you differ from them; and let the consciousness of the purity of your own intentions, of your own sincerity, of your own love of God and truth and goodness, teach you to judge favorably and with candor of others. He whom thou numberest with unbelievers may be among the loved disciples of the Saviour. Beneath that cold exterior, under that outward appearance of indifference towards the cause and interests of religion, may be the warm gushings of devotional feelings and affections. Christian faith and hope and charity may dwell in the mind and heart, and the spirit of God descend and rest upon the head of him whom thou in thy weakness and ignorance believest to be far, far from the kingdom of heaven.

I have thus spoken of some of the causes of the erroneous judgment which we often pass upon the spiritual state and character of the individual and of society. The remarks which have fallen from me have been made not in a spirit of pride, not to prove that mankind are virtuous and good above what is written, but merely to show, that if we judge of the characters of others from loose and partial views of them, we shall be liable to err with the prophet of old.

We do not honor God, my friends, by making unjust representations of human nature, by considering this world as a soil in which no virtuous principle ever takes root; nor do we practise that christian charity which hopeth all things, when we judge others with an unreasonable and criminal severity. We may not indeed be insensible to prevailing error and depravity; but neither may we magnify the amount of moral evil that really exWe should mourn over the moral desolation that spreads itself around us; but we should mourn and weep

ists.

not as those who have no hope. Doubtless, as we look upon the moral and religious state of the world, we find much to dishearten and dismay; but let us remember that thus did the state and condition of the Israelites affect the servant of God, as he beheld the worshippers of Baal and saw the smoke of their incense ascend from

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their altars of superstition and error. They have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, slain thy prophets with the sword, and I only am left, and they seek my life to take it away.' But what said the voice from heaven. No. Thou art not left alone. Beneath this appearance of universal idolatry may be found many a sincere worshipper of the true God. Among this people, who seem all to be devoted to the works of their own hands, there are thousands who have never bowed the knee to Baal, thousands of mouths that have not kissed him. There is still left among the children of Israel seven thousand who have not wandered from their God.

My friends, may not this be true in respect to the present state and past state of the world? Amidst all the worldly mindedness of men, amidst all the vice and immorality and corruption of mankind, may there not be countless multitudes whose hearts are right in the sight of God? And while we are murmuring and complaining that we only are left, may there not be an innumerable company of pious and holy men, walking like ourselves in the strait and narrow path of life, and seeking with us an inheritance beyond the grave, a crown of glory that fadeth not away ?

EPHESIANS II. 8. FOR BY GRACE ARE YE SAVED, THROUGH Faith: and THAT NOT OF YOURSELVES, IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD.'

Every one, who reads the New Testament, must observe how frequently the word grace is used in connexion with Christianity, and the means of salvation. It is repeated on almost every page of the Epistles especially, as if with emphasis and distinction. Thus the gospel is called the grace of God which bringeth salvation;''the word of his grace which is able to build us up &c.;' and in the text Paul tells his converts' by grace ye are saved through faith.' Similar passages are exceedingly numerous. And the word is abundantly used in conversation and in religious writings; though it must be allowed by every attentive observer, it is used for the most part very indefinitely. Men speak of grace in a vague way, without consideration or being able perhaps to tell precisely what they mean by it. It is regarded as one of those good words, which excite religious feelings, rather than express any idea which can be stated and explained. You perceive at once, therefore, the importance of endeavoring to acquire

• Preached at the Installation of Rev. Rufus A. Johnson, in Grafton, Oct. 16th, 1833.

plain, definite, and settled views on this subject. I shall accordingly attempt to set forth the true and scriptural meaning of grace, and of salvation by grace. In connexion with the occasion which has now brought us together. this subject must be regarded as peculiarly important. We are about to consecrate a Christian brother to the solemn duties of the ministry among you; and we are persuaded, it will be his constant study, his earnest endeavor, to unfold to you the truths of God's grace. When such a connexion is to be formed and sanctioned, the topic to which I have directed your thoughts must, I am sure, present itself to your minds as one of deep and appropriate interest.

I begin, then, with observing that the direct, exact, real meaning of the word which is translated grace in our Bible, is favor, mercy, goodness, or kindness. Thus the grace of God, is the favor of God, the goodness of God, or the kindness of God. And wherever the word grace occurs in the Sacred Writings, it is uniformly used in one form or another of this signification. Few, I think, who have the requisite knowledge of language, will deny this. Here then is the plain, simple, radical meaning of grace: it is mercy, kindness, favor, manifested in some way or other, through some medium or other. It is the more necessary and important to dwell upon and remember this simple, primitive meaning of the word we are considering, because the word has in the course of time come to have a theological meaning sometimes very different from that in which it is used in the New Testament. Most people, when they speak or read of grace, understand by it a sort of special, supernatural infusion or communication of a divine virtue or ef

ficacy; at least, they have some confused notion of this kind, though they may not be able to tell exactly what it is. The framers of theological systems have taken the word out of its plain and intelligible use in the New Testament, and by putting it in a certain place among their doctrines and connecting it on every side with them, have given it a strange and perplexing aspect, which of itself it would never have taken. Hence we are apt to regard it as a sort of technical term of doctrinal religion; and when we hear or read it, we think at once of dark and subtle disputes about mysterious influences and communications, of which we can gain no clear conception, or at least none such as seems consistent with the plain dictates of reason and the Scriptures. It is unfortunate that words in themselves significant of a just and even beautiful sense, should thus be soiled and injured by association with what is unmeaning or irrational. The true signification of the term in question is far wider and more extensive, than we are apt to suppose. It is not bound up within the limits of controversial divinity, nor should it be exiled from the language of good sense to the foggy regions of dark speculation.

It is lamentable that men should be imposed upon by mere phrases, and thus be led either to abandon or pervert the simplicity of the Gospel. Remember, that when the word grace is used in the Scriptures, it is just the same, as if the word favor, or kindness, or some similar word, had been used. By bearing this in mind, you will avoid a good deal of confusion, and many mistakes.

I have made this explanation, because I take it for granted, that when men use words, they want to use