Parochial and Plain Sermons

"" lVhether, therefore, ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all go the glory of Goà.'"

IIEN persons are convinced that lire is short, that — itis unequal to an)- great purpose, that it does hot display adequately, or bring to perfection the true Christian, when they feel that the next lire is all in all, and that eternity is the only subject that really can claim or can fill their thoughts, then they are apt to undcrvalue this lire altogether, and to forger its real importance. They are apt to wish to spend the rime of their sojourning here in a positive separation from active and social duties: yet it should be recollected that the employments of this world, though not themselves heavenly, are, after all, the way to heaven—though hot the fruit, are the seed of immortality—and are valuable, though not in themselves, yet for that to which they lead: but it is difficult to realize this. It is difficul to realize both truths af once, and to connect

Doi»g Glory fo Goal, c. 55 ooth truths together; steadily fo contemplate the lire to corne, yet to act in this. Those who meditate, a.re likely to neglect those active duties which are, in tiret, incumbent on them, and to dwcll upon the thou.ht of God's g'lory, till they forg'et to act to His glory. TMs state of mind is chided in fiure in the words of the holy Ancls to the Apostlcs, when they say, "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye azing up into heaven ?" In various ways does the thought of the next world lcad men fo nelect their duty in this; and whcncver it does so we may be sure that thcre is sometlfin vrong and unchristian, hot in their thinkin of the next world, but in thcir manucr of thinking of it. For thou.h the contemplation of God's lory may in certain rimes and pcrsons allowably interferc with the active employmcnts of lire, as in the case of the Apostles when our Saviour ascended, and though such contcmplation is even freely allowed or commandcd us at certain rimes of each day; yet that is hot a real and true meditation on Christ, but some counterfeit, which makes us dream a.way our rime, or become habitually indolent, or which withdraws us from our e..xisting duties, or unsettles us. Yet the thought of the vorld unseen is apt to do so in various ways, and the worst way of all is when we have ta.ken up  notion that it ou to do so. And indeed this is a temptation fo which persons who desire to be reliious are exposed in one shape or another in  Acts i. 11.

every age, and in this ag as well as in rimes past. Sien corne to fimcy that to lose taste and patience for the businesses of this lire is renouncing fle world and becoming spiritually-minded. We will say a person bas been thoughtless and irreliglous; perhaps openly so; or at least careless about religion, and though innoceur of any flagrant sin, yet a follower of his own will,and f`a.ncy, and unpraetised in any regular and consistent course of religion. He has, perhaps, been outwaMly respectful fo sacred things and persons, but has had no serious thoughts about the next world. He bas taken good and evil—religion and the world—as they ca.me, first one and then the other, Mthout much eonsideration. He bas been fond of gaiety and amusements, or he bas been d'eeply interested in some pursuit or other of rime and sense,mwhether it be his own trade or profession, or some of the studies and employments now popular. He has fallen in with the ways of the eompany in which he has round himself1 has been profane with the profane  then, again, bas hM for a season religions impressions, whieh in turn bave worn away. Thus he bas lived, and something bas them oeeurred really to rouse him and give him what is called a serious turn. Such a person, man or woman, young or old, certainly does need fo t.ake a serious turn, does require a ehange and no one but must be very glad fo hear that a change has taken place, though af the saine rime there may be changes hot much better than the change in Pursuits of the lI/'orht.  57 whieh happened o him, whose soul, in our Lord's language, vas bu[ "swep[ and garnished;" no really ehanged in  heavenly way, and h,ving bu[ [he semblanee of faith and holiness upon il. ow he cases I ana Slaeaking of are somewha like tha whieh our S,viour seems o speak of in [he passage referred o. When a man has been roused o serious resolutions, the chances are, tha[ he fils fo take up with tle one and only narrow way whieh leads [o lire. Yhe ehanees are tha[ "hen eometh [he wieked one," and persuades him o ehoose some path shor of the true oneeasier and pleasanter than i. And tld« is the kind of eourse fo whieh he is often sedueed, as we frequently winess il; viz.. fo feel a sor of dislike and eontemp[ for his ordinary worldly business as something" benea.th him. He knows he mus[ have wha Seripure ealls a spiritual mind, and he fanies tha fo have  spiriual mind i[ is absolu[ely neeessary fo renounee all earnestness or aetivity in his