Parochial and Plain Sermons

a word. But further, what part of if even is a sufficient evidence to himself of his own sincerity and faithfulness? This is the point which I nrge. How shaH he know tht he is still in a state of grace after a]l his sins? Doubtless he may bave some humble hope of his acceptance. St. Paul speaks of the testimony of his conscience as consoling him; but his conscience also tells him of numberless actual sins, and number]ess omissions of duty; and with the awful prospect of eternity before him, and in the weakness of declining health, how shall he collect himself fo appear belote God? Thus he is, after all, in the very condition of the returning prodigal, and cannot go beyond him, though he bas served God ever so long. He can but serrcnder himself to God, as after all, a worse than unprofitable servant, resigned fo God's will, whatever it is, with more or less hope of pardon, as the case may be; doubting hot that Christ is the sole meritorious Author of all grace, resting simply on ttim who, "if He wfll, can make him clean," but hot without fears about himself, because unable, as he well knows, to read his own heart in that clear unerring way in which God reads it. Under these circumstances, how vaia if is to tell him of his own good deeds, and fo bid him look back on his past consistent life! This reflection will rarely comfort him; and when if does, it will be the recollection of the instances of God's mercy towards him in former years which will be the chief ground of encoumgement in ik o, his true stay is, that Christ came "to call sinners to repentance," that "tIe died for the ungod]y." He ackuowledges and adoI)ts, as fr as he can, St. 1)aul's words, and nothing beyond them, "This is a faithful saying, and xvorthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I ara chief." ' Who shall date approach Christ at the dreadful Day of Judgment, who has rejected the calling of His Spirit here? Who shall then date fo suïrender himself to the great God, vhcn hell is opened ready to receive him? Alas! if is only because some hope is left fo us that we date give ourselves up to Him ],ere; dcsTair ever keeps away. But then, when He takes His sent as the severe Judge of sinners, who, among IIis slothful disobedient servants, will willingly present himself? Surely the rime of sitbmis8ion vill then be over; resignation bas no place among fallen spirits; they are swept away by the uncontrollable power of God. "]3ind him hand and foot, and take him away; '' such will be the dreadUl command. They «ould struggle if they could.

And in hell they will be still tormented by the worm of proud rebellious hatred of God! 1#or even ages will reconcile them to a hard endurance of their rate; hot even the dry apathy in which unbelievers on earth take refuge, will be allowed them. There is no fatalism in the place of forment. The dcvils see their doom was their own fautif, yet they are unable to be sorry for it. It is their will that is in direct energetic variance with the ,ill of God, and they know it. Consider this, my brethren, and lay it to heart. Doubtless you nmst tender yourselves to God's mercy  h[att, ix. 13; Fom. v. 6; 1 Tire. i. 15.  3[att. xxii. 13.

HERE is a general correspondence between this loarable, and that in St. Matthew's gosloel of the two sons whom their father bade go work in his vineyard; but they differ as regards the character of the lorofes - sedly obedient son: in St. Matthew he says, "I go, sir, and went not;" in the parable before us he is of a far different c]ass of Christians, though not without his faults. There is nothing to show that he is insincere in his profession, though in the text he complains in a very unseemly and foolish way. He bears a considerable resemblance to the labourers in the vineyard, rho coml»lained of their toaster; though they are treated with greater severity. The elder brother of the prodigal comlolained of his father's ldndness towards the loenitent; the labourers.of the 4neyard naurmured against the good-man of the bouse for receiving and rewarding those vho came late fo his service as libera[ly as themselves. They, however, spoke in selfishness and presumption; but he in perplexity, as if would appear, and distress of nind. Accordingly, he was confforted by his father, who graciously informed him of the reason of his acting as he had done. "Son, thon art ever with me," he says, "and all that I have is thine. If was naeet that we should naake naerry and be glud; for this thy brother was dead and is alive agin, and was lost and is round.":Now let us try to understand the fcclings of the e]der brother, and to apply the l»icture to the circumstances in which we find ourselves af present. First, then, in the conduct of the father, there seemed, af iïrst sight, an evident depaoEure from the rules of fairness and justice. Here was a rcprobate son received into his favour on the iïrst stilïings of rcpentance. What was the use of serving him dutifully, if there were no difference in the end between the righteous and the wicked? This is what we feel and act upon in life constantly. In doing good to the poor, for instance, a chief object is to encourage industrious and provident habits; and if is evident we shou]d hurt and disappoint the better sort., and defeat our object, if, after all, we did hot take into account the difference of their conduct, though we promised fo do so, but gave those who did hot work nor save all the benefits granted to those who did. The elder brother's case, then, seemed a hard one; and that, even without supposing him fo feel jealous, or to bave unsuitable notions of his own importance and usefulness. Apply this to the case of religion, and if still holds good. At m4 Coz[racœecd Uiews i lchion. tirs sight, the recelt.ion of the penitent sinner seems to interfere with the reward of thc fithful servant of God. Jus as the 1)romise of 1)ardon is abused by bad ncn to encourage themselves in sinning on, tha o'aoe muy abound; so, on the othcr hand, it is misapprchended by the good, so as to disl)iri them. For wh is our 'eat sty and consolation amid the perturbations of this world? The truth nd justice of God. This is our one ligh in the mids of dm'kness. "He loveth righteousness, aud lmteth iniquity;" "jus and right is He." 2ere else should we End rest for our foot all over the world? Consider in how mysterious  stte all things are lluccd; the wicked are Ul)permos ower ud ha.me, and the righteous are subjected to bodily lain and mental suffering, as if they did hot serve God. Wha The Psalmis fel i vhen he spoke of the prosperity of the wicked. "ehold, hese re the undly, prospcr in the vorld; they increase  riches. erfly I lmve cleansed my he in vin, and washed my hands in innocency. '' It  fo mee this diffictflty tha Aaig]ty Goal bas vouchsufed again and again to dcclare the unswerving rule of His govemenIavot to the obedient, l»unishmen fo the sinner; thut there  "no rCslec of 1)ersons with im;" that "the righç eousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the vicked shall be Ul)On him. "e ecollec how often this is declared in the book of Pslms. "The:Lord knoweth the wy of the righteous: bu the y of the ungoy shaH perish." "The righteous x Ps. . 12, 13.  Rom. ii. 11; zek. xvfii. 20.

