Parochial and Plain Sermons

MATT. iii. 15. "Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becomcth us to fMfil all righteousness."

HEN our Lord came to John to be baptized, He gave this reason for it, "Thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness;" which seems to mean,—" It is becoming in Me, the expected Christ, to conform in all respects to all the rites and ceremonies of Judaism, to everything hitherto accounted sacred and binding." Hence it was that He came to be baptized, to show that it was not His intention in any way to dishonour the Established Religion, but to fulfil it even in those parts of it (such as taptism) which were later than the time of hIoses; and especially to acknowledge thereby the mission of John the Baptist, His fo:erunner. And those er.dinances which Moses himself was commissioned to appoint, had still greater claim to be respected and observed. It was on this account that He was circumcised, as we this day commemorate; in order, that is, to show that He did not renounce the religion of Abraham, to whom God gave circumcision, or of Moses, by whom it vas embodied in the Jewish Law. We have other instances in our Lord's history, besides those of His circumcision and baptism, to show the reverence with which He regarded the religion which IIe came to fnlfil. St. ]'aul speaks of Him as "born of u woman, born under the Ltw,"  and it was His custom to observe that Law, like any other Jew. For instance, lie went up for the feasts to Jerusalem; He sent the persons I[e had cured to the priests, to offer the sinoflbriug commanded by Moses; He paid the Templetax; and again, He attended as "a custom" the worship of the synagogue, though this had been introduced in an age long after Moses; and He even bade the multitudes obey the Scribes and Pharisees in all lawful things, as those who sat in Moses' place. - Such was our Saviour's dutiful attention to the religious system under which He was born; and that, not only so far as it was directly divine, but fttrther. where it was the ordinance of uninspired though pious men, where it was but foumled on ecclesiastical authority. IIis Apostles followed ltis pattern; and this is still more remarkable,because after the Holy Spirit had descended, at first sight it would have appeared that all the Jewish ordinances ought at once to cease. But this was far fi'om being the doctrine of the Apostles. They taught, indeed, that the Jewish rites were no longer of any use in obtaining God's favour; that Christ's death was now set forth as the full and  Gal. iv. 4. " Matt. xxiii. 2, 3.

season,s of seriousness, how exact is theh" devotion during them, how suddenly they come to an end, how completely all traces of them vanish, yet how comparatively trifling is the cause of the relapse, a change of place or occupation, or a day's interruption of regularity in their religious course! Consider the sudden changes in opinion and profession, religious or secular, which occur in life, the proverbial ficldeness of the multitude, the intluence of watchwords and badges upon the fo.unes of political parties, the surprisisg falls which sometimes overtake well-meaning and really respectable men, the inconsistencies of even the holiest and most perfect, and you will have some insight into the danger of practising on the externds of fifith and devotion. Precious doctrines are strung, like jewels, upon slender threads. Our Saviour and His Apostles sanction these remarks, in their treatment of those Jewish ceremonies, which have led me to make them. St. Paul calls them weak and unprofitable, weak and beggarly elements.  So they were in themselves, but to those who were used to them, they were an edifying and living service.:Else, why did the Apostles observe them? Why did they recommend them to the Jews whom they converted? Were they merely consulting for the prejudices of a reprobate nation? The Jewish rites were to disappear; yet no one was bid forcibly to separate himself from what he had long used, lest he lost his sense of religion also. Much nore will this hold good with forms such as ore's, which so far from being abrogated by the Apostles, were introduced by them or their immediate successors; and which,  Heb. vii. 18; Gal. iv. 9.

