Damn Small Rich Text Editor v0.2.4 Demo

URL:

HTML:

<head>
<meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=windows-1251">
<meta name=ProgId content=Word.Document>
<meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 12">
<meta name=Originator content="Microsoft Word 12">
<link rel=File-List href="Sermon%20LXXXVI_filelist.xml">

<link rel=themeData href="Sermon%20LXXXVI_themedata.thmx">
<link rel=colorSchemeMapping href="Sermon%20LXXXVI_colorschememapping.xml">

<style>

</style>

</head>

Sermon LXXXVI.<o:p></o:p>

2.
We have just heard a certain rich man seeking counsel from the "Good
Master" as to the means of obtaining eternal life. Great was the thing he
loved, and of little value was that he was unwilling to renounce. And so in
perverseness of heart, on hearing Him whom he had but now called "Good
Master," through the overpowering love of what was valueless, he lost the
possession of what was of great price. If he had not wished to obtain eternal
life, he would not have asked counsel how to obtain eternal life. How is it
then, Brethren, that he rejected the words of Him whom
he had called "Good Master," drawn out for him as they were from the
doctrine of the faith? What? Is He a Good Master before He teaches, and when He
hath taught, a bad one? Before He taught, He was called "Good." He
did not hear what he wished, but he did hear what was proper for him; he had
come with longing, but he went away in sadness. What if He had told him,
"Lose what they hast"? when he went away
sad, because it was said, "Keep what they hast securely."
"Go," says He, "sell all that they hast, and give to the
poor." [2818] Art they afraid, it may be, lest they should lose it. See
what follows; "And they shall have treasure in heaven." Before now it
may be they hast set some young slave to guard thy
treasures; thy God will be the guardian of thy gold. He
who gave them on earth, will Himself keep them in heaven. Perhaps he would not
have hesitated to commit what he had to Christ, and was only sad because it was
told him, "Give to the poor;" as though he would say in his heart,
"Have They said, Give it to Me, I will keep it in heaven for thee; I would
not hesitate to give it to my Lord, the `Good Master;' but now they hast said,
`Give to the poor.'" <o:p></o:p>

3.
Let no one fear to lay out upon the poor, let no one
think that he is the receiver whose hand he sees. He receives it Who bade thee give it. And this I say not out of mine own
heart, or by any human conjecture; hear Him Himself, who at once exhorts thee,
and gives thee a title of security. "I was an hungered,"
says He, and ye gave Me meat." And when after the enumeration of all their
kind offices, they answered, "When saw we Thee an
hungered?" He answered, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the
least of these of Mine, ye have done it unto Me."
[2819] It is the poor man who begs, but He that is Rich receives. They gives to
one who will make away with it, He receives it Who
will restore it. Nor will He restore only what He receives; He is pleased to
borrow upon interest, He promises more than they have given. <o:p></o:p>

4.
Give to God, and press God for payment. [2820] Yea rather give to God, and they
wilt be pressed to receive payment. On earth indeed they has to seek thy
debtor; and he sought too, but only to find where he might hide himself from
thy face. They has gone to the judge, and said, "Bid that my debtor be
summoned;" and he on hearing this gets away, and cares not even to wish
thee well, [2821] though to him perhaps in his need they has given wealth by
thy loan. They hast one then on whom they may well lay out thy money. Give to
Christ; He will of His own accord press thee to receive, whilst they wilt even
wonder that He hath received ought of thee. For to them who are placed on His
right hand He will first say, "Come, ye blessed of My Father."
"Come" whither? "Receive the kingdom prepared for you from the
foundation of the world." For what? "For I
was an hundred, and ye gave Me meat; I was thirsty,
and ye gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took Me in; naked, and ye
clothed Me; I was sick and in prison, and ye visited Me." And they will say,
"Lord, when saw we Thee?" [2822] What doth
this mean? The debtor presses to pay, [2823] and the creditors make excuses.
But the trusty debtor will not let them suffer loss thereby. "Do ye
hesitate to receive? I have received, and are ye ignorant of it?" and He
makes answer how He has received; "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of
the least of these of Mine, ye have done it unto Me." "I received it
not by Myself; but by Mine. What was given to them
came to Me; be secure, ye have not lost it. Ye looked
to those who were little able to pay on earth; ye have One who is well able to
pay in heaven. I," He says, "have received, I will repay." <o:p></o:p>

