Parochial and Plain Sermons

HAT a contrast do these words present to the history which goes before them! "If came fo lass, '' says the sacred a'iter, "when Israel was strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute, and did not utterly drive them out. Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer.... Neither did Zebflon drive out the inhabitants of ]Citron.....:Neither did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Accho..... Neither did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of ]ethshemesh. "t What was the consequence? "And the clùldren of Israet did evfl in the sight of the Lord aud served ]aalim.... they forsook the Lord and served ]aal and Ashtaroth. And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and He delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and He sold them into the hands of their enemies round about.

.... Xrhithersoever they went out, the hand of the Lord was agninst them for evil, as the Lord had said, and as the Lord had sworn unto them; and they were greatly distressed. ''1 Here is the picture of indolence and unfaithfulness leading te cowardice, te apostasy, and te national ruin. On the other hand, consider, by way of contrast, the narrative contained in the chapter which ends with lle text. Ephraim and Benjamin, Machir and Zebulon, Issachar aml Naphtali, rousing, uniting, assailing their enemies, and conqnering; conquering in the strenh of the Lord. Their long captivity was as nothing, through God's great mercy, when they turned te Him. In vain had their enemies trod them clown te the ground; the Chureh of God had that power and ace within it, that whenever it could be 10ersuaded te shake off its lassitude and rally, it smote as sharply and as effectively as though it had never been bound with the een withs and the new ropes of the Philistines. Se if was new. "Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, ]3arak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam." Such was the inspired cry of war: and it was obeyed. In consequence the Canaanites were discomfited in battle and fled; « and the land had test ferry years." Here is a picture of manly obedience te God's will—a short trial of trouble and sufferingand then the reward, _pecce. I propose new te make seine remarks upon the lesson conveyed te us in this picture, which extends indeed through the greater part of the OId Testament 1 ffudges il. 11-15.

—the lesson fo us as indiiduals; for surely if is with reference to our om duties as itdivid«als, that we should read every part of Scripture. What the Old Testament especially teaches us is this:—that zeal is as essentially a duty of ail God's rational creatttres, as 1)rayer and praise, faith and submission; and, surely, if so, especia.lly of sinners whom tte has redeemed; that zeal consists in a strict attention to His commands—a SClalpulousness, vigilance, heartiness, and punctuality, which bears with no reasoning or questioning about theman intense thirst for the advancement of His glory—a shrinking from the pollution of sin and sinnersau indignation, nay impatience, af witnessing His honour insulteda quickness of feeling when lIis naine is mentioned, and a jealousy how if is mentioned—a fulness of purpose, an heroic determination to yield Him service af "chatever sacrifice of personal ïeeling—an energetic resolve fo push throttgh all difficulties, were they as mountains, when His eye or hand but gives the signa carelessness of obloqty, or reproach, or persecution, a forgetfulness of friend and relative, nay, a hatred (so to say) of all that is natumlly dear to us, when tte says, "Follow me." These are some of the characteristics of zeal. Stch was the retaper of Moses, Phinehas, Samuel, David, Elijah; it is the retaper enjoined on all the Israelites, especially in their conduct towards the abandoned nations of Canaan. The text expresses that retaper in the words of Deborah: "So let ail thine enemies perish, O Lord; but let them that love Him be as the stm when he goeth forth in his might."

Now, iL has somefilnes been said LhaL Lhe eommands of sLrelmous and sLern service given Lo Lhe IsraeliLes— for insLanee, those relative Lo their Laking and keeping possession of the promised land—do noL apply Lo us Chrisfials. There ean be no doubL iL is noL out duLy Lo Lake Lle sword and kill Lhe enelnies of God as the Jews were told Lo do; "PuL np again thy sword into his ])lace, ''1 are out Saviom"s words Lo Sk PeLer. So far, Lhen, if t.his is whaL is meanL by sayhg thaL Lhese eolmnands do noL apply Lo us, so far, doubtless, iL is elear they do noL apply Lo us. P, uL iL does noL, henee, follow LhaL Lhe Lemper of mind whieh Lhey pre-snppose and foster is noL reqnired of us; else, surely, Lle Jewish hisLory is no longer profiLable for doctrine, for reproof, for eon*eefion, for insLrueLion in righLeousness. PeLer was blamed, no for his zeal, bu for his use of the sword. ]X[an's duty, perfeet.ion, happiness, bave always been one and the saine. He is noL a differenL being now from what he ever was; he bas always been commandcd the saine duties. WhaL was the holiness of an Israelite is still the holiness of a Christian, though Lhe Christian bas far higher privileges and aids for perfection. The Saints of (lod hure ever lived by faith, and walked in the way of justice, merey, truth, self-mastery, and love. IL is impossible, then, that all these duties imposed on the Israelites of driving out their enemies, and taking and keeping possession of the promised land, shotfld hot in some sense or other apply fo us; for iL is elear they were noL in their case mere accidents  llatt, xxvi. 52.

