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1*.

• (

•» ,/

PRACTICAL ESSAYS

OH THE

Collectfii

IN THE

Liturgy of the Church of England;

FOR THE

SUNDAYS AND OTHER HOLIDAYS.

BY

THE REV. THOMAS T. BIDDULPH, M. A.

Minister of St. Jameses, Bristol ; Chaplaiu to the Right Hon. the
Dowager Lady Bagot ; and late of Queen^s College, Oxford.

VOL. II.

SECOND EDITION.

Holdfast the form of sound words. — 2 Tim. i. 13.

Hontion :

SOLD BT

LONGMAN, HURST, REES, AND ORME ; RIVINGTONS,

HATCHARD, HAMILTON, AND BAYNES, LONDON;

BLISSES, AND MONDAY, OXFORD; BARRETT, CAMBRIDGE;

MOZLEY, GAINSBOROUGH; BINNS, BATH;

ALSO,

LANSDOWN, BRISTOL, AND ALL OTHER BOOKSELLERS.

Printed by J, Evans^ Bristol Mercury Office.

1810.

J

FX

CONTfiNTS

THE SECOND VOLUME.

OntheCollectfortheFoarthSundayaftertheEpiphany i

Fifth 12

Sixth 36

• SeptuBgesima Sunday. 43

• Sexagesiiua. 61

Quinquagesima 79

• •■• Ash-Wednesday 101

theFirst Sunday in Lent 118

Second 136

Third 149

.-. Fourth 161

Fifth 173

Sunday next before Easter 185

Good.Friday.„lst 200 ■

2d 314

3d 230

Esster-Even 229

Easter-Day... 239

the First Sunday after Easter 257

1 Second 274

Third .": 291

Fourth 305

FiflJi 319

Ascension-Day 334

Sunday after AKenuon-Day 348

Whitsunday 360

Trinity-Sunday 385

the FirstSunday after Trinity 402

Second 416

Third 433

Fourth 444

Fifth 458

*2 ON THE COIXECT FOR THE

** whoso hearkeneth" to the voice of wisdom
speaking in the Gospel, " shall dwell safely, and
*' shall be quiet from fear of evil."* Prov. i. 33.

Our collect contains. An appeal to Divine
Omniscience — and A prayer addr^sed to Divine
Omnipotence,

We therein appeal to Divine Omniscience with
a view to the comfort of our souls under their
manifold troubles, and for the purpose of exciting
confidence in the prayer which we afterwards
offer. *' God knoweth us to be set in the midst
*' of so many and great dangers, that we cannot
always stand upright."

That our spiritual dangers are *^ many and
*' great," is too evident to need much illustration.
It appears from the warnings, the promises and
exhortations of Scripture, from the oflBces of
Christ and His Spirit, from the feelings and
confessions of the saints in all ages, and from our
own past experience, if indeed we are true p'lU
grimswho are journeying through the wilderness
of this world towards the heavenly Canaan. The
warnings which abound in the sacred pages
against unbelief, pride, self-sufficieney, self-
righteousness, love of the world, despondency,

* Integer vitw, scelerisquc purus,
Non eget Mauri jaculis, neque arcu,
J>f ec venenatis gravida sagittis,

Fusee, pbaretra;
SFve per Syrtes iter Eestuosas,
Sive facturus per iuhospitalem
Caucasum, vel quee loca fabulosus

Lambit laspcs.

•

Thi# ode J8 certainly, beautiful ; but it will not bear a couv-
|>arisbn with the 23d Psalm. " The Lord is ray Shepherd,"
&c. *• Though I walk through the valley of uie shadow of
^* 'death, I will fear, no evil; for thou art with me, thy rod
^%ud thy fita% thcg^ comfort me."

PRACTICAL ESSAYS

ov

%^t €(AltM

IN THE

LITURGY OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND,

THE FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY.

O God, who knoivest us to be set in the midst of
so many and great dangers, that by reason of the
frailty of our nature we cannot always stand ujy-
right ; Grant to us such strength and protection^
as may support us in all dangers and carry us
through all temptations, through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.

THE Omniscience of God is a subject of
meditation which, while it is replete with
terror to the wicked, affords strong consolation
to the penitent believer. Faith in Chrisft inter-
prets every Divine attribute to our advantage,
and enables us to contemplate all His awful
perfections with serenity and delight. The
dawn of day, which drives the felon to his
hiding-place, gives confidence, comfort, and se-
curitv to the faithful citizen. What the heathen
moralist pretended to on the score of personal
purity, the humble believer actually enjoys
through faith in Christ and the testimony of
a conscience cleansed by atoning blood. For
VOL IL JJ

4 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

'* some on boards, and some on broken pieces of
*' the ship, all escaped safe to land/'

As it is impossible to enumerate the dangers to
which we are exposed, so also it is impossible to
state their magnitude. For it is a danger of SIN-
NING to which we are liable. And what is that,
but a danger of losing heaven, and of falling into
hell. When a soldier in the field of battle con-
templates his situation, he reflects, not only that
he is continually in danger of being wounded by
the bullets which are flying towards him, and which
he neither can see nor avoid by any precaution of
his own, but also that every one of them is
winged with death. Death and destruction issue
forth from every discharge of musquetry and
artillery of which he hears the report, and it is
uncertain whether he may or not be the next vic-
tim. Now " lust, when it hath conceived, bringeth
forth ^' sin ; and sin, when it is finished, bringeth
forth " death/' And what but Almighty power can
prevent the birth, growth, and maturity of this
destructive evil ? If we consider that our dan-
gers are not only so many as to be more in
number than our moments or our thoughts, but
that each of them is big with eternal consequences^
— that our souls are the precious objects about
which our solicitude is required, we shall surely
join heartily in the prayer of our church for
<* strength and protection." "

The '' many and great dangers" to which we
are exposed, are as little under the control of
man as the winds and waves. He who alone
toiows them all can save us from them. Should
g. question arise, why He suffers His people to
be exposed to them when He could at once place
ijJB^ out of the reach of danger— the answer is
eisy : it is for His glory and for their benefit that

FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY. 5

For a while they should remain in the midst, of
f hem. Thereby a "spirit of humility and thankful-
ness is formed within the bosoms of His people;
and His wisdom^ power, truth, and mercy, are
magnified. They are prepared for heaven ; and
to Him an income of everlasting glory is secured^
The effect which these dangers have upon u$ is,
that they occasion a frequent stumbling in the
path of duty. "We cannot always stand upright/*
'^ In many things we offend all;" for "it is not in
'^ man that walketh to direct his steps aright.'*
When we contemplate the narrow path of duty,
our deviations from it and our trippings in it
will appear to be neither few nor small. Where
is the believer who is not conscious of many sins,
both of omission and commission, by which his
heart has been wounded ? What is the meaning
of those sighs and groans, the strong crying ana
tears, which the Christian's closet so often wit-
nesses ? Is not their meaning clear ? Because
he " cannot always stand upright," therefore he
weeps, and prays for pardon and strength. ^' The
'^ flesh lusteth against the Spirit, so that he cannot
*' do the things that he would." He " loves the
*' law of God after the inner man, but finds ano-
" ther law in his members warring against the
'^ law of his mind, so that whep he would do
" good evil is present with him." He is like a
man who has a journey of importance to take,
and which he is in haste to finish; but, through
the slipperiness and roughness of the road, and
his own infirmities, his feet continually slide and
stumble, so that he cannot make the swift progress
that he would. Hence his path is watered with
his tears, his breath is spent in frequent com*
plaints, he goes on with a heavy heart, and cries
mightily to the strong for strength,

93

6 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

The cpnduct of our church in her appeal to
Divine Omniscience respecting the dangers to
which we are exposed, differs widely from that of
our Lord's disciples on a similar occasion. They,
when overtaken by a storm in crossing the lake
of Gennezareth, being in imminent danger of
perishing through the violence of the tempest,
called on their Lord, who was asleep in the hin-
dermost part of the ship, for that help which
their perilous situation made necessary. So far
they acted rightly. But the manner in which
they implored aid, was not free from blame: For
their minds were agitated by fear, and depressed
by unbelief. Their expostulation, '* Master, ca-
*' rest thou not that we perish,'* implied a doubt
of their Lord's friendship, if not an accusation of
unconcern about them. On the contrary, we are
taught to make our humble appeal to God, a$
acquainted most intimately with the perils of our
situation, in the full confidence of feith. Our
supplication is debased with no complaint against
God. We are persuaded, that He permits us to
be in those critical circumstances by which our
patience is exercised for wise and gracious ends,
that a discovery of p^r weakness will make way
for a display of His Almighty power, and, in the
end be productive of benefit to us and of glory
to His name. We therefore proceed to implore
His interference on our behalf. Assured of His
power to save, and remembering His gracious and
faithful promises, we look to Him for '^ strength
'' and protection." t

The Omniscience of God is a sweet subject of
meditation to those who are at peace with Him.
** He knows all the dangers by which I am sur-
^^ rounded, and will glorify His own name by
^^ my deliverance out of them, The hairs of

FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY. 7

^^ my head are all numbered by Him, and not
** one of them can fall to the ground without
** His permission. He knoweth that, while I
*' am here in the world, I am in the furnace of
^* affliction and temptation ; and though He
** should permit it to be heated seven times hot-
" ter than it is wont to be heated. He will not
" suffer a hair of my head to be singed, nor
*^ the siiiell of fire to pass upon me. All that
*^ the fire shglU be able to effect will be pro-
" ductive of benefit It will destroy my bonds,
" so that I shdll walk at liberty in the midst of
^* the furnace. Atid, during the process, the
" Son of God will be with me to chear me by
** His presence." — The present world resembles
the den into which Daniel was cast. It is a
dreary, inhospitable dungeon. " My soul is
" among lions.'' For wherever I. go, and at all
times, I know that ^^ my adversary the devil,
" like a roaring lion, goeth about seeking whom
" he may devour.*' But even here, looking to
the God of my salvation, I am^ as safe as though
there was no lion near me. In that blessed
morning, when the mouth of the den shall be
opened for my deliverance, I shall praise Him
with joyful lips, saying, " My God hath sent
*^ His angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths,
" that they have not hurt me." — ^This world is
a troubled ocean, over which my voyage lies.
But the Almighty Jesus is in the ship in which
I sail. And though sometimes He appears to
be asleep, yet He " knoweth that I am set iu
*^ the midst of so many and great dangers, that t
" cannot always stand upright." Like therif
that go down to the sea in ships, and do busi-
ness in great waters, I see the works of the Lord
and His wonders in the deep. For He com*

B 4

8 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

mandeth and raiseth the stormy wind which
lifteth up the waves thereof. I mount up to the
heaven, and go down again to the depths, so
that my soul is often melted because of trouble.
I reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken
man, and am at my wit's end. All my wisdom
is swallowed up* in perplexity. Then I cry
unto the Lord in my trouble; and He shall
bring me out of my distresses. He shall make
the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof shall
be still. Then shall I be glad, when I am quiet,
and when He hath brought me unto the desired
haven. Then shall I praise the Lord for His
goodness, and for His wonderful works to the
children of men. I shall exalt Him in the con-
gregation of the people, and praise Him in the
assembly of the elders who are before the throne
for evermore."

Reader, is the appeal which you make in our
collect to Divine Omniscience, the result of a
personal consciousness that the description of
your case is true? And, while your soul is
alive to its dangers, is this appeal productive of
comfort ? Doth it encourage your faith in ad-
dres^ng to the throne of grace the prayer that
follows ?

The promises of " strength and protection,"
which God hath made to His people in the
*^ many and great dangers" by which they are
surrounded, do not supercede the necessity of
prayer and watqhfulness. For He will be in-
quired of by us in order that He may save us.
The kingdom of God " suffereth violence" from
all its besiegers, " and the violent take it by
force." God has promised that " sin shall no%

♦Marg. readiDg.

FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY. 9

" have the dominion over us," and that He " will
" bruise Satan under our feet shortly ;" but these
promises can afford comfort to those only who
are taught by " the grace of God which bring-
" eth salvation to deny ungodliness and worldly
" lusts/* who are " fighting the good fight of
** faith, and who, " as prisoners of hope, turn
" to the strong hold." Let us labour then to be
fervent and constant in prayer, that God would
" grant to us such strength and protection as
" may support us in all dangers, and carry us
" through all temptations, through Jesus Christ
" our Lord."

That nothing short of Divine " strength and
protection" can support us in our dangers " and
" carry us through our temptations," is a truth
which needs not to be demonstrated to the genu-
ine Christian : for he knows that his uprightness
is daily endangered by the world, which con-
tinually endeavours to ensnare him both by its
frowns and smiles; by the flesh, which constant
ly solicits ^ gratification of its lusts ; and by the
devil, of whose devices he is not ignorant. He
finds by mournful experience that the seed of
every sin is latent in his heart, and needs only
to be watered by temptation in order to bring
forth its baneful frnit. He perceives temptations
which are suited to his age, constitution, and
circumstances in life, from the danger of which
he is never free.

But the believer has an Almi2:htv Friend, to
whom he repairs with confidence in every time
of need. Divine " strength" is engaged on his
behalf, and shall be " made perfect in his weak-
" ness." ** God will not suffer" those who
trust in Him " to be tempted above that they
" are able ; but will with the temptation also

10 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

*^ make a way to escape, that they may be able
" to bear it." The Christian therefore encou-
rages himself in the Lord his God, and confi-
dently implores " such strength and protection
'^ as may support him in all dangers and carry
^' him through all temptations."

We do not pray for an immediate rescue from
all dangers, and an exemption from all tempta-
tions ; for this would be inconsistent with the
design of God, our own benefit, and His glory.
Our prayer coincides with the intercession of
our Lord, " I pray not that thou shouldest take
^* them out of the world, but that thou shouldest
*' keep them from the evil." In an imitation
of the Lord's prayer we cannot pray amiss. —
Till the coil of life be all unfcdded, we must
maintain the conflict, and live in a spirit of
watchfulness and prayer. But, blessed be God !
the coil is short, the last involution will soon be
explicated, and then prayer will be changed for
praise.

In the meanwhile^ let the humble supplicant,
from whose heart the petition of our collect
flows to his lips, be comforted and dry up his
tears. Faithful is He that hath promised, who
also will doit. Let the praying believer know
that, " as his day is, so shall his strength be; "
that his almighty Friend knows how to deliver
the godly out of temptation, as well as that they
** are set in the midst of so many and great
" dangers that they cannot always stand up-
*' right." He is " able to keep them from
^^ falling, and to present them faultless before
" the presence of His glory with exceeding joy."
He hath said> " I will never leave thee nor for-
" sake thee ; so that we may boldly say, the

FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY. II

** Lord is my helper, I will not fear" what earth
or hell can do against me.

But are there not some among those wha
orally use our collect, who ? re unconscious of
danger, who trifle with the lion's teeth, and
sport themselves in those perils from which
they pretend to pray for deliverance r Are
there not those who formally worship God in
the language of our church, but are unacquaint-
ed with alarm from spiritual perils, lean to
their own understandings and strength, or even
mock at the exercises, the fears and distresses,
the groans and tears, of the contrite soul ? Let
not such persons expect to derive any thing but
increased condemnation from the verbal adop-
tion of our spiritual addresses to the heart-
searching God. Let the impenitent and unbe-
lieving consider that the power and faithfulness
of God, which are engaged on the behalf of all
those *^ who call upon him, even of all who
" call upon him in truths' are engaged against
" the hypocrites in Zion," and will be glorified
in their everlasting destruction. " O God, who
knowest the hypocrisy of the human heart ;
grant to all such as are nnder its influence, and
who deceive themselves with the form of Godli-
ness, while they are destitute of the power
thereof — O grant to them repentance of their
past folly, and pardon of their agravated sin ;
that they may be numbered among the true
worshippers, and become genuine members of
thy holy church, for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.''

1^ ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

ffi

THE FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY.

Lordy we beseech thee to keep thy church and
household continually in thy true i^eligion ; that
theyy who do lean only upon the hope of thy hea-
venly grace, may evermore be defended by thy
mighty power, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

THE visible church of Christ resembles a
field in which wheat and tares grow to-
gether. This resemblance forms the substance
of a beajitiful and instructive parable which our
Lord delivered, and which is the gospel appoint-
ed for the fifth Sunday after the Epiphany.

The genuine members of the Christian church
aje the good seed which God our Saviour hath
sown. But therewith " the enemy" of God and
man hath blended tares, weeds that are of no
value.* This he hath done with a malicious
view of spoiling the crop. These, however,
must grow together until the harvest, when the
reapers will finally separate between hypocrites
and the faithful — gathering the latter into the
granary of heaven, and casting the former into
the fire, that they may be burned.

* The tare, or rather Zizane, which the author has seen
in a hot-house of this country, is a plant that nearly resem-
bles wheat in the appearance of its stem, its leaf, and its
head. But when it ripens, the head is found to be totally
void of grain, and to consist of nothing but chaif, the seed*
pod being distinct from it.

FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY. IS

In the mean time, the church of Christ is en-
dangered, according to human apprehension,
by this unhappy mixture. The true members
of God's household, observing the number of
•weeds which grow in the field around them, fear
lest the wheat should be choaked thereby ; and
being themselves unable to remedy the evil, they
fly to the great Proprietor of all, and make
their complaint to Him, *^ beseeching Him to
*^ keep His church apd household in His true
" religion." Zeal for the honour of God, cha-
rity towards all men, and a regard for their own
safety, prompt them to the adoption of this
intreaty before the throne of grace.

The propriety of praying for the conservation
of the church in God's true religion must be
evident to all who reflect on the subject. When
its origin is considered, when the constant op-
position which it has encountered, its own ten-
dency to suicide, and the near approaches
which it hath sometimes made to annihilation,
are contemplated ; its present existence can on-
ly be attributed to the exertion of Divine power.
Like a spark kindled and kept alive on the sur-
face of a boisterous sea, it exists by a continued
miracle. Earth and hell have been, and are,
intent on crushing the broken reed and on ex-
tinguishing the smoking flax, yet the former
still rears its puny head, and the latter still emits
a suflicient vapour to prove that it is ignited. —
God has placed His church upon a rock, and
has engaged that " the gates of hell shall not
" prevail against it.'**

* ** The gates of Hell" is an expression, which seems ta
be an Hebraism for death ; and its meaning to be, that the
church shall never be extinct, either in its clerojy or people^
See a long note on the passage. Math. xvi. 18, in Poji Syo :
4tnd another iu Doddridge's Expositor.

14 'ON THE COLLECT FOtl THE

That the danger of the church, independently
of Divine care, is imminent in our own day, is
manifest. For infidelity threatens to crush her,
heresies inflict dangerous wounds on her vitals,
schisms rend her members piecemeal, luke-
warmness chills her blood, and the decay of
discipline exposes her to these and a thousand
other evils. Alas ! *^ The whole head is sick,
" and the whole heart is faint/' If ever there
was a loud call on the faithful to be earnest in
prayer that God would " keep His church and
" household in His true religion," it is at the
present moment. " False doctrine, heresy and
*^ schism, hardness of heart, and contempt of
" God's word and commandment," spreading
all around us like a deluge, concur in enforcing^
this important duty. ^

But what is the specific object of our peti-
tion ? What is true religion ?

The word " religion" expresses the obligation*
by which man is bound to God, as his Creator,
Preserver, and Redeemer. In the Old Testa-
ment it is called " the way of the Lord :" Gen.
xviii. 19. Psa. XXV. 9- because it is prescribed
by God, and leads to Him. In the New Tes-
tament it is called " GodlinesSy'^ because God is
its object, aim, and end. 1 Tim. iii. 16. It con-
sists in the knowledge and worghip of God. It
is ** the acknowledgement of the truth which is
^^ after Godliness, according to the hope of eter-
" nal life, which God that cannot lie promised
" before the world began/' Tit. i. 1,2.

* Religio dicitur religando : quod Deum homini per
reconciliation em ejus, hominem Deo per sonctiticationem
hujuSj hominem proximo per charitatem, hominem sibi ipsL
per temperantiam et salutis curam religat.— MarA;ii Chni"
tiance. Theologies meduih.

FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER TIIE EPIPHANY. 15

«

If it be required what religion binds us to be-
lieve, we may safely refer to the articles of our
church, as containing an epitome of the doctrine
of the Bible. Let these be compared with the
Scriptures ; let the example of the noble Bereans
be followed, and the Scriptures be searched for
the purpose of determining whether these arti-
cles be true ; and it will befound that they
contain the truth, and nothing but the truth,
and likewise, by expression or implication, all
that is necessary to be believed in order to
salvation.

If a further question be asked, what religion
binds us to do (for religion consists of faith and
practice, both of which are essential parts of
its composition) a reference may be made to
the ten commandments. And these may be
summed up in two comprehensive duties, love to
God and love to man. For " the end of the
*^ commandment is charity, out of a pure heart,
" and of a good conscience, and of faith un-
" feigned.'* 1 Tim. i. 5.

From this brief definition of " true religion'^
it will appear that, when we pray for the pre-
servation of the church therein, we beseech God
to maintain in His household an orthodoxy of
belief and holiness of conduct, that He would
guard it from heresy, impiety, and superstition,
which are the grand enemies of " true religion ;"
that His church may be '^ like a tree planted by
** the rivers of water, that bringeth forth hi&
" fruit in due season, whose leaf shall not
*^wither,'' and whose fruit shall abound to the
glory and praise of God. O how important
and comprehensive a petition ! What Christian
man is there, but must join in it with heart and
voiqe. " O Lord, we beseech thee, keep thy

.16 ON THE COLLECT FOft TflE

•^ church and household in thy true religion, in
*' the profession of the faith which was once
'* delivered to the saints," in the cultivation of
every Christian grace, and in the practice of
every Christian duty. Let *^ faith work by love"
throughout all its borders. Suffer not the weeds
of heresy to flourish in it, the sacrilegious hand
of schism to rend it, the alloy of superstition
to debase it, the ague of indifference to chill
its blood, nor the foul spots of vice to degrade
its dignity or deform its beauty. Let thy royal
*^ daughter be all glorious within, and her cloth-
** ing be of wrought gold.*' Let her be ** pre-
** sented unto thee in raiment of needle-work,*'
and with joy and gladness be introduced to thy
presence. If the sap be diminished in any
branch of the ecclesiastical tree which thou hast
planted, and its fruitfulriess of consequence be
prevented, O Lord renew its union and com-
munion with its Divine root. Restore it to vi-
gour and fertility. May the leaven of infideli- '
ty, superstition, impiety, and immorality, be
purged from the whole lump; and may it be
newly leavened with faith, purity of worship*
devotedness to thee, and universal rectitude of
conduct. Particularly we commend to thy care
that valuable member of thy mystical body to
which we belong. May the church of England
live before tliee; and be, as hitherto, a peculiar
object of thy favour ! May her doctrine and
worship be preserved, and may discipline be
revived in her establishment.* May she conti-
nue, to the end of time, a conservatory of thy
truth and a witness for her Lord, exhibiting,
in th^ spirit and conduct of all her members-,

* See the ComininatioD service.

FIFTH SUNDi;!' AFTER TI^E EPIPHANY. 1?

the genuine effects, of a true faith in her Lord
and Saviour Jesus Christ ! " Finally, whatsoever
" things are true, whatsover things are honest,f
*' whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things'
** are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, what*
^' soever things are of good report,'* may these
exist and abound among us ! Then shall we
indeed be called ** the city <rf righteousness,
" the faithful city."

We need not have gone further than the sub*
sequent part of our collect for a definition of
true religion, as it exists in the hearts of all the
genuine members of the church and household
of God. It is a relianqe " on the hope of God's
" heavenly grace." This is the substance of it ;
and though the definition may be verbally
extended, every addition made to it must be a
ray emanating from this central point. " True
" religion" is ** faith working by love," A
dependence on the grace of God for salvation
and the hope of eternal life is the foundation of
practical religion, on which the whole super-
structure of Divine worship and personal holi-
ness must be built. It is the only root on which
the fruits of righteousness can grow. And let
it be carefully observed, that this faith is not a
mere act of the understanding, but a Divine
principle habitually influencing the will and
affections ; for with the " heart man believeth
'^ unto righteousness, and with the mouth con-
'* fession is made unto salvation."

Do we then " lean only on the hope of God's
*' heavenly grace ?" Is His mercy, as it is re-
vealed in Christ Jesus our Lord, the sole basis
of our hope towards God ? Do we excusively

t Marg, reference, « Venerable."
VOL. II. C

18 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

depend thereon ? By the answer which con-
science gives to these questions we may deter*
mine whether we are true members of " the
" church and household of God*' or not, for this
is the description which the church hath her-
self given of all her children.

Let us not hastily pass over this inquiry, nor
dismiss it without close self-examination. To
^' lean" is to rest ourselves on that which we
suppose to be capable of supporting us. To
^* lean only" on any prop employed by us, is to
rest our whole weight on it exclusively of any
other support, and without any dependence on
personal ability. Do we thus " lean" on the
grace of God, " not trusting in our own righteous-.
*' ness but in His manifold and great mercies,"
for pardon, acceptance, sanctification and glo-
ry ? — But what is it that we confide to this prop ?
It is nothing less than the " hope" of eternal life ;
all our expectation of an escape from the wrath
to come, and of an inheritance among the saints
in light. Do we view, with an awakened eye,
the magnitude of that which we confide to the
gra;ce of Qod ? And are we so satisfied with
the revelation which is made of that mercy, and
with the channel through which it flows, that
we can rest our hope entirely upon it ? Then
may we indeed infer our membership " with the
*' church and household of God."

The hope which God's heavenly grace affords,
is a " hope which maketh not ashamed." 'The
hope of the penitent believer's bosom is founded
on a certainty ; for it is built on the basis of
Divine truth, exhibiting " grace which reigns
*^ through righteousness unto eternal life by Je-
*^ sus Christ our Lord." The hope of the gospel
may therefore aifford full satisfaction to the mind.

-v-.-

FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY. 19

and be avowed without fear or shame; for it
shall never be productive of confusion to those
who possess it. That '* heavenly grace" which,
flowing from above, leads thitherwards, can
never disappoint those who trust in it. They
have present evidence of its efficacy, and of their
own interest in it, from its transforming power
on their hearts and lives. Thus they are " sealed
with the Holy Spirit of promise ;" and this is
an earnest of the inheritance, until the redemp-
^' tion of the purchased possession unto the praise
« of God's glory.''

That faith which our collect describes i&
*^ not only the common belief of the articles of
our faith, but it is also a true trust and confi-
dence in the mercy of God through our Lord Je-
sus Christ, and a steadfast hope of all good things
to be received at God's hand ; and that although
we, through infirmity, or temptation of our
ghostly enenriy, do fall from Him by sin, yet if
we return again unto Him by true repentance.
He will forgive and forget our ofiences, for His
Son's sake, our Saviour Jesus Christ, and will
make us inheritors with Him of His everlasting
kingdom ; and that in the mean time, until that
kingdom come. He will be our protector and
defender in all perils and dangers, whatsoever
do chance ; and that, though sometimes He doth
send us sharp adversity, yet evermore He will be
a loving Father to us, correcting us for our sins,
but not withdrawing His mercy finally from us,
if we trust in Him, and commit ourselves wholly
unto Him, hang only upon Him, and call upon
Him, ready to obey and serve Him. This is
the true, lively, and unfeigned Christian faith,
and is not in the mouth and outward profession
only, but it liv^th add stirreth inwardly in the

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20 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

heart. And this faith is not without hope and
trust in God, nor without the love of God and
of our neighbours, nor without the fear of God,
nor without the desire to hear God's word, and to
follow the same in eschewing evil and gladly doing
all good wotks. This faith (as St. Paul descri-
beth it) is the sure ground and foundation of the
benefits which we ought to look for and trust to
receive of God — a certificate and sure looking for
them, although they yet sensibly appear not unto
us ; and after He saith. He that cometh to God, must
Relieve both that He is, and that He is a merciful
rewarder of well-doers. And nothing commend-
eth good men unto God so much as this assured
faith and trust in him."*

As the *' church and household'' of God, in its
aggregate capacity, needs the continual defence of
God's " mighty power," so also does every one
of those who ^' lean on the hope of His heavenly
'' grace.'* Indeed, the description which our
collect has given of the faithful implies their
own helplessness and exposure to injury, and
their dependence on Divine proteftion ; for it is
not only for justification before God that thiey
" lean on the hope of his grace," but also for
daily, hourly, and momentary proteftion from
innumerable dangers by which they are surrounded
on every side, and which are not only without
but within them. The body of man, in its pre-
sent fallen state, is not only liable to external
accidents without, which may prematurely ex-
tinguish the feeble spark of animal life, but there
is withipi itself a tendency to death, the procras-
tination of which requires the constant aid of
food and medicine. And in like manner th^

* The first part of tie Homily of Faitb,

FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPftANY. 2l

Spiritual life, which by regenei*atiori is kindled inl
the fallen soul, is not only threatened by the
world and the devil, but it would expire of itself,
through the pressure of the flesh, the soul's in-
nate cort-uption, were it not maintained by the
same '* mighty power" which at first inspired it.
" Our life is hid with Christ in God/' It is by
His '' mighty power" that it is '' defended" from
external accidents^ which would be fatal to it ;
and it is by continual communications from Hini
that it is fed and increased, till it hath gained the
complete victory over all the diseases which me-
naced its destruction, and is placed out of the
reach of those malign influences which now im-*
pede its growth.

That defence which the Christian believer
needs, is pi*omised in the word of God, and pro-
vided for in the covenant of grace. Those who,
" according to God's abundant mercy," are " be-
** gotten again to a lively hope by the resur-
^' rection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an
inheritance incorruptible and utidefiled and
that fadeth Ti0t away, are kept by the power
of God, through faith, unto salvation, ready
" to be tevealed in the last time." They who
are thus defended, are safe indeed. '' No weapon
thit is formed against them, can prosper ; and
every tongue that shall rise against them in
judgment, they shall condemn. This is the
heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their
*' righteousness is of me, saith the Lord." They
have all the hosts of earth and hell combined
for their destruction ; but '* greater is He that
*' is for them than all who are against them."^—
Futile were all the efforts of Pharaoh, because
the Lord fought for Israel.

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32 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

^' The word"* which St. Peter has used in the
passage cited above, 1 Eph. i. 5, and which is
translated ^' kept/' is (as Archbishop Leighton
has observed) *^ a military terra, used for those
who are kept as in a fort or garrison-town besieg-
ed. So Satan is still raising batteries against this
fort,* using all ways to take it, by strength or
stratagem — unwearied in his assaults, and very
skilful to know his advantages, and where we are
weakest there to set oii. And besides all this,
he hath intelligence with a party within us, ready
to betray us to him ; so that it were impossible
for us to hold out, were there not another watch
and guard than our own, and other walls and
and bulwarks than any that our own skill and in-
dustry can raise for our own defence. In this,
then, is our safety, that there is a power above
our own, yea, and above all our enemies, that
guards us — " Salvation" itself, . our '^ walls and
*^ bulwarks." We ought to watch ; but when we
do, in obedience to our commander, the Captain
of our salvation, yet it is His own watching, who
" sleeps not," nor so much a^ 'Vslumbers,"' that
preserves us, and inries ours not to be in vain.
Ps. cxxvi. 1. Is. xxvii. 3. And therefore those
two are jointly commanded, " Watch and pray>
^^ that ye enter not into temptation.'* " Watch ! '"
there is the necessity of our diligence ; '^ Pr^y !**
there is the insufficiency of it, and the necessity
of His watchfulness, by whose power we are effec-
tually preserved. Is. xxvi. 1. '' Salvation hath
" God appointed for walls and bulwarks." What
more safe, than to be walled with " Salvation**
itself ? So Prov. xviii. 10. «' The name of the

FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY. ^S

'^ Lord is a strong tower : the righteous fly into
♦' it and are safe/'

In the use of our collect We employ the proper
mesuis of self-defence, of which " The causes
are two : 1. Supreme, the power of God. 2.
Subordinate, faith, exerting itself by prayer. —
The supreme power of God is that on which de-
pends our stability and perseverance. When we
consider how weak we are in ourselves, yea, the
very strongest among us, and how assaulted, we
wonder, and justly we may, that any can con-
tinue one day in a state of grace. But when we
look on the? strength by which we are guarded,
the *' mighty power" of God ; then we see the
reason of stability to the end. For Omnipotencei
supports us, and the everlasting arms are under
us/'

Faith/' exerting itself by prayer, ^^ is the

second cause" of our preservation ; because it
applies the first cause, the "mighty power of

God/' Our faith lays hold upon His power,
and this power strengthens faith, and so we are
preserved : it puts us within those walls, and sets
the soul within the guard of the power of God ;
which by self-confidence, and vain presumption
in its own. strength, is exposed to all kind of
danger. Faith is a humble self-denying grace —
makes the Christian nothing in himself/ and all in
God.''

*

*^ The weakest persons that are within a strong
place, women and children, though they were
not able to resist the enemy if they were alone,
yet so long as the place wherein they are is of
sufficient strength and well manned, and every
way accommodated to hold out, they are in safety.
Thus the weakest believer is safe, because by

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24 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE .

believing he is within the stroncfest of all de-
fences. Faith is the victory, and Christ sets His
strength against Satan's ; and when the Chris-
tian is hard beset with some temptation - too
strong for himself, then he looks up to Him that
is the great conqueror df the powers of darkness^
and calls to Him, " Now, Lord, assist thy
** servapt in this encounter, and put to thy
" strength, that the glory may be thine." Or
he addresses the throne of grace in the excellent
words of our collect, ^^ Grant, Lord, that I,
" who lean only on the hope of thy heavenly
** grace, may now and evermore be defended
<* by thy mighty power/* Thus faith is such
an engine as draws the power of God and of
His Son Jesus Christ into the works and conflicts
which it hath in hand." This is our victory,
*^ even our faith." 1 John v. 4.

^* It is the property of a good Christian to
magnify the power of God, and to have high
thoughts of it 'y and therefore it is his privilege
to find safety in that power. David cannot sa-
tisfy himself with one or two expressions of it^
but delights in multiplying them. Ps. xviii. 2»
*' The Lord is my Rock and my Fortress, and
" my Deliverer — ^my God, my Strength, in whom
*' I will trust — my Buckler, andthe Hornof my
** salvation, and my high Tower." Faith looks
above all, both that which the soul hath, and
that which it wants ; and answers all doubts and
fears with this almighty power, upon which it
rests."*

The excellence of the foregoing citation, and
its suitableness to our purpose, will sufficiently
apologize for its length. If it be the means of

^ Archbp. Leighton on the 1 Ep. of Peter, chap. i. ver. 3.

FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY. 2 J

teaching the reader to exercise more lively faith
in the mighty power of God while he recites
the sweet petition of our collect, if his soul
should be more deeply humbled under a convic-
tion of his own helplessness, more comforted by
the promises of God, and be better furnished
for the remainder of his arduous conflict — the
end both of the author and transcriber will be
fully answered. Then glory will redound to
God, " through Jesiis Clirjst our I^ord." Amen \
Amen !

26 t)N THE COLLECT FOR THft

riMiriii

THE SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANV.

O Gody whose blessed Son zvas manifested that
he might destroy the zvorks of the devil and m-ake
us the sons of God and heirs of everlasting life,
grant us, we beseech tlieCy that^ having this hope,
we may purify ourselves even as he is pure ; that
xohen he shall appear again tvith power and great
glory ^ we may be made like unto him in his eternal
and glorious kingdom^ where zvith thee, Father,
and theCy O Holy Ghost, He liveth and reigneth,
ever one God, world without end. Amen.

ON this last Sunday after the Epiphany we
again advert to the Epiphany itself, or
the manifestation of God \n the flesh for the
salvation of a ruined world. Our collect for this
day seems to be a link of connection between
the incarnation and the sad yet joyful events of
that blessed season which we are approaching ;
in which we shall commemorate the sufferings
of Christ, and the glory that succeeded. We
shall soon be called to contemplate the Captain
of our salvation engaged in single combat, and
as it were, hand to hand, with the god of this
world, during forty tremendous days and nights.
We shall soon behold Him sustaining the wrath
of God, and sweating great drops of blood be-
neath its pressure. We shall " look upon Him
" whom we have pierced," and mourn over our
expiring Lord, while hanging on the ignomi-
nious cross. We shall '* see the place" of sepul-
ture " where the Lord lay" in the lowest state

SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY. 27

of humiliation. There, however, we shall join
also in His triumphs, while He rises a conqueror
over death and hell, and by faith shall follow
Him in His ascent from mount Olivet to His
throne in glory.

In the interim we are invited to review the
ends for which " God was manifest in the flesl^,"
and to unite in prayer for a participation of
His grace.

The preface, or introductory part of our col-
lect, recites the ends proposed in the incarnation
of the Son of God. He " was manifested that
*^ He might destroy the works of the devil, and
^* make us the sons of God and heirs of ever-
" lasting life." Important objects ! worthy of
God to propose, and worthy of that gracious
interposition which was necessary for their ac-
complishment.

Our collect is addressed to Jehovah, the first
person in the Godhead, as the Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the fountain of salvation,
the supreme agent in the covenant of redemp-r
tion. For though in the Divine Essence nei-
ther of the Three Persons is ^^ before or after
" another, none is greater or less than another ;''
yet in the ceconomy of grace a pre-eminence
is assigned by the Scriptures to God the Father,
and the Son and Spirit are represented as acting
in a subordinate capacity. This, however, is
the result of voluntary arrangement in the coun-
sels of the Triune Jehovah. And, therefore,
we are not from hence to infer that there is any
'^ difference or inequality'* among the " co-es-
" sential and co-eternar* Three ; but, that which
" we believe of the glory of the Father, tlie
" same we are to believe of the Son and the
V Holy Ghost.''

28 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

" The Son of God was manifested," or, a^
St. Paul expresses it, " God was manifest in the
" flesh." He whom our collect calls the Son of
God, is, according to the. Apostle, very God.
This is the doctrine of the Old and New Testa-
ment. In the former, the ^' child" who is
** born," and the Son" who is " given to us,"
is " the iftighty God, and the everlasting Father."
His name is " Immanuel — God with us." In the
latter we are informed, that " the Word was
made flesh." And, lest any doubt should arise
respecting the person intended by this mysteri-'
ous name, we are assured that the *^ Word was
" God, by whom all things were made, and
*' without whom was not any thing made that
*^ was made." This adorable Person had for
many ages revealed Himself to His people in
the glory that abode on the mercy-seat of the
tabernacle and temple; but in the fullness of
time He assumed our nature, whereby God and
man became one Christ. In Him Jehovah was
manifested ; for Christ is " the image of the in-
'' visible God, the brightness of His glory, the
^' express image of His person."

The first object proposed by the incarnation
of Jehovah, which is specified in our collect, is
'' the destruction of the works of the devil." —
The words of our collect are cited from 1 John
iii. 8. ^' For this purpose the Son of God was
" manifested that He might destroy the works
" of the devil." Some information respecting
the design of Christ's appearance in the world
the devils themselves seem to have obtained, as
as we may infer from the language which they
used in their addresses to Him. One of them
said, when expecting a dispossession from his
usurped habitation by the power of Christ, -

- v
SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY. 29

** Let us alone ! what have we to do with thee,
*^ Thou Jesus of Nazareth ? Art thou come to
" destroy us ? I know thee who thou art — the
Holy One of God." Marki. 24. Those also who
were ejected from the Gergasene demoniac, cried,
saying, ** What have we to do with thee, Jesus,
thou Sou of God ? Art thou come to torment
« us before the time ?" Matt. viii. 29. To
this overthrow of the devil's kingdom our Lord
refers when He says, ^* I beheld Satan, like
*' lightning, falling from heaven."
' In order that we may understand the object
of the Messiah's mission, it is necessary to ob-
serve, that the sworks of God were marred
through sin which the devil had introduced into
them. When the universe came out of the hand
of its Divine Artificer, it was pronounced by
the lips of unerring wisdom to be *^ very good."
It was calculated to answer the end of its crea-
tion as an instrument of giving glory to God.
And the glory of His own name and attributes
is, and must be, the supreme object of all God's
operations. ^' Jehovah hath made all things for
" Himself." The worth, excellency, and per-
fection of the creature arises therefore from its
adaptation to this purpose. In connection with
this supreme and ultimate object of creation,
the beneficent Former of all things proposed to
Himself another important aim, tlie happiness
of an innumerable multitude of animate and
rational beings, who should owe their existence
and its comforts to His kindness. With a rela-
tion to this gracious purpose also the world was
f' very good" when God rested from his work.
Man was furnished with the means of felicity,
and every thing by which he was surrounded
was suited to contribute thereto,

go ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

But awful was the change which sin intro-
duced. While it debased man J the master-piece
of Divine skill, the grand object of creating
love, for whose benefit this theatre was built
and its vaulted ceiling studded with sun and
moon and stars, — while it debased man both in
his soul and body to a total inaptitude to answer
the end of his being with respect both to his
Creator and himself, it rendered man the enemy
of God, and God the enemy of man, and at the
same time armed all the creatures against their
earthly lord. Sin, sickness and death, all the
disorder that prevails both in the macrocosm
and microcosm, all evil moral or natural, con-
stitute " the works of the devil,'' and are the
effects of. that horrible scheme which was fabri-
cated in hell, and carried into execution' in
paradise against the glory of God and the wel-
fare of mankind.

The dissolution* of the fabrick of sin and
misery which that malicious architect of mis-
chief, the devil, has reared — the recovery of
mankind from the apostacy into which they
were seduced by the temptation of Satan — their
deliverance from the guilt, the pollution, and
the bondage of sin, and their restoration to the
favour, the image and the enjoyment of God,
constitute an undertaking worthy of His wisdom,
grace, and power. Well might angels sing at
its commencement, ^^ Glory to God in the high-
*^ est, and on earth peace, good-will towards
** men." Wonderful as the means Divinely ap-
pointed for the execution of this glorious object
were, the end to be accomplished justifies
their adoption; for eternal glory will thereby^

SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY. 31

be secured for God, and eternal happinses be
conferred on an innumerable multitude of ra-'
tional and immortal beings.

Tlie demolition of that infernal fabrick of de-
formity, of which the foundation was laid in the
fall of our first parents, and which has employed
all the artifice and power of hell for nearly six
thousand years, is already begun — even now the
edifice nods to its fall. ^' The Son of God was
" manifested that He might destroy it," and He
could not engage in its demolition without
eventual success. The foundation of the build-
ing is already sq^pped, and the construction of
the parts is weakened. For ^^ we look for a new
" heaven and a new earth in which dwelleth
^* righteousness." Every vestige of Satanic in-
fluence will soon be banished from the sphere
of Divine benevolence, and the devil and hi?
children be confined to their own pl^ce, where
alone any remains of his works will be found. —
Blessed prospect ! May our hearts exult in the
contemplation of its completion ! *' Accom-.
plish," Lord Jesus, "the number of thine elect,
" and hasten thy kingdom !"

A further object proposed by the manifesta-
tion of the Son of God is our own adoption
into the family of God, and our hereditary par-
ticipation of eternal life. This unspeakable
benefit, although comprehended in the former,
view of the subject, demands specific mention
on account of our personal interest in it. For
what would the demolition of Satan's edifice be
to us, unless we were made partakers of a
ghare in the final redemption ? How miserable
would our state have been, if God had deter-*
mined to sweep the scene of diabolical influence
with the besom of destruction, so as to plunge

32 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

all those who had joined with the devil in his
opposition to holiness and had been defiled by
his touch, into the infernal pit, and if He had
purposed to create a new race of human crea-
tures for the exhibition of His praise ! Or, if
the annihilation of His enemies had been pfirt of
His plan, though less terrible tp contemplate
than the former idea, yet is it a subject from
which the rational mind shrinks with dread.
Nothing but the despair which guilt occasions
can reconcile the imagination to it. Whatever
glory might have redounded to God from either
of these modes of procedure, , to us it could
liave afforded no ground for gratitude or joy.

But " the Son of God was manifested to
" make us the sons of God." By the effusion
of His precious blood He hath satisfied Divine
Justice, atoned for our sin, and fulfilled the law
on our behalf. Hereby He hath removed all the
obstacles out of the way of our re-admission to
the Divine favour; and by His meritorious righ^
teousness He hath procured for all who receive
Him as their Saviour, a right of becoming sons
of God.* By the influence of His Spirit, ac-
companying His word we are made new crea-
tures, our connection with the devil and his
works is dissolved, and a state of communion
between God and ou£ souls is renewed. Bythe
power of Divine grace the rebel is subdued, the
enemy reconciled, the heart which bore the
impress of hell receives the superscription of
heaven ; the imagie of the devil is erased, and
replaced by the likeness of God ; the child of
Satan is transformed into a child of God.

* John i. 12. EJ«(r<9^y.

SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY. 33

O glorious work of Omnipotent grace ! May
we be witnesses of its reality, and monuments of
its glory ! May we continually and exultingly
say, while we contemplate the progress of the
work, *^ This hath God wrought." May we
with every breath bless His name, who " was
" manifested to destroy the works of the devil,
*^ and to make us the sons of God/'*

Connected with our sonship is a patrimony,
of which we receive possession by hereditary
right : for if we are children, then are we also
" heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ."
*^ Eternal life is the gift of God by Jesus Christ
** our Lord." We derive it by succession from
its original proprietor, through Christ Jesus as
oar elder brother, and in consequence of our
relation to Him. The possession of our inheri-
tance, if we are the sons of God, doth not rest on
a peradventure ; but our right is indefeisible and
unalienable. And because we are heirs, our
heavenly Father furnishes us, in this state of
nonage, with such an education as is suitable to
the future dignity and rank of His children and
the participants of His glory. Even now He as-
signs to us privileges of inestimable value, and
gives us such tokens of His paternal love as shew
that the inheritance is ours, and that it is wor-
thy of our most devout and ardent aspirations.

But may the language of St. John be legiti-
mately addressed to the writer and reader of
these pages ? May it be said of us, *^ Behold,
*' now are we the sons of God, and it doth not
" yet appear what we shall be; but this we know
** that, when He shall appear, we shall be like

* As the doctrine of adoption has been considered in our
review of the collect for Christmasi-day, the notice here
taken ofitisbrief*

VOL. II, D

34 ON THE COLLECT FpR-THE

" Him, for we shall see Him as He is ?" Oh I
then, " What manner of persons ought we to
^* be/' in expressions of admiring gratitude, and
*' in all holy conversation and Godliness/' Let
us be ** followers of God as dear children/'
Let us " count all things loss and dung for the
*^ excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus
*^ our Lord,'' who " was manifested to make
*^ us the sons of God, and heirs of eternal life/'
This leads us to the prayer which is con-
nected with the introduction that we have re-
viewed, and is founded thereon. We implore
grace that, ^^ having this hope," even the hope-
of *^ eternal life," " we may purify ourselves
^^ even as Christ is pure^ that when He shall
*^ appear in power and great glory, we may be
^^ made like unto Him in His eternal and glo-
rious kingdom ; where with the Father and
** the Holy Ghost He liveth and reigneth, ever
^* one God, world without end."

The first part of our prayer relates to sancti-
fication as a preparative for the inheritance of
the saints in light. It is founded on 1 John iii. 3,
where the beloved disciple, after that he had
exhibited to tlie view of faith the blessed prospect
which Christi0,nity presents, adds, " And every
" man that hath this hope in Him, purifieth
^^ himself even as Christ is pure." The hope of
the gospel is not an inert uninfluential principle;
no, it produces the most blessed and powerful
(effects. For it is impossible that any man, who
has been awakened to a perception of his natu-
ral sin and misery, who has believed in the Son
of God for pardon and salvation, in whose heart
redeeming love has been shed abroad, and who
flerives therefrom a well-founded expectation of
^f eternal life;" it is absolutely impossible tliat

- <c

SIXTH SUNDAY AFTEll THE EPIPHANY. 35

he should be indifferent to the attainment of
moral purity. Having received the exceeding
great and precious promise of eternal life, the
real Christian v^^ill be earnestly solicitous to
" cleanse himself from all filthiness both of the
" flesh and spirit, and to perfect holiness in the
" fear of God." For he knows that purity of
heart and life is the natural fruit and necessary
effect of that faith, which justifies the soul be-
fore God by embracing the merit of the Saviour
of sinners; and that it is the characteristic of a true .
faith, so that a true faith may be thereby dis-
tinguished from a false one, as a tree is known
by its fruits. Hence he rightly concludes, that
a growing conformity to Christ is the only satis-
factory evidence which he can have of being in
Christ, and justified by His blood. He is well
aware that the cause of justification is not inhfe^
rent in him, but imputed to him. The proof,
however, of this imputation he derives from a
personal resemblance of Christ ; which, though
its outline be yet faint and imperfectly traced,
he longs to have progressively filled yp, till the
picture is completed, and his joy fulfilled. He
moreover remembers that God hath said, ^^ Be
" ye holy, for I am holy;*' and that the " sanc-
*^ tification" of His people is the express " will
" of God." And in the command and will of
God, his heavenly Father, he finds a thousand
arguments and motives to the cultivation of vital
Godliness, It is sufficient to stimulate his mind
to exertion, that this is " good and acceptable
" to God his Saviour." He feels also the strong,
obligations of gratitude. The word Redemption
entwines around his heart a threefold cord of
love which cannot be broken, the love of the
Father, cti tlie Son, and of the Holy Ghost,

D 3

S6 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

whereby he is powerfully drawn and sweetly
constrained to an imitation of Christ. On His
cross motives are suspended, bright and innu-
merable as the dew-drops of the morning, by
whose beauty His eye is attracted and His heart
won. The cross is a magnet that is irresistible,
when the soul is brought into a state of approx-
imation to it and contact with it. Its holy
violence overcomes the power of sin, and creates
an intirely new bias in the affections. Every
generous feeling of the breast is put in motion
by a sight of Calvary. With the emotions of
gratitude self-interest concurs ; for the Christian
believer knows, that purity of heart is an essen-
tial pre-requisite and qualification for the beatific
vision and the enjoyment of heaven. Without
a spirituaUzed disposition he could find no plea-
sure in the various duties and acts of worship
which the church on earth performs ; and how
then, without it, could he f^nd delight in God*s
presence, and in the exercises of uninterrupted
devotion, with the church above ? The society
of angels, the songs of the blessed, the joys of
heaven, would be irksome to an unsanctified
heart. Hence he infers, that " without holiness
*^ no man can see the Lord;'- and hence he is
excited " to purify himself even as Christ is
" pure,"

Tiie desire of a conformity to Christ in purity
of heart is always accompanied with a conviction
of the impossibility that attends the attainment
of it without Divine grace. The desire, and
its successful prosecution, are both from God,
And, therefore, the words of the Apostle John,
in which he states the indissoluble connection
between faith and holiness, between the hope of
the gospel and the cultivation of moral purity.

SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY. 37

are with strict propriety in our collect converted
into supplication. " Grant, we beseech thee,
"that we, having this hope in us, may purify
" ourselves even as He is pure.'^ The " faith
" which works by love,'* and the love which
faith produces, are both communications from
Him, from whom proceeds ** every good and
"perfect gift.*' The sanctification of a fallen
spirit is not a work, to which finite power is
competent. The regenerate soul is " God's
" workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto
*' good works." " If any man be in Christ, he
" is a new creature." To " put off* the old man,
" which is corrupt, and to put on the new
" man, which after God is created in righteous-
" ness and true holiness," is the sinner's own
act; but the ability to perform it must be de-
rived intirely from God.

The extent of that purification to which the
Christian aspires, for which he prays, and which
he knows to be essential to the consummation of
his bliss, opens before him a wide and distant
prospect, which his eye, in its present state of
weakness, cannot reach. But though the scope
of his mind, "the mark of the prize of his high
" calling," is but dimly discerned, or rather is
unseen, yet he pants to obtain it, and despairs
not of success. To be "pureasChrist is pure,"
is the aim of his ambitious soul, and to arrive at
" the measure of the stature of the fulness of
" Christ." With this object in view he " for-
gets the things that are behind, and presses
forward to those which are before;" not
counting himself to have apprehended, but in-
tent on " one thing," viz. to "apprehend that
" for which also he is apprehended of Christ
"Jesus."

^D3

38 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

We are not, however, from hence to infer,
that a perfect resemblance of the Divine cha-
racter is attainable by any creature. In every
branch of moral excellence we shall indeed re-
semble Christ, when " we see Him as He is ;"
but in the degree of holiness we shall ever be
infinitely below Him.

** Lo He discerns, discern'd by Him alone,
" Spots in the sanxitities around His throne;
** Nor trusts His noble ministers of flame
** To yield Him service unalloyed with blame."*

Before we proceed, let us pause for the pur-
pose of inquiring, whether the petition of our
collect which we have considered expresses the
real. desire of our own souls. Many persons
would gladly escape from hell, who feel no
anxiety to obtain a meetness for heaven. Many
talk of heaven, and flatter themselves with the.
hope of an admission thereinto, who have no
conception of its nature as a state of perfect
holiness, nor any conviction of the necessity
which exists for the attainment of conformity
to the image of God in order to a participation
of its pleasures. The future state of which they
conceive differs little from the paradise of Mo-
hamnredism ; and it is certain that, without rege-*
neration and a renewal in the spirit of their
minds, they will be awfully disappointed in the

* Scott^s Job. ch. iv. 18. to which is annexed tlm following
note. '' In His angels He observeth failure : rrl^Wn. The
*' LXX renders it a^oKiov rt something wrong, Schulteni
" [troves from the Aeabic, that it denoteth slip or failure.
*' The expression is much too faint for the crime oPthe
" angels who sinned and fell from their first estate. Nothing
" more seems to be meant than the imperfection df tbie taost
<* exalted spirits, in comparison with th^ iky^in^^e pfejrfeqtjon
*« of the Deity." Another translation ofthepi^aige is bipw-i
ever given in the margin of the Bible. . ' '

€C

C(

SXTH SUNDAY AFTER TfflS EPIPHANV. 39

place of their eternal abode; for it must be the
place of *^ outer darkness, where there is wailing
' and gnashing of teeth."
Do we then long to be " pure as Christ is
pure?" And do we give proof of our sincerity
in the prayer which we offer by a constant
opposition to. sin, and by a continual effort to
"put on the Lord Jesus Christ?" For it is
certain that we do not desire to be conformed to
the image of the Son of God, unless we endea-
vour, through Divine grace, to imitate Him ia
the temper of our minds and in the conduct of
our lives. Let conscience then determine our
sincerity or insincerity. And let hope or fear
prevail according to the testimony which con-
science bears. If our prayer be hypocritical,
then have we no well-founded " hope of eternal
*^ life;" for he that hath this hope in him
" purifieth himself even as Christ is pure." We
can in this case, have no satisfactory evidence
that we are " the sons of God and heirs of eter-
'' nal life.''

The second part of our prayer relates to glo-
rification, to whidi the high-way of holiness
leads. If indeed we are enabled, through grace,
to *^ purify ourselves even as Christ is pure,"
if the attainment of a conformity to His image
be the great business of our lives, then, " when
*' He shall appear again with power and great
*^ glory, we shall be made like unto Him in His
*^ glorious kingdom/' This is the consumma-
tion of a Christian's joy, the ultimate aim of
his soul, the essence of future felicity.

This part of our collect alludes to a passage
which we have before quoted, 1 John iii. 2.
" Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it
" doth not yet appear what we shall be : but

D 4

1

iO ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

" we know that when He shall appear we shall
" be like Him ; for we shall see Him as He is."
Our liturgy is so replete with the phraseology of
Scripture, that we may compare it to a beautiful
robe richly embroidered with gold.

The sight of Christ by faith has invariably a

sanctifying tendency ; for, " beholding, as in a

'^ glass, the glory of the Lord, we are changed

** into the same image from glory to glory, even

" as by the Spirit of the Lord." And the more

clear is the knowledge of Christ which faith

enjoys, the more elFectual it is to the production

of purity. Now, if faith, with all the disad-

• vantages of " seeing through a glass darkly,"

purifies the heart, it is reasonable to infer that

the open vision of Him, *^ face to face," will

perfect what faith has begun. " We shall be like

" Him when He ap])ears, for we shall see Him

** as He is," If, while the veil remain on our

Redeemer's countenance, the gleams of glory

that burst through it transform the irradiated

soul into His own likeness, what may not be

expected from the beatific vision of God in

Christ when the veil is removed? If the face

of Moses shone in conscqjtience of a temporary

interview with the Lord God of Israel, how

brightly shall we shine when we are introduced

into His immediate presence! Then we shall

vesemble Him in all His imitable perfections ;

our ** bodies shall be fashioned like unto His

•* glorious body," and our souls be " without

** ^pot, or wrinkle, or any such thing." This

riNind>lnnco of Christ will be produced by the

Hight of Him, and perfect holiness and perfect

liuppiness ho our portion for ever. To be ever

*• looking unto Jesus'' is now our duty and pri-

Yih>\t\ in the n^ean of sanctification, and the

i|ltr|>UNt i>r };;loriliavtion.

SIXTH SUNDAY AFTEI^ THE EPIPHAm^ 41

When Christ " appears the second time with-
out sin unto salvation," it will be " with power
and great glory;" for He will come in the
glory of His Father and the holy angels." He
shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty
*^ angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on
" them that know not God, and that obey not
*^ the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; who shall
" be punished with everlasting destruction from
" the presence of the Lord, and from the glory
" of His power/' " He shall come to be glori-
" fied in His saints, and to be admired in all
" them that believe." His '* power" will be
demonstrated in the destruction of His enemies
and the salvation of His people. The brightness
of His " glory" will confound those that hate
Him; and, while it dazzles, will beatify those
that "love His appearing."

^* In His glorious kingdom, where, with the
*^ Father and the Holy Ghost" our adorable
Redeemer ** liveth and reigneth, ever one God
'* world without end," those whom faith has
transformed into a resemblance of Him here
shall live and reign with Him for ever. That
glorious kingdom is the continuation of an
empire now established. Its glory indeed is now
in a measure obscured, and its administration
latent. At His appearing that obscurity shall
be removed, and the sceptre of thq King of
kings become visible, and His throne apparent
to all. But the kingdom is the same, which
now exists in His church. We must therefore
become His subjects here, if w^e would partici-
pate in ^^ His glorious kingdom" hereafter. We
must now submit to His righteous sway, if we
would participate in the privileges of the hea-
venly city. For, without a submission now

42 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

made before Him, we shall hear him say when
He cometh in His glory, " These mine ene-
mies who would not that I should reign over
them, bring them hither, -and slay them before
" me." Lord Jesus, who " wast manifested
to destroy the works of the devil," make us
the sons of God and heirs of eternal life" by
adoption and grace : enable us to " purify our-
selves, even as thou art pure; that, when
thou shalt appear in power and great glory,
we may be made like unto thee in thy glorious
kingdom, where, with the Father and the
*^ Holy Ghost, thou livest and reignest, ever one
" God, world without end. Amen/' •

SJE3PTUAGESIMA SUNDAY. 43

THE SUNDAY CALLED SEPTUAGESIMA,* OR THE
THIRD SUNDAY BEFORE LENT.

O Lord, we beseech thee favourably to hear the
prayers of thy people, that we who ar-e justly pun-
ished for our offences may be mercifully delivered
by thy goodness, for the glory of thy name, through
Jesus Christ our Saviour, who liveth and reigneth
with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world
without end. Amen.

fT^HIS collect contains^ — A prefatory petition
£ for a favourable audience to our prayers-—
Astatemerit of our case on which we found our
request — An act of supplication for Divine inter-
position on our behalf — ^A strong argument to
enforce success in our application to the throne
of Grace — The ground on which our hope is
built — and A doxology, or ascription of praise,
to the Triune Jehovah.

Among the several reasons given for the names of these
Sundays (viz. Septuagesima, Sexagesima, and Quinquage-
** 8ima)|the most probable seems to be this : the first Sunday
in Lent, being forty days before Easter, was for that rea-
son called Quadragesima Sunday^ which in Latin signifies
forty ; and fifty being the next round number above forty,
as sixty is to fifty, and seventy to sixty, therefore the
Sunday immediately preceding Quadragesima Sunday,
being farther from Easter than that was, was called Quin-
quagesima (or fifty) Sunday: and the two, foregoing, being
** still farther distant, were for the same reason called Sex-
*^ agesima and Septnagesima (sixty and seventy) Sundays.'*

u

€i
it

u

44 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

On the prefatory petition little needs to be
said ; because it is common to this collect with
some others, and, with a very small variation of
the phraseology, has already passed under our
review. It breathes importunity and humility ;
for it is an earnest appeal to Divine favour.
Should the frequent use of such an address be
objected to, it may be illustrated and vindicated
by a scriptural anecdote. In the Acts of the
Apostles we are informed that Peter, after his
miraculous deliverance from prison, went im-
mediately to the house of a Christian friend, and
knocked at the door for admission. The servant
who came to the door, in consequence of the
perturbation of her mind occasioned by the
sound of Peter's voice, instead of opening the
door ran back to thpse who were within to in-
form them who was at the door. Now, how did
Peter act ? Did he sit down contented at the
sill, having once knocked, determining to wait
till accident or the morning-light should occa-
sion the door to be opened ? No : we are told
that '' he continued knocking." And this surely
was the part of wisdom in his case, and is so in
ours likewise when we come to the door of Di-
vine mercy. We are to *^ knock, until it be
" opened unto us." Our church may moreover
be exculpated from the charge of vain repetition
by a higher and more appropriate example than
the case of Peter affords. For our Lord Jesus
Christ in His agony prayed thrice, repeating the
same words. Real fervour of spirit will manifest
no anxiety about a variation of words. Repe-
tition is its natural expression.

We proceed now to consider the statement

which we make of our case, and on which the

^ecial petition of our collect is founded. Wa

SEPTUAGESIMA SUNDAY. 45*

confess that we " are justly punished for our of-
" fences." Thisconfession contains two things — '
cause and effect. We shall begin with the latter.

That we " are punished," is a truth of which
every man has the witness in himself It re-
quires no proof from the deductions of logic, or
the demonstrations of mathematics. We are
painfully furnished with experimental evidence,
such as would arise from a body partly con-
sumed in the flames in support of the existence
of fire. That *^man is born to trouble, as the
"sparks fly upward,*' cannot then be denied.
No station, rank, age, country, or constitution,
exempts a single individual of mankind from the
common lot of fallen humanity. Tliis confession
therefore is suitable to the lips of every indivi-
dual in every congregation. The penalty of
transgression began to be inflicted on the first
transgressors immediately after their fall. Adam
had been warned, that, in the very day that he
ate of the forbidden fruit, he should surely die;
and in that very day he proved the veracity of
the threatening. For he became mortal, liable
to death, and all its train of preparatives and
forerunners. He tasted the bitter fruits of ini-
quity, and discovered, too late, that '' the wages
*^ of sin is death." And all his seed, who are
by derivation of being naturally implicated in
his guilt, are also partakers of his punishment.
Sin and sorrow are correlatives. Sorrow cannot
exist without sin, nor sin without sorrow.

The penalty of transgression is co-extensive
with Ihe transgressing nature. Man is a com-
pound being, consisting of a body and a soul ;
and both have joined in rebellion against God.
The heart of Adam coveted the forbidden fruit,
and his hand took it. The hearts of his children

46 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

are alienated from God, and the " members" of
their bodies are " instruments of unrighteous-
*^ ness." Our souls and bodies are mutually
corrupted and corrupters of each other. Both
therefore feel the bitter consequences of sin in
the present world ; and both are exposed to its
fearful reward in the world to come. There is a
lake of fire prepared to torment for ever without
destroying the body, and a worm that never
dies to prey eternally on the lost soul. The
soul however was the primary and is the chief
agent in transgression, and therefore is the
greatest sufferer both in this and the future life,
if it depart hence in an impenitent state.

The corporeal sufferings of mankind in the
present life are very great. They . begin with
our beginning, and continue to our death. Hun-
ger and thirst, cold and heat, poverty, diseases^
accidents, pain and death, all proclaim the
righteous displeasure of God against sin, and are
all designed to promote the humiliation of the
guilty sufferer. That conviction of sin does not
arise out of every day's experience, is a strong
proof that the understanding of man is darkened,
and that his reason is in an impaired state. For
how natural is an inquiry into the cause of those
sufferings which we hourly feel ! And yet how
generally is it neglected ! Did a wise, a good
and almighty Being make us what we are?
Could we, consistently with His perfections,
come out of His creating hands in our present
state of weakness, disgrace, and suffering ? For
so soon as we begin to live, we begin also to die.
The miseries of life are the agonies of death.
Human life, from first to last, is a d jing existence.
Yet how many persons live as if no proofs of
their fallen and guilty state existed ! The grace

SEPTUAGESIMA SUNDAY. 47

of coasideration is no small favour from God ;
for it is usually the first fruits of an abundant
harvest.

The punishment which is Divinely inflicted
on the human soul, even in the present state, is
still more grievous, and marks more strongly the
displeasure of God on account of sin. Disap-
pointments^ bereavements, fears and anxieties,
as wave after wave invades the shore in a conti-
nual succession, harrass and torment the mind.
The bosom of fallen man is like a troubled sea,
sometinies lashed into violent agitations by
storms to which it is ever exposed, and never
perfectly at rest. In its calmest moments there
is some undulation. No man but the Cliristian,
whose conscience is pacified by faith in the Son
of God, and whose heart has found repose in the
hope of salvation through Him, and He only in
some favoured seasons, can say, I am happy
and contented, free from fear and anxiety, • and
replenished with consolation.

An antient mode of punishing criminals af-
fords a striking representation of human life.
The criminal was put into a barrel stuck with
spikes, whose sharp points were directed inwards.
The barrel was then rolled down a declivity.
As the machine revolved, the miserable convict
was continually receiving fresh stabs in every
part of his tortured frame, till at length he ex-
pired under accumulated wounds. It was in a
manner somewhat similar that the heroic Regu-
lus, the Roman consul, was punished at Car-
thage. He was *^ put," says RoUin, ^' into a
'^ kind of chest full of nails, whose points
"^* wounding him, did not allow him a moment's
" ease, either day or night."* The declivity is

* RoUitCs Antient History y vol. l.p^2ll. In arcse genus

48 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

the space of time between our birth and the
grave. As we roll along, we are continually re-
ceiving fresh stabs from afflictive occurrences, till
at length we expire under the sentence of the
Divine law. The infidel who denies the doctrine
of the Bible and of our church on the subject
of original sin, because in his estimation it is
contrary to the dictates of justice, would do
well to consider whether, if he st^er clear of
atheism, and admit God to be the moral governor
of the universe, his reason will not be more puz-
zled, on his views of justice, to account for the
natural evil which exists in the world, and which
is experienced even by those " who have not
" sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgres-
'* sion/' This is a difficulty which has never been
solved, and never can be solved, on any other
principle than that which Revelation lays down.

But the punishment which is endured in the
present life is only *'the beginning of sorrows/'
For the penalty of sin will be most severely ex*-
actcd in the world to come, if guilt be not pre-
viously taken from our souls by faith in the Son
of God. That the '^ death*' which is declared by
St. Paul to be 'Mhe wages of sin," is eternal
death, appears from the other branch of his an-
tithesis, wherein he states ** eternal life" to be
*' the gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord."
And that this eternal death doth not consist in
annihilation, appears from what our Lord says

vtipatup, undique extrinsecus clavis confixus tot cruces

ii<M»8it, AureU VicU de viris illustr. Kegulus Carthaginem

rtfverttus, oinni suppliciorum genere conficitur. Nam praeter

riKtciroH cmciatu^, doiuuncuU angusta inclusas, quai magr

liitudini corporis ejus respoiideret, intus crebris clavis ferreis

mnntix^t pcriit : cum nee immotus stare posset et quieturus

\tu corporirt utrumque inclinato, in ferreas cuspides inci-

reti dclL lib. 0, cap. 4

SEPTUAGESIMA SUNDAY. 49

respecting lostsouls^ viz. that their '^ worm never
*^ dieth, and that the fire is not quenched/- Ab-
surd therefore is the hope of many persons who,
while they live in the neglect of the great sacri-
fice for sin, seem to think that their present suf-
ferings will so atone for it that they shall escape
" from the wrath to come/' If any personal
sufferings of the transgressor could have been
expiatory and purgatorial, the Divine Mediator
might have remained in heaven, and have spared
Himself the agonies which He endured on our
behalf. To Him, and to Him alone, must our
eyes be directed, if we would have '* these light
*' afflictions which are but for moment," to ^^ work
*' out for us a far more exceeding and eternal
'^ weight of glory." Without an interest in Him
the groans of mortality are anticipations of
" weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth."

The punishment, however, which sinners en-
dure in the present life, is to be considered in a
twofold light, and is distinguished by the state of
the persons on whom it is inflicted, and by the
intention of God who inflicts it. It is either de-
structive or corrective. Its object is either the
excision or amendment of the punished party.
It is the act of a just and angiy Judge, or of a
kind and gracious Father.

Now under one or the other of these aspects
all national calamities, such as war, pestilence
and faniine, and all personal" troubles, such as
sickness, poverty, bereavements of various other
kinds, and even death itself, are to be considered.
Oh ! what an important question it is, Under
which of these views our present national visita-
tions are to be classed ! — whether in their object
and end they resemble the punishment inflicted
on the old world whose inhabitants were swept

VOL. IL E

50 ON THE COLLECT FOR

away by th e besom of destruction, that which
Sodom and the other cities of the plain experi-
enced, that of Egypt in the time of Moses or of
the Canaanites by the instrumentality of Joshua*;
or whether they may be classed under the sgime
description with the Divine chastisements which
Israel from time to time experienced. Do our
personal afflictions resemble those of Abraham,
Joseph, Job, David, Paul, and the whole palm-
bearing company, who have all ^^ come out of
" great tribulation, having washed their robes and
'^ made them white in the blood of the Lamb, and
^' are therefore before the throne of God ?'* — or are
they specimens of the same kind with those of
Cain, Absalom, Ahitophel, Herod, and the thou-
sands who have been made monuments of Divine
vengeance both in this world and in the other ?
• Our collect teaches, us to confess, that thi5
punishment which we endure is the just reward
of our offences. When we behold the many
wounded wretchefi who crowd all the wards of
this great hospital the world, it is natural to in-
stitute an inquiry. Who inflicted these innumera-
ble wounds under which humanity groans ? The
answer of our church and of the Bible is — SiN.
If we contemplate the world as a great Charnel-
house, and propose the question which Jehu
asked, when he saw the two heaps composed of
the heads of Ahab's sons, " Who slew all these ?"
the answer of Truth is — Sin.

Let us pause and take a retrospective, present^
and prospective view of the Vorld in relation to
these questions. In consequence of the Divine
benediction on Adam and Eve, the human race
has multiplied from the first pair to successive
millions. The world is supposed to contain at
present 953 millions of inhabitants. What

SEPTUAGESIMA SUNDAY. 51

proportion its population at former periods may
have borne to the present, it is not easy to deter-
mine. But every thirty years the existing gene-
ration has been succeeded by a new one, as the
leaves drop off in Autumn, and give place to a
fresh foliage in the ensuing spring.* What innu-
merable multitudes must have existed ! But
where are they now ? Let our church-yards '
answer the question in part. And let the dust
under our feet, aud'the waters of the great deep,
supply further information on the awful subject.
The present state of the world is scarcely less me-
lancholy in review .than the past. For we our-
selves have received the mortal stab, and are
also dying. 953 millions who now survive are
expiring. Not an infant lives, who has not re-
ceived the sentence of death in himself Who
among us is free from the danger of it the next
moment? In a short time we shall all be number-
ed with our ancestors in the land of forgetfulness.
Oh ! let the miseries of human nature be sur-
veyed, and it will be a matter of surprise that
one thoughtless, gay, and trifling inhabitant should
be found on the face of the earth. Such a temper
of mind ill becomes the purlieus of a hospital
and a charnel-house. There are many however,
who, on the proposal of an inquiry into the
cause of the carnage which we survey, will satisfy
themselves with saying. Such a man died of a
fever, a second of a consumption, a third of old
age, a fourth in the field of battle, and a fifth by

* Like leaves on trees the race of man is found,
Now green in youth, now withering on the ground ;
Another race the following spring supplies :
They fall successive, and successive rise.
So generations in their course decay,
So flourish these, when those are past away^

E 2 Homery b. VL

52 ON THE COLLFXT FOR

an unexpected accident. But a contemplative
mind will look further, and seek for some general
murderer, to whose fury these ravages are to be
attributed. And that murderer is Sin. For " By
'^ one man sin entered into the world, and death
*^ by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for
" that all have sjnned." Now we think and speak
with abhorrence of a murderer. Of the man who
murdered three thousand eight hundred Turks in
the fortress of Jaffa, who poisoned five hundred
and eighty of his own soldiers, who has spread
througb Europe desolation and death, we think
and speak with no common degree of horror and
indignation. Were we to see a man who had
murdered our parents, our children, the wife of
our bosom, and our beloved friend — who had
repeatedly aimed his dagger at our own breast,
and openly avowed his fixed intention of taking
away our own lives, what sort of emotions should
>ve feel towards him ? This assassin is Sin. —
How strange does it seem that any persons should
seek their safety and happiness in the society,
friendship and bosom of such a fiend ! Yet how
many do this ! But the reader of these pages, it
may be hoped, is not of this number. Let him
thien inquire what feelings should be excited in
his soul at the perception of sin in his own heart
and in the conduct of others — '' what carefulness*'
it shpuld produce in him— *^ yea, what indignation,
'' — yea, what fear, — yea, what vehement desire
" — yea, what zeal, — yea, what revenge V It is the
law of God and man, that he " who" sheddeth
man's blood, by man shall '' his blood be shed;'*
that " the murderer shall surely be put to death/'
and that no satisfaction shall be taken for his life/'
Let the reader remember, that these statutes are
ia full force against sin — that he is the appointed

SEPTUAGESIMA SUNDAY. 53

executioner 'of the sentence, and that, if h6 let
the criminal " escape, his life shall be for the life
« of him.'*

That the punishment which man endures, how
great soever it may be, is justly inflicted on him,
no one but an atheist can confidently deny. For
no other person will ascribe it to chance. And if
God be its author, it must correspond with the
most perfect equity of which His will is the
rule. Man may err. A court of human judica-
ture may be unjust in its decisions, through mis-
takes, partiality, or unrighteous principles. But
" there is tio unrighteousness in God.'' Though
** clouds and darkness are round about Him, right-
'^ eousness and judgment are the habitation of
^* His throne." Modern Rationalists, indeed,
exalt themselves into a tribunal of justice, and
undertake to decide on right and wrong, acquit-
ting or condemning according to their own no-
tions of equity. The dogma of St. Paul, that
^* the wages of sin is" eternal ^' death," is incon-
sistent with their view of vindicative retribution,
and hence they infer its falsehood. But their
conduct resembles that of a company of felons,^
who, while awaiting their trial, set up a mock-
court of judicature in the jail, and anticipate the
sentence of the law by determining what it ought
and what it ought not to do in their respective
cases. Self-interest, of course, guides the pro-
ceedings of this counterfeit judicial process ; to
which the judge, \yhen the criminals are brought
before him, will pay no attention.

Thus, a priori, we may infer the justice of that
punishment which we endure, whatever it be. —
And when the sentence of the law is finally exe-
cuted on the impenitent, and they are cast into
bell, every mouth will be stopped , becs^use all

£ 3

54 ON THE COLLECT FOR

the world is guilty before God. But though this
conclusjon is irrefragable, no real humiliation
will be produced in our bosoms, till we painfully
discover within ourselves that which justifies God
in his dealings with us, both in what He has alrea-
dy inflicted, and also in what He has threatened to
inflict on the transgressors of His law. That " we
" are justly punished for our oflTences/' is a con-
fession which can only flow from a broken and
contrite heart. Our original sin in Adam, our
natural corruption derived from him, and our
actual transgressions, must be exhibited and
explained to our minds by the teaching of the
Holy Ghost, before v/e can cordially and honestly
make this avowal. When this indeed is done, all
or either of these considerations will sufficiently
account for the punishment we suffer, and will con-
strain us, instead of murmuring at it, to wonder
at the patience and mercyof God as therein mani-
fested. Then the language of antient penitents
will be ours also. Then ftiall we adopt in since-
rity the confession of Jeremiah, '^ The Lord is
^' righteous ; for I have rebelled against His com
'^^ mandments/' "It is of the Lord's mercies
''that we are not consumed, because His compas-
" sions fail not." *' Shall a sinful man complain —
'* a man for the punishment of his sins ?" Then
shall we take up the humiliating avowal of Daniel
in the name of the antient church, which our
own has in part appropriated to our use by in-
serting it among the sentences with which her
service opens : " O Lord, righteousness belongeth
*' unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as
" at this day— To the Lord our God belongeth
" mercies and forgivenesses," though we have re-
belled against Him. Neither have we obeyed the
'' voice of the Lord our God/ to walk in His l^w

€<

SEPTUAGESIMA SUNDAY. 55

" which He set before us. The Lord our God is
righteous in all His works which He doth; for
we obeyed not His voice." Do we then in our
hearts justify God, both in the judgments of His
rod and in those of His mouth, in what He has
done, and in What He has threatened to do ? Can
we subscribe to the declarations of Scripture, and
to the confessions of our liturgy, in their full
latitude of interpretation? This question will
afford us a criterion of Divine teaching, of ge-
nuine Christian experience, and of true confor*
mity to the church of England.

We now proceed to consider the prayer for deli-
verance which follows the confession of sin in our
collect. — What the blessing which we implore
comprises, will appear from the review which we
have taken of oi:r situation as' rendering that
blessing necessary. We pray '^ that we who are
" justly punished for our offences, may be mer-
^' cifully delivered by God's goodness "

Do we then implore an absolute exemption
from the afflictive red of God's f^itherly correc-
tion in this present life ? Oh, no ! our Reformers
were too wise to put such a petition into our
mouths. And if they had been so ignorant as to
insert such a request in their liturgy, no truly
awakened and enlightened member of our church
could have joined in it. For every duly instruct-
ed mind knows that, though '* no affliction for
^^ the present is joyous but grievous, yet it after-
" wards yields the peaceable fruits of righteous-
'^ ness to them that are exercised thereby.'' Every
such person remembers, that " before he was
** afflicted he went wrong, and thankfully ac««.
'' knowledges that "in very faithfulness God has
*^ afflicted him." He is assured that " these light

E 4

«,■

56 ON THE COLLECT FOR

" afflictions which are but for a moment, work
for him a far more exceeding and eternal weight
of glory/' In praying therefore for a cessation
of chastisement, he would pray for a removal of
his greatest blessing.

As '^ our offences'* constitute the meritorious
cause of our punishment, in the deliverance
which we implore, the pardon of these must be
the first object. For the cause must be removed
before the effect can cease. Remission of sins
therefore must precede, in the established pro-
cess of Divine mercy, every other gracious com-
munication from above. The criminal must be
freed from guilt by an act of grace, before his
chains can be knocked off and the prison-doors
be thrown open. Yet how many persons wish
to have the effect removed, who never think of
its producing cause ! They would gladly be ex-
tricated from suffering, but feel not the burthen
of guilt. Such ignorantly use the language of
our collect. For the first object of desire to a
sincere penitent is to know that there is nothing
penal and vindictive in what he suffers. Suffering
is in itself grievous ; but the thought that it is
the result of unpardoned guilt, of Divine dis-
pleasure, and a prelude to banishment from God,
is far more bitter. This therefore is his cry, " O
*' Lord, correct me, but with judgment — ruot in
^' thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.'*
'^ Enter not into judgment with thy servant, O
" Lord, for in thy sight shall no man living be
'« justified."

- the extirpation of that corruption which
renders afflictions necessary to the welfare of the
soul, is another object of desire, when we pray
for deliverance from punishment. For the
existence of corruption is itself the severest

SEPTUAGESIMA SUNt)AY. 57

punishment to a penitent sinner. He knows that
the disease must be subdued, before its symptoms
can rationally be expected to abate. The riches
of pardoning mercy being revealed in the heart
by the Holy Ghost given to us through faith in
the word of God, we are assured of God's gra-
cious design in our afflictions. We want not to
have them removed, till their end is answered,
but we want to have them rendered needless by
a full conformity to the will of God in our souls.

We may, however, in humble submission to the
will of God, pray for such a mitigation of our
sufferings, as maybe consistent with His glory and
our own welfare. But we chiefly implore pa-
tience to bear the load, and grace to profit by it.
Our Lord's cry, in His dreadful agony which He
endured in the garden of Gethsemane, is a pat-
tern for our imitation in any case that is at all
similar. " Father, if it be possible, let this cup
" pass from me ; nevertheless, not as I will, but
'^ as thou wilt." We shall not err in supplicating
for relief from sufferings, if we humbly leave
the event to the Divine will, and are more anxious
for spiritual than for temporal mercies.

A complete deliverance from the punishment
which our sins have deserved, and to which we
are liable, in another world, is also in the eye of
the penitent supplicant, while he uses our collects
And lastly, he keeps also in view a deliverance
from all the sad effects of sin which he now feels,
by the final justification, sanctification, and glo-
rification of his person, soul and body, at the
great day of judgment.

Such then are the desires of the members of our
church, while we pray " that we who are justly

punished for our offences, may mercifully be

delivered by Divine goodness." Is the reader

58 - ON THE COLLECT FOR

conscious of such desires ? So far as our collect
may be supposed to respect a mitigation of our
sufferings, a total rescue from them, and salvation
from future misery, it will find many lips which
can cordially adopt its language. But pardon and
sanctification are the chief objects of a believer's
importunate requests ; and these are blessings of
which it is to be feared that many nominal mem-
bers of our communion do not perceive the value
and importance, and after the attainment of
which they feel no anxiety.

Our act of supplication is an appeal to Divine
mercy. We have no personal merit to plead,
for we are '^ justly punished for our offences.''—
The ^^ goodness" of the Divine character enkindles
hope, which the ^^ mercy" displayed in the gospel
confirms. ^ No unnecessary tautology appears in
the petition we present. For no aggregation of
words can fully express the total renunciation of
self-righteousness which a conti'ite bosom feels.
And the inspired writers have laboured for ex-
pressions, and have added term to term, for the
purpose of exhibiting the riches of the grace of
God. ^^ We are justified freely by His grace,*
^' through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."

The argument by which we are taught to en-
force our request, is drawn from '^ the glory of
'^ God's name,'' that is, of His Divine character
and perfections ; for the name of God compre-
hends all that relates to Him. God's own glory
is the great end of all His dispensations. He can do
nothing that would be hostile to it, that would
tarnish or obscure it. Can we then demonstrate
that our deliverance, in those views which we
have taken of it, will be conducive to the honour

I

SEPTUAGESIMA SUNDAY. 59

of His name ? Yes, blessed be God, we can ;
for the Lord has proclaimed His name, ** The
" Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious,
long-suffering and abundant in goodness and
truth,* keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving
iniquity, transgression and sin." But can
one Divine attribute be magnified at the expence
of another ? Certainly not ; and unless v^^e can
shew that every perfection of His character will
be exalted by our deliverance, our argument is
fiitile, and the hope we build on it groundless*
Can we then demonstrate that Divine justice,
truth and holiness, will receive glory as well as
Divine mercy, if our request be granted ? Does
He not declare that " He will by no means
** clear the guilty ?" Has He not said, that
" the soul that sinneth shall die ?" And are we
not guilty ? Have we not sinned ? Assuredly
we have. — But, blessed be His name, the pro-
vision which He has made for the honour of
His justice, holiness, and truth, in the method
of grace, is so complete, that " He can be a
"just God, and yet a Saviour." God set forth
His co-equal Son to be ** a propitiation through
^* faith in His blood, to declare His righteous-
" ness for the remission of sins that are past,
** through the forbearance of God, to declare
"(says the Apostle) His righteousness; that
" He might be just, and yet the justifier of
" him that believeth in Jesus." Thus mercy and
truth, righteousness and peace, meet and kiss
each other ; while a lost sinner, through faith
in the Lord Jesus Christ, is pardoned, accepted,
sanctified, and exalted to the right hand of God
in glory everlasting. The name of the Lord
will indeed be glorified by the destruction of the
impenitent who reject His great salvation. But

Bo ON THE COLLECT FOR

it will derive a higher degree of glory from the
deliverance of those who, from the depths of
self-despair, call on Him for help.

We urge, at the conclusion of the petition,
our usual plea : for indeed we have no other
which we can substitute in its stead. The name
and merit of " Jesus Christ our Saviour" are
our only grounds of confidence. It is only as
we keep Him in our view, and the expiatory
punishment which was inflicted on Him, that
we can hope for deliverance ; for it is only
*^ through Jesus Christ our Saviour" that the
name of God can be glorified in our salvation.
To hope for salvation independently of Christ,
is to 'build our expectation on a supposition that
God will degrade the character of His own
moral government, and affix an eternal disgrace
to the perfection of His nature. In short, it ifi-
volves the absurdity of thinking that God may
undeify Himself to save us from perdition. The
impossibility of this needs no demonstration.

