Westminster Sermons with a Preface

Recollect Samuel: how when he was young the Word of the Lord was precious--that is, uncommon, and almost unknown in those days; and how the Lord came and called Samuel, Samuel;...

You are afraid of death. You do not wish to die. But why should you not die? Why should Christ save you from death? Of what use is your life to Christ, or to any human being? If...

And if a modern philosopher--or one so called--had said to him,--'This is unthinkable and inconceivable, and therefore cannot be. I cannot "think of"--I cannot conceive a mind--...

And we Christians are excusable if we dread it likewise. How often does St Paul speak of shame as an evil to be dreaded; just as he speaks, even more often, of glory and honour...

Shall we translate this,--Heaven and earth shall not come true: but My words shall come true? By so doing we may put some little meaning into the latter half of the verse; but n...

And the righteousness of God, which is the righteousness of Christ;--find out what that is, and pray to Christ to give it to you; for so alone will you be what a man should be,...

But do not you do so, my friends. Fix it in your hearts and minds; and fix it now, before you fall into the deep, as most are apt to do before they die; lest, when the dark day...

That, my good friends, is not only according to Scripture, but according to true philosophy. Men are slow to believe it now: and no wonder. They have been always slow to believe...

And thus Passion-week tells all men in what true goodness lies. In self- sacrifice. In it Christ on His Cross shewed men what was the likeness of God, the goodness of God, the g...

They saw that the Lord was gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repented Him of the evil. They saw that the Lord helped them to right who suffered wr...

Oh, my friends, those who believe, or fancy that they believe such things, must be able to do so only through some peculiar conformation either of brain or heart. Only want of i...

But--he says--the trees of the Lord are full of sap; even the cedars of Lebanon which He hath planted. Why should he say that specially of the cedars? Did not God make all trees...

But if he governs himself according to his own fancy, which is no law, but lawlessness: then he will find himself rebelling against himself, weakened by passions, torn by vain d...

The covetous and luxurious find it very difficult to understand such a being. Their usual notion of tenderness is a selfish dislike of seeing any one else uncomfortable, because...

There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that...

There are those, and those who deserve a respectful hearing, who will differ from all that I have been saying, and indeed from the beliefs of 999 out of 1000 of the human race i...

"And they brought unto Jesus one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech, and besought Him to put His hand upon him. And Jesus took him aside from the multitude, and...

I venture to preface these Sermons--which were preached either at Westminster Abbey, or at one of the Chapels Royal--by a Paper read at Sion College, in 1871; and for this reaso...

Solomon his son had the same experience. For him, too, in spite of all his wisdom, the mystery of Providence was too dark. Though a man laboured to seek it, yet should he not fi...

And now--How is the earth shaken, and the heavens likewise, in that very sense in which the expression is used by him who wrote to the Hebrews? Our conceptions of them are shake...

So we will assert our own old-fashioned notion boldly: and more; we will say, in spite of ridicule--That if such a God exists, final causes must exist also. That the whole unive...

Fix in your minds--or rather, ask God to fix in your minds--this one idea of an absolutely good God; good with all forms of goodness which you respect and love in man; good as y...