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the child of promise, are all alike in kind; or differ only in that some are inward, and some outward. The three following passages of St. Paul will explain and confirm the views above given : "In Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision, but a NEW CREATURE1. 66 In Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision, but FAITH WHICH WORK

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"Circumcision is nothing, nor uncircumcision, but THE KEEPING OF THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD 3."

3

This may be illustrated in a parallel subject. No one thinks of contradistinguishing love, from works or acts of love: no one dreams of representing love as acceptable with God, and the acts wherein one loveth as worthless and vile in comparison of it. For love is no love unless it loveth. And so with faith. Faith is not one thing, and acts of faith another :-all faith consists of acts inward and outward; none of which can, for their own goodness, endure the severity of God's judgment; but all of which, by God's mercy in Christ, and for His merits' sake, are accepted with God. Perhaps it is a misfortune that we have in our language no verb of the same root as the word 'faith.' We come thence to look on faith as something mystical,—we know not what, -as having only an accidental connexion, or connexion of consequence, with doing any thing.

1 Gal. v. 6.

2 Gal. vi. 15.

3 1 Cor. vii. 19.

Finally, brethren, let me solemnly remind you that this is no matter of inert or unpractical speculation that we speak of. It is the great danger of introducing any thing like philosophical inquiry into religion, that it tends to amuse our minds, and take them off from the real vital interests which are at stake in religion. The Son of God descended upon the earth, and took man's nature, and died upon the cross; and the Holy Spirit now sojourns amid the Church, not to minister subjects of speculation or disputation, but to make us wise unto salvation, to purify unto God a peculiar people zealous of good works. Let us indeed examine the truths which God hath been pleased to make known to us. Let us indeed feel, and act as if we felt, that God hath revealed no one truth in vain, and that therefore we are much bound to study His word, to learn to appreciate its value, to be most diligent and cautious in endeavouring to understand its contents. This will teach us the terms of salvation. The next and greater thing is to comply with those terms; to pray, to mortify our lusts, to be exact in duty, to learn to repose our hope in God. There is a passage of the humble and learned bishop Sanderson, which is most true, and pertinent to my present purpose: "Controversies, I confess, are necessary, the tongues necessary, histories necessary, philosophy and the arts necessary, other knowledge of all sorts necessary in the Church. For truth must be maintained,

Scripture phrases opened, heresie confuted, the mouths of adversaries stopped, schisms and novelties suppressed. But when all is done, positive and practick divinity it is must bring us to heaven. That it is must form our judgments, settle our consciences, direct our lives, mortify our corruptions, increase our graces, strengthen our comforts, save our souls '.'

One more observation, and I have done. Faith, the great virtue of Christian religion, has, as we have said, an intellectual basis of knowledge of divine truth. Let us remember that even this, the first step of faith, can only be rightly taken by him who is sanctified in heart. We cannot obey unless we learn, but we cannot learn unless we obey. To do the will of God, as far as we have attained, is the only means of receiving further light. We are of the light. Baptized and bred in the faith, we are raised to privileges which we cannot forego. Let us walk worthy of our vocation. "We are all the children of the light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep, sleep in the night, and they that be drunken, are drunken in the night. But let us who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for an helmet the hope of salvation 2."

1

Third Serm. ad Clerum. p. 57.

2

1 Thess. v. 5.

SERMON XVII.

ORDINATION.

ST. JOHN xxi. 15.

"So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon

son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? Him, Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. him, Feed my lambs."

He saith unto

He saith unto

THE last chapter of St. John's Gospel is remarkable, even among the other writings of the Evangelist, for a simple and touching interest which it derives from the natural and unadorned manner of the narrative.

Our Lord had already risen, and had appeared, in and about Jerusalem, to his Apostles on several occasions. But these appearances had done little more than remove the doubts which they entertained, whether it were indeed He who should redeem Israel. He had expounded to them those Scriptures of the Old Testament which related to

Himself, but he had scarcely spoken to them at all of the active duties which, now that He was to be removed from the earth, would devolve upon them.

66

Accordingly, their occupation, as disciples and attendants upon our Lord's doctrine, being now to all appearance over, they seemed inclined to return to their old haunts and occupations; and are, in the opening of this chapter, once more found fishing upon the waters of the sea of Galilee. " They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately, and that night they caught nothing. But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have you any meat? They answered him, No. And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith to Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat upon him, for he was naked, and did cast himself into the sea." Nothing can be more beautiful than this scene. The ill success of their nightlong toil, the appearance of Jesus on the shore, His direction to them to let down their nets yet once more for a draught, and the miraculous multitude of fishes, all these points must have brought back to the minds of the beloved Apostle and the warmhearted Peter the circumstances of their first call, as related in St. Luke's fifth chapter. They could

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