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042 - Christian Perfection Part 2 · Sermons on Several Occasions, First Series

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Speaker 1: Section forty one of Sermons on Several Occasions First Series.
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Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
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Speaker 1: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please
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Speaker 1: visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by Robert Smith. Sermons on
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Speaker 1: Several Occasions, First Series by John Wesley. Christian Perfection, Part two.
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Speaker 1: Those who have duly considered these things must allow that
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Speaker 1: the privileges of Christians are in no wise to be
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Speaker 1: measured by what the Old Testament records concerning those who
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Speaker 1: are under the Jewish dispensation. Seeing the fullness of times
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Speaker 1: is now come, the Holy Ghost is now given, the
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Speaker 1: great Salvation of God is brought unto men by the
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Speaker 1: revelation of Jesus Christ. The Kingdom of Heaven is now
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Speaker 1: set up on earth, concerning which the Spirit of God
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Speaker 1: declared of old. So far as David from being the
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Speaker 1: pattern or standard of Christian perfection, he that is feeble
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Speaker 1: among them at that day shall be as David, and
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Speaker 1: the House of David shall be as God, as the
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Speaker 1: Angel of the Lord before them Sechariah twelve eight. If
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Speaker 1: therefore you would prove that the Apostle's words, he that
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Speaker 1: is born of God. Sinneth not are not to be
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Speaker 1: understood according to their plain, natural, obvious meaning. It is
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Speaker 1: from the New Testament you are to bring your proofs,
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Speaker 1: else you will fight as one that beateth the air.
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Speaker 1: And the first of these, which is usually brought, is
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Speaker 1: taken from the examples recorded in the New Testament. The
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Speaker 1: Apostles themselves, it is said, committed sin, nay, the greatest
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Speaker 1: of them, Peter and Paul, Saint Paul by a sharp
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Speaker 1: contention with Barnabas, and Saint Peter by his dissimulation at Antioch. Well,
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Speaker 1: suppose both Peter and Paul did then commit sin? What
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Speaker 1: is it you would infer from hence that all the
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Speaker 1: other Apostles committed sin? Sometimes there is no shadow of
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Speaker 1: proof in this. Or would you thence infer that all
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Speaker 1: the other Christians of the Apostolic age committed sin worse
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Speaker 1: and worse? This is such an inference as one would
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Speaker 1: imagine a man in his senses could never have thought of.
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Speaker 1: Or will you argue thus, if two of the Apostles
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Speaker 1: did once commit sin, then all other Christians in all
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Speaker 1: ages do and will commit sin as long as they live.
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Speaker 1: Alas my brother is a child of common understanding would
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Speaker 1: be ashamed of such reasoning as this. Least of all,
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Speaker 1: can you, with any color of argument, infer that any
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Speaker 1: man must commit sin at all? No God forbid we
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Speaker 1: should thus speak. No necessity of sinning was laid upon them.
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Speaker 1: The grace of God was surely sufficient for them, and
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Speaker 1: it is sufficient for us at this day. With the
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Speaker 1: temptation which fell on them, there was a way to escape,
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Speaker 1: as there is to every soul of man in every temptation,
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Speaker 1: so that whosoever is tempted to any sin need not yield.
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Speaker 1: For no man is tempted above that he is able
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Speaker 1: to bear. But Saint Paul besought the Lord thrice, and
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Speaker 1: yet he could not escape from his temptation. Let us
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Speaker 1: consider his own words literally translated. There was given to
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Speaker 1: me a thorn to the flesh, an angel or messenger
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Speaker 1: of Satan, to buffet me. Touching this, I besought the
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Speaker 1: Lord thrice that it or he might depart from me.
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Speaker 1: And he said, unto me, my grace is sufficient for thee,
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Speaker 1: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly.
