Biography of St. Augustine. For that voice more readily penetrates the hearer's heart, which the speaker's life Leo the GreatWritings of Leo the GreatHow those that are at Variance and those that are at Peace are to be Admonished. It is here proposed to show, that every incumbent duty ought, in suitable circumstances, to be engaged to in the exercise of Covenanting. "O Lord, revive Thy work in the midst of the years."--HAB. If you look at it, you will see that there is in its bowels a full description of a true Christian. That act whereby another being knows my secret thoughts and inmost feelings is most certainly inexplicable.I. OURSELVES. The self-knowledge, remember, must come in the one way or the other. This is the communion with Him, and with Christ, which unquestionably helps the struggling, the penitent, the praying, more than anything else. He will revive us."--HOS. When I kept going, in danger and beatings and shipwreck and insults and prison, that was the power of Christ in me. For if God's exhaustive knowledge of the human heart waken dread in one of its aspects, it starts infinite hope in another. (Isa. From the just we learn justice; from the charitable we catch an infection of charity; from the generous we receive the instinct of generosity. II. Self-consciousness has been the problem of the philosophic mind in all ages; and the mystery is not yet unravelled. "Though I walk in the midst of trouble, Thou wilt revive me: Thy right hand shall save me."--PS. "O Lord, revive Thy work in the midst of the years."--HAB. GOD ACCURATELY AND EXHAUSTIVELY KNOWS ALL THAT MAN KNOWS OF HIMSELF. 1216141335123 . and the merit of his perfect obedience is applied to us for our forgiveness. He has suffered thus, partly from a certain obscurity in his style of writing, partly from the difficulty of the thoughts which he attempted to convey. (Isa. This is the communion with Him, and with Christ, which unquestionably helps the struggling, the penitent, the praying, more than anything else. --The Life and Writings of St. Hilary of Poitiers. PHILIPPIANS 1:6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. iii. He compasseth man's path, and his lying down, and is acquainted with all his ways. 17, 18).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. "Forsake not the works of Thine own hands." xviii. OURSELVES. 24).(W. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven." And this perpetual though not always conscious sense of God's presence would, no doubt, if we would let it have its perfect work, gradually act on our characters just as the presence of our fellow-men does. In the opening, I must remark that this is not the heritage of all mankind. David praises God for the truth of his word4. The duties of that Covenant are God's law; and the demands of the law are all made John CunninghamThe Ordinance of CovenantingIntroduction. 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. For those that are at variance are to be admonished to know most certainly that, in whatever virtues they may abound, they can by no means become spiritual if they neglect becoming united to their neighbours by concord. Home; About. 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. 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. Of course, ere ever this be possible, the Lord's work must have begun in us; we must have yielded ourselves up to him in real repentance and faith; but if we have done that, why, instead of our too common misgiving and fear, have we not this glad persuasion that is expressed in our text? Hilary of PoitiersThe Life and Writings of St. Hilary of PoitiersPsalmsThe piety of the Old Testament Church is reflected with more clearness and variety in the Psalter than in any other book of the Old Testament. v. 14), the earth was cursed, Hades was opened, Paradise shut, Heaven offended, man, lastly, corrupted and brutalised (cf. Like the air we breathe, like the light we see, it involves a mystery that no man has ever solved. To start saving items to a SermonFolder, please create an account. Darby Translation Jehovah will perfect what concerneth me: thy loving-kindness, O Jehovah, endureth for ever; forsake not the works of thine own hands. When David said the lord will perfect that which concerns him, David wasn't saying how I wish the lord perfect that which concerns me. 5, 6. He cannot comprehend it, which is not strange, for how is the finite to comprehend the infinite? cxxxviii. Nor did God create these each by himself, and join them together as alien by birth: but He created the one St. Were man to scale the azure vault overhead, it would only confront him with the Divine personality; were he to sound unimaginable depths in the other direction, the result would be the same. (2)Unseen world.(3)Everywhere. 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. The worst has been seen, and that too by the holiest of beings, and yet eternal glory is offered to us! 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. He then that has no care to keep peace refuses to bear the fruit of the Spirit. able characteristics of a rational being is the power of self-inspection. 23, 24). 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. Then is the moment to choose whether or not we will live in the presence of God; then when the finger of conscience is pointing to Him and saying, "He is looking at you. S. Thomas, On the Beatific Vision, I., xii. We have received with the utmost gratification the letters of your Fraternity, which have reached us somewhat late by the hands of Donatus and Quodvultdeus, our most reverend brethren and fellow-bishops, and also Victor the deacon with Agilegius the notary. Some of God's children are the crookedest people that ever were in this world, and it must be sovereignty which chose them, for they are by no means naturally desirable or attractive. That of a prayerful seeking of the Divine guidance (ver. 7 ad 3m II. Then is the moment to choose whether or not we will live in the presence of God; then when the finger of conscience is pointing to Him and saying, "He is looking at you. Our relation toward such a God should be 1. You can speak to the mountain and it will give way (Mark 11:23). It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. Justice, in this reference, is out of the question. 