220 MORAL COURAGE THE CONCOMITANT OF TRUT

Paul, on a certain occasion, said, "We use great plainness of speech." His advice, as contained in our text, implies this. The truth is to be taught and illustrated by plain language. The errors that contradict and pervert the truth, require plain and prompt refutation; and those who promulgate error are to be rebuked; not in the honeyed accents of hypocrisy or fear, but with the authority which truth confers, and demands, when falsehood presents an unblushing front, and sports with the doctrines of Heaven. And in proportion to the value of the truth that error assails, should be the earnest contention for it. Men will contend for trivial things, the evanescent goods of the passing moment; while truth, the most valuable commodity in the world, is neglected, as though it were vile and worthless. Buy the truth-but never sell it. Pay any price, rather than not obtain the celestial boon; but, once obtained, hold it fast, through good report and evil report, as the greatest, and the best gift of Heaven.

AMEN.

unto the knowledge of the truth," it is pantas anthropous! Here is the evidence of a great gun of orthodoxy, that the term pantas, rendered ALL, in 1 Tim. ii. 4, without the article, is indefinite; therefore unlimited, and includes, necessarily, the whole, entire race of Adam! I tender my thanks to Professor ROBINSON, for his honest avowal of the truth, without any regard to the dogmas of his brother sectarians. Now, therefore, let us hear no more whining from the juniors in the orthodox camp, about the word all; that it sometimes means all! and sometimes it only means a part of all! learn to place your sometimes in the right place. Also, remember, that in Mat. iii. 5, "all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan;" it is pasa WITH the article!

Orthodoxy, behold the following: In Matt. xxv. 32, "Before him shall be gathered ALL nations"—ñávта тà čovŋ, panta ta (the) ethne. And in Mark v. 33, it is pasan ten aletheian, where "the woman told him all the truth." That is definitely, as the article rv signifies, etc. all the truth about her touching Jesus' garment. From henceforth, be it remembered, that all sectarian quibbles about the term ALL, are a direct impeachment of the extension of the sense of panta to signify ALL nations, in Matt. xxv. 32!!!

But my ORTHODOX authority, (Prof. Rob.,) has both driven and clinched the nail of the salvation of ALL men, for me, in the most generous manner imaginable, viz: In his illustrations of the unlimited sense of the use of panta with a noun, without the article, he refers to Acts xxii. 15; Rom. v. 12, 18; Heb. i. 6; Rev. xiv. 8. Now, be it remembered, that Rom. v. 12, 18, is pantas anthropous, the same as 1 Tim. ii. 4, even to an accent. will again thank Prof. ROBINSON, for speaking the truth, point blank against modern ORTHODOXY!

The all that went out to be baptized of John, refers definitely, in the sense, to all the places from whence people went out. And in Matt. xxv. 32, the all refers definitely, to the nations which were present at the destruction of Jerusalem; as Mark v. 33, pasan ten aletheian, refers definitely, to all the truth in the premises-no more!

SERMON XIV.

THE ORIGIN AND END OF FAITH.

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God." EPHES. ii. 8.

THERE are certain facts connected with the doctrines and pretensions of the various contending religious sects, which are of far greater importance than is generally imagined. Indeed, from the silence of sectarians on the subjects which the facts in question involve, it would seem that very little, if any consequence has been attached to them in any shape. Notwithstanding the variety which exists in the opinions of the religious world, and the great diversity of sentiments, there are a few particulars, right or wrong, on which the great mass of religionists appear to be agreed; leaving the details of their peculiar sects to colour things to suit their respective fancies.

It is generally agreed, that a new birth is necessary to be experienced in this world, to ensure salvation in the next world. Also, that faith in this world, is indispensa ble to salvation in the future world. But the new birth, and the faith, both of which are so indispensably necessary to enable the recipient to escape a future hell, and to secure a future heaven, are only contended for by name. That is, the several parties agree only so far as respects the name of these essentials, and also that they are essentials; for they disagree in nearly all that respects the essential things. As a matter of course, faith being necessary to their new birth, it follows, that their new birth, whatever it is, is of a character with the faith of the ne ophyte.

Now the very important thing, faith, is as various as the different sects. No two sects in Christendom are alike. And, wonderful to relate, each one professes to be right; and it therefore follows from their united premises, that they are all wrong. For instance, the Arminian professes to be right, charging all other sects with being in error. The Calvinists make similar pretensions, and so on to the end of the chapter. I think the reasonable presumption is,

that they are all wrong. I admit this is doing business by wholesale. Well, I will merely offer as an apology, that the articles are of too little value to dispose of singly, and by retail. In old times, when Christ's apostles taught truth, and preached the gospel of their Divine Master, there was only one faith." But in modern times, every sect has set up for itself, and hailing under a new head, professes a new faith. The gospel of Christ has become like an old almanac-once it was correct, but times have changed, and gospels have been made to suit the times.

