'> IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 11.25 mm m22 2.0 US lis us ■ 4.0 WIKU 44 Ui^ Fhoiiographic Sciences. Corporalion 23 WIST MAIN STRUT WnSTIII,N.Y. 14SM (716)«72-4S03 •SJ 4!^ ^^^ ■^ CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICIVIH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian da microraproductions historlquas Technical and Bibliographic Notaa/Notaa tachniquaa at bibliographiquaa Tha Inatituta haa attamptad to obtain tha baat original copy availabia for filming. Faaturaa of thia copy which may ba bibliographically uniqua. which may altar any of tha imagaa in tha raproduction. or which may significantly changa tha uaual mathod of filming, ara ehackod balow. □ Colourad covara/ Couvarturo da coulaur I — I Covara damagad/ D D D D D D Couvartura andommagia Covara raatorad and/or laminatad/ Couvartura raataur^ at/ou pallicul^ □ Covar titia miasing/ La titra da couvartura manqua □ Colourad mapa/ Cartaa gtegraphiquaa an coulaur Colourad ink (i.a. othar than blua or black!/ Encra da coulaur (i.a. autra qua blaua ou noira) r~| Colourad plataa and/or illuatrationa/ Planchaa at/ou illuatrationa an coulaur Bound with othar matarial/ RalM avac d'autraa documanta Tight binding may cauaa shadowa or diatortiOiV along intarior margin/ La rm liura sarrAa paut cauaar da I'ombra ou da la diatoraion la long da la marga intiriaura Blank laavaa addad during raatoration may appaar within tha taxt. Whanavar poaaibia, thaaa hava baan omittad from filming/ II aa paut qua cartainaa pagaa blanchaa ajoutiaa lora d'una raatauration apparaiaaant dana la taxta. mala, lorsqua cala Mait poaaibia. caa pagaa n'ont paa it* filmiaa. Additional commants:/ Commantairaa supplimantairas: L'Inatitut a microfilm* la maillaur axamplaira qu'il lui a it* poaaibia da sa procurar. Las d*tails da cat axamplaira qui sont paut-*tra uniquaa du point da vua bibliographiqua, qui pauvant modifier una imaga raproduita. ou qui pauvant axigar una modification dans la m*thoda normala da filmaga sont indiqu*a ci-daaaoua. Colourad pagaa,' □ Coloui Pagaa D Pagaa da coulaur Pagaa damaged/ Pagaa andommag*as □ Pages reatored and/or laminated/ Pagaa ra8taur*aa at/ou pallicul*ea Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ Pages d*color*es. tachet*es ou piqu( Pages d*color*es. tachet*es ou piqu*es Pages Pagaa d*tach*es Showthrough/ Transparence Quality of prir Qualit* in*gala de I'impreaaion includaa supplementary matarii Comprand du mat*rial suppl*mentaira Only edition available/ Seule *dition disponible rri Pages detached/ rri Showthrough/ |~n Quality of print variaa/ r~n includaa supplementary material/ r~1 Only edition available/ Pagaa wholly or partially obscured by errata slips, tissues, etc., have been refilmed to ensure the best possible image/ Lea peges totalement ou partieilement obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata, una peiure. etc.. ont *t* film*es i nouveau de faqon * obtenir la mailleure imaga possible. This item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/ Cc document est film* au taux de r*duction indiqu* ei-deaaoua. 10X 14X 18X 22X 2SX XX y 12X ItX aox MX 28X 32X Th« copy filmed h«r« has ItMn raproduead thanks to ttw ganarosity of: LHmNry of PirliMiMnt and tha National Library of Canada. L'axamplaira filmA f ut raproduit grica i ia gdndroaiti da: La BiMiotMqua du Parlamant at ia BibliotMqua nationala du Canada. Tha imagaa appaaring Itara »im tha poaaiMa eofiaidariiig tha oondHion of tha original eopy and in kaaping filming eontraot apaelficationa. quality lagibUity Laa imagaa auhrantaa ant 4tA raproduitaa avac ia plua grand aoin. compta tanu da ia eondltion ot da la natiacd 4» i'aKamplaira filmA. at ii oonformM avaa iaa eondltiona du eomrat da fHmaga. Original copiaa In printad baglnnbig with tha front eovar and anding on th9 laat paga with a printad or INuatratad impraa- aion, or tho iMck eovar whan a ppropri a ta. All othor original copiaa ara filmad baginning on tha first paga with a printad or Hluatratad Impraa- aion, and anding on tha laat paga with a printad or Hluatratad impraaaion. Laa awa m pl a lra a originaux dont la eouvartura on p ap iar sat imprimda sent fUmds an commandant par la pramiar plat at on tarminant soft par la damlAra paga qui comporta una ampraima dimpraaslon ou dlNuatration, soit par la aacond plat, aalon la eaa. Toua laa autroa oxamplairaa originaux aont fllmda an commandant par la pra m lira paga qui comporto una amprainta dlmp r asal u n ou dlNuatration at on tarminant par ia dam l Ara paga qui comporta una talla Tha laat racordod frama on aach mierofleha ahaH contain tha symbol ^^(maaning "CON- TINUBD"). or tha symbol V (maaning "END"), wliiehavar appUaa. Un daa symbolos suhranta apparattra sur la da m lira imaga da chaqua mieroficho, solon lo caa: la symbola ^^ signifia "A SUiVRC". la symbola ▼ signifia "nN". Mapa. plataa. charts, ate., may ba filmad at dif f arant raduetion ratioa. Thoaa too large to be ontlreiy included in one eiiposure ara filmed beginning in the upper left bond comer, left to riglK and top to bottom, aa many fra m ee aa required. This foitowkig diegreme ilhietrate the mettled: tableeux. ate., peuvem Atre fHmde A dee taux da rdduetion dif f Are n t a . Lonique ie doeumem eat trop grand pour Atra raproduit an un seul cUchA, il eat fHmA A partir da I'angle aupAriaur gauche, do gauelie A droite, et do heut on boa, an pranent Ie nombre dlmegea nAca aa sira. Laa diagrammea auivanta iHuatrent ie mAthede. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 c^,^^ ^^z^^ , w . THE GOODNESS OF GOD. THANKSGIVING SERMON PREACHED IN St. %\^wC% etiurtlit dttaUiatt ON October 22nd, 1868 ; BY T. BEDFORD-JONES, LL.D., PtgsiottRrg priest. Fubliihed for the benefit of the Building Fund. OTTAWA : PRINTED BY BELL & WOODBURN. 1868. PRICS SIXPENCE. TO MY DEAREST MOTHER, PEEMITTED BY THE GOODNESS OF OOD TO HEAR IT PBEAOHED, THIS SERMON IS DEDICATED, WITH A MOST THANKFUL HEART, BY HER SON. SERMON. Psalm CVII. 8. — '' Oh that men would therefore praise the Lord for His Goodness" It is the Goodness of God that is specially the subject of our thoughts to-day. I cannot tell why the Bishops selected this day as fitting for the annual thanksgiving for all the mercies we have received during the past twelve mor^ths. But this I07th Psalm, coming in this morning's Daily Prater, may have suggested that a nobler Psalm of Thanksgiving could not have been selected wherewith to praise Him who is '< the Author and Giver of all good gifts." And, my brethren, what better theme can the preacher have for a few simple words of exhortation than " tlie Goodness of God" although it be a very old and familiar theme ? I fear often that it is these very old and familiar themes which, from their veiy familiarity, are most forgotten. I sometimes sus- pect that from a desire to find out some new and strange topics Tespecially for educated congregations whose capricious taste requires dainty nutriment) preachers neglect the more wholesome though somewhat less palatable common food, which is neither wise of the preachers, nor beneficial to their hearers. My brethren, common blessings are really great blessings. How great, you may have an idea by picturing to yourselves how miserable you [should be without the least of them. And remember it is by being thankful for common mercies, that you shew your- selves meet to receive the uncommon. Bear with me, then, if to-day I take your thoughts for a few lainutes to those mercies for which " it is a good thing to be thankful," and which on this occasion may well occupy our attention, and draw forth increased gratitude for the ** Goodness of God." And first of all let us remember that it is a proof of that Good- ness, that we are here this day. Through an unusually cold Winter, and an unusually hot Summer, through the seed time of Spring and the harvest time of Autumn, we have been spared. The changes and chances of mortality have left us in the health that permits us to enter the courts of the Lord's House. And, thanks be to God, there are but ye'i:y few of my Congregation lying now on a bed on sickness, and we are wholly free from any epidemic or infectious disorder, such as visited many families last Spring. Think for one moment what an inestimable blessing is the health you this day enjoy. Without this, every earthly plea- sure must be embittered. Abounding wealth, rare talents, agree- able duties, social comforts, all are almost, if not altogether, worth- less, without health. Frail beings that we are, we rarely, if indeed ever, march long onward through life without some bodily ailment. Time, as he adds months and years, adds also wrinkles to the brow and weakens the elasticity of our limbs. In spite of ev ^ry care the frame grows feebler and still more feeble. We may not feel the added weight of one day, or of one month, or of one season, but at last it is the aooumulated weight of these days and months and seasons, that crushes us to the tomb. The wonder is — knowing what wo do of ourselves, and seeing daily instances of others who seem far stronger and healthier than we, carried away — that we too have not been crushed ere this. As each recurrent year passes by, and we look around and find ourselves more and more alone ', when we think of vacant places in the circle of friends, or it may be still feeling the smarting pain of wounds open and bleeding, caused by a bereavement that has Siiiitten our own hearts to the core ; then, as day by day we have followed in the sad mourning train of rela- tive or friend, and yet remain — wondering why loe — many of us weak and infirm and oppressed with many sorrows — why we are not the occupants of that last cold narrow bed, but have survived another year's travel over the rough and treacherous road of time, spared