em, and be independent of them
altogether." This is no better than saying that we will continue in sin
that grace may abound; and the same answer which the apostle gives will
do for this also: "God forbid!"

It does not follow, because some people make too much of ministry and
sacraments, making them absolutely necessary to salvation, that we
should, on the other hand, disregard them. There is another and happier
alternative, and that is, to realize they were made for us, not we for
them; therefore we should not be subject to them, but rather they should
be subject to us, and be used by us, not in order to obtain God's grace
and salvation, but to show that we have already done so. In our
obedience to God's ordinances, we acknowledge our allegiance to Him, and
our submission to His will.

For fear that my people should go off, as too many do, into disregard of
the "means of grace," because sacramental people make too much of them,
I began a class for exposition and explanation of the Prayer-book. I
commenced by showing them that the Church of England is the Lord's
candlestick in this country, not the candle, and certainly not the
light, but the candlestick which the Lord set up here, possibly even as
'early as the days of the apostles, to show the true light, which is
Christ. And though, Romish corruptions supervened, it pleased God, at;
the time of the Reformation, to raise up men to deliver us from them,
and to restore true Bible teaching.

Thus I endeavoured to show them, that the system of the Church of
England was one which should commend itself to their regard, as quite
agreeable to Scripture; and if it is not carried out according to its
intention, that is not the fault of the system, but rather of those who
administer it. Next, as to worship.

The object of our assembling in the house of God is not, I said, so much
to hear sermons, or get instruction, as in Bible, or other classes, but
rather "to render thanks for the great benefits we have received at
God's hands, to set forth His most worthy praise, to hear His most holy
word, and to ask those things which are requisite and necessary as well
for the body as the soul." That worship is devotion towards God; it
consists more in giving than in getting. Some of the people were greatly
interested when I pointed out to them, that the order of our Service was
exactly the same as the order of theft spiritual experience, in
conviction, conversion, and Christian life.