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When the righteous shall find that all their virtues have vegetated and brought forth abundant fruit, what joy and blessedness shall take possession of their souls! But they have performed these actions with regard to the glory of God, and with a desire to please him. "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."

good shall enter into life everlasting.|"an offering and a sacrifice to Ged of a And all this is quite consistent with the sweet smelling savour." God accepts this doctrine of justification by faith: for it is imitation of Christ on the part of his peo certain that no gifts, however splendid, ple, not from any virtue there is in them, can be pleasing to God, if they be pre- but from the virtue there is in Christ, to sented by a man who is not justified. whom they are united, and through whom They are the gifts of a rebel, of a rebel they ever will be blessed.-And the rewho is under sentence of death:-if a wards which God will bestow upon such man were condemned to die as a rebel, it are of a kind which could not possibly is certain that no acts of obedience, no be connected with merit in them. They gifts of kindness to those around him, no include peace and consolation of soul in promises of future allegiance, would the present life, and the future vision of avail; they could not change his charac- God, and the full enjoyment of holiness ter from that of a rebel to that of a faith- and perfect bliss. He will say to all ful servant; his private virtues, however those who have aimed to be useful upon numerous, could not be taken into the earth, "Well done, good and faithful account. All men are rebels against servant!-Enter ye into the joy of your God; and "by the deeds of the law can | Lord." O, the unspeakable blessedness no flesh living be justified." No acts of giving in that great day, when He will which we may perform can atone for sin, | bestow upon all according to their works! or render us acceptable to God. But, if the Most High has graciously promised to bestow pardon-if he has assured us that all who will lay down the arms of their rebellion shall be pardoned and restored to his favour, then those who are thus pardoned and reconciled may approach to him without fear; they may obtain from him the assurances of his favour, and may confidently hope for the testimonials of his approbation. Then the majesty of heaven may receive their ser- I would apply this doctrine of the vices; services from those who are recon-blessedness of giving above that of reciled to him, but not from those who are still in a state of rebellion. We must first receive the forgiveness of sins ;-we must come to him by the blood of the cross; we must approach him through Jesus Christ alone, and alone by faith obtain pardon and renewal. We must begin here: we must be justified by faith; and then, being justified by faith, you may hope for acceptance.-Through Jesus Christ and his precious blood, God will accept the free-will offerings of such. The doctrines of justification by faith, and the free grace of God, are never for a moment lost sight of by enforcing the performance of acts of charity;-and let me remind you, that God loves the disposition to do good-the wish to act for the benefit of others. He loved it in his own Son; and He who offered himself up for us and our salvation, presented

ceiving, very briefly, by simply exhorting those who hear me to act on this principle. Be assured that He who said this will make it plainly out in the experience of all. Determine to give rather than to receive. Learn to consider yourselves as "not your own, but bought with a price;" and aim to "glorify God in your bodies and in your spirits, which are God's."

The great means of having it in our power to act on this principle is to prac tice economy. Those who give their minds to it will find their means multiply far beyond what they could themselves expect.-Frugality opens a variety of sources, furnishes a number of means of well doing. There is scarcely an individual who has it not in his power to do good: all may so act as to have "to give to him that needeth." None are ex

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cluded: the duty, the blessedness, is not and some, evangelists; and some, pas confined to either rich or poor. The tors and teachers; for the perfecting of apostle says, "Let him that stole, steal the saints, for the work of the ministry, no more; but rather let him labour, work- for the edifying of the body of Christ; ing with his hands the thing that is good;" till we all come in the unity of the faith, not merely that he may supply his own and of the knowledge of the Son of God, necessities, but that he may have to unto a perfect man, unto the measure of give to him that needeth." The apostle the stature of the fulness of Christ." No taught also that the poor should act so man can possibly ascertain the effects of frugally, as not only industriously to sup- this gift: Christ is by this means making ply their own wants, but to be able to millions to rejoice in his truth-millions give to others. If, indeed, we consult of wanderers have been reclaimed-mil vanity-if we are guided by fashion-if lions have been converted from the erro we give way to covetousness-if we in- of their ways; and long as they exist will dulge in vain show-if we follow the they bless his name. And what is to be course of this world, we shall never have the means of perpetuating this good? to give to others. A mean and avaricious Most of those who are called by God, are disposition will ever keep pace with the called by a holy ministry. The gospel love of splendour and of show ;-but if we is still the power of God to salvation to endeavour not to seek the things of the every one that believeth." And, in the world; if we remember not to "seek present very advanced state of society, great things for ourselves;" if we con- none can be fully qualified for this work sider that "all that is in the world is not without much preparation. Time was of the Father, but of the world;" if, as when God raised up men who shone most Christians, we aim to rise above it, we brightly, without the aids of human learnshall always find ample means of doing ing: there have been some who have good; and he who anxiously wishes it, risen high, and been eminently useful. will always find himself able to advance In our own denomination we have known the interests of his neighbour. But there a Bunyan and a Fuller, who rose to a must be frugality, or it will not be possi- gigantic height. But these were by no ble that our aims to do good will be car-means common cases; they were excepried to any extent.