1. Therefore the first natural bond of human society is man and wife. Human inspection is very limited. Thoughtfulness soon degenerates into distrust, and holy anxiety easily rusts into unbelief. That of adoring and constantly thoughtful reverence (vers. 1, 2. 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. 12), while the devil was exulting against us;--then God, in His loving-kindness, not willing man made in His own image to perish, said, Whom shall I send, and who will go?' 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. "Though I walk in the midst of trouble, Thou wilt revive me: Thy right hand shall save me."--PS. 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. Try, One Small Change Will Energize Tomorrow's Sermon, Slow Down, Big Fellawhat A Motorcyclist Taught Me About Preaching, Spit-Shine Tomorrow's Sermon Before You Go To Bed Tonight. Download MP3 (13.5MB) Request: transcript & translate this sermon What? 18 " Ep., cxxx. --The Life and Writings of St. Hilary of Poitiers. 15. But if that knowledge whereby man knows himself is mysterious, then certainly that whereby God knows him is far more so. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven." His omnipresence. That act whereby another being knows my secret thoughts and inmost feelings is most certainly inexplicable.I. The singer revolves in mind the secret processes of man's birth and development, and gratitude overflows into praise. 6. 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. Then is the moment to choose whether or not we will live in the presence of God; then when the finger of conscience is pointing to Him and saying, "He is looking at you. For whereas man sinned, and is fallen, and by his fall all things are in confusion: death prevailed from Adam to Moses (cf. Hence Paul Leo the GreatWritings of Leo the Great, Sense in Which, and End for which all Things were Delivered to the Incarnate Son. GOD ACCURATELY AND EXHAUSTIVELY KNOWS ALL THAT MAN KNOWS OF HIMSELF. vi. cxxxviii. THE LORD PUTS IT INTO HIS PEOPLE'S HEARTS TO PRAY, AND SUPPLIES THEM WITH A PLEA. vi. And this perpetual though not always conscious sense of God's presence would, no doubt, if we would let it have its perfect work, gradually act on our characters just as the presence of our fellow-men does. lvii. Our relation toward such a God should be 1. 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. lvii. He takes His motives entirely from Himself. To Dominicus, Bishop. That of a prayerful seeking of the Divine guidance (ver. This is false. The right state of mind plainly is to have the thought of God's presence so perpetually at hand that it shall always start before us whenever it is wanted. 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. When I loved people, and poured out my life, Jesus was doing that through me. so his questioner asks again; and the psalmist is at no loss for reply. "I do not see how I am to be perfected My nature is so vile." Pray then like this: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. xviii. v. 14), the earth was cursed, Hades was opened, Paradise shut, Heaven offended, man, lastly, corrupted and brutalised (cf. He prophesies that the kings of the earth shall praise God7. [2105] And these without all controversy we take to be humble. G. T. Shedd, D. D.: One of the most remark. 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. St. Hilary of Poitiers is one of the greatest, yet least studied, of the Fathers of the Western Church. Copyright 2003-2023 | Outreach, Inc., All rights reserved. He may be an uncommonly thoughtful person, and little of what is done within his soul may escape his notice; nay, we will make the extreme supposition that he arrests every thought as it rises, and looks at it; that he analyzes every sentiment as it swells his heart; that he scrutinizes every purpose as it determines his will; even if he should have such a thorough and profound self-knowledge as this, God knows him equally profoundly and equally thoroughly. : 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. 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. We will be engaging in this for 21 days. xlix. The thought will flash across us that God sees us. 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. But while all held their peace, the Son [441] said, AthanasiusSelect Works and Letters or AthanasiusCovenant Duties. For that voice more readily penetrates the hearer's heart, which the speaker's life Leo the GreatWritings of Leo the GreatHow those that are at Variance and those that are at Peace are to be Admonished. The self-knowledge, remember, must come in the one way or the other. He is in (1)Heaven. The duties of that Covenant are God's law; and the demands of the law are all made John CunninghamThe Ordinance of CovenantingIntroduction. [2105] And these without all controversy we take to be humble. For he who is required by the necessity of his position to speak the highest things is compelled by the same necessity to exhibit the highest things. [2105] And these without all controversy we take to be humble. The text, however, itself, is its own guard. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. 1. 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. "I dwell with him that is of a humble and contrite heart, to revive the heart of the contrite ones."--ISA. (Admonition 23.) 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. 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. 