worldly emlloyments, fo profess fo ke no ineres[ in hem, fo despise he natural and olinary pleasures of lire, violating the eus[oms of socle[y, adopfing a melaneholy air and a sad tone of oiee, and remainin silen[ and absen[ when anaong his natural fi'iends and relatives, as if s,ying fo himself, "I bave mueh higher houghts t.han fo engage in all [hese pefishing miserable hings;" aefing" wi[h eons[rain and diff[eulty in the [hin abou[ him; making efforts fo turn hings whieh oeeur o the pur- pose of what he eonsiders spMtua,l reflecfion; uslng certain Scripture phrases and expressions; deli'htin" to exchang'e Scripture sentiments vith persons whom he meets of his own way of thinking; nay, making visible and audible signs of deep feeling when Seripture or other religious subjeets are mentioned, and the like. He thinks he lires out of the world, and out of ifs enga.gements, if he shuts (as if were) lais eyes, and sits down doing nothing. Altogether he looks upon his worldly occupation simply as a burden and a cross, and eonsiders it all gain to be able to throw it off; and the sooner he ean release himself fi-om it, and the oftener, so mueh the better. Now I am far from denying that a man's worldly occupation may be his cross. Again, I ara far from denying that under eireumstanees it may be right even fo retire from the world. But I ara speaking of cases when it is a person's duty to remain in his worldly ealling, and when he does remain in it, but when he eherishes dissatisthetion with it: whereas what he ought to feel is this,—that while in it he is to glorify God, hOt ot of it, bnt in it, and by nea»s of it, aeeording fo the Apostle's direction, "hot slothfid in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord." The Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour is best served, and with the most fervent spirit, when men are hOt slothful in business, but do their duty in that state of lire in whieh it bas pleased God to eall them.

Now what leads such a person into this mistake is, that he sees that most men who enage cheerfi, lly and diligently in worldly business, do so from a worldly spirit, from a low carnal love of the world; and so he thinks if is his duty, on the contrary, hot fo take a cheerful part in the world's business at all. And if cannot be denied that the g'reater part of the world is asoJ'bed in the world; so much so that I ara almost afraid to speak of the duty of bein active lu out worldlv business, }est I shou|d seem to ive countcnance fo that miserable devotion to the thins of rime and sense, tlmt love of bustle and management, tlmt desire of ain, and that aimin at influence and importance, which abound on nll sides. Bad as it is fo be lanuid and indiflbrent in out secular duties, and fo ccount this religion, yet itis far worse tobe the slaves of thiæ world, and to bave our hearts in the concerns of this wor}d. I do hot know any thin more dreadful than a state of mind which is, perhnps, the characteristic of this country, and which the prosperity of this country so miserably fosters. I mean that ambitious spirit, to use a reat wordç but I know no other word fo express my meaning—that low ambition which sers every one on lhe look-out to succeed and fo fise in life, fo amass money, to ,in power, to depress his rivals, to triumph over his hitherto superiors, to affcct  consequence and a gentility which he had hot belote, to affect to bave an opinion on hih subjeets, to pretend fo form  judo-

 6o Dobtg Glory fo Goal ment upon saered things, fo ehoose his religion, to `approve,nd eondemn aeeording fo his faste, fo beeome a partizan in extensive measures for the supposed tempora.1 benefit of the eommunity, fo indulge the vision of g, ïeat thing's whieh are fo corne, g'rea.t improvements, 'reat wonders: all t.hin's v,st, all things new,—this most fearfully earthly and g'rovelling" spirit is likely,,ql,s! fo extend itself more,and more among" out eountrymen, man intense, sleepless, restless, never-wearied, never-s,tisfied, pursni of Mammon in one shape or oher,  the exclusion of a.ll deep, all holy, all ea.lm, all reverent t.houghts. 'hi« is the spirit in whieh, more or less (aeeording" fo their different tempers), men do eommonly engage in eoneerns of this world; and I repeat if, better, far better, were if fo retire ri'oto the world alogether th,an thus fo engage in itbetter with Elijah fo fly fo the desert, than fo serve ]3aal and Ashtoreth in Jerusalem. But the persons I speak of, as despising' this world, are far removed ri'oto the spirit of Elijah. To flee fi'om the world, or strenuously to resist if, implies an energy and streng'th of mind whieh they bave not. They do neither one thing" nor the other; they neither tqee nor engage zealously in ifs eoneerns; but they remain in the mids of them, doing' them in an indolent and neglig'ent way, and think this is fo be spiritually minded; or, as in other cases, they really take an interest in them, and yet speak as if they despised them.

