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00:22Let us pray.
00:25Praise, honour and glory be to you, O Christ, who for our sake gave yourself up into the service of
00:33your parents and to teach us true humility carried by your mother into the temple and there redeemed with the
00:42offerings of the poor when the righteous Simeon and the prophetess Anna, gladdened by your presence, gave glorious witness concerning
00:50you.
00:51May the slightest breath of vanity never affect my innermost soul. May all arrogance be ever cast down. May all
01:00longing for the praise of men be extinguished. May all wantonness of self-conceit be quenched within me.
01:07Give me grace, O Lord, to flee any honour, to hate distinction and to submit myself with readiness to all
01:14men for your sake.
01:17Praise, honour and glory be to you, O Christ, who as a little child did with your tender mother suffer
01:24persecution and did not refuse to be carried as an exile fleeing into Egypt.
01:31Give me grace amidst the storms of adversity and the blasts of persecution and misfortune, to fly for refuge to
01:39you alone, to seek you, to call upon you.
01:44Grant that I may receive all things with gladness at your hands, may endure all things in meekness of heart,
01:51and may cleave with thanksgiving without wavering to you.
01:56Praise, honour and glory be to you, O Christ, who, when you remained behind in the temple, your mother sought
02:04for sorrowing, and at length with joy found you sitting in the midst of the doctors, hearing and asking them
02:10questions.
02:12May you so give and communicate yourself to me, that I may never be separated from you, and never be
02:19without the comfort of your blessed friendship.
02:22Drive sloth from my heart, dispel any dullness that is displeasing in your sight.
02:30Grant me perfect devotion, and such an ardent thirst after piety, that my soul may be so affected and possessed
02:38by it, as never to feel satisfied with worshipping you.
02:43Praise, honour and glory be to you, who gave yourself up to live in concealment for thirty years, to be
02:51reputed by the Jews the son of Joseph the carpenter, and be subject to the commands of your mother and
02:57the same Joseph.
02:59May your grace, I beg you, root out and thoroughly pluck up, from the innermost recesses of my heart, any
03:07ambition and seeking of glory, that I may become belittled in my own eyes, and may love to be unknown
03:15and considered of no account, submitting myself to all, and obeying them for your honour.
03:23Praise, honour and glory be to you, O Christ, who did not refuse to come to the River Jordan, and
03:29be baptised there by your servant John.
03:34May you thoroughly cleanse me by your merits in this life, that freed from all vices and sins, I may
03:42be filled with the love of you, and long for my heavenly country.
03:47Make me, I beg you, before my soul quits this body, pleasing to you in all things, that, departing from
03:56this life, I may be for ever in heaven with you, to see you, to enjoy you, and to praise
04:02your holy name for ever and ever.
04:06Praise, honour and glory be to you, O Christ, who for our sake dwelt in the wilderness, amongst the wild
04:13beasts, and fasted and watched in prayer for forty days and forty nights,
04:19permitting yourself to be tempted by the devil, whom you overcame, whom you overcame, when angels came and ministered to
04:25you.
04:27Grant me grace, to discipline, overcome, and bring into subjection my sinful flesh, with its evil affections.
04:37Give me grace, to be instant in prayer, and all other spiritual exercises, and grant that with your continual help,
04:45I may completely overcome sins of gluttony, and may escape the snares and schemes of the devil.
04:54Let no temptations, I beg you, defile me, nor separate me from you, but may they rather purify me, and
05:02unite and join me with you.
05:06Praise, honour and glory be to you, O Christ, who gave himself up to preach repentance, to call to you
05:14disciples, and from them choose the twelve apostles, to be the special heralds of the faith, gathering together the children
05:22of God that were scattered abroad.
05:24Draw me after you, and powerfully excite my heart to love you, do not permit me to neglect the grace
05:33with which you called me, but make me ready to despise the world and all perishable things, following you, taking
05:41your humility and charity as my example.
05:43Give me grace to look for you alone, and with earnest longing to sigh continually after you. Amen.
05:56O Lord, open our lips, and our mouths shall sing your praise.
06:08O be joyful in the Lord, holy man, serve the Lord with gladness, and come in voice, present with a
06:24talk.
06:26O Lord, open our lips, and the Lord with gladness, and come in voice, O Lord with gladness, and come
06:39in voice, O Lord.
