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Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthode. rrata to pelure. 1 ^ J 32X 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 I THE HOUSi. OF GOD, THE CHRISTIAN'S HOME A SERMON PREACHED AT THE CONSECRATION OF ST. MICHAEL'S CiiAPEL, QUEBEC, JOHN, BISHOP OF FaEDERICTON. PUBLISHED BY REQUEST. (Tli« ^fiU of the PnWicatioH will be given to the Building FunJ of St. MicbaeVs ChapeU) QUEBEC: PBiaXEi) BY I'. LVMOUUEUS, 12 MO'JS ; \IN STREET 1856. ^T9>. ^;^ '-"^^ .^ m^ ^':':\ (T'S^.tm.m^alni jTS^MS^^I^. 'Ct^^Sr ^^--^''^''' ' ^^'-'^'^'^ '^' <^'-*^tJ'-'^i'^*iL-y'^^:-^'-i'i~--''z:^- THE HOUSE OF GOD, THE CHrTbTIAN'S HOME, A SERMON PREACHED AT THE CONSECRATIOx\ OF ST. MICflAEL'S CHAPEL, QUEBEC, BT JOHN, BISHOP OF FREDERICTOK PUBLISHED BY REQUEST. (The profits of the Publication will be given to the Building Fund of St. Michael'i Chapel.) QUEBEC : PRINTED BY P. LAMOUREUX, 12 MOUNTAIN STREET. 1856. Ml the unj blei of; you hap My dear Mr. Mountain, The sermon, of which you were so kind as to request the publication, I now enclose, though it is only a plain unpretending discourse. That God may vouchsafe His blessing on all your labours, and especially on this House of Prayer, which owes its existence to the holy zeal of yourself and those worthy lay-brethren with whom you are happily associated, is the fervent prayer of Your affectionate friend and brother JOHN FREDERICTON. Fredericton, Sept. 30, 1856. Psalm XXYII, 4. (Prayer Book Version,)— "O/^e t/iiii(j have 1 desired of the Lord, which I trill rcr/idre : even that I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the da lis of my life, to behold the fair beauty of the Lord, and to visit His Temple.'^ One mark vvlucli distinguishes the sincere Chris- tian Irom the man of the worUl, is the view which he takes of the services of the House of (iod. A decent respect to outward ceremonial all are obh- «-ed to shew : obliged by the traditions of their fathers, the laws of their country, the custom of the world, and by having on one day in the week httle else to do. But widi the man of the world it is onlv an outward ceremonial. The worship and rites of the Church never go further with him. He discerns not through die veil of the sign, the inward and significant grace which accompanies it. lie stays only in the threshold, and never enters within die sanctuary. All that is about him dis- plays this spirit. Vlis manner, indolent, irreverent, lamilia"; his time of coming, late; his postures, easy and domestic; his looks, bold and unabashed ; his criticisms, free and frequent; his whole bearing is that of a person who does not feel himself in God's presence, who is at ease, pleased with hini- seli; unconscious oi' his lost estate, careless about his sal\ ation, of one who comes tr spend an hour, to be amused and go away. Yet here, alas, is an immortal soul? Whv was it formed? What are its ai|)acities and its privilecrcs? Wliat is its present cluiracterr' and what will be its cmuI > One shudders at the thouoht. Here is a man drcaminame reli- Shall we y should iturn, be- 3 die, and I at last, rts to es- heir dan- iliort, be- n lieth at 1. Here : an liour I and the i . . ' ^ duties of life permitted, in prayer to God, that we might be saved. If we believe the truths we utter in the Creed, such questions could never be asked. III. The House of God is a place of holy contem- plation. — " To behold the fair beauty of the Lord.'* The image and glory of God is seen in His Blessed Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. And as Christ in person is invisible. He has left behind him the dou- ble witness of the written word, and of the ordi- nances of His Church, to convey the impress of His glorious name. The House of God holds up these things to us in a glass. Here is continually read the volume of His Word. Here we are re- minded of the chief events of our Lord's life. We I hear of His Circumcision, His Baptism, His Fast- / ing and Temptation, His Miracles of mercy. His Transfiguration, His Eejection, Crucifixion, Re- surrection, Ascension, the Mission of the Holy Ghost, and the lives and deaths of those who were nearest to Christ. Here all the great mysteries of our Faith are enacted. Here we be^in to live, and are new-born ; here we learn to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our