RELIGION PLEASANT TO TIIE RELIGIOUS.
ou see by these words what love Almighty God has towards us, and what claires He has upon out love. He is the Most High, and All-Holy. He inhabiteth eternity: we are but worms compared with Itim. He would hot be less happy though He had never created us; He would not be less ha.ppy though we were all blotted out again from creation. But He is the God of love; He brought us all into existence, because He found satisfaction in surrounding Himself with happy creatures: He ruade us innocent, holy, upright, and happy. And when Adam fell into sin and his descendants after him, then ever since He has heen imploring" us to return fo Him, the Source of all good, by truc iepentancei "Tuçn ye, turn ye," He says, "why will ye die? As I lire I have no pleasule in the death of the wicked." "What could bave been done more to My
]«liïion lcasant to 1/e Jc[«ious. 93 vineyard ha I have hot d.»ne fo i'?» And in he tex He condescends o invite us fo Him: "0 faste and sec how 8"racious the ord is: b]essed is the man tha ruseh in Him." As if' He said, " you would nmke tria], one rial, if' you wou]d 1)u be persuaded to 6ste and ude çor yonrself, so exee]len is His graeionsness, ]m you wou]d never eease to desire, never eease fo approach Him:" accordin fo the sayin, o[' he wise nan, " They th ea Me sha]l ye be hung'ry, and they that drinl Me shall yet be thirsty: " This excellence and desirableness of God's gifts is a subject a.ain and azain set before us iii Holy Scripture. Thus the Prophet Isaiah speaks of the "feast of fat thinss, a feast of wines on the lees; of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees wcll rcfined." And aain, under images of another kind: "He hath sent Aie... to give.... beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they may be called Trces of Rigqlteousness." Or again, the Prophet tIosea: "I will be as the dew unto Israel: lin shMl grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive-tree, and his smell as Lebanon. Tlmy that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thcreof shall be as the wine of Leba- Ezek. xxxiii. 11. Isa. v. 4, a Ecclus. xxiv. 21. s Isa. xxv. 6. Isa. lxi. 1—3. [VIII O x 94- tcliion iblcasant lo l[ze tcli£ious. non 1.,, And the Psahnis: " 0 t.ha fy people would bave hearkened unto Me.... the haers of the Lord should bave been round liars, bu their time should have endured for ever. IIe slould have fed them also with flae fines whea flour, and with honey ou of the stony rock should I have saisfied thee ." You sec ail images of wha is pleasan and swee in nature are broug'h ogefl,er fo describe the plensantness and sweetness of /.lle gifts which God gives us in gïaee. As fine cnlivens, and bread strcnoEhcns, and oil is rich, and honcy is sxveet, and flowers are fragrant, and dev is refreshiug, and foliige is beautiful; so, and much more, are God's giçfs i the Gospel enlivenin., and sfrenghening, and rich, and sweet, and ffagrant and refreshing and excellent. And as if is natural o feel satisfaction and comfort in t.hese gifts of the visible world, so it is but natural and necessary o be delighfed and fransported with the gifts of the world inisible; and as the visible gif are objects of desire and search so mueh more is if, I do hot merely say a duty, btt a prixlege and blessedness fo "faste and sec how gracious the Lord is." Oflier passages in fle Psahns speak of this blessedness, besides the t.ext. "Thou hast put gladness in my hea«%'" says the Psalmist "sinee the rime fhat fheir corn and wine and oil increased*." " The lot is fallen t Hos, xiv. 5—7. Ps. lxxxi. 13—16. a Ps. iv. 7.
