,the ,life of ,duty ,a ,,year',s ,,plain ,,sermons ,,on ,,the ,,gospels ,,or ,,epistles4 ,,vol4 ,,ii4 ,,trinity ,,to ,,advent4 ,,by ,h4 ,j4 ,,wilmot-,,buxton1 ,m4,a41 ,,vicar ,,of ,s4 ,,giles-,,in-,,the-,,wood1 ,n4 ,,devon4 ,,author ,,of ,,sunday ,,sermonettes ,,for ,a ,,year4 ,,mission ,,sermons4 ,,the ,,life ,,worth ,,living ,,and ,,other ,,plain ,,sermons4 ,,the ,,children',s ,,bread ,a ,,series ,,of ,,short ,,sermons ,,for ,,children4 ,,the ,,lord',s ,,song ,,sermons ,,on ,,hymns1 ,,etc4 ,sixth ,edition4 ,london3 ,,skeffington ,,son1 ,,piccadilly1 ,w41 ,,publishers ,,to ,h4,m4 ,,the ,,queen ,,and ,,to ,h4,r4,h4 ,,the ,,prince ,,of ,,wales4 #ahih4 ,,to ,,my ,,dear ,,mother1 ,,my ,,earliest ,,and ,,best ,,teacher ,,and ,,guide1 ,,these ,,sermons ,,are ,,dedicated4 ,contents4 ,,the ,,open ,,door 7,trinity ,sunday7 ,,rev4 iv4 #a4 ,a door was opened in ,heaven4 ,,the ,,contrast 7,first ,sunday after ,trinity7 ,s4 ,,luke xvi4 #ai1 #bj4 ,there was a certain rich man1 4 4 4 and there was a certain beggar named ,lazarus4 ,,the ,,way ,,of ,,life 7,second ,sunday after ,trinity7 #a ,,john iii4 #ad4 ,we know that we have passed from death unto life1 because we love the brethren4 ,,man',s ,,life ,,his ,,monument 7,third ,sunday after ,trinity7 #a ,s4 ,,peter v4 #aj4 ,the ,god of all grace 4 4 4 make you perfect1 stablish1 strengthen1 settle you4 ,,the ,,blessing ,,of ,,mercy 7,fourth ,sunday after ,trinity7 ,s4 ,,luke vi4 #cf4 ,be ye therefore merciful1 as your ,father also is merciful4 ,,the ,,words ,,of ,,our ,,lips 7,fifth ,sunday after ,trinity7 #a ,s4 ,,peter iii4 #aj4 ,for he that will love life1 and see good days1 let him refrain his tongue from evil1 and his lips that they speak no guile4 ,,alive ,,unto ,,god 7,sixth ,sunday after ,trinity7 ,,romans vi4 #aa4 ,likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin1 but alive unto ,god through ,jesus ,christ our ,lord4 ,,servants ,,of ,,sin 7,seventh ,sunday after ,trinity7 ,,romans vi4 #bj4 ,the servants of sin4 ,,known ,,by ,,their ,,fruits 7,eighth ,sunday after ,trinity7 ,s4 ,,matt4 vii4 #af4 ,ye shall know them by their fruits4 ,,rendering ,,our ,,account 7,ninth ,sunday after ,trinity7 ,s4 ,,luke xvi4 #b4 ,give an account of thy stewardship4 ,,the ,,tears ,,of ,,christ 7,tenth ,sunday after ,trinity7 ,s4 ,,luke xix4 #da4 ,he beheld the city1 and wept over it4 ,,the ,,grace ,,of ,,god 7,eleventh ,sunday after ,trinity7 #a ,cor4 xv4 #aj4 ,by the ,grace of ,god ,i am what ,i am4 ,,deaf ,,ears ,,and ,,stammering ,,tongues 7,twelfth ,sunday after ,trinity7 ,s4 ,,mark vii4 #cg4 ,he hath done all things well4 ,he maketh both the deaf to hear1 and the dumb to speak4 ,,the ,,good ,,samaritan 7,thirteenth ,sunday after ,trinity7 ,s4 ,,luke x4 #cj4 ,a certain man went down from ,jerusalem to ,jericho1 and fell among thieves4 ,,walking ,,with ,,god 7,fourteenth ,sunday after ,trinity7 ,,galatians v4 #af4 ,walk in the ,spirit4 ,,the ,,preaching ,,of ,,nature 7,fifteenth ,sunday after ,trinity7 ,s4 ,,matt4 vi4 #bh4 ,consider the lilies of the field4 ,,past ,,knowledge 7,sixteenth ,sunday after ,trinity7 ,,ephesians iii4 #ai4 ,to know the love of ,christ which passeth knowledge4 ,,the ,,prison-,,house 7,seventeenth ,sunday after ,trinity7 ,,ephesians iv4 #a4 ,the prisoner of the ,lord4 ,,firm ,,to ,,the ,,end 7,eighteenth ,sunday after ,trinity7 #a ,,cor4 i4 #h4 ,who also shall confirm you unto the end4 ,,scholars ,,of ,,christ 7,nineteenth ,sunday after ,trinity7 ,,ephesians iv4 #bj4 ,ye have not so learned ,christ4 ,,wary ,,walking 7,twentieth ,sunday after ,trinity7 ,,ephesians v4 #ae4 ,see then that ye walk circumspectly4 ,,strong ,,christians 7,twenty-first ,sunday after ,trinity7 ,,ephesians vi4 #aj4 ,my brethren1 be strong in the ,lord4 ,,the ,,forgiveness ,,of ,,sins 7,twenty-second ,sunday after ,trinity7 ,s4 ,,matthew xviii4 #bh4 ,pay me that thou owest4 ,,the ,,freedom ,,of ,,the ,,city 7,twenty-third ,sunday after ,trinity7 ,,phil4 iii4 #bj4 ,our conversation is in ,heaven4 ,,thankful ,,service 7,twenty-fourth ,sunday after ,trinity7 ,,col4 i4 #ab4 ,giving thanks4 ,,gathering ,,the ,,fragments 7,twenty-fifth ,sunday after ,trinity7 ,s4 ,,john vi4 #ab4 ,gather up the fragments that remain4 ,,what ,,the ,,flowers ,,say 7,children's ,flower ,service7 ,,psalm ciii4 #ae4 ,as a flower of the field1 so he flourisheth4 ,,daily ,,bread 7,harvest ,thanksgiving7 ,,psalm lxv4 #i4 ,thou preparest them corn4 ,,god',s ,,jewels 7,schools7 ,,malachi iii4 #ag4 ,they shall be ,mine1 saith the ,lord of ,hosts1 in that day when ,i make up ,my jewels4 ,,mutual ,,help 7,female ,friendly ,society7 ,s4 ,,mark iii4 #ce4 ,whosoever shall do the ,will of ,god1 the same is ,my brother1 and ,my sister1 and ,my ,mother4 ,,sermon ,,xxxv4 ,,the ,,open ,,door4 7,trinity ,sunday47 ,,rev4 iv4 #a4 ,a door was opened in ,heaven4 ,when ,dante had written his immortal poems on ,hell and ,purgatory1 the people of ,italy used to shrink back from him with awe1 and whisper1 see the man who has looked upon ,hell4 ,to-day we can in fancy look on the face of the beloved ,apostle1 who saw ,heaven opened1 and the things which shall be hereafter4 ,we have summed up the great story of the ,gospel1 and have trodden the path of salvation from ,bethlehem to ,calvary4 ,we have seen ,jesus1 the only ,son of ,god1 dying for our sins1 and rising again for our justification1 and ascending into ,heaven to plead for us as our eternal great ,high ,priest4 ,we have heard of the coming of ,god the ,holy ,ghost1 the gift of the ,father1 sent in the name of the ,son4 ,to-day1 the ,festival of the ,blessed ,trinity1 ,three ,persons1 yet one ,god1 we are permitted to gaze for a moment through the open door1 on the ,home of ,god1 yes1 and the ,home of ,god's people1 who are redeemed with the ,precious ,blood of ,christ4 ,now1 there are many people who never think of ,heaven at all1 and many who think of it in a wrong way4 ,when we were baptised1 the door was opened for us in ,heaven1 and ,jesus said to us1 ,behold1 ,i set before you an open door4 ,from that day we were permitted to look with the eye of faith upon those good things which pass man's understanding4 ,but some of us would not look up4 ,we were like travellers going along a muddy road on a starlight night1 and who look down on the foul1 dirty path1 and never upwards to the bright sky above4 ,my brother1 turn your eyes from this world's dirty ways1 look away from your selfish work1 and your selfish pleasure1 look up from the things which are seen and are temporal1 from the fashion of this world which passeth away1 and gaze through the open door of ,revelation at the things which shall be hereafter4 ,i said that many people never think of ,heaven at all4 ,these are they who love this world too well to think of the world to come1 they are of the earth1 earthy4 ,as is the earthy1 such are they that are earthy1 and as is the ,heavenly1 such also are they that are ,heavenly4 ,i said1 too1 that many think of ,heaven in a wrong way1 as did the lady of fashion1 who fancied ,heaven would be like the ,london season1 only better1 as there would be no disagreeable people4 ,now1 if we are to think rightly of ,heaven1 we must do as ,s4 ,john did4 ,he heard a voice saying1 ,come up hither1 and ,i will show the things which shall be hereafter4 ,and immediately he was in the ,spirit4 ,we must ask for the ,holy ,spirit to lift our hearts and minds to ,heaven2 we must try to go up higher in our thoughts1 words1 and works2 we must try to get above the world1 above ourselves1 so shall we be able to look1 though with bowed head and shaded eyes1 through the open door4 ,let us reverently do so now1 and see what we can learn of the things which shall be hereafter4 ,first1 ,i think we learn that ,heaven and earth are not1 as some people fancy1 two very different places1 very far apart4 ,the ,church of ,christ is one family1 bound together by one faith1 one ,baptism1 one hope1 acknowledging one ,god and ,father of us all4 ,this family has one ,home2 here in earth it dwells in a lower chamber1 after death it passes into a higher room of ,god's great ,house4 ,the ,apostle1 speaking of the ,church1 says1 ,ye are come1 7not ye will come17 unto ,mount ,sion1 and unto the city of the living ,god1 the ,heavenly ,jerusalem1 and to an innumerable company of angels1 to the general assembly and ,church of the firstborn which are written in ,heaven1 and to ,god the ,judge of all1 and to the spirits of just men made perfect1 and to ,jesus the ,mediator of the ,new ,covenant1 and to the blood of sprinkling1 that speaketh better things than that of ,abel4 ,in a word1 our ,heavenly life should commence when we are baptised1 day by day ought we to grow in grace1 and when we have grown sufficiently1 ,god takes us to the upper ,room above4 ,it is this mistake of separating ,heaven and earth which makes people careless of their lives4 ,if you want to dwell with ,god through all eternity1 you must walk humbly with ,god all the days of your earthly life4 ,look again through the open door1 and learn that in ,heaven ,god is the central figure4 ,so1 if we are living here as ,christ's people1 ,god will be the central figure in our life1 the ,alpha and ,omega1 the beginning and the end of all our work1 our wish1 our plan4 ,my brothers1 if you feel that with you self is the chief object in your existence1 be sure that you are not living the ,heavenly life4 ,you have put yourself in the place of ,god4 ,again1 as we look through the open door1 we see the intense beauty of the ,heavenly life4 ,we see gates of pearl1 and a throne on which sits one like a jasper and a sardine stone1 and the rainbow round about the throne is in sight like unto an emerald4 ,in all ages precious stones have been objects of the greatest value4 ,we are told that ,julius ,caesar paid a hundred and twenty-five thousand crowns for one pearl1 and monarchs have boasted of possessing a diamond of priceless value4 ,you remember that ,god says of ,his redeemed ones1 they shall be ,mine in that day that ,i make up ,my jewels4 ,well1 ,i think we hear so much of precious stones in the description of ,heaven1 that we may learn that its great glory and beauty consists in the holiness of those who dwell there4 ,they are the pure and precious pearls which build up the foundation1 and they get their brightness from ,god1 who sits enthroned among them1 and who is to look upon as a jasper and a sardine stone4 ,and these precious stones are of different colours1 as they reflect the light from a different point4 ,so is it with the people of ,god1 they reflect the light from the face of ,god in various ways1 and so have various virtues4 ,one shines with fiery zeal1 like the red ruby4 ,another glitters with the soft beauty of a humble spirit1 like the pearl1 whilst yet another sparkles with many graces1 like the parti-coloured flashes of the diamond4 ,some lives which here are obscure and neglected1 like the precious gem at the bottom of the ocean1 shall one day glitter in ,heaven1 and be among the jewels of the ,master4 ,ah6 my brothers1 are our lives such that we can ever hope to adore ,god's jewel-house above8 ,can these poor dull characters of ours ever shine as the stars for ever and ever8 ,think1 what makes a gem flash and sparkle8 ,light4 ,well1 then1 let us walk as the children of light1 let us look up1 and catch the radiance from the face of ,jesus1 and reflect it in our lives2 then will our light shine here before men1 and one day shine yet brighter as we draw nearer to the source of all light4 ,and think again that often the brightest and fairest forms come from the least likely materials4 ,of the same mould are the black coal1 and the glittering diamond4 ,the unsightly slag which is thrown away from the iron furnace forms beautiful crystals1 and the very mud under foot can1 as men of science tell us1 be turned into gleaming metal1 and sparkling gem4 ,the fair colours which dye our clothing can be formed from defiling pitch1 and some of the most exquisite perfumes are distilled from the foulest substances4 ,my brother1 the same ,god who brings beauty out of ugliness1 and fair purity from corruption1 can so change our vile nature1 and our vile body1 that they may be made like unto ,him4 ,the work of the ,blessed ,trinity1 of the ,creator1 the ,saviour1 the ,sanctifier1 is day by day operating on the children of ,god1 and making all things new in them4 ,and remember that work is gradual4 ,a man can make a sham diamond in a very short time1 a real gem must lie for ages buried in the earth4 ,so1 if we are really and truly ,god's people1 we must grow gradually1 and bear all the cutting and polishing which ,god sees right1 before we are fit for the royal treasury4 ,the same ,divine ,hand which changed ,mary ,magdalene to a loving penitent1 and the dying thief to a trusting disciple1 and lifted ,augustine from the foul grave of lust to be a pillar of the ,church1 can likewise change us1 and make us to shine with the light of a stone most precious4 ,once again1 as we gaze through the open door1 we hear of music in ,heaven4 ,those who have wrong ideas of the life to come seem to imagine that the ,heavenly existence consists in minstrelsy and nothing else4 ,surely the song of the redeemed1 and the music of the golden harps1 are a type of the perfect harmony of ,heaven4 ,this life is often full of discords1 the life to come is perfectly in tune4 ,here on earth our lives are very like musical instruments4 ,one plays nothing but dirges of sorrow and discontent4 ,another life is made up of frivolous dance music2 another is hideous with the discord of sweet bells jangled1 out of tune1 and harsh4 ,the life to come is one of perfect harmony1 for each servant will be in complete accord with the ,master's will and pleasure4 ,and ,i think the vision of those who play upon their harps1 and sing their song before the throne1 show us that the life to come is one of occupation4 ,there will be1 doubtless1 growth1 progress1 experience1 work in ,heaven4 ,but there we shall be able to do what we so seldom do here--all to the glory of ,god4 ,here we work so selfishly1 there all work is worship4 ,here we struggle for the crown that we may wear it1 there they cast down their crowns before the ,throne of ,god4 ,when we speak of resting from our labours after death1 and being at peace1 we cannot mean1 we dare not hope1 that we shall be idle4 ,when a famous man of science died1 his friends said one to another1 how busy he will be6 ,we are bidden to be workers together with ,god1 and we may believe that ,he has new and higher tasks for us all1 when we shall have passed through that door in ,heaven which ,jesus has opened for all believers4 ,,sermon ,,xxxvi4 ,,the ,,contrast4 7,first ,sunday after ,trinity47 ,s4 ,,luke xvi4 #ai1 #bj4 ,there was a certain rich man1 4 4 4 and there was a certain beggar named ,lazarus4 ,what was the rich man's sin8 ,we are not told that he had committed any crime4 ,he is not described as an extortioner or unjust4 ,there is no word about his having been an adulterer1 or a thief1 or an unbeliever1 or a ,sabbath breaker4 ,surely there was no sin in his being rich1 or wearing costly clothes if he could afford it4 ,certainly not3 it is not money1 but the love of money1 which is the root of all evil4 ,the sin of ,dives is the sin of hundreds to-day4 ,he lived for himself alone1 and he lived only for this world4 ,he had sunk all his capital in his gold and silver1 and purple and fine linen4 ,he had no treasure laid up in ,heaven4 ,so when the moth and rust had done their work1 and death had broken through like a thief and stolen all his earthly goods1 he had nothing left4 ,this parable is full of sharp contrasts4 ,first1 there is the contrast in the life of these two men4 ,the one rich1 the other a beggar4 ,the one clothed in purple and fine linen1 the other almost naked1 and covered with sores4 ,the one fared sumptuously every day1 the other lay at the gate starving1 and longing for the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table4 ,the one had friends and acquaintances who ate of his meat and drank of his cup1 the other was a pauper whom nobody owns1 and the dogs were his only earthly comforters4 ,the rich man had great possessions1 yet one thing he lacked1 and that was the one thing needful4 ,he had the good things of this life1 yet he had not chosen the good part which could not be taken away from him4 ,he had gold and silver1 purple and fine linen1 but he was without ,god in the world4 ,lazarus1 the beggar1 was after all the truly rich man1 as having nothing1 and yet possessing all things4 ,next1 there is a contrast in the death of these two men4 ,one expired in a luxurious bed4 ,no doubt there were learned physicians beside him1 and perhaps friends and relatives1 though1 as a rule1 selfish people have few true friends4 ,the other died we know not where1 perhaps in the hot dusty road at the rich man's gate4 ,there were no doctors to minister to his wants1 no kindly hands to sooth his burning brow1 to moisten his parched lips1 to close his glazing eyes4 ,but the angels of ,god were about his bed1 and about his path1 and in their hands they bore him up1 whom no man on earth had loved or cared for4 ,and there is a contrast in the after time for these two men4 ,the rich man was buried1 doubtless1 with great pomp4 ,some of us have seen such funerals4 ,what extravagance and display take the place of reverent resignation and quiet grief6 ,of the beggar's burial place we know nothing4 ,but the sharpest contrast of all is in the world beyond1 from which for a moment ,jesus draws back the veil4 ,he who had pampered his body and neglected his soul is now in torment2 he who never listened to the whisper of his conscience1 is forced to hearken to its reproaches now2 he who had great possessions is worse off than a beggar--he had gained the whole world and lost his own soul4 ,and worst of all1 he sees ,paradise afar off1 and ,lazarus resting there1 where he may never come4 ,that beggar whom he had despised and neglected1 to whose wants he had never ministered1 is comforted now1 and the rich man is tormented4 ,oh6 awful contrast6 ,dives in his misery of despair looks up1 and for a moment sees-- ,the ,heavenly ,city1 ,built of bright and burnished gold1 ,lying in transcendent beauty1 ,stored with treasures all untold4 ,there he saw the meadows dewy ,spread with lilies wondrous fair-- ,thousand thousand were the colours ,of the waving flowers there4 ,there were forests ever blooming1 ,like our orchards here in ,may2 ,there were gardens never fading1 ,which eternally are gay4 ,saddest of all fates indeed must it be to gaze on ,heaven and to live in ,hell4 ,then ,dives remembers his brethren in the world1 who are living the old life which he lived in the flesh1 spending his money perhaps2 and1 still selfish after death as before1 he asks that the beggar may be sent from his rest and peace to warn them4 ,the answer comes that they1 like ,dives himself1 have ,moses and the ,prophets to teach them1 if they neglect them nothing can avail them4 ,and so the curtain drops over this dreadful scene4 ,let us1 brethren1 hearken to some of the lessons which come to us with a solemn sound from the world beyond the grave4 ,in the first place1 let us learn that being respectable is not a passport to ,heaven4 ,no doubt the rich man of the parable was very respectable4 ,if he had lived in these days1 and there are many of his family with us now1 he would have worn glossy broadcloth instead of purple1 and have held a responsible position in his town and parish4 ,he would have gone to church sometimes1 and have been very severe with the outcasts of the gutter and the back slums4 ,and yet we find that all this outward respectability1 these salutations in the market place1 were no passport to ,heaven4 ,the man lived for himself--he was a lover of himself4 ,he had no love for his brother whom he had seen1 ay1 every day1 lying at his gate2 and so he could have no love for ,god whom he had not seen4 ,the sin of ,dives1 remember1 was not that he was rich1 it was that he was utterly selfish and worldly4 ,a poor man may be just as sinful4 ,the man who makes a god of his body and its pleasures1 the man who makes a god of his work or his science1 or of anything save the ,lord ,god ,almighty1 the man who lives for himself and does nothing for the good of others1 be he rich or poor1 is in the same class with ,dives in the parable4 ,next1 there comes a thought of comfort from the story of the beggar ,lazarus4 ,there was no virtue in his being poor--but he loved his ,god1 and he bore his sorrows patiently1 and verily he had his reward4 ,jesus tells us that blessed are they that mourn1 for they shall be comforted2 that all who have borne hunger and thirst1 and persecution1 or loss of friends for ,his sake1 shall hereafter have a great reward4 ,you1 my brethren1 who are any ways afflicted or distressed1 who have to bear sickness or poverty1 who have few friends and few prospects in this world1 and yet are patient1 and trustful1 and believing1 look beyond the veil1 and be sure that there1 if not here1 you shall have your good things--such good things as pass man's understanding4 ,again1 we learn that death does not deprive us of memory4 ,one of old said wisely that they who cross the sea change their sky1 but not their mind1 and that no exile ever yet fled from himself2 and even after we have exchanged this world for the unseen world to come1 we do not escape ourselves1 our thoughts and memories are with us4 ,the rich man was bidden to remember his past life4 ,it must have been a terrible picture as seen in the clear understanding of the spirit world4 ,once his life had appeared pleasant enough1 harmless enough2 now ,dives saw it in its true colour1 and understood the selfishness1 the worldliness1 the godlessness which had ruined his soul4 ,he saw all the mistakes which he had made1 and felt the terrible conviction that it was too late to repair them4 ,four things1 says the ,eastern sage1 come not back again3 the spoken word1 the sped arrow1 the past life1 and the neglected opportunity4 ,my brothers1 what fate can be more awful than that of having to look back upon a wasted life through all eternity8 ,god has committed to you a precious trust in the life you have4 ,your position1 your wealth1 or poverty are nothing1 whatever your life is it must be consecrated to ,god4 ,you must live for ,him1 and by ,him1 and walk in the way of ,his commandments1 if you are to be with ,him through eternity4 ,you can make your own choice3 ,god or mammon1 this world1 or the world to come are before you1 but both you cannot have4 ,if you make your ,heaven out of the world's materials1 you cannot expect to find it again beyond the grave4 ,lastly1 let us learn that the means of grace which we have are sufficient for our salvation4 ,the brothers of the rich man had ,moses and the ,prophets1 and further help was denied them4 ,we have in ,god's ,church1 and ,sacraments1 in ,god's ,word1 and in ,prayer1 the means of drawing near to our ,saviour1 and saving our soul alive4 ,we must not ask for some new revelation1 some fresh ,gospel1 some sign or miracle4 ,if we use not the means given us1 neither shall we be persuaded though one rose from the dead4 ,it is sometimes the fashion in these days to sneer at the preacher1 or to listen with a polite contempt4 ,god grant that those who come to scoff1 may remain to pray4 ,,sermon ,,xxxvii4 ,,the ,,way ,,of ,,life4 7,second ,sunday after ,trinity47 #a ,,john iii4 #ad4 ,we know that we have passed from death unto life1 because we love the brethren4 ,the writings of ,s4 ,john the ,evangelist breathe forth love as a flower garden does sweetness4 ,here lies the secret of ,s4 ,john's title1 the disciple whom ,jesus loved4 ,love begets love1 and the disciple was so near to the heart of his ,master because he loved much4 ,when the text was written he was a very old man1 and ,bishop of ,ephesus4 ,it was in that fair and famous city that men worshipped the goddess ,diana1 of the ,ephesians1 in a temple which was ranked among the seven wonders of the world4 ,in the olden days there had been another temple to the goddess1 which was burnt on the night when ,alexander the ,great was born4 ,two hundred and twenty years was the new temple in building1 and each of its columns was the gift of a prince4 ,all that the art of ,greece could give was lavished upon the building4 ,the hand of ,praxiteles carved the altar1 the magic pencil of ,apelles adorned its walls with a picture of ,alexander4 ,ephesus was also famous for its magic arts2 and when the people had been turned to ,christ by the preaching of ,s4 ,paul1 they brought their books of conjuring and curious arts and burned them before him4 ,now the grass grows rank among the broken columns and few stones which mark the ruins of what was ,ephesus4 ,it was in such a city1 then in its full pride and beauty1 that ,s4 ,john1 the aged1 spent the last days of his long life4 ,s4 ,jerome tells us how the old ,bishop was almost too feeble to be carried into the church1 where now was worshipped the true ,god2 and how his trembling lips could only fashion the same words over and over again3 ,my little children1 love one another4 ,his hearers growing weary of this one text1 asked ,s4 ,john why he was ever repeating it1 and the old man answered1 ,because it is the teaching of the ,lord2 and if this alone be observed1 it is sufficient4 ,to be as little children1 and to love one another1 such is the whole duty of man4 ,s4 ,john had lived a long life1 and had seen men and cities1 and the one lesson which he had learnt above all others is that which he teaches above all others--love4 ,i think1 brothers1 we can picture the old white-haired ,bishop of ,ephesus1 borne day after day upon a litter into his church1 and ever saying the same tender words1 little children1 love one another4 ,what a retrospect there was for ,s4 ,john to look back along that stretch of years6 ,what memories must have filled the old man's heart of those days when he was a sunny-haired stripling1 working with his brothers in the fishing boat1 and casting net1 and pulling oar over the bright waters of ,gennesareth4 ,what memories must have come of that ,gracious ,presence which one day appeared among the fisher folks1 and opened a new world and a new life to ,s4 ,john and his companions4 ,how every word and act of ,him1 who spake as never man spake1 and went about doing good1 must have been engraved on the memory of the beloved disciple6 ,he had doubtless heard words spoken which no other ear had heard2 he who was nearest to the heart of ,jesus1 must have listened to mysteries which the rest could not hear4 ,day by day as the old ,bishop lies in the dim religious light of the minster1 he looks back and sees1 as in a vision1 the story of the vanished years4 ,what sees he8 ,he looks in memory upon a marriage feast1 far away in ,cana of ,galilee4 ,he sees the giver of the feast anxious and troubled4 ,the wine is exhausted4 ,he hears the ,master give the answer to the ,virgin ,mother's request1 and ,his command to the servants4 ,he recalls the astonishment of all present when the conscious water saw its ,god1 and blushed2 and he learns from that first miracle of the ,master a lesson of love4 ,many another loving act of mercy comes back to his memory4 ,he seems to see once more the impotent man1 lying sadly at the pool of ,bethesda4 ,again he looks on the multitude thronging the mountain by the ,lake of ,galilee2 and in the broken bread which feeds the crowd1 ,s4 ,john sees a lesson of love4 ,once more he looks upon the trembling1 sinful1 sorrowful woman1 whom the ,jewish rulers drag to condemnation4 ,once more he sees the ,master's hand-writing upon the ground1 and hears this gentle sentence1 ,go1 and sin no more4 ,once more he hears the wondrous lessons of the ,light of the ,world1 and the ,true ,vine1 and the ,good ,shepherd1 which his own hand had written from the ,master's mouth4 ,once more he seems to stand beside the grave of dead ,lazarus1 and as he sees the dead alive again1 he learns another lesson of love1 and whispers1 ,we know that we have passed from death unto life1 because we love the brethren4 ,after all that lapse of ages1 the old man seems to see the sparkle of ,mary's tears1 and to smell the perfume of her precious gift4 ,then1 too1 there comes the memory of ,palm ,sunday1 with its glad procession1 its waving branches1 its joyful shouts1 in which ,s4 ,john1 then young and vigorous1 had delighted to take part4 ,then the beginning of sorrow1 the days of wonder1 and of terror1 and of gloom1 begin to darken round the old man's sight4 ,the night comes back to him when the dear ,hands of ,jesus washed his feet1 and when1 at that sad and solemn parting feast1 he had lain close to the loving ,heart of the ,master4 ,once more he sees ,judas go forth on his dark errand2 once more he sees the gloomy shadows of ,gethsemane1 and hears the clash of arms as the soldiers enter1 ,then all the confusion and horror of that dreadful night come back to him4 ,he hears ,s4 ,peter's denial1 and marks his bitter tears4 ,presently he seems to stand again beneath the ,cross1 amid the awful gloom of ,calvary1 and anon he is leading the ,virgin ,mother tenderly to his own home4 ,she has been buried long since in that very city of ,ephesus1 but the old days come back to him4 ,he is running once more1 young1 and lithe1 and active1 to the garden sepulchre1 and outrunning the older ,s4 ,peter4 ,and in all these visions of the past1 ,s4 ,john sees one lesson--love1 the love of ,jesus teaching men to love each other4 ,still the beloved ,apostle looks back along the ages1 and thinks of that scene on the ,mount1 when ,jesus ascended up1 and appeared for the last time to nearly all eyes but his4 ,he was to see the ,master again1 though in a very different place1 and under widely different circumstances4 ,now his thoughts fly to the lonely1 rock-bound isle of ,patmos1 whither the ,roman tyrant had banished him4 ,how often he had watched the sun rise and set in the purple sea2 how often in his cavern cell he had pondered over the ,master's teaching1 and the lesson of love4 ,and one day he saw a light brighter than the sun1 and a door was opened in ,heaven4 ,s4 ,john seemed to be no longer in lonely ,patmos1 but amid a great multitude which no man can number1 with whom he was treading the shining streets of the ,heavenly city4 ,his eyes looked on the gates of pearl1 and the sea of glass1 he listened to the song of the elders and the angels1 and he beheld the things which shall be hereafter4 ,once more he looked upon the ,master's ,face1 and beheld the ,king in ,his beauty4 ,and remembering these things1 the old man murmurs to the crowd1 ,little children1 love one another4 ,we know that we have passed from death unto life1 because we love the brethren4 ,from death unto life6 ,it is a strange expression6 ,we all know of the passage from life unto death4 ,we have all seen the loosening of the silver cord1 and the breaking of the golden bowl4 ,we have all marked the fading cheek1 the shrinking limbs1 the glazing eye1 which mark the passage from life unto death4 ,but that other change from death unto life cannot be seen1 it is the invisible work of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,yet ,s4 ,john says1 we know that we have passed from death unto life4 ,how8 ,by our fruits4 ,if the love of ,god is in our hearts1 if we have passed from the death of sin unto the life of righteousness1 if we are risen with ,christ1 if1 in a word1 we are truly ,christian people1 we shall show it by our love for our brethren4 ,if we are selfish in our religion1 trying to get all good things for ourselves1 and caring nothing for others2 if we pray only for ourselves1 if we work only for ourselves1 if we live only for ourselves1 if we see others in want1 yet shut up our compassion1 how dwelleth the love of ,god in us8 ,away with such self-deception1 my brothers1 if any one of us seems to be religious1 and yet stretches out no helping hand to his brother1 that man's religion is vain4 ,when we see a fellow man fallen among thieves1 and lying by the wayside of life1 what do we do8 ,do we pass by on the other side1 without a thought or care1 like the ,priest8 ,or do we look on our fallen brother with curiosity1 and leave him to his fate1 like the ,levite8 ,or do we give him a helping hand1 pouring in the wine and oil of kind words1 and gentle ministry1 binding up the hurts which a cruel world has given him8 ,my brethren1 how many ,good ,samaritans are there among us8 ,our brothers lie wounded along life's highway in crowds4 ,there are feeble folk who were never strong enough for the hard life battle2 there are brave men who have fought1 and failed2 there are some crushed down by hard times1 others who have fallen on evil days and evil tongues2 some who were wounded by the stoning of harsh judgment and cruel sneers4 ,some have lost their health1 others their money2 some their faith1 and others their friends4 ,sirs1 we be brethren1 shall we run from our neighbour because he is in trouble1 as rats run from a falling house8 ,shall we turn away from a brother because the world speaks hardly of him8 ,shall we be ashamed of a man because he is unfortunate8 ,oh6 if you would ever rest where ,s4 ,john rested1 on the bosom of ,jesus1 learn his lessons of love4 ,look around you and see if there is no ,lazarus laid at your gate whom you may feed2 no struggling toiler in the back street whom you may help to work2 no sick sufferer whose couch you may make more easy2 no broken heart which you may comfort4 ,dwell in the land1 and be doing good4 ,if time be heavy on your hands1 ,are there no beggars at your gate1 ,nor any poor about your lands8 ,oh6 teach the orphan boy to read ,or teach the orphan girl to sew4 ,and you who are busy and cumbered with much serving1 may find a thousand ways1 in the midst of your active work1 of showing your love to your brethren4 ,be unselfish1 be gentle1 be courteous1 be pitiful4 ,never say a word which may wound another2 never turn away when you can help a neighbour2 never ask with the sneer of ,cain1 ,am ,i my brother's keeper8 ,we know that we have passed from death unto life1 because we love the brethren4 ,,sermon ,,xxxviii4 ,,man',s ,,life ,,his ,,monument4 7,third ,sunday after ,trinity47 #a ,s4 ,,peter v4 #aj4 ,the ,god of all grace 4 4 4 make you perfect1 stablish1 strengthen1 settle you4 ,among the many monuments and epitaphs in ,s4 ,paul's ,cathedral1 there is a simple tablet to the memory of him who built it1 and on the stone are engraved the words in ,latin1 if you seek his monument1 look around you6 ,and as you gaze upon the grandeur and beauty of the vast ,cathedral1 you feel that indeed the work of the architect is his best monument4 ,he needs no sculptured tomb1 no gorgeous trappings1 no fulsome epitaph1 to keep his memory green4 ,the cunning hand has mouldered away this many a year1 and the busy brain is still1 as far as this world is concerned1 but the work remains1 and the builder cannot be forgotten4 ,now1 this world is full of monuments raised by good and bad1 some monuments of glory1 others of shame4 ,there have been monuments of human pride1 like the tower of ,babel1 and the great city of ,nebuchadnezzar1 and ,god who resisteth the proud1 has laid them even with the dust4 ,there have been monuments of human wickedness1 like ,sodom1 and like ,pompeii1 and ,god1 who hateth sin1 has buried them beneath the fiery tempest of ,his wrath4 ,there have been monuments of human obstinacy and impenitence1 like the deserted ,temple of the ,jews1 where once ,god delighted to put ,his ,name1 and to receive worship4 ,and again1 the world is full of the monuments of the great1 the gifted1 and the good4 ,we need not go farther than our own chief city1 and its ,churches4 ,there we see carved in stone and marble the glories of ,poet and ,painter1 ,king and ,priest1 ,statesman and ,warrior4 ,but after all1 my brothers1 these are not the true monuments of these men4 ,the stately ,abbey may one day fall to ruin1 the hand of violence may break and scatter those costly tombs1 but the memory of those who sleep there cannot die1 their lives are their true monuments4 ,shakespeare's tomb may perish1 but ,hamlet will live for ever4 ,and men will honour ,nelson by the memory of ,trafalgar1 and ,wellington by the thought of ,waterloo1 though they may not recall one stone upon their sepulchres4 ,my brothers1 when we die no one will raise a grand memorial over us2 they will not carve our story upon marble tombs4 ,and yet1 ,i tell you1 we shall have our monument1 we have it now1 and we are building it ourselves each day we live4 ,yes1 our life and our works are our monument1 and it lasts for eternity4 ,the good life stands like a fair carved memorial of white marble4 ,the evil life stands too1 like ,lot's wife turned to a pillar of salt1 a monument of sin and disobedience4 ,a thing of beauty is a joy for ever2 ,its loveliness increases2 it will never ,pass into nothingness4 ,and this is specially true of the beauty of holiness4 ,the palace of ,caesar1 the ivory house of ,ahab1 the gorgeous home of ,pilate1 have perished1 but the loving tenderness of ,ruth1 