,,sermons ,,for ,,the ,,times           
,contents3    ,fathers and ,children    
,salvation    ,a ,good ,conscience      
,names    ,sponsorship    ,justification
 by ,faith    ,duty and ,superstition   
,sonship    ,the ,lord's ,prayer    ,the
 ,doxology    ,ahab and ,naboth    ,the 
,light of ,god    ,providence           
,england's ,strength    ,the ,life of   
,god    ,god's ,offspring    ,death in  
,life    ,shame    ,forgiveness    ,the 
,true ,gentleman    ,toleration         
,public ,spirit    ,,sermon ,i4         
',,fathers ,,and ,,children'    ,malachi
 iv4 #e1 #f4  ,behold1 ,i will send you 
,elijah the prophet before the coming of
 the great and dreadful day of the      
,lord3  ,and he shall turn the heart of 
the fathers to the children1 and the    
heart of the children to their fathers1 
lest ,i come and smite the earth with a 
curse4  ,these words are especially     
solemn words4  ,they stand in an        
especially solemn and important part of 
the ,bible4  ,they are the last words of

 the ,old ,testament4  ,i cannot but    
think that it was ,god's will that they 
should stand where they are1 and nowhere
 else4 ,malachi1 the prophet who wrote  
them1 did not know perhaps that he was  
the last of the ,old ,testament         
prophets4  ,he did not know that no     
prophet would arise among the ,jews for 
#djj years1 till the time when ,john the
 ,baptist came preaching repentance4    
,but ,god knew4  ,and by ,god's         
ordinance these words stand at the end  
of the ,old ,testament1 to make us      
understand the beginning of the ,new    
,testament4  ,for the ,old ,testament   
ends by saying that ,god would send to  
the ,jews ,elijah the prophet4  ,and the
 ,new ,testament begins by telling us of
 ,john the ,baptist's coming as a       
prophet1 in the spirit and power of     
,elias2 and how the ,lord ,jesus himself
 declared plainly that ,john the        
,baptist was ,elijah who was to come2   
that is1 the ,elijah of whom ,malachi   
prophesies in my text4  ,therefore1 we  

may be certain that this text tells us  
what ,john the ,baptist's work was2 that
 ,john the ,baptist came to turn the    
hearts of the fathers to the children1  
and the hearts of the children to the   
fathers2 lest the ,lord should come and 
smite the land with a curse4  ,some may 
be ready to answer to this1 ',of course 
,john the ,baptist came to warn parents 
of behaving wrongly to their children1  
if they were careless or cruel2 and     
children to their parents1 if they were 
disobedient or ungrateful4  ,of course  
he would tell bad parents and children  
to repent1 just as he came to tell all  
other kinds of sinners to repent4  ,but 
that was only a part of ,john the       
,baptist's work4  ,he came to be the    
forerunner of the ,messiah1 the         
,saviour1 the ,redeemer4'  ,be it so1 my
 friends4  ,i only hope that you really 
do believe that ,john the ,baptist did  
come to proclaim that a ,saviour was    
born into the world--provided only that 
you remember all the while who that     

,saviour was4  ,john the ,baptist tells 
you who ,he was4  ,if you will only     
remember that1 and get the thought of it
 into your hearts1 you will not be      
inclined to put any words of your own in
 place of the prophet ,malachi's1 or to 
fancy that you can describe better than 
,malachi what ,john the ,baptist's work 
was to be2 and that turning the hearts  
of the fathers to the children1 and the 
hearts of the children to the fathers1  
was only a small part of ,john the      
,baptist's work1 instead of being1 as   
,malachi says it was1 his principal     
work1 his very work1 the work which must
 be done1 lest the ,lord1 instead of    
saving the land1 should come and smite  
it with a curse4  ,yes--you must        
remember who it was that ,john the      
,baptist came to bear record of1 and to 
manifest or show to the ,jews4  ,the    
,angels on the first ,christmas ,eve    
told us--they said it was ,the ,lord1   
',unto you1' they said1 'is born a      
,saviour1 who is ,christ1 ,the ,lord4'  

,john the ,baptist told you and all     
mankind who it was--that it was ,the    
,lord4  ',the voice of one crying in the
 wilderness1 ,prepare ye the way of the 
,lord6'  ,the ,lord4  ,what             
,lord--,which ,lord8  ,john the ,baptist
 knew4  ,simeon1 ,anna1 ,nathaniel1 all 
righteous and faithful hearts who waited
 for the salvation of the ,lord1 knew4  
,the ,pharisees and ,sadducees did not  
know4  ,the men who wrote our ,creeds1  
our ,prayer ,book1 our ,church          
,catechism1 knew4  ,the ,pharisees and  
the ,sadducees in our day1 who fancy    
themselves wiser than the ,creeds1 and  
the ,prayer ,book1 and the ,church      
,catechism1 do not know4  ,may ,god     
grant that we may all know1 not only    
with our lips1 but with our hearts1 our 
faith1 our love1 our lives1 who ,the    
,lord is4  ,jesus ,christ1 the babe of  
,bethlehem1 is ,the ,lord4  ,but who is 
,he8 ,the ,bible tells us2 when we have 
heard what the ,bible tells us we shall 
be able better to understand the text4  

,the ,lord is ,he of whom it is written1
 ',and ,god said1 ,let us make man in   
our image1 after our likeness4'  ,and   
who is ,god's image and ,god's likeness8
  ,the ,new ,testament tells us--,jesus 
,christ4  ,in ,him man was made4  ,he is
 the ,son of ,man1 who is in heaven--the
 true perfect pattern of man3  but ,he  
is also the image and likeness of ,god1 
the brightness of ,his ,father's glory1 
and the express image of ,his person4   
,he is ,the ,lord4  ,he is the ,lord who
 instituted marriage1 and said1 ',it is 
not good that the man should be alone2  
,i will make him an help-meet for him4' 
,he is the ,lord who said to man1 ',be  
fruitful and multiply3 fill the earth   
and subdue it4'  ,he is the ,lord who   
said to the first murderer1 ',thy       
brother's blood crieth against thee from
 the ground4' ,he is the ,lord who      
talked with ,abraham face to face as a  
man talks with his friend2 who blest him
 by giving him a son in his old age1    
that he might be the father of many     

nations4  ,he is the ,lord who1 on      
,mount ,sinai1 gave those ,ten          
,commandments1 the foundation of all law
 and right order between man and ,god1  
between man and man3--',thou shalt      
honour thy father and thy mother4  ,thou
 shalt do no murder4 ,thou shalt not    
commit adultery4  ,thou shalt not steal4
  ,thou shalt not bear false witness in 
courts of law or elsewhere4  ,thou shalt
 not covet thy neighbour's property4'   
,this is ,the ,lord4  ,not a ,god far   
away from men2 who does not feel for    
them1 nor feel with them2 not a ,god who
 despises men1 or has an ill-will to    
men1 and must be won over to change his 
mind1 and have mercy on them1 by many   
supplications and tears1 and fear and   
trembling1 and superstitious ceremonies4
  ,but this is ,the ,lord1 this is the  
babe of ,bethlehem1 this is ,he whose   
way ,john the ,baptist came to          
prepare--even ,he of whom it is written1
 that ,he possessed wisdom1 the simple1 
practical human wisdom1 useful for this 

everyday earthly life of ours1 which    
,solomon sets forth in his ,proverbs1 in
 the beginning before ,his works of old2
 and that when ,he appointed the        
foundations of the earth1 that ,wisdom  
was by ,him1 as one brought up with     
,him1 and she was daily ,his delight2   
rejoicing alway before ,him2 rejoicing  
in the habitable parts of the earth2 and
 her delights were with the sons of men4
  ,in one word1 ,he is the ,lord1 in    
whose likeness man is made4  ,man's     
justice is a pattern of ,his2 man's love
 is a pattern of ,his2 man's industry a 
pattern of ,his2 man's ,sabbath-rest1 in
 some unspeakable and eternal way1 a    
pattern of ,his4  ,man's family ties are
 patterns of ,his4  ,god the ,father is 
,he1 said ,st4 ,paul1 from whom every   
fathership in heaven and earth is named1
 that we may be such fathers to our     
children as ,god is to us4  ,god ,the   
,son is ,he who is not ashamed to call  
us brethren1 and to declare to us the   
glorious news1 that in ,him we1 too1 are

 the sons of ,god1 that we may be such  
sons to our heavenly ,father--ay1 and to
 our earthly fathers also1 as the ,lord 
,jesus was to ,his ,father4  ,yes--and  
even more wonderful still1 and more     
blessed still1 the ,lord is not ashamed 
to call himself a husband4  ,our human  
wedlock and married love is a pattern of
 some divine mystery4  ',husbands love  
your wives1 as ,christ also loved the   
,church1 and gave ,himself for it1 that 
,he might present it to ,himself a      
glorious ,church1 not having spot or    
wrinkle1 but that it should be holy and 
without blemish4'  ,blessed words1 which
 we cannot pretend to explain or        
understand1 but can only believe and    
adore1 and find1 as we shall find1 in   
proportion as we are loving and faithful
 in wedlock1 that ,god's ,spirit bears  
witness with our spirit1 that they are  
reasonable1 blessed1 true2 true for     
ever4  ,this1 then1 was the ,lord who   
was coming to judge these ,jews2 not    
merely a god1 but ,the ,god4  ,the      

,lord1 in whose likeness man was made2  
who had appointed men to be fathers1    
sons1 husbands1 citizens of a nation1   
owners of property1 subject to laws1 and
 yet makers of laws2 because all these  
things1 in some wonderful way1 are parts
 of ,his likeness4  ,he was coming to   
this nation of the ,jews first1 and then
 to all the nations of the earth1 to    
judge them1 ,malachi said1 with a great 
and terrible day4  ,to lay the axe to   
the root of the tree2 to cut down from  
the very root the evil principles which 
were working in society4  ,his fan was  
in ,his hand2 and ,he would thoroughly  
purge ,his floor2 and gather ,his wheat 
into the garner1 for the use of future  
generations3  but the chaff1 all that   
was empty1 light1 and useless1 ,he would
 burn up and destroy utterly out of the 
way1 with unquenchable fire4  ,he would 
inquire of every man1 ,how have you kept
 my image2 my likeness1 in which ,i made
 you8  ,what sort of husbands1 fathers1 
sons1 neighbours1 subjects1 and         

governors1 have you been8  ,and above   
all1 ,malachi says1 the root question of
 all would be1 what sort of fathers have
 you been to your children8  ,what sort 
of children to your fathers8  ,does that
 seem to you a small question1 my       
friends8  ,would you have rather        
expected to hear ,john the ,baptist ask1
 what sort of saints they had been8     
,what sort of doctrines they were       
professing8  ,a small question8  ,look  
at these two little words1 ,father and  
,son4 ,father and ,son6  ,are they not  
the most deep and awful1 as well as the 
most blessed and hopeful words on earth8
  ,do they not tell us the very mystery 
of ,god's being8  ,are they not the very
 name of ,god1 ,god ,the ,father and    
,god ,the ,son1 knit together by one    
,holy ,spirit of ,love to each other and
 to all1 who proceeds alike from ,the   
,father and from ,the ,son8  ,and then1 
will you think it a light matter to ask 
fallen creatures made in the likeness of
 that perfect ,father and that perfect  

,son1 what sort of fathers and sons they
 have been8  ,god help us all1 and give 
us grace to ask ourselves that question 
morning and night1 before the great and 
terrible day of the ,lord come1 lest ,he
 come and smite this land with a curse4 
,i have been led to think deeply and to 
speak openly upon this solemn matter1 my
 friends1 by seeing1 as who can help    
seeing1 the great division and          
estrangement between the old and the    
young which is growing up in our days4  
,i do not1 alas6 ,i cannot1 deny the    
complaints which old people commonly    
make4  ,old people complain that young  
people are grown too independent1       
disobedient1 saucy1 and what not4  ,it  
is too true1 frightfully1 miserably     
true1 that there is not the same        
reverence for parents as there was a    
generation back2--that the children     
break loose from their parents1 spend   
their parents' money1 choose their own  
road in life1 their own politics1 their 
own religion1 alas6 too often1 for      

themselves2--that young people now      
presume to do and say a hundred things  
which they would not have dreamed in old
 times4  ,and they are ready enough to  
cry out that all this is a sign of the  
last days1 of which1 they say1 ,st4     
,paul speaks in #b ,tim4 iii4 #d--when  
men 'shall be disobedient to parents1   
unthankful1 boasters1 heady1            
high-minded1 despisers of those who are 
good1 lovers of pleasure more than      
lovers of ,god4'  ,my friends1 my       
friends1 it is far better for us who    
have children1 instead of prying into   
the times and seasons which ,god has    
kept in ,his own hand1 to read our      
,bibles faithfully1 and when we quote a 
text1 quote the whole of it1 and not    
just those bits of it which help us to  
throw blame on other people4  ,what ,st4
 ,paul really says1 is that 'in the last
 days evil times will come2' just as    
they had come1 he shows1 when he wrote2 
and what he means ,i will try and show  
you presently4  ,and1 moreover1 remember

 that ,malachi says1 that the hearts of 
the parents in ,judea needed turning to 
their children1 as well as the hearts of
 the children to their parents4  ,take  
care lest it be not so in ,england now4 
,remember that ,st4 ,paul1 in that same 
solemn passage1 gives other marks of    
'last days1' which have to do with      
parents as well as with children1 and   
some which can only have to do with     
parents--for they are the sins of       
grown-up and elderly people1 and not of 
young ones4  ,he says1 that in those    
days men shall also be 'covetous1 proud1
 without natural affection1 breakers of 
their word1 blasphemers2 having a form  
of godliness1 but denying the power     
thereof4'  ,will none of these hard     
words hit some grown people in our day8 
,will not they fill some of us with     
dread1 lest the parents now-a-days      
should be as much in fault as the       
children of whom they complain2 lest the
 parents' sins should be but too often  
the cause of the children's sins8  ,read

 through ,st4 ,paul's sad list of sins1 
and see how every young man's sin in it 
has some old man's sin corresponding to 
it4  ,st4 ,paul does not part his list1 
and ,i dare not1 and cannot4  ,st4 ,paul
 mixes the parents' and the children's  
sins together in his words1 and ,i fear 
that we do the same in our actions4     
,oh6 beware1 beware1 you who complain of
 the behaviour of children now-a-days1  
lest your children have as much cause to
 complain of you4  ,are your children   
selfish1 lovers of themselves8--,see    
that you have not set them the example  
by your own covetousness or laziness4   
,are they boastful8--,see that your     
pride has not taught them4 ,incontinent 
and profligate8--,see that your own     
fierceness has not taught them4  ,if    
they see you unable to master your own  
temper1 they will not care to try to    
master their appetites4  ,are they      
disobedient and unthankful8--,see1 well1
 then that your want of natural         
affection to them1 your neglect1 and    

harshness1 and want of feeling and      
tenderness1 has not made the balance of 
unkindness fearfully even between you4  
,are your children disobedient to you8--
 ,see that you have not taught them to  
be so1 by breaking your word to them1 by
 letting them see you deceitful to      
others1 till they have lost all trust in
 you1 all reverence for you4  ,above    
all1 are your children lovers of        
pleasure more than lovers of ,god8--,oh6
 beware1 beware1 lest you have made them
 so1--lest you have been blasphemers    
against ,god1 even when you have been   
fancying that you talked religion4      
,beware lest you have been teaching them
 dark1 cruel1 superstitious thoughts    
about ,god1--making them look up to ,him
 not as their heavenly ,father1 but as a
 stern taskmaster whom they must obey1  
not from gratitude1 but from fear of    
hell1 and so have made ,god look so     
unlovely in their eyes that 'there is no
 beauty in ,him that they should desire 
,him4'  ,can you wonder at their loving 

pleasure rather than loving ,god1 when  
you show them nothing in ,god's         
character to love1 but everything to    
dread and shrink from8  ,and last of    
all1 are your children despisers of     
those who are good1 inclined to laugh at
 religion1 to suspect and sneer at pious
 people1 and call them hypocrites8  ,oh6
 beware1 beware1 lest your lip-         
religion1 your dead faith1 your         
inconsistent practice1 has not been the 
cause of it4  ,if you1 as ,st4 ,paul    
says1 have a form of godliness1 and yet 
in your life and actions deny the power 
of it1 by living without ,god in the    
world1 and following the lowest maxims  
of the world in everything but what you 
call the salvation of your souls1 what  
wonder if your children grow up         
despisers of those who are good8  ,if   
they see you preaching one thing1 and   
practising another1 they will learn to  
fancy that all godly people do the same4
 ,if they see your religion a sham1 they
 will learn to fancy all religion false 

also4  ,oh6 woe1 woe1 most terrible1 to 
those who thus harden their own         
children's hearts1 and destroy in them1 
as too many do1 all faith in ,god and   
man1 all hope1 all charity6  ,woe to    
them6 for the ,lord ,himself1 who came  
to lay the axe to the root of the tree1 
said of such1 ',if any man cause one of 
these little ones to offend1 it were    
better for him that a millstone were    
hanged about his neck1 and that he were 
drowned in the depths of the sea4'  ,so 
it is too often now-a-days1 and so it   
will be1 until people condescend to     
learn over again that simple old ,church
 ,catechism which they were taught when 
they were little1 and to teach it to    
their children1 not only with their lips
 but in their lives4  ',the ,church     
,catechism6' some here will say to      
themselves with a smile1 'that is but a 
paltry medicine for so great a          
disease--a pitiful ending1 forsooth1 to 
such a severe sermon as this1 to        
recommend just the ,church ,catechism6' 

,let those laugh who will1 my friends4  
,if you think you can bring up your     
children to be blessings to you1--if you
 think you can live so as to be         
blessings to your children1 without the 
,church ,catechism1 you can but try4  ,i
 think that you will fail4  ,more and   
more1 year by year1 ,i find that those  
who try do fail4  ,more and more1 year  
by year1 ,i find that even religious    
people's education of their children    
fails1 and that pious men's sons        
now-a-days are becoming more and more   
apt to be scandals to their parents and 
to religion4  ,if any choose to say that
 the reason is1 that the pious men's    
sons were not of the number of the      
elect1 though their fathers were1 ,i can
 only answer1 that ,god is no respecter 
of persons1 and that they say that ,he  
is2 that ,god is not the author of the  
evil1 and that they say that ,he is4    
,if a child of mine turns out ill1 ,i am
 bound to lay the fault first on myself1
 and certainly never on ,god1--and so is

 every man1 unless the inspired         
,scripture is wrong where it says1      
',train up a child in the way he should 
go1 and when he is old he will not      
depart from it4' ,and the fault is in   
ourselves4  ,very few people really     
teach their children now-a-days the     
,church ,catechism2 very few really     
believe the ,church ,catechism2 very few
 really believe that ,god is such an one
 as the ,church ,catechism declares to  
us2 very few believe in the ,lord1 in   
whose image and likeness man is made1   
whose way ,john the ,baptist prepared by
 turning the hearts of the fathers to   
the children4  ,they put1 perhaps1      
religious books into their children's   
hands1 and talk to them a great deal    
about their souls3  but they do not tell
 their children what the ,church        
,catechism tells them1 because they do  
not believe what the ,church ,catechism 
tells them4  ,what that is2 what the    
,church ,catechism does tell us1 which  
the favourite religious books now-a-days

 do not tell us2 and what that has to do
 with turning the hearts of the fathers 
to the children1 ,i must tell you       
hereafter4  ,god grant that my words may
 sink into all hearts1 as far as they   
are right and true2 if sooner or later  
we are not all brought to understand the
 meaning of those two simple words1     
,father and ,son1 neither ,baptism1 nor 
,confirmation1 nor ,schools1 nor this   
,church1 nor the very body and blood of 
,him who died for us1 to share which you
 are all called this day1 will be of    
avail for the well-being of this parish1
 or of this country1 or any other       
country upon earth4  ,for where the root
 is corrupt1 the fruit will be also2 and
 where family life and family ties1     
which are the root and foundation of    
society1 are out of joint1 there the    
,nation and the ,church will decay also2
 as it is written1 ',if the foundations 
be cast down1 what can the righteous    
do8'  ,and whensoever1 in any family1 or
 nation and church1 the root of the tree

 7which is the conduct of parents to    
children1 and of children to parents7   
grows corrupt and rotten1 then 'last    
days1' as ,st4 ,paul calls them1 are    
indeed come to it1 and evil times       
therewith2 for the ,lord will surely lay
 the axe to the root of it1 and cut it  
down and cast it into the fire3  neither
 will the days of that family1 or that  
people1 or that ,church1 be long in the 
land which the ,lord their ,god has     
given them4  ,so it has been as yet1 in 
all ages and in all countries on the    
face of ,god's earth1 and so it will be 
until the end4  ,wheresoever the hearts 
of the fathers are not turned to the    
children1 and the hearts of the children
 to the fathers1 there will a great and 
terrible day of the ,lord come2 and that
 nation1 like ,judaea of old1 like many 
a fair country in ,europe at this       
moment1 will be smitten with a curse4   
,,sermon ,,ii4  ,,salvation    ,john    
xvii4 #c4  ,this is life eternal1 that  
they may know ,thee1 the only true ,god1

 and ,jesus ,christ whom ,thou hast     
sent4  ,before ,i can explain what this 
text has to do with the ,church         
,catechism1 ,i must say to you a little 
about what it means4  ,now if ,i asked  
any of you what 'salvation' was1 you    
would probably answer1 ',eternal life4' 
,and you would answer rightly4  ,that is
 exactly what salvation is1 and neither 
more nor less4  ,no more than that2 for 
nothing greater than that can belong to 
any created being4  ,no less than that2 
for ,god's love and mercy are eternal   
and without bound4  ,but what is eternal
 life8  ,some will answer1 ',going to   
heaven when we die4'  ,but what before  
you die8  ,you do not know8 cannot tell8
  ,let us listen to what ,god ,himself  
says4  ,let us listen to what the ,lord 
,jesus ,christ1 the ,word of ,god1 says4
  ,let us listen to what ,he who spake  
as man never spake1 says4  ,surely ,his 
words must be the clearest1 the         
simplest1 the most exact1 the deepest1  
the widest2 the exactly fit and true    

words1 the complete words1 the perfect  
words1 which cannot be improved on by   
adding to them or taking away one jot or
 tittle4  ,what did the ,lord ,jesus    
,christ say that eternal life was8      
',this is eternal life1 that they may   
know ,thee the only true ,god1 and      
,jesus ,christ whom ,thou hast sent4'   
,to know ,god and ,jesus ,christ2 that  
is eternal life4  ,that is all the      
eternal life which any of us will ever  
have1 my friends4  ,unless our ,lord's  
words are not complete and perfect1 and 
do not tell us the truth1 the whole     
truth1 and nothing but the truth1 about 
eternal life1 that is all the eternal   
life any one will ever have2 and we must
 make up our minds to be content        
therewith4  ,to which some will answer1 
almost angrily1 ',of course4  ,the way  
to obtain eternal life is to know ,god  
and ,jesus ,christ2 for if we do not1 we
 cannot obtain it4'  ,what words are    
these1 my friends8 what rash words are  
these1 which men thrust into ,scripture 

out of their own carnal conceits1 as if 
they could improve upon the speech of   
the ,son of ,man ,himself8  ,he says1   
not that to know ,god is the way to     
eternal life3  but rather that eternal  
life is the way to know ,god4  ,he does 
not say1 ,this is to know ,god and      
,jesus ,christ1 in order that they may  
have eternal life4  ,whatever ,he says1 
,he does not say that4  ,nay1 more1 if  
we are to be very exact 7and can we be  
too exact87 with the ,lord's words1 ,he 
says1 that ',this is eternal life1 in   
order that they may know ,god and ,jesus
 ,christ4'  ,not that we are to know    
,god that we may obtain eternal life1   
but that we must have eternal life in   
order that we may know ,god2 that       
eternal life is the means1 and the      
knowledge of ,god the end and purpose   
for which eternal life is given us4     
,however this may be1 at least ,he says 
what the noble collect which we repeat  
every ,sunday says1 ',that our eternal  
life stands in the knowledge of ,god1'  

depends on it1 and will fall without it4
  ',that we may know ,god4'  ,not merely
 that we may know doctrines about       
salvation1 and the ways of winning      
,god's favour1 and turning away ,his    
vengeance2 not merely to know what ,god 
has done ages ago1 or may do ages hence1
 for us3  but to know ,god ,himself2 to 
know ,his person1 ,his likeness1 ,his   
character2 and what ,he is1 and what ,he
 does1 now and always2 to know ,his     
righteousness1 ,his goodness1 ,his      
truth1 ,his love1 ,his mercy1 ,his      
strength1 ,his willingness and          
mightiness to save2 in a word1 what the 
,bible calls ,his glory2 and therefore  
to admire and delight in ,him utterly4  
,that is what our eternal life stands   
in2 that is why ,god has given to us    
eternal life in ,his ,son1 that we may  
know that4  ,oh1 believe your ,saviour  
simply1 like little children1 and enter 
into the joy of your ,lord4  ,acquaint  
yourselves with ,god1 and be at peace4  
,to know ,god2 and also to know ,jesus  

,christ whom ,he has sent4  ,for ,st4   
,john1 when he tells us that ,god has   
already given to us eternal life1 says  
also1 that this life is in ,his ,son4   
,to know the ,son of ,god1 in whom the  
,father is well pleased1 because ,he is 
,his perfect ,son2 ,his exact likeness1 
the likeness of that glory of ,his1 and 
the express image of that person and    
character of ,his1 which ,i described to
 you just now2 ,one whose life was and  
is and ever will be eternally all love1 
and mercy1 and self-sacrifice1 and      
labour1 for lost and sinful men2 all    
trust and obedience to ,his ,father4    
,to know ,him and ,his life1 and to come
 to ,him1 and receive from ,him an      
eternal life1 which this world did not  
give us1 and cannot take away from us2  
which neither man1 devil1 nor angel1 nor
 the death of our bodies1 the ruin of   
empires1 the destruction of the whole   
universe1 and of time1 and space1 and   
all things whereof man can conceive or  
dream1 can alter in the slightest1      

because it is a life of goodness1 and   
righteousness1 and love1 which are      
eternal as the ,god from whom they      
spring2 eternal as ,christ1 who is the  
same yesterday1 to-day1 and for ever2   
and nothing but our own sinful wills can
 rob us of them4  ,this is eternal life1
 and therefore this is salvation4  ,a   
very different account of it 7though it 
is the ,bible account7 from that narrow 
and paltry one which too many have in   
their minds now-a-days2 a narrow and    
paltry notion that it means only being  
saved from the punishment of our sins   
after we die2 and a very unbelieving1   
and godless1 and atheistical notion too2
 which1 like all unbelief hurts and     
spoils men's lives4  ,for too many say  
to themselves1 ',god must save me after 
,i am dead1 of course1 for no one else  
can3  but as long as ,i am alive ,i must
 save myself4  ,god must save me from   
hell2 but ,i must save myself from      
poverty1 from trouble1 from what the    
world may say of me or do to me1 if ,i  

offend it4'  ,and so salvation seems to 
have to do altogether with the next     
life1 and not at all with this2 and     
people lose entirely the belief that    
,god is our deliverer1 our protector1   
our guide1 our friend1 now1 here1 in    
this life2 and do not really think that 
they can get on better in this world by 
knowing ,god and ,jesus ,christ2 and so 
they set to work to help themselves by  
cunning1 by covetousness1 by cowardly   
truckling to the wicked ways of the very
 world which they renounced at baptism1 
by following after a multitude to do    
evil1 and standing by1 saying1 ',i saw  
it not1' when they see wrong and cruelty
 done upon the earth2 afraid to fight   
,god's battles like men of ,god1 because
 they say it is 'dangerous4' ,and so1 in
 these evil days1 thousands who call    
themselves ,christians live on1 worldly 
and selfish1 without ,god in the world2 
while they talk busily enough of        
'preparing to meet ,god1' in the world  
to come2 dreaming1 poor souls1 of       

arriving at what they call 'salvation'  
after they die1 while they are too      
often1 ,i fear1 deep enough in what the 
,scripture calls 'damnation1' before    
they die4  ',but1' say some1 'is not    
salvation going to a place called       
heaven8' ,my friends1 let the ,bible    
speak4  ,it tells us that salvation is  
not in a place at all1 but in a person1 
a living1 moving1 acting person1 who is 
none other than the ,lord ,jesus        
,christ4  ,let the ,psalmists speak1 and
 shame us1 who ought to know 7being     
,christians7 even better than they1 that
 ,the ,lord ,himself is ,salvation4     
,the whole ,book of ,psalms1 what is it 
but the blessed discovery that salvation
 is not merely in a place1 or a state1  
not even in some 'beatific vision' after
 men die2 but in the ,lord ,himself all 
day long in this world2 that salvation  
is a life in ,god and with ,god8  ',the 
,lord is my light1 and my salvation1 of 
whom then shall ,i be afraid8  ,the     
,lord is the strength of my life1 and my

 portion for ever4'  ,this is their     
key-note4  ,shame on us ,christians1    
that we should have forgotten it for one
 so much lower4  ',the name of the      
,lord1' says ,solomon1 'is a strong     
tower3  the righteous runneth into it1  
and is safe4'  ,into it3  not merely    
into some pleasant place after he dies1 
but all day long2 and is safe3  not     
merely after he dies1 but in every      
chance and change of this mortal life4  
,my friends1 ,i am ashamed to have to   
put ,christian men in mind of these     
things4 ,truly1 ',evil communications   
have corrupted good manners2 awake to   
righteousness and sin not1 for some have
 not the knowledge of ,god4' ,i am      
ashamed1 ,i say2 for there are old hymns
 in the mouths of every one to this day1
 which testify against their want of    
faith2 which say1 ',christ is my life1' 
',christ is my salvation2' and which    
were written1 ,i doubt not1 by men who  
meant literally what they said1 whatever
 those who sing them now-a-days may mean

 by them4  ,now what do those hymns mean
 by such words1 if they mean anything at
 all8 ,surely what ,i have been         
preaching to you1 and what seems to some
 of you1 ,i fear1 strange and new       
doctrine4  ,and what else does the      
,church ,catechism mean1 when it bids   
every child thank ,god for having       
brought him into a state of salvation8  
,for mind1 throughout the whole ,church 
,catechism there is not one word about  
what people commonly call heaven and    
hell2 not one word though 'heaven and   
hell' are now-a-days generally the first
 things about which children are taught4
  ,not one word is the child taught     
about what will happen to him after     
death1 except that his body will rise   
again1 and that ,christ will be his     
,judge after he is dead as well as while
 he is alive3  but not one word about   
that salvation after he is dead1 which  
is almost the only thing of which one   
hears in many pulpits4 ,and why1 but    
because the ,catechism teaches the child

 to believe that ,jesus ,christ is his  
salvation now1 in this life1 and        
believes that to be enough for him to   
know8  ,for if ,christ be eternal1 ,his 
salvation must be eternal also4  ,if    
,christ's life be in the child1 eternal 
life must be in the child2 for ,christ's
 life must be eternal1 even as ,christ  
,himself2 and that is enough for the    
child1 and for us also4  ,and with this 
agrees that great text of ,scripture1   
',when the wicked man turneth away from 
his wickedness1 and doeth that which is 
lawful and right1 he shall save his soul
 alive4'  ,people now-a-days are apt to 
make two mistakes about that one text4  
,first they forget the 'when1' and read 
it as if it stood1 ',if the wicked man  
turn away from his wickedness in this   
life1 he shall save his soul in the next
 life3' but the ,bible says much more   
than that4  ,it says1 that when he      
turns1 then and there1 that moment he   
shall save his soul alive4 ,and next1   
they read the text as if it stood1 'he  

shall save his soul4'  ,here again1 my  
friends1 the ,bible says a great deal   
more2 it says1 that he shall save his   
soul alive4  ,perhaps that does not seem
 to you any great difference8  ,alas1   
alas1 my friends1 ,i fear that there are
 too many now1 as there have been in all
 times1 who do not care for the         
difference4  ,provided 'their souls are 
saved1' by which they mean1 provided    
they escape torment after they die1 it  
matters nothing to them whether their   
souls are saved alive1 or saved dead2   
they do not even know the difference    
between a dead soul and a live soul2    
because they know nothing about eternal 
death and eternal life1 which are the   
death and the life of eternal persons   
such as souls are2 they say to          
themselves1 if they be ,protestants1 ',i
 hope ,i shall have faith enough to be  
saved2' or if they be ,papists1 ',i hope
 ,i shall have good works enough to be  
saved2' valuing faith and works not for 
themselves2 yea1 valuing--for ,i must   

say it--,almighty ,god ,himself1 not for
 ,himself and ,his own glory1 but       
valuing faith and works1 and the        
,father1 and the ,son1 and the ,holy    
,spirit1 only because1 as they dream1   
they are so many helps to a life of     
pleasure beyond the grave2 not knowing  
this1 that living faith and good works  
do not merely lead to heaven1 but are   
heaven itself1 that true1 real eternal  
heaven wherein alone men really live2   
that true1 real eternal life which was  
with the ,father1 and was manifested in 
,jesus ,christ1 whom ,st4 ,john saw     
living upon earth that same ,eternal    
,life1 and bore witness of ,him that    
,his life was the light of men2 that    
eternal life whereof it is written1 that
 ,god hath brought us to life together  
with ,christ1 and raised us up1 and made
 us sit together in heavenly places in  
,christ ,jesus3--not knowing this1 that 
the only life which any soul ought to   
live1 is the life of ,god and of        
,christ1 and of the ,spirit of ,god and 

,christ2 a life of righteousness1 and   
justice1 and truth1 and obedience1 and  
mercy1 and love2 a life which ,god has  
given to us1 that we may know and copy  
,him1 and do ,his works1 and live ,his  
life1 for ever3--not knowing this also  
that eternal death is not merely some   
torture of fire and worms beyond the    
grave3  but that this is eternal death1 
not to live the eternal life which is   
the only possible life for souls1 the   
life of righteousness and love2 a death 
which may come on respectable people1   
and high religious professors1 while    
they are fancying themselves sure to be 
saved1 as easily and surely as it may on
 thieves and harlots1 wallowing in the  
mire of sins4  ,for what is this same   
eternal death8  ,the opposite surely to 
eternal life4  ,eternal life is to know 
,god1 and therefore to obey ,him4       
,eternal life is to know ,god1 whose    
name is love2 and therefore1 to rejoice 
to fulfil ,his law1 of which it is      
written1 ',love is the fulfilling of the

 law2' and therefore to be full of love 
ourselves1 as it is written1 ',we know  
that we have passed from death unto     
life1 because we love the brethren2' and
 again1 ',every one that loveth1 knoweth
 ,god1 for ,god is love4'  ,and on the  
other hand1 eternal death is not to know
 ,god1 and therefore not to care for    
,his law of love1 and therefore to be   
without love2 as it is written on the   
other hand1 ',he that loveth not his    
brother abideth in death4'  ',whosoever 
hateth his brother is a murderer2' and  
ye know that no murderer hath eternal   
life abiding in him2 and again1 ',he    
that loveth not1 knoweth not ,god1 for  
,god is love4'  ,eternal death1 then1 is
 to love no one2 to be shut up in the   
dark prison-house of our own wilful and 
wayward thoughts and passions1 full of  
spite1 suspicion1 envy1 fear2 in fact1  
in one word1 to be a devil4  ,oh1 my    
friends1 is not that damnation indeed1  
to be a devil here on earth1 and for    
aught we know1 for ever and ever8  ,do  

you not know what frame of mind ,i mean8
  ,thank ,god1 none of us1 ,i suppose1  
is ever utterly without some grain of   
love left for some one2 none of us1 ,i  
suppose1 is ever utterly shut up in     
himself2 and as long as there is love   
there is life and as long as there is   
life there is hope3  but yet there have 
been moments when one has felt with     
horror how near1 and how terrible1 and  
how easy was this same eternal death    
which some fancy only possible after    
they die4  ,for1 my friends1 were you   
ever1 any one of you1 for one half hour1
 completely angry1 completely sulky8    
displeased and disgusted with everybody 
and everything round you1 and yet       
displeased and disgusted with yourself  
all the while2 liking to think everyone 
wrong1 liking to make out that they were
 unjust to you2 feeling quite proud at  
the notion that you were an injured     
person3  and yet feeling in your heart  
the very opposite of all these fancies3 
feeling that you were wrong1 that you   

were unjust to them1 and feeling utterly
 ashamed at the thought that they were  
the injured persons1 and that you had   
injured them4  ,and perhaps1 to make all
 worse1 the person about whom all this  
storm had arisen in your heart1 was some
 dear friend or relation whom you loved 
7strange contradiction1 yet most true7  
at the very moment that you were trying 
to hate4  ,oh1 my friends1 if one such  
dark hour has ever come home to you2 if 
you have ever let the sun go down upon  
your wrath1 and so given place to the   
devil1 then you know something at least 
of what eternal death is4  ,you know    
how1 in such moments1 there is a worm in
 the heart1 and a fire in the heart1    
compared with which all bodily torment  
would be light and bearable2 a worm in  
the heart which does not die3  and a    
fire in the heart which you cannot      
quench3  but which if they remained     
there would surely destroy you4  ,so    
intolerable are they1 that you feel that
 you will actually and really die1 in   

some strange unspeakable way1 if you    
continue in that temper long4  ,do not  
there open at such times within our     
hearts black depths of evil1 a power of 
becoming wicked1 a chance of being swept
 off into sin if one gives way1 which   
one never suspected till then2 and yet  
with all these1 the most dreadful sense 
of helplessness1 of slavery1 of         
despair8--,god grant that may not       
remain1 for then comes the mad hope to  
escape death by death1 to try by one    
desperate stroke to rid oneself of that 
self which is for the time one's        
torment1 worm1 fire1 death1 and hell4   
,and what is this dark fight within us8 
,what does the ,bible call it8 ,it is   
death and life1 eternal death and       
eternal life1 salvation and damnation1  
hell and heaven1 fighting together      
within our hapless hearts1 to see which 
shall be our masters4  ,it is the battle
 of the evil spirit1 who is the ,devil1 
fighting with the good spirit1 who is   
,god4  ,nothing less than that1 my      

friends4  ,yes1 in those hateful and    
shameful moments of pride1 or spite1 or 
contempt1 or self-will1 or suspicion1 or
 sneering1 on which when they are past  
we look back with shame and horror1 and 
wonder how we could have been such      
wretches even for a moment1--at such    
times1 ,i say1 our heart is a           
battle-field1 on which no less than the 
,devil himself1 and ,god ,himself are   
fighting for our souls4  ,on one side1  
,satan trying to bring us into that     
state of eternal death in which he lives
 himself2 ,satan1 the loveless one1 the 
self-willed one1 the accuser1 the       
slanderer1 slandering ,god to us1       
slandering man to us1 slandering to us  
the friends we love best and trust most 
utterly2 yea1 slandering our own selves 
to us1 trying to make us believe that we
 are as bad1 ought to be as bad1 and    
must always be as bad as we seem for the
 time to be2 that we cannot shake off   
our evil passions1 that we cannot rise  
again out of the eternal death of sin   

into the eternal life of righteousness4 
,and on the other side1 the ,spirit of  
,god and of ,his ,christ1 the ,spirit of
 eternal life1 the ,spirit of justice1  
and righteousness1 love1 joy1 peace1    
duty1 self-sacrifice1 trying to make us 
know ,him and see ,his beauty1 and obey 
,him1 and be at peace2 trying to raise  
us again into that eternal life and     
state of salvation which the ,lord      
,jesus ,christ has bought for us with   
,his most precious blood4  ,oh1 awful   
thought6  ,life and death1 the ,devil   
himself1 and the ,lord ,jesus ,christ   
,himself1 fighting in your heart and in 
mine1 and in the heart of every human   
being round us6  ,and yet most blessed  
thought1 hopeful1 glorious1--full of the
 promise of eternal victory6  ,for      
greater is ,he that is with us1 than he 
that is against us2 and ,he who         
conquered ,satan for ,himself1 can and  
will conquer him for us also4  ,no thing
 can separate us from the love of       
,christ2 no thing1 yea no angel1 or     

devil1 principality1 or power2 no thing1
 but only ourselves1 only our own proud 
and wayward will and determination to   
the ,devil's voice in our hearts1 and   
not the voice of ,christ1 the ,word of  
,life1 who is nigh us1 in our hearts1   
even in our darkest moments1 loving us  
still1 pitying us1 ready1 able and      
willing to help all who cast themselves 
on ,him1 and raise us1 there and then1  
the very moment we cry to ,him and      
renounce the ,devil and our own foolish 
will1 out of self-will into ,god's will1
 out of darkness into light1 out of     
hatred into love1 out of despair into   
hope1 out of doubt into faith1 out of   
tempest into peace1 out of the death of 
sin into the life of righteousness1 the 
life of love and charity1 which abideth 
for ever4  ,oh1 listen not to the lying1
 slanderous ,devil1 who tells you that  
by your own sin you have lost your share
 in ,christ1 lost baptismal grace1 lost 
,christ's love--,lost ,his love8 ,his1  
who1 were you in the very lowest depths 

of hell1 would pity you still8  ,his    
love1 who ,himself went down into hell1 
and preached to the spirits in prison1  
to show that he did care even for them8 
,not so3  into ,him you have been       
baptized4  ,his cross is on your        
foreheads1 ,his ,father is your         
,father3--and can a father desert his   
child1 even though he sinned seventy and
 seven times1 if seventy and seven times
 he turn and repent8  ,can man weary    
,god8  ,can the creature conquer and    
destroy the love of his ,creator8  ,can 
,christ deny ,himself8  ,not so2        
whosoever thou art1 however sorely      
tempted1 however deeply fallen1 however 
disgusted and terrified at thyself1 turn
 only to that blessed face which wept   
over ,jerusalem1 to that great heart    
which bled for thee upon the cross1 and 
thou shalt find him unchanged1 the same 
yesterday1 to-day1 and for ever1 the    
,lord of life and love1 able and willing
 to save to the uttermost all who come  
to ,god through ,him1 and the accusing  

,devil shall turn and flee1 and thou    
shalt know that thy ,redeemer liveth    
still1 and in thy flesh thou shalt see  
the salvation of ,god1 and cry1         
',rejoice not against me1 ,satan1 mine  
enemy2 for when ,i fall ,i shall arise4'
    ,,sermon ,,iii4  ,a ,,good          
,,conscience    #a ,peter iii4 #ba4     
,the like figure whereunto baptism doth 
now save us 7not the putting away the   
filth of the flesh1 but the answer of a 
good conscience toward ,god17 by the    
resurrection of ,jesus ,christ4  ,these 
words are very wide words2 too wide to  
please most people4 ,they preach a very 
free grace2 too free to please most     
people4  ,such free and full grace1     
indeed1 that some who talk most about   
free grace1 and insist most on man's    
being saved only by free grace1 are the 
very men who shrink from these words    
most1 and would be more comfortable in  
their minds1 ,i suspect1 if they were   
not in the ,bible at all1 because the   
grace they preach is too free4  ,but so 

it always has been1 and so it is1 and   
so1 ,i suppose1 it always will be4  ,man
 preaches his notions of ,god's         
forgiveness1 his notions of what he     
thinks ,god ought to do2 but when ,god  
proclaims ,his own forgiveness1 and     
tells men what ,he has actually done1   
and bids ,his apostle declare boldly    
that baptism doth now save us1 then man 
is frightened at the vastness of ,god's 
generosity1 and thinks ,god's grace too 
free1 ,his forgiveness too complete2 and
 considers this text and many another in
 the ,bible as 'dangerous' forsooth1 if 
it is 'preached unreservedly1' and not  
to be quoted without some words of man's
 invention tacked to it1 to water it    
down1 and narrow it1 and take all the   
strength and life out of it2 and if he  
be asked whether he believes the words  
of ,scripture1--for instance1 whether   
,st4 ,paul spoke truth when he told the 
heathen ,athenians that they and all men
 were the offspring of ,god2--or when he
 told the ,romans that as by the offence

 of one1 judgment came on all men to    
condemnation1 even so by the            
righteousness of ,one1 the free gift    
came upon all men to justification of   
life2--or when he told the ,corinthians1
 that as in ,adam all die1 even so in   
,christ shall all be made alive2--or    
whether ,st4 ,peter spoke truth when he 
said1 that 'baptism doth also now save  
us1'--then they answer1 that the words  
are true 'in a sense2' that is1 not in  
their plain sense2 true1 if they were   
only true2 true1 and yet somehow at the 
same time not true2 and not to be       
preached 'unreservedly3' as if man could
 be more cautious and correct in his    
language than the ,spirit of ,god1 who  
inspired the ,apostles2 as if man could 
be more careful of ,god's honour than   
,god is of ,his own2 as if man could    
hate sin and guard against sin more     
carefully than ,god ,himself4  ,just in 
the same way do people stumble at       
certain invaluable words in the ,church 
,catechism1 which teach children to     

thank ,god for having brought them into 
that state of salvation4  ,even very    
good people1 and people who really wish 
to believe and honour the ,church       
,catechism1 and the ,sacrament of       
,baptism1 find these words too strong to
 please them1 and say1 that of course a 
child's being in a state of salvation   
cannot mean that he is saved1 but that  
he may be saved after he dies4  ,my     
friends1 ,i never could find that we    
have a right to take liberties with the 
,bible and the ,prayer ,book which we   
dare not take with any other book1 and  
to put meanings into the words of them  
which1 in the case of any other book1   
would be contrary to plain grammar and  
the ,english tongue1 if not to common   
sense and honesty4  ,if you say of a    
man1 'he is in a state of happiness1'   
you mean1 do you not1 that he is happy  
now1 not that he may perhaps be happy   
some day8  ,if you came to me and told  
me that you were in a state of hunger1  
you would think it a very strange answer

 to receive if ,i say1 ',very well then1
 if you become hungry1 come to me1 and  
,i will feed you8'  ,you all know that a
 man's being in a state of poverty1 or  
of misery1 means that he is poor or     
miserable now1 here1 at this very time2 
that if a man is in a state of sickness1
 he is sick2 if he is in a state of     
health1 he is healthy4  ,then what can a
 man's being in a state of salvation    
mean1 by all rules of ,english1 but that
 he is saved8  ,if ,i were to say to any
 one of the good people who do not think
 so1 ',my friend1 you are in a state of 
damnation1' he would answer me quickly  
enough1 ',i am not1 for ,i am not       
damned4' ,he would agree that a man's   
being in a state of damnation means that
 the man is damned2 why will he not     
agree that a man's being in a state of  
salvation means that he is saved8       
,because1 my friends1 ,god's grace is   
too full for fallen man's notions2 and  
therefore there is an evil fashion      
abroad in the world1 that where a text  

speaks of wrath1 and misery and         
punishment1 you are to interpret it     
exactly1 and to the very letter3  but   
where it speaks of love1 and mercy1 and 
forgiveness1 you are to do no such      
thing1 but narrow it1 and fence it1 and 
explain it away1 for fear you should    
make sinners too comfortable1--a plan   
which seems wise enough1 but which1 like
 other plans of man's wisdom1 has not   
succeeded too well1 to judge by the     
number of sinners who are already too   
comfortable though they hear the ,bible 
misused1 and ,god's grace narrowed in   
this way every ,sunday of their lives4  
,but1 my friends1 we call ourselves     
,englishmen and churchmen2 let us be    
honest ,englishmen and plain churchmen1 
and take our ,catechism as it stands4   
,for rightly or wrongly1 truly or       
falsely1 it does teach every christened 
child to thank ,god1 not merely that it 
has some chance of being saved1 when it 
dies1 but that it is saved already1 now1
 here on earth4  ,whether that is true  

or false is another question4  ,i       
believe it to be true4  ,i believe the  
text to be true2 ,i believe that why    
people shrink from it is1 that they have
 got into their minds a wrong1          
unscriptural1 superstitious notion of   
what being saved1 and saving one's soul 
alive1 and salvation mean4  ,and ,i beg 
all of you who read your ,bibles to     
search the ,scriptures from beginning to
 end1 and try to find out what these    
words mean1 and whether the ,catechism  
has not kept close1 after all1 to the   
words of ,scripture4  ,it will be better
 for you1 my friends2 it will be worth  
your while1 to know exactly what being  
saved means2 for to judge by the signs  
of the times1 there are1 very probably1 
days coming in which it will be as      
needful for you and for your children to
 save your souls alive lest you die1 as 
ever it was for the ,jews in ,isaiah's  
or ,jeremiah's time1 or for the ,romans 
in ,st4 ,paul's time2 and that in that  
day you will find the ,catechism wider1 

and deeper1 and sounder than you have   
ever suspected it to be1 and see1 ,i    
trust1 that in these very words it      
preaches to you1 and me1 and our        
children after us1 the one true ,gospel 
and good news1 which will stand1 and    
grow1 and shine brighter and brighter   
for ever1 when all the paltry1 narrow1  
counterfeit gospels which man invents in
 its place have been burnt up by the    
unquenchable fire with which the        
merciful ,lord purges the chaff from    
,his floor4  ,i told you this morning   
what ,i believe that salvation was1--to 
know ,god1 and ,jesus ,christ1 whom ,he 
has sent4  ,to know ,god's likeness1    
,god's character1 what ,god has shown of
 ,his own character1 what ,he has done  
for us4  ,to know ,his boundless love1  
and mercy1 and knowing that1 to trust in
 ,him utterly1 and submit to ,him       
utterly1 and obey ,him utterly1 sure    
that ,he loves us1 that ,his will to us 
is goodwill1 that ,his commandments must
 be life4  ,to know ,god1 and therefore 

to love ,him and to serve ,him1 that is 
salvation4  ,now what hinders a little  
child1 from the very moment that it can 
think or speak1 from entering into that 
salvation8  ,not the child's own heart4 
,there is evil in the child--true4  ,is 
there none in you and me8  ,there is a  
corrupt nature in the child--true4  ,is 
there not in you and me8  ,woe to us if 
we have not found it out3  woe to us if 
we dare to think that we are in         
ourselves--or out of ourselves          
either--one whit better than our own    
children4  ,what should hinder any child
 whom you or ,i ever saw from knowing   
,god1 and ,his ,name1 the ,father1 the  
,son1 and the ,holy ,spirit8  ,has he   
not an earthly father1 through whom he  
may know ,the ,father8 ,is he not an    
earthly son2 and through that may he not
 know ,the ,son8  ,has he not a         
conscience1 a spirit in him which knows 
good from evil8 holiness from           
wickedness--far more clearly and        
tenderly than the souls of most grown   

people do8 and can he not1 therefore1   
understand you when you speak of a ,holy
 ,spirit1 a ,spirit which puts good     
desires into his heart1 and can enable  
him to bring those good desires into    
practice8  ,i know one hindrance at     
least2 and that is his parents' sins2   
when the parents' harshness or neglect  
tempts the child to fancy that ,god ,the
 ,father is such a ,father to him as his
 parents are1 and that to be a child of 
,god is to look up to his heavenly      
,father with dread and suspicion as to a
 hard taskmaster whose anger has to be  
turned away1 and not with that perfect  
love1 and trust1 and respect1 and       
self-sacrifice1 with which the ,lord    
,jesus ,christ fulfilled ,his ,father's 
will and proclaimed ,his ,father's      
glory3  or when the parents' unholiness 
and lip-religion teach the child to     
fancy that the ,holy ,spirit means only 
certain religious fancies and feelings1 
or the learning by heart of certain     
words and doctrines1 or1 worst of all1 a

 spirit of bondage unto fear2 instead of
 knowing ,him to be1 as ,he is1 the     
,spirit of righteousness1 and love1 and 
joy1 and peace1 long-suffering1         
gentleness1 goodness1 meekness1         
temperance3  or when1 again1 parents by 
their own teaching1 do despite to the   
,spirit of ,grace in their own child1   
and destroy their child's good          
conscience toward ,god1 by telling the  
child that it does not really love ,god1
 when it loves ,him1 perhaps1 far better
 than they do2 by telling the child that
 its sins have parted it from ,god1 when
 its sins are light1 yea1 are as nothing
 in the balance compared to the sins    
they themselves commit every day1 while 
they claim for themselves clearer light 
and knowledge than the child1 and       
thereby condemn themselves rather than  
the child2 when they darken and defile  
the pure and beautiful trust and        
admiration for its ,heavenly ,father1   
which ,god's ,spirit puts into the      
child's heart1 by telling it that it is 

doomed to ,i know-not-what horrible     
misery and torture when it dies2 but    
that it can escape from that wretched   
end by thinking certain thoughts1 and   
feeling certain feelings2 and so 7after 
stirring up in the child all manner of  
dreadful doubts of ,god's love and      
justice1 and perhaps driving it away    
from religion altogether by making it   
believe that it has committed sins which
 it has not committed1 and deserves     
horrible tortures which it has not      
deserved71 do perhaps at last awaken in 
it a new love for ,god1 but one which is
 not like that first love1 that         
childlike love2 one which1 ,i fear1 is  
hardly a love for ,god at all1 but      
principally a selfish joy and delight at
 having escaped from coming torments4   
,this is the reason1 my friends2 and    
this hindrance1 at least1 ,i know4  ,i  
will not copy those parents1 my friends1
 and tell them1 as they tell their      
children1 that they are bringing on     
themselves endless torture2 but ,i must 

tell them1 for the ,lord ,christ has    
told them1 that they are bringing on    
themselves something--,i know not       
what--of which it is written1 that it   
were better for them that a millstone   
were hanged about their necks1 and that 
they were drowned in the depth of the   
sea4  ,oh1 my friends1 if ,i speak      
sternly1 almost bitterly1 when ,i speak 
of parents' sins1 it is because ,i speak
 for those who cannot speak for         
themselves4  ,i plead for ,christ's     
little ones3  ,i plead for the souls and
 consciences of those little children of
 whom ,christ said1 ',suffer the little 
children to come unto me2' not that they
 might become ,his1 but because they    
were ,his already2 not that they might  
win ,his love1 but because ,he loved    
them from all eternity3  not that they  
might enter into the kingdom of heaven1 
but1 because they were in the kingdom of
 heaven already2 because the kingdom of 
heaven was made up of such as them1 and 
the angels who ministered unto them     

always beheld the face of our ,father   
who is in heaven4  ,yes2 ,i plead for   
those children1 of whom the ,lord said1 
',except ye be converted1' that is1     
utterly turned and changed1 'and become 
as little children1 ye shall in no wise 
enter into the kingdom of heaven4'      
,deep and blessed words1 which are the  
root-rule of all true righteousness2    
which so few really believe at heart1   
any more than the ,pharisees1 and       
,sadducees1 and ,herodians of old did4  
,up and down1 all over ,england1 ,i hear
 men of all denominations saying1 not1  
',except we grown people be converted   
and become as little children2' but1    
'except the little children be          
converted1 and become like us1 grown    
people4'  ,god grant that the little    
children may not become like too many   
grown people6  ,god grant it1 ,i say4   
,god grant that our children may not    
become like us6  ,god grant that they   
may keep through youth and manhood1 and 
through the grave1 and through all      

worlds to come1 the tender and childlike
 heart1 which we too often have hardened
 in ourselves by bigotry and            
superstition1 and dead faith1 and       
lip-worship6  ,and ,i can have good hope
 that ,god will grant it4  ,i can have  
hope that ,god will teach our children  
and our children's children truly to    
know ,him whose name is ,love and       
,righteousness1 the ,father1 the ,son1  
and the ,holy ,spirit1 as long as ,i see
 ,his providence preserving for us this 
old ,church ,catechism1 to teach our    
children what we forget to teach them1  
or what we have not faith enough to     
teach them4  ,yes1 ,i can have hope for 
,england2 and hope for those mighty     
nations across the seas1 whose earthly  
mother ,god has ordained that she should
 be1 as long as the ,catechism is taught
 to her children4  ,for see4  ,this     
,catechism does not begin with telling  
children that they are sinners3  they   
will find that out soon enough for      
themselves1 poor little things1 from    

their own wayward and self- willed      
hearts4  ,nor by telling them that man  
is fallen and corrupt3 they will find   
out that also soon enough1 from the way 
in which they see people go on around   
them4  ,it does not even begin by       
telling them that they ought to be good1
 or what goodness and righteousness is2 
because it takes for granted that they  
know that already2 it takes for granted 
that ,the ,light who lights every man   
who comes into the world is in them2    
even the ,lord ,jesus ,christ ,himself1 
stirring up in their hearts1 as ,he does
 in the heart of every child1 the       
knowledge of good and the love of good4 
,but it begins at once by teaching the  
child the name of ,god4  ,it goes at    
once to the root of the matter2 to the  
fountain of goodness itself2 even to    
,god1 the ,father of lights4  ,it is so 
careful of ,god's honour1 so careful    
that the child should learn from the    
first to look up to ,god with love and  
trust1 that it dare not tell the child  

that ,god can destroy and punish1 before
 it has told him that ,god is a ,father 
and a ,maker2 the ,father of spirits1   
who has made him and all the world4  ,it
 dare not tell him that mankind is      
fallen1 before it has told him that all 
the world is redeemed4  ,it dare not    
talk to him of unholiness1 before it has
 taught him that the ,holy ,spirit of   
,god is with him1 to make him holy4  ,it
 tells him of a world1 a flesh1 and a   
devil3  but he has renounced them4  ,he 
has neither part nor lot in them2 and he
 is not to think of them yet4  ,he is to
 think of that in which he has part and 
lot1 of which he is an inheritor4  ,he  
is to know where he is and ought to be1 
before he knows where he is not and     
ought not to be3 he is to think of the  
name of ,god1 by which he can trample   
world1 flesh1 and devil under foot1 if  
they dare hereafter meddle with his     
soul4  ,in its ,god-inspired tenderness 
and prudence1 it dare not darken the    
heart of one little child1 or tempt him 