of obedience, but went fo form a certain inward character, aad as clear is if that our heart must be as the heart of Moses or ])avid, if we would be saved through Christ. This is quite evident, if we attentively examine the Jewish history, and the Divine commands which are the principles of if. For these commands, which solne persons have said do hOt apply fo us, are so many and varied, and repeated at so many and diverse rimes, that they certainly must have formed u peculia" character in the heart of the obedient Israelite, and were lnucli more than an outward form and a sort of ceremanial service. They are so abundant throughout the O]d Testament that unless they in some way al)ply fo us, if is difl]cult to see what is ifs direct use, at this day, in the way of precept; and this is the very conclusiot which these saine persons offert go )n to draw. They are wi]ling fo rid themselves of the ()ld Testament, and they say that Christians are hOt concerned in if, and that the Jews were almost barbarians; whereas St. Pa(fl tells us, tlmt the Jewish history is '" written for out admonition und out learnhg." :Let us consider some of the comlnands I have referred to, and the terres ii which they are conveyed. For instance, that for the extirpation of the devoted nations from the lund of Canaan. "Vhen the Lord thy Goal shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest fo possess if,.... thou shalt slnite" the nations that l»ossess if, "and utterly destroy theln; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor show mercy unto then;  1 Cor. x. 11; lom. xv. 4. [III] I neither shalt thou make marriages with them..... Ye sball destroy their alta.rs and break down their images, and cut down tiroir groves, and burn down fleir graven images with tire..... Thou shalt consume all the people which the Lord thy God shall deliver ff,ce; thine eye shall have no pity upon flmm."  Next observe, this merciless retaper, as profane people wou]d ea i, lmt as well-instacted Christians say, this godly zeal, was enjoined upon them under far more distressing circumst«mces, riz., the transgressions of tbeir own {'cintrions and friends. "If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy fl'iend which is as tbine own so@ entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods,.... Thou shalt hot consent unto him, nor hem'ken unto him, neither shall thine eye pity him, neitber shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal bim. But thou shalt surely kill him. Thine hand shaH be first upon him fo put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people:" e Now, doubtless, we af this day are hot to put men fo death for idolatw; but, doul,tless also, whatever retaper of mind the fiflfihnent of this command implied in the Jew, such, essentiay, must l,e out temper of mind, whatever else it may be also; for Goal cannot speak two ltws, He cannot love two chara.ctersgood is good, and evfl is evfl, and the ltw He gave to the Jews was,  its substance, "perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord sure, maMng wise tbe siml»le; the statures of the Lord right, rejoichg the heart; the conlmandment of tire a Deut. . 1-5, 16. e Deut. xfii. 6-9.

Lord pure, enlightening the eyes;.... more fo be desired tlmn gold, ye`a than much fine gold; sweeter also thal honey and the honeycomb. Mçreover," as the Psalmist proceeds, "by them is thy servant taught, and ii keeping of them there is great reward." 1 A self-m`astering fearless obedience was another part of this saine religious retaper enjohed oll the Jews, and still incumbent, as I date `artisan, on us ('hristians. "Be ye ve W coztrajcots to kee 1,,'uid fo do `all that is written in the book of the lw of Moses. '' If required exceeding ntor,al courage in the Jews fo en,ble them fo go straight forward, seduced leither by their feelings nor their reason. or was the severe retaper under review a duty in the early ages of Jud,ism only. The book of Psalms was written `af different rimes, between David's age and the captivity, yet if plainly breathes the saine hatred of sin, and opposition fo sinners. I will but cite one text from the hundred and thirty-ninth Psalm. '" Do hot I hate them, O Lord, that hate Thee? and `ara not I grieved with those that rise up ag`ainst Thee? I hate them with perfect h`atred; I count them mine enemies." And then the inspired writer proceeds fo lay open his sorti before God, `as if conscious he hd but expressed feelings which tIe wofld,alprove. "Search me, O God, and know my he,l: try me, and know my thoughts, and see if there be `any wicked way in me,,and lead me in the w`ay evefl`asting." Further still, after the return ri'oto the captivity, after the t'rophets had enlmed the comlaSS of Divine Reve-  Ps. xix. 7, 8, 10, 11.  Josh. xxiii. 6.

lation, a.nd pm'ified and ]eightened the religious knowledg'e of the nation, still this rigid and austere zeal was enjoined and enforced in all its ancient vigour by Ezra. The Jews set about a reformation; and what was its most remarkable act? Let us attend to the words of Ezra: "The princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and tbe priests, and the Levites lave hot separated themselves ri'oto the people of tbe lands; for they lave taken of their daughters for thelnselves and for their sons; so that tire holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands; yea, the hand of the princes and nders hath been chier in this trespass." 2qow let me stop to ask what wotfld nmst likely be the conduct of a temporizing Christian of this day, had he, in that day, been in Ezra's place? IIe would, doubtless, have said that such marriages were quite unjustifiable certainly, but now that they were ruade, there was no remedy for it; tlat they must be hindered in fnture; but in the existing instances, the evfl being done could hot be undone; and, besides, that great men were involved in the sin, whom it was impossible to interfere with. This he wmdd have said, I think, though tlm prohibition of l[oses seemed to make such man'iages null and void from the first.:Now, I do hot say that every one ought to hzve done what Ezra did, for he was supernaturally directed; but would the course he adopted bave ever entered into the mind of men of this day, or can they even mderstand or acquiesce in it, now that they know it? for what did he? "And when I heard this thing," he says, "I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the heh" of my head, and of my beard, and sat dowu astonied. Then were assembled unto me every one that tremlled af the words of the God of Israel, because of the transression of those that had been carried away, and I sat astonied until the evening sacrifice. ''1 Then he offered a confession and intercession in belmlf of the peol)le; then at length he and the people came to a decision; which was no other than this—to command all l»ersons who had nmrried hreigu wives to _p«t tkcm aw(«y. He undid the evil as well as hindered it iu future. What an act of self-denying zeal was this in a multitude of people! These are some, out of may instances, which might be brought from the Jewish history, in lroof of the duty of strict and severe loyflty fo God and His revealed will; and I here adduce them, first, to show that the commands involving it cou]d not (their number and variety are so great), couhl hot have related to a merely ot.ward and ceremonial obedience, but nmst have wrought in the Jews a certain temper of mind, pleasing to God, and therefore necessary for us also to possess.:Next, I deduce from that saine circulnsta.nce of their number and variety, that they must be binding on us, else the Old Testalnet would be but a slmdow of a revelation or law to the Christian. I wish to insist on the lesson SUl)plied merely by the Old Testament, and will hot introduce into the argument the consideration of the Apostles' doctrine, which is quite in accordance with it. Yet it may be right, briefly, to refer to the sinless pattern of our Lord, and  Ezr ix. 3, 4.

