Parochial and Plain Sermons

TO TtlE REV. E. B. PUSEY, B.D. CNON OF CRIST CURCI AND REGIUS I'ROFESSOR OF HEBREV IN THE UN1VERSITY OF OXFORD THIS VOI.UME 1S INSCR1BED IN AFFECTIONATE ACKNOWLEDGIIENOE OF THE BLESSING OF HIS LONG FRIENDSHIP AND EXAhlPLE.

N this text it has seemed g-ood to the Holy Spirit to convey a chief truth of religion in a few words. It is this circumstance which makes it especially impressive; for the truth itself is declared in one form or other in every part of Scripture. It is told us again and again, that to make sinful creatures holv was the great end which our Lord had in view in takinff upon Him our nature, and thus none but the holy will be accepted for His sake at the last day. The who]e history of redemption, the covenant of merc)" in all its parts and provisions, attests the necessity of holiness in order fo salvation; as indeed even our natural conscience bears witness also. But in the text what is elsewhere implied in history, and enjoined by precept, îs stated doctrinally, as a momentous and necessary tact, the result of somc awful irreversib]e law in the nature of things, and the inscrutable determination of the Divine ïll. Now some one may ask, "Yt'hy is it that holiness is a necessary qualification for our being received into heaven? why is it that the:Bible enjoins upon us so strictly to love, fear, and obey God, to be just, honest, meek, pure in heart, forg'iving, heavenly-minded, selfdcnying,, humble, and resigned? Man is confessedly weak and corrupt; w@ then is he enjoined to be so religions, so uneart.hly? w@ is he required (in the strong language of Scripture) fo become'a new creaturc'? Since he is by nature what he is, would iL hot be an act of grea.ter mercy in Goal to save him a.ltogether without this holiness, whid if is so difficult, yet (as it appcars) so necessary for him to possess?" Now we bave no rig'ht to ask this question. Surely it is quite enoug'h for a sinner to know, that a way bas been opened throug'h God's grace for his salvation, without beinff inforlned why that way, and not another way, was chosen by Divine Wisdom. Eternal lire is "the gf¢ of God." Undoubtedly He may prescribe the t.erms on which He will give it; and if" He bas deterlnined holiness to be the way of life, if is enough; it is not for us to inquire why He has so determined. Yet the question may be asked reverently, and with a view fo enlarge our insight into our own condition and prospects; and in that case the attempt to answer it will be profitable, if if be ruade soberly. I proceed, t.herefore, to state one of the reasons, assig, ned in Scripturc, why prescrit holiness is necessary, as the text declares fo us, for future happiness. To be holy is, in our Church's words, to bave "the truc circumcision of the Spirit;" that is, to be separate from sin, to hate the works of the world, the flesh, and

