Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VII (of 8)Newman, John Henry
Religion
Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VII (of 8)
Newman, John Henry
Church of England -- Sermons; Sermons, English -- 19th century
Make use, then, of this Holy Easter Season, which lasts forty to fifty
days, to become more like Him who died for you, and who now liveth for
evermore. He promises us, "Because I live, ye shall live also." He,
by dying on the Cross, opened the Kingdom of Heaven to all believers.
He first died, and then He opened heaven. We, therefore, first
commemorate His death, and then, for some weeks in succession, we
commemorate and show forth the joys of heaven. They who do not rejoice
in the weeks after Easter, would not rejoice in heaven itself. These
weeks are a sort of beginning of heaven. Pray God to enable you to
rejoice; to enable you to keep the Feast duly. Pray God to make you
better Christians. This world is a dream,--you will get no good from
it. Perhaps you find this difficult to believe; but be sure so it is.
Depend upon it, at the last, you will confess it. Young people expect
good from the world, and people of middle age devote themselves to it,
and even old people do not like to give it up. But the world is your
enemy, and the flesh is your enemy. Come to God, and beg of Him grace
to devote yourselves to Him. Beg of Him the will to follow Him; beg of
Him the power to obey Him. O how comfortable, pleasant, sweet,
soothing, and satisfying is it to lead a holy life,--the life of
Angels! It is difficult at first; but with God's grace, all things are
possible. O how pleasant to have done with sin! how good and joyful to
flee temptation and to resist evil! how meet, and worthy, and fitting,
and right, to die unto sin, and to live unto righteousness!
[1] Rom. ii. 28, 29.
SERMON XIV.
Religion pleasant to the Religious.
"_O taste and see how gracious the Lord is; blessed is the man that
trusteth in Him._"--Psalm xxxiv. 8.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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