Welcome to this audio presentation from Crites Baptist
Church in Derbyshire, England.
This sermon by Bishop J.C. Ryle was
first preached at Weston-Super-Mare in August
1858.
We acknowledge that we may not have this
great man of God's style or delivery, but
we do hope, at least, that you may
find the content of the address a blessing
to your soul.
A sermon entitled, The True Church.
Bishop Ryle's text was from the Gospel of
Matthew, chapter 16, and verse 18, Upon this
rock I will build my church, and the
gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
We live in a world in which all
things are passing away.
Kingdoms, empires, cities, ancient institutions, families, all are
liable to change and corruption.
One universal law seems to prevail everywhere.
In all created things there is a tendency
to decay.
There is something saddening and depressing in this.
What profit hath a man in the labour
of his hands?
Is there nothing that shall stand?
Is there nothing that shall last?
Is there nothing that shall endure?
Is there nothing of which we can say,
this shall continue for evermore?
You have the answer to these questions in
the words of our text.
Our Lord Jesus Christ speaks of something which
shall continue and not pass away.
There is one created thing which is an
exception to the universal rule to which I
have referred.
There is one thing which shall never perish
and pass away.
That thing is the building founded upon the
rock, the church of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He declares, in the words you have heard
tonight, upon this rock I will build my
church, and the gates of hell shall not
prevail against it.
There are five things in these words which
demand your attention.
Firstly, you have a building, my church.
Secondly, a builder.
Christ says, I will build my church.
Thirdly, a foundation.
Upon this rock I will build my church.
Fourthly, perils implied, the gates of hell.
Fifthly, security asserted.
The gates of hell shall not prevail against
it.
May God bless the words that shall be
spoken.
May we all search our own hearts tonight
and know whether or not we belong to
this one church.
May we all go home to reflect and
to pray.
Finally, you have, firstly, a building mentioned in
the text.
The Lord Jesus Christ speaks of my church.
Now what is this church?
Few inquiries can be made of more importance
than this.
For want of due attention to this subject,
the errors that have crept into the church
and into the world are neither few nor
small.
The church of our text is no material
building.
It is no temple made with hands of
wood or brick or stone or marble.
It is a company of men and women.
It is no particular visible church on earth.
It is not the Eastern Church or the
Western Church.
It is not the Church of England or
the Church of Scotland.
Much less is it the Church of Rome.
The church of our text is one that
makes far less show in the eyes of
man, but is of far more importance in
the eyes of God.
The church of our text is made up
of all true believers in the Lord Jesus
Christ.
It comprehends all who have repented of sin
and fled to Christ by faith and be
made new creatures in Him.
It comprises all God's elect, all who have
received God's grace, all who have been washed
in Christ's blood, all who have been clothed
in Christ's righteousness, all who have been born
again and sanctified by Christ's Spirit.
All such of every nation and people and
tongue compose the church of our text.
This is the Body of Christ.
This is the Flock of Christ.
This is the Bride.
This is the Lamb's Wife.
This is the Holy Catholic Church of the
Apostles' Creed.
This is the blessed company of all faithful
people spoken of in the communion service of
our prayer book.
This is the Church on the Rock.
The members of this church do not all
worship God in the same way, or use
the same form of government.
Our own thirty-fourth article declares it is
not necessary that ceremonies should be in all
places one and alike, but they all worship
with one heart.
They are all led by one Spirit.
They are all really and truly holy.
They can all say, Alleluia!
And they can all reply, Amen!
This is that church to which all visible
churches on earth are servants and handmaidens, whether
they are Episcopalian, Independent or Presbyterian, they all
serve the interests of the one true church.
They are the scaffolding behind which the great
building is carried on.
They are the husk under which the living
kernel grows.
They have their various degrees of usefulness.
The best and worthiest of them is that
which trains up most members for Christ's true
church.
But no visible church has any right to
say, We are the only true church.
We are the men and wisdom shall die
with us.
