THE

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"In the rudest and earliest ages, gene. ral intimations only were given of the exa pected blessing. Gradually more and more light respecting it was diffused, as the mental eye became able to bear it. Matters of Faith were gradually and progres sively unfolded. But, in every age, the great practical rules of life were taught fully and clearly without reserve. every nation,' where even a glimpse of revelation appeared, it was understood, that he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted of Him t." This was laid as the ground-work of the whole. For, until men believed that there is a God, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him ‡,' it had been in vain to preach any of the more recondite truths which revealed religion could set before them.

"Even the Mosaic law, with all its requisitions of faith and worship, was found ed on the broad principle of moral and re ligions obedience, And what were its numerous expiations and ablutions, but means to convince men of sin,' and to shew them the necessity of Atonement and Redemption? What were all the lessons of the Prophets, intermingled with their predictions, but terrific denunciations a ́gainst sin, and encouraging incitements to virtue? What, too, was the special office of the Baptist, the immediate Forerunner of our Lord, but to prepare the way of the Lord' by making his paths strait §,' and to sound in the ears of his followers the necessity of repentance, and of bringing forth fruits meet for repentance,' that they might be rendered fit for the recep tion of the Gospel?

"True it is, that the Law and the Pro

phets failed not, together with this high

tone of moral instruction, to direct the believer to that Fountain of Grace and Mercy, whence alone he was to derive spiritual aid and comfort: and in highly figurative language the blessings of the Gospel were shadowed out, to win the affections, and to animate the endeavours of those who would profit by their instructions. In this respect, there is a wonderful harmony between the Law and the Gospel, the Pro

Haggai, ii. 7. + Acts, x. $5. Heh. xi. 6.
§ Matt. iii. 3.
foid, ii. 8.

phets and the Apostles. But there is the same harmony also between them, as Preachers of righteousness *,' and expositors of the Divine will. In both, 'mercy and truth are met together, righteousness and peace have kissed each other t.' In neither, is God's free grace overlooked on the one hand, or man's free will on the other. No where is unconditional sal. vation offered; no where is Faith separat ed, as to its saving effects, from the spirit of Obedience, and the endeavour to perfect holiness in the fear of God 1.

"Once more; let us look at the pattern of teaching set before us, in Him who

spake as never man spake§,' 'and, 'in Whom dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. How did He open his instructions to mankind? What was His sermon on the mount, but a preliminary series of exhortations and of precepts, by which His hearers might be qualified to receive, in due time, a fuller revelation of the great purpose of His coming into the world? These were to fit them for entering into His kingdom, or, in other words, for embracing the Christian Faith. In the order of His teaching, the inculcating of moral truths preceded the gracious invitation, Come unto me all ye that are heavy laden, and I will give you rest :' and that invitation was immediately followed by the admonition, “Take my yoke upon you ¶.'

"In vain, then, with these authorities before us, may we hope for success in the great work of spreading Evangelical Truth, if we invert this order of proceeeding; if we derange and confound that method of instruction, which is no less necessary at one period than at another, because at all times in unison with human nature.” P. 17.

The application of this great principle to the Missions of modern days, is contained in the remainder of the discourse; and the Bishop of Llandaff shews conclusively that care is necessary in selecting proper persons for conducting them, and reasonable every pect of seeing that care exerted by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel.

that there is

pros

manner in which they obtrude upon ignorant and debased minds, without any previous moral cultivation, those doctrines of revealed religion which are most difficult of reception, and :nost repugnant to their pre-conceived opinions. To preach, for instance, Justification by Faith, and Sanctification by the Holy Spirit, before they have been taught that perfect law of God, by a comparison with which their own conduct would render them self-condemned, and shew them the necessity of re demption and renovation,-is to proceed in a manner unnatural, irrational, and therefore the least likely to produce lasting effect. To descant also upon the danger of self-righteousness, and the utter worthlessness of good works, seems not to be the most efficacious mode of bringing those who are already dead in trespasses and sins, to a better sense of duty, or to excite in them earnest endeavours to 'work out their salvation with fear and trembling +.'

Supposing these doctrines, therefore, to be ever so capable of an exceptionable explanation, and even to be essential to the Gospel system; yet what discerning man would begin the work of conversion by preaching them to persons as yet ignorant of the difference between good and evil; to persons, who know not God, or have no just conceptions of His nature and perfections; who are unconscious that they are transgressors of the law, or have incurred its penalties?