still to learn more of Christ Jesus our Lord, to know more of His love, to grow more into His blessed likeness — my brethren, when such thoughts pass through our minds, must we not praise the Lord for Ria goodness, and say : " O give thanks unto the Lord for He is gracious and His mercy endureth for ever." Again the goodness of God has been shown to us in the society of those we love. The most severe punishment that man can endure is total separation from his fellow men. Death is a doom far preferable to solitary confinement. It is a great happiness, as we awake to our daily resurrection— of which each morning is a new type— rising from a bed of slumber, so like the bed of death — it is a great happiness to receive the glad greetings of living loving hearts, still beating with love and life after the nightly separation : and it is a great happiness as we fulfil our ^ allotted duties during the day, ever and anoo to receive kindlj salutations that are the constant evidence of regard and esteem among our fellows : and then as evening draws on, it is a great happiness to have around us those with whom we can hold sweet converse, — those with whom we may interchange the secrets of affection — the friends of years, or it may bo of recent finding, whose warm, generous sympathies we are proud to share, and which (come what may) must ever leave a joyous, grateful remi- nisccQco. Nor should we forget the goodness of God in giving us the joys of Home life. For, my brethren, there are such joys, notwithstand- ing the little regard for them shown by some foolish young people who find their evening pleasures in the society of strangers, rather than in the company of fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters. Ah, it is only when this company, that is bound together by the golden chain of pure disinterested love — it is only when this sweet circle is dissolved and broken up, and the son or daughter has to wander away from home to earn bread among strange faces, and unknown selfish acquaintances, that the inestimable value of the old, perhaps once uncared for home, is fondly felt, and keenly remembered. Oh ! young people, I beseech you, prize your homes, cling to them, cherish them, while, in God's gracious providence, you have them. Be not beguiled away from the calm genial society of your own fireside, even though there be there the gentle God- given restraint of a father's presence, a mother's eye. There it is that you may have the purest joys that this earth can afford, joys but little adulterated by vanity or jealousy, by slander or guile, by heart-burnings or evil surmisings. For these joys are all com- pounded with the odoriferous essence of love, unselfish and unchanging love, which not even the lowest fall, nor the highest elevation on earth, may destroy. And may I not remind you also, my older friends, of the blessing ^ou enjoy, in having, some more, some less, of this/am% love around you, the love of husband or wife, sons and daughters, which lightens your cares, comforts your advancing, or your declining years, shares your sorrows, and ministers to your wants. Assuredly, this day, as we recount the mercies for which we should be ever grateful to Providence, not the ieast do our social and domestic joys deserve remembrance, and draw from our lips the exclamation: — " Oh, that men would there/ore praise the Lord for His Goodness!" But again, on a day of public thauKSgiving, we must not forget that public blessing of Peace. Until war comes it is difficult to estimate the value of peace. It is impossible to conceive the horrible reality of havoc and desolation, the miseries of fatherless children, childless fathers, woe and widowhood, and utter wicked- ness, which make war one of the worst curses which God can send on any land. We have had another year of profound peace, although there were threatenings, which, like summer clouds, passed away, owing in a great measure, I am convinced, under Providence, to the liberal, and wise prudential measures adopted by our rulers, and to the ready answer given to the bugle-call by the brave and loyal sons of her soil in Canada. Thus peace has been happily maintained, and it should make us very grateful to know that the doves may flutter over our homesteads more undisturbed than ever. I need say little, my brethren, of the general prosperity that has crowned this year. Within a few days past you must all have seen the pleasing records of progress and plenty at the great provincial exhibitions. Nor need I do more than notice that liberty/ which I do think this new country of ours is privileged to enjoy even more than England, and incomparably more than any other European Empire. Indeed we may ask where is there a land in the world where true liberty is more to be found, secured by just laws and guarded against the assaults of licentiousness, — where men are more free