,transcribed from the #ahfj ,william ,skeffington edition by ,david ,price4 ,many thanks to the ,british ,library for making their copy available4 ,,plain ,,sermons ,,preached ,,at ,,archbishop ,,tenison',s ,,chapel1 ,,regent ,,street4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,by ,,james ,,galloway ,,cowan1 ,,minister4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,second ,series4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,london3 ,,william ,,skeffington1 #afc1 ,,piccadilly #ahfj4 ,,by ,,the ,,same ,,author--,,first ,,series4 ,plain ,sermons1 preached at ,archbishop ,tenison's ,chapel1 ,regent ,street4 ,fcap4 cloth1 price #cs4 #f;d4 ,,contents4 ,,page ,,sermon ,i4 ,,dependence ,,upon ,,god4 ,philippians1 iv41 #e1 #f4 ,the ,lord is at hand4 ,be careful for nothing2 but in #a everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto ,,god ,,sermon ,,ii4 ,,judgment ,,here ,,and ,,hereafter4 ,malachi1 ii41 #ag4 ,where is the ,god of ,judgment8 #af ,,sermon ,,iii4 ,,the ,,worldling ,,reproved4 ,st4 ,james1 iv41 #ac1 #ad1 #ae4 ,go to now1 ye that say1 ,to-day or to-morrow we will go into #cb such a city1 and continue there a year1 and buy and sell1 and get gain3 ,whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow4 ,for what is your life8 ,it is even a vapour1 that appeareth for a little time1 and then vanisheth away4 ,for that ye ought to say1 ,if the ,,lord will1 we shall live1 and do this1 or that4 ,,sermon ,,iv4 ,,the ,,unknown ,,god4 ,acts1 xvii41 #bb1 #bc4 ,ye men of ,athens1 ,i perceive that in all things ye are too #dh superstitious4 ,for as ,i passed by1 and beheld your devotions1 ,i found an altar with this inscription1 ,,to ,,the ,,unknown ,,god4 ,whom therefore ye ignorantly worship1 ,him declare ,i unto you4 ,,sermon ,v4 ,,faith ,,and ,,its ,,blessedness4 ,st4 ,john1 xx41 #bi4 ,thomas1 because thou hast seen me1 thou hast believed3 #ff blessed are they that have not seen1 and yet have believed4 ,,sermon ,,vi4 ,,faultlessness ,,before ,,god4 7,,innocents' ,,day47 ,revelation1 xiv41 #e4 ,they are without fault before the throne of ,,god4 #gf ,,sermon ,,vii4 ,,past ,,mercies ,,reviewed4 7,,new ,,year',s ,,eve47 ,genesis1 xxxii41 #aj4 ,i am not worthy of the least of all the mercies1 and of all #ib the truth1 which thou hast showed unto ,thy servant2 for with my staff ,i passed over this ,jordan2 and now ,i am become two bands4 ,,sermon ,,viii4 ,,working ,,for ,,god4 ,st4 ,john1 ix41 #d4 ,i must work the works of ,him that sent me1 while it is day3 #ajh the night cometh1 when no man can work4 ,,sermon ,,ix4 ,,christ',s ,,truest ,,manifestation4 ,st4 ,john1 xiv41 #bb4 ,,lord1 how is it that ,thou will manifest ,thyself unto us1 #abf and not unto the world4 ,,sermon ,x4 ,,blessing ,,according ,,to ,,prayer4 ,st4 ,matthew1 viii41 #ac4 ,and ,,jesus said unto the centurion1 ,go thy way2 and as thou #adf hast believed1 so be it done unto thee4 ,,sermon ,,xi4 ,,christ ,,stilling ,,the ,,storm4 ,st4 ,matthew1 viii41 #bf4 ,and ,he saith unto them1 ,why are ye fearful1 ,o ye of little #afa faith8 ,then ,he arose1 and rebuked the winds and the sea2 and there was a great calm4 ,,sermon ,,xii4 ,,unity ,,with ,,peace4 ,ephesians1 iv41 #a1 #b1 #c4 ,i1 therefore1 the prisoner of the ,,lord1 beseech you that ye #agi walk worthy of the calling wherewith ye are called1 ,with all lowliness and meekness1 with long-suffering1 forbearing one another in love2 ,endeavouring to keep the unity of the ,spirit in the bond of peace4 ,,sermon ,,xiii4 ,,the ,,law ,,in ,,the ,,gospel4 ,st4 ,luke x41 #be4 ,what shall ,i do to inherit eternal life8 #aic ,,sermon ,,xiv4 ,,present ,,salvation4 ,,ii4 ,corinthians1 vi41 #b4 ,behold1 now is the day of salvation4 #baa ,,sermon ,,xv4 ,,christ ,,touched4 ,st4 ,mark1 v41 #cj4 ,and ,,jesus1 immediately knowing in ,himself that virtue had #bbh gone out of ,him1 turned ,him about in the press1 and said1 ,who touched my clothes8 ,,sermon ,,xvi4 ,,preaching ,,parables4 ,ezekiel1 xx41 #di4 ,ah ,,lord ,,god6 they say of me1 ,doth he not speak parables8 #bde ,,sermon ,,xvii4 ,,living ,,and ,,dying ,,unto ,,god4 ,,ii4 ,corinthians1 v41 #h1 #i4 ,we are confident and willing rather to be absent from the #bfd body1 and to be present with the ,,lord4 ,wherefore we labour1 that1 whether present or absent1 we may be accepted of ,him4 ,,sermon ,,xviii4 ,,religious ,,zeal4 ,,ii4 ,kings1 x41 #af4 ,come with me1 and see my zeal for the ,,lord4 #bgf ,,sermon ,,xix4 ,,christ',s ,,coming ,,desired4 ,revelation1 xxii41 #bj4 ,even so1 come1 ,,lord ,,jesus4 #bhi ,,sermon ,,xx4 ,,true ,,prosperity4 ,genesis1 xxxix41 #b4 ,the ,,lord was with ,joseph1 and he was a prosperous man4 #cje ,,sermon ,i4 ,,dependence ,,upon ,,god4 ,,philippians1 ,,iv41 #e1 #f4 ,the ,lord is at hand4 ,be careful for nothing2 but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto ,god4 8,,the ,lord is at hand40 ,it is doubtful whether this admonition is designed to recommend the foregoing precept1 8,let your moderation be known unto all men10 or whether it introduces and enforces the injunction1 8,be careful for nothing40 ,it may well do both3 on the one hand1 exhorting the disciples to lead 7and that manifestly7 an unworldly life1 seeing they were so shortly to be taken out of the world2 and1 on the other hand1 cheering them in their sorrows1 suppressing their anxieties and quickening their faith1 by the remembrance1 that comfort1 and peace1 and perfect bliss would soon be theirs--8,the ,,lord is at hand40 ,the second advent of our ,,lord was always in the mind of the apostles4 ,it is thought that they even counted upon its literal occurrence in their lifetime1 as though the prophecies of it were among the things to be fulfilled before that generation passed away4 ,without subscribing to this view1 against which many objections may be taken1 it may be readily admitted that1 as they were uncertain how soon it might happen1 as they had no ground for concluding that it would not be in their time1 so they rightly laboured to impress upon the disciples its possible1 if you will its probable nearness4 ,besides1 they knew that1 virtually1 it would be soon3 for if ,,christ came not speedily in the flesh1 speedily they would be called out of the flesh to ,him1 and then would cease the pleasures and cares of this world1 and then would begin the possession and enjoyment of things eternal4 ,how necessary then1 that they who were but pilgrims and strangers here1 living a life that was soon to be ended and accounted for1 should be warned against excess of worldliness1 against building houses where they were but permitted to pitch tents1 against turning aside out of the path of pilgrimage1 and wasting or abusing the time for journeying6 ,how cheering1 too1 for those who were perplexed1 or burthened1 or afflicted1 to be reminded that perplexity1 and toil1 and grief were only passing clouds1 and mere inconveniences by the way--that soon they should be rid of them altogether1 and should only be allowed to remember them to magnify their appreciation of attained rest and glory6 ,and here let me observe1 that the admonition 8,be careful for nothing10 is not in this place a reproof of the worldling1 coming across him in the path of mammon worship1 of earthly aggrandisement1 of forgetfulness of eternity1 of ,,god1 of heaven1 but is rather a consolation1 an encouragement1 for those1 who while walking1 or endeavouring to walk1 in the right way1 are depressed and hindered by trials1 and perplexities1 and afflictions4 ,there are cares which man makes for himself1 for which he is to be blamed1 whereof he deserves to eat the bitter fruit4 ,there are other cares which he suffers involuntarily1 which ,,god imposes upon him as discipline1 which ,satan thrusts upon him as temptations4 ,with regard to the last1 the ,christian's cares1 ,st4 ,paul offers advice and consolation1 saying in effect--,sink not beneath them1 poor pilgrim2 groan not on account of them2 let them not distract your aims and desires from the right object of solicitude and hope4 ,weigh them in the right scales against the glories that are coming1 and they will surely be found light4 ,measure them beside the joys of eternity1 and they will be seen to be brief and transitory4 8,the ,,lord is at hand0 to relieve you of them all1 at ,his second advent1 by the unclothing of death1 by carrying you to ,paradise4 ,be comforted1 rejoice1 rouse ye1 and1 without distraction1 pursue your hopeful course4 8,be careful for nothing40 ,we know the force of such an exhortation in earthly things4 ,we know by experience how light is the labour which leads to rest1 how possible it is to smile through present tears at the prospect of coming joy2 what pains1 and self-denials1 and dangers1 and encounters1 are readily embraced by those whom ambition prompts1 and approval cheers1 and reward awaits4 ,nothing is too hard to bear1 nothing too dear to relinquish1 nothing too formidable to meet1 nothing too much to do2 the hands that hung down are lifted up1 the sorrow is banished1 the toil becomes pleasure1 we rush to the fight1 we delight in the race1 forgetting the past1 disregarding the present1 hastening onward to the future1 the rest1 the victory1 the prize1 the glory4 ,it is easy1 then--not altogether1 but comparatively--to obey the precept1 8,be careful for nothing0 in view of the prospect1 8,the ,,lord is at hand40 ,but1 after all1 ,i cannot but think that something better than a prospect is hinted at in the text4 ,the apostle goes on to urge1 8,in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto ,,god40 ,he does not say1 8,make light of present cases1 on account of coming consolation40 ,he does not bid the downcast lift up their eyes to the hills1 whence by and by cometh their help4 ,it is not 8,bear1 endure1 encounter in hope10 but1 8,get rid of what burthens you1 by laying it upon ,him1 ,who is near1 by your side now1 to take it4 ,be careful for nothing2 put every care upon ,,god 7the ,,lord who is at hand to take it71 by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving40 ,i say this is something better than a prospect2 better1 because of its superior influence1 and better1 because of the immediate relief4 ,the teaching of ,advent1 all important as it is1 too often affects but little such poor creatures of the present as we are4 ,we are exhorted to look back to the first coming of ,,christ1 to see what ,he suffered and did for us1 what a foundation ,he laid for us to build on4 ,we are exhorted to look forward to the second advent1 to consider what ,,christ will do1 to anticipate the glorious completion of us in ,him as the building of ,,god4 ,we obey1 and we are moved to faint gratitude for the one1 to faint hope of the other4 ,the retrospect and the prospect considered1 we both see from what rock we were hewn1 and into how beautiful a fabric we shall be fashioned2 and1 unless we are very incapable of feeling1 in the view of past and future1 we strive to accept thankfully and to sanctify duly the present4 ,but1 oh6 how little constraining is the influence of a ,saviour who once visited the earth1 of a ,judge who shall by and by visit it6 ,how dim is the remembrance of long past mercies6 how distant is the prospect of heavenly consolations6 ,earth is now present with all its attractions and rewards4 ,the world1 the flesh1 and the devil are now assailing and afflicting us with their many temptations4 ,how can we resist the seen1 and heard1 and felt fascinations8 ,how can we fill up the present void1 and lull the present pain1 and endure the pressing trial1 by proposing to ourselves the hopes of the future8 ,does the promise of food to-morrow fill the hungry to-day8 ,does the sight of the physician's prescription on the instant stay the pain and progress of inflammation8 ,will a drowning man float till by and by a rope is brought and thrown to him8 ,will a discomfited army rally and conquer1 because reinforcements at some future time will reach the field8 ,in each of these cases1 the prospect will have some influence1 but will it be adequate to the occasion8 ,must not the present be met by the present8 ,do we not need1 besides a ,saviour of the past1 and a ,judge of the future1 a ,,lord of the present8 ,yes1 verily1 and we are assured that we have ,him in the words1 8,the ,,lord is at hand10 and advised how to avail ourselves of ,him in what follows1 8,be careful for nothing2 but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto ,,god40 ,we are too apt to have but a religion of the future2 to forget that there is at hand a ,,lord and ,helper2 to act as though the first opportunity of serving ,,god were in the hour of death1 as though the blessings of reward and favour were only to be had in heaven2 to treat ,,god1 in short1 as if ,he were only the ,,god of a future world4 ,such teaching as that of the text reproves and corrects us4 ,as other passages of ,holy ,writ instruct us to make ,,god the aim of this present life1 using life as an apprentice-time to the profession of ,christianity1 as a season wherein to prove ourselves and be proved1 and to set forth ,his glory2 8,whether we live1 we live unto the ,,lord40 8,whatsoever ye do1 do all to the glory of ,,god20 so the text bids us make ,,god the guide and supporter of this life4 8,in everything by prayer1 with supplication1 and thanksgiving1 let your requests be made known as to ,,god4 ,and the peace of ,,god1 which passeth all understanding1 shall keep your hearts and minds through ,,christ ,,jesus40 ,this is what we want to feel and act upon1 that ,,god is a ,,god at hand1 and not a ,,god afar off2 that we may now cast all our care upon ,him1 knowing that ,he careth for us2 that if we lay our burthen upon the ,,lord1 ,he will now sustain us3 that if we commit our way unto ,him1 ,he will bring it to pass2 that ,he waits to be gracious1 not till this life is over1 but only till we make known our requests1 till we pray and supplicate1 and give thanks4 ,in proportion as we do not realise and act upon these assurances1 we are blind to many of the charms1 and insensible to many of the helps and comforts of our holy religion3 we frustrate1 too1 the fulfilment in ourselves of the truth1 that godliness has the promise of the life that now is3 we run the risk of becoming earthly-minded1 of being swallowed up of overmuch sorrow1 of being cumbered with many cares1 of being snared away and taken captive by the devil1 of making shipwreck of our faith4 ,o brethren1 do not suppose that ,,god only dwells on the margin of the haven1 that we are left to steer our course1 to buffet with the waves1 to struggle against the storm1 to repair the shivered mast1 to stop the leakages1 to sail into the harbour1 and let down the anchor1 and disembark upon the shore before ,he meets us4 ,with ,him as our ,captain we are to set out4 ,he as our pilot must guide us4 ,he must rule the waves and bring us through them4 ,the way is ,his1 as the haven is ,his2 unless ,he is with us throughout the first1 we shall never reach the last4 ,grace is no reserved blessing4 ,heaven is no distant home4 ,grace is ever to be had if we will seek it4 ,heaven is everywhere1 if we will but realise it1 for where ,,god is1 is heaven4 ,but ,,god is not manifest to all4 ,his help is not given unsought4 ,the eye of faith alone can see ,him1 the cry of faith alone be heard4 ,as ,he will be served for reward1 so will ,he be asked for grace3 we must be alert to see what help we want2 we must be prompt to seek it4 ,we must acknowledge ,him1 or ,he will not guide us4 ,we must cast our care upon ,him1 or ,he will not take it4 ,unless we are careful for nothing1 because we have committed our cares to ,him1 we must be full of cares1 harassed by them1 troubled1 afflicted1 distressed2 or1 being careless1 we shall be deemed worthless1 and left to drift upon shoals and into quicksands1 and to sink in the gulf of destruction4 ,do ,i speak to those who are careful for many things8 ,i do not mean those who are concerning themselves about worldly schemes1 who would increase their wealth1 their power1 or their pleasure1 who1 regarding earth as their home1 and resolving to make the most of it1 are laying themselves out for many days1 proposing to pull down their barns and build greater1 to make to themselves a name1 who are intent upon what they shall eat and drink1 and wherewithal they shall be clothed1 how they shall get their full of pleasure1 how they shall cull all the advantages1 and avoid all the disagreeables of life4 ,as the minister of ,,god1 ,i have nothing to do with these1 further than to cry out upon their folly and their sin1 and to warn them that unless they repent and relinquish their cares1 they shall be consumed by them4 ,but do ,i speak to those who setting before them as the business of life1 the service of ,,god1 as the end of life1 the glory of heaven1 are yet1 by personal infirmity1 by peculiar exigencies1 and difficulties1 and anxieties1 by a frowning or fascinating world1 by the wiles of ,satan or by any other means1 so troubled1 so distracted1 so drawn off from the pursuit of their object1 and the entertaining of their hopes1 that they find themselves carnal when they would be spiritual1 standing still when they would be moving on1 clinging to earth when they would be rising to heaven1 waging war when they would be enjoying peace8 ,do ,i speak to those whose weak and carnal nature will not be enlisted in the hearty pursuit of godliness2 whose crying temporal wants distract1 and deafen1 and deaden the yearnings of their better nature2 whose occupation in the world seems to contend1 and too successfully1 for the best of their thoughts and aims1 whose natural losses and deprivations sadden and absorb them1 creating a void which they cannot fill1 taking away a guide whom they used to look to1 a support upon which they were wont to lean2 whose patient labours in well-doing have failed of success2 whose good is evil spoken of2 whose many cares to train aright the children whom ,,god gave them1 have been repaid by waywardness2 whose conscientious well-doing has brought upon them what should rather be the reward of ungodliness2 who1 in short1 have not found in religion what they hoped for and honestly sought1 and who cannot render to religion what they would8 ,do ,i speak to these8 ,well6 ,i ask1 ,have you sought to get rid of care1 by casting it upon the ,,lord8 or have you rather asked human counsel1 and leant upon human support1 and hewn out for yourselves cisterns1 and built for yourselves a refuge1 instead of running into the refuge of ,,god8 ,have you animated yourselves only by the thought of distant help1 of future peace8 ,have you lost sight of the ,,lord at hand1 the ,,god of ,providence1 knowing1 causing or assenting to1 and waiting to guide1 as you ask or ask not1 the circumstances which try you8 ,have you realised that nothing happens but by ,his consent1 and that ,his consent is given or withheld1 not by what ,he sees of you1 but by what ,he hears from you8 ,do you pray--not simply uttering certain words put into your mouths in ,church formularies1 or books of private devotion1 not framing acts of general adoration1 of vague acknowledgments of dependence and prayer for blessings1 but presenting yourselves1 in the utterance of your own feelings1 as in all things the servants of ,his will1 the dependents and petitioners of ,his grace8 ,do you supplicate8 ,is each ascertained want laid before ,him in all its detail8 ,is every hindrance1 every difficulty1 every desire made known to ,him as soon as perceived by yourselves8 ,is your care cast upon ,him8 ,is ,he besought to take it1 to relieve you of it1 to tell you what to do respecting it8 ,can you say of all that now tries you1 that nothing is uncommunicated to ,him1 no relief1 no guidance unsought8 ,and do you in everything give thanks4 ,ah1 here1 brethren1 is the test6 ,here doubtless will many of you1 who are clear hitherto1 be obliged to plead guilty4 ,you do not give thanks4 ,you recognise ,,god as ,him from whom you may seek all4 ,you do not sufficiently acknowledge what you have received4 ,of many special gifts1 of power to bear with many trials1 of guidance in various difficulties1 of blessings continued and troubles not made worse 7an important item71 you make no acknowledgment4 ,you know of many blessings for which you ought to be grateful3 you may guess at many more1 and besides there are many which you do not know1 and cannot guess at1 which yet doubtless have been poured out upon you1 or at least have not been taken away from you4 ,what of these8 ,what of everything good in itself1 or capable of being made good8 ,what of the temptations1 what of the afflicting providences of which you are the objects8 ,you do not think1 perhaps1 that these are things to be grateful for3 but1 remember1 the command is1 8,in everything with thanksgiving40 ,yes1 the prayer1 without the thanksgiving1 is not prayer4 ,it is only part dependence4 ,it asks1 it does not acknowledge4 ,it does not rejoice that ,,god is yet operating2 that ,he is chastening if ,he is not rewarding2 that therefore1 you are still the creatures of ,his providence1 and may hope for blessing if you do not frustrate it4 ,o mend all that is amiss1 quicken all that is slow1 revive all that is ready to perish4 ,the ,,lord is at hand4 ,cast all your care upon ,him4 ,trust in the ,,lord with all your heart1 and lean not to your own understanding4 ,in all your ways acknowledge ,him1 and ,he shall direct your paths4 ,in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to ,,god4 ,see ,him by faith ,who is invisible to natural eye4 ,lean on ,him ,whom the arm of flesh cannot touch4 ,speak to ,him in all your circumstances of weal or woe1 of trial or blessing4 ,pray to ,him for what you want1 and acknowledge all that you receive1 of whatever kind1 and ask ,him what use to make of it4 ,so rid yourselves of your cares1 and then--,i do not say that you shall be left without trials1 for ,,god does not promise that1 rather does ,he lead us to expect trials as the signs and pledges of ,his love1 but ,i do say that ,he will give you nothing1 and leave you nothing1 but what is good for your personal happiness and your eternal interest1 and that in every trial1 whether sent by ,him1 or allowed to be inflicted by the agents of evil1 ,he will give you support1 and guidance1 and ardent hope1 and abundant consolation2 yea1 ,he will bestow on you ,his peace which passeth understanding1 and which1 whatever your circumstances1 shall assuredly keep your hearts and minds through ,,christ ,,jesus1 unto eternal salvation4 ,,sermon ,,ii4 ,,judgment ,,here ,,and ,,hereafter4 ,,malachi1 ,,ii41 #ag4 ,where is the ,god of ,judgment8 ,,the prophet had been complaining of the priests for neglecting to inform and correct the people1 and of the people for disregarding ,,god',s teaching4 ,reasoning and remonstrating with them1 and supposing them to attempt self-justification1 he tells them at last that they have wearied the ,,lord with their words--by which he means their acted and thought words rather than what they spoke--and in answer to the question1 which he knows they would put1 8,wherein have we wearied ,him80 he says1 ,by presuming licentiously that ,,god is indifferent alike to good and evil1 and has no moral likings or dislikings--8,when ye say every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the ,,lord1 and ,he delighteth in them10--or1 if it were otherwise1 that at least ,he does not act upon ,his feeling--8,where is the ,,god of ,judgment80 the manifestation of the discriminating1 the rewarding1 or punishing ,,lord4 ,i do not propose to enlarge upon the text in its historic relation to the ,jews1 but1 applying it to ourselves1 to show1 first1 that the question1 8,where is the ,,god of ,judgment80 is one which we ,christians often ask in perverse unbelief1 or in sad infirmity2 and1 secondly1 that the question is one which in a better sense we should often ask 7as we do not71 in order to discern ,his operations1 to become acquainted and impressed with the truth1 that there is a judgment of all1 here and hereafter4 8,where is the ,,god of ,judgment80 ,i say that this question is often asked in perverse unbelief1 or in sad infirmity4 ,practically1 we too often ignore the idea of judgment altogether4 ,our reason suggests to us1 that if there is a moral governor of the world1 then surely good will be approved by reward1 and evil marked by punishment4 ,the ,bible plainly and most positively assures us1 that1 as rational and responsible creatures of ,,god',s hand1 we are subject to a judgment which ,his goodness1 ,his truth1 ,his justice1 ,his holiness1 cannot omit to pass on our every act1 and word1 and thought2 that as purchased servants of ,,christ1 we are set a certain work to do1 with the express understanding that we shall be faithfully dealt with according to our treatment of that work1 and are put upon a probation whereof at the end ,,christ must take account1 for ,he has been made ,,lord and ,judge for that very end1 and has received a commission from the ,father1 which ,he may in no single instance depart from4 ,yea1 more than that1 it tells us that the immediate effect on us1 of all our good and evil1 is itself a judgment1 contributing to the formation of the character which shall adapt us1 and so consign us1 to heaven or to hell4 ,i say reason and the ,bible so instructs us2 and yet we practically ignore the judgment4 ,of course ,i do not mean that we strike it out of our creed1 that we do otherwise than assent to it in theory1 that we altogether forget it in practice1 but that we do not make it the ruling principle of our lives--the impelling or restraining influence of every thought and deed4 ,am ,i not right8 ,reflect1 dear brethren1 how many wrong things you do or desire1 with little hesitation1 with no compunction1 with no fear of judgment6 ,reflect1 too1 how many good things you pass over or forego1 or will take no trouble to attain1 through want of consideration of the reward that belongs to them1 and which therefore you are losing6 ,how ready are you to taste each cup of pleasure1 to be engrossed with the pursuits of this world1 to withhold what you should part with1 to do what is wrong1 to omit what is enjoined1 in forgetfulness of the fact that for all these things ,,god will bring you unto judgment6 ,how impatient1 too1 under trials1 how slow in spiritual work1 how little interested in the love and attainment of godliness2 as though these things were all loss1 and suffering1 and uninviting toil2 as though there were no recompense of reward6 ,yes1 there is something in the best of us1 and much in the most of us1 of practical disregard of judgment4 ,of course we know 7and are in a measure influenced by the knowledge7 that by and by we shall stand before ,,god1 to be blessed or cursed--that it is necessary1 therefore1 to secure a good hope of acceptance1 and to make our peace with ,,god through ,,jesus ,,christ1 and that this is to be done by keeping all the ordinances of religion1 and obeying in spirit the whole moral code1 and striving to love and serve the ,,lord now2 or at least by repenting of all that is amiss1 and praying earnestly for pardon and quickening of our faith1 before we die4 ,but still1 it is not a judgment that we contemplate--a real scrutiny of our life's ways--an actual weighing of us in the heavenly balance1 that we may be rewarded or punished for those ways1 and accepted or rejected according to our actual state4 ,we are wont to consider ,,god as an arbitrary ,being1 not absolutely bound by any laws1 or promises1 or threats1 but free to treat us as ,he will1 and disposed1 for ,,christ',s sake1 to be favourable to us--if we ask ,him--without any regard to what we have been doing1 and what we actually are4 ,i am not sure that you will admit this4 ,but1 brethren1 to help you to do so1 consider how general is a vague trust to ,,christ',s merits--and ,,god',s goodness on account of those merits--to cover all excesses and defects of duty1 to accept any kind of character1 as though there were no rule of reward1 and no necessary qualification for heaven6 ,how rare is the conviction1 that while ,,christ',s merits are indeed the only ground of our acceptance1 and ,,god',s mercy is exercised on account of those merits1 yet the merits and the mercy are applied to us on condition that we do certain works1 and attain to a certain character in the strength of the ,holy ,spirit given to incline and enable us2 that we are to be rewarded or punished1 accepted or rejected1 strictly according to the terms of that condition1 and that the inquiry into its observance1 in the scrutiny of our past lives and of our present state1 in the pronouncing of them such as they were appointed to be1 or the opposite1 and the bestowal of the reward or punishment1 is a strict judgment1 in the passing of which the ,judge has no room for arbitrary favour1 no option1 if ,i may so speak1 to do otherwise than1 in view of the evidence1 to apply the fixed law--life for those whom it approves1 death for those whom it condemns4 ,oh6 there is a ,,god of ,judgment1 and to us ,christians there is no other ,,god4 ,,christ is full of merits4 ,,god accepts those merits1 and is full of mercy on account of them4 ,we cannot magnify the merits too much1 nor rejoice too much in the mercy2 provided 7but provided only7 that we remember that they are applied by rule1 and that we must observe the rule1 and be sure that ,,god will in no wise1 and in no case1 depart from it4 ,trust to ,,christ',s merits2 hope for ,,god',s mercy1 but count most surely on judgment1 as you are most surely the objects of it4 ,but1 secondly1 fully believing that there is a ,,god of ,judgment1 the questions arise1 ,where is ,he8 ,in what court does ,he sit8 ,when does ,he judge8 ,the common notion 7and my remarks have hitherto fallen in with it7 is1 that ,he is only in a future world1 and that ,he will not exercise ,his office till the last day4 ,the notion is founded on a truth4 ,,christ sits on the throne of ,,god now1 to send down grace1 to intercede with the ,father1 to rule the ,church4 ,at the last day1 and not before1 ,he will leave that throne1 and come forth in ,his glorious majesty to judge the quick and the dead1 and to dispose of them in their appointed eternal abodes4 ,we have a work to do1 and a day set us to do it in1 and account will not be taken of it1 and the hire given us1 till the day is over4 ,there is a character to be formed ere we can enter heaven1 and space1 and opportunity1 and power1 are vouchsafed us for forming it4 ,respecting these1 then1 judgment tarrieth4 ,and even when our individual time is over1 when our work ceases1 and our probation closes1 there are others left to work and fashion themselves for eternity2 and ,,god has appointed that we1 without them1 shall not be made perfect4 ,there is to be but one glorious descent from the throne1 one general resurrection1 one great assize1 one gathering of the saints into the highest heaven1 one opening1 and then one shutting for ever of the lowest hell4 ,when our day is over1 we must1 probably1 as others do1 sleep a night in the grave1 and then on the morning of the ,resurrection shall appear the ,,god of ,judgment4 ,but surely1 after all1 there must be an earlier judgment6 ,when the body is laid down1 and begins its sleep1 the soul does not lie down and sleep with it4 8,the body returns to the dust10 we are told1 8but the spirit goes back to ,,god who gave it20 and lest we should imagine that this is but a figurative way of describing a suspension of the spirit's life1 we are informed in many places not only that it continues greatly alive and awake1 requiring a place of conscious abode1 but that it is at once disposed of by ,,god1 and in a manner which shows an immediate judgment of it4 ,as soon as ,lazarus died1 he was carried to ,abraham's bosom1 and there was comforted3 as soon as ,dives died1 in hell 7a place of misery of some kind7 he lift up his eyes1 being in torments4 8,this day shalt thou be with ,me in ,paradise10 was the promise of ,him1 ,who could not promise idly4 ,to be absent from the body is1 for the saint1 to be present with the ,,lord1 and a vision showed ,st4 ,john the souls of the martyrs living and pleading beneath the altar4 ,what does all this teach us1 but that the ,,god of ,judgment meets us at the gate of death1 and there and then judges and disposes of us8 ,it is somewhat speculative to inquire what is the nature of the judgment4 ,it is beyond us to understand how an immediate judgment is compatible with a future one4 ,we know not whether ,,god at first privately intimates what ,he will at last publicly pronounce2 whether this is the actual1 that only the formal decision2 whether the scrutiny is now made1 or only rehearsed2 whether the soul is actually tried1 or only committed for trial1 and in the mean time so dealt with by immediate imprisonment1 or liberation on pledge to appear1 as to hint1 rather than plainly declare what shall be its ultimate fate2 whether it enters at once into a state of actual1 though partial1 experience of joy or misery1 companying with ,,god1 with ,,christ1 with holy angels1 or with ,satan and evil spirits2 or whether it is left in an antechamber where it but anticipates the future reward1 and actually receives none of it4 ,all this is mystery4 ,but certain we are1 brethren1 that death1 is in some sense the time of judgment1 and consequently that in some way1 at the very moment of departure from this life we are confronted with the ,,god of ,judgment4 ,oh1 that we could feel this6 ,what a precious time and talent it would make our life2 what an awful antechamber of ,,god',s presence6 ,how we should be deterred from doing evil2 how stirred to do good6 ,how should we be watching1 staff in hand2 how resolutely should we do our work1 how patiently should we suffer6 ,could we then be at home in the world1 prone to sinful pleasures1 distracted or engrossed by worldly cares1 indifferent to sin and holiness8 ,no1 it would be impossible6 ,could we be idle1 if we knew that our work would so soon be scrutinised8 ,could we delay the cultivation of a grace necessary for heaven1 if we knew that the time for acquiring it might so soon be over8 ,could we hazard the interests of eternity1 if we knew that we were separated from them1 not by a wide and lasting world1 not by many1 many years of forgetfulness in the grave1 but only by a thin veil1 through which they might even now be albut heard and seen1 which the next moment might be rent in twain1 which at the most1 in a few short years1 will be wholly taken away6 ,oh6 brethren1 we can risk our eternal hopes when they seem distant--we dare not1 we could not1 if we felt them close6 ,behold1 the judge is at the door6 ,watch1 lest it open and reveal ,him6 ,behold the messenger is coming2 be ready1 for ,he may be sent to summon you to the presence of the ,,god of ,judgment6 ,but we have not yet the full answer to our text4 ,,god is everywhere4 ,he fills heaven and earth with ,his presence4 ,and ,he is the same everywhere1 and at all times2 the same yesterday1 to-day1 and for ever2 and so ,he is the ,,god of ,judgment1 exercising judgment even in this life4 ,it cannot be otherwise4 ,it belongs to ,his very essence to love righteousness and hate iniquity4 ,when ,he wills1 it is done2 when ,he feels1 ,he acts2 what ,he hates1 ,he shrinks from--and if ,he shrinks1 is it not judgment8 ,what ,he loves1 ,he clings to--and is not ,his presence favour1 and support1 and blessing8 ,brethren1 ,i have often exhorted you not to shut ,,god out of this present world as if ,he belonged only to the future4 ,live in the world to ,him4 8,wherever we live1 we live unto the ,,lord40 ,live in the world by ,him4 8,the ,,lord is at hand4 ,be careful for nothing2 but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made unto ,,god40 ,and live in the world1 under ,him3 for 8,the eyes of the ,,lord are over the righteous1 and the face of the ,,lord is against them that do evil40 ,yes1 the ,,god of ,judgment is here4 ,you know it was so in ,old ,testament times4 ,the deed of righteousness then brought its immediate reward2 the deed of sin its punishment4 ,murmur or disregard drove away the pillar of fire1 repentance and prayer brought it back4 ,you think it otherwise now perhaps1 but 8,i am the ,,lord1 ,i change not40 ,the children of ,israel were carnal babes1 ,,god therefore showed ,himself to their natural eye4 ,we are men in ,,christ1 and the vision1 therefore1 is to our faith4 ,it was with perishable toys that they were pleased3 ,he1 therefore1 rewarded or punished them with temporal things4 ,it is differently1 in a measure1 that ,he deals with us2 but not altogether differently4 ,it is a mistake to suppose that ,,god',s favour was always testified to the ,jews by prosperity1 ,his displeasure by adversity4 ,think of ,abraham1 of ,job1 of ,moses1 of ,joseph1 of the ungodly in great prosperity1 and you will see the mistake4 ,temporal circumstances were more often1 then1 the tokens of spiritual1 but the spiritual has always been the reality2 and in comparison with it1 the token1 not always afforded1 is immaterial4 ,oh6 do not suppose that when the ,man ,,christ ,,jesus came on earth as the messenger of grace1 the ,,god of ,providence departed4 ,more real and constant is ,his presence now1 and more invariable ,his action4 ,in respect of our service of ,,christ and candidateship for heaven1 there is a sense in which ,he leaves us unjudged till the end4 ,but1 in another sense1 as ,he must1 from ,his very nature1 be always judging1 so are we ,christians the special objects of ,his judgment4 ,no winking at our ignorance1 no long-suffering with our sin4 ,enlightened and enabled1 we are responsible1 and immediately made to answer1 for all that is wrong2 and1 specially endeared to ,him1 we are immediately rewarded for all that ,he approves4 ,and this judgment is visible1 if we will but look for it even in our temporal circumstances4 ,i do not say that the righteous are always what the world calls prosperous1 and the wicked always what the world calls unfortunate1 though that is not seldom the case1 much more often than1 in our rash judgment1 we suppose2 besides1 any kinds of temporal circumstances may be made1 and often are made1 the sources of temporal reward or punishment2 but temporal things are not the best or the worst that ,,god can give4 ,they are chiefly used by ,him as means2 and could ,i describe to you the blessings which poverty and bereavement and disappointment and affliction have produced1 and the curses which have accompanied riches and success1 and immunity from loss and trial1 you would see what effectual means they are1 and would readily exclaim1 8,here is the ,,god of ,judgment60 ,but there is a better and a worse judgment4 ,you know how ,,god hardened ,pharaoh's heart1 because it was not softened2 how ,he made ,saul's perversity his punishment2 how ,he stiffened ,jeroboam's arm that he could not draw it in from the deed of sin2 what a sinful security ,he brought upon ,david for transgression2 how ,abraham grew rich by forsaking his home2 how ,job resigned much and therefore received more2 how ,joseph1 fleeing from ,potiphar's wife1 was made to prosper in all he did4 ,these things are types of great realities--specimens of constant judgments4 ,,god stands over every man to watch what he does1 and as soon as it is done1 ,he judges and rewards it4 ,ah6 let the wicked tremble at this1 and let the righteous rejoice at it4 ,a harassed or a calmed conscience may or may not be an accompaniment of the judgment1 but a judgment there will surely be4 ,do you want an illustration8 ,why1 then1 should the man who commits a trivial sin to-day fall into a greater sin to-morrow8 ,why should a little resistance qualify for a great one8 ,you say it is natural4 ,if you mean by that that is spiritual1 that it is the acting influence of ,,god',s providence1 ,i agree with you2 but not otherwise4 ,man is not his own destroyer1 nor his own saviour4 ,it no more follows naturally that a man should fall into a great sin after a little one1 or should conquer a strong temptation after overcoming a weak one1 than that he should soil his garments or his flesh much to-day1 because he soiled them a little yesterday1 or that he should float in a flood because he has turned aside from a pool6 ,it is a judgment that makes him sin again1 and a judgment that enables him to resist again4 ,in the one case1 it is the angry withdrawal of grace1 and the giving up to a reprobate mind1 and the delivery to ,satan2 in the other it is the approving increase of grace1 and the sending of angels to keep off the fiends4 ,where is the ,,god of ,judgment6 ,where1 brethren1 is ,he not1 and when not acting8 ,this world is the throne of judgment4 ,every moment is the trial time4 ,every act1 every word1 every thought1 brings down upon it1 on the instant1 the sentence and the execution of the sentence6 ,think of this and act upon it4 ,the eyes of the ,,lord are over the righteous4 ,the face of the ,,lord is against them that do evil4 ,strive1 then1 each action to approve to ,his all-seeing eye4 ,know that it is always ,advent2 that the books are always open1 and the judgment always set1 and the sentence ever ready1 8,blessed--or ,cursed10 and angels and demons looking out and waiting for the signal of approach4 ,the ,last ,judgment is the climax of the ,death ,judgment1 the ,death ,judgment of the ,life ,judgment4 ,gain ,,god',s approval here1 and keep it here1 and you shall not lose it hereafter4 ,forfeit it here1 and obtain it not again here1 and you can never have it4 ,there is no condemnation for them that are in ,,christ ,,jesus4 ,the rest are already condemned2 though the ,,god of ,judgment gives them yet the chance--7oh6 let them not trifle with it67--that if they will appeal quickly1 a fresh trial may be granted2 and if they have made ,,christ their ,advocate1 the former sentence shall be reversed1 and they1 too1 shall be blessed6 ,,sermon ,,iii4 ,,the ,,worldling ,,reproved4 ,,st4 ,,james1 ,,iv41 #ac1 #ad1 #ae4 ,go to now1 ye that say1 ,to-day or to-morrow we will go into such a city1 and continue there a year1 and buy and sell1 and get gain3 ,whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow4 ,for what is your life8 ,it is even a vapour1 that appeareth for a little time1 and then vanisheth away4 ,for that ye ought to say1 ,if the ,lord will1 we shall live1 and do this1 or that4 8,,go ,,to40 ,it is the language of rebuke1 of remonstrance1 and yet of exhortation4 8,come1 come1 what are you doing8 cease from it1 for it is wrong4 ,come1 let us reason together1 ye that are forming worldly schemes1 and laying out plans and works for the future1 counting not only on some continuance1 but even on a definite time of your own marking out1 #8,we will continue there a year4' ,come1 ,i say1 be wise2 consider what your life is1 how brief1 how fleeting1 how easily taken away--how uncertain of continuance--and rule and consecrate every part of it1 every work1 every prospective thought1 with the limitation1 #8,if the ,,lord will4'0 ,thus is the worldling reproved and exhorted--the man who is so foolish as to reckon surely upon what he knows is very uncertain1 who is so sinful as to forget the providence of ,,god1 or at least not to submit himself to it4 ,and1 further on he is plainly told that this reckless confidence is sin3--8,therefore to him that knoweth to do good1 and doeth it not1 to him it is sin40 ,observe here1 my brethren--and you will thereby see how directly this text is addressed1 not to very gross and carnal offenders1 but even to such as ourselves--that the ,apostle does not cry out against the going into the city and proposing to buy and sell and get gain there1 or even against the fixing of a particular period of sojourn2 but against the doing of all this without reference and submission to1 without dependence upon the will and providence of ,,god2 without remembrance that there is no certainty of life1 and power1 and opportunity4 8,what is our life0 8,if the ,,lord will80 ,,god does not forbid1 rather ,he requires us to engage in worldly occupations4 ,he has sent us into the world in need of food and raiment1 which the majority of us can only get by working for them1 and has endowed us with faculties and powers which have their legitimate exercise in worldly pursuits4 ,there can be no question that by ,,god',s appointment man is to labour and trade1 or employ himself in some way in worldly things1 for sustenance and for exercise of many of his powers4 ,and if this is so1 then neither can there be any question1 that it must be lawful to think in some way of the morrow1 to provide what we shall need in it1 to consider and plan for our employment and gain in it4 ,it would be quite impossible to carry on many callings--more especially those which have distinctly the approval of ,,god1 as husbandry1 for instance--if we might not forecast1 anticipate1 provide1 propose1 and plan4 ,and if all this may be done1 then we may and must mark out particular works and places1 and specific periods of time1 wherein to perform what we propose4 ,if a husbandman may not think of the harvest1 how shall he do the duties of the seed time8 ,if the merchant may not fix on a mart nor make arrangements for sojourning there till he has disposed of his goods1 nor count the number of days which the ship will require for transporting them1 then how shall he know what wares to purchase8 how shall he persuade himself to have anything to do with merchandise8 ,surely1 he must take for granted--or at least he must act as if he took for granted--some certainty of time and opportunity1 and so he must in one sense presume upon the future4 ,still1 brethren1 the very illustrations ,i have chosen tell against counting on actual certainty4 ,the husbandman ploughs in hope and sows in hope2 but knows all the time that the fowls of the air may rob him of his crop1 that the needful rain or sun may be withholden from it1 that the worm1 and the mildew1 and the blast may destroy it4 ,the merchant freights his vessel with full knowledge--7not always without fear7--that fire or storm may cause it to be lost in the sea1 or that if it reaches the place of sale1 there may then be no demand for it4 ,each is obliged to admit contingencies2 to prepare and act as if all power and all time and circumstances were in his own hands1 while he knows and feels that it is far otherwise2 that much may be uncontrollably against him2 that he may be disappointed of all his hope4 ,nor does he omit altogether to provide for the contingency4 ,he asks1 8,what if ,i should be disappointed1 if my plans should fail1 if the time should be prolonged or shortened against my expectation8 ,what is to be done with the gain1 if anything happens to me80 ,so he insures his vessel1 and gives directions whither to carry1 or what to do with his merchandise if aught should render it unsaleable at the proposed mart1 and he makes his will6 ,wisely he takes into account what he calls 8chance10 and therefore sobers his expectations and rules his plans by the consideration of what may happen to frustrate them6 ,a like consideration--not of 8chance10 for he does not believe in chance1 but of the possible unexpected operations of ,,god',s providence--is to sanctify the ,christian's plans and appointments1 and to prevent him from becoming a worldling4 ,he may think and say1 what he will do on the morrow2 he may set out on a long journey1 or propose to himself a week1 a month's1 a year's1 a ten years' sojourn in some distant city2 he may make ample and long preparations for buying and selling1 and getting gain2 he may pull down his barns 7if they are not large enough7 and build greater2 he may entertain some thoughts of possibly enjoying1 after years of toil and care1 an old age of ease and happiness1 and so may make provision for that happiness4 ,he need not1 and should not1 be ever saying to himself1 8,it is of no use my undertaking this business1 ,i may not live to carry it out40 8,if ,i were sure of life1 ,i would remove this and alter that1 but let it be now1 it must do for my poor uncertain days40 7,the world would stand still1 if men were to act1 or refuse to act1 upon such arguments as these1 arguments not suggested by ,god47 ,no1 brethren1 whatever your calling1 follow it honestly and heartily2 whatever your possessions1 use them1 and use them so as to get the most legitimate good out of them1 and do not despise the opportunities and the goods which ,,god has given you4 ,but consider when you propose to yourselves anything which draws by anticipation on the future1 consider1 ,i say1 8,what is my life8 ,it is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away10 and qualify your scheme by saying to yourselves1 8,if the ,,lord will1 ,i should live and do this or that40 ,yes6 and provide1 as far as you can1 lest the ,,lord should not will4 ,and here1 brethren1 we have suggested to us another reason for admitting an 8if0 into our counsels1 and for allowing it to have its say1 and for heeding well what it suggests4 ,the ,christian is allowed1 and even required to follow a worldly calling1 but still he has a higher calling1 which he must not neglect1 which he must most regard4 ,life was not given him only that he might eat and drink1 and take his pleasure1 and grow rich1 and build palaces1 and be filled with knowledge1 and perfected in accomplishments4 ,these are but the lower employments of life1 or its intermittent pastimes4 ,its business is religion--the laying hold on salvation1 and following the holy service to which we are bound1 wherein we are apprentices and probationers for eternal glory1 and whereby we are allowed and enabled to lay up treasure in heaven--the