however kindly we may accost him. If we would succeed in our labor with him, we must take all this into the account, and prepare ourselves against being discouraged by such an event. We must make due allowance for his words and temper at such a time, remembering that the heart must be tendered and softened, before it can be formed to a right mould; and if we allow ourselves to seize an unadvised word which he may drop in the moment of excitement, and which might be expected, considering him in a backslidden state, and thus turn from him to make what he may say an additional cause of complaint against him, without an effort to overcome his opposition of feeling, we need not hope to be successful in our work. It would be contrary to the order of things, because it would be to require that he give evidence by his words and temper of being exercised by the spirit of the Gospel in order to render him a proper subject of our labors, and care to restore him to such a spirit. Let us remember, then, that we must patiently bear such repulses, and take no advantage of them, as it must defeat our object, both by discouraging further effort in his case, and multiplying obstacles against his return. There are those indeed, who are extremely forward to rebuke all whom they consider as going astray.Without any care to know precisely the state of the case, they fall abruptly upon them in harsh and vindictive terms, as though they had been guilty of some high personal offence against them, sometimes magnifying the causes of offence, and ever adding to them vague reports and invidious insinuations, as though they had a desire to aggravate the case as much as possible. It must be evident that such a course is calculated to produce a most unfavorable effect. One toward whom it is practised, will readily imbibe an impression that his admonishers have no sincere regard for his welfare, but are proud of an opportunity of commending themselves, by exposing his errors and infirmities, and are equally reckless of his feelings and his reputation. In this momentous work, all signs of such feelings and motives must be avoided. We must convince the offending brother that we love him, tenderly love him, though we may hate 'the garmeut spotted by the flesh. We must show him by all we say and do, that one object alone influences our whole conduct to wards him, and that object is his salvation. This we must do, not in the cold terms of an affected friendship, "but from a heart deeply imbued with the spirit of benevolence and brotherly love, for without this, the workings of a secret self-complacency will betray themselves, and have a tendency rather to disgust than reform him.

In a word, brethren, this duty must be performed in the spirit of forbearance. We must not allow ourselves to be easily diverted from our object. If reviled, we must entreat. If driven from one point, seize upon another. As a father would pursue a prodigal son, and endeavor by admonitions and entreaties to effect his return, so we must apply ourselves to win over the feelings of our alienated brethren, while there is hope in their case. Is it not too often the case that those who fall into sin are hastily forsaken and abandoned to the solitude of their own troubled hearts, in a manner to leave an

impression that they have no share in the affectionate regards of their former friends? And is it not probable that there are many who remain wanderers from God, and beyond the range of the gospel's influence, in consequence of this impression, who might, by a course of kind and affectionate treatment, be induced to return to their father's house ? O brethren, has not this duty been too much neglected? Have we not been too easily prevailed upon by our feelings to give up backsliders as lost, without fully satisfying ourselves respecting what might be done in their case, by a little more zeal and perseverance? It is often alleged in excuse for neglecting them, that they have been guilty of great improprieties of conduct. This, in some instances, may be evidence that our endeavors to recover them would be useless; in many others it is not. Peter was highly criminal in denying his Lord; and his profane asseverations greatly aggravated his guilt. Ordinarily, these would be quoted as evidence of such extreme wickedness as would justify an abandonment of any who could indulge in them to the error of their way. But Peter was reclaimed. And how many others might be, if all Christians were faithful in this duty?

III.

WE SHALL NOW ATTEND BRIEFLY TO THE MOTIVE HELD OUT IN THE TEXT TO ENCOURAGE US IN THIS DUTY.

'

This motive is contained in these words- he shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.' It embraces two distinct items, which require to be separately considered.

1. He shall save a soul from death.' The plain meaning of this is, he shall be instrumental in saving a soul from hell. When we contemplate the worth of an immortal soul, and the eternity of misery to which it is liable, this is certainly a motive of vast importance. Besides, as it will no doubt appear in the great day, when the books shall be opened, to both the saved and those who have been instrumental in their salvation, precisely how far the influence of the latter has been instrumental in rescuing the former, this labor of love will be a source of exquisite and unceasing satisfaction to both, while they dwell together in heaven. They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmanent; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever.'

