Parochial and Plain Sermons

ID we flore our youth up follow the guidings of God's grace, we should, without reasoning and without severe trial, understand that heaven is an olject daiming our highest love and most persevering exertions. Such doubtless is the blessedness oï some persons: such in a degTee is perchance the blesse&mss of many. There are those who, like Samuel, dwell in the Temple of God holy and undefiled h'om infancy, and, after the instance of John the llaptist, are sanctified by the Holy Ghost, if hot as he, from their mother's womb, yet from their second birth in Hç,ly Baptism. And there are others who possess this great gift more or less, in whom the divine light has been preserved, even though it has been latent; hot quenched or overhorne by open sin, even though it bas hot been from the first duly prized and cherished. Many there are, one would hope, who keep their baptismal robes unstained, even though the wind and storm of this world, and the dust of sloth and carelessness for a while discolour them; till in due season they arouse them from their dreams, and, before it is too late, give their hearts fo God. Al] these, whether they have fol]owed Him from infalmy, or from childhood, or from boyhood, or from youth, or from «,pening manhood, have never been wedded to this world; they have ncver givcn their hearts fo if, or vowed,,bedience or done folly in things of rime and sense. And thcrefore they are able, from the very power of (lod's grace, as conveyed fo them through the ordinances of the Gospel, fo understand that the promise of heaven is the greatest, most l,lessed pramise which could be o lven. Others turn ff'mn God, and fall into courses of wi]ful sin, and they of course lose the divine light originally implanted; and if they are recovered are recovered by a severer discipline. They are recovered by finding disappointment and sufl'ering from that which they had hoped would bring them good; they learn fo love God and prize heaven, hot by baptismal grace, but by trial of tbe world; they seek the world, and they are driven by the world back again to Goal. The world is blessed to them, in (lod's good providence, as an instrument of His grace transmuted from evil to good, as if a second sacrament, doing over again what was done in infancy, and then undone. They are led to say, with St. Peter, " Lord, to whom shall we go?" for they have tried the world, and it fails them; they have trusted it, and it deceives them; they have leant upon it, and it pierces them through; they have sought it for indulgence, and it has scourged them for their penance. 0 blessed lot of those, whose wa.nderings though they wander, are thus overruled; that vhat they lose of the free gift of God, they regain by His compulsory relnedies! But ahnost all men, whether they are thereby moved to return to God or not, will on expcrience feel, and confess, and that in no long rime, that the world is not enough for their happiness; and they accordingly seek means to supply their need, though they do hOt go to religion for it. Though they will hOt accept God's remedy, yet they confess that a rcmedy is nceded, and have recourse to wlmt they think will prove such. Though they nmy hot love God and IIis holy heaven, yet they find they calmot take up with the world, or cast their lot with if vholly, much as they nmy vish it. This leads me to the subject which I propose to consider, as suggested by the text; riz. the need which nmnkind lies under of some shelter, refuge, rest, home or sanctuary froln the outward world, and the shelter or secret place which God has provided for them in Christ. By the vorld, I mean all that lneets a man in intercourse with his fellow men, whether in public or in private, all that is nev, strange, and without natural connexion with him. This outward world is af first sight most attractive and exciting fo the generality of men..The young commonly wish to enter into it as if if would fulfil all their wants and hopes. They wish fo enter into life, as itis called. Their hearts beat, as they anticipate the time when they shall, in one sense or other, be their own masters. Af home, or at school, they are under restraint, and tltus they corne to look forvard to the liberty of the wofld, and the independence of being in it, as a great good. According to their tank in life, they wish to glet into service, or thev., wish to «o into business, or they wish fo be principals in trade, or they wish fo enter into the world's anmsements and galeries, or thcy look forward with interest fo some profession or emlloyment which stirs their mnbition and l»romises distinction. And when their wish is gratified, for  rime ail things perhalS go as they wouhl have them. There is so much novclty, and so much interest in what takes place out of doors, that they final themsclves as if in a new state of existence, and in one way or other " rejoice in their youth." llappy they who are otherwise circumstanced; ibr there arc a nmnber after all who ma.y be said fo hve no youth; who ff'mn weak health, or from narrow circumstances, or from unkind superiors, or from fmily affliction, or ff'mn other causes, though in the world, bave scarcely been exposed at all to its seductions, or have seen in if any thing fo delight them, or to arrest their imagination or reason. God's providence has so ordered it for them, tht, whtever be their peeuliar trials and temltations, these de hot corne from the gaieties or the occupations of life. From the first they have only had experience of the world as a hard toaster, and owe if nothing. But whatever be our lot, whether to have had enjoyment from the world or hot, whether we have not had the tempta.tion of if, or hot felt it, or felt if and overeome it, or felt if and been overeome, all men, whether religious or not, find in no loug time that the world is insuf5eient tbr their hal»piness, and look elsewhere for repose. 