Obrázky na stránke
PDF
ePub
[ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small]

- vlasy be perUHAY Vincus faith 1 serait a surcose it: kubrattın vithout Christiani

and love are but the

end of me commandment is verines, ul recepts, all revelations are ad pms livine principle in the heart. op

So far as charity is the gift of God to us, it arises necessarily from the nature and conditions of the Christian religion; where unity is so conspicuous in all its rites and doctrines. We have one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one spirit to animate us; one hope of our calling: and, in the sacrament of the Lord's supper, we all partake of one bread, and thereby become one body. Thus we are called to unity and love, by all the terms of our faith and worship. God hath made us one, as members of his Church: and so far charity is his gift. How it is to be preserved, we are taught at large in the chapter from whence the text is taken. There it appears, that Christians, who are called to a state of unity, are to keep themselves in it, by kindness and long suffering; by bearing with one another's imperfections and weaknesses; by putting away all envy and opposition, all that carnal vanity, which makes us desire to be distinguished in the sight of men, rather than in the favour of God; by bearing with things that may be disagreeable to us; hoping that things are not so bad as they may seem; and that what is bad will be better; by lamenting the offences of our brethren; not rejoicing at their miscarriages in short, by serving others and reducing ourselves: for thus did the son of man come to take upon him the form of a servant, and to minister to the wants of all, rather than to be magnified and ministered to by any. He, who can follow this example, will be a charitable man, and shall inherit the rewards of charity, in that blessed place from whence it cometh. His faith may remove mountains; his hope may lift him above the world; but his charity alone will carry him to heaven.

Charity then is that principle of love and friendship, which preserves the unity of the Christian society, and binds Christians to Christ and to one another, as members of his mystical body: it unites upon earth those who are to be united in heaven; and therefore it must be the constant endeavour of every true Christian to promote it by every method in his power; by his words and his works; his conversation and example. By this, said our blessed Saviour, shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. Love is the mark, by which his disciples are to be distinguished from other men: nay, the words of Christ inform us, that the unity of his church is the proof of his divine mission, and the great testimony to the truth of his religion-That they all may be one (says he) as thou, father, art in me and I in thee; that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And such was the unity and affection of Christians in the primitive times, that it moved the admiration of heathens, who were heard to say, Behold, how these Christians love one another! If the same people were to see the multiplied divisions of the present times, and to hear the trifling reasons and vain conceits on which they are grounded, and by which they are defended; they might then say, Behold, how these Christians hate one another!

it:

After what hath been said, you will easily be persuaded, that there can be no charity without faith and hope: indeed it is an absurdity to suppose there might as well be a Christian without Christianity. Charity is the end, faith and hope are but the means that lead to it: the end of the commandment is charity: all doctrines, all precepts, all revelations are given, to build up this divine principle in the heart.

So far as charity is the gift of God to us, it arises necessarily from the nature and conditions of the Christian religion; where unity is so conspicuous in all its rites and doctrines. We have one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one spirit to animate us; one hope of our calling: and, in the sacrament of the Lord's supper, we all partake of one bread, and thereby become one body. Thus we are called to unity and love, by all the terms of our faith and worship. God hath made us one, as members of his Church: and so far charity is his gift. How it is to be preserved, we are taught at large in the chapter from whence the text is taken. There it appears, that Christians, who are called to a state of unity, are to keep themselves in it, by kindness and long suffering; by bearing with one another's imperfections and weaknesses; by putting away all envy and opposition, all that carnal vanity, which makes us desire to be distinguished in the sight of men, rather than in the favour of God; by bearing with things that may be disagreeable to us; hoping that things are not so bad as they may seem; and that what is bad will be better; by lamenting the offences of our brethren; not rejoicing at their miscarriages: in short, by serving others and reducing ourselves: for thus did the son of man come to take upon him the form of a servant, and to minister to the wants of all, rather than to be magnified and ministered to by any. He, who can follow this example, will be a charitable man, and shall inherit the rewards of charity, in that blessed place from whence it cometh. His faith may remove mountains; his hope may lift him above the world; but his charity alone will carry him to heaven.

[ocr errors][merged small]

MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED THE HOUSE OF PRAYER. MATTH. xxi. 13.

[ocr errors]

ABOUT four hundred years ago, when the corrup tions of Popery had overspread this kingdom, and were become insupportable, the office of preaching was almost totally neglected in country parishes: and there were indeed but few of the clergy who were qualified to preach, so that the ministerial duty was reduced in a manner to the offices of baptizing, confessing, praying and administering the sacrifice of the mass. Such gross errors were mixed with the doctrines of the church, and so many abuses were practised in the discipline of that time to supply the avarice of the bishop of Rome, and render the priesthood at home a more profitable trade, that it was thought more adviseable to keep the common people in ignorance; who were therefore but meanly provided with preachers. But when the eyes of men began to be opened by the remonstrances of the Reformers, the clergy themselves became sensible of the defect, and preaching was again in fashión. As the

people grew more enlightened, their inclination to preaching increased, and the clergy found it their interest, as well as their duty, to gratify it, and to adorn their preaching with a proper degree of learning and eloquence.

But such is the weakness of mankind, that they are always prone to correct one error by running into

« PredošláPokračovať »