IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) ^ 1.0 I.I 11.25 J" Bi |22 2 "A ■■■ £[ 1^ 12.0 MRaE PhotDgraphic Sciences Corporation ^ \ v •s^ \\ 23 WIST MAIN STMIT WltSTn,N.Y. Msm (716) •72-4503 '4^ CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CrHM/ICIVIH Collection de m Canadian Institute for Historical IMicroreproductions / Institut Canadian da microraproductions historiquas Technical and Bibliographic Notaa/Notaa tachniquoa at bibliographiquaa Tha Instituta haa anamptad to obtain tha baat original copy availabia for filming. Faaturaa of thia copy which may ba bibliographieaily uniqua. which may altar any of tha imagaa in tha raproduction, or which may aignificantiy changa tha uaual mathod of filming, ara chackad balow. □ Colourod covara/ Couvartura da coulaur |~n Covara damagad/ D D D D D D D Couvartura andommagia Covara raatorad and/or laminatad/ Couvartura raataurte at/ou pallicuUta Covar titia miaaing/ La titra da couvartura manqua r~n Colourad mapa/ Cartaa gtegraphiquaa m% coulaur Colourad ink (i.a. othar than blua or black)/ Encra da coulaur (i.a. autra qua blaua ou noira) pn Colourad plataa and/or illuatrationa/ Planchaa at/ou illuatrationa 1% coulaur Bound with othar matarial/ RalM avac d'autraa documanta Tight binding may cauaa ahadowa or diatortion along intarior margin/ La r9 liura sarrte paut cauaar da I'ombra ou da la diatoraion la long da la marga inttriaura Blank laavaa addad during raatoration may appaar within tha taut. Whanavar poaaibla. thaaa hava baan omittad from filming/ II sa paut qua cartainaa pagaa blanchaa ajoutiaa lora d'una raatauration apparaiaaant dana la taxta. maia. loraqua cala Atait poaaibla. caa pagaa n'ont paa M filmAaa. Additional commanta:/ Commantairaa supplimantairaa: L'Inatitut a microfilm* la maillaur axamplaira qu'il lui a it* poaaibla da — procurer. Laa details da cat axamplaira qui sont paut-Atra uniquaa du point da vua bibliographiqua. qui pauvant modif iar una imaga raproduita. ou qui pauvant axigar una modification dana la mithoda normala da filmaga aont indiquto ci-daaaoua. r~1 Colourad pagaa/ D Pagaa da coulaur Pagaa damagad/ Pagaa andommagAaa □ Pagaa raatorad and/or laminatad/ Pagaa raatauriaa at/ou pailicui4as FT] Pagaa diacolourad. ttainad or foxad/ LLJ Pagaa dicolortea. tachatAaa ou piquiaa □ Pagaa datachad/ Pagaa dAtachias Showthrough/ Tranaparanca Quality of prir Qualiti in^gaia da I'impraaaion Includaa aupplamantary matarii Comprand du matiriai aupplAmantaira Only adition availabia/ Saula Adition disponibia r^ Showthrough/ pn Quality of print variaa/ rn Includaa aupplamantary matarial/ rn Only adition availabia/ Pagaa wholly or partially obacurad by errata slipa, tiaauaa. etc.. hava been refilmed to enaure tha beat poaaibla image/ Lee pegea totaiement ou partieilement obacurciea par un fauillet d'errata. una pelure, etc., ont AtA fiimiea A nouveau da fapon i obtanir la mailleure imaga poaaibla. Thia item ia filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/ Ce document eat film* au taux da reduction indiqu* ci-daaaoua. 10X 14X ItX 22X 2SX 30X 1 1 J 12X IfX 20X a4x 28X 32X TtM eopy fllin«d har* hM bMn raproducad thanks to ttM ganaroaity af : Librafy of PsriimMnt mm tiM NatkMwl Library of Canaita. L'aMfnplaira fHmA fut raproduit grica A la g«n4raaiti da: U BiMiotMqM du ParlMiMnt tt It BibHotMqiM nrtlo m it du Canada. Tha imagaa appaa r ing haia ara tha baat quality poaaibia conaMarlng tha oondMofi and laglbility af tha original eopy and in kaapbig wHth tha imagaa auhrantaa ant 4tA raproduitaa avao la pkM grand aoin. eompta tanu da la candition at da la natiat* da l'a»ani p l a lra film4. at it sanformltd avao laa eondltlona du eantrat da Original coplaa in printad papar ba^nning with tha front eovar tha laat paga \mMi a printad ar •Ion. or tho book eovar whon othar original c o ploa ara fNmad first paga with a printad or or iiluatratad Imprasaian. par la da •■a m pialras orlglnaux dont la couvortura 1% iinpriniaa sont fHmaa n common^ant plat at an tarmlnant salt par la paga qui comporta una amprainta au dIMuatratlon. solt par la saeond lo eaa. Toua laa autraa SKampiairss •ant fHmda an eommon^ant par la paga qui eomporto uno amprainta au dlNuatrathHi at it tarmlnant