4o what is 4old us of the holy inhabitants of heaven, in order to show that the retaper of mind enjoined on 4he Jews belongs 4o those who are in a state of being superior to us, as weil as to those who were living mdel'a defeetive and 4emporary Dispensation. There was an occasion when ont Lord is expressly said to have taken upon Him 4he zeal which eonsmned David. "Jesus went up to Jernsalem, and found in the Temple those that sold oxen, and sheep, and dores, and the changers of lnoney, sitting; and when He had ruade a seonNe of smail eords, IIe drove them ail out of 4he Temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out 4he ehaners money, and overthrew the tables." Smely, unless we had this aeeomt given ris by au inspired writer, we should no4 have believed if! Influeneed by notions of ou • own devising, we shonld have said, this zealous aet.ion of ont Lord's was quite ineonsistent with His mereififl, meek, and (what may be called) His majestic and serene temper of mind. To put aside form, to dispense with the lninist W of His attendant Angels, to act before He had.,_poken His displeasure, to use His own hand, to hm'ry to and fro, to be a servant in the work of purification, surely this nmst have m'isen froln a tire of indigna4ion at witnessing His Father's House insulted, whieh we sinners eannot ulderstand. But any how, it is but t.he perrection of that retaper which, as we have seen, was eneonraged and exemplified in the Jewish Chnrch. That eneNy, deeision, and severit.y whieh [oses enjoined on his people, is manifested in Christ Himself, and is, therefore, undeniably a duty of man as sueh, whatever be his place or attainments in the sca]e of bureau nature. Such is the luttern afforded us by out Lord; to which add the example of the Angels which surround Him. Surely lu Him is mingled "goodness and severity;" such, thcrefore, a-e all holy creatures, loving and severe. We read of their thoughts and desires in the Apocalypse, "Fear God, and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment is corne." Again, "Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because Thou hust judged ihus. ]for they bave shed the blood of saints and prophets, and Thou hast given them blood to drink, for they are worthy." And again, "Even so, Lord Goal Almighty, true and righteous are Thy judgments." Once more, "I[er sins bave reached unto heaven, nd God hath remembered her iniquities. Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to ber works;"a—ai1 which passages imply a deel and solemn aequieseenee in God's judgments. Thus a certain tire of zeal, showing itself, hot by force and blood, but as really and em-tainly as if it did—eutting through natural feelings, negleeting self, preferring God's glory fo all things, firmly resisting sin, protesting against sinners, and steadily eontemplating their punishment, is a duty belonging to ail ereatures of God, a duty of Christians, in the midst of all that excellent overflowing eharity whieh is the hig'hest Gospel graee, and the fulfilling of the second table of the Law.  Rev. xiv. ; xvi. 5-7 i xviii. 5, 6.

And such, iii ïact, has ever been the retaper of the Christian Chureh; iii evidence of which I need but appeal to the impressive fact that thè Jewish Psalter has been the standard book of Christ.ian devotion from the first down to this day. I wish we thought more of this eireumstance. Can any one doubt that, supposing that blcssed manual of faith and love had never been in use among us, great nmnbers of the present generation would have clamoured against if as nnsuitalole fo express Chvistia feelings, as deficient in cha'ity and kindness? Nay, do we hot know, though I dure say it nmy sm'prise many a sober Christian to hear that if is so, that there are men ai this moment who (I hardly like fo mention if) wish parts of {le Psahns left out of the Service as ungentle and harsh? Alas! t.hat men of this day should rashly put their own jtdgment in eompetition with that of ail the Saints of every age hitherto since Christ eameshould virtually say, "Either th«y have been wrong or t,e are," thus forcing us t.o decide between t.he two. Alas! that they should da.re fo eritieise the words of inspiration! Alas! that they should follow the steps of the backsliding Israelites, and shrink from siding with the Truth in ifs struggle with the world, instead of saying with Deborah, "' 80 let ail Thine enenties perish, O Lord!" Now I shall make a few observations in conclusion, with a view of showing how neekness and charity are compatible with this austere and valiant telnper of the Christian soldier. 1. t If coin'se it is absolutely sinful fo have any prirate emnities. ot the bitterest pemonal assaults upon

