Parochial and Plain Sermons

JOHK xii. 43. " They loved the praise of men more than the praise of God."

T^HIS is spoken of the chief rulers of the Jews^ who, though they believed in Christ's Divine mission, rt'ere afraid to confess Him, lest they should incur temporal loss and shame from the Pharisees. The censure passed by St. John on these persons is too often applicable to Christians at the present day; perhaps, indeed, there is no one among us who has not at some time or other fallen under it. We love the good opinion of the world more than the approbation of Him who created us, redeemed us, has regenerated us, and who still preserves to us the opportunity of preparing ourselves for His future presence. Such is too often the case with us. It is well we should be aware that it is so; it is well we should dwell upon it, and that we should understand and feel that it is wrong, which many men do not.

Now it is an obvious question, Why is it wrong to love tlie praise of men? For it may be objected, tha we arc accustomed to educate the young by means o praise and blame; that we encourage them by kin( words/)-o;« us, that is, from man; and punish them fo disobedience. If, then, it may be argued, it is right i rcgai-d the opinions of others concerning us in ou youth, it cannot be in itself wrong to pay attention t< it at any other period of life. This is true; but I d^ not say that the mere love of praise and fear of sham are evil: regard to the corrupt world's praise or blame this is what is sinful and dangerous. St. John, in th text, implies that the praise of men was, at the tim spoken of, in opposition to the praise of God. It mm be wrong to prefer any thing to the will of God. T seek praise is in itself as little wrong, as it is wrong t hope, and to fear, and to love, and to trust; all depend upon the object hoped, or feared, or loved, or tnisted to seek the praise of good men is not wrong, any mor than to love or to reverence good men; only wron< when it is in excess, when it interferes with the exer cise of love and reverence towards God. Not wron| while we look on good men singly as instruments am servants of God; or, in the words of Scripture, whil *' we glorify God in them ^." But to seek the praise c bad men, is in itself as wrong as to love the company c bad men, or to admire them. It is not, I say, mere! the love of praise that is a sin, but love of the corrup

Mikl's praise. This is the case with all our natural flings and affections; they are all in themselves good, ul implanted by God; they are sinful, because we ive in us by nature a something more than them, viz. an

,il principle which perverts them to a bad end. Adam, ty, dislike, as we do now; but then he felt them only hen he ought, and as he ought; all was harmoniously ttempered and rightly adjusted in his soul, which was t unity with itself. But, at the fall, this beautiful

Wer and peace was broken up; the same passions rc- tained, but their use and action w^ere changed; they shed into extremes, sometimes excessive, sometimes jhe reverse. Indignation was corrupted into wrath,;elf-love became selfishness, self-respect became pride, 'nd emulation envy and jealousy. They were at valiance with each other; pride struggled with selfihterest, fear with desire. Thus his soul became a »haos, and needed a new creation. Moreover, as I have aid, his affections were set upon unsuitable objects, fhe natural man looks to this world, the world is his fod; faith, love, hope, joy, are not excited in his mind ')y things spiritual and divine, but by things seen and emporal.

Considering, then, that love of praise is not a bad principle in itself, it is plain that a parent may very Jroperly teach his child to love his praise, and fear his ^lame, when that praise and blame are given in accord- ance with God's praise and blame, and made snLserviei to them. And, in like manner, if the world at larg took a correct and religious view of things, then i praise and blame would in its place be valuable tO' Did the world admire what God admires; did it accour humility, for instance, a great virtue, and pride a gret sin; did it condemn that spirit of self-importance ar sensitiveness of disgraca, which calls itself a love ( honour; did it think little of temporal prosperity wealth, rank, grandeur, and power; did it condemn a rogant and irreverent disputing, the noisy, turbulei' spirit of ambition, the love of war and conquest, and tl perverse temper which leads to jealousy and hatred; d it prefer goodness and truth to gifts of the intellect; d;^ it think little of quickness, wit, shrewdness, power speech and general acquirements, and much of patiei meekness, gentleness, firmness, faith, conscientiousn^ purity, forgiveness of injuries, — then there would be sin in our seeking the world's praise; and though still ought to love God's praise above all, yet we mi< love the praise of the world in its degree, for it wou be nothing more nor less than the praise of good me^ But since, alas! the contrary is the case, since the wor (as Scripture, tells us) "lieth in wickedness," and tl principles and practices which prevail on all sides of are not those which the All-holy God sanctions, i cannot lawfully seek the world's praise. We canoi serve two masters who are enemies the one to the oth«

e are forbidden to love the world or any thing" that is i the world, for it is not of the Father, but passeth py.

