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diff --git a/old/gdng10.txt b/old/gdng10.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..bbe8b17 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/gdng10.txt @@ -0,0 +1,8897 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Good News of God, by Charles Kingsley + +Copyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the +copyright laws for your country before downloading or redistributing +this or any other Project Gutenberg eBook. + +This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project +Gutenberg file. Please do not remove it. Do not change or edit the +header without written permission. + +Please read the "legal small print," and other information about the +eBook and Project Gutenberg at the bottom of this file. Included is +important information about your specific rights and restrictions in +how the file may be used. You can also find out about how to make a +donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved. + + +**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** + +**eBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** + +*****These eBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers!***** + + +Title: The Good News of God + +Author: Charles Kingsley + +Release Date: December, 2004 [EBook #7051] +[This file was first posted on March 2, 2003] + +Edition: 10 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, THE GOOD NEWS OF GOD *** + + + + +Transcribed from the 1887 Macmillan and Co. edition by David Price, +email ccx074@coventry.ac.uk + + + + +THE GOOD NEWS OF GOD + + + + +SERMON I. THE BEATIFIC VISION + + + +MATTHEW xxii. 27. + +Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy +soul, and with all thy mind. + +These words often puzzle and pain really good people, because they +seem to put the hardest duty first. It seems, at times, so much more +easy to love one's neighbour than to love God. And strange as it may +seem, that is partly true. St. John tells us so--'He that loves not +his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not +seen?' Therefore many good people, who really do love God, are +unhappy at times because they feel that they do not love him enough. +They say in their hearts--'I wish to do right, and I try to do it: +but I am afraid I do not do it from love to God.' + +I think that they are often too hard upon themselves. I believe that +they are very often loving God with their whole hearts, when they +think that they are not doing so. But still, it is well to be afraid +of oneself, and dissatisfied with oneself. + +I think, too--nay, I am certain--that many good people do not love +God as they ought, and as they would wish to do, because they have +not been rightly taught who God is, and what He is like. They have +not been taught that God is loveable; they have been taught that God +feels feelings, and does deeds, which if a man felt, or did, we +should call him arbitrary, proud, revengeful, cruel: and yet they +are told to love him; and they do not know how to love such a being +as that. Nor do I either, my friends. + +Let us therefore think over to-day for ourselves why we ought to love +God; and why both Bible and Catechism bid child as well as man to +love the Lord our God with all our hearts, souls, and minds, before +they bid us love our neighbours. And keep this in mind all through, +that the reason why we are to love God must depend upon what God's +character is. For you cannot love any one because you are told to +love them. You can only love them because they are loveable and +worthy of your love. And that they will not be, unless they are +loving themselves; as it is written, we love God because he first +loved us. + +Now, friends, look at this one thing first. When we see any man do a +just action, or a kind action, do we not like to see it? Do we not +like the man the better for doing it? A man must be sunk very low in +stupidity and ill-feeling--dead in tresspasses and sins, as the Bible +calls it--if he does not. Indeed, I never saw the man yet, however +bad he was himself, who did not, in his better moments, admire what +was right and good; and say, 'Bad as I may be, that man is a good +man, and I wish I could do as he does.' + +One sees the same, but far more strongly, in little children. From +their earliest years, as far as I have ever seen, children like and +admire what is good, even though they be naughty themselves; and if +you tell them of any very loving, generous, or brave action, their +hearts leap up in answer to it. They feel at once how beautiful +goodness is. + +But why? + +St. John tells us. That feeling comes, he tells us, from Christ, the +light who is the life of men, and lights every man who comes into the +world; and that light in our hearts, which makes us see, and admire, +and love what is good, is none other than Christ himself shining in +our hearts, and showing to us his own likeness, and the beauty +thereof. + +But if we stop there; if we only admire what is good, without trying +to copy it, we shall lose that light. Our corrupt and diseased +nature (and corrupt and diseased it is, as we shall surely find, as +soon as we begin to try to do right) will quench that heavenly spark +in us more and more, till it dies out--as God forbid that it should +die out in any of us. For if it did die out, we should care no more +for what is good. We should see nothing beautiful, and noble, and +glorious, in being just, and loving, and merciful. And then, indeed, +we should see nothing worth loving in God himself:- and it were +better for us that we had never been born. + +But none of us, I trust, are fallen as low as that. We all, surely, +admire a good action, and love a good man. Surely we do. Then I +will go on, to ask you one question more. + +Did it ever strike you, that goodness is not merely A beautiful +thing, but THE beautiful thing--by far the most beautiful thing in +the world; and that badness is not merely AN ugly thing, but the +ugliest thing in the world?--So that nothing is to be compared for +value with goodness; that riches, honour, power, pleasure, learning, +the whole world and all in it, are not worth having, in comparison +with being good; and the utterly best thing for a man is to be good, +even though he were never to be rewarded for it: and the utterly +worst thing for a man is to be bad, even though he were never to be +punished for it; and, in a word, goodness is the only thing worth +loving, and badness the only thing worth hating. + +Did you ever feel this, my friends? Happy are those among you who +have felt it; for of you the Lord says, Blessed are they that hunger +and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled. Ay, happy +are you who have felt it; for it is the sign, the very and true sign, +that the Holy Spirit of God, who is the Spirit of goodness, is +working in your hearts with power, revealing to you the exceeding +beauty of holiness, and the exceeding sinfulness of sin. + +But did it never strike you besides, that goodness was one, and +everlasting? Let me explain what I mean. + +Did you never see, that all good men show their goodness in the same +way, by doing the same kind of good actions? Let them be English or +French, black or white, if they be good, there is the same honesty, +the same truthfulness, the same love, the same mercy in all; and what +is right and good for you and me, now and here, is right and good for +every man, everywhere, and at all times for ever. Surely, surely, +what is noble, and loveable, and admirable now, was so five thousand +years ago, and will be five thousand years hence. What is honourable +for us here, would be equally honourable for us in America or +Australia--ay, or in the farthest star in the skies. + +But, some of you may say, men at different times and in different +countries have had very different notions--indeed quite opposite +notions, of what men ought to be. + +I know that some people say so. I can only answer that I differ from +them. True, some men have had less light than others, and, God +knows, have made fearful mistakes enough, and fancied that they could +please God by behaving like devils: but on the first principles of +goodness, all the world has been pretty well agreed all along; for +wherever men have been taught what is really right, there have been +plenty of hearts to answer, 'Yes, this is good! this is what we have +wanted all along, though we knew it not.' And all the wisest men +among the heathen--the men who have been honoured, and even +worshipped as blessings to their fellow men, have agreed, one and +all, in the great and golden rule, 'Thou shalt love God, with all thy +heart and soul, and thy neighbour as thyself.' + +Believe about this as you may, my friends, still I believe, and will +believe; I preach, and will preach, this, and nought else but this:- +That there is but one everlasting goodness, which is good in men, +good in all rational beings--yea, good in God himself. + +These last are solemn words, but they are true; and the more you +think over them, the more, I tell you, will you find them true. And +to them I have been trying to lead you; and will try once more. + +For, did it never strike you, again--as it has me--and all the world +has looked different to me since I found it out--that there must be +ONE, in whom all goodness is gathered together; ONE, who must be +perfectly and absolutely good? And did it never strike you, that all +the goodness in the world must, in some way or other, come from HIM? +I believe that our hearts and reasons, if we will listen fairly to +them, tell us that it must be so; and I am certain that the Bible +tells us so, from beginning to end. When we see the million rain- +drops of the shower, we say, with reason, there must be one great sea +from which all these drops have come. When we see the countless rays +of light, we say, with reason, there must be one great central sun +from which all these are shed forth. And when we see, as it were, +countless drops, and countless rays of goodness scattered about in +the world, a little good in this man, and a little good in that, +shall we not say, there must be one great sea, one central sun of +goodness, from whence all human goodness comes? And where can that +centre of goodness be, but in the very character of God himself? + +Yes, my friends; if you would know what God is, think of all the +noble, beautiful, loveable actions, tempers, feelings, which you ever +saw or heard of. Think of all the good, and admirable, and loveable +people whom you ever met; and fancy to yourselves all that goodness, +nobleness, admirableness, loveableness, and millions of times more, +gathered together in one, to make one perfectly good character--and +then you have some faint notion of God, some dim sight of God, who is +the eternal and perfect Goodness. + +It is but a faint notion, no doubt, that the best man can have of +God's goodness, so dull has sin made our hearts and brains: but let +us comfort ourselves with this thought--That the more we learn to +love what is good, the more we accustom ourselves to think of good +people and good things, and to ask ourselves why and how this action +and that is good, the more shall we be able to see the goodness of +God. And to see that, even for a moment, is worth all sights in +earth or heaven. + +Worth all sights, indeed. No wonder that the saints of old called it +the 'Beatific Vision,' that is, the sight which makes a man utterly +blessed; namely, to see, if but for a moment, with his mind's eye +what God is like, and behold he is utterly good! + +No wonder that they said (and I doubt not that they spoke honestly +and simply what they felt) that while that thought was before them, +this world was utterly nothing to them; that they were as men in a +dream, or dead, not caring to eat or to move, for fear of losing that +glorious thought; but felt as if they were (as they were most really +and truly) caught up into heaven, and taken utterly out of themselves +by the beauty and glory of God's perfect goodness. No wonder that +they cried out with David, 'Whom have I in heaven, O Lord, but Thee? +and there is none on earth whom I desire in comparison of Thee.' No +wonder that they said with St. Peter when he saw our Lord's glory, +'Lord, it is good for us to be here,' and felt like men gazing upon +some glorious picture or magnificent show, off which they cannot take +their eyes; and which makes them forget for the time all beside in +heaven and earth. + +And it was good for them to be there: but not too long. Man was +sent into this world not merely to see, but to do; and the more he +sees, the more he is bound to go and do accordingly. St. Peter had +to come down from the mount, and preach the Gospel wearily for many a +year, and die at last upon the cross. St. Augustine, in like wise, +though he would gladly have lived and died doing nothing but fixing +his soul's eye steadily on the glory of God's goodness, had to come +down from the mount likewise, and work, and preach, and teach, and +wear himself out in daily drudgery for that God whom he learnt to +serve, even when he could not adore Him in the press of business, and +the bustle of a rotten and dying world. + +But see, my dear friends, and consider it well--Before a man can come +to that state of mind, or anything like it, he must have begun by +loving goodness wherever he saw it; and have settled in his heart +that to be good, and therefore to do good, is the most beautiful +thing in the world. So he will begin by loving his brother whom he +has seen, and by taking delight in good people, and in all honest, +true, loving, merciful, generous words and actions, and in those who +say and do them. And so he will be fit to love God, whom he has not +seen, when he finds out (as God grant that you may all find out) that +all goodness of which we can conceive, and far, far more, is gathered +together in God, and flows out from him eternally over his whole +creation, by that Holy Spirit who proceeds from the Father and the +Son, and is the Lord and Giver of life, and therefore of goodness. +For goodness is nothing else, if you will receive it, but the eternal +life of God, which he has lived, and lives now, and will live for +evermore, God blessed for ever. Amen. + +So, my dear friends, it will not be so difficult for you to love God, +if you will only begin by loving goodness, which is God's likeness, +and the inspiration of God's Holy Spirit. For you will be like a man +who has long admired a beautiful picture of some one whom he does not +know, and at last meets the person for whom the picture was meant-- +and behold the living face is a thousand times more fair and noble +than the painted one. You will be like a child which has been +brought up from its birth in a room into which the sun never shone; +and then goes out for the first time, and sees the sun in all his +splendour bathing the earth with glory. If that child had loved to +watch the dim narrow rays of light which shone into his dark room, +what will he not feel at the sight of that sun from which all those +rays had come Just so will they feel who, having loved goodness for +its own sake, and loved their neighbours for the sake of what little +goodness is in them, have their eyes opened at last to see all +goodness, without flaw or failing, bound or end, in the character of +God, which he has shown forth in Jesus Christ our Lord, who is the +likeness of his Father's glory, and the express image of his person; +to whom be glory and honour for ever. Amen. + + + +SERMON II. THE GLORY OF THE CROSS + + + +JOHN xvii. 1. + +Father, the hour is come. Glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may +glorify thee. I spoke to you lately of the beatific vision of God. +I will speak of it again to-day; and say this. + +If any man wishes to see God, truly and fully, with the eyes of his +soul: if any man wishes for that beatific vision of God; that +perfect sight of God's perfect goodness; then must that man go, and +sit down at the foot of Christ's cross, and look steadfastly upon him +who hangs thereon. And there he will see, what the wisest and best +among the heathen, among the Mussulmans, among all who are not +Christian men, never have seen, and cannot see unto this day, however +much they may feel (and some of them, thank God, do feel) that God is +the Eternal Goodness, and must be loved accordingly. + +And what shall we see upon the cross? + +Many things, friends, and more than I, or all the preachers in the +world, will be able to explain to you, though we preached till the +end of the world. But one thing we shall see, if we will, which we +have forgotten sadly, Christians though we be, in these very days; +forgotten it, most of us, so utterly, that in order to bring you back +to it, I must take a seemingly roundabout road. + +Does it seem, or does it not seem, to you, that the finest thing in a +man is magnanimity--what we call in plain English, greatness of soul? +And if it does seem to you to be so, what do you mean by greatness of +soul? When you speak of a great soul, and of a great man, what +manner of man do you mean? + +Do you mean a very clever man, a very far-sighted man, a very +determined man, a very powerful man, and therefore a very successful +man? A man who can manage everything, and every person whom he comes +across, and turn and use them for his own ends, till he rises to be +great and glorious--a ruler, king, or what you will? + +Well--he is a great man: but I know a greater, and nobler, and more +glorious stamp of man; and you do also. Let us try again, and think +if we can find his likeness, and draw it for ourselves. Would he not +be somewhat like this pattern?--A man who was aware that he had vast +power, and yet used that power not for himself but for others; not +for ambition, but for doing good? Surely the man who used his power +for other people would be the greater-souled man, would he not? Let +us go on, then, to find out more of his likeness. Would he be stern, +or would he be tender? Would he be patient, or would he be fretful? +Would he be a man who stands fiercely on his own rights, or would he +be very careful of other men's rights, and very ready to waive his +own rights gracefully and generously? Would he be extreme to mark +what was done amiss against him, or would he be very patient when he +was wronged himself, though indignant enough if he saw others +wronged? Would he be one who easily lost his temper, and lost his +head, and could be thrown off his balance by one foolish man? Surely +not. He would be a man whom no fool, nor all fools together could +throw off his balance; a man who could not lose his temper, could not +lose his self-respect; a man who could bear with those who are +peevish, make allowances for those who are weak and ignorant, forgive +those who are insolent, and conquer those who are ungrateful, not by +punishment, but by fresh kindness, overcoming their evil by his +good.--A man, in short, whom no ill-usage without, and no ill-temper +within, could shake out of his even path of generosity and +benevolence. Is not that the truly magnanimous man; the great and +royal soul? Is not that the stamp of man whom we should admire, if +we met him on earth? Should we not reverence that man; esteem it an +honour and a pleasure to work under that man, to take him for our +teacher, our leader, in hopes that, by copying his example, our souls +might become great like his? + +Is it so, my friends? Then know this, that in admiring that man, you +admire the likeness of God. In wishing to be like that man, you wish +to be like God. + +For this is God's true greatness; this is God's true glory; this is +God's true royalty; the greatness, glory, and royalty of loving, +forgiving, generous power, which pours itself out, untiring and +undisgusted, in help and mercy to all which he has made; the glory of +a Father who is perfect in this, that he causeth his rain to fall on +the evil and on the good, and his sun to shine upon the just and on +the unjust, and is good to the unthankful and the evil; a Father who +has not dealt with us after our sins, or rewarded us after our +iniquities: a Father who is not extreme to mark what is done amiss, +but whom it is worth while to fear, for with him is mercy and +plenteous redemption;--all this, and more--a Father who so loved a +world which had forgotten him, a world whose sins must have been +disgusting to him, that he spared not his only begotten Son, but +freely gave him for us, and will with him freely give us all things; +a Father, in one word, whose name and essence is love, even as it is +the name and essence of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. + +This, my friends, is the glory of God: but this glory never shone +out in its full splendour till it shone upon the cross. + +For--that we may go back again, to that great-souled man, of whom I +spoke just now--did we not leave out one thing in his character? or +at least, one thing by which his character might be proved and tried? +We said that he should be generous and forgiving; we said that he +should bear patiently folly, peevishness, ingratitude: but what if +we asked of him, that he should sacrifice himself utterly for the +peevish, ungrateful men for whose good he was toiling? What if we +asked him to give up, for them, not only all which made life worth +having, but to give up life itself? To die for them; and, what is +bitterest of all, to die by their hands--to receive as their reward +for all his goodness to them a shameful death? If he dare submit to +that, then we should call his greatness of soul perfect. +Magnanimity, we should say, could rise no higher; in that would be +the perfection of goodness. + +Surely your hearts answer, that this is true. When you hear of a +father sacrificing his own life for his children; when you hear of a +soldier dying for his country; when you hear of a clergyman or a +physician killing himself by his work, while he is labouring to save +the souls or the bodies of his fellow-creatures; then you feel--There +is goodness in its highest shape. To give up our lives for others is +one of the most beautiful, and noble, and glorious things on earth. +But to give up our lives, willingly, joyfully for men who +misunderstand us, hate us, despise us, is, if possible, a more +glorious action still, and the very perfection of perfect virtue. +Then, looking at Christ's cross, we see that, and even more--ay, far +more than that. The cross was the perfect token of the perfect +greatness of God, and of the perfect glory of God. + +So on the cross, the Father justified himself to man; yea, glorified +himself in the glory of his crucified Son. On the cross God proved +himself to be perfectly just, perfectly good, perfectly generous, +perfectly glorious, beyond all that man could ever have dared to +conceive or dream. That God must be good, the wise heathens knew; +but that God was so utterly good that he could stoop to suffer, to +die, for men, and by men--that they never dreamed. That was the +mystery of God's love, which was hid in Christ from the foundation of +the world, and which was revealed at last upon the cross of Calvary +by him who prayed for his murderers--'Father, forgive them, for they +know not what they do.' That truly blessed sight of a Saviour-God, +who did not disdain to die the meanest and the most fearful of +deaths--that, that came home at once, and has come home ever since, +to all hearts which had left in them any love and respect for +goodness, and melted them with the fire of divine love; as God grant +it may melt yours, this day, and henceforth for ever. + +I can say no more, my friends. If this good news does not come home +to your hearts by its own power, it will never be brought home to you +by any words of mine. + + + +SERMON III. THE LIFE OF GOD + + + +1 JOHN i. 2. + +For the Life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, +and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father and +was manifested unto us! + +What do we mean, when we speak of the Life everlasting? + +Do we mean that men's souls are immortal, and will live for ever +after death, either in happiness or misery? + +We must mean more than that. At least we ought to mean more than +that, if we be Christian men. For the Bible tells us, that Christ +brought life and immortality to light. Therefore they must have been +in darkness before Christ's coming; and men did not know as much +about life and immortality before Christ's coming as they know--or +ought to know--now. + +But if we need only believe that we shall live for ever after death +in happiness or misery, then Christ has not brought life and +immortality to light. He has thrown no fresh light upon the matter. + +And why? For this simple reason, that the old heathen knew as much +as that before Christ came. + +The old Greeks and Romans, and Persians, and our own forefathers +before they became Christians, believed that men's souls would live +for ever happy or miserable. The Mussulmans, Mahommedans, Turks as +they are called in the Prayer-book, believe as much as that now. +They believe that men's souls live for ever after death, and go to +'heaven' or 'hell.' + +So those words 'everlasting Life' must needs mean something more than +that. What do they mean? + +First. What does everlasting mean? + +It means exactly the same as eternal. The two words are the same: +only everlasting is English, and eternal Latin. But they have the +same sense. + +Now everlasting and eternal mean something which has neither +beginning nor end. That is certain. The wisest of the heathen knew +that: but we are apt to forget it. We are apt to think a thing may +be everlasting, because it has no end, though it has a beginning. We +are careless thinkers, if we fancy that. God is eternal because he +has neither beginning nor end. + +But here come two puzzles. + +First. The Athanasian Creed says that there is but one Eternal, that +is, God; and never were truer words written. + +But do we not make out two Eternals? For God is one Eternal; and +eternal life is another Eternal. Now which is right; we, or the +Athanasian Creed? I shall hold by the Athanasian Creed, my friends, +and ask you to think again over the matter: thus--If there be but +one Eternal, there is but one way of escaping out of our puzzle, +which makes two Eternals; and that is, to go back to the old doctrine +of St. Paul, and St. John, and the wisest of the Fathers, and say-- +There is but one Eternal; and therefore eternal life is in the +Eternal God. And it is eternal Life because it is God's life; the +life which God lives; and it is eternal just because, and only +because, it is the life of God; and eternal death is nothing but the +want of God's eternal life. + +Certainly, whether you think this true or not, St. John thought it +true; for he says so most positively in the text. He says that the +Life was manifested--showed plainly upon earth, and that he had seen +it. And he says that he saw it in a man, whom his eyes had seen, and +his hands had handled. How could that be? + +My friends, how else could it be? How can you see life, but by +seeing some one live it? You cannot see a man's life, unless you see +him live such and such a life, or hear of his living such and such a +life, and so knowing what his life, manners, character, are. And so +no one could have seen God's life, or known what life God lived, and +what character God's was, had it not been for the incarnation of our +Lord Jesus Christ, who was made flesh, and dwelt among us, that by +seeing him, the Son, we might see the Father, whose likeness he was, +and is, and ever will be. + +But now, says St. John, we know what God's eternal life is; for we +know what Christ's life was on earth. And more, we know that it is a +life which men may live; for Christ lived it perfectly and utterly, +though He was a man. + +What sort of life, then, is everlasting life? + +Who can tell altogether and completely? And yet who cannot tell in +part? Use the common sense, my friends, which God has given to you, +and think;--If eternal life be the life of God, it must be a good +life; for God is good. That is the first, and the most certain thing +which we can say of it. It must be a righteous and just life; a +loving and merciful life; for God is righteous, just, loving, +merciful; and more, it must be an useful life, a life of good works; +for God is eternally useful, doing good to all his creatures, working +for ever for the benefit of all which he has made. + +Yes--a life of good works. There is no good life without good works. +When you talk of a man's life, you mean not only what he feels and +thinks, but what he does. What is in his heart goes for nothing, +unless he brings it out in his actions, as far as he can. + +Therefore St. James says, 'Thou hast faith, and I have works. Shew +me thy faith WITHOUT thy works,' (and who can do that?) 'and I will +shew thee my faith by my works.' + +And St. John says, there is no use SAYING you love. 'Let us love not +in word and in tongue, but in deed and in truth;' and again--and +would to God that most people who talk so glibly about heaven and +hell, and the ways of getting thither, would recollect this one plain +text--'Little children, let no man deceive you. He that DOETH +righteousness is righteous, even as God is righteous.' And therefore +it is that St. Paul bids rich men 'be rich also in noble deeds,' +generous and liberal of their money to all who want, that they may +'lay hold of that which is really life,' namely, the eternal life of +goodness. + +And therefore also, my friends, we may be sure that God loves in deed +and in truth: because it is written that God is love. + +For if a man loves, he longs to help those whom he loves. It is the +very essence of love, that it cannot be still, cannot be idle, cannot +be satisfied with itself, cannot contain itself, but must go out to +do good to those whom it loves, to seek and to save that which is +lost. And therefore God is perfect love, and his eternal life a life +of eternal love, because he sends his Son eternally to seek and to +save that which is lost. + +This, then, is eternal life; a life of everlasting love showing +itself in everlasting good works; and whosoever lives that life, he +lives the life of God, and hath eternal life. + +What I have just said will help you, I think, to understand another +royal text about eternal life. + +For now' we may understand why it is written, that this is life +eternal, to know the true and only God, and Jesus Christ whom he has +sent. For if eternal life be God's life, we must know God, and God's +character, to know what eternal life is like: and if no man has seen +God at any time, and God's life can only be seen in the life of +Christ, then we must know Christ, and Christ's life, to know God and +God's life; that the saying may be fulfilled in us, God hath given to +us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. + +One other royal text, did I say? We may understand many, perhaps +all, the texts which speak of life, and eternal life, if we will look +at them in this way. We may see why St. Paul says that to be +spiritually minded is life; and that the life of Jesus may be +manifested in men: and how the sin of the old heathen lay in this, +that they were alienated from the life of God. We may understand how +Christ's commandment is everlasting life; how the water which he +gives, can spring up within a man's heart to everlasting life--all +such texts we may, and shall, understand more and more, if we will +bear in mind that everlasting life is the life of God and of Christ, +a life of love; a life of perfect, active, self-sacrificing goodness, +which is the one only true life for all rational beings, whether on +earth or in heaven. + +In heaven, my friends, as well as on earth. Form your own notions, +as you will, about angels, and saints in heaven, for every one must +have some notions about them, and try to picture to himself what the +souls of those whom he has loved and lost are doing in the other +world: but bear this in mind: that if the saints in heaven live the +everlasting life, they must be living a life of usefulness, of love +and of good works. + +And here I must say, friends, that however much the Roman Catholics +may be wrong on many points, they have remembered one thing about the +life everlasting, which we are too apt to forget; and that is, that +everlasting life cannot be a selfish, idle life, spent only in being +happy oneself. They believe that the saints in heaven are NOT idle; +that they are eternally helping mankind; doing all sorts of good +offices for those souls who need them; that, as St. Paul says of the +angels, they are ministering spirits, sent forth to minister to those +who are heirs of salvation. And I cannot see why they should not be +right. For if the saints' delight was to do good on earth, much more +will it be to do good in heaven. If they helped poor sufferers, if +they taught the ignorant, if they comforted the afflicted, here on +earth, much more will they be able, much more will they be willing, +to help, comfort, teach them, now that they are in the full power, +the full freedom, the full love and zeal of the everlasting life. If +their hearts were warmed and softened by the fire of God's love here, +how much more there! If they lived God's life of love here, how much +more there, before the throne of God, and the face of Christ! + +But if any one shall say, that the souls of good men in heaven cannot +help us who are here on earth, I answer, When did they ascend into +heaven, to find out that? If they had ever been there, friends, be +sure they would have had better news to bring home than this--that +those whom we have honoured and loved on earth have lost the power +which they used to have, of comforting us who are struggling here +below. That notion springs altogether out of a superstitious fancy +that heaven is a great many millions of miles away from this earth-- +which fancy, wherever men get it from, they certainly do not get it +from the Bible. Moreover it seems to me, that if the saints in +heaven cannot help men, then they cannot be happy in heaven. Cannot +be happy? Ay, must be miserable. For what greater misery for really +good men, than to see things going wrong, and not to be able to mend +them; to see poor creatures suffering, and not to be able to comfort +them? No, my friends, we will believe--what every one who loves a +beloved friend comes sooner or later to believe--that those whom we +have honoured and loved, though taken from our eyes, are near to our +spirits; that they still fight for us, under the banner of their +Master Christ, and still work for us, by virtue of his life of love, +which they live in him and by him for ever. + +Pray to them, indeed, we need not, as if they would help us out of +any self-will of their own. There, I think, the Roman Catholics are +wrong. They pray to the saints as if the saints had wills of their +own, and fancies of their own, and were respecters of persons; and +could have favourites, and grant private favours to those who +especially admired and (I fear I must say it) flattered them. But +why should we do that? That is to lower God's saints in our own +eyes. For if we believe that they are made perfect, and like +perfectly the everlasting life, then we must believe that there is no +self-will in them: but that they do God's will, and not their own, +and go on God's errands, and not their own; that he, and not their +own liking, sends them whithersoever he wills; and that if we ask of +HIM--of God our Father himself, that is enough for us. + +And what shall we ask? + +Ask--'Father, thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.' + +For in asking that, we ask for the best of all things. We ask for +the happiness, the power, the glory of saints and angels. We ask to +be put into tune with God's whole universe, from the meanest flower +beneath our feet, to the most glorious spirit whom God ever created. +We ask for the one everlasting life which can never die, fail, +change, or disappoint: yea, for the everlasting life which Christ +the only begotten Son lives from eternity to eternity, for ever +saying to his Father, 'Thy will be done.' + +Yes--when we ask God to make us do his will, then indeed we ask for +everlasting life. + +Does that seem little? Would you rather ask for all manner of +pleasant things, if not in this life, at least in the life to come? + +Oh, my friends, consider this. We were not put into this world to +get pleasant things; and we shall not be put into the next world, as +it seems to me, to get pleasant things. We were put into this world +to do God's will. And we shall be put (I believe) into the next +world for the very same purpose--to do God's will; and if we do that, +we shall find pleasure enough in doing it. I do not doubt that in +the next world all manner of harmless pleasure will come to us +likewise; because that will be, we hope, a perfect and a just world, +not a piecemeal, confused, often unjust world, like this: but +pleasant things will come to us in the next life, only in proportion +as we shall be doing God's will in the next life; and we shall be +happy and blessed, only because we shall be living that eternal life +of which I have been preaching to you all along, the life which +Christ lives and has lived and will live for ever, saying to the +Eternal Father--I come to do thy will--not my will but thine be done. + +Oh! may God give to us all his Spirit; the Spirit by which Christ did +his Father's will, and lived his Father's life in the soul and body +of a mortal man, that we may live here a life of obedience and of +good works, which is the only true and living life of faith; and that +when we die it may be said of us--'Blessed are the dead who die in +the Lord; for they rest from their labours, and their works do follow +them.' + +They rest from their labours. All their struggles, disappointments, +failures, backslidings, which made them unhappy here, because they +could not perfectly do the will of God, are past and over for ever. +But their works follow them. The good which they did on earth--that +is not past and over. It cannot die. It lives and grows for ever, +following on in their path long after they are dead, and bearing +fruit unto everlasting life, not only in them, but in men whom they +never saw, and in generations yet unborn. + + + +SERMON IV. THE SONG OF THE THREE CHILDREN + + + +DANIEL iii. 16, 17, 18. + +O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. +If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the +burning fiery furnace; and He will deliver us out of thine hand, O +king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not +serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. + +We read this morning, instead of the Te Deum, the Song of the Three +Children, beginning, 'Oh all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: +praise him, and magnify him for ever.' It was proper to do so: +because the Ananias, Azarias, and Misael mentioned in it, are the +same as the Shadrach, Meshech, and Abednego, whose story we heard in +the first lesson; and because some of the old Jews held that this +noble hymn was composed by them, and sung by them in the burning +fiery furnace, wherefore it has been called 'The Song of the Three +Children;' for child, in old English, meant a young man. + +Be that as it may, it is a glorious hymn, worthy of the Church of +God, worthy of those three young men, worthy of all the noble army of +martyrs; and if the three young men did not actually use the very +words of it, still it was what they believed; and, because they +believed it, they had courage to tell Nebuchadnezzar that they were +not careful to answer him--had no manner of doubt or anxiety +whatsoever as to what they were to say, when he called on them to +worship his gods. For his gods, we know, were the sun, moon, and +planets, and the angels who (as the Chaldeans believed) ruled over +the heavenly bodies; and that image of gold is supposed, by some +learned men, to have been probably a sign or picture of the wondrous +power of life and growth which there is in all earthly things--and +that a sign of which I need not speak, or you hear. So that the +meaning of this Song of the Three Children is simply this: + +'You bid us worship the things about us, which we see with our bodily +eyes. We answer, that we know the one true God, who made all these +things; and that, therefore, instead of worshipping THEM, we will bid +them to worship HIM.' + +Now let us spend a few minutes in looking into this hymn, and seeing +what it teaches us. + +You see at once, that it says that the one God, and not many gods, +made all things: much more, that things did not make themselves, or +grow up of their own accord, by any virtue or life of their own. + +But it says more. It calls upon all things which God has made, to +bless him, praise him, and magnify him for ever. This is much more +than merely saying, 'One God made the world.' For this is saying +something about God's character; declaring what this one God is like. + +For when you bless a person--(I do not mean when you pray God to +bless him--that is a different thing)--when you bless any one, I say, +you bless him because he is blessed, and has done blessed things: +because he has shown himself good, generous, merciful, useful. You +praise a person because he is praiseworthy, noble, and admirable. +You magnify a person--that is, speak of him to every one, and +everywhere, in the highest terms--because you think that every one +ought to know how good and great he is. And, therefore, when the +hymn says, 'Bless God, praise him, and magnify him for ever,' it does +not merely confess God's power. No. It confesses, too, God's +wisdom, goodness, beauty, love, and calls on all heaven and earth to +admire him, the alone admirable, and adore him, the alone adorable. + +For this is really to believe in God. Not merely to believe that +there is a God, but to know what God is like, and to know that He is +worthy to be believed in; worthy to be trusted, honoured, loved with +heart and mind and soul, because we know that He is worthy of our +love. + +And this, we have a right to say, these three young men did, or +whosoever wrote this hymn; and that as a reward for their faith in +God, there was granted to them that deep insight into the meaning of +the world about them, which shines out through every verse of this +hymn. + +Deep? I tell you, my friends, that this hymn is so deep, that it is +too deep for the shallow brains of which the world is full now-a- +days, who fancy that they know all about heaven and earth, just +because they happen to have been born now, and not two hundred years +ago. To such this old hymn means nothing; it is in their eyes merely +an old-fashioned figure of speech to call on sun and stars, green +herb and creeping thing, to praise and bless God. Nevertheless, the +old hymn stands in our prayer-books, as a precious heir-loom to our +children; and long may it stand. Though we may forget its meaning, +yet perhaps our children after us will recollect it once more, and +say with their hearts, what we now, I fear, only say with our lips +and should not say at all, if it was not put into our months by the +Prayer-book. + +Do you not understand what I mean? Then think of this:- + +If we were writing a hymn about God, should we dare to say to the +things about us--to the cattle feeding in the fields--much less to +the clouds over our heads, and to the wells of which we drink, 'Bless +ye the Lord, praise him, and magnify him for ever?' + +We should not dare; and for two reasons. + +First--There is a notion abroad, borrowed from the old monks, that +this earth is in some way bad, and cursed; that a curse is on it +still for man's sake: but a notion which is contrary to plain fact; +for if we till the ground, it does NOT bring forth thorns and +thistles to us, as the Scripture says it was to do for Adam, but +wholesome food, and rich returns for our labour: and which in the +next place is flatly contrary to Scripture: for we read in Genesis +viii. 21, how the Lord said, 'I will not again curse the ground any +more for man's sake;' and the Psalms always speak of this earth, and +of all created things, as if there was no curse at all on them; +saying that 'all things serve God, and continue as they were at the +beginning,' and that 'He has given them a law which cannot be +broken;' and in the face of those words, let who will talk of the +earth being cursed, I will not; and you shall not, if I can help it. + +Another reason why we dare not talk of this earth as this hymn does +is, that we have got into the habit of saying, 'Cattle and creeping +things--they are not rational beings. How can they praise God? +Clouds and wells--they are not even living things. How can they +praise God? Why speak of them in a hymn; much less speak to them?' + +Yet this hymn does speak to them; and so do the Psalms and the +Prophets again and again. And so will men do hereafter, when the +fashions and the fancies of these days are past, and men have their +eyes opened once more to see the glory which is around them from +their cradle to their grave, and hear once more 'The Word of the Lord +walking among the trees of the garden.' + +But how can this be? How can not only dumb things, but even dead +things, praise God? + +My friends, this is a great mystery, of which the wisest men as yet +know but little, and confess freely how little they know. But this +at least we know already, and can say boldly--all things praise God, +by fulfilling the law which our Lord himself declared, when he said +'Not every one who saith to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the +kingdom of heaven: but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in +heaven.' + +By doing the will of the heavenly Father. By obeying the laws which +God has given them. By taking the shape which he has appointed for +them. By being of the use for which he intended them. By +multiplying each after their kind, by laws and means a thousand times +more strange than any signs and wonders of which man can fancy for +himself; and by thus showing forth God's boundless wisdom, goodness, +love, and tender care of all which he has made. + +Yes, my friends, in this sense (and this is the true sense) all +things can serve and praise God, and all things do serve and praise +Him. Not a cloud which fleets across the sky, not a clod of earth +which crumbles under the frost, not a blade of grass which breaks +through the snow in spring, not a dead leaf which falls to the earth +in autumn, but is doing God's work, and showing forth God's glory. +Not a tiny insect, too small to be seen by human eyes without the +help of a microscope, but is as fearfully and wonderfully made as you +and me, and has its proper food, habitation, work, appointed for it, +and not in vain. Nothing is idle, nothing is wasted, nothing goes +wrong, in this wondrous world of God. The very scum upon the +standing pool, which seems mere dirt and dust, is all alive, peopled +by millions of creatures, each full of beauty, full of use, obeying +laws of God too deep for us to do aught but dimly guess at them; and +as men see deeper and deeper into the mystery of God's creation, they +find in the commonest things about them wonder and glory, such as eye +hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor hath it entered into the heart of +man to conceive; and can only say with the Psalmist, 'Oh Lord, thy +ways are infinite, thy thoughts are very deep;' and confess that the +grass beneath their feet, the clouds above their heads--ay, every +worm beneath the sod and bird upon the bough, do, in very deed and +truth, bless the Lord who made them, praise him, and magnify him for +ever, not with words indeed, but with works; and say to man all day +long, 'Go thou, and do likewise.' + +Yes, my friends, let us go and do likewise. If we wish really to +obey the lesson of the Hymn of the Three Children, let us do the will +of God: and so worship him in spirit and in truth. Do not fancy, as +too many do, that thou canst praise God by singing hymns to him in +church once a week, and disobeying him all the week long, crying to +him 'Lord, Lord,' and then living as if he were not thy Lord, but +thou wast thine own Lord, and hadst a right to do thine own will, and +not his. If thou wilt really bless God, then try to live his blessed +life of Goodness. If thou wilt truly praise God, then behave as if +God was praiseworthy, good, and right in what he bids thee do. If +thou wouldest really magnify God, and declare his greatness, then +behave as if he were indeed the Great God, who ought to be obeyed-- +ay, who MUST be obeyed; for his commandment is life, and it alone, to +thee, as well as to all which He has made. Dost thou fancy as the +heathen do, that God needs to be flattered with fine words? or that +thou wilt be heard for thy much speaking, and thy vain repetitions? +He asks of thee works, as well as words; and more, He asks of thee +works first, and words after. And better it is to praise him truly +by works without words, than falsely by words without works. + +Cry, if thou wilt, 'Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts;' but show +that thou believest him to be holy, by being holy thyself. Sing, if +Thou wilt, of 'The Father of an Infinite Majesty:' but show that thou +believest his majesty to be infinite, by obeying his commandments, +like those Three Children, let them cost thee what they may. Join, +and join freely, in the songs of the heavenly host; for God has given +thee reason and speech, after the likeness of his only begotten Son, +and thou mayest use them, as well as every other gift, in the service +of thy Father. But take care lest, while thou art trying to copy the +angels, thou art not even as righteous as the beasts of the field. +For they bless and praise God by obeying his laws; and till thou dost +that, and obeyest God's laws likewise, thou art not as good as the +grass beneath thy feet. + +For after all has been said and sung, my friends, the sum and +substance of true religion remains what it was, and what it will be +for ever; and lies in this one word, 'If ye love me, keep my +commandments.' + + + +SERMON V. THE ETERNAL GOODNESS + + + +MATTHEW xxii. 39. + +Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. + +Why are wrong things wrong? Why, for instance, is it wrong to steal? + +Because God has forbidden it, you may answer. But is it so? +Whatsoever God forbids must be wrong. But, is it wrong because God +forbids it, or does God forbid it because it is wrong? + +For instance, suppose that God had not forbidden us to steal, would +it be right then to steal, or at least, not wrong? + +We must really think of this. It is no mere question of words, it is +a solemn practical question, which has to do with our every-day +conduct, and yet which goes down to the deepest of all matters, even +to the depths of God himself. + +The question is simply this. Did God, who made all things, make +right and wrong? Many people think so. They think that God made +goodness. But how can that be? For if God made goodness, there +could have been no goodness before God made it. That is clear. But +God was always good, good from all eternity. But how could that be? +How could God be good, before there was any goodness made? That +notion will not do then. And all we can say is that goodness is +eternal and everlasting, just as God is: because God was and is and +ever will be eternally and always good. + +But is eternal goodness one thing, and the eternal God, another? +That cannot be, again; for as the Athanasian Creed tells us so wisely +and well, there are not many Eternals, but one Eternal. Therefore +goodness must be the Spirit of God; and God must be the Spirit of +goodness; and right is nothing else but the character of the +everlasting God, and of those who are inspired by God. + +What is wrong, then? Whatever is unlike right; whatever is unlike +goodness; whatever is unlike God; that is wrong. And why does God +forbid us to do wrong? Simply because wrong is unlike himself. He +is perfectly beautiful, perfectly blest and happy, because he is +perfectly good; and he wishes to see all his creatures beautiful, +blest, and happy: but they can only be so by being perfectly good; +and they can only be perfectly good by being perfectly like God their +Father; and they can only be perfectly like God the Father by being +full of love, loving their neighbour as themselves. + +For what do we mean when we talk of right, righteousness, goodness? + +Many answers have been given to that question. + +The old Romans, who were a stern, legal-minded people, used to say +that righteousness meant to hurt no man, and to give every man his +own. The Eastern people had a better answer still, which our blessed +Lord used in one place, when he told them that righteousness was to +do to other people as we would they should do to us: but the best +answer, the perfect answer, is our Lord's in the text, 'Thou shalt +love thy neighbour as thyself.' This is the true, eternal +righteousness. Not a legal righteousness, not a righteousness made +up of forms and ceremonies, of keeping days holy, and abstaining from +meats, or any other arbitrary commands, whether of God or of man. +This is God's goodness, God's righteousness, Christ's own goodness +and righteousness. Do you not see what I mean? Remember only one +word of St. John's. God is love. Love is the goodness of God. God +is perfectly good, because he is perfect love. Then if you are full +of love, you are good with the same goodness with which God is good, +and righteous with Christ's righteousness. That as what St. Paul +wished to be, when he wished to be found in Christ, not having his +own righteousness, but the righteousness which is by faith in Christ. +His own righteousness was the selfish and self-conceited +righteousness which he had before his conversion, made up of forms, +and ceremonies, and doctrines, which made him narrow-hearted, +bigoted, self-conceited, fierce, cruel, a persecutor; the +righteousness which made him stand by in cold blood to see St. +Stephen stoned. But the righteousness which is by faith in Christ is +a loving heart, and a loving life, which every man will long to lead +who believes really in Jesus Christ. For when he looks at Christ, +Christ's humiliation, Christ's work, Christ's agony, Christ's death, +and sees in it nothing but utter and perfect LOVE to poor sinful, +undeserving man, then his heart makes answer, Yes, I believe in that! +I believe and am sure that that is the most beautiful character in +the world; that that is the utterly noble and right sort of person to +be--full of love as Christ was. I ought to be like that. My +conscience tells me that I ought. And I can be like that. Christ, +who was so good himself, must wish to make me good like himself, and +I can trust him to do it. I can have faith in him, that he will make +me like himself, full of the Spirit of love, without which I shall be +only useless and miserable. And I trust him enough to be sure that, +good as he is, he cannot mean to leave me useless or miserable. So, +by true faith in Christ, the man comes to have Christ's +righteousness--that is, to be loving as Christ was. He believes that +Christ's loving character is perfect beauty; that he must be the Son +of God, if his character be like that. He believes that Christ can +and will fill him with the same spirit of love; and as he believes, +so is it with him, and in him those words are fulfilled, 'Whosoever +shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and +he in God;' and that 'If a man love me,' says the Lord, 'I and my +Father will come to him, and take up our abode with him.' Those are +wonderful words: but if you will recollect what I have just said, +you may understand a little of them. St. John puts the same thing +very simply, but very boldly. 'God is Love,' he says, 'and he that +dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him.' Strange as it +may seem, it must be so if God be love. Let us thank God that it is +true, and keep in mind what awful and wonderful creatures we are, +that God should dwell in us; what blessed and glorious creatures we +may become in time, if we will only listen to the voice of God who +speaks within our hearts. + +And what does that voice say? The old commandment, my friends, which +was from the beginning, 'Love one another.' Whatever thoughts or +feeling in your hearts contradict that; whatever tempts you to +despise your neighbour, to be angry with him, to suspect him, to +fancy him shut out from God's love, that is not of God. No voice in +our hearts is God's voice, but what says in some shape or other, +'Love thy neighbour as thyself. Care for him, bear with him long, +and try to do him good.' + +For love is of God, and every one that loveth is born of God, and +knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God, for God is love. +Still less can he who is not loving fulfil the law; for the law of +God is the very pattern and picture of God's character; and if a man +does not know what God is like, he will never know what God's law is +like; and though he may read his Bible all day long, he will learn no +more from it than a dumb animal will, unless his heart is full of +love. For love is the light by which we see God, by which we +understand his Bible; by which we understand our duty, and God's +dealings, in the world. Love is the light by which we understand our +own hearts; by which we understand our neighbours' hearts. So it is. +If you hate any man, or have a spite against him, you will never know +what is in that man's heart, never be able to form a just opinion of +his character. If you want to understand human beings, or to do +justice to their feelings, you must begin by loving them heartily and +freely, and the more you like them the better you will understand +them, and in general the better you will find them to be at heart, +the more worthy of your trust, at least the more worthy of your +compassion. + +At least, so St. John says, 'He that saith he is in the light, and +hates his brother, is in darkness even till now, and knoweth not +whither he goeth. But he that loveth his brother abideth in the +light, and there is no occasion of stumbling in him.' + +No occasion of stumbling. That is of making mistakes in our +behaviour to our neighbours, which cause scandal, drive them from us, +and make them suspect us, dislike us--and perhaps with too good +reason. Just think for yourselves. What does half the misery, and +all the quarrelling in the world come from, but from people's loving +themselves better than their neighbours? Would children be +disobedient and neglectful to their parents, if they did not love +themselves better than their parents? Why does a man kill, commit +adultery, steal, bear false witness, covet his neighbour's goods, his +neighbour's custom, his neighbour's rights, but because he loves his +own pleasure or interest better than his neighbour's, loves himself +better than the man whom he wrongs? Would a man take advantage of +his neighbour if he loved him as well as himself? Would he be hard +on his neighbour, and say, Pay me the uttermost farthing, if he loved +him as he loves himself? Would he speak evil of his neighbour behind +his back, if he loved him as himself? Would he cross his neighbour's +temper, just because he WILL have his own way, right or wrong, if he +loved him as himself? Judge for yourselves. What would the world +become like this moment if every man loved his neighbour as himself, +thought of his neighbour as much as he thinks of himself? Would it +not become heaven on earth at once? There would be no need then for +soldiers and policemen, lawyers, rates and taxes, my friends, and all +the expensive and heavy machinery which is now needed to force people +into keeping something of God's law. Ay, there would be no need of +sermons, preachers and prophets to tell men of God's law, and warn +them of the misery of breaking it. They would keep the law of their +own free-will, by love. For love is the fulfilling of the law; and +as St. Augustine says, 'Love you neighbour, and then do what you +will--because you will be sure to will what is right.' So truly did +our Lord say, that on this one commandment hung all the law and the +prophets. + +But though that blessed state of things will not come to the whole +world till the day when Christ shall reign in that new heaven and new +earth, in which Righteousness shall dwell, still it may come here, +now, on earth, to each and every one of us, if we will but ask from +God the blessed gift; to love our neighbour as we love ourselves. + +And then, my friends, whether we be rich or poor, fortunate or +unfortunate, still that spirit of Love which is the Spirit of God, +will be its exceeding great reward. + +I say, its own reward. + +For what is to be our reward, if we do our duty earnestly, however +imperfectly? 