LI E) RARY 
 
 OF THE 
 
 U N 1 VERSITY 
 
 or ILLl NOIS
 
 
 
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 ^l\mi 4^\\\m% ^-^Ikng ^\^tl 
 
 St. Pancras. 
 
 SERMON 
 
 I'REACHED AT THE 
 
 DEDICATION FESTIVAL 
 
 /ULV i^t/i, 1879, 
 
 BY THE 
 
 REV. H. W. BURROWS, B.D., 
 
 Prfbendary of St. Paul's, and Vicar of Edmonton. 
 ««<|>^<l>«<^ 
 
 LONDON : 
 
 SOLD BY HEWETT, 71, ALBANY STREET, 
 
 AND 
 
 MACKAY, 185, ALBANY STREET. 
 1879.
 
 CHRIST CHURCH, ALBANY STREET, 
 
 ST. P AN C R AS. 
 
 — M>@^SE^^ 
 
 DEDICATION FESTIVAL, 
 
 JULY iith, 1879. 
 
 Psalms Ixviii. v. 28.— Thy GOD hath commanded thy strength : strengthen, O God, 
 that which Thou hast wrought for us. 
 
 The Psalm which we have sung this morning is most 
 poetical, but has difficult passages in it. I shall make use of 
 the words of the S. P. C. K. commentator who follows the 
 common opinion that it was written on the removal of the 
 ark from the house of Obed-edom to the new Tabernacle pre- 
 pared for it on Mount Zion. 
 
 In the Psalm there is dashed off a review of God's conduct 
 of His people through the wilderness, when the cloudy pillar 
 marshalled them their way. There is a reference to such 
 triumphs over the Canaanites as the song of Deborah cele- 
 brated. The character of GOD is touched upon : He is not 
 only a GOD of power, but a father of the fatherless, an advo- 
 cate for the widows. He makes the solitary to dwell in a 
 home ; He brings forth captives into prosperity.
 
 Then the Psahiiist passes on to God's choice of Zion as 
 His dweUing-place, and His triumphal entry therein with His 
 Angel-hosts. The literal translation is — the chariots of GOD 
 are myriads twice told, thousands of repetition, /.^., thousands 
 and again thousands, incalculable thousands. The Lord is 
 among them — in the midst of them : they are round about 
 Him. And here the Apostle St. Paul comes in as an inter- 
 preter of the old Hebrew poem, and we discover that it is the 
 Lord Jesus Christ who has ascended on high, led captivity 
 captive, and received gifts consisting of men, that even the 
 rebellious may be for the Lord GoD to dwell among. The 
 Psalmist here bursts into praise — " Blessed be the Lord ; 
 day by day doth He bear our burden, the GOD who is our 
 salvation." The mighty conqueror, even in His triumph, feels 
 for the daily trials and sorrows of His people, and helps them 
 to bear them. 
 
 Observe the confident anticipation of other triumphs —suc- 
 cess not in war, but in the conversion of the Gentiles. The 
 Psalmist prays that the Kingdom established on Mount 
 Zion may be extended to all nations, and then concludes 
 with an earnest call to those nations to praise the GOD of 
 Israel. 
 
 Now this Psalm is capable of application to the Christian 
 Church, for it celebrates, as Dr. Kay says, " God's presence 
 going before His Church, to guide it to the eternal Resting 
 Place." It is therefore fitly chosen as one of the special 
 Psalms for Whit Sunday, the birthday of Christ's Church. 
 And, as it is suitable for Pentecost, the birthday of the great 
 Universal Church, so it is suitable for this Dedication Festival, 
 which celebrates the birthday of this particular Church, called 
 Christ Church, we may believe, in order that it may be a 
 miniature, as it were, of the whole Catholic Church, called so, 
 too, as a reminder that it should always be true to Church 
 principles, and in order that the same affections may, in a 
 
 
 T
 
 degree, gather round it, as we bestow on the greater Christian 
 society. 
 
