"A Good Man in Every Respect"

"The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; 
and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil."

Matthew 12:35

"I have sometimes compared the great men of the world, and the good men of the world to the consonants and vowels in the alphabet. The consonants are the most and the biggest letters; they take up most room, and carry the greatest bulk; but, believe it, the vowels though they are the fewest and least of all the letters, yet they are most useful; they give the greatest sound of all; there is no pronunciation without vowels. O beloved, though the great men of the world take up room, and make a show above others, yet they are but consonants, a company of mute and dumb consonants for the most part; the good men they are the vowels that are of the greatest use and most concernment at every turn: a good man to help with his prayers; a good man to advise with his counsels; a good man to interpose with his authority; this is the loss we lament, we have lost a good man; death has blotted out a vowel; and I fear me there will be much silence where he is lacking; silence in the bed, and silence in the house, and silence in the shop, and silence in the church, and silence in the parish, for he was everywhere a vowel, a good man in every respect." John Kitchin, M.A., in a Funeral Sermon, 1660.


There was a time in our country when a good man was recognized by his faith in God. His character was shaped by His relationship to the Almighty. We esteemed such a man's humility, and commitment to God's word. Such a man believed the Ten Commandments were the basis for all good law. And such a man treated the Ten Commandments as commandments, not suggestions.  I fear America may now have far too many great men and far too few good men. May God raise up everywhere "a vowel, a good man in every respect."