5.
And what have I received, and what do I repay? "`I was an hungered,' He
says, `and ye gave Me meat;' and the rest. I received
earth, I will give heaven; I received temporal things, I will restore eternal;
I received bread, I will give life." Yea, we may even say thus, "I
have received bread, I will give Bread; I have received drink, I will give
Drink; I have received houseroom, I will give a House; I was visited in
sickness, I will give Health; I was visited in prison, I will give Liberty. The
bread which ye gave to My poor is consumed; the Bread
which I will give both recruits [2824] the failing and doth not fail." May
He then give us Bread, He who is the living Bread which came down from heaven. When He shall give Bread, He will give Himself. For
what didst they intend when they didst lend on usury? To give
money, and to receive money; but to give a smaller sum, and to receive a
larger. "I," says God, "will give thee an exchange for
the better for all that they hast given Me. For if they
wert to give a pound of silver, and to receive a pound of gold, with how great
joy would they be possessed? Examine and question avarice. "I have given a
pound of silver, I receive a pound of gold!" What
proportion is there between silver and gold! Much more then, what proportion is
there between earth and heaven! And thy silver and gold they wert to leave here
below; whereas they wilt not abide thyself for ever here. "And I will give
thee something else, and I will give thee something more, and I will give thee
something better; I will give thee even that which will last for ever." So
then, Brethren, be our avarice restrained, that another, which is holy, may be
enkindled. Evil altogether is her counsel, who hinders you from doing good. Ye
are willing to serve an evil mistress, not owning a Good Lord. And sometimes
two mistresses occupy the heart, and tear the slave asunder who deserves to be
in slavery to such a double yoke. <o:p></o:p>

6.
Yes, sometimes two opposing mistresses have possession of a man, avarice and
luxuriousness. Avarice says, "Keep;" luxuriousness, says,
"Spend." Under two mistresses bidding and exacting diverse things what
canst they do? They have both their mode of address. And when they dost begin to be unwilling to obey them, and to take a step
towards thy liberty; because they have no power to command, they use caresses.
And their caresses are more to be guarded against than their commands. What
says avarice? "Keep for thyself, keep for thy children. If they should be
in want, no one will give to thee. Live not for the time present only; consult
for the future." On the other hand is luxuriousness. Live whilst they may.
Do good to thins own soul. Die they must, and they knows not when; they knows
not to whom they shall leave what they hast, or who shall possess it. They art
taking the bread out of thine own mouth, and perhaps
after thy death thine heir will not so much as place
a cup of wine upon thy tomb; or if so be he place a cup, he will drink himself
drunk with it, not a drop [2825] will come down to thee. Do well therefore to thine own soul, when and whilst they canst." Thus
avarice did enjoin one thing; "Keep for thyself,
consult for the future." Luxuriousness another, "Do well to thine own soul." <o:p></o:p>

