God." Such an announcement in England would seem the very perfection of pharisaical canting hypocrisy. But to me, I confess, there appeared something noble in thus boldly daring to make a profession of adhering to God's commands, even though surrounded on all sides by infidelity and superstition.

On inquiry, I found that the mind of the proprietor (to whom I was afterwards introduced by a mutual friend), had been turned to religious views for some time past, and that he dated his first impression from the perusal of a bible, received gratuitously or purchased (I forget which), from one of the agents of the "Société Biblique Française ;" and which society, may mention, has, with very limited means, done incalculable good.

But, running parallel with the frivolity to which I have alluded, as being so prevalent in Paris, is to be found a mighty current of the darkest infidelity. This monster dared to raise his head some time since in England, and, seeking for proselytes among the humbler classes, was for a while successful in procuring them. But the people of England are, as a nation, too deeply imbued with religious principle ever to allow infidelity to attain to any degree of growth in their land. In France, however, the case is far different; and this is in the nature of things. The glaring absurdities and trivialities which Rome calls upon its adherents to believe; the utter prostration of anything like mental independence, the result of that awful blasphemy, the forgiveness of sins by the priest on auricular confession, very naturally produce a rebound in the mind, and men first hesitate, then boldly avow disbelief; and, if their hearts be not imbued with a strong feeling of natural religion, if, in addition to that, their minds be not turned and directed to revealed truth, there is but too much reason to apprehend that they will seek a refuge from all doubts and all fears in gloomy scepticism.

in this great truth-that the believer, in the struggle which he has to maintain with sin and Satan, with the world and his own heart, must use vigilance and caution, and, among other appointed means of grace, daily and persevering prayer.

The allusion to a race, in the words of our text, is made in other parts of the apostle's writings to describe the Christian life. "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery, is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible.” And, that he might enforce by the weight of personal character what he taught, he thus refers to his own practice-"I therefore so run, not as uncertainly: so fight I, not as one that beateth the air; but I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection; lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway."

The great sin to which the first converts were exposed, was that of apostacy; since persecution was the inevitable lot of all, and martyrdom the price which had to pay

many

for their profession of the Christian faith.

Besides the sinfulness of a corrupt nature, the force of habit, the influence of evil example, the temptations of Satan, the infirmities of the flesh, the allurements of the

66

PERSEVERANCE:

A Sermon,

BY REV. JOSEPH KETLEY, B.A.,
Curate of St. Mark's, Kennington, Surrey.
HEBREWS xii. 1. 2.

'Wherefore, seeing we also are encompassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset, us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us; looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith."

VARIOUS are the similitudes under which the life of the believer is represented in the word of God. In the language of different but easily understood metaphors, his duties, his trials, and his encouragements, are set forth. In the passage before us it is likened to a race; and on more than one occasion the apostle uses this similitude in order to pourtray, in vivid language, the nature of the contest in which he is engaged, the difficulties which beset him while maintaining the struggle, and the animating motives which, with God's blessing, give vigour to his efforts, and enable him to "come off more conqueror through him who hath loved

than him."

All the instructions of revelation terminate

first believers had to contend with the intolerance of the Jew and the idolatry of the pagan. The Jewish ruler and the pagan magistrate employed their authority to crush the followers of Christ; and, while the philosophic unbeliever treated them with the bitterest scorn, the superstitious multitude were easily excited against them, and inflicted on them insults and wrongs of the worst description. These were not the palmy days of the believer. The storm rather than the sunshine, persecution rather than protection, was that to which he was exposed; and nothing, save a firm belief in the truths of the gospel, with their supporting influence, could sustain him amidst the accumulated trials and sufferings which everywhere assailed him-trials and sufferings which in our times, as far as we are concerned, have no parallel. But there are common dangers and common trials, from which no believer is exempt. Each age has its own peculiar dangers and trials. We are exposed to less fiery ones than they experienced. Our dangers are not those of the storm, but of the sunshine; and if, instead of the uplifted arm of persecution, we have the broad shield of protection thrown around us, it becomes us to be on our guard, lest our faith be counter

feit; lest while we have a name to live, we be dead in trespasses and sins, and lest, having the form of godliness, we be destitute of its power.

If the view which we have taken be a correct one, we can see at a glance why the apostle resembled the course of the Christian to a race; and why he recalled to their recollection the distinguished believers of the Old Testament.

