The Good News of God eBook

And when old age comes, and brings weakness and sickness, and low spirits, still they have comfort.  They can say with David again, ’I have been young, and now am old, but never saw I the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging their bread.’

Oh my dear friends, young people especially—­there are many things which you may long for which you cannot have:  much happiness which is not within your reach.  But this you can have, if you will but long for it:  this happiness is within your reach, if you will but put out your hand and take it.—­The everlasting unfailing comfort of loving God, and of knowing that God loves you.  Oh choose that now at once.  Choose God’s ways which are pleasantness, and God’s paths which are peace; and then in your old age, whether you become rich or poor, whether you are left alone, or go down to your grave in peace with children and grandchildren to close your eyes, you will still have the one great reward, the true reward, the everlasting reward which Moses promised the old Israelites.  You will have reason to love God, who has carried you safe through life, and will carry you safe through death, and to say with all his saints and martyrs, ’Many things I know not; and many things I have lost:  but this I know.—­I know in whom I have believed; and this I cannot lose; even God himself, whose name is faithful and true.’

SERMON X. THE RACE OF LIFE

John i. 26.

There standeth one among you whom ye know not.

This is a solemn text.  It warns us, and yet it comforts us.  It tells us that there is a person standing among us so great, that John the Baptist, the greatest of the prophets, was not worthy to unloose his shoes’ latchet.

Some of you know who he is.  Some of you, perhaps, do not.  If you know him, you will be glad to be reminded of him to-day.  If you do not know him, I will tell you who he is.

Only bear this in mind, that whether you know him or not, he is standing among us.  We have not driven him away, and cannot drive him away.  Our not seeing him will not prevent his seeing us.  He is always near us; ready, if we ask him, as the Collect bids us, to ‘come among us, and with great might succour us.’

For, my friends, this is the meaning of the text, as far as it has to do with us.  The noble Collect for to-day tells this, and explains to us what we are to think of the Epistle and the Gospel.

The Epistle tells us that the Lord Jesus Christ is at hand, and that therefore we are to fret about nothing, but make our requests known to him.  The Gospel tells us that he stands among us.  The Collect tells us what we are to do, because he is at hand, because he stands among us.

And what are we to do?

Recollect my friends, what John the Baptist said, according to St. Matthew, after the words in the text—­’He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire.’