prophet could rise from the dead； I believe he would cry aloud to the
men of the nineteenth century； 〃Stop； and think；look forward；stand；
and see。〃
Let me； as Christ's minister； impress on all into whose hands these
pages may fall； the absolute necessity of resisting the current of the
age；the absolute necessity of making time for your souls。 The
restless； high…pressure hurry in which men live endangers the very
foundations of personal religion。 Daily private prayer and daily
Bible…reading are too often jostled into a corner； and hastily slurred
over。 Body and mind are wearied out； when Sunday arrives； by the
intense struggle of week…day life。 Church services are listlessly
attended； and sometimes neglected altogether。 The temptation to idle
away God's day； or to spend it in visiting or dining out； bees
almost irresistible。 Little by little the soul gets into a languid and
relaxed condition； and the fine edge of conscience bees blunt and
dull。 And why？ Simply because in the incessant hurry of business and
politics men never find time to think。 They are not wilfully and of
purpose irreligious； but they give themselves no leisure to stand still
and take stock of the state of their souls。 Even at the end of last
century William Wilberforce made this sorrowful remark about Mr。 Pitt；
〃He was so absorbed in politics； that he had never given himself time
for reflection on religion〃 （Life of Wilberforce； p。 41。 Edition；
1872）。
I ask every reader of this paper to consider his ways。 Beware of the
infection of the times。 Remember the old Spanish proverb； 〃Hurry es
from the devil。〃 Resolve by the grace of God； if you love life； that
you will have regular seasons for examining yourself； and looking over
the accounts of your soul。 〃Stand； and see〃 where you are going； and
how matters stand between you and God。 Beware of perpetual hurried
prayers； hurried Bible…reading； hurried church…going； hurried
munions。 mune at least once a week with thine own heart； and be
still。 Cotton； and coal； and iron； and corn； and ships； and stocks； and
land； and gold； and Liberalism； and Conservatism； are not the only
things for which we were sent into the world。 Death； and judgment； and
eternity are not fancies； but stern realities。 Make time to think about
them。 Stand still； and look them in the face。 You will be obliged one
day to make time to die； whether you are prepared or not。 The last
enemy； when he knocks at your door； will brook no delay； and will not
wait for a 〃convenient season。〃 He must be admitted； and you will have
to go。 Happy is he who； when the roar of business and politics is dying
away on his ear； and the unseen world is looming large； can say； 〃I
know whom I have believed： I have often stood and muned with Him by
faith； and now I go to see as I have been seen。〃
II。 From the general advice which Jeremiah gives in our text； I shall
now pass on to the particular direction which the Lord mands him to
address to the men of his generation。 If they were really willing to
listen to his counsel to 〃stand； and see；〃 and consider their ways；
then he bids them 〃ask for the old paths。〃
Now what did Jeremiah mean when he spoke of the 〃old paths〃？ I find no
difficulty in answering that question。 I feel no doubt that the phrase
meant the old paths of faith in which the fathers of Israel had walked
for 1300 years；the paths of Abraham； Isaac； and Jacob；the paths of
Moses； and Joshua； and Samuel；the paths of David； and Solomon； and
Hezekiah； and Jehoshaphat；the paths in which the rule of life was the
Decalogue； and the rule of worship was that elaborate； typical；
sacrificial system of which the essence was faith in the ing
Redeemer。 That this was the standard around which the men of Jeremiah's
day were summoned to rally I shall never hesitate to maintain。 Fallen
and low as the spiritual condition of Israel often was； between the
first of the Judges and the last of the Kings； I fail to see any proof
that the Ten mandments and the law of sacrifice were ever dethroned
and repealed。 On the contrary； I believe they were honoured and revered
by every Jew who was 〃an Israelite indeed。〃 In the darkest days of the
Kings； I believe there were always a few who mourned secretly over the
corrupt state of the nation； and； like Simeon and Anna； kept the faith
and longed for better times。 In a general return to the 〃old paths；〃
and nothing short of the 〃old paths；〃 Jeremiah declared； was the only