The Hebrew converts, no less than the pagan ones, were in great danger of growing weary and faint in their minds, and of not resisting unto blood." Among them were those concerning whom the apostle gave this charge "Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way." There were, too, others of a less hopeful character. Hence it was necessary to exhort them to look "diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God (in the margin fall from); lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birth-right; for ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected; for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears."

Knowing these things, that the Hebrew converts were in danger from the common sources of evil inherent in our fallen nature, from the common temptations of Satan, from the common allurements of this sinful world; and that besides these they had to contend with others of a peculiar character, such as arose out of the times in which they lived, and the dreadful persecutions to which they were exposed, we see how weighty those motives were likely to be which were drawn from the rehearsal of the patience and perseverance of the Old Testament saints. For if, exposed to like temptations, sufferings, and death, the former had submitted without a murmur, surely the latter might be expected to submit with equal fortitude: for the one had endured with the prospect of a Messiah not yet come, but the other lived in Messiah's day. What prophets and kings had in vain desired to see, they saw. Hence the superiority of their motives to a patient endurance of the will of God. They had Jesus as the Author and Finisher of faith; he had resisted to blood; and they were required to take up the cross and follow him. Moreover, he had told them what to expect-that they must suffer the loss of all things; but then he fortified them by example and by precept. He taught them that the soul is of more value than all the enjoyments of this life, yea, than

life itself—" for what shall a man be profited if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"

The main object of the apostle then, in the words of our text, is to exhort the Hebrew Christians to constancy in the faith and confession of the gospel of Christ. And, as their course was likened to an arduous race, such as was frequently celebrated at the Olympic games, he suggests to their minds this great truth-that, parallel to the animating crowds which attended them, was the great cloud of witnesses of the Old Testament saints who were then inclosing them within the circle of their observation, and were looking to see how they acquitted themselves in a race in which themselves had obtained a crown of imperishable glory. And that the eye of one especially was upon them-of the Author and Finisher of their faith-who, for the joy that was set before him, endured agonies far surpassing any that had been endured by any other human sufferer; for, besides the sufferings which man could inflict, the arm of Jehovah was uplifted against him, and laid upon him the burden of our iniquities. For what saith Jehovah?" Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts; smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered." And again-"For it pleased the Lord to bruise him, and to put him to grief, and to make his soul an offering for sin : surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows."

Let us pause, my brethren, and dwell for a brief space on the parallel here drawn between the witnesses of the contesting parties. in the celebrated Grecian games, and those which surrounded the first believers.

Among the crowds which thronged the plains of Olympia to witness the struggle for the fading chaplet which adorned the brow of the victor, we see the most revered and the most distinguished of their countrymen. In that universal gathering we see the warrior, the statesman, the philosopher, the poet, the man of letters gazing with intent eye on the progress and the issue of the race; now watching in breathless suspense the strenuous efforts for victory made by those engaged in it; and now mingling their approbation with the deafening plaudits which rang throughout the assembled crowds, as the successful candidate reached the goal.

Such, brethren, is one side of the parallel; and the other is found in the noble army of martyrs, who died in faith before Messiah's advent. Among the less distinguished of that heavenly concourse were the myriads which no man can number, assembled from the four quarters of the globe, and gathered out

of all nations-the saints of patriarchal and of Jewish times. Some of these the apostle singles out, and details, in brief, the characters by which they were distinguished. Others, whose deeds are bright with glory, he merely mentions; recording with their names those general acts of faith for which those names stand out in bold relief in the page of sacred history. There we see Abel, the first of that glorious throng whose names are mentioned to animate the zeal of the Hebrew Christians -the first that presented an acceptable sacrifice to God, and fell a victim to his faith and obedience. Next to him Enoch, who, having the testimony that he pleased God, was translated to heaven-the single exception to that law which brings all beneath the sceptre of the king of terrors, and consigns all to the regions of the dead. Then Noah, one of the eight persons that was saved amidst the fury of the deluge, when a whole world was drowned for its ungodliness. Abraham stands next, the pattern of the faithful and the friend of God. And then, passing with rapid strides over the long period of three thousand years, and naming some others distinguishable for their faith and obedience, as if fearing to exhaust their patience, the apostle suddenly breaks off with this interrogation-"What shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and of Barak, and of Sampson, and of Jephthæ, of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets; who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again; and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection."