Fett«t re Blcsscducss. 3 the devil; fo take pleasure in keeping" God's eommandments; fo do thing's «s He would have us do them; to live habitually as in the sight of the world fo corne, as if we had broken the ties of this life, and were dead already. Why canuot we be saved withou possessing such a ri-ame and retaper of mind.9 I answer as follows: q?hat, even supposing" a man of unholy life were suffered fo enter heaven, he wouhl hot be ]talJ2y lhere; so that it would be no mercy to pcrlnit him to enter. We are apL fo deceive ourselves, and to consider heaven  place like this earth; I mean,  place where every one may choose and take his own pleasure. We sec that in his world, active men bave their own enjoyments, and domestic men have theirs; men of literature, of science, of politieal talent, have their respective pursuits and pleasures. Hence we are led fo will be the saine in another world, q?he only difference we put between this world and the next, is that kere, (as we know well,) men are nog aloays,ure, bu tltere, ve suppose they will be always sure, of obtaining what thcy seek ai?ter. And accordingly we conclude, that ay vhatever his habits, fastes, or manner of lire, if once ad»titted into heaven, would be happy there. Not that we altog'ether deny, that some preparation is necessary for the next world; but we do hot estimate ifs real extent and importance. We think we tan reconcile ourselves fo God whcn we will; as iç nothing were required in the esse of men in general, but some temporary attention, more than ordinary, to our religiius duties,some strictness, during out lt sickness, in the services of the Church, as men of business arrange their letters and papers on takin" a journey or ba|ancing an account. But an opinion like this, though commonly acted on, is refuted as soon as put into words. For heaven, itis plain from Scripture, is hot a place where many diffcrent and discordant pursuits can be carried on at once, as is the case in this world. Here every man can do his own pleasure, but there he must do God's pleasure. It would be presumption fo attempt fo deternaine the employmeuts of that eternal ]ife which g'ood men are to pass in God's presence, or to deny that that state which eye hath hot seen nor car heard, nor mind conceived, may comprise an iufinite variety of pursuits and occupations. Still so fir we are distinctly told, that that future lire will be spent in God's 2resetce, in a sense which does hot apply to our preseut lire; so that it may be best described as an endless and uninterrupted worship of the Eternal Father, Son, and Spirit. "They serve Him day and night in His temple, and Ho that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among • tbem.... The Lamb which is lu the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters." Again, "The city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God did lighten if,, a.nd the Lamb is the lig'ht thereof. And the nations of them vhich are saved shall walk in the light of it, and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it '." These passages from St. John are suflàcient fo remlnd us of many othcrs. Hea.vcn then is not like flfis world; I will say what t Rev. vil. 15. 17; xxl. 28, 24.

2mizlure t?lcsset{zess. 5 if is mueh more like,—a ckureh. For in a place of public worship no lang'uage of this world is hcard; there are no schemes broug'ht forward for temporal objects, great or small; no information how to strengthcn onr worldly interests, extend out influence, or establish our credit. Tl,ese thing's indeed, may be right in their way, so hat we do hOt set our hearts upon them; still (I repeat), it is certain that we hear nothing of them in a church. IIere we hear solely and entirely of God. We praise IIim, worship IIin, sing to Ilim, thank Ilim, confiess to IIim, give ourselves up to IIim, and ask IIis blessing. And tkerefore, a church is like heaven; viz. because both in the one and the other, there is one sing'le sovereign subjectrelig'ionbrought be{bre us. Supposin, then, instead of it being" said that no irrelig'ious man could serve and attend on God in heaven (or sec Itim, as the text expresses it), we were told that no irrelig'ious man could worship, or spiritually sec IIim in church; should we not at once perceive the meaning of the doctrine? viz. that, were a man to co.me hither, who had suffered his mind to grow up in its own way, as nature or chance determined, without any deliberate habitual effort after truth and lurity, he would final no real pleasure here, but would soon flet weary of the place; because, in this house o' Goal, he would hear only of that one subject whieh he eared little or nothing about, and nothing at all of those thing, s which excited his hopes and fears, his sympathies and energies. If then a man without religion (supposing it possible) were admitted into heaven, doubtless he would sustain a grea disappointment. Bei'ore, indeed» he f.'mcied that he could

