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inculcate the principles of the Church among those, who compose my own congregation. Religious controversy I ever have and ever shall deprecate. But the fair, open, manly, and peaceable investigation of truth must not be denied to the Christian minister, and this I shall adopt and pursue in a manner as unexceptionable as my own infirmities and the nature of the subject will allow. It certainly does lead me to the conclusion that ministers, who are not episcopally ordained, are acting as such, without any lawful authority; but this has always been the doctrine of the Church, and as is also contended, the doctrine of the Apostles and primitive Christians. Whether I shall be able to satisfy you on these points must be left to your own future judgment. In the mean time give me your patient attention, and be determined to embrace the truth as it is in Jesus, however it may comport with or contradict opinions already formed.

Amid the multitude of sects into which the mystical body of Christ our Saviour is now rent and divided; a circumstance so foreign from his doctrine, and so opposed to the holy counsels of his Apostles; it surely must be an object of extreme solicitude to every honest and sincere believer in him, to ascertain where his ministers rightfully exercise the functions of the priesthood; where they rightfully preach, and baptize, and celebrate the supper of the Lord. You shall know, so far as my humble powers and diligent examination will allow me to promise. It is a topick to which I have already devoted many hours of calm, dispassionate study, and the result has confirmed me in the opinion, that schism is the greatest curse of Christendom; that it is attended with more fatal consequences than the united attacks of infidelity and vice, and that the world will never be converted to Christianity, until its present professors discard their existing animosities and divisions, and cordially unite together in the Church, which is thus described by St. Paul; "There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism." "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free."

May God therefore of his infinite mercy direct us into that Church, whether it be Presbyterian, or Baptist, or Methodist, or Episcopal. May he possess all Christian people with light to discern, and readiness of mind to embrace it. The wounds of many

festering hearts would be healed. The jealousies of many bitter partisans of rival standards would subside. The joy of all the faithful and godly in these denominations, and many of other communions would abound. Peace and order would be substituted for rancour and strife, for confusion and every evil work. In due time, the heathen would hear of it and be glad. The news would be wafted upon the wings of the wind. Messengers of grace and love would carry it to them in every direction. There would be none to molest or to make them afraid, convinced as all men would necessarily be, by this happy fulfilment of the sure word of prophecy; convinced as all men would be, that the Lord God Omnipotent reigned, that the Zion of his beloved Son was indeed deserving the praise of the whole earth, and that "her righteousness ought to go forth as brightness, and her salvation as a lamp that burneth." AMEN.

SERMON II.

ISAIAH lxii. 1.

For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.

THE ardent affection and zeal for the welfare of Zion and Jerusalem, expressed in these words by the prophet Isaiah, combined with the object of these discourses, already announced, render it proper to remark, that the two names are equally applicable to the Church of the living God.

Zion signifies," a monument raised," "a heap of stones set up;" Jerusalem, "the vision of the perfect or of the pacifick," "the vision of peace, or the possession, or the inheritance of peace." The latter name was given to the city of David, which contained the temple of the Lord God of Israel, and the former was applied to the

mountain upon which it was built. "Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth," says the Psalmist, "is Mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. God is known in her palaces for a refuge." Its application to the Jewish Church pervades the old testament, and in the new, the Apostle Paul applies it from Isaiah to the Christian; "As it is written, Behold I lay in Sion a stumbling stone, and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed." He also speaks of "Jerusalem which now is," and of "Jerusalem which is above;" in this manner designating the Church militant and the Church triumphant.

In perfect coincidence with the language and feelings of Isaiah, I may therefore express the warmth of my attachment, to what I believe to be the true Apostolick Church, in his own devout and fervid Vow; "For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth."

