several of the mild motives and social obligations enumerated which distinguish our common Christianity, and raise it, for originality as well as beauty, far above any religion that ever existed in the world.

It is now time to make a practical application of some of the peculiar doctrines, which the Church has this day chosen for our special consideration. And first, we are told to "be of one mind," to "have compassion one of another," to "love as brethren," to "be pitiful and courteous," "not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing, but contrariwise blessing; knowing that we are hereunto called, that we should inherit a blessing." How happy would the Christian world be, if all were of one mind, and loved as brethren; if tender mercies were always abundant, and injuries always forgiven! And these sweet precepts are followed by such an engaging promise, "ye are hereunto called that ye should inherit a blessing," inherit, (because purchased for you,) forgiveness, mercy, and love in the mansions of heaven. Who would not be constrained by "the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man'," (evinced in his assignment to him of the inheritance of eternal life,) to follow peace with all men? And who would not experience his own greater happiness in contributing to the greater happiness of others, and find that even in "not returning evil for evil," he might bring about a ministration to blessing?

Further, we are told to "refrain our tongue from evil, and our lips that they speak no guile;" to "eschew evil and do good;" to "seek peace and ensue it." And to these delightful duties are annexed, the pleasant promises of comfort and enjoyment in life, and favour and furtherance from God. We shall have good reason to love life, we shall see good, prosperous, happy days,—and, above all, receive answers to our prayers,—protection at all times,—and every other good and perfect gift of God, if our faith in him, through Christ, is thus fruitful in ways of pleasantness. Here again then do the joyful and pleasant privileges of the Gospel take their prominent place among its motives, and allure with most godly enticements all men, yea, even those among us who are in love with sin, to the path of faith and the way of truth.

But finally, we are told to be "followers of that which is good," even if harm should arise, which is not likely. Harm shall scarcely follow, he seems to intimate, if we "be followers of

1 Tit. iii., 4.

that which is good." Thus is the godly and glorious service of doing good most meetly rewarded on earth with an exemption from all bodily and spiritual harm. And why? Because the Lord himself is the exceeding great reward of him who loves him, and he only who loves the Lord obtains his protection. It is of the Lord alone that the power or the will to work good, the means or the methods of escaping from harm, come. And thus his presence within the soul, strengthening it against all temptation, his presence without the body, protecting it from all danger, shall in general be the assured blessing of every "follower of good." The Apostle further fortifies the people of God with the assurance, that even if harm did follow from all this exercise of good, and an evil world should most unnaturally return evil for all the good it received, still there would be an inward joy and happiness in the good man's soul, and a consciousness that "in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God," he has been enabled to "have his conversation in the world'."

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We, the members of a family, are under a strong obligation to take specially to ourselves, as such, all this wholesome teaching and kindly doctrine. How blessed a thing will it be for us, even on the ground of passing our lives more happily, but much more on the consideration of doing the will of God, if we can only be persuaded to be "all of one mind," to "love as brethren," not to render evil for evil," to "refrain the tongue from evil," to "seek peace," to "do good"? "Who is he that will harm us," in any sense, if we will only be thus minded? "Blessed shall we be in the city; blessed shall we be in the field; blessed shall we be in our goings out; and blessed shall we be in our comings in';" but, above all, blessed shall we be in the abundance of our spiritual gifts, in answers to prayer, in supports under temptation, in increase with all the increase of God!

THE SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.

THE EPISTLE.

3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

Rom. vi., 3 to 11.

7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.

8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:

9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.

10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The minister informs godfathers and godmothers, at the close of the Baptismal Service, that "baptism doth represent unto us our profession, which is, to follow the example of our Saviour Christ and to be made like unto him, that as he died and rose again for us, so should we who are baptized die from sin and rise again unto righteousness, continually mortifying all our evil and corrupt affections, and daily proceeding in all virtue and godliness of living." This liturgical explanation of the nature and effects of baptism is a very accurate definition of it, and corresponds most closely with the purport of those scriptural metaphors, which come under our consideration this evening.

