Church of England -- Sermons; Sermons, English -- 19th century
‘But I do sin,’ you say, ‘again and again, and that is what makes me
fearful. I try to do better, but I fall and I fail all day long. I try
not to be covetous and worldly, but poverty tempts me, and I fall; I try
to keep my temper, but people upset me, and I say things of which I am
bitterly ashamed the next minute. Can God love such a one as me?’ My
answer is, If God loved the whole world when it was dead in trespasses
and sins, and _not_ trying to be better, much more will he love you who
are not dead in trespasses and sins, and are trying to be better. If he
were not still helping you; if his Spirit were not with you, you would
care no more to become better than a dog or an ox cares. And if you
fall—why, arise again. Get up, and go on. You may be sorely bruised,
and soiled with your fall, but is that any reason for lying still, and
giving up the struggle cowardly? In the name of Jesus Christ, arise and
walk. He will wash you, and you shall be clean. He will heal you, and
you shall be strong again. What else can a traveller expect who is going
over rough ground in the dark, but to fall and bruise himself, and to
miss his way too many a time: but is that any reason for his sitting down
in the middle of the moor, and saying, ‘I shall never get to my journey’s
end?’ What else can a soldier expect, but wounds, and defeat, too,
often; but is that any reason for his running away, and crying, ‘We shall
never take the place?’ If our brave men at Sebastopol had done so, and
lost heart each time they were beaten back, not only would they have
never taken the place, but the Russians would have driven them long ago
into the sea, and perhaps not a man of them would have escaped. And, be
sure of it, your battle is like theirs. Every one of us has to fight for
the everlasting life of his soul against all the devils of hell, and
there is no use in running away from them; they will come after us
stronger than ever, unless we go to face them. As with our men at
Sebastopol, unless we beat the enemy, the enemy will destroy us; and our
only hope is to fight to-day’s battle like men, in the strength which God
gives us, and trust him to give us strength to fight to-morrow’s battle
too, when it comes. For here again, as it was at Sebastopol, so it is
with our souls. Let our men be as prudent as they might, they never knew
what to-morrow’s battle would be like, or where the enemy might come upon
them; and no more do we. They in general could not see the very enemy
who was close on them; and no more can we see our enemy, near to us
though he is. To-morrow’s temptations may be quite different from
to-day’s. To-day we may be tempted to be dishonest, to-morrow to lose
our tempers, the day afterwards to be vain and conceited, and a hundred
other things. Let the morrow be anxious about the things of itself,
then; and face to-day’s enemy, and do the duty which lies nearest you.
Our brave men did so. They kept themselves watchful, and took all the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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