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tory is not doubtful. "He shall be made more than conqueror, through him that hath loved him, and given himself for him." For God hath said, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee;" "the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord, that hath mercy on thee!"

II. This history leads me, in the second place, to advert to A VERY FALSE ESTIMATE

OF VIRTUE AND VICE WHICH IS WIDELY PREVALENT IN THE WORLD.

The standard to which men very generally apply sentiments and actions, in order to ascertain their moral quality, is the detriment or benefit of civil society. Their definition of sin would not have been, that "it is the transgression of God's law;" but that "it is the violation of the peace of society." Simon, the Pharisee, evidently used this standard of good and evil. He knew well, that crimes, such as belonged to the woman now before him, tear away all the decencies, and cut asunder all the ties which bind human beings together in the connexions of domestic life. He knew that licentiousness, in a female, is, in general, the first step to every other sin; the first of a fatal series of actions, which, leading down to the lowest degradation of character, prepares the

mind even for the perpetration of drunkenness, and robbery, and murder! He looked, therefore, with aversion upon this penitent. But measuring himself by the same standard, he found abundant ground for self-complacency and self-esteem. He was wise and good in his own eyes. He had no conviction of guilt; because, disturbing by no gross attack the repose of social life, he never brought his sentiments to any other test.

My brethren, this same rule of judgment widely prevails among ourselves. Those actions are uniformly condemned which insult the institutions of society, but those are lightly passed over which insult the majesty of God. The man who speaks much of integrity and truth; who abhors deceit and chicanery in the conduct of life; who is jealous of his honour, and ready to wash out any imputation upon that honour in his own, or in his brother's blood; this same man will profane the name of his God with the most thoughtless levity; will despise the sanctity of the sabbath; will contemn and cast aside the guidance of the Bible; will live without prayer, and act as if he were the arbiter of his own destiny. This same man will even prey upon the virtues of others; will sacrifice, and that without remorse, the peace and reputation, and ultimately the life, of many a female, allured by his artifices

from the paths of rectitude!

And notwith

standing all this irreligion, and this inhumanity, he will maintain his character in the world, and be esteemed a man of probity, and a man of honour!

Oh! my brethren, how different will be the rule which will regulate the proceedings of the great assize, at which, ultimately, all the inhabitants of the earth must take their trial, from that which now guides the tribunals of the world! Human laws, and human opinions, generally speaking, take cognizance only of crimes which affect the order and government of a temporal magistrate, and have no kind of reference to the moral government of God; but a day is coming, when a higher standard of good and evil will be erected. Meantime, alas! the delusion in question widely spreads; and all that class of actions which respect the immediate authority of God, are swept away from observation. It may thus not unfrequently happen, that the judge of an earthly court, when passing sentence on some violator of the public peace, may himself be guilty of far more flagrant offences in reference to the statute law of God. He may descant, and he does this very justly, on the atrocious inroad made by the criminal on the happiness and security of his neighbour; but he may take no single glance, in any period of his reflection, at his own contempt of

God's authority; at his secret pride and irreligion; at his awful rejection of that method of mercy revealed to him by the Ruler of the universe! How will the last judgment, my brethren, confound the previous judgment of mankind! How will characters rise and sink, at that day, in direct opposition to the opinions formerly entertained of their worth! Many, in that day, who died amidst the plaudits of surrounding associates, "will awake to shame and everlasting contempt;" while many, who bore the world's scorn, and went down to death under the load of calumny and reproach, will rise from the dust the accredited servants of God, and will shine as the stars in the firmament, in the possession of "glory, and honour, and eternal life!"

342

SERMON XXI.

CHRIST GIVEN FOR HIS CHURCH.

GALATIANS i. 4.

"WHO GAVE HIMSELF FOR OUR SINS, THAT HE MIGHT DELIVER US FROM THIS PRESENT EVIL WORLD, ACCORDING TO THE WILL OF GOD AND OUR FATHER."

THESE Words stand in the very commencement of the epistle of St. Paul to the Galatian church, and they are addressed to the same persons to whom he wishes "Grace and peace from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ;" affectionate expressions, which mark out the salutation of an Evangelist to those who knew the grace of God, and the value of his peace to their souls. These alone can enter into the meaning of his address, or regard God as their Father and their Friend. To these, in every age of the world, in one climate as in another, the words of the text convey sounds of deepest melody and delight. They are words of power and of life. They bring the soul of the believer into direct communion with "that just

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