dedication of ourselves to ,,christ our ,saviour1 to live under ,his rule1 and by ,his grace2 to set forth ,his glory in all we do2 to become qualified by unlearning and renouncing what is amiss1 and acquiring new tastes1 and inclinations1 and powers1 and fashioning ourselves after ,his glorious image for the state to which ,he will call us when this life is over4 8,if the ,,lord will ,i should live and do this or that40 ,how does such a suggestion break in upon and check the presuming worldliness of the called of ,,god6 8,here am ,i10 it makes him exclaim1 8actually laying myself out for the engrossing and long-continued pursuit of worldly ends4 ,yet ,,god may cut short my life in the midst of it1 and if ,he does1 without giving me time to resume my higher calling1 to repair what is out of order1 to fill up what is wanting1 to make my peace with ,him1 to become fit for death--oh1 to what in that case will my folly and my sin bring me6 ,how shall ,i stand before ,him at ,his awful ,advent8 ,what account shall ,i render of my neglected stewardship8 ,what will justify my presumption in ,his delay8 ,what excuse my want of the wedding garment8 ,surely ,he will deal with me as with one who knew his ,master's will1 yet did it not2 who refused the glory which he was created1 and redeemed1 and sanctified to render2 who has preferred ,mammon to ,,god1 earth to heaven2 who has contracted the worldliness from which ,,god shrinks1 and despised the holiness which alone ,he will accept60 ,it is an awakening1 a sobering1 a solemn suggestion4 ,it reveals to him the anomaly1 the folly1 the sin1 the peril of his condition1 whatever the kind of worldliness which engrosses him4 ,he a servant of ,,christ1 a votary of religion1 a worker for eternity1 an heir of glory1 forgetting his calling1 neglecting his best hopes and interests1 perverting his time and powers1 and opportunities from their highest and most necessary use1 to gratify self with childish pleasures1 to heap up gold1 to make to himself a name among the pigmies of the earth2 to become admired or stared at for his appearance or accomplishments2 to excel in knowledge of languages1 or sciences1 or history1 or for any other earthly end2 when not only what he seeks must soon be yielded up 7even if he succeeds in getting it71 but also through the seeking he must neglect all that ,,god requires of him1 and forfeit all that ,,god offers6 ,oh1 how silly1 how sinful1 how awfully hazardous the course he is pursuing6 ,what1 then8 ,shall he abandon it all in terror8 ,shall he hate the world and flee from it8 ,shall he become a hermit1 refusing to receive good1 and to do good in his generation8 ,shall he give up his earthly calling1 foregoing the temporal advantages which are held out to him2 not exercising the powers which are entrusted to him2 supposing that the ,,god who put him into this world1 and qualified him to fill a place in it1 and stimulated him by pressing necessities1 or by indwelling desires to seek profit or pleasure1 nevertheless meant him to have nothing to do with the world2 that because presently he is to die1 now he ought not to live2 but to drag a sad1 inactive1 solitary1 impatient existence4 ,surely not6 ,his place now is in the world1 his work is in the world2 he refuses ,,god service in not exercising his worldly calling2 he gives up the means of probation1 and the opportunities of development and improvement in the highest powers and best graces1 and disqualifies himself for heaven1 if he fulfils not his destiny on earth4 ,let him abide in his calling2 let him discharge its obligations2 let him pursue its advantages1 and cull its pleasures1 and perform all its bidding2 but throughout all1 let him remember1 and act upon the remembrance that he is not a mere worldling2 and to keep him from being absorbed in the world1 or grovelling in its pursuits1 to quicken him in concern for higher responsibilities and privileges1 to impress upon him that all that is of the world is temporary and fleeting1 that the world is passing away from him1 and he from it1 let him reflect frequently and seriously1 8,what is my life8 ,it is even a vapour1 that appeareth for a little time1 and then vanisheth away20 and so let him temper the lower life 7and raise himself above it71 by piously resolving that its present occupations1 its plans and hopes shall all be subject to the condition1 8,if the ,,lord will ,i should live1 and do this or that40 ,that we all want to be influenced by such thoughts is too evident to need proof4 ,the very best of us are wont practically to regard this earth as our abiding home1 or the only stage upon which we shall ever act a part1 and earthly pursuits and pleasures as the only aims and rewards of our being4 ,we may write 8,d4 ,v410 or say1 8,if the ,,lord will10 after every engagement1 every proposed scheme4 ,we may make our wills and set our houses in order1 and purchase a burial place1 and carry about a shroud1 and yet forget that we have to die4 ,grey hairs1 or enfeebled frames1 and the perceptible growth within us of the seeds of mortal disease1 and sick beds1 and sudden deaths around us1 may cause us momentary misgivings1 may make us perhaps permanently a little uneasy3 but still we live on1 as though there were no end of life2 we put off preparation for death1 and for another state after death1 as though we could not die till we chose to do so4 ,not for want of knowledge1 of constant testimonies and reminders of the contrary are we thus confident 7for we all know that our life is but a vapour which the heat may presently dispel1 or the wind of the next moment cause to vanish71 but because we do not feel ourselves to be so entirely in the hands of an ,omnipotent and mysteriously exercised ,providence1 as to need to be constantly depending upon it1 and asking of it1 8,if the ,,lord will20 and so presenting to ourselves1 in all its force1 the consideration that perhaps 8,the ,,lord may not will40 ,i speak to men1 and women1 and children1 full of present occupations and future plans4 ,i bid you consider your occupations and review your plans4 ,do you imagine that the first may be at any moment interrupted1 and the last never begun to be carried out8 ,some of you are almost exclusively pleasure seekers2 others1 careless creatures of the present2 others intent upon business1 or profit1 upon obtaining power1 or knowledge1 or fame2 either reaping a worldly harvest now1 or sowing for a future worldly harvest4 ,others are divided in care and desire between this life and the next4 ,others are in theory1 and in much practice1 living above this world1 using it but not abusing it1 in it but not of it4 ,put the question to yourselves1 all and each of you4 ,do you feel your life to be such a vapour1 that it is in momentary risk of vanishing away2 that only if the ,,lord will1 will it appear a little time2 that possibly ,he may not will8 ,you would say1 8yes10 doubtless1 if you were forced to answer aloud1 as you sit in church1 interrogated by the messenger of ,,christ out of the ,bible1 just as to a question out of the ,church ,catechism1 you would give an answer out of the ,church ,catechism4 ,but do you feel 8yes08 ,is it your sure and strong conviction8 ,do your lives say 8yes08 ,i shall not be unjust to you1 if ,i say that ,i stand in doubt of many of you2 that1 alas6 ,i have no doubt of some2 that your hearts do not thus respond2 that your lives give a manifest contradiction4 ,brethren1 ,i am not here to accuse1 but to admonish and help4 ,let me suggest1 then1 why you fail to realise such a palpable truth4 ,it is1 first1 because you have an idea that the ,advent is far off2 and1 secondly1 because1 as ,i have reminded you in so many ways lately1 you shut ,,god too much out of this present world4 ,the first disciples1 as you may see from ,st4 ,paul's and ,st4 ,peter's ,epistles1 were filled with the conviction that the ,advent was very near1 that the next moment might reveal it4 ,this did not take them out of the world1 for they believed that ,,christ would come to them in the world4 ,neither did it make them forsake their earthly calling1 for they knew that it was in that calling that they were to serve ,,god1 and to prepare for ,his coming4 ,but it caused them always to have regard to the end1 and it sanctified every pursuit and plan with the thought1 8,the ,,lord may come10 and so constantly suggested the proviso1 8,if the ,,lord will40 ,we have no such conviction of ,,christ',s nearness1 and therefore have little reference to it1 and are faintly impressed with it4 ,we argue1 the ,judgment has tarried so many years1 it may therefore tarry many more4 ,death has so long spared us1 he will not come to us yet4 ,we shall have time to finish our present occupations1 we can enter upon and execute many fresh plans4 ,we need not raise a doubt1 8,if the ,,lord will40 ,but1 secondly1 we shut ,,god out of this present world4 ,we forget that ,he is ever with us2 that ,he is constantly exercising ,his providence over us2 that ,he is not ignorant1 or indifferent1 much less distant1 when we propose and proceed to execute2 that it is by ,his exercised permission1 by ,his actual letting us go in anger1 that we fall into sin2 by ,his inclining1 and helping1 and carrying us1 that we think1 and attempt1 and perform what is good2 that thus watching and caring for us1 and surrounding us1 ,he is at once the ,witness1 the ,judge1 the ,rewarder of our every thought and way2 that consequently1 when ,he has tried us enough1 or when we have long wearied ,him1 ,he is at hand to decide about us1 and1 deciding1 to execute the decision4 ,his forbearance and interference1 the length of the probation1 the numbers and kinds of trial1 are different in different cases4 ,he knows what is right and sufficient for each1 and ,he applies it1 and then ,he says1 8,it is enough4 ,thy righteousness is as length of days4 ,well done1 good and faithful servant20 or1 8,it is of no use that thou shouldst be stricken any more4 ,thou wilt revolt more and more4 ,the whole head is sick1 and the whole heart faint4 ,depart from me60 ,and in either case the vapour is dispelled--it vanisheth away4 ,o for the full perception and realisation of this truth2 that we are in the hands of a watching1 proving1 waiting1 judging1 visiting ,,god4 ,it would be hard then to do or propose anything1 without immediately adding1 8,if the ,,lord will40 ,two concluding thoughts suggest themselves4 ,first1 that life is of such different duration in different cases1 because we have individual capabilities and responsibilities1 and some by many trials and length of days are proved1 others quickly and easily made perfect1 or wholly hardened2 and because a discerning1 ruling ,,god is ever at hand to close the trial at the fit moment4 ,secondly1 that we are individually kept uncertain of the duration of our life1 to counteract the sad proneness which belongs to us1 of putting off eternal interests1 and following our own ways to the uttermost2 to give to every moment1 and every act of life1 such vital importance1 that we may fear to squander or pervert it2 to keep us ever mindful of our latter end1 and always intent upon doing the ,,lord',s work1 and preparing ourselves for heaven2 that the ,,god at hand may never be slighted1 and the world be always so loosely held1 that we may easily and readily let go of it whenever the ,,lord will4 8,go to now1 ye that say1 ,to-day or to-morrow we will go into such a city1 and continue there a year1 and buy and sell1 and get gain3 ,whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow4 ,for what is your life8 ,it is even a vapour1 that appeareth for a little time1 and then vanisheth away4 ,for that ye ought to say1 ,if the ,,lord will1 we shall live1 and do this1 or that40 ,,sermon ,,iv4 ,,the ,,unknown ,,god4 ,,acts1 ,,xvii41 #bb1 #bc4 ,ye men of ,athens1 ,i perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious4 ,for as ,i passed by1 and beheld your devotions1 ,i found an altar with this inscription1 ,,to ,,the ,,unknown ,,god4 ,whom therefore ye ignorantly worship1 ,him declare ,i unto you4 ,,the city of ,athens was wholly given to idolatry4 ,it was crowded with altars1 dedicated to the supposed superior deities1 to deified men1 to abstract virtues1 ,love1 ,truth1 ,mercy1 and the like4 ,whatever new god was described and recommended to them was immediately recognised1 and thenceforth worshipped2 and1 besides1 the ,athenians' love of something new1 led them to search out for and invent gods for themselves4 ,hence it came to pass1 that there were more idols in that one city than in all the rest of ,greece3 so that ,satirist did not much exaggerate when he said that in ,athens you might more easily find a god than a man4 ,it belongs not to our present purpose to consider how this arose2 to contemplate the strange coexistence of so much superstition and so much cultivation of intellect1 or to strive to enter into the feelings which animated ,paul1 when his spirit was stirred within him at the sight of the city wholly given to idolatry4 ,we pass on to the time when the ,apostle stood on ,mars's hill1 in sight of many heathen altars1 surrounded by ,epicureans and ,stoics and disciples of many other schools of philosophy1 some striving to silence him1 others intent upon hearing something new from him--to meet the contentious gainsayings of the one1 to enlist the curiosity of the other2 to make use of their various dispositions1 of all that he saw and heard1 in promoting the glory of ,,god1 and1 if it might be1 in leading them to salvation4 ,it must be borne in mind that some of these news-seeking ,athenians inconsistently enough contended with him1 because he taught what was novel2 while others1 on that very account1 were favourable to him1 hoping that he would set forth some strange gods--some additional objects of worship to whom they might erect altars4 8,ye men of ,athens10 he said1 8,i perceive from actual observation that you1 more than other people1 have great regard for religion40 ,this is the right meaning of the words translated3 8,in all things ye are too superstitious40 ,it is not likely that the ,apostle would have commenced a speech intended to conciliate and enlighten them1 with words that would at once affront them1 and make them deaf to all else he had to say4 ,besides1 it is clear from what follows1 that he is not directly calling upon them to abandon what was false1 but to understand and accept rightly a truth which they held in ignorance4 8,i say nothing to you now upon the many gods whom you worship by name1 but1 pointing to an altar inscribed to the ,unknown ,,god 7it was probably in sight7 ,i answer those who contend with me for speaking about the unknown1 and gratify those who want to hear something new1 by taking that altar as my text1 and preaching to you about #8the ,unknown ,,god'--about no new god1 for ,he is already the object of your worship2 but still about one of whom much that is new to you may be said4 ,give ear to me1 ye that are so full of reverence for the gods1 while ,i describe to you an object indeed of your present reverence1 but one of whose nature and operations and demands upon you1 you know nothing40 ,respecting the existence of such an altar1 we are told that the ,athenians through the very excess of their idolatry 7which led them to look for gods in every place and circumstance1 and to ascribe every event1 good or ill1 to the influence of some deity7 had on more than one occasion1 when an unusually severe pestilence had visited them1 which they could not connect with any of their known gods1 conjectured that it must be the doing of some god whom they did not propitiate with sacrifices1 and1 failing to find out who it was1 and yet fearing to neglect his worship1 had caused altars without names to be erected1 and offerings to be made to the nameless being2 and that in course of time these altars came to be described1 and to bear a corresponding inscription1 as severally the altars of an 8unknown god40 ,there is no reason to suppose that they meant to exalt that god above the others1 that they had any clearly defined ideas of the general operations of one unknown ,being1 much less that they meant under that title to worship the ,,god of the ,jews2 but with a kind of natural instinct1 a very vague feeling that something beyond and above what they knew1 existed1 they had stumbled1 as it were1 in the dark1 upon a real truth1 which was now to be revealed to them4 8,whom therefore ye ignorantly worship--,whom you are right in worshipping1 but of ,whose proper worship you know nothing1 ,him declare ,i1 and reveal unto you40 ,you know how ,st4 ,paul went on1 meeting without mentioning the errors of the various sects of philosophers1 that there was indeed a ,,god who made the world1 and all things therein2 that ,he was not a mere idol of wood and stone 78dwelling not in temples made with hands071 that ,he had no such passions1 and no such needs as they ascribed to ,jove and ,mars and their deified men 78,neither is worshipped with men's hands as though ,he needed anything071 that ,he was not a sentiment--an ideal thing--a being bound by fate--an indifferent spectator of men's ways4 8,he giveth to all life and breath and all things40 8,in ,him we live and move and have our being40 8,he hath appointed a day in the which ,he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom ,he hath chosen20 to whom ,he has borne such signal testimony in raising ,him from the dead2 in whose name1 and at whose command1 ,i come to tell you of the resurrection from the dead1 and to call you out of the ignorance which ,,god will no longer wink at1 and to urge upon you repentance and preparation for judgment4 ,so he spoke of the unknown ,,god4 ,some mocked1 and refused to understand2 some were in doubt and difficulty1 and wished to hear more2 others began to know ,him who had hitherto been unknown1 and clave unto the ,apostle1 and believed4 ,and shortly after ,paul departed from ,athens1 never1 as far as we know1 to visit again6 ,it would be interesting to consider the strange rise and spread of ignorance which in course of time made the ,,god1 ,who had been seen and heard and walked with in ,eden1 and had never left ,himself without witness1 wholly unknown to the creatures of ,his hand1 and the objects of ,his providential care2 to contemplate the idolatry of ignorant heathen man1 not seeing ,,god in all ,his works1 not able to find ,him even when looking for ,him and desiring to worship ,him1 believing in every god but the true ,one1 sometimes even offering sacrifices to devils2 to discuss1 too1 how it is the world by wisdom knows not1 and never has known ,,god1 that intellect cannot search ,him out1 that intellect has even blinded many to whom the unknown ,,god was plainly exhibited2 to ask how much of this is natural1 how much unnatural1 how much judicial--the punishment of pride1 the reward of loving darkness rather than light1 because of evil deeds4 ,but interesting as would be the consideration of 8,,god unknown in the world10 there is a more important theme suggested by the text for us to dwell on1 namely1 8,,god unknown in the ,church40 8,there standeth one among you ,whom ye know not40 ,let me speak to you on this1 brethren4 ,whatever may be the state and disposition of the people whom the clergyman has to deal with in his various daily ministrations and his intercourse with the world1 once a week1 at least1 he addresses an assembly in some sense given to religion4 ,as he stands in the pulpit on the ,lord's ,day he may adopt almost the words of ,st4 ,paul on the ,areopagus3 8,i perceive that you 7and such as you7 are more than the rest of mankind ,,god-fearing1 taking an interest in religion1 listening to its teaching1 partaking of its ordinances1 supplicating1 praising1 serving ,,god40 ,it may1 indeed1 occasionally be that some present themselves to see if there is anything in the church for them to object to1 or ridicule2 that others have come in conformity to the fashion1 to hear something new1 to see and be seen2 to make a show of respectability1 to wile away an idle time2 and that many others1 though proposing to themselves the observance of a religious duty1 are so formal1 so listless1 so unreal1 that it cannot be said of them that they are 8given to religion40 ,nevertheless1 ,i repeat that the clergyman1 as he stands in the pulpit1 has before him the best1 i4e41 the most religious of mankind2 not mockers1 and revilers1 and persecutors2 not gainsayers1 and despisers1 and forgetters2 but real worshippers--more or less reverential and earnest1 more or less enlightened--of the true ,,god4 ,but has he not in these same persons 7as ,st4 ,paul had in the ,athenians7 many worshippers of an unknown ,,god8 ,may he not venture to say to almost all1 8,whom ye ignorantly worship1 ,him declare ,i unto you40 ,christian worshippers1 my brethren1 often have many idols1 who share almost equally with ,,god their interest and affections and service4 ,they have1 many of them1 their 8ism10 their ,paul1 their ,cephas1 or ,apollos1 their favourite dogma1 their preferences and prejudices for some particular rites1 and ceremonies1 and modes of worship4 ,in church1 and out of church1 their religion consists largely in giving heed to these things3 ,,god is in their thoughts1 but not in all their thoughts1 or not the chief1 the engrossing object of their thoughts2 ,he is one of many objects4 ,you find this out if you listen to their remarks after service4 8,such a chant went well or badly2 the preacher's manner was pleasing1 or the contrary2 his language very ornate1 or very bald2 the theme one they like1 or one they do not like2 the rubric strictly observed1 or strangely disregarded20 and so on4 ,of course1 as all these things are means to an end1 and as the end is gained1 or not gained1 by their suitableness1 or the opposite1 it is lawful and right to give them some consideration3 but ,i put it to you1 brethren1 whether they are not too often regarded as themselves the end2 as though1 provided they were satisfactory1 there was nothing more wanting2 as though they were rightly as much the objects of interest as the ,,god in ,whose service they are used1 or1 rather1 as though regarding them were regarding ,,god6 ,o brethren1 we are too attentive to the system--too regardless of the ,centre6 ,we want to know--7to feel1 ,i mean1 for the ,christian's knowledge is of the heart7--that ,,god is above all--that where other objects have anything like an equal share of attention1 where they hide ,him from us in ,his pure essence and direct influence1 there ,he is ignorantly worshipped--that ,he is a ,spirit1 not a chant1 a voice1 a figure of speech1 a rubric1 a turning east or west4 ,through these we may reach ,him2 many of them are steps and accessories to worship2 but if in these we rest1 then we set them up as idols1 side by side with ,him1 and prove that to us ,he is but as the unknown god of the ,athenians4 ,see1 dear brethren1 ,i beseech you1 if aught of this old error clings to you1 and pray ,,god to clear you from it1 and resolve henceforth to strive to keep clear4 ,treat means as means--value them2 be glad that they are becomingly afforded you1 and rejoice if they help you2 but do not let the best of them beguile you1 nor the worst of them hinder you1 from finding and worshipping ,,god ,himself2 from going away filled with thoughts of ,him4 8,i prayed to ,,god2 ,i praised ,him2 ,i held communion with ,him2 ,i heard the things of ,,god from ,his messenger1 and have now to go and live by what ,i have done1 and received1 and heard40 ,these are the thoughts to take away from church with you1 and to prove to you that you wisely worship the known ,,god4 ,i have dwelt much on this part of the subject1 because of the general forgetfulness of it2 a forgetfulness which prevents many from rendering acceptable service to ,,god1 and from obtaining the full help and comfort which religion affords to all who rightly use it4 ,but there are many other kinds of ignorant worship4 ,it is possible to cast down all idols1 and worship ,,god alone1 and yet err4 ,the so-called spiritualist does this3 the man who supposes that addressing himself directly to ,,god1 is sufficient1 without the use of appointed forms and ordinances2 who attaches no importance to baptism and holy communion2 who thinks that no grace accompanies their use1 or that he can have the grace without the sign2 who says that praying at home is a good substitute for congregational worship2 who boasts that he can read a sermon for himself1 and a better one than he can hear in church2 or that the ,bible is sufficiently clear to him without an interpreter4 ,such an one ignorantly worships an unknown ,,god4 ,he dictates1 instead of obeying2 he chooses1 instead of submitting to what is appointed for him2 he puts reason in the place of faith2 he refuses to walk in ,,god',s way of salvation2 he disputes the ,divine wisdom in requiring him to be baptised1 and to partake of the ,cup and ,bread of ,blessing2 in warning not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together2 in asking1 8,how shall they hear without a preacher80 in appointing a standing ministry2 he rebels against ,,god1 when he disregards these ordinances2 he makes ,,god a liar when he presumes to deem them unnecessary4 ,oh1 he has great need that the ,,god whom he ignorantly worships1 should be plainly declared unto him6 ,again1 that man ignorantly worships ,,god1 who substitutes the forms for the life of religion2 who supposes that a sanctuary service atones for all want of service elsewhere2 who prays in church1 but not in his closet2 who hears the ,bible read or expounded1 but does not search it diligently for himself2 who receives sacraments1 but does not foster1 and use1 and develop the sacramental grace1 which is entrusted to him as an awful talent to be increased and accounted for2 who balances the religion of ,sunday against the worldliness of the whole week2 who every seventh day eases his conscience of its sin1 by sighing out the general confession1 and forthwith takes to himself the comfort of the declaration of forgiveness1 and then goes back to his old transgressions and omissions1 till the holy day comes round again4 ,of course whoever does this1 or any part of it deliberately1 is grossly1 culpably ignorant of the ,,god whom he professes to worship2 but it is not of such that ,i speak now4 ,i have in mind professing ,christians1 persons who busy themselves about religion1 who are regular in their attendance on means of grace1 who never wilfully desecrate the ,,lord',s day1 who knowing that unpardoned sin separates from ,,god1 and that without grace1 life is unblessed1 are anxious for pardon and grace1 and frequently seek them in ,,god',s appointed ways2 but yet1 forget1 are not impressed with the danger of a relapse1 and the sin of non-improvement1 and so somehow or other1 fall into a routine of formal religion on ,sunday1 which is not in their thoughts1 except as a matter that belongs to next ,sunday all through the week4 ,this is to worship ignorantly an unknown ,,god--a ,,god ,who does not accept intermittent worship1 ,who bestows pardon only on repentance and amendment of life1 ,who gives grace for use1 ,whose sacraments are meals to sustain life and strengthen for service1 ,whose ,sabbath is a holy rest to refresh for holy work1 in ,whom we live1 and move1 and have our being1 ,whose glory is to be our constant aim1 ,his presence our perpetual joy4 ,but these1 and many other ignorances--such as the disregard of particular attributes1 the picturing for oneself what ,,god ought to be like1 and so varying the picture according to the fancy of him who draws it1 instead of searching how1 and what manner of ,,god ,he has declared ,himself to be1 and what worship is appointed1 and therefore acceptable--these1 ,i say1 are the faults of individuals1 or of certain classes only4 ,let me now speak of an ignorance1 a respect in which ,,god is more or less unknown1 which concerns us all4 ,and here1 dear brethren1 my object is not to censure1 to blame you for what you have not1 but pointing out to you the ,,god whom ,scripture reveals1 to help you to correct what is amiss1 to fill up what is wanting in your conceptions of ,,god1 and so to attain to the blessedness of knowing ,him fully1 and to discharge the duty of worshipping ,him in spirit and in truth4 ,observe ,st4 ,paul1 while acknowledging the religious reverence of the ,athenians1 evidently deals with them as men who understood not the truths1 the objects1 the blessings of religion2 as those who when they had built their altars1 and celebrated their holy days1 and offered their sacrifices1 thought they had fulfilled all that religion required of them1 and who expected to get nothing by their religion1 but exemption from certain grievous pestilences1 or help perhaps in war--mere occasional miraculous manifestations of dreadful power--who had no conceptions of sanctifying influence1 of moral responsibility1 of rewards of righteousness4 ,to them he declares ,,god to be1 ,one not far from them1 ,one whom they might find1 in ,whom they then lived and moved1 and had their being1 ,who henceforth would not wink at any ignorance1 ,who was at present treating them1 and regarding them with a view to a coming judgment4 ,now we are better 7thank ,,god1 who maketh us to differ67 than these ,athenians2 but still we want somewhat of the heart-knowledge which ,paul would have impressed on them4 ,we want to be more fully convinced that religion is not a pastime1 but a business2 that not only duty1 but interest1 momentous interest1 is involved in it1 especially that it is not a mere concern and preparation and provision for the future1 but a present substantial reality2 that ,,god is not the object of distant worship2 that ,his wrath and ,his mercy are1 not rarely1 but constantly1 being exercised here2 that ,he is not a departed ,,lord1 ,who has set us to do ,his work against ,his return1 and will take no account of us till some far off day2 that ,he has not left us unrewarded1 unpunished1 unhelped in the present1 not caring what we are1 what we do1 what we suffer1 so as when ,he comes back1 we have either done what ,he appointed1 or have assumed the position of penitents for offence1 and supplicants of compassion4 ,is it not matter of experience that we are not sufficiently influenced by the hopes and fears of religion1 that we do not adequately reverence ,,god1 or seek ,him1 and rest on ,him1 because we suppose that ,he is afar off1 and that all that we have to expect from ,him1 will only begin to be realised in the next world8 ,,god1 as a present ,,god1 is too much unknown to us4 ,we do not feel that ,he is now about us2 that ,his eye is watching us1 and ,his arm upraised over each of us at every moment of our lives2 that ,he is a guest actually in us1 to be honoured and waited on now4 ,we do not know of ,his present closeness1 of ,his immediate rewards and punishments1 ,his pleasure or displeasure1 ,his instant succour1 or instant withdrawal from us1 according to what ,he sees in us4 ,we do all1 and bear all in distant expectation1 and therefore we do negligently1 and bear feebly and impatiently4 ,could we realise the perpetual working1 the instant retribution1 the very touching of ,,god now1 it would be easy to regard and serve ,him1 it would be all but impossible to neglect ,him4 ,no man could prefer dross to gold1 misery to bliss1 death to life1 if they were both offered him at the same moment4 ,no one could hesitate whom to obey1 whom to trust1 whom to fear1 whom to love1 if ,,god were seen on the one side1 and fellow man on the other4 ,it is because ,,god1 and the things of ,,god1 are supposed to be far off1 that we first prefer the other1 and then practically regard it as that which alone has real existence4 ,well1 then1 this is what we have to mend4 ,i have been urging the mending on these ,sundays in ,advent1 in striving to show you that there is a ,,god present to superintend1 and provide1 and care for you in this life1 and in every event and moment of this life2 that there is an actual and immediate judgment of every deed1 good and evil1 and that there is a present business of religion1 and a direct service of ,,god to be now attended to4 ,it is not head-knowledge that you want1 but heart-perception1 and realisation4 ,you want to feel what you must know 7because the ,bible has told you that ,,god is a ,,god at hand1 and not a ,,god afar off72 that godliness has the promise of the life that now is1 as well as of that which is to come2 that the irreligious is condemned already4 ,no expectation1 no delay1 no vision4 ,all fulfilled1 immediate1 and substantially real4 ,you fancy1 perhaps1 that it cannot be so4 ,you urge that it is contrary to your experience2 you have served ,,god1 and not been rewarded2 you have trusted in ,him1 and not been supported2 you have sinned against ,him1 and not been punished4 ,brethren1 believe me1 you have not4 8,experience0 means that which has been ascertained by trial4 ,make trial1 and all will be proved4 ,devote yourselves now to ,,god1 follow ,him1 give up for ,him to-day1 and you shall be rewarded to-day4 ,sin against ,him to-day1 and you shall be punished to-day4 ,invoke ,his aid to-day1 and you shall surely have it4 ,do not prescribe your own mode of visitation4 ,be sure that ,he will use ,his1 and watch for it1 and seek to know it1 and then you will have an experience to quote4 ,i only repeat to you what ,he has said4 ,when you know ,him1 you will find that ,he is true4 ,then wait on ,him1 acquaint yourselves with ,him1 serve ,him in the present1 and look for ,him in the present1 and you will find ,him in the present4 ,,sermon ,v4 ,,faith ,,and ,,its ,,blessedness4 ,,st4 ,,john1 ,,xx41 #bi4 ,thomas1 because thou hast seen me1 thou hast believed3 blessed are they that have not seen1 and yet have believed4 ,,does our ,,lord mean to say that there was no blessedness in the sight which he then presented8--that it was not a precious privilege actually to see ,him1 to hear ,him1 to be perceptibly with ,him8 ,would ,he1 too1 withdraw and reverse the blessing ,he had formerly pronounced--8,blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see08 ,would ,he tell us that the kings and prophets1 who saw the promises only afar off1 who fancied and conjectured1 and died in hope1 were more blessed than the hearers of the ,sermon of the ,mount1 the spectators of the ,transfiguration1 the companions of that three years' ministry1 the guests at ,emmaus1 the disciple that reclined on ,his bosom8 ,no1 surely6 ,the blessedness of the ,apostles1 in certainly seeing1 and being with ,,christ in the flesh1 is1 in its peace and joy1 a blessedness which stands pre-eminent and alone1 and must do till again ,he is seen in ,heaven4 ,but peace and joy are not the greatest blessings4 ,that which calms1 that which gladdens1 is nothing in comparison with that which sanctifies and elevates2 and there is a blessedness which does this2 and which1 therefore1 is greater4 ,it is the blessedness which faith produces4 8,blessed 7i4e41 more blessed7 are they that have not seen1 and yet have believed40 ,belief1 faith--what is it8 ,it may be described as the assent of the understanding1 to that which is not proved to any of our senses1 but which appears credible because of the testimony given to it4 ,we all have this faith1 in human affairs4 ,we all of us accept as true--are convinced of their truth1 and act upon the conviction--things which are not proved to us1 but are supported by reliable statement4 ,if you serve for wages1 or sell goods on credit1 or become surety for another1 or go out to seek a new home in a distant land1 you do it in faith4 ,you cannot see into the heart1 and be sure of the honesty of your employer1 your customer1 your friend2 but what appears1 from what you are told by others of him1 you rely on him4 ,and so again1 you do not actually know that there is such a land as you propose to seek1 but you believe it1 because of all that travellers have said of it1 of the goods you have seen1 the letters you have read1 which are stated to have come from it4 ,of course1 as the testimony varies in its credibility1 this faith is of different degrees4 ,you have such faith in your well-tried friend1 in his integrity and his wisdom1 that you know1 you say1 that he will not deceive you1 and that he cannot be deceived himself4 ,others1 of whom you know less1 you believe more slowly4 ,some1 you think1 are not qualified to give testimony2 they have the thing second-hand1 or they were not competent to judge of what they saw1 and heard1 and felt2 or they are not truthful1 and may wilfully misrepresent3 and even1 in the best cases1 faith is sometimes misplaced4 ,therefore1 your faith in human things1 has always1 perhaps 7and should have7 a trace of doubt in it--sometimes is weak1 sometimes fails altogether4 ,it would be wrong and injurious to have equal faith in all2 but1 on the other hand1 to be always doubting1 to refuse to believe without seeing1 would be misery1 and folly1 and mockery of self4 ,divine faith is different3 the accepting 7that is7 of what is recommended to us by the testimony of ,,god1 by well-proved miracles1 by prophecies since fulfilled1 by any other of ,,god',s witnesses4 ,this is perfect4 ,it admits of no doubts and qualifications4 ,it is as sure of what it believes1 as if it handled1 and heard1 and saw it3 yea1 surer1 for its own judgment might be deceived2 but ,,god knows all things and judges rightly1 and ,,god cannot deceive4 ,therefore1 when ,,god reveals1 we may not question the plausibility of what is shown2 we have no room for doubt as to ,his opportunities of knowing1 ,his truthfulness in communicating what is narrated4 ,all we may do1 is to ask--,has ,,god spoken1 are these things ,his testimony8 ,and this we ought to do2 for there is no blessing pronounced by the text on the credulous1 who take everything as from ,,god1 without examination4 ,thomas surely would have erred1 if1 simply because some one told him of ,,christ',s resurrection1 he had straightway believed it4 ,we are exhorted not to believe every spirit1 but to try the spirits whether they be of ,,god4 ,we have to examine miracles1 to see whether they are real or pretended1 and prophecies1 to see that they were not written after the professed fulfilments1 and all revelations1 lest they should be spurious4 ,failing to do this1 we might have followed ,theudas1 who came to nought1 or ,joan of ,arc3 we might become ,mohammedans or ,mormonites4 ,we have to guard against this2 not to be credulous2 to be sure that it is ,,god that speaks3 but then1 being sure1 whatever ,he describes1 however incomprehensible or improbable1 whatever ,he commands1 no matter how apparently unreasonable1 whatever ,he promises1 against experience1 against opinion1 against hope1 to accept all1 and rely on all1 and lead the life of reliance4 ,yes1 brethren1 this is the believing which alone is blessed2 the believing which leads to doing4 ,faith is the evidence by which we see things naturally unseen2 it is the substance1 the very handled reality1 of things naturally only hoped for2 and which1 by its revelations of beauty and bliss1 by its sanctions and persuasions1 and by all that it shows us of the present1 and promises or threatens in the future1 makes us fly to ,,god1 and cling to ,him1 and depend on ,him1 and live for ,him1 and look for ,him4 ,less than this--mere assent of the understanding1 without heart-embracing1 and life-demonstrating1 and exercising--is not the belief that is blessed4 ,faith without works is dead1 being alone4 ,if then1 brethren1 you would be partakers of the blessedness promised in the text1 you must have fully received1 and be acting upon the form of religion which ,,god has given you4 ,you must have implicit trust in ,him for help and support and peace and blessing4 ,you must know that whatever ,he has described is real1 whatever ,he has promised or threatened will surely be fulfilled1 on the conditions ,he has laid down2 and you must testify and act upon your knowledge by a corresponding life4 ,i do not say that all this is demanded of you in perfection2 that the hope of blessing is gone1 if you fail of aught of it3 but ,i do say that1 if in anything you distrust ,,god1 if you question or demand further proof of1 or are indifferent to anything ,he has revealed1 and deliberately do not live by it1 then you cannot claim the benediction of the text4 ,but it occurs to you to ask1 perhaps1 how it is that ,,god selects believing1 rather than seeing1 on any other way of reception for special blessing4 ,now1 it is not necessary that ,,god should account to us for what ,he does or wills4 ,creatures of ,his hand1 we are made for ,him2 dependents on ,his bounty1 we must thankfully receive it in any way and form of bestowal4 ,but still there are reasons which may be briefly suggested for the selection of faith4 ,first1 then1 faith embodies the entire trustful devotion to ,,god1 which1 above any assent to what is proved1 any following of what is seen or heard1 magnifies the honour of ,,god1 and so sets forth ,his glory4 ,it owns ,his truth1 ,his providence1 ,his love1 and prompts to a free-will1 spiritual1 glorifying service of ,him4 ,secondly1 unless there are to be perpetual miracles1 faith alone can be permanently and universally influential4 ,if we are to be guided by sight1 or hearing1 or touching1 then the revelations to one generation would have to be repeated to each following generation1 and those of one country performed again in every other4 ,thus ,,christ would have had to continue on earth1 to have visited every land1 and been crucified and raised from the dead in every land1 or to have gathered all nations into ,judea to witness what was done2 and this would have had to be repeated over and over again to our fathers1 to us1 to our children1 or else some would have been without the necessary influence to serve1 and love1 and depend on ,him4 ,and more than this1 since the sights we see and the sounds we hear1 are soon over1 and leave but a faint remembrance behind1 we should be imperfectly influenced by them1 when ,,christ ceased to speak2 or when ,he passed into another place we should be without our object of worship1 our instructor or hope4 ,and even if these objections can be met1 still the perpetuity of ,,christ',s visible presence1 the beholding of ,his miracles1 and hearing of ,his words1 would necessarily put a stop to all worldly occupations2 would make probation little more than a name2 would constrain men by natural influences to a carnal or slavish adherence to ,him1 or would drive them into reckless rebellion1 and instant and irrevocable condemnation4 ,but again1 faith is more blessed because it has greater privileges--because it reveals more clearly1 brings nearer1 than any sense could do4 ,if you only hear a loved one1 do you not desire to see him8 ,if you see him1 are you not unblessed unless you embrace him8 ,and then1 is there not an influence1 a way of communicating1 that surpasses this--a purer1 a more spiritual influence1 one which brings you together1 and keeps you together1 and makes you one--love1 which surpasses1 which is independent of1 or only uses as accessories1 the bodily senses8 ,we are too apt1 brethren1 to talk of seeing as believing2 to count sense above feeling2 to exalt what belongs to the body1 above what belongs to the mind or spirit4 ,doubtless1 the error arises from the way in which we speak of faith giving way to sight in heaven1 as though the eyes of the body only1 and not the mind and spirit1 were to behold ,,christ then2 as though mental and spiritual perception were not better than bodily2 as though there were no assurance that faith is an abiding gift1 and that1 therefore1 while in heaven there will be much to gratify the eye of the body1 there will still be much more which faith alone can realise4 ,my brethren1 the greatest eternal blessedness will be vouchsafed to faith1 and the greatest blessedness of this state belongs to faith1 because it is the exercise of man's noblest and best1 and most reliable faculties1 far superior in excellence1 far more certain in ascertaining the truth1 than ears1 or eyes1 or hands4 ,once more1 faith is blessed above seeing1 because it grasps a set of truths1 and enjoys a class of pleasures which are different from those of the senses1 and which the senses cannot touch4 ,,god the ,father invisible for ever1 ,,god the ,holy ,ghost1 blowing like the wind where it listeth1 so that you cannot see whence it cometh and whither it goes1 ministering angels1 spiritual influences1 and consolations1 and helps--what can ear1 or eye1 or hand know of these8 ,but faith knows them1 hears them1 sees them1 handles them1 and joys in them4 ,and this1 brethren1 exhibits the nature of faith's blessedness2 that to it is revealed the whole spiritual world2 that the evidence which it needs1 the object of its worship1 its ,saviour1 its ,,lord1 its hopes and fears1 and encouragements and promises are never absent1 and never missed1 7but by its own dimness or voluntary blindness7 whatever may become of the outward signs and boding presences4 ,picture to yourselves1 brethren1 the scene of that chamber where the raised ,,christ stood manifest1 in the posture of blessing1 before ,his adoring disciples4 ,imagine what ,thomas had before felt1 and what he now felt4 ,then hear ,,christ say--8,the bliss of this moment might have been yours before1 if you had sought to attain it by faith1 and not by sight2 and what you now see may be yours for ever1 for in spirit ,i shall ever be with you1 and by faith you may ever behold ,me6 ,blessed are they that have not seen1 and yet have believed02 and that blessing1 brethren1 was for us1 if we will have it4 ,if we believe1 then we are thus blessed4 ,if we are not blessed1 we may be4 ,o let us lay hold on this truth1 let us cultivate faith1 let us pray to ,,god for an increase of it1 and let us perpetually exercise it in beholding ,him ,who is ever with us1 to pardon our faithless sins1 to restore us to ,his company1 to breathe upon us peace and blessing4 ,,sermon ,,vi4 ,,faultlessness ,,before ,,god4 7,,innocents' ,,day47 ,,revelation1 ,,xiv41 #e4 ,they are without fault before the throne of ,,god4 ,,job declares that ,,god puts no trust in ,his saints2 that ,he charges ,his angels with folly2 that in ,his sight the very heavens are not clean4 ,this language is1 of course1 figurative1 and not to be taken literally2 but it well describes to us the transcendent holiness of ,,god1 and ,his utter abhorrence of all evil4 ,in comparison of ,him1 heaven itself is not pure1 and angels1 endued with wisdom1 swift and constant to obey1 delighting in ,his will1 even these are not perfect--fall far short of perfection before ,him4 ,job would show us the distance between ,,god and man4 ,st4 ,john1 however1 in the chapter of my text1 would exhibit another truth1 not contradictory1 but rather supplementary to ,job's1 namely1 the nearness1 through grace1 of man to ,,god4 ,the ,apostle is describing1 for the comfort and encouragement of the tried and persecuted1 a vision which he had seen of some of those who have passed away from this world1 and1 as a kind of first-fruits1 are already with ,,god and the ,lamb2 and he says1 that 8in their mouth is found no guile2 for they are without fault before the throne of ,,god40 8,without fault10 means here1 without spot or blemish2 not only free from actual transgression1 but wholly untainted by corruption of sin--not wanting in anything that belongs to the perfect character of the approved of ,,god4 ,that man in his natural state is altogether faulty1 that even in his redeemed1 and spiritualised1 and sanctified state1 while here on earth1 he has still many faults1 are truths so plainly taught1 so proved to our reason and experience1 that it would be idle to enforce them4 ,how1 then1 can he ever stand faultless before the throne of ,,god8 ,now some would answer1 that for ,,christ',s sake ,,god overlooks1 that ,,christ1 by ,his merits1 hides man's faults2 and so that the redeemed in heaven are not really faultless1 but that for ,,christ',s sake faultlessness is reckoned1 imputed to them4 ,this is what may be called the popular answer to our question4 ,but1 brethren1 how utterly wrong it is seen to be1 when we consider that1 in order to exalt ,,god',s mercy and ,his wisdom in contriving justification1 it sacrifices ,his truth and ,his holiness4 ,,god cannot call the faulty faultless4 ,he ,who is ,truth cannot enter with ,his ,holy ,son 7,who is also ,truth7 into a plan of deceit1 by which1 to ,himself1 to them1 to angels1 to the whole universe1 sin shall be presented as holiness4 ,,god may agree not to reckon with men for their sins1 to forget the past1 on certain conditions to deal with the faulty as if they were actually faultless2 but ,he cannot--,i say it advisedly1 it is beyond the limits of ,his power1 as regulated by ,his truth--,he cannot call evil good4 ,and1 brethren1 besides1 even if it were possible that by some strange agreement with the ,son1 sinful man should be passed off as holy1 still his sin1 while it remained1 hide it1 disguise it1 call it by what name you will1 must separate from ,,god4 ,charity might forbear to punish it1 or to make mention of it4 ,charity might even gild it over2 but ,holiness deals not with the name1 but with the reality2 and holiness must shrink from sin and thrust it away4 ,this ought to be the most readily perceived and admitted of all ,scripture truths1 that ,,god cannot tolerate near iniquity2 that--if ,i may venture reverently to use such words--even if ,,god were willing to receive to ,himself an unchanged sinner1 the actual reception would be morally