Book One / Thoughts Helpful In The Life Of The Soul

     The Second Chapter / Having A Humble Opinion Of Self

     EVERY man naturally desires knowledge; but what good is knowledge without fear of God? Indeed a humble rustic who serves God is better than a proud intellectual who neglects his soul to study the course of the stars. He who knows himself well becomes mean in his own eyes and is not happy when praised by men.

     If I knew all things in the world and had not charity, what would it profit me before God Who will judge me by my deeds?

     Shun too great a desire for knowledge, for in it there is much fretting and delusion. Intellectuals like to appear learned and to be called wise. Yet there are many things the knowledge of which does little or no good to the soul, and he who concerns himself about other things than those which lead to salvation is very unwise.

     Many words do not satisfy the soul; but a good life eases the mind and a clean conscience inspires great trust in God.

     The more you know and the better you understand, the more severely will you be judged, unless your life is also the more holy. Do not be proud, therefore, because of your learning or skill. Rather, fear because of the talent given you. If you think you know many things and understand them well enough, realize at the same time that there is much you do not know. Hence, do not affect wisdom, but admit your ignorance. Why prefer yourself to anyone else when many are more learned, more cultured than you?

     If you wish to learn and appreciate something worth while, then love to be unknown and considered as nothing. Truly to know and despise self is the best and most perfect counsel. To think of oneself as nothing, and always to think well and highly of others is the best and most perfect wisdom. Wherefore, if you see another sin openly or commit a serious crime, do not consider yourself better, for you do not know how long you can remain in good estate. All men are frail, but you must admit that none is more frail than yourself.

THE IMITATION OF CHRIST

     February 2, 1848, the United States Congress ratified the peace treaty which ended the Mexican War and, in exchange for 15 million dollars, brought the territories of California, Nevada, Utah, and parts of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming, into the Union. The treaty began: “In the Name of Almighty God: The United States and the United Mexican States animated by a sincere desire to put an end to the calamities of the war…. have, under the protection of Almighty God, the Author of Peace, arranged, agreed upon, and signed the following: Treaty of Peace.”

William J. Federer. American Minute

To be associated with the Savior by faith,
in the fellowship of spiritual communion,
is to dwell at the springs of eternal life.
--- John Henry Jowett


Character is supreme in life, hence Jesus stood supreme in the supreme thing - so supreme that, when we think of the ideal, we do not add virtue to virtue, but think of Jesus Christ, so that the standard of human life is no longer a code but a character. --- E. Stanley Jones

... from here, there and everywhere

6     For I was at the window of my house,
glancing out through the lattice,
7     when I saw among the young men there,
among those who don’t think for themselves,
a young fellow devoid of all sense.
8     He crosses the street near her corner
and continues on toward her house.
9     Dusk turns into evening,
and finally night, dark and black.
10     Then a woman approaches him,
dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart.
11     She’s the coarse, impulsive type,
whose feet don’t stay at home;
12     rather, she stalks the streets and squares,
lurking at every streetcorner.

Stern, D. H. (1998). Complete Jewish Bible-OE
: An English version of the Tanakh (OT) and
B'rit Hadashah (NT) (1st ed.). Clarksville, Md.: Jewish
New Testament Publications.

                The constraint of the call

     Woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! --- 1 Cor. 9:16.

     Beware of stopping your ears to the call of God. Everyone who is saved is called to testify to the fact; but that is not the call to preach, it is merely an illustration in preaching. Paul is referring to the pangs produced in him by the constraint to preach the Gospel. Never apply what Paul says in this connection to souls coming in contact with God for salvation. There is nothing easier than getting saved because it is God’s sovereign work—‘Come unto Me and I will save you.’ Our Lord never lays down the conditions of discipleship as the conditions of salvation. We are condemned to salvation through the Cross of Jesus Christ. Discipleship has an option with it—“IF any man …”

     Paul’s words have to do with being made a servant of Jesus Christ, and our permission is never asked as to what we will do or where we will go. God makes us broken bread and poured-out wine to please Himself. To be “separated unto the gospel” means to hear the call of God; and when a man begins to overhear that call, then begins agony that is worthy of the name. Every ambition is nipped in the bud, every desire of life quenched, every outlook completely extinguished and blotted out, saving one thing only—“separated unto the gospel.” Woe be to the soul who tries to put his foot in any other direction when once that call has come to him. This College exists to see whether God has any man or woman here who cares about proclaiming His Gospel; to see whether God grips you. And beware of competitors when God does grip you.