We conclude with a doxology which, while
it ascribes glory to the Triune Jehovah^ is cor-
roborative of our faith in presenting our petition.
For if " Jesus Christ our Saviour ever liveth" to
intercede for us, if He " reigneth world without
" end," all power in heaven and in earth being
committed to Him, if He be ^' with the Father
^^ and the Holy Ghost, one God," one in will
as in essence, what comfortable inferences may
we draw from these considerations ! Then His
blood must be infinitely meritorious — His grace
almighty ; then the Father and the Holy Ghost
are equally concerned in, and engaged for, our
eternal salvation, with Him who died for us. —
And " if God be for us, who shall be against

SEXAGESIMA SUNDAY. 61

THE SUNDAY CALLED SEXAGESIMA, OR THE
SECOND SUNDAY BEFORE LENT.

O Lord God, who seest that we put not our
trust in any thing that we do ; mercifully grant
that by thy power we may be defended against all
adversity y through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

CHRISTIANITY is distinguished from all
other systems of religion by the proposal
which it makes of a vicarious righteousness, and
by a prohibition of any rehance oa the personal
obedience of its disciples. It is their character,
that they " worship God in the Spirit, rejoice
" in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in
" the flesh." Various have been the schemes
which fallen man has devised for the purpose of
recommending himself to God ; but widely as
these have diverged from each other in many
respects, they have all concurred in one central
point, viz. self-righteousness. Herein the Pagan,
the Turk, the Infidel, the Heretic, the modern
Jew, and the Papist, all meet, notwithstanding
the diversity of their opinions, rites and cere-
monies, and their mutual antipathy to each
other. Into this vortex all mankind rush to
their destruction, except the few persons who
are taught of God.

As the real Christian is distinguished from all
other persons by his hopes and fears, his desires
and aversions, his joys and sorrows, so especially
by his confidence. It is placed exclusively on
Divine mercy through Jesus Christ. This trait
of his character creates an essential difference.

62 ON THE COLLECT FOR

not only between him and the worldling who,
unconcerned about futurity, is labouring for the
meat that perisheth, while that which endureth
unto everlasting life is totally forgotten ; but also
between him and the self-justiciary who, like
the pharisee of old, trusts in himself that he is
righteous. If mankind be compared to an equi-
lateral triangle, whose base rests on the earth,
while one of its angles points heavenwards, the
careless and the self-righteous form the base, and
though distant from each other, both cleave to
the earth; while the real disciples of Christ,
equi-distant from both the other classes, aspire
to heaven, depending for acceptance with God
on the alone merit of Jesus Christ their Lord.

That the genuine members of the church of
England are thus distinguished, appears from
the collect whigh has been recited, and which
contains, A solemn appeal to Divine Omnisci-
ence — and An earnest prayer to Divine Omni-
potence.

" Trust," in our collect, means the confidence
of the heart in relation to the favour of God and
everlasting salvation. The object therefore,
concerning which the appeal is made, is of the
highest importance. If a man place his fortune
on bad securities, and they fail, he knows the
worst of his imprudence. The loss may indeed
be severely felt for some days or years to come ;
but the moment will soon arrive when the bank-
rupt and the most prosperous merchant will be
on an exact level. The loss of a man's property
may be retrieved ; or, if not, " a man's life
" consisteth not in the abundance of the things
" which he possesseth." If I intrust my life,
when I am sick, in the hands of an unskilful
Physician, and death ensue, the mischief which

SEXAGESIMA SUNDAY. 63

its only to " a vapour that passeth
: cometh not again;" for such is our
. of existence. If I embark myself
ty on board a leaky ship and all
ik together, the loss sustained is of
iisequence, compared with the loss of
" For what is a man profited, if he
the whole world and lose his own soul;
"hat shall a man give in exchange for his
' ?" This therefore is the deposit of value,
rping which too much care cannot be ma-
rt in the examination of securities on which
iilety is reposed, and in scrutinizing the
acter and ability of the trustee to whom it
nfided. He is " a wise man, who builds
ouse upon a rock : for when the rain de»-
s, and the floods come, and the winds
and beat upon that house, it will not fall^
se it is founded upon a rock. But he is a
man, who builds his house upon the sand :
en the Fains descend, and the floods come,
winds blow, and beat upon that house,
fell, and great will be the fall of it."
appeal, therefore, which is made in our
is extremely solemn on account of its
But our idea of its solemnity will be
ned, when we consider to whom it is
It is an appeal to Omniscience.
rd God, thou seest that we put not our
in any thing that we do.*' Divine cog-
lice extends to the inmost recesses of our
i For " all things arc nakcl and open to
*eyes of Him with whom wo have to do.**
he reader consult the cxxxixth Psalm, and
review this appeal to God. It is moreover
in the house of God, at the time of solemn
ip, in the presence of many witnesses

64 ON THE COLLECT FOR

visible and invisible. O how heinous is the sin
of hypocrisy under such circumstances. Let
the reader consider hin) self as solemnly ^'charged
"before God and the elect angels/' and the
congregation of the faithful, to '^ speak the
" truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the

" truth."

«•

'That ground of false confidence which our
collect teaches us to disclaim, is very extensive.
It includes not only all extrinsical human works,
but moreover all the inward emotions of the soul,
not excepting those which are kindled and ex-
cited by Divine grace. We comprehend in this
avowal not only the habits and acts of our unre-
generate and unconverted state, but those also
of our regenerate and converted state. " We
** put not our trust in any thing that we do."
The exercise of repentance, faith and love, as
well as the outward acts of piety and charity
which we may have performed, are herein ex-
cluded from any share of our confidence in the
great business of justification before God.

That the language which our church here
teaches us to use is strictly proper, and that
we ought not to " put our trust in any thing
" that we do," is very certain. For the Scrip-
tures speak explicitly and positively on the sub-
ject, ascribing our acceptance with God to the ,
obedience of Christ only. To quote all the
passages which bear directly or indirectly on this
point, would oblige us to transcribe a great part
of the New Testament ; for it forms its principal
theme. But a full persuasion of its truth is so
important, that a reference must be made to a
few. Let the latter part of the third chapter of
the Epistle to the Romans be read with atten-
tion^ and it will leave no doubt on the awakened

SEXAGESIMA SUNDAY. 65

inind. For the inspired penman concludes from
the preinises he lays down, that " a paan is jus-
^^ tified by faith without the deeds of the law/*
In a subsequent chapter, Rom. xi. 6, he shews
the impossibility of that coalition which some
have endeavoured to establish between works
and grace in human salvation. ^^If it be of grace,'*
he says, " then it is no more of works; other-
" wise grace is no more grace. But if it Jbe of
^^ works, then it is no more grace, otherwise
*■ work is no more work." It is absurd th6re^
fore, while we call ourselves Christians, to "put
our trust," either wholly or partially, " in any
thing that we do." In' his Epistle to the Ga-
latians, the same Apostle, speaking of himself
and his believing brethren among the Jews, who
who might be supposed to have some personal
ground of eonfidence though the Gentiles had
none, says, ^^ We, who are Jews by nature and
"'not sinners of the Gehtiles^ inowing that a
** man is not justified by the works of the law
*^ b|it by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have
believed in Jesus Christ, that ^e might be
justified by the faith of Christ, and not
by the works of the law : for by the works of
the law shall no flesh be justified." In the
same Divine letter he again roundly asserts, that
*^ as many as are of the works of the law are
*^ under the curse ^ for it is written. Cursed is
** every one that coptinueth not in all things
** that are written in the book of the law to do
^^ them. But that no man is justified by the
•^ law in the sight of God, it is evident ; for the
"just shall live by faith." If a comment on
these passages of Sc:ripture be required, it is fur-
nished in the Xlth article of our church. *^ We
^^ are accounted righteous before God only for
VOL. II. F

€6
(S
€{
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66 ON THE COLLECT FOR

** the nierit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ
" by faith, and not for our own works or de-
" servings. Wherefore that we are justified by
^' faith only, is a most wholesome doctrine, as
" more largely is expressed in the homily on
"justification."

From the homily intituled " A sermon of the
*' salvation of mankind by only Christ our Sa-
" viour from sin and death everlasting," the fol-
lowing extract will shew what was the meaning
of those excellent persons who have taught us
to say, that " we put not our trust in any thing
'' that we do."

** Because all men be sinners and offenders
against God, and breakers of His law and com-
mandments, therefore can no man by his own
acts, works, and deeds, seem they never so
good, be justified and made righteous before
God ; but every man of necessity is constrained
to seek for another. righteousness of justification,
to be received at God's own hands, that is to
say, the forgiveness of his sins and trespasses in
such thingSv^lie hath offended. And this jus-
tification or righteousness which we so receive
of God's mercy and Christ's merits, embraced
by faith, is taken, accepted, and allowed of
God for our perfect and full justification : for
the more full understanding hereof, it is our
parts and duties ever to remember the great
mercy of God, how that (all the world being
wrapped in sin by breaking of the law) God sent'
His only Son oiir Saviour Christ into this worid'
to fulfil the law for us, and by shedding of His
most precious blood to make a sacrifice arid'
satisfaction, or, as it may be called, amends to
His Father for .our sins, to assuage His wrath
and indignation conceived against us for the

SEXAGESIMA SUNDAV. ' 67

same.— This is that justification of righteousness
which St. Paul speaketh of when he saiti). No
man is justified by the works of the law, but'
freely by faith in Jesus Christ. And again he
saith. We believe in Jesu Christ that we be*
justified freely by the faith of Christ, and not
by the works of the law; because that no man
shall be justified by the works of the law. And
although this justification be free unto us, yet
it cometh not so freely unto us, that there is no
ransom paid at all. But here may therefore
man's reason be astonished, reasoning after this
fashion : if a ransom be paid for our redemption,
then it is not given us freely ? For a prisoner
that paid his ransom is not let go freely; for if
he go freely, then he goeth without ransom :
for what is it else to go freely, than to be set ^t
liberty without paying of ransom ? This reason
is satisfied by the great wisdom of God in this
mystery of our redemption, who has so tem-
pered His justice and mercy together, that He
would neither by His justice condemn us into
the everlasting captivity of the devil and his
prison of hell, remediless foT ever without mercy,
nor by His mercy deliver us clearly without
justice or payment of a just ransom; but with
His endless mercy He joined His most upright
and equal justice. His great mercy He shewed
unto us in delivering us from our former capti-
vity, without requiringof any ransom to be paid,
or amends to be made upon our parts, which ,
thing to us had been impossible to be done.
And whereas it lay not in us to do that, He
provided a ransom for us — that was the most
precious body and blood of His own most dear
and best beloved Son Jesu Christ, who besides
this ransom fulfilled the law for us perfectly. And

F 3

68 ON THSi PPIXgCT FOR

so the jpstice of God gipd His n^ercy did embrace
together, and fuifiJlQd the mystery of our re-
4ewptiop. And of this justice and mercy of
Gp4 fcliit tpgether spe^^lceth St. Paul in the third
chapter to the Rorpans. All have offende4 and
h^ye pe^d otf the glpry of God, bpt are justified
ff^^ly by gr^ce, by redemption which is in Je^u
Gbrj§t, whpiP God hath sent forth to \!S for a
r^cipnciler apd peace-maker, through £atitb in
l5[i? bipod, tp shew His righteopspess. And in
the tepth chapter, Christ is the epd pfthe law
unto righteppspess to every man that believeth.
Ap4 in the eighth chapter^ that which was im-
possible by the la\y, inasmuch asi it was weak by
the fl^sh, God sending Hi§ own son in the simi-
litpcje of sinful flesh, by sin copdemped sin in
the flesh, that the righteousness of the law might
b[e fulftUed in ps which walk not after the flesh
b,ut after the Spirit. In these foresaid places the
Apostle toucheth specially three things, which
mu§t gp together ip our justificatipn. Upon
God's part. His great nuercy apd grace; upon
Clprist's part, justice, that is, the satisfaction of
God's justice, or the price of our rediemption,
by the offering of His body apd shedding. Hi3
bJk).pd, with fplfiliing of the law perfectly apd
tliftroi^hly ; and vppp Qur part, true and lively
fa^i.th ip the iperits of Jesus Christ, which yet is
not oprs, bpt by God'« working in us. So. that
in opr JMStificatiop there is not only God'^ m^er*-
cy apd grace, but also His justice, which, the
Ap.p3tle calleth the justice of God;, and it con-
siste.th. ip payingour ransom and fulfiJJing. of tlaue
law ; and so the grace of God doth not shut out
the justice of God in aur justification, but only
sbutteth out thg justice of man, that is to say,
the justice o£ our. works, as to be merits of

SEXXGESIMA SUNDAY. ^9

deserving our
Paul declareth

ustificatibh. And therefore St.

here nothing upon the behalf rff
man concerning h}$ justification, l)ut only a true
and lively faith, which tievertheless i§ the gift of
God, and not hian's only work without God ; and
yet that faith doth not shut out re()fentj^ri'ce, hope,
love, dread and the fear of God to be joined with
faith in every tnati that is justified; but it shut-
teth th'etri 6ut from the office of justifying. So
that although th^y be all present together in
Hixti th'at is justifi^d^ yet ihey justify riot alto-
gether; neither doth fai^h sh'tif out the justice
of our good works, necessarily to be done after-
wards of duty toNvards God (for we are most
boiinden to serve God in doing good deeds^
commanded by Him in His holy Scrip'tui*e^ all
the days of our life :) But it excludeth theni, so
that wfe may not do them to this intent, to be
made just by doin^ of ttieni. For all the good
works that we can do be iniperfect, and there-
fore not able to Reserve our justification; but
Our justification doth come freely by the mere
mercy of God; and of so great and free mercy
that, whereas all the world was not able of
themselves to pay any part towards their ransom,
it plieased our heavenly Father of His infinite
mercy, xvithoiU anij of our desert or desei^ihg^ to
prepare for us the most precious jewels of Christ's
body arid bloOd, whereby our ransom might be
fully paid, the law fulfilled, and His justice fully
satisfied. So that Christ is now the righteous-
ness of all thenl that truly do believe in Him.
He for them paid their ransoni by His death.
He for them fulfilled the ^aw in His life. So
that now in Him and by Him every true Chris-
tian man ipay be called a fulfiller of the law,

F 3

70 ON THE COLLECT FOR

forasmuch as that which their infirmity lacked,
Christ's justice has supplied."
, In the second part of the homily of salvation
our Reformers add — " The true understanding
of this doctrine, we be justified freely by faith
without works ; or that we be justified by faith
in Christ only, is not that this our own act to
believe in Christ, or this our faith in Christ
which is within us, doth justify us,' and deserve
our justification unto us (for that were to count
ourselves to be justified by some act or virtue
that is within ourselves) but the true understand-
ing and meaning thereof is, that although we
hear God's word and believe it, although we
have faith, hope, charity, repentance, dread
and fear of God within us, and do never so
many works thereunto, yet we must renounce
the merit of all our said virtues and good deeds,
which we either have done, shall do, or can do,
as things that be far too weak and insufficient
and imperfect to deserve remission of our sins
and our justification ; and therefore we must
trust only in God's mercy, and that sacrifice
which pur High Priest and Saviour Christ Jesus,
the Son of God, once offered for us upon the cross,
to obtain thereby God's grace and remission, as
well of our original sin in baptism, as of all ac-
tual sin committed by us after our baptism, if
we truly repent and turn unfeignedly to Him
again. So that as St. John Baptist, although
he were never so virtuous and godly a man, yet,
in this matter of forgiving of sin, he did put the
ipeople from him, and appointed them unto
Christ, saying thus unto them. Behold yonder
is the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins
of the world. Even so, as great and as godly a

SEXAGESIMA SUNDAY. 71

virtue as the lively faith is, yet it putteth us
from itself, and remitteth or appointeth us unto
Christ, for to have only by Him remission df
our sins or justification. So that our faith in
Christ (as it were) saith unto us thus, It is not I
that take away your sins, but it is Christ only,
and to Him only I send you for that purpose,
forsaking therein all your good virtues, words,
thoughts, and works, and only putting your
trust in Christ/*

The extract from th^ standard writings of our
church, which has now been made, is long ; but
its importance will constitute its effectual apo-
logy. It iihews us in what sense we are to use
the language of our collect, by exhibiting fully
the sentiments of our Reformers on a subject,
which, in the present day, is unhappily misun-
derstood and opposed by persons calling them-
selves protestants, and on nearly the same ground
which was taken by the papists at the time of
the reformation.

So unbending are the requisitions of the Di-
vine law, that nothing can be admitted as a
basis for acceptance under it that has the least
flaw attached to it. Now if the quality of our
best works, wrought "after justification and the
" grace of Christ," be examined according to
its precepts, when they are weighed in the ba-
lance of the sanctuary they will be found aw-
fully defective. But were it otherwise, were
some or all the works wrought after conversion
to be sinless, or fully commensurate with the
standard of perfection, they could aflbrd no
ground for trust; because the law requires, not
thatsomeonly, butthat all our doings, in thought,
word, and deed, from the earliest dawn of rea-
son to the close of life, be perfect. And " he

f4

78 ON THE COLLECT FOR

" that offendeth in one point is guilty of all."
It is further to be observed that, according to
the constitution of the covenant of grace, a sin-
ner must be justified by faith in Christ before he
can perform any work that is radically gopd.
For f* works, done before the grace of Christ
*' and inspiration of His Spirit, are not good
** works." '* They are all sins. And therefore
*' whatsoever we do before justification is so far
'* from justifying, that it will but more condemn
'^ us : so far from meriting the least happiness,
" that it rather deserves the greatest misery."*
If therefore our trust for acceptance wnth God
be built on any doings of our own, it must be
built on works which are altogether sinful; for,
previous to acceptance by faith in Christ, all our
works are only such. This is the doctrine of
pur church and of the Bible. For " without"
that " faith," which embraces Christ for justi-
fication, *^ it is impossible to please God."

The meaning of our church, then, in teaching
us to say, that " we put not our trust in any
" thing that we do," is evident. She excludes
from any share of confidence every thing that is
personally our own. Her genuine members
lean, only and wholly, on the merits and satis-
faction of Jesus Christ their Lord. But can we
adopt her language in simplicity ?ind Godly
sincerity ? Let us enter .into a close examina-»
tion of ourselves on this momentous point, re-
membering that " the heart is deceitful above
** all things, and desperately wicked : who can
"know it?'* Let us mix earnest prayer for
Divine instruction with a scrutiny of our souls,
knowing that it is the exclusive office of the Holy

* Bishop Beveridge on the 39 Articles.

"SEXAGESIMA SUNDAY. 73

Ghost to convince the heart of its unbelief and
self-righteousness. John xvi. 9- Let us remem-
ber that our collect is an appeal to Omniscience,
that thei*€fin we call God to witness the truth of
our assevei*ation. We invoke Him as conscious
of ottf sincerity. Our nefj^ation is corroborated
by Ah attestation of the Divine Being, and has
therefore the nature of an oath. If we falsify, >
are W6 not guilty of perjury? And yet, tre-
mendous as the thought is, may we not fear that
many persons make this declaration, " Lord
^* God, thou seest thslt we put not our trust in
** Jtny thing that we do," while they feel no
concern about the salvation of their precious
souls, or are trusting in themselves for justifica-
tion before God ? Ca.n the Searcher of hesTrts
]odk upon me, when using this prayer, and pro-
nauirce on me the eulogy which He pronounced
on Nathanad, " Behold an Israelite indeed, in
** whom there is ho guile*' ? Sincerity is a cor-
rc'spondenCe between the heart and lips. Ge-
nuine churchmanship supposes a cordial com-
munion and harmony with the sentiments of the
church, as well as with her rites and ceremonies.
And if a separation from the latter be schisma-
tical, a discordance from the former is heretical.
O let us then inquire. What is the basis of our
hope towards God ? To what do we trust for
success in our addresses to the throne of grace ?
In the performance of good works, in what do
we confide for their acceptance ? In the pros-
pect of death and of a judgment to come, on
what is our affiance placed ? Christ must be
. exclusively the Saviour of our souls, or He will
be no Saviour to us at all. His honour will He
not give to another, nor suffer His merit to be
confounded with any supposed worthiness in the
sinful acts of ms^n^

74 ON THE COLLECT FOR

The consequence' therefore of putting our
trust in any thing that we do, must be fatal to
our eternal welfare. For it proves us to be in a
state of ignorance both with respect to ourselves
and God, to be intirely destitute of faith in
Christ, and therefore under condemnation for
our sins, and to be disquahfied for joining in
the w^ork of heaven, which is to sing, '* Worthy
*' is the Lamb that w^as slain, to receive glory,
" and honour, and blessing."

If it should be thought by the reader that the
ellipsis in our collect may be differently filled up,
and that instead of being supplied with a view
to justification before God it may more properly
be completed in the following manner, ^^ O
*^ Lord God, who seest that we put not our
" trust in any thing that we do for the purpose
*^ of defending ourselves against all adversity,
*' either of body or mind," — if this sense should
be preferred, the author will not contend for his
own. But he observes that these sepiarate lines
of interpretation will meet at last in the same
point. For if we sincerely renounce self-confi-
dence in one respect, we virtually renounce it
in all respects. If we cannot, by our own obe-
dience, justify ourselves before God, neither
can we, by our own strength, defend ourselves
from the innumerable evils to which we are ex-
posed. This latter view of our own impotence
will claim our attention in several of the suc-
ceeding collects. And the former is explicitly
acknowledged by our church in the prayer that
immediately precedes the consecration prayer in
the communion service.

We proceed now to consider the earnest prayer
to Divine Omnipotence, which is founded on
the foregoing appeal to Divine Omniscience,

SEXAGESIMA SUNDAY. 75

It is founded on it ; for there is a close connec-
tion between the appeal and the petition. Self-
diffidence is essential to the success of the appli-
cation which we make to God for His protection.
The act of self-renunciation is a most forcible
plea, addressed to the compassion of the Divine
bosom. The language of distress which the
Syrophenician woman uttered, when she applied
to the Divine Jesus for relief, was greatly en-
forced and rendered powerfully persuasive by
her avowal of unworthiness. "Lord, help me,'*
was her brief, but comprehensive prayer. " The
*^ dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from the
** rpaster's table," was the argument by which
she urged her petition ; which produced from
the Saviour's lips high commendation of her
faith, a\^d interested His power in her behalf.
If, in the same temper of mind, we can attest
Divine Omniscience, that " we put not our
" trust in any thing that we do," we shall also
succeed in our petition, and *^ by His power be
" defended against all adversity." The' act of
?elf-renunciation accords with the appeal to
mercy. Without the former, the latter would
te absurd ; or, at least, the latter necessarily
implies the former. And as God has promised
His help to those who, disclaiming self-confi-
dence, throw themselves intirely on His mercy,
the connection between the two parts of our col-
lect furnishes an appeal to the faithfulness of
God. He has assured us, that He " will regard
^^ the prayer of the destitute, and not despise
*^ their prayer." His glory will be eternally
promoted by the exertion of His power on be-
half of those who put their trust in His mercy.

But what is the request which we make ? —
Of what nature is the favour we implore, when

76 ON THE COLLECT FOR

•we beg that God would " mercifully grant that
" by His power we may be defended against all
" adversity ?** Is affliction adversity ? Is death
to be so denominated ? Do we beg of God to
exempt us by His power from these ? Oh no:
affliction and death are favourable, and not arf-
verse^ to the true believer. They are included
in his catalogue of blessings. They are benefits
derived to him from Divine mercy under the
provisions of the covenant of grace. We do
not therefore pray to be defended against any
species of trial, nor against the attack of death.
-^What then do we solicit ? — Our act of sdp-
plication may be explained by our Lord's prayer
for his disciples, John xvii. 15. "I pray,*' said
the compassionate Jesus, addressing Himself to
|Iis Fa;ther, ^^ I pray not that thou shoaldest take
*^ them out of the world, but that thou shouldest.
** keep them from the evil." He knew whait
was good for them, and He loved them too well-
not to ask the best things for them. If it were
for the glory of His name, and for the good of
His dear people, God could at once remove
them out of the reach of trouble, without dying>
as He did Enoch and Elijah. But He sees it
to be better for them, and more for His own
honour, that they should continue awhile in the
vale of tears. When our blessed Lord therefore,
in the formulary which He drew up for the use
of His church, taught us to implore God, that
He would ^^dehverus from evil," He could not
intend tliat we should contradict what He had
instructed us to ask in a former petition, viz.
that God's " wiir* itiight " be done in earth, as
" it iis done in heaveri.'* " This is the will of
** God, even our sanctification." And the me-
thod by which H6 chuses to carry on and to

. SEXAGESIMA SUNDAY. 77

finish this great wprk in the souls of His people,
is by affliction and de^th. Against the experi-
ence of these, therefore, y^e cannot pray for
absolute defence. There is no re£|,l adversity
but sin. Moral evil is the oply pvil from which
we need to be solicitous for protection. This there-
fore our church teaches us to deprecate in the
various circumstances of trial to which yfe ipay
be exposed. If wp are iq a state of poverty,
we are not warranted to pray for a state of opu-
lence; but we must be^ech Him, that we may
be kept from the various temptations tq s\v\.
which may arise from such a situation — that we
may be defended against a spirit of impatience
and discontent, which would prove adverse to
the peace of our minds^ to our growth in grace,
and to our preparation for heavenjy happinesi^.
If we are laid on a bed of sickness, we are not
authorised to pray, absolutely, for a restoration
of health ; biit we must solicit grace that we
may glorify God in the furnace of trial, and
come out of it, either by recovery or death, as
gold purified in the fire. Are we in a state of
persecution ? We are not at liberty to seek ex-
emption from it, but that we may be defended
against a murmuring and revengeful temper
under it, and that we may be enabled to rejoice
that we are " counted worthv to suffer for Christ's
" sake/' It is needless, and indeed would be
impossible, to recount all the various scenes of
tribulation incident to the church of God, or
the dangers which are appropriate to each. It
is a consolatory thought, that God knows them
all, and that while we sincerely pray for defence
against them. He will be our shield.

Oiir collect supposes a consciousness in those
who use it^ of utter inability to defend themselves.

78 ON THE COLLECT FOR

. /

;and to withstand the slightest temptation. Tliey
acknowledge that by grace they are saved, not
only from the fear of hell, but also from the
power of sin. They look to Him who alone is
" able to keep them from falling and to present
" them faultless before His glory with exceeding
" joy."

We address the throne of grace " through
" Jesus Christ our Lord." In Him all our trust
is reposed, for ^^ we put none in any thing that
*^ we do." To Him we look for the acceptance
of our prayers, for the justification of our souls,
for defence against all adversity, and at length
for an abundant entrance into His everlasting
kingdom. We know that our " tears need to
be washed in His blood, and that our repent-
^ ances need to be repented of."*

♦ Beveridgtj's Private Thoughts.

C(

QUINQUAGESIMA SUNDAY. 79

THE SUNDAY CALLED QUINQUAGESIMA, OR THE
NEXT SUNDAY BEFORE LENT.

O Lordy who hast taught us, that all our doings
without charity are nothing tvorth ; send thy Holy
Ghost, and pour into our hearts that most excellent-
gift of charity, the veiy bond of peace ^ and of all
virtues, without which whosoever livetk is countecl
dead before thee. Grant this' for thine only Son
Jesus Christ^s sake. Amen.

THE practice of converting precept into
prayer, which is so frequently exemplified
in our collects, manifests a spirit both of humi-
lity and faith. It bespeaks a consciousness of
inability to fulfil the statutes of God without
His grace, and at the same time answers the
objections which unbelief is prone to raise
against religion from the difficulty of its duties.
For it teaches us that, although we are insuffi-
cient of ourselves to comply with the holy and
blessed will of God ; yet this afibrds no excuse
for disobedience or slpth, since in Christ all-
fulness dwells, and humble supplicants are sure
to derive from His fulness grace to help in every
time of need. In our collect for Quinquagesima
Sunday, which was drawn up for the use of the
church in the year 1549, we are taught to pray
for the communication of a particular grace to
our hearts, which we are enjoined in Scripture
to cultivate. " Above all these things/' says
St. Paul, after having enumerated several other
graces, '* put on charity, which is the bond of
perfectness." Col. iii. 14.

ti

80 ON THE COLLECT FOJl

This excellent *^ form of sound words" con-*
tains, — A preface reciting an Important article
of scriptural instruction — A prayer founded on
that recital — A commendation of the blessing
for which we pray ; — and An earnest enforce*
ment of the request made.

The important article of scriptural instr\ic-
tion, which the preface recites, is taken fropi
St. PauFs first Epistle to the Corinthians, Chap,
xiii* 1, &c. — a passage which is chosen fortfie
epistle appointed to be used with our collect.
Though the penman of this epistle was a pian
like unto ourselves, yet our collect recognise^
God as the author of it. It is His instruction
which is recited, and is therefore to be depended
on as " a faithful saying and worthy of all £md-
" ceptation.'* Its truth and importance ^fe
equally indisputable. And it may therefore be
introduced to the notice of the congregation in
the awful style of the prophet, " O earth, earth,
** earth, hear the word of the Lord." " Hear all
ye people; hearken, O earth, and let the Lord
God speak, the Lord from His holy temple.^*
The solemn consideration on which we found
our present act of supplication, is this, ^^ That
" all our doings without charity are nothing
" worth."' For the purpose of explaining this
weighty subject, it will be requisite to shew,-rrp
What charity is — ^That a man may possess very
brilliant gifts and endowments, may make a
splendid show of benevolence towards men, nay,
exhibit in his conduct a striking semblance of
piety towards God, and yet be destitute of cha^
rity — and that gifts, outward acts of benevo-
lence to man, or of piety to God> are of no
value whatever without ch^irity.

QVlNQ0A<3CSntA SUNDAY. 81

A solution of the question, Whtt is charitjr^
IS a matter of high importance, lor the term
is frequently misunderstood ; and thousands,
through misconceptions of the subject^ have
been deceired to their eternal rain. The woni
diarity is s3monymous with love. The Greek
term used in the New Testament is sometimes
rendered charity and sometimes love. It is to
be lamented, that the same word has not beea
always employed by our Translators, as thereby
mistakes might have been preventefSH&nd that
Uxoe, as the more intdligible term to tM^tnmoa
iseaders, had not been chosen.

The nature of this grace^ will appear from
another branch of the standard writings belong-
ing to the church of England^ naitiely> her
homilies, one of which is intituled, *^ A sermon
** of Christian love and charity/' Now, as the
mne persons wrote both the homily and the
collect, the former being dated but thirteen
years after the latter, the meaning of our church
in the word cannot be mistaken if we adopt
the definition of the homily.

^^ Of all things that be good to be taught unto
Christian people, there is nothing mote neces«
sary io be spoken of and daily called upon than
charity, 88 well for that all manner of works of
righteousness be contained in it, as also that
the decay thereof is the ruin or fall of the worlds
the banishment of virtue and the cause of vice.

* hSam^ tS\ SuAittif 4^X1^ A^^aSi;, est animi bonus affectus^
qup effcitur ut nihil l>eo pneferat. Maxim. 1. Centuvm
SenimU tarn. 7. Et Prosper : Cfaaritas est recta voluntas ab
omnibsBterreBis aveiBaiet Deo inseparabiUterunita, ab igne
<|iifdaBi Spiritus Saocti iiieeBsa.«^Quoted by Bp« Davenant
ID bis Exposition of the Epistle to the Colossians ; who in
another puu:e says. Est virtus dfivinitus infusa, qui sincere
4i)igitttf propter se Dens, et propteiT'Deani proximus.

VOL. II, O

82 . QNrO'HE GOiJLECT FOR

Andforasmach as altriost jevery man maketh and
firameth. to himself charity after his own ap-
petite, and how detestable soever his life.bcf
both unto God and man, yet he persuadeth
himself still that he hath charity ; therefore you
shall hear now a true and plain description or '
setting forth of charity, not of man's imagina-
tion^: but of the very words and example of our
Saviour Jesus Christ. In which description or
setting forth, every man, as it were in a glass,
may consider himself and see plainly without
error, whether he be in the true charity or not^
" Charity is love to God with all our heart,
all our souls, and all our power and strength.
With all our heart : that is to say, that our
heart, mind and study be set to believe Hisr
word, to trust in Him, and to love Him above
all other things that we love best in heaven or
in earth. With all our life : that is to say, that
our chief joy or delight be set upon Him and
His honour, and our whole life given to the ser-
vice of Him above all things, with Him to live
and die, and to forsake all other things rather
than Him ; for he that loveth his father or
mother, son or daughter, house or land, riiore
than me, sajth Christ, (Matt, x,) is not worthy
to have me. With all our power : that is to say,
that with our hands and feet, with our eyes and
ears, our mouths and tongues, and with all our
parts and powers both of body and soul, we
should be given to the keeping and fulfilling of
His commandments. This is the first arid prin-
cipal part of charity; but it is not the whole.
For charity is also to love every man good and
evil, friend and foej; and whatsoever cause be
given to the contrary, y^t nevertheless to bear
good will and heart unto every man, tousi^

QUINQUAGESIMA SUNDAY. 83

ourselves well unto them, as well in words and
countenances, as in .9JI our outward acts and
deeds; ^or so Christ Himself taught, and so
^sp He performed indeed. Of the love of God
He taught on this wise unto a doctor of the law
that asked Him which was the chief and great
comniandment of the law. Love thy Lord God,
saith Christ, with all thy heart, with all thy soul,
and with all thy mind. And of the love that
we ought to have among ourselves, each to other.
He teacheth us thus. You have heand. it taught
in times past. Thou shalt love thy friend, and
hate thy foe. But I. tell you, love your enemies,
speak well of them that defame and speak evil
of you, do well to them that hate you, pray for
them that vex and persecute you^ that you may
be the children of your Father that is in heaven^
&c/' " Thus have I set before you what

charity is, -whereby every man may without

error know himself, what state and condition he
standeth in, whether he be in charity and so
the child of the Father in heaven or not. For
although almost every man persuadeth himself
to be in charity, yet let him examine none other
man, but his own heart, his life and conversa-
tion, and he shall not be deceived, but truly
discern and judge, whether he be in perfect
charity or not. For he that followeth not his
own appetite and will, but giveth himself ear-
nestly to God, to do all His will and command-
ments, he may be sure that he loveth God above
all things, and else surely he loveth Him not
whatsoever he pretend. As Christ said. If ye
love me, keep my commandments ; for he that
knoweth my commandments and keepeth them,
he it is, saith * Christ, that loveth me. And
again He saith (John xiv.) he that loveth me will

g2

*tm-*

8* ON THE COLLECT FOR

keep my words, and my Father will love him,
and we will both come to him and dwell with
him : And he that IjOveth me not, will not keep
my words. And likewise he that beareth a gocnl
heart and mind, and useth well his tongue and
deeds nnto every man, friend and foe, he may
know thereby that he hath charity. And then
he is sure that Almighty God taketii him for His
dearly beloved son, as at. John saith. ( I John iii.)
Hereby manifestly are known the children of God
and the children of the devil : for whosoever dotlv
not love his brother, belongeth not unto Gfod.***

It may be necessary to remind the reader,
before we proceed, that " most excellent'* as
" the gift of charity" is, it is not the principle
of justification. But as this point is fully proved
in the preceding essay, it will be needless to
resume the argument. That our most exalted
love is imperfect, needs no other demonstration
than the prayer which we are taught to use for its
increase. And that which is imperfect itself
fequires forgiveness, instead of justifying the
person in whom it is found. The righteousn^s
of Christ is the sole cause of acceptance with
God, and faith the exclusive instrument of its
application to the. heart.

Faiths hope, and fcharity are however ihsepa*-
rabiy connected, so that wherever either of these
graces is found, the others exist dso: and "Ae
vigour of the two latter is always proportioned
to the vigour of the former. ^* Faith believes the

revelations of God ; hope expects Hts prottifses ;.

charity loves His excellencies and maTics.'''f

* A ^ew octavo edition of the Homtlks Htfs been ptAn
lished at the Clarendon press. It is a pity that it 'does ne^
^nd a place in every cburdiman's libiaiy.

QUINQUAGESIMA SVND4Y. &5

Faith therefore is the cause ^ hppe and love the
effects which it produces* Th^t is the parents
these th^ children. A genera) and historical faith
jn^^ e^t without love. But a justifying faith>
whichj preceded by conviction of sin, appre^
hends and applies the merit of Christ for panlon
and salvation, necessarily begets charity,* '^ the

* That ^nuiiie faith is not necessarily productive of love
and tfood WQrks» was od^ of the «nrors of popery on account
of woich the churcH of England separated from the see of
Rome. This ^roor has however been maintained by some
modem Divines, although the church of J^ngland in her arti«
des and homilies is directed against them. The 12th article
and the whole of the first part of the homily on iaith is on

ig faith, and raimol be idle." Bishop
ot^r luminary of the reformation, in his exposition of the
Epistle to die Colossians, reasons thus on the subject* Con-o
cedimtis posse meptem hominis ita iliustrari, ut credat Deo ;
id est, ut assentittlar verbo divino in genere, ct tamen inte»
rim sit «xpers charitatis ; banc Jidem infor 'em appellant
Scholastici, nos Jidem historicaniy sive jfldem uenernlem. Sic
Antissiodorensls perantiquus Scholasticus, lib. 3. Fide in-'
formi credimus Deo ; id esU quod sit DeuSf et qwid Deus
sit omnipotens, ft multa alia. De hoc etiam loquitur Jaco^
bus, cap.ii. 14* Quid prodesi^ si Jidem quisdicatsekabere»
opera autem non habeai ? Deinde pauIo post, Diaholi cre»
dunt et contremiscunt. Sed est alia etiam fides, quam nos
justi/icantem appellamus, Scholastici ,^ina/em ; quse non
solum credit Deo, sed in Deum, id est, quae apprehendit
Deum, ut sibi placatum et reconciliatum in Christo ; atque
banc dicimus nunquam sejungi a chgritate. Prior est sim*
plex irradiatio, non virtus theologica ; hsec posterior est
prim aria inter tres illas celebres theologicas virtutes^ Hujus
autem nex/as perpetuus cum chariti^te probatur multis ra«f
tionfbus* 1 . Quia haep fides Peuin apprehendit ut bonunv
et misericordem et salutis authoren^ sibi per Christum; at
hddc apprehensio parit amorem Dei neo^nsario; ^c enim
Antissiodorensis, Mstimtttio qud aUquis <BStim^ per Jidem
Deum esse summum bonum suum^ generativa est desiderii
ilHushouii lib. 3. 2. Quia fides just^ficans sanctificat et
purificat corda | at cor ei^pers charitatis non est vftnetificatuia

9 3

- •fT

86 ON THE COLLECT FOR

** final object whereof is that incomprehensible
'* beauty, which shineth in the countenance of
'* Christ, the Son of the living God."* Charity
however, is not of the essence of faith ; for faitn
precedes artd produces love, and works by it.f

aut piirlHcatum. 3. Quiaomnis qui credit \erk fide etjustifi-^
caiitc, habet jus ad vitam seternam. Sic enim Baptista,
Qui credit Ftlioy habet vitam €Btemam. £t Paulus ad Ga-«
latas, Omnes filii Dei estis pier fidem, Sed haec nemiDi
conipetunt qui est expers cnaritatie. 4. Ipsi scholastici
docent, tres illas virtutes theologicas semper esse connexas,
-&C. &c. £xhi8patet, cum papistte disputant veram fidem
posse a cbaritate sejungi, illos vel ambiguitate vocabali
ludere, vel suis scholasticis repugnare* r ides enim ilia,
quae est expers cbaritatis^ differt specie ab hac justificante;
bafc enim est virtus theologica, ilia non est ! diiferunt ob-
jecto ; haec enim Deum sibi in Christo recouciliatum appre-
hbndit, ilia non potest apprehendere c differunt effectibus ;
haec enim pacem conscientiae afiert, ilia timorem ; difiterunt
actibus : hujus enim actus est credere in Deum, illius est
tantum credere Deo, ut antea ostendimus. The dispute
which has arisen on this subject, will apologize for the length
of this extract,

* Hooker,

t Restat ultima quaestio, quae spectat ad fidem et chari-»
tatem : scilicet an charitas sit ita conjuncta cum fide, ut sit
forma fidei ? Sic videtur Thomae» Durando, et aliis re-
ceusioribus. Imaginantur enim fidem per se esse quiddam
mortuum et inanime; et quicquid vitae vel meriti habeat,
illud mutuari a charitate tanquam ab animik et form^ su&. At
contra pqgnat (quemsaepe nominavi) Antissiodorensis, lib. 3,
ubi defendit, fideni yeram et formatam esge uatur^ priorem
charitate. Ratio 1. Justus ex fide vivit : ergo ex fide
diligit ; ergo fides viva est prior natura quam charitas, et
proinde non formatur et vivificatur a charitate, Ratio k.
£x 1 Timoth. i. 5. Firds mandati est charitas ex puro
cordCi fide et non fictd ; ergo vera fides, et cor purificins,
parit charitatem : et per consequens non est fi>rmata a cha-
rijate. Ratio 3. Motus fidei formatie pr^ecedit motum
.charitatis; ergo ipse habitus fidei fonnatiii iiatura praecedit
habitum chaiitatis. Nam prius in Deum credimus, et
fidem nostram reponiraus, quam ilium amare possumus.

((

€<
.«
€<

QUINQVAGEE^SIMA SUNDAY. «7

We now proceed to shew that a mkn may
possess .many brilliant gifts, make a splendid show
of benevolence towards men, and of piety to-
wards God, and yet be destitute of charity. The
possibility of tbi& awful di^fect, 4s supposed in
our collect, is founded on what St. Paul. say%
1 Cor. xiii. IrrrrS, . '^ Though 1 ^peak wjth th^
tonguesr of men and of angels, and liaye, j\i^
charify, I am become as sopnding bi:ass 04r.a
tinkling^cymbaL, And though I have th^? ^gift
qf prophejcy, wd understand allj Qiysterijes, an4
*^ all knowledge, and though 1 have all faith so
^^ that I could remove mountains, and have not
^^ charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow
<'aU my goods to feed thepaoc, and though I
'^ give ray body to be burned, and have not cjj^r
^' rity, it profitet{i m? nothing."

Did sweeter isottnds adom liiy flowing tongue,
. Than ever man pronovinc'd ot angel sung* ; .
• Had I all knowledge, human and Divine, .. -

That thought ca.n reach, or science can define ;
And had I power to give that knowledge birth
In all the speeches of the babbling earth ;
Did Shadrack^s zeal my glowing breast mspirej|
To weary tortures, apd rejoice in fire ;
Or htid I faith like that which Israel saw.
When Moses g^ave them miracles and law.
Yet, gracious charity, indulgent guest !
Wer^ not thy power exerted in my breast.

Ratio 4» Ex A postolo ad Galatas, /n C^iV/o «/i?«t« neigftie
eirciimcisio valet, . neqtie prceputium, sed fidesy quce per
diiectionem operaiur ; ergo fides est efficiens causa charitatis,
et proinde cnaritas non est forma fidei, sed filia vel famula.
Davenant in Epist. ad Coloss^ ' How fast we are. hastening
back to Rome, the reader may judge by comparii^g theae
extracts \vith some specimens of mpderix Divinity. O how
little did the .good Bishop think, when he q^uoted the schooU
authors against the papists, that a time would arrive when
it would be necessary to quote himself, on the very «ame
points;^ -ag^ipst some DivineA of his own j^rotest^^t churcl^ j

g4

i

M Cffif THE CDULECT FOH

. TboflKi speeckfss wpold send up ui^beeded pvay V,
That ite!ora of )ife would be but wild desjiair ;
A tyipbaVs sound were better th^n my voice ;
ytj faith yretfi, form> my elijquence were noise.

PRIOB,

The ApOBtle'B mode of speaWng evid«idy
supposes the possibility of a man's possessing an
those extraofd^inary and miraculous endowments
which wer^ conferred on the members of the
primitive church, while, nevertheless, he remained
destitute of charity. It is however to be observed
that the faith of which he speaks is the faith of
miracles, and not a justifying faith ; for the latter
is never separate from charity. It does not ap-
peaif that Judas was, in any miraculous powei^^
infetior to the other apostles ; for such defecit
wpuld have stigmatised him before the time
arrived for th^ discovery of his true character*— »
But no ^paijc of charity was ever kindled in the
traitor's bosom. He lived as he died, <^ sensual^
^' not having the Spirit.'* The Corinthian church,
which vras abundantly favoured y^ith gifts, most
probably contained many persons who were des-
titute of saving grace, for whose conviction and
conversion this awful declaration of the Apostle,
though modestly couched for the purpose of
avoiding offence in the first person, was intended.
It is a most awakening consideration to which
our collect calls attention. A man may be learn-!'
ed, ^ay pray fluently, and preach eloquently,
and ypt be a reprobate for want of charity. O
how superior in value is a grain of that ** faith
*' which wprketh by love*' Xo the most splendid
^talnments without it ! The latter may indeed
most highly recommend their possessor to the
^p{n?obatipn ^i^d admiration pf men, but the for-
mer is- essential to a participation in the favour of
€rod and m th^ )iap]^n?$8 of His kingdonir

QUINQUAGESIMA SUNDAY. &9

The Apostle, moreover, supposes it to be a
possible thing for a man to bestow all his fortune
in the relief of the poor, and yet be destitute of
genuine charity, or a Divine principle of love to
God and man. It may be difficult to account for
80 uncommon an act on any human motives. But
pride and ostentation, or the emotions of a na-
turally compassionate temper, may produce such
an effect^ and, without doubt, have sometimes
produced it. The voluntary poverty^ so highly
estimated in the Romish church, frequently, if
not generally, originated in corrupt motives. Nor
is the alms-giving of protestants always of an
unsuspicious nature. It is very necessary that we
should closely scrutinize our motives, since an
outwardly similar line of conduct may arise from
different, nay, from diametrically opposite in-
ducements. For as the summer's sun and the
winter's frost both subserve the traveller's accomr
modation, by drying up the roads and rendering
bis journey safe and pleasant; so may the benefit
of others and the good of society be promoted
by the frigid act of mere nature, while the doer
is wholly pnblessed in his deed, as well as by
the genial influence of Divine grace on the heart.
But a supposition still more extraordinary is stated
by St. Paul in the before-cited passage of his
epistle to the Corinthians. A submission to mar-
tyrdom in defence of our creed seems to be the
highest act of piety that can be performed, and
the strongest proof of sincerity which can be
given. Yet this semblance of piety may exist
without charity. Pride, vainglory, or an obsti-
nate attachment to opinions from which no sanc-
tifying efficacy is derived, may produce this effect
nho. We have therefore? read of heathens, of
J^W9> of Turks^ of infidelsiy and of bereticis, ^

gt) OK THE C()UJECT' FOR

xvell as of Christians, wKo have sacrificed their
lives in support of their religious systems. And
it is by no means certain that all who have
suffered in the cause of Christianity were real
Christians. Other proof is necessary besides a
submission to mart}Tdom. Perhaps many of
those whose names are recorded in the calendar
of supposed saints, will not be found numbered
in " the holy army of martyrs" who will praise
God in his eternal kingdom. But to an inquiry
of this kind the Searcher of hearts is alone com-
petent. " Charity hopeth all things/' The use
which we are to make of the Apostle's awful sup-
position is of a personal nature. Is '* the loVe
** of God shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy
** Ghost given unto w.9.^" It is easier to sacrifice
every thing, even life itself, than to give up the
heart to God in the bond of Divine charity. —
Nature may do the former, but grace only can
enable us to do the latter.

^^ All our doings without charity are nothing
'' worth.'* For ^' if any man/' says our Apostle,
'' love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Ana-
** thcma Maranatha," accursed till the Lord come.
And when He comes, many will say to Him, *^Lord,
Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name^
and in thy name have cast out devils, and in
thy name done many wonderful works .^ To
•* whom lie will profess, I never knew you : de-
" part from me, ye that work iniquity."

No works of ours, even though they spring
from love to God and man, can be of a propiti-
atory nature; for after we have done all that is
r(*quired of us, and in the best possible manner,
wt* are still unprofitable servants. Our works,
worcovrr, are utterly' useless for the purpose of
^commending us to the Divine favour; they arc

it

QUINQUAGESIMA SUNDAY. flfl

neither needed noiVjiialified for this office. Goed
works are however the necessary fruits of faith,
and evidences of justification : they are essential
requisites to an admission to the kingdom of God,
not as the procuring but as a qualifying cause. —
But works which do not spring froth love or cha<-
rity afford no evidence of a justified statie, nor
do they prepare for the enjoyment of the heavenly-
inheritance. Nay, ^^ forasmuch as they are not
done as God hath willed and commanded them to
be done,' they have the nature of sin," are pi-oofs
of a carnal mind, and prepare for eternal ven-
geance. Add, then, dear reader,

Deeds to thy knowledge answerable; add faith.
And virtue, patience, temperance; add love,

\ ; .'...THE SOUL

OF ALL THE REST. MiLTON. ' i

O what an awful day will the day of judgment

Erove ! The motives of action will then be ex-
ibited to open view. And Oh! how many build-
ers of hospitals and endowers of alms-houses, it
is to be feared, will be found destitute of love to
God ! How large a part of that piety, which is
so much admired in the world, will be set aside
as ''nothing worth !" May the thought hereof
iproduce '''great searchings of heart/'

Important beyond description ai e right notions
of religious truth. The world talks with great
volubility of tongue concerning candour and
liberality of sentiment — terms which, in their
lips, are synonymous with indifference to vital
Godliness. But they are terms which, when ap-
plied to the gospel^ are absurd and blasphemous.
For there certainly is a system of Divine truth.
We must acknowledge it, or avow ourselves the
disciples of Voltaire or Spinoza, the patrons of
deism or atheism. And if there be a system of

98 ' ON THE COLLECT FOR

Diyine truth, tts Divinity gilfes to it an impor-
tance which renders liberality of sentiment con-
cerning it irrational and impious. /^ Charijty re-
^'joiceth in the truth/' and is perfectly consistent
with a manful contention ^^for the faith once
^' delivered to the saints." Thereon the mani-
festative glory of God, the present comfort and
holiness^ and the eternal salvation of the human
soul, depend. But as genuine religion doth not
consist in outward form and ceremony, so neither
doth it consist in a speculative system of opi-
nions, however orthodox, but in a conformity of
^ill and affection to God, produced by " the truth
** as it is in Jesus." It may be characterised
by a single word. It is CHARITY, for which we
are tau^t to pray in the collect which is now
the subject of contemplation.

Th^t the greatest fervor of spirit in the use of
this prayer becomes us, is evident, both from the
hature of the blessing implored, and from the
fatal consequences of being destitute of it. It
is The one thing needful ; for it is the proof of
justification, the essence of sanctification, and the
qualification for eternal glory. If we use this
prayer with indifference, and without earnest
desire after the attainment of heaven-bom charity^
O how ignorant must we be of our own state,
and how unconcerned about our own happiness !
and how clear is the evidence, that ^' all our do-
*' ings are nothing worth !"

But in what manner are we taught to expect
this *' most excellent gift?" This question is
solved by the language of our collect ; for we
beg that God would send " His Holy Ghost." It
is His office, in the covenant of grace, to quicken,
comfort, and " sanctify all the elect people of

God." Therein He acts in subserviency Iq

ilUINQUAGESIMA SUNDAY. 93

■s

the Father and the Son, by revealing the love of
the former and the merit of the latter, and He is
therefore called the Spirit of the Father and of
the Son. But when we speak of His mission, we
do not thereby refer to any change of place, for
loco-motion cannot be attributed to an Omnipre-
sent Being ; but it is the co;mmunication of Hiai
sanctifying influence which we solicit. His grace
is essential to salvation in every stage of the work
on our hearts. We are naturally destitute of it—
are *' sensual, not having the Spirit ;** and there-
fore ''in ns, that is in bur flesh, dwdleth no good
** thing." For from Him " all holy desires, all good
^' counsels, and all just works proceed."
• That charity, or the love of God and of our
neighbour for God^s sake, is not a natural inmate
ef our bojsoms, is plain both from Scripture and
exper^ice. The former tells us that " the camd
^mind is enmity against God;" and the page of
history draws the character of mankind as ^ ene-
mies to God by wicked works,'* and as ** hateful
and hating one another.** The Bible uniformly
ascribes the love of God and man to a supernatu-
nA source ; to which, if we would possess it, we
must diligently repair. And as its first production
is fiwn the operation of God the Holy Ghost, so
also its subsequent growth to perfection. Our
church is therefore fully justified in teaching all her
members, whether babes or fishers in Christ, ta
.pray for the Holy Ghost, in order that they may
be etia!bfed to love God and love their brother
also.

We may here propei-ly remark the doctrine of
our church respecting Divine inspiration. The
utmost consistency on the subject prevails in all
her offices. If sfhe cannot enfwce nnifbrmrty
by the persuasive argiimtents she uses, on alj her

rr

S4 OS THE COLLECT FOR

chiUvon* it shines beautifully in herself. While
therefore some of her sons assert that '* the
'* thouijhts of the human heart must be cleansed
•* In the in^piration of the Holy Spirit/' in order
tliat thev may ^* perfectly love God and worthily
*' maj»nify His holy name/' they have maternal
autl»orily on their side; and if they sink under
the obloquy of enthusiasm, the church must sink
tojiother with them.

The end for which we pray that the Holy,
(•host may be sent to us, is a most important one.
It is tku., in consequence of Plis inspirationi
** the most excellent gift of charity'' may be
pouroil into our hearts; that we may be endued
wiih love lo God, ourselves, and our neighbours.
An uninspired sinner is ^n enemy to God, to him*
self, and to all around him. And if, through a
nu\isurc of grace received, we can adopt St.
PcU r s solemn declai-ation, *^ Lord, thou knowest
*• all things, thou knowest that I love thee,'' then
^\e implore, that the spark of Divine charity which
l\as hvcw ahvady kindled may be fanned into a
(L\uu\ may consume whatever is contray to its own
hol\ n.uuvo, and burn for ever to the praise of
tho^lorv of it$ great author and object.

The measure of Divine love for which we pray,
IN not »» ^scanty one. We ask not that it may only
be droppixl upon us, or sprinkled around us, but
thai ii UKiv be •* poured into our heai'ts." The be-
lu N iU); siilner h)ngs that the holy oil which has been
P*MMx\l on his head may How down to the very
vkn is o\ \\\s garment, that it may consecrate all his
thiMJs.htN, tcmpei's, woihIs, and actions, and that he
u\.iN W **lill*Kl\viihall the fulness of God, who ''is"
llnuM'ii' '*l\ue;" in which *' whosoever dwelleth,
*' ilwcIUih \\\ (Jod, and God in him.". The man
luN tiistcd that the Lonl is gracious cannot

QUINQUAGESIMA . SUNDAY. 95

be satisfied till love becomes the element of his
soul, the grand constituent principle of his being,
the surrounding atmosphere in which he lives and
moves and acts. .

But is this indeed the desire of all those per-
sons v^ho mii^gle Jn our congregations and who
say " Amen" to our collect ? It is the desire of
all the true members of our church. But is it
yours, reader, and mine ? Have we been awak-
ened to a consciousness of the natural enmity of
our hearts to God ? Do we mourn on accouiit of
our want of love to Him who is both pur Creator
and our Redeenier ? Do we appreciate our obli-
gations to Him at so high a^ rate, as to perceive
that our returns can never be commensurate with
them ? Do we feel our own inability to excite
in our souls that Divine temper which is the very
essence of heaven, and the only preparative for
glory ?

Our collect proceeds to exhibit the chalicteris-
tic excellenpe of Divine charity / and as the com-
mendation of it is strictly scriptural, it must be
strictly just.

Charity is properly denominated a ^^ most ex-
" cellent gift." For such it will indeed appear to
be, whether we consider its origin as from God,
who is Himself love ; its object. Him in whom
all excellencies meet, or its end, *the perfect
happiness of rational and immortal creatures;
for love is paradise restored, heaven begun here,
and perfected hereafter. If we compare it with
the other graces, its excellence is unequalled ;
for St. Paul gives it a decided preference both to
faith and hope. These are means, that the end
proposed by them. These are mortal, that im-
mortal. These calculated anly for this transitory
world, of sin and sorrow, that intended to flou-

96 t>N THE COLLECT FOR

rish and bring forth its choicest fruits in the un««
changing climes of bliss. T^e^^e solace the pilgrim
on his way through the wilderness^ but that vrifi
afford him repose at its termination.

Each proper ^ft, which God on man bestows.

Its proper bounds and due reflection knowsi

To one fixt purpose dedicates its powV,

Andy fiiushing its act, exists no more.

Thus, in obedience to what heaven decrees.

Knowledge shall fail, and prophecy shall cease ;

But lasting charity^s more ample sway,

Not bouDQ by time, nor subject to.decayt

In happy triumph shall for ever live.

And endless good diffute, and endless pnose receive.

As through the artistes intervening glass
Our eye observes the distant planets pass,
A little we discover, but allow
That more remains unseen than art can shew.
So whilst our mind its knowledge would improve,
(Its feeble £ye intent on things above)
High as we may, we lift our reason up,
By FAITH directed, and confirm'd by HOPa;
Yet we are able only to survey
Dawnings of beams and promises of day.
Heaven^s fuller effluence mocks our dazzled flighty
Too great its swiftness, and too strong its lighU

But soon the mediate clouds shall bedispdl*d :
The sun shall s€K>n be, face to face, beheld
In all his robes, with all his glory on^
Seated sublime on his meridian throne.

Then constant faith and holy hofe shall dic^
One lost in ceitcuuty, and one in Joy ;
Whilst thou, more happy pow>, ndr charity.
Triumphant sister, greatest of the three !
Thy otfice and thy nature still the same.
Lasting thy lamp, and unconsum'd thy flame ;

Shalt still survive .•«.. « .«...•..

Shalt stand before the host of heaven confest.
For ever blessing, and for ever blest.. Paioa.

With a reference to the language of St. Paul
in Eph. iv. 3, our collect proceeds to extol cha-
rity as " the very bond of peace." It is the

QUINQUAGESIMA SUNDAY. 97

cause and cement of union between the children
of God; who, ** maintaining the truth in love,
*f grow up into Him in all things which is the
"head, even Christ; from whom the whole
" body fitly joined together, and compacted by
" that which every joint supplieth, according to
" the effectual working in the measure of every
" part, maketh increase of the body unto the
" edifying of itself in love." Among the chil-
dren of this world there are as many separate
interests as there are individuals, self-aggran-
dizement, in some shape or other, being the
object of each. But among the genuine mem-
bers of the church it is not SO; or, at least it is
uot so if charity prevail among them. For it is
tlie oblige of Christian love to dethrone the idol
self, that Christ may be all in all. Those there-
fore who are endowed with this most excellent
gift have " one heart and one way.'' *' There
" is one body and one Spirit, even as they are
*^ called in one hope of their calling. One Lord,
" one faith, one baptism, one God and Father
*' of all, who is above all, and through all, and
" in them alL" Where Divine love is in exer-
cise, there can be no jarring interests, no sus-
picious jealousies, nor divisions. For " as the
*' body is one and hath many members, and all
" the members of that one body, being many,
*^ are one body, so also is Christ. And whether
"one member suffer, all the members suffer
•* with it — or one member be honoured, all the
" members rejoice with if Charity is ** the
^* very bond of peace."

Soft peace she brings wherever she arrives,
She builds our quiet as she forms our lives.
Lays the rough paths of peevish nature even.
And opens in each heart a little heaven*

Prior,

VOL, IL H

^ ON THE COLLECT FOR

Charity is moreover characterised as *^ the
'* bond of a!l virtueis.'* In this part of ikne de-
scriptFon the collect seems to allude to Col, iii.l4^
where this grace is called '' the bond of perfect-
** ness."* It is so denominated because where
love exists, all other graces exist also. *' He
*« that loveth, hath fulfilled the law. For this,
** Thou flhalt not commit adultery, Tbou shalt
'^ not kill, Tht)u shalt not steal. Thou shalt not
** bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet ; and
^* if there he any' other commandment, it is
briefly comprehended in this saying. Thou
shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love
'* worketh no ill to his neighbour ; therefore love
" is the fulfilling of the law." Rom. xiii. 8, 9«
See^lso Gal. v. 14. and 1 Tim. i, 5. And as
the duties of the second table are all compre-
hended in the wdrd LOVE, so also are those of
the first ; for love to God includes the whole of
our duty to Him. For thus said the Divine Law-
giver, Matt. xxii. 37, &c, ** Thou slialt love
" the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with
'* all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is
•^ the first and great commandment. And the
•^ second is lik« unto it. Thou shalt love thy

* CharitaTs est vinculum perfectionis inter ipsas virtutes,
quia qta charitatem habet, reliquas omnes habet et ex-«
ercet. Hue Spectant ilia Script orae Ipca, Rom. xiii, 8.
Qui diligit proxitnumi legem implevit ; et ad Galat. y. 14*
Omnis lex in una sermone impletur, diliges proximum tuttm
sicut ieipstim. Hinc Cypriauus, In amore omnium Scriptui
rarum vohtmina eoarttantur ; in hoc invenit consummatiouem
oinnis religio. D'lcituT itaque vinculum perfectionis, quia
conjungit et copulat inter se omnium virtutum officia, ita ut
ubicunque vera charitas sit, ibi etiam reperiatur integrum
corpus, et quasi concatenatio omnium virtutum, X)avenan9
inEpUU ad Coloss^ '

>

ftUfi^QUAQESIMA 3UNDAY. 99

$

^ neighbour as thyself. On these two com-
" mandments hang all the lawaud the prophets.'*
As therefore, when Ihe blood in a sick patient
begins to circulate freely, and the pulse beats
regularly, the body is ascertained to be in health ;
so when love circulates freely in all our spirit
and conduct, the convalescence of the fallen
soul may be ascertained also. But Oh I how
feeble and irregular is the pulse of our souls !
How small the indications of returning health !
" Lord, send thy Holy Ghost, and pour into
** our hearts that most excellent gift of charity,
*^ the very bond of peace and of all virtues !

We need not wonder at the awful'declaration
which is added to the foregoing eulogy, that
*^ whosoever liveth is counted dead before God'*
if destitute of charity. For faith, which is the
instrument of the spiritual life of justification,
is constantly productive of love and can havQ
no existence without it. And love is itself the
principle of the spiritual Jife of holiness, — ^
" without which no man can see the Lord.'*
As the body without the spirit therefore is dead,
so faith, the historical assent given to Scripture
by the empty professor, is dead . also, because
it is unaccompanied with those works which
love to God and man dictates. How awful is
the state of those who ** have a name to liye
*' but are dead !'*

Well therefore may we again enforce our
request for this excellent gift of charity, by
saying, " Grant this for Jesus Christ's sake.'*
In such an employment as that to which our
collect calls us, lukewarmness is folly, indiffer-
ence insanity. O that the considerations which

H 2

100 ON THE pOLLECT FOR

have been stated may be a means of stirring up
both the reader and the writer of these pages
to an earnestness of importunity which, backed
by the Divine Saviour's name and merits, may
succeed in obtaining for both this inestimable
benefit ? Anaen.

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ASH-WEDNESDAY. 101

THE FIRST DAY OF LENT, COMMONLY CALLED

ASH-WEDNESDAY.

Almighty and everlasting Gody wJwJiatest nothing
that thou hast made^ and dost forgive the sins of
all them that are penitent : create and make in tis
nezo and contrite hearts, that we^ worthily lamenting
our sins, and acknowledging our wretc/iedness,
may obtain of thee^ the God of all m^rcyy perfect
remission and forgiveness, through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.

THE days of Lent, of which Ash-Wednesday
is the first, are designed to be preparatory
to the observance of the approaching festival of
Easter. The origin of this annual fast is of high
antiquity; for *^ Irenaeus, who lived but ninety
** years from the death of St. John, and con-
*' versed familiarly with St. Polycarp, as Poly-
" carp had with St. John, has happened to let
" us know, though incidentally, that as it was
*' observed in his time, so it was in that of his
*' predecessors.*'* The institution appears to
have originated in the preparation which was
made by the Jews for the great day of atone-
ment, previous to which they are said to have
observed a seaeon of forty days humiliation.

The first day of Lent is called Ash-Wednesday
in allusion to a custom which prevailed in the
primitive church of sprinkling ashes on the heads
ef penitents before their re-admission to the

♦ Wheatly. I

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IDS ON THfe COLLECT FOR

communion at Easter. To this custom the
preface of the Commination-service refers,
v^^herein we are reminded, that " In the primi-
'* tive church there was a godly discipHne, that,
" at the beginning of Lent, such persons as
" stood convicted of notorious sin, were put to
" open penance, and punished in this world that
" their souls might be saved in the day of the
" Lord ; and that others, admonished by tbek*
" example, might be the more afraid to offend/^

Tb e Collect for Ash- Wednesday was composed
at the Reformation, and contains, — ^A preface
declaratory of the Divine character — A request
founded on it — And the end proposed by that
request.

The preface consists of two parts which are
closely connected with each other, and both
relate to the character of Him with whom the
penitent sinner has to do in the great concern of
his salvation. The former part of the descrip-
ti(Hi is more general, the latter more confined
and yet more consolatory to a contrite heart.

The members of our church are supposed to
be, at this season, mpre deeply impressed and
affected by a conviction of their sinfulness and-
demerit than is common even with awakened
sinners. They are.«wpposed to iiave engaged in-
the necessary work of self-exajinination, and to
have found the result of it very humiliating.
It is taken for granted that, when they look for-
ward to the great day of expiation shortly to be
commemorated, their sins which occasioned so
great a sacrifice appear with a deeply crimson
hue. In such a state of mind there is no smaU
danger of discouragement and despair. Indeed
desperation is inevitable, unless the soul be re-
lie\ ed by those views of Divine mercy which the

> ,

ASH-WEDNE?S^AY. 10)3

gospel presenW. The preface of our collect ^s
therefore designed to obviate this da,nger, aad
to encpurage the mourner in his approach to thje
throne of grace.

That God " hateth nothing that Hfe batH
" made," is clear from His own positive deda-
rations confirmed by an inviolable oath.. *^ As
** I live, saith the Lord God, I have na pleasure
" in the death of the wicked, b-ut that the wickad
turn from his way and live : turn ye, turn ye
from your jevil ways; for why will ye d*e,
" O house of Israel?'' (Ezek. xxxiii. 11.) If an
objection to this declaration should b^ founded
on the many passages of Scripture which speak
of the wrath of God as revealed from heaven
against all unrighteousness;, if it should be said,
that *^ all that do unrighteously are an abomina'
" tion to the Lord," (Deut. xxv. 16.) that He
** bateth all the workers ofiniquity," (Psalm v. 5 ;)
that God has declared that it is " in His desire
** to chastise" the wicked, that He /^ rejoices over'*
the impenitent " to destroy them,"( Deut. xxviii.
6S;) the answer to it is easy. As His creature,
God <* hateth nothing that He has made." The
cause of His displeasure is superadded to Hiis
work; and thougn the raoralgovernment of God
and the glory of His holiness, justice, and truth,
peremptorily require that He should execute
vengeance on incorrigible sinners, yet penal
evil, as such, is not desirable to the Divine mind,
because it is connected with the destruction of
His own work. However dear His creatures, as
such, may be to Him, the honour of His own
most holy name is dearer.* This subject is,

♦ It assuredly could not be the design of the compilers of
ear Liturgy to assert, in an universal and unqualifieKl Bei^e^

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..i2»:*-

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ASH-WEDNESDAY. 106

the Divine procedure vi^ith the devils and the
heathen- world may be involved (for the former
of whom no ransom was provided, and to the
latter of whom no SavioUi' has been revealed) ;
it is enough for us tokn6w (for we Have nothing
to<lo with His conduct towards others) that He
willeth not our death, and that our^Jestruction,
should we perish, will be wholly of ourselves.

The second branch of the preface of our col-
lect is more confined, but still more decisive and
comfortable. God ^'forgives the sins of all them
" that are penitent.^' This subject is beautifully
illustrated by the parables of the lost sheep and
of the prodigal son. In the former of these the
good Shepherd is represented as seeking with
tender anxiety His wandering sheep until He
find them. And in the latter the Father of mer-
cies is introduced as running to meet His lost
son, so soon as ever a penitent desire is formed
in his bosom of returning to his parent's house!
But it is not from parables only that we gather
instruction on this pleasing topic. The state-
ment ofour collect is exemplified in innumerable
cases which are not scenical but real matters of
fact. The sins of David were very heinous, and
considering the privileges he had enjoyed, the
mercies he had received, and the station he held
in the church, it is scarcely possible to conceive
any thing more provoking to the Majesty of
God. But God " forgives the sins of all them
"that are penitent;" for no sooner did the
criminal confess, with penitential compunction',
" I have sinned," than the Divinely commiis-
sioned prophet replied, "The Lord also hath
" put away thy sin, thou shalt not die.'* 1 Sam.
xii. IS. Thehistory of Manasseh affords anothei'
instance of the like kind. He had been guilty

lOfi ON THE COU;.ECT FOR

of every abomination which the Lord hatetb^
He had committed the grossest idolatries, and
the most cruel murders, and '* wrought much
*^ evil in the sight of the Lord to provoke Him
*Vto anger." He was not only a daring traush
gressor himself, bat he employed his regal au-
thority to make others also to sin. It is impose
sible to read the 33d chapter of tlie second book
of Chronicles without being astonished at the
patience and long-suffering of God. At length,
after repeated warnings which this monster of
iniquity neglected and despised, ^^ the Lord
^ brought on him the captains of the host of the
** king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among
** the thorns, (probably in some thicket where
he had concealed himself from pursuit) <^and
** bound him with fetters, and carried him to
•* Babylon. And when he was in affliction, he
sought the Lord his God, and humbled himself
greatly before the God of his fathers, and
prayed unto Him ; and He was intreated of
him, and heard his supplication, and brought
*^ him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom.
** Then Manasseh knew that the Lord He waa
*^ God." To these Old Testament accounts we
may add from the New, that no sooner did a
sinful woman, whose iniquities had been many,
present herself at the feet of the compassionate
Jesus in the house of Simon the pharisee, than
Jesus said unto her, " Thy sins are forgiven.**
But where is the necessity of multiplying proofe
that God forgives the sins of all them that are
penitent, since the witnesses constitute a great
multitude which no man can number. Heaven
teems with them, and earth is constantly adding
to the number. No penitent soul ever failed of
obtaining a place among those who wash their

t€
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ASH-WEDNESIMY. ^0?

robes axkA make them white ia the blood pf the
Lamb. Nor does hell, among all its myriads of
wretched prisoners, contain one conttrite bosom.
The comfortable assertion of our collect being
perfectly established, it remains only that we
inquire what penitence is. On this subject our
ehurch shaH speak for herself; for the homily of
vepentance will be the best interpreter of her
meanings when she teaches us to pray for thai;
grace.

** There be four parts of repentance/' (furama)
" which being set together may be Hkened to
** an easy and short ladder^ whereby we may
clnnb from the bottomless pit of perdition
th^t we cast ourselv.es into by our daily offencei^
and grievous sins, up into the castle or tower
•^ of eternal and endless salvation.

*' The first is the contrition of the heart 5 for
we must be earnestly sorry for our sins, and
unfeignedly lament and bewail that we, have,
by them, so grievously offended our mosl^
bounteou&and merciful God; who so tenderly
loved us that He gave His only begotten So»
*^ to die a most bitter death, and to shed Hi&
" dear heart-blood for our redemption and deli-
verance. And verily this inward sorrow and
grief, being conceived in the heart for the
** heinousness of sin, if it be earnest and un*
feigned, is as a sacrifice to God ; as the holy
prophet David doth testify, saying, A sacrifice
** to God is a troubled spirit: a contrite and
" broken heart, O Lord, Thou wilt not despise.
" (Ps, li.) But, that this may take place in us^'
** we must be diligent to read' and hear the
" Scriptures, and the word of God, which most
^* lively do paint out before our eyes our natural
^^ iipcleannes.$, ajpd the estonrnty ^ Qur sinful

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108 ON THE COLLECT FOR

** life. For utiless we have a thorough feeling*
** of our sins, how can it be that we should
** earnestly be sorry for them ? They therefore
** that have no mind at all neither to read nor
«* yet to hear God's word, there is but small hope
" of them, that they will as much as once set
^^ their feet, or take hold upon the first staffer
*^ step of this ladder, but rather will sink deeper
" and deeper into the bottomless pit of perdition.
" For if at any time through the remorse of their
" conscience which accuseth them, they feel
«' any inward grief, sorrow, or heaviness for
*^ thieir sins, forasmuch as they want the salve
" and comfort of God's word which they do
«« despise, it will be unto them rather a mean
«* to bring them to utter desperation than
" otherwise.

** The second is' an unfeigned confession and
" acknowledging of our sins unto God, whom
«« by them we have so grievously offended, that
** if He should deal with us according to His
^'justice we do deserve a thousand hells, if there
<* could be so many. Yet if we will, with a
"sorrowful and contrite heart, make an un-
*' feigned confession of them unto God, He will
" freely and frankly forgive them, and so put
" all our wickedness out of remembrance before
« the sight of His Majesty, that they shall no
*^more be thought upon.

" Thethird part of repentance is faith, whereby
" we do apprehend and take hold upon the pro-
" mises of God touching the free pardon and
'^ forgiveness of our sins ; which promises are
«^ sealed up unto us with the death and blood-
^^ shedding of His Son Jesus Christ. For what
" should avail and profit us to be sorry for our
«^ sins, to lament and bewail that we have

ASH-WEDNESDAY. 10$

'^' offehded our most bounteous and merciful
*^ Father, or to acknowledge and confess our
** offences and trespasses,, though it be done
never so earnestly, unless we do steadfastly
believe and be fully pc-suaded, that God,
f*^for His Son Jesus Christ's sake, will forgive us
*' all our sins, and put them out of remembrance
" and from His sight. Therefore they that
" teach repentauce without a lively faith in Je-
^ sus Christ, do teach none other but Judas's
" repentance.

** The fourth is an amendment of life, or a
new life in bringing forth fruits worthy of
repentance. For they that do truly repent
must be clean altered and changed, they.must
" become new creatures, they must be no more
" the same that they were before. And there-
** fore thus said John Baptist unto the pharisees
'* and sadducees that came to his baptism, O
" generation of vipers, who hath forewarned you
" to flee from the wrath to come ? Bring forth
" therefore fruits worthy of repentance. Where-
** by we do learn, that if we will have the wrath
*' of God to be pacified, we must in no wise
** dissemble, but turn unto Him again with a
** true and sound repentance, which may be
" known and declared by good fruits, as by most
•' sure and infallible signs thereof,

" They that do from the bottom (rf their hearts
^* acknowledge their sins, and are unfeignedly
** sorry for their offences, will cast off all hypo*-
** crisy, and put on true humility and lowliness
*Vof heart. They will not only receive the phy-
*^ sician of the soul, but also with a most fervent
" desire long for Him. They will not only
*^ abstain from the sins of their former life, and
'^ froija all other filthy vices, but also flee, eschew.

110 ON THE COLLECT FOR

^^ and dbhor all the occasions of them. And as
*^ they did before give themselves to nncleanness
^^ of life, so will tliey, from henceforvvard, with
** all diligence give themselves to innocency,
** pureness of life, and true Godliness."

Such is titie description which our church givds
of true repenftance. God grant that all 'her
members may consider it, and be brought to
the experience of it ! For Gk)d '* forgives the
** sins of them (only) who are penitent." IT
this extract should be the means of recommend-
ing the excellent homilies from which it ismade
to a more general perusal, the transcriber's
labour will have been usefully employed, even
though no good effect should flow from his own
thoughts on this or any other of the collects.
Were these admirable sermons of our reformers
better known, those who call themselves church-,
men would be able to distinguish the gaiuine
system of doctrines which forms our national
creed from the cobweb theories of some modern
thecrfogues.

We proceed to consider the prayer which ii^
founded on the preface we have review^. We
beg that God would "create and make in us
" new and contrite hearts."

The new and contrite heart which we implore
from God, is that spirit of penitence which is
before declared to be essential to the forgiveness
of sins. The importance which is assigned in
Scripture to repentance is a loud call on us for
fervour of intreaty when we pray for it. It was
the main subject of the sermons which were de-
livered by the antient prophets. John the Bap*
tist dwelt chiefly on the same topic. (Matthew
iii. a.) Our Lord Himself enforced its necessity,
and explained its nature. (Mark i. 1^.) and

ASH-WEDNESDAY. 1 1 1

when He gave to His Apostles their <;oinmissionj
after His resurrection from the dead, this was
its tenour, ^^ That repentance and forgiveness of
" sins should be preached in His name atnong
" all nations." And when the Apostles began
to preach, they obeyed their Lord's command
by exhorting their hearers to " repent and be
*^ baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus, for
" the remission of sins." (Actsii. S8. iii. 19.
XX. 21.) Repentance is moreover declared by
the lips of eternal truth to be essential to salva-
tion. (Luke XV. 3, 5.) Surely then it becomes
Bs with seriousness of mind to investigate it»
properties, attentively to con^ader its features,
and earnestly to beseech God that He would
^^ create and make in us new and contrite
" hearts.'*

A penitent heart is " a new and contrite heart,"
for it is a thorough change of sentiments and
affections wrought in a dinner through grace,
whereby he is enabled to turn from all sin unto
God. It is essentially distinguished from a mere
Outward reformation of conduct, though the
latter is an invariable consequence of the former,
A penitefft heart is therefore frequently called a
new heart, because it is newly produced, had
no previous existence, and is totally different
from the state of will and affections which before
prevailed.

A penitent heart is also called a contrite heart,
because it is bruised and broken by a. sense of its
sin and danger. Repentance is preceded by
Godly sorrow. (2 Cor, vii. 10.) The sorrow
which God's Spirit produces in the soul, and
which effectually leads to God, differs widely
from the sorrow ^* of the world," which " worketh
^* dep^th," The latter arises either from %\\t

118 ON THE COLLECT TOR

experience or apprehension of temporal incon-
venience or sufTering, such as the loss of repu-
tation, ease, health, or property, or, perhaps, from
the slavish dread of eternal punishitient for sin.
But the former is an ingenuous grief for sin, be-
cause it is, displeasing to God and dishonours
Ilim. . The language of David is that of^every
trqe . penitent, ^^ Against thee ONLY. have I sin—
** ned." (Ps. li. 4;) And it. is worthy of re-
mark that the contrite Psalmist wrote this after
God had pronounced his pardon by the mouth
of Nathan, so that it did not arise so much from
terror of conscience as from love to God and
His holy law. Though there were no devil Ux
terrify, no hell to torment, and no Judge to
condemn, yet the true penitent would sincerely
mourn for his sins.

A *^ new and contrite heart," is a heart con-
verted to God, from whom mankind have uni-
versally departed in consequence of the fall, so.
that they hate God and avoid His presence.
But when, under a sense of damning guilt, the
revelation of mercy reaches the heart, the sinner
returns to his offended Lord with a lK>pe .of par-
don and acceptance through Christ Jesus, saying,
** I'ather, I have sinned against Heaven and
*.* before thee, and am no more worthy to be
** called thy son."

A new heart is a heart converted from ALL
sin. There may be many partial turnings in
the human mind, but it is only when a man
turns from all sin, that he becomes a true peni-
tent. A person may turn from one sin to ano-
ther. A profligate, who has spent his fortune,
and feels the inconveniences which his sin hath
brought on him, may apparently reform, and
from a spendthrift become a niggard, and yet

ASH-WEDNESDAY. 113

be as distant as ever from true repentance. Or
a man's besetting sin may leave him, while his
heart remains unrenewed. A drunkard may
break off his habits of intoxication and practise
sobriety, because his constitution is ruined or
his means of sinful indulgence are exhausted. A
lewd person may become externally chaste,
when debilitated by age or worn out with dis-
ease. But every one must perceive that in these
instances there is no change of heart. A man
may also abandon many corrupt practices
and yet continue a slave to some favourite vice,
as Herod did many things gladly under the in-
fluence of the Baptist's admonitions, but could
not part with his beloved Herodias. Here then
arises abundant matter for serious examination
of our owii souls, and a strong argument for
fervency of spirit in imploring *^ new and con-
" trite hearts."

For a new and contrite heart is the effect of
Divine influence on the mind accompanying the
Divine word. It is a new creation. God only
can " give to men repentance to the acknow-
" ledging of the truth.'' (2 Tim. ii. 'ilS. ) If man
could make himself a penitent, the promise of
God would be absurd, ^^ Anew heart will I give
" you, and a new spirit will I put within you ;•
" and I will take away the stony heart out of
** your flesh, and I will give you a heart of
*' flesh." (Ezek. xxxvi. 26. See also chap. xi.
19. Eph. ii. 10. 2 Cor. v. 17) No man by
the efforts of unassisted nature can express from
his own eye a single tear of Godly sorrow.
This therefore is the language of all truly pe-
nitent souls, ^* After that I was turned, I re-
*^ pented ^ and after that I was instructed, I
*' smote upon my thigh ; I was ashamed, yea

VOL. n. I

114 ON THE COLLECT FOR

" even confounded, because I did bear the re-
" proach of my youth/' (Jer. xxxi. 19.) In
the production of the new and contrite heart
the Spirit of God however employs means. He
makes use of the gospel of the grace of God.
No man can truly hate sin till he loves God, and
no man can love God till he believes in Jesus
Christ. Repentance therefore, in the order of
nature, is the eflect of faith ; according as it is
written, " They shall look unto me, whom they
have pierced, and mourn." All true Godly sor-
row and its gracious effects spring from a sight
of our crucified God. The law of God, though
it is not the proximate cause of repentance, yet
prepares the way for it by shewing us our sin
and our danger ; and under the horrors of this
discovery it leaves us^ There it left -Cain and
Judas. It is the gospel displaying the love of
God in Christ Jesus, which, by suggesting the
hope of mercy, opens the springs of holy grief
and self-abhorrence. Jesus looked on Peter
after his unhappy fall, and then Peter went out
and wept bitterly. It was a look of tender com-
passion that pierced him to the very soul.
Some of the fathers have said, that Peter never
afterwards to the day of his death heard a cock
crow without shedding tears at the remem-
brance of his sin. If a skilful surgeon attended,
a patient afflicted with a dangerous wound, to
which he wa§ hindered from making a proper
application by an accretion of proud flesh, in
order to effect ia cure he would first remove the
obstruction and lay open the wound. It is not
this mode of operation, indeed, which effects
the cure ; but it is a necessary preparation for
the application of a heaHng salve. Legal terrors
. can only awaken the mind : it is the gospel

ASH-WEDNESDAY. 115

which affords the sovereign baJm. Yet the law
is necessary to be preached and understood, to
arouse the conscience and to prepare the mind
for the reception of those consolatory truths
which are the instruments, through grace, of
repentance and salvation.

In the creation, then, of a ** new and contrite
" heart*' the conscience is first brought under a
spirit of bondage. **Every transgressor in thought,
" word, or deed, is guilty of death," says the
holy law of God. ^* I am a transgressor, and
" therdbre liable to eternal destruction, *'says the
enlightened conscience. Now this conviction
alone will not produce repentance, but rather
despair. Therefore the conscience is further
brcyxght under the influence of pardoning mer-
cy. That I am a sinner, I acknowledge; but
such is every one for whcxn Christ cUed. I
grieve for sin and hate it with a perfect hatred,
^^ because it (rmcified Him ; and I am resolved,
by the grace of God, to . lay the axe both to
the root and branch of sin, tiU it be intirdy
** extirpated from my soul/*

O hpw earnestly sbouid we ojSer up the peti-
tion of our collect, that G!od would ^^ create and
*^ make ia us new and contrite hearts^** since
repentance is necessary to all sorts and condi-
tions of men ! and unless we ^^ worthily lament
** our sins, and acknowledge our wretchedness,"
we cannot '' obtain," even *' of the God o£ all
•* mercy, remision and forgivenessL"* It is neces-
ssxy therefore to the unconverted, wheth^- they
be rich or poor, young or old, decent or pro-
fligate in their general behaviour; because all,
without exception, have sinned and come short
of the glory of God. It is constantly necessary
also to bdieveri^i because they are still in a sta^to

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US ON THE COLLECT FOR

o( imperfection. A Christian man's perfection,,
in the present life, is to bewail his imperfection.
The heart of believers is the temple of God ;
ami because, like that at Jerusalem, it is con*-
tiiiuully contracting fresh dust and pollution, it
nH|uires therefore to be swept with the besom
of n»pentance from day to day.

Does the reader inquire for motives to enforce
the nwessity of importunity in the use of this
important prayer ? Where shall we begin or
enil in an attempt to enumerate them ? Every
thinir within us and without us, above and be-
low, on the right hand and the left, reverberates'
in our ears tlie language of our collect. The*
uu*rry of (Jod, the death of Christ, the promise
of His Spirit, the upbraidings of our own con-
sri(*nrrH, the? frailty of life, the certainty and
uvwv iipproa(!h of death, the severity of the future
judi^mrni. the happiness of saints in heaven,
llir niiHrry of the damned in hell, and the eter-
niil dnrulion of both, join issue with the return-
iHK Hf'MHon of Lent, and powerfully address
llirniNf'lvrH to ns, saying " What meanest thou,
•• () Mhi'prr ? Arise, call upon thy God, if so
*• hr that (iod will think upon thee that thou
" pnir.li not." () let us then employ the days
ol li'ht in praying for and in cultivating a truly
pnntrnl h\\\\v of mind. Thus shall we concur
\\\\\\ I III* tlesi^i^n of inw church. For in vain we
HM» \\v\ I'orniN unless W(» enter into her spirit.
(I iiulrrd \\r twv v\M\h\v(\, through grace, to
•' liunrnt onr sins'* worthily and in a manner
xuilrd to llu'ir demerit, and to "acknowledge
^' \MM \Mrl« hetlnrss" as guilty, polluted, and
Wlplriun nnninnls, we shall assuredly "obtain
^MhMU the tiod o( all grace j)erfect remission
''%W\l UMH»\ent*ss." Nay, we have already at-

ASH^WEDNESDAY. 117

tained it, and shall also be blessed with the
happy knowledge that we are forgiven and ac-
cepted. But, wilhoiit Godly sorrow and humble
confession, we can have no founded hope of
remission, but on the contrary must remaia
eternally subject to the guilt which we have in-
curred. O may that " almighty and everlasting
God, who hateth nothing which He hath
made, and who doth forgive the sins of all
** them that are penitent, create and make in
us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily
lamenting our sins a,nd acknowledging our
wretchedness, may obtain of Him, the God
of all grace, perfect remission and forgiveness,
" through Jesus Christ our Lord !" Amen.*

* A considerable part of the above is extracted from an
essay which the author, a few years aince, wrota f#r a,
periodical publication.

