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D. 1837. »g SATURDAT, MAT 20tH, AND SUNDAY, MAY 21 ST, gj AT y A VISITATION OF THE CLERGY OF NOT A SCOTl^, MOLDEN BY THE LORD BISHOP OF THE DIOCESE, IN ST. f AUL'S CHURCH. HALIFAX, N.|. Published at the regmst of the Bisho*fy and the Clergy of the Jirchdiaconry, PRrNTEO BY 00S8IP & COADE, TIMES OFFICE, HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA. 1837. ' ^^^ ^^^r^ ^^^ ^»^^^ ^p^r^ ^p^inr ^Bi^^p w^»K» w^i^ vnv^ ■■■•W IWlB^r •#!»• iPl^^F V^i^W VnW •••^ TPBr^ sua. Ij^ -^.l *-»■:,. '1 -^ :s-; '•4 ma^^Ummiiditm MNHMiMlbi j^A ^ m 'if- m 'Mn THREE SERMONS, PREACHED ON FRIDAY, MAY 19X11, SATURDAY, MAY 20tII, AND SUNDAY, MAY 21 ST, A. D. 1837. AT A VISITATION OF THE CLERGY OF NOVA SCOTIA, HOLDEN BY THE LORD BISHOP OF THE DIOCESE, IN ST. PAUL'S CHURCH, HALIFAX, N. S. Published at the request of the Bishop, and the Clergy of the Jlrchdeaconnj. PRINTED BY GOSSIP & COAUE, TIMES OFFICE, HALIFAX, NOVA Sl'OTIA. 1BJ7. fc%lit'i»llii1'*lwi>i»<'''i«'ff«'*^ .43 \ '■> >^ --^^ -^l*?*' 'JJP!*i \ i.l»«f»«l»i»' i"--*| * ,Si8SK»>- -iKM iu£i^^£Jii^Sti >-^' Apostle is to show that there should be no schism in the body of Christ. Thus, too, in the Supper of the Lord, wherein the sacrifice of Christ's death is commemorated, we are earnestly reminded, that in accepting the efficacy of that atonement, we give a pledge and acknowledgment of Christian unity. " For we being many are one bread and one body, for we are all partakers of that one bread." Of this the early Christians, following the sentiments of the Apostle, were duly sensible. They regarded the reception of these holy rites as a token of unity ; the rejection or neglect of them as a violation of the bond of peace. Nor is it unworthy of notice, that almost every transgression of the Divine will was looked upon as aggravated by this consideration, that it disturbed the peace and interrupted the harmony of the Church. For iheir ideas of unity were not restricted to the confession of one faith, or submission to one mode of government, but were extended to a lively interest in the welfare of each individual in the flock of Christ. When any did evil, they mourned as if the whole body were defiled. They rejoiced when such as had gone astray were reco- vered, as if all had received a benefit. They grieved when those who called themselves Christians forsook tho assembling of themselves together, as it presented an indi- cation of separation, or even apostacy ; while they justly regarded the uniting in public prayer and praise, as some evidence that they were of one heart and one mind. But the i)rinciples of Christian unity are not only incorporated with the truths and ordinances of the Gos- pel, they are embodied also in the very frame and struc- »<^n*#Hi*twiKM||^ mmm 10 ture of the Church. As they arc blended with almost every moral precept, so they form one of the most obvious reasons why the household of faith was at first commenced in the family of Abraham, and afterwards extended to the ends of the earth. In the text, reference is made to those by whom the word should be spoken. " Neither pray I for these alone but for them also which shall believe in me through their word, that they all may be one. " These were the twelve apostles, who, with the prophets of old, are styled the foundation of that building of God, of which Christ is the chief corner stone. These had been selected by the Lord himself for the great pur- pose of instructing and governing his church. These afford, after the descent of the Holy Ghost, an example, almost perfect, of that unity which they were to teach, and of which their order, with its successors and branches, was intended to be the living and visible instrument to the end of the world. For, that the Christian ministry was instituted for this, among other objects, is evident, both from jho nature of the case, and from the express testimony of Holy Writ. Every society must have its rulers and officers, by adhering to whom its members may bo united among themselves. It is so in all civil communities. It is so in all public bodies that combine for any social or moral purpose. It is so even in those separate assem- biles in which heresies and schisms are perpetuated. IhiLl we not then been expressly informed, that one reason for the adoption of the Christian ministry was to secure the miity of the Church, it .night have been justly infer- led from the institution itself. But, not now to inaist ojj ^ f I ^ I I 11 the evident meaning of the text, in which the unity of the Church is indissolubly connected with the steward- ship of the mysteries of God ; not to dwell upon that memorable promise, that Christ will be with his minister- ing servants alway, even unto the end of the world ; St. Paul is full to the point, when speaking of Him who ascended up on high and gave gifts unto men, he declares *' he gave some apostles, some prophets, and some evangehsts, and some pastors and teachers, for the per- fecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Chr'st ; till we all come, in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." And here it ought to be remembered, that, in the primitive Church, that is, at least till the time of Nova- tian, in the third century, there was no doubt or dispute who were the duly constituted dispensers of the Word of God. From the beginning, indeed, false apostles appear- ed, as well as abettors of heresy and division. But they were very generally licld in abliorrenco, nor was it till a purity was affected, which denied all restoration to such as were overtaken by a fault, that their cause became either popular or permanent. When the Thessalonians, therefore, were exhorted " to know them that laboured among them and wore over them in the Lord," they as naturally turned to their proper spiritual guides, as, in all civil afluirs we now look to the various oflicers of that paternal govennnent under which we arc placed. And that those were regarded us ihc great bond of 1 1 i«ia!W ill M!'""» 12 sliength and union, the enemies of Christianity were My aware, aiming, in every successive persecution, their first and most deadly blows against the bishops and pastors of the Church. For it was well understood to be the especial duty of the ministers of Christ, while they diligently proclaimed the terms of salvation, at the same time to inculcate and exemplify the command and prayer of the Lord Jesus, that his people should be of one heart and of one mind. The early Fathers insist much on this point. They use language which may appear strong to modern ears, making the unity of the j)eople with their pastors, and of the laity and clergy with their bishop, the very mark or characteristic of the Church of God. It is therefore apparent, that our Lord has laid down principles and means of unity amply sufficient to secure that great obje^^ They are implanted in that faith which cometh by the word of God. They are engrafted on that obedience by which we are to evince our love of Christ. They are mingled with •' whatsoever things are pure, lovely, or o'' good report." They are interwoven with the ordinances of Christ, with the public worship and service of the Most High. They are consolidated with the foundation on which the " pillar and ground of the «nith," as it appears in the world, has been reared. They are reiuiered most sacred by their reference to the holiest mystery in heaven, most obligatory by the parting injunction of Him who loved us and gave himself for us. They are in a word so perfect and so forcible, that were they but duly considered and carried into practical use, all who profess and call ihcniiiulveb Claistiuns, must be '< V i 3 X m e>0/t^si>.