par qui eomporto uno taUa la -* - - * * - Tha laat raoordod frama an aaeh •haM eantam tha aymbol *"^* I TINUiO"). or tho oymbol ▼ (1 "CON- WO"), Un daa sy m balaa sulvanta apparaltra sur la damlira image da ehaqua mierofleha, solon la eaa: la symbala -i*> •Ignlfia "A SUIVRE". la symovia ▼ ngnnia nn • Mapa. plataa. eharts. ale., may ba fHmad at different raduetion ratiaa« Thaea too larga to ba entirely ineluded in one ospoeuro ara fHmad beginning in tlia upper lafc hand eomer, left to right and top to bottom, os many raqulredi The fOHownng diagrama I. planchee. taMooux. ete., pouvent 4tre fRmde A dee taux do rMuotion dlfftrents. Lorsque lo dooument eet trop grend pour *tre reproiduit en un soul oliehd. il eet film4 A portir do I'angla supdrlour gauoha. da gauche i droHe, ot do hout en baa, en pronant la nombre Lee diagrammee auivants la 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 8 6 LOVE OF THE AATORLD. ^ A. SERMON PREACHED IN THE CHURCH OF $1 ISXban f^t jnSarfQP, <^ffBfDa, ON February 5th, 1871. BT T. BEDFORD-JONES, MA.,LLD., OTTAWA : PRINTED BY BELL A WOODBURN. 1871. PKELIMINARY NOTICE. A few woihIs are necessary to explain the circumstances that called forth this Sermon. The Annual Meeting on behalf of the Church Missions in the Diocese of Ontario had oeen announced to be held on January 30th. Strange to say, this is the solitary meet- ing of a religious nature to which the church people of Ottawa generally are invited from one year's end to another. The clergy of the cit}^ took great pains to make that of this year more than usually successful. They resolved to unite the two Parochial Meet- ings in one for the whole city. His Excellency the Governor- General kindly consented to preside. The Lord Bishop promised to attend, and advocate a cause affecting the best interests of the Church in this Diocese. A long notice wa« given, and the church members were all earnestly requested to come. Alas ! there was a counter evil influence at work. The Prince of this World was busy, and put it into the hearts of certain young men, professing disciples of the Son of God, to give a Ball on the very evening of the Meet- ing ! Now, one of the chief objects of this Meeting was to stir up selfish respectability to a sense of its duty to poorer brethren scat- tered over the wilds of this extensive Diocese; t<^make the Church- men of the Capital living in comfort, and" supplied abundantly with the means of grace, acquainted with the spiritual necessities of 40,000 follow members, whose Clergymen depend for support, in a great measure, upon the funds of the Mission Board. The Clergy of Ottawa felt that this was the very class who would be drawn away by the Ball. An earnest request for its postponement was therefore sent. The request was refused. The writer then pub- licly and privately protested against it. So far was that protest successful, that the place of meeting was crowded by Christian people, and their contributions exceeded those given in any previous year by the two meetings. Thanks be to God ! For this happy result, however, no credit is due to those who deliberately preferred the Ball of the World, to the Meeting of the Church. As far as they were concerned, they did their utmost to sustain, not the cause of Christ, but that of Christ's enemy. May God forgive them. This Sermon, preached the following Sunday, was an attempt to state briefly plain truths of Scripture, and show the inconsist- ency of God's elect, in loving the World and the things of the World more than their Heavenly Father and the things of Eter- nity. May God's blessing go with it. February 9th, 1871. T. B. J. SERMON. " Love not the Worlds neither the things tliMi are in the World. If any man love the World,, the l«ve of t/ie Fat/ier is not in him." * * * * * * " T/ie World passeth away, and the lust tliereqf." 