the sweet ministry of ,mary1 and the holy affection of ,s4 ,john1 stand as monuments before ,god which shall never perish or decay4 ,never mind1 my brothers1 what sort of tomb they give us1 never mind what epitaph they write upon it1 they cannot know the truth4 ,but let us try so to live near to ,christ that our life may be a monument of ,his love and pardoning grace1 and of our poor endeavour to do right4 ,if we want to make our life a good monument1 we must ask ,god to help us in raising it4 ,unless the ,lord build the house their labour is but lost that build it4 ,each one of us needs the prayer of ,s4 ,peter in my text1 ,the ,god of all grace make you perfect1 stablish1 strengthen1 settle you4 ,yes1 we must be stablished and settled1 that is1 we must have a good foundation to build on4 ,we must raise our monument on the foundation of a firm1 trusting1 humble faith in the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,on that basis we must strive each day to build the life of duty1 by just doing what ,god puts before us with all our might4 ,it matters not what our rank in life may be1 whether we are princes or farm labourers1 merchants or petty traders1 artizans or cabinet ministers1 officers in high command1 or soldiers of the rank and file1 one thing has to be done by all--our duty1 in that state of life where ,god has placed us4 ,every piece of earnest work well done adds a something to our monument4 ,no matter whether it be the building of a cathedral or a log hut1 whether it be the making of a poem1 or the making of a pair of boots1 work well done leaves its mark1 and builds our monument4 ,my brothers1 we must not expect to find the life of duty always easy1 or the narrow way strewn with roses4 ,but it is not for us to ask whether a thing is pleasant1 it is enough for us to know that it is right4 ,the ,duke of ,wellington once sent this message to his troops1 ,cindad ,rodrigo must be taken to-night4 ,and the answer of those troops was not to ask of the danger1 or the difficulty of the task1 but simply to say1 then we will do it4 ,so when ,god puts our duty before us1 we must not stay to ask if we like the work or no1 but simply make answer1 then1 by ,god's grace1 we will do it4 ,come what may1 let us do our duty4 ,when the battle of the ,alma was being fought1 a message was brought to a general that the guards were falling fast before the enemy's fire1 and suggesting that they should retire under shelter4 ,and the general answered that it would be better that every man of the brigade of guards should fall1 rather than that they should retire from the enemy4 ,whatever hardship1 sorrow1 loss or trial it may please ,god to send us1 let nothing turn us back from the path of duty4 ,remember1 by our actions we are raising a monument which will last for ever1 when every memorial of brass or marble has crumbled into dust4 ,every act of brave self-sacrifice adds a something to our monument4 ,some time ago a ship was wrecked upon the rocks within sight of shore4 ,the captain ordered the crew to save themselves1 whilst he kept his place on the deck4 ,when all the men had gone1 there crept forth trembling from his hiding-place a boy1 a waif and stray of the streets1 who had concealed himself on board as a stowaway4 ,the boy begged the captain to save him4 ,looking across the wild water that lay between him and the shore1 the captain muttered1 ,i can swim as far as that1 and then unfastening the life-belt which he wore1 he fixed it on the stowaway4 ,both sailor and child entered the waves1 and the stowaway was kept afloat by the life-belt1 and safely carried ashore4 ,but the brave man who had saved him never reached land alive4 ,well says the writer of this true story1 words would be wasted in saying more of the perfect humanity1 and noble self-forgetfulness of a man1 who gave up his best chance of life without hesitation1 'for one of the least of these little ones' who stood helpless by his side1 when man and boy were in the immediate presence of death4 ,that captain unlashing his life-belt1 with two miles of white water between himself and the shore1 to tie it upon the little boy who had stolen a passage with him1 is a figure which tells us with new and noble force1 that manhood is stronger than storm1 and love mightier than death4 ,and it is not only such sublime acts of self-sacrifice as this which are acceptable to ,god4 ,to live for others is sometimes as hard as to die for them4 ,the patient nurse1 the gentle sister of mercy1 the humble priest1 unknown outside his own parish1 these1 and thank ,god there are many such1 have a place and a monument in ,god's great ,house of many mansions4 ,it has been said that the world knows nothing of its greatest men1 and some of the best1 and purest1 and most unselfish souls live unknown1 and die neglected1 but they have their reward4 ,the world gave them no monument1 but ,god looks on the fair memorial of an unselfish life4 ,let this thought be ever before us1 we are building1 raising our monument1 for eternity4 ,the ,turks carefully collect every scrap of paper which they find1 because the ,name of ,god may be written upon it4 ,we ought to use every scrap of time to good purpose because it belongs to ,god1 and we have to employ it for eternity4 ,i have said that every honest work well done leaves its mark1 and builds our monument4 ,never then be ashamed of your work1 my brothers1 however humble1 if it be done well and rightly4 ,if your calling be lowly1 try to raise it and ennoble it by being strictly honest and faithful in following it4 ,never be ashamed of the source from which you spring1 only be ashamed of doing wrong4 ,if you were to visit the old city of ,mayence1 you would notice that for its coat of arms the city bears a white cartwheel4 ,for many a century it has borne these arms1 and their origin is this4 ,long ago1 an ,archbishop of ,mayence was chosen for his piety and learning1 but many remembered him as the wheelwright's son1 who had once worked at his father's trade4 ,as the ,archbishop passed in stately procession to the ,cathedral1 some jeered him1 and one jester had chalked white cartwheels on all the walls on either side of the procession4 ,when the ,archbishop was enthroned in the ,cathedral1 he saw1 hanging above his head1 a shield which was to bear his arms4 ,the ,archbishop was told that he might choose what blazonry he liked1 and he at once ordered a painter to decorate the shield with a white cartwheel1 that amid the great and noble people around him1 he might never forget whence he sprang4 ,after his death1 the people of ,mayence adopted his arms as those of the city1 in memory of the wise and holy rule of the wheelwright's son4 ,and there are other monuments which are built up in the home circle1 and by the fireside4 ,the good wife and mother1 be she high or low1 who fills the home with the sweet-smelling savour of holiness and love1 precious in the ,lord's sight as ,mary's ointment2 who leads her children in the right way1 by the gentle ministry of a good example2 who is alike cheerful and resigned in bright days and dark1 making a sunshine in a shady place1 such an one has a monument fair and stately1 on which ,god's own finger writes1 ,she hath done what she could4 ,,sermon ,,xxxix4 ,,the ,,blessing ,,of ,,mercy1 7,fourth ,sunday after ,trinity47 ,s4 ,,luke vi4 #cf4 ,be ye therefore merciful1 as your ,father also is merciful4 ,mercy is the one great cry of human nature4 ,we dare not ask for justice1 we can only plead for mercy4 ,david1 after his great sins1 could utter nothing but the mournful cry1 the model for all penitent sinners1 ,have mercy upon me1 ,o ,god1 after ,thy great goodness4 ,the publican standing afar off1 and looking at his faults1 and not at his virtues1 offers the pattern prayer for all men1 ,lord1 be merciful to me a sinner4 ,the blind man by the wayside1 the leper filled with loathsome disease1 speak in the same strain1 ,jesus1 ,thou ,son of ,david1 have mercy upon us4 ,and so now from ten thousand altars1 from bedsides wet with tears1 from stately mansion and humble cottage1 there rises one cry to ,heaven1 ,o ,lamb of ,god1 which taketh away the sins of the world1 have mercy upon us4 ,and we know to our comfort that to the ,lord our ,god belong mercies and forgivenesses1 though we have rebelled against ,him4 ,but there is something more to think of beside our need of mercy4 ,we1 who want so much mercy from ,god1 must learn to show mercy to our fellow men4 ,we are bidden to be merciful1 even as our ,father is merciful4 ,we are all ready enough to talk of the mercies and lovingkindnesses of ,god to us and to all men1 but what mercy1 what lovingkindness1 do we show to our brethren here in the world8 ,and yet an exceeding bitter cry is being heard amongst us4 ,the poor cry to the rich1 the starving to the well fed1 the sorrowful to the prosperous1 the weak to the strong4 ,all along life's highway lie those who have fallen among thieves1 who are wounded and stripped1 who are friendless and fallen1 and they cry not only to ,god1 but to man for mercy4 ,think1 my brothers1 you who have this world's good1 how often have you answered the cry8 ,have you ever stayed by the fallen traveller when others passed by2 have you ever poured in the wine of help1 and the soothing oil of sympathy2 have you ever tried to bind up the wounds of one injured by the cruel tongues of this hard world8 ,or did you pass by with the crowd on the other side1 saying how sad a sight it was1 but still no affair of yours8 ,o brethren1 for whom ,christ died1 for whose sake ,he went about with sad eyes1 and weary feet1 seeking to save the lost1 how can we look to ,him for mercy if we never show mercy1 how can we ask forgiveness unless we forgive8 ,the earthly life of ,jesus is1 in every respect1 the model for our life4 ,he came to seek and to save1 to search for the lost sheep1 to call home the prodigals1 to bind up the broken-hearted1 to visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction1 to assist the weary and heavy-laden to find rest4 ,as ,christ's disciples1 we are bidden in a humbler way to go and do likewise4 ,this world is full of sorrow and sickness1 doubt and anxiety4 ,all around us there are brethren with broken fortunes1 or breaking hearts2 there are those whose house is left unto them desolate1 and over whose threshold has fallen the shadow of death4 ,there are prodigals who only need a kind word to bring them home1 wandering sheep who only want a loving hand to turn them back to the fold4 ,and ,god bids us do what we can to help these our brethren1 saying that inasmuch as we have done it unto the least of them1 we have done it unto ,him4 ,we are all fellow-pilgrims through this world1 and we must help one another4 ,we are all dwelling in a world of sorrow and sin1 and we must strengthen each other to bear their troubles4 ,we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now4 ,even the dumb1 driven cattle have their share of suffering1 and look at us with beseeching eyes1 asking for mercy4 ,and if we refuse mercy to them1 our humbler brethren1 or if we refuse it to our fellow men1 how dare we look for mercy on the day of ,christ's appearing8 ,we are distinctly told that as we do unto others1 so shall it be done unto us4 ,blessed are the merciful1 for they shall obtain mercy4 ,judge not1 and ye shall not be judged4 ,condemn not1 and ye shall not be condemned4 ,forgive1 and ye shall be forgiven4 ,give1 and it shall be given unto you2 good measure1 pressed down1 and shaken together1 and running over1 shall men give into your bosom4 ,for with the same measure that ye mete withal1 it shall be measured unto you again4 ,let us think1 then1 of some of the ways in which we can show mercy4 ,first1 we must shew mercy and lovingkindness practically1 by deeds1 not words4 ,to cry over a starving man1 and to leave him to starve1 is of no use4 ,to sigh over the sins and miseries of our fellow men1 without trying to mend them1 is mere waste of time4 ,practical mercy and kindness can be shown in a thousand different ways4 ,try to make the lives of others happy4 ,we are always seeking our own happiness1 let us try rather to make the lives of others brighter1 helping our neighbour1 and happiness will come to us4 ,we often see people who are neglected and uncared for in life1 and when they die men scatter flowers upon their coffin1 and write their praises on their tomb4 ,my brethren1 let us not keep our flowers for our neighbour's coffin1 but send them to him now1 to brighten and bless his life4 ,mary did not reserve her alabaster box of perfume till her ,lord was dead1 she filled the whole house with sweetness where the living ,jesus was4 ,let us do likewise4 ,if we have an alabaster box of love and tenderness1 let us not keep it sealed till our friends are dead4 ,pour forth the sweetness of loving words and kindly thoughts now1 make their lives happy1 you cannot charm the dull1 cold ear of death with your praises4 ,when we die we have done with the troubles of this world1 and its flowers1 and its pleasant things concern us not4 ,but now that we are alive1 and have to bear many hours of suffering and sorrow1 kind1 loving words1 and the touch of gentle hands1 and the help of strong arms1 cheer and strengthen us like the sight of flowers1 or the perfume of ,mary's gift4 ,scatter your choicest blossoms upon men's lives1 instead of on their coffins4 ,blessed are they whose lives are like the violets1 making the homes and lives of others sweet and fragrant4 ,there be fair violet lives that bloom unseen ,in dewy shade1 unvext by any care2 ,and they who live them wear the flower-like face ,of simple pureness1 which1 amid the crowd ,of haggard brows1 strikes like a sweet perfume ,upon the jaded sense4 ,this world would be far more like ,paradise1 and less like the howling wilderness which it is to so many1 if men would show love and mercy to their fellow men4 ,nothing opens the heart to angels' visits1 and shuts them against the attacks of ,satan1 like love4 ,truly it has been said1 the heart of him who loves1 is a ,paradise on earth2 he hath ,god in himself1 for ,god is love4 ,we are sent into the world to make each other happy1 by showing mercy and kindness4 ,some men move through life as a band of music moves down a street1 flinging out pleasure on every side through the air1 to every one1 far and near1 who can listen4 ,some men fill the air with their presence and sweetness1 as orchards in ,october days fill the air with perfume of ripe fruit4 ,some women cling to their own homes like the honeysuckle over the door1 yet1 like it1 sweeten all the region with the subtle fragrance of their goodness4 ,there are trees of righteousness which are ever dropping precious fruit around them4 ,blessed are those lives which make others better and happier1 purer1 and stronger1 verily they have their reward4 ,again1 we can show mercy by forgiving those who injure us4 ,few things are more talked of1 and less practised1 than the duty of forgiveness4 ,this world is darkened by the stinging hail of spite1 and vindictive bitterness1 just because people who have been wronged by others will not be reconciled1 will not forgive4 ,if you believe in prayer1 you ask ,god for pardon every day1 but is not that something like mockery1 if you from your hearts do not forgive another's trespasses8 ,and remember also that forgiveness does not mean merely abstaining from injuring one who has wronged us4 ,we must try to do such an one good if we can4 ,once1 after a great battle1 an ,english officer1 accompanied by his orderly1 was examining the wounded on the field4 ,he came to one of the enemy who was badly hurt4 ,give him a drink of water1 said the officer4 ,as he turned aside1 the wounded man raised his rifle and fired at the officer1 the bullet just missing him4 ,give him the water all the same1 was the order of the brave man who knew how to forgive4 ,time would fail me to speak of the many ways in which we may show mercy4 ,kind judgment of another's motives1 patient bearing with another's temper1 gentle sympathy with another's weakness1 noble self-sacrifice for another's good1 all these are signs of the life of mercy4 ,let me tell you1 in ending1 that mercy ever brings its sweet reward4 ,each act of lovingkindness comes back to us with abundant interest4 ,good measure1 pressed down1 and shaken together1 and running over4 ,once1 a farmer1 out on the ,western ,prairies of ,america1 started for a distant town1 to receive some money due to him4 ,as he left his house1 his only child1 a little girl1 clung lovingly to him1 and reminded him of his promise to bring her home a present4 ,late on the same night the farmer left the town on his way home4 ,the night was very dark and stormy1 and he was yet far from his home1 and in the wildest part of the road1 when he heard the cry of a child4 ,the farmer thought that it might be the device of some robber1 as he was known to carry money with him4 ,he was weary and wet with his journey1 and inclined to hasten on1 but again the cry reached him4 ,the farmer determined that whatever happened he must search for the child1 if child there were4 ,groping in the darkness1 at last he found a little figure1 drenched with rain1 and shivering with cold4 ,wrapping his cloak about the child1 he rode homewards as fast as possible1 but when he reached his house1 he found it full of neighbours1 standing round his weeping wife4 ,one said to another1 do not tell him1 it will drive him mad4 ,then1 the farmer set down his bundle1 and his wife with a cry of joy saw that it was their own lost child4 ,the little one had set forth to meet her father1 and had missed her way4 ,the man had1 without knowing it1 saved his own daughter4 ,blessed are the merciful1 for they shall obtain mercy4 ,,sermon ,,xl4 ,,the ,,words ,,of ,,our ,,lips4 7,fifth ,sunday after ,trinity47 #a ,s4 ,,peter iii4 #aj4 ,for he that will love life1 and see good days1 let him refrain his tongue from evil1 and his lips that they speak no guile4 ,among the scientific wonders of the day1 one of the most remarkable is the telephone1 by which we can hear each other's words at a considerable distance4 ,by means of that instrument the sermon of the preacher1 the music of the singer1 the weighty words of the wise1 and the silly babble of the foolish1 can be carried over a great space4 ,have you ever thought1 brethren1 that if a telephone could be invented sufficiently large to convey the words uttered in one day in one of our great cities1 or even in this place1 what a babel of strange discordant sounds would come to our ears8 ,what a mixture of wisdom and folly1 love and hate1 selfishness and self-denial1 would be heard6 ,few of us would be the happier for hearing all the talk of their town or parish for one day4 ,now1 ,god does hear every word spoken throughout the world4 ,all that men say1 good or bad1 wise or foolish1 is known to that ,god to whom all hearts are open1 and from whom no secrets are hid4 ,and more than this1 these words of ours are noted in ,god's ,book of ,remembrance1 from which we shall one day be judged4 ,when a man is taken into custody on suspicion of having committed some crime1 he is always warned that whatever he may say will be used in evidence against him4 ,such a man is very careful to keep a curb upon his tongue4 ,my brothers1 we have all need to remember that for every idle word we must give account1 and that what we say every day of our life will be used as evidence against us1 since by our words we shall be justified1 and by our words we shall be condemned4 ,i have read of one of old time who1 being unable to read1 came to a ,priest1 and asked to be taught a ,psalm4 ,having learnt the verse1 ,i said ,i will take heed to my ways1 that ,i offend not with my tongue1 he went away1 saying that was enough if it were carried out practically4 ,six months later he was asked why he had not come to learn another ,psalm1 and he answered simply that he had not yet been able to master what he had learned already4 ,most important1 then1 and most necessary among ,christian duties1 is control of the tongue1 and yet it is much neglected4 ,many1 who would hesitate to do a foolish or wicked thing1 do not scruple to say what is both unwise and wrong4 ,there are men living respectable and clean lives who yet love to tell an unclean story4 ,there are those who sing ,god's praises in ,church1 and pray earnestly1 and with the same tongue swear and use bad language when their temper is ruffled4 ,out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing4 ,there are some good mothers1 perhaps1 who would shudder at a bad word1 or an immodest story1 who yet habitually sin with their tongue4 ,they shoot out their arrows1 even bitter words1 which wound a sister's reputation1 and leave scars which never pass away4 ,truly says a well-known writer1 ,heaven keep us from the destroying power of words4 ,there are words which sever hearts more than sharp swords do2 there are words1 the points of which sting the heart through the course of a whole life4 ,my brothers1 we all1 like a deadly serpent1 carry a fearful weapon in our tongue1 and woe unto our happiness1 and that of others1 if the poison of asps is under our lips4 ,no one has learnt aright the lessons of ,christianity unless he can curb his tongue4 ,we dare not call ourselves followers of ,him who went about doing good1 and spake as never man spake1 if we go about with lies1 with cruel speeches1 with the sneering sarcasm which maddens1 and the unjust judgment which kills4 ,let us put this matter before ourselves very practically1 and think of some words from which we must restrain our mouth as it were with a bridle4 ,first1 let us guard against the unkind word of every class4 ,this world is full of sunshine1 and flowers1 and singing birds1 because ,god is full of kindness4 ,so1 if we would find sunshine in our life1 and flowers about our path1 we must be kindly affectioned one to another1 pitiful1 courteous1 in our words4 ,the man who goes through life saying cruel things is like a musical instrument out of tune1 whose only sounds are discord4 ,it is the kindly tongue which makes the music of men's lives4 ,think what an unkind word can do6 ,it can1 and has1 parted husband and wife1 parent and child1 for ever4 ,it has driven a man from the ,paradise of home1 to the cold1 outer world of lonely misery4 ,it has blighted a young life as a cruel frost kills the budding may4 ,it has embittered a parent's declining years1 and brought down grey hairs with sorrow to the grave4 ,of all miseries1 surely one of the greatest must be to stand by the open grave of some friend1 and to feel that the poor heart1 lying cold and still beneath us1 has been wounded by our cruel and unkindly words4 ,o sons and daughters1 take heed to your words1 lest when you lay father or mother in the grave there comes the sad accusing whisper1 my angry temper1 and my thoughtless tongue1 saddened my parent's last days on earth4 ,a great ,english writer said sadly1 ,what would ,i give to call my mother back to earth for one day1 to ask her pardon upon my knees for all those things by which ,i gave her gentle spirit pain4 ,watch and pray against unkind words1 they never did1 or can do1 good4 ,they never softened a hard heart1 or convinced an unbeliever1 or converted a sinner4 ,you cannot shape lives into beauty by hard words1 as you can a stone by hard blows4 ,say a kindly word whenever you have the opportunity1 and you will be like one sowing the seed of a fragrant flower1 which will bring sweetness to others1 and most surely to yourself4 ,one of the best lessons we can learn is to be silent at the right time4 ,one of the greatest of the old ,greek philosophers condemned each of his pupils to five years' silence1 that he might learn self-control2 and ,holy ,writ tells us plainly that a man full of words shall not prosper upon the earth4 ,another which we must guard against is the discontented word4 ,everywhere around we hear people murmuring1 and finding fault4 ,nearly everyone whom we meet has some complaint4 ,it is almost a miracle to find a man who says1 ,i am well1 very happy1 and quite contented4 ,let the skies be ever so blue1 the eyes of the murmurer can discover a rising cloud4 ,let to-day be ever so bright and prosperous1 the discontented forsees trouble to-morrow4 ,the greatest and the best of men appear in his eyes to be full of faults and weaknesses4 ,everyone has his price1 he says1 no man serves ,god for nought4 ,in a word1 he can see no good in ,god's world1 no beauty in ,god's creatures1 no blessings in his own life4 ,he can tell you all his misfortunes1 but ask him what good things ,god has done for him1 and he cannot remember4 ,my brothers1 guard against the discontented tongue4 ,it is a grievous sin against ,god1 and it makes its owner and all around him wretched4 ,let the praises of ,god be in your mouth1 and the two-edged sword of faith in your hand1 and you will make your way through all difficulties1 and triumph over all troubles4 ,count up ,god's mercies and blessings every day1 and you cannot murmur4 ,sing the ,te ,deum oftener1 and you will have no time for the miserable ditties of the discontented4 ,imitate the bees1 who gather sweetness from the common things of life4 ,look up to ,god's bright sky1 and not down into the gloomy cavern of your own heart4 ,pray to be lifted out of self1 and filled with thoughts of ,god's love and mercy1 then you will be able to say-- ,my heart leaps up when ,i behold ,the rainbow in the sky6 ,so was it when my life began2 ,so is it now ,i am a man2 ,so be it when ,i shall grow old1 ,or let me die4 ,and next1 let us guard against the untruthful word of every kind4 ,there are hundreds of ways in which men sin against the truth1 and yet the world does not call them by the terrible name1 the most shameful of all names--a liar4 ,the world is very fond of giving wrong names to certain sins4 ,a man appears in the morning with pale face1 and shaking hand1 and lack-lustre eye1 and the world says he has been spending a festive evening1 whereas the truth is he has been drunk4 ,the man who leads an unclean life is pleasantly styled by the world a fast man4 ,god in the ,bible calls him by a very different name4 ,let us learn to call things by their right names4 ,if what we say is not quite true it is a lie1 neither more nor less4 ,if we go about with idle tales of our neighbour1 tales which have some truth in them1 but not all the truth1 then we are verily guilty concerning our brother2 since the truths which are only half truths are ever the worst of lies4 ,if in our business we say more than the truth1 or less than the truth1 we are verily guilty4 ,a lie is no less a lie because it is printed in a prospectus1 or written up in a shop window4 ,a tradesman who sells a pair of boots which fall to pieces1 or a garment which will not wear1 and tells us that they are good and genuine articles1 is just as false as ,ananias himself4 ,i have heard traders declare that they cannot afford to be honest4 ,this is an utter mistake4 ,every ,christian man is bound by the vows of his ,baptism both to speak and act the truth4 ,well says a preacher of our day1 we have dethroned the ,most ,high in the realm of commerce1 and in the place of the ,heavenly ,majesty have erected unclean and pestiferous idols2 we have put into the holy place the foul little gods1 named ,trickery and ,cunning4 ,we have tried to lock ,god up in the ,church1 and have shut upon ,him the iron gates of the marketplace4 ,my brothers1 if you would prosper you must have ,god with you in your business1 guiding your plough1 blessing your farm1 ruling your trade4 ,you must have ,god with you behind the counter of your shop1 or your office1 and if ,god is to be there you must speak the truth4 ,a ,christian man must have nothing to do with an unjust balance1 or a false weight4 ,he must refuse to adulterate his wares1 for these things are lies4 ,the ,chinese are in the habit of adulterating some of their tea for the market1 but they are honest enough to call it in their language lie tea4 ,i only wish our traders would do the same when they offer us false articles under the name of genuine wares4 ,the time would fail me to tell one quarter of the ways in which ,god's law of truth is broken4 ,i may not stay to speak of the false advertisement1 of the highly-coloured description1 of the quack medicine1 which we are solemnly told will cure any kind of disease4 ,i would only say1 take the matter home to your own hearts4 ,whoever you are1 make up your mind that as ,christians you must speak the truth1 the whole truth1 and nothing but the truth4 ,and may the ,god of all truth give your strength4 ,,sermon ,,xli4 ,,alive ,,unto ,,god4 7,sixth ,sunday after ,trinity47 ,,romans vi4 #aa4 ,likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin1 but alive unto ,god through ,jesus ,christ our ,lord4 ,every baptised person belongs to ,god4 ,he is ,his absolute property1 marked with the sign of the great ,king4 ,as the broad arrow is the mark that certain property belongs to the ,british ,government1 so the ,cross of ,holy ,baptism is the sign and pledge that we are ,god's4 ,think of that1 my brothers1 you are not free to choose your own way1 your own masters2 you belong absolutely to ,jesus ,christ4 ,he made you ,his property by taking your flesh1 by suffering in it1 by dying in it1 by rising with it in triumph4 ,in ,baptism you are made partakers of all these benefits4 ,you are baptised into the ,death of ,christ that your old sinful nature may die and be buried4 ,you are baptised too in ,his ,resurrection1 that you may after ,baptism begin a new and higher life1 with ,jesus as your ,ruler and ,guide4 ,from this fact come two others2 first that we are not free to sin1 because if we do wrong1 we sin not against ourselves1 but against ,jesus ,christ1 whose we are1 and whom we serve4 ,i do not say that sin will not come in our way1 will not tempt us4 ,we must1 in passing through the world1 encounter foul smells1 hideous sights1 dirty roads4 ,but we can turn away from the foul smell1 we can shut our eyes to the bad sight1 we can pick our way carefully over the dirty road4 ,so if sin meets us1 we must turn aside from it1 we must stop our eyes and our ears to the evil sight1 or sound1 we must try to keep in a clean path4 ,the strength which our ,master1 ,jesus1 gives us in the ,sacraments will be sufficient for us4 ,and the second fact is that1 as baptised people1 we are never alone1 never forsaken4 ,a great part of our life1 and our work1 must be solitary1 and yet we are not alone1 for ,god is with us4 ,we must do our work alone4 ,no one can tread the path of duty for us1 or fight the good fight on our behalf4 ,like the solitary sower in the fields1 we are all sent into this world to sow some seed1 to do some work1 alone4 ,there may be crowds around us1 and yet each of us has his thoughts1 and hopes1 and feelings1 with which others cannot intermingle2 no two men think or feel exactly in the same way1 each of us is alone4 ,we know that we must fight the battle of life and duty alone1 we know that we bear our sorrows and bereavements alone1 we know that alone we must die1 and be judged1 and yet1 as ,christians1 we know that ,jesus will never leave us1 nor forsake us1 that ,he is with us even unto the end of the world1 and that when most solitary we are alone with ,god4 ,it is this thought that has strengthened the bravest and best of ,god's people in their hour of trial4 ,it was this which enabled ,abraham to leave home and friends1 and to seek a land of strangers2 he was not alone1 for ,god was with him4 ,it was this which comforted ,joseph in the ,egyptian prison1 and enabled him to feel as many another captive has felt-- ,stone walls do not a prison make1 ,nor iron bars a cage2 ,minds innocent and quiet take ,that for a hermitage4 ,it was this which nerved ,daniel to dare the den of lions1 and ,shadrach and his brethren to brave the fiery furnace2 they were not alone1 for ,god was with them4 ,this cheered ,david when he walked through the valley of the shadow in his deep repentance2 this gave courage to ,s4 ,peter1 and ,s4 ,paul1 and all the noble army of martyrs1 to speak boldly in ,christ's ,name1 and to meet death with a smiling face4 ,this carried ,moses through the desert1 and ,columbus to the new world1 the thought that in their loneliest hour ,god was with them4 ,yes1 and it was the same thought which supported the dead hero1 for whom all ,england weeps4 ,day after day passed over ,gordon in his lonely exile far away4 ,day after day he saw the sunrise flash on the white walls and fair palm trees of ,khartoum1 and the sunset redden the desert sand4 ,cut off from home1 and comrades1 and countrymen1 far from the sound of ,english voices1 and of ,english prayers2 there is no more lonely figure than that of the martyr of duty4 ,day by day he strained his eyes to see the rescue which never came1 and yet in all this lonely waiting we cannot believe that the heart of ,gordon failed1 for he could say to his ,god1 ,i am not alone1 ,i will fear no evil1 for ,thou art with me4 ,thus1 in one sense1 every man must stand alone1 and yet the ,christian man knows that he is a child of ,god1 and that his ,father will never forsake him4 ,every one of us must labour alone in the great workshop of the world4 ,each of us has his corner where ,god has placed him to weave in his little bit of the pattern of this world's history1 to add his little portion of colour to the picture called ,life4 ,for each of us there is the day's work1 wherein we can labour1 or idle1 as we choose1 and for each there comes the night when no man can work4 ,and what we have to do we must do alone4 ,the majority of men who live the life of duty do so unnoticed and uncared for4 ,they are like those stars which our eyes never see1 but they shine all the same4 ,such men work and suffer1 and wait till their time comes to join ,the crowd untold of men1 ,by the cause they served unknown1 ,who moulder in myriad graves of old1 ,never a story1 never a stone4 ,but such men have the comfort of knowing that they have not run in vain1 neither laboured in vain2 they have lived unto ,god in this world1 and if solitary1 they have been alone with ,god4 ,again1 we must all suffer alone4 ,however kind and sympathetic our friends may be1 they cannot enter into our pains and agonies4 ,they can be sorry for us1 but they cannot feel as we feel4 ,when the body is racked by severe pangs of suffering1 even the presence of friends is too much for us4 ,we want to be alone1 alone with ,god4 ,and this is specially true of the sorrows of the mind4 ,the heart knoweth its own bitterness4 ,no one1 not even our nearest and dearest1 can go with us to the ,gethsemane1 where we suffer1 or the ,calvary1 where we endure our cross4 ,but it is in these hours of bitterest suffering that the ,christian feels that he is not forsaken4 ,he remembers that his ,master1 ,jesus1 trod the winepress of sorrow alone1 and that of the people there was none with ,him4 ,he knows that he is permitted to walk the same lonely path as ,jesus trod before him4 ,he knows that as he kneels in the darkened room with his solitary sorrow1 with his breaking heart1 with his sinful soul bowed down in penitence1 that ,jesus is with him--he is alone with ,god4 ,and again1 we must all die alone4 ,the moment of death is the most solitary of all our life4 ,the ,prince1 with his armies1 and crowds of friends and courtiers1 is1 at his death1 as much alone as the beggar who drops and dies by the roadside4 ,loving hands may clasp ours fondly1 but we must let them go4 ,husband1 mother1 wife1 or child may cling to us in close embrace1 but they cannot detain us1 or go with us1 we must die alone4 ,and yet in that most solitary moment the ,christian who is dead unto sin1 and living unto ,god1 knows that he is not alone4 ,he knows that when he has heard the sound of the last voice on earth1 he shall hearken to other voices1 never listened to before4 ,when the last farewell is spoken1 and the last hand clasped on earth1 there will come the meeting with a new and glorious company1 and the touch of those dear ,hands once wounded for our transgressions4 ,be sure that ,god1 who is with us in life1 is specially with us in the moment of death2 we die alone1 but we are alone with ,god4 ,my brothers1 we are tempted sometimes to murmur because our life and its work are dull1 monotonous and solitary4 ,let this thought help us to check the rebellious sigh1 the thought that if we are trying to do our duty1 ,god is with us1 and ,he that seeth in secret1 shall ,himself reward us openly4 ,we may be tempted to cry sometimes in our darkest hours1 ,my ,god1 my ,god1 why hast ,thou forsaken me2 but the loving ,hand has not gone from us1 though we cannot feel its touch4 ,those dark hours often bring out the light of ,christ's great love most clearly4 ,i have seen a famous picture of the ,crucifixion1 which shows its sad beauty best when the window is darkened4 ,then there seems to shine a light of hope and splendour behind the ,cross1 and the face of the ,saviour beams with tenderest love4 ,so when the windows of our life are darkened1 when bereavement1 or ill-health1 or disappointment