74 Sermon Illustrations on Spiritual Discipline

A certain man's garage is attached to his house. It's a wonderful convenience in inclement weather, but it's also a terrible temptation because all winter whenever he doe not know what to do with something, he puts it in the garage. Usually by March he is so ashamed of his garage that he doesn't want to open it up to the neighborhood. By contrast, his neighbor keeps his garage spotlessly clean. He is one of those people who has a place for everything and keeps everything in its place. He has hangers for his shovel, his hammers, his screwdrivers, and his rakes. He paints his garage floor, and he actually vacuums his driveway. About mid-March the contrast finally gets to the first man, and he finally says, "This Saturday I'm going to tackle the garage." He gets up early in the morning, opens the door, tears into it, and by 4:00 in the afternoon, he has thrown half of it away. Then he gets all the rest organized, and feels absolutely fulfilled. In fact, he leaves his garage door open for three weeks so that everybody in the neighborhood can see how good it looks! But by that time, it's starting to look a little tacky again. Biblical happiness is a life without the junk and clutter that a self-oriented life deposits in our spirits. It is a sense of well-being, cleanliness, and organization. It is to live an organized life so that there is the inner sense of well-being that harmony provides.

Take time to think-it is the source of power. Take time to play-it is the secret of perpetual youth. Take time to be friendly-it is the road to happiness. Take time to love-it is a God-given privilege. Take time to pray-it is the greatest power on earth. Take time to give-life is too short to be selfish.

Thomas Guthrie used to say: "If you find yourself loving any pleasure better than your prayers, any book better than the Bible, any house better than the house of God, any table better than the Lord's table, any person better than Christ, any indulgence better than the hope of heaven-take alarm."

"The end of study is information, the end of meditation is practice, or a work upon the affections. Study is like a winter's sun, that shineth but warmeth not, but meditation is like blowing up the fire, where we do not mind the blaze but the heat." Meditation being thus the more practical of the two, should not be placed second to study, but should even take precedence of it. "In study we are rather like vintners, who take in wine to store for sale, in meditation, like those who buy wine for their own use and comfort. A vintner's cellar may be better stored than a nobleman's. The student may have more of notion and knowledge, but the practical Christian hath more of taste and refreshment." The student, therefore, is in a sad case if he go no further, for his soul may starve, notwithstanding his stores, if

he does not use them. How miserable to die of cold while your cellar is full of coals! To perish with hunger when your granary is full of corn! This is a species of suicide which many commit. For want of due examination and meditation the precious truth of God is of no avail; but the blame lieth at the man's own door because he would not consider and turn unto the Lord. My soul, see to it that thy knowledge is well used for thy sustenance and growth. Retire more than thou hast done and chew the cud by meditation. Thou hast had too little of this. Be zealous, therefore, and mend thy ways in this respect.

"Not only colts, but horses already broken, need a bridle." Indeed they do, and so also do we who are advanced in years and full of experience. Old men are not always wise men. Passions which should have been by this time quite subdued still need bit and bridle, or they may hurry us into fatal errors. Flesh does not improve by keeping, nor do corruptions sweeten by the lapse of years. New converts need to watch in the morning of their days, but old saints must be equally on their guard for the hours become no safer as they draw towards evening. We are all within gunshot of the enemy as long as we are this side of Jordan. "Without me ye can do nothing," is as true of strong men as of babes in grace. Temptation, like fire, will burn where the wood is green, and certainly it hath no less power where the fuel is old and sere. We shall need to be kept by grace till we are actually in glory. Those who think themselves at heaven's gate may yet sin their souls into the deepest hell, unless the unchanging love and power of God shall uphold them even to the end. Lord, bit and bridle me, I pray thee, and never let me break loose from thy divine control. Conduct me every mile of the road till I reach my everlasting home.

