The Life of Duty, volume II | Page 6

selfishness, the worldliness, the
godlessness which had ruined his soul. He saw all the mistakes which
he had made, and felt the terrible conviction that it was too late to
repair them. "Four things," says the Eastern sage, "come not back again:
the spoken word, the sped arrow, the past life, and the neglected
opportunity."
My brothers, what fate can be more awful than that of having to look
back upon a wasted life through all eternity? God has committed to you
a precious trust in the life you have. Your position, your wealth, or
poverty are nothing, whatever your life is it must be consecrated to God.
You must live for Him, and by Him, and walk in the way of His
commandments, if you are to be with Him through eternity. You can
make your own choice: God or mammon, this world, or the world to
come are before you, but both you cannot have. If you make your
Heaven out of the world's materials, you cannot expect to find it again
beyond the grave. Lastly, let us learn that the means of grace which we
have are sufficient for our salvation. The brothers of the rich man had
Moses and the Prophets, and further help was denied them. We have in
God's Church, and Sacraments, in God's Word, and in Prayer, the
means of drawing near to our Saviour, and saving our soul alive. We
must not ask for some new revelation, some fresh Gospel, some sign or
miracle. If we use not the means given us, neither shall we be
persuaded though one rose from the dead. It is sometimes the fashion in
these days to sneer at the preacher, or to listen with a polite contempt.
God grant that those "who come to scoff, may remain to pray."

SERMON XXXVII.
THE WAY OF LIFE.
(Second Sunday after Trinity.)

1 JOHN iii. 14.
"We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love
the brethren."
The writings of S. John the Evangelist breathe forth love as a flower
garden does sweetness. Here lies the secret of S. John's title, "the
disciple whom Jesus loved." Love begets love, and the disciple was so
near to the heart of his Master because he loved much. When the text
was written he was a very old man, and Bishop of Ephesus. It was in
that fair and famous city that men worshipped the goddess Diana, of
the Ephesians, in a temple which was ranked among the seven wonders
of the world. In the olden days there had been another temple to the
goddess, which was burnt on the night when Alexander the Great was
born. Two hundred and twenty years was the new temple in building,
and each of its columns was the gift of a prince. All that the art of
Greece could give was lavished upon the building. The hand of
Praxiteles carved the altar, the magic pencil of Apelles adorned its
walls with a picture of Alexander. Ephesus was also famous for its
magic arts; and when the people had been turned to Christ by the
preaching of S. Paul, they brought their books of conjuring and curious
arts and burned them before him. Now the grass grows rank among the
broken columns and few stones which mark the ruins of what was
Ephesus.
It was in such a city, then in its full pride and beauty, that S. John, the
aged, spent the last days of his long life. S. Jerome tells us how the old
Bishop was almost too feeble to be carried into the church, where now
was worshipped the true God; and how his trembling lips could only
fashion the same words over and over again: "My little children, love
one another." His hearers growing weary of this one text, asked S. John
why he was ever repeating it, and the old man answered, "Because it is
the teaching of the Lord; and if this alone be observed, it is sufficient."
To be as little children, and to love one another, such is the whole duty
of man. S. John had lived a long life, and had seen men and cities, and
the one lesson which he had learnt above all others is that which he
teaches above all others--love. I think, brothers, we can picture the old

white-haired Bishop of Ephesus, borne day after day upon a litter into
his church, and ever saying the same tender words, "little children, love
one another." What a retrospect there was for S. John to look back
along that stretch of years! What memories must have filled the old
man's heart of those days when he was a sunny-haired stripling,
working with his brothers in the fishing boat, and casting net, and