'Well done, thou good and faithful servant, enter thou +into the joy of thy Lord.' + +And what is the joy of our Lord? What is the joy of Christ? The joy +and delight which springs for ever in his great heart, from feeling +that he is for ever doing good; from loving all, and living for all; +from knowing that if not all, yet millions on millions are grateful +to him, and will be for ever. + +My friends, if you have ever done a kind action; if you have ever +helped any one in distress, or given up a pleasure for the sake of +others--do you not know that that deed gave you a peace, a self- +content, a joy for the moment at least, which nothing in this world +could give, or take away? And if the person whom you helped thanked +you; if you felt that you had made that man your friend; that he +trusted you now, looked on you now as a brother--did not that double +the pleasure? I ask you, is there any pleasure in the world like +that of doing good, and being thanked for it? Then that is the joy +of your Lord. That is the joy of Christ rising up in you, as often +as you do good; the love which is in you rejoicing in itself, because +it has found a loving thing to do, and has called out the love of a +human being in return. + +Yes, if you will receive it, that is the joy of Christ--the glorious +knowledge that he is doing endless good, and calling out endless love +to himself and to the Father, till the day when he shall give up to +his Father the kingdom which he has won back from sin and death, and +God shall be all in all. + +That is the joy of your Lord. If you wish for any different sort of +joy after you die, you must not ask me to tell you of it; for I know +nothing about the matter save what I find written in the Holy +Scripture. + + + +SERMON VI. WORSHIP + + + +ISAIAH i. 12, 13. + +When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your +hand, to tread my courts? Bring no more vain oblations; incense is +an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of +assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn +meeting. + +This is a very awful text; one of those which terrify us--or at least +ought to terrify us--and set us on asking ourselves seriously and +honestly--'What do I believe after all? What manner of man am I +after all? What sort of show should I make after all, if the people +round me knew my heart and all my secret thoughts? What sort of +show, then, do I already make, in the sight of Almighty God, who sees +every man exactly as he is?' + +I say, such texts as this ought to terrify us. It is good to be +terrified now and then; to be startled, and called to account, and +set thinking, and sobered, as it were, now and then, that we may look +at ourselves honestly anti bravely, and see, if we can, what sort of +men we are. + +And therefore, perhaps, it is that this chapter is chosen for the +first Advent Lesson; to prepare us for Christmas; to frighten us +somewhat; at least to set us thinking seriously, and to make us fit +to keep Christmas in spirit and in truth. + +For whom does this text speak of? + +It speaks of religious people, and of a religious nation; and of a +fearful mistake which they were making, and a fearful danger into +which they had fallen. Now we are religious people, and England is a +religious nation; and therefore we may possibly make the same +mistake, and fall into the same danger, as these old Jews. + +I do not say that we have done so; but we may; for human nature is +just the same now as it was then; and therefore it is as well for us +to look round--at least once now and then, and see whether we too are +in danger of falling, while we think that we are standing safe. + +What does Isaiah, then, tell the religious Jews of his day? + +That their worship of God, their church-going, their sabbaths, and +their appointed feasts were a weariness and an abomination to him. +That God loathed them, and would not listen to the prayers which were +made in them. That the whole matter was a mockery and a lie in his +sight. + +These are awful words enough--that God should hate and loathe what he +himself had appointed; that what would be, one would think, one of +the most natural and most pleasant sights to a loving Father in +heaven--namely, his own children worshipping, blessing, and praising +him--should be horrible in his sight. There is something very +shocking in that; at least to Church people like us. If we were +Dissenters, who go to chapel chiefly to hear sermons, it would be +easy for us to say--'Of course, forms and ceremonies and appointed +feasts are nothing to begin with; they are man's invention at best, +and may therefore be easily enough an abomination to God.' But we +know that they are not so; that forms and ceremonies and appointed +feasts are good things as long as they have spirit and truth in them; +that whether or not they be of man's invention, they spring out of +the most simple, wholesome wants of our human nature, which is a good +thing and not a bad one, for God made it in his own likeness, and +bestowed it on us. We know, or ought to know, that appointed feast +days, like Christmas, are good and comfortable ordinances, which +cheer our hearts on our way through this world, and give us something +noble and lovely to look forward to month after month; that they are +like landmarks along the road of life, reminding us of what God has +done, and is doing, for us and all mankind. And if you do not know, +I know, that people who throw away ordinances and festivals end, at +least in a generation or two, in throwing away the Gospel truth which +that ordinance or festival reminds us of; just as too many who have +thrown away Good Friday have thrown away the Good Friday good news, +that Christ died for all mankind; and too many who have thrown away +Christmas are throwing away--often without meaning to do so--the +Christmas good news, that Christ really took on himself the whole of +our human nature, and took the manhood into God. + +So it is, my friends, and so it will be. For these forms and +festivals are the old landmarks and beacons of the Gospel; and if a +man will not look at the landmarks, then he will lose his way. + +Therefore, to Church people like us, it ought to be a shocking thing +even to suspect that God may be saying to us, 'Your appointed feasts +my soul hateth;' and it ought to set them seriously thinking how such +a thing may happen, that they may guard against it. For if God be +not pleased with our coming to his house, what right have we in his +house at all? + +But recollect this, my dear friends, that we are not to use this text +to search and judge others' faults, but to search and judge our own. + +For if a man, hearing this sermon, looks at his neighbour across the +church, and says in his heart, 'Ay, such a bad one as he is--what +right has he in church?'--then God answers that man, 'Who art thou +who judgest another? To his own master he standeth or falleth.' +Yes, my friends, recollect what the old tomb-stone outside says--(and +right good doctrine it is)--and fit it to this sermon. + + +When this you see, pray judge not me + For sin enough I own. +Judge yourselves; mend your lives; + Leave other folks alone. + + +But if a man, hearing this sermon, begins to say to himself, Such a +man as I am--so full of faults as I am--what right have I in church? +So selfish--so uncharitable--so worldly--so useless--so unfair (or +whatever other faults the man may feel guilty of)--in one word, so +unlike what I ought to be--so unlike Christ--so unlike God whom I +come to worship. How little I act up to what I believe! how little I +really believe what I have learnt! what right have I in church? What +if God were saying the same of me as he said of those old Jews, 'Thy +church-going, thy coming to communion, thy Christmas-day, my soul +hateth; I am weary to bear it. Who hath required this at thy hands, +to tread my courts?' People round me may think me good enough as men +go now; but I know myself too well; and I know that instead of saying +with the Pharisee to any man here, 'I thank God that I am not as this +man or that,' I ought rather to stand afar off like the publican, and +not lift up so much as my eyes toward heaven, crying only 'God, be +merciful to me a sinner.' + +If a man should think thus, my friends, his thoughts may make him +very serious for awhile; nay, very sad. But they need not make him +miserable: need still less make him despair. + +They ought to set him on thinking--Why do I come to church? + +Because it is the fashion? + +Because I want to hear the preacher? + +No--to worship God. + +But what is worshipping God? + +That must depend entirely my friends, upon who God is. + +As I often tell you, most questions--ay, if you will receive it, all +questions--depend upon this one root question, who is God? + +But certainly this question of worshipping God must depend upon who +God is. For how he ought to be worshipped depends on what will +please him. And what will please him, depends on what his character +is. + +If God be, as some fancy, hard and arbitrary, then you must worship +him in a way in which a hard arbitrary person would like to be +addressed; with all crouching, and cringing, and slavish terror. + +If God be again, as some fancy, cold, and hard of hearing, then you +must worship him accordingly. You must cry aloud as Baal's priests +did to catch his notice, and put yourselves to torment (as they did, +and as many a Christian has done since) to move his pity; and you +must use repetitions as the heathen do, and believe that you will be +heard for your much speaking. The Lord Jesus called all such +repetitions vain, and much speaking a fancy: but then, the Lord +Jesus spoke to men of a Father in heaven, a very different God from +such as I speak of--and, alas! some Christian people believe in. + +But, my friends, if you believe in your heavenly Father, the good God +whom your Lord Jesus Christ has revealed to you; and if you will +consider that he is good, and consider what that word good means, +then you will not have far to seek before you find what worship +means, and how you can worship him in spirit and in truth. + +For if God be good, worshipping him must mean praising and admiring +him--adoring him, as we call it--for being good. + +And nothing more? + +Certainly much more. Also to ask him to make us good. That, too, +must be a part of worshipping a good God. For the very property of +goodness is, that it wishes to make others good. And if God be good, +he must wish to make us good also. + +To adore God, then, for his goodness, and to pray to him to make us +good, is the sum and substance of all wholesome worship. + +And for that purpose a man may come to church, and worship God in +spirit and in truth, though he be dissatisfied with himself, and +ashamed of himself; and knows that he is wrong in many things:- +provided always that he wishes to be set right, and made good. + +For he may come saying, 'O God, thou art good, and I am bad; and for +that very reason I come. I come to be made good. I admire thy +goodness, and I long to copy it; but I cannot unless thou help me. +Purge me; make me clean. Cleanse thou me from my secret faults, and +give me truth in the inward parts. Do what thou wilt with me. Train +me as thou wilt. Punish me if it be necessary. Only make me good.' + +Then is the man fit indeed to come to church, sins and all:- if he +carry his sins into church not to carry them out again safely and +carefully, as we are all too apt to do, but to cast them down at the +foot of Christ's cross, in the hope (and no man ever hoped that hope +in vain)--that he will be lightened of that burden, and leave some of +them at least behind him. Ay, no man, I say, ever hoped that in +vain. No man ever yet felt the burden of his sins really intolerable +and unbearable, but what the burden of his sins was taken off him +before all was over, and Christ's righteousness given to him instead. + +Then a man is fit, not only to come to church, but to come to Holy +Communion on Christmas-day, and all days. For then and there he will +find put into words for him the very deepest sorrows and longings of +his heart. There he may say as heartily as he can (and the more +heartily the better), 'I acknowledge and bewail my manifold sins and +wickedness. The remembrance of them is grievous unto me; the burden +of them is intolerable:' but there he will hear Christ promising in +return to pardon and deliver him from all his sins, to confirm and +strengthen him in all goodness. That last is what he ought to want; +and if he wants it, he will surely find it. + +He may join there with the whole universe of God in crying, 'Holy, +holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts, heaven and earth are full of Thy +glory:' and still in the same breath he may confess again his +unworthiness so much as to gather up the crumbs under God's table, +and cast himself simply and utterly upon the eternal property of +God's eternal essence, which is--always to have mercy. But he will +hear forthwith Christ's own answer--'If thou art bad, I can and will +make thee good. My blood shall wash away thy sin: my body shall +preserve thee, body, soul, and spirit, to the everlasting life of +goodness.' + +And so God will bless that man's communion to him; and bless to him +his keeping of Christmas-day; because out of a true penitent heart +and lively faith he will be offering to the good God the sacrifice of +his own bad self, that God may take it, and make it good; and so will +be worshipping the everlasting and infinite Goodness, in spirit and +in truth. + + + +SERMON VII. GOD'S INHERITANCE + + + +GAL. iv. 6, 7. + +Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into +your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a +servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. + +This is the second good news of Christmas-day. + +The first is, that the Son of God became man. + +The second is, why he became man. That men might become the sons of +God through him. + +Therefore St. Paul says, You are the sons of God. Not--you may be, +if you are very good: but you are, in order that you may become very +good. Your being good does not tell you that you are the sons of +God: your baptism tells you so. Your baptism gives you a right to +say, I am the child of God. How shall I behave then? What ought a +child of God to be like? Now St. Paul, you see, knew well that we +could not make ourselves God's children by any feelings, fancies, or +experiences of our own. But he knew just as well that we cannot make +ourselves behave as God's children should, by any thoughts and trying +of our own. + +God alone made us His children; God alone can make us behave like his +children. + +And therefore St. Paul says, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into +our hearts: by which we cry to God, Our Father. + +But some will say, Have we that Spirit? + +St. Paul says that you have: and surely he speaks truth. + +Let us search, then, and see where that Spirit is in us. It is a +great and awful honour for sinful men: but I do believe that if we +seek, we shall find that He is not far from any one of us, for in Him +we live and move, and have our being; and all in us which is not +ignorance, falsehood, folly, and filth, comes from Him. + +Now the Bible says that this Spirit is the Spirit of God's Son, the +Spirit of Christ:- and what sort of Spirit is that? + +We may see by remembering what sort of a Spirit Christ had when on +earth; for He certainly has the same Spirit now--the Spirit which +proceedeth everlastingly from the Father and from the Son. + +And what was that Like? What was Christ Like? What was his Spirit +Like? It was a Spirit of Love, mercy, pity, generosity, usefulness, +unselfishness. A spirit of truth, honour, fearless love of what was +right: a spirit of duty and willing obedience, which made Him +rejoice in doing His Father's will. In all things the spirit of a +perfect SON, in all things a lovely, noble, holy spirit. + +And now, my dear friends, is there nothing in you like that? You may +forget it at times, you may disobey it very often: but is there not +something in all your hearts more or less, which makes you love and +admire what is right? + +When you hear of a noble action, is there nothing in you which makes +you approve and admire it? Is there nothing in your hearts which +makes you pity those who are in sorrow and long to help them? +Nothing which stirs your heart up when you hear of a man's nobly +doing his duty, and dying rather than desert his post, or do a wrong +or mean thing? Surely there is--surely there is. + +Then, O my dear friends, when those feelings come into your hearts, +rejoice with trembling, as men to whom God has given a great and +precious gift. For they are none other than the Spirit of the Son of +God, striving with your hearts that He may form Christ in you, and +raise up your hearts to cry with full faith to God, 'My Father which +art in heaven!' + +'Ah but,' you will say, 'we like what is right, but we do not always +do it. We like to see pity and mercy: but we are very often proud +and selfish and tyrannical. We like to see justice and honour: but +we are too apt to be mean and unjust ourselves. We like to see other +people doing their duty: but we very often do not do ours.' + +Well, my dear friends, perhaps that is true. If it be, confess your +sins like honest men, and they shall be forgiven you. If you can so +complain of yourselves, I am sure I can of myself, ten times more. + +But do you not see that this very thing is a sign to you that the +good and noble thoughts in you are not your own but God's? If they +came out of your own spirits, then you would have no difficulty in +obeying them. But they came out of God's Spirit; and our sinful and +self-willed spirits are striving against his, and trying to turn away +from God's light. What can we do then? We can cherish those noble +thoughts, those pure and higher feelings, when they arise. We can +welcome them as heavenly medicine from our heavenly Father. We can +resolve not to turn away from them, even though they make us ashamed. +Not to grieve the Spirit of the Son of God, even though he grieves us +(as he ought to do and will do more and more), by showing us our own +weakness and meanness, and how unlike we are to Christ, the only +begotten Son. + +If we shut our hearts to those good feelings, they will go away and +leave us. And if they do, we shall neither respect our neighbours, +nor respect ourselves. We shall see no good in our neighbours, but +become scornful and suspicious to them; and if we do that, we shall +soon see no good in ourselves. We shall become discontented with +ourselves, more and more given up to angry thoughts and mean ways, +which we hate and despise, all the while that we go on in them. + +And then--mark my words--we shall lose all real feeling of God being +our Father, and we his sons. We shall begin to fancy ourselves his +slaves, and not his children; and God our taskmaster, and not our +Father. We shall dislike the thought of God. We shall long to hide +from God. We shall fall back into slavish terror, and a fearful +looking forward to of judgment and fiery indignation, because we have +trampled under foot the grace of God, the noble, pure, tender, and +truly graceful feelings which God's Spirit bestowed on us, to fill us +with the grace of Christ. + +Therefore, my dear friends, never check any good or right feelings in +yourselves, or in your children; for they come from the spirit of the +Son of God himself. But, as St. Paul says, Phil. iv. 3, 'Finally, +brethren, whatsoever things are honourable, whatsoever things are +just, what soever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, +whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if +there be any praise, think on these things', . . . 'and the God of +peace shall be with you.' Avoid all which can make you mean, low, +selfish, cruel. Cling to all which can fill your mind with lofty, +kindly, generous, loyal thoughts; and so, in God's good time, you +will enter into the meaning of those great words--Abba, Father. The +more you give up your hearts to such good feelings, the more you will +understand of God; the more nobleness there is in you, the more you +will see God's nobleness, God's justice, God's love, God's true +glory. The more you become like God's Son, the more you will +understand how God can stoop to call himself your Father; and the +more you will understand what a Father, what a perfect Father God is. +And in the world to come, I trust, you will enter into the glorious +liberty of the sons of God--that liberty which comes, as I told you +last Sunday, not from doing your own will, but the will of God; that +glory which comes, not from having anything of your own to pride +yourselves upon, but from being filled with the Spirit of God, the +Spirit of Jesus Christ, by which you shall for ever look up freely, +and yet reverently, to the Almighty God of heaven and earth, and say, +'Impossible as the honour seems for man, yet thou, O God, hast said +it, and it is true. Thou, even thou art my Father, and I thy son in +Jesus Christ, who became awhile the Son of man on earth, that I might +become for ever the son of God in heaven.' + +And so will come true to us St. Paul's great words: --If we be sons, +then heirs of God, joint heirs with Christ. + +Heirs of God: but what is our inheritance? The same as Christ's. + +And what is Christ's inheritance? What but God himself?--The +knowledge of our Father in heaven, of his love to us, and of his +eternal beauty and glory, which fills all heavens and all worlds with +light and life. + + + +SERMON VIII. 'DE PROFUNDIS' + + + +PSALM cxxx. 1. + +Out of the deep have I cried unto thee, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice. + +What is this deep of which David speaks so often? He knew it well, +for he had been in it often and long. He was just the sort of man to +be in it often. A man with great good in him, and great evil; with +very strong passions and feelings, dragging him down into the deep, +and great light and understanding to show him the dark secrets of +that horrible pit when he was in it; and with great love of God too, +and of order, and justice, and of all good and beautiful things, to +make him feel the horribleness of that pit where he ought not to be, +all the more from its difference, its contrast, with the beautiful +world of light, and order, and righteousness where he ought to be. +Therefore he knew that deep well, and abhorred it, and he heaps +together every ugly name, to try and express what no man can express, +the horror of that place. It is a horrible pit, mire and clay, where +he can find no footing, but sinks all the deeper for his struggling. +It is a place of darkness and of storms, a shoreless and bottomless +sea, where he is drowning, and drowning, while all God's waves and +billows go over him. It is a place of utter loneliness, where he +sits like a sparrow on the housetop, or a doleful bird in the desert, +while God has put his lovers and friends away from him, and hid his +acquaintance out of his sight, and no man cares for his soul, and all +men seem to him liars, and God himself seems to have forgotten him +and forgotten all the world. It is a dreadful net which has +entangled his feet, a dark prison in which he is set so fast that he +cannot get forth. It is a torturing disgusting disease, which gives +his flesh no health, and his bones no rest, and his wounds are putrid +and corrupt. It is a battle-field after the fight, where he seems to +lie stript among the dead, like those who are wounded and cut away +from God's hand, and lies groaning in the dust of death, seeing +nothing round him but doleful shapes of destruction and misery, alone +in the outer darkness, while a horrible dread overwhelms him. Yea, +it is hell itself, the pit of hell, the nethermost hell, he says, +where God's wrath burns like fire, till his tongue cleaves to his +gums, and his bones are burnt up like a firebrand, till he is weary +of crying; his throat is dry, his heart fails him for waiting so long +upon his God. + +Yes. A dark and strange place is that same deep pit of God--if, +indeed, it be God's and God made it. Perhaps God did not make it. +For God saw everything that he had made, and behold it was very good: +and that pit cannot be very good; for all good things are orderly, +and in shape; and in that pit is no shape, no order, nothing but +contradiction and confusion. When a man is in that pit, it will seem +to him as if he were alone in the world, and longing above all things +for company; and yet he will hate to have any one to speak to him, +and wrap himself up in himself to brood over his own misery. When he +is in that pit he shall be so blind that he can see nothing, though +his eyes be open in broad noon-day. When he is in that pit he will +hate the thing which he loves most, and love the thing which he hates +most. When he is in that pit he will long to die, and yet cling to +life desperately, and be horribly afraid of dying. When he is in +that pit it will seem to him that God is awfully, horribly near him, +and he will try to hide from God, try to escape from under God's +hand: and yet all the while that God seems so dreadfully near him, +God will seem further off from him than ever, millions and millions +of miles away, parted from him by walls of iron, and a great gulf +which he can never pass. There is nothing but contradiction in that +pit: the man who is in it is of two minds about himself, and his kin +and neighbours, and all heaven and earth; and knows not where to +turn, or what to think, or even where he is at all. + +For the food which he gets in that deep pit is very hunger of soul, +and rage, and vain desires. And the ground which he stands on in +that deep is a bottomless quagmire, and doubt, and change, and +shapeless dread. And the air which he breathes in that deep is the +very fire of God, which burns up everlastingly all the chalk and +dross of the world. + +I said that that deep was not merely the deep of affliction. No: +for you may see men with every comfort which wealth and home can +give, who are tormented day and night in that deep pit in the midst +of all their prosperity, calling for a drop of water to cool their +tongue, and finding none. And you may see poor creatures dying in +agony on lonely sick beds, who are not in that pit at all, but in +that better place whereof it is written, 'Blessed are they who, going +through the vale of misery, use it for a well, and the pools are +filled with water;' and again, 'If any man thirst, let him come to +me, and drink;' and 'the water that I shall give him shall be in him +a well of water, springing up to everlasting life.' + +No--that deep pit is a far worse place; an utterly bad place; and yet +it may be good for a man to have fallen into it; and, strangely +enough, if he do fall in, the lower he sinks in it, the better for +him at last. That is another strange contradiction in that pit, +which David found, that though it was a bottomless pit, the deeper he +sank in it, the more likely he was to find his feet set on a rock; +the further down in the nethermost hell he was, the nearer he was to +being delivered from the nethermost hell. + +Of course, if he had staid in that pit, he must have died, body and +soul. No mortal man, or immortal soul could endure it long. No +immortal soul could; for he would lose all hope, all faith in God, +all feeling of there being anything like justice and order in the +world, all hope for himself, or for mankind, lying so in that living +grave where no man can see God's righteousness, or his faithfulness +in that land where all things are forgotten. + +And his mere mortal body could not stand it. The misery and terror +and confusion of his soul would soon wear out his body, and he would +die, as I have seen men actually die, when their souls have been left +in that deep somewhat too long; shrink together into dark melancholy, +and pine away, and die. And I have seen sweet young creatures too, +whom God for some purpose of his own (which must be good and loving, +for HE did it) has let fall awhile into that deep of darkness; and +then in compassion to their youth, and tenderness, and innocence, has +lifted them gently out again, and set their weary feet upon the +everlasting Rock, which is Christ; and has filled them with the light +of his countenance, and joy and peace in believing; and has led them +by green pastures and made them rest by the waters of comfort; and +yet, though their souls were healed, their bodies were not. That +fearful struggle has been too much for frail humanity, and they have +drooped, and faded, and gone peacefully after a while home to their +God, as a fair flower withers if the fire has but once past over it. + +But some I have seen, men and women, who have arisen, like David, out +of that strange deep, all the stronger for their fall; and have found +out another strange contradiction about that deep, and the fire of +God which burns below in it. For that fire hardens a man and softens +him at the same time; and he comes out of it hardened to that +hardness of which it is written, 'Do thou endure hardness like a good +soldier of Jesus Christ;' and again, 'I have fought a good fight, I +have kept the faith, I have finished my course:' yet softened to that +softness of which it is written, 'Be ye tenderhearted, compassionate, +forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven +you;'--and again, 'We have a High Priest who can be touched with the +feeling of our infirmities, seeing that he has been tempted in all +things like as we are, yet without sin.' + +Happy, thrice happy are they who have thus walked through the valley +of the shadow of death, and found it the path which leads to +everlasting life. Happy are they who have thus writhed awhile in the +fierce fire of God, and have had burnt out of them the chaff and +dross, and all which offends, and makes them vain, light, and yet +makes them dull, drags them down at the same time; till only the pure +gold of God's righteousness is left, seven times tried in the fire, +incorruptible, and precious in the sight of God and man. Such people +need not regret--they will not regret--all that they have gone +through. It has made them brave, made them sober, made them patient. +It has given them + + +The reason firm, the temperate will, +Endurance, foresight, strength and skill; + + +and so has shaped them into the likeness of Christ, who was made +perfect by suffering; and though he were a Son, yet in the days of +his flesh, made strong supplication and crying with tears to his +Father, and was heard in that he feared; and so, though he died on +the cross and descended into hell, yet triumphed over death and hell, +by dying and by descending; and conquered them by submitting to them. +And yet they have been softened in that fierce furnace of God's +wrath, into another likeness of Christ--which after all is still the +same; the character which he showed when he wept by the grave of +Lazarus, and over the sinful city of Jerusalem; which he showed when +his heart yearned over the perishing multitude, and over the leper, +and the palsied man, and the maniac possessed with devils; the +character which he showed when he said to the woman taken in +adultery, 'Neither do I condemn thee; go and sin no more;' which he +showed when he said to the sinful Magdalene, who washed his feet with +tears, and wiped them with her hair, 'her sins, which are many, are +forgiven; for she loved much;' the likeness which he showed in his +very death agony upon the torturing cross, when he prayed for his +murderers, 'Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.' +This is the character which man may get in that dark deep.--To feel +for all, and feel with all; to rejoice with those who rejoice, and +weep with those who weep; to understand people's trials, and make +allowances for their temptations; to put oneself in their place, till +we see with their eyes, and feel with their hearts, till we judge no +man, and have hope for all; to be fair, and patient, and tender with +every one we meet; to despise no one, despair of no one, because +Christ despises none, and despairs of none; to look upon every one we +meet with love, almost with pity, as people who either have been down +into the deep of horror, or may go down into it any day; to see our +own sins in other people's sins, and know that we might do what they +do, and feel as they feel, any moment, did God desert us; to give and +forgive, to live and let live, even as Christ gives to us, and +forgives us, and lives for us, and lets us live, in spite of all our +sins. + +And how shall we learn this? How shall the bottomless pit, if we +fall into it, be but a pathway to the everlasting rock? + +David tells us: + +'Out of the deep have I cried unto thee, O Lord.' + +He cried to God. + +Not to himself, his own learning, talents, wealth, prudence, to pull +him out of that pit. Not to princes, nobles, and great men. Not to +doctrines, books, church-goings. Not to the dearest friend he had on +earth; for they had forsaken him, could not understand him, thought +him perhaps beside himself. Not to his own good works, almsgivings, +church-goings, church-buildings. Not to his own experiences, faith's +assurances, frames or feelings. The matter was too terrible to be +plastered over in that way, or in any way. He was face to face with +God alone, in utter weakness, in utter nakedness of soul, He cried to +God himself. There was the lesson. + +God took away from him all things, that he might have no one to cry +to but God. + +God took him up, and cast him down: and there he sat all alone, +astonished and confounded, like Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah, when +she sat alone upon the parching rock. Like Rizpah, he watched the +dead corpses of all his hopes and plans, all for which he had lived, +and which made life worth having, withering away there by his side. +But it was told David what Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah, had done. +And it is told to one greater than David, even to Jesus Christ, the +Son of David, what the poor soul does when it sits alone in its +despair. Or rather it need not be told him; for he sees all, weeps +over all, will comfort all: and it shall be to that poor soul as it +was to poor deserted Hagar in the sandy desert, when the water was +spent in the bottle, and she cast her child--the only thing she had +left--under one of the shrubs and hurried away; for she said, 'Let me +not see the child die.' And the angel of the Lord called to her out +of heaven, saying, 'The Lord hath heard the voice of the lad where he +is;' and God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. + +It shall be with that poor soul as it was with Moses, when he went up +alone into the mount of God, and fasted forty days and forty nights +amid the earthquake and the thunderstorm, and the rocks which melted +before the Lord. And behold, when it was past, he talked face to +face with God, as a man talketh with his friend, and his countenance +shone with heavenly light, when he came down triumphant out of the +mount of God. + +So shall it be with every soul of man who, being in the deep, cries +out of that deep to God, whether in bloody India or in peaceful +England. For He with whom we have to do is not a tyrant, but a +Father; not a taskmaster, but a Giver and a Redeemer. We may ask him +freely, as David does, to consider our complaint, because he will +consider it well, and understand it, and do it justice. He is not +extreme to mark what is done amiss, and therefore we can abide his +judgments. There is mercy with him, and therefore it is worth while +to fear him. He waits for us year after year, with patience which +cannot tire; therefore it is but fair that we should wait a while for +him. With him is plenteous redemption, and therefore redemption +enough for us, and for those likewise whom we love. He will redeem +us from all our sins: and what do we need more? He will make us +perfect, even as our Father in heaven is perfect. Let him then, if +he must, make us perfect by sufferings. By sufferings Christ was +made perfect; and what was the best path for Jesus Christ is surely +good enough for us, even though it be a rough and a thorny one. Let +us lie still beneath God's hand; for though his hand be heavy upon +us, it is strong and safe beneath us too; and none can pluck us out +of his hand, for in him we live and move and have our being; and +though we go down into hell with David, with David we shall find God +there, and find, with David, that he will not leave our souls in +hell, or suffer his holy ones to see corruption. Yes; have faith in +God. Nothing in thee which he has made shall see corruption; for it +is a thought of God's, and no thought of his can perish. Nothing +shall be purged out of thee but thy disease; nothing shall be burnt +out of thee but thy dross; and that in thee shall be saved, and live +to all eternity, of which God said at the beginning, Let us make man +in our own image. Yes. Have faith in God; and say to him once for +all, 'Though thou slay me, yet will I love thee; for thou lovedst me +in Jesus Christ before the foundation of the world.' + + + +SERMON IX. THE LOVE OF GOD ITS OWN REWARD + + + +DEUT. xxx. 19, 20. + +I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have +set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose +life that both thou and thy seed may live; that thou mayest love the +Lord thy God, and that thou mayest cleave unto him, for he is thy +life and the length of thy days, that thou mayest dwell in the land +which the Lord God sware unto thy fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob +to give them. + +I spoke to you last Sunday on this text. But there is something more +in it, which I had not time to speak of then. + +Moses here tells the Israelites what will happen to them if they keep +God's law. + +They will love God. That was to be their reward. They were to have +other rewards beside. Beside loving God, it would be well with them +and their children, and they would live long in the land which God +had given them. But their first reward, their great reward, would be +that they would love God. + +If they obeyed God, they would have reason to love him. + +Now we commonly put this differently. + +We say, If you love God, you will obey him; which is quite true. But +what Moses says is truer still, and deeper still. Moses says, If you +obey God, you will love him. + +Again we say, If you love God, God will reward you; which is true; +though not always true in this life. But Moses says a truer and +deeper thing. Moses says that loving God is our reward; that the +greatest reward, the greatest blessing which a man can have, is this- +-that the man should love God. Now does this seem strange? It is +not strange, nevertheless. + +For there are two sorts of faith; and one must always, I sometimes +think, come before the other. + +The first is implicit faith--blind faith--the sort of faith a child +has in what its parents tell it. A child, we know, believes its +parents blindly, even though it does not understand what they tell +it. It takes for granted that they are right. + +The second is experimental faith--the faith which comes from +experience and reason, when a man looks back upon his life, and on +God's dealings with him; and then sees from experience what reason he +has for trusting and loving God, who has helped him onward through so +many chances and changes for so many years. + +Now some people cry out against blind implicit faith, as if it was +childish and unreasonable. But I cannot. I think every one learns +to love his neighbour, very much as Moses told the Jews they would +learn to love God; namely, by trusting them somewhat blindly at +first. + +Is it not so? Is it not so always with young people, when they begin +to be fond of each other? They trust each other, they do not know +why, or how. Before they are married, they have little or no +experience of each other; of each other's tempers and characters: +and yet they trust each other, and say in their hearts, 'He can never +be false to me;' and are ready to put their honour and fortunes into +each other's hands, to live together for better for worse, till death +them part. It is a blind faith in each other, that, and those who +will may laugh at it, and call it the folly and rashness of youth. I +do not believe that God laughs at it: that God calls it folly and +rashness. It surely comes from God. + +For there is something in each of them worth trusting, worth loving. +True, they may be disappointed in each other; but they need not be. +If they are true to themselves; if they will listen to the better +voice within, and be true to their own better feelings, all will be +well, and they will find after marriage that they did not do a rash +and a foolish thing, when they gave up themselves to each other, and +cast in their lot together blindly to live and die. + +And then, after that first blind faith and love in each other which +they had before marriage, will come, as the years roll by, a deeper, +sounder faith and love from experience.--An experience of which I +shall not talk here; for those who have not felt it for themselves +would not know what I mean; and those who have felt it need no clumsy +words of mine to describe it to them. + +Now, my dear friends, this is one of the things by which marriage is +consecrated to an excellent mystery, as the Prayer-book says. This +is one of the things in which marriage is a pattern and picture of +the spiritual union which is between Christ and his Church. + +First, as I said, comes blind faith. A young person, setting out in +life, has little experience of God's love; he has little to make him +sure that the way of life, and honour, and peace, is to obey God's +laws. But he is told so. His Bible tells him so. Wiser and older +people than he tell him so, and God himself tells him so. God +himself makes up in the young person's heart a desire after goodness. + +Then he takes it for granted blindly. He says to himself, I can but +try. They tell me to taste and see whether the Lord is gracious. I +will taste. They tell me that the way of his commandments is the way +to make life worth loving, and to see good days. I will try. And so +the years go by. The young person has grown middle-aged, old. He or +she has been through many trials, many disappointments; perhaps more +than one bitter loss. But if they have held fast by God; if they +have tried, however clumsily, to keep God's law, and walk in God's +way, then there will have grown up in them a trust in God, and a love +for God, deeper and broader far than any which they had in youth; a +love grounded on experience. They can point back to so many +blessings which the Lord gave them unexpectedly; to so many sorrows +which the Lord gave them strength to bear, though they seemed at +first sight past bearing; to so many disappointments which seemed ill +luck at the time, and yet which turned out good for them in the end. +And so comes a deep, reasonable love to their Heavenly Father. Now +they have TASTED that the Lord is gracious. Now they can say, with +the Samaritans, 'Now we believe, not because of thy saying, but +because we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the +Christ, the Saviour of the world.' And when sadness and affliction +come on them, as it must come, they can look back, and so get +strength to look forward. They can say with David, 'I will go on in +the strength of the Lord God. I will make mention only of his +righteousness. Oh my God, thou hast taught me from my youth up until +now; hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works. Now also, when I +am old and grey-headed, oh Lord, forsake me not, till I have showed +thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to those whom I +leave behind me.' + +And so, by remembering what God HAS been to them, they can face what +is coming. 'They will not be afraid of evil tidings,' as David says; +'for their heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.' + +And when old age comes, and brings weakness and sickness, and low +spirits, still they have comfort. They can say with David again, 'I +have been young, and now am old, but never saw I the righteous +forsaken, nor his seed begging their bread.' + +Oh my dear friends, young people especially--there are many things +which you may long for which you cannot have: much happiness which +is NOT within your reach. But THIS you can have, if you will but +long for it: this happiness IS within your reach, if you will but +put out your hand and take it.--The everlasting unfailing comfort of +loving God, and of knowing that God loves you. Oh choose that now at +once. Choose God's ways which are pleasantness, and God's paths +which are peace; and then in your old age, whether you become rich or +poor, whether you are left alone, or go down to your grave in peace +with children and grandchildren to close your eyes, you will still +have the one great reward, the true reward, the everlasting reward +which Moses promised the old Israelites. You will have reason to +love God, who has carried you safe through life, and will carry you +safe through death, and to say with all his saints and martyrs, 'Many +things I know not; and many things I have lost: but this I know.--I +know in whom I have believed; and this I cannot lose; even God +himself, whose name is faithful and true.' + + + +SERMON X. THE RACE OF LIFE + + + +JOHN i. 26. + +There standeth one among you whom ye know not. + +This is a solemn text. It warns us, and yet it comforts us. It +tells us that there is a person standing among us so great, that John +the Baptist, the greatest of the prophets, was not worthy to unloose +his shoes' latchet. + +Some of you know who he is. Some of you, perhaps, do not. If you +know him, you will be glad to be reminded of him to-day. If you do +not know him, I will tell you who he is. + +Only bear this in mind, that whether you know him or not, he is +standing among us. We have not driven him away, and cannot drive him +away. Our not seeing him will not prevent his seeing us. He is +always near us; ready, if we ask him, as the Collect bids us, to +'come among us, and with great might succour us.' + +For, my friends, this is the meaning of the text, as far as it has to +do with us. The noble Collect for to-day tells this, and explains to +us what we are to think of the Epistle and the Gospel. + +The Epistle tells us that the Lord Jesus Christ is at hand, and that +therefore we are to fret about nothing, but make our requests known +to him. The Gospel tells us that he stands among us. The Collect +tells us what we are to do, because he is at hand, because he stands +among us. + +And what are we to do? + +Recollect my friends, what John the Baptist said, according to St. +Matthew, after the words in the text--'He shall baptize you with the +Holy Ghost, and with fire.' + +The Collect asks him to do that--the first half of it at least. To +baptize us with the Holy Ghost, lest he should need to baptize us +with fire. + +For the Collect says, we have all a race to run. We have all a +journey to make through life. We have all so to get through this +world, that we shall inherit the world to come; so to pass through +the things of time (as one of the Collects says) that we finally lose +not the things eternal. God has given each of us our powers and +character, marked out for each of us our path in life, set each of us +our duty to do. + +But how shall we make the proper use of our powers? + +How shall we keep to our path in life? + +How shall we do our duty faithfully? + +In short, so as St. Paul puts it--How shall we run our race, so as +not to lose, but to win it? + +For the Collect says--and we ought to have found it out for ourselves +before now--Our sins and wickedness hinder us sorely in running the +race which is set before us. + +Our sins and wickedness. The Collect speaks of these as two +different things; and I believe rightly, for the New Testament speaks +of them as two different things. Sin, in the New Testament, means +strictly what we call "failings," "defects" a missing the mark, a +falling short; as it is written--All have sinned, and come short of +the glory of God, that is, of the likeness of a perfect man. {75} + +Thus, stupidity, laziness, cowardice, bad temper, greediness after +pleasure--these are strictly speaking what the New Testament calls +sins. Wickedness--iniquity--seem to be harder words, and to mean +worse offences. They mean the evil things which a man does, not out +of the weakness of his mortal nature, but out of his own wicked will, +and what the Bible calls the naughtiness of his heart. So wickedness +means, not merely open crimes which are punishable by the law, but +all which comes out of a man's own wilfulness and perverseness-- +injustice (which is the first meaning of iniquity), cunning, +falsehood, covetousness, pride, self-conceit, tyranny, cruelty--these +seem to be what the Scripture calls wickedness. Of course one cannot +draw the line exactly, in any matters so puzzling as questions about +our own souls must always be: but on the whole. I think you will +find this rule not far wrong - + +That all which comes from the weakness of a man's soul, is sin: all +which comes from abusing its strength, is wickedness. All which +drags a man down, and makes him more like a brute animal, is sin: +all which puffs him up, and makes him more like a devil, is +wickedness. It is as well to bear this in mind, because a man may +have a great horror of sin, and be hard enough, and too hard upon +poor sinners; and yet all the time he may be thoroughly, and to his +heart's core, a wicked man. The Pharisees of old were so. So they +are now. Take you care that you be not like to them. Keep clear of +sin: but keep clear of wickedness likewise. + +For, says the Collect, both will hinder you in your race: perhaps +cause you to break down in it, and never reach the goal at all. + +Sin will hinder you, by dragging you back. + +Wickedness will hinder you, by putting you altogether out of the +right road. + +If a man be laden with sins; stupid, lazy, careless, over fond of +pleasure;--much more, if he be given up to enjoying himself in bad +ways, about which we all know too well--then he is like a man who +starts in a race, weak, crippled, over-weighted, or not caring +whether he wins or loses; and who therefore lags behind, or grows +tired, or looks round, and wants to stop and amuse himself, instead +of pushing on stoutly and bravely. And therefore St. Paul bids us +lay aside every weight (that is every bad habit which makes us lazy +and careless), and the sin which does so easily beset us, and run +with patience our appointed race, looking to Jesus, the author of our +faith--who stands by to give us faith, confidence, courage to go on-- +Jesus, who has compassion on those who are ignorant, and out of the +way by no wilfulness of their own; who can be touched with the +feeling of our infirmities; who can help us, can deliver us, and who +will do what he can, and do all he can. + +He can and will strengthen us, freshen us, encourage us, inspirit us, +by giving us his Holy Spirit, that we may have spirit and power to +run our race, day by day, and tide by tide. And so, if he sees us +weak and fainting over our work, he will baptize us with the Holy +Ghost. + +And yet there are times when he will baptize a sinner not only with +the Holy Ghost, but with fire--I am still speaking, mind, of a +sinner, not of a wicked man. + +And when? When he sees the man sitting down by the roadside to play, +with no intention of moving on. I do not say--if he sees the man +sitting down to play at all. God forbid! How can a man run his +life-long race--how can he even keep up for a week, a day, at doing +his best at the full stretch of his power, without stopping to take +breath? I cannot, God knows. If any man can--be it so. Some are +stronger than others: but be sure of this; that God counts it no sin +in a man to stop and take breath. 'Press forward toward the mark of +your high calling,' St. Paul says: but he does not forbid a man to +refresh and amuse himself harmlessly and rationally, from time to +time, with all the pleasant things which God has put into this world. +They do refresh us, and they do amuse us, these pleasant things. And +God made them, and put them here. Surely he put them here to refresh +and amuse us. He did not surely put them here to trap us, and snare +us, and tempt us not to run the very race which he himself has set +before us? No, no, my friends. He made pleasant things to please +us, amusing things to amuse us. Every good gift comes from him. + +But if a man thinks of nothing but amusing himself, he is like a +horse who stands still in the middle of a journey, and begins +feeding. Let him do his day's journey, and feed afterwards; and so +get strength for his next day's work. But if he will stand still, +and feed; if he will forget that he has any work at all to do; then +we shall punish him, to make him go on. And so will God do with us. +He will strike us then; and sharply too. Much more, if a man gives +himself up to sinful pleasure; if he gives himself up to a loose and +profligate life, and, like many a young man, wastes his substance in +riotous living, and devours his heavenly Father's gifts with harlots- +-then God will strike that man; and all the more sharply the more +worth and power there is in the man. The more God has given the man, +the sharper will be God's stroke, if he deserves it. + +And why? + +Ask yourselves. Suppose that your horse had plunged into a deep +ditch, and was lying there in mire and thorns; would you not strike +him, and sharply too, to make him put out his whole strength, and +rise, and by one great struggle clear himself? + +Of course you would: and the more spirited, the more powerful the +animal was, the sharper you would be with him, because the more sure +you would be that he could answer to your call if he chose. + +Even so does God with us. If he sees us lying down; forgetting +utterly that we have any work or duty to do; and wallowing in the +mire of fleshly lusts, and thorns of worldly cares, then he will +strike; and all the more sharply, the more real worth or power there +is in us; that he may rouse us, and force us to exert ourselves and +by one great struggle, like the mired horse, clear ourselves out of +the sin which besets us, and holds us down, and leap, as it were, +once and for all, out of the death of sin, into the life of +righteousness. + +But much more if there be not merely sin in us, but wickedness; self- +will, self-conceit, and rebellion. + +For see, my friends. If we were training a young animal, how should +we treat it? If it were merely weak, we should strengthen and +exercise it. If it were merely ignorant, we should teach it. If it +were lazy, we should begin to punish it; but gently, that it might +still have confidence, faith in us, and pleasure in its work. + +But if we found wickedness in it--vice, as we rightly call it--if it +became restive, that is, rebellious and self-willed, then we should +punish it indeed. Seldom, perhaps, but very sharply; that it might +see clearly that we were the stronger, and that rebellion was of no +use at all. + +And so does the Lord with us, my friends. If we will not go his way +by kindness, he will make us go by severity. + +First, when we are christened, and after that day by day, if we ask +him--and often when we ask him not--he gives us the gentle baptism of +his Holy Spirit, freshening, strengthening, encouraging, inspiriting. +But if we will not go on well for that; if we will rebel, and try our +own way, and rush out of God's road after this and that, in pride and +self-will, as if we were our own masters; then, my friends--then will +God baptize us with fire, and strike with a blow which goes nigh to +cut a man in two. Very seldom he strikes; for he is pitiful, and of +tender mercy: but with a rod as of fire, of which it is written, +that it is sharper than a two-edged sword, and pierces through the +joints and marrow. Very seldom: but very sharply, that there may be +no mistake about what the blow means, and that the man may know, +however cunning, or proud, or self-righteous he may be, that God is +the Lord, God is his Master, and will be obeyed; and woe to him, if +he obey him not. And what can a man do then, but writhe in the +bitterness of his soul, and get back into God's highway as fast as he +can, in fear and trembling lest the next blow cut him in asunder? +And so, by the bitterness of disappointment, or bereavement, or +sickness, or poverty, or worst of all, of shame, will the Lord +baptize the man with fire. + +But all in love, my friends; and all for the man's good. Does God +LIKE to punish his creatures? LIKE to torment them? Some think that +he does, and say that he finds what they call 'satisfaction' in +punishing. I think that they mistake the devil for God. No, my +friends; what does he say himself? 