TO THE PARISHIONERS OF WHATFIELD AND CHELLESWORTH, This Sermon IS RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED, AND EARNESTLY RECOMMENDED TO THEIR CANDID AND DISPASSIONATE EXAMINATION, BY THE AUTHOR. WHATFIELD, MAY 23rd, 1835. SERMO N. 1. PET. ii. 17. Honour all men. Love the Brotherhood. Fear God. If a traveller wanted to find his way through a desert country to some distant place, his first and main object would be to ascertain the direction in which he must set out, and the exact point of the compass by which he must shape his course. But it would materially tend to encourage him, as he went along, if in addition to the general bearing of his path, he were told that he might know himself to be in the right way, by observing here and there, near his road, certain specified objects, placed there for the assurance of travellers. So in our way to Heaven: the first grand point is to be made acquainted with the general principles of Christianity; such as these :—that to love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and mind, and soul, and strength, and thy neighbour as thyself, contains the sum of the Law and the Prophets: that to draw near to God, by the assistance of his Spirit, through the merits and intercession of the Redeemer is the substance of the Gospel. But it is of great advantage that we also find dispersed throughout Scripture a variety of minuter instructions, to shew us the manner in which these grand truths act upon the ordinary conduct of life. Whence it becomes easy to discover, by a scriptural examination of our tempers, habits, affections, and modes of thinking, whether, or no, we be really advancing on our way to Heaven. St. Peter in that part of his Epistle, with which my text is connected, presents us with one means of judging as to our advancement in the Christian life; it consists in our having, or not having, a temper and disposition of mind ready to shew deference and respect to all ranks and conditions of men; and to submit, for conscience' sake, willingly and cheerfully to the restrictions, which the laws and institutions of the community, in which we live, have imposed upon us. And the Apostle's instructions in this place contain, at the same time, both the general principle which is to guide us, and the special practical results, by which "Submit yourwe may put our principle to the test. selves to every ordinance of man," i. e. to the form of Government, and to all the civil regulations of your country, "for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the King, as supreme; or unto Governors, as unto them that are sent by him, for the punishment of evil-doers, and for the praise of them that do well; For so is the will of God, that with well-doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men; as free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God." And he sums up the whole matter in the pithy and apposite words of the text. "Honour all mén. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the King." He commands us first in general terms, to "Honour all men," lest any exception should be |