,,the ,,village ,,pulpit ,a ,complete ,course of #ff ,short ,sermons1 or ,full ,sermon ,outlines for ,each ,sunday1 and ,some ,chief ,holy ,days of the ,christian ,year4 by the ,,rev4 ,s4 ,,baring-,,gould ,m4,a41 ,author of ,a ,first ,series of ,village ,preaching for a ,year4 ,a ,second ,series of ,village ,preaching for a ,year4 ,village ,preaching for ,saints' ,days4 ,the ,preacher's ,pocket4 ,the ,mystery of ,suffering4 ,sermons to ,children4 ,sermons on the ,seven ,last ,words4 c4 ,,vol4 ,,ii4 ,,trinity ,,to ,,advent4 ,second ,edition4 ,london3 ,skeffington ,son1 #afc1 ,piccadilly4 #ahhf4 ,,contents4 ,,sermon ,,xxxvii4 ,,christian ,,unity4 7,trinity ,sunday47 ,s4 ,matt4 xxviii4 #ai4 ,in the ,name of the ,father1 and of the ,son1 and of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,,sermon ,,xxxviii4 ,,great ,,surprises4 7#ast ,sunday after ,trinity47 ,s4 ,luke xv4 #bc4 ,in hell he lift up his eyes1 being in torments4 ,,sermon ,,xxxix4 ,,the ,,holy ,,communion4 7#bnd ,sunday after ,trinity47 ,s4 ,luke xiv4 #af4 ,a certain man made a great supper4 ,,sermon ,,xl4 ,,receiving ,,and ,,selecting4 7#crd ,sunday after ,trinity47 ,s4 ,luke xv4 #b4 ,this ,man receiveth sinners4 ,,sermon ,,xli4 ,,rash ,,decisions4 7#dth ,sunday after ,trinity47 ,s4 ,luke vi4 #cg4 ,judge not--condemn not--forgive4 ,,sermon ,,xlii4 ,,the ,,secret ,,of ,,success4 7#eth ,sunday after ,trinity47 ,s4 ,luke v4 #e4 ,we have taken nothing2 nevertheless1 at ,thy word ,i will let down the net4 ,,sermon ,,xliii4 ,,persistency ,,in ,,wrong ,,doing4 7#fth ,sunday after ,trinity47 ,s4 ,matt4 v4 #be4 ,agree with thine adversary quickly1 while thou art in the way with him4 ,,sermon ,,xliv4 ,,the ,,measure ,,of ,,sin4 7#gth ,sunday after ,trinity47 ,s4 ,mark viii4 #b4 ,i have compassion on the multitude4 ,,sermon ,,xlv4 ,,casting ,,blame4 7#hth ,sunday after ,trinity47 ,s4 ,matt4 vii4 #ae4 ,inwardly they are ravening wolves4 ,,sermon ,,xlvi4 ,,petty ,,dishonesty4 7#ith ,sunday after ,trinity47 ,s4 ,luke xvi4 #c1 #d4 ,what shall ,i do8--,i am resolved what to do4 ,,sermon ,,xlvii4 ,,the ,,consequences ,,of ,,sin4 7#ajth ,sunday after ,trinity47 ,s4 ,luke xix4 #db4 ,if thou hadst known1 even thou1 at least in this thy day1 the things which belong unto thy peace6 but now they are hid from thine eyes4 ,,sermon ,,xlviii4 ,,self-,,inspection4 7#aath ,sunday after ,trinity47 ,s4 ,luke xviii4 #ac4 ,the publican1 standing afar off1 would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven1 but smote upon his breast1 saying1 ,god1 be merciful to me1 a sinner4 ,,sermon ,,xlix4 ,,perfection ,,to ,,be ,,sought4 7#abth ,sunday after ,trinity47 ,s4 ,mark vii4 #cg4 ,he hath done all things well4 ,,sermon ,l4 ,,zeal4 7#acth ,sunday after ,trinity47 ,s4 ,luke x4 #be ,what shall ,i do to inherit eternal life8 ,,sermon ,,li4 ,,gratitude4 7#adth ,sunday after ,trinity47 ,s4 ,luke xvii4 #ah4 ,there are not found that returned to give glory to ,god1 save this stranger4 ,,sermon ,,lii4 ,,trust ,,in ,,god4 7#aeth ,sunday after ,trinity47 ,s4 ,matt4 vi4 #ca4 ,seek ye first the kingdom of ,god1 and ,his righteousness4 ,,sermon ,,liii4 ,,the ,,contemplation ,,of ,,death4 7#afth ,sunday after ,trinity47 ,s4 ,luke vii4 #ab4 ,behold1 there was a dead man carried out4 ,,sermon ,,liv4 ,,humility4 7#agth ,sunday after ,trinity47 ,s4 ,luke xiv4 #b4 ,whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased2 and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted4 ,,sermon ,,lv4 ,,profession ,,and ,,practice4 7#ahth ,sunday after ,trinity47 ,s4 ,matt4 xxii4 #db4 ,what think ye of ,christ8 ,,sermon ,,lvi4 ,,evil ,,thoughts4 7#aith ,sunday after ,trinity47 ,s4 ,matt4 ix4 #d4 ,wherefore think ye evil in your hearts8 ,,sermon ,,lvii4 ,,the ,,heavenly ,,banquet4 7#bjth ,sunday after ,trinity47 ,s4 ,matt4 xxii4 #d4 ,behold1 ,i have prepared my dinner2 my oxen and my fatlings are killed1 and all things are ready2 come unto the marriage4 ,,sermon ,,lviii4 ,,example4 7#bast ,sunday after ,trinity47 ,s4 ,john iv4 #ac4 ,and himself believed1 and his whole house4 ,,sermon ,,lix4 ,,the ,,preacher ,,and ,,his ,,hearers4 7#bbnd ,sunday after ,trinity47 ,s4 ,matt4 xviii4 #bc4 ,the ,kingdom of ,heaven is likened unto a certain king1 which would take account of his servants4 ,,sermon ,,lx4 ,,the ,,image ,,of ,,self4 7#bcrd ,sunday after ,trinity47 ,s4 ,matt4 xxii4 #bj4 ,whose is this image8 ,,sermon ,,lxi4 ,,dread ,,of ,,ridicule4 7#bdth ,sunday after ,trinity47 ,s4 ,matt4 ix4 #bd4 ,and they laughed ,him to scorn4 ,,sermon ,,lxii4 ,,what ,,lasts1 ,,and ,,what ,,passes ,,away4 7#beth ,sunday after ,trinity47 ,s4 ,matt4 xxiv4 #ce4 ,heaven and earth shall pass away1 but ,my word shall not pass away4 ,,sermon ,,lxiii4 ,,thankfulness ,,to ,,god4 7,harvest47 ,s4 ,matt4 xxii4 #ba4 ,render--unto ,god1 the things that are ,god's4 ,,sermon ,,lxiv4 ,,the ,,formation ,,of ,,habits4 7,,school ,,sermon47 ,proverbs xxii4 #f4 ,train up a child in the way he should go1 and when he is old he will not depart from it4 ,,sermon ,,lxv4 ,,religious ,,zeal4 7,dedication ,festival47 ,psalm lxix4 #i4 ,the zeal of ,thine house hath eaten me up4 ,,sermon ,,lxvi4 ,,the ,,meeting ,,hereafter4 7,funeral ,sermon47 ,joshua iii4 #ag4 ,and the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the ,lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of ,jordan1 and all the ,israelites passed over on dry ground1 until all the people were passed clean over ,jordan4 ,,xxxvii4 ,,christian ,,unity4 ,trinity ,sunday4 ,s4 ,matt4 xxviii4 #ai4 ,in the ,name of the ,father1 and of the ,son1 and of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,,introduction4--,an ancient writer informs us that when the ,egyptians named their ,greatest ,god who was over all1 they cried thrice1 ,darkness6 ,darkness6 ,darkness6 ,and when we come to speak of the great mystery of the ,holy ,trinity1 the utmost we can do is to repeat their cry1 and say1 ,darkness6 ,darkness6 ,darkness6 ,in the name of the ,father--,darkness1 and of the ,son--,darkness2 and of the ,holy ,ghost--,darkness6 for however much the mind may strive to penetrate this mystery1 it can never attain to its solution4 ,just as the eye1 looking at the sun1 sees the ,overpowering light as a dark ball1 being dazzled by its excessive glory1 so the eye of the mind perceives only darkness1 when looking into the infinite splendour of ,god in ,three ,persons4 ,we may1 indeed1 see sundry likenesses here on earth1 which assist us in believing the doctrine of the ,holy ,trinity1 but they are helps1 and helps only2 and not explanations4 ,thus1 the sun may shine into a glass1 and the glass reflect in clear water1 and we see three suns1 a sun in the heaven1 a sun in the glass1 and a sun in the water1 which proceeds from both2--and this assists us to understand how the ,son of ,god is of the ,father1 and the ,holy ,ghost is of the ,father1 and of the ,son1 and how that each is ,god1 and yet that there are not three ,gods1 but one ,god4 ,but1 after all1 the doctrine of the ,holy ,trinity is a matter of ,faith1 and not of ,reason4 ,we must believe1 though we cannot understand4 ,,subject4--,in this ,holy ,trinity of ,persons there is perfect unity existing1 an unity of substance1 an unity of ,godhead1 an unity of perfection1 an unity of love4 ,and on earth1 among men1 there should be unity4 ,be ye perfect1 said our ,lord1 even as your ,father which is in ,heaven is perfect4 ,the ,father is love1 the ,son is love1 and the ,holy ,ghost is the love of the ,father and of the ,son1 and this love requires the same of us--even love1 or unity4 ,this is what ,god wills on earth1 our living unity1 even as it exists in ,heaven between the ,three ,persons of the glorious ,trinity4 ,but there are three great hindrances to ,christian ,unity4 ,i4 ,selfishness4 ,each man seeks his own interest1 not the general interest4 ,let his own selfish interests be touched1 and all concord is at an end4 ,look at two little dogs playing together1 they put their paws on each other's shoulders1 and dance round each other1 and roll each other over1 and are full of affectionate play4 ,throw them a bone1 and it is a true bone of contention at once4 ,all their affection is dead1 and they are fighting each other for the bone4 ,it is the same with men1 they are perfectly friendly with each other so long as no little bone comes in the way--some little money matter--and then there is no end to the snarling and snapping and growling4 ,how often it is that the dearest friends fall out about money6 ,this has been so often noticed that it has become a common saying1 ,have no money dealings with your friend4 ,even near relations become bitter1 and are estranged1 over some provision in a will4 ,all this arises from self-seeking4 ,each cares for himself1 and not for others4 ,now look at the ,holy ,trinity4 ,the ,three ,persons share in equal ,power1 ,majesty1 and ,eternity4 ,the ,father commits all power unto the ,son1 the ,son gives all honour to the ,father1 the ,son gives over to the ,holy ,ghost the government of ,his ,church4 ,the ,father shares with the ,son and the ,holy ,ghost the ,divine nature1 wisdom1 and glory4 ,all three are equally eternal1 equally almighty1 equally perfect4 ,,ii4 ,pride4 ,each man seeks to place himself before another4 ',i am as good as another1 or ,i am above so-and-so1' is a common thought4 ,no man is content with what he is1 he desires to thrust himself ahead of another4 ,the whole of society is like a cabbage-stalk covered with caterpillars1 and none is satisfied till it has crawled to the top4 ,the caterpillar at the bottom bites the one above him1 gets over his back1 and then exults1 ',there is a caterpillar nearer the bottom of the cabbage-stalk than ,i1' and so all the way up the stalk1 those below scrambling over those above1 and they at the top--at the proud elevation and unique honour of being at the head of a cabbage-stalk--tumble off1 and are buried in the soil4 ,was there any such pride of place in the angel host8 ,yes--once4 ,the ,devil wanted to be at the top1 and he fell4 ,the other angels are content where they are1 and they remain angels4 ,if they began pushing ahead of each other1 cherubim wanting to be above seraphim1 and angels envious of archangels1 what a falling there would be from heaven6 ,falling stars indeed6 ,all turning into devils4 ,look at the ,blessed ,trinity4 ,god the ,son says1 ,my ,father is greater than ,i4 ,he places ,himself in the lowest rank4 ,he calls ,himself ,the ,son of ,man2 there is no boasting1 ,i am the ,son of ,god4 ,,iii4 ,obstinacy4 ,that is the third source of discord4 ,each man follows his own will1 his dogged1 headlong will1 regardless of the wishes and advice of others4 ,in the ,book of ,judges we read that ,samson caught three hundred foxes and tied them together by their tails1 and put burning brands between them1 where their tails were tied4 ,what was the consequence8 ,the wretched creatures dashed in opposite directions1 each wanted to get away from the brand that scorched his tail1 and so each wanted to go exactly in a different direction from the fox to which he was tied1 and so the whole lot went dashing in a mad1 disorderly manner among the standing corn1 and destroyed a whole harvest4 ,that is something like a great number of people ,i know4 ,they will tear off in their own direction1 and drag others after them who wish to go in another direction1 and the fire of discord is between them4 ,look at the ,blessed ,trinity4 ,christ said1 ,i came not to do mine own will1 but the will of ,him that sent me4 ,let us make man1 was said at the ,creation4 ,god the ,father did not say ,i will make man1 nor ,god the ,son ,i will make man in ,my image1 nor ,god the ,holy ,ghost ,i will make man1 and breathe ,my spirit into him1 but all united in one work1 and that work was very good4 ,,conclusion4--,when ,julian the ,apostate was ,emperor1 three ,christian soldiers were brought before him4 ,their names were ,emmanuel1 ,sabael1 and ,ismael4 ,he ordered them to be examined apart1 lest they should encourage one another in their faith and endurance under torture4 ,emmanuel1 seeing his object1 said1 ,tyrant6 we ,three are one in one ,trinity4 ,now1 listen to our ,lord's prayer1 ,i pray not for these alone1 but for those also which shall believe on ,me through their word1 that they all may be one2 as ,thou1 ,father1 art in me1 and ,i in ,thee4 ,,xxxviii4 ,,great ,,surprises4 #ast ,sunday after ,trinity4 ,s4 ,luke xvi4 #bc4 ,in hell he lift up his eyes1 being in torments4 ,,introduction4--,what a great surprise for ,dives6 ,so utterly unawaited6 ,dives1 who had lived so comfortably1 clothed in purple and fine linen1 and had had such a good coat1 and such excellent dinners1 and such a cellar of wine1 and such good friends at his dinners1 goes to sleep one night after a banquet1 and wakes up1 and lo6--he is in hell4 ,surprise number one4 ,he feels the flames1 he perceives himself surrounded by demons1 his tongue is burning with thirst1 and he lifts up his eyes and sees6--surprise number two6--,lazarus1 the poor dirty wretch who had lain full of sores at his door4 ,he did not know that the fellow was dead4 ,and--surprise number three6--this wretched fellow is in ,paradise4 ,there is another story of a great surprise in the ,gospels4 ,that is of the man who laid up for himself great possessions1 and said to himself1 ,soul6 thou hast much goods laid up for many years1--,i will pull down my barns and build greater--take thy ease1 eat1 drink and be merry4 ,that night he died1 and when his soul came to realise the fact that he had nothing left of all he had laid by--that was a great surprise1 and a very unpleasant one4 ,,subject4--,let us take care that we do not have some such a great and unpleasant surprise ourselves4 ,take heed1 says our ,lord1 to yourselves1 lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting1 and drunkenness1 and cares of this life1 and so that day come upon you unawares4 ,i4 ,now ,i am going to tell you a story of another great surprise4 ,the king of ,syria was engaged in war with the king of ,israel1 and one of the servants of the king of ,syria told him that ,elisha the ,prophet saw and knew all that was planned by him against the king of ,israel1 and that he told the king of ,israel1 so that the ,syrians were never able to catch him at a disadvantage1 and defeat him4 ,then the king of ,syria enquired where this prophet lived1 and was told that he was then at ,dothan4 ,therefore sent he thither horses and chariots1 and a great host3 and they came by night and compassed the city about4 ,then ,elisha prayed to ,god to deceive and blind the eyes of the soldiers1 and he went out of the gates of ,dothan to them1 and said1 ,this is not the way1 neither is this the city2 follow me1 and ,i will bring you to the man whom you seek4 ,so he went before1 and led them along the road to ,samaria1 the capital of the king of ,israel4 ,then he brought them all in through the gates1 and they followed1 as docile as lambs1 and when they were in the market-place1 he said1 ,lord1 open the eyes of these men1 that they may see4 ,and the ,lord opened their eyes1 and lo6 they were in the market-place in the midst of ,samaria1 and all around them were the soldiers of their enemy1 the king of ,israel1 with swords drawn1 and in the windows were others armed with stones and javelins and molten lead to hurl down on them4 ,here was an unpleasant surprise6 ,the king of ,israel and all his soldiers were eager to be at them and cut them to pieces1 but ,elisha was too good-hearted for that1 he persuaded the king to be generous1 to give them their breakfast and send them home4 ,so ,he prepared great provisions for them2 and when they had eaten and drunk1 he sent them away1 and they went to their master4 ,they were lucky to be let off so easily1 and they owed their lives to there being a ,saint of ,god there to intercede for them4 ,but you may be assured to their dying day they carried with them a lively recollection of the very unpleasant surprise it was to them when their eyes were opened1 and they found themselves in the midst of their enemies1 when they fondly supposed themselves in the humble and undefended little town of ,dothan4 ,,ii4 ,now for you6--,whither are you going8 ,whither are you being led8 ,are you at all aware8 ,i very much fear that a great many of you are as blind and as ignorant of the road you are treading as were those soldiers of the king of ,syria4 ,you are going on headlong1 chattering with one another1 laughing and singing1 in open order1 very little discipline1 and perfectly confident that you will come to no harm4 ,take care6 ,some day your eyes will be opened1 and you will experience an unpleasant surprise4 ,then1 when your eyes are opened you will see yourselves surrounded by the enemies of your souls1 ready to drag you to destruction1 and no help near4 ,very unexpected was this case of the ,syrians1 that the prophet prayed for them1 and that instead of being put to death they were fed and sent away in peace4 ,that is not what you must expect4 ,dives1 when his eyes were opened1 cried to ,abraham1 but got no help1 no1 not even a drop of water to cool his tongue4 ,,iii4 ,no man need go blindly to destruction1 for ,god has given him guidance1 and power of seeing whither he goes4 ,the prophet led these soldiers of ,syria into the midst of their enemies1 but ,god's good ,spirit1 which is our guide1 will lead us into the ,land of ,righteousness if we will listen to ,his voice1 and go where he points the way4 ,we have no right to plead blindness and ignorance1 if hereafter we find that we have gone astray1 and our eyes are opened when we are in the midst of our enemies1 for blindness can not come upon us unless we wilfully shut our eyes to the light1 and with the teaching of ,christ and ,his ,church ever sounding in our ears1 we have no right to plead ignorance4 ,moreover1 ,god is so merciful1 that ,he never allows any to go to destruction unwarned of their danger4 ,as ,he sent ,his angel to stand in the way of ,balaam1 so will ,he send some check1 and throw some obstacle in the road you are treading1 to bring you to your senses in time1 and will not allow you to perish1 unless you wilfully and deliberately persist in the road of evil1 knowing the consequences1 and knowing whither you are going4 ,,conclusion4--,lastly4 ,it was a great surprise to ,lazarus when he found himself in ,paradise4 ,he had no doubt hoped and prayed to be admitted there1 but when he found himself there1 he was amazed to see how far its happiness and its peace surpassed his expectations4 ,so with those of us who are found meet to enter ,heaven4 ,however great our anticipations1 they will be surpassed4 ,eye hath not seen1 nor ear heard1 neither hath it entered into the heart of man1 to conceive those good things which ,god hath prepared for those who love ,him4 ,may ,he bring us all to that glad surprise4 ,,xxxix4 ,,the ,,holy ,,communion4 #bnd ,sunday after ,trinity4 ,s4 ,luke xiv4 #af4 ,a certain man made a great supper4 ,,introduction4--,when the fulness of time was come1 ,god the ,eternal ,father said3 ,in burnt-offerings and sacrifices for sin1 ,i have no pleasure4 ,then said the ,son1 ,lo1 ,i come4 ,he came that ,he might take away the valueless sacrifice1 and establish the one full and perfect propitiation for the sins of the world4 ,and indeed it was time4 ,all creation was groaning and travailing in pain1 and waiting for redemption1 then said ,he--,lo1 ,i come4 ,the souls of the faithful were in ,hades1 prophets1 patriarchs1 and kings1 desirous to see ,his ,day1 prisoners of ,hope1 desirous to be released by ,his ,blood of the ,covenant1--then said ,he--,lo1 ,i come4 ,men wandered in darkness1 desiring light1 the whole head was sick1 and the whole heart faint1 and in their error1 darkly1 and in their sickness1 faintly1 they sought the ,lord1 if haply they might feel after ,him2 then said ,he--,lo1 ,i come4 ,they knew not the way of ,god how they might walk1 and they needed a guide2 then said ,he--,lo1 ,i come4 ,they were sunk in sin1 and found that the old bloody sacrifices and burnt offerings could not take away guilt1 they needed a more perfect sacrifice2 then said ,he--,lo1 ,i come4 ,they knew not what the nature of ,god was1 and they formed to themselves gods1 in the likeness of men4 ,how should they know without a teacher8 ,then said ,he--,lo1 ,i come4 ,nor is this all4 ,at this day1 still ,his answer is1 promptly1 when ,he is needed--,lo1 ,i come4 ,does any father desire his dear little one to be taken into the arms of ,christ and blessed1 still ,his answer is--,lo1 ,i come4 ,does any man need direction1 guidance1 help in the way of life8 ,he says1 ,lo1 ,i come2 ,i will never leave thee1 nor forsake thee4 ,does any desire sustaining food by the way8 ,he says--,lo1 ,i come1 and the ,bread ,i give is ,my flesh1 which ,i give for the life of the world4 ,is any burdened with the weight of sin1 and desires pardon and reconciliation1 ,he says--,lo1 ,i come1 though thy sins be as scarlet1 they shall be made as white as wool4 ,is any in sorrow1 and heart sore8 ,he says1 ,lo1 ,i come to bind up the broken-hearted4 ,is any dying8--,he is still ready with ,his answer1 ,lo1 ,i come1 when thou goest through the waters ,i am with thee4 ,you see how striking is the readiness of ,our ,blessed ,lord4 ,now look at to-day's ,gospel1 and see how this is met by man4 ,christ is represented as having made a great supper1 the ,holy ,eucharist1 and to that he invites all ,christians1 and ,he sends forth ,his messengers to bid them come1 then they all with one consent begin to make excuse4 ,the messengers go to the man who has bought oxen1 and invite him to the supper of his lord1 and his answer is1 ,i pray thee1 have me excused4 ,they go to a man who has bought a farm1 and his answer is1 ,i pray thee1 have me excused4 ,they go to a man who has married a wife1 and his answer is1 ,i cannot come4 ,lo1 ,i come6 says ,christ4 ,i cannot come1 says man4 ,lo1 ,i come to man1 says ,christ4 ,i cannot come to ,christ1 says man4 ,i4 ,it was the rule among the early ,christians to communicate every ,lord's ,day4 ,the rule of the ,church1 as laid down in the service-books1 then ordered that all those who were open and scandalous livers1 all those who had committed some deadly sin1 and had not been reconciled to ,god1 should leave church before the ,consecration1 after the reading of the ,gospel4 ,now suppose some good old bishop of that day were to rise from the dead1 and come into this church1 what would he see8--,directly the sermon is over1--a rush of almost all in the church1 men1 women1 and children1 running out of the door1 and only three or four1 or at most a dozen1 remaining to partake of the ,lord's ,body4 ,that is what he would see4 ,now1 what would he say8--,he would lift up his hands in horror1 and say1 ,what is this8 ,all these notorious sinners6 ,all these open profligates6 ,all these burdened with mortal sin1 cutting them off from the grace of ,god6 ,take me back to my grave1 ,i do not want to see any more of such horrible days4 ,but if ,i happened to be present1 ,i would say to him4 ,you are jumping to conclusions too rashly4 ,times are altered4 ,it is not the criminals and profligates who go out of church before the ,consecration of the ,blessed ,sacrament1 and are unworthy to eat of the ,lord's ,body1 it is those who cannot make up their minds to do exactly what the ,lord commanded2 it is those who are half-hearted1 who wish to serve ,god1 but do not want to serve ,him very much4 ,then1 ,i doubt not1 the old bishop would turn upon me with a wrathful face1 and say1 ,let me go back to my grave6 ,this is worse6 ,a thousand times worse6 ,the whole ,christian world has grown cold of heart1 and dead of faith1 if all with one consent begin to make excuse1 and say1 ',i cannot come4' ,i had rather they were either hot or cold1 but because they are neither hot nor cold--away6 ,i cannot bear to look at their faces6 ,let me go back to my grave4 ,,iii4 ,i know what is passing in your minds as well as if you had got glass skulls4 ,and this is what ,i see that not a few of you are thinking4 ,ha6 there is the ,parson at it again6 always hammering away at ,communion4 ,can he not leave us alone8 ,let him talk to us of other matters2 let him preach to us some real stinging gospel truth1 and make us wince4 ,anything but this eternal preaching about coming to ,communion4 ,now ,i will tell you why ,i preach about this1 and hammer1 hammer1 at it4 ,because it is good stinging gospel truth1 and the grumbling that is going on is because your consciences really are wincing at what ,i say4 ,listen3--other folks talked like you in olden times4 ,when the children of ,israel came out of ,egypt1 ,god in mercy sent them ,bread from ,heaven1 the manna1 to feed them on their way through the wilderness4 ,what said the people in return for the blessing8 ,were they very grateful8 ,were they very eager to gather up the ,angels' food8 ,by no means1 they sat grumbling in their tents and said1 ,our soul is dried away2 there is nothing beside this manna before our eyes4 ,put into modern language that is1 ,our souls have dried up for want of preaching of free justification1 and no good at all in keeping the law2 we don't want any of your ,sacramental teaching1 no ,communion for us1 we can do very well without that1 our soul abhorreth this light food1 as for this ,holy ,communion1 there is nothing but that preached to us1 year in1 year out4 ,well6 ,if this ,sacramental teaching be not ,god's own blessed ,gospel1 there is no meaning in words4 ,listen to this6 ,i never said anything so strong1 and this is what ,christ ,himself spake3--,i am the ,bread of ,life4 ,your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness1 and are dead4 ,i am the living bread which came down from heaven1 if any man eat of this bread1 he shall live for ever3 and the bread that ,i will give is ,my flesh1 which ,i give for the life of the world4 ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you1 except ye eat the flesh of the ,son of ,man and drink ,his blood1 ye have no life in you4 ,whoso eateth ,my flesh1 and drinketh ,my blood1 hath eternal life2 and ,i will raise him up at the last day4 ,for ,my flesh is meat indeed1 and ,my blood is drink indeed4 ,now--mark you4 ,when ,jesus said this1 many of ,his disciples said1 ,this is a hard saying--and1 from that time they went back1 and walked no more with ,him4 ,it is so still1 it will be so always4 ,just as many of the old ,israelites loathed the