But surely it is possible to "serve the Lord," yet hot to be "slothful in business;" not over devoted to it, but not to retire fi'om it. re nmy do all tkings whatever we are about to God's glory; we may do all things ]ear[ibj, as to the Lord, and not to man, being both active yet meditative; and now let me give some instances to show what I menn. 1. " Do all fo the glory of God," says St. Pul, in the text  nay « whether we eat or drink " so that it appears nothiu(4 is too slight or trivial fo glorify llim in. We will suppose tben, fo take the ease mentioued just now; we will suppose a mm who bas lately had more serious thoug'hts than he lmd before, and determines fo live more religiously. In consequeuce of the {urn his mind has taken he feels a distaste for his worhlly occupation, whethcr he is in trade, or in any mcchanical employment which allows little exercisc of mind. Ile now feels he would rather be in some other business, though in itself his preseut occupation is quite lawful and pleasing to God. The ill-instructcd man will at once gct impatient and quit it; or if he does not quit it, at lcast he will be negligent and indolent in if. But the truc penitent will say fo himself, "No; if it be an irksome employment, so much the more does if suit te. 1 deserve no better. I do hot deserve fo be fed even with husks. I ara bound to affiict my soul for my past sins. If I were to go in sackcloth and ashes, if I were to lire on bread and water, il" I were to wash the feet of [Vll]

x 6  lPoi«g Glory to Goal he poor dy by day, it would hot be too reat n humiliafion; and the only tesson I do no, is, that I have no eall hat way, i would look ostentaious. ladly then will I bail an ineonvenienee whieh will try ne vithout any one's knowing it. Far fi'om l'elfiing, I will, I.hrough God's graee,  eheerfully about what I do hot like. I will deny myself. I knov that with tIis help what is in itself painful, will thus be pleasant as done towards IIim. I know well that there is no pain but may be borne comfortably, bv the thouht of Ilim, and by Ilis grace, and thc strong determination of the will; nay, none but may soothe and solace me. Even the natural taste and smell mav be ruade fo like what they naturally dislike; even biffer medicine, whieh is nauseous to the palate, may by a resolnte will become tolerable. Nay, ex'en sufferinffs and torture, such as mal.yrs Imve borne, have before now becn rejoiced in:md embraced heartily from love to Christ. I then, a sinner, will take this light inconvenience in a generous xva , pleased at the opportunity of diseiplining myseli and with self-abasement, as needing a severe penitence. If there be parts in my occupation xvhieh I especially dislike, if it requires a good deal of moving about and I xvish to be at home, or if it be sedentary and I vish to be in motion, oa" if it requires rising early and I like to fise l;te, or if it makes me solitary and I like to be vith friends, ail this unpleasant part, as far as is consistent with my health, and so that it is hot likely to be a snare in Pursuils of lhe IUorla( x 63 to me, I will choose by preference. Again, I see my religious views are a hindranee to me. I see persons are suspieious of me. I see that I offend people by my serupulousness. I see that to get on in lire requires far more devotion to my worldly business than I ean give eonsistently with my duty to God, or without its becoming a temptation fo me. I knov that I ought hot, a.nd (please God) I vill hot, sacrifice my religion to it. My religious seasons and hours shall be my own. I will hot countenance any of the worldly dealings and practices, the over-reaching ways, the sordid actions in vhich others indulge. And if I ana thrown back in lire thereby, if I make less gains or lose fricnds, and so corne to be despised, and find others rise in thc world while I remain where I was, hard though this be to bear, it is an humiliation which becomes me in requital for mv sins, and