THE CLAIMS OF THE CHURCH BUILDING

SOCIETY.

PREACHED IN THE CATHEDRAL OF ST. ASAPH.

BY THE

REV. JOHN JONES, A.M.,

RECTOR OF ST. GEORGE'S, AND MINOR CANON OF ST. ASAPH.

NEHEMIAH XIII. 14.

Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for the offices thereof.

T is evident from these words, that Nehemiah expected

IT

that the LORD would remember his good deeds, and vouchsafe them a gracious recompense, notwithstanding defects in them, and sin in him; but to show that he did not think there was any proper merit or worthiness in them which required a reward as a debt in justice due to them, he explains himself in the 22nd verse, and desires to be rewarded, or rather pardoned, out of GOD's free goodness, according to the greatness or the multitude of his mercies. What, then, are the deeds with the remembrance of which we find the good Nehemiah solacing himself, and for which he calls upon the Most High to remember him? They are services done for the advancement in his country of the worship of GOD, and the religious instruction of the people. Jerusalem lay desolate. In the holy temple its services were unheard,-on the altar no sacrifice was laid, for there was a want of priests,—in the city no Sabbath was hallowed, for the House of GOD was forsaken. There, where once the VOL. III. K

Church had been seen in all the grandeur of her Mosaic state, with the Law to instruct, and the Prophets to console her children, and the Ark of the Covenant, from before which was brought to them pardon and peace, now silence and desolation reigned; "The place of the fathers' sepulchres lay waste, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire*."

As this excellent man, (whose interesting history in the Book from which the text is taken, is worthy of your attentive perusal,) contemplated the decayed state of the church of his fathers, he wept. Actuated by a noble zeal for the glory of GOD, and the religious institutions of his country, he called into action all the resources he could command, that there might be restored to Jerusalem some degree of her former excellence.

Were personal services necessary? he went round the walls, surveying their state, and took measures for rebuilding them. Was the co-operation of others wanted for the accomplishment of his work? he reasoned with the nobles, and rich men, and rulers, till they were interested in the restoration of the order and worship of the House of GOD. Were contributions needed? all his servants were gathered to the work, and there were sustained daily at his table an hundred and fifty of the Jews, besides heathens; and he gave to the treasury of the work a thousand drams of gold, fifty and five hundred and thirty priests' garments. His example animated others. There were given by the people to the treasury of the work forty thousand drams of gold, and four thousand two hundred pounds of silver, and three score seven priests' garments‡. By these means the waste places of *Neh. ii. 3. + Neh. vii. 70.

Neh. vii. 71, 72.

Jerusalem were rebuilt; where the Sabbaths had been polluted, they were now kept holy: priests in sufficient numbers were procured, and appointed to their stated ministrations in the temple were again heard the humble prayer, and psalm of holy praise. The Book of the Law of the LORD was once more read and explained in the ears of all the congregation: the sacred feasts, those pleasant remembrances of God's mercies to the children of men, were revived and celebrated each in its place; and Jerusalem was seen "shaking herself from the dust," and putting on her beautiful garments, while satisfaction and joy filled every bosom, in the hope that the LORD GOD would again dwell among them. The heart of Nehemiah glowed with delight, as he surveyed the fruit of his labours, and with a complacency which deeds of no other nature would have inspired, he exclaims, "Remember me, O my GOD, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the House of my GOD, and for the offices thereof."

That which strikes me, my brethren, in this passage of Holy Writ, and as connected with the object of this discourse, is the intimation which it plainly contains, that good deeds done for the houses of our GOD and for the offices thereof, are peculiarly acceptable in his sight: a doctrine which is confirmed in his Holy Word by the expressions of his approbation, received by David and Solomon and Josiah, and others mentioned in Scripture, on account of their beneficent deeds and pious exertions for promoting the knowledge and worship of his great name.

But why are works of this character so peculiarly acceptable to our Creator? The reasons are obvious, and sufficiently impressive to render us all desirous to have placed to our account in the Book of GOD, some memo

rials of good deeds done by us for the advancement of religion, to the knowledge and fellowship of which He of his abundant kindness hath vouchsafed to call us.

It may be observed, 1st, That all benevolent deeds are pleasing to GOD. He is love; and from age to age, without slumbering or sleeping, is constantly occupied in doing good. When his children are engaged in benevolent works, they resemble Him. The greater the extent of their designs, and the more disinterested their motives, the more perfect is this resemblance. And the nearer to perfection the resemblance of Him is brought in any of his children, the greater must consequently be the complacency with which He beholds them; the higher the approbation He will bestow upon them.

And here it may be remarked, that deeds done for the advancement of his Church are of the sublimest extent, and most disinterested character. They are of the sublimest extent, for they embrace the interests of unborn generations, and the effects of them endure through eternity. They are of a very disinterested character; for the authors of them expect not to live even to see the fruits of their works. Every effort of societies of men, every exertion or benevolent deed of individuals, for establishing and extending the Church and the offices thereof, is a co-operation with the Almighty,-a co-operation with Him in promoting the accomplishment of purposes dear to his mind from before the foundation of the world; and to which He has applied his attributes, devoted his providence, and given his only begotten Son. How ennobling the thought of being workers together with GOD! How strong the obligation upon us to be so whenever it is in our power. When indeed I contemplate the Almighty as the rightful owner of all things, who has distributed portions of them as He has

seen fit among men, to be used for his glory and the good of his creatures; and behold his institutions languishing for want of the aid of the talents, or influence, or wealth which He hath given man, I see not how they with whom He had intrusted any of these gifts, can escape the imputation of withholding his own from GOD. I add, in the third place, that in Christians good deeds done for the benefit of his Church, are eminently becoming as a proper expression of gratitude to their Redeemer. Of his claim to your gratitude, it is not necessary for me here to speak. You have not now to be told of his love, nor of the greatness of the salvation He hath wrought for your race, I need not take you to Bethlehem and shew Him emptied of Divine glory, and for your sakes entering this miserable world in the humblest form of human existence. I need not conduct you over Judæa, and point him out to you, amidst cares and troubles, going about doing good, I need not lead you to the Garden of Gethsemane that you may look upon the unspeakable agony He sustains while He bears our griefs and carries our sorrows, and the LORD is laying on Him the iniquity of us all. I need not ascend Mount Calvary with you that you may see Him stretched upon the Cross, and pouring out his life a ransom for your souls. I need not turn your attention to the sacred volume and remind you of the blessed instructions in truth and righteousness which He hath left you. I need not direct the eye of your faith to the Throne of Gon, that you may behold Him there still making intercession for you, and sending from thence the Comforter that He may abide with you for ever. No: with these deeds of your Redeemer you are well acquainted; and there are hours, when overwhelmed with the contemplation of the greatness of his love, you are ready to exclaim with Job*,

* Job xxiii 3.