SaN'iour. Here the death of Christ is represented and commemorated. Here is life in Christ and death with Christ, and life in glory all set before us. Is it not "good for . us to be here" ? I IV. The House of God is a place of holy en- quiry, and seeking qfter divine counsel. — There was fa Jewish custom, to which the Scripture often re- fers, of seeking counsel of God by the Urim and 8 Thummim on the breast-plate of tlie High Priest, which signified liglit and perfection. Now, though this miraculous kind of counsel be withdrawn, the spirit of Him, Whose name is " Wonderful, Coun- sellor," ever abides with His Church. An express promise is given, that, "if we ask the Father any thing in His name. He will do it." Where then can we better address our petitions, than in the place where He has promised to dwell? Where can we hope to make more progress in the divine life, where will our hearts be more drawn and lifted up to God, where will they be more likely to be filled with penitential sorrow for sin, than " where two or three are gathered together in His name," and He is "in the midst of them?" V. The House of God is a place of comfort and security. — How holy is the calm which reigns within the House of Prayer ! Here is no troubled sea of boiling passion, political agitation, ambitious thrusting one another aside, or "cunning craftiness, whereby men lie in wait to deceive;" here is a peaceful harbour, where the weary soul may lay its cares to rest, and make known all its secret wants and sorrows in the ear of the Most High. And this is often more felt on week-days, when the services are less tln-onged, and the soul is less disturbed. VI. The Lord's House is a place of sacrifice. — "Therefore," says the Psalmist, "will I offer in His dwelling an oblation with great gladness : I will sing, and speak praises unto the Lord." All 9 gh Priest, vv, though Irawn, the 111, Coun- n express ather any here then an in the Where he divine •awn and )re hkely sin, than ler in His n?" nfort and ;h reigns » troubled imbitious ;ralliness, here is a may lay its secret 3st High. ys, when )ul is less xrifice. — [ offer in iness : I d." All the sacrifices of the Law were ordered to be per- formed in the Temple : and though the nature of sacrifice is changed, sacrifice itself is not taken away. The Gospel dispensation is full of sacrifices. The greatest, and only meritorious sacrifice, once offered, and never to be repeated, is that of Jesus - Christ Himself. But in subordination to, and commemorative of it, we read of the sacrifice of our bodies, of the pure offering of the Gentiles, universally understood by the Ancient Church c^* the Holy Eucliarist, of the sacrifice of praise, of the gift of our alms brought to the Altar. This word sacrifice applies to them all. Thus we see in how many ways the House of God is a house of mercy to us. It is not like the pool of Betlies- da, where, though there lay a great multitude of impotent folk, yet only one at a time could be healed. But here none need be sent empty away. All are invited, none excluded, for God's bounty, like Himself, is without measure or end. Allow me now to point out to you some duties which ought to be practised by the worshippers in every House of God. 1 . We should come to Church in good time ; either a little before the service begins, or so as to be present as soon as it begins. To say nothing of the first exhortation, which supposes the con- I gregation to be assembled, it is surely improper X to omit the confession of our sins to Almighty , God, and to begin the service without the spirit i of the Publicans request. " God. be merciful tome a sniner. n 10 2. Every one should kneol down, as soon as he has found his place in Church, and ask God to put into his heart holy and heavenly thoughts, and to enable him to think of His glorious presence, and of the invisible host of Saints and Angels his fel- low-worshippers, and to keep far from him wan- dering, unclean, proud, and passionate thoughts, and t'o make him fit for receiving the spu'itual blessings for which he prays. The same should be done before going out of Church. 