ples on which it was founded. But a matter
so necessary to be understood was not left to
be inferred only from such internal evidence.
It was prophetically announced, both before
and after the time of Moses. The patriarch
Jacob foretold, that the sceptre and the law-
giver should not depart from Judah " till
" Shiloh should come ' ;" clearly limiting their
continuance to that period. " Behold the
" days come, saith the Lord" to the prophet
Jeremiah, "that I will make a new covenant
" with the house of Israel and vrith the house
" of Judah ; not according to the covenant
" that I made with their fathers, in the day
" that I took them by the hand to bring them
" out of Egypt"'." To Daniel it was still more
distinctly revealed, that when Messiah should
be " cut off," he should " cause the sacrifice
" and oblation to cease "." St. Paul argues
from our Lord's being predicted in the Psalms
as a Priest " after the order of Melchisedec,"
that the priesthood being changed, there was
" of necessity a change also of the Law ""
• Gen. xlix. 10. Jer. xxxi. 31, 32.
" Dan. ix. 27. " Hebr. vii. 12.
SERMON XI.
241
to which the Levitical priesthood was attached.
The same may be inferred from those nu-
merous passages in the Old Testament which
advert to the approach of times when the wor-
ship of God should be extended among all
nations ; predictions incapable of being veri-
fied under the circumscribed operation of the
Mosaic Law.
To return, then, to our Lord's declaration
in the text ; " I came not to destroy the Law
" or the Prophets, but to fulfil them." — He
fulfilled both the Law and the Prophets: —
He destroyed neither. The Prophets also
of the Old Testament, as well as the Law,
terminated in him. Did the termination of
those prophecies destroy their authority ?
Was it not, rather, the necessary consequence
of their completion; the effect of their be-
ing fully verified in Him ? In like man-
ner, the Law pointed to Christ as its chief
end and object ; and in Him that end and ob-
ject were attained ; how does its termination,
then, destroy its character? That character
still remains unimpaired. The Law has done
its office ; but is not buried in oblivion. It
has long since departed ; but is still had in
honour and in grateful remembrance. Chris-
tianity owes to Judaism what will never be
lightly esteemed by its intelligent advocates :
VOL. I. R
242
SERMON XI.
and the Jew may embrace the Christian faith
without abating one tittle of his just venera-
tion for the creed of his forefathers. Both
dispensations concur in one and the same di-
vine purpose. The one has not supplanted
the other, as a rival institution ; but has fol-
lowed it in that due order of succession which
the divine Founder of both had pre-ordained.
The Law has given way to the Gospel, that
its own main purpose might more effectually
be attained, and the Gospel itself stand forth
in full perfection. And in affording such an
accession of evidence and of strength to the
Gospel, the lustre of that universal blessing
was reflected back upon itself
The necessary cessation of the Mosaic dis-
pensation being thus explained, a subordinate
inquiry remains yet to be taken into consi-
deration respecting the period of its actual
termination. That a considerable interval
elapsed between the time when the Law had
virtually expired, and that in which its ob-
servance was authoritatively prohibited, is
evident from the history of the Apostles after
our Lord's Ascension. The discussion of this
point is reserved for another Discourse.
The two main subjects of our consideration
may now be summarily dismissed.
Respecting St. Paul's assertion, that the
SERMON XI.
243
Law " was added because of transgressions
" till the Seed should come, to whom the pro-
" mise was made," it has been shewn, in a
former Discourse, that each great branch of
that Law had certain peculiarities belonging
to it of a temporary character ; such as were
manifestly not intended to continue longer
than until the completion of their purpose in
that more enlarged dispensation to which
they were introductory. That these were
" added" to what had been antecedently re-
vealed of the will of God, " because of trans-
" gressions," was also shewn from the circum-
stances which rendered such peculiar institu-
tions necessary, both to convince mankind of
the guilt and condemnation of sin, and to
point out the means by which at a future pe-
riod that guilt and condemnation were to be
removed.
In the present Discourse, it has been en-
deavoured to place our Lord's assertion, that
he " came not to destroy the Law but to fulfil
" it," in such a light as may shew its entire
coincidence with the Apostle's representation
of the nature and design of the Law itself
The same meaning has been considered as
implied in both ; that the main purpose of
the Law depended upon its fulfilment in
Christ, and that its being superseded by the
R 2
244
SERMON XI.
Gospel did not annul that purpose, or dero-
gate from its importance ; but confirmed it
in every respect, and stamped upon it an in-
delible character of Divine authority.
The result of these inquiries should be to
increase our veneration both for the one dis-
pensation and the other. More especially
should it impress upon us, that however
wisely and mercifully adapted any preceding
revelations may have been to the exigencies
of former times, the full display of infinite
perfections was reserved for that complete
and final manifestation of the Divine will,
under which it is our happiness to live. We
can survey, as from a lofty eminence, giving
us an entire command of the extensive scene
on which these wondrous things have been
transacted, the whole plan itself, the deve-
lopement and connection of the several parts
with each other, their mutual dependencies,
their mutual cooperation, their combined ef-
fects. Let not such advantages be lost upon
us. Let it not be imputed to us, that we re-
main as much unaffected by them, as if we
had never been placed within their reach.
Let them elevate our thoughts and affections
to the great " Author and Finisher of our
" faith," with whom these wonders originated,
by whom they were conducted and carried on
SERMON XI.
245
from age to age, and in whom they have at
last been brought to their perfect consumma-
tion.
To Him, therefore, who is "Alpha and
"Omega, the First and the LastP," to Him,
who, together with the Father and the Holy
Ghost, is "God, blessed for evermore," be as-
cribed, as is most due, all honour and glory,
might, majesty, and dominion, henceforth and
for ever. Amen.
P Rev. i. 8.
R 3
SERMON XII.
Acts xv. 5, 6.
But there rose up certain of the sect of the Phari-
sees which believed, saying, That it was needful
to circumcise them, and to command them to heep
the Law of Moses. And the Apostles and Elders
came together for to consider of this matter.
Some of the prejudices entertained against
Christianity by the Jews, on its first pro-
mulgation, however unjust or iil-founded,
were better entitled to patient considera-
tion, and even to a certain degree of indul-
gence, than many which, in later times, have
been cherished by persons })roud of being
distinguished as philosophical unbelievers.
They had this, at least, to give them ])lausi-
bility, that they arose out of a professed re-
verence for Divine authority, and a dread of
departing from what had once been clearly
attested as the will of God. They did not
partake of that rash spirit which sets up hu-
u 4
248
SERMON XII.
man reason against divine revelation ; but re-
cognised the duty of scrupulously adhering
to the very letter of every thing w^hich had
borne the stamp of an heavenly origin. And,
however erroneous might be the application
of this principle, the principle itself is too
sacred to be treated with levity or with dis-
respect.
The devout Jew, whether brought up at
the feet of Gamaliel, or in some more humble
schools of Pharisaical instruction, was habi-
tuated from his earliest infancy to regard the
institutions of Moses, and even the traditions
of those who sat in Moses' seat, as the dic-
tates of infallible truth. The sacred Law so
environed him against every external attack
upon his faith, and so effectually precluded
the admission of any internal principle which
might tend to weaken its authority, that few,
perhaps, who had been nurtured under such
tuition, deemed it necessary to investigate
with much precision either the original pur-
pose of the Law itself, or the limits which
necessarily circumscribed its extent and its
duration. And this want of attention, how-
ever reprehensible, but too much resembles
that of many among ourselves, who are Chris-
tians rather from habit and from custom, than
from that careful examination of the subject
SERMON XII.
249
which affords the best security against doubt
or error.
We ought not, therefore, to be much sur-
prised, that a large proportion of the first
Jewish converts to Christianity manifested a
strong propensity to intermingle with it the
peculiarities of the Mosaic Law. Convinced,
as they appear to have been, of the Divine
pretensions of Jesus, and that they had found
in Him the very person " of whom Moses in
" the Law and the Prophets did write * ;"
they were yet reluctant to yield to Him
that exclusive or preeminent authority, which
Moses and the Prophets had declared to be
His due. They were slow to believe that
justification and sanctification were to be ob-
tained by Christ alone, without the continu-
ance of those means of pardon and accept-
ance which the Law had provided. They
could not be prevailed upon to regard that
Law but as still in force, with respect to
those, at least, who had already been brought
within its covenant ; and they were even dis-
satisfied with the supposition that other na-
tions might be excused from becoming prose-
lytes to Judaism, in order to obtain the full
benefits of Christianity.
In considering the important question of
2 John i. 45.
250
SERMON XII.
the cessation, or abrogation, of the Mosaic
Law, this state of the general feeling of the
Jews must not be overlooked. In every dis-
pensation of revealed religion, we may discern
the gracious disposition of the Almighty to
adapt its provisions to the infirmities and pre-
possessions of those for whose benefit it was
more immediately designed. This disposition
our Lord Himself manifested, in his manner
of communicating to his chosen disciples, as
well as to the multitude at large, some truths,
at which they would probably have revolted, if
pressed upon them with less caution and con-
sideration. This was His declared reason for
so often speaking to them in parables ; and for
touching sparingly on those points, which the
Apostles themselves were not yet sufficiently
rooted in the faith to receive. " I have many
" things," said He, " to say unto you : but ye
" cannot bear them now''.'" These things were
to be imparted to them more fully and dis-
tinctly, by that gradual illumination of the
Spirit, which He promised to send after His
departure.
That the discontinuance of the Mosaic
Law was one of those points on which the
disciples were least able to bear a full and
unqualified disclosure, is evident from their
1' John xvi. 12.
SERMON XII.
251
conduct on several occasions. Their lofty
notions of the Messiah's kingdom clearly in-
dicate that they looked to a vast enlarge-
ment of the Jewish polity, not to its extinc-
tion or diminution. They expected that
other nations would be brought by the great
Shepherd of Israel into the Jewish fold ; not
that they themselves were to become a people
dispersed and undistinguished in one univer-
sal fold, common both to Jew and Gentile.
The sons of Zebedee doubtless coveted ho-
nours which they conceived none but an Is-
raelite could claim : and when the whole
company of the Apostles interrogated our
Lord, after his resurrection, as to the time of
his "restoring again the kingdom to Israels"
they little expected the dissolution of that
polity by which it had for so many ages been
upholden. Hence their reluctance to receive
the intimations, not obscurely given by our
Lord, that the time was approaching, when
" not one stone should be left upon another'"'
of that goodly temple, which they beheld with
unbounded veneration, and deemed to be se-
cured by Divine protection against every pos-
sible assault. These mispersuasions tended
to create feelings and prepossessions almost
Acts i. ().
'l Matt. xxiv. 2.
252
SERMON XII.
as untractable as those that actuated even
the bitterest of our Lord's opponents.
A still more decisive proof of this may be
traced in the doubts entertained, even after
the miraculous occurrences on the day of
Pentecost, respecting the admissibility of the
Gentiles to a participation of Christian privi-
leges. It v^^as not until the extraordinary vi-
sion of St. Peter, and the subsequent conver-
sion of Cornelius the centurion, that the
offer of the Gospel appears to have been di-
rectly made to any but of the Jevt^ish nation.
For his conduct on that occasion, St. Peter
was called to a rigorous account by his
brethren of the circumcision. Convinced,
however, by his recital of the circumstances,
that God had indeed " to the Gentiles granted
" repentance unto life ^ ;" the rest of the
Apostles thenceforth joined in extending the
saving knowledge of the Gospel far and wide.
But the question respecting the observance of
the Jewish Law still remained undecided by
any authoritative declaration. It seems pro-
bable, that the Apostles in their respective
ministries, no longer imposed this condition
upon their Pagan converts ; and it is evident,
that Paul and Barnabas incurred the vehe-
« Acts xi. 18.
SERMON XII.
253
ment displeasure of some of the Jews, by for-
bearing to insist upon it. Perhaps the mat-
ter was left to the discretion of each indivi-
dual Apostle, until the occurrence to which
the text relates called for their collective
judgment, and made it necessary to establish
some rule for general observance.
" Certain men," says the sacred historian,
" which came down from Judaea, taught the
" brethren, and said, Except ye be circum-
" cised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot
" be saved. When therefore Paul and Bar-
" nabas had no small dissension and disputa-
" tion with them, they determined that Paul
" and Barnabas, and certain other of them,
" should go up to Jerusalem, unto the Apo-
" sties and Elders, about this question. And
" being brought on their way by the church,
" they passed through Phenice and Samaria,
" declaring the conversion of the Gentiles :
" and they caused great joy unto all the
" brethren. And when they were come to
" Jerusalem, they were received of the church,
" and of the Apostles and Elders ; and they
" declared all things that God had done with
" them. But there rose up certain of the
" sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying,
" That it was needful to circumcise them,
" and to command them to keep the Law of
254
SERMON XII.
" Moses And the Apostles and Elders came
" together for to consider of this matter^"
Here it is to be observed, that the question
propounded was not whether the Jews might
continue their observance of the Mosaic Law,
but whether such observance was necessary
to the Gentiles : and accordingly, the deci-
sion of this council at Jerusalem went no
further than to the determination of that
point. The determination appears also to
have been grounded, not so much upon a ge-
neral view of the impropriety of combining
the peculiarities of Judaism with Christianity,
as upon a conviction that the Divine will,
with respect to the Gentiles, had been suffi-
ciently manifested by the miraculous success
of the Gospel in those heathen countries
where this yoke had not been imposed. St.
Peter's convincing argument, "Can any man
" forbid water, that these should not be bap-
" tized, which have received the Holy Ghost
" as well as we»?" superseded the necessity
of further consideration. They were moved
also, (as it is expressly stated,) by Paul and
Barnabas, " declaring what miracles and won-
" ders God had wrought among the Gentiles
" by them Accordingly, their decision was
prompt and unequivocal. They sent back
< Acts XV. 1—6. " Acts X. 47. ^ Acts xv. 12.
SERMON XII.
255
Paul and Barnabas with this definitive judg-
ment : — " It seemed good to the Holy Ghost,
" and to us, to lay upon you no greater bur-
" then than these necessary things ; That ye
" abstain from meats offered to idols, and
" from blood, and from things strangled, and
" from fornication : from which if ye keep
" yourselves, ye shall do well '." In this de-
cree, none of the peculiar distinctions of the
Jewish Law are insisted upon. The restric-
tions relate either to general principles of
moral duty, or to practices which not only
would give offence to the scruples of the
Jews, but might ensnare the consciences of
the heathen themselves. And thus were the
Gentile converts released from the dread of
that yoke which Pharisaical rigour sought to
have laid upon them.
But although this solemn edict, delibe-
rately issued by " the Apostles, and Elders,
" with the whole church V did not actually
extend further than to the liberty which
should be allowed to converted Pagans, yet
it virtually decided a question of vital im-
portance to the Jews themselves. For the
Pharisees, who provoked the discussion, had
grounded their complaints against Paul and
Barnabas upon the supposed general neces-
i Acts XV. 28, 29. k Acts xv. 22.
256
SERMON XII.
sity of keeping the Mosaic Law ; without
which, they denied the possibility of salva-
tion : " Except ye be circumcised after the
" manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved '."
Now, if this principle had been admitted by
the Apostles, they could not but have insisted
upon the Gentiles becoming Jew^ish as well
as Christian proselytes. But this principle
being rejected, it followed also, that the Jew-
ish Law was no longer necessary, even to the
disciples of Moses. The utmost that could,
after this decree, be conceded to the Jews,
was a discretionary or a tacit permission, to
continue the observance of the Law, although
its obligation had evidently ceased, and al-
though its institutions could be no longer at-
tended with their wonted efficacy, as services
acceptable in the sight of God.
Thus was the great fundamental question
concerning the extent and the perpetuity of
the Jewish Law authoritatively set at rest.
Thenceforth, we may conceive each Apostle,
and each Christian teacher under the direc-
tion of the Apostles, unfolding, as occasion
offered, the grounds and reasons of this deci-
sion, and gradually removing those prejudices
which had hitherto obstructed the full pro-
gress of the Gospel. Of their labours in this
' Acts XV. 1.
SERMON XII.
257
respect we have abundant proof in the inva-
luable writings of the Apostles themselves,
addressed to different churches, or distin-
guished individuals, for their confirmation in
the faith.
The difficulties, however, which the Apo- '
sties encountered, in endeavouring to eradi-
cate these prejudices, appear to have been
very great. It required all the tenderness
due to scrupulous minds, to prevent this sub-
ject of contention from becoming a source of
irreconcilable animosity. St. Paul adverts to
these difficulties, when he says, "Unto the
" Jews, I became as a Jew, that I might gain
" the Jews ; to them that are under the Law,
" as under the Law, that I might gain them
" that are under the Law ; to them that are
" without Law, as without Law, that I might
" gain them that are without Law. To the
" weak became I as weak, that I might gain
" the weak : I am made all things to all
" men, that I might by all means save some'."
Three remarkable instances of his accommo-
dation to Jewish prejudices are recorded in
the Acts of the Apostles : — his circumcising
Timothy ; his shaving his head at Cenchrea,
in fulfilment of a vow made according to the
injunctions of the Levitical Law; and his
' 1 Cor. ix. 21, 22.
vol.. 1. s
258
SERMON XII.
performing a solemn rite of purification at
Jerusalem, with four other persons bound by
a similar vow. Yet the same Apostle makes
his boast of not having circumcised Titus,
" because," says he, " of false brethren, un-
" awares brought in, who came in privily to
" spy out our li])erty, which we have in Christ
"Jesus, that they might bring us into bond-
" age
Nor was St. Paul justly chargeable with in-
consistency in these proceedings. It is evi-
dent on what grounds he acted, in conform-
ing to the Jewish Law on some occasions,
and in departing from it on others. We
may collect from his writings on this subject
three main principles which governed his
conduct in these respects : — 1st, That the
ceremonial Law being virtually done away,
could no longer oblige any person to its ob-
servance ; 2dly, That since it was no longer
in force as a Law, the performance or the
omission of it was become a matter of indiffe-
rence, and in no respect essential to an ac-
ceptance of the Christian faith; "circumci-
" sion being nothing, and uncircumcision no-
" thing, but the keeping of the command-
" ments of God";" Sdly, That they who in-
sisted upon its being still necessary to salva-
^ Gal. ii. 4. " 1 Cor. vii. 19.
SERMON XII.
259
tion did in reality abandon the great exclu-
sive privilege of the Gospel salvation by
Christ ; " Christ is become of no effect unto
" you, whosoever of you are justified by the
" Law : ye are fallen from grace"." These
are the points most strenuously urged by the
Apostle, in his controversy with Judaizing
teachers.
Now these principles, while they entirely
accord with those on which the decision of
the council at Jerusalem was founded, satis-
factorily elucidate St. Paul's conduct on the
occasions which have just been mentioned.
Timothy was born of a Jewish parent ; his
mother being a Jewess, though his father
was a Greek. Under such a circumstance, it
would have been a matter of scandal to the
Jews, (whom the Apostle was then especially
endeavouring to convert,) if Timothy had
not complied with this rite of admission into
the Jewish church ; nor is it probable that he
would have been suffered to preach among
them, without this testimony of conformity
to their Law. For a similar reason, St. Paul,
being himself brought up a Jew, might deem
it expedient to avoid giving offence to his
brethren, by any unnecessary departure from
Jewish customs in his own personal conduct;
° Gal. V. 4.
S 2
260
SERMON XII.
customs, which though no longer necessary,
were yet harmless. But it was not so, in the
case of Titus. He was a Greek by both pa-
rents ; and came under no obligation to the
Jewish Law by birth. The only ground,
therefore, for insisting upon his being brought
into the Jewish fold, must have been the al-
leged necessity of the Law for justification.
But to have acknowledged this necessity,
would have been to admit the very maxim
already expressly disclaimed, both by the
council at Jerusalem and by St. Paul himself.
Here, therefore, the Apostle resolutely made
a stand ; nor would he be moved by any cla-
mours of " false brethren," to sanction a prin-
ciple destructive of one of the fundamental
principles of Christianity.
The circumstances which have been consi-
dered may, perhaps, enable us now to form a
more accurate judgment respecting those pro-
gressive measures, by which it seemed good
to infinite wisdom, that the Law should be
withdrawn, and the Jews themselves brought
to discontinue its observance.
The Law became virtually extinct, (that is,
it ceased to have any validity as a distinct
dispensation,) on our Lord's departure from
this world ; when, having accomplished its
one main purpose, and fulfilled in it every
SERMON XII.
261
particular, he left it nothing more to do.
This took place, from the instant when the
Saviour of the world proclaimed on the cross,
" It is finished," and " bowed his head, and
"gave up the ghost p." The veil of the
temple was then miraculously rent in twain,
in token that there was no longer any separa-
tion betwixt Jew and Gentile, in the courts
of the Lord's house ; but that one common
Atonement, Mediator, and Intercessor, be-
longed to both. Mankind in general were
now, (as the Apostle to the Hebrews ex-
presses it,) to " enter into the holiest by the
" blood of Jesus, by a new and living way
" which He hath consecrated for us, through
" the veil, that is to say. His flesh''." The
Gospel thus succeeded to the Law, as sun-rise
to twilight, or as adult age to infancy. The
Law, the Prophets, the types, the figures, hav-
ing reached their full measure of perfection,
retired. " Sacrifice and offering, burnt-offer-
" ing and sin-offering," were no longer want-
ed ; because he was come, of Whom in the
volume of the book it was written, " Lo ! I
" come, to do Thy will, O God'!" — He, who
declared, that "the things concerning Him
"had an end';" and that "not one jot or
P John xix. 30. 'I Heb. x. 19, 20. ^ Heb. x. 6, 7.
^ Luke xxii. 37.
S 3.
262
SERMON XII.
" tittle of the Law should pass away, till all
" had been fulfilled ^"
But the eventual abrogation of this Law
went on in a different course. It was slow
and gradual ; accompanied with circumstances
which marked, not only great circumspection
in the mode of the proceeding, but feelings
of respect also and of veneration towards an
institution bearing the most unequivocal
characters of its sacred origin. The Law
came to the termination of its existence,
without any apparent efforts to accelerate
its dissolution. It was allowed to die a natural
death, and (to borrow the expression of a learn-
ed foreign Divine) it was buried, as it were,
with funeral honours". The Apostles them-
selves evidently partook of these feelings.
They were reluctant, at first, to dispense with
the observance of the Law, even among Gen-
tile converts. This point being decided, they
still allowed its observance among the Jews,
provided this were not deemed a matter of
necessity. But when, at last, this permission
was abused ; when sects and parties arose, en-
deavouring to maintain Judaism to the dispa-
ragement of Christianity, and inculcating a
t Malt. V. 18.
" " NtHjuc vero cliani ])raecipites ejectiP, sed sensiin, vel
" cum honore, sepulta- sunt cereinoniae.'" Carpzov.
SERMON XII.
263
reliance upon the works of the Law, rather
than upon the promises of the Gospel ; then,
the Apostles no longer hesitated in declar-
ing such adherence to it to be inconsistent
with a right apprehension of the Christian
faith. And thus the matter appears to have,
stood, until, by that tremendous event, the
destruction of Jerusalem, with the consequent
dispersion of the Jewish nation, the provi-
dence of God effectually interposed to render
the Law itself, as to all its distinguishing pe-
culiarities, utterly impracticable and void.
Ever since that memorable period, not only
all the characteristic grandeur of the temple
worship has vanished, but with it every thing
which rendered the expiatory sacrifices, and
the purifications, effective. Its sanctuary, its
altars, its priesthood, are gone. Nothing re-
mains but a faint reminiscence of benefits no
longer conferred, a spiritless observance of
ceremonies, without significance or value.
Nor can the Jew point out any reasonable
ground of hope, even from his own scriptures,
of the revival of that dispensation to which
he is still blindly devoted. The only condi-
tions on which the restoration of the Jews
to their national preeminence can now be
grounded, are those which entirely preclude
the continuance of the service to which they
S 4
S64
SERMON XII.
adhere. They must first " look on Him whom
" they have pierced," as their Saviour and
Deliverer. They must renounce the right-
eousness that is by the works of the Law,
and acknowledge the righteousness that is
by faith. They must relinquish that ritual
which had only " the shadow of good things
" to come," and embrace those better pro-
mises which realize what their own institu-
tions did but mystically represent.
All that was peculiar to the Mosaic Law
having thus necessarily given way, the Law
itself, as a distinct dispensation, is now be-
come as useless to the Jew as to the Gentile.
Its operation did not cease immediately upon
our Lord's coming, nor was it even diminish-
ed during the continuance of his ministry.
It remained in full force till after his cruci-
fixion. Even after that event, we find no
fixed period prescribed for its formal aboli-
tion, nor any compulsory act of authority
prohibiting its observance. It appears, there-
fore, to have been the Divine will, that its
actual termination, or rather its general dis-
continuance, should be the result of those
clearer and more enlarged views of the Chris-
tian dispensation, which, from time to time,
were vouchsafed to the inspired preachers of
the Gospel. By these mankind in general,
SERMON XII.
265
and the Jews in particular, were to be taught
wherein the true value of the Mosaic Law
consisted, and in what its real design and use
had terminated. No violence was done to
ancient prepossessions in favour of what had
been justly reverenced as sacred. Full time,
for deliberation, full latitude of inquiry, were
allowed. By deeper and deeper researches
into the scriptures of the Old Testament,
by more and more profound reasoning upon
their signification, and by daily increasing ac-
cessions of light and knowledge from that
Holy Spirit which was to " guide them into
" all truth," the Apostles, slowly indeed, but
successfully, combated those prejudices and
those errors, which would otherwise have
frustrated the object of their mission. All
this was done by means the best adapted to
conciliate as well as to correct, to instruct as
well as to reprove. " Do we make void the
" Law," says the Apostle, " through faith ?
" God forbid : yea, we establish the Law
The great points these teachers constantly
laboured to prove, were the harmony of the
Law and the Gospel ; their mutual depend-
ence on each other, and the mutual support
given by the one to the other ; the fulfilment,
not the destruction of the former by the lat-
" Kom. iii. fil.
266
SERMON XII.
ter ; and the testimony which God had given
to both, as the work of one ahnighty hand.
These points, however, have ah-eady been
more largely treated in two former Dis-
courses, to which the present may be con-
sidered as supplementary only, for the pur-
pose of shewing, still more distinctly, the
entire consistency of the Divine proceedings
throughout the whole of this wonderful dis-
pensation.
If this purpose has been attained, some
main obstacles raised by the infidel and the
sceptic may have been removed : and these
being removed, minor difficulties will more
readily disappear. If the Law shewed the ne-
cessity of a Redeemer, and prepared men for
his coming ; — if that Redeemer came to fulfil,
and did actually fulfil, all that the Law in-
tended ; — and if, in consequence of the one
dispensation being thus merged in the other,
the Apostles sufficiently proved in their writ-
ings and discourses the entire cessation and
extinction of all its peculiar institutions; —
then we are in possession of some great lead-
ing facts and principles, by which the whole
system of revealed religion ought to be judged,
and its several component parts examined and
adjusted. With this clue to our researches,
many perplexities may be avoided, many em-
SERMON XII.
267
barrassments diminished. Peculiarities in the
Mosaic ritual, which the scoffer contemns and
derides, may be found to have their appro-
priate fitness and utility. The Law will de-
rive dignity and importance from the reflect-
ed lustre cast upon it by the Gospel : the.
Gospel will claim additional regard and vene-
ration from the homage which the Law has
paid to it. The founders and the preachers
of each dispensation will also share in the
honours thus ascribed to both. Moses and
the Prophets prepared the way for Him
" whose shoe's latchet they were not w^orthy
" to unloose :" — Christ and his Apostles bore
testimony to what Moses and the Prophets
had spoken of him, and enhanced the value
of the Law by connecting it with a higher
and better system. Even that which to a su-
perficial observer might seem to indicate, on
the part of the Apostles, a vacillating and in-
decisive disposition, halting between Chris-
tian and Jewish opinions, with respect to the
point which has been considered in this Dis-
course, appears rather to be the natural and
proper result of a desire to maintain the sa-
cred character of both, so as not to compro-
mise the veneration due to either, in adjust-
ing their respective claims.
Two general observations remain to be
268
SERMON XII.
made, with a viev/ to our practical improve-
ment of the present subject.
The conduct of our Lord towards his Apo-
stles, and of the Apostles towards their fel-
low-countrymen, may teach us that there are
prejudices which must be treated with lenity,
with compassion, and even with respect; that
there may be deeply-rooted prepossessions,
the result of early habit, of education, of he-
reditary feeling, which will not bear to be
rudely handled ; that hasty and violent efforts
to eradicate these will avail nothing; that
sober and dispassionate reasoning must be
blended with authoritative admonition, if we
hope to extirpate error without injury to
truth. These are the lessons of that charity,
which, while it censures the offence, compas-
sionates the offender; which discriminates be-
tween wilful and unconscious error ; between
defects of understanding or of information,
and intentional hostility to what is right and
good.
But while we are thus taught lenity to the
errors of others, we may also learn the no less
important lessons of self-correction and im-
provement. Little will it avail that we enjoy
the meridian splendour of the Gospel, if our
eyes are closed against those evidences of its
truth and perfection which on every side sur-
SERMON XII.
269
round us. Little shall we profit by it, if we
suffer our faith to be shaken by every petty
assailant, or allow its truths to work upon
our understandings only, and not upon our
wills and affections. The true end of all
spiritual knowledge is to influence the heart,
and direct the conduct. Every dispensation
of revealed religion has had for its object to
" turn men from darkness to light, and from
" the power of Satan unto God''." What shall
be said, then, for those who live under this
last and most perfect manifestation of the
Divine will, if their righteousness neither ex-
ceeds the righteousness of the Scribes and
Pharisees, nor even attains to the ordinary
perfection of a virtuous, though unenlight-
ened, Pagan ? We may contemn heathen ig-
norance ; we may deride Jewish bigotry and
prejudice. But our Lord's reproof on an-
other occasion will apply to all who vaunt
themselves of their superior advantages as
Christians, and yet bring forth no fruit to
perfection : " The queen of the south shall
" rise up in the judgment Avitli the men of
" this generation, and condemn them ; for she
" came from the utmost parts of the earth
" to hear the wisdom of Solomon ; and be-
" hold, a greater than Solomon is here : the
y Acts xxvi. 18.
270
SERMON XII.
" men of Nineveh shall rise up in the judg-
" ment with this generation, and condemn
" it ; for they repented at the preaching of
" Jonas; and behold, a greater than Jonas is
" here^"
" Let him," then, " that thinketh he stand-
" eth take heed lest he falP." No spiritual
privileges supersede the necessity of vigi-
lance ; no increase of faith or of knowledge
will compensate for neglect of duty. For
what says the great Author of our salvation ?
" Ye are the salt of the earth : but if the salt
" have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be
" salted ? It is thenceforth good for nothing,
" but to be cast out, and trodden under foot.
" Ye are the light of the world. A city that
" is set on a hill cannot be hid. Let your
" light so shine before men, that they may
" see your good works, and glorify your Fa-
" ther which is in heaven*'."
Luke xi. 31, 32. ^ 1 Cor. x. 12. b Matt. v. 13—16.
SERMON XIII.
John vii. 46.
Never man spake like tJm man.
One main support of the Christian rehgion
is derived from the personal character of our
Redeemer ; a character, which even infidel
writers have confessed to be the most extra-
ordinary, and the most perfect, that either
history or fiction has ever set before us. Such
an acknowledgment they appear to have felt
it almost impossible to withhold, without for-
feiting their own pretensions to candour, to
discernment, or even to moral rectitude.
The strength of this argument in favour of
Christianity consists, however, not merely in
the credit due to such a person as our Lord
is represented to have been, but in the im-
probability, if not impossibility, that the re-
presentation itself should be otherwise than
272
SERMON XIII.
faithful. We search in vain for any example
in human nature which could suggest such a
model to the minds of the narrators ; a model,
combining such rare perfections, yet so to-
tally free from any extravagant colouring to
heighten its effect. Our conception, indeed,
of the character is formed, not from any ex-
press delineation of it by the Evangelists
themselves, but from their simple recital of
the actions and discourses which they them-
selves daily witnessed. From these they
leave us to infer what manner of person he
was ; and by this simple process such a cha-
racter is brought before us, as none but these
writers, nor even these writers themselves, in
any other instance, have presented to our con-
templation. In every other case, even of men
who were messengers from the Most High,
there are found intermingled with all their
high excellencies of character or office, such
shades of frailty and imperfection as, in a great-
er or less degree, universally characterise fallen
man. In this only instance, four plain unlet-
tered men have, without effort, and in a man-
ner the most artless and the most unosten-
tatious, drawn a pattern of perfection, moral
and intellectual, infinitely surpassing all that
has ever been described or conceived, by his-
torian or philosopher, since the world began.
SERMON XIII.
273
The words of the text lead us to consider
one part only of this extraordinary character ;
that peculiar energy and wisdom which mark-
ed our Lord's conversation and discourses.
The chief priests and Pharisees, vexed and
enraged at the daily progress of his doctrine
among the people, sought to take him by
violence. The officers sent for this purpose
were, however, themselves overpowered by
that eloquence which had arrested the atten-
tion of the multitude, and returned, declar-
ing, in excuse for not having executed their
commission, "Never man spake like this man."
Such was their admiration and astonishment,
that they yielded to that reverential awe which
sometimes restrains even the worst of men, in
the presence of holiness and virtue.
What particular discourse our Lord was
then delivering, the Evangelist does not men-
tion. But St. John has recorded a great va-
riety of instances, in which it appears that
" his word was with power," and that " he
" taught as one having authority, and not as
" the scribes "." Of those which are related
before this occurrence, his conversations with
Nicodemus and with the woman of Samaria,
his animadversions on the cavils of the Jews
when he had healed the impotent man, his
« Matth. vii. 29.
vol.. I. T
274
SERMON XIII.
memorable discourse subsequent to the mira-
cle of the loaves and fishes, and the keen ex-
postulations he addressed to his adversaries,
immediately preceding, or, perhaps, at the
very time, that these persons came to appre-
hend him, are particularly deserving of re-
mark ; and the whole of St. John's Gospel is
almost a continued narration of similar inci-
dents, and of the effects produced by them.
The other Evangelists abound also with
proofs of the impression made upon hearers
of every description by our Lord's ministry.
St. Luke relates, that on his first entrance
into the synagogue at Nazareth, when he ap-
plied to himself a remarkable passage in the
prophecy of Isaiah, " the eyes of all that were
" in the synagogue were fastened on him,"
and they " wondered at the gracious words
" which proceeded out of his mouth'';" again,
that " the people of Capernaum were aston-
" ished at his doctrine';" and that "the fame
" of him went out into every place of the
" country round about ''." Such also was the
impression made by his memorable sermon
on the mount. And when we attentively con-
sider the general tenor of his familiar con-
versations with the twelve Apostles, the na-
ture of his instructions to them in particular,
b Luke iv. 20, 22. Mark i. 22. ^ Luke iv. 37.
SERMON XIII.
275
his reproofs and warnings, and his encourag-
ing assurances, to animate their faith, or to
remove their prejudices; — when we also ad-
vert to his attractive and instructive parables
for the use of the multitudes that followed
him, and the numberless incidental observa-
tions and admonitions addressed both to his
disciples and to his adversaries, at the mo-
ment when their force would be most deeply
felt ; — we shall perceive that this admiration
was not the mere effect of blind partiality or
of undiscerning ignorance on their part, but
of an eloquence irresistibly persuasive and
convincing, operating with equal energy on
the hearts and the understandings of men.
This energy we find also increasing as his
ministry was drawing to its close. It is told,
that after his opponents had been again and
again baffled in their attempts to ensnare or
to intimidate him, they "durst not ask him
" any more questions ^" Even of his own
familiar disciples it is intimated, that there
were certain occasions when their inquisitive
dispositions were restrained by the awful dig-
nity of his demeanour, so that " they feared
" to ask him of some of those sayings'" which
gave them the greatest disquietude. Nor can
we forget that remarkable instance of the
f Matth. xxii. 46. f I.uke ix. 45.