]ck'«t'ou blcasant go lhe Rc[igious. 195 unto me in a fidr ground, Se, lmve u goodly heri- ge a." kain, "The siatutes of the ord are rig-ht, aud rejoiee the hearL... more fo be desired ure they than old, yea, than much fine gold, sweeter also than houer aud the houeycomb." " My hear trustcd in Him, and I ara helped; Lhcrcore my heart danccth for joy, and in my song wiil I pmise Iiim ." Once morc: "Blesscd is thc man whom Thou chooses aud rcccivest unto Thee: he shall dwell i Thy courts, aud shall be satisficd with thc pleasures of Thy housc, cvcn of Thy holy templc ." I wish it werc possible, my brcthren, to lcad mcn to greater holiness and more fidthfld obedienee by setting before them the hig'h and abmdaat joys which they have who servc God: "In tIis presencc is flflncss of joy," "the well of lifc;" and they are satisfied with "the plenteousness of lIis housc," and "¢h'ink of IIis plcasures a.s out of a river;" but this is, I know, just whtt most persons will hot believe. They think that i is ve T right and proper to be religious they think that i would be better tbr themselves in thc world fo corne if they were religious now. They do hot a a]l dcny either the duty or hc expedience of lcading a new and holy lire; bu they canno6 understand how i caa be pleasant: they canno believe or admi6 that it is more leasant than a lire of liberty, laxity, and enjoymen Ps. xvi. 6. ee Ps. xix. 10. Ps. xxviii. 7. Ps. lxv. 4. o
They, as it were, say, "" Keep within bounds, speak within probibility, and we will believe you; but do hot shock out reason. We will adroit that we ort.¢tt to be religions, and that., when we corne fo die, we shall be very glad to have led religious lires: but to tell us that it is a flleasatl thing" fo be religious, fhis is foo much: if is hOt truc; we feel that if. is hot truc; all the world knows and feels if is hot truc; re|ig, ion is something unpleasanf, gloomy, sad, and troublcsomc. If imposes a number of restraints on us; if keeps us from doing what we would; if will ot let us bave our own way; it abridges out liberty; if interferes with our enjoyments; if bas fewer, far fewer, joys af present than a worldly lire, thoug'h if gains for us more joys hcreafter." This is what men sa)-, or would say, if they understood whaf they feel, and spoke fheir minds freely. Alas! I cam, ot deny that fhis is truc in the case of most men. Most men do not like the service of God, thoug-h if. be perfect freedom; they like fo follow their own ways, and they are only relig'ious so far as fheir conscience obliges them; thcy are like ]3alaam, desirous of "the dcath of the righteous," hot of his lire. Indeed, this is the very fhing I ara lamenting- and deplorin I lainent, my brethren, that so many men, nay, I may say, that so many of you, do tot like religions service. I do hot deny if; but I lainent if.. I do hOt denyit.: far from it. I know quite well how many there are who do hot like eoming" fo Church, and xvho make excuses for keeping" away af rimes when they nig'hL corne. I knov lmw many there are who do not eome fo the 3IosL Holy Saerament. I know thaL there are numbers who do noI say Lheir prayers in private morning and evenin. I know how many there are who are ashamed fo be thoug4L.religious, who take God's naine in vain, and live like the world. Alas! this is the very thing I lamenL,—tha God's service is noL pleasanL fo you. is noL pleasant to Lhose who do hot like iL: truc; buL iL i« pleasan to those who do. Observe, this is whaL I sa;}'; noI tha iL is pleasanL fo those who like ig hot, buI thag ig is pleasang fo those who like it. Nay, whaL I say is, thaL iL is mneh »ore pleasant fo those who like if, than any thing" of this world is pleasanL fo those who do noL like it. This is the poinL. I do noL say thaL iL is pleasan to mosL men; buL I sa3r that iL is in itself tle mosI pleasanL thin in the world. Nothing" is so pleasanI as God's service fo those lo co»t i is pleasanL. The pleasures of sin are noL fo be eompared in fulness and intensity fo the pleasures of holy living. The pleasures of holiness are fitr more pleasant fo the l:oly, than the pleasnres of sin fo the sinner. O tha I eou!d gel you fo believe this! O thaL you had a hearL to feel i and know it! O thaL vou had a hearL to faste God's pleasures and to make proof of them; Lo Laste and sec how g'raeious the Lord is! None e:m know, however, the joys of being holy and pure bu the holy. If ail Anal were fo corne down from heaven, even he could not