'Have I any pleasure in the death +of the wicked; and not rather that he should turn from his ways, and +live?' Surely he has not. If he had, do you think that he would +have sent us into this world at all? I do not. And I trust and hope +that you will not. Believe that even when he cuts us to the heart's +core, and baptizes us with fire, he does it only out of his eternal +love, that he may help and deliver us all the more speedily. + +For God's sake--for Christ's sake--for your own sake--keep that in +mind, that Christ's will, and therefore God's will, is to help and +deliver us; that he stands by us, and comes among us, for that very +purpose. Consider St. Paul's parable, in which he talks of us as men +running a race, and of Christ as the judge who looks on to see how we +run. But for what purpose does Christ look on? To catch us out, as +we say? To mark down every fault of ours, and punish wherever he has +an opportunity or a reason? Does he stand there spying, frowning, +fault-finding, accusing every man in his turn, extreme to watch what +is done amiss? If an earthly judge did that, we should call him-- +what he would be--an ill-conditioned man. But dare we fancy anything +ill-conditioned in God? God forbid! His conditions are altogether +good, and his will a good will to men; and therefore, say the Epistle +and the Collect, we ought not to be terrified, but to rejoice, at the +thought that the Lord is looking on. However badly we are running +our race, yet if we are trying to move forward at all, we ought to +rejoice that God in Christ is looking on. + +And why? + +Why? Because he is looking on, not to torment, but to help. Because +he loves us better than we love ourselves. Because he is more +anxious for us to get safely through this world than we are +ourselves. + +Will you understand that, and believe that, once for all, my +friends?--That God is not AGAINST you, but FOR you, in the struggles +of life; that he WANTS you to get through safe; WANTS you to succeed; +WANTS you to win; and that therefore he will help you, and hear your +cry. + +And therefore when you find yourselves wrong, utterly wrong, do not +cry to this man or that man, 'Do YOU help me; do you set me a little +more right, before God comes and finds me in the wrong, and punishes +me.' Cry to God himself, to Christ himself; ask HIM to lift you up, +ask him to set you right. Do not be like St. Peter before his +conversion, and cry, 'Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord; +wait a little, till I have risen up, and washed off my stains, and +made myself somewhat fit to be seen.'--No. Cry, 'Come quickly, O +Lord--at once, just because I am a sinful man; just because I am sore +let and hindered in running my race by my own sins and wickedness; +because I am lazy and stupid; because I am perverse and vicious, +THEREFORE raise up thy power, and come to me, thy miserable creature, +thy lost child, and with thy great might succour me. Lift me up for +I have fallen very low; deliver me, for I have plunged out of thy +sound and safe highway into deep mire, where no ground is. Help +myself I cannot, and if thou help me not, I am undone.' + +Do so. Pray so. Let your sins and wickedness be to you not a reason +for hiding from Christ who stands by; but a reason, the reason of all +reasons, for crying to Christ who stands by. + +And then, whether he deliver you by kind means or by sharp ones, +deliver you he will; and set your feet on firm ground, and order your +goings, that you may run with patience the race which is set before +you along the road of life, and the pathway of God's commandments, +wherein there is no death. + +This, my friends, is one of the meanings of Advent. This is the +meaning of the Collect, the Epistle, and the Gospel.--That God in +Christ stands by us, ready to help and deliver us; and that if we cry +to him even out of the lowest depth, he will hear our voice. And +that then, when he has once put us into the right road again, and +sees us going bravely along it to the best of the power which he has +given us, he will fulfil to us his eternal promise, 'Thy sins--and +not only thy sins, but thine iniquities--I will remember no more.' + + + +SERMON XI. SELF-RESPECT AND SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS + + + +PSALM vii. 8. + +Give sentence for me, O Lord, according to my righteousness; and +according to the innocency that is in me. + +Is this speech self-righteous? If so, it is a bad speech; for self- +righteousness is a bad temper of mind; there are few worse. If we +say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not +in us. If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive +us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say +that we have not sinned, we make him a liar. + +This is plain enough; and true as God is true. But there is another +temper of mind which is right in its way; and which is not self- +righteousness, though it may look like it at first sight. I mean the +temper of Job, when his friends were trying to prove to him that he +must be a bad man, and to make him accuse himself of all sorts of +sins which he had not committed; and he answered that he would utter +no deceit, and tell no lies about himself. 'Till I die I will not +remove mine integrity from me; my righteousness I will hold fast, and +will not let it go; my heart shall not reproach me as long as I +live.' I have, on the whole, tried to be a good man, and I will not +make myself out a bad one. + +For, my friends, with the Bible as with everything else, we must hear +both sides of the question, lest we understand neither side. + +We may misuse St. John's doctrine, that if we say we have no sin, we +deceive ourselves. We may deceive ourselves in the very opposite +way. + +In the first place, some people, having learnt that it is right to +confess their sins, try to have as many sins as possible to confess. +I do not mean that they commit the sins, but that they try to fancy +they have committed them. This is very common now, and has been for +many hundred years, especially among young women and lads who are of +a weakly melancholy temper, or who have suffered some great +disappointment. They are fond of accusing themselves; of making +little faults into great ones; of racking their memories to find +themselves out in the wrong; of taking the darkest possible view of +themselves, and of what is going to happen to them. They forget that +Solomon, the wise, when he says, 'Be not over-much wicked; neither be +thou foolish--why shouldst thou die before thy time?'--says also, 'Be +not righteous over-much; neither make thyself over-wise. Why +shouldst thou destroy thyself?' + +For such people do destroy themselves. I have seen them kill their +own bodies, and die early, by this folly. And I have seen them kill +their own souls, too, and enter into strong delusions, till they +believe a lie, and many lies, from which one had hoped that the Bible +would have delivered any and every man. + +One cannot be angry with such people. One can only pity them, and +pity them all the more, when one finds them generally the most +innocent, the very persons who have least to confess. One can but +pity them, when one sees them applying to themselves God's warnings +against sins of which they never even heard the names, and fancying +that God speaks to them, as St. Paul says that he did to the old +heathen Romans, when they were steeped up to the lips in every crime. + +No--one can do more than pity them. One can pray for them that they +may learn to know God, and who he is: and by knowing him, may be +delivered out of the hands of cunning and cruel teachers, who make a +market of their melancholy, and hide from them the truth about God, +lest the truth should make them free, while their teachers wish to +keep them slaves. + +This is one misuse of St. John's doctrine. There is another and a +far worse misuse of it. + +A man may be proud of confessing his sins; may become self-righteous +and conceited, according to the number of the sins which he +confesses. + +So deceitful is this same human heart of ours, that so it is I have +seen people quite proud of calling themselves miserable sinners. I +say, proud of it. For if they had really felt themselves miserable +sinners, they would have said less about their own feelings. If a +man really feels what sin is--if he feels what a miserable, pitiful, +mean thing it is to be doing wrong when one knows better, to be the +slave of one's own tempers, passions, appetites--oh, if man or woman +ever knew the exceeding sinfulness of sin, he would hide his own +shame in the depths of his heart, and tell it to God alone, or at +most to none on earth save the holiest, the wisest, the trustiest, +the nearest and the dearest. + +But when one hears a man always talking about his own sinfulness, one +suspects--and from experience one has only too much reason to +suspect--that he is simply saying in a civil way, 'I am a better man +than you; for I talk about my sinfulness, and you do not.' + +For if you answer such a man, as old Job or David would have done, 'I +will not confess what I have not felt. I have tried and am trying to +be an upright, respectable, sober, right-living man. Let God judge +me according to the innocency that is in me. I know that I am not +perfect: no man is that: but I will not cant; I will not be a +hypocrite; and if I accuse myself of sins which I have not committed, +it seems to me that I shall be mocking God, and deceiving myself. I +will trust to God to judge me fairly, to balance between the good and +the evil which is in me, and deal with me accordingly.' + +If you speak in that way, the other man will answer you plainly +enough, 'Ah! you are utterly benighted. You are building on legality +and morality. You have not yet learnt the first principles of the +Gospel.' And with these, and other words, will give you to +understand this--That he thinks he is going to heaven, and you are +going to hell. + +Now, my dear friends, you are partly right, and he is partly right. +St. Paul will show you where you are right and where he is right. He +does so, I think, in a certain noble text of his in which he says, 'I +judge not mine own self; for I know nothing against myself, yet am I +not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.' + +Now remember that no man was less self-righteous than St. Paul. No +man ever saw more clearly the sinfulness of sin. No man ever put +into words so strongly the struggle between good and evil which goes +on in the human heart. In one place, even, when speaking of his +former life, he calls himself the chief of sinners. Yet St. Paul, +when he had done his duty, knew that he had done it, and was not +afraid to say--as no honest and upright man need be afraid to say--'I +know nothing against myself.' For if you have done right, my friend, +it is God who has helped you to do it; and it is difficult to see how +you can honour God, by pretending instead that he has left you to do +wrong. + +This, then, seems to be the rule. If you have done wrong, be not +afraid to confess it. If you have done right, be not afraid to +confess that either. And meanwhile keep up your self-respect. Try +to do your duty. Try to keep your honour bright. Let no man be able +to say that he is the worse for you. Still more let no woman be able +to say that she is the worse for you; for if you treat another man's +daughter as you would not let him treat yours, where is your honour +then, or your clear conscience? What cares man, what cares God, for +your professions of uprightness and respectability, if you take good +care to behave well to men, who can defend themselves, and take no +care to behave well to a poor girl, who cannot defend herself? +Recollect that when Job stood up for his own integrity, and would not +give up his belief that he was a righteous man, he took care to +justify himself in this matter, as well as on others. 'I made a +covenant with mine eyes,' he says; 'why then should I think upon a +maid? If mine heart have been deceived by a woman; or if I have laid +wait at my neighbour's door;' 'Then,' he says in words too strong for +me to repeat, 'let others do to my wife as I have done to theirs.' + +Avoid this sin, and all sins. Let no man be able to say that you +have defrauded him, that you have tyrannized over him; that you have +neglected to do your duty by him. Let no man be able to say that you +have rewarded him evil for evil. If possible, let him not be able to +say that you have even lost your temper with him. Be generous; be +forgiving. If you have an opportunity, be like David, and help him +who without a cause is your enemy; and then you will have a right to +say, like David, 'Give sentence with me, O Lord, according to my +righteousness, and according to the cleanness of my hands in thy +sight.' + +True--that will not justify you. In God's sight shall no man living +be justified, if justification is to come by having no faults. What +man is there who lives, and sins not? Who is there among us, but +knows that he is not the man he might be? Who does not know, that +even if he seldom does what he ought not, he too often leaves undone +what he ought? And more than that--none of us but does many a really +wrong thing of which he never knows, at least in this life. None of +us but are blind, more or less, to our own faults; and often blind-- +God forgive us!--to our very worst faults. + +Then let us remember, that he who judges us IS THE LORD. + +Now is that a thought to be afraid of? + +David did not think so, when he had done right. For he says, in this +Psalm, 'Judge me, O Lord!' + +And when he has done wrong, he thinks so still less; for then he asks +God all the more earnestly, not only to judge him, but to correct him +likewise. 'Purge me,' he says, 'and I shall be clean. Cleanse thou +me from my secret faults, and make me to understand wisdom secretly. +For thou requirest truth in the inward parts.' + +That is bravely spoken, and worthy of an honest man, who wishes above +all things to be right, whatsoever it may cost him. + +But how did David get courage to ask that? + +By knowing God, and who God was. + +For this, my friends, is the key to the whole matter--as it is to all +matters--Who is God? + +If you believe God to be a hard task-master, and a cruel being, +extreme to mark what is done amiss, an accuser like the devil, +instead of a forgiver and a Saviour, as he really is;--then you will +begin judging yourself wrongly and clumsily, instead of asking God to +judge you wisely and well. + +You will break both of the golden rules which St. Anthony, the famous +hermit, used to give to his scholars.--'Regret not that which is +past; and trust not in thine own righteousness.' For you will lose +time, and lose heart, in fretting over old sins and follies, instead +of confessing them once and for all to God, and going boldly to his +throne of grace to find mercy and grace to help you in the time of +need; that you may try again and do better for the future. And so it +will be true of you--I am sure I have seen it come true of many a +poor soul--what David found, before he found out the goodness of +God's free pardon:- 'While I held my tongue, my bones waxed old +through my daily complaining. For thy hand was heavy upon me night +and day; my moisture was like the drought in summer.' + +And all that while (such contradictory creatures are we all), you may +be breaking St. Anthony's other golden rule, and trusting in your own +righteousness. + +You will begin trying to cleanse yourself from little outside faults, +and fancying that that is all you have to do, instead of asking God +to cleanse you from your secret faults, from the deep inward faults +which he alone can see; forgetting that they are the root, and the +outside faults only the fruit. And so you will be like a foolish +sick man, who is afraid of the doctor, and therefore tries to physic +himself. But what does he do? Only tamper and peddle with the +outside symptoms of his complaint, instead of going to the physician, +that he may find out and cure the complaint itself. Many a man has +killed his own body in that way; and many a man more, I fear, has +killed his own soul, because he was afraid of going to the Great +Physician. + +But if you will believe that God is good, and not evil; if you will +believe that the heavenly Father is indeed YOUR Father; if you will +believe that the Lord Jesus Christ really loves you, really died to +save you, really wishes to deliver you from your sins, and make you +what you ought to be, and what you can be: then you will have heart +to do your duty; because you will be sure that God helps you to do +your duty. You will have heart to fight bravely against your bad +habits, instead of fretting cowardly over them; because you know that +God is fighting against them for you. You will not, on the other +hand, trust in your own righteousness; because you will soon learn +that you have no righteousness of your own: but that all the good in +you comes from God, who works in you to will and to do of his good +pleasure. + +And when you examine yourself, and think over your own life and +character, as every man ought to do, especially in Advent and Lent, +you will have heart to say, 'O God, thou knowest how far I am right, +and how far wrong. I leave myself in thy hand, certain that thou +wilt deal fairly, justly, lovingly with me, as a Father with his son. +I do not pretend to be better than I am: neither will I pretend to +be worse than I am. Truly, I know nothing about it. I, ignorant +human being that I am, can never fully know how far I am right, and +how far wrong. I find light and darkness fighting together in my +heart, and I cannot divide between them. But thou canst. Thou +knowest. Thou hast made me; thou lovest me; thou hast sent thy Son +into the world to make me what I ought to be; and therefore I believe +that he will make me what I ought to be. Thou willest not that I +should perish, but come to the knowledge of the truth: and therefore +I believe that I shall not perish, but come to the knowledge of the +truth about thee, about my own character, my own duty, about +everything which it is needful for me to know. And therefore I will +go boldly on, doing my duty as well as I can, though not perfectly, +day by day; and asking thee day by day to feed my soul with its daily +bread. Thou feedest my soul with ITS daily bread. How much more +then wilt thou feed my mind and my heart, more precious by far than +my body? Yes, I will trust thee for soul and for body alike; and if +I need correcting for my sins, I am sure at least of this, that the +worst thing that can happen to me or any man, is to do wrong and NOT +to be corrected; and the best thing is to be set right, even by hard +blows, as often as I stray out of the way. And therefore I will take +my punishment quietly and manfully, and try to thank thee for it, as +I ought; for I know that thou wilt not punish me beyond what I +deserve, but far below what I deserve; and that thou wilt punish me +only to bring me to myself, and to correct me, and purge me, and +strengthen me. For this I believe--on the warrant of thine own word +I believe it--undeserved as the honour is, that thou art my Father, +and lovest me; and dost not afflict any man willingly, or grieve the +children of men out of passion or out of spite; and that thou willest +not that I should be damned, nor any man; but willest have all men +saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth. + + + +SERMON XII. TRUE REPENTANCE + + + +EZEKIEL xviii. 27. + +When the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness which he hath +committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save +his soul alive. + +We hear a great deal about repentance, and how necessary it is for a +man to repent of his sins; for unless a man repent, he cannot be +forgiven. But do we all of us really know what repentance means? + +I sometimes fear not. I sometimes fear, that though this text stands +at the opening of the Church service, and though people hear it as +often as any text in the whole Bible, yet they have not really learnt +the lesson which God sends them by it. + +What, then, does repentance mean? + +'Being sorry for what we have done wrong,' say some. + +But is that all? I suppose there are few wicked things done upon +earth, for which the doers of them are not sorry, sooner or later. A +man does a wrong thing, and his conscience pricks him, and makes him +uneasy, and he says in his heart, 'I wish after all I had left that +alone.' But the next time he is tempted to do the same thing, he +does it, and is ashamed of himself afterwards again: but that is not +repentance. I suppose that there have been few murders committed in +the world, after which sooner or later the murderer did not say in +his heart--'Ah, that that man were alive and well again!' But that +is not repentance. + +For aught I can tell, the very devil is sorry for his sin;-- +discontented, angry with himself, ashamed of himself for being a +devil. He may be so to all eternity, and yet never repent. For the +dark uneasy feeling which comes over every man sooner or later, after +doing wrong, is not repentance; it is remorse; the most horrible and +miserable of all feelings, when it comes upon a man in its full +strength; the feeling of hating oneself, being at war with oneself, +and with all the world, and with God who made it. + +But that will save no man's soul alive. Repentance will save any and +every soul alive, then and there: but remorse will not. Remorse may +only kill him. Kill his body, by making him, as many a poor creature +has done, put an end to himself in sheer despair: and kill his soul +at least, by making him say in his heart, 'Well, if bad I am, bad I +must be. I hate myself, and God hates me also. All I can do is, to +forget my unhappiness if I can, in business, in pleasure, in drink, +and drive remorse out of my head;' and often a man succeeds in so +doing. The first time he does a wrong thing, he feels sorry and +ashamed after it. Then he takes courage after awhile, and does it +again; and feels less sorrow and shame; and so again and again, till +the sin becomes easier and easier to him, and his conscience grows +more and more dull; till at last perhaps, the feeling of its being +wrong quite dies within--and that is the death of his soul. + +But of true repentance, it is written, that he who repents shall save +his soul ALIVE. And how? + +The word for repentance in Scripture means simply a change of mind. +To change one's mind is, in Scripture words, to repent. + +Now if a man changes his mind, he changes his conduct also. If you +set out to go to a place and change your mind, then you do not go +there. If as you go on, you begin to have doubts about its being +right to go, or to be sorry that you are going, and still walk on in +the same road, however slowly or unwillingly, that is not changing +your mind about going. If you do change your mind, you will change +your steps. You will turn back, or turn off, and go some other road. + +This may seem too simple to talk of. But if it be, why do not people +act upon it? If a man finds that in his way through life be is on +the wrong road, the road which leads to shame, and sorrow, and death +and hell, why will he confess that he is on the wrong road, and say +that he is very sorry (as perhaps he really may be) that he is going +wrong, and yet go on, and persevere on the wrong path? At least, as +long as he keeps on the road which leads to ruin, he has not changed +his mind, or repented at all. He may find the road unpleasant, full +of thorns, and briars, and pit-falls; for believe me, however broad +the road is which leads to destruction, it is only the GATE of it +which is easy and comfortable; it soon gets darker and rougher, that +road of sin; and the further you walk along it, the uglier and more +wretched a road it is: but all the misery which it gives to a man is +only useless remorse, unless he fairly repents, and turns out of that +road into the path which leads to life. + +Now the one great business of foolish man in all times has been to +save his soul (as he calls it) without doing right; to go to heaven +(as he calls it) without walking the road which leads to heaven. It +is a folly and a dream. For no man can get to heaven, unless he be +heavenly; and being heavenly is simply being good, and neither more +or less. And sin is death, and no man can save his soul alive, while +it is dead in sin. Still men have been trying to do it in all ages +and countries; and as soon as one plan has failed, they have tried +some new one; and have invented some false repentance which was to +serve instead of the true one. The old Jews seem to have thought +that the repentance which God required was burnt-offerings and +sacrifices: that if they could only offer bullocks and goats enough +on God's altar, he would forgive them their sins. But David, and +Isaiah after him, and Ezekiel after him, found out that THAT was but +a dream; that that sort of repentance would save no man's soul; that +God did not require burnt-offerings and sacrifice for sin: but +simply that a man should do right and not wrong. 'When ye come +before me,' saith the Lord, 'who has required this at your hand, to +tread my courts?' They were to bring no more vain offerings: but to +put away the evil of their doings; to cease to do evil, to learn to +do well; to seek justice, relieve the oppressed, judge the +fatherless, plead for the widow; and then, and then only, though +their sins were as scarlet, they should be white as snow. For God +would take them for what they were--as good, if they were good; as +bad, if they were bad. And this agrees exactly with the text. 'When +the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness which he hath +committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save +his soul alive.' + +The Papists again, thought that the repentance which God required, +was for a man to punish himself bitterly for his sins; to starve and +torture himself, to give up all that makes life pleasant, and so to +atone. And good and pious men and women, with a real hatred and +horror of sin, tried this: but they found that making themselves +miserable took away their sins no more than burnt-offerings and +sacrifices would do it. Their consciences were not relieved; they +gained no feeling of comfort, no assurance of God's love. Then they +said, 'I have not punished myself enough. I have not made myself +miserable enough. I will try whether more torture and misery will +not wipe out my sins.' And so they tried again, and failed again, +and then tried harder still, till many a noble man and woman in old +times killed themselves piecemeal by slow torments, in trying to +atone for their sins, and wash out in their own blood what was +already washed out in the blood of Jesus Christ. But on the whole, +that was found to be a failure. And now the great mass of the +Papists have fallen back on the wretched notion that repentance +merely means confessing their sins to a priest, and receiving +absolution from him, and doing some little penance too childish to +speak of here. + +But is there no false repentance among us English, too, my friends? +No paltry substitute for the only true repentance which God will +accept, which is, turning round and doing right? How many there are, +who feel--'I am very wrong. I am very sinful. I am on the road to +hell. I am quarrelling and losing my temper, and using bad +language.--Or--I am cheating my neighbour. Or--I am living in +adultery and drunkenness: I must repent before it is too late.' But +what do they mean by repenting? Coming as often as they can to +church or chapel, and reading all the religious books which they can +get hold of: till they come, from often reading and hearing about +the Gospel promises, to some confused notion that their sins are +washed away in Christ's blood; or perhaps, on the strength of some +violent feelings, believe that they are converted all on a sudden, +and clothed with the robe of Christ's righteousness, and renewed by +God's Spirit, and that now they belong to the number of believers, +and are among God's elect. + +Now, my dear friends, I complain of no one going to hear all the good +they can; I complain of no one reading all the religious books they +can: but I think--and more, I know--that hearing sermons and reading +tracts may be, and is often, turned into a complete snare of the +devil by people who do not wish to give up their sins and do right, +but only want to be comfortable in their sins. + +Hear sermons if you will; read good books if you will: but bear in +mind, that you know already quite enough to lead you to REPENTANCE. +You need neither book nor sermon to teach you those ten commandments +which hang here over the communion table: all that books and tracts +and sermons can do is to teach you how to KEEP those commandments in +spirit and in truth: but I am sure I have seen people read books, +and run about to sermons, in order to enable them to forget those ten +commandments; in order to find excuses for not keeping them; and to +find doctrines which tell them, that because Christ has done all, +they need do nothing;--only FEEL a little thankfulness, and a little +sorrow for sin, and a little liking to hear about religion: and call +that repentance, and conversion, and the renewal of the Holy Spirit. + +Now, my dear friends, let me ask you as reasonable beings, Do you +think that hearing me or any man preach, can save your souls alive? +Do you think that sitting over a book for an hour a day, or all day +long, will save your souls alive? Do you think that your sins are +washed away in Christ's blood, when they are there still, and you are +committing them? Would they be here, and you doing them, if they +were put away? Do you think that your sins can be put away out of +God's sight, if they are not even put out of your own sight? If you +are doing wrong, do you think that God will treat you as if you were +doing right? Cannot God see in you what you see in yourselves? Do +you think a man can be clothed in Christ's righteousness at the very +same time that he is clothed in his own unrighteousness? Can he be +good and bad at once? Do you think a man can be converted--that is +turned round--when he is going on his old road the whole week? Do +you think that a man has repented--that is, changed his mind--when he +is in just the same mind as ever as to how he shall behave to his +family, his customers, and everybody with whom he has to do? Do you +think that a man is renewed by God's Spirit, when except for a few +religious phrases, and a little more outside respectability, he is +just the old man, the same character at heart he ever was? Do you +think that there is any use in a man's belonging to the number of +believers, if he does not do what he believes; or any use in thinking +that God has elected and chosen him, when he chooses not to do what +God has chosen that every man must do, or die? + +Be not deceived. God is not mocked. What a man sows, that shall he +reap. Let no man deceive you. He that doeth righteousness is +righteous, even as Christ is righteous, and no one else. + +He who tries to do as Christ did, and he only, has Christ's +righteousness imputed to him, because he is trying to do what Christ +did, that which is lawful and right. He who does righteousness, and +he only, has truly repented, changed his mind about what he should +do, and turned away from his wickedness which he has committed, and +is now doing that which is lawful and right. He who does +righteousness, and he only, shall save his soul alive: not by +feeling this thing, or believing about that thing, but by doing that +which is lawful and right. + +We must face it, my dear friends. We cannot deceive God: and God +will certainly not deceive himself. He sees us as we are, and takes +us for what we are. What is right in us, he accepts for the +salvation of Jesus Christ, in whom we are created unto good works. +What is wrong in us, he will assuredly punish, and give us the exact +reward of the deeds done in the body, whether they be good or evil. +Every work of ours shall come into judgment, unless it be repented +of, and put away by the only true repentance--not doing the thing any +more. + +God, I say, will judge righteous judgment, and take us as we are. + +For the sake of Jesus the Lamb slain from the foundation of the +world, there is full, free, and perfect forgiveness for every sin, +when we give it up. As soon as a man turns round, and, instead of +doing wrong, tries to do right, he need be under no manner of fear or +terror any more. He is taken back into his Father's house as freely +and graciously as the prodigal son in the parable was. Whatsoever +dark score there was against him in God's books is wiped out there +and then, and he starts clear, a new man, with a fresh chance of +life. And whosoever tells him that the score is not wiped out, lies, +and contradicts flatly God's holy word. But as long as a man does +NOT give up his sins, the dark score DOES stand against him in God's +books; and no praying, reading, devoutness of any kind will wipe it +out; and as long as he sins, he is still in his sins, and his sins +will be his ruin. Whosoever tells him that they are wiped out, he +too lies, and contradicts flatly God's holy word. + +For God is just, and true; and therefore God takes us for what we +are, and will do so to all eternity; and you will find it so, my +dearest friends. In spite of all doctrines which men have invented, +and then pretended to find in the Bible, to drug men's consciences, +and confuse God's clear light in their hearts, you will find, now and +for ever, that if you do right you will be happy even in the midst of +sorrow; if you do wrong, you will be miserable even in the midst of +pleasure. Oh believe this, my dear friends, and do not rashly count +on some sudden magical change happening to you as soon as you die to +make you fit for heaven. There is not one word in the Bible which +gives us reason to suppose that we shall not be in the next world the +same persons which we have made ourselves in this world. If we are +unjust here, we shall, for aught we know, or can know, try to be +unjust there; if we be filthy here, we shall be so there; if we be +proud here, we shall be so there; if we be selfish here, we shall be +so there. What we sow here, we shall reap there. And it is good for +us to know this, and face this. Anything is good for us, however +unpleasant it may be, which drives us from the only real misery, +which is sin and selfishness, to the only true happiness, which is +the everlasting life of Christ; a pure, loving, just, generous, +useful life of goodness, which is the righteousness of Christ, and +the glory of Christ, and which will be our righteousness and our +glory also for ever: but only if we live it; only if we be useful as +Christ was, generous as Christ was, just as Christ was, gentle as +Christ was, pure as Christ was, loving as Christ was, and so put on +Christ, not in name and in word, but in spirit and in truth, that +having worn Christ's likeness in this world, we may share his victory +over all evil in the life to come. + + + +SERMON XIII. THE LETTER AND THE SPIRIT + + + +(Twelfth Sunday after Trinity.) + +II COR. iii. 6. + +God, who hath made us able ministers of the New Testament; not of the +letter, but of the Spirit: for the letter killeth, but the Spirit +giveth life. + +When we look at the Collect, Epistle, and Gospel for to-day one after +the other, we do not see, perhaps, what they have to do with each +other. But they have to do with each other. They agree with each +other. They explain each other. They all three tell us what God is +like, and what we are to believe about God, and why we are to have +faith in God. + +The Collect tells of a God who is more ready to hear than we are to +pray; and is 'wont to give'--that is, usually, and as a matter of +course, every day and all day long, gives us--'more than either we +desire or deserve,' of a God who gives and forgives, abundant in +mercy. It bids us, when we pray to God, remember that we are praying +to a perfectly bountiful, perfectly generous God. + +Some people worship quite a different God to that. They fancy that +God is hard; that he sits judging each man by the letter of the law; +watching and marking down every little fault which they commit; +extreme to mark what is done amiss; and that in the very face of +Scripture, which says that God is NOT extreme to mark what is done +amiss; for if he were, who could abide it? + +Their notion of God is, that he is very like themselves; proud, +grudging, hard to be entreated, expecting everything from men, but +not willing to give without a great deal of continued asking and +begging, and outward reverence, and scrupulous fear lest he should be +offended unexpectedly at the least mistake; and they fancy, like the +heathen, that they shall be heard for their much speaking. They +forget altogether that God is their Father, and knows what they need +before they ask, and their ignorance in asking, and has (as any +father fit to be called a father would have) compassion on their +infirmities. + +There is a great deal of this lip-service, and superstitious +devoutness, creeping in now-a-days; a spirit of bondage unto fear. +St. Paul warns us against it, and calls it will-worship, and +voluntary humility. And I tell you of it, that it is not Christian +at all, but heathen; and I say to you, as St. Paul bids me say, God, +who made the world, and all therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven +and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; neither is +worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing +that he giveth to all life and breath, and all things. For in him we +live and move, and have our being, and are the offspring--the +children--of God. + +Away, then, with this miserable spirit of bondage and fear, which +insults that good God which it pretends to honour; and in spirit and +in truth, not with slavish crouchings and cringings, copied from the +old heathen, let us worship THE FATHER. + +But this leads us to the Epistle. + +St. Paul tells us how it is that God is wont to give us more than we +either desire or deserve: because he is the Lord and Giver of life, +in whom all created things live and move and have their being. +Therefore in the Epistle he tells us of a Spirit which gives life. + +But some may ask, 'What life?' + +The Gospel answers that, and says, 'All life.' + +It tells us that our Lord Christ cared not merely for the life of +men's souls, but for the life of their bodies. That wherever he went +he brought with him, not merely health for men's souls by his +teaching, but health for their bodies by his miracles. That when he +saw a man who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, he sighed +over him in compassion; and did not think it beneath him to cure that +poor man of his infirmity, though it was no such very great one. + +For he wished to show men that his heavenly Father cared for them +altogether, body as well as soul; that all health and strength +whatsoever came from him. + +When we hear, therefore, of the Spirit giving life, we are not to +fancy that means only some high devout spiritual life, or that God's +Spirit has to do only with a few elect saints. That may be a very +pleasant fancy for those who believe themselves to be the elect +saints; but the message of the Gospel is far wider and deeper than +that, or any other of vain man's narrow notions. It tells us that +life--all life which we can see; all health, strength, beauty, order, +use, power of doing good work in God's earthly world, come from the +Spirit of God, just as much as the spiritual life which we cannot +see--goodness, amiableness, purity, justice, virtue, power of doing +work in God's heavenly world. This latter is the higher life: and +the former the lower, though good and necessary in its place: but +the lower, as well as the higher, is life; and comes from the Spirit +of God, who gives life and breath to all things. + +And now, perhaps, we may see what St. Paul meant, by his being a +minister 'not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter +killeth, but the Spirit giveth life.' + +Do you not see yet, my friends? Then I will tell you. + +If I were to get up in this pulpit, and preach the terrors of the +law, and the wrath of God, and hell fire: if I tried to bind heavy +burdens on you, and grievous to be borne, crying--You MUST do this, +you MUST feel that, you MUST believe the other--while I having fewer +temptations and more education than you, touched not those burdens +with one of my fingers; if I tried to make out as many sins as I +could against you, crying continually, this was wrong, and that was +wrong, making you believe that God is always on the watch to catch +you tripping, and telling you that the least of your sins deserved +endless torment--things which neither I nor any man can find in the +Bible, nor in common justice, nor common humanity, nor elsewhere, +save in the lying mouth of the great devil himself;--or if I put into +your hands books of self-examination (as they are called) full of +long lists of sins, frightening poor innocents, and defiling their +thoughts and consciences, and making the heart of the righteous sad, +whom God has not made sad;--if I, in plain English, had my mouth full +of cursing and bitterness, threatening and fault-finding, and +distrustful, and disrespectful, and insolent language about you my +parishioners: why then I might fancy myself a Christian priest, and +a minister of the Gospel, and a very able, and eloquent, and earnest +one; and might perhaps gain for myself the credit of being a +'searching preacher,' by speaking evil of people who are most of them +as good and better than I, and by taking a low, mean, false view of +that human nature which God made in his own image, and Christ +justified in his own man's flesh, and soul, and spirit; but instead +of being an able minister of the New Covenant, or of the Spirit of +God, I should be no such man, but the very opposite. + +No. I should be one of those of whom the Psalmist says, 'Their +mouths are full of cursing and bitterness'--and also, 'Their feet are +swift to shed blood.' + +To shed blood; to kill with the letter which killeth; and your blood, +if I did succeed in killing your souls, would be upon my foolish +head. + +For such preaching as that does kill. + +It kills three things. + +1. It kills the Gospel. It turns the good news of God into the very +worst news possible, and the ministration of righteousness into the +ministration of condemnation. + +2. It kills the souls of the congregation--or would kill them, if +God's wisdom and love were not stronger than his minister's folly and +hardness. For it kills in them self-respect and hope, and makes them +say to themselves, 'God has made me bad, and bad I must be. Let me +eat and drink, for to-morrow I die. God requires all this of me, and +I cannot do it. I shall not try to do it. I shall take my chance of +being saved at last, I know not how.' It frightens people away from +church, from religion, from the very thought of God. It sets people +on spying out their neighbours' faults, on judging and condemning, on +fancying themselves righteous and despising others; and so kills in +them faith, hope, and charity, which are the very life of their +spirits. + +3. And by a just judgment, it kills the soul of the preacher also. +It makes him forget who he is, what God has set him to do; and at +last, even who God is. It makes him fancy that he is doing God's +work, while he is simply doing the work of the devil, the slanderer +and accuser of the brethren; judging and condemning his congregation, +when God has said, 'Judge not and ye shall not be judged, condemn not +and ye shall not be condemned.' It makes him at last like the false +God whom he has been preaching (for every man at last copies the God +in whom he believes), dark and deceiving, proud and cruel;--and may +the Lord have mercy upon his soul! + +But I will tell you how I can be an able minister of the New +Testament, and of the Spirit who gives life. + +If I say to you--and I do say it now, and will say it as long as I am +here--Trust God, because God is good; obey God, because God is good. + +I preach to you the good God of the Collect, even your heavenly +Father; who needs not be won over or appeased by anything which you +can do, for he loves you already for the sake of his dear Son, whose +members you are. He will not hear you the more for your much +speaking, for he knows your necessities before you ask, and your +ignorance in asking. He will not judge you according to the letter +of Moses' law, or any other law whatsoever, but according to the +spirit of your longings and struggles after what is right. He will +not be extreme to mark what you do amiss, but will help you to mend +it, if you desire to mend; setting you straight when you go wrong, +and helping you up when you fall, if only your spirit is struggling +after what is right. + +This all-good heavenly Father I preach to you, and I say to you, +Trust HIM. + +I preach to you a Spirit who is the Lord and Giver of life; who hates +death, and therefore wills not that you should die; who has given you +all the life you have, all health and strength of body, all wit and +power of mind, all right, pure, loving, noble feelings of heart and +spirit, and who is both able and willing to keep them alive and +healthy in you for ever. + +This all-good Spirit of life I preach to you; and I say to you, Trust +HIM. + +I preach to you a Son of God, who is the likeness of his Father's +glory, and the express image of his person; in order that by seeing +him and how good he is, you may see your heavenly Father, and how +good he is likewise; a Son of God who is your Saviour and your Judge; +who judges you that he may save you, and saves you by judging you; +who has all power given to him in heaven and earth, and declares that +almighty power most chiefly by showing mercy and pity; who, when he +was upon earth, made the deaf to hear, the lame to walk, the blind to +see; who ate and drank with publicans and sinners, and was the friend +of all mankind; a Son of God who has declared everlasting war against +disease, ignorance, sin, death, and all which makes men miserable. +Those are his enemies; and he reigns, and will reign, till he has put +all enemies under his feet, and there is nothing left in God's +universe but order and usefulness, health and beauty, knowledge and +virtue, in the day when God shall be all in all. + +This all-good Son of God I preach to you, and I say to you, Trust +HIM, and obey him. Obey him, not lest he should become angry and +harm you, like the false gods of the heathen, but because his +commandments are life; because he has made them for your good. + +Oh! when will people understand that--that God has not made laws out +of any arbitrariness, but for our good?--That his commandments are +LIFE? David of old knew as much as that. Why do not we know more, +instead of knowing, most of us, much less? It is simple enough, if +you will but look at it with simple minds. God has made us; and if +he had not loved us, he would not have made us at all. God has sent +us into the world; and if he had not loved us, he would not have sent +us into the world at all. In him we live, and move, and have our +being, and are the offspring and children of God. And therefore God +alone knows what is good for us; what is the good life, the +wholesome, the safe, the right, the everlasting life for us. And he +sends his Son to tell us--This is the right life; a life like +Christ's; a life according to God's Spirit; and if you do not live +that life you will die, not only body but soul also, because you are +not living the life which God meant for you when he made you. Just +as if you eat the wrong food, you will kill your bodies; so if you +think the wrong thoughts, and feel the wrong feelings, and therefore +do the wrong things, you will kill your own souls. God will not kill +you; you will kill yourselves. God grudges you nothing. God does +not wish to hurt you, wish to punish you. He wishes you to live and +be happy; to live for ever, and be happy for ever. But as your body +cannot live unless it be healthy, so your soul cannot live unless it +be healthy. And it cannot be healthy unless it live the right life. +And it cannot live the right life without the right spirit. And the +only right spirit is the Spirit of God himself the Spirit of your +Father in heaven, who will make you, as children should be, like your +Father. + +But that Spirit is not far from any of you. In him you live, and +move, and have your being already. Were he to leave you for a moment +you would die, and be turned again to your dust. From him comes all +the good of body and soul which you have already. Trust him for +more. Ask him for more. Go boldly to the throne of his grace, +remembering that it is a throne of GRACE, of kindness, tenderness, +patience, bountiful love, and wealth without end. Do not think that +he is hard of hearing, or hard of giving. How can he be? For he is +the Spirit of the all-generous Father and of the all-generous Son, +and has given, and gives now; and delights to give, and delights to +be asked. He is the charity of God; the boundless love by which all +things consist; and, like all love, becomes more rich by spending, +and glorifies himself by giving himself away; and has sworn by +himself--that is, by his own eternal and necessary character, which +he cannot alter or unmake--'This is the new covenant which I will +make with my people. I will write my laws in their hearts, and in +their minds will I write them; and I will dwell with them, and be +their God.' + +Oh, my friends, take these words to yourselves; and trust in that +good Father in heaven, whose love sent you into this world, and gave +you the priceless blessing of life; whose love sent his Son to show +you the pattern of life, and to redeem you freely from all your sins; +whose love sends his Spirit to give you the power of leading the +everlasting life, and will raise you up again, body and soul, to that +same everlasting life after death. Trust him, for he is your Father. +Whatever else he is, he is that. He has bid you call him that, and +he will hear you. If you forget that he is your Father, you forget +him, and worship a false God of your own invention. And whenever you +doubt; whenever the devil, or ignorant preachers, or superstitious +books, make you afraid, and tempt you to fancy that God hates you, +and watches to catch you tripping, take refuge in that blessed name, +and say, 'Satan, I defy thee; for the Almighty God of heaven is my +Father.' + + + +SERMON XIV. HEROES AND HEROINES +(Whitsunday.) + + + +PSALM xxxii. 8. + +I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: +I will guide thee with mine eye. + +This is God's promise; which he fulfilled at sundry times and in +different manners to all the men of the old world who trusted in him. +He informed them; that is, he put them into right form, right shape, +right character, and made them the men which they were meant to be. +He taught them in the way in which they ought to go. He guided them +where they could not guide themselves. + +But God fulfilled this promise utterly and completely on the first +Whitsuntide, when the Holy Spirit came down on the apostles. + +That was an extraordinary and special gift; because the apostles had +to do an extraordinary and special work. They had to preach the +Gospel to all nations, and therefore they wanted tongues with which +to speak to all nations; at least to those of their countrymen who +came from foreign parts, and spoke foreign tongues, that they might +carry home the good news of Christ into all lands. And they wanted +tongues of fire, too, to set their own hearts on fire with divine +zeal and earnestness, and to set on fire the hearts of those who +heard them. + +But that was an extraordinary gift. There was never anything like it +before; nor has been, as far as we know, since; because it has not +been needed. + +It is enough for us to know, that the apostles had what they needed. +God called and sent them to do a great work: and therefore, being +just and merciful, he gave them the power which was wanted for that +great work. + +But if that is a special case; if there has been nothing like it +since, what has Whitsuntide to do with us? We need no tongues of +fire, and we shall have none on this Whitsunday or any Whitsunday. +Has Whitsunday then no blessing for us? Do we get nothing by it? +God forbid, my friends. + +We get what the apostles got, and neither more nor less; though not +in the same shape as they did. + +God called them to do a work: God calls us, each of us, to do some +work. + +God gave them the Holy Spirit to make them able to do their work. +God gives US the Holy Spirit, to make us able to do OUR work, +whatsoever that may be. + +As their day, so their strength was: as our day is, so our strength +shall be. + +For instance. - + +How often one sees a person--a woman, say--easy and comfortable, +enjoying life, and taking little trouble about anything, because she +has no need. And when one looks at such a woman, one is apt to say +hastily in one's heart, 'Ah, she does not know what sorrow is--and +well for her she does not; for she would make but a poor fight if +trouble came on her; she would make but a poor nurse if she had to +sit months by a sick bed. She would become down-hearted, and +peevish, and useless. There is no strength in her to stand in the +evil day.' + +And perhaps that woman would say so of herself. She might be +painfully afraid of the thought of affliction; she might shrink from +the notion of having to nurse any one; from having to give up her own +pleasure and ease for the sake of others; and she would say of +herself, as you say of her, 'What would become of me if sorrow came? +_I_ have no strength to stand in the evil day.' + +Yes, my friends, and you say true, and she says true. And yet not +true either. She has no strength to stand: but she will stand +nevertheless, for God is able to make her stand. As her day, so her +strength shall be. A day of suffering, anxiety, weariness, all but +despair may come to her. But in that day she shall be baptized with +the Holy Spirit and with fire; and then you shall be astonished, and +she shall be astonished, at what she can do, and what she can endure; +because God's Spirit will give her a right judgment in all things, +and enable her, even in the midst of her sorrow, to rejoice in his +holy comfort. And people will call her--those at least who know her- +-a 'heroine.' And they speak truly and well, and give her the right +and true name. Why, I will tell you presently. + +Or how often it happens to a man to be thrown into circumstances +which he never expected. An officer, perhaps, in war time in a +foreign land--in India now. He has a work to do: a heavy, +dangerous, difficult, almost hopeless work. He does not like it. He +is afraid of it. He wishes himself anywhere but where he is. He has +little or no hope of succeeding; and if he fails, he fears that he +will be blamed, misunderstood, slandered. But he feels he must go +through with it. He cannot turn back; he cannot escape. As the +saying is, the bull is brought to the stake, and he must bide the +baiting. + +At first, perhaps, he tries to buoy himself up. He begins his work +in a little pride and self-conceit, and notion of his own courage and +cunning. He tries to fancy himself strong enough for anything. He +feeds himself up with the thought of what people will say of him; the +hope of gaining honour and praise: and that is not altogether a +wrong feeling--God forbid! + +But the further the man gets into his work, the more difficult it +grows, and the more hopeless he grows. He finds himself weak, when +he expected to be strong; puzzled when he thought himself cunning. +He is not sure whether he is doing right. He is afraid of +responsibility. It is a heavy burden on him, too heavy to bear. His +own honour and good name may depend upon a single word which he +speaks. The comfort, the fortune, the lives of human beings may +depend on his making up his mind at an hour's notice to do exactly +the right thing at the right time. People round him may be mistaking +him, slandering him, plotting against him, rebelling against him, +even while he is trying to do them all the good he can. Little +comfort does he get then from the thought of what people at home may +say of him. He is set in the snare, and he cannot find his way out. +He is at his own wits' end; and from whence shall he get fresh wits? +Who will give him a right judgment in all things? Who will give him +a holy comfort in which he can rejoice?--a comfort which will make +him cheerful, because he knows it is a right comfort, and that he is +doing right? His heart is sinking within him, getting chill and cold +with despair. Who will put fresh fire and spirit into it? + +God will. When he has learnt how weak he is in himself, how stupid +he is in himself;--ay, bitter as it is to a brave man to have to +confess it, how cowardly he is in himself--then, when he has learnt +the golden lesson, God will baptize him with the Holy Ghost and with +fire. + +A time will come to that man, when, finding no help in himself, no +help in man, he will go for help to God. + +Old words which he learnt at his mother's knee come back to him--old +words that he almost forgot, perhaps, in the strength and gaiety of +his youth and prosperity. And he prays. He prays clumsily enough, +perhaps. He is not accustomed to praying; and he hardly knows what +to ask for, or how to ask for it. Be it so. In that he is not so +very much worse off than others. What did St. Paul say, even of +himself? 