A SKETCH. Prepared for the American Pulpit, by Rev. J. Burns, D. D., London. THE SALVATION OF GOD'S CHURCH. Oh Lord, save thy people, the remnant of Israel. Jeremiah xxxi. 7. THE text is found in the midst of a cluster of precious declarations and promises respecting God's ancient Israel. It does not appear that the visions of the Prophet, in reference to the gracious things spoken, have yet been realized; and it is probable that the whole refer to the latter day glory of the church of Christ, when the fulness of the Gentiles shall be attained, and so all Israel shall be saved. How glorious will be that day, when the veil shall be torn off the hearts of that interesting people, and when Jew and Gentile shall form one holy, happy, and universal church, to the satisfaction of the Messiah, and the glory of Jehovah of Hosts. Can we do less than pray for that people in the striking phraseology of our text? We have selected the passage, however, to apply it to the people of God who constitute his church in the present day. There seems to be a solemn necessity for deep and earnest anxiety respecting the salvation of the church itself; and to this our present attention must be directed. Consider, What the prayer involves. What the prayer includes. And, The grounds on which we should earnestly present it. I. What does the prayer of the text involve? To be saved, obviously involves the idea of peril. The condition of the church has always been one of peril. Her history is a history of her perils and deliverances. Her earthly foes have never ceased to hate and oppose her. Her hellish enemies have ever labored to destroy her. Now, against these, there have been, the providences and promises of God. No real injury could come to her, so long as she was faithful to her Lord. Jehovah was a wall of fire, and her glory, etc. He watched and kept her every moment. Her greatest peril is from within. What injured Israel So in the times of in the wilderness? Not her foes, but her sin. the Judges,-of the Kings, and in all times. The church of God is confessedly in a low state now, compared with what she ought to be, in connection with her privileges. What shall we blame? Popery? But Popery was what it is now, during the revival of religion in the days of Wesley, etc. Infidelity? Infidelity never was more rampant than towards the end of the last century. No: the church's perils are from within the citadel itself; and if her course is freed from these, it must be joyous and triumphant. We observe, 1. The peril of worldly conformity. The church is to be distinct from the world; separate; not of "Even as I the world. Christ's separation is to be her model. am not of the world," etc. But how different is her real aspect? Except in church ordinances, who can distinguish? In the market, on the exchange, in eagerness for worldly honors and riches, where is the difference? In dress, in luxuries, in maxims and customs, conversation, etc. where is the difference? Now, this conformity must be the blight of the church. It is the plaguespot, etc, 2. The peril of spiritual apathy. What formality characterizes the professors of religion! Nominal christianity abounds, but where is the heart, the fervor, the glowing zeal, the devotedness to God? In many cases the first love is gone. In many, lukewarmness. In many, the mere routine of services; while, alas! the life, the pathos, the spirit are wanting. 3. The spirit of sordid selfishness. How true, in the general, is the exclamation of the apostle, "All men seek their own," etc. There are some exceptions; some noble instances of generosity and expanded liberality; but these are exceptions. The mass of professing christians do not give half of what the Jews freely gave to support religion under the economy of Moses; not a quarter of what worldlings give for their luxuries The idol and pleasures. All other treasuries are overflowing. Bacchus receives offerings to the amount of fifty-three millions sterling; and yet how our benevolent institutions languish, etc. A very generous christian is a wonder in a neighborhood, and a spectacle of astonishment in a denomination. Yet, when the church truly prospers, the gold and the silver shall be freely and abundantly given to Christ. 4. The peril of sectarian divisions. This Some may demur to the last proposition, saying, there is no lack of activity and zeal among most denominations. But it is a spirit of party; zeal for a creed or for certain forms, etc. kind of zeal is chiefly expended on the minor points of difference. Zeal against one another, rather than zeal against sin and the devil. How woefully divided is the church of Christ! Her divisions have been the astonishment of Pagans, the by-word of Jews, the taunt of Romanists, the jest of Infidels, and the stumbling-block of inquirers after salvation. In her divisions the church must be weak, and her final triumphs are inseparably connected with her union,-John xvii. 21. How desirable that the present effort to unite all evangelical christians may be successful! Having noticed what the prayer of the text involves, observe, II. What it includes. 