6

2. And shall hide a multitude of sins.' 6 This requires a more critical examination. We will say in the first place, that the common, unstudied construction which some appear to give to the passage is, that the sins of the reclaimed backslider, being pardoned, will never be permitted to appear to his mortification and reproach. If this were all that is implied in the text, it would exceedingly weaken the force of the motive; for it cannot be deemed a matter of great interest to be instrumental in barely thus covering up the sins of an individual, when neither his salvation, nor that of any one else is in any way affected by it. But the principle is not correct. The very conversion alluded to in the text, admits of no such covering up of sin, but requires directly the reverse. 'He that covereth his sins shall not prosper; but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.'If we say that we have no sin, we

deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.' If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.' Nothing can be more absurd than to attempt to reclaim a backslider by teaching him to avoid confessing his sins. This, the pride of his own heart will always prompt him to.Our work is to endeavor to subdue that pride, and to prevail on him, in the spirit of contrition and humility, to confess and forsake his sins, that he may receive pardon. Not indeed that he is to number and name all his sins; this we presume is not implied in the terms of confession. But inasmuch as he has been wont, in the pride of his heart, to excuse or justify them, he must now openly confess his criminality in them. And, moreover, there are many sins more commonly indulged in by the backslider than others, which a spirit of contrition will especially incline him to confess openly. Such are his groundless jealousies, secret enmity and heartburnings against his brethren; his ungrateful returns for their kindness in warning and admonishing him; the causeless broils he has occasioned, and particularly those acts which have brought reproach upon the cause of Christ. These, together with whatever he may have done to injure others, whose grievances he cannot redress without humble acknowledgments of the wrong he has done them, his conversion will have a tendency rather to disclose than conceal. Nor is it true that the sins of the backslider will be covered, according to this interpretation, in the day of judgment; for it is expressly said in the Scriptures, that God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil;' and also, 'there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed.' Sins which have been pardoned, will not indeed be brought in the judgment to condemn those who have committed them, but rather to exhibit the plenitude of grace and mercy through which they have been forgiv

en.

This will be calculated to inspire the redeemed with a sense of their vast obligations to their glorious Redeemer, and with a spirit of humility before him. In this view of the subject, it would be absurd even to desire that the sins of any should be hid in the manner above described; and, consequently there is no motive, according to this interpretation of the text, to induce us to labor for it.

3. Divines and theologians who have attended more critically to the subject, have, for the most part, pursued a different track. It appears to be a prevailing opinion among them, that by a multitude of sins' is meant the sins of the reclaimed backslider, or the one who is instrumental in reclaiming him, or both. In a compilation of critical and explanatory annotations, designed for the use of families, Dr. Hammond's note on this passage is introduced as a satisfactory explanation of it. He says, Here is a double encouragement to excite our charity, in order to the conversion of an erring brother. 1. The advantage to the receiver; to wit, the saving of his soul: And 2. To the instrument himself; to wit, the hiding a multitude of his sins. Bishop Atterbury and Dr. Scott* are quoted as contending that the covering a multitude of sins, includes also, that the pious action of which the Apostle speaks, engages God to look with greater indulgence on

*See Dr. Adam Clark's notes on the passage.

the character of the person that performs it, and to be less severe in marking what he has done amiss.' In a sermon preached by a late worthy minister* at one of the principal seats of theological literature in our country, and published by request, both in a periodical of distinguished claims, and in a pamphlet form, we find this remark.— The second topic of encouragement in this duty is, the hiding, or pardon of a multitude of sins of sins as committed against God; and that in two respects; of sins in him who is converted from the error of his way, and of sins in him who is the happy instrument of such conversion.' From these facts it is inferred that this mode of interpretation is very generally adopted as correct. A few reflections, however, will convince us, it is presumed, that it is liable to many and weighty objections.

