LIST OF SERMONS IN VOL. II. PAGE 1. Christ's Thankfulness and Adoration.--Rev. H. MELVILL, B.D. 2. Christian Unity.-Rev. J. HAMILTON 3. Christ's Dispositions in accomplishing his Work of Mercy.- 4. ...... A Mother's Love; or, the Tender Compassion of our God.- 5. 1 19 3333 .... 42 Help implored and obtained.-Rev. W. W. WILKINSON..... 57 6. A Good Wife, a Heavenly Gift.-Rev. R. H. BISHOP The Progressive Character of Divine Knowledge.-Rev. T. DALE, M.A. 8. 81 The Saviour Sought and Found.-Rev. W. W. WILKINSON 9. 113 The Powers of the World to come.-Rev. H. MELVILL, B.D. 127 10. The Claims of the London City Mission on Members of the Church of England.-Rev. JOHN GARWOOD, M.A..... 147 PAGE 11. The Redeemer's Care and Sympathy.-Rev. W. W. WILKINSON 171 12. On Holiness.-Rev. D. KELLY, M.A............ 13, 186 God's Goodness to the Poor.-Rev. T. MYERS, M.A......................... 197 14. A right Faith not springing from Miracles. Rev. W. J. IRONS, M.A. 15. The Young exhorted to Remember their Creator.-Rev. H. MELVILL, B.D. 16. The Increase of Faith.-Rev. HENRY VALLANCE.. 17. David's Delight and Consolation in God's Law.-Rev. T. DALE, M.A. 18. The Faithful Steward-Personal Talents.-Rev. T. E. HAN 209 225 241 251 165 God's Word, a Mirror.-Rev. H. MELVILL, B.D........... 173 20. The Faithful Steward-Relative Duties.-Rev. T. E. HANKIN SON 21. God's Care of the Poor.-Rev. W. H. BORTON..... 189 200 An Account of laying the Foundation Stone of Trinity Church, London, and the Rev. T. DALE's Prayer and Address.. 97 CHRIST'S THANKFULNESS AND ADORATION. A SERMON PREACHED BY THE REV. HENRY MELVILL, B.D. At Camden Chapel, Camberwell, ON SUNDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 17th, 1837. Text." In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight."-Luke, 10th chapter and the 21st verse. THERE is something very touching in the description which the prophet gave of the Messiah-" A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief." It served to mark him out as one who, through the whole of his earthly career, was to know nothing of joy, to have scarcely a moment's respite from sufferings that were to be as intense as protracted. And we have abundant reason to believe that the reality came not short of the prediction. We cannot doubt, that there was an almost incessant pressure on the spirit of our Saviour, and that he endured an agony of soul which made his whole life but a series of sacrifices to Divine Justice. We shall do very wrong if we limit the sufferings of the Mediator to the scenes of Gethsemane and Calvary. Indeed it was in his last great struggle with the powers of darkness that his sorrow was, emphatically, such as had never been known, and can never be imagined, by any human being. It was then that his Father's countenance was hidden from him, and probably caused the mysterious and affecting expression," My soul is exceeding sorrowful, [No. 17.] VOL. II. B even unto death." But though his sufferings at other times were not so intense, we must still believe that they were such as it was hard to bear, and that they contributed a part to that complete satisfaction for sin, which it was Christ's business on earth to make. If you consider the character of the Redeemer-that he was holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners; and if you remember what work he had in hand, and who the beings were by whom he was surrounded, you will conclude it unavoidable that he should have been sorely disquieted, and continually oppressed. To one so spotless as this Lamb of God, the perpetual contact with a sinful and idolatrous generation, must have been a source of acute pain; whilst the being himself exposed to the temptations of Satan, must have caused an anguish, such as could only be felt where there was a perfect loathing of evil, in its every form and every degree. The language which the apostle Paul employs, in reference to Christ, sufficiently shows that Christ had to sustain continued suffering, and that too produced by the causes we have suggested: "Consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.' The "contradiction of sinners against himself;" that is, the being contradicted or spoken against by sinners. This is given by the apostle, as a kind of summary of Christ's sufferings, when he would animate Christians to endurance, by the example of their master. And the being spoken against must denote that rejection, that sacrifice, that obloquy, which the Redeemer had continually to bear, and which must, indeed, have been grievous to one whose whole soul was bent on promoting God's glory, by securing man's happiness. In another place, the same apostle uses this remarkable expression-"For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, the reproaches of him that reproacheth thee fell on me." Here the Saviour is represented as having had to do violence to himself. Christ pleased not himself whilst engaged in the great work of our rescue; and the reason given is, that he had to bear the constant reproaches of those who reproached God, whether by their blasphemies or their iniquities. The having to live with sinners, to be a witness |