SERMON XXV.

ROMANS XV. 4.

Whatsoever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning; that we, through patience and comfort of the holy Scriptures, might have hope.

ALTHOUGH the more immediate object of the Apostle's exhortation was a diligent and faithful attention to the Scriptures of the Old Testament, yet as his words are so closely applicable to those of the New, it is my intention to consider them as recommending the study, and enforcing the doctrines of the second part of the Sacred Volume. Whatever consolations are to be derived from the lives, and from the examples of the patriarchs of old-whatever learning is to be deduced from a consideration of the dealings of God with man in the Mosaic covenant-whatever patience, and whatever hope, will spring up from a meditation either on the histories, on the prophecies, or on the evidence of the Old Testament, will be to a wonderful extent increased

by the study of the New. As the old dispensation was a type and prefiguration of the new, so the Old Testament is merely preparatory to the New. But though the Mosaic system was comparatively imperfect, it was, as I endeavoured to shew in my last discourse on these words, essentially necessary to prepare the world for the reception of a divine Saviour, and as such, it demands our earnest attention and regard. The history of the dealings of God with man, is in every part, written for our learning; no part therefore is to be passed over unregarded by us. All the different portions of our Bible reflect light upon each other, and form together the one great whole; by which we are assured of our salvation, and are taught the road to heaven. When therefore we say, that the New Testament is more perfect than the Old, we do not infer from thence that the Old is to be disregarded; for the study of it is essentially necessary to form the perfect Christian, for if, as the Apostle declares, "it was written for our learning,” it will follow, that no learning can be complete without it; nor if we neglect so great a treasure, can we hope to attain that perfect knowledge of Christianity, which may render us wise unto sal

vation.

With this caution, therefore, I shall proceed to consider, how these perfect records of a per

fect dispensation, were written for our learning, "that through patience and comfort of the holy Scriptures we might have hope."

We are all I trust Christians; we have all been educated in the hopes of salvation; we have all from our childhood been trained up in the way that leadeth unto life. As sons of our holy Church, we have been taught that purest and most perfect form of Christianity which she professes, for it is on Scripture, and on Scripture alone, that the Church of England rests her foundation. Whatever cannot be fairly proved, and reasonably deduced from the Scriptures, is no article of her belief. When, then, such have been the peculiar advantages which we have received, when such have been the peculiar blessings of the Almighty upon us, let the words of the great Apostle to Timothy, his son in Christ, sink deep into our minds, "Continue in those things which thou hast learned, and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; and that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus." But here, perhaps, it may be said, we have been taught the terms of our salvation, and we believe them; what farther learning can be necessary? This is an opinion too often maintained, and still oftener acted upon.

This is a most dangerous and fatal error. It is founded on a woeful inexperience of our own hearts, and still more presumptuous ignorance of that Gospel, which alone can teach us to subdue our rebellious passions.

Let us examine, first, the ignorance of such an opinion. It is true we have been taught the doctrines of Christianity in their purest form, but may we not have been misled? The authority indeed of so many pious, so many good, so many learned men, may in any common matter reasonably assure us that we are right. But where the salvation of our souls is concerned, what is the authority of the whole world? Scripture alone is the authority of God, and it is by God that we shall be called to account, and by him we shall be judged. When, then, this authority is so easy of access, so clear to be understood, and so essential to salvation, is not the neglect of it a sign of the most gross infatuation? Surely, where our happiness or misery for endless ages is concerned, we should take no authority but that of God. What does our Church itself so often inculcate? Why does Scripture form so large a part of all her services? Because she would have every member within her walls examine for himself, and be convinced that her doctrine is founded on Scripture. When we have examined for ourselves, when we have

weighed the articles of her creed, the prayers of her liturgy, the ceremonies of her worship, in the balance of Scripture, and find that in every respect they are founded on the word of God; then it is that we are assured, that our faith is founded in certainty; that our footsteps are in the paths of life, and our ways are the ways that lead to immortality. With how much more piety shall we join in the devotions of our Church, when we know that Scripture is her only authority, her only guide; with how much greater confidence shall we submit to her authority in all reasonable cases, when we have examined for ourselves, and discovered that she is founded on a rock, and "that rock is Christ." Till such a search has been made, we must rest in comparative ignorance; our faith is not our own. But after such an examination, conducted with humility and prayer, the faith of our Church becomes our own, and we shall find it a necessary duty to hold the unity of spirit in the bond of peace, and "to submit ourselves to every ordinance of man,” if not contrary to the Scriptures, " for the Lord's sake."

Let us now consider the danger and presumption of the opinion, that we have learning enough without the Scriptures. Here, again, we begin with the profession of our belief. We believe in all the articles of the Christian faith, perhaps