 I am glad to take a verse from this Psahn as our motto 
 to-day, a text to furnish the key-note for our thoughts, because 
 this Psalm is the only passage of Holy Scripture which is 
 permanently connected with this Dedication Festival. The 
 Gospels and Epistles vary, the Collects vary, the lessons vary» 
 but this Psalm Ixviii. always has been read on the anniversary 
 of the consecration of this Church, and is likely always to be 
 read, being the Psalm for the 13th morning of the month, the 
 day when we keep this Church's birthday — keep it as we do 
 other birthdays. There is a good in keeping birthdays ; — to do 
 so suggests thankfulness for one's having been called into 
 existence, and for having been so long watched over and pre- 
 served. A birthday gives an opportunity for self-examination, 
 and for resolutions which should grow out of self-examination. 
 It is an occasion for good wishes and birthday presents. It 
 is a time when a superior, a parent, a teacher, may appro- 
 priately volunteer advice. 
 
 The observance of such anniversaries cements aftection, 
 unites families, and furnishes subjects for happy recollections 
 under altered circumstances, sometimes to those far removed 
 from their home and surrounded by strangers. 
 
 I leave you to develope this thought, and to transfer to 
 a cliurcJis anniversary considerations similar to those which 
 are attached to the birthday of an individual. 
 
 To-day I would give you as a motto, one verse of what 
 I will call this church's birthday Psalm — ''Thy GOD hath 
 commanded thy strength : strengthen, O GoD, that which 
 Thou hast wrought for us." " GoD, who has all power, has 
 given to Israel power over the world. The Psalmist, knowing 
 that God alone can keep them in the height to which they 
 have been raised, prays that He would strengthen and confirm 
 His work."
 
 4 
 
 I believe this verse is applicable to the circumstances of 
 to-day. I. God has given this congregation power. 2. He 
 alone can keep this congregation in the height to which they 
 have been raised. 3. We must acknowledge all to be GOD's 
 w^ork. 4. We must pray Him to strengthen and confirm His 
 work. As David in the Psalm reviews Israel's history, so it 
 may not be improper to review briefly the history of this 
 church. 
 
 This church was consecrated in 1837, 3-'^d> of course, was 
 designed some time before it was actually completed. Its 
 career has therefore been contemporaneous with the Church 
 movement, with that revival of distinctive Church principles, 
 which has been one of the chief characteristics of the last half 
 century. This church was, for some time, almost the centre 
 of that movement, at least one of its most conspicuous 
 London centres. Here the first English sisterhood of post 
 reformation times was started. In a general, though, I think, 
 a proper, safe, legitimate way, this church has retained to this 
 day something of its old character, 
 
 I think too, that you may give GOD thanks for progress. 
 Two places of worship, St. Mary Magdalen's, Munster Square, 
 and St. Bede's, have been originated through the congregation 
 here. Several important schools have been established. A 
 clergy house has been contributed by a member of the 
 congregation. Pew rents have been relinquished, the free 
 and open system of seating people has been adopted and 
 carried out with much patience, good humour, and mutual 
 forbearance. Many good plans have been imitated from 
 other churches and naturalized here. Perhaps, also, some of 
 your institutions have been imitated elsewhere, and have 
 suggested larger schemes. There has been much admirable 
 lay help furnished, and some remarkable work done among 
 the poor, not merely, as in so many parishes, among women 
 only, but notably here, thank GOD for it, among men also.
 
 5 
 
 Owing to the free-will gifts of the congregation a consider- 
 able staff of clergy has been maintained, many of whom, 
 though now employed at a distance, in spheres of their own, 
 look back at their connection with this church with pleasure. 
 Then, I think, progress has been shown by an increasing 
 interest in missions to the heathen abroad. Circumstances 
 have made this congregation a considerable power in one 
 corner, at least, of the mission field. Your connection with 
 Ceylon has become a feature in your history. We should 
 think on these things, not to give praise to individuals, but to 
 acknowledge, according to the text, that GOD hath wrought all 
 this. He it is who has brought it to pass. Doubtless there is 
 the greatest room for humiliation, penitence, confession of 
 omissions. Doubtless much less has been effected than might 
 have been accomplished. 
 
 Possibly there are still many, as I know there were in my 
 time, dwelling near this church who take no interest in it, 
 who know not that you are to-day keeping its anniversary, 
 many to whom Christ Church is nothing, perhaps they know 
 not even its name. 
 