8urely this is the case on all sides of us; the outward wofld is found hot to be enou:¢:h for man, and he for some refllge near him, more intim«tt.e, more secret, more pure, more cahn and stal,le. This is a main reason and a praiseworthy one, why a great mmfl,er of the better sort of men look forward fo marriage as the great object of Efe. They call if being settled, and so it is. The miud finds nothing fo satisfy if in the employlnents a.nd amusements of life, in ifs excitements, struggles, anxieties, eflbrts, aires, and victories. Supposing a man fo make money, fo get on in life, fo fise in society, to gain power, whether in a higher or h,wer sphere, this does not suce; he wants a home, he wants a centre which fo place his thoughts and aflçctions,  secret dweHing-place which may soothe him after the troubles of the world, and which may be his hidden stay and support wherever he goes, and dweH in his heart, though if be not named upon his tongue. The world may seduce, may terrify, may mislead, may enslave, but it cannot reHy inspire confidence and love. There is no rest for us, except in quietness, confidence, and afibction; and hence aH men, without taking religion into accourir, seek to make themselves a home, as the only need of their nature, or are mflmppy if they be without one. Thus they vitness against the wofld, even though tbey be children of tbe world; witness against if equally with the holiest and most self-denying, who bave by faith overcome if. Here then Christ finds us, wea W of that wofld in which we are obged to lire and act, whether as wilng or unwiing slaves to if. He finds us needing and seeking a hoirie, and making one, as we best ma.y, by means of the creature, sNce if is a we can do. The

I90 T/w Ç]zzt'c] world, in whieh our duties lie, is as waste as the wflderness, as rest,less and turbulent as the oeean, as inconstant as the wind and weat.her. It has no substance in it, but is like  shade or phant.om; when you pursue it, when you t.ry t.o gmsp it, it escapes from you, or itis malieious, and does you a misehief. We need something whieh le worhl eannoL give: this is wha we need, and this it is which t.he (iospel bas supl,lied. I say, t.ha out h,rd aesus Christ, affer dying for out sins 011 t.he Cross, and ascending on high, leff no the worhl as l[e fi,und i, bu let a 1,1essing behind Him. He lef ilt t.he world wha before was no in i,a seere home, fir faith and h»ve fo enjoy, wherever hey are found, in spire of the world around us. Do you k wha i is  file ehapt.er from whieh he t.ex is aken deseribes it. I speaks of " the foundation of file Apost.les and Prophets, Jesus Chrisg IIimself being the ehief eorner-st.one;" of" t.he Building fit.ly fralned" and " growing unto an IIoly Temple in he Lord;" of "a Habit.at.ion of ¢lod hrough t.he Spiri." This is le Chureh of God, whieh is out rue Hoirie of God's providing, tIis own heavenly eour, where He dwells with Saints and Angels, into which He int.roduces us by a new birth, and in which we forgeg file ouward world and is lnany roubles. The Jews had some sueh refuge fia flleir own material Temple, llough of course i was far inferior fo ha whieh Chrisg has provided. Thriee a year did a lle males from every quarter go up go Jerusalem to appear before God in i; and some holy persons were even aowed go dwe in ig. Sueh were the propheg Samuel a 1tome for lhe Lozc/y. 19 I in his youth, and Anna the prophetess in her old age; hot fo mention Priests and Levites, who were ever there by office. The Temple rose stately aud beautitkd npon Mourir Zion, invited Llae worshipper, admitted him, hid him from the outward world, with ail its miseries and offences, md brought him immediately into God's l'resente. No wonder, then, tlm David speaks wit.h such devout affection of if, and with sueh son-ow and longing when he is away. " O how amiable are Thy dwelliugs," he says, "Thou Lord of Hosts! 1Iy soul hath a desire and longing fo enter into the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh rejoiee in the living God..... Blessed are hey that dwell in Thy house; hey will be alway praising Thee..... One day in Thy courts is better than a thousaud. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than fo dwell in the tents of ungodliness." And again, " My soul is athirst for God, yea, even for the living God: when shall I eome fo appear before the presenee of God?" " O send out Thy ligtt. and Thy truth, that they may lead me, and bring me unt.o Thy hç, ly hill and fo Thy dwelliug; and that I may go unto the Ntar of God, even unto the God of my joy and gladness; and upon the lmrp will I give thanks unto Thee, O God, my God." And again, "Behold now, praise tlm Lord, all ye servants of the Lord: ye that by night stand in t.he house of the Lord, even in the courts of the house of out God. Lift up your hands in the sanetuary, and praise the Lord. '' Sueh was tlm Iewish Temple; but, besides other defieiencies, as being visible and material, if was confined  Ps. lxxxiv.; xlii.; xliii.; cxxxiv.

