A Consolatory Letter to the Parents of Geoffrey. Self-consciousness has been the problem of the philosophic mind in all ages; and the mystery is not yet unravelled. Our relation toward such a God should be . 7. The word, "me," in the text, cannot be appropriated by any man, unless he, in some respects, resembles the character of David, who penned this psalm. That act whereby another being knows my secret thoughts and inmost feelings is most certainly inexplicable.I. Dry bones; hopeless situations have a spiritual ear. THE DIVINE OMNISCIENCE (vers. "Though I walk in the midst of trouble, Thou wilt revive me: Thy right hand shall save me."--PS. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. 1, 2. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. A Consolatory Letter to the Parents of Geoffrey. iii. His omniscience. That of welcoming the Divine searching (vers. 6. Those who live much in refined and educated society acquire refinement insensibly. N.T. It is a simple question of time; a simple question whether it shall come here in this world, where the blood of Christ "freely" flows, or in the future world, where "there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin. 1. The former are made and fulfilled by its glorious Originator; the latter are enjoined and obligatory on man. [2105] And these without all controversy we take to be humble. 17, 18).2. 17, 18).2. - the power of the Holy Spirit, which worketh in me now; the promises, so many, so great, and precious, contained in the Holy Scriptures; and my own experience thus far, and that of many others; - all encourage and establish my faith that ' the Lord will perfect that,' etc. And lest the presence of God should be too much for us, Christ has taken human nature on Him, and has provided that He will be always with us as long as the world shall last. Like the air we breathe, like the light we see, it involves a mystery that no man has ever solved. v. 22). The former are made and fulfilled by its glorious Originator; the latter are enjoined and obligatory on man. : While the Americans were blockading Cuba, several captains endeavoured to elude their vigilance by night, trusting that the darkness would conceal them as they passed between the American war-ships. It is a simple question of time; a simple question whether it shall come here in this world, where the blood of Christ "freely" flows, or in the future world, where "there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin."(W. To Dominicus, Bishop. He compasseth man's path, and his lying down, and is acquainted with all his ways. 231 and 1506: "Faith in Perfection", and, "Choice Comfort for a Young Believer." Verse 8. From the just we learn justice; from the charitable we catch an infection of charity; from the generous we receive the instinct of generosity. If that Being has gone down into these depths of human depravity, and seen it with a more abhorring glance than could ever shoot from a finite eye, and yet has returned with a cordial offer to forgive it all, and a hearty proffer to cleanse it all away, then we can lift up the eye in adoration and in hope. That of siding with Him against evil (vers. Nor did God create these each by himself, and join them together as alien by birth: but He created the one St. He must be prepared for the Kingdom that has been prepared for him Saint Bernard of ClairvauxSome Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of ClairvauxThat the Ruler Should be Always Chief in Action. His omnipotence (vers. Is the Contemplative Life wholly confined to the Intellect, or does the Will enter into it? The poet returns to the opening words of the psalm, and prays for a new experience of Jehovah's searching scrutiny, that he may not be given over to self-conceit. The thought will flash across us that God sees us. 1, 2. He prophesies that the kings of the earth shall praise God7. : The fact that God is always present and knows every minute trifle in our lives, and that His unerring judgment will assuredly take count of every detail of our character and our conduct, neither exaggerating nor omitting, but applying absolute justice; this truth is one of those which lose force from their very universality. The word, "me," in the text, cannot be appropriated by any man, unless he, in some respects, resembles the character of David, who penned this psalm. Therefore the first natural bond of human society is man and wife. That exquisite pleasure in sin, which comes from its fancied concealment, is utter folly. Although he had averred so strongly his aversion to the wicked, he prays that this may be no mere outward separation. His omnipotence (vers. He will revive us."--HOS. 7. We become unconscious of everything by long use. Wherefore a few witnesses, which the Lord deigns to suggest to my mind, I proceed to mention, from out the teaching of Christ concerning humility, such as perhaps may be enough for my purpose. He cannot comprehend it, which is not strange, for how is the finite to comprehend the infinite? Differently to be admonished are those that are at variance and those that are at peace. 