impossible2 the same heaven could not contain holiness and sin6 ,no1 brethren1 if the sinner is to enter heaven1 it must be1 not because his name is changed1 but his nature2 he must be actually without fault before ,,god4 ,we see this to have been the case with those described in the text3 for it is expressly said1 8,in their mouth was found no guile40 ,observe1 it is not1 ,,god mercifully overlooked their guile for the sake of ,his dear ,son1 the ,guileless ,one2 ,he charitably called them guileless2 but 8in their mouth was found 7the testimony of truth to the searching of holiness7 no guile3 yea1 for they are altogether blameless1 without spot or blemish40 ,it is an actual1 not an imputed faultlessness that is thus described4 ,now1 how is it to be attained by sinful men8 ,and here comes in a second answer of popular theology4 ,at or after death1 ,,christ meets the departed1 and by ,his resurrection-power quickens that which was dead1 purifies that which was corrupt1 spiritualises1 sanctifies1 and1 as by a miracle1 converts the sinner into a perfect saint4 ,this is an answer only second in popularity to the one we have been considering4 ,those who urge it1 believe that man is naturally depraved1 that1 under grace1 he retains much1 almost all1 his old nature1 that he is very faulty in deed1 in will and affections4 ,they know that he must be faultless to gain accession to heaven and dwell with ,,god and the ,lamb1 and this faultlessness they hope for and pray for2 but there is no effort to acquire it2 there is no concern for the absence1 the continued absence of it2 it is regarded as altogether a thing of the future2 the free and perfect gift--perfect at once--to the released soul and the raised body4 ,men who hold this view1 are often better than their creed requires them to be4 ,in love of ,,god and devotion to ,him1 they strive to abandon sin and cultivate holiness2 but they have no definite object in view of becoming faultless here1 in order to be faultless in heaven4 ,they seem to believe that they cannot get any nearer to faultlessness whatever they do1 and that those who have made no efforts1 ay1 have even led ungodly lives1 and1 but for a few last sighs and ejaculations1 would have died ungodly deaths1 are just as qualified1 just as fit in many cases1 just as sure recipients of instantly converting and perfecting grace in the next world6 ,but if this is so1 why have we such solemn warnings1 to the effect that as the tree falls1 so shall it lie8 8,he that is righteous1 then1 shall be righteous still4 ,he that is filthy then1 shall be filthy still40 ,why is it that in the representations which we have of the ,judgment1 men are always dealt with according to what they were in life1 8,inasmuch as ye did it10 8,inasmuch as ye did it not08 ,why is the pound taken away from him that did not seek to increase it1 and given to him who had gained ten pounds1 and the commentary subjoined1 8,unto every one which hath shall be given1 and from him that hath not1 even that he hath shall be taken away from him08 ,why is the boaster of his privileges--8,in ,thy name have ,i cast out devils0--instantly dismissed with the words1 8,depart from me1 ,i never knew you08 ,why are they reproved who called ,,christ ,,lord1 ,,lord1 but did not the things which ,he said8 ,what did ,st4 ,peter mean when he exhorted 8,save yourselves20 and ,paul1 8,work out your own salvation with fear and trembling20 8,let him that thinketh he standeth1 take heed lest he fall20 and ,,christ ,himself1 8,behold1 ,i come quickly1 and ,my reward is with ,me1 to give to every man according as his work shall be20 8,blessed are they that do ,his commandments that they may have right to the tree of life1 and may enter in through the gates into the city08 ,surely all this1 as with a voice from heaven1 calls on us to put away the delusion1 that mortal life is not a probation1 that man has not a fitness to acquire in this life1 in order that he may be faultless in heaven4 ,the answer of truth1 brethren1 to the question1 8,how can man be faultless in heaven80 is1 briefly1 ,by praying1 and striving1 through the blessing of ,,god1 the grace of the ,spirit of ,,christ1 and his own self-denial1 and diligence1 and cultivated holiness1 to become less and less faulty here4 ,after all1 he will never1 on this side of the grave1 be without spot or blemish1 and perfect in holiness4 ,whatever ,,christ may do for him here1 he will still have much to be purged away1 much to be quickened1 much to be glorified4 ,but1 be sure1 there must be a seed-time here and a growing here1 if there is to be a harvest hereafter4 ,there must be a service1 if there is to be a reward2 we must be faithful in a little1 before we are made rulers over much2 there must be a fitness1 a partial1 a main fitness acquired here1 or no admission there to the inheritance of the ,saints in light4 ,,christ',s work in us hereafter is not a transforming1 but a completing1 a finishing1 a perfecting work4 8,to him that hath0--that is1 that has made use of and improved what he hath--8to him more shall be given10 and he shall abound4 ,he who has traced in his soul and life the outline of the features of the blessed ,,jesus1 shall have the likeness filled up and finished by the ,divine artist1 and be wholly conformed to ,his image4 ,he who has kept down the flesh1 shall have the power of the flesh destroyed in him4 ,he who has sought after holiness1 shall be made perfect4 ,a great change2 much taken away1 much added1 but not a transformation4 ,a great work1 which can only be done then1 and only by ,,christ2 but which will fail to be done then if materials are not provided for it now2 if the foundation has not been laid1 and the walls have not been raised1 and all made ready for the roof of ,,god',s adding1 and the capping of the tower of glory4 ,yes2 this is the qualification1 without which you cannot be received1 but1 having it1 cannot be refused4 ,labour and pray to be faultless here1 and ,,christ shall at the end perfect your faultlessness1 and shall present you faultless before the presence of ,his glory with exceeding joy4 ,but the text seems to speak not of those who had washed away defilements1 had secured pardon of offences1 had repaired faults and made up deficiencies1 in short1 had been sinners1 but1 under the operation of the spirit of ,,christ1 were become saints2 but of those who never had been faulty1 spotted1 or blemished 8,these are they which were not defiled with women1 for they are virgins4 ,these are they which follow the ,lamb whithersoever ,he goeth40 ,of course1 there must have been the spot and blemish of original sin2 but1 apart from this--which ,,christ',s applied purifying power and all-sufficient merits would entirely remove--there seems to have been in the lives of these persons no actual sin1 no omission of righteousness4 ,now1 as there is no man that liveth and sinneth not1 it has been conjectured that the vision here exhibits those who were taken away to ,,god in their infancy1 before they had the power or the will to do good or evil1 and who1 therefore1 as far as actual deeds and feelings are concerned1 not by work1 or grace1 or conviction1 but absolutely and from the first were faultless3 and probably the selection of the description as the ,gospel for this day1 the festival of the ,holy ,innocents1 has gone far to confirm this conjecture4 ,but1 brethren1 this surely is not the meaning1 at least the full meaning1 of the words4 ,they describe freedom from defilement and following of the ,lamb as things that might have been otherwise4 ,they hold up for the example and encouragement of those who were tempted to lust1 and to depart from following the living ,,lord1 the praise and happiness of those who are without fault in these respects2 and therefore they suggest to us1 ,i think1 as the most profitable and foremost thought1 the blessedness1 the superior blessedness of those who never have contracted sin1 nor failed in holiness4 ,men sometimes seem to fancy that the most glorious character in heaven1 the object of ,,god',s fondest love1 will be the once deep-stained and wholly defiled1 that have been washed in ,,christ',s blood till they are become whiter than snow1 the reckless1 and rebellious1 and blaspheming1 who have been subdued and converted2 and that in comparison of these1 the mainly regular righteous life will almost pass unnoticed4 ,it is easy to account for the supposition4 ,we read1 without due consideration1 of her that sinned much1 and was forgiven much1 and therefore loved much2 of the returned prodigal rejoiced over more than the son who had remained at home2 of the joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth1 more than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance2 of publicans and harlots going into the kingdom of heaven before priests and scribes4 ,we forget that these things were said to men who were not really righteous1 but self-sufficient2 that they were an accommodation to their own kind of reasoning2 that they were the justification of special works and feelings1 and peculiar demonstrations4 ,surely we are not to understand by them anything more than that sinners were at times more in ,,christ',s thoughts than saints2 that on the recovery of one lost sheep1 the joy over that one caused the rest for the moment to be put out of remembrance4 ,surely we are not to understand that ,,god has less love for1 and shows less favour to those who have uniformly served and honoured ,him1 than to those whose life has been one of contempt and rebellion1 who have refused to accept ,him till they had made trial of all else2 that ,,god',s power and glory are more magnified in the ultimate conversion of such a sinner1 than in the steady control and improvement of a life-long saint2 that in themselves the reformed drunkards and defiled are better than those who were always sober and pure2 that their memories are more blissful1 and their themes of praise more satisfactory2 that they are even equal in favour1 in bliss1 in manifested honour to those who were undefiled and consistently obedient1 whom ,holy ,scripture distinguishes on this very account1 of whom it relates1 that they sing a song which no other can learn1 signifying that they have a peculiar privilege and a peculiar joy6 ,brethren1 be sure it is not so4 ,,god is abundantly gracious to all who call upon ,him1 late as well as early4 ,no one1 whatever his past life1 shall be refused who comes to ,him through ,,christ4 ,in his late righteousness all his former sins shall be forgiven and forgotten2 they shall not once be mentioned unto him4 ,he shall have too1 the joy of the righteous1 and shall dwell with ,,god in heaven2 but still ,he ,who makes one star to differ from another in glory1 ,who bestows different measures of reward upon different capacities1 and different attainments1 has a special interest and a superior blessedness for those who have never been stained1 who have always stayed in their father's house1 and have obeyed ,his will and loved ,his voice4 ,in themselves they are dearer to ,him1 as more like ,,jesus2 and for them1 ,he has seats closer to the throne of ,,christ1 and offices of honour near ,his person4 ,if this is so1 if 8faultlessness10 in the sense of never blotted1 never imperfect1 is the state that is most blessed1 then1 brethren1 we might perhaps be tempted to envy the fate of those whom we commemorate to-day1 who suffered so early for ,,christ',s sake1 and as soon almost as they were born1 were put to death4 ,we might judge1 too1 that the little ones whom ,,god so frequently takes away so soon after lending them1 are summoned to a higher blessedness than we can ever know2 and therefore that not only would it have been gain to die in infancy1 but that it is positive loss to live to years of discretion and responsibility4 ,let us not err herein4 ,we believe that the dear innocents1 whose first consciousness is of bliss in heaven1 whose reason begins to develop1 and their will to exercise itself1 only when sin is impossible1 are not only unspeakably blessed1 but that ,,god specially loves them1 and folds them to ,his bosom 7as we did here71 because of that innocence3 no guile1 no defilement--all simplicity and trust4 ,thankful then in their sober moments are all bereaved parents who are assured of their departed little ones' eternal safety1 and are spared the fears and anxieties1 the heartrending realisation of self-will developed1 and the world's evil example followed1 and the devil triumphant4 ,the ,,lord gave1 and the ,,lord hath taken away2 and1 in that ,he has taken away1 from the evil to come1 ,oh6 blessed be the name of the ,,lord4 ,but1 brethren1 it is only because we fear for the future1 that we thankfully accept such a present4 ,could we be sure that our little ones would remain faultless1 that they would not abuse the world1 nor fall into great error or misery1 that they would grow in grace1 and in the fear of the ,,lord1 and at length surely attain to glory2 then1 not from selfishness1 but for their sakes1 we should covet length of days for them4 ,and rightly1 for there is a better faultlessness1 and a correspondingly higher blessedness than that of infants1 who were allowed no opportunity 7and possessed no power7 to contract fault3 it is the faultlessness of those who shrink from the allowed opportunity1 who restrain the possessed power1 and overcome the persuading will1 who pass through the fire without the smell of it being left on their garments1 who make manifest by a life of self-denials1 and resistances to temptations1 and patience and perseverance in well-doing1 their intelligent deliberate love of ,,god1 and hatred of evil4 ,these are the tried1 the eagerly accepted1 the specially loved4 ,these do the ,,lord',s work1 and set forth the ,,lord',s glory4 ,these shall indeed be welcomed with a 8,well-done good and faithful servant10 for them shall be reserved the best seats on the right hand of ,,god2 and they shall joy in ,,god1 and ,,god in them1 with a peculiar joy1 for they are likest unto ,,christ1 ,whose spotlessness was preserved among so many defilements1 ,who with heart1 and mind1 and life1 consistently1 unceasingly served ,,god1 and ,who therefore is highly exalted1 and has a name which is above all other names4 ,oh it is no mean privilege1 brethren1 which you forego1 when you leave the ranks of the faultless1 when you shrink from duty1 or yield to sinful pleasure1 or contract any stain of ungodliness4 ,say not1 8,it is only for once40 ,it will surely be for more than once2 but if it were not1 still from being faultless that once makes you blotted and blemished4 ,say not1 8,i can repent by and by1 and ,,god of ,his mercy will accept me1 and ,i shall be myself again40 ,you may not live to repent4 ,sin may disincline1 the ,spirit provoked may leave you2 but even if you do repent--though ,,god will undoubtedly forgive1 and in a sense restore you--remember1 you can never be as you were before4 ,you may be cleansed1 but not as at first clean2 admitted to heaven1 but not to the band of the one hundred and forty-four thousand of undefiled2 joined to the glorious choir of the redeemed1 but not allowed1 not able to sing the peculiar song of the faultless4 8,but what10 some would say1 8is the use of this preaching8 ,we are all already faulty2 we can none of us have a place among these choice first fruits of ,,god',s harvest40 ,brethren1 faultlessness1 pure faultlessness1 is no longer ours2 but comparative faultlessness 7and ,bible faultlessness1 after all1 is only comparative freedom from wilful sin7 may1 and1 ,i trust1 does pertain to many of us2 and for each degree of nearness to faultlessness1 if ,i understand the ,bible aright1 there is its peculiar reward4 ,i would put you on your guard against losing that reward1 by sinking to a lower level4 ,i would urge you to hold fast what you have1 to subdue yourselves1 to resist the world and the devil1 to be ever on the watch against danger1 and to flee speedily from temptation1 if it is too strong to fight against1 to seek strength and sanctification in means of grace1 to pray constantly 7and strive constantly to make good your prayer71 that ,,christ would keep you from falling1 and finally present you faultless before the presence of ,his glory with exceeding joy4 ,,sermon ,,vii4 ,,past ,,mercies ,,reviewed4 7,,new ,,year',s ,,eve47 ,,genesis1 ,,xxxii41 #aj4 ,i am not worthy of the least of all the mercies1 and of all the truth1 which thou hast showed unto ,thy servant2 for with my staff ,i passed over this ,jordan2 and now ,i am become two bands4 ,,these are ,jacob's words4 ,they form part of the prayer which he offered to ,,god1 when1 on his return from ,haran1 he found that ,esau was coming out against him with four hundred men4 ,mingled feelings must have possessed ,jacob at this time2 strange remembrances must have been his6 ,twenty years ago he had passed over that ,jordan--near which he now stood--in flight from an enraged brother1 meditating and preparing vengeance for an act of fraudulent injury4 ,what a weary pilgrimage he had since followed2 what sorrows1 what desolations had possessed his aching heart2 how he had toiled and suffered wrong2 even now was fleeing from it6 ,yet1 those twenty years gone1 he was coming back1 not to the prospect of peace and happiness1 not to the hope that his brother had forgotten his vengeance1 or that he would easily be reconciled to him2 but to face a mindful1 aggravated avenger1 strengthened by four hundred followers4 ,surely he had fled and been in exile to no purpose6 ,surely1 by deferring it1 he had increased his trouble6 ,it must have been that ,jacob now acutely remembered the cause of ,esau's anger2 that he meditated on the mean advantage that he had taken1 the base fraud to which he had been a party1 the lying1 the profanity of his lips1 the evil deeds which led to evil consequences4 ,ah6 now he felt that man cannot sin with impunity1 that transgression and punishment are bound together as cause and effect1 that vengeance1 though it tarry1 though it slumber1 though we run from it1 and hide from it many1 many days1 will yet accomplish its purpose1 will surely repay6 ,yes2 and did he not feel that vengeance had even followed him2 that he had been its victim all those twenty years2 that the frauds of ,laban1 from first to last1 and the strifes and dissensions of his own household were the fruits of his deceit2 that ,,god had allowed them1 that in a way ,he had caused them in retaliation1 in punishment of his sin6 ,what an experience to him1 what a proof to us1 my brethren1 that sin will surely find us out6 ,but ,jacob must have had other and different thoughts--thoughts which preponderated4 ,as he called to mind his first passage over ,jordan1 did not he remember the wonderful vision that was vouchsafed him of angels descending to earth1 ascending to heaven1 in token of ,divine providence1 of the intercourse between man and ,,god8 ,did he not remember the ,voice which promised to be with him1 to keep him in all places whither he went1 to bring him again to this land1 to give it to him and to his seed after him8 ,did he not look along those twenty years1 and remember that ,,god had been with him1 and that1 by ,his command1 he was now coming back2 and did he not hope1 yes1 even against hope1 that ,,god would be with him in the coming struggle1 that ,he would crown ,his mercy and goodness with a present success1 and with the establishment of himself and his seed in the promised land8 ,and one other remembrance surely he had4 ,he remembered the vow which in the fresh reverence of ,,god',s presence1 in glad and grateful acceptance of ,his promises1 he had solemnly made1 8,the ,,lord shall be my ,,god20 and he must have remembered how often he had forgotten that vow1 how generally he had slightly regarded it4 ,these ,i suppose to have been the feelings and remembrances which filled the breast of ,jacob1 when he uttered the prayer in which our text occurs4 ,observe how that prayer exhibits the right ordering of these feelings1 making prominent1 putting uppermost thoughts and acknowledgments of ,,god',s goodness2 and1 in the moment of greatest peril1 pausing to review mercies1 and to give thanks6 ,there is no bitter lamentation of his hard lot throughout those years of promised blessing2 there is no pleading with ,,god1 that if he had sinned he had surely been punished enough2 there is no mention of the merits of his contrite heart and amended life2 there is no angry feeling against ,esau1 no supplication that ,,god would smite and confound him4 ,it is a godly1 a model prayer4 ,betaking himself to ,,god in the hour of danger1 as his only confidence and help1 he humbly urges no personal claim1 but--that he is in the place of ,,god',s commanding4 8#8,thou ,,lord that saidst unto me ,return unto thy country and unto thy kindred1' ,i did not recklessly run into danger1 ,i did not voluntarily gratify the natural yearning of my poor heart4 ,thou broughtest me here1 ,o ,,lord protect me here20 and then having put forth himself1 though but such a little way1 and coming to consider ,,god1 ,who had shown him such wondrous goodness1 ,who had fulfilled for him so truthfully all ,his promises1 he exclaims1 8,i am not worthy of the least of all the mercies1 and of all the truth which thou hast showed unto ,thy servant3 for with my staff--as a solitary1 poor individual--,i passed over this ,jordan1 and now ,i am become two bands4 ,deliver me1 ,i pray thee40 ,this seems to me1 brethren1 a fit theme for a sermon on ,new ,year's ,eve4 ,jacob1 come back from ,haran to ,jordan1 where he had made a covenant with ,,god1 may well typify our return to-night to the sanctuary of ,,god1 whence we went forth refreshed and pledged last ,new ,year's ,eve4 ,jacob's reflections--he is the pattern of a mediator--may well provoke us to ask of the days that are past1 to remember all the way which the ,,lord our ,,god has led us4 ,jacob's prayer shows us how to speak to ,,god1 what we should feel in ,his presence on such an occasion as this1 how to propitiate ,him1 and to secure ,his defence and blessing in what lies before us4 ,i will not attempt1 brethren1 to picture the circumstances through which you have passed in the year which is now all but ended2 many of them ,i could only guess at1 many of them1 to me1 would be unimaginable4 ,recall them for yourselves and meditate on them4 ,they will teach you much1 and influence you much4 ,i will address you simply as those who have made a halt in the journey of life1 and who want now ,,god',s blessing in the known and unknown dangers1 anxieties1 sufferings1 and labours that lie before you in the coming year4 ,well3 let your requests be made known unto ,,god with prayer2 above all--yes6 ,i mean it--above all1 with thanksgiving4 ,but1 first1 before you approach ,,god1 to speak to ,him1 to ask of ,him1 to thank ,him1 be sure that you can say to ,him1 8,i am in the way of ,thy commandments40 ,if at this moment you are contentedly different from what you know ,he would have you to be2 if you indulge1 or do not resolutely renounce any besetting sin2 if you deliberately neglect any positive duty2 if in will and affections1 and aims1 you are worldly and selfish1 and do not seek to be otherwise2 if you are planning anything1 or hoping for anything which ,,god does not approve2 if you are shrinking from1 desiring to avoid1 what ,he appoints2 if you have not made up your minds to try to be holy1 to walk in the way of righteousness2 then1 brethren1 you are disqualified to pray to ,,god4 ,he hears not such4 ,he has made no promises to them3 they are not ,his4 ,go fashion yourselves 7,he will mercifully give you grace to do it7 into the character that ,he loves2 get you into the paths that ,he has marked out2 turn your face towards the ,holy ,land1 and then come to tell ,him of your felt unworthiness1 to speak ,his praise1 to intreat ,him to be with you1 to defend and prosper you2 and be sure you shall be welcomed and blessed4 ,but1 supposing you not disqualified to come1 supposing you bent on coming1 consider now your right posture and deportment before ,,god4 ,ask nothing of right1 ask all out of felt unworthiness1 and that1 not simply the unworthiness of the stranger1 and alien1 who want mercies which they have never known1 and speak to a ,,god that has not hitherto been their ,,god1 as the publican cried1 8,,god be merciful to me a sinner20 but such an unworthiness as belonged to the prodigal1 such as he felt and groaned under1 when1 reflecting on all the love and blessedness which he had experienced in his father's house1 and had despised1 and sinned against1 and seeing the ,father coming towards him1 ready to pardon1 ready to embrace1 ready to lead him home again1 he was humbled to the very dust before ,him1 on account of his goodness1 and declared himself unworthy to be called ,his son4 ,oh1 my brethren1 if you do not feel unworthy1 when you approach the all-good and all-holy ,,god1 and if the feeling is not one enlightened by1 and full of the remembrances of blessings already received1 you are unfit to ask for further blessings4 ,not to have used ,,god',s blessings is great indignity2 not to be thankful for them is base ingratitude2 but not to feel1 that whether used or not used1 appreciated or not appreciated1 they are many and undeserved--this is to deny that you ever received them1 or1 claiming them as a right1 to defy ,,god to withhold them6 ,cultivate then1 ,i pray you1 this feeling of unworthiness2 and1 that you may do so the more readily1 review the mercies1 the promises made true which you have received2 and tell out their number1 their kind1 and their magnitude to the ,,god ,who gave them1 and would have them acknowledged4 8,with my staff ,i passed over this ,jordan1 and now ,i am become two bands40 ,now the argument of these words is1 8,i do not come to ,thee1 professing that ,i am a fit person to be helped1 but ,i claim ,thee as a ,,god who are wont to help such as ,i am4 ,i am not worthy of the least of ,thy mercies3 but yet ,thou hast shown me marvellous mercies4 ,i possess now the evidences and pledges of ,thy goodness4 ,therefore ,i pray for1 ,i humbly count on further blessing1 not because ,i am a holy man1 but because ,thou art a good ,,god1 and ,my good ,,god40 ,it is an argument which prevails with ,,god4 ,he is pleased to see that we recognise ,his former gifts1 that we make them--and not ourselves1 our love of ,him1 our obedience1 our prayers1 and fastings1 and study of ,his ,word1 and use of ,his grace--the ground of application4 ,he likes that ,his consistent faithfulness should be invoked2 that since ,he has made a beginning1 just on that very account1 ,he should be looked to 7so as it be humbly71 to continue ,his work1 and to accomplish it4 ,when you go to ,,god to ask for fresh blessings1 you cannot take with you better and more effectual words than those which make mention of1 which exhibit as promises and pledges1 what you have already received4 ,but these words are not simply an argument for further help2 they are1 besides1 a free acknowledgment1 a pure praise of what has been given4 ,they may be the plea of a beseeching heart1 but they are besides the tribute of a grateful heart2 and it is in this sense1 brethren1 that ,i specially wish you to adopt them to-night1 and to make them a thanksgiving to ,,god for past mercies reviewed4 8,with my staff ,i passed over this ,jordan1 and now ,i am become two bands40 ,jacob might have found mercies enough to enlist his gratitude in any one year1 or circumstance of his exile and pilgrimage1 and doubtless he reviewed each and all particularly2 but in his speech he comprehended all in a general mention of them1 and summed them up1 and demonstrated them by pointing to their effect4 8,now ,i am become two bands40 ,review your past mercies1 consider how ,,god has been with you at all times1 and has ever been doing you good4 ,call to mind what progress you have been able to make spiritual or temporal2 what success has attended you2 what friends have been given you2 what dangers you have narrowly escaped2 what sicknesses recovered from2 what wounds been healed1 what troubles overcome1 what tears staunched4 ,have they not caused you1 like ,jacob1 to increase from the solitariness and poverty of that passing over ,jordan1 to the riches and prosperity of the two bands8 ,perhaps you say1 you cannot trace such progress2 you are much the same outwardly and inwardly1 as you have been from the time that you can first remember4 ,then1 brethren1 you can furnish your own testimony1 that ,,god has dealt better with you than ,he did with ,jacob1 that your first state1 your continued state has been all like his last4 ,o discern and bless ,,god for those least heeded but greatest mercies1 the mercies which come to us at the beginning1 and follow us all the days of our life--the continued prosperity of our family1 the continued harmony and love1 the bread always sure1 the right understanding early implanted1 the fear of the ,,lord from our youth4 ,there is a way of travelling in our days which is so smooth1 that often we cannot tell that we are moving2 and there is a manner of blessing1 so uninterrupted1 so uniform1 so without roughnesses and stoppages and ups and downs1 that if we be not on the lookout1 we may fancy that we are not blessed at all4 ,let not this be your case4 ,do not refuse to be grateful1 because all goes well with you1 because there is nothing that needs to be supplied1 because nothing is taken away from you4 ,rather1 let the measure of your blessedness be also the measure of your praise and the strength of your resolution4 8,surely goodness and mercy have followed me all the days of my life1 and ,i will dwell in the house of the ,,lord for ever40 ,but your object1 perhaps1 8,mine has not been this life of uninterrupted prosperity1 but1 on the contrary1 one of continued adversity4 ,it is ,jacob's first1 not his last estate1 that has been always mine40 ,what do you mean8 ,that you were not born rich1 nor influential1 nor of honoured family8 ,that you have not the wisdom of the philosopher1 the dignity of the prince1 the opulence of the successful merchant1 the leisure of independent private life8 ,that may be4 ,your state may be the reverse of all this1 and yet be the state of the 8two bands40 ,external prosperity in ,jacob's time was commonly1 yet not always1 the sign of spiritual blessings2 in ,gospel days1 with our better light1 and greater power of appreciation of the reality1 the sign is not so often afforded1 frequently the most favoured are without it2 yea1 and often it abides with the unblessed as the mocking substitute for true blessedness4 ,if you are without ,,god in the world2 if you do not feel ,him about your bed1 and about your path2 if you do not live in ,his fear1 and hope for ,his mercies1 and ,his rewards2 if the thought of ,him does not moderate your worldly joy1 and direct your aims1 and leaven your worldly work2 if ,his comfort does not dry your tears1 ,his strength support you1 ,his grace sanctify you1 then--no matter what your outward state1 and your possessions1 your powers1 your happiness--you are poor and unblessed4 ,but if ,he is thus with you in all your ways1 if you have resolved1 and are keeping the resolution1 8,the ,,lord shall be my ,,god10 then is yours the state1 or it is growing towards the state of the 8two bands40 ,one more objection somewhat akin to this last1 must be answered4 ,there are some who say1 8,mine was once the state of the two bands3 it has long since been--or it is fast becoming--solitariness and the single staff4 ,all thing are against me4 ,nothing that ,i put my hand to seems to prosper2 ,i come into misfortune2 the fountains of joy are dried up2 my hope1 my stay1 are taken from me4 ,when ,i look back upon the past1 ,i look as it were up an incline down which ,i have rolled1 or towards a pinnacle whence ,i have been cast down40 ,now1 of course1 my brethren1 all this may be the result of the displeasure of ,,god1 consequent upon your sin1 or neglect of ,him4 ,outward adversity is sometimes the effect of ,his wrath1 sometimes it is the chastisement of displeasure1 and the discipline of correction4 ,if then in your heart1 you know that you deserve such wrath1 or need such correction 7even then it is a blessing1 and you ought to praise ,,god for it1 but still7 you may be sure that it is the mark of disapprobation1 something for you to grieve over1 and seek to have removed4 ,but if the testimony of your conscience is that you walk with ,,god1 then are these so-called reverses very blessings1 not declines but advances1 not hindrances but helps1 tokens of ,,god',s love upraisings of you towards heaven4 ,oh be like ,jacob2 count all mercy1 get rid of selfishness1 and meditate as he did1 and you will prove that all is mercy1 and proclaim it6 ,you will find1 for instance1 that the loss of wealth took away with it the idol of your worship1 the minister of your excessive pleasure2 that altered position broke down your pride2 that worldly sorrow led you to seek heavenly comfort2 that the perfidy of so-called friends made you cease to put your trust in man1 and caused you to rely on the friend that sticketh closer than a brother2 that sickness and infirmity reminded you of death1 and stimulated you to preparation for judgment2 that the loss of those you loved1 uprooted your clingings to earth1 linked you to heaven1 revealed to you ,one whom you knew not2 ,whom above all you ought to love2 ,who is better to you than sons and daughters2 ,who is the true and abiding ,father of the fatherless1 and ,,god of the widow4 ,no matter what your circumstances1 how many your troubles1 ,i tell you on the authority of ,god's ,word1 that if you love ,him1 they all work together for your good2 yea1 they are all good in themselves4 ,you will find them so1 if you rightly review them1 and each of you will be able to say1 as truthfully as ,jacob did1 with much more meaning1 because of your better knowledge and superior blessedness in ,,christ1 8,i am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth1 which ,thou hast showed unto my servant 4 4 4 ,i am become two bands40 ,try to feel this1 brethren1 and to express it this night to ,,god2 to tell out your praises for the mercies of your past life1 and1 in the review of them1 to pledge yourselves to ,him1 that you will strive henceforth to recognise blessings more quickly1 to use them better1 to be more grateful for them4 ,be these the thoughts and vows with which you consecrate the last hours of a dying year4 ,but1 knowing that so soon as you set out again1 your enemy1 whom sin has given the advantage over you1 will come to meet you1 to smite you1 to turn you back from the ,holy ,land1 forget not this night to cry1 8,deliver me1 ,i pray ,thee1 ,o ,,lord4 ,take away from me the sin which exposes me to assaults1 which makes me vulnerable4 ,give me ,thy strength3 go before me with thy blessing40 ,do this1 brethren1 persevere in it day after day1 night after night3 wrestle with ,god1 refuse to let ,him go--you shall surely prevail3 ,,god will yield all you ask2 and1 in honour of your victory1 ,he will change your name from ,jacob to ,israel1 that is1 you shall no longer be remembered by the name of your deceit and your sin4 ,you shall be known1 known to angels1 known to ,him1 as princes1 and prevailers with ,,god4 ,,sermon ,,viii4 ,,working ,,for ,,god4 ,,st4 ,,john1 ,,ix41 #d4 ,i must work the works of ,him that sent me1 while it is day3 the night cometh1 when no man can work4 ,i ,,dwell not on these words in their relation to the context4 ,i pause not to consider whether their utterance was a justification of the ,sabbath-day miracle that was presently to be performed--8no opportunity must be lost1 no delay allowed of working the works of ,,god0--or whether they were but the thinking and resolving aloud 7so characteristic of our ,,lord71 by which ,he kept ever in mind ,his great mission1 by which ,he continually stimulated and pressed on that human nature of ,his2 willing indeed1 but yet weak1 though not sinful2 and made it vigorously industrious in the work of ,,god2 or whether1 once more1 ,,christ here but personified ,christians1 and spoke not of ,himself1 not to keep ,himself mindful and intent upon ,his work1 but as their example and representative1 as though ,he had said1 8,a work of ,,god will now be manifested in the restoration of this blind man4 ,it will not be delayed till the ,sabbath is over4 ,see me serving ,,god and serving ,him now1 by instant doing of all possible work4 ,consider me your example4 ,let this be your resolution1 #8,i must work the works of ,him that sent me1 while it is day3 the night cometh1 when no man can work4'0 ,it matters little to us what feeling or motive immediately prompted our ,,lord to speak the text4 ,his words at once commend themselves to us as those which we may1 which we ought to adopt1 even if they belong primarily to ,him2 which1 rather1 since they were the ruling maxim of ,,christ1 must be the ruling maxim of ,christians4 ,well1 then1 these are our words 7and ,,christ has shown us how to fulfil them71 8,i must work the works of ,him that sent me1 while it is day3 the night cometh1 when no man can work40 8,him that sent me40 ,have we yet to learn1 my brethren1 that ,,god sent us into this world2 that we came not here by chance1 or on our own account2 that we are not independent beings1 free to wander about or linger to do1 or forbear to do1 as we please8 ,by the will--for the accomplishment of the purposes--of ,,god1 we are here on a mission1 ,his messengers1 ,his agents1 workers for ,him4 ,,god has made all things for ,his own use and glory4 ,none of us liveth unto himself--,he sent us forth4 ,he gave us a charge4 ,he watches to see what we do with it4 ,he waits for our return2 rather1 ,he appoints1 and1 whensoever ,he will1 enforces our return4 ,and what is the mission8 ,what has ,he sent us to do8 ,to work the works of ,,god1 and make them manifest1 to promote1 to show forth ,his glory1 to become ourselves all that ,he would have us to be1 and to light and guide others to the same end4 ,work for ,,god6 ,how few ever think of such a thing6 ,work for themselves 7and for others like themselves7 for food to eat and raiment to put on1 for money1 for power1 for fame1 for pleasure2 men understand this2 they acknowledge the necessity of it1 or the inviting1 constraining desirableness of it1 and they do it--do it generally1 do it well1 and heartily4 ,a really idle man1 a man that works not some works1 is a rarity1 an object of contempt when he is seen1 a despiser of himself4 ,but1 work for ,,god6 ,how many do that8 ,who does it heartily1 and does it well8 ,whose thoughts are full of it1 whose deeds accomplish it8 ,what fruits come of it8 ,there are some1 not a few1 thank ,,god6 who can give a satisfactory answer to such questions2 whose lives continually give it1 and whom ,,god1 for their works' sake in ,,christ1 greatly approves4 ,but ,i speak now to the many1 yea1 ,i speak to all2 for the work of ,,god so generally neglected1 is by none perfectly performed4 ,to all1 then1 ,i solemnly address the questions3 8,do you work for ,,god80 and 8,what work do you work for ,him80 ,you are tempted to justify yourselves4 ,you are not the unbelieving1 and rebellious1 and profane of our race4 ,you recognise a ,,god of providence and grace1 a moral ruler of the world1 a waiting ,judge4 ,to this ,,god you say your prayers1 ,his word you read1 and reverence1 and receive4 ,to ,him you dedicate at least several hours of each seventh day2 by ,his commandments you order your daily life4 ,you do no wrong to your neighbour by word or deed2 you strive to purify and sanctify your very feelings and thoughts2 you believe in a ,saviour2 you accept ,his salvation2 you try to love ,him2 you partake of ,his means of grace2 you rest in ,him1 and look to ,him for final redemption1 and something you do occasionally by way of persuading others2 and something you give for the furtherance of religious works4 ,it is well1 brethren1 if you do this2 if you go through the form1 and do not inwardly contradict what is outward1 but rather incline to it4 ,it is well1 ,i say1 because it is hopeful1 it will1 by grace1 lead you farther2 but if in your heart and soul you recognise ,,god1 and believe in a ,saviour1 then ,i am sure that you will not adduce what ,i have mentioned as specimens of the works of ,,god4 ,acknowledgments that ,,god ought to be served1 pledges of service1 they may be1 but works they are not4 ,and yet some1 perhaps1 would urge1 8,when the question was put1 #8,what must we do that we may work the works of ,,god8' did not ,,christ answer1 #8,this is the work of ,,god1 that ye believe on ,him whom ,he hath sent08 and1 say they1 8,does not this show that literal working1 as we work in and for the world1 is not what ,,god demands2 that it is rather a mental assent1 an entertaining and exercising of feelings1 a believing1 a thankful1 a sanctifying remembrance of ,,christ',s work2 a trust in it1 a carefulness to do nothing that will render it ineffectual for our salvation1 that is required of us8 ,surely1 ,,christ has done the work ,himself2 we have but to accept it thankfully1 and wait for it faithfully and holily40 ,now1 my brethren1 it may be easily shown that this is not believing in ,him whom ,,god hath sent4 ,to believe in ,him is to embrace ,him as the ,author1 and ,finisher1 and ,giver of ,salvation2 to be assured that salvation can only be had from ,him1 in ,him1 and on ,his terms2 to learn of ,him1 therefore--and1 of course1 of ,his ,apostles and ,evangelists after ,him1 for to them even clearer teaching was intrusted--what are the terms1 and then to fulfil them resolutely and precisely4 ,do you need that ,i should quote the actual words1 the chapter1 and verse1 in which ,,christ1 through the ,spirit1 tells us1 that ,he has redeemed us to ,himself2 that ,he has purchased us for a peculiar people zealous of good works2 that ,he has left us a definite work to do against ,his return2 that on ,his return ,he will judge and reward us by our works2 that ,he will condemn as workers against ,him those who have not worked for ,him2 that it is vain to acknowledge ,him and not do the things that ,he bids2 that ,he has left us an example that we should follow ,his steps1 in that ,he fulfilled all righteousness1 and went about doing good1 and proposed to ,himself1 as that which must be done1 and done heartily and without delay1 the works and the manifesting of the works of ,,god1 and made it ,his meat and drink to do the ,father's will2 that ,he has said plainly1 that whosoever would not take up the cross and follow ,him could not be ,his disciple4 ,o wo to those who dare to say this means3 ,sit still in worldliness1 and look at and admire ,him doing the labour and pursuing the path of godliness--that ,he has attached all ,his promises to certain deeds2 that ,he is ever represented as judging1 not what men have thought and felt1 but what they have done and become by doing2 that by the ,spirit ,he has commanded 8,work out your own salvation with fear and trembling20 and 8,whether ye eat or drink1 or whatsoever ye do1 do all to the glory of ,,god20 and 8,he that gathereth not1 scattereth abroad08 ,oh1 my brethren1 let us be honest2 we know1 we dare not deny it1 that a work1 rather that many works are imposed upon us by ,,god1 and that it will not do for us merely to think of them1 to sigh over them1 to approach them carelessly1 reluctantly1 to call preferred employments by their name2 but that with clear understanding with heart-devotion1 with constant application and real labour1 we must do the works of ,him that sent us4 ,and1 now1 what are the works8 ,the first1 and most vitally important1 is1 to 8work out our own salvation20 not to attempt of ourselves to undo what ,adam did2 not by any course of zealous doing to seek to recommend ourselves to ,,god as deserving a reward1 to propose to purchase heaven1 to go to ,,god the ,father directly for it1 and expect to get it from ,him1 either as a right or as a gift of compassion3 but1 knowing that it is only to be had of ,,christ1 to seek it from ,,christ in appointed ways1 in the measure1 on the conditions which ,he has prescribed for all1 and to fulfil the conditions4 ,we are not naturally born in grace2 we do not naturally inherit glory4 ,,christ1 by right1 the ,saviour of all men1 is1 in fact1 8specially0 only the ,saviour of them that believe2 of them who actually apply to ,him and depend on ,him1 and remain in communion with ,him for grace2 who serve ,him by fulfilling ,his commands and copying ,his example1 who use ,his grace and grow in it1 and by its power transform themselves into the character which alone can dwell in heaven4 ,now1 all this is work--real1 anxious1 laborious work2 this obeying of ,,christ1 this imitation of ,his example1 and following in ,his steps1 this putting off of the old man and putting on of the new man4 ,are you intent upon it8 ,do you perform it8 ,consider the means of grace1 prayer1 praise1 divine instruction1 holy communion2 do you faithfully and diligently use them8 ,read the ,decalogue with the commentary of the ,sermon on the ,mount4 ,can you honestly say1 ,all this ,i keep and do8 ,study the life of ,,christ--is your life like it3 like it in humility1 in self-denial1 in labour1 in fact1 in hope1 in aim8 ,examine yourselves4 ,are you cleansed from evil propensities--are you adorned with ,christian graces--are you fit in person1 in will1 in desire1 for a heaven full of holiness1 whose employment will be the doing of ,,god',s work1 as angels do it1 whose relaxation1 if ,i may so speak1 will be the contemplation and the praise of ,,god8 ,what do you leave undone1 what do you transgress of ,,god',s will8 ,what covetousness do you root out1 what evil tempers do you subdue1 what rash zeal do you curb1 what indolence do you overcome8 ,are you worldly1 sensual1 ill-natured1 proud1 self-seeking8 ,have you any trace of these stains upon you8 ,are you wanting in obedience1 in patience1 in holiness1 in love of ,,god8 ,you cannot enter heaven1 it would close its gates against you1 you would flee from it as a place of torment1 while you are in such a state4 ,now1 what are you doing1 or attempting to appropriate ,,christ',s salvation1 to secure ,,god',s approbation1 to qualify yourselves in character1 in taste and desire for a purely spiritual1 a gloriously holy heaven8 ,you know what concentrated thought1 what single aim1 what diligent1 anxious1 persevering labour are necessary to make you good scholars1 able statesmen1 accomplished members of society1 successful tradesmen1 apt mechanics2 or1 to descend lower1 ordinary earners of daily bread4 ,you may guess1 then1 what measure of these things is needed to perfect you in saintliness1 and therefore you are able to answer the question--oh1 how must you answer it8--whether you fulfil the acknowledged requirement of the text1 8,i must work the works of ,him that sent me40 ,but1 besides this1 so to speak1 selfish work1 you have a work to do for and upon others4 ,,god ,who wills to inform1 and persuade1 and save the world1 appoints men1 appoints you to accomplish ,his will4 ,like as ,,christ1 besides qualifying ,himself to be the ,saviour1 had also to proclaim1 and recommend1 and bestow salvation1 so have you1 while putting yourselves in the way of salvation1 and diligently pursuing it1 to be lights1 and voices1 and helping hands to others4 ,you are lights of the world2 you are ambassadors for ,,christ2 you are your brothers' keepers2 you are teachers of ,,god',s ,word1 and advocates of ,his cause1 and treasurers of ,his gifts2 you are under shepherds of ,,christ2 you are fellow workers with ,him1 and dispensers of ,his manifold grace4 ,,god has given you these offices1 and ,he has placed you where you may exercise them4 ,he has given you authority over your children1 and servants1 and dependents4 ,he has lent you influence over friends and associates4 ,he has planted you in the midst of crowds of ignorant1 indifferent1 ungodly1 that you may work for ,him1 in guiding1 and persuading1 and leading to salvation1 in making manifest ,his glory4 ,he has put into your power to contribute something--into the power of some to contribute much--to the various associations 7which are1 in fact1 your agents71 for doing the work of ,,god in building and endowing additional churches1 in providing more clergymen at home1 in sending missionaries to the colonist and the heathen4 ,you think1 perhaps1 that in the chief part of what ,i have said1 ,i have been describing the clergy1 and not the laity4 ,but1 brethren1 the clergy are nothing but representatives1 representatives1 on the one hand1 of ,,god1 teaching1 exhorting1 ministering grace in ,his name1 by and from ,him2 representatives1 on the other hand1 of your prayers1 and praises1 and your works4 ,you know whose would be the blame1 and how great the blame1 and how terrible the consequences1 if the minister only confessed to ,,god and praised ,him1 and partook of ,his sacraments4 ,it is just the same1 if he only teaches1 and exhorts1 and visits1 and tends1 and relieves2 an empty sign1 a mockery1 a provocation of wrath1 which will surely descend on those who cause it to be unreal1 on those who do not make it real4 ,ministers we are1 coming from ,,god to you1 going to ,,god from you4 ,oh1 you cannot suppose that if you leave two or three clergymen to deal with thousands of people1 to inform them1 to persuade them1 to become acquainted with their wants1 to relieve them out of their own poor means1 you cannot suppose ,i say that in so doing1 you are working the works of ,,god1 that when you have said your prayers1 and listened to the sermon1 