explain flem fo you nor couhl he in turn undersmd what the plcasures of sin are. o you flfink tha 11 An'el could be ronde fo understand wha¢ aa-e fhe 1)leasures of sin? I frow hOt. You mig'ht as well attempt fo persuade him that there was pleasure in feastin on dust and ashes. There are brute anilnals who wallow in the mire and ea eorrupflou. This seelns straue fo IlS: much straner fo an Aug'el is it hoxv:my one eau take pleasure in any thing so filthy, so od[ous, so loathsome as sin. Mally meu, as I have been snying', wonder wha possible pleasure there ean be in any thin so melaneho]y as rcligion. VelI: be sure of this,it is »ore wonderfld fo ail.kllg'el, what possible pleaSUl'e there ean be in sinnillg. It is more wonderful, I say. IIe would turn awav with horror and disgust, both beeause sin is so base a thin,d in itself, and l,eeause if is so hatefld in God's sig'ht. et no persons then be snrprised that relig'ious obedience should really be so pleasaut in itself when it seems fo them so distastefid. et them hot be surprised that «cat the pleasure is eannot be explnined fo?em. If is a secret till they try fo be religious. Men knnw what sin is, l,y expel'ienee. Thev do nog know 'hat holiness is; and they emmo ohtain the knowledg.e of ifs seeret pleasure, till they join themselves trulv and heartily fo Christ, aud devote themselves fo His servieë,till they "faste," aud thereby try. ïhis pleasure is as hidden ff'oto them, as the pleasures of sin are
/'c/ççan [casast lo tc Ickious. 99 hidden ffoln the Anels. The Ang'els haro noyer eaten the forbidden ff'uit, ad their eyes are hot open fo know good and evil. And we ]m,e eaten the forbidden fruit, —af least Adaln did, and we are his deseendants,—and out eyes are open fo know evil. And, alas! on flle other hand, they have beeome blinded fo good; they require opening" fo see, fo know, fo understand good. And till out eyes are opened spiritually, we s]all ever think relig'ion distastefifl and unplcasant, and sh:dl wonder how any one tan like if. Sueh is out miserable state,we are blind fo the highest and truest glories, and dead fo the nosf livelv and wonderful of all pleasures;—and no one tan deseribe thom fo us. None ofher than God fhe Holy Spirit can l,.clp us it this natter, by eulightening md ehang'ing" our hearts. So if is; and yef I will sa.y one thing', l,y way of sug'gesting fo you l'.ow greaf and piereing" the joys of" religion are. Think of" this. Is there any one who does nof know how very painful the feeling of" a bad conscience is? Do hot you reeolleet, my ]3rethren, some lime or ofher, having done somethin, you knew fo be wrong? and do you lOf remember afferwards whaf a piereingbiffer feeling came on you? Is hot the fceling of" a Lad conscience diflbrenf ff'oto any other fecling, and more distressing, than any other, till we have aecustolned ourselves fo if? Persons do accustom themselves and lose this feeling; but till we blunf out eoscience, if is very 1)ainful. And why? If is the fceling" of God's
oo Rcli£ion çl«asanL o he Rclii«us. displcasure, and Iherctbre it is so painfid. Consider 6hen: if God's displeasure is so distrcssing o us, naus6 hot God's approval and favour be jus the reverse; like lire flore the dead, mos exeeedingly joyfid and transporting.9 And this is wha i is fo be holy and rcligious. It is fo have God's favour. And, as if is a reat misery fo be undcr G od's xvrath, so if is reat and wonderful joy o be in God's favour; a.ud those who knoxv what miscl3 the former is, may fimey, thoug-h they do not know, how high. blcssing the latter is. From wha6 you know, then, judge of what you do hot know. From the miserics of guilt, which, al:,s! you have experienced» conjecture the blessedncss of holiness and purity whieh you have hot expcrienccd. Fronl the pain of a bad conscience, believe in the unspeakable joy and gladness of a good conscience. I bave becn addressing those who do hot knov what religious peace and Divine 1,1easures are; but there are those present, I hope, who in a mcasure are not strange to thcm. I know that none of us gain all the pleasure from God's service whieh it might afford us; still some of us, I llope, gain solne pleasure. I hope there are some of those who hear nie, who take. pleasure in eonling fo Church, in saying their prayers, in thinking of God, ilx singing Psalms, in blessing IIiln for the mercics of the Gospel, and in celebrating Christ's death and resurrection, as at tllis season of the year . These Easter.