€€
4C

1 S

118 ON THE COtLECT FOR THE

THE FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT.

O Lord, who for our sakes didst fast forty daj^
and forty nights, give us grace to use such aisti-
nencCy tkaty our fliesh being subdued to the Spirit,
we may ever obey thy Godly motions in righteous-
ness and true holiness, to thy honour and glory,
who livest and reignest with the Father and the
Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen,

CHRISTIANITY, considered in its effects oa
the human heart, is a system of duties and
comforts which run in parallel lines from begin-
ning to end. It unites in itself the opposites of
self-denial and enjoyment ; and these are so con-
nected, during the present state of man, that they
cannot be separated. Like the links of a chain^
they depend on each other, so that, without
the practice of self-denial, the felicities of the
gospel cannot be experienced ; and, without an
experience of the privileges of the gospel, self-
denial cannot be practised. What God hath
joined together, let no man therefore attempt;
to put asunder.

The forty days of Lent ( a word whicfai^ i
aiifies spring) were very early observed " ^'''^
Christian church as we have already
and seem to have originated ifi ti^t
of humiliation which were kepi
previous to their great day of a**

* Wheatly, p. 201. <h

FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT. 119

though there is no positive scriptural prescrip-
tion either for that Jewish fast or our own, yet
tlje'*number forty is so signalized in Scripture as
to account for the duration assigned to both,
and to give an evident propriety to it. On this
subject a learned author has made the following
conjecture, which, if it be nothing more, seems
at least to be ingenious and innocent; but,
perhaps, many readers will think that great
probability is attached to it.

*^ Concerning the period of forty days," dur-
ing which our Lord fasted, ^' the words of St.
Luke seem to imply that it refers to some other
transaction of Scripture, as a counterpart and
acccomplishment ; and that this precise time of
forty days, rather than any other, was proper
to the occasion. He says, ivhen the days were
endedy or, as the Greek will bear, '^ when the davs^
Vfere fulfilled ; the word being the same as in that
passage of St. Mark, ^' What shall be the sign
" when all these things shall be fulfilled P" But
I lay no great stress upon the word : for, whether
the expression of the Evangelist in) plies it or not,
the period of forty days doth certainly connect
this transaction with many others in the sacred
history ; and there is reason to suppose, that the
period itself was derived from some very early
occasion. After revolving it long in my thoughts,
I would propose the following conjecture to those
who are skilful in the Scripture, namely, that the
first man spent forty days in Paradise, and that in
this period he was tempted, fell into sin by eat-
ing the forbidden fruit, and forfeited the tree of
life with the inheritance of immortality. If this
be supposed, the period of forty days will occur
naturally in other transactions, and particularly
in this of our Saviour s temptation, which is

I 4

150 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

evidently founded on the temptation and fall of the
first Adam. The curse brought upon the world
by the flood, and occasioned by the sin committed
in Paradise, (Gen. v. 29) was forty days in the
execution ; for so long the rains were descending,
and the great deep emptying itself upon the earth's
surface, that the sin and its history might be re-
cognized in its punishment. When the Israelites
searched the land of Canaan, that second paradise,
which was to be the reward of their probation in
the wilderness, they had a foretaste of it for forty
days, (Numb. xiv. 33, 34); and the people who
murmured at the evil report of the faithless spies
were condemned to wander forty years in the
wilderness, a year for a day : so that this penance,
symbolizes again with the curse which was conse-
quent on the loss of paradise.

^' Under the ministry of the prophet Jonah,
the space of forty days was allowed to the Nine-
vites, as an interval in which they might have
opportunity of averting the Divine judgment by
repentance and fasting. Moses spent forty days
and forty nights upon the mount, when he re-
ceived the tables of the law from the hand of
God ; and the same act was repeated on occasion of
the tables which were broken. During his con-
tinuance in the mount, he did neither cat bread
nor drink xvuter ; and his fast was observed in a
wilderness. Elijah also, when he fled out of
Judaea, crossed the river Jordan, and fasted forty
days and forty nights in that wilderness wherein
mount Horeb stood; where Moses had twice
fasted forty days, and where the Israelites
were led about in a state of penance for forty
years.

'^ This general agreement on so many occasions
eoncerning the period of forty days, might

FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT. 121

probably be derived from the original I have sup-
posed ; but however that may be, it could not
happen by chance ; and therefore it might well
be said, when Christ had fasted forty days, that
the days -were fulfilled, this period, according to
the abundant testimony of the Scripture, being
more suitable to the occasion than any other. As
He suffered and rose again 07i the third day ac-
cording to the Scripture, so he fasted /or/[y days ac-
cording to the same Scripture ; and the example
of Moses, independent of every other testimony,
would have been thought sufficient to prove this,
in the opinion of many good judges both antient
and modern.'"*

Our collect for the first Sunday in Lent was
composed at the time of the Reformation. It
contains — A preface, recording a remarkable
scene of our blessed Saviour's life— A prayer
founded thereon — and the end proposed in this
act of supplication.

Our collect is addressed to the incarnate Jeho-
vah — to Him who, before His assumption of our
nature, *' being in the form of God, and think-
" ing it not robbery to be equal with God ; made
*' Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him
'' the form of a servant, and was made in the
'* likeness of man, and being found in fashion as
'* a man, humbled Himself, and became obedient
" unto death, even the death of the cross." To
Him who is now *' highly exalted,'' and whom
men and angels are required to worship, do we
address our prayer. Not discouraged by the con-
sideration of His low estate, though we are called
to contemplate Him among the wild beasts in the
wilderness, and destitute of the necessaries of

* William Jones'9 Works, vol. 3. p. 17'2.

^ -S Ci^llZCT FOB THE

. I

• 4

- ,. - r.- viiich^»e stand in need.

-.1 "i ^^ Tjviis " fcted forty days and forty

■ ^ *• "^: fx ^'^^ reason ? Had He any

--^^^ * ;,*,], x^uired an atonement or pe-

-v-.-^;--^. a--' ^-j^ ^^^. innate corruptions to be

■ ~ - - **. ^^-J propensities to be subdued ?
- - ic«i- V^*^^^ iioiv, harmless, undefilcd, and

•'^ ^* k.- w * ini*^ht eternally feast on the hidden

^'C^ -V *^*^^*' which our church has afforded us
^''^i^'.^vjannir our Lord's fast requires a more

**' \'\,7r Jisi^">5;i^>"- Christ in His long fast of

.'•'''*'^^ Si J nil ni<::hls is to be considered — as our

*"!.;kV' -and as "our exemplar.

^IL \>;i:: 3^'^^ painful fast was not only prepa-
'' -^ ihe scicrifice which He was afterwards to

**^.:^./ Himself, but, indeed, was itself a part

""^ixJ series of meritorious sufferings, which
^ \ ^uvossary to the expiation of our guilt and
*\ -stillci*!**^*^ ^^ ^"^' persons. As the paschal
' o\^.,4ssct apart for immolation four days be-
*..i{$ death, (Exod. xii. 3.) so the Lamb of God
*" ^^^lomnly set apart and prepared, as it were,
r Uij* baptism and subsequent fast, to become
^^^^-•ilire for our sins, in the fourth year pre-

ks id Ins crucilixion. Our Lord Jesus Christ

y>j>ia to be a propitiation for our sins, so soon as

;c \^.is born, and every act of His life was sig-

>f His office and of a vicarious nature.

FIRST SUNEfAY IN LENT. 123

And therefore, as His fast of forty days and nights
is a prominent feature in the evangelical h,istory,
and an important article of our Saviour's memoirs,
there is a great propriety in our commemoration of
it by a partial imitation. It is the privilege of His
disciples to " know the fellowship of His suffer-
" ings," that thereby they may attain to a parti-
cipation of the power of His resurrection.'* And
it is very difficult to conceive how a luxurious
full-fed sinner can have any communion with
a self-denying, fasting Saviour.

Our Lord Christ is moreover to be considered
in his fast as our exemplar and pattern. It is not
indeed our duty to imitate "Him, by abstaining
from all food for forty days and forty nights be-
cause He did so ; for His human nature was, like
the body of Moses and Elijah in their respective
fastSi miraculously supported by the hand of God.
And were we to attempt a literal conformity to
His pattern in this inimitable act of His humilia-
tion, we should tempt God by an instance of
gross enthusiasm, and, if we persisted therein,
should at length be guilty of suicide. But, though
an exact imitation of our Lord's fast be neither
feasible nor required, yet it is absolutely necessaiy
that the followers of a self-denying Lord should
deny themselves ; for He Himself has positively
declared that " if any man will come after Him"
and be His disciple, he must '^ deny himself, take
'^ up his cross and follow Him." (Matt. xvi. 24. )
That the whole mediatorial course of our adora-
ble Lord,' from the time that He quitted the bo-
som of the Father on the work of love which He
had undertaken till He returned thither again,
was a continued act of self-renunciation and self-
abasement, is evident. And with what propriety
do we bear His §acred and beloved name, unless

124 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

we are imitators of His example ? That the life
of Christ was designed to be a model for the
direction of His followers in all its imitable acts,
is plain. For ** he that saith he abideth iti Him,
'' ought himself also so to walk even as He
" walked.'' And it is the character of His disci-
ples that they '^ follow the Lamb whithersoevier
" He goeth/' under the conduct of His example,
of His precepts, and of His Spirit. The life of
Christ is ^' a compendium of duty — ^an epitome
" of morality.''*

The place chosen for the scene of our Lord's
fast strongly recommends to His followers the
advantage of setting apart frequent seasons for
retirement from the commerce of the world. In
a desert place, a howling wilderness, the second
Adam regained for us the paradise which the first
had forfeited, and procured for us a new right to
the tree of life by abstaining from the baneful
fruit which grows on the tree of the knowledge of
good and evil, the former of which had been lost
by an intemperate desire after the latter, and a
surreptitious seizure of it. By a temptation
arising from society Adam fell. By secluding
Himself from society, Christ, considered as man,
was prepared to resist those temptations with
which He was afterwards assailed — temptations
exactly of the same kind with those which fatally
succeeded in paradise ; for both consisted of an
appeal to the threefold principle of corruption,
*' the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and
^' the pride of life.'' The fatal fruit was '' pleasant
*^ to the sight, good for food, and to be desired
'^ to make one wise." The baits which were
presented to the second Adam were also addressed

* Hornets Sermops*

FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT. 125

to sensuality, pride, and covetousness. But when
the prince of this world came, he found nothing
in Him ; whereas, we, being '* earthly, sensual,
*' and devilish," find it hard work to "renounce
^' the devil, the world, and the flesh/'

Our great pattern, not only on the occasion
which our collect records but also on many others,
indeed as often as it was possible, sought retire-
ment from the world, abridging the usual hours
of repose, and frequently spending whole nights
in sleepless solitude. But what need had He to
seclude Himself from scenes which never endan-
gered His moral safety, nor interrupted His calm
pursuit of the great object of life ? Herein " He

hath set us an example that we should follow

His steps/' Corporeal fasting will avail us little
unless it be accompanied with mental. An
abstinence from that food on which the carnal
mind lives, is the great end to be promoted by
the temporary deprivation or abridgment of bodily
aliment. By a frequent seclusion of ourselves
from the world, we shall cultivate communion
with God, be armed against the power of temp-
tation in our unavoidable intercourse with it, and
shall learn, after the example of our Lord, to
resist and conquer its seductive influence.

We now proceed to consider the prayer, which
our church has founded on the recollection of our
Lord's fast of forty days and forty nights. We
implore *' grace that we may use" due " absti-
*' nence,'* under the direction and encouragement
which the example of Christ affords. " For we
*' have not a high priest which cannot be touched
*' with a feeling of our infirmities, but was in all
'* points tempted, like as we are, yet without sin."
It may appear strange to persons who are
finacquainted with the genuine nature of Godliness,

126 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

that our church should deem the grace of God to
be necessary to the practice of abstinence. They
may ask, in a tone of self-confidence> — Can I not,
without supernatural assistance^ abstain from my
usual food, or diminish the quantity of it? — Such
objectors will find> that temperance is reckoned
by the Apostle among the A*uit& of the Spirit
(Gal. T. 22, 23, and 2 Pet. i^ 5, 6> 7.) And if
temperance be the result of Divine grace, absti-
nence is a higher degree of self-crucifixion. Carnal
appetites are too strong to be overcome by the
deductioas of reason or the precepts of mail.
For though a natural power of lasting be allowed
to every one, the moral power can only be derived
from renewing grace. The bias of the will is
subject only to Omnipotence; and it is the mo-
live, which sanctifies the act.

That self-mortification is a Christian duty^ no
one would gather from the general spirit and
habits of those who are called Christians in the
present day. For self-indulgence seems to be
the prevailing object of concern among all ranks
and orders of mankind, both in the church and
out of it. On making a cqmparison between mo-
dern profession and that of the primitive churchy
the mind is struck with the amazing difference
that prevails between theiuu The wholesome
discipline which was then enforced would now be
thought an intolerable burthen; and were an
attempt to restore it made, the ranlcs of those who '
bear the name of Christ would be so thinned that
few would be left to occupy our pews and join in
our services. Their life resembled a vrarfare;.
ours a profound peace. They were soldiers in the
field; we, troops reposing in their barracl^
They cultivated hardness ; we indulge. softness and
unmanly delicacy. That much real Godline^.

FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT. 127

exists in the English church, is not to be doubted ;
but that it is not of that lively, spiritual, and fervid
cast, which the primitive church exh'biied, is also
evident to those who are acquainted, with the
memoirs of the first ages.^ Perhaps to the want
of self-discipline may be attributed many of those
severe chastisements which we receive from the
immediate hand of God. For if the heart be
purified, and the soul finally saved, it must be by
a mortification of sensuality in some way or other.
And if we refuse to engage in the work of self-
denial, God must, in pity to our souls, perform
it for us. The agency and the internal instru-
mentality employed in this gracious change are
the same in all cases; but the external means used
may vary. To this St. Paul seems to refer, when,
after speaking of the disorders of the Corinthian
church, he says, " For this cause many are weak
and sickly among you, and many sleep. For
if we would judge ourselves, we should not be
judged. But when we are judged, we are
" chastened of the Lord, that we should not be
" condemned with the world/' 1 Cor. xi.\j 1 , 32. f
To propose particular rules for the duty of
abstinence is both unnecessary and impossible.
It is unnecessary, because that grace for which
we pray will, if earnestly implored, both teach.us
what is right and enable us to practise it. It is,
moreover, impossible, because the circumstances
of individuals greatly vary. The discipline of the

* See Bingham^s Ecclesiastical Antiquities, and Milner*8
History of the Church of Christ.

t Kpiveis'^tLt pro punirh nt 1 Pet. iv. 6, 17, Si inde
factorum poeuas de nobis ipsis exigeremus, animo contrito
et humiliato, lachrymis, jejuniis, et aliis vyCkripaywyiat^^
non opus haberet Deus poenas nobis inimittere, Pol. Syn.
in locum.

€t
It

128 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

primitive church was very rigid. To this in after
ages popery added a tedious round of silly and
unmeaning superstitions. Our church, while she
has carefully expunged from her ritual the puerile
and pharisaic innovations of Popery, and is
desirous of avoiding the laxity of antinoniian
anarchy, laments her inability to restore that
external system of ecclesiastical government,which
produced such happy effects in the early period
of Christianity.*

That religious abstinence is required in a much
higher degree than is now commonly practised,
both with respect to general habits and particular
seasons, needs very little proof Our Lord has
laid down rules for the mode of observing the
latter in His sermon on the mount. And to this
express approbation of particular seasons appro-
priated to special abstinence, the example of
holy men of old, both under the Old Testament
dispensation and the New, may be added. '* It
was a duty ail along observed by devout men,
and acceptable to God under the Old and New
Testament, both as it was helpful to their devo-
tion, and as it became a part of it. Public
enjoined fasts, upon extraordinary occasions^
are so frequent in Scripture, that they need no
particular notice. And as to private fasts, we
read that David chastened his soul with fasting.
And Daniel sought the Lord, not only ^' with
*' prayers and supplications," but ^^ with fasting.'*
Anna "served and worshipped God in prayers
" and fasting night and day.'* Cornelius was
fasting as well as praying, when the vision came,
that brought salvation to his house. When Paul
and Barnabas were to be set apart to an especia!

* See the Coii^mination Sgmce.

■/■^

FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT. 129

ministration, there was fasting joined to prayer;

and St. Paul approved himself " a minister .of

'* God in fastings'' as well as in *' labours and
watchings: he kept his body under, and brought
it into subjection,* lest, while he preached to

.*' others^ he himself should be a cast away/'f

(ICor, ix. 27.)

In the chapter from which this declaration of
.St. Paul respecting his own daily practice is
quoted, the Christian life is compared to the.
-Isthmian games. And the latter affords a striking
illustration of the former. In both a prize is
proposed, and a course marked out ; — in both a
proclamation is made by authorized heralds in-
viting candidates to the contention by exhibitidg

.* The first of the two verbs, which St Paul has used to
describe his self-mortification, literally signifies to bruise
and hnffet; and it strongly expresses those acts of self-denial
to which the Apostle habituated himself. Respecting the
second, a critick has observed that it is a word taken from
the boxers, who drugged o^ their conquered antagonists like
slaves. With what propriety these metaphors can be applied
to the practice of modern Christians, the reader must deter-
mine for himself.

t Wheatly's Feasts and Fasts. From this declaration of
St. Paul it has been inferred that he was doubtful about his
own salvation. The inference is, however, illegitimate.
For in other passages he speaks with assured confidence^
declaring that he ** knew whom he had believed, and was
*' persuaded that He would keep that which he had com«-
" mitted to Him against that day." And even here the
necessity of means does not imply an uncertainty of event.
As when th^ same Apostle, on his voyage to Rome, told the
Centurion that unless the mariners abode in the ship the
passengers could not be saved, he did not express any doubt
Af the Divine promise which was made to him, that both his
own life and the lives of all that sailed with him should be
saved. Comp. Acts xxvii. 31, with ver. 21 — 26. On this
subject the reader will derive great pleasure and satis&ction
from a perusal of the judicious Hooker's Discourse •* On
** the certainty and perpetuity of faith in, the elect.'*

VOL. II, K

130 OM THE COtLftCt F&ft T*HE

the reward, and by describittg the rul*« <Jf
ihe combat; — ih both there are spectator^ to
applaud or censure, and an umpire to determine
the success of the several persons who have
entered their names on the lists; — ^in both tem-
perance and exertion are absolutely requisite to
a rational hope of victory. By these Consi<lera-
tions the Apostle tried to excite holy ambition
in the bosoms of the Corinthian Christians, to
rouse them to exertion, and to invigorate therr
minds. '' Every one that striveth for the mastery**
in these games " is temperate in all things ;*'
abstaining from whatever might enervate his
strength, and submitting to a regular course ^f
diet, exercise, and hardship, that he may be the
more capable of exerting himself with success.
Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown,
btit we an incorruptible.'* The object of th^ir
jealous pursuit, for the attainment of which they
submit to sacrifices of personal ease and itidul^
^nce the most severe, is nothitig more than h
garland of wild olive, laurel, pine-tree, or pars-
ley — rewards that have no intrinsic value, and
that must soon wither. Whereas our object ig
a substantial crown of glory that fadeth riot
away, — a durable benefit. The rigours to which
the combatants in the antient games submitted
appear to have been very great, so ardent was
their desire Of attaining the bauble of human
applause.* And Oh ! what sacrifices should we

* Respicit ad raorem Athletarum, qui certA vict^s r&ti'one
utebantur, et corpus vanis exercitiis ad certamen prsepartk*
bant. Horatius.

Qui studet optatam crnreu contingere metatn,
Multa tulit fecitque puer, sndavit et alsit,

Abstinnit Venere et Baccho.

Epictetus* llrleAfii tni OXvfA*<a vntt^frcci ; &c.

FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT. 131

nbt be Willing to nu^ce^ whose fionls are sit stake^
before whose eyes hell displays it« terror* on the
jQte band aqd heaven its glories on the other,
whose ears will either be saluted with the sera-
pbic sound of **Come ye blessed/' or for ever
tingle with the horrible denunciation, <' Go ye

It is not in the article of our food only that
abstinence is required, bat the requisition has
IMpect to every woiidly and carnal concu-
piscence. The wQrld must be ^^ crucified to us,
^ and we to the world." (Gal. vi. 14.) ^^ The
^' flesh^^ also must be crucified ^' with its af-
^ fectioQs and lu^ts." ^^ For he that soweth to
^ Ihe flesh shall of the fiesh reap corruption ;
^ but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the
** Spirit reap life everlasting." "If our right
^' ejre offend us/' by proying an inlet to sin,
we iiHist pluck it out, and cast it from us.''
And if our right hand offend us," by becoming
an instrument of unrighteousness, we must " cut
'^ it off, and cast it from us. For it is profitable
^ for US9 that one of our members should perish,
^ and not that our whole body^' and soul " be
'^ castinto hell." Matt. v. -29, 80. The animated
.eKkirtatioa of St. Peter is of the same general
compleKion : ^^ Dearly beiovad» I beseech you,
as pilgrims and strangers abstain fi*om fleshly
iiwtswbidi war against tlie soul." {1 Pet. ii. 11.)
In our dress, company, employments, relaxa-
tions, and a variety of other things, indeed in all^

Vis in Olympicis vincere ? Oportet itaqup te ordinem
.serrare, cibos pnescriptos comedere^ a beliariis abstinere,
«fcat«sliQdrisiexerueri, io jestu, io fri^re ; non aquajn bihejre,
S0P viiMun ; denique prae£ecto tup» taqquaio lOfiid^o, proiSBjis
Ui \s»ii&». Poli Syoopsiij^ i» I Cor. 1^. 23.

K2

Jt4

132 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

the spirit of a Christian pilgrim is required to be
exemplified by us.

Now who is so blind as not to perceive the
necessity of Divine grace to a compliance with
the requisitions of Scripture respecting the ab-
stinence which it enjoins ? Who can fail of
approving the language of our collect in which
we pray for it ? Who can be so stupid and
insensible to his own interest, so great a stranger
to the genuine spirit of Christianity, and to the
corruption of his own heart, as to refuse a cor-
-dial union with the cry of the church in sup-
plicating for the grace of religious abstinence ?

The end for which we implore the grace of
abstinence is very important. It is that " Our
" flesh being subdued to the Spirit, we may ever
" obey the Godly motions of Him, who for our
*^ sake did fast forty days and forty nights, in
** righteousness and true holiness, to His honour
" and glory, who liveth and reigneth with the
** Father and the Holy Ghost, one God, world
** without end." In all believers " the flesh
" lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against
" the flesh ; and these are contrary the one to
" the other, so that they cannot do the things
•* that they would." In the most advanced
Christians corrupt propensities still exist which
require watchfulness, abstinence, and prayer,
to keep them under ; for " in us, that is in our
<^ flesh," even to the end of life, " dwelleth no
*^ good thing." The subjugation of the flesh to
the Spirit is therefore the object of earnest prayer
and of constant endeavour to the true Christian,
whether he be a child, or a father in Christ.
It is supposed to be the object, aim, and end of
all the members of our church ^ for unless it be,
they cannot use our collect without hypocrisy.
Let the reader inquire if it be his.

FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT. ' 153

■ By ^' Godly motions" we are to understand
those holy thoughts which are suggested to the
mind, and that heavenly attraction which is
communicated to it, by the Word and Spirit of
Christ. Obedience to these is that " holiness,
"without. which no man shall see the Lord.'*
And as the Spirit of God, moving on the face
of the deep, was the primary cause of arrange-
ment and beauty in the chaotic mass out of
which all things have been formed, so also it is
the motion of the Divine Spirit on the human
soul which is the producing agency of ** all holy
** desires, good counsels, and just works." " It
*^ i& He that wbrketh in us both to will and to
'^ do of His good pleasure/*
- Now without abstmence the flesh cannot be
subdued to the Spirit; fbr the. health and vigour
of the one is the sickness and infirmity of the
other. The reciprocal antipathy of these con-
tending principles is such that they cannot
flourish together; so that, without a subjugation
of the flesli to the Spirit, the Godly motions of
Christ within us cannot be obeyed. How im-
portant then is our prayer for the grace of
abstinence, in order that, by obtaining it, self-
mortification may produce and cherish within
us the new life of holiness ! The transformation
of the caterpillar affords an apt emblem of the
process of the life of grace. At first it crawls
on the ground a mean and despicable worm,
leading an earthly and sensual life. That life
is then 'extinguished, after which it becomes a
new creature. Its life is ethereal. Its habits^
food^ and enjoyments, are all new.

In our abstinence from carnal gratification
and its consequent effects, " the honour and
'C glory" of God oiir Saviour is nearlyxoncerned ;

. K3

134 ON THE COLLECT F0» THE

yen, *' the honour »nd glory" of each p

HI the ■dorablc Godhead. For heteir

Father teea the fruit of His everlasting

Ihe Son, the fruit of His redeeming g

and the Holy Ghost, the fruit of His ren

power. It 18 to the honour " and ^c

•« Him who liveth and reigneth with th

<< tlier and the Holy Ghost, one God,

<< without end,'* that we be enabled t

*' such abstinence that, our flesh being

«* dued to the Spirit, we may ever obc

<< Godly motions in righteousness and trui

« ness. For it proves thM He " liveth" tc

intercession for us; and that He reign

conquer in us those enemies which no ar

His own could subdue. Those who are '*

<< tified in Christ Jesus" will be an ever!

monument to His praise.

It may be asked whether the doctrine
in this essay be not popish and legal ?
drift of it be misapprehended, it will ap]
be such. It may be proper therefore to t
that the necessity of sdf-mortification 1
connection with the justification of the
soul in the sight of God, as a cause has v
eflfect*} for the worshippers who use this
are considered^ on a supposition of since
their profession, as persons who have b
in Christ to the salvation of their souls
consequetitly, self-mortification in them
effect^ not the cause, of a transition from
wnto life. The object then which is pr
by the use of abstinence is not jostificati
sanctilication, as our collect fully de
And even in this relation it is not the el
Cause of purification, but a mean emploj
its promotion. The amputation of a mc

I^Rfrr SUNDAY IN LBNT. iS5

limb in the human body is not the cause of
animal life, but a prudent measure adapted to
its preservation and improvement; and the
agency by which the operation is performed
must^ of all necessity, be extrinsical. To trust
in acts of self-mortification, as the meritorious
eaU86 of acceptance with Grod, or as sufficient^
without Divine influence, to sanctify the hearty
is the essence of Pelagianism and Popery ; whilst
to deny the necessity of self-mortincation, and
to neglect the practice of it, is the essence o(
Antinomianism and the heij^t of spiritudi
delusion.

X4

tmmm

106 OS THE COLLECT FOR THE

THE SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT,

Almighty God^ who seest that we have no power
of ourselves to help ourselves; keep us both ouU
war Hi/ iu our bodies and inwardly in our souls^
that ice may be defended from all adversities which
may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts
which may assault and hurt the soul, through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Ainen.

AN exact uniformity prevails in the religious
experience of the genuine members of the
catholic church, however distant from each other
may be the ages in which they have lived, and
however different the outward circumstances in
which they have been placed. This uniformity
is especially manifest in the addresses which they
present to the throne of grace. At its footstool
they liave all been founds stating the same wants,
making the same rei^uests, and urging the same
anrumonis. There David a thousand years be-
forv the cv^minir of Christ cried, " Make haste
•* to help mt\ O Lord, my salvation." And
tho;>? all the srenuine members of the church of
F.M^land at the present day, and near two thou-
s.uk1 years after His coming, cry in the same
strain of self abasement and fervent desire,
•• Aliuiirhty tivxK who seest, &c."

I:* ;he auukened sinner would consult his own

:W lincH wants, and desires, and compare them

tt ten ciK' provisions of the gospel, he would de-

Hw thmk the result of his inquiry a complete

system of orthodox Divinity. He would be in

jSECOND SUNDAY IN LENT . 137

no danger of Socinianism, Arianism, or Pelagi-
anism ; for he would find his guilt, helplessness
and misery to be so great, that an '* Almighty^'
Redeemer, Comforter, Sanctifier^ and Preserver,
is essentially necessary to his soul. " He that
^* believeth tiath the witness in himself," — a wit-
ness or testimony which all the sophistical
arguments of fallen reason, his own or of others,
cannot invalidate. To the criterion of this tes-
timony we may safely refer the character of our
established forms of worship, and submit that
they should stand or fall by the verdict of an
awakened conscience. Let them be brought to
this test, and they will appear to have been the
production of workmen who need not to be
ashamed. Surely the conscious mind must cor-
dially join issue with the collect for the second
Sunday in Lent now under consideration.

Our collect contains — An introduction, stat-
ing the ground on which the subsequent request
is built^ — And that request for Divine conser-
vation, both in our bodies and our souls.

The exceedingly great and precious promises
of God afford a mirror in which >ve may dis-
tinctly see our own deplorable condition. For
He has not promised any thing which we do
not want, and which we can derive from our
own resources. In the natural world He has
made nothing in vain, but every production of
His plastic hand discovers His wisdom, power,
and goodness. And in the covenant of redemp-
tion, the master-piece of wisdom, no needless
blessing is provided. And Oh! if this criterion
of our state be resorted to, how humiliating will
it prove !- It will disclose guilt, helplessness, and
misery in the utmost degree. For if God has
promised help and salvati©n, it is because we

138 ON THE C0I4-ECT FOR THE

are lost and impotent in ourselves. Thi$ we
confess in the introductory part of oar coUect ;
and Oh I that we may so feel it^ that sineeritjr
may be mixed with our confessions, and fervour
of spirit with our supplications !

The appeal to Omniscience which foraut the
preface to our collect has a two-fold aspect cor-r
responding with the subsequent prayer. It re^
lates both to our bodies smd to our souls*

The feeble and endangered state of our bodies »
though a subordinate concern* to that of ow
soulS) is an object of some regard. For tko
welfare of the soul is therein implicated. Aad
though the Christian believer knows that, in the
scale of importance, no comparison is to be in*
stituted between the interests of the immortal
soul and those of the mortal body, yet he is
allowed to care for the latter, to provide for its
wants, to feel its pains, and to seek relief from
its miseries. A contrary requisition would be
unnatural ; for *' no man ever hated his own
^' flesh, but naturally loveth and cherisheth it/^

" That we have no power of ourselves to help
'^ ourselves," is a truth which is firmly impre8-»
sed on the heart of every genuine Christiao.
He differs widely in his views and feelings, even
respecting the conduct of his temporal affairs,
from the * unawakened world. He realizes a
Divine Providence in all his concerns. That
" in God we live, are moved,* and have our
** being," forms a part of his creed. And,
" therefore ^^ in all his ways he acknowledges
'' God, that God may direct his paths."

Both his retrospective and prospective viewe
of life are sach as become a creature aad.ji

SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT. 139

sidlier. That independency of God at which
Adam aimed, when, seduced by the temptation of
the wicked one, he took the forbidden fruit, and
which is the object pursued by all his guilty and
blinded children, the believer knows to be un-
attainable; and, moreover, he feels no desire
after it. For being reconciled to God by the
death of His Son, and persuaded of the Divine
good-will towards him, he is assured that he is
in the best hands, while in the hands of God.
Independency, the idol of the unconverted
hearty is his abhorrence. He not only is poor
and helpless, but he acquiesces in being so ; and
while God condescends to be hi& helper, he
woidd not be otherwise. When he looks back
to the days of infancy, childhood, youth, and
manhood, which have elapsed, he perceives that
a Divvne hand has conducted, preserved, and
upheld him through every stage. The many
dangers seen and unseen, which he has escaped,
the continual support which he has experienced,^
and all the comforts which he has enjoyed, he
attributes, not to his own wisdom, prudence,
foresight, vigilance, or strength, but to Divine
Providence. He ceases to " sacrifice to the net,
*' and to burn incense unto the drag, because his
" portion has been fat, and his meat plenteous :
(Hab. i, 16.) for he sees that it is God who hath
" crowned him with loving kindness and tender
" mercies."

In the prospective views of life which the
believer takes, he feels that his " help standeth
" in the name of the Lord who made heaven and
f earth:" for he has **no power of himself to

help himself." As the ivy becomes more fee-
hie by its. growth, and is less capable of sup-
pfwtiiig itedf^ the further its branches are spread.

140 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

SO it is also in the Christian's experience. He
lives but to acquire daily and houriy evidence
of his own imbeciHty. And as the ivy while it
sprouts is furnished with unnumbered fibres
which spring out of every shoot and seize on
its supporter, in Hke manner faithj in every
occurrence that arises, finds a new occasion of
adhering to God and of trusting in Him. And
it is not only in the great concern of salvation,
but'fdso in the minutest circumstance of life,
that the Christian finds his own incapacity for
self-guidance and self-support. Hence prayer
is mingled with all his undertakings, and praise
accompanies all his successes.

The appeal to Divine Omniscience which is
made in our collect, has a further relation to Our
spiritual concerns. These are infinitely more
important than those of the outer man, and with
respect to these our utter weakness is still more
evident. For in whatever point of view we
contemplate them, it is undeniable that " we
" have no power of ourselves to help ourselves."

As transgressors of the Divine law we are in
a state of condemnation : for " as many as are
under the law" (and all men are born under it)
" are under a curse." Have we then ** any
" power of ourselves to help ourselves" by re-
versing the sentence of the law, and by restor-
ing ourselves to the favour of God ? None at
all. This appears from the awful nature of the
Divine attributes, fro^n the requisitions of the
immutable law of God, and from the provision
made for our relief in His gospel. His inexor-
able justice requires satisfaction w hich we can^
never make; and His truth, which has pro-
mnlged the tremendous decree that ^' the soul
" which sinneth shall die," cannot fail of being

SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT. 141

accomplished. The only alternative which His
law recognises is, " This do and live;" or *' Fail
" of doing it, and suffer thepenalty." It leaves
no room for repentance, and allows of no fai-
lure. It i^ positive and determinate in its de-
cision. The provision of the gospel preaches
also the utter helplessness of man in the work
of expiation. For an atoning sacrifice has bef-n
offered, which at once shews the heinousness of
human guilt, and the utter inability of man to
remove the burthen of it from his own shoulders
by his own power.

If we are viewed as rational creatures placed
under a covenant of works, a perfect obedience
to the Divine law is necessary to constitute iis
righteous in the sight of the great Tjawgtver,
and to intitie us to the rewards which under that
covenant He has promised. But have we " any
" power of ourselves to help oiirselves" by ful-
filling the terms of life ? Alas, no. For we
have already failed in ten thousand instances of
accompUshing'that which the lawrequires; and
so great is the corruption of our nature that
we must necessarily fail in every future attempt
to fulfil it even supposing, what will not be
admitted, that the obedience of a part of our
Jives could be accepted instead of the whole.
The least defect invaUdates our claim on the
score of personal obedience, and leaves us the
prey of despair.

" Being alienated from the life of God through
" the ignorance that isin us," and '* dead in tres-
*' passes and sins," we are unconscious of ourown
spiritual state. We are unacquainted with our
disease and the remedy which is provided for it,
"We are insensible of our danger, and also of the
way of escape. Have we, then, any "power

c

142 ON THE CJOLLECT FOR THE

** of ourselves to help ourselves/* by rousjng
ourselves to the all-important inquiry, " Wh%t
" must I do to be saved ?" — Will fallen reason,
left to itself, by its own deductions ever infer
our lost condition, or the way of salvation ? —
Will conscience ever awake ffom its torpid state
of inactivity without enlightening and enliven-
ing influence from God ? Surely no. For as
" no man hath quickened his own soul/* it is
impossible that any man ever should do it. Left
to ourselves we should " sleep on and take <Hir"
carnal " rest/' till we were roused to " weepiijg
** and wailing and gnashing of teeth/' by •* the
'* worm that never dieth and the fire tliat i$ not
" quenched."

When we become believers in the Lord Jeans
Christ, " quickened together with Him,"' and
" made alive from the dead/' our minds are il-
luminated by His word and Spirit, our hearts
by faith embrace Him in His various saving
offices, and our will has received a new biais,
whereby it chooses Him for its portion. But
have w« any " power of ourselves to help our-
^* selves" by persevering in the way of faith and
obedience, by strengtl^ening the graces and ha-
bits which by almighty power have b^n formed
within our bosoms, and by enduring to the -end
in the pursuit of glory, honour, and immorta-
lity 5 Oh ! no. Those who are kept, aare
«* kept by the power of God " through faiit^
^^wito salvation." The bruised reed would
jKKWi be crushed, the smoking flax wouki of
itoelf ex|>ire, were not God the Keeper of Israel.
^ WheoL we consider how weak we are in our-
selves, yea the very strongest among us, and
how assaulted, we wonder, and justly we may,
that any can^ continne one day m a staAei^

raCOND SUNDAY IN LENT. 143

:grace. But when we look on the strength by
which we are guarded, the power of God, then
We see the reason of stability to the end. For
Omnipotence supports us, and the everla^sting
arms are under ufi."*

Now the carnal mind is unconscious of its
4jwti imbecility in all these respects and a thou-
sand others which might be specified. In its
own vain and proud estimation it is equal to any
thing that is required. It cannot, therefore,
wMiout hypocrisy, adopt the language of our
church. Its true sentiments would be expressed
in tfie prefistce of our collect, if its appeal were
reversed by an omission of the negative particle.
The genuine members of our church, however,
mean what they assert, when they address * Al-
ffiighfy God' as ^^ seeing that they have no pow-
** cfriof themselves to help themselves/*

it is a consideration full-fraught with consoia-
431091 to the awakened mind that God doth see
4ftid is intimately acquainted with all its weak-
!8»eSs. For while His promises demonstrate His
^compkle knowledge of our case, they demon-
Wnate also that the most complete provison is
iMKJbe.for its relief. Till ^^the unsearchable
" inches of Christ" are revealed to the soul, it is
fiO wonder that it is afraid to prosecute an inqui-
ry into its own poverty and wretchedness ; far
the sight thereof must necessarily overwhelm it
with despair. But when that fullness of grace
which is in Him is exhibited to view, it can bear
the disoovery of its own enxptiness, freely
^dufesses H, ^nd derives comfort from God^s
acquakitance with it. We have therefore en-
oouragemeat in the iTftroduotory part of our

* Archbi8lkq^Xeightoa4mlJPet.4iroU 1, p. 57*

.144 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

collect, while we proccd to consider tfie request
which it makes.

We pray that " Almighty God, who seetfa
" that we have no , power of ourselves to belp
" ourselves, would keep us both outwardly in
" our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we
*^ may be defended from all adversities which
'^ may happen to the body, and from all evil
'^ thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul,
" through Jesus Christ our Lord." *

We implore, in the first place, the conaer*
vation of our bodies, ^* that they may bedB-
•'fended from all adversities which may happen
" to them.''

The " adversities" to which our bodies are
liable, are too generally and sensibly felt, and
consequently too well known, to make a reca-
pitulation of them necessary. And indeed they
are so many, that an enumeration of them would
be impossible. Our exposure to bodily adversi-
ty, in some shape or other, is incessant. As
one wave of the sea is impelled by another,* so
is it also with respect to the evils of fallen na-
ture. But as this is a trite subject, though one
that is universally interesting, we shall only make
one remark concerning it. That any man pos- •'^
sessed of the power of reasoning on the past,
present, and future — who has contemplated the
experience of others and reflected on his own—-
can be happy for a moment without a persuasion
of an interest in the Divine favour and a hope
full of immortality, is truly astonishing. For
the present condition of man is like that of a
shipwrecked mariner, who is tossed on the sur
face of a tempestuous ocean, to the bottom of

* Unda impellitur und4.

SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT. 145

which he is every moment in danger of sinking ;
or to that of one who inhabits a country which
is shaken by an earthquake, who sees his friends
and neighbours every moment ingulphed around
him, while he himself totters on the brink of
the yawning pit. That any man imder such
circumstances can yield up himself to a carnal
security, and neglect to seek an interest in the
only Saviour and Deliverer of lost sinners, is a
proof how deeply the fall has injured our under-
standings as well as our hearts.

But what ground of confidence have we in
praying for bodily, conservation ? Has God
promised to His people absolute exemption from
those adversities, which may happen to the
body ? Has He aflForded it to any of our prede-
cessors in the walk of faith, many of whom have
doubtless surrounded His throne of grace with
as great sincerity as ourselves ? Have we not
seen that sickness and health, life and death^i
come alike to all, whether saints or sinners,
children of light or children of this world ? In
answer to these questions, while we admit that
the Divine promises are the proper and only
ground of confidence in prayer, and that no
promise of complete exemption from calamity
is made to the servants of God, yet the use of
our collect may be fully vindicated. It is our
duty and privilege to pray for bodily preserva-
tion, with a submission of ourselves to the Divine
will. For we find that saints havelhus prayed
in all ages of the church, and that the Lord has
heard them. Our petition, however, must be
offered with a clause of limitation always iitipli-
ed : " Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass
" from me : nevertheless, not as I will, but as
*^ thou wilt.'' ** So far as is consistent with the

VOL. II. L

146 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

glory of thy name and the spiritual advantagie
of our immortal part, we implore defence against
those bodily adversities to which sin has exposed
us, and which the curse of thy law has threat-
ened ; and that when thou seest it necessary fc6
inflict chastisement on us, thou wouldest miti-
gate it as much as may be, afford us patience
and comfort under it, and in thine own good
time bring it to a happy issue." We hav6
abundant encouragement to present our bodies
as well as our souls before the mercy-seat, for
they also are purchased by the blood of Christ,
are made *' temples of the Holy Ghost,*^ aCre
destined to be instruments of promoting the
Divine glory on earth, and to be partakers ot
the " rest that remaineth for the people of Gt>d'*
in heaven.

We proceed to a far more important objiect
of concern, and pray for the conservation of out
l^ouls, that they may " be defended from all evil
** thmights which may assault and hurt them.*'
There is no necessity of a pause in ordei* to
prove to those persons, who are attentive to the
transactions of their own breasts, the propriety
of this petition, or the necessity of earnestness
in the use of it. For the bosom of fefren
man is the laboratory of the prince of this
world, in which he is continually fabricating
evil thoughts — thoughts that are inconsistent
with the purity of the Divine law, and offensive
to the holiness of the Divine nature.

In our natural state '' every imagination of the
" thouglits of our hearts is only evil continually.'*
(<jreri, vi. 5.) Man, of his own nature is fleshly
" and carnal, corrupt, naught, sinful and disobe-
** dient to God ; without any spark of goodness
" inhim, without any virtuous or Godly motional

SECX)ND SUNDAY IN LENT* 147

*^ only given to evil thoughts and wicked deeds."*
And even after conversion, legions of " evil
** thoughts'' daily arise in the bosom, and *'as-
** sault and hurt the soul/* Who would choose
to have the thoughts of a single day — of a sin-
gle hour — exposed to the view of the world, or
even to the confidential inspection of his most
intimate friend ? No. one would willingly sub-
mit to such an exposure. For many of our
thoughts are not only offensive to the infinite pu-
rity of God, but would shock the delicacy of a
fcilow-creature. And the more we are intro-
duced to an acquaintance with God, the more
clearly do we discern the impurity of our own
bosoms.

Our "evil thoughts,'* if not counteracted by
the influence of Divine grace, must destroy our
souls by keeping them in a state of alienation
from God and of unfitness for heaven ; nay, by
preparing them more and more for the society
of devils and the mansions of outer darkness.
And even after that they become a source of
sorrow to the mind, so far as they prevail they
'^ hurt the soul" by interrupting its communion
with God, its progress in sanctification, and its
energy in prosecuting the great object of life,
the glory of God.

Now who can defend us from " those evil
" thoughts which assault and hurt the soul'* but
God only ? Surely Omnipotence and Omnis-
cience are required for this purpose. Our own
imbecility is evident at the first glance. If the
subtilty and power of Satan, the corruption of
our own hearts, out of which evil thoughts na-
turally proceed, (Matt. xv. 19.) the nature of

* Homily for Whit-Sunday.

L 2

148 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

thought, and the excitements to evil by which
Ave are surrounded, are taken into consideration
for a moment, we shall perceive the impossibility
of being our own defenders. If any man doubt
it, let him make the trial. Let liim endeavour,
the next time he bends his knee, opens the Bible,
or attends public worship, (seasons at which it
may be supposed that the task is feasible if at
any) to exclude from his mind all worldly ideas.
The result will issue in the confusion of his ima-
jgined ability.

Oh, what need, then, is there for earnestness
in the use of our collect ! The awakened soul
will feel its excellence, urge the precious name
of Jesus to enforce the success of its petitions^
and add at its close a hearty " Amen.*'

THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT, U9

THE THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT.

JVe beseech thee. Almighty God^ look upon the

hearty desires of thy hunible servants^ and stretch

firth the right hand of thy Majesty to be our defence

uzainst all our enemies^ through Jesus Christ our

Lord, Amen,

THE brethren in iEgypt (saith St. Angus-
tin, Epist. 12L) are reported to have
"many prayers, but every one of them very
*' short, as if they were darts thrown out with
" a kind of sudden quickness, lest that sudden
" and erect attention of mind, which in prayer
" is very necessary, should be wasted or dulled
^^ through continuance, if their prayers were
*' few and long." Our collects are " prayers
f^ whereunto devout minds have added a pierc-
ing kind of brevity, as well in that respect
which we have already mentioned, as also
thereby the better to express that quick and
speedy expedition wherewith ardent affections,
the very wings of prayer, are delighted to
" present our suits in heaven, even sooner than
^' our tongues can devise to utter them.*'*

The collect to which our attention is now
called, consists of two petitions — the first of a
more general, and the second of a more specific
nature. The general petition implores Divine
^pegard to the desires of God's humble servants,

* Hooker's Eccleg. Pol, vol, 3, p. 18Q. Oxford edit

L 3

150 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

in which some important things are taken for
granted and made the foundation of the Divine
regard which is implored.

Our church supposes, in the judgment of
charity, which ** believeth and hopeth all things'*
to the utmost bound of rational probability, that
those who join in her worship and use of her
collect are *' God's humble servants." But
though our church forms this charitable opinion
of us, surely it becomes us to be jealous of our-
selves, and to inquire whether our style of ad-
dress, in approaching the footstool of the Divine
Majesty, be consistent with truth. For as all
men are either the servants or enemies of God,
(a neutrality being impossible to be maintained,
our Lord having said, " He that is not with me
" is against me") ; and, since the time is at hand
when all His enemies, who refused to have Him
for their master, will be brought forth and slain
before Him (Luke xix* 27) ; it is of the highest
importance, not only to the acceptance of our
prayers but also to the salvation of our souls,
that we should determine whether we be " God's
^^ humble servants" or not. The possibility that
a single individual should be found, who, with
the oily words of submission to Divine authority
on his lips, maintains in his heart and conduct
^ spirit of hostility to the Divine Government,
is a very awful consideration.

In a certain sense, all creatures, not excepting
even the devils, serve God ; for they must all
ultimately subserve the purposes of His will.
Not only do " Fire and hail, snow and vapour,
^* and the stormv wind fulfil His word," but
wicked spirits and wicked men, without design,
accomplish His purposes and promote His glory.
The temptation of man in Paradise made way

THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT* 151

for the introduction of redemption ; and every
subsequent act of that opposition to God and
His people, which the powers of darkness make,
is over-ruled by Divine wisdom and power for
the furtherance of their sanctification and His
honour. In like manner, when Joseph's brethren
through envy and malice sold the future governor
of Egypt to thelshmaelites, they fulfilled thereby
the design of Divine Providence ; for " God sent
" him thither to preserve life," ( Gen. xlv. 5} so
that on their atrocious act a long train of most
important consequences depended which a finite
mind can trace only in part. Thus also the
Assyrian monarch, though he meant not so, was
the rod of God's anger, the instrument of doing
His will. (Is. X. 5-7.) And thus also the Mes-
siah was " delivered by the determin^e counsel
" and foreknowledge of God," though " wicked
"hands took and slew him." (Acts ii. 23.) And
all evil doers, whether embodied or unembodied,
must finally exhibit the righteousness and holi-
ness of God by their sufferings in hell, being
made eternal monuments of His praise.

But it is in a very different light that we view
ourselves, when in our collect we profess our-
selves to be *^ God's humble servants," for the
service of which we speak iv of a voluntary na-
ture. It is a devotion of heart, a state of self-
consecration to the Divine will, producing a
devotion of life and conduct, which we profess.
Let us examine ourselves then, that we may
ascertain whether the language which we hold
be sincere, remembering that empty compli-
ments will not pass current before the throne of
Omniscience which searcheth the hearts and
trieth the reins of the children of men. Are
we indeed humbled under a sense of the Majesty

L 4

15J ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

of that Master whom weprofess to serve ? Doth
a reverential awe of Him pervade and influence
our daily walk ? Have we any due apprehen-
sions of our unworthiness, both as creatures and
as sinners, to be the servants of so great a Lord ?
Doth a fear of offending Him, and a desire of
pleasing Him in all things, prevail habitually with^
in our bosorhs ? If we are indeed His ** humble
** servants," the tenderness of our consciences
and the circumspection of our behaviour will
prove our attachment to Him and our reverence
of His name, in a thousand circumstances which
an unawakened mind treats with indifference.
A holy anxiety to avoid even the appearance of
evil, that is, of rebellion against His commands
and disobedience to His will, of hostility to His
service, or even a want of love to it and zeal in
it, will afford daily proof that we speak the
language of truth, when we call ourselves His
humble servants. A *' testimony that we please
♦^ God" will be the grand object of pious ambi-
tion, which will outweigh every consideration
arising from the opinion which may be formed
either by the world around us, or by our fellow-
servants in the church of God. As " God's
^' humble servants,'* we shall " be obedient to
** Him who is our master, with fear and trem-
^* bling, in singleness of heart; not with eye-
^^ service as men^pleasers, but as the servants of
'^ Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;
" with good will doing service, as to the Lord
*' and not to men."

It is further supposed, (and the supposition is
founded) that the bosoms of all God's humble
servants are occupied by hearty desires after
spiritual blessings. To the desires of their hearts
they are therefore taught to pray for Diving

THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT. 1^3

regard. But Oh ! what gross hypocrisy is this,
if our souls be unconscious of any eagerness to
obtain and enjoy what God has promised and
what our lips implore ! '^ Desire is the uneasi-
" ness a man finds in himself upon the absence
'^ of any thing whose present enjoyment carries
" the idea of deUght with it."* Now is such an
uneasiness in any measure excited within our
souls ? To join in a form of prayer, and to feel
the spirit of prayer, are things widely different
from each other.

Should an inquiry be started respecting the
complex object of those desires which are formed
in all the bosoms of God's humble servants, a
reference may be made to the " exceedingly
" great and precious promises" of the Gospel
which will solve the question. For the Spirit of
God excites hunger and thirst after those bles-
sings which are provided for His people in Jesu&
Christ. By a comparison therefore of our sensi.-
bilities with the provisions of the Gospel, we
may ascertain whether ^* the Spirit maketh in-
" tercession for us with groanings tiiat cannot
^' be uttered,'' and whether we are honest in
^^ soliciting regard to our hearty desires." Of
those various wants, to the relief of which Divine
mercy is here inplored, we have a schedule or
inventory in the-prayers of our church. Let us
examine it attentively, and see if they express
our '' hearty desires." These, if an epitome of
them be required, may all be summed up in a
restoration of the favour, the likeness and enjoy-
ment of God.

In soliciting Divine regard to our ^^ hearty
/' desires," we have strong ground of confidence.

* Locke,

154 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

For God Himself is the author of those desires,
since ^*all holy desires proceed from Him."
The blessings we covet are all purchased bles-
sings, for which an adequate price has been
paid ; so that on all the promissory notes which
.the treasurer of the bank of heaven has issued to
God's humble servants, the words. Value received,
are written in legible characters. The commu-
nication of those blessings, for which the
awakened bosom is athirst, will bring honour to
the author of redemption, to the faithfulness of
God who hath covenanted to bestow them, aind
to the grace of His Spirit who hath excited the
desire after them. We desire nothing but what
is promised to us ; and the promises of God are
so many bonds, for the fulfilment of which He
hath, as it were, pledged to us the honour of all
His Divine perfections: and our desires are
thefore the claim of a specialty debt and can
never be disappointed. The Lord "will fulfil
^* the desire of them that fear Him; He also
*' will hear their cry and will save them." (Ps.
cxlv. 19.) Our own experience, and that of a
great cloud pf Avitnesses, will prove, that " not
" one thing fails of all the good things which
" the Lord our God hath promised concerning
" us : all are come to pass unto us, and not one
" thing hath failed thereof."

The second petition of our collect is of a more
specific form, and describes the nature of tbe
blessing which it implores. We beseech ^^Al-
" mighty God" to " stretch forth the right-
" hand of His majesty to be our defence against
" all our enemies, through Jesus Christ our
« Lord."

The Gospel which is annexed to our collect,
leads to a conclusion that our spiritual enemies

THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT. 155

are chiefly intended in it. And, indeed, these
will always occupy the chief attention of those
worshippers who are humbly engaged in the ser-
vice of God. For though, in times like those in
which we live, we have need to pray mightily for
Divine help against our national foes, and though,
every Christian has outward enemies from which
the shield of Omnipotence alone can defend him,
yet these are of inferior importance compared with
those which war against his soul, and excite a less
degree of anxiety within his breast. It is more-
over to be observed that our collect is designed for
stated and congregational use, and must therefore
refer to a warfare that is never interrupted, and
in which all who are required to join in our
prayers are perpetually engaged.

Of our spiritual enemies St. Paul has given us a
most alanning representation, Eph. vi, 12. He
reminds us that we fight not against flesh and
blood, *^ but against principalities and powers,
" against the rulers of the darkness of this world,
*^ against wicked spirits." Their nature, number,
subtilty, power and malice, are considerations
truly formidable. And the object contended for,
the salvation of our own souls, is so immensely
valuable, that we may well call on *' Almighty
''God*' to *^ stretch forth the right-hand of His
'^ majesty to be our defence against all our
" enemies.^'

That it is only the Almighty power of God that
can keep us from sin, will appear if we consider
either our enemies or ourselves.

" First, consider the mighty advantages that
our great enemy, the Devil, hath against us. As
he is a spirit, he is both powerful and subtle; and
both these are whetted by his great malice against
us. Long experience also, for above five thou-

156 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

sand years, hath made him very politic in dealing
with souls, and in carrying on his own designs and
interest. He knows our temper, our passions^
and our inclinations; and can chuse and cull out
those objects which shall infallibly strike and
^ect us. He waits those mollia tempora fandif
those easy hours of whispering his suggestions to
us, when we are most facile and complianti
when we are most easily wrought upon, and
made soft to his hands by some foregoing circum-
stances. And if, after all this, he despairs to
prevail upon us as a Devils he can quickly shift
his shape, and transform himself into an angel of
lighty and engage our very consciences unto evil.
He can disguise his temptations into impulses of
the Holy Spirit^ persuade us that what he prompts
us to is our duty, head hA&^fiery darts with Scrip-
tare sentences^ wrap up his poison in the leaves
of the Bible^ and v/ound our souls by our con-
sciences. And certainly this Devil ,of light is
now gone abroad into the world with all that
power of deceivableness he can, and we cannot
but with sad and bleeding hearts observe his too
general prevalency and success. And, besides,
all this, he is continually present with us, follows
lis up and down wherever we go, and is always
at our elbow to prompt us to evil, and at our
right-hand to oppose us in that which is good.
Hell hath emissaries enough to afford every man
^ friend ior his attendant; and these critically
observe every glance of thine eyes, every flash of
thy passions, and are presently ready to apply
suitable temptations unto thee, and to strike thee
in that part of thy soul which is softest and nwst
yielding. And as the Syrians that were sent by
Benhadad to the King of Israel, to intercede for
him, watched every word that should fall from

THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT. . 157

Jiis mouth, that they might lay hold of it to obtain
farther favour from him ; so these Spies of hell do
nvatch every kind word and every kind look of
thine towards sin, and want no skill to improve
them, to obtain yet greater matters from thee.
Now if God did not appear to deliver us from
these subtle xmles and methods of the DeviU how
soon would he make fools of the wisest and most
experienced Christians !

*^ Secondly, consider the mighty disadvantages
that we lie under to oppose the temptations of the
Devil; of which though they be many and great,
yet I shall name but two, which may be found
6veti in the best of men. *

** First, our inadvertency and heedlessness,
through which we are often surprised into «in,
and captivated by the cunning craftiness of our
enemies which lie in waif to deceive. How
seldom is it that we stand upon our guard, or if
we do, that we are completely armed ! Sometimes
our shield^ sometimes our helmet^ sometimes our
sioord of the Spirit is wanting. How seldom is
it that we attend all the motions of the enemy !
Indeed a Christian should look round about him,
for he is every where beset and encompassed
round about with enemies; and whilst he is vigi-
lant toward one part, the Devil falsifies his thrust
and wounds him in another. But if he cannot
wound on the right-hand by presumptio?i, he will
try what he can do on the left by despair. If he
cannot prevail by his temptations to cause us to
neglect and cast off holy duties, he will tempt us
to pride ourselves in the well-performing of them.
If he cannot make us fall, he will tempt us to be
high-minded because we standi and so make our
very standing the occasion of our woeful downfall;
and because we are apt to think ourselves better

158 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

than others, he will tempt us to be superciliolik
despisers and contemners of others.

" Now, O Christian, it is a very hard matter,
and thou wilt find it so^ thus to turn thee about
to every assault ; and that man had need to have
his spiritual senses well exercised that shall be
able dexterously to do it. Now when so great
circumspection is scarce sufficient for our securi-
ty, how can they possibly escape without fearful
wounds and gashes in their consciences, who are
supinely negligent of their souls^ and nkind not
which way their thoughts^ their passions, their
aflTections incline^ and so give the Devil a handle
to turn their souls by which way he will ! Cer^
tainly if we do not buckle our spiritual armour
close to us, but suffer the joints of it by our hecd^
lessnes's to He open, the Devil may easily wound
us wheresoever and in whatsoever part be pleasetli.
And truly if, through this inadvertency and want
of circumspection, Adam in the state ofinnocency
and the state of uprightness fell, when the Devil
bad no immediate access or admission into the
inward faculties or powers of his soul — ^yct if
Satan, who was but a young, unpractised, and
inexperienced Devil, could prevail with him by
his wiles to ruin himself and to betray the great
truKt which God had deposited in his hands for all
liih posterity, — how much greater, may we think,
Ih his advantage over us, into whom he may insi-
nuate himself and his temptations, and when we
are busy about other things strike and wound us
at unawares.

'* iSecondly, besides this inadvertency, the
Devil hath another grand advantage to lead us into
evil, and that is because we are naturally prone
and inclined of ourselves to those very sins to
which he tempts us. It is very hard for that place

TIHRD SUNDAY IN LENT. 1^9

'to escape that hath enemies without and traitors
"within. So stands the case with us, we are not
^nly beleagured, but betrayed ; there are in our
liearts multitudes of lusts that hold intelligence
"with the Devil and espouse his cause. Yea, there
is no one sin, how vile and profligate soever, but
it may find partisans in our base and wicked hearts,
wherein are the seeds and principles of all im-
pieties ; and therefore as things of a like nature
presently concorporate (as we see one drop of
water difFuseth itself and runneth into another) so
temptations to sin meeting with a sinful nature are
presently entertained, and as it were embodied
together ; for whilst we pui^ue what Satan tempts
us unto, we do but pursue what our own natural
lusts and corruptions inclined unto before, waiting
only for an opportunity of being called forth
into act.

*' And therefore considering both the advan-^
tages the Devil hath against us, and the great
disadvantages under which we lie, (he a spirit,
we but flesh — he wise and subtle, we foolish and
ignorant — he experienced, we raw and unprac-
tised — ^he diligent and watchful, we careless and
negligent — he laying a close siege to us without,
and we betraying ourselves within ) — it must needs
be ascribed only to the goodness and grace of
God to deliver us from the commission of that
evil, to which we are so fiercely and cunningly
tempted/'*

In a situation so helpless as ours, and under
circumstances apparently so desperate, what
hope of safety or deliverance can arise ? None,
assuredly, from any exertion of our own wisdom
or strength. But " the right-hand of God's

♦ Bishop Hopkins on the Lord's Prayer, p. 146^ &C/

160 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

** majesty" is all sufficient for our defence, if it
be employed on our behalf. The Apostle,
therefore, after that he has exhorted Christian
believers to the use of that armour which is pro-
vided for them, as a concluding piece of advice
directs them to " pray always with all prayer
" and supplication in the Spirit, and to watch
" thereunto with all perseverance." With this
injunction the fervent use of our collect is an act
of compliance. Let the reader thus call on God
for defence, not only at the stated times of
public worship, but also when he sitteth in the
house, and when he walketh in the way, when
he lieth down, and when he riseth up. For not
a moment occurs in which he is free from immi-
nent danger, unless the right-hand of the Divine
majesty be stretched forth for his defence.

While we are offering up in sincerity the
prayer which is here provided for our use, let
us rest satisfied that " when the enemy comes
" in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift
" up a standard against him," and that "our
** God will bruise Satan under our feet shortly/*
Our prayer is addressed to ^^ Almighty God^
It is ottered in His name, who hath conquered
for us all the powers of darkness; and, through
11 in) that loved us, we also shall be made more
than conciuerors in all our conflicts, and shall
attain the pahn of victory.

FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT. 161

THE FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT.

Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that toe,
who for our evil deeds do worthily deserve to be
punished, by the comfort of thy grace may merci-
fully be relieved, through our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ. Amen.

THE Divine declaration, which is made by
the pen of the prophet Hosea, is equally
applicable to all mankind as it was to the antient
Israelite^. " O Israel, thou hast destroyed thy-
" self; but in me is thy help." For we have all,
without a single exception, ^^ erred and strayed
" from God's ways like lost sheep. We have all
" followed the devices and desires of our own'*
corrupt ^^ hearts'* in opposition to the will of God.
" We have all offended against Hi§ holy laws."
And we are all obliged, after a recital of every
commandment, to cry, *^ Lord, have mercy upon
" ud;" for " we have provoked most justly thy
" wrath and indignation against us.*'

The fallen state of man and the redemption by
our Lord Jesus Christ are the two grand topics of
Divine Revelation, and surely they are the most
interesting subjects which can be proposed lo a
rational, sinful, and immortal creature. But alas,
there are multitudes of persons, even in the midst
of this Christian country, who are utterly igno-
rant both of their woe and weal — of their misery
by nature and of the great salvation which is
provided and revealed in the Gospel. '^ What

VOL. II. M

164 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

propriety adapted to the lips of all men : for
though there is a difference in the degrees of
guilt which men have contracted, there is no
distinction of innocent and guilty persons, since
*' all have sinned and come short of the glory of
" God." And though the degree of punishment
apportioned to the measures of guilt will certainly
vary, yet in all instances the *^ wages of sin. i»
death" everlasting ; and " if we say that we
have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the
"truth is not in us/* Two inquiries will free
this confession from all ambiguity, and enable
us to determine whether we have been honest in
making it or not.

The first question that arises from this confes*
sion relates to the extent of that punishment
which we acknowledge that we have deserved*
And on the answer which we give to this ques-
tion will depend the degree of humiliation we
shall feel while we avow our guilt,, and the de*
gree of earnestness with which we shall implore
relief. Now unassisted reason can make no sa-
tisfactory reply to this inquiry, because it cannot
ascertain the malignity of sin, nor duly appre-
ciate its demerit. Human reason, in its present
fallen state, enveloped in thick mists of igno-
rance and biassed by self-love, is sure to form a
wrong estimate on this, and indeed on every
other theological question. To the solution of
the question proposed Omniscience alone is
competent, because it depends on the nature of
God against whom we have transgressed — on
the quality of our obligations to Him as our
Creator and Law-giver — and on the natural
2)ovvers bestowed on man in his creation-state
before sin had impaired them ; for the law con-
siders man' as created and not as fallen in iti^

FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT. 165

requisition of obedience and denunciation of
wrath. Now these are topics which no finite
understanding can fully comprehend, and much
less the feeble and diseased mind of corrupted
creatures who occupy this mole-hill the earth.
But what reason cannot determine God hath
made known in His word, and " we know that
** the judgment of Grod is according to truth."
The punishment which sin, in all cases, hath
*^ worthily deserved," is declared to be eternal
in its duration, and tremendous in its nature.
Scripture images afford us some faint ideas of it ;
but all the ideas that we form of it must neces-
sarily be very inadequate to the reality. How-
ever, the demerit of sin and the extent of the
imnishment which it deserves, as they are mani-
ested by the denunciations of Divine wrath in
the Scriptures, by the nature of the remedy,
which hath been provided, by the forebodings
and foretastes which some impeniteo^t sinners
have felt and expressed in the present life, and
by the tortures of an awakened conscience under
the teaching of the Holy Ghost, are calculated
to rouse our fears to the highest pitch of intense-
ness, and to hasten our escq,pe ^^ from the wrath.
" to come."

V The second question relates to the meritorious
cause of the punishment which we deprecate.
This has, of necessity, been already pointed
out, but it requires a more particular considera-
tion. An answer to it is suggested in our col-
lect, in which we avow that " we deserve to be
*' punished for our evil deeds,** And it is to be
observed that our church, in order that there
might be no possibility of prevarication or eva-
sion in the language of her members, has added
to the verb in which the confession is couched

166 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

an adverb of the same meaning, for the purpose
of strengthening the avowal of guilty add of
pointing out more fully the condign nature of
that punishment which is threatened and to
which we are all exposed. *^ We worthily de^
•^ serve to be punished." All sin, as being a breach
of the Divine law, justly incurs the threatened
curse by which that law has been sanctioned.
Adam, by his first transgression, "worthily
** deserved*' it for himself; and, as a foederal
head, for all his posterity. And though the act
of which he was guilty may appear to have beeti
of small consequence, it was a contempt of Di-
vine goodness, a denial of Divine veracity, a
rejection of Divine authority, and an invasion
of Divine prerogatives. It comprehended within
itself every species of sin which has since been
committed, and was a complicated violation of
all the precepts of both tables of the law. Our
derived pollution moreover exposes us to the
penalty of the Divine law, for " concupiscence
" and lust hath of itself the nature of sin." But
bur collect only notices our actual transgressions,
and among these only ^' our evil deeds^\ because
these are sufficient to prove us guilty and leavie
us in self-despair. *' We have done what we
" ought not to have done.*' It is not necessary
that the reader should Charge himself with mur-
der, adultery, theft, or drunkenness, in order
to justify the confession which he makes; for all
tendencies to ah act prohibited by the law are
included in the prohibition, and incur the pe-
nalty annexed to it. " Whosoever is angry with
" his brother without a cause is in danger of
'* the judgment; and whosoever looketh on a
** woman, to lust after her, hath comniitted
i^ adultery with her already in his heart.'*

FOVRTH SUNDAY IN LENT. 16^

" Impenitent and unpardoned sinners shall lie
eternally in prison and be eternally satisfying
the offended justice of God; but in all that
eternity there shall never be that moment whereia
they may say, as Christ did in His making satis-
faction. It isfinishedy the debt is paid, and jus-
tice hath received as much as was due from me.
No, that satisfaction must be eternally making;
and therefore the punishment must be eternally
lasting. For every sin, even the least sin, is
committed against an infinite God ; and there-
fore the punishment of it must be infinite : for
oflFences take their, measures, as well from the
dignity of the person against whom they are
committed, as from the heinousness of the fact
itself considered. As a reviling word against
the king is treasonable, against our eq«ials but
actionable ; and therefore by the same propor-
tion, the same offence against the infinite
majesty of the great God, must needs carry
infinite guilt in it ; that is, exposeth to infinite
punishment.

" Now then, O sinner, think with thyself,
what satisfaction thou canst make to God that
can bear a proportion to thy infinite offences.
Thou canst not at once undergo an infinite mea-
sure of punishment, for thy nature is but finite.
Could'st thou do this, then indeed there were
hope, yea certainly of relief for thee ; for Di-
vine justice will not exacj^jmore than its due.
But because this is impossible, thy woes and
torments in hell must be eternaU that they may
be some way infinite as the justice is which thou
hast offended ; infinite, if not in degrees, yet in
duration and continuance.

" And O what dreadful despair will this cause
in thee, when thou shalt have been in hell under

M 4

168 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

most acute and insufferable torments millions of
years, and yet the payment of all that sum of
plagues and woes shall not be of value enough
to satisfy for the least of thy sins, nor to cross
out of Uod's book the least and smallest of thy
debts : but thy account shall be as great, and as
full as it was at thy first plunging into hell, and
still an eternity of torments remains to be paid
by thee!

*' And now, wretched creatures that we are,
whither shall we turn ourselves ? What hope,
what relief can we find ? Shall we flatter our-
selves that God will not require our sins at our
hands? No: they are debts, and therefore He
may ; and He is a just God, just to Himself and
to the interest of His own glory, and therefore
He will. God hath beforehand told us at what
rate we must expect to take up our sins, and
what we must pay for them at the last. He hath
told us, as plainly as the mouth of truth can
utter it, that ** the wages of sin is death."*

That " the wages of sin is death" eternal, is
plainly taught in the Scriptures and in the ar-
ticles and homilies of our church. O that these
were better known! They would afford the
best comment on our liturgy, and would prove
who are churchmen and who are not. The ig-
norance of the standard-writings of our church
which generally prevails is a reproach to those
who boast of their a^achment to her constitution.

Before we proceed to consider the second part
of our collect, let us pause and inquire whether
we have felt the fbtce of our own confessions or
not. ** For our evil deeds we worthily deserve
*' to be punished." Doth this correspond with

* Biisliop Hopi^ins on the Lord's Prayer, p. 85.

FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT. IGg

the conviction of our consciences and with the
habitual frame of our minds ? O let us not
deceive ourselves in the use of ** a form of sound
" words,*' for God searcheth the heart. How
awfiil are the general insensibility and hypo-
crisy which prevail in our church ! We repeat
creeds, make confessions^ and utter prayers,
with as much carelessness as we read an anec-
dote in a newspaper, or recite some trifling
occurrence in which we are utterly uninterested.
Confession without contrition, and prayer with-
out desire, are a mockery of God.

Our collect, in the second place, contains an
tamest request founded on the foregoing con-
fession. We pray " that by the comfort of Di-
vine grace we may mercifully be relieved,
through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.''
Distress of conscience, arising from a sense of
guilt and obnoxiousness to punishment, is evi-
dently supposed in all those who offer up this
prayer; for to this the relief which is implored
relates. Are our consciences then wounded by
a conviction of sin? And are we indeed solici-
tous for relief? It is a scriptural axiom, that
" they who are whole need not a physician, but
" they'' only " who are sick." If the reader's
confession has been sincere, the use of our
collect will prove " an outlet of trouble, and an
^^ inlet of consolation."

The relief which we implore is a deliverance
from guilt and the fear of punishment, including
a restoration to peace with God and an assu--
ranee of His favour. And Oh, how important
a request ! for in God's favour is life, and in
nothing else. And this relief is asked of God
with the highest propriety, since He only can
afford it. Of the maxims of philosophy, the

170 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

rules of ethics, and the directions of the Divine
law, we may truly assert, that, with respect to
the relief of a burthened conscience, they are
medicines of no virtue, and that those who pre-
scribe them are like Job^s friends, ^' physicians
** of no value" and " miserable comforters."
There is, however, blessed be God, " Balm in
*' Gilead, and a Physician there." But even
the Balm of Gilead cannot relieve the sin-sick
soul unless it be applied ; and no one can effec-
tually apply it but the great Physician. .The
minister of the Gospel may promulgate the doc-
trines of grace, but he cannot give "thecom-
" fort of God's grace." This must be sought
from God, whose Spirit must communicateits
influence to the afflicted heart.

The source from which this relief is implored
is ^*the comfort of Divine grace." And to this
we may indeed look with a confident persuasion
that we shall not be disappointed. For it has
made a full provision for our everlasting conso-
lation. A revelation of this grace to the soul
removes all its distresses by removing their cause^
even sin. And we are assured that, " if we
** confess our sins," as we do in the sincere use
of our collect, *^ God is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness." Let those then, who are
truly conscious that they have " worthily de-
*^ served to be puniShed," raise their eyes to the
throne of grace. There, and there only, is
comfort to be obtained. There God " waiteth
" to be gracious." Let them remember that
God can be "just and the justifier of him that
*' believeth in Jesus." And Oh, " what abun-
dant cause of comfort may this be to all true
believers, that God's justice as well as His

-.J-

FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT. 171

mercy shall acquit them : That that attribute
of God, at the apprehension of which they
were wont to tremble, should interpose oti
their behalf and plead for them! Yet
through the all-sufficient expiation and atone-
ment that Christ hath made for our sins, this
mystery is effected, and justice itself brought
over from being a formidable adversary to be of
our party and to plead for us. Therefore the
Apostle tells us, 1 John i. 9, that God is faithful
and just to forgive us our sins."*

The channel through which the comfort of
Divine grace must flow for our relief is ** our
" Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ/' The chan-
nel is wide and deep, so that we need not fear
lest the supply should be a scanty one. He is
the only medium through which any gracious
communication can be made to a sinner; and
through Him penitent sinners may expect to
receive more than they can ask or think — they
may expect " abundance of grace and of the
" gift of righteousness." " In Him God findeth
us, if we be faithful, for by faith we are in-
corporated into Christ. Then, although in
ourselves we be altogether sinful and unrighteous,
yet even the man which is impious in himself,
liill of iniquity, full of sin — him being found in
Christ through faith, and having his sin remitted
through repentance — him God beholdeth with a
gracious eye, putteth away his sin by not im-
puting it, taketh quite away the punishment
due thereunto, by pardoning it, and accepteth
him in Christ Jesus, as perfectly righteous, as
if he had fulfilled all that was commanded him
in the law : shall I say more perfectly righteous,

* Bishop Hopkins on the Lord*s Prayer.

172 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

than if himself bad fulfilled the whole law ? I
must take heed what I say : but the Apostle
saith, God made Him to be sin for usy who knew
no sin; that we might be made the righteousness
of God in Him. ouch we are in the sight of
God the Father, as is the very Son of God
Himself. Let it be counted folly, or frenzy,
or fury, whatsoever ; it is our comfort, and our
wisdom ; we care for no knowledge in the world
but this, that man hath sinned, and God hath
suffered ; that God hath made Himself the son
of man, and that men are made the righteous-
ness of God."*

* Hooker's Works, vol, 3. p. 437. Oxford edition.

DAY IN LENT.

173

SUNDAY IN LENT,

', Almighty God, mercifully to

pic ; that by thy great goodness

y'crned and preserved evermore,

d soul, through Jesus Christ our

BT

• already observed, in the course of

lectures, the harmony which pre-

prayers of the church in different

world, and in different outward cir-

And though there is nothing won-

liis coincidence, because the wants of

Iflren are always the same essentially,

same Spirit maketh intercession for

ijt as the remark may tend to encourage,

sen, and confirm our souls in the faith,

• »iir approaches to the throne of grace, it

It be unprofitable to point out the resem-

ijetween the language of our collect for

I Sunday in Lent, and that of the Psal-

.'s. cxix. 132, 133; "Look thou upon

and be merciful unto me, as thou usest

> unto those that love thy name. Order

leps in thy word, and let not any iniquity

dominion over me."

l^rayer both of our collect and the Psal-

the cry of distress, as indeed, in a greater

degree, all prayer must necessarily be.

. li the awakened sinner, feeling himself to

guilty creature, implores mercy; being

ious of his ignorance, he solicits direction ;

174 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

being sensible of his own helplessness, he begs
assistance ; and proving by daily experience
that he is prone to evil, he asks from God that
preservation which God only can afford. His
plea for the attainment of these inestimable
blessings is that mercy which God has pi'omised
to His people, and which He is accustomed to
*' shew unto those that love His name.'' In the
promises of the Divine word, and in the exam-
ples of those to whom mercy has been vouch-
safed in similar circumstances, the penitent finds
encouragement to address the throne of grace.

Our collect contains — A general petition for
Divine regard — and The specific end for which
that regard is now implored.

In the general petition for Divine regard we
may consider — The manner in which it is made
— The matter of which it consists — And the
objects for whom it is solicited.

The manner of supplication here adopted is
very fervent and very humble. And indeed
such is the nature of the blessings which we im-
plore, so great is our unworthiness of thera, and
so glorious the majesty of Him from whom we
ask them, that too great a degree of fervency
and humility cannot be manifested either in our
words or gestures, nor exerted within our bo-
soms. Let us then ask ourselves whether our
feelings have corresponded, in the use of this
collect, with its phraseology. Have we besought
" Almighty God mercifully to look upon His
^* people," making His mercy our sole plea,
and determining not to let Him go witli whom
we are wrestling for a blessing, until He bless
us ? As the mode of suppHcation here intro-
duced has occurred in a former collect, we
shall no further enlarge upon it. The reader's

aiJ^^ -..-.."..

: FIFTH SUNDAY IN LENT. 175

\

attention is, however^ reqnested to the following
excellent remarks on prayer by the judicious
Hooker.

" Prayer proceedeth from want, which being
seriously laid to heart maketh suppliants always
importunate; which importunity our Saviour
Christ did not only tolerate in the woman of
Canaan, but also exhort and invite thereunto,
as the parable of the wicked Judge sheweth.
Our fervency sheweth us sincerely affected to-
wards that we crave : but that which must make
us capable thereof is an humble spirit; for God
doth load with His grace the lowly, when the
proud He sendeth empty away : And therefore,
to the end that all generations of the world
might.know how much it standeth them upon to
beware of all lofty and vain conceits when we
offer up our supplications before Him, He hath
in the gospel both delivered this caveat, and left
it by a special chosen parable exemplified. The
Pharisee and Publican having presented them-
selves in one and the same place, the temple of
God, for performance of one and the same duty,
the duty of prayer, did notwithstanding in that
respect only so far differ the one from the other,
that our Lord's own verdict of them remaineth
{as you know ) on record, they departed home,
the sinful publican, through humility of prayer,
just; the just pharisee, through pride, sinful,
so much better doth He accept of a contrite
peccavij I have sinned^ than of an arrogant
Deo gratiasy God I thank thee.*'^

We proceed now to consider the matter of
our request. We solicit Divine regard with a
view to a specific end which is afterwards

* Hooker's Works, vol. 3, p, 589, Oxford edition.

176 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

mentioned. But, it may be said. Doth not God
** look upon" all His creatures ? Is He not
Omniscient and Omnipresent? AVe not His
" eyes in every place, beholding the eviJ and
** the good ?" " Can any hide himself in secret
'* places, that the Lord shall not see him?
« Doth not He fill heaven and earth ?" ^\ Is
*' not hell naked before Him, and destruction
^* without covering?" Yes: " His eyes are
^* upon the ways of man, and He seeth all his
" goings/' " There is no darkness nor shadow
** of death, where the workers of iniquity may
" hide themselves." " The Lord looketh from
" heaven : He beholdeth all the sons of men.
From the place of His habitation He looketfa
upon all the inhabitants of the earth. He
*^ fashioneth their hearts alike ; He considereth
*^ all their works." " Great in counsel and
mighty in work. His eyes are open upon all
the ways of the sons of men, to give every
one according to his ways, and according to
" the fruit of his doings." What need then, it
may be asked, is there of soliciting Divine no-
tice, since God cannot but know and regard us ?*'
Is not the request superfluoiis and impertinent ?
By no means. For it is not a naked regard, but
a favourable and fruitful attention which we im-*
plore— -not the notice of an indiflferent spectator^
but that of an interested friend. It is a gracious
interference in our behalf which we beseech God
to shew.

There is a consciousness in the bosoms of all
God's people, that, were He to "look upon"
them in a way of strict justice. His observance
of their state and conduct would be followed by
their destruction. For they know that they
have to do with a just and holy God, who is

it

*

§€

FIFTH SUNDAY IN LENT. 177

*^ of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot
look on iniquity,*' and who "will by no
means clear the guilty/' They know " that
their God is a consuming fire,"' and that ** it
** is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the
'* living God." And therefore the habitual
ranembrance of God which they maintain is
accompanied with a consideration of His mercy,
and a grateful affiance in the Mediator through
whom it flows, *' Enter not into judgment with
thy servant, O Lord, for in thy sight shall no
man living be justified,"' is the constant lan-
guage of the awakened bosom. With thi« the
sensibilities of those who enter into the spirit of
our petition concur, while they "beseech Al-
•* mighty God mercifully to look upon Hi$
** people."

The ungodly heart that is conscious of guilt,
but at the same time is unsubdued, unhumbled,
and unacquainted with Divine mercy, wishes
to have nothing to do with God. AH uncon-
verted persons " say unto God^" in their hearts
if not with their lips, " Depart from us, for we
desire not the knowledge of thy ways. What
is the Almighty that we should serve Him ?
And what profit should we have if we pray
"unto Him?" They comfort themselves in
their state of alienation from God with the de*
lusive hope that ** the Lord will not see, nei-
** ther will the God of Jacob regard." If au
unwelcome thought of God intrude, that is in
any degree of accordance with those attributes
which are ascribed to Him in His word, it is
necessarily productive of terror and dismay, and
dismissed with all possible speed. But the kind
regard of Almighty God is essential to the com-
fort of His own people. Instead of saying,
VOL. IL N

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178 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

*' Depart from me," they cry, " Hear me, O
" Lord, for thy loving kindness is good : turn
'^ unto me according to the multitude of thy
'^ tender mercies. And hide not thy face from
" thy servant, for I am in trouble : hear mo
" speedily. Draw nigh unto my soul, an^ re-
" deem it : deliver me because of mine enemies/*
The Omniscience and Omnipresence of God
constitute, in connection writh His grace, the
source of all the satisfactions of His people.
^' In Him,'^ with respect to natural and spiritual
life, " they live and move and have their being."
The objects to whom Divine regard is im-
plored in our collect are the people of God.
. Thereby the congregation when offering up
this petition mean themselves, and with them-
selves associate all their brethren, who together
with them " worship God in the spirit, rejoice
" inXlIhrist Jesus, and have no confidence in
" the flesh." For it is Divinely ordained that
prayer should be made " for all men," and
especiallv for " them who are of the household
•* of faith."

But are we indeed the people of God P Is our
language accurate when we so denominate our-
ielves ? The question is of the last importance;
for " God hath respect unto the lowly, but the
^ proud he knoweth afar off:" and lowliness of
heart is one of the grand characteristics of His
people, whereby they are distinguished from all
other persons. ** To this man will I look," saith
He whose favourable regard we implore, *' even
^* to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit
" and that trembleth at my word." Reader,
are the distinguishing features of the people of
God visible in you and me ? There Jire other
properties assigned to His^ people, which cannot

FIFTH SUNDAY IN LENT. 179

be mistaken, the mention of which may assist
our inquiry into our own personal relation to
God. His people believe in Him, fear Him',
love Him, hope in Him, obey Him, submit to
Him, derive their happiness from Him, and re-
joice in that relation in which they stand to
Him. Are we then His people or not ? For
the comfort of the timid believer it may be ob-
served, that all who cordially wish to be His
people are certainly such. For that cordial
wish implies, in proportion to its vigour, all
those characteristic properties which have been
enumerated. They are "Israelites indted, in
** whom there is no guile."

Taking it for granted that the reader has le-
gitimately reckoned himself among the people
of God, I must desire him to recall ,to his re-
membrance some things which are naturally
suggested by the title which he hath assumed.

How humiliating is the thought, which our
collect suggests ? " We are a chosen genera-
" tion, a royal priesthood, a peculiar people,
" that we should shew forth the praises of Him
" who hath called us out of darkness into Hi$

marvellous light ; which in time past were not

a people, but are now the people of God;

which had not obtained mercy, but jaow have
" obtained mercy.'' Let us recollect what we
were by nature, and what we are become
through grace. By nature, "we lay among
" the pots," in a state of the lowest servility and
degradation; through grace, we are becomte

as the wings of a dove, covered with silver,

and her feathers with yellow gold.'' By na-
ture, we were in a state of perdition j but "God
" hath redeemed our lives from destruction, and
'< crowned us with loving kindness and tender

• N 3

t€
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180 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

*' mercies/' He hath *^ raised the poor out of
*' the dust, and lifted the needy, from the dung-
*^ hill, that He might set us with princes, even
" with the princes of His people." " Happy
" art thou, O Israel ! who is like unto thee, O
" people ? — saved by the Lord, the shield of thy
" help, and who is the sword of thine excel-
** lency : and thine enemies shall be found liars
*' unto thee, and thou shalt tread upon their
" high places."

