The Life of Duty, v. 2: A year's plain sermons on the Gospels or EpistlesWilmot-Buxton, H. J. (Harry John)
Religion
The Life of Duty, v. 2: A year's plain sermons on the Gospels or Epistles
Wilmot-Buxton, H. J. (Harry John)
Bible. Epistles -- Commentaries; Bible. Gospels -- Commentaries; Sermons, English
What we want are strong Christians to set a
strong example. Teaching, argument, may do much with a careless world,
but the example of a consistent, holy, life will do far more.
Brethren, be ye strong, first of all, in _Faith_. Be quite sure that
you _do_ believe; be quite clear _what_ you believe, and then show your
faith _strongly_. Our faith is not built on sand, but on a rock. It
is not founded on such words as--perhaps, I suppose, I hope. No, the
Creed of the Church says, _I believe_. There are crowds of people
outside who will all tell you what they do _not_ believe. There is the
infidel who says he does not believe in God. There is the man who says
he believes in God, but not in the Blessed Trinity. There is one who
tells you that he believes in Jesus Christ, but not as God, only as
Man. Then comes another and declares that he does not believe in
eternal punishment. One says that he does not believe we are born
again in Holy Baptism, another will not believe in the Baptism of
infants. Some will not believe in Bishops, and others refuse to credit
any sect but their own. But the Church says plainly and boldly, I
_believe_. The Faith once delivered to the saints, the Faith which
Jesus taught to the first Apostles, the Faith which S. Paul preached,
and for which he died, is ours. Let us hold fast to it in unity of
spirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life. Be ready
to give a reason for the faith that is in you. There are mysteries
which none of us can understand, but, thank God, we can believe. And
we must show this faith of ours not only by believing in the doctrines
of the Church, but by putting our full trust and confidence in the
mercies of God. Where is the use of talking about our faith if we are
poor, fearful, unhappy people? If our faith is not strong enough to
let us trust God for to-morrow it is not worth having. It is the
melancholy, over-anxious, troubled about many things Christian, who is
always anticipating misfortunes, who does so much harm. Brethren,
trust God all in all, be strong in the Lord, be strong in your faith.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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