a right church, is one thing; and a pure church, and a perfect church, another. The church at Corinth was both a true and right church (1 Cor. i. 2;) but she was neither pure nor perfect. Yes, the church of Christ remains. The gates of Hades have not prevailed against her. There are still some animated with the spirit of truth, obedience, and comfort that dwelt in the primitive church. There are true churches and right churches upon the earth, though there may be none perfectly pure, or purely perfect. We are taught in scripture to look for a true church, but not for a perfect one; for although Christians are exhorted to be perfect, yet we are distinctly given to understand that there may be barren branches of the true vine, and bastards among the household of faith. If thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. DEFINITION OF CHARITY. We must now review our whole discourse in the light of charity: charity, the grand theme of all the religious declamators of the age! It is indeed the Alpha and the Omega-the beginning and the end of popular religion; and if I knew the middle letter of the Greek alphabet, I would add it, as the symbol of its centre. Is a man charitable or uncharitable, is a query equivalent in the estimation of the multitude to, is he a Christian or not a Christian? The beau-ideal of a good man, of a Christian, with them is "He had no party's rage, no sectary's whim, Christian and country-man were all with him." But there is a false charity, as well as true charity. A charity hell-born and possessed with demons, leading to destruction, as well as a charity "heaven-born and destined to the skies again." And what is it that marks out the true charity from the false? This, even this: "it rejoices in the truth." Therefore, "love the truth and peace." Truth first, then peace. The exhortation to follow truth has no limits, but as respects peace it is written, "As much as lieth in you, live peacably with all men." But to gain peace thou shalt not compromise the truth. If you do you die. And is not this the best charity, even this charity that rejoiceth in the truth? Is not truth believed and obeyed, the grand, the imperatively necessary instrument of our salvation? "Where there is no vision the people perish." "If the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." Let us consider the matter again. My saying you are Christian will not make you one: my saying you are not a Christian will not unchristianize you. If I say you are a Christian while not sure that you are so-nay, while assured that you are not—I act towards you the part of an enemy and not a friend. "Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful." God knoweth that nothing could give me greater pleasure than to be able, conscientiously, to call every man and woman upon earth Christian. For this joy I think I could cheerfully part with my mortal existence; and although this truthloving charity may be of little value in the eyes of a latitudinarian world, yet doubtless it has the approbation of the truth-loving God. Charity, then, rejoices in the truth. In what truth? Why in the truth connected with salvation. Charity (welcome, O heavenly guest) leans over my shoulder, and smiles upon my pen, while I write that she rejoices in the truth, that they, and none but they, are entitled to be called Christians, who are possessed of Christian faith, who have undergone Christian conversion, who attend to Christian worship, and who practice Christian morality, and that these, in their associative capacity, are the church of Christ. "Meek, simple followers of the Lamb- man. Believe that he is able and willing to save to the very uttermost, all that come unto God through him : Be-believe that "this is a faithful say ing, and worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief:" livered up to death for our offences, and raised again for our justification-believe that he has ascended far above all worlds, entered into the presence of God, and sprinkled the heavenly mercy seat with his own all-cleansing blood, and there ever liveth to make intercession for his people. GENERAL EXHORTATION. And now, readers, let me exhort you to be saved. "Save yourselves," by believing and obeying the truth. not continually taken up with the questions, "What shall we eat?what shall we drink?-and wherewithal shall we be clothed ?" "Seek-believe that to this end he was deye first the kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof, and all these things shall be added unto you." I doubt not but that with many of you these are indeed serious questions; but what is a Christian? and where is the Christian church? are questions of still greater importance to all of you. The former queries relate to the present passing life, the latter to the eternal life to come. Ah! what is a hungry, thirsty, naked body, compared with a hungry, thirsty, naked soul! Surely, surely, it is of far greater importance to make provision for a life endless as the ages of eternity, than for a life "that is even as a vapour, which appeareth for a little while, and then vanisheth away." "Labour not for the meat that meat perisheth, but for the meat that endureth unto everlasting." But what shall you do? How shall you work the works of God? EXHORTATION ΤΟ CHRISTIAN FAITH. "This is the work of God, that you believe on him whom he has sent" and sealed. "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shall be saved." "He that believeth in the son hath everlasting life." "For God so loved the world as to give his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him might not perish, but have everlasting life." But what are we to believe concerning him? believe that he is the only begotten son of God-the brightness of his father's glory, and the express image of his person-that he who hath seen him hath seen the Father also. Believe that he is the Messiah, the Lord's anointed prophet, priest, and kingthe only Redeemer of men, because the One Mediator between God and