ORIGINAL ESSAYS.

LXV.

THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER DELINEATED UPON EVANGELICAL PRINCIPLES.

SIXTH ESSAY.

To be a son of peace, is the greatest favour that God has shewn to any of the children of Adam; and to be privileged to dwell with the saints upon earth in a church state, is a great advantage. Our relationship to the Son of God by grace, is that which constitutes us the children of peace. Some men are naturally less disposed to be contentious than their brethren are, but it is a natural impossibility for any carnal man, as such, to be disposed to live peacefully in an evangelical sense. No one, but he in whom the Holy Ghost resides as a Sanctifier, is in possession of the spirit of peace. Without union there can be no communion amongst the saints; and where it is in existence, the fellowship of the godly will always promote real peace. False candour, and feigned charity, have led men professing godliness to surrender the important doctrines of revelation, and to form associations to promote peace on a foundation that has no more stability than a rope of sand can have which is cemented together with pebble stones. Such associations are soon broken and scattered; but those persons who are comprehended in Christ, the root and centre of life, are so "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." Here is unity of design and end, and that is what should ever appear amongst the people who wear the honourable name of christian.

The bodies of the saints are the temples of God, and they are holy. We are then to consider every christian as devoted to his service. When Paul reminded the believing Romans of the wonderful change of state wrought in them by the Holy Ghost, he said, "But now, being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness and everlasting life." We who were industriously employed in the service of Satan, but who are now freed from his cruel tyranny, and who are brought into that spiritual freedom from the dominion of sin that was procured by Christ for the church, we are to shew by our fruitfulness, in the service of God, that the profession of christianity which we make is genuine. Indeed, it is manifestly the necessary consequence of the disciples of Christ being separated from this evil world. "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatsoever ye ask the Father in my name he may give it you."

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walk in the spirit, and according to the order of things connected with it, is confined to the people whom God has chosen and sanctified for his own inheritance. Every man who is impartially devoted to God and his service, to them the Holy Spirit has revealed the will of God, for it is impossible for them to do what God has commanded them, if they are ignorant of his holy word. Many things which are done by men are beneficial to their fellow creatures, but they are not acceptable to God, because the authority of God as the only just rule of action is not observed, nor is there any motive or intention to glorify his great name. There is a great difference between the same action of a good and a bad man; the first has respect to the law of equity, as the rule of his conduct; and the last is merely struck at the moment with the fitness of the thing which is to be done, and he will at the present moment do that, which, if an hour afterwards were to ask him to do, it is very probable that he would turn away from you with contempt, and treat you with scorn. Who can adequately describe the advantage which the godly man has over his wicked neighbour? Evangelical principles of action are, in the sight of God, of great price, for he does not bestow them upon all his intelligent creatures, as he did in Adam confer on all his seed the principles of natural holiness and righteousness. The end of the spiritual services done by a believer in faith, is everlasting life, not as merited by him, but as the result of that change of state according to divine determination, by which he is vitally connected with Christ as the Lord of glory. God has so arranged, that he who is fruitful in every good word and work through Jesus Christ, that he should go into that kingdom in which he shall reign and dwell eternally with him.

The peculiarity of the gospel is illustrated in the holy conduct of the saints, for they seek not to have their own way, but they do seek for a sanctified knowledge and experience of the things connected with eternal glory; a spiritual taste for heavenly things is imparted, nor can they long be contented without the enjoyment of them. Whatever contempt erring mortals may pour upon the doctrines of the gospel, they are of the utmost importance to the godly, nor can they dispense with one tittle of the word of life. The whole is necessary to form the spiritual judgment, and to promote vital sanctification. The doctrine of personal election in Christ is not only accredited as stating that a limited number of people is to go to heaven, but it is also embraced as the comprehensive root of spirituality from which we, through the Spirit, are made meet to appear there. This is the sole reason why any man is holy in and through Jesus Christ. It would not be a difficult thing to prove that the whole scheme of revealed truth is holy, and that the practical tendency of it is to make the people who are blessed by it conformable to the image of God. He who is favoured by God to see and feel this fact, will not open his mouth against it, but with deep humility before him, he will lament over his own wicked and deceitful heart, and admire the grace which

has enrolled him to heavenly life. The more any man discerns the internal structure of truth, and feels the force of it upon his own heart, he will be less disposed to lean to his own understanding. There are many things which the real christian values highly when he first commences a pilgrim, that after he has travelled a little way in the road to heaven he will gladly resign, never more to have any connection with them. The heart is converted from the love of evil to the possession of imperishable good; by the word of truth we learn the will of God, and through the sanctification of the Spirit we are upheld to do it. What a paradox it is to the man of the world to see a christian in the midst of trouble, pursuing with steady zeal that line of conduct which God has commanded him to walk in. "Clouds and darkness are round about the throne of God; righteousness and judgment are the habitation of it." The belief of this calms the angry passions of the mind, and engenders holy reverence for all the ways of wisdom. Whatever a good man may be divested of, he never has to complain that God has withdrawn from him his friendship, or that he has rescinded that grant of life which was conferred upon him in Christ Jesus before the world began. He is often a wonder to many, and a mystery to himself, but he dare not stir a single step in any path in which God has not appointed for him to walk. A heavenly state of being is developed by a constant course of holy practices.