besides the influence they exert over us from long usage, are, many of them, witnesses and types of precious gospel truths; nay, much more, possess a sacramental nature, and are adapted and ree, sombly accounted to convey a gift, even where they are not formally sacramerits by Christ's institution. Who, for instance, cofld be hard-hearted and perverse enough to ridicule the notion that a father's blessing may profit his children, even though Christ and His Apostles have not in so many words declared it? ]Iuch might be said on this subject, which is a very important one. In these times especially, we should be on our guard against those who hope, by inducing us to lay aside our forms, at length to make us lay aside our Christian hope altogether. This is why the Church itself is attacked, because it is the living form, the visible body of religion; and shrewd men know that when it goes, religion vi]l go too. This is why they rail at so many usages as superstitious; or propose alterations and changes, a measure especially calculated to shake the faith of the multitude. Recollect, then, that things indifferent in themselves become important to us when we are used to them. The services and ordina.nces of the Church are the outward form in which religion has been for ages represented to the world, and has ever been known to us. Plies consecrated to God's honour, clergy carefully set apart for His service, the Lord'sday piously observed, the public forms of prayer, the decencies of worship, these things, viewed as a whole, are sacred relatively to us, even if they were not, as they are, divinely sanctioned. Rites which the Church has

ISAIAH lX. 1. "Arise, shine; for thy light is comc, and tc glory of the Lord is riscn upon thee."

UR Saviour said to the woman of Samaria, "The hour cometh, when ye shall ueither in this mountaiu, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father." ' And upon to-day's Festival I may say to you in tIis words on another occasion, '" This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears." This day we commemorate the opening of the door of faith to the Gentiles, the extension of the Church of God through all lands, whereas, before Christ's comhg, it had been confined to one nation only. This dissemination of the Truth throughout the world had been the subject of prophecy. "Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengflen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes; for thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall  John iv. 21.

inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited." a In these words the Church is addressed as Catholic, which is the distiuguishing title of the Christian Church, as contrasted with the Jewish. The Christian Church is so constituted as to be able to spread itself out iu its separate branches into all reons of the earth; so that iu every nation there may be found a representative and an offshoot of the sacred and gifted Society, set up once for all by our Lord after tIis resurrectiou. This characteristic blessing of the Church of Christ, its Cat.holic nature, is a frequent subject of rejoicing with St. Paul, who was the chief instrmnent of its propagation. In one Epistle he speaks of Gentiles being "fellow heirs" with the Jews, "and of the same body, and partakers of tIis promise in Christ by the Gospel." In another he enlarges on " the mystery now made manifest to the saints," viz. " Christ among the Gentiles, the hope of glory."  The day on which we commemorate this acious a.ppointment of God's Providence, is called the Epiphany, or bright manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles; being the day on which the wise men crone fi'om the East under guidance of a stm', to worship llim, and thus became the first-fi'uits of the heathen world. The name is explained by the words of the text, which occur in one of the lessons selected for to-day's service, and in which the Church is addressed. '" Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of file Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, Isa. liv. 2, 3. 2 Eph. iii. 6. Col. i. 26, 27.

faces; it is divine and perfect, and it belongs to man and is marked with his sin. I observe next, that it is a peculiarity of Holy Scripture to represent the world on its providential side; ascribing all that happens in it to tIim who rules and directs it, as it moves along, tracing events to His sole agency, or viewing them only so far forth as He acts in them. Thus Ite is said to harden Pharaoh's heart, ad to hinder the Jews from believing in Christ; wherein is signified His absolute sovereignty over all human affairs and courses. As common is it for Scripture to consider Dispensations, not in their actual state, but as His agency would mould them, and so far as it really does succeed in moulding them. For instance: "God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith lie loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ. '' This is said as if the Ephesians had no traces left in their hearts of Adam's sin and spiritual death. As it is said afterwards, "Ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye ligh in the Lord."  In other words, Scripture more commonly speaks of the Divine dcsicfi and substantial world, than of the cast'e of fulfihnent which it receives at this time or that; as St. Paul expresses, when he says that the Ephesians were chosen, that they "' s:w.,tld be holy and unblameable before Him in love." Or it speaks of the profcssio of the Christian; as when he says, "As many of you as have been baptized in Christ, have put on Christ;"—or of the tendency of the Divine gift in a long period of time, and of its ultimate fi'ttits; as in the  Eph. ii. 4, 5.  Eph. v. 8.