Lord loveth righteousness; tlis countenance doth behold the upright." "With the mercihtl Thou -ilt show Thyself mercifltl; with an upright man Thoa wilt show Thyself upright. With the pure Thou wilt show Thyself pure; aud with the frowurd Thou wi]ç show Thyself frowurd. For Thoa wilt save the afflicted people; buç wilt bring down high looks." « lIany sorrows shall be fo the wicked; but he that trusteth tu the Lord, nercy sha]l compass him about." "I)o good, O Lord, unto those that be good. '' These declaraçions, and numberless others like them, are fanliliar fo us ull; and why, I say, so ofteu ruade, except to give us that one fixed point for faith fo test upon, whfle all around us is chunging and disappointing us? riz., thuç we are quite sure of loeuce in the end, bad as things may now look, if we do but ïollow the rule of conscience, avoid sin, and obey God. Ilence, St. lattl tells us thaç "he thaç comcth to God, must believe thaç tle is a q'cwarde" of them that diligently seek Him. ''e Accordingly, 'hen we witness the inequulities of the present world, we comfort ourselvcs by reflecting that they will be put right in another. low the restoration of sinners seems fo interfere with this confidence; iç seems, aç first sight, to put bad and good on a level. And the feeling iç excites mind is exl)ressed in the parable by the words of the text: "These many years do I serve Thee, neither transgressed I ai any rime Thy commandment," yet I never bave been welconed and honoured with that peculiar joy which Thou showest towurds the repentant x t's. i. 6; xi. 7; xviil. 25-27; xxxii. 10; cxxv. 4.  tteb. xi. 6.

sinner. This is the expression of an agitated mind, that fears lest it be cast back upon the wide world, to grope in the dark without a God to guide and encourage it in its course. The condescending answer of the Father in the parable is most instructive. It sanctions the great truth, which secmed in jeopardy, that if is mot the saine thing in the end to obey or disobey, expressly tel]ing us that the Christian penitent is hot placed on a footing 'ith those who have consistently served God from the first. « Son, thou art ever with Me, and all that I bave is thine:" that is, why this sudden fear and distrust? can there be any misconception on thy part because I welcome thy brother? dost thon not yet understand [e? Surely thou hast knowl iXIe too long to suppose that thon canst lose by his gain. 'lwz, art in lXIy confidence. I do hot make any outward display of kindness towards thec, for it is  thing to be takel for granted. We give praise and make professions to strangers, hot to friends. Thou art Iy heir, all that I bave is thine. "O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" Who could bave thought that it were needful to tel] to thee truths which thou hast heard all thy lire long? Thou art ever 'ith Me; and canst thou really grudge that I should, by one mere act of rejoicing, show Iy satisfaction at the sinner's recovery, and shou]d console him with  promise of merey, who, before he heard of it, was sinking down under the dread of deserved punishment? "It was meet that we shotfld make merry and be glad," thou as wel] as thy Father.Such is our merciful God's answer to His SCsl»icious servants, who