in obedience to God; and a very slight one it is, merely to be deprived of worldly successes, or rather it is a gin. And this may be the manner in which Almighty God will make an openh, g for me, if it is His blesscd will, to leave my present occupation. But leave it without a call from God, I certainly must not. On the contrary, I will work in it the more diligently, as far as higher duties allow me." o. A second reason which will animate the Christian vil[ be. desire of letting his light shine before men. He will aire at winning others by his own diligence asad activity. He vill say to himself, "My parents" or

"my toaster" or "employer shall never say of me, Religion has spoiled him. They shall sce me more active and alive than before. I will be punctual and attentive, and:dorn thc Gospel of God our Saviour. My coinpanions shall ncver have occasion to laugh af any affectation ofreligious fecling in me.:No; I will affcct nothing'. In a manly wy I will, with God's blessin, do my duty. I will hot, as fir as I can help, dishonour His service by any straugcness or extravagance of conduct,:my unreality of words, any ovcr-softness or constraint of ruminer; but thcy shall see tiret the fear of God only makes those who cherish it more respcctab]e in the world's eyes as wcll as more hcavenly-minded. Vhat a blessed return it vill be for God's mcrcies to me, if I, who am like a brand pluckcd out of the burning, be allowed, through tlis great mercy, fo recommend that Gospel fo others which IIc has revea]ed to me, and fo recommend it, as on the one hand by my strictness in attendin. God's ordhmnces, in discountenancing vice and folly, and by a conscientious walk; so, on the other hand, by all that is of good report in social lire, by uprightness, honesty, prudence, and straightforwardness, by good tempcr, good-nature, and brotherly love!" 3. Thanldhlness fo A]mighty God, nay, and the inward lire of thc Spirit itself, will be additional principles ca.using the Christian to labour.diligently in his calling. He will see God in all things. He will recollect our Saviour's lire. Christ was brought up to iz Pursztiæs of æhÆ lUorlct. 16 5 a humble trade. When he lbours iu his own, he will hink of his Lord and Master in Ilis. Ile will reeolleet that Christ went down to Nazareth and was sul»jcct to His parents, that He walked long journeys, that Ho bore the sun's hcat and the srm, and had hot where to lay His head. Again, he knows that the Apostlcs had various enwloymclts of tbis world bcfi)re hcir calling; St. Andrew and St. Petcr fishcrs, St. M:dthew a tax-gathcrer, and St. Paul, evcn after his calling, still a tent-maker. Accordingly, in whatever cornes upon him, he will endeavour to discern and gaze (as it were) on the counenance of his Saviour. IIe will feel that the trne contemplation of that Saviour lies in his Wol'ldlv business; that as Christ is seen in the poor, and in thc perseeuted, and in children, so is IIe scen in the cmployments whieh He puts upon His chosen, whatever they be; that in attending o his own calling he will be meeting Christ; tlmt if he neglect it, he will not on that accourir enjoy IIis presence at all the more, but that while performing le, he will sec Christ revealed to his soul amid the ordinary actions of the day, as by a sort of sacrament. Thus he will take his worldly business as a gift from I[im, and will love le as such. 4. Truc humility is another principle whieh will lead us to desire fo gorify God in our worldly employments if possible, instead of resignin them. Christ evidently purs His geater blessings on those whom the world despises. IIe has bid His followers £ake the lowest seat. IIe sa.ys that he who would be great must be as the servant of all, that he who humbleth himself shall he exalted; and He Himself washed His disciples' feet. Nay, tIe tclls us, tlla.t Ho will gird IlimselF, and serve them who bave watched for Him; an astonishiug condcsccnsion, which makcs us ahnost dumb with fear and rejoicing. All this has ils effect upon fhe Chrisfian, and ho scts about his business with alacrity, and wifhout a moment's dclay, delighting to humble himsell , aud to bave thc opl)ortunity of putting himsclf in that condition of litb which our Lord especially blest. 