SERMON XIII.

ESSENTIALS OF APOSTOLICAL DOCTRINE.

(2.) FAITH WORKING BY LOVE.

(PREACHED ON ST. JOHN'S DAY, 1857.)

GAL. V. 6.

In Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

"FAITH working by Love." This is the second aspect of practical Christianity exhibited by S. Paul; the parallel which explains and expands the New Creature or New Creation of which I spoke on Christmas Day. The words are the words of S. Paul; but they might well stand as the summary of the teaching of that other great Apostle whom we this day commemorate. No where in the New Testament is the close connection of Faith and

Love so brought out as in the First General Epistle of S. John. No where else does every precept and doctrine so entirely twine itself round these two centres of Christian life. In S. Paul's writings you may by a violent effort sever the two asunder. One half of his Epistles more directly leads on to Faith, the other half more directly to Love. But in S. John they are absolutely indivisible. You cannot part them without tearing the whole Epistle to shreds. Not only every chapter, but almost every verse is equally made up of both. It is, indeed, the best example that could be found of Faith working by Love working, moving, living by Love, as in its only natural element.

Let us see, then, how this is a description of the essence of Christianity: how it is that the New Creation expresses itself in these two voices, as it were, of the human soul.

I. What is meant by saying that "Faith avails?" What is the newness, what is the peculiarity ascribed to Christian morality by saying that it springs from Faith? It is this. If we wish to engage the sympathies

of man in behalf of any system of truth or of goodness, we must have something to which we can appeal, over and above the mere abstract statement of that system, be it theology, or philosophy, or morals. We read, for example, the Book of Proverbs in the Bible and in the Church Services. They are most excellent for their purpose. But no one will suppose that by them the world would be roused from its slumbers and converted to a new life. We must have something more. Example, as we often say, is better than many precepts. A picture may often teach more than many books. But most of all, any voice, or word, or act that comes from a higher sphere than we see around us - any system which appeals to our inmost feelings, to our personal trust, and love, and hope, and fear is the standing place from whence alone the world can be moved. Call this what we will-Religion, Conscience, Faith—it is the cause of the most vehement, almost of the only vehement convulsions by which men have been startled and moved. Many an instance might be given from history of this, as it may almost be called, volcanic power

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of the fire of Faith which is burning within us, sometimes for good, sometimes for evil, but always most powerful, never to be despised even by those who least wish to trust to its hidden and ungovernable forces. But we need not farther for illustrations than its lawful and well-known use in the Faith of Christ. Here, if anywhere, it might be thought that morality, so lofty, so pure, so just as Christian morality, might maintain itself without direct appeals to the religious principle. Yet here, if anywhere, it seems true that if the preaching and teaching of morality is to have its perfect work, it must go back to something like a personal trust and faith in the unseen world. Take one well-known instance - that recorded in the Moravian missions in Greenland. I quote the words of an Indian chief, who had been, as they tell us, a very wicked man, but was then thoroughly converted. "Brethren, I have been a heathen, and am 66 grown old among them. I know, therefore, very well how it is with the heathen. preacher came once, desiring to instruct us, "and began by proving to us that there was "a God. On which we said to him, 'Well,

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"and dost thou think we are ignorant of that?

now go again whence thou camest.' Another "preacher came another time, and would in"struct us, saying, 'Ye must not steal, ye "must not lie, ye must not drink too much,' "&c. We answered him, 'Fool that thou "art! dost thou think that we do not know "that? Go and learn it first thyself, and "teach the people thou belongest to not to do "those things. For who are greater drunk"ards, or thieves, or liars than thine own "people?' Then we sent him away also. "Some time after this, Christian Henry, one "of the brethren, came to me into my hut "and sate down by me. The contents of his "discourse to me were nearly these. 'I 66 come to thee in the name of the Lord of "heaven and earth. He acquaints thee that "He would gladly save thee, and rescue thee "from the miserable state in which thou liest. "To this end He became a man, hath given "His life for mankind, and shed His blood for them,' &c. Upon this he lay down on a "board in my hut, and fell asleep, being

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fatigued with his journey. I thought within

myself, 'What manner of man is this?

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