The works of the Rev. William Thom, late minister ... - waughfamily.ca
The works of the Rev. William Thom, late minister ... - waughfamily.ca The works of the Rev. William Thom, late minister ... - waughfamily.ca
$^ SERMONS.noti and to flatter and foment thofe tliey have. Ifthey panited to the life the temper and the vices ofthofe vi^ho refort to them, they w^ould foon be offended,and withdraw, unwilHng to be mortified with theview of their real felves. How dreadful, if ever thepulpit fliould be debafed in this manner ! or Ihouldever verge towards any art of that kind ! One hadbetter never preach at all, or ery in a defart, than beguilty of any fuch grofs and criminal proftitution.6th, The want of pomp and fhow in our mannerof worfhip, tends perhaps to diminifh the number ofpiofeflbrs. From the firft eftablifhment of our conllitution,the public fervices of religion have been donewith much fimplicity, and without any thing of glaresnothing to ftrike the fenfes or entertain the imaginationof the worfhippers. Not that I imagine there isany value in that wcrihip which is altogether occafjonedby outward fhow : no. It is the fpirituality ofworfhip which gives it value. " God is a fpirit, andthey that worfhip him, muft worfliip him in fpirit andin tr^th." But where the right inward principle isweak or awanting, external things may have fome influenceon religious profefTion. And I believe ourworflvip is lefs attractive, or at leafl is performed iniefs decent places, than might at firfl be intended.This proceeds from the felfifhnefs of the age, andtheir backwardnefs to be at any expence abou^ facredthings. Churches have been ere^ed and endowedby the piety of our forefathers, in the times of povertyand fimplicity ; had thefe things been left to this ageof riclies and commerce, it may be very queflionablewhether or not they would ever have been done. Wemight have had none or fewer places of public wor-pfhip, arid inflead of the fcanty provisions for the teachersof rightecufnefa, there might have been no fuchprovifions at all..The attachment of a country to religion may, iageneral, be cftimated from the Itate and condition of
SERMONS.f3Its religious buildings. When msii are under thepower of devotion, well or ill direfted, they fcrupienot at any expence in this matter : when they arecool and irreligious, they can be at none. The magnificenceof fuch buildings, as it flows from a refpe£tMento religion, it tends alfo to preferve that refpect.were formerly affected with external objects juft as wenow are.We look with a folemn and religious aweupon the grand and (lately edifice within which I now(land j with a like veneration we behold the vail andmagnificent ruins of many fuch domes and {lru6luresthroughout the country., Our churches, in general,are diminutive obje6l3, and have nothing ftriking a-bout them. I believe there is no Chriftian countrywhere thefe are in fo forry a ftate. They ought tobear fome proportion to the fplendour of the age, andto the public and private buildings in prefent ufe. Butmen live luxurioufly " in their ceiled houfes, whilethe houfe of God lies walle." This is both a proofof our irreligion, and it is alfo a caufe of it. Havemen religion ? why, then, are the temples of the livingGod in ruin ? why are the woriliipping places infuch a ftate of naftinefs and difrepair ? why in manyplaces does it cod fuch a ftruggle to get them repairedin the cheap, the coarfe, and flovenly manner in.'*which they are though there arc laws, long fincemade, and flill in force for fuch reparations. Donot the bulk of mankind conclude at once that religionmud be of very fmali importance, when they feethe rich and great, who are reputed wife, fo averfeto be at any expence about it ? do they not from thiscaufe think llightly of relijgion, and turn indifferentabout profefling it ? and do not the aged and delicate^and the people of better fafhion, " forfake the•afTbmbling of themfelves ?" avowedly declaring, thatour churches are fo fliattered and cold, that they endangertheir health; fo foul and ruinous, that they arcnaufeous and ofFenfive to them ; and that they wantB
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- Page 5 and 6: iiKWORKSOF THLRev. WILLIAM- Th|mLJT
- Page 7 and 8: •2.0^.-e O N T E N T S.PART LSERM
- Page 9 and 10: PART I.SERMONS.SERMON I.AN INQUIRY
- Page 11 and 12: SERMONS. 3even many of the people w
- Page 13 and 14: .ous temper and the ferlous appeara
- Page 15 and 16: SERMONS*7lent, he lofes the fenfe,
