Out of Pious Duties!
The sermon highlights the contrast between being engaged in pious duties and being out of them, emphasizing the importance of spiritual vitality and holiness.
Thomas Brooks emphasizes the stark contrast between the fervor displayed in pious duties and the coldness that often follows when individuals step away from these practices. He points out that many appear vibrant and spiritual while engaged in religious activities, yet become lifeless and worldly outside of them. This inconsistency suggests a lack of true holiness or only a minimal attainment of it. Brooks calls for a deeper, more genuine spirituality that transcends mere duty and reflects a true relationship with God.
Text
Ah, how lively, how warm, how enlarged, how holy, how humble, how heavenly, how spiritual, how serious, how zealous, how pious, how gracious are many--in pious duties; but ah! how dead, how cold, how straitened, how unholy, how proud, how worldly, how carnal, how slight, and how irreligious are they out of pious duties! Now, certainly, these have either no holiness at all--or else they have attained to but a very little measure of holiness.
Sermon Outline
- The Contrast Between Pious Duties and Out of Pious Duties
- The Nature of Pious Duties
- The Consequence of Being Out of Pious Duties
- Lack of holiness
- A very little measure of holiness
Key Quotes
“Ah, how lively, how warm, how enlarged, how holy, how humble, how heavenly, how spiritual, how serious, how zealous, how pious, how gracious are many--in pious duties;” — Thomas Brooks
“But ah! how dead, how cold, how straitened, how unholy, how proud, how worldly, how carnal, how slight, and how irreligious are they out of pious duties!” — Thomas Brooks
Application Points
- We must strive to maintain a lively and warm spirit in our pious duties.
- Lacking spiritual vitality can lead to a lack of holiness and a cold, dead spirit.
- True holiness comes from engaging in pious duties with a humble and heavenly mindset.