Parochial and Plain sermons

 I

 Sermon 1. Holiness Necessary for Future Blessedness Holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. Hebrews xii. 14.

 Sermon 2. The Immortality of the Soul What shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Matt. xvi. 26.

 Sermon 3. Knowledge of God's Will without Obedience If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. John xiii. 17.

 Sermon 4. Secret Faults Who can understand his errors? Cleanse Thou me from secret faults. Psalm xix. 12.

 Sermon 5. Self-Denial the Test of Religious Earnestness Now it is high time to awake out of sleep. Rom. xiii. 11.

 Sermon 6. The Spiritual Mind The kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. 1 Cor. iv. 20.

 Sermon 7. Sins of Ignorance and Weakness Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil cons

 Sermon 8. God's Commandments not Grievous This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments and His commandments are not grievous. 1 John v. 3

 Sermon 9. The Religious Use of Excited Feelings The man out of whom the devils were departed besought Him that he might be with Him but Jesus sent h

 Sermon 10. Profession without Practice When there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon anothe

 Sermon 11. Profession without Hypocrisy As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Gal. iii. 27.

 Sermon 12. Profession without Ostentation Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Matt. v. 14.

 Sermon 13. Promising without Doing A certain man had two sons and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work today in my vineyard. He answered and

 Sermon 14. Religious Emotion But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with Thee, I will not deny Thee in any wise. Mark xiv. 31.

 Sermon 15. Religious Faith Rational He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief but was strong in faith, giving glory to God: and being

 Sermon 16. The Christian Mysteries How can these things be? John iii. 9.

 Sermon 17. The Self-wise Inquirer Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he m

 Sermon 18. Obedience the Remedy for Religious Perplexity Wait on the Lord, and keep His way, and He shall exalt thee to inherit the land. Psalm xxxv

 Sermon 19. Times of Private Prayer Thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in s

 Sermon 20. Forms of Private Prayer Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. Luke xi. 1.

 Sermon 21. The Resurrection of the Body Now that the dead are raised, even Moses showed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and

 Sermon 22. Witnesses of the Resurrection Him God raised up the third day, and showed Him openly not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen bef

 Sermon 23. Christian Reverence Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Psalm ii. 11.

 Sermon 24. The Religion of the Day Let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming f

 Sermon 25. Scripture a Record of Human Sorrow There is at Jerusalem by the sheepmarket a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having

 Sermon 26. Christian Manhood When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child but when I became a man, I put aw

