The Water of Life, and Other SermonsKingsley, Charles
Religion
The Water of Life, and Other Sermons
Kingsley, Charles
Church of England -- Sermons; Sermons, English -- 19th century
If there be any one—especially a working man—in this church this day who
is inclined to undervalue the Bible and Christianity, let him know that,
but for the Bible and Christianity, he has not the slightest reason to
believe that there would have been at this moment a hospital in London to
receive him and his in the hour of sickness or disabling accident, and to
lavish on him there, unpaid as the light and air of God outside, every
resource of science, care, generosity, and tenderness, simply because he
is a human being. Yes; truly catholic are these hospitals,—catholic as
the bounty of our heavenly Father,—without respect of persons, giving to
all liberally and upbraiding not, like Him in whom all live, and move,
and have their being; witnesses better than all our sermons for the
universal bounty and tolerance of that heavenly Father who causes the sun
to shine on the evil and the good, and his rain to fall upon the just and
on the unjust, and is perfect in this, that He is good to the unthankful
and the evil.
And, therefore, the preacher can urge his countrymen, let their opinions,
creed, tastes, be what they may, to support hospitals with especial
freedom, earnestness, and confidence. Heaven forbid that I should
undervalue any charitable institution whatever. May God’s blessing be on
them all. But this I have a right to say,—that whatever objections,
suspicions, prejudices there may be concerning any other form of charity,
concerning hospitals there can be none. Every farthing bestowed on them
must go toward the direct doing of good. There is no fear in them of
waste, of misapplication of funds, of private jobbery, of ulterior and
unavowed objects. Palpable and unmistakeable good is all they do and all
they can do. And he who gives to a hospital has the comfort of knowing
that he is bestowing a direct blessing on the bodies of his fellow-men;
and it may be on their souls likewise.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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