prospect of hope for the future of his countrymen。
But is the principle laid down by Jeremiah a principle which applied to
his times alone？ Nothing of the kind！ I am firmly persuaded that one
chief medicine for the spiritual diseases of the nineteenth century is
a bold and unhesitating inquiry for 〃old paths；〃 old doctrines； and the
faith of the days that are past。 Error； no doubt； is often very
ancient； yet truth is always old。 Men's hearts are just what they were
6000 years ago； and need the same remedy。 God in that long period has
used several dispensations； and each succeeding age has enjoyed more
light。 But the foundation truths have always been the same； and the way
by which sinners have reached heaven has always been one and the same。
I say boldly that the age wants nothing new。 What it wants is plain；
distinct； unflinching teaching about 〃the old paths。〃 Give me no modern
road of man's invention。 Show me where patriarchs； and prophets； and
Apostles； and Fathers； and Reformers set down their feet； obtained a
good report； and made a mark on the world。 〃The old path is the good
way。〃
We want throughout Christendom a return to the old paths of the early
Christians。 The first followers of the Apostles； no doubt； were； like
their teachers； 〃unlearned and ignorant men。〃 They had no printed
books。 They had short creeds； and very simple forms of worship。 I doubt
much if they could have stood an examination in the Thirty…nine
Articles； or the Creed of Athanasius； or even in the Church Catechism。
But what they knew they knew thoroughly； believed intensely； and
propagated unhesitatingly； with a burning enthusiasm。 They grasped with
both hands； and not with finger and thumb； the Personality； the Deity；
the offices； the mediation； the atoning work； the free and full grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ； and the inseparable necessity of repentance；
faith； and a Christlike life of holiness； self…denial； and charity。 On
these truths they lived； and for them they were ready to die。 Armed
with these truths； without gold to bribe or the sword to pel assent；
they turned the world upside down； confounded the Greek and Roman
philosophers； and altered in two or three centuries the whole face of
Society。 Can we mend these 〃old paths〃？ Can we improve them after
eighteen centuries？ Does human nature require any different medicine？ I
believe the bones of the oldest human skeleton that ever was unearthed
are just like the bones of men in these days； and I believe the moral
nature and hearts of men； after the lapse of ages； are just the same。
We had better ask for the 〃old paths。〃
We want throughout the Church of England a return to the old paths of
our Protestant Reformers。 I grant they were rough workmen； and made
some mistakes。 They worked under immense difficulties； and deserve
tender judgment and fair consideration。 But they revived out of the
dust grand foundation truths which had been long buried and forgotten。
They brought into just prominence such cardinal verities as the
sufficiency and supremacy of Scripture； the right and duty of private
judgment； and free justification by faith without the deeds of the law；
and without any ordained man or any ceremony interposing between the
soul and the Saviour。 By embalming those truths in our Articles and
Liturgy； by incessantly pressing them on the attention of our
forefathers； they changed the whole character of this nation； and
raised a standard of true doctrine and practice； which； after three
centuries； is a power in the land； and has an insensible influence on
English character to this very day。 Can we mend these 〃old paths 〃？
Shall we improve them either by going back behind the Reformation and
increasing the ceremonials of religion on the one hand； or by adopting
lower views of inspiration and the atonement on the other？ I doubt it
entirely。 I believe the men of 300 years ago understood the real wants
of human nature better than many do in 1882。
Of course I am well aware that the 〃old paths〃 for which I have been
pleading are not popular in some quarters at this day。 In fact； the
views I have just propounded are in direct antagonism to much of the
so…caned wisdom of these times。 〃Effete systems；〃 〃old…world creeds；〃
〃fossil theology；〃 〃exploded theories；〃 〃worn…out doctrines；〃
〃old…fashioned divinity；〃 and the like phrases；who does