 II

  Sermon 1. The World's Benefactors

  Sermon 2. Faith without Sight

  Sermon 3. The Incarnation

  Sermon 4. Martyrdom

  Sermon 5. Love of Relations and Friends

  Sermon 6. The Mind of Little Children

  Sermon 7. Ceremonies of the Church

  Sermon 8. The Glory of the Christian Church

  Sermon 9. St. Paul's Conversion Viewed in reference to His Office

  Sermon 10. Secrecy and Suddenness of Divine Visitations

  Sermon 11. Divine Decrees

  Sermon 12. The Reverence Due to the Virgin Mary

  Sermon 13. Christ, a Quickening Spirit

  Sermon 14. Saving Knowledge

  Sermon 15. Self-Contemplation

  Sermon 16. Religious Cowardice

  Sermon 17. The Gospel Witnesses

  Sermon 18. Mysteries in Religion

  Sermon 19. The Indwelling Spirit

  Sermon 20. The Kingdom of the Saints

  Sermon 21. The Kingdom of the Saints

  Sermon 22. The Gospel, a Trust Committed to Us

  Sermon 23. Tolerance of Religious Error

  Sermon 24. Rebuking Sin

  Sermon 25. The Christian Ministry

  Sermon 26. Human Responsibility

  Sermon 27. Guilelessness

  Sermon 28. The Danger of Riches

  Sermon 29. The Powers of Nature

  Sermon 30. The Danger of Accomplishments

  Sermon 31. Christian Zeal

  Sermon 32. Use of Saints' Days

 III

  Sermon 1. Abraham and Lot

  Sermon 2. Wilfulness of Israel in Rejecting Samuel

  Sermon 3. Saul

  Sermon 4. Early years of David

  Sermon 5. Jeroboam

  Sermon 6. Faith and Obedience

  Sermon 7. Christian Repentance

  Sermon 8. Contracted Views in Religion

  Sermon 9. A Particular Providence as Revealed in the Gospel

  Sermon 10. Tears of Christ at the Grave of Lazarus

  Sermon 11. Bodily Suffering

  Sermon 12. The Humiliation of the Eternal Son

  Sermon 13. Jewish Zeal, a Pattern for Christians

  Sermon 14. Submission to Church Authority

  Sermon 15. Contest between Truth and Falsehood in the Church

  Sermon 16. The Church Visible and Invisible

  Sermon 17. The Visible Church an Encouragement to Faith

  Sermon 18. The Gift of the Spirit

  Sermon 19. Regenerating Baptism

  Sermon 20. Infant Baptism

  Sermon 21. The Daily Service

  Sermon 22. The Good Part of Mary

  Sermon 23. Religious Worship a Remedy for Excitements

  Sermon 24. Intercession

  Sermon 25. The Intermediate State

 IV

  Sermon 1. The Strictness of the Law of Christ

  Sermon 2. Obedience without Love, as instanced in the Character of Balaam

  Sermon 3. Moral Consequences of Single Sins

  Sermon 4. Acceptance of Religious Privileges Compulsory

  Sermon 5. Reliance on Religious Observances

  Sermon 6. The Individuality of the Soul

  Sermon 7. Chastisement amid Mercy

  Sermon 8. Peace and Joy amid Chastisement

  Sermon 9. The State of Grace

  Sermon 10. The Visible Church for the Sake of the Elect.