^ti^0t^iMi** v;0 t kkm i u '< (( 13 perfectly joined together in tlie same mind and in the same judgment." But here the powers of darkness have directed their most subtle and fiercest assaults. Here the ignorance, the rashness, and, alas, the passions of men, have caused the widest breaches, and spread the most extensive ruins. Here superstition and fanaticism, ambition and the hatred of control, envy, hypocrisy, and the love of filthy lucre, have exhibited their baleful influence, making this garden of the Lord in many respects a desolate wilderness. No ajra, no portion, and, it may almost be said, no mem- ber of the church has escaped. The questions of secular policy have mingled with the contentions in the city of God, thus embittering and extending her internal divi- sions. To illustrate this by reference to Ecclesiastical History would prove a useful labour. To contrast the abomination, of the Nicolaitanes with the extravagancies of recent enthusiasm ; the defection from the faith en- gendered by Arius, with the cavils raised against mere forms of decency and order ; the usurpations of the priesthood with the utter rejection of all who are over v.s in the Lord ; to point out the general course and issues of division ; to remark how often it has changed and re- sumed its ground ; would, were it proper to enter into the detail, afford much striking and profitable instruction. Yet no task can be more painful than to point out the wounds *' in the body of Christ," caused by the in- fraction of his charge, that his people should be one. It is certain, that, in consequence of our divisions, evil pas- sions, unholy dispositions and sinful practices, most rc- pnguant to that wisdom that is from above, have bcuu '■**''^***'aifcak'lillt«ill' u fermented, so much so, indeed, that many of upright inten- tions have not escaped the fatal contagion. The incon- siderate and irreligious have been emboldened to glory in their shame. The sceptic and the infidel have envenom- ed the weapons witli which they have assailed thd truth. Our disunion has proved also one of the most formidable obstacles to the extension of the Gospel among the people that yet sit in darkness, and the shadow of dedth. For not onl) !iave we been too much occupied in settHng our own disputes, to make any combined or extensive efibrts for the benefit of others, but the fact itself of our dis- agreement has proved a hindrance and offence. How indeed can we reasonably expect the heathen to embrace that truth, in the interpretation and consequences Of which so much diversity of opinion prevails among our- selves, or how can we presume on the abundant blessing of the Lord, when his earnest prayer with respect to the unity of his church has been so generally disregarded. , At all these evils we ought not to be stirprised< though we should never cease to be grieved. We are forewarned, " that offences would cOme," that there " must be divisions." And were any to suppose they might have been avoided, had the divine oracles been more explicit on the points which have formed the arena of dispute, let them remember that since men have vio- lated those precepts, the interpretation of which hardly admits of doubt, thoy would not respect those relative to the unity of the church, had they been detailed with the minutest exactness. Heresies and schisms arc as plainly reprobated by the word of God, as are blasphemy and murder. They are as distinctly enumerated among the v~. \ / »«^i-fS**"*--'-^'^.#«*^iff^V^:^.- \ / 15 works of the flesh as covetousness or intemperance. But by some strange sophistry this spiritual, wickedness is difficult of conviction. It uniformly shelters itself under the plea of conscience and a zeal for truth. Every at- tempt to oppose it, from whatever motive, or by what- ever means, is branded with the odious appellation of bigotry, selfishness, or pride. Of the' degree of crlminaUty contracted by such as have been the originators or even partakers of divisions, we are incompetent to form any judgment. It must vary with the knowledge, the circumstances, the motives of those involved in it. In some it must amount to pre- sumptuous sin. In the greater number it will doubtless be classed with involuntary error. In many mstances, it may be hoped, the unity of faith and charity is preserv- ed, though that of external concord has unhappily been severed. Certain it is, however, that He who " tricth the heart and reins" will visit with many stripes those who have either purposely or wantonly disturbed the peace of the church. The fearful examples given under the law are referred to in proof how heinous ia this offence in the sight of God. But to return,— Is there no hope, it may be enquir- ed, that the prayer of our divine Redeemer will event* ually be heard with respect to his visible church ;— that after eighteen centuries in which its beauty has been marred and its usefulness impaired by heresies and schisms of every colour and shade, " the multitude of them that believe shall be again of one heart and of one mind ?" In the immediate aspect of the Christian world Uiere is Ultlo to encourage such a hope. For though no RiPi^ ■ ^.. 26 article in the foundation of the Christian Church, i» exhi- bited in an affectionate union among her members, in point of faith, of obedience, and of praise. In allusion to the faith expressed in his name by the Apostle Peter, our Saviour says :— " Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church ; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."* Upon the same subject St. Paul informs the Ephesians, that they are " buih upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone ; in whom they were also budded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit . "f And for this reason ho exhorts them, " to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith they were called ; endeavouring to keep the uniiy of the Spirit in the bond of peace. " There is," he continues, " one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. "t Thus, unity of faith is an important characteristic in the Church of Christ. So also is unity of obedience. Our S viour him- self has declared- --" Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him to a wise man, which built his house upon a rock ; and the rain descend- ed, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock."§ St. Luke, in relating what follows this pas- sage, words it thus : " He that heareth and doeth not is like a man, that without a foundation built an house upon the earth, against which the stream diu beat vehc- * Mou. XVI, 18. t Ephei. II. 20, 22. % Mall. VII, 24, 25. t Chap. IV, 1— <5. »i'ii'-iiiiiMiyij4|iii 27 mently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great."* So that obedience as well as faith is a necessary part of the Church's foundation. He there- fore that refuses obedience, though visibly in the Church, is yet not a living member of it. He is like a withered branch, ready to be cut off- because " whosoevei shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven."! Again, unity of praise or worship seems to be only the natural result of this congenial union in point of faith and obedience. The history of the primitive church, as related in the Acts of the Apostles, and other parts of the New Testament, sufficiently shews, how congenial,— how intimaiely united in the ties and devotional feelings of fellowship, were the minds of the earliest Christians. Immediatelv after the ascension of our Lord, the Apos- ties returned to Jerusalem, " and continued with one accord in prayer and s.ipplication.*'| At a subsequent period, " they, coutlnuinr^ daily with one accord in the temple, ana breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gla.lness and singleness of heart, prais- ing God, and haviiig favour with all the people. "§ These passages contain cxaa'plos, Vvhich are uudoubiedly meant to serve for the guidance of the Cliurch in all ages. A communion of sentiment, — a fellows-iiip of feeling,— a similarity of hopes, ot fears, of joys, of troubles,— a complete harinony of every faculty and aflection of the soul,— rendered the first Christians most united in de- * Luke VI, 49. t Man. v, I'J. f, Acti u, 4fl, 47. \ Act! I, 14. 28 votioual exercises and praise. They seem to liave been impelled by the same Divine influence, and subject to the same holy impressions. In their religious assemblies they furnish a pattern on which angels might delight to meditate ; so free were their bosoms from the more cor- rupt passions and affections of the natural heart. Now it is perhaps impossible to conceive a more ef- fectual method of pursuing any principle to its conse- quences, than that which has been adopted by the Estab- lished Church of England, for the purpose of reducing this tenet of Christian unity into practical utility. Her Liturgy is an everlasting monument of lier desire to be truly evangelical in this particular. It contains, in the Apostles', Nlcene, and Athanasian Creeds, the articles of our common failh,— variously expressed, to avoid all possibiHty of misappreliension with regard to the primary doctrines of the Gospel. And with a view to satisfy the more curious enquirer after spiritual knowledge, she sets forth, in her thirty-nine articles of religion, her distinct and deliberate opinions concerning other matters of faith and discipline. These opinions she proves, in every instance, to be in perfect conformity with Scriptiu'c, and refers to them as her standard of doctrine, on subjects connected with speculative Theology. Unity of obedience is likewise enforced by the same means. The same precepts, the same exhortations, the same promises, the same ihreatenings are addressed to all her children : the same duties are imposed upon them, and the same returns are expected from every one who dwells withir her walls. The standard of obedience is fixed by her on the connnands of our Lord and the iniiiinrf-'ft* \*- 29 inspired writers, ind remains always unchanged. By impressing it on tlie minds of all her members, she aims at producing unity of obedience to the Gospel of Jesus Christ : thus acknowledging and practically illustrating a principal characteristic of the kingdom of God upon earth. But it is in her worship that the effects of this unity are most visible. The Church of England and Ireland contains, at the present day, upwards of twelve thousand congregations. Conceive then the voice of each particu- lar member of these congregations to be simultaneously raised in the praise and worship of Jehovah -.