and paid your pew rents1 and dropped a superfluous coin into the plate of an occasional collection1 you have obeyed and imitated ,,christ4 ,no1 brethren1 you are under no such delusion of ,satan4 ,an awful responsibility is indeed upon the clergy4 ,we have sworn to give ourselves wholly to a work in which your part is to support1 and succour1 and enable us4 ,we are pledged to forego opportunities of acquiring fame1 and gaining wealth and power1 and taking pleasure4 ,wo to us1 if we disregard the oath1 if we cling to the things which we profess to have renounced6 ,but if we fail1 that will not excuse you2 and if we are faithful without your adherence1 the reward will be ours1 the blood guiltily shed1 or guiltily unstaunched1 will be upon your heads4 ,it is a solemn theme which ,i am discussing this morning1 and ,i dare not but speak plainly upon it4 ,our fidelity will not profit you if you are not helpers of us4 ,our unfaithfulness1 though we perish in it1 will be visited on you1 if you do not enable us1 if you do not constrain us1 by the power with which you should endow us1 by the jealous concern which you should have for our work1 by the diligent co-operation which you should exercise with us4 ,it is easy to say1 that you are not qualified for this1 that your time is all engaged in your worldly calling1 that you cannot spare from the means of your support1 from the capital of your business1 the money which the ,church calls for4 ,but1 brethren1 consider1 that though ,,god requires you to maintain yourselves and your families1 though your worldly callings are appointed for you by ,,god1 though ,he allows you to give much time to them1 to advance and enrich yourselves by them1 yet all this is on the condition that you do not withhold from ,him the direct service and offerings which constitute the one thing needful1 the reward of which is all that shall survive this life1 and this world6 ,it was the fashion once among religionists to despise1 to pronounce unclean 7unfitting for the ,christian71 the use of the world1 its callings1 its profits1 its pleasures4 ,there is much danger of an opposite fashion prevailing in our days4 ,the confining of religious service and worship to the honest1 respectable1 intellectual1 liberal pursuit of some worldly vocation1 8the religion of common life0 as it is called1 being regarded1 not as the companion1--rather the handmaid--but the substitute 7and a very good one1 too7 for pure spiritual religion4 ,both are wrong4 ,the ,christian may use the world1 and in the right use of it he may be serving ,,god4 ,but he must not abuse it2 and he does abuse it1 if he allows himself to be engrossed by it2 if he brings himself to a state1 if he continues willingly in a state1 where he is obliged to say1 8,i cannot spare any time or any money1 my first thought1 and concern1 and provision must be for this life40 ,you have heard1 or read1 perhaps1 that a contented1 conscientious1 and cheerful abiding in and following of our worldly occupations1 that even the housemaid's sweeping and cleaning may be religious worship2 and there is truth in the statement1 otherwise the ,apostle could not have exhorted 8,whether ye eat or drink1 or whatsoever ye do1 do all to the glory of ,,god20 but1 the ,scriptural injunction means1 8,prolong the remembrance of your spiritual worship3 testify your yearning to get back to it3 keep the face shining1 when you come down from the glorious mount1 so that while the world demands your bodies1 your souls1 your hearts and spirits may still be given to ,,god1 and even the bodily acts spiritualised by doing them in submission1 in holy observance of the will of ,,god1 in thankful use of the means of support and helps to usefulness1 which ,he thus affords you40 ,worldly occupations and worldly goods are to the ,christian what meals1 and recreations1 and sleep are to men generally3 necessaries1 supports of the lower life1 refreshments1 and invigorators for something better4 ,give yourselves wholly to these and you become sensualists1 idlers1 sluggards2 and give yourselves wholly to the world and you are followers of ,mammon and forsakers of ,,god6 ,you see the right use of the world1 as far as this life is concerned1 when the son toils to support an aged parent1 when the young man struggles to get on1 that he may establish a home1 when the father seeks through his profession to provide for his family1 when the lover of literature diligently tries to make his calling afford him money for books and time to read them4 ,this is employing the world as a necessary means to a desired end4 ,and so you see the right use of the world1 in regard to a better life1 in him who labours and perseveres1 and advances in it with the view of getting as much out of it as he can for ,,god4 ,be sure that there are none so busy but1 in the midst of their business1 they can think of what they like better2 none so pressed for time1 but they can spare some of it1 if they have a mind to2 none so poor as to have nothing to spend on what they covet4 ,so use the world1 and1 in using it1 you will work the works of ,,god1 because you will often take from it1 and often come out from it1 for the direct and more purely spiritual works of ,,god4 ,but ,,christ1 our pattern1 said not merely 8,i must work the works of ,,god10 but ,i must do them 8while it is day3 the night cometh1 when no man can work40 ,we know what that meant in ,his case4 ,he had taken human nature in its weakness1 and ,he had to bring it to its full strength1 to fit it for glory and exaltation to the throne of ,,god4 ,he had in ,his life to speak the word of ,,god to many people1 and in many places1 and each opportunity must be seized1 or others would be forfeited4 ,he had to relieve present sufferings1 and to supply present wants2 to meet necessities while they were pressing4 ,soon the time would come for ,him to go to the ,father3 then ,he must be perfect2 then ,he would have no more opportunity in the flesh for benefitting man and glorifying ,,god2 then ,he could make no more preparation for the setting up of ,his ,church4 ,the words have a similar meaning with regard to us2 but in our cases the necessity is more urgent1 the delay more awful1 because we have no fixed time allotted us--8to-day1 and to-morrow1 and the third day ,i must be perfected40 ,our life is to be taken from us without our consent1 and may be taken at any moment2 we have not power to lay it down when we will1 and power to keep it as long as we will4 ,and1 besides1 we have not been using each year1 each day1 each hour1 to the best advantage4 ,we have left undone much which we ought to have done1 we have done much which we ought not to have done4 ,we have all this to correct1 and yet to give full attention to the works yet remaining4 ,look we in at ourselves1 brethren1 and see what requires to be done in us before we are fit for heaven4 ,listen to the cries of spiritual distress1 and consider what has to be supplied4 ,think of the souls that are dying1 and will soon be dead1 if we do not revive them4 ,remember we what frail1 short-continuing1 dying creatures we are2 how soon at the latest1 how suddenly1 it may be abruptly1 without a moment's warning1 we may be called to present ourselves1 to be dealt with according to our fitness1 to give account of our works for ,,god4 ,let the arrival of a new year set us reviewing the past year1 with its catalogue of offences1 of neglects1 of things to be wiped out1 debts to be paid1 progress to be quickened4 ,let us heed well its injunction and its warning1 8,whatsoever thy hand findeth to do1 do it with thy might1 for there is no work1 nor device1 nor knowledge1 nor wisdom in the grave whither thou goest40 ,let us look up for the opening clouds and listen for the ,advent voice1 8,behold1 ,i come quickly1 and ,my reward is with ,me to give to every man according as his works shall be20 and let us instantly resolve and instantly begin to perform our resolution and persevere in it1 nor dare to forget it3 8,i must work the works of ,him that sent me1 while it is day3 the night cometh1 when no man can work40 ,,sermon ,,ix4 ,,christ',s ,,truest ,,manifestation4 ,,st4 ,,john1 ,,xiv41 #bb4 ,lord1 how is it that ,thou wilt manifest ,thyself unto us1 and not unto the world4 ,,on the festival of the ,epiphany1 and on several ,sundays afterwards1 we commemorate what are called manifestations of ,,christ2 revelations and exhibitions of ,him1 in ,his nature1 ,his person1 ,his might1 ,his wisdom1 ,his various offices4 ,in one sense1 ,,christ',s whole life1 from the manger in ,bethlehem to the ,mount of the ,ascension1 was a manifestation4 ,it was not possible to see or hear ,him1 without becoming convinced--if open to conviction--that ,he was different from all other men1 and superior to them4 ,his every deed1 ,his every word1 ,his every look1 designedly or undesignedly proclaimed 8,this is ,,god manifest in the flesh60 ,still1 there were some particular exhibitions of ,himself1 which1 from the special circumstances attending them1 the preparation made for them1 their peculiar importance1 their wonderful effects1 or their relations to certain classes or individuals1 are entitled to be distinguished from the rest of that life-long ,epiphany1 and to be called par excellence the manifestations of ,,christ4 ,of this kind1 was the exhibition to the shepherds1 and again1 that to the wise men of the ,east--prefiguring1 commencing the manifestation to the ,gentiles2 the declaration that ,he must be about ,his ,father's business1 the baptism by ,john1 the show of ,his power in converting water into wine1 in cleansing the leper1 in calming the troubled sea1 in casting out devils2 the unfolding of ,his wisdom in speaking parables1 the preaching of judgment by the ,son of ,man--all of which are in turn commemorated at this season4 ,of this kind1 again1 were the teaching on the ,mount1 all the miracles1 the ,transfiguration1 the appearances after the ,resurrection1 the ,ascension1 the wonders of ,pentecost1 the light that shone from heaven on ,saul journeying to ,damascus1 and the voice that said 8,i am ,,jesus whom thou persecutest40 ,these were all pre-eminent manifestations1 as being designedly full of significance1 making special revelations to special persons2 displaying1 so to speak1 the chief features of ,,christ1 and teaching most important lessons4 ,nevertheless1 they were rather preludes and signs of ,,christ',s truest manifestation1 than that manifestation itself--faint glimmers of coming light1 rustlings1 warning movements1 scarcely upliftings of the curtain that hung between things spiritual and the would-be spectators of them--parables1 and prophecies4 ,they left not those who saw them where they were1 but they carried them not whither they would be or should be4 ,they bade them look and listen2 but they revealed not the sight1 nor spake the word4 ,strange as it may seem1 ,,christ was not truly manifested till the clouds of heaven hid ,him1 and1 in the flesh1 ,he ceased to appear and speak till judgment-time4 ,the truth was1 as yet1 not taught1 but only hinted at1 and men were not yet ready for it1 and could not receive it4 ,it is not in what we call the ,gospels1 but in the ,epistles1 that the truth as it is in ,,jesus is revealed4 ,it is not in the miracles of ,his earthly ministry1 but in the spiritual wonders which1 after ,pentecost1 the ,apostles wrought in ,his name2 that the real power of ,,christ1 the power to bless1 is seen and felt4 ,all before was but a type1 a shadow1 a dream4 ,the antitype1 the reality1 the waking vision1 belong to apostolic days1 and to the days after them4 ,then was the ,gospel revealed1 which before was only brought nigh4 ,then was the kingdom of ,heaven opened4 ,then did ,,jesus1 through the ,spirit1 begin to speak and show ,himself openly and plainly to ,jews and ,gentiles1 and to draw all men to ,him4 ,then did spiritual wisdom begin to enlighten1 and spiritual power begin to enable the hitherto blind and helpless4 ,then first1 even to the ,apostles1 and then1 by them1 to the world1 began to be displayed ,,god manifest in the flesh4 ,up to that time1 though ,he was in the world1 the world knew ,him not4 ,he stood among them1 but they did not see ,him2 ,he spoke1 but they did not hear3 yea1 though ,he had come to ,his own1 they did not receive ,him1 till the ,pentecostal light made all clear1 and the voice of the ,spirit declared 8,this is the beloved ,son of the ,father10 and the power of ,divine grace1 enabled and constrained to believe on ,his name1 to receive ,him intelligently and heartily1 and through ,him1 and in a measure like ,him1 to become sons of ,,god4 ,then and thus was ,,christ truly manifested1 as it were in these last times4 ,but there is even yet a better manifestation1 one more really worthy of the name--that1 namely1 which is made to the ,disciples1 but not to the world4 ,in a sense1 all that has hitherto been described was an external manifestation--a manifestation to the world4 ,the ,gospel was preached openly1 the credentials of its heralds were publicly exhibited1 whosoever would might hear and see2 and only when they refused1 and judged themselves unworthy of eternal life1 did the ,apostles turn away from them1 or pass on to another place1 shaking the dust off their feet as a testimony against them4 ,even the inward grace1 the power to see spiritually1 to believe1 and to accept ,,christ1 was so far manifested to the world1 that it was offered to all1 and was within the reach of all4 ,the ,apostles1 who taught men their need of salvation1 and exhorted them to save themselves1 both showed them the way and promised them the grace of salvation2 and thus1 therefore1 was ,,christ openly1 and with power1 manifested to the world4 ,but1 in the chapter of the text1 ,,christ makes it a special promise to those that love ,him1 that ,he will manifest ,himself to them4 ,judas 7not ,iscariot7 rightly concludes that this is a manifestation which shall be made to none but approved disciples2 and1 accepting the promise1 he ventures to ask1 respecting its fulfilment1 8,,lord1 how is it that ,thou wilt manifest ,thyself unto us1 and not unto the world80 ,it must be borne in mind that the ,jewish notion1 a notion shared by the disciples1 was that the ,,messiah would manifest ,himself in all the pomp and power of a triumphant earthly prince1 exhibiting ,himself to the whole world1 ruling all the nations of the earth1 and demanding the homage and adoration of all men4 ,they waited in expectation that the kingdom of ,israel would be restored1 that ,jerusalem would become the capital of the world1 that ,,christ would sit visibly on a splendid throne1 in the midst of her1 and that they would occupy the nearest places to ,him of honour and power4 ,this notion was still theirs1 as we know1 when ,,christ led them out to the ,mount of the ,ascension2 and we can well understand1 therefore1 that ,judas1 and those with him1 must at this time have been greatly perplexed by the intimation1 which ,,christ',s promise conveyed1 that ,he was only to be manifested to those that love ,him4 ,it is out of this perplexity--not1 as ,i said before1 questioning the fact of a partial manifestation1 but unable to understand it1 and seeking enlightenment--that ,judas asks1 8,,lord1 how is it that ,thou wilt manifest ,thyself unto us1 and not unto the world80 ,the words translated 8,how is it10 render possible a threefold interpretation of this question4 #ast4 ,,lord1 what has happened--how is it come to pass that the original design 7at least1 what we suppose to be the original design7 of an universal manifestation is altered1 and now only a partial manifestation to be afforded8 #bndly4 ,,lord1 what has been done by us1 what special merits have we1 whence is it that we are to be so signally favoured1 and others passed over8 #crdly4 ,,lord1 what kind of manifestation will that be which some eyes only shall perceive8 ,in what way wilt ,thou reveal ,thy presence to us1 so that the world1 in the midst of which we dwell1 into the midst of which1 therefore1 ,thou must come to us1 shall not partake with us of the vision4 ,it is scarcely profitable1 perhaps1 to consider whether or no the first interpretation is admissible2 nor need we attempt to decide between the second and the third4 ,let us rather combine them2 and taking the question out of ,judas's mouth1 and adopting it as our own1 let us reverently and teachably ask1 as we need1 of ,him who giveth wisdom liberally1 8,,lord1 how is it1 on what account1 and in what way1 that ,thou wilt manifest ,thyself unto us1 and not unto the world80 ,i4 ,on what account is ,he partial8 ,why does ,he make us to differ8 ,not then1 for any recommendation we had to ,his favour--for we were all concluded under sin1 and all guilty before ,,god4 ,not again1 for any merits or deserts in ,his service1 for at the best1 if we have done all that ,he set us to do 7and who has87 we are yet but unprofitable servants4 ,no6 there was nothing which should make ,,god respect and choose us before others2 and we have done no work for which we can claim reward4 ,,god is no respecter of persons4 ,it is impossible1 by any mere natural deeds or efforts to please ,him4 ,we have all sinned and come short of ,his glory4 ,we all sin1 and deserve wrath every day4 ,but ,,christ1 ,who would have all men to be saved1 ,who has died for all1 and risen again for all1 and sent down ,his ,holy ,spirit ready to justify1 to sanctify1 to bless all1 has nevertheless made the bestowal of ,his grace conditional4 ,he requires a certain 8receptivity0 for it4 ,it is not thrust upon all1 willing or unwilling1 proud or humble1 ,,god-fearing or ,,god-despising4 ,men must feel their need of it2 and1 feeling their need1 they must express it1 at least to ,him1 and must go to ,him in ,his appointed ways to obtain it4 ,,christ in sufficiency1 in desire1 the ,saviour of all men1 is1 in fact1 specially only the ,saviour of them that believe--believe with that impelling desire1 and that active faith1 which make them flee to ,him to be saved1 and earnestly ask of ,him1 8,what must ,i do to be saved80 ,and next1 having this fitness1 this receptivity for grace1 and so receiving it1 ,,christ requires men to treasure up the grace with reverence and godly fear2 to use it with diligence1 with zealous effort1 to improve it1 to grow in it2 to strengthen it constantly by all appointed means of sustenance and exercise2 to accomplish with it all that ,he wills and directs to be done2 to be heartily grateful to the ,author1 the ,sustainer1 the ,finisher of ,salvation4 8,he that hath my commandments1 and keepeth them1 he it is that loveth ,me1 and he that loveth ,me shall be loved of ,my ,father1 and ,i will love him1 and will manifest ,myself to him40 ,so then it is only to love that the manifestation is made2 and love is proved by obedience1 and obedience is the hearty faithful performance1 in the spirit as well as the letter1 of the expressed will of ,,christ4 ,and here1 brethren1 before we go further1 let us see in the light of these conditions1 why it is that religious influences affect so little the vast mass of mankind4 ,there is a manifestation of ,,christ to the world4 ,he is ever speaking in their ears and showing ,himself to their eyes4 ,his ,church1 with its ,bible1 its means of grace and ministry1 its duration and extension1 besides being a standing miracle1 the infallible credential of ,his divine authority1 the proof of ,his wisdom and ,his power1 is a very exhibition of ,himself1 mighty and eager to save4 ,the ,spirit1 which is with and in that ,church1 declares ,himself to be able and ready to enlighten1 and persuade1 and strengthen all1 without exception1 without delay1 if only they will come to ,him4 ,and yet how many1 not only of the recklessly profane1 the grossly carnal1 the resolutely blind and deaf1 but of the well-disposed1 the moral1 the albut exemplary1 have no perception whatever of ,,christ6 ,how many so-called ,christians1 not only in their business or their pleasure1 when they turn away their eyes from the manifested ,,god1 but even when they come up to the sanctuary1 when they read the ,bible1 when they kneel in prayer or stand to praise1 when they look ,zionwards1 when they are all attent1 eyes and ears1 yet see no sight1 and hear no sound of ,,christ6 ,the world which they have left is remembered1 and stands before them in a life-like picture4 ,the sights they would not see1 the sounds they would not hear1 they cannot escape from2 but ,,christ1 the object of their worship1 in some sense the desire of their eyes1 they look for but cannot find2 if ,he stands in the midst of them1 they know it not6 ,is not this1 brethren1 the experience of many of you8 ,you do not1 of course1 ever expect open visions1 perceptions with natural eyes and ears of a spiritually manifested ,saviour2 but do you not often fail to obtain what you think 7and rightly7 you ought to aim at obtaining1 a real1 though spiritual1 a convincing1 constraining1 sanctifying1 and cheering manifestation of ,,christ8 ,do you not often1 do you not almost always find just that wanting1 which should make religion real8 8,oh60 you exclaim1 8would that when ,i kneel down in church1 to make solemn confessions1 to utter supplications1 to pray for pardon1 for favour1 for grace--oh6 that such a vision of ,,christ were afforded me1 that ,i were possessed with such feeling of ,his presence1 as would prevent my turning away so readily from the solemnity1 to see who is coming into church1 to admire or criticise the dress or appearance of those beside me1 to remember the worldliness of yesterday1 to anticipate the worldliness of to-morrow4 ,oh6 that when ,i sit with open ,bible before me1 and slight and slur over its difficult parts1 and give little heed to the personal application of its histories1 and treat albut with indifference its exhortations1 its warnings1 its promises1 its threats--,oh6 that some voice would recall me from my wandering1 and dispel my irreverence1 and concentrate my devout attention with its heard command1 #8,thus1 saith the ,,lord1 ,hear what the ,spirit saith4' ,oh6 that when ,i go about the world1 and neglect my religious duty here1 and transgress it there1 yielding readily to temptation1 hankering after1 following worldliness1 led by the persuasions1 awed by the frowns1 constrained by the demands of the world1 oh6 that ,,christ would stand at least before my spiritual vision1 and utter to the ears of my soul1 #8,forbear4 ,take up thy cross4 ,follow me4' ,oh1 that ,he would do all this for others too3 for those whom ,i love1 who go farther out of the way1 for the carnal1 for the godless1 for the souls that are carelessly1 that are deliberately perishing6 ,oh6 that for ,his own honour's sake ,he would openly show ,himself and dispute--with the ,devil1 with ,mammon1 with ,pleasure1 with ,folly--the possession of the souls which ,he has purchased for ,himself6 ,why does ,he not give some proof1 why does ,he not exercise some persuasion which must be felt1 which could not be disregarded8 ,oh6 that ,he would rend the heavens and come down2 that ,he would cheer the saint2 that ,he would confound and convert the sinner by ,his manifested presence40 ,it is thus1 if ,i mistake not1 that we sometimes think and wish4 ,but1 brethren1 the words which prompted ,judas to speak1 reprove our thoughts4 ,they show us that it is not by oversight1 by defect1 by mismanagement1 by any failure to accomplish what was intended1 but by deliberate design1 by exact fulfilment of what ,,god proposed1 that the real1 the strong influences of ,christianity are not brought to bear upon men generally4 ,,christ manifests not ,himself fully to the world4 ,he never meant to do it4 ,he never will do it1 till he comes to judgment4 ,,god1 we are told1 8will have mercy on whom ,he will have mercy1 and whom ,he will ,he hardeneth40 ,these awful words do not mean what some attempt to make out of them--that there is an arbitrary election to salvation1 and so for all others an inevitable destruction4 ,they mean rather that while ,his mercy is ready to flow1 and is always flowing1 if you desire it1 you must go to the fountain for it4 ,,god is under no necessity to save all men4 ,we do not confer a favour on ,him by consenting to be saved4 ,his glory will be manifested in destruction as in salvation4 ,he desires to save us4 ,he will save us1 and rejoice in our salvation1 if we seek to be saved3 but if we are rebellious1 or indifferent1 if we will not comply with the conditions on which only ,he will manifest ,his best presence to us1 then we must not complain1 if ,he makes good ,his declaration1 and proves it by withholding ,himself from us1 that whom ,he wills 7and in what way ,he wills7 on them ,he has mercy1 and all others1 though ,he long bears with them1 and gives them much time and opportunity for conforming to ,his will1 yet is ,he content1 yea1 determined to leave them in their hardness1 to confirm them in their hardness1 because they will not be softened in the way which ,he has chosen to prescribe4 ,oh6 my brethren1 do not suppose that it is the weakness1 the impotence of ,christianity1 the frustration of the will of ,,god that is demonstrated in the world's ungodliness1 in the perdition of so many immortal souls4 ,no6 ,it is rather the power of ,christianity to keep its own for its own3 it is the glorious vindication of the sovereign will of ,jehovah to save whom ,he will2 it is the corroboration of ,,christ',s word1 that none should come to the ,father but by ,him2 it is the terrible1 deliberately-inflicted punishment of those that will not come unto ,him that they might have life2 it is the manifestation1 so to speak1 of ,his non-manifestation3 8,if ye will not love me1 holding my commandments and keeping them1 then you cannot be loved of ,my ,father1 and so cannot be loved of ,me1 and ,i will not manifest myself to you40 ,it is ourselves1 brethren1 and not ,,god that must be changed4 ,the seed is scattered over all the field1 but it grows only in the good ground4 ,if ,,christ is not manifest to us1 it is because we have not complied with the conditions of manifestation4 ,he is faithful to ,his promise1 but we have not closed with the promise4 ,realising1 then1 that it is not binding on ,,god to save us--excepting on the terms which ,he has ,himself laid down--and presenting to ourselves the momentous interests at stake1 let us comply with ,,god',s terms1 and let us strive to do so gratefully4 ,let us be at pains to ascertain ,,christ',s will2 let us diligently and scrupulously keep it1 endeavouring all the while to follow it1 not as mere routine of morality1 but as active direct service of ,,christ ,himself1 and proposing to ourselves1 as the motive to its observance1 gratitude for ,,christ',s salvation1 and as the reward of observance1 the manifestation of ,,christ4 ,so doing1 we shall soon find that there is a real1 an unequalled power in ,christianity to attract and constrain us2 we shall soon know how it is that ,,christ will manifest ,himself to ,his disciples1 while ,he is hidden from the world4 ,,ii4 ,i have left but little time for the consideration of the second form of our question1 namely1 in what way ,,christ will manifest ,himself only to the chosen4 ,there is no need of a lengthy discussion of this subject1 because1 with all our spiritual short-sightedness1 we are not like the ,jews1 we can have no difficulty in understanding the possibility of ,,christ',s manifestation of ,himself to whom ,he will1 and at the same time ,his hiding of ,himself from all others4 ,we know that like as ghosts are sometimes said to appear to but one of a roomful1 so if it pleased ,,christ--and in any other way which ,he pleased--,he could stand visibly at this moment before any one of us1 and utter to that favoured ear distinctly audible words1 while the rest of us saw and heard nothing of ,him4 ,and there is no use in the discussion of the nature of ,,christ',s truest manifestation1 because even if the preacher had realised it in all its perfect blessedness1 his words would fail to describe what he had felt2 yea1 the best possible description would be wholly unintelligible to the natural man who perceives not1 and cannot perceive1 the things of ,,god1 while it would be wholly unnecessary1 rather would be solemn trifling with those who have actually partaken of the blessedness4 ,no1 brethren1 it cannot be spoken--and if it could1 ,i believe1 it might not be--how ,,christ shows ,himself to those who love ,him and keep ,his commandments4 ,it is only in its realisation that you can understand what the promise means3 8,we will come unto ,him and make our abode with ,him40 ,go1 fulfil the conditions1 and you shall receive the promise2 and it shall disclose to you its own wonders1 and its own transcendent bliss1 and its own constraining power4 ,but though we may not describe the manifestation itself1 we may observe and recount the effects it produces4 ,the ,israelites might not come up to ,,god and see ,him face to face in the ,mount1 but they were allowed1 and it was good for them1 to behold the shining of ,moses's face when he returned from the ,divine presence4 ,doubtless1 to many1 it was an additional proof of the being of ,,god2 to not a few it may have been an incentive to seek the blessing of ,his favour4 ,and so1 brethren1 it may be with us4 ,taking knowledge of those who have been with ,,jesus1 we may see on them some reflection of ,his glorious self1 some marks of a bliss which we shall covet to share1 which may stimulate us both to believe better in its reality and to strive more earnestly for its fruition4 ,yes6 and comparing ourselves with them very humbly1 with unceasing prayer and watching against false confidence1 we may even discern on ourselves the faint dawn1 the first streaks of the ,divine twilight1 which tell 7oh6 how unspeakable the bliss67 that the dayspring is about to mount above our horizon2 that the ,sun of righteousness is about to shine into our hearts with all ,his glory4 ,consider1 then1 such as ,abraham1 who1 after ,he had seen ,,christ--for ,,christ was often manifest before the ,incarnation--could himself resolutely destroy his best earthly hope if ,,god required it2 ,job1 who1 after the vision of perfect holiness1 abhorred himself and repented2 ,jacob1 who felt 7and felt throughout his life1 we may be sure7 how dreadful1 how consecrated was the place where ,,god was met2 ,joseph1 who possessed a power to resist effectually the sin1 which so many dare to say there is no resisting 78,how can ,i do this great wickedness and sin against ,,god8072 ,daniel1 who entered courageously into a den of lions2 ,simeon1 who longed for death1 and the enjoyment of the permanent vision1 after he had once seen ,,christ2 ,stephen1 who died1 almost like his ,master1 8,,lord ,,jesus receive my spirit20 and the many others1 who endured and laboured1 and resisted1 and persevered1 and rejoiced in tribulation1 and hoped against hope1 as seeing ,him who is invisible4 ,yes1 brethren1 consider these4 ,think what they were1 men of the same flesh and blood1 of like infirmities1 and like sin with yourselves4 ,think how they secured the favour of ,,god1 by the same simple means which are within the power of the least of you1 yea1 and more within your power than theirs1 at least of most of them1 because of the clearer light1 and the better grace of ,gospel times4 ,think what a reflection they showed of the visions of ,,christ which they enjoyed4 ,think how real must have been their religious life2 how enviable their peace and bliss2 what a glorious light they afforded for the example and encouragement of other men2 and be no longer content that with all your faculties and opportunities1 all your knowledge and invitations1 all your proffers of ,divine grace1 all the perpetual revelations of ,,christ to those who desire ,him1 you yet should never see ,him2 but resolutely accepting ,his terms1 hold and keep ,his commandments1 and pray1 and meditate1 and labour to love ,him4 ,then plead and watch--you shall not plead in vain1 nor watch very long--and the ,father1 and the ,son1 and the ,spirit will surely come unto you and make their abode manifestly within you1 cheering you with the light of the ,divine countenance1 strengthening you with the strength of ,divine grace1 moulding you more and more into the image of ,,christ 7which must be yours in perfection before you can partake of ,his fullest manifestation71 abiding with you here1 and shining clearly even in the deepest darkness1 and by and by transplanting you1 perfected in grace and spiritual perception1 to the place where ,,christ is always seen1 with an eye that shall never be dim1 with a delight which1 however it grows in desire1 shall be more than satisfied1 as you behold ,his face in righteousness1 and are filled to overflowing with the fulness of ,his presence4 ,,sermon ,x4 ,,blessing ,,according ,,to ,,prayer4 ,,st4 ,,matthew1 ,,viii41 #ac4 ,and ,,jesus said unto the centurion1 ,go thy way2 and as thou hast believed1 so be it done unto thee4 ,,we must compare the narrative contained in ,st4 ,matthew's ,gospel with its parallel in the #gth chapter of ,st4 ,luke1 to obtain a clear and full idea of the circumstances which preceded the healing of the centurion's servant4 ,st4 ,matthew records just so much of the history as would illustrate the teaching that the ,gentiles from afar should be received1 and many of the children of the kingdom cast out3 ,st4 ,luke sets forth in order all the particulars1 small and great1 which he had been able to obtain from those who were eye-witnesses and ministers of the word4 ,from the harmonised accounts we gather that a certain centurion1 who had renounced the worship of the 8gods many10 and become a proselyte of the gate1 hearing of the miracles of ,,jesus1 sent certain elders of the ,jews to beseech the exercise of ,his healing power upon a favourite servant1 who was grievously tormented1 and at the point of death4 ,he does not seem to have come at all himself4 ,the deep sense which he entertained of personal unworthiness would alone have deterred him2 and1 besides1 he knew that there was a middle wall of partition between ,jews and ,gentiles1 and that as yet ,,jesus was not sent but unto the house of ,israel4 ,the elders1 come to ,,jesus1 seek to enlist ,his sympathy and active interest1 by pleading that the centurion1 though not actually a ,jew1 was a friend of ,jews1 and had done much for the support of the ,jewish worship4 8,he is worthy for whom ,thou shouldst do this1 for he loveth our nation1 and himself hath built us a synagogue4 ,come1 then1 and heal his servant40 ,,jesus replies1 8,i will come and heal him20 and straightway sets out with them4 ,but when ,he was not far from the house1 the centurion1 alarmed at the temerity of his former request1 and shrinking instinctively from ,one so high and so holy1 sent some of those around him to prevent further condescension and trouble1 on behalf of one so unworthy1 and to suggest that ,,jesus should but express ,his will 7which he felt must be omnipotent7 from the spot where ,he stood3 8,say in a word and my servant shall be healed40 ,the centurion had arrived at the knowledge of a great truth1 namely1 that ,,christ',s power was not confined to the scene of ,his bodily presence3 and he described the process of reasoning by which he had arrived at it4 8,i am but a man1 myself under authority1 yet ,i have but to say1 ,go1 come1 do this1 and1 lo6 it is done by my servants here1 there1 or wherever else ,i appoint1 while ,i remain still4 ,how much more shalt ,thou speak and be obeyed1 ,thou who art ,absolute and ,supreme in authority1 ,whose will all the spiritual armies of heaven observe1 and are prompt and eager to perform4 #8,speak the word only1 and my servant shall be healed4'0 ,when ,,jesus heard it1 ,he marvelled and said to them that followed1 8,verily1 ,i say unto you1 ,i have not found so great faith1 no1 not in ,israel40 ,twice we read that our ,,lord marvelled--once at unbelief1 and once at belief4 ,and this is no mere figurative statement4 ,our ,,lord literally marvelled4 ,his human nature1 much as ,he knew of what was in man1 was taken aback by the unexpected and extraordinary display1 in the one case of perverse blindness1 in the other of clear spiritual perception4 8,verily1 ,i say unto you1 ,i have not found so great faith40 ,it is remarkable that our ,,lord selects the centurion's faith for admiration4 ,he dwells not on his care and anxiety for his slave1 on his general good will and good deeds1 on his consciousness of unworthiness1 his resolute humility1 8,,lord1 ,i am not worthy that thou shouldst come under my roof40 ,no6 it is his faith1 to which ,,jesus gives this highest praise4 ,that while he walked among ,his own people1 who were taught of ,,god1 and was haughtily and indignantly treated1 yea1 despised2 that while ,jews saw and albut felt ,his power1 and refused to acknowledge it1 a ,gentile1 at a distance1 should be filled with reverential awe of ,him1 should assert so confidently the fulness of ,his power1 should have such an insight into its spiritual working1 should find and adduce proofs of that power and its working1 to satisfy himself1 to plead to ,,christ--this was1 indeed1 worthy of note2 this was1 as yet1 unparalleled4 8,i have not found so great faith40 ,we need not1 however1 suppose--in fact we must not suppose--that our ,,lord meant to omit the commendation of the centurion's other good qualities3 rather as they were all the fruits of faith1 were they all praised in the praise of faith4 ,why did he love the ,jews--why did he build them a synagogue--why did he seek miraculous healing for his servant--why did he employ ,jewish elders as his intercessors--why did he1 an important ,roman officer1 feel unworthy of the company of a wandering ,jewish peasant8 ,was it not through faith8 faith in the true ,,god1 faith in the laws of ,his worship1 faith in ,his awful holiness1 and no less in ,his merciful goodness1 faith in ,his manifestation in ,,jesus of ,nazareth8 ,yes1 it was all of faith1 and it was all admired and praised when ,,jesus marvelled and said1 8,i have not found so great faith40 ,but still the highest faith--the thing most marvelled at and chiefly commended1 was the spiritual perception of a bodily unseen ,,lord1 the belief in ,his unlimited1 and1 under all circumstances1 available power4 8,i have never seen ,thee3 yet ,i know ,thee who ,thou art4 ,thou art not here1 yet with a word ,thou canst cause ,thy power to be here1 and to accomplish here all ,thy will40 ,blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed3 and blessed are they precisely in the way of their own wise choice1 8,go thy way2 and as thou hast believed1 so be it done unto thee40 ,it was great honour given to ,,christ4 ,it was the opportunity of a wondrous manifestation1 and so we read1 8,the servant was healed in the selfsame hour40 ,but shall we suppose that the centurion1 by his humility and his faith1 deprived himself of the bliss of receiving ,,christ1 that ,,christ1 therefore1 turned away1 and thought no more of him8 ,even in that case he would not have been without his reward4 ,the servant1 who was dear to him1 was preserved and healed1 the ,jews1 whom he loved1 must have honoured and loved him1 when he had thus prevailed with ,,god1 and1 besides1 what a conviction was his of the power of ,,christ1 what a token of approval1 in the fact that he had1 as it were1 proposed his own conditions for a miracle1 and those conditions had been graciously accepted and fulfilled6 ,he needed no vision after this to prove to him that ,,jesus was the ,son of ,,god2 no voice from heaven to speak to him comfort and assurance of hope4 ,he had sought ,,christ4 ,he had found ,him and been found of ,him4 ,great was his reward2 and his joy such as could not be taken away4 ,he would have been greatly blessed1 then1 had no more been done for him4 ,but did that ,,christ1 ,who bestows such honour on humility1 ,who so loves them that love ,him and ,his1 ,who has made the best of ,his promises1 yea1 all of them to faith1 did ,he1 think you1 give no further token1 no higher blessedness to that centurion8 ,did ,he not rather prove to him1 that he had made a wise choice1 that he had chosen the best kind of blessing1 in asking for spiritual presence rather than bodily presence8 ,did ,he not manifest ,himself to him1 in that peculiar way of which the world knows1 and can know nothing8 ,did ,he not go1 ,he and the ,father1 and make spiritual and permanent abode with him8 ,yes1 surely1 this is all implied in the words1 8,go thy way2 and as thou hast believed1 so be it done unto thee40 ,this view of the subject has its evident lessons and promises for us4 ,be it ours1 brethren1 to learn and practice the lessons1 and doubt not but ,,god will fulfil to us the promises4 ,in dismissing now the general subject1 and attempting only to deduce practical instruction from the words of the text1 ,i would ask you to notice first1 the kind of answer which prayer gets2 it is blessed in the way it asks to be blessed4 ,when the elders besought our ,,lord that ,he would come and heal the servant1 then we read1 ,he went with them4 ,when presently the centurion1 through his friends1 urges1 8,speak the word only1 and my servant shall be healed10 then ,,christ stays ,his own progress1 and sends on ,his grace4 8,go thy way2 and as thou hast believed1 so be it done unto thee40 ,it is thus that prayer is generally answered3 what we ask for1 that we obtain4 ,generally1 ,i say1 yet not always2 for our wise and good ,,lord1 when1 in our ignorance1 we prefer a wrong or a foolish request1 sends us rather what ,he knows us to need1 than what we ask4 ,a father does not give his beloved son stone for bread1 nor a scorpion instead of a fish4 ,and it may be1 yea1 it often is the case1 that we ask ,,god for what we think would support us1 or be of some other benefit to us1 when its bestowal would cause us to stumble1 or1 perhaps1 crush our spiritual strength1 or poison our spiritual life4 ,and then1 ,i say1 of ,his wisdom and goodness1 ,he sends us away not empty--oh1 no6 none ask of ,,god and obtain not1 if they ask with right feeling--but blessed in a different way from that we ventured to prescribe4 ,this truth is worth a little more thought4 ,there are many of you1 brethren1 ,i doubt not1 who have again and again prayed to ,,god 7and very earnestly7 to continue to you some blessing which you were in danger of losing1 or to confer upon you something which you felt you wanted1 and who yet were not answered according to the prayer4 ,perhaps1 you were failing in business1 or your influence was being diminished1 or your health breaking down1 or your child dying4 ,well1 you earnestly1 humbly1 with faith and strong tears deprecated the calamity again and again2 but still it came upon you as though you had never prayed2 or you asked to be lifted out of your poverty or your misery1 to be endowed with wisdom1 to be made influential2 you loved1 and prayed ,,god to make you loved again2 you struggled to get a situation which was just what you needed1 you prayed continually that you might succeed4 ,it was all without avail4 8,no answer came40 ,no answer came6 ,say not that1 brethren4 ,assuredly1 an answer did come1 if you prayed aright4 ,it may be that you did not get what you wanted1 or keep what was departing2 for ,,god knew your choice was an unwise one1 and therefore of ,his love would not grant it4 ,but ,he gave you a compensation1 and more than a compensation4 ,just as when ,,christ prayed that the cup of ,his last agony might pass from ,him4 ,,god rather strengthened ,him from heaven to endure the agony1 and made it ,his way to glory--so1 when you have deprecated1 or besought1 against the will of ,,god choosing for you1 ,he has enabled you to bear the calamity1 to do without the thing coveted1 and has made all to work for your good4 ,what ,he does it may be you know not now1 but you shall know hereafter4 ,and when in heaven's light you see that the continued or bestowed prosperity would have made you proud and ungodly1 that power or influence 7though you meant it not7 would have been perverted by you to your ruin1 that the child taken away1 had it remained1 would have destroyed itself1 and been a curse to you1 that the disappointment1 and the toil1 and the suffering1 which you so prayed against1 were just the things that planted and nurtured in you ,christian graces1 and worked out for your glory--oh6 then you will see that ,,god did answer your prayers1 and you will bless him fervently for sending ,his own answer instead of the one you dictated4 ,meantime1 in the light of this hope1 remember always to add to your prayers for specific blessings the holy proviso1 8,nevertheless not as ,i will1 but as ,thou wilt40 ,but ,i said that generally1 whenever1 that is1 there is no harm to ourselves in what we ask1 ,,god gives us what we pray for2 and ,i produced proofs1 which might be multiplied manifold that it is so4 8,go thy way2 and as thou hast believed1 so be it done unto thee40 ,surely this is worth a thought2 not only1 or chiefly1 as showing us ,,god',s marvellous condescension and the efficacy of prayer1 but as admonishing us that the height1 the amount1 the nature of our blessedness1 depends upon ourselves1 upon what we ask in prayer4 ,what a solemn consideration is this6 ,,god sits upon ,his heavenly throne1 with listening ear and outstretched hands2 angels wait to waft our supplications to ,his presence1 the ,holy ,spirit to make intercession for us1 the blessed ,son to present our cause and plead it6 ,it only remains for us to ask4 ,whatever we ask1 if we are faithful1 if it is good1 we shall receive4 ,what we ask not1 that we shall not receive4 ,think of that1 brethren6 ,call to mind1 as far as you can1 what kind of prayers you have been wont to make4 ,review your past and present state4 ,in anything are you spiritually unblessed8 ,have you only an inferior blessedness8 ,ah6 have you not all that you prayed for8 ,lack you not just that1 which you never faithfully sought8 ,this life1 and the things of this life1 have been often in your thoughts1 and in your prayers1 for yourselves and for others4 ,you have prayed that ,,god would preserve you1 that ,he would defend you from danger and gross temptation1 that ,he would give you health1 and comfort1 and earthly blessing1 that ,he would protect and prosper those you love4 ,you have not prayed much for spiritual blessings1 or you have been content with supplicating inferior spiritual blessings4 ,a clean heart1 a renewed mind1 lively faith1 heavenly peace1 joy in the ,holy ,ghost1--if these are not yours1 do you not know why8 ,it is because you never asked for them1 or1 at least1 never asked with that appreciation1 that earnestness which alone prevails with ,,god4 ,,god is willing to give them4 ,,god has promised to give them4 ,he stands ever ready to fulfil ,his promise4 ,but1 nevertheless1 for these things he will be inquired of4 ,the measure of the expressed desire is the measure of the supply4 ,nothing less1 in most cases nothing different1 and always nothing more1 may you expect from ,,god1 than that which you ask4 ,o let the knowledge of this truth kindle in you desires1 and teach you words wherewith to approach ,,god4 ,miss not ,his choicest gifts for want of asking4 ,prefer not for yourselves that which is earthy1 and poor1 and fleeting4 ,thrust not away--and you do thrust away1 if you do not woo--perfect spiritual blessedness4 ,when next you kneel before ,,god1 whenever henceforth you kneel before ,him1 remember that while ,he is the owner and ready-giver of all good gifts1 it is yet only what you ask that you will receive of ,him4 ,as thou hast believed1 so shall it be done unto thee4 ,but1 secondly1 it is faith we see which gives force to prayer4 8,as thou hast believed40 8,whatsoever ye ask1 believing1 ye shall receive40 8,let him ask in faith1 nothing wavering40 8,let not him that wavereth think that he shall receive anything of the ,,lord40 ,,god would have us wait on ,him1 with confidence in ,his sufficiency1 with sure expectation that ,he will give what we ask4 ,if we lack this confidence and this expectation2 if we make formal1 rather than eager and hopeful requests2 if we have any misgivings as to the answer2 if we secretly resolve what we will do1 if there is no answer2 if we wait not1 and watch not1 for the answer1 then1 brethren1 we forfeit the blessing4 ,,god heareth not such--we virtually ask ,him not to answer us4 ,we mock ,him with the idle form of prayer4 ,o ye who ask ,,god for guidance1 at the same time questioning yourselves as to what ye shall do--ye that pray against temptation1 and forthwith yield to it--ye that profess to cast care upon ,,god1 all the while being full of cares--ye that beseech ,him to help you1 yet go on helping yourselves--ye that pray1 and live as though you had not prayed1 that call upon ,,god1 but wait not for his answer--ye that are not certain1 that feel not the certainty1 and act not1 or forbear from acting upon it1 that what you ask you shall obtain1 be sure that you shall go empty away1 and that because of your unbelief4 ,it is hollow formalism1 it is fearful trifling1 it is blasphemous mockery1 to ask without faith1 without sure calculation upon receiving4 ,you dare not treat an earthly friend so4 ,you shall not1 with impunity1 treat ,,god so6 ,ah6 here is the explanation of unanswered prayer--prayer for that which is desirable and right--it was not offered in faith2 the answer was not expected1 and relied on2 the life did not manifest expectation and reliance6 ,would you indeed receive anything from ,,god8 ,prefer your request1 in full acknowledgment of ,,god',s ability1 in faithful