or about things spiritual. Let us vie with each other in a holy emulation, which of us can most deny ourselves, which best subdue our own evil tempers, which most yield up our own pride, passion, prejudice, or interest, in order to agreement with the rest; which forbear, and lose, and suffer most, rather than hinder the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

SERMON XVI.

ON THE ENLARGEMENT OF A CHURCH.

PLEA FOR UNITY.

1 COR. 1. 10.

"Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.”

WHAT an affecting comment on these words of St. Paul is found in the fourth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, where we are told of the multitude of believers that they were of one heart, and of one soul!" (Ver. 32.) What a fearful contrast to both these passages is presented by the

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actual condition of our own Christian country! In what possible sense can the many sects that are spread throughout the land be said to be of one heart and of one soul? By what stretch of courtesy can we assume of ourselves, and of those who are in dissent from us, that we all speak the same thing, that there are no divisions among us, that we are perfectly joined together in the same mind, and in the same judgment? Are we not in some cases at variance in matters of first importance? And where the points contested are comparatively trifling, is not our being at variance in such a case only so much the more wanton sin? Certainly there must be sin somewhere. Certainly the command of God is somewhere grossly violated, the earnest desire of our Lord is set at nought, the affectionate exhortation of the apostle in the text is counted for a dead letter in the word of God.

"I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." How could the apostle have expressed himself more urgently? Which of all the many duties

enforced in this Epistle does he press with more earnestness than this? "I beseech you," I the apostle Paul, I who have been unto you a spiritual father, I to whom not Corinthians alone, but all churches of the Gentiles, are deeply indebted for the preaching of the Gospel, I beseech you, I beg, I pray, I implore. I might indeed command, I might remind you of the terror of the Lord, I might threaten you, that they who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God; but rather "I beseech you, brethren," children as ye all are of one Father, members of one body, heirs of one heaven, "I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." By the name of Him who died for us all, of Him who has bought us with his most precious blood, of Him who has saved us from our sins, of Him who is our Prophet, our Priest, our King, "by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I beseech you, brethren, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that ye be perfectly joined together in the

same mind, and in the same judg

ment.

Thus does St. Paul urge us to agree

Oh let us comply with his affectionate entreaty. Let us learn from his earnest exhortation how great is the sinfulness of our divisions. Let us learn how we ought at once to abhor the sin, and to compassionate the sinner. How we ought at once to deal faithfully with those who dissent, and to watch that we are not guilty of dissension ourselves. For so might we be effectually moved to labour for peace, to follow after unity, and to enlarge by all means in our power the borders of the church; if we were deeply impressed with the evils of dissent; and if we were convinced that it is a sin of which we also are partakers, unless we do all that in us lies to do away with it, by winning over dissenters to agreement with ourselves.

For here I would first observe that the Established Church offers far the best, if not the only prospect, and means, in this country at least, of reviving unity in