come upon us1 let us turn our eyes to the ,crucified1 and see a new light1 a new meaning in our ,saviour's sorrow1 and our own4 ,let us learn that the trouble has come to lead us apart from the world and its selfish ways1 that we may be alone--alone with ,god4 ,,sermon ,,xlii4 ,,servants ,,of ,,sin4 7,seventh ,sunday after ,trinity47 ,,romans vi4 #bj4 ,the servants of sin4 ,there is no existence in the world so sad as that of a slave2 and there is no slavery so hard as that of sin1 no taskmaster so bitter as the devil4 ,there was a tyrant in the old times who ordered one of his subjects to make an iron chain of a certain length1 in a given time4 ,the man brought the work1 and the tyrant bade him make it longer still4 ,and he continued to add link to link1 till at length the cruel taskmaster ordered his servants to bind the worker with his own chain1 and cast him into the fire4 ,that hardest of tyrants1 the devil1 treats his slaves in like manner4 ,at first the chain of sin is light1 and could easily be cast off4 ,but day by day ,satan bids his victims add another link4 ,the servant of sin grows more hardened1 more daring1 more reckless in his evil way4 ,he adds sin to sin1 link to link1 and then the end comes1 and the tyrant binds him hand and foot with his own chain1 and casts him into outer darkness1 where there is weeping1 and gnashing of teeth4 ,very often the slaves of sin do not know that they are slaves4 ,they talk about their freedom from restraint1 they tell us they are their own masters1 they would have us believe that the godly1 who try to keep the commandments1 and walk in the narrow way1 are slaves1 but they are free6 ,oh6 fools1 and slow of heart6 ,as well might a prisoner cover his irons with a cloak1 and try to pass as a free man4 ,we can hear the clank of the chains4 ,so is it with the slave of sin4 ,once ,i visited a madhouse1 and talked with some of the poor patients4 ,some had one delusion1 some another4 ,one thought he was a king1 another fancied himself the heir to a fortune4 ,but one thing they all believed1 that they were in their right minds4 ,my brothers1 the slaves of sin are like these poor mad folk1 they do not understand that what they call freedom is slavery1 that what they style pleasure is misery1 that instead of being the clever1 reckless1 free people they think themselves1 they are only mad people possessed of the devil4 ,first1 then1 we have seen that the servants of sin do not know that they are slaves4 ,the tyrant1 ,satan1 blinds their eyes before he binds them in the fetters of his prison house1 even as the ,philistines blinded the strong man of old4 ,next1 the servants of sin bear about the marks of their master ,i have seen gangs of convicts working on ,dartmoor4 ,you could not mistake them for anything else if they were dressed in the best of clothing4 ,the word convict is stamped upon every grey face1 as plainly as the ,government mark is stamped upon their clothing4 ,the servants of sin have their marks also4 ,look at the shifty eyes1 and downward glance of the knave and the false man2 mark the flushed brow and cruel eyes of the angry man2 see the weak lips and trembling hand of the drunkard2 they bear the marks of their slavery very plainly4 ,so1 too1 the sensualist who lives for his body1 the impure man1 the slave of lust1 the criminal1 haunted by a guilty secret1 the selfish worldling1 who cares only for this life2 these all bear the traces of their sin upon them1 these show whose they are1 and whom they serve4 ,again1 the servants of sin have their so-called enjoyments1 these are the baits with which the tyrant gets them into his power4 ,for a time the way of transgressors is made easy and pleasant4 ,the broad road is shaded1 and edged with fair fruits and flowers4 ,the down-hill path is strewn with glittering jewels1 the booths of vanity fair are fitted with all manner of delights1 and the poor slave goes on1 scarce feeling his chains1 or knowing of his slavery1 till the day of reckoning comes4 ,there is a way which seemeth right unto a man1 but the end thereof are the ways of death4 ,a saint of old once saw a man leading a herd of swine1 which followed him willingly4 ,the saint asked whither he was taking them1 and he answered1 to the slaughter4 ,when the saint marvelled that the swine should go so readily to their death1 the man showed him that they followed him for the sake of the sweet food in his hand1 and knew not whither they were going4 ,my brothers1 the servants of sin follow ,satan for the sake of the sweet things which he offers1 and know not that they are going to their death1 even the living death of a lost soul4 ,some of you remember the old ,german legend of doctor ,faustus4 ,it is a terrible parable of the fate of all those who become the slave of sin4 ,faustus is represented as a man of great learning1 who used his knowledge for evil instead of good4 ,being filled with pride1 he refused to bow down to ,god1 and made a bargain with ,satan that he was to have his own way1 and every wish gratified for a certain term of years1 and then he was to pay the price--his own soul4 ,during those years he had all the health and strength of youth1 he enjoyed all the pleasures of the body1 the world1 the flesh1 and the devil were his servants4 ,but one thing he lacked1 he had not ,god1 and so he had no hope4 ,there were times when he thought of the horrible bargain which he had made4 ,he desired to see ,paradise and ,hell1 and he was shown a glimpse of both4 ,his servants found him in deep sorrow1 and asked him what he had seen1 and what the sorrows of ,hell were like4 ,but he answered that he remembered not1 one thing only he recalled1 the peace and beauty of that ,paradise which he had forfeited for ever4 ,this is the story of every slave of sin4 ,my brothers1 there are many who have bargained with ,satan1 offering the price of their own souls4 ,when the ,tempter came to the ,saviour in the wilderness1 he offered ,him the glory and splendour of the world if ,jesus would fall down and worship him4 ,it is the same with us4 ,satan offers us this world instead of the world to come4 ,he offers us our own way1 so dear to all of us4 ,he offers us the pleasures of the body1 let us eat and drink4 ,he offers us self-indulgence in all the lusts of the flesh4 ,he offers us all the flash and glitter of the world1 but he does not let us see the foulness and rottenness which they cover4 ,to the man of science he comes1 as to ,faustus in the legend1 and tries to induce him to set up his knowledge against the ,all-wise1 and to drive ,god out of ,his own fair universe4 ,he does not show him how sad life must be without the knowledge of ,god3 how miserable death must be without a ,saviour4 ,he comes to the man of business1 and shows him visions of vast wealth4 ,he whispers1 ,all these things will ,i give thee1 if thou wilt fall down and worship me4 ,and that implies false dealing1 sharp practice1 trickery1 knavery4 ,it implies loss of self-respect1 loss of honour1 the reproaches of an ever-accusing conscience4 ,the tempter comes to the young man or woman1 and shows them all the delights of a life of pleasure4 ,they see the sparkle of the wine cup1 the glitter of the ball room1 the pomp and vanities of this wicked world4 ,but they do not see the other side of the picture4 ,they do not see the grey1 cold morning of sorrow which follows the night of dissipation and sin4 ,the young woman looks on the tempting dress1 the flash of jewels1 the gay company4 ,she does not see the price she must pay4 ,she cannot see herself disgraced and ruined1 and cast aside like a broken toy4 ,she can hear the music of the revel1 but not the reproaches of a broken-hearted dying mother4 ,the young man sees only the bright side of the picture1 ,satan keeps the dark side hidden4 ,he fancies himself his own master1 free from the restraints of home and parents1 walking in his own way1 in the lust of the eye1 and the pride of life4 ,ah6 brother1 the way seems very charming now--it will be hard enough one day4 ,the cup of pleasure seems very sweet now1 the dregs thereof will be bitter enough one day3 as for the ungodly1 they shall drink them and suck them up4 ,the food which the world offers seems as honey and the honeycomb now3 the day is coming when it will be as ashes4 ,you will come one day to the husks--the sick room1 the dying bed1--and you will know that you gained this world and lost the world to come3 like the rich man1 you will in this life have had your good things1 but you will have paid the price4 ,and those old words will have a terrible meaning for you then1 ,what shall it profit a man to gain the whole world1 and lose his own soul8 ,yes1 the servants of sin must fulfil their contract and receive their wages1 and the wages of sin is death4 ,ah6 brethren1 be serious2 are these things nothing to you8 ,are there none of you who know that you are the slaves of some besetting sin8 ,look into your lives1 see whose marks are upon you1 whose servants you are4 ,are you still tied and bound with the chain of your sins8 ,if so1 turn you to ,him who can alone set you free2 to ,him who drove the strong man armed from his palace2 to ,him who conquered ,satan in the wilderness1 in the garden1 on the cross2 to ,him who can make the weakest strong1 the most sorely tempted able to triumph2 ,who can wash the foulest life till it shall be whiter than snow4 ,brothers1 dare we turn away and carry our chain of slavery longer8 ,no1 let us make a struggle to be free1 and let our prayer be1 ,o ,god1 whose nature and property is ever to have mercy and to forgive1 receive our humble petitions2 and though we be tied and bound with the chain of our sins1 yet let the pitifulness of ,thy great mercy loose us1 for the honour of ,jesus ,christ1 our ,mediator and ,advocate4 ,,sermon ,,xliii4 ,,known ,,by ,,their ,,fruits4 7,eighth ,sunday after ,trinity47 ,s4 ,,matt4 vii4 #af4 ,ye shall know them by their fruits4 ,the religion of ,jesus ,christ is one of deeds1 not words2 a life of action1 not of dreaming4 ,our ,lord warns us to beware of any form of religion1 in ourselves or others1 which does not bring forth good fruit4 ,god does not look for the leaves of profession1 or the blossoms of promise1 ,he looks for fruit unto holiness4 ,we may profess to believe in ,jesus ,christ1 we may say the ,creed without a mistake1 we may read our ,bible1 and say our prayers1 and yet1 if our lives are bad1 all our religion is vain4 ,if we would know whether we are being led by the ,holy ,spirit1 we must see if we are bringing forth fruits of the ,spirit4 ,if we would discover if the works of a clock are right1 we look at the hands4 ,so1 by our words and deeds we shall show whether our hearts are right with ,god4 ,a religion of the lips is worth nothing4 ,we may cry1 ,lord1 ,lord1 in our place in ,church1 we may repeat the words which speak of the ,will of ,god1 and utter pious wishes when we sing chant or hymn1 and all the while we may be far off from the ,kingdom of ,heaven1 because we are not in our lives doing the will of our ,father which is in ,heaven4 ,if we are selfish1 self-willed1 proud1 lovers of our own selves1 our religion is but the sheep's clothing covering the wolfish heart1 or the white paint hiding the corruption of the sepulchre4 ,it is easy enough to assume the character and manner of a ,christian1 but to live the ,christian life is not so easy4 ,a man can make a sham diamond in a very short time1 but the real gem must lie for ages in the earth before it can sparkle with perfect purity4 ,we have far too many of these quickly made ,christians amongst us1 who have never brought forth fruits meet for repentance1 nor gone through the fire of trial1 and sorrow1 and self-sacrifice4 ,do not trust to feelings1 or words1 in yourselves or others1 look at your life2 a real and a false diamond are very much alike1 and yet there is all the difference in the world in their value4 ,if ye through the ,spirit do mortify the deeds of the body1 ye shall live4 ,for as many as are led by the ,spirit of ,god1 they are the sons of ,god4 ,my brothers1 who is our leader and guide1 the ,holy ,spirit1 or our own will8 ,how shall we know8 ,by our fruits4 ,they tell us that whenever the holy saint ,david1 of ,wales1 stood up to preach1 there came a milk-white dove1 and sat upon his shoulder4 ,it is a serious question for you and me1 for preacher and people1 does the ,white ,dove perch on my shoulder as ,i preach8 ,does the ,holy ,ghost descend like a dove on you who hear8 ,men of business1 anxious workers1 is the ,white ,dove with you in your factory1 your farm1 your office8 ,mothers and fathers1 young men and maidens1 is there a place in your home where the ,holy ,spirit may come1 and continually dwell8 ,let us look into our lives very closely1 and see whether we are mistaking outward form for true religion1 words and professions for holiness1 leaves for fruit4 ,what are some of the fruits which ,god looks for in the life of a ,christian8 ,at the head of all1 ,i think1 we must place love4 ,ah6 you will say to me1--,i only wish ,i could love ,god more4 ,it is so hard to love ,one whom we cannot see4 ,i worship ,god1 ,i try to keep ,his commandments1 but ,i am not sure that ,i love ,god4 ,my brother1 my sister1 let not your heart be troubled4 ,if you really try to do ,god's ,will it is a proof of your love4 ,if ye love ,me1 keep ,my commandments4 ,for this is the love of ,god1 that we keep ,his commandments4 ,if a man say1 ,i love ,god1 and hateth his brother1 he is a liar4 ,we know that we do know ,him if we keep ,his commandments4 ,you can show your love to ,god by showing love and kindness to your brethren4 ,by kindly judgments of another's fault2 by gentle words of comfort1 of pity1 or of warning2 by tender hands stretched out to bring back the wandering sheep2 by loving acts of charity to the sick and suffering2 by care for the poor bruised reeds of this rough world1 you can show your love for ,god1 who is the source of all love4 ,if we love ,god we shall try to lead others to ,him4 ,a true ,christian cannot be selfish4 ,think of the example you set to others4 ,is it a good one1 a strong one1 a light shining before men so that they can see your good works8 ,at the battle of ,tel-el-,keber our troops had no sufficient plans of the ground4 ,the ,general therefore ordered a young naval officer to lead the ,highland ,brigade by the light of the stars to their destined post4 ,when the fight began the ,highlanders were ready1 and among the first to fall was their young leader4 ,the victory was gained1 and the ,general hastened to the tent of his wounded officer4 ,the dying man smiled as he raised his trembling hand to his commander1 and looking him in the face said1 ,general1 didn't ,i lead them straight8 ,my brothers1 we are leading our fellow men by the example of our lives1 the question is1 are we leading them straight8 ,another fruit for which ,god looks in a ,christian's life is humility4 ,every act and word of our ,saviour's earthly life teaches us to be humble4 ,let the haughty1 the proud1 the self-satisfied man1 open his ,gospel1 and he will find a reproof to his pride on every page4 ,let him bend his head1 and bow his stiff knee before the ,almighty ,god1 cradled in a manger1 fasting in the desert1 homeless1 friendless1 silent before ,his foes1 stripped1 mocked and beaten1 dying upon the ,cross4 ,go1 my brother1 and bow your head at ,gethsemane2 go1 kneel before the ,cross of ,calvary1 and ask ,god to make you humble4 ,the longer a true ,christian lives the more humble-minded he becomes4 ,a young man1 just starting in life1 holds his head high1 and is inclined to look down on others4 ,but as he journeys on through the world1 learning by experience1 his head grows bent and lowly4 ,so is it with ,christ's people4 ,the longer we go to ,his ,school1 and the more we know of the way of godliness1 the humbler we become4 ,like ,s4 ,paul1 we count not that we have attained the mark1 we only press forward towards it4 ,we begin with shame to take the lowest place1 we learn to consider others better than ourselves1 and to say to our ,lord1 ,i am not worthy that ,thou shouldest come under my roof4 ,as the laden fruit tree bends its branches nearest to the earth1 and the fullest ears of corn hang lowest1 so the holiest man is ever the humblest4 ,in a certain city abroad every child found begging in the streets is taken to a charitable asylum4 ,before he is washed1 and dressed anew1 his portrait is taken as he stands in his beggar's rags4 ,when his education is finished1 this picture is given to the child1 and he is made to promise that he will keep it all his life1 that he may be reminded what he was1 and what great things have been done for him4 ,it is good for us to remember1 my brothers1 what we were3 helpless wanderers in this world1 clothed in filthy rags of sin2 and we must remember1 too1 what ,god has done for us4 ,how ,he has redeemed us from our slavery1 making us ,his own children by adoption1 washing us in the ,blood of ,christ which cleanseth from all sin1 and giving us the white robe of holiness4 ,who is there who1 thinking upon these things1 can be other than humble8 ,let us examine ourselves1 and see whether we are bringing forth that fruit4 ,we preach humility to others1 we expect to see it in others' lives1 are we humble ourselves8 ,have we learnt to walk humbly with our ,god8 ,another fruit which ,god expects in the lives of ,his people is forgetfulness of self4 ,have you stayed to calculate how much of your time is occupied in thinking and talking of yourselves8 ,in some houses they line the rooms with looking glasses1 so that wherever you turn you see a reflection of yourself4 ,my brethren1 some of us pass all our lives in such a room2 we are for ever contemplating our own selves4 ,we spend our time in looking into a mirror that we may see our beauty1 our cleverness1 our fine clothing4 ,one glass reflects our pleasures and amusements1 another our sorrows and misfortunes4 ,but every inch of space is so filled with self that there is no room for another's joys or sorrows1 and1 above all1 there is no room for ,jesus4 ,let us strive by ,god's grace to get away from self1 and the eternal thinking and talking of our own concerns4 ,even ,jesus ,christ pleased not ,himself1 and believe me1 we are no ,christians unless we are trying to forget ourselves1 and to deny ourselves4 ,we must be crucified with ,christ if we are to reign with ,him1 and alas for us if we cannot show the marks of the nails where we have been fastened to our cross4 ,my brethren1 these are serious thoughts for us all4 ,by our fruits1 and by them only1 we shall be known4 ,if our lives show no love1 no humility1 no self-sacrifice1 no patience1 no meekness1 how shall we stand when the great day of ingathering comes8 ,often the ,dresser of the ,vineyard has looked upon some of us1 seeking fruit1 and finding none1 and we know not how soon the sentence may go forth1 ,cut it down1 why cumbereth it the ground4 ,,sermon ,,xliv4 ,,rendering ,,our ,,account4 7,ninth ,sunday after ,trinity47 ,s4 ,,luke xvi4 #b4 ,give an account of thy stewardship4 ,my brothers1 we shall all hear that command one day4 ,when our earthly business is finished and done with1 when our debts are paid1 and our just claims settled1 and our account books balanced for the last time1 we must render our account to ,god1 the ,righteous ,judge4 ,but it is not only at the day of ,judgment that the ,lord so calls upon us4 ,then ,he will ask for the final reckoning1--,give an account of thy stewardship1 for thou mayest be no longer steward4 ,now1 whilst we are yet alive on the earth1 whilst we are still in the enjoyment of our stewardship1 ,god1 at certain times1 calls for an account4 ,whenever the ,holy ,spirit touches our hearts1 and stirs our conscience1 and we look into the secret places of our life1 and examine ourselves1 then we hear the whisper of ,god1 ,give an account of thy stewardship--how much owest thou unto my ,lord8 ,then at our dying bed there will be all our past life2 our youth1 our manhood1 our working days1 our times of pleasure1 these will all be clamouring in our ears--,give an account of thy stewardship4 ,the dying bed of a sinner1 who has wasted his life1 will be haunted by the ghosts and phantoms of the past4 ,days dead and gone1 sins dead and forgotten1 yet not forgiven1 will be there to trouble the thoughts of the dying man1 to murmur1 ,god requireth that which is past2 give an account of thy stewardship4 ,such a death-bed must be an awful thing1 no wonder that some people are said to die hard4 ,it must be indeed a sad ending to a misspent life1 to leave it amid the shadowy crowd of our former faults and failures2 to the sound of the evil words which we have spoken2 to the stern summons of our unquiet conscience--,give an account of thy stewardship4 ,may the merciful ,jesus save us from such a death as that4 ,and that we may find pardon and peace at the last1 let us use the present1 and not allow our account to grow1 like that of a reckless debtor1 till we are overwhelmed by the amount4 ,we are all the stewards of ,almighty ,god4 ,whatever things we possess are our ,master's goods4 ,let us see how we have used them hitherto4 ,give an account of thy stewardship4 ,what are some of the goods which our ,master1 ,god1 has entrusted to our care8 ,first of all1 there is the treasure of time4 ,our years1 our months1 and weeks1 and days1 are all so many precious jewels lent to us1 and we must give a strict account of every one of them4 ,every day of our life has its special work for ,god2 have we always tried to do the day's work with our might8 ,every day of our life is a teacher in ,god's great ,school1 and brings its lesson2 have we tried to learn the lesson aright8 ,if we must give an account for every idle word1 so surely must we for every idle day4 ,and remember that any time spent entirely on selfish pleasure1 or amusement1 is wasted4 ,unless we are doing some good1 we are certainly doing some harm4 ,there is a motto very commonly engraved upon a sundial1 which means that the moments of time are perishing1 and are being recorded in ,god's ,book4 ,yes1 they are being put down to our account on one side or the other1 just as we have used1 or misused1 them4 ,look on two death-beds4 ,a ,queen of ,england is dying1 surrounded by her attendants4 ,what are the last words they hear her speak1 as she passes over the brink of eternity8 ,all my possessions for a moment of time6 ,now look on another picture4 ,an ,english ,admiral lies wounded unto death4 ,the decks are slippery with blood1 and the air dark with smoke2 but the sound of many voices is heard1 it is the ,british shout of victory4 ,the dying hero clasps the hand of his friend1 and murmurs1 ,now ,i am satisfied2 thank ,god1 ,i have done my duty4 ,brethren1 our ending of this life must be like one of these4 ,either we must cry helplessly over wasted days1 which cannot return1 and beg in vain for time to right some wrong2 or we shall die with the comforting thought that1 in spite of many faults and failures1 we have tried to do our duty4 ,remember that time once lost cannot be recovered4 ,lost wealth may be replaced by industry1 lost knowledge by study1 lost health by temperance and medicine1 but lost time is gone for ever4 ,again1 give an account of thy stewardship1 of the good things which ,god has given you2 your creation1 preservation1 and all the blessings of this life2 and above all1 the redemption of the world by ,jesus ,christ our ,lord4 ,i knew a man once who said that he was not thankful to ,god for having created him4 ,i think that man was wrong4 ,we ought to thank ,god for having made us1 for if ,he had not we could never know the joys of ,heaven4 ,this world is full of beauty1 full of good things1 and we must give an account of our stewardship of them4 ,god has sent the sun to warm and cheer us1 blue skies and flower-dotted meadows1 seed time and harvest1 summer and winter1 wind and storm fulfilling ,his ,word4 ,too often we take these gifts as a matter of course1 and forget to thank ,god1 who giveth all4 ,god has fed you1 and clothed you1 and preserved you all these years2 have you been thankful8 ,give an account of thy stewardship4 ,then think what we owe ,god for our redemption1 for the means of grace1 and for the hope of glory4 ,for each of us ,jesus suffered hunger and thirst1 the temptation in the wilderness1 the agony in the ,garden1 the cruel torture of the ,cross4 ,do we think lightly of our sins8 ,they were heavy enough to drive those piercing nails through the ,hands and ,feet of ,jesus4 ,do we speak lightly of our sins8 ,they were heavy enough to force that bitter cry from ,jesus1 ,my ,god1 ,my ,god1 why hast ,thou forsaken ,me8 ,how much do you owe unto our ,lord for these benefits8 ,give an account of thy stewardship4 ,then1 too1 the means of grace--how are we using them8 ,there are the ,sacraments of the ,church1 do we value them as we ought8 ,do we understand the privilege and the blessing of having been baptised into ,christ's ,holy ,church1 and made partakers of the resurrection of ,jesus8 ,do we appreciate the value of that ,holy ,sacrament1 when we bring our children to be baptised8 ,then think of that other ,sacrament1 the blessed legacy of our dying ,saviour's love1 the ,holy ,food of us travellers through the wilderness4 ,why are not all of you who hear me now ,communicants8 ,why should there be two classes among you2 one class of ,church-goers only1 the other of ,church-goers who are ,communicants8 ,your ,saviour offers you the highest of all blessings in that ,sacrament1 ,he offers you ,himself4 ,are you afraid to look upon ,god8 ,you must look on ,him one day4 ,are you trying to live without the ,precious ,food of the ,altar8 ,man doth not live by bread alone2 he cannot live by bread alone1 unless ,god feeds him there is no life in him4 ,as you turn away from this ,altar1 and go to that other altar which you have raised to some unworthy idol1 does there come no reproach to you1 no warning voice--,what hast thou done8 ,give an account of thy stewardship4 ,and so with all the means of grace1 we must give an account of them4 ,our ,confirmation1 that solemn coming of age1 when we were bidden to take unto us the whole armour of ,god2 have we remembered that1 and all its responsibilities8 ,our prayers in private1 and our public worship in ,church1 we must answer to ,god for them4 ,when you are tempted to hurry over your prayers1 to say words with no heart1 perhaps no meaning in them2 or when in ,church you are silent and inattentive1 instead of throwing all your heart and mind into the act of worship2 remember that for all these things ,god will bring you into judgment1 and will say1 ,give an account of thy stewardship4 ,is that your ,bible on the shelf1 covered with tell-tale dust8 ,well1 ,god lent you that good thing1 and ,he will ask for an account of your use of it1 or your neglect4 ,then again1 ,god has sent you trials1 sorrows1 losses1 as teachers who warn you of your state4 ,you must render an account for them4 ,you stood by the grave of someone stricken very suddenly by death4 ,that was a message sent to you by ,god1 reminding you that man's time passeth away like a shadow1 and bidding you take heed to your ways4 ,did you listen to the warning1 my brother1 and take heed8 ,some of you have lost your money1 others your health2 some have seen their cherished plans disappointed1 their dearest wishes fail4 ,all these are whispers from ,god1 warnings from the ,unseen4 ,have you understood them8 ,god will ask you one day4 ,again1 ,god has given you bodies and minds in trust4 ,you must give an account of your use of them4 ,are you keeping those bodies of yours as temples of the ,holy ,ghost1 in purity1 chastity1 temperance8 ,or have you defiled those holy temples with drunkenness and lust8 ,give an account of thy stewardship4 ,man of business1 ,god has given you a quick brain1 a keen eye1 an aptitude for you ,transcriber's note3 your8 calling4 ,how are you using these things8 ,are you in your business walking honestly1 as in the day8 ,will your accounts bear looking into by ,god's ,eye8 ,give an account of thy stewardship4 ,fathers and mothers1 ,god has given you children1 souls precious in ,his sight4 ,do you take good care of those souls8 ,you clothe your children1 you feed them1 you educate them2 yes1 but do you take care of their souls8 ,do you educate them for ,heaven8 ,do you give them that best of all teaching--a good example8 ,what if our children fall through our fault1 because we have set no good pattern before them6 ,what if they never get to ,heaven because they have never seen us walking in the right way6 ,god grant that these solemn thoughts may sink deeply into our hearts1 and bear fruit of amendment1 before the day when ,god shall say to me who preach1 and you who hearken--,give an account of thy stewardship4 ,,sermon ,,xlv4 ,,the ,,tears ,,of ,,christ4 7,tenth ,sunday after ,trinity47 ,s4 ,,luke xix4 #da4 ,he beheld the city1 and wept over it4 ,the saddest sight1 save one1 in the history of the world is that pictured in the text--the ,son of ,god weeping over the city which ,god had chosen to put ,his ,name there4 ,let us1 in fancy1 to-day look upon the scene on which our ,saviour looked1 and recall the history of that city which had lost sight of the things concerning her peace4 ,no other city in the world1 not even ,rome1 has such a wonderful story as ,jerusalem4 ,looking back into the past we see the city as the stronghold of the heathen ,jebusites1 perched on her rocky crest1 and holding out when every other fenced city had yielded to the arms of ,david4 ,the ,jebusites were the last old inhabitants of the land to give place to the conqueror2 they trusted in the marvellous strength of their position1 where they had made their nest in a rock4 ,they trusted in the everlasting gates1 which had never been forced by an invader2 and they declared boastfully that the blind and the lame were strong enough to defend their citadel1 and that ,david should not come in thither4 ,but1 as we know1 the day came when ,david attacked the city1 and declared that the man who first smote the ,jebusites should be chief and captain1 and that man was ,joab4 ,still looking back over the past1 we see ,david solemnly consecrating the once heathen city to the ,god of his ,fathers4 ,the ,ark1 the most sacred treasure which ,israel possessed1 was brought home with solemn state and loud rejoicing after its long exile4 ,as the procession of ,priests and ,levites1 with the king and his chief captains1 wound up the steep ascent1 there rose the famous shout which ,israel had so often uttered in the wilderness--,let ,god arise1 and let ,his enemies be scattered4 ,arise1 ,o ,lord1 into ,thy rest1 ,thou and the ,ark of ,thy strength4 ,and as the ,ark is borne nearer to the ancient gates1 which once defended the heathen ,jebusite against all foes1 a new cry is raised--,lift up your heads1 ,o ye gates1 and be lift up ye everlasting doors1 and the ,king of ,glory shall come in4 ,and so the ,ark entered into ,jerusalem1 henceforth the ,holy ,city1 of which ,god said1 ,the ,lord had chosen ,zion1 ,he hath desired it for ,his habitation4 ,still looking at this ,jerusalem of the past1 we see the same ,david fallen from his high estate1 sore punished for his sin1 weeping for the dying child of ,his shame1 fleeing from the city before the threats of another son whom he had loved not wisely1 but too well4 ,then we see the buildings of the temple rising high above palace and homestead1 and mark the glory1 and the wisdom1 and the weakness of ,solomon4 ,later we see clouds of sin and sorrow gathering thick over ,zion4 ,idolatrous kings have set up their heathen altars and high places4 ,of nearly every monarch the same dark sentence is recorded--he did that which was evil in the sight of the ,lord4 ,the days come when we see the ,temple of ,god closed2 no sound of ,psalm1 no smoke of incense within its walls4 ,men burn sacrifices to ,baal and ,ashtaroth1 and the ,valley of ,hinnom echoes with the cries of hapless children offered to ,moloch1 the hideous idol of the ,ammonite4 ,we see the ,ark of ,god cast out of the holy of holies1 the name of ,jehovah removed from every public document1 the altars of ,god overthrown1 and ,his ,priests slain with the sword4 ,even to-day they point to the mulberry tree of ,isaiah1 where one of the greatest of the prophets was slain in the ,valley of ,kedron4 ,still looking back1 we see the hand of the spoiler and the oppressor busy with the city which had forgotten ,god--forgotten the things which concerned its peace4 ,the ruined walls1 the desecrated temple1 the mournful band of exiles1 all these seem to pass before us like a dream4 ,then for a time come brighter scenes1 as ,israel returns from its exile1 and with joyful ,psalms sings1 ,let them rejoice whom the ,lord hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy1 and gathered them out of all lands4 ,such was the ,jerusalem of the past1 over which the ,son of ,god gazed and wept4 ,what was the ,jerusalem of the present1 on which ,he looked2 what of the future8 ,it was a doomed city1 because in spite of all its chances1 its warnings1 its opportunities1 it repented not4 ,its ,rulers and ,chief ,priests refused to hear the ,word of ,god spoken by the ,messiah4 ,what the common people listened to gladly1 what the fishermen of ,galilee1 and the sick and sorrowing rejoiced to hear1 ,jerusalem rejected4 ,and so ,jerusalem was doomed4 ,over gorgeous temple1 stately palace1 and quiet home alike was written ,ichabod--thy glory is departed4 ,already the axe was laid to the root of the tree2 already the sentence had gone forth1 cut it down3 why cumbereth it the ground8 ,already the hand of the destroyer was upon the city2 the ,roman eagle glittered amid the halls of ,zion1 and the once glorious sceptre had departed from ,judah4 ,over such a city ,jesus wept4 ,and what of the future8 ,the end came soon4 ,quickly the ,jews filled up the measure1 of their sins4 ,little thought they1 as they watched with jibe and insult the agonies of ,god's ,son1 that those streets of theirs should run red with the blood of their best and bravest4 ,that famine1 and pestilence1 and treachery1 and civil war should all attack them within1 whilst the ,roman hosts surrounded them without4 ,little they thought that the temple where ,jesus had been presented1 where ,he had talked with the doctors1 where ,he had taught such wondrous lessons1 should be burned by the hand of the enemy2 that its altars should drip with ,jewish blood2 the abomination of desolation stand in the holy place1 and the golden candlestick grace a victor's triumph in the streets of ,rome4 ,little thought those cruel men1 who crucified the ,lord of ,life1 that within a while the ,romans should crucify their brethren outside the walls of ,jerusalem1 till there was no wood left to make a cross4 ,if thou hadst known1 even thou1 at least in this day1 the things which belong to thy peace6 ,but now they are hid from thine eyes6 ,brothers1 those tears of ,jesus should be very precious and very terrible to us4 ,precious1 because they teach us the sympathy1 the tenderness of ,christ2 terrible1 because they show us the awfulness of sin4 ,what must sin be like if it made ,god weep6 ,are there no cities1 no towns1 among us over which ,jesus might shed tears8 ,think of the crimes of our great busy centres of wealth and commerce2 think of the fraud and falsehood which too often disgrace our trade2 think of the selfish1 cruel struggle for wealth1 in which the weak are trampled down and ruined2 think of the shameful scenes which night after night make our streets hideous1 and then ask whether or not ,jesus weeps4 ,and more than this1 let us bring the matter home to ourselves4 ,each one of us is1 so to speak1 a city1 a temple of the living ,god4 ,we have been consecrated to ,him in ,baptism1 as was ,jerusalem by the coming of the ,ark4 ,god has promised that ,he will dwell in us4 ,are we trying to keep our lives pure and holy1 remembering that we are the temples of the ,holy ,ghost8 ,is ,god dwelling in the holy of holies of our heart1 or have we cast ,him out1 like ,israel of old1 to make room for some unworthy idol8 ,a man's god is that which he loves1 admires1 and trusts to most4 ,it may be money1 it may be pleasure1 or fame1 or beauty3 these are all idols4 ,brethren1 who is your ,god8 ,who dwells in the secret place1 the holy of holies of your heart8 ,god's people ,israel were commanded to keep the sacred fire always burning upon the altar of sacrifice4 ,it was never to go out4 ,it was to be fed daily with wood1 and with sacrifices of a sweet-smelling savour4 ,it is supposed that this sacred fire was kept burning for a period of eight hundred years1 till the reign of the wicked king ,manasseh4 ,from his days1 when the fire was suffered to go out1 the nation fell lower and lower into absolute ruin4 ,when we were baptised1 the sacred fire of the ,holy ,spirit came down upon the altar of our hearts4 ,are we keeping that holy flame alight8 ,are we feeding it with offerings of self-sacrifice and love2 offerings of a sweet-smelling savour to ,god8 ,if we have allowed