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In the Press,

[Selected and illustrated with Notes,]

BY THE SAME AUTHOR,

CHRISTIAN INSTITUTES,

IN A SERIES OF

DISCOURSES AND TRACTS;

SYSTEMATICALLY ARRANGED;

Designed to be subservient to the Religious Portion of a Liberal Education for the Upper Classes and the Learned Professions.

In Four Volumes 8vo.

MAKE VENTURES

FOR CHRIST'S SAKE.

A SERMON.

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EST ALIUS LOCUS QUO TE TRANSFERAM, PRÆCEDAT TE "QUOD HABES; NOLI TIMERE NE PERDAS; DATOR EGO ERAM; 66 CUSTOS EGO ERO."

DICIT HÆC TIBI DOMINUS TUUS; FIDEM TUAM INTERROGA; VIDE SI VELIS ILLI CREDERE.

ST. AUGUSTIN in Ps. XXXVIII. (xxxIx.) v.7. (6)

OXFORD;

SOLD BY J. H. PARKER:

AND BY MESSRS. RIVINGTON, LONDON.

THE following Sermon may, by God's blessing, contribute to recall to men's minds a forgotten class of duties. Its author was unwilling to consent to its publication, fearing lest the greatness of the subject should be rather disguised by what (from the nature of the case) could present some of its features only; and that, in outline. A friend, however, happened to know of one case in which God had by it led an individual to make somewhat of a "venture" for Christ's sake, and that, in ignorance, whether the sacrifice involved might not prove very considerable. He therefore urged the publication of the Sermon. It opens a source of high endeavours and striving after perfection, which has of late been left too much out of sight. It contains many hints, which a thoughtful mind may follow out, if it but desire to have the mind of the true disciple of Christ, which would "forsake all and follow Him." It is not hereby suggested, that all should at once attempt great things. Let each attempt what God suggests to each. It is not for us to seek out for ourselves high enterprises: God will give to every man according to the measure of faith-the degree of his past faithfulness. Wherein we fail, is not, in not seeking high things, but in not obeying God's suggestions in such little things, as suit our present measure, and so we forfeit God's promise to them "who have," to real purpose, who employ what is already given them. Leaving exalted sacrifices, then, as a reward given by God to them, who have faithfully obeyed His earlier callings, let us only for the future obey such calls, as He shall give to us, attend to each faint hint that He puts within us, quench it not by selfindulgence, and we too may hope that "more may be given us;" that higher sacrifices, and so higher glory, and a higher reward from our Redeemer's hands is in store for us, than we dare now to think of.

One occasion is now offered. On hearing of the spiritual starvation of so many hundreds of thousands in London, and its Bishop's plan for their relief, every one's first impulse would be to give something, which would involve a sacrifice, to give more than" (at our present rate of expenditure) " he could afford:" his second (which is God's suggestion) would be to abridge such expenditure: his third, probably (the result of past habits) to shrink from what might involve trouble and discomfort, and hamper him in some way he knows not of; i. e. he shrinks from making a venture for Christ's sake. Such questions are divisions in the road of life; a man persuades himself that it is almost indifferent which track he should choose: he will find it far from indifferent to him, if he propose to make the sacrifice. The two tracks but seldom again rejoin; on each occasion, which God, in His Providence, presents to him, he will, if he fail, continue, probably, on a lower and an unsafer level.

Yet though self-denying alms-giving is one, and perhaps the easiest way of making ventures for Christ's sake, because God has annexed a more immediate joy to it, it is one only; others are hinted at in the Sermon itself; every thing in the nature of a rule, of self-restriction, is such: let no man think any thing too small a matter to begin with; the smallest will be too weighty for himself alone: he will be able to " do all things" (in the end)" through Christ which strengthen

eth him."

MATT. XX. 22.

They say unto Him, We are able.

THESE words of the holy Apostles James and John were in reply to a very solemn question addressed to them by their Divine Master. They coveted with a noble ambition, though as yet unpractised in the highest wisdom, untaught in the holiest truth,-they coveted to sit beside Him on His Throne of Glory. They would be content with nothing short of that special gift which He had come to grant to His elect, which He shortly after died to purchase for them, and which He offers to us. They asked the gift of eternal life; and He in answer told them,-not that they should have it, (though for them it was really reserved,) but He reminded them what they must venture for it: "Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto Him, We are able.”Here then a great lesson is impressed upon us, that our duty as Christians lies in this, in making ventures for eternal life without the absolute certainty of success.

Success and a reward persevere unto the end.

everlasting they will have, who Doubt we cannot that the ven

tures of all Christ's servants must be returned to them at the last day with abundant increase. This is a true saying-He returns far more than we lend to Him, and without fail. But I am speaking of individuals, of ourselves one by one. No one among us knows for certain that he himself will persevere; yet every one among us, to give himself even a chance of success at all, must make a venture. As regards individuals, then, it is quite true, that all of us must for certain make ventures for heaven, yet without the certainty of success through them. This, indeed, is the very meaning of the word "venture;" for that is a strange venture which has nothing in it of fear, risk, danger, anxiety, uncertainty. Yes; so it certainly is; and in this consists the excellence and nobleness of faith; this is the very reason why faith is singled out from other graces, and honoured as the especial token of our justification, that its presence implies that we have the heart to make a venture.

St. Paul sufficiently sets this before us in the eleventh chapter of his Epistle to the Hebrews, which opens with a definition of faith, and after that, gives us examples of it, as if to guard against any possibility of mistake. After quoting the text, "the just shall live by faith;" and so showing clearly that he is speaking of what he treats in his Epistle to the Romans as justifying faith, he continues, "Now faith is the substance," i. e. the realizing, "of things hoped for, the evidence," i. e. as it has been well explained, the making trial of, "things not seen."

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