And while we aim to do good, generally, to supply the bodily wants of our fellow-creatures, let us remember that there are other objects still nobler. He that provides instruction for those around him does more than he who supplies food; and he that supplies them with spiritual knowledge does still more; and he who provides and prepares agents to impart this spiritual knowledge, does the highest act of benevolence of which we can conceive. And this is the very object we have in view in this service: it is to support an institution, by which young men are fitted for the work of the ministry. This must be considered as benevolence of the highest order. Surely we never so imitate Christ as when we are aiming to send out the great gift which he has ever given to mer.. "When he ascended up on high, he gave gifts unto men. He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets;

tions-they are not to be regarded as precedents: we are not to expect such men to be raised up every day.—While education is going on generally throughout society, we must keep pace. There is scarcely a congregation now to be found in the remotest part of the kingdom, in which there are not some men who are able to comprehend, and who do not consider and examine what is said.

I need not say one word to induce you to acknowledge the importance of this: you know well the necessity of academi cal institutions. That for which I have the honour to plead is one of the most ancient; and, without wishing to depreciate any similar institution, I would say, that it is at least equal to any in existence. The students have all the assistance of a library which is not excelled by any in the kingdom, and are aided in their pursuits by learned and pious men. In consequence of building, a debt has beer

RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION FROM HOUSE TO

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in the pulpit, will be more useful than the most eloquent, who confines himself to the pulpit alone." After dwelling at some length upon the value, and, indeed, the absolute necessity, of thus teaching "from house to house," the bishop considers the important inquiry, "Who is sufficient, physically' sufficient for these things?" and candidly acknowledges, what every unprejudiced mind must at once confess, that, "in our larger parishes, it is not possible for the strength or activity of the clergy alone to provide for such individual instruction." He then proceeds to show that this difficulty can only be sufficiently combated by the aid of the laity; "Let the minister of a popu

contracted, which has placed the trustees | earth. Let us listen to him who says in great difficulty, and prevented them" It is more blessed to give than to receive,” from receiving as many young men as and he who has said it will make it good, might otherwise be accommodated. They in an abundant recompense to all who make a strong appeal to you, while thus thus have studied "to adorn the gospel struggling with great difficulties, and of God our Saviour." while aiming to raise up a number of men who shall speak to the people the words of eternal life. You have lately had many demands made upon you, and much has been said to excite you to benevo- THE Bishop of Chester, in his charge lence. But "be not weary in well- to the clergy of his diocese, on "indidoing:" we expect no large proportion of vidual instruction," observes that "withyour property;-a scanty portion of your out this, little permanent effect will be abundance, without much exercise of self-produced by any ministry; and, with it, denial, is all that is needed to attend this a minister who is comparatively feeble application. You will do nobly on this occasion, if you only part with a small portion of your superfluity; and you will, no doubt, be willing to do this, anxious to experience the blessedness of those who give you will delight to lay up for yourselves those rewards which he has graciously promised to bestow. Remember God has put the "treasure" of his gospel into "earthen vessels,"" that the excellency of the power may be of him." "How shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach except they be sent ?" And how can they be duly prepared, unless you furnish the means? If Christians withhold the means, the church of God must cease; places of worship must be shut up; im-lous district, using careful discrimination mortal souls must be neglected. But you will not allow this: you will come "to the help of the Lord against the mighty ;"you will not look at the weakness of the instruments, but remember that 'tis the cause of God. They may be feeble; but they are such men as Christ employs in going forth "conquering and to conquer." They form that army which He is leading forth, who hath "on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."-They are "the in the appendix, the Bishop gives an called, and chosen, and faithful," whom he will employ to accomplish his designs; and he who despises these ministers as mean and contemptible, would despise and contemn their Master, if he were upon

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of character, select such as are worthy' and of good report,' and assign them their several employments, under his directions; they may lessen their own labour, by visiting and examining the schools; by reading and praying with the infirm and aged; by consoling the fatherless and widows in their afflictions; and pursuing the many nameless ways by which it is in the power of one Christian to benefit and relieve another:"

outline of the plan of two or three district societies, where this system of lay instruction has been tried, in densely populous parishes, with very considerable effect,

SERMON XX.

THE GLORIFICATION OF THE WORD OF GOD.

BY THE REV. JOSEPH FLETCHER, D.D.

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· Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you."-2 Thess. iii. 1.

direction of those powers and of those passions, he was fitted to be either an angel of mercy or a destroying demon to the rest of his race.

THE apostle Paul, in this solemn and impressive injunction, asserts the dignity of the gospel-he describes it to be the word of the Lord; and he who recorded the injunction well knew its claims to this high and sacred designation. He had first heard the word of the Lord in circumstances of strange and mysterious interest. On the way to Damascus its power first reached his heart, and it proved to be indeed the power of God to his salvation. He was then engaged in an enterprise of fearful resentment against the disciples of the despised Nazarene. His interests at that time were all on the side of his prejudices and his passions--ful voice reached his heart. His convera mistaken conviction of duty giving force to the one and authority to the other.