I talh'rt lo Chrislias. us should induce us o retaliae. We mus do good for evfl, "love those who hate, b]ess those who ourse us, and pray for t.hçse who dcspitefully use us." If is only when itis impossil,le at once fo be kind to them, and give gh,ry to çod, that we nmy cease to act kindly towards them. When ])avid speaks of hating God's enemies, it was under eircumstances when keepiug friends with them would have 1,een a desertion of the Truth. St. James says, " Know ye nt that the fi.iendshp of the wm'hl is emnity with G,d?,,1 and so, on the other hand, devotion t» {lod's cause is emnity with the worhl. But no personal feeling must intrude itself any case. We hate simers, by putting them out of out sight, as if they were hot, by annihatting them, in our aetions. And this we mttst do, even in the case of our friends and relations, if God requires it. But in no case are we to aow ourselves in resentment or malice. 2. Next, if is quite compatible with the most earnest zeal, to oSbr kind oees fo God's enemies when in distress. I do hot, say that a denial of t, hese oces may not be a duty ordinarily; fi)r if is out duty, as St. John tells us in his second Epistle, not even to reeeive them into out houses. But the case is very different where nmn are brought into extremity. God "maketh His sun to fise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth tain on the just and on the unjust. ''e We nmst go and do likewise, imitating the good Samaritan; and as he thought nothing of différence of nations when a Jew was in-distress, in like manner we must hot take a James iv. 4.  latt. v. 45.

aeeount of wilful heresy, or profaneness, in sueh eireumstanees. 3. And, fitrther, the Christian keeps aloof from sinnets in order to do them good. He does so in the truest and lnost elflarged ehm'ity. If is a nan'ow and weak feeling to ldease a man here, and to endanger his soul. A true friend is he who speaks out, and, when a lna.n sins, shows him that he is displeased af the sin. He who set.s up no witness against his friend's sin, is " partaker of his evil deeds."l The Psahnist speaks in this spirit, when, after praying to (lod "to perseeute" the ungodly "with IIis temlest.," he adds, "fill their faces with shame, that they ma.y seek Thy name, O Lord." Aeeordingly, the more zealous a Christian is, therefore is he the more charitable. The Israelite, when he entered Ca.naan, w,'ts told to spare neither ohl nor young; the weak and the infirm were to be no exception in the list of vietims whose blood was fo be shed. "Of the eities of these people, which the Lord thy God doth give thee for an inheritanee, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth."  Aeeordingly, when the people fought against Sihon, they "took ai1 his cities at tha tinle, and utterly destroyed the men, and the vomen, and the little ones of eve T city," they "left none to remain. '' And when Jericho was taken, "they utterly destroyed ail that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword. ''s XVhat an awful office was this,  2 John 11. e Ps. lxxxiii. 16.  ])eut. xx. 16.  Deut. il. 34. » Josh. vi. 21.

what a.n unutterably heart-piercing txsk, a.hlost enough to make a man fi'antic, except as uphehl by the power of tIiln who gave the COlmnand! Yet Moses, thus severely-minded to do God's will, vas the lneekest of men. Sanmel, too, who sent Saul to slay i Amalek "man and woman, infant a.nd suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass," was, ri'oto his youth up, the wise and heavenly-milded gtide and 1,rophet of Israel. David, who had a fie T zeal, so as even to consume him, was (as we see by his Isahns) lnOSt tender-hearted and gent.le in his feelings and thoughts. Doubtless, whflê the servmts of Cmd execnted His judglnents, they stiil eould bend in pity aml in hope over the young and ohl wholn they slew with the sword—lnereiful alnid their severity—an Ulspeakable trial, doubtless, of faith and self-mastery, and requiring a x ery exalted and refined spirit suceessthlly to undergo. Doubtless, as they slew those who suflhred for the sins of their tàthers, their thoughts turned, first to the rail of Adam, next to that unsêen state whêre ail inequalities are righted, and they surrendered themselves as instrtments unto the Lord, of mysteriously working out good through evil. And shail u'c faint at our far lesser trials Men they bore the greater? Spared the heavy neeessity of piereing with the spear of Phinehas, and of hewing Agag in Gilgal—allowed to take hstead of inflicting suffering and "to make a differenee" instead of an indiscriminate severit.y—shall we, like eowards, shrink from bearing out lighter bm'dens, whieh out Lord commands, and in whieh He sers us the pattern? Shall we be perversely persuaded by the appearance of amiableness or kindness in those whom God's word bids us depart from as heretics, or profligate livers, or troublers of. the Church? Joseph could speak strangely to his brethren, and treat them as spies, put one of them in prison, and demand another fronl Canaan, wh ile he hardly refrained himself in doing so, and his 1,owels yemed over them; and ly turns he punished them, and wept for them. (_)h, tha.t there was in us this high temper of mingled austerity and love! Barely do we conceive of severity by itself, a.nd of kindness 1,y itself; but who unites them? We think we cannot le kind without ceasing tobe severe. AX31o is there that walks through the world, wounding according to the fle of zeal, and scattering balm freely iii the fulness of love; smiting as a duty, and healing as a 1)rivilege; loving most when he seems sternest, and enfl)mcing them most tenderly whom in selnblance he treats roughly? What a sta.te we are in, when any one who rehearses the plain threats of our Lord and His Apostles against silmers, or ventures to defend the anathemas of His Church, is thought unfeeling rathe than merciflfl; when they who separate from the irreligious world are blamed as f;mciful and extravaganL and those who confess the tnth, as itis in Jesus, are said tobe bitter, hot of head, and intemperate! Yet, with God's ga'ace, with the history of the Old Testa- nent before us, and the fearful recompense, to wa.rn us, which calne upon backsliding Isael, we, the Ministers of ChrisL da.re not keep silence alnid this great el-TOr. In beh,qlf of Christ, our Saviour and Lord, who yielded p His precious life for us, and now feeds us with His own blood, fo the sake of the sotls whom He bas redeemed, and vhom, by  fiflse and cruel charity, t.he world would keep in ignorance and sin, we cannot refrain; and if His Holy Sl-il'it be 'ith us, as we trust He is, wlmtever betides, vlmtever is coming on this country, speak the truth we -ill, and overcome in our speking we nlus; for I[e has given us to o\-ercome!

