Employment (I)
The sermon emphasizes the importance of being mindful of our place in God's plan and using our talents to serve Him, lest we waste our lives and be like dust, barren and unfruitful.
George Herbert emphasizes the importance of fully utilizing the gifts and opportunities God has given us to bring Him glory and honor. He acknowledges that all blessings and abilities come from God, but it is our responsibility to make the most of them for His kingdom. Herbert urges believers not to waste their lives in fruitless pursuits but to actively engage in activities that bring praise and honor to God.
Text
If as a flower doth spread and die,
Thou wouldst extend me to some good,
Before I were by frost's extremity
Nipt in the bud;
The sweetness and the praise were thine;
But the extension and the room,
Which in thy garland I should fill, were mine
At thy great doom.
For as thou dost impart thy grace,
The greater shall our glory be.
The measure of our joys is in this place,
The stuff with thee.
Let me not languish then, and spend
A life as barren to thy praise,
As is the dust, to which that life doth tend,
But with delays.
All things are busy; only I
Neither bring honey with the bees,
Nor flowers to make that, nor the husbandry
To water these.
I am no link of thy great chain,
But all my company is a weed.
Lord place me in thy consort; give one strain
To my poor reed.
Sermon Outline
- The Nature of God's Grace
- The Measure of Our Joys
- Our Responsibility to God
- We must not waste our lives
- We must be fruitful in our service to God
- We must be mindful of our place in God's plan
Key Quotes
“The measure of our joys is in this place, the stuff with thee.” — George Herbert
“For as thou dost impart thy grace, the greater shall our glory be.” — George Herbert
“I am no link of thy great chain, but all my company is a weed.” — George Herbert
Application Points
- We must be mindful of our place in God's plan and use our talents to serve Him.
- Our connection with God is the source of our glory and the measure of our joys.
- We must not waste our lives, but be fruitful in our service to God.