1. There is no reason to mourn a son as lost who is a religious, still less to fear for his delicacy of constitution. "When a foul crime has been perpetrated, tender-hearted Christian women who would not harm a hair of the enemy's head, but would rather feed him, will express keen resentment, and will be disquieted in mind till they hear that the perpetrator has been convicted and duly punished." And though we thought that we had suffered loss from the tardiness of their coming, yet we find gain from their more abundant charity; seeing that from this delay in point Saint Gregory the Greatthe Epistles of Saint Gregory the GreatThe Coming Revival"Wilt Thou not revive us again: that Thy people may rejoice in Thee?"--PS. S. Augustine, Of the City of God, xix. He learnt his theology, as we shall see, from Eastern authorities, and was not content to carry on and develop the traditional teaching of the West; and the disciple St. This is the communion with Him, and with Christ, which unquestionably helps the struggling, the penitent, the praying, more than anything else. Our hearts will put us in mind of God's eye being upon us every now and then involuntarily. God's mercy. To Dominicus, Bishop. All the elements in heaven, everything in nature, the powers and forces of darkness, all heard that Word and they surrendered to that Word, they submitted to that Word and there was great peace and calm all around. We actually need to go a step further by speaking to ourselves, by letting the elements of heaven, the mountains before us, the forces and powers of darkness, all hear the Word of God and submit to that Word. 3. That act whereby another being knows my secret thoughts and inmost feelings is most certainly inexplicable.I. (Weekly Pulpit. iii. III. The worst has been seen, and that too by the holiest of beings, and yet eternal glory is offered to us! Nay, more, this process of self-inspection may go on indefinitely, and the man grow more and more thoughtful, and obtain an everlastingly augmenting knowledge of what he is and what he does, so that it shall seem to him that he is penetrating so deeply into those dim and shadowy regions of consciousness where the external life takes its very first start, and then he may be sure that God understands the thought that is afar off, and deep down, and that at this lowest range and plane in his experience he besets him behind and before.II. And here let us look upon the bright as well as the dark side of this subject. Our relation toward such a God should be 1. Download MP3 (13.5MB) Request: transcript & translate this sermon What? So, too, by living in the presence of God and, as it were, in the courts of heaven, we shall assuredly learn something of a heavenly tone, and shake off some of that coarse worldliness, that deeply ingrained selfishness, that silly pride and conceit which now spoils our very best service. The daily prayer in the closet, the endeavour to keep the attention fixed when praying with others, either in our regular services or in family worship. 18, 19. The man replies, "I mean that whatever really concerns me the Lord will see after, and bring it to a perfect issue, whether it be what has to do with my outward circumstances, or with what is of far more importance - my standing in his sight, the condition of my soul. "But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15b). And at the altar Jesus gives . The ruler should always be chief in action, that by his living he may point out the way of life to those that are put under him, and that the flock, which follows the voice and manners of the shepherd, may learn how to walk better through example than through words. THE DIVINE OMNIPRESENCE (vers. We cannot live long with men without catching something of their manner, of their mode of thought, of their character, of their government of themselves. 1216141335123 . The ruler should always be chief in action, that by his living he may point out the way of life to those that are put under him, and that the flock, which follows the voice and manners of the shepherd, may learn how to walk better through example than through words. The law and covenant of God are co-extensive; and what is enjoined in the one is confirmed in the other. For which of us has a flawless record of submission to the Divine purpose? In short, to live with God is to be perpetually rising above the world; to live without Him is to be perpetually sinking into it, and with it, and below it. III. Though the transgressor is ignorant of much of his sin, because, at the time of its commission, he sins blindly as well as wilfully, and unreflectingly as well as freely; and though the transgressor has forgotten much of that small amount of sin, of which he was conscious, and by which he was pained, at the time of its perpetration; though, on the side of man, the powers of self-inspection and memory have accomplished so little towards this preservation of man's sin, yet God knows it all, and remembers it all. (4)In the dark as well as the light.3. He prophesies that the kings of the earth shall praise God7. The faith of that Centurion He on this account chiefly praised, and said St. So that whenever we are on the point of doing or saying anything cowardly, or mean, or false, or impure, or proud, or conceited, or unkind, the remembrance that God is looking on shall instantly flash across us and help us to beat down our enemy. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven." St. Hilary of Poitiers is one of the greatest, yet least studied, of the Fathers of the Western Church. That of siding with Him against evil (vers. cxxxviii. If you look at it, you will see that there is in its bowels a full description of a true Christian. Ps. AugustineOf Holy Virginity. Thomas AquinasOn Prayer and The Contemplative LifeEpistle Xlvii. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. The former are made and fulfilled by its glorious Originator; the latter are enjoined and obligatory on man. 1, 2. The self-knowledge, remember, must come in the one way or the other. Chapter i. The simple question, then, which meets us is, Wilt thou know thyself here, and now, that thou mayest accept and feel God's pity; or wilt thou keep within the screen, and not know thyself until beyond the grave, and then feel God's judicial wrath? Its words are as simple and unaffected as human words can be, for it is the genius, The Saints' Final Perseverance Secured by the Mercy of God, The saints' final perseverance secured by the mercy of God, David praises God for the truth of his word, He prophesies that the kings of the earth shall praise God. His communion is unbroken. 9 Do not hide Your face from me; Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation. Take heed unto me and hear me; how I mourn in my prayer and am vexed.--Psalm iv. I like that thought, don't you? And this will generally be just when we are tempted to do wrong, or perhaps just when we are actually beginning to do it: some secret sin of which no one knows or dreams perhaps, some self-indulgence, which we dare not deny that God condemns. Like the air we breathe, like the light we see, it involves a mystery that no man has ever solved. And some will pass through great affliction and some will experience a great many wants. Who conceived the character of Christ, in an age overlaid and penetrated through and through with error? And this will generally be just when we are tempted to do wrong, or perhaps just when we are actually beginning to do it: some secret sin of which no one knows or dreams perhaps, some self-indulgence, which we dare not deny that God condemns. Justice, in this reference, is out of the question. Don't forsake the works of your own hands. For it is written, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace (Gal. St. Hilary of Poitiers is one of the greatest, yet least studied, of the Fathers of the Western Church. So that whenever we are on the point of doing or saying anything cowardly, or mean, or false, or impure, or proud, or conceited, or unkind, the remembrance that God is looking on shall instantly flash across us and help us to beat down our enemy. Rom. 7 ad 3m II. David praises God for the truth of his word4. 1, 2. There is, therefore, nothing wrong in our forgetting that we are in the presence of God any more than there is anything foolish in our forgetting that we need air to breathe or light to see by, or that if we fall we may hurt ourselves: just in the same way as we very often, and quite rightly, forget that we are in the company of men who will take notice of our faults. In my trouble I will call upon the Lord, and complain unto my God; so shall He hear my voice out of His holy temple, and my complaint shall come before Him; it shall enter even into His ears.--Ps. His omnipotence (vers. 15. That He will complete the work. The faith of that Centurion He on this account chiefly praised, and said St. 8). the regular habit of reading the Bible at a fixed time, the occasional reminders of ourselves that God is looking on, these are our chief means of learning to remember His presence. Ps. For it is written, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace (Gal. 18, 19. Being rich he becomes richer; being already high born, of still nobler lineage; being illustrious, he gains greater renown; and--what is more than all--once a sinner he is now a saint. This is living with God. David praises God for the truth of his word4. The former are made and fulfilled by its glorious Originator; the latter are enjoined and obligatory on man. xviii. The brilliant searchlight sweeping the broad ocean and revealing even the smallest craft on its surface is but a faint type of the Eternal Light from which no sinner can hide his sin. "O Lord, revive Thy work in the midst of the years."--HAB. Said Milton, speaking of his travels abroad when a young man: "I again take God to witness that in all places where so many things are considered lawful, I lived sound and untouched from all profligacy and vice, having this thought perpetually with me, that though I might escape the eyes of men, I certainly could not the eyes of God."4. From the just we learn justice; from the charitable we catch an infection of charity; from the generous we receive the instinct of generosity. So that whenever we are on the point of doing or saying anything cowardly, or mean, or false, or impure, or proud, or conceited, or unkind, the remembrance that God is looking on shall instantly flash across us and help us to beat down our enemy. To Dominicus, Bishop. That of adoring and constantly thoughtful reverence (vers. He will revive us."