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23 - Upon our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount, Discourse III - Sermons on Several Occasions · Philosophy and Faith

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Speaker 1: Upon our Lord's Sermon on the Mount Discourse three. Blessed
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Speaker 1: are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
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Speaker 1: Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the
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Speaker 1: children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for
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Speaker 1: righteousness sake, For theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. Blessed
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Speaker 1: are ye. When men shall revile you and persecute you,
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Speaker 1: and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely
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Speaker 1: for my sake, rejoice and be exceeding glad, For great
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Speaker 1: is your reward in heaven. For so persecuted they the
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Speaker 1: prophets which were before you. Matthew Chapter five, verses eight
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Speaker 1: to twelve. How excellent things are spoken of the love
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Speaker 1: of our neighbor. It is the fulfilling of the law,
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Speaker 1: the end of the commandment. Without this, all we have,
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Speaker 1: all we do, all we suffer, is of no value
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Speaker 1: in the sight of God. But it is that love
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Speaker 1: of our neighbor which springs from the love of God,
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Speaker 1: otherwise itself is nothing worth. It behooves us therefore, to
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Speaker 1: examine well upon what foundation our love of our neighbor stands,
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Speaker 1: whether it is really built upon the love of God,
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Speaker 1: whether we do love Him because He first loved us.
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Speaker 1: Whether we are pure in heart, for this is the
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Speaker 1: foundation which shall never be moved. Blessed are the pure
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Speaker 1: in heart, for they shall see God. The pure in
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Speaker 1: heart are they whose hearts God hath purified, even as
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Speaker 1: He is pure. Who are purified through faith in the
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Speaker 1: blood of Jesus from every unholy affection, who being cleansed
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Speaker 1: from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, perfect holiness in
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Speaker 1: the loving fear of God. They are, through the power
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Speaker 1: of His grace, purified from pride, by the deepest poverty
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Speaker 1: of spirit, from anger, from every other unkind or turbulent passion,
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Speaker 1: by meekness and gentleness, from every desire, but to please
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Speaker 1: and enjoy God, to know and love Him more and
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Speaker 1: more by that hunger and thirst after righteousness, which now
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Speaker 1: engrosses their whole soul, so that now they love the
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Speaker 1: Lord their God with all their heart, and with all
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Speaker 1: their soul and mind and strength. But how little has
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Speaker 1: this purity of heart been regarded by the false teachers
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Speaker 1: of all ages. They have taught men barely to abstain
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Speaker 1: from such outward impurities as God hath forbidden by name.
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Speaker 1: But they did not strike at the heart, and by
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Speaker 1: not guarding against they in effect continence inward corruptions. A
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Speaker 1: remarkable instance of this, our Lord has given us in
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Speaker 1: the following words. Ye have heard that it was said
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Speaker 1: by them of old time, thou shalt not commit adultery Matthew,
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Speaker 1: chapter five, verse twenty seven. And in explaining this, those
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Speaker 1: blind leaders of the blind only insist on men substaining
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Speaker 1: from thee outward act. But I say unto you, whosoever
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Speaker 1: looketh on unwoman to lust after her hath committed adultery
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Speaker 1: with her already in his heart Matthew, chapter five, verse
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Speaker 1: twenty eight. For God requireth truth in the inward parts.
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Speaker 1: He searcheth the heart and trieth the reins. And if
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Speaker 1: thou incline unto iniquity with thy heart, the Lord will
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Speaker 1: not hear thee. And God admits no excuse for retaining
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Speaker 1: anything which is an occasion of impurity. Therefore, if thy
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Speaker 1: right eye offend THEE, pluck it out and cast it
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Speaker 1: from THEE. For it is profitable for THEE that one
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Speaker 1: of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole
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Speaker 1: body should be cast into hell. Matthew, chapter five, verse
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Speaker 1: twenty nine. If persons as dear to THEE as thy
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Speaker 1: right eye, be an occasion of thy thus offending God
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Speaker 1: a means of exciting unholy desire in thy soul. Delay
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Speaker 1: not forcibly separate from them. And if thy right hand
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Speaker 1: offend THEE, cut it off and cast it from THEE.
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Speaker 1: For it is profitable for THEE that one of thy
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Speaker 1: members should perish, and not that thy whole body should
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Speaker 1: be cast into hell. Matthew Chapter five, verse thirty. If
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Speaker 1: any who seem as necessary to THEE as thy right
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Speaker 1: hand be an occasion of sin, of impure desire, even
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Speaker 1: though it were never to go beyond the heart, never
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Speaker 1: to break out in word or action, constrain thyself to
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Speaker 1: an entire and final parting. Cut them off at a stroke,
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Speaker 1: give them up to God. Any loss, whether of pleasure
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Speaker 1: or substance, or friends, is preferable to the loss of
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Speaker 1: thy soul. Two steps only it may not be improper
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Speaker 1: to take before such an absolute and final separation. First,
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Speaker 1: try whether the unclean spirit may not be driven out
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Speaker 1: by fasting in prayer. And be carefully abstaining from every
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Speaker 1: action and word and look which thou hast found to
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Speaker 1: be a occasion of evil Secondly, if thou art not
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Speaker 1: by this means delivered, ask a counsel of him that
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Speaker 1: watcheth over thy soul, or at least of some who
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Speaker 1: have experienced in the ways of God, touching the time
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Speaker 1: and manner of that separation. But confer not with flesh
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Speaker 1: and blood. Lest thou be given up to a strong
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Speaker 1: delusion to believe a lie. Nor may marriage itself wholly
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Speaker 1: and honorable, as it is be used as a pretense
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Speaker 1: for giving a loose to our desires. Indeed, it hath
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Speaker 1: been said, whosoever will put away his wife, let him
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Speaker 1: give her a writing of divorcement, and then all is well,
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Speaker 1: though he alleged no cause but that he did not
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Speaker 1: like her or liked another better. But I say unto
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Speaker 1: you that whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for
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Speaker 1: the case of fornication, that is adultery. The word pornia,
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Speaker 1: signifying unchastity in general, either in the married or unmarried state,
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Speaker 1: causeth her to commit adultery if she marry again. And
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Speaker 1: whosoever shall marry her that is put away, committeth adultery. Matthew,
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Speaker 1: Chapter five, verse thirty one and thirty two. All polygamy
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Speaker 1: is clearly forbidden in these words, wherein our Lord expressly
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Speaker 1: declares that for any woman who has a husband alive
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Speaker 1: to marry again is adultery. By parity of reason, it
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Speaker 1: is adultery for any man to marry again so long
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Speaker 1: as he has a wife alive. Yea, although they were divorced,
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Speaker 1: unless that divorce had been for the cause of adultery.
