SERMON XVII.

RELIGION A CHEERFUL SERVICE.

PSALM C. 1; p. B. V.

"O be joyful in the Lord all ye lands: serve the Lord with gladness, and come before His presence with a song.”

WHILE the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth His handy work, it would ill become the earth to have no tribute of praise and thanksgiving to offer. We, for whom this world was created, have been made partakers of many and great mercies. We are gifted with intelligence and sensibility and religious affections, and are surrounded on every side with the loving-kindness of the Lord. We have present mercies, both temporal and spiritual, to awaken our gratitude, and blessings in reversion of unspeakable worth to communicate a joyous hope. But while there is every reason for beings so greatly loved to serve the Lord with gladness, and come before His presence with a song, there are too many, who view the service of God as no

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better than a task and burden, regarding religion as a severe system of restraint, rather than as a happy service, or as perfect freedom.

Let us then consider which is the true view to take of this matter; for it is evident that our habits of thought and our way of life will vary according to the estimate we form of the real character of religion.

Now of the different views taken of religion, one is that, in which it is simply looked upon as involving obligations dangerous to be neglected. And no doubt this view, as far as it goes, is a correct one. It must, self-evidently, be most hazardous to disregard the duties of devotion. Every one, who lives without God in the world, places himself at a distance from the Fountain of all Goodness, and is daily in danger of dying in his sins. Those therefore, who regard the neglect of religion as destructive of all hope of good, are right in the judgment they have formed. But yet while judging thus, religion may be to them an unwelcome restraint. It may present to their minds a gloomy aspect. It may be associated in their ideas only with thoughts of dulness. It may have no place in their affections. Their sympathies may not in the least harmonize with its spirit. They may find, that such as are really religious are living in quite a

different world from that, in which they are living themselves. Such persons do not give up religion altogether, but they have no heart in the performance of its duties. It is all compulsion work. They may say their prayers, and read the Bible, and come to Church, and even receive the Lord's Supper, and yet they attend to all these things, not because they take pleasure in them, but because they shrink from the consequences of neglecting them. Hence their religion is a yoke to which they reluctantly submit. It thwarts their will and interferes with them in their pleasures, for ever telling them they are deceived and for ever bidding them beware. Their hearts are in reality given to the world. In its ways and pleasures they are seeking their happiness. Still they feel and confess the obligations of religion. They know its duties must be attended to. They connect, in theory, all hope of good with the observance of them. But they have no joy and peace in believing. They are perfect strangers to the pleasures of religion.

But there are others, whose views of religion rise higher than this; who are convinced that it not only has sacred duties to enforce, but also richest blessings to communicate. They believe it is not only safe, but profitable also, to live a

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religious life. And this view, like that last mentioned, is also a correct one, as far as it goes. We rejoice to believe that it is no vain service to wait upon God. We are expressly assured that in keeping of His commandments there is great reward. And what, though self-denial may seem opposed to self-interest, yet it is not so in reality. There is an assurance mercifully given, that God will make large amends for whatever loss we sustain, and for whatever we suffer, while acting in obedience to His will. When the rich young man was bidden by our Blessed Lord, to "Sell all that he had and give to the poor the precept was coupled with this promise, "and thou shalt have treasure in heaven." This is indeed the invariable teaching of the Gospel, that by denying ourselves for Christ's sake in this world we are providing for our highest interest in the next. "Every one," saith our Lord and Master, "that hath forsaken houses or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My Name's sake, shall receive an hundred fold and shall inherit eternal life." There can be no doubt then, so long as we receive this statement as a truth, that selfdenial instead of clashing with our real interest, does in point of fact most effectually promote it. And thus those persons rightly judge who look

upon "Godliness as profitable unto all things; having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. 991

But the fullest conviction of the danger of neglecting religion, and the most unqualified acknowledgment of the profitableness of attending to it will not, of themselves, suffice to make us joyful in the Lord, and take pleasure in His service. Yet these, my brethren, are the proper fruits of heartfelt devotion. "Serve God and be cheerful" was the simple advice given by one of the faithful Bishops of our Church. "Serve the Lord with gladness and come before His presence with a song" is only one amongst many similar invitations abounding in the Psalms. And, meanwhile, the account given us of the early Christians is this, "And they continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God and having favour with all the people." It cannot then be denied that the proper spirit of religion is a spirit of joyfulness. Observe, it is not enough to say, that religion does not interdict the enjoyment of innocent pleasure. This, we know, is sometimes said by way of apology for its supposed severity. It is as

1 1 Tim. iv. 8.