Sermons for the Christian Year (Volume 1)

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.1870 Excerpt: ... SERMON XXX. Second Sunday After Easter. PERFECTNESS THROUGH CHRIST JESUS. That we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.--ColosHans, i. 28. WE have here the end of the apostle's preaching, and of all preaching which is conformed to the scriptural model, viz., to present every man to God at the last day, perfect in Christ Jesus. We have souls that can appreciate perfection, but where shall it be found? We admire it so much, that any approach to it even in a worthless object, --in the roundness or smoothness of the pebble or the shell, --delights us. What pleasure then ought the idea of perfectness in man to give us! Were we to imagine to ourselves what sort of beings we should be, if all our imperfections were removed, --all sin and defilement, --all blindness from the understanding, --all pain and disease from the body, --could we not form to ourselves a very bright picture, and be in love with the angel of our own creative fancy? But in Christ Jesus this may be more than realized. His religion was designed to carry these poor depraveo. natures of ours to a higher degree of excellence than our imagination can paint; and if we will yield ourselves to its influence, it will elevate us beyond our loftiest conception. 1. It is certain that there is no perfection for man out of Christ Jesus. Heathenism never enstamped it upon one character. The boasted morality of our own Christian land leaves man very far short of it. That proud morality which many suppose to render its possessor all that is good, and just, and honorable, is most defective. It is an outward show, it leaves the heart a prey to all the evil passions, it contents itself with a few duties to man, while the great Creator is neglected and disobeyed. And if the highest virtue of this world be so d...