—conceive, on a Sabbath morning, nearly at the same hour, twelve thousand congregations, or assemblies of faithful people, joining in the same words, the same praises, the same prayers ; conceive them addressing the throne of the Most High with the same sentiments and feelings, with the same ardent desire for the consolations of religion, and the same love for their Divine Redeemer;— conceive all this, and you have a practical example of devotional unity, which is but rarely to be met with in the whole Christian world. Let whoever will, walk about our Zion, and go round about her ; and he will find that m this respect she is pre-eminent —teaching the blessed Gospel in its purity, and elevating the hearts and affec- tions of all her children in acts of the sublimest devotion. This is neither the time nor the place to enlarge on the manifest inferences, which arc deducible from this principle of union, established by our Lord in his Church. I will merely mention that Christian unity ap- ])cars to be a duty, which in importance is equal to meek- J 30 ness, humility, brotherly kindness, charity, or any of the moral virtues ; and cannot be violatei^ without evident sin. II. Having made these observations on the principle of christian unity or fellowship, let us proceed, in the second place, to discuss the order, which the Great Shep- herd has established in his Church. " Tell the towers thereof. Mark ye well her bulwarks : consider her pa- laces : that ye may tell it to the generation following." This distinguishing muik of the Redeemer's king- dom on earth may be sufficiently perceived, both in its government and ceremonial. The utmost order and re- gularity pervade every part of its laws and constitution. In this respect the Church militant here on earth is clear ^ ly seen, as a city set upon a hill, by means of the light which is throv.'n upon her nature and object in the Old and New Testaments.* The former represents her as in the world, yet not of the world : confined to a single na- tion, and reguhted by a priesthood of various orders, in- stituted by God himself. In the latter she is shewn in a more extensive and less exclusive character. Her bor- ders are enlarged, and her portals thrown open for the entrance of every nation under heaven. The High Priests, Priests, and Levites, of the Jews, are succeeded by the Bishops, the Priests, and the Deacons, of the Gentiles. According to the language of a Fatherf of the primitive Church — " What Aaron, his Sons, and the Levites were in the Temple, the Bishops, the Priests, and the Deacons are in the Church of Christ." Of this subordination in * See " An Essay on tlio Nature of the Church :" 8vo., ononymous, but supposed to b« the production of the Rt. Rev. Dr. Abernethy Drutn- mond. t St. Jerome. 'Wiigfr'i^ iitf rr*^" Tiiiiii('-^'*^^''"t*'^^ Jill—" 31 a threefold ministry, we find the clearest evidence in the Gospels ; — our divine High Priest, the Bishop of our souls ; the twdve Apostles, as they then ministered to our Lord, in a second order ; and the seventy disciples, answering as it were to the order of deacons. And in the Acts and Epistles, we find the Apostles, as raised by our Lord before his ascension to the highest order, sent by Him as He was sent by the Father : and we see others ordained b^ the Apostles to be of the same rank with them- selves, as Timothy and Titus, to succeed them in all their ordii.ary powers, and to perpetuate their function after they in person had gone. But even were this evi- dence of Holy Scripture, respecting the government of the Church, less clear than it really is, the universal con- sent of all antiquity,— the strong and united testimony of iht^ nrimitive Fathers,— being no less conclusive in favour of Episcopacy than it is for the Canon of Sacred Writ it- self this evidence ought to silence all doubts, and pro- duce unanimity among all Christians on this most impor- tant subject. Happy, thrice happy were it for the inte- rests of the Church of Christ, would all those who call themselves by his name seek diligently and earnestly the ancient paths ; returning to that primitive unity for which our Lord so often prayed,— that, all his followers being perfectly united, the world might be the sooner induced to believe in him ! Again, the ceremonial of the Church is no less dis- tinctly marked out. The Book of Leviticus contains suf- ficient proof of the importance attached to the due cele- bration of the several ordinances in the Jewish Church, — proof, which may be gathered from the remarkable minute- I i»- i'7&'PKi^9!R9''M.f^M •.^tSLSmwStKS^^^BBK^^^^m^tK^^KBBKBB^B^KM- 32 iicss of description, (hat distint^uishes every ceremonial rule and direction. Our Saviour, whilst on earth, evinced the most marked respect for these ordinances ; at one time taking part in the stated services of the temple*, and at another declaring that " he came not to destroy the Law but to fulfil it."t The Apostles, in this as well as hi other particulars, followed the perfect pattern thus set before them ; observing the most regular discipline in their own limited society, and enforcing it on all the new- ly-formed Churches with earnest exhortations. St. Paul, in his first Epistle to the Corinthians, expostulates with them on their negligence respecting proper order in the Church, and takes occasion to reprove, with seeming severity, many practices, which appeared to infringe on the decency and propriety of religious ceremonials, — telling them that " God is not the Author of confusion, but of peace, as in all Churches of the Saints ;" and that " all things ought to be done decently and in order.":}: The day of Christianity is now too far advanced to permit us to trace, with the clearest accuracy, the foot- steps of those who first trod apon the dew of its nnrn- ing. Its Sun has already ascended high into heaven, overspreading many nations with his glorious effulgence, and has consequently rendered it difficult for us, of the present age, to distinguish the paths of those who flour- ished when the day-spring from above first dawned upon a benighted world. But there stUl remains proof, which, though not so distinct and clear as might be wished, is yet sufficient to shew, that the primitive Christians were most anxious to observe, i n their every ordinanc e, that "^ko IV, 17-21. t Matl. V, 17. t I Cer. xiv, 33, 40. * ,:,^-^^.M*ms0'-^tti^^l^»iiigu Mmti i MlA > m ii^ 33 decent ceremonial, which is so much in conformity with the spirit of the Gospel, and constitutes the most direct evidence of its existence among men. The Liturgy and ritual of St. James, who was one of the Apostles, and first Bishop of Jerusalem,* has descended to us almost entire. t The Liturgy of St. Mark the Evangelist, whicl^, was originally used in all the Eg)ptian and Ethiopian churches, is likewise preserved. | So is that of St. John Chrysostom, which wasv?ed in the church of Constanti- nople on its first formation, and which constitutes a part of the ritual of the Greek Church at the present day.§ These, and other evidences of a like character, which might if requisite be produced, are, I trust, sufficiently clear to convince any one of the anxiety and desire of the first followers of our Lord " to do all things decently and in order. "|| Need I dwell upon the manner in which this princi- ple of order has been practically exemplified in the go- vernment and constitution of that portion of the Church of Christ to which we belong ? Need I enumerate the different orders of its ministry, — their power, their duty, their functions ? Or need I dwell upon its truly Chris- tian offices of Baptism, the Holy Communion, Confrm- ation, Visiting the Sick, and Burial of the dead ; or its sublime and evangelical forms for the solemn ordina- * Euseb. Lib. vii. cap. 19. t This Liturgy may be found in the original Greek in Dupin's Bibii- olheca Patruin, Vol. ii. Ed. Par. I(i24. It is translated into English, and commented upon by Dr. Brett. See his Collection of Ancient Liturgies, page 15. t See Brett as above, pnge 29. § See Smith's account of the GreeU Church, page 124. II See (ioar's Eiichologium, or coilection of the Olfices of the Greek Churcli, Taris 1G47. 