Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VIII (of 8)Newman, John Henry
Religion
Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VIII (of 8)
Newman, John Henry
Church of England -- Sermons; Sermons, English -- 19th century
All of us may learn a lesson here, for all of us are in danger of
hastily finding fault with others, and condemning their opinions or
practices; not considering, that unless we have faithfully obeyed our
conscience and improved our talents, we are no fit judges of them at
all. Christ and His Saints are alike destitute of form or comeliness
in the eyes of the world, and it is only as we labour to change our
nature, through God's help, and to serve Him truly, that we begin to
discern the beauty of holiness. Then, at length, we find reason to
suspect our own judgments of what is truly good, and perceive our own
blindness; for by degrees we find that those whose opinions and conduct
we hitherto despised or wondered at as extravagant or unaccountable or
weak, really know more than ourselves, and are above us--and so, ever
as we rise in knowledge and grow in spiritual illumination, they (to
our amazement) rise also, while we look at them. The better we are,
the more we understand their excellence; till at length we are taught
something of their Divine Master's perfections also, which before were
hid from us, and see why it is that, though the Gospel is set on a hill
in the midst of the world, like a city which cannot be hid, yet to
multitudes it is notwithstanding hid, since He taketh the wise in their
own craftiness, and the pure in heart alone can see God.
How are the sheep of Christ's flock scattered abroad in the waste
world! He came to gather them together in one; but they wander again
and faint by the way, as having lost their Shepherd. What religious
opinion can be named which some men or other have not at some time
held? All are equally confident in the truth of their own doctrines,
though the many must be mistaken. In this confusion let us, my
brethren, look to ourselves, each to himself. There must be a right
and a wrong, and no matter whether others agree with us or not, it is
to us a solemn practical concern not to turn away our ears from the
truth. Let not the diversity of opinion, in the world dismay you, or
deter you from seeking all your life long true wisdom. It is not a
search for this day or that, but as you should ever grow in grace, so
should you ever grow also in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ. Care not for the perplexing question which many will put
to you, "How can you be sure that you are right more than others?"
Others are nothing to you, if they are not holy and devout in their
conversation--and we all know what is meant by being holy; we know whom
we should call holy; to be holy is to be like an Apostle. Seek truth
in the way of _obedience_; try to act up to your conscience, and let
your opinions be the result, not of mere chance reasoning or fancy, but
of an improved heart. This way, I say, carries with it an evidence to
ourselves of its being the right way, if any way be right; and that
there is a right and a wrong way conscience also tells us. God surely
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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