06:39O Lord, end your heart, and that the Lord will be the answer to you, O Lord with gladness, and
06:51the Lord will be the answer to you.
06:55We thank God to Him and speak to the Lord of His name.
07:04Oh, the Lord is gracious, His mercy is everlasting,
07:14and His good and joy from generation to generation.
07:27Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost,
07:38as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be world without end.
08:04Amen.
08:05Amen.
08:21Amen.
08:33Amen.
08:34Amen.
08:39Amen.
08:42Amen.
08:47Amen.
08:56Amen.
09:02Amen.
09:04Amen.
09:18and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost,
09:25as it was in the beginning,
09:28is now and ever shall be,
09:33world without end.
09:40Amen.
09:51A reading from the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 2.
09:58Men of Israel, hear these words.
10:02Jesus of Nazareth, the man approved by God to you,
10:06by mighty works and wonders,
10:08signs which God did by him amongst you,
10:11even as you yourselves know,
10:14him being delivered up by the determined counsel
10:18and foreknowledge of God.
10:20You have taken by the hand of lawless men,
10:23crucified and killed,
10:25whom God raised up,
10:27having freed him from the agony of death,
10:29for it was not possible that he should be held by it.
10:33As David says concerning him,
10:36I saw the Lord always before my face,
10:38for he is on my right hand,
10:41that I should not be moved.
10:43And therefore my heart was glad,
10:45and my tongue rejoiced.
10:47Moreover my flesh will also dwell in hope,
10:50because you will not leave my soul in Hades,
10:53neither will allow your Holy One to see decay.
10:57You made known to me the ways of life.
11:00You will make me full of gladness with your presence.
11:05Brothers, I may tell you freely of the patriarch David,
11:09that he both died and was buried.
11:12And his tomb is with us to this very day.
11:16Therefore being a prophet,
11:17and knowing that God had sworn with him
11:20an oath to him,
11:21that by the fruit of his body,
11:23according to the flesh,
11:24he would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne.
11:28He foreseeing this,
11:29spoke of the resurrection of the Christ,
11:32that his soul was not left in Hades,
11:34and his flesh did not decay.
11:38This Jesus God raised up,
11:41to which we are all witnesses.
11:44Being therefore exalted by the right hand of God,
11:48having received from the Father
11:49the promise of the Holy Spirit,
11:51he has poured out this,
11:53which you now see and hear.
11:56For David didn't ascend into the heavens,
11:58but he himself said,
12:00The Lord said to my Lord,
12:02Sit at my right hand,
12:04until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.
12:08So let all the house of Israel therefore know certainly,
12:11that God has made him both Lord and Christ,
12:15this Jesus whom you crucified.
12:19When they heard this,
12:20they were cut to the heart,
12:21and said to Peter,
12:22to Peter,
12:23and the rest of the apostles,
12:26Brothers,
12:27what should we do?
12:30Peter said to them,
12:32Repent and be baptized,
12:33every one of you,
12:35in the name of Jesus Christ,
12:36for the forgiveness of sins,
12:38and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
12:42For the promise is to you,
12:44and to your children,
12:45and to all who are far off,
12:48even as many as the Lord our God will call to himself.
12:54With many other words he testified,
12:57and exhorted them,
12:58saying,
12:58Save yourselves from this crooked and wicked generation.
13:04Then those who gladly received his word were baptized.
13:08They were added that day about three thousand souls.
13:12They continued steadfastly in the apostles' teaching,
13:15and fellowship,
13:16in the breaking of bread and prayer.
13:20Fear came upon every soul,
13:22and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.
13:26All who believed came together,
13:28and had all things in common.
13:30They sold their possessions and goods,
13:33distributing them to all,
13:35according as anyone had need.
13:37Day by day,
13:39continually,
13:41steadfast,
13:42with one accord in the temple,
13:44and breaking bread at home,
13:46they took their food with gladness,
13:48and singleness of heart,
13:50praising God,
13:51and having favor with the people.
13:53And the Lord added to the assembly,
13:56day by day,
13:57those who were being saved.
14:00This is the word of the Lord.
14:03Thanks be to God.
14:10St. Peter says that Christ was raised from the dead,
14:13because it was not possible he should be a captive of death.
14:18Let us consider then,
14:19what were the reasons for this divine impossibility?