1. A conviction of our perilous state. Shall not utter it, if we are satisfied and self-complacent,-if we say, "We are rich," etc. The sick man, the decaying tradesman, etc. It is desirable to know and feel the low state of Zion, and to be keenly alive to our danger. This is the first step, and the main one to the right use of the text. Let this be deep and thorough, and the prayer will be earnest and intense, "Lord save," etc. 2. An earnest longing for the church's revival and prosperity. To know the worst, and desire the best. To feel Zion's interests to be ours-to be in our hearts. To feel the spirit of one of old, "If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, " etc. To have the church identified with our desires, hopes, joys, etc. To prefer Jerusalem to our chief good. Then how shall we pray, " O Lord save," etc. 3. A confident persuasion that God will hear our supplications. Faith in God. Now we may argue this from his unchanging love to his church; his great and precious promises; his readi⚫ness always to arise etc. The text is the breathing of his own He inspired it. Read whole verse. Then, with strong faith in God's ability and willingness we must say, "O Lord" etc. spirit. We must plead and wrestle for this; expect it; and use all divine means for its attainment, etc. Observe, III. The grounds on which we should earnestly present it. 1. The glory of Christ. He says in reference to his people, "I am glorified in them." Christ's reversion of praise, and his reward, arise from his church. To secure these, should be the preeminent desire of every christian. A cold, feeble, retrograding church cannot glorify Christ. If we seek not this, we contradict our prayers, "Thy kingdom come," etc. 2. The well-being of mankind. A low, apathetic church cannot do much good to souls. The church can only diffuse the light she possesses-exert the power she has, etc. What is to become of the world? Where its hopewhere the instrumentality to exalt and save it, but in the church? O! feel the claims of perishing myriads, and then what a motive to pray, "O Lord save, etc. 3. Our own spiritual prosperity and happiness. We are linked inseparably to the church. As it rises and falls, so ourselves. If there is a plentiful dew, etc., it will rest on us. If rich blessings, we shall share them. If God arises, etc., how will our holiness be increased, and our bliss enlarged. We shall then have the days of heaven on earth, etc. APPLICATION. 1. Let the prayer of the text be the true, fervent breathing of each soul. Ministers, deacons, class-leaders, etc.; members, every where, always, ardently, etc. 2. Let the means we employ correspond with the prayer of fered. Public, social, private means. So our actions-self-denial, liberality, etc. 3. Urge those who are without to unite with us. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. The Old American Divines. BY THE EDITOR. Rev. Jonathan Edwards. We are fully aware, that we are stepping upon consecrated ground, when we speak of the personal history of PRESIDENT EDWards. His fame is world-wide; and for his character and genius, all men profess the profoundest veneration. In New England especially, he is an oracle; and his excellent and powerful writings continue to speak with the voice of authority, though almost a hundred years have rolled over his grave. The Puritan churches love his name and revere his memory; and we confess our strong sympathy with such cherished recollections of the honored and mighty dead. We, too, love the name, and place the highest value upon the writings of Edwards, though we certainly dissent from some of his philosophical and theological views; and we would mingle ours with the myriad voices which proclaim him the model christian, student, and minister. President Edwards was born in Windsor, Connecticut, October 5th, 1703. He was the son of Rev. Timothy Edwards, an eminently successful minister of his times. He was successful in winning souls to Christ; and, being an excellent scholar, he not only imparted to his own family a superior education, but to others also. Jonathan Edwards was an only son, and became an early participant of that experimental religion of which he ultimately became so distinguished a minister. His early character was uncommonly pure, and his scholarship of the highest order for his years. He entered Yale College at thirteen, and graduated at seventeen years of age. The second year of his college life he read, almost with raptures, Locke on the Human Understanding. How few have done this at the age of fourteen! He was a devoted and diligent student of the Bible, and commenced in these years of his youth, those writings on the scriptures, and great questions in theology, which the ablest divines of the present day, |