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Speaker 1: Therefore will I rather glory in these my weaknesses, that
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Speaker 1: the strength of Christ may rest upon me Therefore I
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Speaker 1: take pleasure in weaknesses, for when I am weak, then
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Speaker 1: am I strong. As this scripture is one of the
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Speaker 1: strongholds the patrons of sin, may be proper to weigh
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Speaker 1: it thoroughly. Let it be observed. Then, first, does by
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Speaker 1: no means appear that this thorn, whatsoever it was, occasioned
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Speaker 1: Saint Paul to commits sin, much less laid him under
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Speaker 1: any necessity of doing so. Therefore, from hence it can
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Speaker 1: never be proved that any Christian must commit sin. Secondly,
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Speaker 1: the ancient Father's inform us, it was bodily pain, a
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Speaker 1: violent headache saith Rtullian, the putic to which both Chrysostom
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Speaker 1: and Saint Jerome agree. Saint Cyprian expresses it a little
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Speaker 1: more generally in those terms many ingrievous torments of the
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Speaker 1: flesh and of the body. Thirdly, to this exactly agreed
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Speaker 1: the Apostle's own words, a thorn to the flesh to smite, beat,
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Speaker 1: or buffet me. My strength is made perfect in weakness,
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Speaker 1: which same word occurs no less than four times than
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Speaker 1: these two verses only. But fourthly, whatsoever it was, it
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Speaker 1: could not be either inward or outward sin. It could
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Speaker 1: no more be inward stirrings than outward expressions of pride, anger,
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Speaker 1: or lust. This is manifest beyond all possible exception from
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Speaker 1: the words that immediately follow. Most gladly, will I glory
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Speaker 1: in these my weaknesses, that the strength of Christ may
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Speaker 1: rest upon me? What did he glory in? Pride? In anger?
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Speaker 1: In lust? Was it through these weaknesses that the strength
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Speaker 1: of Christ rested upon him? He goes on? Therefore I
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Speaker 1: take pleasure in weaknesses, For when I am weak, then
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Speaker 1: am I strong? That is, when I am weak in body,
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Speaker 1: than am I strong in spirit? But will any man
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Speaker 1: dare to say, when I am weak by pride or life,
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Speaker 1: then am I strong in spirit? I call you all
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Speaker 1: to record this day, who find the strength of Christ
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Speaker 1: resting upon you? Can you glory in anger, or pride
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Speaker 1: or lust? Can you take pleasure in these infirmities? Do
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Speaker 1: these weaknesses make you strong? Would you not leap into hell?
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Speaker 1: Were it possible to escape them even by yourselves? Then
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Speaker 1: judge whether the apostle could glory and take pleasure in them.
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Speaker 1: Let it be lastly observe that this thorn was given
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Speaker 1: to Saint Paul above fourteen years before he wrote this epistle,
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Speaker 1: which itself was wrote several years before he finished his course,
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Speaker 1: so that he had, after this a long course to run,
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Speaker 1: many battles, to fight, many victories to gain, and great
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Speaker 1: increase to receive in all the gifts of God and
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Speaker 1: the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Therefore from any spiritual weakness,
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Speaker 1: if such it had had been, which he at that
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Speaker 1: time felt, we could by no means infer that he
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Speaker 1: was never made strong, that Paul the aged, the Father
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Speaker 1: in Christ, still labored under the same weaknesses, that he
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Speaker 1: was in no higher state till the day of his death.
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Speaker 1: From all which it appears that this instance of Saint
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Speaker 1: Paul is quite foreign to the question, and does, in
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Speaker 1: know why clash with the assertion of Saint John, he
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Speaker 1: that is born of God sinneth not, But does not
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Speaker 1: Saint James directly contradict this. His words are in many
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Speaker 1: things we offend all James three two, and is not
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Speaker 1: offending the same as committing sin in this place I
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Speaker 1: allow it is I allow the persons here spoken of
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Speaker 1: did commit sin? Yea that they all committed many sins.
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Speaker 1: But who are the persons here spoken of? Why? Those
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Speaker 1: many masters are teachers whom God had not probably the
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Speaker 1: same vain men who taught that faith of that works
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Speaker 1: which is so sharply approved in the preceding chapter, not
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Speaker 1: the Apostle himself, nor any real Christian, that in the
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Speaker 1: word we used by a figure of speech common in
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Speaker 1: all other as well as the inspired writings, the Apostle
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Speaker 1: could not possibly include himself or any other true believer,
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Speaker 1: appears evidently first in the same word in the ninth verse,
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Speaker 1: therewith saith he bless we God, and therewith curse we men.