Coztracted Vicws i ]cliion. lO7 thiuk He canno pardon the sinner without withdmwing His favour ïrom them; and it contains in it both a consolation for the perl)lexed believer hOt fo distrust Him; and again, u warning to the disobedient, hot fo suppose that repentance makes ail straight and even, and purs a man in the saine place as if he had never departcd from grace given. But ]et us now notice the unworthy ïee]ing which appears in the conduct of the eldcr brother. "tte was « " into the house, tIow nmy angry, and would not o this be ïu]filled in our own case? There exists a great deal of infirmity and foo]ishness even in the better sort of nmn. This is not to be wondered af, considering the origina] corrupt state of their nature, however if is to be deplored, x'epented of, and COlaected. Good men are, ]ike Elijah, "jealous for the Lord God of hosts," and rightly solicitous to see IIis tokens around them, the l]edges of His unchangeable just governmen; but then they mix with such good feelings unue notions of self-importance, of which they re hot ware. This-seemingly was the state of mind which dictated the complaint of the elder brother. This will especilly happen La the case of those who are in the most favoured situations in the Chtrch. All places possess their peculiar temptation. Quietness and peace, those greatest of blessings, constitute the trial of the Christians who enjoy them. To be cast onthe wor]d, and to see lffe (as if is clled) ii a vanity, and u drowns" the unstable "La destructionand perdition;" but while, on the one hand, a religious man may tl'ive

even in the wofld's pestflent air ind on unwholesome food, so, on the othcr hand, he moEy become sickly, unless he gurds aginst it, from the very abundance of privileges vouchsfed to him in a peoEccful lot. The elder brother hd always lived at home; he had seen things go o one woEy, and, as ws noEtural and right, got attoEched fo them in tht one w,y. But then he cottld hot conceive tht they possibly could go on in any other wy; he thought he understood his FoEther's woEys and principlcs ftr more thon he did, and when an occurrence took place, for which he had hitherto met with no precedent, he lost himself, as bcing suddenly thxst aside out of the contracted circle in which he had hithcrto walkcd. IIc woEs disconcerted, and anT with his Father. And so in religion, we bave need fo watch aginst thoEt narrowness of mind, to vhich we are tempted by the uniformity and tranquillity of God's 1)rovidence towards us. We should be on out guoErd lest we suppose ourselves to hoEve such a clear knowledge of God's ways, as to rely implicitly on our own notions and ïeelings. ][en attoEch an undue importance fo this or that point in received opinions or pmctices, and cannot nnderstand how God's blessing can be given fo modes of acting to which they themselves are unaccustomed. Thus the Jews thought religion would corne to an end, if the Temple were destroyed, whereas, in foEct, it bas sp'eoEd abroad and flourished more moErvellously since tlmn ever it did before. In this perplexity of mind the Chm'ch Catholic is our divinely intended -mide, which keeps us from a noErrow interpretation of Scripture, from local lorejudices and excitements of the day; and

Contrac!cd Vç«ws çz Jcl£çoz. o9 by ifs clear-sighted and consolatory teaching scatters those frightful self-formed visions which scare us. Eut I bave hot described the extreme state of thc inrmity into which the blessing of l»eace leads lmwary Christians. They become hot on]y over-confident of their knowledge of God's ways, but positive in their over-confidence. They do hot ]]ke fo be contradicted in thcir opinions, and arc gcnerally most attachcd fo the very loints vhich are most eslecial]y of their own devising: [[hey forger lhat all men arc af best but learners in the school of Divine Truth, and that thcy ihemsclves ought fo be evcr learning, and ihat they nay be sure of the truth of hcir creed, ithout  like assurance in the dctafls of rcligious opinion. [[hey final if  much more comfortable view, auch naorc aga'eeable fo the indolence of hunaan nature, fo givc over seekin8; and to beieve they had notlfing more fo fin& A right ïaith is evcr eagcr and on the watch, with quick eyes and ears, for tokcns of God's 'ill, hether IIe speak in the 'ay of nature or of grace. "I vill stand upon nay watch, and set me upon the tower, and "«'ill vtch to sec hat Ite vill say unto me, and vhat I shall answer 'hen I ara reprove& '' This is that faith by -hich (as the lrophet continues) "the just shall lire." çhe lsahnist also e_xpresses this expectant tenper. "Unto çhee lift I n I) naine eyes, O Thou that dwellest in the heavens.:Behold, as the eyes of servants look lmto the hand of their raasters, and as the eyes or a maiden unto the hand of ber nistress." :But as for those who bave long had God's faveur without cloud or 1 tteb. il. 1. -" ls. cxxiil. 1» 2.

