FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96  
97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   >>   >|  
are realized in their own heart and conduct. Such men, when assailed by ridicule and sophistry, are likely to fall; they have no root in themselves; and let them be quite sure, that should they fall away from the faith, it will be a slight thing at the last day to plead that subtle arguments were used against them, that they were altogether unprepared and ignorant, and that their seducers prevailed over them by the display of some little cleverness and human knowledge. The inward witness to the truth lodged in our hearts is a match for the most learned infidel or sceptic that ever lived: though, to tell the truth, such men are generally very shallow and weak, as well as wicked; generally know only a little, pervert what they know, assume false principles, and distort or suppress facts: but were they as accomplished as the very author of evil, the humblest Christian, armed with sling and stone, and supported by God's unseen might, is, as far as his own faith is concerned, a match for them. And, on the other hand, the most acute of reasoners and most profound of thinkers, the most instructed in earthly knowledge, is nothing, except he has also within him the presence of the Spirit of truth. Human knowledge, though of great power when joined to a pure and humble faith, is of no power when opposed to it, and, after ail, for the comfort of the individual Christian, it is of little value. May we, then, all grow in heavenly knowledge, and, with that end, labour to improve what is already given us, be it more or be it less, knowing that "he that is faithful in little is faithful also in much," and that "to him that hath, more shall be given." [1] Cant. i. 8. [2] John iii. 20. [3] Rom. vii. 15, 18, 22, 23. [4] Jer. xvii. 9. [5] Heb. xii. 14. [6] Gal. i. 12. [7] John iv. 29. [8] Mal. iii. 10. SERMON IX. Jeremiah, a Lesson for the Disappointed. "_Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord._"--Jeremiah i. 8. The Prophets were ever ungratefully treated by the Israelites, they were resisted, their warnings neglected, their good services forgotten. But there was this difference between the earlier and the later Prophets; the earlier lived and died in honour among their people,--in outward honour; though hated and thwarted by the wicked, they were exalted to high places, and ruled in the congregation. Moses, for instance, was in trouble from his peop
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96  
97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

knowledge

 

generally

 

Jeremiah

 
wicked
 
Christian
 

faithful

 
Prophets
 

earlier

 

honour

 

places


congregation
 

labour

 

improve

 

heavenly

 

thwarted

 
people
 

knowing

 

outward

 

afraid

 
neglected

services

 
warnings
 

Israelites

 

ungratefully

 

instance

 

resisted

 

trouble

 
deliver
 

Disappointed

 

forgotten


treated

 

Lesson

 

exalted

 

difference

 

SERMON

 

reasoners

 

prevailed

 

display

 

cleverness

 

seducers


ignorant

 

altogether

 

unprepared

 

sceptic

 

shallow

 

infidel

 
learned
 

witness

 

lodged

 

hearts