"Another error of over zealous, though well-meaning enthusiasts, is that of relying upon the expectation of extraordinary inspirations from God, to further their undertaking, and to supply the place of mental cultivation and discipline. Far be it from us to depreciate the piety or sincerity of those who, devoting themselves to the service of God with all their hearts, and souls, and minds, go forth under a strong impression that the Divine blessing cannot but accompany their exertions. Yet, though we may admire and reverence the fervour, the courage, the exalted piety, which appear to prompt them to this noble enterprize; we must warn them, that it is a hazardous, if not a presumptnous measure, to tempt the Most High by rash adventures to execute such a purpose, where the qualifications most essential to it are wanting. When the power of miracles was withdrawn, with it was withdrawn also that of extraordinary inspiration, itself a miracle. No evidence, at least, can now be given of the one, where the other is not to be found. Yet, Ephes. ii. 1. Phil. ii. 12.

even in recent times, unwarrantable pretensions have too often been made to gifts and outpourings of the Spirit upon every emergency, and to marvellous effects wrought upon their hearers by these supposed aids from above. But what, for the most part, have been the results? For one sincere and steady convert to the Faith, thousands probably scoff at the doctrine, no less than at the preacher. They perceive nothing to command their belief, or their respect, because their understandings are unconvinced, their hearts untouched, their sense of rectitude or of guilt unimproved: or if an impression be made on more susceptible minds, yet is it transient and unsubstantial ‘as a morning cloud, and as the early dew that goeth away*.'" P. 25.

"It is, I know, a prevalent opinion, that conversions, of whatever kind, to the Christian Faith, are of paramount importance to any lesser discriminations of that Faith among those by whom it is professed; and that provided the Gospel be preached to the Heathen, we need not be scrupulous as to the particular tenets of the parties so employed. And were it a question, whether the Heathen should remain in utter darkness, or receive but a partial and imperfect light, Christian philanthropy would not, perhaps, allow us to hesitate on the alternative. But where the question is, whether the work of conversion should be confided to competent or incompetent distributors of the word;

where we have the choice presented to us, of carrying on a design of such unspeakable magnitude, by the operation of persons trained according to cur own well-grounded persuasions of truth, or of committing it to others in whom we can place no such confidence ;-then the case is altered; and we can no more, with a safe conscience, consent to blend together these discordant materials in the work of foreign instruction, than in that of domestic culture.

"Unquestionably, the most defective or corrupt form of Christianity may be preferable to absolute Infidelity;-Popery, or Socinianism, to Judaism;—Judaism to Mahometanism;-Mahometanism itself to Paganism. Popery recognizes most, if not all the essentials of Scripture Truth. Socinianism does not openly disavow the authority of the Sacred Volume, Judaism receives the Scriptures of the Old Testament. Mahometanism derives some of its tenets from both the Old and New Testaments. Paganism has nothing in common with any of these, except some

* Hosea vi. 4.

sakes no doubt this is written.' The literal fact that a flock may be over-driven, and in consequence of the weakness of some of the sheep, may, from such violent measures, come to an untimely end, is noticed merely to convey to us the same spiritual lesson which we are taught by a variety of other figures, as well as by direct precept and example; viz. that the duty of a good shepherd is not merely to drive his flock; but to drive them gently, and prudently, and carefully; waiting for the slow, carry ing the young and weakly in his arms, restraining the speed of the wild, and the arflour of the strong, so that all may have time for rest and food, as well as for tra, vel. He shall feed his flock like a shep herd; he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom; and shall gently lead those that are with young.'

“ it is admitted that in figurative language, we are not, generally, to expect universality in the points of comparison: and that serious mistakes may arise from filling up too much the analogies so boldly and slightly sketched in the masterly style of Holy Scripture; but the analogy which subsists between the duties of a shepherd, and the pastoral charge committed to us is so strikingly perfect, is so often and at such length introduced, not only into the inspired poetry of the Prophets, but into the most solemn and sober instructions of the New Testament, and indeed has so completely interwoven itself with the language and the symbols of every age, and Religion, and Government, that we are surely justified in pursuing it somewhat more closely than we should follow up metaphors of which the application may be incidental and imperfect, in deducing from the necessary practice of the 'keeper of sheep, an illustration at least, if not a confirmation of that system in the exercise of our pastoral office, which study and judgment had previously formed.

"I submit, therefore, that as it is the duty of the literal shepherd to provide for the safety of his whole flock; to consider that the slow are often the most valuable, the heavy most productive, the young and weak most capable of improvement; and for their sake to content himself, and to make the strong leaders of the flock content with a moderate pace, and a gentle progress; so it is the duty of a faithful pastor of the spiritual flock, however ardent his zeal, however fervent his delight may be in accompanying the higher ranges of bold and strong spirits, to remember, in the public exercise of his function, that all have an equal right to his attention, all

are entrusted to his charge, all will be re quired at bis hands: those perhaps, es pecially, who being infirm of nature, and weak in grace, stand in peculiar need of his careful guidance and unremitting at tention.

"There are certainly, in every con siderable congregation, many persons who are aptly represented by the heavy mo thers and the young of the flock; persons who will uot, who cannot bear to be over. driven; who would either be left behind in hopeless disgust, or harassed to death in the vain endeavour to follow the dictates of a too hasty zeal: and these persons are by no means to be regarded as of less value, or as having a less claim to our as» siduous care, than those of a more ardent temperament, or of less weighty prepos sessions, who may be ready to follow our most rapid movements, if not to outgo them, στρύνειν καὶ ἅντους πὲρ μεμάωτας. Ρ. 6.

"With this weight of authority, of reason, and of Scripture on our side, we feel ourselves perfectly secure in the rectitude of the principle we have adopted, preferring a connected system in the discharge of all the branches of pastoral duty, to that desultory, irregular manner of driving the scattered flock, which has ever been characteristic of heresy and schism.