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Speaker 1: In that only case, there is no scripture which forbids
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Speaker 1: to marry again. Such is the purity of heart which
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Speaker 1: God requires and works in those who believe on the
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Speaker 1: son of His Love. And blessed are they who are
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Speaker 1: thus pure in heart, for they shall see God. He
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Speaker 1: will manifest himself onto them, not only as he doth
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Speaker 1: not unto the world, but as he doth not always
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Speaker 1: to his own children. He will bless them with the
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Speaker 1: clearest communications of his spirit, the most intimate fellowship with
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Speaker 1: the Father and with the Sun. He will cause his
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Speaker 1: presence to go continually before them, and the light of
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Speaker 1: his countenance to shine upon them. It is the ceaseless
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Speaker 1: prayer of their heart. I beseech THEE show me thy glory,
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Speaker 1: And they have the petition they ask of him. They
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Speaker 1: now see him by faith the veil of the flesh,
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Speaker 1: being made as it were, transparent, even in these his
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Speaker 1: lowest works, and all that surrounds them. In all that
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Speaker 1: God has created and made, they see Him in the
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Speaker 1: height above, and in the death beneath. They see him
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Speaker 1: feeling all in all. The pure in heart see all
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Speaker 1: things full of God. They see him in the firmament
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Speaker 1: of heaven, in the moon, walking in brightness in the sun,
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Speaker 1: when he rejoiceth as a giant to run his course.
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Speaker 1: They see him making the clouds his chariots, and walking
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Speaker 1: upon the wings of the wind. They see him preparing
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Speaker 1: rain for the earth, and blessing thee increase of it,
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Speaker 1: giving grass for the cattle, and green herb for the
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Speaker 1: use of man. They see the creator of all, wisely
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Speaker 1: governing all and upholding all things by the word of
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Speaker 1: His power. O Lord, our Governor, how excellent is thy
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Speaker 1: name in all the world, in all his providences, relating
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Speaker 1: to themselves, to their souls or bodies. The pure in
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Speaker 1: heart do more particularly see God. They see His hand
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Speaker 1: ever over them for good, giving them all things in
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Speaker 1: weight and measure, numbering the hairs of their head, making
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Speaker 1: a hedge around about them, and all that they have,
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Speaker 1: and disposing all the circumstances of their life according to
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Speaker 1: the depth both of His wisdom and mercy. But in
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Speaker 1: a more especial manner they see God in his ordinances,
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Speaker 1: whether they appear in the great congregation to pay him
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Speaker 1: the honor due unto his name and worship him in
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Speaker 1: the beauty of polyness, or enter into their closets and
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Speaker 1: there pour out their souls before their Father, which is
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Speaker 1: in secret, whether they search the oracles of God, or
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Speaker 1: hear the ambassadors of Christ proclaiming glad tidings of salvation,
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Speaker 1: or by eating of that bread and drinking of that cup,
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Speaker 1: show forth his death till he come in the clouds
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Speaker 1: of heaven. In all these his appointed ways, they find
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Speaker 1: such a near approach as cannot be expressed. They see Him,
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Speaker 1: as it were, face to face, and talk with him
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Speaker 1: as a man talking with his friend, a fit preparation
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Speaker 1: for those mansions above wherein they shall see Him as
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Speaker 1: he is. But how far were they from seeing God, who,
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Speaker 1: having heard that it had been said by them of
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Speaker 1: old time, thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform
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Speaker 1: unto the Lord thine oaths. Matthew chapter five, verse thirty three.
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Speaker 1: Interpret it it. Thus, thou shalt not forswear thyself, when
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Speaker 1: thou swearest by the Lord Jehovah. Thou shalt perform unto
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Speaker 1: the Lord these thine oaths. But as to other oaths,
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Speaker 1: he regardeth them not. So the Pharisees taught they not
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Speaker 1: only allowed all manner of swearing in common conversation, but
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Speaker 1: accounted even for swearing a little thing. So they had
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Speaker 1: not sworn by the peculiar name of God. But our
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Speaker 1: Lord here absolutely forbids all common swearing, as well as
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Speaker 1: all false swearing, and shows the heeneousness of both, by
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Speaker 1: the same awful consideration. That every creature is God's, and
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Speaker 1: He is everywhere present in all and over all. I
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Speaker 1: say unto you, swear not at all, neither by Heaven,
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Speaker 1: for it is God's throne Matthew, Chapter five, verse thirty four.
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Speaker 1: And therefore this is the same as to swear by
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Speaker 1: him who sitteth upon the circle of the heavens, nor
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Speaker 1: by the earth, for it is his footstool Matthew, chapter five,
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Speaker 1: verse thirty five. And he is as intimately present in
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Speaker 1: Earth as heaven. Neither by Jerusalem, for it is the
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Speaker 1: city of the Great King, and God is well known
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Speaker 1: in her palaces. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head,
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Speaker 1: because thou canst not make one hair white or black Matthew,
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Speaker 1: Chapter five, verse thirty six. Because even this, it is plain,
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Speaker 1: is not thine, but God's the sole disposer of all
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Speaker 1: in heaven and earth. But let your communication Matthew Chapter five,
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Speaker 1: verse thirty seven, your conversation, your discourse with each other,
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Speaker 1: be yea yea, nay nay, a bare serious affirming or denying.
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Speaker 1: For whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil? To
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Speaker 1: poneru Eston is of the evil. One proceedeth from the devil,
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Speaker 1: and is a mark of his children that our Lord
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Speaker 1: does not here forbid The swearing in judgment and truth
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Speaker 1: when we are required so to do by a magistrate.