Chambers, O. (1993). My Utmost for His Highest

Of all things to remember
this is special: the Buddha
seated cross-legged, disproving
Donne, himself an island

surrounded by the expanses
of space and time. From his navel
the tree grows whose canopy
is knowledge. He counts the leaves

as they fall, that are words
out of the mouth of the unseen
God, washing his thoughts clean
in them. Over the waters

he sees the argosies of the world
approaching, that will never
arrive, that will go down, each
one sunk by the weight of its own cargo.

The Poems of R.S. Thomas , (Fayettesville: University of Arkansas Press), 1985

     Matthew 5–7 contains Jesus’ famous “Sermon on the Mount.” In the context of Matthew’s argument that Christ is the expected Messiah-King, this sermon takes on special importance. In giving His moral teaching, Jesus announced as mankind’s destined Ruler the lifestyle to be adopted by all who submit to Him.

     In this particular study of Matthew 5 we focus on the Beatitudes—a series of “blessed are” or “happy are” statements. The issues explored by Jesus deal with the basic values which human beings adopt and live by. Jesus’ point is that the values of this world do not lead to blessing. Instead blessing comes through living by values which the world despises, but which God holds dear.

     Blessed. Both Old and New Testaments speak of the “blessed.” In the Old Testament, and especially the Psalms, the “blessed are” statements describe qualities in a person which bring him or her God’s blessing. Here in Matthew the Greek word is makarios, which means “happy.” Is there a difference? Yes. The Old Testament describes blessings that will come to the godly person, and emphasizes material goods. Jesus focused on the present state of persons who adopt values and attitudes which permit them to know, now, the inner touch of God in their present lives.

     Matthew tells us that, after Jesus’ baptism, “Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near’ ” (4:17). Book after book has been written exploring Jesus’ “kingdom” emphasis, puzzling over the exact thrust of all His words.

     God as King over all. All agree that the Bible pictures God as King over all His creation. In this sense God is sovereign, marking out the course of cultures and the process of the ages. In a universal sense, everything and all times are to be viewed as God’s kingdom: a realm over which He exercises control.

     It is also true that the Old Testament brings another focus to God’s kingly rule. God in a special way rules over Israel: He is Israel’s true King (Deut. 33:5; 1 Sam. 12:12), and Israel is His kingdom (1 Chron. 17:14; 28:5). In a distinctive sense, God involved Himself in the control and direction of Israel’s destiny.

     When we read in the New Testament that Christ is “Head over everything for the church, which is His body” (Eph. 1:22–23), we have a parallel to the Old Testament emphasis. The rule of God extends over all—but finds special focus in His concern for His own.

     God’s future reign. A reading of the Old Testament makes it plain that there is more involved in talk of a kingdom than God’s overarching rule. God promised through the prophets that a day would come when He will set up an everlasting kingdom on earth, and personally rule from Zion (Isa. 24:23; Micah 4:6; Zech. 14:9–17). Daniel and Isaiah added their descriptions: the King will be God, and yet of David’s line. When the Messiah comes, the rule of God will find visible and overwhelming expression as God openly exercises His once-hidden power.

     It was this kingdom the Jews expected and yearned for. And it was this kingdom which is described in the prophecies which Matthew relates to Jesus.

     So we can hardly doubt what Jesus’ listeners pictured in their minds when Jesus announced the good news that the kingdom was at hand. His listeners were sure He meant the eschatological expression of the rule of God. They thought “kingdom of heaven” must mean God’s revelation of His power and goodness through Messiah’s righteous, endless rule.

     Near? It is here that many hesitate. Jesus said that the kingdom of heaven was “near.” Yet, 2,000 years have fled since that announcement, and the visible earthly kingdom Jesus’ hearers expected has not come. So some have stepped back, and denied the Old Testament vision. They have tried to make the “kingdom of heaven” simply another affirmation that God is in charge, after all.

     But why then did Jesus say that the kingdom was finally “near”? Why the urgency? Why, if God has always exercised that kind of rule? Clearly some other aspect of the kingdom than God’s universal rule must be drawing near.

     Particularly significant is the Greek word translated “near.” It can mean “at hand,” or “has arrived.” Was Jesus’ announcement of the kingdom an affirmation that in His own coming, God’s kingly action was already breaking in uniquely on time and space?