'We know not how to ask for anything as we ought: but the +Spirit maketh intercession for us with groanings that cannot be +uttered'--too deep for words. Yes, in every honest heart there are +longings too deep for words. A man knows he wants something: but +knows not what he wants. He cannot find the right words to say to +God. Let him take comfort. What he does not know, the Holy Spirit +of Whitsuntide--the Spirit of Jesus Christ--does know. Christ knows +what we want, and offers our clumsy prayers up to our heavenly +Father, not in the shape in which we put them, but as they ought to +be, as we should like them to be; and our Father hears them. + +Yes. Our Father hears the man who cries to him, however clumsily, +for light and strength to do his duty. So it is; so it has been +always; so it will be to the end. And then as the man's day, so his +strength will be. He may be utterly puzzled, utterly down-hearted, +utterly hopeless: but the day comes to him in which he is baptized +with the Holy Ghost and with fire. He begins to have a right +judgment; to see clearly what he ought to do, and how to do it. He +grows more shrewd, more prompt, more steady than he ever has been +before. And there comes a fire into his heart, such as there never +was before; a spirit and a determination which nothing can daunt or +break, which makes him bold, cheerful, earnest, in the face of the +anxiety and danger which would have, at any other time, broken his +heart. The man is lifted up above himself, and carried on through +his work, he hardly knows how, till he succeeds nobly, or if he +fails, fails nobly; and be the end as it may, he gets the work done +which God has given him to do. + +And then when he looks back, he is astonished at himself. He wonders +how he could dare so much; wonders how he could endure so much; +wonders how the right thought came into his head at the right moment. +He hardly knows himself again. It seems to him, when he thinks over +it all, like a grand and awful dream. And the world is astonished at +him likewise. They cry, 'Who would have thought there was so much in +this man? who would have expected such things of him?' And they call +him a hero--and so he is. + +Yes, the world is right, more right than it thinks in both sayings. +Who would have expected there was so much in the man? For there was +not so much in him, till God put it there. + +And again they are right, too; more right than they think in calling +that man a hero, or that woman a heroine. + +For what is the old meaning, the true meaning of a hero or a heroine? + +It meant--and ought to mean--one who is a son or a daughter of God, +and whom God informs and strengthens, and sends out to do noble work, +teaching them the way wherein they should go. That was the right +meaning of a hero and of a heroine even among the old heathens. Let +it mean the same among us Christians, when we talk of a hero; and let +us give God the glory, and say--There is a man who has entered, even +if it be but for one day's danger and trial, into the blessings of +Whitsuntide and the power of God's Spirit; a man whom God has +informed and taught in the way wherein he should go. May that same +God give him grace to abide herein all the days of his life! + +Yes, my friends, may God give us all grace to under stand +Whitsuntide, and feed on the blessings of Whitsuntide; not merely +once in a way, in some great sorrow, great danger, great struggle, +great striving point of our lives; but every day and all day long, +and to rejoice in the power of his Spirit, till it becomes to us-- +would that it could to-day become to us;--like the air we breathe; +till having got our life's work done, if not done perfectly, yet +still done, we may go hence to receive the due reward of our deeds. + + + +SERMON XV. THE MEASURE OF THE CROSS + + + +EPHESIANS iii. 18, 19. + +That ye may be able to comprehend with all saints, what is the +breadth and length and depth and height, and to know the love of +Christ, which passeth knowledge. + +These words are very deep, and difficult to understand; for St. Paul +does not tell us exactly of what he is speaking. He does not say +what it is, the breadth and length, and depth, and height of which we +are to comprehend and take in. Only he tells us afterwards what will +come of our taking it in; we shall know the love of Christ. + +And therefore many great fathers and divines, whose names there is no +need for me to tell you, but whose opinions we must always respect, +have said that what St. Paul is speaking of is, the Cross of Christ. + +Of course they do not mean the wood of which the actual cross was +made. They mean the thing of which the cross was a sign and token. + +Now of what is the cross a token? + +Of the love of Christ, which is the love of God. + +But of what kind of love? + +Not the love which is satisfied with sitting still and enjoying +itself, as long as nothing puts it out, and turns its love to anger-- +what we call mere good nature and good temper; not that, not that, my +friends: but love which will dare, and do, and yearn, and mourn; +love which cannot rest; love which sacrifices itself; love which will +suffer, love which will die, for what it loves;--such love as a +father has, who perishes himself to save his drowning child. + +Now the cross of Christ is a token to us, that God's love to us is +like that: a love which will dare anything, and suffer anything, for +the sake of saving sinful man. + +And therefore it is, that from the earliest times the cross has been +the special sign of Christians. We keep it up still, when we make +the sign of the cross on children's foreheads in baptism: but we +have given up using the sign of the cross commonly, because it was +perverted, in old times, into a superstitious charm. Men worshipped +the cross like an idol, or bits of wood which they fancied were +pieces of the actual cross, while they were forgetting what the cross +meant. So the use of the cross fell into disrepute, and was put down +in England. + +But that is no reason why we should forget what the cross meant, and +means now, and will mean for ever. Indeed, the better Christians, +the better men we are, the more will Christ's cross fill us with +thoughts which nothing else can give us; thoughts which we are glad +enough, often, to forget and put away; so bitterly do they remind us +of our own laziness, selfishness, and love of pleasure. + +But still, the cross is our sign. It is God's everlasting token to +us, that he has told us Christians something about himself which none +of the wisest among the heathen knew; which infidels now do not know; +which nothing but the cross can teach to men. + +There were men among the old heathens who believed in one God; and +some of them saw that he must be, on the whole, a good and a just +God. But they could not help thinking of God (with very rare +exceptions) as a respecter of persons, a God who had favourites; and +at least, that he was a God who loved his friends, and hated his +enemies. So the Mussulmans believe now. So do the Jews; indeed, so +they did all along, though they ought to have known better; for their +prophets in the Old Testament told them a very different tale about +God's love. + +But that was all they could believe--in a God who was not unjust or +wicked, but was at least hard, proud, unbending: while the notion +that God could love his enemies, and bless those who used him +despitefully and persecuted him--much less die for his enemies--that +would have seemed to them impossible and absurd. They stumbled at +the stumbling-block of the cross. God, they thought, would do to men +as they did to him. If they loved him, he would love them. If they +neglected him, he would hate and destroy them. + +But when the apostles preached the Gospel, the good news of Christ +crucified, they preached a very different tale; a tale quite new; +utterly different from any that mankind had ever heard before. + +St. Paul calls it a mystery--a secret--which had been hidden from the +foundation of the world till then, and was then revealed by God's +Spirit; namely, this boundless love of God, shown by Christ's dying +on the cross. + +And, he says, his great hope, his great business, the thing on which +his heart was set, and which God had sent him into the world to do, +was this--to make people know the love of Christ; to look at Christ's +cross, and take in its breadth, and length, and depth, and height. +It passes knowledge, he says. We shall never know the whole of it-- +never know all that God's love has done, and will do: but the more +we know of it, the more blessed and hopeful, the more strong and +earnest, the more good and righteous we shall become. + +And what is the breadth of Christ's cross? My friends, it is as +broad as the whole world; for he died for the whole world, as it is +written, 'He is a propitiation not for our sins only, but for the +sins of the whole world;' and again, 'God willeth that none should +perish;' and again, 'As by the offence judgment came on all men to +condemnation, even so by the righteousness of one, the gift came upon +all men to justification of life.' + +And that is the breadth of Christ's cross. + +And what is the length of Christ's cross? The length thereof, says +an old father, signifies the time during which its virtue will last. + +How long, then, is the cross of Christ? Long enough to last through +all time. As long as there is a sinner to be saved; as long as there +is ignorance, sorrow, pain, death, or anything else which is contrary +to God and hurtful to man, in the universe of God, so long will +Christ's cross last. For it is written, he must reign till he hath +put all enemies under his feet; and God is all in all. And that is +the length of the cross of Christ. + +And how high is Christ's cross? As high as the highest heaven, and +the throne of God, and the bosom of the Father--that bosom out of +which for ever proceed all created things. Ay, as high as the +highest heaven; for--if you will receive it--when Christ hung upon +the cross, heaven came down on earth, and earth ascended into heaven. +Christ never showed forth his Father's glory so perfectly as when, +hanging upon the cross, he cried in his death-agony, 'Father, forgive +them, for they know not what they do.' Those words showed the true +height of the cross; and caused St. John to know that his vision was +true, and no dream, when he saw afterwards in the midst of the throne +of God a lamb as it had been slain. + +And that is the height of the cross of Christ. + +And how deep is the cross of Christ? + +This is a great mystery, and one which people in these days are +afraid to look at; and darken it of their own will, because they will +neither believe their Bibles, nor the voice of their own hearts. + +But if the cross of Christ be as high as heaven, then, it seems to +me, it must also be as deep as hell, deep enough to reach the deepest +sinner in the deepest pit to which he may fall. We know that Christ +descended into hell. We know that he preached to the spirits in +prison. We know that it is written, 'As in Adam all die, even so in +Christ shall all be made alive.' We know that when the wicked man +turns from his wickedness, and does what is lawful and right, he will +save his soul alive. We know that in the very same chapter God tells +us that his ways are not unequal--that he has not one law for one +man, and another for another, or one law for one year, and another +for another. It is possible, therefore, that he has not one law for +this life, and another for the life to come. Let us hope, then, that +David's words may be true after all, when speaking by the Spirit of +God, he says, not only, 'if I ascend up to heaven, thou art there;' +but 'if I go down to hell, thou art there also;' and let us hope that +THAT is the depth of the cross of Christ. + +At all events, my friends, I believe that we shall find St. Paul's +words true, when he says, that Christ's love passes knowledge; and +therefore that we shall find this also;--that however broad we may +think Christ's cross, it is broader still. However long, it is +longer still. However high, it is higher still. However deep, it is +deeper still. Yes, we shall find that St. Paul spoke solemn truth +when he said, that Christ had ascended on high that he might fill all +things; that Christ filled all in all; and that he must reign till +the day when he shall give up the kingdom to God, even the Father, +that God may be all in all. + +And now do you take all this about the breadth and length of Christ's +cross to be only ingenious fancies, and a pretty play of words? + +Ah, my friends, the day will come when you will find that the measure +of Christ's cross is the most important question upon earth. + +In the hour of death, and in the day of judgment; then the one thing +which you will care to think of (if you can think at all then, as too +many poor souls cannot, and therefore had best think of it now before +their wits fail them)--the one thing which you will care to think of, +I say, will be--not, how clever you have been, how successful you +have been, how much admired you have been, how much money you have +made:- 'Of course not,' you answer; 'I shall be thinking of the state +of my soul; whether I am fit to die; whether I have faith enough to +meet God; whether I have good works enough to meet God.' + +Will you, my friend? Then you will soon grow tired of thinking of +that likewise, at least I hope and trust that you will. For, however +much faith you may have had, you will find that you have not had +enough. However so many good works you may have done, you will find +that you have not done enough. The better man you are, the more you +will be dissatisfied with yourself; the more you will be ashamed of +yourself; till with all saints, Romanist or Protestant, or other, who +have been worthy of the name of saints, you will be driven--if you +are in earnest about your own soul--to give up thinking of yourself, +and to think only of the cross of Christ, and of the love of Christ +which shines thereon; and ask--Is it great enough to cover my sins? +to save one as utterly unworthy to be saved as I. And so, after all, +you will be forced to throw yourself--where you ought to have thrown +yourself at the outset--at the foot of Christ's cross; and say in +spirit and in truth - + + +Nothing in my hand I bring, +Simply to the cross I cling - + + +In plain words, I throw myself, with all my sins, upon that absolute +and boundless love of God which made all things, and me among them, +and hateth nothing that he hath made; who redeemed all mankind, and +me among them, and hath said by the mouth of his only-begotten Son, +'Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.' + + + +SERMON XVI. THE PURE IN HEART + + + +TITUS i. 15. + +Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled +and unbelieving is nothing pure: but even their mind and conscience +is defiled. + +This seems at first a strange and startling saying: but it is a true +one; and the more we think over it, the more we shall find it true. + +All things are pure in themselves; good in themselves; because God +made them. Is it not written, 'God saw all that he had made, and +behold, it was very good?' Therefore St. Paul says, that all things +are ours; and that Christ gives us all things richly to enjoy. All +we need is, to use things in the right way; that is, in the way in +which God intended them to be used. + +For God is a God of truth; a true, a faithful, and--if I may so +speak--an honest and honourable, and fair God: not a deceiving or +unfair God, who lays snares for his creatures, or leads them into +temptation. That would be a bad God, a cruel God, very unlike the +Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He has put us into a good world, +and not a wilderness, as some people call it. If any part of this +world be a wilderness, it is because men have made it so, or left it +so, by their own wilfulness, ignorance, cowardice, laziness, +violence. No: God, I say, has put us into a good world, and given +us pure and harmless appetites, feelings, relations. Therefore all +the relations of life are holy. To be a husband, a father, a +brother, a son, is pure and good. To have property and to use it: +to enjoy ourselves in this life as far as we can, without hurting +ourselves or our neighbours; all this is pure, and good, and holy. +God does not grudge or upbraid. He does not frown upon innocent +pleasure. For God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. +Therefore he rejoices in seeing his creatures healthy and happy. +Therefore, as I believe, Christ smiles out of heaven upon the little +children at their play; and the laugh of a babe is heavenly music in +his ears. + +All things are pure which God has given to man. And therefore, if a +man be pure in heart, all which God has given him will not only do +him no harm, but do him good. All the comforts and blessings of this +life will help to make him a better man. They will teach him about +his own character; about human nature, and the people with whom he +has to do; ay--about God himself, as it is written, 'Blessed are the +pure in heart, for they shall see God.' + +All the blessings and comforts of this life, my friends (as well as +the anxieties which must come to those who have a family, or +property, even if he do not meet with losses and afflictions), ought +to help to improve a man's temper, to call out in him right feelings, +to teach him more and more of the likeness of God. + +If he be a married man, marriage ought to teach him not to live for +himself only, but to sacrifice his own fancies, his own ease, his own +will, for the sake of the woman whom God has given him; as Christ +sacrificed himself, and his own life, for mankind. And so, by the +feelings of a husband, he may enter into the mystery of the love of +Christ, and of the cross of Christ; and so, if only he be pure in +heart, he will see God. + +If he have parents, he may learn by being a son how blessed it is to +obey, how useful to a man's character to submit: ay, he will find +out more still. He will find out that not by being self-willed and +independent does the finest and noblest parts of his character come +out, but by copying his Father in everything; that going where his +Father sends him; being jealous of his Father's honour; doing not his +own will, but his Father's; that all this, I say, is its own reward; +for instead of lowering a man, it raises him, and calls out in him +all that is purest, tenderest, soberest, bravest. I tell you this +day--Just as far as you are good sons to your parents, so far will +you be able to understand the mystery of the co-equal and co-eternal +Son of God; who though he were in the form of God, did not snatch +greedily at being on the same footing with his Father, but emptied +himself, and took on him the form of a slave, that he might do his +Father's will, and reveal his Father's glory. And so, if you be only +pure in heart, you will see God. + +If, again, a man have children--how they ought to teach him, to train +him;--teach him to restrain his own temper, lest he provoke them to +anger; to be calm and moderate with them, lest he frighten them into +lying; to avoid bad language, gluttony, drunkenness, and every coarse +sin, lest he tempt them to follow his example. I tell you, friends, +that you will find, if you choose, all the noblest, most generous, +most Godlike parts of your character called out to your children; and +by having the feelings of a father to your children, learn what +feelings our Father in heaven has toward us, his human offspring. +And so, if only you be pure in heart, you will see God. + +If again, a man has money, money can teach him (as it teaches +hundreds of pure-hearted men) that charity and generosity are not +only a duty, but an honour and a joy; that 'mercy is twice blest; it +blesses him that gives, and him that takes;' that giving is the +highest pleasure upon earth, because it is God's own pleasure; +because the blessedness of God, and the glory of God is this, that he +giveth to all liberally, and upbraideth not. And so in his wealth-- +if only he be pure in heart, a man will see God. + +If, again, a man has health, and strength, and high spirits, they too +will teach him, if his heart be pure. He will learn from them to +look up to God as the Lord and Giver of life, health, strength; of +the power to work, and the power to delight in working: because God +himself is ever full of life, ever busy, ever rejoicing to put forth +his almighty power for the good of the whole universe, as it is +written, 'My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.' And so--in every +relation of life--if only a man's heart be pure, he will see God. + +How, then, can we get the pure heart which will make all things pure +to us? By asking for the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, the Pure +Spirit, in whom is no selfishness. + +For if our hearts be selfish, they cannot be pure. The pure in +heart, is the same as the man whose eye is single, and that is the +man who is not caring for himself, thinking of himself. If a man be +thinking of himself, he will never enjoy life. The pure blessings +which God has given him will be no blessings to him; as it is +written, 'He that saveth his life shall lose it.' + +Do you not know that that is true? Do not the miseries of life (I do +not mean the afflictions, like loss of friends or kin), but the +miseries of life which make a man dark, and fretful, and prevent his +enjoying God's gifts--do they not come, nineteen-twentieths of them, +from thinking about oneself; from lusting and longing after this and +that; from spite, vanity, bad temper, wounded pride, disappointed +covetousness? 'I cannot get this or that; that money, that place; +this or that fine thing or the other: and how can I be contented?' +There is a man whose heart is not pure. 'That man has used me ill, +and I cannot help thinking of it, brooding over it. I cannot forgive +him. How can I be expected to forgive him?' There is a man whose +heart is not pure; and more, there is a man who is making himself +miserable. + +See again, how a man may make marriage a curse to him instead of a +blessing, without being unfaithful to his wife (which we all know to +be simply abominable and unmanly, and far below anything of which I +am talking now). And how? Simply by bad temper, vanity, greediness, +and selfish love of his own dignity, his own pleasure, his own this, +that, and the other. So, too, he may make his children a torment to +him, instead of letting them be God's lesson-book to him, in which he +may see the likeness of the angels in heaven. + +He may make his wealth a continual anxiety to him: ay, he may make +it, by ambition, covetousness, and wild speculation, the cause of his +shame and ruin; if only his heart be not pure. + +Ay, there is not a blessing on earth which a man may not turn into a +curse. There is not a good gift of God out of which a man may not +get harm, if only his heart be not pure; as it is written, 'To those +who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure: but even their mind +and conscience are defiled.' + +But defiled with what? Fouled with what? There is the question. +Many answers have been invented by people who did not believe in that +faithful and true God of whom I told you just now; people who fancied +that this world was a bad world, and that God laid snares for his +creatures and tempted his creatures. But the true answer is only to +be got, like most true answers, by observing; by using our eyes and +ears, and seeing what really makes people turn blessings into curses, +and suck poison out of every flower. + +And that is, simply, self. + +If you want to spoil all that God gives you; if you want to be +miserable yourself, and a maker of misery to others, the way is easy +enough. Only be selfish, and it is done at once. Be defiled and +unbelieving. Defile and foul God's good gifts by self, and by loving +yourself more than what is right. Do not believe that the good God +knows your needs before you ask, and will give you whatsoever is good +for you. Think about yourself; about what YOU want, what YOU like, +what respect people ought to pay YOU, what people think of YOU: and +then to you nothing will be pure. You will spoil everything you +touch; you will make sin and misery for yourself out of everything +which God sends you; you will be as wretched as you choose on earth, +or in heaven either. + +In heaven either, I say. For that proud, greedy, selfish, self- +seeking spirit would turn heaven into hell. It did turn heaven into +hell, for the great devil himself. It was by pride, by seeking his +own glory--(so, at least, wise men say)--that he fell from heaven to +hell. He was not content to give up his own will and do God's will, +like the other angels. He was not content to serve God, and rejoice +in God's glory. He would be a master himself, and set up for +himself, and rejoice in his own glory; and so, when he wanted to make +a private heaven of his own, he found that he had made a hell. When +he wanted to be a little God for himself, he lost the life of the +true God, to lose which is eternal death. And why? Because his +heart was not pure, clean, honest, simple, unselfish. Therefore he +saw God no more, and learnt to hate him whose name is love. + +May God keep our hearts pure from that selfishness which is the root +of all sin; from selfishness, out of which alone spring adultery, +foul living, drunkenness, evil speaking, lying, slandering, +injustice, oppression, cruelty, and all which makes man worse than +the beasts. May God give us those pure hearts of which it is +written, that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long- +suffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness, temperance. Against such, +St. Paul says, there is no law. And why? Because no law is needed. +For, as a wise father says--'Love, and do what thou wilt;' for then +thou wilt be sure to will what is right; and, as St. Paul says, If +your heart be pure, all things will be pure to you. + + + +SERMON XVII. MUSIC +(Christmas Day.) + + + +LUKE ii. 13, 14. + +And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly +host, praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on +earth peace, good will toward men. + +You have been just singing Christmas hymns; and my text speaks of the +first Christmas hymn. Now what the words of that hymn meant; what +Peace on earth and good-will towards man meant, I have often told +you. To-day I want you, for once, to think of this--that it was a +hymn; that these angels were singing, even as human beings sing. + +Music.--There is something very wonderful in music. Words are +wonderful enough: but music is even more wonderful. It speaks not +to our thoughts as words do: it speaks straight to our hearts and +spirits, to the very core and root of our souls. Music soothes us, +stirs us up; it puts noble feelings into us; it melts us to tears, we +know not how:- it is a language by itself, just as perfect, in its +way, as speech, as words; just as divine, just as blessed. + +Music has been called the speech of angels; I will go further, and +call it the speech of God himself--and I will, with God's help, show +you a little what I mean this Christmas day. + +Music, I say, without words, is wonderful and blessed; one of God's +best gifts to men. But in singing you have both the wonders +together, music and words. Singing speaks at once to the head and to +the heart, to our understanding and to our feelings; and therefore, +perhaps, the most beautiful way in which the reasonable soul of man +can show itself (except, of course, doing RIGHT, which always is, and +always will be, the most beautiful thing) is singing. + +Now, why do we all enjoy music? Because it sounds sweet. But WHY +does it sound sweet? + +That is a mystery known only to God. + +Two things I may make you understand--two things which help to make +music--melody and harmony. Now, as most of you know, there is melody +in music when the different sounds of the same tune follow each +other, so as to give us pleasure; there is harmony in music when +different sounds, instead of following each other, come at the same +time, so as to give us pleasure. + +But why do they please us? and what is more, why do they please +angels? and more still, why do they please God? Why is there music +in heaven? Consider St. John's visions in the Revelations. Why did +St. John hear therein harpers with their harps, and the mystic +beasts, and the elders, singing a new song to God and to the Lamb; +and the voices of many angels round about them, whose number was ten +thousand times ten thousand? + +In this is a great mystery. I will try to explain what little of it +I seem to see. + +First--There is music in heaven, because in music there is no self- +will. Music goes on certain laws and rules. Man did not make those +laws of music; he has only found them out: and if he be self-willed +and break them, there is an end of his music instantly; all he brings +out is discord and ugly sounds. The greatest musician in the world +is as much bound by those laws as the learner in the school; and the +greatest musician is the one who, instead of fancying that, because +he is clever, he may throw aside the laws of music, knows the laws of +music best, and observes them most reverently. And therefore it was +that the old Greeks, the wisest of all the heathens, made a point of +teaching their children MUSIC; because, they said, it taught them not +to be self-willed and fanciful, but to see the beauty of order, the +usefulness of rule, the divineness of law. + +And therefore music is fit for heaven; therefore music is a pattern +and type of heaven, and of the everlasting life of God, which perfect +spirits live in heaven; a life of melody and order in themselves; a +life of harmony with each other and with God. Music, I say, is a +pattern of the everlasting life of heaven; because in heaven, as in +music, is perfect freedom and perfect pleasure; and yet that freedom +comes not from throwing away law, but from obeying God's law +perfectly; and that pleasure comes, not from self-will, and doing +each what he likes, but from perfectly doing the will of the Father +who is in heaven. + +And that in itself would be sweet music, even if there were neither +voice nor sound in heaven. For wherever there is order and +obedience, there is sweet music for the ears of Christ. Whatsoever +does its duty, according to its kind which Christ has given it, makes +melody in the ears of Christ. Whatsoever is useful to the things +around it, makes harmony in the ears of Christ. Therefore those wise +old Greeks used to talk of the music of the spheres. They said that +sun, moon, and stars, going round each in its appointed path, made as +they rolled along across the heavens everlasting music before the +throne of God. And so, too, the old Psalms say. Do you not +recollect that noble verse, which speaks of the stars of heaven, and +says - + + +What though no human voice or sound +Amid their radiant orbs be found? +To Reason's ear they all rejoice, +And utter forth a glorious voice; +For ever singing as they shine, +The hand that made us is divine. + + +And therefore it is, that that noble Song of the Three Children calls +upon sun and moon, and stars of heaven, to bless the Lord, praise +him, and magnify him for ever: and not only upon them, but on the +smallest things on earth;--on mountains and hills, green herbs and +springs, cattle and feathered fowl; they too, he says, can bless the +Lord, and magnify him for ever. And how? By fulfilling the law +which God has given them; and by living each after their kind, +according to the wisdom wherewith Christ the Word of God created +them, when he beheld all that he had made, and behold, it was very +good. + +And so can we, my friends; so can we. Some of us may not be able to +make music with our voices: but we can make it with our hearts, and +join in the angels' song this day, if not with our lips, yet in our +lives. + +If thou fulfillest the law which God has given thee, the law of love +and liberty, then thou makest music before God, and thy life is a +hymn of praise to God. + +If thou art in love and charity with thy neighbours, thou art making +sweeter harmony in the ears of the Lord Jesus Christ, than psaltery, +dulcimer, and all kinds of music. + +If thou art living a righteous and a useful life, doing thy duty +orderly and cheerfully where God has put thee, then thou art making +sweeter melody in the ears of the Lord Jesus Christ, than if thou +hadst the throat of a nightingale; for then thou in thy humble place +art humbly copying the everlasting harmony and melody which is in +heaven; the everlasting harmony and melody by which God made the +world and all that therein is, and behold it was very good, in the +day when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God +shouted for joy over the new-created earth, which God had made to be +a pattern of his own perfection. + +For this is that mystery of which I spoke just now, when I said that +music was as it were the voice of God himself. Yes, I say it with +all reverence: but I do say it. There is music in God. Not the +music of voice or sound; a music which no ears can hear, but only the +spirit of a man, when awakened by the Holy Spirit, and taught to know +God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. + +There is one everlasting melody in heaven, which Christ, the Word of +God, makes for ever, when he does all things perfectly and wisely, +and righteously and gloriously, full of grace and truth: and from +that all melody comes, and is a dim pattern thereof here; and is +beautiful only because it is a dim pattern thereof. + +And there is an everlasting harmony in God; which is the harmony +between the Father and the Son; who though he be co-equal and co- +eternal with his Father, does nothing of himself, but only what he +seeth his Father do; saying for ever, 'Not my will, but thine be +done,' and hears his Father answer for ever, 'Thou art my Son, this +day have I begotten thee.' + +Therefore, all melody and all harmony upon earth, whether in the song +of birds, the whisper of the wind, the concourse of voices, or the +sounds of those cunning instruments which man has learnt to create, +because he is made in the image of Christ, the Word of God, who +creates all things; all music upon earth, I say, is beautiful in as +far as it is a pattern and type of the everlasting music which is in +heaven; which was before all worlds, and shall be after them; for by +its rules all worlds were made, and will be made for ever, even the +everlasting melody of the wise and loving will of God, and the +everlasting harmony of the Father toward the Son, and of the Son +toward the Father, in one Holy Spirit who proceeds from them both, to +give melody and harmony, order and beauty, life and light, to all +which God has made. + +Therefore music is a sacred, a divine, a Godlike thing, and was given +to man by Christ to lift our hearts up to God, and make us feel +something of the glory and beauty of God and of all which God has +made. + +Therefore, too, music is most fit for Christmas day, of all days in +the year. Christmas has always been a day of songs, of carols and of +hymns; and so let it be for ever. If we had no music all the rest of +the year in church or out of church, let us have it at least on +Christmas day. + +For on Christmas day most of all days (if I may talk of eternal +things according to the laws of time) was manifested on earth the +everlasting music which is in heaven. + +On Christmas day was fulfilled in time and space the everlasting +harmony of God, when the Father sent the Son into the world, that the +world through him might be saved; and the Son refused not, neither +shrank back, though he knew that sorrow, shame, and death awaited +him, but answered, 'A body hast thou prepared me I come to do thy +will, oh God!' and so emptied himself, and took on himself the form +of a slave, and was found in fashion as a man, that he might fulfil +not his own will, but the will of the Father who sent him. + +On this day began that perfect melody of the Son's life on earth; one +song and poem, as it were, of wise words, good deeds, spotless +purity, and untiring love, which he perfected when he died, and rose +again, and ascended on high for ever to make intercession for us with +music sweeter than the song of angels and archangels, and all the +heavenly host. + +Go home, then, remembering how divine and holy a thing music is, and +rejoice before the Lord this day with psalms and hymns, and spiritual +songs (by which last I think the apostle means not merely church +music--for that he calls psalms and hymns--but songs which have a +good and wholesome spirit in them); and remembering, too, that music, +like marriage, and all other beautiful things which God has given to +man, is not to be taken in hand unadvisedly, lightly, or wantonly; +but, even when it is most cheerful and joyful (as marriage is), +reverently, discreetly, soberly, and in the fear of God. Amen. + + + +SERMON XVIII. THE CHRIST CHILD +(Christmas Day.) + + + +LUKE ii. 7. + +And she brought forth her first-born Son, and wrapt him in swaddling +clothes, and laid him in a manger. + +Mother and child.--Think of it, my friends, on Christmas day. What +more beautiful sight is there in the world? What more beautiful +sight, and what more wonderful sight? + +What more beautiful? That man must be very far from the kingdom of +God--he is not worthy to be called a man at all--whose heart has not +been touched by the sight of his first child in its mother's bosom. + +The greatest painters who have ever lived have tried to paint the +beauty of that simple thing--a mother with her babe: and have +failed. One of them, Rafaelle by name, to whom God gave the spirit +of beauty in a measure in which he never gave it, perhaps, to any +other man, tried again and again, for years, painting over and over +that simple subject--the mother and her babe--and could not satisfy +himself. Each of his pictures is most beautiful--each in a different +way; and yet none of them is perfect. There is more beauty in that +simple every-day sight than he or any man could express by his pencil +and his colours. And yet it is a sight which we see every day. + +And as for the wonder of that sight--the mystery of it--I tell you +this. That physicians, and the wise men who look into the laws of +nature, of flesh and blood, say that the mystery is past their +finding out; that if they could find out the whole meaning, and the +true meaning of those two words, mother and child, they could get the +key to the deepest wonders of the world: but they cannot. + +And philosophers, who look into the laws of soul and spirit, say the +same. The wiser men they are, the more they find in the soul of +every new-born babe, and its kindred to its mother, wonders and +puzzles past man's understanding. + +I will say boldly, my friends, that if one could find out the full +meaning of those two words, mother and child, one would be the wisest +philosopher on earth, and see deeper than all who have ever yet +lived, into the secrets of this world of time which we can see, and +of the eternal world, which no man can see, save with the eyes of his +reasonable soul. + +And yet it is the most common, every-day sight. That only shows once +more what I so often try to show you, that the most common, every-day +things are the most wonderful. It shows us how we are to despise +nothing which God has made; above all, to despise nothing which +belongs to human nature, which is the likeness and image of God. + +Above all, upon this Christmas day it is not merely ignorant and +foolish, but quite sinful and heretical, to despise anything which +belongs to human nature. For on this day God appeared in human +nature, and in the first and lowest shape of it--in the form of a +new-born babe, that by beginning at the beginning, he might end at +the end; and being made in all things like as his brethren, might +perfectly and utterly take the manhood into God. + +This, then, we are to think of, at least on Christmas day--God +revealed, and shown to men, as a babe upon his mother's bosom. + +Men had pictured God to themselves already in many shapes--some +foolish, foul, brutal--God forgive them;--some noble and majestic. +Sometimes they thought of him as a mighty Lawgiver, sitting upon his +throne in the heavens, with solemn face and awful eyes, looking down +upon all the earth. That fancy was not a false one. St. John saw +the Lord so. + +'And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of +man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps +with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, +as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; and his feet +like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice +as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven +stars; and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword; and his +countenance was as the sun shining in his strength.' + +Sometimes, again, they thought of him as the terrible warrior, going +forth to conquer and destroy all which opposed him; to kill wicked +tyrants, and devils, and all who rebelled against him, and who hurt +human beings. + +And that was not a false fancy either. St. John saw the Lord so. + +'And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat +upon him was called Faithful and True; and in righteousness he doth +judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his +head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew +but he himself: and he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood; +and his name is called, The Word of God. And the armies which were +in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, +white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with +it he should smite the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod of +iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of +Almighty God.' + +But all these were only, as it were, fancies about one side of God's +character. It was only in the Babe of Bethlehem that the WHOLE of +God's character shone forth, that men might not merely fear him and +bow before him, but trust in him and love him, as one who could be +touched with the feeling of their infirmities. {151} + +It was on Christmas day that God appeared among men as a child upon a +mother's bosom. And why? Surely for this reason, among a thousand +more, that he might teach men to feel for him and with him, and to be +sure that he felt for them and with them. To teach them to feel for +him and with him, he took the shape of a little child, to draw out +all their love, all their tenderness, and, if I may so say, all their +pity. + +A God in need! A God weak! God fed by mortal woman! A God wrapt in +swaddling clothes, and laid in a manger!--If that sight will not +touch our hearts, what will? + +And by that same sight he has taught men that he feels with them and +for them. God has been through the pains of infancy. God has +hungered. God has wept. God has been ignorant. God has grown, and +increased in stature and in wisdom, and in favour both with God and +man. + +And why? That he might take on him our human nature. Not merely the +nature of a great man, of a wise man, of a grown up man only: but +ALL human nature, from the nature of the babe on its mother's bosom, +to the nature of the full-grown and full-souled man, fighting with +all his powers against the evil of the world. All this is his, and +he is all; that no human being, from the strongest to the weakest, +from the eldest to the youngest, but may be able to say, 'What I am, +Christ has been.' + +Take home with you, then, this thought, on this Christmas day, among +all the rest which Christmas ought to put into your minds. Respect +your own children. Look on them as the likeness of Christ, and the +image of God; and when you go home this day, believe that Christ is +in them, the hope of glory to them hereafter. Draw them round you, +and say to them-- each in your own fashion--'My children, God was +made like to you this day, that you might be made like God. +Children, this is your day, for on this day God became a child; that +God gives you leave to think of him as a child, that you may be sure +he loves children, sure he understands children, sure that a little +child is as near and as dear to God as kings, nobles, scholars, and +divines.' + +Yes, my dear children, you may think of God as a child, now and +always. For you Christ is always the Babe of Bethlehem. Do not say +to yourselves, 'Christ is grown up long ago; he is a full-grown man.' +He is, and yet he is not. His life is eternal in the heavens, above +all change of time and space; for time and space are but his +creatures and his tools. Therefore he can be all things to all men, +because he is the Son of man. + +Yes; all things to all men. Hearken to me, you children, and you +grown-up children also, if there be any in this church--for if you +will receive it, such is the sacred heart of Jesus--all things to +all; and wherever there is the true heart of a true human being, +there, beating in perfect answer to it, is the heart of Christ. + +To the strong he can be strongest; and to the weak, weakest of all. +With the mighty he can be the King of kings; and yet with the poor he +can wander, not having where to lay his head. With quiet Jacob he +goes round the farm, among the quiet sheep; and yet he ranges with +wild Esau over battle-field, and desert, and far unknown seas. With +the mourner he weeps for ever; and yet he will sit as of old--if he +be but invited--and bless the marriage-feast. For the penitent he +hangs for ever on the cross; and yet with the man who works for God +his Father he stands for ever in his glory, his eyes like a flame of +fire, and out of his mouth a two-edged sword, judging the nations of +the earth. With the aged and the dying he goes down for ever into +the grave; and yet with you, children, Christ lies for ever on his +mother's bosom, and looks up for ever into his mother's face, full of +young life, and happiness, and innocence, the everlasting Christ- +child in whom you must believe, whom you must love, to whom you must +offer up your childish prayers. + +The day will come when you can no longer think as a child, or pray as +a child, but put away childish things. I do not know whether you +will be the happier for that change. God grant that you may be the +better for it. Meanwhile, go home, and think of the baby Jesus, YOUR +Lord, YOUR pattern, YOUR Saviour; and ask him to make you such good +children to your mothers, as the little Jesus was to the Blessed +Virgin, when he increased in knowledge and in stature, and in favour +both with God and man. + + + +SERMON XIX. CHRIST'S BOYHOOD + + + +LUKE ii. 52. + +And Jesus increased in wisdom, and in stature, and in favour both +with God and man. + +I do not pretend to understand these words. I preach on them because +the Church has appointed them for this day. And most fitly. At +Christmas we think of our Lord's birth. What more reasonable, than +that we should go on to think of our Lord's boyhood? To think of +this aright, even if we do not altogether understand it, ought to +help us to understand rightly the incarnation of our Lord Jesus +Christ; the right faith about which is, that he was very man, of the +substance of his mother. Now, if he were very and real man, he must +have been also very and real babe, very and real boy, very and real +youth, and then very and real full-grown man. + +Now it is not so easy to believe that as it may seem. It is not so +easy to believe. + +I have heard many preachers preach (without knowing it), what used to +be called the Apollinarian Heresy, which held that our Lord had not a +real human soul, but only a human body; and that his Godhead served +him instead of a human soul, and a man's reason, man's feelings. + +About that the old fathers had great difficulty, before they could +make people understand that our Lord had been a real babe. It seemed +to people's unclean fancies something shocking that our Lord should +have been born, as other children are born. They stumbled at the +stumbling-block of the manger in Bethlehem, as they did at the +stumbling-block of the cross on Calvary; and they wanted to make out +that our Lord was born into the world in some strange way--I know not +how;--I do not choose to talk of it here:- but they would fancy and +invent anything, rather than believe that Jesus was really born of +the Virgin Mary, made of the substance of his mother. So that it was +hundreds of years before the fathers of the Church set people's minds +thoroughly at rest about that. + +In the same way, though not so much, people found it very hard to +believe that our Lord grew up as a real human child. They would not +believe that he went down to Nazareth, and was subject to his father +and mother. People believe generally now--the Roman Catholics as +well as we--that our Lord worked at his father's trade--that he +himself handled the carpenter's tools. We have no certain proof of +it: but it is so beautiful a thought, that one hopes it is true. At +least our believing it is a sign that we do believe the incarnation +of our Lord Jesus Christ more rightly than most people did fifteen +hundred years ago. For then, too many of them would have been +shocked at the notion. + +They stumbled at the carpenter's shop, even as they did at the manger +and at the cross. And they invented false gospels--one of which +especially, had strange and fanciful stories about our Lord's +childhood--which tried to make him out. + +Most of these stories are so childish I do not like to repeat them. +One of them may serve as a sample. Our Lord, it says, was playing +with other children of his own age, and making little birds out of +clay: but those which our Lord made became alive, and moved, and +sang like real birds.