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Speaker 1: May appear one from the occasion of this part of
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Speaker 1: his discourse the abuse he was here reproving, which was
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Speaker 1: false swearing and common swearing, the swearing before a magistrate
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Speaker 1: being quite out of the question. Two from the very
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Speaker 1: words wherein he forms the general conclusion, Let your communication
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Speaker 1: or discourse be yea yea nay nay. Three from his
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Speaker 1: own example for he answered himself upon oath when required
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Speaker 1: by a magistrate. When the high priest said, unto him,
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Speaker 1: I adjured thee by the Living God, that thou tell
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Speaker 1: us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.
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Speaker 1: Jesus immediately answered in the affirmative, thou hast said that
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Speaker 1: is the truth. Nevertheless, or rather moreover, I say unto you.
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Speaker 1: Hereafter ye shall see the son of Man sitting on
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Speaker 1: the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds
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Speaker 1: of heaven. Matthew chapter twenty six, verse sixty three and
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Speaker 1: verse sixty four four. From the example of God, even
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Speaker 1: the Father, who willing the more abundantly to show onto
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Speaker 1: the years of promise the immutability of his consul, confirmed
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Speaker 1: it by an oath. Hebrews chapter six, verse seventeen five.
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Speaker 1: From the example of Saint Paul, who we think had
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Speaker 1: the spirit of God and well understood the mind of
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Speaker 1: his master. God is my witness. Saith he to the Romans,
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Speaker 1: that without ceasing I make mention of you always in
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Speaker 1: my prayers Romans chapter one, verse nine, to the Corinthians.
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Speaker 1: I call God to record upon my soul that to
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Speaker 1: spare you I came, not as yet unto corinth Second Corinthians,
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Speaker 1: chapter one, verse twenty three. And to the Philippians, God
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Speaker 1: is my record, how greatly long after you in the
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Speaker 1: bowels of Jesus Christ Philippians, chapter one, verse eight. Hence
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Speaker 1: it undeniably appears that if the Apostle knew the meaning
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Speaker 1: of his Lord's words, they do not forbid swearing on
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Speaker 1: weighty occasions, even to one another, how much less before
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Speaker 1: a magistrate. And lastly, from that assertion of the Great
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Speaker 1: Apostle concerning solemn swearing in general, which it is impossible
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Speaker 1: he could have mentioned without any touch of blame if
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Speaker 1: his Lord had totally forbidden it, Men verily swear by
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Speaker 1: the Greater, by one greater than themselves, and an oath
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Speaker 1: for confirmation is to them the end of all strife. Hebrews,
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Speaker 1: chapter six, verse sixteen. But the great lesson which our
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Speaker 1: blessed Lord inculcates here, and which he illustrates by this example,
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Speaker 1: is that God is in all things, and that we
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Speaker 1: are to see the Creator in the glass of every creature,
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Speaker 1: that we should use and look upon nothing as separate
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Speaker 1: from God, which is indeed a kind of practical atheism,
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Speaker 1: but with a true magnificence of thought, survey heaven and
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Speaker 1: earth and all that is therein, as contained by God
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Speaker 1: in the hollow of his hand, who by his intimate
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Speaker 1: presence holds them all in being, who pervades and actuates
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Speaker 1: the whole created frame, and is in a true sense
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Speaker 1: the soul of the universe. Thus far our Lord has
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Speaker 1: been more directly employed in teaching the religion of the heart.
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Speaker 1: He has shown what Christians are to be. He proceeds
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Speaker 1: to show what they are to do. Also, how inward
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Speaker 1: holiness is to exert itself in our outward conversation. Blessed Saith,
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Speaker 1: He are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the
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Speaker 1: children of God, the peacemakers. The word in the original
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Speaker 1: is hoi erna poia. It is well known that Erne
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Speaker 1: in the Sacred Writings, implies all manner of good, every
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Speaker 1: blessing that relates either to the soul or the body,
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Speaker 1: to time or eternity. Accordingly, when Saint Paul, in the
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Speaker 1: titles of his epistles, wishes grace and peace to the
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Speaker 1: Romans or the Corinthians, it is as if he had said,
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Speaker 1: as a fruit of the free, undeserved love and favored
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Speaker 1: of God, may you enjoy all blessings spiritual and temporal,
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Speaker 1: all the good things which God hath prepared for them
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Speaker 1: that love Him. Hence may easily learn in how wide
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Speaker 1: a sense the term peacemakers is to be understood. In
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Speaker 1: its literal meaning, it implies those lovers of God and
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Speaker 1: man who utterly detest and abhor all strife, and debate
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Speaker 1: all variance and contention, and accordingly labour with all their might,
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Speaker 1: either to prevent this fire of hell from being kindled,
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Speaker 1: or when it is kindled, from breaking out, or when
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Speaker 1: it is broke out, from spreading any further. They endeavor
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Speaker 1: to calm the stormy spirits of men, to quiet their
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Speaker 1: turbulent passions, to soften the minds of contending parties, and
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Speaker 1: if possible, reconcile them to each other. They use all
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Speaker 1: innocent arts and employ all their strength, all the talents
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Speaker 1: which God has given them, as well, to preserve peace
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Speaker 1: where it is, as to restore it where it is not.
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Speaker 1: It is the joy of their heart to promote, to confirm,
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Speaker 1: to increase mutual good will among men, but more especially
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Speaker 1: among the children of God, however distinguished by things of
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Speaker 1: smaller importance, that as they have all one Lord, one faith,
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Speaker 1: as they are all called in one hope of their calling,
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Speaker 1: so they may all walk worthy of the vocation. Wherewith
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Speaker 1: they are called with all lowliness and meekness, with long suffering,
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Speaker 1: forbearing one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity
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Speaker 1: of the spirit in the bond of peace. But in
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Speaker 1: the full extent of the word. A peacemaker is one that,
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Speaker 1: as he hath opportunity, doth good unto all men. One that,
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Speaker 1: being filled with the love of God and of all mankind,
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Speaker 1: cannot confine the expressions of it to his own family
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Speaker 1: or friends, or acquaintance, or party, or to those of
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Speaker 1: his own opinions, no, nor those who are partakers of
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Speaker 1: like precious faith. But steps over all these narrow bounds,
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Speaker 1: that he may do good to every man, that he may,
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Speaker 1: some way or other manifest his love to neighbors and strangers,
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Speaker 1: friends and enemies. He doth good to them all, as
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Speaker 1: he hath opportunity, that is, on every possible occasion, redeeming
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Speaker 1: the time in order thereto, buying up every opportunity, improving
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Speaker 1: every hour, losing no moment wherein he may profit another.