These then are the spectators of the Christian's course; this the cloud of witnesses to see how he acquits himself in the race set before him. And surely this may suffice to illustrate the motives which the Christian has to animate him. Brethren, the same eyes are fixed upon you to see how you acquit yourselves. And what does the apostle urge as a consequence of this? Lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset you, that you may run with patience the race set before you." And what weight has the Christian to lay aside? Inordinate affection for things temporal; concern for the body, while the soul excites no anxious thought. And what is the besetting sin which requires such attention? That to which they are most exposed from circumstances, constitution, or company; these re

tard men's progress in the Christian race, if they do not cause them to relinquish it altogether. Hence the necessity for the exhortation-"Set your affections upon things above, and not on things of the earth." And with regard to the other injunction-"Run with patience"-this implies that Christians have a race of service, and a race of sufferings, which must be run with patience to encounter the difficulties of the way, and with perseverance that the goal may be reached.

But there is one witness of this race whose eye is constantly fixed upon all who enter upon it. If no other eye saw the Christian struggling in his onward course-feeling the power of inbred corruption, groaning under the sin that easily besets, entangled by inordinate affections for this world, fearing lest the contest against the world, the flesh, and the devil, should not be maintained by himthat eye might suffice as a witness to animate with vigour: for it is the eye of him who died for their sins; it is the eye of him who rose for their justification; it is the eye of him who ascended up on high, that he might enter into heaven, like the great highpriest into the holy of holies, and with his own blood expiate their sins.

:

Brethren, attend, in conclusion, to the practical application of this subject. Let me exhort you to follow the advice of the apostle in these gracious words; let me urge you to do this more simply and perseveringly than you have ever done. Is not your Saviour entitled to your highest confidence? Did he not give himself for you, and suffer for you? Has he not ascended as your advocate and intercessor at God's right hand, in your own nature? Does not his omniscient eye watch you continually? Yes, he notices all he marks the efforts which you make to obtain pardon and peace. The sigh for penitence, though whispered in secret, and audible by no mortal ear, is heard by him. The prayer of faith, though mingled with doubts and fears lest you should be unworthy and should not find grace and acceptance, rises to his ear, and is presented before the throne, perfumed with the incense of his all-prevailing intercession. Such is his grace and compassion, that "the bruised reed he breaketh not, and the smoking flax he quenches not." Doubt not his ability, doubt not his willingness to save. "He is able to save to the uttermost all them that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession." "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out," is the encouraging word of his grace. "Come unto me, all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.'

Such are his gracious words to you; whe

zeal in the cause of Christ. know them."

"By their fruits ye shall For the employment of ungodly men, perhaps the plea of necessity will be set up; and in truth it is apparently a strong one. The demand for religious musicians exceeds the supply: and so, as the church cannot obtain wheat, she contents herself with tares. But why should this be? It is to be feared that the church will have much to answer for on the score of a culpable parsimony with reference to the support of her musical officers. Among settled congregations, instances are rare where an adequate provision is not made for the comfortable support of the clergy; but the instances are yet more rare in which any thing approaching to a bare competency for the subsistence of a family is allotted even to the " chief musician" of a flourishing Christian congregation. Probably upon the entire continent of North America there is not even one such instance. How then can an ecclesiastical musician be expected to devote himself to his work? And if, here and there, one should do so, upon what rational ground can a succession of such men be looked for? "Who goes a warfare at his own charges?" What religious young men, although possessed of the requisite tact and talent, will expend their early years in study for a profession which, sacred though it be, after all, in the present state of society, will bring them neither honour or emolument; nay, which will not reimburse them for their time and money so expended? Assuredly few, or none.