T 2
276
SERMON XIII.
overpowering effect of his presence, when the
band of men and officers that came to appre-
hend him on the eve of his last sufferings, for
a moment shrunk from the attempt, "went
" backward, and fell to the ground^.".
From these circumstances we may gather,
that there was something in our Lord's ex-
ternal manner and deportment, as well as in
the force and attraction of his eloquence,
which commanded more than ordinary vene-
ration, and impressed his hearers with a con-
viction of his more than human character.
But I shall confine myself at present to some
brief remarks upon those peculiar character-
istics which most distinguished our Lord as
a public Teacher, and placed him at an im-
measurable distance from all other religious
instructors. These I shall consider, first with
reference to the subjects on which he dis-
coursed ; secondly, to his mode of communi-
cating instruction ; and thirdly, to the effect
produced upon his hearers.
First, let us advert to the subjects on which
he discoursed.
Some of these transcended the utmost ex-
tent of human ability ; some were directly
opposed to the strongest prepossessions of his
own chosen followers ; some were equally re-
ft John xviii. 6.
SERMON XIII.
277
pugnant to the more corrupt propensities of
mankind in general : yet all were of univer-
sal concern ; all tended to the improvement,
the perfection, the happiness of the whole
human race.
Our Lord revealed to mankind his own -
divine nature ; his inseparable union with
the Father, and with the Holy Ghost, the
Comforter ; the atonement he was to make
for the sins of the whole world ; the necessity
of a renewal of our nature, and the means of
effecting it by the sanctification of the Holy
Spirit; the terms of our acceptance with God;
the remission of sins through his merits and
intercession ; and the final recompense, both
in body and soul, at the resurrection of the
just.
These are subjects absolutely beyond the
reach of human discovery ; and whatever had
hitherto been even revealed concerning them
was comparatively obscure. By our Lord
they were first clearly brought to light ; by
Him they were established on a foundation
not to be overthrown. To Him the Spirit
was "given without measure." Without such
an authority, these doctrines must ever have
remained among the doubtful sayings which
human wisdom would in vain have attempted
to penetrate.
T 3
278
SERMON XIII.
The duties also resulting from such truths
as these could never have been laid down
with equal certainty or effect by any inferior
teacher. By Him every duty came recom-
mended and enforced, under new sanctions,
new principles, and new motives. That which
before had resulted from subtle and precari-
ous reasoning, or plausible conjecture, or tra-
ditional opinion only, now issued from an
infallible source of truth. What was taught
by philosophical instructors as moral recti-
tude, on the one hand, or moral turpitude,
on the other ; was now enjoined as obedience,
or prohibited as disobedience. Virtues be-
came duties; vices became sins. The latter
were armed with terrors, the former arrayed
in glories, with which no human power could
invest them. Doctrines thus revealed, pre-
cepts thus enforced, left no alternative, but
either absolutely to deny the authority that
declared them, or to receive and abide by
them as the dictates of infallible truth.
Let us next consider the mode in which
these instructions were communicated by this
extraordinary Teacher.
There is no doctrine, perhaps, or precept,
promulgated in the Gospel, of which, when
the grounds and reasons are actually set be-
fore us, we may not discern the expediency
SERMON XIII.
279
and the fitness. But in his manner of de-
claring these truths, our Lord assumed a
much higher tone than that of human rea-
soning. Meek and lowly as was his general
deportment, persuasive also and affectionate
as were his invitations to "come unto him,"
yet no language so authoritative, or so ex-
pressive of conscious superiority, ever fell
from the lips of a mere mortal instructor.
Hear him applying to himself that prophecy
in Isaiah, " The Spirit of the Lord is upon
" me, because he hath anointed me to preach
" the Gospel to the poor ; He hath sent me
" to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deli-
" verance to the captives, and recovering of
" sight to the blind, to set at liberty them
" that are bruised, to preach the acceptable
" year of the Lord. — And he began to say
" unto them. This day is this scripture ful-
" filled in your ears''." Hear him, again, pro-
claiming, " I am the light of the world : he
" that followeth me shall not walk in dark-
" ness, but shall have the light of life
Again, " I am the Resurrection and the Life :
" he that believeth in me, though he were
" dead, yet shall he live ; and whosoever liv-
" eth and believeth in me shall never die**."
h Luke iv. 18, 19, 21. ' John viii. 12. John xi.
25, 26.
T -1
280
SERMON XIII.
Hear him also assert his pre-existent and
eternal state. " Verily, verily, I say unto you,
" Before Abraham was, I am' ;" — his inherent
authority to instruct mankind, "I am the
" way, and the truth, and the life, no man
" Cometh unto the Father, but by me™;" his
intimate knowledge of the Father, " As the
" Father knoweth me, even so know I the
" Father " ;" — his union with Him, " I and
" my Father are one " :" — his equal right to
be believed and obeyed, " Ye believe in God,
" believe also in Me p." Well might His fol-
lowers express their astonishment at these
new and unheard-of claims ; at such an ele-
vated strain of language as none could have
uttered without blasphemy, whose pretensions
were not sanctioned as His were, by signs
and wonders sufficiently attesting that God
was with Him.
There were also other striking marks of
superiority in our Lord's mode of teaching.
He taught without fear of human power,
without respect of persons, without any un-
worthy means of gaining favour with his
hearers. Boldly he rebuked vice, impiety, and
hypocrisy, in whomsoever they were found.
Yet to all who were willing to receive the
1 John viii. 58. Jolin xiv. 6. " John x. 15.
" John X. 30. P John xiv. 1
SERMON XIII.
281
truth, his instructions were delivered with
the most perfect condescension to their wants
and infirmities, to the slowness of their ap-
prehensions, and the strength of their pre-
judices. Many things spake he unto them
in parables ; in apt and striking similitudes,
by which they might be brought to discern
truths, or to receive admonitions, which other-
wise they would have misapprehended or de-
spised. Even his miracles were made the ve-
hicle of moral and spiritual instruction. In
restoring the paralytic, he demonstrated his
power to forgive sins. In miraculously feed-
ing the multitude, he declared himself to be
the Bread of Life. In raising Lazarus from
the dead, he preached the doctrine of a
general resurrection. And in all his dis-
courses, whether accompanied, or not, by mi-
racles, there was a dignity, a simplicity, an
energy of sentiment and expression, which
adapted them equally to hearers of every de-
scription.
Moreover, our Lord gave frequent and de-
monstrative proofs, that he had an insight into
the very hearts and thoughts of men ; and
many of his observations carried with them
irresistible force, from being expressly di-
rected to what was at the moment passing in
their minds. Add to this, that his whole life
282
SERMON Xm.
was a practical illustration of what he taught.
No teacher ever vied with him in these re-
spects. None, perhaps, ever ventured to as-
sume such a character : certainly none ever
attained to it.
3. Let us next consider the effect of his
teaching.
Our Lord's personal ministry was confined
to the Jewish nation ; it was incidentally only
that it extended to the Gentiles. But to
remove Jewi.sh prejudices was a work as dif-
ficult as to extirpate heathen prepossessions.
The Jews had been trained under an author-
ity which they acknowledged to be Divine ;
nor could they be expected to submit to the
dictates of any instructor less than Divine.
Accordingly our Lord confirmed his preten-
sions by reference to the Jewish scriptures, in
order to prove the consistency of his doctrine
with that of the Law and the Prophets ; yet
as one divinely empowered to promulge that
Law anew, and to give it a more extended
operation. This was one distinctive charac-
ter of his preaching, which excited both the
admiration of his followers, and the resent-
ment of his enemies. By both it was felt,
that the wisdom with which he spake was
not the wisdom of even the greatest human
talents ; that the knowledge he imparted was
SERMON XIII.
283
not acquired by human learning; that the
spirit which animated his discourses was not
that which belongs to mere human discern-
ment. " The words which 1 speak unto you,"
said he, "they are spirit, and they are life''."
The feelings of his hearers corresponded with
his declaration. They were convinced that
he had a power, an energy, within him, to
which no one else could make pretensions.
They knew at the same time that he had not
the ordinary means of acquiring such know-
ledge and such wisdom. " How," said they,
" knoweth this man letters, having never
"learned'?" And this was most absurdly
urged as a plea against him, instead of being
regarded as the clearest and most decisive
proof of his heavenly origin.
Thus, whether we regard the subjects of
our Lord's discourses, his mode of instruc-
tion, or the effect produced by it, we may
readily participate in the feelings of those
who exclaimed, " Never man spake like this
" man ;" and this preeminence in his charac-
ter will be rendered still more striking, if, for
a moment, we contrast it with the pretensions
of any other teachers, whether impostors or
enthusiasts, whether Jewish scribes or hea-
then philosophers, nay, even with those of
n John vi. 63. ' John vii. 15.
284
SERMON XIII.
the inspired Prophets and Apostles them-
selves.
Most truly may it be said, never Impostor
or Enthusiast spake like Him.
Instances have been recorded of well inten-
tioned persons, feigning a divine mission, for
the purpose of improving the sentiments and
the conduct of mankind. There have been le-
gislators, who falsely ])retended to this, that
they might better enforce their maxims for
the general good. There have been zealots,
led by a heated imagination to believe them-
selves divinely inspired. But these preten-
sions have for the most part been made sub-
servient to worldly purposes, or maintained
by worldly power. No such means or pur-
poses characterise our Lord's ministry. He
spake to the hearts and consciences of men,
disclaiming all external aid. He expressly
forbade violence and compulsion. He aimed
at no magisterial power. He interfered not
with any such power, by whomsoever exer-
cised ; but enjoined submission, and himself
submitted to it, as a religious duty. Would a
deceiver have thus declined every offer of hu-
man assistance ? Would an enthusiast have
forborne to avail himself of the many oppor-
tunities afforded to him of kindling the zeal
of the multitude, and carrying his point by
SERMON XIII.
285
force ? Would either of these have distinctly
forewarned his followers of his own ignomi-
nious death, and called upon them to " take
" up the cross, and follow him';" yet at the
same time declare, that " the gates of hell
" should not prevail'" against the purpose He
had undertaken ? Certainly, never did im-
postor or enthusiast speak to such purpose, or
with such effect ; submitting to the world's
scorn and contumely, yet overcoming every
effort of the world to oppose the irresistible
progress of his doctrine.
With equal truth may it be said, never
Jewish scribe or Heathen philosopher spake
like Him.
The teaching of the Jewish scribes con-
sisted chiefly of frivolous comments on the
Law of Moses, mixed with traditions of vague
authority, corrupted by glosses of their own,
and by palpable misinterpretations of the
Law itself They were more occupied in mi-
nute ritual observances, than in the weightier
matters of the Law, judgment, justice, and
righteousness. Nor could they produce au-
thority higher than their own for these in-
structions. To quote the saying of some dis-
tinguished Rabbi, was sufficient to obtain for
them credit and admiration. How differ-
' Mattli. xvi. 24. ' Mattli. xvi. 18.
286
SERMON XIII.
ent was the character our Lord assumed ! He
taught as a Lawgiver, not a mere Expositor
of the Law. He raised the thoughts of his
hearers above the letter of his precepts, and
above its external observances, to display to
them its spirit and its truth. He gave them
enlarged and comprehensive views of it,
adapted to the universality of that religion
he came to establish. He swept away the
spurious maxims pretended by the Pharisees
to have been said " of old time," and restored
the moral Law to its genuine purity and
lustre. By such an elucidation and such an
enlargement of its meaning, he more clearly
illustrated its main design, that of being in-
troductory to the great dispensation of mercy
and truth which through Him was to be ful-
filled, and which had its origin even before
the Law itself was promulgated.
No less different was our Lord's teaching
from that of Heathen sages. These, for the
most part, delivered their doctrines in dark
oracular sayings, or abstruse and recondite
reasonings. Many seemed to take a pride
in purposely concealing them from the mul-
titude. But, with Him, the necessity of ela-
borate proof or subtle reasoning was entirely
superseded. He spake as One who had both
omnipotence and omniscience within himself!
SERMON XIII.
287
" Believe me for the very work's sake," was
sufficient to convince the most learned as well
as the most illiterate, the philosopher as well
as the peasant. Nevertheless, with this para-
mount claim to the reception of his doctrine,
the simplicity and meekness of his bearing
were no less extraordinary. The sublimest
truths were delivered in the plainest and most
familiar language, as the result of no mental
labour, and needing no other confirmation
than his own word could give them. " Father !
" I thank thee," said he, " that I'hou hast
" hidden these things from the wise and
" prudent, and revealed them unto babes"."
They were hidden from such as were too
wise in their own conceits to receive any
thing that was not the fruit of their own dis-
coveries ; but were made plain and easy to
all who accepted them with the docility of
children confiding in the infallibility of their
instructor.
Lastly, never Prophet or Apostle spake
like Him.
Prophets and Apostles have wrought mi-
racles, have been gifted largely with inspira-
tion, have produced ample testimonials that
they were messengers of God. But the dif-
" Matth. xi. 25.
288
SERMON XIII.
ference betwixt the ambassador and the so-
vereign is precisely that which distinguished
them from Him, who, though he came in ap-
pearance as a messenger, was Himself " Lord
" of all." Observe the contrast between His
language and theirs, in declaring the divine
will. They spake " in the name of the Lord,"
as mere instruments in his hands ; — He, in
His own name, as identified in power and au-
thority with the Most High. " Verily, verily,
" I say unto you," was his most common
form of speech. " I say unto you, That in
" this place is one greater than the tem-
"ple";" — "Behold, a greater than Jonas is
" here ; — Behold, a greater than Solomon
"is here'." John the Baptist was "more
" than a Prophet ;" yet He that came after
him was "mightier than he'." Moses was a
Lawgiver, and faithful in God's house " as a
" servant ;" but Christ came " as a Son over
" his own house\" His whole deportment
corresponded with this preeminence.
If such, then, were the distinguishing cha-
racteristics of our Lord as a divine teacher,
the application of the subject is too obvious
to escape notice. It admonishes the Chris-
Matth. xii. 6. >' Matth. xii. 41, 42. ^ Matth. iii. 11.
^ Heb. iii. 5, 6.
SERMON XIII.
289
tian preacher, with all humility and sincerity,
ever to keep in view this great exemplar of
perfection ; to endeavour to imitate it, as far
as human infirmity may permit; to supply,
in some faint degree, the want of that per-
fect knowledge which He possessed, by dili-
gently searching those Scriptures which con-
tain the substance of what He revealed ; to
speak with authority, though with meekness ;
setting forth "the truth as it is in Jesus,"
not as speaking of himself The knowledge,
the authority, the ability of the preacher of
the Gospel, all must issue from the only in-
fallible source of truth, "Jesus Christ, the
" same yesterday, to-day, and for ever." For
the same reasons, the Christian hearer also
is no less bound to contemplate this divine
pattern with a view to his own personal im-
provement. What the Evangelists have re-
corded of our Lord's sayings was undoubt-
edly intended, not for them only to whom
they were at first addressed, but to all who
through them should come to the knowledge
of the truth. They were recorded, that Chris-
tians of every age and country might perceive
and acknowledge the divine power which He
possessed, the infinite wisdom that guided
His thoughts, the infallible truth which is-
sued from His lips ; and that, knowing this,
VOL. I. u
290
SERMON XIII.
they might accept Him as " the Christ, the
" Son of the Hving God."
To all, then, we may address the Apostle's
awful admonition, " See that ye refuse not
" Him that speaketh Refuse Him not as
a teacher, compared with Whom all other
teachers are as nothing worth. Refuse Him
not, as " the Way, the Truth, and the Life."
Refuse Him not, as a sacrifice for sin, and an
ensample of godly Life ; as a Mediator and
Intercessor at the throne of grace ; as Him
who shall hereafter come to be our Judge ;
as combining every human excellence with
every Divine perfection, the Son of Man and
the Son of God. It was by uniting in His
person these extraordinary characters, that
" He spake as never man spake," and verified,
to the very letter of it, the Prophet's sublime
prediction, " His name shall be called Won-
" derful. Counsellor, the mighty God, the
" everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace ^"
Fearful must be the consequences of disre-
garding such an Instructor. " For if they
" escaped not who refused Him that spake
" on earth" — as Moses and the Prophets —
" much more shall not we escape, if we turn
" away from Him that speaketh from hea-
b Heb. xii. 25.
Isa. ix. 6.
SERMON XIIL
291
" ven ^ :" and " if His wrath be kindled, (yea,
" but a little,) blessed are all they that put
" their trust in Him
d Heb. xii. 25. ^ Psalm ii. 12.
U 2
SERMON XIV.
1 Peter ii. 22.
JVho did no sin, neither was guile foimd in his
mouth.
In the contemplation of our blessed Saviour's
character, we are impressed with equal asto-
nishment at the perfection of his intellectual
and of his moral qualities. As the former
bear the stamp of unerring truth and wisdom,
so the latter evince the most spotless purity
and rectitude. In both respects, he stands
distinguished from every other individual of
the human race, by a superiority which seems
to admit not of competition. Yet in both,
through his own gracious condescension to
human infirmity, the character is so brought
down to the level of our apprehensions, that
while we admire it even as a model of un-
attainable excellence, we are impelled by the
best feelings of our nature to study it as a
pattern for our imitation.
u 3
294
SERMON XIV.
So far as this applies to the consummate
knowledge and the impressive energy which
characterized our Lord as a Divine Teacher,
and which compelled even his adversaries to
exclaim, " Never man spake like this man ;"
the subject has already been considered in a
former Discourse. But however exalted may
be our conceptions of him in this respect, his
claims to our faith and obedience derive an
incalculable accession of strength from the
no less convincing proofs of His unsullied
holiness and virtue. Had these been in the
slightest degree defective, our confidence in
the truths He revealed would have been pro-
portionally diminished. Had it been in the
power of his enemies to lessen the value of
his example by any one stain that could be
fixed upon it ; not only would his doctrine
have been rendered questionable, but the
declared purpose for which He came into
the world had been frustrated and de-
feated.
To the consideration of this important part
of his character our attention is drawn by St.
Peter, in the words of the text ; where he
encourages Christians to suffer patiently the
injuries they might be called upon to endure,
" because Christ also suffered for us, leaving
" us an example, that we should follow His
SERMON XIV.
295
" steps : Who did no sin, neither was guile
" found in His mouth."
Similar declarations occur in the writings
of St. Paul and St. John. The former, speak-
ing of Christ, says to the Corinthians, " He
" hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew
" no sin ; that we might be made the right-
" eousness of God in Him ^" To the He-
brews the same Apostle observes, " We have
" not an High Priest which cannot be touched
" with the feeling of our infirmities ; but was
" in all points tempted like as we are, yet
"without sinT' and again, "For such an
" High Priest became us, who is holy, harm-
" less, undefiled, separate from sinners
St. John says, " Ye know that He was mani-
" fested to take away our sins ; and in Him
" is no sin
In all these passages intimations are given
of the connection that subsists between our
Lord's sinless character and the purposes of
His divine mission. It is evidently implied,
that we could not otherwise have been " made
" the righteousness of God in Him," nor could
he have been otherwise either our " High
" Priest" and Intercessor, or a Propitiation
and Atonement, to "take away our sins."
^ 2 Cor. V. 21. b Heb. iv. 15. Heb. vii. 26.
'I 1 John iii. 5.
U 4
296
SERMON XIV.
In the present Discourse I shall endeavour
to shew, first, how entirely these representa-
tions of our Lord's perfect innocence corre-
spond with the history of him recorded by
the Evangelists ; and then suggest some con-
siderations from the sacred writers, tending
to illustrate the absolute necessity that the
Redeemer of mankind should be thus "with-
" out sin."
On the first point it will be unnecessary to
do more than select some of the most promi-
nent features of his character for our con-
templation.
Here, however, it is to be premised, that
the consideration of our Lord's spotless inno-
cence does by no means include the whole
perfection of his moral character. It does
not extend to the full display of the active,
or even of the passive virtues, which his his-
tory sets before us. It refers not to the
exercise of that diffusive benevolence which
caused it to be said of him, that he " went
" about doing good";" nor to those number-
less acts of piety which manifested in him the
truest fervour of a devout disposition ; nor
yet to that extraordinary fortitude which led
him to " endure the contradiction of sinners V
Acts X. 38.
f Heb. xii. 3.
SERMON XIV.
297
and even their utmost rage and cruelty, with-
out resistance or complaint. These, though
parts of his character deserving of the highest
admiration, are of a distinct class from those
which seem to be intended in the simple de-
claration, that he "did no sin, neither was"
" guile found in his mouth."
But we shall greatly err if we attach less
importance to this negative kind of excellence
recorded of him, than to those more conspi-
cuous qualities which shed a greater bril-
liancy and lustre around him. For though
the absence of such qualities would undoubt-
edly have made his example less exalted and
less worthy of imitation, yet the want of in-
nocence in any one point of principle or con-
duct would have been absolutely fatal to his
pretensions. Innocence, indeed, in its ge-
nuine acceptation, implies that kind of excel-
lence which is of all others the most difficult
of attainment ; that which never has been
actually exemplified but in our Lord himself.
Splendid virtues are far from being of rare
occurrence ; but of the man that offends not
in thought or deed, we search in vain for ex-
amples. Heathen moralists seem to have
been aware of this. They deemed no praise
higher than that which is implied by the term
innocence; and not unfrequently used that
298
SERMON XIV.
term to denote greater excellence than could
be characterized by any other expression.
The Apostle to the Hebrews places this
part of our Lord's character in the strongest
light, when he says, that he " was in all points
" tempted like as we are, yet without sin^."
To endure temptation is the proper test of
virtue ; and if we apply this test, in the pre-
sent instance, to the three different kinds of
temptation which generally beset human na-
ture; namely, those which proceed from
worldly solicitations to evil, or from our sen-
sual appetites and affections, or from our in-
tellectual or spiritual faculties, the result will
fully warrant the Apostle's declaration.
1. The worldly temptations to which our
Lord was exposed were manifold. The very
office he had to sustain as Messiah laid him
open to these in no common degree. The
notion the Jews entertained of a temporal
conqueror and potentate in the person of the
Messiah, and their impatience of the Roman
yoke, disposed them to promote the views of
any ambitious leader. The disciples of Jesus
eagerly espoused these sentiments ; and the
multitude at large were prepared to acknow-
ledge him for their King. The miraculous
powers which he exercised might well be
« Heb. iv. 15.
SERMON XIV.
299
deemed sufficient to remove every impedi-
ment to the accomplishment of the most as-
piring designs. His enemies also were aware
of this, and industriously sought to ensnare
him into conduct which might create suspi-
cions of such sinister views. They accused
him of intending to destroy the temple, and
overthrow the Roman government ; they
charged him with " perverting the nation
and endeavouring to usurp the regal power.
The accusation expressly alleged against him
before Pilate was that of " making himself a
" king';" and the inscription upon his cross
denoted that this was the offence for which he
suffered death.
The charge, however, was declared to be
unfounded, even by the judge who delivered
him over to punishment ; and it is disproved
in every page of his history. His whole con-
duct manifested an entire disregard of secular
views ; a disregard, not only of worldly ho-
nours and emoluments, but even of the ordi-
nary enjoyments which ease and affluence
afford. Every discourse he delivered to the
multitude, every conversation he held with
his disciples, tended to shew that his " king-
" dom was not of this world ^" and to repress
in his followers a worldly spirit. His bene-
h Luke xxiii. 2. ' John xix. 12. ^ John xviii. 36.
300
SERMON XIV.
dictions were pronounced upon dispositions
the most opposite to such a spirit ; his de-
nunciations were uttered against those in
whom it was most prevalent. None of his
reproofs are more poignant than those with
which he checked his disciples when they of-
fended him in this respect. They who were
most eager to press into his service were ad-
monished to " take up the cross," and follow
him ; and were warned what they were to
expect, if they resolved to become the disci-
ples of a Master who " had not where to lay
" his head."
In all, then, that related to worldly tempt-
ations, our Lord " did no sin, neither was
" guile found in his mouth." Yet in any en-
terprise of this description, what could have
obstructed Him " who had all power in hea-
" ven and in earth ' ;" whom " the w^inds and
" the sea obeyed " ;" in whose service legions
of angels were ready to come forth ; who
knew the thoughts and the hearts of men;
at whose disposal were both the material and
the spiritual world? Who besides himself,
had ever such agents for effecting such
designs? Yet who ever bore so patiently
scorn and contumely ; who less sought his
' Matt, xxviii. 18. Matt. viii. 27.
SERMON XIV.
301
own good, or coveted popular admiration?
who more resolutely reproved those whom
worldly interest would have led him to court
and flatter, whether Jewish high-priest or
Roman governor?
2. Respecting another class of temptations,
those which are administered by the sensual
appetites and affections, little need be said to
prove that our Lord was also " without sin."
Yet even on this head his accusers were not si-
lent. They reviled him as " a man gluttonous
" and a wine-bibber, the friend of publicans
" and sinners"." They laid snares for him in his
public conversation, that they might discover,
either in his lenity towards offenders of such
a description, or in his interpretations of the
Jewish Law, somewhat to depreciate his re-
putation among the people. But what was
the result? Let his own dignified rebukes
be confronted with these unworthy accusa-
tions. " Which of you convinceth me of
" sin°?" "They that be whole need not a
" physician, but they that are sick : I came not
" to call the righteous, but sinners to repent-
" anceP." " Verily, I say unto you. That the
" publicans and the harlots go into the king-
" dom of God before you""." With these re-
" Matt. xi. 19. ° John viii. 46. P Luke v. 31, 32.
1 Matt. xxi. 31.
302
SERMON XIV.
proofs he silenced his adversaries, and we hear
no more of such accusations. Strange, in-
deed, must have been that perverseness which
could cast imputations so unworthy upon
One whose doctrine and demeanour discoun-
tenanced every approach to impurity in word
or thought, and surpassed even the rigour of
the Jewish Law in restraining these evil pro-
pensities of our nature.
3. But a higher class of temptations is yet to
be considered, such as assail the intellectual
and spiritual faculties ; and which too often
are successful in overpowering minds of a su-
perior cast, comparatively inaccessible to the
seductions of sensuality or worldly grandeur.
Here again his adversaries vainly endea-
voured to substantiate any charge against
him. They accused him of arrogance in
bearing witness of himself ; of impiety in pro-
faning the sabbath ; of blasphemy in mak-
ing himself equal with God. But mark
his refutation of these charges. " If I do
" not the works of my Father, believe me
" not. But if I do, though ye believe not
" me, believe the works ; that ye may know
" and believe that the Father is in me, and
" I in Him'." And again ; " Though I bear
" record of myself, yet my record is true : for
^ John X. 37, 38.
SERMON XIV.
303
" I know whence I came and whither I go ;
" but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whi-
" ther I go' ;" referring still to those works
which bore testimony to his union with the
Father, but which testimony his adversaries
stubbornly rejected. By the same evidence
he proved himself to be " Lord also of the
" sabbath V and that he was fully justified in
requiring all men to "honour the Son even
" as they honour the Father"." By similar
reasoning he repelled the charge of his " cast-
" ing out devils by the power of Beelzebub."
His authority over evil spirits was destructive
of the power of the Evil One ; and " if Satan
" cast out Satan, how shall his kingdom
"stand''?" No power, indeed, of any kind
was exercised by him, but that which mani-
fested the great purpose of his mission, glory
to God and good-will towards men. We meet
with no superfluous, no ostentatious display
of it, to excite wonder or terror. He with-
drew from the gaze of the multitude ; he re-
fused the homage they were willing to pay
him. He frequently enjoined the persons
upon whom a miracle of mercy had been per-
formed, to forbear from spreading abroad his
fame. He veiled, as far as might be, the Di-
s John viii. 14. t Mark ii. 28. " John v. 23.
» Matt. xii. 26.
304
SERMON XIV.
vinity that dwelt in him from human obser-
vation. None were oppressed by its splen-
dour ; none were deterred by it from ap-
proaching him, as one who could be " touched
" with a feeling of their infirmities." Thus
meek, lowly, condescending, and unobtrusive
was his deportment, even in the mighty works
he performed ; fully corresponding with that
remarkable prediction of him in the prophet
Isaias, " He shall not strive nor cry ; neither
" shall any man hear his voice in the streets.
" A bruised reed shall he not break, and
" smoking flax shall he not quench''."
This wonderful humility in Him, " who,
" being in the form of God, and equal with
" God," yet " took upon him the form of a ser-
" vant, and was made in the likeness of men^;"
this stedfast resistance of every temptation
presented to him of overpowering those a-
round him, by the might of an intellect sur-
passing the wisdom of the wisest, and by the
energy of a divine Spirit given unto him
" without measure ;" is indeed an inexhausti-
ble subject of admiration, and never to be
adequately conceived by human faculties. It
is one of the highest and strongest proofs we
could have " that he was without sin ;" since
no trials can be imagined more difficult to
y Isa. xlii. 3. z Phil. ii. 6, 7.
SERMON XIV.
305
encounter, than those which tempt to the ex-
ercise of the most exalted endowments. The
disohedient angels, " who kept not their first
" estate fell through pride ; through that
aspiring and presumptuous spirit which a
consciousness of the faculties belonging to
their high estate had engendered. But our
Lord, who, though he condescended to be
made " lower than the angels," was yet " the
" brightness of God's glory, and the express
" image of his person," never in one single
instance departed from that obedience to the
Father, which in his human character he was
sent to perform. "Lo ! I come," said he, "to
" do thy will, O God ! I am content to do it ;
" yea, thy Law is within my heart"."
Having thus briefly remarked upon the
evidence of our Lord's immaculate character
and conduct, we may now advert to those
considerations which the sacred writers have
suggested, to shew how indispensably neces-
sary it was that the Redeemer of mankind
should be thus perfectly irreproachable ; one
" who did no sin, neither was guile found in
" his mouth."
This necessity is shewn to result from
those great purposes of his mission, that he
was to be an Atonement for sin, an Interces-
" Jude 6. " Psalm xl. 7, 8.
VOL. I. X
306
SERMON XIV.
sor for us with the Father, and an Example
for our hnitation.
1. The first of these purposes is thus stated
by St. Paul ; " He hath made him to be sin
" for us who knew no sin ; that we might be
"made the righteousness of God in him^"
If sin in general be irremissible without an
atonement, the atonement itself cannot be
available to its expiation unless it be free from
sin. The very notion of a vicarious sacrifice
implies that the victim offered has no guilt
to answer for but that which it representa-
tively bears. To suppose that the penalty of
sin can be removed by an offering polluted or
imperfect in its kind, is to forget that " God
" is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity."
The redemption of mankind depended, there-
fore, on the absolute purity of the Redeemer.
" The Lamb slain from the foundation of the
" world" was to be " without blemish and
" without spot ^" It was by virtue of this im-
maculate character that Christ became " The
" Lord our Righteousness^;" and that His in-
finite merits atoned for the sins of the whole
world. Some meritorious cause of our justi-
fication was requisite ; and in none could that
be found, but in Him " who did no sin, nei-
" ther was guile found in his mouth."
y 2 Cor. V. 21. z 1 Pet. i. 19. ^ Jer. xxiii. 6.
SERMON XIV.
307
2. In the next place, this was equally ne-
cessary, in order to render him an efficient
Intercessor for us with the Father. On this
point St. Paul copiously enlarges in his Epi-
stle to the Hebrews. " Every high-priest,"
he observes, " taken from among men, ought,
" as for the people, so also for himself, to offer
" for sins." But " such an High-priest became
" us who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate
" from sinners, and made higher than the
" heavens ; who needeth not daily, as those
" high-priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for
" his own sins, and then for the people's : for
" this he did once, when he offered up him-
" self'." This it is which assures us of the
efficacy of his mediation. " If any man sin,"
says St. John, " we have an Advocate with the
" Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous; and he
" is the Propitiation for our sins^" But if he
himself had not been free from sin ; if he had
not been, in the fullest sense of the term,
righteous, he would have needed some other
advocate to have interceded for himself.
3. Lastly, there was also the same necessity
for this, that he might become a perfect Ex-
ample for our imitation. St. Peter introduces
the character given of him in the text, by
saying that he hath left us " an example, that
b Hebr. vii. 26, 27. 1 John ii. 2.
X 2
308
SERMON XIV.
" we should follow his steps St. Paul ex-
horts, that " this mind should be in us, which
"was in Christ Jesus''." St. John declares,
" He that saith he abideth in him, ought him-
" self also so to walk, even as he walked ^ :"
and, " if we say that we have fellowship with
" him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do
" not the truth In these, and many other
passages, the sacred writers propose our Lord
as the only unexceptionable pattern of hu-
man conduct ; nor do they ever presume to
recommend themselves as ensamples to their
followers, otherwise than as they faithfully
endeavoured to walk in the path which He
had trod before them.
But it may, perhaps, be said, that the very
perfection of our Lord's conduct seems to
place it above our imitation. If he was
" without sin," was it not because he was ab-
solutely impeccable ? and if impeccable, was
it not the mysterious union of the Godhead
with the manhood which rendered it impos-
sible that temptations should have any power
over him ? Are we, then, expected to per-
form what is impracticable, to imitate what
is inimitable, to aim at what is confessedly
beyond our reach ?
dlPet. ii. 21. ^Phil. ii. 15.
f 1 John ii. 6. el John i. 6.
SERMON XIV.
309
It might be sufficient to answer, that the
example is neither the less fit for imitation
because it is perfect, nor would it be equally
fit for imitation if it were less than perfect.
We are commanded in the same scriptures to
imitate the divine perfections ; to " be per-
" feet, as our Father which is in heaven is
" perfect ;" to " be merciful, as He is merci-
" ful ' :" and we are thus commanded, because
our duty, our happiness, our moral excellence,
consists in endeavouring to approach as near
as may be to that which is goodness itself.
For the same reason the sinless character of
our Lord, to whatever cause it be ascribed, or
however unattainable by us in its full extent,
is the model by which it behoves every one of
liis disciples to regulate their own conduct ;
neither is there any one point in it which
may not afford us some practical lesson for
our observance.
As to the question, whether our Lord was
not only free from sin, but absolutely inca-
pable of sinning, it may, perhaps, be better
to avoid, than presumptuously to answer it.
The divine nature we know to be impeccable.
Whether the human nature became so by its
union with the divine, is a mystery not re-
vealed to us. The Apostle's declaration, that
Matth. V. 48. ^ Luke vi. 36.
X 3
310
SERMON XIV.
our Lord " was in all points tempted like as
" we are," seems to indicate the possibility of
sinning; since otherwise we can hardly con-
ceive where there was room for temptations
to operate. But this is matter of too high
speculation ; nor is it necessary to be deter-
mined. Thus far, however, we may confi-
dently affirm ; that our Lord was neither con-
ceived nor born in sin ; that as he was free
from actual guilt, so was he free from that
original corruption which, since the Fall, is in-
herent to all others of the human race. The
angel, in announcing his miraculous concep-
tion to the Blessed Virgin, declared that the
holy offspring should " therefore be called the
" Son of God He is also called by St. Paul
the second Adam, to distinguish him from the
first, who had fallen from his integrity, and
to denote that he was born as free from sin as
Adam was when he first came from the hands
of his Creator. The divine image, therefore,
was as perfect in our Lord's human nature
as it was at first in Adam's. He had not
the evil concupiscence of sin, nor did he
ever yield to temptation. Neither can it
well be supposed that Adam had any origin-
ally inherent disposition to sin, although
deceived to his ruin by the subtlety of the
k Luke ii. 35.
SERMON XIV.
311
tempter. The one, however, surrendered his
original righteousness, and fell ; the other re-
tained it, and triumphed. Herein did our
Lord manifest that exclusive perfection of
character, to which no son of Adam, nor even
Adam himself, has been found able to attain.
Nevertheless, it necessarily pertained to
our Lord's human nature, that with it he
should receive all its essential qualities ; those
qualities, which belong both to soul and body;
intellect, will, affections, appetites, passions.