--HOS. There is, therefore, nothing wrong in our forgetting that we are in the presence of God any more than there is anything foolish in our forgetting that we need air to breathe or light to see by, or that if we fall we may hurt ourselves: just in the same way as we very often, and quite rightly, forget that we are in the company of men who will take notice of our faults. IS THERE AN ALL-SEEING GOD? Higher Aim is a 501(C)(3), non-profit registered in the US. G. T. Shedd, D. D.: One of the most remark. Do the Moral Virtues pertain to the Contemplative Life? 15. His discourse, the first which He delivered to His disciples at greater length, began from this. The word, "me," in the text, cannot be appropriated by any man, unless he, in some respects, resembles the character of David, who penned this psalm. 23, 24). That act whereby another being knows my secret thoughts and inmost feelings is most certainly inexplicable.I. - S.C. But if that knowledge whereby man knows himself is mysterious, then certainly that whereby God knows him is far more so. It is perfectly plain from the elevated central point of view where we now stand, and in the focal light in which we now see, that no man can be justified before God upon the ground of personal character; for that character, when subjected to God's exhaustive scrutiny, withers and shrinks away. S. Augustine, Of the Perfection of Human Righteousness, viii. The simple question, then, which meets us is, Wilt thou know thyself here, and now, that thou mayest accept and feel God's pity; or wilt thou keep within the screen, and not know thyself until beyond the grave, and then feel God's judicial wrath? Does the Contemplative Life consist solely in the Contemplation of God, or in the Consideration St. (Isa. AugustineOn the Good of MarriagePrayer Out of the Deep. "Thou hast made me: I reverently challenge Thee to complete Thy work." And though we thought that we had suffered loss from the tardiness of their coming, yet we find gain from their more abundant charity; seeing that from this delay in point Saint Gregory the Greatthe Epistles of Saint Gregory the GreatThe Coming Revival"Wilt Thou not revive us again: that Thy people may rejoice in Thee?"--PS. The text, however, itself, is its own guard. 8). The duties of that Covenant are God's law; and the demands of the law are all made John CunninghamThe Ordinance of CovenantingIntroduction. We see that mercy has provided for the ruined life to be restored and built up again according to the plan of the great Architect. "Though I walk in the midst of trouble, Thou wilt revive me: Thy right hand shall save me."--PS. the regular habit of reading the Bible at a fixed time, the occasional reminders of ourselves that God is looking on, these are our chief means of learning to remember His presence. Hoyt, D. D.: This psalm sings of I. G. T. Shedd, D. D.: One of the most remark. The brilliant searchlight sweeping the broad ocean and revealing even the smallest craft on its surface is but a faint type of the Eternal Light from which no sinner can hide his sin. ad probam IV. Forasmuch as each man is a part of the human race, and human nature is something social, and hath for a great and natural good, the power also of friendship; on this account God willed to create all men out of one, in order that they might be held in their society not only by likeness of kind, but also by bond of kindred. Though the transgressor is ignorant of much of his sin, because, at the time of its commission, he sins blindly as well as wilfully, and unreflectingly as well as freely; and though the transgressor has forgotten much of that small amount of sin, of which he was conscious, and by which he was pained, at the time of its perpetration; though, on the side of man, the powers of self-inspection and memory have accomplished so little towards this preservation of man's sin, yet God knows it all, and remembers it all. Does the Contemplative Life comprise many Acts? If that Being has gone down into these depths of human depravity, and seen it with a more abhorring glance than could ever shoot from a finite eye, and yet has returned with a cordial offer to forgive it all, and a hearty proffer to cleanse it all away, then we can lift up the eye in adoration and in hope. But there are other reasons for the comparative neglect into which he has fallen. (4)In the dark as well as the light.3. The text, however, itself, is its own guard. 23, 24). His omnipresence. 1 John 1:9, 1 Samuel 1:18, 1 Samuel 1:4-5, 1 Samuel 1:9-11, 2 Kings 4:13-17, 2 Kings 4:18-20, 2 Kings 4:28, 2 Kings 4:32-37, 2 Peter 5:15, 2 Samuel 7:15-17, 2 Timothy 4:10, 2 Timothy 4:7, 3 John 2, Colossians 4:14, Exodus 23:25, Ezekiel 37:1-10, Genesis 12:1-3, Genesis 17:1-2, Genesis 18:10, Genesis 3:15, Hebrews 6:13-15, Hebrews 8:12, Isaiah 14:27, Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah 9:6-7, Jeremiah 1:12, Job 42:12-17, Joel 2:25-26, Mark 10:46-52, Mark 10:52, Mark 11:23, Mark 4:39, Mark 8:22-25, Matthew 2:13, Matthew 2:1-3, Matthew 2:19-20, Matthew 2:6, Numbers 23:19, Philemon 23-24, Philippians 1:6, Philippians 4:19, Proverbs 21:30, Psalm 138:8, Psalm 23:1, Psalm 43:5, Psalm 91, Psalms 138:8, Romans 4:18-21, Sermon Topics: GOD ACCURATELY AND EXHAUSTIVELY KNOWS ALL THAT MAN MIGHT, BUT DOES NOT, KNOW OF HIMSELF. lxxxv. We become unconscious of everything by long use. If it be God's plan for you for life you will carry it through. This was Thomas' announcement and one that is perfect for our expectations this first Sunday after the Easter resurrection.
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the lord will perfect that which concerns me sermon