     Usually we think of “kingdom” as a place. The “kingdom of Liechtenstein” is geographically defined: a tiny bit of land. Certainly the Old Testament picture of God’s ultimate kingdom does involve a place: Palestine is the center from which the Messiah will rule, and the whole earth will be His kingdom’s limitless extent. However, in rabbinic literature, kingdom emphasis is not on a place but on action! “The kingdom of heaven” speaks of that divine action which breaks into our universe and marks out events as God’s accomplishment.

     No wonder Jesus taught His disciples to pray and say:

     Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.      ---Matthew 6:10

     Jesus’ disciples, then and now, are to look to God to act on earth just as He acts in heaven itself, to bring His will to pass.

     On the other hand, Jesus also was announcing that the kingdom had arrived! In the personal presence of Jesus on earth, God had acted to take a hand in human affairs. In Jesus, God was already bringing to humankind His final gift of deliverance, and dominion.

Richards, L., & Richards, L. O. (1987). The Teacher's Commentary (323). Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books.

     How do we apply Jesus' moral expectations? In particular, how do we apply the kinds of moral demands of Jesus we find in the Sermon on the Mount? We should be marked by a righteousness that (greatly surpasses the righteousness of the Pharisees and teachers of the law (Matthew 5:20); we should avoid anger because Jesus teaches that anger is murderous (5:21-22); married folk should avoid lusting after others sexually because Jesus teaches that lust is adulterous (5:27-30); and we should, apart from the one singular exception in sexual infidelity, neither divorce nor remarry (5:31-32). To put all of this in one attractive container, we should be "perfect ... as your heavenly Father is perfect" (5:48). Even the disciples wondered if words like these were too much to handle; when Jesus said something similar sometime later, his best followers blurted out: "It is better nor to marry!" (19:10).

     How do we apply words like those in the Sermon on the Mount today? Let's look at the different approaches in the history of the church to just one saying in this sermon: "Be perfect" (Matthew 5:48). What have we done with this statement of Jesus?

     Sorne say Jesus is exaggerating, raising the standard higher than we can achieve, but if we strive for it we'll do better than we are now.

     Others say that "being perfect" is what our moral life will be like in the eternal kingdom, and Jesus is teaching the final and eternal ethic God designs for us.

     Still others suggest that "being perfect" forces us to look inside to our heart of hearts to see our sinfulness.

     Yet others think Jesus means exactly what he says: he expects us to be perfect.

     One more; some think "perfect" actually means "whole" or "mature," so that being whole and mature is what Jesus really wants.

     We will probably not agree on how to read the word "perfect" in Matthew 5:48, but I hope this little section gets us to think harder about how we are reading the Bible. We are not trying to resolve all these issues. Instead, we are intent on demonstrating that we apply some of what Jesus says and we choose not to apply other things Jesus has said. In other words, there is some adopting and adapting involved even with the sayings of Jesus. If there are two choices --totally literal or discerning a pattern -- most of us will choose the latter every time.

     By now I hope you are a bit unnerved about what I have said. This Chapter is intended to provoke in order to get you to think together about how you are actually reading the Bible. Some of you may want to turn back to a much more literal, take-it-all-or-nothing approach, but I'm guessing most of you are now becoming aware that you do in fact adopt and adapt. What we must now discover is this: What principles do we use to adopt and adapt the Bible?

McKnight, Scot. The Blue Parakeet: Rethinking How You Read the Bible . Grand Rapids, Mich: Zondervan, 2008.

     If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses?
--- Jeremiah 12:5.

     Suppose that to you, as to Christ, it became evident that life was not to give what you expected, that your dreams were not to be granted, that yours was to be a steep and lonely road, that some tremendous sacrifice was to be asked of you, could you adjust to face it with a shadow of the Master’s courage and the Master’s calm? (But When Life Tumbles In, What Then? ) There is no supposing in the matter. To you too, in your turn, someday, these things must come.

     And when it does, nobody has the right to snivel or whimper as if something unique and inexplicable had befallen him or her. “Never morning wore to evening but some heart did break”—hearts just as sensitive as yours and mine. But when yours breaks, what then? It is a bit late in the day to be talking about insurance when your house is ablaze, somewhat tardy to be searching for something to bring you through when the test is on.

     So many people’s religion is a fair-weather affair. A little rain and it runs and crumbles; a touch of strain and it snaps. So long as God’s will runs parallel to ours, we follow blithely. But the moment that they clash, that life grows difficult, that we do not understand—how apt faith is to fail us just when we have most need of it!

     Well, what of you and me? If the small ills of life have frayed our faith and temper, what will we do in the roar and swirl of Jordan?

