IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) 1.0 I.I 136 Uk lii 1.25 WWWA 1& 12.0 [ 1.8 1.6 150mm p> <$>> / 'c^ "^ .' . o w y /APPLIED A _£ IIV14GE . Inc s=z 1653 East Main Street tFI Rochester, NY 14609 USA '^ Phone: 716/482-0300 ^ Fax: 716/288-5989 1993. Applied Image. Inc.. All Rights Reserved 4> |\ i\ ^N V ' A SERMON 'I r w i i8' \:x PREACHED IN ST. JAMES' CHURCH. PARIS. U. C. ON QUINQUAQESSIMA 2UNDAY. 11th FEBRUARY. 1866, BY THE REV. ADAM T< )WNLEY, D. IJ., INCUMBENT. 'i '' I '::j '^ I |)rintcd by the ((onjrcgation. "Consider what I say, and the Lord give you understanding in all things." ■->.. PARIS : PRINTED AT THE STAR OFFICE. 18G6. & "fay? <^' '•< !■' CAUSES OF MINISTERIAL SADNESS. 1 A SERMON PREACHED IS ST. JAMES' CHTOOH. PARIS. U. a. ON QUIMQVAOBUIMA SUNDAY, nth FEBRUARY. 18«6. I ■r TRB REV. ADAM TOWNLEY, D. O.. INCUMBENT |rintc(l bn the ([[onsrcsatioii i, "Consider what I say, and the Lord give you under^ aiding in all things." PARIS: PiilM'£I> AT THE STAR OFFICE. 186G. miTZNa or mbmrkbb or st. jameb' ohuroh. At a meeting held at Mr. L. Brown's Office, on Thurwfay the Ifith instant, attended by sererHl members of the congregation of St . James' Church, W. G. Ptowtll, Esq., Chairman, and J. W. Acres, B. A., Esq., Secretary, the following resolution was submitted and oarried unanimoasiy : a.LYi"'"'*'- *''* ^no'eniency of the weather on Quinquagcssima fttendLTT* ""'nr*^ ^ ? P~"^"* many of the families us uaHy thS^ ilfn w •'*"«f .Church, being present on that occasion, and that liTh^^hTp^ P"'*'!^,?^ *2,h«" *^ ^«^v able Sermon then deliv. bv ?h«LiS ^T'*"'! ^'•- To^'nley* have been much impressed h^n.rti!5 ; *"^ T'°"? ^^h that their fellow churchmen should «ftS to Tvj; *" ^"V* spiritual benefits that the sermon is eminently S ^v^f ^^.'""^ "'"^J*^*^ *hey themsei-^s may have the oppor'- lumty of perusmg it at their leisure, therelbre, ^^ Be It rem>\yed, that the Rev. Dr. Townley be requested to furnish » copy of said sermon for publication ." !| My Bbar Parishionxrs Paris, U. C, 16th Peb'y, 1866. I thank you for your kindly appreciation of my wmon on Quinquagessima Sunday morning. Your requert al«> cheers me, because, I know that feeling deeply I complained, per- haps, almost severely, and the spirit in which you have evidently received my earnest remonstrances, betokens, I trust that "that mort excellent gift of Charity" is, through the Divine goodness not without Its blessed influence in your hearts ; praying that this influ. ence may be strengthened, and that the se-mon which I enclose and which you propose to print may do all the good you hope. Believe me, Tour faithful friend and servant in Christ, ADAM TOWNLEY. HitssRS. Powell, Acrbs, L. Brown, and others, Paris. fJ,C= 4 fi M (^mm of Jdiniaimal JJinineftB. 4 ti t CORIN TiilANS XIII. is -•' B« the giMMM of dwN it charily. »,' Fafth and Hop« are graces which bring ua near to the ThuomolT God, but Charity, or the love of God and our brother In oar hetirti, is that which makes us one whh Chrisi, and Alhi us with the Holy Ghost— the very Spirit of God Himfelf. My Brethren, I could oft times, as when, for instance I behold so meagre a congregation as the present one, apply the Apostle's words to myself and say, "I have great heavJneSB and oontitaual sorrow, in my heart," because I see so cotnpaitlfively little of this Divine Charity— this beautiful, energetic and »elf-deiiying Sove^ displayed in your lives and Oonversation. I sorh>w for my gentle and loving Matter, for the dimning of His glory, alad the cold return to His love. I sorrow for you, for your )>reiBent loss of peeee —of a seul reviving peace — such as the world can neither give aot take away, and for the great risk you nte running of coming sAkh gether short of eternal glory ; yea, I sorrow from knowing thet, at the best, your present In irarm relations to Christ are certainly diminishing the fulwaa f your ftiture Happtnetto and that forever! I sorrow for my»elf, being constraineid to ask, «« Wherefoire is it that the < good pleasure of the Lo'-d doth not appear to ^vompm more abundantly in my bands V " 1 hate not shunned to dedwe unto you the whole counsel of God, until, though I oatt honestly ««y, I have striven fo do so in the charity and /oiw theWof, I fear I have bffended sohie, by insisting upon