84 E i hany. words, " Christ loved the Church, and gave Himself for it,, ha H might sanctify and eleans i with tlm washing of waer by t, lm word, tlm He migh prsn to I[imself a glorious Church, no having spoL or wrinkle, or any such thing, bu tha i should be holy and withou blemish, '' in which baptism and final salvati are viewed as if indissolubly connected. This rule of Scripture interpretatic, n admits of ve T exensive application, and ] proceed t illustrate it. The lWinciple under cousideratin is tiffs: that, whereas God is one, and llis will one, and His purpose one, and llis work one; whereas all He is and does is absolutely pertct and complete, independent of time and place, and sovereign over creation, whether inanimate or living, yet that in His actual dealings with this world that is, in all in which we see llis Providence (in that man is imperfect, and has  will of his own, aud lives it time, and is moved by circumstances), lie seems to work by u process, by means nd euds, by steps, by victories hardly gained, and failures repaired, and sacrifices ventured. Thus it is only when we view His dispensations at a distance, as the Angels do, that we see their harmony and their unity; whereas Scripture, anticipating the end from the begimfing, places at their very head and first point of originatioa all that belongs to them respectively in their fulness. We find some exemplification of this principle in the call of Abraham. Ia every age of the world it has held good that the just sha live by faifl; yet it was determined in he deep counsels of God, that for a while this x Eph. i. 4. Gal. iii. 27. Eph. v. 22.

truth should be partially obscured, as far as His revelations went; that man should live by sight, miracles and worldly ordinances taking the place of silent providences and spiritual services. In the latter times of the Jewish Law the original doctrine was brought to light, and when the Divine Object of faith was born into the world, it was authoritatively set forth by His Apostles as the basis of all acceptable worship. But observe, it had been already anticipated in the instance of Abraham; the evangelical covenant, which was not to be preached till near two thousand years afterwards, was revealed and transacted in his person. "Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness." "Abraham rejoiced to see My day; and he saw it, and was glad. '' ay, in the commanded sacrifice of his beloved son, was shadowed out the true Lamb which God had provided for a burnt offering. Thus in the call of the Patriarch, in whose Seed all nations of the earth should be blessed, the great outlines of the Gospel were anticipated; in that he was called in uucircumcision, that he was justified by faith, that he trusted in God's power to raise the dead, that he looked forward to the day of Christ, and that he was vouchsafed a vision of the Atoning Sacrifice on Calvary. We call these notices 29ro_phecy, popularly speaking, and doubtless such they are to us, and to be received and used thankfully; but more properly, perhaps, they are merely instances of the harlnonious movement of God's word and deed, His sealing up events from the first, His introducing them once and for all, though they  l%m. iv. 3. John iii. 56.

of that holy call. For God's Providence moves by great and comprehensive laws; and His word is the mirror of His designs, not of man's partial success i1 thwurtiug His acious will The Church then, considered as one army militnnt proceeding ibrward from the house of bondage to Canaun, gains the victory, and accoml.dishes what is predicted of her, t,hough many soldiers fall in the battle. While, however, they remain within her lines, they are included in her blessedness so far as to be partakers of the gifts flowing from election. And hence it is that so much stress is to be laid upon the duty of united worship; for thus the multitude of believers coming together, claim as one man t,he grace which is poured out upon the one undivided body of Christ mystical. "Where two or three are gathered together in IIis name, He is in the midst of them;" nay rather, blessed be His name! IIe is so one with t,hem, that they.are not their own, lose for the time their earth-stains, are radiant iu tits infinite holiness, and have the promi.e of His eternal favour. Viewed as one, the Church is still IIis image as at the first, pure and spotless, His spouse all-glorious within, the Mother of Saints; according to the Scripture, " dove, My undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is tlie elect one of her that bare her... Thou art all fair, My love; there is no spot in thee. '' And what is true of the Church as a whole, is represented in Scripture as belonging also in some sense to each individual in it. I mean, that as the Christian body was set up in the image of Christ, 'hich is x Cant. vi. 9; iv. 7.