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Speaker 1: He does good, not of one particular kind, but good
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Speaker 1: in general in every possible way, employing herein all his
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Speaker 1: talents of every kind, all his powers and faculties of
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Speaker 1: body and soul, all his fortune, his interest, his reputation,
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Speaker 1: desiring only that when his Lord cometh he may say
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Speaker 1: well done, good and faithful servant. He doth good to
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Speaker 1: the uttermost of his power, even to the bodies of
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Speaker 1: all men. He rejoices to deal his bread to the hungry,
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Speaker 1: and to cover the naked with a garment. Is any
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Speaker 1: a stranger, he takes him in and relieves him according
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Speaker 1: to his necessities. Are any sick or in prison, he
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Speaker 1: visits them and administers such help as they stand most
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Speaker 1: in need of. And all this he does not as
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Speaker 1: unto man, but remembering him that hath said, inasmuch as
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Speaker 1: ye have done it onto one of the least of these,
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Speaker 1: my brethren, you have done it unto me. How much
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Speaker 1: more does he rejoice if he can do any good
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Speaker 1: to the soul of any man. This power indeed belongeth
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Speaker 1: unto God. It is he only that changes the heart,
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Speaker 1: without which every other change is lighter than vanity. Nevertheless,
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Speaker 1: it pleases him who worketh all in all to help
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Speaker 1: man chiefly by man, to convey his own power and
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Speaker 1: blessing and love through one man to another. Therefore, although
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Speaker 1: it be certain that the help which is done upon earth,
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Speaker 1: God doth it himself, Yet has no man need on
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Speaker 1: this account to stand idle in his vineyard. This peacemaker cannot.
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Speaker 1: He is ever laboring therein, and as an instrument in
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Speaker 1: God's hand, preparing the ground for his master's use, or
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Speaker 1: sowing the seed of the kingdom, or watering what is
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Speaker 1: already sown. If haply God may give the increase according
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Speaker 1: to the measure of grace which he has received. He
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Speaker 1: uses all diligence, either to reprove the gross sinner, to
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Speaker 1: reclaim those who run on headlong in the broad way
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Speaker 1: of destruction, or to give light to them that sit
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Speaker 1: in darkness and are ready to perish for lack of knowledge,
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Speaker 1: or to support the weak, to lift up the hands
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Speaker 1: that hang down in the feeble knees, or to bring
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Speaker 1: back and heal that which was lame and turned out
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Speaker 1: of the way. Nor is he less zealous to confirm
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Speaker 1: those who are already striving to enter in at the
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Speaker 1: straight gate, to strengthen those that stand, that they may
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Speaker 1: run with patience the race which is set before them,
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Speaker 1: to build up in their most holy faith, those that
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Speaker 1: know in whom they have believed, to exhort them to
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Speaker 1: stir up the gift of God which is in them,
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Speaker 1: that daily growing in grace an entrance may be ministered
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Speaker 1: onto them abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord
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Speaker 1: and Savior, Jesus Christ. Blessed are they who are thus
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Speaker 1: continually employed in the work of faith, in the labor
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Speaker 1: of love. For they shall be called, that is, shall
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Speaker 1: be a common Hebraism, the children of God. God shall
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Speaker 1: continue onto them the spirit of adoption, Yea, shall pour
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Speaker 1: it more abundantly into their hearts. He shall bless them
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Speaker 1: with all the blessings of His children. He shall acknowledge
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Speaker 1: them as sons before angels and men, And if sons,
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Speaker 1: then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.
21:33
Speaker 1: One would imagine such a person as has been above described,
21:36
Speaker 1: so full of genuine humility, so unaffectedly serious, so mild
21:40
Speaker 1: and gentle, so free from all selfish designs, so devoted
21:44
Speaker 1: to God, and such an active lover of men, should
21:47
Speaker 1: be the darling of mankind. But our Lord was better
21:51
Speaker 1: acquainted with human nature in its present state. He therefore
21:54
Speaker 1: closes the character of this man of God with showing
21:57
Speaker 1: him the treatment he is to expect in the world.
22:00
Speaker 1: World blessed, saith, he are they which are persecuted for
22:04
Speaker 1: righteousness sake? For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. In
22:08
Speaker 1: order to understand this, truly, let us first inquire who
22:13
Speaker 1: are they that are persecuted? And this we may easily
22:16
Speaker 1: learn from Saint Paul as of old, he that was
22:20
Speaker 1: born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after
22:24
Speaker 1: the spirit. Even so it is now Galicians chapter four,
22:27
Speaker 1: verse twenty nine. Yea, saith, the apostle and all that
22:31
Speaker 1: will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. Two
22:35
Speaker 1: Timothy chapter three, verse twelve. The same we are taught
22:39
Speaker 1: by Saint John Marvel not my brethren. If the world
22:43
Speaker 1: hate you, we know that we have passed from death
22:46
Speaker 1: onto life because we love the brethren. First John chapter three,
22:50
Speaker 1: verses thirteen to fourteen, as if he had said the brethren,
22:55
Speaker 1: the Christians cannot be loved but by them who have
22:58
Speaker 1: passed from death onto lafe, and most expressionally, by our Lord.
23:03
Speaker 1: If the world hate you, you know that it hated
23:06
Speaker 1: me before it hated you. If you were of the world,
23:08
Speaker 1: the world would love its own. But because you are
23:11
Speaker 1: not of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember
23:14
Speaker 1: the word that I said unto you, the servant is
23:17
Speaker 1: not greater than his Lord. If they have persecuted me,
23:21
Speaker 1: they will also persecute you. John chapter fifteen, verse eighteen.
