The World's Great Sermons, Volume 01: Basil to Calvin
Religion
The World's Great Sermons, Volume 01: Basil to Calvin
Sermons
The soul's knowledge, however, will not be complete so long as it lives
in this mortal body. It does not while here come to the fundamental
distinctions and causes of the substances, because it is obliged to know
the inner side of things through their externals. Therefore man is able
only imperfectly to know an incorporeal substance; how much less can he
know the uncreated infinite being of God? But if he can not know the
being of God, he will not be able to know many other infinite things
which are in Him. We ought therefore not to be surprized that there is
much in God which we can not understand, and that very many truths of
the faith we can not yet prove since we do not yet know everything. The
great God in His rich mercy saw our poor knowledge and came into our
flesh and assumed it that He might work for us, die, and rise again
from the dead; until after a life full of love He raised Himself above
the world of sense into His eternity. But so long as our Redeemer lived
with His apostles they loved too much that which they saw of Him,
because they were bound down to their senses, and were therefore unable
to rise to the knowledge of His Spirit. It was necessary that He should
disappear in the heavens that He might lift their souls far above the
world of sense up to Himself. Their natural powers could not do this;
therefore He gave to His elect a light from above. Ascending on high He
led captivity captive, for ascending into the heavens He took with Him
the prey which the devil had made of the soul of men ever since the fall
of our parents. The Lord has given gifts unto men (Eph. iv. 8), inasmuch
as He has imparted to them the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost. Now they
leave everything of this world, and rise above by following Christ, who
gives to them for a light the light of faith. Let us speak this morning
of this faith which leads to the Savior.
"Awake thou that sleepest and Christ shall give thee light." Be not held
captive by flesh and sense, which hold thee fast in sleep; rise to
Christ, He will give thee light. See, His flesh is above. What do ye say
to that, ye wise men of this world? Everything that has weight tends
downward, but His flesh is of thy heart. Thou hast refused the service
of the Lord, who has ascended to prepare for thee the highest glory.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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