"St. Stephen; and he continued foremost in a bad cause, vth blind rage endeavouring to defeat what really was the work of 1)ivine power and wisdom. In the midst of his fury le was struck down by a miracle, and conwrted to the faith he persecuted. Observe he circumstances of the case. When the blood of Stel.hen was shed, Saul, then a young man, was standing by, "conscnting unto his death," and "kept the raiment of them that slew him. '' Two speeches are recorded of the Martyr in his last moments; one, iu which he prayed flint God would pardon his murdercrs,—the other his witness, that he saw the heavens opened, and Jesus on God's right hand. His prayer was wonderfully answered. Stephen saw his Saviour; the next vision of that Saviour to mortal man was vouchsafed to that very young man, even Saul, who shared in his murder and his intercession. Strange indeed it was; and what would have been St. Stephen's thoughts could he have known it! The prayers of righteous men avail much. The first Martyr had power with God to raise up the greatest Apostle. Such was the honour put upon the first-fruits of those sufferings upon which the Church was entering. Thus from the beginning the blood of the Martyrs was the seed of the Church. Stephen, one man, was put to death for saying that the Jewish people were to have exclusive privileges no longer; but from his very g'ave rose the favoured instrument by whom the thousands and ten thonsands of the Gentiles were brought to the knowledge of the Truth!

1. Herein then, first, is St. Paul's conversion menlorable; that it was u triumph over the enemy. When _Hmighty God would convert the world, opening the door of faith to the Gentiles, who was the chosen preacher of His mercy? Not one of Christ's first followers. To show His power, lie put forth His hand into the very midst of the persecutors of His Son, and seized upou the most strenuous among them. The prayer of a dyiug man is the token aud occasion of that triumph which He had reserved for t[imself, lIis strength is made perfect in weakness. As of ohl, He broke the yoke of His people's burden, the staff of their shoulder, the rod of their oppressor.  Saul made furiously for Damascus, but the Lord Ahnighty "knew his abode, and his -oino' out and coming in, and his rage against tIim;" and "because his rage against Him, and his tumult, came up before Him." therefore, as in Sennacherib's case, though in a far different way, He "put His hook in his nose, and His bridle in his lips, and turned him back by the way by which he came. '' He "spoiled principalities and powers, and made a show of them " '' openly, triumphing over the serpent's head while his heel was wounded. Saul, the persecutor, was converted, and pre,qched Christ in the synagogues. 2. In the next place, St. Paul's conversion m,qy be considered as a suitable hatroduction to the oifice he was called to execute in God's providence. I have said it was a triumph over the enemies of Christ; but it was also an expressive emblem of the nature of a Isa. ix. 4.  Isa. x,xvii. 28, 29. z Col. ii. 15. [I] 1

God' general dealings with the race of man. What are we all but rebels against God, and enemies of the Truth? what were the Gentiles in particular at that time, but "alienated " from Him, "and enemies in their mind by wicked works?"1 Who then could so appropriately fulfil the purpose of Him who came to call sinners to repentance, as one who esteemed himself the least of the Apostles, that was not meet to be called an Apostle, because he had persecuted the Church of God  When Almighty God in lIis infinite mercy purposed to tbrm a people to Ilimself out of the heathen, as vessels for glory, first lie chose the instrument of this l[is purpose as a brand from the burning, to be a type of the rest. There is a parallel to this order of I'rovidcnce in the Old Testament. The Jews were bid to look unto the rock whence they were hewn? Who was the especial Patriarch of their nation?—Jacob. Abraham himself, indeed, had been called and blessed by God's mere grace. Yet Abraham had remarkable faith. Jacob, however, the immediate and peculiar t'atriarch of the Jewish race, is represented in the character of a sinner, pardoned and reclaimed by Divine mercy, a wanderer exalted to be the father of a great nation.:Now I am not venturing to describe him as he really was, but as he is represented to us; not personally, but in that particular point of view iu which the sacred history has placed him; not as an individual, but as he is typically, or in the way of doctrine. There is no mistaking the marks of his character and fortunes in the history, designedly a Col. i. 21.  Isa. li. 1.