23:26
Speaker 1: By all these scriptures, it manifestly appears who they are
23:29
Speaker 1: that are persecuted, namely the righteous, he that is born
23:33
Speaker 1: of the Spirit, all that will live godly in Christ Jesus.
23:37
Speaker 1: They that are passed from death unto life, those who
23:40
Speaker 1: are not of the world, All those who are meek
23:43
Speaker 1: and lowly in heart, that mourn for God, that hunger
23:46
Speaker 1: after His likeness, all that love God and their neighbor.
23:50
Speaker 1: And therefore, as they have opportunity, do good unto all men.
23:55
Speaker 1: If it be secondly inquired why they are persecuted, the
24:00
Speaker 1: answer is equally plain and obvious. It is for righteousness sake,
24:04
Speaker 1: because they are righteous, because they are born after the Spirit,
24:08
Speaker 1: because they will live godly in Christ Jesus, because they
24:12
Speaker 1: are not of the world. Whatever may be pretended, this
24:16
Speaker 1: is the real cause. By their infirmities more or less. Still,
24:20
Speaker 1: if it were not for this, they would be born
24:23
Speaker 1: with and the world would love its own. They are
24:26
Speaker 1: persecuted because they are poor in spirit, that is say
24:30
Speaker 1: the world, poor spirited, mean, dastardly souls, good for nothing,
24:36
Speaker 1: not fit to live in the world, because they mourn.
24:40
Speaker 1: They are such dull, heavy, lumpish creatures, enough to seek
24:44
Speaker 1: anyone's spirits that seize them. They are mere deathheads. They
24:49
Speaker 1: kill innocent mirth and spoil company wherever they come, because
24:53
Speaker 1: they are meek, tame, passive fools, just fit to be
24:57
Speaker 1: trampled upon, because they hunger and thirst after righteousness, a
25:01
Speaker 1: parcel of hot brained enthusiasts, gaping after they know not what,
25:06
Speaker 1: not content with rational religion, but running mad after raptures
25:10
Speaker 1: and inward feelings. Because they are merciful lovers of all,
25:14
Speaker 1: lovers of the evil, and unthankful, encouraging all manner of wickedness,
25:19
Speaker 1: nay tempting people to do mischief by impunity, and men
25:22
Speaker 1: who it is to be feared, have their own religions
25:25
Speaker 1: still to seek, very loose in their principles, because they
25:29
Speaker 1: are pure in heart, uncharitable creatures that damn all the world,
25:34
Speaker 1: but those that are of their own sort, blasphemous wretches
25:37
Speaker 1: that pretend to make God a liar, to live without
25:40
Speaker 1: sin above all, because they are peacemakers, because they take
25:44
Speaker 1: all opportunities of doing good to all men. This is
25:48
Speaker 1: the grand reason why they have been persecuted in all ages,
25:52
Speaker 1: and will be till the restitution of all things. If
25:55
Speaker 1: they would but keep their religion to themselves, it would
25:58
Speaker 1: be tolerable. But it is is this spreading their errors,
26:01
Speaker 1: disinfecting so many others, which is not to be endured.
26:05
Speaker 1: They do so much mischief in the world that they
26:07
Speaker 1: ought to be tolerated no longer. It is true the
26:11
Speaker 1: men do some things well enough, they relieve some of
26:14
Speaker 1: the poor, but this too is only done to gain
26:17
Speaker 1: the more to their party, and so in effect, to
26:20
Speaker 1: do the more mischief. Thus the men of the world
26:23
Speaker 1: sincerely think and speak. And the more the Kingdom of
26:26
Speaker 1: God prevails, the more the peacemakers are enabled to propagate lowliness, meekness,
26:31
Speaker 1: and all other divine tempers, the more mischief is done
26:33
Speaker 1: in their account. Consequently, the more they are enraged against
26:37
Speaker 1: the authors of this, and the more vehemently will they
26:40
Speaker 1: persecute them. Let us thirdly inquire who are they that
26:44
Speaker 1: persecute them? Saint Paul answers he that is born after
26:48
Speaker 1: the flesh, everyone who is not born of the spirit,
26:51
Speaker 1: or at least desirous so to be, all that do
26:54
Speaker 1: not at least labor to live godly in Christ Jesus,
26:57
Speaker 1: All that are not passed from death unto life, and
27:00
Speaker 1: consequently cannot love the brethren the world. That is, according
27:04
Speaker 1: to our Saviour's account, they who know not Him that
27:08
Speaker 1: sent me, They who know not God, even the loving,
27:11
Speaker 1: pardoning God by the teaching of his own spirit. The
27:15
Speaker 1: reason is plain. The spirit which is in the world
27:18
Speaker 1: is directly opposite to the spirit which is of God.
27:21
Speaker 1: It must, therefore needs be that those who are of
27:24
Speaker 1: the world will be opposite to those who are of God.
27:28
Speaker 1: There is the utmost contrariety between them and all their opinions,
27:32
Speaker 1: their desires, designs, and tempers. And hitherto the leopard and
27:36
Speaker 1: the kid cannot lie down in peace together. The proud,
27:39
Speaker 1: because he is proud, cannot but persecute the lowly, the
27:42
Speaker 1: light and airy, those that mourn, And so in every
27:46
Speaker 1: other kind. The unlikeness of disposition. Were there no other
27:50
Speaker 1: being a perpetual ground of enmity. Therefore, were it only
27:53
Speaker 1: on this account, all the servants of the devil will
27:56
Speaker 1: persecute the children of God. Should it be inquired, fourthly,
28:01
Speaker 1: how they will persecute them, it may be answered in general,
28:05
Speaker 1: just in that manner and measure which the wise disposure
28:08
Speaker 1: of all sees will be most for His glory, will
28:12
Speaker 1: tend most to his children's growth in grace and the
28:16
Speaker 1: enlargement of his own kingdom. There is no one branch
28:20
Speaker 1: of God's government of the world which is more to
28:22
Speaker 1: be admired than this. His ear is never heavy to
28:26
Speaker 1: the threatenings of the persecutor or the cry of the persecuted.
