"He that soweth plenteously, shall reap plenteously." We can never do too much; never be too earnest in doing good; because every good action here will, we are certain, be an addition of happiness hereafter; will advance us to a better condition in the life to come, whatever be our lot or success in this. God will not fail of his promise. He hath commissioned his beloved Son to tell us, that they that have done good shall enter into the resurrection of life. Let us humbly and thankfully accept his gracious offer. We have but one business in this world. It is to strive to make us worthy of a better. Whatever this trial may cost us: how long, how earnestly, how patiently soever, through whatever difficulties, by whatever toils, we endeavour to obey and please our Maker, we are supported in them by this solid and never-ceasing consolation, "that our labour is not in vain in the Lord."

SIX SERMONS

ON

PUBLIC OCCASIONS, PREACHED BETWEEN THE YEARS 1777 & 1795.

SERMON I.

PREACHED, JULY 17, 1777, IN THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF CARLISLE, AT THE VISITATION

OF THE RIGHT REVEREND LORD BISHOP OF CARLISLE

CAUTION RECOMMENDED IN THE USE AND APPLICATION OF
SCRIPTURE LANGUAGE.

Eren as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given unto him, hath written unto you; as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other Scriptures, unto their own destruction.—2 PETER, iii. 15, 16.

Ir must not be dissembled that there are many real difficulties in the Christian Scriptures: whilst, at the same time, more, I believe, and greater, may justly be imputed to certain maxims of interpretation, which have obtained authority without reason, and are received without inquiry. One of these, as I apprehend, is the expecting to find, in the present circumstances of Christianity, a meaning for, or something answering to, every appellation and expression which occurs in Scripture; or, in other words, the applying to the personal condition of Christians at this day, those titles, phrases, propositions, and arguments, which belong solely to the situation of Christianity at its first institution.

I am aware of an objection which weighs.much with many serious tempers, namely, that to suppose any part of Scripture to be inapplicable to us, is to suppose a part of Scripture to be useless; which seems to detract from the perfection we attribute to these oracles of our salvation. To this I can only answer, that it would have been one of the strangest things in the world, if the writings of the New Testament had not, like all other books, been composed for the apprehension, and consequently adapted to the circumstances, of the persons they were addressed to; and that it would have been equally strange, if the great, and in many respects the inevitable alterations, which have taken place in those circumstances, did not vary the application of Scripture language.

I design, in the following discourse, to propose some examples of this variation, from which you will judge, as I proceed, of the truth and importance of our general observation. First; at the time the Scriptures were written, none were baptized but converts, and none were converted but from conviction; and conviction produced, for the most part, a corresponding reformation of life and manners. Hence baptism was only another name for

"To the Right Rev. Edmund, Lord Bishop of Carlisle, this Discourse is inscribed, with sentiments of great respect and gratitude, by his Lordship's most dutiful, and most obliged servant and chaplain, W. PALEY."

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conversion, and conversion was supposed to be sincere in this sense was our Saviour's promise, "He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved;" (Mark, xvi. 16.) and in the same his command to St. Paul, Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins;" (Acts, xxii. 16.) this was that baptism, "for the remission of sins," to which St. Peter invited the Jews upon the day of Pentecost; (Acts, ii. 38.) that "washing of regeneration," by which, as St. Paul writes to Titus," he saved us." (Titus, iii. 5.) Now when we come to speak of the baptism which obtains in most Christian churches at present, where no conversion is supposed, or possible, it is manifest, that if these expressions be applied at all, they must be applied with extreme qualification and reserve.

