i

45

SERMON III.

THE IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER IN BEHALF OF THE MINISTERS OF THE GOSPEL.

Preached on the Third Sunday in Advent, 1829.

1 THESS. V. 25.

Brethren, pray for us.

THE collect appointed for the service of this day, the third Sunday in Advent, is a most beautiful, and a truly affecting prayer for the ministers of the holy gospel of Jesus Christ. They who read the Bible with attention, and mark, so as to learn that which it teaches, cannot but have noticed how frequently and how earnestly all Christian people are called upon, to remember in their prayers those who speak to them the word of God; the end of whose conversa

tion is "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever." If you, my brethren, be really in earnest about religion; if you know the grace of God in truth; if you be hungering and thirsting after righteousness;" if you have any deep and lively reverence for the appointments of God, and any wish that His church may grow and flourish in time, and may be glorified in eternity, it is your constant practice to pray, fervently and devoutly to pray, for the ministers of the gospel. If you look at them in the light in which the Scriptures require you to regard them, you will "esteem them very highly in love," not for their own, but "for their work's sake:" and amongst the many intercessions you will not fail to make in their behalf, you will beg that they may be so strengthened with power from above, as to be made useful in "turning the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just," and in "making ready a people prepared for the Lord." Neglecting this most important obligation, you must have a convincing evidence in your own minds, that your religion is at least of a questionable character, too unreal, too unsubstantial.

This, alas! is too much the character of the religion of this day-a flaming, fashionable profession; while the simplicity, the sincerity, the deep humility, and the living holiness of the gospel, are but little known.

I. The first feature in the collect for the third Sunday in Advent, to which I would direct your attention, is, the manner in which it speaks of the second coming of our Lord to judge the world:-"that at thy second coming to judge the world, we may be found an acceptable people in thy sight." You will perceive, that the obligation which the holy Scriptures lay upon you to intercede for "the ministers and stewards of the mysteries of God," is not more intimately connected with their welfare than with your own. If you pray that they may be qualified for, and may be successful in, the discharge of the sacred office which they hold, it is in order that you yourselves may, at the appearing of the Saviour, "be found an acceptable people in His sight." Oh! it is an awful truth, familiar to our lips and our ears, that "God hath appointed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom He hath or

dained, even Jesus Christ, whereof He hath given assurance unto all men in that He hath raised Him from the dead." This tremendous event will then be no longer, as at present, food for flimsy speculation; but we must all stand "before the judgment-seat of Christ, to receive the things done in the body, according to that we have done, whether it be good or bad." What a scene will then be unfolded! All the generations of men which have now passed away; all the millions who are alive at this moment; and all who are yet to be born, till the end of all things, shall be summoned before that great tribunal. "Who shall abide the day of His coming; and who shall stand when He appeareth?" He who stood at the bar of Pilate, and opened not His mouth, but was led as a lamb to the slaughter-to Him all judgment is committed, and to Him authority is given to execute judgment, because He is the Son of man. He will come with clouds, and every eye shall see Him. "I beheld," says the prophet, "till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of Days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head like pure

१

wool. His throne was like the fiery flame; and His wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued, and came forth from before Him; thousand thousands ministered unto Him; and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him; the judgment was set; and the books were opened." He shall sit upon the throne of His glory; and before Him will be gathered all nations; and He will judge the people righteously. As at this present moment "all hearts are open to Him, all desires known, and no secrets hid from Him," so at that day, all things shall be brought out to perfect light: "every work, and every secret thing, brought to judgment, whether it be good, or whether it be bad." The mask of the deceiver will be torn off; the sincerity of the poor brokenhearted penitent will be declared; and all the hidden things of darkness be made manifest as the noon-day. Then shall all seeming partialities of the Divine government be fully explained: no longer shall the righteous be condemned, and the ungodly be set free; but eternal life, or eternal death shall be the just portion of every one, according to his proper character, as a

D