trust in ,his performance of all that you ask according to ,his will1 and show your faith by utter renunciation of all self-guidance and self-dependence1 by patient waiting1 by steadfast resistance of all that ,,god forbids1 and persevering pursuit of all that ,he commands4 ,impress this upon yourselves as the spirit of your prayer1 and the rule of your lives4 ,make yourselves such as ,,god hears4 ,cleanse yourselves by the power of ,his grace from sin1 that you may be allowed to approach ,him4 ,arm yourselves with the godly resolution that1 come what will1 you will serve the ,,lord2 and seek1 above all1 ,his kingdom and the righteousness thereof4 ,examine yourselves1 your peculiar wants and difficulties1 that you may inform your prayers1 and make them pointed and particular1 expressing what you need and desire4 ,then offer them1 with felt unworthiness1 with holy adoration1 in the certain conviction that ,he hears you1 that ,he can supply your need1 that ,he will supply it2 and take to yourselves such just consolation and assurance1 and let your life manifest them1 as if ,,christ1 ,who cannot lie and cannot fail1 had audibly declared to you1 8,go thy way2 and as thou hast believed1 so be it done unto thee40 ,,sermon ,,xi4 ,,christ ,,stilling ,,the ,,storm4 ,,st4 ,,matthew1 ,,viii41 #bf4 ,and ,he saith unto them1 ,why are ye fearful1 ,o ye of little faith8 ,then ,he arose1 and rebuked the winds and the sea2 and there was a great calm4 ,,it was after a day of laborious teaching1 that our ,,lord to escape for a time from the crowds that thronged ,him1 to obtain rest and quiet1 perhaps to exercise ,his ministry in other places1 commanded the disciples to steer the ship1 in which ,he had been teaching1 across the sea of ,galilee1 and to convey ,him to the other side4 ,immediately1 it would appear1 that they set out1 ,he laid ,himself down and fell asleep4 ,partaking of human nature in its infirmity1 though not in its sin1 ,he was worn out with labour1 and absolutely required1 yea1 hastened to rest4 ,he sunk into a deep sleep1 then1 as soon as ,he assumed the posture of repose4 ,but anon1 a storm arose4 ,one of those squalls 7which so often come down upon lakes surrounded by mountains7 suddenly filled the air with boisterous wind1 and so upraised and agitated the waves1 that they dashed over the ship1 and threatened it with destruction4 ,the disciples1 many of whom were fishermen1 and others accustomed to occupy their business upon or beside the water1 must have been too familiar with storms to be easily frightened4 ,the darkening clouds1 the howling wind1 the troubled water1 would1 of course1 arouse them to energy1 warning them that they were in danger1 and requiring them to watch and labour to save themselves2 and so we can well imagine them running hither and thither1 with anxious looks1 loosing or furling the sails1 as might be necessary2 avoiding quicksands1 and rocks1 and shallow places2 lightening the ship of dangerous burthens2 directing their course by the safest way1 to the haven where they would be4 ,but either they must have been sorry sailors1 with coward hearts1 which we are not willing to believe1 or their courage must have been overcome by very unusual and imminent danger1 ere they would have rushed to their ,master1 and cried to ,him1 in terror1 8,,lord1 save us1 we perish60 or1 in rash reproach1 8,carest thou not1 that we perish80 ,yes6 ,i say1 there must have been unusual and imminent danger1 and even something more--some supernatural portent--thus to strike with terror1 thus to fill with despair4 ,however this may be1 they cried unto the ,,lord1 and the ,,lord heard them4 ,he had slept calmly through the roar of the wind--yea1 even while the waves washed over ,him2 but the cry of distress entered quickly into ,his ear1 and ,he awoke to answer it4 8,why are ye fearful1 ,o ye of little faith80 were ,his awakening words4 ,this is not a rebuke for coming to ,him2 they had done right therein4 ,he would presently prove it by the miracle ,he would work for them4 ,neither is it an assertion that there was no real danger1 that they had been too easily alarmed3 for an inspired ,evangelist1 ,st4 ,luke1 writing long afterwards1 in the light of what ,,christ now said and did1 expressly states that the vessel was filled with water1 and that they were in danger4 ,no2 it is an acknowledgment of the danger1 but it is also a pledge that it should be averted1 and it is a tender reproach for not being confident of deliverance4 8,why are ye fearful1 ,o ye of little faith80 ,am not ,i with you8 ,do not ,i know your wants8 ,have ,i not power and will to relieve them8 ,where is your faith1 in the prophecies of what ,i have yet to do1 that you suppose ,i am now to perish8 ,where is the confidence which becomes my followers8--which others1 with less knowledge and encouragement1 less ground of hope1 have so fully shown4 8,though ,i walk through the valley of the shadow of death1 ,i will fear no evil1 for ,thou art with me40 ,yea1 though ,he slay me1 yet will ,i trust in ,him6 ,thus ,he reproves1 and calms1 and assures them in their trouble1 and then ,he proceeds to deliver them out of it4 8,he arose0--we read--8and rebuked the winds and the sea1 and there was a great calm40 ,it was a wondrous manifestation of ,his ,majesty4 ,it was a gracious condescension to infirmity4 ,it was a proof1 too palpable to be resisted1 too marvellous to be forgotten1 that ,he is able to keep1 and that ,he will keep1 in safety and in peace1 those whose minds are staid on ,him1 who commit themselves to ,his keeping4 ,well may the disciples1 in the awful stillness of that calm1 have been filled as much with reverential fear as with admiration4 8,they feared exceedingly1 and said one to another1 ,what manner of man is this1 that even the wind and the sea obey ,him80 ,they had witnessed several of ,his epiphanies3 they had tasted of the water made wine2 they had seen the leper cleansed2 and had1 at least1 heard on reliable testimony1 that the centurion's servant was restored--yea1 in the early evening of this very day1 just before they left the shore1 ,,jesus had been casting out evil spirits1 with ,his word1 and had healed all the sick that were brought to ,him3 but in their eyes 7whether they were right or wrong concerns us not now7 this was a greater miracle1 greater in extent1 greater in power1 greater in the suddenness1 the certainty 7felt by themselves1 remember1 as no other had been7 and the peace and joy of its effect4 ,much must it have informed their worship1 much must it have increased their faith4 ,power did it give them to proclaim hereafter that they knew in whom they had believed1 patience to endure for ,his sake1 in ,his strength2 peace in persecution1 comfort in sorrow1 hope amidst otherwise confounding terrors and dismay1 that they had actually experienced ,,christ',s salvation from destruction2 that the experience had been vouchsafed them as a pledge of ,his constant care2 that they had been told1 on its account1 to trust--never henceforth to be fearful1 and of little faith6 ,of great importance1 then1 was that miracle of the ,stilling of the ,storm1 if it meant no more1 and accomplished no more than this3 if it only showed1 that on a large1 as on a small scale1 over elements1 as well as over diseases1 on the sea no less than on the land1 ,,jesus was 8mighty to save02 if it only furnished the eye-witnesses of ,his ministry with a great instance of ,his gracious power2 if it only prepared them for their life of storms and difficulties1 and supported them in their dangers and distresses1 and kept them faithful and joyful4 ,but1 surely1 it has more meaning1 and more worth1 than this4 ,first1 it reveals to us1 if ,i mistake not1 a contention between spiritual powers 7the ,son of ,,god on the one side1 the ,devil on the other71 followed by a victory of the good1 and a conspicuous defeat of the evil4 ,that was no accidental raging of wind and waves1 that was no operation of the ,,god of providence using the elements to accomplish good purposes which was rebuked by the voice of the ,son of ,,god4 ,rebuke would be meaningless addressed to mere wind and wave3 it would be blasphemous addressed to ,,god4 ,it is only when speaking to the ,devil1 to fevers and distempers1 the effects of demoniacal possession1 to ,peter or others1 prompted by ,satan1 speaking his words1 doing his work1 that ,,christ uses rebuke4 ,here then1 surely1 ,satan was at work1 and here he was confounded6 ,the enemy of souls had never ceased to watch and seek to destroy the ,saviour4 ,he had stirred up ,herod against ,him in ,his infancy4 ,he had personally assailed ,him in the wilderness4 ,he was now using the elements1 over which much power is often allowed him1 as we see in ,job's case1 as his agents of evil4 ,but with all his wisdom and perception1 he knew not what was in ,,jesus4 ,he thought once that he could as easily have made ,him sceptical as he did ,eve1 8hath ,,god said10 8,if ,thou be the ,son of ,man40 ,he thought now that while the ,son of ,man slept he was unconscious and powerless4 ,and so in his folly he sought to wreck the vessel1 and overwhelm ,him whom it carried in the depths of the sea4 ,attempting this1 he did but give occasion for an additional manifestation of ,,christ',s mission and power to destroy him and his works4 ,on the shore1 before ,he started1 ,,christ had cast out devils4 ,on the shore for which ,he was making ,he would again cast them out4 ,on the sea ,he now meets them1 and confounds them4 ,o what a mighty1 what a galling conquest6 ,satan had let loose all the powers of the winds1 he had lashed the waves into utmost fury1 the disciples were dismayed1 the ,saviour was asleep1 the ship was sinking4 8,only a few moments10 doubtless1 he exultingly thought1 8and there shall be a second destruction of man1 the kingdom shall surely become mine1 for there will be none to dispute it0--when1 lo6 the ,,lord arose1 and1 with a word1 made him undo the work he had done4 8,peace be still20 and the wind ceased1 and there was a great calm6 ,o signal defeat6 ,o earnest of the promise that the head of the serpent shall be bruised1 that ,satan himself shall be bound and trodden under foot1 and cast into the lake of fire1 and shall deceive and vex no more4 ,surely1 this is one of the chief scenes1 one of the most mysterious and important events1 one of the most glorious manifestations of ,,christ',s life on earth4 ,but this is not all its significance4 ,the miracles of our ,,lord were acted parables--types of spiritual things--rather outward signs1 not themselves to be given up1 but thereafter to be accompanied by inward grace4 ,the ship on the sea of ,galilee represents the ,christian ,church1 or the individual member of it4 ,the sea is the world2 the storm1 with its adverse wind and difficult waves1 figures the trials1 the buffetings1 the persecutions1 the fears of this mortal life2 the disciples are the types of weak yet willing human nature--both our warnings and our examples2 and ,,christ is ,himself1 yet1 so to speak1 but a figure of the true1 dwelling in ,his ,church in each faithful member1 often apparently unheeding1 unconscious1 yet always our sure defence and deliverer1 prompt to hear when called upon1 able to comfort1 mighty to save4 ,that entry into the ship1 and sailing forth into the sea1 represents our first journey1 and each renewed journey to ,,christ1 in ,baptism1 in ,confirmation1 in ,holy ,communion1 in every fresh repentance1 every vow1 every act of worship4 ,forth we go with ,him4 ,all is calm and hopeful4 ,we seem to have to journey over quiet waters4 ,the shore of ,heaven is straight before us1 and we are making for it4 ,but1 as soon as we set out1 our envious1 deadly enemy1 hating our ,,lord1 and hating us1 plots our destruction1 and assays its accomplishment4 ,soon trouble takes the place of peace1 winds of adversity toss and try us1 hope begins to pale1 terror to dismay1 the waters go even over our soul1 and ,he who should calm us1 and sustain and cheer us1 seems to have fallen asleep1 to help us not1 to take no notice of us4 ,it is the hour of ,,god',s trial1 of the ,devil's temptation6 ,what shall we do8 ,if we are wise sailors1 like as ,i have supposed the disciples to have done1 we shall meet the occasion with well-directed energy2 we shall keep the vessel away from the quicksands of pleasure1 the shallows of pride1 the rocks of offence1 and the whirlpools of sin4 ,we shall cast out the weight that drags us down1 sloth1 indifference1 besetting sin4 ,we shall bear up against the boisterous winds of adversity4 ,we shall resolutely and perseveringly pursue the straight course through the waters1 making for1 looking for the shore4 ,unless we do all this1 we have no right to hope4 ,but we must take care1 lest in1 ay1 even by doing it1 we lose our hope4 ,satan destroys many because they make no effort to save themselves2 but he destroys quite as many because they rely on their own efforts4 ,it is a fact that we can do nothing by ourselves2 that human wisdom1 self-reliant1 is sure to be confounded1 and human effort1 independent1 to be paralysed4 ,but even if for the time we see what is right1 and are successful in doing it1 he will enshroud us in such horrible darkness1 he will fill our ears with such dismal sounds1 he will so toss and bewilder and overwhelm us1 that presently weariness1 perplexity1 and despair will cause us to give up1 to consent to our own destruction4 ,the disciples in that storm-tossed ship seem to have been bringing themselves well nigh into this ruin1 first to have relied on themselves1 and then to have despaired of themselves1 all the while forgetting ,who was with them1 ,who should have been their guide1 ,who was their sure protector1 when1 all at once1 before it was too late1 they remembered and aroused ,him1 and called ,him to their aid4 ,it was their bliss to find that 8the saint's extremity is ,,god',s opportunity20 that it is never too late1 before destruction1 to call upon ,him and be saved2 but they were not allowed to enjoy this bliss unmixed with reproach for self-confidence and for want of confidence in ,him4 ,in all the storms and dangers which beset us on the sea of life1 let us take example from the disciples to call upon ,him who can save us1 and let us also take warning from them1 not to forget ,his company1 or to suppose that ,he forgets us4 ,such seems to be a sketch of the interpretation of the meaning and instruction for us of this acted parable4 ,and now1 brethren1 having learnt the general truth1 let us pick out and dwell upon some of its particulars4 ,and first1 in setting out with ,,christ1 expect storms and dangers4 ,we are too apt to suppose that the war of life is to be waged only with men1 that the storms of life are only encountered in temporal things4 ,we can well understand that it was otherwise1 that it must have been otherwise1 with the first founders of the ,church1 with confessors in the face of unbelieving ,jews and heathen ,romans1 with the ,reformers1 with missionaries now3 but in our own case we calculate on a smooth and safe journey over the sea of time to the shore of eternity1 ay1 and after many days1 experience1 we say1 confirms our calculation4 ,no sore temptations try us2 no conflict of good and evil principles tosses and tears us2 no despair threatens to drown us4 ,we have trouble enough in the world1 in earning our daily bread1 in claiming and maintaining our own1 in becoming rich1 or powerful1 or famous1 in ruling those who rebel against our just authority1 who would gainsay our words1 and frustrate our efforts4 ,but in spiritual things this is not the case4 ,we find it easy 7,i speak that which the manifest lives and apparent feelings of what are called respectable men justify my speaking7 to follow the course which we would in religion--we worship in church1 we read the ,bible and pray at home without opposition4 ,it costs us no trouble to keep the letter of ,,god',s chief commandments4 ,we know nothing of spiritual wrestling1 spiritual fear1 spiritual despondency4 ,why should we8 ,our ways are mainly upright2 our consciences not afraid1 our duty plain and simple2 and in ,,christ1 therefore1 our hope sure4 ,i know that men think this 7at least they do not think otherwise71 and in their lives they act it1 even if they dare not shape it into words4 ,but1 brethren1 if it is so with you1 look to it1 for the calm is more deadly than the storm4 ,the ,devil is the inveterate enemy and the untiring assailant of ,,christ and ,christians4 ,his whole being and energy are concentrated in the aim and effort to bury the ark of ,,christ in the sea of eternal destruction4 ,if1 then1 you pass over that sea1 and are enshrouded by no darkness1 beaten by no winds1 tossed by no billows1 be sure that it is because ,,christ is not in your company4 ,that ,church has had its candlestick removed1 which dwells in security1 peaceful and prosperous2 and that individual has not ,,christ for the tenant of his heart who experiences not what the storm-tossed vessel typified4 ,satan is intent upon destroying every one that is ,,christ',s4 ,if he attempts not your destruction1 it is because he does not consider you ,,christ',s--and1 remember1 though he is not all-wise1 he is as an angel1 and an archangel in perception--because your vessel bears not ,,christ2 because you are on no journey with ,,christ to cast out evil spirits and drive them over steep places into the sea4 ,o1 my brethren1 it is an awful sign1 a death-boding distinction1 when ,satan lets us alone in this sea of life1 and deems it unnecessary to keep us by violent efforts from reaching heaven4 ,it is the expression of his informed and deliberate judgment that we are not going thither6 ,o ye who dwell at ease and glide smoothly along the journey of life1 put back1 take ,,christ on board1 and joy when you find in yourselves the signs of ,his presence1 the assaults of ,satan1 the warring within you of good and evil1 the stirrings of conscience1 the flutterings of spiritual fear4 ,i do not mean become morbid1 and delight in what is mournful and terrible2 but suspect and refuse the peace which ,satan offers without contest1 and determine to have only that which in ,,christ',s strength you win and maintain4 ,next1 consider the meaning of ,,christ',s lying asleep in the storm1 and interfering not to control it1 till so earnestly called up4 ,in providence and in grace ,,god delights1 so to speak1 to hide ,himself1 though ,he exhibits the results of ,his works4 ,he is the ,author of every gift1 and the ,ruler and ,promoter of its use2 but ,he puts it into our hands as ,his agents1 and bids us with it accomplish ,his will4 ,as the heart is the fountain of the blood which flows through our members1 as it is bone and muscle that give strength to the arm1 so is ,,god the ,source of grace to the soul1 and the prevailing ,power of our efforts4 ,still1 it is not ,himself prominently and foremost that does the work in the world1 but we from and by ,him4 ,the explanation of this economy seems to be1 first1 that ,he would have us walk by faith--remembering ,him1 relying on ,him1 working for ,him--rather than by right1 constrained1 whether we will or not1 without feeling or desire1 or dependence1 to see1 and admit1 and feel ,his power4 ,and1 secondly1 that ,he would give us an individuality1 a certain dependent independence1 which shall make us feel personal responsibility1 and allow us to deserve 7in a sense7 the recompense of personal effort4 ,thus1 ,he leaves the fool to say1 ,there is no ,,god1 and rewards the faithful by revealing ,himself to belief4 ,thus1 while there is a ,,god1 while ,he is not far from us1 while in ,him we live and move and have our being1 we are required and stimulated to seek ,him1 to feel after ,him1 and find ,him4 ,besides1 or more properly therefore1 we have to call upon ,him before ,he answers4 ,even when ,he had determined1 and declared ,his determination1 to bless the ,israelites1 ,he made the condition1 8,nevertheless1 for these things ,i will be inquired of40 ,he would have us live by spiritual dependence4 ,he would have us communicate to ,him our wants4 ,he would have us draw down by prayer the supply4 ,and this ,he effects by making it a law1 that ,he will know nothing of us1 at least know nothing so as to heed for our good1 but what we tell ,him1 and will give us nothing but what we ask4 ,i have so lately enlarged upon this subject that ,i will add nothing upon it now1 but to bid you remember the necessity and the power of prayer4 ,lastly1 consider what is taught by that remonstrance1 spoken in the interval between awaking and acting1 8,why are ye fearful1 ,o ye of little faith80 ,i have already said that ,,christ did not disapprove the prayer1 but only the fear which had preceded it1 the poverty of the faith which accompanied it4 ,neither did ,he demand of the disciples the impossibility of being undisturbed in the midst of such perturbation4 ,it is natural--natural even to the ,christian full of grace1 to be affected by the circumstances which attend him4 ,,christ was so affected ,himself1 as ,his prayers1 and shrinkings1 and watchings1 and open teaching assure us4 ,he1 who wept at human misery1 though ,he was just going to put it to flight2 ,he1 who shrank from the trial which ,he had deliberately and of choice encountered1 has sanctioned and recommended 7shall ,i say enforced87 by ,his example the same feelings in ,his disciples4 ,he does not forbid us to be human1 but only requires us to leaven humanity with godliness4 ,trials we are to have1 and trials we ought to feel4 ,to be stolid and callous is to be unchristian1 for none ever felt trials as ,,christ did4 ,but in our trials1 while we feel1 and weep1 and shrink1 we are not to be faint-hearted4 ,we are to know in ,whom we have believed4 ,we are1 therefore1 to bear them1 and submit to them2 but we are not to be overpowered by them4 ,we are not to allow them to exercise such an influence as to make us forget that there is ,one greater than the storm1 ,who rules it even in its wildest raging1 ,who will cause it to cease when it is fitting1 ,who will not allow it to overwhelm us if we are dependent on ,him in its continuance1 if we hope in ,him to stay it4 ,terrible is the darkness of the sky1 powerful is the violence of the wind1 drenching are the waves1 but the ship shall not sink1 for ,,christ is in it4 ,whatever1 then1 the terrors and the trouble of the present1 we have hope1 we have confidence in the future4 8,why art thou so cast down ,o my soul1 and why art thou so disquieted within me8 ,hope in ,,god for ,i shall yet praise ,him1 ,who is the health of my countenance and my ,,god40 ,such is the teaching of ,,christ',s remonstrance4 ,and the time of its utterance1 the delay to assuage the storm1 teaches this further lesson1 that in this life ,,christ will give us comfort in trouble1 but not necessarily deliverance out of trouble4 ,by and by ,he will indeed deliver us4 ,but the best blessing here is not immunity1 but trust and support4 ,there is a peace in war1 a joy in sorrow1 a strength in weakness1 with which the world and the ,devil cannot intermeddle4 ,seek we this1 and be sure we are wanting in what ,,christ delights to afford1 if we have it not4 ,but having it1 bear we patiently1 thankfully1 all outward commotion1 faithfully expecting the time1 when openly1 as already inwardly1 ,,christ shall arise and command 8,peace be still10 and there shall be a great and abiding calm4 ,,sermon ,,xii4 ,,unity ,,with ,,peace4 ,,ephesians1 ,,iv41 #a1 #b1 #c4 ,i1 therefore1 the prisoner of the ,,lord1 beseech you that ye walk worthy of the calling wherewith ye are called1 ,with all lowliness and meekness1 with longsuffering1 forbearing one another in love2 ,endeavouring to keep the unity of the ,spirit in the bond of peace4 ,,it was the prayer of our ,blessed ,,lord--what an earnest prayer it was1 delivered in what solemn and affecting circumstances--that all ,his disciples might be one1 even as ,he and the ,father were one4 ,he had laboured to secure this oneness1 by teaching them that there was the same truth for all to receive1 and the same work for all to do4 ,individual fancies and theories were not to be indulged1 where the whole teaching was of ,,god2 pride was not to exercise itself where everything was received1 and nothing earned2 ambition was checked1 by being told that1 by seeking1 it should lose1 that he who would be first should be last4 ,all were equal in position1 all equal in privileges4 ,in serving one another1 in preferring one another--by this alone could they please ,,god2 in this way only could they reach unto eminence4 ,devoted to a common ,,lord1 directed by a common revelation1 enabled by a common grace1 exercised in a common work1 cheered by a common hope1 surrounded with common trials and difficulties--what could there be within1 without1 past1 present1 or future1 which should prevent them from all thinking the same thoughts and doing the same works1 sinking the individual in the company1 clinging to one another1 labouring together1 knit together in a holy bond--8,one ,,lord1 one faith1 one baptism1 one ,,god and ,father of all1 ,who is above all1 and through all1 and in all40 ,to think for oneself1 what was it but to reject ,,god',s truth2 to act independently1 but to forsake their appointed work2 not to serve and love the brethren1 not to serve and love the ,,lord2 to separate from the ,christian company1 to go away from ,,christ8 ,even if the ,spirit had not been given to effect this unity1 if the ,gospel had not enforced it by the plainest denunciation of heresies and schisms--crimes classed by it with the worst and lowest1 and most certain to exclude from heaven2 even if ,,christ had never prayed for their union1 nor taught them that they were to be united1 still1 if the disciples of religion were like the followers of any other cause1 it might have been expected--it would have seemed morally impossible that it should be otherwise--that the remembrance and love of their ,master1 the cause which they had taken up1 the knowledge of the way in which alone it could be furthered1 their common relationship1 and interests1 and aims1 and hopes1 would have kept them in one body1 would have bound them fast to each other in the bonds of peace4 ,and1 doubtless1 it would have been so1 but for the influence and machinations of the evil one4 ,there could have been no other fruit from such seed1 but that the enemy sowed tares in the same field4 ,in ,,christ1 self had been denied and destroyed4 ,his ,church was to be the embodiment and propagator of self-denial1 self-submission1 self-devotion4 ,such a ,church threatened antichrist with certain destruction3 for antichrist is the spirit of self--and selfishness destroyed1 where would be sin8 ,therefore1 the ,devil sought to break up or mar and impair the ,church2 and1 to accomplish his object1 infused into as many of its members as he could1 the very spirit of self1 which it was commissioned to destroy4 ,alas6 he was too successful in his fell work4 ,soon self began to ask1 8,why should ,i not choose what to believe--what to do8 ,why should ,i not make to myself a name1 and claim for myself authority1 and power1 and reverence8 ,why should ,i not have private views1 and seek private ends8 ,why should ,i suffer1 and forbear1 and seek another's good1 rather than my own80 ,the selfish question was father to the selfish determination2 and so1 even in the ,apostles' time1 the faith was mutilated here and denied there--there were heresies1 and schisms1 and strifes1 and boastings of spiritual gifts1 and withholding of temporal substance from ,,god1 and indulgence of lusts1 and hatings1 and revengings1 and backbitings1 and fightings1 and denying of one another1 among those who were all called with one calling1 enlightened and sanctified by one ,spirit1 appointed to 8keep the unity of the ,spirit in the bond of peace40 ,and so it has continued to the present time4 ,there is no such reasoning1 and questioning1 and quibbling1 and deciding for oneself what to believe1 about any other subject1 as about the truth1 which ,,god has plainly taught and has clearly defined4 ,there are no other divisions so numerous1 so lamentable1 so strife-begotten1 and strife-engendering1 as in the one body of ,,christ4 ,pride1 and ambition1 and self-seeking1 in all its worst forms2 evil suspicions1 revilings1 hatred1 persecutions1 have abounded1 and do abound1 and boldly manifest themselves in that very community whence self was to be expelled6 ,many antichrists are in the world1 but as many in the ,church4 ,the very heathen repel our attempts to convert them1 by bidding us first agree what to believe ourselves4 ,the worst of men say they have a right to despise us for our bitter jealousies and disliking of one another2 and the taunt is common1 and has been in some measure provoked1 that religion is only a mask1 a cloak to hide men's basest passions and worst deeds4 ,it may be urged--it ought to be urged--that this is not altogether the fault of ,christians4 ,it was the will of ,,god that the goats should be allowed to mingle with the sheep1 that the tares should not be rooted out from among the wheat1 that the net should contain small as well as great1 worthless as well as good fishes4 ,hence they are 8not all ,israel1 who are of ,israel40 ,and so the bad feelings and deeds1 the things which are an offence and a reproach in ,christendom1 are to be charged not altogether to ,,christ',s true followers1 but to those who only in name are ,christians--to the world1 in fact1 intruding into1 and mixing itself up with1 the ,church4 ,yes2 this is so4 ,the world has sought and found scope in the ,church for the wild exercise of its reason1 for profane speculations1 and whimsical fancies2 for self-indulgence1 too1 in all its forms2 for lusts1 and strifes1 and false accusations1 and enmities1 and wickedness1 of every hue and measure4 ,the worst heretics and schismatics1 the fiercest persecutors1 the bitterest accusers of the brethren1 are evidently not true followers1 even in intention1 of ,,christ2 they are not rebels and traitors1 8they are not of us10 they belong to the enemy1 and have stolen into our camp2 and are now mixing themselves with us1 and confounding1 and harassing1 and misguiding us1 as part of the subtle warfare which is being waged by ,satan against us4 ,but still1 alas6 we are not clear4 ,too many who deserve to be called something better than nominal ,christians1 too many--ay1 even of the best of us--make no endeavour--that is worthy of the name--to keep the unity of the ,spirit2 or1 if they strive for unity1 forget the bond of peace4 ,it is very common to find a man who has been at much pains to find out for himself the doctrines and requirements of ,christianity1 who heartily accepts every article of the creed1 who is scrupulously exact in keeping all the ordinances1 who would think himself guilty of no ordinary sin1 if he frequented the place of worship of another sect1 or contributed of his substance to their cause1 who is yet all the while utterly indifferent to the fact that almost every article of his creed1 and every ordinance of his ,church1 is ignored1 and even denounced by some one or other of the many bodies of men calling themselves ,christian communities4 ,he thinks it no business of his to defend the faith1 or to vindicate the ordinances4 ,let every man look to himself1 is his maxim1 and leave others alone2 or1 perhaps1 if he is momentarily interested in the matter1 if a wish springs up that it were otherwise1 he soothes himself1 and spares himself further anxiety and labour1 by suggesting that ,christian charity would not interfere with another's liberty4 8,these others10 he reasons1 8have a religion1 and follow it4 ,it is not altogether the same as mine1 but it is in many respects like it1 perhaps in all essentials4 ,at any rate1 it is better than none2 it would be presumptuous to suppose that they may not be saved by it4 ,therefore1 if ,i must help in proselytizing any1 it shall not be these mainly right1 but the godless1 the followers of no religion60 ,now1 brethren1 such a man is utterly in fault3 he is incurring the ,apostle's reproach of being carnal1 in allowing divisions2 he is offending against the very ,christian charity which he thinks he is exercising2 he is unconcerned about the due honour of ,,god2 he is disobeying the injunction to endeavour 8to keep the unity of the ,spirit40 ,the question is not1 whether a man can be saved in heresy or schism1 but whether any ,christian1 who honours ,,god and loves the brethren1 ought to wink at heresy or schism8 ,and the answer is plain--he ought not6 ,is ,,god honoured1 is ,he pleased1 when the creature1 to whom ,he reveals ,himself1 says1 in effect1 ,thus much of the ,divine account ,i will accept2 the rest ,i do not like1 cannot reconcile with my private pre-conceived notions1 cannot see to be reasonable1 therefore1 ,i reject it8 ,is ,,god obeyed1 when ,his servant1 instead of fulfilling ,his whole will1 sets aside capriciously1 or for some selfish reason1 certain positive precepts of that will8 ,is any ,christian in a certainly accepted and safe state1 or in the way to it1 who does not use1 who ignores the need of1 prescribed means of cleansing and sanctifying8 ,and if he is not1 how far is it charitable1 to let him remain as he is1 without concern8 ,my brethren1 we all recognise it as the duty of every ,christian to promote the knowledge and acceptance of the truth4 ,can we be said to discharge this duty1 if we care not about the mutilation or distortion of the truth8 ,we all acknowledge that we ought to love one another1 to have fervent charity among ourselves4 ,is it charitable--is it not culpably selfish--to have1 as we believe1 the best1 if not the only1 right faith--and not to be concerned that others have it not8 ,is it not1 too1 strangely perverse to admit1 that those in separation are brethren1 fellow-pilgrims1 fellow-heirs1 to hope to meet them in heaven1 and to think1 and feel1 and live in perfect harmony with them for ever2 and yet here not to be concerned that we never can give them the right hand of fellowship--cannot journey with them1 and help1 and make for the inheritance together--can never even meet them in prayer and communion--must let them be as utter strangers8 ,in earthly matters none of this would be tolerated1 could possibly be4 ,why1 then1 can it be--why is it in religion8 ,because we are not jealous enough for the honour of ,,god1 because we do not truly love the brethren1 because we do not endeavour to keep the unity of the ,spirit6 ,but it is possible to err--there are many who do err--on the other side2 who1 in their zeal for the faith1 insist that all shall think and do precisely as they do1 or shall forego the name of brethren3 who have been at no pains to search out the ground of their own faith1 and see how much of it is derived from ,,god1 and how much from man2 who make no distinction between important and unimportant misconceptions2 who class together the wilful teacher of error and the misguided learner1 the originators of schism and the inheritors of it2 who blame for their faults those whom they should rather pity for their misfortune2 who would make the path of orthodoxy as narrow as possible1 and excommunicate all whom they could detect treading on its borders2 who not only see nothing right beyond their own ,church1 but are impatient of much that is within it2 who split the ,church up into parties1 and bring about the worst of schisms--divisions1 misgivings1 and oppositions1 among members of the same household1 continuing in the same house2 who would have undue prominence given to certain doctrines2 who fight for or against certain ceremonies and vestments1 and certain kinds of music2 who are ever looking for something to protest against1 to blame1 or to pity1 in their fellow-worshippers or their ministers4 ,these men think that they do ,,god service 7for ,i speak not now of the wilful72 they are intent upon serving ,him2 but it is like ,saul before his conversion1 with an ignorant and persecuting zeal4 ,they want to establish and keep1 what they think1 the unity of the ,spirit1 but they care not for the bond of peace4 ,if a member of their own communion does not think as they do1 they quarrel with him1 they bid him go1 they would thrust him out3 while1 as for members of other ,christian bodies1 they think worse of them1 they speak worse of them1 they shun them more than they would an infidel or a reprobate6 ,let not this be thought exaggeration2 not always1 nor very often1 let us hope1 do they come to this growth2 but of this kind1 alas6 too nearly of this measure there are not a few among both ,high ,churchmen and ,low ,churchmen2 and in this direction works all zeal that is not fully enlightened by ,,god1 that is not warmed with love for ,,christ1 and love for those whom ,,christ died to save and win4 ,zeal is good1 earnest contention for the faith is imperatively required of every ,christian1 but so is right knowledge and love4 ,right knowledge1 ,i venture to say1 while condemning actual heresy and schism1 would often be content with creeds in general terms1 and would make much easier1 than many strict religionists conceive1 the terms of communion1 so as to include as many as were really desirous of being included2 and love1 ,christian love1 would sigh and sorrow over differences1 and yearn after separatists2 and would labour1 and persuade1 and spend1 and be spent1 and wrestle in prayer1 to cement1 to convert1 to bring in4 ,o it is self that is so stern and strict in defining what is correct theology2 it is antichrist in his worst mood1 that would thrust out or cut off a brother sinner6 ,my brethren1 understand clearly that you are most solemnly bound to accept yourselves1 and to urge upon others1 the whole teaching of ,,god1 nothing less and nothing more2 to render yourselves1 to persuade others to render1 precise and perfect obedience4 ,you may not be indifferent about others1 but you must not be overbearing4 ,you are keepers and helpers of the brethren1 but you are not judges and avengers4 ,it is your duty to honour ,,god1 and to maintain ,his honour2 it is your mission to persuade others to honour ,him also4 ,,god is honoured in unity1 in agreement1 in faith1 in union1 in practice1 and service1 and worship4 ,you have then to promote this unity2 but1 as a pre-qualification1 you must have so entered into the mind of the ,spirit1 as to know--specially for ,,god',s missionary work--what liberty is allowed1 and to feel1 after your poor measure1 what ,,christ feels of love for each individual soul4 ,in the prosecution of your work1 the text directs you--,you are called with one calling1 the ,gentile is included with the ,jew2 the aim is union1 not separation1 that all may be saved4 ,by all means1 save whom you can4 ,be lowly1 let not self intrude1 where ,,christ should be put forward2 be meek1 let not self recoil where ,,christ would suffer2 be patient1 enduring1 long-suffering1 slow to take offence1 determined not to give offence1 bent upon returning good for evil1 forbearing one another in love1 making every allowance for wrong training1 for natural prejudices1 for individual infirmities--ay1 and even perversities4 ,be very zealous for the unity of the ,spirit2 but be sure that you are breaking1 not promoting1 that unity1 wherever you sever or endanger the bond of peace4 ,follow this advice--and ,i do not say you will root out heresy1 and heal divisions1 but you will do much towards it4 ,argument1 and censure1 and ridicule1 and remonstrance1 and denunciation1 and persecution1 have been trying1 ever since the ,christian era1 to establish the unity of the ,spirit1 and have rather destroyed it4 ,try you1 whether he was not enlightened and sanctified by the ,spirit1 who said1 and acted upon it1 8that one ounce of love could do more than many pounds of controversy40 ,men may be repelled from you1 by your orthodoxy1 your zeal1 your reasoning1 your stout remonstrance4 ,they will be subdued by your forbearance1 and will come after you for your love6 ,to the best of you1 ,i say1 there is some indifference which you ought to shake off4 ,to the best of you1 ,i say1 get farther from bigotry and the spirit of self4 ,,sermon ,,xiii4 ,,the ,,law ,,in ,,the ,,gospel4 ,,st4 ,,luke1 ,x41 #be4 ,what shall ,i do to inherit eternal life8 ,,we have here the question of a ,jewish lawyer1 who is said1 in propounding it1 to have tempted our ,,lord4 ,this does not necessarily1 or even probably1 mean1 that his object was simply to ensnare and entangle ,,jesus in his speech3 but rather that he was putting ,him to the test1 that he might judge of the qualifications and orthodoxy of the ,new ,teacher4 ,but1 besides this1 he seems1 from the commendation presently passed on him1 to have had a better motive2 to have been like the scribe who was not far from the kingdom of heaven1 to have felt personal anxiety about salvation1 and to have sought from our ,,lord1 in an honest1 though somewhat professional and self-sufficient manner1 the resolution of a real doubt4 8,what shall ,i do to inherit eternal life80 ,he had listened to the words in which ,,jesus reminded ,his hearers1 that they had greater privileges than those who lived before them 78,blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see4 ,for ,i tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see1 and have not seen them1 and to hear those things which ye hear and have not heard them071 and rightly concluding that they were an announcement of the arrival of ,gospel times1 and the setting forth of their speaker as the ,great ,gospel ,teacher1 he asked1 what was there new for him to hear and learn1 and what consequently remained for him to do1 that he might inherit eternal life4 ,the reply of our ,,lord is remarkable4 8,what is written in the law8 how readest thou80 ,there is nothing new1 nothing taken away1 nothing added or altered4 ,i come1 to fulfil the ceremonial law1 to enforce the moral law1 what does that bind upon thee8 ,and he answering said1 with much wisdom--much spiritual discernment1 8,thou shalt love the ,,lord thy ,,god with all thy heart1 and with all thy soul1 and with all thy strength1 and with all thy mind3 and thy neighbour as thyself4 ,and ,,jesus said unto him1 ,thou hast answered right3 this do1 and thou shalt live30 i4e41 shalt have eternal life4 ,observe1 throughout this lawyer's speech1 how correct is his theology4 8,what shall ,i do to inherit eternal life80 not to gain1 to purchase1 to earn it1 but to inherit it4 8,i do not claim it as a profitable servant1 ,i am not so foolish as to suppose that ,i can procure it by any surrender1 or exchange1 or labour4 ,it comes 7to those to whom it comes at all7 as an inheritance1 to the children of the covenant1 the heirs of faithful ,abraham4 ,and this heirship is not a natural1 but a spiritual one4 ,i am a ,jew outwardly1 but ,i do not therefore claim to be certainly a ,jew inwardly4 ,they are not all ,israel who are of ,israel4 ,abraham's child according to the flesh1 ,i would also be1 what ,i am not necessarily1 what indeed ,i am not at all of mere natural birthright1 ,abraham's child according to the promise40 ,and next observe1 how he seeks to secure the inheritance4 8,what shall ,i do80 ,eternal life is not the reward of service1 it is not the fruit of labour1 it is the privilege of a spiritual relationship2 but still it cannot be enjoyed by those who are indifferent about it1 or by those who only desire it4 ,it must be laid hold on by real active efforts2 it must be maintained by a particular course of conduct2 salvation must be worked out4 8,what must ,i do0 to secure it8 ,truly he is an enlightened scribe6 ,he knows that eternal life is the free gift of a ,,god1 ,who is no respecter of persons2 ,who recognises no birthright1 no personal merits2 ,who will have mercy on ,whom ,he will have mercy3 but that yet grace does not fall1 as the rain from heaven1 alike upon the barren and the fertile1 the thankless and the thankful1 the careless and the anxious1 the indolent and the active2 but is ever guided by a discerning and distinguishing hand1 is ever bestowed upon righteousness4 ,and so he asks1 ,what is the righteousness that inherits grace3 knowing well what was the prescribed righteousness of the law1 how men were to be saved in times past2 but expecting that under the ,gospel1 an additional1 perhaps a different course was to be followed4 ,we have already seen that ,,christ referred him back to the law1 as revealing and enacting all that was necessary4 8,what is written in the law8 ,how readest thou80 ,it is in his answer to this question that we see chiefly the perfection of his religious theory and his great intellectual superiority to the scribes generally4 ,for1 observe1 he does not reply 8,we must be circumcised2 we must be sprinkled with the blood of goats and heifers2 we must keep the ,passover2 we must wait on the temple-services2 we must give tithes of all that we possess40 ,nor1 again1 does he say1 8,we must observe all moral precepts2 we must refrain from all idolatry2 we must do justice and love mercy2 obeying implicitly the commandments of the two tables40 ,no6 in theory he is wiser than that3 he has no reliance on external rights and ceremonies3 he is sure that ,,god demands something better than a servile conformity with certain precepts and restrictions4 ,,god1 he knows1 looks to the heart1 requires the spirit rather than1 i4e41 beyond the letter4 ,the law has taught him this3 ,moses gave him from heaven ceremonies to perform1 and moral commandments to keep2 but ,moses told him1 that mere outward conformity with these things was not righteousness2 that the law was spiritual2 that the acts done and refrained from under it were only exhibitions of a principle which must reign within3 8,thou shalt love the ,,lord thy ,,god with all thy heart and with all thy soul1 and with all thy strength1 and with all thy mind1 and thy neighbour as thyself40 ,even so1 8,thou hast answered right10 said ,,christ4 8,thou hast learnt under the law1 all that the ,gospel would teach4 ,to exhibit this is the bent of ,my life on earth1 to enforce it will be the mission of ,my ,church4 ,love is the fulfilling of the law4 ,this do1 and thou shalt live40 ,it appears to me1 brethren1 that in this conversation1 carefully considered1 we may find a clue to the satisfactory interpretation of those perplexing sayings about the differences between the law and the ,gospel3 8,the letter killeth1 but the spirit giveth life40 8,ye are not under the law10 8the ministration of condemnation20 8,the covenant that was confirmed before of ,,god in ,,christ1 the law which was #dcj years after cannot disannul40 8,the ,law and the ,prophets were until ,john40 8,i am not come to destroy the law40 8,this do and thou shalt live40 ,it is a common notion that there is an essential difference1 amounting even to a contradiction between the law and the ,gospel4 ,,god is supposed--as if ,he were an imperfect ,being changing ,his ways capriciously--to have suspended the ,covenant of ,grace which ,he had made with ,abraham1 from the time of ,moses to that of ,,christ1 and to have given the ,jews in its stead a ,covenant of ,works1 which ,he well knew they could not keep1 and under which1 therefore1 they were sure to be destroyed3 or1 if ,he accepted any of them under the law1 then1 it is said1 that inasmuch as their obedience was of course imperfect1 ,he must have been content with less than ,he had required1 and have disregarded ,his own decree1 8,the soul that sinneth it shall die40 ,nay1 more than this3 that ,he dispensed for a time with the merits of ,,christ',s atonement and the finding of salvation through ,him1 and dealt with man on his own merits1 and rewarded him for an imperfect obedience4 ,but now1 it is urged1 all this is once more changed4 ,the law1 having served its purpose of showing men that they could not obey ,,god in the letter1 having concluded them all under sin by disallowing the things they were prone to1 and requiring what they could not do1 having disappointed and balked them in their efforts to obtain salvation by it1 and so caused them to abandon its observance in despair1 and to inquire for another way of salvation--thus being a schoolmaster to lead them to ,,christ--has now been wholly repealed2 so that we have nothing more to do with it1 being brought out of bondage into liberty1 and what we find forbidden or required by it1 is not forbidden or required by us because it is in the law1 but may be done or left undone1 notwithstanding what the law says1 unless some eternally moral principle1 independent of ,jewish sanctions and restrictions1 would be thereby violated6 ,i have put this in plainer and stronger words than any of yourselves probably would use1 or are accustomed to hear3 but ,i have not exaggerated the matter4 ,in proof1 let me ask1 ,are there not many who think the rehearsal of the ,decalogue out of place in the ,communion service8 who object to moral preaching as savouring of the obsolete law8 who talk about the 8filthy rags0 of their own righteousness1 as if they were something wrong in keeping in the law8 who believe that ,,christ is glorified most when they do least8 who boast of a liberty to use or use not ordinances and means of grace8 who reproach others with being1 for instance1 ,sabbatarians8 who speak of the ,,god of the ,new ,testament almost as if the ,,god of the ,old ,testament were another ,being1 of different attributes1 enacting different laws8 ,and even among those who have not distinctly set the law and the ,gospel in opposition1 is there not a vague notion that somehow the ,old ,testament does not concern us ,christians1 and that our way