net was actually hanging, when our LORD spoke : and surely, if a shoal of fishes was swimming past the little vessel, or was about to pass that way, -a net flung on either side must have captured them equally. And yet, no one doubts that, cast in any way, except that which the Blessed Speaker directed, the net would have been drawn up empty. Surely it is impossible to miss the inference. One must be dull indeed to overlook so plain a lesson. There was evidently no reason but one for obeying the Divine Command; namely this, that it was the Divine Command. We seem taught thereby to expect many a precept here below, the reason of which does not appear; and further, we are taught that implicit obedience is our only course, in all such cases. Hesitate, disobey,-in part, or in whole,and the joyless result is certain. Obey,-unreservedly, cheerfully, promptly, and you lack the ability to possess yourself of the abundance which He pours in upon you. If the oil then stays, it is only because there is not yet another vessel into which to pour it. The disciples could not draw the net,-the fishes were so very many. Let it be just observed in passing that we do by no means say that there is no particular reason for every one of those precepts of Almighty GOD, (called positive,) for which the reason does not appear. Far from it. We can sometimes even divine that reason: and where we cannot, there can be no great difficulty in persuading ourselves that a reason exists in the nature of things for every Divine Command. But this is not at all the question. The duty of implicit Obedience to such commands is the thing which we have to impress upon our hearts; and we have to remember that this does not arise from our acquaintance with the reasons of them: but simply from the commands themselves. And we are much mistaken if there be not a cause for recommending this doctrine to the men of the present generation; for we notice a mighty, and a growing disinclination among our people to walk by an external rule, the reason of which they do not very clearly see. How can a threefold order of Ministry be essential to the wellbeing, much less to the very existence, of a Church? asks one. Surely the Episcopal order is not an essential thing! Priests and Deacons are surely enough to secure the perpetuity of a Church.-'I do not see,' (says another,) why the imposition of holy hands should convey authority :'-(the very thing which Dathan and Abiram could not see, and for which the Earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up.) I do not see,' (says a third person,) why certain days, and certain places, and certain seasons are set apart and kept sacred:'—(the very thing which Jeroboam could not see, and for which God held him in dishonour.)—Others cannot see how, by water poured, and words spoken, can be conveyed the new Birth: nor how Bread and Wine can communicate the Body and Blood of CHRIST:-(in which fault had Naaman persevered, he would never have been cured of his leprosy.)-True, men do not see, or they may not see quite clearly, any of these different things. But the Holy Church throughout the World hath ever taught them. 'Blessed are they who have not seen, and yet have believed.' And let us be well persuaded, as we value our happiness now, or our wellbeing hereafter, -that in small things as in great, we have need of an external rule to walk by. Law, because it is the parent of Order, is the foundation of all happiness, heavenly as well as earthly: (for be sure it exists in Heaven as well as Earth: nay, it came down to Earth from Heaven). Now, what the civil Law is to the body politic, that the Divine Law is to the Church. We are members of both societies alike: and though we may dis pute the Heavenly code, in this world at least, with more impunity than the earthly, let us be very sure that by so doing we are consulting neither our present nor our eternal happiness. The need of an external rule to walk by, descends into every particular of daily life. Whether it be in the conduct of our families,-or the administration of our business,—or the education of our children;-the choice of our books, or of our associates :-the distribution of our Time, or the disposal of our money :-the votes we give, -or the counsel we offer,-or the side we take : -in all these things alike, be well assured that we shall go right or we shall go wrong, as we are submissive to an external rule. Far fewer things than men suppose, are indifferent. There are not so many open questions in the World, as a school which is growing very popular among us, would have us believe. There was only a right side and a left to the little boat on the Sea of Galilee; or rather, there was only a right side, and a wrong. And so it ever is, and so it ever will be. That boat and her company, on the dark and unsteady waters, is still an apt emblem of the Church; a fit type of ourselves,ever toiling, (as they were,) until we hear the accents of our LORD, standing on the fixed mo |