--Stories put together just to give our Lord +some magical power, different from other children, and pretending +that he worked signs and wonders: which were just what he refused to +work. + +But the old fathers rejected these false gospels and their childish +tales, and commanded Christian men only to believe what the Bible +tells us about our Lord's childhood; for that is enough for us, and +that will help us better than any magical stories and childish fairy +tales of man's invention, to believe rightly that God was made man, +and dwelt among us. + +And what does the Bible tell us? Very little indeed. And it tells +us very little, because we were meant to know very little. Trust +your Bibles always, my friends, and be sure, if you were meant to +know more, the Bible would tell you more. + +It tells us that Jesus grew just as a human child grows, in body, +soul, and spirit. + +Then it tells us of one case--only one--in which he seemed to act +without his parents' leave. And as the saying is, the exception +proves the rule. It is plain that his rule was to obey, except in +this case; that he was always subject to his parents, as other +children are, except on this one occasion. And even in this case, he +WENT back with them, it is expressly said, and was subject to them. + +Now, I do not pretend to explain WHY our Lord stayed behind in the +temple. + +I cannot explain (who can?) the why and wherefore of what I see +people do in common daily life. + +How much less can one explain why our Lord did this and that, who was +both man and God. + +But one reason, and one which seems to me to be plain, on the very +face of St. Luke's words--he stayed behind to learn; to learn all he +could from the Scribes and Pharisees, the doctors of the law. + +He told the people after, when grown up, 'The Scribes and Pharisees +sit in Moses' seat. All therefore which they command you, that +observe and do.' And he was a Jew himself, and came to fulfil all +righteousness; and therefore he fulfilled such righteousness as was +customary among Jews according to their law and religion. + +Therefore I do not like at all a great many pictures which I see in +children's Sunday books, which set the child Jesus in the midst, as +on a throne, holding up his hand as if HE were laying down the law, +and the Scribes and Pharisees looking angry and confounded. The +Bible says not that they heard him, but that he heard them; that they +were astonished at his understanding, not that they were confounded +and angry. No. I must believe that even those hard, proud +Pharisees, looked with wonder and admiration on the glorious Child; +that they perhaps felt for the moment that a prophet, another Samuel, +had risen up among them. And surely that is much more like the right +notion of the child Jesus, full of meekness and humility; of Jesus, +who, though 'he were a Son, learnt obedience by the things which he +suffered;' of Jesus, who, while he increased in stature, increased in +favour with MAN, as well as with God: and surely no child can +increase in favour either with God or man, if he sets down his +elders, and contradicts and despises the teachers whom God has set +over him. No let us believe that when he said, 'Know ye not that I +must be about my Father's business?' that a child's way of doing the +work of his Father in heaven is to learn all that he can understand +from his teachers, spiritual pastors, and masters, whom God the +Father has set over him. + +Therefore--and do listen to this, children and young people--if you +wish really to think what Christ has to do with YOU, you must +remember that he was once a real human child--not different outwardly +from other children, except in being a perfectly good child, in all +things like as you are, but without sin. + +Then, whatever happens to you, you will have the comfort of feeling-- +Christ understands this; Christ has been through this. Child though +I am, Christ can be touched with the feeling of my weakness, for he +was once a child like me. + +And then, if trouble, or sickness, or death come among you--and you +all know how sickness and death HAVE come among you of late--you may +be cheerful and joyful still, if you will only try to be such +children as Jesus was. Obey your parents, and be subject to them, as +he was; try to learn from your teachers, pastors, and masters, as he +did; try and pray to increase daily in favour both with God and man, +as he did: and then, even if death should come and take you before +your time, you need not be afraid, for Jesus Christ is with you. + +Your childish faults shall be forgiven you for Jesus' sake; your +childish good conduct shall be accepted for Jesus Christ's sake; and +if you be trying to be good children, doing your little work well +where God has put you, humble, obedient, and teachable, winning love +from the people round you, and from God your Father in heaven, then, +I say, you need not be afraid of sickness, not even afraid of death, +for whenever it takes you, it will find you about your Father's +business. + + + +SERMON XX. THE LOCUST-SWARMS + + + +JOEL ii. 12, 13. + +Therefore also now, saith the Lord, Turn ye even to me with all your +heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning; and +rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your +God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great +kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. + +This is one of the grandest chapters in the whole Old Testament, and +one which may teach us a great deal; and, above all, teach us to be +thankful to God for the blessings which we have. + +I think I can explain what it means best by going back to the chapter +before it. + +Joel begins his prophecy by bitter lamentation over the mischief +which the swarms of insects had done; such as had never been in his +days, nor in the days of his fathers. What the palmer worm had left, +the locust had eaten; what the locust had left, the cankerworm had +eaten; and what the cankerworm had left, the caterpillar had eaten. +Whether these names are rightly rendered, or whether they mean +different sorts of locusts, or the locusts in their different stages +of growth, crawling at first and flying at last, matters little. +What mischief they had done was plain enough. They had come up 'a +nation strong and without number, whose teeth were like the teeth of +a lion, and his cheek-teeth like those of a strong lion. They had +laid his vines waste, and barked his fig-tree, and made its branches +white; and all drunkards were howling and lamenting, for the wine +crop was utterly destroyed: and all other crops, it seems likewise; +the corn was wasted, the olives destroyed; the seed was rotten under +the clods, the granaries empty, the barns broken down, for the corn +was withered; the vine and fig, pomegranate, palm, and apple, were +all gone; the green grass was all gone; the beasts groaned, the herds +were perplexed, because they had no pasture; the flocks of sheep were +desolate.' There seems to have been a dry season also, to make +matters worse; for Joel says the rivers of waters were dried up-- +likely enough, if then, as now, it is the dry seasons which bring the +locust-swarms. Still the locusts had done the chief mischief. They +came just as they come now (only in smaller strength, thank God) in +many parts of the East and of Southern Russia, darkening the sky, and +shutting out the very light of the sun; the noise of their +innumerable jaws like the noise of flame devouring the stubble, as +they settled upon every green thing, and gnawed away leaf and bark; +and a fire devoured before them, and behind them a flame burned; the +land was as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a +desolate wilderness; {162} till there was not enough left to supply +the daily sacrifices, and the meat offering and the drink offering +were withheld from the house of God. + +But what has all this to do with us? There have never, as far as we +know, been any locusts in England. + +And what has this to do with God? Why does Joel tell these Jews that +God sent the locusts, and bid them cry to God to take them away? For +these locusts are natural things, and come by natural laws. And +there is no need that there should be locusts anywhere. For where +the wild grass plains are broken up and properly cultivated, there +the locusts, which lay their countless eggs in the old turf, +disappear, and must disappear. We know that now. We know that when +the East is tilled (as God grant it may be some day) as thoroughly as +England is, locusts will be as unknown there as here; and that is +another comfortable proof to us that there is no real curse upon +God's earth: but that just as far as man fulfils God's command to +replenish the earth and subdue it, so far he gets rid of all manner +of terrible scourges and curses, which seemed to him in the days of +his ignorance, necessary and supernatural. + +How, then, was Joel right in saying that God sent the locusts? + +In this way, my friends. + +Suppose you or I took cholera or fever. We know that cholera or +fever is preventible; that man has no right to have these pestilences +in a country, because they can be kept out and destroyed. But if you +or I caught cholera or fever by no fault or folly of our own, we are +bound to say, God sent me this sickness. It has some private lesson +for ME. It is part of my education, my schooling in God's school- +house. It is meant to make me a wiser and better man; and that he +can only do by teaching me more about himself. So with these +locusts, and still more so; for Joel did not know, could not know, +that these locusts could be prevented. But even if he had known +that, it was not his fault or folly, or his countrymen's which had +brought the locusts. Most probably they were tilling the ground to +the best of their knowledge. Most probably, too, these locusts were +not bred in Palestine at all; but came down upon the north-wind (as +they are said to do now), from some land hundreds of miles away; and +therefore Joel could say--Whatever I do not know about these locusts, +this I know; that God, whose providence orders all things in heaven +and earth, has sent them; that he means to teach you a lesson by +them; that they are part of his schooling to us Jews; that he intends +to make us wiser and better men by them: AND THAT HE CAN ONLY DO BY +TEACHING US MORE ABOUT HIMSELF. + +What, then, does Joel say about the locusts, which he might say to +you or me, if we were laid down by cholera or fever? He does not +say, these troubles have come upon you from devils, or evil spirits, +or by any blind chance of the world about you. He says, they have +come on you from THE LORD; from the same good, loving, merciful Lord +who brought your fathers out of Egypt, and made a great nation of +you, and has preserved you to this day. And do not fancy that he is +changed. Do not fancy that he has forgotten you, or hates you, or +has become cruel, or proud, or unlike himself. It is you who have +forgotten him, and have shown that by living bad lives; and all he +wishes is, to drive you back to him, that you may live good lives. +Turn to him; and you will find him unchanged; the same loving, +forgiving Lord as ever. He requires no sacrifices, no great +offerings on your part to win him round. All he asks is, that you +should confess yourselves in the wrong, and turn and repent. Turn +therefore to the Lord with all your heart, and with weeping, and with +fasting, and with mourning--(which was, and is still the Eastern +fashion); and rend your heart, and not your garments. And why? +Because the Lord is very dreadful, angry and dark, and has determined +to destroy you all? Not so: but because he is gracious and +merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of +the evil. + +Yes, my friends: and this, you will find, is at the bottom of all +true repentance and turning to God. If you believe that God is dark, +and hard, and cruel, you may be afraid of him: but you cannot +repent, cannot turn to him. The more you think of him the more you +will be terrified at him, and turn from him. But if you believe that +God is gracious and merciful, then you can turn to him; then you can +repent with a true repentance, and a godly sorrow which breeds joy +and peace of mind. + +So Joel thought, at least; for he tells them, that if they will but +turn to God, if they will but confess themselves in the wrong, all +shall be well again, and better than before. + +Now, if Joel had been a heathen, worshipping the false gods of the +Canaanites, he would have spoken very differently; he would have +said, perhaps--Baal, the true God, is angry with you, and he has sent +the drought. + +Or, Ashtoreth, the Queen of Heaven, by whose power all seeds grow and +all creatures breed, is angry with you, and she has destroyed the +seeds, and sent the locusts. + +Or, Ammon, the Lord of the sheep, is angry, and he has destroyed your +flocks and herds. + +But one thing we know he would have said--These angry gods want +BLOOD. You cannot pacify them without human blood. You must give +them the most dear and precious things you have--the most beautiful +and pure. You must sacrifice boys and girls to them; and then, +perhaps, they will be appeased. + +We KNOW this. We know that the heathen, whenever they were in +trouble, took to human sacrifices. + +The Canaanites--and the Jews when they fell into idolatry--used to +burn their children in the fire to Moloch. + +We know that the Carthaginians, who were of the same blood and +language as the Canaanites, used human sacrifices; and that once when +their city was in great danger, they sacrificed at one time two +hundred boys of their highest families. + +We know that the Greeks and Romans, who had much more humane and +rational notions about their gods, were tempted, in times of great +distress, to sacrifice human beings. It has always been so. The old +Mexicans in America used to sacrifice many thousands of men and women +every year to their idols; and when the Spaniards came and destroyed +them off the face of the earth in the name of the Lord--as Joshua did +the Canaanites of old--they found the walls of the idol temples +crusted inches thick with human blood. Even to this day, the wild +Khonds in the Indian mountains, and the Red men of America, sacrifice +human beings at times, and, I fear, very often indeed; and believe +that the gods will be the more pleased, and more certain to turn away +their anger, the more horrible and lingering tortures they inflict +upon their wretched victims. I say, these things were; and were it +not for the light of the Gospel, these things would be still; and +when we hear of them, we ought to bow our heads to our Father in +heaven in thankfulness, and say--what Joel the prophet taught the +Jews to say dimly and in part--what our Lord Jesus and his apostles +taught us to say fully and perfectly - + +It is very meet, right, and our bounden duty, at all times and in all +places--whether in joy or sorrow, in wealth or in want, to give +thanks to thee, O Lord, Holy Father, Almighty, Everlasting God. + +Through Jesus Christ our Lord, according to whose most true promise +the Holy Ghost came down from heaven upon the apostles, to teach them +and to lead them into all truth, and give them fervent zeal, +constantly to preach the Gospel to all nations, by which we have been +brought out of darkness and error into the clear light and true +knowledge of thee and of thy Son Jesus Christ. + +Yes, my friends, this is the lesson which we have to learn from +Joel's prophecy, and from all prophecies. This lesson the old +prophets learnt for themselves, slowly and dimly, through many +temptations and sorrows. This lesson our Lord Jesus Christ revealed +fully, and left behind him to his apostles. This lesson men have +been learning slowly but surely in all the hundreds of years which +have past since; to know that there is one Father in heaven, of whom +are all things, and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things; +that they may, in all the chances and changes of this mortal life, in +weal and in woe, in light and in darkness, in plenty and in want, +look up to that heavenly Father who so loved them that he spared not +his only begotten Son, but freely gave him for them, and say, +'Father, not our will but thine be done. All things come from thy +hand, and therefore all things come from thy love. We have received +good from thy hand, and shall we not receive evil? Though thou slay +us, yet will we trust in thee. For thou art gracious and merciful, +long-suffering and of great goodness. Thou art loving to every man, +and thy mercy is over all thy works. Thou art righteous in all thy +ways, and holy in all thy doings. Thou art nigh to all that call on +thee; thou wilt hear their cry, and wilt help them. For all thou +desirest, when thou sendest trouble on them, is to make them wiser +and better men. AND THAT THOU CANST ONLY MAKE THEM BY TEACHING THEM +MORE ABOUT THYSELF.' + + + +SERMON XXI. SALVATION + + + +ISAIAH lix. 15, 16. + +And the Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no +judgment. And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there +was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him, +and his righteousness it sustained him. + +This text is often held to be a prophecy of the coming of our Lord +Jesus Christ. I certainly believe that it is a prophecy of his +coming, and of something better still; namely, his continual +presence; and a very noble and deep one, and one from which we may +learn a great deal. + +We may learn from it what 'salvation' really is. What Christ came to +save men from, and how he saves them. + +The common notion of salvation now-a-days is this. That salvation is +some arrangement or plan, by which people are to escape hell-fire by +having Christ's righteousness imputed to them without their being +righteous themselves. + +Now, I have nothing to say about that this morning. It may be so; +or, again, it may not; I read a good many things in books every week +the sense of which I cannot understand. At all events it is not the +salvation of which Isaiah speaks here. + +For Isaiah tells us very plainly, from WHAT God was going to save +these Jews. Not from hell-fire--nothing is said about it: but +simply from their SINS. As it is written, 'Thou shalt call his name +Jesus, for he shall save his people from THEIR SINS.' + +The case is very simple, if you will look at Isaiah's own words. +These Jews had become thoroughly bad men. They were not ungodly men. +They were very religious, orthodox, devout men. They 'sought God +daily, and delighted to know his ways, like a nation that did +righteousness, and forsook not the ordinances of their God: they +asked of him the ordinances of justice; they took delight in +approaching unto God.' + +But unfortunately for them, and for all with whom they had to do, +after they had asked of God the ordinances of justice, they never +thought of doing them; and in spite of all their religion, they were, +Isaiah tells them plainly, rogues and scoundrels, none of whom stood +up for justice, or pleaded for truth, but trusted in vanity, and +spoke lies. Their feet ran to evil, and they made haste to shed +innocent blood; the way of peace they knew not, and they had made +themselves crooked paths, speaking oppression and revolt, and +conceiving and uttering words of falsehood; so that judgment was +turned away backward, and justice stood afar off, for truth was +fallen in the street, and equity could not enter. Yea, truth failed; +and he that departed from evil made himself a prey (or as some render +it) was accounted mad. + +And this is in the face of all their religion and their church-going. +Verily, my friends, fallen human beings were much the same then as +now; and there are too many in England and elsewhere now who might +sit for that portrait. + +But how was the Lord going to save these hypocritical, false, unjust +men? Was he going to say to them, Believe certain doctrines about +me, and you shall escape all punishment for your sins, and my +righteousness shall be imputed to you? We do not read a word of +that. We read--not that the Lord's righteousness was imputed to +these bad men, but that it sustained the Lord himself.--Ah! there is +a depth, if you will receive it--a depth of hope and comfort--a well- +spring of salvation for us and all mankind. + +You may be false and dishonest, saith the Lord, but I am honest and +true. Unjust, but I am just; unrighteous, but I am righteous. If +men will not set the world right, then I will, saith the Lord. My +righteousness shall sustain me, and keep me up to my duty, though man +may forget his. To me all power is given in heaven and earth, and I +will use my power aright. + +If men are bringing themselves and their country, their religion, +their church to ruin by hypocrisy, falsehood, and injustice, as those +Jews were, then the Lord's arm will bring salvation. He will save +them from their sins by the only possible way--namely, by taking +their sins away, and making those of them who will take his lesson +good and righteous men instead. It may be a very terrible lesson of +vengeance and fury, as Isaiah says. It may unmask many a hypocrite, +confound many a politic, and frustrate many a knavish trick, till the +Lord's salvation may look at first sight much more like destruction +and misery; for his fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge +his floor, and gather the wheat into his garner: but the chaff he +will burn up with unquenchable fire. + +But his purpose is, to SAVE--to save his people from their sins, to +purge out of them all hypocrisy, falsehood, injustice, and make of +them honest men, true men, just men--men created anew after his +likeness. And this is the meaning of his salvation; and is the only +salvation worth having, for this life or the life to come. + +Oh my friends, let us pray to God, whatsoever else he does for us, to +make honest men of us. For if we be not honest men, we shall surely +come to ruin, and bring all we touch to ruin, past hope of salvation. +Whatsoever denomination or church we belong to, it will be all the +same: we may call ourselves children of Abraham, of the Holy +Catholic Church (which God preserve), or what we will: but when the +axe is laid to the root of the tree, every tree that brings not forth +good fruit is hewn down, and is cast into the fire; and woe to the +foolish fowl who have taken shelter under the branches of it. + +And we who are coming to the holy communion this day--let us ask +ourselves, What do we want there? Do we want to be made good men, +true, honest, just? Do we want to be saved from our sins? or merely +from the punishment of them after we die? Do we want to be made +sharers in that everlasting righteousness of Christ, which sustains +him, and sustains the whole world too, and prevents it from becoming +a cage of wild beasts, tearing each other to pieces by war and +oppression, falsehood and injustice? THEN we shall get what we want; +and more. But if not, then we shall not get what we want, not +discerning that the Lord's body is a righteous and just and good +body; and his blood a purifying blood, which purifies not merely from +the punishment of our sins, but from our sins themselves. + +And bear in mind, my friends, when times grow evil, and rogues and +hypocrites abound, and all the world seems going wrong, there is one +arm to fall back upon, and one righteousness to fall back upon, which +can never fail you, or the world. - + +The arm of the Lord, which brings salvation to him, that he may give +it to all who are faithful and true; which cannot weaken or grow +weary, till it has cast out of his kingdom all which offends, and +whosoever loveth or maketh a lie. - + +And the eternal righteousness of the Lord, which will do justice by +every living soul of man, and which will never fail or fade away, +because it is his own property, belonging to his own essence, which +if he gave up for a moment he would give up being God. Yes, God is +good, though every man were bad; God is just, though every man were a +rogue; God is true, though every man were a liar; and as long as that +is so, all is safe for you and me, and the whole world:- IF WE WILL. + + + +SERMON XXII. THE BEGINNING AND END OF WISDOM + + + +PROVERBS ii. 2, 3, 5. + +If thou incline thine ear to wisdom, and apply thine heart to +understanding; yea, if thou criest after wisdom, and liftest up thy +voice for understanding; then shalt thou understand the fear of the +Lord, and find the knowledge of God. + +We shall see something curious in the last of these verses, when we +compare it with one in the chapter before. The chapter before says, +that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. That if we +wish to be wise at all, we must BEGIN by fearing God. But this +chapter says, that the fear of the Lord is the END of wisdom too; for +it says, that if we seek earnestly after knowledge and understanding, +THEN we shall understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge +of God. + +So, according to Solomon, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of +wisdom, and the end likewise. It is the starting point from which we +are to set out, and the goal toward which we are to run. + +How can that be? + +If by wisdom Solomon meant high doctrines, what we call theology and +divinity, it would seem more easy to understand: but he does not +mean that, at least in our sense; for his rules and proverbs about +wisdom are not about divinity and high doctrines, but about plain +practical every-day life; shrewd maxims as to how to behave in this +life, so as to thrive and prosper in it. + +And yet again they must be about divinity and theology in some sense. +For what does he say about wisdom in the text? 'If thou search after +wisdom, thou shalt understand the fear of the Lord;' and is that all? +No. He says more than that. Thou shalt find, he says, the knowledge +of God. To know God.--What higher theology can there be than that? +It is the end of all divinity, of all religion. It is eternal life +itself, to know God. If a man knows God, he is in heaven there and +then, though he be walking in flesh and blood upon this mortal earth. + +How can all this be? + +Let us consider the words once again. + +Solomon does not say, To understand the fear of the Lord is the +beginning of wisdom, but simply the fear of the Lord is the beginning +of it. But the end of wisdom, he says, is not merely to fear the +Lord, but to understand the fear of the Lord. + +This then, I suppose, is his meaning: We are to begin life by +fearing God, without understanding it: as a child obeys his parents +without understanding the reason of their commands. + +Therefore, says Solomon to the young man, begin with that--with the +solemn, earnest, industrious, God-fearing frame of mind--without that +you will gain no wisdom. You may be as clever as you will, but if +you are reckless and wild, you will gain no wisdom. If you are +violent and impatient; if you are selfish and self-conceited; if you +are weak and self-indulgent, given up to your own pleasures, your +cleverness will be of no use to you. It will be only hurtful to you +and to others. A clever fool is common enough, and dangerous enough. +For he is one who never sees things as they really are, but as he +would like them to be. A bad man, let him be as clever as he may, is +like one in a fever, whose mind is wandering, who is continually +seeing figures and visions, and mistaking them for actual and real +things; and so with all his cleverness, he lives in a dream, and +makes mistake upon mistake, because he knows not things as they are, +and sees nothing by the light of Christ, who is the light of the +world, from whom alone all true understanding comes. + +Begin then with the fear of the Lord. Make up your mind to do what +you are told is right, whether you know the reason of it or not. +Take for granted that your elders know better than you, and have +faith in them, in your teachers, in your Bible, in the words of wise +men who have gone before you: and do right, whatever it costs you. + +If you do not always know the reason at first, you will know it in +due time, and get, so Solomon says, to UNDERSTAND the fear of the +Lord. In due time you will see from experience that you are in the +path of life. You will be able to say with St. Paul, I KNOW in whom +I have believed; and with Job, 'Before I heard of thee, O Lord, with +the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.' + +And why? Because, says Solomon, God himself will show you, and teach +you by his Holy Spirit. As our Lord says, 'The Holy Spirit shall +take of mine, and show it unto you, and lead you into all truth.' +And therefore Solomon talks of wisdom, who is the Holy Ghost the +Comforter, as a person who teaches men, whose delight is with the +sons of men. He speaks of wisdom as calling to men. He speaks of +her as a being who is seeking for those that seek her, who will teach +those who seek after her. + +Yes, this, my friends, is, I believe, the secret of life. At least +it is the secret both of Solomon's teaching, and our Lord's, and St. +Paul's, and St. John's, that true wisdom is not a thing which man +finds out for himself, but which God teaches him. This is the secret +of life--to believe that God is your Father, schooling and training +you from your cradle to your grave; and then to please him and obey +him in all things, lifting up daily your hands and thankful heart, +entreating him to purge the eyes of your soul, and give you the true +wisdom, which is to see all things as they really are, and as God +himself sees them. If you do that, you may believe that God will +teach you more and more how to do, in all the affairs of life, that +which is right in his sight, and therefore good for you. He will +teach you more and more to see in all which happens to you, all which +goes on around you, his fatherly love, his patient mercy, his +providential care for all his creatures. He will reward you by +making you more and more partaker of his Holy Spirit and of truth, by +which, seeing everything as it really is, you will at last--if not in +this life, still in the life to come--grow to see God himself, who +has made all things according to his own eternal mind, that they may +be a pattern of his unspeakable glory; and beyond that, who needs to +see? For to know God, and to see God, is eternal life itself. + +And this true wisdom, which lies in knowing God, and understanding +his laws, is within the reach of the simplest person here. As I told +you, cleverness without godliness will not give it you; but godliness +without cleverness may. + +Therefore let no one say, 'We are no scholars, nor philosophers, and +we never can be. Are we, then, shut out from this heavenly wisdom?' +God forbid, my friends. God is no respecter of persons. Only +remember one thing; and by it you, too, may attain to the heavenly +wisdom. I said that the fear of the Lord was the beginning of +wisdom. I said that the fear of the Lord was the end of wisdom. Now +let the fear of the Lord be the middle of wisdom also, and walk in it +from youth to old age, and all will be well. + +That is the short way, the royal road to wisdom. To be good and to +do good. To keep the single eye--the eye which does not look two +ways at once, and want to go two ways at once, as too many do who +want to serve God and mammon, and to be good people and bad people +too both at once. But the single eye of the man, who looks +straightforward at everything, and has made up his mind what it ought +to do, and will do, so help him God. As stout old Joshua said, +'Choose ye whom ye will serve: but as for me and my house, we will +serve the Lord.' That is the single eye, which wants simply to know +what is right, and do what is right. + +And if a man has that he may be a very wise man indeed, though he can +neither read nor write. + +It is good for a man, of course, to be able to read, that he may know +what wiser men than he have said: above all, that he may know what +his Bible says. But, even if he cannot read, let him fear God, and +set his heart earnestly to know and do his duty. Let him keep his +soul pure, and his body also (for nothing hinders that heavenly +wisdom like loose living), and he will be wise enough for this world, +and for the world to come likewise. + +I tell you, my friends, I have known women, who were neither clever +women, nor learned women, nor anything except good women, whose souls +were pure and full of the Holy Spirit, and who lived lives of prayer, +and sat all day long with Mary at the feet of Jesus.--I have known +such women to have at times a wisdom which all books and all sciences +on earth cannot give. I have known them give opinions on deep +matters which learned and experienced men were glad enough to take. +I have known them have, in a wonderful degree, that wisdom which the +Scripture calls discerning of spirits, being able to see into +people's hearts; knowing at a glance what they were thinking of, what +made them unhappy, how to manage and comfort them; knowing at a +glance whether they were honest or not, pure-minded or not--a +precious and heavenly wisdom, which comes, as I believe, from none +other than the inspiration of the Spirit of Christ, who is the +discerner of the secret thoughts of all hearts: and when I have seen +such people, altogether simple and humble, and yet most wise and +prudent, because they were full of the fear of the Lord, and of the +knowledge of God, I could not but ask--Why should we not be all like +them? + +My friends, I believe that we may all be more or less like them, if +we will make the fear of the Lord the beginning of our wisdom, and +the middle of our wisdom, and the end of our wisdom. + +Nine-tenths of the mistakes we make in life come from forgetting the +fear of God and the law of God, and saying not, I will do what is +right: but--I will do what will profit me; I will do what I like. +If we would say to ourselves manfully instead all our lives through, +I will learn the will of God, and do it, whatsoever it cost me; we +should find in our old age that God's Holy Spirit was indeed a guide +and a comforter, able and willing to lead us into all truth which was +needful for us. We should find St. Paul had spoken truth, when he +said that godliness has the promise of THIS life, as well as of that +which is to come. + + + +SERMON XXIII. HUMAN NATURE +(Septuagesima Sunday.) + + + +GENESIS i. 27. + +So God created man in his own image; in the image of God created he +him; male and female created he them. + +On this Sunday the Church bids us to begin to read the book of +Genesis, and hear how the world was made, and how man was made, and +what the world is, and who man is. + +And why? + +To prepare us, I think, for Lent, and Passion week, Good Friday, and +Easter day. + +For you must know what a thing ought to be, before you can know what +it ought not to be; you must know what health is, before you can know +what disease is; you must know how and why a good man is good, before +you can know how and why a bad man is bad. You must know what man +fell from, before you can know what man has fallen to; and so you +must hear of man's creation, before you can understand man's fall. + +Now in Lent we lament and humble ourselves for man's fall. In +Passion week we remember the death and suffering of our blessed Lord, +by which he redeemed us from the fall. On Easter day we give him +thanks and glory for having conquered death and sin, and rising up as +the new Adam, of whom St. Paul writes, 'As in Adam all died, even so +in Christ shall all be made alive.' + +And therefore to prepare us for Lent and Passion week, and Easter +day, we begin this Sunday to read who the first man was, and what he +was like when he came into the world. + +Now we all say that man was created good, righteous, innocent, holy. +But do you fancy that man had any goodness or righteousness of his +own, so that he could stand up and say, I am good; I can take care of +myself; I can do what is right in my own strength? + +If you fancy so, you fancy wrong. The book of Genesis, and the text, +tell us that it was not so. It tells us that man could not be good +by himself; that the Lord God had to tell him what to do, and what +not to do; that the Lord God visited him and spoke to him: so that +he could only do right by faith: by trusting the Lord, and believing +him, and believing that what the Lord told him was the right thing +for him; and it tells us that he fell for want of faith, by not +believing the Lord and not believing that what the Lord told him was +right for him. So he was holy, and stood safe, only as long as he +did not stand alone: but the moment that he tried to stand alone he +fell. So that it was with Adam as it is with you and me. The just +man can only live by faith. + +And St. John explains this more fully, when he tells us that the +voice of the Lord, the Word of God whom Adam heard walking among the +trees of the garden, was our blessed Lord Jesus Christ, who was the +life of Adam and all men, and the light of Adam and all men. All +death and misery, and all ignorance and darkness, come at first from +forgetting the Lord Jesus Christ, and forgetting that he is about our +path and about our bed, and spying out all our ways; as St. John +says, that Christ's light is always shining in the darkness of this +world, but the darkness comprehendeth it not; that he came to his +own, but his own received him not; but as many as received him, to +them gave he power to become the sons of God, as he gave to man at +first; for St. Luke says, that Adam was the Son of God. But a son +must depend on his father; and therefore man was sent into the world +to depend on God. So do not fancy that man before he fell could do +without God's grace, though he cannot now. If man had never fallen, +he would have been just as much in need of God's grace to keep him +from falling. To deny that is the root of what is called the +Pelagian heresy. Therefore the Church has generally said, and said +most truly, that 'Adam stood by grace in Paradise;' and had a +'supernatural gift;' and that as long as he used that gift, he was +safe, and only so long. + +Now what does supernatural mean? + +It means 'above nature.' + +Adam had a human nature: but he wanted something to keep him above +that nature, lest he should die, as all natural things on earth must. +Trees and flowers, birds and beasts, yea, the great earth itself must +die, and have an end in time, because it has had a beginning. + +Man had and has still a human nature; the most beautiful, noble, and +perfect nature in the world; high above the highest animals in rank, +beauty, understanding, and feelings. Human nature is made, so the +Bible tells us, in some mysterious way, after the likeness of God; of +Christ, the eternal Son of man, who is in heaven; for the Bible +speaks of the Word or Voice of God as appearing to man in something +of a human voice: reasoning with him as man reasons with man; and +feeling toward him human feelings. That is the doctrine of the +Bible; of David and the prophets, just as much as of Genesis or of +St. Paul. + +That is a great mystery and a great glory: but that alone could not +make man good, could not even keep him alive. + +For God made man for something more noble and blessed than to follow +even his own lofty human nature. God made the animals to follow +their natures each after its kind, and to do each what it liked, +without sin. But he made man to do more than that; to do more than +what he LIKES; namely, to do what he OUGHT. God made man to love +him, to obey him, to copy him, by doing God's will, and living God's +life, lovingly, joyfully, and of his own free will, as a son follows +the father whose will he delights to do. + +All animals God made to live and multiply, each after their kind: +and man likewise: but the animals he made to die again, and fresh +generations, ay, and fresh kinds of animals to take their place, and +do their work, as we know has happened again and again, both before +and since man came upon the earth. But of man the Bible says, that +he was not meant to die: that into him God breathed the breath, or +spirit, of life: of that life of men who is Jesus Christ the Lord; +that in Christ man might be the Son of God. To man he gave the life +of the soul, the moral and spiritual life, which is--to do justly, +and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with his God; the life which is +always tending upward to the source from which it came, and longing +to return to God who gave it, and to find rest in him. For in God +alone, in the assurance of God's love to us, and in the knowledge +that we are living the life of God, can a man's spirit find rest. So +St. Augustine found, through so many bitter experiences, when (as he +tells us) he tried to find rest and comfort in all God's creatures +one after another, and yet never found them till he found God, or +rather was found by God, and illuminated (so he says himself) with +that grace which by the fall he lost. + +What then does holy baptism mean? It means that God lifts us up +again to that honour from whence Adam fell. That as Adam lost the +honour of being God's son, so Jesus Christ restores to us that +honour. That as Adam lost the supernatural grace in which he stood, +so God for Christ's sake freely gives us back that grace, that we may +stand by faith in that Christ, the Word of God, whom Adam disbelieved +and fell away. + +Baptism says, You are not true and right men by nature; you are only +fallen men--men in your wrong place: but by grace you become men +indeed, true men; men living as man was meant to live, by faith, +which is the gift of God. For without grace man is like a stream +when the fountain head is stopped; it stops too--lies in foul +puddles, decays, and at last dries up: to keep the stream pure and +living and flowing, the fountain above must flow, and feed it for +ever. + +And so it is with man. Man is the stream, Christ is the fountain of +life. Parted from him mankind becomes foul and stagnant in sin and +ignorance, and at last dries up and perishes, because there is no +life in them. Joined to him in holy baptism, mankind lives, spreads, +grows, becomes stronger, better, wiser year by year, each generation +of his church teaching the one which comes after, as our Lord says, +not only, 'If any man thirst, let him come to me and drink;' but +also, 'He that believeth in me, out of him shall flow rivers of +living water.' + +Yes, my brethren, if you want to see what man is, you must not look +at the heathens, who are in a state of fallen and corrupt nature, but +at Christians, who are in a state of grace; for they only (those of +them, I mean, who are true to God and themselves), give us any true +notion of what man can be and should be. + +Heathendom is the foul and stagnant pool, parted from Christ, the +Fount of life. Christendom, in spite of all its sins and short- +comings, is the stream always fed from the heavenly Fountain. And +holy baptism is the river of the water of life, which St. John saw in +the Revelations, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of +God and of the Lamb, the trees of which are for the healing of the +nations. And when that river shall have spread over the world, there +shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall +be in the city of God; and the nations of them that are saved shall +grow to glory and blessedness, such as eye hath not seen, nor ear +heard, nor hath entered into the heart of man to conceive, but God +hath prepared for those who love him. + +Oh, may God hasten that day! May he accomplish the number of his +elect and hasten his kingdom, and the day when there shall not be a +heathen soul on earth, but all shall know him from the least to the +greatest, and the knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth, as the +waters cover the sea! + +Then--when all men are brought into the fold of Christ's holy Church- +-then will they be men indeed; men not after nature, but after grace, +and the likeness of Christ, and the stature of perfect men: and then +what shall happen to this earth matters little; no, not if the earth +and all the works therein, beautiful though they be, be burned up; +for though this world perish, man would still have his portion sure +in the city of God which is eternal in the heavens, and before the +face of the Son of man who is in heaven. + +Oh, my friends, think of this. Think of what you say when you say, +'I am a man.' Remember that you are claiming for yourselves the very +highest honour--an honour too great to make you proud; an honour so +great that, if you understand it rightly, it must fill you with awe, +and trembling, and the spirit of godly fear, lest, when God has put +you up so high, you should fall shamefully again. For the higher the +place, the deeper the fall; and the greater the honour, the greater +the shame of losing it. But be sure that it was an honour before +Adam fell. That ever since Christ has taken the manhood into God, it +is an honour now to be a man. Do not let the devil or bad men ever +tempt you to say, I am only a man, and therefore you cannot expect me +to do right. I am but a man, and therefore I cannot help being mean, +and sinful, and covetous, and quarrelsome, and foul: for that is the +devil's doctrine, though it is common enough. I have heard a story +of a man in America--where very few, I am sorry to say, have heard +the true doctrine of the Catholic Church, and therefore do not know +really that God made man in his own image, and redeemed him again +into his own image by Jesus Christ--and this man was rebuked for +being a drunkard; and what do you fancy his excuse was? 'Ah,' he +said, 'you should remember that there is a great deal of human nature +in a man.' That was his excuse. He had been so ill-taught by his +Calvinist preachers, that he had learnt to look on human nature as +actually a bad thing; as if the devil, and not God, had made human +nature, and as if Christ had not redeemed human nature. Because he +was a man, he thought he was excused in being a bad man; because he +had a human nature in him, he was to be a drunkard and a brute. + +My friends, I trust that you have not so learned Christ. And if you +have, it is from no teaching of your Bible, of your Catechism, or +your Prayer-book; and, I say boldly, from no teaching of mine. The +Church bids you say, Yes; I have a human nature in me; and what +nature is that but the nature which the Son of God took on himself, +and redeemed, and justified it, and glorified it, sitting for ever +now in his human nature at the right hand of God, the Son of man who +is in heaven? Yes, I am a man; and what is it to be a man, but to be +the image and glory of God? What is it to be a man? To belong to +that race whose Head is the co-equal and co-eternal Son of God. +True, it is not enough to have only a human nature which may sin, +will sin, must sin, if left to itself a moment. But you have, unless +the Holy Spirit has left you, and your baptism is of none effect, +more than human nature in you: you have divine grace--that +supernatural grace and Spirit of God by which man stood in Paradise, +and by neglecting which he fell. + +Obey that Spirit; from him comes every right judgment of your minds, +every good desire of your hearts, every thought and feeling in you +which raises you up, instead of dragging you down; which bids you do +your duty, and live the life of God and Christ, instead of living the +mere death-in-life of selfish pleasure and covetousness. Obey that +Spirit, and be men: men indeed, that you may not come to shame in +the day when Christ the Son of Man shall take account of you, how you +have used your manhood, body, soul, and spirit. + + + +SERMON XXIV. THE CHARITY OF GOD + + + +(Quinquagesima Sunday.) + +LUKE xviii. 31, 32, 33. + +All things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man +shall be accomplished. For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, +and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: and +they shall scourge him and put him to death; and the third day he +shall rise again. + +This is a solemn text, a solemn Gospel; but it is not its solemnity +which I wish to speak of this morning, but this--What has it to do +with the Epistle, and with the Collect? The Epistle speaks of +Charity; the Collect bids us pray for the Holy Spirit of Charity. +What have they to do with the Gospel? + +Let me try to show you. + +The Epistle speaks of God's eternal charity. The Gospel tells us how +that eternal charity was revealed, and shown plainly in flesh and +blood on earth, in the life and death of Jesus Christ our Lord. + +But you may ask, How does the Epistle talk of God's charity? It bids +men be charitable; but the name of God is never mentioned in it. Not +so, my friends. Look again at the Epistle, and you will see one word +which shows us that this charity, which St. Paul says we must have, +is God's charity. + +For, he says, Charity never faileth; that though prophecies shall +fail, tongues cease, knowledge vanish away, charity shall never fail. +Now, if a thing never fail, it must be eternal. And if it be +eternal, it must be in God. For, as I have reminded you before about +other things, the Athanasian Creed tells us (and never was truer or +wiser word written) there is but one eternal. + +But if charity be not in God, there must be two eternals; God must be +one eternal, and charity another eternal; which cannot be. Therefore +charity must be in God, and of God, part of God's essence and being; +and not only God's saints, but God himself--suffereth long, and is +kind; envieth not, is not puffed up, seeketh not his own, is not +easily provoked, thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity, but in +the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all +things, endureth all things. + +So St. Augustine believed, and the greatest fathers of old time. +They believed, and they have taught us to believe, that before all +things, above all things, beneath all things, is the divine charity, +the love of God, infinite as God is infinite, everlasting as God is +everlasting; the charity by which God made all worlds, all men, and +all things, that they might be blest as he is blest, perfect as he is +perfect, useful as he is useful; the charity which is God's essence +and Holy Spirit, which might be content in itself, because it is +perfectly at peace in itself; and yet CANNOT be content in itself, +just because it is charity and love, and therefore must be going +forth and proceeding everlastingly from the Father and the Son, upon +errands of charity, love, and mercy, rewarding those whom it finds +doing their work in their proper place, and seeking and saving those +who are lost, and out of their proper place. + +But what has this to do with the Gospel? Surely, my friends, it is +not difficult to see. In Jesus Christ our Lord, the eternal charity +of God was fully revealed. The veil was taken off it once for all, +that men might see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, and +know that the glory of God is charity, and the Spirit of God is love. + +There was a veil over that in old times; and the veil comes over it +often enough now. It was difficult in old times to believe that God +was charity; it is difficult sometimes now. + +Sad and terrible things happen--Plague and famine, earthquake and +war. All these things have happened in our times. Not two months +ago, in Italy, an earthquake destroyed many thousands of people; and +in India, this summer, things have happened of which I dare not +speak, which have turned the hearts of women to water, and the hearts +of men to fire: and when such things happen, it is difficult for the +moment to believe that God is love, and that he is full of eternal, +boundless, untiring charity toward the creatures whom he has made, +and who yet perish so terribly, suddenly, strangely. + +Well, then, we must fall back on the Gospel. We must not be afraid +of the terror of such awful events, but sanctify the Lord God, in our +hearts, and say, Whatever may happen I know that God is love; I know +that his glory is charity; I know that his mercy is over all his +works; for I know that Jesus Christ, who was full of perfect charity, +is the express image of his Father's person, and the brightness of +his Father's glory. I know (for the Gospel tells me), that he dared +all things, endured all things, in the depth of his great love, for +the sake of sinful men. I know that when he knew what was going to +happen to him; when he knew that he should be mocked, scourged, +crucified, he deliberately, calmly, faced all that shame, horror, +agony, and went up willingly to Jerusalem to suffer and to die there; +because he was full of the Spirit of God, the spirit of charity and +love. I know that he was SO full of it, that as he went up on his +fatal journey, with a horrible death staring him in the face, still, +instead of thinking of himself, he was thinking of others, and could +find time to stop and heal the poor blind man by the way side, who +called 'Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.' And in him and +his love will I trust, when there seems nothing else left to trust on +earth. + +Oh, my friends, believe this with your whole heart. Whatever happens +to you or to your friends, happens out of the eternal charity of God, +who cannot change, who cannot hate, who can be nothing but what he is +and was, and ever will be--love. + +And when St. Paul tells you, as he told you in the Epistle to-day, to +have charity, to try for charity, because it is the most excellent +way to please God, and the eternal virtue, which will abide for ever +in heaven, when all wisdom and learning, even about spiritual things, +which men have had on earth, shall seem to us when we look back such +as a child's lessons do to a grown man;--when, I say, St. Paul tells +you to try after charity, he tells you to be like God himself; to be +perfect even as your Father in heaven is perfect; to bear and forbear +because God does so: to give and forgive because God does so; to +love all because God loves all, and willeth that none should perish, +but that all should come to the knowledge of the truth. + +How he will fulfil that; how he fulfilled it last summer with those +poor souls in India, we know not, and never shall know in this life. +Let it be enough for us that known unto God are all his works from +the foundation of the world, and that his charity embraces the whole +universe. + + + +SERMON XXV. THE DAYS OF THE WEEK + + + +JAMES i. 17. + +Every good gift, and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh +down from the Father of lights, with whom is neither variableness, +nor shadow of turning. + +It seems an easy thing for us here to say, 'I believe in God.' We +have learnt from our childhood that there is but one God. It seems +to us strange and ridiculous that people anywhere should believe in +more gods than one. We never heard of any other doctrine, except in +books about the heathen; and there are perhaps not three people in +this church who ever saw a heathen man, or talked to him. + +Yet it is not so easy to learn that there is but one God. Were it +not for the church, and the missionaries who were sent into this part +of the world by the church, now 1200 years ago, we should not know it +now. Our forefathers once worshipped many gods, and not one only +God. I do not mean when they were savages; for I do not believe that +they ever were savages at all: but after they were settled here in +England, living in a simple way, very much as country people live +now, and dressing very much as country people do now, they worshipped +many gods. + +Now what put that mistake into their minds? It seems so ridiculous +to us now, that we cannot understand at first how it ever arose. + +But if we will consider the names of their old gods, we shall +understand it a little better. Now the names of the old English gods +you all know. They are in your mouths every day. The days of the +week are named after them. The old English kept time by weeks, as +the old Jews did, and they named their days after their gods. Why, +would take me too much time to tell: but so it is. + +Why, then, did they worship these gods? + +First, because man must worship something. Before man fell, he was +created in Christ the image and likeness of God the Father; and +therefore he was created that he might hear his Father's voice, and +do his Father's will, as Christ does everlastingly; and after man +fell, and lost Christ and Christ's likeness, still there was left in +his heart some remembrance of the child's feeling which the first man +had; he felt that he ought to look up to some one greater than +himself, obey some one greater than himself; that some one greater +than himself was watching over him, doing him good, and perhaps, too, +doing him harm and punishing him. + +Then these simple men looked up to the heaven above, and round on the +earth beneath, and asked, Who is it who is calling for us? Who is it +we ought to obey and please; who gives us good things? Who may hurt +us if we make him angry? + +Then the first thing they saw was the sun. What more beautiful than +the sun? What more beneficent? From the sun came light and heat, +the growth of all living things, ay, the growth of life itself. + +The sun, they thought, must surely be a god; so they worshipped the +sun, and called the first day of the week after him--Sunday. + +Next the moon. Nothing, except the sun, seemed so grand and +beautiful to them as the moon, and she was their next god, and Monday +was named after her. + +Then the wind--what a mysterious, awful, miraculous thing the wind +seemed, always moving, yet no one knew how; with immense power and +force, and yet not to be seen; as our blessed Lord himself said, 'The +wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, +but canst not tell whence it cometh or whither it goeth.' Then--and +this is very curious--they fancied that the wind was a sort of +pattern, or type of the spirit of man. With them, as with the old +Jews and Greeks, the same word which meant wind, meant also a man's +soul, his spirit; and so they grew to think that the wind was +inhabited by some great spirit, who gave men spirit, and inspired +them to be brave, and to prophesy, and say and do noble things; and +they called him Wodin the Mover, the Inspirer; and named Wednesday +after him. + +Next the thunder--what more awful and terrible, and yet so full of +good, than the summer heat and the thunder cloud? So they fancied +that the thunder was a god, and called him Thor--and the dark thunder +cloud was Thor's frowning eyebrow; and the lightning flash Thor's +hammer, with which he split the rocks, and melted the winter-ice and +drove away the cold of winter, and made the land ready for tillage. +So they worshipped Thor, and loved him; for they fancied him a brave, +kindly, useful god, who loved to see men working in their fields, and +tilling the land honestly. + +Then the spring. That was a wonder to them again--and is it not a +wonder to see all things grow fresh and fair, after the dreary winter +cold? So the spring was a goddess, and they called her Freya, the +Free One, the Cheerful One, and named Friday after her; and she it +was, they thought, who gave them the pleasant spring time, and youth, +and love, and cheerfulness, and rejoiced to see the flowers blossom, +and the birds build their nests, and all young creatures enjoy the +life which God had given them in the pleasant days of spring. And +after her Friday is named. + +Then the harvest. The ripening of the grain, that too was a wonder +to them--and should it not be to us?--how the corn and wheat which is +put into the ground and dies should rise again, and then ripen into +golden corn? That too must be the work of some kindly spirit, who +loved men; and they called him Seator, the Setter, the Planter, the +God of the seed field and the harvest, and after him Saturday is +named. + +And so, instead of worshipping him who made all heaven and earth, +they turned to worship the heaven and the earth itself, like the +foolish Canaanites. + +But some may say, 'This was all very mistaken and foolish: but what +harm was there in it? How did it make them worse men?' + +My friends, among these very woodlands here, some thirteen hundred +years ago, you might have come upon one of the places where your +forefathers worshipped Thor and Odin, the thunder and the wind, +beneath the shade of ancient oaks, in the darkest heart of the +forest. And there you would have seen an ugly sight enough. + +There was an altar there, with an everlasting fire burning on it; but +why should that altar, and all the ground around be crusted and black +with blood; why should that dark place be like a charnel house or a +butcher's shambles; why, from all the trees around, should there be +hanging the rotting carcases, not of goats and horses merely, but of +MEN, sacrificed to Thor and Odin, the thunder and the wind? Why that +butchery, why those works of darkness in the dark places of the +world? + +Because that was the way of pleasing Thor and Odin. To that our +forefathers came. To that all heathens have come, sooner or later. +They fancy gods in their own likeness; and then they make out those +gods no better than, and at last as bad as themselves. + +The old English and Danes were fond of Thor and Odin; they fancied +them, as I told you, brave gods, very like themselves: but they +themselves were not always what they ought to be; they had fierce +passions, were proud, revengeful, blood-thirsty; and they thought +Thor and Odin must be so too. + +And when they looked round them, that seemed too true. The thunder +storm did not merely melt the snow, cool the air, bring refreshing +rain; it sometimes blasted trees, houses, men; that they thought was +Thor's anger. + +So of the wind. Sometimes it blew down trees and buildings, sank +ships in the sea. That was Odin's anger. Sometimes, too, they were +not brave enough; or they were defeated in battle. That was because +Thor and Odin were angry with them, and would not give them courage. +How were they to appease Thor and Odin, and put them into good humour +again? By giving them their revenge, by letting them taste blood; by +offering them sheep, goats, horses in sacrifice: and if that would +not do, by offering them something more precious still, living men. + +And so, too often, when the weather was unfavourable, and crops were +blasted by tempest or they were defeated in battle by their enemies, +Thor's and Odin's altars were turned into slaughter-places for +wretched human beings--captives taken in war, and sometimes, if the +need was very great, their own children. That was what came of +worshipping the heaven above and the earth around, instead of the +true God. Human sacrifices, butchery, and murder. + +English and Danes alike. It went on among them both; across the seas +in their old country, and here in England, till they were made +Christians. There is no doubt about it. I could give you tale on +tale which would make your blood run cold. Then they learnt to throw +away those false gods who quarrelled among themselves, and quarrelled +with mankind; gods who were proud, revengeful, changeable, spiteful; +who had variableness in them, and turned round as their passions led +them. Then they learnt to believe in the one true God, the Father of +lights, in whom is neither variableness nor shadow of turning. Then +they learnt that from one God came every good and perfect gift; that +God filled the sun with light; that God guided the changes of the +moon; that God, and not Thor, gave to men industry and courage; God, +and not Wodin, inspired them with the spirit which bloweth where it +listeth, and raised them up above themselves to speak noble words and +do noble deeds; that God, and not Friga, sent spring time and +cheerfulness, and youth and love, and all that makes earth pleasant; +that God, and not Satur, sent the yearly wonder of the harvest crops, +sent rain and fruitful seasons, filling the earth with food and +gladness. + +But what was there about this new God, even the true God, which the +old missionaries preached, which won the hearts of our forefathers? + +This, my friends, not merely that he was one God and not many, but +that he was a Father of lights, from whom came good gifts, in whom +was neither variableness nor shadow of turning. + +Not merely a master, but a Father, who gave good gifts, because he +was good himself; a God whom they could love, because he loved them; +a God whom they could trust and depend on, because there was no +variableness in him, and he could not lose his temper as Thor and +Odin did. That was the God whom their wild, passionate hearts +wanted, and they believed in him. + +And when they doubted, and asked, 'How can we be sure that God is +altogether good?--how can we be sure that he is always trustworthy, +always the same?'