" Mercifully look upon thy people,*' There
is a treasure of instruction and comfort wrapt up
in that word, not only more than the profane
world can imagine, (for they indeed know
nothing at all of it); but more than they that
are of that number are able to conceive — a Deep
unfathomable. Thy people. They are His por-
tion, and He is theirs. He accounts nothing of
all the world beside them, and they of nothing
at all beside Him ; for them He continues the
world. Many and great are the privileges of
His people, contained in that great charter, the
Holy Scriptures ; and rich is that land, where
their inheritance lies; but all flows from this
reciprocal relation, that He is their God. All
His power and wisdom are engaged for their
good ; how great and many soever are their ene-
mies, they may well oppose this to all. He is
their God. >Xney are sure to be protected and
prospered, and in the end to have full victory.
Happy then is that people, whose God is the
Lord. Ps. xxiii. 12."*

What strong ground does a legitimate assump-
tion of this title, of this relation to God, afford
for confidence in stating the end for which we

* Archbishop Leighton on IstEp. of Peter,

FIFTH SUNDAY IN LENT. 181

Dlore His favourable regard? For if we are
m people, mar we not indulge a confident
fe^uasion, tliat He will " by His great good-
Riess govern and preserve us evermore, both in
Boody: and soul, through Jesus Christ our
TLord r"

COur prayer comprehends, as hath been ob-

pfyed already, the collective body of God's

pie. For they are all one body under one

fed, subjects of the same kingdom, and mem-

1 of the same society. However they may

^distinguished as " Greeks or Jews, Barba-

flns, Scythians, bond or free, they are all

fte in Christ Jesus." And it is therefore the

By and privilege of every Christian to pray for

i' whole Catholic church, " that it may be

■overned and preserved evermore by God's

vreat goodness;" that by a pure and pow-

Tpl dispensation of His word and ordinances its

Htuality may be maintained and increased —

beauty and splendour heightened ; that He

»uld raise up and continue a succession of

Mors after His own heart, who shall employ

delegated authority which they receive to

^ glory and the benefit of His church.

^ut we shall consider the petition more parti-

[ariy as it respects ourselves in our individual

lacity, in wliich we pray for the everlasting

lernance and preservation of God's great

jdness.

God is the Governor and Preserver of all
latures which He hath made. For ."the
^'ogdora is the Lord's, and He is the gover-
nor among the nations." " He preserveth
'»an and beast." But it is a governance and
" lervation of a special kind which we implore
^ 3

182 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

for ourselves. For there is in His government %
circle within a circle to which His peculiar re*
gard is confined, He ** is the Saviour of all
" men, but specially of them that believe,"
We beseech Almighty God that we may be
'* governed by His great goodness." For we
know, if we are indeed His subjects, that th^
laws of His kingdom are all ^^ holy, just, and
'* good;" and that the administration of them
by His band is uniformly righteous and gracious,
and we therefore wish to be wholly under it.
This petition relates both to the management of
all our outward affairs in the course of His pro-
vidence, and to the regulation ?ind control of
our hearts, thoughts, desires, p-qd affections, by
the influence of His Spirit, It U analogous tq
that request in the Lord's Prayer, <^ Thy will
^' be done in earth as it is in heaven," And
Oh ! how clearly is it thy interest^ reader, fer-
vently to pray that thou niayeat be governed
evermore by God's great goodn^s?;, both in body
and soul ! For " think, O soul, , if it be possi-^
' ble to think, how transcendantly blessed thy

* estate shall be, when plj thy thoughts an4
^ affections shall be centered in (God for ever,
' and not the least niotion of thy goul shall so

* much as twinkle or waver from the eternal
^ contemplation wd fruition of the infinite De-
^ ity. And therefore this our eternal happiness
^ being wrapped up in doing the will of God, it
^ highly concerns us to pray, and to endea-
^ vour to do it on earth, so that at length we
' may attafn to the perfection of doing it in
^ heaven.'^

But do we desire, in sincerity and truth, to
be wholly under God's governance? Have we

FIFTH SUNDAY IN LENT. 183

considered the mode of His procedure with His
people in the course of His providence ? Do* we
acquiesce in all His dealings with us? And do
we desire to submit to His will, and to be as
clay in the hands of the potter? Have we more-
over considered the requisitions of His law ? And
do we love it, surveying its height and depth
' and length and breadth ? Is there no exception
that we should wish to make to the administra-
tion of His kingdom or its holy code? Is
it the earnest desire and endeavour of our souls^
that ^* every thought should be brought into
f* subjection to the obedience of Christ," and
that "the government" should be intirely "on
"His shoulders?"

We pray, moreover, that by the same al-
mighty goodness we may be f* preserved ever-
" more, both in body and*soul." Both stand
in need of Divine preservation, because both
jyody and soul are exposed to innumerable dan-
gers. Self-defence is impossible to either; but
as both have been redeemed by the precious
blood of Christ, we have encouragement in look-
ing to God for the preservation of both unto His
everlasting kingdom.

It is not necessary that we should enlarge on
this part of our subject, as it has fallen under
our notice in a preceding collect ; though it is
necessary that our prayer for preservation by
almighty power and goodness should be fre-
(juently repeated, yea retained in constant use.
AVe shall therefore only pause for the purpose of
proposing a question on the subject to our own
consciences, by asking whether we do indeed
desire Divine preservation in the full latitude of
Mie expression — whether to be preserved in soul

1S4 ON THE COLLECT fOR THE

as well as in body, froin sin in all its forms as.
well as from suffering, te the sincere prayer of
bur hearts. If it be, while we ask it ^^ through *
f^ Jesus Christ our Lord,*' we shall obtain it to
His glory who ever liveth to sanctiop our peti»
tions by His effectual " Aipen,'*

SUNDAY NEXT BEFORE EASTER. 185

THE SUNDAY NEXT BEFORE EASTER.

Almightij and everlasting God, who of thy ten-
der love towards mankind^ hast sent thy Son our
Saviour Jesus Christ, to take upon Him our Jleshy
and to suffer death upon the cross, that all man-
kind shouldfollozo the example of His great humi-
lity j mercifully grant, that zve may doth follozo
tfie example of His patience, and also be made
partakers of His resurrection, through the same
Jesus^Christ our Lord. Amen.

OUR collect exhibits to our view the Saviour
of our sinful souls in that vicarious cha-
racter which He assumed for us men and for
our salvation. And at the same time it places
before our eyes a model for our imitation, which
by its beauty and perfection is calculated to fix
our attention and captivate our hearts. *^ Christ

* suffered for us, leaving us an example that ye
' should follow His ste^js : who did no sin, nei-
^ ther was guile found in His mouth. Who
^ when He was reviled, reviled.not again ; when

* He suffered. He threatened not*; but com-
^ mitted Himself to Him, that judgeth righte-
^ouslv." 1 Peterii. 21— 23.

Our collect contains — A preface, celebrating
the '^tender love'* of God as it has been disco-
vered in the mission of His only begotten Sou
to become incarnate and lo die for us, and re-
citing one important end of that mission, viz.
That Christ might be an influential pattern of
liumility to all mankind — and A prayer for

1«4 ON THE COLLECT fOR THE

as well as in body, from sin in all its forms as.
well as from suifering, \)e the sincere prayer of
our hearts. If it be, while we ask it ^^ through •
f ^ Jesus Christ our Lord,*' we shall obtain it to
His glory who ever liveth to sanctiop our peti*
tions by His effectual " Aipen/*

2^-

■r.

id
I ad

li

/»»

idst
her
/da

188 ox TIIE COLLECT FOR THE

aiTection ; because the wish of David would in
the latter case be carried into effect, so far at
least as it could be with the least hope of escaping
from personal destruction. But neither of these
instances will bear any comparison with that act
of Divine love which our collect celebrates. For
David's wish was not, and could not be, carried
into effect. And if an opportunity of fulfilling it
had offered, we know not whether cool reflection
might not have repressed the ardour of his afiec*
tion. And the act of the mother, just described,
is not performed under a certainty of personal
destruction, but with a hope of escape. And
moreover, the object of her tender anxiety is
worthy the risk she runs. But God incarnate not
only risked, but actually laid down His life. He
engaged in the work of redemption on the abso-
hite condition of making Himself a sacrifice for
n\n — a Hacrilice for the sins of those who were
utterly unworthy of His notice, and from whom
lit* (-ould expect no shadow of return. No addi-
tion could be made to the Divine felicity by the
r^alviition of niun, nor could any diminution of it
liavr rrsultnl from his eternal ruin.

The proof of love to man which our collect
drHcribes \h the highest that God could give. If
lie* could, consistently with His justice, have
piirdoncul sin without receiving for it any satis-
huiion, the exertion of His prerogative for this
purpose would have aflbrdcd a much lower de-
nuHjNlrutiotJ of the love wherewith He loveth us
(Ihin redemption has given. That would have
roi.i lliin i\othing; but this demanded the whole
lirMMiirv of inlinite compassion.

\\r Imvr already discoursed on the incarnation
fUid milivitv of our Lord when we reviewed the
fidint h»r Chrislinas-day ; and therefore we shall

SUNDAY NEXT BEFORE EASTER. 1$9-

tiot now enlarge on His assumption of our flesh
which is mentioned in our present collect. We
are now brought by the revolving year near to
that time when we commemorate the concluding
act of our Saviour's humiliation, and the great
end of his incarnation. We arc to follow Him
by faiths in the course of the ensuing week, to
the garden of Gethsemane, where His dying ago-
nies commenced ; we are to ascend with Him in
spirit the mount of Calvary, mingling our tears
with those of the daughters of Jerusalem ; and;
shortly after, we are to receive ^^ the oil of joy
'* for mourning, and garments of praise for the
^^ spirit of heaviness," while we witness the com-
mencement of His triumphs in the garden of
Joseph of Arimathea. By a guilty transaction in
the garden of Eden paradise was lost: by the
glorious work which was begun in the garden at
the foot of the mount of Olives, and finished in
the garden of Joseph, paradise is restored.

By the collect for to-day our church prepares
us to weep with a weeping Saviour and to triumph
with our triumphant Lord. The twofold event of
Good-Friday and Easter-day is incorporated in
our collect.

The dignity of the person who was sent on
that work of love which our collect describes ;
His near relation to God who sent Him ; the er-
rand on which He came ; the character of those
whose salvation He undertook ; these and a thou-
sand other considerations concur to enhance the
tenderness of that love which we celebrate, that
love which passeth knowledge. But as we shall
soon have an opportunity of entering more fully
into this subject, we shall not now enlarge on it

We therefore proceed to a consideration of that
important end of Christ's mission which is specified

€6

190 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

in our collect^ and which, though not the
principal object of the incarnation and death of
Christ, is closely, yea inseparably connected with
that principal object. Christ was sent by His
Father to *'take upon Him our flesh, and to

suffer death upcm the cross, that all mankind

might follow the example of His great humi-
" lity/' That this was not the principal object
which Divine love had in view, is evident from
the general tenour of Scripture, which continually
represents atonement to be the chief end of our
Lord's work.. Yet are there various sects of reli-
gionists who deny, or at least place in the back
ground of their painting, Christ's expiatory sacri-
fice, while they exhibit His example as alone
worthy of regard. But they labour in vain ; for
a display of the pattern which Christ hath set for
our imitation is a useless task, if unaccompanied
with those motives to copy it which can only be
drawn from His atonement. In the charge here
brought against those who mutilate the Gospel,
not only the Socinian, but also the various clas-
ses of mystical theologues, are implicated. Like
Prometheus, they may form the figure of a Chris-
tian, but they cannot give it animation.

The end however of Christ's coming which our
collect specifies, though not the principal, is an
essential one, and closely connected with the
atonement. For the latter would be of no value
to man, unless a conformity to the example of
Christ were produced by it. And an imitation of
Christ is necessarily produced by a reception of
His atonement, for " faith worketh by love.'*

From among the various graces which were
exercised by Christ as a pattern for our imitation,
our collect has selected ** His great humility," as
being that grace to which the season of Lent now

§UNDAY NEXT BEFORE EASTER. 191

observed,, and the great day of atonement just at
hand, particularly call our attention. And indeed
in mentioning this grace of Christ's character our
church has mentioned all His other excellences.
For it>supposes and implies every other attribute
of His mediatorial office. And if we " follow the
" example of His great humility," we shall also
follow the example of every other virtue which
shone in the heart and life of the God-man. The
cluster of Eshcol's grapes which the spies exhi-
bited to the Israelites, though nothing more than
^ specimen, was a sufficient specimen of the rich,
productions of Canaan, from which the fertility
of the good land might legitimately be inferred.
And if we are imitators of Christ's humility,
" whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things
*^ are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatso-
" ever things are pure, whatsoever things are
"* lovely, whatsoever things are of good report,**^
Ivill accompany . that imitation. We shall then
^ add to our faith, virtue ; and to virtue, know-
" ledge ; and to knowledge, temperance ; and \o
^ temperance, patience; and to patience, God-
" liness ; and to Godliness, brotherly kindness ;
^ and to brotherly kindness, charity. And if
^* these things be in us and abound, they will
** make us that we shall neither be barren nor
" unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord ^Jesus
" Christ." Humility is the sap which, pervading
every fibre of the Christian violet, produces that
odour which is so grateful and acceptable both to
God and man.

Now Christ is the great pattern of humility.
Of Him only it can be said that He '* humbled
'^ Hiniself." A creature, as such, however self-
abased before God, can sink no lower than his
proper station. And much less can a ginner

19« ON THE CX)LLECT FOR THE

depreciate himself. But Christ voUintarily emp^
lied Himself of glory which He possessed, and to
which He was justly entitled. Oh, how forcible
then is the Apostolic exhortation ! " Let this

mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus :

who, being in the form of God, thought it not
*' robbery to be equal with God; but made Him-
^* self of no reputation, and took upon Him the
'* form of a servant, and was made in the likeness
*^ of men; and being found in fashion as a man^
" He humbled Himself, and became obedient
** unto death, even the death of the cross/*
Come, reader, let us view our model in His in-
carnation. His birth. His submission to His pa->
rents during His childhood and youth, in rlis
mode of living in the world, in His converse
with His outrageous enemies, in His conduct
towards His own disciples, and more especialljr^
in the last scene of His life ; — and let us try to
imitate Him. Hark, every occurrence of His
history cries with a loud and distinct tone,
*^ Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in
*^ heart/' " His whole life is our rule. Not
*^ His miraculous works ; His footsteps walkings
*' on the sea, and such like, they are not for our
** following. But His obedience, holiness, meek-
'* ness, humility, s^re our copy which we should
'^ continually study/'*

The prayer of our collect which is founded on
the foregoing preface is two-fold. For we therein
implore Divine grace, that we may be enabled
to follow the example of Christ's patience ; — And
that, at length, we may also be partakers of His
resurrection.

It may he asked, why is the grace which i^
mentioned in the petition of our collect different

* Leighton.

SUNDAY NEXT BEFORE EASTER. 193

from that which is mentioned in its preface?
Why are we taught to specify the humility of
Christ as that attribute of His character which
God would have us to imitate, and then pray that
we may follow the example of His patience ? In
answer to this question it may be said, that the
change of terms in our collect will be fully justi-
fied when it is considered that patience is the
daughter of humility, that the former cannot sub-
sist independent of the latter, and that the strength
of our patience is proportioned to the depth of
our humility. And as cause and effect cannot be
disunited, while we pray for patience we at the
same time implore humility ; for it is only as we
are self-abased that we can bear our trials with
submission to the Divine will. And it may be
remarked further that, by mentioning both the
hMmility and patience of Christ, our church has
given a more comprehensive view of the pattern
which we are to imitate than she would have
done if our collect had introduced to our notice
one only of these Divine qualities. Christ was
humble, and therefore He was patient under His
unparalleled sufferings. He was ** meek and
"lowly in heart,*' and therefore could say, in
the depth of His distresses, '' Father, not my will,
" but thine be done/* We may, moreover, con-
sider both these graces as called for in an especial
manner by the season of Lent which we now ob-
serve, and by the requisitions of that holy week
on which we are about to enter. For unless we
^re deeply humbled, we shall not patiently sub-
mit to that course of self-mortification, which is
at all times necessary and especially at this season.

The example which is set before us is bright
and dazzling, so that our minds may be affected
in the contemplation of it as our eyes are by

VOL. IK O

194' ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

looking at the meridian sun. But let us not be
discouraged. For ^' he that aims high, shoots
*' the higher for it, (hough he shoot not so hi
'^ as he aims. This is that which ennobles t
" spirit of a Christian, the propounding of this
*^ our high pattern, the example of J^sus Christ/**
As no one ever was, or indeed could be, ex-
posed to trials of patience .so sharp as those which
our Lord Jesu^ Christ experienced, so no one
ever had an opportunity of exercising, or couUl
have exercised if the opportunity had been af-
forded, so magnanimous a degree of patieDc^ as
that which we contemplate in our great exemplar.
The extent and magnitude of those trials to which
patience in any instance is exposed, depend in a
g^eat measure on the dignity of the sufferer^ tbe
benevolence which he has shewn to those wh^
are the agents in the trial, the innocence of his
character, and other considerations of a like kind.
Now He who was *' led as a lamb to the slaughter,
** and as a sheep before his shearer is dumb^
*^ opened not His mouth," was " God overi#H
*' blessed for evermore/' His errand unto^^ the
world was its redemption from everlasting misery.
He was holy, harmless, undefiled before God and
man, and perfectly guiltless of the crimes with
which He was charged. Yet His Theophilan-
thropy was attributed to a love of popularity
and a desire of self-exaltation ; His benevolent
miracles, ihe reality of which could not be dis-
puted, to a conspiracy with the Devil; and His
claim to the Messiahship was ridiculed, blasphe-
med, and rejected. Every day's intercourse with
the world which Me came to save brought with it
obloquy, contempt, and the bitterest opposition;

* Ardiblshop Leightou on 1 Epist. of Peter.

SUNDAY NEXT BEFORE EASTER. 195

till at length human blood-hounds glutted their
utmost malice on the Divine and innocent victim
of their furious hatred. Yet under all these cir-
cumstances not an impatient or hasty thought,
word^ or deed, arose in the bosom, escaped from
the lips, or tarnished the life, of our inimitable
exemplar.

Our collect supposes that we, as the disciples
of Christ, " have need of patience,'* and that our
trials are such as render the daily exercise of this
grace absolutely necessary. And the supposition
is founded in fact as the experience of every true
disciple will testify. Herein are Christians fol-
lowers of their Lord. Was He a man of sorrows
and acquainted with griefs ? TJiey have " fd-
*^ lowship with Him in His sufferings." DiAHU
auctions call for the continual exercise of pa-
tience and submission to the will of God ? so also
do iheir^s. Was He harrassed with various temp-
tations and incessant opposition from the prince
of darkness.^ So are tliexf. Was He persecuted
by the world ? So are they likewise in a greater
or less degree, for all who will live Godly in
Christ Jesus must suffer persecution. Was He
exercised with spiritual desertions ? Did He cry,
"My God, my God, Why hast thou forsaken
" me ?" Their complaints are frequently similar.
Had Qirist to wait for the fulfilment of the Divine
promises, till He was made perfect through suf-
ferings ? and had He to look forward to the dark
valley of the shadow of death, as necessarily to
be passed through before He could enter on His
glory ? His disciples also are waiters for the con-
solation of Israel, and know that death is the only-
avenue to life. But He had no forerunner : the
path He trod was undistinguished by the track of
a single foot. Whereas His disciples, in every

O 2

196 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

step they take, have to mark His footsteps^ and
those of a great cloud of witnesses who have gone
before them. He trod the wine-press alone, and
without a friend to comfort Him. Whereas we
have His faithful promise that He *^ will never
*^ leave us nor forsake us."

It is further implied in our collect that we are
unable, without the continual aid of Divine grace,
to " follow the example of our Lord's patience/'
And this supposition relates to all His disciples,
however far they may have advanced in the road
to Zion. That this supposition also is founded
in truth will appear from the history of His dis-
ciples in all ages and from our own experience.
The most eminent of His followers have fainted
under their trials. The faith of Jacob staggered,
when he cried " All these things are against me.-'
(Gen. xlii. 36.) The meekness of Moses failed,
when he wrathfully smote the rock for the pur-
pose of giving water to the perishing Israelites.
(Numb. XX. 10 — 12.) The patience of Job was
exhausted, when he cursed the day of his birth,
finding fault with the dispensations of Divine
Providence. (Ch. iii. 3,&c.) David's confidence
suffered an interruption, when he yielded to a
suggestion that God's promise had failed. (Psalms
Ixxiii. 13, 14. Ixxvii. 4, 7, 8, 9. cvi. 16, 10, H.)
Even the heroic Elijah at one period of his life
sat down under a juniper-tree in a state of des-
pondency, and "requested for himself that he
'^ might die," in consequence of the violence of
the persecution which then raged. And Oh !
have not we also been " wearied and faint in our
**^ minds?" Have not our souls also *'been dis-
*^couraged because of the way," the rugged way
in which we have been called to walk? Let
us afresh ** consider Him, who endured the

SUNDAY NEXT BEFORE EAST£R. 197

^* contradiction of sinners against Himself.'* Let us
*' look unto Jesus, who for the joy that was set
" before Him endured the cross and despised the
" shame, and is now sat down on the right hand
'^ of God/' Let us look up to His Spirit for^n
increase of patience^ that we may ^^ endure as
"seeing Him that is invisible." "In due time
*' we shall reap if we faint not."

If we put those trials of patience to which we
are exposed in the balance with those that Christ
endured; if we closely contemplate the manner
in which He demeaned Himself^ and contrast it
with the peevishness and fretfulness, the weakness
and timidity, the restlessness and discomposure,
which we often feel and often manifest ; we shall
find cause for deep self-abasement in His presence,
and shall perceive the wisdom of our church in
teaching all her members to pray for grace that
they may be enabled to imitate Christ's patience.

In the second part of the petition of our col-
lect we pray that, at length, " we may be made
" partakers of Christ's resurrection,"

There is a two-fold participation of Christ's
resurrection which His redeemed enjoy. First,
they are raised, by virtue of union with Him,
from the death of siii to a life of righteousness.
And, secondly, by the power of His resurrection
they are raised from the grave to immortal life
and glory. Those who offer this pr^ayer are sup-
posed to have felt the former resurrection, and to
be waiting for the latter in the exercise of faith
and prayer.

There is a close connection between the two-
fold petition of our collect. For we must be
followers of Christ now, imitators of His humility,
patience, and other virtues, if we would h^ve a

o 3

198 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

founded hope of being partakers of His resur-
rection hereafter. The wicked, indeed, will rise
from their graves; but it will not be by virtue of
Christ's resurrection, nor to a participation of
His glory. For they will rise "to shame and
*^ everlasting contempt."

As another opportunity will soon occur of
enlarging on the important subject of the resur-
rection, we shall dismiss it at present by only
observing, that those who are looking up for
grace that they may be enabled to *^ follow the
** Lamb whithersoever He goeth," may confi-
dently pray for a participation of His resurrec-
tion. For though their bodies must be laid in
the grave as that of their Lord was, yet they
will remiain united to Him when separated from
their souls, their whole persons being ** mem*
** bers of His body, of His flesh, and of His
** bones;" and shall rise again to participate ia
the glories of His kingdom. ^ " If we suffer with
" Him, we shall be also glorified together with
" Him." ** This corruptible shall put on incor-
** ruption, and this mortal shall put on immor-
" tality." And " therefore, my beloved bre-
** thren, be ye steadfast, immovable, always
** abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch
** as ye know that your labour is not in vain in
" the Lord."

Before we conclude, let us inquire whether
we are imitators of Christ, or whether it be our
earnest desire to imitate Him. If no such de-
sire prevail in our bosoms, how hypocritical is
our use of this collect I For our hearts and lips
are at variance when we offer it. If Christ he
not our pattern. He is not our Saviour. O let
us not deceive ourselves, y/e are hot looking

SUNDAY NEXT BEFORE EASTER.

199

unto Jesus, and receiving the atonement made
by His blood, unless we are fixing our eyes on
His example, and earnestly desirous of confor-
mity to Him. For the sight of Christ has a
transforming tendency; and all who behold,
in the glass of the gospel, "the glory of the
" Lord, are changed into the same image from
" glory to glory, even s^s by the Spirit of the
'' Lord."

fif.

800 ON THE COLLECT FOR

GOOD-FRIDAY.

J:>:;>.V:' Oody tee beseech thee graciously/ to
hehcJ Ihis thif famifyy for zohich our Lord Jesus
CHsc zcjs ccn tented to be betrayed, and given up
r:v r'':/ h.:nJs of loicked meji, and to suffer death
:xvcn the cn>ss. icho noxo liveth and r eigne th zvith
f\Y tind the Holy Ghost ^ ever one Gody world
w::r:s':{t end. Amen.

o

I'R Lord's passion has been commemo-
ratod in His church, by the appropriation

tutioiMvliicli tends to remind us of redemption,
nml ti> koop alive in our hearts a sense of grati-
lud<* for those " innumerable benefits which
** Christ by His precious blood-shedding hath
*< obtained to us," is recommended to our de-
vout n^gard by the most forcible considerations.
*rhat the observance of this and other holy days
i^ x\ hunuui ordinance, we cannot disprove.
But till it \)v. demonstrated that nothing is law-
ful in th(^ s(Tvicc of God that is not Divinely
|MVS<'i*i'**'<'» or that there is any impropriety in
ilio nutans w(^ use for promoting the most im-
iuMiiU»t of all concerns, the salvation of our
^mls, w«' shall highly value and thankfully
vviuply ^vith the pious requisition of our church.

* Kuw'Ik Hint. Y.iivX. lib. 2, cap. J7, p. 57. B. Apost,
VN4Wt. 1. ;>. <*. 1').

GOOD^RIDAY. : SfOl

Our collect for this day commemorates the
love of our Savioiir Christ in His submission to
those sufferings which He endured; It inti-
mates the nature of those sufferings, as. penal,
vicarious, and propitiatory. — It implores Divine
regard to those for whom Christ effectually died
under the endearing title of the family of God.
— And it concludes with an assertion of the sub-
sequent exaltation of Christ to life- everlasting
and a kingdom that hath no end.

In order that " the exceeding great love of
" our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" may duly
be appreciated, it is necessary to reflect on the
voluntary nature of His unparalleled sufferings.
This therefore our collect notices, by reminding
us that He " was contented to be betrayed* •
" and given up into the hands of wicked men,
" and to suffer death upon the cross.*' Had His
passion been the result of necessity, His love
to us therein would have been far less apparent.
But it was the spontaneous act of His own bo-
som. The expression of our collect is the same
which occurs, Ps. xl. 6, 7, 8, in the translation
of Tyndal and Coverdale which we use in our
prayer-books. In that passage Christ is the
speaker; and addressing Himself to His hea-
venly Father, He says, " Sacrifice and meat-
" offering thou wouldest not : but mine ear hast
"thou opened. Burnt offerings and sacrifice
" for sin hast thou not required : then said I,
*^ Lo, I come. In the volume of the book it is
" written of me, that I should fulfil thy will,
** O my God : / am content to do it,' yea, thy
" law is within my heart." His destination to
suffer and die does not destroy the spohtaneity
of His sufferings arid death ; for that destrnation
was the result of His own gracious proposal^

\

20» ON THE COtLECT FOR

from which He shrank not till it was carried into
full eflfect. "He was set up" as Mediator " from
" everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the
" earth was/' And even then His *' delights
'' were with the sons of men," anticipating that
work of redemption which He had engaged to-
perform. And though His death, at the time
of its infliction, was violent on the part of man ;
yet, on His own part it was voluntary. For no
man could have taken it from Him, if He had
not laid it down of Himself. He had power to
lay it down, and power to take it again. (John
X. 18.) The whole course of His life, from Hi»
incarnation to His expiring groan, demonstrates
the ardent desire of fulfilling His work whrcb
He felt, and affords a beautiful and lively com-
ment on His own declaration, (Luke xii. 50.)
*^ I have a baptism to be baptized with ; and •
*^ how am I straitened till it be accomplished !**
He was previously and intimately acquainted
with every ingredient of the bitter cup which
was prepared for Him ; and yet He deliberately
took it into His hand^ and drank it off to the
very dregs. He foreknew and foretold the trai-
torous part which Judas would act 5 yet He
kept him in His family. He reproved Peter
sharply for a hint which he dropped in opposi-
tion to the favourite object of His compassionate
h^rt. (Matth. xvi. 23, &c.) During the in- *
stitution of His supper, in His conversation with
His disciples, and in the prayer which He of-
fered, He appears to have been so swallowed
up in a concern for the welfare of His disciples
and that of their future converts, as to have
thought but little of His Own approaching pas-
sion. Let those chapters of St. Jolin's gospel,
vrhereiaat an account is given of this matter be

GOOD-FMDAY. gO*

conralted, arid the truth of our remark will be
evident. When our Lord had announced to
His disciples the person who was to betray Him,
He hastened the traitor in the execution of his
infernal plot. He went to the place whither He
was wont to resort, and which was well known
to Judas as His favourite retreat^ and foreknow-
ing that the traitor would seek and find Him
there. He forbore to exert His power on those
who came to seize Him, while, by suffering a
ray of His I>ivine majesty to escape. He shewed
them what He could do. He summoned not a
single angel to His rescue out of the myriads
which awaited His commands. He reproved
Peter for his intemperate zeal, and healed the
high priest's servant whom that rash disciple
had wounded. When He was brought before
Herod, He would not court his iavour by the
performance of a miracle in his presence which
Herod hoped to have seen, and by which he
might probably have interested the King in His
b^ha}f« Before the Sanhedrim and in the pre-
sence of Pilate, He made no answer to the un-
just accusations which were brought against
Him, but "submitted Himself to Him that
" judgeth righteoudy." To this double silence-
in the two courts, before which He was succes-
sively carried, the prophet Isaiah seems to
allude, when, in the same verse he twice repeats
the circumstance, that "He opened not His
" mouth.'* Is. liii. 7. Under all the ignominy
and torture which He endured previous to His
crucifixion. He was passive and patient; for
neither the reproaches which were heaped on
Him, the spitting, the scourge, nor the crown>
of thorns, extorted from Him a single complaint.
On His way to Golgotha, He rebuked the

204 ON THE COLLECT FOR

women that lamented Hidn, and bade them
reserve their teirs for the calamities of them-
selves and their children. On the cross He
prayed for His murderers ; and even in the lasfc
act of Hi^ life, when He bowed His head and
gave up the ghost, it is evident that the act' was
altogether spontaneous. His vitalpowers were
not exhausted, for in' the previous moment He
cried with a loud voJce. He voluntarily laid
down His life, that He might take it again. *:'

The firsf branch of that complex act of Jo^pe
which is described in our collect, is our Lard's
submission to the treason of Jiidas : He " was
" contented to be betrayed." Of the faithless
and perfidious transaction, by which the unof-
fending Benefactor of mankind was given up to
His enemies, St. Matthew has given a particular
account (ch.xxvi. 47 — 49), to which the reader
is referred. It was no small aggravation of our
Lord's sufferings, that He was basely betrayed
by 6ne of His own disciples, and sold for thirty
pieces of silver. Thus Joseph was sold by his
own brethren, a^id David betrkyed by his friend
Ahithophel. Of the treason of Ahithophel
David complains bitterly in a passage of the 41st
Psalm, (ver. 9.) wherein he personates his great
antitype. (JoHnxiii. 18.) He says, " Yea, mine
** own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which
" did eat of my bread, hath lift up his heel
" against me." The combination of fraud and
force which attended our Saviour's arrest in the
garden, was a very galling addition to the other
ingredients of His bitter cup. But that which
is principally intended by the mention of this
circumstance in our collect, is a manifestation'
of our Lord's acquiescence in His distressful
work of love. For. He who, till His hour' wafe

GOOD-FRIDAY. 205

come, defeated all the designs of His enraged
enemies (see John viii. 59^); He who predicted
the treason of Judas, and wlio by a word struck
the armed banditti to the ground, could^ if He
had . pleased, have withdrawn Himself from
them, have avoided the snare which was laid
for Him, or have crushed the traitor, and his
associates in a moment. But *^ He was con-
" tented to be betrayed.'' He vohmtariiy re-
signed Himself into the hands of those who
sought His life.

'The second branch of that act of love which
is commemorated in our collect, is our Lord's
submission to be " given up into the hands of
*^ wicked men." For He was v delivered bv the
" determinate counsel and ' foreknowledge of
^* God, when the Jews by wicked hands cruci-
" fied and slew Him." If it be asked, by whom
He was " given up into the hands of wicked
" men ?*' a Prophet and an Apostle shall answer
.the question: "The LORD laid on Him the
." iniquity of us all. It pleased the Lord to
" bruise Him. He put Him to grief." (Isa. liii.
6, 10). '^ Gk)d spared not His own Son, but
" delivered Him up for us all." (Romans viii.
S2). Should a further testimony be required,
ourLord'sown words shall complete the evidence.
He told Pilate that he could " have no power at
" all against Him, except it were given him
*^ from above." It was God, therefore, in the
character of a judge, who delivered up our
Lord Jesus Christ into the hands of justice.
And Oh ! though the love of God be celebrated
by men and angels to all eternity, their united
etforts must fail of giving Him the praise which
is due unto His name. The devil who instigated
Judas and the Jews to the horrid act of cruci-

206 ON THE COILECT FOR

tying the Lord of glory, his agents, Jadas, tibc
l^nhedrim, and the Jewish rabble, Pilate and
his soldiers; these were only subordinate instru-
ments who fulfilled the Divine will. God todc
His Son, His only Son, His only Son Jesus
whom He loved, and offered Him up on mount
Calvary.

But it may be said. If the Father and the
Son are coequal andcoetemal, — if'* that which
** we believe of the gloiy of the Father, the
" same we believe of the Son and of the Holy
** Ghostjwithout any difference or inequality ;'* —
how could God the Father send and deliver up
His Son ? In replying to this question we plunge
deeper than before into the unfathomable abyss
g( Divine love. For it is to be remembered that
Christ's submission to death, with all its ante-
cedent circumstances and subsequent effects,
was the result of a covenant entered into between
Him and His Father for the redemption of lost
mankind. He " was contented to be betrayed,
"and given up into the hands of wicked men,
'* and to suffer death upon the cross," in con-
sequence of an agreement by which He had
bound Himself to redeem sinners from everiast-
ing death. There was " a covenant of peace*'
between the Persons in Jehovah which is spoken
of in Scripture, according to which all the
mediatorial acts of Immanuel have been ar-
ranged. Surely^ on a survey of this subject, it
behoves us to exclaim with the Apostle on
another connected with it, " O the depth of the
" riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of
*' God ! how unsearchable are His judgments,
** and His ways past finding out ! For who hath
" known the mind of the Lord, or who hath
" been His counsellor? Or who hath first given

GOOD^ERIDAY. «yj

<^ to Him, and it shall be recoiopenced unto
'^ Him again ? For of Him, and tlirough Him,
'^ and to Him are all things : to ivbom be glory
" for ever. Amen."

^^ Our Lord Jesus Christ was conteciJted to be
^< betrayed and given up into the hands of
" wicked men," who were bent on His destruc*
tion, and prepared for every act of -cruelty which
they could devise or perpetrate. When we sur-
vey the particulars, from the act of judas to
that of the soldier who pierced His sacred side,
we shall be led from one gradation of wonder
and astonishment to another, till we are lost in
the mystery of Divine love. But " wicke^
** men" were only the visible agents into whose
hands He was given up, for there were other
agents behind the scene. He was delivered into
the hands of wicked spirits also, who were per-
mitted to exert all their power and to exercise all
their malice. " This is your hour,*' said the
meek Sufferer to the chief priests and captains
of the Temple and elders, '* and the power of
" darkness." He was surrounded and assaulted
by innumerable hosts of fiends, who hated His
person and had felt His power, who all com-
bined in a furious assault on His immaculate
soul. But this is not all. For He was delivered
up into the hands of Divine justice, to be dealt
with as a criminal charged with the sin of the
whole world. " It was exacted, and He was
** made answerable. " *

The third and concluding act of Divine love
specified in our collect is our Lord's voluntary
submission to death, even the death of the
cross. This completed the dire catastrophe.

* JBishop Lowth*s Version of I$a. lili. 7, first clause.

S06

ON THE coixr

fy'mg the Lord of giory, ' ■ nrt

Sanhedrim, and the Jew' '

his soldiers; these were c

ments who fulfilled the '

His Son, His only So-

whom He loved, and

Calvary.

But it may be sa
Son are coequal and
" we believe of t)
" same we believe
" Ghostjwithout a
how could God t'
His Son? Inre|
deeper than befo
of Divioe love.
Christ's 8ubmi^
cedent circun
was the result '
Him and Hh '
mankind. 17
'•' and given

" and to sit ^^ iitiv to consider the end of those
sequence r^ ^ ttUich our Lord Jesus Christ sub-
bound Hinf'i :,^ i^ noted in our collect for the
ing death -^(nuig Divine regard to our prayers
between V.,jm..i-iJ all grace, and of awakening
o!" i" "-■■ |j^ hearts of those who join in our

ii!! ^ It was^r the family of God

I ■ , ,K* c'outented to suffer death upon

, ,siifierings were PENAL, vicarious,
i\. Tliey were not, like the siifFer-
uiartyrs, a mere confirmation of

^Jw: ;-t<«t;*v and the truth of the doctrine
" ''*'^^*|j^ taught. They were not, like the
" '"'■■* ";» * «>*' *h^ Saints in general, purifying

'"^^sialwttteifof Christ needed no purification.

II by

o it by

Mic^d with

-1. (Comp.

'.j The great

lip between hea-

r' . ui' either, as too

,L' or the other. The

r .:si' of crucifixion, was

'iU'iai, signified the same.

■ |fct was to be removed

. I. By the death of Christ

. Uiw was accomplished, the

al. and the prophecies fulfilled.

;. 17. Zach. xii. 10. John iii.

1

GOOD-FRroAY. 209

' strictly PENAL. They were of
-^nd inflicted on the same
■shment of the damned.
.ous cause of them. They
. transgression. They were,
ous. For our Lord had no
It was imputed sin, which He
\vn body on the tree. *^ He died
lor the unjust, to bring us to God.'*
no deny that Christ suffered in the
sinners, are obliged to deny the inspir
I of the Apostolic epistles. But to be
■ isislent they must abandon the Gospel also,
and thereby at once avow themselves Deists.
For our Lord Himself has asserted the same
truth, on which His Apostles have more largely
expatiated; for He declared Himself to be
the good Shepherd who giveth His life for the
sheep." (John X. 11), And again He re-
peats it (ver. 15) " I lay down my life for the
*• sheep. M; And that His mode of expression
means a proper substitution, can be doubted
by no persons who are not grossly ignorant or
unlfully blind. * The sufferings of Christ were
also PROPITIATORY. Their object was an atone-
ment f for sin. . They were an equivalent paid

* Comp. Rom. v. 6, 7> 6. ** Rapbelius (not ex Xen. in
Ter. 8.) has abundantly demonstrated that vjfsf fnuojv airoiavr^
signifies that he died in our room and stead : nor can I find
that Ofitoiayeiy vitep tivog has ev^r any other signification than
that of rescuing the life of another at the expence of our
own: and the very next verse (i.e. ver. 7.) shews, indepen-
dent on any other authority, how evidently it bears that
MDse here, as one can hardly imagine any one would die for
« good man, unless it were to redeem his life by giving up
his own."— Dodrfrid|g-e. Comp. Philemon 13. Johnxi. 50.
S Cor. v. 14. 1 Tim. ii. 6.

"f ** To atone, v. n. (from at one^ as the etymologists
emark, to be at one is the same as to he in concord* This

VOL. II. P

210 ON THE COLLECT FOR

to Divine justice for human transgression,
whereby satisfaction has been made to the injured
Majesty of heaven,, tmd the dignity of God*8
law maintained as it binds both to obedieil^il^e
and punishment; that thereby " God may b^
** just and the justifief of him that believeth in
"Jesus," The propitiatory nature and design
of Christ's sufferings are implied in all the
typical sacrifices of the law, and strongly as-
serted in the gospel. It is admitted that a
variety of questions on this subject may be
started!, and difficulties be proposed, which it
is not in our power to solve. But it is enoagb
for the conscjons humble mind, that THE WORD
OF GOD hath propounded it as THE OBJECT Cflf
FAITH. It is the life and soul of Divine rev^-
tion. It is the line of separation between fiiith
and infidelity. And " he who believeth hatb
** the witness in himself,'* that this doctrine ii
true. All genuine convictions of sin prove the
Divinity of a scheme so exactly adapted to
afford peace to a guilty conscience and ease to
a burtheried heart. We are not called to explain
it, but to believe it on the authority of God ;
and in proportion as we submit to that authority,
we find increasing evidence which satisfies the
soul, and enables it to rest all its hopes on this
single foundation, ** that Christ is the propitia-
" tion for our sins." Reader, while others dis-
pute the existence of the w.at6r of life, let- us

derivution U much confirmed by the following passage of
Shakespeare, and appears to be the sense still retained in
Scotlancl.")

lie and Aufidius can no more atone
Than violentest contrariety.

Johnson's Diciionartf*

GOOD-FRIDAY. 211

. . «

taste5 yea and drink abundantly of it; and its
refreshing and reviving qualities w^ill afford us
that evidence which experience only can give.

The blessing which we implore is Divine regard
to those for whom Christ was " contented to
'j suffer death upon the cross,'* who are here
spOKen of under the endearing title of God*s
fflmiiy. This assumption, of relationship to God
is justified by Scripture language. (Eph. iii. 15.)
The genuine nfiembers of the Catholic church
are-*' sqns and daughters of thejLord Almighty/*,
and constitute " thp household of God." They
are brought into, this happy circle by adoption
and grace throqgh the atoning Saviour; and
tfeey publidy meet this day for the purpose of .
ble^ing^th^ir Father which is in heaven for the
ineistimable benefit, and of magnifying the
*|^race of their elder brpther, from whose incar-
nation, sufferings, and death, they derive all
their present comforts and future hopes.

The regard which we implore for ourselves as
the family of God comprehends the communi-
cation of all those benefits, for the purchase of
which our Lord Jesus Christ was " contented
'' to be betrayed, to be given up into the hands
** of wicked men, and to suffer death upon the
"cross/* To describe them, and to pay the
Author of them the tribute of praise which is
due to His adorable name, will be the employ,
ment of eternity. Pardon, holiness, and hea-
ven are blessings of which we cannot fully com-
prehend the value, and for which no thanks-
giving can fully compensate.

When on this day we implore these unspeak-
able blessings, how forcible is our plea ! Can
we ask in vain when, recalling Calvary to mind^
we beseech " Almighty God graciously to behold

PS

312 * ON THB COLLECT FOR

" His*' own "family;" and urge " the agony
" and bloody sweat, the cross and passion/' of
His Son our Lord Jesus Christ ? Can we use
the language of our church, with such objects
before our eyes, without earnest desire and
lively faith in our hearts ?

Our collect concludes with a doxology, stating,
the subsequent exaltation of the atoning Saviour
to life everlasting and to a kingdom which hath
no end. This consideration attests the efficacy
of His vicarious sufferings, and the completion
of His mediatorial work. He cried with His
expiring breath, " IT IS FINISHED." And the
truth of His declaration is demonstrated by His.
resurrection, ascension, and glorification, as^
^* the head of His body the church."

Before we conclude, let us inquire what emo-
tions have been excited in our souls by a recital
of our collect, and by the work of this day. For
surely the scene we have surveyed is calculated,
to move even a heart of stone.

Methinks a rising sigh escapes from the bo-
som of some penitent sinner, while a falling
tear of love and sorrow bedews His cheek. The
promise of a Divine influence to attend the word ,
of truth is fulfilled in His experience; and He,
is enabled to "look to Him whom he hath
** pierced, and to mourn for Him as one itiourn-
*^ eth for an only son, and as one tha£'is in
" bitterness for his first-born." The rebel is
vanquished by redeeming love. The heart of
stone is taken* avvay and replaced by a heart of
flesh. The sigh of regret and the tear of con-
scious guilt are happy omens. They prove that
the " Gospel is" still *' the power of God uiito
^* salvation.'* May these symptoms of " Godly
'' sorrow" ripen into a *« repentance unto life
*' never to be repented of ! '-*

GOOD-FRIDAY. 213

But perhaps these pages may fall in the way
of some persons who are wholly unmoved by the
dying love of Christ. Oh ! let them consider
the consequences of impenitence before it be
too late, Christ has died, but they reject His
atonement. Pardon is procured for the contrite
sinner, but they are obdurate and spurn it, liet
them contemplate in the mirror which the suf-
ferings of Immanuel present, the evil of sin,
and consider " if these things were done in the
" green tree, what shall be done in the dry?"
If imputed guilt was as much as the God-man
could bear, what will the weight of personal
transgression be, when ** judgment is laid to the
" line, and righteousness to the plummet, and
" the hail" of Divine wrath *• shall sweep away
*^ Ihe refuge of lies." Let the practical unbe-
liever remember that his case will be worse than
if Christ had not been *^ contented to be be-
^^ trayed, and given up into the hands of wicked
** men, arid to suffer death upon the cross."
For to all his other sins he adds that sin of sins,
a rejection of the only and Divinely provided
remedy. *^ He thatMespised Moses' law, died
^* without mercy under two or three witnesses.
** Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye,
" shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden
*' under foot the Son of God, hath counted the
** blood of the covenant wherewith he was
sanctified an unholy thing, and done despite
unto the Spirit of Grace ! For we know Him
that hath said. Vengeance belongeth unto
me, I will recompence, saith the Lord : and
** again. The Lord shall judge His people, . It
*' is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the
'< living God."

V 3

tc

214 ON THE COLLECT FOR

Atmighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit
the whole body of the church is governed and sane*
tified; receive our supplicatiom and prayers which
we offer before thee, for all estates of men in thy
hol^ churchy that every member of the same, in
his vocation and ministry, may truly and Godly.
serve thee, through our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ. Amen.

OUR church has appointed three appropriate
collects to be used on Good-Friday. Itt
the first of these every congregation implores
mercy for itself. In the second^ the whole
visible church is recommended to the Divine
favour. And in the third we solicit an exten*-
sion of Diving compassion to all the rest of the
world who. are without the pale of Christianity^
In the second collect^ which is a prayer for
^* Christ's church militant here on earth,*' we
obey both the command of God and the dictate
of natural affection. It is the command of God
that His disciples '* love om another with a pure
" heart fervently;" and the certain effect of
Christian charity is mutual supplication. For
we cannot love another without being desirous,
so far as it lies in our power, of promoting his
happiness; and in many instances we have no
means of contributing to the welfare of our
brethren any otherwise than by praying for
them. They are out of the reach of any other
act of that ardent benevolence which our hearts
feel towards them. But the members of the
Christian church have mutual duties to perform^,
which arise not only from the obedience which
they owe to God, but also from the relation in

GOOD-FRIDAY. 215

•which they stand to each other. For the chdrch
16 the body of Christ, and every believer is a
member of that body. ^ He is therefore closely,
connected with all those who are partakers of like
precious fahh. And with the general s^ood his
own welfare is intimately and essentially con-
nected.

As we obey an Apostolic edict (1 Tim. ii. 1.)
while we are using this coUect of our church, we
may rest assured, that our prayer will be heard
and answered; for ** if we ask. any thing accord-
*^ ing to the will of God, He heareth us/* Had
Esther any need to hesitate in preferring her re-
c^est, or in expecting a favourable issue' to her
$uil^ after the royal command- and promise which
she had received? (Esther v. 3.) And have we
not alsa commands and promises to sanction and
encourage. our faith white we pray " for all estates
** of men in' God's holy church?" Such prayers
as this have been constantly used in the church
from its commencement, as appears by the wri-
tings of antiquity which are still extant.

& the preface of our collect we remind Him'
to whom it* is addressed, and whose Omnipotence
and Eternity are the foundations on which His
church is built, that He hath a church here on
earth, and that it is wholly dependent on Him for
its being and its welfare. For as the body with-
out breath i$ a mere lump of lifeless and putrify-
ing matter, so also would the church be without
Divine inspiration. The church is the body of
Christ, and the individuals of whom the church
is composed are members of that body. And as
all the members of the natural body are governed
and influenced by one soul ; so is ** the whole
" body of the church animated by God's good
^' Spirit, which is, as it were, the soul of the

p4

216 ON THE COLLECT FOR

^* church, by which Jesus our head quickens the
^' whole body and orders every part.'** The
members of the church, with respect to local
situation, are widely scattered. Seas and moun-
tains, and long successions of revolving year^,
divide them corporeally from each other. Diver-
sified colours, customs and mannei's, form other
external distinctions among them. But they are
all **one in Christ Jesus'* their head. '" There
*' is one body, and one Spirit, even as they are
*' all called in one hope of their calling. One
** Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and
^' Father of all, who is above all, and through all,
*' and in them all.*' Let a converted Englishman
and a converted Gentoo be brought together, and
be enabled by some common language to com-
municate their sentiments; and the Spirit by
which ^^ the whole body of the church is governed
^* and sanctified" will shew itself in emotions and
expressions of reciprocal attachment which none
but Christians feel.

The dcpendance of the church on God, and its
union with Hinj through the influence of His
Spirit communicated to every genuine Christian,
are introduced as arguments whereby our appli-
cation to the throne of grace is enforced. By the
Divine Spirit the church is ^'governed,** All its
outward circumstances are regulated by His watch-
ful providence. And all its real members are
under the controul and direction of His word and
grace. By Him also it is '' sanctified.'* The
efficacy of all ordinances is derived from Him,
without whose almighty power sin cannot be sub-
dued nor holiness be attained. In Him the church
** lives and moves and has its being.''

* Comber,

/

GOOD-FRIBAY. 217

In the consideration addressed to the ear pf
Divine mercy, that *'by His Spirit the whole
*^ body of the church is governed and sanctified/*
several cogent pleas for success in our prayer are
comprehended. The relation in which the church
stands to God, as constituting the body of Christ
and animated by His Spirit — the absolute need of
His grace to its being and welfare — and the pro-
mises which He hath made of His favour and
presence — these are motives to a " reception of
''our supplications and prayers offered before
'' Him" which cannot be urged in vain.

On these grounds we proceed to implore a fa-
vourable audience. ^' Prayers and supplicatiotis'*
we have before presented; and to these we now
add a new request ''for all estates of men in
" God's holy church, that every member of
" the same, in his vocation and ministry, may
" truly and Godly serve Him, through our Loid
" Jesus Christ,"

Herein we pray, as we are required, " for kings
" and all who are in authority," for the ministers
of God's holy word and sacraments, and for all
other members of the Christian church. All these
have a claim on our intercessions; for " the eye

cannot say unto the hand, 1 have no need of

thee : nor again, the head to the feet, I have

no need of you." And much less can the in-
ferior members say to the superior ones, ye are
needless. The Christian church is one body, in
which " there should be no schism, but all the
*' members should have the same care" and con-
cern " one for another."

Every member of the church has a vocation and
ministry in whice he is to serve God. As rulers
or subjects, ministers or people, as husbands or

dlS ON THE COLLECT FOR

vives, as nasters or servaots, as parents or chil-
dnsD^ our duties are reciprocal, manifold, and
important They are so extensive, and theb
obligation on our consciences is oF so solemn a
nature, that every member of the church who haa
cxmtemplated them in the light of God's word and
Spirit, must assuredly rejoice in haying the pray-
ers of his brethren offered on his behalf, and be
fervent in supplication for others. But alas!
there are many persons who are insensible that
they have a vocation in which they are to serve
God. They live to themselves, to the world, an^r
the devil, and prostitute that vocation which
they have received for the glory of God to the
dishonoyr of His holy name. When we con-
sider the present state of the visible church, the
Kves of those who call themselves Christians in
every rank and station, surely we have need
to cry mightily to God, that the influence of His
Spirit •' by which the whole body of the" real
" church of Christ is governed and sanctified''
may be extended ta our brethren, who, while
thev profess themselves Christians, discover
nothing of the spirit of Christianity, and have
only a name to live, but are in fact dead in
trespasses and sins. For while every member
oif the church is bound to serve God in his vo-
cation and ministry, making the glory of God
his constant and supreme object, aim and end,
devoting his time and talents to the service of
God iu tliat sphere in which he is called to
move, is it not demonstrable that many '' seek
''their own, not the things which are Jesus
.« ChrivSt'sr"— is it not plain that the lives of
<rreat numbers among us have no relation to.
God— nay, that tliey are one. continued act oC^

GOOD-EglDAY. ^m

rebellion against Him ? If this bd true, never
was the use o^our collect more seasonable than
at present. May we be enabled to use it with
fervent importunity! and may Qod hear and
answer us for His mercy's sake, " through ouf
^^ Lord and Saviour Jesu^ Christ. Am^n/'

220 ON THE COLLECT FOR

O merciful God^ who hast made all men, and
hatest nothing that thou hast made, not wouldest
the death of a sinner y but rather that he should he
converted and live; have mercy upon all Jews,
Turks, Infidels, and Heretics, and take from
them all ignorance^ hardness of heart, and contempt
of thy word; and so fetch them home, blessed
Lord, to thy flock, that they may be saved among
the remnant of the true Israelites, and be made
one fold under one Shepherd, Jesus Christ our
Lord, who liveth and reigneth zvith thee and the
Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Ameiu

IF it be our duty to pray for our fellow sinners
who are without the pale of the church,
when can we do it with so great propriety, or
with so lively an expectation of success, as on
this day, when the ground of all our own hopes,
and of those which we entertain for others, is so
clearly exhibited to our view, and so forcibly
pressed on our attention ? With a crucified
Saviour before our eyes as ** the propitiation for
*^ our sins, and not for ours only, but also for
*^ the sins of the whole world," O what motives
and encouragements to fervent intercession arise i
That it is both our duty and privilege to pray
for the conversion of all those who have been re-
deemed with the precious blood of our common
Saviour, is a position which will not be disputed.
And that all who have themselves tasted that
the Lord is gracious must find pleasure in this
employment, is equally clear. For every one
who has participated in the benefits of redemp-
tion, must be anxious for a diffusion of the Sa-
viour's glory, and of the benefits of His cross

GOOD-FRIDAY, 221

and passion. If any persons therefore are unin-
terested in this missionary prayer, they have
reason to fear lest they themselves be found in
a state of greater guilt and danger than those
for whom this prayer is offered. For, under all
the advantages which the Gospel proposes, it is
evident that their hearts remain destitute of that,
genuine charity which is the constant attendant
of a living faith — destitute of love both to God
and man.

While we contemplate the state of the world
which still *Mieth in the wicked one," under
the conduct of our church in the collect before
us, we shall find personal advantage in the sur-
vey. For Oh ! what motives to gratitude will
it exhibit ! Why hath the Gospel been sent to
us rather than to others ? Why do we enjoy its
unspeakable blessings, while so many of our.
fellow*creatures still lie in darkness and the
shadow of death ? To these questions no other .
answer can be given, than that we owe all our
advantages to the grace of God who worketh aU
things after the counsel of His own will.

The preface of our collect recites the general
good -will of that " merciful God, who hath
^' made all men, and hateth nothing that He
** hath made, nor would the death of a sinner,
•* but .rather that he should be converted and
** livfe.*' This view of Divine compassion is
founded on express declarations of Holy Scrip- •
ture, which were referred to while we descanted
on the collect for Ash-Wednesday. Those
considerations which are there introduced for
the purpose of affording to ourselves encourage-
ment in praying for personal salvation, are here
made use of as a ground of encouragement while
we offer our petitions for the conversion and

Hit ON THE COLLECT FOR

*

aHid salvation of the whole world. All mahkiU'd
Were originally made of one blood ; all are hy
nature equally destitute of merit or meetheiss
with respect to the blessings of redemptioh i
all are equally capable of salvation, if God
touchsafe to send it to them ; and all are eqtialH^
depehdent on the mercy of God, both for the
dutVi^ard means and the inward enjoyment of i^.
Having reminded Him to whom we addi^ess
our intercession, of His merciful intentions apd
declarations, not with a view to His infohnatiota
but to the confirmation of our own faith and the
animation of our own desires, we proceed to
divide the unchristian world into four {farts
comprehensive of the whole. We begin, as w6
ate in duty bound, with the descendants oil
66d*s antient church, the Jews. These are stiW
a great multitiide, wh6se numbers from tk^ir
wide dispersion it is impossible to calculate.
Scarcely is there a civilized natibn with which
they are not mingled. Though by the just
j^ltdgment of God for their offences, and especi-
ally the act of Deicide by which they filled up
the measure of their iniquities, they have been
scattered over the face of the globe ; yet have
they been miraculously kept distinct from the
various nations among whom they have long
Resided. By a long abode in various coun-
tries their skin has assumed the hue peculiar to
the inhabitants of those climates in which they
sojourn;* yet they remain a distinct people,
and are easily recognized as descendants of the

* ** The English Jew is white, the Portuguese swarthy,
" the American olive, and the Arabian copper; in short,
** there appear to be as many species of Jews, as there are
** countries in which they reside." Clarkson on the Slavery
and Commerce of the Human Species, p. 143.

GOOD-FRiDAY/ ^^

once renowned favourites of Heaven. This
stupendous miracle is a standing attestation to
the truth of Scripture which infidelity c?tn never
invalidate. And while they cry aloud to Chris-
tians, warning them of the danger of apostacy>
(Roifi/ xi. 21. ) their continuance as a distinct
people confirms the promises of God respecting
their own restoration to His favour by their
iuture conversion to the faith of Christ.

For the conversion of the Jews we shall as-
sttredly feel ourselves bound to pray with the
greatest fervency, if we consider that they have
been the channel through which all our blessings
have flowed. They were the appointed ark in
which the true religion was preserved when all
the world besides were drowned in the grossest
idolatry. From them, at length, " as concerning
^^ the flesh Christ came, who is over all God
*• blessed for ever" — the Divine Redeemer of a
feMt world. Those who preached the blessed
gAspel throughout the world, at the risk of their
lives and with the forfeiture of all their earthly
GomfortSj were Jews — and among the rest that
laborious man who first planted the tree of life
on our own shores, St. Paul, was a descendant
of Abraham. To these considerations we may
add the personal interest which we Gentiles have
in their restoration ; " for if the rejection of
*^ them were the reconciliation of" so great
a part of *' the world*' by the diff'usion of the
gospel which it occasioned, *' what will the
" reception of them be but life from the dead,**
since it will naturally conduce to the conversion
oF all nations among whom they have been dis-
persed? Surely on these and other accounts
which might be mentioned, we are bound, both
by gratitude and self-interest, to pray for the

224 ON THE COtLECT FOR

gathering of Israel into the Christian fold. And,
blessed be God ! our hopes concerning it and our
prayers for its accomplishment derive the fullest
sanction and encouragement from Scripture.*

Having thus presented to the compassionate
notice of our Lord our elder brethren the Jews^
we proceed to implore His mercy on the
" Turks." Under this term we comprehend all
the deluded followers of Mohammed^ because the
Turkish Empire is the principal seat and foun-
tain of their abominable superstition. This im^
posture arose in the beginning of the seventh
century, and was permitted by Divine Provi-.
dence to take place as a punishment on the
eastern church for its apostacy from the faith of
Christ, especially in the Doctrine of our Lord^sr
Divinity. It has spread itself over a. part, of
Europe, a great part of Asia, and a parti of
Africa. — In praying for the conversion of -the
Turks the symptoms of the times afford ufl
great encouragement. For the unweildy pile
of the Turkish Empire, feebly connected in it*
several component* parts, and daily weakened by
its own weight, totters to destruction.f

** By Infidels" who form the third object of
our pious concern we mean heathens of all de-
scriptions. Of these the number is vast indeed*
For nineteen out of thirty parts of the world are
still involved in the grossest darkness. Dark
however and widely extended as is the night of
ignorance that still overshadows the world, the
promises of Scripture encourage us to pray ; for

♦ StT imrticularly Isaiah xxvii. 12, 13. Ezek. xi. 17 — 21
cliu|>. XX. 34—44. chap, xxxiv. 13, 14. chap, xxxvi. 24 — 28.
t'linp. xxxvii. 21— !;J8. Amos ix. 14, 15. Obad. 17. Mic. vii.
14, 15. /uoli. xiv. 10, 11. Hos. i. 10, 11. Rom. xi.

t Sec Euton'a Sketches of the Turkish Empire.

GOOD-FRIDAY. 225

the kingdoms of the world are to become the
*^ kingdoms of the Lord and of His Christ."

Under the name of *^ Heretics" we include
all those who, while they call themselves Chris-
tians^ deny the fundamental doctrines of Chris-
tianity. Of these objects of our pity great
multitudes are to be found in every' Christian
country; and it is to be feared that their num-
ber is rapidly increasing. These are, in some
respects, exposed to greater danger than eithei?
Jews, Turks, or Infidels. For their condem-
nation will be heavier, since light has shon€^
around them, and they have preferred darkness '
before it because their deeds are evil.

But what do we implore on behalf bf these
several classes of our perishing fellow-sinners ?
One thing is needful for them and ourselves, vi^.
the saving knowledge of a crucified Redeemer,
communicated through the gospel by the influ-
ence of the Holy Ghost to the heart.

We pray therefore that God would ^^ take
" from them all ignorance, hardness of heart,
** and contempt of His word." Many of those
unhappy persons for whom We pray have never
heard the gospel — have never had an opportunity
of hearing it. For them we pray that God
would remove their ignorance by sending His
word among therii, and by accompanying the
mission with the effectual working of His power.
Others among the objects of our commiseration
have heard the truth and hardened their hearts
against it, yea, have treated it with contempt.
Yet even these are not out of the reach of
Divine mercy ; and we therefore pray for them
that God would ^' take from them all hardness
" of heart and contempt of His word."

VOL. IT. Q

226 ON THE C0U-E(;T FOR

' We proceed to intreat that those who are
now aliens from the commonwealth of Israel
aiid strangers to the covenants of promise, may,
by the influence of Divine grace, be fetch^
home to the flock of Christ. The character of.
the good, Shepherd affords ground for hop^^.
lie laid down Hjslife for the sheep. O then let
US pray fervently, that " all Jews, Tm'ks, la-
** fidels and Heretics may be saved among tlie
•* number of the true Israelites, and be ma4e^
" one fold under one Shepherd, Jesus Christ;
** our Lord !" We know that none but *' true
*^ Israelites" can be saved. Without conversiou
there is no salvation. Out. of the oatliolic.
church, the general congregation of the faithful,
there is no hope. It is only in the one fold,
under the one Shepherd^ that there is any secur
rity from the devouring lion» It is a spurious
charity which hopes that " every man shall be
*^ saved by the law or sect which he professeth,
** so .that he be diligent to frame his life accord-
•* inpf to that law, and the light of nature. For
** Holy Scripture doth set out unto us only the
*' luuno of Jesus Christ whereby i^en must
•' bo saved."* Instead therefore of indulging
groundless and. lazy hopes, let us earnestly ad»-
dress the uieroy-seat with our fervent interces-
sions, and with bowels of compassion yearning
ovur a lost world. Christ "Hveth" to plead the
merits of Mis sacrifice, and **reigneth" to
subdue ail Mis enemies.

Tiu)Ui;ii this collect of our church is appointed
for pubiie use only on one day in the year,
it is suilod to our daily private use. It may be
eousideral as a j)araphrasc on that petition in the
lonrs pnner, ''Thy kingdom come."

• Article 18.

good-frIday. 227

If it be our duty to pray for the conversion of
Jews, Turks, Infidels, and Heretics, it is evidently
also our duty to labour for its accomplishment.
God has graciously stirred up of late a considera-
ble degree of zeal x)n this subject in the hearts of
Christian professors. He has awakened in them
a spirit of contrition for past indifference to the
glory of His name and the salvation of sinners.
In consequence thereof new societies have been
formed among different denominations of Chris-
tians for missionary purposes. Among the rest
one has arisen within our own church, which
solicits the aid of all her. members. Oh ! let us
prove that the prayers which we offer on this day
to the heart-searching God with oiir lips, are the
genuine effusion of our hearts, by contributing
with all our might to the furtherance of those
plans which are laid for the most important pur-
pose of diffusing the knowledge of a crucified
Saviour. Surely our prayers must be hypocritical,
and our professed attachment to the liturgy
merely nominal, if we hesitate to concur, according
to our ability, in the support of missionary efforts.
Ought we not to have compassion on our
brethren, even as God hath compassion on us ?
— By the songs of angels, who proclaimed peace
*^ and love at our Redeemer's birth ; by that
Gospel which is glad tidings to all people ; by
the solemn injunction of Him who said. Ye are
" are my friends if ye keep my commandments ;
'^ by the glorious Pentecost, when every language
" praised God ; by the multitudes who have
washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb ; .
by the acts of the Apostles, ^nd the sufferings
of the Martyrs ; by the expiring pangs of Jesus,
and by those sins of our own which bruised
Him, and put Him to grief; by their remission,

Q '2

iC
€i

€i
ft

228 ON THE COLLECT FOR

<4

*' if we have indeed tasted that the Lord is gra-
cious ; by the fearful end of that servlant, vrho
buried his Lord's talent; by the curses and

*^ execrations which rest upon the Christian name;

*' by the rivers of Heathen blood which Christians

'^ have shed, and which call for expiation at our

'^ hands; if there be any consolation in Christ,
if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the
Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, I entreat

** you, have mercy on the Heathens, and. so

" fulfil the joy of your Lord/'*

' ■ ■ .

* Home's Letters on Missions, p. 142. This work is
earnestly recommended to the reader's attention, together
with the sermons and reports of the Society for Missions to-
Africa and the East.

easter-evi;n, 229

THE COLLECT FOR EASTER-EVEN *

Grant y Lord, thai as we are baptized into
the death of thy blessed Son our Saviour Jesus^
Christ ; sOy by continually mortifying our corrupt
affections^ we may he bmned with him, and that\
through the grave and gale of deaths toe may pass
to our joyful resurrection^ far His merits, who
died, and was buried, and rose again for us, thtf .
Son Jesus Christ oiir L^rd. Amen. .

THIS evangelical, spiritual, and comprehen-'
sive form of prayer is founded on those
facts which, at the present season of the year,
particularly claim our attention, the de^th, the
burial, and the resurrection of our Lord Jesus
Christ; and it teaches us to implore for ourselves
those blessed effects which are derivable from a
dead, a buried, and a risen Saviour.

Our collect consists of — A preface which recites
a fact that is supposed — and of A petition founded
on that f^ct.

The fact which is here supposed is a very im-^
portant one, that ^'we are baptized into the death
^' of the Son of God our Saviour Jesus Christ."
St. Paul reminds the Romans oT the same, chap.
vi. 3, 4, 5. '^ Know ye not that so many of us
" as are-f baptized into Jesus Christ, are baptized

* For a particular account of the great sabbath (as the
4 ay between Good-Friday and Easter-day was commonly
called by the antients) see Bingham's Antiquites of the
Christian Church, book xxi. chap. 1. sect. 3^, After

t Marg. reading,

Q 3

230 ON THE COLLECT FOR

" into His death ? Therefore we are buried with
Him by baptism into deaths that like as Christ
was raised up from the dead by the glory of ther
'^ Father, even so we also should walk in newness
*' of life. For if we have been planted together
'^ in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in
*^ the likeness of His resurrection/' Our bapti^-^
mal professions and obligations bind us to a mor-
tification of the body of sin, ancj to newness of
life.

By baptism we are entitled to a participation
of all the privileges purchased by the death of
Christ ; and if we have received not only the out-
ward and visible sign, but also the Inward and
spiritual grace, we are actual partakers of them.
For then '^ we are one with Christ." His acts
are by imputation ours; and the effects? of those
acts are, of consequence, ours also by right of
union with Him. In Him we died, whereby the
curse of the law is cancelled, the righteousness of
the law fulfilled, an4 grace sepured.— ^Re^der, we

desrribinorthe strict fastwhich^asthereop observed, apd the
manner in which the time was spent, he adds, "Of the
" vigil between the great Sabbath an4 Easter-day fr^uent
•* mention is made in the antient writers^ Chrysostoni, Epi«
** phaniiis, Palladius, Gregory Nyssen, and Tpany others,
** Particularly Lactantius an(i St. Jerom tell us, they ob-
*' served it on a double account. This is the night, saya
*•' Lactantius, which we observe with a pernoctation op
'' watching all night for the advent of our King and God :
*' of wliich night there is a twofpld reason to be given, be-
*' cause on this night our Lord was raised to life again after
** his passipn ; and in the same H^ is expected to return to
** receive the kingdom of this world, that is, to come to
*' jinliinient. St. Jerom says, it was ^ tradition among the
** Jews, that Christ would come at midnight, as He did
** upon the Egyptians at the time of the Passovevy and
" thence he thinks the Apostolical custonp came, not to dis-
** miss tlie people on the paschal vigil before midnight,
'* expecting the coming of Christ/'

EASTEU-EVEN, 231

have been baptised into a profession of Christi-
anity; but have we been also, by union with
Christ through faith in His name, brought into ^
participation of His saving benefits ? Do we un-^
derstand the meaning and obligation of this so-
lemn ordinance ? Do we thankfully " remember
" that Baptism doth represent unto \x% our pro^
".fession, which is to follow the example of our
'' Saviour Christ, and to be made like unto Hirti—
" that as He died aiid rosfe again for us, so should
" we who are bapti:ifed die from sin, and rise
'^ again unto righteousness, continually tnortif^%
" ing all our evil and corrupt affections, arid,

daily proceeding ih all virtue and godliness of

living ?"*

By baptism, then, we were brought under an
obligation to comply with the design of Christ's
death, which was " to redeem us from all iniquity,^
'* and to purify utlto Himself a peculiar people,
" zealous of good worics." Christ died unto sin,
that we, mortifying the flesh with its affections and
lusts, might live unto God. Are we then cruci-^
fied with Christ? Professionally as baptised
persons we are : but are we so in fact ? Of what
advantage will the commemoTfttion of our Lord'i^
death be to us, unless we become acquainted with
the efficacious and actual influence thereof, and
are really conformed to Him therein ? If we
continue in sin, suffering it to reign in our mor-
tal bodies, and obey it ii> the lusts thereof, we
contradict our Christian profession, violate our
Christian obligations^ and renounce all the bene-,
fits of a sacramental conformity to our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ.

* Exhortation to Godfathers and Godmothers in the Bap*
tismal ser\'ice.

Q 4

232 ON THE COLLECT FOR

The prayer which we found on a consider^
ation of our sacramental death with Christ in
baptism, consists of two petitions. We implore
a conformity to Christ— -in FJis burial,— and in
His resurrection.

The burial of our Lord Jesus Christ was ne-^
cessary for the purpose of demonstrating the
reality of His death. With a view to this the
malice of the Jews was providentially overruled.
Their anxiety to detect a supposed imposture,
by rolling a great stone to the door of the se-
pulchre, by adding to its security the seal of
office and a guard of soldiers, effectually proved
that the victim of their fury W£|jsi indeed dead.
In like manner the truth of our conformity to
Christ in a death unto sin must be d^^ipnstrated
by the burial of all our lusts,

That which is buried is put away in disgust,
A dead body has lost ^11 its charms, and if re-
tained would corrupt and be offensive. By the
awful change which death produces we are con^
strained to remove from ou]r embrace and sight
the dearest objects of our love. (Gen, xxviii. 4. )
Thus must sin be dealt with. And however dear
it may have been to us in the days of our guilty
association with it, so soon as our old man is
crucified with Christ, we become anxidus to be
separated for ever from it. Such was the solici-
tude of St. Paul, wl^ich is elegantly expressed
by an allusion to the circi^nistance we have de-
sciibed. (Rom. vii. 24.) '^ O wretched man
*^ that I am! who shall deliver me from the
^' body of tl>is death.?" He felt like a criminal
chained to a dead and putrid carcase, and
longed for deliverance from it. His sinful na-
ture was loathsome to him, and he anxiously
wished for a separation from so hateful a

EASTER-EVEN. ^ 233

companion. Reader, do your sensibilities cor-
respond with his ? Surely if you are dead with
Christ, you must be earnestly solicitous for a
complete deliverance from sin.

The body that is buried is removed out of
sight. We have nothing more to do with it.
All our delight in it and satisfaction from it are
at an end ; all concern about its gratification and
preservation ceases for ever. Thus should the
believer feel towards the body of sin. He is to
*^ reckon himself to be dead indeed unto sin."
He is to consider the connection between Wm
wd sin to be entirely dissolved. Sin is no more
to have dominion over him, for he is not under
the law but under grace.

The body of Christ lost in the grave all its
earthly properties. It became on its resurrec-
tion spiritual and immortal. It needed no lon-
ger the same kind of aliment by which it was
before sustained. It was no longer governed by
the same laws, nor subject to the same restraints.
It felt no longer the same wants, nor was liable
to the same injuries and sufferings as before.
And in like manner those who are buried with
Christ leave in the graye of nature their earthly
and carnal properties. They become new crea-
tures. Old things pa^s away, and all things
become new. The identity of Christ's body
before and after llis resurrection is to be main-*
tained. It was essentially the same body and
its members were the same. So also the new-
born soul is not a new creation in the strict sense
of the word as it means a production from
nothing. But it is newly formed.* It is capable

* Kncis evidently means formation and not creation as it
is used in Heb. ix. 1 1. And the verb Kn^ca signifies to Dro-*
duce from pre*existent matter in 1 Cor. xi. 9* Coinp. Jppbft
ii. 5.

t34 ox THE COIXECT FOR

of new exertions, lives on different food, and
for ends and purposes opposite to those of its
natural state. Though it possesses the same
faculties, yet these are endued with new quali*
fications, and are employed on objects totally
distinct from its former pursuits.

It may be asked. How is this mystic burial*
with Christ eflbcted ? The agency which pro-
duces it is Divine ; but the regenerate soul is,
by Divine agency, rendered active in the work.
By a continual mortification of corrupt affec-
tions, by a watchful opposition to every desire of
' the flesii, the body of sin is gradually destroyed,
and at length finally separated from the re-
deemed spirit. To this our sacramental engage-
ments bind us ; and if becomes us seriously to
inquire. Whether we are mindful of them. For
\mloss wo are conformed to Christ in His burial,,
wo have no reason to expect conformity to Him
in His resurrection.

AV'lien Clirist expired, the heavens were clad
in deep mourning, and the bosom of the earth
beneath was rent asunder. But these tokens of
ilistrcss wove preparatory to the brightness of
n^turning day, and enhanced the gladness of
lluit UHU'ning when Christ arose. In like man-
ner thoscMvho are mortifying their corrupt af-
iVetions wear the mourning garb of penitence,
but that will soon be exchanged for the garments
t>r salvation, God will " appoint unto them
** that n\ourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty
" for ashos, the oil of joy for mourning, and the
'• f;annent of praise for the spirit of heaviness.''

♦ NN'lirtluM' Imptism he performed by aspersion or immer-
nldu. \\w wWwsmx to sepulture will be maintained. For
»\ \u\\ u drud body in Hiterred, dust is first sprinkled over it,
i«iid tlirn it im oovon^ with earth.

EASTER-EVEN. 235

{Isa. Ixi. 3.) The promises of God warrant this
expectation, and therefore the members of our
church ' are instructed to implore a conformity
to Christ in His resurrection.

There is a twofold conformity to Christ in His
death and resurrection, which His redeemed
experience by virtue of their union with Him.
First, a spiritual conformity: forj through faith
in His name, they ** die to sin and rise again
" unto righteousness." " Their old man is
" crucified with Christ, that the body of sin
*^ might be destroyed, that thenceforth they
*^ should not serve sin." Of this spiritual con-
formity to the death and resurrection of Christ
we have already spoken.

But, secondly, believers are outwardly con-
formed to their adorable head in His death and
resurrection. For as Christ died, so must they
also in a natural sense. As His body lay in the
grave, so likewise must their bodies. And as
His body arose from the grave, so also shall
theirs. For this literal resurrection we are
taught to pray in the conclusion of our collect,
where we beseech God "that, through the grave
" and gate of deaths we may pass to our joyful
'^ resurrection, for His merits, who died, and
** was buried, and rose again for us. His Son
'* Jesus Christ our Lord."

*' It is appointed unto men once to die."
^^ Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return,"
was part of the original sentence pronounced
on Adam as the representative of all his poste-
rity. This sentence has been fulfilling: from the
time of the fall to the present hour, and will
continue to be fulfilled to the consummation of
all things. Believers as well as others must ex-
perience a dissolution of nature, a separation of

236 ON THE CX)LLECT FOR

soul and body. But their death is no part of
the punishment due to sin, for that has been
borne by Christ in their stead ; but it is the abo-
lition of sin, and a passage to life eternal.

It is certain that the separation of the believer's
body and soul is not death, in the strict and
penal sense of the word, as a part of the curse.
For both our Lord and His Apostles have assured
us, that believers do not, and cannot die. The
cause of death being taken away with respect'
to them, the effect ceases. The crime being
pardoned, the punishment due to it cannot
Justly be inflicted. Christ their surety having
died for them, they are redeemed from death.
This is plain from many declarations and pro-
mises of Scripture. " Verily, verily, I say unto
** you, he that heareth my word, and believeth
*^ on Him that sept me, hath everlasting life,
*^ and shall not come into condemnation, but is
^' passed from death unto life." (John v. 24.)
" Verily, verily, I say unto you, if a man keep
" my saying, he shall never see death." (John
viii. 51. ) " Jesus said unto her, I am the resur-^
*^ rection and the life: he that believeth on me,
" though he were dead, yet shall he live, and
^^ whosoever liveth and believeth on me, shall
*' never die." (John xi. 25, 26. ) *' The wages
" of sin is death : but the gift of God is eternal
" life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Rom.
vi. 23.) " The grace which was given us in
Christ before the world began, is now made
manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus
'' Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath
brought life and immortality to light by the
Gospel." (2 Tim. i. 10.) " We know that
«* we are passed from death unto life/' (1 John
iii. 14,)

re

EASTER-EVEK. 237

- The only way by which these comfortable
declarations can be reconciled with the fact with
which we are daily conversant, viz. the dissolu-
tion of believers, is a distinction to be made
between death in its primary and proper sense,
as threatened to Adam and his posterity on
account of sin, and that change which the
redeenied experience. The earthly house of the
believer^s tabernacle must be dissolved, but the
believer can never die. That dissolution is not
a branch of the curse, but a part of the blessing
which redemption secures. The believer begins
to live so soon as he believes; but it is a dying
life which he leads while united to a sinful body.
The dissolution of the body is an advanced stage
of that eternal life which, commencing at rege-
neration, can know no interruption nor end. *

From these premises it will appear that the
grave is called in our collect " the gate of death"
with strict propriety. With respect to believers
it has chans^ed its nature. The bodies of unre-
generate unjustified persons are confined in the
grave as in a dungeon against the judgment-day.
But to the members of Christ the grave is a
privileged and sanctified dormitory ; nay, it is
the gate of life. The Christian believer may
joyfully say, " Though I pass through the val-
'^ ley of the shadow of death, I will fear no
** evil;*' for there is no evil in death, since all^
that was penal in it was exacted from Christ my
surety.

It is further to be considered, that as the
union between the body of Christ and His
Divine nature was not dissolved, while His body

* See the extract from the Homily against the fear of
death, quoted in the following essay.

238 ON THE COLLECT FOR

lay in the grave, so neither is the union between
Christ as the head, and the body as a consti-
tuent part of a believer in Him, dissolved, when
the believer's body is consigned breathless to the
tomb. The natural union between Christ's
body and soul ceased for a time ; but the hypo-
static union between His Godhead and both the
constituent parts of His manhood remained
indissoluble. And in like manner Christ and
His members are united as to their whole man,
and can never be separated.

The body of our Lord rested in hope. The
grave could detain its illustrious prisoner no
longer than the appointed moment. By virtue
of the covenant of redemption our Redeemer,
predicting His own resurrection, could say,
" I have set the Lord always before me : because
^' He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
*^ Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory
" rejoiceth; my flesh also shall rest in hope.
'* For tlxou wilt not leave my soul in hell, nei-
^^ ther wilt thou suffer thy Holy One to see cor-
" ruption. Thou wilt shew me the path of life :
^' In thy presence is fulness of joy, and at thy
^^ right hand there are pleasures for evermore."
(Ps. xvi. 8 — -11.) The believer also sleeps in
Jesus with an assurance of awaking again.
" The righteous hath hope in his death.''
(Prov. xiv. 32.) In a strain of exultation similar
to that which his Lord has used, the believer is
enabled to say, ^* O death, where is thy sting ?
'^ O grave, where is thy victory ? The sting of
*^ death is sin, and the strength of sin is the
" law; but thanks be to God who giveth us the
" victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1
Cor. XV. 56 y 56.) *' The grave and gate of
'" death" is nothing else but a passage *^ to a

EASTER-EVEN. 239

'* joyful resurrection/' For Christ rose as the
first fruits, of them that sleep, and by His resur-
rection hath aiTorded an .earnest, pledge, and
assurance df ours. The bodies of believers,
being the members of Christ, can no more be
detained by d^ath than Christ Himself was. He
may bQ considered as addressing His saints in
the consolatory words with which Jacob was
cheered ou his descent into Egypt: " Fear not

to go down into the grave; for I will go down

with thee, and I will safely bring thee up
" again."

Our ground for confidence in praying, *^ that
" through the grave and gate of death we may
*^ pass to our joyful resurrection," is solid and
immovable. For we plead " His merits, who
" died, was buried, and rose again for us." By
His death, burial, resurrection, and glorification,
as the federal head and representative of His
redeemed, tiieir justification, sanctification, re-
surrection, and glorification, are secured. For
they are one with Him, and He is one with
them. He is the head, and they the members
of His mystical body.

The use of our collect supposes that " we are
" risen with Christ" through the reviving power
of His Spirit, *^ and our affections set on things
" above." Let us closely examine the corres-
pondence that exists between our affections and
our prayers, and determine, according to the
dictates of conscience, whether the charitable
hope of our church concerning us be justified
by our experience. And if it should appear
that we are destitute of internal evidence that
we are interested in the glorious Saviour of
sinners, O let us lose no time in seeking for

240 ON THE COLLECT FOR

union with Him by faith, that we may be par-
ticipants in His death, burial, and resurrection.
If on the contrary we have the witness in our-
selves that Christ hath died, been buried, and
is risen again, let us study our inestimable pri-
vileges consequent thereon. Every fresh review
of them will increase our holiness and happiness.
If to be a Christian is to be dead, buried, and
risen with Christ, O how few real Christians
are to be found ! How few know any thing of
'* the power of Christ's resurrection, the fellow-
*^ ship of His sufferings, and a conformity to
'^ His death!" Multitudes, it is to be feared,
who are called, and who call themselves Chris-'
lians, have only " a name to liv6," while in fact'
they are *^ dead;'' not ** dead to sin,'* bot*
" dead in trespasses and sins."' *^ Awake, thbu
" that sleepest and arise from the dead, arid
*^ Christ shall give thee light."

EASTER-DAY. 239

EASTER-DAY.

Almighty God, who through thine only begotten
Son Jesiis Christ hast overcome death, and
opened unto us the gate of everlasting life ; we
beseech thee, that as by thy special grace pre-
venting us thou dost put into our minds good de-
sires, so by thy continual help we may bring the
same to good effect, through Jesus Christ our
Lord, who liveth and reigneth with tliee and the
Holy Glwst, ever one God, world zvithout end.
Amen.

THE Christian church, from its earliest
age, * hath set apart a day for the com-
memoration of our Lord's resurrection from the
dead, and has paid a peculiar respect and ho-
nour to it. " Gregory Nazianzen after his
" manner stiles Easter-day the Queen of days
" and the festival of festivals, .which excells all
" others not only human but even those which
*' are instituted to the honour of Christ, as far
*^ as the sun goes beyond the other stars. It
** was a day of extraordinary rejoicing upon the
" account of our Lord's resurrection; being, as
" Chrysostom stiles it, the desirable festival of
" our salvation, the day of our Lord's resur-
" rection, the foundation of our peace, the oc-
" casion of our reconciliation, the end of our

* There was an amicable dispute about the time of
keeping Easter between Polycarp a disciple of St. John
and Anicetus Bishop of Rome.

VOL. II. R

240 ON THE COLLECT FOR

*' contentions and enmity with God, the de-
" struction of death, and our victory over the
*' devil. Hence in some antient writers it is
'^ distinguished from all other Lord's days in the
•* year by the peculiar name oi Dominica gaudii,
^^ the Lord's day of joy.'**

This glorious event which is to day comme-
morated in the Christian church, is so well
known in all its particulars that a recital of
them is needless. The circumstances of oar
adored Saviour's triumph over sin and death and
hell are detailed in the course of our service, and
therefore instead of repeating them we shall
employ our time to a greater advantage by enr
deavouring to improve the history.

