Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VII (of 8) — John Shaqi
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
This then is the remarkable fact which I proposed to show. Can we
doubt that man's will runs contrary to God's will--that the view which
the inspired word takes of our present life, and of our destiny, does
not satisfy us, as it rightly ought to do? that Christ hath no form nor
comeliness in our eyes; and though we see Him, we see no desirable
beauty in Him? That holy, merciful, and meek Saviour, the Eternal, the
Only-begotten Son of God, our friend and infinite benefactor--He who
left the glory of His Father and died for us, who has promised us the
overflowing riches of His grace both here and hereafter. He is a light
shining in a dark place, and "the darkness comprehendeth it not."
"Light is come into the world and men love darkness rather than light."
The nature of man is flesh, and that which is born of the flesh is
flesh, and ever must so remain; it never can discern, love, accept, the
holy doctrines of the Gospel. It will occupy itself in various ways,
it will take interest in things of sense and time, but it can never be
religious. It is at enmity with God.
And now we see what must at once follow from what has been said. If
our hearts are by nature set on the world for its own sake, and the
world is one day to pass away, what are they to be set on, what to
delight in, then? Say, how will the soul feel when, stripped of its
present attire, which the world bestows, it stands naked and shuddering
before the pure, tranquil, and severe majesty of the Lord its God, its
most merciful, yet dishonoured Maker and Saviour? What are to be the
pleasures of the soul in another life? Can they be the same as they
are here? They cannot; Scripture tells us they cannot; the world
passeth away--now what is there left to love and enjoy through a long
eternity? What a dark, forlorn, miserable eternity that will be!
It is then plain enough, though Scripture said not a word on the
subject, that if we would be happy in the world to come, we must make
us new hearts, and begin to love the things we naturally do not love.
Viewing it as a practical point, the end of the whole matter is this,
we must be changed; for we cannot, we cannot expect the system of the
universe to come over to us; the inhabitants of heaven, the numberless
creations of Angels, the glorious company of the Apostles, the goodly
fellowship of the Prophets, the noble army of Martyrs, the holy Church
universal, the Will and Attributes of God, these are fixed. We must go
over to them. In our Saviour's own authoritative words: "Verily,
verily, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of
God[2]." It is a plain matter of self-interest, to turn our thoughts
to the means of changing our hearts, putting out of the question our
duty towards God and Christ, our Saviour and Redeemer.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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