the mind of St. Paul seemed to justify an earnest appeal to the members of the Corinthian church. It appears, by consulting the chapter immediately preceding, that the Apostle had just been alluding to the fulness of the Christian's hope, and the exceeding riches of the goodness and mercy of God. He represents himself as speaking in the name of Christ; and dwells with delight upon the message which he was charged to deliver, and the honour which was conferred upon him by so high a commission: Now, then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you, in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled unto God: for he hath made Him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him:"- We, then, as workers together with him, beseech you that ye receive not the grace of God in vain."

For a more particular explanation of the passage, we propose to consider,

I. The exhortation itself; and, II. The manner in which it is enforced.

I. The exhortation: That ye receive not the grace of God in

vain.

This expressive phrase, "the grace of God," is used in different senses in the Sacred Writings. The word grace literally signifies favour; and, taken by itself, may denote any blessing which is bestowed upon us by the Father of mercies. Its precise meaning in the passage before us may be learned from the general subject of the Apostle's discourse. He had just been inviting the Corinthians, as we have already seen, to be reconciled to God; urging, that to him and his associates was committed the ministry o reconciliation. I entreat you, therefore, he adds, that you receive not this instance of the Divine favour in vain; but that, as the offer of reconciliation is made,

CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 187.

you would listen and accept its blessings.

That it is possible to hear the Gospel in vain, the words of the text and the experience of all ages sufficiently prove. It is one thing to be a hearer of the word, and a very different thing to be a doer of it. We may likewise conclude, from the nature of the expression, that there is great danger lest we should receive it in vain-lest we should hear without any lasting benefit to our souls. The case admits of an easy illustration.

We are, says the Apostle, am. bassadors for Christ.-Let us, then, imagine a country which has thrown off its allegiance to its rightful sovereign, and is engaged in rebellion against him. Let us further suppose this sovereign, unwilling to proceed to measures of severity, appointing some of his messengers to visit the rebellious land, and to testify to the inhabitants his earnest desire that they would return to their duty and be again admitted into favour. Who, in such a case, would be the persons that receive the message in vain?

In the first place, some might be found almost to mock at it; to represent it as unworthy of their attention; and to contend that they had done nothing which it was not their privilege to do; that they were well contented with their independence, and did not choose to subject themselves to bondage, or to sacrifice their present pursuits for any such considerations.

Others, of a more reflecting cast, would be ready, perhaps, to admit that the message was kind and merciful; and that the object proposed was in general to be desired;-but that it interfered with their interests; that the great body of the people were determined to pay no regard to the invitation; and that whoever adopted a contrary resolution must be subject to many inconveniences and to considerable reproach.

A third class might express
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spel of Christ, which was able to make them wise unto salvation. This is the genuine spirit of Christianity: the Apostles were warm, zealous, and energetic; the love of Christ constrained them; and they were affectionately desirous, from a supreme regard to the best interests of mankind, that all men should be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.

In this their blessed work they proceeded with authority from above: they were "workers together with God." As if the Apostle had said, "We do not come to you in our own name, or relying upon our own wisdom, or as having any preten, sions of our own to solicit a hear ing: we are engaged, however humbly, in the work of the Lord; he will assist us in our labour: we are strong in his strength, and, courageous in his name. God is in Christ reconciling the world unto himself: we co operate in this, work, by preaching to you the doc. trine of reconciliation. He is the God of salvation; and we are the heralds of mercy. Under bis sanction, we address you; and if you reject our invitation, take heed lest you be convicted of despising not men, but God."

But, independently of the, motive which directed the Apostles, and the authority under which they acted, they were furnished with many arguments to invite and to persuade. These arguments, so far as they are connected with the text, may be found in the preceding chapter. Of several which might be mentioned, let us briefly notice four.

1. We beseech you by the good ness of God.-The offer of reconciliation proceeds from him. The whole plan of redemption was divised by the Father of mercies, and had its origin in his own unmerited love. He sent into the world his Son, who knew no sin, to be sin for us: he sent him, not to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. Con

sider the nature and magnitude of this love: how free, and how, ex-, tensive! By this love we beseech you to receive with all meekness, the engrafted word; let it kindle. in your hearts a desire to accept, of his salvation. He invites and entreats you to come to him and be at, peace: as though God, therefore, did beseech you by us, we pray you, be ye reconciled to him.

2. We beseech you by, the. sacrifice of Christ.-It is only by Jesus Christ that this reconciliation can be effected; for there is salva-, tion in no other. Consider, then, the price, which has been paid for the redemption of man. Behold the Son of God in the depth of his. humiliation; reflect upon his agony and bloody sweat, his cross and passion, his precious death; and; burial; and then remember that, all this was endured for man. He suffered that we might be happy; he died that we might never die. Had it been consistent with the. attributes of the Most High that no sacrifice should be required as an atonement for sin, it might have been a sufficient argument for the acceptance of mercy that God, was willing to be, reconciled: but we preach Christ crucified; we tell of his sufferings for you; and, as his ministers, we beseech you that ye receive not his Gospel in vain.

3. A third argument is drawn from the peculiar blessings which are contained in the Gospel. The effect of reconciliation, even in the present life, is, that we are brought into a new state; we, stand in a new relation to God, to each other, and to the world; our views, our hopes, our enjoyments, are all ennobled-they all partake of the excellency of a new creation. But they lead also to a glorious state; those who have been reconciled to God, shall rise to life and immortality. As, therefore, you value the privileges of the saints on earth, and the unspeak-. able felicity of the world above, we beseech you that ye seek for

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peace and reconciliation; for if ye are Christ's, all things are yours, whether life, or death, or things present, or things to come.

