The Church and the World, a Sermon, with a Preface Containing Some Account of the Author's Dismissal from His Curacy (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1833. Excerpt: ... Gospel of Christ should shine unto them, and proclaim His arrival to their hearts in all the characteristics of divine mercy, --as Messiah, the Lord's anointed; as Emmanuel, God with us; as Jesus, the Saviour of His people from their sins. Finally, you will observe, that while the God of heaven is gathering his saints together, to constitute alike His visible Church on earth, and His invisible Church, --the general assembly of the faithful whose names are written in heaven; to the god of this world are assigned the miserable host of unbelievers, whose eyes he has blinded to the illumination of the truth, and hid the Gospel of Jesus Christ from their understanding. Now, of all the topics which can engage the contemplation and research of man, there is not one, perhaps, more likely, under Divine favour, to arouse his soul from a state of indifference, and to stimulate it to an anxiety after spiritual knowledge and enjoyment, than the recollection of this momentous truth, --that, however the customs of social life may classify mankind by artificial ranks and distinctions, the decrees of God have ordained but two, and those two directly and irreconcilably opposed to one another. The man of intellect divides his fellow-creatures into the inquisitive and the dull; the man of pleasure into the gay and the sedate; the man of business into the methodical and the unwary; the man of God, into the holy and the profane, --those who love Christ, and those who love the world. He knows the allotments of this present scene convey no reference whatever to that final destination, when happiness or misery will constitute our portion to all eternity, according as we are found on the right hand, or the left hand, of our Lord. Whoso worshippeth the beast and his image, the same sha...