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SERMON V.

THE LOVE OF OUR NEIGHBOUR NECESSARY IN ORDER TO PRAYER.

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(Preached on the second Sunday in Advent.)

ROMANS XV. 5—6.

"Now the God of patience and consolation grant to be like-minded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: that ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."

THE direct effects of the principle of charity I endeavoured to set before you in my last discourse. It is a principle capable of making every one who is ruled by it the friend of all with whom he has any intercourse-suffering him to injure none under any circumstances, and constraining him to his uttermost to do good to all, for it is indeed, as far as our neighbour is concerned, "the fulfilling of the law." I would now observe further, there is an intimate

connexion between the several christian graces, and a bearing which each of them has upon every other, so that in proportion as any person is eminent for one of them, we may, with better hope, look for it that he will abound in all the rest and this is the case with respect to the grace already mentioned. Charity towards our neighbour has its indirect effects likewise, and those of the greatest importance. It not only makes it natural to us to serve our brethren, it makes it easy to us also to serve God. For it brings us into such a frame and posture of mind as is most congenial to devotional exercises, and as is indeed absolutely necessary in order to an acceptable worship and obedience.

This we gather from the apostle's aspiration on behalf of the Romans in the text. He prays God that their mutual charity may be increased, and he asks it to the intent just named, that thereby they may be brought into a better condition to glorify God by their prayers and services.

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Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded one towards another, according to Christ Jesus: that ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Here are three things to be considered, that we may possess ourselves of the comfort and instruction which the text contains.

I. First what the apostle means by his exhortation.

II. Secondly the effect which obedience to it would produce on our devotions and religious service generally.

And, III. Thirdly the truth implied in the apostle's expressions, that the virtue required is the gift of God.

On these heads I shall discourse by God's assistance; and as I proceed, it will appear here also, as it did before, how the end aimed at by our church in the services of the Advent season, namely, to " prepare us to meet our God," is promoted in proportion as we advance in charity.

I. First, then, let us see what the apostle means by his exhortation, to be "like-minded one towards another, according to Christ Jesus.'

Some have interpreted this expression as referring to unity of judgment, as if the apostle would insist that the disciples should all hold the same religious opinions. But excellent as this would be, I take it he means something still higher and better, and at the same time more attainable. People may have the same religious views without loving one another as Christians ought to do; and, on the other hand, differences might be without discord or ill-will. Perhaps there never was an age of the church in which

the whole multitude of believers were of one way of thinking. But it is positively affirmed of them, at one period at least, that they were of "one heart." * And this, I believe, is the apostle's desire for the Romans in the text. May God give you a spirit of mutual love, that whatever may be your several religious views, or your several worldly interests, each of you may ever look upon the other with a kindness and benevolence like to that with which he regards himself, and desires to be regarded by his neighbours. This is to be like-minded one towards another;" and then, this like-mindedness should be according to Christ Jesus," or in conformity to his will and example. Let us take the two particulars separately.

1. The Romans, to whom St. Paul is writing, were not like-minded one towards another as they ought to have been. There were, in fact, among them, differences of religious opinion and diversities of outward religious practice; and though these differences were such as might very well have subsisted without any breach of spiritual unity, yet that was not the case. They were at strife in their hearts because of them, and contempt and harsh judgments prevailed, where mutual kindness might very well have been exercised by all parties. Some of these people

See Acts iv. 32.

were converted Jews, who, though brought to an honest belief in Christ, had not got over the prejudices of education and their early habits. These observed still many of the ceremonial appointments of Moses; and accordingly thought it their duty to abstain from certain meats in the Mosaic law forbidden, and to put a special honour upon certain days and seasons. Others of them were either converted Gentiles, or Jews of a bolder spirit and more enlarged understanding; and these esteemed all meats that were good for food, and all days alike. They cast off the ceremonial yoke altogether, and attended exclusively to that which the others attended to sincerely; namely, to repentance, faith in the Redeemer, and obedience to God's moral law.

If the two parties could have been content each to have acted on the conviction of his own mind, and quietly to have left his brother to do the same, no harm would have ensued. Both would have found their way to salvation, and the observance of the old Jewish forms would shortly have dropped off of itself, as, in fact, it did, in another generation of the church. But instead of this, the Judaizing party judged the others with bigotry, as profane and licentious; and they, on their part, despised the Judaizers, proudly and insolently, as weak, superstitious, and ignorant; when yet the apostle testifies,