to hard thoughts of ,god1 or to cry1    
',why hast thou made me thus8' lest it  
put a stumbling-block in the way of     
,christ's little ones1 and dishonour the
 name and glory of ,god4  ,it tells him 
of the love1 before it tells him of the 
wrath2 of the order1 before it tells him
 of the disorder2 of the right1 before  
the wrong2 of the health1 before the    
disease2 of the freedom1 before the     
bondage2 of the truth1 before the lies2 
of the light1 before the darkness2 in   
one word1 it tells him first of the     
eternal and good ,god1 who was1 and is1 
and shall be to all eternity1 before and
 above the evil devil4  ,it tells him of
 the name of ,god2 and tells him that   
,god is with him1 and he with ,god1 and 
bids him believe that1 and be saved1    
from his birth-hour1 to endless ages4   
,it does not tell him to pray that he   
may become ,god's child2 but to pray1   
because he is ,god's child already4  ,it
 does not tell him to love ,god1 in     
order that he may make ,god love him2   

but to love ,god because ,god loves him 
already1 and has loved him from all     
eternity4  ,it does not tell him to obey
 ,jesus ,christ1 in order that ,christ  
may save him2 but to obey ,christ       
because ,christ has saved him1 and      
bought him with his own blood4  ,it does
 not tell him to do good works1 in order
 that ,god's ,spirit may be pleased with
 him1 and come to him1 and make him one 
of the elect2 neither does it tell him1 
that some day or other1 if he is        
converted1 and feels certain religious  
experiences1 he will have a right to    
consider himself one of ,god's elect3   
but it tells him to look man and devil  
in the face1 he1 the poor little        
ignorant village child1 and say boldly  
in the name of ,god1 ',i am one of      
,god's elect4  ,the ,holy ,spirit of    
,god is sanctifying me1 and making me   
holy4  ,god has saved me2 and ,i        
heartily thank my ,heavenly ,father1 who
 has called me to this state of         
salvation4'  ,it tells him to believe   

that he is safe-- safe in the ark of    
,christ's ,church1 as ,noah was safe in 
the ark at the deluge2 and that the one 
way to keep himself within that ark is  
to obey ,him to whom it belongs1 who    
judges it and will guide it for ever1   
,jesus ,christ1 the likeness of ,god2   
and that as long as he does that1       
neither world1 flesh1 nor devil1 can    
harm him2 even as ,noah was safe in the 
ark1 and nothing could drown him but his
 own wilful casting himself out of the  
ark1 and trying to free the flood of    
waters by his own strength and cunning4 
,it tells him1 ,i say1 that he is safe1 
and saved1 even as ,david1 and ,isaiah1 
and all holy men who ever lived have    
been1 as long as he trusts in ,god1 and 
clings to ,god1 and obeys ,god2 and that
 only when he forsakes ,god1 and follows
 his own selfishness and pride1 can     
anything or being in earth or hell harm 
him4  ,and do not fancy1 my friends1    
that this is a mere unimportant question
 of words and doctrines1 because a      

baptized and educated child may be lost 
after all1 and fall from his state of   
salvation into a state of damnation4    
,still more1 do not fancy that if a     
child is taught that he is already a    
child of ,god1 regenerated in baptism1  
and elect by ,god's ,spirit1 that       
therefore he will neglect either vital  
faith or good works--heaven forbid6  ,is
 it likely to make a child careless1 and
 inclined to neglect vital truth1 to    
tell him that ,god is his ,father and   
loves him utterly1 and has given ,his   
only begotten ,son to die for him8  ,is 
it not the very way1 the only way1 to   
stir up in him faith1 and real hearty   
trust and affection towards ,god8  ,how 
can you teach him to trust ,god1 but by 
telling him that ,god has shown himself 
boundlessly and perfectly worthy to be  
trusted by every soul of man2 or to love
 ,god1 but by showing him that ,god     
loves him already8  ,is it likely to    
make a child careless of good works1 to 
tell him that ,god has elected and      

chosen him1 and all his brothers and    
schoolfellows1 to be conformed into the 
likeness of ,jesus ,christ1 and that    
every good1 and honourable1 and gentle  
thought or feeling which ever crosses   
his little heart1 does not come from    
himself1 is not part of his own nature  
or character1 but is nothing less than  
the inspiration of the ,holy ,spirit1   
nothing less than the voice of ,almighty
 ,god ,himself1 speaking to the child's 
heart1 that he may answer with ,samuel--
 ',speak1 ,lord1 for thy servant        
heareth8'  ,is it likely to make a child
 careless about losing eternal life1 to 
tell him that ,god has already given to 
him eternal life1 and that that life is 
in ,his ,son ,jesus ,christ1 to whom the
 child belongs1 body1 soul1 and spirit8 
,judge for yourselves1 my friends4      
,think what awe1 what reverence1 purity1
 dread of sin1 would grow up in a child 
who was really taught all this1 and yet 
what faith and love to ,god1 what       
freedom1 and joyfulness1 and good       

courage about his own duty and calling  
in life4  ,and then look at the fruits  
which in general follow a religious     
education1 as it is miscalled2 and take 
warning4  ,for if you really train up   
your children in the way in which they  
should go1 be sure that when they are   
old they will not depart from it--a     
promise which is not fulfilled to most  
religious education which we see around 
us now-a-days2 from which sad fact1 if  
,scripture be inspired and infallible1  
we can only judge that such is not the  
way in which the children should go2 and
 that because it is a wrong way1        
therefore ,god will not1 and man cannot1
 keep them in it4    ,,sermon ,,iv4     
,,names    ,matthew i4 #ba4  ,and thou  
shall call his name ,jesus4  ,did it    
ever seem to you a curious thing that   
the ,catechism begins by asking the     
child its name8  ',what is your name8'  
',who gave you this name8'  ,i think    
that if you were not all of you         
accustomed to the ,church ,catechism    

from your childhood1 that would seem a  
strange way of beginning to teach a     
child about religion4  ,but the more ,i 
consider1 the more sure ,i am that it is
 the right way to begin teaching a child
 what the ,catechism wishes to teach4   
,do not fancy that it begins by asking  
the child's name just because it must   
begin somehow1 and then go on to        
religion afterwards4  ,do not fancy that
 it merely supposes that the clergyman  
does not know the child's name1 and must
 ask it2 for this ,catechism is intended
 to be taught by parents to their       
children1 and masters to their          
apprentices and servants2 by people1    
therefore1 who know the child's name    
perfectly well already1 and yet they are
 to begin by asking the child his name4 
,now1 why is this8  ,what has a child's 
name to do with his ,faith and duty as a
 ,christian8  ,you may answer1 ,because 
his ,christian name is given him when he
 is baptized4  ,but why is his          
,christian name given him when he is    

baptized8  ,why then rather than at any 
other time8  ,because it is the old     
custom of the ,church4  ,no doubt it is3
  and a most wise and blessed custom it 
is2 and one which shows us how much more
 about ,god and man the churchmen in old
 times knew1 than most of our religious 
teachers now-a-days4  ,but how did that 
old custom arise8  ,what put into the   
minds of church people1 for the last    
sixteen hundred years at least1 that    
being baptized and being named had      
anything to do with each other8  ,men   
had names of their own long before the  
,lord ,jesus came1 long before ,his     
,baptism was heard of on earth2--the    
heathens of old had their names--the    
heathens have names still2--why1 then1  
did church people feel it right to mix a
 new thing like baptism with a world-old
 thing like giving a name8  ,my friends1
 ,i feel and say honestly1 that there is
 more in this matter than ,i understand2
 and what little ,i do understand1 ,i   
could not explain fully in one sermon1  

or in many either4  ,but let this be    
enough for to-day4  ,god grant that ,i  
may be able to make you understand me4  
,any one's having a name--a name of his 
own1 a ,christian name1 as we rightly   
call it--signifies that he is a person2 
that is1 that he has a character of his 
own1 and a responsibility1 and a calling
 and duty of his own1 given him by ,god2
 in one word1 that he has an immortal   
soul in him1 for which he1 and he alone1
 must answer1 and receive the rewards of
 the deeds which it does in the body1   
whether they be good or evil4  ,but     
names are not given at random1 without  
cause or meaning4  ,when ,adam named all
 the beasts1 we read that whatsoever he 
called any beast1 that was the name of  
it4  ,the names which he gave described 
each beast1 were taken from something in
 its appearance1 or its ways and habits1
 and so each was its right name1 the    
name which expressed its nature4  ,and  
so now1 when learned men discover       
animals or plants in foreign countries1 

they do not give them names at random1  
but take care to invent names for them  
which may describe their natures1 and   
make people understand what they are    
like1 as ,adam did for the beasts of    
old4  ,and much more1 in old times1 had 
the names of men each of them a meaning4
  ,if it was reasonable to give names   
full of meaning to each kind of dumb    
animal1 which are mere things1 and not  
persons at all1 how much more to each   
man separately1 for each man is a person
 of himself2 each man has a character   
different from all others1 a calling    
different from all others1 and therefore
 he ought to have his own name separate 
from all others3  and therefore in old  
times it was the custom to give each    
child a separate name1 which had a      
meaning in it1 was1 as it were1 a       
description of the child1 or of         
something particular about the child4   
,now1 we may see this1 above all1 in    
,the adorable ,name of ,jesus4 ,that    
name1 above all others1 ought to show us

 what a name means2 for it is the name  
of the ,son of ,man1 the one perfect and
 sinless man1 the pattern of all men2   
and therefore it must be a perfect name1
 and a pattern for all names2 and it was
 given to the ,lord not by man1 but by  
,god2 not after ,he was born1 but before
 ,he was conceived in the womb of the   
blessed ,virgin4  ,and therefore1 it    
must show and mean not merely some      
outward accident about ,him1 something  
which ,he seemed to be1 or looked like1 
in men's eyes3  no1 the ,name of ,jesus 
must mean what the ,lord was in the     
sight of ,his ,father in ,heaven2 what  
,he was in the eternal purpose of ,god  
the ,father2 what ,he was1 really and   
absolutely1 in ,himself2 it must mean   
and declare the very substance of ,his  
being4  ,and so1 indeed1 it does2 for   
,the adorable ,name of ,jesus means     
nothing else but ,god the ,saviour--,god
 who saves4 ,this is ,his name1 and was1
 and ever will be4  ,this ,name ,he     
fulfilled on earth1 and proved it to be 

,his character1 ,his exact description1 
,his very ,name1 in short1 which made   
,him different from all other beings in 
heaven or earth1 create or uncreate2 and
 therefore1 ,he bears ,his name to all  
eternity1 for a mark of what ,he has    
been1 and is1 and will be for ever--,god
 the ,saviour2 and this is the perfect  
name1 the pattern of all other names of 
men4  ,now though the ,christian names  
which we give our children here in      
,england1 have no especial meaning to   
them1 and have nothing to do with what  
we expect or wish the children to be    
when they grow up1 yet the names of     
people in most other countries in the   
world have4 ,the ,jewish names which we 
find in the ,bible have almost all of   
them a meaning4  ,so ,simeon1 ,i        
believe1 means ',obedient'2 ,jehoshaphat
 means1 ',the ,lord will judge'2        
,daniel1 ',god is my judge'2 ,isaiah    
means1 ',the ,salvation of the ,lord'2  
,isaac means1 ',she laughs1' as a       
memorial of ,sarah's laughing1 when she 

heard that she was to have a child2     
,ishmael means1 ',the ,lord hears1' in  
remembrance of ,god's hearing ,hagar's  
cry in the wilderness1 when ,ishmael was
 dying of thirst4  ,especially those    
names of which we read that ,god        
commanded them to be given1 have        
meanings1 and to tell the persons who   
bore those names what ,god expected of  
them1 or would do for them4  ,so        
,abraham means1 ',the father of many    
nations4'  ,so the children of both     
,isaiah and ,hosea had names given them 
by ,god1 each of them meaning something 
which ,god was going to do to the nation
 of the ,jews4  ,and so ,john means1    
',given by the ,lord1' which name was   
given to ,john the ,baptist by the      
,angel1 before his strange birth1 in his
 mother's old age4  ,but we must        
remember that the heathens also gave    
names to their children1 though they did
 not know that their children owed any  
duty to ,god1 or belonged to ,god1 and  
therefore we cannot call their names    

,christian names4  ,yes1 the heathens   
did give their children names2 some of  
them give their children names still4   
,and there is to me something most sad  
and painful in those heathen names1 and 
yet most full of meaning4  ,a solemn    
lesson to us1 to show us what the fall  
means2 what man becomes1 when he gives  
way to his fallen nature1 and is parted 
from ,christ1 the ,head of man4  ,first1
 these heathens had a dim remembrance   
that man was made in the likeness of    
,god1 and lived by ,faith in ,god1 and  
therefore that men's names were to      
express that1 as indeed many of their   
old names do4 ,but1 alas6 the likeness  
of ,god in fallen man is like a tree    
without roots1 or rather a tree without 
soil to grow in4  ,god's likeness in man
 can only flourish as long as he is     
joined to ,christ1 the perfect likeness 
of ,god1 the true life and the true     
light of men1 the foundation which is   
already laid1 and the soil in which man 
was meant to grow and flourish for ever1

 and as long as he is fed by the ,spirit
 of ,god1 the ,lord and ,giver of ,life1
 who proceeds--never forget that1 or you
 will lose the understanding both of who
 ,god is and what man is--proceeds not  
only from ,god the ,father1 but also    
from ,god the ,son1 the ,lord ,jesus    
,christ4  ,and therefore1 in the        
heathen1 ,god's likeness withered and   
decayed1 as a tree withers and decays   
when torn up from the soil4  ,and first1
 they began to call themselves after the
 names of false gods1 which they had    
invented out of their own carnal        
fancies4  ,then they called themselves  
after the names of their dumb animal's4 
,so1 ,pharaoh means1 ',the ,sun-,god'2  
the ,ammonites mean1 ',the people who   
worshipped the ram as a god'2 ,potiphar 
means1 ',a fat bull1' which the         
,egyptians used to worship2 and ,i could
 tell you of hundreds of heathen names  
more1 like these1 which are ridiculous  
enough to make one smile1 if we did not 
keep in mind what tokens they are of sin

 and ignorance1 and the likeness not of 
,god1 but of the beasts which perish4   
,then comes another set of names1       
showing a lower fall still1 when        
heathens have quite forgotten that man  
was originally made in ,god's likeness1 
and are not only content to live after  
the likeness of the beasts which perish1
 but pride themselves on being like     
beasts1 and therefore name their        
children after dumb animals1--the girls 
after the gentler and fairer animals1   
and the boys after ravenous and cruel   
beasts of prey4  ,that has been the     
custom among many heathen nations2      
perhaps among almost all of them1 at    
some time or other4 ,it is the custom   
now among the ,red ,indians in ,north   
,america1 where you will find one man in
 a tribe called ',the ,bull1' another   
',the ,panther1' and another ',the      
,serpent1' and so on2 showing that they 
would like to be1 if they could1 as     
strong as the bull1 as cruel as the     
panther1 as venomous as the serpent4    

,what wonder that those ,red ,indians1  
who have so put on the likeness of the  
beasts1 are now dying off the face of   
the earth like the beasts whom they     
admire and imitate8  ,and this was the  
way with our own heathen forefathers    
before the blessed ,gospel was preached 
to them4  ,it is frightful1 in reading  
old histories1 to find how many         
,englishmen1 our own forefathers1 were  
named after fierce wild beasts1 and     
tried1 alas6 to be like their           
names--children of wrath1 whose feet    
were swift to shed blood1 under whose   
lips was the poison of adders1 and      
destruction and bloodshed following in  
their paths1 not knowing the way of     
peace4 ,the wolf was the common wild    
beast of ,england then2 and there are1  
,i should say1 twenty common old        
,english names ending in wolf1 besides  
as many more ending in bear1 and eagle1 
and raven4  ,fearful sign6 that men of  
our own flesh and blood should have     
gloried in being like the wolf1 the     

cruellest1 the greediest1 the most mean 
of savage beasts6  ,how shall we thank  
,god enough1 who sent to them the       
knowledge of ,his ,son ,jesus ,christ1  
and called them to be new men in ,christ
 ,jesus1 and called them to holy        
baptism1 to receive new names1 and begin
 new lives in the righteous likeness of 
,god ,himself8--that as by nature they  
had been the children of wrath1 so in   
baptism they might become the children  
of grace2 that as from their forefathers
 they had inherited a corrupt nature1   
original sin1 and the likeness of the   
foul and ravenous beasts which perish1  
they might have power from the ,spirit  
of ,god to become the sons of ,god1     
conformed into the likeness of ,jesus   
,christ1 in peace1 and love1 and        
righteousness1 and all holiness4  ,and  
yet1 in names there is a lower depth    
still among fallen and heathen men2 when
 they lose utterly the last dim notion  
that ,god intends men to be persons1    
even as ,god the ,father is a person1   

and ,god the ,son a person1 and ,god the
 ,holy ,spirit is a person1 and so lose 
the custom of giving their children     
personal names at all2 either giving    
them1 after they grow up1 mere          
nicknames1 taken from some peculiarity  
of their bodies1 or something which they
 have done1 or some place where they    
happen to live2 or else1 like many      
tribes of heathen negroes1 just name    
them after the day of the week on which 
they were born1 as some way of knowing  
them apart2 or1 last and most shocking  
of all1 give them no names at all1 and  
have no names themselves1 knowing each  
other apart as the dumb animals do1 only
 by sight4  ,i can conceive no deeper   
fall into utter brutishness than that2  
and yet some few of the most savage     
tribes1 both in ,africa and in the      
,indian islands1 are said--,god help    
them6--to live in that way1 and to have 
no names2--blotted1 indeed1 out of the  
book of life6  ,but is this the right   
state for men8  ,no2 it is the wrong    

state4  ,it is a disease into which men 
are fallen2 a disease out of which      
,christ came to raise men2 and out of   
which ,he does raise us in ,holy        
,baptism4  ,baptism puts the child into 
its right state--into the right state   
for a human being1 a human soul1 a human
 person4  ,and baptism declares what    
that right state is--a member of        
,christ1 a child of ,god1 and an        
inheritor of the kingdom of heaven4  ,a 
member of ,christ1 and therefore a      
person1 because ,christ is a person4  ,a
 child of ,god1 and therefore a person1 
because a child's duty is to love and   
trust and obey his father--and only a   
person can do that1 not an animal or a  
thing4  ,an inheritor of the kingdom of 
heaven1 and therefore bound to cherish  
all heavenly thoughts and feelings1 all 
righteousness1 love1 and obedience1     
which only spirits and persons1 not     
animals or things1 can feel4  ,now can  
you not see why baptism is the proper   
time for giving the child a name8       

,because then ,christ claims the child  
for ,his own2-- because having a name   
shows that the child is a person who has
 a soul1 a will1 a conscience1 a duty2 a
 person who must answer himself for     
himself alone for what he does in the   
body1 whether it be good or evil4  ,and 
that will1 and soul1 and conscience were
 given the child by ,christ1 by whom all
 things are made1 who is the ,light     
which lights every man who comes into   
the world4  ,thus in holy baptism ,god  
adopts the child for ,his own in ,jesus 
,christ4  ,he declares that the child is
 regenerate1 and has a new life1 a life 
from above1 a seed of eternal personal  
life which he himself has not by nature4
  ,and that seed of eternal life is none
 other but the ,holy ,spirit of ,god1   
the ,spirit of the ,father and of the   
,son1 the ,lord and ,giver of ,life1 who
 does verily and indeed regenerate the  
child in holy baptism1 and dwells with  
his soul1 his person1 his very self1    
that ,he may educate the child's        

character1 and raise his affections1 and
 subdue his will1 and raise him up daily
 from the death of sin to the life of   
righteousness4  ,therefore1 when in the 
,catechism you solemnly ask the child   
its name1 you ask it no light question4 
,you speak as a spirit1 a person1 to its
 spirit1 to its very self1 which ,god   
wills should never perish1 but live for 
ever4  ,you single the child out from   
all its schoolfellows1 from all the     
millions of human beings who have ever  
lived1 or ever will live2 and you make  
the child1 by answering to his name1    
confess that he is a person1 an immortal
 soul1 who must stand alone before the  
judgment seat of ,god2 a person who has 
a duty and a calling upon ,god's earth1 
which he must fulfil or pay the forfeit4
  ,and then you ask the child who gave  
him his name1 and make him declare that 
his name was given him in baptism1      
wherein he was made a member of ,christ 
and a child of ,god4  ,you make the     
child confess that he is a person in    

,jesus ,christ1 that ,christ has        
redeemed him1 his very self1 and taken  
him to ,himself1 and made him not merely
 ,god's creature1 or ,god's slave1 but  
,god's child4  ,you make the child      
confess that his duty as a person is not
 towards himself1 to do what he likes1  
and follow his own carnal lusts2 but    
toward ,god and toward his neighbours1  
who are in ,god's kingdom of heaven as  
well as he4  ,and then you go on in the 
rest of the ,catechism to teach him how 
he himself1 the person to whom you are  
speaking1 may live for ever and ever as 
a person1 by faith in other ,persons    
beside himself1 even in ,god the        
,father1 ,son1 and ,holy ,spirit1 as you
 teach him in the ,creed2 by doing his  
duty to other persons beside himself1   
even to ,god and man1 as you teach him  
in the ,ten ,commandments2 and by       
diligent prayer to another ,person      
beside himself1 even to ,god his        
heavenly ,father1 to feed and strengthen
 him day by day with that eternal life  

which was given to him in baptism4 ,thus
 the whole ,catechism turns upon the    
very first question in it-- ',what is   
thy name8'  ,it explains to the child   
what is really meant1 in the sight of   
,god1 and of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1  
and of the whole ,church in earth and   
heaven1 by the child's having a name of 
his own1 and being a person1 and having 
that name given to him in holy baptism4 
,and if this is true of our children1 my
 friends1 it is equally true of us4     
,you and ,i are persons1 and persons in 
,christ2 each stands alone day and night
 before the judgment-seat of ,christ4   
,each must answer for himself4  ,none   
can deliver his brother1 nor make       
agreement unto ,god for him4  ,each of  
us has his calling from his heavenly    
,father2 his duty to do which none can  
do instead of him4 ,each has his own    
sins1 his own temptations1 his own      
sorrows1 which he must bring            
single-handed and alone to ,god his     
,father1 as it is written1 ',the heart  

knoweth its own bitterness1 and a       
stranger intermeddleth not with its     
joy4'  ,there is a world1 a flesh1 and a
 devil1 near to us1 ready to drag us    
down1 and destroy our personal and      
spiritual life1 which ,god has given us 
in ,christ2 a flesh which tempts us to  
follow our own appetites and passions1  
blindly and lawlessly1 like the beasts  
which perish2 a world which tempts us to
 become mere things1 without free-wills 
of our own1 or consciences of our own1  
without personal faith and personal     
holiness2 the puppets of the            
circumstances and the customs which     
happen to be round us2 blown about like 
the dead leaf1 and swept helplessly down
 the stream of time4  ,and there is a   
devil1 too1 near us1 tempting us to the 
deepest lie of all1--to set up ourselves
 apart from ,god1 and to try1 as the    
devil tries1 to be persons in our own   
strength1 each doing what he chooses1   
each being his own law1 and his own     
master2 that is1 his own lawlessness1   

and his own tyrant3  and if we listen to
 that devil1 that spirit of lawlessness 
and self-will1 we shall become his      
slaves1 persons in him1 doing his work1 
and finding torment and misery and      
slavery in it4  ,awful thought1 that so 
many enemies should be against us2 yea1 
that we ourselves should be our own     
enemies6  ,but here baptism gives us    
hope1 baptism gives us courage2 we are  
in ,christ2 ,god is our ,father1 and ,he
 can and will give us power to have     
victory1 and to triumph against the     
world1 the flesh1 and the devil4  ,his  
,spirit is given to us in baptism--that 
,spirit of ,god who is not merely a     
force or an influence1 but a person1 a  
living1 loving1 holy ,person4  ,he is   
with us1 to give our persons1 our souls1
 eternal life from ,his life1 eternal   
holiness from ,his holiness2 that so1   
not merely some part of us1 but we our  
very selves and souls--we the very same 
persons who were christened1 and had a  
name given us in holy baptism1 and have 

been answering to that name all our     
life1 and were reminded1 whenever we    
heard that name1 that we had a duty of  
our own1 a history of our own1 hopes1   
fears1 joys1 sorrows of our own1 which  
none could share with us1-- that we1 ,i 
say1 our own persons1 our very selves1  
may be raised up again at the last day1 
free1 pure1 strong1 filled with the life
 of ,god1 which is eternal life4  ,and  
then1 what blessed words are these from 
the ,lord ,jesus1 which we read in the  
book of ,revelation8  ',and ,i will give
 to him that overcometh1 a new name4'   
,a new name for him that overcometh     
world1 flesh1 and devil2 that shall be  
our portion in the world to come4  ,a   
new name1 perfect like the name of the  
,lord ,jesus1 which shall express and   
mean all that we are to do hereafter1   
and all that we have done well on earth4
  ,a name which shall declare to us our 
calling and work in ,god's ,church      
triumphant1 throughout all ages and     
worlds to come3  and yet a name which no

 man knoweth saving he who receiveth it4
  ,yes1 if we may dare to guess at the  
meaning of those deep words1 perhaps in 
that new name shall be recorded for each
 man all that went on1 in the secret    
depths of the man's own heart1 between  
himself and his ,god1 unknown and       
unnoticed even by the wife of his bosom4
  ,the cup of cold water given in       
,christ's name2 the little private acts 
of love1 and kindness1 and              
self-sacrifice1 of which none but ,god  
knew2 the secret prayers1 the secret    
acts of contrition1 the secret          
hungerings and thirstings after         
righteousness1 the secret struggles and 
agonies of heart1 which he could not1   
dare not1 ought not to tell to any human
 being4  ,all these1 he shall find1 will
 go to make up his character in the life
 to come1 to determine what work he is  
to do for ,god in the world to come2 as 
it is written1 ',be thou faithful over a
 few things1 and ,i will make thee ruler
 over many things4'  ,all these1        

perhaps1 shall be expressed and declared
 in that new name1 the full meaning of  
which none will know but the man        
himself1 because none but he knows the  
secret experiences and struggles which  
went toward the making of it2 none but  
he and ,god2 for ,god will know all1 ,he
 who is the ,lord and ,saviour of our   
souls1 our persons1 our very selves1 and
 can preserve them utterly to the       
fulness of eternal life1 because ,he    
knows them thoroughly and utterly2      
because ,he judges not according to     
appearance1 but judges righteous        
judgment2 because ,he sees us not merely
 as we seem to others to be1 not even as
 we seem at times to ourselves to       
be2--but searches the heart1 and can be 
touched with the feeling of its         
infirmities1 seeing that ,he himself has
 been tempted even as we are1 yet       
without sin2 because1 blessed thought6  
,he can pierce through the very marrow  
of our being1 and discern the thoughts  
and intents of our hearts1 and see what 

we long to be1 and what we ought to be2 
so that we can safely and hopefully     
commend our spirits to ,his hand1 day by
 day and hour by hour1 and can trust    
,him to cleanse us from our secret      
faults1 and to renew and strengthen our 
very selves day by day with that eternal
 life which ,he gives to all who cast   
themselves utterly upon ,him4           
,,sermon ,v4  ,,sponsorship    #a ,cor4 
xii4 #bf1 #bg4  ,whether one member     
suffer1 all the members suffer with it2 
or whether one member be honoured1 all  
the members rejoice with it4  ,now ye   
are the body of ,christ1 and members in 
particular4  ,i have to tell you that   
there will be a confirmation held at 4 4
 4 on the 4 4 4 ,all persons of fit age 
who have not yet been confirmed ought to
 be ready1 and ,i hope and trust that   
most of them will be ready1 on that day 
to profess publicly their faith and     
loyalty to the ,lord who died for them4 
,i hope and trust that they will1 as    
soon as possible1 tell me that they     

intend to do so1 and come to me to talk 
over the matter1 and to learn what ,i   
can teach them about it4  ,they will    
find in me1 ,i hope1 nothing but        
kindness and fellow- feeling4  ,but ,i  
have not only to tell young persons of  
the ,confirmation3  ,i have to tell all 
godfathers and godmothers of it also4   
,have any of you here ever stood        
godfather or godmother to any young     
person in this parish who is not yet    
confirmed8  ,if you have1 now is the    
time for you to fulfil your parts as    
sponsors4  ,you must help me1 and help  
the children's parents1 in bringing your
 godchildren to confirmation4  ,it      
really is your duty4  ,it will be better
 for you if you fulfil it4  ,better for 
you1 not merely by preventing a         
punishment1 but by bringing a blessing4 
,let me try to show you what ,i mean4   
,now godparents must have some duty1    
some responsibility or other2-- that is 
plain4  ,if you or ,i promise and vow   
things in another person's name1 we must

 be bound more or less to see that that 
other person fulfils the promise which  
we made for him3  and so the baptism    
service warns the sponsors as soon as   
the child is christened1 ',forasmuch as 
this child has promised1' c42 and then  
we have a plain explanation of what a   
godfather and godmother's duties are4   
',and that your godchild may know these 
things the better1' c43  and finally1   
'you shall take care that this child be 
brought to the bishop to be confirmed4' 
,that is the duty of godfathers and     
godmothers4  ,those who stand for any   
child do it on that understanding1 and  
take upon themselves knowingly that     
duty4  ,now1 ,i will not threaten you1  
my friends2 ,i will not pretend to tell 
you how ,god will punish those          
godfathers and godmothers who do not do 
their duty2 because ,i do not know how  
he will punish them4  ,he has not told  
us in the ,bible2 and who am ,i1 to deal
 out ,god's thunders as if they belonged
 to me1 and judge people of whose real  

merits and dements in ,god's sight ,i   
have no fair means of judging8 ,i always
 dread and dislike threatening any      
sinner out of this pulpit1 except those 
who plainly break the plain laws which  
are written in those ,ten ,commandments1
 and hypocrites3  because ,i stand in   
awe of our ,lord's own words--',woe unto
 you ,scribes and ,pharisees1           
hypocrites1 for ye bind heavy burdens1  
and grievous to be borne1 and lay them  
on men's shoulders1 while you yourselves
 touch them not with one of your        
fingers4'  ,there is too much of that   
now-a-days1 my friends1 and ,i have no  
mind to add my share to it4  ,and sure  
,i am1 that any godfathers and          
godmothers who do their duty1 only      
because they are afraid that ,god will  
punish them if they do not1 will not do 
their duty at all4  ,but sure ,i am     
also1 and thankful to ,god1 that we     
cannot neglect any duty whatsoever      
without being punished in some way or   
other for our neglect of it4  ,that is  

not a curse1 but a blessing3  it is a   
blessing to us to be punished4  ,the    
only real curse of ,god in this life is 
to be left unpunished for our sins4  ,it
 is a blessing for us that our sins find
 us out4  ,for if our sins did not find 
us out1 we should very often1 ,i fear1  
not find our sins out4  ,and1 therefore1
 when ,i tell godfathers and godmothers1
 not that ,god will perhaps punish them 
for their neglect1 but that ,he does    
punish them for it already1 ,i am       
telling them good news1 if they will    
only open their hearts to that good     
news4  ,for ,god does punish people for 
neglecting their godchildren4  ,those   
who have eyes to see may see it round us
 now1 in this very parish1 and in every 
parish in ,england1 in the selfishness1 
distrust1 divisions1 and quarrels which 
prevail4  ,i do not mean that this      
parish is worse than others1 or ,england
 worse than other countries4 ,that is no
 concern of ours3  our own parish1 and  
our own evils1 are quite concern enough 

for us4  ,are people happy together8    
,do they pull well together8  ,look at  
the old-standing quarrels1              
misunderstandings1 grudges1 prejudices1 
suspicions1 which part one man from     
another1 one family from another2 every 
man for his own house1 and very few for 
the kingdom of ,god2--no1 not even for  
the general welfare of the parish6  ,do 
not men try to better themselves at the 
expense of the parish--to the injury of 
the parish8  ,do not men1 when they try 
to raise their own family1 seem to think
 that the simplest way to do it is to   
pull down their neighbour's family2 to  
draw away their custom2 oust them from  
their places1 or hurt their characters  
in order to rise upon their fall8 so    
that though they are brothers1 members  
of the same church1 nation and parish1  
the greater part of them are1 in        
practice1 at war with each other--trying
 to live at each other's expense4  ,now1
 is this profitable8  ,so far from it1  
that if you will watch the history1     

either of the whole world1 or of this   
country1 or of this one parish1 you will
 find that by far the greater part of   
the misery in it has sprung from this   
very selfishness and separateness--from 
the perpetual struggle between man and  
man1 and between family and family3  so 
that there have been men1 and those     
learned1 and thoughtful1 and            
well-meaning men enough1 who have said  
that the only cure for the world's      
quarrelling and selfishness was to take 
all children away from their parents1   
and bring them up in large public       
schools2 ay1 and even to try plans which
 are sinful1 foul1 and wicked1 all in   
order to prevent parents knowing which  
were their own children1 that they might
 care for all the children in the parish
 as much as if they were their own4  ,a 
foolish plan1 my friends1 and for this  
one reason1 that it is driving out one  
evil by a still greater one4  ,it       
destroys the root to get the fruit2 by  
destroying family life1 and love1 and   

obedience1 to get at the communion of   
saints1 or rather at some ghost of it4  
,the real communion of saints is founded
 on the ,fifth ,commandment--',thou     
shalt honour thy father and thy mother2'
 and grows out of it1 not by destroying 
it1 but by fulfilling it1 as the tree   
grows out of the root1 without taking   
away from the life of the root1 but     
rather by nourishing and increasing it4 
,now1 the ancient institution of        
godfathers and godmothers would1 it     
seems to me1 if it were carried out     
honestly and really1 do for us what we  
certainly have not done for ourselves as
 yet1 and bind us all together as one   
family4  ,it would do all the good which
 those fanciful philosophers of whom ,i 
first spoke1 have dreamt1 without any of
 the evil2 and it would do it because it
 goes simply on the belief that the     
foundation is already laid1 and that    
that foundation is ,christ4  ,it says1  
because this child is not merely the    
child of his father and mother1 but the 

child of ,god1 the universal ,father1   
therefore other people besides his      
parents have an interest in him3  all   
who are children of ,god as well as he  
have an interest in him2 for they are   
all his brothers1 and have a brother's  
interest in his welfare4  ,because this 
child is not merely a member of the     
family whose surname he bears1 but a    
member of ,christ1 a member of ,god's   
great adopted family1 in the hearts of  
every one of whom ,his only begotten    
,son1 ,jesus ,christ1 is working2       
therefore this child ought to be an     
object of awe1 and of interest1 and     
love1 and care to every other member of 
,christ's ,church4  ,moreover1 the child
 is an inheritor of a heavenly          
kingdom--a kingdom of grace--a kingdom  
of ,god1--which is love and justice1 and
 peace1 and joy in the ,holy            
,spirit--all personal1 spiritual1       
heavenly1 ,god-given graces2--and he    
cannot have them without being a        
blessing to all around him2 and he      

cannot be without them1 without being a 
curse to all around him4  ,if1 in after 
life1 when he comes to be confirmed1 he 
claims his inheritance in this heavenly 
kingdom1 he will be full of love1       
justice1 peace1 joy in the ,holy        
,spirit4  ,if he refuses to claim his   
inheritance1 and despises his heavenly  
birthright1 and lives as if he were a   
mere earthly creature1 only to please   
himself1 and help himself1 he will not  
be full of those graces4  ,and what     
then8  ,that he will be full of their   
opposites1 of course4  ,if he has not   
love1 he will be unloving1 selfish1     
hard1 cold--to you and yours4  ,if he   
has not justice he will be unjust--to   
you and yours4  ,if he is not at peace  
he will be at war1 quarrelling1         
grudging1 envying1 backbiting--you and  
yours4  ,if he has not joy in the ,holy 
,spirit1 he will have joy in an unholy  
spirit1 for he must have joy in some    
spirit2 he must take pleasure in some   
sort of way of thinking and feeling1 and

 some sort of life--in short1 in some   
sort of spirit2 and whatsoever is not   
holy is unholy1 whatsoever is not good  
is bad1 whatsoever is not of ,god's     
,holy ,spirit is of the ,devil2--and    
therefore1 if the child as he grows up  
has not joy in the ,holy ,spirit1 and   
does not enjoy doing right and pleasing 
,god1 and being like the ,lord ,jesus   
,christ1 then he will enjoy doing wrong1
 and pleasing himself1 and being unlike 
the ,lord ,jesus ,christ2 and so he will
 set a bad example1 and be a temptation 
to all young people of his own age1     
ready to lead them into sin1 and draw   
them away to those sinful and unholy    
pleasures in which he takes             
delight1--whether it be to rioting and  
drinking1 or to uncleanness and         
unchastity1 or to sneering and laughing 
at godliness1 and at good people4  ,and 
that1 as you know by experience1 may be 
the worse for you and the worse for your
 children4  ,is that the sort of young  
person with whom you would wish to see  

your children keeping company8  ,is that
 the sort of young person next door to  
whom you would wish to live8  ,is not   
such a person a curse1 just because he  
is a person1 a spiritual being with an  
evil spirit in him1 which can harm you1 
and tempt you1 and act on you for evil2 
just as if he had been a righteous      
person1 with the holy and good ,spirit  
in him1 he would have helped you1 and   
taught you1 and worked on you for good8 
,but so it is3  we are members one of   
another1 and if one member goes wrong1  
and gets diseased1 and suffers1 all the 
other members are sure to suffer more or
 less with it1 sooner or later3  you    
feel it so in your bodies--be sure it is
 so in ,god's church4  ,but if one      
member is sound and healthy1 all the    
other members must and will be the      
better for its health1 and rejoice with 
it1 and be able to do their own work the
 more freely1 and strongly1 and         
heartily4  ,just think for yourselves2  
consider1 you who are grown up1 and have

 had experience of life1 the harm you   
have known one bad man do1 the sorrow he
 will cause1 even to people who never   
saw him2 and the good which you have    
seen one good man1 not merely do with   
his own hands1 but put into other       
people's hearts by his example4  ,is not
 both the good and the harm which is    
done on earth like the ripple of a stone
 dropt into water1 which spreads and    
spreads for a vast distance round1      
however small the stone may be8         
,indeed1 bold as it may seem to say it1 
,i believe that1 if we could behold all 
hearts as the ,lord ,jesus does1 we     
should find that there never was a good 
man but that the whole of ,christendom1 
perhaps all mankind1 was sooner or      
later1 more or less1 the better for him2
 and that there never was a bad man but 
that all ,christendom1 perhaps all      
mankind1 was the worse for him4  ,so    
fully and really true it is in everyday 
practice1 that we are members one of    
another4  ,now this is the principle on 

which the ,church acts4  ,for the little
 unconscious infant is treated as what  
it is1 a most solemn and important      
person1 who has other relations beside  
its father and mother1 as a person who  
is the brother of all the people round  
it1 and of all the ,church of ,god1 and 
who1 too1 may hereafter do to them      
boundless good or harm1 and they to it4 
,therefore we must have some persons to 
bear witness of that1 to remind the     
child himself1 and the whole ,church1   
that he is not merely a soul by itself  
to be saved1 but that he is a brother1 a
 member of a family2 that he is bound to
 that family henceforth1 for good and   
for evil4  ,and this the godfathers and 
godmothers do3  they represent and stand
 in the place of the whole ,church4  ,in
 one sense1 every ,christian who meets  
that child through life1 or hears of it1
 ought to behave1 as far as he can1 as  
its godfather2 ought to help and improve
 it if he can4  ,but what is everybody's
 business1 says the proverb1 is nobody's

 business2 and therefore these          
godfathers and godmothers are called out
 from the rest1 as examples to the rest1
 to watch over the child1 and to help   
and advise its father and mother in     
guiding and training it3  but not by    
interfering with a parent's rights1 ,god
 forbid6 or by drawing away the child's 
affections from its own flesh and blood2
 for if a child be not taught first to  
honour its father and mother1 there is  
little use in teaching it anything else 
whatsoever2 and a godfather's first duty
 is to see that his godchild obeys its  
earthly parents for the ,lord's sake1   
for that is right1 and ,god's will1     
whatever else is not4  ,now just        
conceive--,i am sure that you easily    
may--what a blessing to this parish1 or 
this part of the country1 it would be1  
were the duties of godfathers really    
carried out and practised4  ,every      
child1 beside his father and mother1    
would have some two or three elder      
friends at least1 whom he had known from

 his childhood1 whom he could trust1 to 
whom he could go in trouble as to his   
own flesh and blood4  ,the orphan would 
have1 if not relations1 still           
godparents1 to comfort and protect him4 
,no one could go abroad without meeting1
 if not a godparent1 yet the godparent  
or godchild of a friend or a relation2  
someone1 in short1 who had an interest  
in him1 and he in them4  ,all would be  
bound together in threefold cords of    
interest and affection4  ,how many      
spites1 family quarrels1 mistakes1 and  
ignorances about each other would be    
done away1 if people would but thus     
simply enter into that communion of     
saints to which1 by right1 they belong1 
and bear each other's burdens1 and so   
fulfil the law of ,christ4--,unless you 
think that men are such ill-conditioned 
creatures that the less they mix with   
each other the better4  ,i do not4  ,i  
believe that the more we mix with each  
other1 and the better we know each      
other1 the more we shall feel for each  

other3  that the more we help people1   
the more we shall find that they are    
worth helping2 that the more1 in a word1
 we try to live1 not after the likeness 
of the beasts1 selfish and apart1 but   
after the order and constitution of     
,god's ,church1 to which we belong1 and 
which is1 that we are all fellow-members
 of one body1 then the more we shall    
find that ,god's order is the right1    
good1 blessed order1 by obeying which we
 enter into comfort of which we never   
dream as long as we lead selfish1       
separate1 worldly lives2 as it is       
written1 ',eye hath not seen1 nor ear   
heard1 nor hath it entered into the     
heart of man to conceive1 the things    
which ,god has prepared for those who   
love ,him4'  ,this may seem a fanciful  
dream1 too fair to be possible2 but what
 prevents it from being possible1 save  
and except our own selfishness and      
laziness8  ,and as for what fruit will  
spring from it1 ,i have seen1 by        
experience1 the blessing of             

godfathership and godmothership1 where  
it is really carried out2 how it will   
knit together1 in sacred bonds of       
friendship1 not merely the children1 but
 the grown persons of different         
families1 and give them a               
fellow-feeling1 a mutual interest1 which
 will prevent a hundred quarrels and    
coldnesses among frail human creatures4 
,and to those who are childless         
themselves1 what a blessing to have     
their love and self-sacrifice called    
out1 by being bound in holy bonds1 if   
not to children of their own1 at least  
to children of ,god6--to have young     
people to care for1 to teach1 to guide1 
and so to win for themselves in the     
,church of ,god a name better than that 
of sons and daughters4  ,and have no    
fear that by bringing your kindness to  
bear especially upon your godchildren   
you will narrow your love1 and care less
 for children in general4  ,not so1 my  
friends2 you will find that your love to
 your godchildren1 like love to your own

 children1 will make all children       
lovable in your eyes3  you will learn   
how worthy of your love children are1   
what capacities of good there are in    
them1 how truly of such are the kingdom 
of heaven2 and their simplicity will    
often teach you more than you can teach 
them4  ,their ,god-given instincts of   
right and wrong1 truth and falsehood1   
which come from the indwelling ,word of 
,god1 ,jesus the ,lord1 will often      
enough shame us1 will teach us more and 
more the depth of that great saying1    
',out of the mouths of babes and        
sucklings1 ,thou1 ,o ,god1 hast         
perfected ,thy praise4'  ,now try1 ,i   
entreat you1 all godfathers and         
godmothers1 to carry out these hints of 
mine1 and so fulfil your duty to your   
godchildren1 sure that you will find it 
a blessing to yourselves as well as to  
them4  ,after all it is your duty4  ,but
 do not let the slandering ,devil       
slander to you that blessed word1 ,duty1
 and make you afraid of it1 and shrink  

from it1 as if it meant something       
burdensome1 and troublesome1 and        
thankless1 which you suppose you must do
 for fear of punishment1 while you have 
a right to see how little of it you can 
do1 and try to be let off as cheaply as 
possible4  ,beware of that evil spirit1 
my friends1 for he is very near you1 and
 me1 and every man1 whenever we think of
 our duty4  ,very near us he is1 that   
evil ,jesuit spirit1 that spirit of     
bondage unto fear1 which is continually 
setting us on to find out with how      
little service ,god will be contented1  
how human slaves may make the cheapest  
bargain with some stern taskmaster      
above1 of whom they dream4  ,and from   
that temptation there is no escape1 save
 into the blessed name of ,god          
,himself--our ,father4  ,our            
,father6--whenever you think of your    
duty to ,god or man1 think but of those 
two words4  ,remember that all duty is  
duty to a ,father2 your ,father2 and    
such a ,father6  ,who gave ,his only    

begotten ,son to die for you1 who showed
 what ,he was in that ,son--full of     
goodness1 perfectly loving1 perfectly   
merciful1 perfectly just2 and then you  
will not be inclined to ask how little  
obedience1 how little love1 how little  
service1 ,he will allow you to pay to   
,him2 but how much ,he will help you to 
pay to ,him4  ,then you will feel that  
,his service is perfect freedom1 because
 it is service to a ,father who loves   
you1 and will help you to do ,his will4 
,then you will feel that ,his           
commandments are not grievous1 because  
they are a ,father's commandments1      
because you are bound to do them1 not by
 dread and superstition1 but by         
gratitude1 honour1 affection1 respect1  
trust4 ,then you will not be thinking of
 what punishment will come if you       
disobey--no1 nor of what reward will    
come if you obey--but you will be       
thinking of the commandment itself1 and 
how to carry it out most perfectly1 and 
let the consequences take care of       

themselves1 because you know that your  
,father takes care of them2 that ,he    
loves you1 and therefore what ,he       
commands must be good for you1 utterly  
the best thing for you2 that ,he only   
gives you a commandment because it is   
good for you2 that you are made in      
,god's image1 and therefore ,god's will 
must be for you the path of life1 the   
only rule by which you can prosper now  
and for ever4  ,do try1 now1 all you who
 are godfathers and godmothers1 and for 
once look on your duty in this light4   
,be sure that in trying to do your duty 
you will bring a blessing on yourselves1
 because your duty is to a ,father in   
heaven4  ,be sure that1 in trying to    
better your godchildren1 you will better
 yourselves2 in trying to teach them1   
you will teach yourselves2 in trying to 
bring them to confirmation1 you will    
indeed confirm1 root1 and strengthen    
yourselves the more deeply in all that  
is good2 because your godchildren are   
indeed ,god's children1 and whatsoever  

you do for them you do for ,his only    
begotten ,son ,jesus ,christ1 as ,he    
,himself says1 ',inasmuch as ye did it  
unto one of the least of these little   
ones1 ye did it unto ,me4' ,do not be   
afraid of trying2 you will have a       
hundred reasons for not trying rise in  
your mind1 the ,devil will find you a   
hundred lying excuses3  ',it will be so 
difficult2 and you do not like to       
interfere with other people's children2 
and you have never cared about your     
godchildren yet1 and it will seem so odd
 to begin now2 and the children may not 
listen to you2 and besides1 you do not  
know enough to teach them2 you are not  
good scholar enough1 good liver enough1 
you can't preach where you don't        
practice4'  ,oh1 how ready the ,devil is
 to help a man to excuses for not doing 
his duty2 how careful he is to keep out 
of a man's mind the one thought which   
would sweep all those excuses to the    
wind--the thought that this same duty1  
which he is trying to make look so ugly1

 is duty to a loving ,father4  ,do not  
listen to his lies2 look up to your good
 ,father in heaven2 and try4 ,it is     
,god's will that these children should  
be confirmed2 it is ,his will that you  
should help to bring them to            
confirmation2 and if it is ,his will1   
,he will help you to do that will of    
,his4  ,it may seem difficult3  but try1
 and the difficulty will vanish1 for    
,god will make it easy for you4  ,you   
may be afraid of interfering3  believe  
that ,god's ,spirit is working in the   
hearts of your godchildren1 and of their
 parents also2 and trust to ,god's      
,spirit to make them kindly and thankful
 to you about the matter1 and glad to   
see that you take an interest in their  
children4  ,you may seem not to know    
enough3  ,o1 my friends1 you know       
enough1 every one of you1 if you have   
courage to confess how much you know4   
,ask ,god for courage to speak out1 and 
,he will give it you4  ,and even if you 
are no scholar1 be sure that1 as the old

 proverb says1 ',teaching is the best   
way of learning4' ,any parent1 or       
godfather1 or godmother1 who will try to
 teach their children ,god's truth and  
their duty1 will find that in so doing  
they will teach themselves even more    
than they teach the children4  ,i say it
 because ,i know it from my own         
experience4  ,and for the rest1 again ,i
 say1 is not ,god your ,father8         
,therefore1 if any man be in want of    
wisdom1 or courage1 or any other        
heavenly gift1 let him ask of ,god1 who 
giveth liberally and upbraideth not1 and
 he shall receive it4  ,for after all1  
when you ask ,god to teach you1 and     
strengthen you to do your duty1 you do  
but ask ,him for a part of that very    
inheritance which ,he has already given 
you2 a part of your inheritance in that 
kingdom of heaven which is a kingdom of 
spiritual gifts and graces1 into which  
you were baptized as well as your       
godchildren4  ,try then1 each of you1   
what you can do to bring your own       

godchildren to confirmation1 and what   
you can do to make them fit for         
confirmation2 for you are members one of
 another1 and if you will act as such1  
you will find strength to do your duty1 
and a blessing in your day from that    
heavenly ,father from whom every        
fatherhood in heaven and earth1 and     
yours among the rest1 is named4         
,,sermon ,,vi4  ,,justification ,,by    
,,faith    ,ephesians ii4 #e4  ,by grace
 ye are saved4  ,we all hold that we are
 justified by faith1 that is1 by        
believing2 and that unless we are       
justified we cannot be saved4  ,and of  
all men who ever believed this1 perhaps 
those who gave us the ,church ,catechism
 believed it most strongly4  ,nay1 some 
of them suffered for it2 endured        
persecution1 banishment1 and a cruel    
death1 because they would persist in    
holding1 contrary to the ,romanists1    
that men were justified by faith only1  
and not by the works of the law2 and    
that this was one of the root-doctrines 

of ,christianity1 which if a man did not
 believe1 he would believe nothing else 
rightly4  ,does it not seem1 then1      
something strange that they should never
 in this ,catechism of theirs mention   
one word about justifying or            
justification8  ,they do not ask the    
child1 ',how is a man justified8' that  
he may answer1 ',by faith alone2' they  
do not even teach him to say1 ',i am    
justified already4  ,i am in a state of 
justification2' but not saying one word 
about that1 they teach him to say much  
more-- they teach him to say that he is 
in a state of salvation1 and to thank   
,god boldly because he is so2 and then  
go on at once to ask him the articles of
 his belief4  ,and even more strange    
still1 they teach him to answer that    
question1 not by repeating any          
doctrines1 but by repeating the simple  
old ,apostles' ,creed4  ,they do not    
teach him to say1 as some would         
now-a-days1 ',i believe in original sin1
 ,i believe in redemption through       

,christ's death1 ,i believe in          
justification by faith1 ,i believe in   
sanctification by the ,holy             
,spirit1'--true as these doctrines are2 
still less do they bid the child say1   
',i believe in predestination1 and      
election1 and effectual calling1 and    
irresistible grace1 and vicarious       
satisfaction1 and forensic              
justification1 and vital faith1 and the 
three assurances4'  ,whether these      
things be true or false1 it seemed to   
the ancient worthies who gave us our    
,catechism that children had no business
 with them4  ,they had their own        
opinions on these matters1 and spoke    
their opinions moderately and wisely1   
and the sum of their opinions we have in
 the ,thirty-nine ,articles1 which are  
not meant for children1 not even for    
grown persons1 excepting scholars and   
clergymen4  ,of course every grown      
person is at liberty to study them2 but 
no one in the ,church of ,england is    
required to agree to them1 and to swear 

that they are true1 except scholars at  
our old ,universities1 and clergymen1   
who are bound to have studied such      
questions4  ,but for the rest of        
,englishmen all the necessary articles  
of belief 7so the old divines           
considered7 were contained in the simple
 old ,apostles' ,creed4  ,and why8      
,because1 it seems to me1 they were what
 ,englishmen ought to be--what too many 
,englishmen are too apt to boast of     
being in these days1 while they are not 
so1 or anything like it--and that is1   
honest men and practical men4  ,they had
 taught the children to say that they   
were members of ,christ1 children of    
,god1 and inheritors of the kingdom of  
heaven2 and they had taught the         
children1 when they said that1 to mean  
what they said2 for they had no notion  
that ',i am1' meant ',i may possibly    
be2' or that ',i was made1' meant       
',there is a chance of my being made    
some time or other4'  ,they would not   
have dared to teach children to say     

things which were most probably not     
true4  ,so believing really what they   
taught1 they believed also that the     
children were justified4  ,for if a     
child is not justified in being a member
 of ,christ1 a child of ,god1 and an    
inheritor of the kingdom of heaven1 what
 is he justified in being8  ,is not that
 exactly the just1 right1 and proper    
state for him1 and for every man8--the  
very state in which all men were meant  
originally to be1 in which all men ought
 to have been8  ,so they looked on these
 children as being in the just1 right1  
and proper way1 on which ,god looks with
 satisfaction and pleasure1 and in which
 alone a man can do just1 right1 and    
proper things1 by the ,spirit of        
,christ1 which ,he gives daily and      
hourly to those who belong to ,him and  
trust in ,him and in ,his ,father4  ,but
 they knew that the children could only 
keep in this just1 and right1 and proper
 state by trusting in ,god1 and looking 
up to ,him daily in faith1 and love1 and

 obedience4  ,they knew that if the     
children1 whether for one hour or for   
their whole lives1 lost trust in ,god1  
and began trusting in themselves1 they  
would that very moment1 then and there1 
become not justified at all1 because    
they would be doing a thing which no man
 is justified in doing1 and fall into a 
state into which no man is justified in 
remaining for one hour--that is1 into an
 unjustifiable state of self-will1 and  
lawlessness1 and forgetfulness of who   
and of what they were1 and of what ,god 
was to them2 in one word1 into a sinful 
state1 which is not a righteous1 or     
just1 or good1 or proper state for any  
man1 but an utterly unrighteous1 unjust1
 wrong1 improper1 mistaken1 diseased    
state1 which is certain to breed        
unrighteous1 unjust1 improper actions in
 a man1 as a limb is certain to corrupt 
if it be cut off from the body1 as a    
little child is certain to come to harm 
if it runs away from its parents1 and   
does just what it likes1 and eats       

whatsoever pleases its fancy4  ,so these
 old divines1 being practical men1 said 
to themselves1 ',these children are     
justified and right in being what they  
are1 therefore our business is to keep  
them what they are1 and we can only do  
that as long as they have faith in ,god 
and in ,his ,christ4'  ,now1 if they had
 been mere men of books1 they would have
 said to themselves1 ',then we must     
teach the children very exactly what    
faith is1 that they may know how to tell
 true faith from false1 and may be able 
to judge every day and hour whether they
 have the right sort of faith which will
 justify them1 or some wrong sort which 
will not4' ,and many wise and good men  
in those times did say so1 and tormented
 their own minds1 and the minds of weak 
brethren1 with long arguments and dry   
doctrines about faith1 till1 in their   
eagerness to make out what sort of thing
 faith ought to be1 they seemed quite to
 forget that it must be faith in ,god1  
and so seemed to forget too who ,god    

was1 and what ,he was like4  ,therefore1
 they ended by making people believe 7as
 too many1 ,i fear1 do now-a-days7 not  
that they were justified freely by the  
grace of ,god1 shown forth in the life1 
and death1 and resurrection of his ,son 
,jesus ,christ2 no3  but that they were 
justified by believing in justification 
by faith1 and that their salvation      
depended not on being faithful to ,god  
and trusting in ,him1 but in standing up
 fiercely for the doctrine of           
justification by faith4  ,and so they   
destroyed the doctrine of free grace1   
while they thought they were fighting   
for it2 for they taught men not to look 
to ,god for salvation1 so much as to    
their own faith1 their own frames1 and  
feelings1 and experiences2 and these1 as
 common sense will show you1 are just as
 much something in a man1 as acts of his
 own1 and part of him1 as his good works
 would be2 and so by making people fancy
 that it was having the right sort of   
feelings which justified them1 they fell

 back into the very same mistake as the 
,papists against whom they were so      
bitter1 namely1 that it is something in 
a man's self which justifies him1 and   
not simply ,christ's merits and ,god's  
free grace4  ,but our old ,reformers    
were of a different mind2 and           
everlasting thanks be to ,almighty ,god 
that they were so4  ,for by being so    
they have made the ,church of ,england  
7as ,i always have said1 and always will
 say7 almost the only ,church in        
,europe1 ,protestant or other1 which    
thoroughly and fully stands up for free 
grace1 and justification by faith alone4
  ,for these old ,reformers were        
practical men1 and took the practical   
way4  ,they knew1 perhaps1 the old      
proverb1 ',a man need not be a builder  
to live in a house4'  ,at least they    
acted on it1 and instead of trying to   
make the children understand what faith 
was made up of1 they tried to make them 
live in faith itself4  ,instead of      
saying1 ',how shall we make the children

 have faith in ,god by telling them what
 faith is8' they said1 ',how shall we   
make them have faith in ,god by telling 
them what ,god is8' ,and therefore1     
instead of puzzling and fretting the    
children's minds with any of the        
controversies which were then going on  
between ,papists and ,protestants1 or   
afterwards between ,calvinists and      
,arminians1 they taught the children    
simply about ,god2 who ,he was1 and what
 ,he had done for them and all mankind2 
that so they might learn to love ,him1  
and look up to ,him in faith1 and trust 
utterly to ,him1 and so remain justified
 and right1 saved and safe for ever4    
,by doing which1 my friends1 they showed
 that they knew more about faith and    
about ,god than if they had written     
books on books of doctrinal arguments   
7though they wrote those too1 and wrote 
them nobly and well72 they showed that  
they had true faith in ,god1 such trust 
in ,him1 and in the beauty and goodness1
 justice and love1 which ,he had shown1 

that they only needed to tell the       
children of it1 and they would trust    
,him too1 and at once have faith in so  
good a ,god4  ,they showed that they had
 such trust in the excellencies1 and    
reasonableness1 and fitness of ,his     
,gospel1 that they were sure that it    
would come home at once to the          
children's hearts4  ,they showed that   
they had such trust in the power of ,his
 grace1 in ,his love for the children1  
in the working of ,his ,spirit in the   
children1 that ,he would bring ,his     
,gospel home to their hearts1 and stir  
them up by the spirit of adoption to    
feel that they were indeed the children 
of ,god1 to whom they might freely cry1 
',my ,father6'  ,and ,i say that they   
were not deceived4  ,i say that         
experience has shown that they were     
right2 that the ,church ,catechism1     
where it is really and honestly taught1 
gives the children an honest1 frank1    
sober1 ,english temper of mind which no 
other training which ,i have seen gives4