18 " Ep., cxxx. --The Life and Writings of St. Hilary of Poitiers. For whereas man sinned, and is fallen, and by his fall all things are in confusion: death prevailed from Adam to Moses (cf. 6. feel that assuredly he has got hold of a secret that too many of us do not possess, some less-favored one than the speaker comes up to him with wonder, wistfulness, perplexity, and desire written plainly on his countenance, and begins to -, 1. That of welcoming the Divine searching (vers. Thomas AquinasOn Prayer and The Contemplative LifeEpistle Xlvii. Hear my prayer, O God; and hide not Thyself from my petition. He has suffered thus, partly from a certain obscurity in his style of writing, partly from the difficulty of the thoughts which he attempted to convey. 23, 24). 15. GOD ACCURATELY AND EXHAUSTIVELY KNOWS ALL THAT MAN KNOWS OF HIMSELF. For it is written, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace (Gal. Those who live much in a court acquire courtly manners. He prophesies that the kings of the earth shall praise God7. The Lord told David he should be a king. | 28:00 min. But yet there is another, not less powerful than any, which deserves special mention. 23, 24). west haven funeral home obituaries; san antonio zoo membership discount; words to describe squirrels; sports hernia chiropractic treatment 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. It is here proposed to show, that every incumbent duty ought, in suitable circumstances, to be engaged to in the exercise of Covenanting. He is a man like ourselves; but as we look on him, we note how bright his eye, how radiant his countenance, how calm yet how joyous his tone, how happy in his conviction he seems to be, as he keeps saying to himself, "The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me." "I dwell with him that is of a humble and contrite heart, to revive the heart of the contrite ones."--ISA. The former are made and fulfilled by its glorious Originator; the latter are enjoined and obligatory on man. 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. (Weekly Pulpit. That act whereby another being knows my secret thoughts and inmost feelings is most certainly inexplicable.I. Those who are always hearing pure and high principles set forth as the guides of life learn to value and to know them even faster than they can learn to live by them. How shall we learn to walk by His side? What we are to understand by "that which concerneth me." I will ask you three questions suggested by the words themselves, and according to your answer to these three questions, shall be, I. And so, as I thought and prayed about what I might bring to you in these wonderful days, I was drawn by the Holy Spirit . 2. The Lord is nigh unto them that call upon Him; He also will hear their cry, and will help them.--Psalm cxlv. This is the communion with Him, and with Christ, which unquestionably helps the struggling, the penitent, the praying, more than anything else. 7 ad 3m II. )God and ourselvesW. God has made us so. The self-knowledge, remember, must come in the one way or the other. But when the mercy of God is on you and with you, you can be confident, you can be assured, that God will certainly perfect ALL that concerns you. Like the air we breathe, like the light we see, it involves a mystery that no man has ever solved. He prophesies that the kings of the earth shall praise God7. Justice, in this reference, is out of the question. 18, 19. "The Lord will perfect." vi. The right state of mind plainly is to have the thought of God's presence so perpetually at hand that it shall always start before us whenever it is wanted. This is a prayer which you and I may well bring before God, whose workmanship we are. He has suffered thus, partly from a certain obscurity in his style of writing, partly from the difficulty of the thoughts which he attempted to convey. 5, 6. And here let us look upon the bright as well as the dark side of this subject. (Weekly Pulpit. v. 22). 15. To reveal the supreme interest of human life. : 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. The proposals of that Covenant include its promises and its duties. The duties of that Covenant are God's law; and the demands of the law are all made John CunninghamThe Ordinance of Covenanting, Introduction. 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. The thought will flash across us that God sees us. The text, however, itself, is its own guard. : 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. He may be an uncommonly thoughtful person, and little of what is done within his soul may escape his notice; nay, we will make the extreme supposition that he arrests every thought as it rises, and looks at it; that he analyzes every sentiment as it swells his heart; that he scrutinizes every purpose as it determines his will; even if he should have such a thorough and profound self-knowledge as this, God knows him equally profoundly and equally thoroughly. 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. God is everywhere; not only above all as transcendent, but also through all and in all as immanent in nature. ", 2. Do the Moral Virtues pertain to the Contemplative Life? That act whereby another being knows my secret thoughts and inmost feelings is most certainly inexplicable.I. (Weekly Pulpit. For it is written, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace (Gal. It is a fearful distinction (Genesis 28:17). Will the disclosures of that day fill us with joy, or cover us with shame? able characteristics of a rational being is the power of self-inspection. AugustineOf Holy Virginity. 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. That of adoring and constantly thoughtful reverence (vers. 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. Enter your email address and we will send you a link to reset your password. 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. For whereas man sinned, and is fallen, and by his fall all things are in confusion: death prevailed from Adam to Moses (cf. Those who are always hearing pure and high principles set forth as the guides of life learn to value and to know them even faster than they can learn to live by them. He has suffered thus, partly from a certain obscurity in his style of writing, partly from the difficulty of the thoughts which he attempted to convey.