Viewed it refercnce to his Of-ficc. 99

(as it would seem) recorded to humble Jewish pride. He makes his own confession, as St.:Paul afterwards: "I am not worthy of the least of all Thy mercies. ''1 Every year, too, the Israelites were bid to bring their offering, and avow before God, that " a Syrian ready to perish was their father. ''2 Such as was the father, such (it was reasonable to suppose) would be the descendants. Tone would be "' greater than their father Jacob, '' for whose sake the natioa was blest. In like manner St. Paul is, in one way of viewing the Dispeasation, the spiritual father of the Gentiles; and in the historv of his sin and its most gracious forgiveness, he exemplifies far more than his brother Apostles his own Gospel; that we are all guilty before God, and can be saved only by His free bounty. In his own words, "for this cause obtained he mercy, that in him first Jesus Christ might show forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on Him to life everlasting." 3. And, in the next place, St.:Paul's previous coume of life rendered him, perhaps, after his coaversion, more fit an instrument of God's purposes towards the Gentiles, as well as a more striking specimen of it. l=lere it is necessary to speak with caution. We "know that, whatever were St. Paul's successes in the propagation of the Gospel, they were in theh" source and nature not his, but through "the grace of God which was wit.h him." Still, God makes use of human means, and it is allowable to inquire reverently what these were, and  Gen. xxxii. 10. 9. Deut. xxvi. 5. s John iv. 12.  1 Tim. i. 16.

why St. Paul was employed to convert the Heathen world rather than St. James the Less, or St. John. Doubtless his intellectual endowments and acquirements were among the circumstances which fitted him for his office. Yet, may it not be supposed that there was something in his previous religious history which especially disciplined him to be "all things to all men?" Nothing is so difficult as to enter into the characters and feelings of men who have been brought up under a system of religion different from our own; and to discern how they may be most forcibly and profitably addressed, in order to win them over to the reception of Divine truths, of which they are at present ignorant, low St. Paul had had experience in his own case, of a state of mind very different from that which belonged to him as an _Apostle. Though he had never been polluted with:Heathen immorality and profanehess, he had entertained views and sentiments very far from Christian, and had experienced a conversion to which the other Apostles (as far as we know) were strangers. I am far indeed from meaning that there is aught favourable to a man's after religion in an actual unsettlement of principle, in his lapsing into infidelity, and then returning again to religious belief. This was not St. Patti's case; he underwent no radical change of religious principle. Much less would I give countenance to the notion, that a previous immoral life is other than a grievous permanent hindrance and a curse to a man, after he has turned to God. Such considerations, however, are out of place, in speaking of St. Paul. What I mean is, that his aqul rashness and blindness,

o' The Conversio of St..Paul privilege) have not eaten of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 4. Lastly, to guard against misconception of these last remarks, I nmst speak distinctly on a part of the subjec only touched upon hitherto, viz. on St. Paul's spiritual state before his conversion. For, in spite of what h been sid by way of caution, perhaps I may still be supsed to wrrant the maxim sometimes maintained, tha fle grer sinner makes the greater sint. Now, observe, I do not llege that St. Paul's previous sins made him a more spiritual Christian afterwaMs, but rendered him more fitted for a larlictlar 29urose in God's providenee,more fitted, when converted, to reclaim others; just as a owledge of langugges (whether divinely or humanly acquired) fits a man for the office of missionsry, without tending in any deee to make him a better man. I merely say, that if we take two men etally advanced in faith and holiness, that one of the two would preach to  variety of men with the greter success who had the greter eperience in his own religious histow of temptation, the wr of flesh and spirit, sin, and victory over sin; though, at the same time, t first sight it is of course unlikely that he who hd experienced 11 these changes of mind sheuld be eual in faith and obedience to the other who had served God from a child. But, in the next place, let us observe, how very far St. Paul's conversion is,   mater of fact, from holding out ny encouragement to those who live in sin, or any self-satisfaction to those who hve lived  i; s if

