He who will be a man, let
him believe that he is redeemed by Christ, and must be like Christ in
everything he says and does. If he would carry that out, if he would
live perfectly by faith in God, if he would do God's will utterly and
in all things he would soon find that those glorious old words still
stood true: "Thou shalt not be afraid of the arrow by night, nor of
the pestilence which walketh in the noonday; a thousand shall fall at
thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand, but it shall not come
nigh thee." For such a man would know how to defend himself against
evil; God would teach him not only to defend himself, but to defend
those around him. He would be like his Lord and Master, a fountain
of wisdom and healing and safety to all his neighbours. We might any
one of us be that. It is everyone's fault more or less that he is
not. Each of us who is educated, civilised, converted to the
knowledge and love of God, it is his sin and shame that he is NOT
that. Above all, it is the clergyman's sin and shame that he is not.
Ay, believe me, when I blame you, I blame myself ten thousand times
more. I believe there is many a sin and sorrow from which I might
have saved you here, if I had dealt with you more as a man should
deal who believes that you and I are brothers, made in the same image
of God, redeemed by the same blood of Christ.
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