  ,i have seen1 alas6  ,church schools  
fail1 ere now1 in training good         
children2 but as far as ,i have seen1   
they have failed either because the     
,catechism was neglected for the sake of
 cramming the children's brains with    
scholarship1 or because the ,catechism  
was not honestly taught3  because the   
words were taught by rote1 but the      
explanations which were given of it were
 no explanations at all1 but another    
doctrine1 which our forefathers knew    
not3  either ,dissenting or ,popish2    
either a religion of fancies1 and       
feelings1 and experiences1 or one of    
superstitious notions and superstitious 
ceremonies which have been borrowed from
 the ,church of ,rome1 and which1 ,i    
trust in ,god1 will be soon returned to 
their proper owner1 if the free1        
truthful1 ,god-trusting ,english spirit 
is to remain in our children4  ,i know  
that there are good men among           
,dissenters1 my friends2 good men among 
,romanists4  ,i have met with them1 and 

,i thank ,god for them2 and what may not
 be good for ,english children may be   
good for foreign ones4  ,i judge not2 to
 his own master each man stands or      
falls4  ,but ,i warn you frankly1 from  
experience 7not of my own               
merely--,heaven forbid6--but from the   
experience of centuries past71 that if  
you expect to make the average of       
,english children good children on any  
other ground than the ,church ,catechism
 takes1 you will fail4  ,of course there
 will be some chosen ones here and      
there1 whose hearts ,god will touch2 but
 you will find that the greater part of 
the children will not be made better at 
all2 you will find that the cleverer1   
and more tender-hearted will be made    
conceited1 ,pharisaical1 self-deceiving 
7for children are as ready to deceive   
themselves1 and play the hypocrite to   
their own consciences1 as grown people  
are72 they will catch up cant words and 
phrases1 or little outward forms of     
reverence1 and make a religion for      

themselves out of them to drug their own
 consciences withal2 while1 when they go
 out into the world1 and meet           
temptation1 they will have no real      
safeguard against it1 because whatsoever
 they have been taught1 they have not   
been taught that ,god is really and     
practically their ,father1 and they ,his
 children4  ,i have seen many examples  
of this kind4  ,perhaps those who have  
eyes to see may have seen one or two in 
this very parish4  ,be that as it may1  
,i tell you1 my friends1 that your      
children shall be taught the ,church    
,catechism1 with the plain1 honest      
meaning of the words as they stand4  ,no
 less3  but as ,god shall give me grace1
 no more4  ,if it be not enough for them
 to know that ,god1 ,he who made heaven 
and earth1 is their ,father2 that ,his  
,son ,jesus ,christ redeemed them and   
all mankind by being born of the ,virgin
 ,mary1 suffering under ,pontius        
,pilate1 being crucified1 dead1 and     
buried1 descending into hell1 rising    

again the third day from the dead1      
ascending into ,heaven1 and sitting on  
the right hand of ,god the ,father      
,almighty1 in the intent of coming from 
thence to judge the living and the dead2
 to believe in the ,holy ,spirit1 in the
 holy universal ,church in which ,he    
keeps us1 in the fellowship of all      
,saints in which ,he knits us together2 
in the forgiveness of our sins which ,he
 proclaims to us1 in the resurrection of
 our body which ,he will quicken at the 
last day1 in the life everlasting which 
is ,his life1--if1 ,i say1 this be not  
enough for them to believe1 and on the  
strength thereof to trust ,god utterly1 
and so be justified and saved from this 
evil world1 and from the doom and       
punishment thereof1 then they must go   
elsewhere2 for ,i have nothing more to  
offer them1 and trust in ,god that ,i   
never shall have4    ,,sermon ,,vii4    
,,duty ,,and ,,superstition    ,micah   
vi4 #f-h4  ,wherewith shall ,i come     
before the ,lord and bow myself before  

the most ,high ,god8  ,shall ,i come    
before him with burnt offerings8 4 4 4  
,will the ,lord be pleased with         
thousands of rams8 4 4 4  ,shall ,i give
 my firstborn for my transgression2 the 
fruit of my body for the sin of my soul8
  ,he hath shewed thee1 ,o man1 what is 
good2 and what doth the ,lord require of
 thee1 but to do justly1 and to love    
mercy1 and to walk humbly with thy ,god8
  ,there are many now-a-days who        
complain of that part of the ,church    
,catechism which speaks of our duty to  
,god and to our neighbour2 and many     
more1 ,i fear1 who shrink from          
complaining of the ,church ,catechism1  
because it is part of the ,prayer-book1 
yet wish in their secret hearts that it 
had said something different about      
,duty4  ,some wonder why it does not say
 more about what are called 'religious  
duties1' and 'acts of worship1'         
'mortification1' 'penitence1' and 'good 
works4'  ,others wonder no less why it  
says nothing about what are called      

',christian frames and feelings1' and   
'inward experiences4'  ,for there is a  
notion abroad in the world1 as there is 
in all evil times1 that a man's chief   
duty is to save his own soul after he is
 dead2 that his business in this world  
is merely to see how he can get out of  
it again1 without suffering endless     
torture after his body dies4  ,this is  
called superstition3  anxiety about what
 will happen to us after we die4  ,now  
if you look at the greater number of    
religious books1 whether ,popish or     
,protestant1 you will find that in      
practice the main thing1 almost the one 
thing1 which they are meant to do1 is to
 show the reader how he may escape      
,hell-torments1 and reach ,heaven's     
pleasures after he dies3  not how he may
 do his ,duty to ,god and his neighbour4
 ,they speak of that latter1 of course3 
they could not be ,christian books at   
all1 thank ,god1 without doing so2 but  
they seem to me to tell men to do their 
,duty1 not simply because it is right1  

and a blessing in itself1 and worth     
doing for its own sake1 but because a   
man may gain something by it after he   
dies4  ,therefore1 to help their readers
 to gain as much as possible after they 
die1 they are not content with the plain
 ,duty laid down in the ,bible and in   
the ,catechism1 but require of men new  
duties over and above2 which may be all 
very good if they help men to do their  
real ,duty1 but are simply worth nothing
 if they do not4  ,let me explain       
myself4  ,i said just now that          
superstition means anxiety about what   
will happen to us after we die4  ,but   
people commonly understand by           
superstition1 religious ceremonies1 like
 the ,popish ones1 which ,god has not   
commanded4  ,and that is not a wrong    
meaning either2 for people take to these
 ceremonies from over- anxiety about the
 next life4  ,the one springs out of the
 other2 the outward conduct out of the  
inward fear2 and both spring alike out  
of a false notion of ,god1 which the    

,devil 7whose great aim is to hinder us 
from knowing our ,father in ,heaven7    
puts into men's minds4  ,man feels that 
he is sinful and unrighteous2 the light 
of ,christ in his heart shows him that1 
and it shows him at the same time that  
,god is sinless and righteous4  ',then1'
 he says1 ',god must hate sin2' and     
there he says true4  ,then steps in the 
slanderer1 ,satan1 and whispers1 ',but  
you are sinful2 therefore ,god hates    
you1 and wills you harm1 and torture1   
and ruin4'  ,and the poor man believes  
that lying voice1 and will believe it to
 the end1 whether he be ,christian or   
heathen1 until he believes the ,bible   
and the ,sacraments1 which tell him1    
',god does not hate you3  ,he hates your
 sins1 and loves you2 ,he wills not your
 misery but your happiness2 and         
therefore ,god's will1 yea1 ,god's      
earnest endeavour1 is to raise you out  
of those sins of yours1 which make you  
miserable now1 and which1 if you go on  
in them1 must bring of themselves       

everlasting misery to you4' ,of         
themselves2 not by any arbitrary decree 
of ,god 7whereof the ,bible says not one
 single word from beginning to end71    
that ,he will inflict on you so much    
pain for so much sin3  but by the very  
nature of sin2 for to sin is to be      
parted from ,god1 in whose presence     
alone is life1 and therefore sin is1 to 
be in death4  ,sin is1 to be at war with
 ,god1 who is love and peace2 and       
therefore to be in lovelessness1 hatred1
 war1 and misery4  ,sin is1 to act      
contrary to the constitution which ,god 
gave man1 when ,he said1 ',let us make  
man in our image1 after our likeness2'  
and therefore sin is a disease in human 
nature1 and like all other diseases1    
must1 unless it is checked1 go on       
everlastingly and perpetually breeding  
weakness1 pain and torment4  ,and out of
 that ,god is so desirous to raise you1 
that ,he spared not ,his only begotten  
,son1 but freely gave ,him for you1 if  
by any means ,he might raise you out of 

that death of sin to the life of        
righteousness--to a righteous life2 to a
 life of ,duty--to a dutiful life1 like 
,his ,son ,jesus ,christ's life2 for    
that must go on1 if you go on in it1    
producing in you everlastingly and      
perpetually all health and strength1    
usefulness and happiness in this world  
and all worlds to come4  ,but men will  
not hear that voice4  ,the fact is1 that
 simply to do right is too difficult for
 them1 and too humbling also4  ,they are
 too proud to like being righteous only 
with ,christ's righteousness1 and too   
slothful also2 and so they go about like
 the old ,pharisees1 to establish a     
righteousness of their own2 one which   
will pamper their self-conceit by       
seeming very strange1 and farfetched1   
and difficult1 so as to enable them to  
thank ,god every day that they are not  
as other men are2 and yet one which     
shall really not be as difficult as the 
plain homely work of being good sons1   
good fathers1 good husbands1 good       

masters1 good servants1 good subjects1  
good rulers4  ,and so they go about to  
establish a righteousness of their own  
7which can be no righteousness at all1  
for ,god's righteousness is the only    
righteousness1 and ,christ's            
righteousness is the only pattern of    
it71 and teach men that ,god does not   
merely require of men to do justly1 and 
love mercy1 and walk humbly with their  
,god1 but requires of them something    
more4  ,but by this they deny the       
righteousness of ,god2 for they make out
 that he has not behaved righteously and
 justly to men1 nor showed them what is 
good1 but has left them to find it out  
or invent it for themselves4  ,for is it
 not establishing a righteousness of    
one's own1 to tell people that ,god only
 requires these ,ten ,commandments of   
,christians in general1 but that if any 
one chooses to go further1 and do       
certain things which are not contained  
in the ,ten ,commandments1 'counsels of 
perfection1' as they are called1 and    

'good works' 7as if there were no other 
good works in the world71 and so do more
 than it is one's duty to do1 and lead a
 sort of life which is called 7,i know  
not why7 'saintly' and 'angelic1' then  
one will obtain a 'peculiar crown1' and 
a higher place in ,heaven than poor     
commonplace ,christian people1 who only 
do justly1 and love mercy1 and walk     
humbly with their ,god8  ,and is it not1
 on the other hand1 establishing a      
righteousness of one's own1 to say that 
,god requires of us belief in certain   
doctrines about election1 and 'forensic 
justification1' and 'sensible           
conversion1' and certain 'frames and    
feelings and experiences2' and that     
without all these a man has no right to 
expect anything but endless torture2 and
 all the while to say little or nothing 
about ,god's requiring of men the ,ten  
,commandments8  ,for my part1 ,i am     
equally shocked and astonished at the   
doctrine which ,i have heard round us   
here--openly from some few1 and in      

practice from more than a few--that     
because the ,ten ,commandments are part 
of the ,law1 they are done away with1   
because we are not now under the ,law   
but under ,grace4  ,what do they mean8  
,is it not written1 that not one jot or 
tittle of the ,law shall fail2 and that 
,christ came1 not to destroy the ,law1  
but to fulfil it8  ,what do they mean8  
,that it was harm to break the ,ten     
,commandments before ,christ came1 but  
no harm to break them now8  ,do they    
mean that ,jews were forbid to murder1  
steal1 and commit adultery1 but that    
,christians are not forbidden8  ,one    
thing ,i am afraid they do mean1 for ,i 
see them act up to it steadily enough4  
,that ,jews were forbidden to covet1 but
 that ,christians are not2 that ,jews   
might not commit fornication1 but       
,christians may2 that ,jews might not   
lie1 but ,christians may2 that ,jews    
might not use false weights and         
measures1 or adulterate goods for sale1 
but that ,christians may4  ,my friends1 

if ,i am asked the reason of the        
hypocrisy which seems the besetting sin 
of ,england1 in this day2--if ,i am     
asked why rich men1 even high religious 
professors1 dare speak untruths at      
public meetings1 bribe at elections1 and
 go into parliament each man with a lie 
in his right hand1 to serve neither ,god
 nor his country1 but his political     
party and his religious sect1 by conduct
 which he would be ashamed to employ in 
private life2--if ,i am asked why the   
middle classes 7and the high religious  
professors among them1 just as much as  
any7 are given over to cheating1        
coveting1 puffing their own goods by    
shameless and unmanly boasting1         
undermining each other by the dirtiest  
means1 while the sons of religious      
professors1 both among the higher and   
the middle classes1 seem just as liable 
as any other young men to fall into     
unmanly profligacy2--if ,i am asked why 
the poor profess ,god's gospel and      
practise the ,devil's works2 and why1 in

 this very parish now1 there are women  
who1 while they are drunkards1 swearers1
 and adulteresses1 will run anywhere to 
hear a sermon1 and like nothing better1 
saving sin1 than high-flown religious   
books2--if ,i am asked1 ,i say1 why the 
old ,english honesty which used to be   
our glory and our strength1 has decayed 
so much of late years1 and a hideous and
 shameful hypocrisy has taken the place 
of it1 ,i can only answer by pointing to
 the good old ,church ,catechism1 and   
what it says about our duty to ,god and 
to our neighbour1 and declaring boldly1 
',it is because you have forgotten that4
  ,because you have despised that4      
,because you have fancied that it was   
beneath you to keep ,god's plain human  
commandments4  ,you have been wanting to
 save your souls1 while you did not care
 whether your souls were saved alive1 or
 whether they were dead1 and rotten1 and
 damned within you2 you have dreamed    
that you could be what you called       
spiritual1 while you were the slaves of 

sin2 you have dreamed that you could    
become what you call saints1 while you  
were not yet even decent men and women4'
  ,and so all this superstition has had 
the same effect as the false preaching  
in ,ezekiel's time had4  ,it has        
strengthened the hands of the wicked1   
that he should not turn from his wicked 
way1 by promising him life2 and it has  
made the heart of the righteous sad1    
whom ,god has not made sad4  ,plain1    
respectable1 ,god-fearing men and women1
 who have wished simply to do their duty
 where ,god has put them1 have been told
 that they are still unconverted1 still 
carnal-- that they have no share in     
,christ--that ,god's ,spirit is not with
 them--that they are in the way to      
endless torture3  till they have been   
ready one minute to say1 ',let us eat   
and drink1 for to-morrow we             
die'--',surely ,i have cleansed my hands
 in vain1 and washed my heart in        
innocency2' and the next minute to say1 
with ,job1 angrily1 ',though ,i die1    

thou shalt not take my righteousness    
from me6  ,you preachers may call me    
what names you will2 but ,i know that ,i
 love what is right1 and wish to do my  
duty2' and so they have been made       
perplexed and unhappy1 one day fancying 
themselves worse than they really were1 
and the next fancying themselves better 
than they really were2 and by both      
tempers of mind tempted to disbelieve   
,god's ,gospel1 and throw away the      
thought of vital religion in disgust4   
,and now people are raising the cry that
 ,popery is about to overrun ,england4  
,it may be so1 my friends4  ,if it is   
so1 ,i cannot wonder at it2 if it is so1
 ,englishmen have no one to blame but   
themselves4 ,and whether ,popery        
conquers us or not1 some other base     
superstition surely will conquer us if  
we go on upon our present course1 and   
set up any new-fangled1 self-invented   
righteousness of our own1 instead of the
 plain ,ten ,commandments of ,god4  ,for
 ,i tell you plainly they are ,god's    

everlasting law1 the very law of        
liberty1 wherewith ,christ has made us  
free2 and only by fulfilling them1 as   
,christ did1 can we be free--free from  
sin1 the world1 the flesh1 and the      
,devil4  ,for to break them is to sin3  
and whosoever commits sin is the slave  
of sin2 and whosoever despises these    
commandments will never enjoy that      
freedom1 but be entangled again in the  
yoke of bondage1 and become a slave1 if 
not to open and profligate sins1 still  
surely to an evil and tormenting        
conscience1 to superstitious anxieties  
as to whether he shall be saved or      
damned1 which make him at last ask1     
',wherewithal shall ,i come before the  
,lord8  ,will the ,lord be pleased with 
this1 that and the other fantastical    
action1 or great sacrifice of mine8' or 
at last1 perhaps1 the old question1     
',shall ,i give my firstborn for my     
transgression1 the fruit of my body for 
the sin of my soul8  ,shall ,i cheat my 
own family1 leave my property away from 

my children1 desert them to shut myself 
up in a convent1 or to attempt some     
great religious enterprise8'--,things   
which have happened a thousand times    
already1 and worse1 far worse1 than     
them2 things which will happen again1   
and worse1 far worse than them1 as soon 
as a hypocritical generation is seized  
with that dread and terror of ,god which
 is sure to arise in the hearts of men  
who try to invent a righteousness of    
their own1 and who forget what ,god's   
righteousness is like1 and who therefore
 forget what ,god is like1 and who      
therefore forget what ,god's name is1   
and who therefore forget that ,jesus    
,christ is ,god's likeness1 and that the
 name of ,god is ',love4'  ,now1 ,i say 
that the ,church ,catechism1 from       
beginning to end1 is the cure for this  
poison1 and in no part more than where  
it tells us our duty to ,god and our    
neighbour2 and that it does carry out   
the meaning of the text as no other     
writing does1 which ,i know of1 save the

 ,bible only4  ,for what says the text8 
',he hath showed thee1 ,o man1 what is  
good4'  ,who has showed thee8  ,who but 
this very ,god1 from whom thou art      
shrinking2 to whom thou art looking up  
in terror1 as at a hard taskmaster1     
reaping where ,he has not sown1 who     
willeth the death of a sinner1 and his  
endless and unspeakable torment8  ,the  
very ,god whom thou dreadest has stooped
 to save and teach thee4  ,he hath sent 
,his only begotten ,son to thee1 to show
 thee1 in the person of a man1 ,jesus   
,christ1 what a perfect man is1 and what
 ,he requires of thee to be4  ,this     
,lord ,jesus is with thee1 to teach thee
 to live by faith in thy heavenly       
,father1 even as ,he lived1 and to be   
justified thereby1 even as ,he was      
justified by being declared to be ,god's
 well-beloved ,son1 and by being raised 
from the dead4  ,he will show thee what 
is good2 ,he has shown thee what is     
good1 when ,he showed thee ,his own     
blessed self1 ,his story and character  

written in the four ,gospels4 ,this is  
thy ,god1 and this is thy ,lord and     
,master2 not a silent ,god1 not a       
careless ,god1 but a revealer of        
secrets1 a teacher1 a guide1 a 'most    
merciful ,god1 who showeth to man the   
thing which he knew not2' that same     
,word of ,god who talked with ,adam in  
the garden1 and brought his wife to him2
 who called ,abraham1 and gave him a    
child2 who sent ,moses to make a nation 
of the ,jews2 who is the ,king of all   
the nations upon earth1 and has         
appointed them their times and the      
bounds of their habitation1 if haply    
they may feel after ,him and find ,him2 
who meanwhile is not far from any one of
 them1 seeing that in ,him they live1   
and move1 and have their being1 and are 
,his offspring2 who has not left        
,himself without witness1 that they may 
know that ,he is one who loves1 not one 
who hates1 one who gives1 not one who   
takes1 one who has pity1 not one who    
destroys1 in that ,he gives them rain   

and fruitful seasons1 filling their     
hearts with food and gladness4  ,this is
 thy ,god1 ,o man6 from whose face thou 
desirest to flee away4  ,next1 ',he hath
 showed thee1 ,o man4'  ,not merely1    
',he hath showed thee1 ,o deep          
philosopher1 or brilliant genius2'--not 
merely1 ',he hath showed thee1 ,o       
eminent saint1 or believer who hast been
 through many deep experiences3' but1   
',he hath showed thee1 ,o man4'         
,whosoever thou art1 if thou be a man1  
subsisting like ,jesus ,christ the ,son 
of ,man1 of a reasonable soul and human 
flesh2 thou labourer at the plough1     
tradesman in thy shop1 soldier in the   
battle-field1 poor woman working in thy 
cottage1 ,god hath showed thee1 and     
thee1 and thee1 what is good1 as surely 
and fully as ,he has shown it to        
scholars and divines1 to kings and      
rulers1 and the wise and prudent of the 
earth4  ,and ,he hath showed thee2 not  
you4  ,not merely to the whole of you   
together2 not merely to some of you so  

that one will have to tell the other1   
and the greater part know only at       
second-hand and by hearsay3  but ,he    
hath showed to thee1 to each of you2 to 
each man1 woman1 and child1 in this     
,church1 alone1 privately1 in the depths
 of thy own heart1 ,he hath showed what 
is good4  ,he hath sent into thine heart
 a ray of ,the ,light who lighteth every
 man who comes into the world4  ,he has 
given to thy soul an eye by which to see
 that ,light1 a conscience which can    
receive what is good1 and shrink from   
what is evil2 a spiritual sense1 whereby
 thou canst discern good and evil4 ,that
 conscience1 that soul's eye of thine1  
,god has regenerated1 as ,he declares to
 thee in baptism1 and ,he will day by   
day make it clearer and tenderer by the 
quickening power of ,his ,holy ,spirit2 
and that ,spirit will renew ,himself in 
thee day by day1 if thou askest ,him1   
and will quicken and soften thy soul    
more and more to love what is good1 and 
strengthen it more and more to hate and 

fly from what is evil4  ,next1 ',he hath
 showed thee1 ,o man1 what is ,,good4'  
,not merely what will turn away ,god's  
punishments1 and buy ,god's rewards2 not
 merely what will be good for thee after
 thou diest3  but what is good1 good in 
itself1 good for thee now1 and good for 
thee for ever2 good for thee in health  
and sickness1 joy and sorrow1 life and  
death2 good for thee through all worlds1
 present and to come2 yea1 what would be
 good for thee in hell1 if thou couldst 
be in hell and yet be good4 ,not what is
 good enough for thy neighbours and not 
good enough for thee1 good enough for   
sinners and not good enough for saints1 
good enough for stupid persons and not  
good enough for clever ones2 but what is
 good in itself and of itself4  ,the one
 very eternal and absolute ,good which  
was with ,god1 and in ,god1 and from    
,god1 before all worlds1 and will be for
 ever1 without changing or growing less 
or greater1 eternally ,the ,same ,good4 
,the ,good which would be just as good1 

and just1 and right1 and lovely1 and    
glorious1 if there were no world1 no    
men1 no angels1 no heaven1 no hell1 and 
,god were alone in his own abyss4  ,that
 very good which is the exact pattern of
 ,his ,son ,jesus ,christ1 in whose     
likeness man was made at the beginning1 
,god hath showed thee1 ,o man2 and hath 
told thee that it is neither more nor   
less than thy ,duty1 thy ,duty as a man2
 that thy duty is thy good1 the good out
 of which1 if thou doest it1 all good   
things such as thou canst not now       
conceive to thyself1 must necessarily   
spring up for thee for ever2 but which  
if thou neglectest1 thou wilt be in     
danger of getting no good things        
whatsoever1 and of having all evil      
things1 mishap1 shame1 and misery such  
as thou canst not now conceive of1      
spring up for thee necessarily for ever4
  ,this seems to me the plain meaning of
 the text1 interpreted by the plain     
teaching of the rest of ,scripture4     
,now see how the ,catechism agrees with 

this4  ,it takes for granted that ,god  
has showed the child what is good3 that 
,god's ,spirit is sanctifying and making
 good1 not only all the elect people of 
,god1 but him1 that one particular      
child2 and it makes the child say so4   
,therefore1 when it asks him1 ',what is 
thy duty to ,god and to thy neighbour8' 
it asks him1 ',my child1 thou sayest    
that ,god's ,spirit is with thee1       
sanctifying thee and showing thee what  
is good1 tell me1 therefore1 what good  
the ,holy ,spirit has showed thee8--tell
 me what ,he has showed thee to be good1
 and therefore thy duty8'  ,but some may
 answer1 ',how can you say that the     
,holy ,spirit teaches the children their
 ,duty1 when it is their schoolmaster1  
or their father1 who teaches them the   
,ten ,commandments and the ,catechism8' 
,my friends1 we may teach our children  
the ,ten ,commandments1 or anything else
 we like1 but we cannot teach them that 
that is their duty4  ,they must first   
know what ,duty means at all1 before    

they can learn that any particular      
things are parts of their ,duty4  ,and1 
believe me1 neither you nor ,i1 nor all 
the men in the world put together1 no1  
nor angel1 nor archangel1 nor any       
created being1 nor the whole universe1  
can teach one child1 no1 nor our own    
selves1 the meaning of that plain word  
,,duty1 nor the meaning of those two    
plain words1 ,i ,,ought4  ,no2 that     
simple thought1 that thought which every
 one of us1 even the most stupid1 even  
the most sinful has more or less1 comes 
straight to him from ,god the ,father of
 ,lights1 by the inspiration of the     
,holy ,spirit of ,god1 the ,spirit of   
,duty1 ,faith1 and ,obedience4  ,for    
mind--when you teach a child1 ',if you  
do this wrong thing-- stealing1 for     
instance--,god will punish you3  but if 
you are honest1 ,god will reward you1'  
you are not teaching the child that it  
is his ,duty to be honest1 and his ,duty
 not to steal4  ,you are teaching him   
what is quite right and true2 namely1   

that it is profitable for him to be     
honest1 and hurtful to him to steal3    
but you are not teaching him as high a  
spiritual lesson as any soldier knows   
when he rushes upon certain death1      
knowing that he shall gain nothing1 and 
may lose everything thereby1 but simply 
because it is his ,duty4  ,you are only 
enticing your child to do right1 and    
frightening him from doing wrong2 quite 
necessary and good to be done3  but if  
he is to be spiritually honest1 honest  
at heart1 honest from a sense of honour1
 and not of fear2 in one word1 if he is 
to be really honest at all1 or even to  
try to be really honest1 something must 
be done to that child's heart which     
nothing but the ,spirit of ,god can do2 
he must be taught that it is his ,,duty 
to be honest2 that honesty is ,,right1  
the perfectly right1 and proper1 and    
beautiful thing for him and for all     
beings1 yea1 for ,god ,himself2 he must 
be taught to love honesty1 and          
whatsoever else is right1 for its own   

sake1 and therefore to feel it his      
,duty4  ,and ,i say that ,god does that 
by your children4  ,i say that we cannot
 watch our children without seeing that1
 though there is in them1 as in us1 a   
corrupt and wilful flesh1 which tempts  
them downward to selfish and self-willed
 pleasures3  yet there is in them       
generally1 more than in us their        
parents1 a ,spirit which makes them love
 and admire what is right1 and take     
pleasure in it1 and feel that it is good
 to be good1 and right to do right2     
which makes them delight in reading and 
hearing of loving1 and right1 and noble 
actions2 which makes them shocked1 they 
hardly know why1 at bad words1 and bad  
conduct1 and bad people4  ,and woe to   
those who deaden that tenderness of     
conscience in their own children1 by    
their bad examples1 or by false         
doctrines which tell the children that  
they are still unregenerate1 children of
 the ,devil1 not yet ,christians2 and   
who so put a stumbling-block in the way 

of ,christ's little ones1 and do despite
 to the ,spirit of ,grace by which they 
are sealed to the day of redemption4  ,i
 see parents thinking that their        
children are to learn the deceitfulness 
of the human heart from themselves1 and 
the working of ,god's ,spirit from their
 parents2 but ,i often think that the   
teachers ought to be converted indeed1  
that is1 turned right round and become  
the learners instead of the teachers1   
and learn the workings of ,god's ,spirit
 from their children1 and the           
deceitfulness of the human heart from   
themselves2 if at least the ,lord       
,jesus's words have any real force or   
meaning at all1 when ,he said1 not1     
',except the little children be         
converted1 and become as you1' but1     
',except ye be converted1 and become as 
one of these little children1 ye' 7and  
not they7 'shall in no wise enter into  
the kingdom of heaven4'  ,believe me1 my
 friends1 that your children's angels do
 indeed behold the face of their ,father

 which is in heaven2 that there is a    
direct communication between ,him and   
them2 and that the sign and proof of it 
is1 the way in which they understand at 
once what you tell them of their duty1  
and take to it1 as it were1 only too    
readily and hopefully1 and confidently1 
as if it were a thing natural and easy  
to them4  ,alas6 it is neither natural  
nor easy1 and they will find out that   
too soon by sad experience3  but still1 
the ,divine ,light is there1 the sense  
of duty is in their minds1 and the law  
of ,god is written in their hearts by   
the ,holy ,spirit of ,god1 who is       
sanctifying them1 not merely by teaching
 them to hope for heaven1 or to dread   
hell1 but by showing them what is good4 
,and herein1 ,i say1 the simple and     
noble old ,church ,catechism1 by faith  
in ,god's ,spirit1 does indeed perfect  
praise out of the mouths of babes4      
,without one word about rewards or      
punishments1 heaven or hell1 it begins  
to talk to the child1 like a true       

,english ,catechism as it is1 about that
 glorious old ,english key word1 ,,duty4
  ,it calls on the child to confess its 
own duty1 and teaches it that its duty  
is something most human1 simple1        
everyday1 commonplace1 if you will call 
it so4  ,i rejoice that it is           
commonplace2 ,i rejoice that in what it 
says about our duty to ,god1 and to our 
neighbour1 it says not one word about   
those counsels of perfection1 or those  
frames and feelings1 which depend1      
believe me1 principally on the state of 
people's bodily health1 on the          
constitution of their nerves1 and the   
temper of their brain3  but that it     
requires nothing except what a little   
child can do as well as a grown person1 
a labouring man as well as a divine1 a  
plain farmer as well as the most        
refined1 devout1 imaginative lady4  ,may
 ,god bless them all2 may ,god help them
 all to do their ,duty in that station  
of life to which it has pleased ,god to 
call them2 but may ,god grant to them   

never to forget that there is but one   
,duty for all1 and that all of them can 
do that ,duty equally well1 whatever    
their constitution1 or scholarship1 or  
station of life may be1 provided they   
will but remember that ,god has called  
them to that station1 and not try to    
invent some new and finer one for       
themselves2 provided they remember that 
they are to do in that station neither  
more nor less than every one else is to 
do in theirs1 namely1 to do justly1 to  
love mercy1 and to walk humbly with     
their ,god4  ,in a word1 to be perfect1 
even as their ,father in heaven is      
perfect4 ,to do justly1 because ,god is 
just1 faithful1 and true1 rewarding     
every man according to his works1 and no
 partial accepter of persons2 so that in
 every nation he that feareth ,god and  
worketh righteousness is accepted by    
,him4  ,to love mercy1 because ,god     
loves mercy2 to be merciful1 because our
 ,father in heaven is merciful2 because 
,he willeth not the death of a sinner1  

but rather that he should turn from his 
wickedness and live2 because ,god came  
to seek and to save that which is lost1 
and is good to the unthankful and the   
evil2 and because ,god so loved sinful  
man1 that when man hated ,god1 ,god's   
answer to man's hate1 ,god's vengeance  
upon man's rebellion1 was1 to send ,his 
only-begotten ,son1 that whosoever      
believed in ,him should not perish1 but 
have everlasting life4  ,and to walk    
humbly with your ,god1 because--and what
 shall ,i say now8 ,does ,god walk      
humbly8  ,can there be humility in ,god8
  ,can ,god obey8 ,and yet it must be   
so4  ,if1 as is most certain from ,holy 
,scripture1 man1 as far as he is what   
man ought to be1 is the image and glory 
of ,god2 if man's justice ought to be a 
copy of ,god's justice1 and man's mercy 
a copy of ,god's mercy1 and all which is
 good in man a copy of something good in
 ,god3  if1 as is most certain1 all good
 on earth is ,god's likeness1 and only  
good because it is ,god's likeness1 and 

is given by ,god's ,spirit1--then our   
walking humbly with ,god1 if it be good1
 must be a copy of something in ,god4   
,but of what8  ,that1 my friends1 is a  
question which can never be answered but
 by those who believe in the mystery of 
the ever-blessed ,trinity1 ,the ,father1
 ,the ,son1 and ,the ,holy ,ghost4  ,it 
is too solemn and great a matter to be  
spoken of hastily at the end of a       
sermon4  ,i will tell you what little ,i
 seem to see of it next ,sunday1 with   
awe and trembling1 as one who enters    
upon holy ground4  ,but this ,i will    
tell you1 to bear in mind meanwhile1    
that if you wish to know or to do what  
is right1 you must firmly believe and   
bear in mind this1--that ,god's justice 
is exactly like what would be just in   
you and me1 without any difference      
whatsoever3  that ,god's mercy is       
exactly like what would be merciful in  
you and me2 and that1 as ,i hope to show
 you next ,sunday1 ,god's humility1     
wonderful as it may seem1 is exactly    

like what would be humble in you and me4
  ,for ,i warn you1 that if you do not  
believe this1 you will be tempted to    
forget ,god's righteousness1 and to     
invent a righteousness of your own1     
which is no righteousness at all1 but   
unrighteousness4  ,for there can be but 
one righteousness--mind what ,i         
say--only one righteousness1 as there   
can be only one truth1 and only one     
reason4  ,forget that1 and you will be  
tempted to invent for yourselves a false
 justice1 which is dishonest and        
partial2 a false mercy1 which is cruel2 
a false humility1 which is vain and     
self-conceited2 and you will be tempted 
also1 as men of all religions and       
denominations have been1 to impute to   
,god actions1 and thoughts1 and tempers1
 which are 7as your own consciences1 if 
you would listen to ,god's ,word in     
them1 would tell you7 unjust1 cruel1 and
 proud2 and then you will be tempted to 
say that things are justifiable in ,god1
 which you would not excuse in any other

 being1 by saying3  ',of course it must 
be right in ,him1 because ,he is ,god1  
and can do what ,he will4'  ,as if the  
,judge of all the earth would not do    
,right2 as if ,he could be anything1 or 
could do anything1 but the ,eternal     
,good which is ,his very being and      
essence1 and which ,he has shown forth  
in ,his ,son ,jesus ,christ our ,lord1  
who went about doing good because ,god  
was with ,him4  ,we all know what the   
good which ,he did was like4  ,let us   
believe that ,god the ,father's goodness
 is the same as ,jesus ,christ's        
goodness4  ,let us believe really what  
we say when we confess that ,jesus was  
the brightness of ,his ,father's ,glory1
 and the express image of ,his ,person4 
,,sermon ,,viii4  ,,sonship    ,john v4 
#ai1 #bj1 #cj4  ,then answered ,jesus1  
,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you1 ,the  
,son can do nothing of ,himself1 but    
what ,he seeth the ,father do3  for what
 things soever ,he doeth1 these also    
doeth the ,son likewise4  ,for the      

,father loveth the ,son1 and sheweth    
,him all things that ,himself doeth4  ,i
 can of mine own self do nothing3  as ,i
 hear1 ,i judge3  and my judgment is    
just2 because ,i seek not mine own will1
 but the will of my ,father which is in 
,heaven4  ,this1 my friends1 is why man 
should walk humbly and obediently with  
his ,god2 because humility and obedience
 are the likeness of the ,son of ,god1  
who1 though ,he is equal to ,his        
,father1 yet to do ,his ,father's will  
humbled ,himself1 and took on ,him the  
form of a slave1 and though ,he is a    
,son1 yet learned obedience by the      
things which ,he suffered2 sacrificing  
,himself utterly and perfectly to do the
 commands of ,his ,father and our       
,father1 of ,his ,god and our ,god2 and 
sacrificing ,himself to ,his ,father not
 as a man merely1 but as a son2 not     
because ,he was in the likeness of      
sinful flesh1 but because ,he was ,the  
,everlasting ,son of ,his ,father2 not  
once only on the cross1 but from all    

eternity to all eternity1 the ,lamb     
slain before the foundation of the      
world4  ,this is a great mystery2 we may
 understand somewhat more of it by      
thinking over the meaning of those great
 words1 ,father and ,son4  ,now1 first1 
a son must be of the same nature as his 
father1--that is certain4  ,each kind of
 animal brings forth after its kind3    
the lion begets lions1 the sheep1 sheep2
 the son of a man must be a man1 of one 
substance with his earthly father2 and  
by the same law1 the ,son of ,god must  
be ,god4  ,take away that notion3  say  
that the only- begotten ,son of ,god is 
not very ,god of very ,god1 of one      
substance with ,his ,father1 and the    
word son means nothing4  ,if a son be   
not of the same substance as his father1
 he is not a son at all4  ,and more1 a  
perfect son must be as great and as good
 as his father1 exactly like his father 
in everything4  ,that is the very       
meaning of father and son2 that like    
should beget like4  ,among fallen and   

imperfect men1 some sons are worse and  
weaker than their fathers3  but we all  
feel that that is an evil1 a thing to be
 sorry for1 a sad consequence of our    
fallen state4  ,our reasons and hearts  
tell us that a son ought to be equal to 
his father1 and that it is in some way  
an affliction1 almost a shame1 to a     
father1 if his children are weaker or   
worse than he is4  ,but we cannot fancy 
such a thing in ,god2 the only-begotten 
perfect ,son of the ,almighty and       
perfect ,father must be at least equal  
to ,his ,father1 as great as ,his       
,father1 as good as ,his ,father2 the   
brightness of ,his ,father's glory1 and 
the express image of ,his ,father's     
person4  ,but there is another thing    
about father and son which we must look 
at1 and that is this3  a good son loves 
and obeys his father1 and the better son
 he is1 the more he loves and obeys his 
father2 and therefore a perfect son will
 perfectly love and perfectly obey his  
father4  ,now1 here is the great        

difference between animals and men4     
,among the higher animals1 the mothers  
always1 and the fathers sometimes1 feed1
 and help1 and protect their young3  but
 we seldom or never find that young     
animals help and protect their parents2 
certainly1 they never obey their fathers
 when they are full grown1 but are as   
ready to tear their fathers in pieces as
 their fathers are to tear them3  so    
that the love and obedience of          
full-grown sons to their fathers is so  
utterly human a thing1 so utterly       
different from anything we find in the  
brutes1 that we must believe it to be   
part of man's immortal soul1 part of    
,god's likeness in man4  ,and in the    
text our ,lord declares that it is so2  
,he declares that ,his obedience to ,his
 ,father1 and ,his ,father's love to    
,him1 is the perfect likeness of what   
goes on between a good son and a good   
father among men2 only that it is       
perfect1 because it is between a perfect
 ,father and a perfect ,son4  ,father   

and ,son6  ,let philosophers and divines
 discover what they may about ,god1 they
 will never discover anything so deep as
 the wonder which lies in those two     
words1 ,father and ,son4  ,so deep1 and 
yet so simple6  ,so simple1 that the    
wayfaring man1 though poor1 shall not   
err therein4  ',who is ,god8  ,what is  
,god like8  ,where shall we find ,him1  
or ,his likeness8'--so has mankind been 
crying in all ages1 and getting no      
answer1 or making answers for themselves
 in all sorts of superstitions1         
idolatries1 false philosophies4  ,and   
then the ,gospel comes1 and answers to  
every man1 to every poor and unlearned  
labourer3  ,will you know the name of   
,god8  ,it is a ,father1 a ,son1 and a  
,holy ,spirit of love1 joy1 peace2 a    
,spirit of perfect satisfaction of the  
,father in the ,son1 and perfect        
satisfaction of the ,son with the       
,father1 which proceeds from both the   
,father and the ,son4  ,it needs no     
scholarship to understand that ,name2   

every one may understand it who is a    
good father2 every one may understand it
 who is a good son1 who looks up to and 
obeys his father with that filial spirit
 of love1 and obedience1 and            
satisfaction with his father's will1    
which is the likeness of the ,holy      
,spirit of ,god1 and can only flourish  
in any man by the help of the ,holy     
,spirit which proceeds from the ,father 
and the ,son4  ,father and ,son6 what   
more beautiful words are there in the   
world8 ,what more beautiful sight is    
there in the world than a son who really
 loves his father1 really trusts his    
father1 really does his duty to his     
father1 really looks up to and obeys his
 father's will in all things8 who is    
ready to sacrifice his own credit1 his  
own pleasure1 his own success in life1  
for the sake of his father's comfort and
 honour8  ,how much more fair and noble 
must be the love and trust which is     
between ,god the ,father and ,god the   
,son6  ,i wish that some of those who   

now write so many excellent books for   
young people1 would write one made up   
entirely of stories of good sons who    
have obeyed1 and worked for1 and        
suffered for their parents4  ,sure ,i am
 that such a book1 wisely and well      
written1 would teach young people much  
of the meaning of the blessed name of   
,god1 much of their duty to ,god4  ,and 
yet1 after all1 my friends1 is not such 
a book written already8  ,have we not   
the four ,gospels1 which tell us of     
,jesus ,christ1 the perfect ,son1 who   
came to do the will of a perfect        
,father8  ,read that2 read your ,bibles4
  ,read the history of the ,lord ,jesus 
,christ1 keeping in mind always that it 
is the history of the ,son of ,god1 and 
of ,his obedience to ,his ,father4  ,and
 when in ,st4 ,john's most wonderful    
,gospel you meet with deep texts1 like  
the one which ,i have chosen1 read them 
too as carefully1 if possible more      
carefully1 than the rest2 for they are  
meant for all parents and for all       

children upon earth4  ,read how ,the    
,father loves ,the ,son1 and gives all  
things into ,his hand1 and commits all  
judgment to ,the ,son1 and gives ,him   
power to have life in ,himself1 even as 
,the ,father has life in ,himself1 and  
shows ,him all things that ,himself     
doeth1 that all men may honour ,the ,son
 even as they honour ,the ,father4 ,read
 how ,the ,son came only to show forth  
,his ,father's glory2 to be the         
brightness of ,his glory and the express
 image of ,his person3  to establish    
,his ,father's kingdom2 to declare the  
goodness of ,his ,father's ,name1 which 
is ,the ,father4  ,how ,he does nothing 
of ,himself1 but only what ,he sees ,his
 ,father do2 how ,he seeks not ,his own 
will1 but the will of the ,father who   
sent ,him2 how ,he sacrificed all1 yea  
even ,his most precious body and soul   
upon the cross1 to finish the work which
 ,his ,father gave ,him to do4  ,how1   
being in the form of ,god1 and thinking 
it no robbery to be equal with ,god1 ,he

 could boldly say1 ',as the ,father     
knoweth me1 even so know ,i the ,father4
  ,i and my ,father are one3' and still1
 in the fulness of ,his filial love and 
obedience1 declared that ,he had no     
will1 no wish1 no work1 no glory1 but   
,his ,father's2 and in the hour of ,his 
agony cried out1 ',father1 if it be     
possible1 let this cup pass from me3    
nevertheless1 not my will but thine be  
done4'  ,my friends1 you will be able to
 understand more and more of the meaning
 of these words just in proportion as   
you are good sons and good fathers2 and 
therefore1 just in proportion as you are
 led and taught by the ,holy ,spirit of 
,god1 without whose help no man can be  
either a good father or a good son4  ,a 
bad son2 a disobedient1 self- willed1   
self-conceited son1 who is seeking his  
own credit and not his father's1 his own
 pleasure and not his parent's comfort2 
a son who is impatient of being kept in 
order and advised1 who despises his     
parent's counsel1 and will have none of 

his reproof1--to him these words of our 
,lord1 the deepest1 noblest words which 
were ever spoken on earth1 will have no 
more meaning than if they were written  
in a foreign language2 he will not know 
what our ,lord means2 he will not be    
able to see why our ,lord came and      
suffered2 he will not see any beauty in 
our ,lord's character1 any righteousness
 in ,his sacrificing ,himself for ,his  
,father2 and because he has forgotten   
his duty to his earthly father1 he will 
never learn his duty to ,god4  ,for what
 is the duty of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ
 is our duty1 if we are the sons of ,god
 in ,him4  ,he is ,the ,son of ,god by  
an eternal never- ceasing generation2 we
 are the sons of ,god by adoption4  ,the
 way in which we are to look up to ,god1
 ,the ,holy ,spirit must teach us2 what 
is our duty to ,god ,the ,holy ,spirit  
must teach us4  ,and who is ,the ,holy  
,spirit8  ,he is ,the ,spirit who       
proceeds from ,the ,son as well as from 
,the ,father4  ,he is ,the ,spirit of   

,jesus ,christ1 ,the ,spirit of the ,son
 of ,god1 the ,spirit who descended on  
the ,lord ,jesus when ,he was baptized1 
the ,spirit which ,god gave to ,him     
without measure4  ,he is the ,spirit of 
,the ,son of ,god2 and we are sons of   
,god by adoption1 says ,saint ,paul2 and
 because we are sons1 he says1 ,god has 
sent forth into our hearts the ,spirit  
of ,his ,son1 by whom we look up to ,god
 as our ,father2 and this ,spirit of    
,god's ,son1 by whom we cry to ,god1    
,abba1 ,father1 ,st4 ,paul calls1 in    
another place1 the ,spirit of adoption2 
and declares openly that ,he is the very
 ,spirit of ,god4  ,therefore1 in       
whatsoever way the ,spirit of ,god is to
 teach you to look up to ,god1 ,he will 
teach you to look up to ,him as a       
,father2 the ,father of ,spirits1 and   
therefore your ,father2 for you are a   
spirit4 ,whatsoever duty to ,god the    
,holy ,spirit teaches you1 ,he teaches  
you first1 and before all things1 that  
it is filial duty1 the duty of a son to 

a father1 because you are the son of    
,god1 and ,god is your ,father4         
,therefore1 whatsoever man or book tells
 you that your duty to ,god is anything 
but the duty of a son to his father does
 not speak by the ,spirit of ,god4      
,whatsoever thoughts or feelings in your
 own hearts tell you that your duty to  
,god is anything but the duty of a son  
to his father1 and tempt you to distrust
 ,god's forgiveness1 and shrink from    
,him1 and look up to ,him as a          
taskmaster1 and an austere and          
revengeful ,lord1 are not the ,spirit of
 ,god2 no1 nor your own spirit1 'the    
spirit of a man1' which is in you2 for  
that was originally made in the likeness
 of ,god's ,spirit1 and by it rebellious
 sons arise and go back to their earthly
 fathers1 and trust in them when they   
have nothing else left to trust1 and say
 to themselves1 ',though all the world  
has cast me off1 my parents will not4   
,though all the world despise and hate  
me1 my parents love me still2 though ,i 

have rebelled against them1 deserted    
them1 insulted them1 ,i am still my     
father's child4  ,i will go home to my  
own people1 to the house where ,i was   
born1 to the parents who nursed me on   
their knee1 ,i will go to my father4'   
,fathers and mothers6 if your son or    
daughter came home to you thus1 though  
they had insulted you1 disgraced you1   
and spent their substance in riotous    
living1 would you shut your doors upon  
them8 ,would not all be forgiven and    
forgotten at once8  ,would not you call 
your neighbours to rejoice with you1 and
 say1 ',it is good to be merry and glad1
 for this our son was dead and is alive 
again1 he was lost and is found8'  ,and 
would not that penitent child be more   
precious to you1 though you cannot tell 
why1 than any other of your children8   
,would you not feel a peculiar interest 
in him henceforth8 ,and do you not know 
that so to forgive would be no weak     
indulgence1 but the part of a good      
father2 a good1 and noble1 and human    

thing to do8  ,ay1 a human thing1 and   
therefore a divine thing1 part of ,god's
 likeness in man4  ,for is it not the   
likeness of ,god ,himself8  ,has not    
,god ,himself1 in the ,parable of the   
,prodigal ,son1 declared that ,he does  
so forgive ,his penitent children1 at   
once and utterly1 and that ',there is   
more joy among the angels of ,god over  
one sinner that repenteth1 than over    
ninety and nine just persons who need no
 repentance8'  ,so says the ,lord ,jesus
 ,christ1 the only begotten ,son of     
,god4  ,let who dare dispute ,his words1
 or try to water them down1 and explain 
them away4  ,and why should it not be   
so8  ,do you fancy ,god less of a father
 than you are8  ,is ,he not ,the        
,father1 the perfect ,father1 'from whom
 every fatherhood in heaven and earth is
 named8'  ,oh1 believe that ,he is      
indeed a ,father2 believe that all the  
love and care which you can show to your
 children is as much poorer than the    
love and care ,god shows to you1 as your

 obedience to your earthly parents is   
poorer and weaker than the love and     
obedience of ,jesus ,christ to ,his     
,father4  ,god is as much better a      
,father than you are1 as ,jesus ,christ 
is a better ,son than you are4  ,there  
is a sum of proportions2 a rule-of-three
 sum2 work it out for yourselves1 and   
then distrust ,god's love if you dare4  
,and believe1 that whatsoever makes you 
distrust ,god's love is neither the     
,spirit of ,god who is the spirit of    
sonship1 nor the spirit of man3  but the
 spirit of the ,devil1 who loves to     
slander ,god to men1 that they may      
shrink from ,him1 and be afraid to arise
 and go to their ,father1 to be received
 again as sons of ,god2 that so1 being  
kept from true penitence1 they may be   
kept from true holiness1 and from their 
duty to ,god1 which is the duty of sons 
of ,god to their ,father in heaven4     
,believe no such notions1 my friends2   
howsoever humble and reverent they may  
seem1 they are but insults to ,god2 for 

under pretence of honouring ,him1 they  
dishonour ,him2 for ,he is love1 and he 
who feareth1 that is1 who looks up to   
,god with terror and distrust1 is not   
made perfect in love4  ,so says ,st4    
,john1 in the very chapter wherein he   
tells us that ,god is love1 and has     
manifested ,his love to us by sending   
,his ,son to be the ,saviour of the     
world2 and that the very reason for our 
loving ,god is1 that ,he loves us       
already2 and that therefore ,he who     
loveth not knoweth not ,god1 for ,god is
 love4  ,yes1 my friends1 ,god is your  
,father2 and ,god is love2 and your duty
 to ,god is a duty of love and obedience
 to a ,father who so loved you and all  
mankind that ,he spared not ,his only   
begotten ,son1 but freely gave ,him for 
you4  ',our ,father which art in        
heaven1' is to be the key-note of all   
your duty1 as it is to be the key-note  
of all your prayers3  and therefore the 
,catechism is right in teaching the     
child that ,god is his ,father1 and     

,jesus ,christ the perfect ,son of ,god 
his pattern1 and the ,holy ,spirit of   
the ,father and of the ,son his teacher 
and inspirer1 before it says one word to
 the child about duty to ,god1 or sin   
against ,god4  ,how indeed can it tell  
him what sin is1 until it has told him  
against whom sin is committed1 and that 
if he sins against ,god he sins against 
a ,father1 and breaks his duty to his   
,father8  ,and how can it tell him that 
till it has told him that ,god is his   
,father8  ,how can it tell him what sin 
is till it has told him what            
righteousness is8  ,how can it tell him 
what breaking his duty is till it has   
told him what the duty itself is8 ,but  
the child knows already that ,god is his
 ,father2 and therefore1 when the       
,catechism asks him1 ',what is his duty 
to ,god8' it is as much as to say1 ',my 
child1 thou hast confessed already that 
thou hast a good ,father in heaven1 and 
thou knowest as well as ,i 7perhaps     
better7 what a father means4  ,tell me1 

then1 how dost thou think thou oughtest 
to behave to such a ,father8'  ,and the 
whole answer which is put into the      
child's mouth1 is the description of    
duty to a father2 of things which there 
would be no reason for his doing to     
anyone who was not his father2 nay1     
which he could not do honestly to anyone
 else1 but only hypocritically1 for the 
sake of flattering1 and which differs   
utterly from any notion of duty to ,god 
which the heathen have ever had just in 
this1 that it is a description of how a 
son should behave to a father4  ,read it
 for yourselves1 my friends1 and judge  
for yourselves2 and may ,god give you   
all grace to act up to it--not in order 
that you1 by 'acts of faith1' or 'acts  
of love1' or 'acts of devotion1' may    
persuade ,god to love you2 but because  
,he loves you already1 with a love      
boundless as ,himself2 because in ,him  
you live1 and move1 and have your being1
 and are the offspring of ,god2 because 
,his mercy is over all ,his works1 and  

because ,he loved the world1 and sent   
,his ,son1 not to condemn the world1 but
 that the world through ,him might be   
saved2 because ,he is ,the ,giver1 ,the 
,father of lights1 from whom comes every
 good and perfect gift2 because all     
which makes this earth habitable--all   
justice1 order1 wisdom1 goodness1 mercy1
 humbleness1 self-sacrifice-- all which 
is fair1 or honourable1 or useful1 in   
men or angels1 in kings on their thrones
 or in labourers at the plough1 in      
divines in their studies or soldiers in 
the field of battle--all in the whole   
universe1 which is not useless1 and     
hurtful1 and base1 and damnable1 and    
doomed 7blessed thought that it is so67 
to be burned up in unquenchable         
fire--all1 ,i say1 comes forth from the 
,father of the spirits of all flesh1 the
 ,lord of ,hosts1 who is wonderful in   
counsel and excellent in working2 who   
spared not ,his only begotten ,son1 but 
freely gave ,him for us1 and will with  
,him freely give us all things4         

