CONTENTS TO VOL. I. SERMON I.-First Sunday in Advent.-A Charity Sermon preached in Townsend Street Chapel, Dublin, from the Gospel of the Day.... SERMON II.-Second Sunday in Advent.---The Pro- SERMON IV.-Fourth Sunday in Advent.-On the most striking Circumstances that distinguished the Birth SERMON V. Sunday within the Octave of the Na- tivity. On the Advantages of Affliction...... SERMON VI.-Sunday within the Octave of Epi- phany. On the Education of Children......... SERMON VII.-Second Sunday after Epiphany.-On the Duties of a Marriage State. ...... SERMON XVI.-Second Sunday in Lent.-On the Happiness of the Saints in their glorified State. SERMON XVII.-Third Sunday in Lent.-On the Duty and Interest of true Christians to avoid the slight- SERMONS. SERMON I. FIRST SUNDAY IN ADVENT. A Charity Sermon preached in Townshend-street Chapel, Dublin, from the Gospel of the Day. There shall be signs in the sun, moon, and stars, and upon the earth distress of nations, by reason of the confusion of the roaring of the sea and waves; men withering away with fear and expectation of what shall come upon the whole world; for the powers of Heaven shall be moved, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with great power and majesty. Luc. xxi. By the favour of the Almighty, we have lived to see once more the return of this holy season. Again we are assembled in the house of the Lord, to turn our thoughts to his second coming: the Church by her service on this day, directs us so to do, and we will obey her. There are times and circumstances when we ascend this sacred place with heavy hearts, as having but little hopes of the desired success in delivering to you the word of truth, and of reaping much fruit from our labours. This happens whenever we have to deliver to you such doctrines and preVOL. I. B cepts as are manifestly at variance with the prejudices of the times in which we live; whenever we endeavour to inspire you with the humble, the gentle, the compassionate, the heavenly dispositions, which are the distinctive characteristics of the disciples of Jesus, and which are yet so rarely found among those who call themselves his followers. But there are likewise other times when with bold and cheerful spirits we appear before you, because animated with the pleasing expectation, that we shall effect our good designs, if not with all, at least with many. In such a frame of mind, in such delightful hopes, I meet you this day, in this sacred place. I am to be the advocate, the intercessor with you for sixty helpless orphans. I shall apply to you in their name. In their name did I say? No: I shall apply to you in the name of Jesus, your Redeemer and your Judge. Happy shall I be, happy will it be for you, if I have the success I promise myself from your Christian tenderness. I know many among you to whom discipline and order, religion and virtue, are dear. I have on similar occasions often addressed you with similar petitions; and, to the honour of your Christian profession, you have not been regardless of them. Why, then, may I not hope, through the blessing of the Almighty, to effect my purpose this day? But, if opulence and unfeeling avarice have found their way into this assembly, how can I hope to melt them into compassion more effectually, than by leading their attention to that awful day, in which they must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, to receive their final and irrevocable sentence, according to their actions during this life of trial? Let me then impress upon their hearts, that awful, universally, and eternally interesting scene represented in my text; when, at the terrific solemnity of the descending God, astonished Nature will be convulsed, and a destructive sound will be heard, announcing the ruin of the world. I have not to urge this day the rigours of God's judgment to those who have not bread to offer to their famished children; I have not to carry dismay and affliction into the bosoms of those whom I should rather pity and console. From the place I now occupy, wherever I direct my eyes, I behold only the rich and fortunate, perhaps I behold the oppressors of suffering humanity: at least with truth I may affirm, that I behold the audacious, the habitual sinners. Those I shall summon, with the thunders of God's judgment, to unlock their treasures to the destitute orphan, since this, I may boldly say, is the only means they have of unfolding to themselves the gates of Heaven. May the terrible Judge, whose menaces I this day proclaim, endow my words with an energy powerful enough to charm them into compunction and charity! In the portion of scripture selected for this day's gospel, the appearance of the Son of God, and the forerunners of it, are marked out for our contemplation. Signs above the terrors beneath, the powers of Heaven shaken, men's hearts failing them through fear, the trumpet sound through all the regions of the grave, "Arise ye dead and come to judgment." The everlasting doors are unfolded, the King of glory, the Lord of men and angels appears in the resplendent robes of celestial majesty; the armies of Heaven follow him, and the sentence is passed, from which there is no appeal. Is this all true? Most assuredly it is. A monitor within bears a faithful testimony to what I say, and will not suffer infidelity to doubt, or to intrude. And are we, |