     The essence of faith [is] a certain intrepidity of loyalty that can believe undauntedly [when] in the dark and that still trusts God, unshaken even when the evidence looks fairly damning. Do you think Christ always understood or found it easy? There was a day when he took God’s will for him into his hand, turned it round, and looked at it: “Is this what you ask of me?” he said. Yes, and another day when, puzzled and uncertain, he cried out, “But is this really what you mean that I should give you, this here, this now?” Yes, and another still, when the waters roared through his soul, yet he would not turn back, fought his way to the farther bank and died, still believing in the God who seemed to have deserted him. That is why he is given a name that is above every name.
--- Arthur John Gossip.

Wallis, D. (2001). Take Heart: Daily Devotions with the Church's Great Preachers

     The son of Pepin the Short rose to power in the eighth century, and there was nothing short about him. Standing seven feet tall, Charlemagne was active, dignified, strong, and intelligent. His continual warfare enlarged his kingdom till it covered most of central Europe, and on Christmas Day, 800, he was crowned king of the Franks by Pope Leo III.

     Charlemagne craved education, not only for himself but for his people. He believed that religion and education were the only sure foundations for a healthy state. But he needed a teacher.

     Enter Alcuin.

     Alcuin, having evidently lost his parents in childhood, had been raised by schoolmasters in York, England. In the vast library of York’s Cathedral School the boy fell in love with Ambrose, Augustine, Bede, Pliny, and the writers of antiquity. He rose from student to teacher, and on February 2, 767, Alcuin was made a deacon and the school’s headmaster.

     Years passed, and the now-famous schoolman, traveling in Italy, met Charlemagne. The two hit it off, one a physical giant, the other an intellectual one. Charlemagne asked Alcuin to educate his court, train his clergy, and establish parish schools. So Alcuin resigned at York and began teaching the royal family, the imperial advisors, and the clergy of the palace chapel. He based his curriculum on the seven liberal arts, saying the house of knowledge can only be perfectly built on these seven columns. He collected manuscripts for a royal library. And he began efforts to educate clergy everywhere, then the people. The first thing to learn, Alcuin said, was the Lord’s Prayer. Then, the Ten Commandments. He was ever zealous for studying the Scriptures and preaching the gospel. People cannot be “christianized” by force, he warned Charlemagne, but brought to Christ by the Word of God.

     Ten years later an exhausted Alcuin returned to England where he spent the rest of his life defending orthodoxy, reorganizing schools, developing curriculum, copying manuscripts, and teaching Scripture. He died unexpectedly on Pentecost Sunday, May 19, 804, but his efforts brought light into the darkness and paved the way for the universities that were soon to rise.

  Wisdom has built her house with its seven columns.
  She has prepared the meat and set out the wine.
  Her feast is ready.
  “Everyone who is ignorant or foolish is invited!
  If you want to live,
  give up your foolishness
  And let understanding guide your steps.”
  --- Proverbs 9:1,2,4,6.

Morgan, R. J. On This Day 365 Amazing And Inspiring Stories About Saints, Martyrs And Heroes

THE PRESENTATION
YEARS 1 & 2

MORNING PRAYER

Psalms Psalm 42, 43
Old Testament 1 Samuel 2:1–10
New Testament John 8:31–36

Index of Readings

PSALMS
Psalm 42, 43

To the leader. A Maskil of the Korahites.

1 As a deer longs for flowing streams,
so my soul longs for you, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God.
When shall I come and behold
the face of God?
3 My tears have been my food
day and night,
while people say to me continually,
“Where is your God?”

4 These things I remember,
as I pour out my soul:
how I went with the throng,
and led them in procession to the house of God,
with glad shouts and songs of thanksgiving,
a multitude keeping festival.
5 Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my help 6 and my God.

My soul is cast down within me;
therefore I remember you
from the land of Jordan and of Hermon,
from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep
at the thunder of your cataracts;
all your waves and your billows
have gone over me.
8 By day the LORD commands his steadfast love,
and at night his song is with me,
a prayer to the God of my life.

9 I say to God, my rock,
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I walk about mournfully
because the enemy oppresses me?”
10 As with a deadly wound in my body,
my adversaries taunt me,
while they say to me continually,
“Where is your God?”

11 Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my help and my God.

1 Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause
against an ungodly people;
from those who are deceitful and unjust
deliver me!
2 For you are the God in whom I take refuge;
why have you cast me off?
Why must I walk about mournfully
because of the oppression of the enemy?