manna and said1 ,our souls are dried away2 there is nothing but this manna before our eyes1 so there always will be faithless disciples who when they hear the invitation to partake of the ,body of ,christ1 the true ,manna1 will say1 ,this is a hard saying1 and will thenceforth no more walk with ,him4 ,,xl4 ,,receiving ,,and ,,rejecting4 #crd ,sunday after ,trinity4 ,s4 ,luke1 xv4 #b4 ,this ,man receiveth sinners4 ,,introduction4--,in to-day's ,gospel our ,lord represents ,himself as a ,good ,shepherd seeking ,his lost sheep1 going out into the wilderness after them1 to bring them back into the fold4 ,the fold is that place where ,he keeps ,his flock shut behind the hurdles of the ,ten ,commandments4 ,every now and then a sheep leaps one of these hurdles1 or pushes his way between them1 and runs away into forbidden pastures4 ,then the ,good ,shepherd goes after the erring sheep1 and brings it back4 ,and when he cometh home1 he calleth together his friends and neighbours1 saying unto them1 ,rejoice with me1 for ,i have found my sheep which was lost4 ,,subject4--,christ is not always to be regarded as the ,saviour receiving sinners4 ,the time will come when ,he will be the ,judge1 rejecting them4 ,he is a shepherd now1 bringing back the straying sheep1 and replacing them in the fold1 but one day ,he will do just the contrary1 ,he will go to ,his fold1 and pick out the incorrigibly bad sheep1 and cast them out4 ,i4 ,we will consider ,him now as the ,good ,shepherd4 ,what is ,his purpose in bringing back the straying sheep8 ,that they may remain within bounds for the future4 ,christ has come to save sinners1 that is to say1 ,he brings them to repentance1 and pardons their transgressions1 in order that1 for the future1 they may walk in newness of life1 and not commit the sins of which they were guilty before4 ,thus if ,he brings back one who has been a liar1 it is to truth that he returns1 and ,christ expects him to speak the truth ever after4 ,if ,he brings back a drunkard1 it is to temperance1 and ,he expects him to be sober for the future4 ,if ,he brings back one who has sinned through impurity1 it is to chastity and modesty4 ,this is what ,s4 ,paul means when he says1 ,put off concerning the former conversation1 the old man1 which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts2 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind4 ,wherefore putting away lying1 speak every man truth with his neighbour4 ,let him that stole steal no more1 let no corrupt conversation proceed out of your mouth1 but that which is good to the use of edifying4 ,let all bitterness1 and wrath1 and anger1 and clamour1 and evil speaking1 be put away from you1 with all malice4 ,and be ye kind one to another1 tender hearted1 forgiving one another4 ,,ii4 ,we will consider ,christ as the ,judge4 ,the time will come when ,he will separate the bad from the good1 when ,he will go over ,his fold1 and pick out all those diseased sheep which are good for nothing1 and which taint and infect the others1 and will cast them outside4 ,that is to say1 the time will come1 when ,christ will no more call sinners to ,him1 and bring them to ,his ,church1 but will examine those who are in ,his ,church1 and unless they have mended their ways1 unless they have become better for being there1 ,he will throw them out1 and have nothing further to do with them4 ,when ,joshua was leading the people of ,god into the ,promised ,land1 ,god said to ,joshua1 ,up6 ,sanctify the people1 and say1 ,sanctify yourselves against to-morrow4 ,in what did this sanctification consist8 ,joshua rose early in the morning1 and brought ,israel by their tribes2 and the tribe of ,judah was taken3 and he brought the family of ,judah2 and took the family of the ,zarhites3 and he brought the family of the ,zarhites man by man2 and ,zabdi was taken3 and he brought his household man by man2 and ,achan1 the son of ,carmi was taken4 ,then ,joshua learned how this man had sinned and incurred the anger of ,god1 and he and all ,israel carried him and his family outside the camp unto the valley of ,achor1 and all ,israel stoned him with stones1 and burned them with fire1 after they had stoned them with stones4 ,that was the sanctification of ,israel1--the putting away the black sheep out of the flock4 ,when ,jesus sat with ,his ,twelve in the supper chamber1 at the ,last ,supper1 ,judas rose and went out1 and when he was gone forth1 ,jesus said1 ,now is the ,son of ,man glorified1 and ,god is glorified in ,him4 ,a little while before1 while ,judas was in the room1 we are told1 ,jesus was troubled in spirit4 ,but the moment the evil one among the ,apostles was cast forth1 the glorification of the ,son of ,man began4 ,so it is now1 and so will it be hereafter4 ,now1 as long as there is evil in the ,church1 as long as there are sinners who will not amend1 as long as there are tares growing up with the wheat1--so long ,jesus is troubled in spirit4 ,but when the great ,day comes1 when our true ,joshua will lead the people of ,god into the ,promised ,land1 then ,he will sanctify ,his people by casting out from among them the ,achans2 then from the company of ,his ,elect the ,judases will be banished1 and the ,son of ,man will be glorified indeed4 ,,conclusion4--,therefore1 my ,brethren1 be careful to amend4 ,you may have been strayed sheep who have been mercifully brought back to the fold1 if so1 amend your ways1 and grow in holiness and in spiritual health2 or in the ,last ,day you will be thrust forth as incurable1 and the ,children of ,god will be sanctified1 whilst you are buried in the valley of ,achor4 ,,xli4 ,,rash ,,decisions4 #dth ,sunday after ,trinity4 ,s4 ,luke vi4 #cg4 ,judge not--condemn not--forgive4 ,,introduction4--,our ,lord here condemns all rash judgments4 ,we know not the motives of other men's actions1 and therefore have no right to pass a sweeping condemnation upon them4 ,from our ignorance1 we ought to be cautious and merciful in our judgments1 and from our own weakness1 we should be forgiving to those who have trespassed against us4 ,rash judgments arise from pride4 ,it is because we are puffed up with a high opinion of our own selves1 our own goodness1 the soundness of our judgment1 the sharpness of our perception1 that we are so prompt to pass judgment on others4 ,,subject4--,this same ,pride urges us to something else1 ,persistency in maintaining that on which we have determined1 even after we know it is unwise4 ,it is of this which ,i am going to speak to-day4 ,this fault is so closely akin to rash judgment of others1 that ,i may well address you on the subject upon a ,sunday when our ,lord warns against the other4 ,i4 ,many a man1 out of pride1 sticks to what he says after he knows that it is wrong4 ,he will not admit that he is wrong1 or he is moved by a false sense of what is due to himself to hold to his word1 or to his opinion1 when his conscience tells him that he is in error4 ,you must have met with those stubborn persons who are not to be moved by any argument1 not to be convinced by any proof1 that they are wrong4 ,they have made up their minds once for all1 and are no longer open to reverse their decision4 ,let us look to ,scripture1 and see if we have any examples of such4 ,i find two2 and one of these is in a man of whom we might have hoped better things--,king ,david4 ,i4 ,when ,david came to the kingdom1 he was very anxious to show kindness to any son of ,jonathan whom he might find2 and he heard of ,mephibosheth1 who was lame in both his feet1 and at once made over to him all the landed property that had belonged to ,king ,saul1 his grandfather4 ,after seven years1 ,absalom1 ,david's son1 conspired against his father1 and ,david was obliged to fly from ,jerusalem1 with a few friends4 ,as ,david was escaping1 there came to him ,ziba1 a servant of ,mephibosheth1 with a couple of asses saddled1 and upon them two hundred loaves of bread1 and a hundred bunches of raisins1 and an hundred of summer fruits1 and a skin of wine4 ,then ,david asked ,ziba what these were for1 and ,ziba answered that he had brought them to the king as a present1 thinking he might need them in his flight4 ,and the king asked after ,mephibosheth2 then ,ziba said1 ,o6 he is at home in ,jerusalem1 he said in my hearing1 ,a good time is coming to me4 ,to-day shall the house of ,israel restore me the kingdom of my father4 ,now all this was a wicked lie4 ,mephibosheth had sent the present1 and ,ziba had promised to tell ,david why his master could not come with him1 because he was crippled in both his feet1 and could not get about4 ,as for any idea of recovering the throne of ,saul1 it had not once entered his head4 ,now when ,david heard the slander of ,ziba1 he was very angry with ,mephibosheth1 and at once he judged him1 and condemned him1 without waiting to hear more1 and said to ,ziba1 ,behold1 ,i will give thee all that belonged to ,mephibosheth1 if ever ,i get back to ,jerusalem and recover my power4 ,not long after there was a great battle1 and ,absalom was slain1 and the enemies of ,david put to flight4 ,then ,david returned over ,jordan from the wilderness where he had taken refuge1 and ,mephibosheth met him4 ,this good man1 full of love for ,david1 had neither dressed his feet1 nor trimmed his beard1 nor washed his clothes1 all the time of ,david's absence1 to shew his great grief4 ,david at once reproached him for his disloyalty1 and then only he heard how great a lie ,ziba had told4 ,then ,david answered1 ,why speakest thou any more of thy matters8 ,i have said1 ,thou and ,ziba divide the land4 ,mark the wicked injustice4 ,the lying1 slanderous servant is rewarded with half the property of poor ,mephibosheth1--why8--because ,david had promised him the whole when misinformed4 ,david knows that ,ziba has acted falsely1 yet1 because he had said to him that he should be given the land of his master1 he keeps his word to him1 though he knows he is doing an injustice to ,mephibosheth4 ,there you have a pretty example of an obstinate man sticking to what he has said1 after he is convinced that he has been misled1 and doing a great wrong rather than acknowledge that he had judged rashly1 and condemned on no good grounds4 ,,ii4 ,i can give you another example4 ,king ,herod was pleased with the dancing of the daughter of ,herodias one evening at a supper1 and he swore to her1 when he was half tipsy1 that he would give her what she liked in reward for her display4 ,then she asked him to cut off the head of ,s4 ,john the ,baptist1 and give it her in a dish4 ,now1 as soon as she asked this1 the king was sorry1 for he knew that ,s4 ,john was a good man1 and he knew also that he had no right to have a man murdered in prison to please the whim of a wicked woman2 however1 because he had passed his word1 he was too proud and cowardly to go back from it1 and refuse her what she had no right to ask4 ,then he sent an executioner1 and he cut off the head of the saint1 and put it in a dish1 and it was brought thus to the girl1 and she carried it to her mother4 ,,iii4 ,a man is right to stick to his word1 if his word be right4 ,he is right to stick to his promise1 if he have promised that over which he has a just right4 ,he is right to stick to his opinion if his opinion be founded on good grounds1 and if he have heard nothing that ought to cause him to alter it4 ,but--no man has any right to stick to his opinion simply because it is his opinion4 ,he has no right to hold a promise which he had no right to make4 ,he has no right to adhere to a harsh judgment simply because he has formed that judgment4 ,when our ,lord bids us not judge1 ,he bids us be very cautious in forming a decided opinion1 and in sticking to it through thick and thin4 ,we know so little here1 and so imperfectly1 that our opinions must be formed on uncertain grounds1 and therefore we have no right to be tenacious about them4 ,yet many persons are as touchy about their opinions as though it were a sacrilege to dispute them4 ,some of the greatest injustices have been done through obstinacy1 in clinging to opinions that have become untenable4 ,,conclusion4--,remember then the lessons taught you by our ,lord in this day's ,gospel1 and also by the conduct of ,david4 ,be very cautious of forming a judgment1 and when you have formed one1 do not allow ,pride to stand in the way of confessing your fault1 and changing your opinion1 when you are given reasonable grounds for so doing4 ,,xlii4 ,,the ,,secret ,,of ,,success4 #eth ,sunday after ,trinity ,s4 ,luke v4 #e4 ,we have taken nothing2 nevertheless at ,thy word1 ,i will let down the net4 ,,introduction4--,s4 ,peter and the other ,apostles had been fishing all night1 and had met with no success at all1 then ,jesus entered into the boat of ,simon1 and bade him launch out and let down his net4 ,s4 ,peter did not hesitate4 ,he had met with no success when fishing in the night1 nevertheless now1 at the word of ,christ1 he fishes again1 and this time the net encloses a great multitude1 so that the net breaks4 ,no doubt our ,lord desired to show those who were to become fishers of men that there were two ways of doing a thing1 and that one way would be successful and the other would not4 ,if they were going to become fishers of men1 they must try to catch them by carrying ,christ1 i4e4 a ,christlike spirit1 with them1 and the spirit of ,christ is love and gentleness4 ,if they were to be successful in winning souls1 they must have a loving zeal1 and that would gain more than hard work without love4 ,,subject4--,we are all of us1 in our several callings1 fishers of souls4 ,of course1 especially are the clergy fishers1 but not they only1 every man who loves ,god must seek to win souls for ,god1 every man who is in the net of the ,church must seek to draw others into the same net4 ,if the fisher is to be successful1 he must fish in the spirit of ,christ1 that is1 actuated by love1 and must deal gently with the souls he desires to gain4 ,i4 ,i say1 we are all fishers4 ,those of us who are parents desire to draw to ,christ the souls of our children1 those who are masters1 the souls of their servants4 ,the husband seeks to win the wife1 and the believing wife the husband4 ,what knowest thou1 ,o wife1 says ,s4 ,paul1 whether thou shalt save thy husband8 or how knowest thou1 ,o man1 whether thou shalt save thy wife8 ,the servant seeks to win the fellow-servant1 the labourer in the field has the welfare of his fellow-labourer at heart1 and seeks to draw him to ,god4 ,it was ,cain who said1 ,am ,i my brother's keeper8 ,and the same isolating1 selfish spirit is in those who take no interest in those they associate with1 and do not seek their good4 ,i was much struck last spring with something a gentleman said to me1 who had been a good deal in ,america2 he was much surprised and struck with the interest felt in ,england by the rich for the poor1 by the master and mistress for their servants1 by the landowner for his tenants1 and he said to me1 ,this seems to me the most marvellous thing ,i have seen in ,england4 ,with us a master cares not one snap of the fingers what becomes of the man he employs1 he no more thinks of what becomes of him than he does of a dollar that passes through his hands4 ,he sees that he does his work1 and if the man dies1 the master gets another in his place to-morrow1 and asks nothing about the man who has disappeared4 ,well6 ,i thank ,god we are not come to that yet1 however advanced we may be in our independent ways2 and it is not right and ,christian that we should4 ,,ii4 ,now we come to the way in which we are to try to draw other souls to ,christ1 the souls of our children1 of our servants1 of our companions1 of our fellow-workers4 ,the first principle of success is gentleness4 ,in the #dth chapter of the #bnd book of ,kings we have this story4 ,there was a ,shunammite woman who had an only son4 ,she was a good kind-hearted woman1 who had shown much hospitality to the prophet ,elijah ,transcriber's note3 ,elisha84 ,one day the little boy ran out into the harvest field1 when the sun was hot1 and he had a sunstroke1 and was very ill4 ,he said unto his father1 ,my head1 my head4 ,and he said to a lad1 ,carry him to his mother4 ,and when he had taken him and brought him to his mother1 he sat on her knees till noon1 and then he died4 ,and she went up1 and laid him on the bed of the man of ,god1 and shut the door upon him1 and went out4 ,then she ordered one of the servants to saddle an ass1 and drive her to the prophet2 and when she found him1 she told him the piteous story1 and how the poor little fellow whom she loved so dearly1 and who was such a darling of his father1 and such a pet of the old ,elisha when he paid them his visits1 was lying white and dead upstairs on the bed4 ,then ,elisha was sorely troubled1 and he gave his staff to his servant1 ,gehazi1 and made him run as fast as he could to the house of the ,shunammite4 ,gird up thy loins1 and take my staff in thine hand1 and go thy way3 if thou meet any man1 salute him not2 and if any salute thee1 answer him not again2 and lay my staff upon the face of the child4 ,gehazi obeyed1 but it was of no use4 ,he laid the staff upon the face of the child3 but there was neither voice1 nor hearing4 ,then ,elisha came himself1 and he shut the door1 and laid himself beside the little body1 and put his lips to the lips of the child1 and his warm loving heart against the little dead heart1 and took the chill hands in his4 ,then the spirit of the child came back into him again1 and he sat up1 and ,elisha delivered him alive to his mother4 ,now this story contains some lesson for us4 ,and this is the short comment on the miracle by an old writer1 ,him whom the rod of terror will not rouse1 love will4 ,or in other words1 we may learn by this that gentleness will succeed where harshness will fail4 ,in the time when all the north of ,england was heathen1 there was an assembly held at ,iona to decide who should preach the gospel to the ,english of ,northumbria4 ,then one missionary was sent1 and after having laboured for some years1 he came back to give an account of his mission4 ,and a council was held1 and he said1 ,those ,northumbrians are a stiff-necked1 hard-hearted people4 ,i threatened them with ,god's wrath1 ,i spoke to them of ,hell-fire1 ,i warned them of the terrors of judgment1 ,i denounced the vengeance of ,god on them1 and they would not be converted4 ,then one sitting in a bark seat said1 ,my brother1 it seems to me that you went the wrong way to work4 ,you should have gone in love1 and not in wrath4 ,you should have tried to win1 and not to drive4 ,all eyes were turned en the speaker1 and it was decided with one voice that he should be sent1 and he went4 ,his name was ,aidan--and he was the ,apostle of all ,northumberland1 ,durham1 and ,yorkshire4 ,he had the joy to see the whole people bow their necks to receive the yoke of ,christ4 ,what says ,s4 ,paul8 ,what will ye8 shall ,i come unto you with a rod1 or in love1 and in the spirit of meekness8 ,if he had come with the rod1 he would have gone back disappointed4 ,,conclusion4--,let us then1 dear brethren1 in dealing with the souls of others1 approach them1 not with the rod1 or we shall fail to awake them to a new and better life1 but in love1 and in the spirit of gentleness1 and then we shall meet1 ,i doubt not1 with good success4 ,,xliii4 ,,persistency ,,in ,,wrong ,,doing4 #fth ,sunday after ,trinity4 ,s4 ,matt4 v4 #be4 ,agree with thine adversary quickly1 while thou art in the way with him4 ,,introduction4--,i spoke to you the ,sunday before last about the obstinacy of persisting in an opinion after you have good cause to believe that this opinion is unjust1 or unreasonable4 ,i am going to speak to you to-day of another form of obstinacy4 ,,subject4--,my subject is ,persistency in doing wrong1 because you have begun wrong4 ,this is only another form of the same fault4 ,the other is thinking wrong persistently1 this is perseverance in doing wrong4 ,and the source of both is the same1 ,pride4 ,pride stands in the way of altering an erroneous opinion1 and in the way of altering a wrongful course of action4 ,i4 ,in the tenth chapter of the second book of ,samuel we have a striking story of the way in which a man having once done a wrong1 persists in it1 and it brings about his ruin4 ,king ,david1 when firmly established on his throne1 began to look about him to see who had been kind to him in his day of adversity1 and to reward1 or thank them4 ,he showed his gratitude to the memory of his friend ,jonathan by investing his son ,mephibosheth with his grandfather's property4 ,then he remembered that ,nahash the ,king of ,ammon had shown him hospitality1 and he heard also that he was just dead4 ,so ,david said1 ,i will show kindness unto ,hanun the son of ,nahash1 as his father showed kindness unto me4 ,and ,david sent to comfort him by the hand of his servants for his father4 ,the message was kindly intended4 ,david wished to show that he was not forgetful of past favours1 that he was ready to make a lasting friendship with ,hanun1 and he desired to exhibit his sympathy with the son for the loss of his father4 ,these were the three motives actuating ,david1 all good4 ,now1 how did ,hanun act8 ,one would naturally suppose that he would appreciate these motives1 and that he would be glad1 when scarce settled on his throne1 to secure the powerful friendship of ,king ,david4 ,no6--he was young1 insolent1 inconsiderate1 and fond of practical joking1--a vulgar-minded fellow1 puffed up with conceit at his elevation to power4 ,hanun took the servants1 the ambassadors of ,david1 and shaved off half their beards1 and cut off the lower half of all their clothes1 and sent them back to ,david4 ,and when it was told unto ,david that his messengers had been thus ignominiously treated1 he sent to meet them1 because the men were greatly ashamed1 and said1 ,tarry at ,jericho1 until your beards be grown1 and then return4 ,as soon as ,hanun and his ,ammonites had done this1 what was their next step8--,as perhaps you are aware1 by the laws of civilized and uncivilized people1 the persons of ambassadors are held to be sacred4 ,therefore ,hanun had not only done an insolent1 and utterly blackguard trick1 but he had gone against one of the first laws of nations4 ,what he ought to have done1 was at once to send to ,david a most humble apology1 with an acknowledgment that he had acted wrongly4 ,but he was too proud for this4 ,he would not admit that he had erred4 ,he at once sent and hired the ,syrians of ,beth-rehob1 and the ,syrians of ,zoba1 twenty thousand foot soldiers1 and of ,king ,maacah a thousand men1 and of ,ish-tob twelve thousand men1 so that this malicious trick began to shew that it was an expensive one4 ,then ,david's army drew up in array against this army of ,ammon and their hired allies1 and at once1 all the mercenaries ran away4 ,so then there was nothing for it but for the ,ammonites to return as quickly as possible within the walls of their city4 ,now1 what should ,hanun have done8 ,it was clear that ,david was not eager to punish him1 for he had not even sent his army against ,ammon till ,hanun had collected the great host against him1 and as soon as the ,ammonites1 deserted by their auxiliaries1 had retired within their walls1 the army of ,david had not pressed them1 but gone quietly back to ,jerusalem4 ,what then ought ,hanun to have done8 ,of course1 he should now have sent his apology1 and said how wrongly he had acted1 how ashamed of himself he was1 and how desirous he was to have the past forgotten4 ,but no1 having done wrong once1 his pride would not let him acknowledge it1 and he went on4 ,he now engaged ,hadarezar1 ,king of the ,syrians1 and this time there was a great battle1 and ,david slew of the ,syrians seven hundred chariots1 and forty thousand horsemen1 and smote the captain of their host1 so that he was left dead on the field1 and all the ,syrians who could escape ran away for their lives4 ,then ,hadarezer had had quite enough of fighting against ,israel1 and he made peace with ,david1 and ,so the ,syrians feared to help the children of ,ammon any more4 ,now the ,ammonites were left completely without auxiliaries4 ,what chance was there for them8 ,still ,david did not press them4 ,a whole year passed1 and he made no move4 ,he was waiting for an apology4 ,but no4 ,that headstrong ,hanun was still too proud to make it4 ,he would die with all his people rather than say he had done wrong4 ,so1 at the end of a year1 ,david sent his army against the ,ammonites1 and destroyed them utterly4 ,he killed ,hanun1 and took away his crown1 and plundered his capital town1 and ruined all his cities4 ,that was the end of one practical joke unapologised for4 ,,ii4 ,in the ,gospel for to-day1 our ,lord warns against the same hard-headedness in persisting in refusing an apology1 and to make up friendship that has been broken4 ,agree with thine adversary quickly1 while thou art in the way with him2 lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge1 and the judge deliver thee to the officer1 and thou be cast into prison4 ,verily ,i say unto thee1 ,thou shalt by no means come out thence1 till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing4 ,he urges ,christians when they have done an injury to any1 frankly to confess it1 to put their pride in their pocket1 and to ask forgiveness4 ,it is not an easy thing to do1 to acknowledge that you have done wrong1 but there is more true courage in doing so1 than in persevering in spite of the consequences1 in wrong doing4 ,many a lasting and miserable quarrel has arisen because at the outset one little word has not been said1 which would have made all things smooth4 ,two families become estranged and bitterly hostile1 because some one has reported to the mother in one1 that the mother in the other had made a disparaging remark about her4 ,a little word1 and all would be explained1 and set to rights4 ,let not the sun go down on your wrath1 says the ,apostle1 and an excellent piece of advice this is3--,make up all quarrels the same day that they break out4 ,there was a good old bishop of ,alexandria called ,john the ,almsgiver1 and he and the ,governor of the city were great friends4 ,something occurred which made a breach between them4 ,if ,i remember aright1 it was this4 ,the bishop was very charitable1 and was always urging the rich people to give to the poor1 and they were constantly sending him money to distribute among the sick and needy4 ,now at this time the ,governor had