RECEPTS such as these corne home 'ith the force of truth, even to nfinds which fain would resist them, from their seriousness and practical wisdom, ptting aside the authority of inspiration. At no rime and uuder no circumstances are they without their aplfiication; at the present tilne, when religious unity and ])eace are so lamentably disregarded, and novel doctrines and new measmes alone are popular, they naturally 'emind us of the duty of obedience to the Church, and of the sin of departing ïrom if, or what our Litany prays against under the naine of « heresy and schism." It nmy seem out of place to speak of this sin here, because those who commit it are hot likely to be in Chm'ch to profit by vhat might be said about it; yet the commission of it affects even those 'ho do hot commit it, by imking them indifferent to it. For this reason, and because itis right that even such persons as are finnest in their adherence to the Church should know why they adhere toit, I will consider some of the 1)Ol)ular objections which are ruade to such adherence, by those who accourir it, hot sinhfl indeed (though many go even this length), but unnecessary. You tmw rime was when there was but one vast body of Cristians, called the Church, tbroughout the world. It was found in every country wbere the naine of Christ was nalned; it was everywhere governed in the saine wuy by Bishops; if was everywhere descended froln the A1)ostles through the line of those Bishops; and it was everywhere in perfect peace and unity together, branch with branch, all over the worhl. Thus it fulfilled the prol)hecy: "Jerusaleln is builded as a city that is compact together: for there are set Throues of judglnent, the Thrones of the House of David."  There were, indeed, separatists and dissenters, then as now, but they were many and various, hot one body like the Church; they were short-lived, had a beginning after the Apostles, and came to an end, first one and then another. ]ut nov all this beauty of Jerusalem is miserably defaced. That vast Catholic body, "the Holy Church throughout all the world," is broken into many fragments by the power of the Devil; just as some huge barrier cliff which once boldly fl'onted the sea is at length cleft, parted, overthrown by the waves. Some portions of it are altogether gone, and those that remain are separated from each other. We are the English Catholics; abroad are the Poman Catholics, some of a Ps. cxxii. 3, 5.

