Transcribed from the 1851 Lavis edition . Many thanks to the British Library for making their copyavailable.
THE
SPIRITUAL IMPROVEMENT OF THE CENSUS.
~~~~~~~~~~~
A SERMON,
PREACHEDIN
The Parish Church of All Saints,Fulham,
30th MARCH,1851.
BYTHE
REV. R. G. BAKER, M.A.
VICAR OFFULHAM,
RURAL DEAN, AND PREBENDARY OF ST.PAUL’S CATHEDRAL.
WITHNOTES.
SOLD BY LAVIS, FULHAM.
p. 2LONDON
R. CLAY, PRINTER, BREAD STREETHILL.
p.3SERMON.
2 Samuel xxiv. 10.
“And David’s heart smote him after that he hadnumbered the people. And David said unto theLord, I have sinned greatly in that I have done:and now, I beseech thee, O Lord, takeaway the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done veryfoolishly.”
At the time here spoken of, Davidhad been, for nearly forty years, king over “theLord’s people.” The youngest of eight sonsof one of the shepherds of Israel, and raised from that lowlystation to the throne by the express appointment of Jehovah, itmay well excite our surprise to observe his conduct on theoccasion to which the text refers. We might have supposedthat the incidents of his early life, no less than the experienceof his riper years, would have taught him a more simple spirit offaith and trust than that which he now showed. “Alion and a bear” came upon him while he was yet a boy,and took a lamb out of his father’s flock which he waskeeping; and he was not only delivered from them, but enabledalone and unharmed to slay them. [3] At another time,when the Philistine giant defied the armies of the living God,David went forth of his own accord to meet him. Mindful ofthe same power which had saved him from “the lion andthe bear,” he asked no armour for his protection. He sought no weapon for the fight. “Strong in theLord, and in the power of his might,” heprevailed, p.4“with a sling and with a stone.” [4a] And “the weak thing,and the base thing, and the thing that wasdespised,” was chosen to confound and to“bring to nought the thing that was mighty, inorder that no flesh should glory in the presence ofGod.” [4b] Then, again, how often had Davidbeen rescued from the personal jealousy of Saul! Whatsignal success had been granted him against the enem