  Sermon 11. The Communion of Saints

  Sermon 12. The Church a Home for the Lonely

  Sermon 13. The Invisible World

  Sermon 14. The Greatness and Littleness of Human Life

  Sermon 15. Moral Effects of Communion with God

  Sermon 16. Christ Hidden from the World

  Sermon 17. Christ Manifested in Remembrance

  Sermon 18. The Gainsaying of Korah

  Sermon 19. The Mysteriousness of our Present Being

  Sermon 20. The Ventures of Faith

  Sermon 21. Faith and Love

  Sermon 22. Watching

  Sermon 23. Keeping Fast and Festival

 V

  Sermon 1. Worship, a Preparation for Christ's Coming

  Sermon 2. Reverence, a Belief in God's Presence

  Sermon 3. Unreal Words

  Sermon 4. Shrinking from Christ's Coming

  Sermon 5. Equanimity

  Sermon 6. Remembrance of Past Mercies

  Sermon 7. The Mystery of Godliness

  Sermon 8. The State of Innocence

  Sermon 9. Christian Sympathy

  Sermon 10. Righteousness not of us, but in us

  Sermon 11. The Law of the Spirit

  Sermon 12. The New Works of the Gospel

  Sermon 13. The State of Salvation

  Sermon 14. Transgressions and Infirmities

  Sermon 15. Sins of Infirmity

  Sermon 16. Sincerity and Hypocrisy

  Sermon 17. The Testimony of Conscience

  Sermon 18. Many Called, Few Chosen

  Sermon 19. Present Blessings

  Sermon 20. Endurance, the Christian's Portion

  Sermon 21. Affliction, a School of Comfort

  Sermon 22. The Thought of God, the Stay of the Soul

  Sermon 23. Love, the One Thing needful

  Sermon 24. The Power of the Will

 VI

  Sermon 1. Fasting a Source of Trial

  Sermon 2. Life the Season of Repentance

  Sermon 3. Apostolic Abstinence a Pattern for Christians

  Sermon 4. Christ's Privations a Meditation for Christians

  Sermon 5. Christ, the Son of God made Man

  Sermon 6. The Incarnate Son, a Sufferer and Sacrifice

  Sermon 7. The Cross of Christ the Measure of the World

  Sermon 8. Difficulty of Realizing Sacred Privileges

  Sermon 9. The Gospel Sign Addressed to Faith

  Sermon 10. The Spiritual Presence of Christ in the Church

  Sermon 11. The Eucharistic Presence

  Sermon 12. Faith the Title for Justification

  Sermon 13. Judaism of the Present Day

  Sermon 14. The Fellowship of the Apostles

  Sermon 15. Rising with Christ

  Sermon 16. Warfare the Condition of Victory

  Sermon 17. Waiting for Christ

  Sermon 18. Subjection of the Reason and Feelings to the Revealed Word

  Sermon 19. The Gospel Palaces

  Sermon 20. The Visible Temple

  Sermon 21. Offerings for the Sanctuary

  Sermon 22. The Weapons of Saints

  Sermon 23. Faith without Demonstration

  Sermon 24. The Mystery of the Holy Trinity

  Sermon 25. Peace in Believing

 VII

  Sermon 1. The Lapse of Time

  Sermon 2. Religion a Weariness to the Natural Man

  Sermon 3. The World our Enemy

  Sermon 4. The Praise of Men

  Sermon 5. Temporal Advantages

  Sermon 6. The Season of Epiphany

  Sermon 7. The Duty of Self-denial

  Sermon 8. The Yoke of Christ

  Sermon 9. Moses the Type of Christ

  Sermon 10. The Crucifixion

  Sermon 11. Attendance on Holy Communion

  Sermon 12. The Gospel Feast

  Sermon 13. Love of Religion, a New Nature

  Sermon 14. Religion Pleasant to the Religious

  Sermon 15. Mental Prayer

  Sermon 16. Infant Baptism

  Sermon 17. The Unity of the Church

  Sermon 18. Steadfastness in Old Paths

 VIII

  Sermon 1. Reverence in Worship

  Sermon 2. Divine Calls

  Sermon 3. The Trial of Saul

  Sermon 4. The Call of David

  Sermon 5. Curiosity a Temptation to Sin

  Sermon 6. Miracles no Remedy for Unbelief

  Sermon 7. Josiah, a Pattern for the Ignorant

  Sermon 8. Inward Witness to the Truth of the Gospel

  Sermon 9. Jeremiah, a Lesson for the Disappointed

  Sermon 10. Endurance of the World's Censure

  Sermon 11. Doing Glory to God in Pursuits of the World

  Sermon 12. Vanity of Human Glory

  Sermon 13. Truth Hidden when not Sought After

  Sermon 14. Obedience to God the Way to Faith in Christ

  Sermon 15. Sudden Conversions

  Sermon 16. The Shepherd of Our Souls

  Sermon 17. Religious Joy

  Sermon 18. Ignorance of Evil

Sermon 9. The Religious Use of Excited Feelings "The man out of whom the devils were departed besought Him that he might be with Him; but Jesus sent him away, saying, Return to thine own house, and show how great things God hath done unto thee." Luke viii. 38, 39.