The scriptures of the new testament are, indeed, full of encomiums upon the organized society of the disciples of Jesus, which is there emphatically described as the Church. Having reminded you of several upon the last sabbath, I shall merely recite upon the present occasion, the solemn declaration of our Lord to one of his Apostles; "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." The object is not to contend against the peculiar interpretation of this passage maintained by our fellow Christians of the Roman Catholick persuasion; but in every attempt to discuss a controverted subject, it is important to understand the precise import of terms. What then did our Saviour mean in this celebrated text by his Church? It has been defined, an assembly of faithful men, of believers, of true Christians. But the definition is not strictly correct. For the traitor Judas belonged to it during our Lord's ministry. Simon Magus was baptized into it by Philip, one of the seven deacons, and among other parables, Jesus put forth one, in which he described it, as a field containing wheat and tares, and said, "Let both grow together until the harvest." So that to speak of his Church, as comprising those only, among the various denominations of Christians, whom God shall perceive and acknowledge to be faithful and true, is directly

at variance with this description, and the two examples which have been adduced.

I prefer therefore a more scriptural explanation. I prefer to consider that portion of men, who have submitted to the holy rite of baptism, as constituting the body of Christ's Church, no matter what may be the real state of their hearts and affections. This can be known to him only, who searcheth the heart and trieth the reins. But that which is visible is known to us, On the one side, we have the world, and on the other those, that have been taken from it, and sacramentally admitted into the Church, of which Christ is the head, because he purchased it with his blood, and because it is a kingdom over which he exercises supreme power and authority.

The great, the all important question remains however to be discussed. Baptism is undoubtedly the initiatory rite or sacrament, by which we enter the visible fold of Christ; but how is that fold itself established? Where resides the instrumental power of conferring its gracious privileges upon the sons and daughters of men?

Will you tell me, Brethren, that any men or set of men can per form all this, in virtue of their own free will and pleasure? It would be a very popular doctrine, and would harmonize wonderfully well with that spirit of freedom, which built up, and still perpetuates our political institutions. And no man can honour that spirit, or love those institutions more than the preacher of to-day. Most cheerfully and most heartily do I recognise the principle, that in the civil concerns of this life, all power and sovereignty reside, and of right ought to reside in the people. They can form what government they choose, and they can alter it when they choose; whenever indeed the happiness and prosperity of the larger number loudly demand a change. Herein they are the sole judges and the sole rulers. The Almighty hath set no limits to their power, except that it be exercised in justice and equity. "Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people."

While however I am thus anxious to range myself on the side of those, who zealously maintain the political rights and privileges of mankind on the subject of self government, I am no such enthusiast in favour of human liberty, as to imagine, that it can justly arrogate to itself the smallest original authority, where God hath expressly reserved it to himself. Popular or not popular, Christ

Jesus is with me, King in Zion and Lord of all. "Thy throne," O'Christ, "is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows." And that throne and that sceptre, the throne and sceptre of a kingdom, which is spiritual, which he himself declared was not of this world; these, he hath never relinquished; these, he never will relinquish until in the language of Paul," the end cometh, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule, and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet."

And I desire no plainer testimony than this, to prove the inability of mere men to establish his Church, and commission his ambassadors, as they would establish a new form of government, and commission its executive, legislative, and judicial officers. For this purpose they have neither warrant nor example from the scriptures. The Jewish Church and priesthood were the result of divine appointment alone, and the Christian stand upon the same foundation. "Jesus came and spake unto" the eleven disciples, "saying, all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world."

You perceive, Brethren, by the very terms of this commission. that it was limited in its nature, and in the privileges, which it conferred. Our Saviour did not address mankind, at large. Here is no authority conveyed to Jewish doctors; those who officiated in Jewish synagogues, to go about evangelizing the world, and baptizing their converts into his spiritual fold. It is not conveyed to the best of them, to Gamaliel, to Nicodemus, to Joseph of Arimathea, much less to the worst. It is not even conveyed to the seventy disciples, whom he had before elected, and sent abroad on errands of miraculous grace and virtue; but to the eleven and the eleven alone. Had others acted under it, it would have been a manifest usurpation of ungranted power, it would have been a violation of Christ's ordinance, and would have subjected the offender, perhaps, to the same punishment, which afterwards befel Ananias and Sapphira.

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