of salvation is different from that of the ,jews1 and much easier to follow8 ,o how do such persons reconcile with their notions ,,christ',s teaching of the lawyer1 whom ,he not only told to look for the way of salvation in the law1 but commended for finding it there1 and enjoined to keep it as the condition of salvation3 8,this do1 and thou shalt live40 ,the fact is1 the way of salvation has always been the same1 since man became a sinner4 ,eternal life has always been a free gift in ,,christ4 ,not for their merits or deservings does ,,god love men2 not by their own inventions or labours do they procure acceptance4 ,the precious blood of ,,christ shed 7in effect7 before the foundation of the world1 has ever been the fountain for sin2 the intercession of ,,christ has ever been the means of reconciliation2 the grace of ,,christ',s sanctified human nature applied by the ,holy ,spirit has ever been the leaven of regeneration1 of conversion1 of perfection in holiness and fitness for the inheritance of the saints in light4 ,but ,,god has never been indifferent to the way in which men receive ,his free gifts4 ,he at first created man for ,his own glory1 and ,he has redeemed1 and would sanctify him for ,his glory4 ,he made man to love ,him1 to depend on ,him1 to render ,him the grateful homage of a free-will service1 to reflect ,his own glorious attributes of holiness and love4 ,the sin of ,adam and ,eve was not that they ate of a particular fruit reserved from them1 but that they frustrated the end for which they were created2 that they found not their delight in the way of ,,god',s will2 that they chose for themselves out of ,him2 that they doubted ,his truth1 gave themselves over to the influence and dominion of another lord4 ,they would have sinned as greatly1 as hatefully1 had they scrupulously refrained from the deed of sin1 but in their hearts longed after it1 and in their hearts murmured against the restriction1 and disputed the importance or the justice of it4 ,and so the holiness of pardoned man does not consist in the mere mechanical1 servile1 or selfish rendering of outward obedience1 in the number of enjoined things which he does1 and the number of forbidden things which he avoids2 but in the inward love and gratitude which he feels towards ,,god1 in his filial reverence of his ,heavenly ,father1 in his delight to carry out ,,god',s known will1 and his anxiety to learn more1 that he may do more of it1 in his heart's beating1 so to speak1 in unison with ,,god',s heart1 and his life's reflecting ,,god',s light and love4 ,to bring men to this state1 that ,he may delight in them1 that they may glorify ,him in all things1 is the purpose and aim of ,,god',s great scheme of salvation2 and1 to forward that scheme1 is1 and has been1 the object of all ,his dealings with men of all times 7when they have not been judgments of wrath1 because mercy was refused71 whether they have been encouragements or remonstrances1 pleadings or rebukes1 blessings or chastisements1 the promulgations of moral laws1 the laying on or taking off of positive or ceremonial commandments4 ,none of these things could in themselves have made men what ,,god willed them to be1 loving children of a loving ,father2 yet they had1 or were designed to have1 their effect in bringing them back little by little to a right mind1 and a right life4 ,but being used by a wise and discerning ,,god1 though their object was always uniform1 the use of them has varied1 one being employed in this case1 another in that1 according to the state of those on whom they were to operate4 ,thus ,adam1 fresh from the hand of ,,god1 full of knowledge and intelligence1 and holiness and love1 was left1 it would appear--but with one commandment1 the test of his integrity--to worship and glorify ,,god as his own heart and mind dictated2 while the ,jews1 coming out of ,egypt1 sunk in ignorance1 given to idolatry1 perverse in will and affections1 were dealt with as babes1 albut without mind and without heart4 ,to them it was necessary to declare1 that there was but one ,,god1 to command them to worship ,him1 to prescribe every particular of the worship1 to bid them not blaspheme ,him1 to hedge them in by numerous restrictions1 to write down every item of their duty1 to encourage their obedience by immediate rewards1 to check their transgressions by instant punishments6 ,they were treated1 in fact1 just as wise and fond parents treat little children3 their minds taught by pictures--brazen serpents1 pillars of light and fire1 gorgeous tabernacles1 sacrifices of bulls1 and goats1 and lambs1 burnings of incense1 and the like--and their hearts and lives trained by a course of discipline suited to their comprehension1 and a system of rewards and punishments which they could appreciate4 ,these things were means to an end4 ,they impressed upon the ,jews1 that reverence and obedience were due to ,,god4 ,they taught them to look to ,him for reward and punishment1 to love and fear ,him4 ,but like the arbitrary discipline we use with children1 and the toys which we give or take away from them according to their conduct1 they were to be set aside 7as far as they were childish7 so soon as more intelligent and better influences could be employed1 and the children be taught to use their minds and hearts1 in exercising reverence1 and love1 and fear1 not in little observances and restrictions1 not in mere literal compliance with some particular expressed laws1 but according to the principle of love which would devote itself entirely1 and which uses all its powers to find out what is devotion1 and to practice it4 ,thus1 ,i say1 the ,jews were dealt with from ,moses to ,,christ1 and then men were bidden to put away childish things--the ,spirit being given to raise them above childishness--and henceforth to render enlarged1 enlightened1 loving service to ,,god4 ,they were not released from reverence and submission3 very few commandments hitherto observed were repealed1 save those that were typical and ceremonial1 and which1 of course1 gave way to the antitype and to the new ritual of ,christianity2 but henceforth1 they were told1 ,,god would not be pleased with mere literal obedience3 ,do what you did before1 but do it in the spirit1 and carry it farther1 and search about to see whether your own hearts and minds cannot regulate your lives in things not prescribed4 ,indeed1 all this had been told them before1 as the quotation of the lawyer from ,deuteronomy alone would suffice to show2 but it was not so strictly required of them as it is of us1 because allowance was made for their childish want of spiritual comprehension1 and because the perfection of obedience was postponed till the full strength was given to render it1 as well as the enlightened mind to understand it4 ,in ,gospel times the law is spiritualised1 the observance of the commandments is extended beyond the outward life1 to the very thoughts and desires4 ,to covet is to steal1 to lust is to commit adultery1 to hate is to murder6 ,hence1 while in one sense1 our obedience is easier1 because we render it under the influence of enlightened minds and kindled feelings1 of love and gratitude--whereas1 the ,jew was perpetually crossing and driving himself to keep a law which had no other recommendation to him than that its observance preserved him from immediate chastisement--in other respects1 our obedience is not only more imperatively necessary1 because our privileges and responsibilities are greater1 but it must be more precise1 because any wilful deviation from it--in us who are of a mature and enlightened age--will surely indicate an unloving heart2 and he that has no love has no spiritual life6 ,this1 after all1 is the distinction between the good works of the ,jew and those of the ,christian2 not that the former sought salvation on account of them1 while the latter makes them but the tribute of praise and love for salvation--for the ,jew believed that he was saved by ordinances1 not by works--but that the ,jew's was the enforced obedience of slavish fear1 while the ,christian's is the spontaneous expression of filial love4 ,if the ,christian were perfect in moral perception1 he would be a law to himself1 and would need but little of a written law2 but not being thus perfect1 he finds his greatest help to glorify ,,god1 in the studying and following of the ,mosaic laws1 which are samples and specimens furnished by ,,god1 of acceptable works1 and which1 moreover1 are a standard whereby he may measure1 not so much how near1 as how far he is1 from doing the whole will of ,,god4 ,this purpose1 then1 the law serves to ,christians3 it points out the ways in which love should exercise itself2 and so1 by confronting the negligent or transgressing1 proves to them the absence or the imperfection of their love4 ,the ,christian is not free from the observance of one jot or one tittle of it1 though he is no longer under the law1 but under grace2 but even if he has kept it all1 he is not necessarily accepted3 he has not rendered service pleasing to ,,god1 if his will is not better than his power1 his heart larger than his deeds6 ,this the lawyer knew theoretically2 and yet1 against his knowledge1 he sinned4 ,when asked what the law required him to do1 he answered rightly1 that the law required1 above and beyond particular deeds1 an impelling principle of love for ,,god1 and1 for ,his sake1 for man also4 ,but then1 when his answer was commended1 we are told that he1 willing to justify himself 7which means1 either to excuse himself for past imperfection1 or to attain presently unto the condition of the just1 without becoming all that was required of him7 demanded1 8,and who is my neighbour80 showing thereby1 how much his heart was behind his mind2 betraying the fact1 that while he professed entire devotion to ,,god1 he was really trying to find out with how stinted and formal an obedience1 he could win and keep his favour4 ,in review of this history1 let me suggest to you1 in very few words1 some important truths4 8,what shall ,i do to inherit eternal life80 is a momentous question for each of you to ask of ,,god1 through ,his revealed word4 ,for the inheritance never shall be yours1 unless you observe the conditions upon which it was promised2 and one of those conditions 7a most important one71 is1 that you should pursue constantly a course of righteousness1 both to glorify ,,god by prescribed service1 and to acquire by spiritual exercise the necessary character for heaven1 without which none can enter it4 ,to do righteousness--not simply to feel1 or think1 or speak righteously--is what is plainly enjoined upon you4 ,still1 you must remember that you are not to propose to yourselves1 as the approved course1 the observance only of particular laws1 the confining of religion to special times1 and places1 and objects1 and deeds2 the mere walking in a clearly marked out path1 as though hands1 and feet1 and ears1 and lips1 without heart or mind1 could work out salvation2 as though1 too1 it were not practicable or desirable1 that you should offer unto ,,god any free-will service1 something besides what ,he has asked you to do6 ,above all1 having come to understand1 that while the fruit of religion is in the life1 the germ of it is in the heart2 that without faith1 and hope1 and love1 it is impossible to please ,,god2 that the law to you is spiritualised2 that you are brought out of the bondage of servants into the glorious liberty of sons2 that not the mere letter of the law1 but the spirit of it is to be your guide2 that outward deeds are not of themselves acceptable to ,,god1 but only as signs of enlightened hearty feeling--things done in faith and love2 that worship in the temple is nothing1 unless you worship out of the temple likewise2 that bowing the knee1 and praising with the lips1 are an abomination1 unless the spirit1 too1 is bowed and the soul upraised2 that bodily sacrifice alone is no sacrifice1 that it needs the broken and contrite heart1 and the devoted spirit--while understanding1 ,i say1 all this1 and rejoicing in the reasonable1 heart-sprung1 spiritual service of the ,christian1 beware lest you separate what ,,god has joined1 or substitute free-will for commanded service1 using your liberty otherwise than as servants of ,,god2 carrying out1 as you suppose1 the spirit of the law wholly in your own way1 instead of keeping1 while you spiritualise the letter of the law4 8,the time is come when1 neither in ,jerusalem nor in this mountain1 shall ye worship the ,father10 does not mean that appointed places of worship shall not be resorted to1 but that1 besides1 ,,god shall be worshipped everywhere4 ,a yearly celebration of the ,passover is no longer necessary2 but a continual feast is substituted for it4 ,,god seeks now to be worshipped in spirit and truth--that is1 not without the body1 but in addition to the body1 with the spirit4 ,the letter by itself killeth1 because it is formal1 and leaves the noblest powers and feelings of man unengaged for ,,god2 but the letter1 as the carrying out of the ,spirit1 is still so imperative1 so vital1 that he who does not observe it foregoes the promise1 8,this do1 and thou shalt live60 ,,sermon ,,xiv4 ,,present ,,salvation4 ,,ii4 ,,corinthians1 ,,vi41 #b4 ,behold1 now is the day of salvation4 ,,st4 ,,paul1 having just quoted a prophecy of ,isaiah1 which relates to an accepted time and a day of salvation1 in the text declares the fulfilment of that prophecy3 8,now is the accepted time2 now is the day of salvation40 ,that which was then promised1 is now performed2 that which was formerly but anticipated1 and only embraced by faith1 while yet afar off1 is now realised and brought near4 ,but the prophecy itself was mentioned by the ,apostle1 to enforce an entreaty1 8,we then as workers together with ,him1 beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of ,,god in vain4 ,for ,he saith1 ,i have heard thee in a time accepted1 and in the day of salvation have ,i succoured thee40 ,it is evident1 then1 that ,st4 ,paul would impress upon the ,corinthians that men are in danger of receiving the grace of ,,god in vain1 of not benefitting by all the merciful and bountiful provision made through ,,christ for their redemption1 and justification1 and sanctification1 by not recognising that this is the day of salvation1 and so1 not looking and preparing for1 and receiving a present salvation4 ,salvation is1 as you know1 the result--possible in all cases2 certain1 wherever the conditions are observed--of redemption by ,,christ4 ,in its perfection1 it is absolute freedom from the guilt1 the taint1 and the power of sin1 and complete1 effectual1 and abiding holiness of heart and life4 ,it belongs not to our proposed subject to consider at any length the destruction from which this is a salvation1 nor the manner in which it was wrought out for lost sinners by ,,christ1 nor the blessedness of its perfect possession and fruition1 which can only be had in heaven4 ,we have rather to do with what is present1 than with the past and the future4 ,we inquire not now1 ,what has ,,christ done1 or1 ,what shall we reach by and by1 but1 ,what ought we to do now8 ,what have we1 or may we have now8 ,in what respects1 to what extent1 is salvation a thing of the present8 ,first1 then1 it is present in the offer to bestow it1 and the exhortations and influences to lay hold on it4 ,when ,,christ rose victorious from the tomb1 having paid the ransom for all the prisoners of the law1 and purchased the right and power of being their ,saviour1 ,he did not immediately make all the men of ,his time actual partakers of the privileges1 nor did ,he provide that all who should thereafter be born1 should from their birth inherit the blessing1 as from ,adam they had inherited the curse4 ,no man might say1 8,,christ has died and risen again1 therefore1 ,i am certainly saved1 without any reserve or delay on ,his part1 without any effort1 almost without any desire1 on my part40 ,salvation was then provided2 rather1 the fountain was then opened1 and began to flow2 but each man in his turn1 at the call of ,,god1 and in the way of ,,god',s appointment1 was1 so to speak1 to help himself to salvation4 ,in other words1 what ,,christ did1 was not to take all who were then living into an ark1 and to cause all that sprung from them to be born and brought up in that ark2 but simply to build an ark1 and leave it open for all ages1 and to offer helps to reach it1 and to urge an entrance into it upon all men1 by the entreaties and promises of ,his love1 and the threats of ,his wrath4 ,we want to be impressed with this4 ,we are too apt to look upon salvation as an accomplished fact1 belonging to the past2 to speak of the blessedness of being born after the atonement has been made2 to take for granted that we are actually saved1 rather than that we have a present offer of salvation2 and even to regard the ordinances of religion1 as ,baptism and ,holy ,communion1 more as ceremonies of thankful faith1 acknowledgments of obligation for past favours1 than as means of laying hold on a now offered1 and1 as yet1 unattained blessing4 ,think a moment1 brethren3 look into your ways and thoughts about religion1 and you will1 perhaps1 find that it is so with you2 that1 whatever may be your theory1 your practice does not assent to the truth1 that 8,now is the day of salvation02 that you have now to be saved1 yet to be washed from sin1 to have its power destroyed in you1 to be qualified for salvation1 to lay hold on it1 to work it out with fear and trembling1 as that which1 though commenced1 is not certain to be completed--which1 even when got1 may again be lost4 ,it may occur to you1 as an objection to this statement1 that you use means of grace1 and somewhat diligently2 that you exercise yourselves in prayer1 and by ,christian discipline2 that you depend continually upon the ever-present grace of ,,god2 that you count not yourselves to have attained2 that you seek to go on unto perfection4 ,all this may be true1 and yet--,i beseech you ask yourselves whether it is not so with you--the latent feeling may be1 that salvation is a thing inherited1 already1 in a measure1 attained2 and that what religion requires of you1 and what you render1 is gratitude to the ,giver1 and a due appreciation of the gift1 sought to be testified and developed by a becoming life1 and an enlarging of the spiritual faculties1 which by and by will have so much more to exercise themselves upon4 ,but1 secondly1 is not this1 it may be urged1 a right view and feeling8 ,is not this what the ministers of religion should labour to impress upon the baptized3 that they have received salvation--the grace of ,,god1 which bringeth salvation8 ,are we not taught by the ,church1 and by the ,bible1 that in baptism we were born again1 that we then became children of ,,god--and if children1 then heirs1 joint heirs with ,,christ2 that we are1 therefore1 from that new birth as actually the inheritors of a blessing1 as naturally we were inheritors of a curse2 and that1 thenceforth1 it is proper for us to say1 8,i heartily thank my ,heavenly ,father that he hath called me to this state of salvation through ,,jesus ,,christ08 ,it is even so1 brethren4 8,now is the day of salvation10 may mean to us ,christians1 8now we have salvation10 rather than 8now it is only offered to us40 ,it may be intended to stir us up to a consideration of our high calling1 to an appreciation of the great gift already bestowed1 to a remembrance of what ,,god has already done for us1 to a sense of ,his abiding presence4 ,there is no doubt--whether this text teaches it or no is another question--that the disciples of ,,christ have a present possession1 as well as a present offer of salvation2 and what ,i meant in the first part1 was not to hide this truth1 but to guard against the error1 to correct whatever amount you might have of the feeling1 that we have already a final gift1 so complete that nothing can be added to it1 so altogether of the past1 that we can do nothing in the present1 but acknowledge the goodness of ,,god in bestowing it1 and wait on ,him patiently and holily till ,he is pleased to reveal to us the full excellencies of the gift1 and to enable us to enjoy them in the eternal heaven4 ,above all1 ,i meant to protest against1 to awaken from the fearful delusion1 that ,,christ has conferred absolutely on mankind1 or upon any chosen number--the elect--the salvation which1 by ,his precious merits1 ,he procured2 that it is ours independently of means of grace1 without closing with present offers of it1 and making present exertions1 and showing present appreciation of it2 that it can be ours at all1 without earnest seeking and praying for it1 and strivings1 and workings1 and self-denials1 and crucifyings of evil1 and growth in grace1 and perseverance unto the end4 8,by grace are ye saved1 and that not of yourselves3 it is the gift of ,,god40 ,work out your own salvation1 each individual of you2 make that your own which was once procured for all that would have it2 work out your own salvation with fear and trembling4 ,your salvation 7,i speak to the baptized7 is begun1 you have present salvation--i4e41 you are in the way which leads to salvation4 ,you have guaranteed to you1 on conditions1 the helps necessary to attain perfect salvation4 ,you may derive1 and should be deriving1 present benefits from your salvation1 and you should experience present joy in it4 ,you have1 ,i say1 present salvation4 ,you have been made members of that ,one ,body1 which was sanctified1 and which is able to sanctify all other bodies that are joined to it3 you are branches of that glorious tree1 whose sap1 pervading every healthy branch1 gives it present strength and develops its beautiful growth1 and by and by will produce the fruit of everlasting life4 ,you have the life of ,,christ kindled in your souls4 ,your bodies are the temple of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,now is the day of salvation1 and present salvation1 too2 not merely past salvation applied1 not that you are washed in a lake whose waters once flowed from a glorious ,fountain2 not that you partake of a store of sanctification1 long ago laid up2 but that now each individual of you is operated upon by a present influence1 deriving directly from the source1 the water of life1 having sanctification produced in you by the now-working and influencing ,spirit4 ,creatures of the present1 there is a present salvation for you2 and that does not mean merely that you have for yourselves to seek and lay hold of a ready salvation1 but that a merciful and grace-giving ,,god1 a loving ,saviour1 an indwelling ,spirit1 are present with you1 and personally operating upon you for your salvation4 ,dear brethren1 try to understand and feel this4 ,do not suppose that ,,god',s gifts are in any way separated from the ,giver by time or by distance4 ,once for all1 ,he resolved to give1 but severally as each needs and rightly seeks1 ,he gives2 and when ,he gives1 it is not by messengers1 through long mediums1 but out of ,his own hand4 ,the bread which we break and the cup which we bless1 are the communion of the ,body and ,blood of ,,christ4 ,the bread is not the ,body1 nor the wine the ,blood1 nor is the reception of them the way of applying to us any stored up blessings2 but when we keep the ordinance which ,,christ has appointed1 then ,he fulfils ,his promise of blessing us1 and1 with the sign1 ,himself the reality enters into our souls4 ,there present in the heart1 ,not in the hands1 th' eternal ,priest ,will ,his true self impart4 ,and so of all other ordinances4 ,they are nothing1 and give nothing of themselves4 ,their whole value--but what an unspeakable value it is--consists in their being appointed ways of bringing us into direct communication with a present ,,god1 our ,father1 our ,saviour1 our ,sanctifier6 ,but there is another view to take of present salvation--namely1 that from its very nature1 it cannot be received at any one time in perfection1 in such a state as to need no care to preserve it1 no sustentation and renewal1 no constant direction and blessing from the ,author1 and ,regulator1 and ,finisher of it4 ,it is spiritual life4 ,who does not know to what hazards life may be exposed1 and how1 from its very nature1 it requires to be fed with proper food1 and kept in health1 and exercised1 and developed8 ,it is a spiritual sap4 ,and what a mockery of life and support to the branch1 would be one single1 separated1 unrenewed imparting from the vine1 of the sap1 which indeed ceases to be sap when the flow from the trunk is interrupted6 ,the work of salvation is ,,god',s work1 begun by ,him1 continued by ,him1 and to be completed by ,him--therefore1 it must have ,his continued personal superintendence4 ,he must work in us to will and to do of ,his good pleasure4 ,thus is salvation present as distinguished from the past4 ,but in another sense it is now the day of salvation4 ,we have not to expect it as a thing wholly future1 we must not delay to close with it as though there were a better time and way of doing that to be afforded hereafter4 ,salvation is present in its rewards and effects4 ,this1 again1 is a truth we need to be impressed with4 ,we are wont to look too much to the future1 to hope to be with ,,god hereafter1 to long for salvation1 to sigh for the season of sanctification4 ,by and by we shall be comforted4 ,by and by we shall be strengthened4 ,by and by we shall be holy and happy6 ,thus it is that we only expect salvation1 that we persuade ourselves that we are not to receive anything here by way of real spiritual joy and blessing1 and that we are not required to reach any high degree of spiritual excellence here6 ,but1 brethren1 how unreasonable is this persuasion4 ,to believe that ,,god is present with us and operating upon us1 and pouring out ,his benefits upon us all our lives1 and yet that we are none the better1 that we do not derive any blessedness from ,him3 or1 again1 to believe that ,,god has given us spiritual life1 that ,he imparts to us1 and constantly superintends1 the grace which justifies and sanctifies2 and yet that we can1 or at least need make no use of this grace1 not grow in it1 not become purer1 and holier1 that it is ineffectual1 that we may consent to its being ineffectual till life is over--,o is not such a persuasion unreasonable1 are we not ashamed of it8 ,imagine a mother not feeding or taking care of her infant1 and yet counting on its thriving6 or1 fondly and diligently tending1 taking care of her infant1 and continuing to do so year after year1 yet perfectly satisfied though it gained no strength1 did not grow1 nor walk1 nor speak1 nor show the slightest sign of getting out of babyhood6 ,imagine1 ,i say1 satisfaction with such a state1 and hope all the while1 yea1 conviction1 that presently1 when the usual number of years were over the child would somehow be a man6 ,or1 imagine the husbandman expecting a harvest without sowing1 or ploughing2 or planting his field diligently1 and rejoicing in refreshing rains1 and ripening suns1 yet not disappointed if the ear did not ripen1 or even if the blade did not spring up2 not concerned about it1 not expecting it1 sure of harvest at the usual time1 even if that usual time should be next week1 and there were yet no sign of a crop6 ,imagine this6 you say4 ,such imagination is idle2 it is a mockery of common sense to suppose such a thing possible4 ,well1 then1 my brethren1 what is to be said of the spiritual nurses of the new life of ,,god in the soul1 of the spiritual husbandman of the seed of grace in the heart1 who do nothing towards1 or who expect nothing of present salvation8 ,brethren1 ,,now is the day of salvation1 the day in which salvation is offered1 in which it is actually conferred1 in which it should be working and growing1 yea1 and bestowing its joy and peace4 ,if in aught of this it fails1 be sure there is some fault in yourselves--it is not that grace is of itself unreal1 or unproductive1 but that you receive it in vain1 that you do not sufficiently heed and reverence it1 that you do not sufficiently guard it1 and sustain and refresh it1 that you do not sufficiently use it4 ,there ought to be in every baptized ,christian1 a gradual1 steady1 and even perceptible ,christian progress4 ,our salvation ought to be ever nearer and nearer than when we believed1 not only in the expectation of our complete adoption and removal to glory1 but in our fitness for glory1 and desire and hope of it4 ,if we have the same evil tendencies1 are as easily overcome by the same temptations1 have the same dislike or imperfect taste for spiritual occupations1 the same poor appreciation of religious privileges and hopes as we had a year1 a month1 a week ago1 then assuredly our salvation stagnates1 we are not using what ,,god has given us1 we are not yielding to1 we are resisting ,his living influence6 ,grace1 my brethren1 is an useless gift1 if it is to effect nothing3 a time of probation is an idle space1 if there is no trial4 ,faith is little entitled to be called 8the substance of things hoped for1 the evidence of things not seen10 if it produces no spiritual conviction3 and as for hope--what kind of anchor is it to the soul1 if it is ever shifting1 if it grasps nothing8 ,if any man is in ,,christ1 he is a new creature1 that is1 he is becoming a new creature1 with new life1 and powers1 and energies1 and tastes1 and aims1 and hopes4 ,he will grow in grace if he has rightly received it1 and in the knowledge and love of ,,christ4 ,he will manifestly 7at least to himself manifestly7 be putting off the old man with his affections and lusts1 and putting on the new man1 which after ,,god is created in righteousness and true holiness4 ,he will endure trials more and more patiently1 as seeing more clearly ,him who is invisible4 ,he will resist temptations more easily1 and do good more consistently and gladly1 and be more pained and more penitent after every sin4 ,he will have a growing love of searching ,,god',s word1 and speaking to ,him in prayer and praise1 and receiving ,him in ,holy ,communion4 ,he will gradually be raised above the world1 and will soar higher in imagination and affection and hope towards heaven4 ,each day will have witnessed some advance--or some more than recovery if there has been a relapse4 ,and when the night cometh1 the end of the day of attaining salvation1 he will want but little to complete his resemblance to ,,christ1 his pattern1 and to perfect his salvation4 ,if1 then1 brethren1 you would obtain an answer to the momentous question1 ,whether you shall be saved1 whether there is a good hope that you are in the way of salvation1 ,i would bid you not so much look back to your ,baptism and ,confirmation1 and count the number of your attendances on ,holy ,communion1 of the sermons you have heard1 the prayers and praises you have offered--though these are all great things--but rather1 ,i would say1 ascertain whether you have present salvation1 for the future depends on the present2 and to ascertain this1 examine well whether you are putting off the old man and putting on the new1 as ,i have just described4 ,as another test--and a very great help in godliness1 to which there is no equal in feelings and exercises--inquire into your hope of future salvation 7by which ,i do not mean only your expectation1 but also your eager desire71 and into your joy for present salvation4 ,if religion is a reality1 it is a great reality4 ,its immediate blessings are so precious1 and its prospects so transcendently glorious1 that the man who is not filled with joy and desire on their account1 has no part or lot in them1 or is strangely culpably ignorant of his privileges and his hopes4 ,no wonder that he easily yields to sin1 that he finds spiritual employments wearisome1 that he makes no progress in salvation4 ,if ,,god touches him and he feels not1 if heaven has come down to him and he knows it not1 if glory is revealed to him1 and he does not burn for it1 if ,,christ has put him in the ark and he is not comforted by the immediate deliverance and counting on the perfect salvation--then1 surely1 he has received the grace of ,,god to little sanctifying1 and so to little saving purpose6 ,o let him beseech ,,god earnestly and perseveringly to give him spiritual sight and feeling1 to fill him with joy and peace in believing1 to make him rejoice1 not only for what he has1 but for what he expects of salvation2 working1 like ,st4 ,paul1 in view of the crown laid up1 confident that1 whether absent or present1 he is accepted by ,,god1 knowing that to depart is to be with ,,christ4 ,but1 lastly1 let him guard and pray against mistaking present for perfect salvation1 the road and discipline and growth for heaven1 for heaven itself4 ,the possession which he has1 precious as it is1 is not a perfect one2 and1 moreover1 he may lose it4 ,remember ,paul's care1 lest he should be a castaway1 his caution to take heed lest we fall1 his fearful sayings about forfeited grace4 ,o brethren1 seek as the best immediate blessing and the best stimulus to godliness1 an assurance of hope in perfect salvation4 ,but be sure that it is founded upon the reception and right use and evident growth of grace1 upon present salvation2 and1 withal1 be not high-minded1 but fear4 ,you know your own frailties1 the influences of the world1 the subtlety and tremendous power of ,satan's temptations4 ,any of these is sufficient to make you wander out of the right way1 or stand still1 or turn back1 or to cause you to faint in your spiritual course1 and even to threaten the destruction of your spiritual life4 ,you are sure of ,,god1 of ,his favour1 of ,his upholding1 of ,his preserving you unto the day of perfect redemption2 but you are not sure of your observance of the conditions on which only you may count on ,him4 ,and if you disregard these conditions1 then are you plainly taught1 by precept and example1 that a neglected ,,god will not abide with you1 and a resisted ,spirit will not strive with you1 and that grace received in vain will be taken away4 ,remember this1 let it keep you from presumption1 make you watchful against temptation1 always clothed in the armour of ,,god1 and wielding the sword of the ,spirit1 and abounding in the work of the ,,lord2 praying1 too1 always1 that the present may be an earnest of the future1 that the ,spirit will sustain1 and sanctify1 and perfect you1 and that ,,god1 ,who has begun a good work in you1 will perform it until the day of ,,jesus ,,christ4 ,,sermon ,,xv4 ,,christ ,,touched4 ,,st4 ,,mark1 ,v41 #cj4 ,and ,,jesus1 immediately knowing in ,himself that virtue had gone out of ,him1 turned ,him about in the press1 and said1 ,who touched my clothes8 ,a ,,crowd always waited on our ,,lord when ,he taught or walked openly4 ,in this case1 there was an unusually great crowd following and thronging ,him1 because it had become known that ,he was on ,his way to work the miracle of raising up a child from the point of death4 ,it is not hard to guess what were the elements of this crowd4 ,first1 there were the idle1 curious multitude ever to be found where novelty or excitement is promised4 ,then there were those who knew not why they were come together1 who were there because others were1 who had no mind or interest in the matter4 7,there are always many of these in every crowd47 ,then there were the scribes and lawyers1 always talking about1 listening to1 or disputing religious truths--never coming1 or caring to come1 to the knowledge and practice of the truth4 ,then there were the seekers after loaves and fishes1 who hoped to get something by coming4 ,then there were the entrappers and enemies of our ,,lord1 seeking for witness against ,him1 hoping to see some work done1 to hear some word said which might form the ground of accusation against ,him4 ,and1 lastly1 there were some--a few only--whom faith impelled to seek from ,him the healing of their diseases1 the relief of their burthens2 and whom love drew after ,him1 to see ,him1 to serve ,him1 to dwell upon the gracious words that proceeded out of ,his mouth4 ,of the last class was a woman who had been afflicted with a grievous malady for twelve years1 who had tried all earthly means of relief1 and had grown worse under them1 who was despised and shut out from the company of mankind by reason of her visitation1 who had become destitute in seeking cure4 ,all things were against her4 ,her misfortunes were what many would describe as more than could be borne4 ,her case was hopeless4 ,nothing seemed left to her but to succumb to helpless misery1 and wait in groans and tears for death--when1 lo6 a sudden gleam of brightest hope burst upon her1 there was a ,physician ,who could cure all diseases1 and ,his remedy was to be had without price6 ,it does not appear whether the fame of ,,jesus had reached her in some remote place1 whence she had dragged her poor afflicted body1 sighing and groaning1 wandering many days1 searching in many places2 or whether1 being 8accidentally10 as men say1 near where the crowd passed1 she had now heard1 for the first time1 of the new ,prophet2 and1 gathering from the passers-by that ,he was going to restore a dying damsel1 concluded that the possessor of such power1 so graciously exercised1 could and would heal her too4 ,be that as it may1 she had full faith in ,his ability3 8,if ,i may but touch his clothes ,i shall be whole40 ,and1 having such faith1 she resolved to act upon it1 making her way through the crowd1 and doing that1 through which her faith suggested the power would be transmitted4 ,how she came to propose to herself1 or who proposed to her1 such a course1 how much of ignorance and superstition there was in it1 is beside our present consideration4 ,her faith1 her perseverance1 her humility1 are rather the things to be noted4 ,her faith1 which was so strongly convinced of the existence in ,,jesus1 and the certainty of being able to obtain from ,him the grace of healing4 ,her perseverance1 poor1 feeble1 tottering woman6 which was not overawed by the greatness of the crowd1 and did not give up when she was dragged hither and thither1 hard pressed here1 shut out there--perhaps even thrown down and trampled on more than once4 ,her humility1 which--eager as she was for cure1 bent1 too1 as she was upon having it--made her fear the eyes of the crowd1 though she cared nothing for their thrusts and hard usage1 which dared not face her ,healer2 which caused her to shrink back from the first touch1 and seek to hide herself1 and steal away with the blessing4 ,pausing here for a moment1 brethren1 to consider that this woman1 in her malady1 is a type of all who are affected with the disease of sin2 that in the fruitless issue of her recourse to earthly physicians1 she allegorises the vanity1 the mockery1 of all human expedients to restore or ameliorate moral distempers2 showing that such 8remedies0 do but cause to suffer more1 and make worse--pausing1 ,i say1 to consider this1 and to reflect that herein we have a representation of ourselves as sinners1 of our helplessness but for ,,christ1 of our greater suffering and sure deterioration1 through our very efforts to become better without ,,christ2 reflecting on this1 realising it1 and feeling it1 are we able to go on and see in her discovering of the right ,healer1 in her efforts to be healed by ,him1 in her faith1 and perseverance1 and humility1 what we have discovered1 what we believe1 and what we do1 and what we feel8 ,o what a pitiable sufferer is that1 who hears with indifference or with lukewarm inactive belief1 that there is a ,physician that can make well2 who knows that ,he is ready1 that restoration is to be had1 and yet does not seek it2 who even pleads infirmity as a reason for not striving to be cured2 who is deterred by the sight of a crowd that must be got through2 who is discouraged by the first obstacle1 and gets up and goes back after the first fall6 ,and how blinded are the senses1 and how dead the feelings of the sinner1 who does not feel the degradation of his state1 but makes open display of himself before the crowd1 and with a bold front and unshrinking touch1 comes to the ,all-pure and ,all-holy to be healed6 ,learn1 fellow sinners1 from this poor woman1 what your sin is1 how defiling1 how miserable1 how sure to grow worse under human treatment4 ,learn1 too1 by ,whom alone it can be healed1 and with what efforts1 and what feelings1 you must seek the healing4 ,for1 consider how the ,all-seeing eye and the ,all sympathising heart beheld and loved that woman1 for her deeds and feelings4 ,before she touched ,him1 the virtue1 the power of healing1 was made ready to flow2 and1 as soon as she had touched1 she was called forth1 and commended1 and owned1 and further blessed3 8,daughter1 thy faith hath made thee whole2 go in peace1 and be whole of thy plague40 ,partly1 no doubt1 for the sake of others1 this manifestation and speech were made4 ,,jesus generally hid ,his wondrous works from the gaze of the masses1 and forbade that they should even hear of them by the hearing of the ear3 just as ,he concealed the meaning of ,his speech by veiling it in parables1 hard to be understood1 that mere curiosity might not be indulged1 that faith might have some privilege over want of faith1 that needless provocation of ,his enemies might be avoided1 and witness against ,him withheld1 that those who ,he knew would see and hear in vain1 might be spared the greater condemnation of beholding and despising4 ,sometimes1 however1 an exception was made1 and ,,jesus spoke and acted openly2 that those present might see1 and those absent might hear of ,him1 and so come unto ,him and be saved4 ,this may have been the case here4 ,or1 more probably1 the manifestation was not so much for the multitude1 it was for the inner circle2 for ,jairus1 whose faith needed to be prepared1 for the shock of the coming announcement--8,thy daughter is dead1 why troublest thou the ,master any more80 or for better heeding of the injunction1 8,be not afraid1 only believe20 for the disciples1 too1 whom ,he would thus confirm in the faith1 and prepare for their mission and sufferings1 whom ,he would thus enable to record for our instruction and comfort1 the things which ,,jesus has done1 which ,he is ever ready to do again4 ,but1 specially1 it was for the woman herself2 that she might not suppose that she had obtained unknown possession of a blessing1 or that it was the mere touch which cured her1 and not the ,all-knowing ,healer1 pleased by her faith and so making effectual an otherwise useless act2 that she might become acquainted with ,him1 and so learn to love ,him1 and gratefully remember ,him1 and by and by1 when she came to know his will1 might delight to do it2 that she might have something more than she sought--this is ever the rule of ,,christ',s giving--the 8,go in peace10 as well as the 8,be whole of thy plague20 that she might be taught1 and we1 through her1 that ,divine mercy is ever to be acknowledged1 and open glory to be given to ,,god4 ,the history is replete with profitable suggestions--lessons of faith and practice4 ,let us select three for present consideration4 ,first1 let us observe1 that we may throng and press ,,jesus1 and yet not touch ,him4 8,thou seest the multitude thronging ,thee1 and sayest ,thou who touched me80 ,even so6 ,the idle1 curious1 controversial1 captious thronging is nothing accounted of3 it is the touch of eager desire and humble faith which alone is noticed4 ,at first1 brethren1 we are tempted to think1 that the most strangely indifferent1 the most unblessed of men1 are those who do not join the throng1 and press about the ,,lord ,,jesus4 ,that ,he is in the sanctuary1 and men do not enter into ,his presence there2 that ,he is teaching the way of life1 and men will not hear sermons nor read the ,bible2 that ,he may be conversed with1 and yet men will not pray2 that ,he may be touched1 and yet sacraments are not received3 this1 we think1 is as strange as it is sad4 ,and so1 indeed1 it is4 ,but it is stranger and sadder1 that any should come into the ,sanctuary1 and not perceive ,,christ',s presence2 that they should hear and read without learning2 that they should use words of prayer and yet not be heard2 that they should press and throng ,,jesus in ordinances1 and never touch ,him2 deriving no benefit from ,him1 because they seek it not aright2 being beneath ,his eye1 and yet unnoticed2 crowding around ,him1 and upon ,him1 and yet unfelt6 ,but assuredly1 as of old it was1 so it is now4 ,if mere idleness brings men to the ,sanctuary1 mere observance of a decent fashion1 if they come only to hear and see something new1 to wile away the time which hangs wearily upon them1 to gain themselves a good name as respectable and pious1 if they are watching to see1 what may be criticised1 what may be talked about and condemned1 if they are rendering merely a formal obedience1 and offering only an outward service--then1 ,i was going to say1 ,,christ takes no more notice of them than if they were not present2 but ,i should rather say1 ,he is wrathful against them for being present4 ,he blinds their eyes1 and turns away ,his own4 ,he is dumb to them2 they deaf to ,him4 ,he yields nothing to them1 though they seem like ,moses to have cleft the rock4 ,he feels them not1 though they squeeze and press6 ,my brethren1 it may be that some of you have long been in the company of ,,christ1 have missed very few opportunities of public worship1 have become very familiar with the ,scriptures1 have often repeated prayers and psalms1 have been frequent communicants1 and yet are none the better in feeling and desire1 have experienced no spiritual relief1 have no more love or perception of the truth1 than if you had been utter strangers to ,,christ1 and never been near ,him nor heard of ,him4 ,hence it may be that religion is to you but a name3 it profits you not1 it affords you no delight1 it exercises no influence upon you4 ,would you know why8 ,because you have been but thronging and pressing1 because you have had no real sense of your misery1 have entertained no real desire to be relieved and blessed1 and so have made no well-directed1 persevering effort to touch ,,christ6 ,you are1 as you feel1 no better1 no wiser1 than if there were no ,,christ1 or you had never been near ,him6 ,and you will never be wiser and better1 however much you press and throng1 till you realise your want1 and are convinced that ,,christ alone can relieve it1 and come to ,him faithfully1 resolutely1 humbly1 to touch the hem of ,his garment1 and be healed of your plague4 ,first1 then1 strive to know what you want1 and to be convinced that ,,christ can and will grant it2 and1 then1 feeling the desire of it1 being sure from ,whom alone it can be had1 and how it must be sought1 draw near--with the feeling of necessity1 with the perseverance of desire1 with the consciousness of unworthiness--and effect the touch of faith4 ,you shall not1 in that case1 remain unblessed2 your plague shall be stayed1 your faith shall be commended1 your effort crowned1 your humility exalted2 you shall have more than you sought2 enlarge your desire as you will1 it shall be more than satisfied3 and ,he whom you would but touch1 and then shrink away1 shall call you forth1 and own1 and bless you1 and give you everlasting peace and perfect salvation4 ,next1 let us observe1 that nothing can keep back and nothing hide from ,,christ4 ,we are sometimes tempted1 in the deep sense of our unworthiness1 in review of the distance between us and the ,healer1 of the many obstacles which intervene1 to give up in despair1 and say to ourselves1 8,it is of no use trying1 ,i am not fit for such a blessing1 and if ,i were1 ,i cannot reach it40 ,now1 consider1 who could be more unfit1 and who more unable to approach ,,christ than this poor woman4 ,there was a positive law which forbade her coming2 her touch was pollution3 yet ,,christ reproached her not with disregarding that law1 nor refused her because of it2 and when she touched ,he did not recoil1 but encouraged her4 ,for us there is no excommunicating law4 ,from us ,,christ is pledged not to recoil4 8,come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden10 is an invitation1 a positive command4 8,him that cometh unto ,me ,i will in no wise cast out10 is a most solemn pledge4 ,why1 then1 should we shrink8 ,what shall we fear8 ,and as for difficulties and hindrances1 our own infirmities1 the opposition of the world or the ,devil1 the sneers of despisers1 the distance1 the crowd1 the hurrying on1 can aught compare with what threatened this woman1 and what she overcame8 ,o are we not ashamed to forego salvation1 to keep away from ,,christ1 to desist from determination to reach ,him1 by any plea of personal infirmity1 or of difficulty in the way8 ,what in ourselves is worse than the twelve years' growing1 enfeebling1 overwhelming malady of this woman8 ,what in aught around us is more impenetrable than the great crowd8 and whenever was ,,christ as distant from us as ,he was from her8 ,and then as to the discouragement which ,satan would suggest to us1 that in our age we cannot1 like this poor woman1 get anything from ,,christ by stealth2 that the power to heal flows not unconsciously2 that ,he must see1 and approve1 and stay for us1 and even anticipate us2 and that by reason of our insignificance and the wide extent of ,his dominion1 it is not reasonable to suppose that we shall be observed--brethren1 are we not assured1 by the fact that she was discerned1 and watched for1 and singled out from the great multitude1 that the gaze which is comprehensive enough to include all is particular enough to distinguish each2 that there is nothing beneath ,his notice2 that ,he can get through1 and will get through1 all that stands