SERMON I

FAITH AND PRACTICE.

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1. TIMOTHY, vi. 3.

THE DOCTRINE WHICH IS ACCORDING TO GODLIness.

THER

HERE were in the apoftolic age infidious teachers, who introduced and kept alive "queftions "whereof cometh envy, ftrife, railings, evil furmi- έσ fings, perverse difputings. Not confenting to whole"fome words, even the words of our Lord Jefus 1200 "Chrift,(and to the doctrine which is according to godlinefs," they were "proud, knowing nothing"men of corrupt minds, deftitute of the truth, fpeak"ing lies in hypocrify, making fhipwreck of faith, "lovers of their own felves, having a form of godli"nefs, but denying the power." In oppofition to teachers of this defcription, Paul exhorts Timothy, "Hold faft the form of found words, in faith and "love. Continue in the doctrine of Chrift, avoid"ing profane and vain babblings-not giving heed to "commandments of men that turn from the truth."

From this connection of the words, from the contraft to the doctrine of Chrift, the doctrine according to godliness, we may form a correct judgment of the faith once delivered to the faints. "Follow righteouf"nefs, faith, charity, peace, with them who call on

"the Lord out of a pure heart. But foolish and un"learned questions avoid, knowing that they do gen"der ftrifes. Take heed unto thyfelf, and unto thy "doctrine."

The prevailing ficknefs;* my advanced years; a warm affection to the flock; a particular wish that the youth, on whom our hopes are placed, may embrace pious paths, constrain me to addrefs a course of fermons more especially to the younger part of the congregation. Ifhall, however, in the ftructure of them, and in the selection of fubjects, have regard to hearers of every age. May a divine influence accompany the compofition, delivery and hearing of them.

It is proposed to begin with a discourse on the view given us of the gospel as the doctrine according to godlinefs.

In thus defcribing the religion of Jefus Chrift, the apostle would diftinguish it from all falfe religion-the exhibition of the truth in oppofition to the hidden things of difhonefty, walking in craftiness, corrupting the word of God, and handling it deceitfully.

In his epiftle to Titus, recommending to " adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things," he proceeds to give a fummary of this doctrine. "For "the grace of God that bringeth falvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us, that, denying ungodlinefs and worldly lufts, we fhould live foberly, " righteoufly, and godly, in this prefent world; looking for that bleffed hope, and the glorious appearing "of the great God and our Saviour Jefus Chrift; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from "all iniquity, and purify to himself a peculiar people, "zealous of good works." Salvation by grace is the infcription on the gofpel plan. Grace is difpenfed thro' a Mediator, giving himself for our fins. The great defign of his expiatory facrifice was to promote holiness. Holiness is the qualification of the gofpel.

August 1803.

Poffeffing this qualification, our hope in Chrift is well founded. Thus the doctrine of Salvation is adorned, and is made to appear what it really is, the doctrine according to godlinefs-not according to any fcheme of natural religion; nor according to any human device; nor according to the reveries of enthusiasm-but found and uncorrupted doctrine, worthy of an holy and merciful God, most neceffary and useful to man. In the fame letter to Titus, a fummary of Chriftian doctrine is given us in the following language. "The "kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man "appeared, not by works of righteoufnefs which we "have done; but according to his mercy he faved us,

by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of "the holy Ghoft-that being juftified by his grace, "we should be made heirs according to the hope of "eternal life. This is a faithful faying, and thefe "things I will that thou affirm conftantly, that they "who have believed in God fhould be careful to main"tain good works."

Hence it appears that godlinefs includes faith and practice-truths to be believed, and duties to be performed. Both may be comprehended in this general language: Holinefs of heart and life founded on the faith of Chrift. For godlinefs is to live by the faith of the Son of God. Faith is the affent of the understanding to revealed truth, and the affent of the heart, or a practical faith.

We will confider, FIRST, the principal truths contained in the religion of Jefus Chrift, which evince it to be the doctrine according to godlinefs. SECONDly, the rules of life, which prove the fame thing.

FIRST, the principal truths, or articles of Chriftian faith.

We wish to speak on this point as the Holy Ghoft teacheth, and not to teach for doctrine the commandments of men. To speak in the words which man's wisdom teacheth would be the doting about questions, and strifes

of words, against which the apostle enters an express caution; and which he mentions as opposed to the wholesome words of our Lord Jefus Chrift, and the doctrine which is according to godliness.

Three truths claim fpecial attention: The death of Christ as our ranfom-the energy of the holy Spiritimmortality in foul and body.

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1. Redemption by the blood of Chrift.

In a paffage already recited, the apostle declares that Jefus Chrift gave himself for us. And chap. ii. 5, 6. of the first letter to Timothy, "There is one Mediator "between God and men; the man Chrift Jefus, who gave himself a ransom for all." Similar declarations frequently occur in his other epiftles. It fhall fuffice to quote the following. "In whom we have redemption' "thro' his blood. Whom God hath fet forth to be a "propitiation, through faith in his blood. Chrift hath "given himself for us, an offering and a facrifice to "God for a sweet smelling favor." The fentiment of his vicarious fufferings runs through a great part of the epistle to the Hebrews. This fentiment, and indeed the whole gofpel, proceeds upon the supposition that man has loft original rectitude. "How can man "be juftified with God? Who can bring a clean thing "out of an unclean?" A view of God, glorious in holinefs, will be accompanied with fober thoughts of ourfelves, as polluted by the condition of our birth, needing a ranfom. The finner, who beholds the rity of God, has a view of fin as exceeding odious. He loathes and abhors himself. "The whole world is "become guilty before God. Judgment is come up" on all to condemnation."

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From this judgment, the ranfom, which the Mediator paid, is the only deliverance. God" hath made "him, who knew no fin, to be a fin-offering for us, "that we might be made the righteoufnefs of God in "him." This is a doctrine according to godliness: It reflects the higheft honor on the wifdom, holiness,

government and mercy of God: It exhibits fin as the accurfed thing, the demerit of which is awfully dif played in the crucifixion of THE HOLY ONE AND THE JUST. For if these things be done in the green tree, what fhall be done in the dry?

You may imagine that abfolute grace might have pardoned fin. But God's thoughts are not as our thoughts. He hath determined the cafe otherwise, if Christianity be true: And no prefumption of its falfehood arifes from the affurance it gives us, that Chrift crucified is the only foundation God hath laid for the abfolution of finners. Will you undertake to prove, that his law would have appeared to be holy, juft and good, if remiffion of fin had been difpenfed without any fuch provifion or medium as the facrifice of Chrift? Infinite wisdom always has the highest reasons for its appointments. We therefore infer, from the ransom which God hath provided for finful man, that the plan is infinitely wife, while the reasons of it are far above our comprehenfion. But from what do we reafon or infer, if we fay that fome other plan would have been as wife, or wifer? What do we know of the poffibilities in the divine power and wisdom? Shall we call in queftion the propriety of his revealed counfel? Shall we reject it against ourselves? It affures us, that he "will magnify the law, and make it honorable. My "righteous fervant fhall justify many; for he shall "bear their iniquities. The Lord is well pleafed for "his righteousness' fake." Pardon for finners, reconciliation for enemies, through the cross of Chrift, does not fruftrate the grace of God; but difplays it in harmony with perfect holiness and the stability of his government. "It is a faithful faying, and worthy of all "acceptation, that Chrift Jefus came into the world "to fave finners."

2. In connection with his expiatory facrifice we mentioned, fecondly, the energy of the holy Spirit.

"Except a man be born of the Spirit, he cannot en