SERMON CXCI.

ST. PAUL'S JOY IN PRISON.

PHILIF. iv. 11.

"I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content."

WHAT was the condition of the Saint who wrote these words? He was in prison, in danger of his life: he had nothing to live upon, but the charitable offerings of his Christian brethren in different places for the time he was hindered from any open and visible way of doing good in his calling: and if he were released, he had nothing to look to, but a continuation of the sadness, poverty, and danger.

St. Paul was in prison when he wrote to the Philippians: for he speaks of his bonds in CHRIST several times in the first chapter. He was in danger of his life: for he says, CHRIST, he was sure, would be "magnified in his body;" that is, his sufferings would bring glory to CHRIST, whether it were in his life or in his death: he was "in a strait," whether to wish to die or to live : he did not know how soon he might be offered, how soon his blood might be poured out, "upon the sacrifice and service of the faith of his brethren."

He was in prison then, and in danger: and what had he to live on during his imprisonment? Nothing, as it appears, but either what he got by the labour of his hands, or what was sent him as a charitable offering by such Christians as those of Philippi, to whom he wrote from his prison, that he "abounded,

having received from them their most acceptable offerings," which he calls " a sacrifice well pleasing to God."

Of course, too, while he was thus imprisoned, he must have seemed, to himself and others, in a great measure cut off from doing any good in his high calling: he could not go wherever the SPIRIT might guide him, "teaching and exhorting publicly, and from house to house :" he could not be "instant in season and out of season." And even if he should be released, as he hoped to be, yet he had no other prospect than poverty and danger before him. He would still have to work for his bread, or to be fed by the alms of the people; he would still have to come to the prison and the grave again.

Such was the outward condition of the great Apostle; to say nothing now of his thousand inward cares and perplexities, enough surely to break the heart of most men, and such as we might think would almost excuse any person for being a little discontented and uneasy at his own lot. But how does St. Paul take it? He is not only content, but joyful. His letter, from beginning to end, is written in the most cheerful spirit. “I thank my GOD," says he, "upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy." "Whether in pretence or in truth, CHRIST is preached, and I therein do rejoice; yea, and will rejoice; for I know that this shall turn to my salvation." "Fulfil ye my joy, that I may rejoice in the day of CHRIST." "If I be offered up, I joy and rejoice with you: for the same cause do ye joy and rejoice with me." "Rejoice in the LORD alway, and again I say, Rejoice." I rejoiced in the LORD greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again." Joy and rejoicing, peace and contented love, are the very notes, as it were, which make up his hymn, the thoughts which break out of his heart on every occasion, whilst he is writing this affectionate letter to his "brethren dearly beloved and longed for," his "joy and crown." Poor as he was,

and reproached, and in prison, and in danger of death, and looking to no better condition as long as he should live in the world; forlorn too, with no wife, no child, no brother, nor sister, no very near relation or natural friend to support him; yet his heart is overflowing with gladness: it breaks out on every side, like the

SERMON CLXXXIX.

PRAISE TO GOD FROM ALL SAINTS.

FOR ALL SAINTS' DAY.

REVELATION xix. 5.

"And a voice came out of the Throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye His servants, and ye that fear HIM, both small and great."

CONSIDER What GOD is; how infinitely above the highest Angels; the only Fountain of goodness, and life, and immortality, and whatsoever is blessed and glorious, either in Heaven or in earth. Consider again what we are; mortal, sinful, unworthy creatures; such, that in His infallible Word the title man seems to be taken, over and over again, as a sort of proverbial expression, for whatever is weakest and most worthless. Does it not almost seem, as if we might well be afraid to praise HIM? As if it were a presumptuous, irreverent thing, so much as to take His Name within our lips, or to make mention of HIM at all? Even as it would be a kind of improper liberty, for a criminal, in hopes of being pardoned beyond his deserts, to begin praising and commending the Judge, as though it were his place to pass any kind of sentence upon his superior?