5 IP^j^plM^piimis mn^M,. i^a ^QjagMpR trnte^sB 34. tlon of Its Ministers ? Or is it necessary that I should shew the different features of its Constitution and Canons Ecclesiastical -pointing out, as they do, both its spiritual foundation, and the definition of its truly Scriptural charac- ter ? These matters are so clear and evident that he who runs may read. In every part of the British Empire their practical effects may be easily seen, and referred to as living witnesses of its supreme excellence, and apos- tolic origin. And let us sincerely and devoutly depre- cate the arrival of that day, when these emblems of pri- mitive order and truth shall be as the tale of other days, —little remembered and less understood. Let us ear- nestly pray, that the towers, the bulwarks, and the palaces of our Zion may still be strengthened,-that she may be the happy means of proclaiming the glad tidings of the Gospel in many lands,-and that generations, yet unborn, may find shelter under her cover, both from the troubles and turmoils of the world, and from the corrupt passions and emotions of the human heart. III. The third particular in the Constitution of the Church of Christ, which is suggested by the text, is its spirUuaUty. "For this God is our God forever and ever : he will be our guide even unto death." The very first principle, on which the kingdom ol God on earth is made to rest, is faith in his name, toge- ther with a firm reliance upon his promises. The opin- ions and sentiments, which must guide its subjects m all their conduct and conversation, are derived from a source very different from that to which the precepts and max- ims of the world owe their origin. They are obtained from the influence of the Spirit of truth, inchning our IMI HiJMm ijHifirmiliiiiiriiii'ifiMirtiili CIK iieails and iiiinds to the service of our Lord Jesus Christ, and bringing more and more clearly under our view the precious promises of the Gospel, and the value of the great atonement which has been made for the sins of the world. Contemplation on these divine mysteries, and on the comfort which they are calculated to impart to the humble and contrite spirit, has a tendency to elevate the soul abo\ e the transient scenes of life, and to bring it into closer converse with those superior intelligences, who continually surround the throne of the Highest. It was thus that Abraham " saw the days of Messiah and was glad :" it was thus that the coming and the triumphs of Christ's kingdom were beheld, in the long vista of futurity, by all the Jewish prophets : and it was thus that holy Simeon feit, when he took in his arms the child Jesus, and said,—" Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace : for mine eyes have seen thy salvation." Accordingly our Saviour has declared " My kingdom is not of this world :" and the Apostle tells the Corin- thians, that " it is not in word but in power :" — plainly indicating tliat faith and those promises, by which the prin- ciple of spiritual religion is engrafted in the heart, and upon which the superstructure of the Church is reared. But has the Church of England retained this spiritual character in her ritual and various ordinances ? Has she preserved this divine characteristic of our holy religion, in all its force and purity ? I answer — She has. In all her offices of devotion,- in her fasts and festivals,— in her sacraments and ordinances, faith in Jesus Christ and him crucified occupies a prominent place. Read her sublime services, — study her inimitable prayers, — and you 36 will find reason lo believe, that the pure spirit of the Gospel breathes throughout the whole, — that the light, which once came down from heaven, still shines on her altars in its native brightness and splendour. She trusts to the same faith, and receives the same revelation, which was once delivered to the saints ; — is animated by the same principles, guided by the same glorious views, and sustained by llie same divine power, which first instituted the kingdom of God in the world. In conformity with these views she defines her principles and authority in her nineteenth and twentieth articles ; tlie former of which declares that " the visible church of Christ is a congre- gation of faithful men, in the which the pure word of God is preached, and the sacraments duly administered, ac- cording to Christ's ordinance, in all those things that of necessity are rcouisite to the same." Surely, tiierefore, every one, who is fortified within her bulwarks and her palaces, has reason to th.nk that he treads on holy ground; and may justly feel inclined to exclaim, with the patriarch of old — " Surely the Lord is in this place ; . . . . this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven."* In this point of view her character appears eminently evangelical. " Preaching the pure word of God," she earnestly calls upon the sinner to turn from the evil of his ^vays,— expostulates with liim on the ini(piity of his courses,— and prays that " all such ;.s have erred and arc deceived," may be brought " into the way of truth." By her precepts and her practice she leaches that " there is none other name under heaven given to man, in whom ♦ Gon. xxviii. 16, 17. and through whom, men may receive heaUh and salvation, but only the name of Jesus Ciirist the righteous." To those around her who are perishing for lack of the bread of life, she addresses the warm expostulations of the pro- phet : " Ho, every one that thirsteth, fome ye to the wa- ters, and he that hath no money, come ye, buy and eat." " Repent and turn from your transgressions ; so iniquity shall not be your ruin." " Turn ye, turn ye ; for, why will ye die ?" I am well aware, that, in these parts, the spirituality of which I am speaking is considered, according to the opinion of many well-inlentioned persons, to be greatly alloyed, if not materially impaired, by the connection be- tween Church and State, as well in the Mother Country as in this Province. This surmise is not founded on truth. For our Church considers the cormeclion in question as merely an accident of accidents,— altogether distinct from her spiritual character. Hear her own language on the subject in her thirty-fourth article t— " Every particular or national church hath authority to ordain, change, and abolish ceremonies or rites of the Church, ordained only by man's authority, so that all things be done to edifying." The Statutes, which render her an essential portion of the British Constitution, " being ordained only by man's au- thority," may therefore he changed, without ellecting any alteration in her spiritual character. They do not in any way affect her spirituality. And it could be maintained on strong grounds, that the Slate is decidedly a gainer by the connection of which I am speaking. For, just cast a glance on the i»nge of history, and observe the prominent part which the Clergy of tlio Eblablishcd Church have I 38 always taken in the improvement of whatever was consid- ered of national advantage, or appertaining to true consti- tutional liherty. Who obtained, for instance, what we call our Magna Charta, that main foundation, as it is ge- nerally lield to be, of our free Institutions ? We are in- debted for it to the eloquence, the spirit, and the activity of an English Primate, assisted and supported by almost tlie whole body of his Clergy.* Who preserved the arts and the sciences, when the bonds of British society were nearly broken asunder, during the darkness and barbarism of the middle ages ? The Clergy of the Established Church. t And it is notorious, that the art of printing was first introduced into England by the care and generosity of Archbishop Bourchier,| — that through the exertions of the cleigy the revival of learning, and the Reformation of true religion, were happily accomplished, — and that with imminent danger to themselves, they were the first to give an elTectual check to the unconstitulitional encroachments * iSlephcn l.atigttin, Archbishop of Canterbury ; " n man, whodo memory," Buys Hume, " ooghl always to be respected by the English." 1 1 1st. of Ciig., Vol. I. p. 3S2. In the followiiig reii>ii, the Abbots and Prelates were very inmrament- <(! Ill obtaining liie Hiime secuiity from Henry 111., and i y endeavour- ed lu guard iigainst all future violations of it by u most imposing and so- l(imii ceroiiKiny. They stood round the (iin« t'l it have been well answered by Mr. MBi-rinaii, in III! very curiima and learned work, Orti^inci Typagrafliica, Vol, II. , r. > \ '. t 39 of the bigotted and despotic James 11.