14:24First of all,
14:25we find the reason which lay nearest to this conclusion,
14:29and which was intended to convince his hearers.
14:32It was not possible,
14:33because David had spoken concerning him,
14:36that he would rise from the dead.
14:39It was their Jewish prophecy,
14:41which forbade Christ to remain in the grave,
14:44and made his resurrection a divine necessity.
14:49The second reason,
14:50behind St. Peter's language,
14:52lay in the character of Christ himself.
14:55His character,
14:56not less than his miracles,
14:58drew hearts to him,
14:59and led men to give up all for him.
15:03Of our Lord's character,
15:04the leading feature,
15:05if we may reverently use such an expression,
15:09was his simple truthfulness.
15:13It was morally impossible for him,
15:15to hold out a prospect,
15:17which could not be realised,
15:19or to use words which did not mean,
15:21what they appeared to mean.
15:24Now our Lord Jesus Christ,
15:26had again and again said,
15:28that he would be put to a violent death,
15:30and that afterwards,
15:32he would rise again.
15:34If he had not risen,
15:36he would not have kept his engagement,
15:38with the world.
15:40This was the feeling,
15:41of those who loved him best,
15:43and especially of St. Peter.
15:46All was staked,
15:48on his rising from the dead.
15:50When he did rise,
15:52he was proved,
15:53to be the Son of God.
15:55Thus it was the character of Christ,
15:58more than the simple force of prophecy,
15:59which made the idea,
16:01that he should not rise,
16:02impossible to his disciples.
16:07But we have still not exhausted,
16:09St. Peter's reasons,
16:10for this statement.
16:12In the sermon he preached,
16:13after the healing of the man,
16:15at the beautiful gate of the temple,
16:16he told his hearers,
16:18that they had been crucified,
16:19with the Prince of Life.
16:21In the truth,
16:22of our Lord's jurisdiction over life,
16:25based on his divine nature,
16:27he traces the third reason,
16:29why it is impossible,
16:30for him not to rise again.
16:32The buried Christ,
16:34simply could not remain,
16:35in the grave.
16:36He was raised,
16:37by virtue of divine necessity,
16:40and while this necessity,
16:41was originally,
16:42and strictly proper to him,
16:44it points also,
16:45to a necessity,
16:46which affects his church.
16:49We see in it,
16:50the impossibility,
16:52for a Christian,
16:53to be buried forever in the tomb.
16:56Principle,
16:57which is applied to the church itself,
16:59as well to our bodies.
17:01It is not possible,
17:02that the body of Christ,
17:04instinct with its force and spirit,
17:06should be captive in earth.
17:09The principle applies to individuals,
17:12if we are any of us,
17:14in the tomb of sin,
17:16it ought to be impossible,
17:17for us to lie there.
17:21We might assume,
17:22the audience,
17:23which St Peter addressed,
17:24were familiar,
17:25with the main outlines,
17:26of the life of Jesus,
17:28as recent,
17:29and notorious events,
17:31for these were only,
17:32a few weeks old.
17:34We assume them also,
17:36for the truth,
17:37of the theory,
17:38that Christ was God,
17:40the church offers,
17:41but one test,
17:42proof,
17:43the resurrection.
17:45Virtually,
17:46St Peter does so,
17:47in these early sermons of his.
17:50If God Almighty,
17:51did indeed raise,
17:52the Lord Jesus from the dead,
17:53into a glorified,
17:54and unchangeable life,
17:56as no other man,
17:57was ever raised.
17:58Then Jesus was,
18:00the Son of God,
18:00as he claimed to be.
18:02His life,
18:03as divine,
18:04as it professed to be.
18:06His miracles,
18:07genuine,
18:08his teaching,
18:09true,
18:10his pretensions,
18:11valid,
18:12his death,
18:13innocent,
18:14his passion,
18:16propitiary,
18:17and atoning.
18:19But if,
18:20which is the only other,
18:21possible alternative,
18:22the alternative,
18:23of unbelief,
18:25if God did not raise this man,
18:27the Christian advocate,
18:29throws up his case.
18:30Our faith is false,
18:32our fancied saviour,
18:33an imposter,
18:34and we are in our sin,
18:36like other men.
18:39Even a Christ,
18:40who became alive again,
18:41is not enough,
18:42if he is so withdrawn himself,
18:44that in his absence,
18:46he cannot help us.