No visible church should ever dare to say,
We shall stand forever.
The gates of hell shall not prevail against
me.
This is that church to which belong the
Lord's precious promises of preservation, continuance, protection and
final glory.
Whatsoever, says Hooker, we read in Scripture, concerning
the endless love and saving mercy which God
showeth toward his churches, the only subject thereof
is his church, which we properly term the
mystical body of Christ, small and despised as
the true church may be in this world.
It is precious and honourable in the sight
of God.
The temple of Solomon in all its glory
was mean and contemptible in comparison with that
church which is built upon a rock.
Men and brethren, see that you hold sound
doctrine upon the subject of the church.
A mistake here may lead on to dangerous
and soul-ruining errors.
The church which is made up of true
believers is the church for which we, who
are ministers, are specially ordained to preach.
The church which comprises all who repent and
believe the gospel is the church to which
we desire you to belong.
Our work is not done, and our hearts
are not satisfied until you are made new
creatures and are members of the one true
church.
Outside of this church, there can be no
salvation.
I pass on to the second point to
which I propose to call your attention.
Our text contains not merely a building, but
a builder.
The Lord Jesus Christ declares, I will build
my church.
The true church of Christ is tenderly cared
for by all the three persons of the
Blessed Trinity.
In the economy of redemption, beyond all doubt,
God the Father chooses and God the Holy
Ghost sanctifies every member of Christ's mystical body.
God the Father, God the Son, and God
the Holy Ghost, three persons and one God,
co-operate for the salvation of every saved
soul.
This is truth, which ought never to be
forgotten.
Nevertheless, there is a peculiar sense in which
the help of the church is laid on
the Lord Jesus Christ.
He is peculiarly and pre-eminently the Redeemer
and the Saviour.
Therefore it is that we find Him saying
in our text, I will build.
The work of building is my special work.
It is Christ who calls the members of
the church in due time.
They are the call of Jesus Christ.
Romans 1, verse 6 It is Christ who
quickens them.
The Son quickeneth whom He will.
John 5, verse 21 It is Christ who
washes away their sins.
He has loved us and washed us from
our sins in His own blood.
Revelation 1, verse 5 It is Christ who
gives them peace.
Peace I leave with you.
My peace I give unto you.
John 14, verse 27 It is Christ who
gives them eternal life.
I give unto them eternal life and they
shall never perish.
John 10, verse 28 It is Christ who
grants them repentance.
Him hath God exalted to be a Prince
and a Saviour to give repentance Acts 5,
verse 31 It is Christ who enables them
to become God's children to as many as
received Him.
To them gave He power to become the
sons of God.
John 1, verse 12 It is Christ who
carries on the work within them when it
is begun.
Because I live ye shall live also.
John 14, verse 19 In short It has
pleased the Father that in Christ should all
fullness dwell.
Colossians 1, verse 19 He is the author
and finisher of faith.
From Him every joint and member of the
mystical body of Christians is supplied.
Through Him they are strengthened for duty.
By Him they are kept from falling.
He shall preserve them to the end and
present them faultless before the Father's throne with
exceeding great joy.
He is all things and all in all
to believers.
The mighty agent by whom the Lord Jesus
Christ carries out this work in the number
of His churches is without doubt the Holy
Ghost.
He it is who applies Christ and His
benefits to the soul.
He it is who is ever renewing awakening,
convincing leading to the cross transforming, taking out
of the world stone after stone and adding
it to the mystical building.
But the great chief builder who has undertaken
to execute the work of redemption and bring
it to completion is the Son of God.
The Word who was made flesh.
It is Jesus Christ who builds.
In building the true church the Lord Jesus
condescends to use many subordinate instruments the ministry
of the gospel the circulation of the scriptures
the friendly rebuke the word spoken in season
the drawing influence of afflictions all, all are
means and appliances by which His work is
carried on.
But Christ is the great superintending architect ordering,
guiding, directing all that is done what the
sun is to the whole solar system that
Christ is to all the members of the
true church.
