Westminster Sermons - free ebook by Charles Kingsley

WESTMINSTER SERMONS.

WITH A PREFACE. by CHARLES KINGSLEY. London: MACMILLAN AND CO. 1881. The Right of Translation is Reserved ....

6 minute read

Read Chapter

PREFACE.

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 reason. Even when they deal with what is usually, and rightly, called “vital” and “experimental” religion, they are comments on, and developments of, the idea which pervades that paper; namely—That facts, whether of physical nature, or of the human heart and reason, do not contradict, but coincide with, the doctrines and formul

30 minute read

Read Chapter

SERMON I. THE MYSTERY OF THE CROSS. A GOOD FRIDAY SERMON.

Philippians ii . 5-8. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a slave, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross. The second Lesson for this morning’s service, and the chapter which follows it, describe the Passion of our Lord Jes

15 minute read

Read Chapter

SERMON II. THE PERFECT LOVE.

1 John iv . 10. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. This is Passion-week; the week in which, according to ancient and most wholesome rule, we are bidden to think of the Passion of Jesus Christ our Lord. To think of that, however happy and comfortable, however busy and eager, however covetous and ambitious, however giddy and frivolous, however free, or at least desirous to be free, from suffering of any kind, we are o

13 minute read

Read Chapter

SERMON III. THE SPIRIT OF WHITSUNTIDE.

Isaiah xi . 2. The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him; the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. This is Isaiah’s description of the Spirit of Whitsuntide; the royal Spirit which was to descend, and did descend without measure, on the ideal and perfect King, even on Jesus Christ our Lord, the only-begotten Son of God. That Spirit is the Spirit of God; and therefore the Spirit of Christ. Let us consider a whil

9 minute read

Read Chapter

SERMON IV. PRAYER.

Psalm lxv . 2. Thou that hearest prayer, unto Thee shall all flesh come. Next Friday, the 20th of December, 1871, will be marked in most churches of this province of Canterbury by a special ceremony. Prayers will be offered to God for the increase of missionary labourers in the Church of England. To many persons—I hope I may say, to all in this congregation—this ceremony will seem eminently rational. We shall not ask God to suspend the laws of nature, nor alter the courses of the seasons, for

19 minute read

Read Chapter

SERMON V. THE DEAF AND DUMB.

St Mark vii . 32-37. And they bring unto Jesus one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech Him to put His hand upon him. And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers into his ears, and He spit, and touched his tongue; and looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. . . . And they were beyond measure astonished, saying, He

16 minute read

Read Chapter

SERMON VI. THE FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT.

St John iii . 8, The wind bloweth whither it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, or whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. It is often asked—men have a right to ask—what would the world have been by now without Christianity? without the Christian religion? without the Church? But before these questions can be answered, we must define, it is discovered, what we mean by Christianity, the Christian religion, the Church. And it is

11 minute read

Read Chapter

SERMON VII. CONFUSION.

Psalm cxix . 31. I have stuck unto thy testimonies: O Lord, confound me not. What is the meaning of this text? What is this which the Psalmist and prophets call being confounded; being put to shame and confusion of face? What is it? It is something which they dread more than death; which they dread as much as hell. Nay, it seems in the mind of some of them to be part and parcel of hell itself; one of the very worst things which could happen to them after death: for what is written in the Boo

15 minute read

Read Chapter

SERMON VIII. THE SHAKING OF THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH.

Hebrews xii . 26-29. Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: for our God is a consuming fire. This is one of the Royal texts of Scripture. It is inexhaustible, like the

18 minute read

Read Chapter

SERMON IX. THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

Luke xxi . 29-33. And Jesus spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; when they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. The question which naturally suggests itself when we h

14 minute read

Read Chapter

SERMON X. THE LAW OF THE LORD.

Psalm i . 1,2. Blessed is the man who hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the path of sinners, nor sat in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law will he exercise himself day and night. The first and second Psalms, taken together, are the key to all the Psalms; I may almost say to the whole Bible. I will say a few words on them this morning, especially to those who are coming to the Holy Communion, to shew their allegiance to

12 minute read

Read Chapter

SERMON XI. GOD THE TEACHER.

Psalm cxix . 33, 34. Teach me, O Lord, the way of Thy statutes, and I shall keep it unto the end. Give me understanding, and I shall keep Thy Law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart. This 119th Psalm has been valued for many centuries, by the wisest and most devout Christians, as one of the most instructive in the Bible; as the experimental psalm. And it is that, and more. It is specially a psalm about education. That is on the face of the text. Teach me, O Lord, Thy statutes, and

12 minute read

Read Chapter

SERMON XII. THE REASONABLE PRAYER.

Psalm cxix . 33, 94. O Lord, teach me Thy statutes, and I shall keep them to the end. I am Thine, O save me; for I have kept Thy commandments. Some who heard me last Sunday, both morning and afternoon, may have remarked an apparent contradiction between my two sermons. I hope they have done so. For then I shall hope that they are facing one of the most difficult, and yet most necessary, of all problems; namely the difference between the Law and the Gospel. In my morning sermon I spoke of the

14 minute read

Read Chapter

SERMON XIII. THE ONE ESCAPE.

Psalm cxix . 67. Before I was troubled, I went wrong: but now have I kept Thy Word. Let me speak this afternoon once more about the 119th Psalm, and the man who wrote it. And first: he was certainly of a different opinion from nine persons out of ten, I fear from ninety-nine out of a hundred, of every country, every age, and every religion. For, he says—Before I was troubled, I went wrong: but now have I kept Thy Word. Whereas nine people out of ten would say to God, if they dared—Before I was

10 minute read

Read Chapter

SERMON XIV. THE WORD OF GOD.

