Parochial and Plain Sermons

Ltrg, i. 48. "From henceforth all generations shall call qne blessed."

O-DAY we celebrate the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary; when the Angel Gabriel was sent to tell her that she was to be the Iother of our Lord, and when the IIoly Ghost came upon her, and overshadowed her with the power of the Highest. In that great event was fulfilled her anticipation as expressed in the text. All generations have called her blessed.  The Angel began the salutation; he said, "Hail, thou that art highly favoured; the Lord is with thee; blessed  art thou among women." Again he said, '" Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favour with God; and, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a Son, and shalt call His name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest." Her cousin Elizabeth was the next to greet her with her appropriate title. Though she was filled with the Holy Ghost at the time 1 aet,-:a2mert. 2 vho,l.te"

expressly told), what nmst have been the transcendent purity of her, whom the Oreator Spirit condescended to overshadow with His mirwulous presence? What must have been her gifts, who was chosen to be the only near earthly relative of the S,m of God, the only one whom tie was bound ly nature to revere and look up to; the one appointed to train and educate Him, to instruct Him day by dy, as I h, grew in wisdom and in stature? This contemplation runs to a higher subject, did we dare ibllow it; f,r what, think you, was the sanctified state of that hum:m nature, of which God formed tIis sinless Son; kowing as we do, " that which is born of the flesh is flesh," and that "noe can bring a clean thing out of an nnclean?"  _ow, after dwelling on thoughts such as these, when we turn back again to the Gospels, I think every one must feel some surprise, that 'e are not told more about the Blessed Virgin than we find there. After the circmnstances of Christ's birth and infancy, ve hear little of her. Little is said in praise of her. She is mentioned as attending Christ to the cross, and there committed by Him to St. John's keeping; and she is mentioned as,continuing with the Apostles in prayer after His ascension; and then we hear no more of her. But here again in this silence we find instruction, as much as in the mention of her. 1. It suggests to us that Scripture was written, not to exalt this or that paticular Saint, but to give glory to Almighty God. There have been thousands of holy souis in the times of which the Bible history treats,  1 John iii. 6. Job xiv. 4.

whom we know nothing of, because their lives did not tall upon the line of God's public dealings with man. In Scripture we read not of all the good auen who ever were, only of a few, viz. those iu whom God's name was especially honoured. Doubtless there have been many widows in Israel, serving God iu fastings and prayers, like A:na; but she only is mentioned in Scripture, as being in a situation to glorify the Lord Jesus. She spoke of the Infant Savi,ur "to all them that looked for redemptit,n in Jerusalem." l'ay, for what we know, faith like Abraham's, and zeal like David's, have burned iu the breasts of thousands whose names have no memorial; because, I say, Scripture is written to show us the course of God's great and marvellous providence, and we hear of those Saints only who were the instruments of His purposes, as either introducing or preaching Ilis Son. Christ's favoured Apostle was St. John, Ilis personal fi'iend; yet how little do we know of St,. John compared with St. Paul;—and why? because St.. Paul was the more illustrious propagator and dispenser of His Truth. As St,. Paul himself said, that he "knew no man after the flesh, '' so His Saviour, with somewhat a similar meaning, has hid fi'om us the knowledge of His more sacred and familiar feelings, His feelings towards His Mother and His friend. These were not to be exposed, as unfit for the world to kuow,—as dangerous, because not admitting of being known, without a risk lest the honour which those Saints received t.hrough grace should eclipse in our minds the honour of Him who honoured them. /tad do not now believe, the utter deformity of sin; while the Saints of the Lord, who seemed on earth to bear but the countenance of comnmn men, will wake up one by one after llis likeness, and be fearful to look upon. And then will be fulfilled the promise pledged to the Church on tile Mount o Transfiguration. It will be "good" to be with those whose tabernacles might have been a snare to us on earth, had we been allowed to build them. We shall see our Lord, and His Blessed Mother, the Apostles and l'rophets, and all those righteous men whom we now read of in history, and long to know. Then we shall be taught in those Mysteries which are now above us. In tile words of tile Apostle," Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; bnt we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is: and every man that hath this hope in Him, purifieth himself, even as tie is pure. ''

LtKE xxiv. 5, 6. " Why seek yc the living among thc dcad? IIc is not here, but is risen."

