On the other hand, it is never to be forgotten, that we are saved by grace; and if there is yet among us any lingering thought of deserving heaven by our good deeds, we need to be reminded of the earnestness with which the apostles taught, that we are saved by grace-by the free grace, the benignity, the forgiving compassion of our Maker. And if any of us are thinking that our claim to the Divine favour, though not perfect, is yet quite promising; - that we have done so little evil, and have led a life so moral and unimpeachable, that it would be unjust in God to punish us for our sin, we may rest assured that we know little of ourselves, and less still of that humility, contrition, and deep sense of unworthiness, that belong to the real Christian.

4. The remarks which have been made, might be applied to several topics in the Epistles, but we are limited for the present, to one further: I mean the subject of religious experience. Religious experience, in the early age, was itself strongly coloured by circumstances, and the description of it still more.

It is to be considered, in the first place, that the circumstances of that age gave to religion a character of powerful excitement. We are to remember that it was the age of miracles, of signs and wonders; that it was the era of a new and wonderful revelation; that it was the epoch of a new religious dominion; and that men's minds were strongly excited, by what was novel, marvellous, or prospective around them. We are to remember, that the new religion aroused them from a guilty and degraded idolatry, and naturally filled them with amazement and alarm.

Again, it is to be considered, that the circumstances of that age made religion, if I may speak so, a more notable thing—a thing more easily marked by dates, more easily referred to a certain period of time. Conversion in that day consisted of two parts. It was a turning from Paganism to Christianity; and it was a turning from sin to holiness. Conversion, therefore, was both an event and an experience; not an experience only, as it now is, but an event-a thing that could be dated from a certain day and hour. We are to remember, then, that conversion was not a change of affections, only, but of the whole religion; a change of rites, of customs, of the whole course of life-that it was a change of hopes, too-that it introduced men into a new world, a world of new, and bright, and astonishing revelations; that it was for this reason, that a new phraseology become applicable to them, not to their character entirely, but in part to their circumstances; that they became, at once, externally, rather than internally, new creatures; that old things passed away, and all things became new; that they were brought out of darkness into marvellous light. We see in all this, I say, the colouring of circumstances. These men were not at once made perfect, and fit for heaven, as the language would seem to represent; for they were urged to make their calling and election sure. guage describes an inward change indeed; but it also describes a ceremonial change. If the change had been altogether spiritual, we doubtless should have had a simpler and more accurate phraseology on the subject. We know, indeed, that an instantaneous and total change of all the habits, thoughts, feelings, and purposes of the soul, is incompatible with the nature of the mind, and with all proper moral influence upon it.

The lan

It can require but little reflection to convince you of all this. You must have observed, also, what injury the literal application of this language to religious experience in later days, has produced, by awakening noisy excitement, and abundant joys, and rash confidence, and, on the whole, an artificial, and extravagant experience, at a moment when simplicity, and modesty, and anxiety, and watchfulness, were of all things the most suitable and desirable. And you must have reflected, how much better and fitter it would have been, in that moment of imaginary or real conversion, for the subject of it, instead of coming forth to the multitude to tell what the Lord had done for his soul-how much better, if he had gone away to his retired closet to pray, and to carry on the secret struggle of the religious life in his own bosom; how much better for him who thinks himself to have been a Christian but for one hour, or for one day, in that day, in that hour, to be silent, thoughtful, diffident, anxious!

But there is danger, and great danger, on the other hand. Perceiving that the apostolic language had a special application to former times, we may imagine, that it has little or no relation to us. The colouring of circumstance, which is spread over their phraseology, may hide from us its deep and serious meaning. We may imagine, that the doctrine of conversion is but an antiquated notion, with which we have little or no concern. We may look upon it as the costume of religious experience, in an ancient age, which is now quite laid aside. Yet how strange would it be to suppose a costume, which clothed nothing, or a body— of phraseology, if I may speak so without a living spirit! And how low must be our conceptions of Jesus and his apostles-of the most spiritual teachers the world ever saw, if we imagine their ultimate object to have been, to bring about a formal change of religion, a mere change of rites and names!-Their doctrine, may it never be forgotten! pointed chiefly to the heart; and we all have a concern with it more weighty and solemn, than any circumstances can impose. If, my friends, if we are Christians only in name - if we hope for heaven only because we were born in a Christian land, we still need a conversion. If we are worldly; if we are covetous or sensual; if we are guided by inclination rather than by duty, we need a conversion, not less than that which the Pagan experienced. If we are unkind, severe, censorious, or injurious, in the relations or the intercourse of life; if we are unfaithful parents, or undutiful children; if we are severe masters, or faithless servants; if we are treacherous friends, or bad neighbours, or bitter competitors, we need a conversion; we need a change, greater than merely from Paganism to Christianity. If, in fine, we have never yet formed the resolute and serious purpose of leading a religious life; if we do not love the duties of piety; if we have not yet learnt the fear of God, nor cherished the spirit of prayer, we need a conversion. We need to be anxious: we need to fear. We need to strive to enter in at the strait gate.