Paul may plant and Apollos water but God
giveth the increase.
Ministers may preach and writers may write but
the Lord Jesus Christ alone can build and
except He builds the work stands still.
Great is the wisdom wherewith the Lord Jesus
Christ builds His church.
All is done at the right time and
in the right way.
Each stone in its turn is put in
the right place sometimes He chooses great stones
and sometimes He chooses small stones sometimes the
work goes on fast and sometimes it goes
on slowly.
Man is frequently impatient and thinks that nothing
is doing but man's time is not God's
time.
A thousand years in His sight are but
as a single day The great builder makes
no mistakes he knows what he is doing
he sees the end from the beginning he
works by a perfect unalterable and certain plan
the mightiest misconceptions of architects like Michelangelo and
Rennes are mere trifling child's play in comparison
with Christ's wise counsels respecting His church.
Great is the condescension and mercy which Christ
exhibits in building His church He often chooses
the most unlikely and roughest stones and fits
them into most excellent work He despises none
and rejects none on account of former sins
and past transgressions He delights to show mercy
He often takes the most thoughtless and ungodly
and transforms them into polished corners of His
spiritual temple Great is the power which Christ
displays in building His church He carries on
His work in spite of opposition from the
world the flesh and the devil in storm,
in tempest through troublous times silently, quietly without
noise, without stir without excitement the building progresses
like Solomon's temple I will work, He declares
and none shall let it Brethren the children
of this world take little or no interest
in the building of this church they care
little for the conversion of souls what are
broken spirits and penitent hearts to them it
is all foolishness in their eyes but while
the children of this world care nothing there
is joy in the presence of the angels
of God for the preserving of that church
the laws of nature have often times been
suspended for the good of that church all
the providential dealings of God in this world
are ordered and arranged for the elect's sake
wars are brought to an end and peace
is given to a nation statesmen rulers emperors
kings presidents heads of governments have their schemes
and plans and think them of vast importance
but there is another work going on of
infinitely greater moment for which they are all
but as the axes and saws in God's
hands that work is the gathering in of
living stones into the one true church how
little are we told in God's word about
unconverted men compared with what we are told
about believers the history of Nimrod the mighty
hunter is dismissed in a few words the
history of Abraham the father of the faithful
occupies several chapters nothing in scripture is so
important as the concerns of the true church
the world takes up little of God's word
the church and its story takes up much
forever let us thank God my beloved brethren
that the building of the one true church
is laid on the shoulders of one that
is mighty let us bless God that it
does not rest upon man let us bless
God that it does not depend on missionaries
ministers or committees Christ is the almighty builder
he will carry on his work though nations
and visible churches do not know their duty
Christ will never fail that which he hath
undertaken he will certainly accomplish I pass on
to the third point which I propose to
consider the foundation upon which this church is
built the Lord Jesus Christ tells us upon
this rock will I build my church what
did the Lord Jesus Christ mean when he
spoke of this foundation did he mean the
apostle Peter to whom he was speaking I
think assuredly not I can see no reason
if he meant Peter why he did not
say upon thee will I build my church
if he had meant Peter he would have
said I will build my church on thee
as plainly as he said to thee will
I give the keys no, it was not
the person of the apostle Peter but the
good confession which the apostle had just made
it was not Peter the erring unstable man
but the mighty truth which the father had
revealed to Peter it was the truth concerning
Jesus Christ himself which was the rock it
was Christ's mediatorship and Christ's messiahship it was
the blessed truth that Jesus was the promised
saviour the true surety the real intercessor between
God and man this was the rock and
this the foundation upon which the church of
Christ was to be built my brethren this
foundation was laid at a mighty cost it
needed that the son of God should take
our nature upon him and in that nature
live suffer and die not for his sins
not for his own sins but for ours
it needed that in that nature Christ should
go to the grave and rise again it
needed that in that nature Christ should go
up to heaven to sit at the right