His whole history abounds with proofs of
this. He also partook largely of the sorrows,
the mental and corporeal troubles, incidental
to this mortal life. To be susceptible of these,
was the consequence of his assuming our na-
ture ; and his actual endurance of them the
Apostle speaks of as necessary to the purposes
for which he assumed it. " Though he were a
" Son," says he, " yet learned he obedience by
" the things which he suffered : and being
" made perfect, he became the Author of eter-
" nal salvation unto all them that obey him'."
And again ; " It became him, for whom are all
" things, and by whom are all things, in bring-
" ing many sons unto glory, to make the Cap-
" tain of their salvation perfect through suf-
" ferings"'."
' Hebr. v. 8, 9. Hebr. ii. 10.
X 4
312
SERMON XIV.
Without going further, then, into this mys-
terious part of the subject, we may discern
enough to convince us of the infinite wisdom
and goodness which ordained that our deli-
verance from sin should be effected by such
a Redeemer. Man in his fallen state could
never have found a ransom for guilt ; nor
could he ever have seen exemplified in any
one of his own species an entire and perfect
model of that excellence for which he was
created. We know that man was originally
made in the image of God ; but we see that
image now universally defaced. We look in
vain for unblemished innocence, for unerring
rectitude, for that righteousness which can
stand before an Omniscient Judge. How
merciful, then, how condescending to human
infirmity, is the dispensation which sets before
us a living pattern of that perfection which
was originally intended for man, and to which
man might actually have attained, had he not
by disobedience incurred the forfeiture of the
high privileges at first bestowed upon him !
The full extent of this pattern of excel-
lence remains yet to be considered. That
part of his character, however, which ren-
dered our Lord thus superior to every at-
tempt that was made to turn him aside from
the great purpose of his coming in the flesh,
SERMON XIV.
313
is sufficient to shew that he was " mighty to
" save "," and that through him we may be
" more than conquerors °." It is sufficient to
assure us, that we need no other atonement
than he hath made, no other intercession than
he can offer, no other pattern of what is good
and acceptable to our heavenly Father. The
other parts of his character, his active piety
and benevolence, his fortitude and forbear-
ance, will afford matter for a future Dis-
course. But were we to stop short at this
period of our inquiry, we could be at no loss
for themes of admiration and of gratitude.
The faithful Christian has enough to per-
suade him (as St. Paul was persuaded,) " that
" neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor prin-
" cipalities, nor powers, nor things present,
" nor things to come, nor height, nor depth,
" nor any other creature, shall be able to se-
" parate him from the love of God, which is
" in Christ Jesus our Lord''."
n Isa. Ixiii. 1. " Rom. viii. 37. P Rom. viii. 38, 39.
SERMON XV.
Acts x. 38.
Who went about doing good.
In this brief, but comprehensive statement,
the Evangelist has given us a more lively re-
presentation of our blessed Saviour's charac-
ter, than could have been done by the most
elaborate description. He presents to us the
portrait of one continually occupied in works
of piety or beneficence; ever promoting by
his active and unwearied exertions the im-
provement and happiness of mankind.
Upon the extraordinary powers manifested
by our Lord as a teacher, and upon that
pattern of blameless innocence which His
history sets before us, I have already enlarged
in two former Discourses ; intended to prove
that " never man spake like this man ;" and
that he " did no sin, neither was guile found
" in his mouth." To render the character
316
SERMON XV.
complete, we have now to consider the no
less conspicuous evidences of His unbounded
goodness, by which He was daily accustomed
to " let His light so shine before men, that
" they might see His good works, and glorify
" their Father which is in heaven*."
Had our Lord, though gifted with all spi-
ritual knowledge and entirely free from sin,
lived the life of a recluse ; or shunned the
society even of the worst of men and of his
bitterest enemies ; He would neither have
fulfilled the purpose of His mission, nor
have left an example universally beneficial.
Though He had wrought miracles, though
He had preached like John the Baptist in
the wilderness, though He had even suffered
as a martyr to the truth, and died as an
atonement for the sins of the world ; that
lustre and that efficacy would still have been
wanting, which the constant display of His
active virtues afforded. It was by the conti-
nued exercise of these virtues, in the course
of his holy and beneficent ministry, that the
fullest assurance was given to His followers,
not only of the truth of what He taught,
but also of the practicability of the several
duties He enjoined.
The world had never before seen a perfect
3 Matth. V. 16.
SERMON XV.
317
living pattern of holiness and virtue. They
had never before seen a religious or moral
teacher, who fully exemplified his own in-
structions. The Scribes and Pharisees, who
" sat in Moses' seat," and taught the Law
of Moses, were so far from exhibiting an ade-
quate pattern of it in their conduct, that our
Lord warned his disciples to " observe and do
" whatsoever they bade them observe, but to
" do not after their works ; for they said, and
" did not''." Respecting heathen philoso-
phers, Cicero observes, " Where is any one
" found among them whose morals, or whose
" disposition and conduct are regulated by
" sound reason ? who regards his own system,
" not as a mere display of knowledge, but as
" a rule of life ? who is consistent with him-
" self, and governed by his own nxaxims'?"
Hence an ancient Christian Father remarks,
that these heathen sages were " eloquent
" against their own vices ;" their doctrines
being a reproach to their lives. From our
Lord's conduct may be gathered a system of
b Matth. xxiii. 2, 3.
<^ Quotus enim quisque philosopher uni invenitur, qui sit
ita moratus, ita animo ac vita constitutus, ut ratio postulat?
qui disciphnam suam non ostentationem scicntia?, sed legem
vitae piitet? qui obtemperet ipse sibi, et decretis suis pa-
reat? Cic. Tusc. QuwstA.n. c. 4.
318
SERMON XV.
practical religion more than equivalent to a
volume of instructions, as to every branch of
duty, public or private, personal or social,
v^^hich is capable of illustration by reference
to his example.
The great leading principles which he
himself represents as comprising the sub-
stance of all religion, are the love of God and
the love of man. In the exercise of these,
he was unceasingly occupied ; and he has
given a convincing proof how consistent they
are with each other ; or, rather, how inse-
parably they are connected, how mutually
strengthened and perfected by their union
and co-operation.
Our Lord's piety may well be classed
among his active virtues ; since it did not ex-
haust itself in mere devotional contempla-
tion, or in abstraction of the mind from this
world's concerns, but was manifested by out-
ward and visible tokens of its influence. The
love of God he lays down as "the first and
" great commandment'' and he invariably
comports himself according to that rule. He
refers every thing to the glory of God. All
his actions, all his discourses, tend to this.
" I seek not, (says he,) mine own will, but the
" will of the Father which hath sent me''."
c Matth. xxii. 38. d John v. 30.
SERMON XV.
319
" My meat is to do the will of him that sent
" me, and to finish his work^" He assigns
to those persons the first place in his affec-
tions who co-operate with him in this great
purpose ; — " Whosoever shall do the will of
" my Father which is in heaven, the same is
" my brother, and sister, and motherV We
discover nothing of this kind in heathen le-
gislators or instructors. Either their own
personal interest, or some feeling of vain-
glory in being distinguished as the benefac-
tors of mankind, may generally be discerned
as the motive of their most laudable exer-
tions. Christ alone continually manifested a
mind intent upon God's will, and devoted to
His service. " Father," says he, at the awful
hour when his ministry was about to close,
" I have glorified Thee on the earth ; I have
" finished the work which Thou gavest me to
" do^." Neither did he, in the furtherance of
that work, neglect any of the ordinary duties
of religion. It was his maxim, in these, as in
other respects, to " fulfil all righteousness''."
Though he needed no regeneration, he sub-
mitted to the rite of baptism. Though he
was "Lord of the sabbath," he sanctified it
by his own observance. Though he taught
^ John iv. 34. f Matth. xii. 50.
s John xvii. 4. ^ Matth. iii. 15.
320
SERMON XV.
men to worship God " in spirit and in truth',''
he did not depreciate external ordinances.
We find him constant in his attendance on
public worship; not only at the temple-ser-
vice, ordained by the Mosaic Law, but at that
of the synagogue ; a service of later institu-
tion and of inferior authority. Those festivals
of the Jewish church which had been super-
added to the great feasts appointed by Moses
were sanctioned by his presence. His re-
verence for places of public worship was
further signalized by a remarkable exertion
of miraculous power in driving out from the
temple those who had profaned the house of
God.
Yet notwithstanding this attention to every
external act of piety, and the genuine fervour
which appears to have accompanied his per-
formance of such duties, no indication can be
discovered of the weakness of superstition, or
of any undue stress laid upon the mere for-
malities of religious service. The part which
our Lord had to perform in this respect was
one of singular difficulty. Not only was the
Jewish ceremonial Law itself a very burthen-
some service, and a service, moreover, which,
by his own fulfilment of its purpose, was
shortly to be superseded and annulled ; but
' John iv. 23.
SERMON XV.
321
it was overloaded, at the time of his appear-
ance, with additional observances, and encum-
bered with needless perplexities, by those who
had " taught for doctrines the commandments
" of men To separate these, when neces-
sity required it, from duties of higher obli-
gation, was both an ungracious and a hazard-
ous task. But it consisted not with the real
sanctity of our Lord's character, that " the
" weightier matters of the Law, judgment,
" justice, and righteousness or the works
of mercy and benevolence more especially
characteristic of his divine mission, should be
made to yield to the less necessary, however
blameless usages, which had been arbitrarily
engrafted upon the Law itself Hence the
frequent cavils he had to encounter, and the
obloquy he suffered in performing deeds of
mercy on the sabbath-day ; in vindicating his
authority so to do, even by the exercise of
miraculous power; in contending with the
deep-rooted prejudices of the priests and the
people, respecting the intrinsic worth of or-
dinances in which they deemed the whole
of religion to consist ; and in teaching them
by his own practice the true meaning of
that divine maxim which they so little un-
derstood, " I will have mercy, and not sacri-
k Matth. XX. 9. ' Matth. xxiii. 23.
VOL. I. Y
322
SERMON XV.
" fice In effecting this arduous purpose,
occasion is continually presented to us in his
history, of admiring that extraordinary dis-
cretion, firmness, conciliation, and forbear-
ance, by which he manifested his zeal for
God's glory, and his reverence for every sa-
cred institution, while he discountenanced
that spurious or pretended sanctity, which
would confound things circumstantial or in-
different with things essential to religion, and
render piety itself subversive of the highest
moral obligations.
If further demonstrations of our Lord's
piety were requisite, the Evangelists have
supplied them in the various instances they
record of his private as well as public devo-
tions. Though continually occupied among
crowds of followers, and ever intent upon ex-
tending to the wretched and helpless, to the
ignorant and depraved, the blessings of health
and strength, of instruction and reformation ;
large portions of his time appear to have been
set apart for secret meditation and prayer,
for spiritual communion with his heavenly
Father, and for strengthening Himself by
these means in the further progress of his
ministry. Here, again, we see the perfection
of that humility so conspicuous in all his
m Matth. ix. 13.
SERMON XV.
323
conduct. He who had no sins of his own to
be forgiven, he who knew that the Father
heard him always, he who on every occa-
sion gave such abundant demonstration of
the spirit and the power abiding in him for
the high purpose he had undertaken ; yet
deemed it incumbent upon him in his hu-
man nature, "in every thing by prayer and
" supplication to make known his requests
" unto God "." And not only was this done
at stated times and seasons, or at intervals
of privacy and retirement, but, when occasion
called for it, in the presence of others ; when,
for the sake of example to those around him,
or to give them assurance that God was with
him, he either invoked the Divine blessing
upon an act to be performed, or gave glory
to God for its success.
But our admiration of this feature in
the portrait must not draw off our attention
from one equally striking, and equally de-
serving of our contemplation ; that love of
man, that pure and unbounded benevolence,
which, blending itself with this unsophisti-
cated piety, rendered him a still brighter
model of excellence, a still worthier object
of imitation.
With reference more especially to this
" Phil. iv. 6.
Y 2
324
SERMON XV.
part of his character, it is said of him in
the text, that he " went about doing good ;"
the expression being applied, as the context
shews, to the beneficence displayed in the
variety of miracles which he wrought. Of
these it has often been remarked, that scarce-
ly any can be pointed out, which do not
strikingly indicate the benevolence of his dis-
position, and his tender feeling for the suf-
ferings and infirmities of mankind. Even
in the most stupendous manifestations of his
power, in creating food for the supply of mul-
titudes, in stilling the tempestuous waves, in
compelling death and the grave to yield up
their victims, the occasion that called forth
each miracle was not the pride of impress-
ing a wondering crowd with amazement, but
some substantial act of relief, of deliverance,
of consolation, where human means were in-
effectual. With very few exceptions, and
those easily explained on other grounds, we
shall find this to be the character of all his
miracles. Men's faith were confirmed by
them, as they might have been by wonders
of severity and terror: but their affections
also were gained, and their dispositions soft-
ened and subdued, by the benignity which
thus tempered the awful Majesty of hea-
ven.
SERMON XV.
325
Our Lord evinced also his never-failing
love towards mankind, on many occasions
where no miraculous display of his power
was called forth. The greater part of his
ministry was occupied among mixed assem-
blages of friends and enemies, admirers and
scoffers, poor and rich, ignorant and learned.
To all, his condescension and good-will were
in some way manifested ; counsel and encou-
ragement were given to his faithful follow-
ers ; warning and remonstrance to the faith-
less and impenitent ; salutary cautions to the
great and opulent ; topics of consolation to
the indigent and necessitous ; plain and ele-
mentary instruction to the ignorant and hum-
ble-minded ; considerations of a higher cast
to those who were better able to bear them.
But most of all do we find his kindness ex-
tended towards penitent and contrite offend-
ers. Many affecting incidents occur in which
he exercised this highest species of benevo-
lence. He did not, however, shun commu-
nication with those who were inveterately
prejudiced against him ; but occasionally par-
took of their society, as if desirous to con-
ciliate their good-will. Nor did he adopt
the prevailing hostility betwixt Jew and Sa-
maritan ; but took every opportunity of en-
deavouring to diminish its force, and to im-
V 3
326
SERMON XV.
press upon each the duty of regarding the
other as a neighbour. His kindness towards
young children is another indication of his
benevolent disposition. So are his soothing
and compassionate addresses to the sick, to
the mourners, to the afflicted of every de-
scription. He "wept with those that wept."
He wept also for those whose stubborn and
incorrigible tempers could not be softened
either by his admonitions or persuasions. The
warmth of his personal friendship for the
Apostles is discovered throughout the whole
of his affecting discourse with them on the
eve of his sufferings. His filial piety, and
his fraternal affection for " the disciple whom
" he loved," are more feelingly shewn by the
brief emphatical sentences uttered to each,
during his agonies on the cross, than by all
the colouring that descriptive eloquence could
give. His meekness in bearing injuries, and
his forgiving disposition towards those who
inflicted them upon him, were conspicuous
on the same trying occasion. They were no
less so throughout the whole course of his
ministry ; nor was the warmth of his resent-
ment ever kindled against his adversaries,
except when their enmity tended to pervert
others, or to arraign that Divine authority by
which he acted. Their blasphemy against
SERMON XV.
327
Him personally as the Son of man he could
forgive. But their blasphemy against the
Holy Ghost; their attributing to the power
of the evil one those mighty works which
shewed the energy of the Holy Spirit within
him ; was an offence precluding in the very
nature of it the hope of that repentance and
conviction which might lead them to retrace
their error; and therefore called forth his
heaviest denunciations.
It were endless to pursue the subject of
our Lord's benevolence, in all its ramifica-
tions. Some general conception of its un-
bounded extent may be formed by applying
to it St. Paul's description of Christian cha-
rity. " It suffereth long, and is kind ; en-
" vieth not; vaunteth not itself; is not puffed
" up ; doth not behave itself unseemly ; seek-
" eth not its own ; is not easily provoked ;
" thinketh no evil ; rejoiceth not in iniqui-
" ty, but rejoiceth in the truth ; beareth all
" things, believeth all things, hopeth all things,
" endureth all things"." Who would not sup-
pose that the Apostle was here delineating
the very portrait of his blessed Master ? But,
without descending even to these particulars,
the one great design of our Lord's coming
into the world, the very purpose for which
o 1 Cor. xiii. 4, 5, 6.
Y 4
328
SERMON XV.
he lived and died, is a more stupendous proof
of benevolence than all that history can pa-
rallel or human imagination can frame. To
save a lost world, to reconcile sinners to an
offended God, to shew them the way to eter-
nal life, and to enable them to attain it;
these were effusions of loving-kindness which
could only issue from the fountain of good-
ness itself ; and whatever indications of that
disposition we discern in the several occur-
rences of his life are but so many subordinate
parts of the main design.
Connected with this inexhaustible mercy
and benevolence, another prominent feature
in our Lord's character remains yet to be
noticed — that exemi[Aa.ry fortitude which en-
abled him to bear a weight of calamity pecu-
liar to himself.
If this quality in our blessed Saviour had
borne any resemblance to the apathy of the
Stoic, the sternness of the hero, or the blind
self-devotion of the enthusiast, it w^ere un-
worthy of special commendation. But it
partook of none of these suspicious quali-
ties ; nor do we find any thing strictly pa-
rallel with it in the annals of philosophy, he-
roism, or martyrdom. With an acute sense
of pain and ignominy, there was manifested
a calm and deliberate contemplation of the
SERMON XV.
329
sufferings to be endured, and of the Divine
purpose to be effected by them. In the aw-
ful scene which took place in the garden of
Gethsemane, there appears also to have been
suffering of a peculiar and mysterious kind,
something above our feeble conceptions — a
mental conflict, an agony of soul, greater than
we can suppose the mere anticipation of his
bodily sufferings to have called forth. Chris-
tian martyrs have trod in the steps of their
crucified Lord, and have "resisted unto
" blood," not only with patience, but with
joy and triumph. But Christian martyrs
have never borne the burthen of eccpiating
sin. The expiation already made for them
was their stay and support. They have never
" poured out their souls an offering for sin^ ;"
nor is it possible they should have a feeling,
or form even a conception of that mental ef-
fort which such an offering might require.
This, probably — (I say probably, because it is
a mystery we can never entirely develope) —
this, probably, constituted the bitterest in-
gredient in that cup which our Lord vo-
luntarily drank. His fortitude, therefore, as
well as all his other high and excellent quali-
ties, stands above comparison with any that
the rest of mankind can produce. It is con-
P Isa. liii. 12.
330
SERMON XV.
nected with that inexhaustible benevolence
which embraces the whole human race, and
with that intenseness of zeal for the Divine
glory which would endure every thing, rather
than that sin and death should get the victo-
ry. These were the incitements to that con-
stancy, that submission, that meekness, that
willing obedience under every trial, which
from his first temptation in the wilderness, to
his last hour upon the cross, rendered the
pattern he hath set before us " perfect and
" entire, wanting nothing i."
q In treating of this mysterious subject I have wished to
avoid, rather than attempt to remove, some of the difficul-
ties which surround it. To speak of our Lord as oppressed
by a sense of the actual guilt of the whole world then laid
upon him, or by the absolute dereliction of the Divine aid
then supposed to be withdrawn from him, appears to me
hardly warranted by any direct authority of Script ui-e, or
by any just inferences from it, notwithstanding some opinions
of this kind entertained by expositors of unquestionable re-
putation. To me it appears sufficient to suppose, with re-
ference to our Lord's human nature, that his mental pertur-
bation, his intense solicitude in this unparalleled conflict, was
heightened beyond all conception by the magnitude, not
merely of the sufferings to be endured, but of the tremen-
dous issue that was dependent upon them. Without call-
ing in preternatural considerations to account for this agony
or mental struggle, we may conceive that when our Lord
presented to his mind the consequences that must result,
cither, on the one hand, from his enduring these sufferings
in conformity to the Divine will, or, on the other, from his
swerving, even in the slightest degree, from a free and
SERMON XV.
331
Let us now close the inquiry which has
been pursued in this and the two preced-
ing discourses, on our Lord's character as a
teacher and a pattern of innocence and good
works, with a few general reflections.
The testimony hence derived to the truth .
of Christianity is decisive and unanswerable.
It bids defiance to any adversary who ac-
knowledges the truth of the history itself.
We challenge the unbeliever to bring forward
a religion of any kind standing upon the au-
thority of such a Founder as this. History
will be searched in vain for a record of any
teacher of a false religion uniting in his
character such qualities as distinguished the
willing submission to them ; when the result would in effect
be either to accomplish the salvation of mankind, or to frus-
trate its accomplishment ; — more acute perception of the ac-
cumulated weight, the aggravated burthen of responsibility
laid upon him, than we can possibly imagine, might at tiie
instant have pressed upon him, so as almost to overwhelm
every faculty of soul or body. In this supposition there is
surely enough to account for what is recorded — enough to
shew that, inasmuch as our Lord was " in all things tenipt-
" ed like as we are," and partook of all the feelings inci-
dental to our nature, he could not in this instance but be
conscious that he was placed in a situation in which no
other human being ever was or could be placed, and under
circumstances so awfully, so tremendously important in their
issue, that no fortitude, no magnanimity, no concentration
of human strength and resolution, would enable him to con-
template it without an intensity of feehng surpassing any
thing that the rest of mankind had ever undergone.
332
SERMON XV.
meek and lowly Jesus. Where is the im-
postor to be found who could assume even
the semblance of such qualities ? They who
trust to feigned virtues would ill bear such
trials as those which our Lord endured, or
such scrutiny as his character underwent from
opponents the most acute and inquisitive.
Yet which of them " convinced him of sin'?"
And what was he to gain, if a deceiver ? Po-
verty, shame, and death.
Will you say, then, that he feigned this for
a good purpose? It is a solecism in terms.
There is no goodness in falsehood ; no piety
in deceit ; no virtue in any thing that maketh
a lie. The founder of such a religion would
stand convicted out of his own mouth, could
one tittle of his doctrine be proved untrue.
His pleas of good intention would be in-
stantly annihilated by the maxim of his own
Apostle, against "doing evil, that good may
" come^" No; — sooner may light have con-
cord with darkness, than Christ with Belial.
Will you confound his character, then, with
those of enthusiasts who " know not what
" they say, or whereof they affirm ?" Will
you liken him to men of heated imaginations,
wrought up to strong persuasions founded on
no evidence of truth ? W^e shall have viewed
' John viii. 46. ^ Roui. iii. 8.
SERMON XV.
333
our subject to little purpose, if such a notion
can be for a moment entertained ; if He who
" spake as never man spake," who " did no
" sin, neither was guile found in his mouth,"
and " who went about doing good ;" — He, on
whom the tongue of slander could fix no one
stain of imperfection, — should nevertheless be
classed among the tribe of visionaries who
have left behind them nothing but monu-
ments of their own folly and imbecility.
Consider, again, how all these distinguish-
ing characteristics of our Saviour correspond-
ed with what the Prophets had foretold of
him. "The Spirit of the Lord shall rest
" upon him, the spirit of wisdom and under-
" standing, the spirit of counsel and might,
" the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of
" the Lord\" "Then the eyes of the blind
" shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf
" shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame
" man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the
" dumb shall sing\" " Unto you that fear my
" name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise
" with healing in his wings"." " He shall
" feed his flock like a shepherd\" " He had
" done no violence, neither was any deceit in
" his mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to
' Isa. xi. 2. " Isa. xxxv. 5.
w Malachi iv. 2. " Isa. xl. 11.
334
SERMON XV.
" bruise him ; he hath put him to grief. He
" is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and
" as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so
" he openeth not his mouth. For the trans-
" gression of my people was he stricken. And
"he was numbered with the transgressors ;
" and he bare the sin of many, and made in-
" tercession for the transgressors ^" Have
these things been fulfilled, or have they not ?
to whom do they apply, but to Christ him-
self? And do they not apply to Him, as if
the historian rather than the prophet had
described them ?
If, then, we admit these facts, there is but
this alternative ; you must accept the faith
that is grounded upon them, or you must be-
lieve that the Person in whom these things
were verified ; — One, who, though obscure in
birth and station, had more knowledge, and
taught more excellent notions of God and of
moral duty, than all who ever went before
him ; — One whose doctrine tended to the ut-
most perfection of piety and virtue ; — One
who preached and discoursed on the pro-
foundest subjects with perfect clearness and
consistency, and who in every instance con-
ducted himself as a pattern of holiness, jus-
tice, temperance, humility, sincerity; — was ne-
y Isa. liii.
SERMON XV.
335
vertheless a hypocrite or a self-deceiver ; in-
curring all manner of obloquy and suffering,
for the sake of propagating that as true which
he knew to have no foundation but in his
own invention. On which side of the alter-
native the imputation of credulity will lie, it
requires but little consideration to deter-
mine. Leaving, then, the unbeliever to his
own perverse imaginations, it remains only
for us, who admit the truth and its conse-
quences, to consider how we stand affected
by them.
Our Lord's perfection of character was not
meant only to strengthen our faith, but to
influence our practice. He " left us an ex-
" ample, that we should follow his steps
Some of his perfections, indeed, we cannot
imitate ; and some extraordinary actions, aris-
ing out of the peculiar nature of his divine
mission, can no otherwise be made applica-
ble to ourselves, than as they indicate certain
qualities or dispositions which it behoves us
to cultivate for our own spiritual improve-
ment. In this respect, no part of his con-
duct is without its practical use. Even in
the highest functions of his office, as well as
in his ordinary intercourse with men, may
be discerned piety, charity, purity, meekness,
1 Pet. ii. 21.
336
SERMON XV.
condescension, compassion, constancy, pru-
dence, or some other virtues, in which every
faithful follower of him will endeavour to
excel. Some circumstances there were, how-
ever, in his conduct, arising out of special oc-
casions, in which we, perhaps, can never be
placed, or intended for special purposes which
we can hardly be supposed to contemplate. It
is not, for example, required of us, that we
should " eat with publicans and sinners," or
perform menial offices to our inferiors in sta-
tion, from a vain affectation of imitating that
conduct in Him which was grounded on mo-
tives and reasons for the most part inappli-
cable to ourselves ; nor would it become us,
under any persuasion of zeal in the cause of
religion, to assume that authority which He
exercised in purifying the Jewish temple. Yet
are we bound, with reference even to these ex-
traordinary actions, to imitate and exemplify,
as far as our means and stations may permit,
that spirit of zeal, of humility, and of con-
cern for the spiritual welfare of others, which
these actions so clearly indicated. On the
other hand, it is no less evident, that we our-
selves may be placed in circumstances, re-
specting which we find nothing strictly pa-
rallel in our Lord's history; and to which,
therefore, we cannot, without some degree of
SERMON XV.
337
[)resumption, venture to apply His example.
But neither in these, nor in any other cases,
are we in danger of being misled by that ex-
ample, if we be content to regard it only as a
general pattern of Christian character, and en-
deavour in sincerity and truth to adapt it to
our own circumstances, and to frame our be-
haviour accordingly. Thus shall we act up
to the full spirit of the Apostle's rule, " He
" that saith he abideth in Him, ought him-
" self also so to walk even as he walked."
To this end, then, let all our meditations
on the subject of our Lord's character and
conduct be directed. Let every one " that
" hath ears to hear," hear and reverence the
wisdom of him that " spake as never man
" spake." " Let every one that nameth the
" name of Christ depart from iniquity ^" Let
every one that cherishetli the hope of the
Gospel "purify himself even as He is pure''."
Let every one who professeth to " love him
" keep his commandments and remember
his declaration, " Herein is my Father glori-
" fied, that ye bear much fruit ; so shall ye
"be my disciples'^." Finally, let every one
who thus endeavours to " adorn the doctrine
" of God his Saviour in all things," look with
a 2 Tim. ii. 19. 1 John iii. 3. ^ John xiv. 15.
d John XV. 8.
VOL. I. Z
338
SERMON XV.
humble hope and confidence to a joyful re-
compense for his labours, knowing that he
who thus " reapeth receiveth wages, and ga-
" thereth fruit unto life eternal ^"
^ John iv. 36.
SERMON XVI.
Jer. xxiii. 6.
This is the name whereby He shall he called. The
Lord our Righteousness.
That the Jewish Prophets were occasion-
ally favoured with very clear and distinct
communications from God's Holy Spirit, re-
specting the personal character and office of
the Messiah, is evident from this and many
other passages of the Old Testament. They
foretold, not only the time, and place, and
other circumstantial particulars of his com-
ing, but also his Divinity, his Incarnation, his
authority as a Lawgiver and King, his Priest-
hood, his suffering as an Atonement for sin,
and every thing which marked him to be
the Redeemer of mankind. So numerous are
the testimonies of this description, as to ex-
cite our astonishment that the very people
to whom the sacred oracles were committed
Z 2
340
SERMON XVI.
should not only overlook their most obvious
signification, but even persecute and destroy
the very Person in whom, and in whom alone,
all these marvellous predictions were so sig-
nally accomplished.
Among the most prominent of these stands
Jeremiah's declaration in the text ; a message
well adapted to awaken the loftiest expecta-
tions in those to whom it was immediately
addressed ; nor less so, to confirm the faith
of Christian believers who, in these latter
times, are still better able to appreciate its
entire import and signification.
The Prophet having foretold in the pre-
ceding chapter severe judgments upon the
Jewish nation and their rulers, proceeds to
comfort them with an assurance of the com-
ing of that promised seed, whom, from the
earliest ages, their forefathers had been taught
to look to as their great Deliverer. "Be-
" hold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I
" will raise unto David a righteous Branch ;
" and a King shall reign and prosper, and
" shall execute judgment and justice in the
" earth. In his days Judah shall be saved,
" and Israel shall dwell safely ■\" Here are
specified certain appropriate distinctions of
the Messiah not easily to be misconceived;
Jer. xxiii. 5, 6.
SERMON XVI.
341
his descent from David, his regal and judicial
authority, and the participation of both Judah
and Israel in the blessings of his kingdom ;
when these two kingdoms should no longer
be separated from each other, but acknow-
ledge the same sovereign Ruler. But lest
it should be imagined that in this illustrious
Person they were to recognise a temporal de-
liverer, an earthly monarch, a mere humayi
legislator or sovereign, the Prophet adds,
"And this is the name whereby he shall be
" called. The Lord our Righteousness ;" a
name expressive of qualities which never could
belong to any of the sinful race of man ; but
which necessarily required that all the pre-
ceding characteristics of this extraordinary
Person should be interpreted in a sense not
incompatible with this transcendent title.
From this title, indeed, nothing less could
reasonably be inferred than his essential di-
vinity ; the original word, Jehovah, here ren-
dered Lord, being that which the sacred
writers never apply to any created being,
even of the highest order, but restrict it to
the true and only God. When, therefore,
the Prophet designates by this peculiar title
the same Person of whom it was said in the
preceding verse that he should be of the seed
of David, and consequently appear " in fashion
Z 3
342
SERMON XVI.
" as a man," the passage can only be render-
ed consistent with itself by supposing that in
him the human nature was to be united with
the divine ; and that by virtue of this myste-
rious union he was to become " the Lord our
" Righteousness," the Saviour of mankind, the
Person through whom mankind should be ac-
cepted as righteous in the sight of God.
With reference, perhaps, to this remarkable
expression, St. Paul speaks of Christ as being
" made unto us wisdom, and righteousness,
" and sanctification, and redemption ^ and
St. John styles him "Jesus Christ the Right-
" eous'." Isaiah also prophesied, that his name
should be called " Emmanuel, or, God with
" us ;" which prophecy St. Matthew identi-
fies with the angel's prophetic message to Jo-
seph, "Thou shalt call his name Jesus, for
" he shall save his people from their sins ^"
The identity (if we may so say) of the two
appellations, appears to consist in the mean-
ing of the name Jesus, which denotes a Sa-
viour, and which was given him because he
should " save his people from their sins."
They were his people, not in his human cha-
racter, or by any earthly authority he had
over them ; but by virtue of his divine cha-
b 1 Cor. i. 30. 1 John ii. 1. ^ Isa. vii. 24.
e Matt. i. 21.
SERMON XVI.
343
racter, inasmuch as he was Jehovah, Emma-
nuel, their Creator as well as their Redeemer.
In this sense alone he was, as the same Pro-
phet had declared of him, " mighty to save :"
and hence we may presume the Evangelist
regarded the name Jesus to he in force and
meaning equivalent to that of Emmanuel.
Jeremiah's prophecy still more distinctly
marks this connection between them ; since
it unites in one and the same expression both
the divinity of our Lord, and his atonement
for sin, and the inseparability of these from
each other. He was the Lord Jehovah, or
" God with us ;" and he became " our Right-
" eousness," as his name Jesus denoted, to
" save us from our sins." In this twofold
character we acknowledge him as the Re-
deemer of mankind.
Thus briefly, yet not obscurely, does the
Prophet in these words present to us a sub-
ject of the deepest interest that can occupy
the mind of man ; a subject, indeed, which it
passes our finite understandings fully to com-
prehend ; but of which, however inadequate
our conceptions of it, we may yet discern
enough to awaken our gratitude and love to-
wards its divine Author, and to teach us to
what end it should be applied.
The first step towards a right apprehension
z 4
344
SERMON XVI.
of the great work of our redemption, is to
consider the occasion that gave rise to this
manifestation of the Divine wisdom and good-
ness. In consequence of the Fall of Adam,
man became so prone to evil in the very con-
stitution of his nature, that notwithstanding
the checks and warnings he continually re-
ceives from the inward law of his mind ap-
proving what is right and good, and also from
the suggestions of the Holy Spirit inciting
and invigorating those sentiments within him,
he is still so frequently, if not habitually,
drawn into violations or omissions of his
known duty, as to render him guilty before
God and liable to condemnation ; so that were
God to " enter into judgment" with the whole
human race, there should " no man living be
"justified in his sight Original sin, that
corruption now innate within us, hath ever
led, and will ever lead, more or less, to ac-
tual sin ; precluding every possible claim even
in the very best of men to the Divine accept-
ance, on the ground of pure unblemished
righteousness ; affording no reasonable assur-
ance even of pardon and remission, by any
attempt that we can make to liberate our-
selves from the judicial consequences of con-
scious guilt. From these, indeed, it is mani-
f Psalm cxliii. '2.
SERMON XVI. U5
test, (even upon the most superficial view
of the subject,) that none but God himself
can be competent to effect our deliverance.
" Against Thee only," saith the Psalmist,
" have I sinned, and done this evil in Thy
" sight^." Every offence committed against
God or man is a breach of the divine lata. In
this consists the real gravamen of the offence,
whatever it may be. This it is which consti-
tutes it a sin, in the proper acceptation of the
term. Consequently, to remit it, or to pre-
scribe any conditions on which it shall be re-
mitted, can be the prerogative of God only.
And since it is an essential attribute of that
Being, that " he is of purer eyes than to be-
" hold iniquity nothing can be more conso-
nant with our own notions of rectitude, than
what the Scriptures every where set forth,
that without other means than we can devise
of vindicating the offended laws of God, and
purifying the offenders from the guilt that
lies upon them, " all" must necessarily " come
" short of the glory of God' ;" and that, in
strictness and truth, " there is none" that can
be accounted righteous, " no not one**." The
more we revolve the subject in our thoughts,
the more shall we be perplexed in our endea-
s Tsalm li 4. h Hab. i. 3. ' Uom. iii. 23.
k Rom. iii. 12.
346
SERMON XVI.
vours to imagine any possible means by which
this state of moral debasement and despon-
dency can be effectually removed.
With respect, indeed, to any satisfaction
that could be accepted by the Almighty, with-
out derogating from his holiness, his purity,
or his justice, it becomes us, under every cir-
cumstance, to speak and think with the ut-
most humility and with reverential awe. By
the light of nature we know of no satisfaction
that can possibly be made. We know of no-
thing that can justify a sinner in the sight of
God ; nothing that can assure him of an ac-
quittal from guilt, or of restoration to the
Divine favour. As we readily perceive it to
be " not possible that the blood of bulls and
" goats should take away sin';" so we are no
less impelled to acknowledge that the blood
of an human victim, or the sacrifice even of
an angelical being of the highest order, could
never make compensation for disobedience to
the Divine Law. Under this impression, and
judging only from such imperfect abstract
notions as we can form on so fearful a sub-
ject, we should be apt at once to throw our-
selves implicitly upon the Divine forbearance,
conscious that none but God himself could
provide the means of so attempering justice
1 Heb. X. 4.
SERMON XVI.