to one place. It could hOt be a home for the wlMe v«orhl, nay hot for one nation, but only %r a %w out of the multitude. But the Christian Temple is invisi!,le and spiritual, and hence admits of being eve W where. « The king&m of God," says out Lord, speaking of it, "cometh hot with observation; neither shall they say, Lo here, or Lo t.bcre; for bchold, the kingdom of God is within you." And again t, the Samaritan woman, "The h,ur cmeth, when ye slnfll neither in this mountain nr yet at,Ierusalem, worship the Father.... The honr eometh, and now is, when the t«'ue worshippers shM1 worship the Father in Spirit and in truth; for the Father seeket, h sueh to worship t[im. God is a Spirit; and t.hey that worship llim lnUSt worship llim in spirit and in truth. '' "In spirit and in truth;" for unless lIis Presenee were invisille, it eould hot be real. That which is seen is hot real; that whieh N material is dissoluble; that which is in time is temporary; that whieh is local is but partial. But the Chfistian Temple is wherever Christians are %und in Christ's Naine; it is as fully in eaeh place as if it were in no other; and we may enter it., and appear among its holy imnates, God's heavenly family, as reMly as the Jewish worshipper betook himself to the visible courts of the Temple. We sec nothing; but this I repea.t, is a condition necessary toit, s being every where. It wotdd hot be every where, if we saw it any where; we sec nothing; but we enjoy e-elT t,hilg. And thus is it set belote us in the Old Testament, whether in propheey or by oecasional ant.ieation. e Iafl¢e x5i. 20, 21. John iv.

Isaiah prophesies that « if shall eome fo pass, that the Mounain of he Lord's House sha be esablished in the top of he mouugains, and shM1 be exMed above he hills; and all halions shall flow ino ik" And i was shown by anticipation o aeob, md Elisha's servan; o Jaeob when he saw in his dremn "a ladder se upn he earh, and he op of i reached o heaven, and behold the Autels of çlod ascending and deseenng on i;" and o Elisha's servan when "he Lord opened he eyes of the young man..... and beht,ld the mountain was thll of horses and ehariots of tire round about Elisha. ''s These were anticipations of what was fo be eontinually, when Christ came and "opened the kingdom of heaven fo all believers;" and what that opening eonsisted in, St. Paul tells us. ' Ye are corne," he says, "unto Mourir Sion, and unto the City of the Living God, the heavenly Jertmalem, and to an innumerable eompany of Angels, fo the general assembly and ehureh of the first-born whieh are written in heaven, and fo God the Judge of all, and to the sph-its of just men ruade perfeet, and fo Jesus the Mecfiator of the New Covenant, and to the blood of sprinkHng." Such are he dweHers h holy home; Goal Himself; Christ; he assembly of the firs-born, such as the Aposles; Angels; and he spiris of he just. This being the case, no wonder he text acually speaks of the Church as heaven upon emoEh, sayNg tha God "hah quickened us ogeher with Christ,.... and hah raised us up ogeher, and ruade us si ogeflmr in heavenly places in Chr Jesus." a, hen, he visible Temple was o he Jews, such a Is. ri. 2. Gen. xxviii. 12. 2 Kings vi. 17. IV]

and much more is the kingdom of heaven fo us; itis really a refuge and hiding-place as theirs was, and shuts out the world. When men are distressed with anxiety, tare, and disa.ppointment, what do they  they take reflge in their families; fley surround themselves with the charit.ies of domestic life, and make ibr themselves an inner world, tiret their affections may hve something fo rest o11. Such was the giff which insl)ild men anticipated, and we enjoy in the Christian Church. "Hidc »c," thc Psalmist prays, " from the gathering together of the fl'oward, ad from the insurrection of wieked (h,ers." Again: "Keep me as the apple of an eye; Mdc me under the shadow of Thy wings; from the ungodly that trouble inc." Again; "Blessed is the man whom Thou choosest and receivest unto Thee; he shall dwell in Thy court, and shall be satisfied 'ith the pleasms of Thy House, even