18:48A Christ removed,
18:49from the reach of men,
18:50were as good,
18:51as no Christ at all.
18:53But our Christ is not out of reach,
18:55withdrawn,
18:56as he is from sensible contact with matter,
18:59into that spiritual world,
19:01which on every side,
19:02encompasses,
19:03and perhaps touches,
19:03this earthly life of ours.
19:06Christian faith,
19:07feels herself more really near to him now,
19:10than when he was present to sight.
19:13This is because of the spirit of power,
19:16and purity,
19:17the peace that flows into her,
19:19from her no longer accessible head,
19:21that the church exists,
19:23and possesses the unity,
19:25of a spiritual organism,
19:27and does effective work,
19:29as the bearer,
19:30of a regenerating gospel.
19:33Her work,
19:34her word,
19:35her very being,
19:36hinge,
19:37on the fact,
19:37that the Holy Spirit,
19:38inhabits her.
19:40We have,
19:41an inherent advantage,
19:43over an apologist,
19:44so early,
19:45as St. Peter.
19:47In proof,
19:48that his newly departed master,
19:49had sent down the Holy Spirit,
19:51Peter had nothing to appeal to,
19:53but one unique,
19:55unstartling phenomenon,
19:56just happening,
19:57in his hearer's presence.
19:59It had the rushing noise,
20:01the flames of fire,
20:02the foreign tongues.
20:03But we,
20:04have the guaranteed spiritual experience,
20:07of 19 centuries.
20:10Christianity,
20:11is not so small,
20:13or so new a thing,
20:14that it should be hard,
20:16for any man,
20:16who tries to track,
20:17its working in detail,
20:19on innumerable men,
20:21and gather up,
20:22even its secret fruits.
20:24The gospel,
20:25is not a dead history,
20:27but a living power.
20:28It is not far off,
20:29but upon us.
20:30God's breath is in it,
20:32and moral miracles,
20:34attest the perennial contact,
20:36with our sunken race,
20:37of a strong divine hand.
20:40A hand more strong,
20:41than sins,
20:42always at work,
20:44to uplift,
20:44and to heal.
20:48Christ,
20:48hid in heaven,
20:49needs a body,
20:50as well as a spirit,
20:51by which to manifest,
20:53his living rule.
20:54He needs a body,
20:55through which,
20:56he may make himself,
20:57intelligible to men,
20:58even to the unbelieving men,
21:02make himself felt,
21:03certified,
21:04effective,
21:05and enduring.
21:06This body,
21:07he must have,
21:08and that body,
21:09he has with pain,
21:11secured,
21:11for himself.
21:13And now,
21:14into that prepared body,
21:16his spirit,
21:17issues from him,
21:18to gather it up,
21:19into an organized entity,
21:21to inhabit it,
21:22to unify its capacity,
21:23to regulate its aims,
21:24to quicken its life,
21:27to fix its offices,
21:28to direct its gifts,
21:30to build up its intercourse,
21:31to feed and govern,
21:32its entire brain.
21:35The church,
21:36is the witnessing body,
21:37it proves,
21:39Christ's case,
21:39it testifies,
21:40to his victory.
21:42And it does this,
21:43first,
21:43before God the Father.
21:45It shows his glory,
21:47by justifying,
21:47his method,
21:48of redemption.
21:49It bears witness,
21:51before God,
21:51that he has not sent his Son,
21:54in vain.
21:56And secondly,
21:57it has to witness,
21:58in the face of men,
21:59to prove,
22:00to convict,
22:01to convince,
22:02that even an unbelieving world,
22:04may believe,
22:05that the Father,
22:06did indeed send the Son.
22:10In accomplishing,
22:11this conversion of the world,
22:13it has two points,
22:14this church,
22:15to prove,
22:16and to testify.
22:18First,
22:18that Christ is alive,
22:20and at work,
22:21now,
22:22today,
22:23on earth.
22:23And that he can be found,
22:25of them that believe,
22:26and show himself,
22:27to those who love him.
22:30Secondly,
22:31that he is so,
22:32by virtue of the deed done,
22:34once for all,
22:35at Calvary,
22:36by which the Prince,
22:38of this world,
22:38was judged,
22:39and the world,
22:40was overcome.
22:42Man being given,
22:43access to God.
