CHURCH OF ENGLAND MAGAZINE.

or talisman, by the virtue of which he could cure every disease incident to man and beast. On his death-bed he foresaw that, after his decease, disputes would arise among his kindred as to who should possess this treasure. One day he arose from his couch, and with his friends proceeded to the edge of the pool, into which he dropped the stone; and no one man has dared to take it up. After his death, people flocked from all quarters at the appointed times-Whitsun and Lammas eve -to bathe in the pool before sun-set. They were to plunge three times over head, and to take the same number of pebbles from the bottom of the well. After dressing, they went three times round each of three cairns on the top of the rock, leaving a pebble at each, and some small portion of their clothing. The same ceremony was observed on the following morning, before sun-rise.

In cases of insanity, the patient was tied round the middle with a rope, and either carried or wiled on to a stone in the water near the rock; from which he was pushed into the pool, and ducked three times. Having made the round of the cairns, the patient was conducted about half a mile to the ruined church, where there is a large hollow stone, "St. Fillan's pillow;" into which his head is laid, and the body fastened with ropes to huge logs of wood, placed for the purpose. In this position he remains all night, unless relieved by the interposition of supernatural agency; in which case the patient recovers his lost senses, and returns cheerfully with his friends. Should he, however, not be cured, the dipping is repeated next morning, and the party resort to the "fuaran derg," or red well, a mineral spring on the south side of the river, opposite the ruins, and drink of its waters. Formerly, the bell of the church, which was supposed to have been miraculously conveyed thither through the air from Durham, was placed with great solemnity on the patient's head. There are certain insects in the well, from the appearance of which auguries of good and evil are drawn. An old woman, who lived lately in a hut near the spring, was specially versed in this strange species of augury, and would freely communicate the result of her divinations for a small reward. On the face of the rock there is a small crevice, called "clach na'mbonnach" (the bannock stone), where the friends of the patient used to bake oaten cakes for the sick. If, after these trials had been thrice repeated, the party did not recover, he was deemed

incurable.

The village of St. Fillan is remarkable for its neatness, and the taste displayed in its cottages, and the marked attention paid to their external appearance, by the cultivation of beautiful shrubs. It is not difficult to conceive how, in popish times, the belief in the efficacy of such wonderworking agents should be maintained, because it was the interest, and, consequently, the policy, of the priesthood to maintain the miraculous powers of their saints, and thus keep the people in more degrading bondage. There is scarcely a village in a popish country which does not possess its patron saint; and the laity's directory, and books of a similar character, point out peculiar localities in our own land, which derive peculiar interest from their possessing some holy charm. M.

THE CHRISTIAN'S COMPLETENESS IN

CHRIST:

A Sermon,

BY THE VEN. GEORGE HODSON, M.A., Archdeacon of Stafford, Chancellor of the church of Lichfield, and Vicar of Colwich, Warwickshire. COLOSS. ii. 10.

"Ye are complete in him."

ONE great design of the Christian ministry is to abase the sinner and exalt the Saviour; the former in order to the latter, that, by shewing men what they are in themselves, out of Christ, they may be stirred up to go out of themselves, and seek in Christ the blessings which are to be found in him, and in him only. And, truly, a delightful part it is of the ministerial office to endeavour in some measure to " honourable," by setting him forth in all the magnify Christ, and make him fulness and freedom of his salvation, holding him up to view in his person, his character, his offices, his grace, and thus rendering him glorious in the eyes and precious to the hearts of beholders. "Unto me who am less than the least of all saints is this grace given," says St. Paul, " that I should preach among the gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ."

My brethren, let me freely testify to you this day that, without just views of Christ, your profession of Christianity is nothing worth. Religion without him is an empty name, a cold, cheerless, lifeless, unproductive form. Unless he be the sun of your system, the centre of your attractions, the great object of your faith and hope and love, the source of life and peace and joy and activity to your souls, what will your knowledge of his laws, your assent to his doctrines, your participation in his instituted ordinances, avail you? Nothing. O, rest not satisfied, I pray you, with anything short of a real, personal, experimental interest in him and communion with him; for nothing short of this can either ensure your happiness or answer the design with which the sacred records respecting Christ were written and perpetuated. For what is said by one of the apostles (St. John) might equally have been said by all of them: That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us; and truly Son Jesus Christ." our fellowship is with the Father and with his