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Speaker 1: Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing true,
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Speaker 1: but not out of the mouth of the Apostle, nor
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Speaker 1: of any one who is in Christ a new creature. Secondly,
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Speaker 1: from the verse immediately preceding the text and manifestly connected
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Speaker 1: with it, My brethren, be not many masters or teachers,
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Speaker 1: knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation, For in
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Speaker 1: many things we offend all we who not the apostles,
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Speaker 1: not true believe vers, but they who know they should
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Speaker 1: receive the greater condemnation because of those many offenses. But
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Speaker 1: this could not be spoke of the Apostle himself, or
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Speaker 1: any who trod in his steps seeing there is no
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Speaker 1: condemnation to them who walk not after the flesh, but
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Speaker 1: after the spirit. Nay, Thirdly, the very verse itself proves
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Speaker 1: that we offend all cannot be spoken either of all
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Speaker 1: men or of all Christians, for in it there immediately
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Speaker 1: follows the mention of a man who offends not as
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Speaker 1: the first we first mentioned did, from whom therefore he
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Speaker 1: is professedly contradistinguished and pronounced a perfect man. So clearly
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Speaker 1: does Saint James explain himself and fix the meaning of
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Speaker 1: his own words. Yea, lest anyone should still remain in doubt.
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Speaker 1: Saint John, writing many years after Saint James, puts the
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Speaker 1: matter entirely out of dispute by the express declaration above recited.
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Speaker 1: But here fresh difficulty may arise. How shall we reconcile
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Speaker 1: Saint John with himself. In one place, he declares, whosoever
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Speaker 1: is born of God doth not commit sin? And again
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Speaker 1: we know that he which is born of God sinneth not.
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Speaker 1: Then yet in another he saith, if we say that
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Speaker 1: we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth
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Speaker 1: is not in us. And again if we say that
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Speaker 1: we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and
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Speaker 1: his word is not in us. As great a difficulty
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Speaker 1: as this may at first appear, it vanishes away if
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Speaker 1: we observe first that the tenth verse fixes the sense
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Speaker 1: of the eighth if we say we have no sin
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Speaker 1: in the former being explained by if we say we
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Speaker 1: have not sinned in the latter verse. Secondly, that the
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Speaker 1: point under present consideration is not whether we have or
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Speaker 1: have not sinned. Heretofore, and neither of these verses asserts
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Speaker 1: that we do sin or commit sin. Now. Thirdly, that
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Speaker 1: the ninth verse explains both the eighth and the tenth.
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Speaker 1: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just
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Speaker 1: to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from
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Speaker 1: all unrighteousness, as if he had said, I have before
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Speaker 1: affirmed the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin.
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Speaker 1: But let no man say I need it, not I
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Speaker 1: have no sin to be cleansed from. If we say
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Speaker 1: that we have no sin, that we have not sinned,
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Speaker 1: we deceive ourselves and make God a liar. But if
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Speaker 1: we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, not
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Speaker 1: only to forgive our sins, but also to cleanse us
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Speaker 1: from all unrighteousness, that we may go and sin no more.
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Speaker 1: Saint John therefore is well consistent with himself as well
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Speaker 1: as with the other holy writers, as will yet more
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Speaker 1: evidently appear if we place all his assertions touching this
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Speaker 1: matter in one view. He declares, first, the blood of
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Speaker 1: Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin. Secondly, no man
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Speaker 1: can say I have not sinned, I have no sin
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Speaker 1: to be cleansed from. Thirdly, but God is ready both
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Speaker 1: to forgive our past sins and to save us from
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Speaker 1: them for the time to come. Fourthly, these things I
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Speaker 1: write unto you, sayth the Apostle that ye may not sin.
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Speaker 1: But if any man should sin or have sinned, as
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Speaker 1: the word might be rendered, he need not continue in sin,
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Speaker 1: seeing we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ
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Speaker 1: the Righteous. Thus far all is clear. But lest any
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Speaker 1: doubt should remain in a point of so vast importance,
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Speaker 1: the Apostle resumes this subject in the third chapter and
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Speaker 1: largely explains his own meaning. Little children saith, he let
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Speaker 1: no man deceive you, as though I had given any
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Speaker 1: encouragement to those that continue in sin. He that doeth
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Speaker 1: righteousness is righteous. Even as he is righteous. He that
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Speaker 1: committeth sin is of the devil, for the devil sinneth.
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Speaker 1: From the beginning. For this purpose, the Son of God
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Speaker 1: was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil.