1st John, ii., 15, 17. There are a dozen texts from which I should like to preach to- day. Before I concluded to take one that speaks :t. the plainest language possible, passage after passage in the Book of God forced itself, as it were, upon my mind, in the consideration of the subject of Worldliness. " What sliaU it profit a man, if he gain the w/iole world and lose his own soul." The profit and loss of Time, as calcu- lated with Eternity ; — the gain of all that this world can give ol' pleasure, or rank, or reputation, balanced with the loss of the im- mortal soul, and an eternal inheritance — this might well have given , a theme worthy of the occasion. Or, again, when St. Paul, inspired by God, sets forth as one of the signs of last days and evil days, that men shall be " lovers of 2)leasure, more than lovers of God," he writes a warning that ought often to bring a blush to many a Christian cheek in this city. And the preacher might profitably occupy a few minutes in pressing home the question to the heart of every hearer — " Whether of these twain lovest thou more ; pleasure or God ? If both invite thee at the same time to an act of homage ; at which shrine wouldest thou be found a worshipper ?" And, again, perhaps with this last thought in mind, there is the very first of the Commandments, which to-day I should like to press particularly upon your serious consideration. For, my brethren, it is tlie commandment which, I believe, to be the most frequently broken by us all. Strange as it may seem to say it, I do say • t with full deliberation, we all of us break the first Commundm,m.t more than any other of the ten. You are aware how Protestants sneer at Papists for trifling with the second Commandment ; how in our popular controversial books we show them that they are guilty of idolatry in worshipping God ynder an image. Indeed, we have pressed them so hard, that they have been driven to cut it out of the Decalogue altogether, and form tm . Commandments by dividing the tenth into two. But, in truth, 1 am not at all sure that PapiHts could not have their fling at Protestants with equal force, in reference to the first Commandment. To be sure, we let it Btand in our Prayer Book just as it is, and (as in a gi-eat many other things) in theory we are alx)ve all suspicion of idolatry. But, in practise, " Thou shalt have none other Gods but Me," is a command, for the constant breaking of which we all neal earnestly to implore the Lord to have mercy upon us ; — it is the one law of the ten that we all especially should pray God to incline our hearts to keep. Of course we do not set up gi'aven images of silver or stone, or painted wood. We have too much of God's good old re- ligion among us yet to do this. But we must not forget that the idolatry which makes man worship his God under an image, is not BO essentially wrong, is not nearly so wicked in principle, as that which makes man worship an utterly false God ; — something that is not God at all, even by representation ; — something that in its spirit is in direct antagonism to the living and true God — something ever opposing itself to the reception and progress of God's grace and God's Gospel in men's hearts. It is to this most fatal idolatry St. Paul alludes when he speaks of the Gospel of Christ being *' hid to those who are being lost" (day by day losing more and more of their soul's true life) " in whom th4! god of this toorld hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, VVho is the image of God, should shine unto them." (2 Cor. iv. 3, 4.) This is the false deity who receives in our day the homage of the great majority of Protestants. It is the god of this world, whose attri- butes are pride and self-will, self-love and hypocrisy, and all whose votaries are easily distinguished by one unfailing and unmistake- able characteristic — viz., that the good things of time are always pre- fered to the good things of eternity. They live for tht present. They think little of the future. To please self is the motive power in all they do ; not to please God. They shun and shrink from every- thing that runs counter to this love of self. Any sacrifice of time, or money, or eft'ort, for God and His Church, is matie with reluct- ance, if made at all. Their creed in practise is shorter than the Apostles' Creed, which, in theory, they hold, and which a good many repeat mechanically once a week or so, without a thought of the awful solemnities they are uttering. This Protestant Creed is : — ^^ Saul, take thine ease; eat, drink and he merry." And, acting faith- fully