oertein portfodti of that •| counsel," which the proud and fleshly heart of nt^n M this day llketh not j and, yet tny beloved, where are this fruits of these labours and efforts after foithfulness? Where is that deadnees to the world 1 thAt longing to do soknethihg for thb blessed JesUs ? that real yearning of bowels of mercy over your Brethren, your kins- men AGCnrniniy tnthA fla*)i nrhn aro in uphim* #>«iMA^»iH< MuJl^UM^^^tnU** for those who are ' living without God akid with^t hope ih tie World, and who, therefore, as sure as God is r^htem^, have Wl •'"«" portion of our re- ward, through Him, as the result of presenting our flocks. «' as a fifh ^!'-«'»j° Christ." Ah then, w'hen I l^h around, whe^l look back, and consider ho^^ it is with both pastor and people, can I fail to be exoeeduig heavy at heart ? Besides, the tim7 wherein I hI!?M*liS'°l h''°''' ^•^*'!:''.* ^^ '^"•"f ^'^ '^"'"»''« instrument in S"!irf I ^""JS^^ '" ^^"'^ '"^^t '^°'y f^'^h, or leading the wan. derera back to His Cross, and so increase also that reward, which ?/„'?•* ^ "'t"'"''^ *°>P*' ^" "n^'orthy as I am, I may yet one day receive :~the time, I say, for all this, is rapidly passing away I am this day fifty eight years old ! How short, Vobabl?,1s?he remnant of my probation; and vet how little is the seryice.suih as I can hope was at all worthy of His acceptance, which during that U^.. J'r^u" n^^ *u "^y.^ ^"^ ^*^^°"'' • «°"^ f««ble my best labours for Hw Church, and the world He came to snatch from the ^"""^il aT^^I -^"^ y** *^ ™® ^'^ charity— His love-has been unbounded. Bom of parents who did themselves, with remarkable singleness of heart, endeavour to follow Christ, I may, myself say MTith my beloved mother, that I recollect not the time when I did hot rejoice to regard myself as one of His « little ones;" but alas ! with how much less of earnest subsequent devotion than ever marked Z.!!!l Ki "^ "T'® • r^^"' ^'•"' ' ^^'•^ "»°«» ungrateful to ^raarkable providential care over me, if I did not remember, with unaffected thankfulness, that for fifty years and more the fear of 1»% rr ^" ^he great principle by which I have striven to guide my life. Yea, the condescending gentleness and love of God are indeed incomprehensible, for amongst the first emotions of my infant heart, that I can recollect, were thoughts of God, and un- speakable gladness that I was His Child, followed by longing and t CAUHBH OF MINIRTERIAf. HAD.IHnH. oonlinuou. .Ip«,r«, ,o b« p«,nniito.| to «ervo in IIIh .anctuary and aid H « dear Son.n, one of flin hun.bl..«t inH.rumonts in loa-Lg m. ihln^ r""'"'« It- /'"- ''"* ^"•" "'« ^"^"^ 0^ '"V life for more LnT h^ ^''"?-. ^''•""*' '"-^, •* ^^"'•'^ "<■ ''"^•h «»d •"I'o^r of love. wnr.h1 rTr^ ''°P*' ? ''"'■ ^'^••'^ •'^''"» ^^''"■«'" »»"1 been n»ore WoPlhy of His nuwl undcervcd favour to me ' Hnlr'7' T • u'"^ '''" ^'■'^"•^''' ' '•"'' "'^ thought of makinff mv theme o my dmcourse when I eat down to prepare for our morn nff'« jerv ce,buuhe recolkctione with which uL Jay 11, my heart will" nv?.vr r'""^ '*"r '"' '^ y^"-" '^"'d'.V «ff^ction8 i-nnd then my tex .a,ul .tn want of a more full developement In y^u-in each a kVa'E "' ••^•"^^"»'^«"ee« ^ith deep s.,\nrj^l cannot bu ask, If naer so many years of sincere, though most painfully short- corrung eflbrts, to follow Christ, and after ifeing entrusted by Hhn w^hl °"* ' r;'"^ r"\5^'' •"'"'^''>' "'' reconciliation, and not without «)me tokens that He was at my right han.l, I cannot bu ask I say. whether as the shadows of the setting iun of my liffe grow longer, and the messenger who is to sun.mon ^ne to an aTcoum of my stewardship cannot bo very far off, especially seeinij that the longest lived of my honoured parents pa^sed^s I t mst i"d beuive into Paradise, very little older 'than I now am. and of my br^the,^ XftveiT T''^^*^*^'- ''fallen asleep." nine of tlieij; Reached n!^J'^!il"" ,1''"""°' ^"* r*^ '"y'^'f '^'^ d»y ^^hether my closing path, especially as one of the Ambassadors for Christ, is, instead of shining " more and more unto the perfect day." to ;nd sur rounded by mists and with heaviness l^ my hea^r . because the people committed to my care, lack that greatest gift of ChaZ which alone can secure them the favour of Him whose name is Zn. .!!