Our collect shews us the use which we are
to make of it. The resurrection of Christ is
not only a fact to be believed, but it is also in
its effects a truth to be experienced. An histo-
rical assent to the fact, without a perception of
its power in our own hearts, will be of no avail
to salvation. We must rise with Christ from
the grave of natural corruption; and, being
*^ risen with Christ,'* must "seek those things

* Bingham's Antiquities, book xx. chap. 5, sect. 5.
" In the primitive times the Christians of all churches
on this day used this morning salutation, Christ is risen ;
to which those who were saluted answered, Christ is risen
indeed, or else thus, and hath appeared unto Simon a cus-
tom still retained in the Greek church. And our church,
supposing us as eager of the joyful news as they were, is
loath to withhold from us long the pleasure of expressing
it ; and therefore, as soon as the absolution is pronounced,
and we are thereby rendered fit for rejoicing, she begins her
office of praise with anthems proper to the day, encouraging
hfr members to call u{)on one another to keep the feast ; for
that Christ ovr passover is sacrificed for us, and is also risen
from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept,
tVc'* Wheat ly, page ail, Oxford edit.

EASTER-DAY. 241

*^ which are above, where Christ sitteth at the
** right hand of God. We must set our afFec-
'* tions on things above, and not on things be-
*^ neath, being dead, and having our life hid
" with Christ in God."

Our collect consists of two parts, an intro-
. duction and a prayer. In the preface the bles-
sed consequences of Christ's resurrection are
tecited, and in the prayer we implore for our-
selves an experimental acquaintance with its
saving effects.

The preface is an act of adoration addressed
to " the Lord God Omnipotent" as ** the Father
" of our Lord Je^us Christ." That exertion of
power which God wrought in Christ when He
raised Him from the dead/' fully justifies the
epithet by which we glorify His name. For to
overcome death and open unto us the gate of
everlasting life," by the resurrection of His
only begotten Son Jesus Christ," was an act
of " Almighty" power, and encourages us in
the petition which we offer for that "special
*' grace" whereby alone the desires which it
hath put within us can be brought to good
effect.

When our collect asserts that "death" is
•'overcome," it alludes to the triumphal lan-
guage of St. Paul, (1 Cor. xv. 54) which the
Apostle has cited from the evangelical prophet
(Is. XXV. 8.) "Death is swallowed up in vic-
" tory." * This victory indeed has its several

* *• Metaphora est, desumpta a mari, palude, voragine
profundi, igne, animantibus voracibus, quorum est injecta
aut hausta eum in modum absumere, ut plane evanescant
«t dispareant."— " Est pneterea in hoc dicto prophetse
Oj^uiuuifOf, quod obiter illud inspicientes non observant*
Cum enim mortif ipBius proprie attributum censeatur ho*

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242^^ ON THE COLLECT FOR

gradations, and will not be complete in its ef-
fects till " the resurrection of the just;" when,
Avith respect to '* the general assembly of tlie
^* church of the first-born whose names are writ-
" ten in heaven," death shall be abolished with
all its preliminaries and consequences as though
it had never been known. For then ^^ God shajji
*^ wipe away all tears from their eyes : and there
" shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor
*^ crying, neither sjiall there be any more pain :
** for the former things will be passed aw^ay,"
(Rev. xxi. 4.) Then indeed, when " this cor-
/^ riiptible shall have put on incorruption, and
*' this mortal shall have put* on immortality,
*^ shall be brought to pass the saying that is
^* written. Death is swallowed up in victory."
(1 Cor. XV. 54.) In the mean time however,
our Redeemer having triumphed in His own
person as the head of His church, and the
blessings purchased by His cross being secured
by virtue of His resurrection from the dead, our
church is justified in asserting that " God /?r//A
" overcome death through His only begotten
^^ Son Jesus Christ," And believers are justified
in exclaiming, with the triumphant tone of the
Apostle, '' O death, where is thy sting? O grave,
^' where is thy victory ? The sting of death is
^^ sin, and the strength of sin is the law; but
*^ thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory
*^ through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Cor. xv^

5J. 57.)

It mav be aske:1. On whose account and for
.who^c benefit is death overcome ? Has the vie-

miries hivolcere et ahsorhere : propheta eiiiphatice siiniil et
eloi^aiiter vinrtLs aholitiohem et destrHctioiiem expositurus*
mortem ipstim, (juain Mythologi GritHU sub iujagiue Stt/gia
palndis et Acherontis exhibent, docet iiivolutuia et abaorpi»
laiii iri." \ tringa iii Jesaiam,

EAST^R-DAY. 243

tory which has been obtained a relation to all

niankind, so that all mankind will necessarily be
benefited by it ? — By no means. It is obtained
for the benefit of those only who under the in-
fluence of Divine grace are induced to take a
holy advantage of it. None but believers in
Christ will participate in it. The rest of the
world will indeed be raised from the grave by
the power of God, but they will rise to feel the
bitter fruits of sin in the second death. Their
resurrection will not be the effect of Christ's me-
diation, but an act of Divine justice, and a step'
preparatory to eternal perdition of body and
soul. Their death is a part, and but a part, of
the penalty of the broken law.

A further inquiry may be raised to the follow-
ing effect. If *' God, through His only begot-
*^ ten Son Jesus Christ, hath overcome death"
for the benefit of all the faithful, why do the
tuithfuldie as well as others ? Why are they not
translated without seeing death to the mansions
of immortality and glory provided for them ?
How doth it comport with the wisdom, justice
and goodness of God to inflict the penalty of
His law both on the surety and on the original
debtor?

If no inforniation were given us on this sub-
ject, it ought to satisfy our minds that it seem-
eth good in the sight of God that His people
should die, and that the Judge of all the earth
must <U) right. But sufficient light is shed on
the subject by the Scriptures for the purpose of
sliewing us, that this appointment tends both to
the promotion of God's glory and of His peo-
ple's hapi)incss. Two instances have occurred
in the history, of the church of a translation to
glory without death. These afford irrefragable

II 3

244 ON THE COLLECT FOR

evidence that the death of believer? is not neces-
sary as any part of the penalty due to Divine
justice for sin, and that it is not therefore to be
considered as of a penal nature and judicially
inflicted as a vindictive punishment. To these
two instances a multitude of others will be ad-
ded at the coming '^of Christ. For those who
are then found aUve will be changed without
death so as to be qualified for heavenly happi-
ness, and shall be caught up to meet the Lord
in the air. If death were necessary as a part of
the atonement in one case, it would be so in all.
We are moreover informed that corporeal
death is highly beneficial to the faithful. " To
** die is gain/' says a competent judge of the
matter. " I am in a strait betwixt two," says
the same inspired writer, " having a desire to
depart and to be with Christ which is far bet-
ter.'' (Phil. i. 21, 23.) « We are willing ra-
^^ ther to be absent from the body, and to
** be present with the Lord/' (2 Cor. v. 8.)
^* Wretched man that I am, who shall deliver
'^ me from the body of this death?" (Rom. vii.
24.) Now how can an event, from which nature
must be abhorrent, be so desirable, but on ac-
count of high advantages to be derived from it?
The chief of these is the destruction of sin which
is the cause of all other evils, and which the
Scripture considers as chiefly resident in the
body. (Rom. vi. 6, 12, and vii. 23, 24.) For
though the rational soul only can be guilty of
sin, temptations to the commission of it chiefly
enter through the senses of the body; and
hence the principle of corruption is called
" flesh." The will of a regenerate man is
turned to God, anxiously aims at a perfect con-
formity to Hi& image, and seeks His glory.

EASTER-EVEN. 245

Nevertheless through " the law of sin that is iu
«' his members he doth not the things that he
** would." With a view to the destruction of
sin it is appointed unto believers once to die;
for though death is not absolutely necessary for
this purpose, as the cases of Enoch and Elijah
prove, yet God has chosen it as the most eli-
gible method. " Our earthly house of this ta-
*^ bernacle," being defiled with the leprosy of
an, must be " dissolved."

That the destruction of sin in the faithful bv
the dissolution of their bodies is calculated moit
highly to promote the glory of Christ, and is
not repugnant to Divine justice, appears from
the Divine appointment. If all the faithful
vwere to be translated to glory as Enoch and Eli-
jah were, the triumphs of Divine grace over sin
would be greatly abridged, and the doctrine of
the resurrection expunged from the Christian
creed. The condemnation of sin in the flesh
illustrates to the uttermost the Divine wisdom,
power, hoUness, and justice, and at the same
time promotes the final happiness of the re-
deemed. Were conversion and glorification
contemporaneous, how little should we know
by experience of the evil of sin, of the riches of
grace, of the value of Christ, of the power of
God ! But the knowledge of thej?e things which
we acquire by the painful process through which
we pass, will sweeten the enjoyment of heaven,
and swell our songs of praise.

We may hence infer, that the death of a be-
liever is to* be considered, not as the penalty of
the covenant of works, but as one fruit of the
d^ath of Christ and a blessing derived from the

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246 ON THE COLLECT FOR

■
■

covenant of redemption.* " Death is ours, for
** we are Christ's, and Christ is God's." Death
is one gradation of that life which Christ hath
procured for us. It is the destruction of that
moral disease which now impedes the sensibili-
ties and actings of that life which we have re-
ceived by regeneration.

*' A true Christian man," (says the homily
against the fear of death) "who is the very
'* member of Christ, the temple of the Holy
Ghost," ( 1 Cor. iii.) " the son of God, and
the very inheritor of the kingdom of heaved,
conceiveth great and many causes undoubtedly
grounded upon the infallible and everlastiilg
truth of the word of God, which moveth him
not only to put away the fear of bodily death,
but also for the manifold benefits and singular
commodities which ensue unto every faithful
person by reason of the same, to wish, desire,
and long heartily for it. For death shall be to
him no death at all, but a very deliverance from
death, from all pains, cares, and sorrows, mi-
series and wretchedness of this world, and the
very entry into rest, and a beginning of ever-
lasting joy, a tasting of heavenly pleasures, so

* " Est ergo mors nostra beneficium, quod nobis juste
pra^statur ex seutentii Dei justd propter mortem Christi ad
illius effectus nobis applicandos. Deus judicavit proper
mortem Filii sui nos debere mori. Hanc vero esse senten-
tiam verborum. Gen, iii. IQ, qua? Deus Adamo et Eva*
prolo<:utus est post revelatam jam promissionem, quibus
ordinario putatur describi paena, peccatoribus omnibus
propter pecoatum imminens, ponit CI. Cocceius Com. in
Kom. ad caput vi. §19. Nolim dissmiulare id mihi valde
placere. Nihil determino tamen. Perpendendum est con-
sideratius." Vitririga Observaiiones Sacra'. Lib. secviidus^
p. 138— where the learned reader may see the thesis. Cur
lidclibus sit moriendum? largely discussed.

EASTER -DAY, 24?

great that neither tongue is able to express, nei-
ther eye to see, nor ear to hear them, no nor
any earthly man's heart to conceive them. So
exceeding great benefits they be, which God
our heavenly Father by His mere mercy and for
the love of His Son Jesus Christ hath laid up in
store, and prepared for them that humbly sub-
mit themselves to God's will, and evermore un-
feignedly love Him from the bottom of their
hearts. And we ought to believe that death,
being slain by Christ cannot keep any man that
stedfastly trusteth in Christ, under his perpetual
tyranny and subjection, but that he shall rise
again from death to glory at the last day ap-
pointed by Ahnighty God, like as Christ our
head did rise again according to God's appoint-
ment the third day. For St. Augustin saith,
" The head going before, the members trust to
** follow and come after.'' And St. Paul saith,
*' if Christ be risen from the dead, we shall rise
** also from the same/' And to comfort all
Christian persons herein. Holy Scripture calleth
•this bodily death a sleep, wherein man's senses
be, as it were, taken from him for a season, and
yet when he awaketh he is more fresh than he
was when he went to bed. So, although we
have our souls separated from our bodies for a
season, yet at the general resurrection we shall
be more fresh, beautiful, and perfect than we
be now. For now we be mortal, then w^e shall
be immortal: now infected with divers infir-
mities, then clearly void of all mortal infirmities.
Now we be subject to all carnal desires, then
we shall be all spiritual, desiring nothing but
God's glory and things eternal. • Thus is this
bodily death a door of entering into life, and
therefore not so much dreadful, if it be rightly

/

248 ON THE COLLECT FOR

considered, as it is comfortable ; not a raiscbief^
but a remedy for all mischief; no enemy, but a
friend ; not a cruel tyrant, but a gentle guide,
leading us not to mortality but to immortality;
not to sorrow and pain, but to joy and pleasure,
and that to endure for ever ; if it be thankfully
taken and accepted as God's messenger, and pa*
tiently borne of us for Christ's love, that suflfered
most painful death for our love, to redeem us
from death eternal.'*

From this digression, confessedly of an inter-
esting nature,' if not immediately connected with
the assertion of our collect, we return to a further
consideration of the preface under our review.
The victory over death which God hath obtained
** through His only begotten Son Jesus Christ,"
secures to us not only life in death, but also life
from death ; for in consequence thereof the bo-
dies of the saints shall rise from the grave, and
be made like unto Christ's glorious body. Then
death and all its concomitants shall for* ever be
abolished. For that which ^^ is sown in corrup-
" tion, shall be raised in incorruption : what is
** sown in dishonour, shall be raised in glory :
'* what is sown in weakness, shall be raised in
'^ power." ( 1 Cor. xv. 42, 43.) The victory
which is obtained is indeed a gradual work, but a
final triumph is secured. In the person of Christ,
as the covenant- head and representative of His
people, it was complete when He arose. It is
begun in His people during the present life, and
consists partly in those joyful hopes and prospects
which animate their souIs» But it will not be
perfected in them till that day when the earth and
sea shall give up their dead.

^^ Through His only begotten Son Jesus Christ
^^ God hath opened unto us the gate of everlasting

EASTER-DAY. 249

''life/* By the sin of the first Adam the passage
to immortal happiness was closed up; and no
finite understanding could have devised, no finite
power have executed, a plan for the removal of
those obstructions which threatened the exclusion
of all the posterity of Adam from eternal bliss.
Independently of the mediation of the only begot-
ten Son of God, every human soul must have
perished eternally. But, blessed be God, the gate
of everlasting life is re-opened. The bars have
been burst asunder by our victorious Leader, and
the massive gates unfolded so as to present an
unobstructed passage to all who believe in His
name. No shadow of an impediment remains.
Christ, as the representative of His redeemed, has
entered triumphantly into everlasting life by
virtue of His own obedience unto death : and
through His merit, a new and living way, all be-
lievers enter with Him. They enter into ever-
lasting, life by several gradations. They are now
justified by His blood, and sanctified by His
grace ; at death their souls will be glorified toge-
ther with Him ; and in the morning of the resur-
rection, their souls and bodies being re-united will
enter together into a state of felicity to which all
the preceding gradations have been preparatory.
** Who can behold what thou hast suffered and
we have escaped, and not be ravished with thy
love, O blessed Jesus ! The way to heaven was
ever open to innocence; but we all had sinned
and come short of the glory of God. Heaven's
gates were shut against us^ and hell's mouth opea
to receive us. And in this estate our life had
been worse than death by the dreadful expecta-
tions of deserved vengeance, and our death had
certainly delivered us up to feel what we feared.
Do we live with any comfort? It is thou that

250 Ox\ THE COLLECT FOR

hast removed our fears. Can we die with peace ?
It is thou alone hast renewed our hopes. If
heaven be now open to receive any men that are,
or ever were, or shall be, it is not by the merits
of their own innocence, but by those of thy all-
saving death/'*

The mean by which these glorious atchieve-
ments have been effected is pointed out in our
collect. It is " through His only begotten Son
'^ Jesus Christ that God hath overcome death and
*' and opened unto us the gate of everlasting life."
We can form no conception of any other way by^
which our salvation could have been accomplished
consistently with the honour of God. But by the
incarnation, sufferings and death of this Divine
person we see glory secured to every perfection
of the Godhead, and the surest basis laid for
human hope. '* In Him mercy and truth meet
'^ together, righteousness and peace kiss each
'^ other.*' By means of His mediation " God
** can be just and the justifier of him that be-
'^ lieveth in Jesus." By the active obedience of
the God-man, the law, from which sin derived its
condemning power, was satisfied in its utmost
demands. By His penal and vicarious suflferings,
the curse of the law, of which corporeal death was
a part, was exhausted of all its power. And by
*His resurrection from the dead the most satisfac-
tory evidence hath been given, that He hath ac-
complished the/work which was given Him to do :
death was triumphed over in its own domains and
assurance given of its total abolition at the resur-
rection-day. The declaration of our Lord's ex-
piring lips, '' It is finished," the truth of which
was fully demonstrated by His resurrection, filled

- * Dr. Comber on- the Te Dcum.

EASTER-DAY. 251

heaven with melody and hell with dismay. Well
may we join together to celebrate His victory,
and thus anticipate the song which will be ever
new.

*' God hath opened unto 2^^ the gate of ever-
'* lasting life." So the church teaches us to
say, on a charitable supposition that all who use
her service are true believei's. But let not the
reader conclude rashly and without an inquiry
that he is such. Let him examine himself, *' whe-
** ther he be in the faith, and whether Jesus Christ
" be formed in him the hope of glory." In this
inquiry the prayer which follows the preceding
recital of Divine mercy will greatly assist him.
It will indeed afford a satisfactory criterion of
character. Therein we humbly beseech Almighty
God, that, as " by His special grace preventing
'^ us. He doth put into our minds good desires,
*^ so by His continual help, we may bring the
*^ same to good effect."

In this-petition an acknowledgment is made of
favours already conferred on us, and a request is
offered for a communication of a further blessing.
If we are justified in the acknowledgment we make,
and sincere in the request we offer, we *' may
*^ safely conclude that God, through His only
*' begotten Son Jesus Christ, hath opened unto
^^ us the gate of everlasting life,*' and that we are
entering through it.

Happy, thrice happy are those persons who
can truly join in this grateful acknowledgment,
and humbly praise God for putting into their
minds good desires ! I lappv indeed are wc, if
we are "-' risen witn Christ" in hv>]v desire after
the attainment (»r tii«/'Ko Mrsi.iivj^s which Ilih cross
hath pronircil ua' ns ! -If .is row-born l>abes we
desire the siiic\-i\- n:ilk of the \\'Oi\\ tli.ii v;'.: may.

252 ON THE COLLECT FOR

*' grow thereby'* — if with the Psalmist we can
address God and say, ^* Whom have I in heaven
•' but thee, and there is none upon earth that I
*' desire in comparison of thee ;"t— then indeed we
may bless God for " putting into our minds good
" desires/*

The persons who join in our collect are sup-

?)Osed to be converted persons — that is, to have
ielt the enlivening " power of Christ's resurrec-
** tion." For they are supposed to be under the
influence of " good desires," and no good desires

?revail in the bosoms of unconverted persons.
Tiese are all *' dead in trespasses and sins/* And
as an inanimate body feels no desires after those
things which are necessary to the support of
animal life, its existence and comfort, so the un-
regenerate soul feels no want of those blessings,
for the enjoyment of which it was at first created,
and without which it must perish eternally. But
is this supposition true, reader, with respect to
you ? Are you ^thirst for pardon, holiness and
heaven ? Are you conscious of desires which
God only can satisfy ?

For it is carefully to be remembered, that those
*^ desires'* only are ^^ good" which have relation
to the justification, sanctification, and glorification
of our fallen souls. Heavenly things alone are
durable, substantial, and satisfying. That only
is good in the true sense of the word, which has
a connection with an immortal life. The favour
and friendship of God, a conformity to His image,
and an enjoyment of His presence, are the only
objects that are worthy of an immortal mind.
And every awakened soul can say with David,
As the heart panteth after the water-brooks, so
panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul
'* IS athirst for God, yea, even for the living God;

EASTER-DAY. 853

" when shall I come and appear before the pre-
" sence of God ?" It is admitted that the en-
lightened mind doth not always feel the same
degree of spiritual hunger and thirst; but it finds
a dissatisfaction in every thing but God, and habi-
tually longs for Him a§ its portion for ever.

A state of heart in which spiritual desires predo-
minate is a state of grace, for according to our
collect it is the effect of God's "special grace."
It not only proves that we have been partakers of
those common influences of the Holy Ghost which
the ungodly sometimes feel, but that we have
received that "special grace'* which bringeth
salvation. Good desires are the " seeds of eternal
life. And they who sow in tears shall reap in
joy. He that now goeth forth and weepeth,
bearing this precious seed, shall doubtless
come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves
" with him.'* Among the various characteristics
by which the Godly are distinguished from others
in the Scriptures, there is none that is more fre^
quently introduced than the activity of holy desire
.with which they are inspired. They seek after
God. (See Ps. ix- 10. — xiv. 2. — xxiv. 6. — xl.
16. — Ixiii, 1. — Ixix. 6, 32. — Ixx. 4. — cxix. 2. —
Col. iii. 1. Heb. xi. 6.) And. this trait of the
converted character implies every other essential
attribute of it, and differs from every thing of
which a hypocrite can boast.

" Salvation is of the Lord," for His " special
'' grace preventing us puts into our minds good
" desires.*' It precedes, so as to be the operative
cause of all good within us, for " in our flesh
" dwelleth no good thing." We are '' His work-
*^ manship, created in Christ Jesus" unto good
desires as well as *^ unto good works." And not
one good desire would ever have arisen in out

€€
U

254 ON THE COLLECT FOR

fallen hearts, if His *^ special grace preventing
" us" had not put it within us. And Oh! what
comfort may the believing soul, the weakest of
the flock, derive from the consideration which is
here suggested by our collect ! Your soul, trem-
bling penitent, is ^^athirst for God." To be
restored to His favour, and to be conformed to
His image, is the ambition of your heart. Well —
this desire is the fruit of His grace ; not of com-
mon but of " special grace/" It is a sure token
of your resurrection with and through Christ to
a state of spiritual life, and a pledge of future
glory.

Having made our humble acknowledgments
for mercies received, we proceed to beseech God-
that " by His continual help we may bring'* the
good desires which He has inspired into our
hearts " to good effect ;" that the seed of eternal
life which is sown may not languish and die;
but that, being watered continually, it may
spring up and bring forth permanent fruit.

The blessing we implore is a progressive bles-
sing. For in proportion as we are conformed
to the image of God, and are enabled to glorify
Him, our " good desires" are brought " to good
*^ effect.'* And this is a gradual work which
will not be accomplished till ^' Christ who is our
*^ life shall appear, and we shall appear with
*' Him in glory." Then, and not till then, will
those desires which '^special grace" has formed
within us be fulfilled. Then will the seed sown
produce its proper fruit in full perfection. Then
only ( will every true penitent say) ^^ shall I be
^^ satisfied, when I awake up after thy likeness.''
The initial state of grace is the vernal season of
the soul, in which the tree of righteousness buds
and blossoms with holy desires. The future

EASTEB-DAY. 257

state of glory is U^^uturanal se^^on, in whici^
these blossoms wirjjTth rough the influence of tjie
sun of righteousne§§, be bpought to perfection,
and be ipaturecj iq the paradise of Gpd.

The pecessity of God*s " continual help" for
th(B purpose pf bringing good desire to good
eQ!ect is felt by every one m whom holy desiir^.
prevails. The tender blossoms of spnng are
exposed to the nipping frost and t\}e bl^^tiiig
wind. They fuustbe shelter.ed aiid cheri^li^d, or
they will frustrate the hope of harvest. O how
sweet to the conscious mind is that promise
which God hath made respecting His vineyard !

I the Lord do keep it ! I will water it every

moment; lest any hurt it, I will keep it night
" and day," In the faithfulness of this promise
let the believer rejoice, and take encourageinent
therefrom to pray for God's " continual help."
And he may be assured of a favourable answer
to his prayers y for " He who hath begun the
" good work in us will perfect it unto the day of
« Jesus Christ.''

We implore this blessing " through Jesus
" Christ our Lord." We plead the merit of a
risen Saviour. He is the meritorious and exem-
plary cause of our resurrection to newness of life
through all its stages. It is by " the power of
*^ His resurrection" that we feel **good desires,"
and by the same that they are are brought tp
^' good effect." It is conformably to His death
and resurrection that His redeemed " die to sin"
"and live again 'unto righteousness." Virtue
still proceeds from Him, whereby the dead are
n^ade alive and the sick are healed.

We ascribe therefore to Him, as living and
reigning with the Father and the Holy Ghost,
all the glory. He *• liveth;" — for "being

VOL. II. S

258 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

" raised from the 'dead He dieth no more, death
" hath no more dominion over Him.** He liveth
to be, as the second Adam, " a quickening Spi-
" rit'* in all His redeemed. " He ever liveth to
^' make intercession for them," and thereby to
secure to them the blessings of His cross. He
•* reigneth**' in them and over them, and must
reign till all " His enemies become His footstool,"
and His members, without the loss of one indi-
vidual, be glorified together with Him.

FIRST SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 06^

THE FIRST SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.

Almighty Fatlier^ who hast given thine only Son
to die for our shiSy and to rise again for our just i-
ficatibn; grant us so to put away the leaven of malice
and wickedness^ that we may always serve thee in
pureness of livifig and truth, throus;h the merits of
the same thy Son Jesus Christ our JLord, Amen.

3^HERE are two very important respects
among others, in which the pubHc services
our church accord with the Scriptures, and
which shew that the former are a pure stream
issuing from the fountain of the latter. The
first of these is the use which is made of Christ
in our Hturgy. He is "ALL IN all" throughout
her forms : " the Alpha and Omega, the begin-
" ning and the end, the first and the last,'' in
all her confessions of faith, her supplications and
thanksgivings. " Without Him" our church,
like a genuine branch of the true vine, " can
** do nothing." The second point of resem-
blance here referred to between these closely-
parallel lines, the Liturgy and the Bible, is
the end for which Christ is introduced. He is
introduced for practical purposes. In both these
volumes an intimate connection is constantly
maintained between doctrine and experience,
faith and holiness, justification and sanctification.
Christ is not made a nominal but a real Sa«
viour — a Saviour from the power as well as the
guilt of sin. The sun of righteousness is exhi-
bited, not with a painted radiance that yields

tS 3

a^O ON THE CX)LLECT FOR THE

no influence^ but ^'with healing in his wings.'*
From the destructive tenets of the self-justiciary
and the antinomian our church is equidistant
and equally abhorrent.

Enamoured of the subject which has lately
been presented to view, a crucified and risen
Saviour, our church again* calls our attention
to this two-fold object. Like Lot's wife, but
under the influence of far dilFerent motives from
those which actuated that unhappy woman, she
looks back from behind her. As slie is passing
from Calvary and the garden of Joseph towards
mount Olivet, she again and again takes a re-
trospect of those awful and jeyful events which
she has before conimemorated. As she passes
onward, Christ is " her theme, her inspiration,
" and her song."

Our collect for the first Sunday after Easter
reminds us anew of the great love of Grod in
giving " His only Son to die for our sins, and to
** rise again for our justification ;'* and on thi«
rtn iow it founds a prayer for sanctifying grace.

Tht* j)n^face of our collect is couched in the
wt)nls of St. Paul, Romans iv. 25, where he
spt»aks of Christ as ** delivered for onr offencesi,
** and raised again for our justification." We
Hhull not here repeat what has been already ssud
uu tho d(?ath and resurrection of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Hut as the subject of justification
lht»rrby has not been brought immediately be-
fi>n* us in our meditations on cither of the pre-
a'diui^ ('ollocts, we shall now make a few re-
marks on this most interesting topic.

• •' 'VUc Sunday after Easter, commonly called Domi-
«* inni nova, uitd * l^Miiinica in Albis, was observed with
<• uyvwi ¥\^W\i\\nty (in the primitive church) as the concla-

m\ of the IVohttl Festival/' Bingham, vol. ii. page 318.

FIRST Sl?NDAY AFTlER EASTER. 261

Justification is the reverse of condemnation,
and the necessity of » the former supposes the
antecedent existence of, the latter. Whatever
view we Ukjc of Chrisf, while we are reminded
of His Iqve and of our obligatious to Him, we
are also reminded of our natural guilt, misery,
and helplessness^ And indeed Christ can be
tlie object of our faith and love only as this re-
collection exists in our mind and is lively.
" They that are whole need not a phy^icianu
" but they that aii^ sicjc. ?' We put our trurt in
Him according to the degree in which we per-
•jceive our need of Him. If that perception or
consciousness be deep and abiding, the eye of
the soul will be directed to Jesus, and fixed on
Him with eager and persevering attention. We
love Him in propo^ion.as we are sensible of the
love wherewith He hath first loved us. Love to
Christ is not ^to he distinguished from gratitude
for favours received. It does not appear that the
Scripture has any where spoken of a disinter-
ested. Jove as occupying the bosoms either of
men or angels^ '7rQm the nature of things this
is exclusively an attribute of Him who cannot
be benefited by His creatures, nor be laid under
any obligations. to them. Let us therefore ad-
vert to the necessity of justification, before we
explain its nature. For such a review will be
calculated for utility both to saints and sinners.
It will conduce to enliven the gratitude and joy
of the former, and to excite the latter earnestly
to seek after the inestimable benefit of accept-
ance with God for and "through the merits of
" His Son Jesus Christ ^ur Lord."

We.aM. .He by nature iu a state of condemna-
tion on account of ojur $ins' original and actual ;
that is .tQ say ^ we w^rci.tliQ objects of. Divine

S3'

862 ON THE COLLECT fOR THE

wrath, and exposed to the <* vengeance of eter-
** nal fire." The justice of God peremptorily
demanded satisfaction, and His truth bound Him
to fulfil His awful threatenings. Such was the
state of mankind independent of the mediation
of our Lord Jesus Christ. There was ah impos^
sibility of averting '^ the wrath to come" by any
sufferings or obedience of our own. It was not
therefore without the most urgent necessity that
Christ interposed. He did not become incar-
nate, live and die, for the purpose of effecting
what might have been effected without His aid.
We were *' without strength, when Christ died
^' for the ungodly, "--r-utterly destitute of ability
to make atonement for sin, or to render our-
selves acceptable to God. Legal sacrifices were
inefficient, for " it was not possible that the
*^ blood of bulls and of goats should take away
'* sin/' No tears, no sorrows, nO penances of
the transgressor could avail to expiate his guilt,
because the requisition of the law was perfect
obedience, and no provision was made in it for
a commutation of its claim. The vicarious obe-
dience of an angel, if an angel could have been
found who would have undertaken our cause,
must have failed of accomplishing the work of
redemption; for the evil of sin:i ^ an offence
against God, is too heinous to be removed by
the sufferings of a creature, and whatever a
creature can perform for God is due on his owu
account, and can therefore have no superfluous
merit to be imputed to another. Our case
therefore was desperate without Christ. Every
ray of hope which the human mind receives
must be reflected on it from the atonitig cross.
We profess to be Protestants, and as such to
Relieve that '' there is one Mediator between

FIRST SUND4Y AFTER I;ASTER. 263

*' God and man, the man Christ Jesus." But ^e
we sincere in this profession ? Is there not rea-
son to fear that some, while in name they re^-
Bounce the errors of popery, in fact embrace its
most obnoxious tenets ?*

Let the humble believer in Jesus, after reading
this brief statement of man's desperate conditicm
in consequence of sin, recal to his mind '^ the
*' wormwood and the gall." Let him anew pros^
trate himself before the cross of Christ with de-
vout ascriptions of praise. And let the unbcr
liever, who* is either careless, about salvation, or
trusts in his own righteousness, consider his pre*
sent state, and tremble at the sight of the burning
lake.

Justification, in the theological sense of the
word, is the sentence of acquittal from guilt in-
curred and wrath denounced, and a restoration to
the forfeited favour of God. In both these views
of the subject our justification is the fruit of our
Lord's obedience unto death. There are indeed
some modern Divines who rob Christ of half His
glory, and the sinner's hope of half if not the
whole of its basis. For they teach that the
work of Christ has only removed the guilt of wn,
and then left the pardoned criminal to procure
by his own obedience a title to eternal glory.
But this mutilated view of justification may be
opposed both by positive texts of Scripture and

* Let the reader compare the tenets of Popery on the sub-
ject ot* jiistiBcatioa as they are stated by Hooker, (vol. iii.
p. 434, ikv, Oxford edit, of his works) with the creed of
many modern Protestants, and he will be struck with th^
roiucidence. It would be a happy circumstance for the
church of England, if the works of this eminent Divine
were more generally known.

s4

i'4 r^N THE COLLECT FOR THE

r«^'::ve dechntions of oiir church * For Christ
•> •■ tr.e richreousness of all them that trulv do
•■ VcPeve in Kim. He for them paid their ran-
••■ 5om bv Hi? death. He for them fulfilled the
■ hw in Kls life. So that now in Him and by
*: Hrtn even" true Christian man may be called a
*' fulf:"!er of the law, forasmuch as that which
•' rheir infirmity lacked, Christ's justice hath sup-
'• p!:ed"+ — not by way of supplement to some-
tMr.g ot our own, but to the exclusion of all
pcr?*?r:!l righteousness whatever.

•• Jirsrificntion" then "consists of these two
" jv^rrs. remission and acceptance. We have
•• rhom both joined together, Eph. i. 6, ?• He
•' h.:rh iniido us accepted in the Beloved, in whom
•* w- have redemption through His blood, even
•• the forgiveness of sins. Remission of sins takes
" awnv our liableness to death ; acceptation of
" inir pennons gives us a title unto life. Now to
*• bo free from our obnoxiousness to death, and
** instatcil in a right to eternal life, these two
•* iV!i<tituto a perfect justification. For to be
*« :K\t*pcablo of God in Christ is no other than for
^^ (uh!. ihrough the righteousness and obedience
•• of Ciirist imputed to us, to own and acknow-
*• led ire us to have a right to heaven. And there-
** fpre wo have mention of a pardon and ^n inhe-
** ritutux* together in St. Paul's commission to his
«*winij<tn/ (Acts xxvi. l8.) that they may
*• \Yvvi\o torgivonoss ofsins, and an inheritance
*' amors* Jhoin that are sanctilied. It is not there-
.. j;..^^, "() souL n bare negative righteousness

• Sv lUvkrr, \ol. iii. 4:Un 437» quoted p, 172 of this

* Sv il>*' lloiuily ot' Salvation, iu which the mode ofjus<*
.av>jitu^i i» >taud \uih tho jjriatest accuracy.

FIRST SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 265

'^ that God intends thee in the pardon of thy sins ;
" it is not merely to remove the curse and wrath
*^ thy sins have deserved (though that aloiie can
** never sufficiently be admired) ; but the same
" hftnd that plucks thee out of hell by pardon,
'* lifts thee up to heaven by what He gives thee
" together with thy pardon, even a right and ti-
" tie to a blessed and glorious inheritance. Thy
'' pardon thou hast from the passive obedience of
" Christ in His sufferings. A right to heaven
*' thou hast through the active obedience of Christ ,
*' in fulfilling all righteousness. And through
'^ both hast thou obtained a complete justification ;
** God looked upon thee as innocent through the
** satisfaction of His Son, and as worthy through
" His obedience, both which are made thine by
" faith."*

Blessed be God, that such a change of state as
that which hath been described is possible to be
obtained — that it is certain to him who seeks it
aright — that every believer in Jesus is actually
brought into it. He is " passed from death unto
" life/' Whatever may be comprehended under
the term death was naturally his portion, his
present and eternal portion. But so great is the
transition which he hath experienced, that all this
is abolished; and whatever is included in the
term life is now, and shall eternally be, his rich
and glorious inheritance. How strange is it that
this all-important subject should be uninteresting
to any of the guilty sons of Adam! — that this sweet
theme should want attractions for fallen man! —
that it should be considered as a needless specu-
lation in Divinity! — that dissertations on morality
should be preferred to the gospel of Jesus Christ !

* Bishop Hopkins on fhe Lord's Prayer, page 03*

e06 . ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

— nay, that opposition should be raised against the
gratuitous nature of the salvation which is re-
vealed, and that attempts should be made to de-
preciate its riches, and to rob it of its glorious
peculiarities ! — ^Do / know how I may be accepted
with God, and do / enjoy the inestimable benefit?

How gross an insult to the understanding and
feelings of a capital convict would a discourse on
the nature of his dufy, the estates he once pos-
sessed, and the honour to which he had been in-
titled, prove ! Equally galling to the conscious
mind arc lectures on morality, the duties and re-
wards of the covenant of \yorks, while the attain-
der of the Divine law rests on it with an insup-
portable weight, ^nd no method of justification is
proposed that is adapted to its state. Blessed be
God, that justification by faith in the vi(!:arious
sufferings and obedience of a Divine Surety is. the
grand topic both of the Bible and of our church !
Both lay their foundation in the merit of the
Redeemer, and then build thereon a superstruc-
ture of personal obedience. In both salvation by
grace and the necessary effects of faith are sa
clearly stated, that every important mistake must
arise either from gross inattention or wilful per-
verseness.

Jhat justification is the act of God, as our col-
lect has stated it to be, needs no proof. For the
creditor only can remit the debt which is due to
him, and may appoint his own terms. Now.as
the whole human race is in a state of bankruptcy,
surely it becomes us to inquire what those terms
of remission are which the great Creditor has re-
vealed. Indifference to the subject is an insult
to His Majesty, and a high aggravation of our
guilt. What, then, does the gospel, the law of
faith, the directory of lif^, say on the momentous

FIRST SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 26?

subject? It informs us that G©d is holy, just
and true, and that therefore a reparation of the
dishonour done to His law by sin, and a full sa*
tisfaction to His justice, are indispensably re-
quisite in the method of salvation. But, while
the eye of the criminal, wild with despair, is
looking round for hope without discovering a
single ray, q. voice full of sweetness and dis-
tinctly audible, proceeds from mount Calvary,
crying, *' It is finished," '* I have finished the
^* transgression, and made an end of sins ; I
** have made reconciliation for iniquity and
" brought in everlasting righteousness." (Dan.
ix. 25.) " God is just and tlie justifier of him
''that believeth in me." ** I have paid the
" ransom : deliver them from going down to the
^* pit." " Let justice make its utmost demand,
" I have a receipt in full to shew^ signed with
'* the Creditor's royal signature, and attested by
♦* credible witnesses."

The obedience and sufferings of our Lord
Je,sus Christ constitute the sole cause of our jus-
tification before God. The gospel excludes
from its system every notion of human worthi-
ness. " By thine agony and bloody sweat ; by
** thy cross and passion ; by thy precious death

and burial; by thy glorious resurrection and

ascension, good Lord deliver us," will be the
only plea of conscious sinners in relation to jus-
tification before God.

But it may be asked, if the obedience of
Christ unto death be the sole and all-sufficient
cause of our justification before God, what has
His resurrection to do with the subject ? And
why has the Apostle and our collect asserted
that Christ was raised for our justification ? In
solving this difficulty it will be sufficient to

is

. •'' .*....£ ..'LLECT FOR THE

.:■--, ".': -: : ^v ri-stamp adds no in-

-.:*.-'.- ^: •. :' ^'/id. vet it is neces-

. ' - i^ ::vi lu cive it currency.

. : \ VLs r'v.<.:rTectiun added

: " ■: .: : ::' Hi- <urtV-rinsr»s, which

: .* . 1^ :' ♦• ,1* H:< person ; but it

* — - • ^ :>-■ . .>:".-•: His oiVt ring hath

• X •I'n.'ii.inption as-

^ . : :.;!:!! shell. Had a

'^•. ..X . ":/.' y. •.; :'r:l>t, and been

: . -•- . . :•.-.; uilnlled his en-

^- .^ •: . * - :« -.:-;.: ' ^ v.'.a i e netos:<ary to

' : .. .•;•.■: ..> am:ai]y liquidated.

.-. \' ■ ,. C. •?: •\:i:onsirat(Hl both

/* .• i:^ v.jct.^!. ;ivit! the fill fihnent

.{ : - :'/.•. : .!-: . - i n marks on the doc-
* . ,^ 'c. . *. a iiocirine AUiich from its
v.- ' 'A jl::«: :\:v:*r :ct[inres a volume instead
,-v . . •• vvvd to consider the prayer
•^ , . ., vc: o:nK:< on the foregoing pre-
a.v V^ :>/:5v liu: our '* Almighty Father"
,»u .• • ^x:;:; i:< so to put away the leaven of
••^* . ,• ci::k[ viick.vinoss, that we may aUvaA's
>.. %. il.ai u! purcnoss of living and truth,
: " \ ri;u Uic merits of the same His Son Jesus
* <* • t^t v>Mr Loixl."

i:u* 5vi«a of this iXH^uest is suggested by the
^vfhviaiMU of St. Paul, (1 Cor. v. 7, 8)

• r, ^;v* out tlio old leaven, that ^^e may be a
•• • s V haup as \oaro unleavened. For even

K • 4*M our pas>o\cr is sacrificed for us. There-
■^ IV w* lee us Lxp the teast, not with old leaven,

• tu- '.!♦;•. \Mth the leaven of nmhce and wicked-

• ;?ev% . UvA u«ih the unleavened bread of sin-
.x:a\ atul iruih." This exhortation of the

Ais\*uv' our iv»IUvt has eonvortcil into a prayeri

FIRST SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 269

wh'rch, as we have frequently observed, is the
result of true wisdom, since obedience can only
be produced by grace communicated to our
hearts. We shall not discuss the analogy be-
tween Christ and the p,aschal lamb, remarkable
and instructive as that analogy is, because it
does not lie at present in our way. Nor shall
we review the typical connection between the
paschal feast and the Lord's supper, though
the Apostle in the foregoing exhortation plainly
intimates such a connection. But we shall con-
fine our attention to the prayer of our collect.
We pray for grace that we may " put away
" the leaven of malice and wickedness." In or-
der to explain the phraseology which is here
used, it is necessary to observe that the Jews
were required by the Divine law, mider pain of
death, to forbear the use of leaven,* and to put
it away out of their houses, for seven days dur^
ing the paschal solemnity. (Exod. xii. 15 — 19.)
This ceremonial requisition was designed to
teach the necessity of moral purity in those who
partake of the true passover. In obedience to
this command, the Jews were very careful in
scrutinizing their houses, as their own writers
inform us, for the purpose of removing every
particle of leaven from them.f And should we

* Leaven is sour fermenting matter, used for the purpose
of lightening bread. Figuratively applied, it is anj mixture
which makes a general change in the mass, and generally
means something which depraves or corrupts that with which
it is mixed.

t '^ Tlie Jews began ta cleanse their iiouses from all lea«
ven on the i 3th of ^isan; every place was carefully ex-
amined, lest any thing leavened should remain in corners,
or in cupboards : so that on the 14th of Nisan at noon there
was none in the house. The Jews at this day religiously
observe this practice; to which St.. Paul in some places al-
ludes, sayinjf, ' A little leaycu leaveneth the whole lump;*

970 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

be less diligent and anxious in purging our
hearts from the corrupted and corrupting leaven
of sin, seeing we profess to be true Israelites,
and to be partakers of an interest in the antity-
pical paschal Lamb, and of salvation through
His blood from a worse bondage than that of
Egypt?

But this we know our inability to do, if in-
deed we are taught of God ; and therefore we
address Him in the language of supplication,
that He would grant us His grace whereby we
may be enabled to do it. It was easy for an Is-
raelite who was solicitous to comply with the
Divine command, to discover and remove every
crumb of leaven from his house. But it is im-
possible for us either to discover or remove
" the leaven of malice and wickedness" from
our hearts by our wisdom and strength. And
hence arises a necessity of joining in the Psal-
mist's prayer. (Ps. cxxxix. 23, 24. ) " Search
" me, O God, and know my heart : try me,
" and know my thoughts, and see if there be

any wicked way in me, and lead me in the

way everlasting." Or, as lie elsewhere ex-
presses the same desire, (Ps. xix. 12) " Who
" can understand his errors? cleanse thou me
" from secret faults." Divine Ught is necessary
to the discovery of sin, and Divine power to its
subjugation*

This will appear still clearer, if we consider
the nature of the evil which we are to ** put

i. e, if there were but a small portion of leaven in a quantity
of bread or paste during the passover*, it was thereby cor-
rupted and rendered unclean: it was thrown away and
burned," — Calraet's Dictionary.

See also Ainsworth^s Annotations on Exodus xii. 15, &cJ
where the reader will find some larije quotations from Mai-
monides and other Jewish Doctors mi this subject.

FIRST SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 271'

€C

away" from us. The words " malice and
'* wickedness" are not used in our collect, and
in the passage of St. Paul on which the collect
is founded in a restricted but in a general sense,
for the principle of natural corruption.* This,
like leaven, is incorporated with the whole mass
of our constitution, body, soul and spirit. Hence
it is called " the flesh," ** the natural man,"
" the old man." When we speak of corrup-
tion we speak of ourselves; for ^* in us, that is,
" in our flesh, dwelleth no good thing.'* To
put away the leaven of malice and wickedness
is therefore to put away self; to *^ put off the
"old man," to "mortify our" own "mem-
" bers." To unleaven a mass which hath been
leavened is difficult, but to purge out the old
leaven of sin from our hearts i$ impossible to
human ability. We see therefore the propriety
with which the Apostolic exhortation is con-
verted into prayer.

It is supposed that those persons who use our
collect are under the influence of earnest desire
after purity of heart and life. Let the reader
inquire whether this supposition be just respect-
ing himself The gospel, while it affords new
grounds of hope, suggests also new motives of
action, and as it is credited effectually enforces
those motives. The end of redemption is sanc-
tification. If indeed we believe that "Christ
" our passover is sacrificed for us," we shall be
solicitous to " put away the old leaven."

* Kaxta, malice or maliciousness, 13 used in this general
sense, 1 Peter ii. 16. And itovifjpia is generally so used.
KoKia est naturalis vitiositas. 'rtoyrjoix est aliquid pejus:
Mains est quisquis male agit, nequam qui cum dolo male
agit, vel qui accersit4 et voluntari^ pravitate peccat contra
conscientiam : Unde et Diabolus itoyr^po^ dicitur. Poli Syii.
in 1 Coj. V. 8.

«72 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

^ For it is to be observed that we do not pray,
for Divine power to act on us as on inanimate or
irrational beings, but that God would grant that
*^ we may put away the leaven of malice and
" wickedness." We implore grace whereby
we may be instructed and enabled to *^ crucify
*' the flesh with the affections and lusts." Tlie
act of remov£^l is ours, but both the will and
power to do it must come from God. If we are
sincere in praying for power to subdue corrup-
tion, we are daily fighting against it.

But what is our ultimate object in this re-
guest ? What is the desire of those among us
who believe that God gave " His only Son to
^^ die for our sins and to rise again for our justifi-
'* cation ?" It is invariably this, *' that we may
V always serve Him in pureness of livii)g an4
'* truth." While the leaven of natural corrup-
tion remains unsubdued, we cannot *5 serve"
Him. For ^^ the carnal mind is enmity agaipst
** God: it is not subject to the law of God, nei-
" ther indeed can be. " The love and power of
sin therefore must be subdued, before we can
engage cordially in His service. When this is
effected, then we become the servants of God,
and our members are made instruments of
righteousness unto Him. Then we become " a
" peculiar people, zealous of good v^orks."

" Pureness of living and truth" in the latter
clause of our request are opposed to "malice
" and wickedness" in the former.*^ It is not
only necessary that as Christians we should ma-
nifest all outward purity in our lives, but also
that there be " truth" or sincerity in the inward

* Prius opponitar KctmiXi alteram iro'/rjcioL, E/Atx^*y«a
est fueja imparitatis, a^ijfl^a sirnulationis. Poli Sjn. in
1 Cor, V. 8.

FIRST SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. J272f

parts, A whited sepulchre is an abomination
in the sight of God. What say our hearts to
this request ? Are we anxious to have our souls
purged -from the leaven of sin, and to become
new creatures ? If this be not the desire of our
souls, we are unaCquaiilted with the privilegest
duties, and obligations of Christiaiiity-^we have
no part in the great passovfer, and derive no be-
nefit from the death and resilrrection of the Son
of God.

We implore sanctifying grace "through. the
^* merits of the same His Son Jesus Christ oUr
*5 Jx)rd.'' He is of God made unto us sanctifi-^
C^on as well as justification. He is the meri-
4;orious cause of both ; and while His resurrection
assures us of the all-sufficiency of the latter,
faith in His name through the purchased in-
fluence of His Spirit puts us in possession of the
former. '' Beholding as in a glass the glory df
** the Lord, we are changed into the same image,
" from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of
« the Lord.'*

VOL. 11.

274 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

TEIE SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.

Almighty Gody who hast given thine only Son
to be unto us both a sacrifice for sin and also an
ensample of godly life ; give us grace, that voe
may always most thankfully receive that His in-
estimable benefit, and also daily endeavour our-
selves fofollozo the blessed steps of His most holy
life, through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

FOR the confirmation of the faith of Heze-
kiah the course of nature was miraculously
reversed. (Is;xxxviii. 8.) A similar retrogression
in our meditations on the course of the sun of
righteousness, as it is marked in the sun-dial of
our church's calendar, may be productive of the
same eftect in our souls. It may tend to con-
firm our faith, and to establish our hopes. With
this view we are led again to contemplate the
death of Christ.

Christians are followers of Christ. "They
" follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth.'*
(Hcv. xiv. 4.) Thereby they are distinguished
from all other persons, so that they may easily
ttscertuin their own character and be known by
others. To ** follow the Lamb** implies two
tliinp;s, viz. faith in His atonement as the sacri-
iwvA " Lamb of God that taketh away the sin
•* of the world," and an imitation of His ex-
ample who was ** holy, harmless, undefiled and
*' i*cpnrate from sinners.'* These two things,
faith sind practice, constitute the character of a
Uhriditiun.

SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 275

This twofold end' for which '^ God gave Hid
" only Son" corresponds with a twofold desire
which is formed in the bosom of every true be-
lieven And the unison which prevails between
the design of Divine mercy as it is revealed in
the Scriptures, and the feelings of a penitent
sinner, affords irrefragable evidence that the
gospel is of God, and that He who made the
human soul is the Author of that plan of salva-
tion which is proposed to it. The relation be-
tween a curious mould and the figure which is
cast in it is not more apparent to the eye, than
that which exists between the fallen soul of man
and the gospel-salvation is to the conscious
mind. The same all-wise Being who formed the
soul must have contrived that plan of salvation
which is found on trial to be suitable to its mul-
tifarious wants and miseries. Thus ** he that
** believeth hath the witness in himself" con-
cerning ** the record which God hath given of
"His Son.**

The end for which God gave His only Son
was, that He might *' be unto us both a sacri-
'* fice for sin and also an ensample of Godly
" life/* And the desire of every awakened soul
is ** most thankfully to receive thatJHfis inesti-
** mable benefit," and also '^ daily to follow the
** blessed steps of His most holy life."

Our collect for the second Sunday after Eas-
ter consists of an introduction and a prayer.
The introduction exhibits Christ in a twofold
point of view, on which a twofold petition is
founded.

Christ is first exhibited as "a sacrifice for sin;"
for His atonement must be received before .
His example can be imitated. A foundation

t2

276 0\ THE COLLECT FOR THE

must be laid by faith in His death, before a
superstructure can be raised bv a conformity
to His hfe. « The mercies of God," as they
are manifested in redemption, aflford the only
motives which can induce a sinner to •' pre-
•* sent his body a living sacrifice, holy and ac-
•' ctrpuble to God/' though such a surrender is
undoubtedly "the reasonable service" of all
rational creatures.

In order fully to understand the first view
^hich our collect takes of Christ, it will be ne^
cessary to hare recourse to those sacrifices which
Bere ofiiered under the Old Testament dispen^
satioa as t}*pical figures of Him. The rites of
sacrificature were enjoined immediately after the
iall, becanse a knowledge of the true sacrifice
was immediately necessary to the salvation of
fallen man. That the institution of sacrifice
^ould have been of human invention, is in itself
a biehiy improbable position. For the expec-
tation of appeasing an offended God by the
I'food of* a brute animal can have no foundation
in rta^oo, nor in any views which the mind na-
tcraiiy forms of Deity. But we have positive
evkkuce that the institution is Divine. For the
lu>t sacrifice which is recorded to have been
Offered, though doubtless not the first that was
oturcd* was otTered by faith (Heb. xi. 4.}; and'
ue know that faith must have its warrant in the
i-.vr.avand and promise of Grod. The patriarchal •
s.\cr;ncrs m t:re acceptable to God ; and as will-
V. orsi' n canmn please Him, we may be assured
::;: ri.^Sv^scKTirkes were a compliance with His
r^<;::.i' rtquisitiou. Moreover, the arbitrary
i\>: ,:.'Lor» which was established between clean
i ;.; u:.v ieai; animals had an immediate relation

SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 2T7

to the law of sacrifices, and we know that this
distinction preceded the deluge.*

The animals which were appointed to be of-
fered in sacrifice, were to be of the clean tribes
fltnd without blemish. Now these were all useful
for food, and in them consisted the chief riches
of the early ages. In the descriptions which the
Scripture hath given of Christ, the true Lamb
of God, the great sacrifice for the sin of the
world, such circumstances are particularized as
shew the correspondence that was Divinely in-
tended to exist between the type and the aiiti*
type. Christ is *^ a lamb without blemish and
•' without spot/' He was " chosen of God and
** precious.'* He " was led as a lamb to the
** slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers

is dumb, so He opened not His mouth." For

when He was reviled. He reviled not again ;
** when He suffered. He threatened not ; but
"committed Himself to Him that jud^eth
" righteously." He was the firstling of the flock, '
being " the first-born among many brethren,*'

The rite of sacrificature was altogether of a
typical kind. Thereby the gospel was preached
to those who lived before the aera of the Mes-
siah. Therein by significant actions every
material point of doctrine respecting the person
and work of Christ, and also respecting justifi-
cation by faith in Him, was taught. The sin$
of the offerer were laid on the head of the ap-
pointed victim, and therefore the victim itself is
called sin^ and guilt. And as none but the
guilty can properly be punished, and as brute
animals are impeccable,, the infliction of death

* See several notes on this subject annexed to Dr, Magee'a
second Discourse on the Atonement ; and Jones's Zooloi^ia
Ethica, in tlie third volume of his workt',

T 3

278 OX THE COULECT YOZ 7i£E

on an ox or a sheep speaks for itseb", and pliisjr
demorjstratfs the typical imputation of 5i:i. A
trnnsftr of c?uilt being made to the appclntei
victim, ita blood was shed; for " withoci saed-
*• ding of blood there was no remission." Tbe
death of the vicarious victim was required, be-
cause the life of the personated cnminal was
forfeited. The slain victim was then laid on the
altar of God, where it was either wholly or
partly* as the circumstance required, consumed
by firOi and in some few instances by fire mi-
raculously kindled. The sijioke of the altar
then ascvnded to heaven, a sweet savour to
God.*

TJic application of these particulars is so easy,

that wo ut^cd not enlarge upon it. We shall

thoivfuiv proceed to observe that the end of sa-

iTillcinjc was t^\piation or atonement; and that

when the sacrifice had been offered, a feast was

made of the pcacv oflerings which were not con-

ffumcil vu I he nllnr. Thus those, who through

faith in the Lamb of God are justified by JJig

Mood; feast on Him while they partake of the

n\mhoJs of Ilis love in the Lord's supper. It

Uiis thf^ n mark of an eminent Divine that

uolhinjr hn|)pcnc(l to the Messiah which Mas

not picdi<lc(l, cither verbally or by typical

• t>n {\\\n moht intiMTslin^Hubjrrt to every true Christian,
t\w \xU\\\n\ l»rt\\«H'ii till* Jt'wish hat niiceH and their great an-
t»t\|M\ murh iMirionHiiiul prcilitahle instruction is contained
n/\ilnnjM»'H OhhcrvntioncH Sarnr, lib. ii. rap. 13, 14, 15,
Tlio Antht»r has \i\ui\v use not only oFthe Scripture account,
hut c»lMM»r thiMhwriptiouH of tlie wicriiical rites given by
iNc .•» ^^l•«l^ \^nlcvN, lor I he purpose of ilhistratiuj" his sub«
^r\t. \\ luMlur this valuahh> work, which is written in
i «if«n. \u\^ \r\ l>c«»n hunslalcfl into English, the Author of
ili»..r p«»{:« '• !'• ut»t c«»uipctcut to say, J^ut if it has not, he
(inuK*- i\ (M'tisladon ol it would he u valuable addition to oii^;'
%*o» K t»l(l»Mlp^;ic«l trcutisc»J,

SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EASTfiR. 279

representation; and that nothing was thus pre-
dicted of Him which has not been fulfilled.

^* God hath given His only begotten Son to be
^' unto us a sacrifice for sin." The oblations un-
der the law had no value but what they derived
from Him who is the substance of all those sha"
dows. The blood of bulls and goats could not
put away sin. But our Lord Jesus Christ hath,
*' by the one oblation of Himself once offered,
** made a full, perfect and sufficient sacrifice,
** oblation and satisfaction for the sins of the
*^ whole world.'* The necessity of such a sacrifice
exhibits in the fullest and clearest manner the
guilt and misery of man, while it also shews " the
** height and depth, the length and breadth, of
** the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge."

'* God gave His only Son to be unto us also an
'^ ensample of Godly life." Such in their degree
were the sacrifices of the Mosaic law ; for moral
instruction was certainly intended to be conveyed
by that distinction of animals into the classes of
clean and unclean which was established by the
Mosaic code. It had a primary reference to the
qualitie.^ of the great Atoner, and a secondary
one to the character of those who profess to be-
lieve on His name ; the instincts of the unclean
tribe shewing them what they are not to be, and
those of the clean animals exhibiting " what man- •
'* ner of persons they ought to be in all holy con-
" versation and Godliness."* These, however,
were only shadows of a brightei- pattern which
has now been held up for our imitation. Christ
is the '^ensampje of Godly life*' from which

* This is demonstrated in a most ingenious and edifying
disquisition on the subject,' in the third volume of the works
of the late Rev, Wm. Jones. »

T 4

980 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE >

instruction on the whole circle of duty richly
emanates.

It was the gracious purpose of God to niake
those whom He redeemed by the blood of His
Son a happy people. This He could not do
without making them a holy people. He baa
therefore made provision in the covenant of grace
for their sanctification as well as for their justiii-^
cation; and of both Christ is the appointed foun-
tain out of which we are to *' receive and gra^e
''for grace." He, *'of God, is made unto us-
'' wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and re-»
'* demption." In consequence of His sacri^e.
for sin the gift of the Holy Spirit is procured for
fallen man, of which " it pleased the Father that
*' all fulness should dwell in Christ" for our le- -
generation and sanctification. By a revelation of
Christ as the sacrifice for sin His redeemed are
inspired with love to His person, name and cha-
racter; and love begets imitation. In the law of
God they have a perfect rule of duty ; and th^.
this rule may be the more fully understood^ and
be furnished with every powerful attractive, holi-
ness has been personified in the conduct pf our
Lord Jesus Christ.

That the example of our Lord was designed for
our imitation is expressly and frequently asserted^
though, alas ! it is regarded in this light by few
among those persons who bear His name. If the
end for which God gave His only Son were to be
inferred from the general conduct of Christians^
it would not be supposed that the latter of those
mentioned in our collect had any place in the Di**
vine mind. But the statement of our church is
accurate. For Christ hath " left us an example
•' that we should follow His steps." 1 Peter ii. 21;
^* Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of

SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 281

^ Christ,'* says St. Paul to the Corinthians,
** He that saith, he abideth in Him, ought
** himself also so to walk, even as He walked."
1 John ii. 6. " Take my yoke upon you, and
*' learn of me, for I am meek and lovvlv in
** heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls,**
says the adorable Saviour of HimselK

The example which our Lord hath set us is
bright and alluring. It is caldtilated to afford
instruction in every station and relation, with
respect both to God and man, to friends and
foes. It is a lively and perfect comment on both
the tables of the moral law; for the whole deca-
logue was written on His heart and exhibited in
His life. Both morality and holiness shone in
Him with a steady lustre. He was a sun with-
out spots, which constantly poured forth its
radiance in every direction. In the mirror of
His history, the child, the youth, the man,
may discern a perfect pattern of conduct. In
the man Christ Jesus " the beauty of holiness*'
was displayed in the fullest manner. May we
gaze till we are transformed into the same
image !

Our church has wisely conjoined the twofold
object of Christ's mission. For an imitation of
Christ is essentially necessary to prove that we
have a saving iiiterest in His sacrifice. Faith is
pot a merely speculative assent to the truth of
certain propositions which are made to the mind,
but it " worketh by love.'* *^ The same mind
•^ which was also in Christ Jesus" is genuine
religion. All pretensions to Godliness without
this are vain. This only is sterling and will
bear the test of examination ^ all without it i»
counterfeit q,nd reprobate,

282 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

Wc proceed now to consider the prayer of
our collect, which, like the introductory part,
is twofold, and is founded on the twofold view
of Christ which is before presented. We pray
for " grace, that we may always most thankfully
** receive the inestimable benefit," viz. the sacri-
fice of the Son of God for sin ; ** and also daily
** endeavour ourselves to follow the blessed steps
" of His most holy life.''

First, we pray " that we may always most
*' thankfully receive the inestimable benefit of
** Christ's sacrifice/' The manner in which the
sacrifice of Christ is here characterized may be
compared with what the Apostle says (2 Cor. ix.
15.) " Thanks be unto God for His unspeak-
" able gift." By " the unspeakable gift" some
commentators understand that charitable dispo-
sition to which St. Paul had been exhorting the
Corinthians; while others suppose that, by a
sudden and abrupt transition, not uncommon in
the Scriptures, * he refers to " the inestimable
** gift" of Christ, which is introduced as the
strongest motive to that liberality which he
wished to promote and cherish in their minds.

If Christ, the fountain of salvation, be the
free gift of God, then is salvation itself in all its
branches also a free gift. For generals include
particulars. How contrary then is the pride and
arrogance of the self-justiciary to the forms of
our church, and to the foundation of all truth
laid in the. Scriptures, on which our church has
built her fabric of doctrines!

The attribute of this comprehensive gift of
God, the sacrifice of His Son, bespeaks the
munificence of the adorable Donor. It is such

* See Cant, i, 2. iii. 3. John xx. 15.

SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 283

»

as cannot be particularly described nor fully
expressed. It is unspeakable, nay, it is ^* ines-
*' timable." Its importance is unutterable and
iDconceivable. Of this we may judge by conr
templating the circumstances in which we should
be placed without it, in life, in death, and to
all eternity. As guilty, helpless, and polluted
creatures, we could have no source of comfort,
and should be exposed both to present and eter-
nal misery. On the other hand, the situation •
to which we are raised by means thereof, affords
a perfect contrast to our natural misery. Heaven
and hell are not further apart, nor more dissi-
milar. For those who " receive this inestimable
** gift," are pardoned, accepted, sanctified, and
comforted in the present life; and there is " laid
up for them a crown of glory that fadeth not
away." Now before the importance of this
gift can be fully ascertained, an estimate must
De made of the value of the soul — of the evil of
sin — of the miseries of hell — of the glories of
heaven — and of eternal duration as the attribute
of both. But who is sufficient for these things?
No one possessed of a finite understanding.
God, therefore, only knows the value of His
own gift. Place it in the balance against sin,
for which it has atoned. Consider that "the
'* wages of" every " sin is death." Then take
into the account the number, enormity, and
aggravations of your own sins, those of your
heart and life. These are incalculable; but how
small a proportion do they bear to the sins of the
whole world, for which the sacrifice of Christ
was " a full, perfect, and sufficient satisfaction."
Consider again the value of a single soul. Worlds
of mortal and irrational beings are not to be
compared with it. How inestimable its worth!

\

284 ON THE COLLECT FOR THfi

The gift of Christ was the ransom-price, whereby
the redemption of a lost world has been eflFected.
How insufficient are all our powers of expres-
sion, calculation, and conception, when em*
plo3'^ed in the science of Divine arithmetic!

If We contemplate the gift of Christ " to be
*i unto us a sacrifice for sin" in a comparative
view of its excellence, its superiority to all
other benefits which we have received will
plainly appear. Our *' creation'* with those
powers and privileges which we originally pos-
sessed, was an inestimable favor. But existence
without Christ would eventually have proved a
curse instead of a blessing. Our *^ preservation**
is also a cause for thankfulness; but our preser-
vation in existence without a Saviour would only
have increased our damnation. For if there
was no sacrifice for sin, the sooner we were cast
into hell the better, seeing that every hour spent
on earth would aggravate our guilt. " All the
** blessings of this life''' are only such when viewed
in connection with " the inestimable gift."
Irrespective of atonement they would be curses
instead of blessings. The conscious mind could
find no satisfaction in them, and could indulge
no hope beyond them. But through the merit
of the gfeat sacrifice, and by faith therein,
** creation, preservation, and all the blessings of
*^ life,'' are restored to their original nature,
tendency, and issue. In itno Christo omnia.

" Christ is all and in all."

. In every view, then, .the gift of Christ is an
" inestimable gift." Neither Saints on earth,
nor Saints in glory, can duly appreciate it*
Our Lord Himself, speaking in the 40th Psalm,
expresses the highest admiration of redeeming
love. '' Many, O Lord my God^^ are thy

SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 285

•^ wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy
^^ thoughts which are to us -ward : they cannot be
** reckoned up in order unto thee; if I should
*' declare and speak of them they are more than
'* can be numbered." Redemption is a subject
** which can never be exhausted by the intellect
** tual powers of men and angels; but will, to
5* both, afford matter of incessant meditation
♦* and endless praise. Yet how little do we
•* meditate on its wonders ! how seldom and how
*' coldly do we praise God for them !" * St.
Paul also speaks of " the height and depth and
" length and breadth of the love of Christ aa
** passing knowledge/' f (^ph. iii. 18, 19.)
Now if the tongue of the seraphic Psalmist,
speaking in the person of Christ and under the
influence of the Holy Ghost, was unable to
describe this gift; if the enlarged mind of one who

* Dr, Home on the 40th Psalm, ver. 5.
i" This passage of St. Paul is equally to be admired for
the sublimity of its sense, and the beauty and variety of its
charmins figures* and excellencies of language. ** By a
bold and beautiful metaphor, the dimensions of material
substances are raised above their native signification, and
ennobled by being applied to the mysteries of religion.
The goodness of God in His dear Son Jesus has its breadth
— it extends to all mankind; its length — it reaches to all
ages; its height and depth — He raises mankind from the
lowest abyss of misery and despair, to the highest eminence
•f happiness and glory. Where it is remarkable, that,
though the dimensions of bodies are but three, the sacred
4^utl)or adds a fourth — height, whereby he more emphatically
expresses the greatness, the majesty, the absohite and entire
perfection, and the immense charity of that \7oi»derful work
of oar redemption ; or, in the better words of the inspired
writer, the unsearchable riches of the love of Christ; the
knowledge of which passes all other knowledge, both in it:»
own immense greatness, and the grand concern mankind
has in it; and can never be so perfectly known by created
understandings, as that they shall either fully oom prebend,
or duly value such au adorable mystery and infinite bles*
sing." — Blackwairs Sacred Classics, vol. i« p. 267.

286 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

had been caught up into the third heaven could
not fully conceive of it, it may justly be styled
" inestimable." The beloved disciple seems also
at an utter loss for expression sufficiently forci-
ble for his purpose, when he says, " God so
** loved the world as to give His only begotten
" Son/' He could find no comparison ; he
could only relate the fact. Saints made perfect,
and angels who surround the throne, are unable
to shew forth half His praise who gave " Hfis
" only Son to be a sacrifice for sin.'* Eternal
ages will not fully disclose, nor etenial praise
fully acknowledge, the benefit of redemption.

How proper is our petition for " grace"
" that we may always most thankfully receive
•* this inestimable gift!" It resembles that of
the Apostles, " Lord, we believe; help thou
** our unbelief." To receive it in a manner
suitable to its worth, is impossible; but surely
it should be our desire and endeavour constantly
to embrace it with all the energies of our minds
wrouglit up to the highest pitch of grateful
adoration.

A thankful reception of the " inestimable
** benefit" implies a conviction of our need of
it. If a present of a million sterling were offered
to one who had, or supposed himself to have, a
full sufficiency of money .before, he would say,
*' Of what use can this additional sum be to me?
" I want it not, bestow it where it is more needed,
" and of consequence will be more acceptable."
Such is the language of the self-righteous heart
respecting the " inestimable gift." I am rich,

and increased with goods, and have need of

nothing," is the groundless persuasion it main-
tains; while, in fact, it is *^ wretched and mise-

riable, poor and bUnd and naked." But therc^

€4

SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 287

are others besides Pharisaic persons who make
light of Christ. He is despised also and rejected
by all who are in an unawakened state of soul.
To one who is wholly unacquainted with the
value of money, and the advantages derivable
from the possession of it in civilized society (as,
for instance, to a South-Sea-Islander,) the largest
offer of a pecuniary kind would be unthankfully
received. And in like manner the inestimable
gift is treated by the generality of mankind.
They hear of the love of God without emotion,
and of the gift of Christ without any desire after
an interest in Him. A conviction of the worth
of the soul, of its guilt, danger, and impotence,
aad also of the suitability of the ** inestimable
" gift" to the wants and miseries of the lost
soul, is an essential pre-requisite to a thankful
reception of the sacrifice of Christ.

Moreover, faith in the *' inestimable benefit,'*
witlif a view to personal comfort and salvation,
is implied in a thankful reception of it. With-
out this in a greater or less degree, no thank-
fulness will be excited by the tender of a Saviour.
A man looking at a treasure, unconscious of any
propriety in it, would feel no gratitude for the
sight. But the persuasion ^' This is mine,''
would open the secret springs of joy in his bosom.
While unbelief prevails, no thankfulness can be
felt. It is »** faith'' which " worketh by love."

Some persons perhaps will say. We hope that
we have received this " inestimable benefit'*
with thankfulness to the gracious Giver. Let
them know that the petition of our collect is not
therefore superfluous, nor unsuitable to their
lips. Even these persons, admitting that their
hope is founded, have need to pray for grace.
For it is certain that they have not received the

888 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

. «' inestimable gift" so thankfully, nor embraced
it so cordially, as it deserves. Nay, there ar6
seasons when the believer is ready to quit his
grasp, and seems to feel no gratitude for the
gospel-proposal. If any thing like this ever
occurs in our experience, surely it is " needful
to pray" that we may always most " thanks
fully receive the inestimable benefit,** without
being for a moment insensible of its value^ or
indifferent to its possession.

We proceed to implore " grace that we may
•« daily endeavour ourselves to follow the blessed
" steps of His most holy life.** This refers to
the secondary end of the gift of Christ, as stated
in the introductory part of our collect. He was
given not only '* to be a sacrifice for sin,** but
also " to be an ensample of Godly life.*' And
all who " thankfully receive the inestimable
** benefit" as ^* a sacrifice for sin,*' are anxious
themselves to follow, the blessed steps of Hii
most lioly life.** The end of Divine mercy is
not answered with respect td us, unless our faith
in Christ be productive of a conlstant imitation
of Him.

' ^^ The steps of Christ's most holy life" are
** blessed" steps indeed ; since wherever He trod.
He left a blessing behind Him. ^' He went
" about doing good." To Him the words of.
otir greai Poet may be applied with still stricter
propriety than to her of whom he wrote them:

Grace was in all His steps, beav'n in His eye.
In every gestute dignity and love.

Milton.

Now wherever we see the print of our Lord's
foot, there it is our privilege and duty to place
9ut own. His '' ensample of Godly , life** i^

SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 2gg

admirably suited for our direction. It is an
epitome of morality and Godliness. In prospe-
rity and adversity — in temptation and desertion
— in our intercourse with God, and in our inter-
course with men — in every age, rank, and
station- — His blessed example affords/a perfect
model of what we should study both to be and
to do. Did we, possessing a competent know-
ledge of the evangelic story, and earnestly look-
ing up to God the Holy Ghost for direction, ask
ourselves, " How would our great Exemplar act
*' in our circumstances?" we should never be at
a loss for a clew whereby to guide pur steps
aright. But we often dread the inquiry, and
therefore neglect to make it.

We pray for grace '^ that we msiy endeavouf
*' to follow the blessed steps of our Lord's most
*' holy life." An exact imitation is unattainable.
But an endeavour to follow Him is essential to
the character of a disciple. It is the criterion
of grace received, for it can proceed only from
Divine grace, and is always the consequence of
its influence.

Our prayer supposes in those that use it, both
earnest desire and strenuous exertion, things
which are inseparable. If we are sincere in
this request, we keep the pattern which Christ
hath set us before our eyes, as a scholar does
the copy whidh his master has written; and
while we labour to transcribe it in our own
conduct, conscious of inability we implore a
larger measure of grace that our imitation may
cdntinually become more and more exact.

To imitate Christ is a Christian's ^ daihf*
work. ^* He that saith, he abideth in Him,
*^ ought himself also to walk even as He walked.'*
Every day, and hour, and moment, affords

VOL. IL U

21)0 OV TirZ COLLLCT T:Z IZZ

opportunities for an im'ital:?^ c-f --rr pmmL
The ryo is not to be withdrsTim f:-::!:! ilr i-ror
for a moment, nor the work of iir./:j.::?3 z
initted, till tlic transcript is comp!_t.t:i ani
will not be till, following " the ble55ei Sfp? of
" Ilift most holy life/' we have follow^ I£bi
through the valley of the shadow of deadi bOo
His kingdom. For He hath not only ^eim jb
how to live, but also how to die. With
wo must cry, " Father, into thy hands I
** mend my spirit," before the course of
dionce will be finished.

Header, is Christ your pattern? Are too
iMuhnivouring daily to copy it in your own hfe?
Do Yi)U pray for grace that you may be enabled
to Ao so? All who embrace His sacrifice
ondouvour to imitate His virtues, and these dtaSl
nil luuiako of His glory.

If tndtod you are engaged in this aidnons
work of imitating your Lord and Saviour, yoa
n\i>un\ biTUUse you resemble Him so little; far
whilo K^vKiug at His cnsample you cannot but
iliMHTU t ho imperfection of your attempts. If
jio, llu^ woihIs of our collect will be stroi^j
hH ounutM^iltMl to your hearts, and your prayer
for •' jsraoo through Jesus Christ our Lord'* will
nsrouil with fervency to the mercy-seat. Be
cnrvnir«}?tMl by ivmombering, that when you see
lliin iis Ho is, y^ni shall then be perfectly like

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 891

THE THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.

■■I f I ■ ' — ^"^w — — 1—— —

Almighty Gody zvko shczoest to them that be in
error the light of thy truths to the intent that they
may return into the way of righteousness ; Grant
unto all them that ai^e admitted into the fellowship
of Christ's religion^ that they may eschew those
things that are contrary to their profession, and
folloio all such things as are agreeable to the same,
through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

CHRISTIAN experience is often paradoxical,
and to those who are unacquainted with its
nature must appear contradictory and absurd.
With respect both to the law and the gospel it
contains mysteries which itself only can unravel.
A believer, through faith in Christ Jesus, is freed
from the law ; and yet is bound by cords, which
the same faith entwines around him, more strongly
to the law than he was before he believed. By
the gospel of Christ he is emancipated from sla-
very ; and yet, by the same gospel he is brought
under more powerful obligations to an unremitted
obedience than any which nature had imposed on
him. The Christian is dead and alive, bound and
free, at the same time though in different res-
pects. He ceases from his own works, and yet
has work to do which requires constant attention
and laborious exertion.

The work of a Christian is described in our
collect. It is to '' eschew all those things which
*' are contrary to his profession, and to follow all
" those things which are agreeable to the same."

U 2

tQi ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

»

It is to conform his conversation, or course of
life, to the gospel of Christ :* to act as a good .
citizen of the new Jerusalem where he is now
naturalized, being adopted iiito its community
and invested with its privileges. He is to frame
his life according to the laws and usages of that
new society to which he is introduced f and these
are totally distinct from, and in direct opposition
to, those of the society which he has quitted.
For no two societies can be more opposite to
each other in all their rules, maxims, and man-
ners, than the world and the church of Christ.

But *' who is sufficient for these things ?'* who
that has consideried the gospel of Christ — the
.obligations which it imposes — the dignities which
it bestows — the privileges with which it endows—
the requisitions which it makes — and the duties
which it enjoins — but must feel his own utter
inability to walk worthy of it? To the mail in-
deed who considers Christianity only in its creed
and forms — who views it as a system of worldly
policy, or at best as a scheme of refined morality
— the task may appear easy. But the man, who
examines it closely, and finds that it is designed
to regulate the heart as well as the life, and to
give an entirely new tendency to both, will des-
pair of succeeding in an attempt to practise hsi
duties by his own strength. He might as well
endeavour to change the laws of gravitation^ to
make a rapid stream ascend the side of a steep
mountain, or the falling rock mount upwards.
He will therefore discern the necessity of conti*
nual prayer to God for the aids of His grace, that
he may be enabled to " adorn the doctrine of
** God his Saviour in all things."

I,

* Phil. i. 27* Il7\ir£V£(ris.

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 29S

With the dictates of that wisdom which cometh
from above we comply, while we offer up the
collect which is appointed for our use on this day;
It consists of a preface and a prayer. The pre-
face gratefully records the grace of God in com-
municating Divine knowledge to sinners with a
view to their salvation. The prayer, founded
on a supposition that this knowledge has been
imparted to our souls, implores farther grace, in
order that our conversation may be conformed
to our profession.

We have for some time past been engaged in
tracing the stream of salvation to its rise. And
if the adventurous and laborious Bruce thought
himself amply repaid for all the fatigues and dan-
gers of a long and painful journey by a discovery
of the object which he sought, the sources of the
celebrated Nile, though they proved to be incon-
siderable springs, how much more must the
Christian, who, under the conduct of our church,
has been led to the fountain of the river of life
which proceedeth out of the throne of God and
of the Lamb, be gratified and delighted with the
discovery that he hath made ! Is it to be won-
dered at, if, in the company of his conductor,
he has lingered on the margin of that stupendous
spring,, from which those streams originate which
make glad, the city of God — if, lost in wonder
and adoring gratitude, he has been for a while
fixed to the spot, and unable ro pursue his way ?
Having surveyed the fountain of life, we are now
however called to contemplate the method of
grace; to follow the stream, as it flows in the
channel of Christian experience through the
course of a holy life, beautifying and enriching
in its progress the church of God. Our coJlectJ?

V3

J94 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

for several successive Sundays that are past, havd
related chiefly to the person and work of Christ,
and the love of God as it is manifested in Him.
Those that follow to Ascension-Day describe the
work of His Spirit, and the practical effects which
are produced by faith in Christ on the heart and
life of a believer. In these we implore grace that
we " may walk worthy of the Lord unto all
*' pleasing."

It is the prerogative of "Almighty God to
*^ shew to them that be in error the light of truth/*
Whether we consider the external manifestation
of the light of truth which is made in the Divine
word, or the faculty of mental vision by which
we derive benefit from that external manifestation^
the work is of God. He created the material
sun whose light is the means of its own visibilityj^
and of the discovery of all other objects ; and He
created the , corporeal eye which receives and
uses that light. In like manner all information
respecting God, His will, ourselves, and the way
of salvation, is from God. The doctrine of innate
ideas is justly exploded. The involuntary in-
stincts of our animal frame can be no inlets to the
knowledge of Divine truth. Sensation and self-*
reflection, independent of instruction, can furnish
us with no knowledge of spiritual objects.* Phi-
losophy leaves us in the dark. For some thou-r
sand years God suffered its disciples to make a
trial of its powers. The result is fully satisfac-^
tory. Instead of eliciting new light on Divine
subjects, they extinguished that which tradition
from the priginal revelation afforded them,

* On this subject see Ellis's ^' Knowledge of Diving
*• things from revelation^ not from reason or nature/'

THIRD S^UNDAY AFTER EASTER. 295

♦^ Professing themselves to be wise, they became
*' fools, and changed the glory of the incorrup*
** tible God into an image made like to corrupt
^' tible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts
*' and creeping things." (Rom. i. 22, 23,) And
the effects which philosophy produced on their
morals corresponded with the darkness which it
brought on their minds, as appears by the awful
detail which follows the verses we have cited.
- God hath now, by the word of His grace, dis-
persed the dark cloud which covered all spiritual
subjects. He ha(;h revealed in the Scriptures
*' the things which, belong to our pesce." He
hath '* brought life and immortality to light by
" the Gospel." But without the faculty of vision
oCwhat use is light? Multitudes who have the
Bible in their h^nds continue in error. They
grope in darkness at noon-day. They neither
discern the way of lalvation, nor the path of
duty. They are *^ alienated from the life of God
** through the ignorance that is in them, because
** of the blindness of their heart."

The Christian believer is made sensible both of
the objective and subjective darkness in which the
way of salvation is involved independent of Divine
mercy. He therefore thanks God for the Bible
•which removes the one, and for the "unction
" from the Holy One" which removes the other.
The Bible is a Divine remedy made. effectual by
a Divine blessing. That he has the Scriptures in
his hand is a great blessing ; but that his under-
standing is opened to understand them is another
of equal importance. He discerns the necessity
of both to the salvation of his soul, and acknow-
ledges God to be the Author of both» And being
conscious that as yet his mental eye-sight is in a
diseased and imperfect state^ he pray$ for more
distinctness of v ision.

396 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

Bishop Davenant, speaking in his exposition of
the epistle to the Colossians of the revelatiort
which God makes to His saints of the mystery of
Christ, (chap. i. ver. 26) says, " A twofold rea-
son may be asssigned for the necessity of thi^
Divine Revelation — partly on account of the
things revealed, and partly on account of the
human intellect. The things revealed, viz. the
mysteries of our salvation in Christ, are supers
natural, and depend on the mere will and dispen-
sation of God. The incarnation of God, the ex-
piation of sin by His death, gratuitous salvation
by faith in His mediation are all things of such a
nature as cDuld never have entered into the human
mind^ unless God had revealed His design of
saving mankind by such means ; for they depend
on the most free volition of God, without any
connection of natural causes.

'^ As to the human understanding, it is so ob-^
scured by the darkness of sin, that it is not merely
dim-sighted, but it is totally blind. " The natural
'^ man perceives not the things which be of God.**
( 1 Cor. ii. 14.) There is therefore a necessity of
a Divii\e revelation. Excellently St. Augustine
speaks, Hypog. iii. '^ Let no one boast that he
" hath begotten faith by his own reason ; Jet him ^
'^ acknowledge in himself that the faith which is in
** Christ Jesus, as well before the law, as under
^^ the law, and after the law, is savingly revealed
^^ to every one by the illumination of grace which
'^ is from God the Father." For " the eye of the
'^ soul (as Gerson rightly observes) is become
" turbid, being totally stained with sensuality^
*' enveloped with a cloud in its inferior reason^
^^ and blinded in its superior." To sum up alL
The mystery of the gospel is above nature. It
depends on the eternal and secret counsel of (jo4*

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 297

/

The human mind is, through sin, degraded be-
neath its own nature. Its eye is stained, over-
clouded, and become totally blind. Therefore
this mystery could never have been perceived by
us without the benefit of a Divine Revelation/'

All men are naturally ^^ in error/* How can
it be otherwise, since all are naturally blind ! A
blind man, placed in a wilderness without a guide,
must, of necessity, wander about not knowing
whither he goeth. " We have all erred and
" strayed from God's ways like lost sheep,'* as
our own confessions testify. Of this there is no
doubt. The grand question is. Are we restored
to the way of righteousness ? There are two spi-
rits mentioned by St. John, (1 Ep. iv. 6.) as
jruling and governing the whole world, ^' the spi-
" rit of truth, and the spirit of error." By which
of these are we led ? If we have been brought
back to the Shepherd and Bishop of our souk^
and are now led by His Spirit, the glory is due to
Qod, while we are made conscious of the happy
change which we have experienced — a change of
sentiments, of heart, and of life.

*' The light of God's truth" .is the revelation
which He hath made in His word. Once we
*^ wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way,
^* and found no city to dwell in. Hungry and
^^ thirsty our souls fainted in us." We ^' walked
^' in darkness and had no light/' But the word of
God is now ^^ a light to our ket and a lamp to
" our paths." The sun of righteousness hath
arisen upon us. And if our eyes have been
anointed with that eye-salve which the great Phy-
sician prescribes and applies, we benefit by His
rays. We discern the tremendous dangers which
we have escaped during the darkness in which we
before travelled. We discover the perils with

598 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

which our path is still encompassed so as to shun
them. The tract v^hich we are to follow is evi-
dent to our view, and the object at which we sire
to aim is in sight. " The light of God's truth/'
the information which is communicated in the
Scriptures and received by faith, is such as may
be fully depended on. It is ^^a faithful saying
'' and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus
*' came into the world to save sinners." The light
of Scripture is not an ignis fa tuus, which, like the
supposed revelations of enthusiastic minds, will
allure and disappoint. But it is a solid, steady^
uniform light, which guides the feet of those who
make use of it in the paths of peace to the realms
of bliss.

That act of Divine mercy which is described in
our collect, then, is of a twofold nature, as we
have already observed. There is a twofold mani-*
festation of light which God graciously vouch-
safes to His people ; one in His word, the other
in the human mind. The light diffused by the
%vord, like that of the material sun, is designed
for our use and fully adapted to its end. But as
the material light is of use to those only who
have the faculty of sight, so also the word of God
can produce no saving effects on any persons but
those only who have that ** faith'* which is '* of
the operation of God.*' God *^ shews to them
that be in eiTor the light of His truth,'" by re-
moving the film which sin has spread over the
eye of the mind. He *' opens the understanding
*' to understand the Scriptures." The eye is the
lamp of the whole body. Therefore, on the one
hand, if the eye be clear, and free from any viti-
ating humour, the whole body will be full of
light, enjoying the advantage of the solar beams ;
but, on the other hand, if the eye be distempered^

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 299

the whole body will be full of darkness, notwith-
standing the sun shines with meridian brightness.

