Parochial and Plain Sermons

ACTS i. 8. " Yc shall be lVitncsscs unto Me, both i Jerusalem, and ia all Judea, atd it Samaria, and unto the utterwst Tart of th earth."

0 many were the wonderfid works which our Saviour did on earth, that not even the world itself could have contued the books recording them.:Nor have:His marvels been less since He ascended on high;- those works of higher grace and more abiding fruit, wrought iu the stuffs of men, from the first hour till now,the captives of His power, the ransomed heirs of His kingdom, whom He has called by His Spirit working in due season, and led on from strength to strength till they appear before His face in Zion. Surely not even the world itself could contaiu the records of His love, the history of those many Saints, that "cloud of Witnesses," whom we to-day celebrate, His purchased possession in every age'-. We crowd these all up into one day; we mingle together in the brief remembrance of an hour all the choicest deeds, the holiest lives, the noblest labours, the most precious sufferings, which the sun ever saw. Even the least of those Saints were the contemplation of many days,—even the names of them, if read in our Service, would outnm many settings and risings of the light,—cvcn one pa.ssage in the life of one of them were more than sufficient for a loug discourse. "' Who can count the dust of Jacol, and tile number of the fi_m'tl part f Israel? '' Martyrs and Confessors, ltulers and l)octors of the Church, devoted Ministers and Rcligi,us 1)rcthrcn, kings of the earth and all people, princes and judges of the earth, young men and maidens, hl men and children, the first fruits of all ranks, ages, and callings, gathered each in his own time into the paradise of God. This is the 1,1essed company which to-da.y meets tile Christian pilgrim in the Services ,f the Church. We are like Jacob, when, on his journey homewards, he was encouraged by a heavenly vision. "Jacob went on his way, and the Angels of God met him; and when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God's host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim."  _And such a host was also seen 1,y tle fitvoured.Apostle, as described iLL the chapter fi'om which the Epistle of the day is taken. " I beheld, and lo, a great multitude, which no man could numler, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the Lmnb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands.... These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the llood of the La.mb."   Numb. xxiii. 10. "-' Gen. xxxii. 1, 2.  R.v. vii. 9, 11.

religion be not a great national sin. As to individuals, I can easily understand how it is that they pass them over. A c,nsidcrable nnml,er of persons (for instance) have not their time at their own disposal. They are in service or lusiness, and it is their duty to attend to the orders of their masters or eml)loyers,—which keep them from church. Or they have particular duties to keep them at home, though they are their own mters. Or, it even may be said, that the circumstances under which they tirol their calling, the mode in which it is exercised hy others, may be a sort of reason for doing as others do. It m W be such a worhlly loss to them to leave their trade on a, ans day and go to church, as to appear to them a reason in conscience for their not doing so? I do not wish to give an opinion upon this case or that, which is a matter for the individual immediately concerned. Still, I say, on the whole, that state of society must be defective, which renders it necessary fir the Ordinances of relicion to he neglected. There must be a fault somcwhc'e; and it is the duty of every one of us to clear himself of his own portion of the fa.ult, to avoid partaking in other men's sins, and to do his utmost that others may extricate themselves from the blame too. ] say this neglect of religius Ordinances is an especial fault of these latter ages. There was a time when men openly honoured tim Gospel; and when, couseqnently, they had each of them more means of becoming 'eligious. The institutions of the Church were impressed Ul)On the face of society. Dates were reckoned not so much by months and seasons, as by sacred Festivals. The world partake, of preaching Christ as a warning and a remembrance, than if all who loved the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity made it a practice to throng the churches on the week-day Festivals and various lIoly Seasons, allowing less religious persons the while to make the miserable gains which gTeater keenness in the pursnit of this world certainly does secure? I have not yet mentioned the peculi,r benefit to be derived from the observance of Saints' days: which obviously lies in their setting before fle mind patterns of excellence for us to follow. Iu directing ns to these, the Church does but fnlfil the design of Scripture. Consider how great a part of the Bible is historical; and how much of the history is merely the lives of those men who were God's instruments in their respective ages. Some of them are no patterns for us, others show marks of the corruption under which human{ nature miversally lies:yet the chief of them are specimens of especial faith and sanctity, and are set before us with the evident intention of exciting and guiding us in our religious course. Such arc, above others, Abraham, Joseph, Job, Moses, Joshua, Samuel, David, Elijah, Jeremiah, Daniel, and the like; and in the New Testament the Apostles and Evangelists. First of all, and in tIis osvn incomnmnicable glory, our Blessed Lord Himself gives s an example; but His fdthfid servants lead us on towards I[im, and confirm and diversify His pattern. Now it has been the aim of our Church in her Saints' days to maintain the principle, and set a patteni, of this peculiarly Scriptural teaching. And we, at the present day, have pa.rticular need of devised, and the Order they founded, are viewed with coldness and disrespect? llow few are there who look with reverent interest upon the Bishops of the Church as the Successors of the Apostles; honouring them, if they honour, merely because they like them as individuals, and not from any thought of the peculiar sacredness of their office! Well, let it be! the End must one time come. It cannot be that things should stand still rims. Christ's Church is indestructible; and, lasting on through all the vicissitudes of this world, she mst rise again and flourish, when fle poor creatures of a day who opposed her, have enunbled into dust. ":No weapon that is formed agains her shall prosper." " joiee not against me, 0 mine enemy! when I fall, shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me. '' In the meantime let us not, tbrget our duty; which is, after the example of Saints, to take up our cross meekly, and pray for our enmnies. These are thoughts suitably to be impressed on us, on ending (as we do now) the yearly Festivals of the Church. Every year brings wonders. We know not any year, what wonders shall have happened before the circle of Festivals has run out again, from St. Andrew's to All Saints'. Onr duty then is, to wait for the Lord's coming, to prepare His way before Him, to pray that when He comes we may be found watching; to pray for our country, for our King and all in authority under him, that God would vouchsafe to enlighten the understandings and change the hearts of men in power, and make them act in His faith and fear, for all orders  Isa. ]iv. 17. Micah vii. 8. I1] D D and conditions of men, and especially for that branch of His Church which He has planted here. Let us not forget, in our lawful and fitting hc, rror at evil men, that they have souls, and that they know not what they do, when they oppose the Truth. Let us not forget, th,t we are sons of sinful Adam as well as they, and have had advantages to aid our faith and obedience above other men. Let us not forget, that, as we are called to be Saints, so we are, by that ve W calling, called to suffer; and, if we suffer, must not think it strange concerning the fiery trial that is to try us, nor he puffed up by our privilege of sufferiug, nor bring suffcriug needlessly upon us, nor be eager to make out we have suffered for Christ, when we have but suffered for our faults, or not at all. May God give us grace to act upon these rules, as well as to adopt and admire them; and to say nothing for saying's sake, but to do much and say little!