347
with mercy, as to extend the one without dis-
paragement of the other. And if this be the
case in any instance of individual guilt, how
much more so when the question is asked,
What can be " a full, perfect, and sufficient
" sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction for the
" sins of the whole world ?" To this ques-
tion no answer could ever have been given,
none even plausibly conjectured, by human
thought. The most rational presumption
would be, that in whatever it might consist,
it must be something divine in its nature and
origin, divine in its operation and effect;
since nothing short of absolute holiness and
goodness could be deemed worthy of Him,
whose perfections the most exalted of his
creatures may not presume to emulate.
It is well, then, that we are not left to the
harassing and perilous disquisitions of human
reason, on a concern above all others the most
intensely interesting to every soul of man.
Still more is it a source of unspeakable con-
solation and encouragement, that the won-
derful scheme of our redemption unfolded in
the sacred writings, however it may surpass
our finite comprehensions, is nevertheless in
entire accordance with the most anxious an-
ticipations we could form of what is requisite
to assure us of its all-sufficiency in every re-
348
SERMON XVI.
spect. Most perfectly does it correspond with
those feelings of utter inability on our part,
and of the necessity of an interposition no-
thing less than divine, which so fully takes
possession of our minds in contemplating our
situation as fallen and sinful beings. How
forcible is the language of Scripture, whether
of Prophets or of Apostles, in presenting this
subject to our view ! " I looked," says the
Almighty, by his prophet Isaiah, " I looked,
" and there was none to help ; and I wonder-
" ed that there was none to uphold ; there-
" fore mine own arm brought salvation unto
" me, and my fury it upheld me'"." Again ;
" I beheld, and there was no man even
" amongst them, and there was no counsellor,
" that when I asked of them could answer a
" word "." And again ; " He saw that there
" was no man, and wondered that there was
" no intercessor ; therefore His arm brought
" salvation unto him, and his righteousness,
" it sustained him°." To the same effect St.
Paul says, " God was in Christ, reconciling
" the world unto himself, not imputing their
" trespasses unto them''." No point appears
to be more strongly, more invariably, insisted
upon by the sacred writers, than this, that
the efficacy of the Atonement was derived
Isa. Ixih. 5. " Isa. xli. 28. » Isa. lix. 16. P 2 Cor. v. 19.
SERMON XVI.
349
from the immediate act of the Godhead ; from
one Person of the ever-blessed Trinity having
taken our nature upon him, and in that na-
ture offered up a sacrifice holy and unble-
mished ; a victim equivalent in value to what-
ever might be the ransom required.
Against this mysterious dispensation, and
especially against the doctrine involved in it
of vicarious atonement, the objections usually
advanced appear for the most part to origi-
nate in a disbelief or disregard of that other
great article of our faith, no less involved in
it, the Divinity of the Redeemer. His Divi-
nity is that v^^hich gives a stamp of infinite
value to the sacrifice upon the cross; that
which most effectually removes every doubt
of its sufficiency and perfection. It is that
also, w^hich most readily obviates every objec-
tion respecting the supposed injustice of or-
daining the innocent to suffer for the guilty.
With those who regard our Saviour as no-
thing more than man, however guiltless and
perfect, this difficulty may well seem insur-
mountable. But take the case as it is actually
presented to us, and the main objections va-
nish. For as, on the one hand, the acknow-
ledged perfections of the Divine nature united
to the manhood, supersede all question con-
cerning the efficacy of the sacrifice offered in
350
SERMON XVI.
the manhood only ; so, on the other hand, the
voluntary interposition of a Divine person in
our behalf removes every shadow of a charge
injurious to its justice. The Almighty here
calls not upon any of His creatures to make the
sacrifice. He takes the whole work of redemp-
tion upon Himself. He "provides for Him-
" self the Lamb for an offering''." And though
" the just suffers for the unjustV' and " He
" who knew no sin is made sin for us'," yet
the sacrifice being thus prepared and perfect-
ed by God himself, and not exacted from any
created being, "every mouth is stopped;" none
is aggrieved, none has cause to arraign the
equity of the dispensation. Stupendous as the
work indeed is, and exhibiting a display of
mercy and condescension surpassing all that
it could enter into the heart of man to con-
ceive ; yet does it stand clear of every impu-
tation on the wisdom or justice of its Divine
Author ; absorbing every other feeling of the
mind in emotions of love and gratitude, of
overpowering admiration and reverential awe.
Abstaining then from all unprofitable spe-
culations on a mystery so unfathomable, let
our thoughts be chiefly employed in applying
it as the main foundation and support of
Christian faith and practice.
q Gen. xxii. 8. < 1 Pet. hi. 18. ^ 2 Cor. v. 21.
SERMON XVI.
351
From the foregoing representation of the
dignity and office of our Redeemer, foretold
by the Prophets and confirmed by the Apo-
stles, we are taught to "look unto Jesus," both
as "the Author and Finisher of our faith."
Man could not be the author of his own
salvation. It cometh of God only ; and
Christ who is expressly declared to be " the
" Author of eternal salvation*," is no less ex-
plicitly represented to us as God himself
In his divine character therefore this title
is ascribed to him. As the Finisher of our
faith, the person in whom all things relating
to our redemption were accomplished, he was
indeed the 7nan Christ Jesus, who " died for
" our sins, and rose again for our justifica-
" tion"." This was the effect of his incarna-
tion. If then we deny that in him dwelt
" the fulness of the Godhead bodily," we un-
dermine the foundation of our trust in him
as a Saviour ; and must be at a loss to con-
ceive that the shedding of his blood could
have that efficacy in it, which, according to
the Scriptures, as well as to our own imper-
fect apprehensions, the exigency of the case
appears to require. They, therefore, who
deny him in the one character, go far towards
denying him in the other. If we doubt his
t Heb. V. 9. " Rom. iv. 25.
f352
SERMON XVI.
divinity, our belief in the atonement is shaken.
If the atonement be acknowledged, the belief
of his divinity becomes requisite to give it
full effect. Accordingly, they who question
the former doctrine are generally disposed to
question the latter ; whilst the Church Ca-
tholic throughout all ages has uniformly up-
holden both ; acknowledging our Lord to be
" the everlasting Son of the Father," yet that
it is he who hath " redeemed us with his pre-
" cious blood." Upon the certainty of both
these doctrines depends the whole S3^stem of
our redemption ; which is weakened, if not
destroyed, where either of them is disclaimed.
If, indeed, our Lord had not a divine charac-
ter, or if he did not suffer as an atonement
for our offences, in what sense do we receive
him, and trust in him as a Saviour ? To in-
struct men by precept and example in a more
perfect way of righteousness ; to " bring life
" and immortality to light" by a more dis-
tinct revelation of a future state ; and to de-
clare more explicitly than heretofore on what
terms the Almighty would bestow the gift
of eternal life ; — these unquestionably were
great and important purposes which our Lord
came to accomplish, and which by his life
and doctrine he perfectly fulfilled. But if
this were all that he did for us, however
SERMON XVI.
353
highly we might venerate him as a teacher
sent from God, it will be hard to explain in
what sense he is said to be " The Lord our
" Righteousness," the " Propitiation for our
" sins," our " Mediator" and " Advocate," our
" High-Priest" and " Intercessor." These are
titles expressive of an office and character
perfectly distinct from all who ever preceded
or followed him, and utterly inapplicable to
any other of the sons of men. Nor is it easy
to perceive why his coming should have been
introduced by so splendid an apparatus of
prophecy and miracles, and by the peculiar
system of the Jewish Law, unless something
were to be effected through Him, in which all
mankind, before as well as since that period,
had an especial interest. If " Abraham re-
" joiced" in the expectation of His appear-
ance ; if in Christ " all the nations of the
" earth were to be blessed ;" if He was " the
" desire of all nations ;" if " as in Adam all
" died, so in Christ shall all be made alive ;" —
what can we infer, but that the benefits of
redemption were to extend to the faithful
through all ages, past, present, and to come ;
and that He by whom it was wrought is " the
" same yesterday, to-day, and for ever ?"
We see then of what vast extent and mag-
nitude is the profession, however simple it
VOL. I. A a
354
SERMON XVI.
may appear, of our belief in Christ as "the
" Lord our Righteousness." It is to profess
our hope of salvation through Him only; that
we " trust not in our own righteousness, but
" in His manifold and great mercies ;" that
He is " the propitiation for our sins, and not
" for our's only, but also for the sins of the
" whole world," to " deliver us from the wrath
" to come\"
What a field also of practical instruction is
here presented to our view ! If to redeem us
from the dreadful consequences of sin, it was
ordained that the Son of God himself should
thus quit the bosom of the Father, should
veil the glories of his Godhead, and, though
" in the form of God" and " equal with God,"
make himself " of no reputation, and take
" upon him the form of a servant," and be
" made in the likeness of men," and "being
" found in fashion as a man, humble himself,
" and become obedient unto death, even the
" death upon the cross y;" — if all this was ne-
cessary for our deliverance, who shall pre-
sume to think lightly of the manifold trans-
gressions to which the very best among us
must plead guilty before God? When we re-
flect that every wilful transgression unre-
pented of renders us liable to condemnation ;
^ 1 Thess. i. 10. > Pliil. ii. 6, 7, 8.
SERMON XVI.
355
and that even repentance, however sincere
and ardent, can never expiate sin, or justify
us in the sight of God ; are we not almost ir-
resistibly impelled to humble ourselves before
the throne of His majesty, and to cry out
with Job, " Behold, I am vile, what shall I
" answer thee''?" How great then is the com-
fort, the hope, the encouragement, we may
derive from those sacred oracles ; which,
while they warn us of the evil of sin, direct
us where to find the remedy ; which assure
us, that "though our sins be as scarlet, they
" shall be as white as snow'';" that "God hath
" made Him to be sin for us, that we might
" be made the righteousness of God in Him"';"
and that the express purpose of his coming
into the world is, that " all that believe in
" him should not perish, but have everlasting
" life'^."
Great, however, as this consolation is, and
firm as are the foundations on which it rests,
let us beware of the error of those, who, in
their zeal to magnify the riches of God's
grace, and to extol this free gift of Redemp-
tion, would represent the merits of our Sa-
viour, not only as rendering his sacrifice a
perfect and all-sufficient atonement for our
^ Job xl. 4. Isa. i. 18. 2 Cor. v. 2.
e John iii. 15.
A a 2
356
SERMON XVI.
sins, but as even superseding the necessity on
our part of personal holiness and virtue. By
some our Lord's righteousness is represented
to be so transferred to true believers as to be-
come literally their righteousness, and im-
puted to them as their own. From which
doctrine the inference is readily drawn, that
being thus, according to their accustomed
phrase, "clothed in His righteousness," there
is no need of any other righteousness to en-
sure their acceptance ; that Christ having
done every thing for them, nothing that they
can do will either advance or hinder their
salvation ; that nothing more is necessary
than to lay hold on Christ by faith, and thus
to secure an interest in His merits. But with
whatever confidence these positions may be
assumed, how will they consist with the num-
berless practical exhortations engrafted by
the sacred writers themselves upon these doc-
trines of Atonement and Justification? How
will they consist even with the simple, but
most significant precepts of St. Peter and St.
Paul, " Add to your faith virtue'"' — " give all
" diligence to make your calling and election
" sure^" — " work out your own salvation with
" fear and trembling^?" Surely such instruc-
tions as these must convince us, that when
d 2 Pet. i. 5. ^2 Pet. i. 10. f Phil. ii. 12.
SERMON XVI.
357
Christ is said to be " our righteousness," the
expression can only mean, that for His sake,
and in consideration of His merits and suffer-
ings alone, our sins shall be remitted to us; but
that to render them effectual to that purpose,
our own co-operation is indispensably requi-
site. In any other sense than this, it does not
appear that the righteousness of Christ can
any more be said to be our righteousness, or
imputed to us, than it can be supposed that
when our Lord is said to have been " made
" sin for us," it is meant that He was literally
guilty of our sins. All that can safely be af-
firmed is this; that on our compliance with
the terms of the Christian covenant, our faith
is reckoned or imputed to us for righteous-
ness, notwithstanding the imperfection which
still necessarily adheres to all human actions,
and notwithstanding the innumerable trans-
gressions for which we should be otherwise
amenable to the tribunal of Divine justice.
With this simple statement of a doctrine
in which we are all so vitally interested let
us content ourselves, without adventuring
upon speculations leading to most dangerous
errors. Ever let us remember that the truths
of the Gospel, while they abound in consola-
tion to all true penitents, encourage none to
" continue in sin." Christ is the " author of
A a 3
358
SERMON XVI.
" eternal salvation ;" but it is to them who
obey him. He is " an advocate with the Fa-
" ther" and a " propitiation for our sins ;" but
he will be the avenger of all such as "hold
" the truth in unrighteousness," of all " who
" profess that they know God, but in works
" deny him." These things we are com-
manded to " speak and exhort :" and that we
may not speak and exhort in vain, let us be-
seech God to " stir up the wills of his faithful
" people, that they plenteously bringing forth
" the fruit of good works, may of Him be
" plenteously rewarded, through Jesus Christ
" our Lord."
SERMON XVII.
John i. 14.
The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,
and we beheld His glorij, the glory as of the only-
begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
The incarnation of our blessed Saviour is
that main article of the Christian faith, on
which the whole system of our redemption
depends ; and on every point relating to this
most important subject St. John's testimony
may be deemed of peculiar value.
St. John survived all the other Apostles,
and lived to so advanced an age as to wit-
ness the rise and progress of several pernicious
errors. His Gospel was written many years
after those of Matthew, Mark, and Luke; and
his design in writing it appears to have been,
not only to supply certain facts which it came
not within their purpose to record, and to de-
tail more largely than they had done some
of our Lord's most remarkable discourses, but
A a 4
360
SERMON XVII.
also to select those narratives and discourses
with special reference to the heretical opin-
ions which had already begun to infest the
Church. In one of his Epistles he observes,
that " many deceivers were entered into the
" world, who confessed not that Jesus Christ
" was come in the flesh." Some, it appears,
denied his divinity ; some, his human na-
ture ; others, that he was the Creator of the
world. Each of these erroneous persuasions
the Apostle seems to have had in view in
the very opening of his Gospel, which he
commences in these remarkable terms : " In
" the beginning was the Word, and the Word
" was with God, and the Word was God.
" The same was in the beginning with God.
" All things were made by him ; and with-
" out him Mas not any thing made that was
" made. In him was life ; and the life was
" the light of men. And the light shineth
" in darkness ; and the darkness compre-
" bended it not." — " He was in the world,
" and the world was made by him, and the
" world knew him not. He came unto his
" own, and his own received him not." Every
part of this description tends to the refu-
tation of one or other of the before-men-
tioned errors. The Apostle then sums up
his statement in the comprehensive position
SERMON XVII.
361
contained in the words of the text; "The
" Word Avas made flesh, and dwelt among us;
" and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the
" only-begotten of the Father, full of grace
" and truth."
Four distinct points are here presented to
our consideration; first, our Lord's divinity;
secondly, his human nature ; thirdly, his glory,
thus manifested both as God and man ; lastly,
the gracious purpose of this wonderful dis-
pensation.
1. With respect to the first point, our
Lord's divinity, it is evident, that the term
" Logos," or " Word," is here to be under-
stood of a perso7i so denominated. It cannot
denote a mere attribute of the Deity ; since
the Word is said not only to be " with God,"
but to be " God" himself, and the personal
pronoun is used throughout the context.
" The same^ was in the beginning with God."
"All things were made by him''; and with-
" out him'' was not any thing made that was
" made." Still more emphatically does the
text declare, that " the Word was made flesh,
" and dwelt among us." These expressions
it seems impossible to interpret, but of a per-
son assuming human nature. However highly
figurative the style of Scripture may some-
^ ovTos. b hi avTov. avTov.
362
SERMON XVII.
times be, and however intelligible, under cer-
tain circumstances, may be the personifica-
tion of an abstract quality or attribute ; yet
to speak of an abstract idea as " becoming
" flesh," and " dwelling among us" in that
character, is a mode of speech, perhaps, with-
out example, and certainly not warranted by
any thing analogous to it in the sacred writ-
ings.
Passages of equivalent force and meaning,
with reference to the same subject, are also
found in other writers of the New Testament.
St. Paul states it to be the " great mystery"
of the Christian faith, that God was "mani-
" fest in the flesh''." He speaks of Christ as
" the express image'" of the Father, " the
" image of the invisible GodV who is "be-
" fore all things^," "by whom all things con-
" sist^" and " in whom dwelt all the fulness
" of the Godhead bodily';" expressions, than
which none can more perfectly coincide with
St. John's declarations. Nor is it less remark-
able, that on almost every occasion when the
Apostles or Evangelists advert to our Lord's
coming into the world, some phrase is used
denoting his being of a nature superior to
ours. Even the simple phrase, "coming in
d 1 Tim. iii. 15. ^ Heb. i. 3. f Col. i. 15.
s Col. i. 17. h Ibid. * Col. ii. 9.
SERMON XVII.
363
" the flesh," is an instance of this, although
the Socinians would fain allege it in proof
that he was nothing more than man. A
distinguished writer of that persuasion confi-
dently refers to it, as if it meant the same as
" coming of the flesh." But, as his great an-
tagonist acutely remarks, the expressions are
quite distinct, and even dissimilar, in signifi-
cation. To come of the flesh, is to be born
exclusively of human parents, and to partake
of their nature only ; it precludes any pre-
existent state of being, any nature antecedent
or superior to that derived from the parent
stock. To come in the flesh, conveys quite
another meaning. It implies that the person
of whom it is predicated might have come
either in that nature or in some other ; that
nature not being originally inherent to him,
but subsequently assumed for some special
purpose. Accordingly, St. John expressly notes
it as a mark of antichrist and a deceiver, to
deny that Jesus Christ "came in the flesh;"
clearly meaning the denial of his incarnation
in the proper sense of the word''; and not a
denial that such a person as Jesus Christ had
actually appeared among men ; a fact which
perhaps no one at that time pretended to
dispute.
k 1 John iv. 2, 3. also 2 John 7.
364
SERMON XVII.
This, again, is further confirmed by a pas-
sage in the Epistle to the Hebrews, where
the Apostle represents our Lord's appearing
in our nature to have been the result of his
own voluntary determination : " For verily
" he took not on him the nature of angels,
" but he took on him the seed of Abraham'."
That our Lord had it in his power to make a
choice between the natures he would assume,
implies that he already possessed some other
nature, not only distinct from either men or
angels, but superior to both ; a nature, in-
deed, above those of all created beings ; since
we cannot conceive a creature, however ex-
alted, to have it in his power to take any
other nature upon him than that assigned to
him by his Creator. This mode of expres-
sion, therefore, simple as it appears to be, di-
rectly refutes the notion that our Lord had
no existence before his conception in the Vir-
gin's womb, or that he partook not of any na-
ture but that of earthly parents. It is equally
conclusive also against those who acknow-
ledge his preexistence, and invest him with
some high angelical or super-angelical dig-
nity, but deny his essential divinity ; since it
shews that, " in the beginning,"' he was nei-
ther man nor angel, but so infinitely greater
1 Heb. ii. 16.
SERMON XVII.
365
than either, that he had it at his own com-
mand to unite himself to the one or the other
at his good pleasure.
2. But secondly, the words of the text con-
tain an express recognition of our Lord's hu-
man nature ; " The Word was made flesh,
" and dwelt among us."
The Scripture proofs of this point are
abundantly clear and decisive. St. John
seems to speak of the Godhead as rendered,
in a certain sense, visible to mortal sight,
by the union of the divine and human na-
tures in the person of Christ. In no other
way could it be visible. " No man hath seen
" God at any time ; the only-begotten Son
" which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath
" declared him'"." In what sense we are to
understand this, may be gathered from the
same Apostle's expressions at the beginning
of his first Epistle ; " That which was from
" the beginning, which we have heard, which
" we have seen with our eyes, which we have
" looked upon, and our hands have handled
" of the Word of Life ; (for the Life was ma-
" nifested and we have seen it, and bear wit-
" ness, and shew unto you that Eternal Life
" which was with the Father, and was mani-
" fested unto us ;) that which we have seen
m John 1. 18.
366
SERMON XVII.
" and heard declare we unto you"." This
can only relate to the incarnation of our
Lord ; by which one Person of the eternal
Godhead became, as it were, perceptible to
mortal sense. Not that any transmutation,
any conversion, took place of the divine na-
ture into human substance ; or that the es-
sential properties of either were destroyed by
the union of both. But that in Christ were
visibly displayed the characteristic attributes
of the one and the other. To this his whole
conduct, his words and works, bore unequivo-
cal testimony. As the declarations already
cited establish his divinity ; so, innumerable
instances might be given, in which the phy-
sical qualities of the manhood he had assumed
were placed beyond all reasonable doubt. He
was made like unto us in all respects, sin only
excepted. He was tempted like as we are.
He experimentally knew and was touched
with a feeling of our infirmities. Hunger
and thirst, pain and sorrow, suffering and
death, were his portion. The second Adam
was therefore as truly Man as the Ji7-st; the
proofs of which, from his life and actions, are
so manifold, that any attempt to call this in
question seems to argue a degree of perverse-
ness almost inconceivable. Nevertheless, vi-
n 1 John i. 1, 2, 3.
SERMON XVII.
367
sionaries were not wanting, even in the time
of the Apostles, who taught that Christ was
not actually a man ; that he was so in ap-
pearance only, not in reality ; that his suffer-
ings as a mortal were only figurative ; and
that all the circumstances attending his pas-
sion and his crucifixion were illusions upon
the senses of the beholders : notions so ex-
travagantly absurd as hardly to deserve no-
tice in these days, were it not evident that
they did once prevail to no inconsiderable ex-
tent, and did they not shew how prone men
are to adopt the grossest errors, when the
plain sense of Scripture is set aside, to make
room for the wanderings of their own imagi-
nations.
In no instance, indeed, has inconsistency in
the interpretation of Scripture been more
strikingly exemplified, than in the very oppo-
site errors which have prevailed respecting
our Lord's incarnation ; errors also, (strange
to say !) that seem to have arisen from the
very clear and unambiguous terms in which
both our Lord's divine and human nature are
set forth. Some, finding his Godhead so ex-
pressly asserted, imagined that what was said
of his being " made flesh," could only be true
in a metaphorical sense. Others, perceiving
no less clearly the continual declarations of
S6S SERMON XVII.
his human properties, urged this in proof that
he could not be possessed of Divine perfec-
tions, and tortured every passage to that
effect, so as to bear some forced and incon-
gruous meaning, unwarranted by the plainest
rules of criticism. Both errors, contradictory
as they are, may be traced to partial views of
the subject, or to hazardous abstract specula-
tions on what is beyond the grasp of the hu-
man intellect. Both equally originate in the
vanity of endeavouring to be " wise above
" what is written," and wresting the Scrip-
tures to a conformity with their own inade-
quate conceptions. It is moreover remark-
able, that these attempts to remove difficul-
ties have had, for the most part, an opposite
effect ; entangling the inquirers in still more
inextricable perplexities. For, (distort the
subject how we may,) the doctrine of our
Lord's incarnation, taken in its simplest ac-
ceptation, meets us at every step. We find
him speaking, acting, and suffering, in every
respect as man ; we find him also asserting
and exercising powers, attributes, and perfec-
tions, exclusively belonging to God. Every
thing recorded of him harmonizes with this
twofold representation. But the instant we
depart from either of these, all that is affirm-
ed concerning him by Prophets, Apostles, or
SERMON XVII.
369
Evangelists, becomes impenetrably obscure ;
the expositor finds himself perpetually em-
barrassed, unable to reconcile one text of
Scripture with another, and driven to expe-
dients which render the whole written word
a source of doubt and darkness, rather than
of light and information.
3. The third point suggested in the words
of the text is the manifestation of the divine
glory by this union of God and man in the
person of our blessed Saviour : " We beheld
"His glory, the glory as of the only-begotten
" of the Father."
The glory of the Son of God, in his two-
fold character, is inseparable from the glory
of THE Father. It was manifested in his
birth, his ministry, his doctrine, his life and
conversation, his miracles, his fulfilment of
prophecy, his death, his resurrection, his as-
cension. These bore testimony that " God
" was in him of a truth." St. John, St. Peter,
and St. James, were witnesses also to another
extraordinary instance of his glory, his Trans-
figuration, when " there came such a voice to
" him from the excellent glory. This is my
" beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased"."'
Under the Jewish dispensation there had
been sundry manifestations of the Divine
'> 2 Peter i. 17.
VOL. I. B b
370
SERMON XVII.
glory, awfully majestic, and signally display-
ing the agency of an almighty, though invisi-
ble hand. Yet many of these derived their
chief importance from their connection with
that ulterior purpose, the coming of the Mes-
siah. To this they were preparatory; and
they redounded to the glory of God the Fa-
ther, as bearing reference to the great work
of our redemption, in which the Divine
power, and wisdom, and goodness, most tran-
scendently shone forth. This is strikingly
illustrated by the prophet Haggai, when en-
couraging the Jewish people in the work of
rebuilding the temple at Jerusalem, he ad-
verts to the consequences of the Messiah's
appearance : " Thus saith the Lord of Hosts,
" yet once it is a little while, and I will shake
" the heavens and the earth, and the sea, and
" the dry land ; and I will shake all nations,
" and the Desire of all nations shall come,
" and I will fill this house with glory, saith
" the Lord of Hosts. The silver is mine, and
" the gold is mine, saith the Lord of Hosts.
" The glory of the latter house shall be
" greater than that of the former, saith the
" Lord of Hosts : and in this place will I give
" peace, saith the Lord of Hosts p." With re-
ferenqe to the personal appearance of Christ
P Haggai ii. 6, 7, 8, 9.
SERMON XVII.
371
in the temple, and not to the exterior gran-
deur of the temple itself, this prediction
was delivered. In circumstances of outward
splendour, the second temple was confessedly
inferior to the first ; and it was unaccompa-
nied with those visible tokens of the Divine
presence, the Shechinah, the Urim and Thum-
mim, and the cloud of glory overshadowing
the mercy-seat, which distinguished the tem-
ple of Solomon. But the want of these was,
in the Prophet's contemplation of the event,
to be infinitely more than compensated by
the immediate and visible presence of Him,
of whose dignity these were but significant
symbols. It was not silver and gold that
were to be the glory of this latter house ; but
the fulfilment of that prophecy of Malachi,
" The Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly
" come to his temple, even the Messenger of
" the covenant, whom ye delight in''." It was
the coming of " the Desire of all nations ;" of
him, whose name was to be " called Wonder-
" ful. Counsellor, the mighty God, the ever-
" lasting Father, the Prince of Peace '." It
was His glory which was to fill this Temple,
and make its glory surpass that of the former.
It was there that He was to teach " with au-
" thority, and not as the Scribes ;" there that
n Malachi iii. 1. f Isaiah ix. 6.
B b 2
372
SERMON XVII.
"His word" was to be "with power;" there
that by His miracles and His discourses he
was to minister to the necessities both of the
souls and bodies of men.
4. This leads us to the last point presented
to our contemplation in the words of the text,
the gracious purpose of this wonderful dis-
pensation ; the Word, the Son of God, thus
manifested to the world, appeared "full of
" grace and truth."
By the coming of our Lord " in the flesh,"
was made known to mankind the free and
unmerited grace of God, in the remission of
sins through His atonement and intercession,
and in the gift of the Holy Spirit, enabling
them to work out their salvation. He ap-
peared " full of grace," in bringing these glad
tidings to the sons of men ; " full of truth,"
in verifying the promises made of old con-
cerning him to the Patriarchs and Prophets,
and in giving the most substantial proofs that
what he promised he was all-powerful to per-
form. The glory of the Christian dispensa-
tion as far exceeded that of the Jewish, as the
accomplishment of any good exceeds the ex-
pectation of it ; the Gospel being in fact the
completion of the Law ; the Law, but the an-
ticipation of the Gospel. The Law in itself,
and apart from its connection with this better
SERMON XVII.
373
covenant, was inefficient, either as to the ex-
piation of guilt, or to a sanctifying influence
upon the heart. It typified those blessings,
and pointed to a future Saviour, through
whom they should be obtained. For the
Gospel it was reserved to realize these to the
faithful of every age, and to carry into effect
what the other had either mystically repre-
sented, or pro])hetically announced. " This,"
then, we may now say with St. John, "is the
" witness of God which He hath given of His
" Son :" and, " if we receive the witness of
" men ;" — if we believe the testimony given
by the Evangelists and Apostles, thus corre-
sponding with the Law and the Prophets ; —
" the witness of God is greater';" that witness,
which the very facts declared by the sacred
historians assure us was actually given to the
Son, by the Father himself who sent him.
Upon a retrospect, then, of this great sub-
ject in all its principal bearings, what a field
is open for grateful contemplation ! When
we reflect upon the boundless compassion of
God the Father, in providing the means of
our redemption ; upon the wonderful conde-
scension of God the Son, in uniting his divine
to our mortal nature, and, for our sakes, sub-
mitting to its bitterest degradation and suf-
1 John V. 9.
15 b 3
374
SERMON XVII.
ferings ; and upon the all-sufficient aid im-
parted by God the Holy Ghost, to make us
the children of God and heirs of eternal life ;
are we not constrained to exclaim with the
Psalmist, " Lord, what is man, that thou art
" mindful of him ; or the son of man, that
" thou so regardest him ' !"
Yet let us not be so wrapt up in the spe-
culative contemplation of these great and un-
deserved mercies of God in Christ Jesus, as
to be practically unmindful of the obligations
they lay upon us. " For, behold, the day
" cometh," saith the last of the Hebrew pro-
phets, "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 "." " Unto you that
" fear my name !" — unto you, that is, who
lead such lives as becometh men professing
godliness ; — unto you who consider that the
" goodness of God leadeth you to repent-
" ance \" and that because " there is mercy
" with him, therefore shall lie be feared • ;" —
' Psalm viii. 4. " Malachi iv. 5sJ. Rom. ii. 4.
y Psalm cxxx. 4.
SERMON XVII.
375
unto you, who having been " signed with the
" sign of the cross," will not be ashamed to
" confess the faith of Christ crucified, and
" manfully to fight under his banner against
" sin, the world, and the Devil, and to con-
" tinue Christ's faithful soldiers and servants
" unto your lives' end." To such only do
these precious promises belong ; and in such
only will they be effectually fulfilled.
With these thoughts deeply impressed upon
our minds, neither the cares nor the troubles,
neither the riches nor the pleasures of this
present world, will prevail to turn us aside
from the path we should pursue. Intent
upon " the high prize of the calling that is set
" before us," we shall seek also to strengthen
these impressions by habitual recourse to all
the means of grace ordained for our growth
in godliness and virtue ; more especially to
those " holy mysteries," which on this high
festival^ we are now about to celebrate ; mys-
teries instituted by our blessed Lord himself,
" as pledges of his love, and for the conti-
" nual remembrance of his death, to our great
" and endless comfort." At his holy altar let
our vows of faith and obedience be renewed ;
and while our hearts overflow with gratitude
for the mercies we ourselves rejoice in, let
y Christinas-day.
B 1) 4
376
SERMON XVII.
them expand also in love and charity towards
all mankind, for whom his precious blood was
shed ; beseeching him, both for ourselves and
others, to " have mercy upon us, to pardon
" and deliver us from all our sins, to confirm
" and strengthen us in all goodness, and to
" bring us to everlasting life, through Jesus
" Christ our Lord."
SERMON XVIIl.
John xvi. 15.
All things that the Father hath are mine: there-
fore said I, that He shall take of mine, and shew
it unto you.
It would be difficult to find in any of our
Lord's discourses a stronger assertion of his
Divinity than is contained in these words.
Taken in connection with what precedes and
follows them, they amount to a declaration of
his equality with the Father, in one of the
highest acts of infinite power and wisdom, —
that of imparting spiritual gifts. They imply
also, in their more general signification, an in-
separable union and cooperation of the Holy
Spirit with the Father and Himself, in all
that relates to the work of man's salvation.
Throughout this memorable conversation
with his Apostles on the eve of his sufferings,
our Lord appears exceedingly solicitous to as-
sure them that his place should be supplied
378
SERMON XVIII.
by another Comforter, who, though not vi-
sibly manifested to them, should give abun-
dant proof of his actual presence, by miracu-
lous signs and tokens ; these affording such
evidence of His immediate influence upon
their understandings and affections as should
leave no room to doubt of the source from
which it flowed. The characters he ascribes
to this heavenly Person are nothing short
of attributes essentially divine. He was to
" abide with them for ever ;" to " teach them
"all things," and "bring all things to their
" remembrance, whatsoever Jesus had said
" unto them." He was to come unto them
" from the Father ;" being " the Spirit of
" truth which proceedeth from the Father,"
to " guide them into all truth," and to " shew
" them things to come." He is represented
also as having the same intimate knowledge
of the Divine will and counsels as the Son
himself. On these high prerogatives our Lord
grounds the assurance, that the want of his
own personal continuance among them would
be amply compensated by the coming of this
all-sufficient Guide and Instructor. Yet, great
as these characters and prerogatives are, He
speaks of Himself as equally entitled with
the Father to the glory resulting from them :
" Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is
SERMON XVIII.
379
" come, he will guide you into all truth : for
" he shall not speak of himself, but what-
" soever he shall hear, that shall he speak.
" He shall glorify me : for he shall receive of
" mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things
"that the Father hath are mine: there- -
" fore said I, that he shall take of mine,
" and shew it unto you." In this comprehen-
sive assertion He clearly assumes to Himself,
jointly with the Father, whatsoever is done by
the Holy Spirit ; all the miraculous powers
afterwards exercised by the Apostles, all the
extraordinary as well as ordinary gifts be-
stowed upon them for the great work of their
ministry. Conformably with which asser-
tion, St. Peter, on the day of Pentecost,
speaks of the wonderful effusion of the Spirit
at that time, as the act of Christ himself ;
"He hath shed forth this, which ye now see
" and hear^." St. Paul virtually affirms the
same, in applying to Christ that prophecy
of the Psalmist, " When he ascended up on
" high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts
" unto men''."
Now, the greater the characters and attri-
butes here described as appertaining to the
Holy Spirit, the greater is the proof hence
derived of our Lord's divinity ; since he ex-
s Acts ii. 33. '> Ephes. iv. 8.
380 SERMON XVIII.
pressly claims the glory of them, in saying
that the Comforter, whom he was to send,
should glorify him. Such glory could be
due to God alone; therefore Christ is God.
Therefore also the Spirit proceedeth from the
Father and the Son. Whatsoever he receiveth
from the Father, he receiveth from the Son
also. Whatsoever he imparteth to the world
of the divine counsels, he imparteth as in im-
mediate co-operation with the Father and the
Son. Hence a convincing argument might
be raised in proof also of the divinity of the
Holy Ghost. But our present purpose is
simply to shew, from these as well as other
declarations by our Lord himself, that from
his own discourses alone abundant evidence
may he collected in proof that he was indeed
the Son of God, in the fullest extent of that
title, as including an essential participation
in the Godhead itself
The reason assigned in the words of the
text for ascribing to Himself the gifts and
graces bestowed by the Holy Spirit, is in-
deed decisive on this point : "All things that
" the Father hath are mine." We cannot
imagine a more direct assumption of equality
with the Father. However distinct as. to
personal relationship, if all things that the
Father hath are his, can there be a doubt
SERMON XVIII.
381
that both partake of the same nature and
perfections ?
Elsewhere he has also affirmed this, in
terms equally significant. Although he de-
clared that he could " do nothing of himself
" but what he saw the Father do ;" that he .