5. Still further, he will use his worldly business as a means of keeping him fi'om vain and unprofitablc thoughts. One cause of the hcart's dcvisin,ff evil is, that lime is given it to do so. The man who has his daily duties, who lays out his (ime for fhem hour bv hour, is saved a multitude of sins which ha.ve not lime to gel hold upon him. The brooding over insults received, or the longing after some good hot granfed, or regret al losses which ]mve befallcn us, or al the loss of friends by death, or the attacks of impure and sha.meful thoughts, these are kept off from him who takes care to be diligent and well employed. Leisure is (he occasion of all evil. Idleness is the first sfep in the downward path which leads to hell. If we do not find employment fo enga.ge our minds with, Satan will be sure to tind his own employment for them. Here we see thc difference of motive with which a religious and a worldly-minded man may do the saine t.hin. Supl)ose ci person has had SOlne sad afi-lietion, say a bereavement: men of this world, having" no pleasurc in relig'ion, hot likinfo dwell ou a loss fo them irreparable, in order fo drown reflection, betake themselves fo vorldly pursuits to divert their thoug'hts and banish gloom. The Christian undcr the saine eireunlstanees does fhe saine thing'; bu if is from a fear lest he should re/ax:md entk'eble his mind by barren sorrow; ri'oto  dread o[' becoming diseontented; ff-oto  belief flmL he is pleasing God beLLer, and is likely  seeure his peaee more fldly, by hot losing" t.ime; ff-oto a feeling thaL, fir from forgeLting Lhose whom he bas losL by thus aeting, he shall ouly enjoy the thong'hL of them the more really nd t.he nlore relig'iously. 6. LasLly, we see whaL judgmenL fo give in  question sometimes agitated, whether one should retire from out worldly business aL the close of litç, fo give our Lhoug'hts more entirely o God. To wish o do so is so naLural, thaL I suppose there is no one who would noL wish if. A great many persons are no+ allowed the privilege, a greaL many are allowed iL Lhrough inereasing infirmit.ies or extreme old ne; buL evePy one, I eoneeive, if allowed  ehoose, would Ll+ink iL a privilege o be a]lowed it., thoug'h a. greaL manv wouhl find iL dieulg fo determine wkeP» was the fit. rime. But le+ us eonsider whaL is the reason of Ll+is so natural a wish. I fe+r thaç iL is oflen noL a religious wish, offert only partially religions. I fear a great number of lersons who aire at retiring from the world's business, do so undcr the notion of thcir then enjoying" themselves somcwhat after the manner of the rich man in the Gospel, who said, " Soul, thon hast much goods laid up for many years." If this is the 1)redominant aire of anv one, of course I need hot say that if is a fittal sin, for Christ ]Iimsclf has said so. Others thcre arc who are actuated by a mixed fccling; they are aware that thcy do hot give so much rime fo religion as they ought; thcy do hot lire by rule; nay, they are not satisfied with the corrcctncss or ul)rightness of some of the practices or customs which their way of liïe requircs of thcm, and thcy get tircd of active business as lire gocs on, and wish fo be af ease. So they look fo thcir last years as a time of retirement, in which they may otA cnjoy £hemsclves aml l)rCl)are for heaven. And thus they satisfy both their conscience and their love of the world. Af present religion is irksotne fo thcm; but thcn, as they hope, duty and pleasure will,o to.gcther. Now, putting aside all other mistakes which such a frame of miml evidences, let if be observed, that if thcy are af prescnt aot serving Goal with all their heurts, but look forward fo a