The end for which " God shews to them that
^* be in error the light of His truth" is their sal-
vation. It is '^to the intent that they may re-
** turn into the way of righteousness." *^ The
*« way of righteousness" is " the right way that
'^ leads to the city of habitation." Christ is the
way of faith and holiness — of righteousness both
imputed and imparted — of justification and sanc-
tification. A reliance on Christ for pardon and
acceptance, and universal obedience to the will
of God, conjointly for the way in which we
must walk, as it is pointed out to us by the light
of God's truth, in order that we may attain to the
aalvation of our souls — these cannot be disunited
from each other. Faith and love are correlatives ;
they have a reciprocal relation, so that the ex-
fstence of one depends on the existence of the
other.

O merciful intent of Divine goodness ! May
^' Almighty God" who alone can do it ** shew"
both to the writer and reader of these pages ** the
** light of His truth, so that we may return into
** the way of righteousness !'* May He convert
our souls, and lead us in •' the paths of right-
'^ eousness for His name's sake." May He ^^tum
" us from darkness to light" — from error to truth
—from the law to Christ — from sin to holiness —
from the devil, the world, and the flesh, to Crod—
from the confines of hell to the threshold of
heaven.

We are not to suppose frotn the language of
our collect that God merely points out '' the way
'' of righteousness," and then leaves the sinner
to his own depraved will. Np ; He " worketh
^J In ws both to will and to dp of. His own gopd

itvH> ON THE COLLECT FOR TIIE

** pleasure.'* The bias of our will is naturally
to the way of error and death. And notwith-
htandinDf any discovery made to the understand-
ing:, that way we should pursue, were not the
illumination of the mind accompanied with con-
version of heart. God effectually inclines His
poo|>le to obedience while He clearly manifests
1 lis will to trhem. They are not constrained to
act against their will ; but they are made " wil-
*' liug" to do that which is right " in the day
" of His power/*

Tlie |)etition of our collect implores further
grace, in addition to that which we have already
received and which has been before described,
in order that our conversation may be conformed
to our profession. We pray for ourselves and
for all who are " admitted into the fellowship
*^ of Christ's religion, that we may eschew those
.^* things that are contrary to our profession,
** and follow all such things as are agreeable to
** the same, through Jesus Christ our Lord."

This petition is founded on the foregoing pre-
face; for in the latter an acknowledgment is
made of Divine goodness in our conversion. But
are we indeed turned from the error of our ways ?
This is a most important inquiry, since our pe-
tition is confined to those who are so turned.
By them only can it be with propriety used, for
none else know what is contrary or agreeable to
in profession of Christianity — None else can feel
any desire to " adorn the doctrine of God our
" Saviour" — None else are under the influence
of those motives which are essential to a holy
walk and conversation.

The persons then for whom grace is implored
in our collect are those who are '' admitted into
*^ the fellowship of Christ'3 religions'' that is.

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 301

those who are truly converted to God. Now
the religion of Christ is a system of privileges
and duties. The word religion signifies obli-
gation.* It consists of faith and practice — of
obligations arising from privileges freely be-
stowed, which are commensurate with all the
capacities of which its votaries are possessed,
and binding them to duties which are cotn-
mensurate with all their powers. The influence
of privilege and duty in Christ's religion is mu-
tual. Its privileges cannot be enjoyed without
producing obedience, nor can its duties be prac-
tised without an enjoyment of its privileges.
But though these are cotemporary, yet an en-
joyment of the privileges of Christianity, in the
order of causes and effects, takes the prece-
dence. For " faith worketh by love."

" The fellowship of Christ's religion" is a par-
ticipation of its privileges, a joint interest in its
blessings. Fellowship is partnership. But with
whom is this fellowship formed ? " Truly our
" fellowship is with the Father and with His Son
" Jesus Christ." Believers participate in all the
blessings of the Father's love and of the Son's
redemption. " All things are theirs, for they
"are Christ% and Christ is God's." "The
•• fellowship of the Holy Ghost" is also with
them, for they partake of His consolations.
There is a joint interest also between all the
members of Christ's holy Catholic church, whe-
ther saints made perfect or militant believers.
*^ There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
" one God and Father of all, who is above all,
" anil through all, and in them all." Their
participation of covenant-mercy is th^t of senior

* Se« p. 14 of this rolurae*

S02 ON THE COLLECT FOK THE

partners; om;'^ that of juniors. But *' we are all
" one in Christ Jesus."

Admission into that fellowship of which our
collect speaks takes place at conversion. The
participation of the benefits resulting from re-
demption which the saints enjoy is enjoyed
through faith in Christ. All believers are *^ ad-
" mitted'' into it, and none besides them.

The petition which we offer is twofold. We
pray that all those who " are admitted into the
" fellowship of Christ's religion may eschew," or
shun, " those things which are contrary to thdr
*^ profession and follow all such things as are
** agreeable to the same ;" or, in other words,
that they may ^^put off the old man which is
** corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and
*' put on the new man which after God is cre-
*^ ated in righteousness and true holiness."

It will be impossible for us to enumerate alt
the things which it is our duty and privilege to
shun, or those which it becomes us to follow.
And as it is impossible, so also it is needless.
For the rule by which our conduct is to be re-f
gulated will sufficiently instruct all those who
attend to it. ,

What then is that rule ? "It is our pro-
*^ fessipn." Now what do we profess to be ?
We profess to be "not our own but bought

with a price," and therefore bound to " glo-
rify God with our bodies and spirits which are
** His." We profess to be partakers of the Spi-
rit of Christ, and imitators of His example. We
are by profession "pilgrims and strangers upon
" earth," and citizens of the new Jerusalem.
In short, we call ourselves Christians y and we
have been, on our reception into the congrega-
tion of Christ's flock, " signed with the sign of

€€

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EASTER, . 309

" the cross, in token that thereafter we should
" not be ashamed to confess the faith of Christ
** crucified, and manfully to fight under His
** banner against the devil, the world and the
" flesh, and to continue His faithful soldiers aftd
*' servants unto our lives' end."

We profess then thatf we are '^ very members
" incorporate in the mystical body of the Son 6f
" God, which is the blessed company of all
faithful people; and are also heirs through
hope of His everlasting kingddm, by the me-
rits of His most precious death and passion."
And as such we " humbly beseech our heavenly
'^ Father so to assist us with His grace, that we
•* may continue in that holy fellowship, and do
*^ all such good works as He hath prepared for
*^ us to walk in, through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Respecting every act which we are about to
perform, it becomes us to ask. Is this consistent
with my holy profession ? Will it afford evidence
of my gratitude and love to Him, who hath
shewed me " the light of His truth," and re-
stored me to " the way of righteousness ?*' Will
it correspond with the character I sustain and
the name I bear ? Will it afford me pleasure in
the retrospect of a death-bed and the judgment-
day ? How many things should we eschew which
we now commit, and how many things should
we follow from which we now abstain, were
these questions always uppermost in our minds !
The propriety of praying for grace that we
may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in
all things, will not be disputed by any of those
who are truly admitted into the fellowship of
Christ's religion. For they all feel and acknow-
ledge that there is much remaining inconsistency
between their sensibilities and their privileges.

304 .01? THE COLLilCT FOR THE

between their profession and their conduct. To
walk " worthy of God** is, however, their ar-
dent desire and constant aim. To " shew forth
"the praises of Him who hath called them out
** of darkness into His marvellous light," is their
-highest ambition. They will therefore join ear-
nestlv in this collect of our church and continue
to use it till the soiled robe of their profession on
earth be changed for that white robe which is
prepared for them, and which will be " withr
•' out spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing/'

FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 805

riHM

THE FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.

O Almightif God^ who atone canst order the
unruly wilTs and affectiojis of sinful men ; Grant
nnto thy people that they may love the thing zvhich
t/iou commandest, and desire that tvhich thou dost
promise; that so among the sundry and manifold
changes of the zoorld, our hearts may surely there
6e, fixed, where true joys are to be founds through
Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

*^ inp^HE world pai^seth aiway, and the lust
. I thereof: but he that doeth the will of
" (jo3 abideth for ever.'* Such was the Ian*
guage which the beloved disciple held, when he
addressed the members of the Christian church
in his day, for the purpose of arming them
against all inordinate affection to the world and
the things thereof. And surely, if such consi**
derations were necessary to be suggested then,
when Christianity was in its full vigour under
the fostering hands of the Apostles, and during
the first abundant effusion of the Spirit— when
persecution raged — and when the disciple of
Jesus, was daily exposed to martyrdom, they
cannot be unnecessary to be repeated now in
these dregs of time, when the church of Christ
has lost its primitive purity and energy — when
outward peace, security and prosperity have,
as it were, clipped the wings of devotion — and
when the love of many waxeth cold. I II is cer-
tain, that every professor, who is unconscious b£
the ensnaring power of the world, and of a
vol* n. X

306 ON THt COLLIiCT FOR THE

criminal attachment to it in his own bosom,/ is
destitute of self-knowledge, and is not of those
who are fighting manfully against the world,
the flesh, and the devil. For the cure of this
moral distemper, the worldliness of the human
heart, serious reflection on the empty and tran-
sitory nature of the world itself, and of our
inclinations after it, is prescribed by the Apostle
whose words we have quoted. The world itself,
this beautiful frame of nature, and all possibility
of deriving gratification from it, will soon cease
for ever^ and then all those who have set their
hearts upon it, and made it their portion, will
perish with it. Then the sensualist, the volup-
tuary, the glutton, the drunkard, and the co-
vetous, feeling wants which will never be re-
lieved, desires which will never be accomplished^
and pains which will never be allayed, will ex-
perience in the agonies of regret, disappoint-
ment, and despair, the torture which is occa-
sioned by '^ the worm that never dieth." But
the believer in Jesus who "doeth the will of
" God," who is habitually "crucified to the
" world, and to whom the world is crucified,"
who lives in a course of humble obedience to
the will of God through faith which worketh by
love, " shall live for ever." He shall abide in
a state of grace throughout this mortal life, and
after it shall be advanced to a state of eternal
glory.

But the way of man is not in himself: '*it is
" not in man that walketh to direct his steps."
To regulate the state of oiirown hearts, and the
course of our own lives, is out of our power.
The world is our natural element, so that a
change of nature is necessary to qualify us for
quitting it aiid living in another. Like the eel.

FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 307

We grovel in the mud, unable to rise to the
surface and soar above it, till we are made
** new creatures in Christ Jedus.** •^ By prayer
*' therefore and supplication" our requests, on
this subject as well as on every other, must **be
** made known to God." And this we do in a
concise and appropriate form of sound words-
prepared for our use on this day.

Our collect for the fourth Silnday after Easter
contains-— an introduction — a petition — and
the end for which that petition is offered.

The introduction ascribes glory to Divine
Omnipotence, by a declaration of our bfelief
tjiat God can perform that which is beyond the
reach of all finite power -=— that which is more
difficult than the government of the stormy wind
and tempest, or of the raging ocean — more
difficult than the reduction of the chaotic n&ass
in which the atoms of the heavens and the earth
first appeared to that order and beauty in which
they now subsist. "God," and God •* alone/'
by His "Almighty'' power, can "order the
•* unruly wills and affections of sinful men."

It is to be observed that in this prayer we are
speaking of ourselves; for ourselves supplication
is here made as appears by the pronoun " our
in the concluding part of the collect, though we
are' taught to speak in the third person for the
charitable purpose of including in our request '
all the members of the Christian church. . We
then are the " sinful men" and women, whose
" unruly wills and affections" require Omnipo-
tence to controul and govern them. Each of us
may say, " I am a sinful man, O Lord."
But are we conscious that we are "full of sin,"
and that "in us, that is in our flesh," in our
whole constitution, independently qf renewingf

%» .

308 ON TIIB COLLECT FOR THE

yriice, "dwelleth no good thing?'* Knot, we
shall not feel any necessity for this act of snp-
plication, nor be able cordially to unite in it.
Onr church-service is adapted tothe use of con-
soious sinners and of none else. Indeed ho='
forms of prayer 6r praise, no religious worship
can be adapted tx> any other persons here on
earth.

The faculties of the human soul are usually
sitated to be threefold — the ralderstanding, the
will, and the affections. The two latter of these
are mentioned in our collect, and the former is
implied. For the will cannot be regulated, nor^
the affections directed into their proper channely
without a previous illumination of the under-^
standing. The understanding being the directive
faculty, the will and the affections depend -oa
its decisions.

The wi% instructed by the understanding,
is the regent of the affections. It is the powen
of choosihg or rejecting whatever is proposed to^
it by the understanding. In a perversion <>f the
will consirts the essence of our fall ; for, misled
by- the ignorance? of the mind, it invariably
chobses what God hates^ and delights in that
vi^hich He abhors j lind it detests and rejects all
that He at)proves. Conversion also, which re-
pairs the itijnty that we have received by the
fall, has a principal relation to the will ; for it
restores the elective faculty to its proper office,
arid gives to it its primaeval tendency.

The " affections'" or passions of the soul are*
the sei'vants of the understanding and will. Our
desires and aversions, our love .and hatred, our
joy and sorrow, onr hope and fear, are governed
by the superior powers of the mind. For ac-
•rding to the representations of the intellectual.

FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 309

and'the bias of the elective faculty, the passioiis
are excited to action. ,. ■

Now it is acknowledged in our collect that
our ^^ wills and affections*' are in an f* unrulv'*"
state; and the truth of the acknowjiedgnQent is
sanctioned and established by the word of God.
For " the carpal naind is enmity against God;
" it is not subject to the law of God, neither
^' indeed can be." . And even after conversion
has taken place, our ^^ wills and affections" ^p
still turbulent and tumultuous as the winds and
waves, so that He only who ^^ gathereth the
•^ wind in His jfist^/" and who said authoratively
*to the sea, ** Peace, be still," can manage tliem.
That our wills and affections are not intirely
under the regulation of the Divine law, is a coii-
fession in which all may properly join. For,
though all " God's people" "love the law of
*• God after the inner man," yet they all "iin(]l
** another law in their members." In them all
" the flesh" still "lusteth against t^e Spirit, so
** that they cannot do the things that they
" would." Conversion is a gradual work which
God carries on in the hearts of His people, till,
at length, their will is lost in the Divide will,
and their aflections flow, invariably and with a
full tide, to Him as their point of attraction.
During the present state, however, even those
who are '' turned from darkness to light and
^^ from the power of Satan unto God," may
truly concur in the humiliating confession, that
*^ God alone can govern their unruly wills and
^^ affections." Let the restraint of His power
be suspended, and they *^start aside like a
'^ broken bow-" Let the slightest temptation
assault them, and ihe.tendency of the needle to
its due point of attraction is disturbed. Tbie

X 3

«4

^ • -: OV THE COLLECT FOR THE

<rr»ini of their affections^ though restored to
:ts pro|ier chanueU is either languid in its course,
or restdv to overflow its banks, or in danger of
being diverted to a devious course.

Xow " God*s people" know by painful ex-
pmmce, that He ^' alone can order their unruly
*« wills and affections." For they discern that
c^HTersion and sanctification are exclusively His
^r<>4rk» in their rise, their progress, and comple-
fik«. It may be susked. How doth God perform
Hi* work of "ordering the unruly wills and
^* affections of sinful men ?" Doth He destroy
ihe freedom of the will, and put a force on the
%il!ections? No; the will must be free, the
t^ective faculty cannot be compelled. But He
orders the unruly wills and affections of sinful
men'- in their naturalstate by His providential
government of the world, often restraining them
from " fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the
^< mind" by *^ hedging up their way with
thorns." And He enlightens the understandings
of His people, and thereby converts the bias of
their wills. He exhibits to their view the danger
and folly of sin, the vanity of the world, and,
above all, the love of Christ 5 and hereby the
important change is begun, carried on, and
perfected. He *^ draws them with the cords of
«• a man, and with bands of love," working on
those rational powers with which He has endued
tbem, until reason again becomes, what it was
originally designed to be, the vicegerent and
obedient servant of the King of kings.

We proceed now to consider the supplicatory
part of our collect which is founded on the fore-.
f^omg introduction. We lift up our hearts to
tied as His people> and implore grace f pr a
twofold purpose.

I^OURTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 311

First, that we may love the thing which He
comtnandeth. The law o^/^d which contains
His commands is " holy, just, and good," and
every precept thereof is calculated to promote
the glory of God and the happiness of man,
proportionably to the extent in which it is
obeyed. The path of duty therefore is the
path ^* of pleasantness and peace." If nothing
could be said in favour of submission to the will
of God respecting present advantages accruing
fipom it, yet the prospect of eternity would de-
monstrate the wisdom of cultivating a spirit of
Godliness. But it is certain that piety is as
preferable to its opposite, even with respect to
present comfort, as the heayen is higher than
the earth. For of what doth a htimble submis-
sion to the will of God deprive us? Of nothing
but what is conducive to misery. It is a deli-
verance from evil and tormenting passions; it is
the enjoyment of Divine and heavenly disposi-
tions. The grand source of the misery Which
we feel is the disorder and turbulence of our
passions. The human heart, in its natural state,
may be fitly compared to a kingdom in which
confusion and dissention predominate. If we
inmgine to ourselves a society which is the seat
of civil war, and overrun by an invading and
merciless foe, in which all law and restraint are
abolished, the subjects in arms against their
rightful sovereign, a thousand upstart tyrants
gratifying themselves at the expence of every
thing that is right and just and good, property
and tranquillity lost and destroyed, and life
constantly in danger, — in such an imaginary
scene of woe, we have a just picture of the state
of man, while his unruly will and affections bear
the sway in an. unconverted stajte, holiness

x4

312 ON TIIE COLLECT FOR THE

is liappiness, and sin misery: love and obe-'
dience constitute the antepast of heaven ; diso-^
bedience is the foretaste of hell. The very idea
of a deviation from what God commands would
savour of the bottomless pit, were not our minds
blinded and corrupted. It would be hell to an
angel or to a saint made perfect.

In our natural state we abhor what God com-
mands, and love what He prohibits. ^ ** The
^' carnal mind is enmity against God ; it is not
** subject to the law of Grod, neither indeed can
" be.'* While this enmity remains, there can
be no friendship nor intercourse between God
and us;. for ** how can two walk together ex*
** cept they be agreed" in the objects of their
love and aversion ? Oh, let us examine our-,
selves by God*s commands, viewing them in
their spirituality, their reference to the heart as
well as to the life ; and inquire whether we do
cordially consent to them. Vain is our hope of
happiness, either here or hereafter, unless onr
inclinations be in unison with God's qommand-r
ments.

Even in a converted state of soul in which
our collect supposes us to be, ( and O that the
supposition may be founded both as to the wri-
ter and every reader or hearer of these pages ! )
even in a converted state we have still need to
pray for grace that we may ^* love the thing
^* which God commandeth," It is not the re-
luctant obedience of a slave that is acceptable
to God, but the chearful compliance which
love produces in the bosom of an affectionate
child. The Christian believer, alas ! still finds
a considerable reluctance to that in tire submis-
sion which is required to God's commandments.
Jie " Ipvps" indeed '^ the law of God after the

FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 3\S

^' inner man; but he finds another law in his
** members warring against the law of his mind."
Tliough a divorce has taken place between the
believer's will and sin, so that *^ it is no more
^* he that doth it but sin that dwelleth in him f
though ^* the law in the members" is opposed
by the renewed will, and ii:iaintams its sway
only in the inferior powers of the soul, and not
in the wiH and understanding; yet still it is a
Jaw of disturbance though not of obedience.
It keeps possession of its residence as an ene*
my, though it is discarded as a friend. It
retards the obedience of the soul, though it is
no longer productive of habitual and allowed
disobedience. Let the Christian reader say if
this be not a mournful truth. Does an angel or
a saint made perfect fed as we do , respecting'
God's commandments ? O where is the alacrity
of delight in the path of duty — where is the
swift motion of the soul, which love is calculated
to produce, in running the way of God's com-
mandments ?

We have need therefore to pray for grace that
we iriay ** love the thing which God com-
*^ liiandeths'* that the requisitions of our hea-
venly Father, though they should extend to the
amputation of a right hand or foot, or to th^
excision of a right eye, may chearfully be sub-
mitted to under Jl conviction that the will of God
is our salvation. Lord, " draw me, and I shall
^* run after thee!'*

We, moreover, implore grace " that we may
^ desire that which God doth promise." His
promises are ^^ exceedingly great and precious."
There is nothing which we can want either for
time or eternity, which God has not promised
tQ bestow o» Hi$ people* These immensely

314 ON THE CX>LLECT FOR THE

great promises are " exceedingly precious,"
not only on account of the intrinsic value of the
things which are promised, (though that sur-
passes the human understanding) but also oa
account of the source from which, they are de-
rived. They are spontaneous streams of Divine
mercy. They flow to us through the channel
of our Redeemer's death on the cross. " For
*^ all the promises in Him are Yea and in Him
** Amen, to the glory of G^od." Whatever in-
finite love could suggest, infmite wisdom con-
trive, infinite power execute, infinite merit
procure— whatever we are capable of receiving,
or God is able to bestow, through a series of
eternal ages ; all this is provided in the covenant
of grace. It is all secured by the faithful pro-
mises of an unchangeable God,

In our natural state we feel no desires after
those spiritual blessings which God has promised
to bestow on those who difigeutly seek Him,
Pardoning and sanctifying grace, communion
with God, and even heaven itself, are considered
by the unrenewed mind either as things unne-
cessary, and are therefore treated with indifier-
ence, or else as evils, and therefore are treated
with aversion. A diseased stomach feels a nau-
Sea excited by the sight of the most wholesome
and delicious viands. The body when in a fever
is restless on the softest bed of down.

And though as converted persons we may
have experienced some desires after promised
blessings, yet how faint they are' How weak is
our faith in the truth of the promises ! And how
languid is our expectation of their fulfilment !
Oh ! Jiow feeble are our endeavours to lay hold
on thpm ! How slow is our pace in the pursuit
of the objects which they exhibit to our view !

FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. SIS

Po we not live on from day to day contented in
the absence of what God has promised to be-
stow on His people here r And where is that
earnest stretching forth of the neck* in eager
longing after heavenly joys ? How little of that
hunger and thirst after God of which the Scrip-
tures speak do we feel and manifest ! Surely w^
have need to pray for grace that we may desire
what God hath promised, for the present torpor
of our souls is a disgraceful reflection on Divine
munificence.

The end for which we implore sanctifying
grace is very important, viz. " that among the
" sundty and manifold changes of the world our
^* hearts may surely there be fixed where true
i*joys are to be found/' This happiness can
only be attained in proportion as we are enabled
to ^* love the thing which God commandeth, and
<^ to desire that which He doth promise/' For
without a spiritualized frame of mind we are
^* like the troubled sea which cannot rest, whose

waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no
^* peace, saith my God, to the wicked;'' and
such are all those who love not God's (com-
mandments, and whose affections are not ^^ set
^* on things above."

*' The world passeth away and the thinga
♦^thereof '— most affecting and alarming truth
t9 those who make the world their portion !
Their portion is a bubble ; for like a vesicle in-
flated with air, however gay and alluring it may
appear to the eye, it will soon burst and dis-
appoint all their expectations. In the vast de-
serts of Asia and Africa, the light sand of which
fhey are composed is frequently so afiected with

* Afrtom^ahKia, Rom. viii. 19. PhiU i* 20.

316 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

whirlwinds, that new mountains are raised, and
new vallies sunk, and the whole face of nature
intirely changed in a very short period. In this
wild uproar of elements, in which earth and
heaven are intermingled and confounded, whole
caravans of merchants of of piigrimsr often perish
in an instant. This scene affords a fit emblem
of "the sundry and manifold changes of the
" world," Earthly friends, fortune, health and
life, are things transitory and perishing. To
fix our hearts on any sublunary good is to 'build
for happiness on a quicksand or on a wave of
the sea.

Surely it is the part of wisdom to withdraw
our affections from every thing which is 'thus
perishable and uncertain, and to grasp that
which is permanent and durable, if there be any
such thing to be* found. Does not the ship
\Mrfecked mariner gladly quit the billow for the
rock ? That man is to be pitied with the deepest
commiseration who is looking for peace and
comfort to the creature. He is like the idiotish
rustic of the heathen poet, who is represented
as waiting on the bank of a river till its waters
are run by, in order that he may pass to the
other side.* His hopes are sure to be disap-
pointed. His imaginary paradise of worldly
pleasure and contentment is not attainable.
Like the fbg bank which excites the joy and
kindles the hopes of the weary voyager, it both
flatters and deceives.

But is there any thing amidst the devastations
of the hurricane and the earthquake which is
certain and unperishable, to which our attention

* Rusticus expectat dum defluat amnis, at Ule
Lnbitur et Ubetur in omiie volubilis a*vuni.

HOR,

FOURTH; SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. Sjt?

is called ? Yes, blessed be Qod^ thejre is..,.X^^re
is "a good,; part which, ca^'^neyer ba,tai;e^
" ^way fvQWt us." There . is; a^ rock, which
will stand vinshaken whei^ *Vthe earlh. is, x^-
^^ tnoye4 and the mountains, are carriq4/ i^Qiri^
.^^the midst of the sea." ..Th^,: believer 's-pojr^
tion will be uninjured " wheQ the he^ven^
** shall pass away with a great noise, and the
^* elements shall melt with fervent heat,? wten
^* the earth and all the works that are iheteiti
*^ shall be burned up/* In the favour of
God, in communion with Him, and in obe-
dience to His will, " true joys are to be
*^ found'' — joys which are not, like those of the
world, mingled with sorrow, disturbed by fear,
and short-lived as the crackling of blazing
thorns ; — but solid, permanent, durable, un-
mixed, and ever improving. Of these joys the
Christian believer experiences a foretaste here
below, while through grace he is enabled to
" love the thing which God commandeth, and
" to desire that which He doth promise." Even
here he is indulged with an occasional taste of
Esjhcors grapes, whereby the flavour of the
fruits of Canaan is ascertained. He has the
earnest of the Spirit in his heart, the first-fruits
of a future harvest in reversion. What he here
enjoys is, however, but a foretaste. '* In God's
** presence there is fulness of joy, and at His
*' right hand are pleasures for evermore."

O let us cordially join in imploring grace, that
we may " love what God commands, and desire
*' what He promises/' to the end ** that our
" hearts may surely there be fixed where true
" joys are to be found, through Jesus Christ our
*^ Lord !" For then we shall be out of the reach
of the storm, and we shall be no more affected by

dl8 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

•* the sundry and manifold changes of the wqrid**
than the rocky shore by the tumult of the sea
which rages at its; base. Throughout life and iti
death we shall have support and consolation which
the world cannot give nor take away ; and, after
death, shall experience the consummation of all
our wishes.* Even so. Lord Jesus. Amen.

* Let the Christian finish this meditation by reading^
Psalm xc«

FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 319

-*-»

THE FIFTH SUN DAY AFTER EASTEK.

I

O Lordy from zohom all good things do come ;

grant to us thy humble servafits,, that by thy holy

inspiration we may think those things that he goody

• dnd.by thy merciful guidhig may perform the same,

through our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen. .

IT is the doctrine of the Scriptures that ^ every
*'.good gift, and every perfect gift, is from
" above, and cometh down from the Father of
** lights, with whom is no variableness nor shadow
'* of turning." And this assertion is interwoven
with all the forms of our church, whether devo-
tional or doctrinal. Like a golden thread it runs
through our whole liturgy, articles and homilies,
and both beautifies and enriches them.

The con-uption of the human heart is too deep
and wide to be explored by a finite capacity. God
only knows its height and depth, its length ad
breadth. '^ The heart is deceitful above all things,
•'and desperately wicked; who can know it?'*
Among other proofs of its depravity, its self-
righteousness is prominent. It remains even after
conversion. TJie fabric is then indeed sapped,
but it is not intirely demolished. Our proneness
to hide or extenuate our guilt is a fruit of this
noxious we^d. We are the fallen children of him
who foolishly attempted to hide himself from God
amonor the trees of Paradise. We try, like him,
to transfer the guilt of our nature and practice
from ourselves to something else, and even im-
piously ascribe it to God rather than take it in-
tirely to ourselves. Blasphemy is one of those

320 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

evils which proceed naturally from the heart of
man. (Mat. vii. 22.)

It has been supposed that St. James, from whom
we have cited the above passage on which the in-
troduction of our collect appears to be founded^
perceived some symptoms of this spirit among
the members of the primitive church to whom
he wrote, and that this occasioned his cautibn in
ver. 13. " Let no itian say when he is tempted,
" I am tempted of God : for God cannot be
** tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any
man : But every man is tempttjd, when he b
drawn away of his own lust and' entiqed. Then
'* when lust hath conceived, itbringeth forth ;giin;
'^ and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth
*' death," The cause of all our evil thoughts and
evil works is connatural to us — -it Is in ourselves.
The Apostle adds, for the vindication of the Di-
vine character and for the purpose^ of Ici^ding the
mind to just views of Go^^ *^ Do not err, my be-
^^ loved brethren. Every good gift, and every
*^ perfect gift, is from above, and cometh down
'^ from the Father of lights, with whom is no va-
** riableness, nor shadow of turning." Nothing
but good, pure and unmixed good, proceeds
from God; and from Him all good of every kind
constantly flows in a copious and uninterrupted
stream. For as from the sun in the firmament,
which the heathens have called " the Father of
^' lights," all good in the natural world is derived
as its secoridary cause ; so all good, both natural
and spiritual, isderiv^ primarily from God. The
material sun is howeve^r variable in its eiSects. No
sooner doth it reach its meridian height than it
begins to descend towards. the west: the year no
sooner attains its summer's heat, than it begins to
verge towards wintey again. But God is '^ the

FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 321

^ same yesterday, to-day, and for ever/* '* With
" Him is no variableness nor shadow of turning/'
His grace and power are inexhaustible and eternal.

On these truths our present collect is founded.
It contains — a preface, ascribing all good to God ;
— and a prayer for sanctifying inspiration from
Him.

*' All good things come from Qod/* Creation
and Providence are both exclusively His works.
Wth respect to the former. He looked thereon
when He had finished it, and *' behold it was
'* very good," exactly conformed to the model
of His own wisdom and goodness. And with
respect to the latter, though '* clouds and dark-
*' ness are round about Him, yet righteousness
" and judgment are the habitation of His throne/'
" The Lord is righteous in all His ways, and holy
*' in all His works." When the mysteries of Di-
vine Providence are unravelled and disclosed to
view, as they probably will be when the coil is all
woundup. Divine wisdom, goodness, holiness and
righteousness, will be apparent in all its dispen-
sations. It will be then evident that '* the Lord
•' is good, and doth good/'

.AH our natural powers and providential supplies
come from God. We have nothing that we have
not received from Hun. ** In Him we live, and
" move, and have our being." He ** made us
" and not we ourselves." He *' upholdeth our
** souls in life/' He causeth the sun to shine,
and the rain to descend. He " crowneth us with
" loving kindness and tender mercies/' He,
" satisfieth our mouths with good things/'

But our collect relates more particularly to spi-
ritual blessings, as appears from the prayer which
follows this ascription of all good to God. Man is
by nature " dead in trespasses and sins;" and it

VOL. II. Y

323 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

is the power of God which kindles in his bosom
the first spark of spiritual life ; He cherishes the
life which He imparts ; and through every stage
of its progress it is dependent on Him for its ex-
istence and increase. Every good desire is the
gift of God, and the power to perform the good
desires which are thus suggested is also from Him.
St. Paul, in his own name and in the name of all
his brethren, disavows all self-sufficiency. " Not
'* that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any
*' thing as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of
** God." (2 Cor. iii. 5. Comp. 1 Cor. xv. 10.)
And in another place he tells us that it is '^ God
*' who worketh in us both to will and to do of His
" good pleasure." (Phil. ii. 13.) Man in him-
self is a mere mass of sin and corruption ; so that
aH good must be extrinsecal and from above> both
meritoriously and potentially. Man can neither
inerit nor produce it in himself. With the repre-
sentations of Scripture on this subject our church
fully corresponds. In her liturgy she teaches us
to acknowledge, that *^ all holy desires, good
\^ counsels^ and just works proceed from God."
in her articles she asserts that " the condition of
** man, after the fall of Adam, is such, that he
cannot turn and prepare, himself, by his own
natural strength and good works^ to faith and
5^ca)ling upop God. Wherefore we have no
power to do good works pleasant and acceptable
to God, without the gr^ce of God by Christ
preventing us that we may have a good will,
*' and working with us when we have that good
^' will." Man '' cannot repent ; he cannot be-
^* lieve; he cannot turn to God;, nay he cannot
^* so niuch as prepare himself for it : and why
** can he not^ but because he will not ? And cer-
^J tainly . if be will not^ be cannot ; it being

u

FIFTH 8UNDAY AFTER EASTiS. ^83

*^ impossible he should act any thing contrary td
*^ his will : and therefore if he cannot will it, h6
** cannot do it.*'* To the testimony of the Arti-
cles we might add that of the Homilies, aiid shei\^
by copious extracts, if it were necessary, that
sdvation is altogether of grace. One paissage,
from the first part of the sermon for Rogation
we^, containing a sweet commentary on the
declaration of our collect that ''all good things
^*"do come from God," we shall subjoin.

*' It is His goodness that moveth ptlm to say
^ in Scripture, It is my delight to be with thfe'
^ children of men. It is Ktis goodness that mov-
** eth Him to call us unto Him^ to offer us His
friendship and presence. It is His goodness
that patiently suffereth our straying from Him';
^' and sufferethus long/ to win us to repentance*
*' It is of Hi* goodnesi that we be created rfeason-
•* able creatures, where else He might have made
" us brute beasts. It was His mercy to have us
^ bom among ftie > number of Christian people,
and thereby in a much more nighness to salva-
tion than where we might have been born, if
His goodness hstd not been, among the Payniftis
( Heatliens ) i clean void from God, and the
hope of everlasting life. And what other fhilig
**^doth His loving and gentle • voice, spoken in
^ His word where He calleth us to His presence
*' and friendship, but declare His goodness only
'' without regard of our worthiness ? And what'
" other thing doth stir Him to call us to Him
'*when we be strayed from Him, to suffer us
" patiently, to winXis to repentance, but only

♦ See Bishop Beveridge, on Art, X. wheire the reader will
find many quotations from the primitive fathers and councils
in support of the doctrine of our church.

y2

U

it

V4

ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

His singular goodness, no whit of our deserving ?
' I ot them all come together that be now glori-
* rieil in heaven^ and let us hear what answer
they will make in these points before rehearsed,
whether their first creation was in God's good-
** ness or of themselves ? Forsooth David would
** make answer for them all and say. Know yc for
'' surety even the Lord is God^ He hath made us
*' and not we ourselves. If they were asked again,
'' who should be thanked for their regeneration,
*' for their justification, and for their salvation,
*'■ whether iheir deserts or God's goodness only?
** Although in this point every one confess suffi-
** ciently the truth of this matter in his own
" person ; yet let David answer by the mouth of
" them all at this time^ who cannot chuse but say,
" Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to thy name
give the thank for thy loving mercy and for
thy truth sake. If we should ask again, from
'^ whence came their glorious works and deeds,
** which they wrought in their lives, wherewith
*' God was so highly pleased and worshipped by
'^ them ? Let some other witness be brought in
*^ to testify this matter, that in the mouth of two
" or three may the truth be known."

'* Verily that holy prophet Esay beareth record
'< and saith, O Lord, it is thou of thy goodness
*' that hast wrought all our works in us, not we
*' ourselves. And to uphold the truth of this
'* matter against all justiciaries and hypocrites
'* which rob Almighty God of His honour and
** ascribe it to themselves, St. Paul bringeth in his
•' belief We be not (saith he) sufficient of our-
*' selves, once to think any thing, but all our
" ableness is of God's goodness ; for He it is in
" whom we have all our being, our living and
•' moving. If ye will know, furthermore, where

FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER- 325

they had all their gifts and sacrifices^ y^hich tfiey
offered continually in their lives to Almighty
" God, they cannot but agree with David where
he saith, Of thy liberal hand, O Lord, have
we received that we gave unto thee. If this
*-* holy company therefore confess so constantly
** that all the good and graces wherewith they
" were endued in soul came of the goodness of
" God only, What more can be said to prove that
*' all that is good cometh from Almighty God >
Is it. meet to think that all spiritual goodness
cometh from God above only, and that other
good things, either of nature or of fortune (as
we call them) cometh of any other cause?
Doth God of His goodness adotn the soul with
^' ail the powers thereof as it is; and cometh the
gifts of the body (wherewith it is endued) from
any other ? If He doth the more, cannot He
do the less ? To justify a sinner, to new create
*' him from a wicked person to a righteous man,
is a greater act (saith Augustin) than to make
such a new heaven and earth as is already made.
^^ We must needs agree that whatsoever good
" thing is in us, of grace, of nature, or of for-
" tune, is of God only, as the only Author and
'' Worker/'

How great then is the folly, the pride and the
guilt of man in arrogating to himself any praise
from aught which he possesses, or supposes him-
self to possess ! Its absurdity is gross; its pride
is abominable ; and its guilt must be very heavy.
As well might the earth claim the hanour of its
own fertility independent of the sun and rain — a
claim which the first wintry night that occurred
would prove to be preposterous. A perpetual
and everlasting winter must reign throughout the
human soul without Divine grace. Every believer

V3

€€

326 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

will say therefore with the Apostle, *^By the grace
'^ of God I am what 1 am:''

We proceed to consider the prayer of our col-
lect, in which we beseech God to '' Grant, that
** by His holy inspiration we may think those
^^ things that be good, and by His merciful guid--
'^ ing may perform the same, through our Lord
** Jesus Christ/* Two things are here implored;
that " the grace of God by Christ may prevent us
^^ that we may have a good will, and that it may
" work with us when we have that good will."

Every truly converted person earnestly desires'
to have his thoughts occupied, only and always,
in that which is good. Upon a supposition that
this is the desire of our hearts, this collect is
prepared for our use. But is it indeed so ? Are
evil thoughts our plague and burden ? and is it
our fervent wish to have them banished wholly
from our hearts and their place supplied with
Godly motions ? If not, our connection with
the church is merely nominal, for we cannot
join in her services nor adopt her language.

Those thoughts only are good which have the*
glory of God, either directly or indirectly, for
their object, aim, and end. For what, it may
be asked, is the end of our being? In what
consists the happiness of our nature ? What is
the aim of the gospel of Christ ? What is the
employment of heaven ? And what is the state
of those who are in the presence of God ?

Now the unconverted heart is wholly desti-
tute of good thoughts and tenanted by bad ones.
For ♦' God is not in all the thoughts of the
*' wicked." (Ps. x. 4.) " He wants no Prophet
«* to teach him, no Priest to atone for him, no
<* King to conduct him : he needs neither a
^♦Christ to redeem, nor a Spirit to sanctify

FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 327

"him; he believes no Providence, adores no
*^ Creator, and fears no Judge."* Well there-
fore may it be said, that *' Every imagination
** of the thoughts of his heart is only evil and
^* that continually" — an awful description of
the human heart, with which the declaration of
our Lord agrees, when he asserts that " Out of
*^ the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders,
*\ aduUeries, fornications, thefts, fake witness, *
" blasphemies." . These are the impure and
bitter waters which flow naturally from the
fountain of the human heart.

Even after conversion the fountain of our
thoughts is but partially cleansed. For Oh, •
what worldly, filthy* and profane thoughts
harrass and grieve Uie believing soul ! If the
thoughts of a single? day were delineated on
paper, with what disgust would the Christian
eye be tivrned from them ! how would they nau-
seate his very soul ! In our acts of prayer and
praise, in our public ordinances, our social and
private worship, O how many are the sinful,
thoughts which intrude on the mind ! What a
mixture of pride, carnal affection, and earthly
n^indedness, may be traced in our holiest duties^
defiUng our best attempts to serve God ! ^

The true members of our church are con-
scious of their remaining corruption, and "groan
** being burdened." But they mourn not as
those who have no hope. For they are encou-
raged by the promises of God to expect progres-
sive saactification of heart, and that " He who
*' hath begun the good work in them will finish
*^ it to the day of 'Jesus Christ." • With this en-
livening hope they lopk up to. Him who made

I.

* ^ifi^opHorae on Pb« x« 4«

328 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

the hnman hearty and who alone '^ can bring a
" clean thing out of an unclean ;" beseeching
Him to cleanse their hearts from sin, and to re-
plenish them with the Spirit of holiness, that
** by His holy inspiration they may think those
" things that be good." They are not content
with external decency and a form of Godliness.
They have to do with Him " to whom all hearts
^' be open, all desires known, and from whom
** no secrets are hid.*' By His grace they have
been taught that inward conformity to His will
is essential both to present and future happi*
ness ; and therefore they beseech Him to
** cleanse the thoughts of their hearts by the
** inspiration of His Holy Spirit, that they mav
*' perfectly love Him, and worthily magniQr
** His holy name through Jesus Christ their
** Lord." Reader, Doth thy heart say Amen to
this petition ?

The doctrine of Divine influence is greatly
ridiculed and blasphemed in this day of pre-
tended rationality, when reason is worshipped
as a goddess by others besides French Atheists.
The rites of her worship are very numerous and
complicated, though its acts are more covert
and ambiguous than those performed in the
church of Notre Dame, where a strumpet was
properly placed on a throne as the representative
of the supposed Deity. To her power is every
good attributed which is received on earth, and
to her guidance is man directed for the purpose
of attaining everlasting life, by the modern sys-
tem of- Theology. Those however who thus
deify the fallen reason of man, and join in a
sneer at the doctrine of Divine inspiration, ridi-
cule both the Bible and our prayer-book. To
this doctrine, in its fullest latitude of interpre-

€€

FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 329

tation, no churchman can consistently object.
His opposition to it must involve him in the
crime of hypocrisy. For all spiritual light in
the human understanding, and all true holiness
in the human heart, are represented in the li-
turgy, articles, and homilies of the church of
England, to be derived from inspiration of God.
** Reason, till she has been taught by the lively
oracles of God, knows nothing of the spiritual
life^ and the food brought down from heaven
for its support,'* as Bishop Horsley has. well
observed. And the lively oracles of God can-
not afford saving instruction without, what the
same able Divine calls, ** the mysterious com^
*' merce of the believer's soul with the Divine
*' Spirit:'

To quote passages in proof of this obnoxious
doctrine from the established formularies of oui^
church seems to be unnecessary, because no
one can be acquainted with those formularies
without finding it in almost every page. It
does not require to be sought for, but it presses
on the eye. To the liturgy a general appeal
may be made as in the hands of every church-
man. In the ordination office, which is not in-
serted in every common prayer-book as it is
now printed, the following passage is remarkr
able, in which the candidates for Priest's orders
are thus addressed : '< Ye cannot have a mind
•^ or will thereto of yourselves, for the will and
" ability is given of God alone. Therefore ye
*♦ ought and have need to pray earnestly for the
Holy Spirit. You will continually pray to
God the Father, by the mediation of our only
'* Saviour Jesus Christ, for the heavenly assist-
" ance of the Holy Ghost." Nor is it to be sup-
posed, that the clergy alone need this Divine

fC

330 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

inspiration, for the laity are also addressed in
the following words. ^^ Man's human and
*^ worldly wisdom and science is not needful to
*^ the understanding of Sqripture^ but the reve-
" lation of the Holy Ghost, who inspireth the
**true meaning into them that with humility
** add diligence do seek therefore." *

Without entering further into the doctrine of*
our church on this important subject at present,
as other opportunities will : hereafter offer of
recurring to it, we proceed to observe that, in
addition to the prayer for the regulation of ouir
thoughts by Divine grace, we implore power
from above, whereby we may be enabled to
carry into, effect the holy motions which Divine
inspiration has produced within us. " Grant to
us thy humble servants that by thy holy in-
spiration we may think those things that be
good, and by thy merciful guiding may per-
form the same." For when ^* to will is present
with us, how to perform that whiqh is good
** we find not"

The necessity . of being guided by Divine
influence in the performance of every good
work, is evident to the conscious mind. Not
only must we know, through the teacliing of
God's word and Spirit, what is good, but we
must be enabled to practise it by the same
blessed agency. To *^ the spirit of a sound
mind" must be added " the spirit of love and
of power."

For the purpose of shewing the wisdom and
importance of this branch of our collect, it may
\>e useful to specify some instances of duty. — »
VSod inspires your mind with the thought of

mily on the reading of the Holy Scriptares«

it

FIFTH SUNDAY. AFTER lAgTEB. 331-

offering prayer and' praise^: Ybu address your-
self to the duty, the propriety of whioh yon'
are thus made to discern. ^ Ybu bend your knees
before God« But is nothing further necessary'
to render the duty acceptable to God and pro<-
fitabJe to your soul? Can you, unassisted .by
Divine grace, carry the good thought thus: sng^
gested into effect? Assuredly not; for V^ tpue
** worshippers jw6r^%> God in the Spirit.""
Prayer without humbise desire, and thanksgiving
without gratitude, are acts unacoeptaUe to
God, and worse than -unprofitable to those who
mgage in them.-r-Grod inspires you with areso^
lotion of attending His public worship;. Yba
go* to His house; but when you arrive there^-
can you, under all the advantages which our >
church-service affords, perform the duties '
therein required without His mercifu} guiding?^
Most undoubtedly you cannot. If abstraction
from the world, a spiritual frame of mind, con-
trition, faith, desire, gratitude, are essential to
a due performance of Divine Worship, the ne*
cessity of God's " merciful. guiding'* must be
evident. His Spirit must pray within you; He
must warm your heart with a sense of redeem- »
ing love; He must apply the doctrines of His
own word to your conscience. — ^You rise in the
morning with a wish of spending the day that
is before you to the praise and gloiry of God.
The wish is good, and proceeds from the Author '
of all good. But unless He also maintain it '
and carry it into vigorous exercise throughout
the day, your " goodness will be like a morning
*' cloud or the early dew." It will be dissipated .
by the first breeze of temptation; it will evapo- .
rate in the first worldly engagement that wooes
your attentioi^, ^

338 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

Let the reader inquire whether he be a be*
liever in the doctrine of Divine inspiration to
the extent in which our church maintains it.
If not, he is a dissenter in principle from the
church. And surely a dissenter from her prin-
ciples is as much a dissenter as one who dissents
from her discipline and worship.

This important doctrine was generally held
by the members of our church till the time of
Archbishop Laud. Under the protectorate of
Cromwell, enthusiasm, in the vicious sense of
the word, reared its hydra-head, and produced
the most dreadful consequences both to church
and state. After the restoration, a desire of
diverging as far as possible from the spirit of
enthusiasm produced a general silence on this
essential point in Divinity, and ultimately a
contempt of it. It is now not unfrequently
exploded.* But there can be no genuine Chris-
tianity without a belief and experience of it.
It is the life and soul of the Christian system.
And it is a well known maxim, that no argu-
ment can be raised against the legitimate use of
any thing from the abuse which has been made
of it, or to which it is liable.

Is the reader a practical believer in the neces-
sity of Divine influence ? Doth he feel his per-
sonal need of a participation thereof? Doth
this conviction produce earnest prayer to God,
^' that by His holy inspiration he may think
'^ those things that be good, and by His mer-
*^ ciful guiding may perform the same, through

♦ See Knox*8 Christian Philosophy, and especially sect,
iii. *' On the prejudices against all Divine and supernatural
** influence on the mind of man." In this treatise the
reader will find a body of evidence from English Diviues^^
antient and modern, on the subject of Divine influ^ace.

FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 333

" our Lord Jesus Christ?^* If not, let him re-
member, that '^ no man can say that Jesus is
*^ the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost;'' and that
" if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he
^' i"^ »0%e of His.*'

934 . ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

ASCENSION-DAY.

Granty zee beseech thee, Almighty Gody that
like as we do believe thy only begotten Son our
Lord Jesus Christ to have ascended into the hea-
ve7is ; so zve may also in heart and mind ascend
thithery and with Him continually dwelly who
liveth and reigneth, zvith thee and the Holy Gliost^
one Gody world without end. Amen.

" XN the course of this long continued festival
M of Pentecost, (which occupied the whole
space of fifty days between Easter and Whitsun-
tide) we are to take more special notice of one
particular day, before we come to Whitsunday :
that is, of the feast of our Saviour's ascension,
or assumption into heaven. The observation of
this festival was so antient^ that St. Augustin
could derive its original from no other fountain,
but either apostolical institution, or the general
agreement of the church in some plenary coun-
cil : fo;* those things, says he, which are received
and observed over all the world, not as written in
Scripture, but as handed down to us by tradition,
we conceive to have been either instituted by the
Apostles themselves, or some numerous councils
whose authority is of very great use in the church.
Such are the anniversary solemnities of our Sa-
viour's passion and resurrection and ascension into
heaven, and the coming of the Holy Ghost from*
heaven. It is certain therefore the feast of ascen*
sion was generally observed all over the church
long before St. Augustin's time." This feast was

ASCENSION-DAY. S35

sometimes oalted Episozqmene. *^ Why it was sp
called is not very easy to conjecture. Perhaps
it might be, because, by our Saviour's assump-
tion into heaven again, the whole oecotK)fiiy of
His incarnation and the world's redemption was
now completed^ as. the author of the coijstitutions
words it. And Chrysostom, much after the same
manner^ says^ On this day. that antient enmity
was destroyed, and that long war ended; on this
.day an admirable and unexpected peace was re-
stored to us. After God in His anger had de-
stroyed man and bea$t from off the earth by an
universal deluge, we that were unworthy of the
earth, were this day exalted to heaven ; we that
were not worthy to reign below, were advanced
4o a kingdom above ; we ascended above the hea-
.vens, and took possesi^on of a royal throne ; and
that nature of ours, against which the cdierubims
were set to guard paradise, was this day set above
the cherubims. He means that Christ, as the
first fruits of our nature in perfection, was exalted
jnto heaven; and all His members in soilie mea-
sure now partake of that glory, and hope in due
iime to meet Him in the clouds, and to be tran-
slated to the same place whither their forerunner
is gone before them. This is the best account I
can give at present of the name Episozomene,
and the application of it to the celebrated festival
of our Saviour's ascension or assumption into
heaven. I need not stand now to inquire into the
manner of its observation. For being in the midst
of Pentecost it certainly had all the solemnity that
belonged to that festival^ and never passed with-
out a proper discourse jto excit^e men to elevate
their souls, and ascend with Christ in heart and
mind to heaven, in hopes of obtaining it as their

336 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

proper mansion both for body and soul hereafter
to all eternity."*

Having followed our Lord and Saviour Jesu»
Christ through the successive scenes of His hu-
miliation from the manger to the cross; and
having, as it were, seen Him rise triumphantly
from the grave ; we are now called to contemplate
His glorious ascension into heaven. In the pre-
sence of chosen witnesses who might afterwards
attest the fact, He went up from mount Olivet
towards heaven till a cloud received Him out of
their sight, that He might take possession of His
mediatorial throne.

The collect for Ascension-day consists of an
introduction and a prayer. The introduction re«
cites the important fact which we profess to be-
lieve. And in the prayer which is founded there-
on, we implore grace that we may be enabled to
imitate the example which that fact furnishes.

The fact which we now celebrate may be stated
in a few words. Our Lord Jesus Christ, after that
He had finished the work which was given H m •
to do, having by His incarnation, sufferings, and
death upon the cross fulfilled the duties and sus-^
tained the penalties of the moral law, and accom-
plished all the types of the ceremonial law — having
verified all the prophecies which had been written
concerning Him, and made a complete atone-
ment for sin ; after that He had risen triumphantly
from the dead, and conversed with His apostles,
the future administrators of His kingdom, for
forty days, and given them sufficient instruction
and authority, returned in triumph to heaven
from whence He came. In the human nature^

* Bingham's Antiquities of the Christian Church, ygjim. ii
page 331.

-ASCENSION-DAY.. 35?

which He had assumed into union \vith His God-
head, (for His Godhiead being omnipresent could
not change its place of residence) He went up to
takO'possesi^ion of thd glory whicli He had merited
fdr Himself and all His followers by His obe-
dienee unto deaths ; •"

* TWo modes sbf exjiressiott are dsed in the Scrip-
tures when thcy^ describe this cvetit. Sometimes
our I^oid is said to have ascehdfed/ and sometimes
to have been taken! up, in conseqjience of which
tiie antients called^ it both the eisceiinon and the
assumption. The former of these> terms denotes
that it was by His own right atid power that
Christ ascehded; and the latter .that it was a ju-
dicial act of God the great Lawgiver, assigning
to; Christ as Mediator the reward 'of His work.

: The place chosen for the scene- of our Lord's
ascent was mount Olivet. ■ 1*0 the garden which
lay at the foot of this mountain He had '^ oft-
times ' resorted, both alone and with ~ His dis-
ciples, for the purposes of secret prayer and
religious conversation.'* In this place '* He
had enjoyed many delightful seasons of fellow-
ship with God. Every spot perhaps of that
distinguished ground had been consecrated by
the footsteps of a meditating, and the knees of
an adoring Saviour. Here also His dying sor-
rows began. Well might a good man say,
'* All places are happy, or miserable, in propor-
** tion as God vouoisafes or denies His gracious
<* presence therein/' In Gethsemane, where Jesus
had so often experienced the ravishing conso-
lations of His heavenly Father's countenance ; in
this very Gethsemane did the same blessed Jesus
experience the first outpourings of His Almighty
Father's wrath. Here it was that His righteous
soul became " exceeding sorrowful even unto

VOL. II. 2

338 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

"death." Here it was that the sipotless victini
began to feel the dreadful weight of impbted
guilt, and the terrors of avenging justice ; — ^when
His inward agony forced His very blood, from
its veins^ which made its way. even through! His
threefold vesture and fell clotted to. the ground ;-^
when Himself lay prostrate on the ground with
His garments literally rolled in blood."* From
a higher part of this same mouiltain dur Lord
ascended. And there seems to have been a pe«
culiar design in the choice of the place. \.tX the
believer remember to set future glory against
present sufferings. Let him, in imitation of: hii
Lord, " for the joy that is set before him, e;ndure
" the cross, despising the shaitie.*' . Let him
^* reckon that the sufferings of the present time
" are not worthy to be compared with the glory
'^ that shall be revealed in him."

The place to which our Lord ascended was thi
highest heaven, the peculiar residence of JehovaL
He '* was made higher than the heavens." " He
^* ascended up far above all heavens." The be-
liever will join issue with the Divine appoint-
ment, and acknowledge that no elevation could
be too great a reward for Him who " ihade His
" soul an offering for sin." The glory which He
received was no more than an equivalent for the
work He had performed. The glory which He
had given to God, and the salvation which He had
procured for men, entitled Him to the highest
exaltation from God, and to the highest love,
gratitude, and adoration from man.

As there was nothing relative to the person and
work of the Messiah, which was not anticipated
by types and prophecies under the preceding

•K

See two Sermons, intitled "Jesus seen of Angels."

ASCENSION-DAY- 339

dispensation^ and nothing so prefigured or pre-
dicted which was not accomplished in Him ; we
may rationally expect to find that an event so
glorious to Him) and so important to His churchy
was :th^ subject of frequent notice in the Old Tes-
tament, And the expectation is just. For the
exaltation of Joseph from a dungeon to the go-
vernment of Egypt; the exaltation of David^
after a long series of sufferings, to the throne of
Israel ; the removal. of the ark to mount Zion ;
and the annual entrance of the high priest into
the holy of holies— these were all typical repre-
sentations of our Lord's ascension. ..Prophecies ,
also of this glorious event are ^ot rare. The an«..
tient church sang of it while they carried the ark
of Grod to mount Ziqn in this triumphal strain ; ;
Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led <;ap-
tivity captive ; thou hast received gi^ for men^
yea, for the rebellious also, that the J;ord God
might dwell among them/' (Ps. Ixviii. 18»
Comp. £ph. iv. 8.). On the same occasion and
with a similar reference to Christ, the 47th Psalm .
seems to have been composed* Therein\ the
church exultingly proclaims that ''God is gone
'^ up with a shout, even the Lord with {he sound
** of a trumpet:" and adds *' Sing ' praises to
^* God, sing praises; sing praises unto our king,
^' sing praises : for God is the king X)f all : the
'' earth ; sing ye praises with understanding."
The 24tb Psalm speaks still more copiously and
distinctly on the subject.- Therein we contem-
plate "the Lord of glory, after His resurrection
from the dead, making His entry into the eternal
temple jn heaven, as of old by the symbol of
His presence He took possession of that figura-
tive and temporary structure which once stood
upon the hill of Sion. We af e to cdnceiVe Him

z s

cc

340 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

gradually rising from mount Olivet into the air,
taking the ckmds for His chariot, and ascending up
on high; while some of the angels^ like thele*
\ntes in procession, attendant on the triumphant
Messiah in the day of His power, demaiid that
those everlasting gates and doors, hithertd filKit
and barred against the race of Adam, should he
thrown open' for His admission into the realms of
bliss. " Lift iip your heads, O ye gates, and be
*' ye lift up, ye everlasting doors, and the king
*' of glory shall come in." On hearing thisrVoioe-
of jubilee and exultation from the earth, the abode
of misery and sorrow, the rest of the angei^^
astonished at the thought of a MAN claiming a
right of entrance into their happy regions, ask
from within, like the Levites in the temple, "Who
** is this kingof glory ?'*^ = To which the attendant
angels answer, in a strain of joy and triumph^ —
( aind let the church of the redeemed answer with
them) — ^^ The Lord strong and mighty, theLcnfd
" mighty in battle*' — the I^KD Jesus, victorious
over sin, death and hell. Therefore we say, and
with holy transport we repeat it, " Lift up your
^^ heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye ever-
" lasting doors, and the king of -glor)' shall come
^^ in/* Arid if any ask, **Who is the king of
**' glory?" *To heaven and earth we proclaim
aloud— ^' The 'LORD of Hosts,'' all-conqiusring
Messiah, head -over every creature, the leader
of the armies df Jehovah, " He is the king of
''glory/* Even so. Glory be to thee, O Lord
most high ! Amen, Hallelujah.'**

We belie\'e this important article of our creed
on the evidence afforded in the word of Godc

* Dr. Home ou the 24Ui Psi^m. In addition to these
prophecies, the reader may coivbuU ^zek. xliv. 3, 3. pan.
vii. 13, 14. Mic.ri.'ya.

ASCENSION-DAY, 341

Therein we have the testimony of angels and of
holy naen, who could ^ not be deceived them*
selves as the fact which they attest was evident
to their outward senses } nor could they be de-
ceivers of. others, as they had no motive to imi>
pose du mankind. (Acts i. 9> IK) All that im*
mense mass of evidence, both internal and ex-
ternal;, by which the Bible is proved to be the
word of God, demonstrates also the reality of
|;his comfortable truth, , that our Lord hath ^^ as-p
*^ cended into heaven."

In this article of our creed we comprehend
not merely the fact and its attendant circum-
stances, but also various considerations which
are inseparably connected with it. A mere as-
sent to the naked fact, without a reference to
other circumstances, . can afford no comfort to
the conscious mind, nor can it be any foundation
for confidence toward God in the use of the
subsequent prayer.

• But when we profess to believe tliat God's
** only begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ
*' ascended into the heavens,'' we are supposed
to exercise faith in Him as the atoning sacrifice
and the justifying righteousness of His people.
We profess to believe that He hath '*' finished
*' the work which was given Him to do'* on
earth, by satisfying Divine justice on our behalf
ismd giving everlastiQg honour to the holy law
of God. For His assumption to His mediatorial
throne was a part of. that visible testimony
which was given to Christ that His vicarious
engagements were fulfilled, and consequently
a material part of that foundation on which our
peace of conscience and Hope of salvation are
built. His ascension was a pAvt of the stipulated •
reward anneisied to His sufferiiigs and death«

342 ON TME COLLECT FOR THE

For this therefore the Mediator pleaded as His
right in His last prayer before His agony, saying,
*' I have glorified thee on earth : I have finished
" the wqrk, which thou gavest me to do. And
" now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine
" own self, with the glory which I had with
*^ thee before the world was."

Moreover, while we profess our faith in our
Lord's ascension, we also profess to believe that
He hath opened a new and living way for us,
that we may follow Him whither He is gone
before us ; that He hath removed all obstruc-
tions to our salvation; that He hath triumphed
over all our enemies; that He hath procured
for us all necessary grace which He is ascended
to bestow ; and that He hath prepared a place
for us, according to His own declaration made
to His disciples: "In my father's house are
*' many mainsions ^ if it were not so I would
" have told you ; I go to prepare a place for
*' you. And if I go and prepare a place for
" you, I will come again and receive you unto
" myself, that where I am, there ye may be
^' also." Accordingly if we are believers in
Christ, then we are " risen with Christ ;" and
we are also ascended with Him, and " made to
" sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." And
if we are now ascended with Him, by virtue of
union with Him and attraction from Him, as
members of His mystical body, and in heart
and affection, we shall hereafter ascend in body
' and soul personally and really. For He ascended
as " the head of His body the church." He
" entered into heaven as our forerunner.'*

Now do we believe, that " our Lord Jesus
" Christ is ascended into the heavens/' viewing
the subject in this extensive and practical view ?
With respect to the naked fact, '' the devils

ASCEN^ION-^DAy. 543

*' believe it and tremble/' It will be of no avail
to us that we avow it as an article of our cr^ed,
unless we mix an operative faith with our assent
and avowal,

. We proceed to consider the prayer of our
collect, in which we. implore grace that we
may be enabled to imitate the example which
Christ's ascension furnisher.

The history of the life of Christ is analogi-
cally repeated in the experience of all His
members. This analogy we have noticed in the
review which we have taken, in the course of
these essays, of the principal circumstances
recorded in the gospel. Christians are imitators
of Christ in His birth, circumcision, baptism,
death, burial, resurrection and ascension. For
they are born again, are cijxumcised with the
true circumcision of the Spirit, are baptised
with water and the Holy Ghost, they die to sin,
are buried with Christ in baptism, rise to new-
ness of life, and ascend with Him so as to sit
with Him in heavenly places.

In the petition now before us, which is founded
on the doctrine of Christ's ascension, we pray-
that we may ascend in heart and mind to heaven
whither Christ is gone before us— that, feeling
the attractive power of His love, we may be
drawn 'to follow Him in holy desire and con-
templation, according to His own promise,
which may be applied to His ascension as well
as to His crucifixion. " If! be lifted up from
*' the earth, I will draw all men unto me."
This petition shews the efficient nature of faith»
and the connection which exists between genu*
ine faith and true holiness,

O ho w important a prayer ! For of what avail
will it be to us that Christ is ascended into

Z4

'. .111. ( oi.i.KCT rc?. TI-IZ

H .. Ill '» hi »»il» % !u»r. •,: :»f ': '*-::'r' -••:•. .'ever with
11... ih .r..*v.-:. i.n: ?*:<>;'r jn '.Ite riijht

I I « I v..».. .' .*--• :r : -•'•:••:•.- it terror to

• »•• •• • •' ^ " -> -"''S'^-Tv'. u::I«r<s the

" * .v» . '^- "" > • : -. -• T lie -'^c'ltu;: .> T'lant

:.r -^-i^oi -;:::. The ^ap-
- ■* " *•' - "* .::t:*:*: : j ::ie bci^ht-

. '^"^ : T::ivr t o.r. It
. ^r \M "Trh C-rr.-rt

**• • .i. "■- :: •: Jiir ^iz< iz*!

. . . ■ ' .11*' -• -rS: MC^ 01 the

••:t; ;i:'t:" 'ii-s* unrfer the
. •.:Miit'. if.; •? :o that place
* - * It »' :';*\"*;it:r themselves as
.... .,^..,-v rrjrc fjirth,' as " citi-
:^ - iri^MT -citizens with the
•> i«M?c::«:i'i or God." They
^-i.: .:? iiMcf wh:.:i they are laid,
:/;• ^Tz.'^-sr. r:^ • abstain from
-^ 1 : : \ :.' »:::i:-^r :;ie sou! ;" not
' • v.:c^ . «i:'«: '.y " have their
v;., • : :• .: .i\ rlTct: vvhence they
X -w '^.. »:• .:e Lj-vi wU^uj Christ/'

. .-. - .. V ! - »\<r ::l:.':o u5 ard upper-
: .^ > c: 'V; jocsiJer as our
*.: "••*?* -c-V'j,','. ::-* residence of our
:^a.. •4> i.::c. x'scui-rHcudi. If we are

ASCENSIOK-DAY. 345

«

•

absent from it, thitherward our hearts tend, even
while our bodies are remote from it ; and if we
are journeying towards it, our minds move faster
than our feet, and love adds speed to our motion.
This is verified in the experience of those,
who love Grod as* their Father, Christ as their
elder brother and friend, and glorified saints as
their common brethren and *' fellow heirs of the
^^ gi-ace of life."

Now, as love to Christ is inseparable from
faith in Him, it is supposed by our church that
all wlio recite her creed and join in her collects-
are ascending in heart and mind heavenwardi^.
Let the reader consider if her charitable hope of
himself be founded. But though the tendency of
die believing soul be heavenwards, yet is there
need to pray for an acceleration of motion ; for
corruption, like a Heavy load, weighs its down
to earth; guilt, like a dark cloud, hides the
object of our love from view; worldly things
distract our attention ; and death interposes a
tremendous barrier between us and our eternal
home. Under these circumstances we cannot
be too earnest in praying that " Almighty Crod
^^ would cause us in heart and mind to ascend
^* heavenwards.*' Our comfort in praying for
this blessing is built on the Omnipotence pf
Him from whom we implore it.

We solicit further grace that " with Christ
f* we may continually dwell" — that, while we
continue on earth, our hearts and minds may
have their settled abode in heaven, being ?* surely
^* fixed there where true joys are to be foimd,"
and that shortly we may locally be removed
thither both in soul and body. O ravishing
thought ! May it transport and immovably rivet
our hearts to Christ, whose preBence and love
ijonstitftte the ver^ essence of heaven.

346 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

Reader, dost thou beHeve that Christ is as-
cended into heaven ? If thy belief of this doc*
trine be " the faith of God's elect,'* thou hast
tlie witness of its truth in thine own bosom.
The desires which prevail there are evidences of
it. The virtue of Christ's ascension accoajpanies
" the power of His resurrection." Does our
collect express the fervent desire of your soul ?
If it do not, you cannot join in the sensibilities
of the church on earth, and surely are not pre-
pared to concur in the worship of the church
above; you are uninterested in the triumphs
of our glorified Leader ; you have no share in
the largesses which at His ascension He be-
stowed on His church ; you are in an unpardoned
and unsanctified state ; and, consequently, have
no title to His kingdom nor qualification for it.

But some of the sincere followers of Christ,
who *Mn heart and mind ascend" after Him,
follow Him trembling, as if the victory were
not won nor the spoils secured. Let them con-
sider the plenary declarations of Scripture on
the subject, and ,the experience of the saints,
especially of those who have " fought the good
" fight and finished their course." Hark, the
Captain of your salvation calls to you from His
exalted throne, points to His vanquished ene-
mies, and in the words of Joshua thus addresses
you: ^* Come near, and put your feet upon
** their necks. Fear not, nor be dismayed, be
*' strong and of good courage; for thus shall the
" Lord do to all your enemies against whom ye
" fight." Listen, trembling saint, to the sounds
which earth reverberates to the skies : '< God is
*^ gone up with a shout, the Lord with the
" sound of a trumpet." " He hath led captivity
^^ captive." And let thy feeble yoice be mingl^

ASCENSION-DAY. 347

with the triumphant strain, whilst thou art
making thy way through hosts of enemies to the
place of thine eternal abode^

The benefits which the ascending Saviour
bestows, are designed for sinners, " yea, for the
^'rebellious." He "is exalted to be a Prince
^* and a Saviour, to give repentance and remis-
** sion of sins." Let none therefore be discou*
raged who are really desirous of an interest in
Him. But let them " seek, and they shall find"
that He is ''able to save to the uttermost all
** that come unto God by Him,"

But if these pages should meet the eyes of
any persons who feel no relentings of hearty no
desire after the pardoning and sanctifying grace
of Christ, let them, like the" rulers of Israel, on
the accession of Jehu to the throne of Israel, be
** exceedingly afraid ;" for if the powers " of
** darkness stpod not before Him, how shall
" they stand ?'* If His enemies, who '* will
" not that He should reig^n over them," do not
^' kiss the Son," submit to His sceptre, and
^ take His yoke upon them;" verily they will
shortly " call on the rocks and mountains to ^l
^^ on them and hide them from the face of Him
** that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath
" of the Lamb !" For when the great day of
His wrath is come, who shall be able to stand ?

343 OX THE COLLECT FDR THE

SI NDAY AtTER ASCENSION-DAY.

O GikL the King of glori/y zvho hast exalted
riw of:iu &yn Jesus Christ with great triumph
in:.y :iy kifts^dom in heaven ; ice beseech thee leave
::s .it>r cvvvvrttessy but send to us thine Holy Ghost
to iv.wnrrt ifjf, and exalt us nnto the same place
U'Xi'h^r our S.iT:eur Christ is gone before; who
tivefh ami rtigncth with thee ajid the Holy Ghost,
one G^iy ztorld without end. Amen.

THE tender concern which our blessed Lord
maniliested for His dear disciples previous
to His ascension into heaven, displays the ardor
of that love with which He lo\-ed them. When
He nppriseil them that He was speedily to be
n*mo\\\l from them. He entered into their dis*-
trt'ssinsT feelings on the occasion with most
anxious sympathy, and provided for their sap<-
port and consolation by the most afiectionate
and comprt'hensive promises. ** I will not/*
sius !k\ ** leave von comfortless; I will come
** unto ^-on/*

If it should be asked in what manner this
priMuise is to be understood, since our Lord's
K.r>onal pivsence was to be withdrawn from
lis church till ** the time of the restitution of
'* all thiusjs," an answer to the inquiry may be
jjiven in His own words: " I will pray the

l\uluM\ and He shall give you another Com-.

Tori or that He mav abide with you for ever;

ovou the Spirit of truth, whom the world

nuuwt receive, because it seeth Him pot.

1'

« «

• «

% «

SUNDAY AFTERVASCENSI0N4>AY. 349

** neither knoweth Hiin; but ye know Him,
** for He dwelletji with you and shall be in you.
I will not leave you comfortless, I wilI*©ome
unto 5 you/' The ohnnge of persons here
observable is to be explained by the union whk^h
mibsists between the persons' of the Godheacl>
in consequence of which the acts of-eaoh 'ai^e
attributed to the other.

« It may -further be inquired wbetbertMs ipro-
ttiise was confined to the twelve Aposiles in.
their persoiial capacity, or whether it i is to be
extended to all the membei^ of the Christtem
church unto the end' of tiitie. Here again bur
Lord V own words will supply a soljitibn "of the
difficuMy. - For He says, '^ IjO*, X am wilbybu
** always, even to the^^nd of the world 5"^ 'which
mdst undeniably relateto the- Apostles in their
official caprteity as representatives of the( nni-
tarsal chufch which was^^to be built on them
as its foundaition, • Jiesus' Christ Himself b&iug
the chief cortier-j^one. For the Apostles '-per-
sonally-considered, when the¥ had s€Tv«df'ibeir
i;ene^ation by'/the will- of Goici,i feM ^sli^cp,^ cmjd
ceased to need the promised consolation ;• but
there are disciples of our Lord who still iSOfOurn
in the wilderness, and therefore still need Ditine
support and help. It is certain that our cbd'rc^h
understands 4be promise in this extensive sense,
for thereon our collect for tbis day is founded.

Our present <iollect consists of a preface and.
a pmy^r. The preface recites that act of Divine
mercy which has been commemorated in the
church during the preceding week, the assump-
tion of our Lord Jesus Christ to the kingdom ill
heaven — And the prtiyer implores the (^ommu--
nication of the Holy* Ghofel, in the eharacter
of Comforter, bb » th*^ promised t'esalt of that
assumption.

350 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

God is addressed in the introduction of our
collect as " the King of Glory ;" a title which
is justly due to Him in whatever view He is
contemplated. But in that view which we are
now called to take of Him, it seems peculiarly
appropriate. For however brightly His glory
shines in creation and providence, it shines with
a clearer lustre in redemption. In the face of
Jesus Christ, who is the brightness of His glory,
and the . express image of His person, both
angels and men discern a glory that excelleth.
And it is not only the general aspect of the
scheme of grace which is radiant and reflects
glory on the Divine attributes, but every spe*
cific act of mercy which the gospel discloses
diffuses its own beams, and adds to the general
blaze which issues from the crown of " the
** King of Glory/' And among these none is
mone spleqdid than that instance which we now
commemorate. For which of the Divine per-
fections is not illustrated by the assumption of
the Mediator Jesus to the mediatorial kingdom,
as the head of His mystical body the church?
All irradiation is primarily from the sun. AJl
honour descends from the throne. And all
glory, whether that with which the Son of God
as Mediator is invested, or that which is pre-
pared for His redeemed, flows from God as the
Sovereign King in Zion.

The act which is ascribed in our collect to
Divine mercy, is the exaltation of the Messiah
to the throne prepared for Him in heaven. We
have already remarked, that both the resurrec-
tion and ascension of Christ are spoken of in
Scripture after different manners, being some*-
times attributed to the Father, and sometimeSi
to the Son Hiinself« Both views^ as we havie

SnjNDAY AFTER ASCENSIOI^-DAY. 351

shewn, are strictly just. In our collect the ex-
altation of our Lord is ascribed to God the Father^
who in the covenant of grace had stipulated to be-
stow this reward on the M^iator of that cove-
nant for His obedience unto death. ^' Christ Je-
<^ sus, being in the form of God, thought it not
^^ robbery to be equal with God : but niade Him-
<< self of no reputation, and took upon Him the
^^ form of a i^rvant, and was made in the likeness
*^ of men: anid being found in fashion as a man,
'^ He humbted Himself, and became obedient
** unto death, even Ihe death of the cross. Where-
'^ FOjlg God alsd hath highly exalted Him, and
*^ given Him a name which is above every. name:
** that at the name of Jesus every knee should
'^ bow, of things in heaven, and tilings in earthy
y gnd things under the earth ; and that every
^^ tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to
•' the glory of God the Father." (Phil. ii. 6—11.)
The manner in which Christ was exalted to the
kingdom in heaven is noted in our. collect. It
was worthy /of God who exalted Him, and of
Christ who was exalted. This ascension was a
most triumphant scene. '^AU heaven was in
concert above; and all the peopled air was har-
mony, as He ascended through. . Some, of the
Cherubic host were dispatched as heralds, making
proclamation as they flew, •' Lift up yoiir heads,
•^ O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting/
•' doors, that the King of Glory may come in.''-'
«' Who is this King of Glory ?" chaunted others rf"
the ecstatic legions. " The Lord,'* Jehovah n
human nature, *' strong and mighty" to sav;
"the Lord mighty in battle," the conqueroiof
sin and death and hell, returning triumphant fpm
His successful warfare :. '^ the Lord of Ho/s/'
Creator of us "angels and the Ransomer o/the

352 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

'* nations of them that are saved;" "He is the
'* King of Glory."—'' Who shall ascend into the
<' hill of the Lord, and who shall stand in His
** holy place?" *' He," of whom alone it could
be said, that He had '' clean hands and a pure
'' heart :" In His nature totally sinless ; and iti
His life, the perfect fulfiller of all righteousness.
<^-Thus did *' God go up with a shouts and the
*< Lord with the sound of a trumpet." Attending
spirits sang, ''Rise up. Lord, and let thine ene-
*' lilies be scattered ;" whilst the gazing disciples
responsive from below, cried out, " Return,
*' Lord," now in the power of thy Spirit, and
hereafter in the brightness of thy pensonal coming,
** to the many thousands of Israel !" Might it
not be said concerning those highly favoured
persons, who were witnesses of His ascension,
•'They have seen thy goings, O God, even the
" goings of my God, my King, in the sanctuary:
" the singers went before, the players on instru-
*' metits followed after ?" All the joy of the
blessed was in full exercise, all the melody of
heaven was at its height, when Jesus was ushered
to His throne; and "when, as a lamb newly
•'slaitt," and as a God totally and finally vic-
torious. He "entered into the holy place for us."
No such occasion of triumph as this had ever
occurred before. At the creation indeed, the
fnoming stars sang together, and all the sons of
God shouted for joy. At the nativity *' a mul-
^^titude of the heavenly host praised God and
• said. Glory to God in the highest, and on
* 'earth peace, good will towards men." When
tbir God lay prostrate in the garden, hung on
th cross, and was deposited in the grave, we
m^ almost suppose their songs of joy to hav6
l^eti turned into lamentation and mourning and

SUNDAY AFTER ASCENSION-DAY. 353

woe. But at His resurrection their harps were
tuned anew, and, as it were, prepared against
the festival of tlis coronation. Then their ac-
clamations and hosannas exceeded all preceding
eflfortSi For if they praised God when the foun«
dation of, the magnificent structure was laid^
how much more when the top-stone was laid on
it ! And if angels sung in t,riumph, what must
their joys have been who had been admitted
into paradise on the credit of the great sacrifice^
when they saw their Redeemer in their own na-
ture enter among them crowned with glory and
praise ! We cannot conceive aright, of their
feelings : we must wait to know. what they were*

The triumph of our Saviour was now com-
plete, for all His enemies and ours were van-
quished, and '< all- power in heaven and earth'*
was vested in Him as the mediatorial King in
Sion. , But the triumph is not yet concluded;
The Epinikion, or song of victory, continues
to be sung. And every fresh instance of . con-
version and glorification re-invigorates the cho-
rus; for ^' there is joy in the presence of the
•^ angels of God over every sinner that repcn-
" teth,". and how much more over every ran-
somed soul that is added to ^^ the general as^*
** sembly and church of the first-born'- who
dwell with God in heaven 1 Every such in-
stance is a fresh trophy of the Redeemer's vie-: .
torv, a new star in His glorious crown. •

The ministers of the Gospel are commanded
to say unto Zion, " Thy God reigneth.'' The
once crucified Saviour of sinners now 'sits on
His throne, and reigns for the confusion of His
enemies and the salvation of His subjects. O
how great should be our joy to-day, while we
contemplate Him as invested with the royal

VOL. IT. 2 A

354 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

diadem, arid crowned Lord of all ! May we be
enabled to join in the triumph of the skies.

The prayer of our collect implores the pro*
misM communication of the Holy Ghost td our
souls in the character of Comibrtei*, as the result
df our Lord's assumption into heaven, and thus
connects the commemoration of the ascensioii
with its Pentecostal effects.

The petitionary part of our collect is founded
on the doctrine of Christ's ascension to heaFenj
which secures to His church the comprehensive
blessing for which we pray, according to oar
Lord's most gracious declaration : '* It is ezpe*
*^ dient for you that I go away ; for if I go not
<' away, the Comforter will not come unto you;
*^ but if I depart, I will send Him uaio you.
*' And when He is come. He will reprove" (or
convince) ^Uhe world. of sin, and of nghteous-
" niess, and of judgment/' (John xvi. 7y 8.)
"The counsel of peace" between the persons
of Jehovah had settled this momentous branch of
the scheme of redemption, which relates to the
conversion and sanctification of the fallen soul
of man. The mission of the Spirit was to result
from th^glori£€^tion and intercession of the
great High Priest; who, having made the atone-
ment and purchased salvation, was to make His
work effectual by pouring out the Holy Ghost
' through the pri^ching of His gospel.

When our Lord promised that He would not
feave His disciples comfortless, and when we pray
that we may hot be left comfortless, but that the
Holy Ghost may be sent to comfort us, it is im*
plied that, independent of Grod, wie have no source
to which we can repair for comfort. Every
earthly cistern to which man foolishly resorts
i$. found On examination to be a brokea cistern

€(
€<

SUNDAY AFTEE ASCENSION-DAY. 35$

that can hold no water. Tjxe fwir ifhich we ex-
pect to gather from " the fjree pf the knowledge
** of good and ^evir* prpves, like the Apples of
Spdom,. fair withoujt h\f.t full of fetid di^st within.
Fallen man, till he obtains comfort from God the
Hol^r Ghosjl, *; feedeth on ^hes; adecjeiyied .hearjt
^' hath turn£;d Jhim asi^e^ sp that he caniiojt de-
*' liver his soul, nor say. Is there riot aj^e in my
right hand?" He " spends his mofley fpr that
which is not breads apd his lal^qiir f^r^that which
^tisfieth not," till he hear^ the voice of sove-
reign Ipye, crying, " Hei^r^eaa diligently upto
*^ me, and eat ye Uiat .^hich isgood^ and ]|et your
" soul delight its€;lf in fat^es?/'

The wor4 which. OUT Lprd has usqd iiji the pro-
mise before recited, {Jphp xiv. 1§) is very em-
phatic apd significant. '' } will iiot lo^ve yx>u
orplwvs: I will qpme unto you'^T-^i. e. " I w^ll
^/be,^ father unto you> ^nd ye $haV be my sons
an^ .^aughters^ ^ih the L9rjl j^lmighty." As
an 9rpt)an is left destitiide of parental direction^
provi^on^ suppQj;t and cqmfQrt— r:i8 ei^Lpqsed ,to
qppression and ausery-rrjsp aisp .^ We^ indepen-
dent ,of ©ivine ,fayQur aijd oare. And civery con-
$c;ious .§inner feels it ,tQ M^ ,$<>• ^ithput conso«
lation .from above^ the aiw^^Uj^d .pinner would, be
** of ail men most miserable/' For wnile others
find some sh^do;^ of comfprt in t]ie - worlds he
can find none. He is aware. ^irf his sitfiation as a
sinner, bereft of whatever is valuable to the soul^
apd incapable of making provision fpr ,his own
safety and comfort. In his. own estimation he is
*' poor and miserable and wretched and blind and
*' naked." He is a .stranger jippn ear thin the
midst of oppressors. . His .en^fnies, visible and
invisible, are many and strong, and. they pear a
tyrannous hate against YAttu The c6nnection

2A2

€(

t

356 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

between God and man as father and child having
been broken by the fall, man may truly be cha-
racterized as an orphan.* And when he is made
sensible of it, he says with the prodigal, *^ I will
" arise and go to my Father, and will say unto
" Him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and
*' before thee, and am no more worthy to be
*' called thy son."

In the state of primary conviction, when the
guilt of sin is first revealed to the mind and be-
comes burdensome to the conscience, no creature
in heaven or earth can communicate comfort to
the soul. He only who hath wounded can heal.
There is no balm but the balm of Gilead that can
avails and God the Holy Ghost only can effectually
apply it. He must '^ take of the things which are
" Chri§t*s," of the virtue of His blood, the merit
of His righteousness, and the efficacy of His inter-
cession, and "shew them" to the heart, before
the conscience can be pacified and the soul re-
lieved from its fears and distresses. And in every
subsequent trial and temptation that occurs be-
tween conversion and glorification, God ttie Holy
Ghost alone can comfort and support. Whatever
means may be used or instruments emjployed. He
is the agent without whom means and instruments
are wholly ineffectual.

With strict propriety is God the Holy Ghost
called, in the Scriptures and in our collect, '* the
" Comforter." For to " comfort them that are
*' cast down" is His peculiar office and delight,
to which all His other offices are subordinate and

* Poor orphan, in the wide world scattered.
As budding branch rent from the native tree.
And thrown forth until it be withered ;
!^uch is the state af man*

Spenser.