7.
But O free man, called unto liberty, be weary, be
weary of thy servitude to such mistresses as these. Acknowledge thy Redeemer,
thy Deliverer. Serve Him, He enjoined easier things, He enjoined not things
contrary one to another. I am bold further to say; avarice and luxuriousness
did enjoin upon thee contrary things, so that they could not obey them both;
and one said, "Keep for thyself, and consult for the future;" the
other said, "Spend freely, do well to thine own
soul." Now let thy Lord and thy Redeemer come forth, and He shall say the
same, and yet no contrary things. If they wilt not, His house hath no need of
an unwilling servant. Consider thy Redeemer, consider thy Ransom. He came to
redeem thee, He shed His Blood. Dear He held thee whom He purchased at so dear
a price. They dost acknowledge Him who bought thee, consider from what He redeemed
thee. I say nothing of the other sins which lord it proudly over thee; for they
was serving innumerable masters. I speak only of these two, luxuriousness and
avarice, giving thee contrary injunctions, hurrying thee into different things.
Deliver thyself from them, come to thy God. If they was
the servant of iniquity, be now the servant of righteousness. The words which
they spoke to them, and the contrary injunctions they gave thee, the very same they
hears now from thy Lord, yet are His injunctions not contrary. He doth not take
away their words, but he takes away their power. What did avarice say to thee?
"Keep for thyself, consult for the future."
The word is not changed, but the man is changed. Now, if they wilt, compare the
counselors. The one is avarice, the other righteousness. <o:p></o:p>

8.
Examine these contrary injunctions. "Keep for thyself,"
says avarice. Suppose they art willing to obey her, ask her where they art to
keep? Some well-defended place she will show thee, walled chamber, or iron
chest. Well, use all precautions; yet peradventure some thief in the house will
burst open the secret places; and whilst they art taking precautions for thy
money, they wilt be in fear of thy life. It may be whilst they art keeping up
thy store, he whose mind is set to plunder them, has it even in his thoughts to
kill thee. Lastly, even though by various precautions they should defend thy
treasure and thy clothes against thieves; defend them still against the rust
and moth. What canst they do then? Here is no enemy without to take away thy
goods, but one within consuming them. <o:p></o:p>

9.
No good counsel then has avarice given. See she has enjoined thee to keep, yet
has not found a place where they may keep. Let her give also her next advice,
"Consult for the future." For what future? for a few and those uncertain days. She says, "Consult
for the future," to a man who, it may be, will not live even till
to-morrow. But suppose him to live as long as avarice thinks he will, not as
long as she can prove, or assure him, or have any confidence about, but suppose
him to live as long as she thinks, that he grow old and so come to his end:
when he is even now bent double with old age, and leaning on his stick for
support, still is he seeking gain, and hears avarice saying still,
"Consult for the future." For what future?
When he is even at his last breath she speaks. She says, "for thy children's sake." Would that
at least we did not find the old men who had no children avaricious. Yet
to these even, to such as these even, who cannot even excuse their iniquity by
any empty [2826] show of natural affection, she ceases not to say,
"Consult for the future." But it may be that these will soon blush
for themselves; so let us look to those who have children,
whether they are certain that their children will possess what they shall
leave? Let them observe in their lifetime the children of other men, some
losing what they had by the unjust violence of others, others by their own
wickedness consuming what they possessed; and they remain in poor estate, who
were the children of rich men. Cease then to be the home-born slaves of
avarice. But a man will say, "My children will possess this." It is
uncertain; I do not say, it is false, but at best, it is uncertain. But now
suppose it to be certain, what dost they wish to leave them? What they hast gotten
for thyself. Assuredly what they hast gotten was not
left thee, yet they hast it. If they hast been able to
get possession of what was not left to thee, then will they also be able to get
what they shall not leave to them. <o:p></o:p>

10.
Thus have the counsels of avarice been refuted; but now let the Lord say the
same words, now let righteousness speak: the words will be the same, but not
the same the meaning. "Keep for thyself,"
says the Lord, "consult for the future." Now ask Him, "Where
shall I keep?" "They shall have treasure in heaven, where no thief approaches,
nor moth corrupts." [2827] Against
what an enduring future shall they keep it! "Come, ye blessed of My
Father, receive the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the
world." [2828] And of how many days this kingdom
is, the end of the passage shows. For after He had said of those on the left
hand, "So these shall go away into everlasting burning;" of those on
the right hand He says, "but the righteous into life eternal." [2829]
This is "consulting for the future." A future which has no future beyond it. Those days without
an end are called both "days," and "a day." For one when he
was speaking of those days, says, "That I may dwell in the house of the
Lord for length of days." [2830] And they are
called a day, "This day have I begotten thee." [2831] Now those days are one day; because there is no time, in it;
that day is neither preceded by a yesterday, nor succeeded by a to-morrow. So
then let us "consult for the future:" the words indeed which avarice
said to thee are not different in terms from this, yet by them is avarice
overthrown. <o:p></o:p>