,,sermon ,,ix4  ,,the ,,lord',s ,,prayer
    ,matt4 vi4 #i1 #aj4  ,after this    
manner pray ye3  ,our ,father which art 
in heaven4  ,i have shown you what a    
simple account of our duty to ,god and  
to our neighbour the ,catechism gives   
us4  ,i now beg you to remark1 that     
simple and everyday as this same duty   
is1 the ,catechism warns us that we     
cannot do it without ,god's special     
grace1 and ,i beg you to remark further1
 that the ,catechism does not say that  
we cannot do these things well without  
,god's special grace1 but that we cannot
 do them at all4  ,it does not say that 
we cannot do all these things of        
ourselves1 but that we can do none of   
them4  ,but ,i want you to remark one   
thing more1 which is very noteworthy3   
that in this case1 for the first time   
throughout the ,catechism1 the teacher  
tells the child something4  ,all along  
the teacher has1 as ,i have often shown 
you1 been making the child tell him what
 is right1 calling out in the child's   

heart thoughts and knowledge which were 
there already4 ,now he in his turn tells
 the child something which he takes for 
granted is not in the child's heart1 of 
which1 if it is1 has been put into it by
 his teachers1 and of which he must be  
continually reminded1 lest he should    
forget it2 namely1 that he cannot do    
these of himself2 that1 as ,st4 ,paul   
says1 'in him1' that is1 in his flesh1  
'dwells no good thing2' that he is not  
able to think or to do anything as of   
himself1 but his sufficiency is of ,god1
 who works in him to will and to do of  
,his good pleasure1 who has also given  
him ,his ,holy ,spirit4  ,the           
,catechism1 in short1 takes for granted 
that the child knows his duty2 but it   
takes for granted also that he does not 
know how to do that duty4  ,it takes for
 granted1 that in every child there is  
as ,st4 ,paul says1 'a law in his       
members warring against the law of his  
mind1 and bringing him into captivity to
 the law of sin' 7literally1 of short   

coming1 or missing the mark7 'which is  
in his members4' ,now man's natural     
inclination is to suppose that good     
thoughts are part of himself1 and       
therefore that a good will to put them  
in practice is in his own power4  ,i    
blame no one for making that mistake3   
but ,i warn them1 in the name of the    
,bible and of the ,catechism1 that it is
 a mistake1 and one which every man1    
woman1 and child will surely discover to
 be a mistake1 if they try to act on it4
  ,good thoughts are not our own2 they  
are ,jesus ,christ's2 they come from    
,him1 ,the ,life and ,the ,light of men2
 they are ,his voice speaking to our    
hearts1 informing us of ,his laws1      
showing us what is good4  ,and good     
desires are not our own3  they come from
 the ,holy ,spirit of ,god1 who strives 
with men1 and labours to lift their     
hearts up from selfishness to love2 from
 what is low and foul1 to what is noble 
and pure2 from what is sinful and       
contrary to ,god's will1 to what is     

right and according to ,god's will4     
,this is the lesson which you and ,i and
 every man have to learn3 that in       
ourselves dwells no good thing2 but that
 there is ,one near us mightier than we1
 from whom all good things do come2 and 
that ,he loves us1 and will not only    
teach us what is good1 but give us the  
power to do the good we know4  ,but if  
we forget that1 if we take any credit   
whatsoever to ourselves for the good    
which comes into our minds1 then we     
shall be surely taught our mistake by   
sore afflictions and by shameful falls2 
by ,god's leaving us to ourselves1 to   
try our own strength1 and to find it    
weakness2 to try our own wisdom1 and    
find it folly2 to try our own fancied   
love of ,god1 and find that after all   
our conceit of ourselves1 we love       
ourselves better1 when it comes to a    
trial1 than we love what is right2      
until1 in short1 we are driven with ,st4
 ,paul to feel that1 howsoever much our 
hearts may delight in the ,law of ,god1 

there is a corrupt nature in us which   
fights against our delight in ,god's    
law1 and will surely conquer it1 and    
make us slaves to our own fancies1      
slaves to our passions1 slaves to       
ourselves1 ay1 slaves to the very lowest
 and meanest part of ourselves3  unless 
we can find a deliverer2 unless we can  
find some one stronger than us1 who can 
put an end to this hateful1 shameful war
 within us between good wishes and bad  
deeds4  ,and then1 if we will but cry   
with ,st4 ,paul1 ',oh1 wretched man that
 ,i am1 who shall deliver me from the   
body of this death8' we shall surely1   
sooner or later1 hear a voice within our
 hearts1 a voice full of love1 of       
comfort1 of fellow-feeling for us1--',i 
will deliver thee1 my child2 ,i1 even ,i
 thy ,father in heaven2 ,i will teach   
thee1 and inform thee in the way wherein
 thou shouldest go2 and ,i will guide   
thee with mine eye4'  ,and then with    
,st4 ,paul we shall be able to answer   
our own question1 and say1 ',who will   

deliver me8  ,i thank ,god1 that ,god   
,himself will deliver me1 through ,jesus
 ,christ our ,lord4'  ,this1 then1 is   
the reason why we need to pray3  because
 we need to be delivered from ourselves4
  ,this is the reason why we may pray1  
because ,god is willing to deliver us   
from ourselves1 if we be willing4  ,but 
every human being round us needs to be  
delivered from themselves1 just as much 
as we do4  ,without that deliverance we 
cannot do our duty1 neither can they4   
,and just in proportion as men are      
delivered from themselves1 will mankind 
do its duty1 and the world go right4    
,now their duty is the same as ours2 and
 therefore the prayer which is right and
 good for us is equally right and good  
for them4  ,and what is more1 we cannot 
pray rightly for ourselves unless we    
pray for them in the very same breath2  
for the ,catechism tells us that there  
is one duty for all of us1 to love and  
obey and serve our heavenly ,father1 and
 to love our neighbour as ourselves1    

because they are our brothers1 children 
of one common ,father1 members of the   
same ,god's family as we are1 and their 
interest and ours are bound up together4
  ,yes1 to love all mankind as          
ourselves2 for though too many of them1 
alas6 are not yet in ,god's family1 and 
strangers to ,his covenant1 yet ,god's  
will is that they too should come to the
 knowledge of the truth2 and therefore  
for them we can pray hopefully and      
trustfully1 ',lord have mercy on all    
men1 on ,jews1 ,turks1 ,infidels1 and   
heretics2 and bring them home1 blessed  
,lord1 to ,thy flock1 that they may be  
saved and made one fold under one       
,shepherd1 through ,jesus ,christ our   
,lord1 in whom ,thou hast declared ,thy 
good will to all the children of men4'  
,this is the right prayer4  ,that all   
men may do their duty where ,god has put
 them4  ,that those who1 like the       
heathen1 do not know their duty1 may be 
taught it2 that we who do know it1 may  
have strength to do it4  ,and therefore 

it is that the ,catechism teaches us the
 need of prayer1 immediately after      
making us confess our duty2 and         
therefore it is that it begins by       
teaching the ,lord's ,prayer1 because   
that prayer is the one1 of all prayers  
which ever have been offered upon earth1
 which perfectly expresses the duty of  
man1 and man's relation to ,almighty    
,god4  ,it is throughout a prayer for   
strength4  ,it confesses throughout what
 we want strength for1 to what use we   
are to put ,god's grace if ,he bestows  
it on us4  ,our delight in the ,lord's  
,prayer will depend on what we consider 
our duty here on earth to be4  ,if we   
look upon this earth principally as a   
place where we are to pray for all the  
good things which we can get1 our first 
prayer will be1 of course1 ',give us    
this day our daily bread4'  ,if we look 
at this earth principally as a place    
where we have a chance of being saved   
from punishment and torment after we    
die1 then our first prayer will be1     

',forgive us our sins4'  ,and1 in fact1 
that is all that too many of our prayers
 now-a-days seem to consist of1-- ',oh1 
my ,maker1 give me4 my daily bread4     
,oh1 my ,judge1 forgive me my sins4'    
,right prayers enough1 but spoilt by    
being taken out of their place2 spoilt  
by being prayed before all other        
prayers2 spoilt1 too1 by being prayed   
for ourselves alone1 and not for other  
people also4  ,but if we believe1 as the
 ,bible and the ,catechism tell us1 that
 we and all ,christian people are ,god's
 children1 members of ,god's family1 set
 on earth in ,god's kingdom to do ,his  
work by doing our duty1 each in that    
station of life to which ,god has called
 us1 in the hope of a just reward       
hereafter according to our works1 then  
our great desire will be for strength to
 do our duty1 and the ,lord's ,prayer   
will seem to us the most perfect way of 
asking for that strength2 and if we     
believe that we are ,god's children and 
,he our ,father1 we shall feel sure that

 we must get strength from ,him1 and    
sure that we must ask for that strength2
 and sure that ,he will give it us if we
 do ask4  ,but if ,his will is to give  
it us1 why ask ,him at all8  ,why pray  
at all1 if ,god already knows our       
necessities1 and is able and willing to 
supply them8  ,my friends1 the longer ,i
 live1 the more certain ,i am that the  
only reason for praying at all is       
because ,god is our ,father2 the more   
certain ,i am that we shall never have  
any heart to pray unless we believe that
 ,god is our ,father4  ,if we forget    
that1 we may utter to ,him selfish cries
 for bread2 or when we look at ,his     
great power1 we may become terrified1   
and utter selfish cries to ,him not to  
harm us1 without any real shame or      
sorrow for sin3  but few of us will have
 any heart to persevere in those cries4 
,people will say to themselves1 ',if    
,god is evil1 ,he will not care to have 
mercy on me3 and if ,he is good1 there  
is no use wearying ,him by asking ,him  

what ,he has already intended to give   
me3  why should ,i pray at all8'  ,the  
only answer is1 ',pray1 because ,god is 
your ,father1 and you ,his child4'  ,the
 only answer2 but the most complete     
answer4  ,i will engage to say1 that if 
anyone here is ever troubled with doubts
 about prayer1 those two simple words1  
',our ,father1' if he can once really   
believe them in their full richness and 
depth1 will make the doubts vanish in a 
moment1 and prayer seem the most natural
 and reasonable of all acts4  ,it is    
because we are ,god's children1 not     
merely ,his creatures1 that ,he will    
have us pray4  ,because ,he is educating
 us to know ,him2 to know ,him not      
merely to be an ,almighty ,power1 but a 
living1 loving ,person2 not merely an   
irresistible ,fate1 but a ,father who   
delights in the love of ,his children1  
who wishes to shape them into ,his own  
likeness1 and make them fellow-workers  
with ,him2 therefore it is that ,he will
 have us pray4  ,doubtless he could have

 given us everything without our asking2
 for ,he does already give us almost    
everything without our asking4  ,but ,he
 wishes to educate us as ,his children2 
to make us trust in ,him2 to make us    
love ,him2 to make us work for ,him of  
our own free wills1 in the great battle 
which ,he is carrying on against evil2  
and that ,he can only do by teaching us 
to pray to ,him4  ,i say it reverently1 
but firmly4  ,as far as we can see1 ,god
 cannot educate us to know ,him1 ,the   
living1 willing1 loving ,father1 unless 
,he teaches us to open our hearts to    
,him1 and to ask ,him freely for what we
 want1 just because ,he knows what we   
want already4  ,if ,i have not made this
 plain enough to any of you1 my friends1
 let me go back to the simple1 practical
 explanation of it which ,god ,himself  
has given us in those two words--father 
and child4  ,should you like to have a  
child who never spoke to you1 never     
asked you for anything8  ,of course not4
  ,and why8  ',because1' you would say1 

'one might as well have a dumb animal in
 one's family instead of a child1 if it 
is never to talk and ask questions and  
advice4' ,most true and reasonable1 my  
friends4  ,and as you would say         
concerning your children1 so says ,god  
of ,his4  ,you feel that unless you     
teach your children to ask you for all  
they want1 even though you know their   
necessities before they ask1 and their  
ignorance in asking1 you will never call
 out their love and trust towards you4  
,you know that if you want really to    
have your child to please and obey you1 
not as a mere tame animal1 but as a     
willing1 reasonable1 loving child1 you  
must make him know that you are training
 him2 and you must teach him to come to 
you of his own accord to be trained1 to 
be taught his duty1 and set right where 
he is wrong3  and even so does ,god with
 you4  ,if you will only consider the   
way in which any child must be educated 
by its human parents1 then you will at  
once see why prayer to our ,heavenly    

,father is a necessary part of our      
education in the kingdom of heaven4     
,now the ,lord's ,prayer1 just this sort
 of prayer1 is man's cry to his         
,heavenly ,father to train him1 to      
educate him1 to take charge of him1     
daily and hourly1 body and soul and     
spirit4  ,it is a prayer for grace1 for 
special grace2 that is1 for help1 daily 
and hourly1 in each particular duty and 
circumstance2 for help from ,god        
specially suited to enable us to do our 
duty4  ,and the whole of the prayer is  
of this kind1 and not1 as some think1   
the latter part only4  ,it is too often 
said that the three first sentences are 
not prayers for man1 but rather praises 
to ,god4  ,my friends1 they cannot be   
one without being the other4  ,you      
cannot1 ,i believe1 praise ,god aright  
without praying for men2 you cannot pray
 for men aright without praising ,god2  
at least1 you cannot use the ,lord's    
,prayer without doing both at once1     
without at once declaring the glory of  

,god and praying for the welfare of all 
mankind4  ',hallowed be ,thy name4'  ,is
 not that a prayer for men as well as   
praise to ,god8  ,yes1 my friends1 when 
you say1 ',our ,father1 hallowed be ,thy
 name1' you pray that all men may come  
at last to look up to ,god as their     
,father1 to love1 serve1 and obey ,god  
as ,his children2 and for what higher   
blessing can you pray8  ,ay1 and you    
pray1 too1 that men may learn at last   
the deep meaning of that word--father2  
that they may see how ,godlike and noble
 a trust ,god lays on them when ,he     
gives them children to educate and make 
,christian men2 you pray that the hearts
 of all fathers may be turned to the    
children1 and the hearts of all children
 to the fathers2 you pray for the       
welfare1 and the holiness1 and the peace
 of every home on earth2 you pray for   
the welfare of generations yet unborn1  
when you pray1 ',our ,father1 hallowed  
be ,thy name4'  ',thy kingdom come4'    
,is not that too1 if we will look at it 

steadfastly1 prayer for our neighbours1 
prayer for all mankind1 and still prayer
 for ourselves2 prayer for grace1 prayer
 for the life and health of our own     
souls8  ',thy kingdom come4'--,that     
kingdom of the ,father which ,jesus     
,christ proved by ,his works on earth to
 be a kingdom of justice and            
righteousness1 of love and              
fellow-feeling4  ,when we pray1 ',thy   
kingdom come1' it is as if we said1     
',son of ,god1 root out of this sinful  
earth all self-will and lawlessness1 all
 injustice and cruelty2 root out all    
carelessness1 ignorance1 and hardness of
 heart2 root out all hatred1 envy1      
slander2 root them out of all men's     
hearts2 out of my heart1 for ,i have the
 seeds of them in me4 ,make me1 and all 
men round me1 day by day1 more sure that
 ,thou art indeed our ,king2 that ,thou 
hast indeed taught us the laws of ,thy  
,father's kingdom2 and that1 only in    
keeping them and loving them is there   
health1 and righteousness1 and safety   

for any soul of man1 for any nation     
under the sun4'  ',thy will be          
done2'--no1 not merely ',thy will be    
done2' but done 'on earth as it is in   
heaven2' done1 not merely as the trees  
and the animals1 the wind and clouds1 do
 ,thy will1 by blindly following their  
natures1 but done as angels and blessed 
spirits do it1 of their own will4  ,they
 obey ,thee as living1 willing1 loving  
persons2 as ,thy sons3  teach us to obey
 ,thee in like manner2 lovingly1 because
 we love ,thy will2 willingly1 because  
our wills are turned to ,thy will2 and  
therefore1 oh ,heavenly ,father1 take   
charge of these wayward wills and minds 
of ours1 of these selfish1 self-willed1 
ignorant1 hasty hearts of ours1 and     
cleanse them and renew them by ,thy     
,spirit1 and change them into ,thy      
likeness day by day4  ,make us all clean
 hearts1 oh ,god1 and renew within us a 
right spirit1 the copy of ,thine own    
,holy ,spirit4  ,cast us not away from  
,thy presence1 for from ,thee alone     

comes our soul's life2 take not from us 
,thy ,holy ,spirit1 who is ,the ,lord   
and ,giver of ,life2 whose will is ,thy 
will2 who alone can strengthen and      
change us to do ,thy will on earth1 as  
saints and angels do in heaven1 and to  
be fellow-workers with each other1      
fellow-workers with ,thee1 ,o ,god1 even
 as those blessed spirits are who       
minister day and night to all ,thy      
creatures4  ',give us this day our daily
 bread4'  ,people sometimes divide the  
,lord's ,prayer into two parts--the     
ascriptions and the petitions--and      
consider that after we have sufficiently
 glorified and praised ,god in the first
 three sentences of the prayer1 then we 
are at liberty to begin asking something
 for ourselves1 and to say ',give us day
 by day our daily bread4'  ,i cannot    
think so1 my friends4  ,i have been     
showing you that ',hallowed be ,thy     
name1 ,thy kingdom come1 ,thy will be   
done1' if we do but recollect that they 
are spoken to our ,father1 are just as  

much prayers for all mankind1 as they   
are hymns of honour to ,god2 and so ,i  
say of these latter3  ',give            
us--,forgive us-- ,lead us not--,deliver
 us'--that if we will but remember that 
they1 too1 are spoken to our ,father1 we
 shall find that they are just as much  
hymns of honour to ,god as prayers for  
mankind4  ,yes1 my friends1 when we say1
 ',give us this day our daily bread1' we
 do indeed honour ,god and the name of  
,god4  ,we declare that ,he is ,love1   
that ,he is ,the ,giver1 ,the absolutely
 and boundlessly generous and           
magnanimous ,being4  ,and what higher   
glory and honour or praise can we       
ascribe1 even to ,god ,himself1 than to 
say that of ,him8  ,next1 we pray not   
for ourselves only1 but for our         
neighbours2 for ,england1 for           
,christendom1 for the heathen who know  
not ,god1 and for generations yet       
unborn4  ,we pray that ,god would so    
guide1 and teach1 and preserve the      
children of men1 as to enable them to   

fulfil in every country and every age   
the work which ,he gave them to do1 when
 ,he said1 ',be fruitful1 and multiply1 
and fill the earth1 and subdue it4'  ,we
 know that our ,father has commanded us 
to labour4  ,we know that our ,father   
has so well ordered this glorious earth1
 that whosoever labours may reap the    
just fruit of his labour2 therefore we  
pray that ,god would prosper our        
righteous plans for earning our own     
living4  ,we pray to ,him not only so to
 order the earth that it may bring forth
 its fruits in due season1 but that men 
may be in a fit state to enjoy those    
fruits1 that ,god may not be forced for 
their good to withhold from them        
blessings which they might abuse to     
their ruin4  ,but we pray1 also1 ',give 
us3' not me only1 but us2 and therefore 
we pray that ,he would prosper our      
neighbour's plans as well as ours4  ,so 
we confess that we believe ,god to be no
 respecter of persons2 we confess that  
we believe ,he will not take bread out  

of others' mouths to give it to us2 we  
declare that ,god's curse is on all     
selfishness and oppression of man by    
man2 we renounce our own selfishness1   
the lust which our fallen nature has to 
rise upon others' fall1 and say1        
',father1 we are all children at ,thy   
common table4  ,thou alone canst prosper
 the richest and the wisest2 ,thou alone
 canst prosper the poorest and the      
weakest2 ,thou wilt do equal justice to 
all some day1 and we confess that ,thou 
art just in so doing2 we only ask ,thee 
to do it now1 and to give us and all    
mankind that which is good for them4'   
,thus we pray not for this generation   
only1 but for generations yet unborn2   
not for this nation of ,england only1   
but for heathens and savages beyond the 
seas4  ,when we say1 ',give us our daily
 bread1' we pray for every child here   
and on earth1 that he may receive such  
an education as may enable him to get   
his daily bread4  ,we pray for learned  
men in their studies1 that they may     

discover arts and sciences which shall  
enrich and comfort nations yet unborn4  
,we pray for merchants on the seas1 that
 they may discover new markets for      
trade1 new lands to colonize and fill   
with ,christian men1 and extend the     
blessings of industry and civilization  
to the savage who lives as the beasts   
which perish and dwindles down off the  
face of the earth by famine1 disease1   
and war1 the victim of his own idleness1
 ignorance1 and improvidence4  ,and all 
the while we are praying for the widow  
and the orphan1 that ,god would send    
them friends in time of need2 for the   
houseless wanderer1 for the shipwrecked 
sailor1 for sick persons1 for feeble    
infants1 that ,god would send help to   
them who cannot help themselves1 and    
soften our hearts and the hearts of all 
around us1 that we may never turn our   
faces away from any poor man1 lest the  
face of the ,lord be turned away from   
us4  ,so far we have been praying to our
 ,heavenly ,father1 first as a ,father1 

then as a ,king1 then as an ,inspirer1  
then as a ,giver2 and next we pray to   
,him as a ,forgiver--',forgive us our   
trespasses4' ,we have been confessing in
 these four petitions what ,god's       
goodwill to man is2 what ,god wishes man
 to be1 how man ought to live and       
believe4  ,and then comes the           
recollection of sin4  ,we must confess  
what ,god's law is before we can confess
 that we have broken it2 and now we do  
confess that we have broken it4  ,we    
know that ,god is our ,father4  ,how    
often have we forgotten that ,he is a   
father2 how often have we forgotten to  
be good fathers ourselves4  ,we are in  
,god's kingdom4  ,how often have we     
behaved as if we were our own kings1 and
 had no masters over us but our own     
fancies1 tempers1 appetites6  ,we are to
 do ,his will on earth as it is done in 
heaven4  ,how have we been doing our own
 will6--pleasing ourselves1 breaking    
loose from ,his laws1 trying to do right
 of our own wills and in our own        

strength1 instead of asking ,his ,spirit
 to strengthen1 and cleanse1 and renew  
our wills1 and so have ended by doing   
not the right which we knew to be right1
 but the wrong which we knew to be      
wrong4  ,god is a giver4  ,how often    
have we looked on ourselves as takers1  
and fancied that we must as it were     
steal the good things of this world from
 ,god1 lest ,he should forget to give us
 what was fitting6  ,how often have we  
forgotten that ,god gives to all men1 as
 well as to us2 and while we were       
praying1 give me my daily bread1 kept   
others out of their daily bread6  ,oh1  
my friends1 we cannot blame ourselves   
too much for all these sins2 we cannot  
think them too heinous4  ,we cannot     
confess them too openly2 we cannot cry  
too humbly and earnestly for            
forgiveness4  ,but we never shall feel  
the full sinfulness of sin2 we never    
shall thoroughly humble ourselves in    
confession and repentance1 unless we    
remember that all our sins have been    

sins against a ,father1 and a forgiving 
,father1 and that it is ,his especial   
glory1 the very beauty and excellence in
 ,him1 which ought to have kept us from 
disobeying ,him1 that ,he does forgive  
those who disobey ,him4  ,and1 lastly1  
in like manner1 when you say1 ',lead us 
not into temptation1 but deliver1' c41  
you are not only entreating ,god to lead
 you1 but you are honouring and praising
 ,him1 you are setting forth ,his glory1
 and declaring that ,he is a ,god who   
does lead1 and a ,god who does not leave
 ,his poor creatures to wander their own
 foolish way1 but guides men1 in spite  
of all their sins1 full of condescension
 and pity1 care and tender love4  ,you  
do not only ask ,god to deliver you from
 evil1 but you declare that ,he is      
righteous1 and hates evil2 that ,he is  
love1 and desires to deliver you from   
evil2 ,one who spared not ,his          
only-begotten ,son1 but gave ,him freely
 for us1 to deliver us from evil2 and   
raised ,him up1 and delivered all power 

into ,his hand1 that ,he might fight    
,his ,father's battle against all which 
is hurtful to man and hateful to ,god1  
till death itself shall be destroyed1   
and all enemies put under the feet of   
the ,saviour ,god4    ,,sermon ,x4      
,,the ,,doxology    ,psalm viii4 #a and 
sqq4  ,o ,lord our ,governor1 how       
excellent is ,thy name in all the earth1
 ,thou that hast set ,thy glory above   
the heavens6  ,out of the mouth of babes
 and sucklings hast ,thou ordained      
strength1 because of ,thine enemies1    
that ,thou mightest still the enemy and 
the avenger4  ,this is the text which ,i
 have chosen to-day1 because ,i think it
 will help us to understand the end of  
the ,lord's ,prayer1 which tells us to  
say to our ,father in ,heaven1 ',father1
 ,thine is the kingdom2 ,father1 ,thine 
is the power2 ,father1 ,thine is the    
glory4'  ,the man who wrote this psalm  
had been looking up at the sky1 spangled
 with countless stars1 with the moon1 as
 if she were the queen of them all1     

walking in her brightness4  ,he had been
 looking round1 too1 on this wonderful  
earth1 with its countless beasts1 and   
birds1 and insects1 trees1 herbs1 and   
flowers1 each growing1 and thriving1 and
 breeding after their kind1 according to
 the law which ,god had given to each of
 them1 without any help of man4  ,and   
then he had thought of men1 how small1  
weak1 ignorant1 foolish1 sinful they    
were1 and said to himself1 ',why should 
,god care for men more than for these   
beasts1 and birds1 and insects round8   
,not because he is the largest and      
strongest thing in the world2 for ,i    
will consider ,thy heavens1 even the    
work of ,thy hands1 the moon and the    
stars1 which ,thou hast ordained1 how   
much greater1 more beautiful they are   
than poor human beings4  ,may not       
glorious beings1 angels1 be dwelling in 
them1 compared to whom man is no better 
than a beast8'  ,and yet he says to     
himself1 ',i know that ,god1 though ,he 
has put man lower than the angels1 has  

crowned him with glory and honour4  ,i  
know that1 whatever glorious creatures  
may live in the sun1 and moon1 and      
stars1 ,god has given man the dominion  
and power here1 on this world4  ,i know 
that even to babes and sucklings ,god   
has given a strength1 because of ,his   
enemies--that ,he may silence the enemy 
and the avenger2 and ,i know that by so 
doing1 ,god has set ,his glory above the
 heavens1 and has shown forth ,his glory
 more in these little children1 to whom 
,he gives strength and wisdom1 than ,he 
has in sun1 and moon1 and stars4'  ,now 
how is that8  ,the ,catechism1 ,i think1
 will tell us4  ,the ,doxology1 at the  
end of the ,lord's ,prayer1 will tell   
us1 if we consider it4  ,if you will    
listen to me1 ,i will try and show you  
what ,i mean4  ,suppose ,i took one of  
your children1 and showed him that large
 bright star1 which you may see now     
every evening1 shining in the           
south-west1 and said to him1 ',my child1
 that star1 which looks to you only a   

bright speck1 is in reality a world--a  
world fourteen hundred times as big as  
our world4  ,we have but one moon to    
light our earth2 that little speck has  
four moons1 each of them larger than    
ours1 which light it by night4  ,that   
little speck of a star seems to you to  
be standing still2 in reality1 it is    
travelling through the sky at the rate  
of #be1jjj miles an hour4'  ,what do you
 think the child's feeling would be8    
,if he were a dull child1 he might only 
be astonished2 but if he were a sensible
 and thoughtful child1 do you not think 
that a feeling of awe1 almost of fear1  
would come over him1 when he thought how
 small and weak and helpless he was1 in 
comparison of those mighty and glorious 
stars above his head8  ,and next1 if ,i 
turned the child round1 and bade him    
look at that comet or fiery star1 which 
has appeared lately low down in the     
north-west1 and said1 ',my child1 that  
comet1 which seems to you to hang just  
above the next parish1 is really eighty 

millions of miles off from us4  ,that   
bright spot at the lower part of it is a
 fiery world as large as the moon1--that
 tail of fiery light which you see      
streaming up from it1 and which looks a 
few feet long1 is a stream of fiery     
vapour1 stretching1 most likely1        
hundreds of thousands of miles through  
the boundless space4  ,it seems to you  
to be sinking behind the trees1 so      
slowly that you cannot see it move4  ,it
 is really rushing towards us now1 with 
its vast train of light1 at the rate of 
some eighty thousand miles an hour4'    
,and suppose then1 if1 to make the child
 more astonished than ever1 ,i went     
on--',yes1 my child1 every single tiny  
star which is twinkling over your head  
is a sun1 a sun as large1 or larger than
 our own sun1 perhaps with worlds moving
 round it1 as our world moves round our 
sun1 but so many millions of miles far  
off1 that the strongest spy-glass cannot
 make these stars look any larger1 or   
show us the worlds which we believe are 

moving round them4'  ,do you not think  
that just in proportion to the child's  
quickness and understanding1 he would be
 awed1 almost terrified8  ,and lastly1  
suppose that to puzzle and astonish him 
still more1 ,i took a chance drop of    
water out of any standing pool1 and     
showed him through a magnifying-glass1  
in that single drop of water1 dozens1   
perhaps hundreds1 of living creatures so
 small that it is impossible to see them
 with the naked eye1 each of them of    
some beautiful and wonderful shape1     
unlike anything which you ever saw or   
dreamed of1 but each of them alive1 each
 of them moving1 feeding1 breeding1     
after its kind1 each fulfilling the     
nature which ,god has given to them1 and
 told him1 ',all the whole world1 the   
air which you breathe1 the leaves on the
 trees1 the soil under your feet1 ay1   
even often the food which you eat1 and  
your own flesh and blood1 are as full of
 wonderful things as that drop of water 
is4  ,you fancy that all the life in the

 world is made up of the men and women  
in it1 and the few beasts1 and birds1   
and insects1 which you see about you in 
the fields4  ,but these living things   
which you do see are not a millionth    
part of the whole number of ,god's      
creatures2 and not one smallest plant or
 tiniest insect dies1 but what it passes
 into a new life1 and becomes food for  
other creatures1 even smaller than1     
though just as wonderful as itself4     
,every day fresh living creatures are   
being discovered1 filling earth1 and    
sea1 and air1 till men's brains are     
weary with counting them1 and dizzy with
 watching their unspeakable beauty1 and 
strangeness1 and fitness for the work   
which ,god has given each of them to    
do4'  ,and then suppose ,i said to the  
child1 ',god cares for each of these    
tiny living creatures4  ,how do you know
 that ,he does not care for them as much
 as ,he does for you8  ,god made them   
for ,his own pleasure1 that ,he might   
rejoice in the work of ,his own hands4  

,how do you know that ,he does not      
rejoice in them as much as in you8      
,those mighty worlds and suns above your
 head1 which you call stars1 how do you 
know that they are not as much more     
glorious and precious in ,god's sight   
than you are1 as they are larger and    
more beautiful than you are8  ,and mind6
 all these things1 from the tiniest     
insects in the water-drop1 to the most  
vast star or comet in the sky1 all obey 
,god4  ,they have not fallen1 as you    
have2 they have not sinned1 as you have2
 they have not broken the law1 by which 
,god intended them to live1 as you have4
  ,the ,bible tells you so2 and the     
discoveries of learned men prove that   
the ,bible is right1 when it declares   
that they all continue to this day      
according to ,his ordinance2 for all    
things serve ,him2 that sun1 and moon1  
and stars1 and light are praising ,him2 
that fire and hail1 snow and vapour1    
wind and storm1 mountains and all hills1
 fruitful trees and all cedars1 beasts  

and all cattle1 worms and feathered     
fowl1 are showing forth ,his glory day  
and night2 because ,he has made them    
sure for ever and ever1 each according  
to its kind1 and given them a law which 
shall not be broken2 for all ,his works 
praise ,him1 and show the glory of ,his 
kingdom1 and the mightiness of ,his     
power1 that ,his power1 ,his glory1 and 
the mightiness of ,his kingdom might be 
known unto the children of men4  ,and   
you6--,they keep ,god's ordinance1 and  
you have broken it2 they fulfil ,god's  
word1 you fulfil your own fancies4      
,they have a law which shall not be     
broken1 you break ,god's law daily4     
,are not they better than you8  ,is not1
 not merely sun and stars1 but even the 
meanest gnat which hums in the air1     
better than man1 more worthy of ,god's  
love than man8  ,for man has sinned1 and
 they have not4'  ,do you not think that
 ,i should sadden1 and terrify the      
child1 and make him ready to cry out1   
',whither shall ,i flee from the wrath  

of this great ,almighty ,god2 who has   
made this wondrous heaven and earth1 and
 all of it obeys ,him1 except me--,i a  
rebel against ,him who made and rules   
all this8'  ,my friends1 ,i only say1   
suppose that ,i spoke thus to your      
children4 ,for ,god forbid that ,i      
should speak thus to any human being1   
without having first taught him the     
,lord's ,prayer1 without first having   
taught him to say1 ',i believe in ,jesus
 ,christ1 ,very ,god of ,very ,god1 who 
was born of the ,virgin ,mary1 and took 
man's nature on ,him2' without having   
taught him to say1 ',our ,father which  
art in heaven1 ,thine is the kingdom1   
and the power1 and the glory1 for ever  
and ever1 ,amen4'  ,so it is1 and so let
 it be3  for so it is well1 and so ,i am
 safe1 sinner and rebel though ,i be4   
,i would not say it1 unless ,i had      
taught him this2 for then ,i should be  
speaking the ,devil's words1 and doing  
the ,devil's work3  for these are the   
thoughts of which he always takes       

advantage1 whenever he finds them in    
men's hearts2 because he is the enemy   
who hates men1 and the avenger who      
punishes them for their bad thoughts1 by
 leading them on into dark and fearful  
deeds2 because he is the ,devil1 the    
,slanderer1 as his name means1 and      
slanders ,god to men1 and tries always  
to make them believe that ,god does not 
care for men1 and grudges them          
blessings2 in order that he may make men
 dread ,god1 and shrink from ,him into  
their own pride1 or their own carnal    
lusts and fancies4  ,these are the      
thoughts of which the ,devil took       
advantage in the heathen in old times1  
and tempted them to forget ,god--,god1  
who had not left ,himself without a     
witness1 in that ,he gave them rain and 
fruitful seasons1 filling their hearts  
with food and gladness--,god1 whose     
unseen glory1 even ,his eternal power   
and ,godhead1 may be clearly seen from  
the creation of the world1 being        
understood from the things which are    

made--,god1 in whom1 as ,st4 ,paul told 
the heathen1 they lived and moved1 and  
had their being1 and were the offspring 
of ,god4  ,this--that man is the        
offspring of ,god1 and has a ,father in 
heaven--is the great truth which the    
,devil has been trying to hide from men 
in every age1 and by a hundred different
 devices4 ,by making them forget this1  
he tempted them to worship the creature 
instead of the ,creator2 to pray to sun 
and moon and stars1 to send them fair   
weather1 good crops1 prosperous fortune3
  to look up to the heaven above them1  
and down to the earth beneath their     
feet1 in slavish dread and anxiety3  and
 pray to the sun1 not to blast them to  
the seas1 not to sweep them away2 to the
 rivers and springs1 not to let them    
perish from drought2 to earthquakes1 not
 to swallow them up2 ay1 even to try to 
appease those dark fierce powers1 with  
whom they thought the great awful world 
was filled1 by cruel sacrifices of human
 beings2 so that they offered their sons

 and their daughters to devils1 and     
burned their own children in the fire to
 ,moloch1 the cruel angry ,fire ,king1  
whom they fancied was lord of the       
earthquakes and the burning mountains4  
,so did the ,canaanites of old1 and so  
did the ,jews after them2 whensoever    
they had forgotten that ,god was their  
,father1 who had bought them1 and that  
the kingdom1 and the power1 and the     
glory1 throughout heaven and earth1 were
 ,his1 then at once they began to be    
afraid of heaven and earth1 and         
worshipped ,baalim1 and ,astaroth1 and  
the ,host of ,heaven1 which were the sun
 and moon and stars1 and ,moloch the    
,fire ,king1 and ,thammuz the ,lord of  
the ,spring-time1 and with forms of     
worship which showed plainly enough1    
either by their cruelty or their filthy 
profligacy1 who was the author of them1 
and that man1 when he forgets that      
heaven and earth belong to his ,father1 
is in danger of becoming a slave to his 
own lowest lusts and passions4  ,and do 

not fancy1 my friends1 that because you 
and ,i are not likely to worship sun and
 moon and stars as the old heathen did1 
that therefore we cannot commit the same
 sin as they did4  ,my friends1 ,i      
believe that we are in more danger of   
committing it in ,england just now than 
ever we were2 that learned men          
especially are in danger of so doing1   
because they know so far more of the    
wonders and the vastness of ,god's      
creation than the heathens of old knew4 
,but you are not learned1 you will say3 
you are plain people1 who know nothing  
about these wonderful discoveries which 
men make by telescopes and              
magnifying-glasses1 but use your own    
eyes in a plain way to get your daily   
bread1 and you feel no such temptations4
  ,you believe1 of course1 that the     
kingdom and power and glory of all we   
see is ,god's4  ,yes2 but do you believe
 too that ,he whom people are too apt to
 call ,god1 just because they have no   
other name to call ,him1 is your        

,father8  ,that it is your ,father's    
will which governs the weather1 which   
makes the earth bear fruit and gladden  
the heart of man with good and fruitful 
seasons8  ,alas1 my friends1 if we will 
open our eyes1 see things in their true 
light1 and call things by their true    
name1 we shall see many a man in        
,england now honouring the creature more
 than the ,creator2 trusting in the     
seasons and the soil more than he does  
in ,god1 and so sinning in just the same
 way as the heathen of old4  ,when      
people say to themselves1 ',i must get  
land1 ,i must get money1 by any means2  
honestly if ,i can1 if not1 dishonestly2
 for have it ,i must2' what are they    
doing then but denying that the kingdom1
 the power1 and the glory of this earth 
belong to the ,righteous ,god1 and that 
,he1 and not the lying ,devil1 gives    
them to whomsoever ,he will8  ,when     
people say to themselves 7as who does   
not at moments87 ',to be rich is to be  
safe2 a man's life does consist in the  

abundance of what he possesses2' what   
are they doing but saying that man does 
not live by every word which proceeds   
out of the mouth of ,god1 but by what he
 can get for himself and keep for       
himself8  ,when they are fretful and    
anxious about their crops1 when they    
even repine and complain of ,providence1
 as ,i have known men do because they do
 not prosper as they wish1 what are they
 doing but saying in their hearts1 ',the
 weather and the seasons are the lords  
and masters of my good fortune1 or bad  
fortune4  ,i depend on them1 and not on 
,god1 for comfort and for wealth1 and my
 ,heavenly ,father does not know what ,i
 have need of8'  ,when parents send     
their girls out to field-work1 without  
any care about whom they talk with1 to  
have their minds corrupted by hearing   
filthiness and seeing immodest          
behaviour1 what are they doing but      
offering their daughters in sacrifice1  
not even to ,moloch1 but to ,mammon2    
saying to themselves1 ',my daughter's   

modesty1 my daughter's virtue1 is not of
 as much value as the paltry money which
 ,i can earn by leaving her alone to    
learn wickedness1 instead of keeping    
watch over her1 if she does work1 that  
she may be none the worse for her day's 
labour4'  ,i might go on and give you a 
thousand instances more1 but they all   
come alike to this2 that whensoever you 
fancy that you cannot earn your daily   
bread without doing wrong yourself1 or  
leaving your children to learn wrong1   
then you do not believe that the        
kingdom1 the power1 and the glory of    
this earth on which you work is your    
,heavenly ,father's4  ,for if you did1  
you would be certain that gains1 large  
or small1 got by breaking the least of  
,his commandments1 could never prosper  
you1 but must bring a curse and a       
punishment with them2 and you would be  
sure also1 that because ,god is your    
,father1 and this earth and all herein  
is ,his1 that ,he would feed you with   
food sufficient for you1 if you do but  

seek first ,his kingdom--that is1 try to
 learn ,his laws2 and seek first ,his   
righteousness--that is1 strive and pray 
day by day to become righteous even as  
,he is righteous4  ,yes1 my friends1    
this is one meaning1 though only one1 of
 ,st4 ,john's words1 ',this is the      
victory which overcometh the world1 even
 our faith4'  ,we all see the world full
 of pleasant things1 for which we long2 
of necessary things1 too1 without which 
we should starve and die4  ,and then the
 temptation comes to us to snatch at    
these things for ourselves by any means 
in our power1 right or wrong2 like the  
dumb animals who break out of their     
owners' field into the next1 if they do 
but see better pasturage there1 or fight
 and quarrel between themselves for     
food1 each trying to get the most for   
himself and rob his neighbour4  ,so live
 the beasts1 and so you and ,i1 and     
every human being shall be tempted to   
live1 if we follow our natures1 if we   
forget that we are ,god's children1 in  

,god's kingdom1 under the laws of a     
,heavenly ,father1 who has shown forth  
,his own love and justice1 ,his own     
kingdom1 and power1 and glory1 in the   
person of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4     
,but if we remember that1 if we remember
 daily that the kingdom1 and power1 and 
glory is our ,father's1 then we shall   
neither fear storms and blights1 bad    
crops1 or anything else which is of the 
earth earthly4  ,we shall fear nothing  
of that kind1 which can only kill the   
body1 but only fear the evil ,devil1    
lest1 by making us distrust and disobey 
our ,heavenly ,father1 he should1 after 
he has killed1 destroy both body and    
soul in hell4  ,and as long as we fear  
him1 as long as we renounce him1 as long
 as we trust utterly in our ,heavenly   
,father's love and justice1 and in the  
love and justice of ,his dear ,son1 the 
,man ,christ ,jesus1 to whom all power  
is given in heaven and earth--then out  
of the youngest child among us will     
,god's praise be perfected2 for the     

youngest child among us1 by faith in    
,god his ,father1 may look upon all     
heaven and earth1 and say1 ',great1 and 
wonderful1 and awful as this earth and  
skies may be1 ,i am more precious in the
 sight of ,god than sun1 and moon1 and  
stars2 for they are things3  but ,i am a
 person1 a spirit1 an immortal soul1    
made in the likeness of ,god1 redeemed  
into the likeness of ,god1 sanctified   
into the likeness of ,god4  ,this great 
earth was here thousands and thousands  
of years before ,i was born1 and it will
 be here perhaps millions and millions  
of years after ,i am dead2 but it cannot
 harm me2 it cannot kill me4  ,when     
earth1 and sun1 and stars are past away1
 ,i shall live for ever2 for ,i am the  
immortal child of an ,immortal ,father1 
the child of the everlasting ,god4      
,these things ,he only made3  but me ,he
 begot unto everlasting life1 in ,jesus 
,christ my ,lord4  ,i seem to depend on 
this earth for food1 for clothing1 for  
comfort1 for life itself3  and yet ,i do

 not do so in reality2 for man doth not 
live by bread alone1 but by every word  
which proceeds out of the mouth of ,god 
my ,father4 ,in ,him ,i have eternal    
life3  a life which this earth did not  
give1 and cannot take away2 a life      
which1 by the mercy of my ,father in    
heaven1 ,i trust and hope to be living  
when sun and earth1 stars and comets1   
are returned again to their dust1 and   
blotted from the face of heaven4  ,for  
the kingdom1 the glory1 and the power of
 this world1 and all other worlds1 past1
 present1 and to come1 belong to ,him   
who spared not ,his only-begotten ,son1 
but freely gave ,him for us1 and will   
with ,him freely give us all things4'   
,and thus1 my friends1 may ,god's praise
 be perfected out of the mouth of any   
,christian child1 when ,he declares that
 ,god put man a little lower than the   
angels only to crown him with the glory 
and worship of having the only-begotten 
,son of ,god take man's nature upon     
,him1 and walk this earth as a man1 and 

live1 and die1 and rise again as a man1 
that so ,he might raise fallen man again
 to the glory and honour which ,god     
appointed for men from the beginning1   
when ,he said1 ,let us make man in our  
image1 after our likeness3  and let them
 have dominion over the fish of the sea 
and the fowl of the air1 and the beast  
of the earth2 and be fruitful and       
multiply1 and replenish the earth and   
subdue it4    ,,sermon ,,xi4  ,,ahab    
,,and ,,naboth    #a ,kings xxi4 #b1 #c4
  ,and ,ahab spake unto ,naboth1 saying1
 ,give me thy vineyard1 that ,i may have
 it for a garden of herbs1 because it is
 near unto my house3  and ,i will give  
thee for it a better vineyard than it2  
or1 if it seem good to thee1 ,i will    
give thee the worth of it in money4     
,and ,naboth said unto ,ahab1 ,the ,lord
 forbid it me1 that ,i should give the  
inheritance of my fathers unto thee4    
,you heard to-day read for the first    
lesson1 the story of ,naboth and ,king  
,ahab4  ,most of you know it well4      

,naboth's vineyard has passed into a    
proverb for something which we covet4   
,it is good that it should be so4  ,we  
cannot know our ,bible too well2 we     
cannot have ,bible words and ,bible     
thoughts too much worked into our ways  
of talking and thinking about everyday  
matters4  ,as far as ,i can see1 the    
best days of ,england1 the best days of 
every ,christian country of which ,i    
ever read1 have been days when men were 
not ashamed of their ,bibles2 when they 
were ready to live by their ,bibles2 to 
ask advice of their ,bibles about buying
 and selling1 about making war and      
peace1 about all the business of life2  
and were not ashamed to quote texts of  
,scripture in the parliament1 and in the
 market1 and in the battle-field1 as    
,god's law1 ,god's rule1 ,god's word    
about the matter in hand1 which was1    
therefore1 sure to be the right word and
 the right rule4  ,people are grown     
ashamed of doing so now-a-days2 but that
 does not alter the matter one jot4  ,we

 may deny ,god1 but ,he cannot deny     
,himself4  ,his laws are everlasting1   
and ,he is ruling and judging us by them
 now1 all day long1 just as much as ,he 
ruled and judged those ,jews by them of 
old4  ,the ,god of ,abraham is our ,god2
 the ,god of ,moses is our ,god2 the    
,god of ,ahab and ,naboth is our ,god2  
neither ,he nor ,his government are     
altered in the least since their time1  
and they never will alter for ever1 and 
ever1 and ever2 and if we do not choose 
to believe that now in this life1 we    
shall be made to believe it by some very
 ugly and painful schooling in the life 
to come4  ,what laws of ,god1 now1 can  
we learn from this story8  ,first1 we   
may learn what a sacred thing property  
is4  ,that a man's possessions 7if they 
be justly come by7 belong to him1 in the
 sight of ,god as well as in the sight  
of man1 and that ,god will uphold and   
avenge the man's right4  ,naboth1 you   
see1 stands simply on his right to his  
own property4 ',the ,lord forbid it me1 

that ,i should give the inheritance of  
my fathers unto thee4'  ,i do not think 
that he meant that ,god had actually    
forbidden him3  it seems to have been   
only some sort of oath which he used4   
,he may certainly have had reasons for  
thinking it wrong to part with his      
lands2 hurtful1 perhaps1 to his family  
after him4  ,yet1 as ,ahab had promised 
him a better vineyard for it1 or its    
worth in money1 ,i cannot help thinking 
that ,naboth's reason was the one which 
shows on the face of his words4  ,it was
 the inheritance of his fathers1 this   
vineyard4  ,they had all worked in it1  
generation after generation2 perhaps1   
according to the ,jewish custom1 they   
were buried somewhere in it2 at least1  
it had been theirs and now was his2 he  
had worked in it1 and played in it--    
perhaps since he was a child--and he    
loved it2 it was part and parcel of his 
father's house to him1 a sacred spot4   
,and so it should be4  ,it is a holy    
feeling which makes a man cling to the  

bit of land which he has inherited from 
his parents1 even to the cottage1 though
 it be only a hired one1 where he has   
lived for many a year1 and where he has 
planted and tilled1 perhaps with some   
that he loved1 who are now dead and     
gone1 or grown up and gone out into the 
world1 till the little old              
cottage-garden is full of remembrances  
to him of past joys and past sorrows4   
,the feeling which makes a man cling to 
his home and to his own land is a good  
feeling1 and breeds good in the man4    
,it makes him respect himself2 it keeps 
him from being reckless and unsettled4  
,it is a feeling which should not be    
broken through4  ,it is seldom pleasant 
to see land change hands2 it is seldom  
pleasant to see people turned out of    
their cottages4  ,it must often be so1  
but let it be as seldom as possible4    
,one likes to see a family take root in 
a place1 and grow and thrive there1 one 
generation after another2 and you will  
find1 my friends1 that families do take 

root and thrive in a place just in      
proportion as they fear ,god and do     
righteousness4  ,the ,psalms tell you1  
again and again1 that the way to abide  
in the land1 and prosper in it1 is to   
trust in the ,lord and be doing good2   
and that the wicked are soon rooted out1
 and their names perish out of the land4
 ,one sees that come true daily4  ,but  
to return to ,naboth4  ,he loved his own
 land1 and therefore he had a right to  
keep it4  ,we may say it was but a fancy
 of his1 if he could have a better      
vineyard1 or the worth of it in money4  
,remember1 at least1 that ,god respected
 that fancy of his1 and justified it1   
and avenged it4  ,when 7after ,naboth's 
death7 ,elijah accused ,ahab1 in ,god's 
name1 he put two counts into the        
indictment2 for ,ahab had committed two 
sins4  ',hast thou killed1 and also     
taken possession8'  ,killing was one    
sin2 taking possession was another4     
,and so ,ahab learnt two weighty and    
bitter lessons4  ,he learnt that ,god's 

,law stands for ever1 though man's law  
be broken or be forgotten by disuse4    
,for you must understand1 that these    
,jews were a free people1 even as we    
are4  ,they were not like the nations   
round about them1 or as the ,russians   
are now--slaves to their king1 and      
holding their property only at his will4
  ,the law of ,moses had made them a    
free people1 who held their property    
each man from ,god1 by ,god's ,law1     
which had said1 ',thou shalt not steal4 
,thou shalt not covet4  ,cursed is he   
who removes his neighbour's landmark4'  
,and their kings were bound to govern by
 ,moses' law1 just as our kings and     
rulers are bound to govern by the old   
constitutions of ,england1 and to do    
equal justice by rich and poor4  ,but   
the wicked kings of ,israel were trying 
to break through that law1 and make     
themselves tyrants and despots1 such as 
the ,czar of ,russia is now4  ,first1   
,jeroboam began by trying to wean his   
people from ,moses' law1 by preventing  

their going up to worship at ,jerusalem1
 and making them worship instead the    
golden calves at ,dan and at ,bethel4   
,for he knew that if he could make      
idolaters of them1 he should soon make  
slaves of them2 and he succeeded2 and   
the kingdom of ,israel grew more        
miserable year by year2 and now ,ahab1  
his wicked successor1 was breaking down 
the laws of property and wrongfully     
taking away his subjects' lands4        
,perhaps he said in his heart1 ',i am   
king2 there is no law stronger than ,i4 
,i have a right to do what ,i like4'    
,if he did so1 he found that he was     
mistaken4  ,he found that though he     
forgot ,moses' law1 ,god had not2 that  
the law stood there still1 because it   
was founded on eternal justice1 which   
proceeds for ever out of the mouth of   
,god2 and by the ,law1 which he had     
chosen to forget1 he was judged2 by the 
,law of ,god1 which deals equal justice 
to rich and poor1 which is1 like ,god   
,himself1 no acceptor of persons2 but   

says1 ',thou shalt not covet1' to the   
king upon his throne as sternly as to   
the beggar on the dunghill4  ,and that  
,law stands still1 my friends1 doubt it 
not4  ,thanks to the wisdom and justice 
of our forefathers who built the laws of
 ,england on those old ,ten             
,commandments1 which hang for a sign    
thereof in every church to this day4    
,thanks to them1 ,i say1 and to ,god1   
the root of the law of ,england is1     
equal justice between man and man1 be he
 high or low2 and it is a thing to bless
 ,god for every day of our lives1 that  
here the poor man's little is as safe as
 the rich man's wealth3  but there is   
many a sin of oppression1 many a sin of 
covetousness1 my friends1 which no law  
of man can touch4  ,make laws as        
artfully as you will1 bad men can always
 slip through them1 and escape the      
spirit of them1 while they obey the     
letter3  and ,i suppose it will be so to
 the world's end2 and that1 let the laws
 be as perfect as they may1 if any man  

wishes to cheat or oppress his          
neighbour1 he will surely be able to    
work his wicked will in some way or     
other4  ,well then1 my friends1 if man's
 law is weak1 ,god's is not2--if man's  
law has flaws and gaps in it1 through   
which covetousness can creep1 ,god's has
 none2--even if 7which ,god forbid7     
man's law died out1 and sinners were    
left to sin without fear of punishment1 
still ,god's ,law stands sure1 and the  
eye of the living ,god slumbers not1 and
 the hand of the living ,god never grows
 weary1 and out of the everlasting      
heaven ,his voice is saying1 day and    
night1 for ever1 ',i endure for ever4   
,i sit on the throne judging right2 a   
sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre 
of ,my kingdom4  ,i judge the world in  
justice1 and minister true judgment unto
 the people4  ,i also will be a refuge  
for the oppressed1 even a refuge in due 
time of trouble4'  ,o hear those words1 
my friends6 hear and obey1 if you love  
life1 and wish to see good days2 and    

never1 never say a thing is right1      
simply because the law cannot punish you
 for it4  ,never say in your hearts when
 you are tempted to be hard1 cruel1     
covetous1 over-reaching1 ',what harm8   
,i break no law by it4'  ,there is a    
law1 whether you see it or not2 you     
break a law1 whether you confess it or  
not2 a law which is as a wall of iron   
clothed with thunder1 though man's law  
be but a flimsy net of thread2 and that 
law1 and not any ,acts of ,parliament1  
shall judge you in the day when the     
secrets of all hearts shall be          
disclosed1 and every man shall receive  
the due reward of the deeds done in the 
body1 not according as they were allowed
 or not by the ,statute ,book1 but      
according as they were good or evil4    
,another lesson we may learn from this  
story3  that if we give way to our      
passions1 we give way to the ,devil     
also4  ,ahab gave way to his passion2 he
 knew that he was wrong2 for when       
,naboth refused to sell him the         

vineyard1 he did not dare openly to rob 
him of it2 he went to his house heavy of
 heart1 and fretted1 like a spoilt      
child1 because he could not get what he 
wanted4  ,it was but a little thing1 and
 he might have been content to go       
without it4  ,he was king of all        
,israel1 and what was one small vineyard
 more or less to him8  ,but prosperity  
had spoilt him2 he must needs have every
 toy on which he set his heart1 and he  
was weak enough to fret that he could   
not get more1 when he had too much      
already4  ,but he knew that he could not
 get it2 that1 king as he was1 ,naboth's
 property was his own1 and that ,god's  
everlasting ,law stood between him and  
the thing he coveted4  ,well for him if 
he had been contented with fretting4    
,but1 my friends--and be you rich or    
poor1 take heed to my words--whenever   
any man gives way to selfishness1 and   
self-seeking1 to a proud1 covetous1     
envious1 peevish temper1 the ,devil is  
sure to glide up and whisper in his ear 

thoughts which will make him            
worse--worse1 ay1 than he ever dreamt of
 being4  ,first comes the flesh1 and    
then the ,devil2 and if the flesh opens 
the door of the heart1 the ,devil steps 
in quickly enough4  ,first comes the    
flesh3  fleshly1 carnal pride at being  
thwarted2 fleshly1 carnal longing for a 
thing1 which longs all the more for it  
because one cannot have it2 fleshly1    
carnal peevishness and ill-temper1 at   
not having just the pleasant thing one  
happens to like4  ,that is a state of   
mind which is a bird-call for all the   
devils2 and when they see a man in that 
temper1 they flock to him1 ,i believe1  
as crows do to carrion4  ,it is         
astonishing1 humbling1 awful1 my        
friends1 what horrible thoughts will    
cross one's mind if once one gives way  
to that selfish1 proud1 angry1 longing  
temper2 thoughts of which we are ashamed
 the next moment2 temptations to sin at 
which we shudder1 they seem so unlike   
ourselves1 not parts of ourselves at    

all4  ,when the dark fit is past1 one   
can hardly believe that such wicked     
thoughts ever crossed one's mind4  ,i   
don't think that they are part of       
ourselves2 ,i believe them to be the    
whispers of the ,devil himself2 and when
 they pass away1 ,i believe that it is  
the ,lord ,jesus ,christ who drives them
 away4  ,but if any man gives way to    
them1 determines to keep his sullenness1
 and so gives place to the ,devil2 then 
those thoughts do not pass2 they take   
hold of a man1 possess him1 as the      
,bible calls it1 and make him in his    
madness do things which--alas6 who has  
not done things in his day1 of which he 
has repented all his life after8--things
 for which he would gladly cut off his  
right hand for the sake of being able to
 say1 ',i never did that8'  ,but the    
thing is done--done to all eternity3  he
 has given place to the ,devil1 and the 
,devil has made him do in five minutes  
work which he could not undo in five    
thousand years2 and all that is left is1

 when he comes to himself1 to cast      
himself on ,god's boundless mercy1 and  
,christ's boundless atonement1 and cry1 
',my sins are like scarlet1 ,thou alone 
canst make them whiter than snow3  my   
sin is ever before me2 only let it not  
be ever before ,thee1 ,o ,god6  ,punish 
me1 if thou seest fit2 but oh forgive1  
for there is mercy with ,thee1 and      
infinite redemption6'  ,and1 thanks be  
to ,god's great love1 he will not cry in
 vain4  ,yet1 oh1 my friends1 do not    
give place to the ,devil1 unless you    
wish1 forgiven or not1 to repent of it  
to the latest day you live4  ,and this  
was ,ahab's fate4  ,he knew1 ,i say1    
that he was wrong2 he knew that         
,naboth's property was his own1 and dare
 not openly rob him of it2 and he went  
to his house1 heavy of heart1 and       
refused to eat2 and while he was in such
 a temper as that1 the ,devil lost no   
time in sending an evil spirit to him4  
,it was a woman whom he sent1 ,jezebel1 
,ahab's own wife3  but she was1 as far  

as we can see1 a woman of a devilish    
spirit1 cruel1 proud1 profligate1 and   
unjust1 as well as a worshipper of the  
filthy idols of the ,canaanites4        
,ahab's first sin was in having married 
this wicked heathen woman3  now his sin 
punished itself2 she tempted him through
 his pride and self- conceit2 she       
taunted him into sin3  ',dost thou now  
govern the kingdom of ,israel8  ,i will 
give thee the vineyard of ,naboth4'     
,you all remember how she did so2 by    
falsely accusing ,naboth of blasphemy4  
,ahab seems to have taken no part in    
,naboth's murder4 ,perhaps he was       
afraid2 but he was a weak man1 and      
,jezebel was a strong and fierce spirit1
 and ruled him1 and led him in this     
matter1 as she did in making him worship
 idols with her2 and he was content to  
be led4  ,he was content to let others  
do the wickedness he had not courage to 
carry out himself4  ,he forgot that1 as 
is well said1 ',he who does a thing by  
another1 does it by himself2' that if   

you let others sin for you1 you sin for 
yourself4  ,would to ,god1 my friends1  
that we would all remember this6  ,how  
often people wink at wrong-doing in     
those with whom they have dealings1 in  
those whom they employ1 in their        
servants1 in their children1 because it 
is convenient to them4  ,they shut their
 eyes1 and their hearts too1 and say to 
themselves1 ',at all events1 it is his  
doing and not mine2 and it is his       
concern2 ,i am not answerable for other 
people's sins4  ,i would not do such a  
thing myself1 certainly2 but as it is   
done1 ,i may as well make the best of   
it4  ,if ,i gain by it1 ,i need not be  
so very sharp in looking into the       
matter4'  ,and so you see men who really
 wish to be honest and kindly           
themselves1 making no scruple of        
profiting by other people's dishonesty  
and cruelty4  ,now the law punishes the 
receiver of stolen goods almost as      
severely as the thief himself3  but     
there are many receivers of stolen      