St. Paul asks his Corinthian converts, "Do ye not know that they, which minister about holy things, live of the things of the temple?" Such is the rule, and the parties concerned in the direction of church music do certainly "minister about holy things;" but alas! that upon which they are to "live" must be sought elsewhere. Hence it unfortunately happens that the profession is generally followed by worldly men, with worldly views, principles, and motives; and, although the church makes use of them, she sends them to the world for their subsistence. And the penalty of this niggardliness is righteously exacted, in the quenching of all spirituality in the music of the church, and in its conversion into a mere exhibition of artistical skill. | What but this dismal result can be expected? When a man must devote all his energies, during six days out of seven, to the diligent instruction of pupils in the art of performing quadrilles and waltzes and all the lighter music of the age, or in teaching them to sing sentimental songs and flippant ballads, or in composing or adapting music of a like character, calculated to meet a ready sale in the fashionable circles of society, how can he be supposed likely to come properly prepared upon the Lord's day to take a leading part in the deep solemnities of Christian worship? It is perhaps just within the scope of possibility, but it is certainly far out of the range of likelihood. The spirit of the week-day business will too generally and too surely pervade and tincture the Sunday employment: the melodious ballad of the concert-room will issue from the loft under the holy garb of a "pretty" psalm tune, and the brilliant fantasia or operatic overture will enter the church under the disguise of a voluntary. These atrocities are not the mere imaginings of a suspicious fancy; they are lamentable matters of fact. Such things have been, and unless better order be taken, such things will be again. Is it any cause of wonderment that church music does not flourish*?

But, not to dwell too long upon this unpleasant, and, to a professional musician, peculiarly delicate topic, let us pass on to the consideration of some of the remaining causes of the declension of congregational singing; of which, however, I purpose mentioning but two or three more.

One of these is the prevalence of a silly fashion We entirely agree with this.-ED.

which deems it ungenteel to sing in church. To suffer the voice to be heard swelling the praises of God in the great congregation, would be accounted decidedly vulgar ; and, in some cases, to join the choir, and bear the reproach of a psalm-grinder" (that is the contumelious epithet), were to lose caste entirely. A spurious diffidence and mock modesty may restrain a few, but the "fear of man" actuates far more: such is the tyranny of vicious custom. Many a young lady, who, with slight but not unaffected bashfulness, can stand up bare-faced, and it may be barenecked, in all the glare of a modern gorgeous drawingroom, and sing a mawkish love-ditty before an admiring throng of the well-dressed votaries of dissipation, will yet feel ashamed; yes, although bonneted and veiled, will feel positively ashamed to open her mouth in the house of God. What hope can be entertained for the restoration of congregational singing, whilst so deadly a feeling as this prevails among a large portion of those who profess and call themselves Christians? O that they would ponder upon the awful words of our Saviour Christ, "Whosoever shall be ashamed of me, and of my words, in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed when he cometh in the glory of his Father, with the holy angels" (Mark viii. 38)!

It is true that sometimes there may be just cause for silence, even where there is the disposition to sing. If the tune is unknown by the congregation they cannot sing it. And this leads to the remark that the constant introduction of new melodies operates very injuriously upon congregational music; as also does the great number of metres now to be found in almost every collection of psalms and hymns, each metre requiring not simply a tune but a collection of tunes adapted to the varying sentiments of the poetry. To set a cheerful tune to a penitential psalm, or a lugubrious melody to a rapturous poem, would be alike incongruous and indecent. Hence the necessity of perhaps considerably more than a hundred different melodies; for the number of metres rarely falls far short of thirty. How can those persons who visit a church but once or twice a week acquire or maintain an acquaintance with so many tunes? They must be apt learners indeed if they do. But to pass on.

Another cause of the decay of congregational music is to be found in the technical inefficiency of the means and agents sometimes employed to conduct it. Where the organ is used, an instrument of inadequate dimensions and power, or of bungling workmanship and defective mechanism, or harsh and disagreeable in the quality of its intonation, or one which is totally unfitted for any kind of musical expression, will do a great deal towards rendering good psalmody impossible. A very small organ accompanying a large congregation, on the supposition that the people actually sing, is worse than useless; as, not having authority enough to restrain the unavoidable tendency of the multitude to go astray from the original pitch, unlicensed discord and confusion must inevitably ensue. Defective mechanism also must occasion perplexing irregularities, which, even under the hands of an able organist, will be sufficient to check the current of harmony and disturb the devotions of the whole assembly. A harsh, squeaking, grating instrument, giving forth sounds to be excelled in repulsive roughness only by a cannon-borer or by a razor-grinder's wheel, will be still more efficacious in driving music entirely out of the church. And, lastly, a machine or barrel-organ, as being incapable of expression, or of conveying the impulse of mind and feeling, is open to all the objections already urged against a non-religious performer *.

We recollect, in officiating for some months for an invalid friend, being compelled to listen, Sunday after Sunday, to the