11.
One thing may yet be said, "But what am I to do about my children?"
Hear on this point also the counsel of thy Lord. If thy Lord should say to
thee, "The thoughts of them concern Me more who
did create, than thee who didst beget them," [2832] peradventure they
could have nothing to say. Yet they wilt look upon that rich man who went away
sorrowful, and was rebuked in the Gospel, and wilt say to thyself perhaps,
"That rich man did evil in not selling all and giving to the poor, because
he had no children; but I have children; I have those for whom I should be
keeping something. In this weakness too the Lord is ready to advise
with thee. I would be bold to speak through His mercy; I would be bold to say
something, not of mine own imagining, but of His pity. Keep then for thy
children too, but hear me. Suppose (such is man's condition) any one should
lose one of his children; mark, Brethren, mark how that avarice has no excuse,
either as respects this world or the world to come. Such, I say, is man's
condition; for it is not that I wish it, but we see instances. Some Christian
child has been lost: they hast lost a Christian child;
not that they hast indeed lost him, but hast sent him before thee. For he is not gone [2833] quite away, but gone before. Ask thine own faith: surely they too wilt go thither presently,
where he hath gone before. It is but a short question I ask, which yet I
suppose no one will answer. Does thy son live? Ask thy faith. If he live then, why is his portion seized upon by his brothers?
But they wilt say, What, will he return and possess
it? Let it then be sent to him whither he is gone before; he cannot come to his
goods, his goods can go to him. Consider only with Whom
he is. If any son were serving at the Court, and became the Emperor's friend,
and were to say to thee, "Sell my portion, which is there, and send it to
me;" would they find what to answer him? Well, thy son is now with the
Emperor of all emperors, with the King of all kings, with the Lord of all
lords; send to Him. I do not say thy son is in need himself; but his Lord with
whom he is, is in need upon the earth. He vouchsafes to receive here, what He
gives in heaven. Do what some avaricious men are wont to do, make out a
conveyance, [2834] bestow upon those who are in pilgrimage, what they may
receive in thine own country. <o:p></o:p>

12.
But now I am not speaking at all of thyself, but of thy child. They art
hesitating to give what is thine own, yea, rather art
hesitating to restore what is another's; surely they art hereby convicted, that
it was not for thy children that they wast laying up.
See, they dost not give to thy children, seeing they
wilt even take away from thy children. From this child at all events wilt they
take away. Why is he unworthy to receive his part, because he is living with One worthier than all? There would be reason in it, if he
with whom thy son is living, were unwilling to receive it. Rich shall they now
be for thine house, but that the house of God. So far
it is then from me to say to thee, "Give what they hast;" that I am
saying to thee, "Pay that they owest." But they
wilt say, "His brothers will have it." O evil maxim, which may teach
thy children to wish for their brother's death. If they shall be enriched by
the property of their deceased brother, take heed how they may watch for [2835]
one another in thine house. What then wilt they do?
Wilt they divide his patrimony, and so give lessons of parricide? <o:p></o:p>

13.
But I am unwilling to speak of the loss of a child, lest I seem to threaten
calamities, which do befall men. Let us speak in some more happy and auspicious
tone. I do not say then, they wilt have one less; reckon rather that they hast
one more. Give Christ a place with thy children, be thy Lord added to thy
family; be thy Creator added to thy offspring, be thy Brother added to the
number of thy children. For though there is so great a distance, yet hath He
condescended to be a Brother. And though He be the
Father's Only Son, He hath vouchsafed to have coheirs. Lo, how bountifully hath
He given! why wilt they give in such barren sort? They
hast two children; reckon Him a third: they hast three, let Him be reckoned as
a fourth: they hast five, let Him be called a sixth; they hast ten, let Him be
the eleventh. I will say no more; keep the place of one child for thy Lord. For
what they shall give to thy Lord, will profit both thee and thy children;
whereas, what they dost keep for thy children wrongly, will hurt both thee and
them. Now they wilt give one portion, which they hast
reckoned as one child's portion. Reckon that they hast
got one child more. <o:p></o:p>

