appear to us as the messenger of God, sent to bring us into his presence, where there is fulness of joy. Life, death, things present, and things to come, will all bear the impress and the signature of God. We shall have peace with God, the peace that passeth understanding. Pray, therefore, with the apostle, that God will enlighten your understandings, that "you may comprehend with all saints what is the height, and depth, and length, and breadth of the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fulness of God."

XXV.

OBEDIENCE TO JESUS CHRIST, AS EXEMPLIFIED IN BAPTISM.*

JOHN, XV., 14: Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

[Preached at Broadmead, Bristol, Thursday morning, June 4, 1829, previously to the administration of the ordinance of Christian baptism.]

Ir is here assumed by Jesus Christ that his disciples are his friends, and on this assumption of their friendship is founded, as a natural inference, their duty to do whatsoever He has commanded them.

I. It is a great elevation, to be a friend of Jesus Christ. To be a friend of God is noted as the highest honour of Abraham; to be a friend of Jesus Christ is not less an honour, since He and his Father are one. Mutual effects are implied in this friendship between Jesus Christ and his disciples. Mutual affection and delight in each other's society: their love to Him is the effect of his to themselves, not only as from this it derives the grand motive, but also as it indicates that everlasting love which is mentioned as the highest source of spiritual blessings. This friendship, as it exists on the Saviour's part, is far more deep and tender than any other, and far more interesting, also, as it is experienced on our part. If our love of Christ is not supreme, it is none. Such was his love that it impelled Him to give himself for his people; and, in return, every sincere believer gives himself to Christ, to serve Him as his Lord, and enjoy Him as his Friend, to be guided by his word and by his Spirit, and to dwell with Him forever.

One thing that distinguishes this friendship of Jesus Christ with believers is, that He communicates to them his mind and will. Servants are admitted to know only that small part of their master's will which concerns their duty; but to our children and our friends we delight in imparting the secrets of our hearts: and, similarly, the Saviour manifests himself to his friends as He

*From the notes of the Rev. T. Grinfield

does not to the world. He takes them into his banquet-chamber, and his banner over them is love; He assures them that the Father, as He loves his Son, loves them also; so that "truly their fellowship is with the Father and with his Son.". The Spirit takes all that appertains to Christ, and reveals and applies it specifically to the loving friends of Christ; by that Spirit they are sealed unto the day of redemption, selected from the world as objects of divine love.

II. On this sacred friendship is founded an important duty: the friends of Christ are reminded by himself that He expects them to "do whatsoever He commands them." Among the things which Christ has commanded us to do, the ordinance of baptism is one, to which, on the present occasion, I shall apply the injunction, addressing, first, the spectators of this ordinance, and, secondly, the candidates for its reception.*

1. Those, among the spectators of this ordinance, who differ from our view of baptism, may be supposed to be settled in their judgment and satisfied in their practice. Charity, at least, will put this construction on their conduct. Yet they ought to inquire whether the dictates of Christ are in harmony with their opinion and their practice. They may be sincere, and yet content, in this instance, to walk in the steps of human authority; they may have attended to this question perfunctorily, or scarcely at all. Let such be reminded how unsafe this method of procedure is. It is virtually to transfer our allegiance, cease to hold the standard of God, and call others "Master." We are not to follow the footsteps of the flock farther than they follow Christ. "Do whatsoever I command you;" this is our simple, all-sufficient rule. Since we have witnessed the dreadful consequences of following human authority in the corruptions of the Church of Rome, we ought to allow nothing that is not taught by Divine revelation.

Many allege that baptism is merely an ordinance of an external nature, not a thing of serious moment, like repentance, faith, and other essential principles; but like the religious observance, or non-observance, of particular days, which St. Paul mentions as a thing left free to the judgment of individuals. This is a presumptuous and a dangerous position; it is to separate the commands of God into two classes, that of those which are weighty, and that of those which are unimportant. We must apply to this case the apostle's argument respecting the decalogue. All the ten commandments, it may be alleged, were not of equal weight; yet the apostle reasons that He who said, "Thou shalt not steal," is the same who said also, "Thou shalt not kill," and that, whether a man kill another, or only steal from him, he

* On a former baptismal occasion, at which I was present, Mr. Hall had entered into a most acute gumentative defence of baptism, as administered in his own denomination. It was founded on the words, "Buried with Him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with Him," Col., ii., 12. It was, as may well be supposed, a masterpiece of special pleading, an adequate reply to which would ave required no ordinary powers.-GRINFIELD.

is equally guilty before God as a transgressor of the divine law; "for whosoever shall offend in one point is guilty of all." It is the authority of the Divine Lawgiver that is the nexus of obligation; and, therefore, I affirm, such a position as that to which I have adverted is dangerous, because such a method of procedure strikes high, and tends to invalidate all authority, all obligation. Though multitudes who neglect our mode of baptism are, I doubt not, sanctified and saved, yet, as a general rule, it is not safe to neglect that which you suspect to be right. "Happy is he who condemns not himself in that which he allows." If those who differ can say that, after due examination of the question, they conclude that they are right in differing, such may enjoy great satisfaction and benefit in their own practice. But this earnest inquiry into the mind of Christ is too often disregarded. We desire only that you would search the Scriptures, and follow them whithersoever they conduct you.