hand of God having obtained eternal redemption for
all his people no other foundation but this
could have borne the weight of that church
of which our text speaks no other foundation
could have met the necessities of a world
of sinners that foundation once obtained is very
strong it can bear the weight of the
sin of all the world it has borne
the weight of all the sins of all
the believers who have built on it sins
of thought sins of the imagination sins of
the heart sins of the head sins which
everyone has seen and sins which no man
knows sins against God and sins against man
sins of all kinds and descriptions that mighty
rock can bear the weight of all these
sins and not give way the mediatorial office
of Christ is a remedy sufficient for all
the sins of the world to this one
foundation every member of Christ's true church is
joined in many things believers are disunited and
disagreed in the matter of their soul's foundation
they are all of one mind they are
all built on the rock ask where they
get their peace and hope and joyful expectation
of good things to come you would find
that all flows from that one mighty truth
Christ the mediator between God and man and
the office that Christ holds as the high
priest and surety of sinners here is the
point which demands our personal attention are we
upon the rock are we really joined to
the one foundation what says that good old
divine Archbishop Leighton God has laid this precious
stone for this very purpose that weary sinners
may rest upon it the multitude of imaginary
believers lie round about it but they are
none the better for that any more than
stones that lie loose in heaps near a
foundation but not joined into it there is
no benefit to us by Christ without union
with him look to your foundation my beloved
brethren if you would know whether or not
you are members of the one true church
it is a point that may be known
to yourselves your public worship we can see
we cannot see whether you are personally built
upon the rock your attendance at the Lord's
table we can see but we cannot see
whether you are joined to Christ and one
with Christ and Christ in you but all
shall come to light one day the secrets
of all hearts shall be exposed perhaps you
go to church regularly you love your prayer
book you are constant in attending on every
means of grace your church supplies all this
is right and good so far as it
goes but all this time see that you
make no mistake about your own personal salvation
see that your own soul is upon the
rock without this all else is nothing without
this you will never stand in the day
of judgment better a thousand times in that
day to be found in a cottage upon
the rock than in a palace upon the
sand I proceed in the fourth place to
speak of the implied trials of the church
to which our text refers there is mention
made of the gates of hell by that
expression we are meant to understand the power
of the devil the history of Christ's true
church has always been one of conflict and
war it has been constantly assailed by a
deadly enemy satan the prince of this world
the devil hates the true church of Christ
with an undying hatred he is ever stirring
up opposition against all its members he is
ever urging the children of this world to
do his will and injure and harass the
people of God if he cannot bruise the
head he will bruise the heel if he
cannot rob believers of heaven he will vex
them by the way for six thousand years
this enmity has gone on millions of the
ungodly have been the devil's agents and done
the devil's work though they knew it not
the pharaohs the herods the nero's the julians
the diocletians the bloody marys what were they
all but satan's tools when they persecuted the
disciples of Jesus Christ warfare with the powers
of hell has been the experience of the
whole body of Christ it has always been
a bush burning though not consumed a woman
fleeing into the wilderness but not swallowed up
the visible churches have their times of prosperity
and seasons of peace but never has there
been a time of peace for the true
church its conflict is perpetual its battle never
ends warfare with the powers of hell is
the experience of every individual member of the
true church each has to fight what are
the lives of all the saints but records
of battles what were such men as Paul
and James and Peter and John and Polycarp
and Ignatius and Augustine and Luther and Kelvin
and Latimer and Baxter but soldiers engaged in
a constant warfare sometimes their persons have been
assailed and sometimes their property sometimes they have
been harassed by calumnies and slanders and sometimes
by open persecution but in one way or
another the devil has been continually warring against
the church the gates of hell have been
continually assaulting the people of Christ men and
brethren we who preach the gospel can hold
out to all who come to Christ exceeding
great and precious promises we can offer boldly