* By their learn- ing and virtue they have raised the moral character of the kingdom, and still contribute their share towards sustain- ing it in the prominent station, which it has deservedly obtained among the Empires of the earth if whilst every humane and charitable institution is sure to be hberally and cheerfully supported by their munificent bounty. The connection of the Church with the Slate therefore not only leaves her spiriluality unimpaired, but alibrds her a larger field for doing good,— gives her a fairer opportunity of ex- ercising those virtues, and practising those precepts, which are enjoined on us all, and sanctioned by the authority of the Gospel. Such, my Brethren, is a faint outline of the Church of Christ, and of her characteristic distinctions, as they are exhibited to us, both in the Holy Scripun-es, and in the ritual of the Church to which we belong. The more we examine the subject, the greater reason shall we dis- cover for admiring and adoring the goodness and provi- dence of God, for having cast our lot in a land where the true light shineth. May He give us grace, and the strength of perseverance, that we may spiritually profit by the opportunities which are thus placed within our reach ! My Brethren of the ministry ! By our ordination vows we have engaged to maintain and promote the spiritual in- terests of this Zion, which we firmly believe to be the • Henry Complon, Dinhoj) of London, in iho numo of his broihron, made a n.olion in iho Uo«e of l^rus, «o take ialo conaidernlion King Jamei'i famous ap«ech in ihe aocond se«»ion of rarlminent. m which he aignified hia intention of diapeniing with the teatneta. Ihe biahop a motion waa carried. Hume, Vol. VI. p 390. t See Dinloguei 00 the Uiea of Foreign Travel. Dial. 2, p. 183. Ad oicelleni work. jam 40 spiritual Intorosts of all mankind, — to be well calculated foi- advancing the eternal welfare of the human race. We have engaged to perform the duty of watchmen on its lowers ; to repel the attacks of its spiritual enemies ; to sustain those within its walls with the bread of life ; and to proclaim, to all who seek shelter under its cover, the glad tidings of salvation — the promises of ihe Gospel through Jesus Christ. " Necessity is therefore laid upon us : yea, woe is unto us, if we preach not the Gospel." It is here to condemn us with a tenfold condemnation ; it is here in its ordinances, in its sacraments, in its means of grace and hopes of glory, ready to rise up in judgment against us, demanding retribution, — if we fail to let our light so shine before men, that they may glorify our Fa- ther who is in heaven. It were affectation to deny that the peculiar situation of our Zion, in these parts, is such as must inevitably op- pose many obstacles and hindrances to our endeavours. Her circumstances appear to demand from us, — not that subtle instruction, which is grounded on nice distinctions in points of philosophy or speculative theology,— but that plain teaching, which involves the broad and most prom- inent principles of Christianity, and which sends them in their native purity home to every heart. She seems to re(]uire of us, that, on the one hand, we avoid the cold dogmatism of modern sciolists, and, on the other, that wo slum the violent ebullitions of reckless fanaticism, — taking a middle course, where we shall be most likely to find that narrow path, which leads from earth to heaven. To en- courage us in our cHbrls, we have the most animating pro- mises given to us, — the promise of Divine assistance on -,*m.'^.->k; ■'..^iJi^^S■mkA IHIMH ■H 41 earth, — the promise of the crown that fadcth not away, in heaven. Let us then be diligent in season and out of season; " seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, let us faint not :" so that when the Master of the house- hold shall return to demand an account of our stewardship, wo may be able to render it "with joy, andnot with grief." And let us all, My Brelhren, continue to revere the wisdom that planned, and the Providence which sustains that pure portion of Christ's Church to which we belong ; which has afforded spiritual comfort and consolation to our fathers ; and which we humbly trust is yet to be the means of transmitting the same to the generation following. At this day her pillars are planted on the four quarters of the globe : in the east and the west, the south and the north, her beauteous fabric is even now in the course of construction ; her fountains of knowledge and spiritual wisdom have been o])encd, and still continue to flow, in various remote portion,; of our mighty empire, watering and enriching, with their wholesome streams, important and extensive sections of the Christian vineyard. And it is no stretch of imagination to suppose, that, in this way, she may be an instrument in the hands of Providence to convert the dark nations of the earth, and to bring about that happy era when the blessings of the Gospel shall be made known to all i)Coplc — " when the knowledge of the Tiord shall cover the earth, even as the waters cover tho sea." Let us therefore " walk about our Zion, and tell the towers thereof ; mark well her bulwarks, and consider her palaces, that we may tell it to the generation follow- ing : that so this God may bo our God for ever and ever, and our guide even unto death." I Siafc*-'. dm I m MUNW' ■tiiii ON THE RESEMBLANCE BETWEEN THE JEWISH AND THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. A SERMON PREACHED IN ST. PAUL'S CHURCH, HALIFAX, N. S. ON SUNDAY, MAY 21, 1837. AT A VISITATION IIOLDEN BY THE LORD BISHOP OF NOVA SCOTIA. BY JAMES SIIREVE, D. D. Missionary of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, AT CHESTER, N. S. B colossians ii. 17. " Which are a shadow of things to come ; BUT THE BODY IS OF CllRIST. " HE who reads the Old and New Tcslament with that care and attention which the Book of God requires and demands, will not fail to observe a very striking re- semblance between the outlines of the Jewish and Chris- tian Churches ; — a resemblance, which if more closely examined, with fervent prayer to God to enlighten and direct the understanding, would, under the Divine blessing, prevent, or do away with nu, jh of the discord and dissen- sion, which now unhappily prevail among the various de- nominations of professing Christians. From such an ex- amination it would clearly appear that each arose upon a Divine foundation, each had its form of initiation and its symbolical rites, each had its three orders of Ministers in the Sanctuary, and each boasts of a Divine being at its head ; for it is the glory and boast of Christians that their leader, the Captain of their salvation under whose banners they are enlisted, is Christ the Lord, who is " head over all things to the Church." In the Christian Church we find indeed a higher degree of spirituality than is found under any other dispensation. For here the shadows of .JiffliisMm i MJ * A 'ii»i* l 46 the law find their substance, here the types of antiquity are fulfilled, here the daily sacrifice ceases, on account of that one great sacrifice, when God the Father, in ten- der love to man, gave his only Son Jesus Christ " to suf- fer death upon the cross for our redemption, who made there, by his one oblation of himself once offered, a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction." In the constitution of His Church, however, our Blessed Lord did not overlook the ancient pattern of heavenly things ; — we now therefore look for no new revelation, but, under the guidance and blessing of the Divine Spirit, look forward that the Church now, us formerly, must be known and preserved, propagated and improved, by the v/Cku of God, the Sacraments, and the Ministry. The Apostle, in the text, as in many other passages of his Epistles, draws a contrast between the Mosaic and Christian dispensations, and shews how far t,he ministry of the one excels that of the other, by proving the superior glory of the Gospel over the glory of the law, — the one the shadow, the other the substance. At the same time he gives us to understand, that the way of salvation now pointed out by the Gospel is not opposed to the law, — so far otherwise, that it is grounded on it, it estabUshes its authority, it magnifies and makes it honourable. In his Epistle to the Galatians he says, " The Law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith." It was the shadow of good things to come, but the body was of Christ. In endeavouring to derive instruction from his words, we will first, consider the description he has here given us of the Law ; secondly, his description of the Gospel ; and thirdly, the superiority of the one over the other. I iiiiilii iiLjgfoiiiftiWiiili^jigi until liiili m^^mm* 47 May all who live in the bright day of the glorious Gospel of the Son of God, duly value iheirhigh and holy privileges, and bless God that they can hear and see the things, which Kings and Prophets desired to see but did not see them ! First. St. Paul speaks of the Law as the shadow of things to come, — a dark and imperfect representation of them. The Law was chiefly composed of types and sha- dows, of forms and ceremonies. Its ordinances did but shadow forth good things to come. Under the Patriarchal dispensation men had gradually lost the knowledge of God, — they seem to have forgotten him, through the want of those religious institutions, which might have preserved the mind from wandering after the vain superstitions, and idolatrous worship of the heathens. God therefore chose one nation from among the rest of mankind to be the de- positary of his truth. He united them in one worship by means of peculiar rites and ordinances. And although a perfect religion was not thus established, though clear and just views of doctrinal truth were not communicated, — yet under this outward covering of ceremonies, the sub- stance of truth was preserved. Every sound doctrine known before was retained and enlarged ; and every doctrine necessary for the salvation of sinners, to be afterwards more fully revealed, was ob- scurely shadowed out, 1st. By sacrifices of difTerent kinds. These, though but outward rites of religious service, yet carried with them their several meanings, which had relation to a spiritual religion and worship ; while the whole was a typical scheme, and a fit introduction to that i» <^ AAiiHkl^iMfti^iaUl 4S more perfect dispensation of Jesus Christ the Messiah, by whom all mankind were to receive full atonement with God, and be blessed with the more pure revelation of his perfect will and way of worship. From the time when God first made known his mercy to Adam, and promised a Saviour, he. appointed that he should be worshipped by sacrifices of animals, until that Saviour should come. The direction for the daily sacrifice, which we find in the 29th chapter of Ex- odus, where it is appointed that a lamb should be offered every morning, and every evening, clay by day continual- ly^ — shadows forth to us the necessity for continual inter- cession for the pardon of our sins, and that the sacrifice of the heart by prayer and thanksgiving should be offered up every day to the Lord for his many mercies ! The altar of incense spoken of in the 30th chapter of Exodus, and the daily burning of sweet incense thereon, every morning and every evening, also shews the necessity of constant prayer, and that it is acceptable to God. Thus alone can we look for the blessing promised to the Is- raelites, that God would meet them at the door of the tabernacle, and speak with them there. Next, by purifications from legal uncleannesses. These wer'^ numerous and burdensome under the law or Jcu'ish dispensation. But they were intended for more than the mere ritual observance ; — they represented many things tending to inward and substantial religion, such as reverence towards the house of God, his worship and service — the necessity of inward purity of heart and life— the difficulty of rooting out evil habits from the mind— and the danger of sinful aflections in those who are God's peculiar people. These and other such things were shadowed out by the purifications of the Jewish Law ; — always with a view to the promised Redeemer, who was in the most perfect manner to cleanse us by his blood, enlighten us by his doctrine, and purify and sanc- tify us by his Spirit. Thus we find in the 14ih chapter of Leviticus, that upon the person cleansed from leprosy the Priest was directed to put the blood of the sacrifice and oil ; to shew to us, that wherever the blood of Christ is applied for justification, the oil of the Spirit must be applied for sanctification, as these two ar: inseparable, and both necessary to our acceptance with God. The law was, therefore, a shadow of good things to come ; it made no alteration with respect either to the mode of man's acceptance, or the duties which were owing to God and man. It did not change either the way "*f sal- vation or the general nature of religion. It was added in order to prepare the minds of men for that Redeemer who was to rise upon the world, like ihe sun in his strength, bringing light and life to all the nations of the earth. And since to us, my Brethren, have been made known the glad tidings of the Gospel, and we are permit- ted to view God's dispensations to his church, aided by the bright shining of the Sun of Righteousness, we will pass from the shadow to the substance, and consider the second division of our text — " But the body is of Christ. The former dispensation of types and shadows has passed away to make room for the substantial blessings of the new Covenant, of which it was the forerunner. Since the fulfilment of the types and sacrifices of the law in the person and works of Jesus Christ, a Church has wwt hiiiA 50 existed upon earth, whose transcendant glory casts into the shade all religious dispensations that had gone before it. It is a spiritual temple, " built upon the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone." In it God dwells not by sensible tokens of his presence, as in the temple of old, but by the sanctifying power and comforting graces of his Holy Spirit. Its glory consists not in the splendour or costliness of its ceremonies, but in the greatness of its privileges, and the holiness of its members. The body is of Christ. He is ♦» the Lord our Righteousness," " the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world." In the character, the office, and the actions of our Redeemer, all the numerous types and shadows of the law and prophecies were fulfilled. And it is only in vir- tue of their accomplishment in his person, that they could have any efficacy. Most truly and completely, even with respect to the ceremonial law, did our Lord declaration correspond with the fact,—" Think not thai I am come to destroy the Law and the Prophets, I an) not come to destroy but to fulfil." In his unsearchable counsels God ordained that '♦ without shedding of blood there should be no remis- sion" of sin. The sacrifices which he instituted, by which blood was shed to make atonement for the soul, well prefigured that more excellent sacrifice, Jesus Christ, by the shedding of whose blood all who truly believe in him receive remission of their sins. The Passover, which was celebrated by the Jews to commemorate their deliverance from Kgypt, was a striking type of Christ our Passover, who was sacrificed for. us to deliver us 51 from tlie bondage of sin and death. The Paschal Lamb was indeed an emblem of the Lamb of God, without blemish and without spot ; for as it was to be slain by the whole congregation of Israel, without any of its bones being broken, and its blood to be sprinkled on the door posts, to save the Israelites from the wrath of the destroy- ing angel ; — so was Jesus Christ, the true Paschal Lamb, slain for the sins of all people, not a bone of him being bro- ken ; and his blood sprinkled on the souls of sinners, saves them from the wrath of God. The High Priest, under the Jewish Law, was directed to go on the day of atone- ment with the blood of the victim, on whom were laid the sins of the peojjle, into the Holy of Holies, and sprinkle the blood on the mercy seat, to make atonement. Here we behold set forth Jesus Christ, the great High Priest of our Profession, going into the true Holy place, " into Heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for „g^"_to make expiation by his blood, by which a greater atonement was made for tne sins of the whole world ! How, when seen in this point of view, do both the law and the gospel exhibit one consistent and harmonious scheme! How clearly visible throughout the whole volume of the Scriptures are to be traced the parts of one stupendous but consistent plan— worthy of its Divine author, worthy of that great God who dwells in Heaven, and whoso wisdom ruleth over all. Throughout the whole of the Scripture may be dis- cerned the gracious and merciful intention of our heavenly Father, '' when the fulness of the time should come, to send forth his Son," to save his fallen and unworthy crea- turcs iVom destruction. Contemplating these thing*, who m ^mw^ 52 can refuse his unleigned assent to the language of our venerable Church, (founded, as we beheve it to be, upon " the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone,") which in her seventh article teaches her members, " that the Old Testament is not contrary to the New, for both in the Old and New Testament everlasting life is oiTered to mankind by Christ, who is the only Mediator between God and man, being both God and man." We will now proceed to our third subject of consi- deration, — The superior glory of the Gospel abDve that of the Law. It is superior, among other things, in that it offers greater blessings to man, and oflcrs those blessings more extensively. The piomiscs of the Law were confined to one nation only ; the precious promises of the Gospel, on the contrary, arc thrown open to all the world. All are invited to come and partake of its richest mercies freely, " without money, and without price." " Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest," — was the gracious invitation which came from the lips of the friend of sinners, who " tasted death for every man" ; — and wide as is the invitation, equally full and extensive are the oilers of pardon and forgiveness of sins to the truly penitent, through the me- rits of a crucified Saviour, proving to us that the Gospel was a " better covenant established upon better promi- ses." " For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctilieth to the purifying of the Hosli, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the ElcruQl Spirit oH'crcd him- > f i t ■ ip W i^lfc l l p** • 53 self without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the hving God.