goods1 my friends1 whom the law cannot  
touch4  ,the world1 at times1 seems to  
me to be full of them2 for every one1 my
 friends1 who hushes up a cruel or a    
dishonest matter1 because he himself is 
a gainer by it1 he is no better than the
 receiver of stolen goods1 and he will  
find in the day of the ,lord1 that the  
sin will lie at his door1 as ,jezebel's 
sin lay at ,ahab's4  ,there was no need 
for ,ahab to say1 ',jezebel did it1 and 
not ,i4'  ,the prophet did not even give
 him time to excuse himself3  ',thus    
saith the ,lord1 ,hast thou killed1 and 
also taken possession8'  ,by taking     
possession of ,naboth's vineyard1 and so
 profiting by his murder1 he made       
himself partaker in that murder1 and had
 to hear the terrible sentence1 ',in the
 place where dogs licked the blood of   
,naboth1 dogs shall lick thy blood1 even
 thine4'  ,oh1 my friends1 whatsoever   
you do1 keep clean hands and a pure     
heart4  ,if you touch pitch1 it will    
surely stick to you4  ,let no gain tempt

 you to be partaker of others men's     
sins2 never fancy that1 because men     
cannot lay the blame on the right       
person1 ,god cannot4  ,god will surely  
lay the burden on the man who helped to 
make the burden2 ,god will surely       
require part payment from the man who   
profited by the bargain2 so keep        
yourselves clear of other men's sins1   
that you may be clear also of their     
condemnation4  ,so ,ahab had committed a
 horrible and great sin1 and had        
received sentence for it1 and now1 as ,i
 said before1 there was nothing to be   
done but to repent2 and he did so1 after
 his fashion4  ,ahab1 it seems1 was not 
an utterly bad man2 he was a weak man1  
fond of his own pleasure1 a slave to his
 own passions1 and easily led1 sometimes
 to good1 but generally to evil4  ,and  
,god did not execute full vengeance on  
him3  his repentance was a poor one     
enough2 but such as it was1 the good and
 merciful ,god gave him credit for it as
 far as it went1 and promised him that  

the worst part of his sentence1 the ruin
 of his family1 should not come in his  
time4  ,but still the sentence against  
him stood1 and was fulfilled4  ,not long
 after1 as we read in the second lesson1
 he was killed in battle1 and that not  
bravely and with honour 7for if he had  
been1 that would have been but a slight 
punishment1 my friends71 but shamefully 
by a chance shot1 after he had disguised
 himself1 in the cowardice of his guilty
 conscience1 and tried to throw all the 
danger on his ally1 good ,king          
,jehoshaphat of ,judah2 'and they washed
 his chariot in the pool of ,samaria1   
and the dogs licked up his blood1       
according to the word of the ,lord1     
which he spake by ,elijah the prophet4' 
,so ends one of the most clear and      
terrible stories in the whole ,bible1 of
 ,god's impartial justice4  ,may ,god   
give us all grace to lay it to heart6   
,we are all tempted1 as ,ahab was2 rich 
or poor1 our temptation is alike to give
 place to the ,devil1 and let him lead  

us into dark and deep sin1 by giving way
 to our own fancies1 longings1 pride1   
and temper4  ,we are all tempted1 as    
,ahab was1 to over-reach our neighbours 
in some way2 ,i do not mean always in   
cheating them1 but in being unfair to   
them1 in caring more for ourselves than 
for them2 thinking of ourselves first1  
and of them last2 trying to make        
ourselves comfortable1 or to feed our   
own pride1 at their expense4 ,oh1 my    
friends1 whenever we are tempted to be  
selfish and grasping1 be sure that we   
are opening a door to the very ,devil of
 hell himself1 though he may look so    
smooth1 and gentle1 and respectable1    
that perhaps we shall not know him when 
he comes to us1 and shall take his      
counsels for the counsel of an angel of 
light4  ,but be sure that if it is      
selfishness which has opened the door of
 our heart1 not ,god1 but the ,devil1   
will come in1 let him disguise himself  
as cunningly as he will2 and our only   
hope is to flee to ,him in whom there   

was no selfishness1 the ,lord ,jesus    
,christ1 who came not to do ,his own    
will1 but ,his ,father's2 not to glorify
 ,himself1 but ,his ,father2 not to save
 ,his own life1 but to sacrifice it     
freely1 for us1 ,his selfish1 weak1     
greedy1 wandering sheep4  ,pray to ,him 
to give you ,his ,spirit1 that glorious 
spirit of love1 and duty1 and self-     
sacrifice1 by which all the good deeds  
on earth are done2 which teaches a man  
not to care about himself1 but about    
others2 to help others1 to feel for     
others1 to rejoice in their happiness1  
to grieve over their sorrows1 to give to
 them1 rather than take from them--in   
one word1 ,the ,holy ,spirit of ,god1   
which may ,he pour out on you1 and me1  
and all mankind1 that we may live justly
 and lovingly1 as children of one just  
and loving ,father in heaven4           
,,sermon ,,xii4  ,,the ,,light ,,of     
,,god    ,preached for the ,chelsea     
,national ,schools4  ,ephesians v4 #ac4 
,all things which are reproved are made 

manifest by the light3  for whatsoever  
is made manifest is light4  ,this is a  
noble text1 a royal text2 one of those  
texts which forbid us to clip and cramp 
,scripture to suit any narrow notions of
 our own2 which open before us boundless
 vistas of ,god's love1 of human        
knowledge1 of the future of mankind4    
,there are many such texts1 many more   
than we fancy2 but this is one which is 
especially valuable at the present time2
 one especially fit for a sermon on     
education2 for it is1 as it were1 the   
scriptural charter of the advocate of   
education4  ,it enables him boldly to   
say1 ',there is nothing ,i will refuse  
to teach2 there is nothing which man    
shall forbid me to teach2 there is      
nothing which ,god has made in heaven or
 earth about which ,i will not tell the 
truth boldly to the young4'  ,for light 
comes from ,god4  ,god is light1 and in 
,him is no darkness at all4  ,and       
therefore ,he wishes to give light to   
,his children4  ,he willeth not that the

 least of them should be kept in        
darkness about any matter4  ,darkness is
 of the ,devil2 and he who keeps any    
human soul in darkness1 let his         
pretences be as reverent and as         
religious as they may1 is doing the     
,devil's work4  ,nothing1 then1 which   
,god has made will we conceal from the  
young4  ,true1 there are errors of which
 we will not speak to the young2 but    
they are not made by ,god3  they are the
 works of darkness4  ,our duty is to    
teach the young what ,god has made1 what
 ,he has done1 what ,he has ordained2 to
 make them freely partakers of          
whatsoever light ,god has given us4     
,then1 by means of that light1 they will
 be able to reprove the works of        
darkness4  ,for whatsoever is made      
manifest is light4  ,our version says2  
',whatsoever makes manifest is light4'  
,that is true1 a noble truth2 but ,i    
should not be honest1 if ,i did not     
confess that that is not what ,st4 ,paul
 says here4  ,he says1 ',that which is  

made manifest is light4'  ,on this the  
best commentators and scholars agree4   
,our old translators have made a        
mistake1 though in grammar only1 and    
have substituted one great truth for    
another equally great4  ',whatsoever is 
made manifest is light4'  ,we should    
have expected this1 if we are really    
,christians4  ,if we have faith in ,god2
 if we believe that ,god is worthy of   
our faith--a ,god whom we can trust2 in 
whom is neither caprice1 deceit1 nor    
darkness1 but pure and perfect          
light2--if we believe that we are ,his  
children1 and that ,he wishes us to be1 
like ,himself1 full of light1 knowing   
what we are and what the world is1      
because we know who ,god is2--if we     
believe that ,he sent ,his ,son into the
 world to reveal ,him1 to unveil ,him1  
to draw aside the veil which dark       
superstition and ignorance had spread   
between man and ,god1 and to show us the
 glory of ,god2--if we believe this1    
then we shall be ready to expect that   

whatsoever is made manifest would be    
light2 for if ,god be light1 all that   
,he has made must be light also4  ,like 
must beget like1 and therefore light    
must beget light1 good beget good1 love 
beget love2 and therefore we ought to   
expect that as true and sound knowledge 
increases1 our views of ,god will be    
more full of light4  ,yes1 my friends2  
under the influence of true science ,god
 will be no longer looked upon1 as ,he  
was in those superstitions which we well
 call dark1 as a proud1 angry1          
capricious being1 as a stern taskmaster1
 as one far removed from the sympathy of
 men3  but as one of whom we may        
cheerfully say1 ,thy name be hallowed1  
for ,thy name is ,father2 ,thy kingdom  
come1 for it is a ,father's kingdom2    
,thy will be done1 for it is a ,father's
 will2 and in doing ,thy will alone men 
claim their true dignity of being the   
sons of ,god4  ,our views of our        
fellow-men will be more cheerful also2  
more full of sympathy1 comprehension1   

charity1 hope2 in one word1 more full of
 light4  ,if it be true 7and it is true7
 that ,god loves all1 then we should    
expect to find in all something worthy  
of our love4  ,if it be true that ,god  
willeth that none should perish1 we     
should expect to find in each man       
something which ought not to perish4    
,if it be true that ,god stooped from   
heaven1 yea stoops from heaven          
eternally1 to seek and to save that     
which is lost1 then we should have good 
hope that our efforts to seek to save   
that which is lost will not be in vain4 
,we shall have hope in every good work  
we undertake1 for we shall know that in 
it we are fellow-workers with ,god4     
,our notions of the world--of ,god's    
whole universe1 will become full of     
light likewise4  ,do we believe that    
this earth was made by ,jesus           
,christ8--by ,him who was full of grace 
and truth8  ,do we believe our ,bibles1 
when they tell us1 that ,he hath given  
all created things a law which cannot be

 broken2 that they continue as at the   
beginning1 for all things serve ,him8   
,do we believe this8  ,then we must look
 on this earth1 yea on the whole        
universe of ,god1 as1 like its ,master1 
full of grace and truth2 not as old     
monks and hermits fancied it1 a dark1   
deceiving1 evil earth1 filled with      
snares and temptations2 a world from    
which a man ought to hide himself in the
 wilderness1 and find his own safety in 
ignorance4  ,not thus1 but as the old   
,hebrews thought of it1 as a glorious   
and a divine universe1 in which the     
,spirit of ,god1 the ,lord and ,giver of
 life1 creates eternal melody1 bringing 
for ever life out of death1 light out of
 darkness1 letting his breath go forth  
that new generations may be made1 and   
herein renew the face of the earth4     
,and experience teaches us that this has
 been the case2 that for near one       
thousand eight hundred years there has  
been a steady progress in the mind of   
the ,christian race1 and that this      

progress has been in the direction of   
light4  ,has it not been so in our      
notions of ,god8  ,what has the history 
of theology been for near one thousand  
eight hundred years8  ,has it not been a
 gradual justification of ,god1 a       
gradual vindication of ,his character   
from those dark and horrid notions of   
the ,deity which were borrowed from the 
,pagans1 and from the ,jewish ,rabbis8 a
 gradual return to the perfect good news
 of a good ,god1 which was preached by  
,st4 ,john and by ,st4 ,paul8--,in one  
word1 a gradual manifestation of ,god2  
and a gradual discovery that when ,god  
is manifested1 behold1 ,god is light1   
and in ,him is no darkness at all8      
,that progress1 alas6 is not yet        
perfect4  ,we still see through a glass 
darkly1 and we are still too apt to     
impute to ,god ,himself the darkness of 
those very hearts of ours in which ,he  
is so dimly mirrored4  ,and there are   
men still1 even in ,protestant ,england1
 who love darkness rather than light1   

and teach men that ,god is dark1 and in 
,him are only scattered spots of light1 
and those visible only to a favoured    
few2 men who1 whether from ignorance1 or
 covetousness1 or lust of power1 preach 
such a deity as the old ,pharisees      
worshipped1 when they crucified the     
,lord of ,glory1 and offer to deliver   
men1 forsooth1 out of the hands of this 
dreadful phantom of their own dark      
imaginations4  ,let them be4  ,let the  
dead bury their dead1 and let us follow 
,christ4  ,believe indeed that ,he is   
the likeness of ,god's glory1 and the   
express image of ,god's person1 and you 
will be safe from the dark dreams with  
which they ensnare diseased and         
superstitious consciences4  ,let them   
be4  ,light is stronger than darkness2  
,love stronger than cruelty4  ,perfect  
,god stronger than fallen man2 and the  
day shall come when all shall be light  
in the ,lord2 when all mankind shall    
know ,god1 from the least unto the      
greatest1 and lifting up free foreheads 

to ,him who made them1 and redeemed them
 by ,his ,son1 shall in spirit and in   
truth1 worship ,the ,father4  ,does not 
experience again show us that in the    
case of our fellow- men1 whatsoever is  
made manifest1 is light8  ,how easy it  
was1 a thousand years ago--a hundred    
years ago even1 to have dark thoughts   
about our fellow-men1 simply because we 
did not know them6  ,easy it was1 while 
the nations were kept apart by war1 even
 by mere difficulty of travelling1 for  
,christians to curse ,jews1 ,turks1     
,infidels1 and ,heretics1 and believe   
that ,god willed their eternal          
perdition1 even though the glorious     
collect for ,good ,friday gave their    
inhumanity the lie4  ,easy to persecute 
those to whose opinions we could not1 or
 would not1 take the trouble to give a  
fair hearing4  ,easy to condemn the     
negro to perpetual slavery1 when we knew
 nothing of him but his black face2 or  
to hang by hundreds the ragged          
street-boys1 while we disdained to      

inquire into the circumstances which had
 degraded them2 or to treat madmen as   
wild beasts1 instead of taming them by  
wise and gentle sympathy4  ,but with a  
closer knowledge of our fellow-creatures
 has come toleration1 pity1 sympathy4   
,and as that sympathy has been freely   
obeyed1 it has justified itself more and
 more4  ,the more we have tried to help 
our fellow-men1 the more easy we have   
found it to help them4  ,the more we    
have trusted them1 the more trustworthy 
we have found them4  ,the more we have  
treated them as human beings1 the more  
humanity we have found in them4  ,and   
thus man1 in proportion as he becomes   
manifest to man1 is seen1 in spite of   
all defects and sins1 to be hallowed    
with a light from ,god who made him4    
,and if it has been thus1 in the case of
 ,god and of humanity1 has it not been  
equally so in the case of the physical  
world8  ,where are now all those        
unnatural superstitions--the monkish    
contempt for marriage and social life1  

the ghosts and devils2 the astrology1   
the magic1 and other dreams of which ,i 
will not speak here1 which made this    
world1 in the eyes of our forefathers1 a
 doleful and dreadful puzzle2 and which 
made man the sport of arbitrary powers1 
of cruel beings1 who could torment and  
destroy us1 but over whom we could have 
no righteous power in return8  ,where   
are all those dark dreams gone which    
maddened our forefathers into           
witch-hunting panics1 and which on the  
,continent created a priestly science of
 witch-finding and witch-destroying1 the
 literature whereof 7and it is a large  
one7 presents perhaps the most hideous  
instance known of human cruelty1        
cowardice1 and cunning8  ,where1 ,i ask1
 are those dreams now8  ,so utterly     
vanished1 that very few people in this  
church know what a great part they      
played in the thoughts of our           
forefathers2 how ghosts1 devils1        
witches1 magic1 and astrology1 filled   
the minds1 not only of the ignorant1 but

 of the most learned1 for centuries4    
,and now1 behold1 nature being made     
manifest1 is light4  ,science has taught
 men to admire where they used to dread2
 to rule where they used to obey2 to    
employ for harmless uses what they were 
once afraid to touch2 and1 where they   
once saw only fiends1 to see the orderly
 and beneficent laws of the all-good and
 almighty ,god4  ,everywhere1 as the    
work of nature is unfolded to our eyes1 
we see beauty1 order1 mutual use1 the   
offspring of perfect ,love as well as   
perfect ,wisdom4 ,everywhere we are     
finding means to employ the secret      
forces of nature for our own benefit1 or
 to ward off physical evils which seemed
 to our forefathers as inevitable1      
supernatural2 and even the pestilence1  
instead of being1 as was once fancied1  
the capricious and miraculous infliction
 of some demon--the pestilence itself is
 found to be an orderly result of the   
same laws by which the sun shines and   
the herb grows2 a product of nature2 and

 therefore subject to man1 to be        
prevented and extirpated by him1 if he  
will4  ,yes1 my friends1 let us teach   
these things to our children1 to all    
children4  ,let us tell them to go to   
the ,light1 and see their ,heavenly     
,father's works manifested1 and know    
that they are1 as ,he is1 ,light4  ,i   
say1 let us teach our children freely   
and boldly to know these things1 and    
grow up in the light of them4  ,let us  
leave those to sneer at the triumphs of 
modern science1 who trade upon the      
ignorance and the cowardice of mankind1 
and who say1 ',provided you make a child
 religious1 what matter if he does fancy
 the sun goes round the earth8  ,why    
occupy his head1 perhaps disturb his    
simple faith1 by giving him a smattering
 of secular science8'  ,specious enough 
is that argument3  but shortsighted more
 than enough4  ,it is of a piece with   
the wisdom which shrinks from telling   
children that ,god is love1 lest they   
should not be sufficiently afraid of    

,him2 which forbids their young hearts  
to expand freely towards their          
fellow-creatures3  which puts into their
 mouths the watchwords of sects and     
parties1 and thinks to keep them purer  
,christians by making them ,pharisees   
from the cradle4  ,my friends1 we may   
try to train up children as ,pharisees3 
but we shall discover1 after twenty     
years of mistaken labour1 that we have  
only made them ,sadducees4  ,the path to
 infidelity in manhood is superstition  
in youth4  ,you may tell the child never
 to mind whether the sun moves round the
 earth or not3  but the day will come   
when he will mind in spite of you2 and  
if he then finds that you have deceived 
him1 that you have even left him in     
wilful ignorance1 all your moral        
influence over him is gone1 and all your
 religious lessons probably gone also4  
,so true is it1 that lies are by their  
very nature self-destructive4  ,for all 
truth is of ,god2 and no lie is of the  
truth1 and therefore no lie can possibly

 help ,god or ,god's work in any human  
soul4  ,for as the child ceases to      
respect his teachers he ceases to       
respect what they believe4  ,his innate 
instinct of truth and honour1 his innate
 longing to believe1 to look up to some 
one better than himself1 have been      
shocked and shaken once and for all2 and
 it may require long years1 and sad     
years1 to bring him back to the faith of
 his childhood4  ,again ,i say it1 we   
must not fear to tell the children the  
whole truth2 in these days above all    
others which the world has yet seen4    
,you cannot prevent their finding out   
the truth3  then for our own sake1 let  
us1 their authorized teachers1 be the   
first to tell it them4  ,let them in    
after life connect the thought of their 
clergyman1 their schoolmaster1 their    
church1 with their first lessons in the 
free and right use of their ,god-given  
faculties1 with their first glimpses    
into the boundless mysteries of art and 
science4  ,let them learn from us to    

regard all their powers as their        
,heavenly ,father's gift2 all art1 all  
science1 all discoveries1 as their      
,heavenly ,father's revelation to men4  
,let them learn from us not to shrink   
from the light1 not to peep at it by    
stealth1 but to claim it as their       
birthright2 to welcome it1 to live and  
grow in it to the full stature of       
men--rational1 free1 ,christian ,english
 men4  ,this1 ,i believe1 must be the   
method of a truly ,protestant education4
  ,i said ,protestant--,i say it again4 
,what is the watchword of               
,protestantism8  ,it is this4  ,that no 
lie is of the truth4  ,there are those  
who complain of us ,english that we     
attach too high a value to ,,truth4     
,they say that falsehood is an evil3    
but not so great a one as we fancy4  ,we
 accept the imputation4  ,we answer     
boldly that there can be no greater evil
 than falsehood1 no greater blessing    
than truth2 and that by ,god's help we  
will teach the same to our children1 and

 to our children's children4  ,free     
inquiry1 religious as well as civil     
liberty--this is the spirit of          
,protestantism4  ,this our fathers have 
bequeathed to us2 this we will bequeath 
to our children2--to know that all truth
 is of ,god1 that no lie is of the      
truth4  ,our enemies may call us        
heretics1 unbelievers1 rebellious1      
political squabblers4  ,they may say in 
scorn1 ,you ,protestants know not       
whither you are going2 you have broken  
yourselves off from the old ,catholic   
tree1 and now1 in the wild exercise of  
your own private judgment1 you are      
losing all that standard of doctrine1   
all unity of belief4  ,our answer will  
be--,it is not so3  but even if it were 
so-- even if we did not know whither we 
were going--we should go forward still4 
,for though we know not1 ,god knows4    
,we have committed ourselves to ,god1   
the living ,god2 and ,he has led us2 and
 we believe that ,he will lead us4  ,he 
has taught us2 and we believe that ,he  

will teach us still4  ,he has prospered 
us1 and we believe that ,he will prosper
 us still3  and therefore we will train 
up our children after us to go on the   
path which has brought us hither1 freely
 to use their minds1 boldly to prove all
 things1 and hold fast that which is    
good2 manfully to go forward1 following 
,truth whithersoever she may lead them2 
trusting in ,god1 the ,father of        
,lights1 asking ,him for wisdom1 who    
giveth to all liberally1 and upbraideth 
not2 and it shall be given them4  ,i    
have been asked to preach this day for  
the ,national ,schools of this parish4  
,i do so willingly1 because ,i believe  
that in them this course of education is
 pursued1 that conjoined with a sound   
teaching in the principles of our       
,protestant church1 and a wholesome and 
kindly moral training1 there is free and
 full secular instruction as far as the 
ages of the children will allow4  ,were 
it not the case1 ,i could not plead for 
these schools2 above all at this time1  

when the battle between ancient         
superstition and modern enlightenment in
 this land seems fast coming to a crisis
 and a death struggle4  ,i could not ask
 you to help any school on earth in     
which ,i had not fair proof that the    
teachers taught1 on physical and human  
as well as on moral subjects1 the truth1
 the whole truth1 and nothing but the   
truth1 so help them ,god4    ,,sermon   
,,xiii4  ,,providence    ,matthew vi4   
#ca1 #cb1 #cc4  ,be not anxious1 saying1
 ,what shall we eat8 or1 what shall we  
drink1 or wherewithal shall we be       
clothed8 7for after all these things do 
the heathen seek37 for your ,heavenly   
,father knoweth that ye have need of all
 these things4  ,but seek ye first the  
kingdom of ,god and ,his righteousness1 
and all these things shall be added unto
 you4  ,we must first consider carefully
 what this text really means2 what      
'taking no thought for the morrow'      
really is4  ,now1 it cannot mean that we
 are to be altogether careless and      

imprudent2 for all ,scripture1 and      
especially ,solomon's ,proverbs1 give us
 the very opposite advice1 and one part 
of ,god's ,word cannot contradict the   
other4  ,the whole of ,solomon's        
,proverbs is made up of lessons in      
prudence and foresight2 and surely our  
,lord did not come to do away with      
,solomon's ,proverbs1 but to fulfil     
them4  ,and more1 ,solomon declares     
again and again1 that prudence and      
foresight are the gifts of ,god2 and    
,god's gifts are surely meant to be     
used4  ,isaiah1 too1 tells us that the  
common work of the farm1 tilling the    
ground1 sowing1 and reaping1 were taught
 to men by ,god2 and says of the        
ploughman1 that ',his ,god doth instruct
 him to discretion and doth teach him4' 
,neither can ,god mean us to sit idle   
with folded hands waiting to be fed by  
miracles4  ,would ,he have given to man 
reason1 and skill1 and the power of     
bettering his mortal condition by ten   
thousand instructions if ,he had not    

meant him to use those gifts8 ,we find  
that1 at the beginning1 ,adam is put    
into the garden1 not to sit idle in it1 
nor to feed merely on the fruits which  
fall from the trees1 as the dumb animals
 do1 but to dress it1 and to keep it2 to
 use his own reason to improve his own  
condition1 and the land on which ,god   
had placed him4  ,was not the very first
 command given to man to replenish the  
earth and subdue it8  ,and do we not    
find in the very end of ,scripture the  
,apostles working with their own hands  
for their daily bread8  ,but what use of
 many words8  ,it is absurd to believe  
anything else2 absurd to believe that   
man was meant to live like the          
butterfly1 flitting without care from   
flower to flower1 and1 like the         
butterfly1 die helpless at the first    
shower or the first winter's frost4     
,whatever the text means1 it cannot mean
 that4  ,and it does not mean that4  ,i 
suppose1 that three hundred years ago   
7when the ,bible was translated out of  

the ,greek tongue1 in which the         
,apostles wrote1 into ,english71 'taking
 thought' meant something different from
 what it does now3  but the plain       
meaning of the text1 if it be put into  
such ,english as we talk now1 is1 ',do  
not fret about the morrow4  ,be not     
anxious about the morrow4'  ,there is no
 doubt at all1 as any scholar can tell  
you1 that that is the plain meaning of  
the word in our modern ,english1 and    
that our ,lord is not telling us to be  
imprudent or idle1 but not to be anxious
 and fretful about the morrow4  ,and    
more1 ,i think if we look carefully at  
these words1 we shall find that they    
tell us the very reason why we are to   
work1 and to look forward1 and to       
believe that ,god will bless our labour4
  ,and what is this reason8  ,it is     
this1 that we have a ,father in heaven2 
not a mere ,maker1 not a mere ,master1  
but a ,father4  ,all turns on that one  
,gospel of all ,gospels1 your ,father in
 heaven4 ,for our ,lord seems to me to  

say1 ',be not anxious for your life1    
what ye shall eat1 or drink1 or wear4   
,is not the life more than meat8 ,has   
not your ,heavenly ,father given you a  
higher life than the mere life which    
must be kept up by food1 which ,he has  
given to the animals8  ,he has made you 
reasonable souls2 ,he has given to you  
wisdom from ,his own wisdom1 and a share
 of the ,light which lights every man   
who comes into the world1 the ,light of 
,christ ,his ,son2 ,he has created you  
in ,his own likeness1 that like ,him you
 may make things1 be makers and         
inventors1 each in his place and        
calling1 each according to his talents  
and powers1 even as your ,heavenly      
,father1 the ,maker and ,creator of all 
things4  ,and if ,he has given you all  
these wonderful powers of mind and soul1
 surely ,he has given you the less      
blessing1 the mere power to earn your   
own food8  ,if ,he has made you so much 
wiser than the beasts1 surely ,he has   
made you as wise as the beasts4'  ',and 

is not the body more than raiment8'     
,has ,he not given you bodies which can 
speak1 write1 build1 work1 plant1 in a  
thousand cunning and wonderful ways2    
bodies which can do a thousand nobler   
things than merely keep themselves warm1
 as the beasts do8 ,then be sure1 if ,he
 has given you the greater power1 ,he   
has given you the less also4  ,and as   
for fine clothes and rich ornaments1    
',is not the body more than raiment8'   
,is not your body a far more beautiful  
and nobler thing than all the gay       
clothes with which you can bedizen it8  
,if your bodies be fair1 strong1        
healthy1 useful1 it matters little what 
clothes you put upon them4  ,why will   
you not have faith in your ,heavenly    
,father8  ,why will you not have faith  
in the great honour which ,he put on you
 when ,he said at first1 ',let us make  
man in our image1 after our likeness1   
and let him have dominion over all      
things on the earth'8  ,be sure1 that   
,god would not have made man1 and given 

him all these powers1 and sent him upon 
this earth1 unless this earth had been a
 right good and fit place for him4  ,be 
sure that if you obey the laws of this  
earth where ,god has put you1 you will  
never need to be anxious or fret2 but   
you will prosper right well1 you and    
your children after you4  ,for          
',consider the fowls of the air1 they   
neither sow1 nor reap1 and gather into  
barns1 and yet your ,heavenly ,father   
feeds them2 and are ye not much better  
than they8'  ,surely you are1 for you   
can sow1 and reap1 and gather into      
barns4  ,and if ,god makes the earth    
work so well that it feeds the fowls who
 cannot help themselves1 how much more  
will the earth feed you who can help    
yourselves1 because ,god has given you  
understanding and prudence8  ,but as for
 anxiety1 fretting1 repining1           
complaining to ,god1 ',why hast ,thou   
made me thus8' what use in that8 ',which
 of you by taking thought can add one   
cubit to his stature8' ,will all the    

fretting and anxiety in the world make  
you one foot or one inch taller than you
 are8  ,will it make you stronger1      
wiser1 more able to help yourself8  ,you
 are what you are3  you can do what ,god
 has given you power to do4  ,trust ,him
 that ,he has made you strong enough and
 wise enough to earn your daily bread1  
and to prosper right well1 if you will1 
upon this earth which ,he has made4 ,and
 why be anxious about clothing8         
',consider the lilies of the field1 how 
they grow2 they toil not1 neither do    
they spin2 and yet ,solomon in all his  
glory was not arrayed like one of       
these4'  ,but man can toil1 man can     
spin2 your ,heavenly ,father has given  
to man the power of providing clothes   
for himself1 and not for himself only1  
but for others2 so that while the man   
who tills the soil feeds the man who    
spins and weaves1 the man who spins and 
weaves shall clothe the man who tills   
the soil2 and the town shall work for   
the country1 while the country feeds the

 town2 and every man1 if he does but    
labour where ,god has put him1 shall    
produce comforts for human beings whom  
he never saw1 who live perhaps in       
foreign lands across the sea4  ,for the 
,heavenly ,father has knit together the 
great family of man in one blessed bond 
of mutual need and mutual usefulness all
 over the world2 so that no member of it
 can do without the other1 and each     
member of it--each individual man--let  
him work at what thing he will1 can make
 many times more of that thing than he  
needs for himself1 and so help others   
while he earns his own living2 and so   
wealth and comfort ought to increase    
year by year among the whole family of  
men1 ay1 and would increase1 if it were 
not for sin4  ,yes1 my friends1 if it   
were not for that same sin--if it were  
not that men do not seek first the      
kingdom of ,god and ,his righteousness1 
there would be no end1 no bound to the  
wealth1 the comfort1 the happiness of   
the children of men4  ,even as it is1 in

 spite of all man's sin1 the world does 
prosper marvellously1 miraculously2 in  
spite of all the waste1 destruction1    
idleness1 ignorance1 injustice1 and     
folly which goes on in the world1       
mankind increases and replenishes the   
earth1 and improves in comfort and in   
happiness2 in spite of all1 ,god is     
stronger than the ,devil1 life stronger 
than death1 wisdom stronger than folly1 
order stronger than disorder1           
fruitfulness stronger than destruction2 
and they will be so1 more and more1 till
 the last great day1 when ,christ shall 
have put all enemies under ,his feet1   
and death is swallowed up in victory1   
and all mankind is one fold under one   
,shepherd1 ,jesus ,christ1 the righteous
 ,king of all4  ,but some may ask1 ,what
 does our ,lord mean when ,he says1     
',that if we sought first the kingdom of
 ,god and ,his righteousness1 all these 
things should be added to us8'  ,i      
cannot tell you altogether1 my friends2 
for eye hath not seen1 nor ear heard1   

nor hath it entered into the heart of   
man to conceive what ,god has prepared  
for those who love ,him4  ,but this ,i  
can tell you1 that these things are     
taken from men1 instead of being added  
to them1 by their not seeking first     
,god's kingdom and ,his righteousness4  
,i can tell you1 as the ,prophet does1  
that it is the sins of man which        
withhold good things from him2 because  
though1 as the ,prophet says in the same
 place1 ,god sends the good things1 and 
the former and latter rain in their     
season1 and reserves to men still the   
appointed weeks of harvest1 yet men will
 not fear that same ,lord their ,god2   
and therefore those good things are     
wasted1 and mankind remains too often   
miserable in spite of ,god's goodness1  
and starving in the midst of ,god's     
plenty4  ,if you wish to know what ,i   
mean1 look but once at this present war4
 ,i do not complain of the war4  ,i     
honour the war4  ,i thank ,god from the 
bottom of my heart for this great and   

glorious victory1 and ,i call on you to 
thank ,him1 too1 for it4  ,i am none of 
those who think war sinful4  ,i cannot  
do so1 for ,i swore at my baptism to    
fight manfully under ,christ's banner   
against the world1 the flesh1 and the   
,devil2 and if we cannot reach the      
,devil and his works by any other means1
 we must reach them as we are doing now1
 by sharp shot and cold steel1 and we   
must hold it an honourable thing1 and   
few things more honourable on earth1 for
 a man to die fighting against evil men1
 and an evil world-devouring empire1    
like that of ,babylon of old1 or this of
 ,russia now1 that he may save not      
merely us who sit here now1 but our     
children's children1 and generations yet
 unborn1 from ,russian tyranny1 and     
,russian falsehood1 and ,russian        
profligacy1 and ,russian superstition4  
,i say1 ,i do not complain of this war2 
but ,i ask you to look at the mere waste
 which it brings1 the mere waste of     
,god's blessings4  ,consider all the    

skilful men now employed in making      
cannon1 shot1 and powder to kill mortal 
men1 who might every one of them1 in    
time of peace1 have been employed in    
making things which would feed1 and     
clothe1 and comfort mortal man4         
,consider that very powder and shot     
itself1 the fruit of so much labour and 
money1 made simply to be shot away1 once
 for all1 as if a man should spend      
months in making some precious vessel1  
and then dash it to pieces the moment it
 was made4  ,consider that ,sevastopol  
alone2 the millions of money which it   
must have cost--the stone1 the timber1  
the iron1 all used there--in making a   
mere robber's den1 which might all have 
been spent in giving employment and     
sustenance to whole provinces of poor   
starving ,russians4  ,consider those    
tens of thousands of men1 labouring day 
and night for months at those deadly    
earthworks1 whose strong arms might have
 been all tilling ,god's earth1 and     
growing food for the use of man4  ,and  

then see the waste1 the want1 the misery
 which that one place1 ,sevastopol1 has 
caused upon ,god's earth4  ,and         
consider1 too1 the souls of mortal men1 
who have been wasted there--no man knows
 how many1 nor will know till the       
judgment day4 ,two hundred thousand1 at 
the least1 they say1 wasted about that  
accursed place1 within the last twelve  
months4  ,two hundred thousand cunning  
brains1 two hundred thousand strong     
right hands1 two hundred thousand       
willing hearts3  what good might not    
each of those men have done if he had   
been labouring peacefully at home1 in   
his right place in ,god's family6  ,what
 might he not have invented1 made1      
carried over land and sea8  ,none dead  
there but might have been of use in his 
generation2 and doubtless many a one who
 would have done good with all his      
might1 who would have been a blessing to
 those around him2 and now what is left 
of him on earth but a few bones beneath 
the sod8  ,wasted--utterly wasted6  ,oh1

 consider how precious is one man2      
consider how much good the weakest and  
stupidest of us all might do1 if he set 
himself with his whole soul to do good2 
consider that the weakest and stupidest 
of us1 even if he has no care for good1 
cannot earn his day's wages without     
doing some good to the bodies of his    
fellow-men2 and then judge of the loss  
to mankind by this one single siege of  
one single town2 and think how many     
stomachs must be the emptier1 how many  
backs the barer1 for this one war2 and  
then see how man wastes ,god's gifts1   
and wastes most of all that most        
precious gift of all1 men1 living men1  
with minds1 and reasons1 and immortal   
souls4  ,and whence has all this waste  
come8  ,simply because these ,russian   
rulers have chosen to seek first1 not   
,god's kingdom1 but their own4 ,instead 
of behaving like ,god's ministers and   
,god's stewards1 and asking1 ',how would
 ,god our ,king have us rule ,his       
kingdom8' they have laboured for their  

own power1 conquering all the nations   
round them1 removing their neighbour's  
landmark1 and wasting the wealth of     
their country on armies1 and fortresses1
 and fleets1 with which they intended to
 conquer more and more of the earth     
which did not belong to them4  ,because1
 instead of seeking ,god's              
righteousness1 and saying to themselves1
 ',how shall we be righteous1 even as   
our ,heavenly ,father is righteous1 and 
how shall we teach this great people to 
be righteous likewise8' they have sought
 their own pleasure1 and lived in       
profligacy1 covetous and cheating almost
 beyond belief2 and instead of behaving 
righteously to the people1 or teaching  
them to be righteous1 they have crushed 
down the people1 stupefied and corrupted
 them by slavery1 and maddened them by  
superstitions which are not the         
righteousness of ,god1 till they have   
made them easy tools in their unjust    
wars1 and are able to drive them1 even  
by force1 like sheep to the slaughter1  

to die miserably in a cause in which1   
even if those unhappy slaves conquered1 
they would only rivet their own chains  
more tightly1 and put more power into   
the hands of the very rulers who are    
robbing them of their earnings1         
dishonouring their daughters1 and       
driving off their sons to die in a      
foreign land4  ,ah1 my friends1 if these
 men had but sought first the kingdom of
 ,god and ,his righteousness2 if the    
great wealth1 and the wonderful industry
 and prudence of ,russia had been but   
spent in doing justly1 and loving mercy1
 what a rich and honourable country of  
brave and industrious ,christian men    
might ,russia be2 a blessing1 and not a 
curse1 to half the earth of ,god6  ,let 
us pray that she will become so1 some   
day2 and we may have hope for her1 for  
she is but young1 and has time yet for  
repentance4  ,but some may say--indeed1 
we are all ready enough to say--',then  
the evil of this war is the ,russians'  
fault1 and not ours2 and so in every    

other case4  ,in every other evil and   
misery they are rather other people's   
fault than ours4  ,if we do our duty    
well enough1 and if other people would  
but do theirs1 all would be well4'  ,we 
are all apt to say this in our hearts4  
,but our ,lord does not say so4  ,his   
promise is to all mankind3  but ,his    
promise is to each of us also4  ,when   
,he says1 ,seek ye first ,god's kingdom 
and righteousness1 ,he speaks to you and
 to me1 to every soul now here4 ,believe
 it1 my friends4  ,the more that ,i see 
of life1 the more ,i see how much of our
 sorrow is our own fault2 how much of   
our happiness is in our own hands2 and  
the more ,i see how little use there is 
in finding fault with this government1  
or that1 the more ,i see how much use   
there is in every man's finding fault   
with himself1 and taking his share of   
the blame4  ,i do not doubt that if the 
whole people of ,england1 for the last  
forty years1 had sought first ,god's    
kingdom and ,god's righteousness1 and   

said to themselves in every matter1 not 
merely ',what is profitable for us to   
do8' but ',what is right for us to do8' 
we should have been spared the expenses 
and the sorrows of this war3 but as for 
blaming our government1 my              
friends1--what they are we are2 we      
choose them1 ,englishmen like ourselves1
 and they truly represent us4  ,not one 
complaint can we make against them1     
which we may not as justly make against 
ourselves2 and if we had been in their  
places1 we should have done what they   
did2 for the seeds of the same sins are 
in us2 and we yield1 each in his own    
household and his own business1 to the  
same temptations as they1 to the sins   
which so easily beset ,englishmen at    
this present time4  ,i say1 frankly1 ,i 
see not one charge brought against them 
in the newspapers which might not quite 
as justly be brought against me1 and1   
for aught ,i know1 against every one of 
us here2 and while we are not faithful  
over a few things1 what right have we to

 complain of them for not having been   
faithful over many things8  ,believe1   
rather 7,i believe it71 that if we had  
been in their place1 we should have done
 far worse than they2 and ask           
yourselves1 ',do ,i seek first ,god's   
kingdom and ,god's righteousness2 for if
 ,i do not1 what right have ,i to lay   
the blame of my bad success on other    
men's not seeking them8' ,to each of us1
 as much as to our government1 or to the
 ,russian empire1 is ,christ's command2 
and each of us must take the            
consequences1 if we break it4  ,let us  
look at ourselves1 and mend ourselves1  
and try whether ,god's promise will not 
hold true for us1 each in his station1  
let the world round us go as it will4   
,be sure that ,god is just1 and that    
every man bears his own burden3  that   
the righteous should be as the wicked1  
that be far from ,thee1 ,o ,god6 ,shall 
not the judge of all the earth do right8
  ,be sure that those who trust in ,him 
shall never be confounded1 though the   

earth be moved1 and the mountains       
carried into the midst of the sea1 as it
 is written1 ',trust in the ,lord1 and  
be doing good2 dwell in the land1 and   
work where ,god has placed thee1 and    
verily thou shalt be fed4'  ,but have we
 done so1 my friends8 have we sought    
first ,god's kingdom and ,his           
righteousness8 have we not rather       
forgotten the meaning of the text1 and  
what ,god's kingdom is1 and what ,his   
righteousness is8 ,do not most people   
fancy that ,god's kingdom only means    
some pleasant place to which people are 
to go after they die8 and that seeking  
,god's righteousness only means having  
,christ's righteousness imputed to us   
7as they call it71 without our being    
righteous and good ourselves8  ,do not  
most of us fancy that this very text    
means1 ',do you take care of your souls1
 and ,god will take care of your bodies2
 do you see after the salvation of your 
souls1 and ,god will see after the      
salvation of your bodies'8 a meaning    

which1 in the first place1 is not true1 
for ,god will do no such thing2 and all 
the religion in the world will not      
prevent a man's having to work for his  
daily bread1 or pay his debts for him   
without money2 and a meaning which1 in  
the second place1 people themselves do  
not believe2 for religious professors in
 general now are just as keen about     
money as irreligious ones1 and even more
 so2 so that covetousness and cunning1  
ambition and greediness to rise in life1
 seem now-a-days to go hand in hand with
 a high religious profession2 and those 
who fancy themselves the children of    
light have become just as wise in their 
generation as the children of this world
 whom they despise4  ,no1 my friends1   
that is not the meaning of the text2 and
 when ,i ask you1 ,have you obeyed the  
text8 ,i do not ask you that question2  
but one which ,i believe is something   
far more spiritual and more deep1       
something at least which is far more    
heart-searching1 and likely to prick a  

man's conscience1 perhaps to make him   
angry with me who ask4  ,do you seek    
first ,god's kingdom1 or your own       
profit1 your own pleasure1 your own     
reputation8  ,do you believe that you   
are in ,god's kingdom1 that ,he is your 
,king1 and has called you to the station
 in which you are to do good and useful 
work for ,him upon this earth of ,his8  
,whatever be your calling1 whether you  
be servant1 labourer1 farmer1 tradesman1
 gentleman1 maid1 wife1 or widow1       
father1 son1 or husband1 do you ask     
yourself every day1 ',now what are the  
laws of ,god's kingdom about this       
station of mine8 what is my duty here8  
how can ,i obey ,god1 and ,his laws     
here1 and do what ,he requires of me1   
and so be a good servant1 a good        
labourer1 a good tradesman1 a good      
master1 a good parish officer1 a good   
wife1 a good parent1 pleasing to ,god1  
useful to my neighbours and to my       
countrymen8'  ,or do you say to         
yourselves1 ',how can ,i get the        

greatest quantity of money and pleasure 
out of my station1 with the least       
trouble to myself8'  ,my dearest        
friends1 ask yourselves1 each of you1 in
 which of these two ways do you look at 
your own station in life8  ,and do you  
seek first ,god's righteousness8  ,there
 can be no mistake as to what ,god's    
righteousness is2 for ,god's            
righteousness must be ,christ's         
righteousness1 seeing that ,he is the   
express image of ,his ,father4  ,now do 
you ask yourselves1 ',how am ,i to be   
righteous in my station1 as ,christ was 
in ,his8 how can ,i do my ,heavenly     
,father's will1 as ,christ did8 how can 
,i behave like ,christ in my station8   
how would the ,lord ,jesus ,christ have 
behaved1 if ,he had been in my place1   
when ,he was on earth8'  ,my friends1   
that is the question1 the searching     
question1 the question which must       
convince us all of sin1 and show us so  
many faults of our own to complain of1  
that we shall find no time to throw     

stones at our neighbours4  ,how would   
the ,lord ,jesus ,christ have behaved1  
if ,he had been in my place when ,he was
 upon earth8  ,my dear friends1 till we 
can all of us answer that question      
somewhat better than we can now1 we have
 no need to look as far as ,russia1 or  
as our forefathers' mistakes1 or our    
rulers' mistakes1 to find out why this  
trouble and that trouble come upon us3  
for we shall find the reason in our own 
selfish1 greedy1 self-willed hearts4    
,oh1 my friends1 let us each search our 
own lives1 and repent1 and amend1 and   
resolve to do our duty1 as sons of ,god1
 in the station to which ,god has called
 us1 by the help of the ,spirit of ,god1
 which ,he has promised freely to those 
who ask ,him4  ,and now1 this day1 as we
 thank ,god for this great victory1 let 
us thank ,him1 not with our lips merely1
 but with our lives1 by living such     
lives as ,he loves to see1 such lives as
 ,he meant us to live1 lives of loyalty 
to ,god1 and of usefulness to our       

brethren1 and of industry and prudence  
in our calling1 and so help forward1    
each of us1 however humble our station1 
the glory of ,god2 because we shall each
 of us1 in the cottage and in the field1
 in the shop and in the mansion1 in this
 our little parish1 and therefore in the
 great nation of which it is a part1    
help forward the fulfilment of those    
blessed words1 ,our ,father which art in
 heaven2 ,thy kingdom come2 ,thy will be
 done on earth as it is in heaven2 and  
therefore1 also1 the fulfilment of the  
words which come after them1 and not    
before them2 ,give us this day our daily
 bread4    ,,sermon ,,xiv4  ,,england',s
 ,,strength    #b ,kings xix4 #cd4  ,i  
will defend this city1 to save it for   
mine own sake4  ,the first lesson for   
this morning's service is of the        
grandest in the whole ,old ,testament2  
grander perhaps than all1 except the    
story of the passage of the ,red ,sea1  
and the giving of the ,law on ,sinai4   
,it follows out the story which you     

heard in the first lesson for last      
,sunday afternoon1 of the invasion of   
,judea by the ,assyrians4 ,you heard    
then how this great ,assyrian conqueror1
 ,sennacherib1 after taking all the     
fortified towns of ,judah1 and sweeping 
the whole country with fire and sword1  
sent three of his generals up to the    
very walls of ,jerusalem1 commanding    
,king ,hezekiah to surrender at         
discretion1 and throw himself and his   
people on ,sennacherib's mercy2 how     
proudly and boastfully he taunted the   
,jews with their weakness2 how1 like the
 ,russian emperor now1 he called in     
religion as the excuse for his conquests
 and robberies1 saying1 as if ,god's    
blessings were on them1 ',am ,i now come
 up without the ,lord against this place
 to destroy it8  ,the ,lord said to me1 
,go up against this place to destroy    
it2' while all the time what he really  
trusted in 7as his own words showed7 was
 what the ,russian emperors trust in1   
their own strength and the number of    

their armies4  ,jerusalem was thus in   
utter need and danger2 the vast army of 
the ,assyrians was encamped at ,lachish1
 not more than ten miles off2 and       
however strong the walls of ,jerusalem  
might be1 and however advantageously it 
might stand on its high hill1 with lofty
 rocks and cliffs on three sides of it1 
yet ,hezekiah knew well that no strength
 of his could stand more than a few days
 against ,sennacherib's army4 ,for these
 ,assyrians had brought the art of war  
to a greater perfection than any nation 
of the old world3  they lived for war1  
and studied1 it seems1 only how to      
conquer4  ,and they have left behind    
them very remarkable proofs of what sort
 of men they were1 of which ,i think it 
right to tell you all2 for they are most
 instructive1 not merely because they   
prove the truth of ,isaiah's account1   
but because they explain it1 and help us
 in many ways to understand his         
prophecies4  ,they are a number of      
sculptures and paintings1 representing  

,sennacherib1 his army1 and his         
different conquests1 which were painted 
by his command1 in his palace2 and      
having been lately discovered there1    
among the ruins of ,nineveh1 have been  
brought to ,england1 and are now in the 
,british ,museum1 while copies of many  
of them are in the ,crystal ,palace4    
,there we see these terrible ,assyrian  
conquerors defeating their enemies1     
torturing and slaughtering their        
prisoners1 swimming rivers1 beating down
 castles1 sweeping on from land to land 
like a devouring fire1 while over their 
heads fly fierce spirits who protect and
 prosper their cruelties1 and eagles who
 trail in their claws the entrails of   
the slain4  ,the very expression of     
their faces is frightful for its        
fierceness2 the countenances of a       
'bitter and hasty nation1' as the       
,prophet calls them1 whose feet were    
swift to shed blood4  ,and as for the   
art of war1 and their power of taking   
walled towns like ,jerusalem1 you may   

see them in these pictures battering    
down and undermining forts and castles1 
with instruments so well made and       
powerful1 that all other nations who    
came after them1 for more than two      
thousand years1 seem to have been       
content to copy from them1 and hardly to
 have improved on the old ,assyrian     
engines4  ,such1 and so terrible1 they  
came up against ,jerusalem3  to attempt 
to fight them would have been useless   
madness2 and ,hezekiah had but one means
 of escaping from them1 and that was to 
cast himself and his people upon the    
boundless mercy1 and faithfulness1 and  
power of ,god4  ,and ,hezekiah had his  
answer by ,isaiah the prophet3  and more
 than an answer4  ,the ,lord took the   
matter into ,his own hand1 and showed   
,sennacherib which was the stronger1 his
 soldiers and horses and engines1 or the
 ,lord ,god2 and so that terrible       
,assyrian army came utterly to nought1  
and vanished off the face of the earth4 
,now1 my friends1 has this noble history

 no lesson in it for us8  ,god forbid6  
,it has a lesson which ought to come    
nearer to our hearts than to the hearts 
of any nation3  for though we or our    
forefathers have never been1 for nearly 
three hundred years1 in such utter need 
and danger as ,jerusalem was1 yet be    
sure that we might have been so1 again  
and again1 had it not been for the mercy
 of the same ,god who delivered         
,jerusalem from the ,assyrians4  ,it is 
now three hundred years ago that the    
,lord delivered this country from as    
terrible an invader as ,sennacherib     
himself2 when ,he three times scattered 
by storms the fleets of the ,king of    
,spain1 which were coming to lay waste  
this land with fire and sword3  and     
since then no foreign foe has set foot  
on ,english soil1 and we almost alone1  
of all the nations of ,europe1 have been
 preserved from those horrors of war1   
even to speak of which is dreadful6     
,oh1 my friends6 we know not half ,god's
 goodness to us6  ,and if you ask me1   

why ,god has so blest and favoured this 
land1 ,i can only answer--and ,i am not 
ashamed or afraid to answer--,i believe 
it is on account of the ,church of      
,england2 it is because ,god has put    
,his name here in a peculiar way1 as ,he
 did among the ,jews of old1 and that   
,he is jealous for ,his ,church1 and for
 the special knowledge of ,his ,gospel  
and ,his ,law1 which ,he has given us in
 our ,prayer-book and in our ,church    
,catechism1 lighting therein a candle in
 ,england which ,i believe will never be
 put out4  ,it is not merely that we are
 a ,protestant country1--great blessing 
as that is1--it is1 ,i believe1 that    
there is something in the ,church of    
,england which there is not in          
,protestant countries abroad1 unless    
perhaps ,sweden3  for every one of them 
7except ,sweden and ourselves7 has      
suffered1 from time to time1 invading   
armies1 and the unspeakable horrors of  
war4  ,in some of them the light of the 
,gospel has been quenched utterly1 and  

in others it lingers like a candle      
flickering down into the socket4  ,by   
horrible persecutions1 and murder1 and  
war1 and pillage1 have those nations    
been tormented from time to time2 and   
who are we1 that we should escape8      
,certainly from no righteousness of our 
own4  ,some may say1 ,it is our great   
wealth which has made us strong4  ,my   
friends1 believe it not4  ,look at      
,spain1 which was once the richest of   
all nations2 and did her riches preserve
 her8  ,has she not dwindled down into  
the most miserable and helpless of all  
nations8 ,has not her very wealth       
vanished from her1 because she sold     
herself to work all unrighteousness with
 greediness8  ,some may say1 ,it is our 
freedom which makes us strong4  ,my     
friends1 believe it not4  ,freedom is a 
vast blessing from ,god1 but freedom    
alone will preserve no nation4  ,how    
many free nations have fallen into every
 sort of misery1 ay1 into bitter        
slavery1 in spite of all their freedom4 

,how many free nations in ,europe lie   
now in bondage1 gnawing their tongues   
for pain1 and weary with waiting for the
 deliverance which does not come8  ,no1 
my friends1 freedom is of little use    
without something else--and that is     
loyalty2 reverence for law and obedience
 to the powers that be1 because men     
believe those powers to be ordained of  
,god2 because men believe that ,christ  
is their ,king1 and they ,his ministers 
and stewards1 and that ,he it is who    
appoints all orders and degrees of men  
in ,his ,holy ,church4 ,true freedom can
 only live with true loyalty and        
obedience1 such as our ,prayer-book1 our
 ,catechism1 our ,church of ,england    
preaches to us4  ,it is a ,church meant 
for free men1 who stand each face to    
face with their ,heavenly ,father3  but 
it is a ,church meant also for loyal    
men1 who look on the law as the         
ordinance of ,god1 and on their rulers  
as the ministers of ,god2 and if our    
freedom has had anything to do 7as no   

doubt it has7 with our prosperity1 ,i   
believe that we owe the greater part of 
our freedom to the teaching and the     
general tone of mind which our          
,prayer-book has given to us and to our 
forefathers for now three hundred years4
  ,not that we have listened to that    
teaching1 or acted up to it3  ,god      
knows1 we have been but too like the    
,jews in ,isaiah's time1 who had the    
,law of ,god1 and yet did every man what
 was right in his own eyes2 we1 like    
them1 have been hypocritical2 we1 like  
them1 have neglected the poor1 and the  
widow1 and the orphan2 we1 like them1   
have been too apt to pay tithe of mint  
and anise1 and neglect the weightier    
matters of the law1 justice1 mercy1 and 
judgment4  ,when we read that awful     
first chapter of ,isaiah1 we may well   
tremble2 for all the charges which he   
brings against the ,jews of his time    
would just as well apply to us2 but yet 
we can trust in the ,lord1 as ,isaiah   
did1 and believe that ,he will be       

jealous for ,his land1 and for ,his     
name's sake1 and not suffer the nations 
to say of us1 ',where is now their      
,god8'  ,we can trust ,him1 that if ,he 
turn ,his hand on us1 as ,he did on the 
,jews of old1 and bring us into danger  
and trouble1 yet it will be in love and 
mercy1 that ,he may purge away our      
dross1 and take away all our alloy1 and 
restore our rulers as at the first1 and 
our counsellors as at the beginning1    
that we may be called1 ',the city of    
righteousness1 the faithful city4'      
,true1 we must not fancy that we have   
any righteousness of our own1 that we   
merit ,god's favour above other people2 
our consciences ought to tell us that   
cannot be2 our ,bibles tell us that is  
an empty boast4  ,did we not hear this  
morning1 ',bring forth fruits meet for  
repentance3 and think not to say within 
yourselves1 ,we have ,abraham to our    
father2 for ,god is able of these stones
 to raise up children to ,abraham4'     
,but we may comfort ourselves with the  

thought that there is ,one standing     
among us 7though we see ,him not7 who   
will1 ay1 and does1 'baptize us with the
 ,holy ,ghost and with fire1 whose fan  
is in ,his hand1 and ,he will thoroughly
 purge ,his floor1 and gather the wheat 
into ,his garner1' for the use of our   
children after us1 and the generations  
yet unborn1 while the chaff1 all among  
us which is empty1 and light1 and       
rotten1 and useless1 ,he will burn up   
7thanks be to ,his holy name7 with fire 
unquenchable1 which neither the         
falsehood and folly of man1 nor the     
malice of the ,devil1 can put out1 but  
which will purge this land of all its   
sins4  ,this is our hope1 and this is   
the cause of our thankfulness4  ,for who
 but we should be thankful this day that
 we are ,englishmen1 members of         
,christ's ,church of ,england1          
inhabitants of1 perhaps1 the only       
country in ,europe which is not now     
perplexed with fear of change1 while    
men's hearts fail them for dread1 and   

looking for those things which are      
coming on the earth8 a country which has
 never seen1 as all the countries round 
have seen1 a foreign army trampling down
 their crops1 burning their farms1      
cutting down their trees1 plundering    
their towns1 destroying in a day the    
labour of years1 while women are        
dishonoured1 men tortured to make them  
give up their money1 the able-bodied    
driven from their homes1 ruined and     
wanderers1 and the sick and aged left to
 perish of famine and neglect4  ,my     
friends1 all these things were going on 
but last year upon the ,danube4  ,they  
are going on now in ,asia3  even with   
all the mercy and moderation of our     
soldiers and sailors1 we have not been  
able to avoid inflicting some of these  
very miseries upon our own enemies2 and 
yet here we are1 going about our        
business in peace and safety in a land  
in which we and our forefathers have    
found1 now for many a year1 that just   
laws make a quiet and prosperous people2

 that the effect of righteousness is    
peace1 and the fruit of righteousness1  
quietness and assurance for ever2--a    
land in which the good are not          
terrified1 the industrious hampered1 and
 the greedy and lawless made eager and  
restless by expectation of change in    
government2 but every man can boldly and
 hopefully work in his calling1 and     
'whatsoever his hand finds to do1 do it 
with all his might1' in fair hope that  
the money which he earns in his manhood 
he will be able to enjoy quietly in his 
old age1 and hand it down safely to his 
children1 and his children's            
children2--a land which for hundreds of 
years has not felt the unspeakable      
horrors of war2 a land which even now is
 safely and peacefully gathering in its 
harvest1 while so many countries lie    
wasted with fire and sword4 ,oh1 my     
friends1 who made us to differ from     
others1 or what have we that we did not 
receive8  ,not to ourselves do we owe   
our blessings2 hardly even to our wise  

forefathers3  but to ,god ,himself1 and 
the ,spirit of ,god which was with them1
 and is with us still1 in spite of all  
our shortcomings4  ,we owe it to our    
wise ,constitution1 to our wise ,church1
 the principle of which is that ,god is 
,judge and ,christ is ,king1 in peace as
 well as in war1 in times of quiet as   
well as in times of change2 ,i say1 to  
our wise ,constitution and to our wise  
,church1 which teach us that all power  
is of ,god2 that all men who have power1
 great or small1 are ,his stewards2 that
 all orders and degrees of men in ,his  
,holy ,church1 from the queen on the    
throne to the labourer in the           
harvest-field1 are called by ,god to    
their ministry and vocation1 and are    
responsible to ,god for their conduct   
therein4  ,how then shall we show forth 
our thankfulness1 not only in our lips1 
but in our lives8  ,how1 but by         
believing that very principle1 that very
 truth which ,he has taught us1 and by  
which ,england stands1 that we are      