" sought not his own will, but the will of the
" Father which had sent him ;" that " as the
" Father had taught him, he spake these
" things ;" that he had " not spoken of him-
" self, but the Father which sent him gave
" him a commandment what he should say,
" and what he should speak ;" and that " the
" Father that dwelt in him did the works"
which he wrought ; yet to these declarations
he almost invariably subjoins expressions im-
plying that he possessed a coordinate and co-
equal authority with the Father. He de-
clares that "all men should honour the Son,
"even as they honour the Father";" that
" what things soever the Father doeth, these
" also doeth the Son likewise'';" that "as the
" Father knew him, even so knew he the
" Father *";" and that " He and the Father are
" oNE^" Twice the Jews charged him with
blasphemy, in thus making himself " equal
" with God :" yet he reiterated these asser-
John V. 23.
f Johnx. 30.
'i .Tohn V.19.
*^ John X. 15.
382
SERMON XVIII.
tions. In his private conversations with the
Apostles, he did the same. " If ye had known
" me," he says, " ye should have known my
" Father also : and from henceforth ye know
" him, and have seen him. Philip saith
" unto him. Lord, shew us the Father, and
" it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him. Have
" I been so long time with you, and yet hast
" thou not known me, Philip ? he that hath
" seen me, hath seen the Father ; and how
" sayest thou then. Shew us the Father ? Be-
" lievest thou not that I am in the Father,
" and the Father in me^?"
But we scarcely need go further for evi-
dence of this kind, than his habitually as-
suming the appellation of the Sox of God.
The manner in which he applied this title
to himself was so well understood by the
Jews, that they grounded upon it a direct
charge of blasphemy : " Therefore," says St.
John, " the Jews sought the more to kill
" him, because he not only had broken the
" sabbath, but said also that God was his
" Father, making himself equal with God*"."
Such was the construction the Jews put upon
his assumption of that title. The primitive
fathers of the Church did the same. "To
" call him the only-begotten, or the Son of
S John xiv. 7—10. ^ John v. 18.
SERMON XVIII.
383
" God the Father," Dr. Waterland observes,
" was in their account declarhig him to be of
" the same nature with God the Father ; as
" truly God as the Son of Man is truly
" Man." There is no instance, indeed, in
Scripture of this title being individually ap-
plied to any other person, except once to Adam ;
and that in a peculiar sense, as coming im-
mediately out of the hands of his Creator,
and not born of any earthly parent. But our
Lord uses it familiarly of himself, with mani-
fest reference to his mysterious union yviih
the Deity. Thus when the Jews were about
to stone him for making himself God, "Jesus
" answered them. Is it not written in your
" Law, I said, Ye are gods ? If he called them
" gods unto whom the word of God came,
" and the Scripture cannot be broken, say ye
" of him whom the Father hath sanctified
" and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest,
" because I said I am the Son of God ? If I
" do not the works of my Father, believe me
" not. But if I do, though ye believe not
" me, believe the works ; that ye may know
" and believe that the Father is in me, and I
" in Him' :" — that is. If in a far inferior sense
the title of Gods has been given to men in-
vested only with earthly power, do ye charge
i John X. 34—38.
384
SERMON XVIII.
me with blasphemy in assuming the title in
its highest sense ; whose claim to it was an-
nounced on my conception in the womb, and
ratified by a voice from heaven at my bap-
tism ; and who have since by my own words
and works given proof incontestable of my
Divine authority ? When again, in answer to
the High-Priest's solemn question, "I adjure
" thee by the living God that thou tell us
" whether thou be the Christ, the Son or
"God?" "Jesus answered, I am**;" — in what
sense was it possible for those around him
to understand this answer, but in the same
sense in which the question was put ; as af-
firming, without hesitation or ambiguity, the
very point on which they were most solicit-
ous to condemn him ?
Another evidence of the same kind arises
from the frequent intimations given by our
Lord of his preexistent state of being. This
is implied in every declaration he made of his
coming from God, and having been sent into
the world by the Father ; expressions essen-
tially distinguishing him from every human
being of human parentage only. In his con-
versation with Nicodemus, who was slow in
apprehending the spiritual truths communi-
cated to him, our Lord uses language of a
k Matt. xxvi. 63, 64. and Mark xiv. 61, 62.
SERMON XVIII.
385
Still higher cast, to indicate his heavenly cha-
racter : " If 1 have told you earthly things,
" and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if
" I tell you of heavenly things ? And no man
" hath ascended up to heaven but he that
" came down from heaven, even the Son of
"Man which is in heaven';" implying, that
unless he had himself been in heaven, had
come down from heaven, and were still
there with respect to his divine nature, such
revelations could not have been made by
him as those which he delivered. To his
chosen disciples, perplexed in like manner
by some of his mysterious doctrines, he uses
similar, or even more definite expressions ;
" Doth this offend you ? What and if ye
" shall see the Son of Man ascend up where
" he was before™ ?" enforcing their belief in
his doctrine by an assertion of his preex-
istent condition not to be misunderstood.
Still stronger are the terms he adopts on
another occasion. Contending with the Jews
who indignantly reviled him for setting him-
self above Abraham and the Prophets, he
terminates the dispute in these memorable
words, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before
" Abraham was, I am" ;" language only paral-
leled in dignity and sublimity by Jehovah's
' Jolin iii. 12, 1.3. John vi. 62. " Johi? viii. 58.
VOL. I. C C
386
SERMON XVIII.
own designation of himself to Moses, " I am
" THAT I am"."
In the same consciousness of an inherent
authority above all created beings, he recites
prophecies from the Old Testament charac-
terizing him by the title. Lord, in a sense
applicable to the Deity alone. In one instance
particularly, the argument from this coinci-
dence was found irresistible. " While the
" Pharisees and Scribes were gathered toge-
" ther, Jesus asked them, saying, What think
" ye of Christ ? Whose son is he ? They say
" unto him, The Son of David. He saith
" unto them, How then doth David in spirit
" call him Lord, saying. The Lord said unto
" MY Lord, Sit thou on my right hand un-
" til I make thine enemies thy footstool ? If
" David then call him Lord, how is he his
" Son''?" The reasoning turns upon this di-
vine title being applied to Christ, the Son of
David ; and so inevitable was the inference
to be drawn from it, that " no man," adds the
Evangelist, "was able to answer him a word,
" neither durst any man from that day forth
" ask him any more questions."
Further ; our Lord suffered acts of adora-
tion to be paid to him, and forbade them not.
We read of persons who in asking or receiv-
o Exod. iii. 14. P Matt. xxii. 41 — 45.
SERMON XVIII.
387
ing his miraculous aid, addressed him in ex-
pressions of direct supplication or thanks-
giving. Is it to be imagined that he would
accept homage of this kind, homage never
allowed to Prophets or other messengers of
God, had not his pretensions to it been alto-
gether dissimilar to their's ? Even of his own
disciples, St. Matthew has recorded that twice
they wo7'shipped him ; and St. Luke relates,
that on his Ascension they did the same. St.
John has more distinctly narrated the me-
morable confession of the apostle Thomas, on
being permitted to identify his body risen
from the grave, " My Lord and my God !" a
confession, which, far from his discouraging
or repelling it, drew from our Lord the re-
markable declaration, that blessed were they
who though they had not seen what Thomas
had seen, should yet believe as he had done,
and be ready to testify their belief with the
same ardour and devotion.
In many other instances did he, by impli-
cation at least, assert powers and prerogatives
exclusively appertaining to God. He wrought
a miracle on the paralytic, to prove that he
had power to forgive sins. He declared that
he had power to lay down his life, and power
to take it again. He foretold that the gene-
ral resurrection was to be the act of his own
388
SERMON XVIII.
omnipotence in union with the Father ; — " as
" the Father raiseth up the dead, and quick-
" eneth them, even so the Son quickeneth
" whom he will''." The same he affirms of
his coming to judge the world : " The Father
" judgeth no man, but hath committed all
" judgment unto the Son His disciples
ascribe omniscience to him, and he reproves
them not; — " Lord, thou knowest all things ^"
His omnipresence he thus asserts ; " Where
" two or three are gathered together in my
" name, there am I in the midst of them*;" and
again, in his last interview with his Apostles,
" Lo, I am with you always, even unto the
" end of the world"." By uniting also his own
name with the Father and the Holy Ghost
in the form of Baptism, he has left a perpe-
tual testimony of his equality with them in
the Godhead, which from age to age has
baffled and refuted every impugner of his
Divinity.
To give additional force to these and many
similar testimonies that might be collected,
it is of importance to observe that there was
no greater stumblingblock to the Jews in ge-
neral, than his thus assuming a divine cha-
racter ; and that they held in the greatest
q John V. 21. ' John V. 22. sjohnxi.17.
t Matt, xviii. 20. " Matt, xxviii. 20.
SERMON XVIII.
389
abhorrence every thing that seemed to dero-
gate from the absolute unity of the Supreme
Being. It is therefore so much the more re-
markable, that he should habitually speak of
himself in terms which not only militated so
strongly against their feelings and persua-
sions, but which, upon the supposition that
his pretensions to Divinity had no just foun-
dation, could hardly fail to lead them into a
most fatal error. Surely, he, " who did no
" sin, neither was guile found in his mouth,"
would never thus have given occasion to the
delusion of his hearers, had he been nothing
more than a creature like ourselves, or not
indeed a partaker of that " fulness of the
" Godhead," of which he gave assurances so
ample and so unequivocal.
The Apostles, throughout their writings,
abundantly confirm these testimonies of our
Lord himself, and establish them as the foun-
dation of the whole Christian system. These
sacred authors had, doubtless, been fully in-
structed by him, in this as well as every
other essential ])oint, during the forty days
in which he continued with them after his
resurrection, " speaking of the things pertain-
" ing to the kingdom of God." Still fur-
ther were they instructed in these truths,
after that descent of the Holy Spirit upon
c c 3
390 SERMON XVIII.
them, which he had so expressly foretold.
Their writings are therefore to be regarded
as infallible comments of the Spirit of Truth
upon whatever He had before delivered to
them. But the root and foundation of every
essential article of our faith is unquestionably
to be found in the records of our Lord's own
personal communications with his Apostles,
and of his discourses to the multitude around
him. Some of the most prominent of these
it has been the object of the present dis-
course to bring together in one collective
point of view, in order to give to the doctrine
deduced from them the strongest possible au-
thority, that of our blessed Saviour himself
The proofs which have thus been brought
forward are neither subtle nor obscure. They
lie upon the very surface of the sacred writ-
ings, and can hardly escape the eye of the
most cursory observer. But they are not of
the less intrinsic value. That which was in-
tended to make an impression upon minds
the least capable of deep investigation, and
which appears actually to have made such
an impression, was delivered in the most un-
ambiguous terms : and by these plain and
simple declarations such as are more recon-
dite or questionable will be most successfully
interpreted. We know, indeed, but too well,
SERMON XVm.
391
the labours of many opponents of this doc-
trine to render even the clearest of these evi-
dences dark and doubtful, or altogether to
set them aside. But if any thing can add to
the force of the arguments drawn from these
texts of Scripture in their plain and obvious
signification, it is the manifest difficulty un-
der which such writers labour in endeavour-
ing to distort their meaning.
Without searching, then, after remote evi-
dence, without affecting profound disquisi-
tions, and without attempting to know more
of the mysteries of God than he hath seen fit
to reveal, or more than can be made intelli-
gible to Christians of the lowliest attainments,
a body of substantial proof is thus presented
to our contemplation, above all suspicion ei-
ther as to the purity of its source or its title
to demand our unqualified reception. It is
Christ himself who says, " All things that the
" Father hath are mine." It is Christ who
calls himself " the Son of God," who de-
clares his eternal pre-existence, who applies
to himself the title of Lord ; who accepts
divine worship as his due ; who claims au-
thority to forgive sins, to raise himself from
the dead, and to judge the world ; who as-
sumes omnipotence, omniscience, and omni-
presence ; who places himself on an equality
c c 4
392
SERMON XVIII.
with the Father and the Holy Ghost in the
solemn rite of Baptism.
If He, then, who established the truth of
whatever he affirmed by signs and wonders
and indisputable manifestations of " power
" from on high," bore such testimony of him-
self ; we trust that we neither deceive nor are
deceived, in inculcating these doctrines upon
mankind. And if he who revealed these
truths declared it to be the purpose of his so
revealing them " that all who believe in him
" should not perish, but have everlasting life ;"
then does it behove us to consider well, what
obligations are hereby laid upon us to " make
" our calling and election sure." We know
whom we have believed ; " a Saviour, which
" is Christ the Lord ;" — a Mediator between
God and man, who in himself united both the
Godhead and the manhood ; an all-powerful
Lawgiver and Ruler ; and the same who will
hereafter come to be our Judge. We know
likewise what remains to be done on our part,
and the final retribution that av. aits us. Such
is our faith, such our duty, such our expecta-
tions. And " if we know these things, happy
" are we if we do them ^"
^ Jolin xiii. 17.
SERMON XIX.
John v. 27.
And hath given him authority to execute judgment
also, because he is the Son of man.
There are two remarkable appellations by
which our Saviour is frequently described in
the New Testament, the Son of God, and the
So7i of Ma7i. To understand in what peculiar
or appropriate sense these titles are given to
him, is requisite to a right apprehension of
many jmssages of Scripture.
The appellations themselves may be used
in a general or in a ])articular signification.
In a general acceptation, angels and men
are called " sons of God ;" since both owe
their existence to the supreme Author of all
being. When Job says that at the creation
" all the sons of God shouted for joy," it is
evident that he speaks of angels and all the
heavenly host. When our Lord enjoins his
394 SERMON XIX.
disciples to pray to God as their heavenly
Father, it is implied that they stand in that
relationship to the Almighty as their Creator.
And when St. John, speaking of the privileges
of the faithful, says, " Behold what manner
" of love the Father hath bestowed upon us,
" that we should be called the sons of God*,"
he clearly refers to all who partake of the
special privileges of the Christian dispensa-
tion.
The general application of the term " Son
" of man" is equally intelligible. When the
Psalmist says, " Lord, what is man, that thou
" art mindful of him, or the son of man, that
" thou so regardest him*"?" — we instantly per-
ceive that the one expression, as well as the
other, denotes mankind in general, the whole
human race, to whom the Almighty extends
his benevolent regard. And even when ap-
plied individually, as it is to the prophet
Ezekiel throughout his prophecy, it admits
of no other than its common acceptation ;
since it is not associated with any thing rela-
tive to his character or circumstances which
can give it a peculiar signification.
But it will be found, that when applied to
our blessed Saviour, both these titles are ma-
nifestly intended to convey an extraordinary,
a 1 John iii. 1. ^ Psalm viii. 4.
SERMON XIX.
395
an appropriate signification, inapplicable to
any but himself. From the manner in which
they were used by him, and in which they
appear to have been understood by the Jews,
every attentive reader may perceive that they
bore some special reference to his character
and office as the Christ, the Saviour and
Redeemer of mankind.
Respecting the title, Son of God, occasion
was taken, in a former discourse on the proofs
of our Lord's divinity from his own declara-
tions, to advert to it as one of those frequent
and unequivocal indications of his Divine
character, which his adversaries found it im-
possible either to resist or to evade. In the
present discourse, it is my purpose to offer
some brief observations of a similar kind on
the title So9i ofMan,as assumed by our Lord
in conjunction with the other, and then to
consider it more especially as connected with
the authority he asserts to be given him, in
the words of the text, hereafter to judge the
world, " because he is the Son of man."
That this title relates to his human na-
ture there can be no question : but that it
denotes also something peculiar to him, as
distinct from the rest of mankind, it is hardly
possible not to perceive. In several of his
conferences with the Jews, both appellations,
396
SERMON XIX.
the Son of God and the Son of man, seem to
be used as equally appertaining to him as the
Christ. When the high priest asked, "Art
" thou the Christ, the Son of God ;" Jesus
having answered in the affirmative, imme-
diately adds, "Hereafter shall ye see the Son
" OF MAN sitting on the right hand of power,
" and coming in the clouds of heaven"." When
Nathanael addressed him, saying, " Rabbi,
" thou art the Son of God, thou art the
" King of Israel," he replied, " Hereafter ye
" shall see heaven opened, and the angels of
" God ascending and descending upon the
" Son of man In the passage connected
with the text, the same association of these
terms occurs; "Verily, verily, I say unto you,
" The hour is coming, and now is, when the
" dead shall hear the voice of the Son of
" God ; and they that hear shall live. For
" as the Father hath life in himself, so hath
" he given the Son to have life in himself ;
" and hath given him authority to execute
" judgment also, because he is the Son of
" MAN." In all these instances, the inter-
change of the two titles is very remarkable,
and clearly indicates some special and appro-
priate sense, in which they characterised Him
c Matt. xxvi. 63, 64.
John i. 49, 51.
SERMON XIX.
397
exclusively, and could not be similarly ap-
plied to any other.
It is a still further evidence of this, that our
Lord calls himself the Son of man, not only
when describing the humiliation to which, in
that character, he submitted, but even when
asserting and exercising the highest acts of
divine authority. Although, as Son of man,
he " had not where to lay his head," and was
to " be betrayed into the hands of men," and
to " suiFer many things ;" yet it was also as
Son of man that he declared he had " power
" on earth to forgive sins * ;" that he was
" Lord of the sabbath V and that at the end
of the world he was to " come in the glory of
" his Father, with the holy angels^." In every
part of the great work he had undertaken for
our redemption, whether suffering or trium-
phant, whether with reference to his state of
glorification or of humiliation, we find him
assuming this distinction, as no less applicable
to the one case than to the other. Nor is it
difficult to apprehend the reason of this. The
appellation of Son of man, thus assumed as
a distinctive characteristic, appears to have
had reference to his being that one and only
descendant of Adam, the promised seed, the
<^ Matt. ix. 6.
f Mark ii. 28.
s Mark viii. 38.
398
SERMON XIX.
great Deliverer of mankind, foretold from the
beginning to our first parents, and subse-
quently to the patriarchs and the prophets.
The person so foretold was both to suffer and
to conquer. His heel was to be bruised by
the seed of the serpent, and He was to bruise
the serpent's head. By Him, as the represen-
tative of the whole human race, their great
adversary was to be destroyed. From Adam
they had derived sin and condemnation ;
through Him they were to obtain pardon and
justification. For " as in Adam all die, even
"so in Christ shall all be made alive''." Hence
he is called the second Adam, in contradis-
tinction to the first; and the old and the ?iew
man are expressions used to contrast the de-
praved state of mankind through the trans-
gression of Adam, with their renovated state
through the redemption by Christ. With re-
ference to these distinguishing characteristics
of the Messiah, it appears that our Lord is
emphatically designated the Son of man ; and
the Jews seem clearly to have understood
that this title emphatically belonged to that
great Deliverer whose coming had been fore-
told. Had they also duly considered the full
force of a designation so significant and so
comprehensive, they might have been less
h 1 Cor. XV. 22.
SERMON XIX.
399
reluctant to acknowledge that the person to
whom it belonged, though he was to be of
the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Judah,
and of the family of David, was nevertheless
to be one in whom all mankind, every son
of Adam, would have an equal interest with
themselves.
These observations however will derive
much additional force from being considered
in connection with the remarkable declara-
tion contained in the words of the text.
Our Lord here affirms, that the Father
" hath given him authority to execute judg-
" ment, because he is the Son of man." He
had before said, "The Father judgeth no man,
" but hath committed all judgment to the
" Son ; that all men should honour the Son,
" even as they honour the Father." The ho-
nour to be given to the Son equally with the
Father, could only be the honour which is
due to God ; and the authority to judge the
world seems necessarily to include the divine
attributes of omnipotence and omniscience.
But the reason assigned, " because he is the
" Son of man," shews that this office specially
appertained to God the Son, in consequence
of his taking our nature upon him. It shews
also, that it will be executed by him in that
same twofold character of God and man which
400
SERMON XIX.
he sustained here on earth. Of this the angels
who appeared at his ascension expressly fore-
warned his disciples ; " Ye men of Galilee,
" why stand ye gazing up into heaven ? This
"same Jesus, which is taken up from you into
" heaven, shall so come, in like manner as ye
" have seen him go into heaven That he
will then appear in his human character is
confirmed also by what St. Paul says ; "God
" hath appointed a day in which he will judge
" the world in righteousness, by that INIan
" whom he hath ordained
This corresponds moreover with those
passages of Holy Writ which represent our
Lord's exaltation and dominion as the con-
sequences of his resurrection and ascension.
" Him," says St. Peter, " hath God exalted
" with his right hand, to be a Prince and a
" Saviour V St. Paul likewise, after speaking
of his being "found in fashion as a man,"
and becoming " obedient unto death," adds,
" Wherefore God also hath highly exalted
" him, and given him a name which is above
" every name; that at the name of Jesus every
" knee should bow, of things in heaven, and
" things in earth, and things under the earth;
" and that every tongue should confess that
■ Acts i. 11. k Acts xvii. 31. • Acts v. 31.
SERMON XIX.
401
" Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God
" the Father""." These, then, are prerogatives
evidently ascribed to him by virtue of his be-
coming the Son of man. The divine powers
essentially inherent to him as Son of God
could admit of no additional exaltation. They
equally belonged to him before and after his
coming in the flesh. It was only as Son of
man, that the dignity of his nature could thus
be raised. To the man Christ Jesus these ex-
pressions, therefore, must be applied.
Every thing, indeed, which our Lord did
or suffered for the redemption of mankind,
derived peculiar importance from his twofold
character. The power of the Godhead gave
to the sacrifice upon the cross, in his human
nature, its full and entire efficacy. The same
power still renders him an all-sufficient Me-
diator and Intercessor. The same invests
him with authority to judge both quick and
dead. When he is said to receive authority
from the Father for these purposes, it is be-
cause, having vouchsafed for a while to veil
his divinity by uniting it with our mortal
nature, he thenceforth became subject, volun-
tarily subject, to the Father, in that special
character which he had assumed. He sub-
mitted to this, because he had vouchsafed to
Phil. ii. 9,10,11.
VOI-. I. D d
402
SERMON XIX.
become Son of man. In his human nature,
he was accordingly susceptible of humiliation
and exaltation, of suffering and rejoicing, of
honour and dishonour, of evil report and good
report, of the bitterest evils of mortality, and
the highest glories of heaven.
The attempt, however, to explain this united
operation of the Godhead and manhood must
baffle our utmost ingenuity. We only know,
from the testimony of himself and his Apo-
stles, that these constantly co-operated to
effect the purpose of his coming. He who
assumed to himself the appellations of the
Son of God and the Son of man ; — He who
at one time said, " I and my Father are one,"
and at another time, " My Father is greater
" than I ;" — He who spake of the Divine at-
tributes as his own, and yet professed entire
submission to the Divine will ; was assuredly
such an one as these extraordinary declara-
tions, in their plain and obvious meaning, de-
noted him to be. This mystery we receive
through faith in Him who said, " To this end
" was I born, and for this end came I into
" the world, that I should bear witness to
" the truth"."
If now from these high and awful contem-
plations we turn to that special consideration
" John xviii. 37.
SERMON XIX.
403
resulting from them, which is set before us
in the text, how deeply shall we find our-
selves affected by them as to our own per-
sonal interests !
If there be any one thought which, more
than another, may be supposed to excite in
the mind of man apprehensions approaching
to terror and dismay, it is surely the expec-
tation of being brought to judgment at the
tribunal of a Being of infinite majesty, power,
knowledge, holiness, and justice. How can
man be justified in his sight ? His angels he
" chargeth with folly." " The heavens are
" not pure in his sight." " How much less,
" man that is a worm !" — It is among the
most invaluable blessings of the Christian
dispensation, that it tends to allay these dis-
quietudes, by unfolding to us a system of par-
don and reconciliation, such as it could not
otherwise have entered into the heart of man
to conceive. Yet even under this gracious
dispensation, so infinitely do we fall short of
the measure of our duty, so tinctured with
infirmity and imperfection are the best ser-
vices we can perform, that the thought of ap-
pearing before Him " who is of purer eyes
" than to behold iniquity," can hardly be en-
tertained even by the most blameless Chris-
tian, without awful emotions.
» d 2
404
SERMON XIX.
Now the text informs us to whom the au-
thority is committed to " execute judgment."
It is given to the Son of man, and because he
is the Son of man. It is given to Him who,
having vouchsafed to take our nature upon
him, has had actual participation of our in-
firmities, our trials, our temptations. " We
" have not an High Priest which cannot be
" touched with the feeling of our infirmities,
" but was in all points tempted like as we
" are, yet without sin°." And this is He who
will "hereafter come to be our Judge." For
we must all appear before the judgment-seat
of Christ. It is as the Christ that he will
exercise this divine prerogative. " Both he
" that sanctifieth, and they who are sancti-
" fied," says the Apostle, " are all of one ; for
" which cause he is not ashamed to call them
" brethrenP:" and "forasmuch as the children
" are partakers of flesh and blood, he also
" himself took part of the same*"." Thus the
character of our Judge, though invested with
the authority of the Most High, is brought
nearer to the level of our apprehensions ; and
we are enabled to regard it with a somewhat
more stedfast eye. He, indeed, not only
knew, but felt what was in man. He wept
for the calamities of men, pitied their frail-
oHeb. iv. 15. I'Heb. ii. 11. q Heb. ii. U.
SERMON XIX.
405
ties, had compassion on their ignorance, pa-
tiently endured their contradictions, exercised
towards them continual mercy and forbear-
ance, prayed for his bitterest enemies and
persecutors. To Him this last and highest
act of sovereign power is committed, by which
is to be determined the final destination of
every human being. Can we sufficiently ad-
mire the lenity, as well as the equity of this
Divine appointment? Do we not discern in it
the most striking features of condescension to
human infirmity? How entirely does it har-
monize with every part of that beneficent
system, which proceeded from Him who " is
" not willing that any should perish, but that
" all should come to repentance' !"
But it is not only in this respect that we
are to contemplate the fitness of our Lord, as
Son of man, to take this office upon him. It
was in his human character that he withstood
the assaults of the Tempter ; that he obtained
for us the victory over sin and death ; that he
bruised the serpent's head ; that " by death
" he destroyed him that had the power of
" death ;" that he " spoiled principalities and
" powers, and triumphed over them ;" that
he " led captivity captive, and obtained gifts
" for men." These things he did while he
' 2 Peter iii. 9.
D d 3
406
SERMON XIX.
was yet " in the flesh ;" while he " was found
" in fashion as a man," and "humbled him-
" self unto death, even the death upon the
" cross." His sufferings wrought our deli-
verance; His humiliation our triumph. " For
" it became Him," says the Apostle, "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';" and having thus " perfected for
" ever them that are sanctified, this man" —
the man Christ Jesus — " for ever sat down on
" the right hand of God, from henceforth ex-
" pecting till his enemies be made his foot-
" stoop." So far, however, was this his cha-
racter of Son of Man from being in any of
these points disconnected from that of the
Son of God, that without the latter the for-
mer would have wanted that which not only
distinguished him from every other human
being, but gave efficacy to all that he did and
suffered. His human faculties, far from an-
nulling his divine prerogatives, manifested
them so much more distinctly to the world,
and, perhaps, in the only way in which they
could have been rendered perceptible to mor-
tal observation. In vain, then, would the im-
pugners of his divinity set these at variance
5 Heb. ii. 10. t Hcb. x. 13.
SERMON XIX.
407
with each other. Their union is that which
constitutes his essential character as the
Christ, and that which gives to our faith its
strongest and surest hold upon the mind.
When he said, that " the Father had given
" him authority to execute judgment because
" he was the Son of Man," it was not because
he was a mere man, and nothing more ; but
because He only, of the Persons in the God-
head, took upon him the nature of man. Still,
therefore, it is God who will judge the world,
though he will judge it by that Man whom
he hath ordained. The judgment delegated
to him as Son of Man will be executed by
Divine power, because he is also Son of God :
and when he shall come to judge the quick
and dead. He will come in the glory of the
Father, with his angels, to reward every man
according to his works.
Let not occasion, then, be taken to think
less seriously of the awful day that is ap-
proaching, as if we were to be judged by
merely such an one as ourselves. Every re-
presentation of him in his judicial character
sets forth his infinite power, holiness, and
justice, no less than his mercy and goodness.
The Baptist described him as one " whose
" fan is in his hand, and who will throughly
" purge his floor, and gather his wheat into
D d 4
408
SERMON XIX.
" the garner, but will burn up the chaff with
" unquenchable fire":" and he himself pour-
trays his own character in the parable of
" the householder and reapers," in similar
terms. He will " brina; to lig-ht the hidden
" things of darkness, and make manifest the
" counsels of the heart \" Here is enough
to arouse the careless and impenitent to a
sense of danger, notwithstanding the conso-
lation and encouragement which every hum-
ble and sincere penitent may derive from the
assurance that he will be judged by One who
" knoweth our frame, and remembereth that
" we are dust." It will therefore be our wis-
dom and our duty to contemplate Him as that
omniscient Being, " unto whom all hearts are
" open, all desires known, and from whom no
" secrets are hid." Nor let it be forgotten,
that if as Son of man he is touched with a
feeling of our infirmities and of the dangers
that beset us ; He is also no less able to
discern whether or not these are deceitfully
pleaded in extenuation of our guilt. Ever,
then, let it be borne in mind that the dispensa-
tion of the Gospel, though full of mercy and
benevolence, and originating in the most per-
fect love to mankind, is nevertheless a system
of holiness, purity, and truth. It is " the
" Matt. iii. 12. 1 Cor. iv. 5.
SERMON XIX.
409
" power of God unto salvation unto every
" one that believeth and whose faith is
productive of its proper fruits. But what-
ever delusive expectations we may be disposed
to cherish, " the hope of the hypocrite shall
" perish For " the grace of God, that
" bringeth salvation, hath appeared unto all
" men, teaching us that, denying ungodli-
" ness and worldly lusts, we should live so-
" berly, righteously, and godly in this pre-
" sent world ; looking for that blessed hope,
" and the glorious appearing of the great
" God and our Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave
" himself for us, that he might redeem us
" from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a
" peculiar people, zealous of good works \"
" Now unto him that is able to keep you
" from falling, and to present you faultless
" before the presence of his glory with ex-
" ceeding joy, to the only wise God our Sa-
" viour, be glory and majesty, dominion and
" power, now and ever ^. Amen."
y Rom. i. 16. ^ Job viii. 13. » Titus ii. 14.
h Jude 24.
SERMON XX.
Hebrews vii. 25.
\Mierefore he is able also to save them to the utter-
most that come unto God by him, seeing he ever
liveth to make intercession for them.
There is none of the sacred writers who
has treated the subject of the Christian dis-
pensation so systematically as St. Paul has
done ; nor is there any of St. Paul's writings
in which the comparison between that and
the Jewish economy is so fully drawn out as
in his Epistle to the Hebrews.
The general design of this Epistle is, to
shew that the ritual Law of Moses was a ty-
pical or figurative service, introductory to the
Gospel ; that its institutions were, for the
most part, no otherwise efficacious than as
connected with that Redeemer whom they
foreshewed ; that to him they bore testimony,
and in him were fulfilled ; and that this pur-
pose having been accomplished, they ceased,
and gave way to that better covenant which
had long before been promised, and which
412
SERMON XX.
was the consummation of all the Divine pro-
ceedings for the redemption of mankind.
This view of the subject, though addressed to
Jewish converts, and founded upon the Jew-
ish scriptures, is no less interesting to every
Christian reader. The New Testament de-
pends upon the Old for some of its most
substantial evidences ; nor can any thing tend
more to heighten our veneration of both,
than this their mutual harmony and coinci-
dence. By this they are shewn to have been
equally the result of the Divine counsels, and
equally indispensable to the fulfilment of those
gracious purposes of the Almighty.
Among various other topics specifically
touched upon by the Apostle relative to this
connection betwixt the two dispensations,
that of the priesthood is largely discussed.
The Jewish priesthood was ordained for local
and temporary circumstances ; the Christian
is distinguished by its permanent and uni-
versal character. Our Lord differed from
all who had preceded him in the sacerdotal
office, in that he held it, " not after the law
" of a carnal commandment" — not subject to
decay and death — "but after the powder of
" an endless life \" He was to abide " for
" ever." He was to exercise the mediatorial
^ Hcb. vii. 16.
SERMON XX.
413
office, after his departure from this world, and
until the final consummation of all things,
in the immediate presence of God. "They
" truly," says the apostle, " were many priests,
" because they were not suffered to continue,
" by reason of death. But this man, because
" he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable
" priesthood. Wherefore he is able to save
" them to the uttermost that come unto God
" by him, seeing he ever liveth to make in-
" tercession for them."
To this striking contrast the Apostle sub-
joins another, grounded on the perfection of
our Lord's character, to which none before
Him could lay claim. "Such an High Priest,"
he observes, " became us, who is holy, harm-
" less, undefiled, separate from sinners, and
" made higher than the heavens ; who needed
" not daily, as those high priests, to offer up
" sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then
" for the people : for this he did once, when
" he offered up himself. For the Law
" maketh men high priests which have infir-
" mity ; but the word of the oath, which was
" since the Law, maketh the Son, who is con-
" secrated for evermore ''." " And now," adds
the Apostle in the beginning of the next
chapter, " of the things which we have spoken
b Heb. vii. 26, 27, 28.
414
SERMON XX.
" this is the sum. We have such an High
" Priest, who is set on the right hand of the
" throne of the majesty in the heavens ; a
" minister of the sanctuary, and of the true
" tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not
" man." And again, " now hath he obtained
" a more excellent ministry, by how much
*' also he is the Mediator of a better cove-
" nant, which was established upon better
" promises
In the discussion of this subject two chief
points present themselves to our considera-
tion ; first, the necessity that existed for a
more powerful and efficient Mediator and
Intercessor than any institutions antecedent
to the Gospel could supply ; secondly, the
certainty that we have such a Mediator in
the person of our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ.
It is a remarkable circumstance, that in
every known religion, even where no distinct
traces can be found of its being derived from
Revelation, the necessity of an Intercessor
between God and man appears to have been
virtually acknowledged. Among the imagi-
nary deities of the Gentile world, some were
invocated as gods of a subordinate kind,
through whom, it was supposed, access was
<^ Heb. viii.1,2, 6.
SERMON XX.
415
to be had to the Father of gods and men :
and even these, as well as the superior divi-
nities, were only approached through the me-
dium of a sacred order of men offering gifts
and sacrifices, and other devotional services,
which the worshippers in general were not
deemed qualified to perform. The institu-
tion of a priesthood seems, indeed, in itself
to imply an acknowledgment, a conscious-
ness, on the part of those worshippers, that
none were worthy to hold communion with
the gods, unless in some way consecrated for
that purpose. Here we discern the rude
lineaments, at least, of that doctrine which
to us is more distinctly made known by the
light of Revelation. And whether we suppose
this common and prevailing notion among
mankind to have originated in their natural
feelings of unworthiness to come before God,
or in some remote tradition handed down to
them from patriarchal times, the testimony,
in point of weight, is nearly the same. It
shews the universality of the sentiment, and
indicates that it has a deep foundation in
the exigencies of human nature.
No persuasion, indeed, seems to be more
congenial than this with the feelings of every
one who has not formed to himself either
some derogatory conceptions of the Supreme
416
SERMON XX.
Being, or some unwarrantable conceits of his
own perfection. To say nothing of the im-
measurable distance between the creature
and the Creator, between infinite perfection
and such finite excellencies as the very best
of men can attain unto ; there is a fearful
and seemingly insurmountable barrier be-
tween the sinner and his God. Without the
assurance of some expiation for his offences,
who would not dread to approach a Judge,
" unto whom all hearts are open, all desires
" known, and from whom no secrets are
" hid ?" And even when this expiation is
found, who may venture to plead it before
God, without the intervention of the party
through whom the expiation has been made ?
Who can be an effective mediator, but the
one who himself hath provided the ransom
to be paid?
With a sense of this general necessity for
some intercessor between God and man, the
reverence attached to the sacerdotal charac-
ter is evidently connected. The ideas are
correlative, and almost inseparable from each
other. As such, they are expressly recognised
under the Jewish dispensation. " Every high
" priest," says St. Paul, " taken from among
" men is ordained for men in things pertain-
" ing to God, that he may offer both gifts
SERMON XX.
417
" and sacrifices for sins '." No offerings of
any kind, prayers, thanksgivings, or sacrifices,
were deemed fit to be presented to the Al-
mighty, but through those who were invested
with that sacred character.