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Speaker 1: Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin, for
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Speaker 1: his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sin because
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Speaker 1: he is born of God. In this the children of
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Speaker 1: God are manifest and the children of the devil. Here
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Speaker 1: the point which till then might possibly have admitted of
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Speaker 1: some doubt in weak minds, is purposely settled by the
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Speaker 1: last of the inspired writers, and decided in the clearest
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Speaker 1: manner in conformity. Therefore, both to the doctrine of Saint
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Speaker 1: John and the whole tenor of the New Testament, we
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Speaker 1: fix this conclusion. A Christian is so far perfect as
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Speaker 1: not to commit sin. This is the glorious privilege of
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Speaker 1: every Christian, yea, though he be but a babe in Christ.
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Speaker 1: But it is only of those who are strong in
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Speaker 1: the Lord and have overcome the wicked one, or rather
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Speaker 1: of those who have known Him, that is from the beginning,
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Speaker 1: that it can be affirmed they are in such a
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Speaker 1: sense perfect as secondly to be freed from evil thoughts
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Speaker 1: and evil tempers first from evil or sinful thoughts. But
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Speaker 1: here let it be observed that thoughts concerning evil are
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Speaker 1: not always evil thoughts, than a thought concerning sin and
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Speaker 1: a sinful thought are widely different. A man, for instance,
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Speaker 1: may think of a murder which another has committed, and
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Speaker 1: yet this is no evil or sinful thought. So our
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Speaker 1: blessed Lord himself doubtless thought of or understood the thing
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Speaker 1: spoken by the devil when he said, all these things
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Speaker 1: will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and
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Speaker 1: worship me. Yet had he no evil or sinful thought,
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Speaker 1: nor indeed was capable of having any. And even hence
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Speaker 1: it follows that neither have real Christians. For every one
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Speaker 1: that is perfect is as his master Luke six forty. Therefore,
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Speaker 1: if he was free from evil or sinful thoughts, so
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Speaker 1: are they likewise. And indeed, whence should evil thoughts proceed
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Speaker 1: in the servant who is as his master, out to
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Speaker 1: the heart of man, if at all proceede evil thoughts
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Speaker 1: Mark seven twenty one. If therefore his heart be no
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Speaker 1: longer evil, then evil thoughts can no longer proceed out
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Speaker 1: of it. If the tree were corrupt, so would be
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Speaker 1: the fruit. But the tree is good. The fruit therefore
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Speaker 1: is good. Also Matthew twenty two thirty three. Our Lord
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Speaker 1: himself witness every good tree bringeth forth good fruit. A
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Speaker 1: good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, as a corrupt
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Speaker 1: tree cannot bring forth good fruit. Matthew seven seventeen and eighteen.
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Speaker 1: The same happly privilege of real Christians. Saint Paul asserts
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Speaker 1: from his own experience, the weapons of our warfare, Saithy,
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Speaker 1: are not carnal, but mighty through God, to the pulling
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Speaker 1: down of strongholds, casting down imaginations or reasonings. Rather, for
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Speaker 1: so the word legimus signifies all the reasonings of pride
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Speaker 1: and unbelief against the declarations, promises or gifts of God,
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Speaker 1: and every high thing that exalted itself, against the knowledge
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Speaker 1: of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the
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Speaker 1: obedience of Christ second Corinthians ten four. And as Christians
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Speaker 1: indeed are freed from evil thoughts, so are they secondly
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Speaker 1: from evil tempers. This is evident from the above mentioned
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Speaker 1: declaration of our Lord himself. The disciple is not above
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Speaker 1: his master, but every one that is perfect shall be
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Speaker 1: as his master. He had been delivering just before some
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Speaker 1: of the sublimest doctrines of Christianity, and some of the
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Speaker 1: most grievous to flesh and blood. I say, unto you,
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Speaker 1: love your enemies, do good to them which hate you.