^^- ^''^^^T' '" """'^ °*«^ °o"'d I hopo to give up my account with joy and not with grief"? K " f my Yea such is my oft-times heaviness of heart, from the lukewarm ZiT °fr^^ ^''"^°'? °'.^^"«' •" '^' land/and Vca^'Tthe children of God committed to my charge in this place, and from a consequent deep sense of my own inefficiency, and from in^^rd ■ conflicts with sin and satan that I could almost wish theTruggTeo Jn] r«!K° f %""^ "jyfelf safe at rest in Abraham's bosom. Very fear- iul IS that forgetfulness of God, and that open idcdty which P^rnfltk •. "^ ^eP'-ess'ng to your pastor, as is the want of deep and earnest chanty-heaven-born love-in those whom the Heavenly ?io&'°^"l ^^'^rJ^^'Sy ^'^°^° ^° Himself and constituted as the lllHn '^ f '^^ "•' ^''^ and glory, if only they will -make their calling and election sure." So sad is it to His heart that the Holy Une thus laments over, and thus threatens, the Laodicean Church, 1 know thy works that thou art neither cold nor hot : I would thou 8 CAUSES OP MINiaMttlAL SA&NtlSfi. toerl cold or hot, so then because thou aft lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, 1 will spue thee out of my mouth." — A fearful sentence this my be'oved. But is there not a cause ? Yea, both in a Saviour's wounded love, and in the fact, that «* charity" and earnestness m the Charch, would soon work a mighty change in the godless world itself. When the people of the Lord love much and work earnestly, satan falls as Dagon before the ark. Ah, do you wonder then my brethren, that I should have great heaviness and continued sorrow in my hesrt, when I behold your unworthy lukewarmness, ye* when I see so few tokens amongst you of that " most excellent gifk of charity." Alas! Mroe is me, for aflermy well nigh eleven years of longing labour, very perilous is this day the condition of many of yon. Yea, I repeat, woe is me, for the days are very evil ! I would not charge you falsely, my dear friends, let us then for the remainder of the time allotted for our discourse this morning, briefly enquire, What would be effects of "that most excellent gift of Charity," the "greatest," as our text declares, "of all virtues," if it abounded in the hearts of God's children ? and see, as we pass along, how far these effects are exhibited in ourselves. I. And first as it would aflefct our conduct towards God. Loving Him deeply we should rejoice in honouring Him before men, before angels, and before devils. Now, as these cannot rsead our hearts, if they are to know our earnest love to God, it must be by our out- ward acts ; and this is probably one reason why, at the last Great Day, the judgment is to be according to )ur works. Hence this love to Gfod In men's hearts will lead them to make their Churches, as the temples of His special presence, as tioble and richly beautiful as their means will possibly admit ; far. beyond the costliness or the splendour of their own habitations; and they will further dili- gently strive that the accompaniments of worship, its music, its chanting, its sacred vessels, its hangings, its priests' robes and such like are all of the most harmonious, the- richest and the best, that their most diligent efforts and self-denying love can make or cause thfetn to be. Earnest love teill care for these things, knowing that angls, men, and devils all behold, and that the Most High does seek to be ♦' glorified in His saints and admired in all them that believe.*' How is it then amongst ourselves in these respects ? Is our loving reverential care for these matters such as to convince this " great cloud of witnesses," both holy and unholy, that we esteem our time «(nd mowey chiefly as wb can use them for the honour and glory of Him who first gave us His Son, and now waits to raise irs to be partners of His Throne. H. But again, this Charity — this love — the essence of all graces, will cause those who possess it, to make the House of Prayer and of God their very home ; for the two fold reason, that they thereby honour their Heavenly Father publicly, and in doing so, do aim specially meet Christ, Who has promised His peculiar presence h I CAUSES OF MINWTKRIAL gAONSSS. J k > where His people thus assemble, and has covenanted on such occa- sions to give them without stint the large outpourings of His grace and Spirit ; according lo His unfailing promise, " Them that