the great lawgiver of Israel to his successor, Joshua, and they are the words of a hundred and twenty years of wisdom and experience: "Be strong, and of a good courage. Fear not; for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee. He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, therefore, be not dismayed." The second shall be like unto it-the dying charge of the great king to Solomon: "Be thou strong, therefore, and show thyself a man; and keep the charge of the Lord thy God to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself." SERMON IX. A SHORT DISCOURSE. LIGHT A REPROVER OF EVIL DEEDS. "For every one that doeth evil, hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved."-JOHN iii. 20. The more accurately we are able to judge of men's motives, the more fully do we see the correspondence which exists between human conduct and human character. A man's outward conduct developes his creed. The fool hath said in his heart there is no God;" and the unbelieving mind finds daily opportunity to show forth its infidelity. Men whose hearts are alienated from God, have a natural aversion to his truth, as soon as the light of it penetrates the soul. As some wild beasts roam only in the hours of darkness, while by day they are hidden in their lair, so the carnal mind dreads the light, neither cometh to it, lest its deeds should be reproved. Why does the evil doer thus hate the light? 1. I answer negatively, that it is not because error is more intel ligible then truth. The entrance of God's word giveth light. Truth seeks no concealment, admits of no obscurity; while falsehood lives and thrives only in darkness. 2. Nor is it because error is more easily defended than truth. An attorney once said that a man can be eloquent in defending the truth with half the powers which are requisite in order to be eloquent in defence of falsehood 3. Nor is it because conscience is better pleased with error than with truth. Falsehood is offensive to an honest conscience, nor can it cease to be so, except after protracted abuse. 4. Nor is it because error makes a better character than truth. The whole world are witnesses here, that the more conversant we are with truth, and the more cordially we embrace it, the more do our characters commend themselves to mankind. 5. Nor is it because error makes men happier. Falsehood must inevitably be detected. It is a precarious basis for happiness. Truth only proves an anchor of the soul sure and steadfast. 6. Nor does error suit the necessities of the ruined sinner better than truth. Once open the eyes of men to see themselves as they are, and they find nothing to meet their case but divine truth. I answer positively 1. Wicked men hate the light because it exposes their vileness. When the cellar that has been shut up for years is first laid open, by the opening of windows and doors, it presents a disgusting sight. We wonder how so much filth could have accumulated there. So the dark and wicked heart of man seems unutterably vile and loathsome when God's word and Spirit enter and illuminate it. 2. Wicked men hate the light, because it exposes their danger. Sin and its consequences are palpably connected. It is a fever in the soul which of itself is painful. Its presence insures the certainty of misery. It is a leprosy which must eat up the soul and subject it to an eternal death. 3. Wicked men hate the light, because it shows the necessity of a better character. The soul in love with sin is agonized with an apprehension of the necessity of reformation. Sinful habits let go their hold with wonderful reluctance. They cry out, "Let us alone." And when they are expelled, they are like those howling demons, who were driven out by our Saviour. The contrast which exists between good and bad men, is painful to the wicked just in proportion as it is perceived. 4. Wicked men hate the light, because it awakens the fear that they will be overcome. They are always found in an attitude of defiance. They cherish the most determined hostility to God, and treat him as a foe. The entrance of light shows God's superiority in goodness and power, while it exhibits the certainty of their ultimate defeat. REMARKS. 1. God ranks all who hate and resist the light among evil doers. Multitudes pride themselves upon their rectitude of conduct, who yet are, in the sight of God, exceedingly wicked. We see men abusing the law of God which is holy, just and good. them abusing the person of God by their neglect of his commands and the disregard of all his wishes. We see them abusing their We see own consciences; we see them abusing themselves and their fellow-men by a course of conduct which tends to produce misery here and hereafter. We see them cherishing a spirit which would mar the concord of heaven, and break up the heavenly choirs, and yet glorying in their native excellence, and rejoicing that they are not as other men. Yet so long as they resist the light, they must be regarded as evil doers, and be punished as such. 2. As men grow in wickedness, we may expect to see them growing in hatred of the truth. This may account for the fact. that so many discontinue the use of the means of grace. 3. This subject explains the reason that faithful ministers must expect persecution. If they make men see their sins, they incur odium. The man who loves sin, and will not abandon it, will hate the occasion of its constant presentation. 4. We see the cause of the torments of the convicted sinner, and of the horrors of the dying bed; and also why there will be such amazing wrath at the opening of the latter day glory. The pouring of truth in all its pungency and power upon the longabused conscience, is like the sunbeam admitted upon the animalcule who writhe and twist and then expire. 