22:46What proofs,
22:47can the church offer,
22:48for these two points?
22:50It has three proofs,
22:51to give us.
22:52Its own actual life.
22:54This,
22:54is its primary witness,
22:56that Christ is now alive,
22:57at the right hand,
22:58of God the Father.
23:00Its one prevailing,
23:01and unanswerable proof is,
23:03I live,
23:05yet not I,
23:06but Christ lives,
23:07in me.
23:09Christ is alive,
23:10otherwise,
23:11I should not be alive,
23:12as you see me,
23:13this day.
23:15Secondly,
23:16this personal life,
23:18of Christ in his church,
23:20verifies,
23:20and certifies to the world,
23:22the reality,
23:23of that old life,
23:24on earth,
23:25of that death,
23:26on Calvary,
23:27of that resurrection,
23:28on Olivet.
23:30The living church,
23:31bears a book,
23:32about it.
23:33The gospel,
23:34the apostolic witness,
23:36the witness,
23:37of those who,
23:37behold,
23:38tasted,
23:39handled,
23:40the word of life.
23:42Thirdly,
23:43the body carries with it,
23:45a witness,
23:46not only the apostolic record,
23:49but the apostolic right,
23:50the act commanded,
23:51by the dying Christ,
23:53to be done forever,
23:54as a memorial,
23:55and as a witness,
23:56of his return.
23:58The present life,
23:59the unshaken record,
24:01the memorial act,
24:02these are the three,
24:03prevailing witnesses,
24:05by which the body,
24:07testifies,
24:07to the resurrection,
24:08of its Lord.
24:12The double condition,
24:14of baptism,
24:15is repentance,
24:16and faith,
24:17in Christ Jesus.
24:19Repentance,
24:20or the resolve,
24:22of the resolute,
24:23turning,
24:24and changing,
24:25of their lives,
24:26to face right around,
24:27from the old sin,
24:29to new holiness,
24:30was the one demand,
24:31of John,
24:32the first baptizer.
24:34Yet even,
24:35this change of mind,
24:36as he preached it,
24:37and of the people,
24:38who performed it,
24:39at his bidding,
24:40was a much less thorough thing,
24:41than the repentance,
24:42which Peter preached.
24:45It was more like,
24:46a reformation of manners,
24:47than a renewal,
24:48of heart.
24:50No mere sweeping,
24:51of the life,
24:52as clean might be,
24:53such as John's,
24:54brief ministry,
24:55had caused,
24:56could turn into saints,
24:58those men,
24:58whose hands were red,
24:59with the blood of Christ,
25:00whose hearts,
25:01were filled,
25:02with hatred,
25:03of Christ.
25:04They,
25:05had to be born again,
25:06and the repentance,
25:07which goes with that,
25:08means nothing less,
25:10than the reversal,
25:11of the innermost spring,
25:13and source,
25:13of moral action.
25:14The slaying,
25:16of the one nature,
25:17or one set,
25:17of ruling tendencies,
25:19that other,
25:20may come to life.
25:22The second condition,
25:24Peter asked,
25:25which John,
25:25had not asked.
25:27Faith in Jesus,
25:28as the Messiah.
25:30In this one fact,
25:31the identification,
25:32of the man of Nazareth,
25:34whom Pilate crucified,
25:36such,
25:36with the promised,
25:37anointed son of God,
25:39lies in the centre,
25:40of the gravity,
25:41of the whole,
25:42apostolic witness.
25:44And through the word,
25:45faith is not named once,
25:48and yet such a cordial,
25:49acceptance of this fact,
25:51as implies,
25:52reliance upon Jesus,
25:53for salvation,
25:54is plainly,
25:56the chief difference,
25:57distinguishing apostolic,
25:59from John's baptism.
26:04The difference,
26:05is not less wide,
26:07in that,
26:07which the new baptism,
26:08expressed,
26:09and sealed,
26:10to the faithful.
26:12True blessings,
26:12are named by St Peter,
26:14remission of sin,
26:15and the gift,
26:16of the Holy Spirit.
26:18There are Christians,
26:19indeed,
26:20who live with us today,
26:21as if the Holy Spirit,
26:22were not yet given.
26:23They believe,
26:24as men used to believe,
26:27only who hoped,
26:28for mercy to come.