28:30
Speaker 1: His eye is ever open, and his hands stretched out
28:33
Speaker 1: to direct the minutest circumstance. When the storm shall begin,
28:38
Speaker 1: how high it shall rise, which way it shall point
28:41
Speaker 1: its course, when and how it shall end, are all
28:44
Speaker 1: determined by his unerring wisdom. The ungodly are only a
28:48
Speaker 1: sword of his an instrument which he uses as it
28:51
Speaker 1: pleaseth him, and which itself, when the gracious ends of
28:54
Speaker 1: His providence are answered, is cast into the fire. At
28:58
Speaker 1: some rare times, as when Christianity was planted first and
29:02
Speaker 1: while it was taking root in the earth, as also
29:05
Speaker 1: when the pure doctrine of Christ began to be planted
29:07
Speaker 1: again in our nation, God permitted the storm to rise high,
29:11
Speaker 1: and his children were called to resist onto blood. There
29:15
Speaker 1: was a peculiar reason why He suffered this with regard
29:18
Speaker 1: to the apostles, that their evidence might be the more unexceptionable.
29:22
Speaker 1: But from the annals of the Church we learned another
29:25
Speaker 1: and a far different reason why He suffered the heavy
29:28
Speaker 1: persecutions which rose in the second and third centuries, namely
29:32
Speaker 1: because the mystery of iniquity did so strongly work because
29:36
Speaker 1: of the monstrous corruptions which even then reigned in the church.
29:41
Speaker 1: These God chastised and at the same time strove to
29:44
Speaker 1: heal by those severe but necessary visitations. Perhaps the same
29:50
Speaker 1: observation may be made with regard to the grand persecution
29:53
Speaker 1: in our own land. God had dealt very graciously with
29:57
Speaker 1: our nation. He had poured out various blos blessings upon us.
30:01
Speaker 1: He had given us peace abroad and at home, and
30:04
Speaker 1: a king wise and good beyond his years. And above all,
30:08
Speaker 1: he had caused the pure light of his gospel to
30:10
Speaker 1: arise and shine amongst us. But what return did he
30:14
Speaker 1: find He looked for righteousness, but behold a cry, a
30:18
Speaker 1: cry of oppression and wrong, of ambition, and injustice, of malice,
30:23
Speaker 1: and fraud and coveteousness. Yea, the cry of those who
30:27
Speaker 1: even then expired in the flames, entered into the ears
30:30
Speaker 1: of the Lord of the Saboa. It was then God
30:33
Speaker 1: arose to maintain his own cause against those that held
30:36
Speaker 1: the truth in unrighteousness. Then he sold them into the
30:39
Speaker 1: hands of their persecutors by a judgment mixed with mercy
30:43
Speaker 1: and affliction to punish, and yet a medicine to heal
30:46
Speaker 1: the grievous backslidings of his people. But it is seldom
30:50
Speaker 1: God suffers the storm to rise so high as torture
30:53
Speaker 1: or death, or bonds or imprisonment. Whereas his children are
30:57
Speaker 1: frequently called to endure those lighter kinds of persecution, they
31:01
Speaker 1: frequently suffer the estrangement of kinsfolk, the loss of the
31:05
Speaker 1: friends that were as their own soul. They find the
31:08
Speaker 1: truth of their Lord's word concerning the event, though not
31:11
Speaker 1: the design of his coming. Suppose, ye that I am
31:14
Speaker 1: come to give peace on earth, I tell you nay,
31:17
Speaker 1: but rather division Luke Chapter twelve, verse fifty one, and
31:21
Speaker 1: hence will naturally follow loss of business or employment, and
31:25
Speaker 1: consequently of substance. But all these circumstances, likewise are under
31:29
Speaker 1: the wise direction of God, who allots to everyone what
31:32
Speaker 1: is most expedient for him. But the persecution which attends
31:36
Speaker 1: all the children of God is that our Lord describes
31:39
Speaker 1: in the following words, Blessed are ye. When men shall
31:42
Speaker 1: rebel you and persecute you, shall persecute by reviling you,
31:47
Speaker 1: and say all manner of evil against you falsely. For
31:50
Speaker 1: my sake, this cannot fail. It is the very badge
31:54
Speaker 1: of our discipleship. It is one of the seals of
31:56
Speaker 1: our calling. It is a sheer portion entailed on all
32:00
Speaker 1: all the children of God. If we have it not,
32:02
Speaker 1: we are bastards and not sons. Straight through evil report,
32:07
Speaker 1: as well as good report, lies the only way to
32:09
Speaker 1: the kingdom. The meek, serious, humble, zealous lovers of God
32:14
Speaker 1: and man are of good report among their brethren, but
32:17
Speaker 1: of evil report with the world, who count and treat
32:20
Speaker 1: them as the filth and off scouring of all things. Indeed,
32:24
Speaker 1: some have supposed that before the fullness of the gentiles
32:27
Speaker 1: shall come in the scandal of the cross will cease,
32:30
Speaker 1: that God will cause Christians to be esteemed in love
32:33
Speaker 1: even by those who are as yet in their sins. Yea,
32:37
Speaker 1: and sure it is that even now He at some
32:40
Speaker 1: times suspends the contempt as well as the fierceness of men.
32:43
Speaker 1: He makes a man's enemies to be at peace with
32:45
Speaker 1: him for a season, and gives him favor with his
32:48
Speaker 1: bitterest persecutors. But setting aside this exact case, the scandal
32:53
Speaker 1: of the cross has not yet ceased. But a man
32:55
Speaker 1: may say, still, if I please men, I am not
32:59
Speaker 1: the servant of Christ. Let no man therefore regard that
33:03
Speaker 1: pleasing suggestion, pleasing doubtless to flesh and blood. That bad
33:08
Speaker 1: men only pretend to hate and despise them that are good,
33:12
Speaker 1: but do indeed love and esteem them in their hearts.