[This is the reason why it is wTong to pursue the •jorld's praise; viz. because we cannot have it and God's raise too. And yet, as the pursuit of it is wrong-, so is common, — for this reason: because God is unseen, and le world is seen; because God's praise and blame are [vture, the world's are present; because God's praise jid blame are inward, and come quietly and without isenness, whereas the world's are very plain and inflligible, and make themselves felt. [ Take, for instance, the case of the young-, on (what is [illed) entering" into life. Very many, indeed, there jre, whether in a higher or lower station, who enter into pe mixed society of others early; so early, that it flight be thought they had hardly had time to acquire [ny previous knowledge of right and wrong, any standard jjf right and wrong, other than the world gives, any [rinciples by which to fight against the world. And [iCt it cannot quite be so. Whatever is the first time [(Crsons hear evil, it is quite certain that good has been (leforehand with them, and they have a something [i'ithin them which tells them it is evil. And much (Oore, if they have been blessed, as most men are, with jhe protection of parents, or the kind offices of teachers [»r of God's ministers, they generally have principles i>f duty more or less strongly imprinted on their minds;

and on their first intercourse with strangers thi-y a;

shocked or frighted at seeing the improprieties aii sins, which are openly countenanced. Alas! thenl are persons, doubtless (though God forbid it should b( the case with any here present!), whose consciences have been so early trained into forgetfulness of religioiv duties, that they can hardly, or cannot at all, recoils the time I speak of; the time when they acted with tli secret feeling that God saw them, saw all they did aiv thought. I will not fancy this to be the case with an who hear me. Rather, there are many of you, in dil ferent ranks and circumstances, who have, and ever ha\:

had, general impressions on your minds of the claim which religion has on you, but, at the same time, haH been afraid of acting upon them, afraid of the opinionij the world, of what others would say if you set abffl)

obeying your conscience. Ridicule is a most powerfj instrument in the hands of Satan, and it is most vivid felt by the young. If any one wishes to do his dut it is most easy for the cold, the heartless, and tl thoughtless, to find out harsh, or provoking, or ri( culous names to fix upon him. My brethren, so mai of you as are sensitive of the laughter or contempt, the world, this is your cross; you must wear it, must endure it patiently; it is the mark of your co formity to Christ; He despised the shame: you m|| leam to endure it, from the example and by the ai your Saviour. You must love the praise of God iiian the praise of men. It is the very trial suited to pu, appointed for you, to establish you in the faith. You jre not tempted with gain or ambition, but with ridicule. Lnd be sure, that unless you withstand it, you cannot jadure hardships as good soldiers of Jesus Christ, you ill not endure other temptations which are to follow.

ow can you advance a step in your after and more ex- bnded course till the first difficulty is overcome? You lis unstable in all his ways." Moreover, be not too jure that all who show an inclination to ridicule you, I eel exactly as they say. They speak with the loudest Irpeaker; speak you boldly, and they will speak with IjTou. They have very little of definite opinion themlelves, or probably they even feel with you, though thev [speak against you. Very likely they have uneasy, unsatisfied consciences, though they seem to sin so boldly; lnd are as afraid of the world as you can be, nay, more Bo; they join in ridiculing you, lest others should ridicule them; or they do so in a sort of self-defence against jthe reproaches of their own consciences. Numbers in pthis bad world talk loudly against religion in order to (encourage each other in sin, because they need enicouragement. They are cowards, and rely on each lother for support against their fears. They know they lought to be other than they are, but are glad to avail I themselves of any thing that looks like argument, to |overcome their consciences withal. And ridicule is a kind of argument — such as it is; and numbers ridiculing" togetlier are a still stronger one — of the same kind. Any how^ there are few indeed who will not fee}' afterwards, in times of depression or alarm, that you ar. right, and they themselves are wrong. Those whc serve God faithfully have a friend of their own, \y each man^s bosom, witnessing for them; even in tho^ who treat them ill. And I suppose no young persoi has been able, through God^s mercy, to withstand the world's displeasure, but has felt at this time or that that this is so, and in a little time will, with all humility have the comfort of feeling it while he is withstanding' the world.