honour Me I will honour." Thus, it was when the disciples were assembled " with one accord in one place," that the first great outpouring of the Holy Ghost took place on the never-to-be-forgotten Day of Pentecost. And so it has ever been that they who feared the Lord forsook not the assembling of themselves together, but spake often one to another, in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, thus ele- vating each other's faith and love to God and His Christ ; and con- cerning such it is said «' the Lord hearkened, and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon His Name." Yes, certain as 'God is love,' true Christ-bestowed Charity will cause His people to throng His House, the House of His Glory, the blessed place of His special presence, whensoever it is possible. Whereas luke- warmness — Laodicean death, — m ever seek to find a thousand plausible excuses for frequenting hid Temple as seldom as possible ; for where there is no living fire in the heaft, the flame thereof can- not ascend towards its parent sun of righteousness. The cold heart and corrupt affections of the lukewarm must needs prefer the chilling atmosphere, and the putrid exiialationa of the world and the flesh. Ah, brethren, can I be otherwise than deeply sad this day, as I reflect upon the mournful evidences of this deadly lukewarmness, so specially hateful to the Blessed Redeemer, which are but too viaible amongst ourselves ? I strove, as you know, for some time, and I trust with faithfulness, to gather, if only a very few of you together, on Wednesday and Friday Mornings, for united prayer to Him Who hath sealed the promise with His blood, that He wiU give whatsoever even two or three agree to ask in His name; very ofteit ringing the bell myself, in the hope that its sacred sounds would arouse your sleepy consciences, before, all too late, the last Great Trumpet shall do so, and I have failed of meeting even the two or three, beyond my own family. I have thus entreated you ta assemble in this House for prayer and praise to God and to obtain a blessing for yourselves, but all in vain, neither love to God nor care for your own souls would move the great bulk of you, child^ ren of God though you be ! Again, I have caused the House of God to b« regularly opened week after week on Wednesday and' Friday Evenings, the one for full Divine Service and Preaching, and the other for Prayers and Bible Class with other religjouy in- struotion, but still often discouraged ; until now, these holy^waJUa witness- to the recording Angel,, for siit days out of the seven, ^[suistthe lukewarmness of those, who are thus alike cpHpys, t<^ t«e lOVe of Jeauc, and indifferept to the heart^it warning an^ en* treaties of their Divineiy appointed Shejjherd f And m i«t in sh^^ 10 CAUSES OF MINKTEBIAL SADNESS. ^T^^IrS^^F^T^ ^'y, ' ?"" ^"^ «^P«*^* ^he souls so wedded to the world for all the week, to be filled with Christlike Charity-with seventh day they do come into the presence of God. it is with hearts all unprepared. Can we, I say, reasonably look for earner exTcno"l^U"'' ^''^^^^^^^^^ N°' tL were Indeed o expect to "gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles." Alas ' how ?nd%r.l'l'>i,^^"^ l^P^"^^^^' "^^ J contemplate on this my eS Zn?n j^^ ^''^'l^y* ''^.T '^^ '*"^« °^ !•''« "»"st needs be Tap idly ITIfl °"^f"°^ ^ ^^''^ r^ ™^''' such a Christ-dishonS! rommlrtor/ehl^^ef '^^"^ ^^^^^"^"^ ^'"^"S^^ ^^^ P-pf« 'church^?/ ^vf^ ^°" ^"'i^''^'' "2^ y^* '^^^''^y ^«J°''«^' that a closed church w the sure token of dosed, or at least, of lifeleM closets, and of family altars never erected, or at most, carelesslv eS'en J' W ' ^"^ ' "°^ ^^^"'""^ ''' ^'"''^ of your o1 J experiences. To how much earnest suppUcation^prAyeL in fact 0?!??