SUNDAY AFTER ASCENSION-DAY. 357

subsqrvieDt. Doth He convince of sin ? It is that
He may lead to Ci^rist. Does He act as a Spirit
of bondage ? It is with a view to another branch
pf His work in which He acts as the Spirit of
adoption. He wounds for the purpose of healing ;
I}e casts down, in. order that He may lift up
^igain.'., Is.it asked. How doth He fulfil His gra-
cious office of comforting the hearts of His peo-
ple; ? /jfhose who know will easily solve the ques-
tion by answering. It is by the testimony which
lie bears of Christ ; by discbyering to the eye
o£ faith the V>ve< of God. in Christ Jesus and the
alt- sufficiency of that salvation which Christ hath
wrought out for guilty, polluted, and helpless sin-
qe^,. Speak ye that can, and testify whether this
title be not justly .given to the Spirit of Jesus,

How. appropriate to our oiphan-lips is this
prayer of our church! ^\ We breech thee, leave
ff u^Bot comfortless, but send thinie Holy Ghost
*^ to jcomfort us/.'.. ^ Look up to your heavenly
Fath/er^ y6 sons and daughters of sorrow and.af-
flictipn,— ye *^prisoners of hope/' — ^ye forlorn
travellers through jthis vale of tears, ^ "The Lord
" careth for you." "He will hear, your cry;"
He will '^send His Holy Ghost t9 comfort you,'*
and by His grace finally ''wipe away, all tears
** from your eyes/'

■ But we do not satisfy ourselves with praying
for present comfort : for we know that this is
nQt the place of our rest, and that, while we are
herebelpw^ ^e are only indulged with an occa-
sional taste of the water of life. Our desires
therefore extend further. We look with a wishful
eye towards the ; fountain-head^ of .consolation.
Nothing will content ^he awakei>e4; believing spul
bu|; ^' an exaltation to the same .plape whit^ep our

2 A3

358 ON Tiffi COIIECT FOR THE '

" $fei^6far Christ is gbne before/' For love na-
i:lirii(ll}r atfects uiiioh With its beloved object. Bbt
jsriiot this reqdest jiresuihiituous ? Shall the t>bo#
idio lie in the dja^t, arid the beggdr whose aboide lis
the dahghill^ dare to ask that he msry be set aiftong
the princes of the King of kin^ ? Our {letitiidil is
iiot presumptubuis: it is liot an arrogant and bUin!
conndenbe which leads us to present thb r^qttesi
to. the mercy-seat. For it is founded on the de-
clared purposie of God, oh the Divine scheih^ 6f
redemption, on the promises of God, ott the
merit and intercession of Christ. He is '* gone
.'^ before," as '^ the Head/' ^' Suitety," and
'^ Forerunner" of His redeemed. Me is gdne
for the exjiress purpose of " preparing a plifee
« for lis ;" (John xiv. 2, 3) arid Be hith stfdi
^* Father, I will that fhtey aJso whom thou hast
*' given me, be wrth me where I am, that thfey
" teay behold my glory, which thou hast given
" me; for thou lovedst me before the foundatibh
'^ of the world/' (John xvK. 24.) This is the
te!h6ur off Christ's intercession, arid we kn*w that
'' G6d heareth Him always." On this our eovifi-
deticfe in 'grayer is foiirided, and we know fhat if
cannot be dis^pf^inted.

Whcte we pffay for an '^ exaltatibn tb the plwfd
'^ whither our Saviour Christ is gofne bclfd#e,*'
we im^^ofre every qiiaffification 'Which is n^ie^ful
for that ekaftationX W& include in bur pcfiitkm
salftctifyihg ^nd pdrfeevering grace, as ^ell ks " Stt
'^ abtizmanft entrance*' at last 'Mrito God's eVcir-
''hsiihg kingdom." AM Oh! that white Sfie
a^k for such ^reat and glorioirs blessings, We may
ever Vettleiriber that "our Safviour Christ liVeth
" and Veigneth with the Father and fHe H6ly
'' GHdst, e\Tr drie 0tid, Hfdrld witiidUt end."

SUNDAY A3rmL ASCmHOH-DAY. S$9,

This consideration will quicken our desires^
and support our confidence. It will prove a
prop tQ our faith which caonot l^e shaken. It
will encourage us to ^hew all '^ diligence to
'^ the full assurance of hope unto the end."

2 a4

» I

.V>0 ON THE COLLECT FOR

»

Uliri'SUNDAY.

( •iv/i wAt>» itsi at this timcy didst teach the fiearts
iV' t\t/ fUitk/ul fkroplt\ ^y the sending to them the
■i^fii (»/ :hti Itctu Spirit ; Grajit us by the same
Spirit A» huv^ a n);ht judscf^ent in all things^ and
iivrmcnr ^> rejoii'e in llis holy comforty through
the merits of Christ Jesus our Saviour ; ivho livetk
and reigneth icith thee, in the unity of the same
Spirit, one Godj tcorld without aid. Amen.

" r I ^HE conclusion of this great festival-sea-
\ son," which in the primitive church
reached from Easter to Whitsunday, *' was Pen-
tecost, taken in the stricter sense for that parti-
cular day, commonly called Whitsunday, or Pen-
cost, when they'* (the primitive Christians)
'* commemorated the descent of the Holy Ghost
upon the Apostles; which happened upon the
day which the Jews called Pentecost, or the fif-
tieth day after the Passover, (a day of great note
among the Jews both for the memorial of the law
delivered at mount Sinai, and also for the gather-
ing and bringing in of their har\est.) It retained
the same name of Pentecost an\ong the Chris-
tians; though they kept it not as a Jewish feast,
but only as a commemoration of the glorious ef-
fusion of the Spirit in the gift of tongues and other
miraculous powers, made at this time upon the
disciples. Hence it had also the name of iy/ap
livsMiuaros, the day of the Holy Ghost, as we find
in Nazianzen and others. And some learned men

WHITSUNDAY- 36 1

think,* it wits hence called Whitsunday, partly
because of 'ihbse vast diffusions of light and
knowledge, which on , this day Were shed upon
the Apostles in order to the enlightening 6f the
world ; but principally because, this being one
of the stated times of baptism in the ancient
church, they who were baptized put on white
garments, in token of that pure and innocent
course of life they had now engaged in. The
original of this feast is by some carried as high as
the Apostles. Epiphanius was "of opinion that
St,' Paul meant it in those wolxte, when he said,
'Vhe hastened to be at Jer-dsalem on- the day of
*' Pentecost." (Actsxx. 16.) But because inter-
preters generally take it iii aiibther sense, we will
lay no stress up6^n it. However it is <:eftaih this
feast was observed in the time 6f Origen,* for he
speaks of it in his books against Cdsus ; as does
also Tertullian before him, and Irenaeus b*fofe
them both, in his book concerning Easter,- -as the
amthor of the questions under the name of Justin
Martyr informs us.'* " St. Axistin says, The law
was written by the finger of God, and given to
Moses on this* day : and that was a type of the
Holy Ghost, called the finger of God in the gos-
pel ; which Christ promised to His disciples as a
Goiilforter, and sent to them ort' the fiftieth day
after His passion and rcsunrection. Arid all «uch
eminent facts as were done upon certain days were
annually celebrated in the church, that the anni-
versary feast migb^ preserve the useful and ne-
cessary memorial of them»"f • 1* •
ii The collect for this day consists of a preface
ind a prayer. lA the preface we celebrate that

•J . ." I

* Cave's PrimitU'e Christianity, part I. ch^p. yii, p.^ IQ^.
t Bingham's Antiquities of the Christian Church, book
XX. chap, vii, sect. 7.

969 ON THE COLLECT FOR

instance of Divine mercy whieh God Touch-
lafed to His church on the day of Penteeoftt;-*-
and in the prayer we implore the same mercy
for ourselves.

It is scarcdy needful to remark that the iikh^
ful people, naentioned in our collect as tatigkit
of God^ were the Apostles and first £vange)is(s#
who were to be employed as GodVs ambassadors
to a lost world in consequence of the commisQioa
which they had received to *^ preach the G^^d

to every crenture/' and to <' disciple ali ua*

tions, baptising them in the name of th^
<' Father^ and of the Son, and ^ the Hdly
" Ghost"

Of this astonishing instance of 'Divine jmQfqy
a particular account is given us in the boojk.of
th^ Acts of the Apostles, which properly opens
with a Felation ^ the manner in which the
Apostles were qualified for the execution ^
their high office, and then proceeds to a de^l
of the success with which it was attended^ Ou
that interesting event, the Pentecostal effusion
of the Spirit, we shall enlarge a little, a3 being
referred to in the introduction of out collect.

We are informed by the sacred historian,
(Acts ii. 1—4) tlmt << When the day of Pqqte-
'^ cost was fully oome^ the Apostles were all with
<< one accord in one place. And suddenly then^
*' came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing
*' mighty wind, and it filled all the house whcure
*' they were sitting. And there appeared unto
^< them cloven tongues, like as of fire, and it sat
*^ upon each of them. And they were all filled
*' with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak
^^ with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them
" utterance.''

WHITSUNDAY. S6S

God had from the beginning of the world,
revealed Himself to man through the medium
of sensible objects. And indeed it doth not
iappear how God, as a spiritual substance, could
have made Himself known to us without them.
His nature, threefold personality, modeofsubr
fiistence, moral perfectit>ns, and will, were ex-
hibited, previously to the t^oming of Christ, by
ia long train of. rites and ceremonies, extending
from Adam to the termination of the Jewish
ceconomy. These all ceased to be in force
when Hie came of whom they werie shadowy
representations. Yet under the new dispen^
sation, though confessedly more, spvritulal tbaHi
the former, God hath chosen to make use.of Ithe
s^me method ofiivslruction, explaining spiritual
thingsr by natural. ^ Of this method our Lord's
parables, St. Peter'ft vision, the Christian ^ona*
ments, the whole book of the Revelatktn, and
the event which we this day commemorate,, are
idstances. And inasmudh as words are the
Isigns of i^as, and aril our Jkleas are derived
througih the -medium of <>ur senses, instruction
by words, and instruction by sigtis, are nearly
allied to each cfthelr.

The marvellous event which our collect cele-
brates is a most imf^ortatit link in that grand
and golden chain of salvation which reaches
from eternity to etei-nity^ originating in the
eternity that is past, afnd to be perfected in the
eternity which as to coilie. It is one of those
glorious circumstances which were all compre-
hended and secured in the antemundane cove-
nant of redemption. For as Christ was to^re*
ceive the reward of ^His sufferings in the conver-
sion, sanctiflcatiol), and salvation of a great
multitude of human souls, innumerable as the

364 ox THE COLLECT FOR

dew-drops of the morning; it was necessary
that His gospel should be published, that heralds
should be qualified for the office of proclaiming
it, and that their message should be accompanied
by a Divine agency for the purpose of rendering
it effectual.

Forasmuch as this event constituted an im-
portant article in the covenant of redemption,
we need not wonder to find that it was a frequent
subject of prediction before its accomplishment
It was compreliended in the first promise made
to our guilty parents in Paradise, and. progres-
sively explained, with increasing distinctness,
by a long train of inspired prophets, among
whom Joel is the most remarkable with respect
to this event. (See Acts ii. 16 — 21.) At length
the great prophet Himself appeared, and spake
plainly of the Comforter and His work.

It may be necessary to remark, that previous
to the manifestation of God in the flesh there
were many partial effusions of the Spirit on the
church at different periods, and that all real
Godliness from the beginning, both in the
church and in the individuals of which it was
composed, was the result of Divine influence.
There were from the beginning a faithful few
who " worshipped God in the Spirit," being
united to Christ by faith, and deriving from
Him that vital energy whereby they were ena-
bled to live to Him. But the grand discovery
of His grace to all nations was reserved till the
Son of man was glorified.

From the time of our Lord's ascension to the
day of Pentecost, during the space of ten days,
the Apostles and the other disciples, being one
hundred and twenty in number, waited in th^
performance of religious exercises at Jerusalem

WHITSUNDAY. 365

for the accomplishment of the promise which
they had received. It is the method of Divine
wisdom to try the faith of believers before they
receive promised blessings. But they who wait"
on the Lord, having the warrant of His word
for their expectation, are never disappointed.

The time which was chosen by God for that
marvellous display of His grace which we now
commemorate, discovers His wisdom, and the
unity of design which prevails in all His dispen-
sations. Pentecost was one of the three annual
Jewish festivals, at which all the males were
obliged to appear at Jerusalem. At one of
these, viz. the Pjtssover, our Lord had been
crucified. And He was glorified at another by
the mission of His Spirit just fifty days after-
wards. The feast of Pentecost was observed in
commemoration of the promulgation of the law
on mount Sinai, of which the effusion of the
Spirit was the antitype; for thereby the holy
law, which had been written at Sinai on tables
of stone by the finger of God, was now by the
same Almighty agency written on " the fleshly
" tables of the'* human " heart." And it hap-
pened providentially that the day of Pentecost
fell on the Christian Sabbath in the year of
which we are speaking, " the acceptable year
'^ of the Lord." On that day the first fruits of
the future harvest were also offered to God and
anointed with holy oil; in a pre-ordered cor-
respondence with which appointed ceremony,
the first fruits of the Christian church from
among all nations were now offered up to God,
and received " an unction from the Holy One.**
The solemnity of this festival, the general ex-
pectation of the Messiah which was spread
' abroad^ and the commodious length of the days^

366 ON THE COLLECT FOR

were circumstances likely to bring together a
vast concourse of people, as we find from the
sacred history to have been the fact. These,
assembled from all parts of the civilised werki
into which the Jewish creed had penetrated^
would on their return home widely make knowQ
the miracle which they had witnessed, ^nd
thereby prepare the way of the Apostles whea
they afterwards came to preach the gospel to
their several countrymen. (See Acts ii. 5. )

The manner in which this discovery of Divine
grace was made, corresponds with the usoal
method of God*s procedure. The I>ivine inter-
position was accompanied with external symbdb
of Grod's presence, and these were appropriate*
as on other occasions, to the intention of thie
visit. The propriety of this reipark, witj^ a
relation to former instances, may be justified
by an appeal to the majestic and awfql scejperf
amidst which the law was promulgated, — ^tp the
milder display of grace at the baptism of Je^os
by John in Jordan, — and to various other mani-
festations of Divine interference. The tokens
of the Divine presence, employed on the Say
of Pentecost, were a mighty rushing wind, ^nd
conical flames or tongues of fire. The corre-
spondence of these emblems with the thing
signified is evident; and yet it is sq extepsive as
to call for some explanation.

Wind, or air in motion, is a frequent emblem
of spiritual influence employed in the. word of
God. For brevity's sake we shall refer to no
more than two, one from the Old Testament
Scriptures and another from the New. Ezekiel's
parable (chap, xxxvii. comp. ver. 8, 9, with ver.
14) will afibrd the former; and our Lord's
words (John iii. 8) will supply the lfi4eten To

WHITSUNDAY. S67

which we may addi» that the official name of
the third person in the Godhead is borrowed^
both in the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures, from
the term which describeik the fluid matter of the
heavens.

That mighty ^lit of wind whidi rtished into
the house where the Apostles were assembled
dnd filled it^ represented those extraordinary
Divine influences which qualified thei^ for their
office and accompanied them in the execution
of it, whereby all oppoiftitioii was made to fall
befone them. These miraculous powers were
then necessfary to the overthrow of a long-rooted
system of iddlatry, atid to the first formation of
the Christian church, which bad to encounter
sdl the malice and power of ^rth and helL
These extraordinary qualificatiooft for the mi*
nfefiry are now no longer gramted, for they are
nfot ttecessaty. But l^e ordinary inflaenoe o^
thfe Spirit is a^ necessary as ever; for there can
be no spiritual life in 1l^ human sad, indepen*
deftly of its comnmnication; i6 there can be
no life, vegetable nor animal, without the in-
flnence of its «rmfblem> the air, 'ts is evident
frofti experiments of ttie air-puttip.

The invisibility and Hhe my^lemous nature of
their iterations -form a i^riking point of resem-
blance between the symbol ^aitid ^he thing sig*
nified. ^^ The wind bloweth where it listetb,
^^ and thou hearest the sound thereof; but oan^t
*' not tell whence it cometh, nor w^hfther it
goeth : so is every One that ts bom ^f the
Spirit.'' The effects in both cases ^re easily
traced, but the mode of acting is occult. The
independence of the wind or air on ^ihe will of
rtian exhibits the sovereignty 'of Divine grace,
both in its extraordinary and • ordinary works.

368 ON THE COLLECT FOR

Who can command and direct the wind bqt
God only ? And they who are born of the
Spirit, are " born not of blood, nor of the will
" of the flesh, nor of the will of man; but of
*^ God." '' He giveth not account of any of
** His matters," either in His management of
the natural or of the spiritual world; and no
one has a right to say to Him, ^^ What dost
**Thou?" The mighty power of the aerial
element appears from its agency in the forma-
tion, dissolution, and reformation of the earth
at the creation and deluge, and from the phoe-*
nomena of earthquakes and hurricanes. And
surely the dissolution of all the natural princi-
ples and habits of the human soul, and its refor-
mation in the image and likeness of God, require
a corresponding power of a much greater force
and a more awful and marvellous nature. The
revolution in the heart and life of a sinner,
which conversion produces, is much more ex-
tensive and wonderful, and much more difficult
to be efTected, than any which the convulsions
of nature have occasioned. (Acts ii. 37, ix.
1 — 16, xvi. 25.) The refreshing influence of
the air in a hot day, especially under the
scorching heat of the torrid zone, is very great.
After severe labour and fatigue, in a paroxysm
of fainthess, its reviving effects are well known.
And similar thereunto is the gracious breathing
of the Spirit on the soul, when it ha^ spent
itself in the fruitless task of self-justiflcation,
when it is overcome by the scorching heat of
the fiery law, and become faint with desire
after the knowledge of salvation. The Holy
Ghost is therefore emphatically called the Com-
forter. And this very image is employed
(Acts iii. 19) for thQ purpose of illustrating the

WHITS^KDAY. 369

efiect of. pardoning grace; for the term used
relates, in its primary siignification^ to the
refreshment which the bony derives from the
pooling: breeze.

The pressure of the atmosphere is the cause
of cohesion in the • particles of matter, and of
thegrayitation.of all bodies towards their centre^
The suspension of tjiis pressure at the flood
produced the dissoi^ti9n of the earth ^ and its
restoration to its .oii&ce^ the reformation*. And^
what .produces the cohesion of the regenerate
soul to the Lord Jesus Christ?— what the union
of believers to each other in love, *^ the unity
*'9f thq Spirit in the bpnd of peace?" — what
the gravitation of, the soul to its^ foundation, and
the adherence of the will and.affeqtions to their

■ ■ ■ . ■ r • •

proper centre ? it is that of which air is th^
eniblem. For by thp Spirit's work in convincing
the SQul of sin it is -pressed to Christ, and by
the pervading grac^ of the Holy Ghost the
members of the Catholic church are. knit toge-
ther: in love. tOh that this principle may be
more powerfully felt throughout the church of
Christ 1 > May we pot also consider (;he elastic
and expansive power of the air> which increases
or is diminished in proportion as it is more or
less heated, as enifailema^ic o£ that; influence by
which the heart, naturally cpnfinQd within the
narrow }imits of self .and the world, is delated
in love both, to Godv^nd man? C!«*tain it is
ihat an expansion tak.^ place both in ma,terial
and spiritual beipgs b»y. the operation of their
respective agents, ^n^ )t&at an enlargement of
heart is a certain apd nec^sary eifegt of Divine
inuflence. And without carrying the parallel

II •■• .» •••1. i

VOL. II. a »

370 ON THE COLLECT FOR

to the extent to which it might be pushed^ we
shall btily observe further, that all the motions
of the heavenly bodies, all the operations of
this vast machine of nature, and particularly all
energy and motion in the body of man, are
dependant on the agency of this element ; and
that, in like manner, all spiritual life and motion,
both among the angels in heaven and the mem-
bers of the church on earth, depend on the cor*
responding influence of the Holy Ghost,

The symbols of the Divine presence employed
at Pentecost were, as we have already .observed,
twofold, viz. ** a mighty rushing wind,** and
** tongues of fire," or conic flames.* The for-
mer of these has been explained, and the latter
remains to be illustrated. In doing this we shall
consider the emblem as exhibiting — In an ap-
propriate sense, the grace which was bestowed
on the Apostles and fir^ ministers of the gospel,
— ^and In a general sense, that grace which is
common to all true believers.

The sacred historian informs us that ** there
*• appeared to the Apostles cloven tongues like
" as of fire," and that it (one of these tongues)
" sat upon each of them.'* The commtrtiication
of the Spirit had been the subject of prediction
under this emblematic representation. For John
the Baptist had told the Jews, that Christ should
** baptise them with the Holy Ghost and with
" fire." These cones of fire were cloven^ or
divided at their points into several parts, for the
purpose of representing that variety of langua-
tfVH which the Apostles were immediately enabled
to speak by the influence of the Holy Ghost,

^ The word pyramid^ ifvpccfus, is derived from «V|P, fire;
Vi^UHv fire nlwuys ascends ia the figure of a cone.

, WHITSUNDAY* S71

without the labour of leamUig them. And it
has been supposed tha); the form of the mitres
.which were antiently worn by Christian Bishoffe>
]l>ore an allusion to these cloven tongues* But
it is a remark of more consequence, that as the
confusion of tongues at Babel was eventually
the occasion of separating the Ge^tile3 from the
knowledge' and the church of God, so now a
remedy was provided, by the gift of tongues at
Zion, for their restoration to their long-lost
privileges.

Without this gift and those, other miraculouai
powers with which the ApOslJes were endowed^
the rapid diffusion i^ gospel-truth which took
place would have. been impossible. And it wis
the opinion of Archbishop TiUotsoh (whether
foumded or not we shall leave the event to deter-
Xnine) that whenever the fulness of the Gentiles
is :to be brought in, these will be again confer*
ted. The time at which they ceased is nof
easily ascertained, nor is the question of much
moment. Probaibly their cessation was gradual.
It is of far higher consequence that we should
bless God for their communication. For, with-:
out them, how oOuld St. Paul, or any other
Apostolic man who first planted Christianity
in this island, iiave preached the gospel to our
heathen forefethers im as to *^ turn them from
^' darkness to light, and frcmi the power of Satan
« unto God?" " O that men would" therefore
'* praise the Lord for His goodness, and for Hi^
** wonderful works to the children of men I"

Having shewn what the emblem of fire on
the day of Pentecost was intended to represent
in its appropriate sense, we proceed to consider,
in a general sens6, that the common influence
of the Spirit is also thereby illqstrated. When

Slfi 3

37* ON THK COLLECT FOR

God appeared oti mount Sinai, ifire in the ibim
of lightning was one of His attendants; and a
glorious flame surrounded by a cloud was His
emblem in the holy of holies of the Jewish
tabernacle and temple. The Spirit of God in
His official capacity is often thus symbolized in
Scripture. In the prophecies of Isaiah He is
called " thef Spirit of burning," (ch. iv. 4) and
the live-coal taken from the altar by one of the
Seraphim with which the prophet's lips were
touched (ch. vi. 6), seems to refer to His influ*
ence. The fire of Christ as the refiner of His
church, mentioned by Malachi, must relate to
the work of His Spirit on the hearts of men
(Mai. iii. 2) ; and John the Baptist, in the pas*
sage already cited, directly speaks of the Holy
Ghost under the notion of fire. (Matth. iii. 11.)
To which may be added from the Revelation of
St. John, that '^ the seven lamps of fire burning
** before the throne are the seven Spirits of
•• God."

Of material fire it may be observed that the
sun is its source. And of that immaterial fire,
the influence of the Holy Ghost,* Christ, "the
** Sun of righteousness,'* is the only and inex-
haustible fountain. . He is therefore called tbe^
Spirit of Christ, because in the -oeconomy of
redemption He acts in subserviency to the gloi^
of the Son of God, and flows ft'om Him to Hii^-
people. Whatever blessings we derive from the-
agency of the Holy Ghost, we owe to the meri-
torious work of the Lord Jesus.

Of both the sign and the thing signified it
may be further observed that they are myste-
rious principles. Philosophers are on no subject
©ore in the dark than concerning the nature and
properties of fire. And in like manner spiritual

WHITSUNDAY. S73

agency is a subject inaccessible to the under-
^andinjo: of man, and wrapt up in awful obscu-
rity. The effects indeed -are plainly perceptible
m both cases, but the cause is unsearchable.
Thankfully to receive and to adore constitute
our duty. The awful obscurity that enveloped
spiritual subjects is no ground nor excuse for
infidelity, since in the natural world there are
secrets inscrutable by human intelligence.

The eflFects of material fire are different ac-
cording as it acts in different ways. In some
modes of action it is destructive to its subjects;
in others, beneficial. So also is the influence of
the Spirit. It. is destnictive to sin' but bene«
ficial to the soul on which it acts. It bums up
<iur lusts, but it cherishes and quickens the
bosom of which it takes possession. Material
fire is essential to the existence of life, whether
vegetable or animal. The sap in vegetables,
and tiie blood in animals, are kept in a state of
fluidiiy, and caused to circulate, by its presence.
The effects which result from a diminution of
heat, during the winter season, in the vegetable
world, are well known, as are also those of
severe cold on the animal frame. A universal
drowsiness, a mortification of the parts affected
by the frost, and finally death, ensue. In the
human soul there is no life but what is commu*
nicated and maintained by heat derived from
the Holy Ghost. He is the author and giver of
life. ' For naturally we are " dead in trespasses
'* and sins.'' We are in a state of total and
universal torpor, till we are '^ quickened to new-
♦* ness of life, and th^ love of God is shed abroad
*^ in our hearts by the Holy Ghost given untp
^' us."

9B 3

•::•:

:>■ 7^ COLLECT FOR

7 ir jeir !s ii ■■ iIIt accompanied with light,
e !»irrc ^ GoiL while His iDfluence.
:xie lesr^ ar oie aaie time sheds light
^imitsTCBiimis'' He brings ns to the
aww!«Mcre^ K ]«R«frMs^ ami tx> the knowledge

• Hm. *- ^nsm la iaaw is Bfe eternal." " In

• 'S.'S'.vjya vesEtf ostic'' ani diaceni the objects
vrui vme'i «p K coavesesast in their true

nc rs jpircsal jodgeth"' (or
mL :nine& ' Aifti while the Holy
^ cnmbrtsw Who that has
.«c n^aKfii 31 ifsuji* and has basked
n :i^ ^«m*oeam&N «r approached a
»- xc r.2:siemaentail^ kiaow how animat-
Tfrr^auK :s^ 'varmfibi to the material
rv .i«e«Eui? ^sdects imT an approxima-
xuir e ec -ttxK 4tM 3 iiarauzpaiion of its heat
a s!tr HL-.^tn^. -in* -'i^bie ta» die ejpe. (Cant. ii.
. v^ ^r . Smtlor T€iKviswa» is the reviving^,
.»-?!nBL:Kr>:, ^-Hvurroc ^ictiiTs «f the gracions
5.i.:t:^ :^t lie K3l^5^ >it Ks: people. No
uvvcT r&r J^ iiKtuK^x ^v ZK awakened soul

A3^^*a^T eii*t a ir?- i«fe ef the s^^mbol
jBii :o^ xicrr3^. 3? MCtacaiKw. The use of
arjcenai in; m lifee ia^XBrastkwi ot metals, in
jraer tc remove ihetr dnxs^ is well known. And
A smiiar e&ct is prcdnced bv « the Spirit of
" iinming" on the hurran soul. Fire converts
i^zTV thin?, e3q>Osed to its action in a sufficient
ftfcree, into a resemblance of itself. So God
:ic Hoir Gh<jst transforms the soul in which He
rveils into His own image. The heart which
> -t c on tire br this heavenly flame> burns with
:iui2Ct:ation against sin and self, with love to
^•j " th zeal for His glory, and a desire to

^ ID and like Him«

WHITSUNDAY. Q75

A similar improvement may be made of the
effect produced by heat in sublimating the mois-
ture of the earth, the sap of trees, and the blood
of animals, whereby circulation is maintained
throughout the frame of nature* Fire affects its
source the sun, constantly ascending thither«-
wards ; and it produces a simttar tendency in all
fluid bodies which it occupies. And thus the
affections of the soul, when it is made a partaker
of the Holy Ghost, seek their fountain and
centre, God. Naturally, like frozen water,
they are torpid and motionless^ fixed to the
earth by adamantine chains; but, when thawed
by Divine influence, they ascend towards heaven,
and affect those ^^ things which are above, where
" Christ sitteth at the right hand of God."

Our prescribed limits prevent us from enlarging
on this copious subject which has engaged our
attention. Enough, hqwever, has been said to
shew that true philosophy is the hand-maid of
religion, and that, so far from giving any sane*
tion to the claims of infidelity, she is ready to
lend her aid, were it necessary, to support the
sacred fabric of revelation. It may be inferred
that the glorious author of creation and redemp<r
tion is the same God, from the parallelism which
appears between these two atchievements of His
wisdom and power. The curious lock and the
key which fits it are not more easily proved to
be the invention of the same artificer.

The ordinary work of the Spirit consists of
two parts, corresponding with the faculties of
the human soul which areSts subjects — the illu^
miuation of the understanding, and the conver-
sion or consolation of the heart, comprehending
both the will and the affections. Conversion
and Qonsolation m^y properly be identified j for

2B 4

S76 ON THE COLLECT FOR

the heart cannot be truly turned to God without
deriving comfort from Him, nor can comfort be
derived from Him unless the heart be turned to
Him. If a man's face be turned towards the
sun when it shines in its strength, warmth must
be experienced.

** God as at this time did' teach the hearts of
^* His faithful people, by sending to them the
** light of His Holy Spirit'^ Light is the emblem
both of knowledge and comfort. It directs and
it consoles. And this twofold blessing, which
was communicated in rich abundance to the
primitive disciples of our Lord, we also have
reason to expect in such a measure as our ne-'
cessities require. For God hath promised to
*^ give His Holy Spirit to them who ask Him."
And therefore we are taught to pray, that,
*^ by the same Spirit-' which was shed on the
Apostles, ^^ we may have a right judgment in
'^ all things, and evermore rejoice in His holy
" comfort."

The petitionary part of our collect is twofold^,
corresponding with the introduction. It com-
ports with the comprehensive promise made to
the church : " All thy children shall be taught
^' of the Lord, and great shall be the peace of
**thy children." (Is. liv. 13.) Supported by
such a promise, we may " come boldly to the
•^ throne of grace" with the words of our collect
pn our lips.

L We pray for the illumination of our under-
standings, that by the teaching of God's Spirit
** we may have a right judgment in all things."
The promised inspiration of the Holy Ghost was
not confined to the persons of the Apostles, but
is coextensive with the church of Christ. For the
intercession of Christ by which it is secured wa^

WHITSUNDAY. 377

not made for them alone/ but "for them ialso
*' which should believe on Him throiigh their
*' word," whether oral or written. With this the
vhole tenour of our liturgy, articles, and homi-
lies concurs. And if due care be used in distin-
guishing between the ordinary and extraordinary:
operations of the Spirit, the danger of enthusi-
asm, in the bad sense of the word, will be pre-
vented. In its true etymological meaning, it is
essential to the existence of Godliness, For *'be-
*' sides many other evils that came by the fall of
*' mail, the high power of man's reason and free-
dom of will were wounded and corrupted, and
all men thereby brought into such blindness^and
** infirmity, that they cannot eschew sin, except
•^^ they be illuminated and made free by an espe-
'* cial grace, that is to say, by a supernatural help
*^ and working of the Holy Ghost.''*

An acquaintance with the fundamental doc-
trines of the gospel is of immense importance,
for it is one of those things which " accompany
** salvation." No peace of conscience can be en-
joyed, unless the only foundation on which it can
be built be discerned and understood. No holi-
ness of heart can be attained without a perception
of those motives by which alone it can be pro-
duced. A rectified judgment respecting the truth
as it is in Jesus is a prerequisite to all Divine ex«
perience, and is one of those characteristics which
distinguish the sober and devoted Christian from
the wild fanatic. But a rectified judgment can
only be derived from Divine teaching. For,
though the means of knowledge are afforded us in
the Scriptures, the Bible is a sealed book until the
reader is illuminated from above. Nicodemus

* Necessarr Erudition for a Christian Man, written bjf
Archbishop Cranmev^nd the Assembly of Divipei,

ti

378 ON THE COLLECT FOR

and Saul of Tarsus had the Bible in their hands
and read it before their conversion, but they un-
derstood it not till they were taught of God. And
many in our own days, who are well informed oa
subjects of human science, are ignorant of the
first principles of the oracles of God, because they
seek not instruction from Him whose prerogative
it is to give man <'a rightjudgment" ia all spiri-
tual matters. '^ Never let it be supposed that
'^ Christians can serve God without the grace of
'^ God, because some have been so weak as to
" surfeit the wise with the presumption and folly
'' of their spiritual pretensions. The life of de-
votion is still the gift of God; and it must be
insisted upon with our church that there is not
" in man one good thought, one holy desire, but
f^ from the continual inspiration of the Divine
'^ Spirit in all things directing and ruling our
*' hearts. Without this doctrine we may be scho-
^' lars^ and critics, and men of taste ; we may be
'^ monitors and moralists of civil society ; but we
*^ are no longer to be considered as Christian Di-
^' vines, neither will our labours be attended with
*' any saving effect.'** And may it not be added
that without inspiration from above no man is a
Christian believer, since '^ faith" is ** of the ope-
" ration of God ?*' And the reason why Divine
instruction is not sought is, that no want of it h
felt, and that it is even dreaded. A conviction
of sin, of ignorance, and of imbecility, is the
certain effect of Divine illumination in its least
degree, and a necessary preparative to greater
degrees of it. Without this conviction, men will
be *' wise in their own conceits," and prefer
^* darkness to light because their deeds are evil.'*

* Bishop Home's Charge to the Clergy of Norwich^.

WHITSUNDAY. ' 379

An attempt to enumerate all those things in
which "a right judgment*' is desirable, or even
essential, would be vain. There are, however,
three cardinal points of Divinity of vast compre-
hension and consequence. And as a single clew
ivill conduct through many intricacies, or aa a
right motion of the heart causes the blood to cir-
culate through an immense number of arteries
and veins, so an acquaintance with' these funda-
mental articles will lead us into all necessary truth.
These three momentous points are specified by
our Lord, when He is speaking of the Spirit's
work, (John xvi. 8, &c.) "When He is com^,
*' He will reprove ( or convince ) the world of sin,
^^ of righteousness, and of judgment."*

The doctrine of the fall is the first of these par-
ticulars, viz. that we are guilty, polluted, and
helpless creatures* By Adam's transgression we
arp constituted " children of wrath," and by here-
ditary corruption are disqualified for heaven. Our
actual transgressions are innumerable ; and " the
'^ wages of sin is death." Now this is a lesson in
Divinity which can be learned only in the school
of Christ. Thousands, with the Bible in their
hands and the prayer-book on their lips, deny it;
and far more assent to it without feeling any in«?
terest in it. Divine illumination is necessary ta
such a conviction of sin as produces alarm, huip
miliation, and a submission to the doctrine pf sal-
vation by grace.

* It has been supposed that these three branches of Dh
vine instruction are distinctly described by Elifau, Job
xxxiii. 13«-»^30. The 29th and 30th verses may be rendered,
** Lo all these things worketh God in three gradations with
** man, to bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened
*' with the light of the living**' Qr^tchoL A^a rfic6¥ rtnrarv

380 ON THE COLLECT FOR

This salvation by grace is the second point in
which '* a right judgment'* is indispensably ne-
cessary. The righteousness of the Son of God is
the only foundation of human hope. tVe must
know that " there is no other name under heaven
*' given among men by which we must be saved,'*
before we shall trust in the only Saviour of sin-
ners. That His blood cleanseth from all sin, and
that His righteousness justifieth the ungodly, is '
knowledge that is essential to the peace of the
awakened conscience and the comfort of the trou-
bled heart. This head of doctrine includes the
dignity of the Mediator's person, the vicarious
object of His atonement and obedience, and the
nature and office of faith. Now it is-the office of
the Holy Ghost to " take of the things that arc
•> Christ's and to shew them unto us."

Sanctification, resulting from faith in the Lord
Jesus, is a third point of immense consequence.
For if *' without holiness no man shall see the
" Lord," and if we are naturally unholy and un-
able to sanctify ourselves, who can duly appre-
ciate the value of *' a right judgment" in this par-
ticular? The necessity and nature of holiness,
our total want of it and inability to implant it in
ourselves, are subjects on which we are sure to
err without Divine instruction. By many the
doctrine of regeneration is treated with ridicule,
and holiness is confounded with morality.

2. The second petition in our collect implores'
further grace with a view to the application of
that knowledge which the Spirit communicates,
to the purpose of spiritual consolation. The Holy
Ghost is styled by our Lord " THE COMFOUTER,"
because the communication of comfort to the
souls of the redeemed is^ next to the glory of God,

WHITSUNDAT. S8l

the grand end of His mission^ and^that to which
the other branches of His office are subservient* '
The application of those tmths, which arr
learned from the word of God thrdugh a Divine
influence accompanying it, is a distinct brahckof
the Spirit's office, and a work that is exclusively*
His own . The Bible contains the ground of xsobik
fort, and ministers^ according to the cotannissioil
which they have received, (Is. xl. 1) proclaint
that Gospel from which comfort is to be iderived;
But it is ** God who comforteth them that tace'tJaLSt
*' down/' The Holy Ghost " healeth the brofccA
'' in heart and bindeth up their "^ wounds. '* ^Thisr
He doth as the Author of faith^ without which the
consolatory truths of Scripture afford no morej*e*-'
lief to the conscious mind, than the chearing cor-^
dial can yield to the diseased and fainting body
while it remains in its phial. When Nathan said
to David, after the confession which he made of
his heinous suilt, '' the Lord hath put away thy
<^ sin, thou sbalt not die," a basis for consolatiba
was laid. But the criminal could nor take it to
himself without the aid of the Holy Ghosts as we
learn from his earnest intercession in the 5ht
psalm. If he could, by the mere exertion of hi:^
natural powers, have made a full use of the bles«
sing of pardon which had been graciously vouch-*
safed to him, he needed not to have addressed the
mercy-seat with thos^ importunate supplications
which he has recorded for the use of succeedijig'
penitents. His petitions will illustrate the corresr
ponding petition of our collect, ** Purge me with*
** hyspp and I shall be clean, wash me and I shall
*^ be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and,
** gladness, that the bones which thou hast broken-
may rejoice. Cast me not away from thy pre-
sence and take not thy Holy Spirit from xne.

if

eg

882 ON THE CX)LLECT FOR

^< Restore urildme th^ joy of thy. ^Lvaf ioHj and
*' uphold me with thy free Spirit." The com-
munication of comfort to the penitent soul is the
act of God. Those who have ^^ a right judgment
*< in all things** discern clearly their need of the
comforting grace of God. <^ If the whole of the
^^ interposition of God consist: in the clear pra<f
'^ posal of the gospel, Opportunely made, why »
*.* Omnipotence required, for it? Why are those
*' magnificent expressions applied by St. P^ui to
^ describe the Onuiipotence which: God exerts in
usi" ** The eyes of your understanding being
elilightened, that ye may know what is the ex-
ceeding greatness of His power to usward whd
•^ believe, according to the working of His AJ-

^' mighty power/' ''To assert that the power

'^ of God working in us differs not from the or^
^ dinary powers of man, — is not this to extenuJEite
** the Almighty energy of God, and almost t6 rc-
•' duceit to nothing?"*

The "comfort" in which the Holy Spirit en**
bles His people '' to rejoice," is ^' At)/jf comfort/*
It is holy in its source, and in its terfdency ; and
hereby it may eaisily be distinguished from the re->
veries of imagination, from the flights of enthusF*
asm, and from the more odious pretensions of de^
signing falsehood. If a hatred of sin be excited,
and a desire after conformity to God be kindled
in the soul — ^if a resolution of resisting tempta-^
tjon, of practising self-denial, and of obeying all
the will of God as it is revealed to us, be formed
within us — if humility be deepened and spiritua*
lity promoted, wbile we are enabled to embrace
the hope of the gospel so as to be " filled with
'* all joy and peace in believing;'* then we need*

* Turretin, quoted by Mr. Knox in his Christian Philo-
sophy, p. 161.

\

WHITSUNDAY. 38S

not to be apprehensive of delusion in oiir conso-
lations, nor doubt whether they are derived frotn
God the Holy Ghost.* The effects of &ncy bear
no resemblance of the^ sanctifying consequences
which always result from 'Divine Communications.

We pray for the per^tuity of joy and peace
in believing; that we tnky evermore rejoice in
the holy con>fort of Gad the Holy Ghost. The
fountain is inexbaiistifole; < The death of Christ
for sin is a full atonement>«— His righteousness ah
impregnable basis of hope. The promises of God
are ^' all Yea in Him^and in Him Amen>'' — sub-
ject to no change. But we are mutable crea-
tures, expiosed to temptations, liable to the in-
fluence of unbelief, and in danger of being re-
duced or frightened from "the fountain of living
^* watei^.** ' " If we have tasted that the Lord
*^ is gracious;'* we long for more than a mere
taste,, dread a deprivation of our comforts, and
unite heaitily in praying that we may be ^a*
bled " evermore to rejoice in them/* ' ■■■

We must not omit to observe that the glo-
rious doctrine of the Trinity is sweetly recog-
nized in the conclusion of our collect, though
it is so very concise. Indeed it cannot be re-
called to mind nor avowed too often, for it is
the hinge on which our salvation, both in its
execution and application, turns. If Jesus be
not Jehovah, our hope in His blood is vain ; we
are yet in our sins. If His Spirit be not " with
** Him and the Father, one God, world without
** end," our expectation of enlightening, con-
verting, comforting, sanctifying, and perse-
vering grace, is unfounded. For no power
short of Omnipotence can prepare the fallen
soul for the heavenly inheritance and the vision
of God.

384

ON THE COLLECT FOft

Let the reader inquire whether he be con-
scious of any Divine illumination which has
been shed on his mind, or of any comfort which
he has derived from the gospel through the
power of the Holy Gtiost. Or, if this be n
doubtful matter, let him ask himself. Do I feel
the absolute need of these blessings, and is my
prayer for them, M'hile I unite my voice with
that of the Christian churcb> the langjuage of
sincerity? If he i^uppose that he i^ made a
partaker of the grace which God the Holy
Ghost communicates, let him bring thut suppo->
sition to the test of Scripture^ and soe. whether
his consolations bear the iparks of a Divine ori-*
gin. If they came from God, they, lead to
Him. . If God be the author of them^ they are
** holy comforts ;'* they sanctify, while thpy re-
fresh. It is " through sanctificatioi)jpf th^ Spi-
" ritTand belief of the truth" that pro^e^t peace
is enjoyed, and a meetness for everl^t^ig life
attained. ....

;/

TRINITY-SUNDAY. 385

TRINITY-SUNDAY.

Almighty and everlasting God, who hast given
unto us thy. servants grace ^ by the confession ijf a
true faiths to acknowledge tlie glory of the eternal
Trinity y and in the power of the Diving Maje^y
to worship the Unity; we beseech thee y that than
wouldest keep us steadfast in this faith^ and ev^rr
more defend us from all adversities ; who tivest
arid reignest one God^ world without end* Amm*

• • t . • •

" TN the ancient liturgies we find that this day
J^ was looked upon only as an Octave of Pen-
tecost, the observation of it as the feast of the
Trinity being of a later date : for since the praises
of the Trinity were every day celebrated in the
doxology, hymns, and creeds, therefore the
church thought there was no need to set apart one
particular day for that which was done on eadh.
But afterwards, when the Arians, and such lik$
heretics, were spread over the world, and Jiad
vented their blasphemies against this Divine Mys-
tery, the wisdom of the church thought it coiir
veniept, that, though the blessed Trinity; 't^^s
daily commemorated in its public offices of devo-
tion, yet it should be the more solemn subject of
one particular day's meditation. So that front
the time of Pope Alexander III. if not before,
the festival of the Holy Trinity wafe observed in
some churches on the Sunday after Pentecost, in
others, on the Sunday next before Advent; until
VOL. II. 2 C

386. ON THE CQLLECT FOR

in the year 1305 it was made an established feast,
as it stands in our present Caltndar."*

The day thus chosen for the celebration of the
glory which is due to the Triune Jehovah seems
peculiarly proper. For as on the foregoing fes-
tivals each person in the Godhead has been ac-
knowledged to be God and Lord, and as, by the
teaching o? the Holy Ghost at Pentecost '^ a right
•^ judgment in all things" was conferred on 3ic
church, and particularly in this important doc-
trine, it seems to be congruous with propriety
that the day on which the Trinity in Unity is
adored with special regard, should follow those
on which the Son and Holy Ghost have beeii
particularly honoured and the descent of the Spi-
rit is celebrated.

But though the festival of the Holy Trinity is,
comparatively with the other festivals of our
church, of a modern date, we are not to suppose
that the doctrine which it recognizes is moaero^
or that the worship which it requires was unknown
to the primitive church. These we can clearly
trace to the time of the Apostles^ and sanction by
their paramount authority. Nay, we can justify
our practice by that of a church which is subject
to no errors, in whose services there are np flaws.
For among the innumerable company of angels^
^d the church of glorified saints, as we shall pre-
sently see, the glory of the eternal Trinity is acr
knowledged, and the Unity worshipped.

The practice of the Christian church in the
apostolic age, when men full of the Holy Ghost
conducted her worship, may be gathered from
the Acts of the Apostles, their Epistles, and the
Revelation of St. John. And. though no public

/Wheatly, p. 224, Oxford edition,. , • -•, ,i^,

" ■ •

TRINITY-SUNDAY. , 98?

liturgy of that early sera hath been preserved, at
least none that can be absolutely proved to have
been composed during - the Apostolic period
(though there are several which the testimony of
high antiquity ascribes to it), yet the evidence
on record is all-sufficient for our purpose. To a
believer in the plenary inspiration of the Scrip-
tures (and in this argument we have nothing to do
with Deists) the testimony or practice of one
man, declared to be taught and led by the Spirit
of God will be equivalent to the testimony or
practice of the whole church, since the former
could no more be deceived than the latter.

** For the first age the Scripture is sufficient
evidence of the Christian practice. For, not to
insist on the precept of honouring the Son as
they honoured the Father ; or the form of baptism
in which they are commanded to join the Father,
Son, and Holy Ghost in one act of worship ; oi:'
the injunction to believe in the Son as they be-
lieved in the Father ; with many other acts of in-
ternal worship peculiar to God alone: I only
argue from their example and practice. St. Ste-
phen the protomartyr, when he was sealing his
confession with his blood, breathed out his last
' breath in a prayer to Christ, " Lord Jesus, rer
•' ceive my spirit;" and ''Lord, lay not this sin
*' to their charge.'' (Acts vii. 59. ) St. Paul pro-
fesses he never baptized any but in the name of
Christ. (1 Cor. i. 13.) And his common forms of
blessing were with invocation of the name of
Christ. *' Grace be to you, and peace, from God
'* the Father and from our Loid Jesus Christ/'
And " The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and
'< the love of God, and the communion of the
** Holy Ghost, be with you all :" as the solemn
forms run almost in all his epistles^ . both in the

2C2

3S8 ON THE COLLECT FOR

beginning and the conclusion of them. Nay, so
common was this practice, that among other ti-
tles of the believers, at their first rise and appear-
ance in the world, they were distinguished by the
character of those that called on the name of
Christ* (Acts ix. 14, 21. 1 Cor. i. 2. 2Tlm.ii.
22. ) Many other such like evidences are obvious
to any one that reads the New Testament. I only
add that of the Revelation (ch. v. 8 — 14) wlfere
the church in heaven and earth together is repre-
sented as offering both prayers and hymns to
Christ. (See also chap. vii. 9, 10.)

*^ We have here seen the model of the wordiip
of Christ (and of the Holy Ghost) as beguq and
settled in the practice of the church in the first
age. And we shall find it continued in the same
manner in those that followed immediately after.
For Pliny^ whb lived in the beginning of the se-
cond century, and as a judge under Trajan took
the confessions of some revolting Christians, isays,
they declared to him they were used to meet On a
certain day before it was light, and among other
•parts of th^Ir worship sing a hymn to Christ as td
their God. Which is a plain indication of their
worship of Christ on the Lord's day. Not long'
after this lived Poly carp, who joins God the Father
and the Son together in his prayers for grace and
benediction upon meA : " The God and Father of
'' our LolPd Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ Him-
*« self, the eternal High Priest, the Son of God,
** build you up irt faith and truth, &c. and give
** you a lot and part among the saints, and to us
** with you, and to all them that are under heaven
" who shall believe in Jesus Christ our Lord and
'* in His Father who raised Him from the dead/*

TRINITY-SUNDAY. 389

And so he begins his epistle, " Mercy and peace
*^ from God Almighty, and from the Lord Jesus
" Christ be multiplied unto you." And when he
came to his martyrdom, he made a prayer to God
at the stake, before he was burnt, concluding it
with this doxology to the whole Trinity : " I bless
thee, I praise thee, I glorify thee for all things^
together with the eternal and heavenly Jesus
*' Christ, thy beloved Son, with whom unto thee
*' and the Holy Spirit, be glory both now and for
** ever, world without end. Amen.'^

** When Polycarp was dead, the church of
Smyrna wrote a circular epistle to other churches,
to give an account of his sufferings, wherein they
relate this remarkable occurrence, — That as soon
as he was dead the Jews suggested to the heathen
judge, that he should not suffer the Christians to
take Polycarp's body to bury it, lest they should;
leave their crucified Master and beg^in to worship
this other, " Not considering," says the epistle,
'* that we can never either forsake the worship of
** Christ, who suffered for the salvation of all those
^' who are saved in the whole world, the just for
" the unjust; or worship any other. For we
' " worship Him as being the Son of God; but the
*^ martyrs wie only love as they deserve for their
*' great affection to their King and Master, and as
*^ being disciples apd followers of their Lord,
whose partners and fellow disciples we desire to
be." This is an unanswerable testimony to.
prove both the Divine worship of Christ, as the
true Son of God, and that no martyr or other
saint was worshipped in those days. Not long
after this lived Justin Martyr, who in his second
apology, to wipe off the charge of Atheism
brought against them by the Heathens; who ob-
jected to them, *' That they had cast off the

2C3

€€
€€

390 ON THE COLLECT FOR

*' worship of God," answers, " That they wor-
*^ shipped the God of righteousness, and His
'^ Son, as also the Holy Spirit of prophecy.*' And
he tells the Emperor a little after, that ^' They held
** it unlawful to worship any but God alone."
Therefore in their practice they also shewed their
belief of the true Divinity of the Son and Holy
Ghost; since they worshipped them only upon
this foundation and supposition, that they are
truly God; and to have done it upon any other
supposition had been gross idolatry by their own
confession. Which I wish were duly considered
by those who now write against the Divinity of
Christ, ( and of His Spirit) and absurdly -pretend
that all the fathers of the three first ages were of
their opinion. For this is only to make them
guilty of the grossest idolatry, and involve them
in a monstrous contradiction ; whilst they pretend
to worship none but God alone, and yet gave
Divine honour to one, whom ( if our modem re>-
presenters say true) they did not believe to be
God by nature, but only a creature."

To these testimonies from writers of the second
century might be added those of Athenagoras^
Minucius Felix, the heathen Lucian, Irenaeus^
Theophilus Bishop of Antioch, and others, for
the purpose of proving that "the Trinity in Unity
^^ ought to be woi^hipped,*' if the primitive
church, deriving their opinions immediately from
the Apostles, is to be credited, or its practice to
be followed.* For brevity's sake we shall only
subjoin from Clemens Alexandrinus the following
doxology to the whole Trinity. " Let us give

* These may be found ia Bingham's Atitiquities of the
Chri&tiiiii Church, from whence the above extracts are
made. Hje has carried the inquiry through the three ^t
centuries. Book ix« ch. 2«

C(

TRINITY-SUNDAY* 391

*^ tiianks to the only Father and Son, to the Son
" and the Father, to the Son our teacher and
" master, with the Holy Spirit; one in all re-
^ spects; in whom are all things; hy whom all
* things are one ; by whom is eternal existence;
'* whose members we are; whose is the glory
*^ and the ages; who is the perfect good, the
" perfect beauty, all wise, and all just: to whom
*^ be glory both now and for ever. Amen."

We have opened our meditations on the col-
lect for Trinity-Sunday with the foregoing ex-
tracts (the importance of which will be a suf-
ficient apology for their length) for the purpose
of shewing the uaiison of our church with the
apostolic model in her worship of Three Persons
in one Jehovah. Our collect contains — an acf;
of devout thanksgiving for the orthodoxy of the
creed which we profess — and an act of fervent
supplication for persevering grace, that we may
•* hold fast the profession of our faith without
'* wavering.'*

What grandeur and sublimity are observable
in the hufniliating questions which Zophar pro-
posed to Job! (chap. xi. 7, 8, 9.) *^ Canst
'* thou by searching find out God ? Canst thou
** find out the Almighty unto perfection ? It is
*^ high as heaven, what canst thou do ? deeper
*^ than hell, what canst thou know? the mea-
" sure thereof is longer tba» the earth, and
*' broader than the sea.'*

*.* Wouldst thou th* Eternal with thy line explore ?
*f Fathom Almighty thought, and find its shore ?
*^ Go, mete heaven s height, the d^th of IJades sounds
*^ Span the wide earth, and reach o*er ocean's bound."

If the ways of God are beyond our reach
and P^3t finding out> how much more himself!

2C 4

392 ON THE COLLECT FOR

Surely then it becomes us, in the contemplation
of .the awful subject now before us, to move
with fear and trembling — ^to think and write, to
hear and read, with deep humility and an intire
submission of our understandings to the decisions
of the word of God. If Nadab and Abiha
were struck dead by fire from heaven for offering
unhallowed fire before the Lord, if fifty thou-
sand threescore and ten men of Bethshemesh'
were smitten for looking into the Ark of God,
if Uzza lost his life for his temerity in touching
it with his hand, if Ananias and Sapphira
were suddenly cut off from the land of the liv-
ing for lying to the Holy Ghost, — with what
reverential awe and deep solemnity should a
poor w<^m speak of and read the doctrine <yf
Revelation concerning this Holy, Holy, Holy,
Lord God! If Moses was hid in the cleft of
the rock while the Lord disclosed a glimpse of
His glory, if Isaiah cried, ** Woe is me,"
when the Triune God condescended to reveal'
Himself to view, if Daniel, when he saw the
vision of Jehovah, fell into a swoon, as one dead,
and if beloved John dropped senseless at the
feet of Jesus, when he saw His glory, — ^with
what lowly sensibilities of heart should we search
the Scriptures, that we may know and worship
aright this great and glorious Being! May we
bie enabled to ** cry after knowledge, and to lift
" up our voice for understanding; may we seek
" her as silver, and search for her as for hid
" treasures; that we may understand the fear of
''Jehovah, and find the knowledge of the
" Aleim !'*

The act of thanksgiving in which our collect
engages us has relation to the revelation which
God hath made of Himself in His word, and

TRINITY-SUNDAY. 39S

which, as members of the church of England,
we profess to believe and to avow in our public
adorations of His Divine Majesty. And Oh,
that, while ** by the confession of a true faith
" we acknowledge the glory of the eternal
" Trinity, and in the power of the Divine
*^ Majesty worship the Unity," we may be found
not only orthodox in sentiment but also sound
in heart ! For it is to be remembered that a
man may be a Trinitarian in his judgment, and
yet derive no real advantage from his creed.
The devils are orthodox, for " they believe and
*^ tremble." If the doctrine be not only ad^
mitted as true, but also cordially embraced in
its bearings and relations as connected with
redemption, then we shall prove indeed that
" the knowledge of the HoLY ONES is under-
** standing," and that it is " life eternal to know
** the only true God, and Jesus Chrij^t whom He
" hath sent."

Our collect takes it for granted, that the con-
fession of faith which is made in the creeds of
our church is ** the confession of a true faith.'*
For the doctrine of the Trinity in Unity is not
a matter of" doubtful disputation" among us, but
it is a certain fundamental truth which we deem
essential to salvation. And therefore we const*
der ourselves to be performing an act of Chris-
tian charity, while, in the strong language of
the Athanasian creed, we declare the necessity
of maintaining the catholic faith on this momen-
tous point, under the penalty of everlasting
destruction to him who perverts or abandons it.
We can admit no man into our bosoms as a
Christian and a fellow-heir of the grace of life,
who denies it; for as the existence of God is
the foundation-stone of all religion, so is the

894 ON THE COLLECT FOR

Triune distinction in the Godhead the founda-
tion-stone of the Christian religion. Remove it,
and the whole fabric of Christianity falls. For
both the grand characteristics of the Bible, by
which Christianity is distinguished from Deism,
depend on this basis — the doctrine of vicarious
atonement resting on the Godhead of Christ,
and the doctrine of Divine influence on the
Godhead of the Holy Ghost.

The confession which we make is contained
in our creeds, wherein we assert the existence,
coequality and coeternity of Three Divine
Persons in one Jehovah. We do not pretend to
explain the mystery of the Trinity in Unity ;'
but we receive the doctrine on the authority of
the Scriptures, wherein we find it plainly and
repeatedly asserted. We perceive its insepara*
ble connection with the scheme of redemption
on whiph ojir hopes of salvation are built, and
therefore feel our own eternal interests involved
in it. We view it as an object proposed to our
faith for the comfort of our souls, and not to
our reason for examination and explanation.
We acknowledge it to be far above the reach of
our puny powers; but we can perceive no dis-
grace reflected on a finite understanding by a
supposition that it is incapable of comprehend-
ing an infinite object. But although this myste-
rious doctrine be above the reach of reason,- we
can perceive therein no contradiction to its
dictates. We think it highly reasonable that
God, and God only, should give an account of
His own mode of subsistence. The tenant of
the mcdehill can form no competent idea of man ;
and^muoh less can man, by the power of his-
•wtt mind, form any adequate notions of God,

TRINITY-SUNDAY. 395

As these pages are designed for those persons
who, as members of our church, " by the con-
*' fession of a true faith acknowledge the glory
of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of
the Divine Majesty worship the Unity," we
shall suppose them to be sincere in the declara-
tions which they make, and that it is unneces-
sary to enter on a formal demonstration of the
conformity which prevails between the creed of
the church of England and the oracles of God
on this fundamental article of faith.* It may
not, however, be amiss to observe, for the com-
fort and establishment of true believers, that on
this, as on every other important doctrine of the
Gospel, " he that believeth hath the witness in
" himself." This evidence is " hidden from the
*^ wise and prudent, and revealed unto babes."
. In his convictions of sin, the conversion of his
heart, the peace of his conscience, the hope of
his soul, the elevation of his affections heaven*
wards, and the bias of his will to holiness, the
Christian belieVer has a body of evidence that
the atoning Saviour and the sanctifying Spirit
are true and very God, which no sophistry can
undermine or weaken. He has been enabled to
submit to the revealed will of God, and thereby
has been enabled to ascertain that the doctrines
of the Bible are true, according to our Lord's
declaration, " K any man will do His will, he
** shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of
^' God, or whether I speak of myself."

* If the reader should wish to be furnished with armour,

either o£Pensive or defensive^ relating to the Trinitarian

. creed, he will find in Jones*s Catholic Doctrine of a Trinity,

both a shield and a sword, which the enemies of truth wiU

not be able tp penetrate or resist^

•,1 '^I

•»»»

- :: .VJLZCT FOR

'. ^> !is to ascribe the acknou'-
V. rTvike to the grace of God.
' 't so doing is evident. For
Lii God hath made of Himself
act of gratuitous favour; and
Alii have known nothing of God.
Polytheist, the Deist, or the
. ..c .^ave been ours also. Reason,
^ . irpuired state, would never, by
. '. .!> of its own, have led us up to a
V. ^ ud much less could it have deter-
. .j.iy of that first cause, or the mode
^ . *^;'-itnce. O what a blessing is the
. , .^ >: \c ; Without it futurity could have
_ >^ .1. -u^rhing to the mind but " the black-
,v- t vuirkness for ever." And in subser-
^ ^ . o the Bible, O how great a blessing is
^ s.^.iKi und scriptural liturgy of our church !
v.v^'^ ^»c owe to God unfeigned and everlasting
.w •u\ie t\>r the orthodoxy of sentiment in
^^v»> ^c have been educated, and which from
^ .iwaHCV hath been inculcated on our minds.
^?K avi'i^iUion of a true faith from the apostolic
4(«m4hih> and its continuance in use by our
.^loiiviH ure inestimable instances of Divine
^iV% to UK who inhabit this land. For it has
>^ JKvti through any neglect of the enemy in
H^iii)( tares over the field of the visible church,
«t one period Arianism had nearly over-
;^ all Christendom; and having the sword
^c*^»l W'** well as of ecclesiastical authority in
x.WhI* it persecuted the true disciples of Jesus
^ nearly as great bitterness as Polytheism
^ ' ■ ' before. And even in our own a^ra
own land, uncommon exertions have
and are still continued, for the pur-
erting " the faith once delivered to

TRINITY-SUNDAY. 397

^* the saints." But, blessed be God, the effects
of infidelity have hitherto failed of success; and
we may justly consider the liturgy of our church
as being under God, and in subordination to
His word, the strongest bulwark against its
furious assaults.

But I trust that the reader of these pages has
not only received the ^^ true faith" from his fore*
fathers, as a system to be credited, but that he
also feels the power and comfort of it; in his own
soul. If he have received the testimony of the
Three coequal witnesses that bear withess in
heaven ; if he have cordially embraced '* the
" testimony, that God hath given to us eternal
" life, and that this life is in His Son;" then he
sees the propriety of thanking God not only for
an external revelation in His word, but also for
internal light and comfort shed on his mind by
God the Spirit. For he knows that '' no man
^^ can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the
" Holy Ghost."

The prayer which follows the act of adoration
and thanksgiving which we have reviewed is
twofold. For we implore Divine conservation
in the true faith, and a defence from all those
adversities to which a profession of it may ex-
pose us.

We beseech God to ^^ keep us steadfast in the
^ faith" of the Trinity which we avow. For as
we deem it to- be essential to the enjoyment of
all comfort here And to everlasting salvation, our
persevei*ance in it is a matter of high importance.
Thereon depends the peace of our consciences,
the holiness of our hearts and lives, and our
admission at last into God's everlasting kingdom.

It is supposed in this petition that our stead-
fastness in the faith will be tried. And indeed

398 ON THE COLLECT FOR

it is " the trial of our faith, which being much
*^ more precious than of gold that perisheth,
" though it be tried with fire, shall be found
*^ unto praise and honour and glory at the ap-
** pearing of Jesus Christ." The subtilty of
Satan, the sophistry of men^ and the pride and
unbelief of our own hearts, will bring our stead-
fastness to a severe test, which nothing but the
sustaining power of Almighty grace can enable
us to withstand. And besides these internal
conflicts, which all may expect to endure in a
greater or less degree, we know not to what
outward tribulation the profession of a true faith
may expose us, if the prediction of a late here-
siarch should be verified, and the train of gun-
powder which he tells us has been laid with so
much industry should make an explosion^ and
bury both church and state in ruins. This
dreadful catastrophe may God in his mercy
avert from us ! However this be, it is certain
that without persevering and establishing grace
continually communicated to us, we shall be in
danger of wavering in our profession', and even
of abandoning our creed. That man does not
know the force of temptation, the sophistry of
infidelity, nor the pride and treachery of his
own fallen heart, who is not conscious of his
danger, and who doth not discern clearly the
necessity of crying to the strong for strength
that he may be " kept steadfast in the faith."

In the use of this petition we implore grace,
not only that we may be preserved in the out-
ward and unremitted profession of sound doc-
trine, but also in the inward experience and
enjoyment of it. The doctrine of the Trinity,
in Unity, as connected with redemption, is the

TRINITY-SUNDAY. 3Q9

ground of all spiritual comfort, and the motive
to all evangelical holiness ; so that on the stead-
fastness of the mind in the belief of it depend
our consolations and our hopes^ our energies and
unremitted acts of obedience. We pray, there-
fore, that we may be enabled so to believe in
the Deity of Christ and of His Spirit, .that we
may derive from that belief the comfort which
it affords, and the sanctification which, it pro-
duces. If our views of the dignity which belongs
to the person of Christ be at any time clouded,
the validity of His atonement will proportionajly
become suspicious, the efficacy, of His dealjli
appear to be doubtful, and the prevalency of
His intercession be called in quastion. If the
glory of the Spirit's Godhead be obscured, we
can have no confidence that the work of grace
will ever be accomplished, that sin will be era»
dicated from our hearts, and our souls be mad^
meet for the inheritance of the saints in. light.
We shall then fear the power of our enemies;
;^nd if the doubt become predpminant, shall
either fall back into indifference and the spirit
of the world, or sink into despair. Faith in the
doctrine of the Trinity is the very sinew of God-
liness. Without it, spirituality of mind, victory
over the world, peace of conscience, and a good
hope in death, are impossibilities. O how need-
ful then is the petition of our collect that we
may be kept steadfast in this faith. 1 A derelic-
tion of this would be apoMacy from God and
from Christianity ; it would leave us under the
guilt of our sins and the curse of the law, with
all the *' additional criminality of having tr^iai-
*' pled under foot the SoU' of God, and done
*' despite to the Spirit of grace."

€€
CC

CC
CC

400 ON THE COLLECT FOR

We proceed to pray for defence from all adver-
Mties. This is added with great propriety ; for
a confession of a true faith will expose us to
adversities. In the early ages of Christianity
ite confessors were exposed to all manner of out-
ward adversities. They " had trials of cruel
mockings and scourgings ; yea, moreover, of
bonds and imprisonment. They were stoned,
** they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were
slain with the sword; they wandered about in
sbeep*skins and goat-skins, being destitute,
** afflicted, tormented." And though, through
the merciful providence of God, we are at pre-
sent free from - the danger of imprisonment or
death for an avowal of the truth; yet " all who
** will live Godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer per-
•' secution.*' The siftings of Satan, the sneers
of the world, and the raging of corruption, are
adversities from which none are exempt; and
the bitterness of which the heart that endures
them only knows, and from which God only
can defend us. The confessor of a true faith is
enlisted as a soldier, and must fight the good
fight, finish his course, and keep the faith, ere
he can wear the crown of righteousness. '^ But
*^ God is faithful, who will not suffer*' those who
lean on His protection '^ to be tempted above
" that they are able, but will with the tempta-
*' tion also make a way to escape, that they may
'* be able to bear it/' And while we " believe
** in God the Father, who made us and all the
" world," as our reconciled Father, our " Al-
^* mighty and Everlasting God;" — while we
** believe in God the Son, who redeemed us
«* and all mankind," as our " Almighty and
*^ Everlasting God" and Saviour, an4 " in God

TRINITY-SUNDAY. 401

" the Holy Ghost, who sanctifieth the elect
*^ people of God/' as our sanctifier and com-
forter; we have a hope that maketh not ashamed,
a ground of confidence of which we may boast
before men and devils. For oar Triune God
'* liveth and reigneth world without end. Amen."

VOL. IT. 9 D

40^ ON rm COIXECT FOR THE

aaa

THE FIRST SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.

■ I 1 ^ II ■;■ H .. , I . ■ ■» . 9 I 11 ti ■■■■

O Gody the strength vf all them that put their
trust in thee, mercifully accept our prayers j and
because^ through the weakness of our mortal na-
turcy we can do no good thing without thee, grant
us the help of thy grace, that in keeping thy com-
mandments we may please thee both in iviU and
deed, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

IN the 15th chapter of St, John's gospel our
Lord illustrates by a beautiful parable the
nature, necessity, and effects of that mystica}
union which subsists between Himself and all
those who believe on His name. The drift of
His parable is plainly expounded, and the
scope of His discourse brought to a point, in
the 5th verse, where He says, ** Without me ye
^* can do nothing/'

On this declaration of our blessed Lord, our
collect for the first Sunday after Trinity seems
to be founded. It contains— An act of adora^
tion, appropriate to the subject of the prayer
which follows it— -An act of supplication for ^
favourable audience of our prayers-r-A con-
fession of personal helplessness-^-rAnd a petition
for grace, specifying the end for which it is im-r
plored.

The design of that act of adoration with
which our collect opens is twofold, the promo-?
tiqn of Gpd's glory, and the? ei^couragemei^t of

FIRST SUNDAY AFtER TRINITY. 403

our own souls in the arduous work of prayer to
which we are about to address ourselves by the
consideration which is suggested. Blessed be'
God, that these two objects may be combined !
For His glory might have been secured, while
our souls were left a prey to despair. iBut the
scheme of redemption has rendered the glory of
God compatible with our comfort; nay, it has
so united the salvation of His people with His
own honour that they cannot be put asurtdfer.
In Christ Jesus " mercy and truth ^te met to-
** gether, righteousness and peace have kissed
** each other.**

The glorification of His own great name^ of
the display of His own adorable perfections, is^
and must ever be the grand aim and supreme
end of all the works of God. And as redemp-^
tion is the chief of all His works, the stupendous
object which from eternity occupied the Divine?
mind, as it is the main building to which crea^
t/ion and providence are to be considered otily asf
a scaffolding, God expects to derive from thi*
principal work of His hands a larger income of
glory than from all His »other operations. The
just claim which God makes of all the honour
resulting from the scheme of salvation should be
continually in our remembrance. And as His
gracious design wij;h respect to ourselves is only
so far promoted as we are induced and con-
strained to ascribe our whole salvation to Him,
we should be very watchful against the pride of
our own fallen hearts, against the self-righteous-^
ness and the self-sufficiency which are natural
to us, and from which, in a greater or less de*
gree, the most humble are not exempt. To
employ our lips as monitors and remembrancers
of our forgetful hearts is the part of wisdom^^

2D 2

404 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

And this we do in the preface of our present
collect. And this solemn act of adoration in
which we now engage will be prolonged by the
church of the redeemed to all eternity ; when
** the voice of many angels round about the
" throne, and the beasts, and the elders, (the
" number of whom will be ten thousand times
** ten thousand^ and thousands of thousands)
** shall be heard, saying with a loud voice,"
(And Oh, that our voices may be mingled with
theirs !) *^ Worthy is the Lamb that was slain
*^ to receive power, and riches, and wisdom,
" and strength y and honour, and glory, and
*' blessing." If God has bestowed His grace
on us, we shall ascribe glory to Him ; and as
we ascribe to Him the glory of His own grace.
He will confer more upon us.

Our own encouragement in the arduous work
of prayer is another object proposed in the pre-
face of our collect. The work of prayer may
truly be called an arduous work, when it is con-«
sidered as an exercise of faith in God's promises,
^nd an emanation of desire after spiritual bles-
sings. For to believe the promises of God so as
to expect th^ir accomplishment, under convic-
tion«of sin ^nd a consciousness of guilt, is diffi-
cult indeed. And so great is the natural torpor
and carnality of our affections^ that the exertion
of spiritual desire is not more easy. If prayer
consisted in the recital of words, there would
be no need of seeking encouragement in its per-
formance, But if it chiefly consist in spiritual
hunger and thirst, and if motives thereto can
only be derived from the gratuitous mercy of
God, the necessity of having recourse to every
<iBean of encouragement which is afforded i(s
4Wjs( b^ evident to the true supplicant.

tmst SUNbAY AFtER 'TllINltY. 405

We approach the throne of grace for the

Jmrpose of imploring "strength/' And we en^
iven our hopes of success by considering that
*' God'* is " the strength of all them that put
*' their trust in Him/' He hath engaged in thef
faithful promises of His word to "give strength
to His people/* to be "a strength to the jioor,
a strength to the needy in his distress/' He
hath proved Himself faithful to these promises
in the experience of all who have ever trusted
in Him, and He is " the same yesterday, and
*< to-day^ and for ever." " In the Lord Jeho-
•^ vah is everlasting strength;" and the common
boast of His people hath been, under every cir-
cumstance of trial and of personal weakness and
unworthiness, " In the Lord have I righteous-
** ness and strength."

It may be asked. What do we aiscribe to God
when we address Him as " thcv strength of all
" them who put their trust in Him ?" This ques-
tion may be answered by the proposal of ano-^
ther; For what purposes do those "that trust
"in Him" want "strength?" Are they sur-
rounded by temptations which of themselves
they are unable to resist? Are they the subjects
of corruption which they are unable to mortify?
Are they exposed to trials which they are un-
able to bear ? Are they engaged in multifarious
duties which they are unable to perform ? Have
they a long and difficult course to run in which
they cannot persevere by any exertion of per-
sonal ability ? For all these and a thousand
other subordinate purposes which might be men-
tioned, the Christian believer needs extrinsecal
strengthr And what he needs, on all its extent,
is to be found in^God and to be derived from
Him. They " who wait upon the Lord shall

2 03

40$ ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

^' renew their strength; they shall mount up
*< with wings as eagles, they shall run and not
♦* be weary, and they shall walk and not faint."

But who are those persons that may expect
to derive strength from God, its only and inex*
baustible source ? The character of those &r
Youred persons is drawn in our collect. "AH
^* who put their trust in Him" are intitled by
His gracious promises to expect from Him aH-
sufficient help. Faith, consisting in self-renun-
piation and a reliance on His grace, is that Di-
vine principle which giv^ to fallen man an in-
terest in the promises, enables him to plead
them, and qualifies him for receiving promised
blessings. It qualifies him for receiving them,
not by implanting in his soul inherent wortki-
ness, nor by furnishiog him with any plea of
personal merit ; but by emptying him of his own
wis(}om, righteousness, a»d strength, it prepare*
him for giving a' welcome to needful benefits as
ficely bestowed ^* without money and without
" price." -Our natural faculties are all like to
the withered arm of the man who applied to ou^
I-ord for help. They are rendered by our fall
utterly useless in any spiritual act that is re-
quired of us. But faith draws virtue from Om-^
liipotoncc. It credits tlie promise of God ; and^
as it opens a communication between Omnipo-
tence and the soul, the soul is endued with new
vigour, and enabled for the performance of
those spiritual acts which nre the proofs of justi-
IJcation and a preparation for glory.

In the recital of the collect before us those

who adopt it profess to " put their trust in God"-

l^43t do we indeed rely exclusively on Him ? Let

iprutiuue the fusibilities of our bosoms.

k Waminf tit^ habitual frame of cue hearts.

FIRST* SUNDAY AFTER TRISITY. 40?

Let ns intjuire, On wha* our hope oi accep-
tance with God is foitnded, whether on EHvins
Inercy or personal merit, remembering that tha
one or the other exeki^ively m^tst be the basis of
eraor eonfidence^ and that no coalition can be
feymed between them. And let us inquire fiir-
tiaer, te^ what source we look for ability to per-
form tfce wiH' of Giod ; whctlier to Divinie graci^
94r to personal and inherent strength; Fefnem-
b^ng that> in Ihis' view also^ seif^confideiice
canrnot be confounded with trust i» God*
But there is yet a further subject of itt<|uiry.
Have we formed any steadfast purpose of dbing.
' tihe will of God ? iy& we see the necessity of ar
ebafbrmity tliereto? Are we at ail anKioue
about salvaitioo }■ M no sux!;h porpose is fomied,
no sueh necessity discerned, and no such
ana&iety fek, we are totally uninterested in the
employment of tiie cburchy^ and have no part
no4^ lot with her. We aire in' this case *^ dead' in
'^ trespasses and sivw/' and our outward acts of
worship ane the utimeaaing act? of an automa-^
ton, and atK>minable in the sight of God the^
searcher of hearte.

Having joined in a sbleaan^ act oB adoration^
we proceed to implore a &vourable audience to
our prayera, pleading Divine mercy as the only
basis for our estpectatiois^ of success. The
'* prayers-* 'which we beseech God " mercifully "
to "hear,." include both those which we have
already offered, and those which we are about
to ofef . In^4iiis^ petition we in eflfect smite in-
dividually oa our breast, crying^ *• God be mer-
" ciful to me a sinner." The requests which
we make are of the highest importance; sinccj
oorttie alternative of their being granted or re-*
fiiacdv diependsrno les» than>our eternal salvatioa

2i2D4

408 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

Of damnation. But what plea shall we urge for
the purpose of conciliating Divine favour ? W^
have looked all around us. We have searched
narrowly every corner of our hearts and every
act of our lives in order to discover if any thing
personal can furnish us with an argument which
may be efficaciously addressed to Him, from
whom alone what we want can be derived. Bu#
we can find nothing. On the contrary, the
further we carry our inquiry, the more we dis*
cover that it is hostile to our wishes and destruc-
tive to our hopes. Sin in a thousand shapes-
constitutes the sum total of the discovery ia
which our search has issued. What then shall
we do? We must obtain help or perish.-— We
do that which necessity dictates, which wisdom
approves, which the word of God warrants : we
cast ourselves on Divine mercy, and cry. Lord,
'* mercifully hear our prayers." Such is the
genuine spirit of this petition. But, alas, how
many recite it, who feel not the pressure of
want, nor the earnestness of desire for relief;
wlio are iniconscious of personal unworthiness,
and wliose appeal to mercy is a solemn mockery
of God and of His grace ! Many who rehearse
our collect, or add their ^^Ameii" at the close
of it, (we have reason to fear) are indifferent
about "pleasing God either in will or deed;"
have no sense of their own impotency, and
therefore pefxieive no need of *' the help of His
^* grace. *'

In the short but comprehensive confession
which follows, we acknowledge that "by rea-
" son of the irailty of our mortal nature we can
" do no good thing without God." Oh, that
all who repeat this felt the force and extent of
tlieir own words ! ^JThe language which they are

FIRST SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. 409

taught to use is certainly the language of tnitli
and soberness; for He who cannot err hath
said, " Without me ye can do nothing,'* nothing
that is good. But have we weighed the import
of our own confession ? Are we convinced of its
agreement with truth ? Do we estimate duly tho^
importance of it ?

For the purpose of ascertaining the truth of
this confession, let us inquire what is our na-
tural state, for of that our collect speaks. What,
then, is the state of man by nature ? Let our
Lord reply to the question : ** That which is
** born of the flesh, is flesh." Our first parents
having corrupted themselves, their descendants
to the latest generations are necessarily corrupt
also; for water must partake of the qualities
which are inherent in the fountain from which it
issues. But is this corruption universal ? Does
it pervade the whole man, soul and body, and
all the faculties of both, so as to exclude every
spark of goodness ? Let St. Paul reply : " In me,
" that is in my flesh" or natural man, "dwelleth
** no good thing." *' Man, of his own nature,
is fleshly and carnal, corrupt, naught, sinful,
and disobedient to God ; without any spark of
goodness in him, without any virtuous or Godly
motions, only given to evil thoughts and wicked
deeds. As for the marks of the Spirit, the fruits
of faith, charitable and godly motions, if he
have any at all in him, they proceed only of
the Holy Ghost, who is the only worker of our
sanctiflcation, and maketh us new men in Christ
Jesus."*

It is further to be remarked that according to
c>ur collect, even after the grace of regeneration^

* Homily for Whitsunday,

4lO . ON THE COLLECT FOU TSE

vhich tkose who recite it are supposed to havtf
libcefved, we are still dependent on further coai-*
munications oF grace for the power both to will
and do that which is pleasing to God. ^' The
^•frailty of Oitir mortai nature/' the spiritualr die*
laiBtj which cemiptron remaining m auat bodies
produces (which bodies are subject to deatb tm
account of sm, and which death oeiy will free
from corruption)' is such as ta oppress the seed
of immortai life,, and impede all the spiritual ao«
tivities of the new man, and thereby disable* ub
fcr the performance of any good wvtbovtf thd
Gontintial aid of almighty . grace. ^'Thr fieshr
'^ lusteth against the Spirit, so that we csHmot da
^ the things that we would ;" and evem the iwS
eiinatiofli to good is itself maintained by 3f Dvnmt
agency. A branch separated from the tree hav
no life OS fructifying virtue in itself,, nor any^
means of deriTing it to> itself frony an extnnaecai
source, in like manner,, we have no i^pirituab
life in ourselves.. The Spirit of God is that toi the
soul which the soul is to tiie body. The body hasr
it9 members, but can exert none of them wkbouf
the soul. The soul also has its natural faculties^
but it can make no spiritual use of them without
Divine influence. We cannot repent, believe, or
obey, without supernatural energy continually
derived from God.

Now let us inquire, if we are sincere in making
the acknowledgment, that "by reason of the
" frailty of our mortal nature we can do no good^
** thing without God/' not even so much as think
a good thought ? Are we honest members of the
church of England which puts this confession into
the mouths of all her childnen ? If weaare, then;
we cultivate in ourselves a spirit of humility.

t FmST SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. ,411

•

* Cuth) and prayer. We desire ta engage in no

P tct of duty without a reciwrence to God for *'tbe

^ ^Vhelp of His grace/* *'Lord, help me/' is the

kabituat cry of our hearts. 3ut may we indulge

a charitable hope that this humble and dependent

State of mind generally prevaik among the pro*

fessed members of our chorch ? Are not many of

them like beggars who assume at tinves the tat«

tared garb of mendicity^ the semblance of crtp*

. fies, and the tone of importunate intreaty^ fot

the purpose of deception, while they ^re uncoa^

aciou& of any. reaL wants or infirmities? If you

' listen to their language at churchy yqu would be--

lieve them to be^ m their own estimation, ^^ pooir

^ and miserable and wretched and blind and

^ naked/' while it is plain, both from thei«

avowed sentiments and generarconduct, that they

deem themselves to be ^^rich and increased in

*^ goods, and to have need of nothing."

The humble confession of our collect is fol-
lowed by a petition for "the help of God's grace/*
that is, fo3? a communication of Divine influence
to the soul^ difiusing light through the mind, lav.e
through the heart, and energy through all the af^
lections. We shall determine what " the help**
which is implored means, while we consider the
end for which it is implored.

The end for which ^^ the help of Gk>d's grace''
IB here besought is a very important one. It i»
^ thafi in keeping His commandments we may
^ please Haip both in will and deed/' Can any
object proposed to. themind be more momentous?'
fe there any thing more likely to excite the desire*:
and energies of the soul f^ Surely not, were not
our minds blinded by unbelief, and ^tied and
^f^bound with the chauvof our sins."

412 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

It is supposed that those ^vbo use olir colIec<
are earnestly solicitous to " please God both in
** will and deed by keeping His commandments*"
Doth the reader's conscience bear witness that
such a desire is predominant within him ? It is
felt only by those who " love much because
** much hath been forgiven them/' The believing
sinner only, who has ^^ tasted that the Lord is
'' gracious," is conscious of this holy solicitude^
For others, if they will speak the truth, must own
that a repugnance to the will of God reigns in
their bosoms, and that their carnal minds are
" enmity against God/' They are indifferent t6
His approbation, except indeed so far as they are
influenced by a fear of punishment. To Divine?
love they are utter strangers. A '^testimony that
** they please God" is by no means necessary to
their happiness, for they are seeking it in self-
gratiflcation and the applause of the world ; and
therefore they go on from day to day without any
inquiry whether they please God or not. But the
genuine members of our church ardently long to
please God both in will and deed by an unre-
served, universal, and cordial obedience to His
commandments. To " walk worthy of the Lord
*' unto all pleasing'' is the holy ambition of their
souls.

That we cannot keep God's commandments, so
as to please Him either in will or deed, without
the help of His grace, is well known to all who
are taught of God and are seeking to be con-
formed to His holy law. They know that they
are crippled in all their faculties ; that all their
powers are palsied in consequence of the fall.
God commands us to repent ; and it is certain
that we cannot please Him without an habitual

FIRST SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. 413

spirit of penitence. But is the exercise of repen-
tance in our own power ? No ; it is declared to
be the gift of Christ, who is ** exalted to be a
*^ Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance and
" remission of sin." *'Turn thou us unto thyr
'^ self, O Lord, and we shall be turned," is there-
fore a suitable prayer for our use. We are also
required to believe the gospel; for this "is God's
" commandment/' emphatically so called, " that
'* we should believe in the name of His Son Jesus ,
" Christ :" and it is certain that " without faith
** it is impossible to please God." But faith,
both in its rise and progress, is " of the operation
'^ of God." *' It is given us to believe," if we do
indeed believe the gospel of Christ. Obedience
to God's will, as it is revealed in His loly law, h
also our duty, and is essential to a state of commu-
nion with Him, as the effect of faith and the evi-
dence of acceptance. But "the way of man is
^' not in himself; it is not in man that walketh to
" direct his steps'* aright. God must "work in
" us both to will and to do of His good pleasure."
It is to be observed that a genuine Christian is
not contented with "the form" without "the power
" of Godliness," — ^with exterior decency and mo-
rality without interior rectitude of heart ; for he
implores the help of God's " grace that he may
" please Him both in will and deed.*' And it is
further observable that he puts the will before
the deed, well knowing that no action can h6
approved by God which does not proceed from
love to His name and zeal for His glory. Many
actions may be formally good, which are essen*
tially bad ; as, for instance, a man may " give
^' all his goods to feed the poor and his body to
'^ be burned," and yet be destitute of charity of

414 ON THE COLLECT FOR THB

love to God. The law of God is spirituaU and
extends to motives as well as acts. " Thou shalt
*^ love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and

with all thy mind, and with all thy soul, and

with all thy strength."

O what need has every reader to pray for the
help of God's grace, when he considers, not only
the defects of his practice, but also the remaining
obliquity of his will ! The conscious sinner will
join heartily in the petition of our collect. But,
alas, how many persohs> who unite in our ser*
vice and adopt our forms, have no desire to
please God ! If they pay any respect to God's
commandments, it is only to such an extent as
they suppose to be absolutely necessary for the
purpose of avoiding punishment. The motive of
their spiritless and unconnected duties is fear and
not love. And hence their obedience (if the
name may be prostituted by an application to
such a tissue of folly ) is partial and limited* O
fatal mistake, to suppose that the reluctant duties
which terror imposes can be acceptable to God !
Till the will be renewed, no attempts to obey
the law of God can please Him. Conversion of
heart is essential to salvation. For nothing else
can qualify us for the service of God on earth, or
for Hi» presence in heaven.

It may be asked. Is it possible for a believer,
in the present state of imperfection, to " walk
^' worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing ?" A
Christian will aim at it; and under the influence
of desire to accomplish it, he will pray earnestly
for *^ the help of God's grace. '* And while he
thus proves his sincerity, his earnest endeavour
will please God ** through Jesus Christ our Lord,"
wbpse blood cleanseth fiom all sin,, and the mantle

FIRST SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY,

41A

of whose righteousness covers all the defects
which the eye of infinite purity must discover in
human obedience. It is our comfort to be assured
that, " if any man an, we have an advocate with
*^ the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous ; and He
f^ k the propitiation for our siP3."

416 . ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

THE SECOND SUNDAY AFTER TRINITV.