It is to this that St. Paul exhorts the Colossians, in the passage of which my text forms a part: "As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him, rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the

Now, brethren, this is no less a truth now than it was then; nor is the right understand- But, with such an assurance before him as ing and practical application of it less impor- that contained in the text, he need have no tant to us than it was to the Colossians. such doubts or apprehensions: "Ye are comMay the Spirit of wisdom, truth, and love be plete in him," says the apostle, fully supwith us, and help our meditations! May he, plied with all that you can need either now whose office it is, "glorify Christ" in our or henceforth-in life, in death, in judgment, understandings and endear him to our hearts, in eternity.' What reason have we, breby taking of the things that are his, and shew-thren, to bless God for such an assurance as ing them to us!

In discoursing on the text, I propose to of its worth! consider

I. In what sense Christians are said to be complete in Christ.

II. In what particulars this completeness

he imparts all needful instruction, all saving knowledge, to those who come to him as their teacher.

This, then, is one point of the completeness mentioned in our text. Another is, that

range of their knowledge: as fallen creatures, they are, even at the best, liable to error. Though renewed in knowledge as well as in holiness, their renovation in the former respect is incomplete as well as in the latter, though progressive equally in the one case as in the other. Even an inspired apostle was constrained to allow that here "we learn in part" only, and "see through a glass darkly." We see but little, and that little indistinctly. Perfection in knowledge, no less than in holi-vanced saint that ever lived had need to cry ness, is reserved for that happier place, where we shall "see face to face, and know even as we are known."

Nevertheless, it is true, in a most important sense, that Christians are, even here, complete in wisdom. All needful wisdomall such wisdom as is suited, both in nature and extent, to their moral and intellectual capacity is provided for them in Christ. He leaves them not destitute of any thing which it behoves them to know for their guidance, in matters either of faith or duty. And they may rely, with the most entire confidence, on the rectitude and wisdom of his directions. His teaching is truth without any mixture of error, light without any shade of darkness. To instance in one or two particulars

All his doctrines are true, and may be received with the most implicit faith. Whatever he teaches concerning God-his nature, character, will, purposes-whatever he teaches concerning ourselves-our fall by nature and our recovery by grace-whatever concerning himself and the means of our acceptance through him, is all altogether true. And, if we do but humbly receive, and simply adhere to his instructions in these matters, we shall be made "wise unto salvation." "This is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent."

So, likewise, all his precepts are true. We have in him the most perfect practical wisdom. His expositions of the divine law, his rules of holy living, his examples of obedience to our heavenly Father's will, are all, in themselves, perfect, and afford us a sure, unerring light, by which to guide our footsteps in travelling through this dark world; so that he could truly say of himself, in the fullest sense of the words, "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."

Thus, in Christ we have complete wisdom, not only because "in him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge," as the apostle speaks in the third verse of this chapter, but because out of those treasures

2. In Christ we have a complete righteousness. In ourselves we have nothing that deserves the name. Even our best doings fall far short of conformity to the rule of right, which is God's holy law; and the most ad

out with David, "If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?” and to deprecate the severity of his justice, saying, "Enter not into judgment with thy servant; for in thy sight shall no man living be justified."

But, what we have not in any degree in ourselves, that (if real Christians) we have to the fullest extent in Christ; for he has perfectly kept the holy law of God, and fully satisfied all the demands of divine justice; and the full benefit of his obedience is transferred to our account. For this reason he is called, by the prophet Jeremiah, "The Lord our Righteousness;" and his righteousness is said to be "unto all and upon all them that believe ;" and he himself is represented

as

"the end of the law for righteousness unto every one that believeth;" and God is said to have "made him, who did no sin, to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." O what an unspeakable privilege is this to the humble, penitent believer! to be assured that in Christ he has obtained the full and free forgiveness of all his sins, and not only this, but also a secure, indefeasible title to the reward of righteousness; to know that all his sins have been laid on Christ, and all Christ's righteousness made over to him; and, in the view of this exchange ratified and allowed by the Supreme Judge-to be enabled to say, even in the near prospect of the judgment-throne itself, " It is God that justifieth: who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died; yea, rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." Happy they who can thus humbly appropriate the language of inspiration, and make the hopes, the joys, the triumphs of the believer their own.