Viewcd iz rcferetzce to his Office. o3 their present or former disol,edience could be a gain to them. Why was mercy shown to Saul the persecutor; he himself gives us the reason, which we may safely make use of. "I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelmL And why was he enabled to preach the Gospel? " Because Christ counted him faithful." We have here the reason more clearly stated even than in Abraham's case, who was honoured with special Divine revelations, and promised a name on the earth, because God "knew him, that he would command his chihlren and his household after him, to keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment,."  Saul was ever faithfifl, according to his notion of "the way of the Lord." Doubtless he sinned deeply and grievously in persecuting the followers of Christ. Ilad he known the Holy Scriptures, he never would have done so; he would have recognised Jesus to be the promised Saviour, as Simeon and Anna had, from the first. But he was bred up in a human school, and paid more attention to the writings of men than to the Word of God. Still, obselve, he differed from other enemies of Christ in this, that he kept a clear conscience, and habitually obeyed God according to his knowledge. God speaks to us in two ways, in our hearts and in His Ygord. The latter and clearer of these informants St. Paul knew little of; the former he could not but know in his measure (for it was within him), and he obeyed it. That inward voice was but feeble, mixed up and obscured with human feelings and human traditions; so that what his conscience told him  1 Tim. i. 12. 1.  Gem xviii. 19.

xo4 The Couversio of St. Pa tl to do, was but partially true, and in part was wrong. Yet still, believing il to speak God's will, he deferred to it, acting as he did afterwards when he " was not disobedieut to the heavenly vision," which informed him Jesus was the Christ. x ]Iear his own account of himself: " I have lived in all good conscience betbre God until this da.y." "After the most straitest sect of our religion, 1 lived a Pharisee. ouchmg the righteousness which is in the Law, ldameless. '' l[ere is uo ease, no selt2 indulgeut habits, no wilful sin against the light,nay, I will say, no pride. That is though he was doubtless influenced 1,y much sinful self-confidence in his violent and bigoted hatred of the Christians, and though (as we as even the best of us) he was doubtless liable to the occasional temptations and defilements of pride, yet, takg pride to mean, open rebellion against God, warring against God's authority, setting up reasoa against God, this he had not. I[e "Yerily thought within himself that he ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth." Tun to the case of Jews and Gentiles who remained unconverted, and you will see the diflk, rence between them and him. Think of the hypocritic Pharisees, who professed to be saints, and were sinners; " full of extortion, excess, and uncleanness;"  believg Jesus to be the Christ, but not contssing Him, as "loving the praise of men more than the praise of God." * St. I'aul himself gives us an account of them in the second chapter of his Epistle to the Romans. Can it be made to apply to his own previous state? Was the a Acts xx. 19.  Acts fii. 1; xx. 5. Phil. iii. 6.  Matt. iii. 25, 27.  John xii. 43.

in spite of their errors in faith, if they continue strictly to obey what they believe to be His will. And, to declare this comfortable truth to us, St. Paul was thus carried on by the providence of God, and brought into the light by a miracle; that we may learn, by a memorable instance of tlis grace, what lie ever does, though tie does not in ordinary cases thus declare it openly to the world. Who has not felt a fear lest he be wandering from the true doctrine of ?.hrist? Let him cherish and obey the holy light of conscit,uce within him, as Saul did; let him carefully study the Scriptures, as Saul did not; and the God who had mercy even on the persecutor of IRis saints, will assuredly shed His grace upon him, and bring him into the truth as it is in Jesus.