His invitation is one of kindness, His goodness is beyond description... And see whom He calls! Those who have spent their strength in breaking the law, those who are burdened with their sins, those who can no longer lift up their heads, those who are filled with shame, those who can no longer speak out. And why does He call them? Not to demand an account, not to hold court. But why? To relieve them of their pain, to take away their heavy burden. For what could ever be a heavier burden than sin?..."I shall refesh you who are weighed down by sin," He says, "and you who are bend down as if under a burden; I shall grant you remission of your sins. Only come to Me!" - St. John Chrysostom
Chrysostom, you remember, was a great scholar and an excellent orator. His original name was John, but because of his oratorical gifts he was called "the Golden-mouthed"=Chrysostom. He seemed to have the gift to do with his audience anything he pleased. He was equally able to make them glad or sad, to exult or to wail, weep, and sob, according to his pleasure. And yet the good man, upon the whole, accomplished little because he was poor in distinguishing the Law from the Gospel, habitually mingling the one doctrine with the other.-Dr. C.F.W. WALTHER
ReplyDeleteWhich, Sal, goes to show that Walther really didn't know about about St. John from personal reading - or he wouldn't have made such a silly statement!!! : )
ReplyDeletePastor Weedon,
ReplyDeleteGreetings. After reading your reply I might myself have to take up the GOLDEN MOUTH and read. I have all of his works right above where I am typing right now. I am reading WALTHER'S LAW and GOSPEL book currently. You have probably read this 100 years ago-So I'm a late comer but it really is a book that is so much alive today. I think every Christian needs to read this one book and consider what the man is saying. I've always respected Mr. GOLDEN MOUTH, but Mr. LUTHER has so shown me so much good stuff that I cannot "go back". GLORY TO GOD...
Sal