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SERMON VII.

FAITH, HOPE, AND CHARITY.

1 COR. xiii. 13.

And now abideth faith, hope, and charity, these three but the greatest of these is charity.

THE religion of Jesus Christ comes to us recommended by the strongest evidences of a divine origin. Upon no other system are the grand characters of Deity so visibly impressed, whether we regard its declarations with respect to the being and perfections of God, or to the condition and the prospects of man.

It is not the overwhelming conviction resulting from the miraculous display of divine power in the promulgation of the gospel, which affords the only, or perhaps even the strongest evidence in behalf of the truth but the development of that truth itself, and its beneficial consequences, most forcibly appeals to the assent of the understanding and the affections of the heart. And this it does independently of the investigation of external

evidence. Grant that the foundation on which Christianity rests, were as weak and as unstable as its bitterest foes could wish; grant that the eternity, which the infidel dreads while he pretends to doubt, were as visionary as he could desire; yet still Christianity has claims upon our acceptance, as a guide to our feet in the wilderness of this world; still it is calculated to produce such beneficial effects upon the human race, that no one could suppose any change, by which even the temporal welfare of man could be more effectually promoted. Contemplate the varied and ever varying course of human life the gospel gives the plainest directions for the performance of every duty, for the regulation of every action. Take any circumstances, whether of joy or of sorrow, of wealth or of poverty, of health or of sickness; still the human heart can find in the gospel a provision corresponding with all its necessities, a sympathy with all its emotions, a consolation in all its distresses. The very first announcement of this revelation spoke of peace on earth, and good will to man; the gradual exhibition of its tendency and its purposes confirmed these glorious tidings; and the more its knowledge is diffused, and the more its spirit is cultivated, so much the more will this its influence be felt, and this its end be accomplished.

It is not by changing the moral relations of our actions, or by altering the nature of good and

evil; it is not by the promulgation of newlydiscovered laws, or newly-invented theories, that Christianity thus promotes the advantage of mankind, but by exhibiting more sublime and more perfect principles of action; by purifying the affections, and by enlightening the understanding; by exciting in the heart all the generous emotions of heavenly love; and calling into action all the nobler faculties, which still shine out amid the destructive consequences of our natural depravity. It displays the God of the spirits of all flesh, as a kind and merciful Creator, caring equally for all the children of his hand; distributing to all the common blessings of his providence, and inviting all to partake of the abundant provision of his mercy and his grace. It represents the Son of God, the brightness of his Father's glory, and the express image of his person, as leaving his blessedness and his majesty ; stooping to the low estate of a servant, that he might reconcile God to man, by the sacrifice of his death; that he might secure to us a heavenly inheritance and an enduring kingdom, and raise us from the dust of earth to the glories of eternity. It represents him as coming to unite in one communion all the children of one common Parent; and to form a society, whose bond of brotherhood should be their relation to himself, as their King, their Friend, their Saviour. Thus the gospel demands the exercise of faith; it

gives life and reality to the aspirations of hope; it warms and invigorates the spirit of human benevolence, and expands it into the sublime grace of Christian charity.

The apostle here mentions three inseparable graces of the Christian mind, the influence of which abideth to the end of time; and which will most effectually discover the true and faithful servant of Christ. There is such an union among all these excellent qualities, that they spring naturally from each other; and each, without the others, must be defective. For the natural tendency of faith, the primary effect which it must produce upon the soul, is to generate a lively hope; and the natural consequence of this faith and hope is charity.

Let us briefly consider these several graces of the Christian character, and endeavour to point out their respective influences on the heart.

Of the great importance of faith we can have no room to doubt. "Without faith, it is impossible to please God; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." Faith is not directed to those things which we actually possess, or which we know by the evidence of the senses. Its primary meaning seems to be a firm belief in the truth of some testimony. St. Paul calls it "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." This principle is

indeed the foundation of all religion; for the promises of revelation relate to things that are future; they discover to our minds those things which cannot possibly be offered to the evidence of our senses, and can only be made known by testimony. Faith, however, as a principle of action, is not confined to religion alone. The testimony of a fellow-creature, upon whose promises we rely, or in whose veracity we may confidently trust, will also demand the exercise o faith. Our faith in this testimony becomes a motive which prompts us to various actions and pursuits, whenever the testimony refers to things in which we ourselves are interested. "If, then," as the apostle says, "we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater." Faith in God has for its object his unerring testimony respecting things hoped for, but unseen; this faith invests these things with reality and importance, and by impressing on the mind the full conviction of their existence, produces a conduct conformable to that conviction. Did we not believe that God exists, where would be the wish to please and to adore him? Did we not trust in the protection of his almighty arm, how could we endure in the hour of trial, as "seeing him who is invisible?" If we had not the confident expectation of future blessings, how could we turn our minds from the allurements of the present scene, and prefer "the afflictions of the people of God