^" """ expect God to receive^So the bed-rooms if mSs of you bear witness ? Answer. I pray you, as to God. An"for Jamily prayers ; how consci^tious is the regular attendance of every possible member of the family ? Whal sincere attempt t there made to realise the Words of Life, as the Book of gS I read amongBt you ? or. to join at- these family devotions with real thoughtful earnestness as at the Throne of Grace ? Alas ! alas U know that the mereoneday of worship, with its small and irregular attendance even then, reveals the sad truth, as regards too many of you, of the coldness and deaduess of these other more private duties and privilege. « Be not deceived, God is not mocked : for whaN soever a man soweth that shall he also reap." And when God's ^n^V^ obstinately and needlessly, in defiance of all warning apd L. rS^l fl°f °° "'' ^u^'' ''"^^^^ y°" «*P^^t Him to water your «»uK the first foment, that you deign as it were, to beckon to Him? vour SuT'^'^'^'k-^^'^^"* ^^ fP^°'^» ^"-^^^ ind mercy. neVrr your Sunday worship, nor your closet or family prayers will have any earnest faith love, power, or unction. « God is not mocked!" I say^nothingabout your excuses. Give them to God, only «ee that they wilf stand th-^ awful test of the last day when "everJ S' "^w!;^ "''*" r^ ^''^^ ^ ^ ^y «'•«•" I ""'"bly trust it is aU r^ht wnh some of you. Yet I am sure it is not, iith the grea bulk of nay congregation. Alas! alas! ^ ^\^J^\r«l Int »fT""g' W6 ""St however, for one moment, •ee>hat true 'Chanty' would cause us to do for our Bro- r!!*.u 1 r"u^ '®*^ ^°*P®* ^h»"'y ^o"W M our Brother. LT^l^ f?^'"'^i.r"l^^«^^^^ above all it would give hL tjie B««ad ofLife. The sincere Child of God loves his bmth«r in ^nn«, tamjor Uiirist; hence his first question isno^ Ishe worthyl „ OA*" ;^i or MINI8TBIUAL SASNISS. 11 but is he mi need ? Had Christ waited till ve were worthy, where had we been this day ? So with respect to the spiritual needs of his fallen brother, the question with one who is filled with charity, is not so much. Can the Emigrant provide the ordinances of God, and fetch Christ to his settlement in the backwoods for himself? Charity rather asks Will he? or is he too sold under sin to care ? And so, whether it be the un. willingness or the poverty of the poor backwoodsman which requires the Church and her ordinances to be sent to him, the man who possesses that chiefest of the graces. Charity, denies himself to the utmost to snatch his brother from destruction, by sending to him the offer of Christ and His channels of grace and salvation. And now my dear friends, once more I must do violence to my. self, by placing before you our doings in this the infinitely greatest of all our Brothers' needs, and then ask you to say whether they betoken in ourselves, love like Christ's; or lukewarmness like that of the Laodioeans. Last year the total offerings of this parinh for the love of Jesus beyond our own bounds, and for the salvation of the hordes perishing in this our own Diocese, was $62:30 to the Church Society. And when the Bishop sent men of God to arouse us to a deeper spnse of our duty, and after my own earnest placing before you un Sunday lam your privileges and duties as respected your coming here to meet this deputation, and to worship before God, the whole number present on Wednesday evening last, did not exceed 70 persons, men, women and children ! The very meagre amount of our offerings last year, deeply showed the need there was for our " pure minds," if alas they are pure, " being stirred up by way of remembrance," and yet how mi^ny of you preferred your pleasures, your ease, or your gains to being then present. The theme was Christ, the object was to close the gates of hell to perishing thousands, and to give yourselves an opportu. niiy of drawing dose to Jesus now, and securing a nearer seat at His side amid the eternal glories of the resurrection, by leading you to acts of self^lenying love for His sake, and you were, not a few of you, so needlessly absent, that you did not, and durst not, on your knees that night, ask the blessing of Grod unon your absence ! I speak thus positively because 1 do believe that God has at least given me the grace and wisdom to engraft truer principles on your consciences, if you would only hearken to them. Ah what shall I do ? what can I do more than I have done to arouse you to better things ? And yet, alas ! alas ! the end doth draw near. I will however, conclude as I beg a^—it is God's declaration, «• Now abideth faith, hope, charity, but the greatest of these is charity." Without faith it is impossible to please God, without hope you will faint by the way ; but without eharUy—xhe love of God in your hearts,— fttiih uud hope will both perish, and no Crown could then be yours, for you would not have loved sufllciently to bear His Cross.