And

Religion is as full of absorbing interest, now, as it ever was. if we ever enter this way of life, though our access to it will hardly be joyful and triumphant, if we are wise; yet there will be- let us not take the part of the cold-hearted scoffer! there will be joys-abundant joys in its progress: and there will be triumph, glorious triumph in its close. But first, there will be, as of old, many an anxious struggle,

many a serious meditation, many an earnest prayer: there will be, there must be watchings and fears, there must be striving, and hope; and then will come the triumph. Yes, weary Christian! there will be triumph-glorious triumph-when you can say, with the fervent apostle, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith; henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me at that day."

DISCOURSE II

1 CORINTHIANS ix. 22: "To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak; I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some."

THE use which has been made of this passage will be recollected. It manifestly supports the principle that Paul's instructions were modified by the circumstances in which they were given. We are, therefore, led to conclude that there was something in the manner and form of the apostolic instructions, peculiar to the early age; while, at the same time, there is a spirit in them that belongs to all ages.

5. We have attempted, in some particulars, to make this distinction between the local and the general application of them; and proceed directly to notice, as a fifth instance of this distinction, the manner in which our Saviour is spoken of in the New Testament. Now there are two circumstances which affected this manner.

The first, indeed, was not entirely peculiar to that age, but it deserves to be mentioned as stamping a peculiarity upon the language of the apostles concerning Jesus Christ. It was common to call a system in religion or philosophy familiarly by the name of its founder; so that the name of the founder became a kind of appellative for the system. Thus Plato was the familiar name for the doctrine or philosophy of Plato. Thus Christians were said to be constantly in Christ-to be members of Christ-to be baptized into him-to put on the Lord Jesus Christ; meaning, of course, in all these instances, the principles and doctrines of his religion. Now this was the custom of the age, the style of writing and speaking; it was form, it was phraseology; and we are perfectly at liberty to lay it aside, when it is no longer consonant with our general habits of speaking; and when we look less with admiration upon Jesus Christ, as the founder of a new system, than with veneration, as the Saviour of men.-And yet this sort of phraseology is, with some, the test of evangelical preaching; and though you speak never so clearly and fervently of the great principles of Christianity, it will be said, and perhaps contemptuously said, that "there is nothing of Christ in it."

But there is another circumstance to be mentioned. It is this: that the apostles spoke of Jesus as eye-witnesses; as those who had seen him in his teachings, in his sufferings; who had been with him and lived with him; and who would naturally speak of him with the warmth of a personal interest and friendship. These remarks apply to Paul, also, for there was, doubtless, a mutual sympathy among the early disciples,

in these feelings; these were a spirit of the age. Perhaps it is in imitation of this, without the same circumstances to justify it, that there is sometimes witnessed, an irreverent and almost shocking familiarity with the name of Jesus: and a neglect to consider the circumstances, together with doctrinal errors, has led others, perhaps, to speak of Jesus Christ with an affection, trust, and delight, far beyond what they ever ascribe to God the Father. So that a writer justly remarks, that a discourse on the goodness of God, shall pass for something very flat, cold, and common-place, while a discourse on the compassion of Christ to sinners, shall be looked upon as containing the very marrow and essence of the Gospel.

There certainly have been in the world, and are, very singular and superstitious feelings concerning Jesus Christ;-there is a peculiarity in men's regard towards him, of which I do not remember to have seen any explanation attempted. Nothing has been so sacred in religion as the name of Christ; nothing deemed so awful as to profane it-not even to profane the name of God himself. Nothing has so tasked, and awed, and overwhelmed the minds of men, as inquiries into his nature and offices. Of the dread attributes of God, of the momentous concerns of human duty, they could freely reason and speculate. Concerning these subjects, it has not been thought rash to inquire. Nay, it has been judged lawful and wise, not only to examine our early impressions, but to modify, to change, to improve them. Indeed, everything else in religion is open to our scrutiny. But the moment any one undertakes to scrutinize the character and offices of our Saviour, he is assailed with voices of warning. If he dares to doubt, he is given up for lost. It would seem as if there was some peculiar and superstitious fear of doing wrong or offence to Christ, a scrupulous care on this point, a punctiliousness of devotion to him-such as the idolater pays to the duty he most fears, or to the symbol he most reverences. on the other hand, the same general state of mind takes the form of a fond and sentimental attachment, expressed by the most odious and offensive freedom of speech. And many really imagine, that while with a kind of sympathetic fervour, they are embracing the Being of their impassioned imagination, and are calling him dear Saviour," and "precious Christ," and "lovely Jesus," they are entering into the very heart and life of religion.

Or,

Without undertaking fully to account for this extravagant state of mind, which would lead us too far from our object, we may remark in passing, that it has probably, in part, grown out of a mistaken and improper attempt to adopt entirely the language and feeling of the early disciples. The imitation has, indeed, as usual, gone far beyond the original. For never did the apostles inculcate any such superstitious emotion of fear, or give licence to any such sickening fondness of language concerning Christ, as has been witnessed in later days.

Far different from this, far more rational, far more reverential, far more profound and earnest, too, is the gratitude and admiration which we are bound to entertain for the greatest moral Benefactor of men. The ages that have intervened between us and his actual residence on earth, have only accumulated evidences and illustrations of the value and grandeur of his work. Be it so, that his teaching, his doctrine, his system of religion is often figuratively called by his name; yet it is