to this principle, they worship the god of this world before the God of Heaven and Earth ; and so, as St. Paul says, " His ser- vants they are, to whom they obey'" — (EoM. vi., 16.) They enshrine their god in their hearts. They become his abject slaves. He drives the poor misguided mortals whithersoever it pleaseth him. And if there be any proof wanting of their utter degradation, it is fl found in this, that he contrives to amuse them, and make them for- got their fetters with the most tawdry of baubles, and most childish of sports ; just as glass beads and necklaces, and red and blue calico, and a banjo strumming, were used to drive away the dreams of liberty and the sorrows of slavery from the minds of the en- slaved negroes. It is true that with us the ornaments, and the dresses, and the amusements, are more costly. We are fascinated with gold, and silk, and diamonds, and refined dancing, and expen- sive drinking. But, after all, they are treasures and ioys of the same kind>, and the taste that is gratified and satisfied with them is the same. The vitrified sand that we call glass, or the crystallized carbon we call a diamond, the material we wrap around our cor- ruptible bodies, be it velvet or fustian ; these are all but " treasures of earth, which nwth and rust must corrupt^ and which thieves may break through and steal." — (St. Matt. vi. 19.) They are the baubles flung to Civilization or Barbarism by the god of this world, who would thus blind man's mind to the real and true trea- sures of Heaven. To such earthly and comparatively worthless treasures, he joins "pleasures of sin," also lasting but "/oraseOHitivo duties to discharge, and who would come if they could, but to those who, with, it may bo, some sacrifice of ease, some little exertion, could come if the// would. On Monday evening too at five o'clock, and* every morning and evening throughout the week, the church bell rings the invitation to the Lord's Courts ; and again I ask, where are all the people who were singing and praying on Sunday? Has any- thing happened ? Ah, yes. The World has opened its doors since then. It has opened its doors by day for buying and selling, for dealings honest and dishonest. And at night, its doors have been opened for amusements of all kinds, some good, some bad — some restrained within bounds of moderation, some carried to the excess of revelling and drunkenness. But the strange thing, and the sad and painful thing, is, that but few, very few, decline to meet the demands of the world all the week through, by day or by night, while multitudes decline to meet the demands of God and His church for half an hour or so in each day I And yet these are the same people, who, on the previous Sunday sang of their readiness to give up the whole realm of nature, if thoy had it, as an offering far too small in return for the amazing divine love of the crucified Saviour i " Ah," I hear some one saying, " it is scarcely fair to make the Church's Daily Prayer (which is enjoined on all Priests and Deacons, and very properly enjoined, as a rule, with which the Church who employs them has every right to require compliance), it is scarcely fair to make the Daily Morning and Evening Prayer, to which we, the laity, are only invited, a test of the sincerity of love to Our Heavenly Father — love to our Saviour. We have many hindrances that you, the clergy, know nothing of, and a good many of us have family prayer. But only try us by some special occa- sion. Put the Love of the Father, and the Love of the World side by side, when the necessary duties .