Godliness : being reports of a series of addresses delivered at James's Hall, London, W. during 1881Booth, Catherine Mumford
Religion
Godliness : being reports of a series of addresses delivered at James's Hall, London, W. during 1881
Booth, Catherine Mumford
Salvation Army -- Sermons; Sermons, English
Suppose you were a king, and had a prince or statesman who was
serving you very valiantly and devotedly while it served himself;
but, suppose the tables were turned, and you were dethroned and cast
away into exile, your name being bandied about the nation where you
once reigned as king, in disgrace and dishonor; suppose this
statesman gave you up, and said, "Oh! I am going to be on the side of
the reigning monarch. I was very devoted to this man while he
reigned, but I cannot afford to be devoted to him now his interests
draggle in the dust; I must be on the winning side." What would you
think of such a man? And if you were restored to your kingdom and
power, would you show yourself strong on behalf of such a man? No;
you would remember, as David did, the man who cursed you. But if you
had a prince or statesman who followed you into exile, who ministered
to you in secret, who tried to hold up your interests, who contended
for your righteousness and justice, and held up your name and tried
to make the people see that you were a good and true man, who held on
to you, when all the nation was calling you traitor--if you came back
to your throne, would you not show yourself strong in behalf of that
man? Of course you would. The Lord says He will show Himself strong
in behalf of those of such a heart towards Him.
You masters here have a servant--a clever, smart man; you know how
well he can serve you, and how valuable he can be, and would be if he
were true; but you have reason to believe that he will only go with
you as far as it will be for his own interests; he will serve you as
far as he can serve himself, too, but, if he can get up by putting
you down, you may lie there. What would you say to such a man? You
would say, "I shall never show myself strong for him." So God is not
likely to show Himself strong for people who are not of a perfect
heart. A lady said to me, "I have been doing this and doing that for
years, but I have no power; why don't I have it?" I said, "Because
you are not true to God. He will give it to anybody who is true to
Him, and He can see into your heart, and knows you are not." Why will
He not show Himself strong in your behalf? _Because you do not show
yourself thorough in His behalf._ The moment you show yourself
thorough, that moment will He show Himself strong for you. If you had
been in Daniel's place you would not have done as he did. Daniel was
one of the perfect-hearted men; he served his God when he was in
prosperity. He set his window open every day. Then his enemies
persuaded the king to make a decree that no man should pray but to
this king for so many days. "Now," they said, "we shall have him."
But Daniel just did as he was wont, he went and prayed with his
window open. You say, "That was demonstrative religion, that was
courting opposition. What need was there for him to make this
display; could he not have shut the window and gone into an inner
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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