ever: for he that "drinketh of this water, it shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."

Put not, then, from you this solemn, momentous, question. Seek not to bury in oblivion the rising suggestions of conscience at this solemn hour: say not «To-morrow, and to-morrow I will hear thee: at a more convenient season I will attend to thee." Never can you have a more convenient season than the present. You are now where the Son of Man has power to forgive sins; and the ear of the Eternal is opened; and the gates of the city of refuge are thrown wide to welcome you; and the Intercessor pleads for you; and the arms of the Redeemer are stretched out to you; and angels are waiting to exult over you, and bear the glad tidings to the realms of glory, that you have repented, and returned to God.

"Hasten O sinner to be wise;

And stay not for the morrow's sun."

May God impress these things upon your hearts, for Christ's sake

A men.

412

CHRISTIANITY ADAPTED TO THE CONVERTING INDIVIDUALS AND CIVILIZING NATIONS.

REV. H. MELVILL, A.M.

CAMDEN CHAPEL, CAMBERWELL, OCTOBER 26, 1834.

"For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God, to the pulling down of strong holds."-2 CORINTHIANS, X. 4.

You meet, frequently, in the writings of St. Paul, with military allusions; but you are not to consider them as introduced by the Apostle's preference of the figurative style. We doubt whether it be altogether just, to speak of these allusions as metaphorical: there would be no metaphor, if the discourse ran actually on the meeting of armies, and the stratagems of war: and if there be any thing in the workings of Christianity, in reference either to the world at large, or to its individual professors, which can be fairly described as laying siege or giving battle, then it is not so much from the nature of the style as the nature of the subject, that the Apostle has recourse to military allusions. We regard this as the true account of the allusion to the arms and the exploits of a warrior. The Christian is not so much metaphorically as really a soldier, if by a soldier we understand one who is beleaguered by enemies, and making his way against an ever-powerful and vigilant opposition: and the transactions of which this earth is the scene, are more literally than figuratively military transactions, if there be carried on from the first, a conflict between evil and good on the stage of this lower creation.

It will, perhaps, make great difference, if we accustom ourselves to regard the allusions as metaphorical, when they should be regarded as literal. We are in the habit of supposing that great allowance is to be made for metaphor; so that in extracting the sentiment from the figure in which it is clothed, we are almost sure to reduce it, or to pare down its force. The proving a style figurative is very different from the proving a style exaggerated: and we may learn from a passage which occurs in the book of the prophecies of Ezekiel—“ Theu said I, Ah, Lord God, they say of me, Doth he not speak parables?"—that there is a strong disposition in the mind to evade the meaning of scriptural declarations, by regarding them as the figures of a high-wrought diction. It is a disposition which should be carefully observed and sedulously avoided; for, without questioning that there is a vast deal of metaphorical language in the Bible, we believe it not to be employed for the giving what may be called poetic effect, but to assist our conceptions of truths which, after all, are too gigantic for our grasp. There may be much of figure or hieroglyphic in the description of heaven and hell; the harps of the one, and the fires of the other, may,

perhaps, delineate by metaphor, the joy of the redeemed and the anguish of the lost: but of this we may be assured, that the figures are caused only by the poverty of language; it is not to exaggerate, but to show the terms of speech too weak for the subject, that recourse is had to metaphor and parable.

This remark applies, however, to what is confessedly metaphorical; whereas our business lies, at present, with what is apparently, but not really, metaphor. We say again, in reference to such language as the text, that we do not believe it so much the nature of the Apostle's style, as the nature of the Apostle's subject, which should be given in explanation of his military allusions. If he set himself to describe the present condition of the Christian, the work in which he is engaged, and the instruments with which he is to operate, it is not from a partiality to metaphor, that he takes you to the battle-field, and describes the work as conflict, and the instruments as arms: it is rather because conflict is literally the work of the Christian, and the instruments with which he plies the moral warfare correspond accurately with the arms with which a soldier is accoutred. If he would represent what goes on in the invisible world (relative, we mean, to this earth's population,) it is not as the ornaments of a florid diction, that he peoples what is unseen with jostling armies, and exhibits spiritual beings in the attitude, and with the tactics, of watchful antagonists: it is rather because, literally, there is a perpetual contest on the theatre of this creation, and good and evil angels wrestle for the mastery. And yet again, (and this is the case immediately suggested by our text,) if he would delineate the design and progress of Christianity, it is only because the opposition with which it meets, and the agency which it employs, are more literally described by military than by any other terms, that he exhibits creatures with weapons in their hands, and the sinfulness of a lost world as the strong holds which they are bidden to assault.

Now we have introduced our subject with these remarks, because we cannot but feel, as we have already observed, that men are apt to regard what sounds metaphorical, as though it were necessarily exaggerated. Let them determine an expression to be figurative, and they straightway contract the idea it embodies whereas, we are certain, the more fitting way of dealing with such instances as that of our text is, to consider that there is no metaphor whatever; but that Christianity is actually a system to be advanced, under the valour and generalship of its professors, and the demolition of strong holds erected by Satan. And, desirous as we are this night, to stimulate you to increased energy in helping onward the march of Christianity, the professed object of this discourse being to engage your co-operation in the sending missions to the heathen, we have been anxious to remove, at the outset, misapprehension as to the real state of the case, and to fasten your thoughts on the literal character of the description which makes the preacher's business that of a warrior, and the subject matter of his assaults the strong fortresses of the enemy.

We may now proceed to examine more attentively the words of the text; the thing to be borne in mind, as we go on with our discourse, being, that these words are not to be interpreted as metaphorical, inasmuch as in the advancement of Christianity there is real battle, with its various issues of defeat and

success.