whom are a]so among ourselves; e]sewhere are the Greek Catholics, and so on. And thus we stand in this day of rebuke and blaslflmmy—clinging fo our own portion of the Ancient Rock which the waters are roaring round and would fain overflowtnlsting in God —looking fi»r the dawn of day, which "will at length corne and will hot tanT," when God will sure us from the rising floods, if we have courageously kept out footiug where He bas placed us, neither yielding to the violence of the waves which sweep over us, nor listelfiug o the crafty invitations of those who offer us an escape in vesscls hot of G od's building. Now I ara goiug to notice and refute some of the bad argmnents by which the chihh'en of this world convey their invitation. 1. First they say, "Why keep so strictly to one body of Christians when there are so many other bodies also —so nmny denominations, so nmny persuasions—al1 soldiers of Christ, like so nmny different arlnies, al1 advancing in one cause against one enemy? Surely this exclusive attachment to one party," so they speak, "' fo the neglect of other C.hristians who profess a like doctrine, and only differ in forms, is the sign of a narrow and illiberal lnind. Christianity is an universal gift; why then 1irait its possession to one set of men and one kind of Church government, instead of allowing all who choose to take it to thelnselves in any -way they please?" Now surely those who thus speak should begin vith answel'ing Scripture, hot questioning us; for Scripture certainly recognizes but "one body" of Christians as explicitly as « one Spirit, one faith, one Lord, and one Goal and Father of al1. ''1 As far as the text of Scripture goes, if is as direct a contradictioa of if to speak of more thau one body as to sl)eak of more tlmn one Spirit. On the other hand, Scripture altogether conteml)ltes the existence of persuasions, as they are fitly called, round about this one body, for if speaks of them; but if does hot hint ever so faintly that, because they exist, therefore they must be ac -lcuowledged. So much the contrary, that if says, « There must be hcresies," that is lrivate persuasions, self-formed bodies, « among you, that they which are al)proved ma.y be marie manifest among you." Again, "'A man tha is a heretic," that is, oae who adopts some opinioa of his own in religious matters, and gets about him followers « after the first and second admonition, reject." And again, "Mark them which cause divisions, and avoid them. '''z low, we are of those vho, in accordance with these directions, bave done out best fo keel clear of such human doctrines and private opinions, adhering to that one ]ody Catholic vhich alone was founded by the Apostles, and will last till the end of all things. And if is surely better thus implicitly to believe and obey God's voice in Scrilture than to tenon; if is more tolerable tobe called narrowminded by man, thaa tobe pronotmced self-wise and self-sufïicient by God; itis hal)l)ier tobe thought oversCl)tdous, with the Iible, than fo bave the wofld's lraise for liberality without it. Iut again, who is bold enough fo say that "it woul4 be a narrow and niggardly appointment, were the bless-  Eph. iv. -6. a 1 Cor. xi. 19; Tir. iiL 10; lom. xvi. 17. [m]  ings of the Gospel stored up in one body or set of persons to tlle exclusion of others?" Let him see to it, how he opposes God's universal scheme of providence which we see before out eyes. Christianity is a blessing for the whole earth—granted; but if does hot therefore fol]ow (to judge from what we otherwise know of God's dealings with us) that none have been specially commissioned fo dispense the blessing. Mercies given fo multitudes are hot less mercies because they are ruade fo flow from particular sources. Indeed, most of the great appointments of Divine goodness are marked by this very cllaracter of what men call exdusivencss. God distributes numberless benefits to all men, but He does so through a few select instruments. The few are favoured for the good of the many. Wealth, power, gifts of mind, learing, all tend towards the welfare of the connnunity; yet, for al] that, they are hot given af once fo al], but channel]ed out fo the may through the few. And so the blessings of the Gospel are open to the whole wofld, as freely given as light or tire; ye even light has had ifs ow receptacle since the fourth day of creation, and tire bas been hidden in the flinty rock, as ff to show us that the light and tire of out souls are hot gained without the use of means, nor except from special sources. Again, as fo the Ministerial Succession being a form, and adherence to if a form, if can only be called a form because we do hot see ifs effects; did anything visible attcnd if, we should no longer cal] it a form. Did a miracle always fol]ow a baptism or a return into the Church, who would any longer cal] it a form? that is, we cll if  form, only so long as we refuse to walk by faith, which dispenses with things visible. Faith sees things not tobe forms, if communded, which seem like forms; if reulizes consequences. 1V[en ignorant in the sciences would predict no result from chemi6al and like experiments; they would count flmm  form and t pretence. What is prayer but a form? thut is, who (to speuk generally) sees anything corne of if? But ",ve belicve if, and so are blessed. In what sense is adherence to the Church  form in which lorayer is not also? The benefit of the one is not seen, nor of the other; the one will hot profit the ungodly and careless, nor wfll the other; the one is commanded in Scripture, so is the other. Therefore, to sy tht Church-union is t form, is no disparugement of if; forms tre the very food of faith. 2. However, if nmy be argued, tht, "whatever ws the cause, and 'hatever was intended by Divine Providence, many sects there are;" and thtt, "if unit.y be t duty, ts members of the Church maintain, the best, the only way to effect if now, is for them to relax their strictness and join in one xa'ith all sects upon whtever terres." I answer by asking, whether we bave any lcave so to do, any commission to airer any part of whtt God has tppointed; whether we lnight hOt as wen pretend fo substitute another ordinance for 13ptism as to nnul the rights of the Church Catholic, and put human societies and tetchers of mun's creating on level with if? Even ]3alm felt wht was the power of a Divine tppointment. "He hath blessed," he says,. "and r cannot rc'crsc it." Even holy Isaac, much as he wished iV, could hOt change the course of the blessing once conferred, or the decree of God. He cried out concerning Jacob, « yea, and he shall be blessed;" for "if is hot of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth," "hOt of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man," « but of Goal that showeth mercy." « The gifts and calling of God are without rel»entance." 1 l[en, who have themselves sel)arated from the Church, sometimes urge a union among all Chfistians in the following way: they say, "We dissent from you; yet we will cast aside out forms if you will cast aside yours. Thus there wfll be mutual concession. What are forms, so that our heaoEs are one?":Nay, but there is hOt, there cannot be, a like heart and spirit, from the very nature of the case, between us and them, for obedience fo the Church is one 1)a of our spirit. Those who think nmch of submission fo ber auhority, as we do, i)lainly do differ in spirit from those who think litfle of if. Such persons, flen, however wel] they mean if, yet, in fact, ask us fo give up something, whfle they give up nothing themselves; for that is hot much to give up which a nan sers no value upon. Ail they give up is wlmt they themselves disl)arage by cal]ing it a form. They call out holy discipline also a ïorm, but e do hot: and if is wt a mere ïorm in out judgmens, though it may be in theirs. They cal] if a bureau invention, just as they cal] theh- own; but, till we call if so also, till they bave first convinced us that i is, if must be  sacïifice in us to give if up, such as they cannol possibly make. They cannot make such sacrifice, because they bave ruade it already, or their fathers belote them, when they left t, he Church. They cannot make if, for they bave no affections to sacrifice in the matter; whereas out piety, our reverence, out t:aith, out love adhere to the Church of the Apostles, and could hot (were desertion possible, which God forbid!) cotfld hot be trn away from if without many wounds and much anguish. Surely, then, if is craft, or over simplicity in those who differ from us thus to speak. They strip themselves of what we consider an essential of holiness, the decencies and 1)roprieties of the Ancient ule. Then, being unclothed, they are forced to an'ay themselves in new fornas and ordinances, us they best may; and these novelties, which their own hands bave sewed together to cover them, which they never revered, and which are soon to wither, they purpose (as though) to sacrifice to us, provided we, on our par, will cas from us the Lord's own clothing, t.hat sanctity and sobriety of ortier, which is the gift of Christ, the earnest of His imputed merits, the type and the effectual instrument of His work in our hearts. This, truly, would be exchging the fine gold for brass; or, like unthankful Esau, bartering our enduring birthright for an empty and transitory benefit. 3. But the argument is continue& "Well," if may l)e said, "even granting that obedience to the Church be a Scripture duty, stfll, when there m'e erronious teachers in if, surely if is a higher duty to desert them for their errofs sake than to keep to them for forla'S sake." low, before this qucst;.on can be ans'ered, the error must be specified vhich this or tlaat teacher holds. The plain and practical question we bave fo decide is, whether lais error be such as to suspcnd lais power of administering the Sacraments. If nmst be deadly indeed and lnonstrous to effect this; and, surely, this ministry of the Sacraments, hot of the outward word— of the spirit, not of the leCter—is lais principal power and our principal need. If is our interest, if is our sofi's interest, that we keep to those vho minisCer divine benefits, even tlaough they " offnd in nany things." _And if is plainly our duty also. If they be in error, let us pray for them, not abandon tlaem. If they sin against us, let hot us sin against, them. Let us return good for evil. Thus David acted even towards Saul his iersecutor. He "behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the Lord was with Itim."  The cruelty of Safl was an ex¢reme case; yet David's ': eyes looked right on," and "lae turned hot fo the right hand nor the left." He still honoured Saul, as put over him by Ahnighty Goal. So ought we, in St. laurs words, fo " obey them that bave the rule over us, and submit ourselves. »In truth, the notion that errors in a particular teacher justify separation from the Church itself, is founded in a lnistake as fo the very object (as if may be considcred) for vhich teaching was committed fo if. If individual teachers were infallible, there wotfld be no need of oMer and rule af all. If we had  living Head upon earth, such as once our Saviour was with His disciples, teaching and directing us in all things, the visible Church might so far be dispensed  1 Sain. xviii. 1t.