UCH is the triumphant question with which the Holy Angels put to ttight the sadness of the women on the morning of Christ's resurrection. "O ye t,f little faith," less faith than love, more dutiful than understanding, why eolne ye to anoint His Body on the third day? Why seek ye the Living Saviour in the tomb? The time of sorrow is run out; victory has come, aeeording to His Word, and ye recollect it not. "He is not here, but is risen!" These were deeds done and words spoken eighteen hundred,,ears sinee; so long ago, that in the world's thought they are as though they never had been; yet they hold good to this day. Christ is to us now, just what He was in all His glorious Attributes on the morning of the Besurreetion; and we are blessed in knowing it, even more than the women to whom the Angels spoke, aeeording to His own assuranee, " Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."

On this highest of Festivals, I will attempt to set before you one oug of the many comfortable subjects of reflection which it suggests. 1. First, then, bserve hmv Christ's resurrection liarmonizes with the histo W of His birth. David had foretold that His "soul should not be lefg in hell" (that is, the unseen state), neither should "the Holy One of God see corruption." And with a reference to this prophecy, St. Peter says, that it "was not possible that lie should he holden of death;" as if there were some hidden inherent vigour in l Iim, which secured His manhood from dissolution. The greatest infliction of pain and violence could only destroy its powers ibr a season; but nothing could make it decay. " Thou wilt not suffer Thy Holy One to see corruption;" so says the Scripgure, and elsewhere calls Him the "Hol!! child Jesus. ''e These expressions carry our minds back to the Angels' announcemeat of His birth, in which His incorruptible and immortal nature is implied. "That Holy Thing" which was born of Mary, was " the Son," not of alan, but "of God." Others have all been born in sin, " after Adam's own likeness, in His image, ''a and, being born in sin, they are heirs to corruption. " By one man sin entered iuto the world, and death," and all its consequences, "by sin." Nog one human being comes iuto existence without God's discerning evidences of sin attendant on his birth. But when the Word of Life was manifested in our flesh, the Holy Ghost displayed that creative hand by which, in the beginning, Eve was tbrmed; and the humiliation was at iIs lowesI depth when He expired. Immediately some incipient tokens showed themselves, thaI the real victory was witch Him; first, the earthquake and other wmders in heaven and earth. These evei1 were enough to justify llis claiIn in the judgment of the heathen centurion; who said at once, "Truly this was the Son of (lod." Then followed Ilis descent into hell, and triumph in the unseen world, vhatever Ihat was. Lastly, that glori, ms deed of power on the third morning which we now eolmnemorate. The dead arose. The grave could not detain IIim who "had life in tlimself." lie rose as a man awakes in the moruing, when sleep flies from him as a thing of course. Corrul,tion had no power over that Sacred Body, the fruit of an imluaeulate conception. The bonds of death were brokeu as "green withes," witnessing by their feebleness that lie was the Son of God. Such is the eolmexion between Christ's birth and resurrectiou; and more than this might be ventured eoueerning IIis incorrupt nature, were it not better to avoid all risk of trespassing upon that reverence with which we are bound to regard it. Something might be said concerning tIis personal appearance, which seems to have borne the marks of one who was not tainted with birth-sin. Men could scarce keep froln worshipping I[inl. When the Pharisees sent to seize Him, all the officers, on His merely acknowledging Himself to be tIim wholn they sought, fell backwards from IIis presence to the ground. They were seared as brutes are said to be by the voice of man. Thus, being created in God's image, tie was the second Adam; and much more made to those who partake it. And since there is some danger of this, I will here make some brief remarks conceruing this great gift; and, pray God that our words and thoughts may accord to its unspeakable sacredness. Christ says, "As the Father hath life in IIimself, so hath He given also to the Son to have life in IIimself;" and afterwards He says, " Because I live, ye shall livc also." 1 It would seem then, that as Adam is the author of death to the whole race of men, so is Christ tl.e Origin of immortality. Vhen Adam ate the forbidden fruit, it was as a poison spreadhg through his whole nature, soul and body; and thence through every one of his descendants. It was said to him, when he was placed in the garden, " In the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die;" and we are told expressly, "in Adam all die." We all are born heirs to that infection of nature which followed upon his fall. But we are also told, '" As in Adam all die, even so n Christ shall all be made alive;" attd the same law of God's providence is maintained in both cases. Adam spreads poison; Christ diffuses life eternal. Christ communicates life to us, one by one, by means of that holy and incorrupt nature which He assumed for our redemption; how, we know not; still, though by an unseen, surely by a real communication of IIimselI: Therefore St. Patti says, that "the last Adam was made" not merely "a living soul," but "a uickcning" or lifegi4ng "Spirit," as being "the Lord from heaven. '' Again, in His own gracious words, He is "the Bread of x John v. 26; xiv. 10. - Gem ii. 17. 1 Cor. xv. 22, 45, 47.