--Then the missionaries used to point them to the +crucifix, the image of Christ upon his cross, and say, 'There is the +token; there is what God is to you, what God suffered for you; there +is the everlasting sign that he gives good gifts, even to the best of +all gifts, even to his own self, when it was needed; there is the +everlasting sign that in him is neither darkness, passion, nor +change, but that he wills all men to be saved from their own darkness +and passions, and from the ruin which they bring, and to come to the +knowledge of the truth, that they have a Father in heaven.' + + + +SERMON XXVI. THE HEAVENLY FATHER + + + +ACTS xvi. 24-28. + +God that made the world, and all that therein is, seeing that he is +Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands . . +. For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also +of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. + +I told you last Sunday of the meaning of the days of the week; but +one day I left out--namely, Tuesday. I did so on purpose. I wish to +speak of that day by itself in this sermon. + +I told you how our forefathers worshipped many gods, by fancying that +various things in the world round them were gods--sun and moon, wind +and thunder, spring and harvest. + +But if that seems to you at times wrong and absurd, it seemed so to +them also. They, like all heathens, had at times dreams of one God. + +They thought to themselves--All heaven and earth must have had a +beginning, and they cannot have grown out of nothing, for out of +nothing nothing comes. They must have been made in some way. +Perhaps they were made by some ONE. + +The more they saw of this wonderful world, and all the order and +contrivance in it, the more sure they were that one mind must have +planned it, one will created it. + +But men--they thought--persons, living souls--are not merely made; +they are begotten; they must have a Father, whose sons they are. +Perhaps, they thought, there is somewhere a great Father; a Father of +all persons, from whom all souls come, who was before all things, and +all persons, however great, however ancient they may be. And so, +like the Greeks and Romans, and many other heathen nations, they had +dim thoughts of an All-Father, as they called him; Father of gods and +men; the Father of spirits. + +They looked round them too, in this world, and saw that everything in +it must die. The tree, though it stood for a thousand years, must +decay at last; the very rocks and mountains crumbled to dust at last: +and so they thought--truly and wisely enough--Everything which we see +near us, perishes at last: why should not everything which we can +see, however far off, however great, perish? Why should not this +earth come to an end? Why should not sun and moon, wind and thunder, +spring and harvest, end at last? And then will not these gods, who +are mixed up with the world, and live in it, and govern it, die too? +If the sun perishes, the sun-god will perish too. If the thunder +ceases for ever, then there will be no more thunder-god. Yes, they +thought--and wisely and truly too--everything which has a beginning +must have an end. Everything which is born, must die. The sun and +the earth, wind and thunder, will perish some day; the gods of sun +and earth, wind and thunder, will die some day. And then what will +be left? Will there be nothing and nowhere? That thought was too +horrible. God's voice in their hearts, the word of the Lord Jesus +Christ, who lights every man who comes into the world, made them feel +that it was horrible, unreasonable; that it could not be. + +But it was all dim to them, and uncertain. Of one thing only they +were certain, that death reigned, and that death had passed upon all +men, and things, and even gods. Evil beasts, evil gods, evil +passions, were gnawing at the root of all things. A time would come +of nothing but rage and wickedness, fury and destruction; the gods +would fight and be slain, and earth and heaven would be sent back +again into shapeless ruin: and after that they knew no more, though +they longed to know. They dreamed, I say, at moments of a new and a +better world, new men, new gods: but how were they to come? Who +would live when all things died? Was there not somewhere an All- +Father, who had eternal life? + +Then they looked round upon the earth, those simple-hearted +forefathers of ours, and said within themselves, Where is the All- +Father, if All-Father there be? Not in this earth; for it will +perish. Not in the sun, moon, or stars, for they will perish too. +Where is He who abideth for ever? + +Then they lifted up their eyes and saw, as they thought, beyond sun, +and moon, and stars and all which changes and will change, the clear +blue sky, the boundless firmament of heaven. + +That never changed; that was always the same. The clouds and storms +rolled far below it, and all the bustle of this noisy world; but +there the sky was still, as bright and calm as ever. The All-Father +must be there, unchangeable in the unchanging heaven; bright, and +pure, and boundless like the heavens; and like the heavens too, +silent, and afar off. + +So they named him after the heaven, Tuith, Tuisco, Divisco--The God +who lives in the clear heaven; and after him Tuesday is called: the +day of Tuisco, the heavenly Father. He was the Father of gods and +men; and man was the son of Tuisco and Hertha--heaven and earth. + +That was all they knew; and even that they did not know; they +contradicted themselves and each other about it. After a time they +began to think that Odin, and not Tuisco, was the All-Father; all was +dim and far off to them. They were feeling after him, as St. Paul +says he had intended them to do: but they did not find him. They +did not know the Father, because they did not know Jesus Christ the +Son; as it is written, 'No man cometh to the Father, but through me;' +and, 'No man hath seen God at any time; only the only-begotten Son, +who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.' + +Many other heathens had the same thought and the same word; the old +Greeks and Romans, for instance, who many thousand years ago spoke +the same tongue as we did then, called him Zeus or Deus Pater; +Jupiter; the heavenly Father, Father of gods and men; using the same +word as our Tuisco, a little altered. And that same word, changed +slightly, means God now, in Welsh, French, and Italian, and many +languages in Europe and in Asia; and will do so till the end of time. + +That, I say, was all they knew of their Father in heaven, till +missionaries came and preached the Gospel to them, and told them what +St. Paul told the Greeks in my text. + +Now, what did St. Paul tell the Greeks? He came, we read, to Athens +in Greece, and found the city wholly given to idolatry, worshipping +all manner of false gods, and images of them. And yet they were not +content with their false gods. They felt, as our forefathers felt, +that there must be a greater, better, more mighty, more faithful God +than all: and they thought, 'We will worship him too: for we are +sure that he is, though we know nothing about him.' So they set up, +beside all the altars and temples of the false gods 'To the Unknown +God.' And St. Paul passed by and saw it; and his heart was stirred +within him with pity and compassion; and he rose up and preached them +a sermon--the first and the best missionary sermon which ever was +preached on earth, the model of all missionary sermons; and said, +'That God whom you ignorantly worship, Him I will declare unto you.' + +Now, here was a Gospel; here was good news. St. Paul told them--as +the missionaries afterwards told our forefathers--that one, at least, +of their heathen fancies was not wrong. There was a heavenly Father. +Mankind was not an orphan, come into the world he knew not whence, +and going, when he died, he knew not whither. No, man was not an +orphan. From God he came; to God, if he chose, he might return. The +heathen poet had spoken truth when he said, 'For we are the offspring +of God.' + +But where was the heavenly Father? Far away in the clear sky, in the +highest heaven beyond all suns and stars? Silent and idle, caring +for no one on earth, content in himself, and leaving sinful man to +himself to go to ruin as he chose? + +'No,' says St. Paul, 'He is not far off from any one of us; for in +him we live, and move, and have our being.' + +Wonderful words! Eighteen hundred years have past since then, and we +have not spelt out half the meaning of them. It is such good news, +such blessed news, and yet such awful news, that we are afraid to +believe it fully. That the Almighty God should be so near us, sinful +men; that we, in spite of all our sins, should live, and move, and +have our being in God. How can it be true? + +My friends, it would not be true, if something more was not true. We +should have no right to say, 'I believe in God the Father Almighty,' +unless we said also, 'I believe in Jesus Christ,. his only Son, our +Lord.' St. Paul, after he had told them of a Father in heaven, went +on to tell them of A MAN whom that Father had sent to judge the +world, having raised him from the dead.--And there his sermon +stopped. Those foolish Greeks laughed at him; they would not receive +the news of Jesus Christ the Son; and therefore they lost the good +news of their Father in heaven. We can guess from St. Paul's Epistle +what he was going on to tell them. How, by believing in Jesus Christ +the Son, and claiming their share in him, and being baptized into his +name, they might become once more God's children, and take their +place again as new men and true men in Jesus Christ. But they would +not hear his message. + +Our forefathers did hear that message, and believed it; they had been +feeling after the heavenly Father, and at last they found him, and +claimed their share in Christ as sons of the heavenly Father; and +therefore we are Christian men this day, baptized into God's family, +and thriving as God's family must thrive, as long as it remembers +that God dwelleth not in temples made with hands, and needs nothing +from man, seeing that he gives to all life and breath and all things; +and is not far from any one of us, seeing that in him we live, and +move, and have our being, and are the offspring, the children of God. + +Bear that in mind. Bear it in mind, I say, that in God you live, and +move, and have your being. Day and night, going out and coming in, +say to yourselves, 'I am with God my Father, and God my Father is +with me. There is not a good feeling in my heart, but my heavenly +Father has put it there: ay, I have not a power which he has not +given, a thought which he does not know; even the very hairs of my +head are all numbered. Whither shall I go then from his presence? +Whither shall I flee from his Spirit? For he filleth all things. If +my eyes were opened, I should see at every moment God's love, God's +power, God's wisdom, working alike in sun and moon, in every growing +blade and ripening grain, and in the training and schooling of every +human being, and every nation, to whom he has appointed their times, +and the bounds of their habitation, if haply they may seek after the +Lord, and find him in whom they live, and move, and have their being. +Everywhere I should see life going forth to all created things from +God the Father, of whom are all things, and God the Son, by whom are +all things, and God the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of that +life.' + +A little of that glorious sight we may see in this life, if our +hearts and reasons are purified by the Spirit of God, to see God in +all things, and all things in God: and more in that life whereof it +is written, 'Beloved, we are now the sons of God; and it doth not yet +appear what we shall be: but this we know, that when he appears, we +shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.' To that life may +he in his mercy bring us all. Amen. + + + +SERMON XXVII. THE GOOD SHEPHERD + + + +JOHN x. 11. + +I am the good shepherd. + +Here are blessed words. They are not new words. You find words like +these often in the Bible, and even in ancient heathen books. Kings, +priests, prophets, judges, are called shepherds of the people. David +is called the shepherd of Israel. A prophet complains of the +shepherds of Israel who feed themselves, and will not feed the flock. + +But the old Hebrew prophets had a vision of a greater and better +shepherd than David, or any earthly king or priest--of a heavenly and +almighty shepherd. 'The Lord is my shepherd,' says one; 'therefore I +shall not want.' And another says, 'He shall feed his flock like a +shepherd. He shall gather his lambs in his arms, and carry them in +his bosom, and shall gently lead those who are with young.' + +This was blessed news; good news for all mankind, if there had been +no more than this. But there is more blessed news still in the text. +In the text, the Lord of whom those old prophets spoke, spoke for +himself, with human voice, upon this earth of ours; and declared that +all they had said was true; and that more still was true. + +I am the good shepherd, he says. And then he adds, The good shepherd +giveth his life for the sheep. + +Oh, my friends, consider these words. Think what endless depths of +wonder there are in them. Is it not wonderful enough that God should +care for men; should lead them, guide them, feed them, condescend to +call himself their shepherd? Wonderful, indeed; so wonderful, that +the old prophets would never have found it out but by the inspiration +of Almighty God. But what a wider, deeper, nobler, more wonderful +blessing, and more blessed wonder, that the shepherd should give his +life for the sheep;--that the master should give his life for the +servant, the good for the bad, the wise one for the fools, the pure +one for the foul, the loving one for the spiteful, the king for those +who had rebelled against him, the Creator for his creatures. That +God should give his life for man! Truly, says St. John, 'Herein is +love. Not that we loved him: but that he loved us.' Herein, +indeed, is love. Herein is the beauty of God, and the glory of God; +that he spared nothing, shrank from nothing, that he might save man. +Because the sheep were lost, the good shepherd would go forth into +the rough and dark places of the earth to seek and to save that which +was lost. That was enough. That was a thousand times more than we +had a right to expect. Had he done only that he would have been for +ever glorious, for ever adorable, for ever worthy of the praises and +thanks of heaven and earth, and all that therein is. But that seemed +little in the eyes of Jesus, little to the greatness of his divine +love. He would understand the weakness of his sheep by being weak +himself; understand the sorrows of his sheep, by sorrowing himself; +understand the sins of his sheep, by bearing all their sins; the +temptations of his sheep, by conquering them himself; and lastly, he +would understand and conquer the death of his sheep, by dying +himself. Because the sheep must die, he would die too, that in all +things, and to the uttermost, he might show himself the good +shepherd, who shared all sorrow, danger and misery with his sheep, as +if they had been his children, bone of his bone and flesh of his +flesh. In all things he would show himself the good shepherd, and no +hireling, who cared for himself and his own wages. If the wolf came, +he would face the wolf, and though the wolf killed him, yet would he +kill the wolf, that by his death he might destroy death, and him who +had the power of death, that is, the devil. He would go where the +sheep went. He would enter into the sheepfold by the same gate as +they did, and not climb over into the fold some other way, like a +thief and a robber. He would lead them into the fold by the same +gate. They had to go into God's fold through the gate of death; and +therefore he would go in through it also, and die with his sheep; +that he might claim the gate of death for his own, and declare that +it did not belong to the devil, but to him and his heavenly Father; +and then having led his sheep in through the gate of death, he would +lead them out again by the gate of resurrection, that they might find +pasture in the redeemed land of everlasting life, where can enter +neither devil, nor wolf, nor robber, evil spirit, evil man, or evil +thing. This, and more than this, he would do in the greatness of his +love. He would become in all things like his sheep, that he might +show himself the good shepherd. Because they died, he would die; +that so, because he rose, they might rise also. + +Oh, my friends, who is sufficient for these things? Not men, not +saints, not angels or archangels can comprehend the love of Christ. +How can they? For Christ is God, and God is love; the root and +fountain of all love which is in you and me, and angels, and all +created beings. And therefore his love is as much greater than ours, +or than the love of angels and archangels, as the whole sun is +greater than one ray of sun-light. Say rather, as much greater and +more glorious as the sun is greater and more glorious than the light +which sparkles in the dew-drop on the grass. The love and goodness +and holiness of a saint or an angel is the light in that dew-drop, +borrowed from the sun. The love of God is the sun himself, which +shineth from one part of heaven to the other, and there is nothing +hid from the life-giving heat and light thereof. When the dew-drop +can take in the sun, then can we take in the love of God, which fills +all heaven and earth. + +But there is, if possible, better news still behind--'I am the good +shepherd; and know my sheep, and am known of mine.' + +'I know my sheep.' Surely some of the words which I have just spoken +may help to explain that to you. 'I know my sheep.' Not merely, I +know who are my sheep, and who are not. Of course, the Lord does +that. We might have guessed that for ourselves. What comfort is +there in that? No, he does not say merely, 'I know WHO my sheep are; +but I know WHAT my sheep are. I know them; their inmost hearts. I +know their sins and their follies: but I know, too, their longing +after good. I know their temptations, their excuses, their natural +weaknesses, their infirmities, which they brought into the world with +them. I know their inmost hearts for good and for evil. True, I +think some of them often miserable, and poor, and blind, when they +fancy themselves strong, and wise, and rich in grace, and having need +of nothing. But I know some of them, too, to be longing after what +is good, to be hungering and thirsting after righteousness, when they +can see nothing but their own sin and weakness, and are utterly +ashamed and tired of themselves, and are ready to lie down in +despair, and give up all struggling after God. I know their +weakness--and of me it is written, 'I will carry the lambs in mine +arms.' Those who are innocent and inexperienced in the ways of this +world, I will see that they are not led into temptation; and I will +gently lead those that are with young: those who are weary with the +burden of their own thoughts, those who are yearning and labouring +after some higher, better, more free, more orderly, more useful life; +those who long to find out the truth, and to speak it, and give birth +to the noble thoughts and the good plans which they have conceived: +I have inspired their good desires, and I will bring them to good +effect; I will gently lead them,' says the Lord, 'for I know them +better than they know themselves.' + +Yes. Christ knows us better than we know ourselves: and better, +too, than we know him. Thanks be to God that it is so. Or the last +words of the text would crush us into despair--'I know my sheep, and +am known of mine.' + +Is it so? We trust that we are Christ's sheep. We trust that he +knows us: but do we know him? What answer shall we make to that +question, Do you know Christ? I do not mean, Do you know ABOUT +Christ? You may know ABOUT a person without knowing the person +himself when you see him. I do not mean, Do you know doctrines about +Christ? though that is good and necessary. Nor, Do you know what +Christ has done for your soul? though that is good and necessary +also. But, Do you know Christ himself? You have never seen him. +True: but have you never seen any one like him--even in part? Do +you know his likeness when you see it in any of your neighbours? +That is a question worth thinking over. Again--Do you know what +Christ is like? What his character is--what his way of dealing with +your soul, and all souls, is? Are you accustomed to speak to him in +your prayers as to one who can and will hear you; and do you know his +voice when he speaks to you, and puts into your heart good desires, +and longings after what is right and true, and fair and noble, and +loving and patient, as he himself is? Do you know Christ? + +Alas! my friends, what a poor answer we can make to that question? +How little do we know Christ? + +What would become of us, if he were like us?--If he were one who +bargained with us, and said--'Unless you know me, I will not take the +trouble to know you. Unless you care for me, you cannot expect me to +care for you.' What would become of us, if God said, 'As you do to +me, so will I do to you?' + +But our only hope lies in this, that in Christ the Lord is no spirit +of bargaining, no pride, no spite, no rendering evil for evil. In +this is our hope; that he is the likeness of his Father's glory, and +the express image of his person; perfect as his Father is perfect; +that like his Father, he causeth his rain to fall on the evil and the +good; and his sun to shine on the just and on the unjust; and is good +to the unthankful and the evil--to you and me--and knows us, though +we know him not; and cares for us, though we care not for him; and +leads us his way, like a good shepherd, when we fancy in our conceit +that we are going in our own way. This is our hope, that his love is +greater than our stupidity; that he will not tire of us, and our +fancies, and our self-will, and our laziness, in spite of all our +peevish tempers, and our mean and fruitless suspicions of his +goodness. No! He will not tire of us, but will seek us, and save us +when we go astray. And some day, somewhere, somehow, he will open +our eyes, and let us see him as he is, and thank him as he deserves. +Some day, when the veil is taken off our eyes, we shall see like +those disciples at Emmaus, that Jesus has been walking with us, and +breaking our bread for us, and blessing us, all our lives long; and +that when our hearts burned within us at noble thoughts, and stories +of noble and righteous men and women, and at the hope that some day +good would conquer evil, and heaven come down on earth, then--so we +shall find--God had been dwelling among men all along--even Jesus, +who was dead, and is alive for evermore, and has the keys of death +and hell, and knows his sheep in this world, and in all worlds, past, +present, and to come, and leads them, and will lead them for ever, +and none can pluck them out of his hand. Amen. + + + +SERMON XXVIII. DARK TIMES + + + +1 JOHN iv. 16-18. + +We have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is +love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. +Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day +of judgment; because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no +fear in love but perfect love casteth out fear; because fear hath +torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. + +Have we learnt this lesson? Our reading, and thinking, and praying, +have been in vain, unless they have helped us to believe and know the +love which God has to us. But, indeed, no reading, or thinking, or +praying will teach us that perfectly. God must teach it us himself. +It is easy to say that God is love; easy to say that Christ died for +us; easy to say that God's Spirit is with us; easy to say all manner +of true doctrines, and run them off our tongues at second-hand; easy +for me to stand up here and preach them to you, just as I find them +written in a book. But do I believe what I say? Do you believe what +you say? There is an awful question. We believe it all now, or +think we believe it, while we are easy and comfortable: but should +we have boldness in the day of judgment?--Should we believe it all, +if God visited us, to judge us, and try us, and pierce asunder the +very joints and marrow of our heart with fearful sorrow and +temptation? O Lord, who shall stand in that day? + +Suppose, for instance, God were to take away the desire of our eyes, +with a stroke. Suppose we were to lose a wife, a darling child; +suppose we were struck blind, or paralytic; suppose some unspeakable, +unbearable shame fell on us to-morrow: could we say then, God is +love, and this horrible misery is a sign of it? He loves me, for he +chastens me? Or should we say, like Job's wife, and one of the +foolish women, 'Curse God and die?' God knows. + +Ah, when that dark day seems coming on us, and bringing some misery +which looks to us beforehand quite unbearable--then how our lip- +belief and book-faith is tried, and burnt up in the fire of God, and +in the fire of our own proud, angry hearts, too! How we struggle and +rage at first at the very thought of the coming misery; and are ready +to say, God will not do this! He cannot--cannot be so unjust, so +cruel, as to bring this misery on me. What have I done to deserve +it? Or, if I have deserved it, what have these innocents done? Why +should they be punished for my sins? After all my prayers, too, and +my church-goings, and my tryings to be good. Is this God's reward +for all my trouble to please him? Then how vain all our old prayers +seem; how empty and dry all ordinances. We cry, I have cleansed my +hands in vain, and in vain washed my heart in innocency. We have no +heart to pray to God. If he has not heard our past prayers, why +should we pray anymore? Let us lie down and die; let us bear his +heavy hand, if we must bear it, sullenly, desperately: but, as for +saying that God is love, or to say that we know the love which God +has for us, we say in our hearts, Let the clergyman talk of that; it +is his business to speak about it; or comfortable, easy people, who +are not watering their pillow with bitter tears all night long. But +if they were in my place (says the unhappy man), they would know a +little more of what poor souls have to go through: they would talk +somewhat less freely about its being a sin to doubt God's love. He +has sent this great misery on me. How can I tell what more he may +not send? How can I help being afraid of God, and looking up to him +with tormenting fear? + +Yes, my friends. These are very terrible thoughts--very wrong +thoughts some of them, very foolish thoughts some of them, though +pardonable enough; for God pardons them, as we shall see. But they +are real thoughts. They are what really come into people's minds +every day; and I am here to talk to you about what is really going on +in your soul, and mine; not to repeat to you doctrines at second-hand +out of a book, and say, There, that is what you have to believe and +do; and, if you do not, you will go to hell: but to speak to you as +men of like passions with myself; as sinning, sorrowing, doubting, +struggling human beings; and to talk to you of what is in my own +heart, and will be in your hearts too, some day, if it has not been +already. This is the experience of all REAL men, all honest men, who +ever struggled to know and to do what is right. David felt it all. +You find it all through those glorious Psalms of his. He was no +comfortable, book-read, second-hand Christian, who had an answer +ready for every trouble, because he had never had any real trouble at +all. David was not one of them. He had to go through a very rough +training--very terrible and fiery trials, year after year; and had to +say, again and again, 'I am weary of crying; my heart is dry; my +heart faileth me for waiting so long upon my God. All thy billows +and storms are gone over me. Thou hast laid me in a place of +darkness, and in the lowest deep.' - + +Not by sitting comfortably reading his book, but by such terrible +trials as that, was David taught to trust God to the uttermost; and +to learn that God's love was so perfect that he need never dread him, +or torment himself with anxiety lest God should leave him to perish. + +Hezekiah felt it, too, good man as he was, when he was sick, and like +to die. And it was not for many a day that he found out the truth +about these dark hours of misery, that by all these things men live, +and in all these things is the life of the Spirit. + +And this was Jacob's experience, too, on that most fearful night of +all his life, when he waited by the ford of Jabbok, expecting that +with the morning light the punishment of his past sins would come on +him; and not only on him, but on all his family, and his innocent +children; when he stood there alone by the dark river, not knowing +whether Esau and his wild Arabs would not sweep off the earth all he +had and all he loved; and knowing, too, that it was his own fault, +that he had brought it all upon them by his own deceit and treachery. +Then, when his sins stared him in the face, and God rose up to +judgment against him, he learnt to pray as he had never prayed +before--a prayer too deep for words. + +'And Jacob was left alone: and there wrestled a man with him till +the breaking of the day. And when he saw that he prevailed not +against him, he touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh; and the hollow +of his thigh was out of joint as he wrestled with him. And he said, +Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee +go, till thou bless me. And he blessed him there. And Jacob called +the name of that place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and +my life is preserved.' + +So it may be with us. So it must be with us, in the dark day when +our faith is really tried by terrible affliction. + +We must begin as Jacob did. Plead God's promises, confess the +mercies we have received already. 'I am not worthy of the least of +all the mercies which thou hast showed to thy servant.' + +Ask for God's help, as Jacob did: 'Deliver me, I pray thee, out of +the hand of Esau my brother.' Plead his written promises, and the +covenant of our baptism, which tell us that we are God's children, +and God our Father, as Jacob did according to his light--'And thou +saidst, I will surely do thee good.' + +So the proud angry heart will perhaps pass out of us, and we shall +set ourselves more calmly to face the worst, and to try if God's +promises be indeed true, and God be indeed as he has said, 'Love.' + +But do not be astonished, do not be disheartened, if, when the +trouble comes, there comes with it, as to Jacob, a more terrible +struggle far, a struggle too deep for words; if you find out that +fine words and set prayers are nothing in the hour of need, and that +you will not be heard for your much speaking. Ah! the darkness of +that time, which perhaps goes on for days, for months, all alone +between you and God himself. Clergymen and good people may come in +with kind words and true words: but they give no comfort; your heart +is still dark, still full of doubt; you want God himself to speak to +your heart, and tell you that he is love. And you have no words to +pray with at last; you have used them all up; and you can only cling +humbly to God, and hold fast. One moment you feel like a poor slave +clinging to his stern master's arm, and entreating him not to kill +him outright. The next you feel like a child clinging to its father, +and entreating him to save him from some horrible monster which is +going to devour it: but you have no words to pray with, only sighs, +and tears, and groans; you feel that you know not what to pray for as +you ought, know not what is good for you; dare ask for nothing, lest +it should be the wrong thing. And the longer you struggle, the +weaker you become, as Jacob did, till your very bones seem out of +joint, your very heart broken within you, and life seems not worth +having, or death either. + +Only hold fast by God. Only do not despair. Only be sure that God +cannot lie; be sure that he who cared for you from your birth hour +cares for you still; that he who loved you enough to give his own Son +for you hundreds of years before you were born, cannot but love you +still; do not despair, I say; and at last, when you are fallen so low +that you can fall no lower, and so weak that you are past struggling, +you may hear through the darkness of your heart the still small voice +of God. Only hold fast, and let him not go until he bless you, and +you shall find with Jacob of old, that as a prince you have power +with God and with man, and have prevailed. And so God will answer +you, as he answered Elijah, at first out of the whirlwind and the +blinding storm: but at last, doubt it not, with the still small +voice which cannot be mistaken, which no earthly ear can hear, but +which is more precious to the broken heart than all which this world +gives, the peace which passes understanding, and yet is the surest +and the only lasting peace. + +But what is the secret of this strange awful struggle? Can you or I +change God's will by any prayers of ours? God forbid that we should, +my friends, even if we could; for his will is a good will to us, and +his name is Love. + +Do not be afraid of him. If you do, you are not made perfect in +love; you have not yet learnt perfect the lesson of his great love to +you. But what is the secret of this struggle? Why has any poor soul +to wrestle thus with God who made him, before he can get peace and +hope? Why is the trouble sent him at all? It looks at first sight a +strange sort of token of God's love, to bring the creatures whom he +has made into utter misery. + +My friends, these are deep questions. There are plenty of answers +for them ready written: but no answers like the Bible ones, which +tell us that 'whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth; that these sorrows +come on us, and heaviness, and manifold temptations, in order that +the trial of our faith, being much more precious than that of gold, +which perishes though it be tried with fire, may be found to praise, +and honour, and glory at the appearance of Jesus Christ.' This is +the only answer but it does not explain the reason. It only gives us +hope under it. We do not know that these dreadful troubles come from +God. The Bible tells us 'that God tempts no man; that he does not +afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.' The Bible speaks +at times as if these dark troubles came from the devil himself; and +as if God turned them into good for us by making them part of our +training, part of our education; and so making some devil's attempt +to ruin us only a great means of our improvement. I do not know: +but this I do know, the troubles are here, and God is love. At least +this is comfortable, that God will let no man be tempted beyond what +he is able: but will with the temptation make a way for us to +escape, that we may be able to bear it. At least this is +comfortable, that our prayers are not needed to change God's will, +because his will is already that we should be saved; because we are +on his side in the battle against the devil, or the flesh, or the +world, or whatever it is which makes poor souls and bodies miserable, +and he on ours: and all we have to do in our prayers, is to ask +advice and orders and strength and courage from the great Captain of +our salvation; that we may fight his battle and ours aright and to +the end. And, my friends, if you be in trouble, if your heart be +brought low within you, remember, only remember, who the Captain of +our salvation is. Who but Jesus who died on the cross--Jesus who was +made perfect by sufferings, Jesus who cried out, 'My God! my God! why +hast thou forsaken me?' + +If Christ had to be made perfect by sufferings, much more must we. +If he needed to learn obedience by sorrow, much more must we. If he +needed in the days of his flesh, to make supplication to God his +Father with strong crying and tears, so do we. And if he was heard +in that he feared, so, I trust, we shall be heard likewise. If he +needed to taste even the most horrible misery of all; to feel for a +moment that God had forsaken him; surely we must expect, if we are to +be made like him, to have to drink at least one drop out of his +bitter cup. It is very wonderful: but yet it is full of hope and +comfort. Full of hope and comfort to be able, in our darkest and +bitterest sorrow, to look up to heaven, and say, At least there is +one who has been through all this. As Christ was, so are we in this +world; and the disciple cannot be above his master. Yes, we are in +this world as he was, and he was once in this world as we are, he has +been through all this, and more. He knows all this and more. 'We +have a High Priest above us who can be touched with the feeling of +our infirmities, because he has been tempted in all things like as we +are. yet without sin.' + +Yes, my friends. Nothing like one honest look, one honest thought, +of Christ upon his cross. That tells us how much he has been +through, how much he endured, how much he conquered, how much God +loved us, who spared not his only-begotten Son, but freely gave him +for us. Dare we doubt such a God? Dare we murmur against such a +God? Dare we lay the blame of our sorrows on such a God--our Father? +No; let us believe the blessed message of our confirmation, which +tells us that it is his Fatherly hand which is ever over us, and that +even though that hand may seem heavy for awhile, it is the hand of +him whose very being and substance is love, who made the world by +love, by love redeemed man, by love sustains him still. Though we +went down into hell, says David, he is there; though we took the +wings of the morning, and fled into the uttermost part of the sea, +yet there his hand would hold us, and his right hand guide us still. +It is holding and guiding every one of us now, through storm as well +as through sunshine, through grief as well as through joy; let us +humble ourselves under that mighty hand, and it will exalt us in due +time. He knows, and must know, when that due time is, and, till +then, he is still love, and his mercy is over all his works. + + + +SERMON XXIX. GOD'S CREATION + + + +GENESIS i. 31. + +And God saw everything that he had made, and behold it was very good. + +This is good news, and a gospel. The Bible was written to bring good +news, and therefore with good news it begins, and with good news it +ends. + +But it is not so easy to believe. We want faith to believe; and that +faith will be sometimes sorely tried. + +Yes; we want faith. As St. Paul says: 'Through faith we understand +that the worlds were framed by the word of God; so that things which +are seen were not made of things which appear.' + +No one can prove to us that God made the world; yet we must believe +it; and what is more, we DO believe it, and are certain of it. But +all the proving and arguments in the world will not make us CERTAIN +that God made the world; they will only make us feel that it is +probable, that it is reasonable to think so. What, then, does make +us CERTAIN that God made the world?--as certain as if we had seen him +make it? FAITH, which is stronger than all arguments. Faith, which +comes down from heaven to our hearts, and is the gift of God. Faith, +which is the light with which Jesus Christ lights us. Faith, which +comes by the inspiration of God's Holy Spirit. + +So, again, when we have to believe not only that God made the world, +but that all things which he has made are very good. + +So it is, and you must believe it. God is good, the absolute and +perfect good; and from good nothing can come but good: and therefore +all which God has made is good, as he is; and therefore if anything +in the world seems to be bad, one of two things must be true of it. + +1. Either it is NOT bad, though it seems so to us; and God will +bring good out of it in his good time, and justify himself to men, +and show us that he is holy in all his works, and righteous in all +his ways. + +Or else--If the thing be really bad, then God did not make it. It +must be a disease, a mistake, a failure, of man's making, or some +person's making, but not of God's making. For all that he has made +he sees eternally; and behold, it is very good. + +Now, I can say that; and I believe it; and God grant I may never say +anything else. And yet I cannot prove it to you by any argument. +But I believe it; and I dare say many of you believe it (you all must +believe it, before all is over), by something better than any +argument. By faith--faith, which speaks to the very core and root of +a man's heart and reason, and teaches him things surer and deeper +than all sermons and books, all proofs and arguments. + +May God, our Heavenly Father, fill our hearts with his Holy Spirit of +faith, that we may believe utterly in his goodness, and therefore +believe in the goodness of all that he has made. + +For at times we shall need that faith very much indeed, not only +about our neighbours, but about ourselves. We shall find it hard to +believe that there is goodness in some of our neighbours; and the +better we know ourselves, we shall find it very difficult to believe +that there is goodness in us. + +For surely this is a great puzzle. + +'God saw everything that he had made, and behold it was very good.' +And God made you and me. Are we therefore very good? Or were we +ever very good? Here is a great mystery. It would seem as if we +must have been very good if God made us. For God can make nothing +bad. Surely not. For he who makes bad things is a bad maker; he who +makes bad houses is a bad builder; and he who makes bad men is a bad +maker of men. But God cannot be a bad maker; for he is perfect and +without fault in all his works. Yet men are bad. + +Yet, on the other hand, if God made us, and the Bible be true, there +must be good in us. When God said, Let that man be; when God first +thought of us, if I may so speak, before the foundation of the world- +-he thought of us as good. He created each of us good in his own +mind, else he would not have created us at all. But why were we not +good when we came on earth? Why do we come into this world sinful? +Why does God's thought of us, God's purpose about us, seem to have +failed? We do not know, and we need not know. St. Paul tells us +that it came by Adam's fall; that by Adam's fall sin entered into the +world, and each man, as he came into it, became sinful. How that was +we cannot understand--we need not understand. Let us believe, and be +silent; but let us believe this also, that St. Paul speaks truth not +in this only but in that blessed and glorious news with which he +follows up his sad and bad news. 'As by the offence of one, judgment +came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of +one, the free gift came upon all men to justification of life.' + +Yes; we may say boldly now, Whatever has been; whatever sin I +inherited from Adam; however sinful I came into this world, God looks +on me now, not as I am in Adam, but as I am in Christ. I am in +Christ now, baptized into Christ, a new creature in Christ; to Christ +I belong, and not to Adam at all; and God looks now, not on the old +corrupt nature which I inherited from Adam, but on the new and good +grace which God meant for me from all eternity, which Christ has +given me now. It is that good and new grace in me which God cares +for; it is that good and new grace which God is working on, to +strengthen and perfect it, that I may grow in grace, and in the +likeness of Christ, and become at last what God intended me to be, +when he thought of me first before the foundation of all worlds, and +said, 'Let us make man [not one man, but all men, male and female] in +our image, after our likeness.' + +This, again, is a great mystery. Yet our own hearts will tell us, if +we will look at them, that it is true. Are there not, as it were, +two different persons in us, fighting for the mastery? Are we not so +different at different times, that we seem to ourselves, and to our +neighbours, perhaps, to be two different people, according as we give +way to the better nature or to the worse? Even as David--one year +living a heroic and noble life by faith in God, writing Psalms which +will live to the world's end, and the next committing adultery and +murder. Were those two Davids the same David? Yes; and yet No. The +good and noble David was David when he obeyed the grace of God. The +base and foul David was David when he gave way to his fallen and +corrupt nature. + +Even so might we be. Even so, in a less degree, are we sometimes so +unlike ourselves, so ashamed of ourselves, so torn asunder with +passions and lusts, delighting in God's law and all that is good in +our hearts, and yet finding another law in us which makes us slaves +at moments to our basest passions--to anger, fear, spite, +covetousness--that when we think of it we are ready to cry with St. +Paul, 'Oh, wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body +of this death?' + +Who? Who but he of whom St. Paul tells us, gives the answer in the +very next verse, 'I thank God, that God himself will, through Jesus +Christ our Lord.' + +Oh, my friends, whosoever of you have ever felt angry with +yourselves, discontented with yourselves, ashamed of yourselves (and +he that has not felt so knows no more about himself than a dumb +animal does)--you that have felt so, listen to St. Paul's glorious +news and take comfort. Do you wish to be right? Do you wish to be +what God intended you to be before all worlds? Do you wish that of +you the glorious words may come true, 'And God saw all that he had +made, and behold it was very good?' + +Then believe this. That all which is good in you God has made; and +that he will take care of what he has made, for he loves it; that all +which is bad in you, God has NOT made, and therefore he will destroy +it; for he hates all that he has not made, and will not suffer it in +his world; and that if you, your heart, your will, are enlisted on +the good side, if you are wishing and trying that the good nature in +you should conquer the bad, then you are on the side of God himself, +and God himself is on your side; and 'if God be for you, who shall be +against you?' Before all worlds, from eternity itself, God said, +'Let us make man in our own likeness;' and nothing can hinder God's +word but the man himself. The word of God comes down, says the +prophet, as the rain and the dew from heaven, and, like the rain and +dew, returns not to him void, but prospers in the thing whereto he +sends it; only if the ground be hard and barren, and determined to +bring forth thorns and briars, rather than corn and fruit, is it +cursed, and near to burning; and only if a man loves his fallen +nature better than the noble, just, loving, generous grace of God, +and gives himself willingly up to the likeness of the beasts which +perish, can God's purpose towards him become of none effect. + +Take courage, then. If thou dislikest thy sins, so does God. If +thou art fighting against thy worse feelings, so is God. On thy side +is God who made all, and Christ who died for all, and the Holy Spirit +who alone gives wisdom, purity, nobleness. How canst thou fail when +he is on thy side? On thy side are all spirits of just men made +perfect, all wise and good souls and persons in earth and heaven, all +good and wholesome influences, whether of nature or of grace, of +matter or of mind. How canst thou fail if they are on thy side? +God, I say, and all that God has made, are working together to bring +true of thee the word of God--'And God saw all that he had made, and +behold it was very good.' Believe, and endure to the end, and thou +shalt be found in Christ at the last day; and, being in Christ, have +thy share at last in the blessing which the Father pronounces +everlastingly on Christ, and on the members of Christ, 'This is my +beloved son, in whom I am well pleased.' Amen. + + + +SERMON XXX. TRUE PRUDENCE + + + +MATTHEW vi. 34. + +Take, therefore, no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall +take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is +the evil thereof. + +Let me say a few words to you on this text. Be not anxious, it tells +you. And why? Because you have to be prudent. In practice, +fretting and anxiety help no man towards prudence. We must all be as +prudent and industrious as we can; agreed. But does fretting make us +the least more prudent? Does anxiety make us the least more +industrious? On the contrary, I know nothing which cripples a man +more, and hinders him working manfully, than anxiety. Look at the +worst case of all--at a man who is melancholy, and fancies that all +is going wrong with him, and that he must be ruined, and has a mind +full of all sorts of dark, hopeless, fancies. Does he work any the +more, or try to escape one of these dangers which he fancies are +hanging over him? So far from it, he gives himself up to them +without a struggle; he sits moping, helpless, and useless, and says, +'There is no use in struggling. If it will come, it must come.' He +has lost spirit for work, and lost the mind for work, too. His mind +is so full of these dark fears that he cannot turn it to laying any +prudent plan to escape from the very things which he dreads. + +And so, in a less degree, with people who fret and are anxious. They +may be in a great bustle, but they do not get their work done. They +run hither and thither, trying this and that, but leaving everything +half done, to fly off to something else. Or else they spend time +unprofitably in dreaming, and expecting, and complaining, which might +be spent profitably in working. And they are always apt to lose +their heads, and their tempers, just when they need them most; to do +in their hurry the very last things which they ought to have done; to +try so many roads that they choose the wrong road after all, from +mere confusion, and run with open eyes into the very pit which they +have been afraid of falling into. As we say here, they will go all +through the wood to cut a straight stick, and bring out a crooked one +at last. My friends, even in a mere worldly way, the men whom I have +seen succeed best in life have always been cheerful and hopeful men, +who went about their business with a smile on their faces, and took +the changes and chances of this mortal life like men, facing rough +and smooth alike as it came, and so found the truth of the old +proverb, that 'Good times, and bad times, and all times pass over.' +Of all men, perhaps, who have lived in our days, the most truly +successful was the great Duke of Wellington; and one thing, I +believe, which helped him most to become great, was that he was so +wonderfully free from vain fretting and complaining, free from +useless regrets about the past, from useless anxieties for the +future. Though he had for years on his shoulders a responsibility +which might have well broken down the spirit of any man; though the +lives of thousands of brave men, and the welfare of great kingdoms-- +ay, humanly speaking, the fate of all Europe--depended on his using +his wisdom in the right place, and one mistake might have brought +ruin and shame on him and on tens of thousands; yet no one ever saw +him anxious, confused, terrified. Though for many years he was much +tried and hampered, and unjustly and foolishly kept from doing his +work as he knew it ought to be down, yet when the time came for work, +his head was always clear, his spirit was always ready; and therefore +he succeeded in the most marvellous way. Solomon says, 'Better is he +that ruleth his spirit, than he that taketh a city.' Now the Great +Duke had learnt in most things to rule his spirit, and therefore he +was able not only to take cities, but to do better still, to deliver +cities,--ay, and whole countries--out of the hand of armies often far +stronger, humanly speaking, than his own. + +And for an example of what I mean I will tell you a story of him +which I know to be true. Some one once asked him what his secret was +for winning battles. And he said that he had no secret; that he did +not know how to win battles, and that no man knew. For all, he said, +that man could do, was to look beforehand steadily at all the +chances, and lay all possible plans beforehand: but from the moment +the battle began, he said, no mortal prudence was of use, and no +mortal man could know what the end would be. A thousand new +accidents might spring up every hour, and scatter all his plaits to +the winds; and all that man could do was to comfort himself with the +thought that he had done his best, and to trust in God. + +Now, my friends, learn a lesson from this, a lesson for the battle of +life, which every one of us has to fight from our cradle to our +grave--the battle against misery, poverty, misfortune, sickness; the +battle against worse enemies even than they--the battle against our +own weak hearts, and the sins which so easily beset us against +laziness, dishonesty, profligacy, bad tempers, hard-heartedness, +deserved disgrace, the contempt of our neighbours, and just +punishment from Almighty God. Take a lesson, I say, from the Great +Duke for the battle of life. Be not fretful and anxious about the +morrow. Face things like men; count the chances like men; lay your +plans like men: but remember, like men, that a fresh chance may any +moment spoil all your plans; remember that there are thousand dangers +round you from which your prudence cannot save you. Do your best; +and then like the Great Duke, comfort yourselves with the thought +that you have done your best; and like him, trust in God. Remember +that God is really and in very truth your Father, and that without +him not a sparrow falls to the ground; and are ye not of more value +than many sparrows, O ye of little faith? Remember that he knows +what you have need of before you ask him; that he gives you all day +long of his own free generosity a thousand things for which you never +dream of asking him; and believe that in all the chances and changes +of this life, in bad luck as well as in good, in failure as well as +success, in poverty as well as wealth, in sickness as well as health, +he is giving you and me, and all mankind good gifts, which we in our +ignorance, and our natural dread of what is unpleasant, should never +dream of asking him for: but which are good for us nevertheless; +like him from whom they come, the Father of lights, from whom comes +every good and perfect gift; who is neither neglectful, capricious, +or spiteful, for in him is neither variableness, nor shadow of +turning, but who is always loving unto every man, and his mercy is +over all his works. + +Bear this in mind, my friends, in all the troubles of life--that you +have a Father in heaven who knows what you have need of before you +ask him, and your infirmity in asking, and who is wont--is regularly +accustomed all day long--to give you more than either you desire or +deserve. And bear it in mind even more carefully, if you ever become +anxious and troubled about your own soul, and the life to come. + +Many people are troubled with such anxieties, and are continually +asking, 'Shall I be saved or not?' In some this anxiety comes from +bad teaching, and the hearing of false, cruel, and superstitious +doctrine. In others it seems to be mere bodily disease, +constitutional weakness and fearfulness, which prevents their +fighting against dark and sad thoughts when they arise; but in both +cases I think that it is the devil himself who tempts them, the devil +himself who takes advantage of their bodily weakness, or of the false +doctrines which they have heard, and begins whispering in their ears, +'You have no Father in heaven. God does not love you. His promises +are not meant for you. He does not will your salvation, but your +damnation, and there is no hope for you;' till the poor soul falls +into what is called religious melancholy, and moping madness, and +despair, and dread of the devil; and often believes that the devil +has got complete power over him, and that he is the slave of Satan +for ever, till, in some cases, the man is even driven to kill himself +in the agony of his despair. + +Now, my friends, the true answer to all such dark thoughts is, 'Your +Heavenly Father knows what you have need of before you ask him; +therefore be not anxious about the morrow, for the morrow shall take +care for the things of itself; sufficient for the day is the evil +thereof.' + +For in the first place, my friends, the devil was a liar from the +beginning, and therefore the chances are a million to one against his +speaking the truth in any case; and if he tells you that you are +going to be damned, I should take that for a fair sign that you were +NOT going to be damned, simply because the devil says it, and +therefore it CANNOT be true. No, my friends, the people who have +real reason to be afraid are just those who are not afraid--the self- +conceited, self-satisfied souls; for the devil attacks them too, as +he does every one, by their weakest point, and has his lie ready for +them, and whispers, 'You are all right; you are safe; you cannot +fall; your salvation is sure.' Or else, 'You hold the right +doctrine; you are orthodox, and perfectly right, and whoever differs +from you must be wrong;' and so tempts them to vain confidence and +unclean living, or else into pride, hardness of heart, self-willed +and self-conceited quarrelling and slandering and lying for the sake +of their own party in the Church. It is the self-confident ones who +have reason to fear and tremble; for after pride comes a fall. They +have reason to fear, lest while they are crying peace and safety, and +thanking God that they are not as other men are, sudden destruction +come on them; but you anxious, trembling souls, who are terrified at +the sight of your own sins you who feel how weak you are, and +ignorant, and confused, and unworthy to do aught but cry, 'God be +merciful to me a sinner!' you are the very ones who have least reason +to be afraid, just because you are most afraid: you are the true +penitents over whom your Father in heaven rejoices; you are those of +whom he has said, 'I am the High and Holy One who inhabiteth +eternity; yet I dwell with him that is of an humble and contrite +heart, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to comfort the soul of +the contrite ones;' as he will revive and comfort you, if you will +only have faith in God, and take your stand on your baptism, and from +that safe ground defy the devil and all his dark imaginations, +saying, 'I am God's child, and God is my father, and Christ's blood +was shed for me, and the Holy Spirit of God is with me; and in the +strength of my baptism, I will hope against hope; I trust in the Lord +my God, who has called me into this state of salvation, that he will +keep to the end the soul which I have committed to him through Jesus +Christ my Lord.' + +Yes. Be not anxious for the morrow, and much more, be not anxious +for the life to come. Your Heavenly Father knew that you had need of +salvation long before you asked him. Eighteen hundred years before +you were born, he sent his Son into the world to die for you; when +you were but an infant he called you to be baptized into his Church, +and receive your share of his Spirit. Long before you thought of +him, he thought of you; long before you loved him, he loved you; and +if he so loved you, that he spared not his only begotten Son, but +freely gave him for you, will he not with that Son freely give you +all things? Therefore, fear not, little flock; it is your Father's +good pleasure to give you the kingdom. + +And be not anxious about the morrow; for the morrow shall be anxious +about the things of itself. Be anxious about to-day, if you will; +and 'work out your salvation with fear and trembling;' for it is God +who works in you to will and to do of his good pleasure; and +therefore you can do right; and therefore, again, it is your own +fault if you do not do right. And yet, for that very reason, be not +over anxious; for 'if God be with you, who can be against you?' If +God, who is so mighty that he made all heaven and earth, be on our +side, surely stronger is he that is with you than he that is against +you. If God, who so loved you that he gave his only begotten Son for +you, be on your side, surely you have a friend whom you can trust. +'What can part you from his love?' St. Paul asks you; from God's +love, which is as boundless and eternal as God himself; nothing can +part you from it, but your own sin. + +'But I do sin,' you say, 'again and again, and that is what makes me +fearful. I try to do better, but I fall and I fail all day long. I +try not to be covetous and worldly, but poverty tempts me, and I +fall; I try to keep my temper, but people upset me, and I say things +of which I am bitterly ashamed the next minute. Can God love such a +one as me?' My answer is, If God loved the whole world when it was +dead in trespasses and sins, and NOT trying to be better, much more +will he love you who are not dead in trespasses and sins, and are +trying to be better. If he were not still helping you; if his Spirit +were not with you, you would care no more to become better than a dog +or an ox cares. And if you fall--why, arise again. Get up, and go +on. You may be sorely bruised, and soiled with your fall, but is +that any reason for lying still, and giving up the struggle cowardly? +In the name of Jesus Christ, arise and walk. He will wash you, and +you shall be clean. He will heal you, and you shall be strong again. +What else can a traveller expect who is going over rough ground in +the dark, but to fall and bruise himself, and to miss his way too +many a time: but is that any reason for his sitting down in the +middle of the moor, and saying, 'I shall never get to my journey's +end?' What else can a soldier expect, but wounds, and defeat, too, +often; but is that any reason for his running away, and crying, 'We +shall never take the place?' If our brave men at Sebastopol had done +so, and lost heart each time they were beaten back, not only would +they have never taken the place, but the Russians would have driven +them long ago into the sea, and perhaps not a man of them would have +escaped. And, be sure of it, your battle is like theirs. Every one +of us has to fight for the everlasting life of his soul against all +the devils of hell, and there is no use in running away from them; +they will come after us stronger than ever, unless we go to face +them. As with our men at Sebastopol, unless we beat the enemy, the +enemy will destroy us; and our only hope is to fight to-day's battle +like men, in the strength which God gives us, and trust him to give +us strength to fight to-morrow's battle too, when it comes. For here +again, as it was at Sebastopol, so it is with our souls. Let our men +be as prudent as they might, they never knew what to-morrow's battle +would be like, or where the enemy might come upon them; and no more +do we. They in general could not see the very enemy who was close on +them; and no more can we see our enemy, near to us though he is. To- +morrow's temptations may be quite different from to-day's. To-day we +may be tempted to be dishonest, to-morrow to lose our tempers, the +day afterwards to be vain and conceited, and a hundred other things. +Let the morrow be anxious about the things of itself, then; and face +to-day's enemy, and do the duty which lies nearest you. Our brave +men did so. They kept themselves watchful, and took all the +precautions they could in a general way, just as we ought to do each +in his own habits and temper; but the great business was, to go +steadily on at their work, and do each day what they could do, +instead of giving way to vain fears and fancies about what they might +have to do some day, which would have only put them out of heart, and +confused and distracted them. And so it came to pass, that as their +day so their strength was; that each day they got forward somewhat, +and had strength and courage left besides to drive back each new +assault as it came; and so at last, after many mistakes and many +failures, through sickness and weakness, thirst and hunger, and every +misery except fear which can fall on man, they conquered suddenly, +and beyond their highest hopes:- as every one will conquer suddenly, +and beyond his highest hope, who fights on manfully under Christ's +banner against sin; against the sin in himself, and in his +neighbours, and in his parish, and faces the devil and his works +wheresoever he may meet them, sure that the devil and his works must +be conquered at the last, because God's wrath is gone out against +them, and Christ, who executes God's wrath, will never sheath his +sword till he has put all enemies under his feet, and death be +swallowed up in victory. + +Therefore be not anxious about the morrow. Do to-day's duty, fight +to-day's temptation; and do not weaken and distract yourself by +looking forward to things which you cannot see, and could not +understand if you saw them. Enough for you that your Saviour for +whom you fight is just and merciful; for he rewardeth every man +according to his work. Enough for you that he has said, 'He that is +faithful unto death, I will give him a crown of life.' Enough for +you that if you be faithful over a few things, he will make you ruler +over many things, and bring you into his joy for evermore. + +But as for vain fears, leave them to those who will not believe God's +message concerning himself--that he is love, and his mercy over all +his works. Leave them for those who deny God's righteousness, by +denying that he has had pity on this poor fallen world, but has left +it to itself and its sins, without sending any one to save it. And +for real fears, leave them for those who have no fears; for those who +think they see, and yet are blind; who think themselves orthodox and +infallible, and beyond making a mistake, every man his own Pope; who +say that they see, and therefore their sin remaineth; for those who +thank God that they are not as other men are, and who will find the +publicans and harlots entering into the kingdom of heaven before +them; and for those who continue in sin that grace may abound, and +call themselves Christians, while they bring shame on the name of +Christ by their own evil lives, by their worldliness and profligacy, +or by their bitterness and quarrelsomeness; who make religious +profession a by-word and a mockery in the mouths of the ungodly, and +cause Christ's little ones to stumble. Let them be afraid, if they +will; for it were better for them that a millstone were hanged about +their neck, and they were drowned in the midst of the sea. But those +who hate their sins, and long to leave their sins behind; those who +distrust themselves--let them not be anxious about the morrow; for +to-morrow, and to-day, and for ever, the Almighty Father is watching +over them, the Lord Jesus guiding them wisely and tenderly, and the +Holy Spirit inspiring them more and more to do all those good works +which God has prepared for them to walk in, and to conquer in the +life-long battle against sin, the world, and the devil. + + + +SERMON XXXI. THE PENITENT THIEF + + + +LUKE xxiii. 