the sacred fire to die out of our hearts ,god is no longer there4 ,our life is like the desecrated temple of the ,jews1 silent1 abandoned by all1 except by foul things which dwell in desolate places4 ,oh6 that our eyes were open to see our true state2 to see the things concerning our peace1 before the fatal day when they shall be hid for ever from our eyes6 ,an ancient legend tells us that the ,centurion who pierced our ,lord's side at the crucifixion was a soldier named ,longinus1 and that he was blind4 ,when the ,blood poured from the wounded side of ,jesus it was sprinkled on the blind eyes of the ,centurion1 and he received his sight and testified1 ,of a truth this was the ,son of ,god4 ,may that same ,precious1 ,redeeming ,blood open our eyes to see our sin1 and to know ,jesus as our ,saviour4 ,then we shall ask ,him to come into the temple of our heart1 as ,he went into the ,jewish temple of old1 and to cast out all those evil demons of lust1 and selfishness1 and pride1 and envy which defile the shrine of our body4 ,we shall ask ,him to cleanse and purify the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of ,his ,holy ,spirit4 ,we shall ask ,him to break down the idols which we have set up in ,his ,holy ,place1 and to overthrow the altars reared to self4 ,we shall pray that the sacred fire may once more be kindled1 and the sacrifice and oblation of our love once more offered1 since the sacrifice of ,god is a troubled spirit1 a broken and a contrite heart1 ,o ,god1 shalt ,thou not despise4 ,brethren1 if we have caused ,jesus to weep over our lives1 to weep over our wasted chances and neglected opportunities2 if ,he has mourned over the city of our life1 wherein we have crucified ,him afresh1 let us turn to ,him now4 ,those tears tell us of ,his love1 ,his mercy1 ,his great pitifulness4 ,let our prayer be now--,o be favourable and gracious unto ,zion2 build ,thou the walls of ,jerusalem4 ,lord1 hear our prayer1 and let our cry come unto ,thee4 ,,sermon ,,xlvi4 ,,the ,,grace ,,of ,,god4 7,eleventh ,sunday after ,trinity47 #a ,,cor4 xv4 #aj4 ,by the ,grace of ,god ,i am what ,i am4 ,in the ,epistle and ,gospel of the day we read the words of two ,pharisees1 who offer a very striking contrast4 ,the one is ,s4 ,paul1 the great ,apostle1 who humbly declares that he is not fit to be called an ,apostle1 because he had persecuted the ,church of ,christ4 ,the other is the nameless ,pharisee of the parable1 who trusted in himself1 and despised others4 ,in the case of ,s4 ,paul we see the marks of a true conversion1 of a real repentance4 ,he had been proud2 as haughty and vain of his religion as the ,pharisee of the parable2 but he had seen his sin and repented of it1 wherefore he abhorred himself4 ,he had been brought exceeding low1 and then it was that he was accepted to be ,god's ,apostle4 ,when he looked back upon his past life1 the picture filled him with shame1 and humility4 ,he recalled the day when they stoned ,s4 ,stephen1 and he was consenting to his death4 ,he remembered how he had seized innocent men and women1 and dragged them to prison1 merely because they confessed ,christ crucified4 ,he knew that many a happy family had been broken up2 many a child torn from its mother's arms2 many a husband sent to chains and martyrdom1 because of the faith of ,christ4 ,and remembering these things1 ,s4 ,paul forgets the glorious work which he had since done for ,jesus1 and declares himself the least of all ,apostles1 unworthy of the name4 ,he does not1 like that other ,pharisee1 boast of his good deeds1 but only declares humbly that it is by the ,grace of ,god that he is what he is4 ,here1 then1 we have a test to try whether our repentance is real or not4 ,when we look back upon our past sins and failures1 does the memory make us sad--make us humble8 ,if we do not hate our old sins our repentance is not true4 ,and again1 if the recollection of our faults does not make us humble1 we have not really repented4 ,directly we find ourselves trusting in our own righteousness1 and despising others2 boasting of what we were1 and what we are2 walking through the world with our head lifted up1 and talking with a stiff neck1 let us be sure that we are in great danger4 ,let us get to our ,lord right humbly1 crying with the ,publican ,lord1 be merciful to me1 a sinner4 ,learn1 too1 from ,s4 ,paul's words1 that if we are trying to lead holy1 gentle1 pure lives1 it is by ,god's grace that we are what we are4 ,not by our own sword and our own right hand have we gotten the victory4 ,it is ,god's grace and help which alone help us to lead a holy life4 ,let us think1 then1 how that grace may be obtained4 ,god's grace comes to us through certain channels ordained by ,god ,himself1 and these are1 speaking generally1 the ,sacraments and ,ordinances of the ,church1 ,prayer1 and the study of the ,bible4 ,let me speak of one special means of grace to-day--,confirmation4 ,it may be that there are some here who are not confirmed1 and are not willing to offer themselves for that holy rite4 ,the hindrances which keep people from ,confirmation differ with different people4 ,there is one class of persons which will not be confirmed because it does not care about ,god1 or desire to lead a holy life4 ,a young man or woman of this class says1 ,i mean to have my own way2 ,i am not going to be tied and bound by promises and vows2 ,i shall do what ,i like1 whether it be right or wrong4 ,such persons are1 ,i hope and believe1 uncommon4 ,then there is a second class of people1 which is indifferent about ,confirmation1 because it does not fully understand the blessings belonging to it4 ,these people have probably never been taught true ,church doctrine1 and so they tell us that ,confirmation may be a very good thing1 but they can do very well without it4 ,they tell us that they know such an one who has never been confirmed1 and who is a very good man4 ,they assure us that they do not hold with ,confirmation2 they do not see the use of it4 ,precisely1 they do not hold with it1 because they know nothing about it4 ,then there are others who form a third class1 who have grown up1 grown old1 perhaps1 without being confirmed1 who tell us that they are too old now2 that they have lived all these years without ,confirmation1 and are all right1 and that therefore they see no reason why they should come forward4 ,now1 ,i will say a few words to each of these classes of people4 ,first1 let me speak to those who refuse to be bound by any vow or promise1 because they do not care to lead a godly life4 ,they imagine that if they are not confirmed they are free to do as they like4 ,but it is not so4 ,they are bound by the vows and promises of their ,baptism1 and they cannot throw them aside4 ,to such persons ,i say1 you are ,god's children1 signed with the ,cross1 pledged to lead a holy life4 ,if you make up your mind to have your own way1 to do what you like1 even though it be wrong1 then you commit a deadly sin4 ,you are doing just what ,satan did1 rebelling against ,god1 and the wages of such sin is death4 ,understand distinctly that1 as baptised people1 you belong to ,god2 if you sin1 you sin against ,jesus ,christ2 if you repent truly1 ,god will pardon you for ,christ's sake2 if you go on sinning1 you will be lost4 ,if you say1 ,i will not be confirmed1 because then ,i shall be free to do as ,i like1 you will be committing deadly sin1 and saying what is not true also4 ,next1 ,i speak to those who are indifferent about ,confirmation1 because they do not believe1 or probably understand1 the benefits belonging to it4 ,let me speak very earnestly to them4 ,i take it for granted that you want to please ,god2 that you want to lead good lives2 to be saved1 to go to ,heaven4 ,you have been baptised1 you bring your children to be baptised4 ,well1 ,confirmation and ,baptism are very closely connected4 ,baptism gives us life2 ,confirmation strengthens us to live that life4 ,baptism is only the beginning of life4 ,you know we have two kinds of life3 that of the soul1 and that of the body4 ,when we are born our bodies are alive1 but our souls are dead in trespasses and sins2 we are spiritually dead4 ,now life is the gift of ,god the ,holy ,ghost2 in the ,creed we speak of the ,holy ,spirit as ,the ,lord1 and ,giver of life4 ,in ,baptism1 ,god the ,holy ,spirit comes to us1 we are born again of water and the ,holy ,ghost1 we become new creatures4 ,we are no longer children of sin1 but children of ,god1 and heirs of eternal life4 ,thus we begin our spiritual existence1 and commence to walk in the narrow way4 ,but not all who are baptised go on leading a holy life4 ,it does not follow that because we are born again we shall be saved4 ,we have been made ,god's children1 but we may become prodigals1 and leave our ,father's ,house4 ,we have been made heirs of everlasting salvation1 but we may forfeit our inheritance4 ,what we need is strength to keep on the right way1 to persevere to the end1 to resist the temptations of the world1 the flesh1 and the devil4 ,now think specially about ,confirmation4 ,all of you will admit that we are very weak creatures4 ,no one here will dare to say that he is strong enough by himself to keep on the right way4 ,no one here will deny the truth of those words1 ,we are not sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves1 but our sufficiency is of ,god4 ,well1 if we are naturally weak1 we need special strength and help1 just as a new-born babe requires care1 food1 warmth1 to keep it alive4 ,we want strength to keep our souls1 our spiritual nature1 alive4 ,confirmation is one very important means by which this strength1 this grace of ,god1 is given to us4 ,in ,confirmation1 ,god the ,holy ,ghost1 who gave us life1 makes us strong to live such a life here that we may abide with ,god1 and continually dwell with ,him hereafter4 ,surely there is no one amongst us unwise enough to say--,i do not need this strength1 ,i am strong enough by myself4 ,but there are some here1 perhaps1 who will tell me that they do need strength1 that they do want the help of the ,holy ,spirit1 and that they can obtain that strength without being confirmed4 ,they will tell me that they do not hold with rites and ceremonies1 and that ,god can give us ,his grace without them4 ,yes1 ,god can1 but ,god will not4 ,god will give us help in ,his own way1 not in our way4 ,he has ordained certain channels1 as ,i have already told you1 by which ,his grace comes to us1 and by them only4 ,there are some who say--,i do not see the need of ,sacraments4 ,then why did ,god ordain ,baptism1 and order ,his disciples to baptise all nations8 ,why did ,jesus1 on the night of ,his betrayal1 ordain the ,sacrament of the ,lord's ,supper1 and command ,his disciples--,do this1 in remembrance of ,me8 ,others1 again1 will say--,i do not see the use of ,confirmation1 it is only a ceremony4 ,why then has the ,church1 from the earliest ages1 from the days of ,s4 ,paul and the other ,apostles1 used ,confirmation8 ,if it be only a ceremony1 what does the ,bible mean by saying that when the ,apostles laid their hands upon certain persons they received the ,holy ,ghost8 ,and remember that what the ,apostles did1 the ,bishops1 as their descendants1 have done ever since4 ,but some men will say--why cannot ,god give me grace and strength without these forms8 ,and ,i answer1 simply because it is not ,god's pleasure2 we are not to teach ,him1 but to obey ,him4 ,if you read your ,bible you will find that ,god constantly used earthly means to provide spiritual blessings4 ,when the people were threatened with the destroying angel in ,egypt1 they were bidden to sprinkle the blood of the ,paschal ,lamb on their door-posts4 ,this was a rite1 or ceremony1 but if neglected1 death followed4 ,the ,israelites1 who were bitten by fiery serpents1 were commanded to look on the brazen serpent1 made and lifted up by ,moses4 ,that was a ceremony1 but to disregard it meant death4 ,when ,naaman wished to be healed of his leprosy1 he was bidden to wash in ,jordan seven times4 ,that was a ceremony1 but it was the only means of his cure4 ,there must be a channel1 a communication1 between ,god and man through which ,his grace comes4 ,suppose you were to come to a deep well1 but had no pitcher or other vessel to let down into it1 of what use would the water be to you8 ,you forgot that the well is deep1 and you have nothing to draw with4 ,you have seen the telegraph instruments in the post office4 ,well1 there is plenty of electricity there to send your message for hundreds of miles1 but if there is no wire the force of the electricity is in vain4 ,but perhaps some men will say to me--,i know certain sects who do not believe in ,confirmation4 ,my brethren1 how does that concern you8 ,i know certain people who never wash themselves1 who never pray2 but what have they to do with us8 ,i am speaking to believers1 to ,church people1 not to outsiders4 ,i am speaking to those who are baptised into the ,church of ,christ1 and for whom it was promised that they should be brought to the ,bishop1 to be confirmed by him4 ,i think1 then1 that you must see that it is right to be confirmed1 because the ,church has ordered ,confirmation1 and used it from the beginning2 and next1 that it is good for us to be confirmed1 because we are too weak of ourselves to lead holy lives4 ,now let me say a word1 in ending1 to those who have grown up1 grown old1 perhaps1 without ,confirmation4 ,what is their excuse8 ,they say--,i have neglected ,confirmation so long1 it is not worth while now4 ,i have gone on so far without it1 and ,i am all right4 ,my brothers1 how do you know that you are all right8 ,you cannot see into your own heart1 ,god can1 and does4 ,you may think you are alive1 and behold1 you are dead4 ,you cannot be all right whilst you are disobeying ,god4 ,remember ,samson4 ,he knew not that the ,spirit of the ,lord had departed from him4 ,what if the ,holy ,ghost has left you1 and you know it not8 ,what if the ,holy ,spirit no longer dwells in you1 what must the end of such a life be8 ,eternal death4 ,do you tell me that you have delayed so long that it is too late now8 ,i answer1 it is not too late to mend4 ,suppose a man to have neglected prayer for years1 is that any reason why he should not begin to pray now8 ,if any of you have neglected a plain duty1 and shrunk from receiving the precious gifts of the ,holy ,spirit1 make up for the past now2 do not offer excuses1 but never rest till you can say with truth1 ,by the grace of ,god ,i am what ,i am4 ,,sermon ,,xlvii4 ,,deaf ,,ears ,,and ,,stammering ,,tongues4 7,twelfth ,sunday after ,trinity47 ,s4 ,,mark vii4 #cg4 ,he hath done all things well4 ,he maketh both the deaf to hear1 and the dumb to speak4 ,such was the verdict of the people who saw one of our ,lord's miracles4 ,how far more strongly may we say the same1 having seen the work of ,christ in the life of the ,church at large1 and in each of our individual souls6 ,we cannot look on the world of nature without echoing the words of the text4 ,no thoughtful man can mark the spring-time coming to the woods and hedgerows1 and waking the sleeping plants as with the wand of an enchanter1 or see the orchards white into the harvest of fruit1 or look into the gold mine of the ripe corn1 or gaze at the slumbering earth in winter1 wrapped in its white sleeping dress of snow1 without acknowledging the truth that ,god hath done all things well in the creation of the world4 ,no ,christian man can look at the earthly life of ,jesus1 without feeling that ,he hath done all things well in the redemption of the world4 ,whether we look on ,jesus as the lowly ,child1 setting an example of obedience1 increasing in favour with ,god and man2 or as the humble worker1 showing the dignity of labour in the workshop of ,joseph the carpenter2 or as the ,friend of ,sinners1 teaching the fallen woman at the well2 or as the sympathising ,brother of ,humanity1 weeping for ,lazarus1 and drying the tears of the widow2 or as the ,teacher1 speaking as never man spake2 or as the ,meek ,sufferer1 bowed down in ,gethsemane1 silent before the jibing crowd1 praying for those who nailed ,him to the ,cross1 we must accept the perfect life1 the perfect pattern1 and declare--,he hath done all things well4 ,but turning from this subject in its wider sense1 let us look specially at the miracle of to-day's ,gospel4 ,a man is brought to ,jesus1 deaf1 and having an impediment in his speech4 ,it is a well-known fact that those who cannot hear sounds are usually unable to utter them correctly4 ,now let us regard this miracle from a spiritual point of view4 ,there are among us many who are spiritually deaf1 and cannot speak aright4 ,and it is because they are deaf to the voice of ,god1 that they speak amiss4 ,god utters ,his voice in many different tones1 but their ears have waxed heavy and they cannot hear4 ,god speaks to us by the ,voice of ,nature4 ,this world has a myriad of voices for those who have ears to hear4 ,there is the voice of praise and thanksgiving going up from singing bird1 and rustling forest1 and rushing waterfall4 ,every flower is an altar of pure incense1 offering its sacrifice of a sweet-smelling savour4 ,earth1 with ten thousand voices1 praises ,god2 and yet some of us hear nothing of these things because we are spiritually deaf4 ,again1 ,god speaks to us by the ,voice of ,conscience--a still1 small voice1 speaking from the innermost sanctuary of our soul4 ,and some of us hear it not4 ,they have stopped their ears like the deaf adder1 and so they go on wilfully sinning--deaf to the ,voice of ,god4 ,i have read how a notorious prisoner1 who had been convicted of many serious crimes1 was found to have the whole story of our ,lord's crucifixion marked upon his breast4 ,how utterly deaf to the voice of conscience that man must have been6 ,although he bore in his body the marks of the ,lord ,jesus1 yet he was the slave of the worst sins4 ,my brothers1 we all bear the sign of the ,cross1 given to us in our ,baptism1 and if our ears have become deaf to the ,voice of ,god1 that cross is a witness against us4 ,sometimes we hear of a man being arrested who has on him a certain letter1 which marks him as a deserter from the army4 ,are there any among us who feel that ,god has set that fatal mark on them3 the sign that they1 once soldiers and servants of ,jesus ,christ1 have deserted their ,leader1 gone back1 and followed no longer after ,him8 ,then again1 ,god speaks to us by the ,voice of ,his ,church4 ,there is no asylum in the world where you will find so many deaf people as at a service in ,church4 ,their ears are open to listen to the praises of their friends1 or the eager talk of the market1 and the place of business2 but the warnings of ,god1 the message of ,christ's pardoning love1 the threat of punishment1 or the absolving word1 fall unheeded upon deaf ears4 ,how often from that altar has the loving message been uttered--,come unto ,me1 all ye that travail and are heavy laden1 ,take1 eat2 this is ,my ,body1 which was given for you1 and the deaf ears heard not1 nor understood8 ,how often has the wickedness of sin been proclaimed in this place1 and the deaf ears heard only of another's faults1 without heeding the warning cry--,thou art the man8 ,and these people go through life unconscious of their danger1 just as a deaf man would walk along a railway and never hear the sound of the advancing train4 ,notice1 too1 that those who are spiritually deaf have also an impediment in their speech4 ,this is shown in many different ways4 ,when ,i find persons who will not speak out boldly for the honour of ,jesus ,christ1 who will not confess ,him before the world1 ,i know they have an impediment in their speech4 ,when ,i find persons in ,church silent throughout the ,service1 making no responses1 singing no ,psalm1 or ,chant1 or ,hymn1 ,i know they have an impediment in their speech3 they will not put their tongue to its right use1 which is to praise ,god with the best member that we have4 ,if ,i find a man saying what is false1 hesitating to give a plain1 straightforward answer1 ,i know that he has an impediment in his speech1 his stammering tongue cannot utter the truth4 ,if ,i hear a man wild with passion1 using bad language1 ,i know that he has an impediment1 he cannot shape good words with his tongue4 ,and so with those who tell impure stories1 or retail cruel gossip about their neighbour's character1 they are all alike afflicted people1 deaf to the ,voice of ,god1 and with an impediment in their speech4 ,and now let us look at the means of cure4 ,they are precisely the same as those mentioned in to-day's ,gospel4 ,they brought the afflicted man to ,jesus4 ,that is the first step4 ,if we would find pardon and healing we must be brought to ,jesus4 ,the ,holy ,spirit leads the sinner back in many different ways4 ,it was the reading of one text of ,scripture which turned ,augustine from his evil life4 ,it was the single word ,eternity printed in the tract which a man had torn scoffingly in two1 and which lay in a scrap of paper on his arm1 that led him to repent4 ,sometimes it is a word in a sermon1 or a verse in a hymn2 sometimes it is the question of a little child1 or the sight of a dead face in a coffin2 but whatever it is which brings us back to ,jesus1 that must be the first step to finding pardon and healing4 ,and next1 ,jesus was besought to heal the afflicted man4 ,my brethren1 our plain duty1 as ,christians1 is to intercede for our fellow men4 ,we are often far too selfish in our petitions4 ,whilst we humbly remember our own sins1 and pray for pardon1 let us beseech the ,lord also for others4 ,and then ,jesus took the man aside from the multitude4 ,the ,lord could have healed him with a word in the midst of that crowd2 but ,he took him aside4 ,why8 ,surely to teach us a lesson1 that if we want to be healed of our sins1 we must go aside out of the crowd of our everyday words1 and thoughts1 and companions4 ,we must seek some quiet time1 and place1 where we can get away from the world1 and be alone with ,god4 ,so much of the religion of the day is thin and shallow1 because people do not think about it enough2 they have never gone aside out of the world4 ,the multitude of worldly cares and pleasures1 work1 money getting1 politics1 jostle them on all sides1 so that they cannot come near to ,jesus and be healed4 ,have you never felt this when you have knelt down to pray8 ,you have not been able to tell your secrets to ,god1 any more than you would tell them to a friend1 in the midst of a multitude4 ,you want to go aside out of the crowd1 where you can speak quietly4 ,when you have knelt down1 although it may have been in your own room alone1 yet there is a crowd with you--a multitude of disturbing thoughts4 ,to-day's work1 and to-morrow's pleasure1 the money to be paid1 or the money that is owing to you1 the cares of eating1 and drinking1 and clothing1 the recollection of a trouble1 real or fancied1 the remembrance of some sharp word that made us smart and tingle1 all these things make a crowd1 and keep us back from ,jesus4 ,i do not say that we can get away from the throng of thoughts entirely1 but ,i do say that we should try every day of our lives to go aside out of the crowd1 and find a quiet time1 when we can think1 and talk to ,god4 ,and next1 ,jesus put ,his fingers into the deaf man's ears4 ,if we would find pardon and peace1 ,jesus must touch us4 ,it will not help us to believe only in a ,saviour who died1 we must acknowledge ,one who is alive for evermore4 ,it will not avail us to think of a ,jesus who has gone away into ,heaven1 we must look to ,christ ever abiding here in ,his ,church4 ,when we draw near to ,him in the sacred service of that ,church1 ,jesus puts ,his ,hands upon us4 ,when we have truly repented of our sins1 and the words of absolution are spoken1 we have the pardoning ,hand of ,jesus laid upon us4 ,when we kneel at the ,altar of the ,blessed ,sacrament1 ,jesus touches our every part4 ,our sinful bodies are made clean by ,his ,body4 ,he lays ,his ,hands upon ear1 and eye1 and tongue1 and heart4 ,he opens our eyes to see the wondrous things of ,his law2 ,he unseals our ears to listen to the ,voices of ,god2 ,he touches our lips with a live coal from off the ,altar1 and our mouth shall show forth ,his praise4 ,he strengthens our tottering feet to walk in the narrow way1 and dismisses us with ,his ,blessing1 depart in peace1 thy faith hath saved thee4 ,never look for ,jesus afar off1 or speak of ,him as though ,he were lost4 ,jesus is here1 standing in our midst to-day4 ,he is ready now1 as of old1 to cure all manner of diseases4 ,my brother1 what aileth thee8 ,is it well with thee2 is it well with the husband2 is it well with the child8 ,prove to-day the truth of those words1 ,he hath done all things well4 ,he maketh both the deaf to hear1 and the dumb to speak4 ,,sermon ,,xlviii4 ,,the ,,good ,,samaritan 7,thirteenth ,sunday after ,trinity47 ,s4 ,,luke x4 #cj4 ,a certain man went down from ,jerusalem to ,jericho1 and fell among thieves4 ,the scene of the parable is a wild1 lonely road between ,jerusalem and ,jericho4 ,it is a road with an evil name for murder and robbery1 and is called the red1 or bloody way4 ,the mishap of the traveller was common enough in our ,lord's day1 and is common enough now4 ,but ,i would take the scene of this parable in a wider sense2 ,i would ask you to look at it as the wayside of life4 ,the road through this world is a dangerous way1 leading through the wilderness1 stained by many crimes1 haunted by many robbers4 ,travelling along this highway of life1 ,i see crowds of persons1 of all sorts and conditions of men4 ,and ,i see moreover that all of them bear scars upon them1 as though they had been wounded1 and many ,i see are lying by the wayside in sore distress4 ,all have at some time or other fallen among thieves4 ,there is a famous picture by the great ,french painter which illustrates this4 ,it represents a number of different people journeying through the valley of this world4 ,the way is rough and gloomy1 and all bear signs of having known weariness and sorrow4 ,the king is there in his royal robes1 and wearing his crown2 but his brow is furrowed with care1 and he seems to ask1 like our own ,king ,henry-- ,gives not the hawthorn bush a sweeter shade ,to shepherds1 looking on their silly sheep1 ,than doth a rich embroider'd canopy ,to kings1 that fear their subject's treachery8 ,the poet is there crowned with laurel1 but his eyes are sad1 as though he felt how poor a thing is fame2 how valueless the garland which to-day is1 and to-morrow is cast into the oven4 ,he looks with a yearning glance1 as though searching for something not yet found4 ,even like the great poet ,dante1 who1 when asked in exile by the monks1 ,my brother1 what are you seeking8 answered1 ,i am seeking peace4 ,the soldier is there1 his sword hacked1 and his armour marked by many a blow4 ,but he seems weary with the march of life1 and looks sadly upon the glittering stars and crosses which adorn him1 remembering how soon they will only serve to decorate his coffin4 ,there1 too1 is the minister of state1 who directed the fortunes of empires4 ,whom he would he slew1 and whom he would he kept alive4 ,but his head is bowed with trouble1 and he seems to look wistfully to the time when the wicked cease from troubling1 and the weary are at rest4 ,among the crowd there are women2 the widow with veiled head1 and tearful eyes2 the mother clasping her dead child2 the poor slave1 cowering beneath the lash of the taskmaster1 and stretching out her chained hands for pity4 ,there1 too1 are many sick folk4 ,blind men sit in darkness by the wayside2 cripples drag their maimed bodies wearily along2 beggars grovel in their sores and raggedness4 ,and all these different people seem to turn their faces longingly to one place1 where a bright light breaks over the dark valley1 and where there stands ,one with outstretched arms1 and loving smile4 ,it is ,jesus1 the ,good ,samaritan1 who is ready to help these travellers on the road of life2 it is the ,good ,physician1 who has medicine to heal their sickness2 and who says to every suffering heart1 king and beggar1 desolate widow1 weary warrior1 childless mother1 ,come unto ,me1 all ye that are weary and heavy laden1 and ,i will give you rest4 ,my brothers1 this life is a pilgrimage through the vale of tears1 a journey along the robber-haunted road4 ,everywhere we see the traveller of the parable who has fallen among thieves4 ,some have fallen among ,satan and his followers1 thieves and murderers of souls4 ,i see young men who have thus fallen4 ,my brothers1 where is the white robe of your ,baptism1 the shining armour of your ,confirmation8 ,is that troubled face of yours the same over which a pure mother wept and prayed1 and which she sanctified with holy kisses8 ,can you recall a time when you went through the world wearing the white flower of a blameless life8 ,and now1 your white robe is stripped off from you1 your armour is broken and cast aside1 there are ghastly wounds upon you4 ,your conscience is wounded1 your good name is wounded1 your purity is all stained and foul1 you have trampled on the white snow of some innocent life4 ,you have wandered out of the right way1 and strayed into bad company1 into the drunkard's haunt1 or the gambler's den1 or the house of shame4 ,you have fallen among thieves1 and they have stripped you1 and wounded you1 and left you half dead4 ,young men1 is not this too true of some of those who hear me now8 ,what will you do8 ,will you lie there in the dangerous path1 and die1 die in your sins8 ,no1 look for help--but where8 ,the world cannot aid you4 ,the world is selfish1 the world is hard upon those who have fallen1 the world will pass by on the other side4 ,money will not help you1 it cannot purchase clothing for you1 or procure medicine for your disease4 ,your clothing must be bought without money and without price4 ,turn to ,jesus1 the ,good ,samaritan1 ,he alone has medicine to heal your sickness4 ,turn to ,him in weeping1 in praying1 and ,he will give you wine1 which maketh glad the heart of man1 even the wine of pardon2 and oil to make you a cheerful countenance1 even the oil of comfort to your wounded spirit4 ,he will clothe you once again1 and make you in your right mind4 ,o wounded wayfarer on the road of life1 cry out to ,jesus1 the good ,samaritan4 ,some have fallen among the thieves of bereavement and loss4 ,as they lie there in their sorrow1 they tell us how their money was lost in the bank1 or their savings swallowed up in bad times of trade4 ,there are poor widows lying there1 who say to us1 ,we have buried our husband1 the bread-winner1 how can we feed and educate and clothe the children8 ,how can we struggle on through a hard world8 ,to them ,i say--,listen for the footsteps of ,jesus1 the ,good ,samaritan4 ,the same love which comforted the widow of ,nain will comfort you4 ,the same ,hands which wiped away her tears will dry your eyes4 ,only believe1 and turn to the ,good ,samaritan4 ,some have been beaten in the battle of life1 and are nearly heart-broken4 ,i have tried so hard to get work--they say1 but there seems no room in the world for me1 disappointment has been my meat and drink day and night4 ,ah6 my brothers1 have you not been trusting to the ,priest and the ,levite1 rather than to the ,good ,samaritan8 ,the world has passed you by1 but ,jesus will not4 ,he will bind up your broken heart1 and show you that there is room in ,god's world for all who will do their duty4 ,but there is another lesson for us to learn4 ,if ,jesus does so much for us1 we ought to help each other4 ,go thou and do likewise4 ,the common1 popular idea of religion1 is utter selfishness4 ,we are taught that the great end and aim of religion is to get our soul saved1 as cheaply as possible sometimes4 ,now this teaching is utterly wrong4 ,it leads us to think only of ourselves1 it makes us go to ,church from a wrong motive--that we may get good4 ,true religion teaches us to be good ,samaritans1 to do all to the glory of ,god1 to love ,him with all our heart and strength1 and our neighbour as ourself4 ,pure religion and undefiled before ,god and the ,father is this1 to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction1 and to keep himself unspotted from the world4 ,the great lesson of the parable is this1 that every man is our neighbour when he needs help1 and we can give it4 ,the ,jews1 as we know1 had no dealings with the ,samaritans1 and our ,lord's story showed how that middle wall of partition should be broken down4 ,the ,good ,samaritan did not stay to question the fallen traveller about his religious views1 or his political principles--he saw him in trouble1 and he helped him4 ,may we all go and do likewise4 ,we ,christians are all too ready to build up a wall of separation between ourselves and our brethren4 ,one of these walls is that of religious difference4 ,we disagree about some point of doctrine or ritual1 and allow the disagreement to embitter our feelings1 and to shut out our sympathy4 ,politics form another wall of separation4 ,we differ from a neighbour in our political views1 and we refuse to recognise any good in him because he does not think as we do4 ,there are some among the rich who look down with contempt upon the poor1 as though poverty were the unpardonable sin4 ,and there are endless prejudices of rank and class which shutout man from man4 ,against all these things the parable of the ,good ,samaritan is a protest and a warning4 ,it is the way of the world to leave a fallen man to his fate1 but it is not ,christ's way4 ,it is the way of the world to speak very hardly of those who are in want and misery1 for as nothing succeeds like success1 nothing fails like failure4 ,but again1 that is not ,christ's way4 ,he never breaks the bruised reed1 or quenches the smoking flax4 ,my brothers1 let us learn to look on all men as our neighbours1 let us stretch out a helping hand to those who have fallen among thieves1 let us pour the wine and oil of sympathy1 and kind words where we can1 let us be gentle in our judgment of another's fault1 since blessed are the merciful4 ,,sermon ,,xlix4 ,,walking ,,with ,,god4 7,fourteenth ,sunday after ,trinity47 ,,galatians v4 #af4 ,walk in the ,spirit4 ,the life of a ,christian must be one of progress4 ,s4 ,paul says1 ,walk in the ,spirit2 he does not say1 stand still4 ,it is not enough for us to have been born again of ,water and the ,holy ,ghost1 and to have received the ,gifts of the ,spirit from time to time through the different means of grace4 ,we are bidden to stir up the gift that is in us2 we are told to grow in grace4 ,god has set us upon our feet in the right road4 ,he has taken us by the hand1 that is1 the ,holy ,spirit is our leader and guide2 but we have something to do--we must walk4 ,there are some who tell us that everything has been done for us in the past1 and that everything will be done for us in the future2 and those who believe that doctrine never do a day's work for ,jesus4 ,they never go into ,his vineyard2 they never make any use of their five talents1 or even of one2 they never put on the whole armour of ,god4 ,they tell us they have nothing to do1 all is done for them4 ,i should be sorry to hold so selfish1 idle1 and unmanly a doctrine as that4 ,i know very well that ,god has done1 and is doing1 for me what ,i could not do for myself4 ,i know how weak ,i am1 and how much need ,i have of ,god's guiding1 strengthening ,hand3 but ,i know also that ,he expects something from me4 ,he bids me fight and struggle against temptation2 ,he tells me to press forward towards the mark--to go up higher1 to seek those things which are above1 to forget those things which are behind4 ,he would have me labour and strive to enter in at the strait gate1 and to work out my own salvation4 ,he commands me to take up my cross and follow1 and all this means work1 struggle1 progress4 ,walk in the ,spirit4 ,when ,jesus had opened the eyes of the blind man1 he did not continue to sit by the wayside begging1 he arose and followed ,christ4 ,it is only blind folks1 whose eyes ,jesus has not yet opened1 who are content to sit by the roadside of life and do nothing4 ,god says to each one of us--,this is ,my way1 walk ye in it4 ,let us see what this walking means4 ,first1 ,i think it means going forward4 ,there is no standstill in ,god's natural world1 nor is there in ,god's spiritual world4 ,if a child is healthy1 he is growing3 getting on1 as the phrase is4 ,so a true child of ,god is getting on1 making progress1 going forward every day4 ,he goes on growing in grace till he comes of age1 then ,god takes him to ,his ,home1 and gives him his inheritance4 ,if you look at the tombs in a churchyard1 you will see that those lying there died at all kinds of ages4 ,here is the tiny grave of an infant1 snatched from its parents' arms almost as soon as the cross was written on its brow4 ,but in ,god's sight that little one had come of age1 and so was taken ,home4 ,here is the grave of a child who had begun to do some work for ,god1 and was as sunshine in its home1 and the joy of its friends4 ,when death took the child1 people mourned because he died so young2 but ,god