But since this office, wlien administered by -
men, falHble and peccable like their fellow
creatures, can be no otherwise efficacious
than as representative of something more
worthy of the Divine acceptance ; they who,
either from ignoi-ance of revelation, or from a
blind and superstitious reverence for the of-
fice itself, trust to it without reference to that
from which it derives its only value, can have
no solid ground for confidence. As they who
believed that " the blood of bulls and of goats
" could take away sin," without the atoning
virtue of the Redeemer whom they typified,
did but deceive their own souls ; so they who
imagine that the priest, by virtue of any au-
thority or sanctity of his own, independent of
the one great Intercessor in whose name he
acts, can perform the work of effectual media-
tion, are manifestly under a similar delusion.
Upon this ground, the Apostle urges upon
the Jews, that their ceremonial Law had re-
ference throughout to a higher dispensation ;
and he labours to shew the absolute futility
d Heb. v.l.
VOL. I.
E e
418
SERMON XX.
of the most important of their religious ser-
vices, when disconnected from that Redeemer
through whom alone they could be rendered
available to the purpose for which they were
ordained.
The necessity of an Intercessor who "is
" able to save them to the uttermost that
" come unto God by Him,'" being thus esta-
blished ; we are next to inquire into the cer-
tainty that we have such an Intercessor in
the person of our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ.
The Apostle's train of reasoning in his
Epistle to the Hebrews, leaves nothing to de-
sire on this momentous point. Having first
laid down the fundamental doctrine of our
Lord's divinity, declaring that he was "the
" Son of God, the brightness of his glory, and
" the express image of his person^;" he ad-
verts to his having been "made lower than
" the angels, for the suffering of death," and
afterwards " crowned with glory and ho-
" nour." The purpose of his suffering is
stated to be, that he might " taste death for
" every man," and be " a merciful and faith-
" ful High Priest in things pertaining to God,
" to make reconciliation for the peopled' He
observes, that though our blessed Saviour
Heb. i. 3. ' Heb. li. 7, 17.
SERMON XX.
419
was "touched with the feeling of our inlirm-
" ities, and was in all points tempted like
" as we are, yet he was without sin^," and in
this respect essentially differed from every
other who had been invested with the media-
torial office : — " Every high priest taken from
" among men is himself also compassed with
" infirmity, and, by reason hereof, ought, as
" for the people, so also for himself, to offer
" for sins," but " Christ being made perfect,
" became the Author of salvation to all them
" that obey him '' and hence our hope in
him is " an anchor of the soul both sure and
" steadfast'." After further illustrating this
by a comparison of our Lord's priesthood
with that of Aaron under the Mosaic Law,
and with that of Melchisedec under the pa-
triarchal dispensation, the Apostle shews that
though the Levitical sacrifices had all the
pomp and circumstance that could give them
estimation in the eye of the worshipper, yet
they were defective as to intrinsic worth, nor
was it possible that, of themselves, they could
" take away sins." He only who said, " Lo,
" I come to do thy will, O God ^" could sup-
ply this imperfection. All this is evidently
intended to shew that our Lord had by his
s Heb. iv. 15 h Hcb. v. 1, », S, d- ' Heb. vi. 19.
k Heb. X. 4, 9.
E e 2
420
SERMON XX.
death made a full and sufficient sacrifice and
atonement for sin, and thus laid the founda-
tion of his effectual intercession at the throne
of grace.
The proof, however, that this sacrifice was
actually accepted by the Father, and that he
became in consequence our all-powerful Me-
diator and Advocate, results more imme-
diately from his Resurrection and Ascension.
Hence the same Apostle's triumphant excla-
mation in his Epistle to the Romans; — "Who
" shall lay any thing to the charge of God's
" elect ? It is God that justifieth, who is he
" that condemneth ? It is Christ that died,
" yea, rather, that is risen again, who is even
" at the right hand of God, who also maketh
" intercession for us'." On these incontro-
vertible evidences St. Paul grounds our belief
in the efficacy both of his atonement and of
his intercession. The one follows from the
other as a necessary consequence. No longer
could it be a matter of doubt, whether our
Lord had entirely accomplished the great
work he had undertaken ; whether he was in-
deed the Lord of Hosts, the King of Glory;
whether he was able to make good his pro-
mises ; whether " all that the Father had was
" his," and " whatsoever his disciples should
' Rom. viii. 33, 34.
SERMON XX.
421
" ask in his name, he would give it them."
These truths were established beyond all con-
tradiction by those manifestations of Divine
power so signally displayed.
They who duly appreciate such truths and
such evidences, will hardly need to be forti-
fied against the attempts of those who either
altogether deny them, or maintain opinions
inconsistent with a right apprehension of
them. By a certain class of interpreters, it is
contended that Christ was no more than a
Messenger, or Teacher, commissioned simply
to announce the Divine mercy in the pardon
of sin, and to preach the efficacy of repent-
ance. But if this be the whole of the case,
and if in this sense only our Lord is said to
mediate between God and man ; why is not
the same ascribed to Moses and the Prophets,
to the Apostles, or to others who were from
time to time commissioned to declare God's
will to mankind? Yet St. Paul expressly says,
" There is one God, and one Mediator be-
" tween God and man, the man Christ Jesus,
" who gave himself a ransom for all"'." No-
thing is more evident than that the title of Me-
diator is here given exclusively to our blessed
Saviour ; and given him, not merely because
he preached salvation, but because he pur-
m 1 Tim. ii. 5, 6.
E e 3
422
SERMON XX.
chased it for us by his death ; because he
stood between the offending and the offended
parties, and reconciled them to each other ;
because he removed the enmity between
them ; bringing us to God, who had departed
from him, and rendering God propitious to
us for his sake. This, indeed, is clearly im-
plied in the very term Mediator, which de-
notes one who satisfies the offended party by
interposing on behalf of the offender. But
in what propriety of speech could this be ap-
plied to a person who merely delivers a mes-
sage to that effect? or what could St. Paul
intend, when he says of Christ, " He gave his
" life a ransom for all," but that by virtue
of the expiation he had made, and not merely
by preaching remission of sins, he became in-
vested with full and effective powers to plead
for us at the throne of grace ? Every point
of view in which the Apostle has placed this
consolatory doctrine tends to shew that, " by
" his own oblation of himself once offered," our
Lord had acquired the right to plead for us
with the Father, not as a mere supplicant, but
as an all-powerful Redeemer; one who, hav-
ing "bought us with a price," even the price
of his own blood, presents to God those who
are his, with an entire assurance that the
mediation shall not be unavailing.
SERMON XX.
423
Full of hope, however, and of comfort, as
this doctrine is, there are errors both in faith
and practice which, to those who retain them,
may defeat its purpose.
There was an ancient heresy in the Church,
that denied tlie hope of salvation to those
who had once fallen away from the faith, not-
withstanding their subsequent penitence and
conversion. This rigorous and unscriptural
persuasion has long since passed away. Yet
something not altogether dissimilar to it may
still be found among those who are prone to
despondency themselves, or wanting in cha-
rity towards others. The certainty that Christ
is " able to save them to the uttermost that
" come unto God by him," ought to be a sove-
reign antidote to any such misgivings or sur-
mises. Despair, it has been truly said, is the
worst enemy of the soul. It is the only state
of mind for which the Gospel itself affords no
remedy. It is madness to entertain it our-
selves ; it is cruelty to give occasion to it in
others. In no case can it be admissible, but
in that of absolute impenitency or unbelief
The surest preservative against it is a con-
stant recollection that in God " is plenteous
" redemption "," and that He hath said, " Him
" Psalm cxxx. 7.
E e 4
424
SERMON XX.
" who Cometh unto me I will in no wise cast
" out"."
But there is an error of an opposite kind,
far more likely to gain proselytes, yet equally
militating against a right apprehension of this
doctrine. It is the error of those who per-
suade themselves that God sees no sin in his
elect ; or, in other words, that God hath so
absolutely predestinated certain persons to
eternal life, that whatever sins they commit,
it is impossible they should finally fall away.
This seems to be in effect affirming, either
that the sins of such persons are not actually
sinful in the sight of God, or that they are
already forgiven, even before they are com-
mitted ; their pardon being, as it were, ante-
dated by a special decree of the Almighty in
their favour. It is almost needless to observe,
how entirely this notion seems to supersede
the necessity of intercession by a mediator,
and to regard even the duties of repentance
and obedience, if not as absolutely super-
fluous, yet as matters already provided for in
the secret arbitration of the Almighty, and
concerning which, therefore, the individual
interested need entertain little solicitude.
There are also certain errors fostered by the
Romish Church, which are repugnant to this
" John vi. 37.
SERMON XX.
425
great article of our faith. The supposed of-
fering of the real body of Christ in the con-
tinual sacrifice of the mass, plainly derogates
from the infinite value of the one oblation of
our Saviour on the cross, and implies the in-
sufficiency of that sacrifice without this vain
repetition of it. It is virtually recurring to
the exploded system of the Jewish ritual ; in
which sacrifices were offered continually, be-
cause the Redeemer whom they typified had
not yet appeared to effect, once for all, the
purpose of their institution. But still more
does the Church of Rome offend against
the doctrine of one only sacrifice, and one
only Mediator and Intercessor, by the intro-
duction of many mediators ; by the invoca-
tion of saints, and angels, and the Blessed
Virgin ; and by the superstitious veneration
of images and relics ; greatly to the disparage-
ment of "His meritorious cross and passion,
" whereby alone we obtain remission of our
" sins, and are made partakers of the king-
" dom of heaven." Greatly also is the me-
diatorial office of our Lord infringed upon by
the monstrous fiction of purgatory and the
use of masses for the dead ; by which the
power of intercession seems, as it were, to be
wrested from the hands of Him who alone is
" mighty to save," and placed at the disposal
426
SERMON XX.
of men presumptuously assuming the prero-
gatives of the Most High.
Against all such errors our Church most
carefully guards us, in her Creeds, her Arti-
cles, and her Liturgy. She declares, that
" the grant of repentance is not to be denied
" to such as fall into sin after baptism ;" —
that "after we have received the Holy Ghost
" we may depart from grace given, and fall
" into sin, and by the grace of God may arise
" again, and amend our lives ;" — and that
" they are to be condemned which say, they
" can no more sin as long as they live here,
" or deny the place of forgiveness to such
" as truly repent." She also reprobates the
masses of the Romish Church, disclaims the
invocation of saints, renounces the notion of
purgatory, and offers up her prayers in the
name of "Jesus Christ, our 07ily Mediator
" and Advocate." Thus she closes up every
avenue to mistake on these points, and gives
the honour due unto God the Father, with-
out deroo-atino- from the infinite value of
o o
the mediation and intercession of God the
Son.
The practical improvement of this subject
no sincere disciple of Christ can be at a loss
to make. Our Lord is " gone up on high ;"
he hath " led captivity captive, and received
SERMON XX.
427
" gifts for men''," even the gifts of pardon and
sanctification. He hath despoiled death of
its sting, and the grave of its victory. He is
now^ " Head over all things to the Church
which he governs and sanctifies by his con-
stant, though invisible presence. "He must
" reign till he hath put all enemies under his
" feet." "Then cometh the end, when he shall
" have delivered up the kingdom to God, even
" the Father'." His mediatorial office, with
every thing specially wrought by him for the
redemption of mankind, having fully accom-
plished its purpose, will then necessarily cease.
But before that blessed consummation, this
same Jesus, who was visibly taken up into
heaven, "will so come in like manner as he
" was seen to go into heaven." He shall
come in power and great glory, to judge
both the quick and dead ; and " the dead,
" small and great, shall stand before God ;
" and the books shall be opened, and the dead
" shall be judged out of those things that are
" written in the books, according to their
" works'." That we may at that great and
terrible day of the Lord, receive the full be-
nefit of his merits and intercession, let our
thoughts, our hearts, and minds, thither now
P Ephes. iv. 8. <] Ephes. i. 22. ' 1 Cor. xv.
24, 25. ^ Rev. xx. 12.
428
SERMON XX.
ascend where he is gone before. Be it our
unremitting care to " seek those things which
" are above, where Christ sitteth at the right
" hand of God ;" to live Hke men waiting the
coming of our Lord ; and so to perfect our-
selves in his faith and fear, that " when Christ,
" who is our life, shall appear, we also may
" appear with him in glory'."
' Coloss. iii. 1, 4.
SERMON XXI.
Acts ii. 4.
And they were all filled ivith the Holy Ghost, and
began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit
gave them utterance.
In every miracle proposed to our belief, two
points are chiefly requisite ; first, that it ap-
pears to have been an act which none but
Divine power could perform ; secondly, that
it was wrought for some important purpose,
worthy of divine interposition. In both these
respects, the miracle recorded in the words
of the text will bear the strictest investiga-
tion.
That a power, instantaneously communi-
cated, of speaking divers languages, is ut-
terly beyond the reach of human faculties,
will hardly even by the most sceptical ])e
called in question. That some who were
witnesses of this in the case here related of
the Apostles, should have had the hardihood
430
SERMON XXI.
to " mock" at so astonishing an occurrence,
saying, "These men are full of new wine%" is
a lamentable instance of ignorance, of incon-
sideration, or of perverseness. It was no-
thing less than ascribing to the grossest de-
basement of the understanding that which
transcends the powers of the most perfect
human intellect. If, indeed, there can be
any gradation in miraculous gifts, this was a
miracle of the highest order. It carries, on
the very face of it, the evidence of such an
immediate and overpowering influence upon
the mental faculties, as can be conceived to
proceed only from Him who first endowed
man with the gift of speech. It was an act
of direct supernatural agency, as manifest
and as complete as it would have been to
enable the new-born infant to articulate, or
the tongue of the dumb to sing.
That no illusion could have been practised
upon this occasion is also equally certain.
The simple narrative of the Apostle removes
every suspicion of this kind. " There were
" dwelling," says he, " at Jerusalem, Jews,
" devout men, out of every nation under
" heaven ;" and " when this was noised
" abroad, the multitude came together, and
" were confounded, because that every man
a Acts ii. 13.
SERMON XXI.
V31
" heard thein speak in his own language.
" And they were all amazed and marvelled,
" saying one to another, Behold, are not all
" these which speak Galileans ? And how
" hear we every man in our own tongue,
" wherein we were born ?" Here it is evi-
dent, that persons wholly unconnected and
unacquainted with the Apostles came pur-
posely to satisfy themselves of the truth of
what they had heard reported; and since the
gift so bestowed, though sudden and instan-
taneous in its production, was not transient
or momentary in its effect, but continued to
be a permanent gift throughout the course
of their ministry, time and opportunity were
not wanting to verify the fact, not only at
that moment, but long after the first impres-
sions of surprise and wonder had ceased. The
immediate consequence, however, was amply
sufficient to set incredulity at defiance. " The
" same day were added" to the number of
Christian converts "three thousand souls
What deception can we conceive it possible
for the Apostles to have practised upon such
an assemblage of persons, strangers to each
other, coming from various distant countries,
and each, however illiterate or uneducated,
conversant at least with his own vernacular
b Acts ii. 41.
432
SERMON XXI.
tongue, and in that respect beyond the reach
of delusion ? Had the Apostles indeed at-
tempted to persuade either themselves or
others that they possessed such a gift, when
in reality they possessed it not; where would
have been the individual among the whole
multitude who could not instantly have de-
tected the fraud, and have exposed it to scorn
and derision ?
On the certainty, then, of the fact itself
we may assume there could be no reasonable
doubt. Of its importance, as in every re-
spect worthy of Divine interposition, the evi-
dence will be found no less satisfactory.
On the eve of his departure from this world,
our Lord fully explained to his sorrowing dis-
ciples the expediency of his leaving them to
the guidance of that Holy Spirit who was to
supply his place here on earth : " If I go not
" away, the Comforter will not come unto
" you ; but if I depart, I will send him unto
" you^." From that Comforter they were to
obtain such further instruction and such con-
tinual help, as should enable them to dis-
charge the functions of the high and sacred
office to which they had been called. While
their blessed Master remained on earth, and
before he had, by his death, resurrection, and
John xvi. 7.
SERMON XXI.
433
ascension, fulfilled all that the prophets had
spoken of him, they were far from distinctly ap-
prehending the entire purpose of his coming,
or the true nature of the spiritual kingdom
he was about to establish. Their inability to
discern these things until after all had been
accomplished, is assigned as a reason why
they should not repine at the loss of his pre-
sence : " I have yet many things to say unto
" you, but ye cannot bear them now. How-
" beit, when He, the Spirit of truth, is come,
" he will guide you into all truth ; for he
" shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever
" he shall hear, that shall he speak ; and he
" will shew you things to come. He shall
" glorify me, for he shall receive of mine, and
" shew it unto you*^." Among other extraor-
dinary powers to be conferred upon them,
this heavenly Comforter was to "bring all
" things to their remembrance whatsoever he
" had said unto them'';" thus not only sup-
plying his place to the fullest extent of their
exigencies, but giving them the most entire
assurance, that whatever was imparted by the
one would be confirmed and ratified by the
other. For these important purposes our
Lord stated his departure to be necessary,
and the coming of the Holy Ghost indispens-
d John xvi. 12, 13, 14. John xiv. 26.
VOL. I. F f
434
SERMON XXI.
ably requisite. After his resurrection, he
again reminded them of this, by declaring
that "not many days" from that time they
should be " baptized with the Holy Ghost ;"
commanding them also " not to depart from
" Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of
" the Father, which they had heard from
" Him ;" adding yet further, " Ye shall re-
" ceive power, after that the Holy Ghost is
" come upon you ; and ye shall be witnesses
" unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Ju-
" daea, and in Samaria, and unto the utter-
" most parts of the earth ^"
Conformably with these instructions, the
Apostles, it appears, abode at Jerusalem,
awaiting the event foretold, and preparing
themselves for it by prayer and supplication,
and by daily communications with each other.
" And when the day of Pentecost was fully
" come, they were all with one accord in one
" place. And suddenly there came a sound
" from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind,
" and it filled all the house where they were
" sitting. And there appeared unto them
" cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat
" upon each of them. And they were all
" filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to
f Acts i. 3, 5, 8.
SERMON XXI.
435
" speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave
" them utterance^."
The expression, " when the day of Pen-
" tecost was fully come," reminds us of a si-
milar one used by St. Paul respecting our
Lord's coming ; " When the fulness of time
" was come, God sent forth his Son." In
both instances, it seems to be implied that
the event spoken of was to take place at some
definite period of time, until which the com-
pletion of the purpose of the Almighty would
be wanting. The " fulness of time" in which
our Lord appeared, was marked by the ac-
complishment of many distinct and circum-
stantial prophecies concerning him, as well
as by the general state of the heathen world,
and the particular aspect of the Roman and
Jewish governments, at that special crisis.
The circumstances which render a similar
expression applicable to the descent of the
Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost, though
less obvious to immediate observation, are
such as give great additional interest to the
event.
The festival of Pentecost was ordained
under the Jewish dispensation to commemo-
rate the giving of the Law from mount Sinai,
fifty days after the Passover. The solemn
s Acts ii. 1 — 4.
F f 2
436
SERMON XXI.
promulgation of the Gospel on that day,
ushered in by a miracle so stupendous, could
hardly fail to excite attention, and to impress
strongly upon the mind of a devout observer
the seeming coincidence of the two dispensa-
tions. The Christian convert, at least, might
be led to infer, that as the Jewish passover
had prefigured our Lord's death and passion,
so the giving of the Law to the Israelites
on mount Sinai might be contemplated as
typical of the preaching of the Gospel to
all nations. St. Luke's expression that the
" day was fully come," seems to indicate the
expectation that our Lord's promise would
come to pass at that particular season.
Other circumstances also might tend to
connect these occurrences with each other in
contemplative minds. The Divine presence
had been manifested on the delivery of the
Mosaic Law, by thunders and lightnings and
other terrific signs, impressing the people
with awe and dread. That same presence
was indicated on this occasion, not indeed by
tokens so tremendous, but by wonders no
less demonstrative of Divine agency, and ren-
dered doubly impressive by being associated
with the recollection of what had passed in
former times, on the day still held sacred.
" The sound as of a rushing mighty wind,"
SERMON XXI.
437
which " filled all the house where they were
" sitting," and the cloven tongues " like as
" of fire" which sat upon each of the Apostles,
would bring to mind the thunders and light-
nings of the former period, and would excite
scarcely less veneration towards these holy
men, than had been felt by the Israelites to-
wards their inspired Lawgiver. These mar-
vellous appearances were also significant of
the powerful energy of the Gospel and its
preachers, " whose sound was to go out into
" all lands, and their words unto the end of
" the world As the elements of air and
fire purify and invigorate, warm and en-
lighten the natural world ; so does the Holy
Spirit operate on the hearts and minds of
men. Its immediate effect upon the Apostles
corresponded with these symbols : and mul-
titudes bore witness to its almost irresistible
influence both on those who preached and
those who heard the word. Again ; the " clo-
" ven tongues" betokened that precious gift
by which the Apostles discoursed in various
languages to people of various nations, on the
" wonderful works of God." This they did
" as the Spirit gave them utterance." By
" the word of wisdom" and " the word of
h Ps<alin xix. 4.
F f 3
438
SERMON XXI.
" knowledge" they were enabled to under-
stand divine truths ; and by the gift of " di-
" vers kinds of tongues they were em-
powered to communicate them to others ;
not simply to speak and utter them, but to
expound, exhort, persuade, and argue, with a
power far exceeding any ordinary human en-
dowments.
This miracle, then, is to be considered as a
public and solemn manifestation of the com-
ing of the Holy Ghost, to complete the work
of our redemption. By indisputable tokens
of Divine power, the Almighty had already
borne witness to the coming of his Son ; and
now, by tokens no less convincing, he bore
witness to the descent of the Holy Spirit.
The festival we this day celebrate j has hence
been sometimes called the Advent, and the
Epiphany, of the Holy Ghost ; corresponding
with the terms applied to the coming of our
blessed Saviour. The purposes to be effected
by each were indeed inseparably connected.
Our Lord came to fufil the Law, and make
atonement for its transgression ; the Holy
Ghost, to perfect the Gospel, and give spiri-
tual life to its disciples. Christ came to re-
deem the church ; the Holy Ghost to sanctify
' 1 Cor. xii. 8, 10. J Whitsunday.
SERMON XXI.
439
it. The former announced remission of sins,
through faith, repentance, and obedience ;
the latter disposes and enables the believer
to accept these conditions, and to perform
them. The full effect of our Lord's coming
was not indeed perfectly understood even by
his Apostles, until the Spirit "guided them
" into all truth," enriching them with spiri-
tual knowledge, dissipating their doubts and
fears, and fortifying them against all tempta-
tions to swerve from their arduous undertak-
ing. Heretofore they had been slow of be-
lief, wavering, irresolute, indisposed, through
prejudice or misapprehension, to discern the
true nature of our Lord's kingdom, or to re-
ceive his doctrines in their full extent. Now,
their understandings were enlightened, their
hearts invigorated. Zeal, fervour, intrepi-
dity, perseverance, marked their whole cha-
racter and demeanour, and gave indubitable
tokens of that divine impression which alone
can be conceived to have wrought a change
so sudden, yet so permanent; so competent
to the supply of every human infirmity, and
to the mastery of every unruly will and affec-
tion.
Yet what could even these gifts have
availed for performing the task assigned to
them, had not others been superadded, to
F f 4
440
SERMON XXI.
enable them to discharge that last and most
important injunction of their heavenly Mas-
ter, "Go ye, and teach all nations''?" How
were they to attempt this, of all undertakings
the most hopeless, to men destitute as they
were of advantages, as to station in life, edu-
cation, or influence of any kind, that might
hold out to them the remotest prospect of
success ?
For this purpose, the gift of tongues was
the first and perhaps the most necessary of
all the supernatural powers conferred upon
them. The very gift itself bespoke the in-
tention of the Almighty, "that his way
" should be known upon earth, his saving
" health among all nations'." It expressively
taught to the Apostles, that the Spirit was to
" lead them into all truth," not for them-
selves only, but for all mankind. It quali-
fied them to become Apostles in the full ac-
ceptation of that term ; persons sent, or com-
missioned, to make disciples among all na-
tions, and to constitute a "holy church
" throughout all the world." In this sense,
they themselves, with the Prophets before
them, are truly called the " foundation" on
which we are built ; " Jesus Christ himself
" being the chief corner stone'"."
k Matlli. xxviii. 19. ' Psalm Ixii. 2. Eplies. ii. 20.
SERMON XXI.
441
Thus endued with power from on high,
these holy men went forth, "the Lord work-
" ing with them, and confirming the word
" with signs following "." They spread the
knowledge of the Gospel in all directions.
Instantaneously they became qualified to open
their commission as messengers of the Most
High, and to obtain a hearing, at least, of
what they were authorized to promulgate.
That diversity of languages which originally
had been inflicted for the punishment of im-
piety and presumption, was now by the infi-
nite mercy of God rendered instrumental in
bringing back all nations to be " one fold,
" under one Shepherd"." When the men of
Babel, in just judgment upon their daring
confederacy against the Almighty, were di-
vided in their language, there immediately
ensued confusion and the utter discomfiture
of their vain design. With the Apostles, the
diversity of tongues gave occasion to an univer-
sal diffusion of the truth, and became a bond
of union in the faith, however widely scat-
tered its innumerable disciples. That proved
a blessing in the one case, which in the other
operated as the bitterest of punishments. So
effectually can the same miraculous agency,
directed by an all-wise and over-ruling Pro-
" Mark xvi. 20. " John x. 16.
442
SERMON XXI.
vidence, subserve the purposes either of judg-
ment or of mercy.
Nor is the benefit we ourselves may derive
from the contemplation of this stupendous
event limited to our admiration of the imme-
diate use of it by the first preachers of Chris-
tianity. It teaches us lessons of high im-
portance as to our own faith and practice ;
such as no distance of time, no disparity of
circumstances, can diminish in value.
First, it calls upon us to bless God for the
result of this precious gift ; since we our-
selves, whose forefathers were once among
the darkest of the heathen tribes, have thus
" been brought out of darkness and error
" into the clear light and knowledge of him
" and of his Son Jesus Christ." Under the
circumstances of the first preachers of the
Gospel, no secondary causes can be conceived
adequate to such an effect. Their inability
to preach it in different languages would in
itself have presented an insuperable obstacle
to their success. Could we therefore even
suppose, (improbable as the supposition ap-
pears to be,) that the Apostles might have
had influence enough to persuade their fel-
low-countrymen to accept their ministry and
their message ; yet what a length of time
must necessarily have elapsed, before these
SERMON XXI.
443
could have been extended beyond even the
confines of Judaea! For every thing exceed-
ing that narrow boundary, the want of this
miraculous gift, whatever others they might
possess, must have operated as an absolute
disqualification.
Secondly, the extraordinary effect of this
great miracle, in enabling the Apostles to
spread abroad the knowledge of the truth,
admonishes us how we, under the ordinary
guidance of the same Spirit, may hope to
carry on that vast design, until " the earth
" shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord,
" as the waters cover the sea p." The gift
of tongues, though evidently miraculous with
respect to these its first preachers, is yet at-
tainable in a considerable degree by human
labour and perseverance ; and since it is now
no longer supernaturally imparted, it must be
supplied by proficiency in human learning.
The fact that the Apostles presumed not to
go forth on their widely extended commis-
sion until thus transcendently endowed, may
teach us that this is a work not rashly to be
undertaken by unqualified and illiterate men.
In vain will it be pleaded that the Apostles
were fishermen, tent-makers, or publicans,
persons of no superior mental qualifications,
1' Isa. xi. 9.
444
SERMON XXI.
no superior advantages of education. The
extraordinary gifts bestowed upon them sup-
plied the want of these, far beyond the high-
est human acquirements. To neglect such
acquirements, therefore, as not requisite to
the work of the ministry, is rashness and pre-
sumption, wholly unwarranted by the exam-
ple of the Apostles. They not only prayed,
but laboured for their own improvement, and
for that of others. They conferred one with
another ; they met together in council ; they
thought and deliberated before they acted ;
they reasoned with those whom they sought
to convert ; nor did they presume even on
the help of the Holy Spirit, without diligent
application on their own part. They did not
arrogantly " tempt God," by expecting his in-
spirations and suggestions, to uphold them in
rash and ill-advised undertakings.
Another point suggested by the miracle of
the gift of tongues, is the duty of translating
the holy Scriptures into divers languages, so
that all may benefit by that light which was
to " light every man that cometh into the
" world "i." This important work of Christian
charity, when faithfully executed, can hardly
fail to become a powerful instrument of con-
version. But it is an instrument only, and
q John i. 9.
SERMON XXI.
445
not designed to work its own effect, unac-
companied with other aid. It does not su-
persede the ministry ; although it is its great
and all-powerful engine, its most effectual
means of impressing the truth upon the hearts
and minds of men. We read not, however,
of any conversions wrought by the Apostles
or their immediate successors, merely by send-
ing abroad the sacred word. They laboured
personally themselves ; expounding what was
written, and reasoning out of the Scriptures.
They " reproved, rebuked, exhorted Yet
all was done "decently and in order'." No
one " stretched beyond his own measure ' ;"
each had his stated province and commission.
Thus have they left a model, to all succeed-
ing ages of the Church, of sober judgment and
sound discretion ; of zeal tempered with know-
ledge ; of simplicity guided by wisdom ; of
charity not degenerating into weak conni-
vance at error, nor giving countenance to dis-
order and irregularity. Well it becomes us
not to depart from these salutary rules ; nor
to admit any fervours of enthusiasm or any
pretences of a private spirit to interfere with
their observance. To the Apostles only was
the promise given that the Holy Spirit should
' 2 Tim. iv. 2. 1 Cor. xiv. 40. ' 2 Cor. x. 14.
446
SERMON XXL
guide them into " all truth." The substance
of that truth we have in theii- writings; to
explain and to enforce which, are the prime
objects of the now existing ministry. Through
them, and not by any immediate communica-
tions from above, must the Christian teacher
now instruct others ; and thus must all the
faithful now " try the spirits, whether they
« be of God ^"
Little, however, will all these benefits avail,
unless we bear in mind, both teachers and
hearers, that our own personal advancement
in every Christian grace and virtue is the
main purpose to be effected. God, who at
first "taught the hearts of his faithful people
" by sending to them the light of his Holy
" Spirit," willed also that " by the same Spirit
" we should have a right judgment in all
" things, and evermore rejoice in his holy
" comfort." The promise of this aid was not
to the Apostles only, but " to as many as the
" Lord our God should call"" to the know-
ledge of the truth. In this respect " the ma-
" nifestation of the Spirit is given to every
" man to profit withal"." For, whether there
" be tongues, they shall cease ; whether there
" be knowledge, it shall vanish away''." But
^ 1 John iv. 1. w Acts ii. 39.
^ 1 Cor. xii, 7. x 1 Cor. xiii. 8.
SERMON XXI.
447
" the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
" long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
"meekness, temperance^." These belong to
the faithful in all generations, and in the
fullest sense shall " abide with them for
" ever." For these let us implore the grace of
God to assist our own weak endeavours, and
draw near to him in those " holy mysteries"
which he hath ordained as " pledges of his
" love, to our great and endless comfort." At
his holy altar let us " lift up our hearts unto
" the Lord," and " give thanks unto our Lord
" God," as " it is meet and right to do ;" that
so we may be "filled with all joy and peace
" in believing, and may abound in hope
" through the power of the Holy Ghost ^"
' Gal. V. 22, 23. ^ Rom. xv. 13.
SERMON XXII.
2 Peter iii. 18.
Grow in grace.
Among the subjects which have given rise
to a great variety of controversies in the
Christian church, are those which relate to
our sanctification by the Holy Spirit ; that
grace of God, which the Scriptures represent
as indispensably necessary to enable us to
work out our salvation. Few professed Chris-
tians, if any, totally deny the necessity of this
aid. Many lower its importance, by over-
rating the natural powers of man in his pre-
sent state ; and some virtually renounce it,
by rejecting the divinity and personality of
the Holy Ghost. Yet even these do not, in
general, deny that some divine help may be
requisite, or that it is actually bestowed ;
though great diversities of opinion are enter-
tained as to the extent of its influence on
VOL. I. G g
450
SERMON XXII.
the human mind, and its compatibility with
the exercise of those inherent faculties, which
are common to all mankind.
The difficulties relating to this doctrine
might perhaps have been less vehemently
agitated, had its advocates been always con-
tent to adhere to the plain declarations of
Scripture. When attempts are made to phi-
losophize upon such a subject, numerous to-
pics will present themselves on which no cer-
tain information may be attainable. To re-
concile the Divine operation with man's free
agency, to explain how that which is divine can
be otherwise than irresistible, or that w^hich
is human can render ineifectual that which
proceeds from an omnipotent power, are per-
plexities which probably our finite intellects
are not competent to unravel. But our in-
ability to remove these in no wise affects the
truth or certainty of the doctrine itself. Al-
though we know not how spirit acts either
upon matter or mind ; or how impressions
can be made upon our faculties, without a
consciousness on our part whence they pro-
ceed ; yet the impossibility or the incredi-
bility of the thing cannot thence be reason-
ably inferred. It is enough to reason from
the Psalmist's analogy, " He that made the
" eye, shall he not see ? And he that made
SERMON XXII.
451
" the ear, shall he not hear"?" He that form-
ed the understanding and the will of man,
shall He not be able to impress upon both,
or either, (even without our perception of the
agency,) wisdom, discernment, and strength ?
Our consciousness of the communication may
be no more necessary to the production of
the effect, than a metaphysical knowledge of
the mind, or a physiological knowledge of the
body, is requisite to our exercise of the intel-
lectual or animal functions. The effect may
ensue, we know not how : and if God in his
own word affirm that it ensues by his agency,
who shall prove the negative ?
But these are not inquiries which it is my
present intention to pursue. The Apostle's
exhortation in the text suggests a more simple
and a more practical view of the subject. It
is restricted to one main consideration, our
growth in grace ; that our attainments in ho-
liness, under the influence of the Holy Spirit,
are gradual and p?'ogressive ; a subject well
adapted to give us sober and rational con-
ceptions of this essential article of our faith;
capable also of being established by the clear-
est Scripture-proofs, and applied as a pre-
servative against some dangerous errors and
delusions.
Psalm cxiv. 9.
452
SERMON XXII.
" The path of the just," says Solomon, " is
" as the shining light, that shineth more and
" more unto the perfect day This corre-
sponds, not only with St. Peter's injunction
in the text, but with his representation of the
Christian character as combining an assem-
blage of excellent qualities, the result of ha-
bitual practice : — " giving all diligence, add
" to your faith, virtue ; and to virtue, know-
" ledge ; and to knowledge, temperance ; and
" to temperance, patience ; and to patience,
" godliness ; and to godliness, brotherly kind-
" ness ; and to brotherly kindness, charity.
" For if these things be in you, and abound,
" they make you that ye shall neither be
" barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of
"our Lord Jesus Christ ^" St. Paul's in-
structions are to the same effect : — " Finally,
" brethren, whatsoever things are true, what-
" soever things are honest, whatsoever things
" are just, whatsoever things are pure, what-
" soever things are lovely, whatsoever things
" are of good report ; if there be any virtue,
" and if there be any praise, think on these
"things''." Nor did St. Paul consider him-
self, even at a very advanced period of his
ministry, as having yet attained to Christian
perfection ; but " forgetting those things which
^ Prov. iv. 18. 2 Pet. i. 5—8. Pliil. iv. 8.
SERMON XXII.
453
" were behind, and reaching forth unto those
" which were before," he " pressed towards
" the mark for the prize of the high calHng
" of God in Christ Jesus He exhorts also
the Corinthians " so to run that they might
" obtain and he prays for the PhiHppians,
" that their love might abound yet more and
" more in knowledge and in all judgment ;
" that they might approve things that are ex-
" cellent ; that they might be sincere and
" without olfence till the day of Christ ; being
" filled with the fruits of righteousness, which
" are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and
" praise of God *^."