Baptism, it has been often said, is not a saving ordinance. It is not; and we, of all people, can best repel this objection, for we believe that this right belongs to such only as are saved, only to true believers, of whom we read that "the Lord added to the Church daily such as are saved."--Acts, ii., ult. How others can escape from this objection, I must leave themselves to explain; how they can affirm that they do not consider baptism essential to salvation. There are few things essential to salvation: all depends on the grace of God flowing into the soul; and a main point is, that we desire to know the will of God. Our Saviour says, "If a man keep my sayings, he shall never taste of death." We must be ready to do whatever Christ commands. Let me simply request all who have any doubts respecting the true mode of baptism, to read for themselves: the whole question lies in a nutshell; and if they find the evidence preponderate on our side, it is dangerous to refuse our practice; if otherwise, they may rest satisfied in their own. In this advice there is nothing that can offend any honest mind.

2. With respect to those who are candidates for this holy ordinance, it only remains for them, regardless of the censures of a misjudging world, to do whatever Christ has required, being now solemnly admitted into the school of Christ, with humility to press forward. Yours is as yet a very scantling of that knowledge and that grace which you may hope to attain. You have not as yet given proof of your steadfastness, your care to keep your garments pure; you are now only putting on Christ. Let those who see you, see Christ-a living, imbodied exhibition of the Spirit of Christ! Go forth into an evil world as those who are clothed with Christ! From his elevation on the throne of his glory He issues the command and the promise, "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life!" Keep his command, and you shall inherit his promise. Then you shall enter into the eternal city, and go out thence no more forever

With this prospect, this joy set before him, He, as your example, endured the cross, despising the shame. Go forth, therefore, "without the camp, bearing his reproach." The great deciding day is near; all obscurity will ere long be lost in light, and the Judge will proclaim, "These are they who kept my words, and followed the Lamb whithersoever He went before them."

XXVI.

PRESENT ADVANTAGES OF PIETY.*

PROVERBS, iii., 17: Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.

[Preached at Broadmead, Bristol, April 20th, 1828. Half-yearly address to young persons.] THESE words, as you are probably aware, are put by Solomon into the mouth of Divine wisdom, which is another Lame for religion. They are designed to counteract a prejudice which has often prevailed, and especially in the minds of the young, that religion is connected with melancholy, and calls upon us to bid adieu to all the innocent and natural enjoyments of life. In consequence of this prejudice, many, and especially young persons, have often resolved to put off the thoughts of religion to a future period, as if it became rather the gravity of age than the vivacity of youth; and thus they have been tempted to reckon upon the uncertain continuance of life, until, perhaps, all opportunities of attending to religious concerns were gone by. It is very important that this delusion should be exploded, and that it should be made clear by the decision of experience, the testimony of all the wisest and best of men, that religion's " ways are the ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace." This, indeed, has been the testimony even of those who have endured the greatest sufferings in the cause of religion: they found that its comforts were more than a compensation for all their afflictions.

Two chief remarks may be premised in entering on this subject: first, that the case of those who suffer persecution for the sake of religion should be excluded from the present view, which relates to the ordinary state and circumstances of piety in this world. The case of persecution bears a very small proportion to the seasons of security and tranquillity which are afforded to religious persons, especially in later times; and yet, when persecution does occur, God has been found to bestow such consolations on his afflicted servants as they had never, perhaps, experienced before; such as completely verified he assertion of the text, even in the circumstances most unfavourable to the experience of "pleasantness and peace."

From the notes of the Rev. T. Grinfield.

Secondly, let it be remembered that, in order to contemplate the tendency of any principle, we must view it as operating in its mature, and vigorous, and perfect state. This is the way in which we should try any law of nature; and thus we should contemplate piety as it exists in the most exemplary characters, if we would fairly examine its tendency to produce happiness: those whose piety is of a feeble and a doubtful kind may not be qualified as yet either to experience or to exhibit the real tendency of their own principles; as they advance, the darkness that attended their earlier course will gradually disappear, and their path will shine more and more unto the perfect day.

The point before us is the influence of religion on the happiness of its possessor during the present life. There are two respects in which we may view this subject: first, as religion has an influence on those other objects which are commonly supposed to constitute a principal part of human felicity; and then as it has an interior influence on the mind of its possessor, independently of outward circumstances.

I. In the first place, we are to consider the influence of religion on those objects which are supposed to be most contributory to the present happiness of mankind. Of these there are chiefly three: the prolongation of life, the possession of reputation, and the acquisition of property. With respect to each of these, religion will be found to have a favourable influence on our present happiness.

1. With respect to the prolongation of life. In the description of wisdom, from which the text is taken, she is represented as having "length of days in her right hand:" and in another place the wisest of men assures us that "the fear of the Lord prolongeth days." The continuance of life is to be considered, on various accounts, a blessing; as life is the foundation of all other blessings, and essential to their enjoyment; as its prolongation extends the sphere of usefulness, and prolongs the only opportunity which we can have of serving God on earth.

Piety inspires that moderation in all things, which is equally favourable to the faculties of the body and the mind; it tempers the passions of youth when most in need of restraint by subjecting the body to the mind, the appetites to the control of reason, and reason itself to the control of God. Piety exerts a tranquillizing influence on all our emotions; it guards us alike from the extremes of irritation and sorrow on the one hand, or of intoxicating pleasure on the other; teaching us to "rejoice as if we rejoiced not, and to weep as if we wept not, because the fashion of this world passeth away." Pride and revenge have hurried thousands to the grave; but piety represses these, and in their place teaches meekness and forgiveness.

Involved in the prolongation of life is the preservation of health. Health is impaired or preserved by the same causes as life. Of wisdom's influence it is said, "it shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones." A good man will attend to the care of health, as of a talent intrusted to him: he will never wantonly, or without some extraordinary occasion, neglect its preservation, but will husband it for