14.
What great demand is this, my Brethren? I give you counsel only; do I use
violence? [2836] As says the Apostle, "This I
speak for your own profit, not that I may cast a snare upon you." [2837] I
imagine, Brethren, that it is a light and easy though for a father of children
to suppose that he has one child more, and thereby to procure such an inheritance
as they may possess for ever, both they and thy children. Avarice can say
nothing against it. Ye have cried out in acclamation at these words. Turn your
words rather against her; let her not overcome you; let her not have greater
power in your hearts, than your Redeemer. Let her not have greater power in
your hearts, than He who exhorted us to "lift up our hearts." And so
now let us dismiss her. <o:p></o:p>

15.
What says luxuriousness? What? "Do well to thine
own soul." See also the Lord says the same, "Do well to thine own soul." What luxuriousness was saying to
thee, the same says Righteousness to thee. But
consider here again in what sense the words are used. If they would do well to thine own soul, consider that rich man who wished to do
well to his soul, after the counsel of luxuriousness and avarice. His
"ground brought forth plentifully, and he had no room where to bestow his
fruits; and he said, What shall I do?" I have no
room where to bestow my fruits; I have found out what to do; "I will pull
down my" old "barns, and build new," and will fill them,
"and say to my soul, They hast much goods; take
thy pleasure." Hear the counsel against luxuriousness; "They fool,
this night thy soul shall be required of thee; and whose shall those things be
which they hast provided?" [2838] And whither
must that soul which shall be required of him go? This night it shall be
required, and shall go he knows not whither. <o:p></o:p>

16.
Consider that other luxurious, proud, rich man. He "feasted sumptuously
every day, and was clothed in purple and fine linen;" and "the poor
man laid at his gate full of sores, and desired" in vain "the crumbs
from the rich man's table;" [2839] he fed the dogs with his sores, but he
was not fed by the rich man. They both died; one of them was buried; of the
other what is said? "He was carried by the Angels into Abraham's
bosom." The rich man sees the poor man; yea rather it is now the poor man
sees the rich; he longs for a drop of water on his tongue from his finger, from
him who once longed for a crumb from his table. Indeed their lot was changed.
The dead rich man asks for this in vain: O let not us who are alive hear it in
vain. For he wished to return again to the world, [2840] and was not permitted;
he wished one of the dead to be sent to his brethren, neither was this granted
him. But what was said to him? "They have Moses and the Prophets;"
and he said, "They will not hear except one go from the dead."
Abraham said to him, "If they hear not Moses and the Prophets, neither
will they believe though one go from the dead." <o:p></o:p>

17.
What luxuriousness then said in a perverted sense concerning the giving of
alms, and procuring rest for our souls against the time to come, that so we may
"do well to our souls," Moses also and the Prophets have spoken. Let
us give ear while we are alive. Because there he will desire in vain to hear,
who has despised these words when he heard them here.
Are we expecting that one should rise even from the dead, and tell us to do
well to our own souls? It has been done already: thy father hath not risen
again, but thy Lord hath risen. Hear Him, and accept good counsel. Spare not
thy treasures, spend as freely as they canst. This was the voice of
luxuriousness: it has become the Lord's Voice. Spend as freely as they canst,
do well to thy soul, lest this night thy soul be required. <o:p></o:p>

<a
href="http://mb-soft.com/believe/txuf/august7b.htm#34">http://mb-soft.com/believe/txuf/august7b.htm#34</a><o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

</div>

</body>

</html>