5. We see one of the ingredients of eternal woe. Every lost sinner will spend his eternity in a blaze of light which will fully exhibit his enormity of guilt. There can be no escape from that light which was hated and shunned through a life time. Convic tion will be thorough, and ever increasing in the bosom of the lost, and this will constitute the worm that never dies. THE PRAYER-MEETING. THE DEATH OF THE RIGHTEOUS. Balaam, "Let me die the death of NoT always are the dying scenes the righteous, and let my last end be of God's children witnessed by like his." He said that after a late earthly friends. But doubtless skirmish, or battle, on coming out ministering angels wait around and the roll of his company was called, form the convoy of the departing and he found that two men were souls in their upward flight to hea- missing to whom he was very much ven. Recently in the Fulton-strect attached as Christians. They were Their voices Prayer-meeting, a gentleman arose pious, godly men. who was evidently an officer in the were always heard in their little army, and quoted from the words of company prayer-meetings. They were always the right men in the right place. "Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep; As he finished he opened his eyes, and meeting the pitying gaze of a brother soldier, he exclaimed, 66 I was a little boy, and I have said My mother taught me that when it every night since I can remember. Before the morning dawns I believe God will take my soul for Jesus' sake;' but before I die I want to send a messege to my mother. He knew not what had become of them, whether wounded, taken prisoners, or killed. He was determined to know, and though the matter was full of danger, he made up his mind he would look for these men in the face of the enemy and over ground which the enemy commanded. The enterprise was so hazardous that he would not ask any one to go for him, or with him. So he ran over that ground alone and turned up the faces of those who had fallen, and there he found He was carried to a temporary all that remained, this side of hea- hospital, and a letter was written ven, of his two praying friends. to his mother, which he dictated, They had been killed outright, full of Christian faith and filial love. and their faces looked beautifully He was calm and peaceful. calm and peaceful, as if their last as the sun arose his spirit went thoughts had been of the blissful home, his last articulate words home to which they had been so suddenly summoned. I ran back, said the speaker, thinking all the way, "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord." Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his. For the Prayer-Meeting. THE SOLDIER'S PRAYER. It was the evening after a great battle. All day long the din of being, Just "I pray the Lord my soul to take; And this I ask for Jesus' sake." So died William B-, of the Massachusetts volunteers. The prayer of childhood was the prayer of manhood In For the Prayer-Meeting. THE EFFECT OF PRAYER. Most persons find no difficulty strife had echoed far, and thickly in believing that prayer exerts a strewn lay the shattered forms of happy and desirable influence on those so lately erect and exultant the worshipper himself; but even in the flush and strength of man- this can hardly be, if it is generally hood. Among the many who bow- unterstood that this is all ed to the conqueror Death that deed, I can not help thinking that night, was a youth in the first fresh- conscience itself wontd dissuade ness of mature life. The strong many from resorting to prayer, if limbs lay listless, and the dark brought to look on it as no better hair, was matted with gore on the than a kind of well-meant cheat pale, broad, forehead. His eyes which we practice on ourselves for were closed. As one who minis- its moral uses. "Prayer, to have tered to the sufferer bont over him, much effect on ourselves, must be he at first thought him dead; but believed to have an effect on God." the white lips noved, and slowly, It is too solemn a transaction by in weak tones, he repeated, far to be made use of ns a kind, of spiritual strategy. No; make not your present course, or will you our prayers to seem one thing and then look upon your neglect of be another. Strike not our devo- prayer-meetings with pleasure, tions dead by the sceptical sophism think you? that they can only have an effect 5. Does not your pastor suffer on oursleves. They will have an by your neglect ? Does it not effect on God; for He has said hurt his feelings, cool his zeal, that they will, and the promise has and hinder his usefulness? been ratified and confirmed in the 6. Are not your fellow-members experience of holy and devout men in the church discouraged by you, of all ages. They will have an ef- and may you not thus offend fect on God, for He who is " In the Christ's little ones? bosom of the Father" has said that 7. Is not your own family inthey will. "Ask, and it shall be jured by your neglect? What will given you; seck, and ye shall find." your children think of prayerAgain it is said: "Let us come meetings, seeing you habitually boldly into the throne of grace, neglect them? Is it surprising it that we may obtain mercy, and they despise them? find grace to help in time of need." And more affectingly still in the words of the text: "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much 9. Can you have a proper conmore shall your Father which is in cern for the prosperity of the heaven give good things to them Church, the spread of Christ's that ask him." Wherefore, "Be cause, and the conversion of sincareful for nothing; but in every ners if you never meet to pray for thing by prayer and supplication, them? with thanksgiving, let your re- 10. Are you sure that you fulfil quests be made known unto God; your duty as a church-member and the peace of God, which pass- while you neglect prayer meetings? eth all understanding, shall keep Is neglect of duty no sin, and is your hearts and minds through there no probability of you being Jesus Christ." called to account for it? For the Prayer-Meeting. QUESTIONS TO THOSE WHO NEGLECT PRAYER-MEETINGS. 1. Are you always better employed? If not, can it be right in you to absent yourself? 2. Do you get more good to your own soul, and do more good to others, by staying away? If not, can you be acting wisely? 3. Does your own conscience justify you, or have you not sometimes a difficulty in keeping it iet on the subject? 4. Will a death-bed commend 8. Is there no reason to fear that unconverted sinners may be both hindered and led to think lightly of prayer by your conduct. 11. Did any one ever really gain anything, either in temporal or spiritual things, by neglecting prayer-meetings? If you think so, can you prove it? 12. Is there no selfishness, or pride, or worldly-mindedness at the root of your neglect? If so, ought such things to be encouraged? 13. Would it be right to give up the prayer-meetings? Do you think this would please God, or improve the cause? But if all the members did as you do, must they not be given up? Could not the rest find excuses for staying away, |