 Let us pray GOD to strengthen that which He has wrought, 
 to give this congregation a renewed grant of power for good, 
 now that this church is entering on a new year of its history. 
 It is His work, and in answer to prayer He will supply what 
 is deficient, correct w^hat is amiss, strengthen what is weak. 
 He is not One to desert the work of His own hands, to begin 
 and not continue. He does not flag in interest, there is no 
 variableness in Him. Rather He delights to make one gift 
 introduce another, " add," He says, " to your faith, virtue," and 
 so on, " Covet earnestly the best gifts." He complains when 
 men are slack in asking. He would have us strike more than 
 thrice. He is not straitened, it is men who faint : it is they 
 w^lio cease to bring vessels, into which to receive His bounty, 
 before He ceases bestowing it.
 
 Great may be the power of a congregation for good. Each 
 congregation has a history, a character, an office, a vocation of 
 its own. In the beginning of the Book of Revelation are epistles 
 to various congregations ; there is praise for some, censure for 
 others — rewards for each. There is some danger to be pointed 
 out, some declension to be feared, some heresy likely to intrude. 
 Either they have left their first love, or their zeal has cooled, 
 or there is self-deceit among them. Dear brethren, the eyes 
 of the great unseen Bishop of souls doubtless sees much among 
 yoii that should be different ; not as much fervour in prayer as 
 there ought to be, not as much dedication of time, talents, 
 money to the cause of GoD ; too much worldliness, too much 
 fault-finding, too much indolence, too much self-indulgence. 
 
 O, if God would this day stir you up to a revival of zeal, 
 how great might be your power for good ! • A congregation is 
 more than the sum total of the individuals composing it. It 
 forms an unit which may have a character, an esprit de cot'ps, 
 a force, a weight, of its own. How much does a ship count 
 for in a sea battle 1 — how much a regiment in a general en- 
 gagement } — how much a school in its effect on the public 1 By 
 belonging to a body, men get to know each other, they ani- 
 mate each other, stimulate each other, they have a patriotic, 
 social feeling in maintaining a good name, carrying out a high 
 principle, acting up to an honorable history. If the services 
 in this church are impressively maintained, if there is a deep 
 feeling of reverence and devotion among you, then you will 
 draw in others ; strangers in London, dropping in here by 
 accident, will become regular attendants, and attach them- 
 selves to your institutions ; young men from the country, 
 exposed to the temptations of the metropolis, will be 
 influenced as King Saul and his messengers were by the 
 services conducted by the sons of the prophets in the days 
 of Samuel. Some such effect will be produced as we read 
 of in I Cor. xiv. 24 : " If there come in one
 
 that believeth not, falling down on his face he will worship 
 God, and report that GOD is in you of a truth." If this 
 congregation is devout and zealous, this church will afford a 
 home to the lonely, — those who toil hard on week days, and 
 have few whom they can speak to in the great city, which 
 seems to them a crowded loneliness ; those who feel homeless 
 amidst a thousand homes, they will have their Sundays 
 brightened, and their sympathies drawn out by good works 
 which they shall find promoted here, and associations to 
 which they shall be led here. 
 
 A devout, zealous congregation is a power for good upon 
 many, not least upon their own clergy. A dev^out congrega- 
 tion raises the tone of all connected with it. O, may GoD 
 pour out His Spirit largely on all in this place, that you may 
 carry out the many Scripture injunctions bearing on this 
 subject ; such as, " Consider one another to provoke unto love 
 and to good works." " Bear ye one another's burthens, and 
 so fulfil the law of Christ." 
 