"When the beams of the sun are contracted by a burning-glass, upon one spot, then they cause fire; so when our thoughts are concentrated on one object they warm the heart and at last burn the truth into it." This is the reason why so many sermons and addresses are so cold and ineffective, they are not sufficiently focussed upon one point. There are many rays of light, but they are scattered. We get a little upon many things, while what is wanted is one great truth, and so much upon it as shall fix it on the heart, and set the soul blazing with it. This is the fault of many lives: they are squandered upon a dozen objects, whereas if they were economized for one, they would be mighty lives, known in the present and honoured in the future. "This one thing I do" is a necessary motto if we are to accomplish anything. Our friend lay basking in the sunshine and the beams of the sun did not disturb him for a moment. In a mirthful moment we crept to his side, and holding up a burning glass, we formed a little bright spot on the back of his hand. He started in an instant as if touched with a hot iron, and was some little time before he quite appreciated our lecture upon concentrated energies. He did not invite a repetition of the interesting experiment, but confessed that he should throughout life dread a man whose strength all converged to one point, and that when next he wished to arouse a careless mind, he would try what concentration would do. Great Lord, teach thou me how to accomplish somewhat for thy glory; and, to that end, enable me to live for thee with my undivided being, that what little light and heat I have may be so focussed that I may burn my way to successful service.

"You that are tradesmen are troubled if you happen to be abroad when a good customer cometh to deal with you: the ordinances of God are the market for your souls. If you had not been abroad with Esau you might have received the blessing, and gone away richly laden from a prayer-meeting, from the word, and the Lord's Supper, but you lose your advantages for want of attention." With what diligence should we use the means of grace, "not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is;" and when we are there, we should be like the shopkeeper—on the look-out for business; not half asleep, or wandering in our minds. If we were more lively at

sermons, we should find them more lively. Nothing profits a man which is done carelessly; when our minds are not in our business we cannot prosper in it, and we may be even more sure that we cannot profit by sacred exercises if we are not intensely earnest in them. If customers call, and find the tradesman away, he loses all hope of gain; and when grace and blessing come, and our hearts are not on the watch, we miss heavenly treasure, and remain in a poor and miserable condition. My soul, bestir thyself. Lord, quicken thou me in thy ways,

"As a lute that is not played upon, but hangs by the wall, soon grows out of order for want of use; so, if we do not constantly and diligently exercise ourselves in godliness, our hearts grow dead and vain." It is the old story of the unused key. It would seem that there is no worse abuse of a good thing than to abstain from its use. While it lies idle it lies ill. Grace must be exercised towards God in devout contemplation, wrestling prayer, or adoring praise; and it must be exercised among men in patience, zeal, charity, and holy example; or, like an arm which has long been bound by a man's side, it will become withered. Some enemies were left in Canaan for the sole reason that the armies of Israel might not forget the art of war; and we, too, may expect troubles to exercise our graces in conflict, if we do not ourselves exercise them in happier service. The Lord will not allow the inner life of his people to degenerate because of inaction; nor ought we to allow it. Loud calls to energy are sounding forth on every hand. A curse will come upon us, like that invoked upon Meroz of old, if we come not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty. To return to our author's figure. Are we like a lute upon the wall? Are the strings all out of order? Tune us, Lord, and then bring music out of us. Why should a single instrument in the whole concert be silent when the Lord is to be praised? "Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early." "Be near me, Lord, and tune my notes, And make them sweet and strong, To waft thy words to many a heart, Upon the wings of song. I know that men will listen, For my very heart shall sing, And it shall be thy praise alone, My glorious Lord and King."

Lieut.-Col. M. Leroth, of the 93th British regiment, relates the following anecdotes of the skill of sharp-shooters, and the inefficacy of ordinary musketeers:—

In an action of some importance, a mounted officer of the enemy was on the point of being made prisoner. One only way presented itself by which he had a chance of escaping: this was along the front of our line, within musket range. He embraced this alternative; and, although the whole brigade fired at him, both man and horse escaped with impunity.

Another fact, from the same authority, is equally curious:—

In order to cover themselves as much as possible from the enemy's aim, at the siege of Yorktown, our soldiers had each three bags of sand to lay on the parapet. Two of these were placed with their ends at a little distance from each other, and the third crossed over the interval, leaving a small loop-hole for the soldiers to fire through. The American riflemen however, were so expert, that, on seeing a piece protruded through the hole, they levelled towards it, and, penetrating the opening, frequently shot the men through the head. Percy.

