FIFTY-EIGHTH SERMON.
ON THE DECEITFULNESS OF THE HOPE OF HEAVEN THAT IS FOUNDED ON CERTAIN PIOUS PRACTICES.
Subject.
To neglect the observance of one single commandment of God, and to depend for one’s salvation on any works of devotion and piety is a false and deceitful hope.—Preached on Trinity Sunday.
Text.
Docentes eos servare omnia quæcunquæ mandavi vobis.—Matt. xxviii. 20.
“Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.”
Introduction.
There we have again the real foundation and true basis of our hopes of heaven. “All power is given to Me in heaven and in earth,” says Our Lord to His disciples; as if He wished to say, I am able to bring all men to heaven. My will and desire is that all should be saved; but this will is not enough to ensure the salvation of all; he who wishes to go to heaven must contribute his share to that effect. “Going therefore teach ye all nations.” He who wishes to go to heaven must belong to the true faith; but faith alone in Me is not enough to secure salvation. He who desires to be saved must be baptized: “Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” But even this will not suffice: “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.” He who desires heaven must keep My commandments, and indeed all of them. Truly then, my dear brethren, false and deceitful is the hope of those Christians who desire and hope to gain heaven, but do not earnestly strive to keep all the commandments with constancy, as we have seen on the last occasion. Now there are many—how shall I call them? simple-minded or superstitious?—who found their hopes of heaven partly on different pious practices that they are wont to perform, partly on some attempts at self-justification with which they try to excuse their sins. That these may not find out their mistake too late I now say to them:
