Professor W. G. Elmslie, D.D.: Memoir and SermonsElmslie, William Gray
Religion
Professor W. G. Elmslie, D.D.: Memoir and Sermons
Elmslie, William Gray
Elmslie, William Gray, 1848-1889; Sermons, English -- 19th century; Theologians -- Scotland -- Biography
unbelieving need is not rebukes, cautions, exhortations, refutations of
objections, but it is to be drawn out of the cold, freezing world of
evil and doubt into the warm, living, breathing atmosphere of loving,
real Christian fellowship; to be surrounded by the resistless
progression in rectitude, in faith and love, of Christlike, God-fearing
souls. With blows of reprimand and logical argument you may pound and
break the ice of sin and unbelief, but though broken, it remains cold,
winter ice, freezing still. Bring it into the summer radiance, the
golden sunshine of warm Christian life; then it will be melted away, and
the hard heart grow soft and tender in the breath of the all-quickening
Spirit.
Brethren, it is for this that the Master has gathered us into families
and homes, friendly circles and fellowships, congregations and churches.
It is because some of His own will be very weak, timid, facile to fall,
lukewarm, tempted, erring, doubting. Have you settled it with yourself,
strong, high-principled, undoubting Christian, that the Church is not a
club of stainless, perfect souls, but that there are to be in it such
foolish, feeble, ignoble ones, real doubters, backsliders, wanderers,
and that yet they are your brethren, little ones of the common Lord? And
it is just for their sake, that they may be saved, that He has caused us
to be knit together into one flock, that they may be kept from falling,
restored when they err, strengthened, cheered, loved, and helped. Ah, we
know not for the most part how much there is of strength and comfort for
us in this! For all of us there is, for even the very strong, they that
have comforted most, sometimes will be very weak themselves, and long
for sympathy and support. Once even the blessed Master Himself in
broken-hearted agony besought that help, and prayed His followers,
"Tarry ye here, and watch with Me." My brother, if you can remember a
time when you were enabled to endure, to conquer, because Christian
friends stood around you and watched with you, then be pitiful to your
tempted brother now. It may be that his limping, stumbling gait is very
unpleasant to you, and you do not care to be known as of his company;
his halt, ungainly walk does not look well beside your high, triumphal
march. Perchance in heaven there is more good pleasure over his paltry
pace than over your proud progress. Ah, friends, we see too little now
to judge, who know not one another's hurts and trials! We who have the
sunshine on our path, and bounding vigour in our tread, forget, I fear,
how to many struggling souls the path is very flinty, rough, and hard,
swept by wild storms of passion and rushing floods of fierce temptation;
while the thick darkness and awful solitude, haunted by mocking spectres
of death-like doubts and fears, wrap them round with a chill, paralysing
shroud of despair. You who have never been so tempted, give God thanks
and be humble, very humble, and lowly, and merciful. Have infinite
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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