42, 43. + +And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy +kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To-day +shalt thou be with me in paradise. + +The story of the penitent thief is a most beautiful and affecting +one. Christians' hearts, in all times, have clung to it for comfort, +not only for themselves, but for those whom they loved. Indeed, some +people think that we are likely to be too fond of the story. They +have been afraid lest people should build too much on it; lest they +should fancy that it gives them licence to sin, and lead bad lives, +all their days, provided only they repent at last; lest it should +countenance too much what is called a death-bed repentance. + +Now, God forbid that I should try to narrow Christ's Gospel. Who am +I, to settle who shall be saved, and who shall not? When the +disciples asked the Lord Jesus, 'Are there few that be saved?' he +would not tell them. And what Christ did not choose to tell, I am +not likely to know. + +But I must say openly, that I cannot see what the story of the +penitent thief has to do with a death-bed repentance; and for this +plain reason, that the penitent thief did not die in his bed. + +On the contrary, he received the due reward of his deeds. He was +crucified; publicly executed, by the most shameful, painful, and +lingering torture; and confessed that it was no more than he +deserved. + +Therefore, if any man say to himself--and I am afraid that some do +say to themselves--'I know I am leading a bad life; and I have no +mind to mend it yet; the penitent thief repented at the last, and was +forgiven; so I dare say that I shall be;' one has a right to answer +him--'Very well; but you must first put yourself in the penitent +thief's place. Are you willing to be hanged, or worse than hanged, +as a punishment for your sins in this world? For, till then, the +penitent thief would certainly not be on the same footing as you.' + +If a man says to himself, I will go on sinning now, on the chance of +repenting at last, and 'making my peace with God,' he is not like the +penitent thief, he is much more like a famous Emperor of Rome, who, +though a Christian in name, put off his baptism till his death-bed, +fancying that by it his sins would be washed away, once and for all, +and made use of the meantime in murdering his eldest son and his +nephew, and committing a thousand follies and cruelties. Whether his +death-bed repentance, purposely put off in order to give him time to +sin, was of any use to him, let your own consciences judge. + +Has, then, this story of the penitent thief no comfort for us? God +forbid! Why else was it put into Christ's Gospel of good news? +Surely, there is comfort in it. + +Only let us take the story honestly, and word for word as it stands. +So we may hope to be taught by it what it was meant to teach us. + +He was a robber. The word means, not a petty thief, but a robber; +and his being put to such a terrible death shows the same thing. +Most probably he had belonged to one of the bands of robbers which +haunted the mountains of Judea in those days, as they used in old +times to haunt the forests in England, and as they do now in Italy +and Spain, and other waste and wild countries. Some of these robbers +would, of course, be shameless and hardened ruffians; as that robber +seems to have been who insulted our Lord upon the very cross. Others +among them would not be lost to all sense of good. Young men who got +into trouble ran away from home, and joined these robber-bands, and +found pleasure in the wild and dangerous life. + +There is a beautiful story told of such a young robber in the life of +the blessed Apostle St. John. A young man at Ephesus who had become +a Christian, and of whom St. John was very fond, got into trouble +while St. John was away, and had to flee for his life into the +mountains. There he joined a band of robbers, and was so daring and +desperate that they soon chose him as their captain. St. John came +back, and found the poor lad gone. St. John had stood at the foot of +the cross years before, and heard his Lord pardon the penitent thief; +and he knew how to deal with such wild souls. And what did he do? +Give him up for lost? No! He set off, old as he was, by himself, +straight for the mountains, in spite of the warnings of his friends +that he would be murdered, and that this young man was the most +desperate and bloodthirsty of all the robbers. At last he found the +young robber. And what did the robber do? As soon as he saw St. +John coming--before St. John could speak a word to him, he turned, +and ran away for shame; and old St. John followed him, never saying a +harsh word to him, but only crying after him, 'My son, my son, come +back to your father!' and at last he found him, where he was hidden, +and held him by his clothes, and embraced him, and pleaded with him +so, that the poor fellow burst into tears, and let St. John lead him +away; and so that blessed St. John went down again to Ephesus in joy +and triumph, bringing his lost lamb with him. + +Now, such a man one can well believe this penitent thief to have +been. A man who, however bad he had been, had never lost the feeling +that he was meant for better things; whose conscience had never died +out in him. He may have been such a man. He MUST have been such a +man. For such faith as he showed on the cross does not grow up in an +hour or a day. I do not mean the feeling that he deserved his +punishment (that might come to a man very suddenly) but the feeling +that Christ was the Lord, and the King of the Jews. He must have +bought that by terrible struggles of mind, by bitter shame and self- +reproach. He had heard, I suppose, of Christ's miracles and mercy, +of his teaching, of his being the friend of publicans and sinners, +had admired the Lord Jesus, and thought him excellent and noble. But +he could not have done that without the Holy Spirit of God. It was +the Holy Spirit striving with his sinful heart, which convinced him +of Christ's righteousness. But the Holy Spirit would have convinced +him, too, of his own sin. The more he admired our Lord, the more he +must have despised himself for being unlike our Lord; and, doubt it +not, he had passed many bitter hours, perhaps bitter years, seeing +what was right, and yet doing what was wrong from bad habits or bad +company, before he came to his end upon the gallows-tree. And there +while he hung in torture on the cross, the whole truth came to him at +last. God's Spirit shone truly on him at last, and divided the light +from the darkness in his poor wretched heart. All the good which had +been in him came out once and for all. Christ's light had been +shining in the darkness of his heart, and the darkness had been +trying to take it in, and close over it, but it could not; and now +the light had conquered the darkness, and all was clear to him at +last. He never despised himself so much, he never admired Christ so +much, as when they hung side by side in the same condemnation. Side +by side they hung, scorned alike, crucified alike, seemingly come +alike to open shame and ruin. And yet he could see that though he +deserved all his misery, that the man who hung by him not only did +not deserve it, but was his Lord, the Lord, the King of the Jews, and +that--of course he knew not how--the cross would not destroy him; +that he would come in his kingdom. How he found out that, no man can +tell; the Spirit of God taught him, the Spirit of God alone, to see +in that crucified man the Lord of glory, and to cast himself humbly +before his love and power, in hope that there might be mercy even for +him--'Lord, remember me when thou comest to thy kingdom.' There was +faith indeed, and humility indeed; royal faith and royal humility +coming out in that dying robber. And so, if you ask--How was that +robber justified by his works? How could his going into Paradise be +the receiving of the due reward of the deeds done in his body whether +they be good or evil. I say he WAS justified by his works. He DID +receive the due reward of his deeds. One great and noble deed, even +that saying of his in his dying agony,--that showed that whatever his +heart had been, it was now right with God. He could not only confess +God's justice against sin in his own punishment, but he could see +God's beauty, God's glory, yea, God himself in that man who hung by +him, helpless like himself, scourged like himself, crucified like +himself, like himself a scorn to men. He could know that Christ was +Christ, even on the cross, and know that Christ would conquer yet, +and come to his kingdom. That was indeed a faith in the merits of +Christ enough to justify him or any man alive. + +Now what has all this to do with you or me living an easy, +comfortable life in sin here, and hoping to die an easy, comfortable +death after all, and get to heaven by having in a clergyman to read +and pray a little with us; and saying a few words of formal +repentance, when perhaps our body and our mind are so worn out and +dulled by illness that we hardly know what we say? No, my friends, +if our hearts be right, we shall not think of the penitent thief to +give us comfort about our own souls; but we shall think of it and +love it, to give us comfort about the souls of many a man or woman +for whom we care. + +How many men there are who are going wrong, very wrong; and yet whom +we cannot help liking, even loving! In the midst of all their sins, +there is something in them which will not let us give them up. +Perhaps, kind-heartedness. Perhaps, an honest respect for good men, +and for good and right conduct; loving the better, while they choose +the worse. Perhaps, a real shame and sorrow when they have broken +out and done wrong; and even though we know that they will go and do +wrong again, we cannot help liking them, cannot give them up. Then +let us believe that God will not give them up, any more than he gave +up the penitent thief. If there be something in them that we love, +let us believe that God loves it also; and what is more, that God put +it into them, as he did into the penitent thief; and let us hope (we +cannot of course be certain, but we may hope) that God will take care +of it, and make it conquer, as he did in the penitent thief. Let us +hope that God's light will conquer their darkness; God's strength +conquer their weakness; God's peace, their violence; God's heavenly +grace their earthly passions. Let us hope for them, I say. + +When we hear, as we often hear, people say, 'What a noble-hearted man +that is after all, and yet he is going to the devil!' let us remember +the penitent thief and have hope. Who would have seemed to have gone +to the devil more hopelessly than that poor thief when he hung upon +the cross? And yet the devil did not have him. There was in him a +seed of good, and of eternal life, which the devil had not trampled +out; and that seed flowered and bore fruit upon the very cross in +noble thoughts and words and deeds. Why may it not be so with +others? True, they may receive the due reward of their deeds. They +may end in shame and misery, like the penitent thief. Perhaps it may +be good for them to do so. If a man will sow the wind, it may be +good for him to reap the whirlwind, and so find out that sowing the +wind will not prosper. The penitent thief did so. As the proverb +is, he sowed the gallows-acorn, poor wretch, and he reaped the +gallows-tree; but that gallows-tree taught him to confess God's +justice, and his own sin, and so it may teach others. + +Yes, let us hope; and when we see some one whom we love, and cannot +help loving, bringing misery on himself by his own folly, let us hope +and pray that the day may come to him when, in the midst of his +misery, all that better nature in him shall come out once and for +all, and he shall cry out of the deep to Christ, 'I only receive the +due reward of my deeds; I have earned my shame; I have earned my +sorrow. Lord, I have deserved it all. I look back on wasted time +and wasted powers. I look round on ruined health, ruined fortune, +ruined hopes, and confess that I deserve it all. But thou hast +endured more than this for me, though thou hast deserved nothing, and +hast done nothing amiss. Thou hast done nothing amiss by me. Thou +hast been fair to me, and given me a fair chance; and more than that, +thou hast endured all for me. For me thou didst suffer; for me thou +hast been crucified; and me thou hast been trying to seek and to save +all through the years of my vanity. Perhaps I have not wearied out +thy love; perhaps I have not conquered thy patience. I will take the +blessed chance. I will still cast myself upon thy love. Lord, I +have deserved all my misery; yet, Lord, remember me when thou comest +into thy kingdom. + +Oh, my friends, let us hope that that prayer will go up, even out of +the wildest heart, in God's good time; and that it will not go up in +vain. + + + +SERMON XXXII. THE TEMPER OF CHRIST + + + +PHILIPPIANS ii. 4. + +Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. + +What mind? What sort of mind and temper ought to be in us? St. Paul +tells us in this chapter, very plainly and at length, what sort of +temper he means; and how it showed itself in Christ; and how it ought +to show itself in us. + +'All of you,' he tells us, 'be like-minded, having the same love; +being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife +or vain-glory: but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others +better than himself. Look not every man on his own things, but every +man also on the things of others.' + +First, be like-minded, having the same love. Men cannot all be of +exactly the same opinion on every point, simply because their +characters are different; and the old proverb, 'Many men, many +minds,' will stand true in one sense to the end of the world. But in +another sense it need not. People may differ in little matters of +opinion, without hating and despising, and speaking ill of each other +on these points; they may agree to differ, and yet keep the same love +toward God and toward each other; they may keep up a kindly feeling +toward each other; and they will do so, if they have in their hearts +the same love of God. If we really love God, and long to do good, +and to work for God; if we really love our neighbours, and wish to +help them, then we shall have no heart to quarrel--indeed, we shall +have no time to quarrel--about HOW the good is to be done, provided +IT IS done; and we shall remember our Lord's own words to St. John, +when St. John said, 'Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy +name, and he followeth not us: wilt thou therefore that we forbid +him?' + +And Jesus said, 'Forbid him NOT.' + +'Forbid him not,' said Jesus himself. He that hath ears to hear his +Saviour's words, let him hear. + +'Therefore,' St. Paul says, 'let nothing be done through strife or +vain-glory.' It is a very sad thing to think that the human heart is +so corrupt, that we should be tempted to do good, and to show our +piety, through strife or vain-glory. But so it is. Party spirit, +pride, the wish to show the world how pious we are, the wish to make +ourselves out better and more reverent than our neighbours, too often +creep into our prayers and our worship, and turn our feasts of +charity into feasts of uncharitableness, vanity, ambition. + +So it was in St. Paul's time. Some, he says, preached Christ out of +contention, hoping to add affliction to his bonds. Not that he hated +them for it, or tried to stop them. Any way, he said, Christ was +preached, whether out of party-spirit against him, or out of love to +Christ; any way Christ was preached: and he would and did rejoice in +that thought. Again I say, 'He that hath ears to hear, let him +hear.' + +'Esteem others better than ourselves?' God forgive us! which of us +does that? Is not one's first feeling not 'Others are better than +me,' but 'I am as good as my neighbour, and perhaps better too?' +People say it, and act up to it also, every day. If we would but +take St. Paul's advice, and be humble; if we would take more for +granted that our neighbours have common sense as well as we, +experience as well as we, the wish to do right as well as we--and +perhaps more than we have; and therefore listen HUMBLY (that is St. +Paul's word, bitter though it may be to our carnal pride), listen +humbly to every one who is in earnest, or speaks of what he knows and +feels! People are better than we fancy, and have more in them than +we fancy; and if they do not show that they have, it is three times +out of four our own fault. Instead of esteeming them better than +ourselves, and asking their advice, and calling out their experience, +we are too in such a hurry to show them that we are better than they, +and to thrust our advice upon them, that we give them no +encouragement to speak, often no time to speak; and so they are +silent and think the more, and remain shut up in themselves, and +often pass for stupider people and worse people than they really are. +Because we will not begin by doing justice to our neighbours, we +prevent them doing justice to themselves. + +Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the +things of others. Ah, my friends, if we could but do that heartily +and always, what a different world it would be, and what different +people we should be! If, instead of saying to ourselves, as one is +so apt to do, 'Will this suit my interest? will this help me?' we +would recollect to say too, 'Will this suit my neighbours' interest? +Will this harm my neighbours, though it may help me? For if it hurts +them, I will have nothing to do with it.' + +If, again, instead of saying to ourselves, as we are too apt to do, +'This is what I like, and done it shall be,' we would generously and +courteously think more of what other people like; what will please +them, instruct them, comfort them, soften for them the cares of life, +and lighten the burden of mortality--how much happier would not only +they be, but we also! + +For this, my friends, is the very likeness of Christ, who pleased not +himself; the very likeness of Christ, who sacrificed himself. + +And for this very reason St. Paul puts it the last of all his +advices, because it is the greatest; the summing up of all; the +fulfilment of the whole law, which says, 'Thou shalt love thy +neighbour as thyself;' and therefore after it he can give no more +advice, for there is none better left to give: but he goes on at +once to speak of Christ, who fulfilled that whole law of love, and +more than fulfilled it; for instead of merely loving his neighbours +AS he loved himself (which is all God asks of us), Christ loved his +enemies better than himself, and died for them. + +So says St. Paul.--'Look not every man on his own things, but on +other people's interest and comfort also. Let this mind be in you, +which was also in Christ Jesus.' What mind? The mind which looks +not merely on its own things, its own interest, its own reputation, +its own opinions, likes, and dislikes, but on those of others, and +has learnt to live and let live. + +Yes, this, he says, is the mind of Christ. And this mind, and +spirit, and temper, he showed before all heaven and earth, when, +though he was in the form of God, and therefore, (as some interpret +the text) would have done no robbery, no injustice, by remaining for +ever equal with God (that is, in the co-equal and co-eternal glory +which he had with the Father), yet made himself of no reputation, and +took on him the form of a slave, and was obedient to death, even the +death of the cross. + +My friends, I beseech you, young and old, rich and poor, remember the +full meaning of these glorious words, and of those which follow them. + +'Wherefore God hath highly exalted him.' Why? What was it in Christ +which was so precious, so glorious, in the eyes of the Almighty +Father, that no reward seemed too great for him? What but this very +spirit of fellow-feeling and tenderness, charity, self-sacrifice-- +even the Holy Spirit of God himself, with which Christ was filled +without measure? + +Because Christ utterly and perfectly looked not on his own things, +but on the things of others: because he was pity itself, patience +itself, love itself, in the soul and body of a human being; therefore +his Father declared of him, 'This, this is my well-beloved Son, in +whom I am well pleased.' Therefore it was that he highly exalted +him; therefore it was that he proclaimed him to be worthy of all +honour and worship, the most perfect, lovely, admirable, and adorable +of all beings in heaven and earth; not merely because he showed +himself to be light of light, or wisdom of wisdom, or power of power; +but because he showed himself to be love of love, and therefore very +God of very God begotten, whom men and angels could not reverence, +admire, adore, imitate too much, but were to see in him the +perfection of all beauty, all virtue, all greatness, the likeness of +his Father's glory, and the express image of his person. + +And therefore it is a very good and beautiful old custom to bow when +the name of Jesus is mentioned; at least, when it is mentioned for +the first time, or under any very solemn circumstances. It helps to +remind us that he is really our King and Lord. It helps, too, to +remind us that he is actually and really near us, standing by us, +looking at us face to face, though we see him not; and I am willing +to say for myself that whenever I recollect that he is looking at me +(alas! that is not a hundredth part often enough), I cannot help +bowing almost without any will of my own. But, remember, there is no +commandment for it. It is just one of those things on which a +Christian is free to do what he likes, and for which every Christian +is forbidden to judge or blame another, according to St. Paul's rule, +He that observeth the day, to the Lord he observeth it; and he that +observeth it not, to the Lord he observeth it not. Who art thou that +judgest another? To his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, and +he shall stand, for God is able to make him stand. Beside, the text +says, if we are to take it literally, as we always ought with +Scripture, not that every HEAD shall bow at the name of Jesus, but +every knee. And to kneel down every time we repeat that holy name +would be impossible. While, on the other hand, we DO bow our knees, +literally and in earnest, at the name of Jesus every time we kneel +down in church, every time we kneel down to say our prayers. And if +any man is content with that, no one has the least right to blame +him. + +Besides, my friends, there is, I know too well, a great danger in +making too much of these little outward ceremonies, especially with +children and young people. For the heart of man is just as fond as +it ever was of idolatry, and superstition, and will-worship, and +voluntary humility, and paying tithe of mint, anise, and cummin, +while it neglects the weightier matters of the law, justice, mercy, +and judgment: and, therefore, there is very great danger, if we make +too much of these ceremonies, harmless and even good as many of them +may be, of getting to rest in them, and thinking that God is pleased +with them themselves. Whereas, what God looks at is the heart, the +spirit, the soul; and whether it is right or wrong, proud or humble, +hard or loving: and if we think so much of the outward and visible +form, that we forget the inward and spiritual grace, for which it +ought to stand, then we lay a snare for our own souls to turn them +away from the worship of the living God, and break the second +commandment. Much more, if we pride ourselves on being more reverent +than our neighbours in these outward forms, and look down on, and +grudge at, those who do not practise them; for then we turn our +humility into pride, and our reverence to Christ into an insult to +him; for the true way to honour Christ is to copy Christ. No one +really honours and admires Christ's character who does not copy him; +and to esteem ourselves better than others, to say in our hearts, +'Stand by, for I am holier than thou,' to offend and drive away +Christ's little ones, and wound the consciences of weak brethren by +insisting on things against which they have a prejudice, is to run +exactly counter to Christ and the mind of Christ, and to be more like +the Pharisees than the Lord Jesus. That is not surely esteeming +others better than ourselves: that is not surely looking not merely +on our own things, but also on the things of others; that is not +fulfilling the law of love; that is not following St. Paul's example, +who gave up, he says, doing many things which he thought right, +because they offended weaker spirits than his own. 'All things,' he +says, 'are lawful to me, but all things are not expedient.' 'Ay,' +says he, 'I would eat no meat while the world standeth, if it cause +my brother to offend.' + +No, my dear friends, let us rather, in this coming Passion week, take +the lesson which the services of the Church give us in this Epistle. +Let us keep Passion week really and in spirit, by remembering that it +means the week of suffering, in which Christ, instead of pleasing +himself, conquered himself, and gave up himself, and let wicked men +do with him whatsoever they would. Let us honour the holy name of +Jesus in spirit and in truth, and bend not merely our necks or our +knees, when we hear his name, but bend those stiff necks of our +souls, and those stubborn knees of our hearts; let us conquer our +self-will, self-opinion, self-conceit, self-interest, and take his +yoke upon us, for he is meek and lowly of heart. This is the Passion +week which he has chosen;--to distrust ourselves, and our own +opinions, likings and fancies. This is the repentance, and this is +the humiliation which he has chosen;--to entreat him (now and at +once, lest by pride we give place to the devil, and fall while we +think we stand) to forgive us every hard, and proud, and conceited, +and self-willed thought, and word, and deed, to which we have given +way since we were born; to pray to him for really new hearts, really +tender hearts, really humble hearts, really broken and contrite +hearts; to look at his beautiful tenderness, patience, sympathy, +understanding, generosity, self-sacrifice; and then to look at +ourselves, and be shocked, and ashamed, and confounded, at the +difference between ourselves and him; and so really to honour the +name of Jesus, who humbled himself, even to the death upon the cross. + +I am not judging you, my friends; I am judging myself lest God judge +me; and telling you how to judge yourselves, lest God judge you. +Believe me, if you will but take his yoke on you, you will find it an +easy yoke and a light burden; you will find yourselves happier, your +duty simpler, your prospects clearer, your path through life +smoother, your character higher and more amiable in the eyes of all, +and you yourselves holy and fit to share on Easter day in the +precious body and blood of him who gave himself up to death that he +might draw all men to himself; and so draw them all to each other, as +children of one common Father, and brothers of Jesus Christ your +Lord. + + + +SERMON XXXIII. THE FRIEND OF SINNERS + + + +(Preached in London.) + +MARK ii. 15, 16. + +And it came to pass, that, as Jesus sat at meat in his house, many +publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and his disciples: +for there were many, and they followed him. And when the scribes and +Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners they said onto his +disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and +sinners? + +We cannot wonder at the scribes and Pharisees asking this question. +I think that we should most of us ask the same question now, if we +saw the Lord Jesus, or even if we saw any very good or venerable man, +going out of his way to eat and drink with publicans and sinners. We +should be inclined to say, as the scribes and Pharisees no doubt +said, Why go out of his way to make fellowship with them? to eat and +drink with them? He might have taught them, preached to them, warned +them of God's wrath against their sins when he could find them out in +the street. Or, even if he could not do that, if he could not find +them all together without going into their house, why sit down and +eat and drink? Why not say, No--I am not going to join with you in +that? I am come on a much more solemn and important errand than +eating. I have no time to eat. I must preach to you, ere it be too +late. And you would have no appetite to eat, if you knew the +terrible danger in which your souls are. Besides, however anxious +for your souls I am, you cannot expect me to treat you as friends, to +make companions of you, and accept your hospitality, while you are +living these bad lives. I shall always feel pity and sorrow for you: +but I cannot be a table companion with you, till you begin to lead +very different lives. + +Now if the scribes and Pharisees had said that, should we have +thought them very unreasonable? For whatsoever kinds of sinners the +sinners were, these publicans were the very worst and lowest of +company. They were not innkeepers, as the word means now; they were +a kind of tax-gatherers: but not like ours in England. For first, +these taxes were not taken by the Jewish government, but by the +Romans--heathen foreigners who had conquered them, and kept them down +by soldiery quartered in their country. So that these publicans, who +gathered taxes and tribute for the heathen Caesar of Rome from their +own countrymen, were traitors to their country, in league with their +foreign tyrants, as it were devouring their own flesh and blood; and +all the Jews looked on them (and really no wonder) with hatred and +contempt. Beside, these publicans did not merely gather the taxes, +as they do in free England; they farmed them, compounded for them +with the Roman emperor; that is, they had each to bring in to the +Romans a stated sum of money, each out of his own district, and to +make their own profit out of the bargain by grinding out of the poor +Jews all they could over and above; and most probably calling in the +soldiery to help them if people would not pay. So this was a trade, +as you may easily see, which could only prosper by all kinds of petty +extortion, cruelty, and meanness; and, no doubt, these publicans were +devourers of the poor, and as unjust and hard-hearted men as one +could be. As for those 'sinners' who are so often mentioned with +them, I suppose this is what the word means. These publicans making +their money ill, spent it ill also, in a low profligate way, with the +worst of women and of men. Moreover, all the other Jews shunned +them, and would not eat or keep company with them; so they hung all +together, and made company for themselves with bad people, who were +fallen too low to be ashamed of them. The publicans and harlots are +often mentioned together; and, I doubt not, they were often eating +and drinking together, God help them! + +And God did help them. The Son of God came and ate and drank with +them. No doubt, he heard many words among them which pained his +ears, saw many faces which shocked his eyes; faces of women who had +lost all shame; faces of men hardened by cruelty, and greediness, and +cunning, till God's image had been changed into the likeness of the +fox and the serpent; and, worst of all, the greatest pain to him of +all, he could see into their hearts, their immortal souls, and see +all the foulness within them, all the meanness, all the hardness, all +the unbelief in anything good or true. And yet he ate and drank with +them. Make merry with them he could not: who could be merry in such +company? but he certainly so behaved to them that they were glad to +have him among them, though he was so unlike them in thought, and +word, and look, and action. + +And why? Because, though he was so unlike them in many things, he +was like them at least in one thing. If he could do nothing else in +common with them, he could at least eat and drink as they did, and +eat and drink with them too. Yes. He was the Son of man, the man of +all men, and what he wanted to make them understand was, that, fallen +as low as they were, they were men and women still, who were made at +first in God's likeness, and who could be redeemed back into God's +likeness again. + +The only way to do that was to begin with them in the very simplest +way; to meet them on common human ground; to make them feel that, +simply because they were men and women, he felt for them; that, +simply because they were men and women, he loved them; that, simply +because they were men and women, he could not turn his back upon +them, for the sake of his Father and their Father in heaven. If he +had left those poor wretches to themselves; if he had even merely +kept apart from their common every-day life, and preached to them, +they would never have felt that there was still hope for them, simply +because they were men and women. They would have said in their +hearts, 'See; he will talk to us: but he looks down on us all the +time. We are fallen so low, we cannot rise; we cannot mend. What is +there in us that can mend? We are nothing but brutes, perhaps; then +brutes we must remain. Heaven is for people like him, perhaps; but +not for such as us. We are cut off from men. We have no brothers +upon earth, no Father in heaven.' 'Let us eat and drink, for to- +morrow we die.' + +Yes; they would have said this; for people like them will say it too +often now, here in Christian England. + +But when our Lord came to them, ate and drank with them, talked with +them in a homely and simple way (for our Lord's words are always +simple and homely, grand and deep and wonderful as they are), then do +you not see how SELF-RESPECT would begin to rise in those poor +sinners' hearts? Not that they would say, 'We are better men than we +thought we were.' No; perhaps his kindness would make them all the +more ashamed of themselves, and convince them of sin all the more +deeply; for nothing, nothing melts the sinner's hard, proud heart, +like a few unexpected words of kindness--ay, even a cordial shake of +the hand from any one who he fancies looks down on him. To find a +loving brother, where he expected only a threatening schoolmaster-- +that breaks the sinner's heart; and most of all when he finds that +brother in Jesus his Saviour. That--the sight of God's boundless +love to sinners, as it is revealed in the loving face of Jesus Christ +our Lord--that, and that alone, breeds in the sinner the broken and +the contrite heart which is in the sight of God of great price. And +so, those publicans and sinners would not have begun to say, We are +better than we thought: but, We can become better than we thought. +He must see something in us which makes him care for us. Perhaps God +may see something in us to care for. He does not turn his back on +us. Perhaps God may not. He must have some hope of us. May we not +have hope of ourselves? Surely there is a chance for us yet. Oh! if +there were! We are miserable now in the midst of our drunkenness, +and our covetousness, and our riotous pleasures. We are ashamed of +ourselves: and our countrymen are ashamed of us: and though we try +to brazen it off by impudence, we carry heavy hearts under bold +foreheads. Oh, that we could be different! Oh, that we could be +even like what we were when we were little children! Perhaps we may +be yet. For he treats us as if we were men and women still, his +brothers and sisters still. He thinks that we are not quite brute +animals yet, it seems. Perhaps we are not; perhaps there is life in +us yet, which may grow up to a new and better way of living. What +shall we do to be saved? + +O blessed charity, bond of peace and of all virtues; of brotherhood +and fellow-feeling between man and man, as children of one common +Father. Ay, bond of all virtues--of generosity and of justice, of +counsel and of understanding. Charity, unknown on earth before the +coming of the Son of man, who was content to be called gluttonous and +a wine-bibber, because he was the friend of publicans and sinners! + +My friends, let us try to follow his steps; let us remember all day +long what it is to be MEN; that it is to have every one whom we meet +for our brother in the sight of God; that it is this, never to meet +any one, however bad he may be, for whom we cannot say, 'Christ died +for that man, and Christ cares for him still. He is precious in +God's eyes; he shall be precious in mine also.' Let us take the +counsel of the Gospel for this day, and love one another, not in word +merely--in doctrine, but in deed and in truth, really and actually; +in our every-day lives and behaviour, words, looks--in all of them +let us be cordial, feeling, pitiful, patient, courteous. Masters +with your workmen, teachers with your pupils, parents with your +children, be cordial, and kind, and patient; respect every one, +whether below you or not in the world's eyes. Never do a thing to +any human being which may lessen his self-respect; which may make him +think that you look down upon him, and so make him look down upon +himself in awkwardness and shyness; or else may make him start off +from you, angry and proud, saying, 'I am as good as you; and if you +keep apart from me, I will from you; if you can do without me, I can +do without you. I want none of your condescension.' It is NOT so. +You cannot do without each other. We can none of us do without the +other; do not let us make any one fancy that he can, and tempt him to +wrap himself up in pride and surliness, cutting himself off from the +communion of saints, and the blessing of being a man among men. + +And if any of you have a neighbour, or a relation fallen into sin, +even into utter shame;--oh, for the sake of Him who ate and drank +with publicans and sinners, never cast them off, never trample on +them, never turn your back upon them. They are miserable enough +already, doubt it not. Do not add one drop to their cup of +bitterness. They are ashamed of themselves already, doubt it not. +Do not you destroy in them what small grain of self-respect still +remains. You fancy they are not so. They seem to you brazen-faced, +proud, impenitent. So did the publicans and harlots seem to those +proud, blind Pharisees. Those pompous, self-righteous fools did not +know what terrible struggles were going on in those poor sin- +tormented hearts. Their pride had blinded them, while they were +saying all along, 'It is we alone who see. This people, which +knoweth not the law, is accursed.' Then came the Lord Jesus, the Son +of man, who knew what was in man; and he spoke to them gently, +cordially, humanly; and they heard him, and justified God, and were +baptized, confessing their sins; and so, as he said himself, the +publicans and harlots went into the kingdom of God before those +proud, self-conceited Pharisees. + +Therefore, I say, never hurt any one's self-respect. Never trample +on any soul, though it may be lying in the veriest mire; for that +last spark of self-respect is as its only hope, its only chance; the +last seed of a new and better life; the voice of God which still +whispers to it, 'You are not what you ought to be, and you are not +what you can be. You are still God's child, still an immortal soul: +you may rise yet, and fight a good fight yet, and conquer yet, and be +a man once more, after the likeness of God who made you, and Christ +who died for you!' Oh, why crush that voice in any heart? If you +do, the poor creature is lost, and lies where he or she falls, and +never tries to rise again. Rather bear and forbear; hope all things, +believe all things, endure all things; so you will, as St. John tells +you in the Epistle, know that you are of the truth, in the true and +right road, and will assure your hearts before God. For this is his +commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus +Christ, and believe really that he is now what he always was, the +friend of publicans and sinners, and love one another as he gave us +commandment. That was Christ's spirit; the fairest, the noblest +spirit upon earth; the spirit of God whose mercy is over all his +works; and hereby shall we know that Christ abideth in us, by his +having given us the same spirit of pity, charity, fellow-feeling and +love for every human being round us. + +And now, I will also give you one lesson to carry home with you--a +lesson which if we all could really believe and obey, the world would +begin to mend from to-morrow, and every other good work on earth +would prosper and multiply tenfold, a hundredfold--ay, beyond all our +fairest dreams. And my lesson is this. When you go out from this +church into those crowded streets, remember that there is not a soul +in them who is not as precious in God's eyes as you are; not a little +dirty ragged child whom Jesus, were he again on earth, would not take +up in his arms and bless; not a publican or a harlot with whom, if +they but asked him, he would not eat and drink--now, here, in London +on this Sunday, the 8th of June, 1856, as certainly as he did in +Jewry beyond the seas, eighteen hundred years ago. Therefore do to +all who are in want of your help as Jesus would do to them if he were +here; as Jesus is doing to them already: for he is here among us +now, and for ever seeking and saving that which was lost; and all we +have to do is to believe that, and work on, sure that he is working +at our head, and that though we cannot see him, he sees us; and then +all will prosper at last, for this brave old earth whereon we are +living now, and for that far braver new heaven and new earth whereon +we shall live hereafter. + + + +SERMON XXXIV. THE SEA OF GLASS + + + +(Trinity Sunday.) + +REVELATION iv. 9, 10, 11. + +And when those beasts give glory, and honour, and thanks to him that +sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, the four and twenty +elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him +that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the +throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and +honour, and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy +pleasure they are and were created. + +The Church bids us read this morning the first chapter of Genesis, +which tells us of the creation of the world. Not merely on account +of that most important text, which, according to some divines, seems +to speak of the ever-blessed Trinity, and brings in God as saying, +'Let US make man in OUR image;' not, Let me make man in my image; +but, Let US, in OUR image.--Not merely for this reason is Gen. i. a +fit lesson for Trinity Sunday: but because it tells us of the whole +world, and all that is therein, and who made it, and how. It does +not tell us why God made the world; but the Revelations do, and the +text does. And therefore perhaps it is a good thing for us that +Trinity Sunday comes always in the sweet spring time, when all nature +is breaking out into new life, when leaves are budding, flowers +blossoming, birds building, and countless insects springing up to +their short and happy life. This wonderful world in which we live +has awakened again from its winter's sleep. How are we to think of +it, and of all the strange and beautiful things in it? Trinity +Sunday tells us; for Trinity Sunday bids us think of and believe a +matter which we cannot understand--a glorious and unspeakable God, +who is at the same time One and Three. We cannot understand that. +No more can we understand anything else. We cannot understand how +the grass grows beneath our feet. We cannot understand how the egg +becomes a bird. We cannot understand how the butterfly is the very +same creature which last autumn was a crawling caterpillar. We +cannot understand how an atom of our food is changed within our +bodies into a drop of living blood. We cannot understand how this +mortal life of ours depends on that same blood. We do not know even +what life is. We do not know what our own souls are. We do not know +what our own bodies are. We know nothing. We know no more about +ourselves and this wonderful world than we do of the mystery of the +ever-blessed Trinity. That, of course, is the greatest wonder of +all. For, as I shall try to show you presently, God himself must be +more wonderful than all things which he has made. But all that he +has made is wonderful; and all that we can say of it is, to take up +the heavenly hymn which this chapter in the Revelations puts into our +mouths, and join with the elders of heaven, and all the powers of +nature, in saying, 'Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and +honour, and power; for thou hast created all things, and for thy +pleasure they are and were created.' + +Let us do this. Let us open our eyes, and see honestly what a +wonderful world we live in; and go about all our days in wonder and +humbleness of heart, confessing that we know nothing, and that we +cannot know; confessing that we are fearfully and wonderfully made, +and that our soul knows right well; but that beyond we know nothing; +though God knows all; for in his book were all our members written, +which day by day were fashioned, while as yet there were none of +them. 'How great are thy counsels, O God! they are more than I am +able to express,' said David of old, who knew not a tenth part of the +natural wonders which we know; 'more in number than the hairs of my +head, if I were to speak of them.' + +This will keep us from that proud and yet shallow temper of mind +which people are apt to fall into, especially young men who are +clever and self-educated, and those who live in great towns, and so +lose the sight of the wonderful works of God in the fields and woods, +and see hardly anything but what man has made; and therefore forget +how weak and ignorant even the wisest man is, and how little he +understands of this great and glorious world. + +Such people are apt to fancy men are clever enough to understand +anything. Then they say, 'Why am I to believe anything I cannot +understand?' And then they laugh at the mysteries of faith, and say, +'Three Persons in one God! I cannot understand that! Why am I +expected to believe it?' + +Now, here is the plain answer to such unwise speech (for unwise it +is, let it be dressed up in all fine long words, and show of wisdom), +whether the doctrine be true or not, your not understanding the +matter is no reason against it. Here is the answer: 'You DO believe +all day long a hundred things which you do not understand; which +quite surpass your reason. You believe that you are alive: but you +do not understand how you live. You believe that, though you are +made up of so many different faculties and powers, you are one +person: but you cannot understand how. You believe that though your +body and your mind too have gone through so many changes since you +were born, yet you are still one and the same person, and nobody else +but yourself; but you cannot understand that either. You know it is +so; but how and why it is so, you cannot explain; and the greatest +philosopher would not be foolish enough to try to explain; because, +if he is a really great scholar, he knows that it cannot be +explained. You lift your hand to your head: but how you do it, +neither you nor any mortal man knows; and true philosophers tell you +that we shall probably never know. True philosophers tell you that +in the simplest movement of your body, in the growth of the meanest +blade of grass, let them examine it with the microscope, let them +think over it till their brains are weary, there is always some +mystery, some wonder over and above, which neither their glasses nor +their brains can explain, or even find and see, much less give a name +to. They know that there is more in the matter, in the simplest +matter, than man can find out; and they are content to leave the +wonder in the hands of God who made it; and when they have found out +all they can, confess, that the more they know, the less they find +they know. + +I tell you frankly, my friends, if you were to see through the +microscope a few of the wonderful things which are going on round you +now in every leaf, and every gnat which dances in the sunbeam; if you +were to learn even the very little which is known about them, you +would see wonders which would surpass your powers of reasoning, just +as much as that far greater wonder of the ever-blessed Trinity; +things which you would not believe, if your own eyes did not show +them you. + +And what if it be strange? What is there to surprise us in that? If +the world be so wonderful, how much more wonderful must that great +God be who made the world, and keeps it always living? If the +smallest blade of grass be past our understanding, how much more past +our understanding must be the Absolute, Eternal, Almighty God? Do +you not see that common sense and reason lead us to expect that God +should be the most wonderful of all beings and things; that there +must be some mystery and wonder in him which is greater than all +mysteries and wonders upon earth, just as much as HE is greater than +all heaven and earth? Which must be most wonderful, the maker or the +thing made? Thou art man, made in the likeness of God. Thou canst +not understand thyself. How much less canst thou understand God, in +whose likeness thou art made! + +For my part, instead of keeping people from learning, lest they +should grow proud, and despise the mysteries of faith, I would make +them learn, and entreat them to learn, and look seriously and +patiently at all the wonderful things which are going on round them +all day long; for I am sure that they would be so much astonished +with what they saw on earth, that they would not be astonished, much +less staggered, at anything they heard of in heaven; and least of all +astonished at being told that the name of Almighty God was too deep +for the little brain of mortal man; and that they would learn more +and more to take humbly, like little children, every hint which the +experience of wise and good men of old time gives us of the +everlasting mystery of mysteries, the glory of the Triune God, which +St. John saw in the spirit. + +And what did St. John see? Something beyond even an apostle's +understanding. Something which he could only see himself dimly, and +describe to us in figures and pictures, as it were, to help us to +imagine that great wonder. + +He was in the spirit, he says, when he saw it. That is, he did not +see it with his bodily eyes, but with his soul, his heart and mind. +Not with his bodily eyes (for no man hath seen God at any time), but +with his mind's eye, which God had enlightened by his Holy Spirit. + +He sees a throne in heaven, and one sitting on it, bright and pure as +richest precious stone; and round his throne a rainbow like an +emerald, the sign to us of hope, and faithfulness, mercy and truth, +which he himself appointed after the flood, to comfort the fearful +hearts of men. Around him are elders crowned; men like ourselves, +but men who have fought the good fight, and conquered, and are now at +rest; pure, as their white garments tell us; and victorious, as their +golden crowns tell us. And from the throne come thunderings, and +lightnings, and voices, as they did when he spoke to the Jews of old- +-signs of his terrible power, as judge, and lawgiver, and avenger of +all the wrong which is done on earth. And there are there, too, +seven burning lamps, the seven spirits of God, which give light and +life to all created things, and most of all to righteous hearts. And +before the throne is a sea of glass; the same sea which St. John saw +in another vision, with us human beings standing on it, and behold it +was mingled with fire;--the sea of time, and space, and mortal life, +on which we all have our little day; the brittle and dangerous sea of +earthly life; for it may crack any moment beneath our feet, and drop +us into eternity, and the nether fire, unless we have his hand +holding us, who conquered time, and life, and death, and hell itself. + +It seems to us to be a great thing now, time, and space, and the +world; and yet it looked small enough to St. John, as it lies in +heaven, before the throne of Christ; and he passes it by in a few +words. For what are all suns and stars, and what are all ages and +generations, and millions and millions of years, compared with +eternity; with God's eternal heaven, and God whom not even heaven can +contain?