Psalm cxix . 89-96. O Lord, Thy word endureth for ever in heaven. Thy truth also remaineth from one generation to another: Thou hast laid the foundation of the earth, and it abideth. They continue this day according to Thine ordinance: for all things serve Thee. If my delight had not been in Thy law, I should have perished in my trouble. I will never forget Thy commandments: for with them Thou hast quickened me. I am Thine, oh save me: for I have sought Thy commandments. The ungodly laid w

18 minute read

Read Chapter

SERMON XV. I.

Psalm cxix . 94. I am Thine, oh save me. Let us think seriously this afternoon of one word; the word which is the key-note of this psalm. A very short word; for in our language there is but one letter in it. A very common word; for we are using it all day long when we are awake, and even at night in our dreams; and yet a very wonderful word, for though we know well whom it means, yet what it means we do not know, and cannot understand, no, nor can the wisest philosopher who ever lived; and a m

18 minute read

Read Chapter

SERMON XVI. THE CEDARS OF LEBANON.

Psalm civ . 16. The trees of the Lord are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon, which He hath planted. Let me say a few words this afternoon about the noble 104th Psalm, which was read this afternoon, as it is now in many churches, and most wisely and rightly, as the Harvest Psalm. It is a fit psalm for a service in which we thank God for such harvest as He has thought best to send us, whether it be above or below the average. But it is also a fit psalm to be thought earnestly over just now, con

17 minute read

Read Chapter

SERMON XVII. LIFE.

Psalm civ . 24, 28-30. O Lord, how manifold are Thy works! in wisdom hast Thou made them all: the earth is full of Thy riches. That Thou givest them they gather. Thou openest Thine hand, they are filled with good. Thou hidest Thy face, they are troubled. Thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust. Thou sendest forth Thy Spirit, they are created: and Thou renewest the face of the earth. What is the most important thing to you, and me, and every man? I suppose that most,

15 minute read

Read Chapter

SERMON XVIII. DEATH.

Psalm civ . 20, 21. Thou makest darkness, and it is night: wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth. The lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God. Let me say a few words on this text. It is one which has been a comfort to me again and again. It is one which, if rightly understood, ought to give comfort to pitiful and tender-hearted persons. Have you never been touched by, never been even shocked by, the mystery of pain and death? I do not speak now of pain and dea

19 minute read

Read Chapter

SERMON XIX. SIGNS AND WONDERS.

John iv . 48-50. Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe. The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die. Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. These words of our Lord are found in the Gospel for this day. They are a rebuke, though a gentle one. He reproved the nobleman, seemingly, for his want of faith: but He worked the miracle, and saved the life of the child. We do not know enough of the circumstances of this case, to know

13 minute read

Read Chapter

SERMON XX. THE JUDGMENTS OF GOD.

Luke xiii . 1-5. There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilæans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilæans were sinners above all the Galilæans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I

11 minute read

Read Chapter

SERMON XXI. THE WAR IN HEAVEN.

Rev. xix . 11-16. And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and cle

13 minute read

Read Chapter

SERMON XXII. NOBLE COMPANY.

Hebrews xii . 22, 23. Ye are come to the city of the living God, and to the spirits of just men made perfect. I have quoted only part of the passage of Scripture in which these words occur. If you want a good employment for All Saints’ Day, read the whole passage, the whole chapter; and no less, the 11th chapter, which comes before it: so will you understand better the meaning of All Saints’ Day. But sufficient for the day is the good thereof, as well as the evil; and the good which I have to

10 minute read

Read Chapter

SERMON XXIII. DE PROFUNDIS.

Psalm cxxx . Out of the deep have I called unto Thee, O Lord: Lord, hear my voice. O let Thine ears consider well the voice of my complaint. If Thou, Lord, wilt be extreme to mark what is done amiss, O Lord, who may abide it? For there is mercy with Thee, therefore shall Thou be feared. I look for the Lord; my soul doth wait for Him: in His word is my trust. My soul fleeth unto the Lord before the morning watch: I say, before the morning watch. O Israel, trust in the Lord: for with the Lor

11 minute read

Read Chapter

SERMON XXIV. THE BLESSING AND THE CURSE.

Preached on Whit-Sunday. Deut. xxx . 19, 20. I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: that thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey His voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto Him: for He is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob,

11 minute read

Read Chapter

SERMON XXV. THE SILENCE OF FAITH.

Psalm cxxxi . Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me. Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child. Let Israel hope in the Lord from henceforth and for ever. We know not at what period of David’s life this psalm was written. We know not what matters they were which were too high for him to meddle with; matters about which he had to re

11 minute read

Read Chapter

SERMON XXVI. GOD AND MAMMON.

Matthew vi . 24. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon. This is part of the Gospel for this Sunday; and a specially fit text for this day, which happens to be St Matthew’s Day. On this day we commemorate one who made up his mind, once and for all, that whoever could serve God and money at once, he could not: and who therefore threw up all his prospects in life—which were those of a peculiarly lucrative profession, that of a farmer of Roman taxes—in order to become the wandering disciple of a reputed ca

15 minute read

Read Chapter

SERMON XXVII. THE BEATIFIC VISION.

Psalm lvii . A Psalm of David when he fled from Saul in the cave . Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me, for my soul trusteth in Thee, and under the shadow of Thy wings shall be my refuge, until this tyranny be over-past. I will call unto the most high God, even unto the God that shall perform the cause which I have in hand. He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproof of him that would eat me up. God shall send forth His mercy and truth: my soul is among lions. And I l

14 minute read

Read Chapter