between us and ,him3 that ,he who keeps vast globes in their orbits1 takes thought even for sparrows2 that ,he counts the hairs of each individual's head2 that ,he hears each sigh1 and feels each sorrow2 that the roar of the universe is not louder in ,his ear than the feeblest cry of distress from the lowest of ,his creatures8 ,o it is a blessed assurance1 and one for which we should be heartily thankful1 that it was always when there was most to distract1 that ,,christ was most closely attentive2 that it was in the most dazzling glare that ,he saw most clearly2 that it was when ,he seemed most absorbed in other aims1 that ,his notice and help were most readily secured2 that in the way to raise the daughter of ,jairus1 ,he was so easily stopped to heal and bless the woman with the issue of blood6 ,no sight too insignificant to escape ,his eye2 no sound too faint to reach ,his ear2 no crowd so great as to hide the individual2 no object so engrossing as to exclude from notice1 or to hurry on from concern for the least1 the unworthiest of other objects6 ,lastly1 let us observe that power to heal was ready to flow wherever there was a channel made for it4 ,we are not1 of course1 to understand that ,,christ healed unconsciously2 that any mere formal touch secured1 as it were1 without the violation of ,his will1 the grace which ,he was anointed to bestow2 but we are to understand1 that such is the law of grace1 that where there is a demand there is a supply2 that like as the thirsty sand surely drinks in the rising wave1 like as a sponge absorbs the water into which it is plunged1 so the sensibly void heart1 the yearning desire1 the faithful effort1 the moral fitness1 is sure of what it wants and seeks1 if it is found in the place where what it wants exists4 ,it is one of the most wonderful1 most mysterious1 and at the same time most sure effects of ,,christ',s incarnation that human nature1 needing and desiring1 put into communion with ,him1 possessing1 overflowing1 shall have by the necessary operation of an invariable law1 the thing which it wants1 and which ,he has to bestow4 ,there is no chance1 no mere probability in the case3 ,,christ is the ever-flowing fountain2 if you stand beneath1 the water must come over you4 ,he is the root full of sap1 if you are one of the branches joined to ,him1 the sap shall flow into and permeate you4 ,it is this which makes ordinances effectual signs of grace2 means1 not by which grace may perhaps be bestowed1 but by which it is sure to be bestowed1 if they are rightly used4 ,the woman1 whose history we have been considering1 might have been disappointed in her hope3 for ,,christ had not taught her1 nor made her any promise1 nor prescribed to her any course2 but ,he has so enlightened us in the mystery of ,his ,incarnation2 ,he has so pledged to us ,his grace2 ,he has so shown us how to obtain it1 that we may most confidently say1 8,if ,i may but touch1 ,i shall be whole40 ,grace1 the manifold grace of ,,christ',s glorified body--the source of sanctification and every blessing1 is ready to flow1 and will flow as soon as ,he is touched4 ,of course1 as we have seen1 this touch must be directed by right feeling2 but still1 observe1 there must be a touch4 8,thy faith hath saved thee40 ,not because it kept thee still1 sighing for1 talking of1 waiting for ,me1 but because it roused thee1 and made thee encounter so much1 and do so much to come and touch ,me4 ,faith gives quality to the touch1 but1 after all1 the touch secures the blessing4 ,so it ever is4 ,the touch necessary1 and the touch effectual4 8,he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved40 8,except ye eat the flesh of the ,son of man and drink ,his blood1 ye have no life in you40 ,the water of ,baptism is the laver of regeneration4 ,the bread which we break1 and the cup which we bless1 are the ,communion of the ,body and ,blood of ,,christ4 ,using the outward part rightly1 you do certainly receive the inward grace3 for as soon as ,,christ is rightly touched1 and these are appointed ways of touching1 immediately--as it were1 spontaneously--virtue to heal goes out of ,him4 ,let it not1 however1 be supposed1 that this view of the way of healing and sanctifying makes ,,christ a servant of grace instead of the ,,lord of grace2 that it directs us to a mere storehouse to help ourselves1 instead of sending us to a living1 loving1 discerning ,saviour1 of ,whom we are to crave the help and blessing which are ,his to give as ,he will4 ,no1 brethren1 it exalts ordinances1 but only because they are ,,christ',s ordinances1 the clothes in which ,he is clad1 as ,he walks among us1 the garments through which power to heal is transmitted from ,him to us4 ,the use of these things without a sense of unworthiness1 without humility and faith1 is like the thronging of ,,christ by the crowd1 not only unprofitable1 but rude and profane2 and this sense of unworthiness1 this humility and faith1 together with the power and perseverance to act upon them1 are all the gifts of ,,christ1 seed sown1 increase given by ,him according to ,his will4 ,look1 then1 to the ,physician1 as well as to the remedy1 to the ,giver of grace as well as to the ,channel of grace2 and1 knowing that without ,him you can do nothing1 and except from ,him receive nothing1 beseech ,him to enable you to seek grace rightly1 and then to bestow it freely1 not for any worthiness1 for any feeling1 for any deed2 but simply because of your necessity1 out of ,his boundless love4 ,,sermon ,,xvi4 ,,preaching ,,parables4 ,,ezekiel1 ,,xx41 #di4 ,ah ,,lord ,,god6 they say of me1 ,doth he not speak parables8 ,,ezekiel had been commissioned with the utterance of a warning1 in figurative but very intelligible language1 that ,,god was about to bring a great calamity upon ,jerusalem and all ,judah2 that young and old1 good and bad1 should be affected by it--8,i will kindle a fire in thee1 and it shall devour every green tree and every dry tree02 that the judgment should be irresistible 8the flaming flame shall not be quenched10 and the destruction universal2 8all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein40 ,according to some expositors1 as soon as he received this commission1 concluding from his past experience that the ,jews would profess not to understand his message1 or would say1 that it was an exaggeration1 or that it did not apply to them1 and so disregard it1 he entreated of ,,god1 in the words of the text1 that such an excuse might be taken away by the delivery instead of a plain and unmistakeable warning3 8,o ,,lord1 not a parable4 ,thy people will not heed parables40 ,whereupon ,,god1 in gracious condescension to ,his prophet1 in determination to be heard and understood by the people1 substituted for this first message1 not indeed wholly unfigurative language1 but a simpler parable1 which carried with it to all its own interpretation4 ,but it is better1 ,i think1 to suppose1 that ,ezekiel does not here anticipate the people's perversity1 and so persuade ,,god at once to withdraw ,his words2 but that he narrates and grieves over the actual reception which the message1 faithfully delivered1 had encountered4 ,the people would not hear it4 ,they said it was obscure3 a parable1 an enigma1 a poetical exaggeration4 ,,god did not speak to them by it2 or1 if ,he did1 they could not tell what ,he said4 8,ah6 ,,lord ,,god--alas6 it is the old tale--,i told them ,thy words1 but they would not hear2 they turned away from me1 saying1 ,surely we cannot understand him40 ,whichever was the case1 whether ,ezekiel only expected1 or actually experienced this treatment1 we are sure that it was not wholly on account of special obscurities which veiled the matters he had to declare1 nor on account of any special deafness and hardness of heart which belonged to that people4 ,for every ,christian teacher has had reason to anticipate1 has actually endured the like from ,christian congregations4 ,often and often in preparing for the pulpit1 is the preacher tempted to set aside some important theme1 to withhold some wonderful truth1 to forbear even to suggest some glorious consolation1 because he believes that in uttering it1 he will not have the ears1 or1 if he has the ears1 he will not have the minds of his hearers2 that they will not understand his saying2 and so1 of course1 will not receive it4 ,often and often1 too1 when having used the full liberty of a ,christian prophet and whatever ability ,,god has given him1 of simplifying to the utmost1 and recommending with all his energy1 the ,gospel message1 he is constrained to feel1 he is made1 perhaps1 by men's open speech to know1 that he is regarded as the setter-forth of unmeaning1 extravagant1 or inapplicable words4 ,of course1 this charge is not always unfounded4 ,we are not inspired3 we often speak our own words2 our minds may not have rightly conceived the subject we would discuss1 or we may be wanting in ability to express clearly what we understand4 ,under various influences we do1 too1 at times speak more or less extravagantly1 and our knowledge and discretion are not so complete1 that we invariably select what is precisely suited to our hearers4 ,in such cases1 we ought to expect1 we have no right to complain of1 the rejection1 the disregard1 or the fruitlessness of our preaching4 ,but1 brethren1 when we are sure that the fault lies not in the preacher1 when he has taken pains to enter into and reveal the mind of the ,spirit1 to teach what he knows ,,god would have you understand and believe1 to urge what he knows ,,god would have you do1 to describe and recommend what he knows ,,god would have you love and seek--when he has done this1 and you receive not his words1 excusing yourselves by saying that he is obscure1 or over-strict1 or fanciful1 or enthusiastic1 or anything else--oh6 then has he not a right to complain to ,,god8 yea2 and is it not his duty to remonstrate with you8 ,brethren1 we charge not such as you who are here assembled with the wilfulness of ,ezekiel's hearers4 ,in you we do not suppose there is any actual unbelief1 or deliberate dislike of the truth4 ,it is not forced in your case upon unwilling ears3 for you come to hear it4 ,it is not rejected because you hate it4 ,nevertheless1 we have somewhat against many of you of ,ezekiel's complaint1 respecting your treatment of the read or preached ,word of ,,god4 ,we have to complain1 brethren1 that many of you are under the mistaken notion that you have almost a right to select the preacher's theme1 at least to dictate its mode of treatment2 and that if your right is disregarded1 then you are justified in excusing yourselves for not profiting or heeding4 ,bear with me1 beloved4 ,is it not the case1 that you sometimes find fault with the subject of the sermon8 ,you do not want to hear so much about man's depravity3 you do not like the preacher to make such a point of observing religious ordinances3 what a high standard of morality he sets up2 how strict is the holiness he describes2 why will he discourse of the horrors of hell8 ,so1 again1 of the manner of treatment4 ,you do not care for argument2 you cannot enter upon theories2 you are weary of quotations of historical illustrations2 the style is too florid1 or too bald3 it is poetical2 or it is commonplace2 or somehow it is not what you like2 and therefore--,i would not say you turn away from it1 but you do not try1 as much as you ought1 to heed it2 and you excuse yourselves for not improving under it by blaming the preacher4 ,the fact is1 there is too often a great forgetfulness of the fact1 that when the preacher speaks to you it is your part to be as listeners and learners of ,,god4 ,it is not for you to choose the subjects1 nor to dictate the method of teaching4 ,it is true1 perhaps1 that your taste and aptitude are greater for some subjects than others3 it is true that you are more easily enlightened1 and impressed1 and influenced in some ways than in others4 ,it is natural1 and ,i would not say it is wrong1 for you to prefer those subjects and ways2 but be sure nevertheless1 that it is the very contrary of wisdom and humility1 of reverence for ,,god1 of regard for duty and interest1 not to give the most earnest heed to whatever ,,god says to you through ,his servant1 to dare to treat it lightly1 because either of the topic or the way of handling it4 ,when a message comes to you from ,,god1 surely it is no reason for not receiving it1 that you would prefer a message about something else6 ,and if the diction in which that message is clothed is hard or distasteful to you1 while you may lament it1 may ask for an explanation1 may solicit consideration for your taste1 or help in overcoming your distaste1 you may not on any account disregard what has been said4 ,the word gone forth shall not return4 ,where the seed has been sown1 increase shall be expected4 ,the day is coming1 when all your opportunities and means of knowing ,,god',s will1 and all your incentives to serve ,him1 shall be taken account of by ,him ,who has afforded them1 and then shall the worst preacher1 the most apparently obscure and inapplicable sermon you ever heard be a witness for or against you1 to testify what regard you had for ,,god',s message1 what humility1 what teachableness1 what readiness to receive and to do what was clear1 what anxious diligence and pains to understand what was obscure4 ,brethren1 you may choose what subjects you will hear discussed in the secular lecture-hall1 and if you do not like the entertainment you may refuse to be entertained by it1 and resolve to hear no more of it1 to dismiss it altogether from your thoughts4 ,but you do not come to church to be entertained2 you have no option there of selecting or rejecting4 ,it is your misfortune 7though it may be his fault7 if the preacher does not interest you1 or the sermon immediately commend itself to your mind1 and to your heart2 but1 being there1 you must hear whatever is said1 and however it is said2 and having heard1 be sure you must give account to ,,god of the hearing6 ,settle this in your minds1 impress yourselves with the solemn authority of the preacher1 and with the importance and responsibility of heeding him1 and it will be very seldom that you will object even in thought1 8,doth he not speak parables80 ,but there are particular complaints1 about which ,i would say a few words specially4 ,first1 there is a complaint against the preaching of mysterious and profound truths4 ,if the preacher dwells upon such a subject as the ,incarnation of ,,christ1 the nature of ,,christ',s presence with ,his ,church1 of the ,spirit's indwelling1 or the rationale of the efficacy of the means of grace2 or if he attempts to explain any difficult text1 no matter what pains he may take to simplify the subject1 how he may labour to show its importance and to recommend its consideration1 he is met at once with the objection that he speaks parables1 and so with a tacit refusal to heed4 8,why puzzle one's brains10 it is urged1 8with such matters1 when there are so many simple themes and easy lessons in the ,gospel4 ,i cannot understand such things4 ,they are too profound4 ,the preaching of them may be clever1 but it is thrown away upon me4 ,i do not want to work and task my mind1 but to warm my feelings40 ,such is the reward the preacher often gets for taking unusual pains to edify his hearers6 ,such is the wilful1 the determined ignorance of many of ,,god',s people respecting those truths1 the understanding of which most concerns them1 and honours ,him4 ,it ought to be sufficient to correct these unwise and unwilling1 to remind them that whatever ,,god has revealed ,he requires to be accepted1 and that as there can be no acceptance of that which is not understood1 it is a foremost duty of the ,christian preacher and the ,christian learner to employ themselves in the solution of ,scripture difficulties1 and the comprehension of revealed mysteries4 ,such objectors do not intend it1 but they grievously slight ,,god when they refuse to heed so much of ,his teaching1 yea1 they even cast a slur upon ,his wisdom in striving to teach what1 according to them1 cannot be learnt4 ,and are they not unjust to themselves8 ,have they really such narrow and shallow understandings1 so impossible to widen and deepen8 ,would they confess to such incapacity if they were listening to a scientific lecture8 would they complain if the lecturer introduced them to new facts1 showed them fresh experiments1 suggested to them explanatory theories1 sought to make them wiser than they were8 ,would they shut their ears at the sound of the first new term3 would they shrink back at the first invitation to tread upon unfamiliar ground2 would they protect themselves against being enlightened1 by claiming to be hopelessly ignorant8 ,would they not rather make the most of the opportunity1 opening ear and stretching mind to catch all they could1 finding pleasure in being carried beyond and above themselves1 resenting indignantly a hint that the thing was out of their reach1 professing1 somewhat ostentatiously pretending a greater delight and fuller understanding than they really had8 ,o why is it the fashion to claim to be so wise in secular matters1 to boast of ignorance in religion8 ,it is well1 indeed1 that men should not sham to be wise in ,,god',s presence1 but it is ill1 very ill1 that they sham to be ignorant1 or that they should be content to be ignorant when they might be wise1 ignoring and disowning the powers which ,,god has given them6 ,take these remarks1 dear brethren1 into your serious consideration4 ,remember that ,,god has given you intelligent minds1 in order that you might think of and serve ,him with understanding4 ,much1 indeed1 about ,him is absolutely incomprehensible2 much has ,he designedly withheld2 before many mysteries1 has ,he put up the warning1 8,draw not nigh hither20 but much has ,he told you plainly1 and much has ,he propounded in sufficiently obscure or difficult terms1 to task and exercise your minds in their necessary unravelling4 ,with respect to these things1 as it is only by much resistance that you can withstand the temptations to which you are exposed2 as it is only by great efforts that you can acquire the holiness without which no man shall see the ,,lord1 so is it1 only by real and often hard study1 that you can attain unto the knowledge of which ,,god has made you capable1 and in which ,he bids you grow4 ,the elementary1 the vitally necessary truths of the ,gospel are1 it may be1 within the immediate comprehension of the simplest and most uncultivated understanding2 but shall it1 therefore1 be said to you1 shall you be allowed to say of yourselves1 that you need not be concerned about anything beyond8 ,would you be satisfied if you had only so much secular education as would enable you to spell out sign-post directions8 ,would it be no reproach to you1 having so many faculties and opportunities1 only to be able to read and count8 ,would you miss nothing of duty1 of interest1 of pleasure1 if your intellect were uncultivated1 if you were wholly unacquainted and totally unable to appreciate arts and sciences1 poetry1 music1 literature1 or any facts or theories not connected with your worldly calling1 not necessary to procure your daily bread8 ,would not life be irksome and intolerable1 if held only on such terms8 ,would you not be ashamed of attempting to hold it on these terms8 ,would you not consider that you were robbing yourselves of all that was worth having8 ,would you not admit that you had missed and ignored your high calling1 your power to be enlightened and wise beings1 and had sunk shamelessly and guiltily to the level1 below the level--for he answers the end of his creation--of the irrational brute8 ,and shall you who feel such shame for worldly ignorance1 shall you who make such efforts to gain secular knowledge1 who are ever widening your minds1 and storing up in them as much as they will hold1 who delight in growing wiser and more learned1 who will study unwearily1 and exercise all your intellect1 and consume ,i know not what time1 in unravelling the worthless mystery of some enigmatical line in a poem of fiction--shall you contentedly pass over the difficulties1 and remain ignorant of the mysteries which meet you in nearly every verse of the ,word of ,,god8 ,shall you be otherwise than glad and attentive when the preacher draws your attention to them8 ,shall you even unfairly and ungratefully charge him with speaking parables1 when he is really explaining parables8 ,dear brethren1 it is rarely that the public preacher1 who has to take thought for the simpler ones of the flock1 can enlarge upon profound truths4 ,when he does1 take care that you make the most of the rare occurrence1 and compensate for the forbidden frequency1 by diligent private study1 by ready use of that individual aid which the clergyman is as rejoiced1 as he is bound1 to afford you4 ,acquaint yourselves now1 as far as may be1 with ,,god1 and the things of ,,god4 ,furnish yourselves with the answer1 the want of which was such a reproach to ,nicodemus1 to the question--8,how can these things be80 ,show1 at least1 as much interest in salvation1 in sanctification1 in heaven1 in eternal bliss1 as will lead you to inquire what they are1 and require1 and promise4 ,get now the germ of that knowledge1 which is to expand hereafter albut to an infinite grasp1 and is to revel in spiritual science4 ,cast away the reproach of knowing not2 provide against the doom which awaits him that improves not the talents entrusted him3 8,from him that hath not1 shall be taken away even that he seemeth to have40 ,there is another class of objectors--to another kind of preaching4 ,those1 namely1 who resist the force of plain exhortations to repentance1 self-denial1 submission1 obedience1 holiness1 and the like2 by persuading themselves that the preacher urges these severely and unduly4 ,doth he not speak parables1 they say1 exaggerating--describing ideal duties8 ,surely1 what he urges is not the thing really required of us2 surely1 if we escape not with impunity1 yet some allowance will be made for our want of it4 ,would he bring in all guilty8 ,would he cross every delight and desire of our life8 ,would he expect us so to subdue the spirit1 so to overcome natural impatience1 as never to resent1 to shrink1 to murmur8 ,must obedience be so uncompromising1 so constant1 so perfect1 to be obedience at all8 ,is holiness so imperatively necessary8 ,surely the preacher is unreasonable1 he is extravagant1 he speaks parables4 ,these objectors are easily answered4 ,in this matter no teaching of our own can be more explicit1 more exacting1 more positive1 and more unsparing1 than that of the ,new ,testament4 ,when we enforce these things1 we are backed by an authority which cannot be questioned2 and are able to prove that our words are those of soberness and truth4 8,except ye repent1 ye shall all likewise perish40 8,if any man will come after me1 let him deny himself1 and take up his cross daily1 and follow me40 8,whosoever doth not this1 cannot be my disciple40 8,whosoever loveth me1 keepeth my commandments40 8,if any man love not the ,,lord ,,jesus1 let him be anathema maranatha40 8,without holiness no man shall see the ,,lord40 ,are these words parables1 are they untrue1 figurative1 extravagant8 ,and if not1 what that we say1 or can say1 on this head1 may be resisted or slighted1 under the plea1 that is a parable8 ,once more4 ,when we discourse from the pulpit1 on a living and near ,saviour1 an indwelling ,sanctifier1 a surrounding spiritual tempter1 on heaven or hell1 on enduring as seeing ,him who is invisible1 on having our conversation in heaven1 on the evidence of things unseen1 on the feeling and grasping1 so to speak1 as though they were substantial and at hand1 of things hoped for--oh6 then1 how many there are who hear us as though we were dreamers or narrators of fables1 speakers who should be allowed some poetic license2 who1 to make their speech attractive1 or perhaps from the spontaneous dictation of their enthusiasm1 use figures of rhetoric and speak parables6 ,i do not mean that these persons wilfully take up this position1 that they are intentionally1 or in desire1 gainsayers of the truth1 but merely that they do not enter into its conception1 and cannot rise to its height4 ,they lag behind1 they are earthy1 they see only the visible1 feel only the tangible to bodily senses4 ,the temporal to them is real2 the spiritual1 not through unbelief1 nor obstinacy1 nor moral blindness1 but from infirmity1 and earthly-mindedness1 and unspirituality1 is regarded too nearly as unreal2 and1 therefore1 when it is discoursed upon1 they seem to be listening to empty dreams1 and the preacher to be displaying flights of fancy4 ,dear brethren--,i speak to such--,i know that many of you wish it were otherwise2 you would that your mind could conceive1 and that your heart could feel1 these truths4 ,in your best moments1 you more than suspect that the preacher is right after all1 and you are wrong2 that you are dreaming1 and not he2 that his words are a parable only to those who will not see and hear4 ,it is not in man to afford you much help1 in coming to a right state4 ,if ,i refer you to the ,bible1 which we do but echo from the pulpit1 you will still say1 ,ah6 but does not this1 too1 speak parables8 ,if ,i bid you go and exercise your reason1 or consult others who have done so1 it is more than possible that you will come away from the consultation--alas6 many do--more convinced than before that we do speak parables1 that each one is a ,,god to himself1 that there is no other devil than a man's own evil passions1 that there is no hell but in a remorseful conscience1 that eternity does not mean 8for ever60 ,no2 there is no help for you in man1 in yourselves1 or in others4 ,you must1 indeed1 purify and elevate your affections1 so that they may wish for better things2 you must bring down your reason from the high seat where it sits1 and speculates1 and dictates2 you must try to accept the truth that the natural man cannot receive nor judge of spiritual things2 but1 then1 you must go to ,,god ,himself1 and humbly1 teachably1 earnestly ask for that spiritual discernment which alone can see1 and feel1 and love the things of ,,god4 ,do this1 not once1 but often2 not negligently or hastily1 but earnestly and perseveringly2 and presently1 if not all at once1 yet gradually1 most surely1 your spiritual eyes shall be opened1 you shall see ,,god1 you shall love ,,christ1 you shall perceive the motions of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,the invisible world shall be unveiled1 and shall be found to contain all the beauties1 all the horrors1 and to hold out all the hopes and fears1 to be as real1 as near1 as sure to be ours1 for weal or woe1 according as we are1 or are not1 ,christians1 as the preacher or the ,bible1 of which he is the expounder1 asserts4 ,thenceforth you will not complain of spiritual teaching that it is parabolic1 of strong assertions of the obligation of ,christian graces1 that they are immoderate1 too exacting1 too severe4 ,no6 heart and mind will testify1 and life will approve1 8,lo1 now speakest thou plainly1 and speakest no proverb40 ,yes2 and knowing somewhat of ,,god1 and your relation to ,him1 and desiring to know more1 whenever in your private reading of the ,bible a difficulty meets you1 or whenever the preacher discourses1 as it seems1 in parables1 you will give the most earnest and interested heed1 to see if you cannot divine the mystery2 and failing that1 instead of remaining in willing ignorance1 you will use all the means placed within your reach1 the comparing of parallel places1 your commentaries1 and the private instructions of your clergyman1 pleading all the while with ,,christ1 and urgently beseeching of ,him1 8,,lord1 thou knowest all things1 declare unto me this parable40 ,thus doing1 you will soon find that to you it is given to know the mysteries of religion2 and the knowledge1 sanctified by the ,spirit1 will assuredly work in you a greater love of ,,god1 a more consistent and more successful pursuit of holiness1 a growing taste and eagerness for that better state1 whence ignorance1 in all its degrees1 shall be banished for ever1 and where we shall know even as now we are known4 ,,sermon ,,xvii4 ,,living ,,and ,,dying ,,unto ,,god4 ,,ii4 ,,corinthians1 ,v41 #h1 #i4 ,we are confident and willing rather to be absent from the body1 and to be present with the ,,lord4 ,wherefore we labour1 that1 whether present or absent1 we may be accepted of ,him4 ,,the apostle had been speaking1 in the preceding chapter1 of the troubles and persecutions which he daily endured1 and of the hopes and consolations--the life by faith rather than by right--which made their endurance easy4 ,having touched upon the theme1 he could not but enlarge upon it2 and doing so1 his ardent expectations carried him out of the present1 and made him covet and attempt to grasp the future4 ,before his enlightened eye and spiritualised heart1 his affliction was light and its continuance brief2 the present state was but as a tent1 quickly to be taken down1 and then in its place should be digged the deep foundation and reared the abiding edifice of a building of ,,god eternal in the heavens4 ,outstretched1 then1 were his thoughts1 and desires1 and earnest were his prayers1 not so much to get rid of what he had1 as to attain what he hoped for and was promised4 ,he knew indeed that the tabernacle must be removed2 that his present state must cease--either by actual death or by a change1 which the quick at ,,christ',s coming must undergo1 much the same as death2 he felt the burthen which was upon him2 he yearned and groaned to be rid of it2 but looking to the end he disregarded the way2 dwelling1 not upon the change but what was to come after it1 he sought not death1 but life4 ,he longed1 not to be unclothed1 but clothed upon4 ,nay1 recognising the good1 and so the desirableness of this life1 shrinking too naturally from the thought of dissolution1 he would keep the present till he had the future1 he would have what he wanted added to what he possessed1 rather than substituted for it4 ,present life was in many respects dear to him2 he would that the evil were purged away from it1 and the good left2 and then that the good were augmented1 enfolded1 absorbed by the transcendent1 satisfying perfect blessedness which ,,god had promised1 and for the attaining whereof ,he had bestowed ,his effectually working ,spirit4 ,at this point he seems to have sobered himself1 or perhaps rather to have designedly exhibited the latent soberness and contentedness which had guided him all along4 8,we are confident10 he says1 that is1 of good cheer1 well comforted1 easily bearing what is1 patiently waiting for the future2 preferring1 indeed 7if a preference be allowed71 to be absent from the body and fully present with the ,,lord2 but still chiefly animated1 not by a selfish yearning for the quickest attainment of peace and glory1 but by the noble1 ,,god-adoring ambition1 of being and doing that which is divinely approved4 8,wherefore1 in view of all that is and shall be1 we make it our chief aim1 we devote ourselves1 not so much to reach heaven1 to gratify self1 as whether on earth or in heaven1 to enjoy the approval and favour of ,god40 8,be silent10 he would say1 8ye groans for deliverance2 check yourselves1 ye eager aspirations for glory2 let principle rule rather than desire1 and let the principle be1 whether we live let us live unto the ,,lord1 whether we die let us die unto the ,,lord4 ,let not dying or living be the engrossing thought1 but that whether we live or die we may be the ,,lord',s40 ,in this1 as in so many other respects1 our bright exemplar1 ,paul1 shows us both what we may allow and what we should aim at4 ,and first he shows us that even the saint--the approved of ,,god--may shrink from the thought of dissolution4 8,we groan1 being burthened1 because0 7this is the right translation7 8we would not be unclothed10 we would not die4 ,i envy not the man--there is something unnatural1 yea1 and unspiritual1 too1 in him--who does not shrink from the first thought of death coming to himself or to those whom he loves4 ,for death1 in its best form1 is a remembrancer of the wrath of ,,god against the sinner1 and it is in a sense a triumph--no matter that it is short--it is a defiling and withering touch--no matter that it shall soon be wiped away1 and its blasting undone--of the foul and fierce enemy of ,,god and holy man4 ,it is that1 too1 which cuts asunder the ties which we are allowed and encouraged to fasten here between ourselves and loved friends and delightful pursuits and pleasing possessions4 ,it is that1 too1 which abruptly closes the period of probation and preparation for heaven2 which stays all cleansing and perfecting1 which says imperatively to us1 8,no more shall you remove1 no more shall you acquire--as you are shall you face ,,god--stereotyped are you for eternity40 ,it is that1 too1 which enthrals and deadens the one half of us1 though it liberates and quickens the other1 which separates the body from ,,god1 while it joins the spirit to ,him1 which1 while it exalts the latter to ,paradise1 consigns the former to the grave1 to corruption1 to temporary annihilation4 ,terrible is death to many1 awful to all--undesirable even to the saint--and only tolerable because not so much of the soul's immediate gain as of the body's future hope4 ,for if it were proposed to us to choose for eternity between perfect disembodied bliss1 and very imperfect bliss in the body1 there is no one1 ,i conceive1 who knows the capabilities of the body1 both of rendering to ,,god and receiving of ,him1 who would not prefer1 and ,i think rightly1 life in the flesh to life out of it4 ,the words of ,st4 ,paul exhibit in himself1 and seem to allow in others1 this shrinking from dissolution1 this desire to keep the body1 albeit changed1 perfected1 caught up into the heavens2 to be spared the pulling down of the earthly tabernacle1 even to make way for the heavenly eternal building4 ,but ,st4 ,paul goes on to show that this desire was secondary to that of exchanging faith for sight1 imperfection for perfection4 ,he would not on any account remain earthy3 he longed for the fullest and most glorious presence of ,,god1 and if it needs must be that the desired change and attainment could only be brought about by dissolution1 oh1 then he was ready1 he was willing rather to be absent from the body4 ,he returned from the shrinking2 he rallied from the fear2 he was confident1 well content1 and desirous to die4 ,and herein he is the pattern of a true ,christian4 ,he is not so in love with death that he can see nothing in it to shrink from or fear1 nothing to disturb him4 ,he does not so hate this life as to hurry to be quit of it4 ,with all its trials1 and disappointments1 and hindrances1 and miseries1 there is much in it which is dear to him1 in which he finds delight1 from which he is loth to part4 ,,god1 too1 is felt here1 and seen by faith1 and bestows appreciable blessings2 here ,,god',s work is to be done1 here ,,god',s glory to be promoted4 ,therefore 8to live is ,,christ40 ,but still there are greater and better things beyond4 ,there is a place where trouble never comes1 where happiness is perfect1 whose company1 and possessions1 and pleasures1 are such1 that nought on earth is worth having or thinking of in comparison of them4 ,there is a state in which ,,god',s work may be done as angels do it1 without hindrance from within or without2 in which glory to ,,god is easily1 and fully1 and delightfully rendered4 ,there is a presence of ,,god which is visible and palpable1 where ,his voice is clearly heard1 where ,he is beheld face to face1 where the everlasting arms are substantially felt as they embrace and uphold1 where ,his love is perfectly realised and enjoyed1 and perfectly reciprocated4 ,what can be valued1 or can interest in comparison of all this8 ,what can content that is short of this8 ,what can deter from the seeking of this8 what valley seem dark and uninviting at the end of which this glory shines8 what way be dreary and lonely1 along which ,,god',s rod and staff are offered as supporters and comforters8 ,this being the end and the aim1 if to attain it death must be passed through1 then welcome death6 ,we are confident1 full of cheer at the prospect1 eager to set out--8,to die is gain40 ,but the best feature of the ,christian1 as exhibited in ,st4 ,paul1 remains for us to gaze on4 ,after all1 it is not the holiest ambition to aspire to heaven2 it is not the highest vocation to enrich and perfect self4 ,,god has made us capable of heavenly bliss4 ,he offers it to us4 ,he would have us seek it2 ,he blesses and will reward the seeking4 ,but still ,he did not make and redeem us1 ,he does not sanctify us only or chiefly for this4 ,the ,christian's vocation is the service of ,,god4 ,the end of his being is the glory of ,,god4 ,and so our chief thoughts1 and aspirations1 and endeavours1 are not to be deliverance from troubles1 perfection in joy1 getting out of the present into the future1 exchanging earth for heaven2 but1 being and doing what ,,god approves1 wherever1 in whatever circumstances1 ,,god appoints4 8,wherefore we labour1 that whether present or absent we may be accepted of ,him20 that whether it pleases ,,god to come to us while we are in the body1 or to call us to ,him out of the body1 ,he may find us prepared for what in either case awaits us2 8for we must all appear before the judgment-seat of ,,christ1 that every one may receive according to the things done in the body40 ,the ,christian may shrink from the first thought of death1 and wish not to be unclothed4 ,he ought to aspire to heaven1 and that he may reach it1 be well content1 willing rather1 to be absent from the body4 ,but above all he must labour in whatever state he is1 therein so to be serving ,,god1 as to have ,his present acceptance and always to be prepared for ,his coming judgment4 ,we want to feel this and to act upon it4 ,to put self with even its most innocent instincts and best interests and noblest aspirations somewhat aside1 that ,,god may be more nearly all in all2 to be less filled with groaning and coveting on our own account and more occupied in serving and glorifying ,,christ4 ,it is well not to love this world1 to have realised its vanity and misery1 to have broken the links that would bind us to it1 to refuse to find our perfect joy in aught that belongs to it4 ,it is well to yearn for deliverance from all that vexes and hinders and hurts2 to desire ardently--even to pray earnestly and continually for--presence with the ,,lord1 and all that that presence implies1 in ,paradise1 in ,heaven4 ,but when by ,,god',s grace we have come to this state1 we are not perfect1 we have not begun to be perfect4 ,no6 we have only qualified ourselves in mind and heart for the commencement of that which is demanded of us in life1 the single1 contented1 glad1 immediate1 and constant service of ,,god in the state and circumstances in which ,he has placed us4 ,brethren1 we are all dwelling in tabernacles1 tents that have no firm foundation2 which are to be taken down and soon4 ,the general judgment may tarry1 ,,christ may not come in ,his glorious majesty1 and meet us while in the body3 but if not then death will surely come1 and out of the body we must go to meet ,,christ4 ,how soon shall that be8 ,how soon shall we meet ,him8 ,do you ever give these things a serious thought8 ,do you ever consider that the apparently capricious last enemy is wont to take the young and strong as often as the old and feeble1 and1 as he chooses1 sometimes to sound the warning note from afar off1 sometimes to come silently1 suddenly as a thief in the night8 ,do you feel--,i single out each man1 each woman1 each child that hears me1 and in ,,god',s name ,i ask that individual--,do you feel that you may be ,death's next victim1 that ere the day is over you may be gone to your account1 or at least the seeds of mortal disease may be beginning to grow in you8 ,oh1 do not resist this appeal by persuading yourselves that the thing is improbable4 ,let it be enough that you know 7and you do know7 that it is possible1 and1 if possible1 that you ought to entertain the possibility4 ,well now1 let me farther ask1 ,are you prepared1 are you preparing to die8 ,are you going to leave the vast concerns of an eternal state to the consideration of a moment1 a moment too which may be denied you1 if not by the instant cutting of life's thread1 by mortal fears and lingerings1 and recoilings1 by the engrossing pains of the body1 by the locking up of the senses in stupor or delirium8 ,are you putting off concern2 heedless of thought and preparation for meeting ,,god8 ,are you calculating upon being able to think and feel aright when you will1 to ask and obtain pardon for all that is wrong1 to be excused for all deficiencies in a moment1 to do the work of life on a sick-bed1 to satisfy ,,god with the dregs of the cup of life1 to become a passive recipient of the necessary holiness which ,,god bids all acquire actively8 ,do you suppose it will suffice to think of these things when the doctor tells you you cannot recover2 to send for the clergyman to teach and move you when the faculty of heeding is well nigh gone1 to pray for you1 if you are unable to pray for yourself1 to sigh over your body1 if1 alas6 the soul has fled8 ,or are you now more or less possessed with religious thought and feeling1 sitting loose to this world1 weaning yourselves more and more from it1 nerving yourselves for the last hour1 sighing over and confessing your sins1 trusting to ,,christ',s mercy1 aspiring to heaven1 praying for acceptance8 ,whether you are indifferent to or merely postponing concern1 for self's best interests1 or whether you are already absorbed by self's best interests1 let me remind you--without presuming to set any bounds to ,,god',s mercy1 without disputing that ,,god has sometimes received those who first turned to ,him on a death-bed1 without caring to satisfy those who want to know how little religion will save a man--let me remind you1 ,i say1 and do not be weary of the repetition1 that to be truly acceptable to ,,god1 it is not enough that you entertain some religious thoughts1 and go through some religious forms at the last1 or even that you are filled with religious thoughts and feelings all your life long1 you must be serving ,,god now1 in the day of your ability1 at the call of every opportunity1 in whatever state and circumstances you are placed1 doing it as so much work set you to do and presently to be scrutinised and accounted for1 rendering it as the faithful1 grateful homage of a pardoned and sanctified and loving sinner4 ,let this be your rule1 a rule to be observed not only in theory but in practice also2 not only in the rendering of obedience1 but in the treating of all that you have1 and the accepting of all that happens to you1 as from the ,,lord--8,whether we live1 we live unto the ,,lord1 or whether we die1 we die unto the ,,lord40 ,,sermon ,,xviii4 ,,religious ,,zeal4 ,,ii4 ,,kings1 ,x41 #af4 ,come with me1 and see my zeal for the ,,lord4 ,,jehu1 the son of ,nimshi1 one of the captains of ,israel1 had been selected and anointed by ,divine command1 to supplant ,king ,joram1 to smite the whole house of ,ahab1 and to avenge the poured-out blood of ,,god',s servants1 the prophets4 ,it is easy to account for the choice of such an agent4 ,,god1 we believe1 performs no miracle unnecessarily4 ,when what ,he wants exists already1 ,he searches it out and uses it2 instead of making a new creation1 or changing and converting what1 so to speak1 comes first to hand4 ,at this time ,he had need1 for ,his purposes respecting ,israel1 of a man bold1 impetuous1 full of vigour1 prompt to undertake1 resolute1 courageous1 uncompromising to perform4 ,such an one pre-eminently1 was ,jehu2 and therefore1 said the ,,lord1 8,i have anointed thee king over the people of the ,,lord1 even over ,israel1 and thou shalt smite the house of ,ahab thy master1 that ,i may avenge the blood of ,my servants the prophets1 and the blood of all the servants of the ,,lord1 at the hand of ,jezebel40 ,we know with what alacrity ,jehu assumed his office1 and set about the discharge of its stern and bloody duties2 how he drove furiously to slay ,joram1 assailing him the while with loud reproaches for tolerating the wicked doings of ,jezebel2 how he caused ,ahaziah1 king of ,judah1 to be slain2 how he commanded ,jezebel to be thrown from the window1 and trod her under foot2 how he effected the wholesale slaughter of seventy persons of ,king ,ahab's sons1 of all his great men1 and his kinsfolks1 and his priests1 until he left him none remaining2 and how1 too1 returning from this destruction1 he met forty-two of the brethren of ,king ,ahaziah1 and caused them all to be slain at the pit of the shearing house4 ,the words of the text introduce us to his last recorded deed of this kind1 namely1 the destruction by subtlety of all the followers of ,baal1 and the suppression of his worship throughout the land of ,israel4 ,in reading this narrative1 the questions naturally arise1 ,how far were the deeds of ,jehu a performance of the ,divine will8 ,was ,jehu in any respect1 and if so1 in what1 a holy character8 ,under what influence did he act1 and forbear to act8 ,may we consider these questions rightly1 and learn from them lessons of wisdom by ,,god',s grace to be carried out into holy practice6 ,there is1 then1 no doubt1 because we may read the command for it1 in plain words1 that ,,god willed the destruction of ,ahab's whole house and the extermination of the abominable idolatry of the ,zidonians4 ,jehu seems1 indeed1 to have been unnaturally ready for the executioner's office1 to have discharged it savagely1 and to have availed himself of what is never needed or allowed in ,,god',s service1 of subtlety1 fraud1 lying3 but still1 making allowance for excesses1 arising from his natural disposition1 from his professional familiarity with deeds of blood1 and probably from a proud misconception of the authority under which he acted1 it must be admitted that1 in the main1 ,jehu so far did the will of the ,,lord4 ,under what influence1 prompted by what feelings1 he did it1 is a question less easy to answer decidedly4 ,there are some--and not a few--who say that his animus was altogether bad2 that carnage was his delight2 and that he wickedly1 and for his own pleasure and private ends1 availed himself of the ,divine commission1 and served himself under the pretence of serving ,,god4 ,that ,jehu was selfish there is great reason to believe1 and something shall be said on that head presently2 but that he was a hypocrite1 that his principle1 the motive under which he acted1 was wholly bad1 is proved not to be the case by the inspired commendation of him4 ,,god has made even the wicked for ,himself1 ,he uses them to accomplish ,his purposes 7as ,he did the ,assyrians to punish the ,israelites1 ,satan to try ,job1 ,judas to betray our ,,lord72 but in such cases as they do of freely devised wickedness1 what ,he overrules for ,his own good purposes1 ,he condemns and punishes them for their offence1 though ,he makes use of it4 ,now1 in ,jehu's case1 ,he praised and rewarded1 and so there must have been something right in him3 8,and the ,,lord said unto ,jehu1 ,because thou hast done well in executing that which is right in mine eyes and hast done unto the house of ,ahab according to all that was in mine heart1 thy children of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of ,israel40 ,and the promise was fully realised4 ,it seems clear1 then1 that ,jehu's deeds not only accomplished the ,divine will1 but that they were done with that design2 in obedience and in zeal4 ,they were a soldier's exact observance of orders1 they were the fruits of a servant's devotion to his master4 ,we should be able to leave this statement without qualification were it not for two passages in the chapter of the text3 the one1 that in which ,jehu makes such boastful mention of his doings1 8,come with me1 and see my zeal for the ,,lord20 the other1 that in which the inspired writer records1 8,howbeit from the sins of ,jeroboam the son of ,nebat1 who made ,israel to sin1 ,jehu departed not from after them1 to wit1 the golden calves that were in ,bethel1 and that were in ,dan40 ,from the first of these we are compelled to infer that there was an evil leaven pervading his best obedience2 and from the last1 that other feelings often influenced him beside zeal for ,,god1 and other lords had dominion over him2 so that he wilfully desisted or was deterred from doing all that was required of him4 ,hence it is plain that we must revise our estimate of his character1 to account both for his zeal and want of zeal4 ,the most satisfactory way of viewing him1 to make him at all consistent1 is to suppose that1 after all he was not a changed and converted man1 and did not act from spiritual feelings2 but that he was hitherto employed in pursuits congenial to his natural taste1 and so found his own pleasure in doing the ,,lord',s4 ,in the destruction of ,ahab's race and the overthrow of ,baal1 the soldier exercised the profession which he had chosen and loved4 ,in daring exploits and deeds of blood1 he found a carnal gratification4 ,moreover1 he was all the while strengthening and advancing his own cause4 ,his throne was unsafe while any of ,ahab's posterity survived to dispute it with him1 his people's allegiance was not sure while there was any link with the ,zidonians remaining2 and the ,,lord',s displeasure at the idolatry of ,israel1 he well knew1 would show itself again1 as