Now, in other parts of his writings, and particularly in his Epistle to the

Ephesians, as you heard in the second lesson of the evening service, St. Paul represents every Christian as a soldier, and gives you at length the arms in which he is arrayed. Thus we are bidden to "put on the whole armour of God;" and mention is made of "the helmet of salvation," "the breastplate of righteousness,"" the sword of the Spirit," and " the shield of faith." It were not difficult to corroborate all our foregoing remarks by showing you the thorough accuracy of this figurative language, (if such it must be called :) showing you, in other words, that faith, and righteousness, and salvation, are to the Christian exactly what the shield, and the breastplate, and the helmet, are to the soldier: and consequently, it is not so much in metaphor as in reality, that the followers of Christ may be regarded as warriors.

Now, the representation of our text is of a somewhat different order; and the weapons which are mentioned are not precisely those with which, as individuals, we must "fight the good fight of faith." You will perceive at once, by referring to the context, or, indeed, by observing the verse itself, that the Apostle is describing Christianity, not in its operation within the breast of an individual, but, rather, as the engine with which God was opposing, and would finally overthrow, the idolatry and wickedness of the world. We admit, indeed, that it is hardly, perhaps, necessary to separate altogether Christianity as ruling in the individual, from Christianity as advancing to sovereignty. The weapons with which the preacher conquers himself must, in the main, be those with which he conquers others. But still the points of view are manifestly different : so that if we would illustrate our text, it must not be by examining the weapons with which individually we are bidden to repel our spiritual opponents. St. Paul is describing himself as the champion of righteousness and truth, against the vices and errors of a profligate and ignorant world; and the point which he maintains is, that the engine with which he prosecutes his championship, though not "carnal," is "mighty through God" to the accomplishing the object proposed. Now we know that the engine with which the Apostle worked was simply the Gospel of Christ, preached in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: and hence we may give, as a sum of the declaration of the text, that Christianity, however at variance with systems of human wisdom and philosophy, is exactly adapted to overcome the dominion of Satan, and to make its way, through the blessing of God, to unlimited empire. "The weapons of our warfare"-that system of religion which we are commissioned to oppose to every system received amongst men-" are not carnal:" for neither in its nature nor in the mode of its publication does Christianity agree with human systems, or rest on human arts. But, nevertheless, these weapons are mighty through God," inasmuch as Christianity-its proclamation being accompanied by the influences of the Divine Spirit-overthrows the strong holds of sin, and shall at last reduce the world into obedience to its Maker.

Such we think the drift of the statements under review-the fitness and power of the Gospel of Christ, considered as an engine devised and employed by God for the demolition of the empire of Satan. These form the theme on which the Apostle would fix our attention, and which appears most especially suited to a missionary sermon: and though it were impossible to bring within the limits of a discourse whatever tends to illustrate this theme, there are two general points of view, under which, if Christianity be thus viewed, we shall obtain

sufficient illustration of the truth to be maintained. We will regard Christianity, in the first place, as adapted to the converting individuals, and, in the second, as adapted to the civilizing nations: and we think that the result of the twofold contemplation will be, the acknowledgment of the might of Christianity in casting down strong holds.

We begin with CHRISTIANITY AS ADAPTED TO THE CONVErting IndiVIDUALS. And we fasten on the expression of the Apostle, that his weapons were not carnal: they were not such weapons as a carnal policy would have suggested, or a carnal philosophy approved. The doctrines advanced did not recommend themselves by their close appeal to reason; neither did they rely for their cogency on the eloquence with which they were urged. It seems implied that the virtue of the weapons lay in the fact of their not being carnal : for the Apostle is put on his defence, and the not using carnal weapons is his vindication. It is as though he had said that the carnal nature must be attacked by weapons of an opposite kind, and that no victory could be won so long as the nature and the weapons might be described in the same terms. And, beyond question, in this is the secret of the power of Christianity, and of the thorough insufficiency of every other system. Christianity attacks us with weapons which are not carnal, and then introduces what is directly antagonist to the nature to be mastered: whereas every other system, wielding no weapons but which are carnal, introduces nothing but what agrees with that nature. If Christianity demanded nothing more than confession of its truth, Christianity would be carnal, seeing that we satisfied ourselves of its evidence by a process of reasoning, and such process is quite at one with a carnal nature, flattering it by appealing to the native powers of man. If, again, Christianity depended for its reception on the eloquence of its teachers, so that it rested with them to urge and persuade men to believe, then again would Christianity be carnal, its whole effectiveness being drawn from the energy of the tongue and the susceptibility of the passions. And if Christianity were thus carnal-as every system must be which depends not on a higher than human agency-it could not be mighty in turning sinners to God: there would have been nothing in its constitution which at all clashed with a corrupt nature; for, though it might still have proposed a high standard of morality, and have summoned men to the performance of their duty, still, as appealing exclusively to their own reason and their own strength, it must have been congenial with those passions which opposed what it asked. No system of religion can be adapted to the conversion of fallen creatures which does not direct itself to the subduing their pride; and no system can direct itself to subduing that pride which addresses itself to their capacity to do right. But Christianity, as not being carnal, brings itself straightway into collision with every passion, and every principle, and every prejudice of the carnal nature, and must therefore either subdue, or be subdued by, that nature: it is not possible there should be peace between the two. So that the religion must be only nominally received (which is tantamount, as you know, to its being virtually rejected) or it must so prevail as to renovate its subjects and bring every thought into obedience. Hence it is that the Apostle lays stress upon the fact that his weapons were not carnal. The contrariety between the nature and the religion-the one being carnal, and the other not being carnal-this it was that