The World's Great Sermons, Volume 02: Hooker to South
Religion
The World's Great Sermons, Volume 02: Hooker to South
Sermons
Oh! to see a man drawing his breath low and short, after he hath
spent many hours and days in prayer to the Lord, grappling with his
corruptions, and striving to pull down his base lusts, after he hath
waited upon the Lord in a constant course of obedience. Take but such
a man, and ask him, now his conscience is opened, whether the ways
of holiness and sincerity be not irksome to him, whether he be not
grieved with himself for undergoing so much needless trouble (as the
world thinks it); and his soul will then clear this matter. It is true
he hath a tedious course of it, but now his death will be blest. He
hath striven for a crown, and now beholds a crown. Now he is beyond
the waves. All the contempts, and imprisonments, and outrages
of wicked men are now too short to reach him. He is so far from
repenting, that he rejoiceth and triumpheth in reflecting back upon
all the pains, and care, and labor of love, whereby he hath loved the
Lord Jesus, in submitting his heart unto Him.
Take me another man, that hath lived here in pomp and jollity,
hath had many livings, great preferments, much honor, abundance of
pleasure, yet hath been ever careless of God and of His Word, profane
in his course, loose in his conversation, and ask him upon his
deathbed, how it standeth with him. Oh! woe the time, that ever he
spent it as he hath done. Now the soul begins to hate the man, and
the very sight of him that hath been, the instrument with it in the
committing of sin. Now nothing but gall and wormwood remaineth. Now
the sweetness of the adulterer's lust is gone, and nothing but the
sting of conscience remaineth. Now the covetous man must part with
his goods, and the gall of asps must stick behind. Now the soul sinks
within, and the heart is overwhelmed with sorrow. Take but these two
men, I say, and judge by their ends, whether it will ever repent you
that you have done well, that you have walked in the steps of the
faith of Abraham.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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