Imatges de pàgina
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profit them, he must make himself mighty in the scriptures, and preach according to the Bible. speak not at present of those who go to sermons, as to an oratorio or concert, to be gratified by musical tones, but of those who hear the gospel in order to profit by it; and of them I believe the account which has been given, is as correct as general observations usually are.

But, my brethren, there is a consideration to urge you to preach the Bible to perishing sinners, which, when I have mentioned it, will rivet my doctrine upon your attention as long as you live. You know, that there is but one age to intervene between our age, and the glorious revelation of the Son of God to all nations: and you know, that while the atheistic age of havoc is rapidly coming forward, the Redeemer is gradually organizing, and bringing into operation, the means which are to diffuse his gospel among all nations.

The angel who has to preach the gospel to all nations, seems to be at this moment standing at the right hand of the Mediatorial throne, with his trumpet in his hand, and his eyes fixed on his master, in breathless expectation to receive the command to fly all abroad; his avant courier is away before him, scattering the Bible over all the world; and, as he drops each copy, he cries, search the scriptures, the preaching angel will be with you anon; before I shall have finished my mission, he will have commenced his.

In such circumstances, is it not the most disgraceful thing conceivable, a base dereliction of official fidelity, and rank treason against Jesus Christ, for his ministers not to study, and to know, and to preach, the pure doctrine of faith revealed in the Bible! What questions

do we sometimes hear! Where did you study divinity? In what school? Under what professor? What was your theological system? Who is your favourite author? Empty, insolent interrogatories! The man who occupies a pulpit, and does not let his people know and feel, that the Bible is his system of theology, and Jesus Christ his master, would do well to examine whether there be a seal to his commission.

4. A fourth duty incumbent upon the present race of gospel ministers, is to examine whether the organization of their churches be really scriptural. This inquiry is, I conceive, forcing itself upon the public attention; and there can be little doubt that, though it may be evaded for a time, it must be met at last. All the American churches are, less or more, in a state of agitation; occasioned by questions about tests of orthodoxy; the rank of church officers, and the rights of church members; questions respecting the independence, and subordination, of ecclesiastical courts; questions whether we ought to hold a strict and reserved communion with christians of our own denomination only, or whether we should extend our communion and co-operation to all christians, as God furnishes opportunity. These, and similar questions, are at present troubling many very serious minds, and creating agitation in almost every ecclesiastical assembly. Questions which are moved by the levity of speculatists, are seldom of much moment; they may make an ephemeral buzz in their day, but they soon pass away, and leave the stage open for questions of a similar nature, which are thought more important, because they are more new. But when disquisitions are excited by the collisions of society, in the practical

details of ordinary and necessary business, they wear a more important character. These can never be evaded; they exist in the nature of society, and come forward on every occasion of social action. Like diseases of the joints, we cannot move without feeling them. Such questions force themselves upon our notice; there is neither wisdom, nor prudence, nor policy in declining the discussion; nor is there either rashness or folly in meeting it. And yet I believe, that of all others, these are the subjects most rarely examined with candour and impartiality.

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Very few men ever make it an inquiry, whether the constitution and structure of their own churches be scriptural or otherwise. Each is trained up in the unwavering assurance, that his church is as purely constituted as church can be: he may be candid enough to admit, that defects in administration exist; but these, he will say, are incident to all human things. The theory, however, he insists is excellent. Nor are we much to wonder at this occurrence in the history of man. All men are naturally, and amiably, inclined to look back to their ancestors with veneration; and to esteem them perfect models of wisdom, piety and virtue. Christians, of all denominations, look up to their founders as unparalleled men; and produce the constitutions of their respective churches, as the noblest works of the most skilful artists. If this be a weakness, it is at least an amiable one; and I am ready to admit, in general terms, that a disposition to criticise, and innovate on existing institutions, is about as equivocal a proof of wisdom, as it is of humility.

There is, however, another profile of this subject, where features are brought into view, which excite

passions more hostile to the correctness of our judgment, than those which originate in filial partiality. Most sects in the christian church have been persecuted by some others. Each one of them numbers its confessors and martyrs: the names of their most wise and pious men, are associated with their persecution and martyrdom; we cannot get a view of their virtues, unless we look at them clothed in garments rolled in blood. With the names of such men, we associate those of their persecutors; the tyrant and his victim enter the mind together; the patience, faith and fortitute of the martyr, and the pride, perfidy and cruelty of his murderers, are so blended, like light and shade in the same picture, that we take in the whole at a glance; and our sensations are a mixture of approbation and horror.

From the opposite circumstances which have been mentioned, a double effect proceeds; namely, that we are irresistibly led to form an extravagant opinion of the purity and excellence of our own religious denomination, and ascribe to its formularies a degree of worth and efficacy, which belongs to nothing human. On the other hand we view some denominations with a jaun- / diced eye; and though we may possess too much integrity to misrepresent things, we are under the influence of prejudices, which unfit us for judging with absolute precision, I trust, that these views of this interesting subject, will be thought as correct as they are candid: and if so, I hope they will be admitted as a mitigating apology, for some extravagancies, which could not otherwise be accounted for, without an impeachment of our understanding, or of our honesty. I allude to those extravagant encomiums, which almost every

minister of the gospel is ready to pronounce on his own church; and the unreserved severity with which some of them animadvert on the defects of other churches.

The condition of the various sects and parties among christians, is gradually and rapidly meliorating in respect to mutual candour and justice in the judgments which they form of each other; and in respect to the liberal spirit of co-operating to promote their common christianity. Missionary and Bible societies, and other associations for advancing the general interest of religion, have happily called off the attention of men from minute peculiarities; for when great things engage us, little things are forgotten; and the same spirit which teaches us to prize the virtues of others, renders us gentle censurers of their defects, and tolerant of their infirmities.

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The circumstances of the times, seem favourable to ecclesiastical reformation; and it will hardly be disputed, that instead of different parties officiously and offensively attempting to demonstrate each other's defects, it would be more conducive to improvement, if each were to engage heartily in the cause of selfreformation. The character of the reformation at present required, merits serious deliberation. I conceive that it cannot consist in new forms and enactments; but rather in suffering a great part of those already in existence to fall into disuse and oblivion. All the churches are already bound fast in chains of their own forging. They can hardly set forward in any measure of duty, without being met with some tech-. nical regulation which renders them stationary; and compels them to engage once more in the strife and

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