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
Think of some of the duties laid upon us as those who have received the
freedom of the City. We are bound, first of all, to keep ourselves, as
far as possible, unspotted from the world. We must live in the world
for a time, but we must not be of it. If an Englishman were compelled
to live for a season among savages, whose habits were horrible and
disgusting, he would take care not to become like them. He would think
of himself as being a civilized man, to whom the manners of the people
were revolting, and he would endeavour, whilst avoiding their example,
to set them a better. So should a Christian man be in the world. He
cannot avoid seeing and hearing much that is evil. But let him take
care lest, like Israel of old, he mingles with the unbeliever, and
learns their ways. Let him remember that he is a citizen of Heaven,
and that he has no more right to take part in the frauds, and lies, and
impurity of the world, than Lot had to join in the abominations of
Sodom. A Christian man should stand above the waves of this
troublesome world, as a lighthouse stands above the tumbling billows of
the sea. And, like that beacon, he should give forth a warning light,
clear, bright, and steady.
Next, as citizens of Heaven, we are bound to work for our Heavenly
Master. No matter that we are in a foreign workshop here in this
world, no matter that we are employed by earthly masters, one Master is
ours, and He is in Heaven. We must be busy about our Father's
business, we must do all, looking unto Jesus. Suppose that the Queen
were passing through this parish, and were to stop at one of your
homes, say that of a cabinetmaker. And suppose that she were to order
him to make her a cabinet after a particular pattern. Well, the man
would be very much flattered at the order, and you may be sure he would
take the greatest pains to put good work into the cabinet. "You see it
is for the Queen," he would say to his neighbour, in explanation of his
extra care. Now, my brothers, whatever kind of work we have to do, we
ought to do it as well as we can, saying to ourselves, "it is for the
King of kings, you see." Oh! if men would only remember that, then
there would be no more cheating, and swindling, and lying in trade; no
more labourers and artizans scamping their work, putting in bad
material, working short time, and committing the endless dishonest acts
which disgrace a Christian land. Try to remember that whatever you
have to do, you are working for God, you are a citizen of Heaven, and
to your Heavenly Master must the account be rendered. There shall
enter into Heaven nothing that maketh a lie. If our lives are not
quite genuine and honest here, we are locking ourselves out of Heaven.
Let us, as citizens of no mean city, keep aloof from the hypocrite, the
teller or maker of a lie, and speak every man truth with his neighbour.
Again, I think that as citizens of Heaven, we ought to take very good
heed to our _words_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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