A sailor remarks, "Sailing from Cuba, we thought we had gained sixty miles one day in our course; but, at the next observation, we found we had lost more than thirty. It was an undercurrent. The ship had been going forward by the wind, but going back by the current." So a man's course in religion may often seem to be right and progressive; but the undercurrent of his besetting sins is driving him the very contrary way to what he thinks. Dr. Cheever.

As the sea that the wind hath lain sore upon is yet tossed and troubled after the wind is laid, and the tempest gone; even so a man's mind lately come out of the business and cares of this world still casteth and studieth the same things, and panteth after them, and cannot after this come straight to itself, and so meditate on and exercise in spiritual matters. Cawdray.

As he would be thought a foolish merchant, who for quietness' sake, would never look at his account-book, whether he were behind or be fore; or as a shipmaster would be laughed at, that, to avoid care, would sit down and make good cheer, and let the ship go whither she would: so much more, in the business of our souls, it is madness and folly to neglect consideration to escape the trouble; seeing, in the end, this negligence must turn upon us more terrible and irremediable calamity. Cauclay.

There is never so little of a tree as when it is in the seed. The births of God Almighty are births of weakness. Every thing in the universe comes to its perfection by drill and marching, — the seed, the insect, the animal, the man, the spiritual man. God created man at the lowest point, and put him into a world where almost nothing would be done for him, and almost every thing should tempt him to do for himself. The very help which God gives men is by teaching them how to help themselves. Want, sorrow, mistake, and all that men call evils, are but disciplinarians, who insist that the scholar shall learn his lesson himself, and who punish him until he does.

— Beecher

As a vessel will long retain and keep the savor of that wherewith it is first seasoned; even so, if children be taught good things while they be young and tender, they will abide the longer with them. Caudray.

A gentleman calling on Archbishop Tillotson observed in his library one shelf of books, of various forms and sizes, all richly bound, finely gilt and lettered. He inquired what favorite authors those were that had been so remarkably distinguished by his grace. "These," said the archbishop, "are my own personal friends; and, what is more, I have made them such (for they were avowedly my enemies) by the use I have made of those hints which their malice had suggested to me. From these, I have received more profit than from the advice of my best and most cordial friends; and therefore you see I have rewarded them accordingly." Percy.

EXPERIENCE, Key to Loyola's great effort was to tread the world beneath his feet, and to rise into a mystic region of rapt idealism, where high spiritual intercourse with the unseen world might be enjoyed. The main stress of his struggle was to mortify the desires of the flesh and of the mind, to spiritualize the carnal nature. Luther's great effort, prompted by an urgent sense of guilt, was to reconcile himself to an offended Deity; and the main stress of his struggle was to bring into a state of right adjustment his personal and immediate relationship with God. Dr. Chalmers's great effort was to prepare for an eternity felt to be at hand, by discharging aright the duties of time; and the main stress of his struggle was to bring his disposition and conduct towards all around him up to the requirements of the divine law. Dr. Hanna.

Like as a child that learneth the alphabet, when he hath once learned his letters, yet has to learn them over again; even so many parishioners are so forgetful, that, when they are past one principle and point of religion, they must yet be brought back again to the same. Caudray.

Forms were designed, by Him who knoweth our frame, to be the means by which we might ascend to the enjoyment of himself. But when the mind halts in the symbol, instead of rising from it to the thing signified; when the man runs up and down the ladder, instead of reaching the eminence which commands the glorious prospect,—he loses the enjoyment inseparable from intercourse with the blissful reality. Pearson.

Habit will reconcile us to every thing but change; and even to change, if it recur not too quickly. Milton, therefore, makes his hell an ice-house, as well as an oven; and freezes his devils at one period, but bakes them at another. The late Sir George Staunton informed me that he had visited a man in India who had committed a murder; and in order not only to save his life, but, what was of much more consequence, his caste, he submitted to the penalty imposed: this was, that he should sleep for seven years on a bedstead, without any mattress, the whole surface of which was studded with points of iron resembling nails, but not so sharp as to penetrate his flesh. Sir George saw him in the fifth year of his probation; and his skin was then like the hide of a rhinoceros, but more callous. At that time, however, he could sleep comfortably on his "bed of thorns;" and remarked, that, at the expiration of the term of his sentence, he should most probably continue that system from choice which he had been obliged to adopt from necessity.