4. It involves, in the first place, principles contrary to the plainest doctrines of the Gospel. That any good acts of ours should have the effect to absolve us from our sins, or to expiate the guilt of another, is absurd and anti-evangelical. In the truly evangelical language of the articles of our Church, We are accounted righteous before God, only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, by faith, and not for our own works or deservings:Wherefore, that we are justified by faith only, is a most wholesome doctrine, and very full of comfort. Moreover, he who labors for the conversion of another, is supposed to have been converted himself, and to act under the influence of justifying faith, of which such labor is the fruit, and in no sense the producing cause. It has of course, nothing to do with effecting his own pardon, and consequently this cannot be a motive to induce him to endeavor the conversion of others. To this we may add, that according to this interpretation we cannot perceive any advantage to the converted sinner, arising from what is contained in this member of the text; for the whole that it implies is embraced in the previous clause,' he shall save a soul from death,' and this remains as only a weak and unmeaning tautology, of far less force as a motive, than the section in which the interpretation supposes it to be contained.

The interpretation, we may be allowed to add, is as dangerous as it is absurd. It would be far better to suppose that it has no meaning distinct from what is embraced in the preceding clause, than to attach such a meaning to it. If our good actions be capable of covering sins in the light of atonement or expiation, then may we exclude Christ from the economy of salvation. And to what fatal errors and delusions would this lead us? The result would be the same, whether we consider our good deeds as procuring an entire pardon of all our sins, or engaging God to be less severe in marking what we have done amiss.' If divine justice can abate its claims in consideration of any number of good deeds, then may we assume that they may be increased to an amount sufficient to cancel them. But a community of evangelical Christians cannot need to be informed that pardon of sin is a single act of divine mercy; and that good works, such as we are speaking of, have no part in it. In the spirit of our excellent article, they follow after justification, and spring

*Rev. P. M. Whelpley.

out of a true and lively faith, insomuch that by them a lively faith may be as evidently known, as a tree is discerned by its fruit. We conclude, therefore, that the hiding of a multitude of sins, does not imply the pardon of sin, either in whole or in part. It must, we apprehend, be construed as connected with the doctrine of rewards. This doctrine, however, is founded on principles widely different in their nature and application, from those which sustain the great fundamental truths of pardon and justification through faith in Christ; and if the motive held out in the text be explained as connected with the doctrine of rewards, we must be guided in such explanation by the general laws involved in those principles. We will only say here, that these will exclude from the pious acts which shall hide a multitude of sins, all idea of an expiatory equivalent for sins committed.

5. In this view of the subject, the hiding of a multitude of sins is to be understood hypothetically, not of sins actually committed, but sins which as naturally grow out of the backslidings of professors as corrupt waters spring from an evil fountain. This is in accordance with the sense in which the term 'to hide' is sometimes used in the scriptures, which is, to turn away, suppress, or cut off. Hence David, Jeremiah and others, pray that the Lord would not hide, or turn away his ear from hearing them. Hence also, Isaiah accuses the Jews of not hiding their sins, that is of persevering boldly in their transgressions, and not ceasing to sin. In this sense of the term, whatever suppresses, cuts off, and turns away the incipient streams of corruption, which, if permitted to flow on, would swell to a fountain, is justly said to hide that which it thus prevents. Now when we consider the axioms of our blessed Lord, that 'it must needs be that offences come,' and that every corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit,' we see clearly that a vast amount of evil will spring from the backsliding of an individual, as naturally and truly-as evil fruit will be produced by a corrupt tree; and that this can be hid, or prevented, only by checking its incipient causes.

6. This interpretation allows to the motive all that force and energy which it seems designed to possess. In rescuing the backslider, we accomplish a work whose tendency is, in the first place, his own individual salvation, and, secondly, a prevention of all the evils which would grow out of his perverseness in a backslidden state. These the apostle sets forth in the terms, a multitude of sins.' And who, that has taken the pains to trace the track of the backslider, and to mark the desolations which follow him in all his ways, will say that the language of the apostle is either inappropriate or extravagant? One sinner destroyeth much good. This sentiment, which is true with respect to all sinners, is, in the case of the backslider, peculiarly emphatical. When once given up to the error of his way, to work all manner of wickedness with greediness, how is his heart set in him to do evil? and what advantages does he possess to wound the cause whose peculiarities he so well