experienced some difficulty in raising the taxes1 and this ruffled his temper4 ,he was on a visit to the ,bishop1 when he saw on the stairs a number of servants of a rich lady bringing up1 as a present to the bishop some pots1 labelled ,virgin ,honey4 ,the ,governor said he did not believe they were pots of honey1 but pots of gold1 and when the bishop offered to open them and let him see for himself1 he dashed out of the door in a rage1 and said1 ,no wonder ,i can't get money in taxes when you swindle it out of the people1 to feed the beggars on honey4 ,when the ,governor was gone1 the old ,bishop was very troubled1 and he sat in his room all the rest of the day1 waiting for the ,governor to come and make it up with him4 ,but no6 the ,governor was fuming with anger and would do no such thing4 ,that evening the ,governor had a party1 and as he was sitting at table with the guests1 a little scrap of paper was put on his plate1 a servant of the ,bishop had brought it4 ,the ,governor took it up and saw1 ,dear old ,friend--,,the ,,sun ,,is ,,setting4 ,then his heart relented1 he excused himself to his guests1 and ran to the house of the ,bishop1 and they fell into one another's arms and made friends again4 ,,conclusion4--,now remember this story4 ,whenever you have a quarrel with another1 let not the sun go down on your wrath4 ,make it up before set of sun4 ,,xliv4 ,,the ,,measure ,,of ,,sin4 #gth ,sunday after ,trinity4 ,s4 ,mark viii4 #b4 ,i have compassion on the multitude4 ,,introduction4--,in to-day's ,gospel we see the tender compassion of our ,lord for those who came into the wilderness to hear ,him4 ,this is only one example out of many of ,his great love and mercy3 and indeed ,his mercy is over all ,his works4 ,thou1 ,o ,lord1 says ,david1 art full of compassion and mercy1 long-suffering and truth4 ,this is a verity of which we are so convinced that it is quite possible we may overlook the other truth1 that ,his mercy1 though unlimited in extent1 is limited in its application4 ,his mercy is extended for a definite purpose1 and when it ceases to avail for this purpose1 then it ceases to flow4 ,what that purpose is1 ,s4 ,paul tells us4 ,knowest thou not1 he says1 that the goodness of ,god leadeth thee to repentance4 ,that is1 ,god is merciful that we may amend1 not in order that we may continue in sin4 ,now1 if men thought that when they had fallen into grievous sin there was no more a hope of recovery1 then they would sink into despair1 and become hard and impenitent4 ,but that this may not be the case1 ,god assures us of ,his mercy1 but he assures us of ,his mercy only to insure our amendment4 ,,subject4--,it seems plain from ,holy ,scripture that to each man there is a fixed measure of sin1 and that if he fills that measure1 after that there is no place for repentance1 and no more pardon4 ,this is a very terrible truth1--but a truth it is1 as ,i shall show you4 ,i4 ,there was a nation of ,canaan called the ,amorites1 and ,god promised to ,abraham that ,he would give their land to his descendants1 but that ,he could not give it yet without injustice4 ,the land was in the possession of the ,amorites1 a people on their trial1 and till the day of their probation was expired1 their kingdom could not be taken from them4 ,in the fourth generation1 ,god said1 thy seed shall come hither1 for the iniquity of the ,amorites is not yet full4 ,now actually it was not till four hundred and seventy years later that the destruction of the ,amorites was accomplished4 ,four generations after ,abraham1 that is some two hundred and forty years after1 the measure of their iniquities was full1 and yet they existed on till ,joshua crossed ,jordan with the ,israelites1 and then they were all put to the sword4 ,in the ,new ,testament we hear the ,jews addressed as though they also had a measure of sin they must fill up before ,god would forsake them4 ,our ,lord says to them1 ,ye are the children of them which killed the prophets4 ,fill ye up then the measure of your fathers4 ,ye serpents1 ye generation of vipers1 how can ye escape the damnation of ,hell8 ,behold ,i send unto you prophets1 and wise-men1 and scribes3 and some of them ye shall kill and crucify3 and persecute them from city to city3 that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth1 from the blood of righteous ,abel unto the blood of ,zacharias1 son of ,barachias1 whom ye slew between the temple and the altar4 ,the ,jewish nation had done great wickedness1 but the measure of their iniquities was not full till they had rejected ,christ1 and had refused to listen to ,his ,apostles1 and the ,holy ,ghost speaking through their mouths4 ,till then ,he would not cast them off entirely4 ,,ii4 ,david prays to ,god1 ,lord1 let me know the number of my days1 that ,i may be certified how long ,i have to live4 ,no doubt1 ,god has fixed for all men a certain length of life4 ,no doubt also ,he has set for each a certain limit of forbearance2 a line1 an invisible line drawn somewhere1 and ,he says to man1 ,thus far mayest thou go1 and ,i will still be merciful and pardon1 but no further4 ,transgress that line1 and ,i forgive no more4 ,my ,spirit will not always strive with man4 ,in those cases which ,i have quoted to you1 ,god is dealing with nations1 but ,he deals with individuals in the same way4 ,his laws are uniform2 as ,he deals with an assemblage of people1 so ,he deals with single individuals4 ,if ,he fixes a bound to nations1 beyond which they cannot go without ,his forsaking them1 it is because there is the law1 which is of general application to all human beings2 a law applying to single persons1 and to persons in the aggregate4 ,in the ,prophet ,amos we read a message from ,god to ,judah1 ,thus saith the ,lord3 ,for three transgressions of ,judah1 and for four1 ,i will not turn away the punishment thereof4 ,this means1 if ,i mistake not1 ,judah has committed some two or three gross sins1 and ,i was ready to turn away the punishment1 had there been a sign of repentance1 but when to the three they added a fourth1 then it was too late4 ,the time of repentance was past1 and the punishment threatened must fall4 ,and now perhaps you can understand a saying of ,s4 ,john in his first ,epistle4 ,he says3--,if any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death1 he shall ask1 and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death4 ,there is a sin unto death1 ,i do not say that he shall pray for it4 ,s4 ,john is not speaking here of what we call mortal sins1 but of mortal sins continued till the measure is filled up1 and when the last sin has been added which completes the measure1 that is the sin unto death1 which it avails nothing to pray for1 for that sin ends in death4 ,before1 there was life1 spiritual life1 perhaps flickering1 but extant1 then comes the last sin1 and the life is gone out1 all is dark1 and dead1 and cold1 no more fanning of the black ashes is of any avail1 the fire is out and cannot be revived4 ,,iii4 ,how does ,god deal with those who have gone beyond this measure8 ,in one of two ways4 ,either3-- #a4 ,there comes a sudden call1--a sudden death-sickness or accident cuts them off4 ,or3-- #b4 ,dead impenitence settles over the soul1 which no longer wishes for anything better1 which feels no desire for pardon4 ,of the first case1 we have instances in ,scripture4 ,king ,belshazzar had committed many transgressions1 he was weighed in the balances1 but still found wanting in the final and irreversible act of wickedness1 till that night when he brought out the sacred vessels used in the temple to drink out of them at his riotous banquet in his palace4 ,that act of sacrilege was the one sin which weighed down the balance4 ,what says the sacred text8 ,in that night was ,belshazzar the ,king of the ,chaldeans slain4 ,i may instance also ,judas1 who having for long been a thief1 added to his former sins the one last and terrible sin of selling his ,master1 and then a fit of madness came over him in which he hung himself4 ,but sometimes hardness and impenitence is the result4 ,the conscience is dead1 and1 to use ,s4 ,paul's words1 there remains no more sacrifice for sins1 but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation1 which shall devour the adversaries4 ,,conclusion4--,let us1 therefore1 be very cautious of adding sin to sin1 that grace may abound1 but rather fly from it as from the face of a serpent4 ,we know not what is the number of our days determined by ,god1 and we know not what is the number of our sins beyond which there is no forgiveness4 ,,xlv4 ,,casting ,,blame4 #hth ,sunday after ,trinity4 ,s4 ,matt4 vii4 #ae4 ,inwardly they are ravening wolves4 ,,introduction4--,a ,schoolmaster finds one day that several of his scholars are playing truant4 ,the morning passes and they do not arrive4 ,at last1 in the afternoon1 the truants turn up4 ,the master has a strong suspicion where they have been3 however1 he asks1 ,why were you not at school this morning8 ,please1 sir1 mother kept me at home to mind the baby4 ,indeed--let me look at your mouth4 ,he opens the mouth1 and finds it black inside4 ,ah6 ,i thought as much1 rambling in the woods1 picking and eating whortleberries4 ,so with the others1 they make their excuses1 but he looks into their mouths1 and the black colour betrays them4 ,now1 my friends1 ,i am almost afraid to look in your mouths1 lest ,i should see them black1 not with whortleberries1 but with something much sweeter1 blame and fault-finding4 ,you are1 ,i suspect1 all of you nearly fond of abusing your neighbours1 of finding fault1 of telling unkind things of them1 of blackening their good names4 ,,subject4--,i am going to take as my subject to-day the ,casting of ,blame4 ,i4 ,be ye merciful1 said our ,lord1 even as your ,father which is in heaven is merciful4 ,he did not mean only in our dealings with others1 to be merciful to their bodies1 and merciful in not exacting debts1 and merciful in not punishing neglect1 and so forth1 but ,he meant also that we were to be merciful with their characters4 ,we are not to be ready to impute evil1 not ready to cast blame1 not ready to believe hard things of others and retail them to our neighbours1 but to be very slow to suspect evil1 very slow to charge it on others1 and exceedingly slow to say what is evil of others4 ,charity1 says ,s4 ,paul1 is not easily provoked1 thinketh no evil1 rejoiceth not in iniquity1 but rejoiceth in the truth2 beareth all things1 believeth all things1 hopeth all things1 endureth all things4 ,it seems to me1 that charity is the exact reverse of this fault-finding1 blame-imputing character4 ,charity thinketh no evil1 but how is it with you8 ,do you not always suspect that the motives of people are bad1 do you not always think people are worse than they really are8 ,charity rejoiceth not in iniquity4 ,ha6 there is a bit of scandal1 something very bad has come out about ,so and so4 ,what a running about from house to house6 the village is like a hive of bees swarming4 ,do you mean to tell me it is not a delight1 a joy to you1 to have this little bit of iniquity to talk about8 ,i know better4 ,charity rejoiceth not in iniquity1 but charity is not to be found in that tittle-tattling1 excited crowd of talkers4 ,charity believeth all things--will1 that is1 believe and trust1 as long as it is possible1 that people are not so bad after all1 that the stories told are not true1 and ,charity hopeth all things1 hopes even against hope that it is so4 ,o6 what a blessed thing is charity6 ,s4 ,paul said he would rather have that1 than be able to speak with tongues1 and to prophesy2 he would rather have that than work miracles4 ,it is a better thing even to have that than ,faith4 ,but1 alas6 if it be such a good thing1 it is also a very rare one4 ,,ii4 ,how very often we cast blame when there is no cause1 and are therefore guilty of serious injustice4 ,i was one day walking in the street of a little town1 when a poor inoffensive dog passed me4 ,he went quietly along without a thought of doing anyone an injury1 when he happened to pass a knot of boys just come out of school4 ,at once one of the urchins took up a stone and threw it at him1 the others clapped their hands1 and hooted after him1 ,hit him6 ,knock him over6 ,mad dog6 ,away ran the unhappy cur1 and all the boys yelling after him1 throwing dirt1 and striking at him with sticks4 ,what next8 ,everyone in the street ran to the door1 and saw the brute tearing down the way1 with his tail between his legs4 ,then out of every door rushed all the house-dogs1 the butcher's dog1 and the coach-dog1 and even the little lap-dog jumped up1 and ran down stairs1 and out of the door1 to join in the barking1 and away went all the dogs of the place after the poor wretch4 ,there was a tumult6 ,and the people in their doors and at their windows shouted1 and one said1 ,kill him6 he is mad6 and another1 ,he has bitten a woman6 and another1 ,he has stolen some meat6 and another1 ,he has knocked over a child6 ,now all this arose from one boy throwing a stone at a harmless dog4 ,and all the things said about the dog were untrue4 ,the proverb was verified1 ,give a dog a bad name1 and you may hang him4 ,is not this very much like what takes place among men8 ,someone throws blame on a poor harmless person for no cause in the world but out of sheer malevolence1 or love of mischief1 and at once others join in4 ,everyone has something to say1 everyone joins in the general abuse4 ,no lack of blame4 ,no lack of unkind things said4 ,and--all untrue1 all unjust6 ,i do not mean to say that when a person has done what is wrong we are not to speak of it at all2 but what ,i do say is1 that we should be very careful indeed not to cast blame till we are quite sure that we are justified in doing so4 ,as for this way1 we know that it is everywhere spoken against1 was what was said of ,christianity4 ,all sorts of bad1 lying things were said of the early ,christians1 that they killed and ate children1 that they practised horrible idolatries3 the stories were not true1 but they were believed1 simply because everyone said these things were done4 ,,iii4 ,now this is the advice ,i give you3-- a4 ,be sure that blame is just before you cast it4 b4 ,be merciful in attributing blame even when it is deserved4 ,first3--,be sure that you have real cause to cast blame1 be sure that you are not committing a great injustice1 and doing another a grievous injury which is unmerited4 ,do to others as you would they should do to you4 ,consider how miserable you would feel were you the subject of unmerited blame4 ,secondly3--,be merciful in attributing blame even when it is deserved4 ,remember that you yourself are not guiltless4 ,there are things that you have done which deserve censure quite as much as those things you blame in others4 ,one day a woman1 taken in adultery1 was brought before ,christ1 and the ,jews desired to stone her to death because of her sin4 ,then our ,lord said1 ,he that is without sin among you1 let him first cast a stone at her4 ,and when they heard it1 being convicted by their own consciences1 they went out1 one by one1 beginning at the eldest even unto the last4 ,i say to you3 when you are inclined to cast blame1 even when just1 think1 ,am ,i without sin1 that ,i should judge and condemn another8 ,,xlvi4 ,,petty ,,dishonesty4 #ith ,sunday after ,trinity4 ,s4 ,luke xvi1 #c1 #d4 ,what shall ,i do8--,i am resolved what to do4 ,,introduction4--,the dishonest ,steward in to-day's ,gospel shows us the natural tendency of the human heart when in a scrape--to have recourse to dishonesty to escape from it4 ,he knows that he is about to be turned out of his stewardship because he has been wasteful--not dishonest1 but wasteful4 ,he has not been a prudent and saving steward1 but a sort of happy-go-lucky man who has not kept the accounts carefully1 and has been content so long as he has not lost much money4 ,so soon as he sees himself about to be turned out of his stewardship1 he is wakened out of his easy-going ways with a shock1 and he says to himself1 ,here am ,i in a predicament6 ,i shall lose my livelihood1 and am not likely to get another situation2 ,i am too old to work with my hands for my living1 and ,i have too much self-respect to try4 ,what can ,i do8--,i am resolved what to do4 ,i will cheat my master4 ,,subject4--,i believe that a very similar process goes on now-a-days in a great many hearts4 ,bad times come4 ,what is to be done8 ,there is nothing for it but to be just a little bit dishonest4 ,honesty won't pay4 ,so the manufacturer weaves bad silk1 and makes shoddy cloth1 and the wine-merchant doctors his wine1 and the brewer his ale1 and the milkman puts water into his milk1 and the butterman sells butter made of ,thames mud1 and the calico is dressed with chalk1 and the ready-made clothes come to pieces because the thread's ends are not fastened1 and the farm work is half done1 and the whole trade and commerce of the country is one great system of adulteration and petty cheating4 ,i4 ,abraham was a very scrupulous man4 ,in all his dealings he was perfectly just and honourable4 ,once five kings came into the valley of the ,jordan1 and made a sudden onslaught on the towns there2 they carried away all the goods of ,sodom and ,gomorrah1 and thoroughly sacked the cities4 ,they did not only that1 but they carried off as well a great number of the inhabitants as captives4 ,then ,abraham lent his servants to the king of ,sodom to help him to recover the booty and liberate the captives1 and there was a battle1 the result of which was that the five kings were defeated1 and all the spoil and the prisoners recovered4 ,then the ,king of ,sodom offered ,abraham the booty in repayment for his valuable services4 ,he said1 ,give me the persons1 and take the goods to thyself4 ,but ,abraham answered1 ,no6 ,i will not take from a thread even to a shoe-latchet1 and ,i will not take any thing that is thine1 lest thou shouldest say1 ,i have made ,abraham rich4 ,now1 this was just an occasion when he might have fairly claimed remuneration from the recovered plunder1 but no6 he was far too scrupulous4 ,he knew of what that plunder consisted--it was made up of the household goods of the inhabitants of the towns of ,sodom and ,gomorrah2 of all the sticks of furniture1 and clothes1 and crockery1 and household ornaments that the people valued4 ,he would not deprive them of one1 lest they should think that ,abraham had enriched himself at their expense4 ,he puts an extreme case1--lest some poor woman should lament that she had lost all her thread wherewith to mend her torn clothes1 and say1 ,ah6 ,i had plenty of thread once1 but ,abraham has it now1 or another should say1 ,i have no buckle to my shoe1 ,abraham has taken of the spoil1 and my shoe-buckle he has got now4 ,well1 now listen to what follows immediately4 ,this upright conduct of ,abraham so pleased ,god1 that we read1 ,after these things the word of the ,lord came unto ,abraham in a vision1 saying1 ,fear not1 ,abraham3 ,i am thy shield1 and thy exceeding great reward4 ,how many are there now who act like ,abraham8 ,how many who fear lest it should be said of them that they had been enriched by those whose money they had no right to take8 ,there would be fewer failing banks1 and the little stores of widows and orphans swallowed up1 were the bankers more of the mind of ,abraham4 ,there would be fewer swindling speculations swallowing up the savings of the thrifty1 if men shrank from taking that which is not lawfully and fairly their own4 ,,ii4 ,all purchases1 and all agreements for labour1 are contracts4 ,the purchaser asks for one thing1 and of that thing a certain amount1 and if for his money he is given another thing1 or a smaller amount than that for which he has paid1 then there is dishonesty4 ,if you went to a shop and asked for a pound of tea1 and were given something which was not tea1 or tea which weighed less than a pound1 you would be dealt with dishonestly4 ,so if you go into another shop to buy flannel1 and purchase three yards1 and then when you come home and measure it1 you find that it is six inches short1 you would have been dealt with dishonestly4 ,in both cases you would be exceedingly angry with the traders1 and justly so4 ,but consider1 do you always act justly with your employers8 ,when you are hired for a day's work1 do you give good work8 ,and is the time just measure8 ,or is there much idling and talking when you are unobserved8 ,let there be honour and fairness all round4 ,how would you like to be paid in clipped coin1 that was not full weight8 ,and yet you have no scruple in giving clipped time1 and work in short weight4 ,i speak plainly about this1 for it is a crying evil of the day4 ,there is everywhere apparent a lack of conscientiousness in the dealings of man with man4 ,we used to do a large trade with our manufactures in ,europe and the ,east1 and now we have to a large extent lost it--because we have sent out bad material and sold it as good4 ,it is a common complaint that men do not work now as well as of old in every department of industry4 ,they rob their masters of time and labour1 which they have contracted to give4 ,then the masters say1 ,what shall we do8--we are resolved what we will do1 we will make up the loss by adulteration of our goods4 ,then purchasers discover this and refuse to buy1 so the trade of the country declines4 ,,iii4 ,remember1 then1 in all your transactions1 how ,abraham dealt with the ,king of ,sodom1 and how ,god rewarded him for his honesty1 and you may be very sure that ,god will not overlook you if you deal with others faithfully4 ,the eye of ,god is over all1 and ,he sees whether you fulfil your obligations honestly or not1 and ,he will certainly bless abundantly those who recognise ,his presence4 ,s4 ,paul bids all who serve others--we all do that in one way or another--do their duty1 not with eye-service1 as men-pleasers1 but as though they were working for ,christ1 not as if they were doing the will of man1 but the will of ,god1 from the heart1 ,knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth1 the same shall he receive of the ,lord4 ,,xlvii4 ,,the ,,consequences ,,of ,,sin4 #ajth ,sunday after ,trinity4 ,s4 ,luke xix1 #db4 ,if thou hadst known1 even thou1 at least in this thy day1 the things which belong unto thy peace6 but now they are hid from thine eyes4 ,,introduction4--,i spoke to you the other day about the measure of sin1 and showed you that there was a certain limit allotted to every man1 beyond which he could not go and still expect forgiveness1 a point in the downward course at which the ,holy ,spirit will cease to strive to hold him back4 ,we see in this day's ,gospel that there is also a ,day of ,grace1 a period1 that is1 during which ,god is ready to give pardon and strength and guidance1 and that if this ,day of ,grace be wasted1 then those things belonging to our eternal peace which were offered are withdrawn1 or hidden from the eyes4 ,this is1 in fact1 the same thing as what ,i said about the measure of sin2 after a time of sin and neglect1 the opportunity for redeeming the past is lost beyond recall1 and that time is measured out by the amount of the transgressions of the person or the people with whom ,god is dealing4 ,,subject4--,i am not1 however1 going to speak to you again on this subject from another aspect1 but of sin itself1 and the consequences it brings4 ,those consequences we overlook4 ,we believe that ,god for ,christ's sake pardons sin and wipes away transgressions1 but we forget altogether that ,he does not deliver us from the consequences of sin1 or1 at least1 not from all of them4 ,i4 ,sin is the transgression of ,god's commandment4 ,and it entails three consequences4 #a4 ,it separates from ,god4 #b4 ,it entails punishment4 #c4 ,it leaves a stain4 ,god has given ,his ,commandments for the good of men4 ,they are the maxims by which they must rule their conduct1 in order that the world may go on in peace and orderliness1 and that they may remain in communion with ,him4 ,sin is the violation of this law1 the break-up of order1 the disturbance of peace1 and the interruption of communion4 ,,ii4 ,it separates from ,god4 ,when mortal sin has been committed1 the flow of divine grace is arrested1 just as when something gets into a pipe it chokes it1 so that the stream of water can no longer run till the stoppage is removed4 ,thus the presence of mortal sin in the conscience at once cuts off from the favour of ,god1 and prevents growth in the spiritual life4 ,the sinner is guilty in the sight of ,god1 and if he die in unpardoned deadly sin1 stands in great danger of being lost4 ,now1 here it is that ,christ intervenes4 ,he reconciles the sinner to the ,father1 and ,he takes away the barrier which separates them4 ,he removes the stoppage which interferes with the flow of ,grace4 ,in one word1 ,he removes the guilt4 ,that is the work of the ,atonement4 ,for this ,christ died4 ,but for the ,cross of ,calvary1 man1 once alienated from ,god by sin1 must remain in alienation4 ,christ1 says ,s4 ,paul1 having made peace through the blood of the ,cross1 hath reconciled all things unto ,himself4 ,and you1 that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works1 now hath ,he reconciled in the body of ,his flesh through death1 to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in ,god's sight4 ,it entails suffering4 ,god's law is that all sin must be punished--that is1 where there is transgression1 suffering must follow4 ,when a man squanders his fortune by extravagance1 he may bitterly repent1 but he continues to suffer for his folly4 ,when a man has got drunk1 he may be full of sorrow for what he has done1 but he has a headache next day all the same4 ,when a woman has lost her character1 she may weep tears of bitter repentance1 and ,god may pardon her as ,he pardoned ,magdalen1 but she can never recover her character1 and must suffer the consequences of her act4 ,in this world or in the next1 all sin must be expiated by suffering4 ,christ by ,his death removed the guilt of sin1 but not the suffering for sin4 ,s4 ,peter bids us remember that suffering remains a consequence1 for he exhorts us1 ,forasmuch as ,christ hath suffered for us in the flesh1 arm yourselves likewise with the same mind3 for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin4 ,that is1 the sin is wholly expiated only when the suffering it brings after it has been undergone4 ,it leaves a stain or scar4 ,no man is the same after sinning as he was before4 ,the sin may be forgiven and suffered for1 but the scar remains on his soul4 ,the soul as it leaves the hand of ,god is white and innocent1 in its passage through life it meets with many self-inflicted wounds1 these wounds of the soul are sin4 ,thus it suffers till the wound is healed1 and the medicine of the soul is the blood of ,christ4 ,the blood heals1 but the scar remains4 ,the soul1 as seen by ,god and angels1 is marked all over with the traces of the sins which have torn it4 ,the baptized child is given a robe of innocence white as snow4 ,every sin is a stain upon it1 and if you could see now1 as angels see1 your baptismal garment1 you would find it spotted and smeared all over4 ,suppose ,i were to take this surplice and splash it over with ink1 ,i might with much labour take out the ink stains1 but never so entirely cleanse it that no trace remains4 ,or ,i might walk in it through the bushes1 and get it torn with the thorns and brambles4 ,then all the rents might be carefully darned up1 but--the surplice would never look as sound and beautiful as when new4 ,this is precisely like the state of the soul after sin1 it is torn and stained1 and although the sins may be forgiven1 and the stains washed1 and the rents healed1 yet to the end of life the marks remain of where they have been1 the effects are uneffaced4 ,,iii4 ,now what are some of these effects8 ,in the first place1 every sin weakens the soul4 ,it takes from it not only its innocence1 but its power of resistance4 ,just as a wound weakens you by the loss of blood1 so a sin weakens you by loss of resisting power4 ,you are not so strong to fight against evil after sinning as you were before4 ,in the second place1 you have become more careless and even hardened about sin than you were before4 ,when you have a new coat or gown1 you are very careful of it that it be not spotted and torn1 but once it loses its first newness1 you are not so particular1 and the more spotted and torn it becomes1 the less you care for the injuries done it1 you say1 ,it is an old dress and very much used1 another stain or patch does not matter4 ,so with the soul1 when you have become accustomed to sinning1 you no longer dread sin4 ,,conclusion4--,and now remember1 in this thy day1 the things that belong to thy peace1 and dread sin for its consequences1 lest by over much confidence you may exceed your measure1 and then the chance of recovery will be gone from you for ever4 ,,xlviii4 ,,self-,,inspection4 #aath ,sunday after ,trinity4 ,s4 ,luke xviii41 #ac4 ,the ,publican1 standing afar off1 would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven1 but smote upon his breast1 saying1 ,god1 be merciful to me a sinner4 ,,introduction4--,i have spoken to you on former occasions pretty strongly upon the evil of backbiting1 slandering1 and casting of blame without sufficient cause4 ,i am not going to address this day those who speak evil1 but those of whom evil is spoken4 ,the ,publican in the ,parable stood far from the ,pharisee1 who had no good word for him1 even in his prayer1 and he took a great deal of blame to heart1 and prayed to ,god for mercy on him for his shortcomings4 ,no doubt the ,publican was well aware in what estimation he was held by the people1 and how utterly he was despised by the ,pharisee4 ,the ,publican was the tax-gatherer1 and as the tax-gatherers in those days were often hard men1 and exacted more than was due to the ,state1 that they might pocket the difference1 the general opinion was that they were all of them dishonest men1 and men without hearts4 ,this was not true1 we know1 of this ,publican1 nor of ,zacchaeus1 nor of ,levi1 who are commended in the ,gospel4 ,perhaps this ,publican who was praying1 saw the ,pharisee cast a contemptuous glance at him1 perhaps he even heard the words of his prayer1 but if so1 he made no attempt at justifying himself4 ,his prayer was not1 ,god1 ,i am not what other men say of me1 unjust1 hard-hearted1 peculating1 exacting3 on the contrary1 ,i am strictly honest in my dealings1 and ,i am very forbearing and tender-hearted1 and ,i do not press for payment when no money is to be got4 ,no6 nothing of the sort6 all he says is--,god1 be merciful to me1 a sinner4 ,,subject4--,i would have those who are blamed by others1 instead of manifesting great eagerness to excuse themselves1 and clamouring against those who speak against them1 look into their own hearts and lives1 and see if there be not something blameworthy there4 ,i4 ,king ,philip of ,macedon was informed by some of his courtiers that one of his officers1 ,nicanor by name1 was always speaking evil of him1 that wherever ,nicanor was1 there he did nothing but grumble against the king1 and disparage and blame him4 ,what was to be done8 ,should he be arrested and thrown into prison4 ,no6 said ,king ,philip1 ,before punishing ,nicanor1 ,i must look and see whether ,i have not given occasion for this abuse of me4 ,then the king thought things over1 and it occurred to him for the first time that he had not rewarded ,nicanor for some signal services he had rendered him4 ,by some oversight no notice had been taken of ,nicanor1 though he had risked his life for the king4 ,then ,philip sent for him1 and gave him a good appointment1 which brought him in a handsome income1 and was one of great honour4 ,some while after1 ,philip said to his courtiers1 ,how does ,nicanor speak of me now8 ,they answered that he was never weary of praising the king4 ,then ,philip said1 ,do you not see8 it lies in ourselves whether we are well or evil spoken of4 ,it is seldom indeed that you will escape blame1 that evil of some sort will not be spoken about you4 ,when that is the case1 remember what ,philip said1 ,i must look and see whether ,i have not given occasion4 ,always go to your own heart1 always examine your own life1 and see whether1 after all1 there be not something there which is wrong or unwise1 and which may be altered1 so as to cut off occasion from evil speakers4 ,as the proverb says1 ,there is no smoke without a fire1 and it is not often that blame is cast without there being some cause for it4 ,it may be attributed unjustly1 but it is sometimes just1 though excessive4 ,everything casts a shadow1 and if you see a shadow you may be sure there is some body to cast it1 though the shape and size of the shadow may be wholly unlike and out of proportion to the object which throws it4 ,a tree casts a shadow1 a house casts a shadow1 a needle casts a shadow1 even a hair--where the shadow is1 there is some substance to fling it2 where great blame is cast1 there is some occasion for it4 ,you may have stood on a rock1 and seen your shadow thrown all down a valley and up the side of an opposite hill1 an enormous figure1 and a ridiculous caricature of yourself4 ,so the blame cast on you is often excessive and altogether unreasonable and monstrous4 ,nevertheless it would never be cast at all unless there were some little fault to cast it4 ,stick up a pin on a table when the sun is low1 and it will throw a shadow from one end of the table to the other1 four feet long1 and the pin is only an inch in height4 ,so is it with faults3 little faults throw long shadows1 cause great talk1 but there would be no talk at all if the little faults were not there4 ,,ii4 ,what then is it that you should do8 ,examine yourselves whenever you are blamed1 and do your utmost to correct what is amiss in you4 ,blessed are ye1 said our ,lord1 when men shall revile you1 and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely4 ,why8 ,why when falsely8 ,because it will make you all the more watchful that you give no offence1 that you avoid even the appearance of evil4 ,blessed are ye when men revile you1 and say all manner of evil against you1 for then you will examine yourselves1 and if you see there is any ground whatever for what they say1 you will amend your ways2 and blessed are ye when they speak evil against you falsely1 for then1 though their blame be exaggerated and lying1 yet it will make you infinitely more particular to live a blameless life1 and to have a conscience void of offence toward ,god and men4 ,,conclusion4--,if you do not use for your self-correction any blame you may undergo1 then you may be sure that more and more will attach to you4 ,you may surmount one calumny1 but others will follow at its heels4 ,in ,revelation we hear that an angel cried1 ,one woe is past2 and behold there come two woes more hereafter4 ,so will it be with you1 if the first woe does not profit you to make you better4 ,if the plague of stinging1 tormenting insects had made ,pharaoh better1 and amend his ways1 the other plagues would not have fallen upon him4 ,thus1 when you are tormented by evil tongues and spiteful words1 if you do not strive your utmost to live better lives1 and undo any wrong you may have committed1 though the first woe may be past3 behold1 there will come two more woes hereafter4 ,,xlix4 ,,perfection ,,to ,,be ,,sought4 #abth ,sunday after ,trinity4 ,s4 ,mark vii41 #cg4 ,he hath done all things well4 ,,introduction4--,it was said by an old heathen writer that ,god cares for ,adverbs rather than for ,substantives4 ,that is to say1 ,god had rather have things done well1 than that the things should be merely done4 ,he had rather have you pray earnestly than pray1 communicate piously than merely communicate1 forgive your enemies heartily than say you forgive1 work diligently than spend so many hours at work1 do your duty thoroughly than solely be content with discharging your duty4 ,of ,christ1 observe what is said4 ,it is not ,he hath opened the eyes of the blind1 ,he hath unstopped the ears of the deaf4 ,he hath loosed the tongue of the dumb1 ,he hath healed the sick1 but--,he hath done all things well4 ,the eyes do not become dull again1 nor the ears again lose their power of hearing1 nor the tongue stutter once more1 nor the sick relapse into their sickness--what ,he hath done ,he hath done well and thoroughly4 ,,subject4--,this1 then1 is what ,god desires of you--whatever you undertake1 to do it well4 ,whatsoever your hand finds to do1 do it with all your might4 ,if a thing is worth doing at all1 it is worth doing well4 ,it is not sufficient for us to coldly perform our duties1 we must perform them with zeal and thoroughness4 ,the prophet ,amos was one day shown a vision4 ,behold1 the ,lord stood upon a wall made by a plumbline1 with a plumbline in ,his hand4 ,and the ,lord said unto me1 ,amos1 what seest thou8 ,and ,i said1 ,a plumbline4 ,then said the ,lord1 ,behold1 ,i will set a plumbline in the midst of my people ,israel2 ,i will not again pass by them any more4 ,in this vision we have the work of ,god1 as carried out by the ,israelites1 represented under the form of a wall4 ,god had given them certain duties to perform1 so much work in this world to be done for ,him1 and ,he left them to themselves for a while4 ,then they thought1 ,god is not here1 ,he is not a hard overseer1 we will work as we like1 and take it easy4 ,so long as the thing is done1 it does not matter very much how it is done4 ,so they did every thing in a careless1 slovenly manner4 ,they neglected their duties or carried them out in a bare formal manner4 ,if we come back to the comparison of a wall1 it was just as though masons engaged on one put in any sort of stones1 any how1 and did not trouble whether they built it in line and upright1 whether some of the stones stuck too far out1 and some were too far in4 ,then ,god appears to ,amos and says1 ,i will not again pass by them any more2 there has been too much of this sort of work4 ,i will not overlook it1 ,i will try it with the plumbline of ,my justice1 and the bad work shall be pulled down1 the jutting stones knocked away1 and the crooked wall made straight4 ,this vision applies to you quite as much as to the ,jews4 ,you have got a set task3 you have to build up the wall of the ,lord1 that is1 day by day you have to work at your salvation1 and put in at least one stone so as to raise the work1 and what you build must be good1 and upright1 and in line4 ,you have a prayer to say1 say it well1 say it with devotion4 ,then it is a stone put on the wall in its right place1 and it is a good stone of the right quality4 ,you have quarrelled with a neighbour1 you have made it up1 heartily and bear no more malice1 that is a good stone2--forgiveness of injuries--a capital stone that won't let the water through4 ,lay it level1 and lay it upright4 ,you have a chance of showing a kindness to someone who needs1 do it quietly and without fuss or show4 ,that will stand4 ,it was otherwise with the ,pharisees4 ,when they did their alms1 they made a noise and called attention to it4 ,that was like putting a stone in the wall that stuck a long way out1 so that all might see it4 ,when the ,lord comes with ,his plumbline1 ,he will knock it off with ,his trowel1 and it will go all to pieces like a bit of slate1 and be no good at all4 ,you come to church1 and you take my sermon home4 ,what will you do with it8 ,toss it away on your road home1 and make no use at all of it8 ,i hope not2 build the lesson ,i am giving you tight into your lives1 and it will raise your wall1 and you can lay other good lessons on top of it4 ,what do you do with your ,sunday8 ,is it wasted in lounging about1 ferreting rabbits1 idle talking8 ,if it be so1 then it will add nothing to the wall of your salvation4 ,it will be like a mere lump of earth put in where there should have been a stone2 it will wash out and leave a hole4 ,now remember that our great architect1 ,jesus ,christ1 is the man with the plumbline1 and ,he will go over all our work and try how it is done1 and whether it is upright and likely to stand4 ,,ii4 ,s4 ,paul gives another help to us to understand the parable of the wall4 ,he says that we are building the wall of our salvation on the cornerstone of ,christ1 and he goes on to say1 ,now if any man build upon this foundation1 gold1 silver1 precious stones1 wood1 hay1 stubble3 every man's work shall be made manifest3 for the day shall declare it1 because it shall be revealed by fire2 and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is4 ,if any man's work abide which he hath built thereon1 he shall receive a reward4 ,s4 ,paul1 you see1 says that the wall will be proved with fire1 that is1 that ,god will try all men's work and see of what sort it is--good1 moderate1 or worthless4 ,the worthless will disappear in the judgment1 the moderate will be seen in its faulty condition1 but the good will last for ever4 ,,conclusion4--,try1 then1 to look upon your life as a time of building up the work of your salvation1 and at every day as contributing something towards it4 ,ask yourself each day1 ,what have ,i done to-day towards this work set me8 ,and if ,i have done anything towards it1 how has it been done8 ,moreover1 try to do all things well1 to be zealous and thorough in every thing you undertake4 ,also1 offer all you do to ,god1 and ask ,him to prove it1 and to cut off from it all that is faulty1 and to enable you to do better in time to come4 ,when ,nehemiah had rebuilt the wall of ,jerusalem1 and restored much that was cast down1 and put right many abuses1 he prayed1 ,remember me1 ,o my ,god1 concerning this1 and wipe not out my good deeds that ,i have done4 ,let this also be your prayer1 that ,he may look on all you do for ,him and bless it1 and remember it for good1 in the day when ,he tries every man's work of what sort it is4 ,l4 ,,zeal4 #acth ,sunday after ,trinity4 ,s4 ,luke x41 #bc4 ,what shall ,i do to inherit eternal life8 ,,introduction4--,the ,kingdom of ,heaven1 said our ,lord1 is like unto a treasure hid in a field4 ,one day a man is turning over the stones which lie in a heap in a corner of the field1 and he finds under them an iron chest1 and this chest he believes to be full of gold4 ,then he carefully covers it up again with stones and earth1 and goes off in the greatest excitement to the owner of the field1 and offers him a price1 and when that is refused he sells his house1 and garden1 and everything he can turn into money1 and gives that to the owner in exchange for the field4 ,i fear this is rather a picture of what ought to be than what is4 ,no doubt whatever that we ought to show just as great eagerness to gain the ,kingdom of ,heaven1 as did that man to buy the field4 ,no doubt we ought to be just as eager to cast away everything that stands in the way1 to divest ourselves of every thing we have1 in order that we may gain the ,kingdom of ,heaven1--but1 as a matter of fact1 we show very little eagerness about it1 and we are very indifferent whether we gain it or lose it4 ,,subject4--,what we need is more zeal1 more enthusiasm1 more earnestness in our quest4 ,i4 ,king ,solomon built the ,temple at ,jerusalem4 ,he was engaged on it seven years1 and after that1 he built his own house1 and on that he spent thirteen years4 ,he therefore spent very nearly twice as much time and labour1 and ,i doubt not1 money over his own house than he did over the work of ,god's house2 he was wise and good1 and he did a great deal for ,god1 but he did more for himself1 and not only for himself1 but for his wives1 since he built for them as well4 ,it is just so with us1 we are ready to do something of ,god's work1 to seek a little the ,kingdom of ,heaven1 but we do not put our heart in that work1 all our heart and zeal is reserved for our own worldly affairs and our temporal interests4 ,one day a heathen maiden came to the princess ,pulcheria1 sister of the ,emperor ,theodosius1 to complain to her that she was an orphan1 and that her two brothers had turned her out of the house on her father's death1 and had taken all his inheritance to themselves4 ,now the ,emperor ,theodosius1 brother of ,pulcheria1 a young man1 was behind a curtain1 and heard the girl pleading her cause with many tears1 and he saw how beautiful she was1 and he loved her1 and resolved to make her his wife and exalt her to be ,empress of the ,east4 ,pulcheria bade her come another day1 and then she told the maiden what was intended4 ,after that she was taught the faith of ,christ1 and was baptized1 and is known in history as the ,empress ,eudoxia4 ,now when she came from her baptism1 ,pulcheria noticed that she was crying1 and she went to her lovingly and said1 ,why are you bathed in tears1 ,eudoxia8 ,and then the young girl answered1 ,when you told me that ,i was to become the wife of ,theodosius1 and ,empress of the ,east1 my heart was like to burst with joy1 but now that ,i have been made a member of ,christ1 a child of ,god1 and an inheritor of the ,kingdom of ,heaven1 ,i feel no such exceeding joy1 but take it all without any emotion1--and ,i am grieved at my coldness and want of faith4 ,that is why ,i am crying4 ,is it not very much the same with us8 ,anything that concerns our earthly welfare fills us with excitement1 but we trouble ourselves very little about our spiritual concerns4 ,if we have a chance of getting #ej pounds a-year1 we are full of delight1 but we receive the precious gift of ,god without even gratefulness4 ,if we knew that an inheritance of a thousand pounds was ours if we applied for it1 should we not apply8 ,but when it comes to our approaching the altar of ,god to receive the ,bread of ,heaven1 the priceless gift of the ,body of our ,lord1 which will infuse into our mortal flesh the germ of immortality1 we turn listlessly away4 ,if we had an acquaintance who1 we thought1 could put us into a good way of making our fortune1 we would be always at his heels1 but we are cold and careless about seeking ,god in ,his house1 and in prayer1 and yet our eternal welfare depends on our retaining ,his favour4 ,,ii4 ,now1 this is not a satisfactory condition to be in4 ,the ,kingdom of ,heaven suffereth violence1 and the violent take it by storm1 said our ,lord1 and ,he meant that if ,heaven is to be won1 it must be won by those who are in earnest1 and vehement in their desire to get it4 ,half-hearted soldiers are not good soldiers4 ,half-hearted servants are poor servants1 half-hearted workers are unsatisfactory workers1 and the battle we have to fight is a hard one1 it is a battle against flesh and blood1 against ,satan and all his host1 against the world1 and against our own wills4 ,is such a battle to be won when we go into it without any desire to be conquerors8 ,we are servants of ,god1 and given a work in this world to do4 ,are we likely to do it if half-hearted8 ,are we likely to keep ,his commandments1 if we care just a little to please ,him1 but only a little8 ,are we likely to win our wage1 ,eternal ,life1 if we do not work zealously1 but waste the time of work in half-hearted trifling with our task8 ,no1 we must be in earnest4 ,we want zeal4 ,how are we to acquire this8 ,this is what the ,holy ,ghost gives4 ,before ,pentecost the disciples were half-hearted1 and when temptation and trial came1 they fell away and did not follow their ,master4 ,but after the ,holy ,ghost came down1 then they were of one heart and mind1 and their souls were inflamed with zeal1 they cared nothing what became of them1 so long as they won the ,kingdom of ,heaven4 ,i count all things as dung1 said ,s4 ,paul1 if so be ,i may win ,christ4 ,,iii4 ,the ,holy ,ghost is still in the ,church1 and still ,his mission is to impart zeal4 ,he will come to you1 if you pray1 and will inflame you with that fire which will make your hearts burn within you1 and give you no rest till you have set about the work appointed you by ,god4 ,i am come1 said ,christ1 to send fire on the earth3 and what will ,i1 if it be already kindled8 ,that fire is the fire of zeal2 and it is for that fire we pray in the ,whitsuntide hymn1 ,come ,holy ,ghost1 our souls inspire1 ,and lighten with celestial fire4 ,,li4 ,,gratitude4 #adth ,sunday after ,trinity4 ,s4 ,luke xvii4 #ah4 ,there are not found that returned to give glory to ,god1 save this stranger4 ,,introduction1--,there is nothing that the merciful ,god desires more from man than thanks1 and there is nothing of which ,he receives less4 ,in the ,gospel for to-day we have an example4 ,christ performs a notable miracle4 ,he heals ten lepers1 and only one returns to thank ,him4 ,the disease from which ,he delivered them was disgusting1 and it was one which cut the sufferers off from association with other men4 ,they might not approach1 under penalty of death1 a man who was sound4 ,all at once they are healed4 ,the disgusting disease is removed1 and they are restored to the society of their fellow-men4 ,yet nine out of the ten are ungrateful1 they do not take the trouble to give thanks to ,him who had healed them4 ,,subject4--,that story is repeated over and over again4 ,we are incessantly receiving blessings from ,god1 and nine to one1 but we do not thank ,him3 we take them as a matter of course4 ,however1 ,god expects thanks4 ,s4 ,paul exhorts us1 ,in everything give thanks3 for this is the will of ,god in ,christ ,jesus concerning you4 ,and again1 ,give thanks always1 for all things1 unto ,god and the ,father1 in the name of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,and again1 ,whatsoever ye do in word or deed1 do all in the name of the ,lord ,jesus1 giving thanks to ,god and the ,father by ,him4 ,i4 ,when the children of ,israel reached the river ,jordan1 on their way into the ,promised ,land1 out of the wilderness in which they had wandered forty years1 ,joshua bade the priests that bare the ark go down into the river4 ,and as soon as their feet were dipped in the water1 the river was divided1 ,the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap2 and those that came down towards the sea of the plain failed1 and were cut off1 and the people passed over right against ,jericho4 ,and the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the ,lord1 stood firm on dry ground in the midst of ,jordan1 and all the ,israelites passed over on dry ground1 until all the people were passed clean over ,jordan4 ,now when this had taken place1 ,joshua ordered twelve men1 one out of every tribe1 to go down into the river1 and each bring up a large stone out of the bed of the river1 from the place where the priests had stood1 and plant them in the earth1 on the bank1 at the place where they lodged that night4 ,but this was not all4 ,they were to carry as huge stones as they could manage down into the bed of the river1 and set them up also there1 so big and strong as to stand above the surface of the stream1 and resist the force of the current4 ,this seems a curious proceeding1 does it not8 to take twelve stones out of the bed of the river and plant them on the ground1 and roll twelve great stones off the bank into the river1 and set them up there4 ,what was the purpose of this8 ,listen to what ,joshua says3 ,this shall be a sign among you1 that when your children ask their fathers in time to come1 saying1 ,what mean ye by these stones8 ,then ye shall answer them1 ,that the waters of ,jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the ,lord1 when it passed over ,jordan2 and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of ,israel for ever4 ,in one word1 they were to be perpetual reminders to the ,israelites to be grateful to ,god for having brought them into the land promised to their fathers1 the land flowing with milk and honey4 ,very well6 how many times has ,god sent you great deliverances1 and brought great blessings upon you3 has carried you through great dangers3 has brought you out of the depths of sickness8 ,over and over again has ,he done this4 ,he blesses you every day4 ,look around--you1 too1 have got your tokens set up as a memorial unto you for ever4 ,look at your houses1 they are memorials to you of what ,god has brought you into4 ,look at your children1 every one of them is a little mark-stone or memorial of ,god's goodness to you4 ,look at your health1 your good strong arms4 ,they should be to you memorials for ever of ,god's loving protection extended towards you4 ,look at your conscience1 which stings you when you do wrong1 which approves when you do right4 ,what is that but a mark-stone or memorial that ,god's ,good ,spirit has been given you to be a guide8 ,look at this church1 it is a mark-stone or memorial to you that ,god's word sounds in your ears1 and ,god's ,sacraments are celebrated for your benefit4 ,look at that altar1 it is a memorial for ever that ,christ died for you1 and gives ,his ,body and ,blood for the strengthening and refreshing of your souls4 ,verily1 you have only to look into your homes1 and look through your lives1 and you will find many and many