These authorities sufficiently prove that
our sanctification, though the work of the
Holy Spirit, is the gradual result of habitual
exercise in what is good. They prove also,
that the degree of perfection at which we
may arrive has no definite limits, but is to go
on increasing as long as this state of proba-
tion continues. It is true, that even with
this promised aid no one may hope to attain
an absolute freedom from sin. " In many
" things we offend all." Yet this unavoidable
imperfection is not incompatible with our
continuance in a state of grace. The sure
test of our being in that state is an habitual
e Phil. iii. 13, 14. f 1 Cor. ix. 24. s Phil. i. 9—11.
Gg 3
454
SERMON XXII.
desire and endeavour to perform the Divine
v^^ill. And though, as our Church expresses
it, " the infection of our nature doth remain,
" yea, in them that are regenerated ;" so that
even our best works require a more perfect
righteousness than our own to render them
available in the sight of God ; yet may our
growth in grace be nevertheless sufficiently
evidenced. Our faith, our repentance, our
humility, our daily efforts to " improve in all
" virtue and godliness of living," may give a
well-grounded assurance that we are going
on from strength to strength, and advancing
in the way to eternal life. This was the ex-
tent of St. Paul's assertion, that he could " do
" all things through Christ, that strengthened
" him'' and of St. John's, that " whosoever
" is born of God doth not commit sin, for his
" seed remaineth in him, and he cannot com-
" mit sin, because he is born of God'." Such
expressions, in whatever stage of advancement
in holiness, can denote no more than that de-
votedness of heart and will to the service of
God, which habitually shrinks from sin and
abhors the very thought of deliberately of-
fending God. For even among the most
blameless of men the corruption of our na-
ture will still betray its malignant influence.
h Phil. iv. 13. ' 1 John iii. 9.
SERMON XXII.
455
St, Paul affirms, even of those who " walk in
" the spirit," that " the flesh lusteth against
" the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh ;
" and that these are contrary the one to the
" other, so that they cannot do the things
" that they would''." And St. John admon-
ishes us that, " if we say we have no sin, we
" deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in
" us'."
Our estimate, therefore, of men's proficiency
in holiness is not reducible to any specific
standard, applicable alike to all persons and
under all circumstances and conditions of life.
So variable are the temperaments and dis-
positions of men, so manifold their trials and
temptations, that none but the omniscient
Judge can determine what measure of grace
is needful for each individual, what degree of
either extenuation or aggravation may be as-
cribed to each individual's delinquency, or
what exercise of faith and constancy may have
been called forth in every given instance of ex-
emplary conduct. We are nevertheless assur-
ed that, according to the most perfect equity
will every man's final award be adjudged.
God "will be justified in his saying, and clear
" when he is judged"'." " Unto whomsoever
" much is given, of him shall much be re-
'< Gal. V. 17. I 1 Jolin i. 8. Psalm li. 4.
G g 4
456
SERMON XXII.
" quired"." " He that soweth sparingly shall
" reap sparingly ; and he that soweth boun-
" tifully shall reap also bountifully"." The
punishment of the unprofitable servant in the
parable, indicates that the smallest portion of
grace may be sufficient to enable him who is
in covenant with God to work out his sal-
vation ; while the respective rewards assigned
to those who had well occupied their five and
their ten talents, imply that when ampler
supplies are vouchsafed so much weightier
responsibility is incurred. One simple rule,
therefore, is to govern alike, in this respect,
the conduct of every Christian believer; what-
ever God hath enabled him to do, that he is
bound to do, be it more or less. He is not
to ])ropose to himself certain scanty measures
of duty, which if he performs he shall be
harmless ; still less may he presume to ima-
gine that he is capable of performing, in any
proper sense of the word, works of superero-
gation. When he has done all that was in
his power, he has done only what it was his
duty to do : when he has done less than that,
he has fallen short of the measure required.
His highest attainments are from the ability
that God giveth ; his lowliest proceed from
the same source, and lay him under the same
" Luke xii. 48. " 2 Cor. ix. 6.
SERMON XXII.
457
obligations to Him who imparts what is need-
ful for the purpose, and will exact the pro-
portionate improvement. Supineness on the
one hand, and self-sufficiency on the other,
stand equally opposed to this unerring rule.
Upon these plain and obvious truths may
be engrafted some useful suggestions both as
to our faith and practice.
The doctrine, as deduced from Scripture,
that our sanctification is a progressive work,
seems almost necessarily to imply that it com-
mences with our Christian life. The injunc-
tion to grow in grace presupposes that there
is a spiritual ])rinciple already implanted
within us; and this injunction being ad-
dressed to Christians in general, without ex-
ceptions of any kind, it is to be presumed
that all who have been admitted into the
Christian covenant had this principle actually
bestowed upon them, immediately upon their
entrance into that covenant, or, in other words,
at the instant of their baptism. This is that
regeneration, or new birth, spoken of in Scrip-
ture as the common privilege of every Chris-
tian. It were in vain to exhort individuals
to grow or improve in their spiritual state,
unless there were this vital spark within them
ready to put forth its energies. Our Church,
accordingly, invariably connects baptism with
458
SERMON XXII.
regeneration ; considering every member of
the Church, whether adult or infant, as there-
by made partaker of all the spiritual benefits
of the Gospel, according to their respective
capacities of receiving them ; and thenceforth
assured of sufficient help and strength to
fulfil the engagements he has covenanted to
perform. The terms, " laver of regeneration,"
and a " new birth unto righteousness," used
as synonymous with baptism, are fully signi-
ficant of these benefits.
But in ascribing this effect to baptism, we
do not infer, (as some unwarrantably charge
upon us,) that this ordinance necessarily
works the final salvation of those who receive
it. It is not to be imagined that baptism will
be available to this end, where it is neither
preceded nor followed by the dispositions re-
quisite to ensure its effect. The injunction
to " grow in grace" warns us, that the help
bestowed must be faithfully and diligently
applied to the purpose intended. The seed
sown in the heart by our heavenly Benefactor
must be duly cultivated and cherished ; the
vital spark must not be quenched by careless-
ness or neglect. Baptism places us in a state
of salvation, but does not perfect us in that
state, nor preclude the possibility of apostasy
and perdition. The term vegenemtion de-
SERMON XXII.
459
notes no more than the commencement of
our spiritual life. Its subsequent support, its
growth and increase, its renewal when de-
cayed, its recovery when diseased, are pro-
vided for by other means. Further supplies
for those purposes, and further means of ob-
taining them, are pointed out in holy writ.
Diligent prayer, meditation on God's word,
the observance of his sabbaths, attendance on
his ordinances, and especially on that high
and holy office, the communion of the body
and blood of Christ in the Lord's Supper, are
among the duties enjoined for carrying on
the faithful Christian to that entire sanctifi-
cation which is necessary to give him a joyful
assurance that he continues to be vitally and
effectually " a member of Christ, a child of
" God, and an inheritor of the kingdom of
" heaven."
From all these considerations, it is evident
that our grow^th in grace, though it originates
and is carried on by the Comforter from
above, depends in no inconsiderable degree
upon ourselves. Exhortations to further its
growth would otherwise be nugatory. Nor
is this irreconcilable with the most unre-
served acknowledgment of our dependence
upon God for the ability "both to will and
" to do of his good pleasure''." Our " suffi-
p Phil. ii. 13.
460
SERMON XXII.
" ciency is of God''." It is from Him that
" all good things do come." It is by His holy
inspiration that we " think those things that
" be good ;" and by His merciful guidance that
we " perform the same." His grace is necessary
to " prevent us in all our doings," as well as
to " further us with continual help." But in
every stage of life, from the beginning to the
end of our Christian warfare, our own perverse-
ness or neglect may render that of none effect
which otherwise would be sufficient. Through-
out the holy scriptures, men are invariably ad-
dressed by the inspired messengers of God,
as capable of improving or abusing the divine
gift bestowed upon them ; yet this does not
derogate from the value of the gift itself, nor
ascribe to human ability what ought to be
acknowledged as divine. Growth in grace,
like the growth of our natural frame, results
from due care and attention on our part ; nor
may we expect the continuance of either from
God, if such diligence be wanting in our-
selves. " Unto every one that hath shall be
" given, and he shall have abundance : but
" from him that hath not shall be taken away
" even that which he hath'." Not only no
proficiency can be made in our spiritual con-
cerns without our own cooperation, but the
grace already given us may be withdrawn.
4 2 Cor. iii. 5. r Matt. xxv. 29.
SERMON XXII.
461
Regeneration, therefore, must not be con-
founded with final perseverance. It is the
seminal principle only of holiness and vir-
tue, which are to be brought to perfection
by subsequent supplies from the same hea-
venly source, accompanied with proportionate
exertions on our part to render them effec-
tual.
The foregoing observations may now be
applied as a preservative against some dan-
gerous errors and delusions, and serve to up-
hold the humble and unpresuming Christian
in his endeavours to "make his calling and
" election sure."
It is a dangerous error, to imagine that to
any individual Christian there is not given a
sufficiency of grace to " work out his salva-
" tion." To suppose this, is virtually to charge
God with requiring from man more than he
is enabled to perform. To every one ad-
mitted into the Gospel covenant, the promises
of that covenant are pledged and ratified by
" Him with whom is no variableness or sha-
" dow of turning ' ;" nor can they fail when
accepted by a faithful and willing mind.
It is a no less dangerous error, to suppose
that the grace so given, though sufficient,
will necessarily produce the effect intended.
s James i. 17.
462
SERMON XXII.
In other cases, as well as in this, what is suf-
ficient for any given purpose, may be ren-
dered insufficient by neglect, perversion, or
misapplication. A man may have enough of
this world's possessions to answer every good
and useful purpose of life, and yet apply it
to no good or useful end. He may have the
best natural endowments of understanding,
and yet miserably pervert them. He may
bury his talent in a napkin, or he may waste
it in profligacy. He may consume his bodily
strength in sensual indulgence, or his mental
acquirements in promoting impiety and vice.
In like manner, abundant means may be af-
forded him of spiritual advancement, yet may
he turn them to no good account. However
highly, therefore, we may be disposed to mag-
nify the sovereignty and the all-sufficiency
of the Source from which these blessings flow,
we must bear in mind the evident analogy,
in this respect, between the gifts of Provi-
dence and those of Grace ; that neither the
one nor the other are intended to operate to
the exclusion of that free agency, by which
we are to choose between the evil and the
good, and are made morally responsible for
our choice.
It is also a dangerous error, to conceive
that at any period of life, or under any cir-
SERMON XXII.
463
cumstances of apparent proficiency in spi-
ritual attainments, we may presume upon an
absolute assurance of obtaining the prize of
the high calling that is set before us. The
further we have advanced in our Christian
course, the greater probability there may be
of our persevering to the end, and the more
inexcusable shall we be if we eventually fail.
But the awful warning of St. Peter may well
guard us against any implicit reliance upon
such a presumptuous expectation, when, speak-
ing even of those who had already made con-
siderable advancement in Christian graces, he
says, " it were better for them not to have
" known the way of righteousness, than, af-
" ter they have known it, to turn from the
" holy commandment delivered unto them '."
It is yet another dangerous error, (perha]}s,
the most dangerous of all,) to presume upon
any evidence of our being "led by the Spirit
" of God," unaccompanied with a correspond-
ent practical effect upon our hearts and lives.
When St. Paul says, " the Spirit itself bear-
" eth witness with our spirit, that we are the
" children of God",'' liis meaning is explain-
ed by what immediately precedes the obser-
vation ; " if ye live after the flesh, ye shall
" die : but if ye, through the Spirit, do mor-
• 5i Pet. ii. 21. " Koni. viii. 16.
464
SERMON XXII.
" tify the deeds of the body, ye shall live
To the consciousness of leading a life con-
formable to this principle of holiness and
virtue the Apostle here refers, as the inward
testimony on which we may rely ; not to en-
thusiastic imaginations, or those miscalled ex-
periences, which some are wont to insist upon
as infallible proofs of their being in a state
of grace.
Against all these errors, the admonition in
the text affords the surest preservative. It
implies, that to every member of Christ's
body God's grace will be sufficient, if duly
sought for and applied ; — that if it fail of
effect, its failure will be attributable to our-
selves ; that the completion of its purpose
cannot take place till life itself is ended ; and
that by its fruits only, its efficacious influence
upon our faith and practice, can it be known
that we really have this gift of God abiding
in us, or may entertain any reasonable ex-
pectation of our final acceptance.
Are we solicitous, then, to be assured that
we have not received the grace of God in
vain ? — let us not trust to any fallacious tests
of our own devising, but impartially examine
our thoughts, words, and actions, by the un-
erring standard of God's word. That word
" Rom. viii. 15.
SERMON XXII.
465
being itself the blessed work of the Holy
Spirit, nothing repugnant to it can proceed
from the same Spirit. In that, as in a mir-
ror, we may see what we really are, and may
judge of ourselves by its faithful representa-
tions. It will shew us, without flattery, what
faults we have to amend : it will encourage
us, "whereto we have already attained," to
" walk by the same rule^" But in looking
into it for these salutary purposes, we must
adhere to St. James's golden rule, " Be ye
" doers of the word, and not hearers only,
" deceiving your own selves. For if any man
" be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he
" is like unto a man beholding his natural
" face in a glass, for he beholdeth himself and
" goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth
" what manner of man he was. But whoso
" looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and
" continueth therein, he being not a forgetful
" hearer, but a doer of the work, this man
" shall be blessed in his deed'." By this law
we are to judge ourselves now, because we
shall be judged by it hereafter. "And as
" many as walk according to this rule, peace
" be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel
" of God'\"
y Phil. iii. 16. James i. 22— 25. Gal. vi. 16.
vor-. I.
SERMON XXIII.
Revei.ations iv. 8.
And they rest not day and ni^-Jit, .saying. Holy,
Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and
is, and is to come.
On the first reading of this sublime pas-
sage of Holy Writ, our thoughts are imme-
diately directed to that great mysterious ar-
ticle of our faith, which the service of this
day presents to our contemplation \ The
vision, of which it forms a part, bears a strik-
ing resemblance to one that was vouchsafed
to the Prophet Isaiah, on first receiving his
call to the prophetic office. The Prophet
" saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high
" and lifted up ; and his train filled the
" temple. Above it stood the seraphims :
" each one had six wings ; with twain he
" covered his face, and with twain he covered
" his feet, and with twain he did fly. And
Trinity Sunday-
II h 2
468
SERMON XXIII.
" one cried to another, and said, Holy, Holy,
" Holy, is the Lord of hosts ; the whole earth
" is full of his glory In these prophetic
symbols, which are more diffusively repre-
sented in St. John's vision, are signified the
profound reverence, humility, and prompti-
tude, with which the heavenly host surround
the throne of the Most High, ever ready
to obey his commands ; and the alternate
hymns, or responses, in which they thrice
address the Almighty under the denomina-
tion of Holy, may be regarded not only as
marking the intensity of their devotion, but
also as having reference to the three distinct
persons in the Godhead, whose unity is at the
same time implied in the one common appel-
lation ascribed to them, " the Lord of hosts,
" the God Almighty, which was, and is, and
" is to come."
That we are warranted in thus interpret-
ing the visions both of the Prophet and the
Evangelist, may be inferred from the applica-
tion made of Isaiah's vision by St. John him-
self, and by St. Paul. St. John applies it to
our blessed Saviour : — " These things said
" Esaias, when he saw His glory, and spake
" of Him";" meaning Christ, to whose mi-
racles he had just adverted. St. Paul, citing
b Isaiah vi. 1, 2, 3. John xii. 41.
SERMON XXIII. 469
the same passage, in his address to the Jews
at Rome, says, "Well spake the Holy Ghost
" by Esaias the Prophet unto our fathers ;"
identifying the "Lord of hosts" with the
third Person in the blessed Trinity, in the
same manner as St. John had identified him
with the second Person. Thus each inspired
commentator respectively ascribes to the Son
and to the Holy Ghost the most exalted ex-
pressions of absolute Divinity that are to be
found in the sacred writings.
Upon this implied recognition of the doc-
trine we might venture to ground an argu-
ment in favour of that worship of the Holy
Trinity, which has ever been maintained in
the Christian church. That which is the ob-
ject of adoration, of faith, and of obedience in
heaven, cannot but be the proper object of
the same on earth. That which is the theme
of praise with saints and angels, must be as-
suredly the fit subject of our devotions. If
glory is given to the tri-une Deity, the three
Holy Ones, by the heavenly choir and by
the elders of the church, standing before the
throne of God ; then have we the highest of
all authority for that catholic form of wor-
ship, introduced from the earliest ages into
the primitive Liturgies of the church, and
^ Acts xxviii. 25.
H h 3
470 SERMON XXIII.
continued to the present day; — "We praise
" thee, O God ; we acknowledge thee to be
" the Lord. All the earth doth worship thee,
" the Father everlasting. To thee all Angels
" cry aloud, the Heavens, and all the Powers
" therein. To thee. Cherubim and Seraphim
" continually do cry. Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord
" God of Sabaoth ; heaven and earth are full
" of the majesty of thy glory. The glorious
" company of the Apostles praise thee : the
" goodly fellowship of the Prophets praise
" thee : the holy Church throughout all the
" world doth acknowledge thee ; the Father
" of an infinite Majesty ; thine honourable,
" true, and only Son ; also the Holy Ghost,
" the Comforter."
Our belief, however, of this fundamental
article of the Christian faith is not depend-
ent upon presumptive evidence of this de-
scription. It is founded upon more direct
and positive testimony of holy writ, and fur-
ther corroborated by a prodigious mass of
historical evidence, hardly possible to be ac-
counted for upon any other supposition than
the divine authority of the doctrine itself.
St. John opens his Gospel with this unam-
biguous declaration of our Lord's divinity : —
" In the beginning was the Word, and the
" Word was with God, and the Word was
SERMON XXIII.
471
" God ^" In the Epistle to the Hebrews St.
Paul affirms the Son of God to be " the bright-
" ness of His glory, and the express image
" of His person V The same Apostle asserts,
" that by Him do all things consist^;" that
" in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the God-
" head bodily that he is " over all," and
" God blessed for ever Our Saviour him-
self assumed titles which led the Jews to
charge him with blasphemy in " making him-
" self equal with God'';" but which neverthe-
less he continually re-asserted, and wrought
miracles to confirm his pretensions to them.
He moreover allowed expressions of divine
worship to be addressed to him, and assumed
to himself the attributes of omnipotence, om-
niscience, and omnipresence.
The divinity of the Holy Spirit is so un-
equivocally set forth, that they who contro-
vert it are driven to the necessity of alto-
gether denying his distinct personality, and
referring what is said of Him to the Father
only. Therefore, if the personality of the
Holy Ghost be proved, his divinity, even by
the confessions of our adversaries, is proved
also. But the expressions used by our Lord
himself in speaking of the Holy Ghost, deno-
e John i. 1. f Hebr. i. 3. s Col. i. 17.
Col. ii. 9. ' Rom. ix. 5. ^ John v. 18.
II h 4
472
SERMON XXIII.
minating him the Comforter, and describing
him as proceeding from the Father and the
Son, and sent for the special purpose of suc-
ceeding the Son in the great work of man's
redemption, are such as it seems impossible,
without perverting the simplest modes of
speech, to understand in any other sense than
that of a Person distinct from both, though
united with them in the same divine nature.
Certain texts of Scripture represent also
the joint operation of the three Persons, in
terms of the most perfect equality. Such
is the form of baptism, and the benediction
which concludes St. Paul's second Epistle to
the Corinthians ; besides other passages in
the writings of the New Testament, which
though less directly affirmative of the doc-
trine, will hardly admit of any other clear
and consistent interpretation.
But, without dwelling more particularly
on these main evidences deduced from holy
writ, my chief purpose in the present dis-
course is, to consider the subject in an his-
torical point of view, connecting it not only
with the dispensations of revealed religion
antecedent to Christianity, but also, through
them, with the theology of the Gentile world.
The faith of the ancient Jewish church
has been deemed by many eminent expositors,
SERMON XXIII. 473
to afford no inconsiderable confirmation of
this doctrine. Viewing, indeed, the Jewish
and Christian scriptures as proceeding from
one and the same source of Divine authority,
some such indications of accordance between
them might be deemed no improbable expec-
tation. The God whom Christians worship
is the same whom the Jews acknowledged.
The Messiah, the Word, whom we receive, is
the same that was foretold by their prophets.
The Holy Spirit whom we believe in, is no
other than he who spake by their inspired
teachers. Our Lord and his Apostles pressed
these considerations upon the Jews them-
selves. Passages are cited by them from the
Old Testament, in which the incommunicable
name Jehovah, and the Divine attributes and
perfections inseparable from the true God,
are ascribed both to the Son and the Holy
Ghost ; and the obvious inference to be drawn
from these is, that neither the divinity of our
Lord, nor that of the Holy Spirit, was a doc-
trine at variance with what the Law and the
Prophets had revealed.
Christian writers of a later period have
brought evidence to shew that certain an-
cient Jewish expositors, even before the com-
ing of Christ, had inferred from the prophe-
tical tokens of the Messiah, that he was to be
474
SERMON XXIII.
a divine person ; and that they entertained
a belief that the Holy Spirit also was a per-
son of the Godhead. However indistinct these
persuasions may have been, and however op-
posite to those of modern Jews, they bear
intrinsic marks of probability ; a probability,
much strengthened by the occasional appeals
of our Lord and his Apostles to those very-
scriptures on which the faith of the Jews
was founded.
But it is further remarkable, that vestiges
of this doctrine may be traced, still more re-
motely, to the patriarchal ages. In the books
of Genesis and of Job, the peculiarity occurs
of uniting the plural Elohim with the singu-
lar Jehovah and with verbs in the singular
number, to denote the Godhead. The title
Jehovah is applied also in these writings, as
in those of later times, sometimes to the
Sph'it of God, sometimes to the Angel or
Messenger of the Lord; — circumstances evi-
dently tending to identify the great Chris-
tian doctrine on this subject with that of
the earliest revelations of sacred truth.
Additional weight is given to these conjec-
tures, by the scattered remnants of Pagan
theology. These might, perha})s, have been
derived from personal intercourse with the
Jews, or from an imperfect acquaintance with
SERMON XXIII.
475
their sacred records. The fact is indisput-
able, that notions somewhat resembling the
mystery of the Trinity prevailed through-
out Asia, Greece, and Rome ; and that the
theology even of the Hindoos, Persians,
and Egyptians supplies much interesting
evidence to the same effect. The primary
source of these opinions can hardly be doubt-
ed. It is acknow^ledged by some of their
most distinguished v\^riters, that theirs was,
in many respects, a theology of divine tradi-
tion, not of their own invention. Whence,
then, could it be, but directly from the He-
brews, or from other nations through them,
or from still earlier communications trans-
mitted, through various unknown channels,
from the patriarchs themselves, and spread
by their descendants through countries the
most remote ? This alone, perhaps, can satis-
factorily account for both the similarity and
the dissimilarity between the heathen no-
tions on this subject and the pure doctrine of
Revelation. The similarity attests their ori-
gin ; the dissimilarity, their corruption.
On such a view of the subject, a ready an-
swer is afforded to an objection sometimes
confidently advanced against this main ar-
ticle of our faith, that it is comparatively a
novel doctrine, an invention even later than
476 SERMON XXIII.
Christianity itself, the offspring of Platonic
philosophy. Not to insist upon the extreme
improbability, that such a doctrine, or any
thing nearly resembling it, should at any pe-
riod have been the result of human invention,
we have, if the foregoing observations are en-
titled to credit, abundant proof of its far
higher antiquity. We have the strongest
ground for affirming, that the heathen vv^ere
in possession of something similar to this
doctrine, in times and in places the most re-
mote from those in which Christianity was
promulgated ; and we may observe, with an
eminently learned writer of our own times',
" the wonderful providence of Almighty God,
" that the doctrine should find such ad-
" mittance in the Pagan world, and be re-
" ceived by the wisest of all their philoso-
" phers, before the times of Christianity ;
" thereby to prepare a more easy way for
" the reception of Christianity amongst the
" learned Pagans."
But it is not only in a retrospective view
of the extensive prevalence of this doctrine,
that we find so much to strengthen our con-
fidence in its divine origin. Its subsequent
continuance and almost universal acceptance
in every age and in every country where the
' Whitakcr's Origin of Arianism.
SERMON XXIII.
477
Christian faith has taken root, may well be
deemed a concurrent evidence almost equally
irrefragable. For, though the doctrine has
been for ages past, and still is assailed by nu-
merous adversaries, yet have their efforts to
overthrow^ it hitherto but served to call forth
more unansvs^erable proofs of its divine autho-
rity, and to increase the firmness and perse-
verance of the Church in maintaining it in-
violate. When we reflect also, that this has
been the case, notwithstanding the boasted
pretensions of modern times to superiority
of information, and great advancement of in-
tellectual cultivation, together with the in-
creased efforts of the scoffer and the scorner
to bring it into discredit ; we can hardly but
feel confident that the doctrine itself is in-
deed founded upon a rock, and will abide to
the end of time.
Combine now these scattered evidences,
and view their collective strength. St. John's
vision in the Apocalypse, compared with that
of the Prophet Isaiah, and illustrated both
by St. John's and St. Paul's application of the
Prophet's vision to the Son and to the Holy
Ghost, leads us to contemplate the wor-
ship of the Holy Trinity as authorized by
the example of the blessed in heaven, whether
angels and archangels, or " the spirits of just
478
SERMON XXIII.
" men made perfect'"." Other passages of
Scripture more directly affirm the divinity
of both these Persons, their union with the
Father, and their co-operation with Him in
the work of our salvation. The Jewish scrip-
tures contain in substance, and by just in-
ference from their declarations, the same doc-
trine. Similar results are deducible from
the still earlier records of patriarchal times.
Throughout the heathen world, traces are to
be found of opinions bearing such a degree
of resemblance to this doctrine as to indicate
one common origin, however obscured and de-
faced. The doctrine, moreover, still promi-
nently stands forth as the leading article of
the Christian faith, still exists and flourishes,
has never suffered even a temporary extinc-
tion or suspension, has survived attacks innu-
merable, goes on from generation to genera-
tion unimpaired, and, as far as any insight
into futurity can be given, holds out the as-
surance of its unchangeable and perpetual
duration. When did such an unbroken chain
of evidence as this ever present itself in sup-
port of falsehood or delusion ?
On the other hand, what are the grounds
on which we are called upon to renounce this
faith ?
Heb. xii. 23.
SERMON XXIII.
479
Sometimes the doctrine is set at nought,
because it is a mystery ; and it has been said,
where mystery begins, rehgion ends. No
sophism can be more destitute of foundation.
Religion begins with mystery, nor is it pos-
sible that mystery should be excluded from
it. The Divine nature is, and cannot but
be to us, a mystery. Our own nature, com-
pounded as it is of spiritual and corporeal fa-
culties, is also a mystery. The whole course
of nature is a mystery. So is the divine go-
vernment of the world, baffling continually
the profoundest calculations of human wis-
dom. Shall we, then, wonder, if the mode of
being peculiar to the " God invisible and im-
" mortal" be beyond the grasp of our appre-
hension ? Shall we expect that while we are
in this earthly tabernacle, such a subject may
be brought down to the level of our capaci-
ties ; and that though in almost every thing
else we " see through a glass darkly," we
should be permitted to see " face to face"
the glories of the Almighty, and to " know
" Him even as we are known "?" Surely this
is to forget the distance between things finite
and infinite, between heaven and earth, be-
tween matter and spirit, between things tem-
poral and things eternal.
But again it is urged, that a mystery when
" 1 Cor. xiii. 12.
480
SERMON XXIII.
revealed, should cease to be a mystery; other-
wise, it is in effect, no revelation. This also
is a mere strife of words. A mystery is any
thing hidden from human observation, any
thing imperceptible to human faculties, any
thing unattainable by human research. What-
ever relates to the essence of the Divine na-
ture is of this description. But though the
subject of the thing revealed be mysterious,
the evidence by which it is made known
may be such as to command our assent : and
though the mystery revealed be still a mys-
tery, it may be received without any impeach-
ment of our understandings. To a man
born blind, every thing to him invisible is a
mystery. But does he act contrary to reason
in trusting to the testimony of others, re-
specting objects which he cannot himself dis-
cern ? Though unable to walk " by sight,"
may he not walk " by faith " ?" And why
may not we do the same with respect to
things indiscernible or incomprehensible by
our natural faculties ? Faith in God is our
proper guide in the one case, as faith in man
is in the other. In both, though the subject
be hidden from our view, enough may be
known to certify every reasonable inquirer of
its reality and its truth.
But, continues the objector, the doctrine is
" 2 Cor. V. 7.
SERMON XXIII.
481
contradictory in itself, involving propositions
destructive of each other, and which, there-
fore, reason cannot but reject. Here again
we have to complain of disingenuous misre-
presentation. It is assumed that what we
affirm of the distinct personality in the God-
head, we affirm also of its indivisible sub-
stance ; a view of the doctrine, not only vir-
tually, but expressly, disclaimed in that very
creed which our adversaries most vehemently
assail. The Trinitarian believes the God-
head to be capable of distinction in one re-
spect, though incapable of it in another ;
" neither confounding the Persons, nor di-
" viding the substance." In this consists the
essential peculiarity of the doctrine : and
whatever difficulty it may present to our
apprehensions, it involves no contradiction
in terms. Any further insight into the doc-
trine will be sought in vain. We profess no
more than to receive it as revealed in Scrip-
ture ; and we rely on the authority that re-
veals it, for our assurance that no doctrine
issuing from that authority can be charge-
able with any thing inconsistent in itself, or
repugnant to its own declarations.
It is contended, however, that this doctrine
is absolutely irreconcilable with what is de-
clared in Scripture itself, respecting the unity
vol.. I. I i
482
SERMON XXIII.
of the Divine nature and the supremacy of
God the Father. To obviate this objection
has been the labour of the most distinguished
advocates of the catholic faith, in all ages of
the church ; and the result, we may venture
to assert, has proved, to modest and candid
inquirers, entirely satisfactory. By disclaim-
ing all division of the substance of the
Godhead, we guard against a violation of its
unity ; whilst we nevertheless adhere to those
representations of holy writ which ascribe to
each Person distinct offices and operations in
the great work of man's salvation, though
united by indissoluble co-existence and per-
fect identity of nature. In like manner, with
respect to the supremacy of God the Father,
the catholic faith stands clear of any viola-
tion of Scripture truth. The texts which
seem to imply our Lord's inferiority to the
Father are most simply and satisfactorily ex-
plained, by referring them either to his hu-
man nature, or to the special office he vouch-
safed to undertake, and voluntarily assumed,
that of our Mediator and Redeemer. He
was " perfect God, and perfect man ; equal
" to the Father as touching his Godhead, in-
" ferior to the Father as touching his man-
" hood." This is the master-key to the whole
mystery of his incarnation. Or, if there be
SERMON XXIII.
483
any passages not clearly explicable on this
ground, they may yet be solved by referring
them, not to any difference or inequality of
nature, but merely to that mode or order
of existence, by which it is impossible that
either the Son or the Holy Ghost should
subsist, but as partaking eternally and indi-
visibly of the substance of the Father.
Thus soberly and guardedly has the Chris-
tian church, from the beginning to the pre-
sent time, sought to establish this fundamen-
tal article of faith upon the sure and solid
basis of Scripture-authority ; never shrinking
from the difficulties it involves; never "deceit-
" fully handling f" the word of God, either to
remove those difficulties or to conceal them ;
but undisguisedly laying down the doctrine
as it there presents itself ; and leaving it to
the unsophisticated minds of men to receive
it, not as a disputable position of human rea-
soning, but as a truth which claims admission
solely on the ground of deference to divine
communication. Nor is it to be regarded
as merely a speculative truth. Its practical
importance is manifest. It is interwoven in
every act of worship we perform, in every
part of the stupendous plan of our redemp-
tion, in the terms of our acceptance with
God, in every benefit we derive from the
V 9. Cor. iv. 2.
I i 2
484
SERMON XXIII.
Gospel dispensation. Who is our Creator ?
Who our Redeemer ? Who our Sanctifier ?
And what duties do we owe to each ? These
are questions to which no Christian can be
supposed indifferent. They relate to the
Persons whom we are bound to worship, to
pray to, to trust in, to love, honour, and
obey, in sincerity and truth. At our bap-
tism we commenced our allegiance to each.
To each we give glory in our daily acts of
praise and thanksgiving. We supplicate
each to " have mercy upon us." In the name
of each we receive absolution and benedic-
tion. We acknowledge each to be " Holy :"
and in confessing them jointly to be " The
" Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and
" is to come," we recognise every blessing,
past, present, and future, as resulting from
their united operation.
Holy, Holy, Holy, then is each Person of
the Godhead — Holy in creation, in redemp-
tion, in sanctification — Holy in mercy and in
justice — Holy in power, wisdom, and good-
ness— Holy Father, Holy Son, Holy Spirit.
Now, therefore, to the King eternal, im-
mortal, invisible, three Persons and one God,
be ascribed, as is most due, all honour and
glory, might, majesty, and dominion, hence-
forth and for ever. Amen.
SERMON XXIV.
1 Cor. ii. 9.
It is written. Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard,
neither have entered into the heart of man, the
things which God hath prepared for them that
love him.
It is characteristic of man, as distinguished
from other inhabitants of this lower world,
that he extends his views and his desires
beyond the objects immediately before him ;
that he is endowed with an excursive faculty,
continually ranging out of the sphere wherein
the body is confined, not limited in its views
to the present moment, or even to the pre-
sent state of existence ; but whose delight it
is to retrace the past, to anticipate the future,
to search after objects imperceptible to the
outward senses, and to soar into those regions
of conjecture and imagination, which to all
inferior creatures seem to be precluded as
sources of enjoyment or expectation.
The very existence of such a faculty affords
I i 3
486
SERMON XXIV.
a strong presumptive evidence, that this world
is not to be the limit of our existence. Its
direct tendency is to excite aspirations after
some higher state of being, adapted to a
fuller exercise of its powers. And since
there appears to be no other propensity in-
herent in us for which some provision is not
made by our beneficent Creator, the infer-
ence is almost unavoidable, that this ardent
desire of looking beyond things temporal, and
directing our thoughts towards the invisible
world, has not been bestowed upon us in vain.
Yet certain it is, that nothing in our present
state affords the means of satisfying this in-
tellectual appetite, this hunger and thirst
after things spiritual and eternal, which is
perpetually craving what we find it impos-
sible to obtain.
St. Paul, in the passage introductory to the
words of the text, dilates upon the insuffi-
ciency of " the wisdom of this world" to give
us an insight into those mysterious and sub-
lime truths which the Christian revelation
sets before us ; and he disclaims all ])reten-
sions, on his own part, to ground them upon
any discoveries of human knowledge. " How-
" beit," says he, " we speak wisdom among
" them that are perfect ; yet not the wisdom
" of this world : but we speak the wisdom of
SERMON XXIV.
487
" God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom
" which God ordained before the world unto
" our glory, which none of the princes of this
" world knew :" — " but as it is written. Eye
" hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have
" entered into the heart of man, the things
" which God hath prepared for them that
" love him." This, together with the parallel
passage in the prophet Isaiah % is applicable
to the whole Christian dispensation, as a ma-
nifestation of God's love to mankind which
no human research could have discovered, no
human imagination have conceived. But with
peculiar force it may be understood to have
reference to the unspeakable enjoyments re-
served for the righteous in a future state ;
these being " the things which God hath pre-
" pared for them that love him ;" the things
also which the heart of man most eagerly de-
sires to know, but which hitherto no eye hath
seen, nor ear heard, nor any powers of the
human intellect have been able to apprehend.
If, indeed, (as is most evident,) unenlightened
reason has never yet been able satisfactorily
to resolve even the great general question,
whether there be a future state ; still less can
it decide any particular questions relative to
^ Isaiah Ixiv. 4.
I i 4
488 SERMON XXIV.
that state, its mode of existence, its enjoy-
ments or sufferings, its duration or extent.
