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SORROW ON THE SEA:

A Sermon preached on occasion of the loss of the Rothsay Castle, with the Personal Narrative of one of the Survivors.

LECTURE I.

ON THE UNHAPPY DIVISIONS IN THE CHRISTIAN

CHURCH.

1 CORINTHIANS i. 10.

Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions [schisms] among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

THE Church of Christ, by whatever variety of names distinguished, is one body. Like other bodies, it hath many members, possessing different offices, and contributing, in their several relations, to the beauty and perfection of the whole. Yet their creative origin-their vital principle—their maintaining power—their spiritual organization-their eternal destiny are the same. For widely as the various denominations

B

of the body may appear to differ, there is, essentially, but "one body and one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all.”

But if the truth be so, how is it that the Christian Church should be found so incompact, and troubled more than it was wont to be with unhappy divisions? How is it that such errors are prevalent amongst us, enfeebling the power of religion-doing damage to the souls of menand marring the beauty and unity of the Christian temple? Surely, brethren, the hand of the Archenemy of man herein is manifest, in sowing the seeds of discord over the Christian field, in order to retard the growth, and diminish the produce, of the spiritual harvest. The bundle of arrows which, whilst combined, were too much for the individual strength of any to break, Satan hath with subtlety divided, to the intent, if God restrained him not, that he might break them one by one. Yea, so hath he wrought upon the hearts of Christian men, that he maketh them, by sundry artful devices, the instruments of their own enervation, and the enemies of their own household. Oh, how greatly to be feared and deprecated is that spirit of disunion which hath thus been raised in the land! By this hath Christian charity received a dangerous wound, and the usefulness of Christian ministers a fearful check. By this hath the enemies of the Lord been encouraged to

blaspheme, and infidelity been aided in its strength, and the legions of hell permitted to triumph. By this, with the attendant infatuation and enthusiasm of the times, hath the soberminded enquirer after Truth been greatly discouraged the halting person confirmed in his doubts-and the unbeliever in his infidelity. By this hath the distinguishing characteristics of the religion of the Gospel been made more offensive to the natural man, the doctrines of Grace made to seem more suspicious, and the spiritualities of religion the more superstitious.

Brethren! It is time that the Christian world should awake to a sober and discerning apprehension of the prevalent evils; and direct their prayers and their efforts to the restoration of their original unity. Yea, it is their Christian duty, much as it is forgotten or neglected, to resist the spirit of disagreement, and to make active, energetic, and persevering endeavours, “to keep the unity of the Spirit, in the bond of peace." And to you, beloved, would we, by anticipation, commend our subject this day, by the exhortation of St. Paul in the text, and beseech you" by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment."

Our general object in the principal part of the series of subjects proposed for consideration, will, with the Divine blessing, be the enforcing of the duty urged in the present text. Considering some of the prevalent causes of the dissevering of the Christian Church, both as to partial or absorbing doctrines and enthusiastic sentiments, we shall apply, as we proceed, the Scriptural exhortations to unity, in the way of a corrective.

In this plan, I am aware, there is some difficulty, if not hazard; and that no little consideration is due to those who differ from us in non-essentials, especially to such as manifest, by a holy and consistent life, that they are God's dear children. Misgivings, I feel, may be in the minds of some Christian men, as to the propriety of a formal and deliberate consideration of subjects which have proved to many so infatuating and exciting; whilst others, perhaps, may consider the combatting of minor differences among Christians as the stirring up of the waters of strife. In the outset, therefore, let me declare my intention. It is not to excite the too easily troubled waters by blowing upon them the strong wind of disputation; but, so to aim, by the casting over the agitated elements the oil of charity, that the turbulent surface may be calmed. It is not our purpose to raise up to public view or contempt the defects of the Church of Christ; but to warn