The Henson Journals

[376]

3rd Sunday after Epiphany, January 21st, 1912.

~~'The more any one doth only notionally know in the matters of Religion, so as that the temper of his spirit remains altogether unsuitable & opposite to the design and tendency of the things known; the more he hath lying ready to come in judgment against him; & if therefore he count the things excellent which he knows, & only please himself with his own knowledge of them, 'tis but a like case as if a man should be much delighted to behold his own condemnation written in a fair & beautiful hand: or as if one should be pleased with the glittering of that sword which is directed against his own heart, & must be the present instrument of death to him: & so little pleasant is the case of such a person in itself, who thus satisfies his own curiosity with the concernments of eternal life & death, that any serious person would tremble on his behalf, at that wherein he takes pleasure, & apprehend just horror in that state of the case whence he draws matter of delight'~~

[v. John Howe 'A Treatise of delighting in God' p. 181, London. 1674.]

[377] [symbol]

Ralph preached at Mattins, a most admirable sermon on S. Paul. He said that Saul of Tarsus was evidently a town bred man: & shewed the fact by blundering when he used rustic metaphors e.g. in supposing that seed sown in the earth died, & that wild olives were grafted into good ones. His handling of the Conversion was strong & masterly.

Nash, the Prime Minister's Secretary, telegraphed to Barnett, suggesting that we shd send an announcement to the press stating that the absence of ceremony in unveiling the monument of Campbell–Bannerman was according to precedent. I wrote a brief note to that effect, & sent it to the 'Times'.

Pearce preached in St Margaret's at Mattins, & afterwards lunched here.

I preached in the Abbey at 3 p.m. My subject was the Miracles of the Gospel: & I spoke very openly as to the incredibleness of the "nature–miracles", and the religious unimportance of all miracles.

Herbert Nicholson, my God–son, came from Barking to see me. He lunched here, & then returned home. He is 16 this week, small for his age, & with no definite scheme of work before him.

Watts–Ditchfield preached in the Abbey at 7 p.m. & afterwards joined us at supper. He is not a great preacher.

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