of Thy Holy Tenple: Thou shalt show s woderful things in Thy righteousness, O God of our salvation." And again; "One thing bave I desired of the Lord, which I 'ill require; even that I ma.y dwell in fle house of the Lord aH the days of lny lire, fo behold the fait beauty of the rd, and to visit His Temple: for in the rime of trouble He shall Mde me in His Tabernacle, yea, in the secret place of His dwelling shall He Mde me, and set me up upon a rock of stone." Again; "Thou art u place fo ]ide me in, Thou shalt preoerve me from trouble." Once lnore; "O how plentiful is Thy goodness, which Thou hast laid up for them that fear Thee.... Thou shalt bide them privfly by hine own Tresen from the provoMng of all lnen; Thou shalt keep them s«retly  T1 W tabernacle a [-Zo»zefor the Lo«cl_),. I95 from the strife of tongues. Thauks be t.o the Lord; for He hath shewed me marvellous gla kindness in a st,rong eity." And in like malmer the Pr,phes; for instance, the Propheg Isaiah says, "Behold a king shall reign in righeousness, and princes shall rule in judgmen, and a man shall be as an hidbff-»lace from the wind, and a eove froln gle tempes, as rivers of wager in a di T place, as the shadow of a o'ea rock in a weary land." Again; " Thou has been a strength to the poor, a strength o le needy in his distress, a refuge from the sorm, a shadow from le heag..... in flis nlountain shaH flac hand of the rd lS." " We bave a strong eity; salvaion will Goal appoint, for walls and buhvarks. Open ye the gages, thag le righeous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in; Thou wil keep hiln in perfee peaee whose lnind is stayed on Thee; because he trusteth iii Thee." And again; "The work of righteousness shall be peace, and the eflçet of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. And 3[y people shall dweH in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwelngs, and in quiet-resting places; when it shall hail, coming down on the forest." With which agree lnany texts in the N'ew Testament, such as St. Paul's words to the Colossians, "3"our fe is hid with Christ in God. '' Now what has been sMd, litfle as itis to what lnight be brought together on the subject, may suffice to suggest to us that geat, privilege which we may enjoy if we seek it, of dwelling in a heavenly home in the midst of this turbulent wofld. The wofld is no helpmeeç for man,  Ps. lxiv.; xv.; lxv.; xvfi.; xxii.; xmxi. Isai. xfi.; xxv.; xvi. Col. ifi.

and a helpmeet he needs. No one, man nor woman, tan stand alone; we are so constituted by narre'e; and the world, instead of helping us, is an open adversary. but inereases our solitariness. Elijah cried, "I, I only ara left, and they seek my lire to take if away. ''5 How did Ahnighty God answer him? by graeiously telling him that He had reserved to Himself a remnant of seven thousand truc believers. Sueh is the blessed truth whieh tic brings home to us also. We nm.y be full of sorrows; there may bc fightings without and fears within; may be exposed to the frowns, censure, or contempt of men; we may be shmmed by them; or, to take the lightest case, we may be (as we certainly shall be) wem'ied out by the unlnofitableness of this world, by its coldness, unfriendliness, distance, and dreariness; we shall necd something nearer to us. Vhat is our resource? It is hot in arm of man, in flesh and blood, in voice of friend, or in pleasant countenance; it is that holy home whieh God bas given us in His Chureh; it is that everlasting City in whieh He has fixed His abode. It is that Mount invisible whenee Angels are looking at us with their piercing eyes, and the voices of the dead call us. "Greater is He that is in us than he that is the world;" "If God be for us, who can be against us ." Great privilege indeed, if we did but realize its greatness! lIan seeks the ereature when the world distresses him; let us seek the Creator; let us "seek the Lord and His strength, seek His face evermore." Let us turn front the world, let us hide om'selves in His dwellingplace, let us shroud ourselves from the earth, and  I Kings xix. 10.

