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 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 five porches. In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water." John v. 2, 3.

W HAT a scene of misery this pool of Bethesda must have presented! of pain and sickness triumphing unto death! the "blind, halt, withered, and impotent," persuaded by the hope of cure to disclose their sufferings in the eye of day in one large company. This pool was endued, at certain times, with a wonderful virtue by the descent of an Angel into it, so that its waters effected the cure of the first who stepped into it, whatever was his disease. However, I shall not speak of this wonderful pool; nor of our Saviour's miracle, wrought there upon the man who had no one to put him in before the rest, when the water was troubled, and who had been for thirty-eight years afflicted with his infirmity. Without entering into these subjects, let us take the text as it stands in the opening of the chapter which contains it, and deduce a lesson from it. There lay about the pool "a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, and withered." This is a painful picture, such as we do not like to dwell upon, - a picture of a chief kind of human suffering, bodily disease; one which suggests to us and typifies all other suffering, - the most obvious fulfilment of that curse which Adam's fall brought upon his descendants. Now it must strike every one who thinks at all about it, that the Bible is full of such descriptions of human misery. We know it also abounds in accounts of human sin; but not to speak of these, it abounds in accounts of human distress and sufferings, of our miserable condition, of the vanity, unprofitableness, and trials of life. The Bible begins with the history of the curse pronounced on the earth and man; it ends with the book of Revelation, a portion of Scripture fearful for its threats, and its prediction of judgments; and whether the original curse on Adam be now removed from the world or not, it is certain that God's awful curses, foretold by St. John, are on all sides of us. Surely, in spite of the peculiar promises made to the Church in Christ our Saviour, yet as regards the world, the volume of inspiration is still a dreary record, "written within and without with lamentations, and mourning, and woe." And further, you will observe that it seems to drop what might be said in favour of this life, and enlarges on the unpleasant side of it. The history passes quickly from the Garden of Eden, to dwell on the sufferings which followed, when our first parents were expelled thence; and though, in matter of fact, there are traces of paradise still left among us, yet it is evident, Scripture says little of them in comparison of its accounts of human misery. Little does it say concerning the innocent pleasures of life; of those temporal blessings which rest upon our worldly occupations, and make them easy; of the blessings which we derive from "the sun and moon, and the everlasting hills," from the succession of the seasons and the produce of the earth; - little about our recreations and our daily domestic comforts; - little about the ordinary occasions of festivity and mirth which occur in life, and nothing at all about those various other enjoyments which it would be going too much into detail to mention. Human tales and poems are full of pleasant sights and prospects; they make things better than they are, and pourtray a sort of imaginary perfection; but Scripture (I repeat) seems to abstain even from what might be said in praise of human life as it is. We read, indeed, of the feast made when Isaac was weaned, of Jacob's marriage, of the domestic and religious festivities of Job's family; but these are exceptions in the tenor of the Scripture history. "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity;" "man is born to trouble:" these are its customary lessons. The text is but a specimen of the descriptions repeated again and again throughout Scripture of human infirmity and misery. So much is this the case, that thoughtless persons are averse to the Scripture narrative for this very reason. I do not mean bad men, who speak hard, presumptuous words against the Bible, and in consequence expose themselves to the wrath of God; but I speak of thoughtless persons; and of these there are many, who consider the Bible a gloomy book, and on that account seldom look into it, saying that it makes them melancholy. Accordingly, there have been attempts made on the other hand to hide this austere character of Scripture, and make it a bright interesting picture of human life. Its stories have before now been profanely embellished in human language, to suit the taste of weak and cowardly minds. All this shows, that in the common opinion of mankind, the Bible does not take a pleasant sunshine view of the world. Now why have I thus spoken of this general character of the sacred history? - in order to countenance those who complain of it? - let it not be imagined; - far from it. God does nothing without some wise and good reason, which it becomes us devoutly to accept and use. He has not given us this dark view of the world without a cause. In truth, this view is the ultimate true view of human life. But this is not all; it is a view which it concerns us much to know. It concerns us (I say) much to be told that this world is, after all, in spite of first appearances and partial exceptions, a dark world; else we shall be obliged to learn it (and, sooner or later, we must learn it) by sad experience ; whereas, if