But ALMIGHTY GOD, by His infinite condescension in Holy Scripture, encourages us not to keep silence. He declares HIMSELF ready to accept our praise and thanksgiving, as a sacrifice of a freewill offering. Nay, and He has graciously provided against our many misgivings in this matter, giving us one whole book of Scripture-the Book of Psalms-as a pattern and example of the

thoughts which Christians should have in their hearts, and the words which they should bear on their lips, when they come to praise HIM.

Here also in the text, we find His approbation yielded, in a very remarkable manner, to the duty and blessing of praising HIM, as it has been understood and practised from the beginning by all Saints. In the course of St. John's wonderful vision, when the final glory and victory of CHRIST and His Church began to draw near; when great Babylon, the power of this world, and the bitter enemy of the Church, was on the very point of falling; then "a Voice came out of the Throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye His servants, and ye that fear Him, both small and great." What Voice was that? It was the Voice of God, for it came out of the Throne; out of the unapproachable glory, where none but God was.

It was the Voice of the LAMB of GOD, of HIM who is set down in glory on His FATHER'S right hand, having been slain, and redeemed us to GoD by His Blood. We know it is His Voice, from the manner in which He speaks: "Praise our GOD, all ye His servants;" not your GoD only, but our GoD: for so HE most graciously instructed us all to join ourselves in a manner to HIM, whenever in our thoughts we present ourselves before the ALMIGHTY FATHER of all. I ascend," HE said, "unto My FATHER and your FATHER, and unto My GoD and your God." In like manner, here at the very end of the New Testament, HE speaks from His everlasting Throne to the whole Church, now represented as triumphing over her enemies, and makes HIMSELF One, in the work of praising GoD, not with His Apostles only, to whom the message came after His Resurrection, but also with all God's servants, and all who fear Hiм, of all sorts and degrees, "both small and great."

The occasion, indeed, on which in vision these words were spoken in the Prophet's hearing, has not yet taken place. The fall of Babylon, the overthrow of the power of this wicked world, may, for aught we know, be yet at a distance. But it is sure,

by the word of Prophecy; and the Church by Faith looks forward to it day by day. And this day of All Saints, coming yearly, is one token and exercise of her Faith.

As often as the day comes, it reminds CHRIST's faithful people,

that we are so much nearer the end and crown of our hard warfare against the kingdom and power of the evil one : so much nearer that day, when those who now surround us unseen, and wish and pray for us at a distance, shall be openly revealed to our bodily eyes, " at the coming of our LORD JESUS CHRIST with all His Saints."

Then shall our SAVIOUR cause us to understand the mystery of His Communion with His Saints, as in their warfare and sufferings, so in their glorifying and praising God for their victory and deliverance. But as yet we see not, nor understand, but only believe.

And not only on this day, but as often as we praise God in the solemn services of His Church, we do in a manner rehearse and practise the mystery of this invitation of the LORD to His servants. Every time we come here, we answer, according to our poor weak measure, the call from the " everlasting Throne, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear Him, both small and great."

First, you cannot well, any of you, be ignorant, that one great business of the Church Service is, "to render thanks for the great benefits which we have received at GoD's Hand," and "to set forth His most worthy praise." The Confession, Absolution, and LORD's Prayer, may be regarded as making up a kind of private introductory service. The very first thing, therefore, in the public service, properly so called, is for the Minister to say, "O LORD, Open Thou our lips ;" and for the people to answer him, "And our mouth shall shew forth Thy praise;" and then they proceed immediately to praise the Most High GOD, FATHER, SON, and HOLY GHOST, in the Hymn of Glory, which, as you know, they repeat also at the end of every Psalm.

The Psalms themselves, and the Hymns after the Lessons, commonly take up at least one fourth of the time appointed for offering up our devotions to GOD in His Church.

Thus we try to obey the Voice which calls to us out of the Throne, Praise our Gon, all ye His servants." And we have the comfort and privilege of knowing, that He is with us, Who hath promised to be "where two or three are gathered together in His name." HE is with us, Who even from the Throne of His glory condescends to speak to us of God as our God; making