IT was very natural in the man whom our Lord had set free from this dreadful visitation, to wish to continue with Him. Doubtless his mind was transported with joy and gratitude; whatever consciousness he might possess of his real wretchedness while the devils tormented him, now at least, on recovering his reason, he would understand that he had been in a very miserable state, and he would feel all the lightness of spirits and activity of mind, which attend any release from suffering or constraint. Under these circumstances he would imagine himself to be in a new world; he had found deliverance; and what was more, a Deliverer too, who stood before him. And whether from a wish to be ever in His Divine presence, ministering to Him, or from a fear lest Satan would return, nay, with sevenfold power, did he lose sight of Christ, or from an undefined notion that all his duties and hopes were now changed, that his former pursuits were unworthy of him, and that he must follow up some great undertakings with the new ardour he felt glowing within him; - from one or other, or all of these feelings combined, he besought our Lord that he might be with Him. Christ imposed this attendance as a command on others; He bade, for instance, the young ruler follow Him; but He gives opposite commands, according to our tempers and likings; He thwarts us, that He may try our faith. In the case before us He suffered not, what at other times He had bidden. "Return to thine own house," He said, or as it is in St. Mark's Gospel, "Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee." [Mark v. 19.] He directed the current of his newly-awakened feelings into another channel; as if He said, "Lovest thou Me? this do; return home to your old occupations and pursuits. You did them ill before, you lived to the world; do them well now, live to Me. Do your duties, little as well as great, heartily for My sake; go among your friends; show them what God hath done for thee; be an example to them, and teach them." [Col. iii. 17.] And further, as He said on another occasion, "Show thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them," [Matt. viii. 4.] - show forth that greater light and truer love which you now possess in a conscientious, consistent obedience to all the ordinances and rites of your religion. Now from this account of the restored demoniac, his request, and our Lord's denial of it, a lesson may be drawn for the use of those who, having neglected religion in early youth, at length begin to have serious thoughts, try to repent, and wish to serve God better than hitherto, though they do not know how to set about it. We know that God's commandments are pleasant, and "rejoice the heart," if we accept them in the order and manner in which He puts them upon us; that Christ's yoke, as He has promised, is (on the whole) very easy, if we submit to it betimes; that the practice of religion is full of comfort to those who, being first baptized with the Spirit of grace, receive thankfully His influences as their minds open, inasmuch as they are gradually and almost without sensible effort on their part, imbued in all their heart, soul, and strength, with that true heavenly life which will last for ever. But here the question meets us, "But what are those to do who have neglected to remember their Creator in the days of their youth, and so have lost all claim on Christ's promise, that His yoke shall be easy, and His commandments not grievous?" I answer, that of course they must not be surprised if obedience is with them a laborious up-hill work all their days; nay, as having been "once enlightened, and partaken of the Holy Ghost" in baptism, they would have no right to complain even though "it were impossible for them to renew themselves again unto repentance." But God is more merciful than this just severity; merciful not only above our deservings, but even above His own promises. Even for those who have neglected Him when young, He has found (if they will avail themselves of it) some sort of remedy of the difficulties in the way of obedience which they have brought upon themselves by sinning; and what this remedy is, and how it is to be used, I proceed to describe in connexion with the account in the text. The help I speak of is the excited feeling with which repentance is at first attended. True it is, that all the passionate emotion, or fine sensibility, which ever man displayed, will never by itself make us change our ways, and do our duty. Impassioned thoughts, high aspirations, sublime imaginings, have no strength in them. They can no more make a man obey consistently, than they can move mountains. If any man truly repent, it must be in consequence, not of these, but of a settled conviction of his guilt, and a deliberate resolution to leave his sins and serve God. Conscience, and Reason in subjection to Conscience, these are those powerful instruments (under grace) which change a man. But you will observe, that though Conscience and Reason lead us to resolve on and to attempt a new life, they cannot at once make us love it. It is long practice and habit which make us love religion; and in the beginning, obedience, doubtless, is very grievous to habitual sinners. Here then is the use of those earnest, ardent feelings of which I just now spoke, and which attend on the first exercise of Conscience and Reason, - to take away from the beginnings of obedience its grievousness , to give us an impulse which may carry us over the first obstacles, and send us on our way rejoicing. Not as if all this excitement of mind were to last (which cannot be), but it will do its office in thus setting us off; and then will leave us to the more sober and higher comfort resulting from that real love for religion, which obedience itself will have by that time begun to form