,god's people1 and ,god's servants8  ,he
 has indeed showed us what is good1 and 
our fathers before us2 and what does the
 ,lord require of us in return1 but to  
do the good which ,he has showed us1 to 
do justly1 to love mercy1 and to walk   
humbly with our ,god8  ,oh1 my friends1 
come frankly and joyfully to the ,lord's
 ,table this day4  ,confess your sins   
and shortcomings to ,him1 and entreat   
,him to enable you to live more worthily
 of your many blessings4  ,offer to ,him
 the sacrifice of your praise and       
thankfulness1 imperfect though it is1   
and join with angels and archangels in  
blessing ,him for what ,he is1 and what 
,he has been to you3  and then receive  
your share of ,his most perfect         
sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving1   
the bread and the wine which tell you   
that you are members of ,his ,church2   
that ,his body gives you whatsoever life
 and strength your souls have2 that ,his
 blood washes out all your sins and     
shortcomings2 that ,his ,spirit shall be

 renewed in you day by day1 to teach you
 to do the good work which ,he has      
prepared already for you1 and to walk in
 the old paths which have led our       
forefathers1 and will lead us too1 ,i   
trust1 safe through the chances and     
changes of this mortal life1 and the    
fall of mighty kingdoms1 towards that   
perfect ,city of ,god which is eternal  
in the heavens4    ,,sermon ,,xv4  ,,the
 ,,life ,,of ,,god    ,ephesians iv4    
#ag1 #ah4  ,that ye walk not as other   
,gentiles walk1 in the vanity of their  
mind1 being alienated from the life of  
,god through the ignorance that is in   
them1 because of the blindness of their 
heart4  ,you heard these words read in  
the ,epistle for to-day4  ,i cannot     
expect that you all understood them4    
,it is no shame to you that you did not4
  ,some of them are long and hard ,latin
 words4  ,some of them1 though they are 
plain ,english enough1 are hard to      
understand because they have to do with 
deep matters1 which can only be         

understood by the help of ,god's        
,spirit4  ,and even with the help of    
,god's ,spirit we cannot any of us      
expect to understand all which they     
mean3  we cannot expect to be as wise as
 ,st4 ,paul2 for we must be as good as  
,st4 ,paul before we can be as wise     
about goodness as he was4  ,i do not    
pretend to understand all the text      
myself3  no1 not half1 nor a tenth part 
of what it very likely means4  ,but ,i  
do seem to myself to understand a little
 about it1 by the help and blessing of  
,god2 and what little of it ,i do       
understand1 ,i will try to make you     
understand also4  ,for the words in the 
text belong to you as much as to me1 or 
to ,st4 ,paul himself4  ,what is true   
for one man1 is true for every man4     
,what is right for one man1 is right for
 every man4  ,what ,god promises for one
 man1 ,he promises to every man4  ,man  
or woman1 black or white1 rich or poor1 
scholar or unlearned1 there is no       
respect of persons with ,him4  ',in     

,christ ,jesus1' says ,st4 ,paul1 'there
 is neither male nor female1 slave nor  
freeman1 ,jew who fancies that ,god's   
promises belong to him alone1 or        
,gentile who knows nothing about them1  
clever learned ,greek1 or stupid        
ignorant ,barbarian4'  ,it is enough for
 ,god that we are all men and women     
bearing the flesh1 and blood1 and human 
nature which ,his ,son ,jesus ,christ   
wore on earth4  ,if we are baptized1 we 
belong to ,him3  if we are not baptized1
 we ought to be2 for we belong to ,him  
just as much4  ,every man may be        
baptized2 every man may be regenerate2  
,god calls all to ,his grace and        
adoption and holy baptism1 which is the 
sign and seal of ,his adoption2 and     
therefore1 what is right for the        
regenerate baptized man1 is right for   
the unregenerate unbaptized man2 for the
 ,christian and for the heathen there is
 but one way1 one duty1 one life for    
both1 and that is the life of ,god1 of  
which ,st4 ,paul speaks in the text4    

,now of this life of ,god ,i will speak 
hereafter2 but ,i mention it now1       
because it is the thing to which ,i wish
 to bring your thoughts before the end  
of the sermon4  ,but first1 let us see  
what ,st4 ,paul means1 when he talks    
about the ,gentiles in his day4  ,for   
that also has to do with us4  ,i said   
that every man1 ,christian or heathen1  
has the same duty1 and is bound to do   
the same right2 every man1 ,christian or
 heathen1 if he sins1 breaks his duty in
 the same way1 and does the same wrong4 
,there is but one righteousness1 the    
life of ,god2 there is but one sin1 and 
that is being alienated from the life of
 ,god4  ,one man may commit different   
sorts of sins from another2 one may lie1
 another may steal3  one may be proud1  
another may be covetous3  but all these 
different sins come from the same root  
of sin2 they are all flowers of the same
 plant4  ,and ,st4 ,paul tells us what  
that one root of sin1 what that same    
,devil's plant1 is1 which produces all  

sin in ,christian or ,heathen1 in       
,churchman or ,dissenter1 in man or     
woman-- the one disease1 from which has 
come all the sin which ever was done by 
man1 woman1 or child since the world was
 made4  ,now1 what is this one disease1 
to which every man1 you and ,i1 are all 
liable8  ,why it is that we are every   
one of us worse than we ought to be1    
worse than we know how to be1 and1      
strangest of all1 worse than we wish and
 like to be4  ,just as far as we are    
like the heathen of old1 we shall be    
worse than we know how to be4  ,for we  
are all ready enough to turn heathens   
again1 at any moment1 my friends2 and   
the best ,christian in this church knows
 best that what ,i say is true2 that he 
is beset by the very same temptations   
which ruined the old heathens1 and that 
if he gave way to them a moment they    
would ruin him likewise4  ,for what does
 ,st4 ,paul say was the matter with the 
old heathens8  ,first he says1 ',their  
understanding was darkened4'  ,but what 

part of it8  ,what was it that they had 
got dark about and could not understand8
  ,for in some matters they were as     
clever as we1 and cleverer4  ,what part 
of their understanding was it which was 
darkened8  ,st4 ,paul tells us in the   
first chapter of the ,epistle to the    
,romans4  ,it was their hearts--their   
reason1 as we should say4 ,it was about 
,god1 and the life of ,god1 that they   
were dark4  ,they had not been always   
dark about ,god1 but they were darkened2
 they grew more and more dark about     
,him1 generation after generation2 they 
gave themselves up more and more to     
their corrupt and fallen nature1 and so 
the children grew worse than their      
fathers1 and their children again worse 
than them1 till they had lost all notion
 of what ,god was like4  ,for from the  
very first all heathens have had some   
notion of what ,god is like1 and have   
had a notion also1 which none but ,god  
could have given them1 that men ought to
 be like ,god4 ,god taught1 or if ,i may

 so speak1 tried to teach1 the heathen1 
from the very first4  ,if ,god had not  
taught them1 they would not have been to
 blame for knowing nothing of ,god4     
,for as ,job says1 ',can man by         
searching find out ,god8'  ,surely not2 
,god must teach us about ,himself4      
,never forget that man cannot find ,god2
 ,god must show ,himself to man of ,his 
own free grace and will4  ,god must     
reveal and unveil ,himself to us1 or we 
shall never even fancy that there is a  
,god4  ,and ,god did so to the heathen4 
,even before the ,flood1 ,god's ,spirit 
strove with man2 and after the ,flood we
 read how the ,lord1 ,jesus ,christ the 
,son of ,god1 revealed ,himself in many 
different ways to heathens4  ,to        
,pharaoh1 king of ,egypt1 in ,abraham's 
times2 and again to ,abimelech1 king of 
,gerar2 and again to ,pharaoh and his   
servants1 in ,joseph's time2 and to     
,nebuchadnezzar1 king of ,babylon1 and  
to ,cyrus1 king of ,persia2 and no doubt
 to thousands more4 ,indeed1 no man1    

heathen or ,christian1 ever thought a   
single true thought1 or felt a single   
right feeling1 about ,god or man1 or    
man's duty to ,god and his neighbour1   
unless ,god revealed it to him 7whether 
or not ,he also revealed ,himself to the
 man and showed him who it was who was  
putting the right thought into his      
mind73  for every right thought and     
feeling about ,god1 and goodness1 and   
duty1 are the very voice of ,god        
,himself1 the word of ,god whereof ,st4 
,john speaks1 and ,moses and the        
prophets speak1 speaking to the heart of
 sinful man1 to enlighten and to teach  
him4  ,and therefore1 ,st4 ,paul says1  
the sinful heathen were without excuse1 
because1 he says1 'that which may be    
known of ,god is manifest1 that is      
plain1 among them1 for ,god hath showed 
it to them4  ,for the invisible things  
of ,him from the creation of the world  
are clearly seen1 being understood by   
the things which are made1 even ,his    
eternal power and ,godhead2 so that they

 are without excuse4'  ',but these      
heathens1' he says1 'did not like to    
retain ,god in their knowledge2 and when
 they knew ,god1 did not glorify ,him as
 ,god1 and changed the glory of the     
,incorruptible ,god into the likeness of
 corruptible man1 and beasts and        
creeping things4'  ,and so they were    
alienated from the life of ,god2 that   
is1 they became strangers to ,god's     
life2 they forgot what ,god's life and  
character was like3  or if they even did
 awake a moment1 and recollect dimly    
what ,god was like1 they hated that     
thought4  ,they hated to think that ,god
 was what ,he was1 and shut their eyes1 
and stopped their ears as fast as       
possible4  ,and what happened to them in
 the meantime8  ,what was the fruit of  
their wilfully forgetting what ,god's   
life was8  ,st4 ,paul tells us that they
 fell into the most horrible sins--sins 
too dreadful and shameful to be spoken  
of2 and that their common life1 even    
when they did not run into such fearful 

evils1 was profligate1 fierce1 and      
miserable4  ,and yet ,st4 ,paul tells us
 all the while they knew the judgment of
 ,god1 that those who do such things are
 worthy of death4  ,now we know that    
,st4 ,paul speaks truth1 from the       
writings of heathens2 for ,god raised up
 from time to time1 even among the      
heathen ,greeks and ,romans1 witnesses  
for ,himself1 to testify of ,him and of 
,his life1 and to testify against the   
sins of the world1 such men as ,socrates
 and ,plato among the ,greeks1 whose    
writings ,st4 ,paul knew thoroughly1 and
 whom1 ,i have no doubt1 he had in his  
mind when he wrote his first chapter of 
,romans1 and told the heathen that they 
were without excuse4  ,and among the    
,romans1 also1 ,he raised up1 in the    
same way1 witnesses for ,himself1 such  
as ,juvenal and ,persius1 and others1   
whom scholars know well4  ,and to these 
men1 heathens though they were1 ,god    
certainly did teach a great deal about  
,himself1 and gave them courage to      

rebuke the sins of kings and rich men1  
even at the danger of their lives2 and  
to some of them he gave courage even to 
suffer martyrdom for the message which  
,god had given them1 and which their    
neighbours hated to hear4  ,and this was
 the message which ,god sent by them to 
the heathen3  that ,god was good and    
righteous1 and that therefore ,his      
everlasting wrath must be awaiting      
sinners4  ,they rebuked their heathen   
neighbours for those very same horrible 
crimes which ,st4 ,paul mentions2 and   
then they said1 as ,st4 ,paul does1     
',how you make your own sins worse by   
blasphemies against ,god6  ,you sin     
yourselves1 and then1 to excuse         
yourselves1 you invent fables and lies  
about ,god1 and pretend that ,god is as 
wicked as you are1 in order to drug your
 own consciences1 by making ,god the    
pattern of your own wickedness4'  ,these
 men saw that man ought to be like ,god2
 and they saw that ,god was righteous   
and good2 and they saw1 therefore1 that 

unrighteousness and sin must end in ruin
 and everlasting misery4  ,so much ,god 
had taught them1 but not much more2 but 
to ,st4 ,paul he had taught more4       
,those wise and righteous heathen could 
show their sinful neighbours that sin   
was death1 and that ,god was righteous4 
,but they could not tell them how to    
rise out of the death of sin1 into      
,god's life of righteousness4  ,they    
could preach the terrors of the ,law1   
but they did not know the good news of  
the ,gospel1 and therefore they did not 
succeed2 they did not convert their     
neighbours to ,god4  ,then came ,st4    
,paul and preached to the very same     
people1 and he did convert them to ,god2
 for he had good news for them1 of      
things which prophets and kings had     
desired to see1 and had not seen them1  
and to hear1 and had not heard them4    
,for ,god1 who at sundry times and in   
divers manners spoke to the fathers by  
the prophets1 at last spoke to all men  
by a ,son1 ,his only-begotten ,son1 the 

exact likeness of ,his ,father1 the     
brightness of ,his glory1 and the       
express image of ,his person4  ,he sent 
,him to be a man3  very man of the      
substance of ,his mother1 the ,blessed  
,virgin ,mary1 at the same time that ,he
 was ,very ,god1 of the substance of    
,his ,father1 begotten before all       
worlds4  ,and so ,god1 and the life of  
,god1 was manifested in the flesh and   
reasonable soul of a man2 and from that 
time there is no doubt what the life of 
,god is2 for the life of ,god is the    
life of ,jesus ,christ4 ,there is no    
doubt now what ,god is like1 for ,god is
 like ,jesus ,christ4  ,no one can now  
say1 ',i cannot see ,god1 how then can  
you expect me to be like ,god8' for ,he 
who has seen ,jesus ,christ1 as ,his    
character stands in the ,gospels1 has   
seen ,god the ,father4  ,no one can say 
now1 ',how can a man be like ,god1 and  
live a life like ,god's life8' for if   
any one of you say that1 ,i can answer  
him3  ',a man can be like ,god2 you can 

be like ,god2 for there was once a man  
on earth1 ,jesus1 the son of the        
,blessed ,virgin1 who was perfectly like
 ,god4' ,and if you answer1 ',but ,he   
was like ,god1 because ,he was ,god1' ,i
 can say1 ',and that is the very reason 
why you can be like ,god also4'  ,if    
,jesus ,christ had been only a man1 you 
could no more become like ,him than you 
can become clever because another man is
 clever1 or strong because another man  
is strong3  but because ,he was ,god    
,the ,son of ,god1 ,he can give you1 to 
make you like ,god1 the same ,holy      
,spirit which made ,him like ,god2 for  
that ,holy ,spirit proceeds from ,him1  
the ,son1 as well as from the ,father1  
and the ,father has committed all power 
to the ,son2 and therefore that same    
,man ,christ ,jesus has power to change 
your heart1 and renew it1 and shape it  
to be like ,him1 and like ,his ,father1 
by the power of ,his ,spirit1 that you  
may be like ,god as ,he was like ,god1  
and live the life of ,god which ,he     

lived2 so that the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1
 because ,he was a man like ,god1 showed
 that all men can become like ,god2 and 
because ,he was ,god1 ,very ,god of     
,very ,god1 ,he is able to make all who 
come to ,him men like ,himself1 men like
 ,god1 and raise them up body and soul  
to the everlasting life of ,god1 that   
,he may be the firstborn among many     
brethren4  ,now what is this everlasting
 life of ,god1 which the ,lord ,jesus   
,christ lived perfectly1 and which ,he  
can and will make every one of us live1 
in proportion as we give up our hearts  
and wills to ,him1 and ask ,him to take 
charge of us1 and shape us1 and teach   
us8  ,when we read that blessed story of
 ,him who was born in a stable1 and laid
 in a manger1 who went about doing good1
 because ,god was with ,him1 who        
condescended of ,his own freewill to be 
mocked1 and scourged1 and spit upon1 and
 crucified1 that ,he might take away the
 sins of the whole world1 who prayed for
 ,his murderers1 and blest those who    

cursed ,him--what sort of life does this
 life of ,god1 which ,he lived1 seem to 
us8  ,is it not a life of love1 joy1    
peace1 long-suffering1 gentleness1      
goodness1 patience1 meekness8  ,surely  
it is2 then that is the likeness of     
,god4  ,god is love4  ,and the ,lord    
,jesus' life was a life of love--utter1 
perfect1 untiring love4  ,he did ,his   
,father's will perfectly1 because ,he   
loved men perfectly1 and to the death4  
,he died for those who hated ,him1 and  
so ,he showed forth to man the name and 
glory of ,god2 for ,god is love4  ,the  
name of the ,father1 and of the ,son1   
and of the ,holy ,ghost is love2 for    
love is justice and righteousness1 as it
 is written1 ',love worketh no ill to   
his neighbour3  therefore love is the   
fulfilling of the law4'  ,and ,god is   
perfect love1 because ,he is perfect    
righteousness2 and perfect              
righteousness1 because ,he is perfect   
love2 for ,his love and ,his justice are
 not two different things1 two different

 parts of ,god1 as some say1 who fancy  
that ,god's justice had to be satisfied 
in one way1 and ,his love in another1   
and talk of ,god as if ,his justice     
fought against ,his love1 and desired   
the death of a sinner1 and then ,his    
love fought against ,his justice1 and   
desired to save a sinner4 ,no wonder    
that those who hold such doctrines go   
further still1 and talk as if ,god the  
,father desired to destroy mankind1 and 
would have done it if ,god the ,son had 
not interposed1 and suffered ,himself   
instead2 till they can fancy that they  
are ,christians1 and know ,god1 while   
they use the hideous words of a certain 
hymn1 which speaks of   ',the streaming 
drops of ,jesu's blood ,which calmed the
 ,father's frowning face4'   ,may ,god  
deliver and preserve us and our children
 from all such blasphemous fables1      
which1 like the fables of the old       
heathen1 change the glory of the        
,incorruptible ,god into the likeness of
 a corruptible man1 which deny the true 

faith1 that ,god has neither parts nor  
passions1 by talking of ,his love and   
,his justice as two different things2   
which confound ,his persons by saying   
that the ,son alone does what the       
,father and the ,holy ,spirit do also1  
while they divide ,his substance by     
making the will of the ,son different   
from the will of the ,father1 and deny  
that such as the ,father is1 such is the
 ,son1 and such is the ,holy ,ghost1 all
 three one perfect ,love1 and one       
perfect ,justice1 because they are all  
three one ,god1 and ,god is love1 and   
love is righteousness4  ,believe me1 my 
friends1 this is no mere question of    
words1 which only has to do with        
scholars in their libraries2 it is a    
question1 the question of life and death
 for you1 and me1 and every living soul 
in this church1--,do we know what the   
life of ,god is8 are we living it8 or   
are we alienated from it1 careless about
 it1 disliking it8  ,for1 as ,i said at 
the beginning of my sermon1 we are all  

ready enough to turn heathens again2 and
 if we grow to forget or dislike the    
life of ,god1 we shall be heathen at    
heart4  ,we may talk about ,him with our
 lips1 we may quarrel and curse each    
other about religious differences2 but  
let us make as great a profession as we 
may1 if we do not love the life of ,god 
we shall be heathen at heart1 and we    
shall1 sooner or later1 fall into sin4  
,the heathens fell into sin just in     
proportion as their hearts were turned  
away from the life of ,god1 and so shall
 we4  ,and how shall we know whether our
 hearts are turned away1 or whether they
 are right with ,god8  ,thus3 ,what are 
the fruits of ,god's ,spirit8 what sort 
of life does the ,spirit of ,god make   
man live8  ,for the ,spirit of ,god is  
,god1 and therefore the life of ,god is 
the life which ,god's ,spirit makes men 
live2 and what is that8 a life of love  
and righteousness4  ,the old heathens   
did not like such a life1 therefore they
 did not like to retain ,god in their   

knowledge4  ,they knew that man ought to
 be like ,god3  and ,st4 ,paul says1    
they ought to have known what ,god was  
like2 that ,he was ,love2 for ,st4 ,paul
 told them ,he left not ,himself without
 witness1 in that ,he sent them rain and
 fruitful seasons1 filling their hearts 
with food and gladness4  ,that was1 in  
,st4 ,paul's eyes1 ,god's plainest      
witness of ,himself--the sign that ,god 
was ,love1 making ,his sun shine on the 
just and on the unjust1 and good to the 
unthankful and the evil--in one word1   
perfect1 because ,he is perfect ,love4  
,but they preferred to be selfish1      
covetous1 envious1 revengeful1          
delighting to indulge themselves in     
filthy pleasures1 to oppress and defraud
 each other4  ,do you8  ,for you can1 ,i
 can1 every baptized man can take his   
choice between the selfish life of the  
heathens and the loving life of ,god3   
we may either keep to the old pattern of
 man1 which is corrupt according to the 
deceitful lusts2 or we may put on the   

new pattern of man1 which is after      
,god's likeness1 and founded upon       
righteousness and truthful holiness4    
,every baptized man may choose4  ,for he
 is not only bound to live the life of  
,god3  every man1 as the old heathen    
philosophers knew1 is bound to live it3 
but more4  ,the baptized man can live   
it3  that is the good news of his       
baptism4  ,you can live the life of     
,god1 for you know what the life of ,god
 is--it is the life of ,jesus ,christ4  
,you can live the life of ,god1 for the 
,spirit of ,god is with you1 to cleanse 
your soul and life1 day by day1 till    
they are like the soul and life of      
,christ4  ,then you will be1 as the     
apostle says1 'a partaker of a divine   
nature4'  ,then--and it is an awful     
thing to say--a thing past hope1 past   
belief1 but ,i must say it--for it is in
 the ,bible1 it is the word of the      
,blessed ,lord ,himself1 and of ,his    
beloved apostle1 ,st4 ,john3  ',if a man
 love ,me1 he will keep my commandments1

 and my ,father will love him1 and we   
will come to him and make our abode with
 him4'  ',and this is ,his commandment1'
 says ,st4 ,john1 ',that we should love 
one another4'  ',god is ,love1 and he   
who dwelleth in ,love dwelleth in ,god1 
and ,god in him4'  ,god is ,love4  ,as  
,i told you just now1 the heathens of   
old might have known that1 if they had  
chosen to open their eyes and see4  ,but
 they would not see4  ,they were dark1  
cruel1 and unloving1 and therefore they 
fancied that ,god was dark1 cruel1 and  
unloving also4  ,they did not love      
,love1 and therefore they did not love  
,god1 for ,god is ,love4 ,and therefore 
they did not love loving3  they did not 
enjoy loving2 and so they lost the      
,spirit of ,god1 which is the ,spirit of
 ,love4 ,and therefore they did not love
 each other1 but lived in hatred and    
suspicion1 and selfishness1 and         
darkness4  ,they were but heathen4 ,but 
if even they ought to have known that   
,god was ,love1 how much more we8  ,for 

we know of a deed of ,god's love1 such  
as those poor heathen never dreamed of4 
,god so loved the world1 that ,he gave  
,his only-begotten ,son to die for it4  
,then ,god showed what ,his eternal life
 was--a life of love3  then ,god showed 
what our eternal life is-- to know ,him 
who is ,love1 and ,jesus ,christ1 whom  
,he sent to show forth ,his love3  then 
,god showed that it is the duty and in  
the power of every man to live the life 
of ,god1 the life of ,love2 for ,he sent
 forth into the world ,his ,spirit1 the 
,spirit of ,love1 to fill with love the 
heart of every man and woman who sees   
that ,love is the image of ,god1 and    
longs to be loving1 and therefore longs 
to be like ,god2 as it is written1      
',blessed are those who hunger and      
thirst after righteousness1 for they    
shall be filled3' for righteousness is  
keeping ,christ's commandment1 and      
,christ's commandment is1 that we love  
one another4  ,and to those who long to 
do that1 ,god's ,spirit will come to    

fill them with love2 and where the      
,spirit of ,god is1 there is also the   
,father1 and there is also the ,son2 for
 ,god's substance cannot be divided1 as 
the ,athanasian creed tells us 7and     
blessed and cheering words they are72   
and he who hath the ,holy ,spirit of    
,love with him hath both the ,father and
 the ,son2 as it is written3  ',if a man
 love ,me1 my ,father will love him1 and
 we will come unto him1 and make our    
abode with him4'  ,and then1 if we have 
,god abiding with us1 and filling us    
with ,his ,eternal ,life1 what more do  
we need for life1 or death1 or eternity1
 or eternities of eternities8  ,for we  
shall live in and with and by ,god1 who 
can never die or change1 an everlasting 
life of love1 whereof ,st4 ,paul says1  
that though prophecies shall fail1 and  
tongues shall cease1 and knowledge shall
 vanish away1 because all that we know  
now is but in part1 and all that we see 
now is through a glass darkly1 yet ,love
 shall never fail1 but abide for ever   

and ever4    ,,sermon ,,xvi4  ,,god',s  
,,offspring    ,galatians iv4 #g4       
,wherefore thou art no more a servant1  
but a son2 and if a son1 then an heir of
 ,god through ,christ4  ,i say1 writes  
,st4 ,paul1 in the epistle which you    
heard read just now1 'that the heir1 as 
long as he is a child1 differs nothing  
from a servant1 though he be lord of    
all2 but is under tutors and governors1 
until the time appointed by his father4 
,even so1' he says1 we1 'when we were   
children1 were in bondage under the     
elements of the world3  but when the    
fulness of time was come1 ,god sent     
forth ,his ,son made of a woman1 made   
under a law1 to redeem them that were   
under a law1 that we might receive the  
adoption of sons4'  ,when we were       
children4  ,he is not speaking of the   
,jews only2 for these ,galatians to whom
 he was writing were not ,jews at all1  
any more than we are4  ,he was speaking 
to men simply as men4  ,he was speaking 
to the ,galatians as we have a right to 

speak to all men4  ,nor does he mean    
merely when we were children in age4    
,the ,greek word which he uses1 means   
infants1 people not come to years of    
discretion4  ,indeed1 the word which he 
uses means very often a simpleton1 an   
ignorant or foolish person2 one who does
 not know who and what he is1 what is   
his duty1 or how to do it4  ,now this1  
he says1 was the state of men before    
,christ came2 this is the state of all  
men by nature still2 the state of all   
poor heathens1 whether in ,england or in
 foreign countries4  ,they are          
children--that is1 ignorant and unable  
to take care of themselves2 because they
 do not know what they are4  ,st4 ,paul 
tells us what they are4  ,that they are 
all ,god's offspring1 though they know  
it not4  ,he likens them to young       
children1 who1 though they are their    
father's heirs1 have no more liberty    
than slaves have2 but are kept under    
tutors and masters1 till they have      
arrived at years of discretion1 and are 

fit to take their places as their       
father's sons1 and to go out into the   
world1 and have the management of their 
own affairs1 and a share in their       
father's property1 which they may use   
for themselves1 instead of being merely 
fed and clothed by1 and kept in         
subjection to him1 whether they will or 
not4  ,this is what he means by         
receiving the adoption of sons4  ,he    
does not mean that we are not ,god's    
children till we find out that we are   
,god's children4  ,that is what some    
people say2 but that is the very exact  
contrary to what ,st4 ,paul used to say4
  ,he told the heathen ,athenians that  
they were ,god's children4  ,he put them
 in mind that one of their own heathen  
poets had told them so1 and had said1   
',we are also ,god's offspring4'  ,and  
so in this chapter he says1 ,you were   
,god's children all along1 though you   
did not know it4  ,you were ,god's heirs
 all along1 although you differed       
nothing from slaves2 for as long as you 

were in your heathen ignorance and      
foolishness1 ,god had to treat you as   
,his slaves1 not as ,his children2 and  
so you were in bondage under the        
elements of the world1 till the fulness 
of time was come4  ,and1 then1 ,god sent
 ,his ,son1 born of a woman1 born under 
a law1 to redeem those who were under a 
law--that is1 all mankind4  ,the ,jews  
were keeping1 or pretending to keep1    
,moses' law1 and trying to please ,god  
by that4  ,the heathens were keeping all
 manner of old superstitious laws and   
customs about religion which their      
forefathers had handed down to them4    
,but heathens1 and indeed ,jews too1 at 
that time1 all agreed in one thing4     
,these laws and customs of theirs about 
religion all went upon the notion of    
their being ,god's slaves1 and not his  
children4  ,they thought that ,god did  
not love them2 that they must buy ,his  
favours4  ,they thought religion meant a
 plan for making ,god love them4  ,then 
appeared the love of ,god in ,jesus     

,christ4  ,as at this very ,christmas   
time1 the ,son of ,god1 ,jesus ,christ  
the ,lord1 in whose likeness man was    
made at the beginning1 was born into the
 world1 to redeem us and all mankind4   
,he told them of their ,heavenly        
,father2 ,he preached to them the good  
news of the kingdom of ,god2 that ,god  
had not forgotten them1 did not hate    
them1 would freely forgive them all that
 was past2 and why8  ,because ,he was   
their ,father1 and loved them1 and loved
 them so that ,he spared not ,his only  
begotten ,son1 but freely gave ,him for 
them4  ,and now ,god looks at us human  
beings1 not as we are in ourselves1     
sinful and corrupt1 but he looks at us  
in the light of ,jesus ,christ1 who has 
taken our nature upon ,him1 and redeemed
 it1 and raised it up again1 so that    
,god can look on it now without disgust1
 and henceforth no one need be ashamed  
of being a man2 for to be a man is to be
 in the likeness of ,god4  ,man was     
created in the image and likeness of    

,god1 and who is the image and likeness 
of ,god but ,jesus ,christ8  ,therefore 
man was created at first in ,jesus      
,christ1 and now1 as ,st4 ,paul says1 he
 is created anew in ,jesus ,christ2 and 
now to be a man is to partake of the    
same flesh and blood which the ,lord    
,jesus ,christ wore for us1 when ,he was
 made very man of the substance of his  
mother1 and that without spot of sin1 to
 show that man need not be sinful1 that 
man was meant by ,god to be holy and    
pure from sin1 and that by the ,holy    
,spirit of ,jesus ,christ we1 every one 
of us1 can become pure from sin4  ,this 
is the blessedness of ,christmas-day4   
,that one man1 at least1 has been born  
into the world spotless and free from   
sin1 that ,he might be the firstborn of 
many brethren4  ,this is the good news  
of ,christmas-day4 ,that now1 in        
,christ's light1 and for ,christ's sake1
 our ,father looks on us as ,his sons1  
and not ,his slaves4  ,therefore is     
every child who comes into the world    

baptized freely into the name of ,god4  
,baptism is a sign and warrant that ,god
 loves that child2 that ,god looks on it
 as ,his child1 not for itself or its   
own sake1 but because it belongs to     
,jesus ,christ1 who1 by becoming a man1 
redeemed all mankind1 and made them ,his
 property and ,his brothers4  ,therefore
 every child1 when it is brought to be  
baptized1 promises1 by its godfathers   
and godmothers1 repentance and faith1   
when it comes to years of understanding4
  ,it is not ,god's slave1 as the beasts
 are4  ,it is ,god's child4  ,but ,god  
does not wish it to remain merely ,his  
child1 under tutors and governors1      
forced to do what is right outwardly1   
and whether it likes or not4  ,god      
wishes each of us to become ,his son1   
,his grown-up and reasonable son4  ,to  
know who we are2--to work in ,his       
kingdom for ,him2--to guide and manage  
our own wills1 and hearts1 and lives in 
obedience to ,him2--to claim and take   
our share as men of ,god of the         

inheritance which ,he has given us4     
,and that we can only do by faith in    
,jesus ,christ4  ,we must trust in ,him1
 our ,lord1 our ,king1 our ,saviour1 our
 ,pattern4  ,we must confess that we are
 nothing in ourselves1 that we owe all  
to ,him4  ,we must follow in his        
footsteps1 giving up our wills to ,god's
 will1 doing not our own works1 but the 
good works which ,god has prepared for  
us to walk in2 and then we shall be     
truly confirmed2 not mere children of   
,god1 under tutors1 governors1          
schoolmasters and lawgivers1 but free1  
reasonable1 willing1 hearty ,christians1
 perfect men of ,god1 the sons of ,god  
without rebuke4  ,oh1 my friends1 will  
you claim your share in the ,spirit of  
,god1 whom the ,lord bought for us with 
,his precious blood1 that ,spirit who   
was given you at your baptism1 which may
 be daily renewed in you1 if you pray   
for it2 who will strengthen and lift you
 up to lead lives worthy of your high   
calling8  ,or will you1 like ,esau of   

old1 despise your birthright1 and       
neglect to pray that ,god's ,spirit may 
be renewed in you1 and so lose more and 
more day by day the thought that ,god is
 your ,father1 and the love of holy and 
godlike things8 ,alas6 take care that1  
like ,esau1 you hereafter find no room  
for repentance1 though you seek it      
carefully with tears6  ,it is a fearful 
thing to despise the mercies of the     
living ,god2 and when you are called to 
be ,his sons1 to fall back under the    
terrors of ,his law1 in slavish fears   
and a guilty conscience1 and remorse    
which cannot repent4  ,and do not give  
way to false humility1 says ,st4 ,paul4 
,do not say1 ',this is too high an      
honour for us to claim4'  ,do not say1  
',it seems too conceited and assuming   
for us miserable sinners to call        
ourselves sons of ,god4  ,we shall      
please ,god better1 and show ourselves  
more reverent to ,him1 by calling       
ourselves ,his slaves1 and crouching and
 trembling before ,him1 as if we        

expected ,him to strike us dead1 and    
making all sorts of painful and tiresome
 religious observances1 and vain        
repetitions of prayers1 to win ,his     
favour2' or by saying1 ',we dare not    
call ourselves ,god's children yet2 we  
are not spiritual enough2 but when we   
have gone through all the necessary     
changes of heart1 and frames1 and       
feeling1 and have been convinced of sin1
 and converted1 and received the        
earnest1 ,god's ,spirit1 by which we    
cry1 ,abba1 ,father6 then we shall have 
a right to call ourselves ,god's        
children4'  ,not so1 says ,st4 ,paul1   
all through this very ,epistle to the   
,galatians4  ,that is not being reverent
 to ,god4  ,it is insulting ,him4 ,for  
it is despising the honour which ,he has
 given you1 and trying to get another   
honour of your own invention1 by        
observances1 and frames1 and feelings of
 your own4  ,do not say1 ',when we have 
received the earnest of ,god's ,spirit1 
by which we can cry1 ,abba1 ,father6    

then we shall become ,god's children2'  
for it is just because you are ,god's   
children already--just because you have 
been ,god's children all along1 that    
,god has taught you to call ,him        
,father4  ,the ,lord ,jesus ,christ told
 men that ,god was their ,father4 ,not  
merely to the ,apostles1 but to poor1   
ignorant1 sinful wretches1 publicans and
 harlots1 ,he spoke of their ,father in 
heaven1 who1 because ,he is a perfect   
,father1 sends ,his sun to shine on the 
evil and the good1 and ,his rain to fall
 on the just and on the unjust4 ,the    
,lord ,jesus ,christ taught men--all    
men1 not merely saints and ,apostles1   
but all men1 when they prayed--to begin1
 ',our ,father4'  ,he told them that    
that was the manner in which they were  
to pray1 and therefore no other way of  
praying can we expect ,god to hear4  ,no
 slavish1 terrified1 superstitious      
coaxing and flattering will help you    
with ,god4  ,he has told you to call    
,him your ,father2 and if you speak to  

,him in any other way1 you insult ,him1 
and trample under foot the riches of    
,his grace4  ,this is the good news     
which the ,bible preaches4  ,this is the
 witness of ,god's ,spirit1 proclaiming 
that we are the sons of ,god2 and1 says 
,st4 ,paul in another place1 'our spirit
 witnesses' to that glorious news as    
well4  ,we feel1 we know--why1 we cannot
 tell1 but we feel and know that we are 
the sons of ,god4  ,when we are most    
calm1 most humble1 most free from       
ill-temper and self-conceit1 most busy  
about our rightful work1 then the       
feeling comes over us--,i have a ,father
 in heaven4  ,and that feeling gives us 
a strength1 a peace1 a sure trust and   
hope1 which no other thought can give4  
,yes1 we are ready to say1 ,i may be    
miserable and unfortunate1 but the      
,great ,god of heaven and earth is my   
,father2 and what can happen to me8  ,i 
may be borne down with the remembrance  
of my great sins2 ,i may find it almost 
too hard to fight against all my bad    

habits2 but the ,great ,god who made    
heaven and earth is my ,father1 and ,i  
am ,his son4  ,he will forgive me for   
the past2 ,he will help me to conquer   
for the future4  ,if ,i do but remember 
that ,i am ,god's son1 and claim my     
,father's promises1 neither the world1  
nor the devil1 nor my own sinful flesh1 
can ever prevail against me4  ,this     
thought1 and the peace which it brings1 
,st4 ,paul tells us is none of our own2 
we did not put it into our own hearts2  
from ,god it comes1 that blessed        
thought1 that ,he is our ,father4  ,we  
could never have found it out for       
ourselves4  ,it is the ,spirit of the   
,son of ,god1 the ,spirit of the ,lord  
,jesus ,christ1 which gives us courage  
to say1 ',our ,father which art in      
heaven1' which makes us feel that those 
words are true1 and must be true1 and   
are worth all other words in the world  
put together--that ,god is our ,father1 
and we his sons4  ,oh1 my friends1      
believe earnestly this blessed news6 the

 news of ,christmas-day1 that you are   
not ,god's slaves1 but his sons1 heirs  
of ,god1 and joint-heirs with           
,christ2--joint-heirs with ,christ6  ,in
 what8  ,who can tell8  ,but what an    
inheritance of glory and bliss that must
 be1 which the ,lord ,jesus ,christ     
,himself is to inherit with us--an      
inheritance such as eye hath not seen1  
and incorruptible1 undefiled1 and that  
fadeth not away1 preserved in heaven for
 us2 an inheritance of all that is wise1
 loving1 noble1 holy1 peaceful--all that
 can make us happy1 all that can make us
 like ,god ,himself4  ,oh1 what can we  
expect1 if we neglect so great          
salvation8  ,what can we expect1 if when
 the ,great ,god of heaven and earth    
tells us that we are ,his children1 we  
turn away and fall down1 become like the
 brutes1 and the savages1 or worse1 like
 the evil spirits who rebel against     
,god1 instead of growing up to become   
the sons of ,god1 perfect even as our   
,father in heaven is perfect8  ,may ,he 

keep us all from that great sin6  ,may  
,he awaken each and every one of you to 
know the glory and honour which ,jesus  
,christ brought for you when ,he was    
born at ,bethlehem--the glory and honour
 which was proclaimed to belong to you  
when you were christened at that font6  
,may ,he awaken you to know that you are
 the sons of ,god1 and to look up to    
,him with loving1 trustful1 obedient    
souls1 saying from your hearts1 morning 
and night ',our ,father which art in    
heaven1' and feeling that those words   
give you daily strength to conquer your 
sins1 and feel assurance of hope that   
your ,heavenly ,father will help and    
prosper you1 ,his family1 every time you
 struggle to obey ,his commandments1 and
 follow the example of ,his perfect and 
spotless ,son1 ,jesus ,christ the ,lord6
    ,,sermon ,,xvii4  ,,death ,,in      
,,life    ,romans viii4 #ab1 #ac4       
,brethren1 we are debtors1 not to the   
flesh1 to live after the flesh4  ,for if
 ye live after the flesh1 ye shall die3 

but if ye through the ,spirit do mortify
 the deeds of the body1 ye shall live4  
,does it seem strange to you that ,st4  
,paul should warn you1 that you are not 
debtors to your own flesh8  ,it is not  
strange1 when you come to understand    
him2 certainly not unnecessary3  for as 
in his time1 so now1 most people do live
 as if they were debtors to their own   
flesh1 as if their great duty1 their one
 duty in life1 was to please their own  
bodies1 and brains1 and tempers1 and    
fancies1 and feelings4  ,poor people    
have not much time to indulge their     
brains2 and no time at all1 happily for 
them1 to indulge their fancies and      
feelings1 as rich people do when they   
grow idle1 and dainty1 and luxurious4   
,but still1 too many of them live as if 
they were debtors to their own flesh2 as
 if their own bodies and their own      
tempers were the masters of them1 and   
ought to be their masters4  ,young men1 
for instance1 how often they do things  
in secret of which it is a shame even to

 speak1 just because it is pleasant4    
,young women1 how often do they sell    
themselves and their own modesty1 just  
for the pleasure of being flattered and 
courted1 and of getting a few fine      
clothes4  ,how often do men1 just for   
the pleasure of drink1 besot their souls
 and bodies1 madden their tempers1      
neglect their families1 make themselves 
every ,saturday night1 and often half   
the week1 too1 lower than the beasts    
which perish4  ,and then1 when a        
clergyman complains of them1 they think 
him unreasonable2 and by so thinking1   
show that he is right1 and ,st4 ,paul   
right3  for if ,i say to you1 ,my dear  
young people 7and ,i do say it71 if you 
give way to filthy living and filthy    
talking1 and to drunkenness1 and to     
vanity about fine clothes1 you will     
surely die--do you not say in your      
hearts1 ',how unreasonable3  how hard on
 us6  ,if we can enjoy ourselves a      
little1 why should we not8  ,it is our  
right1 and do it we will2 and if it is  

wrong1 it ought not to be wrong4'  ,why1
 what is that but saying1 that you ought
 to do just what your body likes3 that  
you are debtors to your flesh2 and that 
your flesh1 and not ,god's law1 is your 
master4  ,so again1 when people grow    
older1 perhaps they are more prudent    
about bad living1 and more careful of   
their money3  but still they live after 
the flesh4  ,one man sets his heart on  
making money1 and cares for nothing but 
that2 breaks ,god's law for that1 as if 
that was the thing to which he was a    
debtor1 bound by some law which he could
 not avoid to scrape and scrape money   
together for ever4  ,another 7and how   
often we see that7 is a slave to his own
 pride and temper1 which are just as    
much bred in his flesh3  if he has been 
injured by any one1 if he has taken a   
dislike against any one1 he cannot      
forget and forgive3  the man may be     
upright and kindly on many other points2
 prudent1 too1 and sober1 and thoroughly
 master of himself on most matters2 and 

yet you will find that when he gets on  
that one point1 he is not master of     
himself2 for his flesh is master of him3
  he may be a strong-minded1 shrewd man 
upon most matters but just that one     
point3  some old quarrel1 or grudge1 or 
suspicion1 is1 as we say1 his weak      
point3 and if you touch on that1 the    
man's eye will kindle1 and his face     
redden1 and his lip tremble1 and he will
 show that he is not master of himself3 
but that he is over-mastered by his     
fleshly passion1 by the suspiciousness1 
or revengefulness1 or touchiness1 which 
every dumb animal has as well as he1    
which is not part of his man's nature1  
not part of ,god's image in him1 but    
which is like the beasts which perish4  
,now1 my friends1 suppose ,i said to    
you1 ',if you give way to such tempers2 
if you give way to pride1 suspicion1    
sullen spite1 settled dislike of any    
human being1 you will surely die2'      
should you not1 some of you1 be inclined
 to think me very unreasonable1 and to  

say in your hearts1 ',have ,i not a     
right to be angry8  ,have ,i not a right
 to give a man as good as he brings8' so
 confessing that ,i am right1 after all1
 and that some of you think that you are
 debtors to your flesh1 and its tempers1
 and do not see that you are meant to be
 masters1 and not slaves1 of your       
tempers and feelings4  ,again4  ,among  
poor women1 as well as among rich ones1 
as they grow older1 how much gossiping1 
tale-bearing1 slandering1 there is1 and 
that too among people who call          
themselves religious4  ,yes1 ,i say     
slandering2 ,i put that in too2 for ,i  
am certain that where the first two     
grow1 the third is not far off4  ,if    
gossiping is the root1 tale- bearing and
 harsh judgment is the stem1 and plain  
lying and slandering1 and bearing false 
witness against one's neighbour1 is the 
fruit4  ,now ,i say1 because ,st4 ,paul 
says it1 'that those who do such things 
shall surely die4'  ,and do not some of 
you think me unreasonable in that1 and  

say in your heart1 ',what6 are we to be 
tongue-tied8  ,shall we not speak our   
minds8'  ,be it so1 my good women1 only 
remember this3  that as long as you say 
that1 you confess that you are not      
masters of your tongues1 but your       
tongues are masters of you1 and that you
 freely confess you owe service to your 
tongue1 and not to ,god4  ,do not       
therefore complain of me for saying the 
very same thing1 namely1 that you think 
you are debtors to your flesh--to the   
tongues in your mouths1 and must needs  
do what those same little unruly members
 choose1 of which ,st ,james has said1  
',the tongue is a fire1 a world of      
iniquity1 and it sets on fire the whole 
course of nature1 and is set on fire of 
hell4'  ,and again3  ',if any person    
among you seem to be religious1 and     
bridles not his tongue1 but deceives    
himself1 that person's religion is      
vain4'  ,again3--and1 my good women1 you
 must not think me hard on you1 for you 
know in your hearts that ,i am not hard 

on you2 but ,i must speak a word on a   
sin which ,i am afraid is growing in    
this parish1 and in too many parishes in
 ,england2 and that is deceiving kind   
and charitable persons1 in order to get 
more help from them4  ,god knows the    
temptation must be sore to poor people  
at times4  ,and yet you will surely find
 in the long run1 that 'honesty is the  
best policy4' ,deceit is always a losing
 game4  ,a lie is sure to be found out2 
as the ,lord ,jesus ,himself says1      
',there is nothing hid which shall not  
be made manifest2' and what we do in    
secret1 is sure1 unless we repent and   
amend it1 to be proclaimed on the       
housetop3  and many a poor soul1 in her 
haste and greediness to get much1 ends  
by getting nothing at all4  ,and if it  
were not so2--if you were able to       
deceive any human being out of the      
riches of the world3  yet know1 that a  
man's life does not consist in the      
abundance of the things which he        
possesses4  ,and know that if you will  

not believe that1--if you will fancy    
that your business is to get all you can
 for your mortal bodies1 by fair means  
or foul1--if you will fancy that you are
 thus debtors to your own flesh1 you    
will surely die3  but if you1 through   
the ,spirit1 do mortify the deeds of the
 body1 you shall live4  ,and by this    
time some of you are asking1 ',live8    
,die8  ,what does all this mean8  ,when 
we die we shall die1 good or bad2 and in
 the meantime we shall live till we die4
  ,and you do not mean to tell us that  
we shall shorten our lives by our own   
tempers1 or our tale- bearing1 though we
 might1 perhaps1 by drunkenness8'  ,my  
friends1 if such a question rises in    
your mind1 be sure that it1 too1 is a   
hint that you think yourself a debtor to
 the flesh--to live according to the    
flesh4  ,for tell me1 tell yourselves   
fairly1 is your flesh1 your body1 the   
part of yourself which you can see and  
handle1 ,you8--,you know that it is not4
  ,when a neighbour's body dies1 you    

say1 perhaps1 ',he is dead1' but you say
 it carelessly2 and when one whom you   
know well1 and love1 dies1--when a      
parent1 a wife1 a child1 dies1 you feel 
very differently about them1 even if you
 do not speak differently4  ,you feel   
and know that he1 the person whom you   
loved and understood1 and felt with1 and
 felt for1 here on earth1 is not dead at
 all2 you feel 7and in proportion as the
 friend you have lost was loving1 and   
good1 and full of feeling for you1 you  
feel it all the more strongly7 that your
 friend1 or your child1 or the wife of  
your bosom1 is alive still--where you   
know not1 but you feel they are alive2  
that they are very near you2--that they 
are thinking of you1 watching you1      
caring for you1--perhaps grieving over  
you when you go wrong--perhaps rejoicing
 over you when you go right1--perhaps   
helping you1 though you cannot see them1
 in some wonderful way4  ,you know that 
only their mortal flesh is dead4  ,that 
their mortal flesh was all you put into 

the grave2 but that they themselves1    
their souls and spirits1 which were     
their very and real selves1 are alive   
for evermore2 and you trust and hope to 
meet them when you die2--ay1 to meet    
them body and soul too1 at the last day1
 the very same persons whom you knew    
here on earth1 though the flesh which   
they wore here in this life has crumbled
 into dust years and ages before4  ,is  
not this true8  ,is not this a blessed  
life-giving thought--,i had almost said 
the most blessed and life-giving thought
 man can have-- that those whom we have 
loved and lost are not dead1 but only   
gone before2 that they live still to    
,god and with ,god2 that only their     
flesh has perished1 and they themselves 
are alive for evermore8  ,now believe   
me1 my friends1 as surely as a man's    
flesh can die and be buried1 while he   
himself1 his soul1 lives for ever1 just 
so a man's self1 his soul1 can die1     
while his flesh lives on upon earth4    
,you do not think so1 but the ,bible    

thinks so4  ,the ,bible talks of men    
being dead in trespasses and sins1 while
 their flesh and body is alive and      
walking this earth4  ,it talks1 too1 of 
a worse state1 of men twice dead2 of    
men1 who1 after ,god has brought their  
souls to life1 let those souls of theirs
 die down again within them1 and rot    
away1 as far as we can see1 hopelessly  
and for ever4  ,and what is it which    
kills a man's soul within him on this   
side the grave1 and makes him dead while
 he has a name to live8  ,sin1          
evil-doing1 the disease of the soul1 the
 death of the soul1 yea1 the death of   
the man himself4  ,and what is sin but  
living according to the flesh1 and not  
according to the spirit8  ,what is sin  
but living as the dumb animals do1 as if
 we were debtors to our own flesh1 to   
fulfil its lusts1 and to please our own 
appetites1 fancies1 and tempers1 instead
 of remembering that we are debtors to  
,god1 who made us1 and blesses us all   
day long2--debtors to our ,lord ,jesus  

,christ1 who bought us with ,his own    
blood1 that we might please ,him and    
obey ,him2--debtors to ,god's ,holy     
,spirit1 who puts into our minds good   
desires2--debtors to our baptism vows1  
in which we were consecrated to ,god1   
that ,he1 and not this flesh of ours1   
might be our ,master for ever8  ,this is
 sin2 to give way to those selfish and  
evil tempers1 against which ,i warned   
you in the beginning of my sermon1 and  
which1 if any man indulges in them1 will
 surely and steadily1 bit by bit1 kill  
that man's soul within him1 and leave   
the man dead in trespasses and sins1    
while his body walks this earth4  ,my   
friends1 do not fancy these are merely  
farfetched words out of a book1 made to 
sound difficult and terrible in order to
 frighten you4 ,god forbid6  ,when      
,scripture says this1 it speaks a plain 
and simple truth1 and one which ,i know 
to be a truth from experience4  ,i speak
 that which ,i know1 and testify that   
which ,i have seen4  ,i have seen 7and  

what sadder or more fearful sight87 dead
 men and dying walk this earth in flesh 
and blood2 men busy enough1 shrewd      
enough upon some points1 priding        
themselves1 perhaps1 upon their         
cleverness and knowledge of the world1  
of whom all one could say was1 ,the man 
is dead2 the man is lost1 unless ,god   
brings him to life again by ,his        
quickening ,spirit3  for goodness is    
dead in him2 the powers of his soul are 
dead in him2 the hope of being a better 
man is dead in him2 all that ,god wishes
 to see him be and do1 is dead2 ,god's  
likeness and glory in him is dead3  he  
thinks himself wise1 and he is a fool in
 ,god's sight2 for he sees not ,god's   
law1 which is the only wisdom3 he thinks
 himself strong1 but he is utterly weak 
and helpless2 for he is the slave of his
 own tempers1 the slave of his own foul 
lust1 the slave of his own pride and    
vanity1 the slave of his own            
covetousness4  ,oh1 my friends1 people  
are apt to be afraid of what they call  

seeing a ghost--that is1 a spirit       
without a body3  they fancy that it     
would be a very shocking thing to meet  
one2 but as for me1 ,i know a far more  
dreadful sight2 and that is1 a careless 
and a hardened sinner--a body without a 
spirit4  ,which is uglier and           
ghastlier--a spirit without a body1 or a
 body without a spirit8  ,and yet such  
one meets1 ,i dare not think how often4 
,what sadder sight1 if you recollect    
that men need not be thus2 that ,god    
hates seeing them thus2 that they become
 thus1 and die down in sin1 in spite of 
,god1 with all heaven above1 and ,god   
the ,lord thereof1 crying to them1 ,why 
wilt thou die8  ,what sadder sight8     
,how many have ,i seen1 living1 to all  
intents and purposes1 as if they had no 
souls2 as if there were no ,god1 no ,law
 of ,god1 no ,right1 no ,wrong2 caring  
for nothing1 perhaps1 but drink and bad 
women2 or caring for nothing but        
scraping together a little more money   
than their neighbours2 or caring for    

nothing but dress1 and vanity1 and      
gossiping1 and tale-bearing2 and yet1   
when one came to know them1 one saw that
 that was not what ,god intended them to
 be2 that ,he had given them hearts     
which they had hardened1 good feelings  
which they had crushed1 sound brains    
which they had left idle1 till one was  
ready to weep over them1 as over        
something beautiful and noble ruined and
 lost2 and looked on them as one would  
on a grand tree struck by lightning1    
decayed and dead1 useless1 and only fit 
to be burned1 with just enough of its   
proper shape to show what a tree it     
ought to have been4  ,and so it is with 
men and women3  hardly a day passes but 
one sees some one of whom one says1 with
 a sigh1 ',what a worthy1 loveable1     
useful person1 that might have been6    
what a blessing to himself and all      
around him6 and now1 by following his   
fallen nature1 and indulging it1 he is  
neither worthy1 nor loveable1 nor       
useful2 neither a blessing to himself   

nor to any human being3 he might have   
been good for so much1 and now he is    
good for nothing2 for the spirit1 the   
immortal soul which ,god gave him1 is   
dead within him4'  ,my friends1 ,i would
 not say this1 unless ,i could say more4
  ,i would not say sad words1 if ,i     
could not follow them up by joyful and  
hopeful ones4  ,it is written1 ',if ye  
live after the flesh1 ye shall die2' but
 it is written also1 ',if ye1 through   
the ,spirit1 do mortify the deeds of the
 body1 ye shall live4'  ,it is          
promised--promised1 my friends1 ',awake1
 thou that sleepest1 and arise from the 
dead1 and ,christ shall give thee       
light4'  ,through the ,spirit1 through  
,god's ,spirit1 every soul here can     
live1 now and for ever4  ,through ,god's
 ,spirit1 ,christ not only can1 but     
will1 give you light4  ,and that ,spirit
 is near you1 with you4  ,your baptism  
is the blessed sign1 the everlasting    
pledge1 that ,god's ,spirit is with you4
  ,oh1 believe that1 and take heart4  ,i

 will not say1 you do not know how much 
good there is in you2 for in us dwells  
no good thing1 and every good thought   
and feeling comes only from the ,spirit 
of ,god3  but ,i will say boldly to     
every one of you1 you do not know how   
much good there may be in you1 if you   
will listen to those good thoughts of   
,god's ,spirit2 you do not know how     
wise1 how right1 how strong1 how happy1 
how useful1 you may become2 you do not  
know what a blessing each of you may    
become to yourselves1 and to all around 
you4  ,only make up your mind to live by
 ,god's law2 only make up your mind1 in 
all things1 small and great1 to go      
,god's way1 and not your own4  ,only    
make up your mind to listen1 not to your
 own flesh1 temper1 and brain1 which say
 this and that is pleasant1 but to      
listen to ,god's ,spirit1 which says    
this is right1 and that is wrong3  this 
is your duty1 do it4  ,search out your  
own besetting sins2 and if you cannot   
find them out for yourself1 ask ,god to 

show you them2 ask ,him to give you     
truth in the inward parts1 and make you 
to understand wisdom in the secret      
places of your heart4  ,pray ,god's     
,spirit to quicken your soul1 and bring 
it to life1 that it may see and love    
what is good1 and see and hate what is  
wrong2 and instead of being most hard on
 your neighbour's sin1 to which you are 
not tempted1 be most hard on your own   
sin1 on the sin to which you are most   
tempted1 whatsoever that may be4  ,you  
have your besetting sin1 doubt it not2  
every one has4  ,i know that ,i have4   
,i know that ,i have inclinations1      
tempers1 longings1 to which if ,i gave  
way1 my soul would rot and die within   
me1 and make me a curse to myself1 and  
you1 and every one ,i came near2 and all
 ,i can do is to pray ,god's ,spirit to 
help me to fight those besetting sins of
 mine1 and crush them1 and stamp them   
down1 whenever they rise and try to     
master me1 and make me live after the   
flesh4  ,it is a hard fight2 and may    