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Speaker 1: And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek,
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Speaker 1: offer also the other. Now these he well knew the
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Speaker 1: world would not receive. And therefore immediately adds can the
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Speaker 1: blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into
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Speaker 1: the ditch? As if he had said, do not confer
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Speaker 1: with flesh and blood, touching these things with men void
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Speaker 1: of spiritual discernment, the eyes of whose understanding God hath
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Speaker 1: naught opened, lest they and you perish together. In the
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Speaker 1: next verse, he removes the two grand objections with which
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Speaker 1: these wise fools meet us at every turn. These things
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Speaker 1: are too grievous to be born, or they are too
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Speaker 1: high to be obtained, saying, the disciple is not above
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Speaker 1: his master. Therefore, if I have suffered, be content to
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Speaker 1: tread in my steps, and doubt ye not, then but
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Speaker 1: I will fulfill my word. For every one that is
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Speaker 1: perfect shall be as his master. But his master was
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Speaker 1: free from all sinful tempers. So therefore is his disciple
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Speaker 1: even every real Christian. Every one of these can say,
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Speaker 1: with Saint Paul, I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless I
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Speaker 1: live yet not I, but Christ liveth in me words
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Speaker 1: that manifestly describe a deliverance from inward as well as
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Speaker 1: from outward sin. This is expressed both negatively, I live
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Speaker 1: not my evil nature. The body of sin is destroyed,
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Speaker 1: and positively Christ liveth in me. And therefore all that
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Speaker 1: is holy and just and good. Indeed, both these Christ
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Speaker 1: liveth in me and I live not are inseparably connected.
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Speaker 1: For what communion hath Light with darkness? Or Christ with belile?
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Speaker 1: He therefore, who liveth in true believers hath purified their
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Speaker 1: hearts by faith, insomuch that every one that hath Christ
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Speaker 1: in him the hope of glory, purifieth himself, even as
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Speaker 1: he is pure First John three three. He is purified
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Speaker 1: from pride, for Christ was lowly of heart. He is
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Speaker 1: pure from self will or desire. For Christ desired only
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Speaker 1: to do the will of his father and to finish
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Speaker 1: his work. And he is pure from anger in the
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Speaker 1: common sense of the word. For Christ was meek and gentle,
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Speaker 1: patient and long suffering. I say, in the common sense
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Speaker 1: of the word for all, anger is not evil. We
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Speaker 1: read of our Lord himself Marks three five, that he
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Speaker 1: once looked round with anger, But with what kind of anger?
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Speaker 1: The next word shows Silai poor Menos, being at the
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Speaker 1: same time grieved for the hardness of their hearts. So
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Speaker 1: then he was angry at the sin, and in the
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Speaker 1: same moment grieved for the sinners, angry or displease at
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Speaker 1: the offense, but sorry for the offenders. With anger, yea hatred.
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Speaker 1: He looked upon the thing with grief and love upon
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Speaker 1: the persons. Go thou that art perfect, and do likewise
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Speaker 1: be thus angry, and thou sinnest, not feeling a displacency
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Speaker 1: at every offense against God, but only love and tender
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Speaker 1: compassion to the offender. Thus does Jesus save his people
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Speaker 1: from their sins, and not only from outward sins, but
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Speaker 1: also from the sins of their hearts, from evil thoughts
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Speaker 1: and from evil tempers. True, say some, we shall thus
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Speaker 1: be saved from our sins, but not till death, not
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Speaker 1: in this world. But how are we to reconcile this
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Speaker 1: with the express words of Saint John. Herein is our
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Speaker 1: love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the
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Speaker 1: day of judgment, because as he is, so are we
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Speaker 1: in this world. The Apostle here, beyond all contradictions, speaks
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Speaker 1: of himself and other living Christians, of whom, as though
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Speaker 1: he had foreseen this very evasion and set himself to
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Speaker 1: overturn it from the foundation. He flatly affirms that not
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Speaker 1: only at or after death, but in this world they
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Speaker 1: are as their master First John for seventeen. Exactly agreeable
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Speaker 1: to this are his words in the first chapter of
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Speaker 1: this epistle, First John one five. God is light, and
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Speaker 1: in him is no darkness at all. If we walk
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Speaker 1: in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and
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Speaker 1: the blood of Jesus Christ, his son, cleanseth us from
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Speaker 1: all sin. And again, if we confess our sins, he
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Speaker 1: is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and
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Speaker 1: to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Now it is evident
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Speaker 1: the Apostle here also speaks of a deliverance wrought in
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Speaker 1: this world. For he saith not the blood of Christ
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Speaker 1: will cleanse at the hour of death or in the
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Speaker 1: day of judgment, but it cleanseth at the time present
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Speaker 1: us living Christians from all sin. And it is equally
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Speaker 1: evident that if any sin remain, we are not cleansed
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Speaker 1: from all sin. If any unrighteousness remain in the soul,
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Speaker 1: it is not cleansed from all unrighteousness. I have let
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Speaker 1: any sinner against his own soul say that this relates
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Speaker 1: to justification only, or the cleansing us from the guilt
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Speaker 1: of sin. First, because this is confounded, and together with
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Speaker 1: the Apostle cleared distinguishes who mentions first to forgive us
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Speaker 1: our sins and then to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Secondly,
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Speaker 1: because this is asserting justification by works, and the strongest
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Speaker 1: sense possible is making all inward as will as outward
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Speaker 1: holiness necessarily previous to justification. For if the cleansing here
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Speaker 1: spoken of is no other than the cleansing us from
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Speaker 1: the guilt of sin, then we are not cleansed from guilt.