for the doing of all good works, and for the exercise of their conscientious convictions in religion, or politics? We have not to look to the continent across the Atlantic to see the tyranny of democracy, or the evils resulting from liberty degraded into license. Surely, my brethren, as we survey this land of ours, in its general aspect, and compare it with other countries, — some con- vulsed with revolutions, — some groaning under an iron heel of oppression, — some sunk in religious as well as political slavery ; in many poverty and discontent having S5.ay ; in one great part of the Southern hemisphere an appalling catastrophe of nature that has destroyed whole cities containing tens of thousands of human souls, and still threatens tens of thousands more ', as we see even peace- ful England, agitated from one end to the other in a mingled political and religious strife — the like of which has not been seen for 200 years, and of which we are very far, I believe, from the end — then, as we look back to ourselves in Canada, our Constitution settled, our laws obeyed, justice and liberty reigning with arms entwined, peace and prosperity crowning the enterprise and energies of the popu- lation, have we not reason to cry — " Oh, that men wonld there/ore praise the Lord for Bis Goodness .'" And here, in speaking of all these manifold temporal mercies, I cannot forget that there are some who may think they have little > I oanse for gratitude. There are those, who have been bat little prosperous during the past year ; there are others Het us think of them with reverence and sympathy) who may have been visited by sioknsss and death. " Ah," say they, ♦* how are we to be thank- ful ? we have lost money — we have lost what was dearer to us than any money V* Ah, my dear brethren, if you would be grateful for food, you must be grateful for medicine also. You must remem- ber that constant confession, There is no health in us. You must remember humbly—" that the whole head is sick, the whole heart is faint," and that spiritual remedies are as needful as bodily ; yon must remember that we are here only as the little chil- dren of a Great Fhj/sictan (of whom I spoke last Sunday) and that He is ever " dealing with us as with sons," — occasionally givio g us medicine and correction, when He, Who knows best, knows them to be needful. To remind us of what we are — ichere we are, and whither we are fast hastening, he administers the chas- tisement which for the present is " not joyous but grievous, but which works in us the peaceable fruit of righteousness," and thus, as has been well said by one of old, " The Saint's necessity is God's opportunity** " In another life," wrote the eminent Archbishop of Cambrai, in a passage that is particularly appropriate, " we shall see and understand the wonders of His Goodness that have escaped us in this, and we shall rejoice in what has made us weep on earth. Alas, in our present darkness, we cannot discover either our true good or evil. If God were to gratify all our de- sires, it would be our ruin. He saves us by breaking the ties that bind us to earth. We complain because He loves us better than we know how to love ourselves." Yes, my brethren, and of this I am sure, that notwithstanding all our afflictions, were we to think of the many blessings we still enjoy, and all that have been left us, — even while we bow our heads in submission to His holy will — the language of each faithful trusting heart will find such an utterance as — " In midst of dangers, fears and death, Thy goodness 111 adore ; And praise Thee for thy mercies past. And humbly hope for more." Indeed, in our worst troubles, out of which we are praying the Lord to deliver us, we may still cry, " that men would praise the Lord for His Goodness I" But now, my brethren, must I stop here? True it is that we have met to-day to praise Our Gracious God for His temporal mercies, but should I rightly interpret your feelings, were I to 8 close without an alluiion to that blessing of blessings, which, in such a place, must be uppermost in the mind of every disciple of Christ Jesus our Lord, the blessing of the Gospel of Christ ? Oh, how can we speak of the gratitude and the goodness of the Lord and the woadors that he showeth to the children of men, with- out remembering that with His mif^hty hand and outstretched arm He has rescued ua, even us miserable sinners, from the bondage of sin and the bitter pains of eternal death ! " The wage» of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord." The Lord of Heaven and Earth might well have been content to give us an instituted form of religion, to leave an instituted method of instruction, and peculiar institutions, and to let all spiritual blessings flow to men through these channels. But with this He was not content ; He did all this, and infinitely more. From His high eternal Throne Ho came