26:31They have no more,
26:33than half thrown off,
26:34the shackles,
26:34of the legal spirit,
26:35and are as yet,
26:37joyless,
26:37as if Christ,
26:38had not risen.
26:39But this is their own fault,
26:41not the fault,
26:42of their time.
26:43We are gospel saints,
26:45baptised,
26:45not into John's,
26:46but into Christ's,
26:48own baptism.
26:49Let us arise then,
26:50and claim our heritage.
26:52Let us invoke the Spirit,
26:54who came upon us,
26:55at Pentecost,
26:56for us.
26:57For,
26:58where the Spirit of the Lord is,
27:00there is liberty,
27:02there is life,
27:03and there is joy,
27:05in the Lord.
27:08What is the truth,
27:09to which this gift,
27:10was the index,
27:11of which it was,
27:12to be the pledge?
27:15Consider,
27:16this narrative,
27:17in the second chapter,
27:18of the Acts of the Apostles,
27:21and consider,
27:22whether or not,
27:23it does not tell us,
27:24on a set of poor men,
27:26trained,
27:26into a mechanical calling,
27:28despised,
27:29by their countrymen,
27:29as mere yokels,
27:31from Galilee,
27:32but sharing their contempt,
27:33for other nations.
27:35Noted,
27:36for an uncouth dialect,
27:38there light cloven tongues,
27:40as of fire.
27:42They have new powers,
27:43of utterance,
27:45men from the province,
27:46of Parthia,
27:47as well as the Roman world,
27:48hear them proclaiming,
27:50the wonderful works of God,
27:51in the language,
27:52of the lands,
27:53where they had grown up.
27:55Is this,
27:56a drunken inspiration,
27:58of the orgies,
28:00of a Dionysian,
28:01feast,
28:03been brought,
28:03into the Jerusalem worship?
28:07No,
28:08say the Galileans,
28:09we are the disciples,
28:11and witnesses,
28:11of the one,
28:12your rulers crucified,
28:14whom God has raised,
28:15from the dead.
28:17A great and terrible day,
28:19of the Lord,
28:19is at hand.
28:20But prepare,
28:21for such a day,
28:23signify,
28:23that he,
28:24whom you rejected,
28:25as your king,
28:26is both Lord,
28:27and Christ,
28:27that is poured forth,
28:29which you see,
28:30and hear.
28:32Repent,
28:33therefore,
28:34acknowledge,
28:34your true king,
28:35and Lord,
28:37be baptized,
28:37in his name,
28:38and you shall receive,
28:40that gift,
28:40of the Holy Spirit,
28:42which we too,
28:43have received.
28:46The Spirit of God,
28:47the teaching of the Father,
28:49and the Son,
28:50leading men out,
28:51of their own,
28:51narrow motions,
28:53can alone,
28:54guide them,
28:54into all truth.
28:57The missionary,
28:58if he seeks,
28:58to do his work,
28:59faithfully,
29:00will be brought,
29:01to confess,
29:01that God's words,
29:02are not deceitful,
29:04but words,
29:05proved in the fire,
29:06not words,
29:07for one age,
29:08but words,
29:08that will last,
29:09if heaven,
29:09and earth,
29:10pass away.
29:12But he will come,
29:13to that discovery,
29:14because it is,
29:15the human discovery,
29:17the divine discovery,
29:18which each of us,
29:19will make for himself,
29:20if we seek,
29:21to be honest,
29:22in our vocations.
29:23We too,
29:24must own,
29:25that the Spirit,
29:26is not given,
29:28to any one of us,
29:29for any faith,
29:30or virtue,
29:31of his own.
29:32That it is God's gift,
29:34to Christ,
29:35the head,
29:35and the cornerstone,
29:36of a society,
29:37which we enter,
29:38when we abandon,
29:39our separate,
29:40selfish pretensions,
29:42and are content,
29:43to be heirs,
29:44of a common blessing.
29:47It can,
29:48scarcely,
29:49be denied,
29:49that our age,
29:50is distinguished,
29:51by many,
29:52peculiar advantages.
29:56If I am asked,
29:57to name,
29:57one prominent feature,
29:59of our days,
30:00I must single out,
30:02the enjoyment,
30:03by every one of them,
30:05of so much,
30:05personal freedom.
