for thy servant heareth. Young as you are, you should consider yourself a servant of God, you should hear what he speaks, and hear in order to obey. Think of the children who sang Hosannahs in the Temple; and of Jesus himself, who at twelve years of age was found in the midst of the Doctors, both hearing and asking them questions. Pray you for God's blessing, as that child did of whom it is said that she never entered the house of God without secretly offering up this petition, Lord, help me to remember something." The way in which the young become strong and overcome the wicked one, is by having the word of God abide in them. 1 John ii, 14. Are you IN INFERIOR SITUATIONS--Clerks, apprentices, or engaged in manufactories in large cities or towns, or in laborious situations, where you are confined during the week to a close and constant employment? possibly you think yourselves at liberty to neglect hearing on the Sunday, and to spend it in walks and recreation. We allow that the inducements to the carnal mind are very strong, when, to adopt words used on another occasion, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone, the flowers appear on the earth, and the time of the singing of birds is come, to neglect the less agreeable privilege of hearing the sacred word; and to pursue, without restraint, the delightful recreation afforded to one who has been shut up all the week by the view of the simple scenery of nature, and the refreshing breezes of a pure air. Probably the necessities of your family allow you no other day for such an enjoyment. Probably your earthly master would not, or could not, allow you time for such a refreshment. You think it right to obey him, lest your temporal interests should suffer. But would you think it an act of extreme folly, and call it a wasteful idleness to be wandering among the fields when your earthly master, or your family call you to work, and have you not a heavenly master, and have you not spiritual necessities? God has issued his command-Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy! Will you disregard it? God gives his wages will you undervalue them? If thou turn away thy fool from doing thy pleasure on my holy dey and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord honourable, and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thin own words, Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord. Christians! there are much higher joys, even in this world, than contemplating the beauties of nature! 0. to have our sins washed away in the blood of Christ and to be justified freely by his grace, to be renewed by his Holy Spirit, and to become a child of God, this is true happiness on earth! And there are before you yet higher joys still in the paradise above, the new heavens and the new earth, wherein dwelleth righteous ness. May the blessed Spirit of Christ give us a taste for these; let us not forfeit these for any mere temporary indulgences. Our life is new a life of faith, and not of sense; be not surprised therefore if you have to give up some temporal pleasures; those which are innocent shall be enjoyed with a double relish. In any case the time is hastening on when we shall enter the joy of our Lord, even fulness of joy. But will you still say-Surely we may have Sunday for a day of pleasure. By all means let Sunday be a day of pleasure: but what is your pleasure? Is it idle conversation, feasting, and light and vain company? O these are not real pleasures; they are very unsatis factory and transitory gleams of false pleasure. Delight ... self in the Lord, there is the true happiness of the ortal spirit. Hear and read his word-that tells labourer of satisfying joy, of the rest which remaîneth' the people of God; there you have set before you 't which will afford you comfort and happiness in all ir toils and sorrows. It is specially needful that I should hear, and thus learn divine truth when you a, for you have not time, nor opportunity, for much 1:0 dy, and deep learning; and therefore you should 'ail yourself of those advantages with which you are w favoured. In a Christian country you have, through kind providence, ministers appointed to instruct you, hose special office it is to acquire divine knowledge for our edification. In hearing a faithful and wise preacher, ou have, in the short time of the delivery of a sermon, the result of much study and prayer applied to your particular necessities. By due attention to such sermons, joined to your own reading of God's word, you will increase in the knowledge of the Son of God, till you come to a perfect man, unto a measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. Be not, by neglect of such instruction, unhappy in both worlds. Hear, believe, and obey; and so shall you be blessed here and for ever. Do you say that you are ashamed to appear for I want of clothes fit to come in? but are you not ashamed of being away, when the eye of God marks you in your absence? Do you say there is no room? I reply, O. W that our churches were ordinarily crowded as they might be! Be in good time, and you will find room. More churches would be built, if those that are erected were more crowded. Are you SERVANTS? you should not neglect to hear. Shut not yourselves out from so great a privilege, where you have permission to attend, and remain not in any P family where you are excluded from hearing God word. You have souls as precious as those of t highest monarch. You must be happy or miserab and that for ever. Neglect not the grand ordinance God for your eternal salvation. The truths which y hear, received in a believing heart, will sweeten t bitterest service, will smooth the most rugged path, as infinitely heighten the comfort of the happiest conditic How blessed is the portion of one, whom no outwar circumstances can separate from the Father's love, t Saviour's redemption, the Holy Spirit's guidance, a the sure prospect of an eternal glory yet to be reveale and fully enjoyed. To every human being we say-Neglect to hear, an you fall under the sentence of destruction; (Acts iii, 23 hear, and your souls shall live. Isa.lv. you life and death: choose We set befor this day. you Be wise fo eternity. As far as you are concerned, let it no longe be the reproach of Christians that three-fourths of thos called by the name of Christ, despise his word. Believe in God. Sligh As He not your greatest interest. cannot deceive, so he will not be mocked. He invite now; but despised, he will arise to judge and condema O neglect not so great salvation. We conclude all with the words of our Lord, HE THAT HATH EARS TO HEAR, LET HIM HEAR AND BLESSED ARE THEY THAT HEAR THE WORD OF GOD AND KEEP IT. Bacon, his application of Antichrist to the Pope Baxter's Catholic Theology referred to Beveridge, quoted ..... Bingham's Christian Antiquities, quoted Blessedness of faithful hearing, faculties are employed aright justification is confirmed 23, 32, 113, 134 election is secured 297 for private christians 179 Bucer, quoted, Bradford, quoted, 35, and his works recommended Bullinger, view of, true prosperity, Burnet's History of his own time, quoted Campbell, Professor, quoted 137 38 24 32 ............ 106, 108 |