we are forewarned, we shall unlearn false notions of its excellence, and be saved the disappointment which follows them. And therefore it is that Scripture omits even what might be said in praise of this world's pleasures; - not denying their value, such as it is, or forbidding us to use them religiously, but knowing that we are sure to find them out for ourselves without being told of them, and that our danger is on the side, not of undervaluing, but of overvaluing them; whereas, by being told of the world's vanity, at first , we shall learn (what else we should only attain at last ), not indeed to be gloomy and discontented, but to bear a sober and calm heart under a smiling cheerful countenance. This is one chief reason of the solemn character of the Scripture history; and if we keep it in view, so far from being offended and frightened away by its notes of sorrow, because they grate on the ear at first, we shall stedfastly listen to them, and get them by heart, as a gracious gift from God sent to us, as a remedy for all dangerous overflowing joy in present blessings, in order to save us far greater pain (if we use the lesson well), the pain of actual disappointment, such as the overthrow of vainly cherished hopes of lasting good upon earth, will certainly occasion. Do but consider what is the consequence of ignorance or distrust of God's warning voice, and you will see clearly how merciful He is, and how wise it is to listen to Him. I will not suppose a case of gross sin, or of open contempt for religion; but let a man have a general becoming reverence for the law and Church of God, and an unhesitating faith in his Saviour Christ, yet suppose him so to be taken with the goods of this world, as (without his being aware of it) to give his heart to them. Let him have many good feelings and dispositions; but let him love his earthly pursuits, amusements, friends, too well; - by which I mean, so well as to forget that he is bound to live in the spirit of Abraham's faith, who gave up home, kindred, possessions, all his eye ever loved, at God's word, - in the spirit of St. Paul's faith, who "counted all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus his Lord," and to win His favour "suffered the loss of all things." How will the world go with a man thus forgetful of his true interests? For a while all will be enjoyment; - if at any time weariness comes, he will be able to change his pleasure, and the variety will relieve him. His health is good and his spirits high, and easily master and bear down all the accidental troubles of life. So far is well; but, as years roll on, by little and little he will discover that, after all, he is not, as he imagined, possessed of any real substantial good. He will begin to find, and be startled at finding, that the things which once pleased, please less and less, or not at all. He will be unable to recall those lively emotions in which he once indulged; and he will wonder why. Thus, by degrees, the delightful visions which surrounded him will fade away, and in their stead, melancholy forms will haunt him, such as crowded round the pool of Bethesda. Then will be fulfilled the words of the wise man. The days will have come, "when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them; the sun and the light and the moon and the stars shall be darkened, and the clouds return after the rain; then they who look out of the window shall be darkened, the doors shall be shut in the streets, all the daughters of music shall be brought low, fears shall be in the way, and desire shall fail." [Eccles. xii. 1-5.] Then a man will begin to be restless and discontented, for he does not know how to amuse himself. Before, he was cheerful only from the natural flow of his spirits, and when such cheerfulness is lost with increasing years, he becomes evil-natured. He has made no effort to change his heart, - to raise, strengthen, and purify his faith, - to subdue his bad passions and tempers. Now their day is come; they have sprung up and begin to domineer. When he was in health, he thought about his farm, or his merchandize, and lived to himself; he laid out his strength on the world, and the world is nothing to him, as a worthless bargain (so to say), seeing it is nothing worth to one who cannot take pleasure in it. He had no habitual thought of God in the former time, however he might have a general reverence for His name; and now he dreads Him, or (if the truth must be said) even begins to hate the thought of Him. Where shall he look for succour? Perhaps, moreover, he is a burden to those around him; they care not for him, - he is in their way. And so he will lie year after year, by the pool of Bethesda, by the waters of health, with no one helping him; - unable to advance himself towards a cure, in consequence of his long habits of sin, and others passing him by, perhaps unable to help one who obstinately refuses to be comforted. Thus he has at length full personal, painful experience, that this world is really vanity or worse, and all this because he would not believe it from Scripture. Now should the above description appear overcharged, should it be said that it supposes a man to be possessed of more of the pleasures of life than most men have, and of keener feelings, - should it be said that most men have little to enjoy, and that most of those who have much go on in an ordinary tranquil way, and take and lose things without much thought, not pleased much in their vigorous days, and not caring much about the change when the world deserts them, - then I must proceed to a more