All the ardour of youthful feeling, all the energy of powerful talents, all the influence of the high and distinguished connections that surrounded him, and all the effect which he was able to produce on the minds of others, were devoted at that period to one object, and that object was the utter extermination of the Christian cause. He was a man characterized by that ardour of temperament, by that hardihood of nerve, by that passion of character, that he could do nothing by halves. No one could have looked at him without at once receiving the impression, that in whatever cause he engaged, to whatever object he was devoted, it would concentrate and absorb the strength of all his powers, and the force of all his passions, and that, according to the object which he regarded, and the VOL. I.-24

He was approaching the spot destined to be the scene of unrelenting hostility against the disciples of the cross; but in the midst of all his anticipations a marvellous effect is produced, on which he had never calculated, which was, therefore, strictly a miracle of mercy-a deviation from the ordinary and established course of the Divine procedure in the administration of his mercy. A voice from heaven reached his ear-a more power

sion to the faith of Jesus was instantaneous. The power of prejudice instantly withered. He felt, as by the stroke of lightning, the force of evidence and the power of truth. It was not merely an effect produced on his understanding in the way of rational conviction; it was an effect produced on his heart by the power of sanctifying mercy. It was then he received the word of the Lord-it was then that all the sentiments of astonishment, and conviction, and penitence, and deep humiliation, and instant resolution, and undaunted decision, were combined and involved in one prayer, "Lord, what wouldst thou have me to do?"-and his whole life, from that memorable moment, was a practical commentary on that first prayer. He could say, emphatically, "One thing I do."

And while the fact of his conversion proved the truth of the gospel, the character founded on that change, and reQ 2 185

sulting from it, was the best possible | connected with the aggrandizement and illustration of the tendency and the influence of the gospel. His conversion exhibited a decisive and invincible proof of its divinity; his character exhibited an equally decisive and invincible proof of its holy, its spiritual, and its heavenly tendency.

the objects of the present passing state, could it be said that he was influenced by personal considerations. All the ordinary motives which we connect with the usual acceptation of the phrase, as derived from the connection and the objects, the possessions and the interests, of the present state, had no power over the heart of this holy man. It was to him, therefore, a matter of perfect indifference whether he was a slave or a free man— whether he was sick or in health-whether he was rich or poor. He possessed an independence of the highest order, of the sublimest philosophy, in relation to all the accidents and all the external circumstances of his present history, and looking forward to eternity, he felt a realizing sense of the value of the soul, and was conscious of the claim of that imperishable truth which God had committed to him as a sacred deposit; and to propagate that truth, and to promote its high and holy objects, was the very end for which he lived, and moved, and had his being.

Read, then, my brethren, the history of this astonishing man-observe the varying circumstances in which he was placed, the extended scene of his labours, the privations to which he submitted, the unparalleled energy pervading all his actions, and exhibited amid all his sufferings and you will find one principle lying at the foundation of all this structure of moral excellency-one mighty spring giving its powerful and uniform impulse to all the actions of his life. Whether you find him at liberty or in bonds-amid the court of Areopagus, or amongst the barbarians at Melita-whether you find him proclaiming the truth to the barbarian and the savage, or the Athenian and the Roman, you find one great object before him, giving animation to his motives, consistency to his charac- There was nothing political in the obter, concentration to his efforts, and, un-ject he regarded, and yet, in a certain der the mighty power which wrought in him, success to all his enterprises. That one object was, that the word of the Lord might have free course and be glorified.

That object, in one respect, was not personal. True, indeed, personal interests were deeply involved in the views and the anticipations by which he was influenced. He could not possibly forget, in this respect, his personal interest. He had received a commission to proclaim the word of the Lord and the faith of the Saviour. Strange events connected with his conversion, and always associated with every recollection of it, would deeply fix upon his memory, and his conscience, and his heart, the responsibility involved in his commission; and he could say, therefore," Wo be to me if I preach not the gospel." True, he felt a personal interest in the gospel, because all his own hopes, all his own consolations, were derived from it. But in no sense which would convey the idea of any thing that was selfish, or interested, or secular, or

point of view, it was morally impossible that the object could succeed—morally impossible that the principle on which the apostle laboured, and by which he was governed, with a view to the promotion of the object, should have free course, and operate on the minds, and passions, and characters of others, without ultimately producing even political results. He knew that superstition and idolatry, in all their varied forms and monstrous combinations, were as ill adapted to promote the present interests of the human race as they were in direct opposition to their spiritual welfare and their eternal felicity; and no doubt, therefore, the comprehensive, the prophetic mind of the apostle looked forward to the period when, by the mighty power of the gospel, the altars of idolatry should be overturned, the whole fabric of society should be newly formed, and the systems of idolatry should be annihilated, and every principle opposed to the true interests and general felicity of the human race should

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