it had done before1 in the withholding of prosperity from them1 and allowing them to be harassed by their enemies4 ,it was1 then1 a congenial and politic course which he had hitherto followed4 ,it may have been done with greater ardour and satisfaction1 because it was the ,,lord',s will2 ,jehu may not at the time have had any distinct perception of the workings of a lower motive1 but still he would1 doubtless1 have done all1 and done it as readily and effectually had he owned no allegiance to ,,god1 and received no ,divine command4 ,this view of ,jehu seems to be corroborated by the fact1 that when the time was come for him to serve ,,god in comparative quietness1 he served ,him not2 and when the performance of the ,divine will in rooting out schism1 threatened to break up the separation of ,israel from ,judah1 by restoring the worship at ,jerusalem1 then he not only desisted from the work of reformation1 but gave his countenance to the old error1 and encouraged the people to go after the golden calves1 that were in ,bethel and that were in ,dan4 ,and so that which he would have others consider1 and which1 perhaps1 he even believed himself1 was zeal for ,,god1 was chiefly the indulgence of his own passions and the service of self2 and it came to pass1 that he who had done well1 even according to all that was in ,,god',s heart1 henceforth took no heed to walk in the law of the ,,lord ,,god of ,israel4 ,such was ,jehu's zeal--a natural1 or mixed1 is not wholly selfish zeal1 the zeal of ,saul who sought to slay the ,gibeonites1 but spared ,agag alive2 the zeal of the chief priests and ,pharisees who put ,,christ to death1 and demanded ,barabbas to be released2 not the zeal of ,phinehas1 of ,josiah1 of ,him who was always straitened till ,he did ,his ,father's will2 zeal not so much immoderate or blind1 as blemished and partial2 not being always zealously affected in a good work4 ,the review of such a character may be very profitable4 ,how many of us1 my brethren1 are very warm1 very exact in serving ,,god1 in the things to which we are naturally inclined8 ,how many of us1 if we bid not others 7as we too often do71 8,come with me1 and see my zeal for the ,,lord10 at least flatter1 and puff up ourselves1 in the contemplation of the service which we are rendering to ,,god8 ,how many of us have only just as much zeal as squares with our own desires or interests2 and in all else1 either desist when ,,god urges 8,go on10 or persevere when ,he cries 8,forbear60 ,the zealous man has been advised1 by a great moralist1 always to suspect that pride1 or interest1 or ill temper1 is at the bottom of his zeal4 ,provided we guard against the grave error1 so prevalent in the last century1 of despising and condemning all religious zeal1 it is well to entertain this suspicion--of ourselves1 ,i mean--till we have proved it to be false1 or by repentance and amendment have made it false4 ,for who does not know how much a proud1 carnal1 selfish1 ill-tempered man or woman may do in the service of self1 which has the appearance of zeal for ,,god8 ,what pious labours men will undertake1 if they happen to be in the path of their natural inclinations6 ,what warfare they will wage against sins that they have no mind to6 ,what platform speeches they will make1 what pamphlets or letters publish1 against the disciples of a religious school to which they do not belong6 ,they are zealously affected2 they come out and are separate2 they are enthusiastic1 energetic1 noisy2 they put forth all their own strength2 they invoke the civil power2 they would have authority from the synagogue1 if it were to be had1 to punish all who do not conform2 they smite with the sharp sword of a bitter persecuting tongue or pen2 they work1 they speak1 they give1 they fight1 they endure--all1 they say1 in zeal for the ,,lord2 and yet1 if you follow them into the quiet scenes of life1 if you come upon them where self has nothing to gain or enjoy1 or where it has anything to lose or fear losing1 to all appearance they take no heed to walk in the law of the ,,lord ,,god4 ,it is very likely that they are not communicants2 that they are irregular in their attendance at ,church1 or greatly wanting in proper demeanour and devotion when there2 that they aid but seldom1 and slenderly1 in the spread of religion around them1 and the relief of ,,god',s poor2 that they are rarely seen to open the ,bible2 not men of prayer2 exhibiting tempers1 and following ways which belong not to the holily zealous2 tolerating beneath their own roof1 or within the reach of their influence1 something as hateful in the sight of ,,god as the calves that were in ,bethel and that were in ,dan4 ,o how many who are zealous at one time1 are without zeal at another6 ,how many who make a great show of religion1 and talk much about it1 and contend in public for it1 are utter strangers to its real influence1 are wholly without love for it6 ,how many1 too1 who honestly consider themselves zealous for ,,god1 are only serving ,him in the bent of their natural inclinations1 and taking no heed to ,him1 where self must be denied2 like men of cold temperament1 despising bodily indulgence1 yet making a god of mammon2 prodigals1 inveighing against covetousness2 destroyers of the temple of ,baal1 restorers of the calves of ,bethel and ,dan2 saints in some things1 devils in others6 ,o ye who boast of zeal1 or claim to have it1 take care that ye have it towards ,,god1 and that ye are constant in it6 ,distrust the energy which works only at times1 and in some directions4 ,suspect the feeling which excites and fills with ardour to-day1 but is listless and dead to-morrow2 which chooses for itself what to do for ,,god1 what to think of ,,god1 what truth to meditate on chiefly1 what practice alone to follow4 ,zeal for ,,god is entire1 regular1 consistent devotion to ,him4 ,it fills the whole man with all spiritual desires and feelings2 it works out in the whole life2 albeit1 it is generally calm1 and sober1 and quiet1 not boasting nor thrusting itself forward1 not making much ado4 ,do not suppose1 brethren1 that in speaking thus on the subject of zeal1 ,i would discourage1 in any degree1 the entertaining of a fervent spirit1 or would allow1 for a moment1 that strong feeling and strong expression of it1 and manifested earnest activity1 are1 in the slightest degree1 incompatible with real religion4 ,on the contrary1 ,i would maintain that there is no religion at all in the man or woman who is not--allowing for the differences of temperament--stirred within by it1 and impelled to speak of and act upon it2 who is afraid1 or unwilling1 or negligent1 to show it4 ,zeal1 ,i maintain1 is good--nay1 is necessary2 zeal1 which makes one burn with the glowing thought of immortality1 which rouses one to ardent work and holy contention2 which finds1 and must have1 its vent in the speech2 which shows itself designedly1 that it may impress others1 and set forth the glory of ,,god4 ,only1 ,i would have you judge of that zeal in others1 and find it in yourselves2 not in what ,jehu did1 but in what he omitted1 and ought to have done2 not in that which indulges natural desires1 but in that which crosses them2 not in that which secures worldly advantages1 but in that which disregards1 and even sacrifices them2 not in that which exists1 or is quickened only in times and places of excitement1 but which burns brightest and highest1 and spreads farthest1 in solitude and silence2 not where there is immediate praise1 or glory1 or notoriety1 in the sight of men1 but in that which is seen alone by ,,god4 ,seek to be zealous1 rest not till you are zealous1 for there is no service of ,,god1 no acceptance with ,him but through zeal3 but expect to find your zeal1 know that there only ,,god will find it1 in your deep conviction of sin1 in the fervour of your penitence1 in the uncompromising persecution of your own lusts1 in the crossing of your own will1 in the refraining from that you would naturally choose to do1 and the performance of that you shrink from through worldly motives1 in the earnestness of your prayers1 in the frequency of your acts of communion1 in the diligence of your searching of the ,scriptures1 in the munificence of your private charities1 in the strenuousness of your efforts to do good to others1 in the secret contemplation and desire of heaven1 in the soul's appreciation of your high calling1 in faithful love of ,,god in your hearts6 ,have such zeal1 and manifest and exercise it as often and as consistently as the ,holy ,spirit enables you1 and then the whole of your life1 within and without1 from first to last1 shall have the commendation which ,jehu's at the beginning had2 and an infinitely better promise shall be fulfilled to you1 ,ye shall sit on the throne of heaven with ,,christ1 and reign with ,him for ever and ever4 ,,sermon ,,xix4 ,,christ',s ,,coming ,,desired4 ,,revelation1 ,,xxii41 #bj4 ,even so1 come1 ,,lord ,,jesus4 ,,as it was the common belief of the early disciples that ,,christ was to come in ,his glorious ,majesty1 to render unto every man according to his works1 so was it a common desire1 a frequent prayer1 that ,he would come quickly4 ,they were not content with being merely mindful of the fact that ,he would come at some time1 they were not merely anxious to be prepared1 lest ,he should come soon2 but they looked for ,his coming1 they hasted towards it1 they loved the thought of ,his appearing4 ,some of them1 expecting that they should not taste of death till ,he had actually appeared to them in ,his fullest glory1 looked ever with eager eyes for the opening of the heavens1 and the revelation of the ,son of ,man3 others1 believing that it was through the gates of death that they should enter into ,,christ',s presence and realise ,his ,second ,advent1 wished to die1 courted death1 yea1 hardly resigned themselves to the ,divine will1 that they should as yet continue in the flesh4 ,perhaps you may think that this was a natural rather than a spiritual frame of mind4 ,on earth their portion had all along been one of sorrow and suffering1 and evil reproach2 and prophecy bade them look on for aggravations of what they already endured1 and for many additional and greater troubles4 ,what wonder1 then1 that they struggled to escape from the present1 that they shrunk from the future1 that they prayed that ,,christ would speedily come to them1 or that ,he would speedily take them to ,himself6 ,what wonder that ,st4 ,paul1 for instance1 amid his toils1 and perils1 and sufferings1 and revilings1 and failures1 and disappointments1 with the prospect of nothing on earth but sorer persecution and greater trials1 should desire to be absent from the body1 and to be present with the ,,lord6 ,what wonder that ,st4 ,john1 so cruelly entreated by foes1 so disregarded by should-be friends1 when in the isle of his banishment the voice of his ,,lord told of ,his speedy coming1 should promptly and ardently respond to ,him1 8,even so1 come1 ,,lord ,,jesus40 ,having nothing1 and expecting nothing that flesh could desire2 enduring much1 anticipating more that was undesirable1 grievous1 hateful1 what wonder1 you would ask1 that they yearned in their hearts to be delivered from such bondage1 and to be transferred to the abode of peace and glory3 that they offered frequently and fervently those ,advent prayers1 8,thy kingdom come10 8,,lord ,,jesus receive my ,spirit10 8,even so1 come1 ,,lord ,,jesus06 ,even had they expected no hereafter1 had they supposed that the coming ,judge would annihilate them1 or that the grave would bury them in eternal forgetfulness1 it would still have been natural for them to have courted and prayed for the cessation of toil and the end of suffering4 ,so some persons are wont to reason4 ,it is natural1 they say1 for those to whom this world is a blank or a sea of troubles1 to set their hopes on another world4 ,it is natural for those whose life here is all weariness1 to be desirous to give up that life1 even though they shall have no life hereafter4 ,but is it really natural8 ,does affliction naturally make us look heavenwards8 ,does a troubled life naturally reconcile us to the thought of speedy death1 yea1 and cause us to desire it1 to pray for it8 ,on the contrary1 do we not often find persons unspiritualised by affliction8 ,do not many maintain that their worldly troubles are the hindrance of religious thought and practice8 ,is not death by very instinct shrunk from by well-nigh all1 and most by those whose circumstances seem to recommend it as naturally the greatest good8 ,you hear those who are vexed or thwarted1 or oppressed1 or wearied1 exclaim in some moment of impatience or despondency1 8,i am weary of my life40 ,you find some so worn out1 like ,job1 by long and accumulated troubles1 that they continually sigh1 and from the heart1 8,oh6 that ,i had given up the ghost60 ,you hear the thoughtless1 the proud1 the obstinate1 protest 8,i had rather die40 ,but let them be taken at their word1 let ,death show himself to be really close at hand1 to be coming to them1 and they will recoil with horror from his touch1 and piteously cry to be spared4 ,occasionally one is found who1 lacking patience and perseverance to extricate himself lawfully from pressing difficulties1 or1 mad with vexation because he cannot accomplish some worldly scheme1 or because he has been frustrated in some wickedness3 or because having done the wickedness1 he fears to face the worldly consequences of his deed1 not merely says that he wishes to die1 and prays for death2 but then and there ministers it to himself4 ,yet even in such cases1 while he would escape from life1 he does not deliberately seek death4 ,nay1 when he finds he is encountering death1 he often desists from his half-done deed1 or1 if it be too late for that1 shrieks frantically for others to rescue him4 ,there are exceptions to all these rules1 when men really wish to die1 when they deliberately court and procure death2 but they are sufficiently rare to vindicate the truth1 that they are not natural4 ,certainly the desire and prayer of the first disciples to be removed from this world were not natural4 ,they did not despair in difficulties4 ,they were not unwilling to endure continued trials and sufferings4 ,they were not disgusted with life4 ,all that ,,christ required of them they burned to do2 all that ,he laid upon them they rejoiced to bear2 and while aught was undone or unsuffered1 they chose and desired to remain2 and even then1 it was not exhausted nature asking for rest1 it was not weariness or dislike of life's lot which prompted the prayer1 8,even so1 come1 ,,lord ,,jesus30 they gloried in their then vocation1 they loved their appointed work2 they would not relinquish it1 they would not be unclothed1 but clothed upon1 advanced1 and perfected3 they loved ,,christ1 and so yearned to see ,him2 they loved ,his service1 and so coveted a state in which it could be more fully and uninterruptedly rendered2 they loved other men1 the alien and the outcast1 and so longed for the day when all the kingdoms of the world should become the kingdoms of the ,,lord and of ,his ,,christ1 when every soul should be subject to and rejoice in ,his rule6 ,they looked for ,,christ',s coming1 not because they supposed it would release them from ,his service1 and transfer them to an abode of luxurious immunity and rest and glory2 but because they thought it was the necessary prelude to full usefulness1 to entire submission to ,his will1 to unremitted1 glorious service under ,his perceived eye1 and in the perfection of ,his strength4 ,they thought death was gain1 and they desired it1 not as the time of sleep1 the chamber of inactivity and oblivion1 but as the door1 the short passage1 which led into a world wherein the kingdom of ,,christ was fully set up1 and wherein they should unceasingly experience ,his rule1 and act as its agents4 ,they prayed that ,,god would shortly accomplish the number of ,his elect1 not with the carnal desire that their enemies might be confounded1 and that those then without might be kept without3 nor yet with selfish impatience for their own promised reward2 but that the work of grace might be effectual1 where now it seemed to be received in vain2 that the darkness which encompassed so many might be dispelled1 that all ,israel might be saved1 and might join them in glorifying ,,god4 ,this was the feeling which prompted their ,advent prayers2 this was the feeling which they laboured to arouse in those to whom they spoke1 and in us1 for whom they wrote4 ,when ,st4 ,paul tells us1 that to him to live was ,,christ1 and to die was gain1 that he desired to depart and be with ,,christ1 though he was content to remain1 he shows one of the many respects in which we are to be followers of him4 ,when ,st4 ,john records1 that he replied to ,,christ',s announcement1 8,behold1 ,i come quickly10 8,even so1 come1 ,,lord ,,jesus10 he personates the ,church and every acceptable member of it1 and shows us the attitude and the feeling which becomes each one of those who wait for the ,,lord',s appearing2 even as ,st4 ,peter does in direct appeal3 8,what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness1 looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of ,,god80 ,alas6 brethren1 how far are we below the appointed standard of acceptable discipleship6 ,how little is ,,christ',s ,second ,advent in our minds1 even as a mere doctrine1 a truth of ,scripture6 ,how small is the influence which it is allowed to exercise on our thoughts and affections1 and lives6 ,how seldom do we suggest to ourselves the possibility of its nearness6 ,how faintly1 if at all1 in what mere words--words1 which do not spring from feelings1 and are not illustrated by actions--do we pray for its speedy arrival6 ,even those among us1 who are rightly mindful1 who study to be prepared at all times1 lest speedily and suddenly the ,son of ,man should come forth to judgment1 or should send forth the angel of death to bring them to ,his bar--even these can scarcely be said to desire the coming1 which they think of and prepare for3 much less to pray for it1 and to do what in them lies to hasten it4 ,even if we are faithful servants1 able to render a right account whenever it shall be called for1 we dread rather than hope for the day of our ,,lord',s return4 ,even if we have our lamps trimmed and oil with us in our vessels1 if instead of slumbering1 we are watching1 would it not still be to us an unwelcome cry1 8,behold the bridegroom cometh1 go ye out to meet ,him08 ,what would be the first feeling of the best of us1 if at this moment an angel stood revealed1 and announced 8,the day of the ,,lord is come08 which of us can honestly1 heartily say now1 8,i would not live always4 ,i would not live till to-morrow1 if ,,god graciously willed that ,i might die to-day80 ,of course there are many reasons why we should shrink from an immediate advent4 ,we all of us need to cast off some works of darkness3 something is wanting in the spiritual armour of the best accoutred4 ,we feel that we have much work to do for ,,god before the night cometh2 we have many graces to cultivate and many others to acquire1 before we shall be fit for ,,christ',s coming2 and1 besides1 naturally1 the unprovided for1 the unprotected1 the unguided1 that will be left behind1 if we go1 tempt us to linger1 with eyes earthwards2 and fashion chains to bind us down4 ,but setting aside all this1 supposing it all changed1 so that we were fit in all other respects for heaven1 and nothing and no one on earth really required us1 does not conscience convince us that still we would rather not go yet1 that we shall be the better pleased the longer we are allowed to stay1 that our real prayer 7that which our feelings suggest1 though our mouths dare not utter it1 nor our minds dwell on it7 is 8,,lord ,,jesus1 come not quickly40 ,why is this8 ,i do not mean why is it in the case of the wilful1 the sensual1 the worldly--there is no need to ask the question of them2 ,,christ',s coming will be their utter confusion1 and the immediate forerunner of their destruction4 ,it is easy to understand why they wish him to delay4 ,but why is it in the case of the truly penitent1 the reformed1 the faithful1 the holy1 the comparatively ready for ,,christ',s kingdom of glory8 ,the foremost reason seems to be that they have never had the courage to meditate calmly and sufficiently on death4 ,the first thought of death alarms them4 ,and this is natural1 for death is part of the punishment of sin1 and all that reminds of sin should alarm4 ,but it is only the first thought that alarms4 ,if they would give it further consideration1 they would see that death is deprived of his sting1 that1 monster as he appears1 to them he is harmless4 8,there is no condemnation for them that are in ,,christ ,,jesus40 ,death is not their enemy1 but their friend4 ,in fact1 he is death no longer4 ,he is an appointed minister to take them out of what might be more properly called death--this mortal life--and introduce them into real life4 ,he does not separate them from ,,christ1 but joins them more truly to ,him4 ,it is not a dark1 bottomless pit1 with sides that cannot be climbed1 to which he brings them1 but a short valley leading from the plain of this world to the city of glory1 which he that enters passes through in a moment1 ay1 and less than a moment1 and is new born for eternity4 ,bring yourselves1 brethren1 to believe this1 to feel the reality of it1 to be sure that the moment your body falls asleep in ,,jesus your spirit is wafted to ,paradise1 and begins to rest consciously on ,,christ1 and to company with the spirits of the just departed4 ,then1 though the nearness of death may for the moment awe you--because it is the antechamber which leads directly into the presence of so much holiness and glory--it will have no power to fill you with dismay1 no undesirableness to make you shrink from it4 ,no1 brethren1 you will think much of it1 you will patiently hope for it1 you will anticipate it and watch for it1 and when it draws nigh1 you will welcome it with joy1 and hasten to be transferred by it from mortal life to immortal6 ,another fault is1 that ,,christ is not sufficiently in all our thoughts4 ,our religion is too much of mere routine2 our obedience is mechanical1 unintelligent2 our holiness is acquired1 because of an imposed necessity2 our faith is but historical4 ,we do not feel what ,st4 ,paul felt when he said1 8,to me to live is ,,christ40 ,by which it is clear he meant much more than that ,,christ',s service was his one employment1 ,,christ',s rewards his one expectation1 ,,christ',s grace his only strength4 ,he did not simply look back to a crucified ,saviour1 nor forward to a coming ,judge1 believing himself to be made a servant1 and to have by and by to render an account1 to be liable to a judgment of his service2 but meanwhile to have no ,,lord near and over him4 ,no6 the ,,christ that had departed in the flesh was felt to have come back in the spirit4 ,st4 ,paul saw ,him by faith1 knew ,him1 walked side by side with ,him1 served ,him personally1 derived constant grace from ,him1 loved ,him1 and felt ,his love4 ,,christ was the ,alpha and ,omega of his being1 the beginning1 the motive power of all his thoughts1 and words1 and deeds1 the companion of all his ways1 the object of all his aims3 ,,christ the power of ,,god unto salvation1 ,,christ a very present help and comfort1 ,,christ the hope of glory4 ,life was full of ,,christ in its experiences1 its aims1 its delights1 and hopes4 ,gladly1 therefore1 would he retain it as long as ,,god willed2 but knowing that death was gain1 that after death ,,christ would be more palpably with him1 that he would be more able to appreciate ,,christ1 that heavenly joys would then be added to the joys he had on earth1 he still longed for his departure1 he desired ardently to be clothed upon1 he loved the thought of ,,christ',s final appearing1 and his whole life acted the prayer which ,st4 ,john uttered1 8,come1 ,,lord ,,jesus40 ,brethren1 you must live as ,paul did1 you must appreciate life as he did1 if you would desire death as he did4 ,you must acquaint yourselves with ,,christ by study and meditation1 by the ,spirit's invoked aid4 ,you must think of a living ,,lord as well as of a dead ,saviour4 ,you must have reference in all your ways1 not only to the first advent and to the last1 but1 also1 and ,i would even say chiefly1 to the constant advent4 ,you must have come to perceive that the promise is fulfilled1 8,lo1 ,i am with you alway40 ,you must endure as seeing ,him who is invisible4 ,you must carry ,,christ about with you4 ,you must do all to the glory of ,him1 felt to be near1 to be served and glorified4 ,when you would go anywhither1 your first thought must be1 8,will ,,christ accompany me8 ,except thy presence go with me1 ,o ,,lord1 carry me not up hence40 ,when you have aught to do or suffer1 your realisation of a near and available helper must make you begin with the prayer1 8,o ,,lord1 raise up thy power and come among us1 and with great might succour us40 ,gratitude for benefits provided so long ago will never prompt you to render due ,christian service1 vague expectation of inconceivable joys will never quicken your steps ,zionwards4 ,you must know ,,christ1 feel ,him1 converse with ,him1 depend on ,him1 and then1 while you enjoy the life here1 you will yet yearn for a place and a condition where you can have perfectly and uninterruptedly what now for so many reasons you have but in small part1 and1 8,thy kingdom come10 8,even so1 come1 ,,lord ,,jesus10 will be your fervent and frequent prayers4 ,i have spoken all along as if what we call 8death0 were the coming of ,,christ1 which you ought to desire and pray for1 because we have all come to take for granted that in our several cases death will surely precede judgment1 that ,,christ will not be revealed in our time4 ,i need scarcely remind you1 that we do not know that2 that at any moment the final advent might take place1 and so each one of us be caught up alive--and never see death4 ,if then1 when you desire more of ,,christ1 you think that through the gate of death is the probable way of gaining it1 and so look for death1 you must not forget that there is another way1 and that you may possibly first meet ,,christ face to face there4 ,be your desire to be more fully with ,,christ1 and submissively leave to ,him to decide how that desire shall be accomplished1 through death or without death4 ,but in either case remember that your ultimate thought should rest upon the final advent1 and your most fervent prayers be for it4 ,though you gain much by dying1 being freed from many hindrances of perception of ,,christ1 being made more fit for ,his presence1 seeing ,him more clearly1 feeling1 and hearing1 and loving ,him better1 your state and privileges will still be imperfect4 ,you must stand before ,him in glorified bodies before you are capable of being and receiving all that ,he graciously designs2 and all the elect must stand there with you before ,his perfect gifts shall be bestowed4 ,god does not will that we1 without them1 should be made perfect4 ,the final advent1 then1 is to be the frequent subject of our prayers2 the speedy completion of all ,god's preparatory measures1 the swiftest communication1 far and wide1 of the knowledge of ,his name and will1 the quick filling up of the number of the elect4 ,this we are to pray for1 and this we are to aid in accomplishing4 ,,christ will come when all is ready1 and ,he has left us to make ready4 ,first to prepare ourselves1 then to prepare others4 ,when this work of the forerunner has been done1 the ,,lord ,whom ye seek will come4 ,he does but tarry till men be told of ,his coming1 and persuaded to look for and desire it4 ,when we tell them1 when we persuade them1 we hasten ,his coming--that coming in perfect glory to bestow in perfection on us1 on all1 that which1 till then1 at the best must be imperfect4 ,should not this quicken our own growth in spiritual things8 should it not prompt us to admonish1 and persuade1 and help others8 should it not impel us to give more substantial aid to1 to interest ourselves more about1 to pray more frequently and really for the success of missionary enterprise1 that those who have heard of ,,christ may be found out in their forgetfulness1 and reminded of ,him1 that those who are as yet strangers and aliens may be brought into ,his household1 and made fellow heirs with us1 and expectants of ,his coming8 ,,sermon ,,xx4 ,,true ,,prosperity4 ,,genesis1 ,,xxxix41 #b4 ,the ,,lord was with ,joseph1 and he was a prosperous man4 ,,if you were asked1 brethren1 to make a list of what you consider prosperous men1 what kind of persons what you put into it8 ,those1 ,i doubt not1 with whom all goes smoothly1 who come in no misfortune like other folk1 who have riches in possession1 acquire fame1 are exalted in honour2 whose wishes are largely gratified1 whose every project succeeds2 who1 in short1 experience no reverse1 no temporary withdrawal or suspension of good fortune1 and peace1 and pleasure4 ,what is the first prosperous man that comes into your mind8 ,perhaps1 a successful speculator1 who years ago made what is called a 8lucky hit10 and has gone on repeating it1 till he has become a millionaire4 ,perhaps1 a professional man1 whom fortune took by the hand as soon as he set out1 and who has been hurried along with giant strides1 favoured1 flattered1 well remunerated1 till he has reached the summit of success4 ,perhaps1 some uniformly thriving1 respectable1 happy tradesman1 whose business prospers1 who is always able to pay his way1 can afford time and money for pleasure1 and has good heart and health to enjoy it2 in whose household there is no strife or division1 no sickness1 no vacated place2 all present success1 or bright hope4 ,or1 perhaps1 you fasten on an artisan1 who is never out of work1 who always meets with considerate and liberal employers1 whose sobriety and uprightness1 and other good qualities1 are recognised and respected abroad1 and rewarded by comfort1 and affection1 and well-doing at home4 ,but it is a clergyman who bids you select3 so you must look about with a religious eye4 ,then you pick out1 perhaps1 those who are naturally endowed with good will and resolution1 and are strong to perform it2 who have been early trained in the right way1 so that doing good has become habitual and comparatively easy2 who have no overwhelming concern about the support of their lower life1 are not distracted by worldly cares or by the claims of society upon them1 nor much exposed to unspiritual influence2 who have no immoderate passions1 encounter no sore temptations1 but can1 without hindrance1 and do1 from desire1 live calm1 and easy1 and creditable lives4 ,these1 you would say1 are prosperous men1 and so1 in a sense1 they are--very prosperous--and far be it from me to say1 wrongly1 or unhappily prosperous4 ,we know1 indeed1 what snares riches bring with them1 how many grave responsibilities are imposed upon all to whom much has been given1 how dizzy one becomes through standing on a great height1 and how easy and dangerous it is to fall from it4 ,we know1 too1 that constant success is apt to make us self-reliant1 forgetful of ,,god1 proud1 imperious1 uncharitable2 and that uninterrupted peace and happiness in this world too often beguile us1 softly indeed1 but surely1 out of all thought of heaven4 ,and once more1 we know that an even temperament and an untempted life may easily lead to routine-religion1 to self-righteousness1 to spiritual apathy and deadness4 ,on these accounts1 we must not count them surely happy who prosper in the world2 but1 on the other hand1 we may not judge their state certainly unhappy2 nor deem the desire to be like them necessarily wrong or unwise4 ,if we can make sure of both worlds2 if we can have the best of this1 and not lose the other2 if no harm will happen to our spiritual state1 and no fitness for it be unattained and unkept2 if ,,god will be surely with us1 while we thus prosper--then religion does not require1 rather forbids1 that we should give up our good things1 that we should forbear to seek them1 to use them1 and to rejoice in them4 ,all these various states may1 or may not be1 truly prosperous4 ,wherefore be not rashly carried away with admiration and desire of any of them2 be slow to judge unfavourably of them1 or to refuse1 if you be called to any of them4 ,but what ,i would have you chiefly note now is that there are other kinds of true prosperity2 rather1 that if you would find out who truly prosper1 and whether you yourselves are truly prosperous1 you must look for other signs than those of worldly success and happiness2 you must not conclude that the inward part1 the very substance of prosperity1 is wanting1 because the outward life is sorely tried1 and thwarted1 and deprived1 and saddened4 ,the ,spirit of ,truth describes1 in the chapter of the text1 a truly prosperous man4 ,three several times1 in a few verses1 is ,joseph's prosperity put prominently forward4 ,now just think what his life had been1 and was1 and was yet to be6 ,he had been motherless from an early age2 his father's love made him the object of his brothers' envy and hatred4 ,he was thrown into a pit to die1 and only escaped death to become a slave in a foreign land to a heathen master4 ,ere long he was made the victim of a foul accusation2 he was thrust into prison1 and there detained many long years2 and when1 at last1 a hope of deliverance dawned upon him1 he was cruelly disappointed by the king's servant1 whom he had kindly tended and reassured in trouble1 and another two years of incarceration1 of suspense worse than despair1 had to be endured6 ,yet was he all the while--mark that6--a prosperous man4 ,the ,scripture does not say or mean that by and by he attained to a prosperity1 in which all his former adversity was forgotten4 ,it is of the present1 not of the future1 that prosperity is predicated4 ,nor may we suppose that there was but a show of adversity1 that ,joseph was really what we call prosperous all the while1 in that he enjoyed many advantages1 that he made steady way towards greatness1 that his troubles were but as the toils and difficulties which1 in a measure1 the most successful have to encounter2 or the just merits of misdeeds and the correction of faults4 ,up to the time of his release from prison1 all through the years which ,scripture says were prosperous1 every hope and aim had been frustrated4 ,it was not that he had difficulty in entering upon his work1 that he had much to resist and suffer from its pursuit2 but that after it was done1 the reward of it was denied him3 he only climbed the hill1 to be rolled back1 just as he reached the summit4 ,his child's life commended him to the love of his father1 therefore he was thrust out4 ,he won the good-will of his master1 was diligent in his work1 which prospered in his hand2 was trustworthy and trusted1 rose to be overseer of the house1 and then1 when he had good hope of his freedom and of returning to his yearned-for home1 without any fault of his1 he was degraded1 branded with infamy1 and cast into prison4 ,here1 again1 he deserved prosperity3 the very jailor acknowledged it1 and honoured and well treated him4 ,the door1 too1 seemed to be opening for his deliverance1 when a fellow-prisoner went forth full of his praise1 an eye-witness of his sorrow1 to make mention of him to ,pharaoh--but alas6 the most strange forgetfulness took possession of the butler1 and for two years the name of ,joseph never crossed his lips1 nor thought of him entered his mind4 ,and even when delivered out of prison1 and exalted by ,pharaoh1 he became but a chief slave1 next the throne in dignity1 second to the king in power1 but still not free to return to his home1 still kept ignorant whether his father was yet alive6 ,was this what we can call1 by any stretch or limitation1 8prosperity08 ,and mark1 that all his trouble came upon him1 not only in1 but for1 his well-doing4 ,in obedience to his father1 he went to visit his brethren1 and thus afforded the occasion of selling him into bondage2 because he did his duty to ,potiphar1 he was put into circumstances of danger2 by refusing to sin against ,,god1 he incurred the reproach and punishment of sin2 by honestly asserting before ,pharaoh1 8,it is not in me1 ,i am nothing but a servant10 he lost the opportunity of obtaining what the king would have been most ready to give him1 and afraid to refuse1 absolute freedom4 ,my brethren1 you and ,i can hardly bear with trials1 and sufferings1 and reproaches1 and ill-treatment1 when we dimly suspect1 or are actually conscious1 that we have deserved them4 ,how should we murmur1 and cry out1 and kick1 and rebel1 if we were thus treated for well-doing6 ,with what words should we answer him who sought to calm and comfort us in such trouble1 by assuring us that we did wrong to count it adversity1 that it was indeed prosperity6 ,yet ,,god says that ,joseph was a prosperous man4 ,it is evident1 therefore1 that we know not the meaning of prosperity1 and must search in ,his dictionary for the interpretation of it4 ,it is soon found3 the first part of the text supplies it--8,the ,,lord was with him40 ,ah6 here is light from heaven4 ,prosperity does not mean the state of careless independence2 being what we will1 having what we desire1 accomplishing what we propose3 it means1 the state of dependence1 of being kept and ordered by ,,god',s providence1 treated as ,he wills1 used in accomplishing ,his purposes4 ,by right1 we are ,,god',s1 by creation1 and redemption1 and sanctification1 sent into this world1 reconciled and restored after defection1 enabled and commissioned to do the will of ,,god4 ,we are as much the agents of ,his purposes as the elements1 or any other of ,his creatures2 and it would be just as reasonable1 were it possible1 for the sun to complain that it is sometimes covered with clouds2 the rain1 that it has to descend and be absorbed in the earth1 or lost in the sea1 or scattered in snow2 the wind1 that it must blow when and where ,he pleases1 as for us to say of any state into which we are brought1 of any work to which we are put1 or of any calling off from it1 8,i like not this2 ,i am not prospered4 ,all these things are against me06 ,we have no right to independence2 we ought not to be independent1 and if we are1 it is either because we have forsaken our appointed service1 or because ,,god deems us unfit for it1 and1 therefore1 uses us not6 ,a chief part of ,joseph's prosperity1 remember1 consisted not in the advancement of himself1 but in the accomplishment of ,,god',s work3 8,that which he did1 the ,,lord made it to prosper40 ,but by privilege1 as well as by right1 are we ,,god',s4 ,we are not mere tools in ,his hand3 we are living agents1 intelligent to understand ,his will1 free to do it or decline it1 capable of loving it4 ,we are1 therefore1 taken into ,his counsel1 made fellow-workers with ,him1 treated all along by ,him according to our merits1 finally rewarded according to our work2 not1 however1 in the way of our own choice1 but of ,his4 ,o if we realised this1 and did our part according to the belief1 we should never murmur at1 or question anything that is appointed us1 or befals us4 ,for what does such questioning amount to1 but an assertion that ,,god does not make the right use of us1 or that ,he does not treat us worthily8 ,and what is that1 but to deny ,his wisdom1 ,his justice1 and ,his love8 ,no man1 who is worth a thought1 counts it adversity1 that he is bound by the conditions1 and must accept the trials1 and do the work of his chosen earthly calling1 that he is obliged1 for instance1 to serve in his shop1 or pore over his books1 or risk storms at sea1 or face the dangers of war2 that1 in short1 he cannot be and do what he will1 but must obey the law of circumstances--why1 then1 should he reverse all this in his divine mission and heavenly calling1 and demand a liberty1 an immunity1 a choice1 which common sense would tell him should not and could not be granted8 ,but there is another1 a chief consideration1 which should incline us to be sure that the ordering of ,,god',s providence is the conferring of ,true ,prosperity4 ,,god uses us1 indeed1 as servants1 and appoints us our individual work out of the several circumstances around us4 ,but ,he likewise makes us ,his friends1 and uses the circumstances around us1 as ministers to us4 ,it is in them that ,he speaks to us and visits us2 it is by them1 that ,he rewards and punishes us now2 it is through them that ,he disciplines and trains us1 and perfects us for heaven4 ,we were not made for them1 but they for us4 ,and what shall we be saying of the ,artificer and the ,superintendent of their use if we question their general fitness1 or the special application of them to ourselves8 8,sorrow is not good for me40 8,i am ruined by that disappointment40 8,through taking that stay from me1 ,i am become helpless40 8,removing me thither is overwhelming me with adversity40 ,these1 my brethren1 are not only the expressions of ingratitude1 and the reasonings of unbelief1 they are the dictations of arrogant presumption dethroning the wisdom of ,,god1 and putting our folly in its place4 ,we have no right to choose for ourselves3 and if we had1 how could we do it8 ,is not ,,god wise to know what is best for us8 ,is not ,he good to apply it8 ,should we not fear the fulfilment of any hope1 the accomplishment of any purpose of our own1 and cry1 8,o ,,lord1 not as ,i will1 but as ,thou wilt4 ,except ,thy presence go with me1 carry me not up hence06 ,should we not accept with full resignation1 with heartfelt gratitude1 any imposed condition1 and say1 8,it is the ,,lord1 let ,him do what seemeth ,him good10 8,it is good for me to be here40 ,we may reason this out1 and the example of others proves it1 and our own experience confirms it4 ,admit the fact1 that the ,,lord was with ,joseph1 i4e41 that ,he used him as ,his agent1 that ,he loved him1 and designed to deliver him from evil1 and to bless him to the uttermost2 and then look along his life to see whether wisdom and love did not guide all his circumstances to this end4 ,it was ,,god',s will that ,joseph should cause ,jacob to come into ,egypt1 and should sustain him there4 ,how every step of his seeming adversity helped to accomplish this will6 ,the telling of his dream engendered the hatred of his brethren2 that hatred sold him to the ,midianites1 the ,midianites brought him to ,potiphar1 the false accusation cast him into prison1 in the prison he interpreted the king's butler's dream1 and therefore he was summoned to interpret the king's dream1 and for so doing made the ruler of ,egypt1 and the dispenser of corn to the famished nations4 ,this brought the sons of ,jacob to him3 this enabled him to dispose of them according to the will of ,,god4 ,thus1 8that which he did the ,,lord made it to prosper40 ,and then of his personal prosperity4 ,was not his father's preference likely to spoil him8 ,did he not run daily risks from the hatred of his brethren8 ,was his best state that of an honoured slave in ,potiphar's household8 ,was it well that he should daily encounter the temptations of his mistress8 ,was there no good discipline in that prison-life8 ,did not deliverance come at the fitting moment1 rightly so late1 under such circumstances8 ,supposing he had chosen for himself1 what else could he have chosen that would have been better1 or as good as ,,god',s choice for ,him8 ,and if1 brethren1 we look along our lives in the light of ,,god',s providence1 is it not just so with us8 ,supposing us to be faithful servants of ,,god1 has not all that has happened to us been for our good8 ,was it not well for us that we were removed from the state in which we were being spoiled1 becoming selfish and proud8 ,was it not good for us to be afflicted8 ,did not some earthly loss make us seek to fill the void with heavenly consolation8 ,are we not now better--better in fact--better in hope--because ,,god has prospered us in ,his own way1 than if we had had what we thought prosperity8 ,yes1 surely2 and had we been wise1 in the hour of our worst trial1 we should have known that we were truly prosperous1 in that ,,god was with us1 that ,his jealous love had taken us from the foolish fondness that was spoiling us1 from the bitter envy that would not rest till it had destroyed us1 from the secular prosperity that would soon have made us forget our birthright1 from the temptation that sought to defile us6 ,if we have been wanting in this wisdom hitherto1 let us fill ourselves with it now4 ,let us accept everything that befals us in the path of faith and obedience as true prosperity2 true prosperity1 not only because it is accomplishing by us ,,god',s wise purposes1 not only because it is advancing us to glory1 but because1 it is the felt1 the immediate1 wise1 loving operation on us of a present ,,god1 present to sustain1 to comfort1 to sanctify1 to bless1 present under a better covenant than that with ,joseph1 present more graciously1 and more effectually2 ,,god the ,father of our ,,lord ,,jesus ,,christ1 ,,god the ,son1 who has given ,himself for us1 and has promised to be with us always even to the end of the world1 ,,god the ,holy ,ghost1 proceeding from the ,father and the ,son1 bringing near and applying true prosperity1 and fitting us for it1 and enlightening us to see it1 and causing us to rejoice in it4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,glory ,,be ,,unto ,,god4 99 99 99 99 99 ,f4 ,shoberl1 ,printer1 #cg1 ,dean ,street1 ,soho1 ,w4 ,published by ,,william ,,skeffington1 #afc1 ,,piccadilly4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,by ,,john ,,jackson1 ,d4,d41 ,,lord ,,bishop ,,of ,,lincoln4 ,,the ,,witness ,,of ,,the ,,spirit3 ,sermons preached before the ,university of ,oxford4 ,second ,edition4 ,fcap4 #hvo1 #es4 #f;d4 ,,the ,,sinfulness ,,of ,,little ,,sins4 ,contents3--,i4 ,the exceeding ,sinfulness of ,sin4 ,,ii4 ,sins of the ,temper4 ,,iii4 ,sins of ,pride and ,vanity4 ,,iv4 ,sins of the ,thoughts4 ,v4 ,sins of the ,tongue4 ,,vi4 ,sins of ,omission4 ,tenth ,edition4 ,fcap4 #hvo1 #cs4 #f;d4 8,a very earnest and practical little volume1 suited to all ages and classes40--,,english ,,churchman4 ,,repentance3 ,,its ,,necessity1 ,,nature1 ,,and ,,aids4 ,contents3--,i4 ,the ,necessity of ,repentance4 ,,ii4 ,the ,nature of ,repentance4 ,,iii4 ,the ,properties of true ,repentance4 ,,iv4 ,the ,aids of ,penitence4 ,v4 ,the ,aids of ,penitence 7continued74 ,,vi4 ,the ,pardon of ,penitence4 ,sixth ,edition4 ,fcp4 #hvo1 #cs4 #f;d4 ,,the ,,pastor ,,wholly ,,given ,,to ,,his ,,office4 ,an ,address to ,candidates for ,holy ,orders4 ,fcp4 limp cloth4 #as4 ,,the ,,spirit ,,of ,,the ,,world1 ,,and ,,the ,,spirit ,,which ,,is ,,of ,,god4 ,a ,sermon addressed to the ,newly-confirmed1 and preparatory to the ,holy ,communion4 ,third ,edition4 #as4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,job3 a ,course of ,lectures preached in the ,parish ,church of ,st4 ,james1 ,westminster1 on the ,fridays in ,lent1 ,a4,d4 #ahee4 ,by ,,john ,,edward ,,kemps1 ,m4,a41 ,rector of ,st4 ,james4 ,fcp4 #hvo4 #cs4 #f;d4 ,by the ,same ,author4 ,,three ,,sermons ,,on ,,the ,,war1 preached in the ,parish ,church of ,st4 ,james1 ,westminster4 ,contents3--,i4 8,be not ,high-minded40 ,,ii4 8,the ,lawfulness of ,war40 ,,iii4 8,humble yourselves40 ,fcp4 #hvo1 #bs4 #f;d4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,hints ,,to ,,district ,,visitors1 ,,followed ,,by ,a ,,few ,,prayers ,,selected ,,for ,,their ,,use4 ,by ,,francis ,,hessey1 ,d4,c4,l41 ,incumbent of ,st4 ,barnabas1 ,kensington4 ,third ,edition1 cloth4 #f;d4 ,by the same ,author4 ,,confirmation ,,questions1 ,,in ,,six ,,papers4 ,intended for the use of the ,parochial ,clergy in preparing ,candidates for ,confirmation and ,first ,communion4 ,price #b;d4 ,,the ,,schoolboy',s ,,way ,,of ,,eternal ,,life3 ,,his ,,religious ,,motives1 ,,trials1 ,,and ,,duties4 ,a ,course of ,twelve ,short ,lectures4 ,by the ,rev4 ,,edward ,,huntingford1 ,d4,c4,l41 late ,fellow of ,new ,college1 ,oxford4 ,fcp4 cloth4 #cs4 #f;d4 ,by the same ,author4 ,,the ,,voice ,,of ,,the ,,last ,,prophet4 ,a ,practical ,interpretation of the ,apocalypse4 ,fcp4 cloth4 #gs4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,sermons ,,in ,,different ,,styles4 ,preached at ,st4 ,james's ,church1 ,piccadilly4 ,by the ,rev4 ,,john ,,rice ,,byrne1 ,m4,a4 ,fcp4 cloth4 #bs4 ,,hymns ,,for ,,use ,,in ,,church4 ,collected by the ,rev4 ,h4 ,w4 ,,burrows1 ,b4,d41 ,perpetual ,curate of ,christ ,church ,st4 ,pancras4 ,third ,edition4 #as4 ,,the ,,church ,,and ,,the ,,people4 ,twelve ,sermons1 preached at ,st4 ,luke's1 ,berwick ,street4 ,by ,,henry ,,whitehead1 ,m4,a41 ,curate of ,st4 ,matthew's1 ,westminster4 ,fcp4 #hvo4 #ds4 ,a ,,practical ,,treatise ,,on ,,evil ,,thoughts3 wherein their ,nature1 ,origin1 c41 are ,considered2 with ,rules for their ,restraint and ,suppression4 ,by ,,william ,,chilcott1 ,m4,a4 ,new ,edition4 #bs4 #f;d4 8,it is brimful of poetical feeling1 of deep philosophy1 and of imperishable truth40--,,church ,,and ,,state ,,gazette4 ,a ,,help ,,to ,,the ,,profitable ,,reading ,,of ,,the ,,psalms ,,for ,,christian ,,people4 ,by ,,edward ,,walter1 ,b4,a41 ,rector of ,langton1 ,lincolnshire4 ,fcp4 #hvo4 #ds4 ,,conversations ,,on ,,human ,,nature ,,for ,,the ,,young4 ,by the late ,mrs4 ,,conyngham ,,ellis4 ,with an ,introduction by ,,samuel1 ,lord ,bishop of ,,oxford4 ,fcp4 #hvo4 #cs4 #f;d4 ,,summer ,,experiences ,,of ,,rome1 ,,perugia1 ,,and ,,siena1 ,,in #ahed1 ,,and ,,sketches ,,of ,,the ,,islands ,,of ,,the ,,bay ,,of ,,naples4 ,with ,illustrations4 ,by ,mrs4 ,j4 ,e4 ,,westropp4 ,post #hvo41 #gs4 #f;d4