6 tZoli«ess Necessaryfor be happy there; but when he arrived fiacre, he would find no discourse but tlmt whieh he had shunned on earflb no pursuits but those he had disliked or despised, nothin whieh bound him to aug'ht el«e in the universe,,and ruade him feel at home, nothing' whieh he eould enter into and rest npon. IIe would pereeive himself fo be au isolated bcing', eut away by Supreme Power ri'oto those objeets whieh were still entwined around his heart. Nay, he would be in the presenee of that Supreme Power, whom he never on earfl eould bring" himself steadily fo think upon, and whom now he regarded only as the destroyer of all that was preeious and dear fo him. Ah! he eould hot bear the face of the Living" God; the IIoly God would be no objeet of joy fo him. "Let us alone! What bave we to do with thee?" is the sole thought and desire of unclean souls, even while they acknowledge His majesty. None but the holy can look upon the Holy One; without holiness no man can endure to see the Lord. When, then, we think fo take part in the joys of heaven without holiness, we are as inconsiderate as if we supllosed we could take an interest in the worship of Chrîstians here helow without possessing if in our measure. A careless,  sensual, an unbelieving" mind, a mind destitute of the love and fear of God, with nanow views and earthly aires,  low standard of duty, and a benighted conscience,  mind eontented with itself, and unresigned fo God's will, would feel as little llleasure, af the last day, af the words, "Enter into the joy of thy Lord," as if does now af the words, " Let us pray." Nay, much less, because, while we are in a church, we may turn our thoughts to other subjects, and contrive to forger that God is looking on us; but th:tt will not be possible in heaven. We see, then, that holiness, or inward separation from the world, is necessary to our admission into heaven, because heaven is no[ heaven, is hot a place of happiness e.rce2[ t the holy. Thcrc are bodily indispositions which affect the taste, so that the sweetest flawmrs become un- 'rateful to the palate; and indispositions which impair the sig.ht, tinin the fair face of nature with some sickl hue. In like manncr, there is, moral malady which disorders tlae inward sight and taste  and no man labourin under if is in a condition to enjoy what Scripture ca]ls "" the fidness of joy in God's presence, and pleasures af ttis rig, ht hand for evermore.":Nay, I will venture to say more than this;it is fcarful, but it is right to say if;that if  we wished to imagine  punishment for an unholy, reprobate soul, we perhaps could hot fancy. greater than to summo i[ o ]eaeen. Heaven wouhl be hell to an irreligious man. re know how unhappy we are apt to feel af pmsent, hen alone in the midst of strangers, or of men of different tastes and habits from ourselves. How miserable, for example, would if be to bave to llve in, foreiga land, among  leople whose faces we never saw before, and whose language we cou]d hot learn. And this is but a falnt illustration of the loneliness of a m,n of earthly dispositions and tastes, thrust into the society of saints and ang, els. ttow forloru would he wander through the courts of heaven! He would find no one like himsel; he would see in every direction the marks

8 t-Iolincss 2Vcccssary for of od's holiness, and these would make him shudder. He would feel himself alwa£s in His presenee. He could no long'er *urn his thoug'hs anoher way, as he does now, when conscience reproaehes him. He would know hat he Eternal Eye was ever upon him; and tha Eye of holiness, whieh is oy and lire fo holy ereatures, would seem fo him an Eye of wrath and punishmeut. God cannot change IIis mture. IIoly tle must ever be. But whilc IIe is holy, no unholy soul can be happy in heaven. Fire does hot inflame iron, but if inflames straw. If vould ccase to be tire if if did not. And so heavcn itself would be tire to those, who would fifin escape across the great gulf from the torments of hell. The finger of Lazarus would but incrcase their thirst. The very "heaven that is over their head" will be "brass" fo them. And now I bave partly exp]ained why if is that holiness is prescribed fo us as the condition on our part for our admission into heaven. I£ seems fo be necessary from the very nature of things. We do hot see how it could be otherwise. Now then I will mention two important truths which seem to follow from what bas been said. 1. If u certain character of mind, a certain state of the hcart and affections, be necessary for entering heaven, our actiots will avail for out salvatlon, chiefly as they tend fo produce or evidence this frame of mind. Good works (as they are cal!ed) are required, hot as if they had any thing of merit in them, hot as if they could of themselves turn away God's anger for our sins, or purchase heaven for us, but because they are the means, under God's grace, of strengthening and showing" forth that holy principle which G,»d implants in the heart. and without which (as the tcxt tclls us) we cannot sce IIim. The more numerous are our acts of charity, selfdenial, and forbearance, of course the more will out minds be schooled into a charitable, self-denying, and tbrbearing retaper. The more frequent are our prayers, the more humble, patient, and religious are our dailv deeds, this communion with God, these holy works, will be the mcans of making" our hcarts holy, and of preparing" us tbr the fiture presence of God. Outward acts, donc on principle, create inward habits. I repeat, the separate acts of obedience to the will of God, g'ood works as they are called, aie of service to us, as gradually severing us from this world of sense, and imprcssing" our hearts with a heavenly character. If is plain, then, what works are tot of service to our salvation;—all those which either bave no effect upon the heart to chang'e it, or which bave a bad effect. What then must be said of those who think it an easy thing" to please God, and to recommend themselves to Him; who do a few scanty services, call these the walk of faith, and are "satisfied with them? Such men, it is too evident, instead of being- themselves profited by their acts, such as they are, of benevolence, honesty, or justice, may be (I might even say) injured by them. For these very acts, even though g'ood in themselves, are madc to foster in these persons a bad spirit, a corrupt state of heart; riz. self-love, self-conceit, self-reliance, instead of tending" to turn them t¥om this world fo the Father of spirit.s. In like manncr, the mere outward acts of comivg