- Page 17 and 18: SERXIONS;Still lefs am I urging tha
- Page 19: ;!SlSRMONS. 11feme of the ancient f
- Page 23 and 24: SERM0N5; 15nrorant j how can it, th
- Page 25 and 26: .SERMONS.'17^jvlio were almofl esca
- Page 27 and 28: SERMONS. 19an avidity of riches app
- Page 29 and 30: SERMONS. 21rlty of the diities the
- Page 31 and 32: SERMON 11.SOBER AND RELIGIOUS CONFE
- Page 33 and 34: SERMONS, 2)deeper engaged in die lo
- Page 36 and 37: 28 SERMONS.ence, which, if we have
- Page 38 and 39: 30 SERMONS.fpe£^ive bufinefs.Shall
- Page 40 and 41: 32 SERMONS.exa£^ing too much, they
- Page 42 and 43: 34 SERMONS.fatlon, have a furprifin
- Page 44 and 45: 36 SERMONS.be ftrengthened, our lov
- Page 46 and 47: 38 SERMONS.the folcinn le£lure or
- Page 48 and 49: 40 SERMO>iS.prove the mliiJ, enlarg
- Page 50 and 51: 42 SERMONS^.before had been torn fr
- Page 52 and 53: 44 SERMON'S.Oils llock, fhculd conf
- Page 54 and 55: 4^- SERMONS.If you lay before your
- Page 56 and 57: 4BSERMONS.regarded : but when any o
- Page 58 and 59: S E R i>I O K 5,And vou "v'ili be g
- Page 61 and 62: of the Gofpel."SERMONS..S"^Thus uni
- Page 63 and 64: SfUMONS.pTofperous, and, to a confi
- Page 65 and 66: SERMONS.to have her to wife. Old Ha
- Page 67 and 68: SERMONS,fied with difpbcing him, th
- Page 69 and 70: SERMONS. 61uudd the houfe of the Lo
SERMONS.f3Its religious buildings. When msii are under <strong>the</strong>power <strong>of</strong> devotion, well or ill direfted, <strong>the</strong>y fcrupienot at any expence in this matter : when <strong>the</strong>y arecool and irreligious, <strong>the</strong>y <strong>ca</strong>n be at none. <strong>The</strong> magnificence<strong>of</strong> fuch buildings, as it flows from a refpe£tMento religion, it tends alfo to preferve that refpect.were formerly affected with external objects juft as wenow are.We look with a folemn and religious aweupon <strong>the</strong> grand and (<strong>late</strong>ly edifice within which I now(land j with a like veneration we behold <strong>the</strong> vail andmagnificent ruins <strong>of</strong> many fuch domes and {lru6luresthroughout <strong>the</strong> country., Our churches, in general,are diminutive obje6l3, and have nothing ftriking a-bout <strong>the</strong>m. I believe <strong>the</strong>re is no Chriftian countrywhere <strong>the</strong>fe are in fo forry a ftate. <strong>The</strong>y ought tobear fome proportion to <strong>the</strong> fplendour <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> age, andto <strong>the</strong> public and private buildings in prefent ufe. Butmen live luxurioufly " in <strong>the</strong>ir ceiled houfes, while<strong>the</strong> houfe <strong>of</strong> God lies walle." This is both a pro<strong>of</strong><strong>of</strong> our irreligion, and it is alfo a <strong>ca</strong>ufe <strong>of</strong> it. Havemen religion ? why, <strong>the</strong>n, are <strong>the</strong> temples <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> livingGod in ruin ? why are <strong>the</strong> woriliipping places infuch a ftate <strong>of</strong> naftinefs and difrepair ? why in manyplaces does it cod fuch a ftruggle to get <strong>the</strong>m repairedin <strong>the</strong> cheap, <strong>the</strong> coarfe, and flovenly manner in.'*which <strong>the</strong>y are though <strong>the</strong>re arc laws, long fincemade, and flill in force for fuch reparations. Donot <strong>the</strong> bulk <strong>of</strong> mankind conclude at once that religionmud be <strong>of</strong> very fmali importance, when <strong>the</strong>y fee<strong>the</strong> rich and great, who are reputed wife, fo averfeto be at any expence about it ? do <strong>the</strong>y not from this<strong>ca</strong>ufe think llightly <strong>of</strong> relijgion, and turn indifferentabout pr<strong>of</strong>efling it ? and do not <strong>the</strong> aged and deli<strong>ca</strong>te^and <strong>the</strong> people <strong>of</strong> better fafhion, " forfake <strong>the</strong>•afTbmbling <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>mfelves ?" avowedly declaring, thatour churches are fo fliattered and cold, that <strong>the</strong>y endanger<strong>the</strong>ir health; fo foul and ruinous, that <strong>the</strong>y arcnaufeous and <strong>of</strong>Fenfive to <strong>the</strong>m ; and that <strong>the</strong>y wantB
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