rime when thev shall do so, then it is plain that, when at length they do put aside worldly cares and turn fo God, if ever they do, that rime must neccssarily be a rime of deep humiliation, if" if is to bc acceptable to IIim, not a comfortable retirement. Y'ho ever heard of a pleasurable, easy, joyous repcntance? It is a contradiction in terres. These men, if they do but reflect a moment, must confess that their present mode of lire, supposing it be hot so strict as if should be, is hea.ping up tears and groans for their last years, hot enjoyment. Thc longer they lire as thcy do at present, hot ouly thc more unlikcly is if that they will repent af all; but even if they do, the more bitter, the more painfid mnst thcir repcnt:mcc be. The only way fo csca.pc suffering fbr sîn hcreafter is to surfer for if here. Sorrow herc or misery hereafter; they cannot escape one or the other. Not for any worldly reason, thcn, hot on any prcsumptuous or nnbelieving motive, does the Christian desire leisurc and retirement ibr his last yea.rs. Nay, he will be content to do without these blessings, and the hig'hest Christian of all is he whose heart is so stayed on God, tiret he does hot wish or need if; whose heart is so set on things above, tbat things below as little excite, agitate, unsettle, distress, and seduce him, as they stop the course of nature, as they stop thc sun and moon, or change summer and winter. Such were the Apostles, who, as the heavenly bodies, went out "fo all lands," full of business, and yet full too of swect harmony, even to the ends of the earth. Their ealling was heavenly, but thcir work was erthly; they were in labour and trouble till the last; yet considcr how eahnly St. Paul and St. Peter write in their last da.ys.

St. John, on the other hand, was allowed in a great measure, to retire fi'om the cares of his pastoral charge, and such, I say, will be the mtturd wish of every religious mau, whether lais ministry be spiritual or secular; but, not in order to egit fo fix his mind on God, but mercly because, though lac may contemplate God as truly and be as holy in heart in active business as in quict, still it is moa-e becoming and suit;ble to meet the strole of death (if it be allowed us) silently, collectedly, solemnly, than in a crowd and a tumult. And hence it is, among other reasons, tlmt we pray in the Litany to be delivered "from stclden death." On the whole, then, what I bave said cornes to Hais, that whereas Adam was sentenced to labour as a punshment, Christ bas by His eoming sanctified it as a means of grace and a sacrifice of thanksgiving', a sacrifice cheerthlly to be offered up to the Father in IIis naine. It is very easy to speak and teach this, difficult to &) it; very diflïeult to steer between the two evils,—to use this world as hOt abusing it, to be active aaad diligent in this world's affairs, yet not for this world's sake, but for God's sale. It requires the greater effort for a minister of Christ to speak of if, for this reason; because he is not called upon in the saine sense in which others are to practise the duty. IIe is hot callcd, as his people are, to the professions, the pursuits, and cares of this world; his work is hea.veuly, and to it he gives himself wholly. It is a work which, we trust, is hot likely to carry him off from God; hot only because it is IIis work, but, what is a more sure reason, becausc commonly it gains no great thanks from men. Ilowever, for this reason it is difficult for Christian ministers to speak about your trial in this mattcr, my brethren, because it is not thcirs. Te are tried by the command to live out of the world, and you by the command to lire in it. l:,y God give us grace in our several spheres and stations to do IIis will and adoru IIis doctrine; that whether we eat and drink, or fast and pray, labour with our hands or with out minds, journey about or remain a.t test, we may g'lorify Ilim who has purchased us with Ilis own blood [