Transcribed from the 1862 William Skeffington edition by David Price. “BEAR YE ONE ANOTHER’S BURDENS.” * * * * * A PLAIN SERMON ON THE LANCASHIRE DISTRESS. * * * * * BY THE REV. JAMES GALLOWAY COWAN, MINISTER OF ARCHBISHOP TENISON’S CHAPEL, REGENT STREET. * * * * * LONDON: WILLIAM SKEFFINGTON, 163, PICCADILLY. 1862. * * * * * _By the same Author_. _Just published_, _cloth_, 5_s._, _by post_, 5_s._ 4_d._ PLAIN SERMONS. Third Series. Containing a Course for Advent, for Lent; also Epiphany, Easter, and Miscellaneous Sermons. * * * * * _Also_, _just out_, _price_ 1_d._, FOR DISTRIBUTION, _or_ 6_s._ _per_ 100, A FEW WORDS TO ALL ON THE PRESENT DISTRESS OF OUR BRETHREN IN LANCASHIRE. II. Cor., viii, 14. * * * * * A PLAIN SERMON. GALATIANS, vi., 2. “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of CHRIST.” There are certain burdens which every man must bear for himself, which none can bear for him. Such are the burdens brought upon him by sin—fear, remorse, punishment. Such again are the burdens of responsibility which belong to his gifts and opportunities from GOD. Of these it is not the Divine will that he should be relieved by others. Rightly is he made to eat the fruit of his own wilful doings; rightly is he accountable to GOD for all that has been lent to him, for all that he has been commanded to do. It is true indeed that the co-operation or opposition of other men may, in some measure, affect the bearing of these burdens; but still mainly, if not entirely, is it a question between _him_ and his GOD—with which a stranger intermeddleth not—what he shall suffer, what reckoning shall be made with him: “The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father;” “Every man shall receive his own reward according to his own work;” “Every one of us shall give an account of _himself to_ GOD.” These burdens may be considered _appropriate_ and _peculiar_ to the individual or class of individuals upon whom they are laid: so that you may anticipate, almost with certainty, the judgment which imposes them; may observe without wonder or questioning who have to bear them; may trace back the effect to its cause, the duty to its obligation, and justify and approve the law of their imposition.