33:15
Speaker 1: Not so they may employ them sometimes, but it is
33:19
Speaker 1: for their own prophet. They may put confidence in them,
33:23
Speaker 1: for they know their ways are not like other men's.
33:27
Speaker 1: But still they love them, not unless so far as
33:30
Speaker 1: the spirit of God may be striving with them. Our
33:33
Speaker 1: Saviour's words are express. If ye were of the world,
33:38
Speaker 1: the world would love its own. But because you are
33:40
Speaker 1: not of the world, therefore the world hateth you yea
33:45
Speaker 1: setting aside what exceptions may be made by the preventing
33:48
Speaker 1: grace or the peculiar providence of God. It hateth them
33:52
Speaker 1: as cordially and sincerely, as ever it did their master.
33:57
Speaker 1: It remains only to inquire how are the children of
34:01
Speaker 1: God to behave with regard to persecution? And first they
34:06
Speaker 1: ought not knowingly or designedly to bring it upon themselves.
34:11
Speaker 1: This is contrary both to the example and advice of
34:14
Speaker 1: our Lord and all his apostles, who teach us not
34:18
Speaker 1: only not to seek, but to avoid it as far
34:22
Speaker 1: as we can without injuring our conscience, without giving up
34:26
Speaker 1: any part of that righteousness which we are to prefer
34:29
Speaker 1: before life itself. So our Lord expressly, when they persecute
34:34
Speaker 1: you in this city, flee ye into another, Which is indeed,
34:39
Speaker 1: when it can be taken the most unexceptionable way of
34:43
Speaker 1: avoiding persecution. Yet think not that you can always avoid it,
34:48
Speaker 1: either by this or any other means. If ever that
34:52
Speaker 1: idle imagination steals into your heart, put it to flight
34:57
Speaker 1: by that earnest caution, Remember the words that I set
35:00
Speaker 1: unto you. The servant is not greater than his lord.
35:04
Speaker 1: If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you.
35:09
Speaker 1: Be ye wise as serpents and harmless as doves. But
35:13
Speaker 1: will this screen you from persecution. Not unless you have
35:17
Speaker 1: more wisdom than your master, or more innocence than the
35:20
Speaker 1: lamb of God. Neither desire to avoid it, to escape
35:25
Speaker 1: it wholy, for if you do, you are none of his.
35:28
Speaker 1: If you escape the persecution, you escape the blessing, the
35:32
Speaker 1: blessing of those who are persecuted for righteousness sake. If
35:36
Speaker 1: you are not persecuted for righteousness sake, you cannot enter
35:39
Speaker 1: into the Kingdom of heaven. If we suffer with him,
35:42
Speaker 1: we shall also reign with him. But if we deny him,
35:46
Speaker 1: he will also deny us. Nay, rather rejoice and be
35:51
Speaker 1: exceeding glad when men persecute you for his sake. When
35:56
Speaker 1: they persecute you by reviling you, and by saying all
35:59
Speaker 1: manner of evil against you falsely, which they will not
36:03
Speaker 1: fail to mix with every kind of persecution, they must
36:06
Speaker 1: blacken you to excuse themselves, for so persecuted they the
36:11
Speaker 1: prophets which were before you. Those who are most imminently
36:15
Speaker 1: holy in heart and life. Yea, in all the righteous
36:19
Speaker 1: which ever have been from the beginning of the world. Rejoice,
36:22
Speaker 1: because by His mark also ye know unto whom ye belong,
36:27
Speaker 1: And because great is your reward in heaven, the reward
36:31
Speaker 1: purchased by the blood of the Covenant, and freely bestowed
36:34
Speaker 1: in proportion to your sufferings, as well as to your
36:37
Speaker 1: holiness of heart and life. Be exceeding glad, knowing that
36:42
Speaker 1: these light afflictions, which are but for a moment, work
36:45
Speaker 1: out for you a far more exceeding and eternal weight
36:49
Speaker 1: of glory. Meantime, let no persecution turn you out of
36:53
Speaker 1: the way of lowliness and meekness of love and beneficence.
36:58
Speaker 1: You have heard, indeed that it hath been said an
37:01
Speaker 1: eye for an eye, in a tooth for a tooth Matthew,
37:04
Speaker 1: Chapter five, verse thirty eight. And your miserable teachers have
37:09
Speaker 1: hence allowed you to avenge yourselves to return evil for evil.
37:13
Speaker 1: But I say unto you that ye resist not evil,
37:17
Speaker 1: not thus not by returning it in kind. But rather
37:21
Speaker 1: then do this, whosoever smiteth THEE on thy right cheek,
37:26
Speaker 1: turn to him the other also. And if any man
37:29
Speaker 1: will sue THEE at the law and take away thy coat,
37:32
Speaker 1: let him have thy cloak also, And whosoever shall compel
37:36
Speaker 1: THEE to go a mile, go with him twain so invincible.
37:41
Speaker 1: Let thy meekness be, and be thy love suitable thereto
37:46
Speaker 1: give to him that asketh THEE, and from him that
37:49
Speaker 1: would borrow of THEE, turn not thou away. Only give
37:53
Speaker 1: not a way that which is another man's, that which
37:55
Speaker 1: is not thine own. Therefore, one take care to owe
38:00
Speaker 1: no man anything, For what thou owest is not thy own,
38:04
Speaker 1: but another man's. Two provide for those of thine own household.
38:09
Speaker 1: This also God hath required of THEE, and what is
38:12
Speaker 1: necessary to sustain them in life and godliness is also
38:16
Speaker 1: not thine own. Then three, give or lend all that
38:20
Speaker 1: remains from day to day or from year to year,
38:24
Speaker 1: only first, seeing thou canst not give or lend to all.
38:28
Speaker 1: Remember the household of faith, the meekness and love we
38:32
Speaker 1: are to feel, the kindness we are to show to
38:35
Speaker 1: them which persecute us. For righteousness sake, Our blessed Lord
38:39
Speaker 1: describes further in the following verses, Oh that they were
38:43
Speaker 1: graven upon our hearts. Ye have heard that it hath
38:47
Speaker 1: been said, thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thy enemy.