3 O send out your light and your truth;
let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy hill
and to your dwelling.
4 Then I will go to the altar of God,
to God my exceeding joy;
and I will praise you with the harp,
O God, my God.

5 Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my help and my God.

OLD TESTAMENT
1 Samuel 2:1–10

2 Hannah prayed and said,

“My heart exults in the LORD;
my strength is exalted in my God.
My mouth derides my enemies,
because I rejoice in my victory.

2 “There is no Holy One like the LORD,
no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God.
3 Talk no more so very proudly,
let not arrogance come from your mouth;
for the LORD is a God of knowledge,
and by him actions are weighed.
4 The bows of the mighty are broken,
but the feeble gird on strength.
5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
but those who were hungry are fat with spoil.
The barren has borne seven,
but she who has many children is forlorn.
6 The LORD kills and brings to life;
he brings down to Sheol and raises up.
7 The LORD makes poor and makes rich;
he brings low, he also exalts.
8 He raises up the poor from the dust;
he lifts the needy from the ash heap,
to make them sit with princes
and inherit a seat of honor.
For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s,
and on them he has set the world.

9 “He will guard the feet of his faithful ones,
but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness;
for not by might does one prevail.
10 The LORD! His adversaries shall be shattered;
the Most High will thunder in heaven.
The LORD will judge the ends of the earth;
he will give strength to his king,
and exalt the power of his anointed.”

NEW TESTAMENT
John 8:31–36

31 Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, ‘You will be made free’?”

34 Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. 35 The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there forever. 36 So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.

EVENING PRAYER

Psalms Psalm 48, 87
Old Testament Haggai 2:1–9
New Testament 1 John 3:1–8

Index of Readings

PSALMS
Psalm 48, 87

A Song. A Psalm of the Korahites.

1 Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised
in the city of our God.
His holy mountain, 2 beautiful in elevation,
is the joy of all the earth,
Mount Zion, in the far north,
the city of the great King.
3 Within its citadels God
has shown himself a sure defense.

4 Then the kings assembled,
they came on together.
5 As soon as they saw it, they were astounded;
they were in panic, they took to flight;
6 trembling took hold of them there,
pains as of a woman in labor,
7 as when an east wind shatters
the ships of Tarshish.
8 As we have heard, so have we seen
in the city of the LORD of hosts,
in the city of our God,
which God establishes forever. Selah

9 We ponder your steadfast love, O God,
in the midst of your temple.
10 Your name, O God, like your praise,
reaches to the ends of the earth.
Your right hand is filled with victory.
11 Let Mount Zion be glad,
let the towns of Judah rejoice
because of your judgments.

12 Walk about Zion, go all around it,
count its towers,
13 consider well its ramparts;
go through its citadels,
that you may tell the next generation
14 that this is God,
our God forever and ever.
He will be our guide forever.

Of the Korahites. A Psalm. A Song.

1 On the holy mount stands the city he founded;
2 the LORD loves the gates of Zion
more than all the dwellings of Jacob.
3 Glorious things are spoken of you,
O city of God. Selah

4 Among those who know me I mention Rahab and Babylon;
Philistia too, and Tyre, with Ethiopia—
“This one was born there,” they say.

5 And of Zion it shall be said,
“This one and that one were born in it”;
for the Most High himself will establish it.
6 The LORD records, as he registers the peoples,
“This one was born there.” Selah

7 Singers and dancers alike say,
“All my springs are in you.”

OLD TESTAMENT
Haggai 2:1–9

1 in the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by the prophet Haggai, saying: 2 Speak now to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, and say, 3 Who is left among you that saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Is it not in your sight as nothing? 4 Yet now take courage, O Zerubbabel, says the LORD; take courage, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; take courage, all you people of the land, says the LORD; work, for I am with you, says the LORD of hosts, 5 according to the promise that I made you when you came out of Egypt. My spirit abides among you; do not fear. 6 For thus says the LORD of hosts: Once again, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land; 7 and I will shake all the nations, so that the treasure of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with splendor, says the LORD of hosts. 8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the LORD of hosts. 9 The latter splendor of this house shall be greater than the former, says the LORD of hosts; and in this place I will give prosperity, says the LORD of hosts.

NEW TESTAMENT
1 John 3:1–8

3 1 See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. 3 And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

4 Everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in him sins; no one who sins has either seen him or known him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Everyone who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 Everyone who commits sin is a child of the devil; for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The Son of God was revealed for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.

The Episcopal Church. Book of Common Prayer Lectionary