had said of him1 and his work1 ,he has come of age--it is finished4 ,here is the grave of an old man1 a village patriarch4 ,it required nearly a hundred years before he came of age1 and he had to walk for many a weary day1 and carry his cross1 before ,god saw that the time of harvest had come1 and sent the reaper1 whose name is death4 ,and now comes the solemn question--are we making progress1 going forward2 are we striving to do the work which ,god has given us to do8 ,next1 walking in the ,spirit means discipline1 self-denial4 ,i keep under my body1 is the motto for every ,christian man4 ,we must turn our eyes from the sight which tempts us to leave the right path2 we must close our ears to the whisper of those who would lead us aside4 ,we must keep our mouth1 as it were1 with a bridle2 we must lay aside every weight4 ,each of us has his special temptation1 which becomes a weight1 a hindrance4 ,one man is so weighted with the cares of business and money-getting1 that he cannot walk in the right path4 ,the gold and the silver weigh him down1 and make him stumble4 ,another has piled up such a load of troubles and worries upon his shoulders that he cannot advance4 ,one woman is so cumbered with her domestic concerns that she makes no progress towards ,heaven4 ,another is overwhelmed with pleasures and amusements which cling about her1 and hinder her from going forward4 ,my brethren1 do not let the world over-weight you1 or drag you back from the right way4 ,there is one weight1 however1 which we must all carry--our cross4 ,i have heard of a picture which represents two pilgrims along the road of life4 ,one bears his cross on his shoulders1 and steps forward manfully1 looking up to ,heaven2 the other is dragging his cross after him along the rough road1 with painful and unwilling labour4 ,we must take up our cross and bear it if we would walk in the ,spirit4 ,if we suffer it to drag behind us1 it will only hinder instead of helping us4 ,each sorrow1 each loss1 or bereavement1 is as a nail to fasten us closer to our cross4 ,let us stretch out our hands willingly to receive the nail1 sharp though it be4 ,remember we must be crucified with ,jesus if we are to be glorified with ,him4 ,again1 walking in the ,spirit means patient perseverance4 ,a religion of fits and starts is worth nothing4 ,there are many who come running to ,jesus1 like the young ruler1 but when they know what being a ,christian means1 they go away4 ,there are many who1 at the time of a ,confirmation or a ,mission1 declare that they will follow ,christ whithersoever ,he goeth4 ,but1 after a little while1 the enthusiasm dies out1 they grow weary in well-doing1 unstable as water1 they follow no more after ,him4 ,if we would reach our journey's end1 we must keep on walking1 steadily1 patiently1 perseveringly4 ,he that endureth to the end shall be saved4 ,again1 walking in the ,spirit means looking forward along the road4 ,too much of our religion is short-sighted4 ,we see the pleasure or the sorrow at our feet1 but we see nothing of the glorious future1 the rest that remaineth for the people of ,god4 ,we are like those who see the clod of earth against which their foot strikes1 but never lift their eyes aloft to look on the towering mountain4 ,men of science tell us that shortness of sight is greatly on the increase amongst us1 especially with those who live in great cities4 ,the reason for this is that the city dwellers wear out their eye-sight by looking constantly on objects close to them1 without having any wider or more distant prospect4 ,so it is with our spiritual sight4 ,we wear it out by fixing our eyes on some worldly object close to us4 ,one man has grown near-sighted by gazing day after day at his money bags1 till he can see nothing else2 and another has studied his ledger and cash book till he has no eyes left for ,god's fair ,heaven above him2 another has looked at his own picture till he sees his own cleverness or greatness reflected everywhere4 ,my brothers1 look forward1 look up3 see ,god's love and mercy on all sides of you4 ,come out into ,god's sunshine2 ask ,him to open your eyes that they may see the wondrous things of ,his law4 ,i think1 too1 that walking in the ,spirit means having perfect trust in ,god--walking with our hand in ,his4 ,if you see a man fearful about to-morrow1 dreading the future1 always expecting and anticipating evil1 meeting misfortune half-way1 be sure he is not walking in the ,spirit4 ,hold fast to ,god's ,hand--trust ,him4 ,do you remember the story of the little ,russian boy who trusted in ,god8 ,he and a younger sister were left utterly destitute on the death of their father4 ,left alone in the house1 without money and food1 the little boy knew not how to comfort his baby sister4 ,at last1 urged by the tears of the little one1 the boy wrote on a piece of paper1 ,o ,god1 please to send me three copecks 7a penny7 to buy my little sister some bread1 and then hurried away with this strange letter to the alms box of a neighbouring church1 believing in his simplicity that in this way his letter would reach ,heaven4 ,a ,priest saw the little boy trying to force the paper into the alms box4 ,he took the letter from him and1 having read it1 gave the child food and assistance4 ,next day the ,priest preached in the church on behalf of the orphans1 and when he had related the story of the child's letter to ,god1 a liberal offertory was given4 ,lastly1 ,i think that walking in the ,spirit means walking in hope4 ,if we trust ,god and do our best1 we cannot despair4 ,we shall find the road hard and stony at times1 but let us hope and go steadily forward4 ,we shall fall sometimes1 we shall make mistakes1 we shall suffer defeats1 we shall be cast down1 and weary4 ,still let us hope1 and go steadily forward4 ,hope on1 hope ever1 tho' dead leaves be lying ,in mournful clusters 'neath your journeying feet1 ,tho' wintry winds through naked boughs are sighing1 ,the flowers are dead1 yet is their memory sweet ,of summer winds and countless roses glowing ',neath the warm kisses of the generous sun4 ,hope on1 hope ever1 why should tears be flowing8 ,in every season is some victory won4 ,,sermon ,l4 ,,the ,,preaching ,,of ,,nature4 7,fifteenth ,sunday after ,trinity47 ,s4 ,,matt4 vi4 #bh4 ,consider the lilies of the field4 ,this world is ,god's great ,temple1 and the voices of ,nature are ,his preachers4 ,the ,holy ,spirit speaks to us through these preachers like the wind breathing through the pipes of a great organ4 ,to those who have ears to hear1 the roar of the ocean1 or the sound of the mighty rushing wind1 are as an anthem of praise4 ,the song of birds1 the hum of insects1 every voice in the world of ,nature combine to take part in a hymn of thanksgiving1 a great ,benedicite1 and to sing1 ,o all ye works of the ,lord bless ye the ,lord1 praise ,him1 and magnify ,him for ever4 ,and yet1 my brothers1 there are many of us too blind and too deaf to see and hear these things4 ,to one man this world is only a gigantic farm1 to be divided1 and ploughed1 and tilled1 that it may bring forth more fruit4 ,to another the world is merely a great market1 a warehouse filled with all kinds of goods1 which may be bought and sold4 ,to some the world is like a chess-board1 where each man plays a selfish game1 and tries to overreach his neighbour4 ,to others the world is a mere play-ground1 where they pass a frivolous1 useless existence1 sitting down to eat and drink1 and rising up to play4 ,to the selfish man the world is a vast slave plantation1 where unhappy slaves are forced to toil and labour to supply the needs of cruel taskmasters4 ,to the faithless man the world is nothing better than a graveyard1 where lie buried dead friends1 dead hopes1 dead joys1 without any promise of a resurrection4 ,but to the ,christian this world is a great and solemn ,temple1 where he can worship the ,creator1 and where ten thousand voices teach him to look through ,nature up to ,nature's ,god4 ,when he stands in the meadow grass1 or under the shadows of the pine-wood1 he can feel that surely ,god is in this place1 and that the place wherever he stands is holy ground4 ,oh1 to what uses shall we put the wildweed flower that simply blows8 ,and is there any moral shut within the bosom of the rose8 ,but any man that walks the mead1 in bud1 or blade1 or bloom1 may find1 ,according as his humours lead1 a meaning suited to his mind4 ,let us listen to-day to the preaching of ,nature1 and learn a lesson from the grass which to-day is1 and to-morrow is cast into the oven4 ,let us consider the lilies1 and make them our teachers4 ,the first lesson which these silent preachers would have us learn is the unfailing care of ,god for ,his creatures4 ,he never neglects to clothe the ground with grass1 or to nourish the lilies1 which neither toil nor spin4 ,yet we who both toil and spin1 and haste to rise up early1 and so late take rest1 are often distrustful and full of doubt4 ,brethren1 let us work our work1 but not put our trust in it4 ,it is ,god's right ,hand and ,his mighty ,arm which must help us4 ,let us strive to do our best1 and leave the result to ,god4 ,let us dwell in the land1 and be doing good1 and verily we shall be fed4 ,and next1 we learn from the grass and the flowers how short our time is4 ,every meadow1 every grassy hillock in the churchyard1 seems to say to us1 as for man1 his days are as grass2 as a flower of the field1 so he flourisheth4 ,for the wind passeth over it1 and it is gone2 and the place thereof shall know it no more4 ,all flesh is grass1 and all the goodness thereof as the flower of the field3 the grass withereth1 the flower fadeth2 because the ,spirit of the ,lord bloweth upon it2 surely the people is grass4 ,yes1 surely this thought should be a check to our pride1 and our schemes1 and our worldliness1 that we must one day lay them all aside1 like a worn-out garment1 and that the pleasant grass1 which our careless foot is pressing1 shall grow green upon our grave4 ,let us hearken to the warning of a quaint old epitaph which ,i have seen in a ,yorkshire ,churchyard3-- ,earth walketh on the earth1 ,glittering like gold2 ,earth goeth to the earth ,sooner than it would4 ,earth buildeth on the earth ,palaces and towers1 ,earth sayeth to the earth-- ,all shall be ours4 ,i read the other day that lately a workman1 employed in some excavations at ,rome1 found a funeral urn containing the ashes of one of the ,caesars4 ,the workman knew nothing of the matter1 but seeing that the ashes were very white1 he sent them to his wife to bleach linen with4 ,and this was all that remained of that body which had worn the imperial purple6 ,to what base uses we may return6 ,but the grass1 and the flowers of the field1 not only tell us of the shortness of life1 and the certainty of death1 they speak to us also of the resurrection4 ,looking at the world in the autumn and winter time we see nothing but death and decay4 ,ashes to ashes1 dust to dust1 is the mournful text of every falling leaf1 and faded flower4 ,but ,god who lays nature in her grave1 will1 in the spring time1 roll away the stone from the sepulchre4 ,who can look on ,nature1 touched by the warm breath of ,may1 and doubt the resurrection8 ,each tree she kindles by her touch bursts into leafy flames1 ,and1 like the sacred desert bush1 ,god's presence there proclaims4 ,the chestnuts spread their leafy palms in blessing on the air1 ,and from their minarets of bloom call all the trees to share4 ,with bridal blossoms1 pure and sweet1 the blushing orchards glow1 ,and on the hawthorn hedges lie soft wreathes of scented snow4 ,god reigneth1 and the earth is glad6 ,his large1 self-conscious heart ,a glowing tide of life and joy pours through each quickened part4 ,the very stones ,hosannas cry2 the forests clap their hands1 ,and in the benison of ,heaven each lifted face expands4 ,can we doubt1 my brothers1 that the same ,jesus who rose from the dead1 and also makes all ,nature rise from the dead each spring time1 will in like manner raise us up1 and give us a body like unto ,his glorious ,body1 in that fair ,kingdom where ,he maketh all things new8 ,if we have seen our dear ones cut down like the grass1 and withered like the flowers of the field1 let us remember that the grass will spring again1 and the flowers will once more appear on the earth2 and that our loved ones will also come again1 clothed in resurrection beauty by ,him who clotheth the lilies of the field4 ,oh1 rainy days6 ,oh1 days of sun6 ,what are ye all when the year is done8 ,who shall remember snow or rain8 ,oh1 years of loss6 ,oh1 joyful years6 ,what are ye all when ,heaven appears8 ,who shall look back for joy or pain8 ,and again1 the flowers teach us a lesson of usefulness4 ,they are sent to make ,god's earth beautiful and sweet1 and to gladden the heart of man4 ,surely we are sent for the same purpose4 ,most of us are destined to occupy a lowly place in life4 ,our position is like that of the humble violet1 not of the towering forest tree4 ,but1 my brothers1 the sweetest spot is where the violet blooms1 and it is better to be sweet than to be grand4 ,never suppose that you can do nothing because ,god has placed you in a quiet corner of the world4 ,god put you there as ,he puts a violet in a lonely nook1 that you might make your corner sweet4 ,if we could only remember this we should not have so many prickly tempers1 and black looks1 and cruel words spoiling our home life1 and making the world a desert4 ,life would be what ,god would have it to be1 if each of us would try by gentleness1 by good temper1 by unselfish love to make his corner sweet4 ,make up your minds now2 say to yourselves--,i cannot do any great work for ,god or my fellow man1 but ,i will try by purity1 by cheerfulness1 by thought for others1 to make my home sweet4 ,and once more1 the flowers teach us to be a comfort to our neighbours4 ,when the earth is wrapped in snow1 and the skies are grey and cold1 and no leaf hangs on the tree1 the snowdrop puts forth its fair1 pure blossom to cheer and comfort us4 ,the sight of that living flower when all the world seems dead1 is like a message from the other world1 whispering of coming spring and the resurrection4 ,well1 there are times when it is winter weather in our heart4 ,when sorrow and loss have made life desolate as a ,december day1 and blessed1 thrice blessed1 are they who come to comfort us1 and to whisper of brighter days in store4 ,in the highest part of the ,peak of ,teneriffe1 far above the clouds1 and in a dry and burning waste1 there grows a plant which1 in the spring time1 fills the air with delicious fragrance4 ,there are some of us who may be condemned to live in a barren and dry land of hard work1 and lonely trouble4 ,but loving natures1 and gentle words1 can make that desert blossom as the rose4 ,the beauty of holiness1 the sweetness of sympathy1 will make the poorest home lovely and fragrant4 ,may ,jesus1 the ,rose of ,sharon1 teach us to learn the lesson of the lilies1 and to make our lives sweet with purity and love4 ,,sermon ,,li4 ,,past ,,knowledge4 7,sixteenth ,sunday after ,trinity47 ,,ephesians iii4 #ai4 ,to know the love of ,christ which passeth knowledge4 ,there are some things which no earthly school can teach us1 no earthly science explain4 ,science can do very much1 it has done marvellous things1 and will do still more4 ,men can work now with ease such wonders as would have sent them to the fire as wizards three hundred years ago4 ,science can calculate the exact time of an eclipse ages before the time1 science can connect two worlds with the electric wire1 science can make the powers of earth1 and air1 and fire1 and water its slaves2 but science cannot teach us the love of ,christ which passeth knowledge1 or show us how to find the peace of ,god which passeth all understanding4 ,no1 we must go to the school of ,jesus ,christ to learn these things2 and in that school the learned1 and the ignorant1 the powerful1 and the lowly1 are just on a level4 ,the man of science may be there1 like ,sir ,isaac ,newton1 of whom some one said that he had the whitest soul of any man he had ever known4 ,but it was not the power of the telescope which had brought the love of ,jesus to his sight4 ,the poor1 ignorant cottager1 who cannot even read1 may be there4 ,he is no scholar1 but he has learnt what some scholars are ignorant of1 to trust ,god and love his neighbour as himself4 ,yes1 brethren1 if we would learn to know the love of ,christ1 we must go to ,his school1 we must kneel at ,his ,feet1 we must hold close communion with ,him1 we must daily endeavour ourselves to follow the steps of ,his most holy life4 ,grey-haired old man1 tender little child1 anxious mother1 busy worker1 ,jesus calls you to learn the lesson of ,his love1 saying1 ,come1 and learn of ,me1 for ,i am meek and lowly in heart4 ,but ,s4 ,paul says that the love of ,christ passeth knowledge4 ,and indeed we poor1 sinful1 selfish creatures can never hope1 at least here1 to understand all the wideness1 the depth1 the power1 of that love4 ,when the astronomer looks up at the starry sky above him1 he does not think so much of what he knows about that shining world as about what he does not know4 ,he thinks of the mysteries which those calm skies hold1 and of the countless stars which no telescope has ever yet brought within the range of human eye4 ,so the more we learn of the love of ,christ the more marvellous it appears4 ,there are some among us who know absolutely nothing of the love of ,christ4 ,they are as ignorant of it as a blind man is of the beauties of ,nature4 ,to them ,jesus is a character in history who did certain things1 who suffered for them and for others1 and with that they are quite content4 ,but they know nothing of the love of ,christ1 and care nothing about it because they do not love ,him themselves4 ,such people either neglect the duties of religion altogether1 or perform them as an idle schoolboy does his task1 unwillingly1 grudgingly4 ,there is no love in their service1 and therefore it is worthless4 ,there are many1 ,i trust1 who hear me now who have learned something of the love of ,christ2 others who would willingly learn4 ,to them ,i say1 come into ,christ's school to-day4 ,a willing scholar can always learn1 if you want to love ,jesus you have begun already to do so4 ,first1 let us think of some things in the love of ,christ which make it wonderful1 past knowledge4 ,the love of ,christ is wonderful because it is impartial4 ,he maketh ,his sun to rise on the evil and on the good1 and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust4 ,look at the sunshine pouring down over a great city1 and think on what different characters the light falls4 ,the same sun shines on the ,church and its faithful worshippers1 and on the house of shame and infamy4 ,the same light gilds the dying bed of the ,christian1 and the couch of the infidel and blasphemer4 ,the same beam glitters on the blessed ,altar of the faithful1 and on the cell of the impenitent murderer4 ,look at the sunshine and the shower in the country4 ,the fields of the earnest1 prayerful man1 and those of the unbelieving1 prayerless scoffer lie golden under the same sunlight1 are watered by the same showers4 ,and why is this so8 ,surely it is a type of the love of ,christ which passeth knowledge4 ,surely it teaches us the wondrous height1 and depth1 and breadth of divine love4 ,it warns us not to be kind and loving only to the good and gentle1 but to love our enemies1 to do good to those who persecute us and speak evil of us1 to try to give all a chance to amend1 even as ,god1 in ,his long-suffering mercy1 makes ,his sun to rise on the evil and on the good4 ,we shall get to know more of the love of ,christ if we learn to be more impartial in our love for our fellow men4 ,i know a little island where the society1 small enough already1 is divided into certain classes1 and it is considered a want of breeding for one class to unite with another4 ,you can imagine the angry feelings1 and petty jealousies1 which such a system excites4 ,but even in the greater world we are too much inclined to surround ourselves with a circle of friends and acquaintances1 and to leave the rest of the world unknown and uncared for4 ,the love of ,christ teaches us to see in every man a brother1 a neighbour1 whom we must help if we can4 ,the love of ,christ would have us look on ourselves and others as one great family1 joined together by one common ,faith1 one ,holy ,baptism2 or as one consecrated building1 where high and low1 rich and poor1 are all built into their appointed place1 ,jesus ,christ being the head corner-stone4 ,my brothers1 try to be more wide1 more liberal1 more impartial in your love for others1 if you would learn the love of ,christ which is wider than the ocean1 impartial as the sunshine--passing knowledge4 ,again1 the love of ,christ is wonderful in its effects4 ,it makes the brave still more heroic2 it makes the timid courageous1 the sad joyful1 the hardened tender4 ,it was the love of ,christ which made ,s4 ,stephen brave in the hour of his martyrdom1 and taught him to pray for his murderers4 ,in all the long roll of heroes there are none so great as those who fought under the banner of ,christ's love4 ,feeble old men1 little children1 weak women1 were transformed by that marvellous power2 they could do all things through ,christ who strengthened them4 ,they suffered and died1 but their death gave life to the faith of ,christ4 ,did you ever read1 brethren1 how the last fight of gladiators in the ,colosseum ended8 ,it was when ,rome had become ,christian1 but still the cruel sports of the people had not been entirely given up4 ,after a famous victory1 the ,emperor1 a feeble boy1 and all the great men of ,rome1 went to the crowded theatre to witness the amusements given in honour of the triumph4 ,after the harmless sports were over some gladiators entered the arena armed with sharp swords4 ,the people shouted with delight because the old savage amusements of their heathen days were restored to them4 ,suddenly an old man1 dressed in the habit of a hermit1 and unknown to all1 sprang into the arena1 and declared that as ,christian people they must not suffer men to slay each other thus4 ,an angry cry rose from the eager crowd4 ,the gladiators1 disappointed of their gain1 menaced the hermit fiercely1 crying1 back1 old man1 for thy life4 ,but the stranger stood fearless before that angry mob1 he heeded not the swords of the gladiators1 nor the yells of the people1 but solemnly protested against the deed of blood4 ,in another moment he lay dead on the red sand1 pierced by a dozen wounds4 ,he died1 but his words lived4 ,when the people saw the fearless courage of a weak old man1 shame filled their hearts2 the sports were stopped1 and never again did the gladiators fight in the ,colosseum4 ,my brothers1 if we are learning the love of ,christ1 we shall be brave to do the right1 come what may4 ,again1 the love of ,christ is wonderful in its effect on our work4 ,it is a common saying that such and such a work is a labour of love2 and1 believe me1 that is the best done of all which is done for love4 ,did you ever watch a young mother making the clothes for her first child8 ,never before has she bestowed such care1 such thought1 such patience1 on her sewing1 every stitch is prompted by love4 ,long ago1 there was an old ,cathedral somewhere abroad1 ,i cannot tell you where4 ,on one of the arches was sculptured a face of exceeding beauty4 ,it was long hidden1 but one day a ray of sunshine lighted up the matchless work1 and from that time1 on the days when the light shone on the face1 crowds came to look at its loveliness4 ,the history of that sculpture is a strange one4 ,when the ,cathedral was being built1 an old man1 worn with years and care1 came to the architect1 and begged to be allowed to work there4 ,fearing his age and failing sight might cause the old man to injure the carving1 the master set him to work in a dark part of the roof4 ,one day they found the stranger lying dead1 with the tools of his craft around him1 and his still face turned up towards that other face which he had carved4 ,it was a work of surpassing beauty1 and without doubt was the face of one whom the artist had long since loved and lost4 ,when the craftsmen looked upon it1 they all agreed--this is the grandest work of all1 it is the work of love4 ,we1 my brothers1 are all set to do some work here in the temple of our lives1 and the best1 the most beautiful1 the most enduring1 will be that which we do because the love of ,christ constraineth us4 ,and yet once more1 the love of ,christ is wonderful in its power of pardon4 ,have you ever known what it is to have sinned grievously1 and to have repented truly8 ,have you felt the shame1 the sorrow1 the misery of knowing your sin1 and the exquisite sense of relief when you knew that you were pardoned8 ,have you known the power of ,christ's absolving word8 ,have you felt that ,he has given the prodigal the kiss of pardon1 that ,he has carried the lost sheep home once more1 that ,he has said to you--,i will1 be thou clean1 depart in peace8 ,to know this is to know the love of ,christ4 ,are there no prodigals here now who have not yet arisen and gone to their ,father8 ,are there no weak1 tempted women straying into danger1 like the lost sheep8 ,are there none here who are carrying about some secret sin which poisons all their life8 ,if there are such1 ,i say1 come and make trial of ,christ's love to-day4 ,come1 drink of the water of life freely4 ,come with your sin1 your sorrow1 your trial1 your temptation1 to the feet of ,jesus1 and you shall learn the love of ,christ which passeth knowledge4 ,,sermon ,,lii4 ,,the ,,prison-,,house4 7,seventeenth ,sunday after ,trinity47 ,,ephesians iv4 #a4 ,the prisoner of the ,lord4 ,this is what ,paul the aged called himself in writing to the ,ephesians4 ,he had appealed unto ,caesar1 and he was a captive at ,rome4 ,but he does not style himself ,caesar's prisoner1 but the prisoner of the ,lord1 whose he was1 and whom he served4 ,let us think first of the place and manner of ,st4 ,paul's imprisonment4 ,the place was ,rome1 the capital of the world4 ,a city full of glorious memories of the past1 and famous in the present for art1 and eloquence1 and learning4 ,its soldiers could boast that they had conquered the world1 and could point out the tombs of ,pompey and of many another hero along the ,appian ,way4 ,its streets had been trodden by some of the greatest of poets1 and its ,senate-,house had echoed with the burning words of the first orators of the world4 ,rome was full of contrasts1 wealth and beggary1 beauty and squalor1 the palace of ,caesar1 and the haunt of vice and shame1 were close together4 ,the city was ruled over by a cruel tyrant1 at once a hypocrite and a monster of iniquity4 ,it was in such a place1 so glorious and so shameful1 that ,s4 ,paul was a prisoner4 ,he was not1 however1 confined in a dungeon4 ,by the favour of the ,praefect of the ,praetorian ,guard1 whose duty it was to take charge of all prisoners awaiting trial before the ,emperor1 the ,apostle was allowed to live in a hired house of his own1 to have free access to such friends as he had1 and to preach the ,gospel freely to those who would hear him4 ,but still ,s4 ,paul was a prisoner4 ,after the ,roman fashion1 he was chained to a soldier1 and at night probably two soldiers were linked to him4 ,perhaps no such wonderful sermons have ever since been preached as those spoken by ,s4 ,paul1 the prisoner of the ,lord4 ,we can fancy the old man1 grey-haired1 and bent with suffering1 and want1 and hardship1 bearing on his wrinkled face and scarred body those marks of the ,lord ,jesus1 of which he tells us1 and yet brave1 unflinching as ever4 ,we can picture him preaching the ,gospel of ,jesus with the same boldness in his bonds as when at freedom1 glorying in the cross of his ,master1 and rejoicing that he is permitted to enter into the fellowship of ,his sufferings4 ,we can fancy even the stern ,roman soldier watching with admiration1 as the old man exhorts his hearers to show themselves good soldiers of ,jesus ,christ1 to fight the good fight1 to take unto them the whole armour of ,god4 ,whilst many a ,christian's heart must have swelled with emotion as the fettered hands were lifted in earnest exhortation1 and the blessing was given amid the clanking of the ,apostle's chains4 ,and thus all the hearers of ,s4 ,paul must have been struck with the wonderful faith and patience of the man2 just as we are struck when we read his words to-day4 ,although he was an exile1 a prisoner1 waiting for a trial where he would have little chance of justice1 knowing that the sword hung above his head ready to fall at any moment1 ,s4 ,paul utters no complaint1 no murmur of discontent4 ,on the contrary1 he bids his hearers rejoice in the ,lord alway2 he himself thanked ,god1 and took courage2 he tells his disciples that he has learnt in whatsoever state he is1 to be content4 ,he is poor1 yet making many rich4 ,he has nothing1 yet possesses all things4 ,he has that peace of ,god which passeth all understanding1 that good part which shall not be taken away4 ,the heathen tyrant can make him a prisoner1 but his chains cannot keep him from the glorious freedom of the sons of ,god4 ,persecution may drive him from his home1 but nothing can rob him of his home eternal in the ,heavens4 ,the sword of the ,roman may slay him1 but to him to die is gain1 and he is ready to be offered4 ,he has suffered want1 and sorrow1 and loss2 he has endured perils by land and by sea1 by robbers1 by shipwreck1 by the heathen1 and by his own countrymen1 but for this ,s4 ,paul cares not1 he has kept the faith1 he has run the race set before him1 looking unto ,jesus1 and he knows that the crown of glory is laid up for him4 ,a great preacher of our day tells us how they brought the news to ,athens that the battle of ,marathon was won4 ,the swiftest runner had come panting and exhausted with the glad tidings of victory1 and worn out with exertion1 he dropped1 and died on the threshold of the first house he reached1 sobbing out with dying breath the words--,farewell1 and rejoice ye1 we1 too1 rejoice4 ,so the ,apostle1 the prisoner of the ,lord1 dying daily1 and expecting each hour to be his last1 tells the glad tidings of ,christ's victory over sin and death1 and whispers with his dying breath1 rejoice4 ,it is no wonder that such a preacher should have produced marvellous results1 and should have begotten many spiritual children1 as he tells us1 in his bonds4 ,luke1 his fellow traveller through so many varied scenes1 was there to comfort ,paul the aged in his bonds4 ,tychicus1 who had formerly accompanied him from ,corinth to ,ephesus1 was ready to carry the ,apostle's letters to the ,churches2 and ,mark1 who had once failed in his ministry1 was once more restored to the side of his great teacher4 ,others1 too1 were with him1 but none perhaps was dearer to ,s4 ,paul than a certain slave1 ,onesimus1 who had fled from his master1 ,philemon1 in ,colossae4 ,this runaway slave had found his way to ,rome1 and here probably some one1 who had seen him in the house of his ,christian master1 took pity on the fugitive1 and brought him to ,s4 ,paul4 ,how tenderly the prisoner of the ,lord dealt with the erring slave we can well imagine1 as we read the loving words which the ,apostle wrote in his ,epistle to ,philemon4 ,then1 too1 we can fancy the prisoner of the ,lord talking to his jailor1 the stern ,roman soldier1 who was chained to him night and day4 ,often in the long night watches1 when the care of all the ,churches kept ,s4 ,paul from sleep1 he must have conversed with the warrior so closely linked to him4 ,i think we may believe that a yet closer link than that of the iron chain at last united the prisoner and the guard4 ,i think that the earnest prayers1 and burning words1 of that brave soldier of ,jesus ,christ1 must have led the soldier of ,caesar to take up his cross1 and follow ,jesus4 ,and now what lesson can we learn from the prison-house at ,rome8 ,we can learn this1 that this world in which we live is in one sense a prison-house to all4 ,it is a prison-house of hard work4 ,in our great cities the roar of traffic1 the rattle of machinery1 the shriek of the steam-whistle1 the eager crowds flocking to office and bank and exchange all mean one thing--work4 ,every man's talk is of business2 he is in the prison-house1 and he is chained to his work4 ,next1 this world is a prison-house of sorrow and trial4 ,every one who has lived any time in the world can show you the marks of his chain4 ,every one whom we meet is wearing a crown of thorns4 ,it is hidden under the scanty white locks of the old1 and the sunny tresses of youth4 ,it is covered by the soldier's helmet1 or the peer's coronet1 or the widow's cap2 but the crown of thorns is there4 ,specially is this world a prison-house to those who strive to do their duty1 and help their fellow men4 ,for them in all ages there have been prison bars1 and chains of persecution4 ,joseph resists temptation1 and he is cast into prison4 ,but the iron of his chain made his soul as iron1 and changed the spoiled darling of his father into the wise ruler of ,egypt4 ,he was the prisoner of the ,lord1 and this suffering was the way to glory4 ,truly says a great poet 7,milton71 who best can suffer1 best can do4 ,if we would look on some of the greatest teachers1 philosophers1 and benefactors of mankind1 we must look for them in a prison-house4 ,socrates1 when seventy-two years old1 was a prisoner1 and condemned to drink poison1 because he taught higher lessons than the mob could understand4 ,he died discussing the immorality of the soul1 and his farewell to his judges was full of quiet dignity4 ,it is now time1 he said1 that we depart--,i to die1 you to live2 but which has the better destiny is unknown to all1 except to ,god4 ,bruno was burnt at ,rome1 because he exposed the false philosophy of the day4 ,when ,galileo1 an old man of seventy1 taught the truth about the earth's motion1 they cast him into the dungeons of the ,inquisition1 and after death the ,pope refused a tomb for his body4 ,and so for many others who dared to do their duty and to speak the truth1--reformers in religion1 in science1 in politics1--there was a prison-house1 there was a chain4 ,but the stone walls could not confine the mind2 the iron chain could not bind the truth4 ,some of the most glorious works in literature were composed in prison4 ,the prison-house at ,rome has given us some of those ,epistles of ,s4 ,paul which have gone far to convert the world2 and the finest allegory in the ,english language was written in ,bedford gaol4 ,if we suffer for righteousness' sake1 happy are we4 ,if we are the prisoners of the ,lord1 let us welcome the chain of trial1 of sorrow1 of self-denial1 of persecution4 ,there are prisoners who are not the ,lord's4 ,there are some fast bound in the misery and iron of bad habits1 and habitual sin4 ,these are lying in the condemned cell1 bound hand and foot with the devil's chain4 ,the drunkard1 the impure man1 the unbeliever1 these are prisoners1 but not the ,lord's4 ,i do not speak now of them4 ,i speak to you1 my brothers1 who are trying to live a godly and a ,christian life1 the life of duty4 ,and ,i tell you that you will often find this life a prison-house1 where you must give up your own will1 deny yourselves1 learn to endure hardness1 and to bear the chain which suffering1 or neglect1 or ignorance put upon you4 ,if you are indeed the prisoners of the ,lord1 the iron of your chain will make you brave to suffer and be strong4 ,the same hope which sustained ,paul the aged long ago will sustain you now2 the glorious certainty that after a while the ,lord looseth men out of prison1 and receives them into the glorious liberty of the sons of ,god4 ,,sermon ,,liii4 ,,firm ,,to ,,the ,,end4 7,eighteenth ,sunday after ,trinity47 #a ,,cor4 i4 #h4 ,who also shall confirm you unto the end4 ,steadfastness is one of the most important characteristics of a ,christian4 ,perhaps you will tell me that love1 and self-denial1 and patience1 and faith are the chief marks of ,christ's followers4 ,and ,i answer that these things are useless without steadfastness4 ,it will not avail us to be very loving1 and self-sacrificing1 and patient1 and trustful for a little while1 and then to fall away1 and be selfish1 and impatient1 and faithless4 ,it is not the best regiment of soldiers which makes the most headlong charge1 but which can stand firm against the enemy4 ,the ,spartans of old were forbidden by their laws ever to flee from a foe4 ,in the ,pass of ,thermopylae stands a monument to ,leonidas and his followers1 bearing this inscription--,go1 stranger1 and tell at ,lacedaemon that we died here in obedience to our laws4 ,my brethren1 what we want1 as soldiers of ,jesus ,christ1 is not so much zeal1 or enthusiasm1 or outward profession1 as firmness to the end1 steadfastness to die1 if need be1 for the laws of our ,god4 ,we find plenty of people ready to make professions1 to be very zealous in the service of ,god1 but after a time the fire of their zeal dies out into dead ashes2 they have no staying power2 like the seed on the