"There is perhaps no department of the ministerial office, in which the evils arising from a want of due attention to this principle, are more strikingly exen plified than in that most important duty, the Visitation of the Sick, to whom serious impressions of Religion, and alarm for the state of their souls, are too often entirely new. When such persons fall into injudi. cions hands, when the officious interference of some self-commissioned teacher, anticipates or supersedes the attentions of the parochial Clergy, it is generally determined by the constitution of the patient, and the nature of the disease, whether he is to be exalted with unauthorised raptures and unfounded confidence, or sunk under the most distracting apprehensions, and consigned to ruinous despair.

"If he be of a lofty, aspiring temper, if he possess great quickness of perception, and readiness of expression, he will be encouraged to feel assured of justification; he will be allowed to vault over the painful and tedious discipline of humiliation and repentance, and will become at once, in his own estimation, a confirmed and full-grown Christian, ripe for immortality.

“If, on the contrary, be is gloomy from temperament, and slow of apprehension; if his complaint preys upon his spirits, and obscures his understanding, he will be driven to desperation by ill-judged at

tempts to work him up to a fervour of devotional feeling, of which his nature is incapable, and will too frequently conclude either in rashly rejecting his Saviour, or in weakly apprehending that his Saviour has rejected him. Thus, they who ought to be restrained and humbled, are stimulated to the most offensive and dangerous presumption; and they who should be cherished and encouraged are goaded to despair.

"But where such interference has not occurred, where the true Pastor of the flock is permitted to attend his duty without interruption, and to administer the fears and the hopes sanctioned in the Gospel, according to the dictates of sound judg ment, and staid experience-how different will be the result! how gratifying to the Minister, how healing to the afflicted soul, how acceptable to the Chief Shepherd, whose deputies we are!

"Then the bruised reed is not broken, the smoking flax is not quenched :' the weak and timid spirit is strenghened and supported; the dull and prejudiced under standing is informed and enlightened, the presumptuous, self-satisfied libertine is awed and humbled; the indolent, is roused, the sleeping conscience is awaken ed; every sheep has his due share of at tention, his appropriate species and quantity of pasture: the convert is gently condacted to the foot of the Cross, there to be eased of his heavy burden, and healed of his deadly wound.” P. 18.

Mr. Mountain strongly recom, mends the application of the same system to the recovery of Dissen. ters, but guards his recommenda tion by protesting against a suppres sion or compromise of the truth. To reveal it with discretion and gentleness, he justly observes, is one thing; and to deceive the stray ing sheep by injurious conceal. ments, another.

Perhaps the happiest portion of his Sermon, is that in which he traces up what is termed the unpopularity of the Church, to the very circumstance of which it may be so justly proud; and, as it is the fashion of the present day to seek the lowest and most despi cable popularity, by the most varied exhibitions and tricks, we cannot better take leave of this eloquent and judicious preacher, than by ex. tracting the passage to which we allude.

"It is to the conscientious and judicious application of this pastoral care to the whole of their flock, that the Clergy are, in a great measure, indebted for that most false and illiberal accusation, of not preaching the Gospel. We are arraigned with this, the most serions, the most appalling of all possible charges, because it is not our practice to gratify one descrip. tion of persons in our mixed congregations at the expence of all the rest; bes cause we do not compose our discontses with a view to exalt our own spiritual acquirements, (I was about to say in the judgment rather) in the estimation of those, whose Religion consists more in feelings than in principles, and is kept alive, only by continual appeals to their strongest sensations; because we do not condescend to distil the nutriment of the soul into a mere spirituous stimulant, nor to intoxicate the majority of our hearers, in order to awaken the few; because, in one word; we are the shepherds, not the Imnters of the sheep: We know our duty to extend equally to them all we know that we have the young to instruct, the ignorant to teach, the innocent to guard, the weak to raise, the forlorn to cherish, as well as the infidel to be reclaimed, and the repro bate to be alarmed: We endeavour, there fore, ὀρθότομειν τὸν λόγον τῆς ἀλήθειας,

rightly to divide the word of truth; to give every one his food in due season? to preach 'not ourselves, but Him that sent us; to regard the esteem, (the admiration if you will,) of our people, as one of the means, not the end of our ministry: and never to hesitate a moment in sacri

ficing the apparent means to promote the

real end for which we have been ordained.

With these objects in view, we do not wonder, though assuredly we lament to find that no description of persons is complain of our being too practical, others perfectly satisfied with us; while some

are offended at our earnestness in enforcing peculiar points of Faith; while one party desires more simplicity and familiarity, another would be better pleased with a higher range into the learning and controversy of Theology; while a part of our congregations shrinks from all that searches the heart or goads the conscience, others disdain every weapon but the tranchant blade, every remedy short of excision: none considering that it is impossible to please all; that if it were possible, it is the very reverse of our duty; instruct; not to lease, but to reprove: that we are sent not to entertain, but to not to follow the taste, the inclination, the opinions of the world, but to regulate, to reform, to condemn them." P. 22.