Westminster Sermons: with a PrefaceKingsley, Charles
Religion
Westminster Sermons: with a Preface
Kingsley, Charles
Sermons, English -- 19th century
And now, my dear friends, if Moses could call heaven and earth to witness
against those old Jews, that he had set before them life and death, a
blessing and a curse, may we not do the same? Does not the heaven above
our heads, and the earth beneath our feet, witness against us here? Do
they not say to us--God has given you life and blessing. If you throw
that away, and choose instead death and a curse; it is your own fault,
not God's?
Look at the heaven above us. Does not that witness against us? Has it
not seen, for now fifteen hundred years and more, God's goodness to us,
and to our forefathers? All things have changed; language, manners,
customs, religion. We have changed our place, as the Israelites did; and
dwell in a different land from our forefathers: but that sky abides for
ever. That same sun, that moon, those stars shone down upon our heathen
forefathers, when the Lord chose them, and brought them out of the German
forests into this good land of England, that they might learn to worship
no more the sun, and the moon, and the storm, and the thunder-cloud, but
to worship Him, the living God who made all heaven and earth. That sky
looked down upon our forefathers, when the first missionaries baptized
them into the Church of Christ, and England became a Christian land, and
made a covenant with God and Christ for ever to walk in His laws which He
has set before us. From that heaven, ever since, hath God been sending
rain and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness, for
a witness of His love and fostering care; prospering us, whensoever we
have kept His laws, above all other nations upon earth. Shall not that
heaven witness against us? Into that heaven ascended Christ the Lord,
that He might fill all things with His power and His rule, and might send
from thence on us His Holy Spirit, the Spirit whom we worship this day,
the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. By that same Spirit,
and by none other, have been thought all the noble thoughts which
Englishmen ever thought. By that Spirit have been spoken all the noble
words which Englishmen ever spoke. By that Spirit have been done all the
noble deeds which Englishmen have ever done. To that Spirit we owe all
that is truly noble, truly strong, truly stable, in our English life. It
is He that has given us power to get wealth, to keep wealth, to use
wealth. And if we begin to deny that, as we are inclined to do now-a-
days; if we lay our grand success and prosperity to the account of our
own cleverness, our own ability; if we say, as Moses warned the
Israelites they would say, in the days of their success and prosperity,
not--"It is God who has given us power to get wealth," but--"Mine arm,
and the might of my hand, has gotten me this wealth;"--in plain words--If
we begin to do what we are all too apt to do just now, to worship our own
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account