On March 2, 1873
Venerable John Henry Newman, C.O., preached a sermon, of which the following notes survive:
God Our Stay in Eternity
"1. INTROD.-We must draw near to God.
2. This means to contemplate, to recognise, to fear, to love. Now let us see the necessity of this.
3. Here we are tempted to make the world our God, because we see it, and do not see God.
4. But consider what our state is when we are dead; our senses then are all gone.
5. Consider this: we have five senses, and we know what a deprivation the loss of any one-sight or hearing or touch or feeling-any one.
6. But in death they all go together. See what we are reduced to. It is true we cannot have any bodily pain-and that is what people are apt to say, 'All his pain is over.'
7. True, but is there no pain of the mind? Do we know how acute pain of the mind is?-surely we know it even in this life.
8. Let us consider our being suddenly cut off from all intercourse except with ourselves-a truly solitary confinement; worse, for that here is only loss of hearing, i.e. conversation.
9. Supposing in addition it comes on us that we should not be thus, except for our own fault!
10. Now it is clear that we should have no remedy unless God visited us and gave us light.
11. The light of glory, the light of heaven, the only thing.
12. But suppose we have no desire for it, no love of it. Suppose we look back in fond regret to this world.
13. Therefore the love of God is the only way in which we can be happy."
Also, Gerard Serafin posted a quote from the Venerable on Lent.
Venerable John Henry Newman, C.O., preached a sermon, of which the following notes survive:
God Our Stay in Eternity
"1. INTROD.-We must draw near to God.
2. This means to contemplate, to recognise, to fear, to love. Now let us see the necessity of this.
3. Here we are tempted to make the world our God, because we see it, and do not see God.
4. But consider what our state is when we are dead; our senses then are all gone.
5. Consider this: we have five senses, and we know what a deprivation the loss of any one-sight or hearing or touch or feeling-any one.
6. But in death they all go together. See what we are reduced to. It is true we cannot have any bodily pain-and that is what people are apt to say, 'All his pain is over.'
7. True, but is there no pain of the mind? Do we know how acute pain of the mind is?-surely we know it even in this life.
8. Let us consider our being suddenly cut off from all intercourse except with ourselves-a truly solitary confinement; worse, for that here is only loss of hearing, i.e. conversation.
9. Supposing in addition it comes on us that we should not be thus, except for our own fault!
10. Now it is clear that we should have no remedy unless God visited us and gave us light.
11. The light of glory, the light of heaven, the only thing.
12. But suppose we have no desire for it, no love of it. Suppose we look back in fond regret to this world.
13. Therefore the love of God is the only way in which we can be happy."
Also, Gerard Serafin posted a quote from the Venerable on Lent.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home