in us, and will gradually go on to perfect. Now it is well to understand this fully, for it is often mistaken. When sinners at length are led to think seriously, strong feelings generally precede or attend their reflections about themselves. Some book they have read, some conversation of a friend, some remarks they have heard made in church, or some occurrence or misfortune, rouses them. Or, on the other hand, if in any more calm and deliberate manner they have commenced their self-examination, yet in a little time the very view of their manifold sins, of their guilt, and of their heinous ingratitude to their God and Saviour, breaking upon them, and being new to them, strikes, and astonishes, and then agitates them. Here, then, let them know the intention of all this excitement of mind in the order of Divine providence. It will not continue; it arises from the novelty of the view presented to them. As they become accustomed to religious contemplations, it will wear away. It is not religion itself, though it is accidentally connected with it, and may be made a means of leading them into a sound religious course of life. It is graciously intended to be a set-off in their case against the first distastefulness and pain of doing their duty; it must be used as such, or it will be of no use at all, or worse than useless. My brethren, bear this in mind (and I may say this generally, - not confining myself to the excitement which attends repentance, - of all that natural emotion prompting us to do good, which we involuntarily feel on various occasions), it is given you in order that you may find it easy to obey at starting. Therefore obey promptly ; make use of it whilst it lasts; it waits for no man. Do you feel natural pity towards some case which reasonably demands your charity? or the impulse of generosity in a case where you are called to act a manly self-denying part? Whatever the emotion may be, whether these or any other, do not imagine you will always feel it. Whether you avail yourselves of it or not, still any how you will feel it less and less, and, as life goes on, at last you will not feel such sudden vehement excitement at all. But this is the difference between seizing or letting slip these opportunities; - if you avail yourselves of them for acting, and yield to the impulse so far as conscience tells you to do, you have made a leap (so to say) across a gulf, to which your ordinary strength is not equal; you will have secured the beginning of obedience, and the further steps in the course are (generally speaking) far easier than those which first determine its direction. And so, to return to the case of those who feel any accidental remorse for their sins violently exerting itself in their hearts, I say to them, Do not loiter; go home to your friends, and repent in deeds of righteousness and love; hasten to commit yourselves to certain definite acts of obedience. Doing is at a far greater distance from intending to do than you at first sight imagine. Join them together while you can; you will be depositing your good feelings into your heart itself by thus making them influence your conduct; and they will "spring up into fruit." This was the conduct of the conscience-stricken Corinthians, as described by St. Paul; who rejoiced "not that they were made sorry (not that their feelings merely were moved), but that they sorrowed to change of mind ... For godly sorrow (he continues) worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of; but the sorrow of the world worketh death." [2 Cor. vii. 9, 10.] But now let us ask, how do men usually conduct themselves in matter of fact, when under visitings of conscience for their past sinful lives? They are far from thus acting. They look upon the turbid zeal and feverish devotion which attend their repentance, not as in part the corrupt offspring of their own previously corrupt state of mind, and partly a gracious natural provision, only temporary, to encourage them to set about their reformation, but as the substance and real excellence of religion. They think that to be thus agitated is to be religious; they indulge themselves in these warm feelings for their own sake, resting in them as if they were then engaged in a religious exercise, and boasting of them as if they were an evidence of their own exalted spiritual state; not using them (the one only thing they ought to do), using them as an incitement to deeds of love, mercy, truth, meekness, holiness. After they have indulged this luxury of feeling for some time, the excitement of course ceases; they do not feel as they did before. This (I have said) might have been anticipated, but they do not understand it so. See then their unsatisfactory state. They have lost an opportunity of overcoming the first difficulties of active obedience, and so of fixing their conduct and character, which may never occur again. This is one great misfortune; but more than this, what a perplexity they have involved themselves in! Their warmth of feeling is gradually dying away. Now they think that in it true religion consists; therefore they believe that they are losing their faith, and falling into sin again. And this, alas! is too often the case; they do fall away, for they have no root in themselves. Having neglected to turn their feelings into principles by acting upon them, they have no inward strength to overcome the temptation to live as the world, which continually assails them. Their minds have been acted upon as water by the wind, which raises waves for a time, then ceasing, leaves the water to subside into its former stagnant state. The precious opportunity of improvement has been lost; "and the latter end is worse with them than the beginning." [2 Pet. ii. 20.] But let us suppose, that when they first detect this declension (as they