"The Bread of God is He which cometh down heaven, and giveth life unto the world;" or, as He more plainly, " I am the Bread which came down from heaven;" "I am flint Bread of life;" "I am the living Bread which came down from heaven; if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the Bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." And again, still nmre clearly, "Whoso eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, hath eternal life; md I will raise him up at the last day. '' Why should this communion with Him be thought incredible, mysterious and sacred as it is, when we know fi'om the Gospel how marvellously He wrought, in the days of IIis humiliation, towards those who approached Him? We are told on one occasion, "the whole multitude sough to touch Him; for there went virtue out of Him, and healed them all." Again, when the woman wth the issue of blood touched liim, tie "immediately knew that virtue had gone out of Him. ''e Such grace was invisible, known only by the cure it effected, as in the case of the woman. Let us not doubt, though we do not sensibly approach Him, that lie can still give us the virtue of I[is purity and incorruption, as He has promised, and in a more heavenly and spiritual manner, than "in the days of liis flesh;" in a way which does not remove the mere ailments of this temporal state, but sows the seed of eternal life in body and soul. Let us not deny Him the glory of His life-giving holiness, that

diffusive grace which is the renovation of our whole race, a spirit quick and powerful and piercing, so as to leaven the whole mass of human corrupt.ion, and make it live. He is the first-fruits of the P, esurreetion- we follow Him each in his own order, as we are hallowed by His inward presence. And in this sense, among others, Christ, in the Scripture phrase, is "formed in us;" that is, the communication is made to us of lIis new nature, which sauetifies the soul, and makes the body immortal. In like manner we pray in the Service of the Conmmnion that "our sinful bodies may be made clean by His body, and our souls washed through His most precious blood; and that we may evermore dwell in Him and He in us." Such then is our risen Saviour in Himself aud towards us:—conceived by the Holy Ghost; holy fi'om the womb; dying, but abhorring corruption; rising again the third day by His own inherent life; exalted as the Son of God and Son of man, to raise us after Him; and filling us incomprehensibly with His immortal nature, till we become like Him; filling us with a spiritual life which may expel the poison of the tree of knowledge, and restore us to God. How wonderful a work of grace! Strange it was that Adam should be our death, but stranger still and very gracious, that God Himself should be our life, by means of that lmman tabernacle which He has taken on Himself. O blessed day of the Pesurreetion, which of old time was called the Queen of Festivals, and raised among Christians an anxious, nay contentious diligence duly to honour it! Blessed day, once only passed in sorrow, wheu the Lord actually rose, and the disciples believed not; but ever since a day of joy to the faith and love of the Church! In ancient times, Christians all over the world began it with a morning salutation. Each nan said to his neighbour, "Christ is risen;" and his neighbout answered him, " Christ is risen indeed, and hath appeared unto Simon." Even to Simon, the coward di.seiple who denied llim thrice, Christ is risen; even to us. who long ago vowed to obey Him, and have yet so often denied l lira before men, so often taken part with sin, and followed the world, whe: Christ called us another way. " Christ is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon!" to Simon Peter the favoured Apostle, on whom the Church is built., Christ has appeared. He has appeared to IIis IIoly Church first of all, and in the Chm'eh IIe dispenses blessings, such as the world knows not of. Blessed are they if they knew their blessedness, who are allowed, as we are, week after week, and Festival after FestivM, to seek and find in that Holy Church the Saviour of their souls! Blessed are they beyond language or thought, to whom it is vouchsafed to receive those tokens of His love, which cannot otherwise be gained hy man, the pledges aud means of His special presence, in the Sacrament of His Supper; who are alloved to eat and drink the food of immortality, and receive life from the bleeding side of the Son of God! Alas! by what shnge coldness of heart, or perverse superstition is it, that any one called Christian keeps away from that heavenly ordinance? Is it not very grievous that there should be any one who fears to share in the greatest conceivable blessing which could come upon sinful men? What in truth is that fear, but unbeliet; a slavish sin-loving obstinacy, if it leads a man to go year after year without the spiritual sustenance which God has provided for him? Is it wonderful that, as time goes on, he should learl deliberately to doubt of the grace therein given? that he should no longer look upon the Lord's Supper as a heavenly feast, or the Lord's Minister who consecrates it as a chosen vessel, or that Holy Church in which he ministers as a Divine Ordinance, to be cherished as the parting legacy of Christ to a sinful world? Is it wonderful that seeing he sees not, and hearing he hears not; and that, lightly regarding all the gifts of Christ, he feels no reverence for the treasure-house wherein they are stored? But we, who trust that so far we are doing God's will, inasmuch as we.are keeping to those ordinances and rules which His Son has left us, we may humbly rejoice in this day, with a joy the world cannot take away, any more than it can understand. Tly, in this time of rebuke and blasphemy, we cannot but be sober and subdued in our rejoicing; yet our peace and joy may be deeper and fuller even for that very seriousness. For nothing can harm those who bear Christ within them. Trial or tenTtation, time of tribulation, time of wealth, pain, bereavement, anxiety, sorrow, the insults of the enemy, the loss of worldly goods, nothing can "separate us fron the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. '' This the Apostle told us long since; but we, in this age of the world, over and above his word, have the experience of many centuries for our comfort. We 1 101[1. -dii. 39.

have his own history to show us how Christ within us is stronger than the world around us, and will prevail. We have the history of aft his fefiow-sufferers, of aft the Confessors and Martyrs of early times and since, to slmw us that Christ's arm" is not shortened, that it cannot save;" that fiith and love have a real abidNg-place on ea.rth; that, come what will, His grace is suNcient tbr His Church, and Ilis strength made perfect in weakness; that, "even to old age, and to hoar hairs, IIc will carry aml deliver" her; that, in whatever time the powers of evil give challenge, Martyrs and Saints will start forth again, and rise from the dead, s plentiful as though they had never been before, even "the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the Word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast., neither his iage, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands."  [eantine, while Satan only threatens, let us possess our hearts in patience; try to keep quiet; aim at obeying God, in all things, little as we as 'eat; do the duties of our calling' which lie before us, day by day; and "take n, thought for the morrow, for sucient unto the day is the evil thereof. ''  Rev. xx. 4. c Matt. vi. 34.