Secondly; the community of Christians were at first a handful of men connected amongst themselves by the strictest union, and divided from the rest of the world by a real difference of principle and persuasion, and what was more observable, by many outward peculiarities of worship and behaviour. This society, considered collectively and as a body, were set apart from the rest of mankind for a more gracious dispensation, as well as actually distinguished by a superior purity of life and conversation. In this view, and in opposition to the unbelieving world, they were denominated in Scripture by titles of great seeming dignity and import; they were "elect," "called," "saints;" (Rom. viii. 33. i. 6, 7.) they were "in Christ;" (Rom. viii. 1.) they were "a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people." (1 Pet. ii. 9.) That is, these terms were employed to distinguish the professors of Christianity from the rest of mankind, in the same manner as the names of Greek and Barbarian, Jew and Gentile, distinguished the people of Greece and Israel from other nations. The application of such phrases to the whole body of Christians is become now obscure; partly because it is not easy to conceive of Christians as a body at all, by reason of the extent of their name and numbers, and the little visible union that subsists among them; and partly, because the heathen world with whom they were compared, and to which comparison these phrases relate, is now ceased, or is removed from our observation. Supposing, therefore, these expressions to have a perpetual meaning, and either forgetting the original use of them, or finding that, at this time, in a great measure exhausted and insignificant, we resort to a sense and an application of them, easier, it may be, to our comprehension, but extremely foreign from the design of their authors, namely, to distinguish individuals, amongst us, the professors of Christianity, from one another: agreeably to which idea the most flattering of these names, the "elect," "called," "saints,” have, by bold and unlearned men, been appropriated to themselves, and their own party, with a presumption and conceit injurious to the reputation of our religion amongst "them that are without," and extremely disgusting to the sober part of its professors; whereas, that such titles were intended in a sense common to all Christian converts, is well argued from many places in which they occur, in which places you may plainly substitute the terms convert, or converted, for the strongest of these phrases, without any alteration of the author's meaning. E.g. "Dare any of you go to law before the unjust and not before the saints?" (1 Cor. vi. 1.) "Is any man called being circumcised, let him not become uncircumcised:" (1 Cor. vii. 18.) "The church that is at Babylon elected together with you saluteth you" (1 Pet. v. 13.) "Salute Andronicus and Junia, who were in Christ before me." (Rom. xvi. 7.)

Thirdly; in opposition to the Jews, who were so much offended by the preaching of the gospel to the Gentiles, St. Paul maintains, with great industry, that it was God Almighty's intention, from the first, to substitute at a fit season into the place of the rejected Israelites a society of men taken indifferently out of all nations under heaven, and admitted to be the people of God upon easier and more comprehensive terms: this is expressed in the Epistle to the Ephesians, as follows-" Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself, that, in the dispensation of the fulness of times, he might gather together in one all things in Christ." (Eph. i. 9, 10; also see Eph. iii. 5, 6.) This scheme of collecting such a society was what God foreknew before the foundation of the world; was what he did predestinate; was the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus; and, by consequence, this society, in their collective capacity, were the objects of this foreknowledge, predestination, and purpose; that is, in the language of the

apostles, they were they "whom he did foreknow," they "whom he did predestinate;" (Rom. viii. 29.) they were "chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world;” (Eph. i. 4.) they were "elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father." (1 Pet. i. 2.) This doctrine has nothing in it harsh or obscure. But what have we made of it? The rejection of the Jews, and the adopting another community into their place, composed, whilst it was carrying on, an object of great magnitude in the attention of the inspired writers who understood and observed it. This event, which engaged so much the thoughts of the apostle, is now only read of, and hardly that—the reality and the importance of it are little known or attended to. Losing sight, therefore, of the proper occasion of these expressions, yet willing, after our fashion, to adapt them to ourselves, and finding nothing else in our circumstances that suited with them, we have learnt at length to apply them to the final destiny of individuals at the day of judgment; and upon this foundation, has been erected a doctrine which lays the axe at once to the root of all religion, that of an absolute appointment to salvation or perdition independent of ourselves or any thing we can do; and, what is extraordinary, those very arguments and expressions, (Rom. chap. ix. x. xi.) which the apostle employed to vindicate the impartial mercies of God, against the narrow and excluding claims of Jewish prejudice, have been interpreted to establish a dispensation the most arbitrary and partial that could be devised.

