SERMON III.

"And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." (Acts ii. 47.)

"WHEN the day of pentecost was fully come," the apostles were filled with the Holy Ghost, and fully qualified for the work to which they were called; and they immediately entered on their important labours. Through the plenitude of heavenly influence which accompanied their ministry, three thousand were that day converted to God. Under the greatest alarm and terror of conscience, occasioned by what they heard, these persons eagerly inquired of Peter and of the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" Peter's answer to this question will shed much light upon our text. "Then Peter said unto them, repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, save yourselves from this untoward generation." (Verses 3840.) Here they were especially enjoined two things, to repent and to be baptized. Though we have not the "many other words" of the apostle's lengthened address, yet we have the substance of them comprised in his saying, "Save yourselves," etc. Repentance is the turning of the heart from sin and satan, to holiness and God. Baptism is the rite of initiation into the church of Christ. To save ourselves from a depraved generation is to separate ourselves from it; and this includes repentance; for until we become troubled in conscience on account of our sins, and have resolved to forsake them, we shall feel no disposition to renounce the fellowship of sinners. The auditors of the apostle, however were smarting under a most painful sense of guilt, which is indicated by their being "pricked in their heart;" and it was this which made them willing and anxious to forsake their sinful pursuits and associates. Salvation from a wicked world leads directly to

church fellowship. Man is a social being; and he will seek the society of those whose dispositions are most congenial with his own. Hence, those who under the workings of repentance come out from the ungodly, will esteem it a high privilege to enjoy the communion of saints. So it was in the instance under consideration; for we read, "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized; and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued steadfastly in the apostle's doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." (Verses 41, 42.) They manifested the reality of their repentance by being baptized for the remission of sins, and by devoting themselves to a new course of life; and they manifested their separation from the wicked by continuing steadfastly in the apostle's doctrine and fellowship, and other church ordinances. Being by baptism initiated into the church, and receiving the rite for the remission of sins, in the church they would learn the apostles' doctrine, how God had set forth Christ "a propitiation through faith in his blood." Being baptized also, that they might receive the gift of the Holy Ghost; in the church they would receive that invaluable blessing.

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With these introductory remarks we are prepared to discuss our text. Most critics render the latter part of it, "Such as were saved." The word saved, here has the same meaning as in verse 40, where the sincere inquirers were exhorted to save themselves from that untoward generation; and which I have shown imports a salvation from the practice of sin, and from the fellowship of sinners. Those who were thus saved, the Lord added to the church. Here we perceive the importance of christian communion. If those were added

to the church, who had abandoned their vicious courses, and their vicious companions; it necessarily follows that those who were not added to the church, were not saved from sin and the world; and those who are not thus saved in this life, cannot be saved in the life to

come.

If the authorised version be preferred, it will lead to the same conclusion; so that in reference to the doctrine I deduce from the text, it is a matter of no importance which reading is adopted. Take it in the future, "Such as should be saved; then, if the word saved be supposed to mean, as it often does in the New Testament, a salvation from the guilt and power of sin; it will follow, that none should be saved from the guilt and power of sin, but such as were added to the church; and, in this case, none could be admitted into heaven, but such as had previously belonged to the communion of saints. If the word saved, refer directly to the consummation of bliss in the heavenly state, then those who attain to it must be added to the church militant before they can take their station in the church triumphant. Any of the interpretations, therefore, of which the text seems to be susceptible, will lead to the same result, that none but members of the church on earth can inherit the kingdom of heaven. I, however, prefer the first interpretation, not only because it is more literal, but because it supplies the reason why these converts joined the church. They were saved from their sinful ways and companions, under the operation of the spirit of bondage to fear, and would, therefore, feel anxious to secure the favour and glory of God; and as they could nowhere else find such helps to the attainment of their wishes and prayers as in the church, they would be prepared and disposed, by religious feeling and principle, to unite with the people of God.

Verse 41 will serve to illustrate and confirm the doctrine of the text: "Then they that gladly received the word were baptized; and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls." The pronoun them in this passage refers to the apostles, and the one hundred and twenty disciples, mentioned in the preceding chapter, who were the members of the Jerusalem church. Being added to them, therefore, means precisely the same as being added to the church, as it is expressed in our text. But if those who gladly received the word were added to the church, then those who

were not added to the church, did not gladly receive the word; and those who do not gladly receive the word, cannot be saved. This feeling, therefore, of hostility to the word, which kept them out of the church, would keep them out of heaven.

There is scarcely a popish error but what has sprung from some important gospel verity. The Romish priests never utter a greater truth than when they say, There is no salvation out of the church;" and they cannot tell a greater lie, than when they affirm, there is no salvation out of their church. As regards the church of Rome, it would be more difficult to show that salvation is attainable in it, than that there is no salvation out of it. But I think I have already proved, that those who would unite with saints in glory, must not stand aloof from them in this season of their humiliation.

You will, perhaps, admit what I contend for, if the necessity of membership be applied to the invisible, and not the visible church. I am aware that some divines make this distinction, and suppose that many may belong to the invisible church who do not belong to the visible, and vice versa. But I could never find this invisible church; perhaps because it is invisible. I read nothing concerning the invisible church on earth in the New Testament; and I am quite sure that the church referred to in the text was a visible one; for it is said that" they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." (Ver. 42.) These certainly were visible church acts. Our Saviour characterised his church thus: "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." (Matt. v. 14- 16.) The invisible church is a hidden church; but Christ's church we read, cannot be hid. The members of Christ's church are to illuminate the

world; which would be impossible if they were like a light hidden under a bushel. It is enjoined upon the church, to make such an exhibition of christianity before men, as shall constrain them to glorify God; but how can this be done if they keep their religion to themselves? That the church is visible, is evident from the word itself, ecclesia, which denotes, an assembly of people; and in its ecclesiastical sense, "A congregation of faithful men, in which the pure word of God is preached, and the sacraments duly administered.” Such was the church at Jerusalem.

According to the text, "The Lord added ” the people "to the church." And how did he do this?

(1.) By inclining their minds to enter into it, as a privilege. In giving them repentance unto life, he set their hearts against all sin, and made the company of sinners painful to them, on account of their depraved discourse and actions; and this feeling would dispose them to come out of the world. But when the con

science is under alarm at the sight of the consequences of transgression, which is the case with every true penitent, there will be anxious inquiries after salvation; and the awakened sinner will instinctively seek the society of saints, to direct and assist him in the prosecution of his great design. A person who sets out on a journey to a distant place without knowing the road, will be glad to have the company of those who are acquainted with it; and when he has learned the way, he will continue with his guides, because their society will be both more safe and pleasant than it would be to walk in this path, that is beset with dangers, in solitude. It is true that those who renounce the world, and unite with the people of God, will have to suffer persecution; for the wicked will feel it as a reflection upon them, that you should desert their society under the pretence of saving your soul; because this would imply that you could not be saved in their company, which implication, if admitted, would make their consciences very uneasy; they will, therefore, feel indignant at you as a narrow-minded bigot, and will cast out your name as