“I want you to understand that I have never preached opinions from this pulpit; it is not a question of opinion; I have absolutely no right to stand here and give you my opinion, for it is not worth any more than yours; we do not come to church to get opinions; I claim that I can back up every sermon I have preached, with the Word of God, and it is not my opinion nor yours, it is the eternal Word of God, and you will find it so on the Judgment day. I have nothing to take back, and I never will; God does not want me to.

Simon Peter Long (1860-1929)

…studied at Capital University and the Evangelical Lutheran Theological Seminary in Columbus and at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. He was a student of Matthias Loy. Rev. Long served as a pastor from 1886 to 1929, as President of Lima College from 1898-1903, and as Professor and President in the Chicago Lutheran Bible School. His sermons are among the treasures of the Church.

Book Contents

• Also Available from LutheranLibrary.org
• ◊ Rev. Simon Peter Long
• About The Lutheran Library
• Contents
• Preface.
• 1 Knowing The Time. Advent Sunday.
• 2 The Power Of The Holy Ghost. Second Sunday In Advent.
• 3 Old Babes. Third Sunday In Advent.
• 4 Precious Presents From Paul in Prison. Fourth Sunday In Advent.
• 5 The Wonder Of All Wonders. Christmas.
• 6 Looking Backward. Sunday After Christmas.
• 7 Looking Forward. New Year.
• 8 The Present Judgment. Sunday After New Year.
• 9 Three Hearts. Epiphany.
• 10 Thinking Sunday School Teachers. First Sunday After Epiphany.
• 11 Christians In Christ. Second Sunday After Epiphany.
• 12 The Conflict Of The Christian In Christ. Third Sunday After Epiphany.
• 13 A Double Debt. Fourth Sunday After Epiphany.
• 14 A Stranger in the Sanctuary. Fifth Sunday After Epiphany.
• 15 Peter’s Power. Sixth Sunday After Epiphany.
• 16 Paul’s Power. Septuagesima Sunday.
• 17 Paul’s Path. Sexagesima Sunday.
• 18 Paul’s Poem. Quinquagesima Sunday.
• 19 Paul’s Plea. First Sunday in Lent.
• 20 Know And Grow. Second Sunday In Lent.
• 21 Three Classes Of Children. Third Sunday In Lent.
• 22 An Allegory. Fourth Sunday In Lent.
• 23 The Spotless Sacrifice. Fifth Sunday In Lent.
• 24 God’s Mind. Palm Sunday.
• 25 Jesus’ Jewels. Confirmation Sermon.
• 26 The Serpent and the Savior. Good Friday.
• 27 The Lump Leavened. Easter Sunday.
• 28 What Would John Join? First Sunday After Easter.
• 29 The Shepherd and His Sheep. Second Sunday After Easter.
• 30 The Dearly Beloved. Third Sunday After Easter.
• 31 Do Not Err. Fourth Sunday After Easter.
• 32 Three Kinds Of Hearers And Two Kinds Of Religion. Fifth Sunday After - Easter.
• 33 What Would You Do Today If You Knew That Tomorrow You Would Be In Eternity? Sunday After Ascension.
• 34 What Meaneth This? Pentecost.
• 35 The Divine Deep. Trinity Sunday.
• 36 Who Is A Liar? First Sunday After Trinity.
• 37 May One Be Sure Of His Salvation? Second Sunday After Trinity.
• 38 The Mighty Hand Of God. Third Sunday After Trinity.
• 39 The Path To Glory. Fourth Sunday After Trinity.
• 40 An Article Of Agreement. Fifth Sunday After Trinity.
• 41 We Should Not Serve Sin. Sixth Sunday After Trinity.
• 42 The Manner Of Men. Seventh Sunday After Trinity.
• 43 The Spirit of Adoption. Eighth Sunday After Trinity.
• 44 Why So Many Fall. Ninth Sunday After Trinity.
• 45 Inexcusable Ignorance. Tenth Sunday After Trinity.
• 46 Born Out Of Due Time. Eleventh Sunday After Trinity.
• 47 Letters Of Recommendation. Twelfth Sunday After Trinity.
• 48 Who Hath Bewitched Us? Thirteenth Sunday After Trinity.
• 49 The Path Made Plain. Fourteenth Sunday After Trinity.
• 50 Practical Principles. Fifteenth Sunday After Trinity.
• 51 Paul’s Great Prayer. Sixteenth Sunday After Trinity.
• 52 The One Baptism. Seventeenth Sunday After Trinity.
• 53 How to Get Rich. Eighteenth Sunday After Trinity.
• 54 Where Are We? Nineteenth Sunday After Trinity.
• 55 Five Fools. Twentieth Sunday After Trinity.
• 56 The Battle Of Battles. Twenty-First Sunday After Trinity.
• 57 The First Foreign Missionary. Twenty-Second Sunday After Trinity.
• 58 Was Paul Popular? Twenty-Third Sunday After Trinity.
• 59 God Has Translated Us. Twenty-Fourth Sunday After Trinity.
• 60 President Theodore Roosevelt’s Proclamation. Thanksgiving Day.
• 61 Our Dear Dead. Memorial Day. Twenty-Fifth Sunday After Trinity.
• 62 The Word and the World. Twenty-Sixth Sunday After Trinity.
• 63 Ten Truths God Wants You To Know Perfectly. Twenty-Seventh Sunday - After Trinity.
• 64 Are Church Suppers Right?
• 65 The Greatest Reformation.
• About Simon Peter Long (1860-1929)
• Copyright Notice
• How Can You Find Peace With God?
• Benediction
• More than 100 good Christian Books To Download

Sometime

Sometime, when all life’s lessons have been learned,
 And sun and stars forevermore have set,
The things which our weak judgment here have spurned,
 The things o’er which we grieved with lashes wet.
Will flash before us, out of life’s dark night.
 As stars shine more in deeper tints of blue.
And we shall see how all God’s plans were right,
 And how what seemed reproof was love most true.

And we shall see how, while we frown and sigh,
 God’s plans go on as best for you and me;
How, when we called, He heeded not our cry,
 Because His wisdom to the end could see.
And even as prudent parents disallow
 Too much of sweet to craving babyhood.
So God, perhaps, is keeping from us now,
 Life’s sweetest things, because it seemeth good.

And if, sometimes, commingled with life’s wine.
 We find the wormwood and rebel and shrink.
Be sure a wiser hand than yours or mine.
 Pours out this potion for our lips to drink.
And if some friend we love is lying low,
 Where human kisses cannot reach his face,
Oh, do not blame the loving Father so,
 But wear your sorrow with obedient grace.

And you shall shortly know that lengthened breath
 Is not the sweetest gift God sends His friend.
And that sometimes the sable pall of death
 Conceals the fairest boon His love can send.
If we could push ajar the gates of life
 And stand within, and all God’s workings see,
We could interpret all this doubt and strife,
 And for each mystery would find a key.

But not today, then be content, poor heart!
 God’s plans, like lilies, pure and white unfold,
We must not tear the close shut leaves apart;
 Time will reveal the hidden cups of gold.
And if, through patient toil, we reach the land
 Where weary feet, with sandals loose, may rest,
Then we shall know and clearly understand –
 I think that we shall say, “Our God knew best!”

– By M. R. Smith.

Publication Information

• Lutheran Library edition first published: 2019
• Update: 2019-10-02 (v5)
• Copyright: CC BY 4.0