rocky ground they wither away1 because they have no root4 ,such unstable religion as this is useless4 ,we must be firmly rooted and established in the faith4 ,we must endure to the end1 if we would be saved4 ,we must1 for our part1 hold fast to the truth as it is in ,christ ,jesus1 and ,he1 for ,his part1 will confirm or strengthen us unto the end4 ,every period of the ,church's history has had its special dangers and temptations4 ,the ,corinthians had theirs long ago4 ,we have ours to-day4 ,let us see what some of the special dangers of the ,church are now1 and how ,jesus provides means to confirm us to the end4 ,first among these dangers we may place the restless spirit of the age4 ,this is the result of various causes4 ,the spread of education is one cause4 ,men are taught to cultivate their heads at the price of their hearts4 ,children are sent to schools where ,god is almost shut out4 ,many people get that little learning which is a dangerous thing1 and which makes them doubtful and uncertain in the faith4 ,the growth of cheap literature is another cause4 ,the printing press which gives us a cheap ,bible and ,prayer ,book1 and a vast amount of pure1 useful reading1 also sends out much that is dangerous1 and positively wicked4 ,the most holy mysteries of the ,christian faith are held up to mockery and ridicule1 and treated as old wives' tales2 and the restless spirit of the age leads people to read these things1 and to have their faith shaken and their ideas confused4 ,thus we find nowadays people arguing and doubting about doctrines which at one time were taken for granted4 ,one says1 perhaps we shall rise again after death2 another wonders if there be such a place as ,hell4 ,one thinks that ,god answers prayer1 another is doubtful about it4 ,now we do not find ,s4 ,paul and the other ,apostles talking in this way4 ,we do not find the early ,church talking in this way4 ,they could say1 ,i know in whom ,i have believed4 ,i believe1 therefore will ,i speak4 ,the fact is1 some of us in these days are getting too clever4 ,we have got a few drops of learning1 and we fancy that we can pour the whole great ocean of knowledge into our poor little bottle4 ,education is a great and glorious blessing1 but1 like every other blessing1 it may be put to a wrong use4 ,and when we find shallow young men and women1 who have just mastered enough subjects to be able to pass an examination1 sneering at the ,bible1 and calling religion superstition and folly1 we can only wish that they had drunk deeper1 or not tasted1 of the water of knowledge4 ,true education makes us humble1 because it shows us our ignorance4 ,my brothers1 what are the doubters and the unbelievers going to give you in exchange for what they rob you of8 ,they can perhaps rob you of your faith in ,jesus ,christ as a ,saviour4 ,but what then1 they cannot make you forget that you are a sinner4 ,you know better1 your own heart tells you the truth4 ,they can take away the ,saviour1 and only leave you your sins4 ,the doubter may scoff you out of believing in the resurrection4 ,but can he laugh you out of believing in death8 ,when your little child dies1 and you look at the loving eyes closing for the last time1 what comfort has your doubting friend to give you8 ,not a word4 ,he leaves you alone with your dead1 and he has robbed you of the only hope which makes death bearable--the resurrection unto eternal life4 ,you come to your own dying bed2 is there one of these doubting1 scoffing faith-destroying friends who can bring peace or calm to your last hours8 ,will it be any comfort to you to hear them say that there is nothing new1 nothing true1 and that it does not signify8 ,they tell you one fact1 which you know already1 that you are dying4 ,but beyond that they know nothing1 hope nothing1 believe nothing4 ,my brothers1 do not let these people1 with their shallow talk and shallow books1 rob you of your peace1 cheat you out of your birthright4 ,look at the lives of these doubters1 and then look at the lives of ,jesus and ,his saints4 ,see which example is the purer1 the more noble4 ,which is better1 to imitate the life of self-sacrifice which ,jesus led1 to copy the dauntless faith of ,s4 ,paul1 the loving gentleness of ,s4 ,john1 the humble penitence of ,augustine1 the fearless courage of ,savonarola1 or to sit at the feet of those who spend a selfish life in trying to describe a world in which there is no ,god8 ,another of the dangers of the day is a constant desire for something new1 and1 if possible1 sensational4 ,there are some who would have their religion as full of novelties as their newspaper1 or their amusement4 ,the old paths which ,god has given us to walk in have become too commonplace for such as these2 and they run eagerly into any new way1 however fantastic4 ,and1 above all1 these people want a religion which is made easy for them4 ,they have no objection to being saved provided that the process is quick1 easy1 and costs them nothing4 ,they turn away from the thought of self-denial1 of keeping under the body1 of fasting and prayer1 of watchfulness and self-examination4 ,they must be made good all at once1 and be admitted into the front rank of saints1 without having fought and suffered in a lower place4 ,my brethren1 beware of this mushroom religion1 which grows up suddenly1 and as suddenly vanishes away4 ,the best fruit is not that which ripens most quickly1 and the best ,christian certainly does not come to maturity all in a moment4 ,there is a fable of the ,persians which tells us how a gourd wound itself round a lofty palm-tree1 and in a few weeks climbed to its very top4 ,the quick-growing gourd asked the palm-tree its age1 and the tree answered1 an hundred years4 ,then the gourd answered boastingly that it had grown as tall as the palm in fewer days than the tree could count years4 ,true1 answered the palm-tree1 every summer has a gourd climbed round me1 as proud as thou art1 and as short-lived as thou wilt be4 ,these1 then1 are some of the special dangers of the time--an unfixed1 unsettled faith1 leading men to question1 and argue1 and doubt1 when they should believe2 and next1 a restless desire for something new and exciting in religion4 ,and1 besides these1 there are special dangers peculiar to ourselves1 arising from our position1 or temperament4 ,this is a specially busy age1 when men must work if they would eat bread4 ,every walk of life is crowded1 and the competition in every calling and business is most keen4 ,now there is great danger in all this to a man's spiritual life1 if he has not ,god with him in his work4 ,he will become selfish1 unscrupulous1 and determined to gain a place1 and make money at any cost4 ,he will think only of himself1 and ,god is not in all his thoughts4 ,there are some who would have us believe that religion is one thing and business another1 and that the two must be kept distinctly apart4 ,never believe that false doctrine1 my brothers4 ,a ,christian man may not take part in any work on which the name of ,god may not be written4 ,whatever business he may engage in1 a ,christian must always remember that he must be about his ,heavenly ,father's business4 ,the great merchants of old times used to begin their ledger and business books at the new year by writing ,praise be to ,god on the top of the first page4 ,i would that all men of business could honestly do the same now4 ,consecrate your work to ,god1 so that you need not be ashamed to pray about it1 to study the ,bible about it1 to write ,praise be to ,god on all your business transactions4 ,and last of all1 a word as to the means by which ,christ will confirm or strengthen you unto the end4 ,i can tell you nothing new about this1 ,i would not if ,i could4 ,the old wine of the ,gospel is better than all the new inventions with which some men would poison the cup of religion4 ,god confirms you by the gift of the ,holy ,ghost1 given by ,his ,word1 and ,sacraments1 and means of grace4 ,let no one laugh you out of believing in the ,bible2 let no one argue you out of trusting in that ,book which has been the guide1 the teacher1 the comforter of tens of thousands4 ,the followers of new creeds would like you to exchange your ,bible for their books4 ,they will offer you the gospel of selfishness1 the gospel of pride1 the gospel of hopelessness1 the gospel of money-making2 turn away from them1 and hold fast to the ,gospel of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,hold fast to the ,sacraments of the ,church4 ,let the scoffer sneer1 let the proud man refuse to bend before the ,altar of his ,lord2 but let nothing drive you from the ,blessed ,sacrament of ,christ's love4 ,hold fast to prayer4 ,let no crowd of difficulties1 or worries1 or troubles keep you back from ,jesus4 ,press through the crowd like that woman of old1 and touch the hem of ,christ's garment1 in prayer4 ,only hold fast to your ,bible1 to your ,altar1 to your prayers1 and the ,lord ,jesus shall confirm you unto the end1 that you may be blameless in the day of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,,sermon ,,liv4 ,,scholars ,,of ,,christ4 7,nineteenth ,sunday after ,trinity47 ,,ephesians x4 #bj4 ,ye have not so learned ,christ4 ,education is a very prominent feature in the ,england of to-day4 ,schools are among the most conspicuous of our public buildings1 and competitive examinations are thronged by eager crowds2 and1 seeing all this1 it seems almost impossible that a few years ago most of our poorer brethren could neither read or write4 ,i am not going to speak to you now about the blessings and the evils of the present state of education2 ,i want you to think of another school1 and another kind of lessons1 which are far more important than all else in the world4 ,the time comes when the schoolboy can lay his books by1 and when the young man quits college1 they have finished their education4 ,but it is never so in ,christ's school1 about which ,i am going to speak4 ,as long as we are here in the world we must go to school4 ,and when we come to die1 our education is not finished1 but we go to a higher class1 as it were1 to learn such lessons as we never could master on earth4 ,in the school of ,jesus ,christ it is not always the oldest or the cleverest who are the best scholars4 ,there are white-haired old men who are only just learning the alphabet of ,christ's religion1 in the lowest place2 and there are little children1 so pure and white-souled1 that they have already mastered some of the hardest lessons4 ,in other schools the scholar must be naturally clever1 or1 at least1 most industrious1 if he is to gain a high place1 and win a prize4 ,in ,christ's school there is a place1 and a prize1 for the dullest1 and he will succeed very well if only he wants to learn4 ,i have known many people who1 as they said1 were no scholars1 and yet they were not very far from the kingdom of ,heaven4 ,brethren1 some of us have never yet been to ,christ's school4 ,we have been playing truant1 or altogether taken up with the lessons of that great1 selfish1 public-school--the world4 ,i want you all to come to ,christ's school to-day1 old and young1 clever and dull1 and to hear some of the lessons which that school teaches4 ,i think that if we examine ourselves honestly in these lessons1 we shall find how little we really know1 and we shall begin with shame to take the lowest place4 ,and we must remember this1 that in ,christ's school we shall have to unlearn a great deal which the world's school has taught us4 ,the world will have instructed us to take care of ourselves1 at the expense of others4 ,one of the favourite mottoes in the great world school-room is--every man for himself4 ,the world will have taught us that to make money1 and to be successful1 are the highest aims possible4 ,and there are many similar lessons which are being daily learnt in the world school4 ,now1 when we become scholars of ,christ1 we have to unlearn a great deal of this4 ,instead of finding the text1 every man for himself1 placed conspicuously before us1 we see another1 and quite opposite command--,no man liveth unto himself1 and no man dieth unto himself4 ,we were taught in that other school outside that to make money and to succeed were the greatest good4 ,here we are instructed differently4 ,lay not up for yourselves treasure on the earth1 where rust and moth doth corrupt1 and where thieves break through and steal4 ,one of the chief things which we learnt in the world's lesson-book was to mistrust our fellow men1 and to be ready to resent an injury when discovered4 ,in ,christ's school the lesson is quite different1 we are told to love our neighbour as ourself1 and more than this1 to love our enemies4 ,there are some here to-day1 perhaps1 who are very old scholars of the world's school4 ,they have got all its lessons by heart1 they can repeat its selfish maxims1 and practise its hard teachings4 ,my brothers1 ,god grant that you may find out how greatly your education has been neglected6 ,god grant that you may learn1 before it is too late1 how little you know about the things which concern your peace4 ,you1 who have grown grey in the great world school1 learning its sordid1 selfish lessons1 grinding away at its daily tasks1 adding up your sums of addition1 and interest1 scanning the money table with eager eyes1 practising your skill in profit and loss1 and daily writing as your one copy--make money1 and be rich--to you1 ,i say1 come into ,christ's school to-day1 and see whose teaching is the better3 that of the world1 or that of the ,son of ,god4 ,there comes to every school a day of breaking up1 when the scholars go home4 ,one day a man is missed in the great world school4 ,his place is vacant4 ,the shutters are up at the shop1 or office1 the servants at the place of business speak in smothered whispers4 ,they miss the sound of the master's voice1 the echo of his step upon the stair4 ,he has learnt his last lesson in worldliness1 and his schooling is over4 ,the world has broken up1 as far as he is concerned1 and he has gone home4 ,but where8 ,he knew nothing beyond the world's lessons1 he never provided for another home4 ,what shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world1 and lose his own soul8 ,briefly1 then1 let us look at some of the chief lessons which we must learn in the school of ,jesus ,christ4 ,first1 we must learn to hate our old sins4 ,like ,david1 like ,s4 ,peter1 like every penitent1 when we think of the past we abhor ourselves1 and sit down among the ashes of humiliation4 ,like the ,prodigal1 we cry1 ,i am no more worthy to be called ,thy son4 ,if you find yourself taking pleasure in the thought of former sin1 boasting of your evil deeds1 be sure you are yet in your ignorance1 you have never learnt the alphabet of ,christ's lesson4 ,next1 we must learn to know our own weakness1 and our need of a ,saviour4 ,the world will not give us that lesson4 ,the world will tell us to make our own way1 to trust to ourselves1 to our cleverness1 and sharpness4 ,in ,christ's school we shall be taught our weakness1 and shall learn to say1 ,lord1 save me1 ,i perish4 ,another of the lessons we must learn is to conquer ourselves4 ,the world gives a great many instructions about conquering difficulties1 beating down obstacles1 overcoming enemies2 but it is ,christ's school alone which can show us how to conquer ourselves4 ,you have probably noticed the change in a young country lad after he has enlisted for a soldier1 and gone through his drill4 ,whereas he was a high-shouldered1 slouching1 ungainly figure1 now he has learnt to carry himself like a soldier1 he has conquered the old bad habits which he acquired by lounging in the lanes1 or plodding along the furrow4 ,my brethren1 we have all got our bad habits1 our ugly tempers1 our sharp tongues1 our discontented feelings1 and it is only the drill of ,christ's soldiers1 and the teachings in ,christ's school1 which will make us get the better of them4 ,christ's school will make a radical change in us4 ,jesus--our ,master--says1 behold ,i make all things new1 and we know that they who are in ,christ are become new creatures1 old things are passed away4 ,we may be quite sure that if we are ,christ's scholars we shall be changed people4 ,s4 ,paul tells us1 as he told the ,ephesians1 some of the marks of this change4 ,we shall learn to speak1 and act1 the truth4 ,putting away lying1 speak every man truth with his neighbour4 ,we shall learn to control our temper1--be ye angry1 and sin not4 ,let not the sun go down upon your wrath4 ,we shall learn to work1 and to work honestly1--let him that stole steal no more2 but rather let him labour1 working with his hands the thing which is good4 ,we shall learn to control our tongue1--let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth1 but that which is good to the use of edifying4 ,we shall learn to be kind and gentle to our neighbours1--let all bitterness and wrath1 and anger1 and clamour1 and evil-speaking1 be put away from you1 with all malice4 ,the great world school will teach us to practise these things1 but not the school of ,jesus4 ,there we shall learn to be kind one to another1 tender-hearted1 forgiving one another1 even as ,god1 for ,christ's sake hath forgiven us4 ,and we shall learn in ,christ's school to be brave4 ,the world school can teach us a certain kind of courage1 but not the highest1 nor the best4 ,the world can teach us how to resent an injury1 not how to forgive one4 ,it is in ,christ's school only that true heroes are made4 ,the world can make such soldiers as ,caesar1 or ,napoleon1 but the school of ,christ alone can make a ,havelock or a ,gordon4 ,i have read of a poor boy who came to school with a patch on his clothes4 ,one of his schoolmates singled him out for ridicule and insult2 and the boy answered--do you suppose ,i am ashamed of my patch8 ,i am thankful to a good mother for keeping me out of rags1 and ,i honour my patch for her sake4 ,all the noble army of martyrs1 of every rank and kind1 learnt the secret of their courage in the school of ,christ1 and have left us an example to follow4 ,by all the martyrs1 and the dear dead ,christ2 ,by the long bright roll of those whom joy enticed ,with her myriad blandishments1 but could not win1 ,who would fight for victory1 but would not sin2 ,by these our elder brothers1 who have gone before ,and have left their trail of light upon our shore1 ,we can see the glory of a seeming shame1 ,we can feel the fulness of an empty name4 ,my brothers1 it may be there are some here now who have not so learned ,christ4 ,who have been in the world's school from the beginning1 and have grown weary of its selfishness1 and its hollow maxims4 ,if it be so1 pray now that ,jesus1 the ,great ,teacher1 may give you a new heart1 and a new mind1 bow the proud head1 and bend the unwilling knee1 say to the ,lord--,lord ,jesu1 make me as a little child1 let me come to school to-night4 ,,sermon ,,lv4 ,,wary ,,walking4 7,twentieth ,sunday after ,trinity47 ,,ephesians v4 #ae4 ,see then that ye walk circumspectly4 ,some people tell us that salvation is the easiest thing in the world4 ,we have only to feel that we believe in ,jesus ,christ1 and all is done4 ,now neither ,jesus ,christ ,himself1 nor the ,apostles whom ,he sent to teach1 tell us anything of the kind4 ,on the contrary1 our ,saviour1 whilst ,he dwells on the fulness and freedom of salvation1 offered to all without money1 and without price1 tells us that many are called1 but few chosen4 ,he warns us in to-day's ,gospel that when the ,king makes ,his ,great ,wedding ,feast of salvation numbers make light of it1 and go their way to their farm1 and their merchandise4 ,he shows us how1 when the ,bridegroom cometh suddenly4 ,he finds half of the virgins in darkness1 their lamps gone out1 and ,he commands us to watch1 because we know not the day nor the hour of the ,lord's coming4 ,he tells us also that the way of life eternal is a narrow way1 and the gate of salvation a strait gate1 whilst the road to eternal ruin is broad1 and easy4 ,our ,lord bids us strive to enter in at the narrow gate1 and assures us that few there be who find it4 ,now all this does not put the ,christian life before us as a life of idleness1 and inaction2 nor does it describe salvation as a very easy thing4 ,both ,jesus and ,his holy ,apostles tell us that we must strive1 climb1 fight1 run the race patiently1 walk circumspectly1 watch1 pray1 arm ourselves1 have on a wedding garment2 a very different doctrine this from that dangerous1 do-nothing creed1 which some would have us accept4 ,i think ,s4 ,paul had the narrow way and the strait gate in his mind1 when he told his followers to walk circumspectly1 looking around them1 minding their steps1 proceeding with care and caution4 ,it used to be said of old that all roads led to ,rome1 because she was the capital of the world4 ,and nowadays1 in the most remote country place in ,england1 you will find a road which leads to ,london4 ,but all roads do not lead to ,heaven4 ,some foolish people like to believe that they can travel anyway they please1 and yet reach ,heaven at last4 ,they love to imagine that they can hold to any doctrine1 however false and extravagant1 and set up a gospel of their own1 and yet find the way to ,heaven4 ,there are some who choose to walk in a way which seems right in their eyes1 a way of selfishness1 and pride1 and obstinacy2 they will have their own way1 they tell us4 ,yes1 but it is not ,god's way1 and it does not lead to ,heaven4 ,there are just two roads from this life to the life to come1 no more4 ,the narrow way of ,god's commandments1 ending in the strait gate which opens on ,heaven2 and the broad road of sin1 terminating in the wide gate of ,hell4 ,let us think of some of the rules by which we must walk in the narrow way4 ,we must walk humbly4 ,it is a narrow way remember1 and if we walk with our heads lifted up by pride1 we shall miss our footing1 and slip from the path4 ,the gate1 too1 is strait1 or narrow4 ,it is like one of those low-pitched1 narrow entrances which you may still see in old buildings1 and which were common once in all our ancient towns4 ,a traveller could not get through these gates unless he bent his head1 and bowed his shoulders4 ,so1 my brothers1 if we wish to enter into the gate of life eternal we must do so with bowed head1 and with an humble1 lowly1 penitent1 and obedient heart4 ,pride cast ,satan out of ,heaven1 pride locks the door of life against many a man now4 ,an unbeliever once asked1 with a sneer1 who made the devil4 ,and he was answered that ,god made him what he was1 and that he had made himself what he is4 ,so is it with us all4 ,god makes us ,his children1 heirs of ,heaven1 and we too often1 by our foolish pride1 make ourselves into devils4 ,believe me1 the gate of life eternal is far too narrow to admit us with the great swelling garment of pride puffed out on all sides of us4 ,next1 if we walk along the narrow way we must not overload ourselves4 ,there are some burdens which we must bear1 but the dear ,lord1 who laid them upon us1 will give us strength to carry them4 ,it is the burden of the world's making which will hinder us4 ,we see a man who wants to walk in the right way1 who hopes to pass through the narrow gate1 who has so loaded himself with worldly things that he goes staggering along1 till at length he slips off on to the broad road to destruction4 ,he is like one escaping from a shipwreck1 who tries to swim ashore with all his money bags1 and is sunk to the bottom by their weight4 ,sometimes people1 coming home from abroad1 bring with them a quantity of smuggled goods1 and their clothes are all padded with laces1 and other ill-gotten gear4 ,what happens8 ,they are stopped at a narrow gate1 and stripped of all their load before they are permitted to return home4 ,so1 my brothers1 if you would pass the gate which leads home1 to the rest which remaineth for the people of ,god1 you must not overload yourselves with this world's gear4 ,you must not fill up your thoughts with your business1 and drag that burden with you to the very edge of the ,churchyard mould4 ,you are just blocking up the way to eternal life with your bales of goods1 your manufactures1 your business books4 ,some of you are blocking ,god's highway with the waggons of worldly commerce1 others with the gay chariot of frivolous pleasure4 ,here is a woman trying to walk in the narrow way4 ,she has a crowd of children hanging upon her skirts4 ,she has tried to be a good mother1 but she has let the cares and plans for her children draw her away from ,god1 and we see her dragged from the narrow way by those whom she ought to have helped along it4 ,believe me1 it is not open1 notorious evil-doers who form the majority on the broad road to destruction4 ,it is not the murderer1 the thief1 the drunkard1 the adulterer1 the unbeliever1 who crowd that down-hill road4 ,they are there with the rest1 but they are outnumbered by those whom the world calls very respectable4 ,amid that crowd of all ages and ranks1 there are those who have attended our ,church ,services1 and knelt at our ,altars1 some of them do so still4 ,they have no vulgar vices1 they never swear1 or exceed moderation in food and drink1 they have wives and families1 and they pay their way like respectable householders4 ,and yet1--,oh6 the pity of it--they are travelling on the broad road4 ,it is not open2 disgraceful sin which has placed them there1 but just worldliness4 ,the dust of the world has filled up every corner of their life1 and they have no room for ,god4 ,the windows of their soul are so begrimed with the dust and cobwebs of this life that the sunshine of ,god's ,holy ,spirit cannot shine through them4 ,one is so taken up with his farm that his heart and soul seemed buried in the soil of it4 ,the ,gospel message rings in his ear1 but he makes light of it4 ,another is so occupied with his merchandise1 with making1 and getting1 that he has no time to see how it stands with his soul1 no time to think of the account to be rendered to ,god when all earthly accounts are closed for ever4 ,one is so eager to obtain a good position for himself1 or his children1 in the world1 that he utterly neglects to fit himself1 or them1 for a place in the world to come4 ,with some the idol is work1 with others pleasure1 but in either case they worship an idol1 and not ,god4 ,there are women whose minds are so taken up with the latest fashion1 and the newest dress1 that they have neglected the white garment of holiness1 and forgotten the old1 old fashion--death4 ,my brothers1 my sisters1 take heed4 ,it is not so much the coarse vices of the brutal and ignorant which ruin souls1 as the selfish worldliness of those who ought to know better4 ,if you are living for self1 for work1 for pleasure1 for society1 for anything but ,god1 then1 in spite of your respectable name1 and your outward forms of religion1 you have slipped from the narrow way which leads to life eternal4 ,if you are determined to make this world your ,heaven1 you must not be astonished if you are shut out of ,heaven in the world to come4 ,if these poor worldly folk could only see the end1 could only understand now how hollow and worthless1 and disappointing1 the things of this world are at the last1 they would cast aside every weight1 and strive to regain the narrow way of ,god's commandments4 ,history is full of instances of those who found1 some too late1 that the pleasures of the world are worthless4 ,how melancholy is the declaration of one who says1 ,i have dragged on to thirty-three4 ,what have all those years left to me8 ,nothing except three and thirty4 ,diocletian the ,emperor tells us that he is happier planting cabbages at ,salona1 than ruling the world at ,byzantium4 ,another ,emperor1 ,severus1 declares that he has held every position in life from the lowest to the highest1 and found no good in any4 ,look into the history of ,france1 and see what the world gave to ,madame de ,pompadour at the last4 ,she had sacrificed virtue and honour for the glitter of the court of ,louis ,,xv4 ,and now in the latter days she tells us that she has no inclination for the things which once pleased her4 ,her magnificent house in ,paris was refurnished in the most lavish style1 and it only pleased her for two days6 ,her country residence was charming1 and she alone could not endure it4 ,they told her all the gossip of the gay world1 and she scarcely understood their meaning4 ,my life1 she says1 is a continual death4 ,at last the end came4 ,and as they carried her to her burial1 the king1 who had once professed to love her1 said with utter unconcern--,the ,countess will have a fine day4 ,this is what the world gave to ,madame de ,pompadour4 ,my brethren1 ,i have been striking the old notes to-day1 and re-telling an oft-told story4 ,but sin and sorrow are ever the same1 and the one great concern of your life and mine is the same as when ,jesus died for us on ,calvary4 ,let us take heed to our ways1 and see on which road we are journeying4 ,if we have gone out of the way ,jesus will bring us back1 if we want to come back4 ,ask ,him1 brothers1 ask ,him now4 ,pray as perhaps you never prayed before4 ,true prayer is not the imposing sound ,which clamorous lips repeat2 ,but the deep silence of a soul ,that clasps ,jehovah's feet4 ,strive to enter in at the strait gate4 ,for wide is the gate1 and broad is the way1 which leadeth to destruction1 and many there be who go in thereat4 ,,sermon ,,lvi4 ,,strong ,,christians4 7,twenty-first ,sunday after ,trinity47 ,,ephesians vi4 #aj4 ,my brethren1 be strong in the ,lord1 ,a weak and cowardly soldier is a pitiful object1 but a weak-kneed1 cowardly ,christian is still more so4 ,s4 ,paul told the ,ephesian ,christians to be strong in the ,lord1 and in these days especially we need strong ,christians1 strong ,churchmen4 ,i do not mean that we want men to presume on their strength1 to repeat the sin of the ,pharisee of old1 and talk of their righteousness1 or condemn their neighbours4 ,i do not mean that we must be noisy and violent1 and quarrelsome in our religion4 ,none of these things are a proof of strength4 ,a giant of power is ever the gentlest1 having the hand of steel in the glove of silk4 ,so the stronger a ,christian is the more humbly he bears himself4 ,a writer of the day says very truly1 if the world wants iron dukes1 and iron men1 ,god wants iron saints4 ,much of the unbelief and indifference of these days is caused by the weakness of professing ,christians4 ,when a man can point to a soldier of ,christ who has deserted his post1 and fled from the battle1 it is no wonder that he hesitates to join an army which has such weak and cowardly warriors4 ,when the enemies of the ,church can show us unprincipled ,churchmen1 who have no firm faith in the doctrines which they profess1 who have drifted away from their moorings1 and1 like ships without ballast1 are blown about by every wind1 it is not surprising if these enemies still remain outside the ,church4 ,can we marvel that some should sneer at ,holy ,baptism1 when they can name those who have tried to wash out the sign of the ,cross with every kind of sin8 ,can we marvel that they make light of ,confirmation1 when we have so many who have been confirmed going back from holiness1 forsaking their ,church1 and joining the world1 the flesh1 and the devil8 ,or need we wonder that they neglect the ,blessed ,sacrament of the ,altar1 and try to keep others from it1 if they lay their finger on the ,communicant whose life is bad8 ,my brothers1 we need to set our own house in order1 we of the ,church are as a city on a hill1 men look at us1 and woe unto us if the light within us be darkness4 ,what we want are strong ,christians to set a strong example4 ,teaching1 argument1 may do much with a careless world1 but the example of a consistent1 holy1 life will do far more4 ,brethren1 be ye strong1 first of all1 in ,faith4 ,be quite sure that you do believe2 be quite clear what you believe1 and then show your faith strongly4 ,our faith is not built on sand1 but on a rock4 ,it is not founded on such words as--perhaps1 ,i suppose1 ,i hope4 ,no1 the ,creed of the ,church says1 ,i believe4 ,there are crowds of people outside who will all tell you what they do not believe4 ,there is the infidel who says he does not believe in ,god4 ,there is the man who says he believes in ,god1 but not in the ,blessed ,trinity4 ,there is one who tells you that he believes in ,jesus ,christ1 but not as ,god1 only as ,man4 ,then comes another and declares that he does not believe in eternal punishment4 ,one says that he does not believe we are born again in ,holy ,baptism1 another will not believe in the ,baptism of infants4 ,some will not believe in ,bishops1 and others refuse to credit any sect but their own4 ,but the ,church says plainly and boldly1 ,i believe4 ,the ,faith once delivered to the saints1 the ,faith which ,jesus taught to the first ,apostles1 the ,faith which ,s4 ,paul preached1 and for which he died1 is ours4 ,let us hold fast to it in unity of spirit1 in the bond of peace1 and in righteousness of life4 ,be ready to give a reason for the faith that is in you4 ,there are mysteries which none of us can understand1 but1 thank ,god1 we can believe4 ,and we must show this faith of ours not only by believing in the doctrines of the ,church1 but by putting our full trust and confidence in the mercies of ,god4 ,where is the use of talking about our faith if we are poor1 fearful1 unhappy people8 ,if our faith is not strong enough to let us trust ,god for to-morrow it is not worth having4 ,it is the melancholy1 over-anxious1 troubled about many things ,christian1 who is always anticipating misfortunes1 who does so much harm4 ,brethren1 trust ,god all in all1 be strong in the ,lord1 be strong in your faith4 ,next1 brethren1 be ye strong in your language4 ,now1 do not misunderstand me4 ,i do not mean that you are to copy those who1 in pulpit and on platform1 declare their favourite views and theories in words of the most violent and intemperate kind4 ,but ,i do mean that when the time comes to speak out1 you should speak boldly and plainly4 ,let the world know that you do believe in the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 and the doctrines of ,his ,church1 and that you are not ashamed to own it4 ,never be afraid to show your colours1 or to declare the name of your ,leader4 ,when ,lord ,nelson was going into his last battle1 they wished him to cover1 or lay aside1 the glittering orders of victory which adorned his breast4 ,but the hero refused1 and perhaps his refusal cost him his life4 ,well1 let us never hide the marks of our profession as ,christian soldiers1 even if we have to suffer1 let men know that we bear about in our bodies the marks of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,oh6 we want these strong ,christians in shop1 and factory1 in omnibus1 and railway carriage1 in soldiers' barrack-room1 in schoolboys' dormitory1 in servants' bed-chamber1--,christians who speak out strongly for ,jesus4 ,again1 brethren1 be strong in self-sacrifice for ,jesus4 ,we must not forget our cross4 ,the surest mark of a ,christian is a willingness to deny ourselves for the sake of others4 ,let me tell you the stories of two simple servant maids who1 under very different circumstances1 gave up their life for the life of little children4 ,the scene of the first story was in ,america1 nearly five and twenty years ago2 that of the second story was in ,london1 only a few weeks since4 ,a young ,english girl had taken service in a family going to ,america1 and her special duty was the charge of the three motherless children of her widowed master4 ,one cold day in ,december they all embarked in a great ,mississippi steamboat bound for the far ,north ,west4 ,day after day they steamed through the swollen river1 where pieces of ice were already showing1 past dark and gloomy shores1 lined with lonely forest4 ,one night1 near the end of their voyage1 the girl had seen her charges1 two girls and a boy1 safely asleep1 and now1 when all the other passengers had retired1 she was reading in the saloon4 ,suddenly the silence was broken by a terrible cry1 which told the frightened passengers that the steamboat was on fire4 ,the captain instantly ran the vessel for the shore1 and ordered the people to escape as best they could1 without waiting to dress4 ,the faithful servant had called her master1 and then carried the children from their beds to the crowded deck4 ,quickly the blazing vessel touched the muddy bank1 and the father placed the shivering children and the servant on one of the huge branches which overhung the river4 ,a few other passengers1 fifteen in all1 reached other branches1 the rest went down with the burning steamer4 ,but what hope could there be for the children1 just snatched from their warm beds1 and now exposed unclad to the bitter ,december night8 ,their father had no clothing to cover them1 and1 as he spoke of another steamer which would pass by in the morning1 he had little hope of his children holding out4 ,then the servant maid declared that if possible she would keep the little ones alive4 ,clinging in the darkness to the icy branches1 she stripped off her own clothing1 all but the thin