SERMON XXVI.

GOD WILL BE SERVED IN FEAR.

1 PETER i. 17.

"Pass the time of your sojourning here in fear."

IF these words were not known for certain to be the words of Holy Scripture; If they were merely words of advice, gathered by some good men out of much meditation on the instruction provided for us by the Holy Ghost in the book of God, I make no doubt they would appear to many very severe, very ill-timed, very unfit to win souls to God, very unlike the mild and indulgent spirit, which, as they persuade themselves, is the chief mark of God's holy gospel. 66 What," it would be said, "are people to fear always? all people, those who are farthest advanced in true religion and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost? Is life to be passed altogether in jealous discomfort, in severe denying ourselves? What, then, is to become of the natural cheerfulness of youth; of the enjoyments inseparable from even health and spirits, quiet and comfortable times, affectionate and kind relations and friends; what of the testimony of a good conscience; what of that full assurance of hope, which the sacred Scriptures of the New Testament mention as one fruit of God's good Spirit in the heart?"

All this and more would be said, by persons unwilling to walk in the true fear of God, against such a maxim as that of St. Peter in the text, "Pass the time of your sojourning here in fear," if that maxim were not known to be the very words of Holy Scripture. All this and more is said by different sorts of persons, against those, who, following God's own method, would make them

serious in the true Scriptural way; by teaching them, and encouraging them in, the true reverence, dread, and awe of God's holy and glorious presence, and of the eternal world, toward which they are close approaching.

It may be through God's blessing, of use to us, if we now consider what those tempers and habits are, which are most apt to make men impatient of being told to "pass the time of their sojourning here in fear." We may hope to find some instruction, as to the best way of training ourselves to a better mind, and avoiding that heathenish kind of devotion, which makes them dissatisfied with the teaching both of God and man, except it tend to make them gay and cheerful for the moment.

I call it a heathenish kind of devotion, for such indeed it is it is like the earthly and carnal notions of those who even now in idolatrous countries gather themselves around the temples of their false gods, and cry out, one to another, "Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die." "Come ye," say they, "and we will fetch wine, and fill ourselves with strong drink, and to-morrow shall be as this day, and yet more abundant." These words of the prophet, which describe the behavior of certain persons in his time, enemies to all religion, are but of too near resemblance to the thoughts and ways of a good many in our time, who yet most carefully profess and call themselves Christians.

Indeed, there is a certain time of life, in which we are almost all of us, if the truth must be owned, more or less partakers of this pagan error, of disliking all that is really serious, all that would impress us deeply and thoroughly with the fear and dread of Almighty God. When youth, and strength, and spirits, are high, before we have tasted of our Father's severer discipline, we shrink, almost all of us, from the graver and sadder lessons of Scripture and the church: we say to ourselves, and allow others to say to us, "Surely this world, so full of enjoyment, can never have been meant merely as a place for the exercise of hard and severe penitence;" and thus by degrees we allow ourselves to be led on, until too many of us forget almost entirely

the better mind of our innocent and simple childhood: that mind, which before had caused us to take God and our parents and teachers, who are in God's stead to us, at their word: which had made us really thoughtful in our prayers, and diligent from time to time, in our selfexaminations. Too often it happens, that, as years go on, and we come more and more within reach of the corrupting world, the happy tempers learned in serious and religious childhood are spoiled and marred, one after another; one after another, we learn and are emboldened to take liberties with holy things, to think lightly of what before would have shocked us; prayer without regularity and seriousness, conversation without restraint, wilful pleasing of ourselves in all matters in which we have any choice; these things seem by degrees less shocking and more natural to us; we grow more and more inclined to say of this and that, "I don't care;" and you all know, even by the proverb, to what sort of an end "not caring" is sure to lead.

If, then, any young person happen now to be listening to me, let me beseech him to be aware of this danger; to watch in himself that spirit of confidence and gayety, which, under pretence of mere youthful cheerfulness, would lead him to make light of God's most holy commandments, and of the means of grace, appointed in his church, for the preservation of our first blessed baptismal innocency.