a memorial set up to remind you of1 the love of ,god1 and also--mark this6--to be thankful4 ,,ii4 ,when ,jacob was dying1 he said to ,joseph1 ,behold1 ,i die1 but ,god shall be with you4 ,i have given to thee one portion above thy brethren4 ,now1 my brethren1 there are diversities of gifts1 you have all received of ,god many gifts1 some of one sort1 some of another4 ,i turn to the rich4 ,you have been given wealth1 whilst so many are poor4 ,god hath given to thee one portion above thy brethren4 ,what use do you make of it8 ,are you thankful8 ,i turn to those with talents4 ,god hath given to thee one portion above thy brethren4 ,what use do you make of the talent committed you8 ,are you thankful8 ,i look at you who are so healthy and robust4 ,there are numbers infirm and ailing4 ,god hath given to thee one portion above thy brethren4 ,how do you show your thankfulness8 ,you1 tradesmen6 ,on all sides ,i see men failing in business1 but to you work comes1 as much as you can execute4 ,well1 ,god hath given to thee one portion above thy brethren4 ,are you grateful8 ,and you1 good house-wife6 ,you have got a steady1 affectionate husband1 and1 alas6 so many have drunken or unthrifty mates1 or husbands with bad tempers4 ,verily1 ,god hath given to thee one portion above thy sisters4 ,thank ,him1 thank ,him on your knees4 ,,conclusion4--,in everything give thanks1 says ,s4 ,paul4 ,remember1 ,adam and ,eve were in ,paradise surrounded by every blessing1 but we do not hear that they thanked ,god for them1 and they lost them4 ,beware lest a thankless spirit forfeit those good things which you now enjoy4 ,praise the ,lord1 ,o my soul1 and forget not all ,his benefits6 ,who forgiveth all thy sin3 and healeth all thine infirmities3 ,who saveth thy life from destruction2 and crowneth thee with mercy and loving-kindness4 ,,lii4 ,,trust ,,in ,,god4 #aeth ,sunday after ,trinity4 ,s4 ,matt4 vi4 #ca4 ,seek ye first the kingdom of ,god1 and ,his righteousness4 ,,introduction4--,we read in ancient ,roman history that a general named ,aemilius ,paulus was appointed to the ,roman army in a time of war and great apprehension4 ,he found in the army a sad condition of affairs1 there were more officers than fighting men1 and all these officers wanted to have their advice taken1 and the war conducted in accordance with their several opinions4 ,then ,aemilius ,paulus said to them1 ,hold your tongues1 and sharpen your swords1 and leave the rest to me4 ,it seems to me that our ,lord's advice in this day's ,gospel is of somewhat the same nature4 ,he finds in the army of ,his ,church everyone clamouring after his worldly affairs1 wanting this1 and objecting to that1 all seeking their own1 and not the things of ,jesus ,christ4 ,then ,he says1 ,hold your tongues1 and sharpen your swords1 and leave the rest to ,me4 ,take no thought1 saying1 ,what shall we eat8 or what shall we drink8 or wherewithal shall we be clothed8 ,your heavenly ,father knoweth that ye have need of all these things4 ,but seek ye first the kingdom of ,god1 and ,his righteousness1 and all these things shall be added unto you4 ,,subject4--,in our great solicitude after our temporal welfare1 we do not seek first our spiritual welfare1 but put that altogether in the background4 ,in fact1 we do not trust ,god1 we trust ourselves chiefly4 ,we fear if we do not devote our whole attention to our worldly prosperity1 we shall not get on4 ,and so we neither seek the kingdom of ,god1 nor the righteousness of ,god2 we seek only the world and the things that are in the world4 ,if we had more trust in ,god1 it would not be so4 ,i4 ,the ,bible is made up of six classes of books4 ,to the first class belong the historical books4 ,to the second the book of ,psalms4 ,to the third class belong the books that deal with ,wisdom4 ,to the fourth the ,prophets4 ,to the fifth the ,gospels1 and to the sixth the canonical ,epistles4 ,now in all these different classes of books we find the same assurance made by ,god1 that if we will but attend to our spiritual concerns1 ,he will see that our temporal affairs do not suffer4 ,in one of the first historical books we have this promise 7,levit4 xxvi4 #c1 #d1 #e71 ,if ye walk in my statutes1 and keep my commandments and do them2 then ,i will give you rain in due season1 and the land shall yield her increase1 and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit1 and ye shall eat your bread to the full1 and dwell in your land safely4 ,in the book of ,psalms ,david says 7xxiv4 #i71 ,o fear the ,lord1 ye that are ,his saints3 for they that fear ,him lack nothing1 and again 7xlv4 #bc71 ,o cast thy burden upon the ,lord1 and ,he will nourish thee4 ,in the books that deal with ,wisdom we have 7,proverbs x4 #c7 ,the ,lord will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish4 ,in the ,prophets 7,isai i4 #ai71 ,if ye be willing and obedient1 ye shall eat the good of the land4 ,in the ,gospels 7,s4 ,matt4 vi4 #cc71 ,seek ye first the kingdom of ,god and ,his righteousness2 and all these things shall be added unto you4 ,in the ,epistles 7,pet4 v4 #g71 ,cast all your care upon ,him1 for ,he careth for you4 ,we are generally perfectly satisfied when we have an agreement drawn out between man and man1--one promise on one scrap of paper is enough1 but here we have at least five1 and ,i could produce you plenty of others1 yet1 because it is a bond signed by ,god1 you mistrust it1 ,o ye of little faith4 ,you will take a bond signed by a ,jew1 but not one signed by ,god4 ,,ii4 ,your ,heavenly ,father knoweth that ye have need of all these things4 ,is ,god not our ,father8 ,there is no ,father like to ,him1 no ,father loves us as ,he does4 ,if ,he loves us1 will ,he not care for us8 ,what good father will neglect his child1 and deny it those things that are necessary for it8 ,ask any little boy whom you see in rags1 ',my child1 why are you in rags8 ,what will you do to get a new suit8 ,you have nothing of your own4' ,certainly1 his natural and proper answer should be1 ',i will ask my father4 ,he will supply me4' ,when a child is hungry1 whither should it go8 ,to whom should it apply8 ,to its father4 ,why then do not we trust our ,heavenly ,father as any little child will trust its father on earth8 ,yet we know that ,he is our ,father1 and is1 as ,s4 ,paul says1 rich in mercies ,our ,lord bids us look at the birds of the air4 ,who feeds them8 ,their ,creator4 ,will ,he not then care for us far more1 who are ,his noblest creatures8 ,,iii4 ,a great poetical and satirical writer 7,horace7 says that this was the popular maxim of his day1 ,seek money first1 and be good afterwards4 #a ,what he had the boldness to say1 a great people have the boldness to do4 ,they leave the kingdom of ,heaven to be sought1 after they have spent their lives in seeking the things of this world4 ,but the things of this world sought without ,god will not profit4 ,when ,isaac set his sons to bring him venison1 that he might bless them and die1 ,jacob arrived first with the savoury meat2 then ,isaac lifted up his voice and blessed his son2 ,god give thee of the dew of ,heaven1 and the fatness of the earth1 and plenty of corn and wine4 ,afterwards ,esau came in with venison4 ,and when he saw that his brother had received the first blessing1 he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry1 and said unto his father1 ,bless me1 even me also1 ,o my father4 ,then ,isaac said to him1 ,behold1 thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth1 and of the dew of ,heaven from above4 ,each had the same1 the richness of golden harvests1 the abundance of fruit1 and the soft dews and rains in their season4 ,but there was a notable difference1 adapted to the characters of the two brothers4 ,esau was a profane man1 he disregarded divine things4 ,he was ready to sell his birthright1 his privilege to be the forefather of ,messiah1 for a mess of pottage4 ,he cared not for ,god1 neither was ,god in all his thoughts4 ,it was otherwise with ,jacob1 he regarded ,god1 he sought ,god1 he saw ,god in the visions of the night1 he strove with ,god in prayer4 ,he had set ,god always before him4 ,and thus these several blessings were apportioned to them4 ,esau had the fatness of the earth and the dew of ,heaven1 ,jacob also had the fatness of the earth and the dew of ,heaven1 but ,isaac said to ,jacob alone ,god give thee all these things4 ,to ,esau only ,thou shalt get for thyself all these things4 ,god before all to ,jacob1 and all these things added unto him4 ,all these things to ,esau1 and ,god nowhere4 ,,conclusion4--,and now1 my brethren1 try to trust ,god more4 ,do not give up all thought to the concerns of this life1 but leave them somewhat on the hands of ,god1 whilst you consider the concerns of your soul4 ,you will not suffer for it4 ,if ye be willing and obedient1 and seek the kingdom of ,heaven1 ,he will nourish thee4 #a ,quaerenda pecunia primum1 virtus post nummos4 ,,liii4 ,,the ,,contemplation ,,of ,,death4 #afth ,sunday after ,trinity4 ,s4 ,luke vii4 #ab4 ,behold1 there was a dead man carried out4 ,,introduction4--,the name of the village where the miracle was wrought which is recorded in this day's ,gospel1 was ,nain1 and the meaning of the name is ,pleasant or ,beautiful4 ,a sweet little village1 you can picture it to yourself where you like1 in the ,east1 anywhere in ,europe1 here in ,england1 it is all the same1 an ,auburn among villages1 with thatched cottages1 and green pastures1 and the cows coming home lowing in the evening1 when the curfew tolls the knell of passing day4 ,the grey church tower peeping above the lime trees1 and the rooks cawing and wheeling above the old trees4 ,the trim gardens blazing with hollyhocks and large white lilies1 and the orchards with the apples shewing their rosy cheeks to the sun4 ,the bell is slowly tolling--,behold1 a dead man is carried out4 ,who is it8 ,to-day a young man1 the only son of his mother1 and she a widow4 ,to-morrow the old squire1 who can no more mount his cob and go after the hounds1 his whip and red coat are laid aside1 and the bell is going4 ,behold1 a dead man is carried out4 ,again the ,sexton is working in the church-yard1 and turning up the fresh smelling earth4 ,the bell is going4 ,for what8 ,up the steps and along under the avenue come little girls about a tiny coffin1 over which is cast a white pall1 and on which lies a wreath of white hyacinths4 ,behold1 a dead child is carried out1 the darling of its father4 ,and now the yellow leaves are falling1 and are heaped about the feet of the limes1 and fall through the warm damp air1 that smells of dying vegetation1 and the priest stands in surplice waiting in the path1 and the dead leaves drop on the coffin as it is borne along4 ,who is this8 ,behold a dead woman is carried out1 an aged mother1 with her weeping grown up sons and daughters and grandchildren all in black following4 ,,subject4--,it is not a pleasant thing to think of1 and yet it is well for you to contemplate1 that some day the same question will be asked as the church bell tolls1 ,who is this8 ,who is dead8 ,and the same answer will come1 ,behold1 a dead man is carried out1 and that will be you4 ,nothing is more commonplace than to say that we must all die1 and nothing is less realised and taken to heart and acted upon4 ,i4 ,that procession the ,saviour met1 was coming out of ,nain1 the ,pleasant1 the ,beautiful4 ,and so1 every dead man is carried out of what is a ,nain to him1 a pleasant1 beautiful world4 ,it is a pleasant1 beautiful world4 ,we cannot deny it4 ,god made it and pronounced it very good4 ,it has in it many unpleasantnesses1 it has in it much that is ugly1 but there is pleasure and beauty in it still1 the traces of its own loveliness before sin drew furrows in its face and saddened its heart4 ,a very ,nain it is4 ,we are now in ,autumn1 and the leaves are turning fast4 ,the dogwood leaves are bright carmine1 and the maple yellow as sulphur1 the last flowers are out in the hedges1 the pink cranesbill and the blue oxtongue which will hang on till after ,christmas4 ,the elder which was so white and fragrant in ,may1 is covered now with purple berries1 and the ash is hung with scarlet beads1 so bright1 so many1 and so beautiful1 that the swallows are hovering round them all day impatient to begin1 and improvident of the future4 ,nature even in its decay is beautiful1 and what was it in spring8 ,remember the primroses out on every bank1 and the anemones in the wood1 and the blue flush of wild hyacinths in the coppice6 ,verily1 we are in ,nain1 a pleasant and beautiful place4 ,alas6 alas6 my brother6 my sister6 ,behold there will be a dead man1 a dead woman carried out from it1 to see it no more1 and that will be one of us4 ,is it sad8 ,yes1 no doubt it is4 ,,ii4 ,but though sad1 the thought of it must not be put away4 ,s4 ,paul says1 ,we have the sentence of death in ourselves4 ,we carry about in us ever the doom--we are sentenced men--and the sword will fall on us some day4 ,the story is told of a ,norwegian king that he promised to give a young nobleman any reward he chose to ask for1 because of something he had done for him4 ,then the young man boldly asked for the hand of the princess1 the only child and heiress to the kingdom4 ,the king answered him1 ,yes6 ,i have promised4 ,you shall have her hand1 and lose your head1 the same day4 ,then a grand wedding was prepared4 ,and a stately procession moved to the church1 of the bride in white1 and the bridegroom in his most gallant apparel1 but as he went along1 he heard a sound of a file from the executioner's room1 who was sharpening his axe4 ,and he stood before the altar with his bride1 and the priest joined their hands1--but all the while the executioner was sharpening his axe4 ,then the bells of the city pealed1 and the heralds blew their trumpets1 and the people shouted1 and girls strewed flowers in the path1 and their way went by the executioner's lodging where he was still engaged on his axe4 ,then there was a great feast1 and wine flowed1 and the most dainty meats were put on table2 it was a hot day1 and the windows were open1 and above the din of tongues and laughter1 came the thud of a hammer4 ,in the courtyard of the palace the executioner was setting up the scaffold4 ,and after the banquet came a grand ball1 and the rooms were lighted up1 and the ball-room was hung with festoons of flowers1 and the bride and bridegroom led the dance1 but ever as they danced they turned their heads and looked out of the window1 and saw the scaffold1 which was being draped in black4 ,at length1 in the midst of all the merriment1 the bell began to toll1 and the door flew open1 and before all the dancers stood the executioner with his axe in hand and a black mask over his face1 and he beckoned to the bridegroom to come4 ,and behold a living man was carried out--to die4 ,my ,brethren1 it is not so very different with us4 ,we carry about the sentence of death in ourselves4 ,whatever we do1 wherever we go1 the sentence of death is in us4 ,you do your work4 ,you are ploughing the field and whistling1 and you carry1 as you make the furrow1 the sentence of death in yourself4 ,you are busy about your house-work1 good-wife1 sweeping1 dusting1 mending1 scouring1 cooking1--and all the while you have the sentence of death in yourself4 ,you have a holiday1 and go on a pic-nic1 and laugh1 and are merry1 and come back under the evening sky singing and making jokes--but you carry with you to your pic-nic and back again the sentence of death in yourselves4 ,,iii4 ,now if this be so1 how ought we to live8 ,ought we to thrust the thought away from us as horrible8 ,ought it to mar our happiness8 ,ought it to disquiet us in our work8 ,far from it4 ,nain is a pleasant and beautiful place1 but there is one more pleasant and more beautiful1 where the leaves do not fall1 nor the flowers wither1 where no sickness comes1 and where no dead men are carried out4 ,let us look to that1 the new ,jerusalem1 the ,heavenly ,city1 the vision of peace1 and that will banish our sadness1 we shall not be downcast at leaving so much that is pleasant behind1 but rejoice that we pass on from things temporal to things eternal4 ,no6 we shall not be saddened by the contemplation of death1 but we shall be made more earnest to use this world without abusing it1 to make the most of our opportunities1 to redeem the time because the days are evil1 to run our race temperately1 and not uncertainly1 and so to run that we may obtain the incorruptible crown1 that we may attain to the goal1 the prize of our high calling4 ,,liv4 ,,humility4 #agth ,sunday after ,trinity4 ,s4 ,luke1 xiv4 #b4 ,whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased2 and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted4 ,,introduction4--,both ,isaiah1 ,ezekiel1 and the apostle ,john saw in vision the glory of ,heaven and the throne of ,god1 and near it four beasts1 full of eyes1 within and without4 ,that is to say the beasts saw all that was within them as well as all that was outside them4 ,most of us here on earth are very different4 ,we are full of eyes without1 we see everything that is going on among our neighbours1 and a great deal which is not there also1 but we have no eyes for seeing anything within1 and we know nothing of ourselves1 our own faults1 and our own errors4 ,we see every wrong thing done by a neighbour1 we have eyes for this1 but we see no wrong done by ourselves1 we have no eyes for that4 ,we see all the weakness of others1 we have eyes for this1 but we see none of our own weakness1 we have no eyes for that4 ,we see all the folly of others1 we have eyes for this1 but for our own stupid acts and words we are blind1 we have no eyes for that4 ,it would be better if we were well supplied with eyes within1 instead of so many eyes without4 ,it would be better for our neighbours1 and it would be better for ourselves4 ,in to-day's ,gospel we hear of the chief ,pharisees watching ,christ4 ,they had eyes for that4 ,they watched ,him to find occasion against ,him4 ,but that they were hypocrites and perverters of the law1 they knew not4 ,they had no eyes for this4 ,,subject4--,the first shall be last1 and the last first1 says our ,lord4 ,that is1 those who have eyes without only1 for the rest of the world1 who see themselves as perfect1 and have no eyes for their own defects1 shall find themselves hereafter at the foot of the ladder1 and those who have eyes within1 seeing their own weakness1 shortcomings1 falls1 who have therefore been humble1 and esteemed others more highly than themselves1 these will be exalted to the top of the ladder4 ,i4 ,most men value themselves more highly than they have any right1 and value themselves very often for those things which are not their own1 they take the honour paid to their possessions1 as though due to themselves4 ,this fable is related by an ancient writer4 ,an ass once had the golden image of the ,goddess ,isis set on his back1 and he was led through the streets of a city in ,egypt4 ,then the ,egyptians fell down on their faces and worshipped1 and raised their hands in supplication4 ,the ass was puffed up with pride1 and began to prick up his ears and prance4 ,then the driver brought down his stick upon his back1 and said1 ,you ass6 the honour is given not to you1 but to what you bear4 ,there is many a man who is no less elated by his position1 or by some good fortune that falls to him1 than this ass4 ,the man of wealth holds up his head and expects every one to bow to him2 he thinks a great deal of himself1 and he finds that a great many persons cringe to him and flatter him4 ,man6 the honour is given1 not to you1 but to the gold you carry4 ,it may be the same with office1 or title2 respect is given to the magistrate1 or the nobleman1 or the general1 or the captain1 or the poor-law officer1 or the policeman1 and he thinks much of himself accordingly4 ,man6 the honour is given not to you1 but to the title or office1 or authority you carry4 ,and there is many a woman who puts on new and gay clothes1 a new bonnet1 or a new gown1 in the highest fashion1 and she sails into church with her chin in the air1 and a flutter in her heart1 knowing that all eyes are upon her4 ,woman6 all are admiring--not you1--but the clothes you carry4 ,whatever it be that we have1 which others have not1 it should not elate1 but humble us1 for a talent entails a responsibility4 ,he that has gold has to answer to ,god what use he makes of it4 ,how hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of ,heaven4 ,he that has office and authority is under great responsibility to discharge his duties in his office1 and exercise the authority entrusted to him well4 ,it was the fact that he was a man in authority which made the ,centurion humble1 and brought on him the commendation of ,christ4 ,lord1 ,i am not worthy that ,thou shouldest enter under my roof2 neither thought ,i myself worthy to come unto ,thee1 for ,i am a man set under authority1 having under me1 soldiers1 and ,i say unto one1 ,go1 and he goeth2 and to another1 ,come1 and he cometh2 and to my servant1 ,do this1 and he doeth it4 ,he that has intellectual gifts must be humble1 not proud1 because of them1 for he is answerable for the use he makes of them4 ,,ii4 ,god is very likely to humble those who set too high a price on themselves2 and better that ,he should bring them down to a just appreciation of their own selves1 in this world1 than hereafter4 ,king ,nebuchadnezzar had a vision4 ,he saw a great image1 the head was of gold1 the breast and arms of silver1 the belly and thighs of brass1 the legs of iron1 and the feet of clay4 ,he called ,daniel to interpret his dream to him1 and ,daniel said1 ,thou1 ,o ,king1 art a ,king of kings1 for the ,god of ,heaven hath given thee a kingdom1 power1 and strength1 and glory--thou art this head of gold4 ,then the prophet went on to speak of other great nations1 and how that all would be involved in a common ruin1 a little stone out of the mountain would roll down on the feet of clay and break them1 and then the great image1 golden head1 and silver breast1 and brazen body1 and iron legs1 would all go to pieces--they rested on an infirm footing1 fragile clay4 ,king ,nebuchadnezzar1 however1 thought only of himself as the golden head4 ,golden head must have golden breast1 and a golden breast must have a golden trunk1 and golden trunk golden legs1 and golden legs must rest on feet of gold4 ,that will stand1 and that will represent me better than this patchwork affair of which ,i dreamed4 ,so he set him up the golden image in the plain of ,dura4 ,that represented himself as he regarded himself1 the image seen in vision represented him as he was in reality1 as ,god saw him4 ,what followed8 ,god smote him and he went mad4 ,he was driven out as a wild beast into the fields1 as a raving madman1 and thus he remained till his senses returned1 and he acknowledged with humility1 that his prosperity did rest on a fragile footing1 and that ,god knew better what he was worth than did he himself4 ,now apply this to yourselves4 ,no doubt that each of you has his excellence4 ,one has got a head of gold1 another a heart of gold4 ,one has the strength and endurance of iron1 another has means1 plenty of silver1 each has something of which he can boast2 but take care not to make golden images of yourselves and set them up1 and expect every one to bow down before them and take you at your own estimation4 ,god will humble you4 ,the feet are of clay1 and the proud statues will fall some day4 ,therefore try to see yourselves as you really are1 ,let him that exalteth himself take heed lest he fall4 ,be clothed with humility1 is the exhortation of ,s4 ,peter1 for ,god resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble4 ,humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of ,god1 that ,he may exalt you in due time4 ,and ,s4 ,james says1 ,humble yourselves in the sight of the ,lord1 and ,he shall lift you up4 ,,lv4 ,,profession ,,and ,,practice4 #ahth ,sunday after ,trinity4 ,s4 ,matt4 xxii4 #db4 ,what think ye of ,christ8 ,,introduction4--,many men are ,christians neither in understanding nor in heart4 ,some are ,christians in heart1 and not in understanding4 ,some in understanding1 and not in heart1 and some are ,christians in both4 ,if ,i were to go into a ,temple of the ,hindoos1 or into a ,synagogue of the ,jews1 and were to ask1 ,what think ye of ,christ8 the people there would shake their heads and deny that ,he is ,god1 and reject ,his teaching4 ,the heathens and ,jews are ,christians neither in understanding nor affection4 ,but there are1 and always have been pious men who have not known ,christ1 but have lived good self-denying lives1 lived a great deal better than most ,christians1 and have died1 yearning to see ,god1 whom they groped after1 but did not find4 ,i should say these were ,christians in heart1 though not in understanding4 ,if ,i were to put the question to you1 ,what think ye of ,christ8 you would answer at once that ,he is very ,god1 of one substance with the ,father1 and also very ,man1 of the substance of ,his ,mother1 the ,god-,man1 your ,redeemer1 and ,saviour1 and ,lord4 ,when ,i hear the answer1 ,i say--,well6 here we have indeed ,christians in their understanding4 ,now ,i want to know further1 are you ,christians in heart and affection8 ,s4 ,paul says that in his time there were some who were ,christians in profession1 that is1 in understanding1 and there their ,christianity came to an end4 ,they profess that they know ,god1 but in works they deny ,him1 being abominable1 and disobedient1 and unto every good work reprobate4 ,is it in any degree so with you8 ,,subject4--,the true ,christian is he who is such in understanding and in affection1 or1 in other words1 in profession and in practice4 ,i4 ,it is very necessary to have a good understanding of ,christ and ,his truth4 ,without faith it is impossible to please ,god2 for he that cometh to ,god must believe that ,he is1 and that ,he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek ,him4 ,there are certain truths1 the knowledge of which we believe are necessary to salvation4 ,that is1 without an understanding of certain definite revealed truths1 there is not much chance of salvation1 for the ignorance of these truths is proper in a ,christian1 and without a knowledge of them1 a ,christian is not able to live a spiritual and a ,christian life4 ,these truths are contained in the ,creed1 and are taught to every child4 ,it is not enough to repeat the ,creed like a parrot1 but the meaning of