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The Kingdom of God and the Whole Duty of a Man

“The more still we are the more we will hear and we will see.”

“Then out spake brave Horatius,
The Captain of the Gate:
To every man upon this earth
Death cometh soon or late.
And how can man die better
Than facing fearful odds,
For the ashes of his fathers,
And the temples of his gods.”
― Thomas Babington Macaulay, Lays of Ancient Rome

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  • Kurt December 28, 2020, 3:33 PM

    I had never heard of John Butler before today, but I was deeply moved and greatly comforted by his words. As for brave Horatius, I only pray that we may each acquit ourselves as well as he did in our day of trial. Lord, have mercy on our dear country! Turn our hearts back to Thee while there is still time…

  • julie December 28, 2020, 3:53 PM

    Amen, Kurt.

  • Casey Klahn December 28, 2020, 5:10 PM

    I’ll be needing some Christ with that Christianity. Just a thought.

  • Vanderleun December 28, 2020, 8:19 PM

    I take your point, Casey.

  • Kurt December 28, 2020, 8:53 PM

    Truth, Beauty and Good flow only from God. There is no other source from which they can be found. When I am blessed with any of those gifts I embrace them with a thankful heart, for I know the source. I do not judge the giver, only the gift. God alone is Judge, Righteous and True. Respectfully submitted.

  • John Venlet December 29, 2020, 8:02 AM

    I’ll be needing some Christ with that Christianity.

    Casey, I have to agree with you. While Butler’s words seem to give the appearance of a deeply religious individual in the Christian (follower of the teachings of Jesus Christ) sense, and those words are uplifting, I think they are somewhat illusory. Francis Shaeffer discussed this in his book The God Who Is There, where he notes that the connotation of words is the second part of their dictionary definition. Butler, at least in my opinion, hits all the correct Christian connotations with his words, but many of his words are deliberately undefined and thus we are lulled into ‘thinking’ we know what he means, and that he is speaking about God Incarnate, which I am uncertain that is the case.

  • EX-Californian Pete December 31, 2020, 10:08 AM

    Gerard- as usual, very inspiring and timely.

    Kurt- VERY well said. I wish all people would read and live by those words.