 o Holizcss Arccessa.ry fo church, nd sayin pra.yers, which are, of course» duties imperative upon all of us, are really serviceable fo those only who do tbem in  heavenward spirit. ca.use such men only use these g, ood deeds fo the improvemeut of the heart; whereas even tbe most exact outward dcvotion avails not  man, if if docs hot improve it. . But observe what follows from this. If holiness be hot merely the doin  certain number of g'ood:mitons» but is an inward charucter whieh follows, under God's raee, from doin them, how thr distant from tl:at holiness are the multitude of men! q?lley are hot yet even obedient in outward deeds, which is the first step towards possessing" if. q?hey have evcn fo learn to practisc ffood works, as the means of chaning" their hearts, which is the end. If follows af once, even thoug'h Scripture did not plainly tell us so, that no one is able fo prepare himself for heaven, that is, make himself holy, in a short rime;at least we do hot see how if is possible; and this, viewed merely as a deduction of the reason, is a serious thought. Yet, alas! as there are persons who think tobe saved by a few scanty performances, so there are others who suppose they may be saved all af once by a sudden and easily acquired faith. Most men who are living" in neglect of God, silence their consciences, when troublesome, with the promise of repening" some future day. How offert are they thus led on till death SUlyrises them!:But we will suppose they do begin fo repent when that future day cornes. Nay, we will e-en suppose that Almighty God were to forgive them, and to adroit them into His holy heaven. Well, but is nothing" more rcquisite? are they in a fit REV. C. W. SULLIVAN state fo do tti»» service i» keaven? is" hot this the very point I bave becn so insisting on, that they are wt in a fit state? bas if not been shown that, even il" adlnitted there without a change of heart, they would find no pleasure in heaven? and is tf change of hcart wroug'ht in tf day? Which of our tastes or likings can we change at our will in a moment? lot the most superficial. Can we then af a vord change t.he whole ri'aine and character oi  our minds? Is hot holiness ihe result of many patient, repeated efforts ai'ter obedicnce, gradually working on us, and first modiFyin and then chaning our hearts? We dare hot, of course, set bounds fo God's mercy and power in cases of repentance late in lile, even where He bas rcvealed to us the general rule of tIis moral g-overnance; yet, surely, if is our duty over to keep stetrdily before us, and act upon, those general truths w]fich His Holy :ord bas declared. His Holy Word in various ways warns us, that, as no one will find happiness in heaven, who is hot holy, so no one can learn to be so, in tf short rime, and when he will. It implies it in the text, which names a qualification, which we know in matter of fact does ordinarily take time to gain. It propounds it clearly, though lu iïgure, in the parable of the wedding garment, in which inward sanctification is ruade tf condition distinct ri-oto our acceptance of the proffer of mercy, and hot negligently fo be passed over in our thoughts as if tf necessary consequence of if; and in that oi  the ten virgins, which shows us that we must meet the bridegroom with the oil of holiness, and that it takes rime to procure it. And it solemnly assures us in St. laul's