the truths contained in it must be grasped by the mind and understood4 ,this is the advantage of ,christian instruction1 and ,i think it would be well if we ,clergy1 instead of so generally appealing to your consciences to lead good lives1 were more frequently to refresh your minds with the truths which you must embrace with your understandings4 ,i believe one great reason why you make so little advance in the spiritual life is1 that you so little understand what ,god requires of you to believe4 ,after the ,children of ,israel had been carried into captivity by the ,assyrian king ,shalmanezar1 a number of persons were sent from ,babylon to inhabit ,samaria1 the capital1 and other cities of ,israel4 ,they settled there1 but did not thrive1 for this reason1 the land was overrun with lions4 ,you will find the story in #b ,kings xvii4 ,a great many of the colonists were killed by the lions4 ,therefore they spake to the king of ,assyria1 saying1 ,the nations which thou hast removed1 and placed in the cities of ,samaria1 have lions among them1 and behold1 they slay them4 ,what course did ,shalmanezar adopt1 on hearing this8 ,did he send them hunters1 expert in killing lions8 ,no4 ,or dogs to drive them8 ,did he supply them with snares1 and teach them how to make pitfalls for the lions8 ,no6--listen to what he did4 ,then the king of ,assyria commanded1 saying1 ,carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from thence2 and let him teach them the manner of the ,god of the land4 ,this succeeded1 for we learn that the lions ceased to trouble the colonists when they had learned to know and fear the ,god of ,israel4 ,what a lesson this heathen king sets us6 ,the devil walketh about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour1 whom resist1 steadfast in the faith4 ,do you notice the words of ,s4 ,peter8 ,the lion who seeks to devour you1 who lays waste the land1 who destroys so many souls1 can be mastered and expelled1 but only if you are steadfast in the faith1 only if1 like these settlers in ,samaria1 you have been taught the manner of the ,god of our land4 ,evil of all sort1 temptations and snares1 evil spirits and seductions will draw you into destruction1 and you will be quite powerless to escape or resist1 unless you know the manner of the ,god of our land1 or--in ,s4 ,peter's words--are steadfast in the faith4 ,,ii4 ,it is not enough to understand1 you must also love and follow the law of your ,god with all your hearts4 ,you must not only know ,god1 but you must obey ,him4 ,you must not only be instructed in the manner of the ,god of our land1 but you must also observe it4 ,now there are a great many who are ,christians in profession only1 they draw near to ,god with their lips1 and say ,lord6 ,lord6 but with their hearts they are far from ,him4 ,one day a philosopher came before king ,herod ,atticus1 and when the king asked him what profession he was of1 what office he held1 the philosopher answered1 ,look at my robe and you will see what ,i am4 ,for the philosophers affected a certain sort of garment4 ,then ,herod answered1 ,pardon me1 ,i see the habit1 but not the philosopher4 ,that is to say--,i see what you call yourself1 and pretend to be1 but ,i do not know whether you are the wise and learned man for which you give yourself out4 ,i fear that if ,i were to follow and watch you during the week1 ,i should be obliged to say--,i see the habit1 but not the ,christian4 ,it is true there is the profession4 ,you say you are a ,christian1 you assure me you believe in ,god1 you undertake to live a sober and godly life1 to resist evil1 and cleave to what is good4 ,all this is the outside habit1 the mere name and profession1 ,i see the habit1--but in your acts ,i do not see the ,christian4 ,no6 there is not the ,christian in you when you tell lies4 ,not the ,christian when you slander your neighbour4 ,not the ,christian when you deal dishonestly with your masters4 ,not the ,christian when you fly into a passion and swear and curse4 ,not the ,christian when you use foul words4 ,on ,sundays you have on your ,sunday coat1 or your ,sunday gown1 and you are as demure as ,saints1 and attend ,church regularly4 ,there is the habit4 ,i see the habit4 ,but where is your ,christianity in the week8 ,how much prayer8 ,how much thought of ,god8 ,how much self-restraint8 ,i see the habit1 but not the ,christian4 ,,conclusion4--,remember then that it is not enough to know ,christ1 and to believe4 ,you must also love ,christ and obey4 ,only by acting up to your profession1 by walking worthy of the vocation whereby you are called1 can you be regarded as a true disciple of ,christ4 ,he is not the true soldier who is enrolled1 and deserts2 he is not the good servant who says to his master1 ,i go1 and goeth not4 ,if you know of ,christ1 you have a greater obligation laid on you to follow ,him in love and obedience1 than if you knew ,him not4 ,what think ye of ,christ8 ,that is not enough4 ,how live ye as ,christians8 is needed as well4 ,,lvi4 ,,evil ,,thoughts4 #aith ,sunday after ,trinity4 ,s4 ,matt4 ix4 #d4 ,wherefore think ye evil in your hearts8 ,,introduction4--,thoughts are only thoughts6 who is to beheld accountable for them8 ,they are clouds blown about by fancy1 taking various shapes4 ,god is not so hard as to judge us for our thoughts2 ,he will try us by what we have done1 not by what we have dreamed4 ,no garden is without weeds2 there are tares in every cornfield4 ,who speak thus8 ,is it those who are conscientious and scrupulous to drive away evil thoughts8 ,or those who allow their heads and hearts to be hives in which they dwell8 ,i allow that evil thoughts must enter the mind1 and ,i add that they do no harm so long as they are not admitted into the heart4 ,i allow that it is impossible to keep the mind so closed against evil that no bad thoughts find admission4 ,there is no sin in the bad thoughts coming1 but the sin begins when they are allowed to settle1 and to fly-blow the heart4 ,,subject4--,i am not going to speak to-day anything that will distress those good souls who struggle with1 and drive away1 evil thoughts when they torment them2 ,god has seen fit to try them with these1 as ,he suffered the ,israelites to lie tried by the remnants of the heathen nations which remained in the land1--but ,i am going to speak to those who indulge in evil thoughts of all kinds1 and make no effort to banish them4 ,i tell them that this is a dangerous thing4 ,if they rely on being safe so long as they keep their bodies from evil1 and allow their minds and hearts to revel in evil thoughts1 they are guilty of sin2 they may not be staining their bodies1 but they are corrupting their souls4 ,i have lived for some weeks on the side of the ,rhine where a bridge connected the ,german side of the river with the town on the other side1 which is in ,switzerland4 ,when the market-women came over the bridge1 the ,custom-,house officers made them open their baskets1 and they looked in to see whether they brought over anything taxable4 ,i would have you examine all the thoughts that come drifting through your head1 and if they are bad1 and not allowable1 turn them back4 ,i4 ,wherefore think ye evil in your hearts8 ,our ,lord tells us that sin commences in the heart1 and is as truly in the thought as in the act4 ,ye have heard that it was said by them of old time1 ,thou shalt not kill4 ,but ,i say unto you1 ,that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment4 ,ye have heard that it was said by them of old time1 ,thou shalt not commit adultery4 ,but ,i say unto you1 ,that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her1 hath committed adultery with her already in his heart4 ,s4 ,john ,chrysostom truly said1 ,men's souls are not so greatly injured by the temptations which assail them from outside1 as from those evil thoughts which poison them within4 ,there may be evil thoughts of many kinds1 envious thoughts1 discontented thoughts1 profane thoughts1 unkind thoughts1 angry thoughts1 avaricious thoughts1 impure thoughts4 ,all these thoughts come buzzing about the head and heart1 and will settle to do harm1 unless driven away4 ,they are only little thoughts4 ,each is very small1 but altogether they are a great host4 ,they are like flies4 ,pharaoh1 ,king of ,egypt1 was plagued with flies4 ,they came upon his servants1 and the houses of the ,egyptians were full of swarms of flies1 and the land was corrupted by reason of the swarm of flies4 ,the heads of a great many people are like the houses of the ,egyptians--full of swarms of evil thoughts thick as flies1 and all as small1 and in themselves as insignificant4 ,the flies tormented the ,egyptians when they sat in their chambers1 flying round them1 buzzing in their ears1 lighting on their hands and faces2 when they went to their meals the flies were there1 all over the meat and the bread1 and falling into their cups1 and defiling every thing4 ,when they went to bed the flies were in their bedrooms1 and all night long were racing over their faces1 and driving away sleep4 ,now look at your evil thoughts1 you who are plagued with a swarm of them4 ,when you kneel down to say your prayers1 they are there distracting your attention4 ,when you are at table or with friends1 they are there disturbing your thoughts1 perhaps corrupting your conversation4 ,when you are alone1 they are there filling your mind with images and sounds4 ,when you are in bed1 they are there1 keeping you awake4 ,your thoughts--these evil thoughts1 so numerous1 in such swarms1 never forsake you4 ,in church they are present1 disturbing you4 ,when you walk1 they surround you1 when you work1 they interrupt you4 ,and1 like the flies in ,egypt1 the land is corrupted by reason of the swarm4 ,your hearts are corrupted by the bad thoughts always hovering over them1 and settling down on them4 ,am ,i drawing a fanciful picture8 ,not at all4 ,i know it is so with many1 ,i do not say all1 but with many4 ,they disregard evil thoughts because they are such trifling things--like flies1 so easily brushed away2 like flies1 so light and volatile2 like flies1 so little4 ,and yet they utterly degrade and corrupt the heart4 ,the land was corrupted by reason of the swarm of flies4 ,,ii4 ,when ,abraham prepared a sacrifice to the ,lord1 there came down on it swarms of birds of carrion 7,gen4 xv47 ,and when they did so1 we are told that ,abraham drove them away4 ,the chief ,baker of ,pharaoh had meats in a basket on his head1 and the birds came down on them1 and carried them off4 ,the birds did eat them out of the basket upon my head 7,gen4 xl47 ,to ,abraham was given a promise of a great blessing and glorious future4 ,to the ,baker was given a warning that he should be hanged within three days4 ,one drove the birds away1 and the other did not4 ,now this applies to evil thoughts4 ,if you will be like ,abraham and be blessed1 you will drive the evil thoughts away as fast as they come on4 ,if you let them come1 and make no effort to repel them1 they will carry away from you all the graces wherewith you have been endowed at baptism1 and they will corrupt your heart as well4 ,,lvii4 ,,the ,,heavenly ,,banquet4 #bjth ,sunday after ,trinity4 ,s4 ,matt4 xxii4 #d4 ,behold1 ,i have prepared my dinner2 my oxen and my fatlings are killed1 and all things are ready2 come unto the marriage4 ,,introduction4--,the ,kingdom of ,heaven has two meanings in this parable4 ,it means in the first place the ,catholic ,church4 ,into that the apostles and pastors of ,christ invite men to enter1 and many refuse4 ,in the second place it means the ,church ,triumphant1--eternal blessedness1 and into that the pastors of ,christ's ,church invite you continually1 ,sunday after ,sunday1 and many refuse4 ,,subject4--,our subject to-day shall be the ,heavenly ,banquet1 and the invitation to it4 ,i4 ,when ,god created the world1 ,he did so with a ,let be4 ,he said1 ,let there be light--and light was4 ,let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters1 and it was so1 at once4 ,he said1 ,let the waters be gathered together into one place1 and let the dry land appear1 and1 immediately1 it was so4 ,and it was the same throughout the work of the ,seven ,days4 ,he spake the word and the world was made1 and all the host of heaven by the breath of ,his mouth4 ,but when man's salvation was wrought it was otherwise4 ,there was nothing instantaneous about that4 ,long ages passed before the time came for the ,son of ,god to be born4 ,the preparation was lengthy1 there was delay4 ,and when ,he came1 there was no ,let there be1 and it was done1 but there were thirty-three years spent on earth1 and there were the laborious ministry1 the sufferings1 and the death4 ,that was not all4 ,still more was done4 ,the ,son of ,god ascended into ,heaven after having spent forty days on earth after ,his resurrection1 founding and framing ,his ,church4 ,then ,he sent the ,holy ,ghost down on the ,church ,he had made4 ,still all is not done4 ,the ,church has to battle with the world1 to endure persecution1 the blood of martyrs has to flow1 and three hundred years to pass1 before she emerges out of her hidden suffering life into light before the world4 ,that is not all4 ,still the work goes on4 ,the ,sacraments are ministered1 the word of ,god is preached4 ,invitation to the ,banquet of ,heaven is given4 ,salvation is not yet come2 the work goes on1 and goes on slowly4 ,look at yourselves1 and see how slow the process is4 ,you are baptized1 and thereby made a member of ,christ4 ,is all done8 ,by no means1 the work is only begun4 ,you grow older1 and your temptations grow stronger4 ,then comes ,confirmation1 the ,holy ,spirit is given to strengthen1 the seal is put on the ,baptismal ,contract4 ,is all done8 ,by no means1 it is only progressing4 ,the ,holy ,communion is given you4 ,you partake of the sacred ,body and ,blood of ,christ4 ,surely now all is complete1 and salvation secured4 ,no--by no means1 not yet4 ,all through life the work goes on4 ,it is not done at death4 ,it will not be done till the ,judgment ,day4 ,why is this8 ,because man has ,free ,will1 and can oppose and hinder the work of ,god4 ,he can even bring it to naught4 ,when ,god made the world it was done at ,his word1 for there was no opposition1 no independent free will had to be taken account of2 but in the salvation of man it is otherwise1 man has to be considered1 he has a will which can turn all the good intentions of ,god from him1 and make them of no avail4 ,god cannot save man without his free consent4 ,god's grace cannot sanctify him without his co-operation with it4 ,god can invite and attract1 ,he cannot force4 ,in the parable1 the king sends out to entreat his subjects to come1 and when they refuse he punishes them1 but he does not send his soldiers to drive them into his banqueting hall4 ,,ii4 ,all that ,god can do is to invite2 but ,he invites most pressingly1 and holds out every inducement that ,he possibly could4 ,god desires all men to be saved1 ,he willeth not the death of a sinner4 ,christ1 says ,s4 ,paul1 died for all1--to reconcile all men to ,god4 ,he hung on the cross for all1 to save all that will come to ,him and be saved--,he died for us men1 and our salvation4 ,the ,amalekites attacked the city of ,ziklag1 and took it1 and burned it with fire1 and departed1 carrying away with them the two wives of ,david1 ,ahinoam the ,jezreelitess1 and ,abigail1 who had been the wife of ,nabal the ,carmelite4 ,when ,david knew this1 he fell into great distress1 and he gathered an army and went to the place1 and there he wept till he had no more power to weep4 ,and he pursued after the ,amalekites with four hundred men1 and he fell on them1 and the battle raged four and twenty hours4 ,he smote them from twilight even unto the evening of the next day1 and he recovered out of their hands his two wives4 ,now suppose that one of them1 say ,abigail1 fell into low spirits1 thinking that ,david did not love her1 and would not bring her into his palace1 and show her favour1 one would say to her1 ,what is the meaning of this8 ,your sad spirits and gloomy doubts are proof of an unthankful spirit4 ,look at ,david4 ,see a clear evidence that you are wrong4 ,look6 he is covered with dust from the battle1 he is so exhausted that he can scarce breathe4 ,for you he fought1 for you he exposed himself to great risk1 for you he conquered4 ,he has redeemed you out of the power of the enemy4 ,see6 he extends to you his hand1 red with his blood shed for you4 ,he holds out his hand to invite you to follow him1 that he may bring you home in safety4 ,away with these wicked doubts and this black mistrust6 ,i may say exactly the same to you4 ,do you want any token of the love of ,christ8 ,any assurance of ,his goodwill towards you8 ,look at ,him6 ,see what ,he has done and suffered for you6 ,for you ,he spent thirty-three years in struggle1 for you ,he was exposed to the scoffs of the ,jews1 for you ,he was scourged1 for you ,he was crucified4 ,to you ,he extends ,his hand1 red with ,his blood1 to beckon you to follow ,him1 that where ,he is there you may be also4 ,he has shown you ,his love4 ,what could ,he have done more8 ,he has promised you ,heaven4 ,he has assured you that ,he is gone there to prepare a place for you1 that ,he may receive you unto ,himself4 ,he tells you that there is the kingdom ,he has prepared for you from the foundation of the world4 ,could ,he make better promises8 ,,iii4 ,but ,he can do no more4 ,he cannot drive you into ,heaven4 ,it is left to you1 to your free will to decide4 ,you can accept1 or you can refuse4 ,you can make use of the ,sacraments1 the means ,he has provided for enabling you to gain the ,kingdom1 or you may turn your backs on them4 ,he will not drive you4 ,all ,he will do is to invite1 and say1 ,come6 for all things are now ready4 ,,lviii4 ,,example4 #bast ,sunday after ,trinity4 ,s4 ,john iv4 #ac4 ,and himself believed1 and his whole house4 ,,introduction4--,as the tree so the fruit1 as the parents so the children1 as the master so his men1 as the mistress so her household4 ,this is not indeed a rule without exceptions1 but as a general rule it holds4 ,no man liveth and dieth to himself1 we are all members one of another1 and we all influence the conduct of others1 and determine their careers1 more than we ourselves imagine4 ,it is not1 indeed1 always true that good parents have good children1 but it is generally the case4 ,it is not always that bad parents have bad children1 but it is exceptional when it is otherwise4 ,indeed1 the virtues of parents become in some way inherent in their offspring1 and the vices of parents last in the blood of their children1 and even descend to their children's children4 ,how often is this the case with a tendency to drink6 ,although the child may have lost his parent young1 and not seen his bad example1 yet he has in him a yearning after stimulants1 and very often becomes a drunkard like his father4 ,,subject4--,let us1 to-day1 consider the effect of the example of parents on their children2 and of teachers on their pupils4 ,i4 ,there is a striking passage in the fifth chapter of ,s4 ,john which may not hitherto have attracted your attention4 ,one ,sabbath ,day our ,blessed ,lord went to ,bethesda1 and there healed a man who had had an infirmity thirty and eight years4 ,he healed him1 and bade him take up his bed1 and walk4 ,the ,jews were wroth1 and said1 ,it is the ,sabbath ,day1 it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed4 ,then we are told the ,jews did persecute ,jesus1 and sought to slay ,him1 because ,he had done these things on the ,sabbath ,day4 ,but ,jesus answered them3 ,my ,father worketh hitherto1 and ,i work4 ,that is to say--,my ,father worketh on the ,sabbath1 ,he sends ,his rain1 ,he makes the grass to grow1 ,he feeds the young ravens1 ,he causes the sun to rise and set1 ,he works good to all creatures1 feeds1 and heals1 and as ,i see my ,father act1 so1 naturally1 as a ,son1 ,i act also4 ,whatsoever the ,son seeth the ,father do1 ,he doeth likewise4 ,the argument of the ,jews avails nothing1 that as the man has lain infirm for thirty-eight years1 he may lie another twelve hours4 ,my ,father worketh hitherto good on the ,sabbath1 and therefore ,i work4 ,it matters nothing what the ,law may enjoin1 nor how strict may be the tradition of the ,pharisees1 ,my ,father worketh good on the ,sabbath1 and therefore ,i work4 ,our ,lord produces this as an argument against which there can be no resistance1 to which there can be no reply1 an argument commending itself to every man's understanding--to universal experience--,as the father acts1 so acts the son4 ,the example of the father is the law of right and wrong to the child4 ,do you know the fable of the crab and his children8 ,the crab was sore distressed to see his little ones run crookedly on the sand of the sea shore1 so he said1 ,my sons1 walk straight6 ,yes1 answered the little crabs1 lead thou the way1 father1 and we will follow thy footsteps4 ,is it a wonder to you1 a wonder and a distress1 that your sons do not turn out well1 that they go to the public-house too much1 and that they are idle workmen1 that they swear and use foul language8 ,if you wish them to grow up differently1 it is of no use saying to them1 ,my sons1 walk straight6 you must lead the way1 that they may follow4 ,is it a wonder and grief to a mother that her girls become giddy1 frivolous1 and unsteady1 and perhaps cause her shame8 ,do you want them to be quiet1 to stay at home1 and be neat1 modest1 unselfish girls8 then do not be giddy and a gadabout yourself4 ,lead thou the way1 mother1 and they will follow4 ,do you1 parents1 find that your children ramble about the lanes with idle companions instead of coming to ,church on ,sundays1 that they do not love the worship of ,god1 that they do not fear ,god1 and reverence ,his sanctuary8 ,do you want them to be ,god-fearing1 pious1 consistent ,christians8 ,then do you lead the way and they will follow4 ,do you want your boys and girls to hold a check on their tongues1 and not to be always wrangling and snapping at one another1 scolding1 and finding fault1 and quarrelling8 ,then do you lead the way1 that they may follow4 ,lead the way by keeping a check on your tongues1 by being gentle and forbearing--you1 husband and wife1 one with another1 not given to railing1 but1 contrariwise1 to blessing4 ,,ii4 ,you may have observed how often in ,holy ,scripture the expression recurs1 ,the ,god of your ,father1 or ,the ,god of your ,fathers1 ,the ,god of my ,father1 or of my ,fathers4 ,this is a remarkable expression4 ,is ,god short of ,names that ,he should be thus designated8 ,might ,he not be better termed ,almighty1 ,everlasting1 ,jehovah8 ,the expression is of such frequent recurrence that it must have a meaning--and this is what it means4 ,there is such a thing as an hereditary religion4 ,as a man regards ,god1 so will his children regard ,him4 ,if a man is reverent and devout1 and shows that he honours ,god1 and regards ,him as a just and righteous ,god1 hating iniquity1 and rewarding all those who keep ,his commandments1 then his children will grow up regarding ,god as just and righteous2 but if a man thinks of ,god as indifferent to righteousness1 as so ready in ,his kindness to forgive everything1 and let men do what they like1 that ,he will pardon them for any and everything they do1 then his sons will grow up looking on ,god as the great ,author of moral disorder among men4 ,if a man regards ,god as expecting worship and honour1 then the sons will grow up with the same idea of ,god1 and will worship and honour ,him1 and if a man has no ,god at all1 then his sons will also have no ,god at all4 ,,iii4 ,in ,exodus ,god threatens that ,he will visit the iniquity of the fathers upon the children1 and upon the children's children1 unto the third and to the fourth generations4 ,in like manner ,he blesses a whole posterity for the righteousness of their parents4 ,you see now how and why this is4 ,it is because when a father and mother are wicked1 their children grow up wicked also1 and their children's children1 till the whole family dies out through its vicious habits1 or there rises out of it some redeeming element of good4 ,in the same way good parents have good children1 and these good children marry1 and have also good offspring1 and so the goodness of one pious and righteous pair goes on descending and spreading like a fertilizing river1 bearing blessings to all who are near it4 ,what an encouragement this is to you parents to lead ,god-fearing lives6 ,what a warning to those of you who are careless6 ,the belief of the ruler brought belief to his whole house4 ,the salvation of ,zacchaeus brought salvation to his whole house also4 ,righteousness may bring a blessing to your children1 and children's children1 for many generations4 ,,lix4 ,,the ,,preacher ,,and ,,his ,,hearers4 #bbnd ,sunday after ,trinity4 ,s4 ,matthew xviii4 #bc4 ,the kingdom of ,heaven is likened unto a certain king1 which would take account of his servants4 ,,introduction4--,i have been a good deal abroad1 over the ,continent of ,europe1 and whenever ,i am in a little country inn1 ,i make a point of going into the room where the men are smoking and drinking wine or beer1 and hearing their opinions on the politics of the day1 and of their country4 ,now1 my experience tells me that in country taverns in ,france1 and ,germany1 and ,belgium1 and ,switzerland1 and ,austria1 the main topic of discussion is--the ,parsons4 ,i have not been much about in this way in ,england1 but ,i have an idea that it is pretty nearly the same here4 ,what ,i have heard often said is this1 ,nothing easier than to preach6 ,ah6 they are always preaching at us1 it is a pity that they do not preach to themselves4 ,ah6 if they would only practice what they preach1 we would listen more readily4 ,,subject4--,to-day ,i am going to preach to the preacher1 to myself1 at least in the first part of my sermon1 and you may sit and listen4 ,after that1 ,i will have a word with you4 ,in to-day's ,gospel we hear that the king will take account of his servants1 that is1 ,god will take account of all those who are ,his servants1 first with those who are ,his special ,ministers1 the ,clergy1 and preachers of ,his ,word1 and secondly1 of those who are the hearers4 ,i4 ,now1 let me see what ,god expects of a preacher1 and what ,i ought to be and to do4 ,s4 ,paul says3 ,we preach ,christ crucified4 ,that is the first thing ,i am bound to do4 ,i must remember to do that4 ,then1 ,s4 ,luke says that ,jesus was mighty in word and deed1 and as ,christ has sent us even as ,he was sent by the ,father1 so must we preachers be mighty1 as far as we can1 both in word and deed1 we must speak boldly and vigorously1 and we must act in the same way1 we must practice what we preach4 ,that is a great deal expected of us4 ,if we were only to preach up to the level of our own lives1 it would be easier4 ,but the preaching goes first2 we must preach the highest virtue1 and then try to live up to that4 ,s4 ,john the ,baptist was set before us as an example of a preacher1 and he was a burning and a shining light4 ,we preachers must give you doctrine which not only shines but also burns1 we must not only enlighten your minds by teaching1 but also burn your consciences4 ,we must instruct the intellect1 and warm and fire the heart4 ,that is requiring a great deal of us4 ,he maketh his ministers a burning fire1 says ,david1 and ,s4 ,paul quotes his words approvingly4 ,it is a pleasant thing to enlighten1 but to burn is not so pleasant4 ,yet that is what we preachers are bound to do1 we must not speak to you smooth things1 but those things which will sting you and make you arise and cry out4 ,not only what you like1 but a great deal that you do not like4 ,that is what is demanded of a preacher4 ,then again he must not use the ,word of ,god deceitfully1 twisting it to enforce what is not ,god's truth1 but his own fancy4 ,we read that at the trial of ,christ there were found two false witnesses who declared that ,christ had said1 ,destroy this temple1 and in three days will ,i build it up4 ,now when we look at ,s4 ,john's ,gospel we find that ,he did say this4 ,how1 then1 were they false witnesses8 ,they were false witnesses because they gave ,his words a meaning ,he never intended them to have4 ,he spoke of the temple of ,his body2 they made ,his words apply to the temple of ,jerusalem4 ,moses desired that his preaching might be as the dew4 ,my doctrine shall drop as the rain1 my speech shall distil as the dew1 as the small rain upon the tender herb1 and as the showers upon the grass 7,deut4 xxxii4 #b47 ,very pleasant it would be to speak so that one's words came down like the dew1 or even as the small rain on the tender grass4 ,you would like that1 and so would ,i4 ,you would hold up your heads like the flowers1 and drink the dewy doctrine in4 ,but stay6 ,as the showers upon the grass as well1 says ,moses4 ,it will not do for the preacher to speak only gently2 his words must come pattering about your heads like a driving ,april shower1 when you will shrink from the rain and hide to get out of the way4 ,the preacher must pour out on you a good strong shower of hard words4 ,but that is not all4 ,he must use the ,word of the ,lord as a sword4 ,the ,word of ,god is quick and powerful1 and sharper than a two-edged sword1 piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and of spirit1 and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart4 ,how will the hearers like that8 ,the preacher must not ask that1 he must use the ,word as it is given him1 whether his hearers like it or whether they do not4 ,there was at one time at ,coimbra two famous preachers1 and all the town ran to hear them2 but some thought ,a4 was the best preacher1 and some thought that ,b4 was the best4 ,it was discussed among the professors of the ,university1 and then it was found that they were divided--some liked ,a41 and others preferred ,b42 then an old professor spoke1 ,i will tell you what ,i think4 ,i have heard them both1 and have formed my opinion4 ,when ,i have listened to a sermon by ,a41 ,i come away highly pleased with the preacher2 when ,i come away from a sermon by ,b41 ,i am heartily disgusted with myself4 ,then you see which was the true preacher4 ,a4 sought his own glory and to show his talent1 ,b4 only considered the souls of those he was speaking to4 ,and now ,i have said what a preacher ought to speak1 and also how he ought to act4 ,i do not think it is so easy a matter1 if he be a faithful preacher4 ,,ii4 ,now then ,i turn to you1 the hearers4 ,be ye not hearers of the ,word1 but doers4 ,the word preached you will not profit unless you take hold of it4 ,one day ,agilmund1 ,king of the ,lombards1 was riding past a river4 ,at that time it was customary for heathen mothers to drown those of their children whom they did not care to rear4 ,he saw floating down the rapid stream a number of little crying babes in baskets in which they had been cast in4 ,the king's heart was touched1 and he went to the edge of the river where there was a pool and an eddy1 and he knelt down and held out his spear to the children2 then one of them extended his little hands and clasped hold of the spear1 and clung to it1 and the king very gently and carefully drew the spear to him with the little fellow holding tight to it4 ,but all the other babes merely cried and sank into the water4 ,then he carried home the child in his arms1 adopted him as his son1 and made him his heir to the kingdom4 ,now all the preacher can do for you1 swimming down the great river of time1 threatened with death1 is to hold out the ,word to you4 ,he cannot save you4 ,he cannot do more for you than that4 ,you must lay hold and cling tight to the ,word4 ,but why do ,i say the preacher8 ,it is ,jesus ,christ ,himself who really extends the ,word to you1 and ,he will save you if you hold fast to it1 and bring you through the waters1 and land you in ,his country1 and exalt you to ,his kingdom4 ,,lx4 ,,the ,,image ,,of ,,self4 #bcrd ,sunday after ,trinity4 ,s4 ,matthew xxii41 #bj4 ,whose is this image8 ,,introduction4--,some people are very fond of contemplating their own excellencies1 of admiring their good qualities1 or their success in life2 they will talk to you of what they have done1 how they made this lucky hit1 how they outwitted so-and-so1 how they escaped such a danger by their foresight4 ,but they are not fond of considering their imperfections1 of lamenting their faults1 of confessing their failures1 their lost opportunities1 their neglected duties1 their grave transgressions4 ,no1 no6 they do not see them1 they see only their own good qualities and none of their blemishes1 they extol their successes1 and hold their tongues over their failures4 ,,subject4--,but it would be well for us to contemplate ourselves as we really are1 and see ourselves in the light in which we are seen by ,god1 for the ,apostle says3 ,if we would judge ourselves1 we shall not be judged1 that is1 if we would only see ourselves with all our defects1 and repent our faults here1 and judge ourselves and go and amend1 then we should escape the judgment hereafter4 ,i4 ,king ,david says1 in the #east ,psalm1 ,i acknowledge my faults1 and my sin is ever before me4 ,now1 think of this6 ,if any man had occasion to boast it was ,king ,david4 ,he had been a poor sheep-boy attending the flocks of his father1 a farmer at ,bethlehem1 and he was taken from the sheepfolds and exalted to be king4 ,what an exaltation for him from a humble origin to the highest place6 ,he might well look back on that with exultation2 but no1 a shadow steps between and clouds the view1 ,my sin is ever before me4 ,i daresay his palace walls were hung with tapestry1 or painted in colours with pictures representing his deeds4 ,there he was shewn fighting the bear1 there taking the lamb from the lion's mouth1 and smiting him4 ,there he was pictured with his sling going against the giant ,goliath4 ,there he was represented standing over the fallen ,philistine and hewing off his head4 ,look6 another picture6 his marriage with ,michal1 the daughter of ,king ,saul4 ,whose is this image8 ,it is that of the conqueror over ,amalek4 ,whose is this image8 ,it is ,david crowned king of ,judah in ,hebron4 ,and here is a goodly picture2 of whom is it8 ,this is ,david anointed ,king over all ,israel4 ,there is another6 ,david defeating the ,philistines in the battle under the mulberry trees4 ,there is one more6 ,whose is this image8 ,it is that of ,david bringing the ark from ,kirjath-jearim1 and playing his harp and dancing before it4 ,what a goodly array of pictures6 ,all--all about the glories and successes of ,david4 ,david paces idly through the halls1 he sees the tapestries and paintings1 but he regards them not1 ,my sin is ever before me4 ,he sees only one picture1 which is not upon the wall1 which the flattering painter has omitted1 his guilt with ,bathsheba4 ,he goes to war in his armour1 and takes the city of ,rabbah4 ,he carries off the crown of the king and puts it on his own head4 ,the spoil of the city is great4 ,in the turmoil of battle1 in the flush of victory1 ,my sin is ever before me4 ,he flees before his enemies1 before his rebellious son1 and is in hiding in the wilderness with a few faithful friends1 and then there rises up before him the remembrance of his great transgression1 and weighs down his heart4 ,my sin is ever before me4 ,in joy1 in sorrow1 in prosperity and in distress it is always the same4 ,whose is this image8 ,it is that of a great king1 a mighty warrior1 a sweet poet1--,no1 no6 says ,david1 ,it is the image of a grievous sinner4 ,my sin is ever before me4 ,let no man call me a good king1 ,i gave over the innocent ,uriah to the sword1 and took from him his beloved wife4 ,let no man call me a just man1 ,i divided the land of ,mephibosheth with his false1 lying slave ,ziba1 because it went against my pride to go back from what ,i had said4 ,let no man call me merciful1 when ,i tortured the ,ammonites cruelly1 putting them under saws1 and under harrows and axes of iron1 and made them pass through the brickkiln4 ,let no man speak of me as a conqueror1 when ,i was miserably conquered by my wicked passions4 ,my brethren6 ,i wish that you would see yourselves in the way in which ,david did4 ,i wish that instead of turning away your eyes from those pictures in your life which do you no honour1 you would look at them with shame4 ,i wish that instead of boasting yourselves as the image of all perfections1 you would see yourselves as sinners4 ,,ii4 ,there was a painter called ,bonamico1 who was engaged by ,cardinal ,aretino to paint a series of pictures in his chapel4 ,he began with a beautiful fresco of ,jesus ,christ4 ,a day or two afterwards1 when he came to his work in the morning1 he found his picture smeared all over with dabs of colour1 red1 and black1 and blue1 and yellow1 and utterly defaced and spoiled4 ,the painter was so angry that he refused to go on with his work till the culprit was found4 ,a watch was set1 and then it was discovered who had done it4 ,when the painter had left the chapel1 a pet ape of ,aretino's came in1 and having during the day seen the artist at work1 he took up brush and colours1 and began1 in mischief or in imitation1 to daub over what the painter had executed4 ,whose is this image8 ,you were made in the image of ,god1 and redeemed by ,christ4 ,whose is the image8 ,you are expected to grow to the stature of the fulness of ,christ1 to be like ,christ1 but alas6 the ,devil1 or your evil passions1 deface the image1 and obliterate the likeness4 ,can ,i see anything like ,christ in you8 ,where are the traces of the divine image8 ,i know what ,christ is4 ,i am meek and lowly of heart4 ,where is your meekness8 ,some ape has daubed self-conceit over it1 and ,i see nothing else but his bold colours4 ,he shall not strive nor cry1 neither shall any man hear his voice in the street4 ,where is this quietness and unobtrusiveness in you8 ,do ,i not hear angry words and quarrelling8 ,some ape has daubed out this feature of the ,saviour4 ,i am come not to do mine own will1 but the will of ,him that sent ,me4 ,where is this readiness to submit to the will of ,god8 ,do ,i not see an eager following of your own wills8 ,surely also this characteristic of the ,son of ,god is effaced4 ,,conclusion4--,my brethren1 one chief reason why we should see ourselves as we really are is1 that we might be able by penitence to wipe out the ugly smears that deface the divine image1 and that we might go on to perfection1 becoming daily more like unto ,him who is our pattern1 so that at the ,last ,day1 when we wake up1 it will be with the likeness complete1 for we shall be like ,him4 ,,lxi4 ,,dread ,,of ,,ridicule4 #bdth ,sunday after ,trinity4 ,s4 ,matt4 ix4 #bd4 ,and they laughed ,him to scorn4 ,,introduction4--,all that will live godly in ,christ ,jesus shall suffer persecution 7#b ,tim4 iii4 #ab47 ,this is what ,s4 ,paul says4 ,this is what everyone of you must make up your mind to1 if you intend to live godly lives1 and1 moreover1 to live in ,christ4 ,do you know what that meant to the early ,christians8 ,it meant that if they were going to be firm in their faith1 live up to their profession1 and eschew evil1 they should be dragged before governors1 and hung on what was called the little horse1 and their flesh torn with redhot pincers4 ,it meant that they should be scourged to death1 or that they should be roasted alive over slow fires1 or that they should be gored in the amphitheatre by a bull1 or torn to pieces by a lion1 or that they should have their skin taken off1 or that their heads should be struck off1 or that they should be crucified4 ,so when they were baptized and professed the ,creed1 and were signed with the cross1 they knew that they were enlisted to suffer persecution if they acted up to their profession1 and were worthy of the cross on their brows4 ,but this is not the sort of persecution you will be subjected to4 ,the time of such cruel torture is over4 ,the world has become ,christian in name1 but in heart it is pagan still4 ,all that will live godly in ,christ ,jesus shall suffer persecution4 ,s4 ,paul does not limit this to his day4 ,it is not only all in the first century1 but all in the nineteenth century as well4 ,only this is altered--the mode of persecution4 ,,subject4--,the persecution you will be subjected to1 if you live godly in ,jesus ,christ is--,ridicule4 ,no one will make you suffer in the body4 ,no pincers and knives will be brought against you1--only ,tongues4 ,i4 ,noah was ordered by ,god to build an ark on dry ground4 ,imagine the ridicule he met with6 ,how the people would flock out of an evening1 to see how he was getting on4 ,what jibes6 ,how he was tormented with questions1 ,when was the great boat to be launched8 ,how was he to bring the sea up to it8 ,was he with his three sons to put their shoulders to it1 and push it down to the seashore8 ,but ,noah did not heed them1 he went on with his building4 ,it was very unpleasant to bear4 ,it made him very red with shame and annoyance sometimes4 ,but he did not give up4 ,if he had done so1 he would have been drowned4 ,and one day the flood came4 ,the fountains of the great deep were broken up1 and the windows of heaven opened1 and then the water overflowed the land4 ,then6--how was it with those men and women who had made fun of ,noah8 ,on whose side was the laugh now8 ,the ,israelites were ordered by ,god to camp against ,jericho4 ,they were to march round the city once a day1 with the priests going before1 blowing their trumpets2 this was to be done six days in succession1 but on the seventh day they were to march seven times round the city1 with the priests leading the way1 blowing the rams' horns4 ,the first day the inhabitants of ,jericho rushed to their walls1 and watched1 and wondered4 ,the second day they saw the same procession go round the town4 ,it had ended in nothing on ,sunday1 so they laughed and pointed at them4 ,what a ludicrous sight6 ,all those men armed with swords and spears1 who do not use them1 those priests blowing the horns as to encourage the ,israelites to battle1 and not one rushing forward to scale the walls4 ,the third day all the women and children were on the walls1 marching round and mimicking them1 blowing toy trumpets4 ,what jokes6 ,what jeers shouted from the walls6 ,so on to the ,friday4 ,on the ,sabbath the people got rather tired of this same scene4 ,it was growing monotonous2 so they did not come in such numbers4 ,however1 after the ,israelites had marched round once1 they began to march round a second time4 ,here was something new6 ,something still more nonsensical2 and the people of ,jericho came out on their walls again to flout them1 and pass their jokes4 ,when the ,israelites had been round twice1 they started to go round a third time1 then a fourth1 then a fifth1 then a sixth4 ,the mocking grew more excessive1 the ridicule more keen4 ,but1 when the circuit of the city was made the seventh time1 then1 the walls of the city fell down1 and the ,israelites rushed in over the ruins1 and killed all they came across4 ,on whose side was the laugh then8 ,,ii4 ,as ,i told you at the beginning of my sermon1 if you will live godly in ,christ ,jesus1 you must expect persecution1 and the only sort of persecution you will get is ,ridicule4 ,therefore1 if you will live godly in ,christ ,jesus1 you must be prepared to be taunted1 and made fun of1 and teased4 ,the tongues will wag and say all sort of hard things about you2 ,you are a hypocrite1 or you are going too far1 or you are a fine person to set up to be a saint6 but be of good cheer1 do not mind the laughter1 it is only for a while1 and then the tables will be turned1 and the laugh will be on your side4 ,it is very unpleasant to be made a butt for ridicule4 ,of course it is1 but it is not so unpleasant as to have your flesh torn off with redhot pincers4 ,the early ,christians who would live godly in ,christ ,jesus had to expect that4 ,it is very galling to have bitter things said of you1 often unjust and untrue1 only because you have begun to serve ,god1 and lead a better life4 ,of course it is1 but it is not so bitter to bear as a cruel death1 and that is what the early ,christians had to expect if they would live godly in ,christ ,jesus4 ,then again4 ,as the ,master was used1 so the servant must expect to be treated4 ,jesus ,christ had not only to endure the cruelty of wicked men1 but their ridicule as well1 ,they laughed ,him to scorn4 ,,conclusion4--,pluck up a little courage1 my brethren1 and do not be such cowards4 ,if you lack courage1 ask of ,god1 and ,he will give it you4 ,the ,spirit of ,fortitude is one of the gifts of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,he gave it to the martyrs to strengthen them under torment1 and they were able to endure and not forsake their ,lord4 ,then surely ,he will give to you that measure of fortitude which will enable you to stand up against ,ridicule4 ,,lxii4 ,,what ,,lasts1 ,,and ,,what ,,passes ,,away4 #beth ,sunday after ,trinity4 ,s4 ,matthew xxiv41 #ce4 ,heaven and earth shall pass away1 but ,my word shall not pass away4 ,,introduction4--,yes6 all will pass away6 ,this beautiful world and all that is on it4 ,our houses1 our churches1 our cities1 will crumble away2 the very earth with its mountains and rivers1 and plains1 and seas1 will pass away4 ,the stars will fall from heaven1 the sun will have exhausted its fires1 the moon will sink into night4 ,but the words of ,christ will last4 ,,subject4--,incessant is the change4 ,ever are things present passing away1 but there is still something that remains4 ,things pass in their present fashion1 but in substance remain4 ,i4 ,s4 ,paul1 in his #ast ,epistle to the ,corinthians1 says 7vii4 #ca73 ,the fashion of this world passeth away4 ,it is as though this world were a theatre1 on which pass many scenes4 ,the curtain rises1 and we see first ,eden1 all beautiful2 there is no sin1 no death2 how lovely is the world in its maiden freshness and innocence1 the flowers are blooming1 and the birds are singing1 and ,adam and ,eve stand surrounded by the beasts1 which fawn on them1 and fear them not4 ,o that this lovely scene might remain6 ,but no6 ,the fashion of this world passeth away4 ,another scene4 ,the ,angel armed with the flaming sword drives our parents forth1 the earth brings forth thorns and briars4 ,man slays the beasts to provide him with food and clothing4 ,the earth is full of violence1 ,cain raises his hand against ,abel4 ,all flesh is corrupt before ,god4 ,the fashion of this world passeth away4 ,the flood has purified earth1 but now men are scattered through the confusion of tongues1 and go over all the world colonising1 cutting down trees1 planting corn1 hunting wild beasts1 pasturing cattle1 and having flocks of sheep4 ,the fashion of this world passeth away4 ,great empires arise1 the ,chaldean or ,assyrian1 the ,persian1 the ,greek1 these three4 ,do they last8 ,the fashion of this world passeth away4 ,a fourth arises2 the mighty ,roman ,empire1 extending over the whole known world4 ,the ,roman poet wrote of it in the name of his false god1 ,jupiter1 ,i put no bounds to this empire1 neither of space nor of time1 ,i give it a kingdom without end4 ,was it so8 ,we find scattered almost everywhere in the old world where we travel traces of this mighty empire1 its roads1 its castles1 its palaces1 its coins1 but it is gone1 gone utterly away1 swept away by the hordes of ,gothic barbarians4 ,the fashion of this world passeth away4 ,if we look back at the past times of our own country1 what changes do we see6 the fashion ever changing1 the fashion of government1 the fashion of religion1 the fashion of dress1 the fashion of architecture1 all is change1 change1 and change4 ,have you ever seen fireworks8 ,have you seen the rockets rush up into the air1 casting a golden light1 pouring forth sparks1 and then bursting1 this one into a silvery globe of light1 that one into a thousand stars1 crimson1 blue1 green1 yellow1 that again into sparks of curling fire-dust8 ,what became of them8 ,down they fall1 and all that remains is a stick and a bit of smouldering brown paper4 ,the fashion has wondrously changed4 ,are not these rockets figures of the life of man8 ,up we rush in the eagerness of youth1 and cast a light about us1 up1 up1 growing brighter1 throwing out our stars and globes of light1 and then1 the fashion changeth1 and we come down and are laid in our graves1 a little ash4 ,here is the man who was full of wealth and honour1 how he blazed as a sun1 how he scattered his gold4 ,the fashion changeth4 ,he is now a crumbling bit of clay4 ,here is the man who made such a noise in the parish1 such a boaster1 so quarrelsome1 so litigious1 no one could come near him4 ,the fashion changeth4 ,he lies still as a mouse now1 and can resent no injury done to his dust4 ,here is the active housewife1 whose hand was always busily employed sewing1 darning1 scouring1 never idle for one minute1 keeping her house clean1 and her children tidy4 ,the fashion changeth4 ,she can stir no hand1 can think for no one any more4 ,,ii4 ,evilmerodach1 king of ,babylon1 was wroth with ,daniel1 because he denied that ,bel was a god4 ,meats were placed on the altar before the idol every night1 and before morning they had vanished4 ,therefore1 said the king1 ,bel must be a god4 ,but ,daniel got fine ashes and strewed the temple floor1 and locked the doors4 ,next morning he came with the king to the temple1 and when the doors were opened1 the king saw that all the meat was gone1 then he cried out that ,bel was a god4 ,but ,daniel pointed to the floor1 and there1 in the ashes1 were the prints of many feet1 for the priests had a secret door under the altar1 and in the night they came out with their wives and children1 and ate what had been offered to the idol4 ,then ,evilmerodach had them all slain4 ,now1 my brethren6 ,job says of ,god3 ,thou lookest narrowly unto all my paths1 or1 as it might be better rendered1 my footprints4 ,that is1 ,thou1 ,o ,god1 seest my traces where ,i have been1 and ,thou wilt take account of what ,i have done4 ,mark this6--,the steps pass away1 but the footprints do not pass away4 ,the steps go on into ,endless ,life or ,eternal ,death1 but the footprints remain to shew where you have walked4 ,your fashion in this world may pass away1 but your footprints remain to tell tales of you2 they pass not away4 ,you house-father6 ,you house-mother6 you will go your way1 but your traces will remain in your family1 the good you have done1 or the bad1 these cannot be wiped out4 ,you who have done any dishonest act1 spoken falsehood1 dealt deceitfully1 all your dishonest acts1 and false words1 and deceitful dealings1 will pass away1 but the traces will remain1 and ,god will look narrowly at them4 ,you have been given talents1 intelligence1 physical strength1 spiritual opportunities2 these pass away1 but not their traces4 ,you have been a boy1 a youth1 a man1 and are now old4 ,each age has passed away1 but not the footsteps1 they shall not pass away4 ,what you did when first you got your reason1 your childish acts1 are passed away1 but not the results4 ,your actions when young1--did you yield to your passions or conquer them8 those acts are passed away1 but not the results4 ,in your manhood1 what have you done in your family1 what example have you set8 ,you are now old and white-headed4 ,vigorous manhood is over1 passed away1 but the footsteps1 the tell-tale footsteps remain4 ,,conclusion4--,now then1 considering this1 ,i urge you sincerely to live each day as if the last1 to live so that you may not be afraid of your footsteps that will betray of what sort your life has been4 ,,lxiii4 ,,thankfulness ,,to ,,god4 ,harvest ,s4 ,matthew xxii41 #ba4 ,render--unto ,god1 the things that are ,god's4 ,,introduction4--,david says in the #hth ,psalm1 ,what is man1 that ,thou art mindful of him3 and the son of man that ,thou visitest him8 ,thou makest him to have dominion of the works of ,thy hands2 and ,thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet1 all sheep and oxen2 yea1 and the beast of the field1 the fowls of the air1 and the fishes of the sea4 ,i4 ,the mastery of man is even more extensive than this2 he controls the elements4 ,the earth he tills and makes it bring forth fruit and corn1 as he wills4 ,he will not suffer it to run wild1 but schools and disciplines it4 ,he hedges it about1 and ploughs1 and sows1 and reaps4 ,he burrows into it for fuel and for metals1 he cuts roads over its face4 ,the air he makes use of also1 it is his servant to turn the sails of his wind-mills1 to grind his corn1 it fills out the sails of his ships to carry his merchandise from one land to another4 ,fire1 that most terrible of elements1 he dominates and makes into a slave1 it smelts the ore for him1 it raises the steam that drives the engines1 it heats his house1 it lights it1 it cooks his food4 ,water is also under control1 he