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
But there are those here, I doubt not, who have in them, by grace of God,
that same divine thirst for the Higher Life; who are discontented with
themselves, ashamed of themselves; who are tormented by longings which
they cannot satisfy, instincts which they cannot analyse, powers which
they cannot employ, duties which they cannot perform, doctrinal
confusions which they cannot unravel; who would welcome any change, even
the most tremendous, which would make them nobler, purer, juster, more
loving, more useful, more clear-headed and sound-minded; and when they
think of death say with the poet,—
‘’Tis life, not death for which I pant,
’Tis life, whereof my nerves are scant,
More life, and fuller, that I want.’
To them I say—for God has said it long ago,—Be of good cheer. The
calling and gifts of God are without repentance. If you have the divine
thirst, it will be surely satisfied. If you long to be better men and
women, better men and women you will surely be. Only be true to those
higher instincts; only do not learn to despise and quench that divine
thirst; only struggle on, in spite of mistakes, of failures, even of
sins—for every one of which last your heavenly Father will chastise you,
even while He forgives; in spite of all falls, struggle on. Blessed are
you that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for you shall be filled.
To you—and not in vain—‘The Spirit and the Bride say, Come. And let him
that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever
will, let him drink of the water of life freely.’
SERMON II.
THE PHYSICIAN’S CALLING.
(_Preached at Whitehall for St. George’s Hospital_.)
ST. MATTHEW ix. 35.
And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their
synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing
every sickness and every disease among the people.
THE Gospels speak of disease and death in a very simple and human tone.
They regard them in theory, as all are forced to regard them in fact, as
sore and sad evils.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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