kind of sense, in which we should say we saw a servant of His,.Apostle or I'rophet, though we conld not see his soul, so man has seen the Invisible God; and we have the history of His sojourn among His creatures in the Gospels. To know God is life eternal, and to believe in the Gospel mnifestation of Him is to know Him; but how are we to "know that we know Him?" How are we to be sure that we are not mistaking some dream of our own for the true and clear Vision? How can we tell we are not like gazers upon a distant prospect through a misty atmosphere, who mistake one object for another? The text answers us clearly and intelligibly; though some Christians have recourse to other proofs of it, or will not have patience to ask themselves the question. They say they are quite certain that they have true faith; for tzaith carries with it its own evidence, and admits of no mistaking, the true spiritual conviction being unlike all others. On the other hand, St. John says, "Hereby do we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments." Obedience is the test of Faith. Thus the whole duty and work of a Christian is made up of these two parts, Faith and Obedience; "looking unto Jesus," the Divhm Object as well as Author of our faith, and acting according to His will. ot as if a certain frame of mind, certain notions, affections, feelings, and tempers, were not a necessary condition of a saving state; but, so it is, the Apostle does not insist upon it, as if it were sure to follow, if our hearts do but grow into the;se two chief objects, the view of God in Christ and the diligent aim to obey Him in our conduct.

I conceive that we are in danger, in this day, of insisting on neither of these as we ought; regarding all true and careful consideration of the Object of faith, as barren orthodoxy, technical subtlety, and the like, and all due earnestness about good works as a mere cold and tormal morality; and, instead, making religion, or rather (for this is the point) making the test of our being religious, to consist in our having what is called a spiritual state of heart, to the comparative neglect of the Object fi'om wMch it nmst arise, and the works in which it should issue. At this season, when we are especially engaged in considering the full triumph and amnifestation of our Lord and Saviour, when lie was "declared to be the Son of God with power, by the resurrection from the dead," it may be appropriate to make some remarks o an error which goes far to deprive us of the benefit of His condescension.,St. John speaks of knowing Christ and of keeping His commandments, as the two great departments of religious duty and blessedness. To know Christ is (as I have said) to discern the Father of all, as manifested tln'ough IIis Only-begotten Son Incarnate. In the natural world we have glimpses, frequent and startling, of IIis glorious Attributes; of His power, wisdom, and goodness; of tlis holiness, His fearful judgments, His long remembrance of evil, IIis long-suffering towards sinners, and His strange encompassing mercy at times when we least looked tbr it. But to us nmrtMs, who live for a day, and see but an arm's length, such disclosures are like reflections of a prospect in a broken mh-ror; they do not enable us in any comfortalfle sense to know God.