Let me in particular beseech and warn you, not to listen to those who, whether in jest or in earnest, would persuade you, that you are too young to come to the holy communion. Our church fixes no limit of age, but distinctly declares, that no person is too young, who is willing and desirous to be confirmed;" that is, who can give some account of the Christian hope that is in him, and can make a steady resolution, by God's bles sing, so to live as not to forfeit that hope. Wherever I I hear go, young persons saying, they know it is their duty to attend the holy table, but they consider themselves full young as yet; they see others going, who, as they think, are never the better; and so, for their

part, they mean to wait, and see whether, some years hence, they shall not be fitter than they are now. I would say to all who use such language as this, "Look to it, for evil is before you. Under pretence of reverence to your Savior, you are but encouraging the lightness and childishness of your own inconsiderate unsteady heart. You cannot bear the thought of passing the whole time of your sojourning and abode on earth in such devout fear as St. Peter recommends to all you think it would be a dull melancholy thing to begin seriousness so early in life; aud so you put the whole matter off, like Felix, to a more convenient season, which season, to most of you will never come.

"As to other young persons, bolder as you think than yourself, communicating, and being never the better for it; that is really no reason at all, why you should abstain from communion, though it is a very strong reason, why you should most diligently prepare yourself for it. Do so, and you need not fear to come: young as you are, and of yourself unworthy, Christ has invited you as expressly as your elders and betters: it is not Christian fear, but extreme heathenish rashness, when he has ordained this one way for you to have life through him, and you draw back as though you could do without him."

"But the sacrament is such a very solemn thing.". True; and is it not a solemn thing to die? Is it not an extremely solemn thing to spend one's time, day and night, in the immediate presence of the great and holy God? This you must do; withdraw yourself as you may from his sacraments, you cannot withdraw yourself from his sight, nor from his Almighty hand. He will ask you, by-and-by, why you did not strengthen your youth against temptation, by the early und frequent use of that sovereign medicine, The body and blood of his dear Son. This God will ask you; consider in good time, whether it will be enough for you to answer, that you were some way from the church ; that you were afraid of falling into sin afterward; that you have known many go, who did not seem to improve.

Doubtless, if the lambs and little ones of Jesus Christ

would seriously turn in their minds, what they know very well, concerning the bread of life and the cup of salvation, the face of things in this respect would be quite altered. Those who now shrink from the blessed eucharist, would draw near to it humbly, as to the most glorious of all privileges; those who come seldom would come oftener; those who come without sufficient thought and consideration, would recollect themselves more thoroughly, and practise a religious fear. And what would be the consequence, even as to that cheerfulness, which because young people are afraid of losing, they too often give up every kind of serious thought? Why, they would begin from that day forward to be infinitely more hopeful and settled, though perhaps less gay and confident, than before they listened to their Lord's gracious call.

It is one of the greatest mistakes to imagine, that the sort of fear which men practise in worthy communicating, is an enemy to real refreshment, and cheerfulness, real joy and peace of heart. Nothing but want of faith, of considerate faith, could ever have put such a thought in a Christian's mind. Once really believe, and recollect, that he who gives himself to you in that sacrament, is the life and joy of the whole world: that by virtue of it, you have constant mysterious communion with our Lord Jesus Christ, the rest of the weary and heavy-laden, not only at the moment of receiving, but afterward also; even as the virtue of bodily food is perceived in the nourishment which it gives after the meal, and not at the table only: believe and remember this, and you cannot but acknowledge that the holy sacrament is the last thing to make persons sad, gloomy, and cheerless;-unless you believe it would have been a sad, gloomy, cheerless thing, to be an attendant in person on our divine Master, as he went about doing good: unless heaven itself be in your account a sad, gloomy, cheerless place.

It is true, the sort of rest and satisfaction, which our Lord by his Spirit pours into the hearts of those who come worthily to his altar, is not of a gay tumultuous