,god forgive me1 for ,i fight it ill    
enough3  but it is my only hope for my  
soul's life1 my only hope of remaining a
 man worth being called a man1 or doing 
my duty at all by myself and you1 and   
all mankind4 ,and it is your only hope1 
too4  ,pray for ,god's ,spirit1 ,god's  
strength1 ,god's life1 to give your     
souls life1 day by day1 that you may    
fight against your sins1 whatsoever they
 are1 lest they kill your souls1 long   
before disease and old age kill your    
bodies4  ,make up your minds to it4     
,make up your minds to mortify the deeds
 of the body2 to say to your own bodies1
 tempers1 longings1 fancies1 ',i will   
not go your way3  you shall go ,god's   
way4  ,i am not your debtor2 ,i owe you 
nothing2 ,i am ,god's debtor1 and owe   
,him everything1 and ,i will pay ,him   
honestly with the service of my body1   
soul1 and spirit4 ,i will do my duty1   
and you1 my flesh1 must and shall do it 
also1 whether it is pleasant at first1  
or not3' and be sure it will be pleasant

 at last1 if not at first4  ,keep ,god  
always before your eyes4  ,ask yourself 
in every action1 ',what is right1 what  
is my duty1 what would ,god have me do8'
  ,and so far from finding it           
unpleasant1 you will find that you are  
saving yourself a thousand troubles1 and
 sorrows1 and petty anxieties which now 
torment you2 you will find that in      
,god's presence is life1 the only life  
worth having1 and that at ,his right    
hand are pleasures for evermore4  ,oh1  
be sure1 my friends1 that in real       
happiness you will not lose1 but gain   
without end4  ,if to have a clear       
conscience1 and a quiet mind2 if to be  
free from anxiety and discontent1 free  
from fear and shame2 if to be loved1    
respected1 looked up to1 by all whose   
good word is worth having1 and to know  
that ,god approves of you1 that all day 
long ,god is with you1 and you with     
,god1 that ,his loving and mighty arms  
are under you1 that ,he has promised to 
keep you in all your ways1 to prosper   

all you do1 and reward you for ever1--if
 this be not happiness1 my friends1 what
 is8    ,,sermon ,,xviii4  ,,shame      
,romans x4 #aa4  ,for the ,scripture    
saith1 ,whosoever believeth on ,him     
shall not be ashamed4  ,my friends1 what
 this text really means is one thing2   
what we may choose to think it means is 
another thing--perhaps a very different 
thing4  ,i will try and show you what ,i
 believe it really means4  ',whosoever  
believeth on ,him shall not be ashamed4'
  ,it seems as if ,st4 ,paul thought1   
that not being ashamed had to do with   
salvation1 and being saved2 ay1 that    
they were almost the same thing3  for he
 says just before1 if thou doest so and 
so1 thou shalt be saved2 for with the   
heart man believeth unto righteousness1 
and with the mouth confession is made   
unto salvation2 for the ,scripture      
saith1 ',whosoever believeth on ,him    
shall not be ashamed2' as if being      
ashamed was the very thing from which we
 were to be saved4  ,and certainly that 

wise and great man1 whoever he was 7some
 say he was ,st4 ,ambrose1 ,bishop of   
,milan1 in ,italy71 who wrote the ,te   
,deum1 thought the same2 for how does he
 end the ,te ,deum8  ',o ,lord1 in ,thee
 have ,i trusted3  let me never be      
confounded1' that is1 brought to shame4 
,you see1 after he has spoken of ,god1  
and the everlasting glory of ,god1 of   
,cherubim and ,seraphim1 that is1 all   
the powers of the earth and the powers  
of the heavens1 of ,apostles1 ,prophets1
 ,martyrs1 the ,holy ,church1 all       
praising ,god1 and crying ',holy1 holy1 
holy4  ,lord ,god of ,hosts1 ,heaven and
 ,earth are full of the majesty of ,thy 
glory2' after he has spoken of the      
mystery of the ,trinity1 ,father and    
,son and ,holy ,ghost1 of ,christ's     
redemption and incarnation1 and         
ascension and glory2 of ,his judging the
 world2 of ,his government1 and ,his    
lifting up ,his people for ever2 after  
he has prayed ,god to keep them this day
 without sin1 and to let ,his mercy     

lighten upon them2 after all this1 at   
the end of this glorious hymn1 all that 
he has to say is1 ',o ,lord1 in ,thee   
have ,i trusted3  let me never be       
confounded4'--,all he has to say3  but  
that is a great deal3 he does not say   
that merely because he wants to say     
something more1 and has nothing else to 
say4  ,not so4  ,in all great hymns and 
writings like this1 the end is almost   
sure to be the strongest part of all1 to
 have the very pith and marrow of the   
whole matter in it1 as ,i believe this  
end of the ,te ,deum has2 and ,i believe
 that whoever wrote it thought that     
being confounded1 and brought to shame1 
was just the most horrible and wretched 
thing which could happen to him1 or any 
man1 and the thing above all others from
 which he was most bound to pray ,god to
 save him and every human being4  ,now1 
how is this8  ,first1 let us look at    
what coming to shame is2 and next1 how  
believing in ,christ will save us from  
it4  ,now1 every man and woman of us    

here1 who has one spark of good feeling 
in them1 will surely agree1 that coming 
to shame is dreadful2 and that there is 
no pain or torment on earth like the    
pain of being ashamed of oneself3       
nothing so painful4  ,and ,i will prove 
it to you4  ,you call a man a brave man1
 if he is afraid of nothing3  but there 
is one thing the very bravest man is    
afraid of1 and that is of disgrace1 of  
coming to shame4  ,ay1 my friends1 so   
terrible is the torment of shame1 that  
you may see brave men1--men who would   
face death in battle1 men who would have
 a limb cut off without a groan1 you may
 see such1 in spite of all their        
courage1 gnash their teeth1 and writhe  
in agony1 and weep bitter tears1 simply 
because they are ashamed of themselves1 
so terrible and unbearable is the       
torment of shame4  ,it may drive a man  
to do good or evil3  it may drive him to
 do good2 as when1 rather than come to  
shame1 and be disgraced1 soldiers will  
face death in battle willingly and      

cheerfully1 and do deeds of daring      
beyond belief3  or it may drive him to  
do evil2 rather than come to shame1 men 
have killed themselves1 choosing1       
unhappy and mistaken men1 rather to face
 the torment of hell than the torment of
 disgrace4  ,they are mistaken enough1  
,god knows4  ,but shame1 like all       
powerful things1 will work for harm as  
well as for good2 and just as a         
wholesome and godly shame may be the    
beginning of a man's repentance and     
righteousness1 so may an unwholesome and
 ungodly shame be the cause of his      
despair and ruin4  ,but judge for       
yourselves2 think over your past lives4 
,were you ever once--were it but for    
five minutes-- utterly ashamed of       
yourself8  ,if you were1 did you ever   
feel any torment like that8  ,in all    
other misery and torment one feels hope2
 one says1 ',still life is worth having1
 and when the sorrow wears away ,i shall
 be cheerful and enjoy myself again3'   
but when one has come to shame1 when one

 is not only disgraced in the eyes of   
other people1 but disgraced 7which is a 
thousand times worse7 in one's own eyes2
 when one feels that people have real   
reason to despise one1 then one feels   
for the time as if life was not worth   
having2 as if one did not care whether  
one died or not1 or what became of one3 
and yet as if dying would do one no     
good1 change of place would do one no   
good1 time's running on would do one no 
good2 as if what was done could not be  
undone1 and the shame would be with one 
still1 and torment one still1 wherever  
one was1 and if one was to live a       
million years3  ay1 that it would be    
everlasting3  one feels1 in a word1 that
 real shame and deserved disgrace is    
verily and indeed an everlasting        
torment4  ,and it is this1 and the      
feeling of this1 which explains why poor
 wretches will kill themselves1 as      
,judas ,iscariot did1 and rush into hell
 itself1 under the horror and pain of   
shame and disgrace4  ,they feel a hell  

within them so hot1 that they actually  
fancy that they can be no worse off     
beyond the grave than they are on this  
side of it4  ,they are mistaken3  but   
that is the reason2 the misery of       
disgrace is so intolerable1 that they   
are willing1 like that wretched ,judas1 
to try any mad and desperate chance to  
escape it4  ,so much for shame's being a
 dreadful and horrible thing4  ,but     
again1 it is a spiritual thing3  it     
grows and works not in our fleshly      
bodies1 but in our spirits1 our         
consciences1 our immortal souls4 ,you   
may see this by thinking of people who  
are not afraid of shame4 ,you do not    
respect them1 or think them the better  
for that4  ,not at all4  ,if a man is   
not afraid of shame2 if a man1 when he  
is found out1 and exposed1 and comes to 
shame1 does not care for it1 but        
'brazens out his own shame1' as we say1 
we do not call him brave2 we call him   
what he is1 a base impudent person1 lost
 to all good feeling4  ,why1 what harder

 name can we call any man or woman1 than
 to say that they are 'shameless1' dead 
to shame8  ,we know that it is the very 
sign of their being dead in sin1 the    
very sign of ,god's ,spirit having left 
them2 that till they are made to feel   
shame there is no hope of their mending 
or repenting1 or of any good being put  
into them1 or coming out of them4  ,so  
that this feeling of shame is a         
spiritual feeling1 which has to do with 
a man's immortal soul1 with his         
conscience1 and the voice of ,god in his
 heart4  ,now1 consider this3  that     
there will surely come to you and me1   
and every living soul1 a day of         
judgment2 a day in which we shall be    
judged4  ,think honestly of those two   
words4  ,first1 a day1 not a mere time1 
much less a night4  ,now1 in a day there
 is light1 by which men can see1 and a  
sun in heaven which shows all things    
clearly4  ,in that day1 that brightest  
and clearest of all days1 we shall see  
what we really have been1 and what we   

really have done2 and for aught we know1
 every one round us1 every one with whom
 we have ever had to do1 will see it    
also4  ,the secrets of all our hearts   
will be disclosed2 and we shall stand   
before heaven and earth simply for what 
we are1 and neither more nor less4      
,that is a fearful thought6  ,shall we  
come to shame in that day8  ,and it will
 be a day of judgment3  in it we shall  
be judged4  ,i do not mean merely       
condemned1 for we may be acquitted3  or 
punished1 for we may be rewarded2 those 
things come after being judged4  ,first1
 let us think of what being judged is4  
,a judge's business is to decide on what
 we have done1 or whether we have broken
 the law or not2 to hear witnesses for  
us and against us1 to sum up the        
evidence1 and set forth the evidence for
 us and the evidence against us4  ,and  
our judge will be the ,son of ,man1 the 
,lord ,jesus ,christ1 who is sharper    
than a two-edged sword1 piercing through
 the very joints and marrow1 and        

discerning the secret intents of the    
heart2 neither is anything hid from     
,him1 for all things are naked and open 
in the sight of ,him with whom we have  
to do4  ,with whom we have to do1 mind3 
not merely with whom we shall have to   
do2 for ,he sees all now1 ,he knows all 
now4  ,ever since we were born1 there   
has not been a thought in our heart but 
,he has known it altogether4  ,and ,he  
is utterly just--no respecter of        
persons2 like ,his own wisdom1 without  
partiality and without hypocrisy4  ,o   
,lord6 who shall stand in that day8  ,o 
,lord6 if thou be extreme to mark what  
is done amiss1 who shall abide it8  ,o  
,lord6 in thee have ,i trusted3  let me 
never be confounded6  ,for this is being
 confounded2 this is shame itself4      
,this is the intolerable1 horrible1     
hellish shame and torment1 wherein is   
weeping and gnashing of teeth2 this is  
the everlasting shame and contempt to   
which1 as ,daniel prophesied1 too many  
should awake in that day--to be found   

guilty in that day before ,god and      
,christ1 before our neighbours and our  
relations1 and worst of all1 before     
ourselves4 ,worst of all1 ,i say1 before
 ourselves4  ,it would be dreadful      
enough to have all the bad things we    
ever did or thought told openly against 
us to all our neighbours and friends1   
and to see them turn away from          
us2--dreadful to find out at last 7what 
we forget all day long7 that ,god knows 
them already2 but more dreadful to know 
them all ourselves1 and see our sins in 
all their shamefulness1 in the light of 
,god1 as ,god ,himself sees them2--more 
dreadful still to see the loving ,god   
and the loving ,christ turn away from   
us2--but most dreadful of all to turn   
away from ourselves2 to be utterly      
discontented with ourselves2 ashamed of 
ourselves2 to see that all our misery is
 our own fault1 that we have been our   
own enemies2 to despise ourselves1 and  
hate ourselves for ever2 to try for ever
 to get rid of ourselves1 and escape    

from ourselves as from some ugly and    
foul place in which we were ashamed to  
be seen for a moment3 and yet not to be 
able to get rid of ourselves4  ,yes1    
that will be the true misery of a lost  
soul1 to be ashamed of itself1 and hate 
itself4  ,who shall deliver a man from  
the body of that death8  ,i thank ,god1 
through ,jesus ,christ our ,lord4  ,i   
thank ,god1 that at least now1 here1 in 
this life1 we can be delivered4  ,there 
is but one hope for us all2 one way for 
us all1 not to come to utter shame4 ,and
 this is in the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1   
who has said1 ',though your sins be red 
as scarlet they shall be white as wool2 
and their sins and their iniquities will
 ,i remember no more4'  ,one hope1 to   
cast ourselves utterly on ,his boundless
 love and mercy1 and cry to ,him1 ',blot
 these sins of mine out of ,thy book1 by
 ,thy most precious blood1 which is a   
full atonement for the sins of the whole
 world2 and blot them out of my heart by
 ,thy ,holy ,spirit1 that ,i may hate   

them and renounce them1 and flee from   
them1 and give them up1 and be ,thy     
servant1 and do ,thy work1 and have ,thy
 righteousness1 and do righteous things 
like ,thee4'  ,and then1 my friends1 how
 or why we cannot understand2 but it is 
,god's own promise1 who cannot lie1 that
 ,he will really and actually forgive   
these sins of ours1 and blot them out as
 if we had never done them1 and give us 
clean hearts and right spirits1 to live 
new lives1 right lives1 lives like ,his 
own life2 so that our past sinful lives 
shall be behind us like a dream1 and we 
shall find them forgotten and forgiven  
in the day of judgment2--wonderful      
mercy6 but listen to it--it is ,god's   
own promise--',if the wicked man turneth
 away from all his sins that he hath    
committed1 and keep all my statutes1 and
 do that which is lawful and right1 he  
shall surely live1 he shall not die4    
,all his transgressions that he hath    
committed1 they shall not be mentioned  
to him3  in his righteousness that he   

hath done he shall live4'  ,they shall  
not be mentioned to him4  ,my friends1  
if1 as ,i have been showing1 the great  
misery1 the great horror of all1 is     
having our sins mentioned to us in ,that
 ,day1 and being made utterly ashamed by
 them1 what greater mercy can we want   
than this--not to have them mentioned to
 us1 and not to come to shame2 not to be
 plagued for ever with the hideous      
ghosts of our past bad thoughts1 bad    
words1 bad deeds1 coming all day long to
 stare us in the face1 and cry to us    
while the accusing ,devil holds them up 
to us1 as if in a looking- glass--',look
 at your own picture4  ,this is what you
 are4  ,this fool1 this idler1 this     
mean1 covetous1 hard-hearted man1 who   
cared only for himself2--this stupid    
man1 who never cared to know his duty or
 do his duty2--this proud1 passionate1  
revengeful man1 who returned evil for   
evil1 took his brothers by the throat1  
and exacted from them the uttermost     
farthing2--this ridiculous1 foolish1    

useless1 disagreeable1 unlovely1        
unlovable person1 who went through the  
world neither knowing what he ought to  
do1 nor whither he was going1 but was   
utterly blind and in a dream2 this      
person is you yourself4  ,look at your  
own likeness1 and be confounded1 and    
utterly ashamed for ever6'  ,what       
greater misery than that8  ,what greater
 blessing than to escape that8  ,what   
greater blessing than to be able to     
answer the accusing ,devil1 ',not so1   
liar6  ,this is not my likeness4  ,this 
ugly1 ridiculous1 hateful person is not 
,i4  ,i was such a one once1 but ,i am  
not now4  ,i am another man now2 and    
,god knows that ,i am1 though you may   
try to shame me by telling me that ,i am
 the same man4  ,i was wrong1 but ,i am 
right now2 ,i was as a sheep going      
astray1 but now ,i am returned to the   
,shepherd and ,overseer of my soul1 to  
whom ,i belonged all the while2 and now 
,i am right1 in the right road2 for with
 the heart ,i have believed ,god unto   

righteousness1 and ,he has given me a   
clean heart1 and a right spirit1 and has
 purged me1 and will purge me1 till ,i  
am clean1 and washed me till ,i am      
whiter than snow2 ,i do not deny one of 
my old sins2 ,i did them1 ,i know that2 
,i confess them to thee now1 oh accusing
 ,devil2 but ,i confessed them to ,god1 
ay1 and to man too1 long ago1 and by    
confessing them to ,him ,i was saved    
from them2 for with the mouth confession
 is made unto salvation4  ,and what is  
more2 ,i have not only confessed my own 
sins1 but ,i have confessed ,christ's   
righteousness2 and ,i confess it now4 ,i
 confess1 ,i say1 that ,christ is       
perfectly righteous and good1 the       
,perfect ,pattern of what ,i ought to   
be2 and because ,he is perfectly good1  
,he does not wish to see me remain bad  
and sinful1 that ,he may taunt me and   
torment me with my sins1 as thou the    
accusing ,devil dost3  but ,he wishes to
 make me and every man good like        
,himself1 blest like ,himself2 and ,he  

can do it1 and will do it1 if we will   
but give up our hearts to ,him2 and ,i  
have given up my heart to ,him4  ,all ,i
 ask of ,him is to be made good and kept
 good1 set right and kept right2 and ,i 
can trust in ,him utterly to do that2   
for ,he is faithful and just to forgive 
me my sins1 and cleanse me from all     
unrighteousness4  ,therefore1 accuse me 
not1 ,devil6 for thou hast no share in  
me3  ,i belong to ,christ1 and not to   
thee4  ,and set not my old sins before  
my face2 for ,god has set them behind   
,his back1 because ,i have renounced    
them1 and sworn an oath against them1   
and ,christ has nailed them to ,his     
cross1 and now they are none of mine and
 none of thine1 but are cast long ago   
into the everlasting fire of ,god1 and  
burnt up and done with for ever2 and ,i 
am a new man1 and ,god's man2 and ,he   
has justified me1 and will justify me1  
and make me just and right2 and neither 
thou1 nor any man1 has a right to impute
 to me my past sins1 for ,god does not  

impute them to me2 and neither thou1 nor
 any man1 has a right to condemn me1 for
 ,god has justified me4  ,and if it     
please ,god to humble me more 7for ,i   
know ,i want humbling every day71 and to
 show me more how much ,i owe to        
,him--if it please ,him1 ,i say1 to     
bring to light any of my past sins1 ,i  
shall take it patiently as a wholesome  
chastening of my ,heavenly ,father's2   
and ,i trust to all ,god's people1 and  
to angels1 and the spirits of just men  
made perfect1 that they will look on my 
past sins as ,god looks on them1        
mercifully and lovingly1 as things past 
and dead1 forgiven and blotted out of   
,god's book1 by the precious blood of   
,christ1 and look on me as ,i am in     
,christ1 not having any righteousness of
 my own1 but ,christ's righteousness1   
which comes by the inspiration of ,his  
own ,holy ,spirit4'  ,thus1 my friends1 
we may answer the ,devil1 when he stands
 up to accuse us1 and confound us in the
 ,day of ,judgment4  ,thus we may answer

 him now1 when1 in melancholy moments1  
he sets our sins before our face1 and   
begins taunting us1 and crying1 ',see   
what a wretch you are1 what a hypocrite1
 too4  ,what would all the world think  
of you1 if they knew as much against you
 as ,i do8  ,what would the world think 
of you1 if they saw into that dirty     
heart of yours8'  ,for we can answer    
him--',whatever the world would think1  
,i know what ,god ,himself thinks3  ,he 
thinks of me as of a son who1 after     
wasting his substance1 and feeding on   
husks with the swine1 has come home to  
his ,father's house1 and cried1 ,father1
 ,i have sinned against heaven1 and     
before ,thee1 and am no more worthy to  
be called ,thy son2 and ,i know that    
that same good ,heavenly ,father1       
instead of shaming me1 reproaching me1  
shutting ,his doors against me1 has seen
 me afar off1 and taken me home again   
without one harsh word1 and called to   
all the angels in heaven1 saying1 ,it is
 meet that we rejoice and be glad1 for  

this ,my son was dead and is alive      
again1 he was lost and is found4  ,and  
while ,almighty ,god1 who made heaven   
and earth1 is saying that of me1 it     
matters little what the lying ,devil may
 say4'  ,only1 only1 if you be wandering
 from your ,father's house1 come home2  
if you be wrong1 entreat to be made     
right4  ,if you are in your ,father's   
house1 stay there2 if you are right1    
pray and struggle to keep right2 if the 
old account is blotted out1 then1 for   
your soul's sake1 run up no fresh       
account to stand against you after all  
in the ,day of ,judgment2 if you have   
the hope in you of not coming to shame1 
you must purify yourselves1 even as ,god
 is pure2 if you believe really with    
your heart1 you must believe unto       
righteousness2 that is1 you must trust  
,god to make you righteous and good3    
there is no use trusting ,him to make   
you anything else1 for ,he will make you
 nothing else2 being good ,himself1 ,he 
will only make you good3  but as for    

trusting in ,him to leave you bad1 to   
leave you quiet in your sins1 and then  
to save you after all1 that is trusting 
that ,god will do a most unjust1 and    
what is more1 a most cruel thing to you2
 that is trusting ,god to do the        
,devil's work2 that is a blasphemous    
false trust1 which will be utterly      
confounded in the ,day of ,judgment1 and
 will cover you with double shame4  ,the
 whole question for each of us is1 ',do 
we believe unto righteousness8'  ,is    
righteousness what we want8  ,is to be  
made good men what we want8  ,if not1 no
 confessing with the mouth will be unto 
salvation1 for how can a man be saved in
 his sins8  ,if an animal is diseased   
can it be saved from dying without      
curing the disease8  ,if a tree be      
decayed1 can it be saved from dying     
without curing the decay8  ,if a man be 
bad and sinful1 can he be saved from    
eternal death without curing his badness
 and sinfulness8  ,how can a man be     
saved from his sins but by becoming     

sinless8  ,as well ask1 ,can a man be   
saved from his sins without being saved 
from his sins8  ,but if you wish really 
to be saved from your sins1 and taken   
out of them1 and cured of them1 that you
 may be made good men1 righteous men1   
useful men1 just men1 loving men1       
,godlike men2--then trust in ,god for   
that1 and you will find that your trust 
will be unto righteousness1 for you will
 become righteous men2 and confess ,god 
with your mouth for that1 saying1 ',i   
believe in ,god my ,father2 ,i believe  
in ,jesus ,christ ,his ,son1 who died1  
and rose1 and ascended on high for me2  
,i believe in ,god's ,holy ,spirit1     
which is with me1 to make me right2' and
 your confession will be unto salvation1
 for you will be saved from your sins4  
,always say to yourself this one thing1 
',good ,i will become1 whatever it cost 
me2 and in ,god's goodness ,i trust to  
make me good1 for ,i am sure ,he wishes 
to see me good1 more than ,i do myself2 
and you will find that because you have 

confessed1 in that best and most honest 
of ways1 that ,god is good1 and have so 
given ,him real glory1 and real honour1 
and real praise1 ,he will save you from 
the sins which torment you3  and that   
because you have really trusted in ,him1
 you shall never come1 either in this   
world1 or the world to come1 to that    
worst misery1 the being ashamed of      
yourself4    ,,sermon ,,xix4            
,,forgiveness    ,psalm li4 #af1 #ag4   
,thou desirest not sacrifice2 else would
 ,i give it3  thou delightest not in    
burnt offering4  ,the sacrifice of ,god 
is a broken spirit3  a broken and a     
contrite heart1 ,o ,god1 ,thou wilt not 
despise4  ,you all heard just now the   
story of ,nathan and ,david1 and you    
must have all felt how beautiful1 and   
noble1 and just it was2 how it declares 
that there is but one everlasting ,god's
 law of justice1 which is above all men1
 even the greatest2 and that what is    
right for the poor man is right for the 
king upon his throne1 for ,god is no    

respecter of persons4  ,and you must    
have admired1 too1 the frankness1 and   
fulness1 and humbleness of ,david's     
repentance1 and liked and loved the man 
still1 in spite of his sins1 as much    
almost as you did when you heard of him 
as a shepherd boy slaying the giant1 or 
a wanderer and an outlaw among the hills
 and forests of ,judaea4  ,but did it   
now seem strange to you that ,david's   
repentance1 which was so complete when  
it did come1 should have come no sooner8
  ,did he need ,nathan to tell him that 
he had done wrong8  ,he seduced another 
man's wife1 and that man one of his most
 faithful servants1 one of the most     
brave and loyal generals of his army2   
and then1 over and above his adultery1  
he had plotted the man's death1 and had 
had him killed and put out of the way in
 as base1 and ungrateful1 and           
treacherous a fashion as ,i ever heard  
of4  ,his whole conduct in the matter   
had been simply villanous4  ,there is no
 word too bad for it4 ,and do you fancy 

that he had to wait the greater part of 
a year before the thought came into his 
head that that was not the fashion in   
which a man ought to behave1 much more a
 king8--that ,god's blessing was not on 
such doings as those8--and after all not
 find out for himself that he was wrong1
 but have to be told of it by ,nathan8  
,surely1 if he had any common sense1 any
 feeling of right and wrong left in him1
 he must have known that he had done a  
bad thing2 and his guilty conscience    
must have tormented him many a time and 
oft during those months1 long before    
,nathan came to him4  ,now1 that he had 
the feeling of right and wrong left in  
him1 we cannot doubt2 for when ,nathan  
told him the parable of the rich man who
 spared all his own flocks and herds1   
and took the poor man's one ewe lamb1   
his heart told him that that was wrong  
and unjust1 and he cried out1 ',the man 
who has done this thing shall surely    
die4'  ,and surely that feeling of right
 and wrong could not have been quite    

asleep in him all those months1 and have
 been awakened then for the first time4 
,but more2 if we look at two psalms     
which he wrote about that time1 we shall
 find that his conscience had not been  
dead in him1 but had been tormenting him
 bitterly2 and that he had been trying  
to escape from it1 and afterwards to    
repent--only in a wrong way4  ,if we    
look at the ,thirty-second ,psalm1 we   
shall see there he had begun1 by trying 
to deceive himself1 to excuse himself   
before ,god4 ,but that had only made him
 the more miserable4  ',when ,i kept    
silence1 my bones waxed old through my  
daily complaining4  ,for ,thy hand was  
heavy on me night and day3  my moisture 
was turned to the drought of summer4'   
,then he had tried sacrifices4  ,he had 
fancied1 ,i suppose1 that he could make 
,god pleased with him again by showing  
great devoutness1 by offering bullocks  
and goats without number1 as            
sin-offerings and peace-offerings2 but  
that made him no happier4  ,at last he  

found out that ,god required no         
sacrifice but a broken heart4 ,that was 
what ,god wanted--a broken and a        
contrite heart2 for ,david to be utterly
 ashamed of himself1 utterly broken down
 and silenced1 so that he had nothing   
left to plead--neither past good deeds1 
nor present devoutness1 nor sacrifices3 
nothing but1 ',o ,god1 ,i deserve all   
,thou canst lay on me1 and more4  ,have 
mercy on me--mercy is all ,i ask4'      
,there was nothing for him1 you see1 but
 to make a clean breast of it2 to face  
his sin1 and all its shame and          
abomination1 and confess it all1 and    
throw himself on ,god's mercy4  ,and    
when he did that1 there1 then1 and at   
once1 as ,nathan told him1 ,god put away
 his sin4 ,as ,david says himself1 ',i  
said1 ,i will confess my sins unto the  
,lord1 and so ,thou forgavest the       
wickedness of my sin4'  ,as it is       
written1 ',if we confess our sins1 ,god 
is faithful and just to forgive us our  
sins1 and to cleanse us from all        

unrighteousness4'  ,and now1 my friends1
 what lesson may we learn from this8    
,it is easy to say1 ,we have not sinned 
as deeply as ,david1 and therefore his  
story has nothing to do with us4  ,my   
friends1 whether we have sinned as      
deeply as ,david or not1 his story has  
to do with you1 and me1 and every soul  
in this church1 and every soul in the   
whole world1 or it would not be in the  
,bible4  ,for no prophecy of ,scripture 
is of private interpretation2 that is1  
it does not only point at one man here  
and another there3  but those who wrote 
it were moved by the ,holy ,ghost1 who  
lays down the eternal universal laws of 
holiness1 of right and good1 which are  
right and good for you1 and me1 and all 
mankind2 and therefore ,david's story   
has to do with you and me every time we 
do wrong1 and know that we have done    
wrong4  ,now1 my friends1 when you have 
done a wrong thing1 you know your       
conscience torments you with it2 you are
 uneasy1 and discontented with          

yourselves1 perhaps cross with those    
about you2 you hardly know why3  or     
rather1 though you do know why1 you do  
not like to tell yourself why4  ,the bad
 thing which you have done1 or the bad  
tempers which you have given way to1 or 
the person whom you have quarrelled     
with1 hang in your mind1 and darken all 
your thoughts3  and you try not to      
remember them3  but conscience makes you
 remember them1 and will not let the    
dark thought fly away2 till you can     
enjoy nothing1 because your heart is not
 clean and clear2 there is something in 
the background which makes you sad      
whenever you try to be happy4  ,then a  
man tries first to deceive himself4  ,he
 says to himself1 ',no1 that sin is not 
what makes me unhappy--not that2' and he
 tries to find out any and every reason 
for his uncomfortable feelings1 except  
the very thing which he knows all the   
while in the bottom of his heart is the 
real reason4  ,he says1 ',well1 perhaps 
,i am unhappy because ,i have done      

something wrong3  what wrong can ,i have
 done8'  ,and so he sets to work to find
 out every sin except the sin which is  
the cause of all1 because that one he   
does not like to face3  it is too real1 
and ugly1 and humbling to his proud     
spirit2 and perhaps he is afraid of     
having to give it up4  ,so ,i have known
 a man confess himself a sinner1 a      
miserable sinner1 freely enough1 and    
then break out into a rage with you1 if 
you dare to speak a word of the one sin 
which you know that he has actually     
committed4  ',no1 sir1' he will say1    
'whatever ,i may be wrong in1 ,i am     
right there4  ,i have committed sins too
 many1 ,i know3  but you cannot charge  
me with that1 at least2'--and all the   
more because he knows that everybody    
round is charging him with it1 and that 
the thing is as notorious as the sun in 
heaven4  ,but that makes him1 in his    
pride1 all the more determined not to   
confess himself in the wrong on that one
 point2 and he will go and confess to   

,god1 and perhaps to man1 all manner of 
secret sins1 nay1 even invent sins for  
himself out of things which are no sins1
 and confess himself humbly in the wrong
 where perhaps he is all right1 just to 
drug his conscience1 and be able to say1
 ',i have repented1'--repented1 that is1
 of everything but what he and all the  
world know that he ought to repent of4  
,but still his conscience is not easy3  
he has no peace of mind3  he is like    
,david3  ',while ,i held my peace1 my   
bones waxed old through my daily        
complaining4'  ,god's hand is heavy on  
him day and night1 and his moisture is  
like the drought in summer3  his heart  
feels hard and dry2 he cannot enjoy     
himself2 he is moody2 he lies awake and 
frets at night1 and goes listlessly and 
heavily about his business in the       
morning2 his heart is not right with    
,god1 and he knows it2 ,god and he are  
not at peace1 and he knows it4  ,then he
 tries to repent3  but it is a false1   
useless sort of repentance4  ,he says to

 ,himself1 as ,david did1 ',well1 then1 
,i will make my peace with ,god3  ,i    
will please ,him4  ,i have done one     
wrong thing4  ,i will do two right ones 
to make up for it4'  ,if he is a rich   
man1 he perhaps tries ,david's plan of  
burnt-offerings and sacrifices4  ,he    
says1 ',i will give away a great deal in
 charity2 ,i will build a church2 ,i    
will take a great deal of trouble about 
societies1 and speak at religious       
meetings1 and show ,god how much ,i     
really do care for ,him after all1 and  
what great sacrifices ,i can make for   
,him4'  ,or1 if he is a poor man1 he    
will say1 ',well1 then1 ,i will try and 
be more religious2 ,i will think more   
about my soul1 and come to church as    
often as ,i can1 and say my prayers     
regularly1 and read good books2 and     
perhaps that will make my peace with    
,god4  ,at all events1 ,god shall see   
that ,i am not as bad as ,i look2 not   
altogether bad2 that ,i do care for     
,him1 and for doing right4'  ,but1 rich 

or poor1 the man finds out by bitter    
experience how truly ,david said1 ',thou
 requirest no sacrifice1 else would ,i  
give it ,thee4 ,thou delightest not in  
burnt-offerings4'  ,not that they are   
not good and excellent2 but that they   
are not good coming from him1 because   
his heart is still unrepentant1 because1
 instead of confessing his sin and      
throwing himself on ,god's mercy1 he is 
trying to win ,god round to overlook his
 sin4  ,so almsgiving1 and ordinances1  
and prayer give the poor man no peace4  
,he rises from his knees unrefreshed4   
,he goes out of church with as heavy a  
heart as he went in1 and he finds that  
for all his praying he does not become a
 better man1 any more than a happier    
man4  ,there is still that darkness over
 his soul1 like a black cloud spread    
between him and ,god4  ,my friends1 if  
any of you find yourselves in this sad  
case1 the only remedy which ,i can give 
you1 the only remedy which ,i ever found
 do me any good1 or give me back my     

peace of mind1 is ,david's remedy2 the  
one which he found out at last1 and     
which he spoke of in these blessed      
,psalms4  ,confess your sin to ,god4    
,bring it all out4  ,make a clean breast
 of it--whatever it may cost you1 make a
 clean breast of it4  ,only be but      
honest with ,god1 and all will come     
right at once4 ,say1 not with your lips 
only1 but from the very bottom of your  
heart1 say1 ',oh1 good ,god1 ,heavenly  
,father1 ,i have nothing to say2 ,i am  
wrong1 and yet ,i do not know how wrong 
,i am2 but ,thou knowest4 ,thou seest   
all my sin a thousand times more clearly
 than ,i do2 and if ,i look black and   
foul to myself1 oh ,god1 how much more  
black and how foul must ,i look to      
,thee6 ,i know not4  ,all ,i know is1   
that ,i am utterly wrong1 and ,thou     
utterly right4  ,i am shapen in sin1    
conceived in iniquity4  ,my heart it is 
that is wrong4  ,not merely this or that
 wrong which ,i have done2 but my heart1
 my temper1 which will have its own way1

 which cares for itself1 and not for    
,thee4  ,i have nothing to plead2       
nothing to throw into the other scale4  
,for if ,i have ever done right1 it was 
,thou didst right in me1 and not me     
myself1 and only my sins are my own     
doing2 so the good in me is all ,thine1 
and the bad in me all my own1 and in me 
dwells no good thing4  ,and as for      
excusing myself by saying that ,i love  
,thee1 ,i had better tell the truth1    
since ,thou knowest it already--,i do   
not love ,thee4  ,oh ,god1 ,i love      
myself1 my pitiful1 miserable self1 well
 enough1 and too well3  but as for      
loving ,thee--how many of my good deeds 
have been done for love of ,thee8  ,i   
have done right from fear of hell1 from 
hope of heaven2 or to win ,thy          
blessings3  but how often have ,i done  
right really and purely for ,thy sake8  
,i am ashamed to think6  ,my only       
comfort1 my only hope1 is1 that whether 
,i love ,thee or not1 ,thou lovest me1  
and hast sent ,thy ,son to seek and save

 me4  ,help me now4  ,save me now out of
 my sin1 and darkness1 and self-conceit4
  ,show ,thy love to me by setting this 
wrong heart of mine right4  ,give me a  
clean heart1 oh ,god1 and renew a right 
spirit within me4  ,if ,i be wrong      
myself1 how can ,i make myself right8   
,no2 ,thou must do it4  ,thou must purge
 me1 or ,i shall never be clean2 ,thou  
must make me to understand wisdom in the
 secret depth of my heart1 or ,i shall  
never see my way4  ,thou must1 for ,i   
cannot2 and base and bad as ,i am1 ,i   
can believe that ,thou wilt condescend  
to help me and teach me1 because ,i know
 ,thy love in ,jesus ,christ my ,lord4  
,and then ,thou wilt be pleased with my 
sacrifices and oblations1 because they  
come from a right heart--a truly humble1
 honest1 penitent heart1 which is not   
trying to deceive ,god1 or plaster over 
its own baseness and weakness1 but      
confesses all1 and yet trusts in ,god's 
boundless love4  ,then my alms will rise
 as a sweet savour before ,thee1 oh     

,god2 then sacraments will strengthen   
me1 ordinances will teach me1 good books
 will speak to my soul1 and my prayers  
will be answered by peace of mind1 and a
 clear conscience1 and the sweet and    
strengthening sense that ,i am in my    
,heavenly ,father's house1 about my     
,heavenly ,father's business1 and that  
,his smile is over me1 and ,his blessing
 on me1 as long as ,i remain loyal to   
,him and to ,his laws4'  ,feel thus1 my 
friends1 and speak to ,god thus1 and see
 if the dark stupefying cloud does not  
pass away from your heart--see if there 
and then does not come sunshine and     
strength1 and the sweet assurance that  
you are indeed forgiven4  ,but how about
 this old sin1 which caused the man all 
this trouble8 ,he began by trying to    
forget it4  ,i think1 if he be a true   
penitent1 he will not wish to forget it 
any more4  ,he will not torment himself 
about it1 for he knows that ,god has    
forgiven him4  ,but the more he feels   
,god has forgiven him1 the less likely  

he will be to forgive himself4  ,the    
more sure he feels of ,god's love and   
mercy1 the more utterly ashamed of      
himself he will be4  ,and what is more1 
it is not wise to forget our own sins1  
when ,god has not forgotten them4  ,for 
,god does not forget our sins1 though   
,he forgives them2 and a very bad thing 
it would be for us if ,he did1 my       
friends4  ,for the wages of sin is      
death3  and even if ,god does not slay  
us for our sins1 ,he is certain to      
punish us for them in some way1 lest we 
should forget that sin is sin1 and fancy
 that ,god's mercy is only careless     
indulgence4  ,so ,god did to ,david4    
,he then told him that though he was    
forgiven he would still be punished1    
',the ,lord has put away thy sin2       
nevertheless1 the child that shall be   
born unto thee shall surely die4'       
,punishment and forgiveness went        
together4  ,ay1 if we will look at it   
rightly1 ,david's being punished was the
 very sign that ,god had forgiven him4  

,oh1 believe that1 my friends2 face it2 
thank ,god for it4  ,i at least do1 when
 ,i look back upon my past life1 and see
 that for every wrong ,i have ever done1
 ,i have been punished3  not punished a 
tenth part as much as ,i deserve2 but   
still punished1 more or less1 and made  
to smart for my own folly1 and to learn1
 by hard unmistakable experience1 that  
it will not pay me1 or any man1 to break
 the least of ,god's laws2 and ,i thank 
,god for it4 ,i tell you to thank ,god  
also1 whensoever you are punished for   
your sins4  ,it is a sign that ,god     
cares for you1 that ,god loves you1 that
 ,god is training and educating you1    
that ,god is your ,father1 and ,he is   
dealing with you as with ,his sons4     
,for what son is there whom ,his ,father
 does not chastise8  ,it is a bitter    
lesson1 no doubt2 but we have deserved  
it3  then let us bear it like men4  ,no 
doubt it is bitter3  but there is a     
blessing in it4  ,no chastisement at    
first seems pleasant1 says the ,apostle1

 but rather grievous3  yet afterwards it
 yields the peaceable fruit of          
righteousness to those who are exercised
 thereby4  ,be exercised by it1 then4   
,let ,god teach you in ,his own way1    
even if it seem a harsh and painful way4
  ,we have had earthly fathers1 says the
 ,apostle1 who corrected us1 and we gave
 them reverence4  ,shall we not much    
rather be in subjection to ,god1 the    
,father of ,spirits1 and live8  ,for    
suffering and punishment is the way to  
,eternal ,life--to that true ,eternal   
,life which is knowing ,god and ,god's  
love1 and becoming like ,god4  ,as the  
,apostle says1 ,god chastens us only for
 our profit1 that we may be partakers of
 ,his holiness4  ,and as king ,hezekiah 
says of affliction1 ',lord1 by these    
things1' by sorrow and chastisement1    
'men live2 and in all these things is   
the life of the spirit4'  ,may ,god give
 to you1 and me1 and all mankind1 as    
often as we do wrong1 honest and good   
hearts to confess our sins thoroughly1  

and take our punishment meekly1 and     
trust in ,god's boundless mercy1 in     
order that if we humble ourselves under 
,his rod1 and learn ,his lessons        
faithfully in this life1 we may not need
 a worse punishment in the life to come1
 but be accepted in the last great ,day 
for the sake of ,jesus ,christ1 our     
blessed ,lord and ,saviour4    ,,sermon 
,,xx4  ,,the ,,true ,,gentleman    #a   
,cor4 xii4 #ca2 xiii4 #a4  ,covet       
earnestly the best gifts3  and yet shew 
,i unto you a more excellent way4       
,though ,i speak with the tongues of men
 and of angels1 and have not charity1 ,i
 am become as sounding brass1 or a      
tinkling cymbal4  ,my friends1 let me   
say a few plain words this morning to   
young and old1 rich and poor1 upon this 
text4  ,now you all1 ,i suppose1 think  
it a good thing to be gentlemen and     
ladies4  ,all of you1 ,i say4  ,there is
 not a poor man in this church1 perhaps1
 who has not before now said in his     
heart1 ',ah1 if ,i were but a           

gentleman6' or a poor woman who has not 
said in her heart1 ',ah1 if ,i were but 
a lady6'  ,you see round you in the     
world thousands plotting and labouring  
all their lives long to make money and  
grow rich1 that they may become 7as they
 think7 gentlemen1 or1 at least1 their  
sons after them4  ,and those here who   
are what the world calls gentlemen and  
ladies1 know very well that those names 
are names which are very precious to    
them2 and would sooner give up house1   
land1 money1 all the comforts upon      
earth1 than give up being called        
gentlemen and ladies2 and these last    
know1 ,i trust1 what some poor people do
 not know1 and what no man knows who    
fancies that he can make a gentleman of 
himself merely by gaining money1 and    
setting up a fine house1 and a good     
table1 and horses and carriages1 and    
indulging the lust of the flesh1 and the
 lust of the eye1 and the pride of life2
 for these last ought to know that the  
right to be called gentlemen and ladies 

is something which this world did not   
give1 and cannot take away2 so that if  
they were brought to utter poverty and  
rags1 or forced to dig the ground for   
their own livelihood1 they would be     
gentlemen and ladies still1 if they ever
 had been really and truly such2 and    
what is more1 they would make every one 
who met them feel that they were        
gentlemen and ladies1 in spite of all   
their poverty4  ,now1 people do not     
often understand clearly why this is4   
,they feel1 more or less1 that so it is2
 but they cannot explain it4  ,i could  
tell you why they cannot2 but ,i will   
not take up your time4  ,but if they    
cannot explain it1 there are those who  
can4  ,st4 ,paul explains it in the     
,epistle4  ,the ,lord ,jesus ,himself   
explains it in the ,gospel4  ,they tell 
us why money will not make a gentleman4 
,they tell us why poverty will not      
unmake one3  but they tell us more4     
,they tell us the one only thing which  
makes a true gentleman4  ,and they tell 

us more still4  ,they tell us how every 
one of us1 down to the poorest and most 
ignorant man and woman in this church1  
may become true gentlemen and ladies1 in
 the sight of ,god and of all reasonable
 men2 and that1 not only in this life1  
but after death1 for ever1 and ever1 and
 ever4  ,and that is by charity1 by     
love4  ,now1 if you will look two or    
three chapters back1 in the ,epistle to 
the ,corinthians--at the #aath and #abth
 chapters--you will see that these      
,corinthians were behaving to each other
 very much as people are apt to do in   
,england now4  ,they all wanted to rise 
in life1 and they wanted to rise upon   
each other's shoulders4  ,each man and  
woman wanted to set themselves up above 
their neighbours1 and to look down upon 
them4  ,the rich looked down on the     
poor1 and kept apart from them at the   
,lord's ,supper2 and no doubt the poor  
envied the rich heartily enough in      
return4  ,and these ,corinthians were   
very religious1 and some of them1 too1  

very clever4  ,so those who1 being poor1
 could not set themselves up above their
 neighbours on the score of wealth1     
wanted to set themselves up on the score
 of their spiritual gifts4  ,one looked 
down on his neighbours because he was a 
deeper scholar than they2 another1      
because he had the gift of tongues1 and 
understood more languages than they2    
another could prophesy better than any  
of them1 and so1 because he was a very  
eloquent preacher1 he tried to get power
 over his neighbours1 and abuse the     
talents which ,god had given him1 to    
pamper his own pride and vanity1 and    
love of managing and ordering people1   
and of being run after by silly women   
7as ,st4 ,paul calls them71 ever        
learning and never coming to the        
knowledge of the truth4  ,and of the    
rest1 one party sided with one preacher1
 or one teacher1 and another with       
another2 and each party looked down on  
the other1 and judged them harshly1 and 
said bitter things of them1 till1 as    

,st4 ,paul says1 they were all split up 
by heresies1 that is1 by divisions1     
party spirit1 envying1 and grudging in  
the very ,church of ,god1 and at the    
very ,table of ,the ,lord4  ,now says   
,st4 ,paul1 ',covet earnestly the best  
gifts3  and yet show ,i you a more      
excellent way2' and that is charity2    
love4  ,as much as to say1 ,i do not    
complain of any of you for trying to be 
the best that you can1 for trying to be 
as wise as you can be1 as eloquent as   
you can be1 as learned as you can be3   
,i do not complain of you for trying to 
rise2 but ,i do complain of you for     
trying to rise upon each other's        
shoulders4  ,i do complain of you for   
each trying to set up himself1 and      
trying to make use of his neighbours    
instead of helping them2 and1 when ,god 
gives you gifts to do good to others    
with1 trying to do good only to         
yourselves with them4  ,for he says1 you
 are all members of one body2 and all   
the talents1 gifts1 understanding1      

power1 money1 which ,god has bestowed on
 you1 ,he has given you only that you   
may help your neighbours with them4 ,of 
course there is no harm in longing and  
praying for great gifts1 longing and    
praying to be very wise1 or very        
eloquent2 but only that you may do all  
the more good4  ,and1 after all1 says   
,st4 ,paul1 there is something more     
worth longing for1 not merely than      
money1 but more worth longing for than  
the wisdom of a prophet1 or the tongue  
of an angel2 and that is charity4  ,if  
you have that1 you will be able to do as
 much good as ,god requires of you in   
your station2 and if you have not that1 
you will not do what ,god requires of   
you1 even though you spoke with the     
tongues of men and of angels4  ,even    
though you had the gift of prophecy1 and
 understood all mysteries1 and all      
knowledge2 even though you had all      
faith1 so that you could remove         
mountains2 even though you had all good 
works1 and gave all your goods to feed  

the poor1 and your body to be burned as 
a martyr for the sake of religion1 and  
had not charity1 you would be nothing4  
,nothing1 says ,st4 ,paul1 but sounding 
brass and a tinkling cymbal--an empty   
vessel1 which makes the more noise the  
less there is in it4 ,if you have       
charity1 says ,st4 ,paul1 you will be   
able to do your share of good where ,god
 has put you1 though you may be poor1   
and ignorant1 and stupid1 and weak2 but 
if you have not charity1 all the wisdom 
and learning1 righteousness and         
eloquence in the world1 will only give  
you greater power of doing harm4  ,yes1 
he says1 ,i show you a more excellent   
way to be really great2 a way by which  
the poorest may be as great as the      
richest1--the simple cottager's wife as 
great as the most accomplished lady2 and
 that is charity1 which comes from the  
,spirit of ,god4  ,pray for that--try   
after that2 and if you want to know what
 sort of a spirit it is that you are to 
pray for and try after1 ,i will tell    

you4  ,charity is the very opposite of  
the selfish1 covetous1 ambitious1 proud1
 grudging spirit of this world4         
,charity suffers long1 and is kind3     
charity does not envy3  charity does not
 boast1 is not puffed up3  does not     
behave itself unseemly2 that is1 is     
never rude1 or overbearing1 or careless 
about hurting people's feelings by hard 
words or looks3 seeketh not its own2    
that is1 is not always looking on its   
own rights1 and thinking about itself1  
and trying to help itself2 is not easily
 provoked3  thinketh no evil1 that is1  
is not suspicious1 ready to make out the
 worst case against every one2 rejoiceth
 not in iniquity1 but rejoiceth in the  
truth2 that is1 is not glad1 as too many
 are1 to see people do wrong1 and to    
laugh and sneer over their failings3    
but rejoiceth in the truth1 tries to    
find out the truth about every one1 and 
judge them honestly1 and make fair      
allowances for them3  covereth all      
things2 that is1 tries to hide a        

neighbour's sins as far as is right1    
instead of gossiping over them1 and     
blazoning them up and down1 as too many 
do3  believeth all things2 that is1     
gives every one credit for meaning well 
as long as it can3 hopeth all things2   
that is1 never gives any one up as past 
mending3 endureth all things1 keeps its 
temper1 and keeps its tongue2 not       
rendering evil for evil1 or railing for 
railing1 but1 on the contrary1 blessing2
 and so overcomes evil with good4  ,in  
one word1 while the spirit of the world 
thinks of itself1 and helps itself1     
,charity1 which is the ,spirit of ,god1 
thinks of other people1 and helps other 
people4  ,and now3--to be always        
thinking of other people's feelings1 and
 always caring for other people's       
comfort1 what is that but the mark1 and 
the only mark1 of a true gentleman1 and 
a true lady8  ,there is none other1 my  
friends1 and there never will be4  ,but 
the poorest man or woman can do that2   
the poorest man or woman can be         

courteous and tender1 careful not to    
pain people1 ready and willing to help  
every one to the best of their power2   
and therefore1 the poorest man or woman 
can be a true gentleman or a true lady  
in the sight of ,god1 by the inspiration
 of the ,spirit of ,god1 whose name is  
,charity4  ,they can be4  ,and thanks be
 to the grace of ,god1 they often are4  
,i can say that ,i have seen among plain
 sailors and labouring men as perfect   
gentlemen 7of ,god's sort7 as man need  
see2 but then they were always pious and
 ,god-fearing men2 and so the ,spirit of
 ,god had made up to them for any want  
of scholarship and rank4  ,they were    
gentlemen1 because ,god's ,spirit had   
made them gentle4  ,for recollect all1  
both rich and poor1 what that word      
gentleman means4  ,it is simply a man   
who is gentle2 who1 let him be as brave 
or as wise as he will1 yet1 as ,st4     
,paul says1 'suffers long and is kind2  
does not boast1 does not behave himself 
unseemly2 is not easily provoked1       

thinketh no evil4'  ,and recollect1 too1
 what that word lady means4  ,most of   
you perhaps do not know4  ,i will tell  
you4  ,it means1 in the ancient ,english
 tongue1 a person who gives away bread2 
who deals out loaves to the poor4  ,i   
have often thought that most beautiful1 
and full of meaning1 a very message from
 ,god to all ladies1 to tell them what  
they ought to be2 and not to them only1 
but to the poorest woman in the parish2 
for who is too poor to help her         
neighbours8  ,you see there is a        
difference between a ,christian man's   
duty in this and a ,christian woman's   
duty1 though they both spring from the  
same spirit4  ,the man1 unless he be a  
clergyman1 has not so much time as a    
woman for actually helping his          
neighbours by acts of charity4  ,he must
 till the ground1 sail the seas1 attend 
to his business1 fight the ,queen's     
enemies2 and the way in which the ,holy 
,spirit of ,charity will show in him    
will be more in his temper and his      

language2 by making him patient1        
cheerful1 respectful1 condescending1    
courteous1 reasonable1 with every one   
whom he has to do with3  but the woman  
has time to show acts of charity which  
the man has not4  ,she can teach in the 
schools1 sit by the sick bed1 work with 
her hands for the suffering and the     
helpless1 even though she cannot with   
her head4  ,above all1 she can give     
those kind looks and kind words which   
comfort the broken heart better than    
money and bodily comforts can do4  ,and 
she does do it1 thank ,god6  ,i do not  
merely mean in such noble instances of  
divine charity and self-sacrifice as    
those ladies who have gone out to nurse 
the wounded soldiers in the ,east--true 
ladies1 indeed1 of whom ,i fear more    
than one1 ere they return1 will be added
 to the noble army of martyrs1 to       
receive in return for the great love    
which they have shown on earth1 the full
 enjoyment of ,god's love in            
heaven3--not these only1 but poor       

women--women who could not write their  
own names--women who had hardly clothes 
wherewith to keep themselves warm--women
 who were toiling all day long to feed  
and clothe their own children1 till one 
wondered when in the twenty-four hours  
they could find five spare minutes for  
helping their neighbours2--such poor    
women have ,i seen1 who in the midst of 
their own daily work and daily care1 had
 still a heart open to hear every one's 
troubles2 a head always planning little 
comforts and pleasures for others2 and  
hands always busy in doing good4        
,instead of being made hard and selfish 
by their own troubles1 they had been    
taught by them1 as the ,lord ,jesus was1
 to feel for the troubles of all around 
them1 and went about like ministering   
angels in the ,spirit of ,god1 which is 
peace on earth and goodwill towards men4
  ,oh1 my friends1 such poor women      
seemed to me most glorious1 most        
honourable1 most venerable6  ,what was  
all rank or fashion1 beauty or          

accomplishments1 when compared with the 
great honour which the ,lord ,jesus     
,christ was putting upon those poor     
women1 by transforming them thus into   
,his own most blessed likeness1 and     
giving them grace to go about1 as ,he   
the ,lord ,jesus did1 doing good1       
because ,god was with them6  ,then ,i   
felt that such women1 poor1 and worn1   
and hard-handed as they were1 were      
ladies in the sight of that ,heavenly   
,father1 who is no respecter of persons2
 and felt how truly a wise ancient has  
said1-- ',it is virtue1 yea1 virtue1    
gentlemen1 which maketh gentlemen2 which
 maketh the poor rich1 the strong weak1 
the simple wise1 the base- born noble4  
,this rank neither the whirling wheel of
 ,fortune can destroy1 nor the deceitful
 cavillings of worldlings separate2     
neither sickness abate1 nor time        
abolish4'  ,no2 for it is written1 that 
though prophecies shall fail1 tongues   
cease1 knowledge vanish away1 and all   
that we now know is but in part1 yet    

charity shall never fail those who are  
full of the ,spirit of ,love1 but abide 
with them for ever and ever1 bringing   
forth fruit through all eternity to     
everlasting life4  ,but what sort of    
virtue8  ,do not mistake that4  ,not    
what the world calls virtue2 not mere   
legal respectability1 which says1 ,i do 
unto others as they do unto me2 which is
 often merely the whitening outside the 
sepulchre1 and leaves the heart within  
unrenewed1 unrighteous1 full of pride   
and ambition1 conceit1 cunning1 and     
envy1 and unbelief in ,god3  not that   
virtue1 but the virtue which the        
,apostle tells us to add to our faith1  
the virtue from above1 which is the same
 as the wisdom from above1 which is     
first pure1 then peaceable1 gentle1 easy
 to be entreated2 in one word1 the ,holy
 ,spirit of ,god1 the ,spirit of ,divine
 ,love and ,charity1 which seeketh not  
its own1 which ,st4 ,paul has described 
to us in this epistle2 the ,holy ,spirit
 of ,god1 with which the ,lord ,jesus   

was filled without measure1 and which   
,he manifested to all the world in ,his 
most blessed life and death4  ,ah1 my   
friends1 this is not an easy lesson to  
learn4  ,christ's disciples and apostles
 could not learn it all at once4  ,they 
tried to hinder little children from    
coming to ,him4  ,they rebuked the blind
 man who called after ,him4  ,how could 
the great ,prophet of ,nazareth stoop to
 trouble ,himself about such poor       
insignificant people8  ,they could not  
conceive1 either1 why the ,lord ,jesus  
should choose to die shamefully1 when   
,he might have lived in honour3  it     
seemed unworthy of ,him4  ,they were    
shocked at ,his words4 ',that be far    
from ,thee1 ,lord1' said ,peter4        
,afterwards1 when they really understood
 what that word ',lord1' meant1 and what
 sort of a man a true and perfect ,lord 
ought to be1 then they saw how fit1 and 
proper1 and glorious1 ,christ's         
self-sacrifice was4  ,when1 too1 they   
learnt to look on ,him1 not merely as a 

great prophet1 but as the ,son of the   
,living ,god1 then they understood ,his 
conduct1 and saw that it behoved an     
only-begotten ,son of ,god to suffer all
 these things before ,he entered into   
,his glory4  ,but the ,scribes and      
,pharisees never understood it4  ,to the
 last they were puzzled and angered by  
that very self-sacrifice of ,his3  ,he  
must be a bad man1 they thought1 or ,he 
would not care so much for bad men4  ',a
 friend of publicans and sinners1' they 
called ,him1 thinking that a shameful   
blame to ,him1 while it was really the  
very highest praise4  ,but if they could
 not see the beauty of ,his conduct1 can
 we8  ,it is very difficult1 ,i do not  
deny it1 my friends1 for the selfishness
 and pride of fallen man3  it is        
difficult to see that the ,cross was the
 most glorious throne that was even set 
up on earth1 and that the crown of      
thorns was worth all the crowns of czars
 and emperors3  difficult1 indeed1 not  
to stumble at the stumbling-block of the