Love rules the bosom of every disciple of Jesus, and he is not easily provoked to turn aside from that line of conduct which he finds recommended to him in the scriptures. The study of the scriptures is his daily practice and his principal concern; he cultivates a quiet spirit, and whatever is not an invasion of the rights of God, that he cheerfully resigns. Heavenly peace is alone enjoyed in conformity with the principle of eternal truth. We are not ignorant that the road to respectability amongst men, is to resign the unyielding and uncompromising spirit of the gospel; yet we cannot barter it for the sake of being welcomed by the enemies of it to their friendship, and thereby offend our great Creator. A multitude of words are not necessary to delineate the peaceful temper of the gospel of salvation. The treasure put into the heart by God, is worth more than the whole world. This is the influential reason why we aim to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." It is truly difficult to live peaceably with some men; but it is our duty "to follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another." In the churches of the saints there are many things which occur that are exceedingly painful to the humble and affectionate members of the body of Christ; and but for those sons of peace, who strive "to do justice," those persons who are troublers of Israel, they would soon break up whole communities, and scatter and divide the saints. Holy charity is that celestial bond of union which cements the heart to God, and to all them who bear his image. It is a great mercy that all the children of the living God are not actuated by the same temper of mind as that was which Diotrephes evinced; for if they were, the

confusion in our churches would be dreadful. Whenever the disciples of the Lamb assemble together to attend to their church concerns, on all occasions we see that some of them who are least prepared to decide what is just and right, they are the most forward to give their opinion; and should they not be successful to carry their point, they are not slow to revenge themselves, by insinuating themselves into the regards of the simple-hearted, in order that they may increase their number, and augment their strength. Now except the union of the body in such circumstances is regarded by some of the members, the effects which would follow such conduct would be most lamentable. The thoughtful christian who has observed the direction that God has given to him in the volume of truth, when he modestly calls the attention of the church to consider the nature of the principles upon which they meet, and by which they are virtually incorporated, he will endeavour to lead his brethren to the practice of such things as will preserve the purity of the church uncorrupted, and by which also her garments will be kept from every sinful spot, stain, and shade; and if he is successful in his attempt, he will feel himself a great debtor to grace, and humbly acknowledge himself to be at best but an unprofitable servant. Not in the church alone is the good man known as a peace-maker, ut in every walk of life he is necessitated to adopt scriptural means to reconcile those who are members of the same family.

The service of the heart is what God approves, therefore the duties which are practised by us are not mere mechanical performances, but the whole soul is employed in them. The judgment is exercised abou spiritual things; the understanding is illuminated to perceive their nature, and voluntary choice is made of the things perceived; and the affections are enkindled and supplied with fuel, that will preserve them from ever being extinguished. True devotion of soul to God is promoted, and in the exercise of the various graces of the Spirit we have communion with God, and the man turns to Christ, the holy centre of purity and endless joy. The things of God are not to be treated as little children do their toys; they are of more value to a sanctified Lind than gold is to the most sordid miser under the skies. We now by faith take up our inheritance, according to the purpose of him who yorketh all things after the counsel of his own will; and we rest in hi promise who has gone above the skies, to appear in the presence God for us. We are truly blessed while we live, and we shall be wen we die. We live alone for the glory of God, and when his pleasre is fully accomplished in us, we shall then honourably resign to hn the present mode of our existence, and enter into a new and spirital way of living with Christ in that kingdom where he will keep eternl sabbath with his saints.

There are manythings that are exceedingly pernicious which now annoy the christia, and they cause him to sigh in the house of his pilgrimage; but as he yoke of his bondage is broken, and the dominion of sin within hh is destroyed, he will withdraw from the society of those persons whee conduct is sinful in the sight of God, "ab

staining from the appearance of evil, as well as noting the garments spotted by the flesh." The interest and happiness of the church of God is best promoted by us when we strictly regard those things which pertain to life and godliness. The junior branches of the family of God are interested in what their elder brethren say and do. Example is a very powerful method to impart instruction: when they behold their senior brethren resigning upon principle all unrighteous conduct, conviction will seize their minds, and they will imitate their conduct. If a prudent and discreet man is in the habit of conducting himself in an upright manner before his household, so that they can find no just occasion to cloak their crimes, and to make his imperfection a covering for their wickedness, how much more important it is that every genuine disciple of the Son should walk before the household of faith, so that there may not be in him any occasion for stumbling. Our connexion with Christ in the love of God is a potent reason why we should live to the glory of Him who died and rose again.

To be preserved from grieving of the holy brethren is truly desirable, and we shall find occasion to be truly thankful to the Almighty for it. The great Redeemer has said of those who offend his little ones, "it were better that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea." If the external peace of the church depends upon the consistent spirit and temper of the professors of christianiy, every considerate christian will cheerfully pursue the practice of those things that will preserve uninterrupted the tranquillity of the houselold of faith. It must ever be a pleasant thing to every just man to rader the brethren of the great Redeemer happy. The venerable John said, "I have no greater joy than to hear my children walk in the ruth.” Such was the nature of primitive christianity; and there is noalteration in it, it remains the same; if there is any change, it is in the professors of it. I know not what to think of that professor o christianity who, knowing that his conduct is offensive to his bretiren, yet he retains his evil ways; I am tempted to believe that such a man must think his brethren are mistaken, or he would surely a'stain from the practice of those things which wound their minds, and which break their peace. There has never been an instance kown of any man striving to promote the happiness of the church, bu that God has always rewarded him an hundred-fold in his bosom.

The adversaries of the church of God are never so ruch perplexed and disturbed as they are when the saints maintain inimpaired the unity of the Spirit. By such conduct they are ket at a distance: for whatever is thus blended together in one centre, the several parts of it partake of the strength of the whole. Those mn who ignorantly or wickedly oppose the interest of truth, generaly commence their attack upon some of the vulnerable parts of it, and they strive to make a perfect conquest over it, by alarming ad scattering of its friends. But a steady regard for the interests truth, will put the most inveterate enemy to a stand, and the unitd brethren of Jesus will truly appear, "Terrible as an army with anners." No scheme