to you in our masters name the peace
of God which passeth all understanding mercy, free
grace and full salvation are offered to everyone
who will come to Christ and believe on
him but we promise you no peace with
the world or with the devil we warn
you on the contrary that there must be
warfare so long as you are in the
body we would not keep you back or
deter you from Christ's service but we would
have you to count the cost and fully
understand what Christ's service entails hell is behind
you heaven is before you home lies on
the other side of the troubled sea thousands,
tens of thousands have crossed these stormy waters
and in spite of all opposition have reached
the haven where they would be hell has
assailed them but has not prevailed go forward
beloved brethren and fear not the adversary only
abide in Christ and victory is sure marvel
not at the enmity of the gates of
hell if ye were of the world the
world would love his own so long as
the world is of the world and the
devil the devil so long there must be
warfare and believers in Christ must be soldiers
the world hated Christ and the world will
hate true Christians as long as the earth
stands as the great reformer Luther said Cain
will go on murdering Abel so long as
the church is on the earth be prepared
for the enmity of the gates of hell
put on the whole armor of God the
tower of David contained a thousand butlers all
ready for the use of God's people the
weapons of our warfare have been tried by
millions of poor sinners like ourselves and have
never been found to fail be patient under
the enmity of the gates of hell it
is all working together for your good it
tends to sanctify it keeps you awake it
makes you humble it drives you nearer to
the Lord Jesus Christ it weans you from
the world it helps to make you pray
more above all it makes you long for
heaven and say with heart as well as
lips come Lord Jesus be not cast down
by the enmity of hell the warfare of
the true child of God is as much
a mark of grace as the inward peace
which he enjoys no cross no crown no
conflict no saving Christianity blessed are ye said
our Lord Jesus Christ when men shall revile
you and persecute you and say all manner
of evil against you falsely for my sake
there remains one thing more to be considered
the security of the true church of Christ
there is a glorious promise given by the
mighty builder the gates of hell shall not
prevail against it he who cannot lie has
pledged his royal word that all the powers
of hell shall never overthrow his church it
shall continue and stand in spite of every
assault it shall never be overcome all other
created things perish and pass away but not
the church of Christ the hand of outward
violence or the moth of inward decay prevail
over everything else but not over the temple
that Christ builds empires have risen and fallen
in rapid succession Egypt Assyria Babylon Persia
Tyre Carthage Rome Greece Venice where are
all these now?
they were all the creations of man's hand
and have passed away but the church of
Christ lives on the mightiest cities have become
heaps of ruins the broad walls of Babylon
are sunk to the ground the palaces of
Nineveh are mounds of dust the hundred gates
of Thebes are only matters of history Tyre
is a place where fishermen hang their nets
Carthage is a desolation yet all this time
the true church stands the gates of hell
do not prevail against it the earliest visible
churches have in many cases decayed and perished
where is the church of Ephesus and the
church of Antioch where is the church of
Alexandra and the church of Constantinople where are
the Corinthian and Philippian and Thessalonian churches where
indeed are they all they departed from the
word of God they were proud of their
bishops and synods and ceremonies and learning and
antiquity they did not glory in the true
cross of Christ they did not hold fast
to the gospel they did not give Jesus
his rightful office or faith its rightful place
they are now among the things that have
been their candlestick has been taken away but
all this time the true church has lived
on has the true church been oppressed in
one country it has fled to another has
it been trampled on and oppressed in one
soil it has taken root and flourished in
some other climate fire, sword prisons, fines penalties
have never been able to destroy its vitality
its persecutors have died and gone to their
own place but the word of God has
lived and grown and multiplied weak as this
true church may appear to the eye of
man it is as an anvil which has
broken many a hammer in times past and
perhaps will break many more yet before the
end he that lays hands on it is
touching the apple of God's eye the promise
of our text is true of the whole
body of the true church Christ will never
be without a witness in the world he
has had a people in the worst of
times he had seven thousand in Israel even
in the days of Ahab there are some