O Lord, who never* failest to help and govern
ihem zohom thou dosl bring up in thy steadfast fear
and love; keep us, we beseech thee, under the pro-
tection of thy good providence, and make vs to
have a perpetual fear and love of thy holy name,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

GODLINESS is a supreme and habitual re-
gard to God in the heart and life. It con-
sists of many branches ; for " our duty towards
" God is to believe in Him, to fear Him, and to
'* love Him, with all our heart, mind, soul, and
" strength, to worship Him, to give Him thanks,
" to put our whole trust in Him, to call upon
*' Him, to honour His holy name and His word,
'* and to serve Him truly all the days of our
'^ lives/* Each of these characteristic qualities of
the Godly soul implies the others, for neither of
them can exist in solitude and without the rest.
They are therefore used in Scripture singly and
separately as descriptive of the people of God,
sometimes one and sometimes another being
adopted.

In our collect two of these distinctive proper-
ties of the saints are introduced. They arc de-
scribed as fearing and loving God. If the reader
be of the number, he may confidently say with
the Psalmist, *^ The Lord is my Shepherd, there-
" fore shall I want nothing; for God never fails
^* to help and govern them whom He dpth bring
** up in His steadfast fear and love."

SECOND, SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. 417

Our present collect contains— ^A declaration of
God's goodness towards His people, and — A
prayer founded on that declaration. The preface
of our collect acknowledges, in a grateful address
to God, His great goodness towards His people,
in which we shall consider— the character which
is drawn of those who are the objects of Divine
regard, and the nature and extent of God's fa-
vour to them.

The objects of Divine regard are those whonl
God "hath brought up in His steadfast fear and
" love." These exclusively are partakers of His
special favour and complacential regard. Sinners,
as such, He pities, and hath opened a way for.
their return to His paternal embrace. But none,
can be assured of an interest in His affection^ can
cry "Abba, Father,'* or rely on His help and go-
vernment, except those who are described in bur
collect as possessed of filial dispositions towards
their heavenly Father. And it is carefully to be
observed that these are not partakers of His spe-
cial favour on account of any natural difference
between them and others; for the distinction which
is made is intirely of grace. The proud suppo-
sition that we have any thing which we have not
received, is precluded by our collect ; for those
very qualities, by which the objects of Divine re-
gard are distinguished from others, are expressly
ascribed to the operation of Divine influence upon
them.

The fear of God in which His people are
brought up is that reverential regard to Him> that
filial awe of His majesty, which pervades and is
interwoven with all their sensibilities and all their
conduct. To enter at large into the nature and
effects of this holy fear, would open too wide a
field for our present purpose. We must therefore

VOL. II. 2E

418 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

be content with observing that it implies a
supreme respect and reverence for God as bur
Father and Lawgiver, and for every thing which
He has enjoined and commanded. His name.
His word, llis day, His ordinances. His com-
mands, are to His people objects of habitual,
devout, and affectionate regard. The promotion
of His glory vs their aim, and the attainment of
His approbation their end.

Reader, hast thou been brought up in the
fear of God ? Is this Divine principle paramount*
in thy bosom ? Dost thou fear to offend Him
more than thou fearest the displeasure of the
world, and so as to be ready to incur any tempo-
ral inconvenience, loss, or suffering, rather than
His frown ? Read the account which is given of
the spirit by which Daniel, and Shadrach, Me-
sech and Abednego were actuated ; and then in-
quire whether the same Divine temper is to be
found, in any degree, in thyself. They feared
God, and therefore had nothing else to fear.
And let it be remarked, that this holy disposition
is not a slavish dread of punishment, restraining
merely from outward acts of sin ; for this may
exist where there is not a spark of filial fear.
Thai is only occasional and partial in its inffuence;
but this is constant and universal. "The re-
** fetraint" which arises from legal terror, ** can
giie us no solid comfort, if it be but a bare re-
straint and no more: we should not rest nor
ihink ourselves safe enough, till we bave a well
grounded assurance, that we are possessed of a
better and a higher grace, even the grace of sanc-
tification. For tnis will hold out against tempta-

ms where that may fail. We may deceive our-

Tcs then (and thousands in the world do so

ve ihemselvfs) if upon pur ;ib$taining^ from

SECOND SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. 419

stns, from which (Jod withholdeth us, Vfe presently
conclude ourselves to be in a state of grace, and
to.hitve the power of godliness aAd the spirit of
sanctification. For, between this restraining
grace ifhereof we have now spol^en, and the re-*
netring grace whereof tve now speaJc, there are
sundry wide differences. They difier, first, ki
their fountain. Renewing grace springeth from
the special love of Qod towards those that are His
in Christ: restraining grace is a fruit of thatge*
neral mercy of God, whereof it is said in the
Psalm that *^ His mercy is over all His works/'
They differ, secondly, in their extent: both of
person, subject, dhjecU and time. For the person:
restraining grace is common to good and bad ;
renewing nace proper and peculiar to the electa
VoTthe siibject: restraining grace may bind one
.part or faculty of » man^ as the band or tongucj
and - leave sinother free as the heart or ear ; re-
newing grace worketh upon all in some measure4
sanctifieth the whole man, ''body, soul, and
V spirit,'' with all the parts and faculties of each<
fat the object : restraining grace nuy withhold a
man froin one sin, and give him scope to ano^.
ther; renewing grace carrieth an equal and just
respect to aH God's commandments. For the
time: restraininjg grace -may tye us now, and by.
and by unloose us; renewing grace holdeth out
unto the lend; more or less, and never leaveth us
wholly destitute. Thirdly, they differ in their
ends. Restraining grace is so intended chiefly
for the good of hUmane society (especially of the
church of God, and of the membensi thereof) as.
that indifferently it may^ or inay not,, do good to
the receiver; but renewing grace is especially in-
tended for the salvation of the receiver, though.
ef cansequenti it do good also unto Qth^r^ They

2E2

420 ON THfe COLLECT "POR THE

differ, fourthly and lastly, in their effects. Re-
newing grace mortifieth the corruption and sub-
dueth it and diminisheth it, as water quencbeth
fire, by abating the heat : but restraining grace
only inhibiteth the exercise of the corruption for
the time, without any real diminution of it either
in substance or quality ; as the fire wherein the
three children walked, had as much heat in it«t
that very instant, as it had before and after, al-
though by the greater power of God the natural
power of it was then suspended from working
upon them. The lions that spared Daniel, were
lions still, and had their ravenous disposition still;
albeit God stopped their mouths for that time that
they should not hurt him. But that there was no
change in their natural disposition appeareth by
their entertainment of their next guests, whom
they devoured with all greediness, breaking their-
bones before they came to the ground. By these
two instances and examples we may in some niea»
sure conceive of the nature and power of the re-
straining grace of God in wicked men. It bridleth
the corruption that is in them for the time that it
cannot break out ; and manacleth them in such
sort, that they do not shew forth the ungodly dis-
position of their heart. But there is no real
change wrought in them all ther while; their heart
^till remaining unsanctified, and their natural cor-
ruption undiminished. Whereas the renewing
grace of God, by a real change, of a lion maketh
a lamb ; altereth the natural disposition of the
»oul by draining out sjome of the corruption^
beget teth a new heait, z new spirit, new habits,
new qu^ities, new dispositions, new thoughts,
new desires — maketh a new man, in every part
and faculty compleatly new. Content not thy*
self then >vith a bare fortirarance of sin, so long

SECOND SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. 4Sri

as thy heart is not changed, nor thy ^ill changed^
nor thy afifections changed; but strive to become
a ne^v man, to be transformed by the renewing,
of thy mind, to hate sin, to love Gbd^ to wrestle,
against thy secret corruptions, to take delight . in
holy duties, to subdne thine understanding, and
will, and affections, to the obedience of faithr
and godliness. So, shalt thou not. only be re-.
strained from sinning against God "as Abimelech
was; but also be enabled, as faitbftd Abraham
was, to please Gx)d;; and contSequently assured,
with all this faithful children of : Abraham, to be
preserved by the almighty power of God through
faith unto salvation/'*

The love of God^ in which His people are fuir-r
ther said to be brought up, is that spirit of gra-
titude toiHLm which they feel on^account of His
goodness to them, and that delight in. Him which
th^y experience as the only source of happiness to
their souls. They love Him, because He hath
first loved them ; and deriving from the contem-*
plation of His excellencies, and tiieir hope of
personal interest in Him, a satisfaction which the
world'can neither give nor take awarjr, they cleava
to Him as their portion for ever: " ,

Many persons preposterously . presume that
they love God, who in works deny Him; while
others, . without any substantial reason, doubt
whether they love Him or not, though their con-
duct proves that they ar^ sincerely attached to
Him. In order therefore to assist the reader in
the awful work of self-examination on this sub-
ject, let it be observed that, wherever love to
God exists, it must be a supreme regard. For
jio one can love God at all till he is made sensible

* Bishop SaandersoD'a Sennoo ad populum on Gen. xx^ 6,

423 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

of die immense obligations under which redeem*
ing love huth laid him ; and it is impossible that
those obligations should be felt without .pro-
ducing the language of the devout Psalmist,
'' Whom have I m heaven but thee ? and there is
")< none upon earth that I desire in comparison of
^thee.'- "The love of Christ constraineth"*.
thiKe *' in whdse hearts it is shed abroad by the
^ Holy Ghost given onto them/' " because they
^ thus judge^ that if one died for all, then were
'' all dead; and that He died for all, that they
" which live should not henceforth live unto
^' themselves but unto Him that died for them
'^ and rose again." In the natmral heart, enmity
to God reigns. Divine love therefote is an exotic
in the human breast. It is the product of faith.
It arises from a discovery. Divinely made,, of
God*s love to us. And that discovery cannot be
made without producing a supreme regav^. AfMv
conversion, love to God becomes thfe predominaiit
principle of the soul, occupying the same place
And office wbich-the main*spring occupies in a
miaK^hine. However feeble our light, however
weak 'our .faith, yet love is the bias of :the! soul.
Though the tide be slack, and: the breeze gentlcj
love is the h^lm which regulates all our motions,
in its infant-state Divine love may be compared
to a monarch aiewly raised to the throne, whose
government, though not fully established, is
vested with full authority; It is like the light of
the morning' which, though faint, reaches over

* ^vysy^sty id est, totos pfos«idet ac regit, ut ejus afflartu
Vj^uasi correpti agamus omnia ; -alludit enioi . ad v^tuiq
faror^m« — Besa.

" Could you place a boat on the impetuous cataracts of
" the Nile, you would see what is meant by the signiftcant
^ Word, pT/ygp^g«:"iIiHEBVBY*l5 Dialogues. ' . '

SE(X)ND SU^'DAY AFTER TRINITY. 423

the whole hemisphere; or rather Jike the vernal
heat, which, though far inferior to that of the,
sumaicv-solatice, is universally diifused and inr
fiiieritlal.

Love to any object is invariably productive of
a deolre. after uiijon and intercourse with it. The
solI that h captivated with the love of God, pants
afier K/oi '''^s the hart panteth after the water-
*' brooks ;'* it is ^'athirst for God;" and its in-
qyjr). is, ^^ Whey shall I come and appear before
*\ God ?" The love of gold is the miser's ruling
passion; and it discovers itself by all his hope^
and fears, his joys and sorrows, his desires and
aversions. The more he has, the more he wishes
to possess.* In human friendship the operation
of love icf the same. TJie absence of the beloved
object occasions pa^p to the mind, and its pre-
sence pleasure. Siinilar to this, but in an infi-
nitely higher degree*, j§t the loye of Christ to His
people. " He lovc^ Jthem, and gave Himself for
•'them:" a^d He.says^ ^* Father, I will that they
" also whom thou hast given me be with inq
"where i anfiv; Arid such also in its nature,
though,, alas, far inferipr in its intenseness and
constancy , is th^ loye. which the children of God
feel for their hei^yenly Father. (Phil. i. 23.)
Hence^he ordiaances of Divine worship in which
God. has promised. His presence, and in which
they have enjoyed. cQmmunipn with Him, are
very prepious to theni. And hence their '^desire
" tQ.^epqrt and to be' w^^h. Christ.".

A supreme regard to' any object supposes that
the inind ^-ests and reposes itself thereop, so as
to look no further .fpr ,the satisfaction which it
wants, *f Give me this ajjd I have enough,'' is

J ■ • ■ . . ■ - . . .

*'Crescit amor nummi, quantum ips^ jpecunia crescit«

2 F. 4

424 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

its language. Now as all the stars will not sup-
ply the place of one sun, so no creature-com-
forts will supply the place of God in the affections
of His people. And on the other hand^ as one
sun will more than supply the place of all the
6tars, in like manner the Divine presence makes
poverty, solitude, sickness, a dungeon, yea, a
body consuming at the stake, not only tolerable,
but also delightful. In proof of this it will be
sufficient to remind the reader of a martyr in the
Marian persecution, who, while enveloped in the
flames, declared to those who stood around him
that he seemed to himself as if he lay on a bed of
roses. And it is further to be observed that pro-
portioned to the degree of satisfaction which the
mind feels in its beloved object is the indifference
which it will manifest towards other* things, and
its abstraction from them. The Samaritan woman
forgot her water-pot, when she had found her
Saviour. (John iv. 28.) Mary, the sister of La-'
2:arus, was g]ued to the Saviour's feet, whence
neither the concern^ of the family nor the remon-
strances of her sister could remove her. The
performance of every relative duty is indeed con-
sistent with the most fervent love of God and re-
quired by it, and a concern for His glory will
insure the strict performance of it ; but the sojil
which partakes of its influence will act under the
power of motives derived from it in all its duties,
and will seek and find God in every engagement.

The sincerity of love to God will be demon-
strated by its proper effects. Every tree produces
its own fruit, pivine love will shew itself by a
tenderness of conscience with respect to all the
actions oflife ; by a constant circumspection, dis-
covering an unremitting desire of pleasing God,
a fear of offending Him, and an endeavour after

SECOND SUNDAY AFTER f RINFTY. 425

conformity to His likeness and will. It will
iproduce continual sorrow for sin, which the
Scripture calls *• Godly sorrow," because it ori-
ginates in a regard to God, and is maintaiKied
thereby ; and likewise a joy in every opportu-
nity which is afforded of giving hono&r to His
name: and such opportunities will be anxiously
sought. and gladly embracied. If we love God,
His friends will he, chosen as our friends, and
we shall separate ourselves from those who are
His enemies; except indeed when either the
administration of secular affairs necessarily sub-
jects us to their acquaintance, or whenr an asso-
ciation with them affords a hope of reconciling
them to God. What hath been said of friend-
ship in general, may be applied to Divine
friendship.

** A genVoiis frieadship no cold medium knows,
*f But with one love, with one resentment glows.*'

It may be added, that wherever this love exists,
there is an ardent desire for its growth. For
the lover of God painfully perceives the incom-
petency of his love to the worth of its object,
and to the obligations under which he is laid.
He mourns therefore on account of the languor
which prevails in his regard to (rod, prays for
more grace, and joyfully anticipates the time
when he shall love God in a degree more suitable
to His Divine excellencies.

Having hinted at the properties and effects of
iove to God, let me pause and ask myself. Do
I love Him ? Let me try to enforce the ques-
tion of our blessed Lord, ^' Lovest thou mer'^
on the conscience of every reader. Let us not
be hasty and precipitate iti our reply, lest we
deceive our own souls, B^t let us scrutinize the

426 ON ,THe COLLECT FOR THE

properties of love, the sensibilities of oyr hearts^
and the tpstimon / of our conduct, before we
decide. Are noiie of us at a loss for an answer?
Is tii^re pp one to whom the question is ad*
dre^s^} wbp i§ obliged, to hesitate? None to
vrhiom t^ Searcher ^ hearts might say, as He
s^id. to tlieJews, *? J know you that, ye have
** act theJove of God in ypu?" Or is there no
oi)c wb9 c^nsay no moire than, ^* Lord, thou
<VkQ9jW.estall;thii>gs: thou kuo west that I can-
'f Bot.teU whrther. I. love thee or not?*'. But
should- lE^ question oi^^^p grieaft importance be left
to ail imicertainty ? MSlK)ald we not bliu»h and
treinblf^.toaoknow^jedge, that it is a doubt whe-
ih^r^.i'^e li9\re Hiuv whp made: us and rec^leemed

us?/-' -: . . .

Let it be remembered, that not to love God
is worse than brutal ; for '• the ox knoweth his
" owner^ and the |isVhis;hiaster's crib." Nay,
it is worse than devilish, for the devils have no
SRueb niotivesito ioveiGod as redemption .'imposes
on us..' >Ohr;, consider these . motives, and weigh
in the. balanoe of equity the tremendous curse
which>is denounced, (1 Cor. xvi. 22.) " If any
f^ man lo^e .nPt the Lord Jesus Christ, let him
^' be' Anaihema Mar^n-atha." Most awful im«-
pnecatioa! -But lu)iv. just!; Its : equity 'WilH be
eKhibited and sanctioned by the decisions of the
iadt day; No one will arraign the justice of th9
sentence which dooms the hater of God (and
there is n© .intermediate rtate between love and
hatred ) to eternal misery. And as this sentence
is just, it is also necessary that the hater of God
should be. excluded from heaven,; for heaven is
the region of.lov«. Lo^eis the^lement in wliich
its inbabithpts breathe.*' And without its limits;
ailJis>darknefis>hatr€nlt;rag.9, horror^ and despair.

SECOND SUNDAY AETfR TRINITY. 427

Listen^ SiHner, ere it be too late, to the vojce
of thy dying Saviour. He asks> " Invest thou
'^ me?" Oh, survey. Him, and see if there be
nothing in His person and character to attract
and fix thy love. He who hung upon the cross
a^k«, ^* Lovest thou me?" Every circumstance
of life may : be consiBerpd f^ a proposal of tbis^
question to our conscienqes, and as a test of its
splu;tion. Every duty, every trial, and every
ration in which we stand to God or our fellowr
€(JH^tures, prpsp(5rity and. adversity, sickness
fuid health, Jife atid deaths ip^y be regarded as
criterions qf our.JlQve. to Qo^, and as opporta-^
nities of exhibiting .that lovetp view. ■. .■ ^

The^^tateof tlafi^ whoarq.the genuine mem-
bers of thejChristi^n church oo earth, is a state
of. education for eterpal felicity. They are
minors, and the Chri^tiajfiK^faurch is a school ia
iy))ich they are placed for .instruction and, the
^rmation of babiM suitable to their future desig-
nation. . They are ^* heirs of rGod," and " begot-
'Si^niQjSL lively Jippeiof an inh^ritapce incor-
If.ruptible, undefijed, aaid.tha<; fadeth: not ^way^
'Vwbich is r^eserfed in he^yerir for them" .when
1;beir' course of. education is: finished* The
s^nces in which they are trained are ^' the fear
tf Budlove of Gpdj*' for th^e; ^tainmept of which
tjhiQy, are prepared l^y initiation in self-knowledge
and the. knowledge of Christ -crucified. The
bp$k which they, are required to study .i&nAlie
Bible;, aadiithe :great teacher is iGod the Holy
Ghost. . Xt i^ under His ti^kioa that they receive
the first ryd})neqts p£ spiritual knowledge, an.4
^re carried £^)ward to its high perfection. . The
pupils of this iheav€f])y school s^fi admitted^ at
different ag6$.|ind:0i»der di/$erienitr circum^iMa^cefi*

428 ON THE COLLECT fOR THE

Some are called into it from the days of child-
hoofl, others in riper years, and some even in
the decline of life. Some are closer students, of
a more teachable temper, and more apt scholars^^
than others. Different methods are also n«oe^
sary to be employed respectii>fj them, some
Veing disciplined more by the rod of correction
tlian others. Bat the all wise Instructor of His
people never fails to prepare those who Arfe
under His care for their future rank and station:
in the kingdom of G6d. The grand inquiry
which we have to make is^ Whether we are yet
admitted into this academy, and are submitting
to the tuition of its Divine Master ^

The epithet " ste^aclfast" is Annexed to those
qualities by whidh the objects of Divine favour
are characterized, for the purpose of distin*
guishing more fully the temper of their mtndi^
from that of Others. In carnal and worldly
persons something which slightly and partialty
resembles " the fear and- fove of God*' mav
occasionally be discerned. • In sbnie instances
they may be restrained from the commission of
gross sin, or from the omission of external duties^
by a regard to 'God. They may also do many
things which God has required, after the exam-
ple of Herod. (Mark vi; 20.) But though
terror may curb, or passion excite them, the
gracious influence of *' steadfast fear and love"
is A stranger to their breasts. In the Godly,
" the fear and love of God" are habitual, pre-,
dominant, growing principles — not indeed always
ahke vigorous, but always influential.

The favour of God towards those " whom
^* He brings up in His steadfast fear and love,*'
is certain, constant, and unchangeable. For He

SECOND SUNDAY AFreR TRINITY . 429

•

*^ never fails to help and govern them " " He
*^hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake
** thee. So that we may bolcfly say, The Ldrd
" is my helper, and I will not fear what man
" shall do unto me;" no, nor what the whole
host of hell may attempt to do,.- God's faithful
promise binds Him to " help and go vera" us,
if we are pupils of His academy, ■ And the
experience of His people in aJl ages abundantly
confirms the veracity of His promise.

But what help does He afford? All that His
pupils lieed. He helps them to repent, to
believe, and to obey.' He helps them to perse-
vere in a course of repentance, faith, and obe-
dience. . He comforts them under trials, enlight-
ens them when in darkness, succours them when
in temptation, " strengthens them with might
" by His Spirit in the inner man," whereby
they are enabled to maintain the conflict against
the devil, the world, and th^ flesh: in short,
'* He is a very present help in the time of need,"
•f whatever kind the exigency may be.

He moreover " governs" as well as helps His
people. They are brought under a theocracy
with respect to their spiritual concerns. Hia
}aw9 regulate their conduct ; His shield defends
them from their enemies; His approbation chears
their souls, and binds them. more strongly to
their allegiance; and His honours will finally
reniunerate their fidelity.

It is assumed in our collect, that all who
unite in it are of the number of those whom
God is bringing nip in His steadfast fear and
love ; for the collect is designed for general \\sq
' in the church^ But is this assumption jtist witji
respect to the wnter and r^eader of tj^ie^e pag^i^?

430 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

On this supposition we proceed to pray that
•* God would keep Us under the protection of
His good providence^ and make us to have a
perpetual fear and love of His holy name,
through Jesus Christ our Lord." We consider
ourselves to be under His protection as His peo-
ple, and pray that we may remain under it;
we assume that the '* fear and love of His name'^
have been implanted in our hearts, and pray
that these graces may be perpetuated.

We pray that God would ** keep us under the
** protection of His good providence;" infer-*
ring, as the result of close self*examination, that
we are under His care " who never fiails to help
" and govern them whom He doth bring up in
*^ His steadfast fear and love." " The protec*^
tiori of God's good providence" is that " help
and government" which He never fails to
afford to His people. The propriety of praying"
ibr a continuance of Divine protection, both'
for our souls and bodies, is evident from a cdn-
sideration of the many and. imminent dangers
to which we are ever exposed. We are only
safe, either from ghostly or bodily dangers^
while God keeps ws. And His promise to keep
us does not supercede the necessity of prayer,"
but implies dependence on our part, and is the
motive and encouragement to its vigorous exer-
cise. And we are also to remember, that al-
though God's promise cannot be broken^ and
consequently His help and government cannot
fail, yet we daily and hourly forfeit, by our fai-
lure in the duty which we owe to our sovereign
Lord, the benefit of His protection, and there-
fore are bound humbly and earnestly to pray for
a renewal and continuance of it.

SEC50ND SUNl3iAT'Ai»TE* tR!i«lTY. 4^

As "tftfe prot^ion oiX»«fl'9'^cIpf^vid€lA(fcfe"
J* conf5riedt6' those whoin: »eis « brbging"tf^
" ia Hfs Steadfast fear airtl^ fcvei"^ aod- fts-^
cannot rrtairitain m *n^' liekrt'^ ' ** the fea^r And
'' love GfTHis holy natae,* ^^ tlienrf6¥ef *|^!*<)«^
to beae^th • Him:, tfert? He' wbuM **-makfe'l*^ to

have a pert>et?tral fear ^d love off* Hte li^ jr

name." We pray for persevering gracei tfc^t
the holy temper of mind which He hath pro-
duced within us may be subject to no interrup-
tion, but may increase more and more until at
is perfected. And Oh, Christian reader, how
needful a petition is this! When we consider
how inadequate our " fear and love" are to the
cause that produces them, to the object that-
claims them ; how often their exercise is in ih
great measure interrupted; how, at times, they
languish and seem ready to expire ; how need-
ful is the concluding petition of our collect,
** Lord, we beseech thee, make us to have a
** perpetual fear and love <tf thy holy name!"
Our frequent past backslidings, our present con-
sciousness of imbecility, our enemies, and our
dangers, all concur in exciting us to importunity
in the use of this prayer^

Let every one examine himself closely, whe-
ther he can honestly unite in it. No one can,
in whose heart the fear and love of God are not
predominant; for no one else can desire to hav^
these holy dispositions perpetuated. O let those
who are unconscious of being under His tuition
who ** brings up His people in His steadfast
** fear and love/' tremble for themselves ! They
have no reason to expect Divine help and go-
vernance. They are without God in the world,,
outlaws of His kingdom^ w^ li^bl^ to His

432 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

wrath. Ob, how awful a state! May they
come and implore pardon of tbeir offended
SoTereign, and swQar allegiance to Him.

Let the nature of genuine Godliness be ga-
tiieied firom our collect. It is a supreme regard
to God. All who are without it are ungodly.
Thev are of the world, and will perish with the
wwkL

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY* 433

ttft

iM

THE THIRD SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.

ii *i

O Lord J we beseech thee mercifully to hear usj
and grant that we, to whom thou hast given an
hearty desire to pray^ may by thy mighty aid be
defended and comforted in all dangers and neces*-
sitieSy through Jesus Christ our Lord, Ameiu

PRAYER is the key which opens the repo-
sitory of spiritual food, the wardrobe and '
the armoury of heaven. It is the bolt which
excludes the thief and the robber, the stormy
wind and tempest. It is " the outlet of trouble^
•^ and the inlet of consolation.**

The advantages, however, which result from
prayer, vast and manifest as they are, lie con#
cealed from the world. But they are known
to a favoured few, the genuine members of
Christ's holy -catholic church, to whom the
secret of ^rue happiness hath been disclosed*
•* The mysterious commerce of the human soul
" with the Divine Spirit" is that " secret of the
" Lord which is with them who fe|ir Him."

Jn the work of prayer, as in erery other act
of the Divine life, " all is of God, who hath
" reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ.''
It is His " Spirit that helpeth our infirmities;
" for we know not what we should pray for as
" we ought: but the Spirit Himself m^keth
** intercession for us with groanings which can-
** not be -uttered.*' In our natural state, while
we continue " sensual, not having the Spirit,*'
we feel no spiritual necessities^ and are conscious

VOL. n. 2 -F

434 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

of no spiritual desires. A dead body has no
wants> no sensations ; and a soul that is *^ dead
*• in trespasses and sins" is equally void of spi-
ritual sensibility. And even after that we have
been *' quickened to newness of life," so great
is our ignorance, that although we are become
tHmscious of many and pressing needs^ know
that there is a provision made for their supply^
s&d have learned from whence and in what man-
ner relief is to be derived; yet ^* we know not
«* what to pray for as we ought." Left to our-
selves, we should make requests, a compliance
•with which would prove injurious to our owi
{souls and dishonourable to God, as children
often prefer petitions to their parents which can-
not be granted. Our ignorance respects not
only the blessings which we implore, but also
the manner of seeking relief. Our infirmities
ar€ many and great. Sometimes guilt stops the
mouth. Sometimes trouble overwhelnw the
spirit. Sometimes worldly cares distract the
mind. And sometimes languor or obduracy
disqualifies us for drawing near to God.

It is happy for the people of God ^bart '^ the
^' Spirit helpeth their infirmities and maketh
"intercession for tl>em;" and they know it.
He discovers our spiritual wants^ awakens our
jsensibilitiesj Vmdles our desires, exhibits to our
view the throne of grace sprinkled with atoning
blood, creates and increases faith, and enables
.us to cry, " Abba^ Father/' The emotion of
holy desire within us is His " intercession for
?* us.'* And those fervent desires which He
-kindles are sometimes productive of inexpressi-
ble groans ; the desire is too big and strong for
utterance by words. But the groan of unutter-
able desire jfi dearly intelligible to the tSearcher

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. 435

of hearts, who " knoweth what is the mind of
*^ the Spirit" whose language it is j and it can-
not be unsuccessful.

Our collect for the third Sunday after Trinity
opens with a petition for a favourable audience
to our prayers. It is the language of a humble
and fervent spirit which hath nothing but mercy^
to plead, and whicli is earnest in pleading mercy
through Jesus Christ. TVe have had occasion
to notice such general requests in former collect?.
We shall now therefore only observe that they
correspond with the sensibilities of all awakenec)
persons whose petitions are the language of , their
hearts, and the expressions of real wants wl^iicb
they feel. Nothing can satisfy them but the
possession of the desired good, and till that is
obtained they renew their supplications. Form-
alists may satisfy themselves by paying a tribute
of outward homage to the Divine Majesty.
Their prayers mean nothing more. They are
conscious of no wants nor desires; and it is no
•wonder if such persons censure the tautology of
our Common jPrayer-Book^ But the Divinely
ipstructed soul will understand why we recur .
again and again to the same subject, and will
approve such tautologous cries of the broken
and contrite heart. Till we arrive at our jour-
ney's end, our progress must be maintained by
an uninterrupted succession of steps. Till we
reach the desired haven, we must repeat the
stroke of the oar, without complaining of lassi-
tude from the continuation of the action.

Our collect proqeeds to make a specific request
for ^' defence and comfort in all dangers and
" necessities,'* describing the persons on whose
l>ehalf the request is made.

436 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

That the people of God arc exposed to many
atid great dangers and necessities, needs no
proof. And as in the review of former collects
this subject has been brought before us, * we
shall not again^ dwell on its illustration. Biit
let not our Liturgy be censured for vain repe-
titions. Who would blaine a drowning man for
reiterating his cry for help, or a starving beggar
for frequent references to his in^vard pangs?
The hearer, who in safety and satiety could
condemn the one or the other, would justly be
considered as a senseless wretch whose heart is
made of brass or adamant. The experience of
every awakened person* will afford the necjessaiy
comment on this part of our collect ; to others
no comment could convey its meaning. For a
man who is asleep may, like Jonah, be in the
ver}' jaws of the most imminent perils without
any consciousness of his awful situation. But
our collect is designed exclusively for the use of
those who have heard the rousing call, " Awake
** thou that sleepest and arise from the dead/*
by which they have been excited to spiritual
perception. Thoste favoured persons " who
** have their senses exercised to discern both
** good and evil/' know that they are surrounded,
both in body and soul, by many and great
** dangers and adversities" in which God only
can defend and comfort them.

That we have ti6 means of defence to which
we can resort, ne source of comfoi't from which
we can derive relief, independent of the throne
i)f grace, is another truth which needs no formal
conVirmation by argument. The gracious soul

♦ Si^ the Collects for the Third Sunday after the Epf-
yliau} , Hiid for the Second Sunday in Lent.

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. 437

has learned it by experience, and rational infe-
rence is inadequate to the conviction of others.
" Children of wrath/' which, without redemp-
tion, must be for ever " wrath to come," we
can make no atonement for our guilt. Justly
shut out from heaven for our sins by the irre-
versible decree of the covenant of works that
** the soul which sinneth shall die," we can
make no compensation for the past, nor engage
for a future fulfilment of the terms of that cove-
nant winch saith, *' This do and thou shalt live."
And when we are " justified freely by Divine
*^ grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus
** Christ;" still the renewal of our fallen souls
in holiness, " without which no man shall see
" the Lord," is a work altogether as much out
of our own power as the work of atonement.
The temptations of Satan, the corruptions of
their own hearts, and the allurements of the
world, daily endanger the safety of those who
are ** called with a holy calling." Against these
temptations, corruptions, and allurements, they
have no defence but "the mighty aid" of Omni-
potence. In the conflict with them they can
find no comfort but what they derive from the
promises of the gospel and the consolations of
grace. But " the ai^ and defence" which they
have reason to expect are all-sufficient.

The phraseology of our collect deserves par-
ticularly to be noticed. We pray ^^ that, by
God's mighty aid, we may be defended and
comforted IN all dangers and adversities."
The children of God have no reason to expect
an exemption from ** dangers and adversities"
while they continue in the present world. They
viU every day be reminded that they " are not

?F 3

4S8 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

*^ as vet come unto the rest and to the inheri-
" tance which the Lord their God giveth them.''
Their present state is a state of trial and warfai*e,
of which they have no encouragement to pray
for a termination^ till the good Tight is fought,
the course finished, and victory obtained. But
they may implore *^ defence and comfort in all
/* their dangers and adversities" with full confi-
dence of success.

Of what nature is the defence which we
implore? To what objects doth it relate? On
this question our church shall be her own expo^
^itor, and declare her own meaning. The de-
precations in the litany will afford us a para^
phrase on the petition of the collect now under
consideration. They will remind us of our
dangers, of which there is a great variety but
no cessation. Of these the principal is the dan^-
ger of sinning, and this is the parent of all the
rest. From this therefore, first and chiefly^ we
desire to be defended; from the guilt of sin
which renders us liable to eternal misery, and
from its power which disqualifies us for eternal
happiness. We pray for pardon and sanctifica-
tion, for defence against the punishment and the
pollution of sin, and then descend to a specifi-
cation of its acts, causes, apd effects. We pray
for deliverance from inward corruption in the
heart, and -outward enormity in the life. We
implore defence from temporal evil, whether
coming more immediately from the hand of God
or from man, and from spiritual evil as still
more to be dreaded. The arguments and pleas
by which we enforce our petitions are the meri-r
torious acts of the Son of God; and we conclude
this deprecatory part of the litany by specifying

THIED I^JNDAY AFTER TRINOrY. 439

tliose seasons in which we more particnlarly
need Divine help. ^* Remember not, O Lofdf,
** our offences, nor the offences of our fbrefa-
" tliers, neither take thou vengeance of our
•' sins 5 spare us, good Lord, spare thy people^
^^ whom tliou hast redeemed with thy precious
** blood, ^and be not angry with utrfor ever/* —
<* Spare 11$^ good Lofd.'^^-^-'^'^^ From all evil and
^' mischief, from sin, from the crafts and assaults
*^ of the deviU from thy wrath, and from ever-
^* lasting damnation," — " Gwd Lordy deliver
*^ us* ' ** From all blindness of heart; frona
"pride, vainglory, and hypocrisy ; fromenvy^
^^ hatred and malice^ and all uncharitaUenefi&,"
-^'* Good Lordy deliver us^ > ^< From fomi-
^' cation and all other d^idly sins; and from all
^.* the deceits of the worlds the flesh and the
'^ devil, ^' — " GoodLord, deliver us." ■ ^^ From
^^ lightning and tempest; from plague, pesti-
<^ lence and famine; from battle and murder,
** and from sudden death/' — ** Good Lord, deli-'

" ver us.'' "From all sedition, privy conspi-

*' racy and rebellion ; from all false doctrine>
" heresy and schism; from hardness o£ heart,
*« and contempt of thy word and command*

" ment,''— -" Good Lord, deliver us.'' «* By

the mystery of thy holy incarnation ; by thy
holy nativity and circumcision; by thy bap-
tism, fasting and temptation," — " Good Lordy

deliver us."* ** By thine agony and bloody

sweat; by thy cross and passion; by tliy pre-
cious death and burial ; by thy glorious resur-
rection and ascension ; and by the coming of
" the Holy Ghost," — " Good Lord, deliver us."

^<< In all time of our tribulation; in all time

" of our wealth; in the hour of deaths and in.

2F 4 .

CC

€i

440 ON THE COLLECT FOR TflE

*^ the day of judgment/'— " Good Lord, deliver

" iis."

The comfort which we implore is the relief of
our ^* necessities," whether temporal or spirituaK
Particularly we pray for the Divine presence to
support our minds and sanctify our afflictions.
If God be with us as He is revealed in His
word, through the grace of His Spirit, we can-
not despond nor be destitute of consolation.
For whatever may be the necessities which we
experience, we shall be enabled to believe that,
in His good time, they will all be relieved and
supplied.

A grand question still remains to be answered.
Who are the persons that may expect God's
interference on their behalf.^ Of what descrip-
tion are the persons in whose favour the petition
of our collect is offered? Are Divine defence
and comfort promised to all men ? Or (to bring
the inquiry within narrower limits) are all those
who adopt the form of prayer, and join in the
external performance of Divine worship, autho-
rised to expect defence and comfort from God ?
vSurely not. God's faithful people, exclusively,
can look, up with confidence and implore these
blessings. For them, and none but them, is
our collect intended. Are we of the blessed
number? May we reasonably expect, in all
our dangers and necessities, to receive Divine
protection and consolation ? Perhaps it may be
asked, Jipw shall I determine the momentous
question, whether I am numbered among the
Lord^s people or not ? To this the reply is easy.
The people of God are distinguished by many
legible marks; one of which is specified in our
pollect God has " given" to them " an hearty

TfflRD SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. 441

•' desire to pray." God hath poured out upon
them '^ the spirit of grace and supplication."
A spirit of supplication is inseparable from a
spirit of grace. It is an invariable effect of Di-
vine influence on the . heart. We shall endea-
vour to shew wherein the spirit of prayer con-
sists, and from whence it is derived.

It consists in a perception of our spiritual
wants and necessities, without which the posture
of the body and the motion of the lips can be of
no avail. Prayer is desire; and desire supposes
want. Now all men are spiritually poor, but
all are not *^ poor in spirit;" and to these the
benediction of our Saviour is confined. (Math.
V. 3.) We all need pardoning, converting, and
sanctifying grace ; but all men are not conscious
of their needy state. It remains for our con-^
sciences to determine, whether we are so con-
vinced of our wants that we feel in ourselves a
fervent desire of those blessings which our lips
implore.

The spirit of prayer further includes or sup-
poses an acquaintance with God's promises to
supply our wants, and with the oiethod in
which that supply is to be granted. A know-
ledge of our urgent wants (the want of things
which are essential to our comfort and salvation)
would produce despondency and inactivity of
soul without a knowledge of God in Christ. A
perishing wretch, though tormented with the
pangs of hunger and apprised of approaching
death, would lie down in despair and resign
himself up to his fate, if he were situated in the
midst of a barren wildern^ils far from the habi-
tations of man or any hope of relief. Byt let
him know that his case is not desperate, and
^e will exert himself to the. utmost for the

44ft^ ON THE COLLECT JOR TOt

parpose of procuring food. He will employ the
little. strength that remains, however pamAil
the experiment may pro.ve^ in crying for help^
or in crawling towards the place from which it
IS expected. ^< fetlessed are tbey" and they only^
*^ who hunger and thirst after righteousness^ for
" they shall be filled."

The spirit of prayer is the promised Spirit of
God '^making intercession for us witlvgroanings
^* that cannot be uttered." Our collect tells us-
that "an hearty desire to pray" is the gift of
God. Every sigh that distends the contrite
bosom is of His operation. And He who in-
dites our prayers must be fully acquainted with'
His own mesming in them> and designate an-
sw:er them.

Let those who are unconscious of any '^ hearty-
*? desire to pray*' tremble for themselves. They
have no evidence that they are the Lord's peo-
ple and interested in His piromises; Unless*
the spirit of grace and supplication is conununi*
Gated to us> we have no ground t6 expect God's
•^ defence and comfort. On the contrary,
being withput God, we are exposed to every
evil temporal and eternal. We are dlestitn4;e
of all solid comfort, and must remain in this
^tate ibr ev^r unless God should bestow on us a
^* hearty diesire to pray" for tlie pardon of oar
past impiety and a change of heart.
• Those favoured persons to whom ** Grod hath
"given an hearty desire to pray" msty be as-
sured that their labour shall not be in vain.
They may njeet with many difficuities and dis-
couragements in their approaches to the meroy-
seat. Their faith may be tried and their hope
deferred. Danger may press on them and ne-
cessities multiply. Ikit God most assuredly*

THFRir SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. 442

hears, in every instance, the voice of His own
Spirit ; and all sincere prayer is His voice, for
independent of His inspiration we have no power
to pray, God's •* heavenly inspirations and
our holy desires are as so- many angels of inter-
course and commerce between God and us."*
God never implants a desire which He doth not
mean to accomplish. '^ He will fulfil the desire
" of them that fear Him : He also will hear
** their cry and will save them/* If therefore'
danger should surround us on every side, and
threaten instant ' destruction ; if our necessitiear
be more in number than the hairs of our heads,
and each of them require Omnipotence for its
rehef ; we may be assured of safety and com*4
fort, if we have learned, through grace, to pour
out our hearts before God. The desire to pray
is ^n earnest of the blessing implored^— the fore-
runner of success. What the Apostle says of
his preaching, we may apply to the Divine
purpose respecting the salvation of ai sinner, of
which an hearty desire to pray is a sure indica«
tibn given him. It is <' not yea and nayy but in
" Christ it is jfea. For all th^ promises of GJod
^' in Him are Yeoy and in Him Afnen^ to the
glory of God.*' (2 Gor. i. 19, 80.)

«

* Hooker's Eocles. Polity, vol. ii. p^ IQU OxfiOrd editi^Mw

444 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

THE FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.

; O God^ the protector of all that trust in thee^
tmthout whom nothing is strongs nothing is holy ;
Increase and mnltiplif upon tis thy mercy ^ that
thoii being our ruler and guide^ toe may so pass
through things temporal^ that we finally lose not
the things eternal: Grant thisy O heavenly Father,
for Jesus Christ's sake our Lord. Amen.

IT is a characteristic of a Christian believer that
he " looks not at the things which are seen
^ but at the things which are not seen/* knowing
'^ that the things which are seen are temporal,"
transitory and of short duration, while ** the
" things which are not seen are eternal/* durable
and without end.

The Scriptures assert that one principal effect
of the fatal catastrophe in Paradise is a total blind-
ness diffused over the human mind. Fallen man
hasliis " understanding darkened, being alienated
" from the life of God through the ignorance that
*' is in him, because of the blindness of his heart/'
And this darkness, in which man is naturally in-
veloped, is so thick that the star-like glimmer of
education and human instruction cannot penetrate
it. Nay, the light which is shed on the objects
of faith by an external revelation is insuflficient to
remove it without Divine teaching. The truth of
this appears from the radical mistakes which are
made, even by men of profound erudition who
have the Bible in their hands^ on the subject of
true religion.

FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER TRI^fITy. 443

That the whole conduct of life is reqiiired to-
be under the influence of faith, and that it is SO
in every real Christian, in every genuine member
of our church, is evident from the language both
of the Scriptures and of our liturgy, "We walk
*' by faith, not by sight." Now walking is the
motion of the whole body from one place towards
another ; and when applied to the soul it signifies
its tendency, the bias of the will and affections toi»
wards God or the world. Literally, it is not the
exertion of a sin«:le member but of the whote
body ; and metaphorically, it is not an occasional
act but the general tenour of the heart and life. ,
If this be true, it follows that the <?ommon suppo-
sition which makes religion to consist in the per-
formance of certain occasional duties, limited to
certain periods, is a most dreadful and fatal delu-
sion. Were a judgment to be formed of true re-
ligion from the spirit and conduct of many whb
profess it, we might compare it to a garment
which is made to be worn on certain special occa*-
sions. Some persons put it on when they go to
church, and throw it off immediately on their
return home. Others wejrr it through the whole
sabbath. And some few, perhaps, during the
whole week that precedes the administration of
the Lord's supper. But it is evident that the gar-
ment doejsT not fit them, that they put it on with
reluctance, and are glad to divest themselves of
it as an incumbrance. These persons are all
equally ignorant of true religion, for religion is
a new nature; (2 Cor. v. 17. Gal. vi. 15. Eph.
iv. 24. Col. iii. 9, 10.) and our nature cannot
be put off and on at pleasure. Sad is his state
who has only " the form of Godliness without its
•' power."

AAl6 -ON. THE GOLLECT POR THE

The Gonduct of every unrenewed man is whollr
-under tbe regulation of sense, notwithstandui^
wy occa^onal acts of religious duty which he
«nay perform. He walks by sight, not by faith.
, The objects of sense, the pleasures, riches, and
iionouK of the world, are the idols which the
iQitttural heart reveres and adores. And supremely
ito . afieet these, and to set the Sections on any
4bing which ni^y be classed under either of these
^viaiQfis, is to give ap full proof of ^n uncon-
xfCFtcd etate as any vitjious practice whatever can
afiRud. It is not ^n occasional act of outward
piety which makes a Chiifitian, nor of sin that
4ionstitutes an unbeliever. The essence of the
iail consists in the alienation of the heart from
God and its guilty attachment to the world. The
recovery of the heart for God is conversion.
Without this no abstinence from outward sin nor
«ct8 of homage will avail. God is, by creation,
our Father. And though a son abstain from open,
violence towards his parent's person, yet aliena-
tion of affection is highly criminal ; and a pre-
ference given to the society and commands of
-a stranger would be full proof of that alienation.
God is our Master. And were a servant to pur-
loin his master's property, though the money
were not spent in a brothel or a tavern, the 3ct
of robbery would be J ustly punishable. We sadly
mistake, if we suppose that outward enormities
are the only things which are cognizable by the
Divine law, or the only provocatives of .""
displeasure. These are foul streams w" "
the corruption of the fountain, sour
shews the nature of the tree thi
Want of love to God, howc f
is the essence of sin in whii '

FbuRTH SUNDiuY AFTER TR»«Ty. 447

^consists. Devils are oeither gluUoiHs -^kwaikstri^^
nor adtilt^ers. In ike common sense of ,^
words, they Jhave xtehher committed maimer, aqr
theft. But *bey ape haters of God.

It is the charact^stip of the Oiristiaa life lihat
it is wholly produoed and governed by £^th in
4he Son of GoA. rFaiih -is the m^tet-key which
C!|>ens and ^\Hs all 4he ^vjanues oi the tqnew^edi
'Soul. Christians ^ure therefore denpfninated '^th^^^
^^ faithful an Christ Jeiu&'' Should it be ad&ed,
Whiat are those objects of faith which goverii ih^
5conduotof those who ^tpe under its influence? jit
may be i^pMed^th^t the whole word of God^ a^
rerealing ols^ots of the highest importance m
which all mankind are interested, is the spring
and rule of a Christian life. But this answer to
the inquiry is too general to affect the conscience.
It may therefore farther be observed, th^t the
value of the -soul is one of the first objects of
faith which awakens the mind and influences the
conduct. By a discovery hereof serious reflectiofi
is produced, and a soHcitude to secure happiness
in a future state. Thisjleads to an examination of
the Divine law. And when its nature and sanc-
tions are perceived, conviction of sin is produced.
A future judgment, and an eternity of happiness
or misery, enforce the oecessity of listening to
the voice of conviction, and of inquiring after
salvation. Hereby the sinner is led to the cross
of Christ, where his mind is captivated by a sigh^
x>f the dying Saviour. New desires and aversionS|
joys and sorrows, hopes and fears, now take pos-t
session of his soul ; and he determines, through
grace, henceforth to live not unto himself, but to
Him that died for him, and rofee again. To secure
the approhation of bis adorable Redeemer, and

€€
<C

448 ON THE COLLECT FOR tHE

to become meet for a place in His kingdom, be-
come now the governing motives of his conduct.
He acts like a stranger on earth, and has " his
** conversation in heaven, from whence he looks
*^ for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ."

The whole tenour. of our collect now under re-
view is such, that it is exclusively adapted to the
lipsi of those who " are walking not after the flesh

but after the Spirit;" whose " affections are

set on things above, and not on things on the
'^ earth/' For it is evidently supposed that those
who use it '' trust in God,'* and are ''ruled and
"guided" by Hina. The reader's conscience
must decide whether this supposition be justified
in his own case, and whether He can honestly
adopt the prayer which is subjoined as an ex*
pression of his own fervent desire.

Our collect consists of a preface and a prayer.
In the former we address our covenant "God"
as " the protector of all that trust in Him, with-
" out whom nothing is strongs nothing is holy ;*'
and in thelatter we implore grace, that, under the
rule arid guidance of our God, " we may so pass
" through things temporal that finally we lose
" not the thinffs eternal."

In speaking of the protection which God aflTords
to His people,, we might enlarge on the security
from temporal evils which He affords them. For
He not only preserves them in common with
othei^s from innumerable calamities to which they
are exposed, but, when He permits affliction to
come upon them, He protects them from its poi-
son, and converts it into a blessing. " All things
*' work together for good to them that love
" God and are the called according to His

€C

purpose

)»

FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. 44d

'* From Heaven's rebuke what heavenly blessings flow !
** Happy who scorn not the reforming blow : •

*' O scorn not thoii I th^ same l«incl wounding ha<id
^ Its balm diifiises, and applies its band.
^* Then ills bn ills about thy path may swell
*' In vain I His arm will ev'ry ill repeU"*

Of Divine protection from spiritual evils v^e
may speak with still stronger confidence. For
though believers, like all other sinnerSi are by
nature exposed to every evil, yet by flying for
refuge to the hope set before them in the gospel
they arp secured from every threatening danger*
** Their place of defence is the munition of
'^ rocks/* for God is their /^shield and buckler.'*
They are, as sinners, liable to Divine wrath, but
*' there is no condemnation to them who are in
*^ Christ Jesus/* Eternal life is given them, and
they can "never perish," none '^ shall pluck
"them out of their heavenly Father's hand/'
They may be assaulted by Satan, and may dread
his infernal power, but they are assured of present
protection and final victory. '^ He that dwelleth
«' in the secret place of the Most High, shall
" abide under the shadow of the Almighty. He
may say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my
fortress: my God, in Him will I iru&t. Sarely
" He will deliver (those who trust in Him) from
'^ the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome
" pestilence. He will cover them with His fea-
" thers, and under His wings shall they trust :
" His truth shall be their shield and buckler."
And, moreover, ^* God shall bruise Satan under .
'^ their feet shortly." Those who trust in God
are also protected from the tyrannizing power of
indwelling sin; for He has promised that "sin

* Scott*s Book of Job ID l^pglish Verse, chi^* v, 1 7« 18, 1 9k.
VOL. IT. 2 G

450 ON THE COLLECT FOR

^ shall not have dominion'' over those, who '^ are
** not under the law but under grace/* Frequent-
ly they appear indeed to themselves to be almost,
iJnot intirely, vanquished; but even when re-
duced to the last extremity, they revive, their
courage is renewed, and victory again declares
for them. The glory of God and the final happi^
ness of His redeemed require that the corruption
of their nature should for a while exist and strug-
gle for the mastery, in order that His grace may
be the more magnified in its destruction at last,
and that pride may be for ever hidden from thdr
eyes. But ultimately He will utterly destroy it,
and in the interval aflford them sufficient grace to
maintain the conflict with it. The bush that
burned with fire and was not consumed is an apt
emblem of the believer's bosom during the pre-
sent life, lis preservation arose from God*s pre-
sence in it. A tower beleaguered by its enemies
without, and divided by a mutiny withiii, is ap-
parently in a hopeless state; but, if Omnipo^
tence be engaged for its safety, it cannot be over*
come«

But who are those who enjoy Divine protec-
tion? Is it a common blessing? Is there na
^isicrimination among the fallen race of Adam with
respect to it ? Those only *^ who trust in God'*
enjoy it in that extent to which our collect refers
Those indeed " who know not God, and who
" obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ,"
are defended by God's providential care and re-
straining grace from innumerable evils, >fhile they
continue unconsciou&of the power by which they
are protected. But their deliverances are all of a
temporal and outward nature. They have no se-
curity from spiritual dangers. They are exposed
to the wrath of God* are a prey to the ** roaring

FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY* 451

*' Hon who walketh about seeking whom he may
^'devour/' and are the miserable captives and
slaves of corruption. ,

The persons then who are favoured with Divine -
protection are till those, and those only, " who
*' trust in God." This is one of the most com-
mon characteristics of the Godly in the Scriptfires.
And it is reasonable to expect that it should be
so; for faith takes the precedence of all other
graces of the Christian character. Those who are
here described, perceive their exposure to all the
evils of which sin is the meritorious and instru-
mental cause both in time and eternity. They
know their inability to protect themselves ; and
therefore they confide in God for deliverance '
from eternal destruction, ind from all its preludes
and anticipations. Reader, dost thou trust in
. God ? Scrutinize the habitual frame of thy hearty
and let conscience dictate the reply.

The preface of our collect, continuing its
strain of adoration and gratitude, proceeds to say
that "without God nothing is strong.'* It is hap-
py for us that ** help is laid on One who is mighty
'' to save, on God manifest in the flesh." For
finite interposition, of whatever kind, could have
availed bothing to the expiation of our guilt, or
to the conversion of our souls. And even after
that ^^ we have received the atonement,'' and are
^^ turned from darkness to light, from the power'
^' of Satan unto God;" onr strength, independent
of God's continual help, is like That of Sampson
when his Nazarite-locks were shorn— it is perfect
weakness. Without Divine help the Christian
would be, like a machine that has lost its main
spring, incapable of motion ; like the machine
of nature, were its primum mobile the sun ba-
nished from its svstem ; or like the human body,

2G2

452 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

V •

I

were air excluded from its lungs and heat from
its blood-vessels. All life would be extinguished,
and its tendency to destruction would be rapid.
No act of Divine life can be performed without
that "strength" which is *^ made perfect in
'^ weakness."

Moreover, " without God nothing is holy." It
is through sanctification of His Spirit that there is
any holiness in our persons or acts. His Spirit is
therefore called "the Spirit of holiness." His
" love shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy
" Ghost given unto us" is the cause and essence
of all sanctity both of heart and life. The will
and the power to conform ourselves to His law
which is the rule of holiness, are both from God.

On the preface of our collect which we have re-
viewed is founded a most important petition.
For we implore gra<5e *^ that, God being our
*^ ruler and guide, we may so pass through things
'* temporal that finally we lose not the things
"eternal." From the connection between the
preface and prayer ofour collect we may observe,
that the promises of God, though their fulfilment
is sure, do not supercede the necessity of suppli-
cation. For prayer is the appointed medium of
communication between God and us. It is, in
common with ipther instituted means, one of
those "joints and bands by which nourishment is
" ministered'" to the members of Christ's mystical
body; which, by their instrumentality, maintains
its communion with its head. God is bound, by
His covenant-relation to His people, to supply all
their needs; but He has declared that for this He
will be in treated.

Our petition implores an increase of Divine

mercy on our souls, that is^ a further expeqence

>f its riches. There can be no increase of this

FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. 453

attribute in God ; but there may be a further com-
munication of its fulness made to us, and this We
implore. Those who have been taught to " trust
" in God," and who are under His protection,"
are already partakers of covenant-mercy; for faith
and all its effects proceed from it. We have no-
thing that we have not received from Him. But
all the partakers of His mercy want larger and
richer supplies. They are daily and hourly pen-
sioners thereon, and they know their dependent
state. To be a receiver of mercy is their highest
honour and privilege. They never expect to get
beyond the need of it ; nay, they desire it not.
The object of their highest ambition, either in
time or in eternity, is a participation of the grace
of God.

Oyr collect being intended for their use only
'* who trust in God,*' it is assumed that He is
^^ the ruler and guide" of all those who join in its
recital. For all believers are under His gover-
nance and direction; They have been taugiit that
it is both their duty and privilege to submit to the
laws of His kingdom, and to give themselves up
implicitly to the guidance of His word and Spirit.
They have learned that they can only be safe and
happy so long as God manages, all their concerns,
and sways His sceptre over their hearts and lives,
defends them from their enemies, and disciplines
both their spirit and conduct. The dangers and
intricacies of the Christian life are so many and
so great that they dread to be abandoned to their
own wisdom and strength, and therefore habi-
tually surrender themselves into the hands of Him
who is " the protector of all who trust in Him,-
^' without whom nothing is strong, nothing is
^ holy/^ Jiet me inquire whether God be ipy

454 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

" ruler and guide" — whether I have really yielded
myself up to the governance and guidance of His
word and Spirit. On this inquiry depends my
hope of being enabled ^'so to pass through things
^* temporal as not finally to lose the things
^' eternal."

This is the object of our petition. And, Ob,
how important an object it is ! Surely the man
who is not solicitous about it, is brutish and de«
void of rationality. We are only passengers
through the present world towards eternity, to
which we are drawing nearer every hour: and
shall we be unconcerned whether we lose or gain
the blessing of eternal life ? Indifference on this
subject is madness ; Anxiety is wisdom.

During our passage through things temporal
we are exposed to a thousand dangers every itep
we take. We are not for a moment secure from
destruction, but whilst God is '^our ruler and
'^ guide." The conduct of Israel through the
howling wilderness was miraculous. They were
fed, clothed, guided, protected, and saved, by
^ succession of miracles which God wrought on
their behalf. The Christian pilgrimage is alsa
conducted by a continued series of Divine inter-
positions, less apparent indeed to the eye of
sense, but equally manifest to the eye of faith.
In God, by a derivation of help from Him, the
Christian believer Jives, moves, and hath his
being.

Without the constant rule and guidance of
Omnipotence, a safe transition through the pre-*
sent evil yrorld would be impossible. As well
might a man expect to pass through deep and ra-
pid rivers without being drowned, or through a*
aging con|la<jTatio|i without being burned- The

FOVkfR SUNDAY AFTER TRINITT- 45A

world is a lion's den — a burning fiery furnace— a
bcnslerons ocean, more wide and f umuhuous than
the red sea through which the Israelites passed.
God mnsi shut the lion's mouths^ or we shall ine^
iritablj be devoured. He must suspend the vio-
lence of the fire, or we shall assuredly be con-
sumed. He must open a way through the bois-«
terous waves for His ransomed people to passf
over, or we shall, without doubt> perish in
them.

But if God be our ruler and guide, our security
is absolute. For who can defeat His porpose,
or disappoint His gracious aim in the salvation of
Hhpetipiei If God be for us, it matters not
who or what is against us. In vain do earth and
bell cotiibme for the destruction of those '' who
*^ are kept by" the power of God through faidi
" unto salvatioui'*

The Christian fs distinguished from others by
his aim^ and end. His eye is taken off from
things temporal," and fixed on " things eter-
nal.*' He is " a pilgrim and " a stranger upon'
'* earth f* and he regards the things of time in
the same manner in which a traveller regards the
accommoctetions of an inn on his jourftey, or the
conveniences and inconveniences of roads and
weather. He presses forward without feeHng
deeply interested in the circumstances of his
route, home being the object of his aflfeetions.
He is thankful indeed for any comforts in his way;
but these are not his supreme object. His desires
are alive to ^' things eternal,'' and to obtain thent
his exertions are roused. The danger of losing
them excites his fears ; and the hope of possessing
them is the spring of bis joys.

2G 4

4i
€€

456 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

Reader^ are you a pilgrim and a stranger here
in the spirit and temper of your mind ? Infatuated
are they who choose the dreary desert for their
place of rest ; while the conduct of a Christian
who is pressing forward toward^s Canaan is full of
wisdom. Let him not be discouraged^ God will
be his ruler and guide ; and under His direction
and defence he shall find that the waters of Marah
^re as conducive to his eternal welfare as the
grapes of Eshcol. If the latter attract him to
press forward by their sweetness, the former drive
him forward by their bitterness. The pillar of
fire shall enlighten his darkness, and the pillar of
a cloud shelter him from the noon-day heat.
Manna shall be rained upon him, and the water
from the rock follow him^ till he arrive at the
promised land;

The subject of our prayer is so important that,
at the close of our collect, we repeat the request.
*/ Grant this, O heavenly Father, for Jesus
" Christ's sake.'' To '^ pass through things tern-
'^ poral so as not to ]o$e the things eternal" is
*' the one thing needful" to a rational and im-
mortal being? It is esteemed to be so by every
conscious mind. ^^ Grant this, O heavenly Fa-
^* ther," and we ask no more. ^* uuide us by
^^ thy counsel, and then receive us to glory,"
according to thy promise. We have no merit
indeed to plead for the purpose of obtaining this
great and comprehensive blessing. We have no
argument to adduce, derived from any personal
qualification, wherewith to enforce our request.
But we ask it *^ for Jesus Christ's sake," "If'
^' thou sparedst not thy own Son, but deliveredst
•'Him up for us all; we infer that thou wilt
f' with Him also freely give us all things." " If

FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. 45?

^ while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us ;
^ much more being now justified by His bloody
^ we shall be saved from wrath through Him,
^ For if, when we were enemies, we were re-
^ conciled to thee by the death of thy Son ;
* much more, being reconciled^ we shall be
siav^sd by His life."

458 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

THE HFTH SUNDAY AFIER TRINITY.

Grant, O Lord, we heseech lltee, that (be course
of this icorld may be so peaceably ordered by thy
gdvemance, that thy church viay joyfully serve
thee ill all Godly quietnessy through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amat.

•

PATRIOTISM * is a virtue which is fre-
quently and loudly extolled, but is seldom
realized. Indeed, when properly defined, it
can only dwell in the bosom of a genuine Chris-
tian; for it implies a freedom from selfishness
which Christianity alone can produce. The
vicious principle of self-love, wherever it is pre-
tlominant, mars every virtuous feeling; and
nothing can weaken its influence but the gospel
of Christ. But there is another kind of patriot-
ism in the bosom of a Christian, besides that
which is generally admired and applauded* He
loves and prays for all of all nations^ because
they are cJtpable of salvation by Jesus Christ.
He feels indeed a particular interest in the wel-
fare of his own country. So did St, Paul, (Kom.
ix. 1 — 5.) But there is a society to which he
is attached by bonds of closer amity even than
those which bind him to his native country
merely as such. The church of God throughout
the world is the object which lies nearest to his
heart. He is a citizen of the new Jerusalem.

* The word is here used in its legitimate acceptation, and
not as opposed tf^ Loyalty, and associated with democracy
and Jacobiuisin.

FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. 459

That it is the duty and privilege of those Who
compose the various branches of the CathoHc
churcli to pray for its welfare, is evident from
the exhortation of the inspired Psalmist. (Ps.
cxxii. 6, 7, 8, 9.) "Pray for the peace o£
*^ Jerusalem : they shall prosper that love thee.
" Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity
" within thy palaces. FoV my brethren and
^* companions' sakes I will now say, Peace be
^^ within thee. Because of the house of the
^^ Lord our God I will seek thy good.'* To
obey this injunction is a duty which we owe to
our adorable Sovereign the King of kings and
to our fellow-subjects. In the peace of Jerusa-
lem, for which we are bound to pray, we include
the spiritual improvement of theCatholic church,
the advancement of all her members in internal
holiness, and her undisturbed possession of all
her external rights and privileges. We more*
over implore the extension of her borders over .
all the earth, and the reduction of all nations
under her governance from the rising to the
getting sun. Here the desire of conquest and
colonization cannot be too fervent or diffuse.
There is no cause for an apprehension of weak-
ening Christ's kingdom by extendinsf it. Ahd
let us remiember that our prayers on uiis subject
must be accompanied with a corresponding acti-
vity to promote the object of our wishes, op
they will be chargeable with hypocrisy. The
promised destruction of Popery and Mohame*
dism, the conversion of the heathens, and the
r/?storation of the Jews, should dwell on our
hearts, and excite all the energies of our souls.

To the obedience of faith in complying with
this Divine exhortation a promise of personal
advantage is annexed. " They sh^l prosper

€6

460 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

** that love thee/' In the general prosperity of
Christ's mysticnl body the church the particu-
lar prosperity of every individual member is
included. It is so in the body natural. Gene-
ral convalescence conduces to the comfort and
vigour of the several parts and members. A
concern for the prosperity of Zion is a proof of
grace in the heart. Of that gracious concern
fervent supplication is one satisfactory evidence.
And while grace communicated is thus fcrought
into exercise, it will be increased by fresh streams
from its fountain, and by promised consolation
from " the God of all grace."

The devout aspiration of a pious mind for the
prosperity of Jerusalem is added. " Peace be

within thy walls, and plenteousness within

thy palaces." Come, O thou Divine Spirit,
and breathe on thy church. Fill it with holy
and heavenly dispositions. Deliver it from
" false doctrine, heresy and schism.*' Make its
members to be of one mind in the house of their
God, *^ endeavouring to keep the unity of the
'* Spirit in the bond of peace." And Oh, defend
it from all its enemies without. Be thou " a
** wall of fire round about her, and the glory in
*• the midst of her." Let a " plenteousness" of
^11 spiritual blessings be fouud in all ** her
♦^ palaces," the palace^ of her King, where His
name is recorded and His presence promised.
There may " a feast of fat things, of fat things
*^ full of marrow — a feast of wines, of wines on
" the lees well refined"^ — be continually pro-
vided by her Lord, dispensed by her ministers,
and enjoyed by her members.

In the eighth and ninth verses the holy Psalm-
ist states the motives which excited in him that
solicituije >vbich he had expressed on behalf of.

FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. 461

the church of God. ^' For my brethren and
" companions' sakes I will now say, Peace be
*^ within thee. Because of the house of the
^^ Lord our God I will seek thy good.*' His
motive was twofold^ corresponding with the two-
fold requisition ,of the law — the love of his
brethren, and the love of God. This motive is
still in force within every pious heart*

The reader will already have perceived th^
correspondence which prevails between the de-
vout Psalmist's prayer, and the collect of our
church which is now under our notice. We
obey the exhortation to *^ pray for the peace of
** Jerusalem," while we lift up our hearts and
voices, saying, "Grant, O Lord, we beseech
*^ thee, that the course of this world may be so
*^ peaceably ordered by thy governance, that
" thy church may joyfully serve thee in all
*' Godly quietness, through Jesus Christ our
•' Lord/'

Our collect consists of a prayer, and a decla-
ration of the end for which it is offered. We
pray " that the course of this world may be
** peaceably ordered by God's governance."

That the course of this world is most awfully
disordered and deranged, is beyond a doubt.
We speak not of natural disorder, either in the
macrocosm or the microcosm, though this also
is evident and an effect of the same cause. But
we refer to moral disorder, and especially as it
affects the comfort and welfare of society. The
wars and tumults, the public law-suits and do-
mestic feuds, which make up the history of the
world, of particular nations, and of private
families, afford full proof of our position.
Almost every profession and every trade bears its

462 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

testimony, directly or indirectly, to the disor-
tiered state of the world. Law, Physic, and
Divinity, the army and navy, and a thousand
branches of manufacture, trade and commerce,
will give evidence that the world is not what it
must have. been when it came from the hands of
its benevolent Former. Whither can we direct
our eyes without meeting proofs that sin is
entered into the world? Its present state is
frequently compared in Scripture to the wild
ocean when it is lashed into tumult and confu-
sion by a violent storm. The ancient church
thus expressed her feeli ngs on the subject : *^ The
^^ floods have lifted up, O Lord ; the floods have
^ lifted up their voice ; the floods lift up their
'^ waves." (Ps. xciii. 3.) And she represents
God (Ps. Ixv. 7) as " stilling the noise of the
" seas, the noise of their waves, and the mad-
^^ ness of the people.*'

The cause of this confusion must be co-exten-
sive with the effect. And there is btkt one which
can be proposed with the appearance of proba-
bility — viz. the universal corruption of human
oature derived with our being by descent from
our fallen parents.

It is evident that nothing but the overruling'
providence of God could keep society in any kind
of tranquillity, or preserve mankind from being
the mutual executioners of each other, till the
whole world became one vast Aceldama or field
of blood, and its now populous plains were again
abandoned to their original tenants, the wild
beasts of the field. It is humiliating to observe
that mail is compared in Scripture to almost
every species of noxious and ferocious animals.
The venomous serpent and viper, the ravenous

ttFTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY, 463

wolf, the wild ass of the wilderness, the wild*
boar of the wood, the wild bull, the leopard,
the lion, the asp and the cockatrice; these are
the emblems of feUen man when destitute of
converting or restraining grace, which the pen
of inspiration has employed.* The character
of mankind is also plainly delineated by St. Paul.
(Rom. i. 29 — 31.) They are described, whefn
given over by God to a reprobate mind, as
^^ being filled with all unrighteousness, fortiica-
^' tion, wickedne3s, covetousness, maliciousness;
" full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malig-
'^nity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God;
*• despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil
things, disobedient to parents, without under-
standing, covenant-breakers, without natural
•* affection, implacable, unmerciful." (See also
S Tim. iii. ^, 3^ 4. ) Such was the state of the
heathen world when the Gospel was first pub-^
lished in it. And such is its state now wherever
the Gospd is not preached. Is a difference ap-
parent in Christendom? That difference is
clearly the result, not of nature, but of grace-^
of restraining, if not of converting grace. Le^
any one observe tlie proud,, envious, wratliful,
malicious, selfish, and covetous dispositions of
the humao breast, as they are made apparent
by their effects even in civilized society, and
among those who are called Christians; and he
will soon be convinced that, if men were unre-
strained by human laws, they would prey on
each other with all the ferociousness of brute
beasts. The African slave-trade, and the blood
which European nations have shed both in the

* Matj. iii. 7. x. l6. xxiii. 33. Jcr. ii. 24. Ps* Ixxx,
43. k. xi, 6-r-9.

462 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

testimony, directly or indirectly, to the disor-
tiered state of the world. Law, Physic, and
Divinity, the army and navy, and a thousand
branches of manufacture, trade and commerce,
will give evidence that the world is not what it
must have. been when it came from the hands of
its benevolent Former. Whither can we direct
our eyes without meeting proofs that sin is
entered into the world? Its present state is
frequently compared in Scripture to the wild
ocean when it is lashed into tumult and confu-
sion by a violent storm. The ancient church
thus expressed her feeli ngs on the subject : *^ The
^* floods have lifted up, O Lord j the floods have
** lifted up their voice ; the floods lift up their
'^ waves/' (Ps. xciii. 3.) And she represents
God (Ps. Ixv. 7) as " stilling the noise of the
" seas, the noise of their waves, and the mad-
'^ ness of the people/'

The cause of this confusion must be co-exten-
sive with the effect. And there is btkt one which
can be proposed with the appearance of proba-
bility — viz. the universal corruption of human
oature derived with our being by descent from
our fallen parents.

It is evident that nothing but the overruling
providence of God could keep society in any kind
of tranquillity, or preserve mankind from being
the mutual executioners of each other, till the
whole world became one vast Aceldama or field
of blood, and its now populous plains were again
abandoned to their original tenants, the wild
beasts of the field. It is humiliating to observe
that man is compared in Scripture to almost
every species of noxious and ferocious animals.
The venomous serpent and viper, the ravenous

ttFTH SCNDAY AFTER TRINITY, 463

wolf, the wild ass of the wilderness, the wild*
boar of the wood, the wild bull, the leopard,
the lion, the asp and the cockatrice; these are
the emblems of &llen man when destitute of
converting or restraining grace, which the pen
of inspiration has employed.* The character .
of mankind is also plainly delineated by St. Paul.
(Rom. i. 29 — 31.) They are described, whefn
given over by God to a reprobate mind, as
*^ being filled with all unrighteousness, fomica-
^* tion, wickedne^ss, covetousness, maliciousness;
" full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malig-
'^ nity ; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God ;
*• despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil
things, disobedient to parents, without under-
standing, covenant-breakers, without natural
•* affection, implacable, unmerciful.'* (See also
S Tim. iii. ^, 3^ 4. ) Such was the state of the
heathen world when the Gospel was first pub-^
lished in it. And such is its state now wherever
the Gospd is not preached. Is a difference ap-
parent in Christendom? That difference is
clearly the result, not of nature, but of grace-^
of restraining, if not of converting grace. Le^
any one observe the proud,, envious, wratlifuU .
malicious, selfish, and covetous dispositions of
the humao breast, as they are made apparent
by their effects even in civilized society, and
among those who are called Christians^ and he
will soon be convinced that, if men were unre-
strained by human laws, they would prey on
each other with all the ferociousness of brute
beasts. The African slave-trade, and the blood
which European nations have shed both in the

* Mm' I. iii. 7. x. I6. xxiii. 33. Jcr. ii. 24. Ps* Ixxx,
43. Ik. xi, 6 — 9.

464 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

^eastern and western hemispheres, afford a melan'
choly evidence of what man would do under the
influence of his own infernal passions. " The
** wicked are like the troubled sea wheii it can-
** not rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.'*

Crod permits the moral evil v^hich exists and
abounds in the world for wise and gracious pur.'
poses^ which it is in vain for us to scrutinize.
His *^ judgments are unsearchable, and His
** ways past finding out.*' We know, however,
that God will at length bring glory to His own
great name out of all the evil that now prevails.
** Clouds and darkness are now round about
** Him; but equity and judgment are the habi-
** tation of His throne."

In the midst of the apparent confusion that
prevails^ God still rules the world which He
hath made. ^* The Lord on high i§ mightier
** than the voice of many waters, yea than the
** mighty waves of the sea." ^' He ruleth the
•* raging of the sea; when the waves thereof
^' arise^ He stilleth them." " \ie sitteth abov«
•* the water-floods, and remaineth a king for
•* ever." He is not an unconcernea spectator
of the conduct of His creatures; but He is
the " King of all kings, and Governor of all
** things." He carries on His own gracious
purposes, notwithstanding the opposition which-
is made to them by earth and hell. And when
" the manifold wisdoni" * of God, employed
in the curious involutions of His providence, is
unfolded and exposed to the view of the blessed
in the kingdom of God, everlasting wonder,
love, and praise will occupy their transported
bosoms and employ their raptured tongues.

«

FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. 465

From the observations which have been made
on " the course of this world" it appears that
the petition of our collect is highly proper arid
necessary. Surely it is the duty and privilege
of Christian believers, who have. their eyes
opened to discern what is concealed from others,
to pray *^ that the course of this world may be
*^ peaceably ordered by God's governance/"
that the lion's mouth may be shqt and the
leopard chained, and that in due time the moral
change which the evangelical prophet has fore-
told may be fully and universally exemplified — .
when the *^ wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and
'* the leopard shall lie down with the kid: and
*| the calf, and the young lion, and the fatling
*^ together, and a little child sliall lead them:
" when the cow and the bear shall feed, their
'^ young ones shall lie down together, and the
** lion shall eat straw like the ox — when the
" sucking child shall play on the hole of tlike
^* asp, and the weaned child shall put hisihand
" on the. cockatrice den — when they shall not
*^ hurt nor destroy in all God's holy mountain;
** for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of
•^ the Lord, as the waters cover the sea."

Many reasons concur to justify such a prayer
as that of our present collect, and to shew its
importance. For though we know that God can
elicit good from evil, yet it is our duty to depre*
cate the evil that threatens us. The general
welfare of society, the special prosperity of the
church, and above all the glory of God, ape
powerful motives to fervent supplication for
public peace and tranquillity.

The specific end for which we now implore
the interference of God in UiQ government of

VOL. JL 2 H

466 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

-the world, is " that His church may joyfully
** serve Him in all Godly quietness/'

The church is the grand object of Divine c^re
and attention. The world is only a scaffolding
to thdt spiritiral edifice which God is erecting;
.and when the edifice is finished, the sdafifolding
will be taken down and burned. The church is
the kernel, and the world the shell ; and when
the kernel is fully ripe, the shell will be thrown
away as of no further use. *^ The holy seed^ is
** the substance," — the only valuable part. Now
the church is very dear to God as the purchase
of His blood, the workmanship of His power
and wisdom, the temple of His delights.

But of whom doth the church of God consist ?
What are the characteristics of its members,
whereby they are distinguished from the world ?
^* The church," saith Bishop Pearson, * ^* as it
embraceth all the professors of the true faith of
Christ, containeth in it not only such as do truly
believe and are obedient to the word, but those
also which •re hypocrites and profane. Many
profess the faith, which have no true belief.
Many have some kind of faith, which live with
no correspondence to the gospel preached.
Within, therefore, the notion of the church are
comprehended good and bad, being both exter-
nally called, and both professing the same faith.
For ^^ the kingdom of heaven is like unto a field,"
in which ^^ wlieat and tares grow together unto
" the*tiarvest; like unto a net that was cast into
♦^ the sea, and gathered of every kind;" likq
.unto a " floor/' in which are laid up " wheat
*^ and chaff;" like ynto a *' marriage feast," in
which some have on the *| wedding garment,"

* Exposition of the Creed. Article IX,

FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. 467

and some have not. This is that ark of Noah,
in which were preserved beasts cleanrand unclean.
This is that " great house/' in which " there
*^ are not on?y vessels of gold and silver, but
*^ also of wofxi and earth, and some to honour,
" and some to dishonour." Tliere are ** many
" called,^* of all which the church consisteth;
but there are " few chosen" of those which are
called and thereby within the church. I con-
elude, therefore, as the antient Catholics did
against the Donatists, that within the church,
in the public profession and external communion
thereof, are contained persons truly good and
sanctified and hereafter saved; and together
with them, other persons void of all saving
grace, and hereafter to be damned/'

" Of these promiscuously contained in the
cliurch, such as are void of all saving grace
while they live, and communicate with the rest
of the church; and when they pass out of this
life, die in their sins, and remain under the
eternal wrath of God; as they were not in their
persons holy while they livedo so are they no
way of the church after their death, neither as
members of it, nor as contained in it. Through
their own demerit they fall short of the glory
unto which they are called ; and being by death
separated from the external communion of the
church, and having no true internal communioii
with the members and the head thereof, are
totally and finally cut off*»from the church of
Christ. On the contrary, such as are effica-
ciously calltxl, justified, and sanctified, while
they live are truly lioly, and when they die are
perfectly holy ; nor are they by their death sepa-
rated from the church, but remain united still
by virtue of that internal union, by which they

2H 2

468 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

were before conjoined both to the members and
the head. As therefore the church is truly
holy, not only by an holiness of institution, but
also by a personal sanctity in reference to these
saints while they live; so is it also perfectly
holy, in relation to the same saints glorified in
heaven. And at the end of the world, when
all the wicked shall be turned into hell, and
consequently all cut off from the communion
of the church, when the members of the church
remaining being perfectly sanctified shall be
eternally glorified ; then shall the whole church
be truly and perfectly holy.^*

Let the reader consider seriously the awful
distinction which this excellent Bishop has
here presented to us in his definition of " the
^* holy catholic church/* You are a member
of the church, which is indeed universally holy
by its ** institutions and administrations of sanc-
** tity." But are you personally holy "by a
^^ real infused sanctity ?'' Without this, your
connection with " the holy catholic church"
will only aggravate your condemnation in that
day when the chaff shall be winnowed from the
wheat, when the tares shall be bound in bundles
to be burned, and the wheat gathered into the
garner. O let us be concerned that, while we
live in " the great complex body of the uni-
*^ versal church,'* we partake of the blessing
which is confined to those who, being " call-
" ed with a holy calling," have obeyed that
call, and are " renewed in the spirit of their
*^ minds/' Then shall we be at length com-
pletely happy, when Christ shall " present us
*^ unto Himself a glorious church, not having
" spot or wrinkle or any such thing."

i\

FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. 469

This ^' holy catholic church," embracing all
in all nations " who call on the name of the
*^ Lord Jesus/' is very dear to God on account'
of those who therein "worship Him in the Spi**
^^ rit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no con-
" fidence in the flesh/' Its interests are the
object of His unceasing concern, and continue
ally call forth the exertion of His wisdom and'
power. Dear however as the church is to God,'
He sees fit to leave it for a while in a sinful and
disordered world. Here, like a helpless woman
(Rev. xii. 6.) banished into a wilderness, the'
church is intirely dependent on God for her
support and preservation. Hereby the glory of
God and the final good of His church are pro-
moted. Hereby an opportunity is afforded for
a display of the Divine perfections, which are
all daily magnified in the sight of men and an-
gels by the conduct both of providence and
grace towards the church which " God hath'
" purchased with His own blood.^' And here-
by also immense advantage is derived to the ge-
nuine members of the invisible church, to all
true believers, similar to that which the Israe-
lites obtained from their long and difficu'lt pas-
sage through the wilderness. When they ar/a
arrived at the *^good land which floweth with"
heavenly '* milk and honey,'* they will grate-
fully *^ remember all the way which the Lord
^^ their God led them in the wilderness, to
" humble them and to prove them, to know
'^ what was in their heart whether they would
** keep His commandments or no"-^how " He
*^ humbled them, and suffered them to hunger,
*^ and fed them with manna which they knew
** not" — how ** their raiment vvaxed not old
** upon them^ neither did their foot swell/'

2 H 8

CC

470 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

They will " consider in their hearts," (and the
consideratiqn will swell their songs of praise)
*« that as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord
*< their God chastened them." They will re-
member with eternal gratitude how " the Lord
'^ led them through the great and terrible wil-
derness" of this world, " wherein were fiery
serpents, and scorpions, and drought; where
** there was no water :" and how He ^* brought
" them forth water out of the rock of flint"^ —
how " He fed them in the wilderness with
" manna, that He might humble them and
prove them, to do them good at their latter
end." Thus will they be preserved for ever
from saying, ** My power and the might of my
** hand hath gotten me this wealth," this ** ex-
" ceeding aud eternal weight of glory." *Thus
they will have learned that " Salvation is of the
" Lord," and will have been prepared to join
eternally in singing ** Salvation to God and the
^' Lamb."

The present state of the church may fitly be
illustrated by tliat of the ship in which our
Lord's disciples were embarked on the lake of
Gennezareth; and the petition of our collect
by the impassioned cry of the affrighted dis-
ciples on that occasion. (Mat. viii. 24.) The
disciples of our Lord were in apparently great
danger, and exercised with great conflicts. In
their extremity they called on their Lord for
help. But He, for a while, appeared to be
unmindful of them. At length, roused by their
importunity, He arose and interposed for their
deliverance, and in due time brought them to
'* the haven where they would be."

Let us now revert to our collect, and consider
what we therein implore. We look up to God

'H SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. 471

mor of the universe. We consider
h as the great object of His care, and
rh Him to order all things in the course
vidence so as to promote its welfare,
much as it appears to us that a peace-
te of the world is best calculated to pro-
8 glory and the advantage of His church,
, without pretending to prescribe to His
or to direct His measures, that peace
iversally prevail among men. We recol-
t the time of our Lord's nativity was an
f general tranquillity among the nations
ne earthy and that ** the churches through-
t all Judea, and Galilee^ and Samaria, hav-
g rest" from tumult and persecution, ^* were
dified, and, walking in the fear of the Lord
ttud in the comforts of the Holy Ghost, were
multiplied." (Acts ix. 31.) It is admitted
lat the members of the Christian church may,
II the most perilous times, privately serve God,
• > Paul and Silas did in the prison of Philippi.
4uxt is also allowed that times of tumult and per-
secution have proved seed-times to the church,
. and that " the blood of the martyrs has been
**'the seed of the church." But though God,
by the alembic of His power and wisdom, hath
distilled good from evil, and hath made " the
*^ wrath of man to praise Him," yet according
to our short-sighted apprehension (and perhaps
the apprehension is generally true) a peaceable
state of the world is most favourable to the
growth of the church in internal purity and ex-
cellence, and to the enlargement of her borders.
These are the objects which she proposes in her
present prayer; and they are objects, compared
with which the rise and fall of empires are, in
the sca)^ of ju9t estimation, lighter than the

€€

478 ON THE COLLECT FOR THE

small dust of the balance. The worldly mind
desires a peaceable course in the affairs of this
present world, with a view to the increase of
commerce, the promotion of human science,
and to personal or national aggrandizement.
But these are inferior objects of concern to the
genuine members of the Christian church. The
prosperity of Zion, involving the glory of their
Grod and the salvation of precious souls redeemed
by the blood of Christ, is with them the para-
mount consideration. " Pray for the peace of
Jerusalem; they shall prosper that love thee.
Peace be within- thy walls, and plenteousness
within thy palaces. For my brethren and
companions' sake, I will now say. Peace be
"within thee. Because of the house of the
** Lord our God, I will seek thy good.'*

Let the reader inquire whether he be a genu-
ine member of the church of God or not. , His
feelings towards the church will determine the
weighty question. If its interests lie near his
heart, and the promotion of its prosperity be
the object of his fervent prayers and strenuous
efforts, then he may conclude that he is indeed
a living branch in the true Vine. But how
guilty are those wh6, while the church is en-
gaged in earnest prayer for a continuation of
her inestimable privileges,, pour contempt on
the means of grace by neglecting them ! How
evident it is that such persons have no part nor
lot with ^^ the city of the living God'^ in her
spiritual immunities and comforts, whatever out-
ward relation they may claim to her communion !
lint if we are indeed united to the church and
hor bead, how thankful should we be that the
jirnycM's which we have offered on her behalf
]jHV(i hitherto been answered, and particularly

FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. 473

with relation to our own branch of the CathoHc
church. We sit this day " under our own vine
" and V fig-tree, none making us afraid." We
hear the gospel, unite in pubhc devotion, and
assemble ourselves around the table of the Lord,
unmolested and uninterrupted. O how great
the favour! While the storm rages over Europe,
we are hid " in the cleft of the rock." May
gratitude fill our hearts, and praise for ever
employ our lips !

END OF VOL. ir.

Ernus, i'nnter, Bristol.

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UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

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3 9015 06295 2596

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