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There is one thing on which all are agreed, viz:—that SALVATION, of some kind or other, is indispensable. And there is a very general agreement, that the salvation that is so necessary, is a salvation from a future hell. There is a remarkable coincidence between quacks; whether in theology or medicine. Quack doctors all agree that man needs salvation in this world, from disease. But they differ in their nostrums and methods of cure, about the same, as their brother quacks in theology differ in their spiritual nostrums, and methods of saving the souls of men from their future hell. Error, therefore, whether in theology or medicine, carries the mark of the beast on its forehead. Its name is legion, and its characteristic is uniformly one and the same.

It is a truly lamentable fact, that the great mass of mankind regard Theology as quite a secondary concern, compared to the things that solely appertain to the present life and world. I mean by the term theology, every thing that relates to man's origin, duty, and final destination; considered in the relation that man stands, in respect to his fellow man, and also to his Creator; implying a consistent view of the character, attributes, perfections, and purposes of the Deity. And this subject, which is necessarily included in an enlightened and true faith in Jesus Christ, the Mediator between God and men, is considered by the great majority of the human race, as quite an inferior concern compared to the things of the present transitory world. The fleeting pleasures-casual enjoyments-cares and vexations that accompany, and grow out of schemes and plans for present aggrandizement, and imaginary honours, constitute an end and aim, which are paramount to every thing else; and engross the whole man, to a degree that excludes the all-important things that concern another and a better world. This is not all. For every reflecting mind must see and acknowledge, that a neglect of theology, and

an undue attachment to the things of the present world, have a certain tendency to disqualify a man from meeting the certain vicissitudes of life in a proper manner, and forming a correct estimate of the respective value of things, as true wisdom dictates. To be humble in prosperity, and in adversity, to possess a confidence in God's goodness, care and protection, which shall arm the recipient with a courage to raise him above despondency, can never be the lot of the mere worldling. When the world fails to support the man who depends solely on the world, he sinks. His props are all removed, and the miserable man has no foothold left. Not so the man whose hope the LORD is. It is not in the power of the world to crush him. His expectations rise higher than present joys or sufferings. And he cannot be bankrupt by a failure on earth, whose treasure is fast locked in the Heavens !

In the discussion of our subject, reader, I take the broad ground, that the Lord Jesus, the teacher sent by God, and his inspired servants, and God's prophets, and they only, are to be received as authority, for deciding any question of theology. I, therefore, at the commencement, disallow and repudiate the opinions and authorities of all sectarians, bigots and zealots, under heaven, of whatever name or nature. Popes and councils-bishops and all church dignitaries-presbyteries and synods, and by any other and all other names, by which human authorities, and human doctrines and dogmas are generated, promulgated, and called, away with them all together. And let them all be offended, if they will, at the summary decision, that they all together, when put into the balance of reason and truth, opposed to God's Son Jesus, and his inspired servants, and God's prophets, do not weigh a feather.

What is the thing needed?

Ans. SALVATION.

From what?

Ans. SIN.

Then the subject of our text, being saved; How? In what manner?

By whom?

And when?

First-How is salvation from sin caused?

How? Why, by faith and repentance.

No! no such thing. This is the old story, reader. Faith and repentance have each their proper place, and their respective value; but they never saved a man from

sin, and never will. Does this sound strange, reader? If so, more shame for the world, that every face is familiar except truth's, and truth is suspected, because a stranger. An effect cannot be a cause; for the conclusive reason that a thing cannot produce itself. Now faith must be considered in its proper relation; for it has one, and is, necessarily, either an effect, or a cause. The inspired Paul has settled the question in our text. Reader, Paul has introduced three terms, which, as we shall presently see, signify, with their connexion, a great deal, viz:-by, through, and not. When our modern soul-savers

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get up a revival," as the phrase is, their by, through, and not, is all of a piece with their pretensions. They convene together, and scheme, and plot, and plan, with all the sagacity and zeal of politicians. And if their modesty shall so far effervesce as to admit of an acknowledgment, that the Deity, at their bidding, condescends to approve their efforts, it is quite as much as truth and candour combined, can award them of a justifiable purpose at the commencement. For, after all, it is We! And notwithstanding Jesus has affirmed of the operations of God's Holy Spirit, in renewing the mind of man from above, that it is like the wind, pneuma, the whence of its coming, and the whither of its going is beyond mortal ken, etc., these certain revival makers raise a wind at their option, and make it blow when, where, and as long as they please to have it. And their wind, is a very palpable wind, for the whence and the whither of it is manifest. If you call this a digression, reader, be it so, with the fact along side-there is much truth in it.

"For by grace are ye saved," so says Paul. Reader, the first word in the text, does not refer grammatically to the subject of the preceding paragraph in my sermon, but to the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th verses of chap. ii. of his Epistle to the Ephesians, which constitute the immediate connexion of our text, and are explanatory of it. The subject is very important, and deserves the most profound attention. Paul says, "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, [mark the expression, ponder it well,] hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved ;) and hath raised us up together, [when was Christ quickened? when was Christ raised?] and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus; that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kind