3. Every one should bring a Prayer Book to church, that he may join in every part of the Ser- vice, and not lose a word. When a person has no Prayer Book, he can make little use of the Psalms of David. For as the Clergyman reads one verse and the people another, the second verse he loses^ altogether, and probably the sense of both. But if the Psalms be chanted, a person who cannot chant (though most people might learn to do so, if they would take pains,) can follow die singers by read- ing, for they aro sure to sing slower than lie can read; but if he have no Prayer Book, he merely listens to the music, which, as a general rule, is not edifying. Even in those parts of the Prayer Book which people know by heart, the having a book before them helps to keep their attention alive, and to prevent their eyes from wandering. 4. Every one who is not infirm should kneel during the prayers. Sitting is an irreverent posture, which we should not adopt, even before ^..^ o.ioan Nnw here we nrofess to worship and W142. T^ill. •>_-' IS II come hither to ^f '1; ^^^^ treating us, His our Maker, to adore H^ power . »^^^^ ^^.^ love in saving us H.« grace m . .^ „,ercy in pardomng our 8"'^^ ^^^^'^ehold the the veil were f ^^eTdr^rw ralation, and Angels around »^^'^"';'_"^';. '^ ^tii, „ay, lounging ourselves, ^^'^^rable snmei , sittu^ J ^^^ at our ease 1 How thoroughly ashamea be- ,, ^ „„f«iirV">diesshouldbeac- 5. The humb'e posture oiouvhoa^ companied with fervent mental prayer- pvav with humility, knowing """^^"'^ °^^^^^^^^ ^^^He- ^ i- ,Uo least of all God's mercies; with taitli Oelie thy ot the least ot ai ^^_^^^^^ . ^^.^^^^ vingthatwearec^kd toicce^ ot'God through holy confidence i" «= »°° j^^^i„„ ;„ the prai- Christ Jesus; and wit S'^d ^^"^^ j^ ^„ ,es of our Saviour and our King- Jj our best to give ""erance to ou reh by all audibly joining in ''« w°uls ot Uie ^^^^ aJthe Rubric ^f^^ lX:^:^lo^'^ do, if selves, but ^^^^;;i:^: to one another at . we were reading the sci I ,^i^ ;, ^ Lome. You may tl"nl<> P- -P^' ^^. point o*; -S:t;Ve-e'- --P«-^'"« ry^lSy,rV/were-ard^Join^o^ 12 this general joining in the Prayers and Praises of the Church was intended by the inspired Author and if intended by him, it is tlio direction of the Holy Ghost Pliraself What are the directions in the Psalms? " Sing unto the Lord, and praise His name; sing unto the Lord, all the whole earth, lell It out among the heathen that the Lord is King ; shew yourselves joyfi.l unto the Lord, aH ye lands ; smg, rejoice, and give thanks. And let all the people say. Amen ; not any one person ap- pointed lor the purpose; but all the people, "hi4 and low, rich and poor, one with another." " O praise the Lord with me, and let us magnify His name together." And if we want New Testa- ment comment upon these words, at the very be- gnining of Christianity, when " great grace was upon them ah," they were " continually in the 1 ample, praising and blessing God" tocrether bo that ,f you wish to understand the Psalm\ you will bring a Prayer Book, and if you wish to obey the directions of the Psalmist, you will sing the words when they are sung, or repeat them aloud when they are read. If you will all do this, you will fand satisfaction and delight in the service, .Grea- ter than I can express. ° 6. One thing more is to be attended to, that we sliould endeavour to make the Prayer ]Jook the guide and model of our private and domestic life, i^et the spu-it of cheerful obedience be followed up 1.1 our private and social circles, and instead of disputing about formalism, we should pff»ctually 13 shut out fbrmalitj by living spiritually to God and for the next world. And we shall learn to love our Bibles, by practising the directions of our Prayer Books. For none ever loved their Bible better, understood it more thoroughly, or accepted all its truths more simply and heartily, than those good and wise men, who framed these directions, because they thought that living by rule was better than living at random. Finally, let us raise our grateful thanks to Him Who has enabled you to erect another holy House of God. May it please Him to bless you all in this work, to give you hearts full of devotion and humility in His service, and when your hour of departure comes, may the words you have heard, the prayers you have offered, the sweet songs of Zion you have sung in this House, prepare and fit you for your last prayer on earth, for the still- ness and awful darkness of death, and for seeing Him face to face, to Whom our account must be given, of all that we have said here, of all that we have done elsewhere.