Sermon LII.
[CII. Ben.]
On the words of the Gospel, Luke x. 16, “He that rejecteth you rejecteth me.”
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1. What our Lord Jesus Crist at that time spake to His disciples was put in writing, and
prepared for us to hear. And so we have heard His words. For what profit would it be to us
if He were seen, and were not heard? And now it is no hurt, that He is not seen, and yet is
heard. He saith then, “He that despiseth you, despiseth Me.”3300 If to the Apostles only He
said, “He that despiseth you, despiseth Me;” do ye despise us. But if His word reach to us,
and He hath called us, and set us in their place, see that ye despise not us, lest the wrong ye
shall do unto us reach to Him. For if ye fear not us, fear Him who said, “He that despiseth
you, despiseth Me.” But why do we, who are unwilling to be despised by you, speak to you,
except that we may have joy of your good conversation? Let your good works be the solace
of our perils. Live well, that ye may not die ill.
2. And in these words which I have spoken, “Live well, that ye may not die ill,” do not
think of those who it may be have lived evilly, and have died in their beds; and the pomp of
their funeral has been displayed, and they have been laid in costly coffins, in sepulchres
prepared with exceeding beauty and labour; nor because each one of you perhaps is saying,
“I should wish so to die,” do ye think that it is a vain thing I have chosen to say; when I said
that I would that ye should live well, that ye may not die ill? On the other hand, the case of
some one, it may be, occurs to you, who has both lived well, and according to the opinion
of men has died ill; perhaps he has died from the fall of a house, has died by shipwreck, has
died by wild beasts; and each carnal man is saying in his heart, “What good is it to live well?
See this man has so lived, and in this wise has he died.” “Return therefore to your heart;”
and if ye are faithful ones, ye will find Christ there; He speaketh to you there. For I cry aloud,
but He in silence giveth more instruction. I speak by the sound of words; He speaketh
within by the fear of the thoughts. May He then engraft my word in your heart; for I have
taken upon me to say, “Live well, that ye may not die ill.” See, for faith is in your hearts, and
Christ dwelleth there, and it is His place to teach what I desire to give utterance to.
3. Remember that rich and that poor man in the Gospel; “the rich man clothed in purple
and fine linen,” and crammed with daily feastings; and the poor man “lying before” the rich
man’s gate, hungry, and looking for “the crumbs from his table, full of sores, licked” by
“dogs.”3301 Remember, I say; and whence do ye remember, but because Christ is there in
your hearts? Tell me, what have ye asked Him within, and what hath He answered. For he
goes on to say, “It came to pass that that poor man died, and was carried by the Angels into
Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died, and was buried in hell. And being in torments
3300 Luke x. 16.
3301 Luke xvi. 19, etc.
On the words of the Gospel, Luke x. 16, ‘He that rejecteth you rejecteth me.’
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On the words of the Gospel, Luke x. 16, ‘He that rejecteth you rejecteth…