down Himself to this world to seek and to save man in the very depths where we were plunged by Sin. That He — the Immaculate Son of God — might deliver us from the servitudo of Sin, He took on Him p ser- vant's form. He made Himself poor that we might forever be made rich. Full of grace and truth He dwelt among men, in human flesh, and in that flesh '' Suffered the Just for the unjust f that lie might bring us to God'* no longer as condemned criminals to be dragged before the dread tribunal for sentence and the penalty due to unutterable guilt — no, but as xqoohqWgA, pardoned Sons of God, joint heirs of immortality with Himself purchased by the unspeakable price of His own most precious Blood ! Christian men and brethren, shall we not to-day let our Alleluias ascend to Heaven for this mercy ? Heartless indeed should we be, were we ever to forget what the Love of Jesus has done for our souls — Love that has given us all we have — made us what we are, and has laid up for us more than the heart of man can conceive, — Love, which to-day comes to feed us, and strengthen us, — Love, which is ever uninterrupted and unchanging, and which all the floods of our many sins have not yet quenched ! Oh, brethren, heartless must we be, if this Love of Jesus our Saviour fail to kindle within us some true real gratitude. As we hear the glad tidings repeated over and over again — and over and over again wonder how we come within the terms of the salvation it contains — the glad tidings communicated to us in that '' faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that " Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners ;" as we look back at the dark gulf of death and hell, and look forward to the bright abode of peace of love, the eternal Heaven of Glory, comprised in that one word ,' ■- 9 <^ Save"— mUBt wo not wish for ten thouiand tongnefl to proolftim, " 0^ that men would therefore praUe the Lord for Rt» Ooodneea f Ohf give thank* unto the God of Heaven, for Hit mercy endureth for ever /" Yet this is far from all. You, my brethren, are not a number of heathen hearing these glad tidings of great joy for the first time. By the Goodness of God, you have known all this from your very infancy, and have been made partakers of that Grace which, bring- ing salvation for all men, has appeared to you and taught you to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live righteously, soberly and godly,— and that Grace has put it into your hearts to under- take a noble Christian work — to build a House of Prayer here— a House of Prayer where not only may your young children be con- tinually instructed in the ways of the Lord, but you yourselves may be built up day by day and week by week in your most holy faith. Here every morning and evening, you may with reverence and godly fear present your common supplications before the Throne of Grace, and meet to adore and thank your Lord for His daily mercies, thus according to His own appointment offering the Morning and Evening Sacrifice — a Service, I believe, as binding on the Church of God now as in any former dispensation. But above all, my Christian brethren, here you may kneel before the Lord Jesus Himself, and as it were mingle with those chosen Twelve with whom He sat at supper, and take from His own sacred hands that bread of which He said, " This is my Body," and that cup, of which Ho said, " This is my Blood," — precious Heavenly food, spiritually received into our souls, to strengthen them, and to refresh them, and quicken them, and be in them all that Ood can he in man — in that man whose '' life is hid with Christ in God." Here, then, is the Christian's highest act of praise. This is exclusively the Christian " Sacrifice of praise and thanhsgivimj." It is both the SJiewing forth the Lord's death, and also the offering to Him the hest offering which man can have to pay as an evidence of his gratitude. What is that ? His heart — the dedication of his whole self, body and soul, and spirit, to Him to Whom he offers thanks for his " creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life ; but above all, for His inestimable love in the redemption of the world, for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.'' Come, my brethren, and make now that offering. Is it not your reason- able service ? Is it not your bounden duty ? Let us first shew practically that His praise is not only on our lips but in our actions, in our self-denial for the sake of our poor brethren, who are always with us, and who represent Christ 10 Himself to us, and then let us draw near to the Lord Himself, and implore Him to accept not only our alms but ourselves — not only the money we give, which ever constitutes our thank-offering for the fruits of the earth, but also the living /Sacrifice of OURSELVES, as the richest and best offering we have, to be His, and His only, now and for ever.