Wednesday, September 17, 2008



I have never read Joseph Hall, but he was described as - "Eminent among the best and holiest men that any age or country has produced...... In common with many others of the good and great, his religious and moral worth was the fruit, under God, of maternal piety and care."

So my interest was peaked, but, what say he of Christ? I read a variety of things but for devotional reading I limit that to those great divines that build us up in the holy faith in Christ. So I was eager to read my first of this 15th century preacher, here goes, from the second page of his sermon--

"Blessing, honor, glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb, for ever and ever." And ye, beloved, as ever ye hope to make music in heaven, learn t0 tune your harps to the note and ditty of those heavenly elders. Rejoice in this, and rejoice in nothing but this cross; not in transitory honors, titles, treasures, which will at the last leave you inconsolately sorrowful, but in this cross of Christ; whereby the world is crucified to you.....

See Him stretching out His arms to receive and embrace you; hanging down His head to take view of your misery; opening His precious side to receive you into his bosom; water to wash you, and blood to redeem you. O, all ye Nazarites that pass by, out of this dead lion seek and find the true honey of unspeakable and endless comfort! And ye great masters of Israel, whose lips profess to preserve knowledge, leave all curious and needless disquisitions, and with that divine and extatical doctor of the Gentiles, care only to know - to preach - "Christ and Him crucified."

I'll be adding him to my regular reading.

Photo by Chema Concellon

3 comments:

Unknown said...

O, all ye Nazarites that pass by, out of this dead lion seek and find the true honey of unspeakable and endless comfort!

That's great.

Mel said...

It's funny, that was one of the statements that struck me, too. :) I've heard it said that everything in the Old Testament points to Christ, so when I read the Old Testament, I ask God to open my eyes to see Christ in all of it. Yet never in all the times I had read the story of Sampson did I ever see the striking imagery of the dead lion as being the symbol of the Lion of Judah. And that is one of the reasons we need each other, yes? :) Because of how many times God answers our prayers through other people. Isn't He great!

FCB said...

I liked that as well, and I see in the entire quote his "maternal piety" coming through. A tender and loving approach to the love of God, also so Christ exhalting, love it.