>f life do not interfere, and you will see what our choice will be — where our affections are really placed." Dear brethren, it is a fortunate thing that cur faith and love are not often tried even by such a test as this. Too plainly would it be proved, that with a great many of our church people, the love of the world is far stronger than tne love of their Father in Hea^ ven. Tried even by this exceptional test, how many professing Christians in this city have lately exhibited a strange and melan- choly weakness in resisting the fascinations of that world — that '' ivicked world" whose ''pomps and vanities" they each and all, once upon a time, pledged themselves to renounce 1 Believe me, my brethren, that the spectacle of so many last week deliberately 1 1 « !»" -VP 9 prel'eiTing ft fow hourH* pleasure in a bull-room, to the support of the eaune of God and His Church with their pre^-ence, their prayers, and their purHOH, filled my heart with the deepoHt sorrow. I do not wish, I do not mean, to utter a single woihI that may neem harsh or angry. To Christ's Minister, it is far more a matter of soitow than of scolding. He has often asked himself during these past few days, " What really does actuate all these church rjcople most — " the Love of the Fathei; or, the Love of the World f Nay, how can (( they be loving the Father at all, if they give so sadly sure a proof " that they are still loving the world ; still making the vain attempt *' to serve two masters ! Does not the Apostlo say, ' 1/ any man *' love the world, the love of tlie Father is not in him ?' " And then, if so, what is the consequence ? Let us for the present pass over the intermediate verse that detines " the World," and see. <' The World passeth away, and the Lust thereof." Yes, my dear friends, young and old, it surely does pass awa3\ It is now hurrying on fast, and hurrying us all along with it. Perhaps it is because we, your clergy, see so many of its victims, when they can no longer be deceived by its delusions, that we speak so earnestly, and feel more strongly than many of you on this subject. Week by week the clergyman stands by the beds of men and wo- men, bitterly bewailing the years and years of their lives spent in loving and living for the false and treacherous world, with its hol- low smiles and unsatisfactory pleasures. Do 1 address any such to- day in this church ? Sooner or later, dear brethren, each one of you must come to a death-bed (unless you be cut otf suddenly, which may God forbid), and the body will be racked with pains, and the mind will be tortured by the memories of the past. You will find yourself drawing, not even daily, but hourly, nearer to the Presence of that Heavenly Father, Who now claims all — yes, all, your love and life ; because He has so loved you, that He gave His only be- gotten and well-beloved Son to die for your sins, and ever to live as your Intercessor, and by His eternal Spirit to dwell in you, and purify you, and prepare you for Immortality. But then on the bed of pain and death you will find, that all you are now loving, all that ministers to you self-esteem, all that flaiters your vanity, all that makes men proud, and ambitious, and covetous, and envious ; all your giddy dissipation, all your nights of revelling, all these pomps and vanities will have passed away like a dream. All these pleasures you are now pursuing will utterly and for ever havepasaed away, and then will remain but the bitter pangs of remorse and shame that you, an adopted child of so loving a Father, so great a God, could ever have loved anything or any one better than Him I And then will the god of this world, whom you are now serving, turn his back upon yoii; and mock you as you call upon him in vain for comfort and consolation. And then it may be — and I have 10 known it to be — the God of Heaven Whom you have not served, will not accept the love you oftor — the feeble love of a dying crea- ture, who looks to God because, and only because, the world has nothing more to give. Then you may call, but He will not answer. You Tnay seek Him early, bat you shall not find Him — (Prov. i., 28.) It is too late. Heaven's love and light are withdrawn. Heaven's door is shut. The World and its Worldliness vanish. And whither are you to go ? It is written — " To outer darkness, where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth /" — St. Matt. xxv. 30.) Oh ! is not this terrible? My brethren, remember it is true. It is a true pic- ture of what may be, and what must be, for all those who go on loving the world, and living for the world, and forgetting God ; — false to their profession as disciples of Jesus, and insensible to His great and mighty love, which should constrain us all to spend and be spent tn His service, and to make the religion of the Cross, not a Name, but a Eeality.