38:52
Speaker 1: Matthew Chapter five, verse forty three. God indeed had said
38:57
Speaker 1: only the former part, thou shalt love thy name. The
39:00
Speaker 1: children of the devil had added the latter, and hate
39:03
Speaker 1: thy enemy. But I say unto you one, love your enemies.
39:09
Speaker 1: See that you bear a tender goodwill to those who
39:12
Speaker 1: are most bitter of spirit against you, who wish you
39:15
Speaker 1: all manner of evil. Two Bless them that curse you.
39:20
Speaker 1: Are there any whose bitterness of spirit breaks forth in
39:23
Speaker 1: bitter words who are continually cursing and reproaching you when
39:27
Speaker 1: you are present, and saying all evil against you when
39:30
Speaker 1: absent so much the Rather do you bless in conversing
39:34
Speaker 1: with them, Use all mildness and softness of language. Reprove
39:39
Speaker 1: them by repeating a better lesson before them, by showing
39:43
Speaker 1: them how they ought to have spoken, And in speaking
39:46
Speaker 1: of them, say all the good you can without violating
39:49
Speaker 1: the rules of truth and justice. Three Do good to
39:53
Speaker 1: them that hate you. Let your actions show that you
39:57
Speaker 1: are as real in love as they in hatred. Return
40:01
Speaker 1: good for evil. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome
40:05
Speaker 1: evil with good. Four. If you can do nothing more,
40:10
Speaker 1: at least pray for them that, despitefully use you and
40:13
Speaker 1: persecute you, you can never be disabled from doing this,
40:17
Speaker 1: nor can all their malice or violence hinder you. Pour
40:21
Speaker 1: out your souls to God, not only for those who
40:24
Speaker 1: did this once but now repent. This is a little thing.
40:28
Speaker 1: If thy brother, seven times a day turn and say,
40:31
Speaker 1: unto THEE, I repent Looke chapter seventeen, verse four. That is,
40:37
Speaker 1: if after ever so many relapses, he give THEE reason
40:41
Speaker 1: to believe that he is really and truly changed, then
40:44
Speaker 1: thou shalt forgive him so as to trust him to
40:47
Speaker 1: put him in thy bosom, as if he had never
40:50
Speaker 1: sinned against THEE at all. But pray for wrestle with God.
40:54
Speaker 1: For those that do not repent that now, despitefully use
40:58
Speaker 1: THEE and persecute THEE, thus far forgive them, not until
41:03
Speaker 1: seven times only, but until seventy times seven. Matthew chapter eighteen,
41:08
Speaker 1: verse twenty two. Whether they repent or know yea, though
41:13
Speaker 1: they appear farther and farther from it, Yet show them
41:17
Speaker 1: this instance of kindness, that ye may be the children,
41:21
Speaker 1: that ye may approve yourselves the genuine children of your father,
41:25
Speaker 1: which is in Heaven, who shows his goodness by giving
41:29
Speaker 1: such blessings as they are capable of, even to his stubbornness,
41:33
Speaker 1: enemies who maketh his son to rise on the evil
41:37
Speaker 1: and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just
41:40
Speaker 1: and on the unjust. For if ye love them which
41:43
Speaker 1: love you, what reward have ye? Do not even the
41:46
Speaker 1: publicans the same Matthew Chapter five, vers. Forty six, who
41:51
Speaker 1: pretend to know religion, whom ye yourselves acknowledge to be
41:55
Speaker 1: without God in the world. And if ye salute show
42:00
Speaker 1: kindness in word or deed to your brethren, your friends,
42:03
Speaker 1: sir kinsfolk, only what do ye more than others than
42:08
Speaker 1: those who have no religion at all? Do not even
42:11
Speaker 1: the publican soul? Matthew Chapter five, verse forty seven. Nay,
42:16
Speaker 1: but follow ye a better pattern than them, in patience,
42:20
Speaker 1: in long suffering, in mercy, in beneficence of every kind,
42:25
Speaker 1: to all, even to your bitterest persecutors. Be Ye Christians,
42:31
Speaker 1: perfect in kind, though not in degree, even as your Father,
42:35
Speaker 1: which is in Heaven is perfect Matthew, Chapter five, verse
42:39
Speaker 1: forty eight. Behold Christianity in its native form, as delivered
42:45
Speaker 1: by its great author. This is the genuine religion of
42:48
Speaker 1: Jesus Christ, such he presents it to him whose eyes
42:52
Speaker 1: are opened, see a picture of God, so far as
42:55
Speaker 1: he is imitable by man, a picture drawn by God's
42:59
Speaker 1: own hand. Behold, ye, despisers, and wonder and perish, or
43:05
Speaker 1: rather wonder and adore, rather cry out? Is this the
43:09
Speaker 1: religion of Jesus of Nazareth, the religion which I persecuted?
43:14
Speaker 1: Let me no more be found even to fight against God? Lord?
43:18
Speaker 1: What wouldst thou have me to do? What beauty appears
43:22
Speaker 1: in the whole, How just a symmetry, what exact proportion
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Speaker 1: in every part? How desirable is the happiness here described?
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Speaker 1: How venerable, how lovely the holiness? This is the spirit
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Speaker 1: of religion, the quintessence of it. These are indeed the
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Speaker 1: fundamentals of Christianity. Oh, that we may not be hearers
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Speaker 1: of it only like a man beholding his own face
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Speaker 1: in a glass, who goeth his way and straightway, forgetteth
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Speaker 1: what manner of man he was? Nay, But let us
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Speaker 1: steadily look into this perfect law of liberty, and can
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Speaker 1: continue therein. Let us not rest until every line thereof
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Speaker 1: is transcribed into our own hearts. Let us watch and pray,
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Speaker 1: and believe, and love and strive for the mastery till
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Speaker 1: every part of it shall appear in our soul, graven
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Speaker 1: there by the finger of God, till we are holy,
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Speaker 1: as he which hath called us is holy, perfect, as
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Speaker 1: our Father, which is in Heaven, is perfect. End of
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Speaker 1: Section twenty three.