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Speaker 1: That his are not justified, unless on condition of walking
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Speaker 1: in the light as he is in the light. It
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Speaker 1: remains then that Christians are saved in this world from
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Speaker 1: all sin, from all unrighteousness, that they are now in
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Speaker 1: such a sense perfect as not to commit sin, and
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Speaker 1: to be freed from evil thoughts and evil tempers. Thus
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Speaker 1: hath the Lord fulfill the things he spake by his
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Speaker 1: holy prophets, which have been since the world began, by Moses,
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Speaker 1: in particular, saying Deuteronomy thirty six, I will circumcise thine
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Speaker 1: heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord,
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Speaker 1: thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,
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Speaker 1: by David crying out, create in me a clean heart
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Speaker 1: and renew a right spirit within me. And most remarkably,
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Speaker 1: by Ezekiel in those words, then will I sprinkle clean
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Speaker 1: water upon you, and ye shall be clean from all
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Speaker 1: your filthiness, and from all your idols. Will I cleanse
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Speaker 1: you a new heart. Also will I give you and
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Speaker 1: a new spirit. Will I put within you and cause
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Speaker 1: you to walk in my statutes? And ye shall keep
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Speaker 1: my judgments and do them. Ye shall be my people,
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Speaker 1: and I will be your God. I will also save
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Speaker 1: you from all your uncleannesses. Thus saith the Lord your God.
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Speaker 1: And the day that I shall have cleansed you from
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Speaker 1: all your iniquities, the heathen shall know that I the
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Speaker 1: Lord build the ruined places. I the Lord have spoken it,
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Speaker 1: and I will do it. Ezekiel thirty six twenty five.
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Speaker 1: Having therefore these promises, Dearly Beloved, both in the law
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Speaker 1: and in the prophets, and having the prophetic word confirmed
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Speaker 1: unto us in the Gospel by our blessed Lord and
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Speaker 1: his apostles. Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of
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Speaker 1: flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
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Speaker 1: Let us fear lest so many promises being made us
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Speaker 1: of entering into His rest, which he that hath entered
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Speaker 1: into has ceased from his own works, any of us
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Speaker 1: should come short of it. This one thing, let us
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Speaker 1: do forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth
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Speaker 1: unto those things which are before. Let us press toward
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Speaker 1: the mark for the prize the high calling of God
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Speaker 1: in Christ Jesus, crying to him day and night, till
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Speaker 1: we also are delivered from the bondage of corruption into
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Speaker 1: the glorious liberty of the sons of God. The promise
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Speaker 1: of sanctification Ezekiel thirty six twenty five by the Reverend
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Speaker 1: Charles Wesley, God of all power and truth and grace,
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Speaker 1: which shall from age to age endure, whose word, when
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Speaker 1: heaven and earth shall pass, remains and stands forever sure
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Speaker 1: calmly to thee my soul looks up and waits Thy
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Speaker 1: promises to prove the object of my steadfast hope, the
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Speaker 1: seal of Thine eternal love, that I thy mercy may
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Speaker 1: proclaim that all mankind thy truth may see. Hallow thy
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Speaker 1: great and glorious name and perfect holiness in me. Choose
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Speaker 1: from the world. If now I stand adorned in righteousness,
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Speaker 1: Divine have brought under the promised land I justly call
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Speaker 1: the Savior mine. Perform the work Thou hast begun my
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Speaker 1: inmost soul to thee. Convert love me for ever, love
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Speaker 1: thine own, and sprinkle with thy blood my heart, Thy
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Speaker 1: sanctifying spirit poor to quench my thirst and wash me clean. Now, Father,
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Speaker 1: let the gracious shower descend and make me pure from sin.