 ,cross1 and to say1 ',it cannot surely 
be more blessed to give than to         
receive3' difficult1 not to say in our  
hearts1 ',the way to be great is surely 
to rise above other men1 not to stoop   
below them2 to make use of them1 and not
 to make ourselves slaves to them4'     
,and yet the ,lord ,jesus ,christ did   
so2 ,he took on ,himself the form of a  
slave1 and made ,himself of no          
reputation3  and what was fit and good  
for ,him1 must surely be fit and good   
for us4  ,but it is a hard lesson to the
 pride of fallen creatures3  very hard4 
,and nothing1 ,i believe1 but sorrow    
will teach it us3  sorrow is teaching it
 some of us now4  ,we surely are        
beginning to see1 that to suffer        
patiently for conscience sake1 is the   
most beautiful thing on earth or in     
heaven3  we begin to see that those poor
 soldiers1 dying by inches of cold and  
weariness1 without a murmur1 because it 
was their ,duty1 were doing a nobler    
work even than they did when they fought

 at ,alma and ,inkermann2 and that those
 ladies who are drudging in the         
hospitals1 far away from home1 amid     
filth and pestilence1 are doing1 if     
possible1 a nobler work still1 a nobler 
work than if they were queens or        
empresses1 because they have taken up   
the ,cross and followed ,christ2 because
 they are not seeking their own good1   
but the good of others4  ,and if we will
 not learn it from those glorious       
examples1 ,god will force us to learn   
it1 ,i trust1 every one of us1 by sorrow
 and disappointment4 ,ah1 my friends1   
might one not learn it at once1 if one  
would but open one's eyes and look at   
things as they are8  ,every one is      
longing for something2 each has his     
little plan for himself1 of what he     
would like to be1 and like to do1 and   
says to himself all day long1 ',if ,i   
could but get that one thing1 ,i should 
be happy3  ,if ,i could but get that1   
then ,i should want no more6'  ,foolish 
man1 self- deceived by his own lusts6   

,perhaps he cannot get what he wants1   
and therefore he cannot enjoy what he   
has1 and is moody1 discontented1        
peevish1 a torment to himself1 and      
perhaps a torment to his family4 ,or    
perhaps he does get what he wants3  and 
is he happy after all8 ,not he4  ,he is 
like the greedy ,israelites of old1 when
 they longed for the quails2 and ,god   
sent the quails3  but while the meat was
 yet in their mouths1 they loathed it4  
,so it is with a man's fancy4  ,he gets 
what he fancies2 and he plays with it   
for a day1 as a child with a new toy1   
and most probably spoils it1 and next   
day throws it away to run after some new
 pleasure1 which will cheat him in just 
the same way as the last did2 and so    
happiness flits away ahead before him2  
and he is like the simple boy in the    
parable1 who was to find a crock of gold
 where the rainbow touched the ground3  
but as he moved on1 the rainbow moved on
 too1 and kept always a field off from  
him4  ,you may smile3  but just as      

foolish is every soul of us1 who fancies
 that he will become happy by making    
himself great2 admired1 rich1           
comfortable1 in short1 by making himself
 anything whatsoever1 or getting        
anything whatsoever for himself4  ,just 
as foolish is every poor soul1 and just 
as unhappy1 as long as he will go on    
thinking about himself1 instead of      
copying the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 and   
thinking about others2 as long as he    
will keep to the pattern of the old     
selfish ,adam1 which is corrupt         
according to the deceitful lusts1 the   
longings and fancies which deceive a man
 into expecting to be happy when he will
 not be happy2 instead of putting on the
 new man1 which after ,god's likeness is
 created in righteousness and true      
holiness3  and what is true holiness but
 that very charity of which ,st4 ,paul  
has been preaching to us1 the spirit of 
love1 and mercy1 and gentleness1 and    
condescension1 and patience1 and active 
benevolence8  ,ah1 my friends1 do not   

forget what ,i said just now2 that a man
 could not become happy by making       
himself anything4  ,no4  ,not by making 
himself anything3  but he may by letting
 ,god make him something4  ,if he will  
let ,god make him a new creature in     
,jesus ,christ1 then he will be more    
than happy--he will be blessed3  then he
 will be a blessing to himself1 and a   
blessing to every one whom he meets3    
then all vain longing1 and selfishness1 
and pride1 and ambition1 and            
covetousness1 and peevishness and       
disappointment1 will vanish out of his  
heart1 and he will work manfully and    
contentedly where ,god has placed       
him--cheerful and open-hearted1 civil   
and patient1 always thinking about      
others1 and not about himself2 trying to
 be about his ,master's business1 which 
is doing good2 and always finding too1  
that his ,master ,christ sets him some  
good work to do day by day1 and gives   
him strength to do it4  ,and how can a  
man get that blessed and noble state of 

mind8  ,by prayer and practice4  ,you   
must ask for strength from ,god3  but   
then you must believe that ,he answers  
your prayer1 and gives you that         
strength2 and therefore you must try and
 use it4  ,there is no more use in      
praying without practising than there is
 in practising without praying4  ,you   
cannot learn to walk without walking3   
no more can you learn to do good without
 trying to do good4  ,ask1 then1 of     
,god1 grace and help to do good3  ,pray 
to ,him this very day to take all       
selfishness and meanness out of your    
hearts1 and to give you instead ,his    
,holy ,spirit of ,love and ,charity1    
which alone can make you noble in ,his  
sight2 and try this day1 try every day  
of your lives1 to do some good to those 
around you4  ,oh make a rule1 and pray  
to ,god to help you to keep it1 never1  
if possible1 to lie down at night       
without being able to say1 ',i have made
 one human being at least a little      
wiser1 or a little happier1 or a little 

better this day4'  ,you will find it    
easier than you think1 and pleasanter3  
easier1 because if you wish to do ,god's
 work1 ,god will surely find you work to
 do2 and pleasanter1 because in return  
for the little trouble it may cost you1 
or the little choking of foolish vulgar 
pride it may cost you1 you will have a  
peace of mind1 a quiet of temper1 a     
cheerfulness and hopefulness about      
yourself and all around you1 such as you
 never felt before2 and over and above  
that1 if you look for a reward in the   
life to come1 recollect this--what we   
have to hope for in the life to come is1
 to enter into the joy of our ,lord4    
,and how did ,he fulfil that joy1 but by
 humbling ,himself1 and taking the form 
of a slave1 and coming not to be        
ministered to but to minister1 and to   
give ,his whole life1 even to the death 
upon the cross1 a ransom for many8  ,be 
sure1 that unless you take up ,his      
cross1 you will not share ,his crown4   
,be sure1 that unless you follow in ,his

 footsteps1 you will never reach the    
place where ,he is4 ,if you wish to     
enter into the joy of your ,lord1 be    
sure that ,his joy is now1 as it was in 
,judaea of old1 over every sinner that  
repenteth1 every mourner that is        
comforted1 every hungry mouth that is   
fed1 every poor soul1 sick or in prison1
 who is visited4  ,that is the joy of   
your ,lord--to show mercy2 and that must
 be your joy too1 if you wish to enter  
into ,his joy4  ,surely that is plain4  
,you must rejoice in doing the same work
 that ,he rejoices in1 and then ,his joy
 and yours will be the same2 then you   
will enter into ,his joy1 and ,he will  
enter into yours2 then1 as ,st4 ,john   
says1 you will dwell in ,christ1 and    
,christ in you1 because you love the    
brethren2 and you will hear through all 
eternity the blessed words1 ',inasmuch  
as ye did it unto one of the least of   
these little ones1 ye did it unto ,me4' 
,,sermon ,,xxi4  ,,toleration           
,preached at ,bideford1 #ahed           

,philippians iii4 #ae1 #af4  ,and if in 
any thing ye shall be otherwise minded1 
,god shall reveal even this to you4     
,nevertheless1 whereto we have already  
attained1 let us walk by the same rule1 
let us mind the same thing4  ,my        
friends1 allow me to speak a few plain  
and honest words1 ere we part1 on a     
matter which is near to1 and probably   
important to1 many of us here4  ,we all 
know how the ,christian ,church has in  
all ages been torn in pieces by         
religious quarrels2 we all know too well
 how painfully these religious quarrels 
have been brought home to our very doors
 and hearts of late4  ,now1 we all      
deplore1 or profess to deplore1 these   
differences and controversies4  ,but we 
may do that in two ways3  we may say1   
',i am very sorry that all ,christians  
do not think alike1' when all we mean   
is1 ',i am very sorry that all          
,christians do not think just as ,i do1 
for ,i am right and infallible1         
whosoever else is wrong4'  ,the fallen  

heart of man is too apt to say that1 my 
friends1 in its pride and narrowness1   
and while it cries out against the ,pope
 of ,rome1 sets itself up as ,pope in   
his stead4  ,but there is surely another
 and a better way of deploring these    
differences3  and that is1 to say to    
oneself1 ',i am sorry1 bitterly sorry1  
that ,christians cannot differ without  
quarrelling and hating one another over 
and above4'  ,and then comes the deeper 
home- thought1 ',and how much more sorry
 ,i am that ,i myself cannot differ from
 my fellow-,christians without growing  
angry with them1 suspecting them1       
despising them1 treating them as if they
 were not my fellow-,christians at all4'
  ,yes1 my friends1 this is what we have
 to do first when we think of religious 
controversies1 to examine our own hearts
 and deeds and words2 to see whether we 
too have not been making bitterness more
 bitter1 and1 as the old proverb says1  
'stirring the fire with a sword2' and to
 repent humbly and utterly of every     

harsh word1 hasty judgment1 ungenerous  
suspicion1 as sins1 not only against    
men1 but against ,god the ,father of    
,lights1 who worketh in each of ,his    
children to will and to do of ,his good 
pleasure4  ,but some will say1 ',we     
cannot give up what we believe to be    
right and true4'  ,god forbid that you  
should try to do so1 my friends2 for if 
you really believe it1 you cannot1 even 
if you try2 and by trying you will only 
make yourselves dishonest4  ,but does   
not that hold as good of the man who    
differs from you8  ,god will not surely 
lay down one law for you1 and another   
for him8  ',but we are right1 and he is 
wrong4'  ,be it so4  ,you do not surely 
mean that you are quite right2 perfect  
and infallible8  ,you mean that you are 
right on the whole1 and as far as you   
see4  ,and how can you tell but that he 
is right on the whole1 and as far as he 
sees8  ,you will answer that both cannot
 be right2 that yes and no cannot be    
both true2 that a thing cannot be black 

and white also4  ,my friends1 my        
friends--but where is the religious     
controversy1 the two sides whereof are  
as clearly opposite to each other as yes
 and no1 black and white8  ,i know none 
now2 ,i have hardly found one in the    
records of the ,protestant ,church since
 first ,luther and our ,reformers       
protested against ,romish idolatry4  ,on
 that last matter there should be no    
doubt1 as long as the first two         
commandments stand in the ,decalogue2   
but1 with that exception1 it would be   
difficult to find a dispute in which the
 truth lay altogether with one party4   
,the truth rather lies1 in general1 not 
so much halfway between the two         
combatants1 as in some third place1     
which neither of them sees2 which       
perhaps ,god does not intend them to see
 in this life1 while ,he leaves his     
servants each to work out some one side 
of ,christian truth1 dividing to every  
man severally as ,he will1 according to 
the powers of each mind1 and the needs  

of each situation4  ,true we have the   
infallible rule of ,scripture3  but are 
our own interpretations of it so sure to
 be infallible8  ,inspired1 infinite1   
inexhaustible as it is1 can we pretend  
to have fathomed all its abysses1 to    
have comprehended all its boundless     
treasures8  ,the pretence is folly4     
,true1 again1 it contains all things    
necessary to salvation2 and those so    
plainly set forth1 that he who runs may 
read1 and the wayfaring man1 though     
poor1 shall not err therein4 ,and yet   
does it not contain things whereof even 
,st4 ,paul himself said1 that he only   
knew in part1 and prophesied in part1   
and saw as through a glass darkly2 and  
are we to suppose that they are among   
the truths necessary to salvation8  ,now
 are not the points about which there   
has been1 and is still1 most dispute1   
just of this very number8  ,do they     
belong to the simple fundamental truths 
of the ,gospel8  ,no4  ,are they such   
plain matters that the wayfaring man1   

though poor1 can make up his mind on    
them for himself8  ,no4  ,are they one  
of them laid down directly in           
,scripture1 like the ,ten ,commandments1
 the ,lord's ,prayer1 or the ,creeds8   
,no4  ,they are every one1 as it seems  
to me1 whether they be right or wrong1  
abstruse deductions1 delicate theories1 
built up on single and obscure texts4   
,surely1 if they had been necessary for 
salvation1 the ,lord would have spoken  
on them in a tone and in words about    
which there should be no more mistake   
than about the thunders of ,sinai1 and  
the tables of stone fresh from the      
finger-mark of ,god4  ,and ,he has      
spoken to us1 my friends1 on other      
matters1 if not on these4  ,his promises
 are clear enough1 and short enough1    
though high as heaven and wide as the   
universe4  ,there is one ,god1 and one  
,mediator between ,god and man1 the man 
,christ ,jesus1 the only-begotten ,son  
of ,god2 and whosoever believeth that   
,jesus is the ,christ1 is born of ,god2 

and if any man sin1 we have an ,advocate
 with the ,father1 ,jesus ,christ the   
righteous1 and ,he is the propitiation  
for our sins4  ,and again1 ',if any man 
lack wisdom1 let him ask of ,god1 who   
giveth liberally1 and upbraideth not1   
and he shall receive it4'   ',for if ye1
 being evil1 know how to give good gifts
 to your children1 much more shall your 
,heavenly ,father give ,his ,holy       
,spirit to them who ask ,him4'  ,these  
are ,god's promises--simple and clear   
enough3  and what are ,god's demands8   
,are they numerous1 intricate1          
burdensome1 a yoke which neither we nor 
our fathers have been able to bear8     
,god forbid again6--',he hath showed    
thee1 oh man1 what is good4  ,and what  
doth the ,lord require of thee1 but to  
do justly and to love mercy1 and to walk
 humbly with thy ,god8'  ,and lest thou 
shouldest mistake in the least the      
meaning of these words1 ,he hath showed 
thee all this1 and more1 by a living    
example fairer than all the sons of men1

 and through lips full of grace1 in the 
blessed life and blessed death of ,his  
,son ,jesus ,christ1 the brightness of  
,his glory1 and the express image of    
,his person4  ,to this1 at least1 we    
have already attained4 ,let us walk by  
this rule1 let us all mind this same    
thing1 and if in anything else we are   
differently minded1 ,god in ,his own    
good time will reveal even that to us4  
,is not this enough1 my friends8  ,then 
why should we bite and tear each other  
about that which is over and above this8
  ,if any man believes this1 and acts on
 it1 let us hail him as a brother4      
,after all1 let our differences be what 
they will1 have we not one ,lord1 one   
faith1 one baptism1 one ,god and ,father
 of all1 who is above all1 and through  
all1 and in us all8  ,if this is not    
bond enough between man and man1 what   
bond would we have8  ,oh1 my friends1   
when we consider this our little life1  
how full of ignorance it is and         
darkness2 within us1 rebellion1         

inconstancy1 confusion1 daily sins and  
shortcomings2 and without us1           
disappointment1 fear of loneliness1 loss
 of friends1 loss of all which makes    
life worth having1--who are we that we  
should deny proudly one single tie which
 binds us to any other human being8     
,who are we that we should refuse one   
hand stretched out to grasp our own8    
,who are we that we should say1 ',stand 
back1 for ,i am holier than thou8'  ,who
 are we that we should judge another8 to
 his own master let him stand or        
fall--'yea1 and he shall stand1' says   
the ,apostle1 'for ,god is able to make 
him stand4'  ,think of those last words1
 my friends1 they are strong and        
startling2 but we must not shrink from  
them4  ,they tell us that ,god may be as
 near those whom we heap with hard      
names1 as ,he is near to us2 that ,he   
may intend that they should triumph1 not
 over us1 but with us over evil4  ,and  
if ,god be with them1 who dare be       
against them8  ,shall we be more dainty 

than ,god8  ,and therefore ,i have never
 been able to hear1 without a shudder1  
words which ,i have heard1 and from     
really ,christian men too3  ',i can wish
 well to a pious man of a different     
denomination from mine2 ,i can honour   
and admire the fruits of ,god's ,spirit 
in him2 but ,i cannot co-operate with   
him4'  ,when ,i hear such language from 
really good men1 ,i confess ,i am       
puzzled4  ,i have no doubt that their   
reasons seem to them very sound2 but    
what they are ,i cannot conceive4  ,i   
cannot conceive why ,i should not hold  
out the right hand of fellowship and    
brotherhood to every man who fears ,god 
and works righteousness1 of whatsoever  
denomination he may be4  ,we believe the
 ,apostles' ,creed1 surely8  ,then think
 of the meaning of that one word1 ,the  
,holy ,spirit4  ,to whom are we to      
attribute any man's good deeds1 except  
to the ,holy ,spirit8  ,we dare not say 
that he does them by an innate and      
natural virtue of his own1 for that     

would be to fall at once into the       
,pelagian heresy2 neither dare we       
attribute his good deeds to an evil     
spirit1 and say1 ',however good they may
 look1 they must be bad1 for he belongs 
to a denomination who cannot have ,god's
 ,spirit4'  ,we dare not2 for that would
 be to approach fearfully near to the   
unpardonable sin itself1 the sin against
 the ,holy ,ghost1 the bigotry which    
says1 ',he casteth out devils by the    
,prince of the devils4'  ,surely if we  
be ,christians1 and ,churchmen1 we      
confess 7for the ,bible and the ,prayer-
 book declare7 that every good deed of  
man comes down from the ,one ,fountain  
of ,good1 from ,god1 the ,father of     
,lights1 by the inspiration of ,his     
,holy ,spirit4  ,then think1 my friends1
 think what words we have said4  ,we    
confess that the great1 absolute1       
almighty1 eternal ,god1 in whose hand   
suns and stars1 ages and generations1   
hell and heaven1 and all which is and   
has been1 and ever will be1 are but as a

 grain of sand2 who has but to take away
 ,his breath1 and the whole universe    
would become nothing and nowhere2 the   
utterly holy and righteous ,god1 who is 
of purer eyes than to behold iniquity1  
who charges ,his angels with folly1 and 
the heavens are not clean in ,his       
sight--we confess1 ,i say1 that this    
great ,god has condescended to visit    
that man's soul1 and cherish it1 and    
teach it1 and shape it 7be it ever so   
little7 into ,his own likeness3  and    
shall we dare to stand aloof from him   
from whom ,god does not stand aloof8    
,shall we refuse to walk with one who   
walks with ,god8  ,shall we refuse to   
work with one who is a fellow-worker    
with ,god1 to love one whom ,god loves1 
to take by the hand one whose guest ,god
 has become8  ,shall we be more dainty  
than ,god8 more fastidious than ,god8   
more righteous than ,god8 more separate 
from sinners than ,god8  ,oh1 my        
friends1 let us pray that we may love   
,god better1 and know ,his likeness more

 clearly2 that we may be more ready to  
recognise1 and admire1 and welcome      
every1 even the smallest trace of that  
likeness in any human being1 remembering
 that it is the likeness of ,christ1 who
 was not merely ,the ,teacher of all in 
every nation who fear ,god and work     
righteousness1 but the ,saviour who ate 
and drank with publicans and sinners3   
and then we shall be more careful how we
 call unclean what ,god ,himself has    
cleansed with ,his own presence1 ,his   
own grace1 ,his own quickening and      
renewing and sanctifying ,spirit4  ,be  
sure1 be sure1 my friends1 that in      
proportion as we really love the ,lord  
,jesus ,christ1 we shall love those who 
love ,him1 be it in never so clumsy or  
mistaken a fashion2 and love those too  
whom ,he loved enough to die for them1  
and whom ,he loves now enough to teach  
and strengthen4  ,we shall say to them1 
not ',wherein do we differ8' but        
',wherein do we agree8'  ,not1 ',because
 ,i cannot worship with you1 therefore  

,i will not work with you2' but rather1 
',i wish that ,i could worship with you2
 ,i will whenever and wherever ,i can1  
as far as you allow me1 as far as the   
law allows me1 as far as your worship is
 not in my eyes an actually sinful      
thing3  but1 be that as it may1 we can  
at least do together something better   
even than worshipping1 and that is1     
working4  ,we can surely do good        
together4  ,together1 let our           
denomination or party be what it may1 we
 can feed the hungry1 clothe the naked1 
reform the prisoner1 humanize the       
degraded1 save yearly the lives of      
thousands by labouring for the public   
health1 and educate the minds and morals
 of the masses1 though our religious    
differences 7shame on us that it should 
be so67 force us to part when we begin  
to talk to them about the world to      
come4'  ,for are we not brothers after  
all8  ,has not ,god made us of one      
blood1 ,english men1 with ,english      
hearts8  ,has not ,christ redeemed us   

with one and the same sacrifice8  ,has  
not the ,holy ,spirit given us one and  
the same desire of doing good8  ,and    
shall we not use that spirit hand in    
hand8  ,look1 look at the opportunities 
of doing good which are around you2 look
 at ,god's field of good works1 white   
already to the harvest2 and the         
labourers are few4  ,shall these few1   
instead of going manfully to work1 stand
 idly quarrelling about the shape of    
their instruments1 and their favourite  
modes of using them8 ,god forbid6       
,true1 there are errors against which we
 are bound to protest to the uttermost2 
but how few8  ,the one real enemy we    
have all to fight is sin--evil-doing4   
,if any man or doctrine makes men       
worse--makes men do worse deeds1 protest
 then1 if you will1 and spare not1 and  
shrink not3  for sin must be of the     
,devil1 whatever else is not4  ,and     
therefore we are bound to protest       
against any doctrine which parts man    
from ,god1 and1 under whatsoever        

pretence of reverence or purity1 draws  
again the veil between him and his      
,heavenly ,father1 and denies him free  
access to the ,throne of ,grace1 and the
 feet of ,jesus1 that he may carry      
thither his own sins1 his own doubts1   
his own sorrows1 and speak 7wondrous    
condescension of redeeming grace67 speak
 with ,god face to face1 and yet live4  
,for this we must protest2 for this we  
must die1 if needs be2 for if we lose   
this1 we lose all which our reforming   
forefathers won for us at the stake1 ay1
 we lose our own souls2 for we lose     
righteousness and strength1 and the     
power to do the will of ,god4  ,for to  
shut a man out from free access to ,god 
and ,christ is to make him certainly    
false1 dishonest1 cowardly1 degraded1   
slavish1 and sinful2 as modern ,popery  
has made1 and always will make1 those   
over whom it really gains power4  ,this 
is the root of our hereditary protest   
against ,popery2 not merely because we  
do not agree with certain of its        

doctrines1 but because we know from     
experience1 that as now taught by the   
,jesuits1 with whom it has identified   
itself1 its general tendency is to make 
men bad men1 ignorant1 dishonest1       
rebellious2 unworthy citizens of a free 
and loyal state4  ,and there are        
practices against which congregations   
have a right to protest1 not only as    
,christians1 but as free ,englishmen4   
,congregations have a right to protest  
against any minister who introduces     
obsolete ceremonies which empty his     
church and drive away his people4       
,those ceremonies may be quite harmless 
in themselves1 as ,i really believe most
 of them are2 many of them may be       
beautiful1 and1 if properly understood1 
useful1 as ,i think they are2 but a     
thing may be good in itself1 and yet    
become bad by being used at a wrong     
time1 and in a way which produces harm4 
,and it is shocking1 to say the least1  
to see churches emptied and parishes    
thrown into war for the sake of such    

matters4  ,the lightest word which can  
be used for such conduct is1 pedantry2  
but ,i fear at times lest the ,lord in  
heaven should be using a far more awful 
word1 and when ,he sees weak brethren   
driven from the fold of the ,church by  
the self- will and obstinacy of the very
 men who profess to desire to bring all 
into the ,church1 as the only place     
where salvation is to be found1--,i     
fear1 ,i say1 when ,i see such deeds1   
lest the ,lord should repeat against    
them ,his own awful words3  ',if any man
 scandalize one of these little ones who
 believeth on ,me1 it were better for   
him that a millstone were hanged about  
his neck1 and that he were drowned in   
the depths of the sea4'  ,what sadder   
mistake8  ,those who have sworn to seek 
out ,christ's lambs scattered up and    
down this wicked world1 shall they be   
the very ones to frighten those lambs   
out of the fold1 instead of alluring    
them back into it8  ,shall the shepherd 
play the part1 not even of the hireling 

who flees and leaves the sheep to       
themselves1 but of the very wolf who    
scatters the flock8  ,god forbid6  ,the 
,church1 like the ,sabbath1 was made for
 man1 my friends3  not man for the      
,church2 and the ,son of ,man1 as ,he is
 ,lord of the ,sabbath1 is ,lord of the 
,church1 and will have mercy in its     
dealings rather than sacrifice4  ,the   
minister1 my friends1 was made for the  
people3  and not the people for the     
minister4  ,what else does the very name
 'minister' mean8  ,not a lord who has  
dominion1 but a servant1 a servant to   
all1 who must give up again and again   
his private notions of what he thinks   
best in itself for the sake of what will
 be best for his flock2 who must be1    
like ,st4 ,paul1 a ,jew to the ,jews2   
under the law to those who are still    
under the law2 and yet again without law
 to those who are without law 7though   
not without law to ,god1 but under the  
law to ,christ72 weak with the weak2    
strong with the strong2 that he may gain

 men of all sorts of opinions and       
characters by agreeing with them as far 
as he honestly can1 and showing his     
sympathy with each as much as he can2   
and so become all things to all men1    
that he may by all means save some4     
,oh1 my friends1 who can read honestly  
that glorious ,first ,epistle to the    
,corinthians and not see how a man may  
have the most intense earnestness1 the  
strongest doctrinal certainty1 and yet  
at the same time the greatest freedom1  
and charity1 and liberality about minor 
matters of ceremonies and ,church       
arrangements1 and practical methods of  
usefulness2 glad even that ,christ be   
preached by his enemies1 and out of     
spite to him1 because any way ,christ is
 preached8  ,but1 my friends1 if it is  
the right of free ,englishmen to protest
 against such doings1 how shall it be   
done8  ,surely in gentleness1 calmness1 
reverence1 as by men who know that they 
are standing on holy ground1 and dealing
 with sacred things1 before the ,throne 

of ,god1 and beneath the eye of ,jesus  
,christ4  ,not surely1 as it has been   
too often done1 in bitterness1 and      
wrath1 and clamour1 and evil-speaking1  
with really unjust suspicions1          
exaggerations1 slanders1 7and those1    
too1 anonymous17 in the columns of the  
public prints4  ,my friends1 these are  
not ,god's weapons4  ,not such is       
,ithuriel's magic spear1 the very touch 
of which unmasks falsehood4 ,this is to 
try to cast out ,satan by ,satan1 to    
make evil worse by fighting it with     
fresh evil4  ,oh1 my friends1 if there  
is one counsel which ,i would press on  
all here more earnestly than another1 it
 is this--never1 never1 howsoever great 
may be the temptation1 to indulge in    
anonymous attacks on any human being4   
,no man has a right to do it who prays  
daily to his ,father in heaven1 ,lead us
 not into temptation4  ,for it is to    
lead oneself into temptation1 and that  
too sore to resist2 into the temptation 
to say something which one dare not say1

 and ought not to say1 were one's name  
known2 the temptation to forget not only
 the charity of ,christians1 but even   
the courtesies of civilized life2 and to
 shoot1 from behind the safe hedge of   
anonymousness1 coward and envenomed     
shafts1 of which we should be ashamed1  
did the world know that they were ours2 
of which we shall surely be ashamed in  
that great day1 when the secrets of all 
hearts shall be disclosed4  ,i speak    
strongly3  but only because ,i know by  
bitter experience the terrible truth of 
my own words4  ,and consider1 my        
friends1 can any good result come from  
handling sacred matters with such harsh 
and fierce hands as they have been      
handled of late8  ,for ourselves1 such  
evil tempers only excite1 irritate1     
blind us3  they prevent our doing       
justice to the opposite side--7,i speak 
of all parties7--they put us into an    
unwholesome state of suspicion1 and     
tempt us to pass harsh judgments upon   
men as righteous1 and perhaps far more  

righteous1 than ourselves3  they stir up
 our pride to special plead our case1 to
 make the best of our own side1 and the 
worst of our opponents'3  they defile   
our very prayers2 till1 when we ought to
 be praying ,god to bless all mankind1  
we catch ourselves unawares calling on  
,him to curse our enemies4  ,for those  
who are without--for the infidel1 the   
profligate1 the careless--oh1 what a    
scandal to them6  ,what an excuse for   
them to blaspheme the holy name whereby 
we are called1 and ask1 as of old1 ',is 
this then the ,gospel of ,peace8  ,see  
how these ,christians hate one another6'
  ,while for the young1 oh1 my friends1 
what a scandal1 again1 to them6 ,if you 
had seen 7as ,i have7 pious parents     
destroying in their own childrens' minds
 all faith1 all reverence for holy      
things1 by mixing themselves up in      
religious controversies1 and indulging  
by their own firesides in fierce        
denunciations of men no worse than      
themselves2-- if you will watch 7as you 

may7 young people taking refuge1 some in
 utter frivolity1 saying1 ',what am ,i  
to believe8  ,when religionists have    
settled what religion is1 it will be    
time enough for me to think of it3      
meanwhile1 let me eat and drink1 for    
to-morrow ,i die2'--and others1 the     
children of strong ,protestant parents1 
taking refuge in the apostate ,church of
 ,rome1 and saying1 ',if ,englishmen do 
not know what to believe1 ,rome does2 if
 ,i cannot find certainty in            
,protestantism1 ,i can in ,popery2'--if 
you will consider honestly and earnestly
 these sad tragedies1 you will look on  
it as a sacred duty to the children whom
 ,god has given you1 to keep aloof as   
much as possible from all those points  
on which ,christians differ1 and make   
your children feel from their earliest  
years that there are points1 and those  
the great1 vital root points1 on which  
all more or less agree1 which many      
members of the ,romish ,church have     
held1 and1 ,i doubt not1 now hold1 as   

firmly as ,protestants1--adoption by one
 common ,father1 justification by the   
blood of one common ,saviour1           
sanctification by one common ,holy      
,spirit4  ,and believe me1 my friends1  
that just in proportion as you delight  
in1 and live by1 these great doctrines1 
all controversies will become less and  
less important in your eyes4  ,the more 
you value the living body of            
,christianity1 the less you will think  
of its temporary garments2 the more you 
feel the power of ,god's ,spirit1 the   
less scrupulous will you be about the   
peculiar form in which ,he may manifest 
,himself4  ,personal trust in ,christ   
,jesus1 personal love to ,christ ,jesus1
 personal belief that ,he and ,he only1 
is governing this poor diseased and     
confused world2 that ,he is really      
fighting against all evil in it2 that   
,he really rules all nations1 and       
fashions the hearts of all of them1 and 
understands all their works1 and has    
appointed them their times and the      

bounds of their habitation1 if haply    
they may feel after ,him and find ,him3 
personal and living belief that the just
 and loving ,lord ,christ reigneth1 be  
the peoples never so unquiet2--this1    
this will keep your minds clear1 and    
sober1 and charitable1 and will make you
 turn with disgust from platform        
squabbles and newspaper controversies1  
to do the duty which lies nearest you2  
to walk soberly and righteously with    
your ,god1 and train up your children in
 ,his faith and fear1 not merely to be  
scholars1 not merely to be devotees1 but
 to be ,christian ,englishmen2 courteous
 and gentle1 and yet manful and         
self-restraining2 fearing ,god and      
regarding man2 growing up healthy under 
that solemn sense of national duty which
 is the only safeguard of national      
freedom4  ,and1 meanwhile1 you will     
leave all who differ from you in the    
hands of a ,god who wills their         
salvation far more than you can do2 who 
accepts1 in every nation1 those who fear

 ,him and work righteousness2 who is    
merciful in this--that ,he rewards every
 man according to his work2 and who1 if 
our brothers be otherwise minded from   
us1 will reveal even that to them1 if we
 be right3  or1 again1 to us1 if they be
 right4  ,for we may have to learn from 
them1 as well as they from us2 and both 
have to learn much from ,god1 in the day
 when all controversies and doubts shall
 vanish like a cloud2 when we shall see 
no longer in part1 and through a glass  
darkly1 but face to face2 while all     
things shall be bright in the sunshine  
of ,god's presence and of the           
countenance of ,his ,son ,jesus ,christ 
our ,lord4    ,,sermon ,,xxii4  ,,public
 ,,spirit    7,preached at ,bideford1   
#ahee47  #a ,corinthians xii4 #be1 #bf4 
,that there should be no division in the
 body2 but that the members should have 
the same care1 one of another4  ,and    
whether one member suffer1 all suffer   
with it2 or whether one member be       
honoured1 all rejoice with it4  ,i have 

been asked to preach in behalf of the   
,provident ,society of this town4  ,i   
shall begin by asking you to think over 
with me a matter which may seem at first
 sight to have very little to do with   
you or with a provident society1 but    
which1 nevertheless1 ,i believe has very
 much to do with both1 and is full of   
wholesome spiritual instruction for us  
all4  ,did it ever happen to any of you1
 to see a mob of several thousands put  
to instant flight by a mere handful of  
soldiers8  ,and did you ever ask        
yourself how that apparent miracle could
 come to pass8  ,the first answer which 
occurred to you1 perhaps1 was1 that the 
soldiers were well armed1 and the mob   
was not3  but soon1 ,i am sure1 you felt
 that you were doing the soldiers an    
injustice2 that they would have behaved 
just as bravely if every man in that mob
 had been as well armed as they1 and    
have resisted till they were overpowered
 by mere numbers4  ,you felt1 ,i am     
sure1 that there was something in the   

hearts and spirits of those soldiers    
which there was not in the hearts of the
 mob2 that though the mob might be      
boiling over with the greediest         
passions1 the fiercest fury1 while the  
soldiers were calm1 cheerful1 and caring
 for nothing but doing their duty1 yet  
that there was a thought within them    
which was stronger than all the rage and
 greediness of the thousands whom they  
faced2 that1 in short1 the seeming      
miracle was a moral and a spiritual     
miracle4  ,what1 then1 is this          
wonder-working thought which makes the  
soldier strong8  ,courage1 you answer1  
and the sense of duty4  ,true2 but what 
has called out the sense of duty8  ,what
 has inspired the courage8  ,there was a
 time1 perhaps1 when each of those      
soldiers was no braver or more steady   
than the mob in front of them4  ,has it 
never happened to you to know some young
 country lad1 both before and after he  
has become a soldier8  ,look at him in  
his native village 7if you will let me  

draw for you the sketch of a history1   
which1 alas6 is the history of          
thousands71 perhaps one of the worst and
 idlest lads in it--unwilling to work   
steadily1 haunting the public-house and 
the worst of company2 wandering out at  
night to poach and caring for nothing   
but satisfying his gross animal         
appetites2 afraid to look you in the    
face1 hardly able to give an            
intelligible1 certainly not a civil     
answer2 his countenance expressing only 
vacancy1 sensuality1 cunning1 suspicion1
 utter want of self-respect4  ,it is a  
sad sight1 but how common a sight1 even 
in this favoured land6  ,at last he     
vanishes2 he has been engaged in some   
drunken affray1 or in some low intrigue1
 and has fled for fear of the law1 and  
enlisted as a soldier4  ,a year or two  
passes1 and you meet the same lad       
again--if indeed he is the same4  ,for a
 strange change has come over him3  he  
walks erect1 he speaks clearly1 he looks
 you boldly in the face1 with eyes full 

of intelligence and self-respect2 he is 
become civil and courteous now2 he      
touches his cap to you 'like a soldier2'
 he can afford now to be respectful to  
others1 because he respects himself1 and
 expects you to respect him4  ,you talk 
to him1 and find that the change is not 
merely outward1 but inward2 not owing to
 mere mechanical drill but to something 
which has been going on in his heart2   
and ten to one1 the first thing that he 
begins to talk to you about1 with honest
 pride1 is his regiment4  ,his regiment4
  ,yes1 there is the secret which has   
worked these wonders2 there is the      
talisman which has humanized and        
civilized and raised from the mire the  
once savage boor4  ,he belongs to a     
regiment2 in one word1 he has become the
 member of a body4  ,the member of a    
body1 in which if one member suffers1   
all suffer with it2 if one member be    
honoured1 all rejoice with it4  ,a body1
 which has a life of its own1 and a     
government of its own1 a duty of its    

own1 a history of its own1 an allegiance
 to a sovereign1 all which are now his  
life1 his duty1 his history1 his        
allegiance2 he does not now merely serve
 himself and his own selfish lusts3  he 
serves the ,queen4  ,his nature is not  
changed1 but the thought that he is the 
member of an honourable body has raised 
him above his nature4  ,if he forgets   
that1 and thinks only of himself1 he    
will become selfish sluttish1 drunken1  
cowardly1 a bad soldier2 as long as he  
remembers it1 he is a hero4  ,he can    
face mobs now1 and worse than mobs3  he 
can face hunger and thirst1 fatigue1    
danger1 death itself1 because he is the 
member of a body4  ,for those know      
little1 little of human nature and its  
weakness1 who fancy that mere brute     
courage1 as of an angry lion1 will ever 
avail1 or availed a few short weeks ago1
 to spur our thousands up the steeps of 
,alma1 or across the fatal plain of     
,balaklava1 athwart the corpses of their
 comrades1 upon the deadly throats of   

,russian guns4  ,a nobler feeling1 a    
more heavenly thought was needed 7and   
when needed1 thanks to ,god1 it came67  
to keep each raw lad1 nursed in the lap 
of peace1 true to his country and his   
,queen through the valley of the shadow 
of death4  ,not mere animal fierceness3 
but that tattered rag which floated     
above his head1 inscribed with the      
glorious names of ,egypt or ,corunna1   
,toulouse or ,waterloo1 that it was     
which raised him into a hero3  he had   
seen those victories2 the men who       
conquered there were dead long since3   
but the regiment still lived1 its       
history still lived1 its honour lived1  
and that history1 that honour were his1 
as well as those old dead warriors'3  he
 had fought side by side with them in   
spirit1 though not in the flesh2 and now
 his turn was come1 and he must do as   
they did1 and for their sakes1 and count
 his own life a worthless thing for the 
sake of the body which he belonged to3  
he1 but two years ago the idle1 selfish 

country lad1 now stumbling cheerful on  
in the teeth of the iron hail1 across   
ground slippery with his comrades'      
blood1 not knowing whether the next     
moment his own blood might not swell the
 ghastly stream4  ,what matter8  ,they  
might kill him1 but they could not kill 
the regiment3 it would live on and      
conquer2 ay1 and should conquer1 if his 
life could help on its victory2 and then
 its honour would be his1 its reward be 
his1 even when his corpse lay pierced   
with wounds1 stiffening beneath a       
foreign sky4  ,here1 my friends1 is one 
example of the blessed power of fellow  
feeling1 public spirit1 the sense of    
belonging to a body whose members have  
not merely a common interest1 but a     
common duty1 a common honour4  ,this    
,christian country1 thank ,god6 gives   
daily many another example of the same3 
and every place1 and every station      
affords to each one of us               
opportunities1--more1 alas1 ,i fear1    
than we shall ever take full advantage  

of3  but ,i have chosen the case of the 
soldier1 not merely because it is       
perhaps the most striking and affecting1
 but because ,i wish to see1 and trust  
in ,god that ,i shall see1 those who    
remain at home in safety emulating the  
public spirit and self- sacrifice which 
our soldiers are showing abroad2 and by 
sacrifices more peaceful and easy1 but  
still well-pleasing unto ,god1 showing  
that they too have been raised above    
selfishness1 by the glorious thought    
that they are members of a body4  ,for1 
are we not members of a body1 my        
friends8  ,are we not members of the    
,body of bodies1 members of ,christ1    
children of ,god1 inheritors of the     
,kingdom of ,heaven8  ,members of       
,christ--we1 and the poor for whom ,i   
plead1 as well as we2 perhaps1          
considering their many trials and our   
few trials1 more faithfully and loyally 
by far than we are4  ,there are some    
here1 ,i doubt not1 to whom that word1  
that argument1 is enough3  to whom it is

 enough to say1 ,remember that the ,lord
 whom you love loves that shivering1    
starving wretch as well as ,he loves    
you1 to open and exhaust at once their  
heart1 their purse1 their labour of     
love4  ,god's blessing be upon all such6
  ,but it would be hypocrisy in me1 my  
friends1 to speak to this1 or any       
congregation1 as if all were of that    
temper of mind4  ,it is not one in ten1 
alas6 in the present divided state of   
religious parties1 who feels the mere   
name of ,christ enough of a bond to make
 him sacrifice himself for his fellow   
,christians1 as a soldier does for his  
fellow soldiers4  ,not one in ten1 alas6
 feels that he owes the same allegiance 
to ,christ as the soldier does to his   
,queen2 that the honour of ,christianity
 is his honour1 the history of          
,christianity his history1 the life of  
,christianity his life4  ,would that it 
were so3  but it is not so4  ,and ,i    
must appeal to feelings in you less     
wide1 honourable and righteous though   

they are3  ,i must appeal to your public
 spirit as townsmen of this place4  ,i  
have a right as a clergyman to do so3   
,i have a duty as a clergyman to do so4 
,for your being townsmen of this place  
is not a mere material accident         
depending on your living in one house   
instead of another4  ,it is a spiritual 
matter2 it is a question of eternity4   
,your souls and spirits influence each  
other2 your tastes1 opinions1 tempers1  
habits1 make those of your neighbours   
better or worse2 you feel it in         
yourselves daily4  ,look at it as a     
proof that1 whether you will or not1 you
 are one body1 of which all the members 
must more or less suffer and rejoice    
together2 that you have a common weal1 a
 common interest2 that ,god has knit you
 together2 that you cannot part         
yourselves even if you will2 and that   
you can be happy and prosperous only by 
acknowledging each other as brothers1   
and by doing to each other as you would 
they should do unto you4  ,it may be    

hard at times to bring this thought home
 to our minds3 but it is none the less  
true because we forget it2 and if we do 
not choose to bring it home to our own  
minds1 it will be sooner or later       
brought home to them whether we choose  
or not4  ,for bear in mind1 that ,st4   
,paul does not say1 if one member       
suffers1 all the rest ought to suffer   
with it3  he says that they do suffer   
with it4  ,he does not say merely1 that 
we ought to feel for our fellow         
townsmen2 he says1 that ,god has so     
tempered the body together as to force  
one member to have the same care of the 
others as of itself2 that if we do not  
care to feel for them1 we shall be made 
to feel with them4  ,one limb cannot    
choose whether or not it will feel the  
disease of another limb4  ,if one limb  
be in pain1 the whole body must be      
uneasy1 whether it will or not4  ,and if
 one class in a town1 or parish1 or     
county1 be degraded1 or in want1 the    
whole town1 or parish1 or county1 must  

be the worse for it4  ,st4 ,paul is not 
preaching up sentimental sympathy3  he  
is telling you of a plain fact4  ,he is 
not saying1 ',it is a very fine and     
saintly thing1 and will increase your   
chance of heaven1 to help the poor4'    
,he is saying1 ',if you neglect the     
poor1 you neglect yourself2 if you      
degrade the poor1 you degrade yourself4 
,his poverty1 his carelessness1 his     
immorality1 his dirt1 his ill-health1   
will punish you2 for you and he are     
members of the same body1 knit together 
inextricably for weal or woe1 by the    
eternal laws according to which the     
,lord ,jesus ,christ has constituted    
human society2 and if you break those   
laws1 they will avenge themselves4'--,my
 friends1 do we not see them avenge     
themselves daily8  ,the slave-holder    
refuses to acknowledge that his slave is
 a member of the same body as himself2  
but he does not go unpunished3  the     
degradation to which he has brought his 
slave degrades him1 by throwing open to 

him4 the downward path of lust1         
laziness1 ungoverned and tyrannous      
tempers1 and the other sins which have  
in all ages1 slowly but surely1 worked  
the just ruin of slave-holding states4  
,the sinner is his own tempter1 and the 
sinner is his own executioner3  he lies 
in wait for his own life 7says ,solomon7
 when he lies in wait for his brother's4
 ,do you see the same law working in our
 own free country8  ,if you leave the   
poor careless and filthy1 you can obtain
 no good servants3 if you leave them    
profligate1 they make your sons         
profligate also3 if you leave them      
tempted by want1 your property is       
unsafe3  if you leave them uneducated1  
reckless1 improvident1 you cannot get   
your work properly done1 and have to    
waste time and money in watching your   
workmen instead of trusting them4  ,why1
 what are all poor-rates and            
county-rates1 if you will consider1 but 
,god's plain proof to us1 that the poor 
are members of the same body as         

ourselves2 and that if we will not help 
them of our own free will1 we shall find
 it necessary to help them against our  
will3  that if we will not pay a little 
to prevent them becoming pauperized or  
criminal1 we must pay a great deal to   
keep them when they have become so8  ,we
 may draw a lesson--and a most          
instructive one it is--from the city of 
,liverpool1 in which it was lately      
proved that crime--and especially the   
crime of uneducated boys and girls--had 
cost1 in the last few years1 the city   
many times more than it would cost to   
educate1 civilize1 and depauperize the  
whole rising generation of that city1   
and had been a tax upon the capital and 
industry of ,liverpool1 so enormous that
 they would have submitted to it from no
 ,government on earth2 and yet they had 
been blindly inflicting it upon         
themselves for years1 simply because    
they chose to forget that they were     
their brothers' keepers4  ,look again at
 preventible epidemics1 like cholera4   

,all the great towns of ,england have   
discovered1 what you ,i fear are        
discovering also1 that the expense of a 
pestilence1 and of the widows and       
orphans which it creates1 is far greater
 than the expense of putting a town into
 such a state of cleanliness as would   
defy the entrance of the disease4  ,so  
it is throughout the world4  ,nothing is
 more expensive than penuriousness2     
nothing more anxious than carelessness2 
and every duty which is bidden to wait1 
returns with seven fresh duties at its  
back4  ,yes1 my friends1 we are members 
of a body2 and we must realize that fact
 by painful experience1 if we refuse to 
realize it in public spirit and         
brotherly kindness1 and the approval of 
a good conscience1 and the knowledge    
that we are living like our ,lord and   
,master ,jesus ,christ1 who laboured for
 all but ,himself1 cared for all but    
,himself2 who counted not ,his own life 
dear to ,himself that by laying it down 
,he might redeem into ,his own likeness 

the beings whom ,he had made2 and who   
has placed us on this earth1 each in his
 own station1 each in his own parish1   
that we might follow in ,his footsteps1 
and live by ,his ,spirit1 which is the  
spirit of love and fellow-feeling1 that 
new and risen life of ,his1 which is the
 life of duty1 honour1 and              
self-sacrifice4  ,yes4  ,let us look    
rather at this brighter side of the     
question1 my friends1 than at the       
darker4  ,i will preach the ,gospel to  
you rather than the ,law4  ,i will      
appeal to your higher feelings rather   
than to your lower2 to your love rather 
than your fear2 to your honour rather   
than your self-interest4  ,it will be   
pleasanter for me3  it will meet with a 
more cordial response1 ,i doubt not1    
from you4  ,some dislike appeals to     
honour4  ,i cannot1 as long as ,st4     
,paul himself appeals to it so often1   
both in the individual and in bodies4   
,his whole ,epistle to ,philemon is an  
appeal1 most delicate and graceful1 to  

,philemon's sense of honour--to the     
thought of what he owed ,paul1 of what  
,paul wished him to repay1 not with     
money1 but with generosity4  ,and his   
appeal to the ,corinthians is a direct  
appeal to their honour3  not to fears of
 any punishment1 or wrath of ,god1 but  
to the respect which they owed to       
themselves as members of a body1 the    
,church of ,corinth2 and to the respect 
which they owed to that body as a whole1
 and which they had disgraced by        
allowing an open scandal in it4  ,and   
his appeal was successful3  they took it
 just as it was meant2 and he rejoices  
in the thought that they did so4  ',for 
this1 that ye sorrowed after a godly    
sort1 what carefulness it wrought in    
you1 yea1 what clearing of yourselves1  
what indignation1 what fear1 what       
vehement desire1 what zeal1 what        
revenge6  ,in all things you have       
approved yourselves to be clear in this 
matter1'  ,noble words1 and nobly       
answered4  ,my friends1 you1 too1 are   

members of a body3  go1 and do likewise 
in the matter of this ,society's failing
 funds4  99 99 99 99 99  ,may ,i boldly 
ask you to alter this to-day8  ,this1   
remember1 is no common day4  ,it is a   
day of thankfulness4  ,the thankfulness 
which you professed1 and ,i doubt not   
many of you felt1 on ,thursday night1   
has not evaporated1 ,i trust1 by ,sunday
 morning4  ,you have not yet            
forgotten--,i trust that there is many a
 one who will never forget-- what you   
owe as townsmen of this place1 to ,god  
who has preserved you safe through the  
dangers and sorrows of the past autumn4 
,you owe more than one debt to ,god4    
,you owe1 all ,england owes1 thanks to  
,him for the late bounteous harvest1    
thanks to ,him for the present          
prosperous seed-time3  think what our   
state might have been with scarcity1 as 
well as war1 upon us1 and pay part of   
your debt this day4  ,you owe a         
thank-offering for the cessation of the 
cholera2 a thank-offering for the       

sparing of your own lives2--pay it now4 
,you owe a thank-offering for the       
glorious victories of our armies3--pay  
it now4  ,you belong1 too1 to an        
honourable body1 which has a noble      
history1 and sets you many a noble      
example2 show yourselves worthy of that 
body1 that history1 those examples1 now4
  ,and what fitter place than this very 
church to awaken within you the thought 
of duty and of public spirit8--this     
church which stands as ,god's own sign  
that you are the townsmen1 the          
representatives1 ay1 some of you the    
very descendants1 of many a noble spirit
 of old time8--this church1 in which    
,god's blessing has been invoked on     
deeds of patriotism and enterprise1 of  
which the whole world now bears the     
fruit8--these walls1 in which           
,elizabeth's heroes1 your ancestors1    
have prayed before sailing against the  
,spanish ,armada1-- these walls1 which  
saw the baptism of the first red ,indian
 convert1 and the gathering in1 as it   

were1 of the firstfruits of the         
heathen1--these walls1 in which the     
early settlers of ,virginia have invoked
 ,god's blessing on those tiny ventures 
which were destined to become the seeds 
of a mighty nation1 and the             
starting-point of the ,united           
,states1--these walls1 which still bear 
the monument of your heroic townsman    
,strange1 who expended for his          
plague-stricken brethren1 talents1 time1
 wealth1 and at last life itself4  ,for1
 to return1 and to apply1 ,i hope1 to   
your consciences1 the example of the    
soldier with which ,i began this        
,sermon3--shall it be only on the       
battle-field that the power of          
fellow-feeling is shown forth8  ,shall  
public spirit be only strong when it has
 to destroy1 and not when it has to save
 and comfort8  ,god forbid6  ,surely you
 here have a common corporate life1     
common history1 common allegiance1      
common interest1 which should inspire   
you to do your duty1 whatsoever it may  

be1 for the good of your native place1  
and to show that you feel an honourable 
self-respect in the thought that you    
belong to an ancient and once famous    
town1 which though it may be outstripped
 awhile in the race of commerce1 need   
never be outstripped1 if you will be    
worthy sons of your worthy ancestors1 in
 that race to which ,st4 ,paul exhorts  
us2 the race of justice and benevolence1
 the noble rivalry of noble deeds4  ,oh1
 look1 ,i beseech you1 upon this church 
as its old worshippers1 the forefathers 
of many of you who sit here this day1   
were wont to look on it4  ,remember that
 this church is the sign that you are   
one town1 one parish1 one body2 that    
century after century1 this church has  
stood to witness to your fathers1 and   
your fathers' fathers1 that all who     
kneel within these walls are brothers1  
rich or poor2 that all are children of  
one ,father1 redeemed by one ,saviour1  
taught by one ,spirit4  ,this1 this is  
the blessed truth of which the parish   

church is token1 as nought else can     
be--that you are one body1 members one  
of another1 and that ,god's blessing is 
on your union and fellow-feeling2 that  
,god smiles on your bearing each other's
 burdens1 and so fulfilling the law of  
,christ4  ,look on this church1 and do  
to others as this church witnesses that 
,god has done for you4  ,and now1 some  
of you may perhaps have been            
disappointed1 some a little scornful1 at
 my having used so many words about so  
small a matter1 and talked of battles1  
legends1 heroes of old time1 all merely 
to induct you to help this ,society with
 a paltry extra thirty pounds4  ,be it  
so4  ,i shall be glad if you think so4  
,if the matter be so small1 it is the   
more easily done2 if the sum be paltry1 
it is the more easily found4  ,if my    
reasons are very huge and loud-         
sounding1 and the result at which ,i aim
 very light1 the result ought to follow 
all the more certainly2 for believe me1 
my friends1 the reasons are good ones1  

,scriptural ones1 practical ones1 and   
ought to produce the result4  ,i give   
you the strongest arguments for showing 
your ,christian1 ,english public spirit2
 and then ,i ask you to show it in a    
very small matter4  ,but be sure that to
 do what ,i ask of you to do to-day is  
just as much your duty1 small as it may 
seem1 as it would be1 were you soldiers1
 to venture your lives in the cause of  
your native land4  ,duty1 be it in a    
small matter or a great1 is duty still2 
the command of ,heaven1 the eldest voice
 of ,god4  ,and1 believe me1 my friends1
 that it is only they who are faithful  
in a few things who will be faithful    
over many things2 only they who do their
 duty in everyday and trivial matters   
who will fulfil them on great occasions4
  ,we all honour and admire the heroes  
of ,alma and ,balaklava2 we all trust in
 ,god that we should have done our duty 
also in their place4  ,the best test of 
that1 my friends1 is1 can we do our duty
 in our own place8  ,here the duty is   

undeniable1 plain1 easy4  ,here is a    
,society instituted for one purpose1    
which has1 in order to exist1 to        
appropriate the funds destined for quite
 a different purpose4  ,both purposes   
are excellent2 but they are different4  
,the ,offertory money is meant for the  
sick1 the widow1 and the orphan2 for    
those who cannot help themselves4  ,the 
,provident ,society is meant to         
encourage those who can help themselves 
to do so4  ,every farthing1 therefore1  
taken from the ,offertory money is taken
 from the widow and the orphan4  ,i ask 
you whether this is right and just8  ,i 
appeal1 not merely to your prudence and 
good sense1 in asking you to promote    
prudence and good sense among the poor  
by the ,provident ,society2 ,i appeal to
 your honour and compassion1 on behalf  
of the sick1 the widow1 and orphan1 that
 they may have the full enjoyment of the
 funds intended for them4  ,again1 ,i   
say1 this may seem a small matter to    
you1 and ,i may seem to be using too    

many words about it4  ,small8  ,nothing 
is small which affects not merely the   
temporal happiness1 but the eternal     
welfare1 of an immortal soul4  ,my      
friends1 my friends1 if any one of you  
had to support yourself and your        
children on four1 seven1 or even 7mighty
 sum67 ten shillings a week1 it would   
not seem a small matter to you then4  ,a
 few shillings more or less would be to 
you then a treasure won or lost2 a      
matter to you of whether you should keep
 a house over your children's heads1    
whether you should keep shoes upon their
 feet1 and clothes upon their backs2    
whether you should see them1 as they    
grew up1 tempted by want into theft or  
profligacy2 whether you should rise in  
the morning free enough from the        
sickening load of anxiety1 and the care 
which eats out the core of life1 and    
makes men deaf and blind 7as it does    
many a one7 to all pleasant sights1 and 
sounds1 and thoughts1 till the very     
sunlight seems blotted out of heaven by 

that black cloud of care--care--care--  
which rises with you in the morning1 and
 dogs you at your work all day 7even if 
you are happy enough to have work71 and 
sits on your pillow all night long1     
ready to whisper in your ear each time  
you wake2 ',be anxious and troubled     
about many things6  ,what wilt thou eat1
 and what wilt thou drink1 and          
wherewithal wilt thou be clothed8 ,for  
thou hast no ,heavenly ,father1 none    
above who knowest that thou needest     
these things before thou askest ,him4'  
,oh1 my friends1 if you had felt but for
 a single day1 that terrible temptation1
 the temptation of poverty1 and debt1   
and care1 which leads so many a one to  
sell their souls for a few paltry pence1
 to them of as much value as pounds     
would be to you2--if1 ,i say1 you had   
once felt that temptation in all its    
weight1 you would not merely sacrifice1 
as ,i ask you now to do1 some           
superfluity1 which you will never miss2 
you would1 ,i do believe1 if you had    

human hearts within you1 be ready to    
sacrifice even the comforts of life to  
prevent him whose heart may be breaking 
slowly1 not a hundred yards from your   
own door1 7and more hearts break in this
 world than you fancy1 my friends17 from
 passing through that same dark shadow  
of want1 and care1 and temptation where 
the ,devil stands calling to the poor   
man all day long1 ',fall down1 and      
worship me2 and ,i will relieve those   
wants of thine which man neglects6'  ,i 
have no more to say4  ,i leave the rest 
to your own good feeling1 as townsmen of
 this ancient and honourable            
place1--remembering always who it was   
who said1 ',inasmuch as ye have done it 
unto one of the least of these my       
brethren1 ye have done it unto ,me4'