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Fourthly; the conversion of a grown person from Heathenism to Christianity, which is the case of conversion commonly intended in the epistles, was a change of which we have now no just conception: it was a new name, a new language, a new society; a new faith, a new hope; a new object of worship, a new rule of life: a history was disclosed full of discovery and surprise; a prospect of futurity was unfolded, beyond imagination awful and august; the same description applies in a great part, though not entirely, to the conversion of a Jew. This, accompanied as it was with the pardon of every former sin, (Romans, iii. 25.) was such an era in a man's life, so remarkable a period in his recollection, such a revolution of everything that was most important to him, as might well admit of those strong figures and significant allusions by which it is described in Scripture; it was a regeneration," (Tit. iii. 5.) or a new birth it was to be "born again of God and of the Spirit;" (Johu, i. 13. iii. 5.) it was to be "dead to sin," and "alive from the dead;" (Rom. vi. 2. 13.) it was to "be buried with Christ in baptism, and raised together with him;" Col. ii. 12.) it was a new creature," (2 Cor. v. 17.) and " a new creation ;” (Eph. iv. 24.) it was a translation from the condition of "slaves to that of sons ;" (Gal. iv. 7.) from " strangers and foreigners, to be fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God." (Eph. ii. 19.) It is manifest that no change equal or similar to the conversion of a Heathen can be experienced by us, or by any one educated in a Christian country, and to whom the facts, precepts, and hopes, of Christianity, have been from his infancy familiar: yet we will retain the same language; and what has been the consequence? One sort of men, observing nothing in the lives of Christians corresponding to the magnificence, if I may so say, of these expressions, have been tempted to conclude, that the expressions themselves had no foundation in truth and nature, or in anything but the enthusiasm of their authors. Others, again, understand these phrases to signify nothing more, than that gradual amendment of life and conversation, which reason and religion sometimes produce in particular Christians of which interpretation it is truly said, that it degrades too much the proper force of language, to apply expressions of such energy and import to an event so ordinary in its own nature, and which is common to Christianity with every other moral institution. Lastly: a third sort, in order to satisfy these expressions to their full extent, have imagined to themselves certain perceptible impulses of the Holy Ghost, by which, in an instant, and in a manner, no doubt, sufficiently extraordinary, they are regenerate and born of the Spirit ;" they become "new creatures;" they are made the " sons of God," who were before the "children of wrath;" they are "freed from sin," and "from death:" they are chosen, that is, and sealed, without a possibility of fall, unto final salvation. Whilst the patrons of a more sober exposition have been often challenged, and sometimes confounded, with the question-if such expressions of Scripture do not mean this, what do they mean? To which we answer, nothing: nothing, that is, to us: nothing to be found, or sought for, in the present circumstances of Christianity.

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More examples might be produced, in which the unwary use of Scripture language has been the occasion of difficulties and mistakes; but I forbear. The present are sufficient to show, that it behoves every one who undertakes to explain the Scriptures, before he determine to whom or what an expression is now-a-days to be applied, to consider diligently whether it admit of any such application at all; or whether it is not rather to be restrained to the precise circumstances and occasion for which it was originally composed.

I make no apology for addressing this subject to this audience; because whatever relates to the interpretation of Scripture, relates as I conceive to us; for if, by any light we may cast upon these ancient books, we can enable and invite the people to read the Bible for themselves, we discharge, in my judgment, the first duty of our function; ever bearing in mind, that we are the ministers, not of our own fame or fancies, but of the sincere gospel of Jesus Christ.

SERMON II.

PREACHED AT A GENERAL ORDINATION, HOLDEN AT ROSE CASTLE, ON SUNDAY,

JULY 29, 1781.

ADVICE, ADDRESSED TO THE YOUNG CLERGY OF THE DIOCESS OF CARLISLE*.

Let no man despise thy youth.-1 Tım. iv. 12.

THE author of this Epistle, with many better qualities, possessed in a great degree what we at this day call a knowledge of the world. He knew, that although age and honours, authority of station, and splendour of appearance, usually command the veneration of mankind, unless counteracted by some degrading vice, or egregious impropriety of behaviour; yet, that where these advantages are wanting, where no distinction can be claimed from rank, importance from power, or dignity from years; in such circumstances, and under the inevitable depression of narrow fortunes, to procure and preserve respect requires both care and merit. The apostle also knew, and in the text taught his beloved convert, that to obtain the respect of those amongst whom he exercised his ministry, was an object deserving the ambition of a Christian teacher, not indeed for his own sake, but for theirs, there being little reason to hope that any would profit by his instruction who despised his person.

If St. Paul thought an admonition of this sort worthy of a place in his Epistle to Timothy, it cannot surely be deemed either beside or beneath the solemnity of this occasion, to deliver a few practicable rules of life and behaviour, which may recommend you to the esteem of the people, to whose service and salvation you are now about to dedicate your lives and labours. In the first place, the stations which you are likely, for some time at least, to occupy in the church, although not capable of all the means of rendering service, and challenging respect, which fall within the power of your superiors, are free from many prejudices that attend upon higher preferments. Interfering interests and disputed rights; or where there is no place for dispute, the very claim and reception of legal dues, so long as what is received by the minister is taken from the parishioner, form oftentimes an almost insuperable obstruction to the best endeavours that can be used to conciliate the good-will of a neighbourhood. These difficulties perplex not you. In whatever contests with his parishioners the principal may be engaged, the curate has neither dispute nor demand to stand between him and the affections of his congregation.

Another and a still more favourable circumstance in your situation is this; being upon a level with the greatest part of your parishioners, you gain an access to their conversation and

*It is recommended to those who are preparing for holy orders, within the diocess of Carlisle, to read Collier's Sacred Interpreter, and the Four Gospels with Clark's Paraphrase; and to candidates for pricsts' orders, carefully to peruse Taylor's Paraphrase on the Romans.