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on his mind, being firmly persuaded from his own experience, that as the body without the soul is dead, so Christianity itself is but a dead letter, unless animated by that living principle from God the Holy Spirit, through which we are alone enabled to live a life of entire devotedness to his glory. The life of Christianity is a life hid with Christ in God.

No wonder, if in my different itinerations through the West of England, I felt myself strongly excited to visit Truro, the place of the ministerial labours of this excellent man, that I might inquire more correctly from the very few remains of his surviving flock, respecting the labours and deportment of this useful minister of Christ.

It seems he was in the habit of writing the substance of his sermons, before he delivered them from the pulpit on these he occasionally enlarged, and afterwards entrusted them in manuscript to be read by the serious part of his congregation, at those social meetings which were abundantly kept up under his direction and advice. [I was] anxious to procure a memorial of that which might perpetuate the memory of such an invaluable minister, [and] a person willing to gratify my feeling, put a manuscript of these his short sermons upon the grace of charity, or love, into my hands. Though these have been in my possession for a considerable time, yet on a re-perusal of them with a judicious friend, it struck me forcibly whether in these my fast declining days, I could leave behind me a more profitable testimony of my high respect and real regard to the congregation I have so long served,

than to print these sermons for their serious perusal, and prayerful consideration.

Has God himself a richer blessing to bestow upon the souls of men, than this excellent gift, or grace, of love? That love which is the fulfilling of the law, and prompts us to every thing which is wise and good? Let us only love God for his own sake, and man for God's sake, and then let us live in sin if we can!

I believe I can appeal to my beloved congregation, how far it has been my constant aim to urge these practical duties, though only upon evangelical principles, and to give God the glory of every grace he confers on us; knowing well that "every good and perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of light with whom is no variableness nor shadow of turning," for " of his own will," without any co-operation of a free will in us, "begat he us by the word of truth," and then we became his willing "people in the day of his power."

By the tenor of all Mr. Walker's writings it appears he was equally confirmed in the same important truths: he knew that practical godliness could only be established upon evangelical principles. That which our gratuitous redemption, through the great work which Christ has accomplished for us, secures to every believer, is the blessing of inward and personal holiness, which is wrought in us by the active agency of his most Holy Spirit, whereby we are necessarily constrained to hate sin and the practice of it, and to live to God all the days of our lives. Being predestinated to be conformed to the image of his dear Son, we know that as he who has called us is holy, so it is our

duty and privilege to be holy in all manner of conversation, for he came to redeem us from all iniquity, that he might "purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works." I am therefore happy to be the publisher of these few pages, for your sakes as well as my own. Regardless of all that cowardly timidity of speech which some call caution, or prudence, in simplicity and godly sincerity, and not in fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, I have attempted to recommend myself to your consciences, by distributing, I trust, with an equal hand, those truths that tell us, while salvation is all of grace, yet it must be a salvation from the power of sin."

FIVE SERMONS

ON

CHARITY, OR BROTHERLY LOVE,

PREACHED AT TRURO,

IN THE YEAR MDCCLIV.

SERMON I.

And above all these things, put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness: Col. iii, 14.

THE apostle had been saying in the two former verses, "Put on, therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another: if any man have a quarrel against any, even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye." All these excellent graces he exhorts them to put on one towards another; but he reserves the best of all for the last: "and above all these things, put on charity" or love; put it on over them; they are not what they seem without it; nor doth any of them stand in so high a place in the rank of Christian graces as this, which therefore may be well called the bond of perfectness. So St. Peter also speaks of this grace," above all things have fervent charity among yourselves." The

original word also will bear another interpretation, which equally may serve to shew the eminence of charity or love. Instead of "above all these things," it may be read, "for the sake of all these things, put on charity;" as if it should be said, "it becomes you as Christians and brethren, to put on and exercise towards one another mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forbearance, forgiveness." But then if ye do any of all these toward each other, ye must first put on charity, without which the least of them will be impossible; and any thing that has the appearance of them will be but a mistake. It is charity must, and only can render you merciful, kind, humble, meek, patient, forgiving. Wherefore, "for the sake of all these things, put on charity." But whichever way we interpret these words, the sense is much the same; and charity appears to be the eminent grace, above all, and for the sake of all, to be put on.

When we treat of Christian love, we enter into the very heart of Christian godliness. For thus our Lord says, "this is my commandment, that ye love one another." Yea, and he makes the exercise of this grace to be the very hope of a Christian: "by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." Yet nothing is so contrary to our selfish proud hearts, except only the love of God, as this Christian brotherly love. To love in word and in tongue, to put on a civil carriage, to be complaisant, to be humane, to be liberal, this is easier; but to love in deed and in truth, with fervency and unfeignedness, this is one of the hardest victories we have to obtain over our own hearts.

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