4. We beseech you by the terrors of the Lord."We must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad:" "knowing, therefore, the terrors of the Lord, we persuade men." For, remember-and how awful is the reflection!-that, among those who receive the grace of God, only two classes of persons can be found, those who accept the offered mercy, and those who reject it: "these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal." How shall you appear at the last great day before the tribunal of Him whose mercy you have slighted? How can you look upon that God, whose indignation burns like fire? And, then, there is an eternity to follow; a night of misery, which will never end! Ought we not, then, earnestly and affectionately to inquire of you, whether or not you have received the grace of God in vain? It will be of no avail to us that the doctrine of reconciliation is offered, unless we accept it with a right mind, humbly, cordially, and unreservedly. We must be brought, by the teaching of the Holy Ghost, to form a just estimate of our real character; to see that by nature we are living in a state of enmity against God, and that we are utterly undeserving even of the least of his mercies. When we have thus learned the lesson of humility, and the language of our souls is like that of the Publican, "God be merciful to me a sinner," how welcome will be the offer of peace with God! We shall accept of it as life from the dead; we shall receive it with all our hearts, and desire earnestly to be conformed in all things to his holy will and pleasure.

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If, however, we have thus em

braced it, let us not be among the number of those who draw back unto perdition, or who grieve the Spirit of God by their coldness and indifference; but let us be vigilant in our calling: let us not be weary in well-doing, knowing that in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

In the commencement of this great work there should be no delay. The Apostle follows up his exhortation, by declaring that "now is the accepted time," and this "the day of salvation." Every successive day will probably find us less disposed to think of the importance of our souls: the heart soon be comes hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. And will it not be an awful aggravation of our offences, that light has come into the world, and that we deliberately loved darkness rather than light; that the offer of reconciliation was made; and that, with a full conviction of the guilt and misery which must arise from the rejection of it, we would listen to no counsel, and would not submit to the fear of the Lord? By every motive, therefore, which can influence the minds of men by the goodness of God, by the love of the Redeemer, by the blessings of heaven, and the misery of eternal death-as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you, in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled unto God; and that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.

To the Editor of the Christian Observer. I was much pleased with the useful and nervous remarks of your correspondent, PENSATOR, on the necessity of minutely discriminating characters in sermons and religious publications. I do not, however, think that the plan of generalizing is usually carried to the extent which he appears to suppose; or that the term "sinners" is almost the only one used by the ministers of the Gospel to desig-'

nate that large class of persons, who, however various in their pursuits and conduct, are all living "without God in the world." On the contrary, several other phrases, such as "pharisee," "hypocrite," "the hardened," "the careless," &c. are, as far as my experience extends, very generally employed, at least by the more serious and active part of the clergy, to point out and discriminate the various classes of their hearers. Indeed, almost every sermon, from persons of this description, is heard to close with the kind of enumeration to which I refer: so that, as far as the intention of the preacher is concerned, there can be no doubt of an appropriate classification being conscientiously designed.

While, however, I do not quite concur with PENSATOR, as to the extent of the deficiency in question, I fully allow that there is much room for general improvement in this branch of the ministerial function. The fault appears to me to be, chiefly, that classification, even where really intended, is rather too vague and common-place; and, to use PENSATOR's expression, "does not in any degree correspond with the varieties of moral character that are every where to be found." The terms, hypocrite, pharisee, &c. are fully as displeasing to a prejudiced hearer as the general term "sinner;" and there is, therefore, as little reason to expect that he will willingly consent to see his own character described in the former mode as in the Jatter. When a minister commences his application thus, "Let us now see how this subject affects different classes of persons; and first let us begin with the pharisee," who is there in the congregation who chooses to admit that by this term he is to understand himself? On the contrary, who does not immediately interpose the shield of obstinacy or self-love, to defend his conscience against all attack from such a quarter? Here, then, arises a

necessity for a more discriminating application. What is meant by a pharisee? What does he be lieve or disbelieve? What does he do or leave undone? In what consists his deficiency or error? What are the distinguishing marks of his character, as opposed to that which the minister had been describing as the legitimate badge of a genuine Christian? How may he best ascertain his defect; and how may he proceed to obtain that renovation of heart, the necessity of which had been enforced?

But perhaps an attempt is made to define the term, and to shew its application. "By a pharisee," observes the minister, "I mean a self-righteous man," or, "I mean a man who thinks to get to heaven by his doings." Now, perhaps, to those who are chiefly concerned in the censure, this attempt at specification appears quite as vague and as little to apply to themselves as the general term itself. "No," imagines the hearer, "I am not one of this class: God forbid I should be so spiritually proud as that person whom the minister describes: on the contrary, I fully admit the Creed no less than the Commandments, and know sufficiently well that I have not done so many good works as I ought; and therefore hope, on my repentance, to be forgiven, through Jesus Christ our Lord."--It may be perfectly true, and I imagine is so, that the person thus replying really comes under the scriptural idea of “a pharisee;" and that even the orthodox parts of those sentiments which he utters mean nothing, as proceeding from his lips: but, as far as his own conviction is concerned, I would ask, is it likely that he will be willing to admit himself as substantially included, so long as he can plead that he is not verbally so?

In visiting the sick, a minister usually finds that his spiritual patient is ever ready with an excuse; and will oftentimes, by the most