But now supposing he has not had strength of mind t' withstand the world; but has gone the way of the world Suppose he has joined the multitude in saying and doim what he should not. We know the careless, thoughtles profane habits which most men live in, making ligh of serious subjects, and being ashamed of godliness an virtue; ashamed of going to church regularly, ashamed > faith, ashamed of chastity, ashamed of innocence, ashamo ofobedience to persons in authority. Supposing a perso has been one of these, and then through God's grac repents. It often pleases God, in the course of Hi Providence, to rouse men to reflection by the occurrence of life. In such circumstances they certainly will hati a severe trial to stand against the world. Nothiri/ is more painfid in the case of such persons, than tb!

essity often imposed upon them of acting" contrary) the opinion and wishes of those with whom they have ill now been intimate^ — whom they have admired and ■ 1 lowed. Intimacies have ah-eady been formed, and ties.awn tight, which it is difficult to sever. What is the -on in question to do? rudely to break them at once? But is he to share in sins in which he formerly ■ k part? no; whatever censure, contempt, or ridicule ill aches to him in consequence. But what, then, is he.1 do? His task, I say, is painful and difficult, but he nust not complain, for it is his own making; it is the latural consequence of his past neglect of God. So nuchis plain, — he must abstain from all sinful actions;: kiot converse lightly or irreverently where formerly hekvas not unwilling so to do; not spend his time, as heretofore, in idleness or riot; avoid places whither he is not called by actual duty, which oifer temptation to sin;: observe diligently attendance on church; not idle away |the Lord^s Day in vanity, or worse; not add to the number of his acquaintance any thoughtless persons. All this is quite plain, and in doing this I know he will incur the ridicule of his companions. He will have much to bear. He must bear to be called names, to be [thought a hypocrite, to be thought to be affiicting scme- I thing out of the way, to be thought desirous of recom- 1 mending himself to this or that person. He must be I prepared for malicious and untrue reports about him- \ self; many other trials must he look for. They are his portion. He must pray God to cual)le liim to bear tliem meekly. He must pray for himself^ lie must pray for those who ridicule him. He has deserved ridieide. HeJ has nothing- to boast of, if he bears it Avell. He has> nothing to boast of that he incurs it. He has nothing' to boast of, as if he were so much better than those who ridicule him; he was once as they are no\\\ He is now just a little better than they are. He has just begun a new life. He has got a very little way in it, or rather no way, nothing beyond professing it; and he has the reproach of the world in consequence of his profession. Well, let him see to it that this reproach is not in vain, that he has a right to the reproach. Let him see to it that he acts as well as professes. It will be miserable indeed if he incurs the reproach, and yet does not gain the reward. Let him pray God to perfect in him what He has begun in him, and to begin and perfect it also in all those that reproach him. Let him pray foi Christ^s grace to bear hardships in Christ's spirit; to bt able to look calmly in the world's face, and bear it;- frown; to trust in the Lord, and be doing good; i obey God, and so to be reproached, not for professing only, but for performing, not for doing nothing, but fdl doing something, and in God's cause. If we are undel reproach, let us have something to show for it. AH present, such a one is but a child in the Gospel; but % time, St. Peter's words will belong to him, and he ma| appropriate them. " This is thankworthy, if a man foiS

>!i science towards God endure grief, suffering- wronglilv. For what glory is it, if when ye be buffeted for our faults ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye

I well and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is ■ •eeptable with God/'

What happens to the young in one way, and to peninit sinners in another, happens in one way or other to

II of us. In the case of all of us occasions arise, when ractices countenanced by others do not approve them- ■Ives to our consciences. If after serious thought we aid we cannot acquiesce in them, we must follow our i onsciences, and stand prepared for the censure of others. Ve must submit (should it be unavoidable) to appear 0 those who have no means of understanding us, selfirilled, or self-conceited, or obstinate, or eccentric, or leadstrong, praying the while that God's mercy may rouchsafe to us, that we be not really what we seem to he world.

Some are exposed to a temptation of a different kind,

[hat of making themselves seem more religious than jhey really are. It may happen, that to advocate right

>pimons may be profitable to our worldly interests, and

1 06 attended by the praise of men. You may ask, since

I in such cases God and man approve the same thing, why

\ Should the applause of the world be accounted dangerous j then? I answer, it is dangerous because God requires of

[ ios a modest silence in our religion; but we cannot be reli- j l^ious in the eyes of men without displaying religion. I am now speaking of display. God sees our tliought without our help, and praises iliem; but we cannot hi praised by men without beinf^ seen by men: whereii often the very excellence of a religious action, accordingto our Saviour's precept, consists in the not being seen by others. This is a frequent cause of hypocrisy in religion. Men begin by feeling as they should feel, then they think it a very hard thing that men should not know how well they feel, and in course of time they learn to speak without feeling. Thus they have learned to " love the praise of men more than the praise of God.'" — We have to guard against another danger, against the mistake of supposing that the world's despising ii is a proof that we are particularly religious; for thi.>^; too, is often suj^posed. Frequently it happens that we encumber our religion with extravagances, perversions, or mistakes, with which religion itself has no necess connexion, and these, and not religion, excite the con tempt of the world. So much is this the case, that tht: censure of numbers, or of the sober-minded, or of various and distinct classes of men, or censure consisttKil\ urged, or continued consistently, ought always to lead a man to be very watchful as to what he considers right to say or do in the line of duty, to lead him to ex:iniiat his principles; to lead him, however thoroughly adheres to these after all, to be unaffectedly humb| about himself, and to convince him in matter of fa (what he might be quite sure of beforehand, from t lature of the case), that, however good his principles! e in themselves, he is mixing up with them the alloy i his own frail and corrupt nature.

In conclusion, I would say to those who fear the vorld^s censure, this: —

1. Recollect you cannot please all parties, you must lisagree with some or other: you have only to choose i t you are determined to look to man) with which you vill disagree. And, further, you may be sure that hose who attempt to please all parties, please fewest; iiiJ that the best way to gain the world^s good opinion [even if you were set upon this, which you must not be) s to show that you prefer the praise of God. Make up yonv mind to be occasionally misunderstood, and undeervedly condemned. You must, in the Apostle's words,

^o through evil report, and good report, whether on a bontracted or a wider field of action. And you must pot be anxious even for the praise of good men. To Hiave, indeed, the approbation of those whose hearts are Iguided by God's Holy Spirit, is indeed much to be poveted. Still this is a world of discipline, not of enjoytnent; and just as we are sometimes bound in duty to abstain from indulgences of sense in themselves innocent, tso are we sometimes bound to deny ourselves the satisfaction derived from the praise even of the religious and conscientious. Only let us beware in all this, lest we act from pride and self-conceit.