*" Large and ex- tensive, likewise, beyond what even the imagination could suggest, are the joys and blessings which the re- deemed sinner is encouraged to hope for, when the scenes and pleasures of this fading world have passed away. For " eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive the good things which God hath laid up for them that love him." Thus the law was a shadow of good things to come, but the body is of Christ. To those who are journeying through the wilderness of life, " having respect unto the recompense of reward," whose fainting souls are oft- times refreshed by the prospect of a land of rest beyond the grave, pleasing is the reflection that the Gospel is so extensive in its offers, — that unto others also these preci- ous promises are open, — that the knowledge of the Gospel is not confined as was that of the Law to the land of Judca alone ; but that the ccmmand of the Redeemer to his disciples was, — " Go ye into all liie world, and preach the Gospel to every creature." In our own day, through the praiseworthy exertions of religious societies, the sound of this Gospel is going out into all lands, en- couraging us to look forward to the time, when, as the faithful word of prophecy assures us, " the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the FiOrd as the waters cover the sea," and every tongue siiull confess Jesus to be the Lord. Wc need not then have any over-anxious fears •Hob. IX. 13, 14. A_ ■ *--jWfei ,iiiHllWiiii')*>' 54 for the prosperity and final triumph of the Church of Christ, while, with an humble reliance upon the blessing from on high, we preach the Go$pd in obedience to the command of our Saviour, and, in our exertions to impart that knowledge to others, seek for some of the spirit which animated many of the jnous heralds of the Gospel, sons of the church v.e love, who to distant lands pro- claimed the glad tidings of salvation. Halvation, oh Salvation ! The joyful soutiH proclaim. 'Till earth's remotest nation Has learued .Messiah's name. From the creation of the world, then, we fmd that tiod has had a church ; and, though the disjiensations of Heaven towards it have been contimially changing, yet by every change the church has been a gainer ; and thus will it continue to be to the end of time. Clouds may indeed rise at seasons, to darken its prospects ; but they are always clouds of mercy, and will shower down bles- H'ngs upon that church which the Redeen)er purchased with his blood, and against which, he himself has said, not even the " gales of Hell shall ever prevail !" That Jestts CluiL^t, while he was on the earth, esta- blished a church, which was to continue, imtil the rnd of time, to bo thn channel through which his Gospel should be made known to the world, and consequently that such a church now exists, is admitted by all. But where is it to be found ' This is the grand enquiry. For while each denomination of Christians, with a mi- nistry, and creeds, and worship, essentinlly diffpreni from fnrh other, claims to be that church, before W8 can «t- \ / ^s^BBJ 55 tach ourseWes lo their comiimnlon, we must be fdlly per- suaded that they are so. " Since (as remarks a pious divine,*) it can never be a matter o( indifference to a se- rious and reflecting mind, whether the Church to which he belongs is sound in her faith and doctrine, aposiohc in her ministry, and pure in her worship, or not so." Every candid enquirer after truth will ever feel convinced that that church, which the Redeemer purchased with his precious blood, must, from the written word of God, shew " in doctrine uncorruptness" — must be able to prove the divine commission of her ministry, — and, intended as it is to fit and prepare mankind for the endless worship of God in his heavenly temple, must on earth worship the Lord, not in hasty, rash and unmeaning expressions, nor in a language not understood by the people, but in the beavty of Holiness ; or it can have no claims to our res- pert and attachment. The members of that portion of Christ's church to which we belong, need never be afraid to examine the evi- dences by which the peculiarities of our system are sup- ported, for they rest upon a foundation which has with- stood the storms and revolutions of ages, and, the more ihey are made the subject of e.iquiry, the stronger will be our conviction of the truths which they establish. From the history of the Jewish nation, thuugh every period of its existence, until the coming of the Messiah ; from the institutions of Christ himself, during his personal ministry tipon the earth ; from the uniform practice of the Apostles, founded upon the commission which they ♦ Bishop Hobftrt, had received from their Divine Master ; and from the sanction of the church universal in its earhest and purest state, we derive the most satisfactory assurance of the validity of our claims, and the conformity of our rites and ordinances to the word and will of God. First, as regards the divine commission of the ministry. Only a short time had elapsed after the departure of the Israelites from Egypt, when Moses received the commands and instructions of God relative to the ta- bernacle, its services, and ministers, in evidence of his will to all ages and generations of men, that all things be- longing to his immediate worship and service, should be held worthy their sacred regard and care. And when all things were prepared according to the instructions which Moses had received in the mount, Aaron (according to the same instructions) was solemnly invested with the Priest's oflice, — while the sons of Aaron were also anoint- ed by Moses, as was their father, that they might minister with him in the priest's office. The whole tribe of Levi were afterward set apart, by an express command, to serve in the inferior oflices of the Sanctuar \ . Thus, un- der the authority and guidance of a particular revelation, were the oflicers of the ancient church of God established ; and thus the constitution of the Jewish church continued, until its glory was done away by the brightness of his glory, who was the only begotten of the Father , full of grace and truth. This constitution of the Ecclesiastical part of the Mosaic dispensation, thus established in the wilderness, and afterward transferred to the Temple on Mount Zion, seems to have been a pattern, after which was formed 0, y ili lw ii W I % 57 the constitution of the Cliurch of Christ. The Redeem- er himself acted upon it, with his twelve disciples and seventy deacons, himself the great High Priest, going about doing good — retaining in his own hands the power of sending labourers into his vineyard, until after he arose from the dead, when he breathed on his chosen disciples, gave them his spirit, and commissioned them to send forth others, saying, " As the Father hath sent me, even so send I you," "Preach the Gospel to every creature,'' and, '^ Lo! lam with you always even unto the end of the world. " The language of the age immediately succeeding that of the Apostles is, (according to St. Ignatius,) " As were Aaron and his sons, and the Levites, under the law, the like let the Bishops, Presbyters, and Deacons claim to be under the Gosnel. " And, with the venerable authority of this early age, we may safely conclude, that the striking analogy of the constitution of the Church of Christ to that of the Tabernacle was not merely an accidental resem- blance, but designed, by the all-wise Author of both these institutions, to shew to all men the unity of the dispensa- tions ; that, in this as in other things, " the Law was a shadow of things to come, but the body loas of Christ." In the next place, our worship is in conformity with the word and will of God ; since, as far as we can prove, " The ancient Jews, our Saviour, his Apostles, and the primitive Christians, never joined in any prayers but pre- composed set forms only."'