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Speaker 1: Purge me from every sinful blot, my idols all be
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Speaker 1: cast aside. Cleanse me from every evil thought, from all
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Speaker 1: the filth of self and pride. Give me a new,
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Speaker 1: a perfect heart, from doubt and fear and sorrow. Free
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Speaker 1: the mind which was in Christ impart. And let my
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Speaker 1: spirit cleave to THEE. Oh, take this heart of stone
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Speaker 1: away thy rule. It doth not cannot own and me
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Speaker 1: no longer Let it stay. O take the way, this
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Speaker 1: heart of stone, the hatred of my carnal mind out
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Speaker 1: of my flesh at once remove, Give me a tender heart,
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Speaker 1: resign'd and pure and fill'd with faith and love within
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Speaker 1: me Thy good spirit, place, spirit of health and love
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Speaker 1: and power. Plant in me thy victorious grace, and sin
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Speaker 1: shall never enter more. Cause me to walk in Christ
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Speaker 1: my way, And I thy statute shall fulfill in every
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Speaker 1: point thy law obey, then perfectly perform Thy will. Hast
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Speaker 1: thou not said, who canst not lie? That I thy
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Speaker 1: law shall keep and do? Lord? I believe, though men deny,
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Speaker 1: they all are false. But Thou art true, O that
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Speaker 1: I now from sin released thy word might to the
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Speaker 1: utmost prove enter and the promised rest the canaan of
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Speaker 1: Thy perfect love. There. Let me ever ever dwell by Thou,
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Speaker 1: my God, and I will be thy servant. O set
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Speaker 1: to thy seal. Give me eternal life in THEE from
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Speaker 1: all remaining filth within. Let me in THEE salvation have
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Speaker 1: from actual and from inbred sin. My ransom soul persists
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Speaker 1: to save. Wash out my old original stain. Tell me
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Speaker 1: no more. It cannot be demons or men. The lamb
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Speaker 1: was slain, his blood was all poured out for me.
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Speaker 1: Sprinklet YESU on my heart. One drop of thy all
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Speaker 1: cleansing blood shall make my sinfulness depart and fill me
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Speaker 1: with the life of God Father. Supply my every needs
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Speaker 1: to stain the life thyself hast given. Call for the corn,
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Speaker 1: the living bread, the manner that comes down from Heaven,
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Speaker 1: the gracious fruits of righteousness, Thy blessings unexhausted or in
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Speaker 1: me abundantly increase. Nor let me ever hunger more. Let
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Speaker 1: me no more in deep complaint my leanness. All my
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Speaker 1: leanness cry alone, consumed with pining want of all my
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Speaker 1: father's children. Aye, the painful thirst, the fond desire, Thy
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Speaker 1: joyous presence shall remove, while my full soul doth still
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Speaker 1: require Thy whole eternity of love, wholly and true and righteous. Lord.
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Speaker 1: I wait to prove thy perfect will. Be mindful thy
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Speaker 1: gracious word, and stamp me with thy spirit, seal thy
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Speaker 1: faithful mercies. Let me find and wish Thou causest me
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Speaker 1: to trust. Give me the meek and lowly mind, and
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Speaker 1: lay my spirit in the dust. Show me how foul
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Speaker 1: my heart hath been, when all renewed by grace I am,
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Speaker 1: when thou hast emptied me of sin. Show me the
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Speaker 1: fullness of my shame, open my faith interior eye, display
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Speaker 1: thy glory from above, and all I am shall sink
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Speaker 1: and die lost in astonishment and love confound. O e'er
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Speaker 1: power me with thy grace, I would be by myself abhorred.
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Speaker 1: All might, all majesty, all praise, all glory be to Christ,
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Speaker 1: my Lord. Now let me gain perfection's height. Now let
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Speaker 1: me into nothing fall, be less than nothing in thy sight,
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Speaker 1: and feel that Christ is all in all. End of
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Speaker 1: section forty one, recording by Robert Smith