2. In the next place, think of the multitude of beings.

wlio, unseen themselves, may yet be surveying our conduct. St. Paul charges Timothy by the elect Angels ' and elsewhere he declares that the Apostles were madi "a spectacle unto the world, and to Angels, and t( men^''^ Are we then afraid to follow what is right lest the world should scoff? rather let us be afraid no to follow it, because God sees us, and Christ, and tl: holy Angels. They rejoice over one sinner that repent eth; how must they mourn over those who fall away What interest, surely, is excited among them, by tin sight of the Christian's trial, when faith and the desiv of the world's esteem are struggling in his heart fo victory! what rejoicing if, through the grace of God, hi overcomes! what sorrow and pity if he is overcome bv the world! Accustom yourselves, then, to feel that yo* are on a public stage, whatever your station of life m;; be; that there are other witnesses to your conduc besides the world around you; and, if you feel shame o men, you should much more feel shame in the pre sence of God, and those servants of His that do Hi pleasure. w

3. Still further: you fear the judgment of men upor you. What will you think of it on your death-bed' The hour must come, sooner or later, when your sou is to return to Him who gave it. Perhaps you wil be sensible of your awful state. What will you thei think of the esteem of the world? will not all belov > 1 Tim. V. 21. ^ 1 Cor. iv. 9.

jsem to pass away, and be rolled up as a scroll, and the [xtended regions of the future solemnly set themselves lefore you? Then how vain will appear the applause T blame of creatures, such as we are, all sinners and fluid judges, and feeble aids, and themselves destined to »e judged for their deeds. When, then, you are tempted 0 dread the ridicule of man, throw your mind forward 0 the hour of death. You know what you will then;hink of it, if you are then able to think at all.: 4. The subject is not exhausted. You fear shame; veil, and will you not shrink from shame at the judgnaent-seat of Christ? There will be assembled all the ' myriads of men who ever lived, a vast multitude! irhere will be Apostles, prophets, martyrs, and all saints from the beginning of time. There will be all the good jmen you ever heard of or knew. There will be your pwn kindest and best friends, your pious parents, or [brothers, or children. Now what think you of being fput to shame before all these? You fear the contempt of one small circle of men; what think you of the Saints of God, of St. Mary, of St. Peter and St. Paul, of the [ten thousand generations of mankind, being witnesses of [your disgrace? You dread the opinion of those whom [you do not love; but w^hat if a father then shrink from a dear son, or the wife, or husband, your earthly companion, then tremble at the sight of you, and feel ashamed of you? Nay, there is One greater than parents, husbands, or brothers; One of whom you have been ashamed on earth; and what will He, that, merciful, but neglected Saviour, think of you then 2 1 Hear His own words: — " Whosoever shall be ashamed of Me and of My words, of him shall the Son of ^Man be ashamed, when lie shall come in II is own glory, and in His Father's, and of the holy Angels/' Then such unhappy men, how will they feel shame at themselves! they will despise and loathe themselves; they \n\\ hat. and abominate their own folly; they will account themselves brutish and mad, so to have been beguiled by the devil, and to have trilled with the season of mere}. " Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth,'' says Daniel, " shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt."

Let us, then, rouse ourselves, and turn from man to God; what have we to do with the world, who from our infancy have been put on our journey heavenward? Take up your cross and follow Christ. He wen! through shame far greater than can be yours. Do you think He felt nothing when He was lifted up on the Cross to public gaze, amid the contempt and barbarous triumphings of His enemies, the Phariseci^. Pilate and his Roman guard, Herod and his men ol war, and the vast multitude collected from all parts ol the world? They all looked on Him with hatred and insult; yet He endured (we are told), "despising thi shame'/' It is a high privilege to be allowed to be ' Heb. xii. 2.

formed to Christ; St. Paul thought it so, so have all

(1 men. The whole Church of God, from the da3^s of iuist to the present, has been ever held in shame and

Diitempt by men of this world. Proud men have easoned against its Divine origin; crafty men have

■mpted to degrade it to political purposes: still it lasted for many centuries; it will last still, through iie promised help of God the Holy Ghost; and that a me promise which is made to it first as a body, is issuredly made also to every one of us who seeks grace

Vom God through it. The grace of our Lord and Saviour

> })ledged to every one of us without measure, to give

;s all necessary strength and holiness when we pray for t; and Almighty God tells us Himself, '^ Fear ye not he reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revil-

ngs. For the moth shall eat them up like a garment,

land the worm shall eat them like wool; but My

irighteousness shall be for ever, and My salvation from

jgeneration to generation. ^^