solemn consideration still, on which I do not like to dwell, but would rather leave it for your own private reflection upon it. There is a story in the Gospels of a man who was taken out of this life before he had turned his thoughts heaven-ward, and in another world he lift up his eyes being in torments. Be quite sure that every one of us, even the poorest and the most dull and insensible, is far more attached to this world than he can possibly imagine. We get used to the things about us, and forget they are necessary for our comfort. Every one, when taken out of this world, would miss a great deal that he was used to depend on, and would in consequence be in great discomfort and sorrow in his new abode, as a stranger in an unknown place; every one, that is, who had not, while on earth, made God his Father and Protector, - that Great God who alone will there be found. We do not, then, mend the matter at all in supposing a man not to find out the world's vanity here; for, even should the world remain his faithful friend, and please him with its goods, to his dying day, still that world will be burnt up at the day of his resurrection; and even had he little of its comforts here, that little he will then miss. Then all men, small and great, will know it to be vanity, and feel their infinite loss if they have trusted it, when all the dead stand before God. Let this suffice on the use we must make of the solemn view which the Scripture takes of this life. Those disclosures are intended to save us pain, by preventing us from enjoying the world unreservedly; that we may use not abusing it. Nor let it seem as if this view of life must make a man melancholy and gloomy. There are, it is true, men of ill-constituted minds, whom it has driven out of the world; but, rightly understood, it has no such tendency. The great rule of our conduct is to take things as they come. He who goes out of his way as shrinking from the varieties of human life which meet him, has weak faith, or a strangely perverted conscience, - he wants elevation of mind. The true Christian rejoices in those earthly things which give joy, but in such a way as not to care for them when they go. For no blessings does he care much, except those which are immortal, knowing that he shall receive all such again in the world to come. But the least and the most fleeting, he is too religious to contemn, considering them God's gift; and the least and most fleeting, thus received, yield a purer and deeper, though a less tumultuous joy. And if he at times refrains, it is lest he should encroach upon God's bounty, or lest by a constant use of it he should forget how to do without it. Our Saviour gives us a pattern which we are bound to follow. He was a far greater than John the Baptist, yet He came, not with St. John's outward austerity, - condemning the display of strictness or gloominess, that we, His followers, might fast the more in private, and be the more austere in our secret hearts. True it is, that such self-command, composure, and inward faith, are not learned in a day; but if they were, why should this life be given us? It is given us as a very preparation time for obtaining them. Only look upon the world in this light; - its sights of sorrows are to calm you, and its pleasant sights to try you. There is a bravery in thus going straightforward, shrinking from no duty little or great, passing from high to low, from pleasure to pain, and making your principles strong without their becoming formal. Learn to be as the Angel, who could descend among the miseries of Bethesda, without losing his heavenly purity or his perfect happiness. Gain healing from troubled waters. Make up your mind to the prospect of sustaining a certain measure of pain and trouble in your passage through life; by the blessing of God this will prepare you for it, - it will make you thoughtful and resigned without interfering with your cheerfulness. It will connect you in your own thoughts with the Saints of Scripture, whose lot it was to be patterns of patient endurance; and this association brings to the mind a peculiar consolation. View yourselves and all Christians as humbly following the steps of Jacob, whose days were few and evil; of David, who in his best estate was as a shadow that declineth, and was withered like grass; of Elijah, who despised soft raiment and sumptuous fare; of forlorn Daniel, who led an Angel's life; and be lighthearted and contented, because you are thus called to be a member of Christ's pilgrim Church. Realize the paradox of making merry and rejoicing in the world because it is not your's. And if you are hard to be affected (as many men are), and think too little about the changes of life, going on in a dull way without hope or fear, feeling neither your need nor the excellence of religion; then, again, meditate on the mournful histories recorded in Scripture, in order that your hearts may be opened thereby and roused. Read the Gospels in particular; you there find accounts of sick and afflicted persons in every page as mementos. Above all, you there read of Christ's sufferings, which I am not now called upon to speak of; but the thought of which is far more than enough to make the world, bright as it may be, look dark and miserable in itself to all true believers, even if the record of them were the only sorrowful part of the whole Bible.And now I conclude, bidding you think much of the Scripture history in the light in which I have put it, - that you may not hereafter find that you have missed one great benefit which it was graciously intended to convey.