296. Friday after Sixth Sunday after Trinity.
I will pay my vows unto the Lord now
in the presence of all his people.
Isaiah 58, 5-8. Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord? Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily; and thy righteousness shall go before thee: the glory of the Lord shall be thy reward.
❦
There be many in our times who worship no God but their stomach and politics; and then again, there are others, who worship God with prayer and song and with the reading and hearing of his word; who associate with believers, abstain from profanity, cards, dancing, and the like, live quietly and decently, and regulate their conduct by that of the true Christians; — and whose whole Christianity consists in these things, though they may perhaps at times feel moved by an impressive sermon, and may occasionally feel the touch of the Spirit of God. The piety which consists merely in things such as these is at the best a sorry affair; but the worst of it is that these people by this sort of religion rob themselves of eternal salvation.
True Christianity is the heart’s fellowship with the God of love; and causes us to love one another in the Lord, and to live all our life in charity. Not that we already are wholly love; but that love governs all our conduct, is the mainspring and life of all our work, and more and more purges out of us the old leaven. — Go, then, ye Christians, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and who live of it all the time; go, and become rich in deeds of charity. Loose them that are in bondage, break the yoke and undo the burden of the oppressed, help the wretched by the gospel and the grace of the Spirit; pass none by in his soul’s misery, and help your neighbor in his bodily need also. Give bread to the hungry, clothe the naked, and make the homeless welcome; — they all are your brethren, of your own flesh and blood. Ye believing brethren; wherefore so slow and slothful in the exercise of charity? Is not this true religion to help the fatherless and the widows? Do it quickly, and do it abundantly; God shall give the will and the strength. You stand at the fountain; draw for friend and stranger, and scatter the blessings of life and thanksgiving and praise round about you. Then shall your light break forth as the morning, and your health shall spring forth, and your righteousness shall go before you, and the glory of the Lord shall be your reward. Your life in grace shall increase, you shall grow all the time into a clearer knowledge of God, and become stronger in all that is pure and true and good. And the blessing of the Lord shall rest on all that you do.
O God, kindle love in us by thy Holy Spirit. Let this sacred flame burn brightly in our soul, that we may become rich in fruits of love, and that thus much thanksgiving may ascend to thee unceasingly from those who give and from those who receive. Do, Lord God, kindle this flame of love in us, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.*
Thou, Lord, hast brethren here below,
The partners of thy grace,
And wilt confess their humble names
Before thy Father’s face.
Thy face, with reverence and with love,
We in thy poor would see;
Oh, may we minister to them,
And in them, Lord, to thee.
[suggested tune: Beatitudo, TLH 360; listen here]
* Here the head of the family says a short morning or evening prayer in his own words, and closes with the Lord’s Prayer and the Benediction. This is to be done every day. If the stanzas are not sung, they may be read in their proper place before the impromptu petition and the Lord’s Prayer.