You cannot refuse to believe the Christian faith, if you candidly examine the astonishing body of evidence presented to your view under the dispensation of Christian faith. We will only mention one here, not because it is stronger than the rest, but because it may be more briefly stated than some of them, and is calculated to carry instant and satisfactory conviction to every candid mind. I refer to the testimony of the apostles. You can only form three suppositions upon the whole question of their evidence. You may suppose, first, that they were deceived themselves; or, Secondly, that they agreed to deceive others; or, thirdly, that they were true men and spake the truth. I defy you to prove a fourth supposition upon the subject. Now when we consider that they had no earthly motive for suffering and labouring as they did to preach Jesus and the resurrection, it is the greatest absurdity to suppose that they agreed to deceive others; and when we consider their opportunities, prejudices, and number, it is equally absurd to suppose that they were deceived themselves. We are, therefore, shut up to the conclusion, that they were true men and spake the truth. They are God's witnesses qualified by him for their great work, and he that believeth them hath set to his seal that God is true. He that believeth not maketh God a liar. "Let the potsherds of the earth contend with earthly potsherds; but woe to him that contendeth with his Maker." Wherefore, oh infidel, yield to God. Do not think it shame to lay down the weapons of rebellion, or to fall under the prowess of the King of glory, the Lord strong and mighty in battle. In other battles it may be your happiness, honour, and life, to conquer; but in this warfare, it is your highest honour to be vanquished -your greatest happiness to be wounded, and your life to be slain. Humble yourself, then, that you may be exalted— mourn that you may rejoice—and die that you may live-die to sin, and live to God. any external act can have any thing to do with the forgiveness of sins. You can see nothing in religion but what God has been pleased to reveal, and it is not your duty proudly to sit in judgment upon the utility or inutility of his laws, but humbly and cheerfully to obey them. Eve could not see how the breaking of a positive law could destroy her; and you cannot see how the obeying of a positive law can save you. The serpent deceived the woman who has instructed you? In Consider that the blood of Jesus is the only meritorious cause of salvation, and that he has a right to apply it to the conscience in any way that, EXHORTATION TO OBEDIENCE.- to his wisdom, may appear best. But if you would be saved by Jesus, order to give the believer a knowledge you must obey as well as believe, you of his salvation, what better plan must receive him as your king, as could infinite wisdom devise, than to well as your priest. "He shall sit connect the remission of sins with a priest upon his throne, and the obedience to a positive institution, counsel of peace shall be between unless you would have, like the them both i. e. between both of- Methodists, to believe that his sins fices. Now to a penitent believer are forgiven, when the feelings of his Jesus has but one commandment be- own heart-deceitful above all things fore he is converted and added to the even when not desperately wickedchurch that one commandment is tells him so. "Surely the foolishness baptism, which, being interpreted, of God is wiser than" all the boasted signifies immersion. Wherefore, if wisdom of man. And granting, that you now believe, "Repent, and be there should be some ordinances converted, that your sins may be wherewith to connect the promise of blotted out :" "Repent and be bap- salvation, could the united wisdom of tized every one of you into the name men and angels select a better orof Jesus Christ, for the remission of dinance than that of immersion-an sins, and ye shall receive the gift of ordinance so strikingly representative the Holy Spirit :" "Arise and wash of the death, burial, and resurrection away thy sins, calling on the name of Jesus Christ; and therefore so well of the Lord." Believe me that these calculated, in the most solemn manwords just mean what they say, and ner, and in the very act of being saved, that they are as applicable to you as to impress upon the believer's heart ever they were, or will be to any one. the important lesson that all salvation Let not self conceit lead you to sup- is through the gospel? Wherefore, pose that, in your case, God will set as we said before, so we say again, aside the universal law of conversion "Arise and be baptized, and wash under the Christian age, which began away thy sins, calling on the name on the day of Pentecost, and will con- of the Lord." Obey him while you tinue till Jesus comes to judgment. have the opportunity, lest he shut you It will not do for you to say that bap-up in his wrath, where he has fortism is an outward ordinance, and gotten to be gracious, and leave you that you cannot, or will not, see how to sigh an eternal sermon over that sad text, "How have I bated instruction! and how have I despised reproof!" not thy laws." Turn away your ear from the instruction that causeth to err that declares how religion is made up of essentials and nonessentials-that if you worship sin what particular form. Say unto all such arch-deceivers, "Depart from me ye evil doers; for I will keep the commandments of my God !" Thus worship God with light. EXHORTATION TO CHRISTIAN WORSHIP.