The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-03-23 00:00:00

highly important did our Saviour consider this doctrine that he
took every occasion to throw the whole weight of his example
into the scale of established governments, When be was asked
by the Phariseeea whether it was lawful for the Jews to give
tribute to the Roman Emperor, they themselves contending
that, as the peculiar people of Gad, He alone was to be admitted
as their rightful sovereign, and that they owed fealty to no
other, he plainly asserted in his reply that homage to Cod was
perfectly consistent with civil obedience r " Render," says he,
• unto Caesar the things which areCmsar's, & unto God the things
which are God's," When again he was seized by order of the
Jewish Councillors, and one of his own disciples offered resist-
ance to the authority of their officers, he bade them desist, telling
them that his submission to the law was not because he had not
the power of getting himself free, but because obedience in this
respect was a part of his duty. And when the judgment hall before
Pilate, and when told that the power of life and death was in his
hands his answer was, "thou couldest have no power at all against
me unless it were given thee from above ;" evidently implying that
he bowed to that authority with which as a judge. Pilate was
invested. Rulers, therefore, are necessary for the good of all;
and where laws are founded upon -equitable principles, and
administered with purity and impartiality, it is impossible to
conceive that society can enjoy a greater blessing. It must
have been far then from our Saviour's intention to countenance
any improper relaxation either of their letter or their spirit.
The application which the Pharisees made to him was not in the
regular course of judicial administration; he held no office
which would entitle him to decide on the question at issue.
He came in another capacity, as a teacher of Heavenly
truths. On a former occasion, when called on to adjudi-
cate in a difference between two individuals, what was his
answer? "Man, who made me a judge or a ruler over you?"
And in the present instance he saw through the flimsy pretence
which had brought them; he knew under the cover of pure
justice they were plotting against his life, and he determined
without doing anything to weaken his poWer, to push the matter
home to their consciences. Neither could he contend that the
conduct of this woman could be construed into any excuse of
her sin. Far indeed from that. It was not his province to
carry the law into effect, and he therefore refused to interfere
judicially; still, however, feeling a moral indignation, he would
not allow the woman to leave him without reproof. She had,
no doubt, been under great uneasiness, great distress and
anguish of mind at the fearful situation iu which her crime had
placed her; he therefore addressed her with a mixture of ten-
derness and of kindness, " Neither do I condemn thee." I
have no commission to pass any civil sentence upon you, and,
therefore, I will not take upon me to condemn you to death;
but I cannot allow yen to pass without giving you an important
admonition; go, and in fear of Divine judgment, repent,
and sin no more. Do not presume upon the escape
which you have just experienced ; let it not be the
means of hardening you in wickedness; you have heard
the punishment which the law awards to your crime; if son
had been taken before a different tribunal, instead of being
brought tome, you would have met with a very different fate.
I am the authos of salvation,awd it is my peculiar privilege to
direct you how to seek for pardon, and forgiveness of sin; this
must be done by sincere repentance, and by earnest prayer for
that grace from above, uhich can alone keep you from falling;
endeavour by your future couduct to deserve, so far as possible,
the mercy you have just experienced, and remember there is no
safety for you but in a change of life, take heed, therefore, that
you sin no more It is surely impossible to contemplate our
Lord's conduct throughout the whole of this trying scence with-
out 'admiration ; it is impossible not to be charmed with the
wisdom which he displayed in the struggles with his adversaries,
the calm dignity with which he exposed the interested hypo-
crisy of the Pharisees, and the compassionate tenderness, which
he showed, not only for the present situation of the offender,
but for her everlasting welfare. The time will now only admit
of my making a short application of what has been said to our
selves as regards our own conduct, and our feeling towards
those unhappy persons who are now awaiting the just sen-
tence of the law which they have violated. With the
lesson which is here held out to us, of forbearance to.
wards the faults and infirmities of our rethren, how forcibly
does it tell us that humanity and charity are the most consistent
with the spirit of the Gospel, and most becdming a Christian.
It is very difficult for us to form a right judgtnent of the actions
of others. There may be many things which we cannot disco-
ver, and yet which in,the sight of God may plead in their be-
half. We can only judge of the outward acts, whilst the
searcher-of the hearts of all judges of the motives. We know
not the temptations to which they have been exposed; we know
not the ignorance with which they have been imbued; we know
not the unruly affections which they never may have been
taught to control; we may detest the sin which they may
have committed, and yet we may compassionate the sinner.
We may be satisfied that they deserve punishment—that in
many of their cases mercy to the individual would oe injustice
to the public; yet we may earnestly hope and pray that their
consciences may be awakened and their hearts softened;
that they may be checked in their habits of vice and profli
gees, ; that the dark gloom of their dungeon may excite re-
fleclion; that punishment may produce penitence • that
they may be turned from their evil way, and then endeavour
to save their own souls. As for ourselves, let us he more
anxious to consider the beam that is in our own eye, than the
mote that is in that of our brother. When we fancy we are
most secure, we are often then must in danger. It is more par-
ticularly incumbent on him " who thinketh he standeth to take
heed lest he fall." We may be free from the grosser crimes and
yet we may be far from the Kingdom of God. We may have
been negligent of our social duties; we may have been too in-
dulgent in our secret sins; we may have been cold in our devo-
tion ; we may have been impore in our thoughts; and instead
of making the law of the gospel the rule of our life we may have
regulated our opinions by the dictates of some human philoso-
phy, and our conduct by this imperfect standard. But let us
keep in mind that it requires no specific offence to condemn us;
we shall be judged by the whole tenour and spirit of our lives.
If our lives be unholy it requires no one glaring sin to show its
evil nature. "The wicked shall be cast into hell." Not they
only who have committed murder or theft, or perjury, or the
like sins, but all they who forget God. How fearful is this!
He that forgets God is placed upon.the.very same footing with
the workers of iniquity; not the slightest difference made be-
tween them in the road of their eternal wretchedness. Oh! con-
sider this and be wise, and " go and sin no more."
His lordship then left the church about Live o'clock, and was
conveyed to his lodgings.