anything; but a course of obedience says much. Varions deeds, done in different departments of duty, support and attest each other. Did a man act merely a bohl and firm part, lie wotdd have cause to say to himself, "l'erhaps all this is mere pride and obstinacy." Were he merely yielding and forgiving,—he might be indulging a natunfl indolence of mind. Were he merely industrious,— this might consist with ill-temper, or selfishuess. ]id he merely fulfil the duties of his tentporal calling,—he would have no proof that he had given his hea.rt to God at all. Were he merely regtflar at Church and lIoly Communion,many a man is such who has a lax conscience, who is not scrupulously fairdealing, or is censorions, or niggardly. Is he what is called a domestic character, amiable, affectionate, fond of his family? let him beware lest lie put wife and children in the place of God who gave them. Is he only temperate, sober, chaste, correct in his language it may arise from mere dulness and insensibility, or may consist with spiritual pride. Is lie cheerful and obliging? it may arise from youthful spirits and rance of the world, l)oes he choose his fl'iends by a strictly orthodox rule? he may be harsh and uncharitable; or, is he zealous and senicealle in defending the Truth? still he may be unable to condescend to men of low estate, to rejoice with those who rejoice, and to weep with those who weep. No one is without some good quality or other: ]3alaam had a scruple about misrepresenting God's message, Saul was brave, Joab was loyal, the Bethel Prophet reverenced God's servants, the witch of Endor was hospitable; and therefore, of course, no one good deed or disposition is the criterion of a spiritual mind. Still, on the other hand, there is no one of its characteristics which has not its appropriate outward evidence; and iu proportion a.s these external acts aa'e multiplied and varied, so does the evidence of it become stronger and more consoliug. General conscieutiousness is the only assurance we can have of possessing it; and at this we must aim, determining to obey God consi.tently, with a jealous ca.refulness about all things, little and great. This is, in Scripture language, to "serve God with a perfect heart;" as you will see a.t once, if you compare the respective reformations of Jehu and Josiah..As far thou as a man has reason to hope that he is consistent, so far may he humbly trust that he has true faith. To be consistent, to "walk in all the ordinances of the Lord blameless," is his one business; still, all along looking reverently towards the Great Object of faith, the Father, the Son, and the Holy (;host, Three Persons, One God, and the Sou Incarnate for our salvation. Certainly he will have enough to direct his course by, with God in his eye, and his work in his hand, though he forbear curious experiments about his sensations and emotions; and, if it be objected that an evidence from works is but a cold comfort, as being at best but faint and partial, I reply, that, after all, it is more than sinners have a right to ask,that if it be little at fi:t, it grows with our growth in ace,and moreover, that such an evidence, more than any other, throws us in faith upon the lovingkindness and meritorious sufferings of our Saviour. Surely, even our best doings have that taint of sinfulness pervading them, which xvill remind us ever, while we regard them, where our True IIope is lodged. Men are satisfied with themselves, not when they attempt, but when they neglect the details of duty. I)isobedienee blinds the conscience; obedience makes it keen-sighted and sensitive. The more we do, the more shall we trust in Christ; and that surely is no morose doctrine, which, after giving us whatever evidence of our safety can be given, leads us to soothe our selfish restlessness, and tbNet our fears, in the vision of the Incarnate Son of God. Lastly, it may be objected, that, since many deeds of obedience are themselves acts of the mind, to do them well we must necessarily examine our feelings; that we cannot pray, for instance, without reflecting on ourselves as we use the words of prayer, and keeping our thoughts upon God; that we cannot repress anger or impatience, or cherish loving and forgiving thoughts, without searching and watching ourselves. Bug such an aNumeng rests on a misconception of what I have been saying. All I would maintain is, that our duty lies in aets, acts of course of every kind, acts of the mind, as well as of the tongue, or of "the hand; but anyhow, it lies mainly in a.cta; it does not directly lie in moods or feeliugs, lie who aims at praying well, loving sineerely, disputing meekly, as the respective duties occur, is wise and religious; but he who aims vaguely and generally at being in a spiritual frame of mind, is entangled in a deceit of words, which gain a meaning only by being made mischievous. Let us do our duty as i.t presents itself; this is the secret of true faith and peace. We have power over our deeds, under God's grace; we have no direct power over our habits. Let us but secure our actions, as God would have them, and our habits will follow. Suppose a religious man, for instance, in the society of strangers; he takes things as they come, discourses natura.lly, gives his (pinion soberly, and does good according to each opportunity of good. lIis heart is in his work, and his thoughts rest without effort on his God and Saviour. This is the way of a Christian; he leaves it to the ill-instructed to endeavour after a (so-called) spiritual frame of mind amid the bustle of life, which has no existence except in attempt and profession. True spiritual-mindedness is unseen by man, like the soul itself, of which it is a quality; and as the soul is known by its operations, so it is known by its fruits. I will add too, that the office of self-examination lies rather in detecting what is bad in us than in ascertaining what is good. No harm can follow from contemplating our sins, so that we keep Christ before us, and attempt to overcome them; such a review of self will but lead to repentance a.nd faith. And, while it does this, it will undoubtedly be moulding our hearts into a higher and more heavenly state;—but still indirectly; —just as the mean is attained in action or art, not by directly contemplating and aiming at it, but negatively, by avoiding extremes. To conclude. The essence of Faith is to look out of ourselves; now, consider what manner of a believer he is who imprisons himself in his own thoughts, and rests on the workings of his own mind, and thinks of II] M his Saviour as an idea of his imagination, instead of putting self aside, and living upon Iiim who speaks in the Gospels. So much then, by way of suggestion, upon the view of Religious Faith, which has ever been received in the Church Catholic, and which, doubtless, is saving. To-morrow I propose to speak more particularly of that other system, to which tlmse latter times have given birth.