-Baptized believer, there are two fatal errors into which you may fall in regard to Christian worship-cerely, it does not matter much in worshipping either without light or heart, knowledge or love. If you worship without light you may, at last, be wrapt in the darkness of everlasting night. If you worship without heart, you may in the end mourn over the wintry barrenness of eternal death. Endless life and light are the portion of those who worship with zeal according to knowledge. Therefore, worship God, who is a spirit, in spirit and in truth. Cast from you that dreadful sentiment of Calvin, that the church may reserve to herself of altering somewhat the ordinances of God in form, if she observe them in substance. Remember that our susceptible natures must needs be "like the dyer's hand, subdued to what it works in ;" and that, therefore, we should deliver up these impressible natures of ours into those ordinances which are the legitimate offspring of God's wisdom and love, and not unto those forms of worship which are the illegitimate abortions of man's pride and foolishness. Remember, Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, and consider in your heart that it were better never to know that there is a God to worship, than to come into his awful presence with strange fire-fire not taken from his own altar-fire which he has not kindled obedience he has not enjoined. The Lord will lift up the light of his countenance upon all those "who seek him after the due order;" but God's face gathers blackness while he puts the indignant interrogation to the lawless will-worshipper, "Who hath required this at your hands ?" If you would see the proper way of viewing this subject, read and meditate upon the 119th Psalm, the burden of which is "Salvation is far from the wicked; because they seek But worship him with heart also. Present him with a warm heart as well as a clear head. Tell it not in Gath! publish it not in Askalon, that any of God's people are coldly affected towards his worship. Their spot is not the spot of his children. They worship him with the lip, and their prayers may be eloquent in expression, and sound in sentiment; but their hearts do not cry Abba Father. They understand not the spiritual desires that prompted the man after God's own heart to cry, "O God! thou art my God! early will I seek thee; my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is; to see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary." If they felt thus, would their places be so often vacant on the Lord's day at the Lord's table? Would they spend that day in visiting their distant earthly friends, to the neglect of their commanded duty to meet the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, where he has promised to meet his people? And if a severe head-ache did indeed keep them from the ordinances, would not their hearts ache more than their heads? Let me exhort you then, O obedient believer, to worship God in the beauty of holiness, and in the warmth of love. If you neglect God's ordinances, you despise him; if you observe them, you honor him. "And them that honour me, I will honour; and they that deipise me shall be lightly esteemed." EXHORTATION TO CHRISTIAN MORALITY.-Christian faith, Christian conversion, Christian worship, will not make a man a Christian, if he do not practice Christian morality. But is it possible that the believing, converted, worshipping Christian, can fail of living in the practice of Christian morality? Yes, indeed, it is sadly possible. With regard to believing it is as a warning to men that James says, "The devils believe and tremble.' As respects conversion, not to mention the possibility that some may be led to baptism by improper motives-as perhaps Simon the sorcerer was-it is too probable, from the weakness and deceitfulness of the heart, that many who have been soundly converted-who have not, like the bewildered sorcerer, merely washed their bodies, but like the intelligent Apostle, washed away their sins, calling upon the name of the Lord-may, nevertheless, "Return like the dog to his own vomit again, and like the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire." And as concerning worship, how often may we see a man praising God to-day with all his might, and tomorrow cheating his neighbour with all his cunning! Therefore, O worshipping, baptized believer, be on your guard. Giving all diligence, add to your faith courage, and to courage knowledge, and to knowledge temperance, and to temperance patience, and to patience godliness, and to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness universal love:""Adorn in all things the doctrine of God your Saviour :" "Let your light so shine before men, that others seeing your good works, may glorify your Father in heaven;" and remember that "As valour lies in hearts, and not in swords, Religion lies in deeds, and not in words." D. L. VERSES. THE GREATEST HAPPIEST MAN; OR THE YOUNG Is't he whose large and lofty mind Can mountains climb, and oceans span ; Or leads of science ranks the van? Or he who listening crowds can charm— On yonder rocky, barren isle, Who bask'd in glory's brightest smile. Does science charm thee? Would'st thou learn The mysteries of the earth and skies? "Tis well: yet I for thee discern A nobler plan-a richer prize. 'Tis not the Demosthenic skill To move the vaccillating crowdTo praise humility, and still Thyself be proudest of the proud. Of greatest joy is he possess'd, And moulds him on the noblest plan, Who loves his Maker first and best, Then as himself his fellow man. This, this is wisdom! let her charms, My son, thy ravished eyes beholdThen clasp her, grasp her in thine arms With one strong, warm, eternal fold, Than all earth's pleasures, praise, or gold. Desiring more her love to hold [The above verses were written after reading Brother Campbell's exbellent Baccalaureate Address on the question, "What constitutes a great man ?" and which appeared in the HARBINGER for November. Need we mention that the warrior alluded to in the 6th verse is Napoleon Bonaparte. If so, it is another proof of the evanescent nature of martial glory. We are not aware that Bonaparte, in his sad captivity, shed literal tears; but when using the term, we had before our mind's eye, Galt's beautiful expression, " Sad thoughts, the tears of the soul." The two last lines in the 8th verse refers to the fact, that Demosthenes was in conduct the opposite of what he was in oratory. D.L.] |