--One drop of water in comparison with all the rain clouds of +the western sea. + +But there is one comfort for us in St. John's vision; that brittle, +and uncertain, and dangerous as life may be, yet it is before the +throne of God, and before the feet of Christ. St. John saw it lying +there in heaven, for a sign that in God we live, and move, and have +our being. Let us be content, and hope on, and trust on; for God is +with us, and we with God. + +But St. John saw another wonder. Four beasts--one like a man, one +like a calf, one like an eagle, one like a lion, with six wings each. + +What those living creatures mean, I can hardly tell you. Some wise +and learned men say they mean the four Evangelists: but, though +there is much to be said for it, I hardly think that; for St. John, +who saw them, was one of the four Evangelists himself. Others think +they mean great and glorious archangels; and that may be so. But +certainly the Bible always speaks of angels as shaped like men, like +human beings, only more beautiful and glorious. The two angels, for +instance, who appeared to the three men at our Lord's tomb, are +plainly called in one place, young men. I think, rather, that these +four living creatures mean the powers and talents which God has given +to men, that they may replenish the earth, and subdue it. For we +read of these same living creatures in the book of the prophet +Ezekiel; and we see them also on those ancient Assyrian sculptures +which are now in the British Museum; and we have good reason to think +that is what they mean there. The creature with the man's head means +reason; the beast with the lion's head, kingly power and government; +with the eagle's head, and his piercing eye, prudence and foresight; +with the ox's head, labour, and cultivation of the earth, and +successful industry. But whatsoever those living creatures mean, it +is more important to see what they do. They give glory, and honour, +and thanks to him who sits upon the throne. They confess that all +power, all wisdom, all prudence, all success in men or angels, in +earth or heaven, comes from God, and is God's gift, of which he will +require a strict account; for he is Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God +Almighty; and all things are of him, and by him, and for him, for +ever and ever. + +But who is he who sits upon the throne? Who but the Lord Jesus +Christ? Who but the Babe of Bethlehem? Who but the Friend of +publicans and sinners? Who but he who went about doing good to +suffering mortal man? Who but he who died on the cross? Who but he +on whose bosom St. John leaned at supper, and now saw him highly +exalted, having a name above every name? + +Oh, blest St. John, to see that sight! To see his dear Master in his +glory, after having seen him in his humiliation! God grant us so to +follow in St. John's steps, that we may see the same sight, unworthy +though we are, in God's good time. + +And where is God the Father? Yes, where? The heaven, and the heaven +of heavens, cannot contain him, whom no man hath seen, or can see; +who dwells in the light, whom no man can approach unto. Only the +only begotten Son, who dwells in the bosom of the Father, he hath +declared him, and shown to men in his own perfect loveliness and +goodness, what their heavenly Father is. That was enough for St. +John; let it be enough for us. He who has seen Christ has seen the +Father, as far as any created being can see him. The Son Christ is +merciful: therefore the Father is merciful. The Son is just: +therefore the Father is just. The Son is faithful and true: +therefore the Father is faithful and true. The Son is almighty to +save: therefore the Father is almighty to save. Let that be enough +for you and me. + +But where is the Holy Spirit? There is no WHERE for spirits. All +that we can say is, that the Holy Spirit is proceeding for ever from +the Father and the Son; going forth for ever, to bring light and +life, righteousness and love, to all worlds, and to all hearts who +will receive him. The lamps of fire which St. John saw, the dove +which came down at Christ's baptism, the cloven tongues of fire which +sat on the Apostles--these were signs and tokens of the Spirit; but +they were not the Spirit itself. Of him it is written, 'He bloweth +where he listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not +tell whence he cometh or whither he goeth.' + +It is enough for us that he is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the +Holy Father, and of the Holy Son; like them eternal, like them +incomprehensible, like them almighty, like them all-wise, all-just, +all-loving, merciful, faithful, and true for ever. + +This is what St. John saw--Christ the crucified, Christ the Babe of +Bethlehem, in the glory which he had before all worlds, and shall +have for ever; with all the powers of this wondrous world crying to +him for ever, 'Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and +is, and is to come; and the souls of just men made perfect answering +those mystic animals, and joining their hymns of praise to the hymn +which goes up for ever from sun and stars, from earth and sea,--when +they find out the deepest of all wisdom--the lesson which all the +wonders of this earth, and all which ever has happened, or will +happen, in space and time, is meant to teach us + +'Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power; +for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and +were created.' + +This is all that I can tell you. It may be a very little: but is it +not enough? What says Solomon the wise? 'Knowest thou how the bones +grow in the womb?' Not thou. How, then, wilt thou know God, who +made all things? Thou art fearfully and wonderfully made, though +thou art but a poor mortal man. And is not God more fearfully and +wonderfully made than thou art? It is a strange thing, and a +mystery, how we ever got into this world: a stranger thing still to +me, how we shall ever get out of this world again. Yet they are +common things enough--birth and death. 'Every moment dies a man, +every moment one is born:' and yet you do not know what is the +meaning of birth or death either: and I do not know; and no man +knows. How, then, can we know the mystery of God, in whose hand are +the issues of life and death?--God to whom all live for ever, living +and dead, born and unborn, in heaven and in hell? + +So it is in small things as well as great, in great as well as small; +and so it ever will be. 'All things begin in some wonder, and in +some wonder all things end,' said Saint Augustine, wisest in his day +of all mortal men; and all that great scholars have discovered since +prove more and more that Saint Augustine's words were true, and that +the wisest are only, as a great philosopher once said, and one, too, +who discovered more of God's works than any man for many a hundred +years, even Sir Isaac Newton himself: 'The wisest of us is but like +a child picking up a few shells and pebbles on the shore of a +boundless sea.' + +The shells and pebbles are the little scraps of knowledge which God +vouchsafes to us, his sinful children; knowledge, of which at best +St. Paul says, that we know only in part, and prophesy in part, and +think as children; and that knowledge shall vanish away, and tongues +shall cease, and prophecies shall fail. + +And the boundless sea is the great ocean of time--of God's created +universe, above which his Spirit broods over, perfect in love, and +wisdom, and almighty power, as at the beginning, moving above the +face of the waters of time, giving life to all things, for ever +blessing, and for ever blest. + +God grant us all to see the day when we shall have passed safely +across that sea of time, up to the sure land of eternity; and shall +no more think as children, or know in part; but shall see God face to +face, and know him even as we are known; and find him, the nearer we +draw to him, more wonderful, and more glorious, and more good than +ever;--'Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and +is to come.' And meanwhile, take comfort, and recollect however +little you and I may know, God knows: he knows himself, and you, and +me, and all things; and his mercy is over all his works. + + + +SERMON XXXV. A GOD IN PAIN + + + +(Good Friday.) + +HEBREWS ii. 9, 50. + +But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the +suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the +grace of God should taste death for every man. For it became him, +for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many +sons unto glory, to make the Captain of their salvation perfect +through sufferings. + +What are we met together to think of this day? God in pain: God +sorrowing; God dying for man, as far as God could die. Now it is +this;--the blessed news that God suffered pain, God sorrowed, God +died, as far as God could die--which makes the Gospel different from +all other religions in the world; and it is this, too, which makes +the Gospel so strong to conquer men's hearts, and soften them, and +bring them back to God and righteousness in a way no other religion +ever has done. It is the good news of this good day, well called +Good Friday, which wins souls to Christ, and will win them as long as +men are men. + +The heathen, you will find, always thought of their gods as happy. +The gods, they thought, always abide in bliss, far above all the +chances and changes of mortal life; always young, strong, beautiful, +needing no help, needing no pity; and therefore, my friends, never +calling out our love. The heathens never LOVED their gods: they +admired them, thanked them when they thought they helped them; or +they were afraid of them when they thought they were offended. + +But as far as I can find, they never really loved their gods. Love +to God was a new feeling, which first came into the world with the +good news that God had suffered and that God had died upon the cross. +That was a God to be loved, indeed; and all good hearts loved him, +and will love him still. + +For you cannot really love any one who is quite different from you; +who has never been through what you have. You do not think that he +can understand you; you expect him to despise you, laugh at you. You +say, as I have heard a poor woman say of a rich one, 'How can she +feel for me? She does not know what poor people go through.' + +Now it is just that feeling which mankind had about God till Christ +died. + +God, or the gods, were beautiful, strong, happy, self-sufficient, up +in the skies; and men on earth were full of sorrow and trouble, +disease, accidents, death; and sin, too; quarrelling and killing, +hateful and hating each other. How could the gods love men? And +then men had a sense of sin; they felt they were doing wrong. Surely +the gods hated them for doing wrong. Surely all the sorrows and +troubles which came on them were punishments for doing wrong. How +miserable they were! But the gods sat happy up in heaven, and cared +not for them. Or, if the gods did care, they cared only for special +favourites. If any man was very good, or strong, or handsome, or +clever, or rich, or prosperous, the gods cared for him--he was a +favourite. But what did they care for poor, ugly, deformed, +unfortunate, foolish wretches? Surely the gods despised them, and +had sent them into the world to be miserable. There was no sympathy, +no fellow-feeling between gods and men. The gods did not love men as +men. Why should men love them? And so men did not love them. + +And as there was no love to God before Good Friday, so there was no +love to men. + +If God despised the poor, the deformed, the helpless, the ignorant, +the crazy, why should not man? If God was hard on them, why should +not man oppress and ill-use them? And so you will find that there +was no charity in the world. + +Among some of the Eastern nations--the Hindoos, for instance--when +they were much better men than now, charity did spring up for a while +here and there, in a very beautiful shape; but among Greeks and +Romans there was simply no charity; and you will find little or none +among the Jews themselves. + +The Pharisees gave alms to save their own souls, and feed their own +pride of being good; but had no charity--'This people, who knoweth +not the law, is accursed.' As for poor, diseased people, they were +born in sin: either they or their parents had sinned. We may see +that the poor of Judea, as well as Galilee, were in a miserable, +neglected, despised state; and the worst thing that the Pharisees +could say of our Lord Jesus was, that he ate and drank with publicans +and sinners. Because there was no love to God, there was no love to +man. There was a great gulf fixed between every man and his +neighbour. + +But Christ came; God came; and became man. And with the blood of his +cross was bridged over for ever the gulf between God and man, and the +gulf between man and man. + +Good Friday showed that there was sympathy, there was fellow-feeling +between God and man; that God would do all for man, endure all for +man; that God so desired to make man like God, that he would stoop to +be made like man. There was nothing God would not do to justify +himself to man, to show men that he did care for them, that he did +love the creatures whom he had made. Yes; God had not forgotten man; +God had not made man in vain. God had not sent man into the world to +be wicked and miserable here, and to perish for ever hereafter. +Wickedness and misery were here; but God had not put them here, and +he would not leave them here. He would conquer them by enduring +them. Sin and misery tormented men; then they should torment the Son +of God too. Sin and misery killed men; then they should kill the Son +of God, too: he would taste death for every man, that men might live +by him. He would be made perfect by sufferings: not made perfectly +good (for that he was already), but perfectly able to feel for men, +to understand them, to help them; because he had been tempted in all +things like as they. + +And so on Good Friday did God bridge over the gulf between God and +men. No man can say now, Why has God sent man into the world to be +miserable, while he is happy? For God in Christ was miserable once. +No man can say, God makes me go through pain, and torture, and death, +while he goes through none of such things: for God in Christ endured +pain, torture, death, to the uttermost. And so God is a being which +man can love, admire, have fellow-feeling for; cling to God with all +the noble feelings of his heart, with admiration, gratitude, and +tenderness, even on this day with pity.--As Christ himself said, +'When I am lifted up, I will draw all men to me.' + +And no man can say now, What has God to do with sufferers--sick, +weak, deformed wretches? If he had cared for them, would he have +made them thus? For we can answer, However sick, or weak they may +be, God in Christ has been as weak as they. God has shared their +sufferings, and has been made perfect by sufferings, that they might +be made perfect also. God has sanctified suffering, pain, and sorrow +upon his cross, and made them holy; as holy as health, and strength, +and happiness are. And so on Good Friday God bridged over the gulf +between man and man. He has shown that God is charity and love; and +that the way to live for ever in God is to live for ever in that +charity and love to all mankind which God showed this day upon the +cross. + +And, therefore, all CHARITY is rightly called CHRISTIAN charity; for +it is Christ, and the news of Good Friday, which first taught men to +have charity; to look on the poor, the afflicted, the weak, the +orphan, with love, pity, respect. By the sight of a suffering and +dying God, God has touched the hearts of men, that they might learn +to love and respect suffering and dying men; and in the face of every +mourner, see the face of Christ, who died for them. Because Christ +the sufferer is their elder brother, all sufferers are their brothers +likewise. Because Christ tasted pain, shame, misery, death for all +men, therefore we are bound this day to pray for all men, that they +may have their share in the blessings of Christ's death; not to look +on them any longer as aliens, strangers, enemies, parted from us and +each other and God; but whether wise or foolish, sick or well, happy +or unhappy, alive or dead, as brothers. We are bound to pray for his +Holy Church as one family of brothers; for all ranks of men in it, +that each of them may learn to give up their own will and pleasure +for the sake of doing their duty in their calling, as Christ did; to +pray for Jews, Turks, Heathens, and Infidels; as for God's lost +children, and our lost brothers, that God would bring them home to +his flock, and touch their hearts by the news of his sufferings for +them; that they may taste the inestimable comfort of knowing that God +so loved them as to suffer, to groan, to die for them and all +mankind. + + + +SERMON XXXVI. ON THE FALL + + + +(Sexagesima Sunday.) + +GENESIS iii. 12. + +And the man said, The woman, whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave +me of the tree, and I did eat. + +This morning we read the history of Adam's fall in the first Lesson. +Now does this story seem strange to you, my friends? Do you say to +yourselves, If I had been in Adam's place, I should never have been +so foolish as Adam was? If you do say so, you cannot have looked at +the story carefully enough. For if you do look at it carefully, I +believe you will find enough in it to show you that it is a very +NATURAL story, that we have the same nature in us that Adam had; that +we are indeed Adam's children; and that the Bible speaks truth when +it says, 'Adam begat a son after his own likeness.' + +Now, let us see how Adam fell, and what he did when he fell. + +Adam, we find, was not content to be in the image of God. He wanted, +he and his wife, to be as gods, knowing good and evil. Now do, I +beseech you, think a moment carefully, and see what that means. + +Adam was not content to be in the likeness of God; to copy God by +obeying God. He wanted to be a little god himself; to know what was +good for him, and what was evil for him; whereas God had told him, as +it were, You do NOT know what is good for you, and what is evil for +you. I know; and I tell you to obey me; not to eat of a certain tree +in the garden. + +But pride and self-will rose up in Adam's heart. He wanted to show +that he DID know what was good for him. He wanted to be independent, +and show that he could do what he liked, and take care of himself; +and so he ate the fruit which he was forbidden to eat, partly because +it was fair and well-tasted, but still more to show his own +independence. + +Now, surely this is natural enough. Have we not all done the very +same thing in our time, nay, over and over again? When we were +children, were we never forbidden to do something which we wished to +do? Were we never forbidden, just as Adam was, to take an apple-- +something pleasant to the eye, and good for food? And did we not +long for it, and determine to have it all the more, because it was +forbidden, just as Adam and Eve did; so that we wished for it much +more than we should if our parents had given it to us? Did we not in +our hearts accuse our parents of grudging it to us, and listen to the +voice of the tempter, as Eve did, when the serpent tried to make out +that God was niggardly to her, and envious of her, and did not want +her to be wise, lest she should be too like God? + +Have we not said in our heart, Why should my father grudge me that +nice thing when he takes it himself? + +He wants to keep it all to himself. Why should not I have a share of +it? He says it will hurt me. How does he know that? It does not +hurt him. I must be the best judge of whether it will hurt me. I do +not believe that it will: but at least it is but fair that I should +try. I will try for myself. I will run the chance. Why should I be +kept like a baby, as if I had no sense or will of my own? I will +know the right and the wrong of it for myself. I will know the good +and evil of it myself. + +Have we not said that, every one of us, in our hearts, when we were +young?--And is not that just what the Bible says Adam and Eve said? + +And then, because we were Adam's children, with his fallen nature in +us, and original sin, which we inherited from him, we could not help +longing more and more after what our parents had forbidden; we could +think, perhaps, of nothing else; cared for no pleasure, no pay, +because we could not get that one thing which our parents had told us +not to touch. And at last we fell, and sinned, and took the thing on +the sly. + +And then? + +Did it not happen to us, as it did to Adam, that a feeling of shame +and guiltiness came over us at once? Yes; of shame. We intended to +feed our own pride: but instead of pride came shame and fear too; so +instead of rising, we had fallen and felt that we had fallen. Just +so it was with Adam. Instead of feeling all the prouder and grander +when he had sinned, he became ashamed of himself at once, he hardly +knew why. We had intended to set ourselves up against our parents; +but instead, we became afraid of them. We were always fancying that +they would find us out. We were afraid of looking them in the face. +Just so it was with Adam. He heard the word of the Lord God, Jesus +Christ, walking in the garden. Did he go to meet him; thank him for +that pleasant life, pleasant earth, for the mere blessing of +existence? No. He hid himself among the trees of the garden. But +why hide himself? Even if he had given up being thankful to God; +even if he had learned from the devil to believe that God grudged +him, envied him, had deceived him, about that fruit, why run away and +hide? He wanted to be as God, wise, knowing good and evil for +himself. Why did he not stand out boldly when he heard the voice of +the Lord God and say, I am wise now; I am as a God now, knowing good +and evil; I am no longer to be led like a child, and kept strictly by +rules which I do not understand; I have a right to judge for myself, +and choose for myself; and I have done it, and you have no right to +complain of me? + +Perhaps Adam had intended, when he ate the fruit, to stand up for +himself, with some such fine words; as children intend when they +disobey. + +But when it came to the point, away went all Adam's self-confidence, +all Adam's pride, all Adam's fine notions of what he had a right to +do; and he hides himself miserably, like a naughty and disobedient +child. And then, like a mean and cowardly one, when he is called out +and forced to answer for himself, he begins to make pitiful excuses. +He has not a word to say for himself. He throws the blame on his +wife; it was all the woman's fault now--indeed, God's fault. 'The +woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I +did eat.' + +My dear friends, if we want a proof that the Bible is a true, divine, +inspired book, we need go no further than this one story. For, my +friends, have we never said the same? When we felt that we had done +wrong; when the voice of God and of Christ in our hearts was rebuking +us and convincing us of sin, have we never tried to shift the blame +off our own shoulders, and lay it on God himself, and the blessings +which he has given us? on one's wife--on one's family--on money--on +one's youth, and health, and high spirits?--in a word, on the good +things which God has given us? + +Ah, my friends, we are indeed Adam's children; and have learned his +lesson, and inherited his nature only too fearfully well. For what +Adam did but once, we have done a hundred times; and the mean excuse +which Adam made but once, we make again and again. + +But the loving Lord has patience with us, as he had with Adam, and +does not take us at our word. He did not say to Adam, You lay the +blame upon your wife; then I will take her from you, and you shall +see then where the blame lies. Ungrateful to me! you shall live +henceforth alone. And he does not say to us, You make all the +blessings which I have given you an excuse for sinning! Then I will +take them from you, and leave you miserable, and pour out my wrath +upon you to the uttermost! + +Not so. Our God is not such a God as that. He is full of compassion +and long-suffering, and of tender mercy. He knows our frame, and +remembers that we are but dust. He sends us out into the world, as +he sent Adam, to learn experience by hard lessons; to eat our bread +in the sweat of our brow, till we have found out our own weakness and +ignorance, and have learned that we cannot stand alone, that pride +and self-dependence will only lead us to guilt, and misery, and +shame, and meanness; and that there is no other name under heaven by +which we can be saved from them, but only the name of our Lord Jesus +Christ. + +He is the woman's seed, who, so God promised, was to bruise the head +of the serpent. And he has bruised it. He is the woman's seed--a +man, as we are men, with a human nature, but one without spot of sin, +to make us free from sin. + +Let us look up to him as often as we find our nature dragging us +down, making us proud and self-willed, greedy and discontented, +longing after this and that. Let us trust in him, ask him, for his +grace day by day; ask him to shape and change us into his likeness, +that we may become daily more and more free; free from sin; free from +this miserable longing after one thing and another; free from our bad +habits, and the sin which does so easily beset us; free from guilty +fear, and coward dread of God. Let us ask him, I say, to change, and +purify, and renew us day by day, till we come to his likeness; to the +stature of perfect men, free men, men who are not slaves to their own +nature, slaves to their own pride, slaves to their own vanity, slaves +of their own bad tempers, slaves to their own greediness and foul +lusts: but free, as the Lord Christ was free; able to keep their +bodies in subjection, and rise above nature by the eternal grace of +God; able to use this world without abusing it; able to thank God for +all the BLESSINGS of this life, and learn from them precious lessons; +able to thank God for all the SORROWS of this life, and learn from +them wholesome discipline: but yet able to rise above them all, and +say, 'As long as I hold fast to Christ the King of men, this world +cannot harm me. My life, my real human life, does not depend on my +being comfortable or uncomfortable here below for a few short years. +My real life is hid in God with Jesus Christ, who, after he had +redeemed human nature by his perfect obedience, and washed it pure +again in the blood of his cross, for ever sat down on the right hand +of the Majesty on high; that so, being lifted up, he might draw all +men unto himself--even as many as will come to him, that they may +have eternal life. + + + +SERMON XXXVII. THE WORTHY COMMUNICANT + + + +LUKE xviii. 14. + +I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the +other. + +Which of these two men was the more fit to come to the Communion? +Most of you will answer, The publican: for he was more justified, +our Lord himself says, than the Pharisee. True: but would you have +said so of your own accord, if the Lord had not said so? Which of +the two men do you really think was the better man, the Pharisee or +the publican? Which of the two do you think had his soul in the +safer state? Which of the two would you rather be, if you were going +to die? Which of the two would you rather be, if you were going to +the Communion? For mind, one could not have REFUSED the Pharisee, if +he had come to the Communion. He was in no open sin: I may say, no +outward sin at all. You must not fancy that he was a hypocrite, in +the sense in which we usually employ that word. I mean, he was not a +man who was leading a wicked life secretly, while he kept up a show +of religion. He was really a religious man in his own way, +scrupulous, and over-scrupulous to perform every duty to the letter. +He went to his church to worship; and he was no lip-worshipper, +repeating a form of words by rote, but prayed there honestly, +concerning the things which were in his heart. He did not say, +either, that he had made himself good. If he was wrong on some +points, he was not on that. He knew where his goodness, such as it +was, came from. 'God, I thank thee,' he says, 'that I am what I am.' +What have we in this man? one would ask at first sight. What reason +for him to stay away from the Sacrament? He would not have thought +himself that there was any reason. He would, probably, have thought- +-'If I am not fit, who is? Repent me truly of my former sins? +Certainly. If I have done the least harm to any one, I shall be +happy to restore it fourfold. If I have neglected one, the least of +God's services, I shall be only too glad to keep it all the more +strictly for the future. + +'Intend to lead a new life? I am leading one, and trying to lead one +more and more every day. I shall be thankful to any one who will +show me any new service which I can offer to God, any new act of +reverence, any new duty. + +'I must go in love and charity with all men? I do so. I have not a +grudge against any human being. Of course, I know the world too well +to be satisfied with it. I cannot shut my eyes to the fact that +millions are living very sinful, shocking lives--extortioners, +unjust, adulterers; and that three people out of four are going +straight to hell. I pity them, and forgive them any wrong which they +have done to me. What more can I do?' + +This is what the Pharisee would have said. Is this man fit to come +to the Communion? At least he himself thinks so. + +On the other hand, was the publican fit? That is a serious question; +one which we cannot answer, without knowing more about him than our +Lord has chosen to tell us. Many a person is ready enough, in these +days, to cry 'God be merciful to me a sinner!' who is fit, I fear, +neither to come to the Communion, nor to stay away either. + +It was not so, I suppose, with the old Jews in our Lord's time. The +Pharisees then were hard legalists, who stood all on works; and, +therefore, if a man broke off from them, and threw himself on God's +grace and mercy, he did it in a simple, honest, effectual way, like +this publican. + +But now, I am sorry to say, our Pharisees have contrived to make +themselves as proud and self-righteous about their own faith and +repentance, as the Jewish Pharisees did about their own works and +observances; and there has risen up in England and elsewhere a very +ugly new hypocrisy. People now-a-days are too apt to pride +themselves on their own convictions of sin, and their own repentance, +till they trust in their repentance to save them, and not in Christ, +just as the Pharisee trusted in his works to save him, and not in +Christ; and when they pray, I cannot help fearing (for I am sure many +of their religious books teach them it) that they pray very much like +that Pharisee, 'God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are, +carnal, unconverted, unconvinced of sin, nor even as that plain, +moral, respectable man. I am convinced of sin; I am converted; I +have the right frames, and the right feelings, and the right +experiences.' Oh, of all the cunning snares of the devil, that I +think is the cunningest. Well says the old proverb--'The devil is +old, and therefore he knows many things.' + +In old times he made men trust in their own righteousness: and that +was snare enough; now he has learnt how to make men actually trust in +their own sinfulness, and so turn the grace of God into a cloak of +pride, and contempt of their fellow-creatures + +My friends, do you think that if the publican, after he had said, +'God be merciful to me a sinner!' had said to himself, 'There--how +beautifully I have repented--how honest I have been to God--I am all +right now'--he would have gone down to his house justified at all? +Not he. No more will you and I, my friends. If we have sinned, what +should we be but ashamed of it? Ay, utterly ashamed. And if we +really know what sin is--if we really see the sinfulness of sin--if +we really see ourselves as God sees us--we shall be too much shocked +at the sight of our own hearts to have time to boast of our being +able to see our own hearts. We shall be too full of loathing and +hatred for our sins, too full of longing to get rid of our sins, and +to become righteous and holy, even as God is righteous and holy, to +give way to any pride in our own frames and feelings; and, instead of +thinking ourselves better men than our neighbours because we see our +sins, and fancy they do not see theirs, we shall be almost ready to +think ourselves worse than our neighbours, to think that they cannot +have so much to repent of as we; and as we grow in grace, we shall +see more and more sin in ourselves, till we actually fancy at times +that no one can be as bad as we are, and in lowliness of mind esteem +others better than ourselves. We may carry that too far, too. +Certainly there is no use in accusing ourselves of sins which we have +not committed; we have all quite enough real sins to answer for +without inventing more. But still that is a better frame of mind +than the other; for no man can be too humble, while any man can be +too proud. + +But let us all ask God to open our eyes, that we may see ourselves +just as we are, let our sins be many or few. Let us ask God to +convince us really of sin by his Holy Spirit, and show us what sin +is, and its exceeding sinfulness; how ugly and foul sin is, how +foolish and absurd, how mean and ungrateful toward that good God who +wishes us nothing but good, and wishes us, therefore, to be good, +because goodness is the only path to life and happiness; and then we +shall be so ashamed of ourselves, so afraid of our own weakness, so +shocked at the difference between ourselves and the spotless Lord +Jesus, that we shall have no time to despise others, no time to +admire our own frames, and feelings, and repentances. All we shall +think of is our own sinfulness, and God's mercy; and we shall come +eagerly, if not boldly, to the throne of grace, to find grace and +mercy to help us in the time of need; crying, 'Purge thou me, O Lord, +or I shall never be pure; wash thou me, and then alone shall I be +clean. For thou requirest, not frames or feelings, not pride and +self-conceit, but truth in the inward parts; and wilt make me to +understand wisdom secretly.' + +Then, indeed, we shall be fit to come to the Holy Communion; for then +we shall be so ashamed of ourselves that we shall truly repent of our +sins--so ashamed of ourselves that we shall long and determine to +lead a new life--so ashamed of ourselves that we shall have no heart +to look down on any of our neighbours, or pass hard judgments on +them, but be in love and charity with all men; and so, in spite of +all our past sins, come to partake worthily of the body and blood of +Him who died for our sins, whose blood will wash them out of our +hearts, whose body will strengthen and refresh us, body and soul, to +a new and everlasting life of humbleness and thankfulness, honesty +and justice, usefulness and love. + + + +SERMON XXXVIII. OUR DESERTS + + + +LUKE vi. 36-38. + +Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Judge +not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be +condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven. Give, and it shall be +given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and +running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same +measure that ye mete withal, it shall be measured to you again. + +One often hears complaints against this world, and against mankind; +one hears it said that people are unjust, unfair, cruel; that in this +world no man can expect to get what he deserves. And, of course, +there are great excuses for saying so. There are bad men in the +world in plenty, who do villanous and cruel things enough; and +besides, there is a great deal of dreadful misery in the world, which +does not seem to come through any fault of the poor creatures who +suffer it; misery of which we can only say, 'Neither did this man +sin, nor his parents: but that the glory of God may be made manifest +in him.' + +But still our Lord tells us in the text, that, on the whole, there is +order lying under all the disorder, justice under all the injustice, +right under all the wrong; and that on the whole we get what we +deserve. 'Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. +Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not +be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven. Give, and it shall +be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, +and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same +measure that ye mete withal, it shall be measured to you again.' + +Of course, as I said just now, it is not always so. None knew that +better than the blessed Lord: else why did he come to seek and save +that which was lost? But still the more we look into our own lives, +the more we shall find our Lord's words true; the more we shall find +that on the whole, in the long run, men will be just and fair to us, +and give us, sooner or later, what we deserve. + +Now, to deserve a thing, properly means to serve for it, to work for +it and earn it, as a natural consequence. If a man puts his hand +into the fire, he DESERVES to burn it, because it is the nature of +fire to burn, and therefore it burns him, and so he gets his deserts; +and if a man does wrong, he deserves to be unhappy, because it is the +nature of sin to make the sinner unhappy, and so he gets his deserts. +God has not to go out of his way to punish sin; sin punishes itself; +and so if a man does right, he becomes in the long run happy. God +has not to go out of his way to reward him and make him happy; his +own good deeds make him happy; he earns happiness in the comfort of a +good conscience, and the love and respect of those about him; and so +he gets his deserts. For our Lord says, 'People in the long run will +treat you as you treat them. If they feel and see by experience that +you are loving and kind to them, they will be loving and kind to you; +as you do to them, they will, in the long run, do to you.' They may +mistake you at first, even dislike you at first. Did they not +mistake, hate, crucify the Lord himself? and yet his own rule came +true of him. A few crucified him; but now all civilized nations +worship him as God. Be sure, then, that his rule will come true of +you, though not at first, yet in God's good time. Therefore hold +still in the Lord, and abide patiently; and he shall make thy +righteousness as clear as the light, and thy just dealing as the +noon-day. + +Now this is a very blessed and comfortable thought. Would to God +that all of us, young people especially, would lay it to heart. How +are we to get comfortably through this life? Or, if we are to have +sorrows (as we all must), how can we make those sorrows as light as +possible? How can we make friends who will comfort us in those +sorrows, instead of leaving us to bear our burden alone, and turning +their backs on us just when our poor hearts are longing for a kind +look and a kind word from our neighbours? Our Lord tells us now. +The same measure that you mete withal, it shall be measured to you +again. + +There is his plan. It is a very simple one. It goes on the same +principle as 'He that saveth his life shall lose it, and he that +loseth his life shall save it.' If we are selfish, and take care +only of ourselves, the day will come when our neighbours will leave +us alone in our selfishness to shift for ourselves. If we set out +determining through life to care about other people rather than +ourselves, then they will care for themselves more than for us, and +measure their love to us by our measure of love to them. But if we +care for others, they will learn to care for us; if we befriend +others, they will befriend us. If we show forth the Spirit of God to +them, in kindliness, generosity, patience, self-sacrifice, the day +will surely come when we shall find that the Spirit of God is in our +neighbours as well as in ourselves; that on the whole they will be +just to us, and pay us what we have deserved and earned. Blessed and +comfortable thought, that no kind word, kind action, not even the cup +of cold water given in Christ's name, can lose its reward. Blessed +thought, that after all our neighbours are our brothers, and that if +we remember that steadily, and treat them as brothers now, they will +recollect it too some day, and treat us as brothers in return. +Blessed thought, that there is in the heart of every man a spark of +God's light, a grain of God's justice, which may grow up in him +hereafter, and bear good fruit to eternal life. + +Yes; it is a pleasant thing to find men better than we fancied them. +A pleasant thing; for first, it makes us love them the more, and +there is nothing so pleasant as loving. And more; it does this--it +makes us more inclined to trust God's justice. We say to ourselves, +Men are, we find, really more just and fair than they seem to us at +times; surely God must be more just and fair than he seems to us at +times. For there are times when it does seem a hard thing to believe +that God is just; times when the devil tempts poor suffering +creatures sorely, and tries to make them doubt their heavenly Father, +and say with David, What am I the better for having done right? +Surely in vain have I cleansed my heart; in vain have I washed my +hands in innocency. All the day long have I been punished, and +chastened every morning. Yes; when some poor woman, working in the +field, with all the cares of a family on her, looks up at great +people in their carriages, she is tempted, she must be tempted to say +at times, 'Why am I to be so much worse off than they? Is God just +in making me so poor and them so rich?' It is a foolish thought. I +do believe it is a temptation of the devil, a deceit of the devil; +for rich people are not really one whit happier or lighter-hearted +than poor ones, and all the devil wishes is to make poor people envy +their neighbours, and mistrust God. But still one cannot wonder at +their faith failing them at times. I do not judge them, still less +condemn them; for the text forbids me. Or again, when some poor +creature, crippled from his youth, looks upon others strong and +active, cheerful and happy. Think of a deformed child watching +healthy children at play; and then think, must it not be hard at +times for that child not to repine, and cry to God, 'Why hast thou +made me thus?' + +Yes. I will not go on giving fresh instances. The world is but too +full of them. + +But when such thoughts trouble us, here is one comfort--ay, here is +our only comfort--God must be more just than man. Whatsoever +appearances may seem to make against it, he must be. For where did +all the justice in the world come from, but from God? Who put the +feeling of justice into every man's heart, but God himself? He is +the glorious sun, perfectly bright, perfectly pure; and all the other +goodness in the world is but rays and beams of light sent forth from +his great light. So we may be certain that God is not only as just +as man, but millions of times MORE just; more just, and righteous, +and good than all the just men on earth put together. We can believe +that. We must believe it. Thousands have believed it already. +Thousands of holy sufferers, in prisons and on scaffolds, in poverty +and destitution, on sick-beds of lingering torture, have believed +still that God was just and righteous in all his dealings with them; +and have cried in the hour of their bitterest agony, 'Though thou +slay me, O Lord, yet will I trust in thee!' + +Yes. God is just. He has revealed that in the person of his Son +Jesus Christ. There is God's likeness. There is proof enough that +God is not one who afflicts willingly, or grieves the children of men +out of any neglect or spite, or respecteth one person more than +another. It may seem hard to be sure of that: unless we believe +that Jesus is the Christ, the co-equal and co-eternal Son of the +Father, we never shall be sure of it. Believing in the message of +the ever-blessed Trinity, we shall be sure; for we shall be sure +that, 'Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy +Ghost'--perfect love, perfect justice, perfect mercy; and therefore +we can be sure that in the world beyond the grave the balance will be +made even, again, and for ever; and every mourner be comforted, and +every sufferer be refreshed, and every one receive his due reward--if +they will only now in this life take the lesson of the text, 'Judge +not, and you shall not be judged: condemn not, and you shall not be +condemned: forgive, and you shall be forgiven; for if you forgive +every one his brother their trespasses, in like wise will your +heavenly Father forgive you.' Do that; and then you will get your +DESERTS in the life to come, and by forgiving, and helping, and +blessing others, DESERVE to be forgiven, and comforted, and blessed +yourselves, for the sake of that Saviour who is day and night +presenting all your good works to his Father and your Father, as a +precious and fragrant offering--a sacrifice with which the God of +love is well pleased, because it is, like himself, made up of love. + + + +SERMON XXXIX. THE LOFTINESS OF GOD + + + +ISAIAH lvii. 15. + +For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose +name is Holy, I dwell in the high and holy place; with him also that +is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the +humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. + +This is a grand text; one of the grandest in the whole Old Testament; +one of those the nearest to the spirit of the New. It is full of +Gospel--of good news: but it is not the whole Gospel. It does not +tell us the whole character of God. We can only get that in the New. +We can get it there; we can get it in that most awful and glorious +chapter which we read for the second lesson--the twenty-seventh +chapter of St. Matthew. Seen in the light of that--seen in the light +of Christ's cross and what it tells us, all is clear, and all is +bright, and all is full of good news--at least to those who are +humble and contrite, crushed down by sorrow, and by the feeling of +their own infirmities. + +But what does the text tell us? + +Of a high and lofty One, who inhabits eternity. + +Of a lofty God, Almighty, incomprehensible; so far above us, so +different from us, that we cannot picture him to ourselves; of a +glory and majesty utterly beyond all human fancy or imagination. + +Of a holy God, in whom is no sin, nor taint of sin; who is of purer +eyes than to behold iniquity; who is so perfect, that he cannot be +content with anything which is not as perfect as himself; who looks +with horror and disgust on evil of every shape; who cannot endure it, +will at last destroy it. + +Of a God who abides in eternity--who cannot change--cannot alter his +own decrees and laws, because his decrees and laws are right and +necessary, and proceed out of his own character. If he has said a +thing, that thing must be; because it is the thing which ought to be. + +How, then, shall we think of this lofty, holy, unchangeable God--we +who are low, unholy, changing with every wind that blows? + +Shall we say, 'He is so far above us, that he cannot feel for us? He +is so holy that he must hate us, and will our punishment, and our +damnation for all our sins?' + +'He is eternal, and cannot change his will; and, therefore, if he +wills us to perish, perish we must.' + +We may think so of God, and dread God, and cry 'Whither shall I flee +from thy Spirit, and whither shall I go from thy presence?' We may +call to the mountains to fall on us, and to the hills to cover us, +till we try to forget at all risks the thought of God: and if we do +not, there are plenty who will do it for us. The devil, who slanders +and curses God to men, and men to God, and to each other--he will +talk to us of God in this way. + +And men who preach the devil's doctrine, will talk to us likewise, +and say, 'Yes, God is very dreadful, and very angry with you. God +certainly intends to damn you. But _I_ have a plan for delivering +you out of God's hands; _I_ know what you must do to be saved from +God--join MY sect or party, and believe and work with me, and then +you will escape God.' + +But, after all, would it not be wiser, my friends, to hold your own +tongues, and let God himself speak? + +If he had not spoken in the first place, what should we have known of +him? Can man by searching find out God? We should not have known +that there was a high and lofty One, who inhabits eternity, if he had +not told us. Had we not better hear the rest of his message, and let +God finish his own character of himself? + +And what does he say? + +'I dwell--I, the high and lofty One, who inhabit eternity--with him +also, who is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of +the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.' + +Oh, my friends, is not this news? good news and unexpected news, +perhaps, but still as true as what went before it? God hath said the +one, and we believe it: and now he says the other; and shall we not +believe it too? + +Come, then, thou humble soul; thou crushed and contrite soul; thou +who fearest that thou art not worthy of God's care; thou from whom +God has taken so much, that thou fearest that he will take all--come +and hear the Lord's message to thee--God's own message; no devil's +message, or man's message, but God's own. + +'I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth; for +then the spirit would fail before me, and the souls which I have +made. I have seen thy ways, and will heal thee. I will lead thee, +also, and restore comforts to thee and to thy mourners. I create the +fruit of the lips. I give men cause to thank me, and delight in +giving. Peace, peace to him that is near, and to him that is far +off, saith the Lord. If thou art near me, thou art safe; for if I +were to take all else from thee, I should not take myself from thee. +Though thou walkest through the valley of the shadow of death, I will +be with thee. And if thou art far off from me, wandering in folly +and sin, I cry peace to thee still. Why should I wish to be at war +with any of my creatures? saith the Lord. My will is, that thou +shouldst be at peace. I am at peace myself, and I wish to make all +my creatures at peace also, and thee among the rest. I am whole and +perfect myself, and I wish to heal all my creatures, and make them +whole and perfect also, and thee among the rest. + +'But the wicked? Ay, this is their very misery, that there is no +peace to them. I want them to enter into my peace, and they will +not. I am at peace with them, saith the Lord. I owe them no grudge, +poor wretches. But they will not be at peace with themselves. They +are like the troubled sea, which casts up mire and dirt, and fouls +itself. I cast up no mire nor dirt. I foul nothing. I tempt no +man. I, the good God, create no evil. If the troubled sea fouls +itself, so do the wicked make themselves miserable, and punish +themselves by their own lusts, which war in their members. But they +cannot alter ME, saith the Lord; they cannot change my temper, my +character, my everlasting name. I am that I am, who inhabit +eternity; and no creature, and no creature's sin, can make me other +than I am. + +And what is that? What is the name, what is the character, what is +the temper of him who inhabits eternity? Look on the cross, and see. + +The cross, at least, will tell you what kind of a God your God is. A +good God; a God of love; a God of boundless forbearance and long- +suffering. Good God! The folly and madness of men's hearts, who +look on God dying on the cross for them, and begin forthwith puzzling +their brains as to HOW he died for them; how Christ's blood washes +away their sins; how it is applied, and to whom; puzzling their +brains with theories of the atonement, and with predestination, and +satisfaction, and forensic justification, and particular redemption, +and long words which (four out of five of them) are not in the Bible, +but are spun out of men's own minds, as spiders' webs are from +spiders--and, like them, mostly fit to hamper poor harmless flies. + +How Christ's death takes away thy sins, thou wilt never know on +earth--perhaps not in heaven. It is a mystery which thou must +believe and adore. But why he died, thou canst see at the first +glance--if thou hast a human heart, and wilt look at what God means +thee to look at--Christ upon his cross. He died because he was LOVE- +-love itself--love boundless, unconquerable, unchangeable--love which +inhabits eternity, and therefore could not be hardened or foiled by +any sin or rebellion of man, but must love men still; must go out to +seek and save them; must dare, suffer any misery, shame, death +itself, for their sake; just because it is absolute and perfect love, +which inhabits eternity. + +Look at that--look at the sight of God's character, which the cross +gives thee; and then, instead of being terrified at God's will and +decree being unchangeable and eternal, it will be the greatest +possible comfort to thee that God's will is unchangeable and eternal, +because thou wilt see from the cross that it is a GOOD will--a will +of mercy, forbearance, long-suffering towards thee and all mankind, +eternal in the heavens as God himself. + +Then let those be afraid who are not afraid; and let those who are +afraid, take heart. Let those who think they stand, take heed lest +they fall. Let those who think they see, take care that they be not +blind. Let those be afraid who fancy themselves right and above all +mistakes, lest they should be full of ugly sins when they fancy +themselves most religious and devout. Let those be afraid who are +fond of advising others, lest they should be in more need of their +own medicine than their patients are. Let those fear who pride +themselves on their cunning, lest with all their cunning they only +lead themselves into their own trap. + +But those who are afraid, let them take heart. For what says the +high and holy One, who inhabits eternity? 'I dwell with him that is +of a humble and contrite heart, to revive the spirit of the humble, +and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.' + +Let them take heart. Do you feel that you have lost your way in +life? Then God himself will show you your way. Are you utterly +helpless, worn out, body and soul? Then God's eternal love is ready +and willing to help you up, and revive you. Are you wearied with +doubts and terrors? Then God's eternal light is ready to show you +your way; God's eternal peace ready to give you peace. Do you feel +yourself full of sins and faults? Then take heart; for God's +unchangeable will is, to take away those sins and purge you from +those faults. + +Are you tormented as Job was, over and above all your sorrows, by +mistaken kindness, and comforters in whom is no comfort; who break +the bruised reed and quench the smoking flax; who tell you that you +must be wicked, and God must be angry with you, or all this would not +have come upon you? Job's comforters did so, and spoke very +righteous-sounding words, and took great pains to justify God and to +break poor Job's heart, and made him say many wild and foolish words +in answer, for which he was sorry afterwards; but after all, the +Lord's answer was, 'My wrath is kindled against you three, for you +have not spoken of me the thing which was right, as my servant Job +hath. Therefore my servant Job shall pray for you, for him will I +accept;' as he will accept every humble and contrite soul who clings, +amid all its doubts, and fears, and sorrows, to the faith that God is +just and not unjust, merciful and not cruel, condescending and not +proud--that his will is a good will, and not a bad will--that he +hateth nothing that he hath made, and willeth the death of no man; +and in that faith casts itself down like Job, in dust and ashes +before the majesty of God, content not to understand his ways and its +own sorrows; but simply submitting itself and resigning itself to the +good will of that God who so loved the world that he spared not his +only begotten Son, but freely gave him for us. + + + +Footnotes: + +{75} Compare Rom. iii. 23 with I Cor. xi. 7. Let me entreat all +young students to consider carefully and honestly the radical meaning +of the words [Greek text] and [Greek text]. It will explain to them +many seemingly dark passages of St. Paul, and perhaps deliver them +from more than one really dark superstition. + +{151} I do not quote the Crishna Legends, because they seem to be of +post-Christian date; and also worthless from the notion of a real +human babe being utterly lost in the ascription to Crishna of +unlimited magical powers. + +{162} See, as a counterpart to every detail of Joel's, the admirable +description of locust-swarms in Kohl's RUSSIA. + + + + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, THE GOOD NEWS OF GOD *** + +This file should be named gdng10.txt or gdng10.zip +Corrected EDITIONS of our eBooks get a new NUMBER, gdng11.txt +VERSIONS based on separate sources get new LETTER, gdng10a.txt + +Project Gutenberg eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the US +unless a copyright notice is included. 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