30:09This outcome of freedom,
30:11is the unprecedented activity,
30:13which characterises,
30:15our religious,
30:16and philanthropic,
30:17enterprises of today.
30:20There is however,
30:21no exception,
30:21to the law,
30:22which prevails,
30:23in God's world,
30:24and which links together,
30:26opportunity,
30:27with danger.
30:29Multitudes,
30:30in our days,
30:30stand aloof,
30:31and take no share,
30:32either in the labour,
30:33or in the glory,
30:35which great movements,
30:36are sustained,
30:37and made to succeed.
30:41Beware,
30:41of the condemnation,
30:42of the son,
30:43who said,
30:44I go sir,
30:45but did not go.
30:49What is,
30:49the effect,
30:50of this personal freedom,
30:51upon obedience,
30:52to authority?
30:54It can be observed,
30:56that we are made to feel,
30:57in many ways,
30:57and often,
30:58in unexpected waters,
31:00that authority,
31:01must now rest,
31:02its claims,
31:02to obedience,
31:03upon reason,
31:04and not upon prescription.
31:07Is this a gain,
31:08for us,
31:09or a loss?
31:10Is it an advantage,
31:11or a peril?
31:14Amidst much,
31:15which good men deplore,
31:16there is more,
31:17that they may welcome,
31:18with hope.
31:19It is not,
31:20an inconsiderable,
31:22advantage,
31:22that in our times,
31:23free discussion,
31:24can precede change.
31:27For although,
31:29does not always,
31:30prevent mischief,
31:31it is often useful,
31:32because it informs,
31:34and educates,
31:34our minds,
31:35and prepares them,
31:36for changes,
31:37which are to be,
31:38inevitable.
31:40When the dust,
31:41of strife,
31:41has settled,
31:42and the noise,
31:43of dispute,
31:44has ceased,
31:45it is always,
31:46to be found,
31:46that the almighty,
31:47is still,
31:48upon his throne.
31:48That he is still,
31:49the ruler over all.
31:52In his own way,
31:54he has accomplished,
31:54his own designs.
31:56All the time,
31:57that we,
31:57in our weakness,
31:58and in our fear,
31:59were trembling,
32:00lest wrong judgment,
32:01should prevail,
32:03unless the firmament,
32:04itself,
32:04should fall down,
32:05from the sky.
32:08However,
32:09we must work out,
32:10our salvation,
32:11with fear,
32:12and trembling.
32:13We must not hope,
32:14to be taken out,
32:15of the world.
32:17We may not suppose,
32:18that the whole tenor,
32:19of modern thought,
32:20will be changed,
32:22and so,
32:22as to become,
32:23accommodated,
32:23to our weakness,
32:24or to our fear.
32:26On the contrary,
32:27we must gird up,
32:29the loins of our mind,
32:29and be sober.
32:31And while,
32:32we must recognize,
32:33and guard ourselves,
32:34from the manifold dangers,
32:36which lurk,
32:37even in the very forms,
32:38of our liberty.
32:39We must endeavor,
32:41to prize,
32:41and hold fast,
32:42the unspeakable advantages,
32:44by which means,
32:45of this very freedom,
32:47God has placed,
32:48within our reach.
32:51We have our duty to do,
32:53our talents to improve,
32:55our devil to resist,
32:56and our creme,
32:58to win.
32:59We must do this,
33:00in the strength of the Lord,
33:02and in the power,
33:03of his grace.
33:05Amen.
33:10Let us pray.
33:12O God,
33:14who has at this time,
33:15taught the hearts,
33:16of your faithful people,
33:18by sending to them,
33:19the light of your Holy Spirit,
33:22grant us,
33:23by the same Spirit,
33:25to have a right judgment,
33:27in all things,
33:28and evermore,
33:29to rejoice,
33:30in his holy comfort,
33:32through the merits,
33:33of Christ Jesus,
33:35our Savior,
33:36who lives,
33:37and reigns,
33:38with you,
33:39in the unity,
33:41of the same Spirit,
33:42one God,
33:43world without end.
33:45Amen.
33:51May the Lord bless us,
33:53and keep us from all evil,
33:55bringing us to everlasting life.
33:59Amen.
34:17Amen.
34:39Amen.
34:42Amen.
34:46Amen.
34:46Amen.
34:46Amen.
34:46Amen.
34:48Amen.
34:48Amen.
34:49You