now I believe in the dark places of
the Roman and Greek churches who in spite
of much weakness are serving Christ the devil
may rage horribly the church may in some
countries be brought exceedingly low but the gates
of hell shall never entirely prevail the promise
of our text is true of every individual
member of the church some of God's people
have been brought very low so that they
despaired of their safety some have fallen sadly
as David and Peter did some have departed
from the faith for a time like Cranmer
and Jewel many have been tried by cruel
doubts and fears but all have got safe
home at last the youngest as well as
the oldest the weakest as well as the
strongest and so it will be to the
end can you prevent tomorrow's sun from rising
can you prevent the tide in the Bristol
channel from ebbing and flowing can you prevent
the planets moving in their respective orbits then
and then alone can you prevent the salvation
of any believer however feeble of any living
stone in that church which is built on
the rock however small or insignificant that stone
may appear the true church is Christ's body
not one bone in that mystical body shall
ever be broken the true church is Christ's
bride they whom God hath joined in everlasting
covenant shall never be put asunder the true
church is Christ's flock when the lion came
and took a lamb out of David's flock
David arose and delivered the lamb from his
mouth Christ will do the same he is
David's greater son not a single sick lamb
in Christ's flock shall perish he will say
to his father in the last day of
those whom thou gavest me I have lost
none the true church is the wheat of
the earth it may be sifted winnowed buffeted
tossed to and fro but not one grain
shall be lost the tares and chaff shall
be burned the wheat shall be gathered into
the barn the true church is Christ's army
the captain of our salvation loses none of
his soldiers his plans are never defeated his
supplies never fail his muster role is the
same at the end as it was at
the beginning of the men that marched gallantly
out of England a few years ago in
the Crimean war how many never came back
regiments went forth strong and cheerful with bands
playing and banners flying laid their bones in
a foreign land and never returned to their
native country but it is not so with
Christ's army not one of his soldiers shall
be missing at last he himself declares they
shall never perish the devil may cast some
of the members of the true church into
prison he may kill and burn and torture
and hang but after he has killed the
body there is nothing more he can do
he cannot hurt the soul when the French
troops took Rome a few years ago they
found on the walls of a prison cell
under the inquisition the words of a prisoner
who he was we know not but his
words are worthy of remembrance though dead he
yet speaketh he had written on the walls
very lightly after an unjust trial and a
still more unjust excommunication the following striking words
blessed Jesus they cannot cast me out of
thy true church that record is true not
all the power of Satan can cast out
of Christ's true church one single believer the
children of this world may wage fierce warfare
against the church but they cannot stop the
work of conversion what said the sneering emperor
Julian in the early ages of the church
what is the carpenter's son doing now an
aged Christian made answer he is making a
coffin for Julian himself but a few months
passed away when Julian with all his pomp
and power died in battle where was Christ
when the fires of Smithfield were lighted and
when Latimer and Ridley were burnt at the
stake what was Christ doing then he was
still carrying on his work of building that
work will ever go on even in troublous
times fear not beloved brethren to begin serving
Christ he to whom you commit your souls
has all power in heaven and earth and
he will keep you he will never let
you be cast away relatives may oppose neighbours
may mock the world may slander and sneer
fear not fear not the powers of hell
shall never prevail against your soul greater is
he that is for you than all they
that are against you fear not for the
church of Christ my brethren when ministers die
and saints are taken away Christ can ever
maintain his own cause he will raise up
better and brighter stars the stars are all
in his right hand leave off all anxious
thought about the future cease to be cast
down by the measures of statesmen or the
plots of wolves in sheep's clothing Christ will
ever provide for his own church Christ will
take care that the gates of hell shall
not prevail against it all is going on
well though our eyes may not see it
the kingdoms of this world shall yet become
the kingdoms of our God and of his
Christ suffer me now to say a few
words of practical application of this sermon I
speak to many whom I speak to for
the first time I speak perhaps to many
whom I speak to for the last time