But further still

3. In Christ the real Christian has complete sanctification also, as well as perfect wisdom and righteousness. Not that in this life he is made completely holy, any more than perfectly wise; but a provision is made for his complete sanctification, and he has the cheering assurance given him that this end will in due time be attained. Sad, indeed,

and weary would be his pilgrimage here below, if he had not this assurance; and very incomplete indeed, in his view, would salvation be, if it did not provide for his sanctification as well as for his justification. What he wants and longs for is not merely to have his sins pardoned and his punishment remitted, but also to have his corruption mortified and his "infirmity healed." He longs to be for ever free from the struggles and conflicts which he has now to maintain with "the sin that dwelleth in him." He longs to exchange the apostle's mournful lamentation: "O! wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" for his triumphant song of praise: "Thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ;" and his most delightful anticipations of the heavenly world arise from viewing it as a place of perfect holiness, where sin cannot enter, and where he shall be for ever with, and like, his beloved Lord.

shall burst his fetters, and change his prison garments, and rend the skies with the shout of" Victory!" and join the myriads of ransomed spirits before the throne in singing, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing:" "For thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood."

Such, brethren, are some of the particulars in which Christians are "complete in Christ" their Saviour. They are so in wisdom, in righteousness, in sanctification, in redemption.

III. But, how are they thus made complete in him? By what means do they become partakers of this completeness? This was the last point which we proposed to consider; and the answer to the inquiry is suggested by the words, "in him." "Ye are complete in him," says the apostle; which expression teaches us not merely that our completeness is procured by him, and derived And, blessed be God! amidst all his imper- from him, but further, that it is obtained by fections, and all his conflicts, and all his sor- being in him. It is not sufficient that we rows, he has this assurance given him, not view Christ at a distance by the eye of faith: only in the sure word of promise, but in the we must bring him near, so to speak, by the present experience of the succours which di- hand of faith, or, more properly, unite ourvine grace affords him. The Saviour, to selves to him by the act of faith. It is by whom he has fled for refuge, and in whom he being in him that we become partakers of abides as his sanctuary and rest, abides also his completeness. All our spiritual blessings in him by his Spirit, not only exhibiting to and privileges depend upon our being united the eye of his mind a perfect pattern of holi- to him by a living faith. To adopt the lanness, but powerfully working in his heart as guage of the admirable Leighton, "Simply an effective principle of holiness, mortify- as a guilty sinner thou must fly to him for ing his corrupt propensities, and forming his shelter; and then, being come in, thou shalt soul to his own image and likeness; thus be furnished, out of his fulness, with grace giving him an earnest of that complete con- for grace: as a poor man pursued by the formity in which the happiness of the re-justiciary flies to a strong castle for safety, deemed essentially consists.

For

and, being in it, finds it a rich place, and all 4. May I add yet another particular in his wants supplied there." And this accords which the completeness of which we are with the uniform language of our Lord and speaking consists, the last named in the cata- his apostles. "Abide in me," says Christ, logue of privileges given by St. Paul in the" and I in you. As the branch cannot bear passage already quoted (1 Cor. i. 30)? Has fruit of itself except it abide in the vine, so the believer in Christ complete redemption neither can ye except ye abide in me. also? He has; not indeed in possession, but without me" (i. e. severed, apart, from me), in prospect, in reversion. He knows that the "ye can do nothing." "We are made the happy hour will soon arrive when he shall righteousness of God in him," says St. Paul. be rescued from the power of every spiritual And, speaking of himself and his own expeenemy, and made more than conqueror rience in the school of Christ, he says: I through him that loved him. Sin shall no have suffered the loss of all things,' "that I more enslave, the world no longer molest, may be found in him; not having mine own Satan no further harass him. Freed shall he righteousness, which is of the law, but that be for ever from the bondage of corruption which is through the faith of Christ, the and the fear of death, and the terrors of the righteousness which is of God by faith." world to come, and the dread of avenging justice, and the upbraidings of an accusing conscience, and the threatenings of a broken law. "His Redeemer is mighty; and faithful is the God of his salvation." Soon he

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And this consideration shows at once the nature, the necessity, and the efficacy of faith, and points out the reason why so much stress is laid in scripture upon the exercise of it. It is (as a modern writer has

well said)" that mysterious link in the chain | conspicuous, where it is represented actually