leads it where he will in canals and pipes1 he makes it turn the wheels of water-mills1 it is used for drinking1 and for washing4 ,and yet even that is not all4 ,man controls the lightning1 he makes of that a slave to carry messages round the world1 and he carries it into globes1 and lights streets and railway stations1 and shop windows with it4 ,when man was innocent in ,eden1 the beast and birds were his familiar friends1 but when he sinned they fled from him4 ,god said to ,noah1 ,the fear of you1 and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth1 and upon every fowl of the air1 upon all that moveth upon the earth1 and upon all the fishes of the sea1 into your hand are they delivered4 ,see how the animals have been subjected to man2 the horse1 the useful cow1 the dog1 and the sheep have been tamed1 the horse which once roved wild submits to have a saddle on his back1 and a bit in his mouth4 ,the cow gives her milk and her meat1 and the sheep both wool and meat1 for the nourishment and the clothing of man2 the dog1 which1 when wild1 was fierce as his brother the wolf1 has become the friend and companion of man2 even the gigantic elephant has become docile1 and the ,indian mother leaves her babe under its charge1 that the monster may brush away the flies from the sleeping infant with a branch4 ,we have dominion over the birds in the air1 we have tamed the domestic fowls and make them yield us their eggs1 and we keep the pigeons about our homes that we may kill their young2 we snare and shoot them as we will1 their high flight and rapid wings are no protection for them4 ,we have dominion over the fishes of the sea1 we strew the net and bring them in for our food2 we hunt the whale for his oil and for the fringe of bone in his mouth2 we dive into the sea after the oyster that we may extract from it the pearl1 and we strip the shell of its rainbow-coloured scales to inlay therewith our furniture4 ,,ii4 ,what follows from all this8 ,is not this enough to make man proud1 to exalt him in his own conceit8 unfortunately it would seem so1 but the lesson ,i would draw from all this is1 ,render unto ,god that service which is due to ,god1 as all inferior creatures render unto you the service you demand of them4 ,an old writer 7,hugo ,victorinus7 beautifully says--,it is as though the earth appealed to man1 and said to him1 ,see how ,he loved thee who made me for thee4 ,i serve thee because ,i was made for thee1 and do thou serve ,him who made thee and me4 ,suppose a king were to take you by the hand and lead you into a beautiful estate1 and say to you1 ,here1 ,i give you this mansion1 with the park and the fields1 and the woods and the river1 you may do what you will with it1 hunt1 and shoot1 and fish1 and till the soil1 and pasture sheep1 and cattle1 ,i give it you all freely and entirely1 ,i ask of you nothing but that you will recognise me as your king and not join my enemies in fighting against me4 ,then1 ,i think1 you would embrace the offer with the greatest eagerness4 ,now this is just what ,god has done to you2 ,he has brought you into the world1 and has given you power over the beasts of the field1 the fowls of the air1 the fishes of the sea1 ,he has given you the earth to grow your corn1 and on which to pasture your cattle1 ,he has given you dominion over the elements1 and all ,he asks in return is that you will recognise ,him as the ,giver1 and not join ,his enemies4 ,render unto ,god that honour and homage that be ,god's4 ,,iii4 ,balaam1 the prophet and seer1 rode on his ass to go to ,balak1 king of ,moab4 ,god had forbidden him to go and curse the chosen people of ,god1 but ,balaam1 moved by covetousness1 and eager for honours from the king1 started on his way to go4 ,then an angel stood in the way with a drawn sword to stop him4 ,balaam did not see the angel1 but the ass did1 and fell down under ,balaam4 ,then he cried out in a rage1 ,i would there were a sword in mine hand1 for now would ,i kill thee1 and he beat the ass savagely with his stick4 ,do you see6 ,balaam expects the ass to obey him blindly1 to go where he chooses2 but he himself will not obey ,god1 and refrain from going whither he is forbidden4 ,how is it with you8 ,is it not with you as with ,balaam8 ,you expect the earth to yield you what you choose1 and are wroth if it withholds the crop2 but you do not yield to ,god what ,he desires1 and show a harvest of good fruit unto life everlasting from the seed of ,grace ,he has sown in you4 ,you expect your sheep to give their wool1 and your cows their milk1 and to obey you1 and come into the fold1 or go out into the pasture1 docile to your will4 ,but do you act thus to ,god8 ,are you docile to ,his will8 ,do you eat that heavenly food ,he has prepared for you in the pastures of his ,church8 ,you expect your orchard to yield you apples4 ,do you show any fruit of the ,spirit8 ,when ,christ comes and searches among the leaves of your profession1 does ,he find any fruit of good works there8 ,,conclusion4--,then1 ,brethren1 in your farm-work1 bear this ever in mind1 that as you expect the fields and the cattle to yield to you what is your due1 so render also yourselves unto ,god that honour1 that worship1 that gratitude1 which are ,god's4 ,,lxiv4 ,,the ,,formation ,,of ,,habits4 ,school ,sermon4 ,proverbs xxii4 #f4 ,train up a child in the way he should go1 and when he is old he will not depart from it4 ,,introduction4--,there is a district1 high up in the ,black ,forest1 where the ground is full of springs4 ,it is a plain some nine hundred feet above the sea4 ,thousands upon thousands of little springs gush out of the soil2 you seem to be on the rose of a vast watering-can4 ,now1 from this great source flow a good many rivers1 and they flow in very different1 nay1 opposite directions4 ,there rises the ,danube1 which runs ,east and dies in the ,black ,sea1 and also the ,neckar and a hundred other tributaries of the ,rhine1 which flows ,west1 and falls into the ,north ,sea4 ,a very little thing on that plain--a slight rise or fall in the ground1 this way or that--decides the direction in which a river shall run4 ,you can easily make a little stream run this way and feed the ,rhine1 or that way and swell the ,danube2 but after a few miles all control over the stream is gone4 ,it runs on1 and will run on to the end in the direction you have given it1 or which it took by chance when it started4 ,it is the same with children4 ,all these little springs of vigorous life are bubbling up round us1 and whither shall they flow8 ,to the right or to the left8 ,to ,life or to ,death8 ,we can give them their direction now4 ,a few years hence1 and all power over them will be gone4 ,,subject4--,as a habit is formed in early youth1 so it remains to old years4 ,i4 ,we take our children and we train them for ,god4 ,god has given them to us for this1 to train them as citizens of ,his kingdom4 ,we neglect our duty if we neglect this4 ,he placed the flexible little characters in our hands to bend this way or that1 expecting us to make them grow upright and not crooked1 to look to ,heaven1 instead of trailing on earth4 ,they are a solemn trust for which we must give account4 ,it would have been one of the chief woes of ,hell to ,dives1 if he had his five brethren there to reproach him for having set them a bad1 selfish1 luxurious example4 ,think how bitter your future state would be1 if your children in the outer darkness were to be for ever reproaching you1 ,you brought us up to the world and not to ,god1 you fed our bodies but not our souls1 you set before us the transitory life as the one thing to care for1 and did not teach us to lay up treasure and toil for the life eternal6 ,think1 also1 how it will increase your happiness to have your children in ,life ,eternal1 and to receive their blessing1 and experience their gratitude for having so taught them1 by word and example1 that they have through life walked in the narrow path that leads to the gates of ,heaven4 ,train up a child in the way he should go1 and when he is old he will not depart from it4 ,you teach your children obedience1 in order that when young they may form the habit of submitting to rule4 ,when they are old they will not depart from it4 ,god has ,his laws4 ,god exacts their obedience4 ,they learn now to bow to the commands of a teacher whom they can see1 they will obey afterwards the invisible ,divine ,teacher4 ,you teach your children order and method when young1 that they may live an orderly life when they grow older4 ,you teach them self-control now1 that they may be able to exercise it in greater matters hereafter4 ,,ii4 ,habits of obedience1 and order1 and self-control1 acquired in childhood will be confirmed in manhood1 and will remain to the end of life4 ,a man of business1 who has spent his youth and manhood in looking after his shop1 or attending to his office1 is miserable in old age when he gives up his business and retires2 he misses the old routine1 he would be happier if he could go on in the accustomed round till he drops4 ,the days hang heavy on his hands4 ,the relaxation to which he had looked forward1 and for which he had worked1 palls on him4 ,and these are habits of industry4 ,bad habits retain a stronger hold on man4 ,a bad youth and a bad manhood make a vicious old age4 ,many an old man who had led a disorderly life retains his wicked habits1 though they afford him no pleasure4 ,he goes on in vice merely because vice has become habitual1 not because it is pleasurable4 ,eli1 as we read in the #dth chap4 ,i ,sam41 when aged ninety and eight years1 and his eyes were dim1 that he could not see1 sat upon a seat by the wayside watching4 ,what is the meaning of this8 ,the old man of nearly a hundred has his chair brought outside the temple1 and sits there looking up the street1 and that although his eyes are so covered with a mist that he can see nothing4 ,the sacred writer does not say that ,eli sat on the seat by the wayside seeing what went on1 but only straining his sightless eyeballs up the street4 ,if we turn back to the first chapter1 we shall see that this was a habit with ,eli4 ,when he was many years younger1 some thirty years before1 when ,hannah came up to ,shiloh to entreat the ,lord to have mercy on her and take away her reproach1 we read ,now ,eli1 the priest1 sat upon a seat by the post of the temple of the ,lord4 ,and his eyes1 then sharp and clear1 were peering about and watching all that was going on1 and examining the faces of the people who were coming in and going out1 and were engaged in prayer4 ,one would have thought that common decency would have kept him from watching the face of the poor woman who was engaged in prayer1 but ,eli had not acquired control over his eyes--indeed1 his great amusement was peering into people's faces and guessing what was going on in their minds4 ,hannah wept as she prayed1 ,and it came to pass1 as she continued praying to the ,lord1 that ,eli marked her mouth4 ,now ,hannah1 she spake in her heart2 only her lips moved1 but her voice was not heard1--then with that want of charity1 and tendency to think evil which so commonly goes with peeping and prying--,eli thought she had been drunk4 ,he saw what was not--drunkenness--in the weeping1 sorrowful-hearted woman1 but he saw not the wickedness which was in his disorderly sons4 ,here is an illustration of how habits last4 ,eli had acquired this habit of sitting in the gate and watching what went on1 when he was a man in the vigour of his days1 and when he was a very old man and blind1 the habit continued4 ,he had his chair brought out into the street that he might look up and down it1 though his eyes were dim and he could see nought4 ,,iii4 ,now the great advantage of a school to a child is that therein the child is taught good habits4 ,the child has got certain talents1 but cannot turn these talents to any good account without application4 ,in school he is given the habit of application2 that is1 of keeping his attention fixed on one subject4 ,but application is not all2 to that must be added perseverance4 ,no advance will be made in anything1 unless a man first applies his mind to his task1 and then perseveres in it till he has fulfilled what he undertook4 ,nothing is more common than to begin a thing and to be disheartened at the first difficulty1 and to throw it up4 ,at school the child is given the habit of perseverance4 ,that is not all4 ,no work will be carried out thoroughly without order and system4 ,you see people who work all day and work hard1 but never make any way1 because they work in a muddle1 and with no regular plan4 ,at school the child is given the habit of orderliness4 ,i have instanced only a few of those necessary habits which we try to impress on children at school4 ,we endeavour to impress them on the young1 because then they are open to instruction1 their characters are soft and take impressions1 as warm wax does from a seal4 ,we train them up in the way in which they should go1 trusting that when they are old they will not depart from it4 ,we teach what is good1 that good may become a habit with them1 and when anything has become a habit1 it sticks4 ,it is not shaken off4 ,,lxv4 ,,religious ,,zeal4 ,dedication ,festival ,ps4 lxix41 #i4 ,the zeal of ,thine house hath eaten me up4 ,,introduction4--,david spoke the truth4 ,the one great desire of his heart was the glorification of ,god by the erection of a temple befitting ,his worship at ,jerusalem4 ,although he had plenty of cares to distract him1 yet he never had this out of his heart4 ,i will not come within the tabernacle of mine house2 nor climb up into my bed2 ,i will not suffer mine eyes to sleep1 nor mine eyelids to slumber2 neither the temples of my head to take any rest2 until ,i find out a place for the temple of the ,lord2 an habitation for the mighty ,god of ,jacob4 ,one of the first things he did after he was anointed ,king over ,israel1 was to go to ,kirjath-jearim1 and bring up thence the ark of ,god from the house of ,abinadab in which it had lodged4 ,and ,david went before the ark playing his harp1 and his heart was so full of joy that he danced before the ark1 singing and striking the strings of his harp4 ,then ,michal his wife1 ,saul's daughter1 looked out of a window1 and sneered at him1 and despised him in her heart4 ,she was one of your cold-blooded people1 with no enthusiasm in her1 with no zeal for ,god1 no heart for ,god's glory4 ,better ,david dancing for joy of heart1 than captious ,michal with a contemptuous curl of her lips4 ,david collected great treasures to build the temple1 and directly he was at peace1 his heart began to yearn to be about the work1 and build to the glory of ,god4 ,see now1 he said1 ,i dwell in an house of cedar1 but the ark of ,god dwelleth within curtains4 ,but the word of ,god came to him by ,nathan the prophet1 forbidding him to build1 because he was a man of blood1 the temple was to be erected by his son ,solomon4 ,nevertheless1 ,david collected for the temple1 and above all1 composed his beautiful psalms to be sung in it4 ,the gold and the cedar that ,solomon set up are gone1 but the ,psalms remain1 and have passed over to be the heritage of the ,church4 ,,subject4--,how striking is the zeal of ,david1 and how little zeal have we for ,god's glory1 and for the adornment of ,his house6 ,let us consider to-day this zeal for ,god's house1 and for those things that appertain to the worship of ,god1 and tend to ,his glory4 ,i4 ,of all the pathetic stories in the ,bible1 there is one which has struck me for its singular pathos1 yet it is one which ,i dare say has escaped your notice4 ,you have heard of the zeal of ,david1 how his enthusiasm carried him away1 out of himself1 so that he forgot his royal dignity1 and danced before the ark4 ,you have heard of his bitter disappointment1 how when through many years he had longed and planned to build the temple of ,god1 his desire was not allowed to be carried into effect1 but the honour was reserved for his son4 ,the zeal of ,god's house had eaten him up4 ,this was very touching1 ,i think1 but ,i remember a still more touching story of zeal for ,god's house1 and ,god's honour1 and that1 not in a great man1 but in a humble woman4 ,eli1 the priest and judge of ,israel1 had two sons1 ,hophni and ,phinehas1 and they were priests in ,shiloh4 ,they were utterly bad1 profligate men1 utterly regardless of the honour of ,god1 and they disgraced their sacred calling by their shameless lives4 ,they snatched from the sacrifices the best portion of the meat1 and kept it for themselves1 and they dishonoured the tabernacle by their shameless immoralities committed with those women who came to ,shiloh to worship4 ,in a great battle fought between the ,israelites and the ,philistines1 the ark of ,god was taken1 and ,hophni and ,phinehas were both slain4 ,then the news was brought to ,eli the priest1 and the old man1 when he heard it1 fell back off his chair in a fit1 and broke his neck and died4 ,the news also reached the wife of ,phinehas4 ,we do not know her name4 ,we only hear of her this once1 but by the one little incident recorded of her1 we know what she was4 ,the daughter-in-law of ,eli1 ,phinehas' wife1 was with child1 near to be delivered1 and when she heard the tidings that the ark of ,god was taken1 and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead1 she bowed herself and travailed2 for her pains came upon her4 ,and about the time of her death1 the women that stood by her said unto her1 ,fear not1 for thou hast borne a son4 ,but she answered not1 neither did she regard it4 4 4 ,and she said1 ,the glory is departed from ,israel1 for the ark of ,god is taken4 ,good1 ,god-fearing1 loving heart6 ,not a thought about herself4 ,she is in great suffering2 not a cry from her other than this1 ,the ark of ,god is taken6 ,they tell her that her father-in-law1 old ,eli1 has fallen and broken his neck1 ,but she answered not1 neither did she regard it--only she said1 ,the ark of ,god is taken4 ,they tell her that her husband has been killed in the battle4 ,but she answered not1 neither did she regard it--only she cried1 ,the ark of ,god is taken4 ,they brought to her her new-born child1 a son4 ,what dearer to a mother than the little infant to whom she has given life8 ,but no1 even that does not move her mind from the one absorbing idea1 ,she answered not1 neither did she regard the babe1 only she cried1 ,the glory is departed from ,israel1 for the ark of ,god is taken4 ,then the women who stood by said to her1 ,what shall the name of the child be1 thy husband who should have named it is dead1 thy father-in-law is dead1 thou must name it4 ,but she answered not1 neither did she regard it1--only she cried1 ,the glory is departed from ,israel4 ,then the women that stood by said1 ,so shall the name be1 and they called the child ,ichabod1 which means1 ,inglorious4 ,a few minutes later1 and she was dying1 and the last murmur on her lips1 and the last thought of her heart were1 ,the ark of ,god is taken4 ,i say this is a singularly touching story1 for it shows us a woman whose whole soul was imbued with zeal for the glory of ,god1 and that woman was the wife of a man whose whole priestly career was one of dishonour to ,god4 ,,ii4 ,now ,i have given you two striking instances of zeal for ,god's honour1 one in a man1 and one in a woman4 ,have you any such zeal in you8 ,are your thoughts at all taken up with ,god's church1 ,god's altar1 ,god's worship8 ,are you eager that all should be beautiful and seemly in the temple of ,god8 ,does it pain you above every other pain when you know of something which is to the dishonour of ,god and of ,his ,church8 ,have you any zeal at all like that of ,david8 ,have you any self-forgetfulness in what concerns ,his honour1 like that of the nameless wife of ,phinehas8 ,i think if there were a little of this zeal1 so many of our churches would not be untidy1 neglected1 ruinous4 ,there would not be moth-eaten altar-cloths1 and worm-eaten altars4 ,there would not be green mouldering walls1 and broken pavements4 ,there would not be a service slovenly1 unmusical1 irreverent1 or if not irreverent1 at least unworthy of the glory of ,god4 ,in heaven flame the golden candles1 and the censers fume with frankincense4 ,in heaven the seven lamps ever burn1 and the altar shines like the sun4 ,in heaven the angels and the saints cease not day nor night in singing praises1 and bowing in worship--and we6 how do we show that we love ,god's worship8 ,the zeal of ,god's house does not eat us up1 we do not even know what it is4 ,,lxvi4 ,,the ,,meeting ,,hereafter4 ,funeral ,service4 ,joshua iii4 #ag4 ,and the priests that bare the ,ark of the ,covenant of the ,lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of ,jordan1 and all the ,israelites passed over on dry ground1 until all the people were passed clean over ,jordan4 ,,introduction4--,that must have been a striking sight6 ,the whole of ,god's people passing over ,jordan4 ,on one side1 on that of the ,wilderness1 a crowd pressing down1 and going into the deep river bed1 on the other1 those who had traversed1 rising out of it1 and spreading out on the high bank1 looking down and watching those who descend into the bed1 and cross through it to rejoin them4 ,they stand in a blaze of light4 ,the sun is setting1 and the whole sky behind them is flaming with golden clouds1 the light strikes in the eyes of those on the further bank1 and they look down into the dark channel and shrink1 it is immersed in shadow1 but then again1 they look up1 and see the glory1 and the forms of their fathers1 and brothers1 and mothers1 and sisters1 and children standing there1 steeped in light1 and they pluck up courage and go down4 ,they have no cause to fear4 ,in the midst of ,jordan stands the ,ark of the ,covenant1 and it will not move from that place till the last has passed over4 ,,subject4--,that story may serve for our comfort4 ,we1 like the ,israelites1 are on our journey1 and we have to pass through the dark bed of the stream of ,death1 before we can enter into the promised land4 ,and we have two subjects of consolation4 7a7 ,we have the ,ark of the ,covenant standing in ,jordan to secure the path4 7b7 ,we have our dear ones watching and waiting for us on the farther shore4 ,i4 ,we have the ,ark of the ,covenant standing in ,jordan to secure the path4 ,lo1 ,i am with you always1 said ,christ1 even unto the end of the world4 ,that ,ark signifies ,his abiding presence in ,his ,church1 which stands between the living and the dead1 a ,church on this side1 militant1 on the other1 triumphant1 a ,church on this side made up of good and bad1 of tares and wheat1 of sheep and goats1 on that side1 a ,communion of ,saints4 ,the ,ark and the priests stood in ,jordan1 so does ,god's ,church and priesthood ever remain1 so long as the world lasts1 and that world will last till the number of the elect has been made up1 till the last of the people of the ,lord is passed over ,jordan4 ,the ,ministry will remain to teach the way of the ,lord1 and point the path through the river bed1 and to cheer those who are downhearted1 to lift up the finger and bid them look to the further shore1 and to the glory there1 and to those who stand on it watching4 ,the ,sacrifice will remain1 the atoning ,blood for the remission of guilt1 the altar will remain as well as the pulpit1 the priest as well as the teacher1 sacrifice as well as instruction4 ,ever throughout the year1 the atoning ,blood will be pleaded with the ,father for the pardon of the sins of the people4 ,the ,bread of ,heaven1 the manna will remain1 to be man's spiritual food and sustenance1 and strengthen the heart for the passage of ,jordan4 ,the presence of ,christ will remain1 ,i will never leave thee1 nor forsake thee4 ,when thou passest through the waters1 ,i will be with thee1 and through the waves1 they shall not overflow thee4 ,therefore1 well says ,david1 ,though ,i walk through the valley of the shadow of ,death1 ,i will fear no evil1 for ,thou art with me4 ,,ii4 ,metabus1 ,king of the ,volsci1 was pursued by his enemies4 ,he carried in his arms a little babe1 his niece ,camilla4 ,in his flight he came to the brink of a river1 deep1 troubled1 and strong in current1 and it arrested his flight4 ,he would not have been afraid of the stream himself1 had it not been for the little child4 ,he hesitated4 ,what should he do8 ,he dare not enter with the babe1 as he must use both arms to battle through so strong a stream4 ,the enemy were behind4 ,he heard their shouts6 ,from a distant hill-top they had spied him4 ,he could not find it in his heart to desert the little one whom he loved so dearly4 ,then1 what do you suppose ,metabus resorted to8 ,there were a great many reeds by the river side1 with his dagger he reaped them down1 and he wrapped the babe up in rushes and reeds thickly round it1 and tied them together with his girdle1 and then he raised the little bundle in both his hands1 and flung it with all his might across the river4 ,after that he sprang into the water and swam across to the other side4 ,he picked up the dear little bundle1 took the child out1 found it quite unharmed1 and escaped with it lying next his heart4 ,my ,brethren6 ,is not this something like us8--we may have our little ones1 and be called on to part with them4 ,there lies the river1 the dark rolling river of death4 ,we must cross sometime ourselves4 ,safety is yonder4 ,danger1 destruction1 here4 ,in ,god's name1 trusting in ,him when ,he wills it1 we part with those so dear to us4 ,we wrap them up in their white wraps1 and close them from sight in their coffin1 and cast them away4 ,they are gone--over the river1 and then we are ready in our turn to plunge in and follow4 ,now it is a great encouragement to us to follow when we know that those we love are passed and are in safety4 ,you parents who have parted with your darlings1 you have wrapped them up and cast them away4 ,whither8 ,they have only flown across the river1 and when you leap in and swim through1 you will find them there--your ,camillas1 safe and smiling on you1 on the other side4 ,,conclusion4--,ah6 my brethren1 what a happy meeting that will be6 ,father1 mother1 brothers1 sisters1 children1 whole families gathered together4 ,what embraces6 ,what tears of joy6 ,what stories to tell of past troubles6 ,what gratitude to ,god for his mercies shown6 ,what thankfulness for ,his ,ark that rested in the midst of ,jordan1 that supplied direction1 sustenance1 propitiation1 comfort1 and nourishment for the journey4