let not this service conclude without an effort
to press home the sermon on each part
and indeed on each heart my first word
of application shall be a question what shall
that question be wherewith shall I approach you
what shall I ask I ask you whether
you are a member of the one true
church of Christ are you in the highest,
the best sense a churchman in the sight
of God you know what I mean I
look far beyond the church of England I
speak of the church built upon the rock
I ask you with all solemnity are you
a member of that one church of Christ
are you joined to the great foundation have
you received the Holy Ghost does the spirit
witness with your spirit that you are one
with Christ and Christ with you I beseech
you in the name of God to lay
to heart this question and to ponder it
well take heed to yourselves dear brethren if
you cannot give a satisfactory answer to my
inquiry take heed that you do not make
shipwreck of faith take heed lest at the
gates of hell that they prevail against you
the devil claims you as his own and
you be cast away forever take heed lest
you go down to the pit from the
land of Bibles and in the full light
of Christ's gospel my second word of application
shall be an invitation I address it to
all who are not yet true believers I
say to you come and join the one
true church without delay come and join yourselves
to the Lord Jesus Christ in an everlasting
covenant not to be forgotten come to Christ
and be saved the day of decision must
come sometime why not this very evening, why
not today while it is called today why
not indeed this very night ere the sun
rises tomorrow morning come to him whose I
am and whom I serve come to my
master Jesus Christ come I say for all
things are now ready mercy is ready for
you heaven is ready for you, angels are
ready to rejoice over you Christ is ready
to receive you Christ will receive you gladly
and welcome you among his children come into
the ark the flood of God's wrath will
soon break upon the earth come into the
ark and be safe come into the lifeboat
the old world will soon break into pieces
hear you not the tremblings of it the
world is but a wreck hard upon the
sandbank the night is far spent, the waves
are beginning to rise the winds are rising
the storm will soon shatter the old wreck
but the lifeboat is launched and we the
ministers of the gospel beseech you to come
into the lifeboat and be saved dost thou
ask how can I come my sins are
so many dost thou ask how thou shalt
come hear the words of that beautiful hymn
just as I am without one plea but
that thy blood was shed for me and
that thou bidst me come to thee O
Lamb of God I come that is the
way to come to Christ you should come
waiting for nothing and tarrying for nothing you
should come as a hungry sinner to be
filled as a poor sinner to be enriched
as a bad undeserving sinner to be clothed
with righteousness so coming Christ would receive you
him that cometh to Christ he will in
no wise cast out O come come to
Jesus Christ last of all let me give
a word of exultation to my believing hearers
live a holy life my brethren walk worthy
of the church to which you belong live
like citizens of heaven let your light shine
before men so that the world may profit
by your conduct let them know whose you
are and whom you serve be epistles of
Christ known and read of all men written
in such clear letters that none can say
I know not whether he be a member
of Christ or not live a courageous life
my brethren confess Christ before men whatever station
you occupy in that station confess Christ why
should you be ashamed of him he was
not ashamed of you on the cross he
is ready to confess you now before his
father in heaven why should you be ashamed
of him be bold, be very bold the
good soldier is not ashamed of his uniform
the true believer ought never to be ashamed
of Christ live a joyful life my brethren
live like men who look for that blessed
hope the second coming of Jesus Christ this
is the prospect to which we should all
look forward it is not so much the
thought of going to heaven as of heaven
coming to us that should fill our minds
there is a good time coming for all
the people of God a good time for
all the church of Christ a good time
for all believers a bad time for the
impenitent and unbelieving a bad time for them
that will serve their own lusts and turn
their backs on the Lord but a good
time for true Christians for that good time
let us wait and watch and pray the
scaffolding will soon be taken down the last
stone will soon be brought out the top
stone will be placed upon the edifice yet
a little time and the full beauty of
the building shall be clearly seen the great
master builder will soon come himself a building
shall be shown to assembled worlds in which
there shall be no imperfection the saviour and
the saved shall rejoice together the whole universe
shall acknowledge that in the building of Christ's
church all was well done