garment next her body1 and wrapped up the shivering children4 ,thus they passed the long1 dark hours of that terrible night4 ,i know not what prayers were spoken1 but ,i know that ,jesus1 who suffered cold and hunger for our sakes1 made that servant girl strong to sacrifice herself4 ,during the night one of the children died1 but in the morning1 when the first light came1 the little girls were still alive4 ,then1 when her work was done1 the freezing limbs of the brave girl relaxed their hold1 a deadly sleep fell on her1 and she dropped silently into the rushing river below4 ,presently a steamer came in sight1 and the two children1 for whom she had died1 were safe4 ,only quite lately there was a great fire in ,london4 ,in the burning house were a husband and wife1 their children1 and a servant maid4 ,the parents perished in the flames1 but the servant appeared to the sight of the crowd below1 framed1 as it were1 in fire1 at a blazing window4 ,loudly shouted the excited crowd1 bidding the girl to save herself4 ,but she was thinking of others4 ,throwing a bed from the window1 she signalled to those below to stretch it out4 ,then1 darting into the burning room1 she brought one of the children of her employers1 and dropped it safely on to the bed4 ,fiercer grew the flames1 but again this humble heroine faced the fire1 and saved the other children4 ,then the spectators1 loudly cheering1 begged her to save herself4 ,but her strength was exhausted1 she faltered in her jump1 and was so injured that death soon came to her4 ,my brothers1 no one will raise a grand monument to ,emma ,willoughby1 and ,alice ,ayres1 who passed1 the one through water1 the other through fire1 for ,christ's dear sake4 ,but surely in ,god's great ,home of many mansions their names are written in letters of gold4 ,lastly1 brethren1 be strong in fighting the battle4 ,you know that life is a great battle-field4 ,and you know1 too1 that as ,christians yours is the good fight4 ,put on1 then1 the whole armour of ,god4 ,do not trust to any newly-invented weapons4 ,take the same armour in which ,s4 ,paul1 and many another veteran soldier of ,christ1 fought and conquered4 ,we wrestle not against flesh and blood4 ,no1 our battle is with ,satan and his hosts4 ,one of old says that we must strip if we would wrestle with the devil4 ,we must cast aside every weight1 strip us of all the hinderances1 and worldly cares1 which weigh us down2 and be clad in the spiritual armour of ,god4 ,hold fast to the old armour1 the shield of faith1 the breastplate of righteousness1 the sword of the ,spirit4 ,be strong in the strength of the ,holy ,ghost1 for your strength shall be made perfect in weakness4 ,stand1 as ,christ's soldiers1 side by side1 shoulder to shoulder1 with your faces to the foe4 ,when ,napoleon retreated from ,moscow1 and the main body had passed by1 the mounted ,cossacks hovered around the stragglers1 who1 overcome by cold and fatigue1 could only force their way slowly through the snow4 ,many a weary ,frenchman thus fell beneath the ,cossack lances4 ,presently a band of these fierce horsemen saw a dark object on the snowy plain1 and dashed towards it4 ,they were face to face with a small body of ,french who had formed into a square to resist them1 their bayonets at the charge4 ,the ,cossacks rode round and round1 seeking for a weak place for attack1 and finding none4 ,at length they charged the square1 and found it formed of frozen corpses4 ,the ,frenchmen had died whilst waiting for the foe4 ,brothers1 may death find us fighting the good fight4 ,be strong in the ,lord4 ,,sermon ,,lvii4 ,,the ,,forgiveness ,,of ,,sins4 7,twenty-second ,sunday after ,trinity47 ,s4 ,,matthew xviii4 #bh1 ,pay me that thou owest4 ,the ,gospel shows us in a parable a picture of a king who called his servants to a reckoning4 ,that ,king is the ,lord ,god ,almighty4 ,we are ,his servants1 and ,he calls us to account every day4 ,all we possess we owe as a debt to ,god4 ,day by day ,he gives us our food1 and supplies our wants by ,his good ,providence4 ,on every hour of our existence is written1 ,jehovah-,jireh--,the ,lord will provide4 ,day by day ,god takes care of us1 and shields us from danger4 ,he provides for our souls as well as for our bodies1 and gives us the ministry of ,his ,church1 the grace of ,his ,sacraments1 the teaching of ,his ,bible1 the blessing of prayer4 ,and all these blessings are a debt which we owe to ,god1 and ,he is ever saying to us4 ,pay ,me that thou owest4 ,and how can we pay8 ,by doing what ,god bids us4 ,by using our gifts in ,his service4 ,we can give ,him worship1 not only worship in ,church1 but in all our everyday life and work1 doing all unto the glory of ,god4 ,we can show forth ,his praise not only with our lips but in our lives4 ,god has given us hands and brains to work with2 and ,he says1 ,pay ,me that thou owest4 ,that means that we must do good work1 honest work1 unselfish work1 because we owe our power to labour as a debt to ,god4 ,he has given us a voice1 and ,he says1 ,pay ,me that thou owest4 ,that means that we must use our voice to sing ,god's praise1 to maintain ,his honour1 to spread the truth of ,his ,gospel1 to comfort ,his people4 ,we must devote our voice to speaking good words1 and never defile it with vile language in the devil's service1 because it is a debt which we owe to ,god4 ,so with our health1 our strength1 our time1 for all these ,god reckons with ,his servants4 ,if we are misusing these things1 wasting our time1 devoting our strength to mere selfish1 worldly pursuits1 neglecting our opportunities1 terrible will be the final day of reckoning when ,god will say for the last time1 ,pay ,me that thou owest4 ,we read in the parable of to-day's ,gospel that one of the king's servants owed him ten thousand talents4 ,this was so vast a sum that no man could possibly pay it4 ,in that servant we see ourselves4 ,we owe a debt to ,god which we cannot pay4 ,the wages of sin is death1 and as sinners we are like the servant1 we owe a vast debt1 and we have not wherewithal to pay4 ,nothing that we can do will put away our sin1 or excuse us from the penalty4 ,that servant in the parable prayed his lord to have patience1 saying that he would pay all4 ,we may think foolishly that we can pay the debt of old sins by leading good lives now4 ,but it may not be4 ,if a man owes money he is not excused the debt because now he pays his way4 ,our sins are the great debt of ten thousand talents4 ,god's law is written in the ten commandments1 and we have broken them a thousand times4 ,we cannot pay4 ,the king in his mercy forgave the servant4 ,so ,god forgives us through the merits and mediation of ,jesus ,christ4 ,he paid the debt which we cannot pay1 ,he bore our sins1 the sin of ,adam born with us1 and the actual sins of our lives1 on the ,cross of ,calvary4 ,his ,blood was the price which paid the debt4 ,when we are baptised we are baptised into ,his ,death1 and the sin of ,adam is forgiven4 ,when we repent truly of a sin of our own committing1 we are made partakers in the benefits of ,his ,passion4 ,when we come devoutly to ,holy ,communion our sinful bodies are made clean by ,christ's ,body1 and our souls washed in ,his most ,precious ,blood1 and our sins are forgiven us4 ,but the parable not only teaches us our need of pardon1 and the fulness of ,god's mercy1 but the necessity of forgiving each other4 ,the servant who owed the vast debt was pardoned4 ,yet he would not forgive his fellow servant who owed him a trifling sum4 ,the story of the unmerciful servant is being repeated everywhere around us4 ,we see men crying to ,god for mercy--poor1 sinful1 debtors1 bankrupts1 who have not wherewithal to pay4 ,every day we are obliged to confess that we owe a debt to ,god1 and cannot pay it4 ,and every day the ,lord of mercy and love forgives us our debt4 ,yes1 but only on certain conditions4 ,god has ,himself taught us to say1 ,forgive us our debts1 as we forgive our debtors4 ,if we are unmerciful servants1 refusing to our fellow men what ,god gives us1 ,he will treat us as ,he treated the servant of the parable4 ,he had forgiven him all1 but now ,he withdraws ,his pardon1 and delivers him to the tormentors4 ,a man with an unforgiving spirit1 who nourishes hatred and revenge against a neighbour1 is already possessed by a devil1 and his future must be spent in the society of devils4 ,and now bring the matter home to your own individual cases4 ,are you nourishing bitter1 unforgiving feelings against anyone who has injured you8 ,is there anyone whose success annoys you1 and whose misfortune would give you pleasure8 ,are you thinking of some wrong done to you1 some hard word spoken about you1 some unjust judgment passed on you2 and are you hoping that a day may come when the person who has so acted1 or spoken1 may suffer for it8 ,my brothers1 if so1 you are just so many unmerciful servants1 going through the world1 and seizing your brother-sinners by the throat1 and saying--,pay me that thou owest4 ,give up calling yourselves ,christians1 give up asking ,god to pardon you1 unless you can freely and fully forgive your brethren the little debts of this little world4 ,a certain king of ,france said that nothing smelt so sweet as the dead body of an enemy4 ,and there are people among us now who tell us that revenge is sweet4 ,but it is false4 ,to forgive is sweet1 is blessed1 to hate brings only the remorse of devils4 ,but you tell me it is so hard to forgive sometimes4 ,so it is1 but the greater the pardon given the greater the blessing4 ,and remember that forgiveness must not be measured1 and stinted1 but free1 and full4 ,we must not say1 ,i will forgive him this once1 but never more4 ,s4 ,peter asked ,jesus how often he should pardon a brother's sin1 and suggested seven times4 ,the ,jewish teachers said that after three faults men need not forgive4 ,s4 ,peter was in advance of them1 but the ,lord's answer must have astonished him1--until seventy times seven1 that meant always1 without stint1 or measure4 ,and remember also1 that forgiveness must be real and true4 ,we may not forgive with our lips1 and bear malice in our hearts4 ,such sham forgiveness is only too common4 ,a man was lying on his sick bed1 and the clergyman by his side was urging him to be reconciled to some one who had injured him4 ,after much persuasion the man said1 ,if ,i die ,i will forgive him1 but if ,i live he had better keep out of my way4 ,and again1 our forgiveness must be willing1 not forced from us4 ,as says our greatest poet-- the quality of mercy is not strain'd2 ,it droppeth1 as the gentle rain from ,heaven1 ,upon the place beneath3 it is twice blessed2 ,it blesseth him that gives1 and him that takes3 ,tis mightiest in the mightiest4 ,a boy1 nearly broken-hearted with grief1 stood by his mother's coffin4 ,oh6 let me see my dear mother once more1 only once more1 he pleaded4 ,a man who was about to screw down the coffin-lid thrust him aside with brutal violence1 and even struck the orphan child4 ,years afterwards that man stood in the dock1 to be tried for his life as a murderer4 ,he had no counsel to defend him1 but just as the case commenced a young barrister rose in court1 and offered his services to the prisoner4 ,his speech for the defence was so eloquent1 and so convincing1 that the prisoner was acquitted4 ,outside the court he turned to thank his preserver4 ,the stranger looked at him steadily1 and said1 ,do you remember years ago1 driving a poor1 broken-hearted boy from his mother's coffin with a curse and a blow8 ,i was that boy4 ,the man was overwhelmed with shame and confusion4 ,why have you given me my life8 he asked4 ,to show you1 answered the other1 that ,i can forgive4 ,oh6 my brothers1 if we would find pardon for our many sins1 let us ask ,him who prayed for ,his murderers to teach us how to forgive4 ,walk with care 'mid human spirits1 ,walk for blessing1 not for ban2 ',twere better never to have lived1 ,than lived to curse a deathless man4 ,,sermon ,,lviii4 ,,the ,,freedom ,,of ,,the ,,city4 7,twenty-third ,sunday after ,trinity47 ,,phil4 iii4 #bj4 ,our conversation is in ,heaven4 ,people often fail to get at the meaning of this glorious text because they mistake that word conversation4 ,really the text means--our citizenship is in ,heaven1 we belong to the ,eternal ,city4 ,once ,s4 ,paul declared with pride that he was a ,roman citizen2 and when the ,chief ,captain in surprise declared that he himself had purchased that privilege at a great price1 the ,apostle answered1 but ,i was free born4 ,every ,christian has the right to call himself a citizen of ,heaven1 and to declare that he is free born4 ,when in ,holy ,baptism we were born again of water1 and of the ,holy ,ghost1 the freedom of the ,city was given to us1 and we were made a peculiar people1 citizens of the ,heavenly ,jerusalem1 with all the privileges1 and all the responsibilities1 belonging to such a position4 ,get this glorious fact into your minds1 brethren1 not that you are going to belong to ,heaven1 but that you do belong to it now4 ,here in earth you are foreigners1 strangers and pilgrims4 ,here ,god's ,israel is in exile by the waters of ,babylon1 ,jerusalem on high1 the ,heavenly ,sion1 is yonder1 and that is home4 ,heaven is yours now1 if you forfeit it1 if you lose your inheritance1 it will be from your own fault1 your own sin4 ,first1 ,i think that the fact of ,heaven being our home should make us love it4 ,sometimes we find people who have willingly settled in a foreign country1 and done their best to forget the manners and language of their native land4 ,but such cases are very rare4 ,if you meet with an ,englishman out in the ,colonies1 he always speaks of the old country as home4 ,even colonists who have been born in our foreign settlements1 and have never seen ,england1 speak of going home when they visit it4 ,in many an ,australian hut1 or ,new ,zealand farm1 there is a swelling of the heart1 or a glistening in the eyes1 as the faded flowers drop from the home letter4 ,the flowers are poor enough1 and dead enough1 but they once grew in a home garden1 or blossomed in an ,english meadow4 ,one of our great novelists tells us how two men in ,australia walked many weary miles only to listen to the song of the skylark4 ,that homely bird was precious in their eyes because it reminded them of home4 ,i have read that when ,swiss soldiers are abroad1 they are not allowed to play1 or listen to1 their national airs4 ,the music reminds them of their cow-bells ringing among the fair valleys and mountains of their native land1 and under its influence some have deserted the army1 and some even died of grief4 ,the ,german loves to talk of the ,fatherland1 and has a word in his language which very strongly expresses home-sickness4 ,talk to a ,scotsman about the beauties of ,venice1 or ,rome1 and he will tell you that you should see ,edinburgh1 or ,aberdeen4 ,speak to an ,irishman of the wonders of the tropics1 and he will at once begin the praises of the ,green ,isle4 ,the love of home is the very root and core of our nature4 ,well1 if we love our earthly home1 where we stay for so short a time1 where1 after all1 we are but strangers and pilgrims1 we ought still more to love ,heaven1 whose citizens we are4 ,a child was once asked where his home was1 and answered with eyes full of love--,where mother is4 ,brothers1 our home is where ,jesus is4 ,next1 ,i think we ought to be proud of being citizens of so fair a city as ,heaven4 ,a ,greek of old was proud to belong to a country which could boast of the learning of ,athens1 the wisdom of ,plato1 the courage of ,leonidas4 ,if a ,roman in former days was asked to do a mean1 or dishonourable action1 it was enough for him to answer1 ,i am a ,roman citizen6 ,a burgess of ,london ,city to-day is proud of the position which he holds1 and of the rights and privileges gained by many an ancient charter of freedom4 ,but what ought we to think of the privileges and glory of belonging to that ,city which is ,god's ,home2 of being fellow citizens with the saints in light2 of claiming as our brethren that great multitude which no man can number8 ,each town and city of earth is proud of its most famous citizens1 but what city can show such names as our ,city1 ,jerusalem on high8 ,what streets are crowded with such a goodly company as the streets of ,heaven8 ,all that is great and good1 glorious1 pure1 gentle1 self-sacrificing1 finds a place in ,heaven4 ,mighty ,preachers and ,apostles1 like ,s4 ,paul or ,s4 ,chrysostom2 simple girls1 like ,naaman's maid1 or ,veronica1 the farm-servant2 brave women who died martyrs for ,jesus in the ,arena1 and those who lived as witnesses for ,jesus1 like ,grace ,darling1 and ,florence ,nightingale1 and ,sister ,dora2 these1 and such as these1 of whom the time would fail me to tell1 form the company of ,heaven4 ,whatsoever things are true1 whatsoever things are honest1 whatsoever things are just1 whatsoever things are pure1 whatsoever things are lovely1 think on these things4 ,and think1 too1 ',tis mine1 'tis mine1 that country1 if ,i but persevere4 ,we must remember1 however1 that a citizen has certain duties1 as well as rights and privileges1 and if he neglects the former he forfeits the latter4 ,we1 as citizens of ,heaven1 though exiles here in earth1 have certain duties and responsibilities laid upon us2 if we fail to perform them1 we lose our position as ,god's people4 ,when an ,englishman goes abroad to a foreign country he is at once recognised4 ,when the foreigner sees the reckless courage1 the cool daring1 the love of adventure1 displayed by his visitor1 he says at once1 that is an ,englishman4 ,we are here in a strange land1 does the world take notice of us as those who belong to ,jesus8 ,does the world recognise us1 by our manners1 and way of life1 as citizens of ,heaven8 ,think of some of the duties laid upon us as those who have received the freedom of the ,city4 ,we are bound1 first of all1 to keep ourselves1 as far as possible1 unspotted from the world4 ,we must live in the world for a time1 but we must not be of it4 ,if an ,englishman were compelled to live for a season among savages1 whose habits were horrible and disgusting1 he would take care not to become like them4 ,he would think of himself as being a civilized man1 to whom the manners of the people were revolting1 and he would endeavour1 whilst avoiding their example1 to set them a better4 ,so should a ,christian man be in the world4 ,he cannot avoid seeing and hearing much that is evil4 ,but let him take care lest1 like ,israel of old1 he mingles with the unbeliever1 and learns their ways4 ,let him remember that he is a citizen of ,heaven1 and that he has no more right to take part in the frauds1 and lies1 and impurity of the world1 than ,lot had to join in the abominations of ,sodom4 ,a ,christian man should stand above the waves of this troublesome world1 as a lighthouse stands above the tumbling billows of the sea4 ,and1 like that beacon1 he should give forth a warning light1 clear1 bright1 and steady4 ,next1 as citizens of ,heaven1 we are bound to work for our ,heavenly ,master4 ,no matter that we are in a foreign workshop here in this world1 no matter that we are employed by earthly masters1 one ,master is ours1 and ,he is in ,heaven4 ,we must be busy about our ,father's business1 we must do all1 looking unto ,jesus4 ,suppose that the ,queen were passing through this parish1 and were to stop at one of your homes1 say that of a cabinetmaker4 ,and suppose that she were to order him to make her a cabinet after a particular pattern4 ,well1 the man would be very much flattered at the order1 and you may be sure he would take the greatest pains to put good work into the cabinet4 ,you see it is for the ,queen1 he would say to his neighbour1 in explanation of his extra care4 ,now1 my brothers1 whatever kind of work we have to do1 we ought to do it as well as we can1 saying to ourselves1 it is for the ,king of kings1 you see4 ,oh6 if men would only remember that1 then there would be no more cheating1 and swindling1 and lying in trade2 no more labourers and artizans scamping their work1 putting in bad material1 working short time1 and committing the endless dishonest acts which disgrace a ,christian land4 ,try to remember that whatever you have to do1 you are working for ,god1 you are a citizen of ,heaven1 and to your ,heavenly ,master must the account be rendered4 ,there shall enter into ,heaven nothing that maketh a lie4 ,if our lives are not quite genuine and honest here1 we are locking ourselves out of ,heaven4 ,let us1 as citizens of no mean city1 keep aloof from the hypocrite1 the teller or maker of a lie1 and speak every man truth with his neighbour4 ,again1 ,i think that as citizens of ,heaven1 we ought to take very good heed to our words4 ,you know how our streets and lanes in this world are defiled and made hideous by vile language4 ,can you fancy that sort of talk in the streets of the ,heavenly ,city8 ,no1 there shall not enter there anything that defileth1 peace is upon her palaces4 ,the swearing tongue1 the impure tongue1 the angry tongue1 can find no place there4 ,the cruel1 slandering tongue talks many a soul into ruin1 for they have no room for the scandal-monger in ,heaven4 ,let us guard our speech1 brethren1 let us remember that1 as ,heavenly citizens1 our lips should be sanctified by the fire of ,god's ,altar4 ,whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue1 keepeth his soul from troubles4 ,once more1 as citizens of ,heaven1 we must keep our home ever fresh in our minds4 ,here we are strangers in a strange land4 ,you know how we ,english abroad always cling to anything which reminds us of home4 ,the settler in the ,australian ,bush keeps ,christmas ,day beneath the burning summer sky exactly as he always kept it amid the snow and ice of an ,english winter4 ,when letters come1 how eagerly are they read if they come from home6 ,many a rough miner on the other side of the world grows gentler as he looks at the faded photograph1 or the yellow note paper2 they remind him of home4 ,well1 here in earth1 far from our ,heavenly home1 we have certain means of keeping its memory fresh4 ,we can go to ,god's ,holy ,church1 and there join with ,angels and ,archangels and all the company of ,heaven in praise and adoration of our ,king4 ,we can read our ,bible1 and then we gaze1 as it were1 upon the picture of ,saviour ,jesus1 and upon the faces of our brother citizens who have entered by the gates of pearl4 ,we can pray1 and so send a message to our ,city1 and get an answer back again1 a blessing coming like a sweet flower sent from the fields of ,paradise4 ,when our soldiers do noble deeds abroad1 their thought is--what will they say in ,england8 ,let us do our duty here in a strange land1 thinking--what will they say in ,heaven8 ,my brother1 my sister1 let this thought help you to struggle against temptation--,i must walk worthy of my vocation1 ,i am a citizen of ,heaven4 ,,sermon ,,lix4 ,,thankful ,,service4 7,twenty-fourth ,sunday after ,trinity47 ,,col4 i4 #ab4 ,giving thanks4 ,in one of our northern coal-pits there was a little boy employed in a lonely and dangerous part of the mine4 ,one day a visitor to the coal-pit asked the boy about his work1 and the child answered1 ,yes1 it is very lonely here1 but ,i pick up the little bits of candle thrown away by the colliers1 and join them together1 and when ,i get a light ,i sing4 ,my brothers1 every day of our lives we are picking up blessings which the loving ,hand of ,god has scattered around1 every day we get the light1 but how many of us sing8 ,i want to talk to you about the duty and blessing of thankfulness1 and how it can be shown4 ,gratitude is the root of all true ,christian service and worship4 ,if we go to ,church1 and give money for religious purposes1 only because we want to stand well with ,god1 or to get something from ,him1 our service is mere selfishness4 ,we are like people buying votes to get themselves into a charitable asylum4 ,all we do in the service of ,god should be done from a motive of thankfulness4 ,the thought should be1 ,what shall ,i render unto the ,lord for all ,his benefits8 ,if a man does the state some great service we give him a pension1 or a statue4 ,it is nothing very much1 but we do what we can to show our gratitude4 ,during the last ,american ,war a farmer was discovered one day kneeling by the grave of a soldier lately killed in battle4 ,he was asked if the dead man were his son1 and answered that the soldier was no relation3 and then he told his story4 ,the farmer1 who had a sickly wife1 and several children1 was drafted for the army1 and had no one who could carry on his farm1 or take care of his family1 whilst he went to the war4 ,whilst he was overwhelmed with trouble1 the son of a neighbour came forward1 and said1 ,i have no one depending on me1 ,i will go to the war in your place4 ,he went1 and was killed in action1 and the farmer had travelled many a weary mile to kneel beside his grave1 and to carve on the headstone the words--,died for me4 ,brethren1 what ought our gratitude to be to the ,lord ,jesus1 who loved us1 and died for us upon the ,cross of ,calvary8 ,true gratitude is shown by deeds as well as words4 ,we must try to show our thankfulness to ,god not only with our lips but in our lives4 ,too many people are content to get all they can from ,god1 and never to give anything in return4 ,they tell us that they are poor miserable sinners1 who can do nothing1 and give nothing1 they must leave all to the mercies of ,jesus4 ,now1 brethren1 this is very often mere selfishness4 ,they do not want to give anything to ,god1 they are not really thankful4 ,it is not true to say that we can give nothing to ,god4 ,we are bidden in the ,gospel to render unto ,caesar the things that are ,caesar's1 and to ,god the things that are ,god's4 ,we can all give ,god worship1 and we should give it in the best way possible1 as a token of our thankfulness4 ,it is for this reason that we build beautiful ,churches1 and decorate them with stained glass windows1 and rich carvings4 ,such ,churches are thank-offerings1 signs of our gratitude to ,him who on earth was homeless1 who was born in a stable1 who had not where to lay ,his head4 ,there are people who murmur at the expense of building and decorating such ,churches4 ,they say1 ,to what purpose was this waste8 ,they are very nearly related to ,judas ,iscariot of old1 who asked the same question1 and1 like him1 they love themselves1 and the money bag1 better than their ,master4 ,these people tell us that ,god does not care for handsome ,churches and stately services4 ,so they would give the ,almighty a white-washed building1 whilst they dwell in a fair and costly mansion4 ,they would have fine damask and soft covering for their table1 whilst they have dirty linen and a moth eaten cloth for the ,altar of their ,god4 ,they will drink out of cut-glass and silver at their feasts1 and they leave the feast of ,christ's dying love1 the ,blessed ,sacrament of praise and thanksgiving1 to be celebrated in vessels of base metal4 ,their houses are kept in excellent repair1 and cleansed by careful hands1 but they suffer the ,house of ,god to fall to decay1 and allow ,his ,presence ,chamber to be defiled with dirt4 ,and all this arises from a want of thankfulness to ,god4 ,if we are thankful we do not grudge what we give1 we feel that we can never do enough for ,him who has redeemed us4 ,but these people say1 ,god does not care for a beautiful ,church1 ,he loves simplicity4 ,where has ,god told us this8 ,david believed just the opposite4 ,he said that he was ashamed that he should dwell in a house of cedars1 whilst the ,ark of ,god dwelt among curtains4 ,you know how he was prevented from building the ,temple1 and how ,solomon did the work4 ,now1 did ,solomon act upon the mean principle of building a poor1 cheap house for ,god1 whilst he erected a gorgeous palace for himself8 ,no6 the ,temple was one of the most glorious buildings ever seen1 and those that were erected in later times were splendid also4 ,we find our ,blessed ,lord attending the ,temple services1 and those services were beautiful and elaborate4 ,there was nothing in the ,temple or its worship to suggest that ,god prefers the ugly1 white-washed building1 and the slovenly1 irreverent1 service which some would offer ,him4 ,if you love someone very dearly you do not visit him in your oldest and dirtiest garments1 you do not send him the cheapest present you can buy1 nor put up a roughly erected tombstone to his memory4 ,you give him the very best you have4 ,if you love ,god you will do the same to ,him4 ,again1 we show our thankfulness to ,god by giving ,him a hearty worship in ,his ,church4 ,i wonder how many people know exactly why they come to ,church at all4 ,some say they come to get good4 ,that is mere selfishness4 ,some say they come because it is respectable4 ,yes1 but worthless1 unless it means something more4 ,others would tell us1 if they were quite honest1 that they come to ,church because they want to stand well in the good opinion of the ,clergyman1 or with the ,squire4 ,this is sheer hypocrisy4 ,there is only one true reason for coming to ,church1--the fact that we love ,god1 and are grateful to ,him for all ,his mercies1 and want to show it4 ,we should come to ,church to worship ,god with the best member that we have2 we should come with the feeling--,i was glad when they said unto me we will go into the ,house of the ,lord2 ,i love the place1 ,o ,lord1 wherein ,thine honour dwells4 ,all slovenliness in the performance of the service1 all irreverence1 or signs of inattention1 and indifference1 are tokens of a want of thankfulness4 ,we should get this thought fixed in our minds when we enter ,church1--,i have come here to-day mainly to thank ,god for ,his great goodness to me1 and to all men4 ,i have come also to ask for certain things1 the forgiveness of my sins if ,i am truly penitent1 the help and strength of the ,holy ,spirit to renew my life2 ,i have come to ask for those things1 which are requisite and necessary as well for the body as the soul1 and ,i seek instruction in the lessons1 the ,gospel and ,epistle1 and the sermon4 ,but the chief object of my presence here is the worship1 the glory1 the honour of ,god4 ,and so ,i will give ,him the best ,i have4 ,if you once grasped that fact1 my brothers1 we should have no silent lips1 no sleepy eyes1 no lounging bodies1 no irreverent conduct in ,god's ,holy ,church4 ,remember ,god is present in ,his ,church1 therefore we must behave with the greatest humility and reverence4 ,in some ,churches you will see the people obstinately sitting throughout the service1 but if one of the ,royal ,family enters1 they all rise up4 ,now1 if we remember that the ,king of kings1 and ,lord of lords1 the only ,ruler of princes1 is present1 we shall stand up to do ,him honour4 ,it is defrauding ,god of the honour due to ,him when we refuse to show ,him marks of reverence4 ,do you know that in the ,house of ,lords it is always the rule for members to bow to the throne1 although it is empty1 as being the seat of the ,majesty of ,england4 ,we bow to the ,altar as being the throne of the ,most ,high ,god1 the place where ,he visits ,his people in the ,blessed ,sacrament4 ,there we should honour and reverence ,god1 in whose presence we are1 with the best members that we have4 ,our heads should bow in humility before the ,god of ,heaven and earth4 ,our knees should bend in adoration before ,him who is worshipped by the ,heavenly ,host4 ,our eyes should be fixed upon our ,prayer ,books that they may not wander4 ,our thoughts should be centred on the fact that ,god is there with us1 that we are in the presence-chamber of the great ,king4 ,our voices should be used to praise ,god in chant1 and psalm1 and hymn1 and to offer prayer or thanksgiving4 ,if we are silent we are defrauding ,god4 ,god's ,priest does not say1 let me pray for you1 he says1 let us pray4 ,we cannot worship ,god by proxy1 we cannot give ,god what ,he asks by means of a choir1 whilst the congregation is silent4 ,let us1 each one of us1 for the future1 remember why we have come to ,church1 and that it is our individual business to worship ,god with reverence and holy fear4 ,and in all you sing or say here1 be in earnest1 mean what you say4 ,it is an insult to ,god to say words which you do not believe1 or understand4 ,once in a certain ,church1 during ,lent1 an ,easter hymn had been put down by mistake1 and was sung very heartily by the choir4 ,the choirmaster after service spoke to the singers1 regretting that such a mistake should have occurred4 ,and he was answered1 ,oh1 it does not matter1 we only think of the tune1 and do not trouble about the words4 ,i am afraid that too many hymns are sung in the same careless fashion1 but if so1 they are not praise4 ,sing ye praises with understanding4 ,one word more2 we are bidden to render unto ,caesar what belongs to him1 and to ,god what is ,his4 ,this world has certain claims upon us4 ,part of our time and our money must be devoted to our business and our position in the world4 ,but not all of our time and money must be so given4 ,god claims ,his share1 and our gratitude for ,his mercies ought to make us gladly render unto ,god the things that are ,god's4 ,he claims a certain part of our time for ,his public worship in ,church4 ,if we stay away from ,his ,house1 or if1 when there1 we are careless1 and indifferent1 we are robbing ,god4 ,god claims a certain part of our money1 to be dedicated to the relief of the poor1 or the maintenance of ,his ,church4 ,if we spend all our money on the world we are defrauding ,god of ,his right4 ,may ,he grant us all more thankful hearts1 for ,jesus ,christ's sake4 ,,sermon ,,lx4 ,,gathering ,,the ,,fragments4 7,twenty-fifth ,sunday after ,trinity47 ,s4 ,,john vi4 #ab4 ,gather up the fragments that remain4 ,the fragments that remain6 ,what are they8 ,something more than the remnants of that miracle of feeding4 ,we have come to the last ,sunday of the ,church's year1 only a few more fragments1 a few more days1 remain1 and then ,advent will have come1 and we shall begin a new year4 ,again we shall hear the warning cry--,prepare to meet thy ,god4 ,brothers1 are we ready to meet ,him8 ,we are one year nearer the day when we must render in our account2 one year nearer the time when the ,master will come to reckon with ,his servants2 one year nearer the return of the ,bridegroom4 ,what of our lamps1 are they burning8 ,what of our talents1 have they yielded interest8 ,another year gone--eternity nearer by twelve months2 surely this is a solemn time for us all4 ,let us gather up the fragments of time that remain before ,advent4 ,do not put off making resolutions1 or giving up bad habits1 till next ,sunday4 ,we know not how few fragments of our life remain4 ,as says a ,bishop of our ,church1 they who dare lose a day are prodigals1 but those who dare misspend it are desperate4 ,time is the seed of eternity1 the less that remains the more valuable it becomes4 ,to squander time is to squander all4 ,the events of one brief day have often influenced a whole life1 aye1 a whole eternity4 ,the flight of a bird determined the career of ,mohammed2 a spider's spinning that of ,bruce2 and a tear in his mother's eye that of ,washington4 ,voltaire1 when only five years old1 committed to memory an infidel poem1 and grew to live and die an unbeliever2 whilst ,doddridge1 as a child1 studied the ,bible from the pictured tiles at the fireside explained by his mother4 ,use the moments1 the fragments1 that remain1 and so begin this ,advent season rightly1 your lamp burning1 the works of darkness cast away1 the armour of light girded on4 ,but not only must we look forward1 the end of the ,church's year is a fitting time for looking back4 ,some of us can do so joyfully1 thankfully1 peacefully4 ,week by week the teachings of ,holy ,church have shown them the life of duty1 and they feel that they have tried to live that life by the help of ,god's ,holy ,spirit4 ,the first half of the year's teaching showed us ,god's love for us1 the second half taught us how we can show our love to ,god4 ,last ,advent told us of the battle of life1 the good fight of the faith1 and the love of ,god strengthening us in the conflict1 and promising the crown of victory4 ,christmas brought us once more the dear1 glad1 tidings that ,jesus is our brother1 bone of our bone1 and flesh of our flesh4 ,epiphany showed us our ,saviour manifested in our work1 in the changed character of a believer who out of weakness is made strong1 in the cleansed sinner whose leprosy is healed1 in the storm of life made calm4 ,the star of ,epiphany led us to ,jesus1 to hope1 to rejoicing1 and gladly we offered our gifts1 to the ,king our gold1 to the ,great ,high ,priest our incense1 to the ,crucified our myrrh4 ,lent showed us the sterner side of the life of duty1 and brought its lessons of self-denial and self-restraint4 ,those of us who went out into the wilderness of this world with ,jesus1 glad with ,him to suffer pain1 resisting the tempter1 found their reward at the glad ,easter-tide4 ,the sorrow which had endured for the night of ,lent gave place to the joy which came with ,easter morning4 ,and so in every ,sunday of the year we trace the golden thread of ,god's loving mercy lying along the narrow way1 the path of duty4 ,if we have tried to keep in that path1 then we can look back joyfully over the year that is gone1 and for the future we can1 like ,s4 ,paul1 thank ,god1 and take courage4 ,they tell us that the fishermen of ,brittany1 when going forth on a voyage1 offer this prayer--,save us1 ,o ,god1 thine ocean is so large1 and our little boat so small4 ,that may well be our prayer as we begin another year4 ,gather up the fragments4 ,for some of us that will be a sorry task2 we are like children crying in the midst of the broken pieces of some costly vase1 shattered by our carelessness4 ,the fragments that remain6 ,how many remain of the lessons and warnings of the past year8 ,how much of the good seed remains undestroyed by the choking thorn8 ,some of us made good resolutions last ,advent1 we started well with the beginning of the ,church's year1 we girded on our armour1 we determined to make a fight for the true faith1 and we took a firm stand on the promises of the ,gospel4 ,and now nothing remains of those good resolutions except the broken fragments to witness against us and upbraid us4 ,as for the good fight1 we have fled from the battle beaten1 our shield has been left disgracefully behind1 we have turned ourselves back in the day of battle4 ,my brother1 what is that dark stain upon the white robe of your purity8 ,it was not there a year ago4 ,last ,advent you could look father and mother1 aye1 the whole world1 in the face4 ,and now you have a guilty secret spoiling your life4 ,you may cry with ,macbeth-- ,had ,i but died an hour before this chance ,i had liv'd a blessed time2 for1 from this instant1 ,the wine of life is drawn1 and the mere lees ,is left4 ,you cannot wash away that stain1 even though you could weep salt oceans from those eyes4 ,to look back mournfully will not help to undo the past4 ,to lament over the fragments of a misspent year1 or the memory of broken resolutions1 vows unfulfilled1 and chances lost1 will not bring back the tender grace of a day that is dead4 ,the thought would be maddening if we did not believe in the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,the knowledge that we cannot recall one lost day1 nor alter one past page in our life's story1 would bring a remorse cruel as the fabled vulture which ever fed upon the vitals of the chained ,prometheus4 ,but thanks be to ,god1 ,jesus says1 ,he that sitteth upon the throne saith1 ,behold1 ,i make all things new4 ,dear brothers and sisters1 some of us need to turn over a new leaf1 to make a fresh start1 how shall we do it8 ,let us take our secret sin1 our secret sorrow1 to ,jesus now4 ,let not the sun go down and find us impenitent1 unpardoned4 ,let us no longer go through life like galley slaves1 chained and labouring at the oar4 ,jesus waits to strike off our chains1 ,he came to preach liberty to the captives4 ,think of that1 you who are yet prisoners1 slaves of some sin4 ,jesus will set you free4 ,as long as you hide your fault you are a slave1 you are torn and bitten by remorse1 the worm that dieth not1 the fire that is not quenched4 ,tell the story of your sin to ,jesus now4 ,never mind how sad1 how shameful it is4 ,he is the same ,jesus1 remember4 ,the same who cleansed the ,magdalene1 who pardoned the adulteress4 ,can you1 will you1 say to-day-- ,we come to ,thee1 sweet ,saviour1 ,with our broken faith again2 ,we know ,thou wilt forgive us1 ,nor upbraid us1 nor complain4 ,we come to ,thee1 sweet ,saviour1 ,fear brings us in our need2 ,for ,thy hand never breaketh ,not the frailest bruised reed4 ,gather up the fragments that remain1 that nothing be lost4 ,let ,advent find us once more fighting the battle from which some had retreated4 ,let the marks and scars upon our armour teach us our danger1 and help us to fight more watchfully1 more humbly4 ,let the mistakes1 the weaknesses1 the negligences1 the ignorances of the past1 be warnings to us for the future4 ,saint ,augustine1 well hast thou said ,that of our vices we can frame ,a ladder1 if we will but tread ,beneath our feet each deed of shame4 ,deem not the irrevocable past ,as wholly wasted1 wholly vain1 ,if1 rising on its wrecks1 at last ,to something nobler we attain4 ,do you remember the ,eastern story of the magician1 who gave a ring of vast beauty to a certain prince8 ,not only was the ring set with priceless gems1 but it had this wonderful quality4 ,if the king indulged in any evil thought or wish1 or devised any sinful act1 the ring contracted on his finger1 and warned him by its painful pressure4 ,my brothers1 does the ring of conscience press no finger here to-day8 ,is there no one here now who says in his heart3 ,would to ,god that ,i were as in years past8 ,if so1 cling to the cleansing ,hand of ,jesus now4 ,a well-known ,scottish physician tells us that1 during a terrible outbreak of cholera1 he was summoned to a small fishing village where the plague had broken out4 ,as they approached the place by boat1 they saw a crowd of anxious watchers waiting for the doctor's arrival4 ,suddenly an old man1 of great height and strength1 dashed into the water1 reached the boat ere it could reach the land1 and seizing the doctor in his mighty arms1 carried him helpless through the crowd to the bedside of his cholera-stricken grandson4 ,brethren1 if the plague spot of sin is upon you1 seize upon the ,hand of the ,good ,physician1 clasp ,him in your arms1 cry to ,him now3 wash me throughly ,transcriber's note3 thoroughly8 from my wickedness1 and cleanse me from my sin6 ,,sermon ,,lxi4 ,,what ,,the ,,flowers ,,say4 7,children's ,flower ,service47 ,,psalm ciii4 #ae4 ,as a flower of the field1 so he flourisheth4 ,children1 have you ever heard of the language of flowers8 ,now1 of course1 we know that flowers cannot speak as we can4 ,i wish they could4 ,i think they would say such sweet things4 ,but in one way flowers do talk to us4 ,when you give them some water1 or when ,god sends a shower of rain upon them1 they give forth a sweet smell2 ,i think that the flowers are speaking then1 ,i think that they are saying1 thank you4 ,let us listen to the preaching of the flowers to-day4 ,what do they say to us8 ,well1 some say one thing1 some another2 but there is one thing which all of them say--trust ,god4 ,god takes care of the flowers1 and sends them dew1 and rain1 and sunshine1 and fresh air1 and they tell us that the same ,god who cares for the flowers cares also for us4 ,and next1 ,i think1 all the flowers say to us1 thank ,god4 ,see how the daisies in the meadow seem to look up thankfully to ,god4 ,someone says that ,god smiles on the earth1 and that the earth smiles back again with its flowers4 ,is not that a pretty thought1 children1 that the flowers are the smiles of the grateful earth8 ,next1 the flowers say to us1 be contented4 ,they are quite satisfied to grow1 and smell sweet1 and look pretty1 in the place where ,god puts them4 ,now1 just as ,god plants the flowers in a certain place1 some up high on the hills1 others down low in the valley2 some in the ,queen's greenhouse1 others in the cottager's garden1 so ,he puts you children in your right place4 ,be quite sure1 my children1 that the best place for us is where ,god puts us4 ,have you ever noticed the sweet-scented wall flowers growing on an old stone wall8 ,they have scarcely any earth for their roots1 only a little bit between the stones1 yet they make the old wall beautiful1 and no flower smells sweeter4 ,they teach us to be contented4 ,they seem to say1 we have no grand place to grow in1 no carefully-prepared bed1 only a bit of old wall for our home1 but we are quite satisfied1 and we mean to make home as bright and sweet as we can4 ,let us learn the lesson of the wall flower4 ,let us try to make home bright and happy1 and sweet1 no matter how poor it is4 ,another thing which all the flowers tell us is this1 remember that you must die4 ,when the ,autumn and ,winter come we say the flowers are dead because we cannot see them4 ,but the flowers are not really dead4 ,they are sleeping in the earth till the ,spring comes again4 ,god has put them to bed in the warm ground1 and when the proper time comes they will waken up4 ,just what ,god does to the flowers ,he does to us4 ,one day ,he will send us to sleep1 and take our soul to a safe place in ,paradise1 whilst our body is put to bed in the earth beneath the soft and pleasant grass4 ,people will say that we are dead1 just as they say the flowers are dead4 ,one day the resurrection morning will come1 it will be our spring-time1 and ,god1 who raised ,jesus ,christ from the grave1 will raise us up again4 ,so you see1 children1 the flowers tell us not only that we must die1 but that we must rise again4 ,what else do the flowers say to us8 ,i think they say1 keep in the sunshine1 be happy4 ,you always find that flowers are on the sunny side of things4 ,so ought we to be4 ,a plant cannot grow1 and blossom1 in a dark cellar4 ,it must have sunshine4 ,so if you want to be ,god's children1 that is1 good children1 you must have sunshine in your hearts1 sunshine in your faces4 ,look at the face of an innocent child1 one who is gentle1 obedient1 loving1 pure4 ,you will see the face full of sunshine4 ,but look at the face of a child who has done something wrong2 who has told a lie1 or done some cruel1 mean1 or dishonest act4 ,there is no sunshine on that face4 ,there is nothing but a dark heavy cloud4 ,the ill-tempered child has no sunshine on his face4 ,he lives down in a dark cellar4 ,the discontented child has no sunshine on his face4 ,he lives down in a black dungeon with ,giant ,despair4 ,my children1 ask ,god to keep you innocent2 or if you have done wrong1 ask ,god to forgive you for ,jesus ,christ's sake1 then you will have sunshine1 you will be happy4 ,there is another thing which the flowers say to us--,be sweet4 ,there is nothing so delicious as to go into a flower garden after a warm shower1 and to smell the sweet scents4 ,well1 ,god has sent you into the garden of this world to be sweet like the flowers4 ,how can you be sweet8 ,you can be sweet-tempered1 sweet-mannered1 sweet-spoken4 ,sometimes you hear people say that someone has a sweet face4 ,now that need not mean a pretty face2 a person may be pretty1 and yet not sweet4 ,those who are sweet-tempered show it in their faces4 ,you know how a bunch of flowers in a room makes it sweet and wholesome4 ,now every good child in a home1 or a school1 is like a nosegay of blossoms1 making the place sweet and wholesome2 and every bad1 vicious1 unruly1 child is like the smell which comes from poisoned water4 ,when ,i used to visit the sailors in their ships to talk to them about ,god1 ,i used to say to them1 ,now ,i want one of you men to be a little pinch of salt in this ship1 ,i want you to keep things sweet4 ,who will be the little pinch of salt8 ,you understand what ,i mean1 children8 ,i wanted a good man1 who prayed1 and read his ,bible1 to help the others1 to try and stop bad talking1 to keep things sweet1 as salt does4 ,well1 ,i want each of you children to be ,god's sweet flower1 and to try to make your home sweet by your gentleness1 your good temper1 your love4 ,some children are regular stinging nettles in a home1 or a school4 ,they always make people uncomfortable4 ,they sting with their tongues1 and they sting with their looks and their tempers4 ,make up your minds1 dear little ones1 to be1 by ,god's help1 sweet flowers1 not stinging nettles4 ,and now1 before ,i leave you1 let us think what one special flower teaches us4 ,i told you that there is such a thing as the language of flowers1 that is1 that each flower has its special meaning4 ,well1 what does the rose say8 ,surely the rose says1 love one another6 ,do you know who it is who loves us best1 and who has done most for us8 ,our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,yes1 and it is for that reason1 ,i think1 that ,he is called in the ,bible a ,rose1--the ,rose of ,sharon4 ,whenever you see a rose1 think of ,jesus1 the ,rose of ,sharon1 and remember what ,he says to you1 ,little children1 love one another4 ,i will tell you a story about a rose4 ,a little brother and sister lived in a crowded court in a great city4 ,it was a wretched1 dirty1 ugly1 place1 where scarcely any sunshine ever came1 and where the people were often rough and wicked4 ,little ,willie and his sister knew nothing about green fields spotted with daisies1 they had never seen a flower4 ,one day a kind friend took all the poor children living in the court for a drive into the country4 ,i cannot tell you how happy ,willie and his sister were when they saw the trees and hedges1 which were all new and strange to them4 ,presently they passed a garden in which were growing some sweet-smelling red flowers4 ,willie had never seen anything half so lovely1 and he was anxious to know what the flowers were called1 so they told him that they were roses4 ,well1 after a time1 when the ,winter came1 little ,willie fell ill4 ,day after day his sister sat beside him1 holding his thin white hand in hers4 ,often they talked about that wonderful day in the country1 where they had seen the roses4 ,often1 too1 they talked about ,jesus1 and the still more beautiful country where ,he lived4 ,the children were very ignorant1 but they had been to ,sunday ,school1 and learnt something about the dear ,lord who loves children4 ,one cold1 dark day1 little ,willie was much worse1 and he said to his sister--,oh6 ,i wish ,i could see a rose once more4 ,i wish you would go and get me one of those roses we saw that day6 ,so the little sister1 who loved him dearly1 set out to walk to the place where they had seen the flowers4 ,after a long and weary journey1 she came to the field where they had played1 and the garden where the roses grew4 ,but the field and the garden were white with snow1 and there were no roses there4 ,the little girl was worn out with hunger and fatigue1 and she dropped on her knees in the snow1 and prayed1 and this was her prayer--,dear ,jesus1 send me one rose1 only one1 for little ,willie4 ,just then a carriage came along the road1 and the lady who rode in it had a beautiful red rose in her hand1 which had grown in a greenhouse4 ,she dropped it from the window1 ,i suppose1 by accident1 but when the little girl saw it lying on the snow1 she thought that ,jesus had sent it to her1 and took it up lovingly to carry to her brother4 ,but she had no more strength to struggle through the cold night1 and when the morning came they found her dead upon the white snow1 with the red rose in her hand4 ,that night little ,willie1 lying alone in the cold1 dark1 garret1 also died4 ,and the writer of this story thinks that when the brother and sister met in the ,paradise of ,god1 the sister1 who gave her life for love1 carried a beautiful flower in her hand1 and said1 ,willie1 here's your rose4 ,so thinks the writer1 and ,i think so too4 ,,sermon ,,lxii4 ,,daily ,,bread4 7,harvest ,thanksgiving47 ,,psalm lxv4 #i4 ,thou preparest them corn4 ,come1 ye thankful people1 come1 and let us thank ,god for another harvest4 ,once more the ,father1 the ,feeder1 has given bread to strengthen man's heart1 and we turn from the corn stored in the garner1 to ,god's own garner the ,church1 where ,he has stored up food for our souls4 ,and first of all1 my brothers1 let us be honest with ourselves4 ,are we quite sure that we are thankful to ,god for the harvest8 ,we have decorated ,god's ,house with the first-fruits of the year1 we have met together now to celebrate our ,harvest ,festival2 but is there real meaning in all this8 ,are we thankful to ,god8 if not our ,festival is a mockery4 ,let me give you a few thoughts which may help you to be thankful4 ,the first thought is this3 the harvest is ,god's harvest1 not yours4 ,thou preparest them corn1 is spoken of ,god1 not of man4 ,corn is unlike any other kind of food1 it is the direct gift of ,god to man in fully-developed state4 ,other fruits of the earth are given to man in a wild state1 and he must improve them by care and cultivation1 till the wild vine is turned into the rich wine-producing plant of the vineyard1 and the sour crab into the delicious apple4 ,it is not the case with corn4 ,no one1 says a writer1 whose thoughts ,i am following1 has ever discovered wild corn4 ,ages ago1 when the ,pharaohs reigned in ,egypt1 and the ,pyramids were a'building1 men sowed just the same corn that you sow to-day4 ,corns of wheat like our own have been found in the hands of ,egyptian mummies which have been dead for thousands of years4 ,the grain which ,joseph stored in ,pharaoh's granaries1 and with which he fed his brethren1 was precisely similar to the produce of your own fields4 ,geologists tell us that there is no trace of corn to be found in the earth before the creation of man4 ,when ,god made man ,he created corn to supply him with food4 ,the old ,greeks and ,romans had a dim perception of this when they thought that corn was the gift of the goddess ,ceres4 ,you know we call all varieties of corn cereals1 after that same goddess4 ,in these days there is1 with some1 less religion than ever the old heathen possessed4 ,they would shut ,god out of the world of ,nature1 and see in a harvest-field only man's cleverness and energy4 ,let us rather humble ourselves before ,god1 and see that it is ,his ,hand which sendeth the springs into the rivers which run among the hills1 where all the beasts of the field drink thereof1 and the wild asses quench their thirst2 beside them shall the fowls of the air have their habitation1 and sing among the branches4 ,let us believe that it is ,god who watereth the hills from above1 so that the earth is filled with the fruits of ,his works2 that it is ,god who bringeth forth grass for the cattle1 and green herb for the service of men1 that ,he may bring food out of the earth1 and wine that maketh glad the heart of man1 and oil to make him a cheerful countenance1 and bread to strengthen man's heart4 ,whilst the unbeliever1 blinded by his self-conceit1 is worshipping his own little stock of knowledge1 and neglecting ,god1 let us be singing our ,te ,deum--,we praise ,thee1 ,o ,god1 we acknowledge ,thee to be the ,lord4 ,here is another thought which will help you to recognise corn as being specially the gift of ,god to man4 ,it grows all over the world4 ,wherever man can live1 corn of one kind or another flourishes4 ,from the bleak inhospitable wastes of ,lapland to the burning plains of ,central ,india1 from the muddy swamps of ,china to the billowy prairies of ,america1 from the level of the sea-shore to the lofty valleys and table-lands of the ,andes and the ,himalayas1 it is successfully cultivated4 ,the emigrant clears the primaeval forest of ,canada1 or the fern-brakes of ,new ,zealand1 and there the corn seed sown will spring up as luxuriantly as on the old loved fields of home4 #a ,all this should teach us to see in the harvest the result1 not of our skill and cleverness1 but of the good ,god's lovingkindness4 ,ask yourselves now1 my brothers1 whether you are truly thankful to ,god for this harvest3 is your presence here to-day a real act of thanksgiving1 or only an idle form8 ,among the many curious relics of the past which were dug up in the buried city of ,pompeii were some loaves of bread1 looking just as they did when they came out of the oven4 ,think of those loaves baked eighteen hundred years ago1 and still preserved as witnesses against that wicked city4 ,god was good to those people in ,pompeii1 and prepared their corn1 and bread to strengthen their heart1 just as ,he does for us4 ,and they went on thankless and careless in their sin1 till the fiery stream overtook them1 and that same fire which destroyed them preserved the bread1 as a sign of ,god's goodness and man's ingratitude4 ,there is yet another thought about the corn1 which ought to make us feel how dependent we are upon ,god for our daily bread4 ,unlike the grass which is permanent as a food for cattle1 or certain trees which bring forth fruit season by season1 corn must be sown annually4 ,man depends upon the result of each year's sowing for the staff of life4 ,and we are told that as a fact there is only as much corn in the world in each year as the world can consume in that time4 ,it is not probable that there was ever a year and a half's supply of the first necessary of life at one time in the world4 ,thus1 as every harvest-time comes round1 we are almost looking famine in the face1 and then ,god opens ,his ,hand and filleth all things living with plenteousness4 ,rightly indeed do we pray1 ,give us day by day our daily bread4 ,and now let us look at the spiritual meaning of all this4 ,as corn is the special gift of ,god to man1 so is the gift of grace and pardon4 ,god gives us what we cannot obtain for ourselves1 does for us what we are powerless to do4 ,as ,he feeds our bodies with the bread of corn1 ,he feeds our souls with the ,bread of ,heaven4 ,his ,holy ,catholic ,church all over the world is a great granary stored with precious food4 ,just as corn grows wherever man lives1 so wherever two or three are gathered together in ,christ's ,name there is ,he in the midst of them1 feeding their souls4 ,the exile in a foreign land can sow his corn seed1 and gather the same food as in the fields of home4 ,the same exile can find beneath other skies the same holy teachings1 the same blessed ,sacraments1 the same prayers1 as in the ,church of his childhood4 ,the bread of earth and the ,bread of ,heaven are ,god's two universal gifts to man4 ,the penitent sinner can kneel at the ,feet of ,jesus1 and find the grace of pardon beneath the skies of ,england1 and ,india1 and ,new ,zealand1 alike4 ,the faithful ,churchman can come to the ,altar and receive the ,body and ,blood of his ,saviour1 even the ,heavenly ,bread to strengthen man's heart1 all over the ,christian world4 ,as ,god gives us everywhere light and food1 without which we cannot live1 so does ,he give light and food for our soul4 ,as says a ,saint of old 7,s4 ,thomas ,kempis71 ,i feel that two things are most especially necessary to me in this life2 prisoned in the dungeon of the body1 ,i acknowledge that ,i need two things1 food and light4 ,therefore ,thou hast given me1 a sick man1 ,thy ,body for the refreshment of my soul and body1 and hast made ,thy ,word a lantern unto my feet4 ,without these two ,i cannot live well2 for the ,word of ,god is the light of my soul1 and ,thy ,sacrament is the ,bread of ,life4 ,my brothers1 whilst we thank ,god for giving us this harvest of corn1 let us still more thank ,him for the harvest of spiritual blessing1 for the precious grace and mercy which make glad the hearts of hardened sinners1 for the anointing of the ,holy ,spirit which makes our faces shine with joy and gladness1 for the ,bread which came down from ,heaven1 and which strengthens our hearts to be ,christ's faithful soldiers and servants4 ,one last word4 ,the return of seed time and harvest teaches us that we are all sowers1 and that the harvest is the end of the world4 ,we seldom reap here the full results of our acts whether they be good or evil4 ,the evil that men do lives after them1 yes1 and the good too4 ,it may seem to some of us who are trying to do our duty1 trying to live as ,god's servants1 that there is no harvest for us4 ,we seem destined to labour in the weary field of the world1 and to see no fruit of our labours4 ,ah6 brothers1 the harvest is not yet1 but it will come1 the harvest of the good and of the evil1 since-- ,we are sowers1 and full seldom reapers1 ,for life's harvest ripens when we die1 ',tis in death alone ,god gives ,his sleepers ,all for which they sigh4 ,cast thy bread upon the waters3 after ,many mornings1 when thy head is low1 ,men shall gather it with songs and laughter1 ,though thou mayest not know4 #a ,hugh ,macmillan's ,bible ,teachings in ,nature1 to which work ,i am indebted for the structure of this ,sermon4 ,,sermon ,,lxiii4 ,,god',s ,,jewels4 7,schools47 ,,malachi ,,iii4 #ag4 ,they shall be ,mine1 saith the ,lord of ,hosts1 in that day when ,i make up ,my jewels4 ,there is a legend of old time which tells us how a certain ,jewish ,rabbi returned to his home after a long absence4 ,his first question was--,where are my boys8 for his wife had greeted him alone4 ,then1 instead of answering her husband's question1 the wife asked his advice4 ,she told him that some years before someone had lent her something very precious1 and she would know whether after fourteen years the loan became hers4 ,the ,rabbi gently reproved his wife1 and assured her that the treasure thus lent could not become her own4 ,then the wife told him that on that very day ,he who had lent the treasure had returned and claimed it4 ,ought ,i to have kept it back1 or repined at restoring the loan8 she asked4 ,the ,rabbi was astonished that she could ask such a question1 and again enquired anxiously for his two boys4 ,then the wife took him by the hand1 and turning back the sheet upon the bed1 showed him the two boys lying dead4 ,the ,lord who gave hath taken4 ,they are dead4 ,my brethren1 we who are parents should learn to look upon our children as a precious loan from the ,lord4 ,they are ,god's treasures1 ,his jewels1 and ,he lends them to us for a little while4 ,now1 to-day1 ,i have to speak to you about schools1 and the duty of supporting a ,christian1 as opposed to a mere secular education4 ,but1 first1 ,i want to speak about another kind of education1 the teaching of home4 ,i would speak most earnestly to you mothers1 because as you are the earliest1 so are you the most powerful teachers of your children4 ,it is a tremendous responsibility which ,god has laid upon you4 ,he has lent you a precious jewel1 an immortal soul1 which will be saved or lost mainly through your influence4 ,well says a writer of the day1 ,sometimes mothers think it hard to be shut up at home with the care of little children4 ,but she who takes care of little children takes care of great eternities4 ,she who takes care of a little child1 takes care of an empire that knows no bounds and no dimensions4 ,the parent who stays at home and takes care of children is doing a work boundless as ,god's heart4 ,o mothers6 never grow weary in well-doing1 never think the children a trouble and a weariness1 but a precious loan which ,god will ask one day to have restored4 ,may none of you ever have to say-- ,i wonder so that mothers ever fret ,at little children clinging to their gown1 ,or that the foot-prints1 when the days are wet1 ,are ever black enough to make them frown4 ,if ,i could find a little muddy boot1 ,or cap1 or jacket1 on my chamber floor2 ,if ,i could kiss a rosy1 restless foot1 ,and hear it patter in my house once more2 ,if ,i could mend a broken cart to-day1 ,to-morrow make a kite to reach the sky1 ,there is no woman in ,god's world could say ,she was more blissfully content than ,i4 ,but ah6 the dainty pillow next my own ,is never rumpled by a shining head2 ,my singing birdling from its nest is flown2 ,the little boy ,i used to kiss is dead4 ,my sisters1 ,god would have you who are mothers to be nursing mothers for ,heaven1 your nursery1 your home1 the school of ,christ4 ,let every mother here take to heart the story of ,monica and ,augustine4 ,you know that the future ,bishop and famous preacher was as a young man given up to all kinds of vicious courses1 and refused to embrace the faith of his mother1 a devoted ,christian4 ,his dissipation and impiety were a constant source of sorrow to the gentle ,monica1 who never ceased to pray for him4 ,when ,augustine was a student at ,carthage1 drinking deeply of the beautiful poisoned chalice of heathen literature1 the mother's letters to her son were full of the sweet lessons of ,christianity4 ,still ,augustine persevered in the old evil way1 and when he gained fame as a teacher he still disregarded the words of ,monica ,she prayed on1 but almost in despair4 ,one night she dreamed than an angel appeared to her1 and promised that where she was there her beloved ,augustine should be4 ,she told the vision to her son1 who made light of it1 saying1 that if it meant anything1 it was that she should adopt his faith4 ,nay1 said his mother1 it was not said to me1 ',where he is you shall be1' but1 ',where you are he shall be4' ,still the years went on1 and there was no change in ,augustine4 ,monica consulted a great ,christian ,bishop1 who bade her persevere1 since it was impossible that the child of so many tears and prayers should perish4 ,after a while ,augustine journeyed to ,rome1 his mother's prayers going with him4 ,there he heard ,s4 ,ambrose preach1 and his heart was touched4 ,there was a hard struggle between the old life and the new for a time1 and ,monica was with ,augustine in his conflict4 ,at last she saw of the travail of her soul1 and was satisfied4 ,o mothers1 pray as ,monica prayed for ,augustine1 if you would have your children grow up as ,god's children set them a strong example1 and pray without ceasing4 ,there is1 in a certain country ,churchyard1 a grave-stone with this epitaph--,he loved little children4 ,few of us could wish for a better4 ,sometimes a whole life is written in one sentence1 it was so1 no doubt1 in this case4 ,there is not1 to my mind1 among all the epitaphs in ,s4 ,paul's ,cathedral1 or ,westminster ,abbey1 telling the praises of soldiers1 heroes1 statesmen1 anyone to compare with the simple sentence--,he loved little children4 ,now1 brethren1 if we love little children1 we can best show our love by having them brought up as ,christian children2 by having them taught to love the ,church of their ,baptism1 and to know and reverence the ,bible4 ,the question of the day is education with ,god or without ,god1 a creedless ,school where the young may believe anything1 or nothing1 or a ,church ,school where they are brought up in the nurture and admonition of the ,lord1 and grounded in the faith of their fathers4 ,perhaps there was never a time when ,england was in so critical a state as now1 and its future depends on our children4 ,outside enemies are clamouring at the doors of the ,church1 crying1 down with it1 down with it1 even to the ground4 ,the ,franchise will be practically in the hands of everyone2 and what will the future of the ,church and the ,state be1 when this new power is placed in the hands of those who have been brought up without any definite religious faith8 ,the policy of the day is to shut ,god out of our ,schools1 as we have tried to shut ,him out of our legislature and our commerce4 ,we find our boys at the ,public ,schools1 and our young men at the ,universities1 frequently taught by men who openly profess unbelief1 and talk of the ,incarnation and kindred doctrines as beautiful myths4 ,we find the children of our parishes brought up in creedless ,schools1 where all dogmatic teaching is excluded1 and we may well fear lest ,england should drift into the utter unbelief of ,france4 ,my brethren1 you may take care of your children's intellects1 you may give them what is called a good education1 but ,i tell you no education can be good which is not based upon the ,gospel of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,you may educate a child to pass one of the endless examinations of the day1 but we must remember that there is a great and final examination to be passed1 when all earthly competitions are ended4 ,remember your child's soul1 and educate him for ,heaven4 ,,sermon ,,lxiv4 ,,mutual ,,help4 7,female ,friendly ,society47 ,s4 ,,mark iii4 #ce4 ,whosoever shall do the ,will of ,god1 the same is ,my brother1 and ,my sister1 and ,my mother4 ,there are just two points which ,i want to put before you to-day4 ,first1 what you as ,christian women ought to be4 ,secondly1 how you can help each other to be so4 ,on the first point ,i would ask you to remember the glory and dignity of womanhood4 ,you get this dignity from ,jesus ,christ1 who was born of a woman1 and who said1 ,whosoever shall do the ,will of ,god1 the same is ,my brother1 and ,my sister1 and ,my mother4 ,before ,christ came into the world the condition of women was most miserable4 ,they were degraded1 despised1 treated as slaves1 and beasts of burden1 as they are in heathen lands to this day4 ,since ,christ came every good woman is loved1 honoured1 and respected4 ,jesus ,christ set us the example4 ,it was on a woman's breast that the ,son of ,god found earthly refuge4 ,it was to a woman who had been probably a great sinner1 and out of whom ,he had cast seven devils1 that ,jesus gave the first news of ,his ,resurrection4 ,he told ,mary ,magdalene to announce the ,gospel of the risen ,jesus to ,his disciples4 ,this1 my sisters1 is the true work of every ,christian woman1 to teach those around you1 the children1 the household1 the busy men1 the ,gospel of the higher life1 the ,gospel of the ,resurrection4 ,and this is not to be done with the preacher's voice from the pulpit1 but with the still1 small voice of love and gentleness1 and sweet temper1 and purity2 by that most powerful of all sermons--a good example4 ,next1 ,i want you to remember the wonderful power which ,god has given you1 and which you can use either for good or evil4 ,god has1 in one way1 made men stronger than women4 ,but every woman has influence1 the power of leading others right or wrong4 ,do you know that from the time of ,eve women have mainly made the history of the world8 ,men may have done the deeds1 but women have led the men4 ,the hope of ,france is in our mothers1 said a famous ,french ,bishop1 and every good man owes the best part of himself to his earliest and best teacher and guide--his mother4 ,the origin of most sins also can be traced to the influence of a bad woman4 ,samson1 the giant1 becomes the blinded1 helpless slave1 by trusting to false ,delilah4 ,ahab loses honour and life by making ,jezebel his counsellor4 ,mark ,antony1 the conqueror1 sits helpless at the feet of ,cleopatra4 ,never forget the power of leading others which you have as mothers1 wives1 or sisters1 and take good heed that you lead them in the right way4 ,secondly1 let me give you a few homely words of advice about the special temptations and dangers which surround you1 and the best means of helping each other to resist them4 ,many of you passed from home life into domestic service1 where you have very frequently to stand alone1 without the help of parent or teacher4 ,every position in life has its special trials and temptations4 ,i have temptations which do not come to you2 you have trials from which ,i am free4 ,i have heard many life-stories like yours when ,i have been holding a ,mission1 and therefore ,i know far more of your special temptations than you imagine4 ,one of these special dangers is bad company4 ,you all have your holidays1 and your days out1 and you naturally look forward to them very eagerly4 ,but1 my sisters1 stay1 and ask yourselves the question--,how do ,i spend my holidays8 ,if the day be ,sunday1 do you keep ,god's ,commandment1 and observe the ,sabbath ,day to keep it holy8 ,if not1 how can you expect to be kept from evil8 ,you promised in your ,baptism and your ,confirmation to keep all ,god's ,will and ,commandments1 and one of these is1 ,remember that thou keep holy the ,sabbath ,day4 ,take care what company you keep4 ,if you cannot say1 ,i am a companion of all such as love the ,lord1 be sure your company is of the wrong sort4 ,i have known many a one who has lost name1 fame1 character1 all that a woman holds most dear1 and who has brought an honest name to disgrace1 and broken a mother's heart1 by mixing with bad company4 ,the proverb says that a person is known by his friends1 by the company he keeps4 ,you cannot touch fire and escape burning1 and you cannot keep company with those who laugh at religion1 who make a mock at sin1 who never pray1 who talk immodestly1 and are disobedient to the wishes of parent or employer1 without falling into sin yourselves4 ,if any of you who hear me are entangled with such company1 make up your mind now1 and give it up4 ,be brave enough to do what is right4 ,ask ,god to make you brave4 ,and one word more1 help each other to do what is right4 ,i say to you who want to go in the right way1 keep each other company4 ,none of us can stand alone1 we need help4 ,you have probably heard the story of the blind man and the lame man who were called to journey to a distant place4 ,what was to be done8 ,the blind man could not see1 the lame man could not walk2 so they helped each other3 the blind man carried the lame man1 who directed him in the right way4 ,some of you have stronger wills and characters than others1 let the strong help the weak4 ,but how can you best help each other8 ,soldiers in battle assist each other by closing their ranks1 and keeping together4 ,there is the secret of strength1 keep together4 ,let all the members of your society march together4 ,try to set each a good example1 a strong example1 by prayer1 by reading your ,bible daily1 by attending the services of the ,church as frequently as possible1 by coming to the ,altar of the ,blessed ,sacrament1 whenever it is possible4 ,above all1 pray1 intercede1 for each other4 ,,the ,,end4