disappear in the spiritual kingdom of out God. Grea.t benefit indeed beyond thought, thus to ally ourselves with the upper creation of God instead of taking out portion vith the lower! What can we want more than this, whether to satisfy out rea.1 wants or our own feeling of them? Do we need aid and comfort? Can any thing of this world impart such strengIh, as He who is present in that Sanctum'y which He h given us? 1o ve need images and ideas to occupy out minds fi»r encouragement and comfort, as intelligible companions, which we may think of and dwell upon, and hold comnmnion with, and be one with? What fellowship ca.n be more glorious, more sa£isfying than that which we may hold with those inmates of the City of God whom St. l'aul elmmerates? Leave then this earthly scene, 0 virgin soul, though most attractive and most winning; a.im at a. higher prize, a. nol,ler conpaniolship. Enter into the tabernacle of God. "Whoso dwelleth under the defence of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.... He shall defend thee under His wings, and thou shalt be safe under t[is feathers. Thou shalt hot be afraid for any terror by night, nor for the a.rrov that flieth by day. Thou shalt go upon the lion and adder, the young lion and the dra.gon shalt thou tread under thy feet." Satan may do his worst; he lnay atttict thee sore, he may wound thee, he may brand thee, he may cripple thee, as regards lh.is world; but he cannot touch thee in things spiritual; he bas no power over thee to bring thee into sin and God's displeasure. 0 virgin soul, let this be thy stay in the dark da.y. When thou art sick of the world, to whom shouldst thou go? 1o none short of Itim who is th Hoavfly Spous of very faiflful souk Yild self to tIim freely and without guile. "He will bring flee to the banqueting bouse, and His banner over thee shall be love. He wiH make thee to sit down under tIis shadow with great delight, and His fruit shall be sweet to fly taste." Thou needest covet noflfing on caoEh; thou art fifll and aboundest; houses, and lands, and brcthren, aud parents, and wife, atd children, are more than ruade Ul) by "the special gift of faith, more acceptable to thy mind. ''6 Though thou art in a body of flesh,  menti,er of this wofld, (hou hast but to kneel down reverently in 1,rayer, and thou a.rt af once in the society of Saints and Angcls. Wherever thou a't, thou canst, through (od's icomprehensible mercy, in a moment ],ring thyself into the midst of God's holy Chmh invisible, and receive secrefly that aid, the very thout of which is a present sensible blessing. Art thoa aicted? thou canst pray; art flou nerry? thou canst sing psalms. Art thou lonely  does the ay run heuvily  fall on thy knees, and thy thoughts are at once rclieved by fle idea and by fle reality of thy unseen companions. Art flou tempted to sin? think steaçly of those who 1)erchance witness thy doings from God's secret dwelling-place; hast thou lost fl'iends? realize them by faifl; art thou slandered? thou hast the p'aise of Angels; art thou under trial? thou hast theh" synpathy. May thoughts like these, my brethren, sink deep into your hearts, and bring forth good fruit  holiness and  Wisd. iii. 14.

constancy of obedience. Whatever has been your past. lire, vhether (blessed be God) you have never trusted aught but God's sacred light within you, or whether you have trusted the world and if bas failcd you, God's mercies in Christ are here ofi'ered fo you in flfll abundance. Corne to Him for them; apl?roach Him in the way He bas appointed, and you shall fiud Him, as He has said, upon His Holy Hill of Zion. Let hot your past sins keep you from Him. Whatever they be, they cannot interfere with His grace stored up for all who corne to ttim for if. If you have in past years neglccted ttim, perchace you will hve to surfer ibr it; but fear hot; He wil] give you grace and strength to bear such 1)unishment as He may be t)leased to inflict. Let hot the thought of His just severit.y keep you af a distance. tte can make even 1)in 1)leasant to you. Keeping f'om Him is hot to escape from His power, ouly from ttis love. Surrender yourselves to Him in faith and holy fear. He is A]]-merciftfl, though,4_II-righteous; and though He is awfll in His judg'ments, He is nevertheless more wonderfully 1)itiftfl, and of tender compassion above out largest expectations; and in the case of al] who humbly seek Him, He wi]/in" wrath rcmembc" me'cy."