  i-ldicss ccessary for Epistles, that it is possible so to presume on Divine grace, as to let slip the accepted rime, and be sealed even before the end of lire to a reprobate mind 1. I wish fo spcak fo you, my brethren, hot as if aliens from God's mercies, but as partakers of tIis gracious covenant in Christ; and for this reason in especial peril, since those on|y can incur the sin of making void His covenant, who have the privilege of if. Yet neither on the other hand do I speak to you as wilful and obstinate sinners, exposed to the imminent risk of forfeiting, or the chance of havin forfbited, your hope of heaven. But I fear there are those, who, if they dealt faithfully wifl their consciences, would be oblig'ed to own that they had hot ruade the service of God their first and great concern; that their obedienee, so to eall it, has been a matt.er of course, in which the heart has had no part; that they have acted uprightly in worldly matters ehiefly for the sake of their worldly interest. I fear there are those, who, whatever be their sense of religion, still have sueh mlsiving's about themselves, as lead them fo make resolve to obey God more exaetly some future day, such misgiving's as convier them of sin, t.hough not enough to bring home fo them its heinousness or its peril. Such men are trifling" with the appointed season of mercy. To obtain the gift of holiness is the work of a lidtè. No man will ever be perFeet here, so sinful is out nature. Thus, in putting off the day of repentanee, these men are reserving for a few chance years, when strength and vigour are gone, that WOIK for which a,oAole lire would hot be enouh. That work is great and  tteb. ri. 4—6; x. 2629. Vide also 2 Pet. il. 20. 22.

Future tl«ssedness. 13 arduous beyond expression. There is mueh of sin remaining" even in the best of men, and "if the rig'hteous seareely be sa.ved, where shall the ungodly nnd sinner appear I?" Their doom may be fixed any moment; anti though riais Lhoug'hL should noL make a man despair to-d,qy, yeL iL should ever make him tremble for o-morrow. Ierhaps, however, others may say:" We know something" of the power of religlon—we love if in a measurewe hve many ehureh fo pra.y; fliis is  proof flmL we are prepared for heaven:we are safe, and apply 4o us." ]3uL be noL you, my brethren, in the number of Lhese. One principal test of out being true servants of God is out wishing" to serve IIim beter; and be quite sure that, man who is eontented with his own profieieney in Christian holiness, is ai best in  dark st,aie, or rther in greaL peril. If we are really imbued with the graee of holiness, we shall abhor sin as something" base, irrational, and polluting'. true, are eontented with partial and indistineL views of religion, and mixeà motives. Be you eontenL with nothing short of perfection; exerL)-ourselves day day fo row in knowledge and g'raee; tha., if so be, you may aL length aLtain fo the presenee of Almig'hty God. Lastly; while we thus labour fo mould out herLs after the pattern of the holiness of out Heaven|y Father, iL is otr eomforL fo know, wh,aL I bave a|ready implied, thaL we are noL lefL fo ourselves, but thL Lhe Holy  I PeL iv. 18.

Ghost is graciously present with us, and enables us fo triumph over, and to change our own minds. Itis a comfort and encouragemeut, while itis an anxious and awful thing5 to know that God works in and through us 1. We are the instruments, 'out we are only the instruments, of our own salvatlon. Let no one say that I discourage him, and propose fo him a task beyond his strength. Ail of us have the gifts of grace pledged fo us frbm our youth up. We know this well  but we do hot use out privilege. We form mean ideas of the diNcult, and in consequence never enter into the greatness of the gifts given us to meet it. Then afterwards, - if perchance we gain a deeper insight into the work we have fo do, we think God a hard toaster, who commands mueh ri'oto a sinful race. Narrow, indeed, is the way of lire, but infinite is His love and power who is with the Church, in Christ's place, to guide us along if.