Thoughts of Newman

“Now it is high time to awake out of sleep.” Rom. 13:11.

By “sleep,” in this passage, St. Paul means a state of insensibility to things as they really are in God’s sight. When we are asleep, we are absent from this world’s action, as if we were no longer concerned in it. It goes on without us, or, if our rest be broken, and we have some slight notion of people and occurrences about us, if we hear a voice or a sentence, and see a face, yet we are unable to catch these external objects justly and truly; we make them part of our dreams, and pervert them till they have scarcely a resemblance to what they really are; and such is the state of men as regards religious truth. God is ever Almighty and All-knowing. He is on His throne in heaven, trying the reins and the hearts; and Jesus Christ, our

“And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel.

Then Samuel answered, Speak, for Thy servant heareth.” 1 Samuel 3:10.

In the narrative of which these words form part, we have a remarkable instance of a Divine call, and the manner in which it is our duty to meet it. Samuel was from a child brought to the house of the Lord; and in due time he was called to a sacred office, and made a prophet. He was called, and he forthwith answered the call. God said, “Samuel, Samuel.” He did not understand at first who called, and what was meant; but on going to Eli he learned who spoke, and what his answer should be. So when God called again, he said, “Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth.” Here is prompt obedience.

“I am the good Shepherd: the good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep.” John 10:11.

Our Lord here appropriates to Himself the title under which He had been foretold by the Prophets. “David My servant shall be king over them,” says Almighty God by the mouth of Ezekiel: “and they all shall have one Shepherd.” And in the book of Zechariah, “Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, and against the man that is My fellow, saith the Lord of Hosts; smite the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.” And in like manner St. Peter speaks of our returning “to the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls.” (Ezek. 37:24. Zech. 13:7. 1 Pet. 2:25.)

Sermon 17 (7th May 1837)

“He shall glorify Me.” John 14. 14.

When our Lord was leaving His Apostles, and they were sorrowful, He consoled them by the promise of another Guide and Teacher, on whom they might rely instead of Him, and who should be more to them even than He had been. He promised them the Third Person in the Ever-blessed Trinity, the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of Himself and of His Father, who should come invisibly,

6th May 1838

“A little while, and ye shall not see Me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see Me, because I go to the Father.” John 16:16.

Very opposite lessons are drawn in different parts of Scripture from the doctrine of Christ’s leaving the world and returning to His Father; lessons so opposite the one to the other, that at first sight a reader might even find a difficulty in reconciling them together. In an earlier season of His ministry, our