it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it; for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day; for there shall be no night there.' ""* Again, "And he," (one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues,)" shewed me," (the Apostle John) "a pure river of the water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse; but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him; and they shall see His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun for the Lord God giveth them light; and they shall reign for ever and ever."t Once more: “And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire; and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are Thy ways, Thou King of saints. Who shall not fear Thee, O Lord, and glorify Thy name? for Thou only art holy for all nations * Rev. xxi. N shall come and worship before Thee: for Thy judgments are made manifest." * Who can read this beautiful description of the heavenly Jerusalem,—the everlasting abode of the Saints of God,—and not long to be admitted into it? Who can read this interesting account of the river of the water of life, and of the tree of life, and not earnestly desire to drink of the former, and to partake of the fruit of the latter? Who can think of the light which enlightend the city, and not wish to walk in that light? Who can read of the redeemed who, having gotten the victory over the beast, his image, his mark, and the number of his name, stood on the sea of glass, having the harps of God, and not long to join them in singing to all eternity the praises of God and the Lamb? All who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life" will enjoy this honour, and glory, and bliss. "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." This honour, and glory, and bliss may be yours, if you will. "If any man have an ear, let him hear." Let me, next, entreat those who may visit the Crystal Palace, to repair to that portion of it which is assigned to Paper, Printing, and Bookbinding,† and carefully examine the cabinet which contains the Sacred Oracles :-to bless God for having granted such a precious boon to lost man, and for having extended that boon, by permitting them to be translated into the mother-tongue of this and of so many other nations. These Sacred Oracles were graciously designed to be the rule and standard of our faith and practice "a lamp unto our feet, *Rev. xv. 2, 3, 4. United Kingdom, Class 17, No. 201. and a light unto our path."-Oh, may they earnestly resolve to make them such unto themselves, and pray that, through divine grace, they may become "wise unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus!" It is very needful to insist upon this, at this day, when many persons are so infatuated, presumptuous, and daring as to modify and dilute the Word of God; nay, even to reject such portions of it as exceed the grasp of their intellects, are at variance with their standard of reason, and are incompatible with their notions and tastes; thus paring down the infallible Word of God to the puny dimensions of their own limited faculties; thus, too, forgetting, or slighting, the exhortation which the Almighty gave, by his servant Moses, to the children of Israel, "Ye shall not add unto the Word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you."* But I would more especially urge you to bless God for his last, best gift, for having sent his Son,-that " Pearl of Great Price," to be the Saviour of the World," a light to lighten the Gentiles, and to be the glory of his people Israel,—“ and earnestly and devoutly to pray that He may be, indeed, your own Saviour. And, lastly, let us pray that He, who is the "Prince of Peace" and the God of Love, would pour peace and love into the hearts, not only of the Exhibitors, but of all who have visited, and may still visit, the Crystal Palace; "that it may please the good Lord to give to all nations unity, peace, and concord;" and to grant that "the kingdoms of this world may become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ." *Deut. iv. 2. SERMON VIIL 1 TIM. IV. 16. "TAKE HEED UNTO THYSELF AND UNTO THE ON occasions like the present, when a minister is about to address, for the first time, from the pulpit, those who, in the Providence of God, are committed to his charge, it may very reasonably be expected that he should give a sketch or outline of the functions of the pastoral office, and, also, of the duties of his flock; for the minister and people are connected together by the closest ties; and they should work together, heart and hand, in promoting the great object of religion,—the glory of God, and the salvation of Souls. to go I have now appeared amongst you as your Rector, not to "lord it over God's heritage,"-oh, no,-far otherwise,--but as your spiritual Pastor. What a vast fund of meaning does the phrase-Spiritual Pastor--contain ! and what a weight of responsibility does it imply!- In a secular point of view, most of you are aware what is required in a Shepherd. He is to feed his sheep and lambs in green pastures, or, as it is in themarg in of your Bibles, pastures of tender grass, and to lead them beside the still waters, or waters of quietness; he is to gather the lambs with his arm, and to carry them in his bosom, and is gently to lead those that are with young. And when any of the sheep stray from the fold, as is often the case, he is in search of them, to seek for them until he finds them, and to bring them back to the fold; and, if any one of them, whilst straying, meets with an accident, and receives a sprain, or a fracture, or a bad wound, he is to convey it home, do what is needful for it, and watch over it with tender care and assiduity! But what the Shepherd does, naturally, for the sheep and lambs of his flock, by providing for them suitable food and nourishment, looking after the stray sheep, and bringing them back to the fold, protecting his flock from the attacks of beasts and birds of prey, and tending them when sick and lame, and providing for their recovery,—all this, and much more than this, is the Spiritual Pastor to do, in a spiritual sense, for the members of Christ's body, committed to his charge; he is to watch over their highest, their best interests, the interests of their precious souls; he is to gather the outcsat and wanderer into the heavenly fold: yet, whilst striving to promote, as far as may be in his power, their spiritual welfare, he will not neglect their temporal wants and bodily ailments. |