consider it), they are alarmed, and look around for a means of recovering themselves. What do they do? Do they at once begin those practices of lowly obedience which alone can prove them to be Christ's at the last day? such as the government of their tempers, the regulation of their time, self-denying charity, truth-telling sobriety. Far from it; they despise this plain obedience to God as a mere unenlightened morality, as they call it, and they seek for potent stimulants to sustain their minds in that state of excitement which they have been taught to consider the essence of a religious life, and which they cannot produce by the means which before excited them. They have recourse to new doctrines, or follow strange teachers, in order that they may dream on in this their artificial devotion, and may avoid that conviction which is likely sooner or later to burst upon them, that emotion and passion are in our power indeed to repress, but not to excite ; that there is a limit to the tumults and swellings of the heart, foster them as we will; and, when that time comes, the poor, mis-used soul is left exhausted and resourceless. Instances are not rare in the world of that fearful, ultimate state of hard-heartedness which then succeeds; when the miserable sinner believes indeed as the devils may, yet not even with the devils' trembling, but sins on without fear. Others, again, there are, who, when their feelings fall off in strength and fervency, are led to despond; and so are brought down to fear and bondage, when they might have been rejoicing in cheerful obedience. These are the better sort, who, having something of true religious principle in their hearts, still are misled in part, - so far, that is, as to rest in their feelings as tests of holiness; therefore they are distressed and alarmed at their own tranquillity, which they think a bad sign, and, being dispirited, lose time, others outstripping them in the race. And others might be mentioned who are led by this same first eagerness and zeal into a different error. The restored sufferer in the text wished to be with Christ. Now it is plain, all those who indulge themselves in the false devotion I have been describing, may be said to be desirous of thus keeping themselves in Christ's immediate sight, instead of returning to their own home, as He would have them, that is, to the common duties of life: and they do this, some from weakness of faith, as if He could not bless them, and keep them in the way of grace, though they pursued their worldly callings; others from an ill-directed love of Him. But there are others, I say, who, when they are awakened to a sense of religion, forthwith despise their former condition altogether, as beneath them; and think that they are now called to some high and singular office in the Church. These mistake their duty as those already described neglect it; they do not waste their time in mere good thoughts and good words, as the others, but they are impetuously led on to wrong acts , and that from the influence of those same strong emotions which they have not learned to use aright or direct to their proper end. But to speak of these now at any length would be beside my subject. To conclude; - let me repeat and urge upon you, my brethren, the lesson which I have deduced from the narrative of which the text forms part. Your Saviour calls you from infancy to serve Him, and has arranged all things well, so that His service shall be perfect freedom. Blessed above all men are they who heard His call then, and served Him day by day, as their strength to obey increased. But further, are you conscious that you have more or less neglected this gracious opportunity, and suffered yourselves to be tormented by Satan? See, He calls you a second time; He calls you by your roused affections once and again, ere He leave you finally. He brings you back for the time (as it were) to a second youth by the urgent persuasions of excited fear, gratitude, love, and hope. He again places you for an instant in that early, unformed state of nature when habit and character were not. He takes you out of yourselves, robbing sin for a season of its in-dwelling hold upon you. Let not those visitings pass away "as the morning cloud and the early dew." [Hosea vi. 4.] Surely, you must still have occasional compunctions of conscience for your neglect of Him. Your sin stares you in the face; your ingratitude to God affects you. Follow on to know the Lord, and to secure His favour by acting upon these impulses; by them He pleads with you, as well as by your conscience; they are the instruments of His spirit, stirring you up to seek your true peace. Nor be surprised, though you obey them, that they die away; they have done their office, and if they die, it is but as blossom changes into the fruit, which is far better. They must die. Perhaps you will have to labour in darkness afterwards, out of your Saviour's sight, in the home of your own thoughts, surrounded by sights of this world, and showing forth His praise among those who are cold-hearted. Still be quite sure that resolute, consistent obedience, though unattended with high transport and warm emotion, is far more acceptable to Him than all those passionate longings to live in His sight, which look more like religion to the uninstructed. At the very best these latter are but the graceful beginnings of obedience, graceful and becoming in children, but in grown spiritual men indecorous, as the sports of boyhood would seem in advanced years. Learn to live by faith, which is a calm, deliberate, rational principle, full of peace and comfort, and sees Christ, and rejoices in Him, though sent away from His presence to labour in the world. You will have your reward. He will "see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you."