with. But, since we have not, a form of doctrine, system of luws, u bond of subordination connecting in one, is the next best mode of securing the stability of sacred Truth. The whole body of Christians thus become the trustees of it, fo use the language of the world, and, in thct, hure.thus age airer age transmitted if down fo ourselves. Thus, teachers have been bound to teach in one way hot in another, as well as hearers fo hear. As, then, we have a share in the adva.ntage, let us hot complain of sharing in the engagement; us we enjoy the truth af this day by the strctness ai those who were betbre us, let us hot shrink from undergoing that through which we have inherited if. Il" hearers break the rule of discipline, why should hot teachers break the rtfle of tith? and if we fmd fault with our teacher, even whfle he is restrained by the Church's rule, how much greater would be out complaint when he was hot sa restrained? Let us not, then, be impatient of an appointment which effects sa much, on the ground that it does not effect all. Let us not forger that rules presuppose the risk of error, but rather reflect whether they da not da nore than they fail fo da. Let us be less selfish than fo think of ourselves only. Let us look out upon the whole community, the poor, the ignorant, the wayward, and the mista.ken. Let us consider whether if will be prudent fo become responsible for the Church's ultimutely withdrawing from out land, which we shall be (as far as in us lies) by out withdruwing from it. 4. But it ay be suid, "Faith is hot u mutter of words, but of the heurt. If is more than the formal doctrine if is the temper and spia'it of this or that teacher which is wrong, tIis creed may be orthodox, but his religion is hOt vital; and surely external order must hot lie ni)on ls as a burden, stifling and destroying the true inward ïellowship between Christian and Christian." Now let it be earefully noted, tiret if order is fo be preserved at all, if must be af the expense of what seems fo be of more consequence, iz., the so-called commmaion of the hea between Christians. This lOeCtfliarity is involved in its veyy nature; and surely our Saviour knew this when IIé enjoined if.:For eonsider a moment. True spiritual feeling, heaoEfelt devotion, lively faith, and the like, do hot adroit of being described, defined, ascertained in a.y one fixed way; as is implied indeed in the ve W objection under consideration. We ïorm our judgment of them, v:hatever it be, by a number of little eia-cumstances, of lanmage, malmer, and conduct, which eannot be put into words, which fo no two beholders appear exactly the saine, insomuch that if every one is tobe satisfied, every one must have the power of drawing his line for himself. Iut if every one follow his own rule of fellowshil o, how ean t.here possibly be but "one body," and in what sense are those words of the Apostle to be taken? Again, this or that person may be more or less relious in speech and conduct; how are we to draw the line, even according fo our own individuil standard, and say vho are tobe in our Chm'ch and who out oï it? Scandalous offenders indeed and open heretics might be excluded at once; but it wofld be far easier fo say 'hom fo lOUt out than whom to let in, mless we let la al_l. From the truest believer to the very infidel there may be interposed a series of men, more or less religious, in human eyes, gradually fiiling up the vhole interval. Even ff we would infallibly decide between good and bad, life votfld be st)ent in the vork; what our success reaily vill be, may be foretoht from the instances of those who attempg to do so, and vho no nfrecluently aistake for highly-gifted Chriatians men who are almost nbelievers. But., granting me have some extraordinary gift of discernment, still any how wc could hot see more than Ite sees, ho iml»lies that the faith of ail of us is but immature a'nd in its rudiments, by Itis very l»OStl»onement of the final judgment;—so that to draw a line at ail, and yet to include just ail who seem religious, are things of necessity incompatible with each other. On the other hand, forms are lorecise and definite. Once broken, they are altogether bïoken. There are no degrees of breaking them; either they are observed or they are not. If seems, t.hen, on the 'hole, that if we leave the Church, in order to join what appears a less formal, a more sloiritual, relion else-here, -e break a commandment for certain, and we do hot for certain secure to ourselves a benefit. 5. Lastly, it may be asked, "Are me then fo keep aloof from those whom we think good men, 'anting that it wofld be better that they should be in the Church?" We need hot, me must hot, keelo aloot Ve are hot bound, indeed, to court their society, but we are bound hot to shrink from them -hen wc fail in with flmm, except, indeed, they be the actual authors and fomenters of division. We are bound to love them and pray for them; hOt fo be harsh with them, or revile or despise them, but to be gentle, patient, apt to teach, nerciful, fo make allowance, to interpret their conduct for the best. We would, if we could, be one with them in heart and in form, thinking a loving unity the glo W and crown of Christian fdfl; and ave will try all means fo effect this; btt we feel, and we cannot conceal it, we feel that, if we and they are to be one, they must corne over to us. We desire to meet together, but it rnust be in the Church, hot on neutral ground, or rather an enemy's, the open inhospitable waste of this world, but within that sheltered herita.ge whose land-ma'ks bave long since been set up. If Christ bas constituted one Holy Society (which tIe bas done); if tIis Apostles bave set it in order (which they did), and have expressly bidden us (as they bave in Scripture) hOt to undo what they bave begun; and if (in matter of fact) their Work so set in order and so blessed is among us this very day (as it is), and we partakers of it, if were a traitor's a.ct in us to abandon if, an nnthankful slight on those who bave preserved it for so many ages, a clnel disregard of those who are to corne after us, nay of those now alive who are external to it and might otherwise be brought into ik We must transmit a.s we bave received. We did hot make the Church, we lnay hOt unmake if. As we believe if to be a ]Divine Ordinance, so we nnst ever protest ainst separation from if as a sin. There is hot a dissenter living; but, inasmuch and so far as he dissents, is in a sin. If may, in this or that instance, be a sin of infirmity, or carelessness, nay of ignorance; it may be a sin of the society to which a man belongs, hot his own, a ceremonial offence, hot a personal; still it is in its nature sinful. It nmy be mixed up with much that is good; if lay be a perversion of conscience, or again, an inconsistency in him; if nmy be connected more or less with l»iety towards his forefathers; still, considered as such, it cannot but be a blemish and a disadvantage, and, if he is saved, he will be saved, not through if, but in spire of if. So far forth as he dissents, he is under a cloud; and though we too may, for what we know, lmve as great sins to answer for, taking his siu at the greatest, and though we pray that Christ will vouchsale, in some excellent way, known to Himself, to "perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle," all "who love tlim uncorrupfly," even if selarate from the glories of tIis Church on earfl, still protest we should and must against separation itself, and wflfifl continuance in if, as evil—as nothing short of "the gainsaying of Core," and the true chfld of that sin which lost us Eden. or does the sin of separation end in itself. ever suppose, my brethren, whatever the world muy say, that a mun is neither better nor worse, in his own faith and conduct, for separating from the Church. Of course we cannot "try the heurt and the reins," or decide about individuals; still, this much seems clear, that, on the whole, deliberate insubordination is the symptom, nuy, often the cause and first beginning of an unhumbled, wilftfl, self-dependent, contentious, jealous spirit; and, as far as any man allows himself in acts of it, so far bas he upon him the tokens of pride or of coldness of heart, going belote or following after. Coldness and pride—these sins are not pectùiar, alas, fo those vho le,ve us; tht we know full well. We all hve the seeds of them within us, and it is our shame and condenmation if we do hot repress them. iBut between us, if we be cold or proud, -md those who are active in dissent, there is this clear difference—that proud reliance on self, or that cold formality, which lnay also be round in the Church, these, though round in if, are not fruits of it, do hot fise ri'oto connection vith if, but are inconsistent with it. For to obey is fo be meek, hot proud; and to obey, for Christ's sake, is to be zealous, hot cold; vhereas, vilful separation or turbulent conduct, fornfing religious meetings of out own, opposing our private j udgment to those who have the rtfle over us, disaffection tovards them, and the like ïeelings and courses, are the very effects and the sure ïorerunners of pride, or impatience, or restlessness, or self-will, or lukewrmness; so tht these sins in members of the Church are in spire of the Church, but in sep,ratists are involved in their sep,rating. "Put avay ri'oto thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far ri'oto thee. Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight belote thee. Ponder .he path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn hOt to the fight hand, nor to the left; remove thy foot from evil." What hve we, 1)rivate Christians, fo do vith hopes and fears of earth, with schemes of change, the pursuit of novelties, or dreams of reforms? The vorld is passing like  shadow; the day of Christ is hastcning on. It is out wisdom, surely, to use what bas been lrovided for us, instead of lusting after what we bave hOt, asking flesh fo eat, and gazing wistfully upon:Egypt, or on the heathen around us. Faith bas no ]eisure fo act the busy lolitician, to bring the world's language into the sacred fold, or fo use the world's jealousies in a divine lolity, fo demand rig'hts, fo flatter the many, or fo court the powerfnl. What is faith's highest wish and best enjoyment? A dying saint shall answer. It is related of a meek a.nd holy confessor of our own, shortly before his departure, that when, after much pain, he was asked by a friend, "Vhat more special thing he wotdd rccommend for one's ,hole life?" he briefly replied, "unïfor» obcdicnce," by 'hich he meant, as his bio-apher tells us, that the hal)piest state of life was one in which we had hot to command or direct, but fo obcy sol¢ly; hot having fo choose for ourselves, but having oltr l»ath of duty, out mode of life, out fortunes marked out for us.  This lot, indeed, as is lflain, cannot be the lot of all; but if is the lot of the many. Thus God lours out His blessings largely, and l»uts trial on the few; but men do hot mderstand their own gain, and run into trials as being ufit for enjoyment. May He give us grace fo cherish a viser mind, fo make much of our privilege, if we bave if, fo serve and be at test; and, ff we bave it not, fo covet it, and fo bear dutffully as but a misfortune fo a sinner, that fi-eedom from restraint which the world boasts in as a chier good!  ell's « Lire of ttammond."