^ And in the Church trium- phant in Heaven no discord or confusion finds a place, but all, with one heart and one voice, in the same words, i Whtjullj'. 8 wm ! « •• '^" ■^ I I 58 give glory and praise to God that silteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever ! Cold Indeed must be the heart which is not warmed and animated by the reflection, that in the holy service we now use, many once dear to us, whose bodies now moulder with the silent dead, but whose spirits, we trust, are with those of just men made perfect, frequently besought the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world, to have mercy upon them ; and that we, from our earliest childhood, lisped forth those prayers to God. We cannot, there- fore, or we ought not, but to feel a filial veneration for the formularies, which they and we so often have used with comfort and advantage ! We cannot but love to pray in the words in which our forefathers prayed, and in which so many fellow-worshippers still call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both theirs and ours ! " I never enter an ancient church," said tlie late Mr. Cecil, " with- out feeling myself impressed with something of this idea,— Within these walls have been resounded for centuries, by successive generations, "Thou art the King of Glory, O Christ !" In her Sacraments, also, our Church agrees with the word and will of God. The Passover, which was to be an ordinance for ever, we keep, when we feed on the body broken, and the blood shed, of Christ our Passo- ver, who was sacrificed for us ! The former was the shadow of good things to come, but the body was of Chnst. In that other Sacrament (though it is pamful to re- flect how much this Heaven-appointed ordinance is now neglected,) we follow the directions given by the Almighty to his peculiar people, and admit those cf every age mto \ I f ,^|fc4j|WWlM— III I i 59 covenant with their God. Where then, we ask, is the love of the parent for the children God has given him, if he will not have them marked as the lambs of the Re- deemer, and placed within that fold where they will grow up under his own eye, and be nourished in the wholesome pastures of his own enclosing ? Let such go back to the days of primitive Christianity, the days when flourished the nohU army of martyrs, and whom would they hear saying that the christian church is of less ex- tensive charity than the Jewish, that the former should exclude from her pale those little innocents whom the latter received. Let such go back to the days of the Saviour, and when or where would they hear him telling the Jew, that in the order of things he was about to es- tablish,— in the Church he was about to organize,— the parent and child (who had hitherto always been embraced in the same covenant,) were to be separated ? In vain would they seek for any hint of the kind. It was reserv- ed for men of modern days to thrust from the ark those little ones whom God permitted to be carried into it ; it was reserved for such to say, that those who were once considered capable of entering into covenant with God, are no longer to be allowed that privilege, and to exclude from the Church of God and its benefits those, who, during a former period of the Church, were commanded by God himself to be admitted members of it. It was reserved for men in these latter days, to shut out from the Church militant on earth those whom the Redeemer has represented as constituting a principal part of the Church iriumpliant in Heaven ! Well will it be for those who «:uirer not themselves to be led astray by those novel ♦-wi GO opinions upon religious subjects, of which the world is now so full, from the good old ways, in which martyrs have trod, which Apostles have described, which the blessed Saviour has appointed. Happy will it be for those who *' suffer little children to come" unto Christ, and dedi- cate them to their Redeeming God. Thus will they bet- ter be guarded against the sorrows and temptatio is to which they are constandy exposed in this ever varying world ; or, if early removed from the waves and storms of this troublesome life, and from those who loved them on this earth, the comfortable hope, — and the only hope that will afford ease to the afflicted heart,— will be, that they have been received into the arms of their Saviour, and are hap- py and blessed indeed ! The Church to which we belong being thus in all things formed after the pattern marked out by Prophets, Apostles, and by the Saviour Christ, we can see the pro- priety of our nineteenth article, which says that the " Vi- sible Church of Christ is a congregation of faithful men, in which the pure word of God is preached, and the Sa- craments duly ministered according to Christ's ordinance in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same." By the young and inexperienced in religion the great advantages of belonging to such a church are but little con- sidered, and still less understood ; while trifling blemishes are keenly observed. The yet untried evils of separation are now so little thought of — the sin of schism, of leaving the bosom of a church, blessed of God thro' a series of many generations, where numbers have taken sweet coun- sel together and received comfort, is so lightly esteemed, i 61 that too many tlioughilessly separate themselves from hei- communion, and afterwards deeply lament their hasly and inconsiderate rashness.- Be it om' care then to improve ihe religious advantages we possess, in being members of such a pure and holy church—ever remembering, that from those, to whom much is given, much mil he required ; and that it is not enough to be members only by profession. It is our happiness to belong to a Church founded by Christ and his Apostles ; and by the agency of the Holy Spirit continued to the present day. Our advantages are .,eat,-great also are the obligations resting upon both ministers and people. While the ministers of Christ and stewards of the mvsteries of God must ever preach by a bolv example, ever show by their lives and conversation that the doctrines they preach have an abiding influence on their own hearts, the people should - take heed how they hear.' Let us all live then near to God, and by prayer and supplication make known our desires to Him. To cheer, to comfort, and to guide us in our jour- neyings through the wilderness of life, we have the man- na the bread which came down from Heaven, the word, Ihl precious promises of God ! We have the refreshing waters which flow from the rock (for that rock was Christ,) to revive our fainting souls. Unlike many other streams 10 which, in this pilgrimage of life, man recurs for know- ledge, for happiness, or comfort, which often, as many know bv sad experience, wlie.i most required, we find either tm-ned into other chuinels, or perhaps dried up, the waters of the Spirit flow continually in their course. Like the type of that Holy Spirit, the streams which fol- SS*- 62 J— " -■ j- ^ figi^. ' lowed the Children of Israel in all the windings of their journey, so have we that living water ever with us, spring- ing up into everlasting life. Of the Israelites the Psalm- ist says, " In the day time God led them with a cloud, and all the night through with a light of fire." And we have cause for thankfulness, that we are not left without a guide in the day of prosperity nor in the night of adver- sity — even through the dark valley of the shadow of death our God will be with us, to guide his faithful people in safety to the heavenly Canaan, the land of happiness and rest. There the wicked cease from troubling., and the weary are at rest. There God will dwell for ever with his people ! He will wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more sin, sorrow, nor death. There the imperfect icorship, in which the congregation of Christ's followers, as nov/ assembled, partake on earth, shall be changed into angel services — services of grateful praise with angels and archangels, and all the company of Hea- ven, evermore praising thee, O God ! ceasing not, day and night, to give glory, honour, and power, to God and the Lamb. Blessed are they who walk in his ways, that they may have a right to this city. Blessed indeed are they who tread thy courts, thou city of the living God. That this bles^.edness may be ours, God of his infinite mercy grant, for Jesus Christ's sake, — to \vhoin with the Father and the Holy Ghost be honour and glory for ever and ever. ■aiii ■■Bi leir rig. m- we DUt er- ath in Ihe ith 3S, t's be se a- ay 51/ at dV m