 This church is not so old but that some are alive who 
 helped to build it, many have been the earnest prayers put up 
 in it, many the gifts bestowed on its adornment ; some by 
 persons unknown to any now present, some by persons known 
 to but one or two. The donors wished to be unknown and 
 they are unknown. The jewels which adorn your chalice — 
 none of us know by whom they were given, or how they were 
 worn by the young girls whom they originally decked. Since 
 this church was consecrated, the weekly celebration, the daily 
 prayers have never ceased. Consecrated as it was in the first 
 month of the Queen's reign, this church has witnessed the 
 earnest supplications which have accompanied each public 
 event of joy or sorrow that has diversified the last forty-two 
 years ; and now the scene of many precious memories, of 
 much genuine devotion, is entrusted to a younger generation. 
 With few exceptions, the congregation of to-day remembers
 
 little of what took place forty years ago. You have succeeded 
 to the charge, in some sort, of a church of considerable 
 interest. It is not only the clergy, but the whole congregation 
 who may be considered, in some sort, as inheritors of the 
 past, charged to transmit what they have received, to hand it 
 down, not only sustained, but improved. 
 
 Progress and improvement are characteristics of the Christian 
 Church, and of all things connected with it. Our hymns im- 
 prove, our music improves, architecture improves, and you 
 should gradually improve this church. It has been considerably 
 improved, and is susceptible of still greater improvement. It 
 was not improved in time past without the exercise of much 
 self-denial ; large gifts were contributed which cost the 
 donors much. It will not be cleaned, decorated, and repaired 
 now without considerable sacrifices. Some will have to give 
 money, some time and trouble to collect from others, but GoD 
 will recompense. That which you do from a pure motive, for 
 His glory, as an offering to Him, He will accept, He will be 
 pleased with. He will repay. GOD has a thousand ways of 
 repaying. He repays not only by bestowing earthly blessings, 
 such as health, means of subsistence, sanity, strength of 
 nerve. He can give better things than these, cheerfulness, 
 contentedness, the respect of our friends, gratitude of children, 
 success of our endeavours. And better still. He has, in 
 His treasure-house, for those whom He cherishes. He can 
 give them a good conscience, a sense of acceptance, untiring 
 zeal, firm faith, clear views, power to draw others in and to 
 influence them for good. Yes, dear friends (I call you 
 such, I am glad to know that I have many old, tried, faithful 
 friends here), let us pray for each other, let us ask the best 
 gifts for each other, I for you, you for me ; let us combine in 
 one more good work, as we have combined in many before ; 
 let us encourage each other to the immediate work which is 
 in hand now, the work of to-day, the renovating, restoring,
 
 cleansing this Church, the scene of so many mercies, the 
 centre to which so many turn, the place where a witness for 
 God has been maintained for many years, and where we have 
 every reason to believe it will be maintained when dynasties 
 shall have changed, and institutions shall have been re- 
 fashioned ; for in this changing world, nothing is of equal 
 permanence with the faith of Christ, the Scriptures of Christ, 
 the Church of Christ. These will continue, whatever else is 
 doomed to decay. Happy we, to have a share in that which 
 is unchanging, in Him who is unchanging — Jesus Christ, the 
 same yesterday, to-day, and for ever. 
 
 He alone has an unchangeable priesthood. The succession 
 of earthly ministers is a mark of their imperfection and in- 
 adequacy ; here for a little while, and then gone ; each had 
 his own little share in a great succession of work ; each called 
 to, and so far endowed for, that work, but, inasmuch as each 
 was compassed with infirmity and limited in power, it was 
 needful, so to say, that the time of his exercise of the office 
 should also be limited, that so another should supply his lack 
 of service by other gifts. 
 
 It is so in all work, not only the work of the Ministry, 
 but that of District Visitors, Sunday School Teachers, Choir- 
 men ; each can contribute something, none can do all things. 
 So it becomes a blessing that they are not suffered to con- 
 tinue, lest only one part of the work should be carried on. 
 What a contrast to the inexhaustible perfection, as well as 
 the everlasting duration, of Him who hath an unchangeable 
 priesthood. 
 
 He, "because He continueth ever, hath an unchangeable 
 priesthood, wherefore He is able also to save them to the 
 uttermost that come unto GoD by Him, seeing He ever 
 liveth to make intercession for them." 
 
 O dear Church of Christ ! O dear Christ Church ! " Thy 
 God hath commanded thy strength : strengthen, O GoD, that 
 which thou hast wrought for us."
 
 HAKRISOiV AND SONS, 
 
 TRINTERS IN ORDINARY TO HER MAJESTY, 
 
 ST. martin's LANE.
 
 /