and admits of a wide application. Forgetfulness of it has frequently done great harm in the Church. The evils that have arisen from trying to sew the new patch on the old garment, and put the new wine into old bottles, have neither been few nor small.
How was it with the Galatian Church ? It is recorded in Paul's epistle. Men wished in that Church to re- concile Judaism with Christianity, and to circumcise as well as baptize. They endeavored to keep alive the law of ceremonies and ordinances, and to place it side by side with the Gospel of Christ. In fact they would fain have put the u new wine into old bottles." And in so doing they greatly erred.
How was it with the early Christian Church, after the apostles were dead ? We have it recorded in the pages of Church history. Some tried to make the Gospel more acceptable by mingling it with Platonic philosophy. Some labored to recommend it to the heathen by bor- rowing forms, processions, and vestments from the tem^ pies of heathen gods. In short, they " sewed the new patch on the old garment." And in so doing they scattered broadcast the seeds of enormous evil. They paved the way for the whole Eomish apostacy.
How is it with many professing Christians in the pre- sent day ? We have only to look around us and see. There are thousands who are trying to reconcile the service of Christ and the service of the world, to have the name of Christian and yet live the life of the un- godly— to keep in with the servants of pleasure and sin, and yet be the followers of the crucified Jesus at the same time. In a word, they are trying to enjoy the " new wine/' and yet to cling to the " old bottles/
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