A MIDDLE CLASS:

AND OTHER SERMONS.

BY

JOHN THOMAS JEFFCOCK,

M.A., F.S.A.,
Rector of S. Peter's Collegiate Church, Wolverhampton; Proctor for

the Clergy of the Archdeaconry of Stafford.

BEMROSE & SONS, 23, OLD BAILEY;

AND DERBY.

MDCCCLXXXI.

100. C. !!!

CONTENTS.

SERMON I.-A MIDDLE CLASS.

PAGE

Give me neither poverty nor riches ; feed me with food

convenient for me, lest I be full, and deny Thee,

" Who is the Lord ? ” or lest I be poor,

and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.

-PROVERBS Xxx. 8, 9

and say,

I

SERMON II.-THE CARPENTER,

Is not this the Carpenter ?--ST. MARK VI. 3

I2

SERMON III.-A POOR PROFESSION.

(St. Matthew's Day in Ember Week.)

And as Jesus went forth from thence, He saw a man,

named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom :

and He said unto him, Follow Me. And he arose,
and followed Him.-ST. MATTHEW ix. 9

24

SERMON IV.-HIGH IN OFFICE.

Then said these men, we shall not find any occasion

against this Daniel, except we find it against him

concerning the law of his God.- DANIEL VI. 5

36

SERMON V.-CHEATING MAN AND GOD.

(Preached at the end of the Christian Year.)

A false balance is an abomination to the Lord : but a

just weight is His delight.-PROVERBS XI. I

46

SERMON VI.-INFLUENCE.

Have any of the Rulers or of the Pharisees believed on Him?

-ST. JOHN VII. 48

54

Sermon VII.-AN INTRODUCTION.

(Preached on St. Andrew's Day.

And he brought him to Jesus.-St. JOHN I. 42..

64

SERMON VIII.-THE MATRON.

(On the death of the Princess Alice, December 14th, 1878.)

Notwithstanding she shall be saved in child-bearing, if

they continue in faith and charity and holiness with

sobriety.—1 TIMOTHY II. 15

73

SERMON IX.—THE BUSINESS WOMAN.

And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple,

of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God,

heard us : whose heart the Lord opened, that she

attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.

And when she was baptized, and her household, she be-

sought us, saying, “If ye have judged me to be

faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide

there." And she constrained us.-ACTS XVI. 14, 15 82

SERMON X.-RELATIONS.

For neither did His brethren believe in Him.--ST. JOHN

VII. 5:

These all continued with one accord in prayer and suppli-

cation, with the women, and Mary the mother of

Jesus, and with His brethren.--Acts I. 14..

92

SERMON XI.-CIVIC OFFICE.

(Before the Mayor and Corporation of Wolverhampton, 1878.)

The powers that be are ordained of God.-ROMANS

XII. I

Or in paraphrase :-

Whatsoever forms of authority are in actual existence,

SERMON XII.--THE CITIZEN.

(Before the Mayor and Corporation of Wolverhampton, 1879.)

A citizen of no mean city.-ACTS XXI. 39 ..

SERMON XIII.-THE VOLUNTEERS.

(Preached before a Rifle Corps.)

The Centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not

worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof, but

speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.

For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under

me : and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth, and to

another, Come, and he cometh ; and to my servant, Do

this, and he doeth it.

When Jesus heard it, He marvelled, and said to them that

followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so

great faith, no, not in Israel.-St. MATT. VIII. 8—10 123

SERMON XIV.-CHURCH HELPERS.

He that giveth, let him do it with simplicity ; he that

ruleth, with diligence; he that showeth mercy with

cheerfulness.-ROMANS XII. 8

133

SERMON XV.-THE PRIVATE LAYMAN:

Lord, behold, he whom. Thou lovest is sick.-ST. JOHN

XI. 3

140

SERMON XVI.-TILL HE FIND IT.

What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose

one of them, doth not leave the ninety-and-nine in the

wilderness, and go after that which is lost until he find

it?-ST. LUKE XV. 4..

150

Sermon XVII.---BREAD AND SIN.

(Preached after a Good Harvest.)

Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our

156