The Apostle declares baptism, in its practical character, to be a sort of figurative representation of the death and resurrection of Christ, implying on the part of the baptized person death or deadness unto sin, and life or a new walk unto righteousness. Christ died and rose again in the natural and literal sense. The baptized disciple of Christ undertakes to die and rise again in the figurative and spiritual. "He that is dead is freed from sin." Servitude, whether actual or moral, always ceases with death; and hence is there a most strict obligation imposed upon the baptized Christian, to become by baptism as completely free from the slavery of sin, as he would by death, if a slave, from the power of a master. And further, Christ died and was buried. So must sin, as effectually, be put out of sight, kept

under, not suffered to rise again. And, once more, it is said, that "the old man must be crucified," and "the body of sin destroyed." This implies the obligation, under which a baptized person stands, to abandon sin of every sort, sin in every form, sin under every modification. It implies (to follow up the figure), not dismemberment only, not the mere cutting off of one sin and the retention of every other, not even the cutting off of nearly every sin and the retention of one only, but total renunciation, complete abandonment, final relinquishment, through grace, of all corrupt affections whatsoever, and unchanging perseverance in that " new and living way" which alone leads unto life. This latter blessed feature in the baptismal engagement is most aptly represented to us, further, in the striking figure of Christ's resurrection from the dead. In Christ there was literally, first death, then resurrection. In every baptized disciple of Christ there is implied, first, spiritual death unto sin, then, spiritual life unto righteousness, life in the sense of a new life and a holy life, a walk of faith, a conversation in heaven, a daily addition of "virtue to faith, of knowledge to virtue, of temperance to knowledge, of patience to temperance, of godliness to patience, of brotherly-kindness to godliness, of charity to brotherly-kindness'." Finally, Christ died for sin once, and never died again. This of course signifies the necessity under which the baptized person lies, of persevering in a way of holiness and never relapsing from it, of going on for ever in a work of faith and labour of love; and, as Christ died but once and his disciples can be baptized but once, so changing once for all "from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God." All these figures by which "baptism is made to represent unto us our profession,” place in the strongest point of view possible the strictness, the multiplicity, and the perpetuity of our obligations as Christians.

Dying in baptism unto sin, and living in baptism unto righteousness, freed in a baptismal sense from all sin, buried after the manner of spiritual burial, vowing in the promise to destroy the body of sin, the destruction of sin altogether, and pledged before God to die to sin but once, how strongly do we seem constrained, in the spirit of these striking figures, to become, what we ought to be already, "perfect and complete in all the will of God." Brethren by baptism and so brethren by baptismal obligation, we possess, in common with our fellow-believers around us, a reli2 Acts xxvi., 18. 3 Col. iv., 12.

1 2 Pet. i., 5, 6, 7.

gious bond of union. "We, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another1"

And we, who are here assembled, possess amongst ourselves another bond of union, quite as binding, but not so spiritual as this, namely, that of men who eat of the same bread and drink of the same cup. And thus being both in a spiritual and temporal sense brethren, we are urged by a twofold motive, as brethren, to dwell together in unity. "There is one body and one spirit, even as we are called in one hope of our calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in us all." And thus should we be moved to "walk more worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called3," and "endeavour to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace." But we are not only brethren one of another, but disciples of one Master, even Christ; children of one Father, even God. Having entered, by baptism, into this covenant; having formed, by baptism, this connection; having undertaken, by baptism, this service; we must so, by God's grace, shape our faith, regulate our life, and adorn our holy vocation, as to please him whom we profess to serve in all things. And we may be assured of this, that unless we "seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,” and make all other things subservient to the one thing needful, no other good thing will be added unto us. We shall not have the power, unless thus rooted and grounded in Christ, to do any thing well, to think any thing of ourselves; and we shall be without that which can alone cement "the bond of peace," » "the unity

of the Spirit."

The main point, then, for each to think of, is, how does he stand with God? How is his soul affected toward spiritual things? Has the foundation been laid, "repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ"? Has that been done, or is it only now doing, which is implied in the words, death, destruction, crucifixion, burial? And is there any sign of spiritual life, of lively faith, of active piety, of newness of character, of growth in grace? Is there any demonstration of sacrifices made, self-denials imposed, mortifications commenced, trials undergone, temptations resisted for Christ's sake and the Gospel's? In a word, is the baptismal vow performed? Is the

1 Rom. xii., 5.
+ Eph. iv., 3.

2 Eph. iv., 4.
5 Matt. vi., 33.

3

Eph. iv., 1. 6 Acts xx., 21.