lcligioz p[casalzl lo l/c ]c@io¢ts.:c> persons have "tasled" and trie& I trus they find the faste so heavenly, tha le will no need any proof tha reli'ion is a pleasnn thing; nay, more lleasan than any thing else, worth the tbllowing" above all other things, and unpleasan only to those who are no reliious. Le sueh persons then hink of this, tha if a religions lire is pleasan here, in spire of the old Adam interrnpting the pleasure and detiling" them, wha a glorious day it. will be, if ig is g'nmted t» us hereafter fo enter into the Kingdom of lleaven! None of us, even the holiest, ean guess ov happy we shall be; fi)r St. John says, « We know no wha we shall be I;" md S. Pml, "Xow we see in a glass darkly, bu tl:en face to fiee." l'e in proportion fo out present holiness and virtue, we have some fain ideas ot" wha will then be out blessedness. And in Seripture various deseriptions of heaven are given us, in order to arrest, encourage, and humble us. We are told tha the Angels of God are very bright, and elad in white robes. 'he Saints and Martyrs too are elad in white robes, with pahns in their hands; and they sing praises unto Him tha sitteth upon the Throne, and to the Lalnb. Vhen our Lord was transfigured, He showed us what IIeaven is. ltis raiment beeame white as SHOW, whitc md glistening. Again, at one rime IIe appcared fo St. John, and then, " Ilis head and His hairs were white like wod, as white as SHOW; 1 Joln iii. 2.
and IIis eyes were as flame of tire; and His fee like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a firnaee; and His countenance was as the sun shineth iu his strength." And wha Chris is, sueh do His 8tiuts beeome hereafler. Here below they are elad in a garmen of sinful flesh; bu when the ed cornes, and thev fise fl'om the grave, they shall inherit gh»ry, and shall be ever young anti ever shining. In that day, all mon will sec and be eonvineed, even bad mcn, tha God's servauts are really happy, and onl 3" thcy. In that day, even lost souls, thoug'h thcy will hot be ablc to uudcrstand the blesscdlleSs of rclig'ion, will have no doubt af all of what they now doubt, or 1,retcnd fo doubt, that rclig'ion is blessed. Thcy laug'h af religion, think strictness to be narrowness of mind, and regularity fo bc dulness; and give bad names fo religious men. Thev will hot be able to do so then. They think themsclves the g'reat men of the carth now, aud look down upon the rcligious; but thon, who would hot bave bcen a rcligious mau, fo have so great a. reward? who will then bave any heart to speak against religion, cven thou'h ho has hot "a heart to fear God and kcep all His commandmcnts always?" In that day, they will look upon the righteous man, and "be amazcd af the strang'cncss of his salvation, so far beyond all that thcy looked fir. And thcy, repenting and groaning for anguish of spirit, shall say within thcmselves, This was he, whom wc had somctimes in Rcv. i. 1-t—16.
derision, and a proverb of reproaeh. We fools aeeounted his lire mndness, and his end tobe without honour; how is he numbered mnong the ehildren of God, and his is among lhc saints 1 'rhink of all this, my Brethren, and rouse yourselves, and run forward with a good courage on your wav towards heaven. Be no wea.ry in well-doing, due season we shall reap, il" we t'ain hot. Strive fo enter in at the strait gare. Strlve fo get holier and holier every da)', that you may be worthy fo stand belote the Son of Man. Pl'aV God fo teaeh 3-ou IIis will, and fo lead you forth in the right way, 1)eemse of your enemies. Snbmi yourselves fo Itis guidanee, and you will have eomfort given you, aceording fo your da3; and peaee at the last.