On these points all is darkness and uncer-
tainty, till light breaks in upon them from
the source of light, the revealed word of
God. To the oracles, then, of holy writ we
must bend our steps for the desired informa-
tion.
Yet even here let us beware of indulging
extravagant expectations. Though the Gos-
pel unequivocally assures us of a future state,
and represents the happiness of the righteous
in that state in terms which leave us nothing
either to ask or to desire more than is pro-
mised ; yet its specific enjoyments are to be
collected rather from figurative and inci-
dental expressions, than from explicit and
direct declarations. It guards, indeed, effec-
tually against the fables of Paganism and the
reveries of a licentious imagination ; but it
restrains inordinate curiosity, interposing a
veil between this world and the next, and
forbidding us to attempt the removal of
it by unhallowed hands. Approaching the
subject, therefore, with that humility and re-
verential awe which it ever ought to inspire,
let us view it uninfluenced by any presump-
tuous desire to look beyond what is clearly
revealed ; content, on this as on every other
SERMON XXIV.
489
subject of spiritual research, to " walk by
" faith, not by sight."
1. First, then, the Scriptures distinctly re-
veal to us, that in that blessed state which
the people of God are hereafter to inherit,
they shall no longer be subject to any kind
of evil. " God shall wipe away all tears
" from their eyes, and there shall be no more
" death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither
" shall there be any more pain''." At once this
seems to transport us to " the haven where
" we would be ;" since, although it be a ne-
gative description of bliss, it conveys to our
ideas an inestimable measure of substantial
good. The happiest lot that can fall to man
in this earthly state is chequered with griefs,
perplexities, and troubles. Every one expe-
rienced in human life is ready to echo Job's
complaint, " Man is born to trouble, as the
" sparks Hy upward"." In this respect there
is "one event to the righteous and to the
" wicked '';" and were there nothing to expect
beyond this, many a righteous man might be
tempted, as David was, to say, " Then have I
" cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my
" hands in innocency^" The exclusion, there-
fore, of evil of every kind, natural or moral,
b Rev. xxi. 4. = Job v. 7. Eccles. ix. 7.
<^ Psalm Ixxiii. 13.
490
SERMON XXIV.
from the state of the blessed hereafter, is that
circumstance which, in our first contempla-
tion of it, most forcibly arrests the attention.
That there " remaineth a rest for the people
" of God V where " the wicked cease from
" troubling^," and nothing can enter to create
disquietude, imports at least a degree of per-
fection in happiness which none can hope to
realize in the present life.
But this exemption from evil is far from
being all that we are led to anticipate. Dis-
tinct intimations are given of a vast improve-
ment in all our faculties, mental and corpo-
real ; that our bodies shall be glorified, our
wills and affections purified, our intellectual
powers enlarged, and disencumbered from
many impediments which now restrain and
embarrass their operations.
2. Speaking of the resurrection of the
body, St. Paul says, " It is sown in corrup-
" tion, it is raised in incorruption ; it is sown
" in dishonour, it is raised in glory ; it is
" sown in weakness, it is raised in power ; it
" is sown a natural body, it is raised a spi-
" ritual body*"." Elsewhere he more briefly
affirms the same; "Christ shall change our
" vile body, that it may be fashioned like
f Heb. iv. 9. g Job iii. 17. ^\ Cor. xv. 42,
43,44.
SERMON XXIV.
491
" unto his glorious body'." In similar terms
St. John expresses himself ; " Beloved, it doth
" not yet appear what we shall be ; but we
" know that when he shall appear, we shall
" be like him ; for we shall see him as he is""."
These several passages, taken together, though
they convey no distinct image of what our
glorified bodies shall be, certify us of two
essential points, the identity of the body to
be raised, and the great change it is to un-
dergo in its advancement from one state to
the other.
That such an identity shall be preserved
as will still appropriate it to one and the
same individual person in both states, and
that the soul, to which it is to be re-united,
shall be conscious of that sameness, may with
certainty be inferred from St. Paul's mode of
expression ; nor indeed can the notion of a
resurrection be made fully intelligible with-
out it. When the Apostle says of the body,
that it is sown or buried in one state, and
raised in another, he evidently describes the
same thing under different circumstances ;
and he still more expressly adds, " This cor-
" ruptible must put on incorruption, and this
" mortal must put on immortality :" — this
corruptible and this mortal, this which we
i Phil.iii. 21. klJohniii. 2.
492
SERMON XXIV.
now have, shall be endowed with incorruptible
qualities, and enter upon a state of perfection
entirely different from that in which it now
exists. Now it is subject to wants and weak-
nesses, to pain, and sickness, and death, and
many other humiliating contingencies : but
it shall be raised free from these. Now it is
a natural body, subject to decay ; then it shall
become sph'itual in its qualities and opera-
tions ; it shall be raised in incorruption, in
glory, in power. The change, however, which
the body shall then undergo is, from these
very expressions, no less certain than the
sameness of the body that shall arise. Dif-
ferent it will be, in the same sense that the
plant which springs from the seed is different
from the seed itself. But as to every seed is
given its own body ; so to every human soul
now in the keeping of its Creator shall be
given at the resurrection its own body, what-
ever transformation it may undergo. Re-
specting the nature of that transformation it
is useless to inquire. God hath not revealed
it. Nor is it necessary for the increase of our
faith or hope that we should know it. Suffi-
cient is it that we are assured it shall be
above all that we can ask or think ; that the
word of God is pledged for this; and that
nothing is revealed concerning it which it is
SERMON XXIV. 493
not in the power of the Almighty to accom-
plish.
3. Similar observations apply to that en-
largement of our intellectual powers, and of
our sphere of knowledge which is promised
to us in a future state. St. Paul states this in
very impressive terms: "Now we see through
" a glass darkly ; but then face to face. Now
" we know in part ; but then shall we know
" even as also we are known'." In what par-
ticular attainments this knowledge will con-
sist, is no where revealed ; neither do we
know on what objects the human intellect
may then be employed. Doubtless, it is of
spiritual knowledge, (the knowledge of the
Divine perfections, and of those truths relat-
ing to them which at present we can but par-
tially and indistinctly apprehend,) that this
promise is chiefly to be understood. Yet,
judging from the vast variety of other know-
ledge which even in the present life is within
our reach, and from the exquisite gratifica-
tion which the attainment of it seldom fails
to produce, we may not unreasonably conjec-
ture that an infinitely wider range of objects
will then be presented to our view, and many
new truths unfolded to us, together with
higher faculties of perception and intuition,
' 1 Cor. xiii. 12.
494
SERMON XXIV.
to enable us more readily to apprehend them.
Of enjoyments originating in such sources it
may truly be said, not only that " eye hath
" not seen nor ear heard" them, but that it
has never yet " entered into the heart" of
man to conceive them.
4. With these sublimer expectations, how-
ever, are also intermingled in the sacred
M^ritings others more level to ordinary appre-
hensions, and more immediately addressed to
our social feelings. Of such feelings all are
more or less susceptible. All are in some
degree sensible how much their happiness
here depends upon being associated with
those they love ; with those whose tempers,
habits, and dispositions are congenial with
their own, or who by the ties of kindred and
relationship are mutually endeared to each
other. In these respects, what is revealed to
us concerning the world to come is adapted
to take strong hold on our affections.
An intimation, indeed, is given by our
blessed Saviour, that our earthly relation-
ships will then so far cease, as no longer to
exact from us the same duties which now
subsist between them. But it by no means
necessarily follows, that the personal affec-
tions resulting from them will be extinguish-
ed. Rather does there seem reason to believe,
SERMON XXIV.
495
that in that state no inconsiderable portion
of enjoyment may arise from a revival of those
pure and virtuous sentiments which here at-
tach us to each other, and from a recollection
of those closer ties, the separation of which
costs, even to the firmest Christian, a pang
hard to be endured. David says of the be-
loved child that he had lost, "I shall go to
" him, but he shall not return to me™." Our
Lord promises to his Apostles a renewal of
personal intercourse with Him in the man-
sions of his Father : — " I go to prepare a
" place for you, that where I am, ye may be
" also"." St. Paul exhorts the Thessalonians
" not to sorrow as men which have no hope"
for their departed friends, but to " comfort
" one another" with the expectation of a joy-
ful resurrection " together with them°," in
the day of the Lord. These are encourage-
ments, at least, of a hope so congenial with
our best natural feelings that it cannot easily
be relinquished. Yet with respect to this
expectation, it must ever be borne in mind,
that nothing unholy, nothing discordant, will
be permitted to sully the purity or disturb the
peace of those heavenly mansions. All must
be purified by faith, and perfected through
the merits of the Redeemer and the sanctifi-
m 2 Sain. xii. 23. " John xiv. 2, 3. ° IThess. iv.15,17,18.
496 SERMON XXIV.
cation of the Spirit, before they can become
" meet to be partakers of the heavenly in-
heritance." No jarring passions, no selfish in-
terests, no impure desires, will there be found.
Love, joy, peace, the blessed fruits of the
Spirit, can alone abide in the presence of God.
The congregation of the righteous wiW there
consist, not only of " the spirits of just men
" made perfect," by Him who accepts them
as such, but of the angels of heaven, and
even of our Lord himself. If, therefore, we
cherish the hope of a re-union with those we
love, how solicitous ought we to be to fix our
affections on such as walk worthy of their
Christian calling, and to promote both their
salvation and our own, by adorning the "doc-
" trine of God our Saviour in all things."
5. Another point deserving of notice in
our contemplation of a future state, is the in-
timation given us, that in that state there
will be degrees of reward and bliss propor-
tionate to our spiritual advancement in this
present state of trial and probation. This
might be inferred from our Lord's declara-
tion to his Apostles, " In my Father's house
" are many mansionsP." It is more distinctly
represented in the parable of the talents,
where one is made a ruler over ten cities,
P John xiv. 2.
SERMON XXIV.
497
another over five ; and on another occasion,
when he states, that one shall receive a pro-
phet's reward ; another, a righteous man's re-
ward ; and that he who gives a cup of cold
water only, in the name of a disciple, shall
in no wise lose his reward St. Paul likens
the different degrees of glory which the
blessed shall enjoy, to the different degrees of
splendor in the heavenly bodies, as " one star
" differeth from another Again he says,
" He which soweth sparingly shall reap also
" sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully
" shall reap also bountifully'." St. Peter ex-
horts the faithful to abound in every Chris-
tian grace, that " so an entrance may be min-
istered unto them abundantly into the ever-
" lasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour
"Jesus Christ*." What greater encourage-
ment can there be to " go on unto perfec-
"tion"^" in our Christian course, and to be
" always abounding in the work of the Lord,
" forasmuch as we know that our labour shall
" not be in vain"^?" At the same time we
are authorized to " comfort the feeble-mind-
" ed" with the assurance that an ample re-
compense is laid up for all the true disciples
of Christ ; since though there are different
q Matt. X. 41, 42. ' 1 Cor. xv. 41. '2 Cor. ix. 6.
t 2 Pet. i. 11. ^Hebr.vi. 1. w i Cor. xv. 58.
VOL. I. K k
498 SERMON XXIV.
degrees of glory to be obtained, none will
fall short of happiness perfect in its kind,
and more than commensurate even to the
desires or expectations of the possessor. No
occasion of strife or envying, of repining or
dissatisfaction, can possibly take place, where
every heart and voice will unite in one strain
of grateful adoration and praise, for mercies
beyond all claims of merit, individually re-
ceived.
6. This leads to another circumstance made
known to us, in which all are equally con-
cerned. All to whom the gates of heaven
shall be opened will partake of that beatific
vision, as it has been called ; that transcen-
dent bliss, which will flow from a more sen-
sible manifestation of the Divine presence
and perfections, than can be experienced in
our earthly state : — " we shall see him as
" he is and " shall know even as we are
" known Some foretaste of this bliss ap-
pears to have been vouchsafed to St. Paul,
when in a vision he was admitted to a trans-
ient perception of heavenly glories, and heard
words which he declared it to be " not law-
" ful," or rather not possible, " for a man to
" utter On the nature of this enjoyment,
however, we may not presume to speculate,
X 1 John iii. 2. v 1 Cor. xiii. 12. ^ 2 Cor. xii. 4.
SERMON XXIV.
499
nor even to think or speak upon the subject
but with the deepest reverence; suppressing
all vain imaginations concerning it, and wait-
ing with patience that period when we may
be admitted to some participation in a bless-
edness surpassing our utmost efforts at pre-
sent to conceive.
7. Lastly, to these several intimations re-
specting the future condition of the right-
eous, is added that which heightens every
one of them beyond our utmost conception,
the certainty that, in whatever its specific
enjoyments may consist, they will be eternal.
This it is which gives their fullest and high-
est value to all our hopes and expectations.
Without this, however exquisite might be
the enjoyment, it would want one essen-
tial ingredient of real happiness ; since the
more perfect the enjoyment, the more pain-
ful would be the prospect of its coming to an
end. On the other hand, any degree of good,
unmixed with evil, derives an inestimable
value from the certainty that it will never
be taken away. The great moral argument
that we deduce from the doctrine of a future
state is, indeed, grounded chiefly on this as-
surance. We dissuade men from pursuing
" the pleasures of sin for a season," by setting
before them joys imperishable and unceas-
K k 2
500 SERMON XXIV.
ing. We exhort them to " make to them-
" selves friends of the mammon of unright-
" eousness, that they may receive them into
" everlasting habitations ^" We comfort them
under the pressure of trouble and distress,
by reminding them that their comparatively
" light afflictions, which are but for a mo-
" ment, shall work for them a far more ex-
" ceeding and eternal weight of glory Thus
the doctrine meets us on every occasion, whe-
ther of adversity or prosperity, urging us with
an importunity not to be resisted, to " make
" our calling and election sure."
Such is the prospect presented to us in
holy writ of the condition of the blessed in
the world to come. In the representation
given of it, will be found nothing to shock
the intellectual or the moral feelings of the
most considerate and sober-minded, nothing
to give even a momentary excitement to a li-
centious imagination. Here are no voluptuous
dreams of a Mahometan paradise, no puerile
fables of Elysium, no Bacchanalian revelries,
no mystical follies or extravagancies. Every
thing bespeaks its Author to be holy, just,
and good ; every thing is worthy of Him who
is " of purer eyes than to behold iniquity ;"
every thing tends to elevate the affections,
a Luke xvi. 9. 2 Cor. iv. 7.
SERMON XXIV.
501
to enlarge the understanding, to improve the
heart.
To unfold the practical application of the
subject in all its bearings would be an inex-
haustible undertaking. There is no part of
human conduct that is not within the scope
of its influence; not a deed, word, or thought,
that is independent of its operation. It more-
over teaches us what we are too apt to over-
look, the intrinsic value of this life, as in-
tended to qualify us for a better. It warns
us, not only to endure with patience our con-
tinuance here, under whatever circumstances
of discouragement or depression ; but to be
thankful also for such a prolongation of our
existence as may afford us opportunities of
progressive advancement towards Christian
perfection, and consequently of obtaining a
more excellent reward. At the same time
it admonishes us, on the other hand, not to
be so tenacious of the present life as to be
reluctant to quit it whenever it shall please
Him in whose hands are the issues of life
and death, to call us to our rest. Whether
of longer or of shorter duration, this life will
always be sufficient, if rightly applied, for its
great ultimate purpose, that of " working out
" our salvation," and securing our inherit-
ance in life eternal. Nor does this apply
K k .3
502
SERMON XXIV.
only to the prospect of our own dissolution.
The same consideration is powerful above all
others, to reconcile us to the loss of those
who are most dear to us, when we are able
to cherish a well-grounded hope that they
are gone before us to endless joy and felicity.
Painful as the separation may be, we feel it
almost too selfish an emotion to murmur at
their deliverance from a state of trial and
of peril, to one in which they are even now
among the souls of the faithful, awaiting their
" ])erfect consummation and bliss, both in
" body and soul," when, at the final coming
of their Lord, they shall be received into his
" eternal and everlasting glory."
Here, then, is a never-failing encourage-
ment to alacrity in the performance of every
duty, to fortitude and firmness under every
trial and trouble, to full confidence and trust
in God under all the changes and chances of
this mortal life. Here too is the grand mo-
tive for steadfast resistance to our spiritual
adversaries, with whatever temptations they
may assail us ; and for " continuing Christ's
" faithful soldiers and servants unto our lives'
" end." " Every one that hath*" really and
truly " this hope in him," labours to " purify
" himself even as He is pure ^" Knowing
1 Jolin iii. 3.
SERMON XXIV.
503
that He who hath " left us an ensample that
" we should follow his steps," hath also pur-
chased for us a " recompense of great re-
" ward," all other considerations will be re-
garded but as dust in the balance. " Where
" our treasure is, there will our hearts be
" also ''."
d Matth. iv. 21.
K k 4
SERMON XXV.
2 Corinthians v. 11.
Knoicing- therefore the terrors of the Lord, ice
persuade men.
When we set before men the proofs from
the Holy Scriptures of a future state, we have
to contend with every prejudice that can arise
from a reluctance to believe in the punish-
ments denounced against evil doers. If no-
thing but the expectation of happiness were
included in the prospect of that state, there
might be little difficulty in the removal of
any doubts concerning it. But the liability
to sufferings no less certain, and no less per-
manent, than the enjoyments which are set
before us, is perhaps the most irremoveable
of all obstacles to the reception of the doc-
trine.
This, however, is a question not to be de-
cided by such prepossessions, nor by any ab-
stract notions of what we may conceive it
befitting that infinite wisdom and goodness
506
SERMON XXV.
should ordain. Divine authority alone can
determine it. Yet thus far we might ven-
ture abstractedly to reason upon the subject,
that if happiness be the just recompense of
faith and obedience, unhappiness must be
no less the recompense of unbelief and dis-
obedience. The great moral evidence of a
future state, apart from Revelation, results
from the imperfect retribution that takes
place in this present life. Vice and virtue,
obedience and disobedience, do not here re-
ceive their full deserts : and hence it is pre-
sumed that hereafter the imperfection will
be remedied. Consistency seems to require
that this should take place impartially on
either side ; and wherever the belief of fu-
ture retribution has taken root, this conse-
quence appears to have been uniformly ad-
mitted. To separate the one from the other,
or to shrink from the acceptance of a doc-
trine pregnant with consequences so momen-
tous, upon grounds altogether unstable and
precarious, betrays weakness rather than sound
discernment, and may be perilous in the ex-
treme.
The Apostle, it appears from the words of
the text, would not suffer the effect of this
doctrine to be weakened through a mistaken
tenderness for the feelings of his hearers.
SERMON XXV.
507
" We must all appear," says he, " before the
" judgment- seat of Christ ; that every one
" may receive the things done in his body,
" according to that he hath done, whether it
" be good or bad. Knowing therefore the
" terrors of the Lord, we persuade men." A
most powerful instrument of persuasion it
unquestionably is ; a truth which, when once
established on the authority of Revelation, is
not to be eluded by any arts of sophistry, or
put down by human reasoning. And al-
though of the miseries, no less than of the
joys of the world to come, it may truly be
said, " Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard,
" neither hath it entered into the heart of
" man to conceive them ;" yet so much may
be collected on the subject from sacred writ,
as to malie every one, who is not " past feel-
" ing," tremble at the thought of acquiring a
more intimate knowledge of them from his
own experience. Taking, then, the Scrip-
tures for our guide, let us approach this fear_
ful subject, and endeavour to obtain some in-
sight into those regions of " indignation and
" wrath, tribulation and anguish," which are
revealed to us as prepared for the impenitent
and incorrigible, and to be their final and ir-
reversible portion.
1. As in delineating the happiness of a fu-
508 SERMON XXV.
ture state we first considered it as a state of
exemption from evil of every kind ; so in
enumerating the future woes that await the
wicked, our first attention is drawn to their
total exclusion from the comforts of the Di-
vine presence, and from all the pure and per-
fect enjoyments attendant upon the state of
the blessed. " The Son of man will gather
" out of his kingdom all things that offend^ ;"
and his sentence to the impenitent and incor-
rigible will be, " I know you not ; depart from
" me, ye cursed''." From the abodes of the
righteous will be excluded all pain, sorrow,
and disquietude ; from those of the wicked
will be excluded all that can mitigate pain,
alleviate sorrow, or soothe disquietude. This
is a degree of misery, of which none, perhaps,
in this present state can form an adequate
conception. In this life even the most wick-
ed seem not to be entirely debarred from a
participation of the blessings enjoyed by the
righteous ; since both the tares and the wheat
grow together until the harvest ; and the
same sun shines on the just and the unjust,
on the thankful and the evil. The only re-
semblance here approaching to such a state
appears to be that of a wretched sinner at the
close of life, when all the scenes of this world
» Matt. xiii. 41. ^ Matt. xxv. 41.
SERMON XXV.
509
are vanishing from his sight, and he is just
awakened to a sense of the judgment impend-
ing over him ; " his soul refusing comfort,"
and finding " no help for him in his God."
This seems, indeed, to be to the wicked, a
foretaste of what they shall endure when for
ever cut olf from all access to Him who is
the Fountain of goodness, the refuge of the
distressed, the consolation of the penitent, the
support and joy of the faithful. The hope
of redemption, if ever it had been entertain-
ed, will then have utterly vanished. The time
of mediation and intercession will be past.
Penitence will avail nothing. Sin, the sting
of death, will still remain, with no means of
its removal ; while the sense of their discon-
solate condition will be inconceivably height-
ened by the contrast presented to their
thoughts between the joys they have for-
feited and the doom to which they are con-
signed. To know that " life and death, bless-
" ing and cursing, have been set before them,"
and that their sad destiny is the result of
their own perverseness, is in itself a consider-
ation sufficient to overwhelm the mind with
the bitterness of self-reproach.
2. But, secondly, this will be greatly aggra-
vated by the continuance of those evil dispo-
sitions which we are assured the wicked will
510
SERMON XXV.
carry with them into the other world. The
punishments of a future state will fall upon
those only who have become incurably wick-
ed, "past feeling''," "given over to a repro-
" bate mind*";" and who, consequently, will
go into that state with tempers and inclina-
tions on which admonition and correction had
proved unavailing. These hateful qualities
will still remain, and will be their own tor-
mentors. "He that is unjust, let him be unjust
" still ; and he that is filthy, let him be filthy
" still ; and he that is righteous, let him be
" righteous still ; and he that is holy, let him
" be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly ;
" and my reward is with me, to give to
" every man according as his work shall be*"."
Therefore, as the rewards of the righteous
will partly consist in carrying on and perfect-
ing those good dispositions, which by God's
grace they had cultivated here ; so, it appears,
shall the sufferings of the wicked be in part
effected by the continuance and the increase
of those evil passions and propensities which
even here are a constant source of disqui-
etude and torment. Envy, hatred, malice,
rage, disappointment, operating, perhaps, upon
a quicker sensibility, and continually awakeil-
ed by surrounding objects, we may conceive
c Eph. iv. 19. Rom. i. 28. <^ Rev. xxii. 12.
SERMON XXV.
511
excessively to aggravate the burthen of un-
availing remorse. To subdue these emotions
may then also be impossible. The Spirit of
God will no longer " strive with them." Their
faith will be that of the devils, " who believe
"and tremble;" not that which " worketh by
" love" to God or man. They will feel the
sorrow that " worketh death ;" not that which
" worketh repentance not to be repented of."
They will become victims of despair ; despair,
arising from the impossibility of retrieving
what is lost, or of being liberated from the
evil that is come upon them.
3. Thirdly, in addition to this mental an-
guish, fearful intimations are given in scrip-
ture of bodily sufferings also. " Every one,"
says St. Paul, " shall receive the things done
" in his body, according to that he hath done,
" whether it be good or bad^;" that is, (as
some distinguished expositors interpret it,)
he shall receive in his body the reward of his
good or evil deeds ; in other words, he shall
participate in corporal enjoyments or corporal
sufferings. The precise nature of these suf-
ferings is no where revealed, nor do we know
what change the body will undergo, to pre-
pare it for such retribution. But those tre-
mendous expressions, " the lake of fire and
f 2 Cor. V. 10.
512
SERMON XXV.
" brimstone ;" " the worm that dieth not, and
" the fire that is not quenched ;" " the weep-
" ing, and waihng, and gnashing of teeth ;"
whether literally or figuratively intended, con-
vey some meaning evidently connected with
the body : and even the assurance that in
the state of future bliss "there shall be no
" more pain," leads us to apprehend, that in
that of future misery bodily as well as mental
pain will be no inconsiderable ingredient of
the bitter cup that is to be apportioned.
4. But, further, these sufferings, whatever
they maybe, and whether of mind or of body,
will be unspeakably heightened by unceasing
intercourse with wicked men, with wicked
spirits, and with the Evil One himself, tri-
umphing over the victims of his malice. This
is to be inferred from our Lord's declaration
of the sentence to be passed at the day of
judgment: " Then shall he say unto them on
" the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed,
" into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil
" and his angels^." Can we picture to our-
selves a doom of greater wretchedness, than
continually to associate with beings of such a
description, abandoned to mutual reproaches
and fruitless lamentations? We know but too
well, here on earth, how fertile are the in-
s Matt. XXV. 41.
SERMON XXV.
513
ventions of the wicked in rendering the lives
of others no less miserable than their own.
In this state, therefore, of irretrievable con-
demnation, what a consummation of misery
may we not suppose them capable of inflict-
ing upon each other !
5. This, again, suggests another fearful
point of contrast between the future condi-
tion of the righteous and the wicked, not to
be contemplated without the most awakening
emotions. If we are warranted in expecting
that a personal recollection of each other will
constitute a portion of the bliss in heaven,
must we not also suppose that a similar re-
collection will operate to increase the misery
of the wicked ? In the parable of the rich
man and Lazarus this is very affectingly re-
presented by the unhappy sufferer's pleading
for relief from the hand of Lazarus, and his
entreating that a warning might be sent to
his brethren, " lest they also should come into
" that place of torment If, then, we sup-
pose the wicked in that state to see and to
recollect those who were most dear to them
here on earth brought into the same con-
demnation with themselves, and probably
through the influence of their evil example ;
will not this be indeed filling up the measure
'1 Luke xvi. 28.
VOL. I. L 1
514 SERMON XXV.
of their suffering ; will it not be drinking the
cup of bitterness to its very dregs ?
6. The scriptures, moreover, (as if to leave
nothing untouched upon this subject which
could possibly operate upon our personal or
social feelings,) admonish us of other circum-
stances connected with these recollections,
and adapted to make impression on tempers
and dispositions of different kinds. " Some
" shall awake to shame and everlasting con-
" tempt'." "The hope of the hypocrite shall
" perish " Every man's work shall be made
" manifest. For the day shall declare it, be-
" cause it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire
" shall try every man's work, of what sort it
" is '." The hidden things of darkness shall be
brought to light. These are considerations by
which many an offender now triumphant in
wickedness, or practising it in secret and say-
ing that no eye shall see him, may be touched
to the quick. Does he escape censure in this
world ? has he risen even to honour and pre-
eminence by his crimes ? is he idolized by an
admiring but misjudging multitude ? has he
been able by a plausible exterior, or adroitness
in the arts of dissimulation, to make the worse
appear the better cause, and to win golden
opinions even from the wise and good ? what
" Dan. xii. >< Job viii. 13. • 1 Cor. iii. 13.
SERMON XXV.
515
will be his recompense ? Before men and an-
gels his shame shall be proclaimed. His "sin
" will surely find him out™." Nothing has
been hid which shall not then be known.
His degradation will be in proportion to the
height from which he had fallen. His ex-
posure will bring to nought the depth of the
artifice by which he had hoped for ever to
conceal the iniquity of his ways.
7. In considering, however, that " revelation
" of the righteous judgments of God" which is
impending over all who have forfeited the
hope of a blessed resurrection, we are not to
imagine that it will fall with equal weight
upon offenders of every description. Not
only would our own notions of the Divine
equity incline us to expect different degrees
of shame and suffering hereafter for the
wicked, as well as of honour and happiness
for the righteous ; but the expectation is
borne out by the intimations of holy writ.
Our Lord warned the inhabitants of Chora-
zin and Bethsaida, who had heard the Gospel
and rejected it, that it would be " more to-
" lerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the
" day of judgment than for them"." Of those
who neglect the salvation offered to them,
some, he tells us, " shall be beaten with many
Numb, xxxii. 23. " Matt. x. 15.
L 1 2
516
SERMON XXV.
" stripes, and some with few°." So justly will
the dealings of the Almighty with sinners be
apportioned, as to leave no room at that great
day for remonstrance or complaint. Nay, we
may well conceive it to be a part even of the
punishment the sufferers themselves shall en-
dure, to be conscious that it is no more than
they have amply deserved ; so that every
mouth shall be stopped, and none dare to ar-
raign the equity of his own sentence, what-
ever it may be; every individual sinner being
constrained to acknowledge his own presump-
tuous folly in disregarding the threatened
penalty, until made sensible of it by woful
experience. Nevertheless, let none persuade
themselves that any of these judgments will
be so comparatively light as to lessen the
dread of undergoing them. For whether the
degree of suffering be more or less, still it is
misery and woe irremediable, unmitigable,
and interminable. This latter consideration,
indeed, it is which ought to dispel all illu-
sions tending to disarm the doctrine of its
terrors, or to lull the conscience into a secu-
rity that may be fatal. Whatever may be
their diversity in other respects, the eternal
duration of the sufferings is that which gives
them their severest poignancy.
o Luke xii. 47, 48.
SERMON XXV.
517
8. The passages of Scripture by which this
point is established are so numerous, and so
direct to the purpose, that we might wonder
at the hardiness of those who can venture to
give them any other interpretation. Not only
is the future state of the wicked described as
•• everlasting destruction from the presence of
the Lord, and from the glory of his power P;"
but the place of torment is called " fire un-
" quenchable." and " everlasting lire:"" a place
" where the worm dieth not, and the fire is
" not quenched''."" To a person of plain un-
derstanding, the attempt to set aside terms of
such obvious signification appears to be hope-
less. But we scarcely need any other proof
than the clear and unambiguous expressions
of our Lord himself: " these shall go away in-
" to everlasting punishment, but the righteous
" into life eternal '."" Where can be the dif-
ference between e verkisti tig and eternal : terms
which are indeed rendered in the original by
one and the same word ? In whatever sense,
therefore, we interpret that word with respect
to the righteous, in the same must we under-
stand it with reference to the wicked : and
whatever tends to lessen its force in the one
case will necessarily weaken it in the other.
As to the speculations which well-inten-
PSThess. i. 9. ^5 Mark ix. 44. ' Mau. xw. 4G.
518
SERMON XXV.
tioned persons have sometimes hazarded, with
a view to establish the persuasion of a final
restoration of the wicked to a state of hap-
piness, after a protracted and indefinite pe-
riod of suffering ; or their total annihilation
when that period shall have expired ; it is
enough to say, that being unwarranted by
sober deduction from scripture authorities,
they are, at the best, but human conjectures,
entitled to no implicit deference, and little
likely to repay the trouble of inquiry. Thus
far, however, we are assured, that after death
" there remaineth no more sacrifice for sinS"
that " where the tree falleth, there shall it
" be' ;" that when the final resurrection and
judgment shall have taken place, our Lord
" will deliver up the kingdom to the Father ^"
and consequently his office of Mediator and
Intercessor will thenceforth entirely cease.
These assurances, in addition to the more
direct proofs from scripture already cited,
sufficiently indicate that after the day of
judgment no change is to be expected, either
in the nature or the condition of those, whe-
ther righteous or wicked, on whom the sen-
tence of acquittal or condemnation shall have
then been actually passed. Far better is it,
on such a subject, to submit our under-
^ Heb. X. 26. ' Eccles. xi. 3. ^ 1 Cor. xv. 24.
SERMON XXV.
519
standings to the simple, authoritative decla-
rations of God's word, than to put our faith
to hazard hy listening to the reveries of
sceptical or inquisitive persons, " the dis-
" puters of this world," prone to reject v^^hat-
ever is uncongenial with their own precon-
ceptions. More consonant is it also with
Christian prudence and Christian humility,
to expect and to prepare for so tremendous
an issue, than to seek motives and reason-
ings for calling it in question. Enough is re-
vealed to certify us that " the Judge of all the
" earth will do right";" and on that convic-
tion let our hopes and fears be rested, as on
a foundation never to be shaken. If, in-
deed, these awful realities are to take place,
what will it then avail us " to contend with
" the Almighty";" to impeach his justice or
his mercy ; to plead our imperfect notions
of either in excuse for our incredulity or
neglect? Who will then be able to stand
against that rebuke, " Are not my ways
" equal ? are not your ways unequal'' ?"
It will surely be our wisdom not to shrink
from contemplating this " wrath of God re-
" vealed against all ungodliness and unright-
" eousness of men ^" much more not to " trea-
" Gen. xviii. 25. " Job xl. 2. y Ezek. xviii. 29.
' Rom. i. 18.
520
SERMON XXV.
" sure up unto ourselves wrath against the
" day of wrath, and revelation of the right-
" eous judgment of God\" The aggregate
of woes and miseries which that judgment
may bring upon us, it is fearful indeed to
think upon. Total and final exclusion from
the presence of God, from the society of the
blessed, and from all the enjoyments prepared
for them ; hopeless envy and unavailing re-
morse ; pains of body and anguish of mind ;
raging passions tormenting their own victims,
and adding to the torment of others ; constant
intercourse with beings miserable as them-
selves ; the same sinful propensities which had
been their delight here now operating to their
continual punishment ; their pride turned to
shame, their fame to infamy, their cunning
to folly; these are among the sufferings which
we may not unreasonably infer from the re-
presentations set before us. And though there
may be different degrees of this suffering pro-
portionate to the case of the individual of-
fender ; yet the consideration that even the
least of these is irremediable and eternal, may
well admonish us how " fearful a thing it is
" to fall into the hands of the living God''."
" Knowing, therefore, the terrors of the
» Rom. ii. 5. Hcbr. x. 31.
SERMON XXV.
521
" Lord, we persuade men." It is in mercy
towards us that these terrors are revealed.
It is to deter us from sin, and to incite us
to repentance and hohness. For " the wages
" of sin is death." Death is its necessary
consequence, misery its genuine fruit ; and.
the punishments annexed to it, whether in
this life or the next, are not merely the act
of God's sovereign will and power, but the
result of the evil disposition itself, adhering to
the impenitent and irreclaimable. " As I live,
" saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in
" the death of the wicked ; but that the wick-
" ed should turn from his way and live^:" and
these dreadful consequences are set before us,
that we may be persuaded to " know" and
consider, " in this our day, the things which
" belong unto our peace," before " they are
" hid from our eyes'"." Thus the goodness,
no less than the justice of God, is displayed
in that very circumstance which the evil-
minded are wont to represent as irreconcila-
ble with both.
Being apprised of these salutary truths, we
are also made so much the more sensible of
the danger of sin, and of the value of that
deliverance from it wrought by the redemp-
<^ Ezek. xxxiii. 11. Luke xix. 42.
VOL. I. Mm
522
SERMON XXV.
tion that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. For
(blessed be God !) it is not every offence, nor
even the greatest offences, that can now shut
the door of mercy against us. The way of
life is open to all who with hearty repentance
and true faith turn unto the Lord their God.
And although " wide is the gate, and broad
" is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and
" many there be which go in thereat^ ;" yet
are we assured that " a great multitude which
" no man can number, of all nations, and
" kindreds, and people, and tongues, shall
" stand before the throne, and before the
" Lamb, saying, Salvation to our God which
" sitteth upon the throne, and unto the
" Lamb, for ever and ever^"
Encouraged by these promises on the one
hand, and awed by these threatenings on the
other, we shall be without excuse if we neg-
lect to prepare for the consequences that
must ensue. Nor let the preparation be de-
layed. " The night cometh, when no man
" can work^." " Behold," therefore, " now is
" the accepted time ; behold, now is the day
" of salvation
Matth. vii. 13. f Rev. vii. 9.
sJohnix. 4. h g Cor. vi. 2.
END OF VOL. I.
cxxxxxx
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