storm, so it is, they grow secure. They do hot feel the -eat gift. They are apt to presume, and so to become irreverent. The elder brother was too familiar with his Father. Irreverence is the very opposite temper fo ihith. "Son, thou art ever with:Me, and all that I ]lave is thine." This most gracious truth was le very cause of his murmu:ing. "When Christi,zns bave but a ]ittle, thcy are thankful; they glad]y pick up the crumbs {'rom under the table. Give them much, they soon forger it is much; and when they find it is hot all, and that for other men, too, even for penitents, God bas some good in store, straightway tkey are offended. Without denying in words their own natural unworthiness, and still having real convictions of it to a certain 1)oin, nevertheless, somehow, they bave a certain secre over-regard for themselves; at least flmy act as ff they thought that the Christian privileges belonged to them over others, by a sort of fitnesa _And they like respect to be shown them by the world, and are jealous of anything which is likely to interfere with the continuance of their credit and authority, t'erhaps, too, they bave pledged themselves to certain received opinions, and this is an additional reason for their being suspicious of what to them is a novelty. Hcnce such persons are least fitted to deal with diflïcult times. God works wondrously in the world; and at certain eras tIis pro- -ddence puts on a new aspect. Religion seems to be failing, when it is merely changing its form. God seems for an instant to desert His own appointed instruments, and to be putting honour upon such as bave been iramed in express disobedience to His commands. For instunce, sometimes tle brings 91)0ll good by meuns of wicked men, or seems to bless the effoloEs of those who huve separated from His tloly Church more than those of His true labourera. Here is the trial of the Christian's faith, who, if the fact is so, must not resist if, lest lmply he be fotmd fighting against God, nor must he quarrel with if af ter the munner of the elder brother.:But he must take everything as God's gift, hold fast his 2rinci21cs, hot give them up because appeamnces are for the moment ugainst them, but believe a]l things will corne round at length. On the other hand, he must hot cease fo beg of God, and try to gain, the spirit of a sotmd mind, the power fo separate truth from çalsehood, und to t3r the spirits, the disposition fo sabrait fo God's teaching, and the wisdom touct as the varied course of affairs reqires; in a word, a portion of tha sp_irit vhich rested on the greut Apostle, St. Puul. I bave thought if right to enlarge upon the conduct of the elder brother in the parable, becuuse something of iris character my perchance be found among ourselves. We bave long had the inestimable blessings of loeace and qniet. Ve are tmwoŒE.hy of the leust of God's mercies, much more of the greatest. But with the blessing we have the trial. Let us then gaard aginst abusing out hulopy lot, while we bave it, or 'e muy lose it for having abused if. Let us gaard agains discontent in any shupe; and as we cannot help hearing what goes on in the vorld, let us guard, on hearing it, against all ihtempemte, uncharitable feelings towaMs those who differ from us, or oppose us. Let us pray for ottr enemies; let us try fo make out men to be as good as they can faidy and safcly be considered; let us rejoice af any symptoms of repentance, or any marks of good principle in those who are on the side of error. Let us be forgiving. Let us try fo be very humble, fo understand out ignorance, and fo rely constantly on the cnlightening gTace of out Great Teacher. Let us be "slow to speak, slow to wrath;"—hOt abandoning our principles, or shrinking from the a'¢owal of them when seasonable, or going over to the cause of error, or fearing consequcnces, but act.ing ever from a sense of duty, hot from passion, pride, jealousy, or an unbelieving dread of the future; ïeeling gently, even when we bave reason fo act severc]y. « Son, thou aoE ever with Me, and al] that I hure is thine." What a acious announcement, if we could realize it! and how consolatory, so far as we bave reason to hope that we are following on to" know God's will, and living in tIis faith and fear! qat shofld alarm those who bave Christ's power, or make them envious who bave Christ's fulness? How ought we calnfly to regard, and resolutely endure, the petty worldngs of an evil world, thinking seriously of nothing but of the sou]s that are perishing in it "I, even I, ara IIe that comforteth you," says A1 lnight.y God: "who art thou, that thou shonldest be afraid of a man that shali die, and of the son of man 'hich shal] be ruade as grass; and forgettest the Lord thy lXIaker; and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? And where is the fury of the oppressor? I ara the Lord thy God: and I bave put lXIy words in thy mout,h, and hure covered thee in the shadow of lV[ine hand, that I may planç the heavens, and lay the fotmdations of the eart,h, and say unto Zion, Thou art lIy loeolole. ''   Is. ll. 12, 13 15» 16.