— C. Colton

Habit may be illustrated by a beaten path: as the traveller is apt to fall into and follow this, so the thoughts and feelings are likely to pursue the track which they have often followed before. As the stream gradually wears the channel deeper in which it runs, and thus becomes more surely bound to its accustomed course; so the current of the mind and heart grows more and more restricted to the course in which habit has taught them to flow. These intellectual and moral habits form many peculiarities of character, and chiefly distinguish one individual from another. They are, therefore, of the utmost importance.

— S. G. Goodrich

In 373, St. Jerome retired to a desert in Chaleis, on the confines of Arabia; and there he spent four years in study and seclusion, supporting himself by the labor of his hands. He says in one of his epistles, "Oh! how often in the desert, in that vast solitude, which, parched by the sultry sun, affords a dwelling to the monks, did I fancy myself in the midst of the luxuries of Rome! I sat alone, for I was full of bitterness. My misshapen limbs were rough with sackcloth, and my skin so squalid, that I might have been mistaken for an Ethiopian. Tears and groans were my occupation every day, and all day long. If sleep surprised me unawares, my naked bones, which scarcely held together, rattled on the earth." His companions, he says, "were scorpions and wild beasts;" his home, "a recess among rocks and precipices." Yet, in the midst of this horrible self-torture and self-abasement, he describes himself as frequently beset by temptations to sin and sensual indulgence, and haunted by demons; at other times, as consoled by voices and visions from heaven. Besides these trials of the flesh and the spirit, he had others of the intellect. His love of learning, his admiration of the great writers of classical antiquity, — of Plato and Cicero, — made him impatient of the rude simplicity of the Christian historians. He describes himself as fasting before he opened Cicero; and, as a further penance, he forced himself to study Hebrew, which at first filled him with disgust; and this disgust appeared to him a capital sin. In one of his distempered visions, he fancied he heard the last trumpet sounded in his ear by an angel, and summoning him before the judgment-seat of God. "Who art thou?" demanded the awful voice. "A Christian," replied the trembling Jerome. "'Tis false!" replied the voice: "thou art no Christian; thou art a Ciceronian. Where the treasure is, there will the heart be also." He persevered, and conquered the difficulties of Hebrew; and, after ten years' residence there, he returned to Rome.

Ephorus, an ancient historian, and a scholar of Isocrates, had no remarkable thing to write of his country, and yet was willing to insert the name of it in his history, and therefore brings it in with a cold parenthesis: "Athens did this famous thing, and Sparta did that; and at that time my countrymen, the Comius, did nothing."

— Spencer

Passing a mill one day, Gotthold recollected the wise observation of a certain prince: "Man's heart is like a millstone. Pour in corn, and round it goes, bruising and grinding, and converting it into flour; whereas, give it no corn, and the stone indeed turns round, but only grinds itself away, and becomes ever thinner and smaller and narrower. Even so the heart of man requires to have always something to do; and happy he who continually occupies it with good and holy thoughts: otherwise it may soon consume, and waste itself by useless anxieties, or wicked and carnal suggestions."

The habit of novel-reading must inevitably enervate your manhood, and dwarf the mind, and give you a disrelish for the great and grand and true in the world of thought. If our youth would be men, and not sink into effeminacy, they must leave the region of sickly sentimentalism, rise above the childish pursuits of butterflies, and live in regions of lofty thought, and associate with the master-minds of creation, by pondering over the productions of their splendid and affluent genius. This will enlarge the sphere of the thinking faculty, give it quickening impulses, and lead the mind upward to all that is glorious and divine in the world of intellect.

— R. Roberts

Multifarious reading weakens the mind more than doing nothing; for it becomes a necessity at last, like smoking, and is an excuse for the mind to lie dormant whilst thought is poured in, and runs through, a clear stream, over unproductive gravel, on which not even mosses grow. It is the idlest of all idleness, and leaves more of impotency than any other. F. W. Robertson.